Father of Nation – Myth Buster

From my school days, I was forced to believe that M K Gandhi bought us the freedom, with his charismatic spell of non-violence uprooted the 300+ year old British empire in less than 30 years which is dramatic.  I was also preached that his Dandi-March, boycotting foreign goods (clothes) and non-cooperation movement are few of his non-violence weapons which led to freedom India, and he was honored as mahatma (Great soul) by Rabindranath Tagore for the same and also for his simplicity.

His simplicity was often highlighted and one such thing is not wearing shirt, Gandhi denied wearing shirt, when he saw a women with torn clothes, feeling pity for her and on the nation, he offered her, his shirt and stopped wearing shirt from that day onwards, as there were people with no proper clothes to cover them, on the other hand some have many. So by not wearing the shirt, he signaled nation to reduce the consumption for others to get and as a gesture to show the world, to share, which is great, however to cover his torso, he used a long shawl which can be used to stitch 2/3 shirts, which is sarcastic, from that day onwards he also  stopped wearing pants/kurtas as they look odd without shirts, and started wearing dhotis which is 8/10 meters long, long enough for 3/4 pants, this way rather decreasing the consumption he increased it bringing more shortage and demand for clothes, I learned from few elderly persons, that many of his followers like sheep following the Sheppard started wearing Dhotis, which increased dhotis price exponentially, leaving more poor with torn dhotis.   

One other thing is, Gandhi also restrained from drinking milk, as it is also not available for poor, but he is not able to continue that for a long time, so he made a small amendment, that only cow’s milk is not available to the poor so decided to drink goat’s milk which he thought is abundantly available to poor and needy, maybe? However the milk that he had is something that even richest cannot get the access to it easily, because the Goat that is used to provide milk for Gandhi was bathed by LUX soap twice a day, and the same soap is not used twice, and the goat was fed with cow’s milk, walnut and cashews, and it was never allowed to gaze with other goats nor allowed to eat grass, I pity that goat. I don’t think such a milk is accessible even to someone who born with silver spoon. Though proof of the same is not available in Internet, I read this info in a book written by OSHO, which is authentic.

And his idealism, we all know that he first started is protest against British(rather racism) in South Africa, when he was thrown out of the train while travelling in first class coach, where he started Natal Indian Congress for the welfare of Indians, and fought for right for vote, elimination of land tax discrimination and so on, but remember this is not for the Africans (I’m not going to refer them as Blacks), whose suffer is worse than Indians, and for the same reason, he was attacked in SA, as South Africans had become incensed at his writing and behaviors, history says that’s where he inculcated non-violence, what a joke?  Because of this racist behavior he was denied Nobel Price couple of times out of 5 times nominated.

Last but not the least, Gandhi's lecherous thoughts and behaviors, Mr.Bose who spent years with Gandhi wrote, that Gandhi denied sex to his wife for decades while sleeping with other peoples wives, and he also use to beat his wife making mockery of non-violence. It also seems that he had spiritual marriage with two of Brit women who were staying in his ashram and had sex with them he also slept naked with his niece (12 years old) and other women to prove that he could control his manliness. When the same was done by Premananda, Nithyananda and others, they were prosecuted and he got honored as Mahatma. Bal Thackeray questioned the celibacy of Gandhi and lot more in here http://rupeenews.com/2007/12/six-stories-of-mohandas-gandhi-his-failures-sexual-perversion/.

When Gandhi  austere clothes/milk for poor, why did not he austere bungalows, and stay in hut? remember when he was assassinated he was in Birla's residence, one of the coziest place in India, at that period.

I don’t think such a crook could have bought independence to India, did Gandhi really fought for independence or just asking for Indians participation in parliament? but history says he got the freedom for us, if not he who else? Come back to check that in my next blog.

Arakshan (Reservation)

Reservation the very term make hue and cry, especially reservation for back ward community is not a term any more but a fuel to communal riots. That’s exactly what pictured in the Movie Arakshan, the story line is good, indeed a bold step to show society the dark side of the reservation, however it seems (I believe) Director has lost that courage during the screen play or maybe I misunderstood about the storyline.

From the story line it seems, that it intended to explain about how the bright students, just because they born in forward community but economically backward unable to do higher studies in government institutions, with far better percentage they are not able to see themselves in those institutions, where as a dull student from a backward community but economically forward finds himself in the seats of those institutions, but the screenplay played a totally different role, as if the wealthiest (as always forward community, as if all forward communities are world’s richest) are agitated and will do anything to suppress Reservations. This is what my understanding about the movie, as my intention today is not write the review for the movie but about reservation, you can comment/review my understanding of the movie after watching (grasping) the same.

Even before I talk about the importance of the Reservation, as there were so many debates on the same, in all those debates the team who wants to support the reservation, has keenly shown that their intention is not for the betterment of the community but keep them as salves under their foot forever. I’m rude here as I’m not good at sweet coating, before giving supportive arguments for my claim, let me ask you few questions. In an 1000 meters race, a winner is declared after completing 1000 meters or just 800 meters, just try to implement the reservation here, if SC/ST 600 meters, MBC  700 Meters, BC 800 Meters, OBC 900 Meters  and FC 1100 meters,  for a 1000 meters race. Engineers and doctors with below average percentage can only provide below average service.  This reservation has led to brain drain, when an MCOM with 95% is a clerk, where his superintendent is a BCOM with 40%, when promotions and designations are based on reservation, how one can expect efficiency. Where once medicine was a service now it is service industry, in order to get certified in medicine one has to spent several lakhs in private college as he can’t get into public intuitions because of reservation, after completing the course there is no vacancy in public hospitals.  With average percentage, we know the service we get in public hospitals, that’s the reason the private hospitals are flourishing, again, not all private hospitals flourish and not all public hospitals stick there are exceptions, but the variance makes the difference  

We would be fooling our self, by saying reservation has worked out and showing results, as many politicians been saying all these years, if that is true, then the percentage of the reservation should be decreasing after every amendment (technically after every 10 years) but it’s increasing steadily, and those communities wants to increase it exponentially. If before 60 years, after analyzing the situation law makers have given certain percentage as reservation for backward community for the upliftment of the society, and have asked the future generation to review the same after every 10 years and decrease accordingly, as sign of reservation benefit.  Now even after 60 years of implementation, we still have to increase the percentage it means that reservation hasn’t worked as it is expected or if you argue that initial reservation percentage is not appropriate or been cheated by the law makers of that time, then that is worse, as the chief of those law makers, the first law minister of India, was from backward community.

 These reservations will bring only imbalance in the society and an example for the same is Mayawathi’s support for the forward caste community. It’s game all these years she was leeching them,  and all of sudden now she started soothing , that’s how politicians live, by bringing imbalance, only then they can survive, by saying that they uplift the downtrodden.

I’m not against reservation, I’m only against caste/race based reservation, reservation should be based on economic conditions, as rightly expressed in the movie, if someone with poor amenities,  and facilities can  fetch average percentage, if provided better facilities will get better percentage, however when already with better facilities gets only average, by providing what will make him better. This is applicable for all caste and race. Then why reservation based on caste/race, these reservations are helping only those politicians who want to be the eternal leaders of those communities.

Like water that feeds the crops also feeds the grass unintentionally, the reservation that feeds the politicians also feeds the communities unintentionally, like sheep adulating the butcher, these men adulating their leaders.  There is a saying “Oru rendu patta koothadiki santhosam” means if clients are ignorant/non-cooperative, then it’s time for lawyers bonus. It’s exactly what’s happening in our reservation system, politicians/leaders are having there lion’s share, leaving a little to the communities.

A leaders descision

I was invited with my friends to a small get together by a Chief Architect and Urban Development planner of a reputed construction company.  At the bar table we were discussing about our work cultures and traditions, after couple of drinks, we started discussing about internal and external affairs of our country, on one occasion we started discussing about the war crimes in recent SriLankan war , as Architect is from SriLanka he shared few of the brutalism to the tamilians in SriLanka by the army, out of which many were his and his kin’s turmoil experience . 

As we are talking about the tigers movement and its popularity and fame in SriLanka and around the world, infact there were many countries who had accepted there stand and supported the same, one such country fortunately happens to be INDIA, wait did I say India, yes, I did said that.  India indeed was supporting tigers indirectly or directly and had taken steps peace between Tigers and Lankan government.  In fact, I would not be exaggerating by saying, that Lankan government had not taken any serious direct military action against Tigers because of India’s support, many unbiased historians will support my argument, then,  how come all these have changed in NO time,  yeah in NO time one wrong  decision by the leader has ruined the whole of movement’s concern and its community,  when question was asked will one wrong step can cause such a disaster for a community or movement, my strong response will be YES, if that wrong step/decision was taken by a leader.

We all know that any wrong decision taken by a soldier in a war, costs his life, a lieutenants decision cost a team’s life, a caption’s decision costs a company’s life, a major’s decision costs a battalions life, a general’s decision costs an army’s life just like that a leader’s decision costs a country’s/community’s life. Assassinating the EX-Prime Minister of a world’s largest democratic country, is an insane decision, moreover it clearly proves it’s a hasty decision, all the supporters of the Tigers even now escape from answering this question, implies that. It is something that should be avoided but cannot be corrected.

There are arguments for sake of arguing, that EX-PM’s stand was a kind of against them,  even then as an outsider they can only declare war or ignore his support,  but assassinating has caused the entire movement to stamp a terrorist tag on their face.

Looking back at the history where such decisions have destroyed communities, many would have known Hitler, the Dictator, otherwise would have been Hitler, the Great, if had chosen England  to war rather Russia,  he thought England as chicken and declared war against Russia, which brought disaster to his community (NAZI), as he was not aware of Russia’s climatic conditions,  historians know that it is the weather that killed the Nazi soldiers not the Russians, and this breathing time has given strength to England and America to form allies which made them strong to fight against Nazi, IF and only IF Hitler had declared war against  England, instead Russia, he would have been Hitler, the GREAT not the DICTATOR, I mean he would have changed the history from Dictator to Great J.

Napoleon, lost at waterloo, same miscalculation when army arrived at Moscow, it was deserted, and army marched towards Poland, but it was too late, winter killed the army and there were siege at river banks, finally everything finished at Waterloo.

MohanDas KaramChand Gandhi alias Mahatma Gandhi accepted the partition of India, fearing there might be a civil war (well, Nehru and Jinnah both were competing for ruling. Will talk about this later) ignoring the fact that partition will only avenge both and will not soothe, and that is true till now we both (Pakistan and India) spend an astronomical amount on military research and expansion every year, and the worst part is there is 10 -12% increase on military expenditure year on year, where both are still developing countries. Can partition be avoided? Yes, it could have been very much avoided Gandhi’s charm would have made it possible as said will talk about this in a different forum.

There is only one man behind the rise and the fall of Tigers that is none other than its leader.

Death Sentence

The burning issue in Tamilnadu, from law makers to law breakers everybody are against the death sentence confirmation on Rajiv’s convicts ( Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan), and there are so many protests and riots across the state. Why this protest? Why the same political or law students/Attorneys didn’t protest when Auto Shankar’s death sentence was executed? Now why there are so many philanthropic talks about eliminating death sentence? When there were no single protests except from the Amnesty group for Auto Shankar’s execution, probably it’s no worth of political importance.

What is the example that these protests set to society? That anyone who has a community support can murder/assassin anyone and be free, is this not a political black mailing? Few groups who want to gain political popularity have staged this drama fooling the fellow kin’s. At this point I want to think of those police officers and security personnel whose life has been taken for no reason and is there is nothing which can compensate there loss to their families, and the worst part is those civilians who just gathered there to cheer their leader. Are those lives are not valuable? Are only these three convicts life is valuable?

What is the example we are setting to the next generation? That by having political support and community support you can indulge in any big crime and still can be free. No insane will ask what is the crime that they have committed, if any, then, Assassinating the Ex Prime Minister of a country was a crime, wasn’t it? A leader who took steps for the peace and harmony of the community, killing him, was that not a crime? Killing innocent security personnel who were doing their duty and civilians who are there to cheer the ceremony, was that not a crime? Challenging those family livelihood was that not a crime? Just because they are my kin, just because they speak the same language I speak, should I be supporting their crimes? Taking this as an example tomorrow if a political leader who has millions of supporters does a similar crime and he should be set free isn’t? What is the value we have to our judiciary? What respect will our next generation have towards our law and its system? Won’t they pooh-pooh it? That a group of mobs can rewrite something that a judge in a court has written? What respect we have towards those judges who gave this verdict and what respect we have towards our President (personally I don’t like her, as she have corruption case)? How would you expect other countries to respect our law system/president when we don’t? Won’t they pooh-pooh our system? How are we going to face them when they say that the verdict given inside the court can be rewritten by a group of mobsters outside? And we are not ashamed of calling this as victory/strength.

Taking this as an example, tomorrow there can be a protest to release 26/11 attacker Ajmal Amir Kasab, and this protest my be nation wide, as he belongs to a community not limiting to a section of people who speaks his language, if a state level protest can rewrite the verdict, a nation wide (may be world wide) will definitely bring fruits to him, the same goes for parliament attackers and any crime of any serious

Last but not the least, when Bhagat singh was given death sentence, there were similar protests, but he responded that, what he did may be good to his country but in view of law it is a crime and for that he should be hanged and accepted the same gracefully. In the movie “Ramana” the protagonist, actor cum politician Caption Vijaykanth, implied the same thing and was hanged till death. May be what these 3 have done is good for their community but it is still a crime, no civilian have rights to take the law in their hands, by overwriting the death sentence through protest and riots we will be sending bad signals to the society and not only that everyone will start taking law on their hands as it can be overwritten outside if few people think it’s for the good cause.

Finally, for any protest, let it be eradicating death sentence or corruption (Anna Hazare’s movement) we shouldn’t be taking decisions based on sentiments and emotions, as our support will set an example to the next generation and society.

Medical Service Anomalies

Last week I met one of my friends and we were talking about our fake life, a mechanized life, with no zest in it, and the worst part of it is, that people think we have most blessed life, as it is a white collar job, sitting in a centralized A/C room, hitting few buttons, that’s it earn 5 or 6 figure salary, but the reality is long working hours, often night outs, pressure to make impossible things to be possible and to add fuel to this, from taxi driver to doctor, every one charges 3 times the normal. At that time I recalled a recent reality show in Vijay Tv, neeya naana, a show debating about how a medical service turned into a industry, where a doctor confessed that he bills the patient twice or thrice the actual, if the patient is a software professional, and for the rest he still charges more and not the actual.
My friend recalled his friend confession who is a doctor, whom he met couple of weeks before, and he is pursuing his Master’s in medicine now in a government college, after 8/9 attempts to find one. When asked why waste 8/9 years in getting into a government college when there are more self-financed colleges to offer the same, the answer was quite simple and shocking, to study in a self-financed college one has to pay a donation of 75 to 100 lakhs INR + the normal tuition and hostel fees, whereas the same in government college costs 3 to 5 lakhs inclusive of all. 80% of the of doctors out here in our society are from self financed colleges, they have to reap fast as their investment is huge.
I wonder why the government hasn’t come up with more medical colleges or any colleges for that matter, as most of the medical, engineering, arts and science colleges are owned by politicians who know nothing about education, who was once illicit liquor brewer, is an educationalist now, once arrack shop owner is an educational trust chairman, black money dwellers and tax evaders runs and controls hospitals. How can we expect service here?
There is money involved in every aspect of this industry (once service), from getting into a medical college to prescribing medicine, commissions from diagnostic centers, commissions from pharmaceuticals, world tour to doctors, all these brokerage charges has to be beard by the patient apart from his bills. It would more shocking to know that a tablet which costs a rupee is inflated 300% to 400%, and there are tablets which are banned in America and European countries find a good market in India. Why not after all we have 110+ crore people few dies , who cares.

Election – A goofing game

Election around the corner, and so the bribing, legally and illegally, freebies is of one such kind where votes for bought, here it is not with the money that politicians swindled but with the money they will swindle in future, it is the only business in the world where you earn profit even before you invest. Every manifest talks about the freebies and I see no welfare activities (may be some where hidden which I overlooked…).

Before we blame politicians, lets scratch our back first, we been so ignorant that we didn’t even know that this is our right to vote and it is also our responsibility to vote, many worthless selfish goons might react saying what diff does it make? For them I’d say, it is the same difference it will make in choosing a wrong life partner. Because of this irresponsibility even after 60 years of Independence our (country) literacy rate is not even close to 65% (as per 2001 census) that is little more than half the population. Nearly 70% of the people lack basic amenities that include proper sewage system and medical facilities. Don’t jump into immediate conclusion that we are a poor country, if we are poor, global market wont even think of stepping our country, Expensive car, shoes, watches and wardrobe makers are seeing India as future market, it proofs that we are definitely not a poor country, then why do we lack those?

It’s because we are not dignified, we have lost our integrity, and we want things to be free rather earning it we even forget the fact that is nothing comes free in this world, even our death costs. Freebies that we got (will get) is technically not free, it’s our money it is the tax that we paid, for good transport, education, medical and emergency facilities and all. None of these have been fulfilled but we got our freebie which is a fraction of total tax money that we paid, and we are happy with that. We can compromise with bad roads, treat that as a free roller-coaster ride (hope there is no additional fee for that in future), with no basic medical facilities, with stinking sewage system, I think we are the only one who eat next to it (fast food centers). It’s our tax money which is spent for these freebies, and as an investment for investors to make them rich, which illusions that our country is growing, yes it is definitely, but who reaps the fruits. A minor fraction of the population reaps it where the rest is left starving.

A country growth is based on the people’s hard work, not with a bunch of scumbags. We are still hailing, our centuries old culture and civilization, not even a fraction of it we realized or understood. Our ancestors were able to reach such civilized state not by freebies but by elbow grease that required.

All I want from ours leaders is a path to uplift me, not a freebie. We all are striving for some kind of uplift in life, which they are failing to provide, they want a pacifier and found this freebie, just like Romans found colossal.

I remember a Tao story, which I read some time back, Once a Tao master was walking on high lands, he was stopped by the sight of butterfly struggling to free itself from cocoon, Tao master was standing by watching it, a kid passing by stopped and wished Tao master, master didn’t respond and whose eye was stuck on butterfly, kid looked at the direction the master was watching, and become furious, and angrily said” What kind of master you are? Cant you see poor fly struggling, why can’t you help it?” Tao teacher gracefully replied “Son that is pain it has to pay for its life” the reply angered the kid “this is so mean” teacher replied “Well, son, I’m making sure that fly comes out with flying colors from this struggle and not disturbed by anything else”, kid got frustrated and said “you are sarcastic, let me help the fly” and so he tore the cocoon and the let the fly free.

Butterfly flew few steps and fall dead. Kid felt so sad and started crying, teacher said “Son, that’s the reason I didn’t help the fly, it has to break the cocoon on its own which gives strength to his wings to fly”.

From the above story initially it seems that teacher was sarcastic and kid was helpful however finally it came kid is dreadful, that’s exactly what our politicians are doing by this freebie, we should not be freed, but need to protection when we are struggling to free our self.