India is the Most Tolerant Country in the World!

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I was born and brought up in a remote place in Assam, bordering erstwhile East Pakistan, surrounded from all sides by so called minorities.

Despite belonging to the majority community, we were practically the minority there. I'm talking about the period, when Bangladesh was yet to born. 

Rapists Must be Hanged Until Death!

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What are the rules of a so called human society, pertaining to the punishment framed out by the constitution of a democratic set up, for dealing with criminals who undertake the shameless and barbaric act of raping the woman?

The answer is very simple: Law Enforcement agencies would catch the culprit/s, sometime, and try him/them out through a well-defined set of legal proceeding extending over several years. Often, accused are set free because of lack of evidence.Even if convicted, they would come out of the jail after a few years and.....

Freedom of Expression on Social Media, But Legitimate!

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I think the time has come to add the word 'Legitimate' before 'Freedom of Expression' as being one of the fundamental rights according to the constitution of our country. For that matter, why only India -- it must apply to every democratically run nation.

Social media has empowered every individual on planet earth to express his/her thoughts, ideas and take on every issues with no restrictions as to what is constructive, beneficial to the society and ' LEGITIMATE' Vs what is destructive, harmful to the society and ILLEGITIMATE.

The Dark (K)Night Rises! Where is the Batman?

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I am neither a writer nor a political observer, but what I have been watching for more than a year really sadden me beyond my capacity to recover completely.

The sudden demise of a great mass movement against corruption, in view of personal ambitions taking over the selfless desire to fight for a genuine cause, is perhaps one of most unfortunate incidents that I have observed in my life so far.

What Happens, If Anna Hazare Fails to Deliver?

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There is no doubt about the legitimacy of Team Anna's "JIHAD" against rampant corruption and that of Anna's followers from all over the country, including me, because, being a patriotic citizen of India I'm also desperately looking for a long term solution for curbing this menace.

However, watching this movement swelling up - so fast - entirely on the basis of a huge expectation of the protesters from Anna Hazare, what's worrying me now, is: What happens, if Anna fails to deliver in toto?

Is Corruption A Mass Psychological Disorder?

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20 years ago, while protesting against an army-man for forcibly occupying my seat in Dadar Guwahai Express Train, I narrowly escaped death: Just before he could open fire at me, a few co-passengers intervened and he was neutralized.

Even, while traveling by Auto-Ricksaw, I have never paid a single rupee extra so far, always insisting on paying according to meter reading.

And while doing so, I must have handed over a dozen adamant drivers to traffic police in last 10 years. But for how long we can continue doing so?

I am sure, most of us must have raised voice against corruption quite a few times in life; however, while facing a never-ending shower of corrupt practices in everyday life, people, at some point of time, stop protesting and start accepting it, assuming that what the other person is doing now they would have to do the same in another situation in future for survival.

Sadly, with this acceptance, we become part and parcel of a mass psychological disorder: 'Uncontrolled Corruption.'

In a country of 1.2 billion plus people, to ensure corruption eradication at all levels, there must be hundreds of mass training programs being conducted across the length and breadth of the country, aiming at reminding and educating people about our heritage of self-respect and tolerance.

So corruption eradication process, in addition to introducing a drastic legislative reform, should also target a mass-refinement of the citizens' belief system, which is now greatly influenced by a deadly desire of achieving an over-night financial success -- by hook, or by crook.

According to me, Anna Hazare, who is currently spearheading a strong mass movement against corruption, instead of asking the Govt for 100% agreeing to his demand should have laid the foundation by not being so adamant on inclusion of the Prime Minister under the jurisdiction of Lokpal.

However, he deserves a huge appreciation for highlighting this grave issue at national level.

I think, Anna, being very naive, is grossly misguided by his own people who're much more intelligent and I suspect them supporting Anna with a hidden agenda.

Hence, more than the issue itself, the agitation against corruption has become a ladder for going up the power-tower.

While concluding, I wouldn't mind asking my readers a simple question: Do you think, corruption is a fully blown mass psychological disorder that spares none?

Update/8.8.11: While discussing about a rampant corruption clouding the horizon of India, I don't think it would be impertinent to highlight 3 amazing examples of corrupt practices unleashed by the largest countries in the world. I have just read it on the website of Forbes. Please, click on the following link to access it -- A Tale Of Three Thefts: China, Russia, And The U.S.

Image: angelbee_07 on Flickr

Does India Desperately Need A Selfless Dictator?

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Just an hour ago I was standing in the que of a liquor shop and impatiently waiting for my turn, since it was a huge one.

Suddenly, a policeman, in uniform, rushed in, and by-passing the que he directly went to the counter and quickly made the purchase.

Neither me nor anyone else in the que could utter a single word of protest and he, a representative of the law-enforcement agencies in this country, conveniently made a mockery of the whole system.

Even though I decided to take his photo, but before I could take the mobile phone out of my pocket -- he vanished, may be because he knew that he was wrong!

The purpose of this post is to amplify the opinion that no legislation can bring about even a nano-change in this country, unless, we, the people of India, change our own thought processes.

Because, unfortunately India is neither a top-down nor a bottoms-up country but a combination of both.

Having seen this incident, with my own eyes, I really don't have any hope left for a drastic change in the belief system of India's powerful people. By power, I mean both economical and administrative.

But yes, there could be a solution that Manu Joseph has mildly touched upon.

If a selfless dictator takes over the reign of this country and remain un-assasinated for a few years, perhaps, only then, there would be a new India emerging out of the ashes.

Other than that, the only solution that could perhaps make some dent, is to publish every such incident that we notice in our daily life on social media platform.

Let us keep our camera-phone ready for recording whatever we find against the interest of the nation, and highlight. Only then, probably, we would be able to call ourselves true Indians.

This post, by no means, is anti-national or defamatory, but truly reflects the frustration of a common man from India and his helplessness!

Image: Cathoderaygun on Flickr

How Indian Media Made A Lion out of Mice, and Led A Tiger to the Grave!

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For last couple of months, I have been breaking my mind and soul upon validation of Baba Ramdev's genuineness for executing a self-less movement against corruption.

Well, it has been a few months since I started tracking his activities targeted at eradicating corruption from Indian system. Pinning a great hope on his dedication while unleashing a vendetta against corruption, I was perhaps more excited than anybody else.

Hell in holy land

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Very recently I highlighted this issue through one of my blog-posts: A Sacrifice, that Went Unnoticed.

Now read an excellent investigative article by Tehelka team, pointing out how Swami Nigamananda's holy sacrifice went unnoticed because Baba Ramdev and Co. happened to be media's favorite item during that period.

"BABA RAMDEV knew how to catch attention. Infamously, he also knew how to run. Swami Nigamananda didn’t know how to do either. While Ramdev was hogging national attention with emotive issues like declaring all black money stashed abroad as “national wealth” and threatening to hang the corrupt, far away from media glare, Nigamananda, 38, had been fasting for a mind-boggling 68 days for something much more concrete — and of even greater national implication. Nigamananda was fighting to save the Ganga."

It's more than just shame for Indian media, that they failed to capture and project to the masses -- what they are supposed to.

Read full article at Tehelka

A Sacrifice, that Went Unnoticed

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Just because the media didn't cover his cause, just because the Indians were more focused a highly publicized Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev led movement against corruption, Swami Nigamanand's protest went unnoticed for an unbelievable period of 113 days -- before he made the supreme sacrifice of his life.

Shame on every Indians, including me!

Read more at HT

The Rise And Fall of Nira Radia

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Despite being the most preferred public relation lobbyist of the Indian Industrialists for more than a decade, I have never head of Nira Radia until the hell broke loose a month ago.