Sunday, April 17, 2011

Netas Talk : Look Who's speaking

Recently a lot of politicians have raised several questions about the Jan Lokpal Bill and Anna Hazare's movement.

Following are the statements that I found entertaining:(Quoted from media)

SHARMILA TAGORE:
Sharmila Tagore comments on Anna Hazare's crusade against corruption
Reacting to Anna Hazare's fight for corruption, Sharmila Tagore on Friday told TOI, "In a functioning democracy hunger strike tantamounts to blackmail and the government also gave in to it. I agree that corruption is a very important issue and it needs to be tackled, but not in the way it was done. There was no debate or discussion in the media too. Besides people like Baba Ramdev joining in and Anna's subsequent praising of Narendra Modi and Raj Thackeray was disturbing."

Does Sharmila Tagore also disagree with Gandhiji's Satyagraha against the British...which drove them away.. wasn't that blackmail too... 

Sharmilaji if corruption is a very important issue and it needs to be tackled, but not in the way it was done.. then please suggest a better way.. we will be glad to follow

BLACKMAIL.... if its for a good cause, why are we so bothered about it!

DIGVIJAY SINGH:
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh was not in favour of a strong lokpal that can question the prime minister.
"Unlimited or supreme power cannot be vested in the lokpal to take action against the prime minister who is elected through an electoral process," said Singh while talking to journalists here on Thursday.

Mr. Singh seems to be a little unaware of the Indian Political system. The PM is elected to run the nation, not rule the nation. He is not a monarch. He is  on a job to serve the nation, and We, the people of India as well as the law has every right to question him. 
(let's not forget, that our current PM is not even an elected representative. He lost the elections in his own constituency).


Ideally, an MP is supposed to represent the opinion of people of his constituency in the Parliament. But this is seldom done, we elect a member to represent us in the Parliament, but all he/she does is represent the strength of his party. As people we have only the power to vote, and this power is vested into the MP we elect. Once this is done, our power gets converted into the ruling party's power, and more often than not misused for their personal and party's benefit. They exploit the power for around 3.5 years.. and in the last 1.5 years, do something trivial, but exaggerated  for their constituency, so that they are back "IN POWER" again in the next elections.

Congress General Secretary, Digvijay Singh takes every oppurtunity to criticise team Anna


In such a situation, is it wrong for people to demand a parallel system to get back the power stolen from them? The existing way of Indian democracy does not vest power in the people. the power resides with the political parties. We gave them the power, but they squandered it. We therefore are just making a move to take back what is ours.

The government should understand that t
he Constitution is supposed to be "by the people, for the people"


KAPIL SIBAL:
उन्होंने उदाहरण देकर बताया कि जहां सुविधा ही नहीं है, वहां लोकपाल बिल क्या करेगा। उन्होंने कहा था कि किसी गरीब को अपने मरीज को अस्पताल में भर्ती करना होता है, लेकिन बिना किसी नेता के फोन बिना यह हो नहीं पाता, वहां लोकपाल बिल क्या करेगा? एक गरीब बच्चे को स्कूल में दाखिला नहीं मिलता। उनके लिए पर्याप्त स्कूल नहीं हैं और शिक्षा की व्यवस्था नहीं है, ऐसे में लोकपाल बिल क्या करेगा? उन्होंने पूछा कि क्या लोकपाल बिल से लोगों को सिलेंडर, बिजली, पानी, फोन जैसी जरूरी सुविधाएं मिल पाएंगी?


Dear Sibalji, cancer requires cancer treatment and asthma requires asthma treatment. You cannot dose a cancer patient with asthma meds and expect him to become well....

Similarly an ant-graft law, is focussed in eroding graft. For taking care of problems related to education and water we have elected ministers like you...

also since you have mentioned, let's draw your attention to the point that once black money starts flowing out from the pockets of the corrupts, you will be better enabled to build schools and arrange water supply


JULIAN ASSANGE :
Mr. Assange, said the WikiLeaks cables were making a difference in ways that many Britons wouldn't have heard about. And, then, he referred to the developments in India following The Hindu's reporting of WikiLeaks documents.

Hindi proverb : Behti Ganga me haath dhona... :P I guess nobody even noticed that he said this


Pranab Mukherjee:




Saturday, April 16, 2011

A greener, cleaner India... A better India !!!

We, the people of India.. have descended from some of the world's earliest civilizations..
and it is therefore, unfortunate that India is known to the world as a country with dirty roads, littered grounds and polluted rivers...

If Cleanliness is next to Godliness, do we qualify to call our land God's own Country?

As long as our houses are clean, we do not care about what happens to the environment or the roads.. Little do we know, that the Constitution of India has also given us a Fundamental duty :

To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures.

READ AN EXCERPT FROM APJ ABDUL KALAM's ARTICLE ON THIS ISSUE

A journey of a million miles starts with a small first step. Today, hundreds of Indians are fighting for the cause of a corruption free nation. It all started with a small gesture... the suggestion of the anti-graft law.  We, the ordinary people of India may not be able to fore-go our daily lives and participate actively in such movements.  But in our own little ways we can contribute to a building of a better India. Referring to this blog's caption I would say again Lets do what India needs from us. We can either shrug this responsibility off our shoulders, or take corrective action, one step at a time to create a Greener, Cleaner India for our generations to come..

What we can do to build a better India for the future:

plant trees

  • Take care of the environment.  It keeps India alive.

How many trees have you planted till now? 
Resolve to plant at least one tree in your entire lifetime, more frequently if you can. 


note reminding to turn off the lights to save energy

  • Save energy. You'll save money too. India will save power.

At the end of your working day, switch off your computers. Many of us leave the computers at our desk on overnight to save the switch-on time for the next morning. Lets avoid that. We can at least do this much.
TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS : SAVE ELECTRICITY POSTERS 



    lpg gas wasted by burning stove

  • You don't have the right to waste natural resources. You did not create any!

Save petrol by turn your engine off while waiting for the signal to go green. 
Cook food in closed utensils to save LPG.



  • Be responsible on the Indian road.. 

Road Accident in India
You may be an excellent driver.. but we want responsible ones.. When you break a traffic rule.. you inspire hundreds of others to do so.  Let's foster the culture of obeying traffic rules.. Speeding up is not cool !!
Follow rules. Wear Helmet. For nothing but your own safety.
Carry your driving license. Keep Documents updated.  You will not have to bribe a traffic cop.. thereby sparing corruption.

  • Teach your Kids to avoid chucking trash on the roads.  Be a role model first.
If you can behave in foreign nations.. learn to behave in your own.

Indian throwing garbage on clean road
Is this a sign of an educated person and good upbringing?

  • Stay Alert. 

Avoid accidents and disasters. Report any unusual and suspicious activity if you notice them. Make yourselves safe first.
  • Save money in every way you can. Invest. Grow. But do pay your taxes honestly!
  • Preserve our heritage. Foster our culture. Be good to foreigners.

Simple things... that won't take much of our time or cost money.. just a little bit of care !!!
All that it requires is a li'l common sense and responsibilty.

Is this so difficult?

Many more simple things can be done... You are invited to add below in comments!!!




Saturday, April 9, 2011

The Return Of The Mahatma...

Anna Hazare giving speech during anshan at jantar mantar demanding Jan Lokpal Bill














When the Indian population was lost in the haze of the World Cup glory... when the IPL fervor was ready to take on the Indians... One person rose, with such determination and discipline that he awakened the entire Nation... He united the aged, young and the children alike.

He sat at Jantar Mantar, the Heart of the Nation, with unwaivering patience and strong resolution, without food for more than four days... He gave the Congress Govt. all the time they needed, but denied to compromise with the nation's welfare.

Almost overnight, A revolution spread all over the Nation... and the Indians who had for years stood divided over petty things, came together to fight for the cause of their nation.

When the Indians denied to give up, the Govt. had to finally bow down to their rightful demands. And thus ended A five day struggle, that in History will be remembered as the beginning of a Renaissance.

69 years after Gandhiji's QUIT INDIA movement, (Also Known as Bharat Chodo Andolan or the Civil Disobedience movement of 1942) a powerful movement started in India. This time it was a STOP CORRUPTION movement. After 59 years of exploiting the constitution, the Politicians still hesitated to bow down to a anti-corruption law. Once again a Mahatma called Anna Hazaare led us. He shook us awake and once again remindethe Indians of the strength of Unity and Satyagraha.

Today on 9th April, We stand with a new resolution. We the people of India, have finally and solemnly resolved to give to ourselves a Corruption Free India...

Salutes to the Anna Hazare... for bringing a disillusioned nation together and streamlining the voice of a nation as varied and as seperated as India!