Deoxyribonucleic Acid !

Just the other day I saw my brother's picture. Nothing unusual, but suddenly I felt like I am looking at myself in a mirror! Now that is strange because my brother does not look like me. He is way  smarter, much taller, fairer, years younger,has different hairline and a different jawline with an immensely better fashion sense. I am afraid we are as different as it could be in other aspects as well. Personal habits; F&B choices; education; profession ; you name it, nothing matches. Even our names do not rhyme. Life has dealt us different set of cards to boot. Yet it is uncanny how I can see myself in him!

Science has an easy answer, DNA ! Without getting too technical; Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)is a molecule that contains the biological instructions that make each species unique. DNA, along with the instructions it contains, is passed from adult organisms to their offspring. Simply speaking we have the same set of parents and thus similar DNA. We also grew up in the same household  and have learned same  lessons that make us similar even when we are different.

 So why am I telling you this today? Well The reason is Suresh Kalmadi ! Yeah! The same disgraced out on bail politician who embezzled millions from the Commonwealth Games kitty and has been a state guest at Delhi's Tihar jail for 10 months. More than 50 cases amounting to INR 700 crore are still pending trial.

I was reminded of him because of another political luminary, Anil Deshmukh;the home minister of Maharashtra who was recently charged(not yet proven) by his own hand picked police chief  with shaking down INR100 Crore every month from Mumbai restaurant and bars. Deshmukh is treating this charge as flippantly and nonchalantly as  Kalmadi did before he was sent to Tihar; became the poster boy of Congress corruption and decimated his own UPA government.

Kalmadi of course belongs to congress and Deshmukh is from NCP of Sharad pawar. This 'defence attorney' for Deshmukh is an erstwhile congress stalwart who missed becoming the prime minister by a whisker.

Let us go  east for a little bit. Calcutta to be exact and Mamta Banerjee. She has her own party now but she earned her political chops in the congress. Where she was a cabinet ranked minister in the centre, no less. Does it come as a surprise that during her reign in the state of west Bengal several scams like coal scam have come to the fore. In the most brazen misuse of power, an organized grass roots extortion racket called 'tolabaazi' has been institutionalized ? This racket shakes down every body, period! You need a birth certificate- pay them; you need a death certificate- pay them; you need to paint your house- pay them and hire their chosen contractor... or else! O.K. you get the picture!

Lets stay east and look at a congress associate for a change - Lalu yadav! I know you are immediately reminded of the fodder scam. INR 4.5 billion corruption case for which he is behind bars. His wife and all of his children are facing multiple corruption cases too. I can go on and give more examples from all corners of the country but just listing all of them will need a 800 page report... and I am no kejriwal to wave blank papers at you!

What in the blazes is wrong with these guys? Actually the question is what is common among all of these corrupts? Simple answer is DNA - congress DNA! They all received their diploma in  politics and models of governance from the  University of Congress, 24 Akbar road, New Delhi 110001. A lot of them taught there too!

Congress got India on a platter! There was no political challenge to its power for a very long time. As some opposition started forming Congress realized it can easily hold on to its power by doling out  different sops to different groups. Which they did irrespective of costs to the exchequer or any smidgen of actual benefit accruing to the intended group. As long as they continued voting them in. It perfected minority appeasement to create voting blocks. It mainstreamed granting of business licences and permits for massive cash  considerations. It generated astronomical election funds by shaking down industry, land developers and government contractors. It invented the concept of "first family" of politics. Nothing was taboo if it strengthened their power base. Worst cut of all was that Congress criminally made all of these corrupt practices look like the standard operating procedure of governance. They never  ever paused to consider how perpetuating this massive scale corruption  at the top will corrode the very foundations of the society. Now that you see a similar pattern echoing across the entire political spectrum irrespective of the current party affiliations, you should also know who to thank!

This is where we are today. If  the beat  constable asks  for an INR 100 bribe from a pavement bangle seller, consider the fact that the police station he is attached to got sold to the highest bidding Sub Inspector for millions. it did not go to the most deserving.  He has to recover his costs and ROI; and same goes for the DSP he reports to ;and same for his boss and his boss's boss.... It keeps going up,up and getting bigger and bigger. Till all we  end up  with is Deshmukhs on our hand!

I am telling you, this Deoxyribonucleic Acid thing - it is revoltingly nauseous!

 

Farmer's Market

 

Let us face the fact that "no farmer ,no food " is as true as "no mason, no home" or "no driver, no transport" or "no doctor, no healthcare"; or several other similar combinations. We need them all but more importantly we need all of them to work seamlessly together.  Idealism apart real life works out rather differently. So there are different interest groups looking after the interests of their own. Often times one group's interests run counter to another group. Mill owner's  association has a different perspective compared to mill workers association. Obviously! 

 

It is the reason we have laws. Laws govern the relationship between different constituents of the society. It is a system that strives to ensure that the big picture that emerges is congenial and takes every one's rights,plans and aspirations on board. Ideally! Let us now circle back to the farmer's again. 

 According to National Crime Records Bureau of India 10,281 farmer's committed suicide in 2019. Mental health is certainly is not a major factor. Greatest reason for world's  highest rate of farmer suicide is socioeconomic. Something we can and should take head on. According to the Journal of Epidemiology and Global health,"This has multiple manifestations, including a lack of agricultural investment and irrigation improvement, use of cash crops, the increased use of non institutional credit sources, and the reduction of trade barriers".

 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210600615300277

 

It is self evident that the Indian farming sector is in serious trouble. The question is what are we going to do about it?  Now here comes the old competing interest group factor in play. Who is this farmer we are talking about? Someone with a small piece of land in an arid remote area or someone with large canal fed farms with easy access to markets? Clearly their immediate needs and interests are not going to be same.

 

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/05/17/india-agriculture-issues-priorities

 

A frame work is required to be implemented on an urgent basis. Are the much maligned Farm bills an answer? On the face of it the laws are trying to provide an answer to the most dogged challenges to the farming sector. It addresses farm credit, technical inputs, storage and access to bigger markets. Everything that study after study has underlined as areas of immediate concern.

Why is there such violent opposition to these laws then? I have formed my own opinion after some due diligence and there is this feature from usually inimical and biased BBC which I think is well rounded. 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-54233080

 

I believe the main issues here is the  fear of change! Change is hard and to top it off the laws are an unknown quantity. No knowing how they will fare in actual implementation. Secondly there is a lack of trust in the government. As  a number of previous aggressive reform and restructuring initiatives of the very same government has shown, there will be some collateral damage. Probably collateral costs can not be entirely avoided during a reform process. Thirdly there is the political reason. 100 million reasons actually! That is the estimated number of farmers in India. A massive voting block by any reckoning. If the opposition manages to turn it away from the ruling party .... it can realize instant nirvana!

 

There is a fourth reason and here I am on a sticky wicket ! I will go out on a limb and say it because it needs to be said! Three words,"Farming Interest Groups". Over the past decades some farming areas of the country have gotten used to free / cheap electricity; subsidized fertilizers; unfettered exploitation of water resources; mindless cash crop rotation; fearless burning of stubble closing eyes to the unfolding environmental disaster and  unkindest cut of all is that they have been handsomely rewarded  for it  ! Government after government has blindly bought their crop at a pre-determined floor price usually higher than the world price for the same commodity. It eats up 50% of India's annual expenditure. Per capita income in India is $1,640 US/ year; but  this group can afford to buy tractors costing around $10,000 US, they can afford to send their children to college in Canada and Australia and they move around in a luxury SUV. They are worried sick about upsetting their "bank rolled by the exchequer" life style. This group and wannabes form the backbone of the most violent opposition to farm reform laws.

 

So the government grain storage's are full to the rafters that forces massive tonnage to be left open to the elements; rotting and feeding rats. It can not be even exported because prices are lower in the world market and the quality of the procured crops vary dramatically.  No body has the guts to bell this cat. There are only 23 crops on this privileged list. Wheat, rice and sugar cane prominent among them. It benefits few farming communities but excludes millions and millions of other farmers.

 

I am not  a votary of the free market without social check and balances. However I do see its benefits too.I do not believe in making the rich poor but I also believe that poor should not remain poor. Is it too much of an ask? Why can't we provide easy credit, scientific guidance and easy market access to our farmers? Why can't we tell them what crops will keep their land's productivity at optimum and still sell well in the market? Why can't we allow them to choose how and who they will sell to? Why can't we place a fool proof system to protect their land rights and commercial interests? 

 

Having a law is only the beginning. Laws need other implementing and oversight system to be operating in tandem. It needs a sensitive and responsive administration that is quick to do a course correction if needed. I do not understand why we can not climb down from our rigid my way or the highway stand.I do not know if these bills will do the trick.  What I know is that doing nothing is not an option.10,281 dead farmers are shouting this my ear!  Let us shape the bill around poorest of the poor farmer's interests. As someone once told me ," do not tell me how this will not work; tell me how can we  make it work"!

"New Farm Laws Have the Potential to Raise the Income of Farmers" says Gita Gopinath. As  the Chief economist of IMF she should know a thing or two !

https://www.indiatoday.in/business/story/india-s-agriculture-laws-have-potential-to-increase-farm-income-says-gita-gopinath-1763291-2021-01-27

What we must do is to stop marketing farmers for our petty interest and start cultivating the market in the interest of the farmer. Let us make a "farmer's Market"! Our job is cut out for us!

 

 

 

 

Lage Raho Anna Bhai!

"Gandhigiri" means to use non violent means to express dissent, get your point across and  have your demands met. It is a pun on Gundagiri which means rowdyism! At times there is a very thin line that separates the two. Seems like it is a summer of discontent - worldwide. People everywhere are agitating sometimes using guns as in Libya or using  Facebook to organize looting parties as in England . In India people are asking to be heard by going hungry and skipping a meal! This is meant to shame the government already inundated with countless fiscal scams and worst kind of malfeasance . At the time of writing no government including  the Indian one was about to give in. 

Why is change for the better so hard to make? My theory is that  it is because we always look for a Messiah to come deliver us. Both collectively as a society as well as in our individual capacity. We need  Jesus to pay for "our" sins so we are absolved. We need Muhhamed to intercede for "our" behalf and soon as we read the kalma our place in heaven is guaranteed . We need Gandhi to get "our" freedom and now we do not need to do anything to preserve it.  Messiah have  taken care of it. We hide behind them and refuse to take responsibility . Always hankering for one Messiah after another. If we do not find one, we create one. As long as we can avoid taking charge! Until we start bearing our own crosses things won't change.

Human society probably can never be entirely free of corruption . Greed for power and money is a human  weakness. That is why governments, laws and systems of governance were invented. Biggest tragedy is that those nations which can least afford it are beset by endemic corruption. Where limited resources and poor development requires that every last available  penny is used for public good; sees the severest form of systematic institutionalized loot of public funds. Several of African nations easily come to mind. Lots of  Latin American and Asian one's too. Pakistan is reportedly led by a "Mr. Ten Percent", meaning one tenth of all resources are pocketed by him. India of course is miles ahead  and seemingly her government is also a "Ten Percent" government. In their case ten percent is used for  the public . Only ninety is siphoned off!

We have known it all along. We have experienced it everyday in our daily lives.  Each one of us has seen this monster  grow  many times faster than  the economy ; eat away at progress ; corrode governance; rot our society  and widen the gap between haves and have not's. We have even participated in this madness by paying bribes here and there and even accepting them here and there.  Some times brazenly , some times in the garb of "Diwali sweets". Have we done anything to arrest this slide? Well we were waiting for a Messiah to come deliver us!

Man Mohan Singh is an honest man ! He will change the face of India! .....I was one of those fools who believed in it. We made him an icon of honesty . Yes he will do it  and we kept our eyes closed! Lo & behold ! He takes the prize for heading  without argument the most corrupt government in India's recorded history.  This messiah failed too. Even foreign invaders who made us slaves and exploited India  were not half as bad. Some of them made Taj Mahal . Something beautiful and substantial to show for our ancestor's toil and their tax money. Some of those foreign rulers laid railways across the length and breadth of the nation. Iron railway bridge over river Yamuna in Dehi is still standing after hundred odd years. Compare to what we know  happened when this government made Asian Games village! And who can forget the pedestrian bridge in front of Nehru Stadium which collapsed even before a single person could use it. India was shamed in front of the world but these thick skinned people carried on as if nothing  happened.

We did not do anything  as we were waiting for a Messiah. In came Baba Ramdev. We all thought he will do it .Long story short government did succeeded in throwing a lot of mud at him and cane charged him ..... so people lost interest. And now we have Anna. Will he do it ? Mind you he has made the government blink but  only because people  came on the streets. People took charge. Once his fast for fifteen days ends what  will happen next ? Government is pretty sure public fatigue will set in by then and everything will be as it was. They are counting on our lethargy , disinterest and passivity.People will not disappoint them ! They know election is far away  and by that time they will pull some other gimmick to come through again.  Even if there is a short fall in seats they can throw money at it. Afterall that's why 2G and CWG scams took place.  To create an election fund!

We can all say "Lage raho Anna Bhai. Carry on Anna! It is up to you . You are our Messiah". And that will be a strategic mistake  once again. Anna will fail if we do not take charge and carry this forward till the end. As long as it takes. Or else wait for Godot. Forever.

Not an Intelligence failure!

I have no pretensions of being a security expert, yet the last time Mumbai was assaulted  I could clearly see the writing on the wall.And this blog is a witness to the fact that I predicted more attacks.  http://byteandbark.blogspot.com/2009/11/fighting-with-candles.html

Well I am no Nostradamus. I based my predictions entirely on how we handled that episode and what we did afterwards. It did not need any special intelligence on my part  to figure out that if anyone is fooling anyone it is us fooling ourselves. We took out candle light processions and Shahrukh Khan pontificated  from India gate .Regurgitated some corny dialogues from a movie , taught us  difference between mullah's islam and allah's islam.... and everyone went home afterwards feeling happy. This was the total sum of our response. Shame on us ! Did we expect terrorists and their masters to be afraid of our lit candles; or shake in their boots with fear as SRK mouthed his meaningless sentence? I am sure they were shaking but with mirth , laughter and joy at their success. 9 of them and 166 of ours with 1 left costing us millions to keep him alive.

Terrorism is a low investment high profits business. You  stop them by taking them out of business, period !Not by taking out your candles. Are you serious! And as 13th July has proved you have not stopped them. Not even a little bit . Unless you make them pay a heavy price for their dare why on earth would they stop this profitable business? Why? This is apparent to even a non professional average Joe  such as myself . It is amazing that our Home minister is not so clear, although I have to agree with him on one thing. It is not an intelligence failure! Honestly it is not; because we have not even begin to use our intelligence in the first place. It is a complete absence of brains! The alternative is worse.  It is either that or our government does not care as long as they have their vote banks .Choose for yourself but please for God's sake do not say " we will not tolerate terrorism any more"! It is a lie ,because you do. And show some respect to all those who have perished in the recent carnage. Do not take part in meaningless candle light vigils and do not talk about the "spirit of Mumbai". It is an affront to the memory of all those who needlessly lost their lives .It  just means  that you do not care and would like to get on with your lives.

If you want to show support please take responsibility for our collective response and the response of our government. They have failed us because we have let them. Make sure this time round their response is adequate ; immediate; and measurable. Hold them and ourselves accountable or be prepared for more .

Parliamentary Dictatorship!

 "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"! There is a reason why a regular change of governments is a good thing in a democracy . One group in power term after term  starts abusing power to preserve its power. Twenty sixth amendment to US constitution bars any one individual to be elected to the office of  the president more than twice. History has shown that it was  pretty good thinking by Hoover commission. Imagine what could have happened if  Junior Bush had the opportunity to come back a third time in 2009 ! Although his replacement has not covered himself with a lot of glory, but that is another matter.

I was reminded of all this the other day when in a mid night swoop thousands of sleeping citizens were tear gassed and baton charged in Delhi.They were a threat to peace according to Chidambaram!! 

Corruption is a way of life in India. Let us face it. Some of the biggest corrupt individuals are the ones holding the levers of power. Ramdev did not embezzle public money in the garb of conducting Asian games; Suresh Kalmadi did. He did not defraud public exchequer by doling out spectrum  way below market price in exchange for bribes; Raja did. Both are parliamentarians and members of the ruling government .This story can go on and on.

So Ramdev's  financial worth is not an issue. Issue is lack of probity in people who govern. If Ramdev is heading an agitation to stop graft and black money from eating into the vitals of the society. Why is that an issue with the government . If they have nothing to hide that is ! Just because baba Ramdev is a financial success he does not lose his right as a citizen to object to graft or lead a campaign against corruption.

The other argument that he is  challenging the supremacy of the Parliament is not even worth consigning to dustbin. A democracy is about people, not about  their MP's and it definitely is not for the benefit of wayward rulers. There is nothing like US  twenty sixth amendment in the Indian constitution. People themselves will have to make amends while voting next time.

Gathering Storm!

Our genetic makeup hides a large part of our fate. General belief is that the time and place of our birth will strongly impact what becomes of us in later life. "Kismet" is a word that is  understood worldwide . People of the Indian subcontinent are genetically disposed to getting hit by diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. That is " Kismet". Not everybody gets it though! Some don't and some make sure that  they take  active measures not to get struck. "Kismet "exists but its effects can be and are being proactively modified  by individuals every day.

Nations of the Indian subcontinent are similar though with one significant difference . They can  not help being born at the place and time they were born and hence  have to carry the burden of their " Kismet" with them. Unfortunately they have made feeble efforts to modify their fate that their genetic make up has handed them . They have  no prevention or a treatment in place and they are getting struck with one chronic disease after another. Which  sadly is hustling them to a terminal stage.

India is a glaring example; not only because it  is the mother ship of all other nations around it, but also the fact  that a  large part of the blame for setting bad precedents must lie at her door. Right at the birth of an independent nation , India meekly surrendered to the separatist "theory of Pakistan". What ever that did to Pakistan is a different story but that is the seed which later  became a million headed hydra. If Muslims are a separate nation, why not Sikhs; why not Baluchi's ; why not this and why not that. Partition was the early warning that there  is a demon lurking in the DNA. Nothing really was done.

Almost immediately  we had Kashmir asking for separation on the same principle we separated pakistan. It did not happen and that issue has become an uncurable cancer . Further down from kashmir. Himachal and Haryana wanted to go separate ways from Punjab on the basis of Pahari and hindi speaking areas . This was allowed but a natural side effect of this was that remaining Punjab went radical Punjabi ; eventually asking for "khalistan". There were other contributing factors too but similar story got repeated in west when Gujrat was carved from Bombay  and In south  Madras was divided. In the east; bengal got divided too! This disease has marched on and on and now people want Bodoland,  Gorkhaland, Telangana, Vidharbh........ It has already produced  Chattisgarh, Uttrakhand etc. There is no knowing how many other  new demands there could be by the time you finish reading this. Why is no one demanding "India"?

Another kind of inherited disease was poverty, illiteracy, imbalanced progress and even complete absence of it. So far the report card shows a D in these areas. A huge section of the population has no  access to decent education, health care and  misplaced priorities in Industrialization means that their means of livelihood are threatened as well. How can we ignore these telltale signs and still hope to remain healthy. How can we imagine that  people who have no stake in the nation and its progress will remain loyal.

We  keep harping on how Britishers   engaged in Divide and rule policy to keep us subjugated yet we continue to divide each other and then subdivide into smaller and smaller pockets; just to protect our hold on an ever diminishing power base.  Mayawati has no concern about someone in Manipur but she is keen to have a statue of "Dalit" mahapurush in Mainpuri.  Her own statue  prominent among them.All to protect her power base. Whether  it divides the society further is not her problem. What is a "dalit" mahapurush anyway ? Either one is a Mahapurush or  one is not.  bala Saheb wants only Marathi speaking people to live in Mumbai!  Where is this kind of Madness going to land us?

As if Islamic terrorism was not enough of a problem ;  India has  allowed another  symptom of  Maoist menace  to take on gargantuan proportions. Primarily by shutting its eyes to their anti national activities  since the  government is formed with the help of  Maoist sympathizers; both in center and in many states. Also the fact that the  red terror grows in the poorest regions and regions which have been untouched by progress could not have gone unnoticed by the policy makers. Why nothing was done to make people of such region feel that we are concerned about their welfare and they are included in  Shining India? No one has an answer. Now the only talk is whether the state should use Air force to bomb these Red terrorists!  All of them are our citizens.  Maoist leaders only want their cadre to keep confronting the society rather than find an amicable way forward . Anything that will protect their hold on their little piece of power.Amazing and Sad! How did we reach this place in 60 Years?

Similar stories in abound in Nepal where Maoist are creating a bigger havoc. There are other agitations and divisions too. Madeshi and non Madeshi divison is just one of them. Srilanka's Tamil and Sinhala divide is too well documented and has already taken a huge toll . So far nobody seems to have learnt much from it. Bangladesh has serious fault line centered around  both begums on one hand and Army on the other hand. In between Chakma and other smaller groups have continued to cry foul. Pakistan has already seen a major division  and from time to time voices are raised for  independent Sindhu Desh: Pakhtunistan; Baluchistan and even Mohajaristan. Pakistan army has already used heavy  artillary and air power against citizens. Even in the biggest province of Punjab a serious effort is afoot to carve out a Saraiki  province. Divide, separate and hold onto your little piece is the mantra.

All these divisions  serve only one purpose : keep people divided so that power and resources can be exploited for the benefit  of a chosen few. What one must realize that working together works. One and one makes eleven. If we continue to work against each other we will finally wipe each other out sooner than you think. If we do not share we'll have nothing left to share. Storm is gathering at  our shores . What preparations are we making?

A house for Mr. Hashmi

Emran hashmi is not able to buy a house. No , no he is not living on the streets of Mumbai, He has a home . A fairly good one. He just wants another. He has tonnes of money, he has lot of fame, he has success lapping at his feet , yet he was not allowed to buy the home that he wants. Looks like the person he wants to buy his home from is not willing to sell. The building society in which this flat exists also has some rules and procedures that Emran does not wish to comply with. But he wants the home. So he goes to town with the best strategy in contemporary India. "Muslim Persecution". He is not being sold to because he is a Muslim. Well there may be a grain of truth in it. In fact there maybe a lot of truth in it. Maybe he is a Muslim? Although there is some doubt there since he has mixed parentage, but let's grant him that. He still seems to be missing a big point here.
All everyone is concerned about is his rights. How about the rights of another hundred odd residents of the building. Do they have a say in who they will live next door to?
Let us say there is a room full of asthmatics chatting and sharing their good and bad moments together. Suddenly a chain smoker enters the room and insists on joining the discussion and stay for dinner and be invited for all their future meetings. Is this group of asthmatic people within their rights to feel trepidation at the thought of having a chain smoker in their midst? Are they within their rights to try and discourage this chain smoker? What if the smoker is named Emran. Can he turn around and say that he is being denied entry because he is a Muslim?
Almost all Jama masjids have a number of shops attached . let's say someone wants to rent or buy a shop in order to conduct a business of selling barbecued pork chops.
So he is not allowed to rent or buy, for obvious reasons. Let us say this fellow is called Sher singh. Would you say he was denied a fair chance to earn a living because he was not a Muslim? Laughable,but that is the kind of argument Emran and his supporters are making.
The other thing is his identity as a Muslim. Is this how he has defined himself so far? I thought he always projected himself as a very liberated actor. He cultivated his image as a bold lover boy, a serial kisser. He never said that people watch his movies despite his being Muslim.
Apart from that he is also a young male and lot of other things. Did he even stop to think that maybe it is one of the other identity that is the cause of his trouble ?
Then how about the seller; can he decide if he wants to sell or not, and to whom- no ?
The real issue is less houses more people. If it was otherwise such controversies would not arise.
And he should not forget that Individual rights are important but they can not be more important than collective rights.

ROMA ARE INDIANS TOO!

I had decided that I am not going to take up the subject of the Indian Diaspora for some time but the recent actions of the Canadian government have kind of forced my hand .'Roma' are the Indians, India has forgotten about and they themselves have a very faint recollection of their roots. Mainly their language, social customs and their physical features suggest this bond. They are the much reviled and persecuted 'Gypsies'. For centuries they have lived the life of itinerant nomads on the periphery of European society. Shunned by all.

During Nazi era they came for special attention of the SS and were systematically butchered as part of the "final solution". Their actual number killed is not clear, probably owing to the fact that they came from all different countries in the Europe and were included in the statistics from that country. Some estimates put their actual numbers killed , more than that of Jews. Now that is a staggering number.

Even today when they are no longer nomads;when they have adopted the names and faiths of the countries they live in, the resentment against them is remorseless. They are shunned by the society and regularly persecuted by the regimes as a normal course. Eastern Europe is particularly a region with deep seated racist and neo- nazi tendencies that have strengthened post the communist era.

Canadian government has in the past stopped Indians from landing in Canada,; stopped Jews from immigrating during Nazi era and so on. Today Canada would like to pose as a champion of civil liberty, a bulwark against persecution and a heaven for the oppressed. But recently they have made visa compulsory for Czech and Mexican citizens because they say that people from these countries come and claim refugee status.

Actually they are trying to stop Roma from coming in. These Roma are Czech citizens who are treated abominably in their country. Mexicans were added to the order just to camouflage the real reason. White Europeans are welcome. Roma are not. Visa will ensure that they do not get in. If their homes get fire bombed in Czech republic , it is a local law and order problem,nothing to do with Canada. With the visa in place Canada can sleep tight; it will stay white! This order shows the Canadian regime for what it is, worse however is the extreme insult it is to the majority of The Canadians who are not racist. Maybe I am wrong on that count!

Hitler must be a happy man today!

Racy idea !

Indians are seemingly comfortable with the idea of racism, since we have reacted mutely when it has been practiced by Indians on Indians. See how we treat and look down upon migrant workers in Delhi, or in Punjab. For that matter see how such a progressive state as Maharashtra decided to condone violence against fellow Indians. Of course southern India fares slightly better but that's owing to the fact that the net migration into those states from outside of the state is probably negative.

Kashmir decided to completely wipe away its Hindu population and unlike Third Reich, they have gotten away cleanly with it. Just because no one cares for the victims of that racial genocide. And they were not even migrants! So it seems rather refreshing that so many people from all corners are raising their voice against the racist attacks on Indians in Australia. Maybe now we will begin to object when Indians are targeting other Indians in India.

Even at best of the times migrants have never been welcomed completely by the host societies. Even where they were needed desperately . In these times of recession migrants are an easy punching bag. Remember Nazi party rose during a recession in Germany among other factors.

Australians as a class are rather crass in their ways so they attack openly . They are however not alone. Their cousins in other western countries are smarter in their attempt to keep Indians to their place. Racism is institutionalized and totally integrated with immigration policies and levers of power. As long as Indian remains a "coolie", it is fine. In countries like Canada they do it very subtly without letting you know. So you will be cut down to size but shall have no proof of any kind!

Indian students being students start on an equal footing with everyone else and mostly surge ahead by the dint of their hard work. This is bound to attract the wrong kind of racist attention. Hence these attacks. The other group that is vulnerable is Taxi drivers. From refusing to pay the fare to looting their cash . They are an easy prey. Look here all they want is your money that you can give as fees, taxes and whatever capital you can bring in to grow their economy. They also need you to drive cabs, run corner stores and do all their grunt work . Ask for more and there is trouble ! There are hundreds of Shravan kumars for one Bobby Jindal. So beware!

We have to stop being racist ourselves before we can demand equality. And we have to stop being in such awe of the west before they will stop taking immigrants for a royal ride.

Spastics and us

What have we thought about Spastics ? Or for that matter all the other members of our society who by virtue of being differently able, need some assistance to live a dignified life. Ideally they are best cared for in their own homes and family. Surrounded by natural love , care and affection. This system however is breaking up ! As we progress as a society, which is mobile and outward looking; family as we understand in the traditional sense is on life support,if not already dead.

In nuclear family units it is becoming increasingly difficult to care for a spastic child, visually impaired family member, or anyone else facing other physical or mental challenges. In most cases at least one parent has to be stay- at -home. Now this poses another set of problems. The immediate one is the shortage of money a single income family would have to deal with. The other is far more serious. What would happen when one or both parents pass away? Who will do it? I have seen parents praying for a short life for their children who are facing these challenges. Can you imagine how shell shocking it was for me? Imagine how catastrophic it must have been for the mother asking for death for her child!

Some countries like Canada have a registered disability saving plan, that allows a parent to save for a disabled child during their lifetime .So that after they are gone the money can be used for the disabled person. The government also gives generous grants in addition. There are well managed institutions that take care of these individuals for their entire life. So what do we have in India?
I realize India is not Canada but we need to think about it. If we have abandoned the extended family as the norm, what have we replaced it with?

As a start can we please include such children and their parents in all our social and family events and make sure that they understand and feel our love and concern. Can we make sure such children are not hidden away because their parents feel that the society will not accept them. Please can we always, always include them. It does not cost anything, you know!