This video has been produced and directed by the award winning filmmaker Dan Reed, and is definitely the best documentary ever made on the Mumbai terror attacks.
It comprises of the never shown intercepted conversation of the terrorists with their controllers in Pakistan. Moreover, it also shows the revelations made by Md Kasab immediately after his arrest.
Watch the full video here:-
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1e4_1246490858
Cast off the caste system
A Tamil and a Bihari or a Maharashtrian and a UPite may have umpteen number of differences. But they have one thing in common and that is their profound belief in the baseless caste system.
No matter where you go in India, you will find people strangulated by the vicious knot of the caste system. According to the records of the Indian government, today there are more than 3200 castes in India !
Many people practise and promote the caste system under the belief that it is an integral part of their religion (Hinduism). And not doing so will make them an adharmi (sinner). However truth is far from it. Caste system has got nothing to do with Hinduism.
Hinduism believes in the concept of Varnas, which is decided not on the basis of birth but on the basis of an individual's occupation. There are four Varnas:-
1. Brahman
2. Kshatriya
3. Vaishya
4. Shudra
History is full of examples where a person born in a Brahmin family has gone on to become a Kshatriya and a person born in a lower Varna has gone on to become a Brahmin. Some of them are mentioned below:-
Valmiki :- Was born as a shudra but went on to become a Brahmin
Vishwamitra:- Was born as a kshatriya but went on to become a Brahmin
Sant Ravidas:- Was born as a shudra but went on to become a Brahmin
The list can go on and on ......
Inter Varna marriage in ancient time:-
The society was very liberal towards inter varna marriage. People of one varna could easily marry people from other varnas. Even Gandharva Vivah was quite common. eg. Dushyant marrying shakuntala, Shantanu marrying Satyavati, Bhim marrying Hidimba etc
Caste system - A menace :
An angry Dilip Tiwary killed his sister Sushma's husband Prabhu and three more members of Prabhu's family in a brutal manner. The only fault of Sushma and Prabhu was that they were an inter caste couple, making them cardinal sinners in the eyes of the society ! Flip the pages of a newspaper and you will come across a Sushma and a Prabhu once every fortnight ! Add to this, the infamous caste wars in states like Bihar and UP which have already taken thousands of lives, and ask just one question from yourself - is this how you would like the world to view India and Hinduism?
If every human being is a creation of the same almighty god, who loves us equally, then who has given us the right to differentiate one creation of the god from the other, on the basis of a man made system? One wonders how can one individual become superior to the other by the virtue of his birth alone? Isn't it against the basic principle of karma (कर्म), the very pillar on which Hinduism stands tall?
Hinduism is the most ancient, a very liberal & a very pious religion. The existing caste system is a corruption which has crept in our beautiful religion. Its a menace that needs to be eliminated at the earliest. We can't change the history. But we can definitely ensure that our coming generations get to grow in a society which is free of this poisonous practise.
At the end I would like to sign off my article by few beautiful lines from an anonymous personality:
धर्म - धर्म चिल्लाने वाले, खून बहाए देश में;
शैतानों ने डेरे डाले इंसानों के भेष में |
कैसे कहेंगे सारे जहाँ से अच्छा हिन्दुस्तान को ?
धरती बाँटी, सागर बाँटा, मत बाँटो इंसान को |
No matter where you go in India, you will find people strangulated by the vicious knot of the caste system. According to the records of the Indian government, today there are more than 3200 castes in India !
Many people practise and promote the caste system under the belief that it is an integral part of their religion (Hinduism). And not doing so will make them an adharmi (sinner). However truth is far from it. Caste system has got nothing to do with Hinduism.
Hinduism believes in the concept of Varnas, which is decided not on the basis of birth but on the basis of an individual's occupation. There are four Varnas:-
1. Brahman
2. Kshatriya
3. Vaishya
4. Shudra
History is full of examples where a person born in a Brahmin family has gone on to become a Kshatriya and a person born in a lower Varna has gone on to become a Brahmin. Some of them are mentioned below:-
Valmiki :- Was born as a shudra but went on to become a Brahmin
Vishwamitra:- Was born as a kshatriya but went on to become a Brahmin
Sant Ravidas:- Was born as a shudra but went on to become a Brahmin
The list can go on and on ......
Inter Varna marriage in ancient time:-
The society was very liberal towards inter varna marriage. People of one varna could easily marry people from other varnas. Even Gandharva Vivah was quite common. eg. Dushyant marrying shakuntala, Shantanu marrying Satyavati, Bhim marrying Hidimba etc
Caste system - A menace :
An angry Dilip Tiwary killed his sister Sushma's husband Prabhu and three more members of Prabhu's family in a brutal manner. The only fault of Sushma and Prabhu was that they were an inter caste couple, making them cardinal sinners in the eyes of the society ! Flip the pages of a newspaper and you will come across a Sushma and a Prabhu once every fortnight ! Add to this, the infamous caste wars in states like Bihar and UP which have already taken thousands of lives, and ask just one question from yourself - is this how you would like the world to view India and Hinduism?
If every human being is a creation of the same almighty god, who loves us equally, then who has given us the right to differentiate one creation of the god from the other, on the basis of a man made system? One wonders how can one individual become superior to the other by the virtue of his birth alone? Isn't it against the basic principle of karma (कर्म), the very pillar on which Hinduism stands tall?
Hinduism is the most ancient, a very liberal & a very pious religion. The existing caste system is a corruption which has crept in our beautiful religion. Its a menace that needs to be eliminated at the earliest. We can't change the history. But we can definitely ensure that our coming generations get to grow in a society which is free of this poisonous practise.
At the end I would like to sign off my article by few beautiful lines from an anonymous personality:
धर्म - धर्म चिल्लाने वाले, खून बहाए देश में;
शैतानों ने डेरे डाले इंसानों के भेष में |
कैसे कहेंगे सारे जहाँ से अच्छा हिन्दुस्तान को ?
धरती बाँटी, सागर बाँटा, मत बाँटो इंसान को |
Antics of the Thackreys
The constitution of India grants the fundamental right of travelling & working in any part of the country to all its citizens. But some politicians are either not aware or have chosen not to be aware of something as basic as this. Few decades back, Bal Thackrey harassed the South Indians by launching a crusade against them. And today Raj Thackrey seems to have taken over the baton from him. Raj Thackrey's tirade against the North Indians & Hindi signboards in Mumbai followed by the pelting of stones on Amitabh Bachhan's house, unfortunate incident of students being beaten up by the activists of MNS, Rahul Raj being shot dead by the Mumbai police, a poor labour from UP being killed by the Marathi speaking people in a local train. And extreme and unrequired reaction by politicians like Laloo who went up to the extent of announcing that he is contemplating to cancel the trains of Mumbai, have left a very bitter imprint in the hearts of both the Maharastrians and the North Indians.
If all the above mentioned hooliganism was not enough, Raj Thackrey issued a fatwa, warning the newly elected legislatures to take their oath in Marathi or face the consequences ! The latest man on the receiving end of this Chacha - bhatija jodi is the soft spoken and mild mannered national icon Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin's only fault was that in a recent interview, he stated that although he is a proud Maharashtrian, he considers himself to be an Indian first. One wonders, what is wrong with this statement? What do the Thackreys want? Do they want everyone in this country to put their religion, caste and region before the country?
If this sequence of actions and reactions continue, then the gulf in between the people of India will get wider and wider. And the days are not far when we might end up witnessing the emergence of a Paresh Barua type leader in UP or Bihar, who would say that entire India humiliates us therefore we want a separate country for ourself. On the same note, we might also end up witnessing the emergence of a Bhindrawale type politician in Maharashtra, who would say that our culture is getting polluted by the presence of non Maharastrians. Our resources are being plundered and drained by the non Maharastrians. Therefore we want a separate country !!
Churning of the Milky ocean by both the demons and the gods produced poison as well as nectar. But churning the sentiments of our countrymen by the politicians of both the sides is producing only one thing and that is hatered towards each other. Even though I was born in Bihar, I can't imagine an India without Shivaji Maharaj and Lokmanya Tilak. And I am sure my friends from Maharashtra would have similar regards for Gautam Buddha, Guru Govind Singh and Ashoka the great.
Today we live in a free and an independent India. Today we can afford to have big dreams. However situation was not the same 100 years ago. At that time people from all parts of the country fought shoulder to shoulder against the British. They had only one dream and that was the dream of a free India. When a chandrasekhar Azad from UP, a Khudiram bose from Bengal and a Bhagat Singh from Punjab sacrificed their lives, they did so even for those who live in Maharashtra. If Maharashtra is free & prosperous today then it is largely because of the sacrifices made by the above mentioned people and not because of Raj Thackery and the likes. Therefore a Raj Thackerey has no right to make loose comments about the people of North India.
India is governed by its constitution. And the constitution allows every Indian to work in any part of India. Therefore lets not turn Maharashtra into another Kashmir. Yes if a north Indian goes to Maharashtra and gets engrossed into illegal activities then its definitely a valid concern. But then, how can a north Indian drive a taxi by illegal means unless the Maharastrian traffic cop and people from RTO of Maharashtra are not corrupt ? How can the north Indians encroach government land and convert them into slums unless the corrupt officials of Maharashtra municipality are not sleeping !!! How can the north Indians have illegal electricity and water connection unless there are corrupt Maharastrian officials in the electricity and water board respectively!! The Maharastrians must understand that if Maharashtra is under dire state then its not because of the North Indians but because of the failure of state machinery.
Similarly the Biharis must also understand that one or two stray cases of hate attacks cannot be taken as an endorsement that every common man of Maharashtra supports Raj Thackrey's hate campaign. Burning of trains, attacking railway stations etc is madness. It is nothing but the loss of the same nation of which even the Biharis are a part.
Its really sad to see the Biharis rallying behind leaders like Laloo and even the educated Maharastrians supporting Raj Thackery as if he was their guardian angel. Its a tough time for our country and we need to think in a matured way rather than letting the selfish politicians play with our emotions. Down with all the politicians who divide my country on the name of caste, religion or region.
Raw materials
Cheap labour
If all the above mentioned hooliganism was not enough, Raj Thackrey issued a fatwa, warning the newly elected legislatures to take their oath in Marathi or face the consequences ! The latest man on the receiving end of this Chacha - bhatija jodi is the soft spoken and mild mannered national icon Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin's only fault was that in a recent interview, he stated that although he is a proud Maharashtrian, he considers himself to be an Indian first. One wonders, what is wrong with this statement? What do the Thackreys want? Do they want everyone in this country to put their religion, caste and region before the country?
If this sequence of actions and reactions continue, then the gulf in between the people of India will get wider and wider. And the days are not far when we might end up witnessing the emergence of a Paresh Barua type leader in UP or Bihar, who would say that entire India humiliates us therefore we want a separate country for ourself. On the same note, we might also end up witnessing the emergence of a Bhindrawale type politician in Maharashtra, who would say that our culture is getting polluted by the presence of non Maharastrians. Our resources are being plundered and drained by the non Maharastrians. Therefore we want a separate country !!
Churning of the Milky ocean by both the demons and the gods produced poison as well as nectar. But churning the sentiments of our countrymen by the politicians of both the sides is producing only one thing and that is hatered towards each other. Even though I was born in Bihar, I can't imagine an India without Shivaji Maharaj and Lokmanya Tilak. And I am sure my friends from Maharashtra would have similar regards for Gautam Buddha, Guru Govind Singh and Ashoka the great.
Today we live in a free and an independent India. Today we can afford to have big dreams. However situation was not the same 100 years ago. At that time people from all parts of the country fought shoulder to shoulder against the British. They had only one dream and that was the dream of a free India. When a chandrasekhar Azad from UP, a Khudiram bose from Bengal and a Bhagat Singh from Punjab sacrificed their lives, they did so even for those who live in Maharashtra. If Maharashtra is free & prosperous today then it is largely because of the sacrifices made by the above mentioned people and not because of Raj Thackery and the likes. Therefore a Raj Thackerey has no right to make loose comments about the people of North India.
India is governed by its constitution. And the constitution allows every Indian to work in any part of India. Therefore lets not turn Maharashtra into another Kashmir. Yes if a north Indian goes to Maharashtra and gets engrossed into illegal activities then its definitely a valid concern. But then, how can a north Indian drive a taxi by illegal means unless the Maharastrian traffic cop and people from RTO of Maharashtra are not corrupt ? How can the north Indians encroach government land and convert them into slums unless the corrupt officials of Maharashtra municipality are not sleeping !!! How can the north Indians have illegal electricity and water connection unless there are corrupt Maharastrian officials in the electricity and water board respectively!! The Maharastrians must understand that if Maharashtra is under dire state then its not because of the North Indians but because of the failure of state machinery.
Similarly the Biharis must also understand that one or two stray cases of hate attacks cannot be taken as an endorsement that every common man of Maharashtra supports Raj Thackrey's hate campaign. Burning of trains, attacking railway stations etc is madness. It is nothing but the loss of the same nation of which even the Biharis are a part.
Its really sad to see the Biharis rallying behind leaders like Laloo and even the educated Maharastrians supporting Raj Thackery as if he was their guardian angel. Its a tough time for our country and we need to think in a matured way rather than letting the selfish politicians play with our emotions. Down with all the politicians who divide my country on the name of caste, religion or region.
Contribution of non Maharashtrians in Maharashtra's development:
All those who are under the impression that non Maharashtrians just drain the resources of Maharashtra without giving any returns to the state are sadly mistaken. Let us see as to how Maharashtra gets benefited from the rest of India:
Raw materials
The electricity supply which Maharashtra enjoys is produced by coal which comes from Bihar/Jharkhand. The cars, motor bikes,cycles etc which the Maharastrians drive is made by the steel which come from north India. many industries of Maharashtra make extensive use of raw materials such as Copper, Aluminium, Bauxite, Graphite etc which come from the states of Bihar and Jharkhand.
Mr. Thackrey accuses the North Indians of draining the resources of Maharashtra. By the same logic aren't the Maharastrians draining the resources of North India. Imagine what would happen if we end up having a Thackrey type chest thumping politician in Bihar and Jharkhand. Imagine what would happen if the goods train and trucks carrying raw materials for Mumbai get attacked and ransacked in Bihar & Jharkhand !!! Imagine what would happen if the supply lines of all the industries of Maharashtra are choked by hoodlums!!!
India is one country. We eat the apples from Kashmir, Wheat from Punjab & Oranges from Nagpur. We use the teak wood from Assam & sandalwood from Karnataka. We use the minerals from Bihar/Jharkhand and finished goods from other states. That's the way how our nation has been functioning ever since we got our independence.
For the sake of one India, for the sake of one country stop dividing the country. Stop using the term 'my resources'. Because as long as you are a part of India its neither yours nor mine. Its ours.
Mr. Thackrey accuses the North Indians of draining the resources of Maharashtra. By the same logic aren't the Maharastrians draining the resources of North India. Imagine what would happen if we end up having a Thackrey type chest thumping politician in Bihar and Jharkhand. Imagine what would happen if the goods train and trucks carrying raw materials for Mumbai get attacked and ransacked in Bihar & Jharkhand !!! Imagine what would happen if the supply lines of all the industries of Maharashtra are choked by hoodlums!!!
India is one country. We eat the apples from Kashmir, Wheat from Punjab & Oranges from Nagpur. We use the teak wood from Assam & sandalwood from Karnataka. We use the minerals from Bihar/Jharkhand and finished goods from other states. That's the way how our nation has been functioning ever since we got our independence.
For the sake of one India, for the sake of one country stop dividing the country. Stop using the term 'my resources'. Because as long as you are a part of India its neither yours nor mine. Its ours.
Cheap labour
Its the era of globalisation. Whether we love it or hate it. But jobs will always go to those who are willing to do it at a cheaper rate. And it comes with its own set of benefits. America was faced with a great dilemma few decades back when it tried to get the computer chips manufactured by Japan at a cheaper rate. Many Americans lost their jobs as well as their temper . But a decrease in the cost of computer chips reduced the price of Computers and the reduction in the price increased its demand. Due to increased demand of computers all those who had lost their jobs had to be re employed for manufacturing other parts of computers. It also led to an increase in the demand of IT professionals who could design softwares, who could fix its faults & also those who could operate computers. Moreover it acted as a boon to many related industries such as space, defence, medicine etc. And thus it not just improved the over all employment scene of USA but also had a huge positive impact on its GDP as well.
Its the same with the North Indians as well. You may hate them but if they are driven out of Maharashtra, then the distance covered on Ricksaw for which you pay Rs 10 today, you will have to pay Rs 20 tomorrow. Taxis would become expensive, watchmen, barbers, washer men and all the other labour intensive things such as real estate would become expensive. many industries would be forced to relocate to a location where they could get cheap labour.
Increase in the cost of products would increase your spending. If your spending would increase then your savings would be less and if your saving would be less, you will try to buy less goods and services. And If you do that then the GDP of your state would fall. And thus you will enter into the same old vicious cycle of Mahabharata named 'chakraview'.
Its the same with the North Indians as well. You may hate them but if they are driven out of Maharashtra, then the distance covered on Ricksaw for which you pay Rs 10 today, you will have to pay Rs 20 tomorrow. Taxis would become expensive, watchmen, barbers, washer men and all the other labour intensive things such as real estate would become expensive. many industries would be forced to relocate to a location where they could get cheap labour.
Increase in the cost of products would increase your spending. If your spending would increase then your savings would be less and if your saving would be less, you will try to buy less goods and services. And If you do that then the GDP of your state would fall. And thus you will enter into the same old vicious cycle of Mahabharata named 'chakraview'.
Conclusion:
Be it Raj Thackrey, Bal thackrey, Laloo, Mayawati, Shibu Soren, Madhu Koda or any other politician of the same league. They know how to bake their political bread by exploiting the emotions of people. Fools are those who blindly believe them and put their lives at stake for these selfish lots.
If people want to take inspiration, then they must do so from the likes of greats like Netaji, Gandhiji, Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekhar Azad etc, and not from these Tom, Dick or Harry leaders who divide the country on the basis of religion, region, caste & language.
If people want to take inspiration, then they must do so from the likes of greats like Netaji, Gandhiji, Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekhar Azad etc, and not from these Tom, Dick or Harry leaders who divide the country on the basis of religion, region, caste & language.
Related articles in Media:-
(6). Rajasthan youth hit by train while fleeing MNS attackers
(7). Lynching: Lalu threatens to cancel trains
(8). Train bogeys burnt in anti-Thackeray protests in Bihar
(7). Lynching: Lalu threatens to cancel trains
(8). Train bogeys burnt in anti-Thackeray protests in Bihar
Pandit Nehru : A devil or a saint
Nehru jee was the son of one of India's richest men of his time. He was born and brought up in luxury, and he could have continued to enjoy the same all his life. He could have easily become a loyal servant of his majesty's government and gone on to settle down in the first world England, where the quality of life would have been hundred times better than what a third world country like India could offer him those days. But guess what, he shunned all his luxuries and joined the freedom movement of India under the leadership of Mahatama Gandhi.
He could have easily afforded a car but now he had to walk hundreds of miles on foot along with Gandhiji, and had to bear the heat and dust of Indian roads & villages . He had a palatial house but now he had to spend days and nights in simple Gandhian ashrams . He could have enjoyed the best of the meals in the world but now he had to put up with a simple diet synonymous with the common mass of a poor India. Getting jailed at periodic intervals, possible baton charges & other physical tortures, not being able to meet wife and daughter for months etc came as some added incentives to this decision of his, but he accepted them gleefully.
Mind you, when he decided to join the freedom movement, he had no crystal ball which could tell him that India would become independent in 1947 and he would go on to become the first prime minister of the country. Who knows, he could have been arrested and deported to Andaman & Nicobar islands or even killed by the British at some point of the time or the other !!! Despite all these problems, uncertainties and dangers, he sacrificed his comforts & riches and fought for India's freedom.
Today the condition of India is not very different than what it used to be during the British Raj. Bhagat Singh's fear has become true. The white sahebs have simply been replaced by the brown sahebs. But how many of us who criticise Pandit Nehru, are willing to go to small towns like Ara and Buxar in Bihar and stand against the Red tapism, tyranny, bureaucracy & corruption of the bureaucrats and politicians there? How many of us can muster the courage of leaving the comforts of our life inorder to bring a revolution in this nation? I am sure the answer is none. Therefore mortals like us who are confined and concerned with the pleasures of day to day life only, have no right to criticise an immortal personality like Pandit Nehru.
According to Bonny, who happens to be a friend and a fellow moderator of the largest Indian army community on Orkut:-
This is not an isolated case. Look at all the countries in Africa. Look at Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma and now Bangladesh. And then see why India is so different. What is it that India has that Pakistan could never achieve? Both countries became independent in 1947, and were led by educated leaders - being Nehru and Jinnah respectively. So what went wrong with Pakistan? The Nehru that we all so love to abuse today is the guy who along with other political leaders of newly independent India made sure that India would continue to remain a practising democracy. The strong pillars which they built through the 1950s with their toil and sweat are still holding the roof over our collective heads.
Nehru stayed in power because our parents and grand parents voted for him. Indira won and lost because Indians voted for or against her. The Supreme Court judges talk down to Parliament because the Constitution of India gives them the power to do so. The UN cites our example because we largely hold free and fair elections".
There are many who accuse him of neglecting our defence. But these people forget that Pandit Nehru was a product of the Gandhian school. His extensive travels during the independence movement had taken him to far off areas, giving him a first hand account of the acute poverty in India. He had witnessed the pains of India's misery from very close quarters. He had seen the death of more than 30 Lakh Indians in the Great Bengal famine of 1943. He had seen villages getting wiped off in a flash owing to epidemics like Malaria, Small pox etc. All these memories were fresh in his mind when he became the prime minister of India in 1947. Therefore, it was quite natural for him to give more emphasis to basic factors like food, shelter and health.
Not many people gave credit to India when we first became independent in 1947. Many like Winston Churchill had written us off and had prophesied that we would soon become a failed country. These gentlemen were not completely wrong. India had all the catalysts of becoming a failed nation within few years of its independence. Centuries of plundering had left the Indian economy in shambles. Illiteracy was at its zenith. There was acute shortage of food. Epidemics would outbreak every now & then. One of the largest migration of mankind to and from Pakistan, followed by wide scale communal riots, loot, murder & rapes had taken the nation to the state of anarchy. And to make matters worst, none of our leaders had an experience of administering a country. Years of experience in the freedom movement had made us 'champion protesters', but we didn't know how to govern. After all, protesting against the government is quite different from restoring law and order in the country or collecting tax from the own countrymen. Pandit Nehru took over the country during this period of turmoil.
He captained the Indian ship amidst the most turbulent time of our history, and made sure that we do not end up becoming another Zimbabwe, Somalia or Pakistan. He laid a very strong foundation for our nation by strengthening its democracy, ensuring the freedom of judiciary from the executive, granting fundamental rights to its citizens and by upholding the freedom of media.
Nehru jee may not be as charismatic as Mahatama Gandhi or Subhash Chandra Bose. And like every other human being, he may have made few strategic mistakes. However no one can deny the fact that he always had the best interests of India in mind, and no one can write off his valuable contributions towards this country.
Pandit jee can best be compared to a candle which produces a small dark shadow on being lit, but illuminates the whole area by its light.
Vande Mataram.
Related Debate:-
http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#CommMsgs?cmm=748139&tid=5383097312492040270
He could have easily afforded a car but now he had to walk hundreds of miles on foot along with Gandhiji, and had to bear the heat and dust of Indian roads & villages . He had a palatial house but now he had to spend days and nights in simple Gandhian ashrams . He could have enjoyed the best of the meals in the world but now he had to put up with a simple diet synonymous with the common mass of a poor India. Getting jailed at periodic intervals, possible baton charges & other physical tortures, not being able to meet wife and daughter for months etc came as some added incentives to this decision of his, but he accepted them gleefully.
Mind you, when he decided to join the freedom movement, he had no crystal ball which could tell him that India would become independent in 1947 and he would go on to become the first prime minister of the country. Who knows, he could have been arrested and deported to Andaman & Nicobar islands or even killed by the British at some point of the time or the other !!! Despite all these problems, uncertainties and dangers, he sacrificed his comforts & riches and fought for India's freedom.
Today the condition of India is not very different than what it used to be during the British Raj. Bhagat Singh's fear has become true. The white sahebs have simply been replaced by the brown sahebs. But how many of us who criticise Pandit Nehru, are willing to go to small towns like Ara and Buxar in Bihar and stand against the Red tapism, tyranny, bureaucracy & corruption of the bureaucrats and politicians there? How many of us can muster the courage of leaving the comforts of our life inorder to bring a revolution in this nation? I am sure the answer is none. Therefore mortals like us who are confined and concerned with the pleasures of day to day life only, have no right to criticise an immortal personality like Pandit Nehru.
According to Bonny, who happens to be a friend and a fellow moderator of the largest Indian army community on Orkut:-
"Whoever thinks that Nehru was a fraud or incompetent or selfish or plain stupid, should take a good look at countries which became independent in the post colonial era. For example, the most recent example is Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe gained independence from Colonial rule in the late 1960s and the white minority Rhodesian government finally surrendered to the will of the majority black population in 1980. In the free elections of February 1980, Mugabe and his ZANU party won a landslide victory. Its first democratically elected President is still in charge and has been accused of not letting go the power that he wields. Zimbabwe is currently experiencing a hard currency shortage, which has led to hyperinflation and chronic shortages in imported fuel and consumer goods. Zimbabwe's economic and food crisis, is described as the country's worst humanitarian crisis since independence.
This is not an isolated case. Look at all the countries in Africa. Look at Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma and now Bangladesh. And then see why India is so different. What is it that India has that Pakistan could never achieve? Both countries became independent in 1947, and were led by educated leaders - being Nehru and Jinnah respectively. So what went wrong with Pakistan? The Nehru that we all so love to abuse today is the guy who along with other political leaders of newly independent India made sure that India would continue to remain a practising democracy. The strong pillars which they built through the 1950s with their toil and sweat are still holding the roof over our collective heads.
Nehru stayed in power because our parents and grand parents voted for him. Indira won and lost because Indians voted for or against her. The Supreme Court judges talk down to Parliament because the Constitution of India gives them the power to do so. The UN cites our example because we largely hold free and fair elections".
There are many who accuse him of neglecting our defence. But these people forget that Pandit Nehru was a product of the Gandhian school. His extensive travels during the independence movement had taken him to far off areas, giving him a first hand account of the acute poverty in India. He had witnessed the pains of India's misery from very close quarters. He had seen the death of more than 30 Lakh Indians in the Great Bengal famine of 1943. He had seen villages getting wiped off in a flash owing to epidemics like Malaria, Small pox etc. All these memories were fresh in his mind when he became the prime minister of India in 1947. Therefore, it was quite natural for him to give more emphasis to basic factors like food, shelter and health.
Not many people gave credit to India when we first became independent in 1947. Many like Winston Churchill had written us off and had prophesied that we would soon become a failed country. These gentlemen were not completely wrong. India had all the catalysts of becoming a failed nation within few years of its independence. Centuries of plundering had left the Indian economy in shambles. Illiteracy was at its zenith. There was acute shortage of food. Epidemics would outbreak every now & then. One of the largest migration of mankind to and from Pakistan, followed by wide scale communal riots, loot, murder & rapes had taken the nation to the state of anarchy. And to make matters worst, none of our leaders had an experience of administering a country. Years of experience in the freedom movement had made us 'champion protesters', but we didn't know how to govern. After all, protesting against the government is quite different from restoring law and order in the country or collecting tax from the own countrymen. Pandit Nehru took over the country during this period of turmoil.
He captained the Indian ship amidst the most turbulent time of our history, and made sure that we do not end up becoming another Zimbabwe, Somalia or Pakistan. He laid a very strong foundation for our nation by strengthening its democracy, ensuring the freedom of judiciary from the executive, granting fundamental rights to its citizens and by upholding the freedom of media.
Nehru jee may not be as charismatic as Mahatama Gandhi or Subhash Chandra Bose. And like every other human being, he may have made few strategic mistakes. However no one can deny the fact that he always had the best interests of India in mind, and no one can write off his valuable contributions towards this country.
Pandit jee can best be compared to a candle which produces a small dark shadow on being lit, but illuminates the whole area by its light.
Vande Mataram.
Related Debate:-
http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#CommMsgs?cmm=748139&tid=5383097312492040270
This one is a beauty - Su-30 & F-22 performing same manoeuvres.
Su 30 MKI- the pride of Indian air force and F 22 Raptor - the only 5th generation aircraft of the world, performing the same breath taking manoeuvres. An amazing and a mesmerising video.
Left should be left alone
In 1942, Gandhiji launched the Quit India movement (Bharat Chhodo Andolan). As expected, this movement faced stiff resistance from the British. Surprisingly, it also faced a vehement opposition from the Indian Communists.
The comrades did not even spare Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. They called him a traitor and ran many muddling campaigns against him. In one of the most infamous cartoons, published in the People's War, the mouthpiece of the Communist party of India, Netaji was depicted as a Donkey carrying a Japanese man (perhaps Tojo, the then prime minister of Japan) on his back.
During the 62 war, every Indian was shocked and anguished by the Chinese aggression, but not the Communists. They openly supported the Chinese.
In the 50s, India could not even produce enough crops to feed its hungry citizens. We were at the mercy of foreign nations, who would give us grains that were fit only for the animals. As a result of this, our think tank decided to launch the Green revolution in the country. But the comrades strongly opposed this proposal. Thankfully our leadership did not budge and went ahead with its decision. At the end, the Green revolution turned out to be a huge success for the country. It brought a quantum jump in the production of crops and helped us become self sufficient in terms of food.
The Left front fought tooth and nail against the IT revolution and also against the opening of the Indian economy. But look what they have done to the country today. They did not just bring millions of jobs to India but also exposed us to the latest technologies. Today India is the second fastest developing economy of the world, and we are expected to become the third largest economy by 2050.
The entire country was jubilant after Pokharan II, but the Communists were busy criticising the government along with the Pakistanis and the Chinese ! Their support for China on the Tibet issue and their relationship with the Maoists of Nepal need no introduction.
West Bengal was once an epicentre of India's progress and development. But thanks to the introduction of union baazi and bundh culture, today it is no where in the reckoning. Over 25 years of uninterrupted rule by the Communists has degraded the business environment of the state to such an extent, that in a recent study, it was found that West Bengal, lags even behind states like Jharkhand and Bihar in terms of facilitating business. The comrades are also guilty of polluting the great Bengali culture. Once upon a time, Bengal used to produce the likes of Swami Vivekanand, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose etc. But today it is synonymous with unemployed youths bundled together in the 'clubs', dotting every nook & corner of Bengal. These youths waste their time in playing Carrom, Cards, discussing politics and doubling up as political hoodlums. The Communist party has politicised the police, they have politicised the media and they have even politicised the schools & colleges of Bengal.
They claim to be pro poor and aim at establishing a classless society. Ironically, their top leader Jyoti Basu, spends his evenings in the company of expensive Scotch, a peg of which costs more than the monthly income of many poor men in Bengal. His son, Chandan Basu is a business tycoon, owning top end cars like Mercedes Benz, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Landcruiser Amazon.
For centuries the comrades have been propagating their romantic idea all around the world. However, a quick look at history is enough to pooh-pooh their rhetoric. West Germany and East Germany comprised of same people with same culture & same language. The only difference between them was the fact that West Germany became a democratic country whereas East Germany embraced Communism. After few decades, West Germany progressed rapidly. While, East Germany remained stuck with times. The same story was repeated with the Koreans too. A democratic South Korea has become a first world country. Whereas a Communist North Korea is no where close to it. In USSR, people had to stand in long queues to get something as miniscule as a loaf of bread or a packet of milk. And hence, today it is a matter of the past. Even China started developing only after it shunned the Communist model of command economy.
Communism is a tried, tested and failed philosophy. It has not been able to produce a single first world country till date. On the contrary, it has gone on to ruin the economy and lives of many countries in the world. As far as Communism in India is concerned, the track record of the Communist party indicates that knowingly or unknowingly, they have always acted against the interests of India. Therefore its high time we say good bye to the comrades, and leave the left front alone.
Related articles:-
(6). Netaji as communists see him
The comrades did not even spare Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. They called him a traitor and ran many muddling campaigns against him. In one of the most infamous cartoons, published in the People's War, the mouthpiece of the Communist party of India, Netaji was depicted as a Donkey carrying a Japanese man (perhaps Tojo, the then prime minister of Japan) on his back.
During the 62 war, every Indian was shocked and anguished by the Chinese aggression, but not the Communists. They openly supported the Chinese.
In the 50s, India could not even produce enough crops to feed its hungry citizens. We were at the mercy of foreign nations, who would give us grains that were fit only for the animals. As a result of this, our think tank decided to launch the Green revolution in the country. But the comrades strongly opposed this proposal. Thankfully our leadership did not budge and went ahead with its decision. At the end, the Green revolution turned out to be a huge success for the country. It brought a quantum jump in the production of crops and helped us become self sufficient in terms of food.
The Left front fought tooth and nail against the IT revolution and also against the opening of the Indian economy. But look what they have done to the country today. They did not just bring millions of jobs to India but also exposed us to the latest technologies. Today India is the second fastest developing economy of the world, and we are expected to become the third largest economy by 2050.
The entire country was jubilant after Pokharan II, but the Communists were busy criticising the government along with the Pakistanis and the Chinese ! Their support for China on the Tibet issue and their relationship with the Maoists of Nepal need no introduction.
West Bengal was once an epicentre of India's progress and development. But thanks to the introduction of union baazi and bundh culture, today it is no where in the reckoning. Over 25 years of uninterrupted rule by the Communists has degraded the business environment of the state to such an extent, that in a recent study, it was found that West Bengal, lags even behind states like Jharkhand and Bihar in terms of facilitating business. The comrades are also guilty of polluting the great Bengali culture. Once upon a time, Bengal used to produce the likes of Swami Vivekanand, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose etc. But today it is synonymous with unemployed youths bundled together in the 'clubs', dotting every nook & corner of Bengal. These youths waste their time in playing Carrom, Cards, discussing politics and doubling up as political hoodlums. The Communist party has politicised the police, they have politicised the media and they have even politicised the schools & colleges of Bengal.
They claim to be pro poor and aim at establishing a classless society. Ironically, their top leader Jyoti Basu, spends his evenings in the company of expensive Scotch, a peg of which costs more than the monthly income of many poor men in Bengal. His son, Chandan Basu is a business tycoon, owning top end cars like Mercedes Benz, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Landcruiser Amazon.
For centuries the comrades have been propagating their romantic idea all around the world. However, a quick look at history is enough to pooh-pooh their rhetoric. West Germany and East Germany comprised of same people with same culture & same language. The only difference between them was the fact that West Germany became a democratic country whereas East Germany embraced Communism. After few decades, West Germany progressed rapidly. While, East Germany remained stuck with times. The same story was repeated with the Koreans too. A democratic South Korea has become a first world country. Whereas a Communist North Korea is no where close to it. In USSR, people had to stand in long queues to get something as miniscule as a loaf of bread or a packet of milk. And hence, today it is a matter of the past. Even China started developing only after it shunned the Communist model of command economy.
Communism is a tried, tested and failed philosophy. It has not been able to produce a single first world country till date. On the contrary, it has gone on to ruin the economy and lives of many countries in the world. As far as Communism in India is concerned, the track record of the Communist party indicates that knowingly or unknowingly, they have always acted against the interests of India. Therefore its high time we say good bye to the comrades, and leave the left front alone.
Related articles:-
(1). Left never participated in 'Quit India' movement: PM
(6). Netaji as communists see him
How to eliminate terrorism
Till few years back, poverty & illiteracy were considered to be the root causes of terrorism. But the emergence of Osama Bin Laden, who is not just a millionaire but also a civil engineer, proved this notion wrong. Incidents like the Glasgow airport attack and the arrest of Mohammed Mansoor Asgar Peerbhoy, who used to work with Yahoo at a whooping annual package of Rs 19 Lakhs, for his alleged involvement in the bomb blasts at Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, added more weight to the argument that terrorism is not just about poverty and illiteracy.
Today there is a growing need for shunning the stale argument of poverty and illiteracy, and examining terrorism through a different perspective altogether.
Types of terrorists and their causes:-
There are three types of terrorists and each type has its own cause. They are discussed below:
(1). Number one are those, who are in the top management. You can call them Gyan Yogis. People like Paresh Barua, Anup Chetia, Osama Bin Laden, Maulana Masood Azhar etc fall in this category.They are the brain of the outfits. They formulate policies and chalk out the strategies of their outfits. These are those people, who see themselves at the top position once their state gets separated from India or these are those, who believe that their religion would rule the world. This is their cause and motive to fight. No matter how much you improve the economic condition of their state/community members, they would continue to fight and would continue to recruit people by hook or crook.
(2). The second type of terrorists are those, who have been influenced by the Gyan Yogis to such an extent that they have lost their ability to use their own brain. You can call them Bhakt Yogis. These people would not think twice before taking up any suicidal mission or any other dangerous activity. They follow the Gyan Yogis blindly. They are highly motivated and very dangerous too. These people would never change even if the economy of their state/community members improves ten times in a month. For them the cause and the motive is a separate nation or supremacy of their religion.
(3). The third type of terrorists are those, who have joined terrorism because of the fear of the Gyan and the Bhakt Yogis or because they had no job or other means of surviving. You can call them Karam Yogis. Improvement of economy does matter a lot to the Karam Yogis. If they had some other means of earning their livelihood then perhaps they may not have joined the terror movement.
Eliminating terrorism:-
When it comes to dealing with the terrorists, the Gyan Yogis and the Bhakt Yogis need to be eliminated. They need to be killed because no amount of help, economic activity or literacy would change their attitude. And for that our soldiers & cops need to be given good amount of authority & resources. Once the Gyan and the Bhakt Yogis are eliminated, a terrorist organisation would not survive because of the lack of leadership and motivation.
When it comes to the Karam Yogis, we need to be liberal and sympathetic.The government must carefully chalk out both the long & short term plans for the development of every nook and corner of India. Most importantly, it must ensure that a rupee sent from New Delhi does not end up becoming 20 paise by the time it reaches Assam, Manipur or Orissa. Steps like these will choke the supply of Karam Yogis to the terrorist organisations.
Lethal attack on the brain of the terrorist outfits coupled with the developmental works at the grass root level, will ensure that such organisations cease to exist in India.
SU 30 MKI : Neighbour's envy owner's pride
SU- 30 MKI - The pride of Indian Air Force holds the same position in the sky which a Lion holds in the forest. Enjoy the breath taking manoeuvres of a SU 30 (including the famous Cobra manoeuvre as well as the Kulbit).
Fatwa against Vande Mataram
Recently, Jamait-e-Ulema Hind, a leading Islamic organisation in India, passed a fatwa against our national song Vande Mataram, claiming it to be Unislamic. Such an outrageous resolution is bound to create a furore in the country. A fatwa like this, is a testimony of the fact that the remote control of the Islamic world is still in the hands of the radical elements.
(1). If bowing before the motherland is against Islam. Then bowing before saints like Khwaja Moin-ud-din chisti, Nizam-ud-din Auliya etc should also be against Islam. When these people have no problems with Muslims visiting the shrines of these saints at Ajmer and Delhi, then why do they have problems with Vande Mataram?
(2). Going for Hajj by using the government subsidy is also against the principles of Islam. So why don't they issue a fatwa against the Hajj subsidy? Why this double standard?
(3). Many cough syrups have alcohol. So will we now see a fatwa against cough syrups as well?
(4). To the best of my knowledge, Islam does not recognise national boundaries. So will we see a day, when they will refuse to call themselves Indians by using the excuse that the concept of national boundary is against Islam?
(5). Population bomb is a major concern in India & the world. But will they remain stuck in their medieval period mentality? Will they continue to encourage the Muslims to produce a dozen kids just because birth control is against Islam (as stated by few Muslims)?
(6). In India, Muslims are given reservation in jobs, preferential treatment in loans, hundreds of crores as Hajj subsidy, hundreds of crores to madarsas - which are breeding grounds for terrorists, grants to Aligarh Muslim University - which pays for the court case of the terrorists nabbed in Batla house encounter and many more facilities. Why should the nation continue to give a preferential treatment to a religion whose followers have a problem with the national song of India ? National song is a symbol of India's dignity. Issuing a fatwa against it is a blasphemy towards the nation.
India is a secular country. The state allows every religious body to practise and propagate its religion freely. However, no religious body has the right to disrespect the symbols, values and ethos of the country.
The Muslims keep complaining that they are not a part of the mainstream. But with a 5th century mentality like this, will the mullas of the Jamait ever let them become a part of the mainstream? The backward mullas are the termites who are eating Islam from inside. And its time the Muslims realise, that their real enemy lies within. They will have to fight an intense internal battle against the radicals who have hijacked their beautiful religion to satisfy their personal whims.
This fatwa gives rise to many questions. Some of them are as follows:-
(1). If bowing before the motherland is against Islam. Then bowing before saints like Khwaja Moin-ud-din chisti, Nizam-ud-din Auliya etc should also be against Islam. When these people have no problems with Muslims visiting the shrines of these saints at Ajmer and Delhi, then why do they have problems with Vande Mataram?
(2). Going for Hajj by using the government subsidy is also against the principles of Islam. So why don't they issue a fatwa against the Hajj subsidy? Why this double standard?
(3). Many cough syrups have alcohol. So will we now see a fatwa against cough syrups as well?
(4). To the best of my knowledge, Islam does not recognise national boundaries. So will we see a day, when they will refuse to call themselves Indians by using the excuse that the concept of national boundary is against Islam?
(5). Population bomb is a major concern in India & the world. But will they remain stuck in their medieval period mentality? Will they continue to encourage the Muslims to produce a dozen kids just because birth control is against Islam (as stated by few Muslims)?
(6). In India, Muslims are given reservation in jobs, preferential treatment in loans, hundreds of crores as Hajj subsidy, hundreds of crores to madarsas - which are breeding grounds for terrorists, grants to Aligarh Muslim University - which pays for the court case of the terrorists nabbed in Batla house encounter and many more facilities. Why should the nation continue to give a preferential treatment to a religion whose followers have a problem with the national song of India ? National song is a symbol of India's dignity. Issuing a fatwa against it is a blasphemy towards the nation.
India is a secular country. The state allows every religious body to practise and propagate its religion freely. However, no religious body has the right to disrespect the symbols, values and ethos of the country.
The Muslims keep complaining that they are not a part of the mainstream. But with a 5th century mentality like this, will the mullas of the Jamait ever let them become a part of the mainstream? The backward mullas are the termites who are eating Islam from inside. And its time the Muslims realise, that their real enemy lies within. They will have to fight an intense internal battle against the radicals who have hijacked their beautiful religion to satisfy their personal whims.
Related reading:-
Why the name Vande Mataram?
Vande Mataram (वन्दे मातरम्) is a song written by Bankim chandra Chattopadhyay. He wrote this song spontaneously inorder to give a befitting reply to the British empire which was trying to impose its anthem 'God save the queen' on the Indians.Vande Mataram soon became the national cry of our country through out the freedom movement. The chants of Vande Mataram infused the feelings of patriotism amongst millions of Indians, and gave them the courage to stand against the mighty British empire.
Be it the baton charges of the British or the dark corners of the prison, the slogan of Vande Mataram kept our Freedom fighters in high spirits. The last words of many freedom fighters were nothing but Vande Mataram.
Vande Mataram is a reminiscent of the spirit of our freedom movement. It reminds us of the supreme sacrifices made by our ancestors. This blog is dedicated to my motherland India. Hence I could not think of a better name than Vande Mataram, which is a symbol of our struggle against oppression and a symbol of our quest for justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. Jai Hind
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