Floods in Kashmir -mercenaries on a rampage and vandalism:

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Kashmir is crying in pain as a result of havoc caused by monstrous floods with hundreds of people dying followed by enormous devastations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made an appeal for donations to facilitate further rescue operations and rehabilitations which every one owes a moral responsibility to respond sumptuously. Prime Minister Modi is all out to help the affected ones doing historically his best and this is for we , the people of the country, to help him at our maximum level. What is most unfortunate is the role of certain vested interests who are trying their maximum to torpedo Modi’s rescue measures. They are pelting stones on army men, helicopters, aircrafts involved in rescue operations to see that the help being extended to the victims in Kashmir valley be curbed some way or the other. They are the demons deserving a massive crush only.

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Bharat Ratna for Major Dhyan Chand:

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Much awaited and most coveted an honour at the national level in India is now quite likely to be conferred on late Major Dhyan Chand of Jhansi (29 August’ 1905 to Decemer 3’1979). This ‘Hockey Wizard’ was the one who deserved it most. In fact his name was clubbed with that of Sachin Tendular last time but the latter superseded him. Now that the proposal is cleared by the concerned ministry and it has to elicit the nod of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi before it goes to the President of India for his final approval, it can be taken for granted that Major Dhyan Chand becomes a Bharat Ratna. Known well for his nationalistic approach one can fully expect the Prime Minister Modi to vehemently put his nod in the matter. Lovers of games and sports all over the country, nay the world, must be feeling overjoyed with this news. Hockey was in  veins and blood of Dhyan Chand and a friend of mine who was by his bed side when he was breathing his last recalls that even in those moments he was murmuring notes on hockey. He was the one who is immortal in the history of sports. Long live Major Dhyan Chand in the memory of the people of the country and the whole world.

Technorati Tags: bharatratna,majordhyanchand,hockey,hockeywizard,sportslovers,games,immortal,veins,blood

Raksha Bandhan–a pious bond of love between sisters and brothers:

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It was Raksha Bandhan yesterday. A very very HAPPY RAKSHA BANDHAN. The shopping spree at a large scale was there much in advance in the market with the massive demand for rakhees and the dealers in it had a great day for themselves. In a materialistic world of today this great link of India’s heritage has its own significance standing much above many a trifles of the day with its own mark of a sacred sanctity. India being a solitary country all over the world vested with the credit of observing this festival at a mega scale since the early stages of Vedic era it has multitude of followers abroad mainly the Indians since settled there. The festival is not at all confined to the followers of Hinduism alone and I know several of the people belonging to other religions who love it and practice it too deeply impressed as they do feel with the serenity and security aspect of it. History has it that an Indian queen tied a rakhee to the then emperor of India Humayun and in return he solemnly offered her his life long protection and patronage to which promise he faithfully stuck. A rakhee knot got more strengthened as a symbol of security and faith with a great human touch since then. A sister and a brother apart, it brings people of all sects and shades together with a bond of love and affection. It has assumed much more of a significance in an atmosphere of insecurity to women that is frighteningly rampant in the society in a gigantic measure presently. The festival, let us wish, continues to act as a shield and a buckler to the women folk in particular in the country till eternity.

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Relevance of Rajbhavans in India:

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When British ruled India they had secured best of luxury for themselves throughout the country and in league with that largest possible bungalows (Rajbhavans) sprang up in every state of India providing residential accommodation to the then Governors now known as Rajyapals and the one at Kolkata initially used to be the residence of Governor General (Viceroy) of India till such time the capital of the country was shifted to Delhi in 1912. The next bungalow built for Governor of Bombay (Mumbai) was more or less equally big and continues as such as on date followed by the ones in other state capitals. The grandeur of size and design in respect of the  residences constructed for Governors in newly formed states too in the country after independence are provided the same luxury as the older ones during British time. Rajbhavan of Mumbai was more in a lime light after there was a news published that it saved 1.35 lakh units of power compared to last year by using energy friendly devices and solar energy panels. Such a saving amply gives an estimate as to what could have been the total consumption of the power in the Rajbhavan premises. Isn’t it a wastage in a country like India where economic crisis continues perpetuating? True, heads of states need a symbolic status but there appears to be no relevance to go much beyond proportions on this count. It’s a case of slashing down the amount of luxury in a country like India extending the benefit so accrued to the other  sections of the society in the country who are badly hankering for some frugalest possible a spot called a house.

Technorati Tags: electricity,consumption,rajbhavans,india,house,economy,benefit,hankering,premises,slashing,estimate,british

One plus one makes eleven:

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There is a fallacy that heavens won’t fall if a single individual doesn’t caste his/ her vote in the elections. One joining the other forms a chain and it may grow to millions of people. History has it that the government of Atal Bihari Vajpai, the then Prime Minister of India, had to fall against one vote only. Be it politics or any other area, at no level the weight of one vote can be undermined. It counts and it counts immeasuraby. None is privileged to cast more than one vote and it is a single vote only that assumes strength in large proportions when counted along with others. Why should any one feel shy of casting his/ her vote on the notion that a single vote is only insignificant. Napoleon used to say that a single soldier is as important to him as the army as a whole. Voting is an integral right bestowed to every citizen of the country by its constitution in any democracy and if it is allowed to go a waste it is a colossal damage to the very democratic system. Elections in India are just close by where people of the country would have the choice of forming their own government in which connection it is only a single vote that matters as it is counted in its totality. No conscious a person would ever like to allow his vote going in vain. Let it be taken as most religious a responsibility on the part of every voter in the country to fully utilize such a great authority vested in him/ her.

Technorati Tags: elections,democracy,politics,voters,vote,religious,responsibility,authority,constitution,utilize

Not just an actor:

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A son inherits his name through his father’s and if this was the case with Amitabh Bachhan he would have been known as Amitabh Rai Bachhan like his father Harivansh Rai Bachhan, a renowned poet of his time. He is a Shahanshah of Indian film industry, a status none could occupy and the reputation and popularity which he commands remains un-parallel in the history of Bollywood. Though in advancing age, he still exceeds his contemporaries in calibre and stamina. Normally the actors attaining a stature of popularity get swayed by it and develop a tendency of a false grandeur but he is the one who is much above all this remaining as simple a man as one in the masses. He did have his own romantic affairs but he didn’t allow them to mar his marital life continuing to remain a good husband. He is an idol, and ideal too, as a son, a father, a father-in-law and a grand father remaining fully a committed family man. He is just a simple person sans any kind of ego and even a commoner from the streets can meet him. He sees to it that within family circles every one talks in Hindi, the national language and his mother tongue instead of English which is otherwise a fancy for many in our country, more so in the Bollywood. Much away from the grandeur and falsehood, he hardly has any ego. Many of his co stars who wanted to pose themselves as superior to him insisted the film producers for higher remuneration compared to him which gesture he never resisted, he rather simply compromised with whatever he was paid. Now a days he appears more in ads but that is again a field for him where he is getting as much of a popularity as he got in the films. He is an inspiration and an ideal for the people in different age groups be it the younger generation or be it the older ones. Let us wish him to continue inspiring generation after generation.

Technorati Tags: amitabhbachchan,harvanshraibachhan,family,simple,grandeur,english,mothertongue,hindi,generation,inspiration,ego,superiority

What a hell they are teaching in schools!

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Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on 30th January 1948 and that is the history but what is being taught in the primary schools in Uttar Pradesh (India) is that he was killed on 30th January’1941 as it finds place in the relative text book. The glaring irregularity was traced in Etawah, the home town of the Chief Minister of U.P. Akhilesh Yadav. Since the books are supplied in massive quantity in the primary schools in Uttar Pradesh uniformly, thousands of primary school students are imparted the teaching on Gandhiji’s death as 30/01/1941. The most surprising fact is that none bothered to notice the irregularity for quite a long time during which who knows what could have been the number of students who might have enriched their general knowledge with false information like this. This shows the level of education in Uttar Pradesh and also the seriousness on the part of the teachers who didn’t bother to check what they were teaching. Hell with the relative system of administration. This requires a stern most action against the people so involved.

Technorati Tags: mahatmagandhi,education,teacher,teaching,books,uttarpradesh,akhileshyadav,stern,action,history,nathuramgodhse

Miracle treasure of gold in Daundiyakhera -(Part 1):

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The picture above shows current scenario obtaining in Daundiyakheda village of Unnao district in Uttar Pradesh (India) otherwise a neglected area despite the fact that it relates historically to Nanarao Peshwa who, it is said, removed his treasure of gold at Bithoor to remain doubly cautious that it does not fall prey to Britishers in the event of their attack on Bithoor. There it was buried deep in the fort premises of Raja Rao Ram Bukhsh Singh. Rush of visitors to the area is massive these days for the people to personally witness the treasure estimated to be around 1000 tons of gold, enormously a big sum. Archeological Survey of India (ASI) made the similar attempt in Hyderabad (India) to dig open a big chunk of the spot in the beginning of this year with the notion that there was an immeasurable amount of money earlier belonging to the Nizam of Hyderabad but there it was all in vain and nothing came out after hectic excavations so made. Most probably the same fate may come out as the result of excavation being carried on at Daundiyakheda but the ASI authorities are hectically pinning their hopes as if they are very near to the success in their efforts. May be they finally land into the land of illusions. -Continued, Refer Part 2.

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Pran–A great legend in him is no more!

A legend in Bollywood, Pran, Pran Krishan Sikand, breathed his last at Lilawati Hospital, Mumbai, on Friday the 12th July’2013. He was 94. With his death an era of villainy as an art ends. Right from the days he entered the filmdom in 1940, he never had a parallel to match him. At the initial level, he did act as a hero in some films but what became a hall mark for him in later years was the art of villainy playing his roles with unique excellence. He gave the cinema some character roles too with a brief appearance but there too he exceedingly excelled all. No body can forget his roles in Shaheed, Upkaar, Ram Aur Shyam, Zanjeer and the like. We bow our head in reverence to the great soul.

Technorati Tags: pran,bollywood,history,villainy,art,zanjeer,shaheed,match,legend

What else are caste prejudices?

There should be a casteless society has been the slogan for a long time. The more it has been propagated the more it has worsened, it has rather assumed graver proportions. The very political party which initially took cudgels against caste prejudices targeting the upper caste especially Brahmins is now most vociferously advocating for them praising them in a sumptuous measure. Satish Chandra Mishra, a senior leader of the party, called Brahmins as ‘intellectuals’ while addressing a meeting the other day at Jhansi (U.P., India) saying that they are actually the ones who always remained in the fore front during the days of the freedom struggle of the country, and that their strength counts enormously. He conveniently forgot that it was only Bahujan Samaj Party itself the earlier leaders of which coined the slogan ‘Brahman, Chhattri, aur Sonar, Inko maro joote chaar’ and it was massively used by them in all their meetings. Why such a major shift in approach? Obviously it is as a matter of sheer opportunism as they find it difficult to survive without their support. The elections are due the next year and singing praises for the upper caste are just for the purpose of appeasing them so that they could secure their support to form a sizeable strength as electorate. Every body knows it well that Satish Chandra Mishra is not in the BSP for some ideology or the other, he is there as he is very well accommodated there along with several of his relations in the party and power system. People in general are wise enough not to get swayed by his sweet utterances solely aimed at the next elections.

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Iron lady Margaret Thatcher is no more!

Known for her strong will power and convictions, the iron lady as she was called, Margaret Thatcher, the ex Prime Minister of England, died of a stroke. She was 87 years old and is survived by her two children Mark and Carol and her grand children. She was a great toughie in the matters of her tasks. She was the one admired most for her contributions during her 11 years tenure as the Prime Minister of her country. Historically she was the first woman Prime Minister of England which record is yet to be broken. She had her great admirers all around within her country and abroad but she had her staunch critics too who called her as a ‘heartless tyrant’. It happens so often that the strong willed people with well meant commitments are misunderstood as a tyrant or as a dictator, or they are called as such for political reasons.. She was one such personality. All of us from India wish peace to the departed soul, a noble one as she was.

Technorati Tags: margaretthatcher,england,prime minister,toughie,admirers,critics

Clean the Ganges before it is too late!

There are many a movements launched by several organisations in the country to cleanse the holy river Ganga. They are fighting to seek an immediate remedy to save the holy river from different pollutants which have spoiled it to an extreme level. Nothing has happened as yet, nor there is any sign of any improvement in any manner any where. Promises after promises are there but to  no avail. We were told in our childhood that the water of Ganga is purest in the world with the saying that one dip in the river is capable of enhancing the life span of the person who does so. We were also told that the water of Ganga is such that it can never be polluted. What we see now is just different. Pollution in the river is every day increasing by leaps and bounds, and if there is no check on it immediately, the problem is likely to aggravate to the extent that at some stage it may not be reversible at all. The study conducted by the National Cancer Registry Programme under the Indian Council of Medical Research reveals the alarming signals indicating that those living by the side of river or those using its water for drinking purposes are more prone to fall victims as cancer patients. It is high time that the needful be done on urgency footing failing which the menace so indicated may assume graver proportions.

Technorati Tags: ganga,ganges,river,health,pollution,environment,cancer,victims,hazards

What is there in naming a road?

All have a name, the countries, the towns, the planets, the men, the women, the gods, and so are the roads and streets every where. The peculiar phenomenon is that every name has a background. In Kanpur (India), there is a mohalla named as Chataayee mohal for the reason that chataayees (mattresses with fabricated textile material) were and are still produced there. There is a Ghumni mohal (a place to walk and stroll) because in olden days there was nothing like any populace there and people used to utilise the open place for walking purposes. Every name carries some story or the other behind it. The memorable days like New Years Day, Republic Day or Independence Day, all carry with them a great historical background. Names are given in a negative order too like Dhikkar Diwas (a day observed as the day of hatred). There are also the name(s) which may not look apparently on their surface as negative, but background wise, they are as such only. I saw a  small road named as Kanpur Street in London. I had the anxiety to know the very background of it. I was told that the Britishers got terribly annoyed after the ghadar (mutiny) of 1857 which had its starting point in Kanpur (besides of course Meerut) and, out of frustration and disgust, the London administration thought of giving some trivial most name to Kanpur to ridicule Indians, hence Kanpur Street (with a point to highlight that Kanpur must not have been suffixed with the ‘Road’). Obviously they couldn’t go beyond that on the face of a great upsurge and revolt against them in India.

Technorati Tags: freedom movement,indian union,kanpur,kanpurstreet,names,revolt,upsurge,road

Indian cinema completes 100 years of glory

The current month of February’2012 completes a century of its glorious years. Thanks to Dada Saheb Dhundraj Govind Phalke, a great cinema artist himself, who could take the credit of giving this country the first feature film ‘Raja Harishchandra’. It was exactly on 5th February a hundred years back that he undertook journey to England where he stayed for 2 months collecting necessary technical material then available to be used when he was due back to the country and this is how the first picture ‘Raja Harishchandra’ could be produced.

Technorati Tags: Dada saheb Phadke,cinema,bollywood,legend

Bollywood in India has far exceeded the number of films produced by Hollywood and the credit certainly goes to Dada Saheb Phalke. This is only an irony of the situation that he was not that much recognised in his life time as it was done after he was no more there. The story goes that once there was a big event organised in Mumbai commemorating the progress of cinema in the country but it struck to no body’s mind to invite Dada Saheb Phadke in the function. After some time some one noticed that as an enthusiast he was very much present there amongst the audience. Organisers rushed to him regretting their lapse taking him to the dais bestowing all honours upon him giving him recognition of a legend of the time.

Tele serial ‘Veer Shivaji’–a review

Technorati Tags: integration,Prithviraj Chauhan,Shivaji,invaders,country,color tv channel

Immortal as he remains in the minds of all Indians as a great hero, Veer Shivaji is a name in the history as alive, nay more, as it should have been in the days of his life (1630-1680) and more so when he firmly reigned in Maharashtra during 1674-1680 AD. TV channel ‘Colors’ is currently showing Veer Shivaji as a running serial which is a quite popular one. The life of Shivaji is justifiably depicted in the serial in most powerful a manner and read in the context of what a social and political atmosphere might have been there in the then times, the serial has meaningfully covered different aspects of the society then obtaining. Certain narratives are of course there which might injure the feelings of a certain community but that is after all a history where factual side of it just can’t be sacrificed. The actors playing different roles in the serial have done full justice to their performance. Shivaji is portrayed as a champion of the masses and his role reminds us of what Prithviraj Chauhan did several centuries back in the remote past. Prithviraj Chauhan not only fought against the invaders but equally strived hard to have a fully integrated India and so did Shivaji uniting different factions of rulers operating as self styled autonomous entities in the country. Shivaji as he has rightly been portrayed in the TV serial was certainly not only a great pride for Maharashtra alone but the country as a whole.

A thousand salutes to the martyrs

Technorati Tags: commandos,mumbai,26thNov08,martyr,blasts,taj

They laid down their life to save others, their martyrdom is the history the none can afford to forget and the way the Indian commandos carried out their mission of saving the hostages in Mumbai at Taj Hotel, Nariman House, Oberoi Hotel in the reckless attack on them killing many of them on the spot is now the house hold talk, and very rightly so, every where in the country. The chivalry, the courage, the dexterity and most masculine a performance on their part is a slap on the toothless leaders of the country who miserably failed to take a timely notice of the untoward. But for sheer negligence and a callous ignorance on the part of these leaders could have averted or atleast minimized the damage caused to human lives at Mumbai on 26th November and the casualities that followed for days together. The all time alert marine commandos offered their instant readiness to combat the aggression but, as always so usual in political circles, it took several hours for them to release necessary instructions. This delay again caused a heavy loss to the lives of the innocent people but for which several people could have been taken out of the jaws of death in the hands of merciless killers. The whole country knows it, nay the whole world has now to admire the unmatched strength, valour and dexterity of Indian commandos but for whose rescue operations no body knows how big could have been the number of casualities and the damage mainly including the very image of the country. The loss the country has incurred in the loss of life for several fighters who preferred death against submission with the sole aim of protecting others is immeasurable but their martyrdom will always keep them alive in the memories of the country men.We bow our head to these gallant fighters and offer them a thousand salutes.

Why Ambedkar joined Budhism

Joining a particular religion or a cult is not always a matter of faith and conviction. There are other factors too leading a person to join it based on convenience, customs and social conditions. Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar was a dalit fighting for their upliftment in social layers. Trying hard he failed to get any result on that count which ultimately caused him a total frustration. Left with no choice, he started looking for some platform where he could identically trace certain avenues to suit him and his movement. Lord Budha ancestral background was that of a Chhatriya clan but the mission he led was sumptuously rich in the princeple of equality. There was no difference or discrimination between a Bhikshu and Bhikshu and all were supposed to follow the princeples and norms springing out of Budhism. Ambedkar thus took necessary diksha from Budha monks to become a budhist. In a way, it was not a decision based on any convictionally coined clan, it was rather wholly a political move on his part to get rid of then highly dominant social fallacies.

Technorati Tags: ambedkar,social,religion,budhism

She was an icon of Awadh Nawabs dynasty

Rising from the status of a commoner she hat guts to occupy the grandest available level amongs begums of the Nawabas known as Begum Hazrat Mahal. Beautiful she was with hardly a parallel then, she had capacity to match, nay even beyond that, a masculine strength, she had large number of admirers amongst then in a dominant position British and she could very easily use her rapports with them leading a comfortable queen's life but she was the one gallant figure who opted death as against all luxuries. She died fighting. Begum Hazrat Mahal Park developed in her name with her tomb inside at Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) stands testimony to a fierce fight she gave to enemies dying a martyr for the honour of the people in the state.

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The architect who committed suicide!

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A great magnificient building as it is from architectural angle, the central complex of Sampurnanand University at Varanasi is not only a tourist attraction but equally a favourite spot for research scholars who throng there to collect and verify various aspects and background of it. This was, as it is said, constructed as per instructions from Queen Victoria. The very college known as Queen's College was first of its kind at Varanasi. Sanskrit was introduced there as a primary language. The building where Sanskrit University functions is the one that came up afterwards. An English engineer of prominence was given the task of constructing this building who most committedly performed his job seeing to it that there is no noticeable a flaw left in the total project. The building when it was completed was a great attraction in the city. Viewable in the picture from different angles, the picture is obviously to look much better if there are no steel fencings around it. The saying goes that one of the visitors, the one from a village, passed a remark seeing the building that it was bound to have water logging on the floors particularly during the rainy season for the reason that there was not the desired height given to the plinth level of it. The plinth should have been raised to a level of atleast a few inches more, he renarked. The engineer realising that the remark so made was every inch correct and that it was an unpardonable lapse on a distinguished engineer like him that a minor sort of constructional requirement was not followed by him. This led him to commit suicide out of shame and humiliation.

The stones that talk

Technorati Tags: travels,varanasi,sculpture,tagore,gandhi

The stones speak, they talk and they interact too depending on whether the viewer understands their language. A great expression dug deep in stone engraving a  masterpiece of the two outstanding figures -Ravindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi by another great personality, the sculpturist Khastageer stand witness to lot many events in history of the country. Visitors to Varanasi hardly miss an opportunity to relish the beauty of these objects of manumental significance.