Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Monday, August 29, 2011

ABUSE OF THE INSTITUTIONS OF PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY

"...In general, Team Anna’s approach to Parliament and parliamentarians was dismissive when it was not abusive. By virtue of the widespread countrywide support Anna evoked on the corruption theme, the Team’s effort seemed to be to abuse the very institutions of parliamentary democracy placing the mythical “people” above Parliament and the Constitution. This is a dangerous trend the Team must guard against because it will meet widespread opposition not merely from the political class but from a wide spectrum of thinking men and women...."


For full article see "Crusade against corruption:Why Anna’s approach is questionable
by S. Nihal Singh.http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110830/edit.htm

Sunday, August 28, 2011

LOSS OF PASSPORT = LOSS OF FACE


While I was trying to pose for some smart photos in Peterhoff in St Peterburg, someone quietly removed my passport from my back pack....leaving me stranded and forcing me to abandon my programme of taking a Trans- Siberian Rail journey...

Who should be India's first Jana Lokpal?

Is it not time now to think of who should be India's first Jana Lokpal?


What about the following:

Hon'ble Janalokpal
.............Shri Anna Hazare ji

Hon'ble Additional Jana Lokpals:

(i) Shri Justice (Retd.) Santosh Hegde ji

(ii) Shri Shanti Bhushan ji

(iii) Shri Arvind Kejrival ji

(iv) Mrs. Kiran Bedi ji, and

(v) Shri Prashant Bhushan ji


Medical Adviser to the Hon'ble Jana Lok Pal....Dr. Naresh Trehan ji

Media Advisors to the Hon'ble Jana Lok Pal:

(i) Shri Anupam Kher ji

(ii) Shri Amir Khan ji

Spiritual Advisor to the Hon'ble Jana Lokpal.....Swami Agnivesh ji

Electoral Reform Next on Annaji's Agenda...news item

"Anna Hazare on Sunday ended his 12-day-old fast declaring that electoral reforms will be next on his agenda."....

And what about educational reforms, and agricultural reforms, and police reforms, and judicial reforms, and jail reforms, and social reforms, and tax reforms, and land reforms and hospital reforms Anna ji?

Friday, August 19, 2011

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Don't ask me!

Should Indian Cricket Team be brought under the purview of the Lokpal/Jana Lokpal?

Dont ask me!



Should the Indian cricket team be 'impeached' for ruthlessly breaking the hearts of a billion plus Indians?

Dont ask me!

Some Film Personalities & Drive Against Corruption

A number of film personalities have come out in favour of Anna Hazare's crusade against corruption.

Good, No?

And would it therefore be correct to argue that it means that these film personalities have never taken 'black money' or atleast hence forth would not take 'black money'? Or have always paid full Income-Tax or atleast hence forth would pay full Income Tax?

One hopes so.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Ah, these candle light protests!

There are innumerable houses in the remote tribal areas of the country which have not yet been electrified. The inhabitants are poor and can ill afford the scarce kerosene oil. And we the city dwellers burn thousands and thousands of candles to show our protest/indignation etc. on various issues (So much for energy conservation!).

Is it possible to think of another way of expressing our emotions and try to divert these candles to the needy tribal areas?

'Second War of Independence"?

"... ...Hazare's ultimatum to the government to either accept his version of the Lokpal Bill or brace itself for his fast-unto-death, and escaating protests across the country, smack of blackmail.

The fact is that Civil Society's draft anti-corruption bill is unlikely to be the panacea for India's problem's.

As it is, only Parliament has the power to make laws in India (And, to its credit, the Government has accepted many of Hazare's recommendations)

Finally, Hazare's campaign against corruption is decidedly not the 'second war of independence'........"


(Extract from the Editorial in Daily Post, Chandigarh, August 18, 2011.)

Gandhian?

Do you know the name of the Gandhian who said - more than once "..And people will teach them a lesson"?

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Monday, August 15, 2011

Ends Versus Means

All agree that corruption needs to be tackled but do not agree on the means to be adopted... a classic ends versus means debate....

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Chitthi Aiyee Hai... ...

Just to take a break from the corruption/ anti corruption, Lokpal/Jan Lokpal debate, here is one for smiles: Chitthi Aiyee hai... ...

Wrestling....


Most respectfully I would like to submit that:

(i) Let the Election Commission not take the trouble of holding elaborate elections. It should simply organise wrestling matches amongst the candidates.......

(ii) There are serious new contenders for selection to the of Indian Wrestling Squad for the 2012 London Olympics...

Friday, August 12, 2011

"Anna Hazare's Agenda" by S. Nihal Singh

“What Mr Hazare and his pick of members of civil society were proposing would make nonsense of the Constitution and make members of Parliament accountable not to their constituents or to the tenets of the Constitution but to an all-powerful Lokpal who would in effect be above the Constitution. ... ... ...

If Mr Hazare and his key followers wish to contribute to the institution of an effective Lokpal, they cannot discard the key attributes of the parliamentary system of government the country has adopted.... ... ...

Mr Hazare and his followers must show a sense of proportion and must honour a system of governance freely chosen by the people of India that has served the country well. There cannot be a diktat by one man seeking to nullify the basic tenets of the Constitution.”






Extracts from "Anna Hazare's Agenda: A Close Look at Political Motives" by S. Nihal Singh- http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110810/edit.htm#4

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

HOW TO HANDLE ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN

The Union Bank of Switzerland, popularly known as the UBS, feels that appropriate dressing by its staff helps business. So a few months back it released a manual incorporating a Dress Code for its employees.

Here are some of the recommendations from this Dress Code:

-Your jacket should be buttoned while standing
-When sitting, the buttons should be undone.
-Store your suit on a large hanger with rounded shoulders to preserve the shape of the garment.
-Get a haircut every four weeks to maintain your hairstyle.
-Don't eat garlic and onions
-Don't wear short-sleeved shirts or cuff links
-Don't wear socks that are so short you might expose your leg while sitting. Also, don't wear socks that are opaque
-Don't use tie knots that don't match your face shape and/or body shape
-Women are encourage to wear flesh-coloured underwear and stockings
-Women's skirts should not be "too tight behind."

Hope this helps you in handling the economic slowdown, UBS.