George W Bush does not like a shift in US foriegn policy and critises Obama "as immature". Should the world take a note of his comments? Has US progressed on "foreign affairs" during his regime? WDM, WTC, Iraq, Afgan, a growing dictatorial China (a power threat to the US), disturbed SriLanka, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Iran, Somalia and Most of Africa and South America.. losing friends in Germany, France what did HE achieve on foreign policy? Perhaps an Insecure USA and an Insecure world. Today you are not sure if you would not be put behind bars for clicking pictures of "life" of interest anywhere in the US or simply for having a muslim name, South/West Asian looks (even in India after 9/11 for that matter). Terrorism has flared across the globe and we face the brunt of it whether it is Kashmir, Delhi or Mumbai.
Pathbreakers have always been crticised. Its lot easier to go on the path given to you than to create a path, move on it and take the world with you. Obama had no option but to take the mess what he inherited on economic, defense, foriegn fronts.. clean-up the mess and create new ways of progress for America. Recognising growing economies like India is a growing complusion for America for balancing her own powerful existance and although he( Obama) is doing no favour to us with his friendly gestures, he has the guts to change the path that guides us in achieving peace and prosperity for everyone. This is also a remarkable achievement for Indian Foreign Policy and Manmohan Singh definitely deserves kudos for this.
To me, Obama appears to be honest and sincere in his approach for saving shine-losing US of America. Hope his own people understand this too.
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Monday, November 8, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Long Live Commonwealth Games!!
I wrote this on my Facebook Page on September 27, 2010.
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All the infrastructure projects that started in the name of convenience and beautification for CWG are sooner or later going to get completed.. even if it takes two more years. Delhi-ites must appreciate that it is due to the commonwealth athletes, who will leave that behind for our benefit besides the sporting spirit that won't be affected by shoddy/incomplete work today.Now that our pockets are empty and money taken forcefully from us, lets enjoy the benefits that are coming our way even at an enormous cost.. because there is nothing else you could do..pity.
One can always debate whether the idea of having these games was good or not and whether the kind of expenditure that was done was worth the games. But did we have any say in that.. no we din't. Did we have the competence to organise the games.. yes, we can do much more than that, we could possibly produce much larger events much more efficiently and at a lot cheaper .. provided competent people are put in place. (an Indian company managed the entire IT infrastructure for the FIFA cup in South Africa with such fantastic satisfaction/success that it is understood that they have been awarded next FIFA's contract too. But the same company didn't even qualify to participate in CWG Delhi .. obviously they had refused to dilute their standards and were not related to anyone in the OC.) Govt should have brought in such people from wherever they could rather than entrusting the job to people whose motive of getting the game was entirely different.. non- interference from Govt for not appointing a central co-ordination body for everything that was being done, also seemed deliberate.
I fail to understand that since past 60 years we are demanding that the games should be de-linked to politics/politician but nothing happened so far.. Why should a Gill run our Hockey for decades or a Pawar run our cricket. What is there claim for these posts? Why can't we put conditions that unless you have represented the country for certain number of years you will not be considered to run a games organisation. Lets keep an "online" exam like CAT (for IIMs) with the basic criteria of national representation and judge the management ability through the exams. Let there be total transparency in the system of selection of Games body. Should this happen there is no way a country of a billion+ people not get the highest number of medals in any competition. We have no dearth of money to provide infrastructure for games (as we have seen in CWG organisation) and I see no reason or any other hurdle in producing the best sportsmen in any game. Lets demand for expanding RTI for games bodies too. They are in public domain and there is no reason as to why should they not be unanswerable to public for anything they do.
Long Live Commonwealth Games!! Wishing you a great success.. make the best of what is there and produce extra-ordinary results for the world of sports and for the encouragement of all.
-----------------
All the infrastructure projects that started in the name of convenience and beautification for CWG are sooner or later going to get completed.. even if it takes two more years. Delhi-ites must appreciate that it is due to the commonwealth athletes, who will leave that behind for our benefit besides the sporting spirit that won't be affected by shoddy/incomplete work today.Now that our pockets are empty and money taken forcefully from us, lets enjoy the benefits that are coming our way even at an enormous cost.. because there is nothing else you could do..pity.
One can always debate whether the idea of having these games was good or not and whether the kind of expenditure that was done was worth the games. But did we have any say in that.. no we din't. Did we have the competence to organise the games.. yes, we can do much more than that, we could possibly produce much larger events much more efficiently and at a lot cheaper .. provided competent people are put in place. (an Indian company managed the entire IT infrastructure for the FIFA cup in South Africa with such fantastic satisfaction/success that it is understood that they have been awarded next FIFA's contract too. But the same company didn't even qualify to participate in CWG Delhi .. obviously they had refused to dilute their standards and were not related to anyone in the OC.) Govt should have brought in such people from wherever they could rather than entrusting the job to people whose motive of getting the game was entirely different.. non- interference from Govt for not appointing a central co-ordination body for everything that was being done, also seemed deliberate.
I fail to understand that since past 60 years we are demanding that the games should be de-linked to politics/politician but nothing happened so far.. Why should a Gill run our Hockey for decades or a Pawar run our cricket. What is there claim for these posts? Why can't we put conditions that unless you have represented the country for certain number of years you will not be considered to run a games organisation. Lets keep an "online" exam like CAT (for IIMs) with the basic criteria of national representation and judge the management ability through the exams. Let there be total transparency in the system of selection of Games body. Should this happen there is no way a country of a billion+ people not get the highest number of medals in any competition. We have no dearth of money to provide infrastructure for games (as we have seen in CWG organisation) and I see no reason or any other hurdle in producing the best sportsmen in any game. Lets demand for expanding RTI for games bodies too. They are in public domain and there is no reason as to why should they not be unanswerable to public for anything they do.
Long Live Commonwealth Games!! Wishing you a great success.. make the best of what is there and produce extra-ordinary results for the world of sports and for the encouragement of all.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Cleanliness comes from within..and we all have it in us.
We in India are "used" to creating filth around us. The problem is that we don't realise this and it makes no difference to most of us.. many don't even feel there is anything wrong with our surroundings. Some, however, want clean environ but they think it is not their job to keep it clean and making the surrounding dirty/filthy is their "right" as a citizen of the "independent" country. What kind of freedom we have if we can't be allowed to throw things, spit, urinate or even defecate wherever we want, whenever we want. Cleaning?? It is the job of "safaiwallahs", why we pay taxes to Municipality, we pay and they hire "cleaners" and if they are not doing their job so punish them.. how? Let's not pay taxes.. does it solve the problem.. no it does not but "its not my job"..
This is the attitude across the country. Remember that the Delhi Legislative Assembly or Municipal Corporation passed a motion condemning the Queen of England some time in early nineties for making a remark about Delhi being stinky and filthy. Who is she to tell how we live.. it is none of her business is what most of our "leaders" said, then. The story got repeated many times over, whenever anyone tried saying the same, whether an "outsider" like the Queen or an "insider" like Delhi's Lt Governor or current Chief Minister. This is more of an ego issue, we know we are dirty/filthy but who are you to tell us. So you don't tell us and we obviously don't realise or when we do, we don't want to take any action to improve. This goes on to show that for those in power it does not make a difference, may be they feel closer to masses when they are in such surroundings that is filthier than their own.
That attitude is what forced some citizens to join together to start the awareness campaigns like "Lets do it !! Delhi", "Save our Yamuna", "Greenethon" etc. The experience shared by "Lets do it !! Delhi" is that when a group took on the task of cleaning areas of Delhi (in the beginning of Feb 2010) unto themselves, lots of people who saw them doing automatically joined.. there wasn't not only no resistance but corporates even deployed teams to assist as they saw that if "outsiders" can clean our surroundings, why not us? During the first experiment at Rose Garden the park users were surprised and wondered why some people are doing this, but can't remember if any one of the regular park visitors came forward to join. But in the subsequent attempt at Bhikaji Cama Place that is a commercial locality,large number of volunteers joined most of them from the locality. The experience shared by those who volunteered shows that they felt quite "good" by being part of the "cause". I am sure not only they won't spread the filth but will also deter others from doing so. The people associated with the movement feel that if this could be sustained for some more time the spread will be big and Delhi will be a different (clean) place soon. The experiment of "Lets Do it!! Estonia" worked on similar lines and was the spark in starting it in Delhi by Anita Bhargava, a former Corporate Executive and a Marathon Runner.
Lets be conscious of our surrounding and do our best in keeping it "Clean".. first your building, then the locality, then the city.. and the whole country.. it will be a show case of Clean, pleasing place that we envy today when we look at "foreign" countries like Singapore for example.
We can do it.. lets do it!! "Lets Do it !! Delhi".. "Lets do it!! India".. "Lets do it!! Mother Earth".:)
Sunday, February 21, 2010
I wonder why we get into creating more and more controversies.. why do people not like to live peacefully and let others do the same.. now it makes no difference to me what was sexuality preference of Jesus but for Sir Elton John perhaps it makes the difference. He wants Jesus on his side and to justify his sexuality preferences, so he made a press statement earlier this week (as reported by print media) "confirming" that Jesus was Gay.
Now what would you call this debate? Was it necessary discussion. What if there is rioting on this, what if Sir Elton John is banned from entering Churches? What if his house is burnt down by "sympathizers"? Is it worth expressing your opinion on such subjects?
Now what would you call this debate? Was it necessary discussion. What if there is rioting on this, what if Sir Elton John is banned from entering Churches? What if his house is burnt down by "sympathizers"? Is it worth expressing your opinion on such subjects?
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