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"?