Had one too many last night.....

'Come on, Grow up, The Tribune' by K.J.S.Chatrath

What about starting the New year with a cynical critical remark? The Tribune, Chandigarh is perhaps the only newspaper in the country which considers release of new year calenders by government departments/autonomour/semi-aoutonomous organisations to be 'news' worth covering.Its choice of 'news' has deteriorated during the year 2012. Come on 'The Tribune' grow up. We wish you well.

Garv say kaho ki hum nastik hain..

While strong dignified protests are being registered by the young throughout India, unfortunate news of rapes of girls and women are still pouring in from various parts of the country. We have been told that there is a God. But is there a God? We have been told that God is omniscient, omni-present and omni-potent. Is the God really omnisciient,omni-present and omni-potent? The innocent get pain and suffering and are told that this is the result of their negative karmas of previous birth and that the good behavior of this life would be rewarded in the next life. But the crooked are flourishing, protests the innocent good person. Oh, that is because they did good karmas in their last life. But they are leading a bad amoral life, feebly protests the innocent good person. Oh, dont you worry, they would be punished for their bad karmas of the present life in their next life. Would a fair, just and kind God do this? No. The pain being inflicted on the innocent in this world shows that there is no God. There is no God, let alone a God who punishes the wicked and rewards the good. God's 'Heavenly Penal Code'has failed as much as our Indian Penal Code in saving women from rape and dishonour. So let us keep God out of this. Garv say kaho ki ham nastik hain! (i) Let action be taken to set up fast track courts and the pending one lakh cases be disposed off within six months- by 30.6.2013. (ii) Introduce compusory physical castration and whipping, besides strong sentence for those convicted of rape. I am aware that my outburst is more a result of anguish than considered logical thinking...

The death of an innocent, brutalised young lady

I am angry and I am ashamed. Our lawmakers are requested to seriously consider re-introduction of the Indian Whipping Act for the offences rape/molestation and eveteasing (Remember that the British ruled us by freely using the provisions of this dreaded Act). The Indian Penal Code can be suitably amended. There should be provision of a mandatory minimum of 12 lashes to be given in a public place for proven offences of rape/molestation and say ten for eveteasing. Make castration of the offenders found guilty by courts mandatory, and I am not suggesting chemical castration. I would recommend such offenders be physically castrated. Follow this up by showing photos of the castrated offenders faces on the TV. By all means give suggestions to the Honble Justice Verma’s Commission. But let us remember that this is a slow process that takes time. So in the meantime let Government set up special courts to try the existing pendency of one lakh rape cases under the existing laws of the land. Hearing should be on a day to day basis and cases finished within 180 days. Imagine one lakh rapists (if proven guilty) getting stiff sentences within the next six months. Government has done well to announce that it will prepare a data base along with photographs of those convicted of rape and hopefully such a data base would be in the public domain. And, imagine again, one lakh names and photos being added to this data base by the end of June 2013! Tell me what would you prefer to see in India - women being raped/molested/teased in public or the offenders of such crimes being whipped in public, and castrated, following the due process of law? Now dont tell be that whipping in public would be uncivilised, barbaric and primitive as if raping, molestation and eveteasing are less uncivilised, heinous and barbaric crimes! And by the way, where is that omni- present, omni-potent and just God? May be ‘God’s in his heaven’ and thinks that ‘all is right with the world’!

Bad news from Singapore

May the departed soul rest in peace and may the guilty of this meanest of the mean act rot in hell for ever. Innocents getting brutalised...Where is the 'so called' God?

Some politeness that the common man deserves....

Saw this in a small village in the interiors of Nainital District of Uttrakhand.

New Year Resolutions

Any day is as good as another for starting to improve one's life style...So let us not get into the "My New Year Resolution is..." crap....

'In memory of Mercy' by K.J.S.Chatrath

Today's The Tribune published from Chandigarh carries an item with a photograph "In Memory of Mercy: Kim Kardashian's snow-white kitten Mercy, which was a gift from rapper beau Kanye West, three months back, has died..." I wonder how many readers of your newspaper bother about such news (?) Mr. Editor?

'The last long trip and not the THE last long trip' by K.J.S.Chatrath

Hello, Travel is what keeps me going...I do realize that with passing years, body's capacity to take long journeys goes down...I have been feeling it but trying to ignore it...Now perhaps a time has come to become more realistic. Tomorrow, I am going on a longish trip to Mexico, Cuba and while returning, stay in Paris for a few days. The actual flying time to Mexico City is 21 hours....I think it is going to be perhaps the last long trip that I am taking (I am not talking about THE last long trip!) So for the next five weeks there would be no new posts on www.fiftyplustravels.com, www.gravematters.in and www.anaap-shnaap.blogspot.com. And on return I would be having lots of pictures, stories and tips to share with you. I was hoping that you would wish me a 'Bon voyage'..... With warm regards....KJS Chatrath

Gangnam Style...

Have u seen 'Gangnam Style'? If not then take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0 ...........Somehow it reminds me of our own 'Kolaveri Di'....

Hard hitting interview of Ms. Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor....

After Ms. Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor's TV interview Mr. Narendra Modi wouldnt know what to say......(http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sunanda-pushkar-shashi-tharoor-narendra-modi/1/227004.html)

"Unscientific Americans..." - The Times of India

"Things American text books say: A Passage to India;'The effects of Hinduism have been devastating to India' (Grade 5 history text book); 'Hindus are incapable of writing history (because) all that happens is dissipated in their minds into confused dreams' (Grade 7 History text book, borrowing from Hegel)'" (The Times of India, New Delhi/Chandigarh, October 28, 2012)................................. Forgive them Lord for they know not what they teach!

“Half of Narendra Modi's Twitter followers are fake, claims social media firm” - Economic Times

Hai Ram! http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-10-27/news/34765197_1_fake-followers-status-people-twitter-user

"Harappan site under sector 17"; news- Times of India

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-28/chandigarh/34779911_1_harappan-civilization-harappan-site-bce Now that would be ‘heritage’....not the 55 year old extremely ordinary and unimaginative chairs, tables and stuff 'designed' by Le Corbusier and his little known nephew....Let us grow up...

'You shall overcome' ...

Wishing all the courage and fortitude to the American people to take on the Super storm 'Sandy'...You 'shall overcome'! Of course hoping that FEMA does a better job than it did in handling 'Katarina'...

Hockey vs. baseball

There was a time when hockey was very popular in Panjab and around...Youngsters used to take pride in carrying hockey sticks as a 'show off'....In case of unfortunate 'panga' hockey sticks were used as a weapon of defence and regretfully even of offence. Things have changed quietly. Hockey is no longer that popular and one does not see any youngsters moving around with their favourite hockey sticks. Baseball is hardly a popular game in India or in Chandigarh.....But unfortunately these days the news of petty violence always mentions that baseball bats were used in the fight... I dont know what to make out of this change......

Welcome to India Maradona

Welcome to India Maradona

Most unsafe country in the world

"US-total population 300 million- Most unsafe country in the world. According to the latest Department of Justice Survey of crime victims, more than 6.6 million violent crimes (murder, rape, assault and robbery) are committed in the US each year" (Source: The Times of India, New Delhi/Chandigarh, September 30, 2012, page 12)

Jaspal Bhatti ji ..RIP.

You brought out so many smiles and laughter on earth that the Gods have called you up to enliven the heavens..............We will miss you....

PM fails UK 'citizenship test' on US Tv show

Koi na ji, koshish jaari rakho...... http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-28/uk/34147060_1_citizenship-test-cameron-uk

Metting-sheeting... ...

Mr Narinder Modi goes to Nagpur to meet RSS Chief.... His Excellency the British High Commissioner in India goes to Ahmedabad to meet Mr. Narinder Modi.... Yeh kya ho raha hai...? Dont ask me!!!

Asia's largest donkey fair in Jaipur

http://in.news.yahoo.com/asias-largest-donkey-fair-jaipur-attracts-traders-farmers-051123160.html

Late Yash Chopra, R.I.P.

Late Yash Chopra made very nice, pleasant films and was a successful commercial film maker. ...........But let us not go overboard in praising him....What about some moderation, please?

(Lady) Teachers told to wear apron to avoid stares...

(Lady) Teachers told to wear apron to avoid stares: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-21/kochi/34626910_1_women-teachers-lady-teachers-dress-code

"India's opposition: Big Joke Party"

I was thumbing through an old issue of The Economist (March 31, 2012) and came across an article, "India's opposition: Big Joke Party" (http://www.economist.com/node/21551526)

Shame on us men!

News of a spate of rapes on young girls during the last month has left one very uncomfortable. It gives the impression that young women have no right to personal safety. I was reading an obituary on Alexander Solzhenitsyn written in 2008 in The Economist. Let me quote a very disturbig extract 'As for war, though the Nazis had unleashed atrocities in Russia, "I remember myself in my captain's shoulder-straps and the forward march of my battery through East Prussia, enshrouded in fire, and I say: So were we any better?'" In one poem, "Prussian Nights", he wrote: The little daughter's on the mattress,..... Dead. How many have been on it..... A platoon, a company perhaps?..... A girl's been turned into a woman,..... A woman turned into a corpse.----------------------------------------------------------------- Shame on us men.

J'accuse...

May I suggest a name for the yet unnamed political party of Shri Arwind Kejriwal: "J'accuse" (as in Emile Zola)!

A confession

I have not been a fan of Arvind Kejrival's style of doing things....But I must grudingly admit that gradually I am beginning to develop a sneaking admiration for him....As Munna Bhai would have said 'Banday main hai dumm'

Google Cultural Institute

Have you visited Google's Cultural Institute? Take a look at http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/#!home

Rapes-result of lack of social mental progress in Haryana

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/rapes-are-a-result-of-lack-of-social-mental-progress-haryana-cong-mla/300539-37-64.html

Browser that does not collect any user info

Came across a browser 'DuckDuckgo', that as a policy, does not collect any information of the users.

"Gods must be crazy"

Way back in 1980, I read the review of a South African film “The Gods must be crazy”. It’s plot seemed novel. An empty coke bottle is thrown out of a low flying aircraft and lands among the bush men in the Kalahari desert of Africa and creates problems for the simple innocent people and so the pratagonist tries to return the coke bottle to God. ---------- Unfortunately there was no way of seeing the film as those were the days of the ugly apartheid policies of the South African government and the almost the whole world had cut off relations with S.A.---------- Well, over 30 years later, I saw this film on one of the Tv channels yesterday. It starts off like a documentary for the first few minutes and then very gradually and quite seamlessly, the plot starts unfolding. It is bit of a slap-stick action comedy with a very serious message – the simple tribals are happy as they have no possessions and have adapted themselves to the nature. On the other hand the modern civilized western man is unhappy as he has tried to change nature to his liking.---------- Don't miss the last scene of the movie where the pretty heroine of the film smiles for the first time and one gets to notice her lovely green eyes.

Sit and pee for a cleaner Earth, Taiwan tells men

Sit and pee for a cleaner Earth, Taiwan tells men: In a special drive in Taiwan, men will be asked to sit and urinate like women, to avoid urine spatter and maintain a clean environment. Stephen Shen, environmental protection administration (EPA) minister in Taiwan has said that sitting on the toilet like women does create a cleaner environment, the BBC News reported. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-29/uk/33475351_1_public-toilets-epa-officials-taiwan

Confusing cricket

Cricket is one legacy of the British colonial rule in India that we seem to be relishing... Today on the occassion of the T20 World Cup Final, I again raise my often asked question, "Why is it that unlike hockey or football or tennis or badminton or table-tennis etc. the playing field in cricket has no fixed dimensions. Some playing grounds are large and some are small, some round and some even oval?" .....Would be gratefull for enlightenment.

Heritage Ha-Ha

The Heritage Brigade of Chandigarh has now started calling the trees lining the Madhya Marg as "Heritage Trees"............Ha, ha & ha.

A warm hearted tribute to a Leftist leader

I found this rather warm hearted tribute to a Leftist leader in the room in the Garwhal Mandal Vikas Nigam's hotel where I stayed for a night in Uttarakashi (Uttarakhand) recently.

Now tha'ts a neat punch!

A smart correspondent asked Mr. Chidambaram on a BBC interview today: "When would India come back to the 9% rate of growth?" "When would the rest of the world come back to 4% rate of growth?" retorted Mr. Chidambaram. Well said Mr. Minister!

Kardashian Sisters

I am sick of news items and photos relating to Kardashian sisters....May be they are popular in USA, but why do Indian newspapers keep talking and writing about them!

Kejriwal, who?

He thought he had become 'Anna Kejriwal'. Now but he has beeen shown his place and told that he is only 'Arvind Kejrival'........... "Frankly, My Dear, I dont give a damn!"

Happiness- Mexican Style

The news is dated but retains its spicyness nonetheless. "For 'happiness and better quality of life' Mayor of Mexico city planned to give out free erectile dysfunction pills to men over 70..... 100000 were eligible for the programme which was to have cost more than $4 million." Did these gentlemen ultimately find happiness?..................... Dont ask me!................................................ (Source: Time December 1, 2008)

Third degree methods are only for the poor.....

I remember one of my Law Professors used to say rather contemptuously: "In India it is anticipatory bail for the rich and anticipatory jail for the poor"....we used to laugh at the smart formulation not realising what horrors lay behind it.... We often come across allegations of police torturing suspects....have you ever noticed that those are all poor people...have you ever come across even a single instance of a rich person having been subjected to third degree methods while in police custody?

“Teachers to keep vigil at school gates” (news)

"To check eve teasing, teachers and headmasters will have to keep vigil at school gates. Also, girl students will be allowed to leave 15 minutes before boys......" (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-25/india/33384793_1_punjab-teachers-school-heads-female-students)..................................................................What a shame! ................................................The parents of boys are obviously not inculcating the right values in their boys.....

News from Britain....

No, No, No.... It is not about Kate Middletons's topless photo published in a French magazine. It is about her hubby Prince Williams. The marriage seems to have done him good and the bald patch on his head has disappeared....or is it a case of royal hair transplant? Dont ask me!

Bravo Ms PV Sindhu!

Young Indian shuttler P V Sindhu defeats the Chinese London Olympic God Medalist. Bravo young lady. We are proud of you.

'Coal blocks allocation, the CAG, an ex-CAG and an ex-CEC' - by K.J.S.Chatrath

In the constant two way, multi-channel mud-slinging that is going on concerning the "coal blocks allocation" issue, some one has now alleged that the present CAG has a soft corner for BJP- like one of his predecessors- Shri TN Chaturvedi. Politics is something that I dont understand so I wont get into it.

 But the name of Shri TN Chaturvedi takes me back a full 45 years. It was in 1967 that I was under training at the LBSNAA, Mussoorie and my hero, late Shri MG Pimputkar, ICS, was the Director and Shri Chaturvedi, the Jt, Director. The two officers were radically different from each other.

Though I tried to imbibe and follow every word of what Shri Pimputkar said, I also developed a liking of sorts for the soft spoken demeanour of Shri Chaturvedi. Besides I thought that he and I were in the same grade while articulating verbally.

Years and decades passed. I retired as an unsuccessfull officer. Shri Chaturvedi rose from one level to another and my liking for Shri Chaturvedi turned into admiration.

Till one day I saw his photo in an English daily, standing in a rally, in khakhi shorts, next to Shri LK Advani, and doing the RSS salute! And I remember that it was after he had completed his tenure as the CAG.

And a some what similar case is that of Shri M.S.Gill, who retired as the Chief Election Commissioner to join the Congress Party and became a Minister!

Yes, yes, but what is wrong in it, one might demand to know?.

My own view is that after retirement IAS officers should NOT be offered, nor should they accept any assignment.

I dont buy the canard spread by some, including by some of our own tribe, that such experienced officers are an asset to the country and their services must be utilized for the good of the country.

In fact these hyper active, vastly experienced officers should think of joining Vanaprastha Ashram, if not Sanyasa Ashram!

Younger set of officers in the IAS are brilliant and must get responsible positions... ...

"Metro trains (in Chandigarh) will be gradually increased to 52 in 2041"-news

Charchay wohi rahengay, afsos hum na hongay.....

Kurien was the maker of modern Gujarat

"Kurien was the maker of modern Gujarat: Ela Bhatt" (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kurien-was-the-maker-of-modern-Gujarat-Ela-Bhatt/articleshow/16329912.cms And we were being told that it was Mr. Narendra Modi... ...

Saina Nehwal 'gifts' Girisha Rs 2 lakh from own earnings-news

HYDERABAD: Saina Nehwal has shown Indian's rich and famous sportsmen the way. In a gesture unprecedented in the country, the ace badminton player has decided to reward HN Girisha, who won a silver medal in high jump at the London Paralympic Games, with Rs 2 lakh from her own earnings.http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-07/london-paralympics/33678121_1_saina-kiran-full-fitness ......Bravo young lady......we are proud of you............. Are you listening Roger Federer, and nearer home Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni?

Aliens could be discovered within 40 years: UK scientist

Wow.... http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/article3869793.ece

What arrogance!

I was thumbing through an old issue (December 29, 2008-January 5, 2009) of the Time news magazine today and came across something unusual in the 'Inbox'(letters to the editor.................................... Let me reproduce it verbatim: "SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: In The World, a map that accompanied an item about outsourced farming in Asia misidentified Indonesia as Philippines and vice versa (December 8.).".............................................................. One may laugh over the mistake- (though I am not sure that many Americans would laugh if, say the USA was identified in a map as Venzuela and vice versa!) but what really shocked me was the utter casualness in dealing with the mistake. No expression of apology or regret- not even saying a simple sorry. What arrogance!

No, I am not a Tendulkar fan...

One of the nasty controversies against the cricket player Sachin Tendulkar is that he sold away the ‘gift’ of a Ferrari car which had been given to him by Michael Schumacher. The truth was the "Fiat" company had gifted the car- Schumacher had only handed over the keys to Tendulkar. Tendulkar reported got tax exmption on this gift and later on sold the car to a Surat builder. "Tendulkar remained tight-lipped when questioned on this...Great-great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi went on to tweet "When Sachin got his Ferrari as a 'gift', he wanted duty & excise exemption; now that he has sold it, will he ask for capital gains exemption?”(Source: http://www.yourmoneysite.com/news/2012/apr/sachin-tendulkar-not-everything-is-good-about-this-god.html) ................................................................ Now a fresh news item says that Tendulkar is to gift a BMW car to Saina Nehwal. The fact is that the Andhra Badminton Assn is gifting the car and Tendulkar is only going to do- what Schumacher did to him earlier - simply hand over the keys of the car! Should one find fault with the media for such reporting or with the VIPs for getting their names used like this. Dont ask me!

"We're NASA and We Know It (Mars Curiosity)"

"We're NASA and We Know It (Mars Curiosity)" ....You may dismiss me as lacking in humour/being too cynical, but frankly I found it to be quite boring.

Mirchi lagee kya?

"India's Mars mission triggers aid row in UK"- News......................Mirchi lagee kya?

Aur bhi gum hain zamanay mein

Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev, Arvind Kejrival, Kiran Bedi, etc....... Come on let us not talk about these failed messiahs..... Aur bhi gum hain zamanay mein....

The Empire strikes back...

British PM Mr. Cameron has ticked off the Brit school students for learning Indian (read Bollywood) dancing during the classes meant for sports....

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

Have you read Richard Dawkins-“The God Delusion” yet? (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 18-Oct-2006 - 416 pages) Dawkins is a "preeminent scientist -- and the world's most prominent atheist -- asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11...With rigor and wit, Dawkins examines God in all his forms..."..... After reading it you will no longer believe in god or religion. You have no excuse not to read it as it is available free online as a google book http://books.google.co.in/books?id=yq1xDpicghkC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Liquor langar to appease rain god...(news)

MUKTSAR: After the villagers of Sangrur and Patiala, a village in Muktsar district on Sunday held a "liquor langar" to appease the rain God. Hoping their drinking binge will make it rain in Punjab, the villagers of Koni village organized a liquor langar ... ...The villagers boozed in the fields the entire day and also offered pegs to the commuters too... ...http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-06/india/33064230_1_langar-rain-god-villagers................................................................. Is this aastha.com or superstition.com?..........Dont ask me!

Now, divine intervention sought to save Sukhna...(news)

Sukhna is an artificial lake in Chandigarh conceived of by the late architect Le Corbusier, perhaps without doing enough of home work. It is now drying up. "Chandigarh, August 4: After all departments of the UT administration failed to revive the dying Sukhna, the Administration is now relying on the rain god. A special “path” was organised by the Administration at the Sukhna Lake today... ...After the special path, the “parsad” was also distributed among the boating staff, shopkeepers and the tourists... ..." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120805/cth1.htm A matter of deep faith which the 'rationalists' are incapable of understanding or just plain superstition?... .... .... ....Dont ask me!

HUDA authorities turn to astrologers for auction...(news)

HUDA (Haryana Urban Development Authority) authorities turn to astrologers for auction...(news) http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120809/cth1.htm............ Ancient science or plain superstition?.....................Dont ask me!

Ma Tujhay Salaam!

Boxer Jai Bhagwan's mother blamed herself for his defeat in the second round bout at the Olympics. His mother Birmati said,"His opponent's mother must have fed him better than I did. Next time, I am going to feed him so much of churma (chappatis mashed in desi ghee and powdered sugar) that Jai Bhagwan will surely win". Ma Tujhay Salaam! ............................................................................................................(Source: The Tribune Chandigarh, August 7, 2012)

"End of stir not a sellout, campaign still on: Kejriwal"- news

Sir ji, bas karo, ab to chhup ho jao....

I'm lovin it!

Times of India Edition dated August 7, 2012, Page 6, bottom A small news item "Hazare disbands Team Anna" ........I'm lovin it!

Team Anna disbanded, its work over: Hazare in blog:

Arre O Kalia, ab tera kya hoga?

Beach Volleyball as an Olympic sport

What do you think of beach volleyball as an Olympic sport? Personally I find the game, the dress for the female players and its inclusion as an Olympic sport -all totally bizzare!

SC lets BMW convict walk free

http://in.news.yahoo.com/sc-lets-bmw-convict-walk-free-220540990.html Hon'ble Supreme Court's decision in Nanda-BMW-hit and run case has left me very, very sad.

Misleader ?

(8.7.2012) We will start a fight to finish. This time around we are not going to give up our fast just on assurances. We will continue our fight until our demands are met," Kejriwal said.(http://www.ibtimes.co.in/articles/367847/20120728/anna-hazare-lokpal-bill-protest-fast-unto.htm) 3.8.2012: Kya huaaa tera vaada, Woh kasammmm, woh irada ????????

Govt. officials hold prayers for rains

"Govt. officials hold prayers for rains: Sangrur District administration,led by Deputy Commissioner Kumar Rahul (emphasis supplied), on Thursday held prayers at Gurudwara Nankiana Sahib for good rains..." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Govt-officials-hold-prayers-for-rains/articleshow/15332651.cms Now shouldnt the learned Deputy Commissioner also hold prayers in a temple, a mosque and a church? Dont ask me!

Saudi woman judoka allowed to compete in hijab at Games

Saudi woman judoka allowed to compete in hijab at Games (news) .........One wonders weather the Organisers would have allowed if the lady had been from Iraq or Afghanistan or Libya........

Villagers hold liquor langar to bring rain..

Villagers hold liquor langar to bring rain.http://www.hindustantimes.com/Punjab/Patiala/Villagers-hold-liquor-langar-to-pray-for-rains/SP-Article1-893397.aspx........................ Did it rain after that? Dont ask me!

Hon’ble Supreme Court of Pakistans’ order on ‘samosas’.

The Hon’ble Supreme Court of Pakistan has set aside an order of the Lahore Governement (which had earlier been upheld by the Hon’ble High Court of Lahore) fixing the price of ‘samosa’ at Rs. 6 per piece. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Bitter-row-over-humble-samosa-in-Pakistan/articleshow/15159060.cms)

The Flop Show

Oh come on, you do know what I mean... ...

Minor resists marriage, gets father arrested in Odisha...news

Bravo young lady!

Shri Arvind Kejriwal as PM?

Q: Would you like to see the young, non-corrupt, committed and dynamic Mr. Arwind Kejriwal as the Prime Minister of India? Possible answers: (a) Yes; (b) No; (c) You are not serious!

Shame, Shame!

Some members of an Indian Youth team (touring China) made disparaging comments on Chinese girls and did not spare some of their own compatriots from the Northeast...News (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-22/india/32787718_1_youth-delegation-indian-girls-youth-affairs) My take: Remaining part of their tour should be cancelled. They should be flown back to India and formally charged and arrested on arrival at the airport. The punishment should be swift and the maximum permissible under law for such crimes. Our lawmakers are requested to seriously consider reintroduction of the Indian Whipping Act for offences like rape/molestation and eveteasing (Remember that the British ruled us by freely using the provisions of this dreaded Act). The Indian Penal Code can be suitably amended. There should be provision of a minimum of 12 lashes to be given in a public place for proven offences of rape/molestation and say ten for eveteasing. Tell me what would you prefer to see in India - women being raped/molested/teased in public or the offenders of such crimes being whipped in public, following the due process of law? Now dont tell be that whipping in public would be uncivilised, barbaric and primitive as if raping, molestation and eveteasing are less uncivilised, heinous and barbaric crimes!

President gifts roll to Patil museum...news

Please dont do it Your Excellency! Please let those gifts remain in the Rashtrapati Bhawan's archives/museum.

UN To Appoint Earth's Official 'Ambasador To Aliens'

UN To Appoint Earth's Official 'Ambasador To Aliens' (news September 2010) http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/6852142-mazlan-othman-un-s-first-official-appointed-ambasador-to-aliens When aliens arrive on Earth, they will no longer have to worry about who will greet them.....The United nations, tackling head on the problem of what to do if an alien says "take me to your leader' is poised to designate a specific individual for the task.... ... This news item is a little dated, but very exciting none the less!

Sangma to move SC against President Pranab...news

"Sangma to move SC against President Pranab"-news....... Come on Sangma Sir, be gracious.

CVC's Anti-Corruption Initiative Gets World Bank's Praise

CVC's Anti-Corruption Initiative Gets World Bank's Praise (http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=766463) Come on be gracious....do take note of and encourage the good work being done instead of only criticizing all the time

"Monkey in Jammu hospital"-news

"...Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressing “shock” over the presence of a large monkey at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), the largest hospital of the winter capital of the state... ...The monkey was recently found dozing in the hospital bed for over three hours, while two patients shared a bed in the ward some distance away." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120705/j&k.htm#7

Rain & CAG's Special Audit

"The BJP government (in Karnataka) has set aside Rs 17.5 crore to be spent on prayers to invoke the gods to bless the state with rain, ... On Friday, the muzrai (religious endowment) department issued a circular to its 35,000 temples across the state to hold special pujas to propitiate the Rain Gods. The pujas, comprising Varuna Mantra, Jalabhisheka and Parjanya Japa, will be held on July 27 and August 2. "We've released Rs 5,000 to each of the 35,000 temples to conduct special pujas on two different days,'' muzrai minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said." (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Karnataka-to-spend-Rs-17-5cr-for-rain-puja/articleshow/15068743.cms) This raises some other issues. Since the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Karnataka has already declared that he is an athiest, what if the religious places of say Muslims, Sikhs, Christians etc. also demand such a grant.... If successful, this may become a replicable model and and get repeated for invoking Gods for ending the heatwave, the cold wave, increasing the agricultural yield and who knows, even for increasing our GDP. Bahut potential hai.... And after the next round of elections the BJP may set up a Committee to debate if this move increased their percentage of vote share.... Of course this grant given by government will have to be followed by sending a Utilization Certificate by each recipient that the money was spent for the purpose for which it was released. Thereafter the Accountant General Karnataka will audit the accounts of the Department which gave the grants. And ultimately the Comptroller and Auditor General may conduct a special audit to asess if spending of the public money did result in rain ...the cause and effect ...And heavens forbid if that report gets 'leaked' before it is presented to the Parliament... Slippery ground, no?

Curiouser and curiouser....

Is it true that the Time cover and story of MS as Underachiever was meant only forinfluencing the Indians?...Was it run only in the Asia edition of the magazine....the U.S.A. edition didn't even carry the story let alone the Cover photo!....So much for the 'domestic compusions of the US politics' theory...

The Guwahati Shocker

I remember having seen a film over a decade and a half back in which Dimple Kapadia/Khanna plays the role of a tough lady cop. Three goondas rape her. She decides to teach them a lesson with the help of a lady doctor friend. They manage to catch hold of the three, one by one and castrate them. I was quite taken aback by the fact that the censor board had cleared the film. In India the British ruled us with the help of the dreaded 'Indian Whipping Act of 1864'. After gaining Independence, this enactment was repealed in 1955. Now my take on the subject of rape/molestation/outraging the modesty of a woman and even such an attempt: (i) Make castration of those found guilty a compulsory punishment, and (ii) Reintroduce whipping as a punishment in such cases with a compusory award of minimum ten lashes, and (iii)Telecast the photo of the person given such punishment on the National Tv informing the viewers that this person has been found guilty of this offence and as a punishment he has been castrated and given the sentence of whipping. By the way Singapore has mandatory punishment of whipping for defacing public building (graffiti etc.)and in Malaysia all illegal immigrants are compulsarily whipped. (May like to see my article: 'Whipping in India: Cruel Past and hazy future' http://anaap-shnaap.blogspot.in/2011/11/whipping-of-prisoners-cruel-past-and.html )

Bravo Bibipur

Bravo Bibis of Bibipur

"Cops tap astrologers to net criminals"-news

"Cops tap astrologers to net criminals" http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Cops-tap-astrologers-to-net-criminals/articleshow/14921325.cms

Alien hunt: UK 'X-Files' reveal UFO sightings:

UFOs are something which really interest me. Her is is the latest: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-x-files-reveal-ufo-sighting-over-chelsea-235534649.html

British PM forgets daughter at pub (news):

David Cameron got home from a Sunday lunch with family and friends — and discovered he had left his eight-year-old daughter in the pub. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/4365514/David-Cameron-left-his-daughter-aged-8-down-pub-after-lunch.html

MLA attempts to let loose stray dogs inside civil secretariat (news)

MLA attempts to let loose stray dogs inside civil secretariat (news) ... http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120712/j&k.htm

"Send stray dogs to North-East": Punjab MLA"

"Send stray dogs to north-east," suggested an honourable MLA in Punjab Vidhan Sabha and "brought a resolution to tackle the stray dog menace. We can make arrangements to catch the dogs, put them in jungle or zoos or maybe send them to China, Nagaland and Mizoram where they are more needed. Stray dogs are a big nuisance now, even going on an evening walk has become dangerous because of them." (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-29/india/32471851_1_stray-dogs-dog-bites-dog-population)

"Obituary references to cows made on CM’s asking" - news

Chandigarh, June 19 The Punjab Vidhan Sabha today made obituary references to cows slaughtered at a bone crushing mill...CM ... ...announced elevation of the Punjab Gau Sewa Board to a fullfledged Commission with powers to punish those indulging in cow slaughter ... ... announcement earlier to turn the premises of the factory at...into a memorial for cows... (http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120620/punjab.htm) “Any offence against cows will be punishable with imprisonment of upto 10 years” Badal said. (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-20/india/32335228_1_three-factory-partners-cow-slaughter-mansa)

"Rescuing troubled EU: India makes a $10 billion gesture"

"Rescuing troubled EU: India makes a $10 billion gesture" http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120620/edit.htm Feels good, notwithstanding that one keeps on finding faults with the government.

Napoleon in India - Ah bon!

My French readers would be pleased to know that we in India too have a Napoleon- he is Hon'ble D. Napoleon, Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment in Government of India. He belongs to the D.M.K Party

"Conjugal visits in Punjab jails soon?"- news

The proposal reportedly is "to allow select male inmates to have sex with their partners in a designated area of the jail....applications by inmates would be screened and cleared...", reports The Times of India (edition dated June 8, 2012)... Dont you think that this is a sexist proposal as females prisoners are not being proposed to be given this facility!

Liberte Egalite Fraternite .......

French tennis player Gilles Simon has criticized pay parity between men and women tennis players(news). Isnt France the country which first coined the slogan 'Liberte' Egalite' Fraternite'? Come on Monsieur Simon... ...

"No God? Oh my God!" by K.J.S.Chatrath

The just declared result of CERN experiment brings us a step closer to finally conceding that there is no God and the universe was not created by 'God'. May be the physicists-mathematicians are the new Gods...

French diplomat (in India) arrested for sexually abusing daughter

French diplomat (in India) arrested for sexually abusing daughter...(news) What a shame!

MLA can buy car from development funds:

MLA can buy car from development funds: Akhilesh Yadav...(NBS News) "In a controversial move, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav placed a proposal in the state assembly which allows MLAs to use up to Rs 20 lakh allotted under local area development (LAD) fund for buying four wheelers. However, the MLAs would have to pay back the depreciated value of the car after their terms get over." Would these four wheelers speed up the development of UP? Dont ask me!

Wanted....

How much I love my India!

After wandering in the glaciers of Iceland and Greenland and the extinct and live volcanoes of Iceland, I am back to the heat and dust of my country. But I am back with a more deeper realisation -Oh, how much I love my India!

This is not quite cricket Mr. M.S.Dhoni.....

Mr. M.S.Dhoni with a pony tail/long pony tail length hair, moving around the army camps is sad... Have you seen any Lt. Col. in the Indian army sporting a pony tail/pony tail length hair flowing out of the beret.... Mr. Dhoni, if you have been honoured by the army by conferrment of this honorary rank, then please reciprocate by following the rules and traditions of the army when you move around the army units in an army uniform and rank insignia... No Mr. Dhoni, this is not quite cricket.

"Big Ben to be named Elizabeth Tower"

"Big Ben to be named Elizabeth Tower"...(news) .....and I thought that it is only in India that we name roads/bridges/towns/schemes after political big-wigs.....Btw in France one would find a Charles de Gaulle road in practically every city and town.... So 'hum sub saath-saath hain'.....

Vishwanathan Anand

Vishwanathan Anand has become the world chess champion, again. But doesnt 'Vishwanathan' in itself mean 'master of the world'? Thank you Anand, you have made India proud, yet again.

adsense

Storage of food grains

Can one not think of a simple, low cost, low technology way of storing food grains...rotting of food grains, when not every one gets a stomach full is embarrassing, to say the least...

Morale of the civil servants

“Speaking on "Civil Service Reforms" at a lecture on Saturday,” the Cabinet Secretary said "There is need to constantly perk up morale of civil services." One would love to know what the Hon'ble Cabinet Secretary has done to handle the issue of morale after the recent attack on the lady District Magistrate of Sambalpur, Odisha (who was subsequently made to apologise/express regrets at the lawlessness against her)? I,an old retired officer, do humbly submit that setting up of yet another Institute - 'Institute of Good Governance'is not going to help except perhaps create another post of Secretary to Government! State must seriously protect its honest, hardworking civil servants if it wants their morale to remain high.

Resting shelter for elephants in Haryana...

Country's biggest resting shelter for elephants in Haryana - news (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/countrys-biggest-resting-shelter-for-elephants-coming-up-in-haryana/articleshow/13180883.cms) What about shelters for poor human beings? Don't ask me!

The comforts of the rich...

"The comforts of the rich depend upon an abundance of the poor" ...Voltaire

"School cooks midday meal with loo water"- news

"School cooks midday meal with loo water-chopped off door used as firewood" by K. Ranganath: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-12/mysore/31679268_1_midday-meal-mid-day-meal-cooks

"Brahmin sperms in high demand"-news

"Brahmin sperms in high demand"- article by Mansi Choksi & Sharmila Ganesan-Ram: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-13/mumbai/31688960_1_sperm-donors-childless-couples-infertility

Orbit "another Hindu first for Britain": British PM

The ArcelorMittal Orbit, situated in the heart of the Olympic Park in Stratford, will reach 114.5 metres - 22 metres higher than the Statue of Liberty. There is already a debate raging between those who like it and those who do not. The British Prime Minister added his own bit in October last year by declaring that the Orbit was “another Hindu first for Britain”? ‘Hindu” first did he say? Sad that he said ‘Hindu” instead of saying “Indian” and that he does not know that every Indian is not a Hindu! (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-30/uk/30338719_1_hindu-london-olympics-eiffel-tower)

Chandigarh's prized heritage furniture

And if you have not seen the specimen's of Jeanneret's prized heritage furniture, then do take a look at the photo that appeared in the Times of india, Chandigarh on May 9,2012.

Designs of chairs are ordinary, so very ordinary... Hasna manna hai (Please dont laugh)

Desperately looking for 'heritage' items in Chandigarh

I had the privilege of visiting the mother of civilizations-Egypt, recently. I saw absolutely stunning statues and pyramids dating to 3rd to 1st century BC....Now those were heritage items and places... USA as a country is hardly 300 years old...they do not have any monuments or articles dating back to period before that...so their idea of heritage is different from the Egyptian or Indian history of the past. Chandigarh as a town is say 60 years old, and unlike other parts of India where we have extremely impressive old heritage sites and articles, it has nothing more than 60 years old to show... So Chandigarh is desperately trying to 'discover' some 'heritage' items to show that it too has a pedigree...Le Corbusier was the welknown architect of Chandigarh. The effort is on to call what ever he, or even his nephew Jeanneret, touched or sat in as "heritage items". The chairs about which a lot of brouhaha is being made are of ordinary design - believe me very ordinary. Just take a look at the photo of those chairs and you would agree that this is the commonest design of chairs found in all government offices all over the country... So please, PLEASE grow up and stop calling everthing that is connected even remotely with Le Corbusier ot Jeaneret as 'heritage'.... Let us accept that we do not have anything older than 60 years in Chandigarh and calling 60 year old chairs as 'heritage' is really so shallow, funny and even sad! Let us, instead, take pride in the wonderful design of Chandigarh as a town,...

Chi...chi...

Sale price of auction of a pair of Queen Victoria's undergarments -GBP15,020 (News item: http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/10772915-underclothing-of-queen-victoria-auctioned-for-15000)

Lawyers go on a 12 hour shutdown of Odisha

First a lady officer is assaulted by lawyers and now they go on a 12 hour shutdown of the state of Odisha: Shame!shame! State government should not bow down to such lawlessness. Let the law take its own course. The punishment for those found guilty, following the due process of law, should be exemplary and prompt.

God? What God?

Do you have the courage to listen to the other point of view? If yes, then please read "The biggest damage religion does is brainwashing children" says Richard Dawkins (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-25/edit-page/30659764_1_religion-science-faith) And if you do not know who Richard Dawkins is then do read "The Selfish Gene" and "The God Delusion".Your thinking would never be the same again.Dawkins visited India in January this year to participate in the Jaipur Literary Festival.

My new website: www.gravematters.in

My new website: www.gravematters.in: Grave matters....matters of graves...graves and cemeteries....tombs and graves...cemeteries and graveyards....photos of gravestones from all over the world...inscriptions from all over the world...sad, inspirational and even with some humour...

Outrageous acts against the Indian state

No one denies that socio-economic development needs all the attention, but outrageous acts against the Indian state need to be put down with all the force at the command of the state. How many times and in how many States would there be such kidnappings and subsequent 'negotiations'? Is the Indian state not capable of getting a hostage freed safely by use of force, as the last resort? Dont ask me!

Transparency

Here is the latest gem from Mr. Arvind Kejrival the tireless fighter for transparency in public life: "The strategies of Team Anna cannot be revealed as transparency can be suicidal" (news item). Does it mean that transparency is desirable for every one except for the so-called "Team Anna"? Dont ask me!

Shri Bangaru Laxman resigns from BJPs national executive committee

"New Delhi, Apr 30 (ANI): Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Bangaru Laxman, who was sentenced to a four-year jail term on charges of corruption, resigned from the party's national executive committee on Monday." .....News. Did he think that he still had any option left? Dont ask me!

Wake up Postal Department..

A letter posted on, and with a post mark of, 14.3.2012 from New Delhi was delivered to me at Panchkula, about 260 kms away on 24.4.2012. (Quite cleverly the Postal deptt. never puts a stamp indicating the date of delivery.) And this is not the first instance of terribly slow movement of mail...I had mentioned it atlest twice on Anaap-shanaap during the last few months...

"Rajasthan passes resolution to create Vidhan Parishad..."...news in the Times of India Would setting up of a second chamber make Rajasthan a better governed state and speed up its developmental process? Dont ask me!

"19 mercy petitions pending with the Hon'ble President of India".....News

"19 mercy petitions pending with the Hon'ble President of India".....News Why are these pending? Dont ask me!

The next President of India

Whom would I like to see as the next President of India? Mr. Ratan Tata.

Sachin & Govinda

I normally leave Sachin Tendulkar alone and he leaves me alone.... But this one needs to be shared... Have you noticed that Sachin has suddenly started looking like the film star Govinda? Psssst: No offence meant to anyone - no compliment meant to anyone!

Remembering or not remembering "God" does not make any difference.

All those who are very religious and remember their God every day, die. All those who are athiests and do not believe in any God, also die. Some of those who are very religious and remember their God every day die a painful death. Some of those who are athiests and do not believe in God, also die a painful death. Remembering or not remembering "God" does not make any difference. Q.E.D.

Air India- absolutely shocking!

There was a time when one used to take pride in flying by Air India...Well no longer so.

It is in a bad shape financially and requires transfusion of tax payers money every now and then.

But look what I discovered- the entitlement of CMD/MD for free travel by Air India:

"CMD/MD: Family entitled to unlimited free passages.

On retirement annual entitlement is:
24 passages on domestic network and 24 passages on international network in First Class for family."

If deceased:
12 annual passages on domestic and 12 on international for family in First Class.

Just to give some idea of the amount of money involved- a First Class New Delhi-New York- New Delhi ticket on Air India is priced at Rs. 396038 or say Rs 4 lakhs!. Now do the arithmetic!

This has nothing to do with pensionary benefits.

But hey its my money- Indian tax payers money.

The only other example I can think of, and this needs cross checking, is the army, where even after the retirement the pensioner continues to get free rations...

To take an extreme example, imagine a Director of Horticulture's family being entitled to 100 kgs of mangoes 6 times a year from the government orchards- while he is in service and the same besides the pension- even after the retirement or death of the Director....

Is there any logic in this benevolence of Air-India?

Dont ask me!

Blank nothingness- before birth and after death

I expect death to take me to a blank nothingness - something like what was before my birth - blank nothingnes... ... I would rather keep the so-called 'God' out of it...

"Prashant Bhushan allowed to buy estate"...news

"Anna hazare's close aide Prashant Bhushan was permitted to buy 122 kanals of tea garden land in Palampur area in the name of an educational society in relaxation of Section 118 of Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reform Act... ... " (The Times of India, December 26, 2011)

Does it impact the high moral ground on which he has been floating?

Dont ask me!

What a shame!

"In a district in Karnataka,... a group of Dalits rolls over leftover food eaten by Brahmins every year in the belief that all troubles and ailments will be cured. On November 29, 2011, an estimated 25,000 people rolled over the "spit'' of Brahmins as the district administration watched helplessly after attempting to ban the event."

(Source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/storyhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif/karnataka-dalits-rolls-over-leftover-food-eaten-by-brahmins/1/165656.html)

A lament from an ex-customer of Vi-John shaving cream

Sir,

I have been using Vi-John shaving cream for years because I found it to be good value for money.

Suddenly you have decided to get into publicity mode and have signed a welknown star for the ads of your product. Result -the money being spent by you on ads has to be recovered by you from the pockets of your customers!

Sorry I am not willing to pay more for the same quality of product just because you have decided to publicise your project.

A customer can only protest by stop buying the product.

Thank you....Dr. KJS Chatrath

Good governance

The Hon'ble Supreme Court has said that the entire alleged grave-digging case against Ms.Teesta Seetalvad is malafide. "This is a malafide case," the bench observed. "It was the state which should have been prosecuted for the violation of the human rights..." observed the Hon'ble Court.

Watch the TV this evening and I bet you will see some smarties trying to convince the viewers that this judgment is in fact a compliment for the State Government and its leader for its 'good governance'... ...

Parliamentary Secretaries

There is an Hon'ble Minister in charge of a Department in every State, and there is a Secretary of the Department (a bureaucrat).

I recently read that a state governemt has appointed a number of "Parliamentary Secretaries". My impression is that their pay and perks are at par with those of the Hon'ble Ministers.

But what work are the Parliamentary Secretaries supposed to be doing?

Don't ask me .....

Father kills his two-day-old daughter by feeding her nicotine

Bhopal, April 10 (IANS) In another instance of desperation for a son, a father has been arrested in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior town for killing his two-day-old daughter by feeding her nicotine, police said Tuesday...."...News

Should India not consider re-introducing "The Whipping Act of 1909", only for offenders against the girl chilld?

Oh No, not another one...

"Desperate for son, father batters infant daughter"...Todays's Yahoo news from Bangaluru while we are still praying for the soul of Baby Falak....

Give the person a fair and very, very quick trial and if proved guilty, give him the most stringent punishment.

Just ignore him...

Oh No, Not again.
Just ignore him...

‘Babu not doing duty amounts to causing injury'

‘Babu not doing duty amounts to causing injury', The Times of India, 20 Feb 2012

Over 100 tombstones vandalised in Goa...shame-shame!

'Over 100 tombstones vandalised in Goa' - news...What a shame!

Touching the feet of Sardar Fauja Singh ji, March 11, 2012

Hori Khailoon Gi Keh Kar Bismillah- Kalam e Bulleh Shah

Hori Khailoon Gi Keh Kar Bismillah

Hori khailoon gi keh kar bism allah

Hori khailoon gi keh kar bism allah

Naam nabi ki rattan charhi, bond pari illalah
Rang rangeli ohi khilawe, jo sakhi howe fana fi allah

Hori khailoon gi keh kar bism allah
Alast berabbikum peetam bole, sabh sakhian ne ghungat khole
Qalu bala hi yun kar bole, la ilaha illalah

Hori khailoon gi keh kar bism allah
Nahn aqrab ki bansi bajai, mann uraf nafsaa ki kook sunaai
Fasam wajah allah ki dhoom machai, wich darbaar rasul allah

Hori khailoon gi keh kar bism allah
Hath jor kar paoon paron gi, aajaz ho kar benti karon gi
Jhagra kar bhar jholi loon gi, Noor Muhammad sallalah

Hori khailoon gi keh kar bism allah
Faaza karoni ki hori banaoon, wa shakroli pia ko rijhaaon
Aise pia ke main bal bal jaoon, kaisa pia subhan allah

Hori khailoon gi keh kar bism allah
Sabghata allah ki bhar pichkari, allah hu samad pia monh par mari
Noor nabi da haq se jari, noor Muhammad sallalah

Hori khailoon gi keh kar bism allah

Holi Hai... the after effects

On yesterday's non-voting related news item....

Those who live in glass houses should not throw stone at others

&

Practise first what you preach

Eating the crow...

For once I am happy in eating the crow....Well done Indian cricket team....Now show the same verve against the Australians.

Thumbs Up & Thumbs Down

Thumbs Up to Indian Hockey Men's Team for giving the French Team such a drubbing...

Thumbs Up to Sandeep Singh for his amazing 5 goals in the match and 16 in the tournament..

Thumbs Up to the Indian Hockey Women's team for having fought so well...Better luck next time...


And a big THUMBS DOWN to the over-feteed, over-paid and over-rated Indian cricket team - and this includes Sachin Tendulkar & Sehwag

Sadda Punjab - “Punjabi lassi helps dogs win medals”

"... a majority of participants of the all-breed championship at the dog show in Patiala on Sunday gave credit to lassi and curd for the good performance of their dogs..."
(http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-20/india/31078918_1_dog-show-rottweiler-dog-lovers)

Sadda Punjab: Balle-balle behind bars...

"...This is now a daily routine at the Central Jail Patiala where bhangra beats have been helping the old and the not so old to start their day on a rather vigorous note...with a robust rendition of the soulful and peppy beats of a Gurdas Mann hit Apna Panjab hove..(http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120208/punjab.htm#14)

Chattisgarh Govt. ordered to prevent mating of endangered wild buffaloes...

"Raipur to turn buffalo soldier?: NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has saddled the Chhattisgarh government with the unenviable task of preventing mating of endangered wild buffaloes with domestic ones in Udanti wildlife sanctuary which is spread over 232 sq km in Raipur district....."

(http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-17/flora-fauna/31070588_1_buffaloes-udanti-sanctuary)

"Notice to Prez's son for seized poll cash"- news

"Amravati: President Pratibha Patil's son abd Congress MLA Raosaheb Shekhawat has been issued notice by the district Collector in connection with the seizure of Rs. 1 crore unaccounted cash from Amravati, where civic polls are under way....".(The Times of India, New Delhi, February 17, 2012.)

"Lucknow as pretty as Paris: Maya"

Hon'ble CM of UP, Ms. Mayawati has stated that "Our Lucknow looks as magnificent as Paris" (The Times of India, Feb. 17, 2012)

LO PHIR BASANT AAE...

Basant

We have been brain washed into giving importance to Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Mother-in-Law’s Day etc. In the process we are beginning to loose the importance of our own festivals. Today being Basant Panchami, I decided to note down all that I know about this festival. I am sorry to say not much. Even the Wikipedia was of limited help.

Well, Basant Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day of Shukla Paksha of Magh month. So this year, the festival is being celebrated on 28 January 2012. This festival is a harbinger of spring. It is also said to be the birth day of Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning and speech. Yellow is the colour celeberated on Basant day- ladies wear yellow coloured clothes and yellow sweets are prepared.

In Panjab the common phrase used is ayee basant paala urrunt meaning that with the coming of Basant, cold disappears. In the Guru Granth Sahib, there are a total of 31 raga compositions and raga Vasant is the twenty-fifth to appear in the ragmala. The Ragmala calls Basant as a putra (son) of Hindol, which too is a spring raga.

This day is also special for kite lovers as kites are specially flown. What is the connection- I dont really know!

Please do add all that I have missed out on....

Castrate the offender

"A young girl from Manipur was raped in New Delhi four days back" ....News.

One hopes that the offender is caught at once and punished as per law.
In fact just imprisonment as punishment is not enough.

Why shouldnt such offenders be castrated? Let the Indian Penal Code be
suitably amended.

Lets forget about cricket (or outsource the team)

With the Tendulkars, Dravids and Laxmans proving that the ruthless process of aging does not spare any one, let us think of the alternatives.....Firstly we must thank these senior players for their past perormances and wish them happy retired lives.

Now to the alternatives....

When the Americans outsource their work to India, we feel that there is nothing wrong in outsourcing. So let us be consistent and outsource our cricket team, to, say the West Indies....

In fact as a first step, we should latch up the gracious offer of Chris Gayle to play in our team....

"Gram sabhas above Parliament"... Hazare

This man is really amazing... ...

Google doodle ... ...

I bet the Election Commission of India is going to find the elephants in today's Google doodle to be insufficiently covered ... ...

Greetings Telegram 19

When I was young, and it was a long, long time ago, one used to send greeting messages by telegrams. You do remember telegrams, dont you? There used to be a list of standard phrases for the greeting telegrams, each given a code or a number. For example the code for the message "A Happy New Year to You" was '4'. So instead of sending the message which consisted of 6 words one could send the same message by writing '4' as the message and specifying the category of telegram as 'Greetings'. This way one was charged only for one word, of course the words for the adressee and the sender being extra.

Comiing to today- the Republic Day, the standard message was "Sincere greetings for the Republic Day. Long live the Republic" and its code was '19'.

So may I say Greetings telegram-19 to you all!

PS....Though I have used the past tense in the narrative, I understand that this facility is still available accross tthe post offices in the country, albeit rearely used.

Gandhian Anna Hazare will give a slap on the face....

Dont you vote for a corrupt person, or else...

Or else, what?

'Gandhian' Anna Hazare will give you a slap on the face...

Poor postal services

Postal authorities would do well to improve the basic daak services rather than rely on advertisements on the TV...A letter posted in Shimla on 6.1.2012 (with the clear post and date mark) reached me in Panchkula today on 20th January....

Wake up...wake up Postal Department....

The Tribune - 130 & going strong...

The Tribune newspaper published from Chandigarh has foxed me....I have heard of 25 years, 50 years, 75 years and 100 years of an event/organisation being celeberated, but it is the first time that I have come across an organisation celeberating 130 years of its existence with so much fanfare!

What is so special about 130, if I may ask? Or is it just seeking some publicity?

Mr. Modi's fast

'Mr. Narendra Modi has gone on a one day fast at Godhra'...News

Which one of the following, in your view, describes it best:

(a) Sadbhavana fast
(b) Prayshchit fast
(c) Just a publicity stunt

Oprah Winfrey's visit

What an embarrassing brouhaha over Oprah Winfrey's visit...Come on, let us grow up...

Thumbs down

American soldiers urinating on the dead bodies of Afghans and Jeremy Clarkson on BBC programme on India, both show boorishness and lack of sensitivity to feelings of others...

Thumbs down to both...

Surat hosts seminar on rescuing injured birds...News

Surat hosts seminar on rescuing injured birds says a news item....

May be some day a seminar on rescuing human beings injured in communal clashes....

Dhoni may retire from Test cricket in 2013....News

Oh No...Dhoni ji, please.....

Why take the trouble.....after the 'dhunaee' and 'dhulaee' that you and your team have got from the Australians today, you all have earned a sacking....

Go and do 'Go-Carting' (sounds like Bo-kata in Pajnabi!) with your team....

Wake up Postal Department...

There was a time when I used to be a great admirer of the reach and efficiency of Indian postal services. No longer so. I have been noticing since the last one year that the Postal Deptt has really become slow and sluggish. A letter posted on 13.12.2011 (with the post office stamp and date) in New Delhi was received by me on 11.01.2012 at Panchkula.

Speed Post from Panchkula to Delhi is taking a week and an ordinary letter from Mumbai to Panchkula over a month.

Come on, wake up Postal Department....

A fascinating new medical discovery

A fascinating new study has found that just touching the cow can stabilise one's blood pressure. (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bjps-cow-dung-gems-stops-csec-nradiation/897891/)

So soon all the medical practitioners would be keeping cows in their clinics. The patients of high blood preassure would be asked to just touch it and pronto the BP would get stabilized.

Nobel Prize in Pure Sciences for India?

An Organisation in Madhya Pradesh has come out with some amazing findings about the properties of cow dung and cow's urine (see http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bjps-cow-dung-gems-stops-csec-nradiation/897891/http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif)

One feels that India would have a chance of bagging a Nobel Prize in Pure Sciences on the strength of such research. In the meantime this Organsiation may do well to get its findings patented lest any foreign country may lay claim to these.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Busy, very busy!

Himachal Government is busy trying to handle the rising monkey population of the state. It was reported in the press yesterday that the govenment has just finalised sites for 21 monkey sterilisation centres.


How very busy!

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120105/himachal.htm

Ah our batsmen!

Model Poonam Pandey has come out with a really hard hitting one: "Indian batsmen are like faithful husbands, they perform only at home'!

Razaee.com

If the weather forecast in the 'Mail Today', Chandigarh is to be believed, the temperatures in the Tricity during the weekend would be (in celsius):

Date Max Min
7.1.2012 Saturday 15 1

8.1.2012 Sunday 18 3

9.1.2012 Monday 18 3

Grandmasters of the world beware, here come the Indian school kids....

There are initiatives which do deserve to be taken note of for their ingenuity....Taking a cue from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu government has decided to make chess compulsory in schools in 7-17 age group.

Aaj apna ho naho, pur kul hamara hai......


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/After-Guj-TN-makes-chess-compulsory-in-schools/articleshow/11357522.cmshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Over rated, over feted and over paid Indian cricket team

yesterday I talked about the bursting of a 'hot air baloon' in Gujarat.....

today another hot air baloon burst......the over rated, over feted and over paid Indian cricket team has been shown its place...

And one talks about awarding the 'Bharat Ratna' to a member of this team...

Aging is a very merciless process, Mr. Sachin Tendulkar....time you considered retiring from cricket...

Hot air baloon bursts in Gujarat- news

Today's 'The Hindu' has reported that a hot air baloon burst in Gujarat (Kutch).....

2 news items about the USA

There are two news items about the USA in today's newspapers:

(1) "US signals major cut in military aid to Pakistan" (The Tribune, Chandigarh), and

(2) "Two Americans thrashed (in India) for kissing women" (The Times of India, New Delhi)