A dissenting viewpoint -‘From Nagpur to Rameswaram- Our liberal arrangements are in tatters’ by Harish Khare

The dissenting viewpoint is worth a read.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/from-nagpur-to-rameswaram/113400.html

'India Will Be Most Populous Country Sooner Than Thought, U.N. Says (news)'- Beware of the trap by K.J.S.Chatrath

Let us not slacken or fall into the trap of considering over population as a ‘population dividend’ and slacken.
Growing over populations is perhaps the most serious issue facing India today.
Stop producing kids!

'Telangana announces holiday; Andhra to work extra hour on Kalam’s death'

'Telangana announces holiday; Andhra to work extra hour on Kalam’s death' - news



"http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kalams-death-telangana-announces-holiday-bengaluru-andhra-continue-to-function/article7473658.ece"

'I wonder why was he not made President of India for a second term' - K.J.S.Chatrath

RIP Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Sir.

I wonder why was he not made President of India for a second term?

Historical record of slavery comes from whites

While reading the review of a new book on slavery, ‘Revolution Without Borders: The Call to Liberty in the Atlantic World’ by Janet Polasky (Yale University Press) I came across a sentence which made me think about our ignorance of the real slavery. It says, “Slaves were not literate- the only ones in Guyana who could read and write was executed in 1796- so the historical record comes down from whites.”

This book describes the effect of revolution on the slaves and free men and women in the Americas and the Caribbean.

"USD 1 million prize for best message to aliens.."

Mr. Yuri Milner, the Russian billionaire who is funding the USD 100 million search for aliens, is offering USD 1 million prize money to craft the best message to send to an extraterrestrial civilisation....(news)

Here you are Mr. Milner:

In Hindi: Awaz do, kahan ho

In Punjabi: Oye kithay o ji?

Now where is my One Million USD prize, Mr. Yuri Milner?

"How a French Museum Whitewashes Le Corbusier's Anti-Semitism - Culture" – Forward.com

"How a French Museum Whitewashes Le Corbusier's Anti-Semitism - Culture" – Forward.com

http://forward.com/culture/317874/how-a-french-museum-whitewashes-a-brilliant-and-anti-semitic-architect/

Hear...Hear!...Union Agriculture Minister Says Love Affairs and Impotency Cause of Farmer Suicides

Hear....Hear!
Shri Radha Mohan Singh: Union Agriculture Minister Says Love Affairs and Impotency Cause of Farmer Suicides....(news)

'Wow Murad Osmann' - by K.J.S.Chatrath

Murad Osmann.I can't help admiring his work....and his girl friend.
Take a look: https://instagram.com/muradosmann/

'Late Charles Correa on Chandigarh' - by K.J.S.Chatrath

"Not that Chandigarh is utopia. Far from it. The dust-catching jalis, the confusing patterns of sectors, the medieval segregation of social classes are apalling" wrote late Charles Correa in a Times of India article in 1968.

Incidentetally Correa's profile picture of that time shows him donning Le Corbusier style round spectacles!

''Hear ye all Tri-city residents..... Rain appears to be on its way'.....by K.J.S.Chatrath

Hear ye all Tri-city residents.....
Rain appears to be on its way.....
Take a look at the latest INSAT-1B imagery:
http://www.imd.gov.in/section/satmet/dynamic/insatsector-ir.htm

'Papa, Pappu & Vyapam Scam' by K.J.S.Chatrath

Pappu: Pappa, Pappa.

Pappa: Yes Pappu.

Pappu: Calling the scam in Madhya Pradesh as 'Vyapam Scam ' is not correct.

Pappa: Then what would you call it?

Pappu: Considering how pervasive it is, one should call in 'Vyapak Scam'

Pappa: Naughty fellow. Go finish your school homework.

'Pluto: Have a heart'- or- 'Pluto has a heart!' by K.J.S.Chatrath

Photo source: NASA

The first photo of Pluto seems to be saying, "Have a heart!" or is it saying "Pluto has a heart!"

'Why suddenly the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner has become the darling of all schoolchildren of the town'- by K.J.S.Chatrath

If you want to know why suddenly the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner has become the darling of all schoolchildren of the town, then please read the article "Jaitley to visit Amritsar, schools to remain closed"- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jaitley-to-visit-Amritsar-schools-to-remain-closed/articleshow/48062278.cms.

I remember how thrilled we all used to be as school children when the schools used to get closed suddenly, as it meant 'chutti'.

As an ex- civil servant, I look at the implications of what is happening. Now that Amritsar has shown the way, where ever the Hon'ble members of the Union Council of Minsiters go, the schools would be closed for the day (Precedence hai Sirji). And soon the demand would be for the schools to be closed when the Hon'ble Minsisters or the Parliamentary Secretarys of the States go on their numerable visits.

The school children have never had it so good.

Baccho ache din aa gayay hain....Chutti hai....

"Achhe din aane mein 25 saal lagenge (It will take 25 years to bring achhe din)," BJP president Amit Shah said on Monday- news

Lo kal lo baat!

Charchay wohi rahengay, afsos hum na hongay!

'The Pluto fly-by today' by K.J.S.Chatrath

Today is the Pluto fly-by day.
I am so excited.
May be signs of some alien life...
Oh I wish so...

'Smart cities- the dissenting viewpoint' by K.J.S.Chatrath

100 smart cities to be set up in India...Wow. It sounds so good and uplifting. But does one fully understand what is a smart city and the requirements of setting up such cities.

I came across a simple and informative article on this subject: "Smart cities for smart people: Plan them as small working districts for entrepreneurs' by Prof. S.K.Sharma.

'Smart cities', he cautions, 'will be suitable only for smart people, who own smart phones and smart gadgets with a 24-hour access to high-speed data and have financial resources to own smart apartments and appliances'.

You may like to read this dissenting viewpoint at: http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/smart-cities-for-smart-people/99712.html

Chandigarh railway station to be made of world airports standards- news....totally skewed priority

The main task of the railways is to transport people (and goods) from one place to another. The crucial operation is the running of trains. Trains need to be (i) clean, (ii) should be safe, and (iii) run in time. In my view these are the aspects which need to be addressed first. Beautification of railway stations can wait. And making the railways stations look like foreign airports, developing of shopping malls can very well wait.

Chandigarh railway station, and for that matter a large number of railways stations across India are fairly neat and functionally adequate.

Planning is about prioritization of spending of scarce public resources on works as per need. Please dont waste public money on so called beautification of Chandigarh railway station. Let us concede that Chandigarh has no historical heritage and let us not try to look important by spending crores for 'beautifying' railway station.

'Bravo Sumit Nagal!' by K.J.S.Chatrath

Bravo Sumit Nagal!


1.2 billion Indians would like you to lift the Wimbledon Singles Trophy.....Soon.

'Budha Sadhu in low spirits'

I was a bit foxed to see a small heading on the front page of an English daily yesterday. It read "Budha Sadhu in low spirits".

Going to the main story, I found it to be a delightful piece on Old monk rum written lovingly by the versatile Bhaichand Patel. Take a look:
http://linkis.com/timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Old_Monk_lives_on_a.html

Warning: Consumption of alcohol is injurious to health!

Mass Yoga: The other viewpoint

I have seen Mr. Harish Khare's article dated 19th June, 2015, today. "Bend it like Modi: Minimum transparency, maximum intrusion: by Harish Khare;".

It is good to see the other view point also.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/bend-it-like-modi/95472.html

"In ISRO's Heaviest Commercial Launch, 5 British Satellites Placed in Space"- news

Bravo ISRO!

Mera Bharat Mahan (My India is great)

Garj garj kar barso... ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tNT_qIV5UM

'Vocal local followers of Le Corbusier' by K.J.S.Chatrath

With the allegations about Le Corbusier’s Nazi sympathies being talked about in the foreign press, some of the ‘experts’ of Chandigarh who built their careers eulogizing everything that Le Corbusier touched have started feeling uncomfortable. No wonder one notices a number of pro-Le Corbusier articles in the press recently.

I surely agree with these local vocal followers of Le Corbusier that one must keep the political sympathies of Le Corbusier and his work as an architect separate.

Of course my take is that he made a mess of the architecture & planning of Chandigarh. I recently wanted to go to a chemist shop in Sector 35. I could not find one and was told that this sector’s market was earmarked for eateries by Le Corbusier and for going to a chemist’s shop one must travel to a sector where there is a Medical hospital/institution. Similarly I wanted to buy some school stationery in another sector and could not locate any stationery shop as it was a sector ordained for shops of some other speciality. I do hope that I got it all wrong.

Mohali (Punjab) imposes cow cess to catch stray cattle, especially cows and to build and maintain gaushalas in the city.- news

Cow cess to be a costly affair for Mohali residents: MOHALI: Mohali on Wednesday become second district in Punjab to impose cow cess.
With the implementation of cow cess, the residents will now have to pay more for electricity, registration of new vehicles and liquor, etc., etc....

The cow cess will be used to catch stray cattle, especially cows and to build and maintain gaushalas in the city. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Cow-cess-to-be-a-costly-affair-for-Mohali-residents/articleshow/47904729.cms

"Supreme Court refuses to divulge medical expenses incurred by judges under RTI"- news

"Supreme Court refuses to divulge medical expenses incurred by judges under RTI"- news