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Vote for governance

This week I meant to bring you tales of horror from India that is Bharat. Tales that urban hacks like me garner only when there is a general election and we are forced to travel where we usually fear to tread. Tales of village schools in which no teachers teach. Tales of primary health centres ....Read more

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Given the choice the politicians would not have wanted TV/PhoneBy: Dr.G.Srinivasan | Sunday , 26 Apr '09 4:23:33 AM Reply | Forward It is because of these two technological marvels that the 21st century is beginning to limp slowly into even our remotest villages. Thanks to technology, the poorest, most underprivileged Indians have realised that they do not have to live this way. True.The bringing of the color TV to almost every home the credit goes to somebody else -- the industry.All politicians did for rural masses is that take way their produce and pay a pittance -- perennially keeping the farmer-- i mean the poor ones -- poorer. But again democracy had an illegitimate birth in India.It was imposed like the constitution the recent one is the imposition of Manmohan Singh without an election!!!!

Vote for GovernanceBy: M.Manghat | Saturday , 25 Apr '09 12:03:01 PM Reply | Forward Governance is an alien word to our political class who are always inclined to lord over the people who elect them. And this happens because the bureaucracy is hand in gloves with the political netas in enriching their personal wealth at the cost of the State Exchequer. This situation will never improve unless every citizen in the country with voting rights exercise their right to vote and thus make sure that the parliment does not boast about the increased number of criminals as members in elections after elections. Even in the current election scenario how many of the educated citizen has exercised their right to vote? Even in the so called most literate state Kerala, the indifference of the educated class to the electoral process has resulted in the formation of a cabinet whose members have no clue about governance and takes pride in protecting all antisocial elements owing allegience to them!!!. Welfare of the people who elect them get least attention and priority in their work agenda!!

Vote for GovernanceBy: Nancy | Monday , 20 Apr '09 21:41:13 PM Reply | Forward These days in this country called 'Bharat, we find increasing stories about the so-called teachers dealing with cruelty to the little innocent students who is helpless and scared.In my experience,these so-called teachers are not even a graduate or with little higher education but are 10th pass with old montessori course as educational qualification.In my experience,I have seen that if the innocent student comes from a financially poor family background,they are the easy target of the so-called teacher's ire.On other hand,the rich kids are better off with these so-called teachers who gets gifts or any kinds from the rich kids parents just to adjust with their mischief,lack of attention or learning disorder.The rich kids are spared of rod beatings, while the poor are not.I myself a deaf educated in a normal school have to face such indifference just because i am a invisible handicap.When I passed out of the high school,I have no fondness of the so-called teachers who are not willing to adjust my silent handicap.I have only the respect for the College professors who are kind and down to earth with full of Gandhian values,while the so-called teachers are not.So, I am not surprised with the cruelty dealed to the little innocent students whose little souls are rested in peace in heaven while the teachers will only face a public wrath.I hope that a greater and a new law will come up soon by the Government that will deal them of facing the death sentence or life imprisonment,which is befitting for them and this in turn will prevent other teachers from dealing monster-like harshness and cruelty.

Vote for GovernanceBy: Hari Om Chawla | Monday , 20 Apr '09 16:17:41 PM Reply | Forward Can governance become an issue in Indian elections hijacked by vote bank politics? Except for one particular elections when Uma Bharti in Madhya Pradesh made an issue of 'Bijali, Sadak, Pani' and ousted Digvijay Singh, I do not remember governance becoming an issue. In spite of efforts by many NGOs, including Jogo Re, there is no dearth of criminals in the lists of candidates of various political parties; some of them fighting from their prison cells. And they hope to win because the caste combination and muscle power is on their side. Unless each one of votes as an individual and not en-block as a part of some caste or religion based group, there is no hope. Broken roads, filthy water, absence of electricity, largest number of poor and hungry people in the world would continue to exist in spite of the miraculous growth rate, more and more Indians among the world's richest, costly cars, mobiles and televisions everywhere.

"True" citizen of "developed" IndiaBy: Jay | Monday , 20 Apr '09 1:27:02 AM Reply | Forward It became our culture to tolerate each and everything in the name of reality. We lose all the civic senses and sense of justice from very childhood. Our so-called education (even in the elite schools and universities like IITs and IIMs) and upbringing even by our parents with lot of money and degrees can only make us a true clerk, without a backbone. We may keep our houses clean but contribute to its maximum to make the place just beside our house a hell. The more we became a “true Indian”, more we try to hide facts about real India and start boasting about “development”, about glittering shopping mall, 6-lane highways, American style farm houses with green lawns, golf courses and few more billionaires (3 among top 10 richest people in the world now live in India). More reasons we find to feel ashamed, harder we try to project a distorted picture of India, both in India and abroad.

Poverty and the values of our politicianBy: Ram | Monday , 20 Apr '09 1:06:01 AM Reply | Forward Here's something I found on RELIGION'S ANSWER TO ABJECT POVERTY IN INDIA by Swami ChinmayanandaQ: Swamiji What is religion's answer to abject poverty in this country (India)?A: Jai Jai Jagadeeswara! Salutations!!Recently, due to a terrible stomach pain, I got into a taxi to reach Dr. Rama Rao to consult with him. The taximan assured me that he knows Rama Rao well and took me to his house. While the taxi was madly rushing through the gate, I did look out and read the board of 'Rama Rao. With full confidence, I entered the house. The secretary informed me that Rs. 25 is the consultation fee. I paid the moeny. She guided me to his room. When she left, I elaborately explained my problem, and Rama Rao patiently listened to it all. Then he got up from his seat and held the door open. I walked out and he followed me. I was sure that he was taking me to the porch and, with a pleasant smile on his face, with his long, pointed fingers he stretched out his arm and showed me the opposite house accross the road and said, "Swami, that is Dr. Rama Rao. I am Lawyer Rama Rao."I lost my Rs. 25, but I was grateful to him, because had he prescribed the medicine, I would have faithfully followed him, and perhaps would have come to a great tragedy.My dear, why are you bringing economic, social, and political problems to the doors of religion? What can Mother Sruti do, except stretch out her wrinkled arm and show to you the politician and the economist, and say that, "I am in charge of values, but they are responsible for the arrangement of things and beings in the world"?I know that you are completely despaired of the politician and the economist, that you have no faith in them, that you are convinced that they are useless. But they are not available for the discussion, while this poor Swami is available. Therefore, you are sending out your kicks meant for them, care of me.My answer is that, "I am out of station,address "Not known."With Prem and OmThy Own Self,Swami Chinmayananda

Religion is one of the biggest problems in this worldBy: Jatin | Monday , 20 Apr '09 20:31:42 PM Reply | Forward What a crap! Can anyone find any relevance to current story or poverty from this crap? Religion created more problems than it solved; it created more hatred than love, more people died for fighting for their own religious faiths than anything else in the whole world. I do not care what is written in Vedas or Koran or Bible, but I do care how people practice it. In short mainstream religions created more darkness in the world and provided a very powerful tool to few to deceive and oppress others. It takes highest degree of honesty, more courage and mental strength to become an atheist than a “believer”.

Subtle Modi bashingBy: trupti_inlaw | Sunday , 19 Apr '09 12:46:14 PM Reply | Forward I do not understand why at every instance you journalists always try to bring in Gujarat in a backhanded way and belittle the efforts made by Gujarat govt. yes obviously everything cannot be perfect - when even one city like Mumbai cannot have the proper education , health and infrastructure and you still have a Dharavi in the middle of the city what to talk about towns. At least compare similar things - where is Ankleshwar ( a satellite town)and where is Mumbai ( metro); I think now that you realise that public will not believe everything you write you are beginning to belittle Mr Modi and his govt in a backhanded way - however truth always wins in the end.