Corruption is becoming more and more brazen in our country. And when it is dug out of India's Defense establishment, the faceless common Indian feels hopeless, ashamed, heart-broken and insecure he wants to look up to the Army with pride and respect.
More than one aspect seems to be questionable to a simple mind. One can't understand the probable logic behind the defense chopper deal - only one company - Eurocopters - makes VVIP choppers which can function at heights more that 6,000 metres so they brought the height criterion to 4,500 metres ; All to avoid a Single Tender transaction! What happens when a VVIP has to visit Siachen and other high defense-posts (eg in Arunachal Pradesh)?
What is the priority of this deal : Multi- tender transactions or defense suitability? The country's security is directly related to this point.
Also while his name has cropped up in the list of the accused by the Italian Government, Ex Air Force Chief Tyagi is denying any involvement in this matter. Furthermore he declares that his cousins' names have come up, the surname being common - TYAGI. If that's the case, isn't is plain and simple Conflict of Interest? While a chief of a country's Air Force is in office, how can his family members be direct stake holders in Air Defense deals?
India demands answers today. After all the money is its tax payers' money and the establishment is directly accountable.
Showing posts with label INDIA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label INDIA. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
REPUBLIC DAY : A PLEDGE
It's 26th January once again. The Republic of India is 63 years old today. While the country has advanced in all forms of progress, a range of problems continue to plague our beloved country. And there is a list of issues that percolates through every stratum of its sectarian society, down to encroach upon the basic rights of an individual - The Right to Live, and The Right to Live with Dignity.
Violence against and sexual abuse of women, the 'unequal' society that the girl child finds herself in to face, female infanticide, foeticide, gender bias form a big chunk of the list. While there has been an increasing consciousness in our society about these issues, we still have a long, long way to go.
Religious fundamentalism too continues to exist worldwide and its social ramifications encroach upon basic human rights - the Right to Live. While an Indian continues to hope that this will vanish too, we should be conscious of the fact that we ourselves form the society and all of us have a responsibility to address religious fundamentalism from within, the responsibility to care for our neighbour, or the unknown man in the streets. We just cannot afford anymore to look the other way.
Believing sincerely in a religion bestows upon man a responsibility which most of us do not realize or choose to keep silent on. Every religious person has to see that religion does not become an instrument to divide and kill where religion was 'devised' by the prehistoric man to sustain, survive and let live.
Religion is not an aberration. It is a norm of human society and it has always been so. But it is here I would like to stress upon an opinion (which I believe is a fact which even the deepest religious person cannot evade). We have witnessed genocides in the name of religion. Not to repeat oft-repeated emotions about 'the riots' India has witnessed and been a victim of time and again, and phases of militancy (that has become synonymous with terrorism) which again has, and is proving to be too expensive for India and her citizens. Religion has been historically used to justify waging heinous wars and performing unspeakable atrocities on fellow men. The sheer ferocity of religious fanaticism of holy wars rivals the worst crime man has ever committed.
Though religion, over the millenia, has been carried ahead to signify something totally different from what it was in prehistory, to assume predominant spaces of one's life to influence thought and action, the religious person Has to account for every crime that is committed in the name of his religion. While the Right to believe in religion should never be questioned or even opposed, it is by no means irrelevant to step in and point out when religion as a right encroaches upon a far more fundamental and significant right, the right to Live.
It is up to us to ponder upon and try to sustain an equilibrium between how one puts Faith in his/her religion, and how following religion affects our community outside the comfort of our own homes.
I am sure all of us will continue to evolve a bit in consciousness and in conscience, and make India a violence-free country for our future generations to live in.
Violence against and sexual abuse of women, the 'unequal' society that the girl child finds herself in to face, female infanticide, foeticide, gender bias form a big chunk of the list. While there has been an increasing consciousness in our society about these issues, we still have a long, long way to go.
Religious fundamentalism too continues to exist worldwide and its social ramifications encroach upon basic human rights - the Right to Live. While an Indian continues to hope that this will vanish too, we should be conscious of the fact that we ourselves form the society and all of us have a responsibility to address religious fundamentalism from within, the responsibility to care for our neighbour, or the unknown man in the streets. We just cannot afford anymore to look the other way.
Believing sincerely in a religion bestows upon man a responsibility which most of us do not realize or choose to keep silent on. Every religious person has to see that religion does not become an instrument to divide and kill where religion was 'devised' by the prehistoric man to sustain, survive and let live.
Religion is not an aberration. It is a norm of human society and it has always been so. But it is here I would like to stress upon an opinion (which I believe is a fact which even the deepest religious person cannot evade). We have witnessed genocides in the name of religion. Not to repeat oft-repeated emotions about 'the riots' India has witnessed and been a victim of time and again, and phases of militancy (that has become synonymous with terrorism) which again has, and is proving to be too expensive for India and her citizens. Religion has been historically used to justify waging heinous wars and performing unspeakable atrocities on fellow men. The sheer ferocity of religious fanaticism of holy wars rivals the worst crime man has ever committed.
Though religion, over the millenia, has been carried ahead to signify something totally different from what it was in prehistory, to assume predominant spaces of one's life to influence thought and action, the religious person Has to account for every crime that is committed in the name of his religion. While the Right to believe in religion should never be questioned or even opposed, it is by no means irrelevant to step in and point out when religion as a right encroaches upon a far more fundamental and significant right, the right to Live.
It is up to us to ponder upon and try to sustain an equilibrium between how one puts Faith in his/her religion, and how following religion affects our community outside the comfort of our own homes.
I am sure all of us will continue to evolve a bit in consciousness and in conscience, and make India a violence-free country for our future generations to live in.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
SMILE INDIA, RISE AND SHINE : WE'VE GOT MUSIC
As I woke up today when the eastern horizon was dressing up with ethereal colours to greet the rising sun, I was pleasantly enchanted by the voice of Kumar Gandharva aired through a FM radio channel. The vocalist seemed to have been fully submerged into the realm of harmonic vibrations, as he subtly teased the morning air with the notes of the Poorvi Raga.
Those minutes of nature's magic unraveling its glory through the kaleidoscopic eastern sky, and offering The Eternal Prayer, in vibrant resonance with the classical notes in the early dawn gave me goose-bumps. As I stood still,mesmerised by nature's glorious manifestations, I couldn't help pondering over the glorious India that our country used to be once upon a time, and reflect upon her generously vast contributions in the very foundation and evolution of universal music.
Being an aggressively dedicated lover of Music, it shall forever remain for me (and ruefully so), a profound regret that I didn't have the opportunity to engage myself in disciplined, formal discourses in Indian classical music. The pangs of regret hurts me doubly considering the fact that I had dabbled with the music of the occident in both its classical and popular forms, formally and informally during my college days, and for a rather brief period after graduation.
Music can be figuratively defined as the Art of Expression in sound, melody and harmony, both in composition and spontaneous rendition. Structurally, only two systems of music are possible : one in which there is progression of melody by succession of single notes - the Melodic System, and the other in which music progresses by groups of notes called chords, the Harmonic system.
It is the genius of Ancient India that selflessly made the greatest contribution to the world of universal music - the 'Raga' System which is perhaps the zenith for any form, school and/or system that has ever pervaded the realm of music in the history of mankind, to survive or perish. It is easily the highest peak that any Melodic system could ever aspire to touch.
It is the most outstanding feature of Indian music, in which each Raga is a distinct musical entity and identity per se and possesses well-defined characteristics which have evolved in a disciplined way with time. Music assumes consciousness in a Raga in perceptible dimensions, which possess and evoke distinctive emotions which the Raga uses as a spirital bridge for communion between human consciousness and Nature, that which exists in the purest of personalised forms.
This is not blind glorification or artistic dogmatism on my behalf I guess - I believe that this aspect of communion is one of the most significant features of this melodic system. It serves a most basic purpose which the underlying philosophy behind the creation of a Raga specifically necessitates. The classical form of Music did not evolve over decades, or even centuries. It has been blossoming in a continuous process of evolution over a period of five millennia, being nurtured by progressive visions of some of the most brilliant philosophers that have ever walked across temporal epochs in the domain of history. The Raga system is the sonic manifestation of spiritual India.
The history of Music is closely associated with human society and life from the very beginning of prehistory. The ideal form of Absolute Music is realised in the concept of the Raga.
And Music is the brightest gem adorning the culture and ethos of India.
Today's morning told me so for the umpteenth time
Those minutes of nature's magic unraveling its glory through the kaleidoscopic eastern sky, and offering The Eternal Prayer, in vibrant resonance with the classical notes in the early dawn gave me goose-bumps. As I stood still,mesmerised by nature's glorious manifestations, I couldn't help pondering over the glorious India that our country used to be once upon a time, and reflect upon her generously vast contributions in the very foundation and evolution of universal music.
Being an aggressively dedicated lover of Music, it shall forever remain for me (and ruefully so), a profound regret that I didn't have the opportunity to engage myself in disciplined, formal discourses in Indian classical music. The pangs of regret hurts me doubly considering the fact that I had dabbled with the music of the occident in both its classical and popular forms, formally and informally during my college days, and for a rather brief period after graduation.
Music can be figuratively defined as the Art of Expression in sound, melody and harmony, both in composition and spontaneous rendition. Structurally, only two systems of music are possible : one in which there is progression of melody by succession of single notes - the Melodic System, and the other in which music progresses by groups of notes called chords, the Harmonic system.
It is the genius of Ancient India that selflessly made the greatest contribution to the world of universal music - the 'Raga' System which is perhaps the zenith for any form, school and/or system that has ever pervaded the realm of music in the history of mankind, to survive or perish. It is easily the highest peak that any Melodic system could ever aspire to touch.
It is the most outstanding feature of Indian music, in which each Raga is a distinct musical entity and identity per se and possesses well-defined characteristics which have evolved in a disciplined way with time. Music assumes consciousness in a Raga in perceptible dimensions, which possess and evoke distinctive emotions which the Raga uses as a spirital bridge for communion between human consciousness and Nature, that which exists in the purest of personalised forms.
This is not blind glorification or artistic dogmatism on my behalf I guess - I believe that this aspect of communion is one of the most significant features of this melodic system. It serves a most basic purpose which the underlying philosophy behind the creation of a Raga specifically necessitates. The classical form of Music did not evolve over decades, or even centuries. It has been blossoming in a continuous process of evolution over a period of five millennia, being nurtured by progressive visions of some of the most brilliant philosophers that have ever walked across temporal epochs in the domain of history. The Raga system is the sonic manifestation of spiritual India.
The history of Music is closely associated with human society and life from the very beginning of prehistory. The ideal form of Absolute Music is realised in the concept of the Raga.
And Music is the brightest gem adorning the culture and ethos of India.
Today's morning told me so for the umpteenth time
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
INDIAN DREAMS BREAKING
There used to be a time when the epic war movies of Hollywood used to seduce the hungry mind of the 6 year old boy that I used to be, asking my pride for sacrifice & martyrdom with stories of bravado. At night, as the South Calcutta neighbourhood slept in peace to wake up to yet another new day of coward compromise(or so it seemed) with the demands of middle-class reality, nocturnal wars raged on in my dreams..I used to be the hero of my own set of battles in my own war, fighting enemy soldiers in bleak trenches, walking with the same gutsy pride with which Alec Guinesse walked bravely, as he inspected the railroad being laid down on that historic bridge over Kwai, or with the steely courage that made Gregory Peck & Anthony Quinn bring down the demonishly massive gun crashing into the rough sea coasting Navarone.
My heart pumped in frenzied speed as I defended bridges with my co-paratrooper in war-torn French towns in the Atlantic coast till fighter-planes appeared like flying angels on the eastern horizon at the break of dawn to bombard the faceless devils carrying ominous-looking flags flashing the cruel emblem of the Swastika, and kept Richard Attenborough and James Coburn imprisoned in the Nazi camps with audacious cruelty.
I did not understand the history and geogaphy of real war then..All I wanted to be was a brave soldier who would fight for the sake of glory, to defend the sacred tricolour which I had learnt to rever as a member of the brave assembly (assembled for no apparent reason) that constituted of like-minded friends in school and in the neighborhood.. We wanted to be in the uniforms in which our heroes saluted past the tricolour in thumping steps of perfect precision on a very special day in August,..We fantasised about driving those tanks that marched past a saluting president and flying those aeroplanes that glimmed in the silver haze of the morning sun of a chilly January winter day.
Those dreams did not die with us growing up.Years later I shivered with same passion when Charlie Sheen & William Dafoe fought in the tropical monsoon forests in Vietnam. cried even as a precocious teenager when I saw Tom Hanks and Tom Sizemore going down, Saving Private Ryan who lived to tell the story of Captain John Miller who fought so that Matt Damon could go home.
But those dreams haved ceased to be. One has been continuously bombarded with drastic media exposes of Scams of all colours, shapes & sizes over the last years. Amongst other things,the phenomenon,of an unprecedented low depth continues to leave a very bad taste,of a novel obnoxity,in the mouth.The common Indian wonders with a hesitant insecurity about the "meaning" of, and the qualitative dimensions of the yardsticks of Propriety that guides the contemporary Indian society is proceeding to evolve.
It all started with the Commomwealth Games-an misadventure worth Rs.74,000 crores of which approximately 45% has been allegedly looted by the bigwigs of the Organising Committee.Though two big bureaucratic heads have rolled recently,the actual kingpin remains untouched to this very moment,and continues to represent India's hopes for a successful bid for the summer Olympics in eight years' time,bringing the country to Shame & forcing us Indians to kneel down,our heads hanging in helpless embarrassment.
The 2G scam followed : Rs.1,700 lac crores..
The next big shocker hit us even more strongly in the form of the "Kargil for Profit" scam as the media labelled it to refer to.The shock was a strong one as it involves the Indian Armed Forces, one of the very few institutions that has managed to keep itself untouched & unaffected since Independance, by Corruption-a chronic malady that has eaten its way into the collective consciousness of the country to its bare bones,and that has continued to grow in parallel proportions with the nation's growing mature over the last 63years.(Though none of us, from all generations, past or present can and should want to absolve our own self from the sin of letting the process develop to the extent of no-return, thus going into a vicious cycle, by repeatedly taking part in self-confessed farcical acts of mockery called "Elections"-there were corrupt people in the high offices of governance because they were elected by us in the first place,and repeatedly so.)
And now newly exposed villains have conspired to make Rape stand out as an ugly head of the Indian psyche. Much has been written, talked about, debated over the gruesome crime..And from this point my mind gets bitter and turn my words bitter fragments around an Ugly Truth. Generalized mindsets around Woman keep coming in ceaselessly, more so after the recent Delhi-Nirbhaya case.
The President's son, Madhya Pradesh minister, Sharad Yadav, Education minister of Pondicherry - they are elected politicians, they are the legislators/lawmakers of India - their oracles have been heard. Skirts, overcoats, painted & dented women protestors, Laxman-Rekhas : this is the holiest of grail they can offer us.
And "godman" Asaram suggests a woman should "beg" and use diplomacy, chant some holier-than-shit-Saraswati-Mantras to be empowered with 'Suraksha Kavach's. He claims a fan following of 5 crore Indians.
WHERE ARE WE HEADING FOR? Do we even want to know?
Today I have grown up into a man who lives each day securing a selfish happiness through Compromise that seems to have become a part of my set of "virtues", the same coward compromise I silently loathed as a child once upon a time. I have successfully learnt to accommodate Corruption within my conscience. I don't seem to react to these media exposes anymore.
It is because I haved ceased to dream. I have ceased to provide room for the dreamy child I once used to be.I have learnt to barter and buy fragile peace & security for my family.People around me are happy with things as they are.
After all dreams lead one to nowhere.
I have learnt to say,"ALL IS WELL "..
Saturday, January 05, 2013
OUR PRIDE
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Isn't she beautiful? The grace and the gentle waves along which she dances in the wind, breath-taking and reassuring -- Our Tricolour, the mother of our inspiration, the holy garment which India drapes around herself.
The spiritual strength of India that keeps on evolving showing us all the way to a Saffron sunrise of Wisdom : A pristine unblemished Truth in White, that tells India is Peace, the Wheel carriying India's movement forward, towards a predestined horizon of Life, Hope and Security.
The tricolour that brings tears to my eyes and gives me goose bumps - what a reassurance that India means unity in mind and spirit..I bow to you.
There seems to be a magical captivating aura around it. It might be that our 'worshiping' attitude is a conditioned reflex -- what we have been exposed as kids, at home, in the neighbourhood, in school, in the air of the city we were born, and newspapers. But whatever be the "mode" in which we express our pride, it's the end-reaction that is significant and the only priority. (For me, it's one of the few rare things I'll never want to be explained about..).
India needs young people for advancement in rapid pace if we want to keep pace with that what elevates the "third world" socio-political status to the "developed" group. We need fresh and passionate minds so that we can look at things with clear vision and fresh perspective.
It is the active and passionate participation of young generation to process its demands and ask with authority, in the international arena, for her legitimate rights.. A new India is being born and we are the ones who'll keep her on track. And we better not make the same mistakes....
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