अर्ज है.....
बस एक झिजक है यही हाल-ए-दिल सुनानेमे
की तेरा जिक्रभी आयेगा इस फ़सानेमे
इसीमे इश्ककी किस्मत बदलभी सकती थी
जो वक्त बीत गया मुझको आझमानेमे
ये कहके टूट पडा शाख-ए-गुलसे आखरी फ़ूल
अब और देर है कितनी बहार आनेमे
--- साहिर लुधियानवी
Thursday, August 18, 2011
एक तिरंगेकी कीमत तुम क्या जानो
My happiness at reading about Tihar Jail staff kids handing out chilled water to the demonstrators outside the jail turned out to be short-lived when I read about the Tricolour being sold for Rs 500 apiece. If the reactions at the bottom of this latter news are anything to go by, some have already dismissed this as pure demand vs. supply phenomenon.
I, however, think that this is opportunism at its worst! And those who realized this overpricing should have walked away instead of buying the product in question. That would have been the fitting way to support the ongoing movement.
I, however, think that this is opportunism at its worst! And those who realized this overpricing should have walked away instead of buying the product in question. That would have been the fitting way to support the ongoing movement.
Vairagadh Vs. Jamrunmahali
Check out this story first - Maharashtra village turns to Gujarat
And then read this one - Following Hazare’s development code
Don't you think the people of Vairagadh should tour Jamrunmahali instead of going all the way to Gujarat?
And then read this one - Following Hazare’s development code
Don't you think the people of Vairagadh should tour Jamrunmahali instead of going all the way to Gujarat?
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
हम तुम्हे यू भुला ना पायेंगे
It was sad to hear that actor Shammi Kapoor is no more. He was before my time but that never prevented me from enjoying his songs. I was never a fan of either Raj Kapoor or Dilip Kumar whereas I liked Dev Anand in some of his movies. But I absolutely loved Shammi because he was always so bubbly and lively in almost all his roles. His character was almost always a go-getter. And he made it legal for a Hindi movie hero to make funny faces while singing songs. :-) It was as if he told you not to take life so seriously. A mantra we should all live by.
I hope some of the TV channels will air his movies like An Evening in Paris, Professor and Teesri Manzil.
The newspapers called it 'the end of an era'. I beg to differ. As long as there are people who enjoy his songs, Shammi Kapoor will be with us. And I am sure there will always be many of them in generations to come. :-)
I hope some of the TV channels will air his movies like An Evening in Paris, Professor and Teesri Manzil.
The newspapers called it 'the end of an era'. I beg to differ. As long as there are people who enjoy his songs, Shammi Kapoor will be with us. And I am sure there will always be many of them in generations to come. :-)
I didn't turn out the lights at home between 8pm-9pm yesterday - because I am not sure whether I want to support Mr. Anna Hazare.
There is no doubt that we need to fight against corruption in this country. But is the top-down approach the right way to do it? Let's assume for discussion's sake that we manage to get a stronger Lokpal Bill. Will that stop corruption at the bottommost levels of the society?
I rather doubt it. There are myriad reasons why people accept bribes. First and foremost could be the salary that is failing to keep pace with the rising inflation. Maybe there are more children than the salary cheque is capable of supporting. Maybe there are old parents with failing health in the picture. Then there could be a case of 'if you cannot fight them , join them' - where a single honest person has no option but to turn corrupt because everyone else around him/her is corrupt. And then there is plain old greed. We need a different strategy to root out each of these. Plus, there are no easy answers or shortcuts.
I am not saying we should just give up. All I am saying is that the approach should be bottom-up rather than top-down. The citizens who refuse to offer or accept bribes are unlikely to elect someone who is tainted. And they are likely to demand a transparent government where the chances of corruption are slim. There will not be any spice in this approach for the media. But the changes will surely be long-lasting because they will come from within. Don't they say that Prevention is always better than the cure?
I saw something on the TV yesterday that disturbed me. Mr. Hazare was sitting in a maidan and two little children came to touch his feet. I agree this is our age-old custom. But there is a thin line between respecting someone and idolizing him/her. After all, absolute power can corrupt anybody. :-(
There is no doubt that we need to fight against corruption in this country. But is the top-down approach the right way to do it? Let's assume for discussion's sake that we manage to get a stronger Lokpal Bill. Will that stop corruption at the bottommost levels of the society?
I rather doubt it. There are myriad reasons why people accept bribes. First and foremost could be the salary that is failing to keep pace with the rising inflation. Maybe there are more children than the salary cheque is capable of supporting. Maybe there are old parents with failing health in the picture. Then there could be a case of 'if you cannot fight them , join them' - where a single honest person has no option but to turn corrupt because everyone else around him/her is corrupt. And then there is plain old greed. We need a different strategy to root out each of these. Plus, there are no easy answers or shortcuts.
I am not saying we should just give up. All I am saying is that the approach should be bottom-up rather than top-down. The citizens who refuse to offer or accept bribes are unlikely to elect someone who is tainted. And they are likely to demand a transparent government where the chances of corruption are slim. There will not be any spice in this approach for the media. But the changes will surely be long-lasting because they will come from within. Don't they say that Prevention is always better than the cure?
I saw something on the TV yesterday that disturbed me. Mr. Hazare was sitting in a maidan and two little children came to touch his feet. I agree this is our age-old custom. But there is a thin line between respecting someone and idolizing him/her. After all, absolute power can corrupt anybody. :-(
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