June 29, 2005
Why I love Laloo
Kerala is serene. It is termed God’s own country. The entire state is lush green & there are no problems as far as water is concerned. The literacy level is 100 per cent (a state is considered to be literate if all the people are able to read the daily newspaper), and the population is really low. Where have all the Keralites gone by the way? They are spread across the globe - few millions in the Gulf, few millions across the world, and few millions across the country. Kerala has plenty of foreign money but what about the infrastructure & industrial development of the state. Who cares? Well the Keralites bother more about other states & other countries than their own – may be they left the plight of the state to the Gods to worry about!
I have a friend – a Keralite but he hates to be called one though. He rather prefers to be called a Mumbaiite for being brought up in Mumbai. We debate a lot - sometimes about politics too. And the 2 people he hates are – our own JJ & Laloo Prasad Yadav. Well I have special reasons why I adore JJ, but then this blog is about why I love Laloo Prasad Yadav.
I never had any preferences for Laloo, and I always conceived him the way the media portrayed him - an illiterate corrupt joker responsible for the lawlessness of Bihar. My perception about Laloo changed completely when I happen to speak to a literate journo who was basically from Bihar. He was the one who explained me the reasons why Laloo had such a tremendous mass appeal in his own state.
Incident 1
There were charges against Laloo about siphoning off money that were allotted for ‘pucca’ roads in Bihar. He called up a public meeting, and asked people to raise their hands who owned their own cars. None raised their hands. He asked, “then what do you need pucca roads for?”
It made absolute sense – who need tar roads for bullock carts?
Incident 2
Laloo was charge sheeted in the fodder scam. He had to step down and make Rabri (his wife) the CM. His supporters (not partymen) were asked, “now what do you think has to be done.” And the people replied, “bolo kitne ka ghata hua hai? Hum chanda iketta karke de denge”. (Tell us how much money has been taken, we the people will collect the money and give it to the government).
Incident 3
One fine day Laloo would land his chopper in any of the fields, and would take few children on a sky trip. Or he would get into any of the farmer’s house, and have lunch with them.
Laloo is intelligent, got a terrific sense of humour, has excellent PR qualities, and is a great human being. Moreover he has got a very strong horoscope too – he is here to play a vital & long inning in the Indian politics. Hence, how much ever the media or the people who hate him make fun of him, he surely will have the last laugh.
Jab tak samose mein rahega aloo, Indian politics mein jarur rahega Laloo!
Posted by Kenni at 07:23 AM | Comments (3)
June 14, 2005
….and I make enough money through Askenni.com!
I would be one among the very few people who had to leave his high paying job for the sake of maintaining a blog! Today I feel flattered when someone calls me from Australia to tell me that my blog is good, or when someone from UK goes in for my astrological consultation. I waited for 8 months to write this particular blog, and this probably would be the last blog which I write against my ex-employer Sify.com!
I still remember the day when my immediate boss took me to a cabin, and said, “Kennedi, you have a wife & 2 daughters to look after. Why do you want to get into writing blogs?” And I tell him, “I think it is none of your business, because I update my blogs from my home & not from the office.” He warns me that the whole management is unhappy with my blog content & you will have to lose your job for the crap you are writing. I had to stop blogging for I needed ‘money’ to run my family. It was like I was compromising on my self respect. It was like someone was snatching my freedom – my freedom of expression & my freedom of communication.
I also remember the day when I was made to sit in front of my VP, and my immediate boss throwing all kinds of accusation against me. I kept looking at him helplessly, thinking in mind that – every dog has its day, and it is yours today!
My VP was intelligent – at least I thought so. He said, you can write your blog. No issues about that but write it anonymously. He said with freedom comes responsibility (as if I was some kind of Spiderman), and you seem to cross you Lakshman rekha. I still wonder who decides about how much freedom someone should have, and what is responsibility all about? Mid-Day having a semi nude centrefold is responsibility? Or the Times coming out with Bikini special is responsibility?
I waited till 6 months, but could not take it any longer. One fine morning I decide to resign, and I walk off in style without another job in my hand. Of course there were last minute crocodile tears. My boss offers his help saying, anything, anytime I am here – as if I cared!
Today by my teacher’s blessings & God’s grace I am on most of the astrology channels – Astroyogi, Yahoo, MSN, Indiainfo, & rediff – except Sify.com (for obvious reasons). And I get impressive number of orders directly through askenni.com too.
My teacher, K Gopalakrishnan always used to say, even if 1000 hands are held together to block the Sun, the rays will still reach the earth. Hence if you believe in your potential, and have 100 per cent trust in God and however wrong things might go around you - you surely will succeed in shining like a star.
Posted by Kenni at 07:57 AM | Comments (0)
June 12, 2005
Govt Will(s) Scissor(s) on Smoking
I am an ardent fan of Rajini Kanth since I am 3 years old. I adored the way he flipped his cigars, and the way he puffed like a steam engine. My dad is a chain smoker, and I was the one who used to run to the pan beedi shop to buy him cigarette packets on every weekends. And still I have not smoked a single cigarette in my life!
People in general are sensible & aware about what is good & what is bad for them. And this depends upon individual perceptions about life. I doubt whether movies could influence individual lives so much so that they take up smoking just because Amitabh or Shah Rukh do it in style, and that people won’t take up smoking just because none were shown holding a cigarette on the Silver Screen.
There are few things in the society which can never be stopped – smoking, drinking, gambling, & prostitution. They have always been part of any civilisation. It was hukka once upon a time & now it is cigarettes, it was bhang and now it is brandy, it was ‘thayam’ in Mahabharata times now it is super lotto & it was deva dasis & now it is brothels. These are things that help a man or woman for that matter overcome his/her stress - at least momentarily. A complete ban on any of the above mentioned whims can surely lead to chaos, and the government knows it. The best example would be of Andhra Pradesh which tried putting total prohibition on alcohol - people started drinking Old Spice (after shave lotions), and military officials started smuggling XXX Rum bottles into AP!
Movies are structured on characterisation. And characters give life to the movie. You obviously cannot show a villain licking a lolly pop or drinking a glass of boost before he plans to rape the heroin. That way violence is also bad, but you cannot show Amitabh of Sholay singing Raghu Pathi Raga Va Raja Ram…to transform Gabbar Singh in the climax. Bullets, weapons & blood are needed to make a complete movie. And they essentially do not take our senses out of our brains.
If the government worries too much about smoking being showcased in a good light and that it affects our Indian youth adversly, then it should seriously think about shutting down ITC (Indian Tobacco Company) than indulging in this kind of hypocrisy. Or at least should stop sponsoring Wills Cricket Trophies, and instead ask companies like Ranbaxy & Glaxo to come forward.
Posted by Kenni at 03:55 PM | Comments (0)
May 19, 2005
Dara Singh gets life instead of death!
Australian missionary Graham Staines & his two minor sons were sleeping in their jeep on January 22, 1999. A mob headed by Dara Singh attacked them, and set the jeep on ablaze killing all the three! What was Graham doing in Orissa? He was spreading the message of God. Is preaching a sin?
Now after 6 years the courts have finally decided to punish the culprit. And what is the court’s verdict? Life imprisonment!! Meaning – the government will keep Dara Singh in the cell, feed him for life & probably someday if his conduct is good will be released on Gandhi’s birthday. That way Dara Singh will never realize the pain Graham Staines & his sons underwent when they were burnt alive, and the pain Staines’s wife would undergo for her life.
There are a set of people who think capital punishment should be banned & that everyone should be given a chance to change. I wonder if keeping a person behind the bars could ever change anyone. I am sure the people who are affected directly have an altogether different opinion about capital punishment. If your close person is killed this way, and you know who the killer is – I am sure you won’t be talking about Human Rights.
Violence has always been part of Human Civilization, and it surely can be used to put an end to few heinous crimes like killing someone or raping the minors!!
Being a Jesus Christ is easy, when your neighbour’s daughter is raped by the security guy. What if your own innocent daughter is raped & killed? You will wait for the police to arrest him, and then go to the court & say please don’t hang him –give him a chance to change? Come on!
The Tsunami affected people are temporarily asked to camp near my vicinity. They did a demonstration demanding – bus, water & street lights. They did a rasta roko at peek hours blocking the traffic & putting all the office goers under stress. The police came down, did the negotiation job –nothing worked. They were forced to do a lathi charge, and in 10 minutes the traffic was on track. Violence worked!
Whether Capital Punishment will make the culprit realize his folly is not the point. But the fear that a person will have before committing a crime is what matters. I doubt whether any person would think about stealing anything in Arabian countries or raping someone there – for they know what will be cut if they indulged. Of course capital punishment can never put a full stop to any crime, but then it surely will reduce the number.
If Lord Krishna wanted he could have blessed the Kauravas, and walked off. But no, Adharma should not be allowed to win in a society. And even killing to save Dharma isn’t a sin.
Posted by Kenni at 06:46 AM | Comments (0)
May 16, 2005
Given a choice I will never pay my tax!
I was reading a beautiful book written by Robert Kiyoski called ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’. In the book the author discusses about ‘how the concept of tax came in being.’ Previously tax was levied only on the rich, and the money collected from them were disbursed among the poor or used for the betterment of the society. Later it so happened that the rich invented various ways to escape tax and the whole burden of tax fell upon the middle class while the poor never came into the tax bracket!
Study says that in India only 6 per cent of the population pay their tax properly. Rest either escape it or have never heard about what tax actually means.
After my education, which was sponsored by my father and not by the government, I was jobless for around 3 months. Neither the government came to my rescue nor did they ask me whether I had enough money for food & survival. And the moment I joined my first job 5 per cent tax was deducted from my salary without my knowledge. They said it was TDS - Tax Deduction at Source.
After I became permanent in my 2nd job, the tax had risen to 33 per cent! Meaning out of 30 days in a month, for about 7 days I work for the ministers, the MLAs & the MPs! I wonder for what purpose my hard earned money is used.
Is my tax used for –
Giving me home & shelter? - I pay the govt the land tax, I pay for registration, and also I pay for getting the home approved.
Giving me water? - I pay my water tax for using it
Giving me electricity? - I pay in thousands to get my own connection, and also I pay for my electricity bill
Giving me roads? - The roads are always pathetic, and if I am plying my own vehicle I pay my road tax
Providing me buses & trains? - I always buy my tickets
Giving me food? - There is no government institute that gives food for free, that way ISKCON (International Society of Krishna Consciousness) is better they at least serve free lunch everyday
Giving me security? - I pay my local gurkha for that, and it is ages I saw a constable in my area who is patrolling. Also they have not come to inquire about my Venus (dog) who was stolen 3 months back
Saving Kashmir from Pakistanis? - To be honest I am least interested in a place that I cannot visit or a place that always been a matter of controversies due to political interests
The rich always have a learned auditor with them who knows how to manipulate the income & expenses. End of the day the income shown by most businessmen is not more than 1 to 1.5 lakhs per annum!
The poor aren’t poor as they seem. Only that their money is not accounted properly. I knew a friend whose father’s income on paper was Rs 1500 per year. He got his scholarship during his studies. It was later I came to know that his father had some 4 acres of land that grew grapes, and he earned some 6 lakhs per six months!
The middle class is the only segment whose income is always accounted, and they are most affected of the lot. They cannot escape the tax as they are cut even without their consent.
Of course any country needs money to run their society, but then the society has to give something in return - at least for the people who pay their taxes sincerely.
Comments are welcome!
Posted by Kenni at 09:44 AM | Comments (4)
May 13, 2005
Living an uncorrupt life!
I should thank the movie maker Shankar & also actor Kamal Hasan to have made a movie like ‘Indian’ (Hindustani in Hindi). In fact that was the movie which influenced me a lot in trying to a live an uncorrupt life. I stopped watching new movies on VCDs, stopped giving extra money to LPG delivery boy when he ‘demands’, refused to pay the Electricity Board guys to fix my electrical problems, and ignored the demands of BSNL to check my telephone faults. In real life things aren’t that easy as it sounds!
At home a couple of weeks back we had major electrical fluctuations happening and I had to approach the EB to help me out. The time was 5.50 pm, and in Chennai sun sets only by 7 pm. I spoke to the electricians about the problem, and he immediately said, we are not supposed to climb the electric pole after 6 pm (The government probably put that rule about not climbing over the pole assuming that at 6 pm it gets dark. Today the whole logic has become an escape route)! Firstly he had the least idea about where the problem was - in my house or on the pole, and secondly it was not 6 pm yet. I knew, if I had thrown Rs 50 on their face, the whole team would have got onto the pole. But then I didn’t. I registered my complaint and came back home with the assurance from a person saying they will reach my home tomorrow morning by 10 am. As expected they never came, and I had to go again to register one more complaint. And to my dismay someone had entered as if my complaint has already been solved. I had to raise my voice, and finally they came and put my connection right. The fault wasn’t on the pole. They waited to see if I paid them what they expect - but I didn’t. I surely would have if they had sorted out my issue the day I complained.
My phone went dead, and I had to register the complaint. The security of BSNL is like a trained parrot. He always had only one thing to say – ‘they have just left to sort your problem.’ My wife entered the office premises - just to see that all of them were busy playing cards. I need to thank BSNL to have put my phone right but after – I wrote the complaint thrice, I went to the office 4 times, I spent some Rs 100 at Reliance for net connection, & wasting few litres of petrol for my bike. They took 7 days to complete the job and I didn’t bribe them.
Three months back someone broke into my house and stole my 1 year old Labrador – Venus. Most neighbours advised not to go to the police. I asked why? And they unanimously told me that their torture will be more than the pain you have after losing your pet. I always paid my taxes perfectly & thought it is my duty to file a police complaint. Whether they will find my pet or not was secondary but then it is a mere case of theft and police had to be informed. I went with my sister, and the sub-inspector was busy eating his lunch. We waited for 30 mns, and he called us in. I told him what exactly happened. He asked me to lodge a complaint, and told me that he will send a constable to inquire. It is three months and none turned up. May be they are busy finding minister’s stolen underwear!
There are few strong dialogues in the movie ‘Indian’, where Senapathi says – ‘when the giving stops, the taking would stop.’ ‘To accept bribe is as bad as giving it.’ I have done my part. I have stopped bribing. Now is there any master who teaches- varma kalai!
Posted by Kenni at 06:28 AM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2004
Veerappan dead, politicians safe!
And there comes an end to the forest brigand Veerappan after 17 years of existence in the deep jungles of Sathyamangalam. The charges against him were - he smuggled sandalwoods, killed few policemen and some 300 elephants. Hats off to the policemen who put their lives at stake in gunning him down, and also to JJ for the impressive package she announced for the 265 cops involved the operation. But there remains a gray area, which goes unanswered in the whole process. What made Veerappan to indulge in such a terrifying life? And if at all he made a fortune by selling those sandalwoods and elephant tusks - for whom did he save the money for, when he himself was not living a lavish life nor did he have a family to support.
As rightly said in one of the Tamil movies (Captain Prabhakaran) that this kind of people are created, supported and harnessed by none other than our own politicians who roam around freely undisputed. .
300 elephants and few policemen are meager numbers when compared to the 1000s of Indians who die in communal clashes instigated by our own parliamentarians. They are respected; they live their lives King size, and are voted again and again to power just because we don’t have many options to choose from. As rightly said - democracy is all about choosing a better rascal from the worst.
One good thing the police did was they killed Veerappan on the spot and didn’t waste their time in arresting him. If they had caught him alive, I am sure, many a political faces would have come to fore.
Surely, I am neither a supporter of Veerappan, nor do I belong to his gang – but the truth remains that he isn’t worse than our politician who got elected the 3rd time as a party president, who himself was present at Babri Masjid’s scene motivating people to demolish the holy place. And also Veerappan was surely better than the CM who personally wanted more Muslims to die in one of the communal clashes.
There are BIGGER criminals clad in white sitting in our parliament!
Posted by Kenni at 09:18 AM | Comments (9)
August 07, 2004
No politics please!
Just happened to see a headline on Sify.com & mid-day.com that Shiv Sena Supermo Balasaheb Thackeray has hinted at making Narayan Rane as the next CM of Maharashtra. If I am right, Rane had already completed a stint as a CM between 1998 and 2000, taking over Manohar Joshi.
All know that any CM in Maharashtra is a remote control in the hands of the roaring tiger Thackeray – thanks to his charisma and support he has gained in Maharashtra by his noble deeds of changing the city’s name and station’s name. Whenever I think of Balasaheb’s decision of calling Victoria Terminus (VT) as Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus (CST), the only joke I am reminded of is the one where an American makes a needle, a German makes a hole through it, and an Indian prints Made in India on it.
We (my boss and I) had decided to call the Demolition Man of Mumbai Khairnar for a live chat with the The Indian Express Online Media Ltd (TIEOML), and we had gone to meet him at his house. I was a bit taken aback by his simplicity. He was a kind man seated in his hall wearing a vest and a lungi. I never could imagine a person who is known to be so strong from inside could be so delicate from outside.
The house was unfilled. It was a government quarters, and there were no furniture except for a sofa in the hall. Khairnar was also known for his honesty and uncorrupt policies – and it was visible.
We had a good informal chat with him, and he readily agreed for the live chat to be held at Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai.
Our discussion lead to Indian polity when my boss Anil Nair asked him the reason to have rejected the seat being offered by Shiv Sena in the assembly election. Khairnar got a bit restless…and could not hold back the truth. He blasted the Shiv Sainiks for their gundaism and anti social and anti secular attitudes.
Anil was good at getting news - a real nose for news he had. He was trying to get the reason why Khairnar didn’t turn up for the party launched by Nararyan Rane after taking up chief ministership. And Khairnar replied, I had caught Naryan Rane in a rape case, slapped him, took him to the police station, and got him arrested. And you want me to be part of the party hosted by this person who was a gunda and a womaniser?!!!
God save Maharashtra!
Posted by Kenni at 04:26 AM | Comments (0)
July 01, 2004
Barkha Dutt - a new controversy!
I love getting comments but the reaction I got from one of my journalist friends, who was with ‘The Hindu’ for 5 years, came as a surprise to me.
‘I won't say a word about your review. But I have to take you up on your statement that some soldiers were killed saving Barkha Dutt's life. Nothing of that sort ever happened. Your review is your opinion. You are entitled to it. But that statement passes off as information, as absolute truth, and you do not attempt to back it.'
Lots of people, especially Barkha, NDTV and news baiters, would take that sort of statement to be true. I don't care about Barkha, but this surely insults the soldiers who thought they were dying for a nobler cause.’
Feroze
People have slowly started forgetting the 1999 Kargil war between Indian and Pakistan and the episode has got into the history books. Lots of soldiers were killed in the war, and many were maimed for life.
Indian filmmakers didn’t find any other cashable story idea other than the Kargil war that could help them make some quick money. Several movies were made based on the war, and most of them were hits at the box office. It also gave an opportunity for our countrymen to prove their patriotism by sitting in an air conditioned hall, munching a pack of pop corn, and to watch the turmoil and agony Indian soldiers went through at the borders.
Recently I happened to review the latest Farhan Akhtar’s movie Lakshya, and in the write up I had mentioned…
‘Preity Zinta breaks her engagement (this seems to be her prime job in Akhtar’s movie), as she finds career more important than personal life. If so, why she gets busy in gaining Hrithik’s attention at Kargil when audience expect some dare devil reporting stuff from her is quite debatable. Barkha Dutt of NDTV, who did an amazing job of reporting from Kargil in 1999, inspires Preity’s character - not to forget that few soldiers were killed in saving Barkha’s life.’
I love getting comments but the reaction I got from one of my journalist friends, who was with ‘The Hindu’ for 5 years, came as a surprise to me.
‘I won't say a word about your review. But I have to take you up on your statement that some soldiers were killed saving Barkha Dutt's life. Nothing of that sort ever happened.
Your review is your opinion. You are entitled to it. But that statement passes off as information, as absolute truth, and you do not attempt to back it.
Lots of people, especially Barkha, NDTV and news baiters, would take that sort of statement to be true. I don't care about Barkha, but this surely insults the soldiers who thought they were dying for a nobler cause.’
Feroze
I remembered reading a story about few soldiers who got killed saving Barkha Dutt. The only reply I could give my friend was…
‘Thanks for your comment. I remember reading a report on the same long back. Will confirm on the same, if it was yes..i won't remove the sentence, and if it was otherwise..i would surely remove it with a sincere apology note.’
I asked God - I mean Google to give me the necessary information to substantiate my stance. I didn’t get a single website that talked about this controversy, which probably was suppressed by the media. All the sites were all ga ga about Barkha’s achievement as a journalist and her dare devil attitude in the world of journalism.
Failing to find a report, I got in touch with another journalist friend of mine and thankfully he supported me. He said, “signals emitted by the wireless devices used by Barkha were easily tracked by the Pakistanis and it helped them bomb Indian spots which in turn killed few Indian soldiers.”
I wanted some more information. And thankfully Feroz came back with his 2nd comment…
‘My apologies Kennedy. Barkha Dutt did get some soldiers killed during the Kargil war. However, they did not die attempting to save her. They were killed by her disgustingly irresponsible manner of reportage. I blame the army too for giving in to her; their allegiance lies with the country and not NDTV, and they simply did not have to listen to Barkha Dutt.’
Here's a clarification I got from a journalists group on the incident:
‘Dear Feroze,
What I understand is that Barkha Dutt wanted a PTC -- I think, Person to Camera -- shot of soldiers during an interview at dead of night. The soldiers did not want flashlight on as the enemy can detect and fire but she insisted. Finally, the expected happened and a few soldiers lost their lives but not Barkha Dutt. This is controversial reporting, despite given her Columbia school training.
Best, Arul’
The aim of this blog isn’t to put down Barkha or to doubt her guts she had in the reporting war from the location where it took place. It is just an attempt to tell that what we come to know through media need not be true always.
If you have more details about this controversy, please post them as comments.
Posted by Kenni at 04:53 AM | Comments (0)
May 17, 2004
What’s wrong if Sonia becomes the PM?
The elections are over and the results are out. It is a clear mandate and it is quite obvious that most Indians want ‘bharat ki bahu’ Sonia to become the Prime Minister of India and this has been proven by the way Congress has come back sweeping the polls in most places they contested from. But there is an issue, the issue of Sonia’s origin!
She was born in Italy, got married to Rajiv Gandhi, came to India, took a lot of time to change her citizenship, lost her mother in law and also her husband in brutal assassinations, never left 10 Janpath after that, got herself and her children into politics even when she knew the risks for their lives weren’t less. Put yourself in the shoes of Sonia Gandhi for a while. Will you take the same risk for a country in which you weren’t born? It is easy to sit in an a/c office and comment on the effort she put in reviving the whole of Congress after the hapless stint of Sitaram Kesri!
If she had no respect for India, she very well would have moved to Italy with her children and settled there peacefully rather than dedicating her life to a country like India! This decision of hers show the necessary love she has for the country she BELONGS to - INDIA!
I would say she is far better than people born in India, who use all the scholarship facility of India, get educated in India for cheap, fly abroad to make money in dollars and never bother to look back. She is better than those Indians settled in Gulf countries, who come to India only when there is a war or unrest in those places. Hence, the place of birth can NEVER become a criterion to decide how much love a person has for a particular country! And anyone who loves a particular country and countrymen automatically has all the right to lead the country!
Moreover, it is not that we downloaded Ms Sonia Gandhi from Italy one fine morning, made her the Congress president and asked her to campaign for the elections. She has been a known personality right from the time Indira Gandhi was the PM, and also Sonia happens to the WIFE of our former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi…and that is one single factor that takes her to Prime Minister seat.
There is another argument about what has she done for the country so far? Was she a freedom fighter? Logically in the next 20 years all the freedom fighters of India would be dead so whom will we be pulling in, grandchildren of the freedom fighters? This is for your information that the grand son of Mahatma Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi is seen in a pub most of the time. We really need a leader who is dynamic, who can give us the hope of a better tomorrow, who doesn’t drink, who doesn’t have knee problems, who doesn’t pause for so long that the listener falls asleep, and someone who is at least good looking.
So what about Indian nuke secrets? What if Sonia Gandhi hands over all the secrets of India to Rome? Rome might invade India overnight and take whatever belongs to India? The secrets are of course open, but what is the guarantee that an Indian born Prime Minister won’t open it other countries. I personally feel Sonia will be extra conscious in dealing with those issues and we can really trust her on that. We need to thank L K Advani to have not shared our secrets with Pakistan being a Lahori himself!
One of my friends said, “we need to be ashamed that 1 billion people, we could not find a single Indian born PM”…and I need to agree to that. But an Indian born need not be an Indian, and nothing stops a foreigner from being an Indian…it is all about how much passion you have for the country and countrymen - and Sonia has it all! Go ahead Sonia…we are with you!
Posted by Kenni at 06:06 AM | Comments (6)
May 13, 2004
The hazardous ‘turnstile’ at Tidel Park!
Tidel Park, one of the best STPs in Chennai, has it all - a swimming pool, a badminton court, a snooker joint, the best restaurant and a gym too. The only things they compromised are on the irritable turnstile and the arrogant security personnel.
Tidel Park, one of the best STPs in Chennai, has it all - a swimming pool, a badminton court, a snooker joint, the best restaurant and a gym too. The only things they compromised are on the irritable turnstile and the arrogant security personnel.
It was lunchtime yesterday and one of my friends, who was 8 ½ months pregnant, was crossing the turnstile and as usual it functioned cranky. It hit her on the stomach, and she was rushed to the hospital. A primary scanning was done to check whether it affected the foetus, and thankfully nothing untoward was reported. Now who has to be blamed - the ratty security equipment or the non-vigilant security guys?
This isn’t the first time this was happening. My sister who was 6-months pregnant was hit once too. And as far as I am concerned I was hit on my balls thrice. I don’t care about that. Anyways my purpose of existence is kinda over. Got a daughter already and a son is in the offing!
What if it had happened in the US? They would have sued the turnstile company for some millions of dollars for their hazardous equipment and the mental confusions undergone.
It once happened that a mother found a maggot in her son’s burger (McDonald’s) and she sued McDonalds for $1 million! So when are we going to react? We Indians have a sick habit to bring the roof down always at the wrong time and when there is a real cause, we shy away.
And coming to those arrogant security personnel…I agree they are doing their duty, but they need not behave like as if they are posted at LoC to keep Pakistani infiltration under control! Security people are recruited to filter the wrong doers and safe guard the innocents, and not to treat each and every person as a terrorist!
Things don’t affect us until it happens to ourselves or to one of our close people. So better read it and forget it as any other stuff you read on the net.
Posted by Kenni at 04:42 AM | Comments (0)
Intelligent BJP and the foolish voters!
It all started when the TRP rating of the tele-serial Ramayan, directed by Ramanand Sagar, reached its peak in the lates 80s. People started seeing Arun Govil as the real Ram and Deepika as the real Seeta. There were incidents when Deepika was stoned when she was seen smoking in Seeta’s attire, thus was the power of characterisation.
It all started when the TRP rating of the tele-serial Ramayan, directed by Ramanand Sagar, reached its peak in the lates 80s. People started seeing Arun Govil as the real Ram and Deepika as the real Seeta. There were incidents when Deepika was stoned when she was seen smoking in Seeta’s attire, thus was the power of characterisation.
The roads portrayed a deserted look, the shops put their shutters down, and the customers were asked to come later. And the intelligent BJP leveraged on this fame of Ramayan. Arun Govil and Deepika were one of the first people to campaign for BJP, which obviously pulled in massive crowd.
The media that time were completely against BJP’s idea of bringing in religious sentiments into politics. BJP enjoyed the attention they got…it was ok it was for notorious reasons. Getting into people’s mind was their first motto, anyways.
An irate media person asked a senior BJP leader - why do you tag your party with God Ram? Don’t you think it kindles religious favoritism? And the leader’s answer was, “When Mahatma Gandhi can say Hey Ram, why can’t we?.” And I personally found the comparison completely insane and dumb!
BJP now knew that people could easily be attracted on the name of a fictitious character called Ram (I will remove this word, if you let me know the historic evidence on the existence of King Ram), and hence created the issue of Ram Janmbhoomi Babri Masjid. That was exactly the time when our Rath Yatra King L K Advani took out his first Rath Yatra, and got arrested.
BJP planned the demolition of 400-year-old Babri Masjid, on the argument that the King Babar once demolished a Ram Temple in the same place. I think BJP failed to understand the civilization part that took place in people’s mind in 400 years. If Babar was barbaric, BJP need not be the same. We call Mahatma Gandhi as father of our nation carrying a sickle in our pockets?
Whether the mosque was used for prayers, or it stood there without any purpose, is not an issue that the Hindus should decide. I might use my girl friend, or I might not. My neighbour has no business poking his nose into my affair. It belonged to the Muslims, and it should remain that way.
BJP succeeded in demolishing the Mosque, and also succeeded in putting the blame on the then-ruling Congress for security breach. If BJP feels that the Babri Masjid was demolished due to Congress’s carelessness, then why is BJP using the construction of Ram Temple as their election plank?
All said and done, BJP came to power with their three undemocratical election promises..
1) Uniform Civil Code
2) Ram Temple in Ayodhya
3) Swadeshi
None of the promises was implemented! Not that I am for those stupid promises, just that BJP succeeded in keeping the voters blindfolded for 5 full years without fulfilling any of their promises. And when the election is nearing now, the BJP Don L K Advani reaches Ayodhya to promise the people a Ram Temple once again!
There are many people who say BJP could be bad, but Atal is our man…a clean man to be precise. Recently the media reported…
*Vajpayee has severe knee problems and could not walk for long
*Vajpayee has kidney problems
*His liver is delicate
*He could not sleep without having alcohol
*He needs to sleep at least 3 hours in the day..so on and so forth
Whose hands are we giving the nation to? A person who could not think or take care of himself, we ask him to take care of the country?
And our NRI brothers are all ga ga about Vajpayee’s achievements. These are few basic questions for them… when was the last time you traveled in a crowded bus or a train? When was the last day your family survived without water? And how many of you have come down to vote in the last 10 years?
PS – The scribe doesn’t belong to any political party. He has voted once in his life, and has decided not to vote again. The scribe seriously thinks that in a democratic country it should be individual’s decision whether he wants to vote or not.
Posted by Kenni at 04:40 AM | Comments (0)