And they wonder why Farmers suffer…

When Devilal Tadvi of the Adivasi village of Gadkoi in Gujarat first saw the site of the Sardar Sarovar dam located about twelve kilometres from his home, a singular thought crossed his eager mind. When would the mighty Narmada water his small field? Little did he know, that not only would he get no water from the dam in the future, but that he wouldn't have much agricultural land left either.

Devilal's father Jatanbhai had already lost seven and a half acres to the dam's main canal in the early eighties. With only four acres left over that was partitioned between Jatanbhai and his four sons, Devilal's share was less than an acre. Though Gujarat Government officials promised the family adequate cash compensation when they acquired the land, they soon reneged on their sugar-coated assurances. Eventually, Jatanbhai was paid a meagre Rs.2800 an acre, impoverishing him with a stroke of a pen, for life.

Government officials also promised that all four of his sons would be employed, but only one son was hired as a clerk in a State Bank branch in the colony built for dam engineers and staff. Now Devilal was forced to work as a labourer on other people's farms, pulling out weeds all day for a tiny payment. When dry, merciless summers arrived, he had to leave home for Surat, to sweat and slog at construction sites in inhospitable conditions. But he still had hope that the Government would compensate his family for the land it had so unjustly usurped, that it would provide them Narmada waters to irrigate the fields which buttressed their lives. The compensation money never came. Nor did the water.

Jatanbhai is one of thousands of farmers who lost land to the canal network of the dam, much touted as Gujarat's lifeline. The 1992 report of the Independent Review commissioned by the World Bank - which initially sanctioned a loan of $450 million for the Sardar Sarovar Projects (SSP) - puts the figure of land-owning farmers with titles who would become landless or be left with less than two hectares, at about 14,000. The report further states that based on discussions with affected families, in many regions, one title holder is equal to three or four families.

[http://www.indiatogether.org/]

The Indian Armed Forces—Continuation

Indian Air Force

With a strength of approximately 170,000 personnel, 1,130 combat and 1,700 non-combat aircraft in active service, the Indian Air Force is the fourth largest air force in the world. In recent years, the IAF has undertaken an ambitious expansion and modernization program and is increasingly used for India's power projection beyond South Asia. In its history, the IAF has generally relied on Soviet, British, Israeli and French military craft and technology to support its growth. In recent times, however, India has successfully made its own original aircraft, including the HAL Tejas, a 4.5th generation fighter, and the HAL Dhruv, a multi-role helicopter, which has been exported to many countries, including Israel, Burma, Nepal and Ecuador. India also maintains UAV squadrons which can be used to carry out ground attacks and aerial surveillance.

India is testing its own long range BVR air to air missile named Astra and also building a Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) called Rustom. India and Russia are building number of next generation aircraft like 5th generation stealth aircraft called Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft and medium-lift military transport aircraft called Multirole Transport Aircraft.
 

Indian Coast Guard

The Indian Coast Guard is the maritime Para Military Force (PMF) created to guard Republic of India's vast coastline. It was created on 18 August 1978 as an independent entity as per the Coast Guard Act. Its primary objective is to guard India's vast coastline and operates under the effective control of the Ministry of Defense.

The coast guard works closely with the Indian Navy and the Indian Customs Department, and is usually headed by a naval officer of the rank of Vice-Admiral. India's coast guard has a large number of fast craft including hovercrafts and hydrofoils. They patrol the seas and river mouths. The coast guard has performed a number of commendable tasks of rescuing distressed personnel. It has also apprehended pirates on high seas and cleaned up oil spills. Heavy patrolling of sensitive areas such as Karnataka, Gujarat, West Bengal and Mumbai have resulted in the nabbing of a large number of smugglers and illegal immigrants.
 

Corruption

India is ranked 85 out of a 179 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, although its score has improved consistently from 2.7 in 2002 to 3.4 in 2008.
A 2005 study done by Transparency International (TI) in India found that more than 50% of the people had firsthand experience of paying bribe or peddling influence to get a job done in a public office.
Officials often steal state property. In Bihar, more than 80% of the subsidized food aid to poor is stolen.
A 2009 survey of the leading economies of Asia, revealed Indian bureaucracy to be not just least efficient out of Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, China, Philippines and Indonesia; further it was also found that working with the India's civil servants was a "slow and painful" process.

School—Place for Intellectual Growth

Why teachers must be respected
This tale is based on a true story told to Will by a friend [Tessa] who is an nursery schoolteacher in Drayton near Portsmouth; names have been changed to protect the guilty.

Marlon asked the teacher to help him get his shoes on at the end of a busy day. After quite a struggle with the shoes, which were a little tight, Tessa finally got them on. 'They're on the wrong way round, Miss,' mumbled Marlon.

She realizes that he is right; they are on the wrong feet. Staying calm she swaps them over for him.

'They're not my shoes, Miss,' Marlon murmurs again.

Tessa fights hard to keep her cool and asks Marlon why he hadn't told her before. She then kneels down again and helps him pull the shoes off.

'These aren't my shoes, they're my brother's and Mum told me not to tell anyone.'

At this point Tessa can feel tears coming. She helps him back into his shoes. She gets him into his coat and wraps his scarf round his neck.

'Where are your gloves, Marlon?' asks Tessa wearily.

'Oh, Miss, I always put them in my shoes!'
____________________

"A fool can ask more questions than a wise man can answer," quoted the teacher. "Maybe that's why we all flunked your last test," came an anonymous retort from the rear of the class room.

Pupil: "Excuse me, Sir, but I don't think I deserve a mark of zero for this exam paper."
Teacher: "Neither do I, but it's the lowest mark I can give."
____________________

What is GDP?

The gross domestic product (GDP) is one the primary indicators used to gauge the health of a country's economy. It represents the total dollar value of all goods and services produced over a specific time period - you can think of it as the size of the economy. Usually, GDP is expressed as a comparison to the previous quarter or year. For example, if the year-to-year GDP is up 3%, this is thought to mean that the economy has grown by 3% over the last year.

Measuring GDP is complicated (which is why we leave it to the economists), but at its most basic, the calculation can be done in one of two ways: either by adding up what everyone earned in a year (income approach), or by adding up what everyone spent (expenditure method). Logically, both measures should arrive at roughly the same total.

The income approach, which is sometimes referred to as GDP(I), is calculated by adding up total compensation to employees, gross profits for incorporated and non incorporated firms, and taxes less any subsidies. The expenditure method is the more common approach and is calculated by adding total consumption, investment, government spending and net exports.

As one can imagine, economic production and growth, what GDP represents, has a large impact on nearly everyone within that economy. For example, when the economy is healthy, you will typically see low unemployment and wage increases as businesses demand
labor to meet the growing economy. A significant change in GDP, whether up or down, usually has a significant effect on the stock market. It's not hard to understand why: a bad economy usually means lower profits for companies, which in turn means lower stock prices. Investors really worry about negative GDP growth, which is one of the factors economists use to determine whether an economy is in a recession.

The Army and the Navy

The Indian Army is the world's second largest army in terms of military personnel, and the largest in terms of active manpower. It is a completely voluntary service, the military draft having never been imposed in India. The army has rich combat experience in diverse terrains, due to India's diverse geography, and also has a distinguished history of serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations. Initially, the army's main objective was to defend the nation's frontiers. However, over the years, the army has also taken up the responsibility of providing internal security, especially in insurgent-hit Kashmir and north-east.

The highest rank in the Indian Army is Field Marshal, but it is a largely ceremonial rank and appointments are made by the President of India, on the advice of the Union Cabinet of Ministers, only in exceptional circumstances.

The Indian Army has seen military action during the First Kashmir War, Operation Polo, the Sino-Indian War, the Second Kashmir War, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the Sri Lankan Civil War and the Kargil War. Currently, the Indian army has dedicated one brigade of troops to the UN's standby arrangements. Through its large, sustained troop commitments India has come in for much praise for taking part in difficult operations for prolonged periods.

The Indian Army has participated in several UN peacekeeping operations, including the ones in Cyprus, Lebanon, Congo, Angola, Cambodia, Vietnam, Namibia, El Salvador, Liberia, Mozambique and Somalia. The army also provided a paramedical unit to facilitate the withdrawal of the sick and wounded in Korea. The 1965 war resulted into a ceasefire mandated by the United Nations on Indian request. However, it lost much territory in the Sino-Indian War which till date it has not managed to gain.
The Indian Army has also started modernization program from 2012 to 2020 under Futuristic Infantry Soldier As a System (F-INSAS).

The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. With 55,000 men and women, including 5,000 naval aviation personnel and 2,000 Marine Commandos (MARCOS), it is the world's fifth largest navy.

The Indian Navy currently operates more than 155 vessels, including the aircraft carrier INS Viraat. In recent years, India has started many ambitious projects to bolster its maritime capabilities including efforts to acquire ships from foreign countries.

In recent years, the Indian Navy has undergone extensive modernization and expansion with an intention to increase its capabilities as a recognized blue-water navy. It is fairly advanced in terms of technology and is in control of one of two Asian aircraft carriers. Two more aircraft carriers are currently being produced. The ships of the Indian Navy are of Indian and foreign origin. In addition, three ballistic missile submarines are to enter service by 2010 end. It is also only one of the six navies in the world that has nuclear capabilities. Others include US, Russia, China, France and the UK. In addition it is in command of the BrahMos which is the fastest cruise missile in the world with speeds of 2.8 Mach.

In its maritime doctrine, the Indian Navy establishes its role in providing support to maritime neighbors during natural disasters. This was demonstrated during the Asian tsunami crisis during which the Indian Navy sent 35 ships to support relief efforts in neighbouring countries. The Indian navy has taken part in UN missions in the coast of Somalia and has provided security to an African Union summit held in Mozambique.

The Indian Navy is increasing its capabilities as a true blue-water navy; the Indian Navy's doctrine states that this is for the collective good of nations.

Indian Navy is expected to spend about US$40 billion on military modernization from 2008 to 2013. The modernization program includes INS Vikramaditya, Vikrant class aircraft carrier, P-8 Poseidon, Arihant class nuclear-powered submarines, Shivalik class frigate, Kolkata class destroyer, Scorpène class submarine and Improved Talwar class frigate.

Right to Information Act

Right to Information is a part of fundamental rights under Article 19(1) of the Constitution. Article 19 (1) says that every citizen has freedom of speech and expression. As early as in 1976, the Supreme Court said in the case of Raj Narain vs. State of UP, that people cannot speak or express themselves unless they know. Therefore, right to information is embedded in article 19. In the same case, Supreme Court further said that India is a democracy. People are the masters. Therefore, the masters have a right to know how the governments, meant to serve them, are functioning. Further, every citizen pays taxes. Even a beggar on the street pays tax (in the form of sales tax, excise duty etc) when he buys a piece of soap from the market. The citizens therefore, have a right to know how their money was being spent. These three principles were laid down by the Supreme Court while saying that RTI is a part of our fundamental rights.

If RTI is a fundamental right, then why do we need an Act to give us this right? This is because if you went to any Government Department and told the officer there, “RTI is my fundamental right, and that I am the master of this country. Therefore, please show me all your files”, he would not do that. In all probability, he would throw you out of his room. Therefore, we need a machinery or a process through which we can exercise this fundamental right. Right to Information Act 2005, which became effective on 13th October 2005, provides that machinery. Therefore, Right to Information Act does not give us any new right. It simply lays down the process on how to apply for information, where to apply, how much fees etc.

Right to Information Act 2005 empowers every citizen to:

• Ask any questions from the Government or seek any information
• Take copies of any government documents
• Inspect any government documents.
• Inspect any Government works.
• Take samples of materials of any Government work.

The Central RTI Act extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir. All bodies, which are constituted under the Constitution or under any law or under any Government notification or all bodies, including NGOs, which are owned, controlled or substantially financed by the Government are covered. All private bodies, which are owned, controlled or substantially financed by the Government are directly covered. Others are indirectly covered. That is, if a government department can access information from any private body under any other Act, the same can be accessed by the citizen under the RTI Act through that government department.

Isn’t Official Secrets Act 1923 an obstacle to the implementation of RTI Act? No. Sec 22 of the RTI Act 2005 clearly says that RTI Act would over ride all existing Acts including Officials Secrets Act. A PIO can refuse information on 11 subjects that are listed in section 8 of the RTI Act. These include information received in confidence from foreign governments, information prejudicial to security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the country, breach of privilege of legislatures, etc. There is a list of 18 agencies given in second schedule of the Act to which RTI Act does not apply. However, they also have to give information if it relates to matters pertaining to allegations of corruption or human rights violations.

One or more existing officers in every Government Department have been designated as Public Information Officers (PIO). These PIOs act like nodal officers. You have to file your applications with them. They are responsible for collecting information sought by you from various wings of that Department and providing that information to you. In addition, several officers have been appointed as Assistant Public Information Officers (APIOs). Their job is only to accept applications from the public and forward it to the right PIO.
[www.righttoinformation.org]

Picking up the Pieces

The Indian government’s response to the Mumbai attacks highlighted several key weaknesses in the country’s general counterterrorism and threat-mitigation structure.

· Intelligence Failures: Though the Indian as well as US intelligence officials received prior warnings of such an attack, due to lack of coordination between the centre and state security agencies, there is doubt if Mumbai police received the information.

· Gaps in Coastal surveillance: Though the RA&W predicted the terrorists’ landing by sea route, the steps taken, if any, were insufficient. This may be due to the fact that the coast guard had a shortage of equipments. Although the central government has set aside funds for the purchase of 26 additional vessels to patrol the country’s coastal states, Maharashtra State (of which Mumbai is the capital) refused them on the grounds that it lacked the funds necessary for maintenance.

· Inadequate Equipment, training of Police: Constable Harshad Patil to court: “I tried to fire at the attackers armed with AK-47 rifles, but the very first bullet misfired from my…” Though the Railway Protection officers were armed, their weapons were inadequate and very less [1 for every 2 officers]. The force had little training to deal with well-planned terrorist attacks. To effectively manage a terrorist incident, first responders need to have appropriate equipment and training to neutralize or at least contain the terrorists. However, the Mumbai attacks graphically illustrated how ill prepared the Maharashtra police were to handle a major terrorist incident. Many police officers remained passive, seemingly because they were outgunned by the terrorists. The bulletproof vests that were available could not withstand AK-47 or AK-56 rounds (two batches had failed tests in 2001 and 2004, and the head of the ATS, Chief Karkare, died after bullets penetrated the vest he was wearing). Many officers had only been issued 5-mm-thick plastic protectors that were suitable for riot control but not for engaging terrorists. Helmets were of World War II vintage and not designed for modern combat, and most of the responding detachments involved in the incidents were carrying .303 bolt-action rifles of the sort used by the British Army in the 1950s.

· Response timing problems: Local contingents of the army arrived at the scene of the attacks at 02:50 hours, a full five hours after the first shots had been fired. It was not until 08:50 hours that the elite National Security Guard (NSG, or “Black Cat Commandos,”) arrived. The slow response of the NSG is especially noteworthy given its mandate to act as the country’s premier rapid-reaction force. This underscores two main organizational and logistical problems. First, the unit is headquartered south of Delhi and lacks bases anywhere else in the country; second, the NSG has no aircraft of its own and cannot count on dedicated access to Indian Air Force aircraft in an emergency. The only plane that was available to transport the 200 commandos to Mumbai was a Russian IL-76 transport carrier; however, it was in Chandigarh, which is 165 miles north of Delhi. The pilot had to be awakened, a crew assembled, and the plane fueled. The aircraft did not reach Delhi until 02:00 hours (five hours after the attacks began and most of the killing had been done) and took roughly 3.5 hours to reach Mumbai (compared to just two hours for a commercial jet). According to various counterterrorism experts, any rapid-reaction force must reach the scene of a terrorist incident no later than 30–60 minutes after it has commenced. In Mumbai, nearly 10 hours elapsed.

· Limitations of Municipal Fire and Emergency Services. Firemen were slow to respond. They failed to coordinate their actions with both the local police and national paramilitary forces and suffered from inadequate equipment. These limitations underscore the poor quality of India’s municipal services even in a major, bustling, economically vibrant city such as Mumbai.

· Flawed Hostage-Rescue Plan. In several respects, the NSG hostage rescue plans for the Taj Mahal and Trident-Oberoi Hotels suffered from serious defects. The unit’s senior command failed to set up an operational command center to coordinate the mission, and the storm teams went in “blind” with no understanding of the -And Mumbai is the financial capital of India, one of the most important cities.

Basic layout of either of the two buildings. Both hotels were designated “clear” when terrorists were still alive; room-to-room sweeps were hampered by insufficient intelligence on the numbers of hostages being held and the profile of the militants involved; and the possibility for a surprise raid under cover of darkness was effectively negated by the absence of suitable equipment, such as night-vision goggles and thermal imaging systems.

Poor Strategic Communications and Information Management. So badly did officials handle communications that an unprecedented public interest lawsuit has been filed against the government charging that it failed to discharge its constitutional duty to protect the country’s citizenry and uphold their right to life. More seriously, breaches of basic information security protocols provided the terrorists with vital operational intelligence. Major criticism was directed at a cabinet minister on the first day of the crisis, after he announced that 200 NSG commandos were to be deployed in the area in two hours. Not only did this alert the terrorists as to when a hostage rescue mission might occur, it also effectively confirmed that no forward operating units had yet been mobilized.
[For more: http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/2009/RAND_OP249.pdf]

—Imagine the rest of India if this is the condition of the financial capital and one of the most important cities…

People criticised their political leaders after the attacks, saying that their ineptness was partly responsible. The Times of India commented on its front page that "Our politicians fiddle as innocents die." Political reactions in Mumbai and India included a range of resignations and political changes, including the resignations of Minister for Home Affairs, Shivraj Patil, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharastra R. R. Patil. In addition, there was condemnation of the attacks by Indian Muslim organizations and personalities and Naxalite insurgents. Prominent Muslim personalities such as Bollywood actor Aamir Khan appealed to the community members in the country to observe Eid al-Adha as a day of mourning on 9 December 2008. The business establishment also reacted, with changes to transport, and requests for an increase in self-defense capabilities. The attacks also triggered a chain of citizens' movements across India such as the India Today Group's "War Against Terror" campaign. There were vigils held across all of India with candles and placards commemorating the victims of the attacks. [Wikipedia.org]

Steps taken by the Government to strengthen security:

• Force One, Maharashtra’s “elite security force designed on the lines of the National Security Guard (NSG)” been commissioned
• Arms purchase has increased in India. Not just in Maharashtra but by the central government, and the Army
• The Navy is also beefing up on infrastructure to protect India from the sea. From aircraft to boats, to the numerical strength of personnel is all being increased.
• Vacancies in the Maharashtra police, which were at 230,567 on January 1, 2008 are now down to less than 150,000. The central government has ordered that this deficit be brought down further, and in fact brought down to zero by March 2010.
• A 20 per cent increase in the budget for Coast Guard vessels. Manpower is also being increased.
• The Maharashtra government has set aside Rs 150 Crore to buy speed boats this last June.
• The government has opened four NSG hubs in Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai, each having a strength of 241 personnel.
• NSG will now be better mobilized: That time lag of Nov 26, 2008 when the National Security Guards (NSG) took about 10 hours to take up position to combat India’s worst terror attack will never be repeated, promises chief of the elite commando force N.P.S. Aulakh. “We lost time during the Mumbai serial attacks. But things have changed and now we can take up any challenge within just 30 minutes of notice and that too anywhere,’ NSG Director General N.P.S. Aulakh told IANS in an exhaustive interview. [http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/improvements-in-security-arrangements-in-india-after-911/]

September 11 Mumbai Terrorist Attack - Events

The Mumbai terrorist attacks took place at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, the Orthodox Jewish-owned Nariman House, the Metro Cinema and a lane behind the Times of India building and St. Xavier's College. There was also an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai's port area, and in a taxi at Vile Parle. By the early morning of 28 November, all sites except for the Taj hotel had been secured by Mumbai Police and security forces. An action by India's National Security Guards (NSG) on 29 November resulted in the death of the last remaining attackers at the Taj hotel, ending all fighting in the attacks.

According to investigations the attackers traveled by sea from Karachi, Pakistan across the Arabian Sea, hijacked the Indian fishing trawler 'Kuber', killing the crew, and then entered Mumbai on a rubber dinghy. The captain of 'Kuber', Amar Singh Solanki, had earlier been imprisoned for six months in a Pakistani jail for illegally fishing in Pakistani waters. The first events were detailed around 20:00 Indian Standard Time (IST) on 26 November, when 10 Urdu-speaking men in inflatable speedboats came ashore at two locations in Colaba. They reportedly told local Marathi-speaking fishermen to "mind their own business" before they split up and headed two different ways. The fishermen's subsequent report to police received little response.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) was attacked by two gunmen, one of whom, Ajmal Kasab, was later caught alive by the police and identified by eyewitnesses. The attacks began around 21:30 when the two men entered the passenger hall and opened fire, using AK-47 rifles. The attackers killed 58 people and injured 104 others, their assault ending at about 22:45.

The Leopold Cafe, a popular restaurant and bar on Colaba Causeway in South Mumbai, was one of the first sites to be attacked. Two attackers opened fired on the cafe on 26 November night, killing at least 10 people (including some foreigners), and injuring many more.

There were two explosions in taxis caused by timer bombs. The first one occurred at 22:40 at Vile Parle, killing the driver and a passenger. The second explosion took place at Wadi Bunder between 22:20 and 22:25. Three people including the driver of the taxi were killed, and about 15 other people were injured.

Two hotels, the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower and the Oberoi Trident, were amongst the four locations targeted. Six explosions were reported at the Taj hotel and one at the Oberoi Trident.

During the attacks, both hotels were surrounded by Rapid Action Force personnel and Marine Commandos (MARCOS) and National Security Guards (NSG) commandos. When reports emerged that attackers were receiving television broadcasts, feeds to the hotels were blocked. All attackers were out of the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels by the early morning of November 29.

Nariman House, a Chabad Lubavitch Jewish center in Colaba known as the Mumbai Chabad House, was taken over by two attackers and several residents were held hostage. The house was stormed by NSG commandos and, after a long battle, one NSG commando and the two attackers were killed.

Indian forces found the bodies of six hostages inside the house. By the morning of 27 November, the army had secured the Jewish outreach center at Nariman House as well as the Oberoi Trident hotel.

Fires were reported at the ground floor of the Taj with plumes of smoke arising from the first floor. The final operation at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel was completed by the NSG commandos at 08:00 on 29 November, killing three attackers and resulting in the conclusion of the attacks.

The security forces rescued 250 people from the Oberoi, 300 from the Taj and 60 people (members of 12 different families) from Nariman House. In addition, police seized a boat filled with arms and explosives anchored at Mazgaon dock off Mumbai harbour. At least 166 people had been killed in the attacks and 293 wounded. [Wikipedia.org]

Running From the Truth

They say ignorance is bliss. Please don’t believe that even in your dreams. Ignorance gives helplessness, foolishness, misunderstanding and these three are enough to ruin anyone’s life. We might be ashamed, embarrassed, angry, troubled, scared, etc. of the truth. But never in our lives should we even for a moment try to hide the truth from ourselves. Being dishonest with others is inevitable at times, but being dishonest with ourselves produces nothing less than our own self-destruction. Truth is often bitter whether we say it to others or to ourselves and lies always sound quite sweet. But believe me, truth is like a bitter medicine, whereas lies are like life-consuming drugs. The latter accumulate in our body, clouding our wisdom. They rarely hurt at the beginning, but eventually, they turn our world into hell.
Running from the truth is easy, it is the act of cowards and we know that cowards seldom win. Facing the truth with our heads held high is what we need to do, for truth always wins…

Stupidity

Stupid Sayings

"My sister's expecting a baby, and I don't know if I'm going to be an uncle or an aunt."
- Chuck Nevitt, North Carolina State basketball player, explaining to Coach Jim Valvano why he appeared nervous at practice.

"It's time for the human race to enter the solar system!"
- Dan Quayle, former U.S. Vice President on the concept of a manned mission to Mars

"The doctors X-rayed my head and found nothing."
- Dizzy Dean explaining how he felt after being hit on the head by a ball in the 1934 World Series.

"It is white."
- George W. Bush, when asked what the White house was like by a student in East London

"The war did not turn in Japan's favor, and trends of the world are not advantageous to us."
- Japan's Emperor Hirohito, announcing his country's surrender to America and its WWII allies, after two atom bombs had been dropped.

Fact:

Did you know there are towns called Okay, Happy Chicken, Hell, Deadhorse, Why, Nothing, Nameless, Ding Dong and Monkey’s eyebrow in USA?

Stupid Criminals

Police in Los Angeles had good luck with a robbery suspect who just couldn't control himself during a lineup. When detectives asked each man in the lineup to repeat the words, "Give me all your money or I'll shoot," the man shouted, "That's not what I said!"
A pair of Michigan robbers entered a record shop nervously waving revolvers. The first one shouted, "Nobody move!" When his partner moved, the startled first bandit shot him.
A Florida man, who robbed two men at gunpoint in their homes, dropped his wallet as he left and then called police to ask if they found the wallet. They said they did. They asked him to come down and claim it. He did.


The Most Stupid death

Aeschylus: A Greek playwright back in 500 BC. Many historians consider him the father of Greek tragedies.
How he died: An eagle dropped a tortoise on his head
According to legend, eagles picked up tortoises and attempt to crack them open by dropping them on rocks. An eagle mistook Aeschylus' head for a rock (he was bald) and dropped it on him instead.

Quotes about Stupidity

'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.' -Abraham Lincoln

'Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.' –Albert Einstein

How to Take Insults

Nice

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned." - Buddha

On one occasion, the Buddha was invited by Bharadvaja for alms to his house. As invited, the Buddha visited the house of the man. Instead of entertaining Him, Bharadvaja poured forth a torrent of abuse with the filthiest of words. The Buddha politely inquired:

"Do visitors come to your house, good Bharadvaja?"
"Yes," he replied.
"What do you do when they come?"
"Oh, we prepare a sumptuous feast."
"What do you do if they refuse to receive the meal?"
"Why, we gladly partake of them ourselves."
"Well, good Bharadvaja, you have invited me for alms and entertained me with abuse which I decline to accept. So now it belongs to you."

Naughty

Lady Astor said to Winston Churchill, 'Winston, if I were your wife, I'd put poison in your coffee', to which Churchill replied, 'Nancy, if I were your husband, I'd drink it.'
Insults, delivered with the proper timing, can be devastating - especially if you just sit there and take it. Those who don't want to fight back against an insult-slinger, or those who just don't know how, always end up on the spot and look silly.
The best comebacks are done without any hesitation. Begin with a genuine laugh, and finish with biting sarcasm. Examples of comebacks:
"You see? THAT remark is just one reason why your absence would be greatly appreciated."
"So little time ... so many morons."
"Those of us that appreciate your lack of intelligence, would relish your silence."
"Aren't you getting tired of that taste of shoe leather in your mouth?"
"What is it like to be free of all sensitivity, caring and compassion?"

Farmer’s Suicides

More than 17,500 farmers a year killed themselves between 2002 and 2006, according to experts who have analyzed government statistics. It was said, a comprehensive all-India study is still awaited, that most suicides occurred in states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Punjab.

In 2006, the state of Maharashtra, with 4,453 farmers’ suicides accounted for over a quarter of the all-India total of 17,060, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its report Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India, 2006, totaling to ‘36,428 farmers’ suicides since 1995. According to another study by the Bureau, while the number of farm suicides increased since 2001, the number of farmers has fallen, as thousands abandoning agriculture in distress. According to government data, over 5,000 farmers committed suicide in 2005-2009 in Maharashtra, while 1,313 cases reported by Andhra Pradesh between 2005 and 2007. In Karnataka the number stood at 1,003, since 2005-06 till August 2009. In the last four years, cases in Kerala were about 905, Gujarat 387, Punjab 75 and Tamil Nadu 26.

In the initial years when farmers distress came to attract public attention it was said that indebtedness and use of Bt Cotton were the main cause for farmers suicide. Here it is important to notice that in the context of Indian history the moneylender is considered to be a particularly evil person and the farmer an unwitting subject of his machinations. Moreover, in recent times there has been a considerable ideologically driven movement against the use of BT crops. As a result the initial causes indebtedness and Bt Cotton were easily accepted to be the causes of farm suicides.

P. Sainath, a journalist who covered the Covering farmers' suicides in India, later won the 2007 Ramon Magsaysay Award.

In April 2007 an NGO named Green Earth Social Development Consulting brought out a report after doing an audit of the state and central government relief packages in Vidarbha. The report's conclusions were:

· Farmers' demands were not taken into count while preparing the relief package. Neither were civil society organisations, local government bodies, panchayats etc consulted.



· The relief packages were mostly amalgamations of exiting schemes. Apart from the farmer helpline and the direct financial assistance, there was scarcely anything new being offered. Pumping extra funds into additional schemes shows that no new idea was applied to solve a situation where existing measures had obviously failed.



· The farmer helpline did not give any substantial help to farmers

The basis for selection of beneficiaries under the assistance scheme was not well-defined. Also, type of assistance to be given led to problems like a farmer needing a pair of bullocks getting a pump set and vice versa (or a farmer who has no access to water sources being given pump sets).

Awareness regarding the package was also fairly low.

The report concluded quite alarmingly that the loan burden of the farmers would double in 2008.

The Indian Armed Forces

The Indian Armed Forces is the overall unified military of the Republic of India encompassing the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, the Indian Navy, and various other inter-service institutions. With an estimated total active force of 1,414,000 personnel, India maintains the world's third largest armed forces.

Auxiliary services include the Indian Coast Guard, the Central Paramilitary Forces (CPF) and the Strategic Forces Command.

India's official defense budget stands at $32.35 billion but the actual spending on the armed forces is estimated to be much higher than that. Undergoing rapid expansion and modernization, the Indian Armed Forces plans to have an active military space program and is currently developing a potent missile defense shield and nuclear triad capability.

India is moving to build a $2 billion or Rs 9,970.16 crore dedicated; highly secure and state-of-the-art optical fiber cable (OFC) network for the Army, Navy and Air Force. This will be one of the world’s largest, closed user group (CUG) networks for exclusive use by the million-plus personnel of the Indian armed forces.

The Indian armed forces are split into different groups based on their region of operation. The Indian Army is administratively divided into 7 tactical commands, each under the control of different Lieutenant Generals.

The Indian Air Force is divided into five operational and two functional commands. Each Command is headed by an Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief with the rank of Air Marshal. The Indian Navy operates four Commands. Each Command is headed by a Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief in the rank of Vice Admiral.

The Armed Forces have five main tasks:

1. To assert the territorial integrity of India.

2. To defend the country if attacked by a foreign nation.

3. To send own amphibious warfare equipment to take the battle to enemy shores.

4. To support the civil community in case of disasters (e.g. flooding).

5. To deploy forces to international peace support operations.

Fragrance of Peace

When life comes to its end
You, please transport
My lifeless body
Place it on the soil of Father Koubru
To reduce my dead body
To cinders amidst the flames
Chopping it with axe and spade
Fills my mind with revulsion
The outer cover is sure to dry out
Let it rot under the ground
Let it be of some use to future generations
Let it transform into ore in the mine
I'll spread the fragrance of peace
From Kanglei, my birthplace
In the ages to come
It will spread all over the world.
-Irom Sharmila.

Who is Irom Sharmila? It is quite essential that we know the name of this woman…
[From www.manipurfreedom.org/:]
Introduced in 1958 the AFSPA grants the Indian military special powers throughout North-East India to:

• Arrest citizens and enter their property without warrant;
• Shoot and kill anyone on mere ‘suspicion’;
• Enjoy immunity against legal action.

Racism in India

In recent years there have been many reports of racism against northeastern Indians, who have a different in appearance to Indians from the rest of India. In 2007 the North East Support Centre & Helpline was started, with the goal of increasing awareness of prejudice and attacks against people from North-East India. Many northeasterners are called "chinky" by people in New Delhi, in reference to the appearance of their eyes. The dropout rates of Northeastern students in Delhi touches 50 per cent, with more girls dropping out than boys. The reasons are the socio—cultural aspects and the resultant stress [in other words—racism].

Rights not Enforced

The problems of individual rights in India is greater than most of us expect it to be. They are certainly not about five-bob postal orders...

Human trafficking is a $8 million illegal business in India. Around 10,000 Nepali women are brought to India annually for commercial exploitation. Each year 20,000-25,000 women and children are trafficked from Bangladesh. Babubhai Khimabhai Katara was a Member of Parliament when arrested for smuggling a child to Canada. The 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots was a four-day period during which Sikhs were massacred by members of the secular-centrist Congress Party of India; some estimates state that more than 2,000 were killed.

It has been found that more than half of the prisoners of the country are detained without adequate evidence. Unlike in other democratic countries, the investigation in India generally commence with the arrest of the accused. As the judicial system is understaffed and sluggish, it is not uncommon to find innocent civilians languishing in jail for many years. For instance, the Bombay high court in September 2009 asked the Maharashtra government to pay Rs 1 lakh as compensation to a 40-year-old man who languished in prison for over 10 years for a crime he didn’t commit. This is just one example.

Narcoanalysis is a medication used to obtain information from subjects who are unable or unwilling to provide it otherwise. The unethical use is classified as a form of torture according to international law. However, they are productively used in the evaluation of psychotic patients in the practice of psychiatry.

It is now commonly permitted by Indian courts for crime investigation. Even though according to Indian constitution "nobody may be made a witness against himself", courts have recently proclaimed that even a permission from court is not necessary for conducting this practice. Narcoanalysis is now widely used to replace/circumvent the lack of skill and infrastructure for conducting scientific methods of crime investigation. Narcoanalysis is also alleged as against medical ethics.
Despite state prohibitions against torture and custodial misconduct by the police, torture is widespread in police custody, which is a major reason behind deaths in custody.

Although human rights problems do exist in India, the country is generally not regarded as a human rights concern, unlike other countries in South Asia.
Based on these considerations, the report Freedom in the World 2006 by Freedom House gave India a political rights rating of 2, and a civil liberties rating of 3, earning it the designation of free.

What a Foreigner hates in India

I recently happened to come across this blog and this is what the foreigner had to say:

“Though the nation has grown and matured over the last few decades, unfortunately not all domains have followed the same evolution.

1. Power cuts:

While typing this article, the electricity board cut off the power supply. The reason - a storm last night which lasted for 15 to 20 minutes. While I appreciate their reasoning, during the cyclonic rains in New Orleans last year, though thousands perished, electricity was not switched off.

2. No access to historical documents:

Without fail, you will be courteously informed that India's security and integrity will be endangered if these precious documents are opened to the public. It is sad that Indians are not entitled to study their past (though they can always visit archives in the West to know more about India!)

3. Discrimination against the white tourist:

Something particularly irritating for a 'white man' is that wherever he goes in India, he has to pay a special rate. Rates are often ten times higher for those who have a 'white’ skin. Those who have made these rules do not understand that this policy harms India's image.

4. Paranoid about maps:

Several years ago I visited the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. I was invited to the office of a local tahsildar. He did not have a map of the area. He only had a vague sketch of the district. He explained that maps were 'classified' and only the army was authorized to use them. A year ago, the Union Cabinet approved a new National Map Policy, but unfortunately, the mindset of the implementers remains the same.

5. And photographs:

A friend told me of her nightmarish experience while doing research in Chennai, the number of forms she had to fill to take some photos in a museum. Though one pays in hard currency, one has still to justify why one needs the photo. The poor researcher is looked upon as someone trying to 'steal' the national patrimony. I visited the Louvre museum in Paris which receives tens of thousands of visitors every day. All of them were happily clicking away.

6. Politicians:

The topic of politicians is an easy one. Everything appalling and more can be said of them and one will still remain below the truth. In their defense, they are part of a system which is uniquely based on votes. To win votes, one needs money and all compromises are permissible to get the required funds 'to serve the people'. It is true the world over, but here like in many other domains India excels.

7. Neglect for the environment:

Another frustrating aspect for me is the lack of care for the environment (though it has been recently improving). While Indians are the most conscious people as far as personal hygiene goes, there is very little civic awareness or concern for the environment. Education could help (for example for disposal of garbage or plastic bags), but it is often government policies such as free electricity for farmers, incentives for asbestos sheets (one of the most carcinogenic material) or chemical pesticides which harm the environment the most.

8. Traffic:

I hate the Indian traffic (with its absence of rules). Each time I return from a visit abroad, it is a terrible shock. It is difficult to comprehend how there are not more casualties on the road. A friend explained to me that the multitude of gods in India probably protect their flock. The fact is that there are no law enforcement authorities (most of the police force is busy with VIP duty).

9. Corruption: It is better to not comment.

Please allow me to add a last point: the number of 'holidays' taken for a myriad of family 'problems', (marriages, engagements, funerals, etc.), cultural, local or religious festivals (of all faiths: India is secular), then you have bandhs, hartals, riots, strikes (India is the only place in the world where the government sometimes calls for a strike), etc.

Apart from the above, India is an incredible place and I have never regretted, even for one day, to have settled here.”

Well, that’s how foreigners see our country. [I have edited it a bit. For more, visit: www.rediff.com/news/2006/jun/22claude.htm]

Twameva Mata

Twameva Mata Cha Pita Twameva,
Twameva Bandhu Sakha Twameva,
Twameva Vidya Sarvinam Twameva,
Twameva Sarvam Mum Dev Deva.

The first step of awareness, knowing the meaning of our prayer song:
"O Lord, You Are My Mother, Father, Kinsman And Friend.
You Are My Wealth Of Knowledge, Strength, Velor And Power.
You Are My All God Of Gods".

AWARENESS

The JNMA is a group, or more appropriately, an organisation which aspires to do things, both naughty and nice. While the naughty part may not require much planning or decision-making processes, the nice part does. The nice part involves services to the society, friends and the country. It is essential that before we proceed to serve, we must be fully aware of the situation. Otherwise, the situation may go from bad to worse. To illustrate this fact, let me tell a small story that I once read in the internet: There was once a monkey living on a tree beside a lake. One day, it noticed a fish in the lake. Seeing the fish, the monkey felt pity for the poor thing and took it out of the water and put it on a branch of his tree, saying, “I’ll save you from drowning!” To make sure we don’t act like that monkey, awareness is essential. We need to know the problems entirely, before we take further steps to solve it. We also need a means for expressing our views, and that is what this blog aims to do.