Politics & Democracy

"Dirty politics", "Some fat politician", "Politics? What's got into you?", "Don't waste time talking about useless stuff", "Politics sucks!"... These are the responses you would hear if you were to start talking about that dreaded subject - 'Politics'

Now, it's no news that India is a democracy. It has been a democracy for about 63 years or so. But how many of us can truly say that the power of India rests in each one of our hands? How many of us will honestly say that they believe they can make a difference by casting a vote? How many are there who think that they can always DO something for their country? How many know what's happening in the Parliament, that big circular building in New Delhi? My rough estimate is... not many.

I am SAD... Surprised, Amused and Decisive

Wonder what the title is about? Well, I have lately been feeling a lot dull as our blog hasn't been receiving as much response as I know it should. I even started doubting whether I wasn't the right person for the job. But today, I saw comment from one friendly Indian [I shudder to think that he should be a fellow country man] and that has made me SAD... Yes, Surprised, Amused and Decisive.

That friendly Indian had called me f*****g and a b*****d for using the name of India. I'm not sure if that's the exact number of *'s he used [I'm guessing it's a he], because I don't know nor do I want to know what those words meant. But I think I have a slight idea of what he was implying. He also said that there were many 'real' organizations working and us using India's name was a shame to India.

The Common Loot Game

Corruption, Terrorism, Cleanliness, Inadequacy - What else can possibly go wrong with the Commonwealth Games 2010 in Delhi?

Media accessed reports in late July of the Chief Vigilance Commission (CVC) which points to corruption at every level in the organization of the games. The CVC report says that almost all organizations executing infrastructure works for Commonwealth Games have flouted rules in tenders and increased their prices. This means contractors have been paid more that what is the right price. But despite higher rates, work has allegedly been delayed and quality has been compromised in all venues. The report says there is no guarantee of quality of the work done because test records have been fabricated to show compliance.

Then there is the threat from terrorist groups and there was also a small scare when two Taiwanese people were seen in Delhi's Jamma Masjid mosque. Countries and their Sportsmen are more than a bit afraid about potential terrorist attacks.

The Abode of Snow - By Nivedhita. V

THE HIMALAYAS

I was 13 years old, and it was the beautiful month of September. I was on a visit to my aunt and uncle’s house in New Delhi for the vacation, and it was from there that we went to Kulu and Manali in a Qualis. It was one of those journeys which I would hardly forget in my lifetime. I usually detest spending an entire day in travel, but when I beheld the Abode of Snow, the Himalayas, for the first time in my life, the magnificence of that sight left me astounded for hours, to think about anything else.

When we started on our journey, the air was chilly and I could feel it gently brushing by my face and sweeping through my hair. Its freshness and purity seemed to cleanse my very soul. Going uphill, I could see numerous trees of the distant forests, all swaying with every fresh current of the wind. My spirits rose and my heart inflated as I took in every little component of the landscape that presented itself to me as a fleeting panoramic painting, and my spirits rose only higher. What a feast for my eyes!

To Thiruchendur on Independence Day...

Independence Day, a day which should be revered by every Indian citizen with utmost respect. Yet, people still scorn at the idea of celebrating the Independence Day and there are debates going on, still, as to whether or not India should have been freed from the British Empire. Some people are even more unbelievable, ‘cause they don’t like the idea of their friends being ‘too patriotic’. I never knew till now that any person can actually be ‘too’ patriotic. A weird phrase, if you ask me.

Today, as I crossed various towns to reach Thiruchendur, I saw schools with the national flag hoisted, some shops displaying the tricolor and some students having them pinned onto their uniforms. One lady was actually drawing the flag on the entrance of her house, with color powders. I also saw several peacocks and peahens on the way. All of these scenes made my heart glow with pride and the feeling of belonging to a nation full of people who respect the same things you do. But my spirits came down as fast as they had risen.

In the highways, there was a traffic jam. This was a surprise to me. I didn’t know that there could actually be traffic jams in highways. It wasn’t because of any freak accident.

15th August, 2010

A very Happy Independence Day to every Indian!!! :

This Independence Day is not just a reminder of the great people who freed our motherland, but also, a day which gives us new hope and also the day that reminds us that the road to true independence lies far ahead. India is merely out of British control now. We shouldn't be naive enough to call it a free country now. India will not be free as long as there are trial prisoners languishing in jails, children dying of poverty, disease or improper water and sanitation, people are paying bribes to get things done in government offices, farmers are begging for help during a rough year and numerous other outrageous injustices are happening in this nation of ours. This Independence Day, let's not just be proud of India, let's also think deeply to make sure we leave a better country than the one our ancestors left us. On this 15th of August, let's promise to fight for true freedom. Freedom from corruption, poverty, ignorance, indifference, irresponsibility, disease, illiteracy, violence and injustice.

Jai Hind!!!


Once again, a very
Happy Independence Day !!!

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World Peace Day - Awareness Campaign

It was the 6th of August, and there we were, by the side of the stage, waiting with bated breaths for our time to come… And come it did. It was a play consisting of scenes and messages of our own and that’s what made it even more interesting for us. It gave us an opportunity to put a little of ourselves in every scene. What really was a challenge for every one of us was to make sure the message we wanted to spread did not make the skit boring for the audience [which is not quite easy, if I may say so]. That message was not one about peace or environment. It was about both.

On World Peace Day, we wanted to spread an awareness about how the stability and health of our surrounding environment can deeply affect the inner peace within each individual, and how that could in turn cause an adverse impact on world peace. The Nobel Prize winner for peace this year was an environmentalist. It’s not possible for us to shrug our shoulders and say peace and ecology are two distinct aspects… because they aren’t. It was also about how some people didn’t believe the little things they did would make any difference in the end… and how that thought is far from right.