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The sad politics of ‘Tamilan to Indian’ by DMK + Congress

S Ranganathan
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The sad politics of ‘Tamilan to Indian’ by DMK + Congress

The divisive politics of DMK and its affiliates are well known but in recent time, the gang has touched new low in Tamil Nadu politics. DMK and its bandwagon are ready to stoop down to any level for their political capital without caring anything about the minimum political decency and the interest of the state.

Post Pulwama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured millions of Indians that the sacrifice of our soldiers will not go waste and made sure of retaliation. As a result of the determination and firmness showed by the PM Modi and the confidence and support extended to our defence force, a pre-emptive, non-military strike at the camps of terrorists in Balakot in Pakistan was possible by Indian air force and destroyed several terrorist camps in Pakistan.

In the operation, our brave wing command Shri Abinandhan Varthaman belonging to the state of Tamil Nadu got captured by Pakistani army. As soon as the news of the capture of Abinandhan by Pakistan army broke out, the DMK and its affiliates reacted sharply by stating that Shri Abinandhan Vardhaman is from Tamil Nadu and a Tamilan has been captured by Pakistani army by indirectly indicating PM Modi as the reason for the above to make political capital out of such unfortunate incident.

Due to the decisive and affirmative steps taken by PM Modi had resulted in the safe release of Shri Abinandhan Varthaman within 3 days. Pakistan had realized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a true patriot and will do anything for India and he is not like congress party which is interested only in minority appeasement politics than India.

As soon as Shri Abinandhan Varthaman was released, the DMK and its affiliates swiftly changed the narrative and instead of thanking PM Modi, thanked Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan and underplayed the release of Shri Abinandhan Varthaman  by describing it as ‘an Indian’ has been released by Pakistan army’.

When the DMK and its affiliates can make a political capital out of such incident, they stooped down to reduce the debate and would swiftly describing Shri Abinandhan as a ‘Tamil person’ and who got him released by Pakistan army due to PM Modi, immediately the DMK and its affiliates described him as Indian than because the DMK and its affiliates does not want to acknowledge the Tamil origin of Shri Abinandhan Varthaman and his safe release by Pakistan army achieved by the PM Modi because such open acknowledgement may benefit PM Modi, politically.

People of India and people of Tamil Nadu must recognize the truth that DMK and its affiliates are interested only in vote bank politics and wants to kindle Tamil chauvinism only to divide the people. The history of why DMK and its forefather EV Ramasamy Naicker has used Dravidian cap and masked the Tamil identity which has been well explained by the great thinker – Maniarasan.

In the name of Tamil, the DMK has progressively eroded Tamil ethos and identity and have re-named the Tamil as Dravidian, the term that was gifted by Bishop Caldwell to EV Ramasamy Naicker obviously with the purpose dividing people of Tamil Nadu from rest of India, especially from Hindus, so that the Christian missionaries can be easily convert prople of Tamil Nadu to Christianity.

EV Ramasamy Naicker when argued against Tamil Kazhagam and insisted upon Dravida Kazhagam for the party, the justification given by EVR was that the former nomenclature would also include Tamil speaking Brahmins whereas the term Dravidian is used, would exclude Brahmins as they belong to Aryan race. When the same EVR argued Tamil Nadu for Tamil people, was he not accepted Brahmins also as part of Tamil people, otherwise he should have demanded Tamil Nadu for Dravidians.

People of Tamil Nadu, especially the first time voters must isolate all those political parties that spread hatred, negativity and caste divisions. DMK and its affiliates are engaged in such third rate politics mainly because they think people of the state are so gullible and innocent.

Time has come, people of the state, especially the first time voters must vote Narendra Modi led BJP, development, sab ka vikas and national security. Vote for DMK gang is like vote for dynastic rule, rule of corruption and nepotism. Hope people of the state will vote for the stability of India and not the growth and development two families who wants to re-establish dynastic rule in the state and country. PM Modi has taken the country to new trajectory of growth and development, has made people aspirational and ensured the first corruption and scam free government in India since independence.

Chowkidar Ranganathan

Sam Pitroda petrified the Congress

G Indira
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Sam Pitroda petrified the Congress

Sam Pitroda, advisor to Rahul Gandhi, seems to have no connect with India of the present-day filled with nationalistic favour. Mr. Pitroda who heads Indian Overseas Congress and has been the organizer of Rahul Gandhi’s foreign engagements should have remained so, stuck to foreign soil. Why playing spoilt sport here? On the eve of elections, his liberal ideas are a bane to his party. His liberal views on empathy towards an enemy country and extraterritorial loyalties are rejected by the people in all countries all over the world. Indian media never shows how Liberals are mocked, jeered at and thrashed throughout the world.

Pitroda’s talk, specially his statement: ‘one cannot jump on an entire nation (Pakistan) just because some eight people came here and attacked’, is a senseless one. He should have confined himself to his Tec-world. Why these stupid statements to enrage people of India? By the way, the airstrikes were not done on civilians or military of Pakistan. The government stated in no uncertain terms that they were aimed at terror camps in Balakot. Why Mr. Pitroda has so much sympathy on Pakistan and its sponsored terrorists, is understandable. Is it one of the traits of Liberalism? This liberal outreach is unwarranted.

Pitroda may have his opinions. Just because he was close to Rajiv Gandhi or is close to Rahul Gandhi now, he cannot air his views whimsically in public and be adamant on it. If he be bashed for his comments, he should not lament that his freedom of speech is under attack. Now the days of intellectualism and superiority by virtue of birth, education and position are gone. Because social media is offering a level-playing field for all. So, responsible statements should be made. In doing so, time and place play a vital role. India is not America. It’s second largest populated country after China in the world. All are entitled for freedom of speech on any chosen subject, barring the security of the country (ie only with some restrictions). Always some trust and belief should be there on the ruling. Even the Congress party, he represents, had not actively promoted freedom of expression. It was in fact, Nehru and Ambedkar, aided by Patel passed an amendment restricting free speech.

The Congress says now that it’s his (Pitroda’s) personal opinion. Through him, in fact, the Congress tried to test the temperatures of water. The party might have thought, if his statement gained momentum in intellectual circles, they could get political mileage. However, most of the learned class dissociated with what he said. None lapped it up. Ultimately the Congress was petrified by the reaction shown by the BJP and none other than prime minister Modi himself.

Mr. Pitroda’s other noteworthy statement that directly affects his party is: ‘(In comments on Pulwama attack)…attacks (terror attacks) happened all the time then referred to Mumbai terror strikes in 2008 when the Congress-led UPA was in office, saying then government could have used air power too but that should not have been the right approach’.

What bizarre way of talking! He was normalizing terror attacks as if they were not of any consequence. He, sitting in ivory towers, may not be affected. What about the poor innocent civilians died in Mumbai attack? Is it not the duty of the ruling government to protect all citizens? Already the Congress got a name for its compromising nature and for its inefficiency in containing terror. Apart from that this man’s added interpretations and glorifying his (the Congress government’s) inaction. Does he mean to say India is created or born to absorb all terror attacks? It should not be bothered about the dead? It shouldn’t try to bring terrorists to justice?

There are many leaders in the Congress including Sam Pitroda who put their foot in their mouth. The very leaders are liabilities of Rahul Gandhi. Pitroda is sending a signal to the country, if the Congress came to power, it would not mind terror attacks to take place and would not take steps to avenge and would absorb them all, come what may. If this be the message, the BJP needs no campaign to win. It will be a cake for the BJP. The Congress has set its self goal.

The Water-Women connect: Why it matters

Shagun Agarwal
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The Water-Women connect: Why it matters

When famous marine biologist Dr. Sylvia Earle said, ‘No water, no life. No blue, no green’, she was emphasizing a fact that we all are inherently aware of, but often forget in all aspects of our lives-the integral role of water in our lives. And yet, it is estimated that there are 164 million people in India who do not have access to safe drinking water. Reports indicate that in rural areas, 7% of the population do not have access to clean water. On average 40% of water is wasted across sectors, especially agriculture. Meanwhile, the annual per capita water availability has declined from 5,177m3 in 1951 to 1545m3 in 2011, and it is expected to fall to 814m3 by 2025.

These numbers highlight an ineffective water management strategy and ask the question, where are we going wrong and why? The answer clearly lies in who writes the policies and for whom they are written. One of the reasons why policies which aim to solve issues of water accessibility and management often fail is that their formulation and execution reside pre-dominantly with men.

According to a UNICEF report, women around the world spend on a daily basis a staggering 200 million hours collecting water. In India, this number can range from 20 minutes to more than an hour every day. This is no surprise, given the plethora of work that women do as mothers, wives, care-givers and as the largest providers of water in any community. Women and water have always been depicted together, from the time of hunter and gatherers, when women foraged for food and fetched water, to modern realities in which women walk miles for collecting water from its various sources.

It then seems counterintuitive that in matters of water management in India, women are an undermined entity.

Upon closer inspection of social and political structures, not only does this absence become apparent, but the consequent inefficiency of water management policies becomes more obvious.

On a daily basis, countless women not only fight long distances and the effects of climate change, but also a patriarchal society like India’s which constantly marginalizes supposedly feminine issues. Dichotomies that have been created through language ultimately also affect perspectives. By categorizing male and female into public and private respectively, issues that are perceived as being more domestic/ private in nature, such as effective water management are seen as secondary, if not irrelevant.

It is difficult to ignore the congregation of women, water and areas where water is used. In a predominantly agrarian economy such as ours, 78% of rural women workers are involved in agricultural practices. Nearly 90% of women who don’t ‘work’, are actually occupied by domestic duties and care giving, which includes drinking water collection, sanitation and healthcare. As these functions are not considered a part of the economy and are not remunerative for women, there are two effects. One, they do not form an integral part of policymaking, decision-making and programme implementation in the water sector. Two, because women are not paid for carrying out all these functions, financial crises have a much greater impact on them as well as on their households, as daily income decreases and affects acquirement of health care, education and credit.

In India, men wield a disproportionally greater amount of influence in matters of government and politics, which is evident, at the highest levels, with only  11.6% of Parliamentary seats held by women. Hence it is no surprise that the focus areas, perspectives and solutions addressing various challenges in the country ascribe to a male and patriarchal mindset.Any outlier, however important, is not given the attention and treatment it deserves. The water sector is a compelling example: women outnumber men as primary actors in water management at household, farm and community levels, yet they are vastly under-represented at every level of government and positions of power.

A lack of female perspective inadvertently results in choices catering to only half the demographic. With half of India’s population excluded from the decision-making process, policies are bound to be ineffective. For policies to be effective, inclusion of all those affected by the system is necessary, which includes women.

In order to fight gender inequality in water management, steps must be taken from the community level onwards. What becomes imperative then is the re-analyzing of social and political constructs around water resources.

The aim is to bring about a shift in water governance from a state-centric approach to a smaller, community-based approach, which gives enough space for conventionally less powerful stakeholders such as women.

However, simple inclusion is not enough, says Dr. Ravi Verma, Regional Director of the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW), Mumbai. Dr. Verma, who has worked extensively on an array of issues, from reproductive health to child marriage to engaging men and boys for women empowerment, states that,

“So far the discourse on women and work is limited to care giving or unpaid care work. Time has come for us to begin examining the larger context within which women live and work that includes energy, infrastructure, and water management. We know these are gendered spaces but have little evidence to show how adverse they are to women and the marginalization they cause to women. We need more research and context specific programming.”

Dr. Verma stresses on the importance of gender sensitive research in order to gain further clarity on the roles and struggles of women in the water sector and devise concrete solutions to problems faced by women, as well as in water management.

While the importance of water for sustenance is evident, the deep connection between women and water must be highlighted, in the data that is collected, in the policies that are made and the method in which water is managed. Only then can we achieve an effective water management system, which is just, efficient, and sustainable.

Attention seeking – The Social Media conundrum

Venkat Parthasarathy
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Attention seeking – The Social Media conundrum

Humans basically crave for attention, and they are intelligent to express themselves better which differentiates them from other animals. But in the journey of one-upmanship and trying to be seen as bigger and better than others, we as a race have lost track of the consequences.

Over the past few months the social media has been rife with plethora of intrusive posts. But nothing hit an all-time low as last week’s incidents. The first one that hit me hard was the sharing of the pictures and videos of the Pollachi sexual assault victims. The abject lack of sensitivity among the citizens in their enthusiasm to highlight the issue have caused much harm to privacy of the victims, and is abominable.

Then the New Zealand terrorist attacks. It’s some kind of deranged mind that wanted to live stream the assault through social media, but what is even more distressing is the way the common citizens across the world shared the videos of the assault to all and sundry. It is appalling to note the insensitivity in the posting of grotesque images. Privacy is now a gone thing. People are moving into the next level of attention seeking through their lack of concern for the victims’ privacy.

Social media is fanning the attention seekers, who in the garb of sharing their opinion or their skewed Freedom of Expression have stooped to the level of belittling humane norms.

Political ideologies have created a chasm in the thinking and thus in the social media narrative of the commoners. One case in point is the insensitive post by a serial hater of the current political disposition in India. The said person had the audacity to put up a post on the demise of former Union minister with a “Good day for SwacchBharat”. The death of a human is expressed as a cleansing? Really? Are we as humans so deranged to feel happy in celebrating a death? This is just one of the millions of hate posts that have become a norm in the virtual world.

Humans need attention to a certain extent because we are social beings, but some people seem to be doing everything in order to get more attention. Is morality dying a slow death?

Agreed, attention is other people thinking about you, and if there were ever humans who didn’t need it, they are now extinct. But seeking attention at what cost? Is gaining attention to oneself to be done only by belittling the other humans that matters today? While attention is one of the most valuable resources in existence for social animals, is the current trend fanned by the Social Media obsession causing more harm than good to the individuals, both seekers of attention and the targeted individuals?

In an earlier post on the Unbridled growth of social media – the vengeance of the amateur, I had written about the malady nurtured by the mainstream media losing track of their ethics and getting opinionated. There seems to be no end in sight to the hate that is being spewed.

Narcissism seems to be the sole cause for the obsession to claim the “15 minutes of fame” and more!

Where does one start the cleansing?

Let’s look inside first, for charity begins at home!

Towards water sustainability: Incorporating principles of circulation economy in JalYukt Shivar

Vaibhavi Pingale
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Towards water sustainability: Incorporating principles of circulation economy in JalYukt Shivar

Water, an indispensable source of life; now is struggling for its own life. India has about only 4% of world’s fresh water resources to cater to the needs of 1.37 billion people. To meet the rising demands of such huge population, supply needs to be increased but unfortunately declining levels of utilisable fresh water is worsening the water crisis in India. The average annual per capita water availability in the year 2001 was 1820 m3 which fell to 1545 m3 in 2011 and it might further reduce to 1341 m3 and 1140 m3 in the years 2025 and 2050 respectively, compared to international standard of 1700 m3. If it declines below 1000 m3 then India would face acute water scarcity.

600 million people in India are facing water shortages and over  21% of the country’s epidemics are water-related. With increasing population, more than 20 cities in India will use up their entire aquifers and run them dry within the next two years. In rural areas, extensive extraction of groundwater for irrigation purposes has led to drop of 61% in  groundwater levels from 2007-2017. There is no doubt that the crisis needs to be handled before it’s too late.

One way this can be done is by using the principles of circulation economy in water management practices. A circulation economy ensures optimum utilization of resources through closing loopholes which limit the use of the resource. Principles of circulation economy in water management are based on three themes viz., reducing the wastage, inefficiencies and leakages in water use, recycling used and contaminated water and reusing the recycled water resources. Incorporating these principles in water management would help in saving more than 376 BCM of water just in Northern India every year.

Socio-economic conditions of India’s agrarian economy have been affected by water shortages. Heavy dependence on monsoons, inefficient water management practices, depletion of groundwater levels and recurring droughts have resulted in falling production in the agriculture sector, triggering farmers’ distress and suicides. Maharashtra leads with the highest proportion (nearly 27%) of farmers’ suicides in the country. 83% of the state’s cropped area is dry-land and monsoon-dependent. 40% of the state is drought-prone and 12% of the states’ population lives in drought-prone areas. To curtail farmers suicides and make Maharashtra drought-free, the Government of Maharashtra (GoM) launched the ‘JalYukt Shivar’ scheme in December 2014, with the objective of freeing 5000 villages of water scarcity every year, through rainwater harvesting and enhancing groundwater levels.

Under this scheme are 49 sub-schemes, which, between 2015 and 2017-18 have led to the creation of a water storage capacity of 0.67 BCM or 24 TMC and brought 34 lakh hectares under irrigation across 16,521 villages. 100% work has been completed in 11,712 villages and 80% in 1,421 villages out of 16,521 villages in 34 districts of the state.

On one hand, the official data released by GoM and work of Paani Foundation of reaching 5462 villages from 40 districts shows that the project has been successful in reducing water shortages in Maharashtra. On the other hand, there are studies which show that the project is unsustainable due to unscientific implementation, undue reliance on machinery, lack of transparency and public participation, and inappropriate selection of geographical locations.

In order to make this scheme sustainable, there is a dire need of incorporating principles of circulation economy in the basic structure of the scheme. Through the principles of reducing the wastage, recycling and reusing water resources GoM’s JalYukt Shivar scheme can be an example of sustainable water management practices.

Reduce the wastage- With increasing supply of water, it is also necessary to reduce the wastage or loss of water. It can be done through two ways; prevent flow run off through watershed management and ensure optimum utilization of water. Hiware Bazar, a village from Maharashtra is an apt example of reducing the water loss and attaining maximum benefits from watershed management. Drip irrigation can be another way to reduce the wastage of water. It not only helps in saving water and ensures timely supply, but also improves agricultural productivity.

Recycle the resource- To ensure the quality of supplied water, measures should be taken to control water pollution. In India, 70% of surface water resources and many of its groundwater reserves are contaminated by biological, toxic, organic and inorganic pollutants. Maharashtra ranks first across states in terms of consumption of pesticides i.e. 13496 MT in the year 2016-17. Groundwater pollution due to excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers in agriculture is reported in Maharashtra above the permissible levels (10 mg NO3-N/L of water as safe limit in drinking waters). Maharashtra’s average use of chemical fertilizer in 2014-15 92.07 kg/ha and it contributes to 5.19% of India’s chemical fertilizer consumption. This excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is leading to increasing amount of water pollution and deteriorating the quality of water in Maharashtra. Therefore, measures should be undertaken to recycle the water polluted under JalYukt Shivar.

Reuse the resource- Further, to complete the circle and extract maximum value, water should be reused. Maharashtra has adopted a policy to reuse treated wastewater to cool thermal power plants, serve industrial estates, and other non-potable purposes; but this is applicable only at urban and semi-urban levels. The policy should be extended to rural areas where recycled and treated water can be released in canals and reused for irrigation purposes.

Incorporating these principles will help in reducing both waste and costs, tackling scarcity and paving the way for optimal utilisation of water resources.

JalYukt Shivar is a promising and inspiring initiative by Government of Maharashtra for building infrastructure and developing water resources. It also has the potential to develop water sector economies such as fisheries, tourism and inland waterways for trade, to name a few, which it can achieve by ensuring minimum flow of water in the rivers throughout the year. The principles of circulation economy, i.e. reducing wastage, treating and recycling wastewater, and reusing the treated water, are ideal for achieving all-round success of JalYukt Shivar, as well as developing a water/river-based economy for the sustainable and balanced economic growth of Maharashtra.

Essay: The theory of jobless growth busted

anupvittal
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Essay: The theory of jobless growth busted

The opposition parties in Bharat with the backing from a handful of economists are ranting about the theory of jobless growth. This idea of jobless growth was first mooted by renowned economist and political analyst Shri Gurumurthy. Every theory has a reference, be it time or place or context. The theory of jobless growth was applicable to the UPA era (2004-2014) and evidences suggest the same. There is no place & time context nor evidence to support this theory for the NDA government of 2014-2019. This proposition that I am making is not singular and Prejudiced; but I will prove that this is a theory that is completely irrelevant to the current period of NDA Government.

Let me simplify the two terms before going into the details. Firstly, Growth means economic growth i.e. in terms of wealth creation. Second, jobs refer to generation of employment in the nation.

As per modern economics, there are two sectors in any economy. One is called the organised sector where Enterprises are fully regulated by government. The other one is the unorganized sector where small and medium scale Enterprises have their own clusters and business hubs not regulated or less regulated by the Government. Some of the examples for the organised sector are the multinational companies, registered firms, individual Enterprises registered under local authority, society’s etcetera. The local Kirana shop, Panipuriwala, the barber, small farmers, cottage industries, a few small scale industries, Dhaba and Darshini hotels, local pawnbrokers, handicraft Enterprises, women self-help groups, Panwala, local transport businesses viz. boats running in Ganga river, village bus services etcetera, Dhobiwala, Dabbawala, Pujari and even chowkidars and many more are all part of the unorganised sector. In Bharat, unorganised sector forms the major chunk of the economy. The wealth generated in the unorganised sector is much more than the organised sector.

According to NCEUS report estimates, in 2005 out of the 458 million persons employed in India, about 86 percent or 395 million worked in the unorganised sector, generating 50.6 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). These are surveyed figures. Countless Kirana shops, Thelas, itinerants etc go uncounted and do not form part of GDP computation.

The 2004-2010 economics of UPA focused on the formal organised sector. That is the way in which the economy was viewed by the then UPA Government. Even today they are seeing the economy in the same lense. No doubt, the white collared jobs in organised sector too have increased. But, since 2015 the opportunities of self-employment and enterprise have grown big like never before. Let us now look in detail as to how some of the schemes of Modi Sarkar have benefited the people of this Nation including youth in becoming “Job Creators” rather than “Job Seekers”.

Udyog Aadhar Data

In July 2018 Question Hour in the Parliament, the Honourable Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in reply to a question posed regarding MSME tabled in Parliament reported that 48,39,549 MSMEs have been registered under the Udyog Aadhar Scheme. As on today (21.03.2019) the figure is around 64,20,489 (as per Udyog Aadhar website). This statistics is for the period starting from September 2015 to March 2019. In MSMEs if we assume that at least 2 people are employed in each of this registered enterprise then 1,28,40,978 people are employed from the MSME sector apart from those 64,20,480 who are entrepreneurs themselves (self-employed).

While presenting the Interim Budget 2019-20 in Parliament, the then Union Minister for Finance, Shri Piyush Goyal said that through Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, over 1 crore youth are being trained to help them earn a livelihood.

Mudra Scheme

The Mudra scheme started under the Modi Sarkar gives loans to every small entrepreneur and people from weaker sections of the society and especially women have benefited the most from this scheme. As on 1st February, 2019 under MUDRA Yojana, 15.56 crore loans have been disbursed amounting to Rs. 7,23,000 crore. So, effectively at least 15.56 crore people have been benefited by this scheme.

Start Up India

As per the Start Up India data around 3,09,770 new companies and firms have be registered under the Startup India Scheme. Even if a nominal number of 10 people employed in a start up company is considered, a total of 30,97,700 employment has been generated.

Stand Up India Scheme

Government of India launched the Stand Up India scheme on 5th April, 2016. The Scheme facilitates bank loans between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.1 crore to at least one Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe borrower and at least one Woman borrower per bank branch for setting up Greenfield enterprises. This enterprise may be in manufacturing, services or the trading sector. The scheme which is being implemented through all Scheduled Commercial Banks is to benefit at least 2.5 lakh borrowers. Another 15 lakh – 25 lakh employment may have been roughly generated here.

Apart from the above schemes, programs like “Make in India” has generated lakhs of employment, especially when cell phone manufacturing companies have set up many of its manufacturing units in Uttar Pradesh and around the National Capital Region.

Conclusion

My rough estimate based on above data says around 20 crore employment has been generated under the Modi Government in the last 5 years i.e. 4 crore jobs per annum.

Therefore, the theory of jobless growth is complete bogus, baseless and biased. Self-proclaimed economists & experts in the opposition parties must keep their lips stitched or tender apology for lying in public.

Anup Vittal

Reference Links:-
1. Udyog Aadhar Scheme https://udyogaadhaar.gov.in/UA/UAM_Registration.aspx
2. Full report of NCEUS (National Commission for Enterprises in the Un-organised Sector)- “http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=187913”
3. Press Release by Public Information Bureau on “Mudra Yojana” & skilling of youth- “http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=187913”
4. https://www.startupindia.gov.in/
5. https://www.standupmitra.in/

Media to form Alliance with Congress, waiting for Internet to come on board

Rudra
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Media to form Alliance with Congress, waiting for Internet to come on board

Congress Patrakars have been very upset at the lack of Congress ability to stitch up alliances. They have been very vocal on social media – possibly emanating from the common WhatsApp group that they are all part of – but this time it is not orchestrated, it is genuine. Given this circumstance, a logical next step has happened.

The media or a section of it has announced an alliance with the Congress for the 2019 election.

They have decided to drumbeat the achievements of the prince and his new clothes that would put an alliance to shame. In fact, Pseudosecular Patrakaars who lost many a free airline seat and shopping trip have decided to pool their collective influence for the prince. After all, free shopping and travel is a thing to vie for. Sonia-air loyalty miles go very far over generations; without an expiry date.

There is an entire team to manufacture his adventures like you see in the superhero movies. Somebody crafts all those backstories and sequels and prequels so that, you see a coherent stories while they mint money by you watching all those movies (sometimes thrice so that your kids understand what happened like you listen so many times to the princes videos to just understand whats being said). Behind all those cute prince pictures is a story whose driving principle is “Life is but a series of photo opportunities”.

Behind every speech is a story of a script painstakingly written, knowing fully well that it will not see the light of day or be laughed upon – think of the speechwriter who lives through this each day. But I digress, this is all about media aligning and projecting Rahul Gandhi as the numero uno challenger to the kommunal Narinder Mudi.

The media team is projecting every achievement of India (or Nehru or Indira) as his – after all, generations conspired to get Rahul here. What is an alliance here and there when the media is there?

Let me take you back to 2013, which incidentally was the 4th Rahul ‘comingof’ age. Slight digression: Unlike the geographic ages, Rahul has only one age – comingof. Rahul had won the UP polls in the newspapers and media even before the first vote was cast – not counted. Why, in some newspapers, Congress rules UP and Rahul is the CM. The EVMs may have counted the votes, but the heart – the pseudosecular heart beats for Rahul and Rahul only and sometimes his sister.

As part of the alliance, media wants no seats, not in parliament atleast. They do want seats on the plane that Rahul will travel. There a thousand positions to be filled. Rahul needs writers, editors, correctors, script rejiggers, input interpreters, output interpreters, photographers, dimple counters, food bloggers, achievement generators, history creators and more. Rumour has it even AI and ML jobs are on the anvil. With so many jobs at stake with just one person, it is no secret why the media has announced an alliance with Rahul. When one person can create so many jobs, what is Mudi?

Meanwhile as the prince goes about connecting rural areas with railways and promising roads and electricity mostly he is promising what Modi has already done apart from the easter eggs like promising potato gold factories and rafales at 1600 rupees – every house will have one rafale, media cleverly shows only the princes new clothes. Atleast one social media site has been reportedly part of the alliance, a bird tweeted.

Now, if only they could bring the internet on board this alliance – thats it – from then on, it will be Rahulman who will win..

Elections 2019: India’s defining moment

omkarshetty
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Elections 2019: India’s defining moment

2019 is going to be a defining moment in the countries history that will set the course of India’s growth and development for decades to come. It is that year when the ordinary voter will get an opportunity to exercise power and decide who is to hold the reigns of the country. The world’s biggest democratic exercise will see 900 million eligible voters, including a staggering 15 million first time voters aged 18 to 21 casting their ballots and electing their representatives across 543 constituencies.

Every five years, the world stops to watch this remarkable sight. But the truth on the ground is usually far from being remarkable. India for decades has been plagued by vote bank politics because of which votes are split based on religion, caste, community, urban and rural divides. People are attracted to vote for candidates by luring with money, alcohol and other “gifts” or are bullied into voting. The poor are paid money and then driven like cattle into vehicles and transported to election rallies to hear the influential speak.

Elections in India are no more Parliamentary, they have taken a presidential form, perhaps Prime Ministerial form. We no longer elect local representatives who in turn choose their leader.

We now directly vote for a face, for a personality cult. We vote for a wave, for charisma rather than on the ground performance of our local representatives. This cult worship reduces elections to a slugfest where the citizens feel cheated and disempowered, where the ultimate benefit goes to a criminal, to an inherently corrupt and incompetent man.

And above all, elections are now a management exercise-managing vote banks, managing online platforms, managing internal dissensions in a party, managing the lobbying and tussle for tickets etc . And in this periodic management and PR exercise, the real issues shift on a backseat.

Happy Holi 2019: CEO, Trilok Singh

Trilok Singh
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Happy Holi 2019: CEO, Trilok Singh

Holi is a standout amongst the most praised celebrations in India. It is the celebration of bliss and hues. The festival is set apart before the finish of winter and the start of spring. It is one of those circumstances when the social obstructions lose their quality and fun streams noticeable all around. Hisrorically, Holi is an ancient festival of India and was originally known as ‘Holika’. The day finds a detailed description in early religious works such as Jaimini’s Purvamimamsa-Sutras and Kathaka-Grhya-Sutras. Several Historians also believe that Holi was celebrated by all Aryans but more so in the Eastern part of India.

The vibrancy of this festival is something that brings in a lot of positivity in our lives and it being the festival of colours is actually a day worth rejoicing. It is a famous Hindu festival that is celebrated in every part of India with utmost joy and enthusiasm. The ritual starts by lighting up the bonfire one day before the day of Holi and this process symbolizes the triumph of good over the bad.Significantly, In spite of being such a colourful and gay festival, there are various aspects of Holi which makes it so significant for our lives. Though they might not be so apparent but a closer look and a little thought will reveal the significance of Holi in more ways than meets the eyes. Ranging from socio-cultural, religious to biological there is every reason why we must heartily enjoy the festival and cherish the reasons for its celebrations.

READ ALSO, Here’s what Holi means to TV stars

There are various legends that are connected with this Indian celebration. It is otherwise called Phagwah, Dolajatra, Dol Jatra or Basantotsav. Holi is of specific centrality in the Braj district and the areas customarily associated with the Lord Krishna. So when, its time for Holi, please don’t hold yourself back and enjoy the festival to the hilt by participating with full enthusiasm in every small tradition related to the festival.

Also, The festival existed several centuries before Christ. However, the meaning of the festival is believed to have changed over the years. Earlier it was a special rite performed by married women for the happiness and well-being of their families and the full moon (Raka) was worshiped.

Celebration of the various legends associated with Holi reassure the people of the power of the truth as the moral of all these legends is the ultimate victory of good over evil. The legend of Hiranyakashyap and Prahlad also points to the fact that extreme devotion to god pays as god always takes his true devotee in his shelter.

Moreover, It is an old celebration of India that was initially named as Holika. It discovers says in Jaimini’s Purvamimamsa Sutras and Kathak Grhya Sutras and in addition Narad Purana and Bhavishya Purana. It is trusted that the colossal ruler of evil presences HiranyaKashyap had an aid of interminability and his child Prahlada was an extraordinary enthusiast of Lord Vishnu. Prahlada, disregarding his dad’s refusal, kept worshiping Vishnu lastly his dad chose to slaughter him.

Prahlada was given toxic substance however that transformed into nectar in his mouth. He was trampled by elephants however even that did not influence him. At the point when the greater part of Huranyakashyap’s endeavors to execute his child fizzled, he requested that his sister Holika put him ablaze. She was honored not to be influenced by flame but rather when the fire began, she was singed to death while Prahlada stayed unaffected. This frequency is commended as Holika Dahan.

Following the inputs, Besides having a detailed description in the Vedas and Puranas such as Narad Purana and Bhavishya Purana, the festival of Holi finds a mention in Jaimini Mimansa. A stone incription belonging to 300 BC found at Ramgarh in the province of Vindhya has mention of Holikotsav on it. King Harsha, too has mentioned about holikotsav in his work Ratnavali that was written during the 7th century. The famous Muslim tourist – Ulbaruni too has mentioned about holikotsav in his historical memories. Other Muslim writers of that period have mentioned, that holikotsav were not only celebrated by the Hindus but also by the Muslims.

The festival of Holi also finds a reference in the sculptures on walls of old temples. A 16th century panel sculpted in a temple at Hampi, capital of Vijayanagar, shows a joyous scene of Holi. The painting depicts a Prince and his Princess standing amidst maids waiting with syringes or pichkaris to drench the Royal couple in coloured water. A 16th century Ahmednagar painting is on the theme of Vasanta Ragini – spring song or music. It shows a royal couple sitting on a grand swing, while maidens are playing music and spraying colors with pichkaris.

The Festival also impacts the way of life of the past and additionally the cutting edge culture. Holi is praised in India as well as various different nations like Nepal, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and so forth.. Alongside that, shading celebrations are praised in the United States and some European nations with different names and events. Various contemporary plays, motion pictures, TV serials have notices of Holi for various reasons.

All aspects of India observes Holi in its own specific manner. These customs differ from one state to other. It is the most charming convention of Holi. Together, the rich and poor people, men and ladies appreciate tossing hues on each other. The air is loaded with happiness and fun.

In Maharashtra and Gujarat, pots of buttermilk are hung high in the boulevards. Gathering of men frame a human pyramid to break the pot with the head while the ladies toss pails of water with an end goal to stop them. This custom originates from the stories of Lord Krishna who was very partial to spread drain. Additionally, at put called Barsana, ladies beat their men and dress them in female clothing upon the arrival of Holi. In Bengal, it is praised in the most stately way.

Despite all of this, There are sure issues that are connected with this incredible celebration. Natural contamination and utilization of engineered hues being the best a large portion of them. There is a worry about water contamination because of engineered hues amid Holi alongside the natural issue identified with the customary Holika Dahan which prompts deforestation.

Artificially delivered modern colors have assumed the position of regular hues which were generally made of turmeric, sandalwood, concentrate of blossoms and takes off. Absence of control over the quality and substance is the offender of this issue.

President, Vice President, Prime Minister extend Holi greetings to the Nation

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday greeted the nation on the occasion of Holi.

“Greetings and best wishes to fellow citizens in India and abroad on the auspicious occasion of Holi,” tweeted Kovind, who had also released a statement on Wednesday.

“The festival of colours, Holi is a celebration of spring and fraternity in our society. May it bring peace, joy and prosperity to everyone’s lives,” Kovind said.

Naidu tweeted that Holi was a celebration of the victory of good over evil and a festival that expresses joy, camaraderie and conviviality.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended greetings to the nation on the occasion of Holi and said that the festival of joy and gaiety would strengthen the colour of unity and goodwill.

Extending wishes, Rahul Gandhi said: “Wishing you and your family a very Happy Holi. I pray to God that this festival brings colours to your life.”

HAPPY HOLI 2019 TO ALL OF US, Let’s Celebrate Holi, 21st March 2019: Environment Friendly and safe! CEO TRILOK SINGH.

Why DMK is after Brahmin’s blessing

S Ranganathan
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Why DMK is after Brahmin’s blessing

The DMK party under its president looks utterly confused and clueless as what to speak to the people of Tamil Nadu to elect its representatives in the forthcoming election. The fervent promotion of Rahul Gandhi for the post of Prime Minister of India by Stalin, the president of DMK raises several curious questions.

DMK as a political force has grown in Tamil Nadu to a status of a force to reckon with and captured power by opposing Hindi, dividing the Tamil community into Aryan and Dravidian race, branding all Aryan race as North Indian, opposing Hindu culture and God etc. Further DMK also engaged in spreading hatred and negativity against Brahmins possibly with the presumption that if Brahmins are isolated, Hinduism can be demolished and thereby the state can be facilitated for conversion by Christian Missionaries. The formula of Aryan and Dravidian itself was gifted by Bishop Caldwell to EV Ramasamy Naicker.

The question is why the DMK with its gene dipped so deeply in Anti-Brahmin-ism is so aggressive in promoting, popularizing and marketing Rahul Gandhi for the prime minister ship which even the congress is not dared to adventure?

On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi is advertising himself to be a Brahmin, belong to Dattathreya Gotra, visiting several Hindu temples and promoting Brahmin-ism and Brahmin-ite identity out of himself.

The congress government under Kamal Nath as soon as it came to power in Madhya Pradesh banned cow slaughter and made cow trafficking a heinous crime which even Shivraj Singh Chowhan of BJP in its 15 years of rule had never done.

The question is why DMK is acting like the advertising agency of Rahul Gandhi, the self-attested and advertised Brahmin and who is aggressively re-inventing the new Brahmin out of himself.

It looks like Stalin may want to wash-off the sins of DMK for persecuting Brahmins since the dawn of DMK and wants to gain the blessings of Brahmin and hence may be promoting the Brahmin Rahul Gandhi as prime minister of India. Any way Stalin has understood that his political ambition can be resurrected only with the help of a Brahmin. His father abused Brahmins and made his political capital but his son is praising and promoting a Brahmin for the post of prime minister of India for own political survival. A Brahmin is must for the political survival of Stalin and DMK as it looks like and that is why he is running after the self-attested Brahmin.

It looks like DMK is very much worried about the new awareness of Tamil people about the Dravidian ploy of DMK to distort Tamil identity so that the Telugu identity of most of the leaders of DMK can be hidden under Dravidian tag. Therefore DMK want to gain the support of Christian and Muslim population to consolidate its base instead of harping more on Tamils. DMK also may try to be the saviour of the people from other states who are settled in Tamil Nadu provided such population is sizable for the DMK to win election. If such possibility is there the party may dump the Tamils and may start to play a new politics.

The congress dynast is perfectly suited to the agenda of DMK as he can claim Christian to the Christians voters and can claim of his Muslim gene to Muslim voters because his grandfather was a Muslim and also can claim Hindu and Brahmin identity to Hindu voters. I brief it is his political colour and character to fool the voters. The question is how DMK and Stalin can afford to support a Brahmin and can betray his commitment to the Tamil cause i.e. persecution of Brahmins?

Tamil Nadu has changed and people are not going buy the wicked politics of DMK anymore. People of the state are quite certain that PM Modi has really transformed India and has taken several initiatives to uplift the poor people. Narendra Modi was the first Prime Minister to run the first corruption free government in India and the contrary, the history of DMK is well known with reference to corruption and so is congress. Both Rahul Gandhi and his mother are on bail in National Herald case.

MGR was ousted from DMK by Karunanidhi for asking the details of poll expenses and the details of the political fund received by the party because MGR was the treasurer of DMK then.

Hope people of Tamil Nadu will understand the truth that the state cannot be destroyed further by electing the dynastic rule and rule of destruction, disintegration and degeneration of the state. PM Narendra Modi has vision and firm leadership character and India can be saved only by him and not by the families who play dynastic politics.

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