1-Day Helmet Mandate

So it is true! The government or someone associated with them have made all the money they needed through the sales of helment. Its been just over a day since the mandate came into effect and now that they've made the money they need the government goes ahead and advises cops to not fine people for not wearing a helmet. Instead cops are to catch hold of them and make advise #-o. IT CAN'T GET ANY MORE OBVIOUS THAN THIS :). A state government sponsored spam, thats what this is - in the name of public good. Absolutely brilliant, about 500-1000 bucks from each household that runs on two-wheelers. Yet again its the tolerant middle class which gets punished.

People talk of one government being corrupt and the other is not. BS. This government is equally corrupt if not more. I wish someone bring up an investigation into this and bring to light what happened in the background if not to justice.

Celebrations at whose cost??

All chennaites must be knowing by know as to what was behind the chaotic traffic situation in the city this evening. For the benefit of the others, its the 50th year of our honourable Chief Minister Mr. M.Karunanidhi as legislator and the party is celebrating it in grandiose.

Considering the estimated number of people who would come to attend it, lots of arrangements have been made in the city. Traffic diversions and alerts to offices so that people would leave early to aviod getting stuck in heavy traffic. Glad they did that much.

But there is something most of us don't know about. Neither did I until I evesdropped on a conversation. I happened to be travelling in the evening and got stuck at a places for 5-10 mins and just overhead this narration by a nearby cab driver. I was shocked beyond words when I realized what was being forced onto the people.

Turns out that all these cab / transport operators have to volunteer 4 vehicles and 40,000Rs to the party towards the event. Oops, did I say volunteer! Of course since it is "voluntary" its pretty legal. As for those who don't volunteer, we'll they'd just have a tough time with their license to operate their unit :). For obvious reasons this will never be covered in the media or made an issue of since the event is embraced by dignitaries holding office in the state and central government. This is where it gets better. All the money spent will be shown as party expenditure while all of it goes into somebody's pocket.

What next? The government would probably sponsor free food program for all families under a monthly income of 5000. How? All families with an income of over 10,000 will have to give a percentage of their ration and 2,000 in cash as contribution towards the same. Reminds me of Atlas Shrugged, where people in authority make such laws that people have to break them for their very survival. I wouldn't be surprised if it got to that level although I hope not.

I am not against celebrations and such. Kalaignyar M.Karunanidhi is a great man in his own rights. All things apart he makes a great administrator and no one can deny that and I deeply respect him for that. But this is something I least expected from his party and the organizers of the even. Sad but true. Fortunately or unfortunately, I cant verify the verity of what I overheard.

This revealation reminds me of the plight of auto-rickshaw drivers as narrated by one. Turns out that the limited permit the goverment issues at nominal prices are bought by influencial men in bulk. And those wanting to drive an auto have to pay upto 10 times those stipulated by the government to get the permit from these guys, usually mortgaging their vehicle. Why wouldn't the auto drivers demand unfair charge when they are being taxed like this?

The only different I see between much of the west to India is that in the west you got to bribe to go against the norm, while in India you have to bribe if you want things to be done right. What can we do when the very people who are meant to uphold the law get into such acts. How different is this from the ones imposed on us during the british raj? Honestly I am not asking them to be 0% corrupt, coz that just doesnt fit well with democracy. Afterall, everyone needs to make money. But such impositions on business and people can definitely be minimal if not completely avoided. (Now I am talking in absolutes #-o *gosh*).

God bless this country.

Is secular just a buzz-word?

Check out this article. For obvious reasons this has not been covered by the media ;). I am quite surprised that media which prowls for such controversial topics is silent. Sold out perhaps?

A christian cross (on the new 2 rupee coin) and some Saint Dnyaneswar (on the new 1 rupee coin) replacing the majestic Indian flag and the lion capital in the two respectively. Since when did the government displace people and items of national interest out in favour of religious symbols?

I wonder if our constitution's tenets such as secularism have become a cover for many politicians to do all their dirty work. Flaunt it all in their flagrant speachs to fool the masses and get on with their scum. Disgraceful yet the truth. Have people become so tolerant or is it their disregard for anything outside their livelyhood? Or too busy to take on such issues?

Reminds me of this quote - "We must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we much fear most, and that is the indifference of good men".

"Placement is my right" PERIOD.

WOW! Now that's some attitude. This was one of the banners held by students of a management school protesting in UP yesterday. They went about damaging a whole lot of the institutions property. I don't need to explain if these guys deserve a placement, now do I? Their attitude speaks for themselves.

Protests are part and parcel of every democracy. As someone said - "it is a positive indicative that people are free to voice". I wonder how many of these people have the least understanding as to what it is they are protesting against for or against? To me, these sound more instigated than one demanding fairness, justice and whatever they associate with it. Being as blatant as those who deny it, it is politics that drives much of these.

I don't know about elsewhere, but in India most protests these days seem to be more over emotions, sentiments and stubborness. Almost every other day people protest against "The Law". I don't mean to say they shouldn't at all. But if the local governments are themselves bickering and defying the law, what do you expect the common man to understand of this? The supreme court having to resolve every bickering is just too much for the system.

The economic imbalance brought in by the IT sector seems to add up to the problem. Everything tending to a "Flat World", the incompetent just seemed to have lost the race by miles. And with nothing else to do, they begin to indulge in anti-social activities (for money and/or out of sheer frustration, the source of which is well known to all).

A first hand solution for this seem to be providing education to the inopportune and enable them in becomming skilled. But then, would the country be able to cope up with that. Recently I heard that china has too many graduate students but not enough white-collar jobs. Ironically mechanics and people involved in menial jobs seemed to be earning more than the educated.

I wonder where India is heading? Not to be negative, but I believe that the political system is only aggrevating the divide between and elite and the inopportune for their own survival. Talk about altruistic leaders, they are history!

P.s: I'd actually posted it in a different blog of mine #-o. Gosh! I am becomming absent minded :D.

Hunger Strike

I always knew there was something to these hunger strikes. So here is what its really about. No eating from 10am to 8pm, if I am not mistaken. The remaining hours they can load themselves up as much as they want. Like a camel :D.

Now our muslim friends do this for over a whole month towards their fasting. Eating only before sunrise and after sunset. Some don't even consuming water during these hours. All that these people who proclaim a hunger strike do are actually just fasting, which is good for health too :). They ain't gonna die. But they will give an expression and look as though they are parched and enroute to death.

Works well in the political scene thought ;). In fact very well, coz the media is always prowling to make a sensation of such incidents. Especially now that they have run out of good stories. More over people are naive enough to think that the person is going through hell for some cause. They are politicians and they have nothing better to do ;). They would do anything to be in the limelight. I am not informed enough to be judgemental. But am also wondering if the politicians are informed enough to stop acting silly. Or maybe they do and playing their odds to gain popularity. What a mind job #-o.