Vande Mataram our National song was officially declared on January 24, 1950 by Dr Rajendra Prasad who was the first President of India. The song was consumed in controversies that dates back to 1937. The Muslims opposed the song on the grounds that it depicted idol worship. The later stanzas has references to the Hindu goddess Durga and they felt it was anti-Islam. The Indian National Congress considering their religious sentiments decided to adopt only the first 2 stanza of the original song as the national song.
More than 50 years have passed and today there is a new controversy. A top Muslim body issued a fatwa against singing the national song 'Vande Mataram' since it is anti-Islamic on Nov 3, thus endorsing the fatwa issued by Darul Uloom in 2006. The edict would stand and not be withdrawn. The Vice Chancellor of Darul Uloom however said "Fatwa is not an order but a guiding principle. People may abide it or ignore it." News spread like wild fire and there were responses from all quarters. There are other prominent Muslim groups denying this fatwa and declaring that there isn't anything un-Islamic about our national song.
There was a twist in the tale too, the BJP swiftly claimed that the home minister Mr P Chidambaram was present when the fatwa was declared thus legitimising the same and thrust Congress for an answer. The home minister later clarified that he wasn't present when the resolution was passed.
It is nearly 60 years, Vande Mataram was declared the national song. Why reopen a new argument? The religious stanzas were removed before it became our national song. The controversy ended there. This new resistance is pointless and seemed to be aimed at creating political differences without any reason. Nobody is forcing anybody to sing the national song. If someone does not want to sing it, so be it. But why create provocative resolutions at a national stage? It is simply uncalled for whichever way you look at it.
India has enough problems to handle. These are only creating new and unwanted ones. Vande Mataram is the national song of our country. It is every Indians duty to respect it. No person could force anyone to sing or force anyone to stop reciting Vande Mataram.
Vande Mataram should be sung voluntarily.
Showing posts with label general. Show all posts
Showing posts with label general. Show all posts
Friday, November 13, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
2012: Is it really true?
A program “Doomsday 2012: The End of days” was featured on History channel back in 2007-2008. This caught my attention only recently when I heard about the new movie 2012 that’s scheduled to release next month worldwide. The movie supposedly showcases global apocalyptic events and has survivors struggling for their lives. It is yet to see if it would make any impression at the box office given the fact that there have been numerous disaster movies like Independence Day & The Day After Tomorrow from the same director Roland Emmerich.
Here is the trailer
Is there any truth about this prediction? If there is, we do not have any time left on this planet :-). Personally I do not believe it. There have been prophecies in the past that suggested end of the world much earlier to our present times and nothing of that sort ever happened. I trust this is just another one in the making.
In the book “2012: The Return of Quetzacoatl” by Daniel Pinchbeck, the Mayans appear to have predicted the end of the world to be on December 21, 2012. However there is no clear understanding of the exact prophecy. It would depend on the people alive during the time to determine the outcome. He thinks the year 2012 would give rise to a massive paradigm shift of global culture and in human consciousness.
There are already evident changes happening around us and to the planet. Global warming, directly or indirectly associated with our accelerated development of technology has given rise to so many natural calamities around the world. The world has come to realize this and is taking measures to minimise greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Are these measures labelled as the massive shift or is it the actual destruction of mankind? I think the former.
There are a surprising number of prophets - from the ancient oracles to an internet software “bots” who has predicted the doomsday to be on December 21, 2012. It is impossible for any humans to predict the future and these are only the interpretation of people who have read the ancient scriptures. There are no evidences about the 2012 prediction but only that the end of what is known as the long count of the Mayan calendar. I read an interesting article in the Telegraph last month that examines the fact and the fiction behind the most popular doomsday scenarios.
If I'm still alive and the world does not get annihilated on this date, I will write another blog about the drastic misinterpretation of such prophecies....hmmm if at all such exists :-)
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Air India – India’s shame or...?
Air India has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons. The latest being a mid-air brawl between the pilot and the airhostess. She was reportedly molested and the pilot has been suspended. This comes after a week the AI pilots called off their stir. There was a rare incident recently where a rat delayed a London bound flight. The passengers were deplaned and had to wait in the airport for over 8 hours to get an alternative arrangement done by Air India. There have been numerous outrageous comments by people about the pathetic services it provides to its patrons which I won’t be talking about over here.
Why did Air India stumble into a black hole? News reveals that a series of bad decisions taken over the past few years have cost the airline dearly. Air India & Indian Airlines were formally merged on Aug 24, 2007. In 2 years time the losses sky rocketed to Rs 7200 crore. The carriers around the world have lost money for various reasons like rising oil prices to a slowing world economy. But Air India’s story is different from them because in addition to these reasons, large extents of it are manmade.
Our Civil Aviation minister Mr Praful Patel was the brain behind this merger without sufficient knowledge of the ground reality. The prediction was the merge would lead to cost savings, rationalisation and increased market shares for the airlines. Unfortunately nothing of that sort happened and the airline only plunged deeper into a black hole.
A total mismanagement has caused Air India to be in a state that it is currently in. There were no proper route study, marketing or pricing strategy. There are instances where AI had dry leased aircrafts and operated in a sector with less that 40% load incurring losses and by the time that specific route was developed and started getting full load, the route was shut down because the lease had expired. Would this happen to any other airline? The industry average for a first officer to become a commander is four years. In AI, pilots spend close to 10-11 years as first officers. The inadequate planning for command training from 2003 onwards meant hiring over 160 expatriate pilots and paying them double the salary paid to their Indian counterparts. This again added to the losses.
There has not been any wage scale increase for pilots since 1998. This obviously is against the norms and the management had to do something about it. They brought in a new scheme called Productivity Linked Incentive (PLI) for pilots. A different way of giving more money without changing the wage scales. Now the incentive (PLI) tops at 50-60% of their total wages which inadvertently became their wages rather than incentives. Our new AI boss Mr Arvind Jadhav, like any other chairman had to do something about the losses. He decided to cut the PLI, which means their wages. How can they work? They went on strike.
Air India has ceased to be customer friendly. They are too busy listening to the unions and politicians who have actually over the years run it into the ground. In any business at loss, the first thing to do is to cut cost wherever possible. But instead, the minister announced that no staff will lose their job. It is not wrong to fire people. It is very simple, if you can protect more jobs by cutting down lesser ones purely on grounds of what’s good for the airline, that step should be taken however drastic it maybe. This should also apply to the executive directors.
Job cuts renew an organisation. Fresh minds and new recruits can refresh a firm. If this process does not take place organisations become incompetent and finally die. The leaders need to relook at its assets and operating costs. AI has to become more customer oriented, make them feel special. There should be a leader who is ready to take tough decisions and choices rather than succumb to the staff unrealistic demands and accelerate to self destruction. If these are done AI will be salvaged from its misery, for the threats lie within not anywhere else Or should it be privatised as many other foreign airlines have done so Or should it be allowed to lose its market shares and slowly fade away like many inefficient public sector organisations like HMT?
Source: Various news websites
Why did Air India stumble into a black hole? News reveals that a series of bad decisions taken over the past few years have cost the airline dearly. Air India & Indian Airlines were formally merged on Aug 24, 2007. In 2 years time the losses sky rocketed to Rs 7200 crore. The carriers around the world have lost money for various reasons like rising oil prices to a slowing world economy. But Air India’s story is different from them because in addition to these reasons, large extents of it are manmade.
Our Civil Aviation minister Mr Praful Patel was the brain behind this merger without sufficient knowledge of the ground reality. The prediction was the merge would lead to cost savings, rationalisation and increased market shares for the airlines. Unfortunately nothing of that sort happened and the airline only plunged deeper into a black hole.
A total mismanagement has caused Air India to be in a state that it is currently in. There were no proper route study, marketing or pricing strategy. There are instances where AI had dry leased aircrafts and operated in a sector with less that 40% load incurring losses and by the time that specific route was developed and started getting full load, the route was shut down because the lease had expired. Would this happen to any other airline? The industry average for a first officer to become a commander is four years. In AI, pilots spend close to 10-11 years as first officers. The inadequate planning for command training from 2003 onwards meant hiring over 160 expatriate pilots and paying them double the salary paid to their Indian counterparts. This again added to the losses.
There has not been any wage scale increase for pilots since 1998. This obviously is against the norms and the management had to do something about it. They brought in a new scheme called Productivity Linked Incentive (PLI) for pilots. A different way of giving more money without changing the wage scales. Now the incentive (PLI) tops at 50-60% of their total wages which inadvertently became their wages rather than incentives. Our new AI boss Mr Arvind Jadhav, like any other chairman had to do something about the losses. He decided to cut the PLI, which means their wages. How can they work? They went on strike.
Air India has ceased to be customer friendly. They are too busy listening to the unions and politicians who have actually over the years run it into the ground. In any business at loss, the first thing to do is to cut cost wherever possible. But instead, the minister announced that no staff will lose their job. It is not wrong to fire people. It is very simple, if you can protect more jobs by cutting down lesser ones purely on grounds of what’s good for the airline, that step should be taken however drastic it maybe. This should also apply to the executive directors.
Job cuts renew an organisation. Fresh minds and new recruits can refresh a firm. If this process does not take place organisations become incompetent and finally die. The leaders need to relook at its assets and operating costs. AI has to become more customer oriented, make them feel special. There should be a leader who is ready to take tough decisions and choices rather than succumb to the staff unrealistic demands and accelerate to self destruction. If these are done AI will be salvaged from its misery, for the threats lie within not anywhere else Or should it be privatised as many other foreign airlines have done so Or should it be allowed to lose its market shares and slowly fade away like many inefficient public sector organisations like HMT?
Source: Various news websites
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Onam with a difference....
Onam beckons, the biggest festival of the state of Kerala. A time to rejoice, make merry with family and friends, buy new clothes, decorate the front of the houses with beautiful floral carpets made out of blossoms of different colours known as the 'pookkalam' and the most important part of the celebration, the 9 course (if I may call it :-)) luxurious lunch known as the 'sadya' on Thiruvonam day.
Onam is a 10 day long event starting from Atham (day 1) through till the grand finale on Thiruvonam (day 10). Malayalees all over the world celebrate with grandeur and festivity. The cities of Kerala witnesses spectacular parades of adorned elephants, fireworks displays and various arts and cultural programs. One of the main attractions of Onam is 'vallamkali' (grand snake boat race). Onam is a festival for all, when people from every class come together and celebrate the moment.
I am nostalgic. My memory takes me back to exactly a year earlier this day when all of my family members around the world met at our native home town. An unforgettable Onam of 2008.
This Onam is different. We are thousands of miles away for the very first time and remembering our folks at home during this Onam. It is going to be a very reserved one this time around but a happy one. An off day for me and the boys, a sumptuous lunch and a day with my family.
Onam with a difference....
Wish you all a very Happy Onam!!!
Onam is a 10 day long event starting from Atham (day 1) through till the grand finale on Thiruvonam (day 10). Malayalees all over the world celebrate with grandeur and festivity. The cities of Kerala witnesses spectacular parades of adorned elephants, fireworks displays and various arts and cultural programs. One of the main attractions of Onam is 'vallamkali' (grand snake boat race). Onam is a festival for all, when people from every class come together and celebrate the moment.
I am nostalgic. My memory takes me back to exactly a year earlier this day when all of my family members around the world met at our native home town. An unforgettable Onam of 2008.
This Onam is different. We are thousands of miles away for the very first time and remembering our folks at home during this Onam. It is going to be a very reserved one this time around but a happy one. An off day for me and the boys, a sumptuous lunch and a day with my family.
Onam with a difference....
Wish you all a very Happy Onam!!!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
"No security checks please, I’m a bollywood star"
Many of you must have read this across the Indian papers and Indian news websites about SRK’s unfortunate ordeal at the Newark airport in the US. I am still not sure whether to call it unfortunate or fortunate. The kind of media attention this is receiving is because of the star himself which is understandable but for the wrong reasons. The UPA government is over reacting to the incident and leaders like Shashi Tharoor terming it as an offensive move by the US is quite ridiculous. There are yet others who would like to have a ‘tit-for-tat’ security checks done on foreigners arriving from the US. Our VIP’s just cannot come out of the comfort cocoon they enjoy the most. Is this the way how a government should react? There are numerous rules and regulations that are bent to suit the Indian VIP’s. It is no wonder our security systems are mocked the world over. Indian VIP’s are not VIP’s all over the world. They are just another person like you and I. I could write another blog on how Indians want to know every damn thing about US/UK and how ignorant they are about us. That’s the reality.
The US security system just did their job as they would do to any traveller. Now that traveller was SRK, so what? The only reason this has got so much of attention is because it happened to SRK. I don’t remember our government reacting this strong when many Indians were humiliated post 9/11. This is also raised as a case of racial profiling by the US. Have we looked at our own back yard? Muslims find it very difficult to find a house in Delhi or Mumbai. The owner has all the right to do a background check of his tenants rather than govern by prejudice. When this is evident within our country we are cribbing about racial profiling by the US.
SRK has the right to feel hurt about his experience. It would be the same for any of us, had we gone through his kind of plight. But SRK should know that they haven't seen his movies and that he is not famous in the US as he is in (at least the personnel's who frisked and interrogated him). America or any other country can only increase security measures to deal with the current situation the world is in. His wish to frisk Angelina Jolie & Megan Fox when they are visiting India is ludicrous.
The security systems should be applicable to one and all be it a politician, a star, from a certain section of a community or just another commoner. The rules should not be subverted for any section of our community be it a VIP. We Indians have to learn to obey rules and regulations even if his or her status symbol is high up the ladder of popularity. There are so many other important things our government should address rather than have this one blown out of proportion. Let us not over react to something that is very evident within our own country.
The US security system just did their job as they would do to any traveller. Now that traveller was SRK, so what? The only reason this has got so much of attention is because it happened to SRK. I don’t remember our government reacting this strong when many Indians were humiliated post 9/11. This is also raised as a case of racial profiling by the US. Have we looked at our own back yard? Muslims find it very difficult to find a house in Delhi or Mumbai. The owner has all the right to do a background check of his tenants rather than govern by prejudice. When this is evident within our country we are cribbing about racial profiling by the US.
SRK has the right to feel hurt about his experience. It would be the same for any of us, had we gone through his kind of plight. But SRK should know that they haven't seen his movies and that he is not famous in the US as he is in (at least the personnel's who frisked and interrogated him). America or any other country can only increase security measures to deal with the current situation the world is in. His wish to frisk Angelina Jolie & Megan Fox when they are visiting India is ludicrous.
The security systems should be applicable to one and all be it a politician, a star, from a certain section of a community or just another commoner. The rules should not be subverted for any section of our community be it a VIP. We Indians have to learn to obey rules and regulations even if his or her status symbol is high up the ladder of popularity. There are so many other important things our government should address rather than have this one blown out of proportion. Let us not over react to something that is very evident within our own country.
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Pop Legend who will live forever
My introduction to pop music started with his ‘Thriller’ album. It was an instant hit. I remember my dad getting the VHS cassette of the ‘Making of the Thriller’. My brother and I must’ve seen it a 100 times. He is truly the King of pop. The songs are still fresh in my mind and takes me back to those days even now, when I listen to them. Michael Jackson is the best entertainer the world has ever produced.
The news about his death came as a shock to me. I don’t know why I did it but I downloaded all his hit albums and have been listening to them all over again. Wow…they are still so good to listen to.
There won’t be another Michael Jackson ever, at least in my life time.
Michael Jackson WAS, IS and WILL BE a star in everyones hearts forever. Thank you Michael. May your soul RIP.
As a tribute to Michael Joseph Jackson I did a pencil sketch of him.
Here is a 2 part video of Michael Jackson winning the Grammy Legend award in 1993.
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