SAVE OUR TIGER

Are we doing enough? Our tigers are in danger. They are falling prey to poaching and man-tiger conflict. Inviolate spaces for tigers are shrinking. Villagers living near core and buffer areas of tiger reserves poison them in revenge for killing their cattle. The government agencies have failed miserably in relocating the reluctant villagers; as in the last 40 years they have been able to relocate only 105 villages out of 1700 in protected tiger reserves. [...]

Now, Noida MMS Sex Scandal

A 23-year old MBA student of Noida is another victim of MMS sex scandal. She was filmed by her boyfriend when she was stripping off her clothes on music. Her boyfriend circulated the MMS because she refused to marry him. This is not the first case of that kind. It is happening in the country from the last few years. [...]

Pyaar Ka Punchnama

Love is about sacrifice. Is it? I have seen in the Bollywood movies of the late 60s and 70s actors profess that love is all about giving and not gaining. Their dialogues are only appropriate for reel life and not practical in real life[...]

If you are going [...]

Share your thoughts, in short

Micro-blogging is all about posting small digital contents—text, pictures, video and links—on the Internet. In short, it is a combination of blogging and instant messaging. Micro-blogging websites allow users to share a message of 140 or less character, a video of 12 seconds or less duration, short links or individual images with online followers[...]

Express your love, but is it that simple?

No. It’s not. The three-word expression I Love You is perhaps the most difficult one to express. People may be headstrong but go weak at the knees when it comes to proposing to someone special. For one and all, the expression of love requires perfect timing, ideal setting and right approach[...]

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Jinnah divides BJP

Posted by Abhishek Pandey on 11:58:00 in ,

By Abhishek Pandey

Mohamed Ali Jinnah again the reason of division, this time in Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP). Jinnah’s jinx formed factions of different ideologies in the party, which claims to be a party with a difference. Last week, Jaswant Singh was expelled from the party for writing against party’s ‘core ideology’ in his recent book ‘Jinnah – India – Partition – Independence’, which applauded the role of Jinnah and criticises Nehru and Sardar Patel for their role in the partition of the country in 1947.

Jaswant is under fire from with in the party and outside for his comments over his controversial statements on the partition of the country. This is not the first time that Jinnah has created problem for saffron party. In 2005, Advani has suffered a lot for tagging Mohamed Ali Jinnah as a ‘secular’ leader. Mr. Advani had to resign from the post of party president.

Aiming to not upset the vote bank, BJP president Rajnath Singh announced that Jaswant Singh has been expelled from the party for uttering words against Sardar Patel which is against the core belief of the party. The book has been banned in BJP ruled Gujarat. BJP did not mentioned Jinnah as the BJP stalwart Advani had praised him in past and naming him can backfire BJP itself.

Jaswant Singh who is saddened by party’s decision said that he used to be the Hanuman of the saffron party but he has become Ravana now. He urged that the party must read the whole book and then it should come to a decision. According to Singh, Patel was the person who imposed ban on Rastriya Swayma Sevak Sangh, soon after the death of Mahatama Gandhi. Mr. Singh stood by Advani in 2005 but Advani’s comments on the episode – ‘It was painful but mandatory decision’ – shows that he has very short memory.

Jaswant Singh was not given even show cause notice to defend himself. The saffron Party is of the view that his views in his book are against party’s core belief and an immediate stern action was needed. A party with a difference, BJP, forgot that a even a hardcore murderer like Ajmal Amir Kasab, who killed many people in Mumbai attack, is given chance to defend himself in Indian court but party forgot the process of justice in the case. At least, the party leadership must call upon Jaswant for an explanation before punishing him.

Singh raised the Kandahar issue mentioning that all the ministers including Advani were aware of the decision of releasing terrorists with exchange of 166 Air India passengers. He clarified that he spoke a lie in past for defending Advani, who said that he was not aware of the decision, in the time of election because it could have adverse effect on election results for the BJP.

In this drama, Jaswant Singh’s book has become the best seller and is very much in demand. Literary and artistic work should not be banned. Like Jaswant book, BJP government in Chhattisgarh has banned the late Habib Tanveer’s play Charandas Chor. BJP or for that matter any political party must ponder over the lines of former Prime Minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee that the answer to a book is a book, not a protest or a ban.

It is the general idea in India that Mohamed Ali Jinnah was the person who proposed two-nation theory and caused partition of the country in 1947 after a blood bath in which millions of people were killed, injured and many more were displaced. Though, there are several known and unknown facades of Jinnah exist in Indian and Pakistan’s history books.

BJP leaders are aware of the core beliefs of the party but the then party president Advani praised Mohammad Ali Jinnah for his ‘secular’ speech after the partition. BJP and Sangh leaders were fumed at Advani and he had to resign from the post of party president. But, this time party can not afford to give lesser punishment because BJP stalwart has not only praised Jinnah but also showed Sardar Patel and Nehru’s role in partition of the country in negative light.

Following incidents after Jaswant episode have created a crisis in the party. Sudhindra Kulkarni reigned from the party for not having freedom of expression with in the party. Kulkarni was questioned for his newspaper articles in which he suggested to revamp party’s ideology. Arun Shourie has also called the shots against the party top brass and said a jhatka (quick) change in the party is needed. He expressed his view that party has lost its direction and called party president Rajnath ‘Alice in blunderland’. He also said that Rastriya Swayam Sevaka Sangha (RSS) should take party’s command in its hand.

Madanlal Khurana, Uma Bharati and Kalyan Singh like leaders have left BJP in last couple of years. In recent days, Former Rajasthan Chief Minister (CM) Vashundhra Raje, Arun Jaiteley, Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha, Bhairo Singh Shekhawat and former Uttarakhand CM Bhavan Chandra Khanduri have raised their voice against the party for different reasons. All thses incidents are sprinkling salt on the festering wounds of BJP, who is recuperating after second continuous defeat in parliamentary elections.

There is no unity of command in the party. Any leader in top brass, including Advani, does not seem to have stature and qualities like Atal Bihari Vajpayee to unify the party members. Atal Bihari was liberal and secular leader with clean image. He enjoyed confidence among the party leaders and allies during his political career. Party has felt his absence in the last elections and missing his presence in the time pf present crisis. BJP has to find its sailor, who can sail the party in the right direction easily with all the members intact despite differences. Party has to modernise itself by revamping its ideology and character as per the demands of the present time. It is in national interest that Indians should have two national parties otherwise the one national party, whether its Congress or BJP, would become irrepressible by the democratic process.

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Not free in free nation

Posted by Abhishek Pandey on 17:33:00 in ,

By Abhishek Pandey

India celebrated its 62nd Independence Day with pride. Is it really a matter of pride? Of course, yes. Many freedom fighters lost their lives to set India free. Their efforts bring fruits in the form of a free and sovereign country for the future generation. It was a great achievement after a long period of colonial era. India has travelled a long distance in last six decades in all the spheres. But, the domain of freedom has extended its reach or not, it is doubtful.

One question always trouble my conscience that who were the people got freedom on 15 August, 1947. Had all the Indians got freedom on that fortunate day? Practically, the answer of this important question is no. All Indians are not free. This was the freedom in true means for few sections of the people. It seems it was the freedom of politicians, Police administration, government officers and the elite class. For others, Master got changed but situation have not changed expectedly.

Politicians are free to play a ‘constructive’ role in corruption and get away easily by their influence. They have all the right to interrupt parliamentary proceedings through their uncivilised ways. They have the right to have disproportionate asset. They are also free to make their won statues at public place on government expenditure. They can make castist, sexist, communal statement to play the vote bank politics. They enjoy their freedom of speech at the cost of other’s freedom.

Police is free to do fake encounters, harass poor people and be inefficient in need. Police officials can also make defamatory remarks and can declare a person criminal without investigation as it happened in Aarushi-Hemraj murder case. Criminal loot and murder in bright day light and move away freely. They are also free to contest elections and enjoy political power until final verdict comes. In the same manner, Government officials are free to settle the matter under the table as it is their fundamental right. They can delay your work if you don’t grease their palms. They enjoy their freedom without any timely and proper supervision.

In contrast, Aam aadmi is still waiting for the true freedom in a 62 years old free country. Aam aadmi keep waiting on the cross roads or in the queue of religious institutions like temples, mosque and Dargah unless the so called elites pass on. Is this is definition of the equality in a largest democratic nation? Every second Indian is affected with the ‘Do you know me’ syndrome. Tenders, jobs and other favours are considered on the validity of this rhetoric. Discrimination of several forms among the different sections, communities, caste, religious groups are evident even after six decades of independence.

Women and girls can not go to bars freely because ‘moral police’ like Sri Ram Sene feel it is against Indian culture and ethos. Girl students and women teachers can not clad themselves in the attire of their choice because college administrations desire to curb their freedom. Couples can not stroll together in the parks or street because our police feel, it offends decency.

Friendship Day and Valentine’s Day are celebrated secretly as if it is illegal to have a good time on special occasion. But, most of the youngsters avoid having fun in public place because Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) don’t like their freedom. The celebrations on such occasions need their approval.

People from North-India can not go to Mumbai for livelihood because it affects the interest of locals. Hindi speaking people are killed in north-eastern states for earning their bread in other state with in their own country. North eastern and Jammu and Kashmir people face alienation in other metropolitan cities. They don’t get accommodation easily.

People with in their own country are outsiders and not free to move freely. Is this is the definition of freedom, which we got six decades ago? I think these people don’t know about the fundamental rights which include freedom of movement in any part of India. It is always believed that India is a country with unity in diversity. But, this believe seems to be shattered in thousand pieces when we hear about above mentioned incidents.

Few people, regional leaders and political parties have forgotten the true meaning of freedom thought of by our freedom fighters. How can a nation celebrate its independence when the freedom has not reached to aam aadmi. Many jingoists would defy these arguments but the situation draw the stark picture of reality. It is important for our government and all the Indian to re-conceive the idea of true India. Otherwise we, Indians, will keep waiting for the true freedom. We have to become mature at 62 to enjoy and celebrate the Independence Day.

Jawaharlal Nehru said on the First Independence day in his speech Tryst with destiny, “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.

Freedom and power bring responsibility. The responsibility rests upon this Assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. Before the birth of freedom we have endured all the pains of labour and our hearts are heavy with the memory of this sorrow. Some of those pains continue even now. Nevertheless, the past is over and it is the future that beckons to us now. His words are still relevant even after six decades because we are still yawning.


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