EK CUP CHAI

Yesterday, the Supreme Court ordered a stay on the reservation bill that had been unanimously approved by the Parliament (this unanimous approval happens only in case of caste reservations, not in case of women reservations)! So the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Karunanidhi has decided that there will be a bandh accross Tamil Nadu!

Karunanidhi also said, “This is to make everyone realise that the Supreme Court’s order attacks the very roots of the downtrodden in our society.” I’m not sure who is the downtrodden in the society, and whether the downtrodden is defined by being born with certain ‘parentage’.

Five years ago, when Supreme Court upheld the construction of Narmada Dam, Arundhati Roy made a statement, “…The Supreme Court is trying to silence the protests against Narmada Dam…” A Two Judge bench found Arundhati guilty of contempt of court’s orders!

And yet tomorrow there will be a Tamil Nadu bandh. No court will find the Chief Minister in contempt of court, because there will be no petition filed. And even if it will be filed, the Chief Minister is more likely to be warned. And the day after we will find small time unions coming together after this successful bandh in Tamil Nadu.

What a pity and what a farce. But sometimes Supreme Court does make interesting comments, “Nowhere in the world do castes, classes or communities queue up for the sake of gaining status”.

A seven month old baby, was ‘bitten’ to death by stray dogs in Hyderabad. Before the child succumbed to death, and after he was bitten badly, the child bled profusely. He was rushed to Osmania General Hospital.

Treated as an out-patient there the parents of the boy were advised to take the boy to IPM, Narayan Guda. From there the boy was shifted to Niloufer Hospital. Niloufer Hospital simply asked the parents to rush to Fever Hospital. From the fever hospital, the parents were again asked to take the boy to Niloufer Hospital. The boy died. It is still unclear if the boy was given any rabies vaccination at all.

The doctors kept the rules. Administration at one hospital says they were not aware of the incident while the other said there is no Pediatrician in their hospital. One person said that they ‘generally’ refer ’such’ cases to Fever hospital.

Each one concerned kept the ‘rule’. Unfortunately a life was lost. The boy was seven months old. Now there is an investigation going on, though no police complaint had been booked.

I’m not sure whose was the mistake: parents who left the child on his own. Municipality (though it says it had recently collected many dogs in the area). The doctors who transferred the guy, or the system that doesn’t keep Rabies medicine in all the hospitals though stray dogs are rampant.

Well from tomorrow there will be more collection of dogs. And before anything could be done, ‘Blue Cross’ will raise an issue of killing the strays. None will talk why Rabies isn’t available in all the hospitals.

Coming early to my office today, I was wondering if there was anyway we could sue the municipality, (that too in consumer courts) for laying bad roads. All this because I felt a tinge of pain in my back, while driving. Then I saw this man walking (whom I could overtake in a minute).

Looking from behind, I could see two sticks tied to his shoulder. The sticks were proudly bearing the Indian tricolors, flying over his head. Also to his back was this bag, which you would easily associate with a mountain climber. Tied to the flagsticks, there was this big banner which read something in Hindi.

Having seen him at the first glimpse near a temple, I thought he was selling some toys.

Anyways, I over took him and then I saw him. A man, his face all wrinkled, his back bent forward showing signs of bearing the weight of flags and his baggage. A tired man, bearing Indian flag.

I tried to read what was on the banner. It was all in Hindi and unfortunately my reading ability in Hindi needed constant gaze, but that was impossible as he walked on an uneven road. But I could gather that he has been walking for a distance which is a world record.

As this man came towards me, another man asked him if he needed water. Until then it didn’t strike me that this man was sweating, and no body has asked him if he wanted something. Yet everybody was staring at him. I asked him if he wanted food, he said a no, with his expression, a silent one (an expression that is going to remain in my life for quite sometime).

That was when I had heard some noise…sorry music. It was a marriage party, moving towards the temple. They were walking slowly savoring the attention that was paid to them, and yet not even enjoying the music.

A marriage required attention, a walk didn’t. I still wonder why we spend a few hundred thousand on something as stupid as marriage, rather than on people who need it. No I’m not asking to give it as alms to the poor, just wondering, why do something just because others consider it, a politically correct thing to do rather than the right thing to do.

This man had water, and went his way. I came back to practicality, just like the marriage party. I went to office, though I wanted to talk to this man, asking him why he started walking. I wanted to smoke badly, after a long long time, which I didn’t. I just carried on driving, wondering how long I’m going to walk on like this…walking to be politically correct.

A new twist in the tale, ‘Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam’ known commonly as LTTE across many nations, started its first air strike on Sri Lanka. It is a great surprise how these people got the science and infrastructure to build a light aeroplane that can go undetected by the Airforce of Sri Lanka.

India (or) Tamil Nadu has been rumoured to play support to LTTE,though it has never been proved. But the fact that a globally recoginsed Terrorist Group has started off its first air strike, it means that there is not only support, but a political motivation to destabilize Sri Lanka.

India plays big brother to many countries in the Indian Ocean cannot escape ‘commenting’ or reacting to such strikes. Else, it will be not far, when Maoists in the country move around with rocket launchers on their shoulders. And then India will come out with a statement like Sri Lanka did today, ” we had little information about they (LTTE) having a light air plan”.

The written examination format, especially for entrance into various formidable institutes like IITs or engineering colleges is rapidly losing its value. One of the foremost reasons for such a downfall is that a written test doesn’t always give a complete picture of the personality of a pupil (or a wannabe student).

I still remember giving examinations and joining one of the prestigious institutions of India, JNTU. In the first few days I found few of my classmates, grouping themselves in the range of ranks they got in EAMCET. That was not only funny, but in another way a complete tragedy as the students thought of themselves and others based on the ranks they scored. Of course, before a year finished that engineering examination model was all about reading few ‘particular’ books.

That was the scene almost a decade ago. And recently Managing Director with Tata Steel, B.Muthuram had said, “We are not likely to recruit them (IIT graduates) any longer”. Reason is IIT students rate themselves above the others, and the teachers they have had no idea what these students should be taught.

The statement coming from such a person should serve as an eye-opener for all those involved in building a better education system for Indian children. However, the changes can be easily said than done.

I have heard that National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad (known as NID) has a unique way of selecting students. After the initial written test, few selected students will undergo a series of interviews. These interviews are not very serious, but are so casual that a panel of teachers (and probably few senior students) get a fair view of the aptitude of the student. Unless the Aptitude and the course chosen by the student match, the admission will not be given. This was done a few years ago (I believe it has evolved to be better).

I’m not sure about the drop ratios of each of these national institutes, but I believe only those with better students and good teachers only will survive. Unfortunately today better students are those who have a better rank and good teachers are those who have too many degrees to their names.

It will be of a great help to the nation, if the IITs and other such institutes are given another criteria of selecting students, in addition to the written examination. With three more IITs coming in the next few years, it will be interesting to see, what kind of measure will be taken to improve the class of IIT.

Not long ago I wrote the article in this very blog: “Will India Win the World Cup?”

The article, in one or the other way said how bad supporters we people are. And it has been proved by the blame game that has started all over again. And as expected the blame will be put either on Rahul Dravid or Greg Chappel. No one talks of Sachin Tendulkar’s great form against Bermuda and his ‘0′ against Sri Lanka. No one will talk how tamely Saurav Ganguly got out.

Yes Rahul Dravid was not a good captain, but what about the Sensibilities of the 10,000 run scores. General public will not understand that India leads the ‘inconsistent’ teams like West Indies, and Pakistan. Anyways it is going to be huge fun, watching the reactions of the great former cricketers.

And Sunil Gavaskar has already started his part, saying the coach needs to be questioned(Gavsakar declined the offer of being a coach because he wanted to answer only to the President of India).

India had the most great enemy yesterday - the minds that can burn easily under pressure. And these cricketers are no different from us. They are just like us, heroes on their days, and ducks about to cut on the other days.

Anyway, probably we will get better news to talk about in ekcupchai from the next week!

I cannot get over this feeling of ‘anticipation’. I’m aware of it every moment, that I’m doing and every thing needs to be done so that I can finish things in time. And well I know why it is called fever! Fever, which will keep us aware of it all the time! But this I’m not talking of flu or fever. But ‘Cricket-Fever’…just cricket fever, this has caught to me big time.

Now call it my excitement or team India’s way of making things nerve wracking, this time around India-Srilanka match will be a killer. Yes it is going to be killer. I have read sometime back that few elderly people lost their lives after some tight ODIs. And this time it will be no different, unless of course Sri Lanka looks like it is receiving some bashing from the Indians. The more the Sri Lankan resistance, the more the number of bodies waiting to be dead.

Haa.. yes there will be hundreds of people across the world hoping to see Indian team in the next round; not just because they are Indians. Loosing India in the first round will be a huge loss to the ICCs treasury. Well, that’s not an issue here though.

And this match is going to receive the most number of views in the world cup, till the late semifinals, more so because this time around World Cup cricket will not have an India - Pakistan match! Yes there was a time when India and Pakistan didn’t meet in World Cup cricket, but then the crowds weren’t as much frenzied by the developments in media.

But looks like it is going to be one great day for Asian cricket. And just for your information, India has beaten SriLanka in the world cups 3 times, while Srilanka beat them twice (in India 1996.)

Will India beat them the fourth time, or pack their bags to home?

Looks like Mulayam Singh Yadav can take great deep breaths. Last week, a Supreme Court judge gave up listening a case involving his son. And this week, his alleged connections with Moninder Singh Pandher are broken, after CBI says Pandher is innocent.

Bones, skulls and all were found. Some police officers were suspended, some transferred. There were lives of children involved, there were lives of those who were looking for those children involved.

But suddenly it seems now there are more lives involved. Not just of the victims, but of those who committed the brutal crimes (crimes like rape, organ trafficking, cannibalism and necrophilia and what not). And not just of these criminals, but also of those in the great Indian administration!

Is it justice for the rich or is it the plain truth, no one knows. But for CBI, it seems that reaching the conclusion was easy. Surinder Kohli, Pandher’s manservant and assistant is said to have kept Pander in dark about what he did when Pandher left home.

If someone as reliable as CBI can give a clean chit to the courts, the reliable courts ofcourse will set Pandher free. Question is, will any court or any security system allow the people of Nithari from killing Pandher?

I guess, it is much better for Pandher if he is asked to sit in jail amidst full security of police rather than set him free. But this is as good as punishing him. I think for once, people of Nithari will avenge the deaths of innocent kids. Whether they will kill an innocent man or a new age cannibal, no body cares.

But for Mulayam Singh Yadav, either ways he will have won over the issue of Nithari. He will of course take deeper breaths now. But after all who cares…there were only alleged connections without substantial proofs. Thats India for you darlings!

‘Spare the rod, spoil the child’ this adage says that no punishment to a child will only result him in being a spoiled brat all through his life. I’m not sure how many people like to hit their children, but believe it or not, it looks like many ’schools’ use ‘corporal punishments’.

And the eligibility criteria for receiving ‘corporal punishment’ are not doing home work and other ‘unexpected’ behavior! There was also a statement from a court that it was impossible to teach kids without using ‘punishment’!

I’m not sure what I can say about it, but I know that punishment only incites fear in children, and an afraid mind cannot learn lessons!
What do you say? You can use this a forum!

All through out my life from when I could read and understand, I have been intrigued by this thing called Astrology! People say that there are quite a few unexplained forces that govern our life. Somebody called it God, and someone else calls it Nature!

Whatever the forces, it seem ridiculous, and sometimes too good to believe. Just recently there was this Tarot Car reader who had said that Bangladesh will have an excellent start and will give India some set backs! Also there was this thing about Pakistan’s suicidal game plan which might back lash at it…and ergo, what do we have, Pakistan is out of the group.

But what caught me was something more than interesting. An astrologer says that he had made these predictions on cricket based on a book written way back in 2 B.C. Brihata Samhita. What does that mean. That the way these planets are aligned, affects the humans such that they perform exactly the way these planets make them do!

Also another interesting issue is - Hindu Astrology and many other astrology systems do not have Pluto in their system. And after a huge struggle, Pluto was taken off from the Planetary system!

Not long ago, it was scientifically proven that the the illusion of the moon disappearing and appearing or basically called New Moon and Full Moons affect human brains! I think many will remember their grannys telling them not to venture out during these days!

One wonders if people in the BCs could understand observe, note and understand the behavior of such astronomical events, one wonders why they didn’t create something like a computer, or Internet. Or did they? And if they were intelligent enough, then how did they link one human system to another. Was it done spiritually, achieved through torturous meditation? These things probably one will never understand! But will always intrigue us!