Is it just co-incidence? 4 of the big 5 nations Prime Ministers or Presidents would have visited India in a 5 month span by the end of the year. It started of with David Cameron barely months after he assumed office and then Barack Obama in his longest state visit to date and that too in his 2nd year as President, much earlier than any other US President (I must mention at a much better mood than the Nixon 22hr stopover- He hated Indira Gandhi to say the least). Now, we have French President Nicolas Sarkozy with a 60 member delegation and just before Christmas we will have Russian President Medveded coming to India.
What has prompted these world leaders to visit our humble abode? Is it their recognition that India is now a superpower ready to take its position on the world's high table? Is it our increasing influence in International politics or financial institutions or our military might(3rd largest standing army) or the United Nations security council 2 year slot that is being considered a prelude to a permanent seat?
I say bullshit to all that. Time for a reality check- India is playing the international politics game quite badly since it is not able to decide its allies and decisions are still dictated to us by the big powers inspite of the so called NAM or independent foreign policy that we follow. We are the only big nation that has no military hardware and technology worth being proud of apart from a joint venture with Russia on Brahmos. If I want to look at it through the half full glass, it would mean we are doing a really good job keeping our strength a secret, but that is not what we should be doing. We should be sabre rattling, albeit carefully to make others take notice but the glass is definitely not half full as we have to depend on the french to upgrade our ageing fighter craft fleet. The two year stint in the UNSC will only give us powers to move resolutions and any participation other than a permanent membership with veto power would be meaningless and unjustified for a nation that has 1/6th of the world's population. Our participation in WTO, IMF and World Bank, Global meetings like the Climate Change summit has been good, but no real fruits have been borne of those seeds. India's opportunity to act as the third world's advocate is also now in jeopardy as we side against Iran on the nuclear issue and the small nations on the climate change issue.
There is only one reason for World Leaders to be here- they want the money. With a consumer base (Indian middle class is bigger than whole of Europe and US) and growth statistics that is far ahead of US and Europe, they need our money. France wants to sell us their reactors, US wants to sell us fighter crafts (thats why they give 2billion USD worth of free hardware to Pakistan and make profit on the 10bln USD deal with India) and need Indian investment, Britain wants Indian companies to invest there but will enforce stringent immigration laws. Russia is perhaps independent in this aspect, but they too are looking at military and energy deals with India.
France just passed a law raising retirement age by 2 years which sparked wide protests throughout the country. Britain is cutting down drastically on spending with austerity measures threatening healthcare and even education, US is still feeling the bite of the recession for it has been a jobless recovery from the recession as it has not lead to job creation but only a growth figure not in the negative(proved by the fact that Citibank paid back 57 bln USD, giving the government 12bln profit on its 45bln bailout).
"Everything is about “give and take”; it’s a “two-way street,” said the French minister of Economy and Finance as he asks India to open up its retail and insurance markets. France wants us to buy the untested, unproven, over-priced reactors and if possible the highly over-priced Rafale fighter jets too. Our PSU insurance companies have a general policy of allowing most of the claims whereas the participation of private insurers in the health insurance has not been satisfactory. Hospitals are refusing to offer cashless treatment and are asking the patients to settle the bills with insurance companies after paying the hopsitals. We survived the recession thanks to FDI norms or else TATA-AIG (AIG was given a 150bln USD bailout) would have been in some bother. Walmart is known for driving out small scale retailers and converting self-employed small shop owners into workers.
What India must do is understand these leaders are not here because the have any soft-corner for India, but they are here for the money. When we make deals, we need to understand that we should keep the well-being of our people in mind and not some international agreement or commitment, we should have an independent foreign policy unaffected by the whims of the big guns, we should have the spine to speak our mind on world issues, we should be smart enough to chose our allies and not act against our old friends who have stood by us. We should not be like an elephant unaware of its strengths, but we should wake up and realise that the world needs us and we can also dictate terms when we need to.
I do not say go and be arrogant for all I hope is that the big countries stop dictating terms to us and deal with us as equals. Right now, they are giving us a false sense of acceptance but are arm-wrestling us and using the carrot-on-the-stick policy to make us take stands against other old allies and neighbours. We are not a signatory to NPT and yet we are forced to abide by its rules, major nations are supporting our UNSC permanent seat bid but are not clear on a timeline or whether it will come with veto powers.
As I speak of an independent foreign policy, we do not have a think tank initiative to guide our decisions. We do not have world class indigenous military hardware and these deals with other countries will only discourage indigenous research. Even in nuclear energy field, we should carry out our own research and try out our own reactors for only then will we be able to pursue truly independent policies inspite of the fact that these countries offer service and fuel supplies for the entire lifetime of the reactor. The creativity, commitment and ingenuity that enabled us to test our own Nuclear Devices, send crafts that confirmed the presence of water in the moon will all be lost if we over rely on foreign products and we will be seen only as a dumping ground for products-consumer, military and sometimes even lower quality ones unfit for use in their home countries.
It is time we look upon ourselves with some sense of pride, promise to work hard, think intelligently and smartly and also with the desire to take our place in the global high table but with the understanding that it will never be a round one, but one balanced in favour of those who can play their cards smartly.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
All the world's a home, And all the men and women merely guests
Suppose you have a few guests over at your house, they stay for a couple of days and leave and once they leave, what you see is that they have slowly but completely messed up your home and left it in a condition unfit for habitation. This is exactly what is happening to our planet. We did not own anything in this planet, money and power are our creations and so is everything that we have acquired in this planet and we all must leave this planet once. But we, like the unpleasant guests, do as much damage as we can making this planet less suitable for habitation.
Long before humans arrived, this planet was alive and by the looks of it we will bring about its end. Is this right? What right do we have other than selfishness, greed and self-assumed power to destroy this world. Those who endanger this planet are those with asbolutely no morals, sacrificing planets survival for making it big until we can suck this planet dry. It is not going to be an alien invasion that raises the threat of annihilation, but our own actions. We are not enjoying the fruits of our efforts but the fruits born from seeds sown by our forefathers and so we have the moral obligation to preserve for our children what we inherited. If we cannot sow the seeds of prosperity and a better world for them, atleast lets not leave a barren wasteland filled with seeds of death for them.
Long before humans arrived, this planet was alive and by the looks of it we will bring about its end. Is this right? What right do we have other than selfishness, greed and self-assumed power to destroy this world. Those who endanger this planet are those with asbolutely no morals, sacrificing planets survival for making it big until we can suck this planet dry. It is not going to be an alien invasion that raises the threat of annihilation, but our own actions. We are not enjoying the fruits of our efforts but the fruits born from seeds sown by our forefathers and so we have the moral obligation to preserve for our children what we inherited. If we cannot sow the seeds of prosperity and a better world for them, atleast lets not leave a barren wasteland filled with seeds of death for them.
Microfinance Institutions
SKS Microfinance, started by Vikram Akula in 1997 definitely pioneered the concept of Microfinance in India. But recently, his company went public and after a highly succesful, there is some confusion as to what exactly is happening as their CEU Suresh Gurumani was asked to leave on Oct4 and the reply to SEBI's query on this issue has received an unsatisfactory reply.
Microfinance helps because the requirement is not need lakhs of rupees for long term, but merely few thousands of rupees for less than a year, mostly for purchase of inventory for retailers and for buying seeds, fertilizers etc for farmers or for an emergency. What trapped them were the moneylenders who charged exorbitant rates and ultimately ended up taking over the collateral land or property, not to mention the harassment that preceded. Microfinance was a revolutionary concept (Mohammed Yunus and his Grameen Bank was given the Nobel Peace Prize) and it provided loans to women who were seen as more responsible towards the family and society and also spend the money wisely. The return rates for these loans were 99% and Vikram Akula had aworked with Yunus, but Yunus himself has criticised Akula for going public because the debate arises between preserving the interests of the people who have taken loans and the investors and shareholders.
Microfinance is a tool for social change, rural development, self employment and fight against poverty. It is a social need and so any business that engages in this activity must also be aware of the social impact it has and also must keep in mind the interest of the customers. By going public, this aspect is getting diluted. One might argue that the purpose of an enterprise is to create profit, but a microfinance institution is different for its purpose is not profit but all those social needs I mentioned at the beginning of this para. But if the intention of the organisation was infact profit, there is nothing to differentiate it from any other financier, except perhaps in the scale of money given, but it is fast becoming just that- another moneylender.
Instances of harassment for money recovery (payments are to be made within a week), exploitation of the self help group as the other members of the group are also harassed who in turn have staged dharnas infront of the defaulters home and boycotting this individual has also happened along with extremely high interest rates on loan. Vikram Akula claims that 24% interest rate just about breaks even for them, but then how has SKS registered its high growth rates just by breaking even. He is also opposing a cap on interest rates but this is an important way of regulating a system which could revolutionise our rural areas, but one which is losing direction now.
If the company cannot find a commercial solution that works, it better not function. It is as simple as that, but simply to protect investor's interest, the government cannot and should not turn a blind eye to unrestricted working of this institution. Reducing operating costs by going local and hiring local, decentralisation of operations and inspite of claims to the opposite by Vikram Akula- small scale institutions with deep roots in the local area can operate better. This is the path that Microfinance institutions should follow. There should also be relaxation of loan acquiring procedures and restrictions and also a much stronger relation between the bank and the customer which will promote healthier loans. Ensuring that the loan is given to the right and not siphoned off from that individual and false documentations do not happen is also essential.
Around 33 people have committed suicide as microfinance institutions, for collection of money, have resorted to strongarm tactics which is exactly why there must be regulation.
The government must introduce an interest cap, introduce legislation on these institutions like those that exist for banks, start its own microfinance programme through post offices- we have the worlds biggest postal network and there are plans to promote postal banking in an even bigger way and microfinance should surely be a part of that. There is immense investor excitement in this field and also this is a tool for rural empowerment and powerty alleviation which makes it essential this budding idea is allowed to developed in the right way and not go wayward and collapse under its own greed.
Edit on December 10,2010
In light of the recent issues surrounding microfinance, which aim only at completely discrediting the concept rather focus on the actual problems in implementation, I would like to justify the concept.
The poor need start-up money for their work just like Google or Yahoo needed initial start-up money. They used to get that from money-lenders who imposed sky-high rates of interest, there were no extensions of deadlines and their property were seized without any sympathy. The other options are co-operative societies or government bank loans but recently, more agricultural loans have been given in Urban areas than in Rural areas (http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article566888.ece).
Farmers and small scale traders do not need huge investments, but money in a few thousands. Microfinance is a concept which can work if implemented properly and in a regulated market. The current imbroglio clearly shows what happens when greed and market forces are allowed to interfere with social change and upliftment.
Microfinance helps because the requirement is not need lakhs of rupees for long term, but merely few thousands of rupees for less than a year, mostly for purchase of inventory for retailers and for buying seeds, fertilizers etc for farmers or for an emergency. What trapped them were the moneylenders who charged exorbitant rates and ultimately ended up taking over the collateral land or property, not to mention the harassment that preceded. Microfinance was a revolutionary concept (Mohammed Yunus and his Grameen Bank was given the Nobel Peace Prize) and it provided loans to women who were seen as more responsible towards the family and society and also spend the money wisely. The return rates for these loans were 99% and Vikram Akula had aworked with Yunus, but Yunus himself has criticised Akula for going public because the debate arises between preserving the interests of the people who have taken loans and the investors and shareholders.
Microfinance is a tool for social change, rural development, self employment and fight against poverty. It is a social need and so any business that engages in this activity must also be aware of the social impact it has and also must keep in mind the interest of the customers. By going public, this aspect is getting diluted. One might argue that the purpose of an enterprise is to create profit, but a microfinance institution is different for its purpose is not profit but all those social needs I mentioned at the beginning of this para. But if the intention of the organisation was infact profit, there is nothing to differentiate it from any other financier, except perhaps in the scale of money given, but it is fast becoming just that- another moneylender.
Instances of harassment for money recovery (payments are to be made within a week), exploitation of the self help group as the other members of the group are also harassed who in turn have staged dharnas infront of the defaulters home and boycotting this individual has also happened along with extremely high interest rates on loan. Vikram Akula claims that 24% interest rate just about breaks even for them, but then how has SKS registered its high growth rates just by breaking even. He is also opposing a cap on interest rates but this is an important way of regulating a system which could revolutionise our rural areas, but one which is losing direction now.
If the company cannot find a commercial solution that works, it better not function. It is as simple as that, but simply to protect investor's interest, the government cannot and should not turn a blind eye to unrestricted working of this institution. Reducing operating costs by going local and hiring local, decentralisation of operations and inspite of claims to the opposite by Vikram Akula- small scale institutions with deep roots in the local area can operate better. This is the path that Microfinance institutions should follow. There should also be relaxation of loan acquiring procedures and restrictions and also a much stronger relation between the bank and the customer which will promote healthier loans. Ensuring that the loan is given to the right and not siphoned off from that individual and false documentations do not happen is also essential.
Around 33 people have committed suicide as microfinance institutions, for collection of money, have resorted to strongarm tactics which is exactly why there must be regulation.
The government must introduce an interest cap, introduce legislation on these institutions like those that exist for banks, start its own microfinance programme through post offices- we have the worlds biggest postal network and there are plans to promote postal banking in an even bigger way and microfinance should surely be a part of that. There is immense investor excitement in this field and also this is a tool for rural empowerment and powerty alleviation which makes it essential this budding idea is allowed to developed in the right way and not go wayward and collapse under its own greed.
Edit on December 10,2010
In light of the recent issues surrounding microfinance, which aim only at completely discrediting the concept rather focus on the actual problems in implementation, I would like to justify the concept.
The poor need start-up money for their work just like Google or Yahoo needed initial start-up money. They used to get that from money-lenders who imposed sky-high rates of interest, there were no extensions of deadlines and their property were seized without any sympathy. The other options are co-operative societies or government bank loans but recently, more agricultural loans have been given in Urban areas than in Rural areas (http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article566888.ece).
Farmers and small scale traders do not need huge investments, but money in a few thousands. Microfinance is a concept which can work if implemented properly and in a regulated market. The current imbroglio clearly shows what happens when greed and market forces are allowed to interfere with social change and upliftment.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Choice
We cant walk on two different paths at the same time, we cant follow the spiritual and the material at the same time and not expect some conflict and confusion for they are parallel tracks that will never meet. There is a constant conflict between idealism and reality too- about what we can implement in our lives and all that we can only follow only if we are break away from everything that we know, consider normal, everything that holds us down to this earth.
There is a conflict between freedom and earthly commitments, idealism and reality, what we believe and what we can do about it. There is no right or wrong choice and even if it exists, I do not know how to choose and how to measure the success in each of them for success in one might mean total disaster on the other front.
Byron, Wilde, Che Guevera and even our own Changampuzha- all were social misfits and viewed as rebels and at times irresponsible to their family. To an extent even Siddhartha before he came Budha, was also irresponsible towards his family as he left them in the middle of the night after he realised the truth about disease, death and grief and he discovered a path that very few others have been able to follow.
I do not say they should have shackled themselves to their families or even society's perception of right and wrong for if everyone had done that we would still have believed that the earth was flat and the sun and other planets revolved around the earth which is at the centre of the universe.
I do not know what to do and I am confused. Man is born free and yet everywhere he is in chains, although Rousseu was talking about the chains of the ruling class, I am talking about the chains of relations and society, of obligations and commitments and also of the favour bank (in simple words-if someone does you a favor, you owe them a favor in return that must be repaid whenever the favor is called in).
School, College, Job, Marriage, Family, Sustain the family and then cycle repeats for your progeny. That is the end of one story and also the beginning of another and although one could ask what is wrong in it, I do not think that is the right question. I do not see anything in this life although I do admit that life in itself is a challenge when we do something different, it is frowned upon. When we choose to stay away from the normal, it is criticised. I do not have much experience in the defiance going away from norms thingy but whenever I have tried it, it has been difficult, fraught with uncertainty and also vehement opposition from all sides.
I can barely imagine the sort of opposition that those who really went against popular opinion faced in their time. Swimming upstream if it is the right path is made easy by the knowledge that it is the right way but what if there is no right way or we do not know which is the right way or perhaps lack confidence?
If it was to me, I would follow my heart and do what I want to do although this might just be wishful thinking and when it comes to the fork in the road, I may very well take the easy, safe road that is used by the crowd. All I hope is that when I reach that place, I have the courage to take the road that will lead me to happiness and fulfillment.
There is a conflict between freedom and earthly commitments, idealism and reality, what we believe and what we can do about it. There is no right or wrong choice and even if it exists, I do not know how to choose and how to measure the success in each of them for success in one might mean total disaster on the other front.
Byron, Wilde, Che Guevera and even our own Changampuzha- all were social misfits and viewed as rebels and at times irresponsible to their family. To an extent even Siddhartha before he came Budha, was also irresponsible towards his family as he left them in the middle of the night after he realised the truth about disease, death and grief and he discovered a path that very few others have been able to follow.
I do not say they should have shackled themselves to their families or even society's perception of right and wrong for if everyone had done that we would still have believed that the earth was flat and the sun and other planets revolved around the earth which is at the centre of the universe.
I do not know what to do and I am confused. Man is born free and yet everywhere he is in chains, although Rousseu was talking about the chains of the ruling class, I am talking about the chains of relations and society, of obligations and commitments and also of the favour bank (in simple words-if someone does you a favor, you owe them a favor in return that must be repaid whenever the favor is called in).
School, College, Job, Marriage, Family, Sustain the family and then cycle repeats for your progeny. That is the end of one story and also the beginning of another and although one could ask what is wrong in it, I do not think that is the right question. I do not see anything in this life although I do admit that life in itself is a challenge when we do something different, it is frowned upon. When we choose to stay away from the normal, it is criticised. I do not have much experience in the defiance going away from norms thingy but whenever I have tried it, it has been difficult, fraught with uncertainty and also vehement opposition from all sides.
I can barely imagine the sort of opposition that those who really went against popular opinion faced in their time. Swimming upstream if it is the right path is made easy by the knowledge that it is the right way but what if there is no right way or we do not know which is the right way or perhaps lack confidence?
If it was to me, I would follow my heart and do what I want to do although this might just be wishful thinking and when it comes to the fork in the road, I may very well take the easy, safe road that is used by the crowd. All I hope is that when I reach that place, I have the courage to take the road that will lead me to happiness and fulfillment.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
City of Blinding Lights
It was more than 5years ago I first heard the U2 song 'City of Blinding Lights' from a CD I borrowed (and returned after almost 8 months) from a friend. I have come across a lot of other songs (quite a few good ones by U2 itself), lot of other bands and lot of genres of music, but nothing has changed my favourite song of all time 'City of Blinding Lights'.
It was there with me through all the chaos and hopeless times of entrance and 12th, through all the shit that happened in campus and now in PS too. I associated different songs with different eras or incidents in my life. For example, 'Going Under' reminds of my first semester in campus (literally) and so on. 'City of Blinding Lights' reminds me of all the highs and lows, all the joys and sorrows of the years that have gone by. A reminder of everything that has happened in my life.
It was there with me through all the chaos and hopeless times of entrance and 12th, through all the shit that happened in campus and now in PS too. I associated different songs with different eras or incidents in my life. For example, 'Going Under' reminds of my first semester in campus (literally) and so on. 'City of Blinding Lights' reminds me of all the highs and lows, all the joys and sorrows of the years that have gone by. A reminder of everything that has happened in my life.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Strange World
Its a world where the deaf and blind mock the mute. The problem here is that the mute person has no way of making the other person understand and even a normal person would require a Hellen Kellerish kind of dedication from the other side, which is obviously not coming or else the mute would have been left in peace. Its one where drug addict mocks the occasional smoker. No one is perfect, in this case, the occasional smoker would do well to quit smoking altogether even if the intention of the addict is to free up atleast a small amount of cigarette for himself! So the aim may not be that broad-minded, but it shows that we can take something good out of every bad thing and we should be broad minded as to accept advice and criticism, whatever may be the source.
The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India suggested that Government distribute the food grains for free instead of allowing it to rot, a soung "suggestion". It was later confirmed to be an order rather than a suggestion and the government acted accordingly for it was the right thing to do, but the Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh quite clearly stated that the judiciary should stay out of the domain of the Parliament. Advice accepted and everyone knows their right place and on a different note, I agree with the government on something finally. What this shows is that we should accept the right advice, right criticism and the truth irrespective of its credibility.
I am not calling the Supreme Court of India blind/deaf or the Prime Minister dumb, but simply narrating two similar stories. The saying that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks is used to refer to old schools of thought, but they are not being called dogs, but simply using a famous saying to make the message clear.
But what about the blind, deaf person- well leave it to fate for we are mute and need to overcome that handicap and better take care of that right away rather than engaging in a series of back and forth insults. Clean up your own home before you criticise the small speck of dust in your neighbours compound. Nations can also learn from this- rather going and establishing democracies and planning wars on nations which may acquire future threats (about which immediate neighbours even don't have problems), they should clean up their own yard- rising unemployment is not only the bane of the third world, but is also crippling the worlds strongest economy(??).
Edit on December 10,2010
Another striking aspect is that no one wants another person to do well inspite of saying well done or congratulations at our success. But one downward slide or perhaps a moment of indecision at the edge, they would gladly push you and watch you go down and down, laughing heartily. My current policy has been similar to what one Mr.Sherlock Holmes did at the Reichenbach. Pretend that you have fallen, hide somewhere where they can't find you so that they could take pleasure in your fall into the dark side and after sometime, just walk away and get on with life. Rather let them be happy at your fall than have a grudging, jealous badger.
The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India suggested that Government distribute the food grains for free instead of allowing it to rot, a soung "suggestion". It was later confirmed to be an order rather than a suggestion and the government acted accordingly for it was the right thing to do, but the Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh quite clearly stated that the judiciary should stay out of the domain of the Parliament. Advice accepted and everyone knows their right place and on a different note, I agree with the government on something finally. What this shows is that we should accept the right advice, right criticism and the truth irrespective of its credibility.
I am not calling the Supreme Court of India blind/deaf or the Prime Minister dumb, but simply narrating two similar stories. The saying that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks is used to refer to old schools of thought, but they are not being called dogs, but simply using a famous saying to make the message clear.
But what about the blind, deaf person- well leave it to fate for we are mute and need to overcome that handicap and better take care of that right away rather than engaging in a series of back and forth insults. Clean up your own home before you criticise the small speck of dust in your neighbours compound. Nations can also learn from this- rather going and establishing democracies and planning wars on nations which may acquire future threats (about which immediate neighbours even don't have problems), they should clean up their own yard- rising unemployment is not only the bane of the third world, but is also crippling the worlds strongest economy(??).
Edit on December 10,2010
Another striking aspect is that no one wants another person to do well inspite of saying well done or congratulations at our success. But one downward slide or perhaps a moment of indecision at the edge, they would gladly push you and watch you go down and down, laughing heartily. My current policy has been similar to what one Mr.Sherlock Holmes did at the Reichenbach. Pretend that you have fallen, hide somewhere where they can't find you so that they could take pleasure in your fall into the dark side and after sometime, just walk away and get on with life. Rather let them be happy at your fall than have a grudging, jealous badger.
Friday, August 27, 2010
From the old
I had gone home for a couple of days, taking a break from PS and in the briefest of lightning stroke that my visit was, I put back into order the computer that I had used in my school days from 2002, which in its hay days was a matter of great pride and wonder to me. Now sitting with a laptop a fraction of the size of that desktop and more than 2 dozen computers whizzing away around me (office), that one comp with which I started my journey retains its proud position as the one that showed me encarta, FIFA, Deltaforce, various nuances of file formats and lots and lots of music.
With an extra half gig of RAM, he (I prefer to call desktops as he and Laptops as she) seems as mighty as ever and a further exploration into its drives showed me that all the old quiz files from my schooldays, songs and games remained there in suspended animation. In fact, the very first songs loaded into the comp while we bought it were still there along with the songs that I listened to while in school- Westlife, BSB, Eminem, Metallica, Linkin Park and U2. I still remember that I had kept a friend's U2 'How to dismantle an atomic bomb' CD for over 6 months inspite of his repeated demands it be returned. I just could not bring myself to give it up and then came BITS and DC where any song, movie, documentary and TV series was available within minutes.
Life could be classified as Pre-DC and Post-DC instead of Pre-BITS and Post-BITS (unlike most of my academically talented friends might suggest) because for me and for a lot of others too, DC was the greatest thing about our campus. Sorely tempted to write about it, but better keep it for some other time as I need to get back to my past! Literally shaking off layers of dust from the old desktop, I saw a time capsule preserving the life of a previous era. Old files on quiz, a few on BITSAT and old school projects were reminders of an era when the world I lived in was much small and the world outside seemed all shiny and far away, the access to which was limited to the information on Encarta and Britannica. I just wanted take a bit of it with me and so transferred all the songs into my hard-disc and listening to those songs all over again, it brings back memories of not specific events, but of what those days were like- preparing and reading up for quizzes, listening to famous speeches on encarta, how entrance came and ruined all the fun and then the abrupt departure to BITS.
It truly was a wonderful time with small dreams, a small world but a really sweet and happy world. Nothing lasts forever but it remains in that computer table in the corner of my room, ready to remind me what it was all about in the Pre-DC era.
With an extra half gig of RAM, he (I prefer to call desktops as he and Laptops as she) seems as mighty as ever and a further exploration into its drives showed me that all the old quiz files from my schooldays, songs and games remained there in suspended animation. In fact, the very first songs loaded into the comp while we bought it were still there along with the songs that I listened to while in school- Westlife, BSB, Eminem, Metallica, Linkin Park and U2. I still remember that I had kept a friend's U2 'How to dismantle an atomic bomb' CD for over 6 months inspite of his repeated demands it be returned. I just could not bring myself to give it up and then came BITS and DC where any song, movie, documentary and TV series was available within minutes.
Life could be classified as Pre-DC and Post-DC instead of Pre-BITS and Post-BITS (unlike most of my academically talented friends might suggest) because for me and for a lot of others too, DC was the greatest thing about our campus. Sorely tempted to write about it, but better keep it for some other time as I need to get back to my past! Literally shaking off layers of dust from the old desktop, I saw a time capsule preserving the life of a previous era. Old files on quiz, a few on BITSAT and old school projects were reminders of an era when the world I lived in was much small and the world outside seemed all shiny and far away, the access to which was limited to the information on Encarta and Britannica. I just wanted take a bit of it with me and so transferred all the songs into my hard-disc and listening to those songs all over again, it brings back memories of not specific events, but of what those days were like- preparing and reading up for quizzes, listening to famous speeches on encarta, how entrance came and ruined all the fun and then the abrupt departure to BITS.
It truly was a wonderful time with small dreams, a small world but a really sweet and happy world. Nothing lasts forever but it remains in that computer table in the corner of my room, ready to remind me what it was all about in the Pre-DC era.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Carpe Diem
In the movie 'Guns of Navaroone', Commodore Jensen, the military officer who appoints the team with the unenviable task of doing away the Guns of Navarone says 'Slap in the middle of absolute insanity people pull out the most extraordinary resources: ingenuity, courage, self-sacrifice. Pity we can't meet the problems of peace in the same way, isn't it? It would be so much cheaper for everybody.'
At times of crisis, we do things beyond what we thought we were capable of, strength- both of mind and body- come to us and we get by and survive. I suppose that is the main thing-survival- we will do anything and everything to get by. But then there is another issue, the second part of the sentence, where peace and stability means we do not reach anywhere near our full capabilities. Is it that in times of crisis our attention is fully on the present and everything fades into insignificance and we live today like there is no tomorrow? It is a topic that I have come across and also posted on my blog (At War, They Live Life).
On war footing is another common phrase when disaster relief and rescue or a work is being done expeditiously. Does it mean that we do not want to achieve that same level of intensity on every occasion, or perhaps it is not required. But the fact remains, that statement is indicative of a lot of things wrong with us- complacency and lazyness- for we are happy with the present unless threatened with dire consequences. We achieve maximum efficiency on the eve of exams or when deadlines are near. It is a good thing in the above two situations but it can also mean that we will be blind to all things that happen gradually like global warming or slow inflation or gradual deterioration of our health until one day we reach the tipping point.
A lot has been said about living it today, but it has also been misinterpreted to mean just having a blast and totally freaking out, in which case you would be wise to remember that there is a tomorrow. What living everyday simply means is that we should make the best use of the time given to us and situation we are in. 'If', 'Carpe Diem' and a lot of other works speak about the same thing.
Let us make use of every second, make best use of our situation and become better individuals through the process.
Live everyday like there is tomorrow.
What better place than this to begin
What better time than now....
At times of crisis, we do things beyond what we thought we were capable of, strength- both of mind and body- come to us and we get by and survive. I suppose that is the main thing-survival- we will do anything and everything to get by. But then there is another issue, the second part of the sentence, where peace and stability means we do not reach anywhere near our full capabilities. Is it that in times of crisis our attention is fully on the present and everything fades into insignificance and we live today like there is no tomorrow? It is a topic that I have come across and also posted on my blog (At War, They Live Life).
On war footing is another common phrase when disaster relief and rescue or a work is being done expeditiously. Does it mean that we do not want to achieve that same level of intensity on every occasion, or perhaps it is not required. But the fact remains, that statement is indicative of a lot of things wrong with us- complacency and lazyness- for we are happy with the present unless threatened with dire consequences. We achieve maximum efficiency on the eve of exams or when deadlines are near. It is a good thing in the above two situations but it can also mean that we will be blind to all things that happen gradually like global warming or slow inflation or gradual deterioration of our health until one day we reach the tipping point.
A lot has been said about living it today, but it has also been misinterpreted to mean just having a blast and totally freaking out, in which case you would be wise to remember that there is a tomorrow. What living everyday simply means is that we should make the best use of the time given to us and situation we are in. 'If', 'Carpe Diem' and a lot of other works speak about the same thing.
Let us make use of every second, make best use of our situation and become better individuals through the process.
Live everyday like there is tomorrow.
What better place than this to begin
What better time than now....
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Duality benefits
BITS-Pilani is known for its academic flexibilities and the dual degree system where a student completes an MSc and an Engineering degree in 5 yrs is the most popular one. Being one such student, doing an MSc in Chemistry and BE in Electronics & Instrumentation, I have had the fortune of attending two farewells- twice the photos, wearing that coat two times in the hot sun and attending one decent farewell in the audi and one awful one (2k8 batch, take a bow- you screw up everything) and a second helping of CDCs and all that associated with it. Other benefits include not having to spend an entire semester totally consumed by boredom as we have the great opportunity of getting run over by engineering CDCs.
There are few a silver linings too- we got our batchmates as PAs in our labs (which has worked out quite well for a lot of us), easy advice on how to write exams (hasn't helped me though), quite a few treats as our friends got placed or got through to B-Schools and what more can be more pleasurable than just watching them having a blast while we wrestled with lab exams, online exams on weekends and assignments. Well, not exactly, we too joined in the fun with them since it as infectious (if not more) than the jaundice that struck us last sem.
We spend an extra semester in campus and become the grand-old people and I was fortunate enough to be in the same room for all these years. We have seen the institute change and the view from my room has changed drastically- from rocky and grass infested in first year to the constant literal ground-breaking that rocked our 2nd yr (coupled with the power crisis, they gave us quite a few good days) and now to a lush green football (which was shifted twice?) and cricket ground. As I write this, someone is delivering left arm off-spin as a live cricket match is on offer on most days of the week! There is one thing that has not changed, the view of Zuari bay and the town on the other side and the constant breeze that makes for an automatic 'door-slammer'.
People are packing, ready to leave and I saw this last semester too and I told myself- " Micro on the last day and you got one more sem here". Not this time though (although an equally hopeless exam awaits me on the last day), no more sems (hopefully??hint of any NC??) to come back as 4 years have gone by faster than the breeze that blows in from the Zuari bay. I cannot yet reminisce or feel nostalgic or feel sad for I got miles to go or rather 3 more exams to go. I guess I am glad to be a dualite since it simply does not give me the time to feel sad (having to fill options for 288 PS-2 stations did its part too) and I do not want to feel sad for it has been a glorious 4 years for me, not always, but on the whole, it was worth the journey. I may not be a good engineer, but the journey has changed me and made me wiser.
Thank you....
There are few a silver linings too- we got our batchmates as PAs in our labs (which has worked out quite well for a lot of us), easy advice on how to write exams (hasn't helped me though), quite a few treats as our friends got placed or got through to B-Schools and what more can be more pleasurable than just watching them having a blast while we wrestled with lab exams, online exams on weekends and assignments. Well, not exactly, we too joined in the fun with them since it as infectious (if not more) than the jaundice that struck us last sem.
We spend an extra semester in campus and become the grand-old people and I was fortunate enough to be in the same room for all these years. We have seen the institute change and the view from my room has changed drastically- from rocky and grass infested in first year to the constant literal ground-breaking that rocked our 2nd yr (coupled with the power crisis, they gave us quite a few good days) and now to a lush green football (which was shifted twice?) and cricket ground. As I write this, someone is delivering left arm off-spin as a live cricket match is on offer on most days of the week! There is one thing that has not changed, the view of Zuari bay and the town on the other side and the constant breeze that makes for an automatic 'door-slammer'.
People are packing, ready to leave and I saw this last semester too and I told myself- " Micro on the last day and you got one more sem here". Not this time though (although an equally hopeless exam awaits me on the last day), no more sems (hopefully??hint of any NC??) to come back as 4 years have gone by faster than the breeze that blows in from the Zuari bay. I cannot yet reminisce or feel nostalgic or feel sad for I got miles to go or rather 3 more exams to go. I guess I am glad to be a dualite since it simply does not give me the time to feel sad (having to fill options for 288 PS-2 stations did its part too) and I do not want to feel sad for it has been a glorious 4 years for me, not always, but on the whole, it was worth the journey. I may not be a good engineer, but the journey has changed me and made me wiser.
Thank you....
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Proud to Plagiarise
I have a dream, a dream that one day my country will be ruled by a government for the people, by the people and of the people, not by a government for the rich, by the rich and of the rich. I have a dream that one day, this country will be able to balance the developmental aspirations of the rich as well as the livelihood necessities of the poor. I have a dream that a time will come when the rich help the poor overcome their condition and we will see a nation where there is no gap between the rich and poor.
I have a dream that this nation will appreciate an honest person's work and not just throw him out because of a small taint, but I also hope that they will not let men with completely tainted records lead this nation into darkness. I dream of a day when access to education is not restricted by money or caste, but is provided to those who deserve it.
I dream of a day when our country is green, clean and beautiful and everyone wants to maintian this beauty for future generations and not sacrifice it for the greed of a few.
I know that it is too much to ask for, I know it is Utopia that I am dreaming about, but we must dream for we must aim for the stars only then can we reach atleast the moon. I proudly plagiarise from Martin Luther King, for his dreams did become reality and I too hope against hope that the dream becomes reality.
I have a dream that this nation will appreciate an honest person's work and not just throw him out because of a small taint, but I also hope that they will not let men with completely tainted records lead this nation into darkness. I dream of a day when access to education is not restricted by money or caste, but is provided to those who deserve it.
I dream of a day when our country is green, clean and beautiful and everyone wants to maintian this beauty for future generations and not sacrifice it for the greed of a few.
I know that it is too much to ask for, I know it is Utopia that I am dreaming about, but we must dream for we must aim for the stars only then can we reach atleast the moon. I proudly plagiarise from Martin Luther King, for his dreams did become reality and I too hope against hope that the dream becomes reality.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The Story has only begun
One of my best friends told me about how another friend of ours had got placed in Microsoft and how she was the only one who got placed there from her college. It was not a surprise for me since she is the only person that I know who joined a good engineering college to actually become an engineer whereas for the rest of us, becoming an engineer was just an insignificant epilogue. We were told that once you get in, THAT IS IT and at 16, you believe what you are told by your parents, who actually had no clue about what they were saying and who were taught this by friends and the initial sources were coaching centres that had to grab the school toppers regardless of the interests of these students
A popular bollywood movie had the phrase 'kahaani abhhi baaki hai mere dost', meaning 'the story is still not over' (roughly!), but in engineering life, the story only begins once you are in college and then there are higher studies options to think about and then careers in core or software or a transition to management or something else entirely.
I do not know what is right or wrong, to have joined BITS has been an unbelievable experience for me since it widened my horizon, I met some of the most talented people ever, some of the most smartest, sharpest minds and learned to live in a mixed environment which had people from all over the country. It taught me to learn and learn and learn all the time, even from the most insignificant of matters, from everyday incidents about dealing with people, taking pressure, meeting deadlines (to be more honest- how to submit an assignment- copy, borrow or just plain old bluffing) and countless other things. But engineering wise, I really doubt whether I have done justice to myself and to this institute. Time will tell, but it is most likely to ring me up and say 'Yo dude, m2l2. ggwp hua mkl' or something like that.
Got an exam tomorrow, going to be run over by a freight train at full speed. So, ciao people.
PS- this is my personal experience and that of many who studied with me in my hometown and what many of my friends had told me. Your experience could be different and if it is, you are really fortunate and hats off to you for having done what you wanted to do.
A popular bollywood movie had the phrase 'kahaani abhhi baaki hai mere dost', meaning 'the story is still not over' (roughly!), but in engineering life, the story only begins once you are in college and then there are higher studies options to think about and then careers in core or software or a transition to management or something else entirely.
I do not know what is right or wrong, to have joined BITS has been an unbelievable experience for me since it widened my horizon, I met some of the most talented people ever, some of the most smartest, sharpest minds and learned to live in a mixed environment which had people from all over the country. It taught me to learn and learn and learn all the time, even from the most insignificant of matters, from everyday incidents about dealing with people, taking pressure, meeting deadlines (to be more honest- how to submit an assignment- copy, borrow or just plain old bluffing) and countless other things. But engineering wise, I really doubt whether I have done justice to myself and to this institute. Time will tell, but it is most likely to ring me up and say 'Yo dude, m2l2. ggwp hua mkl' or something like that.
Got an exam tomorrow, going to be run over by a freight train at full speed. So, ciao people.
PS- this is my personal experience and that of many who studied with me in my hometown and what many of my friends had told me. Your experience could be different and if it is, you are really fortunate and hats off to you for having done what you wanted to do.
Monday, February 15, 2010
At War, they live life
Recently I read the books 'Fools Rush In', an autobiographical account by Bill Carter about his trip into wartorn Sarajevo and 'The Zahir' by Paulo Coelho. There was a common factor in both of them, it explained how people in the middle of war were living their life to the full and how they were not worried about trivial matters of existence but concentrated fully on the present. This was the central theme of the first novel and formed an important part of a revelation in the latter novel.
'Fools Rush In' explained how people who have survived a day in the frontline enjoyed a well earned break by drinking and singing and also about a fashion show that was organised in the city of Sarajevo right in the middle of war (the song 'Miss Sarajevo' by U2 is based on Bill Carter's book).
I suppose having survived certain death, humans become more aware of being alive since they have realised, whatever it is that we do to keep this body breathing, it will stop one day. Yesterday was a hellish experience which they were able to see through and are thankful for having one more day to live and tomorrow, they might not be this lucky. This makes today the only certainty, the only thing that is visible and within their reach. Hence, they make the best use of today.
They are not burdened by the mundane aspets of daily life, saving for a rainy day, paying for rent, getting a degree or looking after the family for all of this is too far in the future to even cross their minds. The only constant and certainty is not even today, but this nanosecond for in the next a missile or bullet or shrapnel could take away everything. We are weighed down by our actions in the past, we have things to do in the present, we have dreams and aspirations of the future hanging over us and always, always miles to go. We are all prisoners of our past, expectations about the future and helplessness in our present.
We sacrifice our present in the hopes of a better future, we carry our past with us- its weight pulling us down. I do not know what is right- to live forgetting our past, uncaring about the future and living a free present or to lead a cautious, planned life. But one thing is for certain, not all of us can be totally free, for if that happened, the world will not run. Not all of us are free of commitments and we will never be free of our past for it determines our present.
There is a practical way out perhaps- we can stop worrying about results and what will happen in the future but just give it our best. We can learn from our past and leave the experiences behind just as pointers and to remind us of our mistakes and
low points so that we do not repeat them especially because how much ever we want to change the past, we really cannot do anything about the time that has gone by. I guess this is what 'Bhagavad Gita' tells us, it is our duty to perform our actions and it is not for us to worry about the results and also says that whatever has happened has happened for the good.
'Fools Rush In' explained how people who have survived a day in the frontline enjoyed a well earned break by drinking and singing and also about a fashion show that was organised in the city of Sarajevo right in the middle of war (the song 'Miss Sarajevo' by U2 is based on Bill Carter's book).
I suppose having survived certain death, humans become more aware of being alive since they have realised, whatever it is that we do to keep this body breathing, it will stop one day. Yesterday was a hellish experience which they were able to see through and are thankful for having one more day to live and tomorrow, they might not be this lucky. This makes today the only certainty, the only thing that is visible and within their reach. Hence, they make the best use of today.
They are not burdened by the mundane aspets of daily life, saving for a rainy day, paying for rent, getting a degree or looking after the family for all of this is too far in the future to even cross their minds. The only constant and certainty is not even today, but this nanosecond for in the next a missile or bullet or shrapnel could take away everything. We are weighed down by our actions in the past, we have things to do in the present, we have dreams and aspirations of the future hanging over us and always, always miles to go. We are all prisoners of our past, expectations about the future and helplessness in our present.
We sacrifice our present in the hopes of a better future, we carry our past with us- its weight pulling us down. I do not know what is right- to live forgetting our past, uncaring about the future and living a free present or to lead a cautious, planned life. But one thing is for certain, not all of us can be totally free, for if that happened, the world will not run. Not all of us are free of commitments and we will never be free of our past for it determines our present.
There is a practical way out perhaps- we can stop worrying about results and what will happen in the future but just give it our best. We can learn from our past and leave the experiences behind just as pointers and to remind us of our mistakes and
low points so that we do not repeat them especially because how much ever we want to change the past, we really cannot do anything about the time that has gone by. I guess this is what 'Bhagavad Gita' tells us, it is our duty to perform our actions and it is not for us to worry about the results and also says that whatever has happened has happened for the good.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Freedom
What is freedom? The ability to do as we wish? If so, we have only moments of temporary freedom, like a leash tied around a dogs neck. As long as the rope is free of tension, we are free- free to do what we wish like in that small little circle. Once that rope is tight, there is nothing to do about it but submit and find solace in our momentary freedom. This freedom is most definitely not an illusion, it exists and is true, but it is has a range. It cannot extend beyond that and when this freedom ends, we are frustrated.
Whatever we do, we are all tied down. Tied down by our past, tied down by the expectations of others about our future and by our helplessness in our present. When we are young, we fulfil our parent's wishes, we go to a school then a college and get a degree- all this decided by our parents or our economic condition. We then enter into a job, start a family and we need to support the family and sustain the family. When are we ever free in this world? Only when we are unconscious, before have begun to walk and talk- it might seem a contradiction since babies cannot move and cannot express themselves. But their smile must tell you they are happy.
We are tied down by commitments to family and work, we have social obligations, favours to do since they have done favours for us a- quid pro quo. Deadlines must be met, assignments must be completed, exams to be written and we forget ever asking ourselves what we are doing to ourselves, this world and what the hell we are doing with our lives. When we ask that question, it is an uncomfortable feeling for it is not in the answer that discomfort lies, but we ask why we have not asked ourselves this question before and the answer to the question is still elusive. We are living a life that has been either advised to us, told to us and ignorantly and complacently accepted or forced down upon us.
Is there any freedom in this? We are all prisoners of our past, expectations about the future and helplessness in our present. Can we leave this world behind us and move into another realm? Can we escape this life and go into the uncertain? It would require immense courage and perhaps most importantly recklessness beyond compare and even bordering on the insane.
Whatever we do, we are all tied down. Tied down by our past, tied down by the expectations of others about our future and by our helplessness in our present. When we are young, we fulfil our parent's wishes, we go to a school then a college and get a degree- all this decided by our parents or our economic condition. We then enter into a job, start a family and we need to support the family and sustain the family. When are we ever free in this world? Only when we are unconscious, before have begun to walk and talk- it might seem a contradiction since babies cannot move and cannot express themselves. But their smile must tell you they are happy.
We are tied down by commitments to family and work, we have social obligations, favours to do since they have done favours for us a- quid pro quo. Deadlines must be met, assignments must be completed, exams to be written and we forget ever asking ourselves what we are doing to ourselves, this world and what the hell we are doing with our lives. When we ask that question, it is an uncomfortable feeling for it is not in the answer that discomfort lies, but we ask why we have not asked ourselves this question before and the answer to the question is still elusive. We are living a life that has been either advised to us, told to us and ignorantly and complacently accepted or forced down upon us.
Is there any freedom in this? We are all prisoners of our past, expectations about the future and helplessness in our present. Can we leave this world behind us and move into another realm? Can we escape this life and go into the uncertain? It would require immense courage and perhaps most importantly recklessness beyond compare and even bordering on the insane.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Paris je t'aime
I just could not resist. My right hand is paining after a long trivia battle, my eyes are puffy and sleep beckons, my stomach rumbles on and my mind is not working properly either. It is a quarter past two of the thirtieth day in the month named after the Roman god of the Gates, the year 2010.
I saw the movie 'Paris je t'aime', meaning 'Paris, I Love You'. I had heard about the movie somewhere along the long walks that I take through the corridors of wikipedia or it might have been during one of those channel surfing marathons as I sat alone at home with just the TV for company during my tryst with entrance exams(the movie was released in 2006 May).
I used one of the clips for the 'Travel & Tourism' Quiz for 'Waves Winter-09', my college's Cul-fest. I did not expect it to be answered, but it was worth asking. Interestingly, it was answered by 'the guy who sat in the audience and was shouting the answers' during his first quiz in BITS in 2008. Kudos Mr.LDC cordi, nice work. Needless to say, his team won the quiz.
Enough blabbering, on with it. Or perhaps, in keeping with the spirit of the movie which has 18 short stories, taking place in different parts of Paris, I was just sharing my own stories. Now, to the matter at hand- the movie is about love, how Paris is the city of love. A lonely person finds love, a blind man finds love, a vampire finds love. It is about rediscovering love and life in Paris. 18 beautiful stories, each one some of the most impressive stories I have ever seen.
Each of them with a twist, a heart-wrenching tale of loss, couples reigniting the spark in the marriage and the most beautiful one is directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Do watch it, for it will make you fall in love and believe in love and fall in with the 'City of Love'. I wish I could go to Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, the streets and the cafes and of-course the museums. It's a dream, a wish, a love that will never go away.
I saw the movie 'Paris je t'aime', meaning 'Paris, I Love You'. I had heard about the movie somewhere along the long walks that I take through the corridors of wikipedia or it might have been during one of those channel surfing marathons as I sat alone at home with just the TV for company during my tryst with entrance exams(the movie was released in 2006 May).
I used one of the clips for the 'Travel & Tourism' Quiz for 'Waves Winter-09', my college's Cul-fest. I did not expect it to be answered, but it was worth asking. Interestingly, it was answered by 'the guy who sat in the audience and was shouting the answers' during his first quiz in BITS in 2008. Kudos Mr.LDC cordi, nice work. Needless to say, his team won the quiz.
Enough blabbering, on with it. Or perhaps, in keeping with the spirit of the movie which has 18 short stories, taking place in different parts of Paris, I was just sharing my own stories. Now, to the matter at hand- the movie is about love, how Paris is the city of love. A lonely person finds love, a blind man finds love, a vampire finds love. It is about rediscovering love and life in Paris. 18 beautiful stories, each one some of the most impressive stories I have ever seen.
Each of them with a twist, a heart-wrenching tale of loss, couples reigniting the spark in the marriage and the most beautiful one is directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Do watch it, for it will make you fall in love and believe in love and fall in with the 'City of Love'. I wish I could go to Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, the streets and the cafes and of-course the museums. It's a dream, a wish, a love that will never go away.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Obama - Hope, nothing else
If anyone said actions speak louder than words, I present before you Barack Obama, President of the United States! Nearly a year into his presidency, all he has got to show a is a disaster of a "note" in the Coppenhagen summit, a health care reform bill that still has a long way to go before becoming a law, a declaration that Gitmo will closed down and troops will withdraw gradually from Iraq and Afghanistan. All words and no action along with a Nobel Peace prize makes someone a Barack Obama.
Oh, wait- he did something, increased the number of troops in Afghanistan and then collected the Nobel Peace Prize and then made a ragtag note on how to "rescue" our planet, all in the span of 2 weeks. Bravo Mr.President, but I think you owe more to you predecessor than to anyone else (that includes his teleprompter). We have seen how low and how bad a US President can and the distant glimmer of HOPE mesmerised the US population, but I guess they had no choice (Joe Biden does not count as a choice).
But what went wrong the Nobel Committee? Did not know that Swedes were so stupid- they had forgot about Mahatma Gandhi half a dozen times. Maybe they wanted to make amends, give someone the prize even before he can really do something so that they wont make themselves look stupid as was the case with Gandhiji.
He spoke the truth in his Nobel acceptance speech as he said "Still, we are at war, and I am responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land". This was an excuse for escalating US troop presence in Afganistan and accepting the Nobel prize in the same week. Jonathan Freedland hit the nail on the head when he commented "Obama is not saviour of the world. He’s still a U.S. president. He must represent the contradictory interests of a country still way behind on climate change", in the context of a disastrous COP-15 summit.
His report card for the first year in office can be best described as 'empty promises, yet we HOPE'. He has been a complete failure in making the failed banks in the US, the ones responsible the worldwide economic downturn, accountable. The billions of dollars that the American taxpayers shelled out in rescuing these banks are used to provide bonuses to the same executives whose risk-taking policies put the entire world in this misery. The recent decision to charge a grand total of USD 117bn on banks worth more than USD 50bn that were rescued in the Troubled Assets Relief Programmes was accompanied by a stern statement 'My commitment is to recover every single dime the American people are owed.My determination to achieve this goal
is only heightened when I see reports of massive profits and obscene bonuses at the very firms who owe their continued existence to the American people'. The banks will go back to rewarding the same strategies that destroyed the entire world's financial structure and will pay a fine of 117bn spread over 10 years, shared by 50 or so banks. 250 million USD a year, petty cash for banks with assets of more than 50bn. But the way said made it seem like a whole lot more.
"every element of our national capacity, our diplomacy, and development assistance, the power of our military and most importantly, the compassion of our country". "To the people of Haiti, we say clearly and with conviction, you will not be forsaken, you will not be forgotten" - Classic textbook styl speech-making. I say, give me a break man. Say something earnestly, don't just sit down with your speech writer and the 'Handbook on Public Speaking' and make a speech!
I hope Mr.President gets down to business after a year in office- he better for the world is not yet out of economic gloom. There are tonnes of other problems, Carbon Dioxide being one of them, Iran and North Korean issue where he can probably get something done because it just is about talking to each other, Iraq and Afghan conflicts where a solid decision on troop reduction including a precise timetable must be drawn and the closing down of Guantanamo Bay. I hope you succeed Mr.President because you managed to convince those who did not think much of the Father of my Nation. I hope you can convince the US people about the perils of Climate change, but it is just a hope, something that made you President.
Oh, wait- he did something, increased the number of troops in Afghanistan and then collected the Nobel Peace Prize and then made a ragtag note on how to "rescue" our planet, all in the span of 2 weeks. Bravo Mr.President, but I think you owe more to you predecessor than to anyone else (that includes his teleprompter). We have seen how low and how bad a US President can and the distant glimmer of HOPE mesmerised the US population, but I guess they had no choice (Joe Biden does not count as a choice).
But what went wrong the Nobel Committee? Did not know that Swedes were so stupid- they had forgot about Mahatma Gandhi half a dozen times. Maybe they wanted to make amends, give someone the prize even before he can really do something so that they wont make themselves look stupid as was the case with Gandhiji.
He spoke the truth in his Nobel acceptance speech as he said "Still, we are at war, and I am responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land". This was an excuse for escalating US troop presence in Afganistan and accepting the Nobel prize in the same week. Jonathan Freedland hit the nail on the head when he commented "Obama is not saviour of the world. He’s still a U.S. president. He must represent the contradictory interests of a country still way behind on climate change", in the context of a disastrous COP-15 summit.
His report card for the first year in office can be best described as 'empty promises, yet we HOPE'. He has been a complete failure in making the failed banks in the US, the ones responsible the worldwide economic downturn, accountable. The billions of dollars that the American taxpayers shelled out in rescuing these banks are used to provide bonuses to the same executives whose risk-taking policies put the entire world in this misery. The recent decision to charge a grand total of USD 117bn on banks worth more than USD 50bn that were rescued in the Troubled Assets Relief Programmes was accompanied by a stern statement 'My commitment is to recover every single dime the American people are owed.My determination to achieve this goal
is only heightened when I see reports of massive profits and obscene bonuses at the very firms who owe their continued existence to the American people'. The banks will go back to rewarding the same strategies that destroyed the entire world's financial structure and will pay a fine of 117bn spread over 10 years, shared by 50 or so banks. 250 million USD a year, petty cash for banks with assets of more than 50bn. But the way said made it seem like a whole lot more.
"every element of our national capacity, our diplomacy, and development assistance, the power of our military and most importantly, the compassion of our country". "To the people of Haiti, we say clearly and with conviction, you will not be forsaken, you will not be forgotten" - Classic textbook styl speech-making. I say, give me a break man. Say something earnestly, don't just sit down with your speech writer and the 'Handbook on Public Speaking' and make a speech!
I hope Mr.President gets down to business after a year in office- he better for the world is not yet out of economic gloom. There are tonnes of other problems, Carbon Dioxide being one of them, Iran and North Korean issue where he can probably get something done because it just is about talking to each other, Iraq and Afghan conflicts where a solid decision on troop reduction including a precise timetable must be drawn and the closing down of Guantanamo Bay. I hope you succeed Mr.President because you managed to convince those who did not think much of the Father of my Nation. I hope you can convince the US people about the perils of Climate change, but it is just a hope, something that made you President.
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