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PRATHEEK PRAVEEN KUMAR

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Published Works of Pratheek

CALM REFLECTIONS

INCLUSIVE GROWTH

MY TIME, MY WORLD

INCLUSIVE GROWTH enlarged 2nd

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lovingly dedicated to my mother

Smt. Jayashree

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CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTS

1. IF YOU THINK YOU CAN, YOU CAN

2. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

3. VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

4. SUCCESS COMES WITH ABILITY, BOLDNESS AND COURAGE

5. HAVE WE BECOME SLAVES OF TECHNOLOGY?

6. CELL PHONES: BOON OR BANE

7. GLOBAL WARMING: ITS CAUSES AND EFFECTS

8. INDIA OF MY DREAMS

9. INDIA’S WILDLIFE HERITAGE

10. GLOBALISATION VERSUS NATIONALISM

11. THE GLOBALISATION OF INDIAN ECONOMY

12. INDIA’S RISING CRIME GRAPH

13. LESSONS LEARNT FROM COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2010

14. DEMOCRACY AND CORRUPT POLITICIANS

15. THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN OUR SOCIETY

16. THE VALUE OF COMPUTER EDUCATION TODAY

17. YOUTH AND LITERACY

18. DOUBLE DIGIT INFLATION: CAN IT BE CONTAINED

19. IS CINEMA THE REFLECTION OF SOCIETY?

20. UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL

21. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE IN THE WORLD

22. CAN INDIA BECOME A SUPERPOWER?

23. THE CANKER OF CORRUPTION

24. POPULATION GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

25. INDIA: THE PROBLEM OF POVERTY AMIDST PLENTY

26. JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED

27. INDIA’S POPULATION CENSUS 2011: SOME KEY FINDINGS

28. THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN SOCIETY

29. IS THE HUMAN SPECIES SPECIAL?

30. DOES INDIA NEED NUCLEAR POWER IN A BIG WAY?

31. WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY

32. CAN ANNA HAZARE CHANGE THE DESTINY OF THE NATION?

33. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

34. THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING

35. INDIA OF MY DREAMS

36. FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE

37. WHY DO I LIKE AVIATION INDUSTRY?

38. ROLE OF MEDIA IN SOCIETY

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39. DOES TOURISM INDUSTRY IMPACT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COUNTRY?

40. UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL

41. ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

42. BREVITY IS THE SOUL OF WIT

43. PRICE RISE

44. TIME IS MONEY

45. THE FUTURE OF HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IN INDIA

46. TIME AND TIDE WAIT FOR NONE

47. OUR WILDLIFE HERITAGE

48. THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL FITNESS

49. WE LIVE IN DEEDS, NOT IN YEARS

50. VALUE OF COMPUTER EDUCATION TODAY

51. WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY

52. TERRORISM: A THREAT TO GLOBAL PEACE

53. IF I WERE THE RICHEST PERSON IN THE WORLD

54. ASSESSMENT OF CHINA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH VIS-À-VIS INDIA’S

55. FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR STRAINING OF RELATIONS BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN

56. SACHIN TENDULKAR

57. GLOBAL WARMING-ITS CAUSES AND EFFECTS

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IF YOU THINK YOU CAN, YOU CAN

“If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right”- Henry Ford, who

was a prominent American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, who became one of

the richest and best-known people in the world. He is credited with "Fordism", that is, mass production

of inexpensive goods coupled with high wages for workers.

It is all a matter of the mind. The human mind is a delicate but powerful object. Capable of

exceptional things, it has long been considered an objet d’art. The intricate network of umpteen nerve

cells connect together in myriad ways to create what is considered evolution’s magnum opus, till now

any way. Outstanding physical deeds have often been ascribed to people under deep pressure. They

phrase it “adrenaline rush”. A “fight-or-flight” response of our body that enables us to cross distinctive

limits placed on our bodies and allows us to function, for some time at least, in a superhuman-like state.

Our mind realizes that we are in a pressure-situation and somehow lifts us to extricate ourselves from

the confronting situation. Now, all this is usually associated only with physical deeds, but we can

extrapolate it to other situations too. If we just focus our mind on something and work hard to realize it,

there is no reason that we will not.

“You can have anything in this world you want, if you want it badly enough and you're willing

to pay the price”, said Mary Kay Ash, an American businesswoman and founder of Mary Kay

Cosmetics, Inc. Well she should know. Having faced quite a few difficulties in her life and having

come up trumps, showing grit and fortitude to carve a niche for herself and her company, she would be

the right person to expect this kind of a message from, as it comes from long and hard experience. Not

something to be scoffed at. Very often the difference between failure and triumph is but a wafer-thin

layer of uncertainty. If one puts in a bit more effort into one’s work, it may make all the difference in

the world. Even if disappointments hound one at first, in the end, with perseverance and poise, we can

achieve our goals. We should keep our target in mind and believe that we can reach it. Belief is the

main issue here. Very often it is not a question of aptitude. It is more about the cerebral make-up of the

people involved. Whoever believes in himself or herself is able to get a psychological edge and in the

end, sometimes this psychosomatic edge is all that is needed.

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Abraham Lincoln has a pretty glum résumé. Yes I mean it. At the age of seven he and his

family were forced out of their home and he was forced to go to work. When he was nine, his mother

passed away. He wanted to go to law school, but had no education. He went into debt when he was

twenty-three, to become a partner in a small store. It was only three years later that his business partner

died, and left him with a debt that took him years to repay. He lost his job in 1832. He was defeated for

legislature in 1832. He was elected to legislature in 1834. His sweetheart died in 1835. He then had a

nervous breakdown in 1836. He was defeated for speaker in 1838. He was defeated for nomination for

Congress in 1843. He was then elected to Congress in 1846, but lost his renomination in 1848. Then he

was rejected for Land Officer in 1849. He was then defeated for Senate in 1854. Then he was defeated

for nomination for Vice-President in 1856. He was again defeated for Senate in 1858 and finally

elected President in 1860. This is the same person who successfully led the U.S. through its greatest

internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserved the Union, and ended slavery. After more than two

hundred years of seeing Presidents come and go, historians and hoi polloi in numerous polls consider

him to be one of the greatest Presidents of the United States, usually in the top three. Not bad at all is

it?

“If you think you'll lose, you're lost; for out of the world we find, success begins with a fellow's

will, it’s all in the state of mind,” is but a preview of “Thinking”, a famous poem written by Walter D.

Wintle, a versifier who lived in the late 19th and early 20th century. Little to nothing is known about

any details of his life but we can construe that he was quite a thinker by reading the above

words. "Thinking" is also known as "The Man Who Thinks He Can". It is a beautiful poem with rhyme

and rhythm. However, the main beauty of the poem lies in its meaning. The poet here expresses his

belief that success or failure is all dependant on the state of the mind. A positive mind-set is of utmost

importance wherever we go. And it is not just a question of success and failure. An optimistic person is

well-liked and this counts for a lot too, ultimately. We must go on straight on towards our goal with no

hesitations or self-doubts. However over-confidence too is not a good thing. We should follow the

philosophy of the great Roman lyric poet, Horace. He followed ‘aurea mediocritas’ or the ‘golden

mean’, which means the desirable middle between two extremes, one of glut and the other of paucity.

All things should be done with temperance and this is the key.

“Destitutus ventis, remos adhibe”, is an old Latin proverb which translates to, if the wind will

not serve, take to the oars. If circumstances do not go according to our wishes, we should have self-

confidence and try our best to alter them to suit our own needs. “If life sends you a lemon, make

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lemonade”, is yet another proverb which means the same thing. However for perseverance, we should

have the confidence that our hard work will not be in vain and for this, we should tune our outlook to

the proper channel. In toto, it is just a question of our mind and its outlook to life. A determined person

can go places and very often that has happened. The pages of history are filled with examples of

determined people. In fact I can go so far as to say that the pages of history textbooks are filled with

determined people only. People who were so determined to make a mark in the history of the world

that they did. Whatever faults we attribute to Hitler, one fault that we do not lay on his doorstep is

indolence. He had the determination to do things and he did them, evil and malevolent though they

were. Another example, as different from Hitler as black is from white, is Mahatma Gandhi, the

admirable father of our nation whose stratagem of gentle but unyielding opposition did things that

could have been done in no other way. "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to

it", said Lou Holtz, a retired American football coach and we would do well to remember it.

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KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

“Knowledge is power”:-so said Sir Francis Bacon, an English author, courtier, & philosopher in

his Meditationes Sacrae which was written in 1597. He certainly would know. Actually he did not say

it in those words. He said ‘scientia potentia est’ which translates to the same thing in the end.

A form of this proverb also appears in the Bible. Proverbs 24:5 says "A wise man has great

power, and a man of knowledge increases strength." So it is agreed. The importance of knowledge

certainly has occupied the minds of the big and great since time immemorial. But, what does this

translate to? It certainly should mean some thing momentous if so many greats have said it is so many

ways. It simply means that with knowledge or education one's potential or abilities in life will certainly

increase. Having and sharing knowledge is widely recognized as the basis for improving one's

reputation and influence, thus power.

This is some thing interesting. How, one might ask, can one be able to improve one’s life so

much by just learning a few ordinary things with which one can survive without? However, things are

just not like that. Knowledge of things can certainly help people in their lives. Examples can be seen all

around us. Knowing things can give people a huge advantage above others and every small advantage

can prove crucial to a person in the cut throat competition that one faces in this world.

This means a person has the resourcefulness to obtain and criticize useful and informative

information in order to become well informed citizens who can make intelligent decisions based upon

their understanding and awareness of everyday situations. Does this make them powerful? Is a question

that creeps into ones mind? Well, power is said to be the ability or capacity to act or perform

effectively. Without knowledge, how can this ability to perform effectively, be possible?

Knowledge has become more and more important over the last few decades with the

Information Technology revolution. Information is nothing but a synonym for knowledge. Computers

and information have become heavily interlinked with each other. This has become more and more

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apparent over the last few years and governments also have started to follow policies that reflect their

awareness about the increasing importance of knowledge.

Governments have also recognized the importance of a proper education and its importance in

imparting knowledge in various fields to children from a very early age. This is a very important and

crucial development. India has the second highest school attendance among all countries in the primary

school level which is frankly not all that surprising but what is surprising and surely depressing and

detrimental is that India has the highest number of school dropouts. The possession of knowledge is

certainly very good and makes a person or country powerful and only with comprehensive education of

its children or inoculating its children with knowledge will a country be able to become powerful.

This is very important realization and conclusion. Governments must keep this in mind while

deciding its policies. Armed with a powerful education and more importantly a large amount of

knowledge a person can go far in this world. A proper education is a passport to a good life even for the

poorest of the poor. The United States has often been seen as a country of unlimited opportunity, a

country where any one can rise to become the President. Any country can be called a land of unlimited

opportunity as long as all its children get a proper education.

Realizing this, the Indian government has tried to bring about free education for all by bringing

out mid-day meal schemes. It also decided that by the end of 2010 it would try to ensure that every

child had got an education up to at least SSLC. Although, this will not happen according to several

sources, this was a worthy initiative to be taken by the Indian Government. It shows just how important

the Indian Government takes knowledge to be and just how important the possession of knowledge is

to a country and to its people.

“Omne ignotum pro magnifico” is an old Latin proverb. It means to an ignorant person, every

thing is magnificent. This is some thing to ponder about. An ignorant person is fascinated by every

thing mundane. He has got no idea of what even common things are and is often mocked at by his

peers. Knowledge can thus be seen to have social implications. A well rounded personality has got

knowledge on every thing under the Sun and is some one to be respected.

The possession of knowledge should not be ignored by any person as it increases one’s chances

of making it big in the world. For the poorer sections of society this is an absolute must. Also the

possession of knowledge by a person is an indicator as to what kind of a person one is. This is because

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a person who is confident and well-informed is more likely to be a serious and motivated person who is

likely to ‘make it big’.

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VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

“Variety's the very spice of life that gives it all its flavor [sic]” said William Cowper, an

English poet and hymnodist. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th

century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside. Poets are a breed of

extra-sensitive people. They understand life in all its subtleties, because they have experienced and ‘lived’ life to

its fullest. When William Cowper, a great poet, whom S.T. Coleridge himself called "the best modern poet" feels

so about life and its variety, what can I do but concur? Without variety, life is bland. Following a routine,

whatever the benefits of it being time-tested, day after tiresome day, is disadvantageous and should be avoided at

all costs. Life sans variety is frankly not worth living. Even nature knows it. A variety of genes in an organism

enable it to adapt to changing circumstances. Every organism, including humans by the way, seek to continue

their generation with the maximum chances to survive. And the instance of maximum chance of survival

coincides with higher adaptability, which corresponds to variety in the gene pool. William Cowper also said,

“The earth was made so various, that the mind of desultory man, studious of change and pleased with novelty,

might be indulged”.

Variety in life makes it enjoyable. We see it all around us. Variety enables us to pick and choose, a

luxury which we would otherwise not have had. It relieves the monotonous boredom of life. It is true in any

field. I repeat, any field. “The variety of all things forms a pleasure”, said Euripides who was the last of the three

great tragedians of classical Athens. From the sublime game of cricket to the sublime art of essay-writing! Not

only does variety have an aesthetic sense, or rather, beauty, but it also enables us to increase our standard. For

example, in cricket, a batsman possessing a variety of shots, all around the wicket, aerial and along the ground

possesses a much higher chance of survival and of scoring runs than one who goes for only one shot, or more

commonly, one type of shot. Adaptability is key; and for adaptability, it is needed, absolutely needed, to have

variety. Another example can be made of essay writing. No one, not me at least, likes to read an essay which is

bland and lifeless. I think anyone who reads this will agree with me. A writer must think of ways in which to

make his\her essay interesting and what better way to make it interesting than injecting variety to the essay in the

form of idioms and avoiding clichés?

“We need a variety of input and influence and voices. You cannot get all the answers to life and business

from one person or from one source”, said Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur, author and motivational

speaker and whose life was a typical rags to riches story. In the uncompromising and merciless world that we

live in these days, it is of utmost importance that we choose the best measure, the best direction to follow. In the

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cut-throat competition, the dog-eat-dog type, which we find encompassing the world today, a slight

miscalculation or, more often, a lack of means may cut short our chances. If one does not follow a life rich in

variety, one may fail to take advantage of certain circumstances, which may have otherwise helped us, which we

may rue later. To prevent such catastrophes from happening, one should at all costs try to exercise variety in our

lives. “In the time of your life, live - so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of

the world, but shall smile to the infinite variety and mystery of it”, said William Saroyan an Armenian-

American dramatist and author.

So we see that having variety in our life is not only interesting but also advantageous while compared

with a monotonous life. A person with variety in his life can be said to have a very fulfilling and satisfying

existence. He wakes up every day knowing that he will be living that day in a different way compared to other

days. He thus is buoyant. Variety thus improves the quality of life very much like how spices improve the

quality of our food. Our ancestors also had another use for spices. Spices were used in olden days to preserve

food and we can see that variety too preserves our life and makes it longer by infusing excitement and

unpredictability in our life. Unpredictability in small quantities is good as it sprinkles a certain amount of zest

and enjoyment in our lives and makes it radiant. ‘Aurea mediocritas’ is a Latin phrase that denotes ‘the golden

mean’. It is meant to convey a philosophy of not partaking too much in something. ‘Nec Dextrorsum, Nec

Sinistrorsum’ which means neither to the right nor to the left also means the same. It means that people should

neither veer too much to one side nor to another, but must undertake to walk in a path which follows the Greek

ideal of ‘moderation in all things’. Failure to follow this ideal will be disastrous. Take a case study of alcohol. A

small amount of it everyday is said to be very beneficial according to doctors. But take it in the form of a heavy

dosage and the effects are not so benign. So is the case in all things. We can also construe that too much of

variety is not good for our health, in the same way that too much of spice is not good!

In every field of life that we see, we see that variety plays a very important role. Even in language. How

can variety, I can hear a person ask, play an important role in language? Well it’s fairly simple. A person with a

good vocabulary can articulate well, as different words have different shades of meanings, and thus express

himself without any hesitation or trouble. This is the reason why lawyers need to have a good vocabulary;

otherwise they may easily fall into legal pitfalls. Good orators need to have a variety of words at their disposal.

Words, especially in the English language often can imply more than what they mean and the subtle putting

together of words, mainly adjectives to form coherent phrases or sentences can often be hilarious, laughable or

just plain funny. A case in point is the three adjectives that I used towards the last of the previous sentence.

It has been thus seen that variety is important for any person in any walk of life. It revitalizes the mind

and makes life ‘worth living’ to say the least. People in all walks of life have to try to include an element of

variety so that their life becomes more fruitful and interesting. People should not live their lives according to

timetables. When one follows the same routine again and again one automatically feels disinterested, as it is after

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all human nature to be disinterested when the same old things happen again and again with no variation to

occupy the mind. Some people may say that it will be quite good if we are able to control our lives completely,

so that nothing untoward may happen. A rigidly controlled life with a lack of variety is the model of this type of

thinking. Shakespeare, makes his Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus say “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale

Her infinite variety”, while referring to Cleopatra and the charm she had on men in general and General Antony

in particular, in his well-known tragedy, Antony and Cleopatra. The keyword here is ‘variety’. Shakespeare, an

acknowledged expert on the varied subtleties of human character, here himself acknowledges the importance of

variety in a person’s personality. I rest my case.

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SUCCESS COMES WITH ABILITY, BOLDNESS AND

COURAGE

Just about everything has got its ABCs. Just about everything. The very brass tacks, as you may call it.

Just as we cannot write dissertations in a language without knowing its basic letters, one’s magnum opus cannot

be created out of thin air. Now, we are all given just one life in this Earth. Of course, there are theorists who beg

to differ, but well, we cannot satisfy everyone, all six billion plus of them living, simultaneously. To make the

best of this life would seem to be the logical conclusion of the aforementioned statement. Again there are

theorists who have a different perspective, but we will just ignore them. As easy it is to make that simple

statement, fulfilling it is certainly not an easy commission. We have to cope up with that most elusive and

unfulfilling of charmers, Lady Luck. She can make or mar you, to use a well-worn cliché. Somerset Maugham,

English novelist, playwright, and short-story writer, who had a shrewd understanding of human nature, had the

right idea when he wrote a story about a tennis player who had luck on his side when he went abroad. This story

inspired the Woody Allen movie, “Matchpoint” which again harps on the importance of luck in life. But for the

purpose of this essay, we will ignore the effect of luck, not a good thing to do in real life, but alright for this

essay. We just have to “do our best and leave the rest to the Almighty”, to use an axiom I heard way back in

Junior School.

So what constitute the ABCs of success? The Holy Grail of life as I can say. A philosophical sort of

question, I think, on which people can deliver long harangues for days on end if needed. Well, I believe that

success is an amalgam of ability, boldness and courage. A for ability, B for boldness and C for courage. A fair

permutation, I would say. Of course, luck’s shadow falls heavy or light on our life, but ignoring its contribution,

these three traits reign supreme in the game called life.

Encyclopaedia Britannica describes ‘ability’ as a ‘natural aptitude or acquired proficiency’ to complete a

job. A nice grouping of words, as one might say. Without an inherent aptitude to ‘do things’, it will be

impossible to climb the marble staircases which lead to success. A practical nature here is the prime requisite. It

is like the fuel that a car must have to move. Without fuel, a car cannot move, and without ability, a person

cannot rise to high places and achieve success. Ability can thus be seen as the most important of the three

abovementioned qualities. Now, the talent or ability can be both inherent and developed. Johannes

Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, also known as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, an Austrian

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composer who at age five began to compose and gave his first public performance is a prime example of the

former. Joseph Haydn, a great composer himself, called Mozart the “greatest living composer”. He had so much

of promise at such a young age that anyone now who shows adeptness at a young age in any discipline is called a

Mozart. On the other hand, we can build up our persona so as to achieve success too. Perseverance is the key

here. Edison was right when he said that genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. A successful person

will have to have an ability to sweat things out if he or she is not inherently good in a field. He or she will have

to make the field hers or his.

It is not just enough to have the talent to do something. We should also have the boldness to stand up for

our convictions. This is of absolute importance. Now, there is a difference between healthy aggression and

mindless aggression. Unfortunately, many people are unmindful of this or rather do not recognize it and spoil

their promising lives and realize it just too late. One thing I have noticed in movie and literary portrayals of

Kings and other persons of respect and authority is that they have a healthy pride in them, born out of their

position and the respect that they receive. It is but natural. However, people very often behave like Kings in real

life, if they attain a small measure of success. An old truism says ‘Pride comes before a fall’ and it is not for no

reason that it has attained a measure of popularity. An unhealthy mixture of aggression and arrogance is very

often the result of trying to be bold and proud. Pride very often means arrogance in moderation; a recognition of

one’s own abilities rather than the unbridled superciliousness that arrogance conveys and is thus much more

desirable and important for a person to be successful. We should follow the philosophy of the great Roman lyric

poet, Horace. He followed ‘aurea mediocritas’ or the ‘golden mean’, which means the desirable middle between

two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency. We can see several examples littered on the pages of

history that show us the importance of boldness. Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus showed enormous

bravery and schoolchildren now learn about them, albeit unwillingly. Now, schoolchildren may protest or raise

dharnas and slogans like our politicians have been doing quite often lately, against it, but we should try to match

up to those great people who did such great things while facing difficulties, or rather braving difficulties. There

is a difference between the two words, you see. Fortune after all favors the brave, and it’s not just in the movies

that things go in a fairy-tale fashion.

Now, there is a difference between boldness and courage. Boldness has a more practical sort of meaning.

A bold person is the kind of person who is forward and aggressive. An extrovert as you may say. But courage

can be found even in the most inveterate of introverts. It is a calmer quality and conjures up images of someone

like the Father of our Nation, M.K. Gandhiji. Standing firm under the force of relentless pressure. Sounds a lot

like the Rock of Gibraltar, right? Well, that is a prime physical example. Standing at the intersection of the

Mediterranean Sea and the mighty Atlantic Ocean, the Rock of Gibraltar has been standing unyielding for

innumerable years. In cricketing terms, one thinks about “the Wall” Rahul Dravid or maybe Jacques Kallis or

Shivnarine Chanderpaul. A straight bat to every delivery, however fast, wily or dangerous. Now it is not easy.

Not easy at all. To withstand temptations and dangers and still stand firm is as tough a job as there is. Very often

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the result is unsavory, but that is only in the short term. In the end, the reward is sweet. Life is full of mistakes,

mistakes and mistakes and very often we may be at the receiving end of quite a large amount of flak; but we

must soldier on, without giving up hope any time. We should develop a cast-iron determination to try, and very

often that is all that is needed, along with say, a pinch of luck. Well, there is misconception that flavorsome

dishes require a whole load of ingredients, but here we have a recipe which is remarkable for its lack of them.

The recipe to success, right? Well, very often we may have to give up “blood, sweat and tears”, to use

Churchill’s memorable, prophetic words, and hopefully the end result will be victory too.

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HAVE WE BECOME SLAVES OF TECHNOLOGY?

“We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows

anything about science and technology”, said Carl Sagan,

an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author and highly successful science

popularizer and science communicator in the space and natural sciences who during his lifetime, he published

more than 600 scientific papers and popular articles and was author, co-author, or editor of more than 20 books.

Unfortunately, what he said has a smattering of truth in it. How many of us can claim to have a deep

understanding of the workings of a television? Even graduates from professional colleges sometimes do not

understand the nuanced workings of the gadgets we use in our lives with regularity. Even technical subjects

harped upon by the media, and thus brought to the attention of hoi polloi in long drawn-out debates and

discussions by news channels, like the 3G standards are not well-known to the public. In this milieu of universal

ignorance, we are practically blind. “Omne ignotum pro magnifico”, is an old proverb which means everything

unknown is magnificent. We seem to be following it faithfully, and are so in awe of this rumbling colossus

called technology that we stare at it, impressed and open-mouthed, ignoring the fact that this ignorance may get

us trampled.

With ignorance so common, we seem to be in the mercy of technology and not the other way around.

For who can be the master of something one does not know anything about? With technological advances taking

place at a breakneck pace, it looks like the “aam admi” cannot keep up. However, one facet of this technological

development to be noted is that the development seems to be accelerating.

If we lie back and relax for some time and watch or rather observe the world around us, we get to notice

a few things. With technology moving ahead by leaps and bounds, we try to take advantage of these advances.

We buy various gadgets and try to incorporate technology into our lives so that our lives become simpler. We

become used to having things easy and with time we lead lives utterly dependent on advanced technology. When

new technology is developed, we try to introduce it into our lives and make it easier. “Technological progress

has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards”, said Aldous Huxley, an English writer

and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. By the end of his life, Huxley was

considered, in some academic circles, a leader of modern thought and an intellectual of the highest rank, and

highly regarded as one of the most prominent explorers of visual communication and sight-related theories as

well. Well, he would know.

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“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity”, said Albert

Einstein, often regarded as the father of modern physics whose great intelligence and originality has made the

word "Einstein" synonymous with genius. A witty man too, who had a penchant for delivering gems like the one

above. Well, Einstein’s remarks were done with the dark shadow of nuclear weapons in mind, but the same

holds good even now. With technology expanding now at a surprising pace, there is no telling what may be

discovered now, or more importantly, how it will be used. Nuclear power is both destructive and useful. Several

apocalyptic yarns have been weaved over the years of scientists developing technologies that can be cataclysmic

to the world at large. The basis of all these stories deals with mankind’s lust for power and individuals trying to

control the world for their own ends with the hero trying to stop the villain. While this may sound too frivolous

to happen in the real world, one can never say.

With life now becoming synonymous with computers, mobile phones, ipods and other gadgets, we seem

to consider their presence as ordinary and their absence as something unnatural. “I am sorry to say that there is

too much point to the wisecrack that life is extinct on other planets because their scientists were more advanced

than ours”, said John F. Kennedy, 35th president of the U.S. Kennedy's youth, energy, and charming family

brought him world adulation and sparked the idealism of a generation, for whom the Kennedy White House

became known as “Camelot”. A charismatic personality, his life was tragically cut short before his time by Lee

Harvey Oswald. Supposedly, anyway. Murky rumours still abound as to his murderer or murderers, but well,

that is beside my point. He was also known as a brilliant orator and had a way with words. Technology can be

very dangerous too as can be evinced from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Recent efforts to decrease the number of

nuclear warheads notwithstanding, we still hold our own destruction in our hands, but the question is how long?

With rogue elements and terrorist groups hankering after WMDs, logically it looks like it is only a matter of time

before they get a WMD. There is theorem called as the infinite monkey theorem. It states that if a million

monkeys are given typewriters and set to work, they'd eventually come up with the complete works of

Shakespeare. This frolicsome theory basically shows the power of large numbers. It we factor in a large amount

of time, who knows what terrorists will be able to do, or get hold of, taking in human error also into account?

Pretty much, as one can imagine. So here we are at the mercy of terrorists, where we cannot destroy them

completely as they are mutable and fluid in their approach, but they can deal out heavy damage to the world at

large. Here technology is dangerous to both the sides.

“All of the biggest technological inventions created by man - the airplane, the automobile, the computer

- says little about his intelligence, but speaks volumes about his laziness”, said Mark Kennedy, an American

businessman and politician who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from

2001 to 2007. Technology as the above statement implies has made us a lazier and lazier. With technological

advances making our life easier, we tend to take life easy, depending almost entirely on these devices and we

feel lost if these devices are taken away from close propinquity. Life seems impossible sans these devices. We

are heavily inconvenienced if there are power shutdowns and we feel helpless. Technology these days directs our

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actions and our decisions and sometimes we do things based only on technology. This has become especially

prevalent over the last few years. Reading the last few lines, if we replace the word ‘technology’ with ‘master’,

doesn’t it read like the words of a slave?

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CELL PHONES: BOON OR BANE

“The question is, do you want to play Russian roulette with your brain?” said Devra Lee Davis, Director

Environmental Oncology, an American epidemiologist and writer in an interview on her cell phone. She should

know. The recent and widespread advent of cell phones has caused a large amount of help and harm to people in

general. There have been umpteen cries that cell phones are dangerous, especially to young children. But on the

other hand, cell phones are very important for the normal, untroubled functioning of our day to day life. This

fundamental fact has been long acknowledged. What we have to evaluate is whether, the pros of cell phones

even out and eclipse its cons or no. This is the vital question that needs answering. A large amount of research

has been carried out on this and every few days we see the results of experiments carried out by reputable

institutions in the newspapers; but they do not answer the fundamental fact of whether cell phones are so useful

or whether they pose a legitimate danger to us.

“Globalization, as defined by rich people like us, is a very nice thing... you are talking about the Internet,

you are talking about cell phones, you are talking about computers. This doesn't affect one-thirds of the people

of the world”, said Jimmy Carter who served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and

was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving

office. However wrong one thinks Jimmy Carter was, in the decisions he took while President, one cannot deny

that what he says here has a ring of truth in it. Cell phones are extremely popular though and altogether by the

end of 2009, the number of cellular subscriptions worldwide reached approximately 4.6 billion. This of course

includes people which have multiple cell phones. Now even if we take into consideration the concept of multiple

cell-phone people, we realize that the number of cell-phones is close to the number of people in the world; but

does not affect all the people in the world. The point which I wanted to make via this long-winded paragraph is

that cell phones affect a very large number of people in our society and that any advantages or disadvantages

associated with them, will in the end, by the sheer numbers involved, be either extremely useful or extremely

detrimental to society; or more likely have an assorted combination of both aspects.

Cell phones, as is commonly known have a very large number of extremely desirable features. Apart

from the conventional and now mundane use of cell-phones to speak with each other, we can also use cell-

phones for other things. These include messaging, playing music, taking photos, using simple applications based

on generic managed platforms, gaming, gambling, adult entertainment, advertising, news services and so on. I

have barely touched the surface here, I must say. So, it is agreed. Cell phones have become miniature computers

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and fit neatly into the complicated conundrum which we call our life. Almost too neatly, if you know what I

mean.

All clouds have a silver lining goes an age-old proverb. The converse must also be true, right? And so it

is. A massive amount of usage of cell-phones can have a myriad of disastrous effects. One important aspect is

privacy. Governments, law enforcement and intelligence services use mobiles to perform surveillance in

the UK and the US. They possess technology to remotely activate the microphones in cell phones in order to

listen to conversations that take place near to the person who holds the phone. Cell phones are also commonly

used to collect location data. It may be just in western countries now, but soon with the new fad of security, mark

my words, India will be bubbling over with security and privacy concerns soon. It already started actually- with

Blackberry, as any newspaper will tell. Another big concern is that people forget themselves while using cell

phones. So, traffic accidents increase. But the biggest concern and the one that has been hitting headlines

recently, is that of health.

“The greatest polluting element in the earth’s environment is the proliferation of electromagnetic fields.

I consider that to be a far greater threat on a global scale than warming, or the increase of chemical elements in

the environment” said Dr. Robert Becker, two-time Nobel nominee, author a U.S. orthopedic surgeon and

researcher in electro-medicine who worked mainly as professor at Upstate Medical Center in State University of

New York, Syracuse, and as Director of Orthopedic Surgery at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Syracuse,

New York. The effect cell phone radiation has on human health is the subject of recent interest and study, as a

result of the enormous increase in cell phone usage throughout the world. Cell phones use electromagnetic

radiation in the microwave range, which some believe may be harmful to human health. There have been several

well-documented and loud cries over fears about cancer, dielectric heating of living tissues, blood-brain barrier,

radiation absorption, genotoxic effects, sleep and EEG effects and so on because of oft-reported symptoms

ranging from burning and tingling sensations in the skin of the head and extremities, fatigue, sleep disturbances,

dizziness, loss of mental attention, reaction times and memory retentiveness, headaches, malaise heart

palpitations, to disturbances of the digestive system. According to the Indian Journal of Human Genetics, “40%

percent of cells taken from cell phone users show DNA damage.”

“At the molecular level, radio waves can disrupt growth patterns and the functioning of cells,

particularly brain cells and nervous system tissue” said Dr. A. S. Michrick. A multiplier effect often comes into

existence when we take the society at large and introduce a product or an experience to it. So, we have to be very

careful about the possible effects involved as even a small inconvenience or trouble or discomfort can have a

massive negative effect in the long run when used by a large section of the population. Keeping this is mind, we

hear the haunting words of Dr. Michael Klieeisen after the Spanish Neuro Diagnostic Research Institute in

Marbella found that a call lasting just two minutes can alter the natural electrical activity of a child’s brain for up

to an hour afterwards, “We never expected to see this continuing activity in the brain”. What is so fearsome

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about this fairly mundane and straightforward statement is that if scientists are not able to foretell things like this

even remotely, what can they presage about the long-term effects of prolonged exposure to cell-phones? These

are early days yet in the saga of cell phones and things have not fully panned out. Many stories are yet to be told

and we, rather frighteningly are living it.

All in all, cell phones have certainly changed the way that we have lived. However, they do have some

malevolent side effects. We have to recognize it and live accordingly. We should try to develop techniques and

technology that will eradicate or at least minimize the baleful effects. Already, there has been talk about screens

that can stop dangerous radiation coming out from phones. But well, we need action, not talk. This technology

can still take some time to become popular and so we will have to wait and see still. Cell phones have certainly

changed our whole lifestyle and so in that way they are certainly boons. However, whether they become a bane

because of our over-usage is in our hands. Prolonged exposure to cell phones will certainly not be good. We

should follow the philosophy of the great Roman lyric poet, Horace. He followed ‘aurea mediocritas’ or the

‘golden mean’, which means the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of

deficiency. In the matter of cell phones, so should we.

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GLOBAL WARMING: ITS CAUSES AND EFFECTS

It is one of the biggest limitations of the human race that the most dangerous hazards often go unnoticed.

The population of the species Homo sapiens has become so large that sleek dangers are often able to prey on us,

having the advantage of surprise. Sounds like a man-eater right? Global warming is the potential increase in

global average surface temperatures resulting from enhancement of the greenhouse effect by air pollution,

according to Encyclopaedia Britannica, anyway. In 2001 the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

estimated that by 2100 global average surface temperatures would increase by 2.5 to 10.4 °F (1.4 to 5.8 °C),

depending on a range of scenarios for greenhouse gas emissions. Many scientists predict that such an increase

would cause polar ice caps and mountain glaciers to melt rapidly, significantly raising the levels of coastal

waters, and would produce new patterns and extremes of drought and rainfall, seriously disrupting food

production in certain regions. Other scientists maintain that such predictions are overstated. The 1992 Earth

Summit and the 1997 conference of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change attempted to address the

issue of global warming, but in both cases the cause was hindered by conflicting national economic agendas and

disputes between rich and poor nations over the cost and consequences of reducing emissions of greenhouse

gases.

Now ignoring the accusation of Climategate put forward by conspiracy theorists who are accusing others

to be conspiracy theorists, it looks as if the phenomenon of Global Warming and associated changes in the

climate of the world are real. Now assuming that to be true, we have a very big problem. Even a slight change in

the environment will have drastic effects for humans as a whole. The correct ramifications of this can be seen

only by observing things from afar. Stepping back to take in a wider perspective, we detect that too many

coincidences have taken place to be close to comfort. We should accept that Global Warming is taking place.

Even if it is not taking place, as some seemingly misguided souls still persist in believing, it will be better to take

steps to prevent any such eventuality in future.

The single biggest cause of Global Warming is development. Now, we cannot say no to development.

That is certain. What we have to say no to however, is development without limits. No to a growth that will

probably swallow all of us in its grasp if we are not careful. We should follow the philosophy of the great Roman

lyric poet, Horace. He followed ‘aurea mediocritas’ or the ‘golden mean’, which means the desirable middle

between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency. Global Warming is mainly because of one

thing. That is the greenhouse effect. Visible light from the Sun heats the Earth's surface. Part of this energy is

reradiated in the form of long-wave infrared radiation, much of which is absorbed by molecules of carbon

26

dioxide and water vapor in the atmosphere and reradiated back toward the surface as more heat. This process is

analogous to the glass panes of a greenhouse that transmit sunlight but hold in heat. The trapping of infrared

radiation causes the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere to warm more than they otherwise would, making the

surface habitable. The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide caused by widespread combustion of fossil fuels

may intensify the greenhouse effect and cause long-term climatic changes. An increase in atmospheric

concentrations of other trace gases such as chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous oxide, and methane may also aggravate

greenhouse conditions. It is estimated that since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution the amount of

atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased 30%, while the amount of methane has doubled. Now this is quite

frightening because carbon dioxide and methane are both greenhouse gases, or those gases that can and do

contribute to the Greenhouse effect.

While travelling in the streets of Bangalore, we become aware of the sheer number of vehicles that are

clogging the roads of India. It seems an impossible job to calculate the number of vehicles in India, forget the

world. And another sight that is quite familiar in Indian roads is the billowing black smoke, coming out in huge

quantities from the exhaust pipes of vehicles. With the weight of sheer numbers behind it, it is no wonder that

pollution levels are increasing. There are several auxiliary, indirect causes also for it. These include the lax

regulations that have been in force and the long time for which this has been happening unchecked. A sad state

of affairs indeed! Sans any changes done quickly, the situation may become even worse and plummet to

plunging, unforeseen nadirs.

Industries are another major perpetrator. Who amongst us have not seen pictures or other media of

factories spewing out unknown amounts of poisonous, dangerous gases into the atmosphere? Another cause that

is exacerbating the effects of the aforementioned culprits is deforestation. Carbon dioxide which is the main

greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is absorbed by green plants. With the decrease of number of trees, the pressure

on water bodies to absorb carbon dioxide increases and too much will be too much to be sure.

The effects of Global Warming are becoming easer and easier to see with the passage of that most

dangerous of quantities, time. The recent floods that devastated most of Pakistan, the floods in China, the heat

wave in Russia are all natural disasters that have been linked to Global Warming and climate change. These

events cannot all be coincidences, right? Now, these events are instantaneous events, or rather those events

which have resulted in a huge amount of damage and suffering all at once. There are also other events that have

been happening that take place over a period of time. These include the melting of the Arctic ice. Scientists now

dear that all the Arctic ice may melt before 2030. This may result in the inundation of a large amount of low-

lying regions.

In nature everything is connected. A slight change here may result in a huge change somewhere else.

Nature is subtle. We cannot comprehend the things that may happen. We cannot even logically eliminate

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possibilities. Humans have been trying to predict the weather for years. However, there is still a running joke

that whatever the meteorology department says, the opposite will happen! And this is with such improvement in

technology and the usage of supercomputers for these purposes. So, the moral of this quaint story is this: we just

cannot predict what may happen because of Global Warming. Anything can happen, or maybe even nothing.

However, we cannot take chances because, we cannot play with lives. Russian roulette is one of the most

dangerous games in the world. It is played by seven people, who take turns one by one to point a revolver loaded

in one of its seven chambers at their heads, and pull the trigger. This goes on for six rounds until the person left

in the end wins. Well, I admit I am not a scientist, but I believe taking chances with Global Warming will have

comparable rates of survival.

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INDIA OF MY DREAMS

“The future you see is the future you get” said Robert G Allen a Canadian-American financial writer.

What he said applies to all of us; as individuals and also as groups of individuals. India is a great country which

has had a great past. No one doubts the veracity of the statement. But over time, its glorious façade has faded

away to be replaced by a dreary and poor halo. Sad one must say that even such a great country can go through

such great nadirs. Jawaharlal Nehru in his book, “The Discovery of India” maintained that he saw in the Indian

people a spirit, some thing that he says he also found in the people of China, Russia and the United States. He

said however that being of Indian origin, his judgment was clouded and that it was quite possible that he had so

much wanted this spirit to be there in the Indians that he may have misjudged his country.

By this spirit that Nehru proposed, he meant a vital energy that enables a country to face times of

adversity with a brave face and be a leader more than a follower in world affairs. He meant that what ever level

it was down graded to, a country with this spirit would rise up and reclaim its place in world hierarchy. A spirit

which enables its people to take a lead in various fields; in short a ‘winner’. As one sees, over the last few years

India has risen from strength to strength. Whether this is mere coincidence and Nehru was wrong, I know not;

but my dream of India is one in which the Indian people are infused with this spirit, this vital force that Nehru

described in his letters to another former Prime Minster of India, his own daughter.

“Where the mind is without fear and the head held high; where knowledge is free; where the world has

not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; where words come out from the depth of truth;

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way

into the dreary desert sand of dead habit; where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and

action; Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake” said Rabindranath Tagore, a popular poet,

novelist, musician, and playwright who reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th

centuries and was the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. When such a great personality puts things

so concisely and admirably, what can I do, but concur? His timeless words speak of the future that India should

want to have-a future that our leaders should try to realize.

“As long as we place millions of Indians at the center of our thought process, as long as we think of their

welfare, their future, their opportunities for self-realization we are on the right track” said Mukesh Ambani,

a business magnate, philanthropist and the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, the

largest private sector enterprise in India and a Fortune 500 company. Strange words, one can say, coming from a

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capitalist. But what he said is of course the truth. India’s millions can be both a blessing and a curse. How we

handle our population can send India up or down in the coming decades. Now the drawbacks of a large

population are well-documented. Putting a burden on every thing: the environment, the economy and almost

every thing in-between, a heavy population can be a curse. A heavily populated country is often likened to an

elephant. Well, even elephants can run fast! Faster than almost all humans anyway! And so can an economy.

One of the most important factors about India is its young population. India will have the largest working force

in the world in the coming years as China’s population is comparatively old. We can use this to our advantage

come on top if we will. But only if we will. Immediate action and great leaders are a necessity. We have to

spring at every opportunity presented to us. Life is not a bed of roses for an individual and it is not for a country

too.

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today” said

Malcolm X born Malcolm Little, an African-American Muslim minister, public speaker, and human rights

activist. What he said holds true for all time. India’s education system I must say is dismal at the very least.

There are some bright spots, one can say, but compared to many other western countries and factoring in that we

have a population of one billion plus, our education system is bad. There are many people who do not get even

primary school education. And as if the lack of quantity is not bad enough, the lack of good quality education is

even more appalling. There are instances where people who have passed SSLC in English cannot speak in it

coherently and struggle to construct sentences. A dismal situation one must say. Feeble attempts have been made

to improve the existing situation, but will this be helpful to India, only time will tell. But time is running out.

Recall an old saying ‘time and tide wait for no man’. For some reason, it holds true for a country too.

A big problem that we can see in Indian society is an attitude of ‘who cares?’ An attitude that has

resulted in our country languishing at the bottom of surveys of corruption and living standards. An example in

the state of Karnataka is that of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike where bribes are seen as a fact of life.

The Lokayukta, an organisation that has been trying to get rid of corruption has been unable to do so. The people

have resigned themselves to giving bribes to officials and there are almost no people who would do otherwise.

What we need is a show of spirit from the people to take their lives into their own hands and do some thing. One

thing that India has introduced to the world is the concept of ‘karma’. This some people call ‘joss’ and some

destiny. People believe that their future is written ‘in the stars’ and that they simply have to live it out. This has

to change. They believe that the situation in which they live in is some thing unchangeable and that they simply

have to adjust. People have to take their lives in their own hands and effect a change. And not just a few isolated

people. The whole of India has to demand more from the Government. That is what I want to see in India as a

whole. An India where political action against injustice is common sua sponte and corruption is passé.

A lively India which looks more towards the welfare of its umpteen people is what is required and what

we must have in future. An India where the government works hand in hand with the people to banish that most

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evil of problems, poverty from this land is the stuff of dreams, seeing our current situation. However I think that

it can be done. With will and the means and most importantly, the proper leaders, a country can rise to great

heights, or conversely sink to deep depths. It remains for the people to resolve their problems and their leaders

for only they can change their country. For Jawaharlal’s ‘tryst with destiny’ to be realized, fundamental changes

have to be affected as soon as possible, for the sands of time are running out, and running out quickly. We

should act as quickly as possible, for India to rise as high as possible. No individual can bring about a change.

Even the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, great though his work may be, still had the help of a large

number of other people interested in the freedom of India. It requires a group of leaders who can get this done.

India has a history of not living up to its potential. It needs to somehow repair the shaky foundations it now

stands upon and with its leaders evolve into a country to respect and fear.

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INDIA’S WILDLIFE HERITAGE

India is fortunate to have been blessed with a myriad of wild flora and fauna by Mother Nature.

If not in gold or green-bucks, at least in green wealth, India is certainly rich. From ages past, scientists,

poets, writers and others have marveled at and extolled India’s wildlife heritage. Various animals and

plants of various sizes have made India their home. The protection of these various, marvelous

creatures is our bounden duty. However, of late, with the effects of globalization and industrialization,

we have begun to ignore these indispensable assets of ours. We will certainly regret this action in the

longer run. Or if not us, our descendents certainly will. Protecting it has to become our priority.

In these days of indiscriminate deforestation and usage of natural resources, we should make

sure that our wildlife heritage is not lost. A sustainable use of resources in such a way that it will not

endanger the very survival of a species is the need of the hour. The delicate mechanisms of nature bring

to mind the proverbial Damocles’s sword which hangs from a single horse-hair. If it breaks, it falls

down point-first onto the head of humanity. A dangerous thing indeed! If a single species is lost, then

because of the nature of nature, all the organisms in its food web are adversely or favorably affected.

This in turn has other consequences and in the end, the overall effect will be always negative.

Negativity, unfortunately is a lot like the thermo-dynamical concept of entropy. Especially when it

comes to nature. It always increases. If someone or something disturbs nature, the total effect is always

negative. It however differs from entropy in a singular way; it is possible to reverse the flow of

negativity, though with a large number of difficulties and tribulations. The haphazard and capricious

way in which we are disposing of our biosphere is causing a huge increase in negativity which,

needless to say will be difficult to erase.

India has about 350 different species of mammals, 1200 different species of birds which cover

14 percent of the world’s avifauna, 453 different species of reptiles, 182 different species of

amphibians and 14500 different species of angiosperms. Also India boasts 45000 plant species that

constitute 6.4 percent of plant species on earth. The Andaman and Nicobar islands alone house 2200

species of flowering plants and 120 species of ferns. When all's said and done, India has 77000 species

of animals, about 50000 species of insects and about 13000 species of butterflies and moths. The

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sixteen major forest types of India are distributed in 10 distinctive biogeographic zones, having 25

subdivisions and a much larger variety of ecosystems. All these facts and figures give us just a bland,

insipid view of the total richness of India’s ecosystem. The true picture can come only when we visit

the green, thriving forests of India.

Visitors to India say that India has a particular ‘smell’. A dusty, inspiring odor filled with

adventure. Or something like that. One runs across similar words in various accounts of foreigners who

have visited and lived in India for an extended period of time; especially in the hill stations. This ‘smell

of India’ is nothing more than the odor of India’s forests. An odor that has led many of different

countries to choose India over their homes. When people from other countries have done so, it must be

but a ‘no-contest’ that Indians feel too the same way about things, right? But no. Many in India, living

right in our midst think and feel differently and resort to destroying the life of India via varied, cunning

means that has made the Indian Government and the Indian people look on helpless. A sad state of

affairs, indeed.

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever” said the great English poet John Keats, perhaps the greatest

of the second generation of English Romantic poets. Reviled as a bad poet during his lifetime, his

subtle prominence was acknowledged only much later. A true worshipper of beauty as noticed in his

poems, he had given up a possible career in surgery to write poems and so would have been hit hard by

this lackadaisical attitude towards his work. He however had an eerie knack of hitting a nail on its head

as can be evinced from the above quote. The aesthetic brilliance, beauty and peace provided by the

richness of our wildlife heritage just cannot be overstated. According to our old Hindu customs, man

has to spend one-fourth of his life - the last part, incidentally, in our forests. This is to provide ourselves

with a serene backdrop in which to analyze our life and meditate. Our wildlife heritage can thus be seen

to have massive aesthetic or artistic value.

But this is not the end of the value of our environment. No sir! Life itself for humans is possible

only because of our wildlife heritage. And it is not only about just survival. The word opulence is in the

dictionary because of nature. Why, even the very pages of a dictionary are but examples of how

important nature is! The old story of a tree giving away anything and everything that it has to fulfill the

needs and desires of a young boy who grows old, gives us an enduring image of the beastly nature of

man and the manly nature of nature. India’s heritage being as rich as it is demands a great amount of

caring and we should at all costs extend a helping hand as far down the line as we can.

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A country’s wildlife heritage is the gift that the country has got from the Almighty. Whether to

exploit it unsustainably or sustainably is that country’s choice. Since days of yore, Indians have learnt

to live with and in the forests. Generations of Indians existed, giving respect to and loving wildlife.

Those times are long gone and can never be brought back again. It is accepted. In the fast-developing

and growing world, India must keep pace and more. However the legacy of our far-seeing forefathers

remains. The richness of India’s wildlife heritage is perhaps unmatched in today’s world. It enables us

to use our resources to the fullest when the resources of other countries are but parched. But all that our

ancestors did will be but wasted if we decide to throw caution to the winds and proceed, laxly in a

manner usually called laissez-faire in economics. A strong, positive approach must be used. Such says

the vox populi too. It has been often said that hoi polloi do not know what is good for them and what is

not. However for once, our leaders would do well to follow the words of their esteemed voters.

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GLOBALISATION VERSUS NATIONALISM

Globalization and Nationalism may at first seem to be completely different phenomena. But one thing

that can be said to be a similarity is that they are both gaining momentum; in the Indian world at least.

Globalization is a trend in which people look more towards spreading their cultures all over the world, so that the

world becomes a closer place and Nationalism is a trend in which people try to promote their own country as

superior or follow the culture of their country and feel proud about it. Both Globalization and Nationalism have

got their good points and their bad ones. “Aurea mediocritas” is a Latin phrase for “golden mean”. It is mainly

used to describe a situation in which both too less and too much are bad. It can be used here to describe the

effects of globalization and nationalism. Too much of either is bad and too less is also bad. Aurea mediocritas is

perfect and best. Too much of globalization results in what is called as a ‘culture clash’ with nationalism taking

hold over people who oppose countrymen bringing in facets of other countries’ culture to their country. Too less

globalization is bad too as it results in no intermixing of cultures, thereby lessening the value of our world; as it

is only a mixture of flavors that make a good food. A singularly salty food is certainly not tasty and likeable.

Variety on the other hand makes a culture both tasty and rich: the hallmarks of good food.

Thus we see that globalization and nationalism are in some ways fighting with each other. An excess of

both is undesirable as in extreme cases a country’s richness and individuality is at stake. However, we see all

around us that globalization has become rampant. Western civilization has infiltrated all over our culture. In all

facades of our life western civilization has its mark. People are forgetting about their own rich culture and

blindly aping the things that they see in the television-a medium of communication from the west. In our country

at least, Globalization has the upper hand.

“Accordingly, globalization is not only something that will concern and threaten us in the future, but

something that is taking place in the present and to which we must first open our eyes” said Ulrich Beck,

a German sociologist who holds a professorship at Munich University and at the London School of Economics.

He should know. Globalization has brought about several changes for the good as any one can see. Technology,

business, development of infrastructure and an umpteen number of other things have been introduced to us by

the West. Undeniable. Apart from these, changes have also been made on the social front. Abolition of practices

such as Sati, polygamy et al. has been made possible I must say only because of globalization. Globalization has

improved the lives of many a people in many a country. It has brought human kind to a stage from where he can

alter the earth to suit his own purposes. There is even talk of changing our solar system in advanced scientific

circles, but all that is far ahead of our time. Globalization has brought about invaluable changes in the field of

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science and technology-changes that have changed our world. I do not think people understand the effect of

globalization properly because we have been affected by it completely. We should see cultures that have been

isolated from globalization to see its true effects. We may still have been hunting and eating animals if not for

globalization.

“Contagion has become very much a phenomenon, and it's a phenomenon of globalization” said

Lawrence Summers, an American economist and the Director of the White House's National Economic

Council for President Barack Obama. On the other hand, Globalization also has had a multitude of bad impacts

on the world. Development has led to pollution and it has also led to the loss of several cultural values. The

values associated with one culture i.e. the west has spread all over the world and the culture of several other

countries has been lost. An undesirable effect as one can see. And old rule of nature is that variety must be

present for any person or group of people to develop, to evolve to become stronger and stronger. Without

variety, as I said earlier, the contents on the plate become bland. A variety of genes allows organisms to adapt-

that is the key word. What holds for a single individual must hold for a group of individuals. A singular lifestyle

every where I must say will be detrimental to the world at large. But the biggest problem that I think

globalization has been responsible for is pollution, a phenomenon that threatens to destroy our world. We may

have been better off as Stone Age hunters than waging a losing battle against an unsustainable environment in

some ways!

“A nation is a society united by a delusion about its ancestry and a common fear of its neighbors” said

William Ralph Inge an English author, Anglican priest, professor of divinity at Cambridge, and Dean of St

Paul's Cathedral, which provided the appellation by which he was widely known, "Dean Inge." Nationalism has

been taking a back seat to globalization over the last few decades. However, it can be aroused to a searing,

burning passion among the people as Hitler showed in the Second World War. It can be seen in the people of

every country. It is a dormant passion in many ways. It can be aroused in such a way as to make the people of a

country a force. Some times we see instances in which this passion flares up. We see activists who seek to

preserve Indian culture. The Sri Ram Sena is a prime example of this. Every citizen has nationalism embedded in

him in one way or the other and in the end if this force, this spirit is utilized, the effects can be destructive.

Jawaharlal Nehru in his book “The Discovery of India” remarked that nationalism is an extremely powerful

force indeed.

“Nationalism is power hunger tempered by self-deception” said Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his

pen name, George Orwell, an English author and journalist. In some ways Nationalism is good and in other ways

Nationalism is bad. It is bad in the sense that people some times resist the changes that are happening due to

Globalization and this results in the lack of development in a country. For example if Nationalism had been

present in an extreme form, Sati may have still been present now. On the other hand, if Nationalism is very weak

among the people in a country, it may result in the values, culture and traditions of a country being lost to the

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world at large. In our strife to become better and better, and adapt to the changing world, by Charles Darwin’s

‘survival of the fittest’ theory, that will be a loss that will set people back by quite a bit. So what is required for a

country to survive and prosper and try to achieve a utopian condition, it will require the powers of Globalization

and Nationalism to balance each other. This will result in an amalgamation of the cream of a variety of cultures

thus a country can achieve a form of social ‘nirvana’

In some ways the whole issue of the Sri Ram Sena business can be seen as an example of Globalization

versus Nationalism. The Sri Ram Sena say that they are the champions of the Hindu (or Hindi, as Nehru said)

way of life. They feel that love should not be expressed publicly and disapprove of publicly seen relationships.

They also are against fashion shows and Valentine’s Day. They genuinely feel that the Indian way of life, as

perceived by them is losing ground due to globalization and that they have to do some thing in order to stop this

free fall. On the other hand, its opponents feel that the Sri Ram Sena is doing wrong by violating the freedom of

people, a basic freedom that every one needs and has to have. They feel that Pramod Muthalik’s Sri Ram Sena is

abusing people wrongly and that there is no wrong in showing love publicly, or with fashion shows. The Sri

Ram Sena can be seen as a manifestation of the forces of fervent nationalism and its opponents can be seen as

the forces of globalization. Both are right in some ways and both are not completely wrong.

37

THE GLOBALISATION OF INDIAN ECONOMY

The early 1990s was a wake-up time for Indian economy. Having followed the Soviet Union in a

socialist-style economy since independence, things were changing rapidly indeed. The Soviet Union had broken

down, or rather was going to break down and it looked as if its allies too would go the same way. With the

policies of glasnost and perestroika coming into being, the power of the Soviet Union was stuttering. Perestroika

was a program instituted in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Gorbachev in the mid-1980s to restructure Soviet

political and economic policy. Gorbachev proposed reducing the direct involvement of the Communist Party

leadership in the country's governance and increasing the local governments' authority. Seeking to bring the

Soviet Union up to economic par with capitalist countries such as Germany, Japan, and the U.S., he

decentralized economic controls and encouraged enterprises to become self-financing. The economic

bureaucracy, fearing loss of its power and privileges, obstructed much of his program.

With all this happening in the Soviet Union, it was only going to be a matter of time before India did the

same thing. During that time, our present Prime Minster, Dr. Manmohan Singh was the Finance Minister and he

decided that steps will have to be taken to avert this. With Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, he brought about

changes in the Indian economy that resound even today. These changes all-in-all amounted to opening up the

Indian economy.

Globalization has brought about several changes for the good as any one can see. Technology, business,

development of infrastructure and an umpteen number of other things have been introduced to us by the West.

Undeniable. Apart from these, changes have also been made on the social front. Globalization has improved the

lives of many a people in our country. Globalization has brought about invaluable changes in the field of science

and technology-changes that have changed our world. On the other hand, Globalization also has had a multitude

of bad impacts on India. Development has led to pollution and it has also led to the loss of several cultural

values. The values associated with one culture i.e. the west has spread all over the world and the culture of

several other countries has been lost. An undesirable effect as one can see.

An old rule of nature is that variety must be present for any person or group of people to develop, to

evolve to become stronger and stronger. Without variety, as I said earlier, the contents on the plate become

bland. A variety of genes allows organisms to adapt-that is the key word. What holds for a single individual must

hold for a group of individuals. A singular lifestyle every where I must say will be detrimental to the world at

38

large. But the biggest problem that I think globalization has been responsible for is pollution, a phenomenon that

threatens to destroy our world.

The Indian economy has certainly developed over the last few years. It has been often said that our

entrepreneurs are extremely good and our population is extremely young and so India will probably be able to

advance forward, with great strides. A heartening thought indeed! It is expected that the Indian workforce will

increase heavily over the next few years and by 2020, it is expected that one in four workers in the world will be

Indian. China however has an aging population and will probably not have so many workers in the young range.

This is mainly due to the birth control measures taken by Chinese leaders earlier which are finally taking effect.

Our burgeoning population is thus seen to be no impediment at all. Another fortunate coincidence is the fact that

many of these workers are English educated. With the prevalence of English in trade and political circles, it

looks as if it will work to India’s advantage in the end. So we find that India’s occupation by England had its

advantages too, big though its disadvantages were. Every cloud has a silver lining, you see.

India has survived the onslaught of the economic recession that hit the world quite hard. While the

developed countries reeled rather badly, India and China were able to weather the economic crisis and go on.

Even now, some countries have not recovered from the effects of the crisis, but India and China are doing quite

well, as we can see. This shows that India’s economy will probably grow rather fitfully for many years yet to

come. However, we have to make haste, as infrastructure in India is in a very bad state. The education system in

India is usually considered to be quite bad and this can be a big handicap in future. According to most sources,

India will loose the ‘young workforce’ advantage by around 2050. In that short interval of time, India will have

to somehow take advantage of its educated workforce and convert it to tangible advantages.

Now, this time, this era is the time for globalization. Countries are improving relations with each other

and forming organizations in order to make their respective economies stronger and provide security to their

citizens. The time of waging war on each other is over, exiled to the farthest realms of our misty past. Now,

more than ever is the time in which we will have to confine ourselves to peace and try to attain prosperity. With

the advent of time, we have become so good in killing each other that a mistake by a country can wipe out the

whole world if we are not careful. The shadow of nuclear weapons hangs low and dark on all of us. On the other

hand, indulging in currency wars as some countries are doing is also not good, as economic wars may spill over

and become political wars and so on.

Globalization is happening everywhere. It is best not to fight it. Rather we must join it and grow stronger

with it. This is what India began to do just before the beginning of the new millennium and it has provided rich

dividends to its people. There is already talk of India becoming an economic superpower in future and it looks as

if it is not just talk. India certainly has got potential. That has been seen by the way it was able to handle the

economic recession that laid low many other economically strong countries. Another thing is that India has been

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able to achieve so much in so less time. We should remember that it has been less than two decades since India’s

economy truly opened up. In economic and political parlance this is but a pittance. India has got quite some

amount of time, but not too much in which it can regain its place in the firmament, rising up from ground. Quite

a dramatic statement, I must admit, but true in its way. India has got a golden chance right now. With the

weakening of the United States and the rise of organizations such as the EU and others, it looks as if a multi-

polar world will still come into being and it looks as if India will be well-placed to play an important role in it.

40

INDIA’S RISING CRIME GRAPH

“Crime butchers innocence to secure a throne, and innocence struggles with all its might against the

attempts of crime”, said Maximilien Robespierre, one of the best-known and most influential figures of

the French Revolution, a capable articulator of the beliefs of the left-wing bourgeoisie. Forget the fact that

Robespierre was called "dictateur sauvage" (blood-thirsty dictator) by his adversaries, or maybe keep in mind

that people often reveal themselves by their words. Crime has been one of the longest-lived professions of the

world. It has existed since time immemorial. Man’s insatiable greed has been its raison d’etre for ages past. And

unfortunately despite the best efforts of authorities over the ages, it has proved to be very profitable; sometimes

way more profitable than legal means of making money.

“Behind every great fortune there is a crime”, said Honore de Balzac, a French novelist and playwright

regarded as one of the founders of realism in European literature. He is renowned for his multi-faceted

characters; even his lesser characters are complex, morally ambiguous and fully human. What he said raises

some very disturbing questions. Is it almost impossible to become rich without taking to crime? Are the great

fortunes of our times and past times but products of unscrupulous and unprincipled minds? Is Who’s Who but a

dictionary of criminals? Now that seems to be going a bit too far right? And maybe it is. Not everyone can be

like that. But the above words and the stature of the man who said it tell us that many fortunes are black.

In India, crime has become so common that we do not raise our eyebrows when we see it in action. We

take it for granted. Something that we find undesirable and irritable, but cannot do anything about. It has even

entered our popular culture as a facet of our existence. Our netas, policemen and babus too are often depicted as

criminals to provide comic relief in media. This does not raise eyebrows as it should; rather it makes us laugh.

This attitude should scare us and shows how far away from the ideal we are. We are, forget denial, past caring

and we frankly have no idea how to get rid of this leech. “Poverty is the mother of crime”, said Marcus Aurelius,

Roman Emperor from 161 to 180, the last of the "Five Good Emperors", and also considered one of the most

important Stoic philosophers. Aurelius approached the Platonic ideal of a philosopher-king and he symbolized

much of what was best about Roman civilization. Well, he would know. India in spite of all the progress it has

made over the last many years since Independence still remains one of the poorer countries; in some ways

ranking near countries in sub-Saharan Africa in poverty levels as some surveys show. With the aforementioned

human trait of greed so very prevalent, people try to carve out a niche for themselves in today’s world and find

in crime an easy way. And once they get sucked in, there is almost no way out.

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It is a life of desperation as one can see. And in some ways the law and order situation add to the

exasperation of the criminals. Not only are the keepers of the law easily corruptible but are also exceedingly

brutal and vicious in some ways. And not only that. “Some laws of state aimed at curbing crime are even more

criminal”, said Friedrich Engels, German social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father

of communist theory, alongside Karl Marx. Together they produced The Communist Manifesto in 1848. Engels

also edited the second and third volumes of Das Kapital after Marx's death. The law is sometimes inappropriate.

Life puts too much of pressure on poor people and the end result is that the crime-rate of our country increases

more and more. And that is exactly what is happening these days. With India’s rapidly burgeoning population,

while some people are massing wealth as never before, the poorest of the poor in India are also mushrooming.

This is leading to more and more people turning to crime as a way of life.

With the aforementioned depiction of policemen as criminals often being true, and with the number of

policemen in our country often being woefully inadequate, crime has become a hard-to-stop endemic epidemic.

Sometimes, popular culture extols crime in the form of movies and other ways and causes people to turn to crime

in a big way. With poor people finding cheap movie tickets a viable and enjoyable form of entertainment as no

other, the problem has only exacerbated. It is a treacherous downward spiral from which there looks to be no

escape. A bed of quicksand. So, as time goes on, we find ourselves sinking lower and lower with no end in sight.

With the Government being ineffective in this regard, there seem to be only clouds in the horizon, with no silver

linings. So, as can be seen from statistical evidence, the total cognizable crime (IPC) in 1953 was approximately

six lakh incidents. By 2002, it had risen to about eighteen lakh incidents. Figures do sometimes tell stories, as

you can see. “Crime is a product of social excess”, said Vladimir Lenin, a Russian Marxist revolutionary and

communist politician, who as leader of the Bolsheviks headed the Soviet state during its initial years as it fought

to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a socialist economic system.

We as concerned citizens of our country should try to discourage crime and criminals, but this does not

seem to be happening. As aforementioned, we seem to take them for granted. We tolerate criminals and do not

discourage or report crime. In this way hoi polloi are aggravating the situation. We should feel a sense of

responsibility for our country and try to cleanse it of all sins. Only if such an attitude is developed among our

people, will be able to reach greater heights. “He who does not prevent a crime when he can, encourages it,” said

Lucius Annaeus Seneca Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver

Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to Emperor Nero. We would do well to keep his words in

our minds and not be as unmindful as his protégé who “fiddled when Rome burned”. As we speak the situation

is deteriorating; with rogue gangs plying their trade and destroying the very fabric of our society and making a

mockery of the law. The problem of organized crime has become worse and worse with people literally queuing

up to join in. Honest people are being pushed to the background and are suffering as a result. An unacceptable

consequence. And at the end of the day, we listen to news channels exposing scams after scams one after the

other. The CWG scandal, the Adarsh Housing scam, the 2G allotment scam have all dulled the luster of the gem

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that is India. Our founding fathers would hang their heads in shame if they could see India right now. For who

among our leaders can bear to look at the faces of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, those radiant beacons

of light, those staunch upholders of integrity and candor seeing the state in which our country is in?

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LESSONS LEARNT FROM COMMONWEALTH GAMES

2010

Hosting the Commonwealth Games was supposed to be a signal to the world that India had, to use a

clichéd term, come of age. An event to demonstrate India’s rising clout and maturity; an event way less brutal

that the whipping that some African tribals follow to signify coming-of-age. Well, in some ways, this coming-of-

age ritual has brought similar injuries to India’s self-esteem and pride. The rampant corruption highlighted rather

gleefully by western media has brought Indian dreams crashing down to earth and has disappointed its myriad

citizens. Its citizens hoped for a show equaling in grandeur the Beijing Olympics and perhaps drew several

parallels between the two sporting events held in the two rising countries. The Beijing Olympics was however a

shining success, with the only blotch being the war between Russia and Georgia taking away some of the

attention from it. However, the Commonwealth Games did not attain that measure of success; though it was not

a failure by any means. There is an old Latin proverb. “Exita acta probat”. Its English translation means, “The

end determines the act”. In that way, the Commonwealth Games was quite successful in anyone’s eyes.

A slew of accusations and allegations of corruption directed at the head of the CWG Organizing

Committee Chairman, Mr. Suresh Kalmadi, amongst others, have caused many eyebrows to go up. Eyebrows are

not the only facial hair to go up. Hair-raising stories of corruption are being unraveled even as we speak. The

ghost of CWG corruption scams will haunt the dreams of those involved; or so it is hoped. However, that can

and probably will be quite tricky. The ‘scamsters’ are probably adept in hiding their tracks. And have done so

with much aplomb in the intervening time. However, they may still be caught by vigilant officials.

A wise man once said, “Prevention is better than cure”. Well, it’s not for nothing that the

aforementioned man was called wise. This quote has a lot of merit, even though most do not seem to follow it, or

even think about it. So instead of finding ourselves in all that muck, we should have done every thing we could

to avoid falling into it. One of the sad, unavoidable, regrettable truths of Indian polity is the heavy magnitude of

corruption that literally haunts and dogs our lives. Corruption has only one cure. Only one. Fatal diseases usually

are tough to cure, you see. Well, this cure is a twelve–letter word. Transparency. A transparent organization will

never become corrupt. Every movement will be scrutinized by the public and in a country like India, with so

many people calling themselves as India’s public, any discrepancy or incongruity will surely and swiftly be

noticed and eliminated. Sheer numbers you see.

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We have to realize that we have to make all organizations especially pertaining to the government,

transparency will have to be present, otherwise our ‘netas’ and ‘babus’ will invariably go astray. Greed is quite a

powerful deterrent you see. A commission will also have to be set up in order to oversee whether corruption is

taking place in each organization. Perhaps, a branch of that organization itself will be ideal. Also, steps will have

to be taken to ensure that this branch itself does not become corrupt with time; otherwise we just will have added

another organization that can become corrupt! Rotten apples will have to be somewhat ruthlessly cut and thrown

away. We all know that one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel. In this age of many rotten apples, we should

take care that the good ones do not get spoilt too. Sounds like the new Mission Impossible film, right?

One of the major questions that remain unanswered is why India opted to host the Commonwealth

Games when there a plethora of people all over the country who lack for even the basic necessities of food,

water, clothing and housing. It should be the foremost priority of the Indian Government to cater to the needs of

these people rather than try to increase India’s pride by hosting such large events. That can come later, because it

is not a necessity. In the end India should look more for the welfare of its people.

One very noticeable thing in the organization of the Commonwealth Games 2010 was that the organizers

kept every thing to the end. Just fifty days before the starting ceremony of the games, the Games village and

other infrastructure was in tatters. The media was wondering aloud, justifiably, whether the Games would be

held at all. It was a close-run thing, but in the end, the Commonwealth Games, apart from the corruption

allegations was a success. There were reports of roofs leaking, bridges falling and so on, but in the end, things

were all right. This last-minute work should be avoided. We see it all around us, in schools and colleges students

struggling to complete their projects at the last minute; and even in jobs, people struggling to complete their

reports and other projects, but the Government of India is supposed to be a responsible entity, with the lives of

unnamed hundreds of millions, nay billions depending on it and must finish the job quickly to avoid any last-

minute hiccups. Here it is not the fact that the Games were held that is to be seen, rather, in what fashion the

Games were held.

The opening the closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games highlighted to the world the

organizing capabilities of Indians. In the end, the medals gained by Indians pointed to the emergence of India as

a sporting nation to be reckoned with. Our sportsmen and sportswomen made our country proud. Finishing

second, ahead of Britain in the Commonwealth Games is quite a remarkable achievement indeed. Winning over

a hundred medals, including thirty-eight gold ones is no mean feat. However, one thing that we have to take note

of is this. Australia, with a population of around twenty million, won one hundred and seventy seven medals.

Seventy four of them were gold. On the other hand, India with a population of more than a billion, in fact more

than a billion more than Australia’s population, won much less. For this to change, the Indian Government will

have to find proactive methods to improve sporting infrastructure in India, thus giving its children more chances

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to shine. Talent is already present. India has proved it time and again in the past. We only have to convert that

into results; and that is where the Indian Government must step in. China has managed to do so and thus was

able to finish at the top of the standings in the medals tally in the Beijing Olympics. Lessons have to be learnt

here.

46

DEMOCRACY AND CORRUPT POLITICIANS

The concept of democracy evokes strong feelings. People generally feel that is the best form of

governance. A type of governance in which decisions are taken fairly; and in which the people have a feeling

that they can make a difference if they want to. One can almost visualize the early beginnings of democracy,

long back, during the time when humans were but mere hunter-gatherers, councils being held to decide

important decisions; in which the feelings of no one was left out. The concept is simplistically brilliant. Very

often mathematicians find that the toughest problems have the easiest solutions. Mathematics very often

encapsulates life. The tough problem of how to take decisions may have a simple solution of taking a majority

vote. Of course, there are theorists who beg to differ, but well, we cannot satisfy everyone, all six billion plus of

them living, simultaneously. Some believe that a single ruler must take decisions for the country at large. They

believe that dictatorship is good; and it may be, for the dictator in question at least. Some believe that a

permanent group of well-informed people must take decisions on behalf and independent of hoi polloi, but this

system too has its disadvantages.

That’s not to say that democracy too does not have its disadvantages. A cumbersome process at best,

when the population exceeds one billion, as in India, it will certainly be an extremely difficult task to get the

opinion of all the people. It has often been noticed that when a large group of people all vote together on an

issue, they have an uncanny, almost eerie knack on making the right decisions. Decisions that help them in the

long run. Well, groups of people cannot get much larger than India’s one billion plus people, right? However,

even though technology has developed by leaps and bounds, getting the opinion of so many people is well, not

possible; at least for now. With the purest form of democracy ruled out due to its overwhelming complexity, a

system of parliamentary democracy developed. Parliamentary democracy is defined as “the democratic form of

government in which the party (or a coalition of parties) with the greatest representation in the parliament

(legislature) forms the government, its leader becoming prime minister or chancellor”. It started in England and

was brought to its many colonies by them. One of the few benefits of being ruled by the British, I suppose. Every

cloud has a silver lining, you see.

One of the biggest problems that India has been facing over the years is corruption. Well, corruption is

certainly not unique to India, but it has been very destructive to India in particular, because India is rising right

now, and thus there is more to plunder for evil, self-centered people. So, India languishes at the 78th spot in

Newsweek’s list of World’s best countries. Corruption is often compared to a leech. And it’s not without reason.

It sucks the blood of the nation. And what is the blood of the nation? Money, money and money. So our beloved

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country is not able to rise with its full strength. A series of unfortunate events as Lemony Snicket would have

said, right? Winston Churchill once said that democracy is the worst form of governance apart from the various

ones already tried out. One of the titans of the 20th century, he committed himself and the nation to an all-out war

until victory was achieved, and his great eloquence, energy, and indomitable fortitude made him an inspiration to

his countrymen, especially in the Battle of Britain. I am saying all this mainly to reinforce the character of the

person who spoke the aforementioned words. Well, when such a weighty man spoke such weighty words, what

can one such as I do, but concur?

Now, corruption and politicians often go together; in Indian language and contemporary speech anyway.

We almost cannot imagine a politician who is not corrupt. This is how bad the situation is. This is what the

general belief is anyway, and it is promptly reinforced from time to time by rumours and reports of scams

running into untold crores. A shame and a taint on our nation, I must say. Politicians are the most powerful

people and I think that they must see more movies. Yes, you got me right, movies. The words “With great power

comes great responsibility” were written with them in mind, in all probability. Well, happy endings are for

movies only, till now anyway, but it would make a tangible and needed difference if something like that happens

in real life too. And an end to all corruption is certainly needed. Well, it looks possible, but certainly improbable

right now. Firm steps should be taken, by a firm leader, either a charismatic one or a brutal one. A Kennedy or a

Stalin would suffice; but we all would, of course prefer the former. Are you listening, Rahul Gandhi?

Forums in which decisions are taken, often on issues involving large amounts of money have attracted a

large number of leeches, rather blood-thirsty ones, which are intent on spoiling the future of our country. This is

one of the disadvantages of democracy, in which people are selected on basis of merit to manage affairs of great

importance in the country. Even one rotten apple in a barrel is dangerous and we often find out this the hard way

and even more often when there is nothing one can do. Often transparency is an issue and when that happens,

things usually go bad. The people who usually handle important portfolios are also unfortunately, in this case

anyway, quite clever and know loopholes in the system to exploit, or can just indulge in a simple bit of cheating

or money-laundering. Very simple indeed. Too simple actually. That is not to say that the whole barrel is

corrupt; rather that there seem to be very few of them. By the way have you heard of the recent news of an IAS

couple caught with an inordinate sum of money with them? Probably they were the stupidest or the most

reckless. That was about the ‘babus’. And I am not even going to start with the ‘netas’.

So, all in all, it looks as if corruption is almost impossible to eradicate, if only because of the base

nature of human character and the trait of greediness that seems to be interwoven with it, held together with the

finest links of steel. Somewhere, somehow, it just happens. Maybe I am a bit pessimistic, but it is better to keep

all possibilities in mind. The need of the hour seems to be a transparent regulatory mechanism, which does not

deteriorate into just another way for politicians to manipulate things for their own good. In India in some states,

Lokayuktas have been set up to weed away corruption, and people say that it has been doing a good job. Is it the

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answer? Nobody can tell right now, but sooner or later things are bound to come out into the light and then we

can tell with a fair idea what effect it has had on politics at large. However, as with all things dark, we cannot be

totally sure.

49

THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN OUR SOCIETY

“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to

make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses” said Malcolm X, born

Malcolm Little, an American black militant leader who articulated concepts of race pride and black nationalism

in the early 1960s; considered by many to have been one of the most influential and charismatic African-

Americans the world has ever seen. But that was before Obama of course.

“All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarize that

society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level” said William Bernbach, an

American advertising executive. What these individuals have said perfectly sums up what power the media has

in its hands these days.

The Fourth Estate holds in its ever-capricious hands the ability to move hoi polloi in a way never

dreamed of before. “With great power comes great responsibility” said uncle Ben of Spiderman fame. While our

world is quite a different one from the web-filled one of the ever-famous Marvel Comics superhero, the media

would do well to keep this sentence in their minds while they go about their duty, as did our athletic hero. The

media, television especially, contains the ability to produce multimedia content and thus has the immense power

to change an individual's perception of reality.

It has long been thought that the raison d’etre of the media is to bring to the knowledge of the masses

events which took place around the world. Steven Stark, author of Glued to the Set has been quoted as saying,

"the local newscast has replaced the network news and the newspaper alike as the average American's main

source of news." However, this feeling has now become passé. We now look for more from the media. We look

to the media to educate us on various aspects of life. The media has become a weapon to be used by people to

force the government to follow the right path, the democratic path.

Several examples can be given. Gorbachev’s policies of glasnost and perestroika may have resulted in

the fall of the Soviet Union government, but it certainly helped the upliftment of the standards of living in

Russia. Remembering that a democracy is, in the words of that giant of American politics, Abraham Lincoln, “of

the people, by the people, for the people” we can be sure that the press indeed can do quite a lot of good.

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Closer home, it was the media that shed light on the case of poor Ruchika Girhotra and wrecked up a

storm to bring a semblance of justice to the whole proceedings; some thing that might have proved impossible

without the intervention of the media. If the media could bring about such a change in just one case, one can

imagine what the media can do if it puts its mind to it.

Another important use of the media, mainly of television, is of course to bring entertainment to the lives

of India’s millions. Be it cricket or Bollywood, the media provides happiness and joy to people after their long,

and often tough day. The pleasure that the media gives to people cannot be measured by conventional methods,

but is certainly both substantial and important. The words “light at the end of the tunnel” can be ascribed to the

media in some ways. The long and often vilified ‘idiot box’ does have benefits after all.

These days criticism has often been directed towards the media for the phenomenon which goes by the

name of “sensationalism”. People feel that they have no respect for the sentiments and ethics of the people and

land whom they serve to, with their immense power to influence the masses they just make judgment like a true

dictator rather than a good advice of a true friend as they previously used to do. This is some thing that has itself

been brought to light by the media. The media thus acts as a self-healing body as this shows.

In other words, the media spares no one who has done wrong from its grasp. It is a many-armed, ever-

growing conglomerate of people who at their best can bring down unlawful governments and enterprises.

International journalism can bring about changes in policies of governments and question acts of commission

and omission by entities all around the world. The true potential of the media I believe has not yet been seen.

When globalization reaches higher levels than has been reached now, the media may become nearly

omniscient and omnipresent. An extremely powerful, ineradicable ‘force’ one can say. And such a large

organisation cannot be fully made corrupt. As a wise man once said, “one can fool some people all the time, or

all the people some of the time, but not all the people all the time”. With the growing interconnections in the

world, I believe that the media will have to play an ever-expanding role uncovering the truth and proclaiming it

to the world.

With technological advancements taking place every day, the media will certainly become more and

more powerful and will certainly control every part of our future. The media may become as strong as to be the

suprema lex of the world. In India especially, the media holds all the cards. They are able to praise and vilify

people at their own discretion. This is mainly because India’s millions (or rather billions I must say!) are some of

the poorest people in the world. The media is able to run riot on the minds of the people of India and able to thus

influence public opinion in a way that propaganda experts like Herr Hitler’s Joseph Goebbels can only which at.

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Well, talking about Hitler and his Third Reich, this is one of the biggest examples of how powerful the

media can be if given a free rein on the minds of the people in a country. Joseph Goebbels, his propaganda

minister moulded the opinion of the Germans so that the Germans believed every thing that Hitler threw at that

them. This was possible due to Hitler’s undoubted and unrivalled oratorical skills in no small measure, but

nevertheless, Goebbels was responsible to make the Germans fight another World War only a few decades after

devastatingly lose a huge World War.

The impact of media over the last few years has been enormous indeed. The flow of information from

one geographical location to another has increased in speed considerably with the advent in digitally enabled

communication devices. Different network channels over cable or satellite TV, newspapers and radio channels

are emerging at a very rapid pace providing the people with a medium to connect themselves with the outside

world. Print media has always been a dominant medium throughout the decades in the western civilization, but it

is the emergence of the television which has become the backbone of the global commercial development.

Pictures affect people more than mere words can. And as a humongous number of homes in India have

televisions, we can imagine the potential of the media to mould minds.

To conclude, the media can tackle humanitarian issues and bring it to the notice of people around the

world who have the power to change things. It can weed out corruption by bringing to light corrupt politicians

and businessmen. It can educate people on the policies of political parties and help them to choose just

governments, though some people might say this is a very tough job. There has been criticism that the media has

been more than helpful while covering certain candidates in elections. However, such incidents are isolated and

the fact that these incidents were brought to light by the media shows how the media can annihilate tumors in

itself. This is the biggest way that it can change things in society and bring justice to the poorest of the poor.

The media in this way can become sine qua non to justice and build a bright, healthy future not only for itself,

but also the rest of the world, being a panpharmacon for all kinds of evil.

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THE VALUE OF COMPUTER EDUCATION TODAY

“Education is not filling a pail but the lighting of a fire” said William Butler Yeats, Irish poet, dramatist,

and prose writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923, and who is regarded by some as the greatest

English-language poet of the 20th century. Poets and writers usually have unique ways of putting words to

emotions. Emotions and truths that hoi polloi know about, but which they cannot put in words. Education must

be seen in a practical sort of way and must be carefully built up. Imparting it is an art; and receiving it is also an

art. However, we often do not acknowledge this and go about haphazardly, without building up the basics, a

mortal folly any way we look at it.

In today’s world, computers play an indispensable role. However some have differing views. “But they

are useless. They can only give you answers” said Pablo Picasso, about computers. Pablo Picasso was a

Spanish-born French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer considered as one of the

greatest painters of the twentieth century. This viewpoint of Picasso may have something to do with the fact that

Picasso was born way back in 1881 and died in 1973. Well, begging to differ from Picasso, I feel that the Age of

Computers is on us and we must accept it and adapt. Computer education is the way ahead.

"What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child"

said George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright and critic who received the Nobel Prize in 1925 and whose writings

and speeches made him a controversial public figure for much of his life. A shrewd and humorous personality,

he is remembered as a purveyor of verbal gems such as the aforesaid statement. Unfortunately, in our world, we

see students burdened heavily by their teachers and thus regretting their plight. And it is a plight, mark my

words, that which the students are going through. Students slowly begin to hate a subject or maybe the very

concept of studying, and this certainly wont do right? Sometimes the very way of passing down knowledge is

flawed to a great extent. "In large states public education will always be mediocre, for the same reason that in

large kitchens the cooking is usually bad" said Friedrich Nietzsche, German-Swiss philosopher and writer, one

of the most influential of modern thinkers. His analyses of the root motives and values that underlie traditional

Western religion, morality, and philosophy affected generations of theologians, philosophers, psychologists,

poets, novelists, and playwrights. Well, he certainly had a way of banging a nail on its head, I must say.

Till now, a basic knowledge of the working of computers was good enough to survive and maybe go a

few places up in the ladder of life. However, it is foreseen that things will change drastically in a few decades or

a few years time. The steep advancements in science and technology undertaken by grave scientists are steep

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indeed, but may be seen in hindsight as gentle slopes compared to what may happen in the coming years. For

there looks to be no end to the advancements that can be made. However deep scientists and engineers go, there

always seem to be deeper layers; layers within layers and subtle changes, which however mean a great deal of

technological advancement. In the same way that scientists first postulated that the atom was indivisible and now

think that it is divisible, they are postulating now that there are ways to dig deeper and deeper and come up with

newer, better solutions to their problems; problems however that are never-ending. However the watchwords

here seem to be cost and availability. Around a hundred and thirty years back, there was no such thing as

electricity. I must be a little more specific, I think. I meant there was no such thing as commercial electricity.

Well now, things are a bit different right? The oldest man who ever lived, if I remember correctly, lived for

around the same amount of time as it took for electricity to become so common i.e. one hundred and thirty years.

I often wonder how different the world will be in around the same amount of time in the future.

"The authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who want to learn" said Marcus Tullius

Cicero, Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, and writer who is remembered as the greatest Roman orator and the

innovator of what became known as Ciceronian rhetoric, which remained the foremost rhetorical model for

many centuries. He was also one of the conspirators who murdered Julius Caesar, but let us not hold that against

him. A great thinker and commentator he certainly was by any measurement. It is amazing how his thoughts,

thought out long ago can still be applied in this age. Well, it is often said that great minds transcend time. The

best orator of one of the greatest empires ever seen would certainly qualify as one right? And so his words ring

true, coming back to remind us from the misty past about how bad teachers haunt all generations. No generation-

gap here I guess.

“Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all” said John F. Kennedy, 35th president of the U.S.

Kennedy's youth, energy, and charming family brought him world adulation and sparked the idealism of a

generation, for whom the Kennedy White House became known as “Camelot.” A charismatic personality, his

life was tragically cut short before his time by Lee Harvey Oswald. Supposedly, anyway. Murky rumours still

abound as to his murderer or murderers, but well, that is beside my point. He was also known as a brilliant orator

and had a way with words. In this age, with computers becoming more and more complex and man improving

the capacity and power of computers by leaps and bounds, we still have a chasm to cross. A deep chasm any way

you look at it. A chasm of Artificial Intelligence.

Once this barrier of AI, as it is known is breached, huge developments will be possible. Already movies

have been made about robots with AI. Many of them are not very pleasant, with them being portrayed as

heartless, cruel beings, but well, very often fears are unfounded. This barrier still stands, but almost certainly will

soon be breached and developments then may dwarf anything seen before. Things have changed a lot in the last

few years, but things will certainly change even more in the coming years. We can right now exist without

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technology and computers, but that may prove to be impossible in just a few years. Now, that is a big difference.

This just highlights the important, understated part that an education in computers will play in a few years.

An education in computers does not just mean an education in just computers. It means an education in

all forms of technology. “The inside of a computer is as dumb as hell but it goes like mad!” said Richard

Feynman, U.S. theoretical physicist famed for his wit who also wrote best-selling books on science. What he

means here is that a computer cannot think for itself, but works extremely well within its narrow bounds. It is up

to us to understand its logic and give it instructions to carry, up to the time when the barrier of AI is breached

anyway.

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YOUTH AND LITERACY

“No skill is more crucial to the future of a child, or to a democratic and prosperous society, than

literacy” said the Los Angeles Times in its "A Child Literacy Initiative for the Greater Los Angeles

Area". Wise words indeed. As nations look forward and plan their futures, they plan primarily for their

children. It is the youth of the nation who will bear their countries’ flags high. These young people

should be capable, responsible and have the flair and aptitude to carry their country forward to greater

heights. For all this, a good education is important. Forget important, it is indispensable.

Turning back the pages of history and studying the times of the great empires of yore, one

startling fact strikes our eyes. It is but this: the superpowers of the past have all had exceptionally good

education systems, the best of their times anyway, and their youth were able to use it to the utmost.

Churning this fact in our minds for some time, we also discover that they fell to the dust as a result of

this education system of theirs falling down in standards. It is no coincidence that the superpower of

our times, the United States has the best education system among all the countries and it is also no

coincidence that educationists feel that its standards are coming down comparative to other countries,

at the same time that other experts believe that the United States is losing its pre-eminent position

among countries.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire”, said William Butler Yeats,

an Irish poet and dramatist, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. In his later years

Yeats served as an Irish Senator for two terms and was a driving force behind the Irish Literary

Revival. To the consternation of educationists all over the world, very often education as we see it is

nothing but gross filling up of pails. Education has been distorted to such an extent that interest is not

generated and a dreary practice of learning by rote has become the norm. The talents of our youth are

often censored by this process of mindless following of a singular method of education. Of course,

blind “mugging” as this process is called by few, is constructive is some ways; but there is a time and a

situation where this method should be used and I believe that it is not being done properly at all. We

would do well to fix it.

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The youth should look at education as an elevator to the upper echelons of society. A one-time

elevator that once is missed, is lost forever. If we look at the world around us, we come to realize one

thing. All the “pezzonovante” of our planet have strived as hard as they could to make their mark on

the planet. They have left no steps unturned, to use an oft-used inanity, to work their way up, planning,

plotting and dreaming. “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers”, said Harry S. Truman,

the 33rd President of the United States. He was a folksy, unassuming president and was thought to

exemplify integrity and accountability. He coordinated the greatest election upset in American history

over Thomas E. Dewey in the 1948 Presidential Elections. These aforementioned words of his just

reinforce the point I have been trying to make; that to work our way up, we need to have a certain

amount of knowledge about how the world ticks and we can get only via the written word. Television,

internet and various other means to gain knowledge have come into existence and they are good

sources of information, but books and newspapers are still the primary sources of information, or rather

knowledge. Over the years, the importance of written material has decreased but still holds a very

important place.

“It is well to read everything of something, and something of everything” said Lord Henry P.

Brougham, a British statesman who became Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom and who holds the

House of Commons record for non-stop speaking at six hours. While the above-mentioned statement

hints at a gift for the gab, it looks as though the statesman valued his words too. A proper education

must impart an amalgam of knowledge from many quarters with an in-depth knowledge of the subject

one specializes in. This type of an education is the best in most cases, except of course in such cases or

professions where a different method of education helps more. However, very often this method of

education is not much in use. Changes must be wrought in the very crux of the educational system

itself and only such a change can be useful in the long run.

Our life must become an altar to learning. For not only will this learning be beneficial to us later

on in our lives but it also enriches our lives considerably. “Live as if your were to die tomorrow. Learn

as if you were to live forever”, said Mahatma Gandhi, the widely-admired and loved Father of our

nation, the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence

movement who pioneered Satyagraha. By these words, the great soul means to convey to us that we

should live each day with as much piety as we would if we knew we were going to die the next day.

Compare this with St. Paul’s “I die everyday”, in the Bible. He also seeks to convey that we should

accrue knowledge as though we need to gain enough knowledge to live forever. Only this kind of a

proper, deliberate perusal of knowledge will be useful to us in the long run.

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In India, the literacy rate is however a dismal 68%. The level is well below the world average

literacy rate of 84%, and India currently has the largest illiterate population of any nation on earth. The

above statements make for a gloomy read. But there is still hope. The 2001 census indicated a 1991-

2001 decadal literacy growth of 12.63%, which is the fastest-ever on record. A 1990 study estimated

that it would take until 2060 for India to achieve universal literacy at then-current rate of progress.

India is a young country now the marvelous economic growth of our country is because of this young

population. For us to take proper advantage of this, we will have to ensure that literacy in our country

reaches as high as possible. China has been able to do so and currently enjoys a literacy rate of above

90% which is much higher than the world average of approximately 84%. Closer home, we can take

the example of Kerala. It adopted a style which enabled "fusion between the district administration

headed by its Collector on one side and, on the other side, voluntary groups, social activists and

others". It currently has a literacy rate of above 90% too. India would certainly do well to emulate the

Kerala Government on a larger scale.

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DOUBLE DIGIT INFLATION: CAN IT BE CONTAINED?

Over the last few days, the citizens of India have been reeling under heavy inflation. Inflation, especially

in the prices of basic food articles which are desperately needed by the poor of the poor of Indian society is the

most serious issue that a country like India can face. This is mainly because India is primarily a nation of poor

people. Yes, there might be quite a few rich people but their numbers pale in comparison with the number of

poor people. For these poor people, nothing matters more to them than food, water and shelter and it is the duty

of the Government to somehow make at least these basic necessities available to all the people. However, when

something like inflation happens, it affects them unimaginably. For these people who only need the basic

necessities of life, even this simple need of theirs is then denied. So inflation should always be in control.

However, this time in which we presently live is not one of those times. Inflation is ripping things and more

importantly, people apart and this must be stopped as soon as possible.

Now what is inflation? An economics textbook will define inflation as a rise in the general level of

prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. That may be the definition, but ask any poor

person what it means to him and he will tell that it means, to him, a lot more than what the above dry words

expressed. It means hunger, it means overtime work, it may even mean death. “Domestic inflation reflects

domestic monetary policy” said Martin Feldstein, currently the George F. Baker Professor of

Economics at Harvard University, and the president emeritus of the National Bureau of Economic Research in

the United States of America. Well he would, and should know. So it seems that the Government is in charge of

containing inflation. However, sometimes, as in this case, the whole thing goes out of hand. This time around,

the main cause of the inflation was the high rate of food inflation.

For 2009, Indian inflation stood at 11.49%. The Indian method for calculating inflation, the Wholesale

Price Index, is different from the rest of world. Each week, the wholesale price of a set of 435 goods is

calculated by the Indian government. Since these are wholesale prices, the actual prices paid by consumers are

far higher. In times of rising inflation, this also means that the cost of living increases are much higher for the

populace. Cooking gas prices, for example, have increased by around 20% in 2008. The Deputy Chairman of the

Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia has said towards the end of July that inflation “will keep

declining after July and moderate by December”.

The RBI has got only one cure for inflation. It is almost like a mantra for it. It is ‘tighten monetary

policy by raising interest rates and squeezing liquidity.’ Now one thing that has perplexed economists

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everywhere is, how in countries whose economies are supposed to be ‘overheating’, like China, Indonesia et al.,

the inflation is so low where as in India it is so high. A big reason for this is the dependance of India and its

farmers, its ‘kisan’, on the monsoon. There has been much talk about decreasing this dependance. There have

been many proposals. The NDA government had brought out a proposal to connect the rivers of India so that the

disturbing spectacle of one part of the country suffering from floods and another from drought will not be seen

again. This proposal vaporised some time back or so it seems. So it has come to haunt us back, or rather our poor

back, our farmers back. The weather Gods failed us last year, so India's agricultural output suffered a sharp drop,

and as a consequence supply declined and prices rose.

Another reason is the policies of the Government. Prices of fuel have recently been increased, which is

contributing to overall price inflation. Minimum support prices for agriculture have also been increasing. Price

smoothening by the Government by higher imports and faster domestic resources usage has not been up to the

standard. However all these reasons are superceded by the proverbial ‘big daddy of them all’. And that is, that

the supply capacity of the economy is simply unable to match the demands on that capacity. This means that the

economy's current growth rate of 7-8 per cent is above its potential growth rate. This can have a bad effect in

future and attaining double digit growth will prove to be impossible.

In agriculture, productivity growth is not up to the mark. On the other hand, purchasing power and hence

demand are accelerating. This can prove to be remarkably difficult to handle. The “Lakshman Rekha” of 5% that

politicians dare to cross only under peril may be very difficult to reach, but may still be possible with aggressive

monetary policies. Thus, the diagnosis of and cures for inflation may need some rethinking. Inflation may have a

lot more to do with services and land as an input. There have been theories, like one put forward by Arvind

Subramanian, a senior fellow jointly at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and the Center for

Global Development and senior research professor at the Johns Hopkins University that Land market distortions,

capital inflows, and services may help explain India's inflation. He feels that curing it may require “addressing

the macroeconomic aggravators of microeconomic distortions”.

Meanwhile as a lot of debate is going on, consumer prices in India are rising at least twice as fast

compared with inflation rates in Brazil, Russia and China, the other three nations that make up the BRIC

economies. RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao is now under pressure to raise interest rates. “Inflation is an urgent

issue and we don’t have a package as yet which can give us confidence,” feels Bimal Jalan, who headed the

Reserve Bank of India from 1997 to 2003. The government must do something in order to somehow bring this

under control. Paul Krugman, the Nobel Prize winning economist feels that the high unemployment rates in the

USA may become a common thing as politicians there may start feeling that high unemployment is normal for a

country. He feels that the main thing to be erased is this mindset of the government. Our Government must also

take his advice and make sure that it does not take the high inflation as normal. That is the main thing. Well, it is

unlikely that the opposition will let the Government to forget it. So, we see that it is not whether the rate of

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inflation will come down, rather, how quickly the rae of inflation will come down from double digits. And as

anyone can say, the quicker, the better.

So political will is a necessity. We should stop squabbling and look forward to controlling

inflation. It is believed that inflation cannot be brought to something like 1% or near, but an inflation

rate of 5% will be all right according to most sources. A deflation too will not be good or feasible. Our

legislators and economists who control India have to realise that they hold the future of India in their

hands and that they will have to take solid, tenable and most importantly quick steps in order to reduce

inflation, and thus lighten the burden of the people of India. For it is of utmost importance that the poor

of India, its very soul, are saved from the Atlas-like load that they presently hold.

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IS CINEMA THE REFLECTION OF SOCIETY?

“The cinema, like the detective story, makes it possible to experience without danger all the excitement,

passion and desirousness which must be repressed in a humanitarian ordering of life”, said Carl Gustav Jung,

a Swiss psychiatrist, an influential thinker, and the founder of analytical psychology; who is often considered the

first modern psychologist to state that the human psyche is "by nature religious" and to explore it in depth.

Psychologists delve deep into human contemplation and try to find the rationale for their actions. The incredible

popularity of cinema has aroused the interest of psychologists and one of the explanations for it is given above.

I have a hypothesis that all of us, in some small way, believe our lives to be movies; with us being the

protagonists. Our thoughts and actions take a center stage for us. We all live out the dreary monotony of our

lives waiting for those moments that really spice our lives. In some ways, this theory of mine explains

addictions. When we see movies, we identify ourselves with the protagonists we see in the big screen, and to a

certain extent feel his or her emotions and identify ourselves with his or her deeds. All of us do this to varied

extents. Some more and some less. All this is done subconsciously. “Drama is life with the dull bits cut out”,

said Alfred Hitchcock, an English filmmaker and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and

psychological thriller genres. He framed shots to manipulate the feelings of the audience and maximize anxiety,

fear, or empathy, and used innovative film editing to demonstrate the point of view of the characters; often

carrying out extremely complex psychological examinations of the characters. I believe that he has a valid point

here. Life is nothing but a few prized moments with chaff surrounding it. A lot of chaff, in fact. In movies, we

see incidents that excite us and arouse our emotions; our sentiments are stretched to their very limits and this is

what makes us enjoy movies. After all, the raison d’etre of cinema is to provide enjoyment.

“Although for some people cinema means something superficial and glamorous, it is something else. I

think it is the mirror of the world”, said Jeanne Moreau, a French actress, singer, screenwriter and director who

was most prolific during the 1960s though she continues to appear in films to the present day. Well, being an

actress, she should know. Over the years, in both Hindi and English, we have seen movies that changed the face

of cinema as a whole. Movies that have made us to stop and think or made us to look at the world in a different

light. Society as a whole is changing, with its preferences changing from time to time and so are movies. Movies

very often express our desires and entertain us. The directors play a very important role here and try to introduce

their thoughts to us in the form of movies.

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“Cinema explains American society. It’s like a Western, with good guys and bad guys, where the weak

don’t have a place”, said Jacques Delors, a French economist and politician, the eight President of the European

Commission and the first person to serve two terms in that office. The age-old stereotypes of hero and villain are

absent from our day-to-day life. In real-life as opposed to reel-life, people are a combination of good and bad

characteristics and not all black or all white as is seen in movies. In movies we very often see problems that we

experience for real in life. Movies bring out the defects of society and try to bring out change by bringing out

issues to the open. This is one of the positive effects of movies.

“Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the world”, said Jean-Luc Godard, French-Swiss film

director, screen writer and critic, who is often identified with the group of filmmakers known as the Nouvelle

Vague, or "French New Wave". Of course it is. It is an art form that binds us with rapture. It is the magic that

makes us see something that we have already seen again and again. Very often, we are hypnotized by the actors

and actresses and the characters they portray. It may not be a fool-proof replica of the world at large, but very

often it is a passable, beautiful facsimile, a reflection. Over the years, not only does it reflect society, it has

become a part of society too. We now treat movies as part and parcel of our lives. We very often are so

enraptured by cinema that we become interested in the actors and actresses, rejoice in their victories and

commiserate in their downfalls. Directors, very often visionaries, try to show the world as they see it in their

movies, and produce master-classes. The societies we see in the big screen are often modeled on those we see all

around us. The attitudes of society, its actions and sometimes even its history are depicted very realistically in

movies. Various stages in history and the society that populated those times are also shown in cinema very

convincingly.

“People sometimes say that the way things happen in the movies is unreal, but actually it's the way

things happen to you in life that's unreal. The movies make emotions look so strong and real, whereas when

things really do happen to you, it's like watching television -- you don't feel anything”, said Andy Warhol, an

American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop

art. In movies, we very often explore very complex topics. Or rather the directors do. A good director explores

the emotions, actions and psychology of the characters in the movie and manufactures situations that enable the

actors to showcase their talents. In doing this, to enable the viewers to enjoy his art, the actors are given a license

to over-act in some ways. The viewers are thus able to understand the subtle connotations and undercurrents in

the movie and enjoy it fully, without running a risk of missing anything. It very often depends upon the skills of

the actors and the directors. In the end, a movie depends upon how the director wants it to be. Directors model

their movies on the society as they see it and try to introduce variety to keep their audience interested. This

variety often spoils the image of a perfect copy of real-life society but keeps us interested.

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UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL

“So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth”, said Bahá'u'lláh, the

founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfillment of Bábism, a 19th-century

outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the

fulfillment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and other major religions. The old

fable of several sticks being stronger than just one also reinforces the aforementioned point. An

amalgamation of several skills, attitudes and minds is very often able to crack tough nuts when a

singular approach is unable to do so. We find this apparent not only in our day-to-day lives but also in

various instances in history. It is well known that the British used a “divide and conquer” technique to

great effect in India. Its effects are visible even today among hoi polloi. Unity is of utmost importance

in the concept of India. This is because India is not an ordinary nation. It is in some ways a concept

dreamed of by our founding fathers not very long ago. It is still learning and growing, because nations,

unlike humans have a life-span of centuries and India is still a child feeling its way in the dark; afraid

of the dark.

It has oft been noted that a nation is like the human body. The human body basically consists of

an umpteen number of cells all working in tandem to live as easily as possible. A nation basically

consists of an umpteen number of people all working in tandem to live as easily as possible. So what is

the difference? If cells in a body die or malfunction, it will be detrimental to the body as a whole. It is

the same with nations. A united approach is not only essential to get rid of quandaries we face in our

way, but also very much needed for the smooth functioning of our day to day life.

“One man may hit the mark, another blunder; but heed not these distinctions. Only from the

alliance of the one, working with and through the other, are great things born”, said Antoine de Saint-

Exupéry, a French writer and aviator who is best remembered for his novella The Little Prince and for

his books about aviation adventures. Well, writers very often have a way with words as can be

observed from the above well-composed quote. Monsieur Saint-Exupéry has hit the nail on its head

here. Individually, we often are unable to complete a task. However, with team-work and co-

ordination, with what is called ‘chemistry’, we are often able to complement each other and succeed in

our endeavours. This concept bears a lot of significance in today’s world. With competition escalating

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and ballooning all out of proportion, the ability to adapt to any situation and complement each other is

of utmost importance. In fact, it is the basic difference between winning and losing in most cases. And,

well, even though there is a lot of talk about how participation is the key and not winning, a whole load

of also-rans and no victories is not good in one’s Curriculum Vitae, right?

“Unity without verity is no better than conspiracy”, said John Trapp, an English Anglican bible

commentator. His large five-volume commentary is still read today and is known for its pithy

statements and quotable prose. A united approach involves all the participants working well together to

make their jobs a success. However, sometimes, if a member has an individual agenda, and pursues it

sans any regard for his comrades, things may deteriorate and often does. A job today does not just

entail the member having a comprehensive knowledge of the world around him, but also having what is

called as interpersonal skills. This is what the industry asks and very often it is what it does not get. In

India, this is the very crux of the problem we seen all around us today. The employees have the

requisite talent and knowledge, but no communication skills to speak of and this very often results in a

loss to the employer. Employers have resorted to bringing in specialized trainers to help remedy the

problem. This is not so in Western countries and it is something we have to learn from them.

Unity as a whole is especially important in India as a country. With a diverse array of religions

and cultures, India is the best large-scale example of how powerful unity can be. India on the other

hand has also been the victim, of its variety in some instances. The lack of unity is however, to be

expected with India’s diversity. Religious fundamentalism is one of the things that have hampered

India as a whole. It may be South Africa that is called the “Rainbow Nation”, but India does not lag

behind when it comes to diversity. “Even the weak become strong when they are united”, said Johann

Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, a German poet and playwright who in September 2008, was voted by

the audience of the TV channel Arte as the second most important playwright in Europe after William

Shakespeare. Now losing out only to the venerable and venerated Bard of Avon is not a bad

performance. Also a noted philosopher, he elaborated the concept of Pflicht und Neigung which

basically refers to the concepts of duty and inclination becoming the same in a person, which he

describes as beautiful. The aforesaid statement when combined with his abovementioned quote gives us

as a nation, a perspective on how one’s attitude to life in general should be.

“By union the smallest states thrive. By discord the greatest are destroyed”, said Gaius

Sallustius Crispus, generally known simply as Sallust, a Roman historian who belonged to a well-

known plebeian family and who always stood by his principle as a popularis, an opposer of Pompey's

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party and the old aristocracy of Rome. Well, he certainly should know. Being a historian mainly means

studying the mistakes done in ages past by famous men and women. Deciphering the murky past and

analyzing it very often gives one a concise picture of what should have been done and what should be

done. Jealousy, contempt, divisiveness, suspicion are all characterized as negative emotions and should

be treated as such and should not be allowed to rein free. However, very often unity plays second fiddle

to such emotions and very often results in failure and loss. Not a very pleasant thought, right? It is to be

noted that when the greatest empires fell, they first disintegrated. Disintegration was the sign that the

empire was no more. The empires of the Romans, the Greeks and the Mongols first disintegrated and

then died. United, they dominated the world of their age. Divided they utterly crumbled into oblivion

and were heard of no more leaving just an après gout via stories and legends extolling their power at

their peaks. That shows how potent unity is and how divisiveness is in some ways even more potent.

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NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE IN THE WORLD

“It always seems impossible until it’s done” said Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who served as President of

South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully

representative democratic election. Well, he should know. Nelson Mandela accomplished something that was

considered to be pretty nigh impossible-the patching up of relationships between whites and blacks. Centuries of

hatred and subjugation were just tossed aside with his work in a matter of decades. Within one life-time he

changed things so much. It just goes to show that even the most improbable of changes can be brought out by

single-minded determination and hard work. In that way Nelson Mandela was a messiah. A messiah of hope.

Exemplifying most decisively, that nothing, just about nothing, is impossible in the world, if one has the right

convictions drilled into him or her and the courage to follow his or her convictions till the end.

We can take the examples of many people who graced this world, who proved that nothing is impossible

by overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds and reaching their aims. Sudha Chandran is a very famous

Indian example. On May 2, 1981, Sudha Chandran was traveling in a bus to Tiruchi temple. At midnight a

serious accident took place. Her bus collided with a truck. When the accident occurred, Sudha had stretched her

legs out straight. The collision was such that her legs were stuck. Some college students who were less injured

saw the noted dancer and tried to help her out. After a long struggle, they were able to pull her out but her right

leg had been injured critically. In order to save her life the leg had to be amputated. Yet she acquired an artificial

leg and worked very hard and was able to dance again. Her unique life interested many and a movie was made

on her in which she herself played the titular role. She went on to act in a few other movies also. There is an old

proverb- “When life sends you a lemon, make lemonade”. This is what Sudha Chandran did. She worked hard

and overcame her predicament and made her mark in acting too; an avenue that would have otherwise been

closed to her. “Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done” said Robert Anson Heinlein,

an American science fiction writer often called "the dean of science fiction writers", who was one of the most

influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a high standard for science and engineering plausibility

and helped to raise the genre's standards of literary quality; and we would do well to remember his words.

“Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools”, said Napoleon Bonaparte, a military

and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution whose legal reform, the Napoleonic Code,

has been a major influence on many civil law jurisdictions worldwide; but he is best remembered for the wars he

led against a series of coalitions, the so-called Napoleonic Wars, during which he established hegemony over

much of Europe and sought to spread revolutionary ideals. Who are we to disagree with the famed emperor? It is

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just a mindset, you know. Having a positive mindset, a mindset of continued perseverance, even against

tremendous odds is very often the only prerequisite for success. Often it is the only difference between victory

and success. In order to be successful we need to keep this important truism in mind. Napoleon and Hitler

accomplished things we might have thought of as impossible. Even though they are cursed and reviled, rightly,

for those deeds, what we need to take note of is the single-minded determination they had. A positive lining in

what is otherwise a murky and black veneer. Well, one can argue that in Hitler’s case at least, the man was

driven by his conviction that he was the one destined to bring about a big change in Germany’s place in the

hierarchy of nations. A case of bloated self-confidence, brought about by an avid youthful interest in German

history, one might say. But whatever might be the case, he took challenges head-on, never believing that he

would, or rather could, lose and he might have even won the Second World War if the already favorable

circumstances had gone slightly differently. Thankfully for the world he did not; but he sure came frighteningly

close.

“What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or impossible, is rarely a function of our true

capability. It is more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are” said Tony Robbins, a successful

American self-help author and success coach. So, all that we require is a belief in our abilities. If we have

complete confidence in our abilities and we back it up with hard work, theoretically nothing is impossible. Very

often if we do not give our 100%, we miss our targets only by a little and we are left to rue the fact that a little

more effort could have led to us reaching our targets. Doing our best in anything we do is thus of utmost

importance.

One of the arenas where a never-say-die attitude plays a very important role is the film industry. In the

face of cut-throat competition which we see there, a lack of perseverance can be found to be a fatal flaw.

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!” said Audrey Hepburn, a British actress and

humanitarian who remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and

fashion icon of the twentieth century. An attitude like this enabled her to be ranked as the third biggest heroine

of all time in Hollywood.

It is normal to feel despondent when at first we are confronted by the amount of work required to

construct a magnum opus or any other opus in fact. It is at this point where most people just give up, feeling that

they are not up to the task. This is where however, the truly successful go on, without paying heed to others’

thoughts and words. This rare quality is of utmost importance. “Every noble work is at first impossible” said

Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era; who

called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a

controversial social commentator. I feel he had the right idea when he told these aforementioned words. It is all a

question of the mind, in some ways. If one feels things to be true, if he feels that he can accomplish certain

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things, he can accomplish those things. Otherwise those avenues are closed to him. One’s mind is the key,

because the mind is quite simply an objet d’art.

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CAN INDIA BECOME A SUPERPOWER?

“The land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags, of

palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the

cobra and the jungle, the country of hundred nations and a hundred tongues, of a thousand religions and two

million gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend,

great-grandmother of traditions, whose yesterday's bear date with the modering antiquities for the rest of nations-

the one sole country under the sun that is endowed with an imperishable interest for alien prince and alien

peasant, for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor, bond and free, the one land that all men desire to

see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the

world combined.”

Thus Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain described India. A beautifully true

description no doubt. But this spoke about the past strength of India. For centuries India reigned as the

superpower of the world. Militarily and economically it had no equal anywhere in the world. However, it faded

with the passage of time and was dealt a fatal blow by the British on their occupation of India. The Europeans

gained a upper hand with the Industrial Revolution and never looked back. However, India is raising its head

again and trying to take its rightful place at the top of hierarchy of nations and it will do so. The only debatable

question is whether it will become a superpower as it was before.

First let us see what exactly is meant by the word superpower. A superpower is a “country that has the

capacity to project dominating power and influence anywhere in the world, and sometimes, in more than one

region of the globe at a time, and so may plausibly attain the status of global hegemony” according to Alice

Lyman Miller who is the Professor of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School. The word

was first used to describe the British Empire which at one point of time controlled 25% of the world’s population

and 25% of the world’s area. Later on after the Second World War, it came to describe the United States and the

U.S.SR. also, and later on with the dissolution of the U.S.S.R., only the United States. One of the basic

characteristics of a superpower is that it is able to project its power to varied parts of the globe and thus look

after its own interests. Brazil, India, Russia and China are seen as potential future superpowers. BRICS and

IBSA are thus seen to be important forums in this light.

Economically India has been rising ever since it opened up its economy under present Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh in the early 1990s. Its economic growth rate is bettered only by China in the last two decades.

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It now is one of the biggest economies in the world and is still growing at a rapid pace. India is now able to

influence countries all over the globe and this can be seen to be one of the characteristics of a superpower.

India’s recent election to the Security Council as one of the temporary members can be seen to be an example of

how India was able to influence countries to vote for it.

"India is not simply emerging: India has already emerged” said Barack Obama, the 44th

and current President of the United States when he visited India a few weeks back. When one looks around the

compared world politics to what it was say a few decades back, we realize the veracity of the statement. Even

though India has not yet reached its full potential, it has a large amount of influence over world affairs. Not

enough for it to be called a superpower but substantial nevertheless. The United States reigns as only superpower

in this age. There is some talk of the European Union as a block being an economic counterweight to the United

States. China is widely tipped to become a superpower in the next few decades and provide a counterweight in

world affairs to the United States.

People believe that India too has the potential to become a superpower in time. Mind you, all predictions

do not come true. Japan was thought to have the potential to become a superpower because of its economy, but

in the end it got stuck and still is, in fact with its economy stagnating. However, one thing is that in Japan’s case,

with the population being so low, there was not much scope for it to maintain the kind of economic growth that it

had. However, in India’s case and in China’s case, this is not the case. Being the most populated and second

most populated countries in the world there is tremendous scope for development and growth and this is what the

policymakers will want to target in the coming crucial years.

When people talk of India, they somehow drag China in also. Maybe it has something to do with the

geographical proximity of the two entities. China is usually seen to be ahead of India in most respects, though

India is not far behind. With both these countries growing on a similar level and with the subtle undertones of

rivalry coloring their relationship, the simultaneous rise of these nations has attracted attention from pundits and

commentators of world affairs. Comparisons were inevitable in fact. There is a feeling that the two countries are

competing with each other.

Careful and planned development in the coming years will ensure a steady rise for India. Whether that

will be enough to elevate India to superpower status is a debatable question. I believe that India will be able to

become a superpower, but it will take a long time. The next few decades will be crucial for India. Within a few

years, India will have the largest working-age population in the world, with China’s birth-control measures

starting to take effect. If we take advantage of this fact, and work on it, India can go places economically. In

around two decades, India has achieved so much economically. In the decades ahead, if India is able to maintain

its growth rate or even improve on it, it can certainly secure superpower status. For that India will certainly

require a forceful and determined administration. One which is committed to India’s future and does not get

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mired in scams and controversies. One which cares for its people and actually does something to improve their

lot. Whether we will get one in the near future is of course debatable, but we can at least hope. Else if corruption

gets a stranglehold, it will be just a case of “au jour d’ hui roi demain rein”

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THE CANKER OF CORRUPTION

“Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men,

even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or certainty of

corruption by full authority,” said Lord Acton, an English Catholic historian, politician and writer.

Everywhere around us, we see the scourge of corruption gnawing through the walls of our society. This

is especially true in India. Our bureaucrats, politicians and even the keepers of justice, the police are often

ridiculed as being the very perpetrators of corruption. An old saying goes, “there is no smoke without fire”;

applying this to the above situation, we get a very undesirable and unfortunate conclusion. Every facet of our life

is riddled with corruption. We read in the newspapers about corrupt people getting caught everyday. And those

are only the ones who were dumb enough to get caught. What about the extra-clever ones? The criminal

masterminds who might be running scams, cheating people of untold billions without getting caught?

A wise man once said, “Corruption is authority plus monopoly minus transparency”. I think the key

word here is transparency. A transparent structure is the need of the hour. A system or institution where

everyone and everything is accountable to someone or the other will be a non-corrupt entity; if such a thing as a

non-corrupt entity is possible. A question arises- What or rather who would be this someone? A lot of thought

has gone into this question over the eons past and people usually agree that a separate body would be the best

answer to this almost unanswerable riddle. A system where everyone is ethically monitored by his chief will just

see a return to the status quo. Now another question raises its head- almost like the Gorgon Medusa in Greek lore

and perhaps just as terrible to behold, turning us to stone- what if this body itself become corrupt? It makes us

realize that this is an unavoidable situation. Whatever system is in place, we cannot be completely sure that it

will not go corrupt. We cannot be absolutely sure that the people in authority are not rotten apples. A system

characterized by monopoly is even more dangerous as it will be even tougher to ensure that the monopolizer

does not become corrupt. This seems to suggest that corruption is all-pervasive and inevitable, but we can at

least try to reduce its effect, because frankly it is the least we can do.

“Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it's set a rolling it must increase” said Charles Caleb Colton,

an English cleric, writer and collector, well known for his eccentricities. Eccentric he might have been, but about

the facts of life he certainly had a very good understanding. Like all evil things, corruption or rather corrupt

people should be nipped off in the bud. An extended tenure of a person in a position of authority with a corrupt

attitude will certainly result in the malady spreading its wings and expanding from the perpetrator in a rapid

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fashion. Within a short time, the whole organization will become corrupt. A rotten apple spoils the whole barrel,

you see. To prevent this, people will have to track down corruption aggressively. People will have to be on their

guard always. Because once corruption gains a foothold, it is as adhesive as a Cape point limpet, which is also

the description given to the South African cricketer, Jacques Kallis. This shows just how adhesive Cape Point

limpets are. And how adhesive corruption is. Kallis’s adhesive qualities on the other hand are known to every

bowler.

"Greed has been severely underestimated and denigrated — unfairly so, in my opinion. There is nothing

wrong with avarice as a motive, as long as it doesn't lead to anti-social behaviour", said Conrad Moffat Black, a

Canadian-born member of the British House of Lords, historian, columnist and publisher who was for a time the

third largest newspaper magnate in the world. Conrad Black in these words voices his thoughts on materialism.

‘Aurea mediocritas’ is a Latin phrase that denotes ‘the golden mean’. It is meant to convey a philosophy of not

partaking too much in something. ‘Nec Dextrorsum, Nec Sinistrorsum’ which means neither to the right nor to

the left also means the same. It means that people should neither veer too much to one side nor to another, but

must undertake to walk in a path which follows the Greek ideal of ‘moderation in all things’. Even greed in

moderation can be beneficial. It is then known by another term- ambition. Ambition is nothing but a burning

desire to achieve greater heights for oneself. And everyone who is someone of note can attest to its power in

shaping a man’s life and making him rise.

"Among a people generally corrupt, liberty cannot long exist", said Edmund Burke, an Anglo-

Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist, and philosopher who has generally been viewed as the

philosophical founder of modern conservatism, as well as a representative of classical liberalism. This holds

good in India too. As the situation deteriorates, one’s freedom is lost. The corrupt become edgy, hoping to

preserve themselves at all costs and take extreme steps to ensure their survival. The now entrants are either

sucked into the system or are kicked out and somehow silenced. In this way freedom is lost. The corrupt lose

their freedom as they can never be carefree in life, with a dark fear of being caught always in their thoughts. And

the people who are not corrupt are not allowed to be free by the corrupt.

An effort has to be made at the ground level to mow down corruption. Children should be instilled with

the knowledge from a very young age that corruption is wrong. Children must grow thinking about corruption as

something repellent. “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel

there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the

teacher”, said Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India, who was known as the

People’s President and who worked as an aeronautical engineer with DRDO and ISRO. One’s parents and

teachers play a very important role in one’s life. They shape a child’s personality and thoughts in a way no one

else does, and this influence is critical in destroying the monster that is corruption. A coordinated effort to

improve primary education and introducing moral science at the early stages of a person’s development will be

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very effective in stopping corruption in the long run. The effect may not be seen soon, but in the long run we will

appreciate its effect. It seems to be our only hope.

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POPULATION GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

As a country walks through the corridors of time, it changes. It sheds off its old coating and develops a

new skin, all the while moving steadily ahead. One of the main changes that take place during this time is a

growth in the population. A growth in the population of a society can be both detrimental and beneficial. It

mainly depends upon the policies undertaken by the leaders in charge. By the steps that the leaders have taken to

secure a fair measure of development for their country. Population growth can be beneficial because a high

population naturally means a high working-age population; and it can be detrimental if the high population is not

streamlined by education for labor but rather prove to be a load around the country’s neck. A load to be dragged

around as the country moves forward.

As a country moves up the ladder of development, it naturally uses up natural resources. Development

and sustenance of a growing population needs a lot of resources. Very often their lands are stripped of resources.

Thus growth and development prove to be a burden on the Earth. It puts a lot of stress on the earth. A stress that

our world is now not a stranger to. “Population growth and development place additional stress on the Nation's

water infrastructure and its ability to sustain hard-won water quality gains”, said Jerry Costello, the U.S.

Representative for Illinois's 12th congressional district, serving since 1988 and the dean of Illinois' 21-member

Congressional delegation. Well, he should know. It is after all his job. Over the years, the United States has

stripped its natural resources to fuel its development and satisfy its population growth. And this is not something

we see just in the United States. Every developed country is characterized by this blatant disregard for the

ecosystem and the welfare of the world at large. And we can also see other countries traversing this path right

now and destroying the environment.

The sad part of the whole situation is no steps are being taken to reverse this trend or at least to make up

for the damage caused. There are but a few feeble cries to change the current situation, but these feeble voices

are often lost in the wind. Governments move on unmindful of the fact that our world is deteriorating. “The

development of civilization and industry in general has always shown itself so active in the destruction of forests

that everything that has been done for their conservation and production is completely insignificant in

comparison”, said Karl Marx, a German philosopher, sociologist, historian, political economist, political theorist,

journalist and revolutionary socialist, who developed the socio-political theory of Marxism. Karl Marx lived

quite some time back, but his words hold good even today. Deforestation has taken a heavy toll on the world’s

forests. Flora and fauna are withering under the onslaught of mankind. On the other hand, human population

increases all the time. And it looks like it will keep on increasing for some time to come.

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Development of peoples’ lot is of utmost importance to any country. In light of inevitable population

growth, development can be seen to be even more important. For proper development however, it is of utmost

importance that countries look after the education of their children. After all it is the children that one day will

control the machinery of a country. “If information and knowledge are central to democracy, they are the

conditions for development”, said Kofi Annan, a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-

General of the United Nations and was a co-recipient of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. Very often however, too

often one might say, these aforementioned conditions are not met. Then only population growth is there without

development. An unfortunate combination indeed! Countries in this situation are said to be under-developed and

are characterized by their people living in pitiable circumstances. The situation only becomes worse and worse

with time and unless concrete steps are taken against this malady, it will continue to drain the country.

“Prevention is better than cure”, goes an old adage and not without reason. Steps must be taken in order to

prevent this eventuality.

“Either a species learns to control its own population, or something like disease, famine, war, will take

care of the issue”, said Chuck Palahniuk, an American transgressional fiction novelist and freelance journalist.

He is best known for the award-winning novel Fight Club, which was later made into a film. Well, humans are

but a species, albeit a dominant one. So applying this to humans, we get an alarming conclusion. Now, we are

faced with a question. Is this statement of Chuck Palahniuk true or is it but a pretty statement devoid of

meaning? Looking around us at the world at large, we realize how ugly things are. We realize that these very

things are plaguing us. That these very things have been creating headaches for governments the world over. So

are we on the verge of self-destruction? Seems like it. While this might seem to be a very pessimistic view,

recent outbreaks of war and natural disasters are really terrible and may be actually inevitable. We have to

realize that our world can support but a finite number of our species and that limit may be breached if our

population grows as it has been growing.

“A finite world can support only a finite population; therefore, population growth must eventually equal

zero” said Garrett Hardin, a widely-known ecologist from Dallas, Texas, who warned of the dangers of

overpopulation and whose concept of the “tragedy of the commons” brought attention to "the damage that

innocent actions by individuals can inflict on the environment". Now this statement makes logical sense. After

all, a finite amount of resources can support only a finite population. However, at the rate that the population of

human beings is increasing, we have to start wondering at some time or the other whether we have to enforce

birth control measures. The Chinese have done this and it has met with some success. However, this would mean

a high number of senior citizens and few working-age citizens. A disadvantage that might hamper the growth

and development of a nation, as China may find out in the near future. It has been noticed that very often a high

population is detrimental to the development of a nation.

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In the complex world that we live in, it is often impossible to traverse the murky, often unseen path that

denotes a balance between development and environmental degradation. Another thing that woefully impairs our

search for this balance is our knowledge or rather lack of it. We try our best to understand the dynamics of

Mother Nature, but fall far short. “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”, said one wise man and it was

certainly a very wise saying. We should pursue development while not destroying our environment. So I must

say a stiff job indeed in light of our rapidly increasing population expressis verbis, but it is possible.

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INDIA: THE PROBLEM OF POVERTY AMIDST PLENTY

“In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed,

wealth is something to be ashamed of”, said Confucius, a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring

and Autumn Period whose philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social

relationships, justice and sincerity.

In India, one of the biggest problems we encounter is poverty. The fact that it is a given and nobody is

actually trying to get rid of it gives us an idea as to the magnitude of the problem. The crux of the matter is not

that India is a poor country. Rather inequitable distribution of wealth hounds us. Let me just regurgitate some

googled facts. There are 53 billionaires in India, thereby claiming the 4th rank in the world in the number of

billionaires after the US, Russia and Germany and being ahead of China, UK, Japan and France. Huge FDI

inflow, high market competition, increasing support for entrepreneurs, mall culture, designer accessories all

show the bright side of the coin. Today the wealth of the top 35 billionaires exceeds that of 800 million poor

people who are mainly poor peasants, rural population and slum workers. At one side when the common man is

striving for his bread and butter for one time in the day, the rich are enjoying the lavish lifestyle of mall culture.

Malls with plated ceilings are built to enhance the looks while people in slums hardly manage a hard roof to live

under. Versace, Benetton, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss are investing to allure one class while others sleep only with

one torn piece of cloth in freezing temperatures. Problems of malnutrition, infant mortality, illiteracy still

abound. A startling case of grim despair and frivolous gaiety in the picture that is India.

“The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of

human poverty, and all forms of human life”, said John F. Kennedy, 35th president of the U.S. Kennedy's youth,

energy, and charming family brought him world adulation and sparked the idealism of a generation, for whom

the Kennedy White House became known as “Camelot.” A charismatic personality, his life was tragically cut

short before his time by Lee Harvey Oswald. Supposedly, anyway. Murky rumors still abound as to his murderer

or murderers, but well, that is beside my point. He was also known as a brilliant orator and had a way with

words. Listening to his words so many years later, we again feel hope. Do we really have the power to help our

fellow citizens? The simple answer is yes. Do we have the will? A debatable question if there ever was one!

With the shadow of corruption hanging like the sword of Damocles just a few feet above our heads, we are

unable to feast on our economic laurels. The good aspects of development are prevented from reaching the poor

by the hungry, spongy middlemen of our bureaucracy. Self-interest shines in the eyes of our ‘netas’ and ‘babus’.

In the light of these last few statements examining the above question, we despair. Then, we despair a bit more,

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knowing about the attitude of acceptance that has our country in a bind. In fact, more than all the corruption that

is going on in our country, what is even more disheartening is the fact that we all passively accept it without ever

trying to report it or do anything about it. This, above all, is what spells doom in our country. However, along

with this, we also see some beautiful, yes beautiful, souls fighting hard. RTI activists, human rights crusaders,

whistleblowers are all trying their level best. But they are but soft voices, easily lost in the wind.

“An idle mind is the devil’s workshop”. So goes an old adage. A person steeped in poverty will be

desperate to get out of it by hook or by crook. The rising crime rates in India verify this. “Poverty is the mother

of crime”, said Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 who was the last of the "Five Good

Emperors", and is also considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers. Aurelius approached the

Platonic ideal of a philosopher-king and he symbolized much of what was best about Roman civilization. It fits.

Crimes are committed only for gain. Unless in the cases of people suffering from obsessive-compulsive

disorders, of course. In poverty-steeped societies, crimes for gain will thus become common. And that is thus a

very big problem in India. The recent rise in the number of rapes in Uttar Pradesh being a case in point. Crime

then leads to more poverty. Crimes for gain usually result in the aggressive party gaining and the other party

losing. As any police officer worth his salt will confirm, most crimes are committed by recurrently aggressive

entities. So what happens is that a small section of the population becomes richer and richer at the expense of the

rest of the population. This in turn contributes to the worsening of poverty levels in the society. It is a vicious

cyclic process that threatens to spiral out of control and may even do, unless mitigating steps are taken. And as in

nearly everything else, hoi polloi are the worst affected.

To rectify this, what we need is a concerted effort from all of us, at all levels to solve the problem. The

administration should identify what has to be done and do it. Very often however, the will to actually do

something is missing. That has been the scourge of our country. Very often all our administrators want to do is

gouge themselves on the perks of being an administrator; with bribes being considered as a very important

member of those perks. “Eradicate poverty. This is all that matters in my country. When I am out training I think

about this a lot; when I am running it is going over in my mind. As a country we cannot move forward until we

eradicate poverty”, said Haile Gebrselassie, an Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete who is

widely considered one of the greatest distance runners in history. Granted, Gebrselassie hails from a sub-Saharan

nation which has different priorities and faces different hurdles than does India. But I believe that the attitude

must be the same so as to enable India to reach greater heights. One of the greatest and most successful athletes

in history thinks over his country’s problems while training which I would assume he does most of the time,

seeing the success he has had. I think we ought to take a few moments to consider this. How many of us do that?

Forget that; how many of the people being paid to think about our country, our ‘netas’ and our ‘babus’ do it?

And then, they want a salary raise! Talk about duplicity! Sometimes it almost feels as if our administrators want

to preserve the status quo and feel threatened by any new steps taken to alleviate the condition of the poor.

Genuine efforts are inadequate and far apart. All this must change. Because the fight against poverty is not an

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easy one. Actually when one thinks about it, someone will always be poor with respect to someone else. So

maybe relative poverty cannot be eliminated. We can only try to provide basic living standards for everybody.

That should be the aim and we should not, cannot fall short.

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JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED

“At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst”, said

Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great whose writings cover many

subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government,

ethics, biology, and zoology. Together with Plato and Socrates, Aristotle is one of the most important founding

figures in Western philosophy.

In India, the judiciary is highly revered. It is said that among all professions, teachers and judges are the

most respected and revered. Judges carry themselves with a certain dignity that only they can carry off. “The

administration of justice is the firmest pillar of government” said George Washington, the dominant military and

political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799 who led the American victory over Great

Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army , and presided over

the writing of the American Constitution. And it is all not for nothing. As the arbiters of what is right and wrong,

they hold a very high standing in society. The judiciary is after all the guarder of the constitution. It must be a

matter of utmost importance that justice is rightly dispensed. However, very often this is not the case. Especially

in India, the time taken to resolve cases is ridiculously long. So long that the judgment when it comes is too late

or may not have any use at all.

The longest contested law suit was a suit filed by the ancestor of Balasaheb Patloji Thorat of Maloji

Thorat in 1205. It was a suit for rights of presiding over public functions and precedence at religious festivals.

The law suit ended in 1966 and Balasaheb received a favorable judgment. Well, I do not know if I am wrong, but

I think it came a wee bit late to make his ancestor happy. Myriad such examples abound and muddy our

judiciary’s record. A sad state of affairs indeed. On the other hand we cannot blame our judges too. They are

trying to do their job but are drowning under the sheer volume of work that they should do.

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires

sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals”, said

Martin Luther King Jr. an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil

Rights Movement who is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United

States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and is often

presented as a heroic leader in the history of modern American liberalism. Well, he should know. Justice is a

very desirable thing but a rather elusive one. Very often judges may not come to the correct conclusions despite

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their best efforts. Humans are after all error-prone, fallible. Judges thus try to be sure of everything when they

give out their judgment. This has resulted in the prolongation of several law-suits over the last many years.

While this action of the judges is understandable, and indeed recommended, it does not decrease the number of

cases. A case of quality over quantity. This has been the motto of the judiciary from the beginning.

Efforts should be undertaken to increase the number of cases being solved without compromising on the

quality. The Indian judiciary is known for its high quality and its attitude which allows for no compromises on

its highest principles. However, high quality takes time and this is the bane of the Indian judicial system right

now. “Laws, like sausages, cease to inspire respect in proportion as we know how they are made”, said John

Godfrey Saxe an American poet perhaps best known for his re-telling of the Indian parable "The Blindmen and

the Elephant", which introduced the story to a Western audience. Well despite the contempt that John Godfrey

Saxe shows, we should respect the laws that society has put forward and follow them throughout our lives

because that is the only way to have a long, happy life.

It cannot be overstated just how important justice is in a society. Adherence to the rules set up in our

society is imperative. Without it, societies can spiral out of control into chaos and anarchy. Sometimes even with

a judicial system societies can crumble if the laws are not properly implemented. “The first requisite of

civilization is that of justice”, said Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of

psychoanalysis who is best known for his theories of the unconscious mind and the mechanism of repression,

and for creating the clinical method of psychoanalysis for investigating the mind and

treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. In this kind of an order, it is

of utmost importance that justice is never delayed to anybody. With time, situations change and if it takes too

long to arrive, situations may change so rapidly that they might become unrecognizable and very often do. The

judgment may not fit the changed circumstances. Delayed justice may thus result in justice being denied. Very

often this is exactly what happens. The parties may pass away or as in the case of Balasaheb Patloji Thorat’s

ancestor, whole generations may pass away and in the end the judgment may just be an academic question. This

has however regrettably happened all too often in India. With the amount of time cases take to be resolved, this

was just waiting to happen.

Steps must be taken to mitigate the effect of the judiciary’s slowness. Perhaps, setting up more courts or

strengthening the judiciary or increasing the capacity of law schools would be viable options. I believe that we

should never compensate on quality and thus the quantity should be increased. We will have to make life in the

judiciary attractive to youngsters. Now another question raises its head. Would an increase in law graduates

decrease the quality of judgments issued? Well, this is but logical. After all different people have different

aptitudes and if there is a mass influx into the judicial system, quality may be compromised. To avoid this, we

will have to maintain a high level of standards in our education system. Standards that would set a benchmark

throughout the world. So only if we strengthen our education system and make a life in the judiciary attractive to

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youngsters will this crisis of justice being delayed be solved. Because after all, “Justice delayed is justice

denied”.

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INDIA’S POPULATION CENSUS 2011: SOME KEY

FINDINGS

The population census for 2011 was eagerly anticipated as it was the first time that biometric

information would be collected. It involved 2.7million census-takers who surveyed some 300 million

households, noting for the first time whether people live in basic huts or concrete structures, have electricity and

access to toilets and if they have spent any time in schools. The 15th Indian National census was conducted in

two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The house listing phase involved collection of

information about all buildings. It was noticed that the Indian population increased to 1.21 billion with a decadal

growth of 17.64% which is less than 21.12% observed in the previous decade. This is extremely good news for

policy-makers because India’s burgeoning population had set off talk about the inability of the land to sustain us

in future at the present rate of population growth. The old theory of population increasing in a geometric

progression where as food increasing in an arithmetic progression, you see. However, a decreasing rate of

population growth will do very well indeed to fit in the scheme of things in future. This is the first decade with

exception of 1911-1921 which saw addition of lesser people than the previous decade.

Adult literacy rate increased to 74.04% with a decadal growth of 9.21%. Again a very encouraging

observation that persuades policy-makers to believe that the objective of universal literacy is very much within

our grasp and would reach fruition with a few more calculated pushes. However there is still a bit of discontent;

with this being related to the male-female gender imbalance with reference to literacy. The female literacy of

65.46% is less than the male literacy which is 82.14%. Yet another talking point for feminists to harp upon. Not

that they need more, though. However, the decadal growth shows that female literacy has increased more than

male literacy and so feminists too can take heart from this development. India is still however way below other

countries like South Africa, China, Brazil, Sri Lanka and even Congo when it comes to literacy rates. A fact that

we would do well to remedy in the coming days.

India accounts for 17.5% of the world’s population, China 19.4%. However, its is believed that China’s

birth control policy will soon kick in and India will pass China to become the most populous country in the

world by 2025; which (surprises!) does not seem too far away. China's labor force will peak at 831 million

which is 24 million more workers than today in 2016. This means that at its peak India will be the largest

country in the world, the largest country the world has ever seen and the largest country the world will ever see,

according to population of course. However, the population will then decrease.

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Information on castes was included in the census. This was mainly following demands from several

ruling coalition leaders including Lalu Prasad Yadav, Sharad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav supported by

opposition parties Bharatiya Janata Party, Akali Dal, Shiv Sena and Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Information on caste was last collected during the British Raj. During the early census, people often exaggerated

their caste status to garner social status and it is expected that people downgrade it now in the expectation of

gaining government benefits.

A sobering set of facts can be divined from this census. India added 181 million to its population since

2001, slightly lower than the population of Brazil. That is a fantastic number. It is hoped that this does not

continue for too long. The curse of over-population which already lies heavy on us may intensify. India with

2.4% of the world's surface area accounts for 17.5 % of its population. This hints at an obscene amount of

pressure on land in India. This pressure will grow in the coming months and it is hoped that our ‘netas’ and

‘babus’ will be up to facing it.

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state with roughly 200 million people. Lakshadweep is the least

populated at 64,429. Delhi with 11,297 people per square km has the highest population density. A little more

than 6 out of every 10 Indians live in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya

Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Within the last six years, five states- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh,

Maharashtra and Rajasthan- have added considerably to the population growth as half of the kids in these states

belong of the age group 1 to 6. Two of the most populous states, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have however shown a

decline in decadal growth.

India has 624 million males and 587 million females. While the gender imbalance in population remains,

the preliminary census figures show that India’s female population grew by 18.12 per cent over the past decade

against 17.19 per cent for males. The child sex ratio which is 914 females against 1,000 males is the lowest since

independence. However the overall sex ratio rose by seven points to 940 females per 1,000 males. So a bit of bad

mixed up in the good. The imbalanced sex ratio has always been a problem. With female infanticide, an

atrocious practice ubiquitous in many states, a skewed sex ratio has been often seen. With the advance of

technology, it has been seen that this sex ratio has just become shoddier. Using ultrasound technology, people

find out the gender of the unborn child and espouse abortion if it is found out to be female. An obnoxious

practice that must be stamped out as soon as possible. The Government should adopt a strict posture when it

comes to ultrasound scans, something that is conspicuously missing right now. It has been noticed that when the

first two children are girls, the chances of a third girl being born in the family is 20%. Earlier studies have told us

that about five to seven lakh girl children go missing every year or around 2000 a day.

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The 2011 population census has given our policy-makers some sort of an idea as to what our

demographics are and shall be and thus gives us an idea as to what India’s policies should be. Quite a vital thing

in our day and age. A scientific, technical appraisal of our strengths and millstones and how we should use them

is of utmost consequence for India’s growth. As India is now reaching a stage where it is now coiling up before

its big spring to the very top of world hierarchy, detrimental policies now undertaken will bear us down in the

future. A future where India would otherwise have every chance of dominating. The future of the myriad

millions of India lie in balance and it is hoped that our leaders will keep them in mind and not cater to the whims

and fancies of the wealthy, westernized elite who otherwise dictate India’s policies.

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THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN SOCIETY

“Journalism consists largely in saying ''Lord James is dead'' to people who never knew Lord James was

alive”, said Gilbert Keith Chesterton, an English writer who has been called the "prince of paradox".

The media has an undeniably important role to play in society. It is for that very reason that Burke

termed it as the Fourth Estate. After all, the very concept of democracy implies that hoi polloi should be able to

have a measure of control over the government. By informing people about the actions of the government, the

media makes this possible. People are then able to decide as to whether their government has done its work well

or no. This is the main work of the media. However very often the media goes berserk over things that do not

merit such interest. It is a rising phenomenon called sensationalism. “Early in life I had noticed that no event is

ever correctly reported in a newspaper”, said Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his pen name, George Orwell,

an English author and journalist who is considered perhaps the twentieth century's best chronicler of English

culture. The media keeps on harping on an issue until its potential for garnering trps is exhausted. A case in point

is the recent news article in the Hindustan Times in which it was claimed that doctors in Indore were converting

girls into boys. This is certainly misleading because this sort of a surgery just cannot be done. It is medically

impossible. The media should research each issue as systematically as possible and try to highlight the points

that are actually troubling our nation. Cricket and Bollywood however seem to hog an inordinate amount of time

on our news channels. It is an unfortunate turn of events. Steps should be taken to nip this phenomenon in the

bud. The media should realize where its responsibility lies.

“I fear three newspapers more than a hundred thousand bayonets”, said Napoleon, a French military and

political leader who was Emperor of the French. His legal reform, the Napoleonic code, has been a major

influence on many civil law jurisdictions worldwide, but he is best remembered for his role in the wars led

against France by a series of coalitions, the so-called Napoleonic Wars, during which he established hegemony

over much of Europe and sought to spread revolutionary ideals. These words of the famed Emperor draw our

attention to the remarkable and compelling power of the media over society. Even in Napoleon’s day this was

the case. Now with the advent of the internet and with psychological education reaching what may be seen to be

a pinnacle, we realize that the little Emperor’s hundred thousand bayonets may have acquired poisoned tips.

After all, the media hold the gullible multitudes of India in their grasp. We dance and wave to their

tunes. We see the world as they present it; after all, they seem to be our eyes. They can present the world in

whatever tint they want to. Pink or black, it is their choice. Rupert Murdoch comes to mind. In fact when one

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comes to think about it, it is a wonder that he is in trouble after all. A media magnate with as much control over

media usually can wriggle out of trouble by influencing public opinion. Well, this is an example of how

powerful media can be. This is a prime example of how media can annihilate corruption wherever it is; even in

itself. In India however, we have seen yet another evil phenomenon. This is of paid news. A trend in which

politicians and others pay sections of the media to do favorable pieces on them or unfavorable pieces on others.

A little bit like advertising and a rather disgusting trend, I must say. “Whoever controls the media, controls the

mind”, said Jim Morrison, an American lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors, as well as a poet

who was ranked number 47 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Singers of All Time", and number 22 on Classic

Rock Magazine's "50 Greatest Singers In Rock". It is rumored that Morrison had an i.q. of 149.

As the bearer of information to the world at large, media thus has a responsibility to educate also. Most

households even in rural areas in India have got a television. Thus presently television is the most

comprehensive form of spreading awareness among people in India. This should be utilized by the government

as efficiently as possible. For India to take its rightful place at the head of the world hierarchy the single most

important requirement is a good education system, something which I must sadly say is lacking in India. In a few

years, India will have the largest working-age population in the world. In fact at its peak, India will be most

populous country the world has ever seen or will ever see, having a population of around 1.7 billion; mainly

because China’s population control measures will kick in. India will thus be given an opportunity to use this

extra-large workforce to its advantage. With a skilled workforce and the proper infrastructure in place, India will

be uniquely placed to rise. However, the education standards in India are to say the least, dismal compared to

other countries such as the United States. Jairam Ramesh may have been crucified in several quarters when he

made those remarks on the condition of those ‘elite’ institutions, the IITs. However, the fact remains that even

the IITs do not come even close to internationally recognized institutions like Harvard, MIT and Oxford. People

may dig out reasons and figures from myriad sources and argue that the IITs are good; but the fact remains that

if they really were the best, no one, not least an Indian would condemn them. The media provides the perfect

forum whereby this can be changed. The Government must take the initiative in this and somehow turn things

around. Introducing lessons in television broadcasts will perhaps be beneficial.

“All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarize that

society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level”, said William Bernbach, an

American advertising executive. So it is all at the hands of the media. A country and its people are that way

because of its media. Shaping society in a way it feels fit, the media of a country is uniquely placed to make or

mar a country’s future. The Government will have to keep the media under a small measure of control at least.

Otherwise unscrupulous elements will be able to take advantage of the power of the media. However too much

of Government control will not be good. After all the raison d’etre for true journalism is freedom.

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IS THE HUMAN SPECIES SPECIAL?

“Why was man created on the last day? So that he can be told, when pride possesses him: God

created the gnat before thee”, says the Talmud, a central text of mainstream Judaism which takes the

form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and

history. The Talmud certainly does not seem to believe in the primacy of mankind. Instead it seems to

advocate that every other creature is better than us human beings. Let us just relax, sit back and take in

that statement and try to unravel its implications. Are we really not special at all? Is mankind just

another species that inhabits earth? For long our philosophers and scientists have said no. Humans, they

say, are indeed special. They say that humans are the only creatures that can think and learn. Does not

that make us special? Perhaps. But on the other hand, there are a variety of things that these

aforementioned creatures can do which we humans cannot. Can we run at a hundred kilometers per

hour? Can we fly? The answer to both these questions is no. Well, actually the answer is a bit

ambiguous. Andy Green has traveled at, forget a hundred kilometers per hour, above a thousand

kilometers per hour in his vehicle the ThrustSSC. And we all know what the Wright brothers are

famous for. So, in spite of the fact that mankind does not come even close to animals physically, he has

been able to replicate the physical prowess of animals and even improve on it. The question is, does

this power of him to innovate, to improve and to learn really make him special?

I personally believe that mankind is special and not just because of some misplaced sense of

arrogance. And not just because he is the dominant creature in the world today. What sets him apart or

rather above every other creature that walks the earth is his ability to adapt. To evolve. To change his

form and shape until he fits the surroundings and improves on it until he is perfect. Until he is

untouchable. Until finally he is defines the phrase sine qua non. Just dominating our world for a period

of time is not something that makes us special. Why, even the dinosaurs did that. And where are they

now? No species has managed to dominate the earth a la human beings. Till now the history of the

earth calls to mind the French proverb “Au jour d’ hui roi demain rein”. Whether mankind will be able

to weather the vagaries of nature and fate will prove the ultimate test whether we are special or no. And

I believe that we will pass this test. But I seem to hear some doubting Toms. And without reason.

Darwin said that only the fittest survive. I would like to add a corollary. Perhaps not a corollary

exactly; more like an insipid afterthought. Sometimes even the fittest do not survive. Nature is callous

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and unforgiving. The nature of nature one can say. So the doubting Toms are not out of their collective

minds when they doubt my statement. However, when I see what man has achieved, especially in the

last century and the rate at which science is developing, I believe that man is destined to last for a very

long time if not forever. The advances he has made, the very fortitude which he shows in each and

every endeavour allows me to think so. Cockroaches are renowned for their resilience. It was said that

cockroaches can survive nuclear blasts. Well though the aforementioned statement is not strictly true, it

is but a metaphor for their hardiness. Well, I think man is actually the cockroach.

Very often we see scientific journals screaming excitedly about how scientists have found

bacteria or other creatures in places where they were not supposed to exist. Like deep inside the

volcanic vents on the world. Or deep in the world’s oceans. The adaptability of these creatures is

amazing. Surviving at such high temperatures, at such high pressures and actually thriving is not a feat

to be scoffed at. An example, it can be said of the durability of nature in general. Life is, after all a fight

to keep living. These creatures have, it seems anyway, an innate tendency to keep living and

propagating their offsprings, even in the most adverse conditions possible. That is the exact

characteristic that we find in humans. We struggle, struggle, struggle and finally come out on top. This

is, I believe, the spark that differentiates living things from non-living things; and I believe that we

humans have a great deal of it. Enough of it anyway to overcome all the problems that we might face as

a species anyway.

When we read newspapers, scientific journals, watch the television, surf the internet, we come

across many apocalyptic scenarios. Nostradamus’s prediction that the world would come to an end has

not come out to be true. But there are many other predictions going around. Some revolve around the

Large Hadron Collider in Europe; some others revolve around the world ending in 2012. Mankind is

perhaps pessimistic by nature and perhaps also a bit masochistic I guess. Conjuring up his own end in

various fascinating ways. After all no one can deny that the movie 2012 was quite good right? All these

pessimistic divinations about our own end only show us how much we all care about ourselves and the

generations to come and how much we fear our species meeting its end any time soon. A feeling that is

probably felt by only our species. Can you imagine a Bengal tiger worrying about his specie’s end,

close though it seems, with constant, unavoidable, almost inevitable, incorrigible governmental

mismanagement, notwithstanding the recent slight rise of its numbers in India? Well, the answer is no.

“Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the

difference between what things are and what they ought to be”, said William Hazlitt, an English writer,

remembered for his humanistic essays and literary criticism, and as a grammarian and philosopher who

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is now considered one of the great critics and essayists of the English language. A wise statement

indeed, that sums up exactly what I said. And it is because of this characteristic that we are going to

survive as a species for a very long time to come if not forever. We think about things and dangers in

advance and try to subvert the problems these dangers pose to us and thus proceed to live our lives.

Even as we walk, talk and live our respective lives in general, telescopes scan the sky for the

merest glimpse of approaching meteors. We certainly care a lot for ourselves, or rather for the survival

of our kind. We build massive seed banks and ultra-protected bunkers deep in the Arctic regions too

keep us safe in the case of emergencies. At the rate we are advancing, we will soon be able to reach a

level where we will be able to protect ourselves from every thing that poses a danger to us, however

grievous it may be. Even if the Earth gets destroyed, we can possible emigrate to other planets that

have the capability to support life. If any danger comes our way, I think that mankind will be able to

manufacture an appropriate response to it. After all, our rate of advancement in the field of technology

is indeed remarkable. After all, only a hundred and fifty years ago, people did not know what electricity

was. Merely a hundred years back, the word and concept television would have drawn amused and

confused looks from people. It is only recently that computers were thought of and the internet is even

younger. Give mankind a few centuries and God only knows what he might have discovered and done.

As everyone now knows, the technological advancement in the field of mobile phones is extremely fast

and extremely costly. The field of technology has improved exponentially only over the last few

decades. So if nothing on a Judgment Day scale happens in the next few centuries, I believe that

mankind can achieve the power to control its own future. A rather disquieting thing, I would presume,

for those people who believe in God and who believe that God alone can and should control our future.

Or is this but an overly-rosy picture of what can be? I believe not. I believe that apocalyptic scenarios

are too over-rated.

A few years back, 2009 to be exact, swine flu made news. A few days back the New Delhi

Metallo-1 superbug weaseled its way into the headlines. And with good reason. After all these two

diseases had the potential to wipe out mankind with as much efficiency as the bubonic plague. It is a

constant fight between us humans and microorganisms. Microorganisms are constantly evolving and

becoming deadlier and we humans are trying to eradicate diseases altogether. We develop vaccines and

microorganisms respond by evolving and becoming immune to these antibiotics. This is after all the

reason for the New Delhi Metallo-1 superbug scare. It is a long, hard and I suspect an interminable

fight with humans and microorganisms striking heavy blows at each other. Since he first walked this

planet man has had to fight this war against his unseen opponents. And it is a remarkable thing that he

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has never been dealt a knockout blow since then. With his rapid improvement in technology however,

the balance might change. Of course, microorganisms may be able to fight human innovations but at

the rapid rate this technological advancement is taking place, I think and hope it will be too much. The

role of disease-causing microorganisms is after all totally negative; unless we consider H.G. Wells line

of thought in his ‘War of the Worlds’. We live in a time where dangers lurk behind every corner.

However if we are able to evade all these dangers as I think we will be able to, why, cannot we exist

forever? A tempting thought, I would think.

Disease causing microorganisms are but one of the myriad dangers we face. Yet another and

one which has been making waves recently on a tsunami scale is climate change. Climate change

skeptics may put forward such propositions such as ‘Climategate’ to bolster their theory that all this

furor over changing weather patterns is but a hoax. But what they cannot counter are hard facts which

show the rapid increase in average temperatures throughout the globe. The list of warmest years on

record is dominated by years from this millennium; each of the last 10 years (2001–2010) features as

one of the 11 warmest on record. It is one of the biggest limitations of the human race that the most

dangerous hazards often go unnoticed. The population of the species Homo sapiens has become so

large that sleek dangers are often able to prey on us, having the advantage of surprise. Sounds like a

man-eater right? Global warming is the potential increase in global average surface temperatures

resulting from enhancement of the greenhouse effect by air pollution, according to Encyclopaedia

Britannica, anyway. In 2001 the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that by

2100 global average surface temperatures would increase by 2.5 to 10.4 Fahrenheit, depending on a

range of scenarios for greenhouse gas emissions. Many scientists predict that such an increase would

cause polar ice caps and mountain glaciers to melt rapidly, significantly raising the levels of coastal

waters, and would produce new patterns and extremes of drought and rainfall, seriously disrupting food

production in certain regions. Other scientists maintain that such predictions are overstated. The 1992

Earth Summit and the 1997 conference of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

attempted to address the issue of global warming, but in both cases the cause was hindered by

conflicting national economic agendas and disputes between rich and poor nations over the cost and

consequences of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

The single biggest cause of Global Warming is development. Now, we cannot say no to

development. That is certain. What we have to say no to however, is development without limits. No to

a growth that will probably swallow all of us in its grasp if we are not careful. We should follow the

philosophy of the great Roman lyric poet, Horace. He followed ‘aurea mediocritas’ or the ‘golden

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mean’, which means the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of

deficiency. Global Warming is mainly because of one thing. That is the greenhouse effect. Visible light

from the Sun heats the Earth's surface. Part of this energy is reradiated in the form of long-wave

infrared radiation, much of which is absorbed by molecules of carbon dioxide and water vapor in the

atmosphere and reradiated back toward the surface as more heat. This process is analogous to the glass

panes of a greenhouse that transmit sunlight but hold in heat. The trapping of infrared radiation causes

the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere to warm more than they otherwise would, making the surface

habitable. The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide caused by widespread combustion of fossil fuels

may intensify the greenhouse effect and cause long-term climatic changes. An increase in atmospheric

concentrations of other trace gases such as chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous oxide, and methane may also

aggravate greenhouse conditions. It is estimated that since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution

the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased 30%, while the amount of methane has

doubled. Now this is quite frightening because carbon dioxide and methane are both greenhouse gases.

Numbers do not, or rather I should say, cannot lie. They are informative and truthful.

Temperatures are rising quickly and nothing can be done to refute it or to deny it. All this is the action

of human beings. In one way, one can say that this is an example of just how special human beings are.

Can you think of any other species that walks this planet being able to change the world in the way

humanity is doing? Notwithstanding recent scientific reports of cows releasing substantial amounts of

methane into the atmosphere via belching and flatulence, I believe humans are unique in this respect.

And I do not mean flatulence or belching, I mean changing the environment. All this raises questions as

to the place of humanity on earth. Are we metaphoric shepherds of sheep? Or are we just the most

evolved species on this planet? “We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very

average star”, said Stephen Hawking, an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, whose scientific

books and public appearances have made him an academic celebrity. Well, that was quite a put-down

after the lofty thoughts we had about ourselves! And this coming from one of the greatest minds of our

generation, if not of all time. With suitable apologies to Mr. Hawking, I disagree. I do not think we are

“just” monkeys. Or even an advanced breed of banana-chomping primates. I think we are a bit more

than that; quite a big bit too, I think. As the most evolved species on the planet, I think we have an

ethical responsibility to look after our lesser evolved brethren. And I used the word brethren with a

purpose. And making them suffer because of climate change is not exactly the way we should

discharge our responsibility.

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So I believe that humanity is special because of its ability to adapt to anything that nature

throws at us, and our ability to survive a tout prix. Apart from the dangers already mentioned, other

envisaged dangers include super volcanoes, ice ages possible due to nuclear winters, the funnily termed

‘grey goo’, cosmic calamities, warfare possibly nuclear, dysgenics, rogue robots, evolution of another

species that out-competes humans for food, habitat or hunts as prey, population decline due to political

intervention or infertility or voluntary extinction, scientific accidents and contact with aliens. A rather

frightening array of possibilities, I must admit. But I think that we humans can still somehow adapt to

all these dangerous scenarios and still pull through. With our ever-increasing technological aptitude, I

believe that humans will be able to find a way to survive and indeed prosper. Only the future will tell

whether he can exist a jamais or no.

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DOES INDIA NEED NUCLEAR POWER IN A BIG WAY?

To satisfy their respective energy requirements seems to be one of the main objectives of countries these

days. With conventional sources of energy running out, countries are looking more and more at non-

conventional sources of energy. Among non-conventional sources of energy, nuclear power is one. One of the

advantages of nuclear energy is that huge amounts of energy can be produced for a very small input. Quite a big

advantage. Another is that the waste produced is very low. “All the waste in a year from a nuclear power plant

can be stored under a desk”, said Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, the 33rd Governor of

California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor.

Both nuclear fission and nuclear fusion produce huge amounts of energy. Nuclear energy leaves all other

forms of energy far behind in this respect. Unless of course, one counts in energy from antimatter, the

technology for which is not available yet, but which may be developed in future. India too as a country with

massive potential for development is looking to develop its energy options. One of the options that can come

under a large amount of scrutiny is nuclear power. Off late, the development of nuclear power has come under

heavy fire. Especially in India. This is because of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear fiasco which threatened and

indeed threatens normal life in a large region of Japan. With the Bhopal Gas tragedy also coming into the

limelight, media anchors have turned to asking viewers to contemplate the scale of destruction that would take

place if a nuclear disaster took place in India. Given the widespread perception of Indians being lax when it

comes to security, among other things, this has created quite a flutter in most circles. Several other countries, like

Germany, have taken steps in light of the Fukushima disaster to reduce their dependence on nuclear power. One

the other hand, India seems to be going in the opposite direction.

“A nuclear power plant is infinitely safer than eating, because 300 people choke to death on food every

year”, said Dixy Lee Ray, the 17th Governor of the U.S. State of Washington who was Washington's first

female governor. She put things in perspective when she said that. After all, when one looks at it, we realize that

nuclear disasters do not take as many lives as many other disasters. Even the deadly Chernobyl disaster which

took place in 1986 claimed only 64 people. Horrendous though the loss might have been to the families of those

64 people, the loss was quite a bit less than some other mega-disasters I might have named. However, she does

not take into account the long-term effects of a nuclear disaster which may affect people generations later.

Indeed, certain reports claim that the total death toll of the Chernobyl tragedy is nearly a million. There are two

assumptions currently parading themselves as fact in the midst of the ongoing nuclear crisis. The first is that

nuclear energy is safe. The second is that nuclear energy is an essential element of a low carbon future, that it is

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needed to prevent catastrophic climate change. When seen in that light, the extended effects of a nuclear disaster

are quite high. However, if steps are taken to somehow isolate the effects to a particular area, if the initial choice

of area is well done and if the resident workers are provided with good protection, it is not an inconceivable

notion that the fatalities be nil. Also, in case of a nuclear tragedy, proper sterilization must be carried out. Heavy

responsibilities indeed, but in light of the massive advantages the nuclear option provides, small.

Well, when one looks at the role that nuclear weapons play in our world in depth, we realize that maybe

nuclear weapons are not that harmful as one may think, given their destructive potential. “A world without

nuclear weapons would be less stable and more dangerous for all of us”, said Margaret Thatcher, a

former Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who served from 1979 to 1990 and who was known

as the “Iron Lady”. When one thinks about it, we realize that maybe she was right. If India and Pakistan did not

have nuclear weapons, we can only speculate how many wars we might have fought by now. Other countries

might have been a bit more complacent, knowing that the wars may not be nuclear and it might have resulted in

umpteen people dying. After all, right now, a war between Pakistan and India looks to very far away, albeit the

tense relations. And chances are that if any war breaks out, it will be short-lived. The Kargil War being a case in

point. Both countries have gained a sense of responsibility after becoming nuclear powers. Brings to mind the

Spiderman theme: “With great power comes great responsibility”, does not it? And luckily our leaders have

realized it. Before both countries acquired nuclear weapons, a serious war might have broken out any moment

over trivial issues. However, now both countries will try to avoid using nuclear weapons. Indeed, nuclear

weapons are now kept mainly for their deterrent value.

“The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. It has merely made more urgent the necessity of

solving an existing one”, said Albert Einstein, a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory

of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics and who is considered one of the most prolific intellects in

human history. Einstein always regretted this turn that his research that taken. He felt personally responsible for

the destruction that nuclear weapons had caused and destruction it threatened to cause. From India’s point of

view, nuclear power provides quite a desirable option in some eyes. However, it has its detractors too, who argue

that a country like India must first and foremost look at the security and safety of its citizens first. And it is quite

a legitimate concern too. After all, the power plants that India has are quite old and the ones that are to be

installed are seemingly quite unsafe. The question on everybody’s lips is that if the Japanese, known for their

safety measures were not able to prevent a major “incident” from taking place, how long before a disaster takes

place in India? And it seems to be quite a valid question, taking into consideration the laxness which seemingly

characterizes Indian security. Plus another aspect that has to be considered is the number of people that have to

be displaced. For example for the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant, 931 hectares of farmland will be needed to build

the reactors, land that is now home to 10,000 people, their mango orchards, cashew trees and rice fields. Critics

say the new plants are too big and the model unproven. However, the former Environmental Minister Jairam

Ramesh still feels that this project must go on. Some believe that nuclear energy is the most certain future source

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and that the possibility of danger is also less. However, does this justify putting thousands in the path of danger,

however small the magnitude is certainly debatable.

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WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY

“An invincible determination can accomplish almost anything and in this lies the great distinction

between great men and little men”, said Thomas Fuller, an English churchman and historian. He is now

remembered for his writings, particularly his Worthies of England, published after his death. In his words lies a

very important fact of life. Our determination determines our life. If we are sufficiently determined to

accomplish something, it lies within our reach. If we have an indomitable desire to accomplish something, we

will. However very often, we pull over, exasperated and convinced that we will not finish, when in fact our goal

lies just around the bend.

When attempting high climbs, we are warned not to glance down. It is not tough to fathom the reason.

When we look down, qualms and misgivings obscure our minds. Our desires and uncertainties mingle and

stupefy our senses, making us lose concentration. From this point onwards, there is but one way to go and that is

down. So instead of churning out the possibilities in our heads, what we must attempt to do is keep walking,

concentrating on the task at hand. Rewards will then pour. Whenever road-blocks emerge, we should try our

very best to break through. We should exhaust each and every possibility and try again and again. No door can

hold firm in the face of such an onslaught. After all even the strongest doors are made up of nothing sturdier than

mere steel or mortar. It just brings to mind the old analogy of monkeys on a typewriter typing out the Completed

Works of Shakespeare eventually or of rivers carving out canyons. A person needs but two things to succeed:

determination and perseverance.

It has been the bane of talented people to procrastinate. ‘Oh, I’ll do it tomorrow’, ‘There’s still two days

till my deadline’, these seem to be common statements; an indication of the sad, slow state of affairs in society.

And it is not a modern problem. Procrastination is not one of the evils that have popped up to haunt us only in

the recent past. “How soon 'not now' becomes 'never'”, exclaimed Martin Luther, a German priest and professor

of theology who initiated the Protestant Reformation and who strongly disputed the claim that freedom from

God's punishment of sin could be purchased with money. Well he should know. Martin Luther is the perfect

example of how a cast-iron will can sink any opposition, however vehement. He is primarily responsible for

changes in Christianity that have consequences in religion as we know it even today. Procrastination is but the

prologue to giving up. Never leave for tomorrow what can be done today said Abraham Lincoln, that great

leader of men and not without reason too. The battle is lost once we procrastinate and we must delete this

dreadful ‘P’ word from our collective dictionaries.

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In life, very often it is not the talented people who come up on top. It is the people with the most

determination. Who want to achieve their goal more than life itself. Who have that unbearable urge to excel in

their field of interest. Their lives revolve around their objectives. They eat, drink and live their objectives,

thinking about nothing else almost usque ad nauseam. It becomes their raison d’etre. When one thinks about it,

there is nothing that can prevent these people from reaching their goal and very often they do. We should try to

inculcate such an attitude in our personalities because it invariably leads to success.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”, said Winston

Churchill, a British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second

World War. He is widely regarded as one of the great wartime leaders and served as Prime Minister twice.

Churchill’s deeds as Prime Minister, especially during the Second World War show how by following these

words of his he was able to build a legacy which will never fade. For who can forget his ‘blood, sweat and tears’

speech, delivered on 13 May 1940 as England entered the most dangerous period of the war? He infused spirit to

a weary people and in the end his side triumphed. The chips seemed down, but he overcame the odds. And I

purposefully used the word “he”. Because he alone read the situation and understood what had to be done and

then did it well. He understood that what the English public needed was hope. They had it in them to win the war

but they needed that tiny spark to ignite their fire and that was just what he provided so successfully. Well, in

this instance, it was hoi polloi of England who needed the will to fight on. However, the same applies to all of

us. The British needed a strong will to overcome the biggest threat to the survival of their society. We in our own

small ways face predicaments maybe not so dire in magnitude but substantial nonetheless. We should then find

the Churchill in us to fulfill our dreams. This is why Churchill’s legend endures as Obama’s will. Because they

provided people with that most elusive of things, hope. But, of course, cela va sans dire as the French would say.

We have to realize that failures are the pillars of success. That every dismal failure heralds but a new

morning. It is said that it is always darkest before the dawn. When things are looking down, we have to look up.

“A failure establishes only this, that our determination to succeed was not strong enough”, said Christian Nestell

Bovee, a mid-19th century author who is best known for his works “Thoughts, Feelings, and Fancies”

and “Intuitions and Summaries of Thought”, which have gained prominence as a source for quotations. Failures

are tough to handle of course. But we must learn things from them and use them as stepping stones for the

future. We should change our collective outlooks and see the world through optimistic glasses.

So after all this, we realize that the major attribute that ensures success is nothing but good old derided

hard-work. As Edison said, genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. Anything and everything entails hard

work. From the effortless magic of Messi on the football field to the graceful mastery of Lang Lang, their skills

have been honed through constant rigorous practice. Mozarts are not born everyday, you see. “A dream doesn't

become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work”, said Colin Powell, an American

statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army who was the 65th United States Secretary of

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State. The old maxim, “practice makes perfect” just tells us that in another way. Perfection may be unattainable

but we can still try to reach it. And to put in the kind of hard work needed to excel, what one needs is a burning

desire to shine. To be the Sun among the stars. And that is the quest that everyone sets out on. To make the best

of his or her life. Some fall by the wayside, and some trundle on. Life is a brutal and unforgiving example of

Darwin’s law of Natural Selection. A race with seemingly no end and seemingly no objective. We just run for

the heck of it. Sometimes one wonders why run at all. But those are of course murky philosophical topics, best

avoided. For those running, it is a vicious road. Filled with thorns. And everyone falls down in the mud at least a

few times, unable to run straight in a road filled with such tricky, vicious traps and snares. The real challenge is

getting up, rubbing the dirt off yourself and running on as if nothing has happened. Only the ones with

undaunted resolve triumph. The ones who know that they “have miles to go before they sleep”, as Robert Frost

would have said. After all, where there is a will, there certainly is a way.

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CAN ANNA HAZARE CHANGE THE DESTINY OF THE

NATION?

When we sit back and analyze the progress that our worthy nation has made in the last fifty years, we

see two apparently paradoxical trends. The wealthy become wealthier and the poor sink deeper and deeper. It

brings to mind H.G. Wells’s classic “The Time Machine”, where the protagonist on traveling into the future

finds that humans have evolved into the small, elegant, childlike Eloi and the menacing Morlocks. We see news

anchors screaming excitedly about the Sensex reaching greater peaks. At the same time, a walk around our major

metropolises reveals a large number of people living in exceedingly pathetic conditions mutely, silently. I gran

dolori sono muti, after all. Corruption has our nation in a poisonous vice grip.

The Corruption Perception Index released by Transparency International ranks India a dismal 87th out of

178 countries. The situation is so appalling that we take corruption for granted. An occasional bribe seen to be a

part and parcel of our lives, sine qua non to our peaceful, comfortable existence. We are optimistic when young,

but give up our youthful idealism when we experience the real world. And the worst part is, hoi polloi seem to

just accept it. They do not try to do something about it. They just look the other way, whatever they feel about it,

and trudge along their weary paths without even a look back. We talk about it; we even joke about it. The

defining characteristic of almost any caricature we draw of our babus, netas and police is one of incontinent

greed. We accept corruption with wry grins writ large on our collective faces and perhaps a shake of our

collective heads, mouthing our disapprobation and displaying genuine regret at our impotence. In short, we want

to do something about the despondent situation but believe someone else should take the lead. Well, now finally,

someone has.

The small, bespectacled man spoke. And the huge crowd that had gathered at Ramlila Maidan to show

their support listened and cheered. They saw in him a deliverer. A messiah who would throw off their yokes and

make our country free from the black cloud that is corruption. Detractors alleged that he was apocryphal. They

tried to highlight his naivety and his ruthlessness. They said that alcohol-addicts were flogged to make them give

up the bottle. They questioned his links with Narendra Modi. They questioned his approval of forced

vasectomies and his approval of the death penalty for corrupt officials. They said that he was being misled by his

followers who were using him for their own devious ends. They said he was a tool. They used sticks. And when

that failed, they used carrots. In the midst of this colorful caricature, the media, with its tendency to paint

everything in black and white, painted its own sketch. The media decided that Anna was the “good guy” and the

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Government the “bad guy”. After all, journalists too felt that the time had come for change and wanted to see the

back of the “ancien regime”, as the French would have said. So they spread the message. 24-hour coverage

followed. All eyes were trained on Ramlila Maidan. Facebook and Twitter too played their part. And in the end

“Team Anna” feasted on a marvelous triumph in full public view. The Government had to back down and passed

the resolution for the Lokpal Bill unanimously.

This one fast has the potential to change India with the introduction of the Lokpal system. This system

will certainly have the potential to make it tough for corrupt officials to carry out their despicable plans. The

billion-dollar question is: will it? After all, our corrupt legislators may intentionally leave loopholes for their

corrupt brethren to exploit. And not only that. Theory very often has an exasperating way of failing in real-world

conditions. No wonder practicality is considered to be the anti-thesis of idealism. Even if all the loop-holes are

plugged, we still have to depend on people to enforce the Bill. And as Marlon Brando might have growled in

“The Godfather”, every person has his price. So it seems that corruption cannot be totally banished. Dregs will

remain. However, something is better than nothing, right?

I personally feel that the introduction of the Lokpal at the center and Lokayuktas in the different states

will make a big difference. If proper and strict regulation is carried out, I think it will be possible to minimize

corruption if not eradicate it altogether. Corruption usually increases in a geometric progression and so I think

that its decrease will also be geometric. Within years, fear of retribution will hound corrupt entities. Fear also

increases geometrically, you see. However, the quality of the system will have to be maintained. It will not be

good if the system works well for a few years and then deteriorates. The keyword here is “transparency”. Hoi

polloi should be able to inspect and observe the working of its administrative machinery. A transparent structure

will not offer much when it comes to privacy and complaints with mala fide intentions may become widespread.

However, I still believe that the Jan Lokpal Bill will contribute more good than bad to Indian society as a whole.

And this is just the beginning. Anna Hazare will try and lend his name to other movements which he

feels are worthy enough and which will help Indian society. He has decided to meet Irom Sharmila, the “Iron

Lady of Manipur”, the lady who has fasted for more than 500 weeks to make the Indian Government repeal the

Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. And if the Government does not listen to him, he can campaign against the

ruling party and try to force the party out of power like he has been doing recently in Hisar, Haryana. With his

massive support-base he can change the balance of power very quickly and so is a political force to be reckoned

with, though he has not showed any interest in entering politics as such.

This political clout of Anna brings another aspect of the fast to mind. Not a very pleasant aspect, too. It

is regarding the almost derisive attitude that Anna and his team have towards the Government and Parliament. Is

it right for a person, however noble his intensions and credentials are, to force a democratically-elected

Government to dance to his tune? It is a matter of principle, you see. Even if our Government is made up entirely

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of crooks and charlatans, as many allege, and even if Anna is as pure as driven snow with only good intentions

in mind, as seems to be the case, should the Government do what he says? What is the point of elections then?

What is the point of a structure like the Government then, if every Tom, Dick and Harry, professing good

intentions can make it run around? And who can judge whether a person has good intentions in his schemes?

What if Anna’s envisaged Lokpal goes horribly wrong and turns out to be a bane rather than a boon? After all,

anything is possible.

Before the arrival of Anna on the scene, India seemed to be a great country being held back by mindless

corruption. Single-minded determination, as China has shown, can achieve great things, but was sadly lacking in

our nation. Every cog in the huge structure that is a nation should work seamlessly, playing its part to perfection.

This was conspicuously absent. Individual entities engaged in schemes that would enrich themselves, forgetting

the bigger picture. And it did not look as if anyone wanted to change this. And even if some people did and tried

to, their attempts were feeble and underwhelming. With Anna’s arrival though, things have begun to look up. It

looks as though people actually care, as can be evinced from the huge crowds that thronged Ramlila Maidan and

other places. Added to that is Anna’s personality which people love and respect a’la the “Father of our Nation”,

Mahatma Gandhi. People have termed the fast as the second freedom struggle. While that might have been just

hysterical hyperbole, no one can deny that Anna Hazare, by stepping forward has changed our nation quite a bit.

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KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

“Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven”, said Shakespeare.

Eloquent words from probably the most eloquent tongue of them all! And even though they were spoken

almost five hundred years back, they still find relevance today. Almost more now than ever before; with rapidly

advancing technologies opening up doors to new portals, gateways which had remained unnoticed and

unobserved ever before. Information, knowledge and the ability to rapidly assimilate and analyze them has

attained supreme importance. The world is witnessing a change. A change so dramatic and unexpected that we

still have not been able to understand all the ramifications. Or maybe I should say changes. Because the change

is that changes are happening more frequently. “Change” seems to be the new constant. New things are being

found out, experiments are being conducted and all is being done at lightning pace. Every day heralds a new

beginning. Conspiracy theorists and novelists are having a field day (or field days?), happily and profitably

dishing out apocalyptic scenarios. Advances are being carried out in umpteen areas of human knowledge. We

need to know what in all those fields will affect us the most. After all, what is the purpose of life, if not adapting

and responding as well as we can to the varied situations we meet?

In such a picture, the picture in which we presently live our lives, knowledge has gained importance. It

always has been quite important to be knowledgeable, both in an individual level and national level. After all,

that is why the CIA, KGB and closer to home, RAW were set up right? To burrow out information that may be

of some use while planning their respective country’s strategic affairs. And of course, a well-read person is

naturally accorded more respect. And knowledge on more aspects has become available. Privacy concerns are

going down the drain. With the world becoming a smaller place, we have become much too close to each other

for comfort. Everything is available at our fingertips. Possessing huge amounts of useful information has become

the need of the hour. In every vocation, practitioners have realized the need of the hour to be information. In

order to make proper decisions, information is required. In highly competent environments where the difference

between success and failure is very often just a hair’s breadth, accurate information is sine qua non to power and

success.

The pursuit of knowledge is not an end unto itself, but must nevertheless be all-encompassing. One

should boldly follow the light and try to come out of the dark tunnel of ignorance. Veritas odium parit. But one

should labour on nevertheless. This is on an individual level. Let us hear what one great man had to say about

another. “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been

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gathered at the White House - with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone”, said John F.

Kennedy. Now let us see what the subject of the above comment had to say about knowledge. “I was bold in the

pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led, and bearding every

authority which stood in their way”, said Thomas Jefferson. All of us should follow Thomas Jefferson’s example

and be bold in enriching ourselves and our lives. Accumulation of knowledge cleanses our mind. One can ask

what is the purpose of gaining knowledge? After all most of the knowledge that we gather will probably not be

of any use to us throughout our lives. The answer is that some knowledge will probably be useful. And the very

act of gaining knowledge is very important for the development of our personality.

From a national perspective, education is very important. In a bland, detached way, we can talk about

the importance of skilled workers in a country’s economy. And for skilled workers we need education. The

Government of India has realized it and instituted schemes like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. India especially

needs education to become universal. In a few more years India will have the biggest working population in the

world, surpassing China, whose population control measures are finally taking effect. India’s population on the

other hand will increase and increase, peak at nearly 1.5 billion and then decrease. At its peak, India will be

population-wise the biggest country ever and ever will be. India can take advantage of this. India’s economy can

grow at a pace never seen before if it is able to take advantage of this fact. Our policy-makers will have to plan

accordingly, recognizing this fact. But this can happen only if all of its working-age population is able to

contribute. And for this universal education is of utmost importance. So here too knowledge can lead to power.

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest“, said Benjamin Franklin, one of the great minds of his and

probably any age.

Each and every person should be given a chance to follow his or her dream. This has long been lacking

in society. Poverty has impeded the lives of many people. This lack of power can be rectified only by

empowering every young child that enters this world. This can only be done by a good education. After all

education unlocks doorways for people to follow their dreams in different domains. An educated society is

characterized by transparency and freedom. Two attributes that are sorely required to realize a Utopia on Earth,

sine dubio.

The ability to assimilate information and plan out our course of action is unique to human beings. It is

the very basis of what makes us the alpha species of our planet. In fact if there is one characteristic that separates

us from animals, it is this. And see where this has led us? This one attribute has, for good or for worse, given us

power over every other organism that walks this planet. Human beings are, above all, creatures of reason. “Our

treasure lies in the beehive of our knowledge. We are perpetually on the way thither, being by nature winged

insects and honey gatherers of the mind”, said Friedrich Nietzsche. And like bees who work tirelessly to build a

monument of all that they hold precious (honey), we too instinctively try to gather knowledge to further our own

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ends. We are bees in our own ways. Because we know that knowledge is extremely important. That knowledge

is power.

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THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING

“Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right”, said Henry Ford, a prominent

American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, who became one of the richest and best-known

people in the world.

Very often, all too often in fact, we give up half way through, thinking every thing is lost. Failures have

a way of disheartening us, of making us think that we are not good enough, of extinguishing that fire that drives

us on. However, there is a very thin line between success and failure. The will, the determination, to go on and

on and see matters to their logical conclusion is very often this thin line. Even when self-doubts and failures lurk

like black clouds over ones head, what one must do is stand upright and labor on, unmindful of the small,

tugging voice in one’s ear that tries to hold us back. It seems to be the bane of mankind that we are held back by

this small, tugging voice. Very often we stop, weary and ready to give up, exhausted. However, we fail to realize

that our lucky break may be right around the next corner. Very often, we pull up inches from our targets. All too

often the granite-minded will to go on is the difference between a winner and a perennial loser.

A wise man once said there is no use crying over spilt milk. Lamenting loudly over past misfortunes is

not the way to spend one’s time. Depression and a slow death lie ahead. The Germans have a proverb- grosse

seelen dulden still. Translated, it means great souls suffer in silence. It is best to see the light and bright side of

things and not dwell on filth. After all every cloud has a silver lining. “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every

opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”, said Winston Churchill, one of the titans of the

20th century, who committed himself and the nation to an all-out war until victory was achieved. His great

eloquence, energy, and indomitable fortitude made him an inspiration to his countrymen, especially in the Battle

of Britain. It is not popularly known just how close the Second World War was. The Nazis had control over a

vast territory at their peak and if they had been able to press home all their advantages, we might have been

living in an entirely different world today. A series of unfortunate, or rather fortunate events led to Hitler’s

downfall. Through all this time, Churchill led his nation from the front, all the while believing that “something

might turn up” a’la Dickens’s Mr. Micawber. And in the end something did. I am saying all this mainly to

reinforce the character of the person who spoke the aforementioned words. It is best to work hard and even if we

fail at first, we will have the satisfaction of having given our best. However, most of the time triumph and

victory awaits. Gutta cavat lapidem, after all.

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A positive mindset if of utmost importance whatever we do. Be its business or sports. The Australian

cricket team is well known for going for a win whatever be the odds. It has had this amazing propensity, this

unmatched proclivity, of throwing up match-winners for every situation. No wonder it has the best winning

percentage among all test-playing countries. On the other hand, the Indian cricket teams of the 1990s and the

South African teams especially, are well known for “choking”. Keen observers of world cricket well remember

the almost-unavoidable collapses after Sachin-powered starts that hogged Indian cricket matches throughout the

1990s, resulting in avertable losses followed by avertable losses, and a strong general feeling of commiseration

for perhaps the greatest batsman who walked this planet. This penchant for collapsing at the slightest hint of

pressure even sparked Navjot Sidhu’s colorful comment comparing the Indian batting order to a cycle-stand-

“one falls, everyone falls”. A positive attitude might have made a big difference in the close matches. In those

times, there was a general feeling that the team revolved around Sachin and so, it did. If on the other hand, the

team members thought positively, and had a healthy dose of self-confidence, things might have been better.

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we

do not see the one which has been opened for us”, said Helen Keller, an American author, political activist,

and lecturer, an icon and inspiration for disadvantaged people everywhere. She personified the resilience that

characterizes winners. Masochism seems to be a prevalent trait amongst us humans. Often we feel engage in

self-pity and feel sorry for ourselves and thus waste time. We have to realize that homo homini lupus and try to

be positive and go forward with energy. After all a positive person is highly sought after. A person with

ebullience and spirit and an ability to spread his “positive-ness” all around him is well-liked.

Abraham Lincoln has a pretty glum résumé. Yes I mean it. At the age of seven he and his family were

forced out of their home and he was forced to go to work. When he was nine, his mother passed away. He

wanted to go to law school, but had no education. He went into debt when he was twenty-three, to become a

partner in a small store. It was only three years later that his business partner died, and left him with a debt that

took him years to repay. He lost his job in 1832. He was defeated for legislature in 1832. He was elected to

legislature in 1834. His sweetheart died in 1835. He then had a nervous breakdown in 1836. He was defeated for

speaker in 1838. He was defeated for nomination for Congress in 1843. He was then elected to Congress in

1846, but lost his renomination in 1848. Then he was rejected for Land Officer in 1849. He was then defeated

for Senate in 1854. Then he was defeated for nomination for Vice-President in 1856. He was again defeated for

Senate in 1858. With only the above evidence, I would say he was one of the greatest losers in history. However,

the 16th President of the United States is very often considered the greatest leader of arguably the greatest nation

ever, by both scholars and hoi polloi. Does not sound like a loser at all now, does he? Lincoln suffered so many

crippling nadirs throughout his life and still rose to dizzying heights, never letting circumstances get the better of

him, by never giving up. He had strength in him, a tremendous will-power to overcome all odds, many and

varied though they were.

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So that is the power of positive thinking. It enables a person to reach his or her goals. All too often, in

our world, it does not matter whether we have the talent or no. It all depends on whether we are lucky enough or

no. We should keep this is mind and struggle on. Life is after all not a bed of roses. In some ways it can be said

that the American Civil war was an opportunity for Lincoln to show the world what he could do. Perhaps if the

Civil War had taken place when someone else was the President, Lincoln would not have been regarded so

highly and maybe that other person would have been considered better. People say that war-time American

Presidents are considered great and so Presidents search for wars- a pointed jibe at George W. Bush. However,

the fact remains: when life sends you a lemon, make lemonade and a positive attitude is absolutely indispensable

for that.

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INDIA OF MY DREAMS

“The future you see is the future you get”, said Robert G Allen, a Canadian-American financial writer.

What he said applies to all of us; as individuals and also as groups of individuals. India is a great country which

has had a great past. No one doubts the veracity of the statement. But over time, its glorious façade has faded

away to be replaced by a dreary and poor halo. Sad one must say that even such a great country can go through

such great nadirs. Jawaharlal Nehru in his book, “The Discovery of India” maintained that he saw in the Indian

people a spirit, some thing that he says he also found in the people of China, Russia and the United States. He

said however that being of Indian origin, his judgment was clouded and that it was quite possible that he had so

much wanted this spirit to be there in the Indians that he may have misjudged his country.

By this spirit that Nehru proposed, he meant a vital energy that enables a country to face times of

adversity with a brave face and be a leader more than a follower in world affairs. He meant that what ever level

it was ground down to, a country with this spirit would rise up and reclaim its place in world hierarchy. A spirit

which enables its people to take a lead in various fields; in short a ‘winner’. As one sees, over the last few years

India has risen from strength to strength. Whether this is mere coincidence and Nehru was wrong, I know not;

but my dream of India is one in which the Indian people are infused with this spirit, this vital force that Nehru

described in his letters to another former Prime Minster of India, his own daughter.

“Where the mind is without fear and the head held high; where knowledge is free; where the world has

not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; where words come out from the depth of truth;

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way

into the dreary desert sand of dead habit; where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and

action; Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake”, said Rabindranath Tagore, a popular

poet, novelist, musician, and playwright who reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early

20th centuries and was the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. When such a great personality puts

things so concisely and admirably, what can I do, but concur? His timeless words speak of the future that India

should want to have-a future that our leaders should try to realize.

“As long as we place millions of Indians at the center of our thought process, as long as we think of their

welfare, their future, their opportunities for self-realization we are on the right track” said Mukesh Ambani,

a business magnate, philanthropist and the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, the

largest private sector enterprise in India and a Fortune 500 company. What he said is of course the truth. India’s

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millions can be both a blessing and a curse. How we handle our population can send India up or down in the

coming decades. Now the drawbacks of a large population are well-documented. Putting a burden on every

thing: the environment, the economy and almost every thing in-between, a heavy population can be a curse. A

heavily populated country is often likened to an elephant. Well, even elephants can run fast! Faster than almost

all humans anyway! And so can an economy. One of the most important factors about India is its young

population. India will have the largest working force in the world in the coming years as China’s population is

comparatively old. We can use this to our advantage But only if we have a strong will. A will that does not

shrivel in the face of adversity. Immediate action and great leaders are a necessity. We have to spring at every

opportunity presented to us. Life is not a bed of roses for an individual and it is not for a country too.

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today”, said

Malcolm X born Malcolm Little, an African-American Muslim minister, public speaker, and human rights

activist. What he said holds true for all times and places. India’s education system I must say is dismal at the

very least. There are some bright spots, one can say, but compared to many other western countries and factoring

in that we have a population of one billion plus, our education system is bad. There are many people who do not

get even primary school education. And as if the lack of quantity is not bad enough, the lack of good quality

education is even more appalling. There are instances where people who have passed SSLC in English cannot

speak in it coherently and struggle to construct sentences. A dismal situation one must say. Feeble attempts have

been made to improve the existing situation, but will this be helpful to India, only time will tell. But time is

running out. Recall an old saying ‘time and tide wait for no man’. For some reason, it holds true for a country

too.

A big problem that we can see in Indian society is an attitude of ‘who cares?’ An attitude that has

resulted in our country languishing at the bottom of surveys of corruption and living standards. An example in

the state of Karnataka is that of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike where bribes are seen as a fact of life.

The Lokayukta, an organisation that has been trying to get rid of corruption has been unable to do so. The people

have resigned themselves to giving bribes to officials and there are almost no people who would do otherwise.

What we need is a show of spirit from the people to take their lives into their own hands and do some thing. One

thing that India has introduced to the world is the concept of ‘karma’. This some people call ‘joss’. People

believe that their future is written ‘in the stars’ and that they simply have to live it out. This has to change. They

believe that the situation in which they live in is some thing unchangeable and that they simply have to adjust.

People have to take their lives in their own hands and effect a change. And not just a few isolated people. The

whole of India has to demand more from the Government. That is what I want to see in India as a whole. An

India where political action against injustice is common sua sponte and corruption is passé.

However dreams are, after all just that- dreams. Flights of imagination that our brains find recourse in

when the present is dreary and dull. The need of the hour is a concerted action from all possible quarters,

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especially the middle class. The Arab Spring showed us what hoi polloi are capable of when they put their minds

into it. Whatever else it achieved, Anna Hazare’s fast showed what India is capable of.

A lively India which looks more towards the welfare of its umpteen people is what is required and what

we must have in future. An India where the government works hand in hand with the people to banish that most

evil of problems, poverty from this land is the stuff of dreams, seeing our current situation. However I think that

it can be done. With will and the means and most importantly, the proper leaders, a country can rise to great

heights, or conversely sink to deep depths. It remains for the people to resolve their problems and their leaders

for only they can change their country. For Jawaharlal’s ‘tryst with destiny’ to be realized, fundamental changes

have to be affected as soon as possible, for the sands of time are running out, and running out quickly. We

should act as quickly as possible, for India to rise as high as possible. No individual can bring about a change.

Even the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, great though his work may be, still had the help of a large

number of other people interested in the freedom of India. It requires a group of leaders who can get this done.

India has a history of not living up to its potential. It needs to somehow repair the shaky foundations it now

stands upon and with its leaders evolve into a country to respect.

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FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE

“Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right”, said Henry Ford, a prominent

American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, who became one of the richest and best-known

people in the world.

It is always tough to gamble all. To depend completely on a simple roll of dice. It requires courage and

perhaps a bit of a “devil-might-care” attitude; something we do not ordinarily see. However, often, it is seen that

people with such personalities do very well in life. Their exploits become the stuff of legends. “Destitutus ventis,

remos adhibe”, is an old Latin proverb which translates to, if the wind will not serve, take to the oars. If

circumstances do not go according to our wishes, we should be brave and try our best to alter them to suit our

own needs. “If life sends you a lemon, make lemonade”, is yet another proverb which means the same thing.

However for perseverance, we should have the confidence that our hard work will not be in vain and for this, we

should tune our outlook to the proper channel. In toto, it is just a question of our mind and its outlook to life. A

determined person can go places and very often that has happened. The pages of history are filled with examples

of determined people. In fact I can go so far as to say that the pages of history textbooks are filled with

determined people only. People who were so determined to make a mark in the history of the world that they did.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done” said Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who served as President of

South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully

representative democratic election. Well, he should know. Nelson Mandela accomplished something that was

considered to be pretty nigh impossible-the patching up of relationships between whites and blacks. Centuries of

hatred and subjugation were just tossed aside with his work in a matter of decades. Within one life-time he

changed things so much. It just goes to show that even the most improbable of changes can be brought out by

single-minded determination and hard work. In that way Nelson Mandela was a messiah. A messiah of hope.

Exemplifying most decisively, that nothing, just about nothing, is impossible in the world, if one has the right

convictions drilled into him or her and the courage to follow his or her convictions till the end.

“Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools”, said Napoleon Bonaparte, a military

and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution whose legal reform, the Napoleonic Code,

has been a major influence on many civil law jurisdictions worldwide; but he is best remembered for the wars he

led against a series of coalitions, the so-called Napoleonic Wars, during which he established hegemony over

much of Europe and sought to spread revolutionary ideals. Who are we to disagree with the famed emperor? It is

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just a mindset, you know. Having a brave mindset, a mindset of continued perseverance, even against

tremendous odds is very often the only prerequisite for success. Often it is the only difference between victory

and success. In order to be successful we need to keep this important truism in mind. Napoleon and Hitler

accomplished things we might have thought of as impossible. Even though they are cursed and reviled, rightly,

for those deeds, what we need to take note of is the single-minded determination and bravery they had. A

positive lining in what is otherwise a murky and black veneer. Well, one can argue that in Hitler’s case at least,

the man was driven by his conviction that he was the one destined to bring about a big change in Germany’s

place in the hierarchy of nations. A case of bloated self-confidence, brought about by an avid youthful interest in

German history, one might say. But whatever might be the case, he took challenges head-on, never believing that

he would, or rather could, lose and he might have even won the Second World War if the already favorable

circumstances had gone slightly differently. Thankfully for the world he did not; but he sure came frighteningly

close.

A wise man once said there is no use crying over spilt milk. Lamenting loudly over past misfortunes is

not the way to spend one’s time. Depression and a slow death lie ahead. The Germans have a proverb- grosse

seelen dulden still. Translated, it means great souls suffer in silence. It is best to see the light and bright side of

things and not dwell on filth. After all every cloud has a silver lining. “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every

opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”, said Winston Churchill, one of the titans of the

20th century, who committed himself and the nation to an all-out war until victory was achieved. His great

bravery, energy, and indomitable fortitude made him an inspiration to his countrymen, especially in the Battle of

Britain. It is not popularly known just how close the Second World War was. The Nazis had control over a vast

territory at their peak and if they had been able to press home all their advantages, we might have been living in

an entirely different world today. A series of unfortunate, or rather fortunate events led to Hitler’s downfall.

Through all this time, Churchill led his nation from the front, all the while believing that “something might turn

up” a’la Dickens’s Mr. Micawber. And in the end something did. I am saying all this mainly to reinforce the

character of the person who spoke the aforementioned words. It is best to work hard and even if we fail at first,

we will have the satisfaction of having given our best. However, most of the time triumph and victory await.

Gutta cavat lapidem, after all.

Maintaining one’s cool in the face of danger is never easy. It is said that even the bravest of people feel

fear. It is how you handle things when fear courses through your body and threatens to paralyze you that counts.

Everyone admires resourceful people. In life, very often it is not the talented people who come up on top. It is

the bravest. Who want to achieve their goal more than life itself. Who have that unbearable urge to excel in their

field of interest. Their lives revolve around their objectives. They eat, drink and live their objectives, thinking

about nothing else almost usque ad nauseam. It becomes their raison d’etre. When one thinks about it, there is

nothing that can prevent these people from reaching their goal and very often they do. We should try to inculcate

such an attitude in our personalities because it invariably leads to success.

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WHY DO I LIKE AVIATION INDUSTRY?

Among all the little joys that I have experienced in my life, I must admit nothing beats flying. Floating

high up in the sky, with fluffy clouds streaming past seems to be one of the most enjoyable things I have done. I

look forward to flying every time. I feel a sort of kinship with Orville and Wilbur Wright. I understand and share

their desire to fly up in the air and leave the world with all its petty troubles far below. Traveling by air is the

very personification of comfort. And it is not just enjoyable. The Aviation industry enables me to go from one

place to another at lightning pace. It is its raison d’etre after all. Let me give you a small example. Recently I

went from Mumbai to Bangalore. It look me little more than one hour to cover the nearly one thousand

kilometers. On the other hand from the Bangalore International Airport to my house, a distance of approximately

forty kilometers, it took two hours! Granted, there is heavy traffic on Bangalore’s roads. Even then, a mode of

transport that is so enjoyable and gets the job done faster than any other is just brilliant, the thing of the future.

However agreeable flying might be, owning an airline service does not seem to be a very profitable

venture right now. Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines has racked up a cumulative loss of 7200 crore rupees. Air

India seems to be perennially running under loss. In fact all major airline services seem to be running under

losses. It is said that the quickest way to become a millionaire is by being a billionaire and entering the aviation

industry. However, the aviation industry is a very glamorous one and some people (read Vijay Mallya) just

cannot resist it. This is not to mean that the aviation industry is all show. It is just that the aviation industry has

been experiencing a very high growth and the airline services are upgrading themselves just too early and

catering mainly to the upper strata of society. Patience is the key here. It will take a bit of time. But in the end,

the Indian Aviation may turn out to be a good market. Goal in Brazil, Ryanair in Europe were able to post

considerable sustained profits over large periods of time. Airline services in India might be able to do the same

thing if they observe and analyze the operations of these airlines and then try to replicate them. These are early

days yet for the aviation industry in India. This can be deduced from the fact that the growth rate of the aviation

sector in India is the highest in the world. A few more years and the scenario may change completely.

Flying is an extremely comfortable business. The smiling air-hostesses attend to your every need. The

airport itself is designed to suit your each and every need. There are stores where you can buy anything that you

could possibly want. Ranging from shirts to souvenirs, it is all there. There is also a cafeteria where you can

satisfy those pangs of hunger that seem to shadow air-passengers. Everything at the airport is marked

prominently so that passengers have no problems finding everything. The airplane itself is a paradigm of

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comfort. Comfortable seats where you can stretch out with no trouble at all. Good food and television is also

available. Or if you prefer it, you can simply sleep through the whole journey. And all the while the plane is

screaming towards your destination as a speed no other mode of transport can match. The landings and the take-

offs are very smooth with none of the jerking or uncomfortable movements that you normally expect with

journeys by train or car. Aviation sounds brilliant does it not? And it is.

The best part of the whole journey is staring out through the window and seeing the white clouds and the

blue sky. Everything there seems to be extra-clear and bright. One can spend an eternity just staring into the

distance, looking at the panorama which somehow seems to be more real than usual. A sight for sore eyes, one

must say. And if one inexplicably feels bored of the magnificent vista outside, he or she can indulge in a pleasant

chat with his or her neighbors. After all nothing warms one up as quickly as a nice chat with a fellow human

being.

Of course, the aviation industry does have its drawbacks. The heavy cost is one such deterrent. In fact it

is the most serious deterrent for hoi polloi. And off late, the cost of tickets has only been going up and up, with

rising fuel prices. Less people are traveling by flight these days and this has put a very high amount of pressure

on the airline services. Kingfisher recently has been trying to get some relief from the Central Government. It

has even had to cancel quite a few of its flights. Airline services have had to delay paying and have run up

massive debts. Even the Low-cost carriers (LCCs) have run up heavy debts; forget about Kingfisher, which

claims to be the only five-star airline service in India.

One facet of the aviation industry which I have ignored till now is the military aspect. But as any one

can guess, the air force plays a very important role in warfare. Right from World War I, air superiority has

played a vital role in determining who wins and who loses. Apart from that, the aviation sector plays a very

important role logistically, moving men and equipment to the front and back as quickly as possible. Recent

innovations on this front include stealth aircraft and now unmanned aerial vehicles (uavs) and drones. Exciting

new developments are taking place all the time in the aviation industry. Just another reason to be fascinated by

this marvelous industry. The aviation sector also provides employment to thousands. A well-paid one at that,

with perks.

One is always moved to silence by aircrafts. How can anything that weighs so much be able to leave the

ground and travel at such terrific pace to its destination? Those colossal metal beasts are, each and every one of

them, a token to our progress as a civilization. A triumph of science and technology. And every now and then,

even bigger beasts are unveiled. Capable of even better feats. It was only around a hundred years ago that the

first aircrafts were built. Now they rule the skies. When one sees the technological innovations that have taken

place, one can only wonder how the aircrafts of the future will be. A hundred years from now, will the aircrafts

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be as different from the ones of today, as the present ones are from those that ruled the skies a hundred years

back? Exciting times are afoot at the aviation industry. It is the place to be, if you know what I mean.

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ROLE OF MEDIA IN SOCIETY

The Fourth Estate, they call it. The fourth pillar of democracy. In this world, where facts and fashions

become passé within the blink of an eye, one wonders what role the media plays and whether this role is

changing with time. It is an industry, if one may call it as such, which affects everyone in some way or the other.

Everywhere we go, whosoever we are, we are affected by the seemingly omniscient, omnipotent and

omnipresent media in some way or the other. Off late its power has been growing and growing until it has now

reached almost unimagined and unimaginable proportions. The incomparable power of media barons is

universally acknowledged. Even Tony Blair flew half-way across the world on the election eve to seek Rupert

Murdoch’s support for his re-election campaign. Imagine it. The Prime Minister of one of the most developed

countries in the world, a former superpower, traveling to Australia, half a world away from Britain, on the eve of

one of the most important events of his life. Tells you a thing or two about power, and more specifically the

power of the media, does it not?

Societies change very rapidly. Our society is subject to a plethora of changes that may be beneficial or

may affect it adversely. In such an ever-changing society the zeitgeist can very often be captured by the media.

But more than just that, the media has in its hand the power to change the perceptions, the prevailing moods of

people. This one characteristic has brought the role of the media into the limelight. After all, an entity that can

move minds in a democratic society where the people are the alpha and the omega, will invariably have its

actions questioned, whatever they might be. And if you throw in the fact that the media is very often free to do

what it wants, how it wants, when it wants, then you have a potentially explosive scenario.

In the past, several accusations have been made against the media. Ranging from paid news to

sensationalism, the spectrum is quite comprehensive. Paid news seems to have been hanging around the political

scene for some time now, like a dark shadow, especially in Maharashtra. Only recently has it come to light.

Sensationalism is another phenomenon that has snowballed or picked up steam recently. News channels harp on

certain issues only, all the while keeping an rapacious eye on television rating points (trps). Issues that are

important to hoi polloi are very often ignored and other issues are given undue prominence. Cricket and reality

shows are the main culprits. News channels must on the other hand realize the responsibility they owe to society

and give more prominence to issues of crucial importance. However, journalists seem to believe only in the

sweet smell of money. They break rules right, left and center in their inexhaustible avarice. This seems to be the

prevailing trend in society.

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The media can be likened to a mirror. A small hand-mirror in which we can have a glimpse of ourselves.

Of how we as a race are evolving, changing all the time. However, we often see a distorted view. A view in

which certain parts are concealed from the eye. Hidden, by moneyed elements that have vested interests in

keeping certain things hidden. The emphasis should be on the truth and nothing but the truth, with no pani-puri

masala added, however relish-able it might be. After all the raison d’etre of the media is to inform. The media

being the fourth pillar on which our democracy stands should have a sense of responsibility, a sense of duty, a

sense of accountability. However, sometimes even respectable news corporations throw caution and decency to

the winds. They identify certain easily remembered keywords and throw them around without moderation. In

these days of 24-hour news, this is one way to capture the easily-distracted popular attention. After some time,

attention is shifted to another event and it is also promoted in this rather hysteric fashion and the cycle goes on.

You ask why this is done? Elementary, my dear Watson! Because it pays. The sweet smell of money has its hand

in this too as almost everywhere. In this age of T20 cricket and shortened attention-spans, what is needed to

capture attention is a flamboyant display. And so this form of peacocking is unabashedly used by all.

Another role that the media is in the realm of education. India’s education system is, at present anyway,

not good enough, to put it lightly. The IITs are at present developing well, but are not in the same league as say,

Harvard or Stanford. And universities like Nalanda and the IISERs are for the future. The media should aspire to

fill this gaping hole in Indian society by spreading knowledge. Justice (retd) Katju had the right idea when he

said that the media has a role in “giving leadership to society in the realm of ideas”. The media should spread

knowledge especially through television channels. Televisions are now common, even in remote areas. Channels

such as National Geographic, Discovery etc, are doing their bit, but more should be done. Doordarshan should

take the lead in this.

One of the most important functions of the media is bringing public grievances into the limelight. The

media seems to have forgotten this, albeit there are some honorable exceptions. Investigative journalism into

things that affect a large section of society seems to be dead and buried. A sad state of affairs, indeed. The media

and its administrative set-up should realize its responsibility to the society at large. After all the media should

realize that in its hand it holds great power. The power to change things. A gift not easily found. And of course,

with great power comes great responsibility, as a webbed superhero found out.

Even though the media was not as powerful as it is today, it has played a very important role in molding

societies in the past. The pages of history are strewn with many examples. Hitler’s Third Reich was one such

example. Hitler and Goebbels masterminded a brilliant campaign to turn the German mind against the British

and the Russians. Using masterful propaganda, Hitler was able to instill a sense of emotion in the Germans that

they had been wronged in the treaty of Versailles and then used that to start the First World War. In Soviet

Russia too, the media was used to satisfy the Government’s own devious ends. History teaches us lessons. If the

media had not been controlled by the respective governments and had instead been controlled by private players

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with no allegiance to any entity, things might, just might have panned out differently. Just something to think

about. No wonder then, that the media is given such a prominent place in society.

The media thus can be seen to be a very powerful entity, equally capable of grave damage and great good. A

healthy amount of regulation by a capable administrative setup can thus be seen to be sine qua non. However, a

suffocating, imperious administration will only be counter-productive. We should follow the philosophy of the

great Roman lyric poet, Horace in this. He followed ‘aurea mediocritas’ or the ‘golden mean’, which means the

desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency.

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DOES TOURISM INDUSTRY IMPACT ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COUNTRY?

There are various definitions of tourism. Theobald (1994) suggested that etymologically, the word "tour"

is derived from the Latin 'tornare' and the Greek 'tornos,' meaning 'a lathe or circle; the movement around a

central point or axis.' This meaning changed in modern English to represent 'one's turn.' The suffix -ism is

defined as 'an action or process; typical behavior or quality' whereas the suffix -ist denotes one that performs a

given action. When the word tour and the suffixes -ism and -ist are combined, they suggest the action of

movement around a circle. One can argue that a circle represents a starting point, which ultimately returns back

to its beginning. Therefore, like a circle, a tour represents a journey that is a round trip, i.e., the act of leaving

and then returning to the original starting point, and therefore, one who takes such a journey can be called a

tourist.

India’s economic development has had a purple patch for the last few years. Apart from China, no other

country’s economy has grown at such a fast rate. India now stands set to claim its predominant position in the

world hierarchy; quite an accomplishment taking into account its bulk, crippling diversity and the centuries of

subjugation by foreign powers. India’s economic growth has been unparalleled since India’s economy was

opened up in the early 1990s. The Tourism Industry has played a very important role in the development of

India’s economy. Foreigners of varied hues and sizes have all flocked to admire India’s beauty. And with time,

their numbers have just increased. India is fast becoming a global tourist destination. Tourists are usually divided

into two types. The first type is domestic tourists. These are indigenous tourists who travel and visit prominent

places within the country. Economic growth has added millions annually to the ranks of India’s middle class, a

group that is driving domestic tourism growth. Thanks in part to its booming IT and outsourcing industry a

growing number of business trips are made by foreigners to India, who will often add a weekend break or longer

holiday to their trip. Foreign tourists spend more in India than almost any other country worldwide.

India has been ranked the "best country brand for value-for-money" in the Country Brand Index (CBI)

survey conducted by Future Brand, a leading global brand consultancy. India also claimed the second place in

CBI's "best country brand for history", as well as appears among the top 5 in the best country brand for

authenticity and art & culture, and the fourth best new country for business. India made it to the list of "rising

stars" or the countries that are likely to become major tourist destinations in the next five years, led by the United

Arab Emirates, China, and Vietnam.

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Tourism in India is the largest service industry. It has a contribution of 6.23% to the national GDP and

8.78% of the total employment in India. Almost 20 million people are now working in the India’s tourism

industry. In the year 2010, 17.9 million foreign tourists visited India. The majority of foreign tourists come from

USA and UK. Domestic tourism in the same year was massive at 740 million. According to World Travel and

Tourism Council, India will be a tourism hotspot from 2009–2018, having the highest 10-year growth potential.

India's thousands of years of history, its length, diversity and the variety of geographic features make its tourism

basket large and varied. It presents heritage and cultural tourism along with medical, business and sports

tourism. India also has one of the largest and fastest growing medical tourism sectors in the world.

The Tourism Industry generates massive foreign exchange and also provides employment to many

people. But this growth in the tourism sector emerged as a very important contribution to the national economy

and contributed quite a lot for employment generation in various tourism related activities. At a rough estimate,

total direct or indirect employment in the tourism sector in India was about 41.8 %. Indirect employment means

the jobs that are created because of linkages to tourism. It has also forced the Government to take note of

national heritage sites and the environment in order to make India more attractive to foreigners. Tourism tends to

encourage the development of multiple-use infrastructure that benefits the host community, including various

means of transports, health care facilities, and sports centers, in addition to the hotels and high-end restaurants

that cater to foreign visitors. The development of infrastructure has in turn induced the development of other

directly productive activities.

India's government, through its Tourism Ministry, developed a National Action Plan for Tourism to

develop this portion of the economy. The plan sought to promote tourism as a way to boost socio-economic

development, increase employment, preserve the nation's heritage and environment and promote international

and domestic tourists to visit India as a way to increase its share of global tourism. Through this plan, the

ministry began advertising campaigns at home and abroad. The successful campaign has brought more tourists

and their money to India. A major form of tourism that has gained in momentum recently is medical tourism.

This tourism is the type where patients from foreign countries travel to countries where they would get good-

quality treatment at low costs. They may then extend the trip for some more time to enjoy the place.

Tourism is now recognized for its contribution in creating jobs for large numbers of women. This

empowerment of women which is being focused by successive governments is achieved through tourism

projects. Both educated and uneducated women are now involved in tourism related activities. Women are

effective in the tourism business. Now in India, more women are now better integrated in the national

developmental programme through tourism activities. With this double income in the family, the standards of

living in families have improved. This has resulted in better education of children, improved health care and a

generally rosy scenario for women in India in general.

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So there is no doubt about it. Tourism in India is a vibrant industry with a very high growth potential.

For tourism to really flower, what is required is good infrastructure, which in India is right now lacking. Even

though the tourism industry growth rate is approximately 9.4% right now, which is after all very high, it can be

much, much more if a little more care is taken by those in charge. Off late, campaigns such as Incredible India

and others have tried to showcase India in all its glory. In spite of the economic slowdown which has done quite

some amount of damage to economies throughout the world, India’s tourism industry has grown and is predicted

to grow at a healthy rate for some more time.

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UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL

“I do not conceive of any reality at all as without genuine unity”, said Gottfried Leibniz a German

mathematician and philosopher who occupies a prominent place in the history of mathematics and the history of

philosophy, having developed infinitesimal calculus independently of Isaac Newton and being one of the most

prolific inventors in the field of mechanical calculators. These words of the great man make us put our thinking

caps on. Is unity raison d’etre to mankind’s existence? Is it true that if we do not watch each other’s backs, we

will all collapse in a sorry, disconsolate heap? Well, we do know that very often the total result is greater than

the sum of the different parts, if we work in unison. Reputed coaches of cricket, hockey and other sports teams

have always preached this, using different words perhaps, but always with the same thing in mind. The

chemistry that exists between members enables work to be completed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

However, if scraps sour the atmosphere, even a great team filled with proficient, gifted individuals can look

mediocre.

“The moment we break faith with one another, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out”, said James

Arthur Baldwin, an African-American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic whose essays explore

palpable yet unspoken intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western societies, most notably in

mid-20th century America, vis-à-vis their inevitable if unnamable tensions with personal identity, assumptions,

uncertainties, yearning, and questing. The great man had the correct idea. Everywhere we look, wherever we go,

we have to work with others, give importance to other peoples’ opinions. We should trust in other peoples’

abilities and co-operate with others. This holds true whether in workplaces or in sports.

Wherever we go and whatever profession we choose, we have to interact with other people. Interaction

has been and remains one of our basic life skills, sine qua non to a smooth existence on this planet.

Communication thus seems to be the very bedrock of life in general. We build relationships, trust and try to

stand together on the basis of all this. We will then be able to prosper in good times and seek aid in times of

need. This is how life goes. Our whole life, what we do and achieve and what we do not, all depends

preponderantly on the kind of chemistry we have with other people and what kind of unity we are capable of

generating. If on the other hand, we fall afoul of others easily and we are unable to build unity in our

relationships, there is only one way forward and that is downwards.

Unity should be real. Deception and intrigues have no place in true unity. “Unity to be real must stand

the severest strain without breaking”, said Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our worthy nation who pioneered the

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use of non-violent resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience and who can have been said to have

brought self-respect and ultimately independence to two great nations which would otherwise have had neither.

All too often, people indulge in activities to satisfy their own selfish ends, without looking at the bigger picture.

Such a myopic temperament will ultimately, undoubtedly lead to the failure of the whole enterprise; something

that can be avoided. As one of the greatest leaders of one of the greatest nations to have existed, in one of his

greatest speeches once said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand”. Though he said it at a different time,

in a different place, during different circumstances, his dictum still stands and we would do well to remember it.

Even though we stand to gain much by co-operating with each other, we often do not. The pages of

history are replete with instances where people just do not co-operate with each other, very often to their

detriments. Distrust and anger very often loom in the horizon, like hungry predators ready to dash out and grab

us by or collective throats. This has happened far too often, with disastrous consequences. We must temper our

actions with this knowledge. The knowledge that co-operation is the only way forward. “For too long, we have

focused on our differences - in our politics and backgrounds, in our race and beliefs - rather than cherishing the

unity and pride that binds us together”, says Robert Renfroe "Bob" Riley, an American politician in

the Republican Party who was the 52nd Governor of Alabama in the United States. We must focus on what

brings us together. Aggressive, hostile attitudes must be thrown out of the window.

When analyzing normal human behavior, we see that people all too often throw the concept of unity to

the winds and proceed on in their own paths, unmindful of the fact that their objectives could have been met if

they just co-operated. Perhaps the reason is something innate. “The reason why the world lacks unity, and lies

broken and in heaps, is, because man is disunited with himself”, said Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American

essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a

champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society, and he disseminated

his thoughts through dozens of published essays and more than 1,500 public lectures across the United States.

Perhaps there are underlying sociopathic tendencies in every human. He is not able to find peace in himself and

the disunity spreads over a larger area, affecting people with whom he interacts with. But the very concept of life

involves us overturning these feelings and making a life for ourselves in our chosen fields in the best way

possible.

The pages of history are replete with instances where people have prospered by co-operating with each

other. When Indians united and worked together, they were able to throw off the yoke of subjugation with which

the British had burdened them for so long. The recent Arab Spring is another example where people got rid of

their dictatorial rulers by co-operating with each other. If we too do so, we will be able to laugh a toute hazard.

After all, all dangers can be overcome, with effort and perhaps a bit of luck. On the other hand, if we do not co-

operate with each other we will certainly find the going tough and perhaps even fail in our endeavors. An

unpleasant proposition at best. So while we traverse that road called life, we would do well to remember that we

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should all stick together, in good times and bad. We might then come out unscathed and stronger at the end. On

the other hand if we do not co-operate with each other we might fall by the wayside with no way to get up.

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ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

“Actions speak louder than words, but not nearly as often”, said Mark Twain.

The human brain is a beautiful, powerful, but strangely vulnerable thing. Capable of unbelievable feats if

pushed, yet delicate. It also has a few quirks. Maybe it is just the way that we have evolved as a species. The

whole theory of evolution you see. Over time, man as a species decided that certain characteristics were more

important for his survival than others and decided to incorporate it into his life. We can “see” that sight is more

important to us than sound. It affects us in a deeper fashion. Our perception of sight is stronger than our

perception of sound.

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your

actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values,

your values become your destiny”, said Mahatma Gandhi. Actions are an evolved form of our words. As

Mahatma Gandhi said, our words are converted into actions, when we believe in them. Words express our

feeling but actions show them. Words are only a reflection of our actions. Speaking about things is easy. But, it

is important how much they try to achieve them. Some things need more of an effort to realize.

In today’s world, the practical aspects of life weigh more than the theoretical. Life is full of perils and to

prevail over the impediments of life, a person must strive to be practical and stop wasting precious time on

unnecessary preaching. In other words, he must be man of action in order to achieve success in life. Many great

personalities of history have put into practice what their conscience told them to do and have acted according to

their beliefs. They have not contemplated too much on how to reach their set objectives. Precious time must be

converted into moments of action for real success in life. Idle talk can lead one nowhere. On the contrary, life

should be molded on the firm basis of action. It must be secondary to the practical aspects of life. In our dynamic

world, success and happiness depend on action, not on theory or empty words.

The saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” just reinforces the above statements. People have the

habit of building castles in the air and actually feeling and boasting that they have achieved a great milestone

without actually doing so. It is extremely essential to remember that if your achievements are worth noticing,

people will sooner or later come to know about them merely through the word of mouth. It is better to take a step

ahead and work hard in achieving your dream rather than feeling proud about it.

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On the 11th of September 2001, the entire world was affected by the terrorist attacks on the United

States of America. On the Sunday after these attacks, then U.S. President George W. Bush made a speech

announcing his plan to “rid the world of the evil-doers” who traumatized his country earlier that week. Whatever

radical Muslim leaders had told did not affect the United States as much as what it did. Now that is the

difference between actions and words. Nothing illustrates it better.

It is actions that are important. What we do defines us in the eyes of others and even more importantly in

our own eyes. Over the years, great personalities have shown a propensity to speak less and act more. Nowadays,

as the society we live in gets more and more convoluted, human interactions seem to have set off to a whole new

level. Suddenly, diplomacy has taken the world by storm, thus becoming a must in every successful action of our

day-to-day life. Nevertheless, since words may sometimes be misleading, it is our actions that make up for it so

actions do speak louder than words.

One should judge people by what they do, rather than what they say they will do. However it does not

mean that what people say does not matter, judging a person by what they say can also be an efficient way to

know the person's character. One should not confuse the difference between when a person says he will do

something and when a person just talks. Moreover, people usually evaluate a person by actions not by words. In

fact, one’s characteristics are only exposed through his behavior and gesture. A lot of people want to hide their

real emotions by saying things which do not correspond with what they think. Words only become valuable

when they go hand in hand with actions. In emergent situations such as fire accidents, a genuine hero is a person

of action. Therefore, actions are the factor that makes a person to be his own character.

Most things in life are not black and white; there are always shades of gray. Nowadays businesses have

found a way to use this statement when hiring people. When an employer interviews a potential employee he

does not judge him by the things the potential employee says he will do for the company, rather he examines his

Resume or Curriculum Vitae which shows his past experiences and what he did for other businesses. Speaking

can sometimes be the action; Action may be the way of expressing what you want to say. You can also say that

speaking and taking action overpowers them all. It can work either way depending on the situation.

We can take the example of Martin Luther King Jr. Racism and prejudice scenes were very popular in

King’s time, but he did not let that affect on how he believed or lived. Back then African American’s didn’t

have half the rights of a Caucasian American, and many Americans would discuss the unfairness of this. Unlike

those American’s King was different and took matter into his own hands. While King remained nonviolent he

still managed to change the majority of America’s thoughts on equal rights. Like Martin Luther King, we too

should realize that what we do strikes people deeper than what we say. Very often, people seem to switch off

when we speak thing; however when we actually do something, the whole scenario changes and everyone sits up

to take notice.

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BREVITY IS THE SOUL OF WIT

“Brevity is the soul of wit”. These famous words of the Bard of Avon from his play, Hamlet basically

means to convey that telling things in a long-winded fashion is extremely tedious and dreary to the listener. Or

that “short is sweet”. Basically it is the difference between the above two statements. The art of keeping things

simple and small is one of the difficult things to master. When trying to explain things, people tend to descend

into long-winded and often pointless narratives. Everyone does it. It is a oft-held belief that big means good.

Conveying what we want to others in as small a space of possible is a mark of just how articulate we are. The

moment something is articulated in a long-winded manner, it becomes boring. It does not matter how the matter

has been explained. The longer the explanation, the less interesting it is. Nothing excites the mind more than

something that is substantial but small.

Very often students while writing exams try to cram as much as they can into as small a space as

possible. They believe that after writing the crux of the answer they have to elaborate on it as much as possible

in order to get more marks. From an engineering point of view, too as we see that brevity is the soul of wit.

Conveying large amounts of information in as less space as possible is the need of the hour.

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PRICE RISE

Today, India is facing many concerns. Corruption, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and so on. But

arguably the biggest problem is that of price rise. There are two main aspects with respect to price rise. One is

controlling price rise and the other is bring it down. For the last few months, India’s policy makers have been

trying to do both of these things but have failed miserably. This has given rise to widespread distress to hoi

polloi. And all the while, the number of people living below the poverty line has been increasing. At one point of

time it was 60%, but now it is considerably more. Also, constantly rising prices are like a fire feeding on itself.

As they erode the incomes of wage-earners, they give rise to labor unrest. That in turn brings down productivity

leading to further increase in prices. A vicious cycle that seems to be spiraling out of control as one can see.

Economists opine that the growing economy of the country is the reason behind price rise. In inflation

purchasing power runs ahead of purchasable goods. In other words, in a growing country, the supply of money

increases at once but the supply of goods takes time to increase. Also India’s population has increased. This has

further increased inflation. Also because of the growing population, corruption is also increasing. There is

another cause for rising prices. The production of goods has been very slowly rising. High targets were set to be

achieved in defense and development. No consideration was given to the existing state of economy. The pressure

on resources has been increasing. The gap between the return and investment also has its effect upon the present

price situation. All the while, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poor. Rising prices also

encourage hoarding, profiteering, black-marketing and corruption. They also discourage export. They cause

devaluation of currency.

According to economists, in a growing economy, like India, price rise is inevitable. It is only when such

increase becomes detrimental and intemperate that politicians and economists feel obliged to sit up and take

notice. Then they try to pinpoint the causes and begin their search for remedial measures to bring the situation

back to normal. This is exactly what has happened here also. Our politicians have started taking notice of price

rise just way too late. It will be very tough to control it now.

However, measures will have to be taken. These include both long-term and short-term ones. The

seizing of black money is one such measure. It is well know that large amounts of money are illegally kept in tax

havens around the world like Switzerland and the Cayman islands. The challenge is to bring all the cash back

and punish the wrong-doers. However, the government seems to be unwilling to do anything, a curious

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paralyzed response that is potentially costing the nation billions. Another measure that may help is curbing of

unproductive expenditure by the Government.

Another big reason for price rise in India is the global crisis that seems to have no end in sight. Spain

and Italy, coincidentally the finalists of Euro 2012 both seem to be heavily affected. There is nothing we can do

about the prevailing global economic atmosphere and its effect on the price situation in India. But we can of

course at least try to mitigate its effect on the general populace. The recent price rise in the essential

commodities has hurt the common man where it hurts the most. The prices of onions, tomatoes, pulses which

add flavor to the otherwise normal lifestyle of the below average Indian have all skyrocketed. The prices of

pulses, which form a staple food for most of the country has increased horrendously over the past two years.

What is even more horrendous is the apathy that the government has displayed. Higher production of pulses will

also result in less usage of nitrogenous fertilizer.

Inefficient government policy can also be seen in many areas. For example, onions. Onions being

perishable, its usage and movement should be planned in advance. However, our government does not seem to

have anything resembling a plan. Consequently the price of onions has also rocketed upwards. The price of

petrol and diesel has also been increasing. The Government says that it is because of international crude oil

prices. However, the Government does not do anything about double taxation.

Fixed-income groups like salaried people, wage-earners and pensioners are the most helpless victims of

inflation. As prices rise, their real income gets decreased. The dearness allowance which the government

sanctions from time to time proves to be no use to them, because their purchasing power actually goes down.

Inflation induces businessmen to invest their money in nonproductive assets like gold and land whose real worth

is not affected by rising-prices. High prices also adversely affect the exports of the country and distort the

balance of foreign trade.

The entire strategy of planning should be changed. There should be equal attention on heavy industries

and agriculture and consumer goods. Also, the mounting governmental administrative expenditure should be

drastically curtailed as it is mostly wasteful and non-development expenditure. Finally and most importantly, no

hoarder, profiteer or black marketer should be left to continue his or her work with impunity.

Our government is quite cognizant of the magnitude and implications of the problem. It has already

initiated a number of steps to check inflationary tendencies. What we now need is a strict enforcement of these

steps. Apart from accelerating growth and imposing curbs on money supply, we need an effective distribution

organization. We also need the support of the social workers and other citizens to keep a watch on the unethical

practices of shopkeepers.

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Corruption must be ended at all levels. Corruption adds to the problem of prices. Bribing is common and

this leads to the rise in the prices of goods. For example, a job that can be done by paying a small amount needs

more money because some officials would not do it till they get extra money for it. This leads to an imbalance in

the market and often prices don't remain fixed and lead to an addition to the burden on the common man.

The problem of price rise is multi-faceted and many-layered. A modern-day Hydra as one can see. As

soon as one of the heads is cut off than two more grow in its place, each just as terrible and ugly as the one cut

off. The need of the hour is a concerted effort that will strike at the heart of the problem. Our ‘netas’ and ‘babus’

should take the lead in this regard.

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TIME IS MONEY

These words of the great Benjamin Franklin give us but an inkling as to just how important time is. The

sands of time slide out of our grasping fingers, slowly but surely. Inevitably each and every living thing

succumbs to it. Gutta cavat lapidem, after all. In this ever-changing world, time has gained more importance.

The small toddler you see now will in time become a blithe young lad. No sooner are those childish pranks of his

youth are done than responsibilities are thrust upon him. Responsibilities that will burden him for the rest of his

life. Soon, almost within the blink of an eye, the mirror will inform him of things he will not want to know.

Sunken eyes, grey hair will all trumpet things that he will not want to hear. And then a time in the twilight will

come to pass when he will just sit down and wonder whether he is satisfied with what he done with his life.

Whether, his was a life worth living and whether he had lived it well. Whether he would have liked to change

something. At this moment, the answer should be no. However, all too often the answer is yes. However, at this

late point nothing can be done. Because once lost, time does not give a second chance.

We use our money to buy things that we need, what we want. We spend our time doing things that we

need and want. Time is money, money, time. We are given but a single chance to live our lives and we should

take full advantage of it. We should live our lives with no regrets. “Lost time is never found again”, said

Benjamin Franklin. We should realize the inherent value of time. Time is as precious as money and perhaps

more. However rich a man is, he cannot buy himself more time. Of course he can extend his life a bit, but cannot

extend it indefinitely. There is only a certain amount of sand in the hourglass of our lives, right? In the end, we

should look back satisfied at what we have done and achieved.

Gone are those care-free days of yore, where the maxim ‘bene qui latuit, bene vixit”, held strong. We are

now in the age of T20 cricket, where big shots reign supreme. Everyone wants to reach those higher echelons of

our highly stratified society. To become a ‘big shot’. Parents start planning for their children very early these

days. The route to the IITs and IIMs is laid out even before the young toddlers have learnt to walk. The air of

leisure that our parents lived in has dissipated, to be replaced by the heavy fog of expectation and pressure.

India’s population has been burgeoning all this time. The level of competition has increased exponentially. And

after our education is complete, it does not just go away. In our workplaces too, each and every one of us has to

fight to reach the top. The weak are easily and ruthlessly weeded away. This is what our world has come to. In

such a situation, we have to make good use of every little thing that can help us. And time is by no stretch of

imagination a small thing. It is a very important factor in every success. The importance of time management

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cannot be overstated. Time literally is money in the business world. After all, doing things at the wrong time can

be fatal in business.

Wasting time is never an option. However, we very often waste time. What we should realize is that

wasting time is like wasting money. “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst”, said William Penn.

We do things that we regret in hindsight. It is almost inevitable. We should realize the importance of time and try

to minimize our mistakes. Because our mistakes will cost us. Very often at those crucial moments we are caught

napping. Very often we are led astray by our own weakness or the weakness of our loved ones. In the dog-eats-

dog atmosphere prevalent at the highest levels, using time effectively is critical. If we waste time, then our

adversaries will be able to take full advantage, because life is full of adversaries just itching to take advantage of

us.

“Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and

minutes every day. Rich people can't buy more hours. Scientists can't invent new minutes. And you can't save

time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you've

wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow”, said Denis Waitley. Time bestows upon all of us the same

opportunities. What we do with those twenty four hours of every day is what differentiates us from every other

person who walks the planet.

Time’s value cannot be overestimated. A single lifetime is given to all of us, even though proponents of

reincarnation may disagree. We must seize it and take full advantage. We should aspire to enjoy ourselves

thoroughly and also leave behind something worth being remembered by. Money is man’s most desired

possession. Money can buy anything that its owner wants. In the same way time, if used properly can buy

anything that its owner wants. Time can also wipe away pain. Pain caused in our professional or personal life

can be wiped away in time. “Time brings all things to pass”, said Aeschylus. No wonder time is called as the

great healer.

Some people say that they can never find the time to do the things that they want to do. They must find

the time. Time will have to be created by adjusting our routines and daily timetables. We must sincerely work

hard keeping our future in our minds if we want to reach the lofty goals and aspirations we have aimed for. After

all, it is not the past or the future that is important, but now. If we do not procrastinate we will not regret

anything ever. We should use our time wisely. Between the ages of 15 and 25 is a crucial period for all of us.

What we do in that time will determine what we reach in future. We should not lose our resolve or concentration

at this point of time. Instead we should work very, very hard. Because time invested in working hard then will

result in money in the future. If on the other hand we decide to pour passer le temps by indulging in too much

fun, our future will not be so money-filled.

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THE FUTURE OF HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IN INDIA

The Hospitality Industry of India is growing at a fabulous pace like so many other Indian industries.

With the high medium-term growth rate envisaged for the Indian economy, it looks as if the Indian hospitality

industry will grow at a good rate for quite some time. With the growing investments being put into

infrastructure, the future of the hospitality industry in India seems to be very rosy indeed.

Over the last few years, since the current Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opened up the Indian

economy in the 1990s, India has experienced a very high growth rate. A growth rate second to only China in the

given time frame. This high growth rate has attracted humongous investments from foreign entities. This has

resulted in the development of various sectors and has also spawned more investments from different quarters. It

is a very profitable cycle as you might say. The Indian government, with the unbearable pressure being put on it

by corporate entities, now has only one goal in mind. And that is to keep these investments flowing. When any

signs of a slowdown even marginally appear, the government huffs and puffs until they are annihilated. A

government of the rich. A government of the 1%. This government certainly is a far cry from the one that Pandit

Nehru had in mind. This has resulted in a few good things of course. The roads have become better. Only those

roads in the richest parts of the richest cities of India, of course. Flyovers have been built, shiny skyscrapers have

been built. One side of India has become modernized. Only one side. The other side laments its fortune and

looks wistfully at the other side.

Accommodation, food and beverage, meeting and events, gaming, entertainment and recreation, tourism

services, all make up the hospitality industry. One factor which unites all these services is that people go for

these services only when all their basic needs are fully met. These are luxury services, one might say. They just

increase the comfort of our lives. Over the last few years, India has witnessed a marvelous growth. However the

benefits of this growth have not trickled down properly. It is to the ever-lasting disgust of all concerned that this

growth has been concentrated. The richest people of India just grow richer and richer and the poor just wallow in

their own misery. It is a vicious cycle. A cycle that is now spiraling out of control. This has also robbed the

hospitality industry blind. If India’s growth had spread more evenly, more people would have spent more on

luxury services. These days what see is that the richest people in India who make up a very small part of the

population are the only ones who spend on luxury services. The contribution of the upper middle class is also

substantial. However the contributions from the rest of the classes are negligible. However, if the effects of

India’s economic growth had seeped down properly, things would have been very different. The rich and the

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whole middle class would have made a considerable use of luxury services. This has thus been the hospitality

industry’s loss.

So as we can see, the hospitality industry has lost quite a large amount of moolah. But as the hospitality

industry caters to only a few people, the quality has gone up. Quality and quantity, very similar words to

enunciate, are very often inversely proportional to each other. So the hospitality industry’s quality is of the

highest level. Comparable in many ways to anything that the rest of the world has to offer. Foreign nationals are

often amazed at the quality of luxury services in India. The Indian government has realized that to attract more

investments in sectors in Indian industries, we would have to cater to the sentiments of these foreigners. So they

have tried to replicate in India a culture that is very similar to the one that these people would find back home,

wherever they are from. That in other words has meant a blind aping of western culture and values. Which has

both good and bad points. And the hospitality industry has a very big role to play in this. Emperor Napoleon

once said, “An army marches on its stomach”. Well, it looks now as if quite a few things depend on what goes

inside people’s stomachs. Like investments. A big portion of the hospitality industry revolves around food and

its various manifestations.

With the economic slowdown and its aftereffects that continue to this day, the hospitality industry has

seen a decrease in its growth rate. But with the economic situation looking up, notwithstanding the persistent

euro-zone troubles, the hospitality industry looks set to take off once more. And this growth will probably be an

incessant, strong one. Because if one looks at it, it will be impossible to prevent the effects of growth from

reaching hoi polloi. Sooner or later, the effects will trickle down. It is just that the rate of seepage, if one might

call it as such is very low. Movements like the Anna Hazare fast against corruption show us how Indians have

that vitality in them to control their own futures. They have that thirst to rise up. Jawaharlal Nehru in his book,

“The Discovery of India” maintained that he saw in the Indian people a spirit, some thing that he says he also

found in the people of China, Russia and the United States. He said however that being of Indian origin, his

judgment was clouded and that it was quite possible that he had so much wanted this spirit to be there in the

Indians that he may have misjudged his country. We see that spirit now in Anna Hazare.

A country with a billion people would be like an elephant, you might have thought. Slow, inefficient,

wallowing in the mud all the time. Well, even elephants can run quite fast when they put their minds to it! Faster

than any sprinter anyway. So can India. The Occupy Wall Street protests and the Arab Spring also show us how

an oppressed people will never take blows lying down. Living standards will improve. It may take centuries, but

they will improve. The hospitality industry will then have to prepare for a heavy demand for its services. A

demand that right now it is ill-equipped to meet. Imagine the burgeoning millions of India and then you can

imagine the demand. This would of course mean a high growth rate in future for the hospitality industry. So a

sector that is doing pretty well right now will do even better in future. Hospitality is after all a high-end industry.

The smell of money always hangs low here. Where there are rich people, the hospitality industry will surely

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follow. India had been browbeaten by the long British occupation. It is only now finding its footsteps. It still has

to claim its rightful place near the very top of world hierarchy. It still is a nation of the poor. All that is set to

change in the near future. The Hospitality industry still has quite some distance to grow.

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TIME AND TIDE WAIT FOR NONE

Life goes on. Waiting for no one and not giving anyone a second chance. For it is our bus to catch and

no one else’s. Life, ever-capricious and ever-unforgiving, follows her own path. The past is the past and cannot

be changed, however much we wish it. Every opportunity must be grabbed at with both hands. Life is

mechanical. It goes from dizzy zeniths to dismal nadirs with no apparent link to anything. In such a scenario we

can only sit and hope that we see more peaks than nadirs; taste more of success and less of failure. Action is

sine-qua-non for success, as the Germans would say. A wise man once said, “An idle mind is the devil’s

workshop”. One must try to manufacture his or her own luck actively. Once an opportunity is lost, it will not

come back, however much we regret wasting it. Prevention is better than cure. So it is always best to pursue

one’s targets with passion and not let any dregs of destructive laziness to come in the way as it always threatens

to do.

And it is not enough just to wait for the train to arrive. In this age of weighty competition, a certain

amount of dedicated preparation is indispensable to catching the train. Otherwise we will be left behind, with our

baggage strewn all around us, alone and lost. It all lies in Lady Luck’s fickle hands. Hard work and talent are

very often unrelated to success. Not always, but all too often, all that matters is opportunity and luck. This

should however not be a deterrent to giving it one’s all. We should “give it our best, and to God leave the rest”,

as an old aphorism goes. We should make the best use of our time. Time once lost, does not come back. We all

have a fixed time on this planet. Time is running out, to use a clichéd expression, and we should somehow try to

make a difference to this planet before we finally go to sleep.

Everyone tries to leave a mark. Something to be remembered by, even when the interred bones crumble

and rot. It is more of a subconscious desire. Something for philosophers to discuss and psychologists to study. At

some point of time, when the youthful feeling of indestructibility of one’s teens passes away and middle age sets

in, people become more spiritual. They have set out to accomplish their youthful goals and now that they are in

sight of their goals, they begin to think what next? They realize that whatever they accomplish in one lifetime

may be leveled, totally annihilated over time. They begin to analyze their contributions to mankind and see them

to be mere specks of dust. They thirst to be remembered, by the generations to come. Kings of yore, more

powerful than hoi polloi, tried to propagate their memories by building monuments to themselves which scream

of their myriad achievements. Some failed and some, like King Ashoka succeeded. The blue, 24-spoke chakra

signifies that King Ashoka’s memory will live as long as India exists. Doing good is not the only way one will

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be remembered. After all, Gavrilo Princep and Nathuram Godse live on in public memory; bereft of the halo we

would naturally associate with a Mahatma Gandhi or an Ashoka, but remembered nevertheless.

We should live our respective lives in such a way that at the end of it we do not look back with any

regrets at all. There should not be anything that we would have done differently. After all, we get only one shot

at life. The karma theory postulates differently, but that is of course a subject of much debate. We should thus

make the best of it. We should make our own decisions so that we can take responsibility for our own actions.

We should not keep on postponing decisions until it is just too late. We will then have the rest of our lives to

regret it. We keep wondering what would have been different if we had done that one thing differently. We

should just clinch our respective teeth and go for it. Because later we might regret not doing it. Very often all

that is needed is a bit of courage.

In this age of twenty-twenty cricket, where we simply do not have the time to do anything, time

management comes to the fore. We will have to manage our time very carefully so that in the end we are able to

finish all our work at the proper time. Life these days is very hectic. People have to balance several things all at

once. We should put all our efforts to balancing things properly or in the end we might regret not putting more

effort into our work. Such a situation must not come about by any chance. Keeping this is mind, we should use

each and every moment to our advantage. We should never waste even a single second. A little bit of enjoyment

is of course necessary. However, too much of it is not good at all. We should follow a middle path. A path of

moderation in everything, like the one the great Roman poet Horace followed. He followed ‘aurea mediocritas’

or the ‘golden mean’, which means the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of

deficiency. Otherwise we bibere venenum in auro. Because after all, time and tide wait for none. Time does not

care what we are up to. It just does its job. And its job is to silently pass by. Nothing is as absolute, as final as the

ticking of the clock. It signifies moments that will never come back, however much we might hope. A

disquieting thought, I must say.

The world is filled with people who were not able to realize their goals. In the rat race, in a world where

dog eats dog, where survival is of the fittest and only the fittest, it is of utmost importance that we somehow

mould ourselves properly. We have to be adaptable, subtle, ever-changing. Time is unforgiving. Life is

unforgiving. It gives us very few chances to prove ourselves. We must toil to give ourselves that slight advantage

that will catapult us to the top. Life waits for none. The clock ticks on, tick-tock tick-tock. A mechanical thing.

An uncaring, unforgiving thing. We are all in its mercy. Seconds change into minutes, then into hours and days.

The hours and days then almost magically morph into months and years. Before we know it, it is all gone. A

lifetime has passed away without us knowing it. Without experiencing it. A lifetime is perhaps too short to do all

the things that we want to do. To be all the things that we want to be. However, that is the best we have and we

better make the best of it. For in the end, whatever we accomplish, whatever we do, it will all be forgotten. “Dust

thou art and unto dust shalt thou return”, says the Bible and not without reason. We would do well to make the

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best of the opportunities that wander into our path. And it would be best to just grab those opportunities and not

let them get away. After all opportunities are like fish- very slippery, right?

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OUR WILDLIFE HERITAGE

India is a beautiful land in every way. From chilly northern summits to luxurious beaches, India can

boast of a varied topography matching that of any other country. Myriad flora and fauna have made India their

home. Pens and quills of varied shapes and sizes have long extolled India’s prosperity when it comes to wildlife.

India’s national animal, the tiger is a beautiful creature. Power and beauty combined to give us one explosive

package. It is a symbol of what our wildlife heritage is. Of how wealthy and diverse India’s wildlife is. However,

off late, India’s wildlife heritage has been facing several dangers that have threatened to rob it of its sheen.

Deforestation, global warming and related issues have cast their baleful, dark shadows on this attractive land.

Our wildlife heritage is in grave jeopardy and we would do well to do something about it. After all, if it is not

our responsibility, then whose is it?

Over the years, India’s wildlife has just kept on decreasing, keeping pace with similar depressing trends

throughout the world. Various marquee creatures like the Royal Bengal Tiger have come close to extinction,

albeit recent news is more on the positive side. The situation has now become well-nigh unacceptable.

Something concrete must be done to prevent a further deterioration in the situation. It is the job of our

administration, the ‘netas’ and the ‘babus’ to do something. However, they seem to be stuck at denial mode.

Even the few things they do to improve the situation lack the ‘bite’ to be effective. A strong, determined

leadership with the power and more importantly, the will to do something, to build something out of what

appears to be nothing is sine qua non to a safe and desirable future. However, for that, hoi polloi must take

concrete measures to ensure that responsible, hardworking leaders come to the top. Something that admittedly

needs a bit of work in the current scenario.

India has about 350 different species of mammals, 1200 different species of birds which cover 14

percent of the world’s avifauna, 453 different species of reptiles, 182 different species of amphibians and 14500

different species of angiosperms. Also India boasts 45000 plant species that constitute 6.4 percent of plant

species on earth. The Andaman and Nicobar islands alone house 2200 species of flowering plants and 120

species of ferns. When all's said and done, India has 77000 species of animals, about 50000 species of insects

and about 13000 species of butterflies and moths. The sixteen major forest types of India are distributed in 10

distinctive biogeographic zones, having 25 subdivisions and a much larger variety of ecosystems. Throwing

around these mammoth figures gives us an idea as to India’s richness. Not a full idea, because such things cannot

be expressed in mere numbers, but an idea nevertheless. Beauty after all cannot be expressed in numbers. Nor

satisfactorily in words.

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It is important to realize the importance of every species. Even if one species goes extinct it will not be

possible to cover up the consequences of the loss. Each organism plays a unique role in its habitat. It has a

particular function. After all nature has developed, evolved, with that creature in the midst of the cycle of life.

Any changes in that cycle will invariably result in unforeseen and most probably, unfortunate consequences.

Most extinctions happen these days due to the irresponsible actions of humans. We must take care that such

things do not blow out of all proportion. However, this seems to be happening. Globalization and

Industrialization seem to have done massive damage to our wildlife heritage. These problems are not specific

only to India. Throughout the world, countries seem to be facing the same problem. Every country, big and

small. A problem exacerbated by mankind’s ostensible apathy to the heavy damage he has wrought on his fellow

human beings.

This is not to mean that no steps are being taken. Concepts such as carbon credits are being introduced.

This will make mega-corporations less enthusiastic to damage our environment. But the point is, these steps are

not enough. Not by a long shot. After all, destruction of our environment hangs like Damocles’ sword above us.

We are peacefully living our respective lives, without realizing that any moment the sword, held by a single

horse hair might come crashing down upon us. Damocles realized that a safe life was a better options, in spite of

the riches that came with the overhanging sword and stepped away. However, we cannot do so. We have brought

upon this situation on ourselves and we must try to make the best of it. The danger is magnified, considering the

stakes involved and our inexperience with the ways of the world, despite our technological advancements.

Sustainable development is the kind of development where we protect our resources so that future

generations are also able to use them. This concept is seen to be a very desirable one. However, unmitigated

development over the last few decades has not been allowing it to fully bloom. It is our bounden responsibility to

see to it that future generations do not suffer because of our miscalculations and perhaps even willful actions.

We must inculcate sustainable development in every action of ours. The powers at be must look to protect our

environment and bring to life powerful laws that can check the damage being wrought on our wildlife. We must

embrace sustainable development a bras ouverts. This holds true not only for India but for all other countries too.

Powerful entities are out there trying to make a quick buck. They look to our wildlife, weakly protected, if at all

and take full advantage. And the government very often just looks on, sometimes even compliant in the whole

obscene ritual. A regime of transparency will have to be erected. A regime where questions can be asked and are

answered quickly. Where the media is given powers to question every shadowy deed. It will be very tough to

realize such a dream. But with a bit of work, a system resembling it can be set up. What will be required is

concern. A very simple word really, concern. Shame we have too less of it. Concern for our environment, for our

wildlife. Only then can our wildlife heritage recover from the horrid damage wrought on it.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL FITNESS

“If a man achieves victory over this body, who in the world can exercise power over him? He who rules

himself rules over the whole world”, said Vinoba Bhave an Indian advocate of nonviolence and human rights

who is best known for the Bhoodan Andolan and who is considered as a National Teacher of India and the

spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi. It is of utmost importance to be physically fit. On the other hand, one

should not devote too much of his or her time on their bodies. It is after all a form of narcissism. We should

follow the philosophy of the great Roman lyric poet, Horace. He followed ‘aurea mediocritas’ or the ‘golden

mean’, which means the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency.

It is up-lifting being physically fit. One feels light, almost light enough to fly. It such a good feeling!

However, to become fit, one will have to do exercise. If we do not pay attention to our bodies, they will become

flabby. And being flabby is not good at all. It will be an excess weight on the mind. Something that we can

surely do without. “He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything”, said Thomas Carlyle, a

Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era who called economics as “the

dismal science”. He brought a trenchant style to his social and political criticism and a complex literary style to

his works. His words ring true.

Being healthy is of utmost importance for us all. After all what is life without a hale and hearty body?

Without the fitness to enjoy it, life is drab and boring with extended hours being spent in the land of

counterpane. What use is money if it cannot buy health? “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold

and silver”, said Mahatma Gandhi, the widely-admired and loved Father of our nation, the pre-eminent political

and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement who pioneered Satyagraha.

Being physically fit can also alter one’s attitude towards life. Being in a cramped, stuffy atmosphere is

never nice. A prolonged exposure to such an environment is never good for one’s morale. In order to avoid this,

going out and indulging in some form of sport can do wonders. Playing a game or indulging in a mild physical

activity is very good. And one might even find that he or she excels in it. Many a sportsperson have come up and

reached the pinnacles of their sports after initially taking it up for recreation. After all, one cannot expect a talent

to magically appear overnight. Even a Sachin Tendulkar, or a Roger Federer had to first play their sports to

realize they had a talent for it. “Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as

reading. I will rather say more necessary because health is worth more than learning”, said Thomas Jefferson an

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American Founding Father who was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and

the third President of the United States.

Exercise should be planned. One has to work out what exercises to do and follow a pre-planned regimen.

This will certainly be helpful. However, there is another essential component for success. However robust be the

engine of the physical fitness, it would just be an empty framework of metals, glass and plastics or muscles,

nerves and bones without the fuel of the willpower streaming through its tubes to drive it forward. In another

sense, willpower is the backbone, the spine that supports and gives strength to the physical body to stand straight

and move forward. Sans willpower, physical strength, however robust it be, is like huge mass, would we call it

potential energy, without a spur to convert in to work. The needed spur is provided by the willpower. It is the

willpower that transforms that potential energy to kinetic energy to finally harness it in to work. William

Shakespeare echoed the same sense when he said, “Our bodies are our gardens to which our wills are gardeners.”

It is in this sense that willpower precedes physical strength in the regimen of the physical fitness hierarchy.

Johnny Weissmuller meant exactly this when he said, “With but few exceptions, it is always the underdog who

wins through sheer willpower.” It only means that the willpower is the usual winner even while it lags in

strength as an underdog.

Indulging in physical activity to improve out fitness also has other benefits. It can help us socialize and

get to know more and more people. It can also help us academically. After all, exercise does help in enhancing

concentration. Exercise also helps us in sleep. Exercise is to a body what fine-tuning is to an engine. “Physical

fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative

intellectual activity”, 35th president of the U.S. Kennedy's youth, energy, and charming family brought him

world adulation and sparked the idealism of a generation, for whom the Kennedy White House became known as

“Camelot.” A charismatic personality, his life was tragically cut short before his time by Lee Harvey Oswald.

Supposedly, anyway. Murky rumors still abound as to his murderer or murderers, but well, that is beside my

point. He was also known as a brilliant orator and had a way with words.

Physical fitness, it has been proved, improves our mental strength. Physical fitness not only improves

our quality of life, but also helps us in the long run. It increases cardiovascular fitness and body endurance.

Regular exercise can also help increase the strength of your heart. What’s more, being physically fit also

increases blood circulation and helps it to deliver oxygen and nutrients to all the tissues. This not only helps the

muscles increase your overall body strength, but increases its ability to exert force and sustain contractions.

Physical fitness makes your joints and body more flexible, and regular exercise results in a decrease of body fat.

It increases lean body mass, resulting in a balanced and healthy body composition. A broken body is of no use.

Whatever be one’s mental powers, to make full use of them, a healthy body is sine qua non. A basic level of

fitness is required for our day-to-day activities. We would do well to keep this in mind.

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WE LIVE IN DEEDS, NOT IN YEARS

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years”, said Abraham Lincoln.

We are all given a finite amount of time in the world. Sooner or later, it comes to an end. All of us have

to bend to the touch of death at some point of time or the other. In that short span of time, all of us hope to make

some kind of a mark to be remembered by. Some kings went to the extent of constructing large monuments to

themselves in the hope that their memories would be perpetuated through them to future generations. We should

measure our lives by what we did with it rather than the time we spend here.

When we pass away from this world to the next, we leave behind all earthly things. The memories of us

in others also disappear when they pass away. The only things that remain are the records of what we have done.

They never disappear. For example, scientists like Satyendranath Bose (of boson fame) will forever be

remembered for their contribution to science. Their names will forever be remembered for their deeds. That is

how we will have to be remembered. The age is long past when we could perpetuate our memories by

constructing monuments, like the kings of yore. To be remembered by future generations, our deeds will have to

be big.

Over the centuries there have been many examples of people who have had a short life but who have

been able to achieve quite a lot in the small amount of time that they were allotted. They accomplished feats that

can never be forgotten. They include John Keats and Mozart. Keat’s poems and Mozart’s will never be in danger

of being forgotten as they hold a very important place in their respective fields.

When Achilles was asked by his mother whether he wanted a long but inglorious life or a short life with

one blaze of dazzling glory, he unhesitatingly chose the short life. It is for this reason that Achilles is so well

known even now as one of the greatest fighters the world has ever seen. This blaze of glory is the only reason

that he alone is remembered and no one else of his time is. Life should always be full of action, full of spice. It is

only that part which is remembered. Not the bland stuffing.

When one looks back at the end of a long life, what one tends to see is the “spicy bits”. Those bits where

one enjoyed the most or when one was sorrowful the most. “In the end, it's not going to matter how many

breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away,” said Shing Xiong. When one looks back at

one’s life and inevitably starts wondering at the things that he or she would have changed, one’s mind always

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turns to the things that one could have done. The little things that one could have done differently that would

have made a lot of difference to the world. After all, all of us would like to leave the world believing that we

have done something to improve it. To that end, it would be prudent to work as hard as possible. Because big

deeds do not come easily. Hard work is sine qua non to success.

Many great men like Swami Vivekananda and Guru Gobind Singh also led very short lives. However, in

such a short life span they were able to pack in many great deeds. However, they are still remembered where as

many who had much longer ones were not. We should try our level best to have a rich life. A life where we are

able to help make the world a better place. Where we are able to live to the fullest. There is no use of simply

sitting around and waiting for the days to go by. We have to make a plan and try to follow it as closely as

possible.

Mindless hedonism also is not the way to go. Pleasure is just one of the different emotions that we have

to feel. Our lives should be filled with a whole cacophony of emotions of all possible hues and shades. Only then

can we say that we have lived a complete life. We should devote some of our time in trying to improve the lot of

our fellow beings. Mother Teresa may have passed away but her name is immortal. Her deeds will be

remembered forever. The willingness with which she and the Missionaries of Charity did their work will never

be forgotten.

It has been rightly said by a poet. "One crowded hour of a glorious life is worth an age without a name."

The right to determine the number of years we shall live has not been given to us. However, what has been given

is the right to live our life as we can. To change our life by making decisions. We should use this to the fullest by

taking the right decisions. We should try and fill our lives with the so called “spicy bits”. While having soup,

what I or anybody for that matter likes is the little chunks of solid food. We can liken the soup in the bowl to our

life. With time, it goes away little by little. But what we remember in the end is the little chunks of food that

made our food so enjoyable. What gives us most sustenance is the very same little chunks of food in our soup.

Our life may be long, but if it is not eventful, there is no use for such a life. The salt of life is missing.

We feel most alive in those moments when we accomplish something or feel something. In the course of a

normal person’s life such moments are rather far apart. However, it is our job to make the space between them

less and less. That is the sole objective of life. In other words, we live our life the most in such moments. We

remember them the most and so we should try our level best to bring more such moments into our lives. Our

deeds represent us. What we do is important, almost more important than what we think. We will be

remembered by others in the form of our deeds. People’s memories of us are in the form of our deeds. That is

exactly why our deeds are so important.

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Man must not make mere longevity his solitary end in life. He must always be prepared to do as much as

he can within the limited lease of life that he has been granted. The performance of good work that is beneficial

to humankind should be his primary aim. Failure to do this will make his life sterile and unmeaningful. Life is

too sweet and precious a gift, too priceless a possession to be trifled with. We must not rush into danger merely

to show off our uncontrolled courage. But when duty calls or conscience dictates, we must not shirk it for fear of

hazard. The greatness of a feat depends not on the danger involved, but on its nobility.

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VALUE OF COMPUTER EDUCATION TODAY

Computer Education is now seen to be sine qua non to any profession. Since the days of ENIAC,

computers have come a long way. They now carry out most of the time-consuming and tedious work that people

used to do. Wherever we look, we see computers. From behemoth-like supercomputers that occupy the space

equivalent of several rooms to ultra-small smart phones, the world seems to be run over by computers. Every

small action requires the usage of computers, these days. No wonder this age is called the “Age of Computers”.

“Computing is not about computers any more. It is about living”, said Nicholas Negroponte. In such an

environment, where computers control everything, an understanding of the working of computers can be seen to

be a prerequisite for a comfortable existence. Knowledge after all, is power. Without a general knowledge of

how computers work, functioning as a useful member of society seems to be almost impossible. It is thus of

importance that each and every young mind is developed in such a way that he or she has an idea of how to use a

computer and the internet in the best way possible; to use a computer to help us in our day-to-day work. Steps

have to be taken to make every young child familiar with the usage of a computer, with the idea of a computer.

The myriad and mind-boggling uses to which it can be put to must be made common knowledge. Something that

is lacking presently. Unfortunately, in most cases, even a rudimentary knowledge of what a computer is does not

exist. People have been trying to change this, but to little avail. “Aakash” which has been billed as the cheapest

computer in the world hopes to revolutionize the field of education. But whether it will succeed even now is

highly doubtful.

The world of computers has grown and grown. It has been put into many uses. It has grown so fast that it

has been impossible to remain in touch with everything going on. Many different facets and sides of computers

are even now unraveling. Whole worlds are being created. Even though these worlds are but virtual, the scope

for their use in our very real world is unbounded. In future, our dependence on computers will certainly reach

even greater heights. “I think it's fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool

we've ever created. They're tools of communication, they're tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their

user”, said Bill Gates. To navigate our way through all the complicated mess that is advanced technology today,

knowledge of computers is very important. Computer Education thus remains a stairway through which people

will have to pass to reach greater and bigger things in future. Every field we look at, we can see ways in which

we can use computers. Our dependence on computers is only growing exponentially.

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The Information Technology Act, 2000 was established to provide a legal skeleton to facilitate

electronic trade and transaction. This act also aims at recognizing electronic contracts, prevention of computer

crimes, electronic filing, and digital signature. To integrate technology into the learning environment, the

Department of Information Technology has formulated two programmes- Vidya Vahini and Gyan Vahini. The

former would provide connectivity to schools across the country and the latter, IT infrastructure at all the higher

learning institutions in the country. Sankhya Vahini, the project launched by Indian Telecom Services along with

IU Net .is all set to link over 100 universities, schools, hospitals and corporate establishments which would

enable cheaper and instantaneous data exchange. An ambitious project V-cop is on the anvil to connect the

Police Stations through an all India network. The software FACT provides fingerprint statistics with a centrally

located server at National Crime Records Bureau.

“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary

man”, said Elbert Hubbard. Whatever advances have taken place in technology till now, we still need human

beings. Trained humans, at that. People who are able to play around with a computer at will. And for this,

computer education is extremely important. For whatever computers can do right now, however advanced

computers are, they still do not have the power to think. That power remains confined to humans only. And so

long as it is confined, humans will be required wherever computers are and all those destructionist fantasies of

computers taking over will remain but colorful fantasies. The lack of an education in computers can thus be seen

to be a rather deep void in a person’s education. Even in rural areas now, computers have made their mark. In the

not too distant future, computers will probably have become common there too. It is only a matter of time before

something like that happens. With all the schemes that the Government of India has on the anvil, it will only be a

matter of time. So, it is important that each and every youngster realizes the proper usage of a computer and

more importantly how to use a computer in whatever field he or she takes up. After all, a computer can be put to

a huge number of uses.

Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. “I don't think anybody can

talk meaningfully about one without the talking about the other”, said Bill Gates. Computer games for small

children are also now being developed with the basic object of educating them. For example, some games

necessitate children to count the number of objects being presented in front of them and then select the right

number to win points. This enhances their mathematical skills while they play and enjoy themselves. Some

researches indicate that games requiring speedy hand-eye coordination also help in improving activity in neurons

and make individuals able to react quicker to complex situations. So we see that computers even in fun and

games are quite helpful in developing certain latent skills.

Computers work at such a high speed that they can do any work much faster than human beings. The

IBM Sequoia computer, the fastest computer in the world right now has a LINPACK performance of 16.32

petaflops. That means ten to the power of fifteen floating point operations per second. They are becoming even

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faster with time. Computers are becoming more and more powerful. It is hard to imagine someone surviving in

future without at least some idea of how computers work and how to make them complete jobs. For this reason,

it will be important to acquire a certain amount of computer education, whatever be the field of one’s interest.

Computer science is an ever growing field. With every passing year, the field of technology is growing

exponentially. The field of technology is completely unrecognizable from what it had been at the turn of the

century. It will grow even more in the days to come. The rate at which these changes are taking place is

phenomenal. And all this technology will sooner or later play a very important role in our lives. Technology is

being put to newer and newer uses.

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WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY

“The man who thinks he can and the man who thinks he can't are both right. Which one are you?” said

Henry Ford. All too often we find that what we want, what we need, is tantalizingly out of our grasp. There is

nothing abnormal with that. We all feel that way some time or the other in our lives. At this point of time, it is

crucial that we go on and on, without paying heed to the discouraging thoughts that seem to have us by the scruff

of our necks. That is the only way to succeed. Those who stop discouraged and despondent, wallowing in their

own misery will never be able to get what they want. However, those who soldier on will get what they want and

more besides.

After all failures are the pillars of success. If at first one is not able to succeed, one should use the

lessons learnt from our mistakes and try again in a better fashion. Never should the idea of quitting come into

one’s mind. A positive attitude is sometimes the only thing that stands between success and failure. One should

not get discouraged by failure too easily. After all, every one on the planet has tasted bitter failure at some time

or the other. Even the most successful people on the planet have failed miserably at times. “I’ve missed over

9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot

and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed”, said Michael Jordan.

The life of Abraham Lincoln was infested with crippling setbacks at regular intervals. However, he did

not falter at any step. He stood tall and marched mechanically onwards. His is a sparkling example of just how

powerful a drug determination can be. It enthused him to higher levels of achievement and even now, historians

usually rank him among the greatest leaders in world history. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not

realize how close they were to success when they gave up”, said Thomas Edison.

If we are determined enough, minor setbacks will not affect us. If it is apparent that we will strive on

until we reach our goal(s), even the most resolute and rocky barriers can be overcome. One can even make a case

for self-determinism. “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen” said Ralph Waldo

Emerson. If we decide firmly that our path is set, with no little voices in our ears whispering otherwise, our

resolve will by itself cause what we want to happen. Even the hardest rocks have a way of crumbling into

nothing more than dust if water flows for long enough over it. It is only of question of time before the fire of

determination blazes a path through all opposition.

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“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen

to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself

with hope”, said Barack Obama. The key is to be proactive. Sometimes it is best not to think too much about

things and simply go and do the things that need to be done. Too much analyzing of unsuccessful past attempts

is detrimental in the long run. It makes one distracted. All it takes is a bit of luck and before long, we will nail it

between the eyes. It almost does not matter what path we pursue, if in the end we work towards a goal with

sufficient determination, whatever we do, in the end we are bound to succeed. All it takes is a bit of our time.

It is all a matter of the mind. The human mind is a delicate but powerful object. Capable of exceptional

things, it has long been considered an objet d’art. The intricate network of umpteen nerve cells connect together

in myriad ways to create what is considered evolution’s magnum opus, till now any way. Outstanding physical

deeds have often been ascribed to people under deep pressure. They phrase it “adrenaline rush”. A “fight-or-

flight” response of our body that enables us to cross distinctive limits placed on our bodies and allows us to

function, for some time at least, in a superhuman-like state. Our mind realizes that we are in a pressure-situation

and somehow lifts us to extricate ourselves from the confronting situation. Now, all this is usually associated

only with physical deeds, but we can extrapolate it to other situations too. If we just focus our mind on

something and work hard to realize it, there is no reason that we will not.

“I've always found that anything worth achieving will always have obstacles in the way and you've got

to have that drive and determination to overcome those obstacles on route to whatever it is that you want to

accomplish”, said Chuck Norris. Even when all seems lost, we must blindly go on. Very often, all that is

required is to cling limpet-like, whatever be the situation we are stuck in. Sooner or later, something is bound to

happen. Whatever be the situation, the one thing that must not happen is that we should not lose heart and give

up. We might take recourse to religion and believe that it is all for our good in the end. We should not get

discouraged by sequences of failures and instead believe that it is all for the best.

Our honored former President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is one example. He wanted to become a pilot. He

failed in his mission. The Air Force selected only eight people and he was ranked ninth. So what does he do? He

becomes a renowned scientist and a model President, one of the greatest Indians of all time. He did not let his

failure at becoming a pilot block him psychologically. That is what we should all remember when the road

seems unconquerably uphill. When you are down on your knees with the weight of the world on your shoulders,

think of all the things you already have. Count your many blessings and realize how lucky you are. And then

attack your goal with renewed vigor. That is the only way.

“And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your

mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high”, said Ayrton

Senna. Once one has the resolve one needs, the whole outlook changes. One will be able to do the things that he

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or she only dreamt of before. Because once the eyes are closed to everything apart from the path at hand, it

becomes clear that the only path ahead is the one in front of us and our mindset changes from an escapist attitude

to a more positive one. It is only then that we can realize our true potential. But for all this to happen, what must

be present is a steely, inflexible determination. A prerequisite of elephantine proportions. Because this kind of a

determination is not something everyone has. The human psyche scars easily. But if one develops a elephant-like

skin, the possibilities are endless and limited only by our imagination.

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TERRORISM: A THREAT TO GLOBAL PEACE

One insalubrious phenomenon that seems to have become common over the last few decades is

terrorism. Wherever we look, we see how terrorists are trying to take nations hostage and accept their views. Be

it in cold Chechnya or the Middle East, global peace seems to under a grave attack. An attack that seems to show

no sign of letting up. More and more people are being caught up in a vicious circle spiraling downwards into

total anarchy. Terrorism seems to be a parasite that cannot win and also can never win. It seems to be a constant

irritant, a mosquito, a fly, capable of quite powerful stings sometimes.

The concept of terrorism is basically trying to force the Government into accepting the terrorists’

demands by carrying out atrocious deeds and then justifying the deeds done by invoking the notion of the

“greater good”. This sickening phenomenon seems to be gaining ground everywhere. People seem to think that

they can make the Government do whatever they desire by forcing them enough with unspeakable deeds.

However, the Government cannot be seen giving in to the terrorists’ demands and so resists the terrorists’

demands. This leads to a stalemate. The Government is always much stronger but cannot completely annihilate

the terrorists and so the logjam remains. All the time innocent people are being killed. The more the Government

resists, the more the terrorists push.

Sometimes the terrorists become so strong that they start building up to take on the Government in more

conventional forms of warfare, like the LTTE. That is a mistake, as once the terrorists abandon their amorphous

form they become easy prey. Their strength is their vaporous form and once they leave this and look to more

than just guerilla warfare, they are doomed, just like the LTTE. This maybe a bit of an oxymoron as terrorist

organizations usually envisage their own country with organized structures, such as army, navy and so on and

feel that they should build such organizations as soon as possible. However, this is a doomed enterprise as once

the Government starts fighting in conditions familiar to it, it will win.

“I was called a terrorist yesterday, but when I came out of jail, many people embraced me, including my

enemies, and that is what I normally tell other people who say those who are struggling for liberation in their

country are terrorists. I tell them that I was also a terrorist yesterday, but, today, I am admired by the very people

who said I was one”, said Nelson Mandela. This raises food for thought. Are those people who are called

terrorists nothing more than the Mandelas of tomorrow? Let us examine a quote by bin Laden on terrorism- “If

inciting people to do that [9/11 attacks] is terrorism, and if killing those who kill our sons is terrorism, then let

history be witness that we are terrorists”. So what is the difference between a bin Laden and a Mandela? Both

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were after all fighting for a belief that they held as important. Or is there no difference? Is it just another example

of how history treats winners and losers differently? No. There is one important difference. Nelson Mandela did

not resort such obnoxious means as blowing up people at any time in his life. He might have been a boxer when

he was young, but he left violence behind when he stepped out of the boxing ring and therein lies the difference

between the Mandelas and the bin Ladens of this world.

It is not an easy thing for the Government to stop terrorists from carrying out attacks. Terrorist groups

are usually close-knit structures and infiltrating them and getting information out of them is not at all an easy

task. The Indian Government has been facing the Naxalite menace for several years now and it looks as if the

Naxals are not going to be eradicated anytime soon. The Government has tried to bring about development in the

Naxalite-infested areas to no avail. They feel that if the lot of hoi polloi improves, then they will of course stop

joining the Naxal ranks. “I've never met anyone who wanted to be a terrorist. They are desperate people”, said

John Perkins. The people in Naxal-infested areas face real problems. This has given birth to and fuelled the

Naxal menace. The people there are caught between a rock and a hard place and join the ranks of the Naxalites,

hoping that their lives will improve. The Naxalites then make the situation worse. A vicious cycle indeed!

“How do you defeat terrorism? Don’t be terrorized”, said Salman Rushdie. Defeating terrorism and

terrorists is not easy. Innocent people will die by the thousands and the Government will not be able to do

anything about it. It will be powerless in most cases. It will just have to grit its teeth and try to alleviate the pain

and troubles of the most suffering. Whatever happens, the Government should not give in to the demands of the

terrorists. Of course, if the demands are reasonable, due consideration should be given. Dialogue should be

initiated with the leaders of the terrorists and it should be found out what the grievances of the terrorists are.

However, unreasonable demands should not be given any kind of consideration at all. If the terrorists get the

impression that the Government is weak, then their demands will escalate unreasonably.

Terrorism has got more sophisticated these days. Cyber-terrorism has become more common. Terrorist

organizations are trying to recruit people through the internet now. Many forums try to spread the ideals and

agenda of terrorists. Governments are trying to tackle this menace and have met with considerable success. In

the fast developing world, the usage of the internet has in some ways been detrimental. Terrorists are now able to

contact each other quickly and plan and co-ordinate their schemes better.

“Terrorism is carried out purposefully, in a cold-blooded, calculated fashion. The declared goals of the

terrorist may change from place to place. He supposedly fights to remedy wrongs - social, religious, national,

racial. But for all these problems his only solution is the demolition of the whole structure of society. No partial

solution, not even the total redressing of the grievance he complains of, will satisfy him - until our social system

is destroyed or delivered into his hands”, said Benjamin Netanyahu. Terrorism is a frighteningly deadly menace.

No one knows when and where terrorists will strike. Intelligence agencies have been trying their very best to

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stop terrorists, but have been intermittently successful only. The psyche of the common terrorist is a tortured,

fragile one. Anyone who can voluntarily kill a fellow human being is psychologically badly hurt himself. They

can and should be helped. Governments must try to weed away these poor, tormented people away from the evil

influences that shape them. The lower levels in the global hierarchy of terrorism are very often filled with these

kinds of people who can be ‘saved’. On the other hand, the people at the very top of the pyramid are cunning,

desperate people who very often have their own interests in mind or simply have the wrong ideals and a lot of

determination. They can be saved if they are shown the darkness in their path. They are after all, only human.

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IF I WERE THE RICHEST PERSON IN THE WORLD

Wealth is generally one of the measures of success. Perhaps not the most reliable one, but certainly one

of the main factors that hoi polloi consider while judging a person. Popular culture depicts a rich person as a big,

tanned, Armani draped, sunglasses sporting man rolling in and throwing around large wads of cash all the while

laughing for the fun of it all. However, in the real world, even the richest man in the world has many inhibitions

while spending his money. Of course there are Mallyas too. However, they are the exceptions. He or she has

exercised a lot of caution while building up his or her fortune and so extends this caution while preserving it. A

natural tendency.

If I were the richest person in the world, I would try to change this caricature that hounds rich people in

general. I would try to present a more empathetic and somber figure. I would try to give something back to the

society that has raised me up. I would also try to be moderately liberal when it comes to money. Instead of

letting monstrous sums of money accumulate undisturbed, I would like to use at least a bit for activities that I

feel are worthy.

I personally am completely against vulgar shows of money. I do not think that in a world characterized

by rampant poverty, where many are reduced to such a level that they leave all self-respect and resort to helpless

begging as a means of survival, crude shows of extreme wealth are appropriate. I would strive to reach ‘aurea

mediocritas’, a Latin phrase that denotes ‘the golden mean’ when it comes to money. It is meant to convey a

philosophy of not partaking too much in something. ‘Nec Dextrorsum, Nec Sinistrorsum’ which means neither

to the right nor to the left also means the same. It means that people should neither veer too much to one side nor

to another, but must undertake to walk in a path which follows the Greek ideal of ‘moderation in all things’.

Basically neither a Scrooge nor a Marie Antoinette.

I would also try to indulge in philanthropic activities and help people who most need help. Very often in

our world, the ones who need help the most are most neglected where as the rich somehow seem to attract more

and more wealth, resulting in an out-of-control, endless spiral which spells doom for the poorest of the poor.

Stopping this will require a concerted effort from all, and I think the richest man in the world will have a huge

responsibility, by virtue of his or her respected and pre-eminent position in society to do something about it.

When one reads newspapers one often comes across those pathetic, sad snippets about people suffering from

horrible conditions and requesting large sums of money for surgery. I would like to respond to their heart-

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rending pleas for help in any small way I could. I would like to be happy; after all what is the use of all my

money if I was not happy and could not make others too?

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ASSESSMENT OF CHINA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH VIS-À-

VIS INDIA’S

India and China are usually spoken of in the same breath these days. That is quite understandable

because these two countries are similar in many respects. However, above all, their recent history, especially on

the economic front bears several parallel lines. The two most populous countries in the world had been perceived

by observers to be dormant till now. However, recently, things seem to have taken a turn for the better for both

of these two countries and it is felt that the dragon and the elephant are rising.

China has moved a lot since the time of Mao Tse-tung and with Deng Xiaoping opening China to foreign

investment, the global market, and limiting private competition, China has changed a lot. Deng was generally

credited with developing China into one of the fastest growing economies in the world for over 30 years and

raising the standard of living of hundreds of millions of Chinese. India underwent a similar change, but a bit later

in the 1990s with the then Finance Minister Manmohan Singh changing things with the connivance of the then

Prime Minster Narasimha Rao.

With these two nations being neighbors, comparisons are almost unavoidable. In many ways China and India are

a bon chat bon rat. However, China holds the edge in a few ways. Having opened up its economy a bit earlier in

India, it has progressed farther. Its Communist style of governance brooks no argument and is characterized by a

rigid, inflexible approach, quite different from the democratic approach India has. Some say this is an advantage

and some disagree. However, till now both approaches have proved to be very effective. India has managed to

maintain an economic growth of 8 or near 8 for a very long time. China has maintained a slightly higher growth

level for quite some time too. China has usually had more success attracting Foreign Direct Investment and has a

much better infrastructure set-up than India, whose infrastructure is universally believed to be dismal to say the

least.

A mark of just how much these two countries can grow is the recent economic recession hardly affecting these

two countries while causing heavy damage in other countries. However China’s government is usually perceived

to be very quick with implementing new schemes, making the Indian government look slothful and snail-paced

by comparison. It is not for nothing that India is usually represented by an elephant and China by a dragon. And

even though elephants can run very fast for short distances, successive Indian governments have never shown

such tendencies. The old story of the hare and the tortoise may suggest otherwise, however, being speedy and

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streamlined is of utmost importance. Another factor we should always keep in mind while taking into account

these two countries is their huge populations. China’s government implemented birth-control schemes to keep its

population in check. This will result in India having a slightly higher working-age population in the near future.

So India can then try to press home this small advantage it has. China has also recently seen a few cracks in its

economy with phase two of the economic recession setting in and bubbles threatening to burst.

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FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR STRAINING OF RELATIONS

BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN

India and Pakistan have had a very long history. Since independence, these two countries have had

problems with each other. It all started with early territorial disputes, like the Junagadh dispute, an avant coureur

to the more famous Kashmir dispute that hounds Indo-Pakistan relations till today. Others include Siachen

Glacier and Kori Creek. With India helping Bangladesh gain its freedom in 1971, relations deteriorated even

further. Pakistanis saw this as a bitter humiliation. That another country could so brazenly violate its sovereignty

certainly riled its leaders. Another event that took place at that time was the overthrow of Afghan Soviet

Socialist Republic, a regime that India was on quite friendly terms with, something which involved active

Pakistani collusion. As this was happening, India started to lean towards the Soviet Union and Pakistan towards

the United States.

One of the main issues to be resolved is the Kashmir issue. It all started with the erstwhile Maharaja of

Kashmir Hari Singh in a dilemma whether to join India or Pakistan. Pakistan heard that the Maharaja would try

to join India and alarmed sent raider to annex Kashmir. With Kashmir forces no match for the invading troops,

the Maharaja desperately acceded Kashmir to India and so the whole issue started. The Indian troops were well-

positioned to take over the whole of Kashmir when the then Prime Minster Jawaharlal Nehru decided to heed the

United Nations mandate and called for a cease-fire. A massive mistake according to many analysts. Because

even if Pakistan had lost Kashmir, it would have got over it with time. However, with the issue of Kashmir in

suspended in limbo like now, things are a bit different. So a part of Kashmir remains with Pakistan to this day.

Pakistan very cleverly has allowed China to establish a massive presence here.

India and Pakistan then developed nuclear weapons. This developed a new dimension into the whole

relationship. Both countries treated each other warily as they knew that any unacceptable injury could lead to a

nuclear response. It is highly unlikely thus that another event like 1971 can take place. Tensions can however

still flare in the region as can be evinced from the 1999 Kargil War. Since the dawn of the new millennium too,

things have been pretty much the same. Events such as the attack on the Indian Parliament, the 2007 Samjhauta

Express blasts and the 2008 Mumbai blasts have soured things between the two countries. Another issue that has

clouded relations has been the water dispute between India and Pakistan. India has accused Pakistan of being too

lenient when it comes to terrorism. In fact, India has hinted that Pakistan actually condones terrorist activities

against it, something that may be true or false. However, announcing its suspicion to the world at large has only

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made relations become even worse. Pakistan has all the time maintained an altum silentium. With the volatile

situation prevailing in Pakistan, there is no telling what can happen. The Latin proverb “quod non expecte ex

transverso fit”, holds good here I fear.

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SACHIN TENDULKAR

The air is heavy with expectations. The little man at the crease adjusts his guard and looks up expectantly.

As the bowler begins his run-up he keeps his eye on the ball, concentrating all the while. As the bowler

approaches the crease, he exhibits a high backlift. And as the bowler hurls the ball with all the pace he can

muster, strokes the ball with a grace and panache perhaps matched but never surpassed to the fence. This scene

has been repeated again and again for more than twenty years now. Who else, but Sachin Tendulkar? The “little

master” is universally considered to be among the greatest who graced the game. He has dominated world

cricket by the sheer weight of his runs a’la the great English batsman Jack Hobbs. However, in his style of play

he resembles the great Australian, Sir Don Bradman as the great Australian himself said.

Every generation throws up new greats. W.G. Grace, Jack Hobbs, Walter Hammond, Don Bradman, Greg

Chappell, Gary Sobers, Vivian Richards, Brian Lara dominated their generations. All have a claim to be called

the best of all time. Actually I would say that Bradman had a bigger claim than the others. In fact, I do not think

anybody would disagree with me calling Bradman as the greatest of all time. After all, he dominated the sport in

a way no one has every dominated any sport, anywhere, any time. An average of forty above the second best

over 20 completed innings brooks no argument at all. 99.94 remains an iconic figure, one whose aura will not

dim for any time soon. However, for the spot of second best, I would put forward the name of Sachin Tendulkar.

I realize I will have to justify my statement. After all this is not a statement to be made lightly. How can I

say that Sachin is the second best? This brings up another question. What do I mean by great? I would say that

the factors which signify greatness are style, weight of runs and general impact on the game, or I can say

respect? All the batsmen who I spoke of earlier are graceful in their own ways, have scored heavily and are

highly respected among peers and analysts alike. However, I believe that Sachin has that little extra zest for

cricket that marks him out as the best among equals.

It is almost important impossible to give a detailed and complete list of all of Sachin’s umpteen

achievements. He holds the record for most centuries and most runs in both forms of the game. And more

importantly he has not got tired of the game even after playing it for so long. There have even been calls to

award him the Bharat Ratna. As the best cricketer and probably as the best sportsman from India, it would

certainly be the icing on the cake of his achievements.

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GLOBAL WARMING-ITS CAUSES AND EFFECTS

“Global warming is too serious for the world any longer to ignore its danger or split into opposing factions on

it”, said Tony Blair.

“The warnings about global warming have been extremely clear for a long time. We are facing a global climate

crisis. It is deepening. We are entering a period of consequences”, said Al Gore.

Global warming, which is basically the increase in the temperature of the earth’s neon-surface air is the

greatest challenge facing our planet. It has had and will have a far-reaching impact on the biodiversity and the

climatic conditions of the planet. Global average temperatures have risen significantly through the past century.

Unfortunately, the imbalance which we have created between our desire and the safety of the earth is already

showing warning signs. Disasters in the form of floods, cyclones, landslides, tsunamis, droughts, etc have

increased in frequency. If the imbalance continues to rise, one day it will question the existence of this planet.

Several trends clearly demonstrate that global warming is directly influencing rising sea levels, the

melting of ice caps and significant worldwide climate changes. In short, global warming represents a venomous

threat to all living things on earth. It has been found out that the planet’s temperature has risen 0.5 degree Celsius

since 1900 and it probably will continue to increase at an increasing rate. As a result, the world is getting

warmer. The year 1990 was the hottest year in the last century. Together with 1991, the years of 1983, 1987,

1988 and 1989 have been measured to be the warmest six years in the last hundred years. The year 1991 was the

second warmest year of the past century. The consequences of the rise in temperature are being felt all over the

globe. Scientific research done in this field has revealed that the temperature of the earth is likely to rise from

1.4°C to 5.8°C within a period of 100 years.

The prevailing scientific view is that most of the temperature increases since the middle of the 20th

century has been caused by increases in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations produced mainly by human

activity. Carbon dioxide, an important constituent of the environment is warming effect the earth’s

surface. Other gases such as methane, CFCs, nitrous oxide and tropospheric ozone are also responsible for global

warming. Increases in all these gases are due to explosive population growth, increased industrial expansion,

technological advancement, deforestation, growing urbanisation, etc.

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Carbon Dioxide increases the evaporation of water into the atmosphere. Since water vapor itself is a

greenhouse gas, this again contributes to global warming. The warming causes more water vapor to be

evaporated. A vicious, never-ending cycle as one can plainly see. The carbon dioxide level is expected to rise

exponentially in the future due to the continued burning of fossil fuels and land-use change. The rate of rise will

depend principally on random economic, sociological, technological and natural developments.

Deforestation is the second biggest source of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Deforestation is responsible

for 25 per cent of all carbon emissions entering the atmosphere, by the burning and cutting of 34 million acres of

trees each year. Every day over 5500 acres of rainforest are destroyed. As a consequence of massive loss of

forests, global carbon dioxide levels are rising approximately 0.4 per cent each year. Levels not experienced on

this planet for millions of years. As we know forests are the great absorbers of carbon dioxide.

There is a close relation between global warming and population growth. Many people use technologies

which are naturally destructive. Approximately, 80 per cent of atmospheric carbon dioxide increases are due to

man’s use of fossil fuels either in the form of coal, gas or oil. A large portion of carbon emissions is due to the

burning of gasoline in the internal-combustion engine of vehicles. Vehicles with poor mileage contribute the

most to global warming.

An increase in global temperatures will also cause a rise in sea levels. It will lead to the melting of

glaciers, changes in rainfall patterns, and increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather. As per the latest

survey, the rate of melting of glaciers has seen sharp increase in recent times. The shrinking of glaciers is going

to pose a major problem of drinking water. The sea levels as a result of melting of glaciers have risen from 0.35

mm to 0.4 mm. Scientists have warned in their reports that most of the glaciers will disappear within a period of

15 to 25 years. It will create problems of drinking water and food grains in most of the North American

countries. India is not unaffected from it. The Himalayan glaciers have shrunk about 30 per cent after 1970.

The rise in sea levels is a major cause of concern. A large number of cities located in coastal areas will

get submerged. Besides, many island countries will be washed away from the surface of the earth. The damage

of rising sea levels is diverse. Buildings and roads close to the water could be flooded and they could suffer

damage. Experts believe that global warming could increase the intensity of hurricanes by over 50 per cent. In

addition, as the sea rises, beach erosion takes place, particularly on steep banks. Wetlands are also lost as the

level rises. Rise in atmospheric temperature will lead to the outbreak of airborne and water-borne diseases. It

would also contribute to the rise in death caused by heat. The problem of drought would be frequent.

Consequently, malnutrition and starvation will pose a serious challenge to humanity.

Global warming is a great threat to the flora and fauna of the earth. A large number of species of them

may become extinct. Low rainfall and rising temperature could add to the intensity and frequency of dust storms.

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This in turn will immensely affect the quality of agricultural land, ultimately causing adverse effect on

agricultural produce. It would have far-reaching socio-economic impact. In the Indian context, the impact of

global warming is a matter of grave concern. As is well known, India is mainly an agricultural country. The rise

in atmospheric temperature and fall in rain would naturally result in decline in crop production. Moreover, it

would have great effect on biodiversity as well.

In nature everything is connected. A slight change here may result in a huge change somewhere else.

Nature is subtle. We cannot comprehend the things that may happen. We cannot even logically eliminate

possibilities. Humans have been trying to predict the weather for years. However, there is still a running joke

that whatever the meteorology department says, the opposite will happen! And this is with such improvement in

technology and the usage of supercomputers for these purposes. So, the moral of this quaint story is this: we just

cannot predict what may happen because of Global Warming. Anything can happen, or maybe even nothing.

However, we cannot take chances because, we cannot play with lives. Russian roulette is one of the most

dangerous games in the world. It is played by seven people, who take turns one by one to point a revolver loaded

in one of its seven chambers at their heads, and pull the trigger. This goes on for six rounds until the person left

in the end wins. Well, I admit I am not a scientist, but I believe taking chances with Global Warming will have

comparable rates of survival.

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Pratheek Praveen Kumar is author of four books including an anthology of English poems published by a reputed publishing house in the USA in 2009. He is also credited with a series of first prizes in national level essay competitions. Presently, he is studying for engineering course in Telecommunications Engineering from reputed R.V.College of Engineering, Bangalore. He did his ICSE and ISC with distinction from prestigious Bishop Cotton Boys’ School of Bangalore. Being a brilliant student throughout, he is a top scorer in both the institutions he studied. He stood first in Information Technology competition and Elocution Competition held in Bishop Cotton Boys’ School, Bangalore also was decorated by its principal for his performances in the field of poetry writing. He stood first to the college in Arm Wrestling competition in R.V.College of Engineering, Bangalore. A cricket enthusiast, he is very popular among his friends. He also loves horse riding, tennis, billiards, cycling and football. He has also been awarded first prize in the Inter-College Creative Writing competition held in the R.V. College of Engineering, Bangalore. Born in Bangalore as the son of Shree Praveen Kumar and Smt. Jayashree, presently he is residing with his parents in Bangalore.