Problem of Naxalism and extremism is increasing year after year. Government in last three decades has almost underestimated the gravity of the matter ad neglected the same altogether. There have been fatal attacks by naxalites in their area of operation on many occasions in the past but no substantial action has been taken against the attackers.
Police force in each state knows how naxalites are extorting money from rich businessmen, house builders, service men and even police personnel. Many police stations have been attacked in the past and their guns and other arms and ammunitions have been taken away by attackers. Hundreds of innocents have been killed brutally in group. And so on…
Naxalites are growing in numbers and strength year after year. Their Finacial power has assumed the dangerous proportion, they have accumulated huge arms and ammunition and are capable to strike even CRPF camps and kill them in good numbers as happened on black Monday saddest 6th April 2010 in Indian history. They have exhibited their power of strike on many occasions in the past. But unfortunately politicians in our country never tried to stop the same.
There are still many politicians who are sympathizer of such naxalites, who take the support of these hard core naxalites during election to give a befitting reply to their opponents, who use gang members of naxal groups to motivate and threat voters and force them to cast their valued votes in favour of desired candidate or face the dire consequences. It will not be exaggeration to say that members of naxalite groups are sitting in all offices from state level assemblies to village level panchayats and block level government offices to state secretariats.
Members of naxal groups have not only spread their network to a great extent but actively working in each corner of the country. Every big or small contractor working for various departments of the government has to donate money in proportion to their contract value to Naxalite groups. For common men it is called as dadagiri tax. People have accepted this dirty system and do not approach police or any office to get rid of this extortion, because of non action or because of more dangerous consequences.
It is unfortunate that during last three decades government remained almost silent spectators of all such dangerous activities of naxalism. After each fatal attack by naxal groups, Home Minister like Mr. Shiv Raj Patil thought it wise to announce some monetary help for the family of victim of naxal attacks and thought it better and beneficial not to take any step to stop spread of naxalism in the country like cancer.
It is also a bitter truth that even ruling government and police forces are also afraid of repercussions on their family or on the their election prospects from naxal groups,.
Many nationalist, writers, social activists and honest politicians have pointed out that naxalism is greater threat to India than external threat from country like Pakistan or global terrorism. But the valued suggestions of noble writers were always ignored. As a result of this prolonged negligence and casual approach of various governments naxalism has become greatest threat to people of India.
It is only in the last year that Mr. P Chidambram took charge of Home department and started his sincere work against terrorism coming from abroad as also against naxalism in the name of Operation Red Hunt. There is no doubt that he has created a fear in the mind of naxal groups and this is why they are trying to belittle the effort of the government .I have no doubt that Mr. Chidambaram has the will and the brain to combat naxalism and terrorism tooth and nail and it is he who can finish the same from the root provided he gets wholehearted support not only from his party members but also from members of opposition groups,
Mr. Home Minister needs support not only from central and concerned state governments but also from local people who can play prominent and vital role in identification of naxalites, trained criminals and tell about their hide outs, their action plan etc.
It is the urgent task before government to leave no stone unturned to finish naxalism from the country. Government should not give opportunity to Pakistan in particular and international community in general to say that India is incapable to control even domestic terrorism.
Danendra Jain
Ganaraj choumuhani Agartala
7th April 2010
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Tax Evasion
It is reported in prominent newspaper today that tax dues from tax evaders has been increasing year after year and due to some reason or the other has mounted to Rs.198508 crores, say two lac crores rupees as on 30.09.2009. Out of this Rs.133232 crores pertain to corporate sector and Rs.65274 crores from individuals. Department of revenue, the Central Board of Direct Taxes has proposed punishment of rigorous imprisonment from three to seven years for such tax evaders, who conceal their income, who do not file income tax returns, who violates anti money laundering act, or who do not deduct TDS or do not deposit tax deducted at source in time..
This is indeed a very good proposal .I however feel that CTBT should start this holy task by launching searching and investigating process in respect of all officers and babus working in Income tax department and various Ministries of Central government. Charity and good work should begin from home. In the second round big fishes involving tax evasion of rupees ten lacs and more may be trapped, then politicians having houses, apartments, colleges, factories worth more than a crore rupee may be caught and so on.
When top level ministers, IT officers , IT commissioners, CBI personnels,vigilance officers and officers involved in scrutiny of files, searching, assessing and investigating processes are honest , there is no doubt that the same culture will percolate down the level and this message will spread like epidemic in entire country and people of India will never dare opt for tax evasion. It is a bitter truth and undeniable fact that all types of tax evasions are taught by none other than IT babus and officers either directly or middlemen called as IT consultants. There is clear nexus between tax assessing authorities and businessmen and all tax files involving big individuals and corporate. As soon as Income tax payer agrees to quantum of bribe or commission set by IT officers are given in an envelope, file gets clearance from tax officers. This corrupt practice causes loss many times more than existing tax dues revealed herein above to government.
It is unfortunate that honest tax payers in India are never awarded, respected and given preferred treatment, but more often than not harassed and unnecessarily tortured by corrupt IT babus and corrupt officers of Income tax departments because such honest tax payers do not easily agree to give bribe to the department .It is also true that in our country even IT officers do not get promotions and good posting as long as he or she do not fill the pocket of Ministers and top officials of Ministry of concerned department. Such practice is all offices of government, all banks and all departments where government is having control. Merit is seldom respected, but corrupt officers are more often than not awarded. When the Ganga flowing from top is poisoned and polluted one cannot dream of pure water at ground level. .
This is why I have to suggest to Government and CTBT to launch attack first on those officers who are originators, perpetuators and irrigators of corruption and immediately stop financial terrorism let loose by tax authorities .If we start giving respect to honest tax payers and punishing corrupt government officers honestly, sincerely, quickly and without any based attitude there will be great improvement in the prevailing culture and people of prefer paying tax than opting for tax evasion. There are enough laws in existing law books to penalize the guilty if there is will to do so. There is no need to frame tougher rule in this regard. India needs strong will of execution of rules truly and in good spirit
India should learn to award honest officers and stop giving preference to officers who flatter and who earn through unfair means and give share to seniors. Public opinion should be sought to assess honesty and integrity of an officers. Formal certificate of honesty and integrity as prevalent in the system is nothing but a formality. Truth and reality of Indian system is known to all Indians. As such proposed rigorous imprisonment should commence from corrupt IT officials and corrupt ministers sitting at the top post and who are root cause of all evils. Tax payers deserve praise, respect and honour because they are backbone of Indian economy.
Danendra Jain
Ganaraj Chumuhani Agartala 799001
05.04.2010
This is indeed a very good proposal .I however feel that CTBT should start this holy task by launching searching and investigating process in respect of all officers and babus working in Income tax department and various Ministries of Central government. Charity and good work should begin from home. In the second round big fishes involving tax evasion of rupees ten lacs and more may be trapped, then politicians having houses, apartments, colleges, factories worth more than a crore rupee may be caught and so on.
When top level ministers, IT officers , IT commissioners, CBI personnels,vigilance officers and officers involved in scrutiny of files, searching, assessing and investigating processes are honest , there is no doubt that the same culture will percolate down the level and this message will spread like epidemic in entire country and people of India will never dare opt for tax evasion. It is a bitter truth and undeniable fact that all types of tax evasions are taught by none other than IT babus and officers either directly or middlemen called as IT consultants. There is clear nexus between tax assessing authorities and businessmen and all tax files involving big individuals and corporate. As soon as Income tax payer agrees to quantum of bribe or commission set by IT officers are given in an envelope, file gets clearance from tax officers. This corrupt practice causes loss many times more than existing tax dues revealed herein above to government.
It is unfortunate that honest tax payers in India are never awarded, respected and given preferred treatment, but more often than not harassed and unnecessarily tortured by corrupt IT babus and corrupt officers of Income tax departments because such honest tax payers do not easily agree to give bribe to the department .It is also true that in our country even IT officers do not get promotions and good posting as long as he or she do not fill the pocket of Ministers and top officials of Ministry of concerned department. Such practice is all offices of government, all banks and all departments where government is having control. Merit is seldom respected, but corrupt officers are more often than not awarded. When the Ganga flowing from top is poisoned and polluted one cannot dream of pure water at ground level. .
This is why I have to suggest to Government and CTBT to launch attack first on those officers who are originators, perpetuators and irrigators of corruption and immediately stop financial terrorism let loose by tax authorities .If we start giving respect to honest tax payers and punishing corrupt government officers honestly, sincerely, quickly and without any based attitude there will be great improvement in the prevailing culture and people of prefer paying tax than opting for tax evasion. There are enough laws in existing law books to penalize the guilty if there is will to do so. There is no need to frame tougher rule in this regard. India needs strong will of execution of rules truly and in good spirit
India should learn to award honest officers and stop giving preference to officers who flatter and who earn through unfair means and give share to seniors. Public opinion should be sought to assess honesty and integrity of an officers. Formal certificate of honesty and integrity as prevalent in the system is nothing but a formality. Truth and reality of Indian system is known to all Indians. As such proposed rigorous imprisonment should commence from corrupt IT officials and corrupt ministers sitting at the top post and who are root cause of all evils. Tax payers deserve praise, respect and honour because they are backbone of Indian economy.
Danendra Jain
Ganaraj Chumuhani Agartala 799001
05.04.2010
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Rich people grab houses built for poor
It is not surprising that rich people are grabbing houses meant for poor. As a matter of fact all subsidies, aids, lands etc are grabbed by rich person in the area, politicians, middlemen and poor get a slice of the cake as a sympathetic contribution. Even good quality wheat and rice meant for distribution to ration card holders are bought by traders and sold in the market. Only rotten quality wheat which is not saleable in open markets are distributed through Fair price shops. Gas cylinders sold by Gas agencies at subsidized rates are mostly used by hotels owners, shop keepers, guest houses, wedding houses, factories, houses of middle class and rich class etc. Rural people or poor people cannot even dream of buying a gas cylinder. Government is selling Kerosene oil at very cheap rate and incurs huge loss due to this subsidized sale. But here also 80%of kerosene oil is bought by traders and sold in black market or bought by petrol and diesel dealers for adulteration in petrol and diesel.
Even schools free meals meant to attract poor students are eaten by teachers or sold to traders. Only a part of free meal which is rotten and of mean quality is served to enrolled students. Everyone knows very well how middlemen and politicians are looting fund under NREGA. Even then our clean Prime Minister claim of good governance and at least everyday he talks of GDP growth which he means to say Gross Domestic Product but actually for poor and rural people it is Garibi Development Project.
Government knows very well that fund given for development and poverty alleviation is mostly grabbed by middlemen, political leaders, and babus in government offices. All types of Construction work including Indira Awas construction carried out by government agencies involves distribution of illegal money in the shape of commission to dealing officers , monitoring agencies and politicians. Contractors cannot survive and cannot become wealthy person until he distributes at least 50% of contract amount among corrupt persons sitting in the administration and political workers called as dadagiri tax..
This is unending sad story of Indians and Indian administrations , more specially of Indian politicians and babus.
Danendra JAIN
Ganaraj Choumuhani
Agartala 04.04.2010
Even schools free meals meant to attract poor students are eaten by teachers or sold to traders. Only a part of free meal which is rotten and of mean quality is served to enrolled students. Everyone knows very well how middlemen and politicians are looting fund under NREGA. Even then our clean Prime Minister claim of good governance and at least everyday he talks of GDP growth which he means to say Gross Domestic Product but actually for poor and rural people it is Garibi Development Project.
Government knows very well that fund given for development and poverty alleviation is mostly grabbed by middlemen, political leaders, and babus in government offices. All types of Construction work including Indira Awas construction carried out by government agencies involves distribution of illegal money in the shape of commission to dealing officers , monitoring agencies and politicians. Contractors cannot survive and cannot become wealthy person until he distributes at least 50% of contract amount among corrupt persons sitting in the administration and political workers called as dadagiri tax..
This is unending sad story of Indians and Indian administrations , more specially of Indian politicians and babus.
Danendra JAIN
Ganaraj Choumuhani
Agartala 04.04.2010
What is corruption
Is Female dominated by male in Indian society?
The society is dominated by money power and muscle power and not by male, might is right. Everyone worship who is powerful, gender is irrelevant. In the state of Tamilnadu Jayalalitha is worshipped like goddess. Mayawati is treated as Devi in UP. Indira was treated as India. Even Sonia is followed like Devi. Many Congress leaders are ready to touch her feet to get some good post, respectable birth in cabinet, get a ticket for election etc. Every male member loves his sister, wife, and mother more than his brother, father or anyone else. In many offices lady worker has played effective role. Bank like ICICI is headed by lady Kochar. Indian bank was headed by lady chairman who changed the fate of Indian bank. I therefore do not agree with the saying that lady in India is dominated by male member. There are several males who do not work, who are addict of bad habits, and who are totally incompetent try to dominate forcefully on female .they are few. It will not be an exaggeration if one say that in practice and in real life of a good family, male are dominated by female, not due to any pressure but due to mutual love and respect.
Why Indian depends on USA for all matters related to Pakistan? Can Indian alone not tackle Pakistan?.
This is the great weakness of Indian diplomacy. In the past India used to blindly support USSR and now blindly follow USA. Inspite of all India's image is good in International arena. Even USA considers India as a probable threat in future. USA uses Pakistan as a tool to weaken India to maintain dominance of USA. However India has built the capacity to teach Pakistan lesson and damage it if needed. But in war, loss occurs to both parties. Even Pakistan has developed substantial energy to spoil many parts of India. As such war is enemy of human being, causes loss to warring countries, more or less it may be, loss is loss. All efforts are therefore by peace loving country India to resolve the issue with dialogue or with pressure from super powers of the world as we all peace loving people in India use to do to resolve family or social disputes through dialogue and through intervention of some effective person of the area. . Indian people always condemn terrorism and naxalism. All religions advise for love and mutual respect.
Why people do not revolt against corruption?
There is no revolt against corrupt system because most of the people are corrupt. All are sitting in glass house. Who can dare throwing stone on others? Number of person not accepting or giving illegal money, gifts and favour of any kind are very limited and hence not powerful and not that much effective which can produce a wave of revolt against rampant corruption in the system. India needs person like Gandhi who shook the castle of British rule and gave India freedom. Jai Prakash Narayan tried to punish the corrupt public representative but failed to stop greedy followers who punctured his movement to serve their vested self interest. India needs person like Netaji Subhash Bose or Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel. We have Manmohan and microscopically few other simple people full of honesty who follows Lady Sonia to safeguard his post or who prefer remaining a silent spectator of rape of democracy and prevalent corruption in Indian system. As such people have more or less accepted corrupt practices as normal practices. .
What should an employee do when he or she is harassed by his boss or CEO?
Days are gone when labour laws were respected by government. Now-a-days even labour offices, government departments, banks, insurance companies and all private companies are indulged in labour exploitation of labour. There is none to raise voice against it in the name of reformation. In near future we will reincarnation of socialism in some other name. Capitalism cannot last long. Gap between rich and poor is widening and as a result crime graph is going up and up, riches are indulged in profit making and hence price are going up and up. Ministers and officers, babus and even peons are indulged in earning illegal money. There is none to raise a voice against boss or CEO of any company who are forcing employees to work more than twelve hours a day and who have almost made the family life of employees miserable. Even if some voices are raised here and there, such people are isolated and shunted in critical and remote areas or removed from service. As such most of good workers have to lead a life in rejection, dejection, depression, frustration etc.
What Dr. Abdul Kalam says about Media:
I reproduce an article said to have been written by Dr.Abdul kalam and received by me through Email.
Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements?
We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them.
Why do we ignore them?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan; he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.
In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T.Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.
Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is.
She replied: I want to live in a developed India. For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.
Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.
Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke. The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - 'YOURS'. Give him a face - 'YOURS'. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are.. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity… In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU?
YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.
YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.’
YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.'
YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand.
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ?
Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston???
We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan.
Will the Indian citizen do that here?'
He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative.
We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin.
We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staffs who are known not to pass on the service to the public.
When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse?
'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?
What does a system consist of?
Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbors, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too…. I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians…..
'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'
Let us do what India needs from us.
Thank you,
Dr.. Abdul Kalam
The society is dominated by money power and muscle power and not by male, might is right. Everyone worship who is powerful, gender is irrelevant. In the state of Tamilnadu Jayalalitha is worshipped like goddess. Mayawati is treated as Devi in UP. Indira was treated as India. Even Sonia is followed like Devi. Many Congress leaders are ready to touch her feet to get some good post, respectable birth in cabinet, get a ticket for election etc. Every male member loves his sister, wife, and mother more than his brother, father or anyone else. In many offices lady worker has played effective role. Bank like ICICI is headed by lady Kochar. Indian bank was headed by lady chairman who changed the fate of Indian bank. I therefore do not agree with the saying that lady in India is dominated by male member. There are several males who do not work, who are addict of bad habits, and who are totally incompetent try to dominate forcefully on female .they are few. It will not be an exaggeration if one say that in practice and in real life of a good family, male are dominated by female, not due to any pressure but due to mutual love and respect.
Why Indian depends on USA for all matters related to Pakistan? Can Indian alone not tackle Pakistan?.
This is the great weakness of Indian diplomacy. In the past India used to blindly support USSR and now blindly follow USA. Inspite of all India's image is good in International arena. Even USA considers India as a probable threat in future. USA uses Pakistan as a tool to weaken India to maintain dominance of USA. However India has built the capacity to teach Pakistan lesson and damage it if needed. But in war, loss occurs to both parties. Even Pakistan has developed substantial energy to spoil many parts of India. As such war is enemy of human being, causes loss to warring countries, more or less it may be, loss is loss. All efforts are therefore by peace loving country India to resolve the issue with dialogue or with pressure from super powers of the world as we all peace loving people in India use to do to resolve family or social disputes through dialogue and through intervention of some effective person of the area. . Indian people always condemn terrorism and naxalism. All religions advise for love and mutual respect.
Why people do not revolt against corruption?
There is no revolt against corrupt system because most of the people are corrupt. All are sitting in glass house. Who can dare throwing stone on others? Number of person not accepting or giving illegal money, gifts and favour of any kind are very limited and hence not powerful and not that much effective which can produce a wave of revolt against rampant corruption in the system. India needs person like Gandhi who shook the castle of British rule and gave India freedom. Jai Prakash Narayan tried to punish the corrupt public representative but failed to stop greedy followers who punctured his movement to serve their vested self interest. India needs person like Netaji Subhash Bose or Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel. We have Manmohan and microscopically few other simple people full of honesty who follows Lady Sonia to safeguard his post or who prefer remaining a silent spectator of rape of democracy and prevalent corruption in Indian system. As such people have more or less accepted corrupt practices as normal practices. .
What should an employee do when he or she is harassed by his boss or CEO?
Days are gone when labour laws were respected by government. Now-a-days even labour offices, government departments, banks, insurance companies and all private companies are indulged in labour exploitation of labour. There is none to raise voice against it in the name of reformation. In near future we will reincarnation of socialism in some other name. Capitalism cannot last long. Gap between rich and poor is widening and as a result crime graph is going up and up, riches are indulged in profit making and hence price are going up and up. Ministers and officers, babus and even peons are indulged in earning illegal money. There is none to raise a voice against boss or CEO of any company who are forcing employees to work more than twelve hours a day and who have almost made the family life of employees miserable. Even if some voices are raised here and there, such people are isolated and shunted in critical and remote areas or removed from service. As such most of good workers have to lead a life in rejection, dejection, depression, frustration etc.
What Dr. Abdul Kalam says about Media:
I reproduce an article said to have been written by Dr.Abdul kalam and received by me through Email.
Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements?
We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them.
Why do we ignore them?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan; he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.
In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T.Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.
Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is.
She replied: I want to live in a developed India. For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.
Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.
Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke. The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - 'YOURS'. Give him a face - 'YOURS'. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are.. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity… In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU?
YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.
YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.’
YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.'
YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand.
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ?
Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston???
We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan.
Will the Indian citizen do that here?'
He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative.
We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin.
We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staffs who are known not to pass on the service to the public.
When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse?
'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?
What does a system consist of?
Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbors, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too…. I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians…..
'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'
Let us do what India needs from us.
Thank you,
Dr.. Abdul Kalam
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