Saluting the Constitutional and Indian Parliamentary System!

I ask all the cynics and critics of the wonderful Anna Hazare and his entire movement... WHAT PARLIAMENTARY PROVISIONS WERE VIOLATED in getting the entire keepers of parliament agree across party lines to come together and display the will to create a much-needed, strong, powerful, and effective Lokpal through the parliamentary legislative processes???? On the contrary I am of the strong opinion that the sanctity and supremacy of the parliamentary has rather been immortalized and enhanced in adhering to the very basic and cardinal principle of its existence - that the Constitution is "by the people, for the people, and of the people"! Today these words no more sound cliched! Thanks Anna for showing the way...

The Arrogance of the Powerful (Re-posting an excerpt)

An excerpt from a blog I came across..
By Bhudeb Das (http://in.linkedin.com/in/bhudebdas)

Friends,

Those in power tend to believe they have a right to be there.

And anyone who questions that power - or challenges it - is an enemy of the State. 

Their State. 
So Mrs. Gandhi - for all her credentials as the daughter of one of India's key political family - imposed the Emergency in June 1975 and shovelled thousands into jails all across India. All this because the basis of her being in power had been successfully challenged in a court of law and she felt no need to heed the verdict of the courts. 

And now we have the government putting freedom fighter Anna Hazare into jail, in anticipation of trouble. His intended crime? He wants to lead a protest march to root out corruption. 

The question is not that he is corrupt - though the Congress government is probably making attempts to find something ugly from his past - but that Anna Hazare wants to fight corruption. By the creation of a Lok Pal. 

The August 10th issue of the Economic Times has this comment from Congress leader Rashid Alvi: 
"Nothing happens by sitting on fast at Jantar Mantar. Anna Hazare and his team should find constitutional ways to get their demands accepted," Congress leader Rashid Alvi said.

"If the legislation (Lokpal bill) is not according to their choice, instead of taking the unconstitutional way, they should make their candidates fight the next general elections, come to parliament and get their legislation," Alvi said.

Congress leader Mr. Alvi is right.

The Home Minister, P. C. Chidambaram, echoed his views. According to a report in Business Standard on August 16th on the arrest of Anna Hazare:
"Police met Anna Hazare this morning and he told them that he intended to defy the prohibitory orders. At that time, police came to a conclusion that he will commit a cognizable offence. They invoked article 107 and 151 of CrPC which calls for preventive measures," he told a press conference.

Chidambaram was replying to a volley of questions on why Delhi Police detained Hazare and his supporters even before they defied the prohibitory orders.

He said around 1,200-1,300 people have been detained across the national capital. Six members of Team Anna Hazare were also detained, he said.

Chidambaram said if Hazare and his supporters were not happy with the conditions imposed by the Delhi Police for their proposed stir they could have challenged it in a court of law.

"They are free to go to court even now," the Home Minister said.

He also ridiculed Hazare's contention that their Jan Lok Pal Bill draft has to be considered, saying, "Laws cannot be made by social activists in a maidan."

That last sentence hit me: Laws cannot be made by social activists in a maidan. 
That is, indeed, very true.

Mahatma Gandhi did not set the laws of an independent India in a maidan.

Nor did Martin Luther King set the laws that gave equality to blacks in amaidan.

Nor did the women who fought for their right to vote three hundred years ago change the law in a maidan.

They began the awareness of the wrongs in a maidan. 

The laws were changed in bodies built by the constitution.

This fits beautifully with Rashid Alvi's statement that Hazare should stand for election.

Chidambaram is saying make all the noise you want in a maidan, but you cannot change any laws.

Alvi is saying come meet me in Parliament and lets settle this issue there.

Very consistent. Very logical.

That is, if you are a tyrant.

Is Congress turning into an intolerant beast?

Imagine what would have happened if Mahatma Gandhi was dealing with Hitler. He would probably have been executed in 30 seconds. End of freedom struggle for a few decades.

Or if Martin Luther King was dealing with Hitler and wanted equal rights for the black race?

Well, we know what happened to the Jews who wanted to be treated as human beings.

Luckily, Mahatma Gandhi dealt with the British - who had a conscience and listened to the voices of those who had no seats in their governing councils. No seats in their Parliament.

Martin Luther King's blacks had no seats in most government bodies. But he dealt with people who could reason, who could understand the desire to improve the state of a large minority population. Hence, he succeeded.

The woman fighting for the chance to get elected had no seats in Parliament - the men sitting there had to change it. And change the rules they did.

What chance does an Anna Hazare party - with no access to corporate funding, with no ability to give gifts to win votes - have to win an election? To win enough seats in Parliament to change the laws?

An Ancient Chinese emperor, on hearing that the peasants could not afford to buy rice to eat said, "Why don't they eat meat?"

Or the great French princess who - on hearing that her subjects had no bread - said, "Why don't they eat cake?"

Over the last decades, I felt happy that the Congress was elected back into power - even though with coalition partners.

But are our political leaders - across parties - getting arrogant?

Even if 1.2 billion Indian are not present in the maidan, is there any doubt that a majority of people of India are fed up with corruption?

True, Anna Hazare's mission may start attracting media-hungry god men and film stars but that does not dilute the desire to get rid of corruption.

The fight against corruption does not stop.

The Congress has a party manifesto and a mission - but Suresh Kalmadi is a member (and in the same jail as Anna Hazare). Does that mean that the Congress Party needs to shut down? That the Party's mission or reason for existence is no longer relevant?

Dictator or Representative? Asset Gatherer or Asset Manager?

Those in power must ask themselves why they sit in those seats of power.

If they believe they represent the wishes of the people, the path they will take is clear.

If they believe they are guarding some family fiefdom or some ancestral birth right that is perpetually theirs to own, then the path will be clear - and very different.

Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and much of the Middle East is immersed in a struggle between those who want change and those who fight to retain some ancestral god-bestowed right to rule.

(In the context of my industry:

And we have that same dictatorial attitude in the mutual fund industry where every fund house out there is more focused on how much money they collect from investors rather than what good they actually do for their investors.

They are a brand name, they are large - what they do must be right.


And must never be questioned.


They have an asset management licence, but they are in the business of asset gathering.


And if any Chairman of SEBI changes the rules of the maidan that they play in, they will lobby for his removal. Like they probably did with Mr. Bhave.)


We all know the truths that we must fight for. We all know the outcomes of a corrupt society - after all, we live in one ! Sitting in a maidan may not be a fun thing to do whether you are Anna Hazare or C. B. Bhave, but freedom from corruption and equality are wonderful things to fight for.


Count me in.

Original Post from Nishant:
 "dear indranil da an eloquent written article cant sway with the emotions of our countrymen. many of us who r either supporting or opposing the civil society movement are not aware of the entire prelude of lokpal bill, its scope nd implications. we r in a democratic setup whr policy making is the function of the parliament in consultation with exe nd judiciary.public opinions are also sought while formulating a new policy like it was done in case of direct tax code. who is this civil society nd by whom ve they been authorised to represent us.how bad n corrupt may be our politicians but its we who ve voted them to power. the civil society representatives themselves r under suspicion , so nothing gr8 can be expected of them. thr r much brighter brains n man of integrity available in this country than the present one's . t r they not representing this society. thr main aim is to ve absolute power without any resp. india is no tunisia, egypt , syria or libya whr a jasmine kind of revolution can take place nd a popular govt b overthrown, n let anarchy prevail in this country. this will b worst case scenario 4 this country."


My thoughts:
Respect your sentiments Nishant, but likewise oratorial rhetorics by seasoned party spokesperson cannot not bestow ethical legitimacy to self-serving interpretations of parliamentary democracy. If some of our countrymen won't get swayed by such eloquently written articles, there are an equal number of them who will and should too. We may pound our chests with pride with successful conduct of this sham of democratic exercise year after year, but we certainly do not deserve the avatar of democracy unleashed upon us by these same set of "elected representatives" in the course of the last 64 years post independence.


Policy making may be the privilege of the parliament through these "elected tyrants" in consultation with the executive and judiciary. But what do you to when these entire body of representatives have colluded and with their collective might, have subverted the entire policy making process, making it easy to get away with all the ills that they themselves have propagated as well as patronized in our country today? More unfortunate is the fact that these same set of "legitimate, elected representative" manage to get away with graft under the garb of that same legitimacy bestowed them by the constitution, baulking at every attempt to bring a system of inherent check and control over them. Why? Because it will kill the goose that lays the golden eggs for them?? 64 years after independence is a long enough time to put this system in probation, I should say!


Yes, I agree with you that there is a need for educating the mass about the provisions of the Lokpal Bill, and when these same "keepers of democracy" have failed to not only educate the masses but also resorted to every available method to keep such a regularity provision from coming into existence for years and years on end while they did their item numbers over the tomb of democracy, what is a way out? Specially when we have a huge population who are not tutored in the letters enough to enable them to read and interpret those provisions? The civil society members, who may have taken it upon themselves to knock some method to this unrestrained madness, may have questionable antecedents; however, I am sure they (most of them, at least) can't be as corrupt as the group they are attempting to bridle by forcing the govt's hand in bringing about a strong Lokpal bill! Also, had the government machinery displayed such uncharacteristic haste in getting after their own ilk, in exposing the graft for their brethren and brotherhood (as they are now doing against these "extra-constitution" people), I am sure there wouldn't have have been need for these people to launch such a movement. As for the other much brighter brains and men of integrity available in this country than the present ones, where are they? I haven't seen too many of them, and if someone did, I would love to see them sometimes in my lifetime. After all I do want to leave a better country for my children, if I myself have not enjoyed it yet. 


Yes, these civil society may not have been authosised by some members of the country to represent them, but there is an equal number (maybe more) of our countrymen whose emotions and sentiments they represent for sure, and who has no opportunity to bring the murderers of democracy to book, or even realization. Theirs may not be a well-coordinated and planned effort, but that is only because this is a spontaneous movement - and is bound to be totter and stumble in its buildup. Casting aspersions at their intentions is akin to falling prey to the very concerted efforts of the "constitutional tyrants" to discredit them. A Jasmine revolution equivalent may bring anarchy in this country, but which right-minded, scrupulous, well-meaning citizen will agree that we are not already in an advanced stage of anarchy? Specially given the fact that the reins of this ill-fated nation is in still the hands of the same crop of constitutional authorities who have held it for all the years post independence...

Tagore's poem "Where the Mind is Without Fear" in today's context!

What Tagore would've written today about our country... shamelessly copied from somewhere (I dont remember where)! Here goes...


- Where the mind is without fear - of consequences
- And the head is always thinking of the next opportunity to amass wealth through unfair means
- Where Public Funds are freely available for misappropriation
- Where the country is blessed with leaders who are cheats
- Where morality has been compromised with graft and corruption extending to unimaginable levels
- Where lies come out without any hesitation or shame
- Where tireless striving stretches its arm towards corruption and immorality
- Where the clear stream of reason no longer exists and the only thing which remains is suppression of the weak by the powerful
- Where the fear of God and the spirit of goodness have been lost and thoughts are trained only towards the objective of abetting corruption
- Where the poor and the downtrodden are ignored and the leaders feast on the taxes paid by ordinary citizens
- From this Hell of Endemic Corruption, My Father, I Pray, LET MY COUNTRY AWAKE!


Amen!

Repaying the debt to our Alma Mater

Of the many blessings the Almighty bestowed us with, I am sure all of us will place our Alma Mater right there on the top. The role our beloved school played in shaping our destinies and character is unsurpassable. For me personally - and I am sure I speak for most - there are very few days that go by when I don't attribute something going on in my life to the beautiful times I spent at school. We have now come a long way since the day we left school in the quest for a living. Most of us have now started reaping the fruits of the efforts that went into shaping us as credible human beings at school. And the time has now come to replay some of our debts to our dear alma mater... in whatever little ways we can. Let me dwell on a few ways we can contribute to this glorious cause:

1. Financial support to the cause of the school - Our school being a government entity, with the Ministry of Defense and the State Govt having stakes, I am not sure if financial contribution directly to the school is an option. However, there are numerous ways to help the cause of the school through the registered Old Boys' channel - Build the support infrastructure for the Old Boys' Association, contribute in re-creating the Sainik School brand through media and participation in social causes, sponsoring meritorious students in education both inside and outside school, rewarding meritorious children of Old Boys, et al. If life has been kind to any one of us, we owe a large part of that to our beloved school, and we should not let anything come in the way of our duty to repay the debts! Read this article to see what members of Old Boys' fraternity are doing for their respective alma maters: Old Boy Donates to Mumbai University. Let us not be left behind and found wanting in the ways we can contribute financially to our school...

2. Active participation in Old Boys' Association: Let me assure you, there isn't a single member of our community who is idle and not consumed by the demands of today's life! Career obligations, professional and social commitments, family responsibilities, children's education, living up to the stressful demands of today... show me one person who is not affected by these necessary evils! But keep your hand upon your heart and ask yourself if this excuse is tenable when it comes to being an active participant in the efforts and achievements of our alma mater's Old Boys' Association! If anything, such participation can only act as stress busters, providing us the much needed succor we crave for! Can any association with our school mates leave you unfulfilled? For most of us (if not all, I daresay), meeting school friends, juniors, or seniors acts as an emotional catharsis! One emerges from such encounters re-energized, invigorated, refreshed, and more-than-ready to face another trying day! So, let's all come out of our perceived busy lives and put a lot more efforts in helping the cause of our alma mater... Guaranteed... it's the most integral recipe for the good life we all aspire for!

3. Be the Brand Ambassador: There can be no greater brand ambassador than each one of us for our beloved school! No amount of media advertisement, articles in newspapers, magazines, or journals can enhance the image and credibility of our school as much as each of our conduct in the respective worlds we live in today. How we engage with all our communities - professional, social, family, friends, relatives - will endorse the values that each of us believes we have been imbibed with by our school. Conducting ourselves as gentlemen cadets - whether or not we are in the defense forces - and propagating all the values and qualities we have in us is a bigger advertisement of our school's brand than anything else can ever be! It requires of us to be visible proud of our school and speak very highly of how our school has unleashed a community of worthy citizens upon this world. Let our chests be inflated with the pride we feel when we talk about our most beloved Alma Mater... Let's go ahead and advice the community to let go of their children, even put our own children in such schools to dispel all the negativities that has crept upon the Sainik School Goalpara brand.

Let's all work together in restoring the lost glory (due to some aberration recently!) of our alma mater in the world! Let's all put our heads and hearts together and repay every penny's worth of debt we feel we owe to our school! 

Sarv Mein Saddham! Jai Hind!

Rgds,

Indranil

Roll 1934

Wonderful Article on "Being a Dad" by Jill Curtis, a physiotherapist from UK

Being a dad isn't easy......either

So what does it mean to be a dad today? Just think of the changes there have been for parents over the last 99 years. History tells us that fathers, whatever their stations in life, were not in the past involved with their newborn infants. The picture of the father pacing the floor  - well away from the mother in labour  - was a common one. The new baby, neatly wrapped up, was shown to him, and out came the cigars or beer. The baby was then returned to the women to be cared for.

The children as they grew up were very much ‘women’s work’ and even in the thirties or forties people marvelled at the father who took time to have a game with his child or showed a son how some piece of machinery worked. Dads could be there for a bit of rough and tumble, but anything bordering on feelings or emotions or physical care was strictly taboo This division of childcare continued until the women's movement began to take hold and, in one way or another, to filter into different areas of family life. But as women - many of whom would have been astounded to be thought of as Feminist  - began to view their life differently, then the men were necessarily affected, and changes came about. Even if not into the ‘bra burning’ rebelliousness of the sixties, many women did begin to shift their opinions about what dad should or shouldn't do with the kids. It was a time to read The Female Eunuch and to question the accepted roles of men and women. Millions of women became feminists with a small 'f'. Childcare was never to be seen in the same way again.

But, and this is an important ‘but’, men began to react to the new role which was there for the taking. Men began to see the advantages of being involved with their children - really involved. Many husbands jumped at the opportunity to be by their wife's side during childbirth. In fact, to take an active part in support and encouragement during the labour. Once men were in the delivery room there was no stopping them, and conversations between young fathers were similar to those of young mothers as the pro’s and con’s of feeding on demand were debated. Dads took their turn pacing the floor in the small hours, and the early bonding which had been the prerogative of women for generations, was now shared between the parents.

Women still had one advantage. They had the blueprint handed down from their own mother about how to be a mother. Even if they rejected some of the ideas as too old fashioned, the essence of mothering was there. They had a good idea of what to do with their babies. Many had, after all, crooned over their dolls and dressed their teddies each night. It had been acceptable for little girls to go on cuddling stuffed furry animals long after their brothers had been encouraged to find other pursuits.

For the men, brought up by a more distant father who would never have been caught dead changing a baby's nappy, it wasn’t so easy. Young fathers had to grapple with a new way of being, and often had no support system or guidelines. (This was, of course, long before they could post a message in this and other forums and discuss burning issues with other dads). Older fathers looked on in amazement, and perhaps with regret, as they saw the closeness that a dad can have, emotionally and physically, with their new baby. Yet once the ‘new men’ had grasped the nettle they relished the warmth of the love which grew between them and their children. They were no longer restrained in showing their caring and sensitive side to their families. They carried their infant in a pouch with pride on family outings and to the supermarket.

No father today would agree to be turned into the father who was only expected to hand out punishment on his return home from work. The downside is that men are expected to be ‘there’ for their children 24 hours a day. This can be hard on the father who works long hours or who travels away from home for work. Fathers are expected to be at every sports day, parents evening, swimming gala, and this can be a heavy load on top of a demanding job. There are no pipe and slippers waiting for him when he comes home, but most likely a wife who has been at work herself, or a full-time mother who is looking for a hand in helping with the homework or with bedtime. Men cannot have an escape hatch by dismissing questions by saying ‘Ask your mother’ and many a manly heart sinks at the sound of ‘Dad, can we have a chat?’ or ‘It’s your turn to change the nappy.’ As with most things in life, with the joy come responsibilities. But I haven't met a man yet who thinks they are the losers.

Have women lost out? Perhaps. Certainly if a young family breaks down for any reason there is no longer the once automatic assumption that the children will stay with the mother. A father who has been involved with his children from day one will be less likely to give them up, and even to settle to being a weekend dad.

Of course, being a hands-on parent isn’t easy. Whoever thought it would be? Mothers have known that for centuries. Quite likely there are a few men who would like to turn the clock back to the more remote setting where the words ‘Father knows best’ were taken as read, and the children and wife were in awe of the man of the house.

Men have been allowed into the secret world of mother and baby, and they relish being there. Welcome aboard, Dad!

A Voyage - by Niranjan Bhattacharyya

A Voyage

by Niranjan Bhattacharyya

Preface

This book is recommended by the President of India as a true adventure book and suggested NCERT to include this book as a "Rapid Reader" for CBSE – Class IX and X.

"A Voyage” is an interesting narrative of the past adventures of youth, from the dairy of a young recruit in the Indian Merchant Navy. This book can inspire millions of youth of our country to read this book and reap the benefits from the real life experiences and adventures, which a nineteen‑year-old youth from a Sainik School from the North East India underwent while sailing around the world. All the contents of this book are from the diary of the nineteen-year-old youth, which youngsters of this country would easily relate to.

In addition to information regarding history, geography, and culture of around eleven varied countries of the world, this book has mention of the sailor’s experiences at some very significant events of the world in 1984, like the Solidarity Movement of Poland, the Gulf War, Israel’s attack on Egypt to have control over the Suez, the navigational hazards due to Adam’s Reef between India and Sri Lanka, the Miners strike of the UK, and many others.

To order, please contact:

Author/Publisher @ 9810954483

Book Review

By

Robin Kalita, IRTS

Executive Director (Operations)

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (under The Ministry of Railways), New Delhi

“By the way, you have the liberty of saying “No Sir” to your Captain only once – that is when I ask you, “do you have any doubt ?,” was not quite the response one would have aspired for in the first exchange with one’s boss on the very first day of one’s career. But this was exactly the note on which Niranjan Bhattacharyya kicked off his checkered career – and that too on a ship on the deck of which he would be moored 24 x7, subservient to his boss, for, God knew how many months, years - nay decades !

And that day young Niranjan decided – never to say “No”!

Just as I could not say ‘No’ to the next page – and the next – and the next – till I read the last page in one sitting – almost in one breath! Yes, I am referring to the book “A VOYAGE” by Niranjan Bhattacharyya. The adventure loving sea-farer, the astute corporator, the devout pedagogue, the social therapist, and the simple yet profound humanist – summed up in one word: maverick!

‘A Voyage’ is much more than meets the eye – it is an educational journey around half the globe, experienced through the keen eyes of a crusader charged with a mission, rich in the vast treasure of information it unfolds, poignant in the emotions of personal anecdotes and racy in the style of portrayal. Bhattacharyya has an extraordinary acumen in packing a plethora of information – so much in so few pages, that the last word leaves the reader breathless and hungry for more. He confesses, ab initio, that the book is a compilation of his diary written 24 years ago. An extremely profuse, potent and valuable collection of scribblings, which is an indication of the depth in young Bhattacharyya’s perception of the world around him – literally!

The book ‘A Voyage’ is a first hand narrative on the experience of seventy two sailors aboard an Indian Merchant Freighter vessel “Vishwa Parijat” from Netaji Subhash Dock in Calcutta to numerous ports of call in Europe via the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar, the North Atlantic Ocean & the English Channel and returning via the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea route onwards to Bombay. The voyage covered among others, ports and cities in Sri Lanka, Egypt, France, U.K., West Germany, Poland, Sweden, East Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland and Italy.

Bhattacharyya manages to portray a clever mix of Mythology, Legend, History, Geography and Tourism about the lands and climes that the ship impinged upon. The reader is guided through the pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx built by the Pharaoh, whose legend and history explained so vividly, capture his imagination. The mythology associated with the Roman God of the seven seas, the intricate geographical attributes of the Strait of Gibraltar with expletives on the Rock of Gibraltar, also called the Pillar of Hercules, the vagaries of weather in the North Atlantic Ocean, the vivid descriptions of the beautiful cities of Europe etc. make the book attain the status of a classy international travel document and leaves the reader wiser about scores of information he did not have earlier on some of the world’s most visited destinations. Bhattacharyya’s powerful style of narrating personal experiences which often had nail-biting finishes, adds to the readability of the book.

Not that the book escapes all the natural pitfalls a book can be subjected so. The printer’s devil, for one, has inflicted minor injuries to the script and lexicon, once in a while. Sometimes, the narrative gets extremely intense and keeps the reader spell-bound, but disengages unexpectedly leaving him wishing that the episode did not end at that. It is evident that Bhattacharyya is a man in a hurry, like his ship that had to cover maximum ground in minimum time.

The book has been physically produced extremely well. The glossy cover depicting a ship with myriads of sails, at sea, gives a mystifying appearance and makes the reader automatically curious to open the pages and read the contents. The quality of paper and print, with appropriate font types and sizes soothing and comfortable to the eyes, add value to the final product. The photographs, snapped 24 years ago and therefore obviously black and white, still look fresh and add tremendous support to the text. The introduction of the author by his senior colleague and his childhood friends are apt and touching, a realization the reader gets after he has done the last page.

‘A Voyage’ is an exotic experience for the reader and the beginning of a journey unto dabbling with and ultimate actuation of literary penchant for Niranjan Bhattacharyya. With this quicky of one hundred and eight pages, he has left me gasping for more and has given a signal, loud and clear , that there is more – much more stored where this book came from. Many more publications from him in the near future will be eagerly awaited.