Every year rhetoric is enacted on 15th august and 26th January to make our younger generations know that India was till recently a slave country to white skinned masters in europe and that we owe all the faulty systems to the British.And we proudly continue their legacy as it suits the corrupt politicians and bureaucrates including a good part of judiciary.It is probabaly the only country other than Britain where so many titles are bestowed on Tom and Harries and words like VIP, VVIP, Honourable are liberally used in display of sycophancy and acknowledging the continued flattery of imaginary British Rulers even now. I would like people to ponder-Is only a judge honorable but not a Rickshaw puller who honestly earns his living carrying people all day across the town and folows dictates of his/her conscience and reliion sincerely? Why this ruling class mentally has been created and is used still after 58 years including use of red lights and all other kinds of lights on vehicles?

The public servants are instead called government( From british hangover) servants who behave as if they still report to and are paid by some unknown imaginary Masters other than Republic of India and unleash daily corruption, bribery, misbehaviour besides extremely poor accountability and productivity which would easily be one of the lowest in the world for public servants.It feels as if Governments in india are not owned by people but some unknown aliens who these corrupt bureucrates report to and serve and thus have right to plunder the government(assuming it to be oreign owned).

Shamelessly a former Prime minister declared from parliament that corruption is Global phenomenon and we clapped. ( read-we should therefore also loot and plunder public money in India).When it comes to increasing prices we quote USA figures but when it comes to per capita income we forget about USA.The only thing Indians compare around the world is how bad a paticular society is compared to Indian society .So please allows us to exploit Indian citizens.Nothing unusual in it.

Indians should think , do they need such Governments and Public administration or should they stop paying their wages and expenses?

The goonda elements and criminals are flourishing through channel of psuedo democracy and and an outdated and impotent constitution written by the people who lived in 19th century.The Indian constituiton that is badly mouled already 106 times needs rewriting to change with modern society and to arrest decay that has set in.

The only freedom and guranatee this constituioon gives is to criminals, bureaucrtaes and elected representatives who have taken the country to ransom.

The judicial system is thoroughly incompetent and lethargic as also toothless in administering fair and speedy justice, be it criminal law or civil suits.The process is endless and fraudulent. The only utility of courts is to give bails mostly to criminals and to give temporary relief in form of writ jurisdictions.

The police organisations in country are rampantly corrupt, degraded and immoral without any accountabilty. The Hafta eaters( Weekly kickbacks)are having whale of a time thanks to our impotent systems and corrupt senior officers.

Do we really need such governments and public services? Number of poor people have increased 10 times in absolute numbers as compared to 1947.The crimes have increased almost 50 times.The quality of life has degraded with numerous ghettos and Jhuggi Jhopri settlement sprouting all over the country in big cities( our boneless politicians will dole out figures of Uganada to compare our state of affairs as being better).

The only beneficiary of the independence and the absurd contitutional arrangement are corrupt politicians-businessmen-bureaucrates nexus which is about 5 crore people in all but who are exploiting the national resources and the rest 96 crores indians.

In 58 years India has miserably failed to provide basic needs, primary education and health care and an inexpensive and speedy judicial system that can guarantee safety of dignity, life,freedom and property of citizens. Just imagine foolish laws of India. If a person commits cheating of say Rs 2 lacs, the only thing court will do ,if at all, and after 10-15 years is to send person for jail for may be 1 year but wont be able to order recovery and return of cheated money to victim.Nothing cant be more fraudulent law in any civilised society. In fact in India victim has no recognition because it is State vs criminals , the clear hangover of colonial system of eartwhile masters who made laws for the subjects and not sovereign republic.It is shameful.What our law commission and Supreme court have been doing all these years not bringing in even simple reforms in criminal procedure codes and Indian Penal code?.

The fundamental deficinecy in our system is absurd model of democracy.In which public servants have become masters.They have zero accountability and hardly any action is taken against any person in government thanks to completely rotten higher public services cadres like IPS,IAS and similar ones.They have totally failed the nation, every one of them competing for corruption, rapid promotions,perquisites and authority without any responsibility.Never any complaint of citizen is replied and manadatory action taken.This has completly deteriorated lower cadres right upto a Havaldar.

Once elected representatives are sent, the citizens loose control over them and their performance.This gives them 5 years total freedom to loot the society.That is why more and more criminals are finding safe sanctuary in politics which is now a business with highest rate of return with zero risk.

There is need to rewrite constitution, reduce public services salary in line with per capita GDP, reduce top heavy posts and rapid promotions of public servants and bring in concept of mandatory action on complaints , law of torts and damages against State and make judicial system simple, time bound and rid of foolish and clerical procedures. All public servants in class II and class I cadres should be audited after first 10 year of service and every 5 years thereafter, by a committee of eminent citizens, judicial officers and flawless burecrates to give atleast 25 % people VRS and sue those who are found to have indulged in bribery and abuse of power.

Number of public servants have to be reduced to half bringing in simple procedures, computerisation and increasing productivity of bureucracy.

Number of judges should be doubled immediately and fines and penalties under Indian penal Code should be increased 30 times atleast. Imagine fine for rape to be just Rs 2500.This is shamelss state of affairs.Justice has to be time bound with 1 year limit in criminal law and 1.5 years in civil law.

Bar Copuncil of India Act and Advocates Act have to be amended to rein in the lawyers who are one of the most irresponsible professional body in the country.

As regards Dr kalam's 10 point program for employment generation announced yeasterday, we the citizens are fed up with these 10 and 20 point programs started with Indiara Gandhi to make people feel happy and to divert their grievances.These are useless.Every one is lecturing others.Who will start actual action and reforms?To whom such advices are given on television and from Red Fort? To pakistanis or chinese to do the work for us?Who will take action?

The way almost half of indin Government's revenue is eaten away by these presidents, prime ministers, Governors and IAS,IPS and other govenment employees is matter of grave concern.The bureucarcy has become top heavy with a DIG for toilets, administration, security,welfare and so many things.But what is the output?increasing crimes, hardly 10% conviction rate and that too after may be 20 years of 3 or 4 tier appeals, bribery and wastage of Rs 50 to 100 thousand Per month on each senior officer and ministers.It is free loot in name of democracy and to run a government for people, 30 % of whom cant even afford proper clothing and food and another 20% who are unemployed in cities or underemployed.Which government? and for which people? They are running.Becoming millionaires in 25 years of service, shamelessly and grinning their teeth in name of public service.

Let us stop celebrating these functions which require positioning 20000 armed guards and increase threat of life and property and we spend each year 500 crores rupees to make mockery of democracy and people of India who are silently suffering.

3 States are now going to elections( there are always election somewhere)in february .Let us resolve to educate opeople to see that parties of people like Om Prakash Chauthala and Lalu Prasad are thoroughly defeated so as to start cleansing process from this republic day atleast.

Though long term solution would be drastic admnistrative and legal reforms in india.

Moderator

- Why did you come?

Our last conversation, the one in which you told me what it was you didn't like about me, never really concluded... as you ran away... I should be allowed to tell you what I don't like about you... that I believe would be a rule of polite conversation

- So what is it? What is it, the thing, the thing that you don't like about me?

It was a word you used that provoked me, you called me arrogant, but that is exactly what I don't like about you... it's you that is arrogant

- I'm not the one passing judgement, daddy, you are!

You do not pass judgement, because you sympathize with them. A deprived childhood and a homocide really isn't necessarily a homocide, right? the only thing you can blame is circumstances. Rapists and murderes may be the victims according to you... but I, I call them dogs. And if they're lapping up their own vomit, the only way to stop them is with a lash.

- But dogs only obey their own nature so why shouldn't we forgive them?

Dogs can be taught many useful things, but not if we forgive them everytime they obey their own nature.

- So I'm arrogant, I'm arrogant because I forgive people...?

My God! Can't you see how condescending you are when you say that. I mean you have, you have this preconceived notion, that nobody, listen, that nobody can't possibly attain the same high ethical standards as you, so you exonerate them. I cannot, I cannot think of anything more arrogant than that! You, my child, my dear child, you forgive others with excuses that you would never in the world permit for yourself

- Why shouldn't I be merciful? why?!

No, no, no, you should, you should be merciful when there's time to be merciful. But you must maintain your own standards... you owe them that, you owe them that. The penalty you deserve for you transgression, they deserve for their transgressions.

- They're human beings, dad

No, no, no: but does every human being need to be accountable for their actions? of course they do. You don't even give them that chance! and that is extremely arrogant! I love you, I love you, I love you to death, but you are the most arrogant person I've ever met, and you call me arrogant? Listen, power is... is not so bad, I am sure that you can find a way to make use of it in your own fashion. Take a walk, and think about it...

- The people who live here.... are doing their best under... very hard circumstances

If you say so, Grace, but is their best... really good enough?

---- Start Narrator
Grace looked around at the frightened faces behind the window panes that were following her every step, and felt ashamed of being part of inflicting that fear. How could she ever hate them, for what was at bottom merely their weakness? She would probably have done things like those that had befallen her if she had lived in one of these houses. To measure them by her own yardstick, as her father put it, would she not in all honesty have done the same as Chuck Veira and Ben, and Mrs Henson, and Tom? and all these people in their houses? Grace paused, and while she did, the clouds scattered and let the moonlight through. And Dogville underwent another of those little changes of light. It was as if the light, previously so merciful and faint, finally refused to cover up for the town any longer. Suddenly you could no longer imagine a berry that would appear one day on a Gusberry bush, but only see the thorn that was there right now. The light now penetrated every uneveness and floor in the buildings and... in the people. And all of a sudden she knew the answer to her question all too well: if she had acted like that, she could not have defended a single one of her actions and could not have condemned them harshly enough. It was as if her sorrow and pain finally assumed their rightful place. No: what they had done was not good enough! And if one had the power to put it to rights it was one's duty to do so. For the sake of other towns, for the sake of humanity, and not least for the sake of the human being that was Grace herself.
----End Narrator

Dear Friend,

Vasantahabba has always been a celebration of life. In the past few weeks however, nature has lashed out at our illusions of immortality and left us painfully aware of how fragile that life can be.

In the wake of so much devastation, one could argue that we carry on with Vasantahabba and celebrate the spirit of survival. And we will. But not this year. This year we choose to pay our respects to the memory of those who did not survive, and to those they left behind. It seems to our conscience, difficult, if not unreasonable, to raise and spend a considerable amount of money on a music and dance festival, when every possible rupee from every home and institution should be on its way to help rebuild homes and livelihoods.

We trust that our generous supporters will channel their contributions toward those who need it the most; and our loyal and loving family of friends will understand and support our decision.

Spring will come again. And we shall celebrate it. This year however, we ask that you allow a silent celebration of the strength of the human spirit.

We shall meet again. At Vasantahabba 2006.

Warm regards,
Nrityagram
Hessaraghatta,
Bangalore 560088
Karnataka
India
nrityagram AT vsnl.com
www.nrityagram.org
tel: 91 - 80 - 28466313
tel2: 91 - 80 - 28466314
fax: 91 - 80 - 28466312

Hi Mr. Anurag Jain

I am pleased to inform you that we have introduced Para Motoring, which will start on 30th Jan. This is the first time in our State, Para Motoring being offered to general public. We will give preference to our members. The details are as follows. I cordially invite you to take part in the same. I have a personal suggestion i.e. morning batches would be ideal for Para Motoring because of mild wind & cool weather conditon. In the meantime, I would request you to kindly forward this circular to your colleagues & friends.

Further, we will be having Parasailing event also on 30th Jan. You may kindly go through our web for further details. If you need any more information, please feel free to be in touch with us.

Regards
Sheshadri S.K.
Ph: 51281478 - Mob - 98456-95350

Para Motoring

Para Motoring is a simplest form of an A aircraft. By design, it is a very simple way to fly and be like a bird. The parachute is an aerofoil manufactured using cloth and Kevlar ropes. The pilot along with the participant wears a safety harness and attaches himself to the wing and takes off. A motor engine is attached to the pilot's back for take off. It takes a few steps and the person is airborne in about 10-20 ft & therefore one can fly form small field & therefore, it doesn't need a run way. Landing is also quite simple - it takes 3-10 ft to land...
Photographs

Dates : 30th January - Sunday
Venue: Hoskote - 22 Kms from Bangalore Click here for Road Map
Fee: Rs.750/- Per Launch- Cash to be paid at the venue.
Registration: Kindly click here for submitting the Regn form; immediately on receipt of your appn form, we will mail you the confirmation slip with the reporting & other details

CARE, Vijayashree Builing, No.1, 3rd Floor, 18th Cross Malleswaram, Bangalore – 560 055.
Ph: 5128 1478 Mob: 98456 - 95350 URL: www.careadventure.com , Email: info@careadventure.com

Despite the day turning out to be a bad choice (Violence in the city; Friday), a good number of people showed up for the alumni meet in Bangalore yesterday.

Total attendance was 17 Harcourtians, mainly from 2002, 2003, and 2004 batches (Except me of course!). Also present were Vikrant and Gurpreet from 3rd CSE, and 2nd MCA respectively.

After a thorough talk on Incord, topics such as networking amongst Harcourtians through alumni forums were discussed. Some points:
* Based on the enthusiasm, it was proposed to hold alumni meetings in Bangalore every 3 months or so.
* The day of meeting should be Saturdays for everyone's convenience. And also, duration of meeting should be limited to 2 hours or so, otherwise discussions can be unending! :)
* Also, we would strive to connect already-active alumni chapters in various cities to one single platform.
* A monthly Harcourtian newsletter should be started so as to give a concentrated update on Harcourtians' achievements.

Thanks to all those who showed up, and hoping to see the rest of you in the next meet.

Hi Anurag !

We are very pleased to inform you that the Aeromodelling club of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur is organizing an Aeromodelling event, the RC (Remote Controlled) plane flying competition, named Turbulence, in Techkriti’2005, the annual Tech Festival of IIT Kanpur. This event is scheduled in February from 25th to 27th. A little about the event is as follows.

All RC fliers pursuing any class/degree in any college/institute from any part of country are invited to participate in this mega event. This is the right platform for all the student fliers to show their skill and win attractive prizes, who feel little nervous against professional RC fliers.

This event includes two R/C plane flying contests, testing some interesting aspects of this fantastic combination of technology and sport. It includes:-

1) Event 1: Fly High >> Includes 3 stages which includes a series of maneuvers of the plane and a breath-taking obstacles race.
2) Event 2: Bull’s Eye >> As the name suggests. This includes dropping of a given payload, by the RC plane, at a specified location.

Both the contests have attractive prizes to be won.

Every participant will need to do a registration, online or by post. Registration for the event has started so the participants can register online on our website http://www.techkriti.org/competitions.php?eid=13&page=1 For more information about event and registration please visit our website http://www.techkriti.org

We look forward to see your participation. For any query we request you to drop a mail to turbulence@techkriti.org

thanks and regards,
********************
Ashvani Kumar Shukla
Event Coordinator Turbulence

Dear Carnatic Music Lovers

We are conducting a Development Workshop Through Music in Uttaranchal amidst a beautiful property called Himalayan Village (www.himalayanvillage.com). Himalayan Village is a 12 cottage intimate eco-retreat; literally a 25 minute walk from the nearest main road. One has to park a car at a spot and walk for 25 minutes through the village of Sonapani to reach the Himalayan Village. The result is not a murmur of the cars. The owners have deep interest in developing the retreat into a platform for creative _expression.

Within an interactive format, TM Krishna, a leading vocalist of Indian Classical Music from the South will aim to enhance the subtler intelligences latent within us. The whole thinking emerged from the fact that Indian formal education system even in the most privileged urban schools is focused largely on mastering hard intelligences (analytical, mathematical) in a broad sense. As we grow and evolve issues that we face get less defined, more fluid and ambiguous. The subtler intelligences for e.g. moral, social and musical tend to be the reservoir of capabilities that one needs to dip into to deal with situations.

Workshops such as this allow us to also exercise other potentials within them. There are two slots Feb 16th - Feb 18th or Feb 19th – Feb 21st. 2005. Attached is a poster to give a glimpse into the experience. The only criteria is that one needs to be open to music. Though the teacher is a carnatic musician, the actual workshop experience would use all forms of music as a learning and facilitation tool. The interactive sessions will be supplemented with walks around the Kumaon region of Uttaranchal. Please visit the link below for a detailed program outline.

http://www.soulitudesinc.com/changethroughmusic.htm

Two special recitals will enrich the experience: an early morning recital and evening candle light concert which is to invoke the spirit of a time when the place, the performer and the audience were connected.

If you are a theatre buff and / or a Naseeruddin Shah fan, we have some good news for you.

Naseeruddin Shah is putting up a performance on January 22 and 23 at Chowdiah Memorial titled "Katha Collage" and you can order your tickets online for the play at www.fabmall.com

"Katha Collage" is actually a set of three different plays - written by Premchand Munshi and Kamtanath and is a fascinating mixture of emotions and interplay of relationships.

All the three plays are directed by Naseeruddin Shah and what's more, he is also the lead actor in one of them.

We can tell you more, but we would invite you online to read all about the three plays, the plot lines, the artistes and if you like what you read - we think you will - grab your tickets online.

See you at Chowdiah on January 22 or 23rd 7:30 PM.

Please click here to know all about the upcoming event, being held in support of India Foundation for the Arts.

Donor passes at Rs 1000, Rs 500 and Rs 300 available online exclusively at fabmall.com

Some of you might remember one of the funniest guys in 1995 MCA batch in HBTI, Atul Arora. I found his blog today filled with hilarious entries http://rojnamcha.blogspot.com/

You will find his another blog "Life in a HOV Lane" hilarious too (I am still rolling on the floor laughing.)

Both of his blogs are nominated for best hindi blogs at Indibloggies, Don't forget to vote for his blogs here.

Some things are hard to remember. I'm thinking now of when Stradlater got back from his date with Jane. I mean I can't remember exactly what I was doing when I heard his goddam stupid footsteps coming down the corridor. I probably was still looking out the window, but I swear I can't remember. I was so damn worried, that's why. When I really worry about something, I don't just fool around. I even have to go to the bathroom when I worry about something. Only, I don't go. I'm too worried to go. I don't want to interrupt my worrying to go. If you knew Stradlater, you'd have been worried, too. I'd double-dated with that bastard a couple of times, and I know what I'm talking about. He was unscrupulous. He really was.