Nine foreign films for 2013 Academy Awards: Who will win, who will lose?

Out of 71, nine films have made it to the best foreign language film category of the Academy Awards. Of them only five will be shortlisted for the prestigious honour. It is a difficult affair these Oscars; which film will win and which will miss the golden statute cannot be predicted by even the best of mathematicians

Here is a post containing the trailers of each of the nine films and a brief on why they may or may not win the Oscar.

http://www.newsyaps.com/nine-foreign-films-for-academy-award-who-will-win-who-will-lose/4683/


Watch them and pick your favourite.

‘The Man Who Loved Hate: My entry for the Get Published contest’

The Idea

‘The Man Who Loved Hate’ is not the typical boy-meets-girl love story. In fact the principal protagonist in this story, who is also the narrator, has no girl to love; he never had. The narrator is materialistic but is not a miser. He is generous to the poor and the needy, and he often indulges in philanthropic activities. He loves people and respects women. Despite that he is not interested in anything remotely connected to what is called romance. Although he is ready to appreciate ‘true love’, he is convinced that there is no such thing in the 21^st century. Whenever he had had the opportunity, the narrator proved that even if money may not be able to buy love, it is the decisive factor in one way or the other. His views have offended many including his friends, all of whom were either in love or wanted to experience it. As a result he is the man they all hate but he revels in their hatred. Hate is what he loves the most

The story is of that one day when this ‘lover of hate’ meets three strangers on a train journey from New Delhi to Kolkata. Situations force them to enter into a debate on love in which the man tries to plant his own views on them while they continue to oppose him. Who wins? Will the man be able to prove that love is conditional or will the strangers emerge victorious? Why does the man reject the very notion of love? Why is he a ‘lover of hate’? Above all, who are these strangers?

What Makes This Story ‘Real’

That it is my story.

This is my entry for the HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest, which is run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal and HarperCollins India.

Google Zeitgeist 2012 indicates India is a sex starved nation

India is perhaps the world’s most sexually starved nation otherwise there is no reason why the Indo-Canadian adult film star Sunny Leone would be the third most Trending Search on Google in India. Sex has surely beaten the hell out of SRK as the superstar is nowhere on the list. Sunny Leone was also the top Trending People in India beating Rajesh Khanna to the spot.

In no other country has a porn star figured in the top ten trends or searches, not even in Japan which is widely believed to be the most perverted country. People in the United States, the land of the adult film business, seem to have better things to do than anyone in India. It is shameful to think that an adult film star is what Indians searched the most in 2012.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/google-zeitgeist-2012-indicates-india-is-a-sex-starved-nation/4399/

img courtesy: firstpost.com

Lionel Messi’s 2012 record breaking journey

No one doubted the ability of this rather short-heighted footballer from Argentina when he took to the world stage. All of 25, the popularity of Lionel Messi surpasses oceans and boundaries. Already a three-time World Player of the Year (Ballon d’Or), he is all set to win it a fourth time when the honor is announced in January 2013. Messi has more records to his credit than anyone else in the history of football. Gerard Piqué may be right when he describes Cristiano Ronaldo as “the best of the humans” and Lionel Messi “an extraterrestrial”. Messi got 74 of his 86 goals from inside the box, most of which were through penalties. His left foot guided the ball into the goal net 75 times. Here is a picture gallery containing some spectacular exploits in 2012 of the man who cannot be described in mere words.

Click here to view gallery:

http://www.newsyaps.com/lionel-messis-2012-record-breaking-journey-in-20-pictures/4153/

After 28 years, revisiting Bhopal gas tragedy

In the history of modern India no tragedy was as gruesome as the Bhopal Gas disaster. Year after year the media of the country and the people revisit the intervening night of 2-3 December, 1984 when over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate resulting in the deaths of 8,000 people immediately and 10-20 thousand more in total. The incident is also a glaring example of the pace at which the judicial system of India progresses with such cases; it took 26 years for the court to pronounce all eight accused guilty. This single tragedy is also enough to show the lack of political will in Indian leaders since the extradition of Warren Anderson, prime accused in the case, has yet not happened.

Here is a gallery:

http://www.newsyaps.com/after-28-years-revisiting-bhopal-gas-tragedy/3797/

img courtesy: firstpost.com

Tahrir of Egypt: From protests to the Constitution

The 2011 Egyptian Revolution was a landmark event in modern history. Never in the recent history did anyone ever witness such widespread protests, such unity and such a zeal as was seen during the 18 days from January 25 to February 11, 2011. On Friday, the Egyptian constituent assembly approved a final draft of the new constitution.

Here is a pictorial essay of Egypt from the very start of the famous revolution to the day the final draft was passed.

http://www.newsyaps.com/tahrir-of-egypt-from-protests-to-the-constitution/3673/

Will the media lose public trust after Naveen Jindal-Zee News case?

If one takes the comments as judgments, Zee News is already a convict and Jindal, a hero . Most of the comments directed at him are congratulatory in nature. But do the comments on the Jindal- Zee News case mean that the media will lose public trust or Jindal should feel like a hero?

The truth is that these comments do not matter at all because they do not form even the tiniest fraction of the internet audience in India which stands at more than 121 million. The media has no reason to worry about losing public confidence because a survey reveals that trust in the media has only gone North between 2011 and 2012.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/will-the-media-lose-public-trust-after-naveen-jindal-zee-news-case/3637/

Israel- Gaza conflict: Why there never will be peace in the Holy Land

Israel and Gaza have been fighting for quite a few years now. In the broader frame, Israel has fought or been fighting battles with almost every country in its neighbourhood. In the midst of all the bombings, the Holy Land of Jerusalem cries. It seems that peace will forever elude the place.

For now a truce has been called but the simmering tensions underneath the Egypt-endorsed truce can be clearly seen on the faces of the people of both Israel and Gaza. This clash must be seen under the broader perspective of the Israel-Palestine conflict which goes back to the time Israel was born in 1948.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/israel-gaza-conflict-why-there-never-will-be-peace-in-the-holy-land/3551/

 

India should not abolish death penalty

I do not care what the human rights people have to say simply because they are ambiguous in their demands. They may ask for death penalty in a rape case but won’t ask for the same in the case of a fanatic terrorist who raped an entire city. Why didn’t they stand for the rights of the policemen and the innocent people killed in the Mumbai terror attacks? If the death penalty is “inhuman”, was pumping bullets into the unarmed men and women or upholders of law a human act?

Read here:

http://www.newsyaps.com/india-should-not-abolish-death-penalty/3431/

Thank you President Pranab for hanging Ajmal Kasab

Some are complaining that Kasab was not publicly hanged. They argue that if India saw the brutality of the terrorist through the news channels, his hanging too should have been aired for all to see.

Are they right?

Read here to know:

http://www.newsyaps.com/thank-you-president-pranab-for-hanging-ajmal-kasab/3413/ 

Why China, not US Presidential Elections, deserves our interest (Part II)

It is barely possible for any story to bypass the government and bureaucratic hurdles and reach the world populace. Layer after layer of restrictions have made the emanation of free and fair information out of the country almost impossible. There could have been more negative stories coming out of China but we do not know them because the country has succeeded in controlling the media and the internet.

But despite all this, China is interesting, very interesting. The simple reason, to put psychologically, is because anything that is mysterious is interesting. China is the only superpower in the world which has been able to keep its mysterious image intact. Who until the day of the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony knew what was to come? Who was not left enthralled after watching the opening ceremony? That event can easily be termed China’s remarkable entry in the league of the big players of the world. Perhaps the steps, created through fireworks, shown going towards the ‘Bird’s Nest’ – the main stadium packed with leaders and spectators from across the world – were those China’s.

Click Here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/why-china-not-us-presidential-elections-deserves-our-interest-part-ii/3183/

Why China, not US Presidential Elections, deserves our interest

I am not interested in the US Presidential Elections. I am not interested in who becomes the 45^th President of America. I am not interested in either Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. I am not interested in what the world’s largest democracy is doing. I am interested in the events after Hu steps down in China. In fact China, not US Presidential Elections, deserves our interest.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/why-china-not-us-presidential-elections-deserves-our-interest/3169/

Why Subramanian Swamy is not Sherlock Holmes

Subramanian Swamy’s way of digging out information puts all our investigative agencies to shame. Perhaps this is why he has earned the title of “Sherlock Swamy” from those close to him, by his Twitter followers and now the media.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/why-subramanian-swamy-is-not-sherlock-holmes/3139/

Global warming or not, US must prevent another Hurricane Sandy

To people across the world, the US is like Superman. The people have the belief that there is nothing the US can’t do. Even the Americans believe the same and they feel that come what may, the US would take it all and still remain unscathed. There is no doubt that everything along the US east coast will be back to normal in a matter of days and there is no doubt that those who lost their near and dear ones to Sandy will move on with their lives. However it is time that strong steps are taken to prevent the rise of hurricanes of such ferocity.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/global-warming-or-not-us-must-prevent-another-hurricane-sandy/3126/

Thanks

Robots: Slave of man or master of man?

Innovation can be seen in every field but it is most visible in the world of science and technology. Man’s curiosity gave birth to new and better technology which assisted man in various forms over the ages. Economists would say that need is what drives man to find a solution. But need is a vague term; its meaning changes with every man. Therefore the need for a robot to do all things that man does simply doesn’t make sense and yet, man continues making robots.

Click here to read more:
http://www.newsyaps.com/robots-slave-of-man-or-master-of-man/3060/

Jaspal Bhatti: The doctor of laughter

If laughter is the best medicine then Jaspal Bhatti was the best doctor. In a tragic road accident early on Thursday, the man who prescribed a smile to beat the morose of daily life through his satirical television shows left for the heavenly world. He was returning from a promotional event of his upcoming film ‘Power Cut’ which is a satire on the electricity department.

Jaspal Bhatti was unlike any comedian before or after him. His television shows ‘Ulta Pulta’ and ‘Flop Show’ were not mere laugh riots but took potshots on the functioning of various government departments and the inexplicable ways of our society. ‘Flop Show’ in particular was what I believe set the trend of Indian sitcoms.

Click here for the tribute:

http://www.newsyaps.com/jaspal-bhatti-the-doctor-of-laughter/3028/

IAS Ashok Khemka teaches us why bureaucrats are not corrupt

The case of Dr. Ashok Khemka brings to light one of the biggest reasons of corruption in India. No one can deny the fact that if the politicians make plans to swindle money, it is the babus who execute them. There cannot be a single instance of corruption without the involvement of the bureaucracy at any level. From government land dealings to the issuing of medical funds, everything depends on a signature of a bureaucrat who could be an IAS or even a PCS-level officer. Needless to say, no bureaucrat can claim innocence in any case of corruption. But he can say that he was only “doing his duty”. This makes one wonder: Did Dr. Ashok Khemka deviate from “his duty”?

Click here to know:

http://www.newsyaps.com/ias-ashok-khemka-teaches-us-why-bureaucrats-are-not-corrupt/2923/

With European Union as winner, is Nobel Peace prize losing sheen?

The European Union is not Europe; it is but a part of it. There are 50 countries in Europe of which only 27 have become part since 1951. The European Union is still growing (Croatia may join it in 2013) and therefore the idea of giving Peace Prize to an entity which exists more like a mutual understanding between 27 countries is hasty, to say the least.

Here is more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/with-european-union-as-winner-is-nobel-peace-prize-losing-sheen/2858/

 

India needs Ernesto Guevara not Che Guevara

Even on his 45^th death anniversary one cannot make a controversy-free assessment of Che Guevara. What is clear is that those who love capitalism will argue that Che Guevara was nothing less than a despot while those who are staunch socialists will swear by Che’s love for the people. The argument will continue as long as there is capitalism and socialism.

So who was Che? More importantly, in this hour of crisis (provided you can see it), does India need Che?

Here is the answer:

http://www.newsyaps.com/india-needs-ernesto-guevara-not-che-guevara/2819/

Your comment are as important as your promoting this article.

Thanks.

Players of the Caribbean: West Indies back after 33 years

On June 21, 1975, Clive Lloyd lifted the first World Cup for his team after West Indies beat Australia by 17 runs. On June 23, 1979, Clive Lloyd lifted the World Cup a second time for his team; this time beating England by 92 runs. Any prediction that the powerful West Indies will go without a title for 33 years after the second world cup win would have sounded like a joke back then. However, prediction or not, West Indian cricket only went downhill from that day on. It was as if someone had cast a spell on them.

Click here to read more

Sridevi’s comeback with English Vinglish shows society’s change

Her film ‘English Vinglish’ is all set for release this Friday at the Box Office and thankfully there are no big banners or big actors competing with it. That would help the film a lot in the first week but the film is not the subject here – Sridevi is. In a country obsessed with fresh unmarried faces and sultry figures, it was until now a matter of shock if a leading lady from the not-so-yesteryears, married and a mother of two decided to play the lead in a film even if in a completely different avatar. The reason lies in the way Indian society perceives its women.

More here:

http://www.newsyaps.com/sridevis-comeback-with-english-vinglish-shows-societys-change/2741/

Literate Tarzans in Mahatma Gandhi’s India

If everything in the 2011 census is to be believed then 74.04 percent of India’s 1.2 billion population are literate. But the census does not clearly define literacy. One quick search on Google too throws out almost nothing worth comprehending. There is no clear definition or benchmark to calculate literacy. The census defines literacy as anyone who can read and write his/her name shall be considered a literate. This means that if through Jane’s help Tarzan knows how to read and write T-A-R-Z-A-N and nothing else, he is a literate man by Indian standards. I can hear the gorillas clapping in glee feeling very proud to have a literate family member.

More here:

http://www.newsyaps.com/literate-tarzans-in-mahatma-gandhis-india/2698/

Challenge everything is the unofficial slogan of India

The famed video game company EA Games has a unique ad slogan: “Challenge Everything”. Whether or not the games produced by the American game developing company are able to stand tall to its claim is another thing. But whosoever created the slogan of EA Games would be proud to see that it is a duty of Indians to challenge everything here in the country. “Challenge Everything” is the unofficial slogan of India.

Click here to know why:

http://www.newsyaps.com/challenge-everything-is-the-unofficial-slogan-of-india/2685/

Senkaku islands row: Chinese nationalism vs Japanese economy

The island row between China and Japan is something that is giving sleepless nights to every nation touched by the waves of the East China Sea. Over the past few days, the dispute over who owns Senkaku islands (to the Japanese) or Diaoyu islands (to the Chinese) has catapulted into a major international crisis and regularly gets a dominant space on Google news searches. Some also fear a worst case scenario – war.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/senkaku-islands-row-chinese-nationalism-vs-japanese-economy/2663/

Tibetans in India want rights but will that be right for India?

While many in India will sympathize with the Tibetans for their peaceful way of life, one should bring emotions in a situation which is completely political. It is indeed true that Tibetans are still considered “foreigners” in this country and do not enjoy the rights guaranteed to others. However, granting rights to exiled Tibetans will only contribute in increasing the problems for this country.

Why?

Click here to find out:

http://www.newsyaps.com/tibetans-in-india-want-rights-but-will-that-be-right-for-india/2653/

Revisiting my first article

Just realized that it has been exactly a week and two years since I started my career as a journalist. I began as a sub-editor but loved writing on the daily developments in life.

Although my first article was a take on the politics of Nepal here on my blog, the one I wrote after I became a journalist was a letter addressed to the Almighty asking him a crucial question. My then boss (the Editor) was so happy that he immediately decided to publish it in the newspaper I worked for then. He also suggested me to post it on an independent portal which I did.

So here is the link to that article:

http://www.merinews.com/article/a-letter-to-the-almighty/15834008.shtml

Kindly read it and feel free to express your views.

Thanks.

Himalaya or Siberia, the Yeti still eludes

As a kid I was always fascinated by the stories of the Abominable Snowman or Yeti, as is known in the Himalayan part of the world. There was nothing more enthralling to me than the fables and tales of the mysterious man of the Himalayas who still remains a mystery to the world. If today’s kids are not interested in the stories of the Yeti, it is simply because their parents don’t want them to be kids anymore. But that is another story altogether not worthy enough to warrant a discussion here. Let us concentrate on Yeti.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/himalaya-or-siberia-the-yeti-still-eludes/2587/

India’s problem is its multi-party system

It may be easier for an Indian political analyst to predict who among Mitt Romney and Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States of America but leave alone an American political analyst, even an Indian cannot accurately predict the outcome of the Indian General Elections in 2014. There is a very simple reason behind this and it has always been before our eyes; we have only missed it everytime.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/indias-problem-is-its-multi-party-system/2534/

Ranbir Kapoor’s Barfi is worth a 100 crore

In our day and age cinema in Bollywood are of two kinds: one which makes a 100 crore and another which is worth a 100 crore. Both kinds have had witnessed two classic examples in recent months. The first kind (maker of a hundred crore) was ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ which had a brawny-hero-saving-the-world-story and a macho Salman Khan. The second kind (worth a hundred crore) is ‘Barfi’ which has a charming-deaf and dumb boy-experiencing love and life-story and a simple Ranbir Kapoor.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/ranbir-kapoors-barfi-is-worth-a-100-crore/2497/

Will FDI reform the country and the Common Man?

The problem is: How will the “quality of life for a billion people” improve if the price of a commodity as essential as the LPG rises beyond the reach of the Common Man? Before taking the climacteric decision on FDI the government had capped the number of cooking gas cylinders at six which means that only that many cylinders will come at the current price of Rs. 399 (in Delhi). The cost of every additional cylinder will be at around Rs. 770 per cylinder. Not only will it leave the household of the Common Man in disarray but also threatens to eliminate him completely.

http://www.newsyaps.com/will-fdi-reform-the-country-and-the-common-man/2468/

Libyan crisis: Can US liberate the world from hatred?

Other than Ambassador Stevens, there were three other Americans who were killed in the US Diplomatic Mission attack on September 11, 2012, when a group of armed men burned down the consulate purportedly protesting an offensive film on Prophet Mohammed. However, the United States is now linking the attacks to the 9/11 incident. Since those who attacked the mission were armed, a possible terrorist angle is being probed. Destroyers and a team of Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team (FAST) have been dispatched to the troubled region.

Whatever be the reason behind the violent protest, the deaths of US officials within their own embassy exposes loopholes in the security cover meant for diplomats. It also raises questions on YouTube’s policies where the film was blocked only on Wednesday.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/libyan-crisis-can-us-liberate-the-world-from-hatred/2440/

No need to “straighten out”, an honest leader will do

Written on Saturday

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray says that if he is given charge of the Indian army, he will “straighten out” the country in a month’s time. In a part-interview published in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Dopaharka Saamna’, the senior Thackeray rued that his own ‘army’, comprising of the party workers, was “unarmed”. In other words, Balasaheb wants an armed force with which he will whiplash all who are crooked and get them in the right shape.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/no-need-to-straighten-out-an-honest-leader-will-do/2401/



 

The Kurukshetra of ‘Sur Kshetra’: Is art above country?

Even before it was set to go on air, Colours’ new singing reality show ‘Sur Kshetra’ had turned into a Kurukshetra. Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) had threatened to disrupt the show on the issue of the participation of Pakistani singers. Although he and his party have now withdrawn their protest after a meeting with Boney Kapoor and others from the channel, the issue itself is not likely to die down since it has left the Indian music industry divided.

Click here to read more: 

http://www.newsyaps.com/the-kurukshetra-of-sur-kshetra-is-art-above-country/2388/

Sivakasi disaster: Close firecracker industry or provide safety?

There is hardly any child in India who doesn’t love crackers. The brilliant lights and the near-deafening sounds of firecrackers on display every Diwali, the festival of light, is something many eagerly await to enjoy. Not just the children, even the adults love the whistling sounds of the rockets, the multiple hues of the anar (flower pots), circling flames of the chakri, the phuljharis and the bombs. But what is joy for a section of the populace may translate as death for another. The 38 lives which were lost to the blaze of a firecracker factory in Sivakasi on Wednesday is exactly that translation.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/sivakasi-disaster-close-firecracker-industry-or-provide-safety/2383/

Satyendranath: The Nobel Bose that Bharat forgot

The world has a habit of overlooking Indian geniuses. Correction. Perhaps India has a habit of overlooking its real gems (those with the surname ‘Bose’ in particular). If India was re-awakened to the legacy of Satyendranath Bose after the announcement of the Higgs Boson by CERN then the entire Nobel committee must have been inspired by Indians so as to overlook the contribution of Bose in the world of particle physics.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/satyendranath-the-nobel-bose-that-bharat-forgot/2364/

Please DO comment.

Why Mitt Romney could be a better President than Barack Obama

There were mixed reactions to the speech delivered by Mitt Romney at Tampa, Florida, but most of them were good as he stressed on the need to focus on the “family” rather than the “oceans”. Indeed that is what America must look at now given that other nations have stepped up their efforts in becoming a global economic powerhouse. Everyone was excited when Obama spoke and indeed they said “how well he speaks.” President Obama spoke of “change” and indeed he delivered but unfortunately, it was in the negative.

 Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/why-mitt-romney-could-be-a-better-president-than-barack-obama/2335/

Comment if you may please.

AK Hangal and Unmukt Chand unmask our two-facedness

On a day when the government should have offered condolences on the death of AK Hangal – one of the pioneers of Indian cinema – the Rajya Sabha was thumping the desks congratulating India’s win at the under-19 cricket World Cup. Vice-president Hamid Ansari, who chairs the RS, was quoted as saying: “This victory has added another feather in the crown of Indian cricket”. It appears that Indian cricket is a naked bird which is in dire need of feathers to cover itself up. No one seems to realize that it already has too many feathers which will one day make it too heavy to fly.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/ak-hangal-and-unmukt-chand-unmask-our-two-facedness/2288/

Comment please.

Is Apple’s victory over Samsung a threat to innovation?

The survival of any business is ensured by innovation. Samsung’s defeat, or should we say Apple’s victory, is a monumental hurdle in the path of innovation itself and therefore threatens the survival of business. The jury in the US court where Apple and Samsung locked horns for one of the biggest legal battles decided in favour of Apple which meant that Samsung had ‘stolen’ certain key-features in both software and hardware from the company founded by the late Steve Jobs. The US jury has ruled that as alleged by Apple, Samsung also copied the designs of iPad and iPhone.


Click here to read more:
http://www.newsyaps.com/is-apples-victory-over-samsung-a-threat-to-innovation/2278/

Comment if you may please.
 

VVS Lakshman was the Ram of Indian cricket

For a moment imagine what would have happened if Lakshman had never been there in the Ramayana. Would there have been a Ramayana at all? Not at all. But the story of the Indian cricket team is very different from what was written by the great sage Valmiki in the Treta Yuga. The writers of this story never felt the need of a Lakshman but were forced to feature him in some chapters because of his sheer brilliance. To these writers, it makes no difference to the Indian cricket team whether or not VVS Lakshman wields the willow.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/vvs-lakshman-was-the-ram-of-indian-cricket/2250/

Comment if you may please.

The way to escape greed

We are all driven by aspirations. In this day and age, we want to remain ahead of each and every person we know or we do not know. We want all the pleasures of life – the swanky car, the huge mansion, the glittering accessories and the uber cool lifestyle. We want them all and we will do whatever we can to get them; even adopt unjust, immoral or unethical means. Our desire to remain ahead of everyone in all things material transforms us into machines devoid of the sense of right and wrong. But we are so blinded by our aspirations that to us whatever we do is right. We expect the other person to do the same, don’t we?
But why are we such?

To know the answer, read the complete article here:

http://www.newsyaps.com/the-way-to-escape-greed/2245/

Please comment.

Why is India silent?

In a democracy (if we still call ourselves that), the power of the people is supreme. We know that the government is at fault, corruption has eaten our country and there are more religious leaders than there are social reformers. But strangely, we are all silent. We treat every incident individually. So if Assam burns, we ignore that as a problem to be handled by the people of the northeast alone. Whether the Biharis are targeted in Maharashtra or the exodus of the northeasterners, the rest of India remains silent. Something has gone very wrong in the last couple of decades that India has come to a stage where a section of the population fears for its life in a part of the country and flees to another part of the country for safety.


Click here to read the full article:
http://www.newsyaps.com/exodus-of-northeasterners-why-is-india-silent/2241/

P.S: The last line of the article written yesterday is especially significant because it is exactly what has happened in the morning newspapers today.

Your invaluable comments are most welcome.
 

Independence Day: Is there anything new?

We are too great to pen down in mere words. Thus we Indians are not surprised that every year on Independence Day we have the same stories repeating themselves. The President congratulates the nation every year for surviving a difficult year. The Prime Minister makes an address to the nation which sounds similar to the one he delivered last year. The national flag is hoisted everywhere but often the saffron turns to orange. It is no different to students in school who sing the national anthem everyday just like they half-heartedly rote their subjects. To the office-goers, it a holiday which means going to the theaters to catch up on the latest release and to the businesses it is an opportunity to make more money.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/independence-day-of-a-positive-indian/2218/

Comments will be appreciated.

Article on Fareed Zakaria

There are many Fareed Zakaria’s in the world of media. If you do not know their names, it is because they steal from unknown sources. They say that you are not a thief until you are caught. Zakaria was simply foolish to have lifted off from a well-known historian and therefore caught in the act. But Fareed Zakaria should not be called dishonest because what he did has been created by the environment in which he works.

Click here to read more:

http://www.newsyaps.com/fareed-zakaria-is-a-product-of-his-environment/2192/

Will be thankful for comments

A letter to Krishna on Janmashtami

My Lord, your world is nearing its end. From up there, you must be getting a clearer picture of what is going on down here. Can’t you see that the voice of the truth is regularly silenced by those very unrighteous individuals you so successfully annihilated when you last arrived? This world has many Kansas and innumerable Duryodhanas who are ably assisted by thousands of Shakunis in their evil deeds. The Kansa you killed was responsible for the deaths of the children born to your mother Devaki before your arrival. The modern-day Kansas kill children by subjecting them to work as labourers and/or trafficking them into the dark alleys of prostitution.

Click here to read the complete article;

http://www.newsyaps.com/lord-krishna-it-is-time-for-a-new-janmashtami/2183/

Comments will be most appreciated.

Hunger games: Talk on cellphones to forget hunger

‘Har Hath Mein Phone’ appears nothing but a stupid gimmick, a cheap political stunt in the world’s biggest democracy. But there is another side to it too. Much of India is full of people who are myopic; they see the immediate benefit and fail to see or intentionally overlook the long-term complications. This is what happened with the 1991 economic liberalization. India progressed but humans didn’t develop. India continues to remain trapped in its “need to uphold tradition” mentality and “need to go modern” approach. Those falling in the BPL category or hanging just above it may be too impoverished to fund education for their children but there are many from the same category who will buy cheap liquor. Thus was born the idea of freebie.....

Click here to read more:

 http://www.newsyaps.com/hunger-games-talk-on-cellphones-to-forget-hunger/2170/

Comments will be most appreciated.

Is the West confused about us?

I wonder exactly what the perception of the West is about India. At times they say that India is an economic force to reckon with while on other occasions they claim that India is home to a considerable fraction of the world’s poor.

To be precise the world around me is hegemony of those who have wads of money in their accounts. Being a simple, nay, a ‘Common Man’, I find myself torn between the society of the rulers and the society of the ruled. Over the last six decades since my country gained freedom, the borders of the two societies continued becoming more visible and now it has reached a situation where the difference is glaring.

The rulers – those who have money – claim that do not have enough of it and the ruled – who do not have it – hanker for it. The problem is acute.

 

On the one hand the government says that the economy of India is progressing like a horse competing in steeplechase. On the other it never denies borrowing from various countries that are ever ready to pay. Surprisingly a country like Britain - which should rather take care of itself - is an eager donor.

To the US, the people in the state of Uttar Pradesh are at par with Somalis when it comes to poverty. The truth is that there are a large number of millionaires in the state and many own vast swatches of land. It’s another thing if population is taken into consideration. But that is a problem of mindset.

The ministers, cricketers, businessmen and film stars have all the luxuries of life yet the country is reeling under an acute health problem, many go to bed hungry and the bed is in itself the street with the sky as the roof. This is surprising.

Yes, some celebrities and industrialists are doing all they can to bridge the gap but that simply does not suffice.

I do not need statistical data to prove my point and no such data can disprove what I say. Aaron Levenstein said, “Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.”

I wonder what is on the minds of the developed nations. What do they want from us? Perhaps they want more money and maintaining strong diplomatic ties is crucial to achieve that. They flatter us when they need something and shun us when their needs are over. It is much like the mid-18^th century.

What we have not learnt is that we, the Indians, must stand shoulder to shoulder and support our brothers and sisters who need financial help. If money is what India is looking at since 1991 and still needs more of it then so be it.

Greed or not nearly everyone in this country needs a job with a fat paycheck and less tiring work. Even if they may be making an annual salary of 4 lakh per annum, they just do not know how much money is sufficient for them. They need more, perhaps to infinity. Making more money is fine but they all use it to quench their selfish ends.

Sadly they have never heard of the word charity. Donating to the poor is something far from their minds. They want more discounts on products. They may pay less to the shopkeeper but will not take less from him. They donate to the poor only when their local pandit tells them to do so to appease gods. That too is a selfish act.

If I urge someone to donate they counter-question me, "Do you donate?" When I say yes, they go around citing all kinds of reasons including the cliched bickering on the system.

The West needs to come clear about our image. We know what we are. The West must know that the Indian economy may be bulging like a weather balloon but our mentality is as narrow as an alley.

What do we want to read about?

I thought of penning down something on any of the multitudes of issues that plague our society but each time I felt like sitting down with the pen to speak out on something, a new issue came out of nowhere that overshadowed the former.

For instance, while Indian batsmen were been terrorized by the Australian bowlers, the country itself was bracing up with some key elections that will most likely change the equation at the Center.

Some noise is being made on the cricket debacle but that looks like a whisper in comparison to the clamor of the political slogans exalting some candidate who wants to make it 'big' in netagiri. All of a sudden campaigns to make voters aware of their rights have sprung up (as if the voters were sleeping for the last 63 years).

Suddenly the General of our Army woke up to the realization that he was a year younger than what was mentioned in some government documents. What followed cannot be commented on for many reasons than one.

If Bollywood was expected to provide some entertainment then many were left disappointed. Don 2 did well and Agneepath is doing good but two films in two months cannot make the industry economically strong.

However, all that was dirty did well. The Dirty Picture was 'seen' by hordes of 'fans' (who knows whose). The dirty part continued with a very popular reality show in which participants are 'expected' to fight and cuss in order to survive elimination. 

Our infatuation with everyone who is an Indian and has made a name for himself/herself abroad went too far when an Indo-Canadian adult film star got a Bollywood offer. All through her stay in India, her name was in the top trends on the internet signalling her popularity in our 'morally upright' country.

Shamefully, there is no ratna left in Bharat as the government's indecisiveness on the nation's highest civilian award proves. 

Politics? We live it every second here in India. World? We don't care much what happens to 'others' and 'outsiders'. Entertainment? The more it is dirty the better. Sports? Speak Cricket or shut up. National Interest? Comes only after our personal interests are taken care of.

What is left to write about? Sorry, I should ask: What do we want to read about?