Open up your mind and your potential reaches infinity…

Archive for 2011

“The world is beautiful, but has a disease called man”


“The mountains, rivers, earth, grasses, trees, and forests are always emanating a subtle, precious light, day and night, always emanating a subtle, precious sound, demonstrating and expounding to all people the unsurpassed ultimate truth”

“I sometimes think that God in creating man somewhat overestimated his ability”.
~Oscar Wilde

“There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed.”
~Mohandas Gandhi

“The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.”
~Wendell Berry

Category:

Art, Earth, Film, General, International, Peace, Quotes

A Chhaap Tilak & other Collection of verses ~ by Farid Ayaz & Co.


This beautiful rendition of Chaap Tilak with magic spilled by Farid Ayaz, includes verses from Hazrat Sultan Bahu, Moalana Rumi and Kabir Das that were appropriate to the mood and common thought.

Amir Khusro:

Apni chhab banaye ke , main to pee ke paas gayee,
Jab chhhab dekhi peehu ki, main to apni bhool gayee.
I went to my beloved, with my own glow,
When I saw His ‘aura’, I forgot my own.

Chhap tilak sab cheeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Chhap tilak sab cheeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Prem bhatee ka madhva pilaikay
Matvali kar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Gori gori bayyan, hari hari churiyan
Bayyan pakar dhar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Bal bal jaaon mein toray rang rajwa
Apni see kar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Khusrau Nijaam kay bal bal jayyiye
Mohay Suhaagan keeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Chhap tilak sab cheeni ray mosay naina milaikay
You’ve taken away my looks, my identity, by just a glance.
By making me drink the wine of love-potion,
You’ve intoxicated me by just a glance;
My fair, delicate wrists with green bangles in them,
Have been held tightly by you with just a glance.
I give my life to you, Oh my cloth-dyer,
You’ve dyed me in yourself, by just a glance.
I give my whole life to you Oh, Nijam,
You’ve made me your bride, by just a glance.

Sultan Bahu:
Alif Allah chambe di booti, Murshid man wich laaee hoo
Nafee asbaat da pane milia, Har rage harjae hoo.
My Master Has Planted in My Heart the Jasmine of Allah’s Name.
Both My Denial That the Creation is Real and My Embracing of God,
the Only Reality, Have Nourished the Seedling Down to its Core.

Kabirdas:
Naina chupaye na chupe so pat ghoongat ki ote
Chatur naar aur soorma so karein laakh mein chor
The eyes could not be hidden behind the veil,
Tho’ the clever woman and the wise man tried their best (to hide ).

Bulleh Shah:
Ilmon bus kariye Oo yaar
Tainnu ikko alaf darkaar
Forget the pride in your knowledge O’ friend
One Alif is all you need

Mevlana Rumi:
beshno in ney chon hekaayat mikonad,
az jodaayee ha shekaayat mi-konad,
Listen to the (ney) reed flute, how it tells a tale of separation,
I want a bosom torn by severance, that I may unfold the pain of love desire.

Kabirdas:
Sun Kabira bansuri kahe nirali baat
Nagar dhandora peet ti hai choota pi ka saath.
Listen Kabir to the flute’s unique lament
Announcing everywhere that it is parted from it’s beloved

Category:

Amir Kusro, Farid Ayaz ka Jadoo, India, Indo-Pak, Kabir, Music, Pakistan, Poetry, URDU POETRY

Dissecting Empathy



Empathy:
1903, translation of Ger. Einfühlung (from ein “in” + Fühlung “feeling”), coined 1858 by Ger. philosopher Rudolf Lotze (1817-81)from Gk. empatheia “passion,” from en- “in” + pathos “feeling

Definitons
“ A complex form of psychological inference in which observation, memory, knowledge, and reasoning are combined to yield insights into the thoughts and feelings of others.”

Saying it simply:
The ability to put oneself into the mental shoes of another person to understand his/her emotions and feelings.~ Alvin Goldman.

What’s the difference?
Sympathy: Oh! I’m so sorry. I wish it never happened.
Emotional Contagion: Oh! Your pain makes me cry too.
Pity: Poor you. You really need to be helped.
EMPATHY: I know exactly how it feels to be in this situation.
Apathy: Who cares? Or just ignore quietly on what happened.

Development of Empathy:

-Feelings of empathy begin normally at the age of 2. Common for toddlers to comfort each other in distress—by hugging, smooching or even by words.
-By the ages of 7 and 12 appear to be naturally inclined to feel empathy for others in pain(.researchers at the University of Chicago who used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI),
-There are three stages of Empathetic Maturity (Olsen, 2001)
Stage 1: Primitive pattern as in toddlers. Not in Adults.
Stage 2: The rationale that empathetic behaviousr is valid for everyone.
Stage 3:Mutuality occurs prior to any judgement about the person’s behaviour.

Why is it that even when empathy is a natural instinct some of us fail to act with empathy?
The extent of empathy varies.
Cognitive empathy: Simply knowing how others feel and what they are going through.
Emotional Empathy:When you actually feel physically within you what others must be feeling as if it was contagious.
Compassionate empathy: The feeling that not only makes us feel their pain but spontaneously moves us to help if need be

Unfortunately most of us are limited to cognitive empathy which 
lacks
 motivational
strength
 and
 tends 
to
 be 
highly 
selective, which in practical terms amounts to apathy in general.

Is empathy exclusively a ‘human trait?

No! All primates, even rodents and dolphis have been studied to have empathy.

Why need empathy
Empathy is the key element in humans to embrace the The Golden Rule (One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself ).
Empathy is the foundation of all Human Rights and the Unity of all mankind..

How to help oneself become more empathetic?
Batson and colleagues investigated the affective consequences of different perspective-taking instructions when participants listened to a story about Katie Banks, a young college student struggling with her life after the death of her parents.This study demonstrated that different instructions had distinct effects on how participants perceived the target’s situation. Notably, participants imagining themselves to be in Katie’s place showed stronger signs of discomfort and personal distress than participants focusing on the target’s responses and feelings (imagine other), or as participants instructed to take on an objective, detached point of view.
Conclusion: Imagine yourself in the situation to feel more motivated and get proactive.

Quote:
The good enough mother, owing to her deep empathy with her infant, reflects in her face his feelings; this is why he sees himself in her face as if in a mirror and finds himself as he sees himself in her. The not good enough mother fails to reflect the infant’s feelings in her face because she is too preoccupied with her own concerns, such as her worries over whether she is doing right by her child, her anxiety that she might fail him.
by,
Bruno Bettelheim (20th century), Austrian-U.S. child psychologist. A Good Enough Parent, ch. 1 (1987).


Category:

Art, General, Personal, Quotes, Social Issues

Why should I be Behind the Veil?


I look at myself and feel so depressed,
For it isn’t Divine Law that got me so dressed.

But the psyche of men who like me oppressed,
And love to see my potential confined and repressed.

What’s so offending and outrageous about my face?
That mandates it to cover and hide all its grace.

I doubt it is to seek Allah’s goodwill and pleasure,
It’s him thinking that I am his personal treasure.

They say for men and women, equality shall prevail
Then why, he sails free, while I hide behind the veil?

Is it the hiding that makes me so safe and secure?
True safety comes from my inner strength, for sure.

It isn’t my face that makes me unsafe and assailable
But his mindset, that as an object, I am available.

It isn’t bound on me to hide behind black curtain,
It’s his attitude, that needs a change, for certain.

No, it’s not me who needs a cover to stay faceless,
But his ego and chauvinism, that truly need a redress.

Note:The most authentic ruling according to the majority of Islamic scholars is that face veil( niqaab) is not necessary and, unlike the head cover( hijab), there is no sin if it is not worn.
Al Azhar University, Egypt’s highest Muslim authority, Sheikh Mohamed Tantawi, has said :
“The niqab is a tradition, it has no connection with religion.”

Category:

Islam, MY POETRY, Personal, RELIGION, Social Issues, Women

Amir Khusrau, the playful


Amīr Khusrau Dehlawī, a Sufi mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi, was not only a notable poet but also a prolific scholar and a seminal musician. He wrote poetry primarily in Persian for the court and Hindvi for the common man.

Amir Khusrau  had a special connection with the common folk and their language of expression. This led him to use the language  in his playful interaction with the people. His songs(geet), couplets( dohas) and riddles( pahelis) are mainly written in that dialect called Hindvi.

There are an endless number of riddles credited to him-some  as Keh Mukarnis( say-deny ), Dosukhnay (two liners) and chaubolay(four liners) etc. in Hindvi.  The riddles convey the spirit of playfulness, celebration, and surprise.

Khusrau’s pahelis, dohas and geets were so enmeshed into the day to day lives of the common man that they were orally transferred from generation to generation. They were passed on by Qawwals (Qawwali singers), mirasees (professional singers), bhands (stage performers),naukranis (women-folk who were employed by aristocratic families to look after children and perform other daily chores, and of course the family members themselves.

Riddles (Dosukhna ):

Dosukhna, (literally meaning a two-liner or a two-verse-thing) is a smart form of riddle in which one has to find one answer for two completely different questions – though that answer could have different meanings for both questions. Interesting part is that the answer is not simply one word or a noun – it has to be a two or three word explanation, since the questions are always asked in ‘Whys’.

Some examples are:

Raja pyasa kyoon? Gadha udasa kyoon?
Lota na tha.

Why is the king thirsty? Why is the donkey sad?
Didn’t have the pot to drink (the king);
Hadn’t rolled on the ground (the donkey)

Deevar kyoon tooti? Raah kyoon luti?
Raaj na tha.

Why did the wall break? Why was there a robbery on the road?
There was no mason (for the wall);
There was no government (to stop the robbery).

Anar kyoon na chakkha? Wazir kyoon na rakkha?
Danaa na tha.

Why didn’t you taste the pomegranate?
Why wasn’t a minister selected?
Didn’t have the seed (the pomegranate);
There wasn’t a wise one (the minister).

Dahi kyoon na jama? Naukar kyoon na rakkha?
Zaamin na tha.

Why didn’t the curd set? Why wasn’t the servant kept?
There was no essence (for the curd),
There was no one to give security(for the servant)

Ghar kyoon andhiyaara? Faqeer kyoon badbadaya?
Diya na tha.

Why was the house in dark? Why did the beggar grumble?
There was no lamp (in the house);
Hadn’t given anything (to the beggar).

Gosht kyoon na khaya? Dom kyoon na gaya?
Gala na tha.

Why wasn’t the meat eaten? Why didn’t the bard sing?
Wasn’t done properly (the meat); Didn’t have a voice (the bard).

Samosa kyoon na khaya? Joota kyoon na pehna?
Tala na tha.

Why wasn’t the samosa (a patty) eaten? Why wasn’t the shoe worn?
Wasn’t fried (the samosa); Didn’t have a sole (the shoe).

Sitar kyoon na baja? Aurat kyoon na nahayi?
Parda na tha.

Why wasn’t the sitar played? Why didn’t the lady bathe?
Didn’t have a reed (the sitar); There was no curtain (for the lady).

Pundit kyoon na nahaaya? Dhoban kyoon maari gayi?
Dhoti na thi.

Why didn’t the pundit (the priest) bathe?
Why was the washerwoman beaten?
Didn’t have a loincloth (the pundit); Did not used to wash (the washerwoman)

Khichdi kyoon na pakaayi? Kabootri kyoon na bhagayi?
Chhadi na thi.

Why didn’t you cook the Khichdi (a rice dish)?
Why didn’t you drive away the (female) pigeon?
Didn’t have a spoon (for the Khichdi);
Didn’t have a stick (to drive away the pigeon).

Others:

Ghuum ghumelaa lehangaa pahne,
ek paanv se rahe kharii.
aath haath hain us naarii ke,
suurat usakii lage parii.
Sab koii us kii chaah kare hai,
musalamaan hinduu chhatrii.
“khusaro” ne yah kahii pahelii,
dil me.n apane soch jarii..
A: Chhatri

She wears a round skirt, stands on one leg,
That lady has eight legs,
And looks like a fairy.
Everyone wants her,
Muslim, Hindu, Chhatri (of warrior caste).
Khosrow asks this riddle,
just think about it.
A:Umbrella

Baalaa thaa jab man ko bhaayaa,
badaa huaa kuchh kaam na aayaa,
“khusaro” kah diyaa us kaa naanv,
buujhe nahiin to chhode gaanv..
A: diyaa

Was lovable when little (or lit),
but was worthless when grown up (or extinguished)
Khusro has told you his name,
solve this riddle or get out of town.
A: Tealight( diyaa)

Ek kahani main kahun,
Tu sunlay meray poot;
Bina paron ke ud gayee,
Woh baandh galay mein soot.
A: Patang

Let me ask a riddle,
Listen, oh my son;
She flew without wings,
with a thread in her neck.
A: A kite

Nar naari kehlaati hai,
aur bin warsha jal jati hai;
Purkh say aaway purkh mein jaai,
na di kisi nay boojh bataai.
A: Nadi ( Darya)

Is known by both masculine and feminine names,
And lightens up (or burns up) without rain;
Originates from a man and goes into a man,
But no one has been able to guess what it is.
A: River

Pawan chalat weh dehe badhavay
Jal peevat weh jeev ganvavay
Hai weh piyari sundar naar,
Naar nahin par hai weh naar.
A: Aag

With the blow of wind she flares up,
And dies as soon as she drinks water;
Even though she is a pretty woman,
She’s not a woman, though she’s feminine.
A: Fire

Ek guni nay yeh gun keena,
Hariyal pinjray mein dedeena;
Dekho jadoogar ka kamaal,
Daalay hara, nikaalay laal.
A: Paan 

One trickster performed this trick,
Inserted a (green) parrot into the cage;
Oh, what an act the sorcerer shows,
Puts in green, takes out red !
A:Betel leaf for chewing 

Bheetar chilmun, baahar
chilmun, beech kaleja dhadkay,
Amir Khusrau yun kahay
woh do do ungal sarkay.
A;Qainchi 

A screen inside,a screen outside,
a pounding heart in between,
Says Amir Khusrau,
its moving inch by inch.
Scissors 

Ujjal ateet moti barani, paayi
 kabnt diyay moye dharani,
Jahaan dhari wahan nahin paayi,
haat bajaar sabhay dhoondh aayi;
Aye sakhi ab keejay ka?
Pi maangay to deejay kya?
A:Olaiyy

He found some beautiful, sparkling pearls, 
and gave them to me to keep,
But alas, I can’t find them now where I kept,
Have searched every corner, even in the bazaar;
What to do, Oh my friend?
What will I give, when the beloved asks?
A: Hail

The Say-and-Deny Riddles of Khusro (Keh Mukarnis):

Keh (say) Mukarni (denial) is an interesting genre of riddles played between two young women, where one of them describes something in a way that it is mistaken by the other girl as her beloved, and finally turns out to be something completely different.

Raat samay woh mere aawe
bhore bhaye woh ghar uthi jawe
Ye achraj hai sab se nyaara
Ay sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi taara!

He comes to me at night
At the onset of dawn he goes away
And it is so very exciting.
Is he the beloved?
No dear, a star!

Jab maangoon tab jal bhar laawe
Mere man ki tapan bujhawe
Man ka bhari tan ka chota
Kya sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi, lota!

Brings water whenever I want
Quenches the heat in me
Has a big heart but small body.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, a water jar !

Nange paanv phiran nahin deta
paanv se mitti lagan nahin deta
paanv ka chooma let nipoota
Ay sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi joota!

Does not let me walk barefoot
Does not let my feet get soiled
Hugs my feet always.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, a shoe!

Sej padi moray aankhon aaya,
Daal sej mohay majaa dikhaya,
Kis say kahun ab maja main apna.
Aye sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi, sapna!

I was lying on the bed,
when he appeared in my eyes,
Oh, he let me have such fun on the bed,
Who should I tell my fun now.
Was it the beloved?
No dear, a dream!

Bakhat bakhat moye wa ki aas,
raat dina oo rahat mo paas;
Meray man ko sab karat hay kaam.
Aye sakhi saajan?
na sakhi, Ram!

Each moment I long for him;
Day and night he remains with me,
And does what my heart asks him to do.
Is it the beloved?
No my dear, its Ram( God)!

Sagri raen chhatiyan par raakha,
Roop rang sab wa ka chaakha;
Bhor bhaee jab diya utaar.
Aye sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi haar!

Kept him on my bosom the entire night,
And tasted his various flavours thoroughly;
At dawn, I removed him.
You mean the beloved?
No dear, necklace!

Padi thi main achaanak chadh aayo,
Jab utryo to paseeno aayo,
Sehem gayi nahin saki pukaar,
Aye sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi, bukhaar!

I was lying when he suddenly came upon me,
I was perspiring, when he got away,
Terrified, I could not scream.
Was it the beloved?
No dear, it was fever!

Woh aaye tab shaadi hovay,
Us bin dooja aur na koye;
Meethay laagen wa ke bol.
Aye sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi, dhol!

One can’t get married without him/it,
There is no one like him/it;
And he/it sounds so sweet.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, the drum (for singing)!.

Aap hilay aur moye hilaaye,
Wa ka hilna moye mun bhaye;
Hil hil kay woh huva nasankha.
Aye sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi pankha!

It shakes itself, and shakes me too,
The shaking really pleases me;
It has become so frail by continually shaking.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, a fan!

Lipat lipat kay wa-kay soyee,
Chhaati say chhaati lagakay royee,
Daant say daant bajay to taada.
Aye sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi, jaada!

Cuddled up in his arms she slept,
Bosoms pressed against each other, she sobbed,
When the teeth started clattering, she saw.
Was it the beloved?
No my dear, Winter!

Oonchi ataari palang bichhayo,
Main soyi meray sir par aayo;
Khul gayin ankhiyan bhayi anand,
Aye sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi, Chand!

Had my bed on the roof top,
And was off to sleep, when he came;
Could not sleep any further, it was such a pleasure.
Was it the beloved?
No dear, it was moon!

Ber-ber sovathi jagave
Na jagoon to kaate khaave
Vyakul hui main hakki bakki
Ay sakhi sajan?
Na sakhi, makkhii!

With sound wakes me from sleep
Bites if I don’t wake up
So nervous I wake up.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, a housefly!

Jab woh moray mandir aaway,
sotay mujhko aan jagaway;
Padhat phirat woh birah ke achchar,
Aye sakhi sajan?
Na sakhi machchar!

Whenever he visits my place,
Wakes me up from the sleep,
He sings the song of separation;
Is it the beloved, oh friend?
No, its mosquito!

Ati surang hai rang rangeele
gunwant bahut chateeley
Ram bhajan bin kabhi na sota
Kyon sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi, totaa!

Is so beautiful and colorful
So very talented too.
Never sleeps without prayers.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, a parrot!

Jeevan sab jag jaso kahe
Wa binu nek na dheeraj rahe
hare chinak mein hiye ki pir
Kya sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi , neer!( aansoo)

Says everything about the life
With it one cannot bear
Takes away the pain.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, tears!

Shobha sada badhawan hara
Ankhin se chhin hot na nyara
Aath peher mero manoranjan.
Kyon sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi , Anjan!( Kaajal)

Beautifies me so much
Doesn’t look nice away from eyes
All the time I enjoy it’s presence.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, the kohl! ( in the eyes).

Bin aaye sab hi sukh bhoole
Aye to ang ang sab phoole
Siri bhai lagawat chaati
Kyon sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi , paati!

Without it’s everyone takes forgranted happiness
If arrives, it worries us a lot
And we have to embrace it anyways.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, sadness!

( Dear readers, if you know of any such riddles by Amir Khusrau which aren’t here, you are welcome to add them in the comments. I shall be highly indebted for that ).

Courtesy:
-Amir Khusrau Wikepedia
-Amir Khusrau Website:http://www.ektaramusic.com/ak/index.html

Category:

Amir Kusro, Hindi Poetry, Humour, India, Pakistan, Poetry, Social Issues, URDU POETRY

Laugh Aloud


Watch this skype laughter chain. Beware, you could end up being the last ring in the chain of laughter…

Some more reminders of what a laugh is: 

*A smile starts on the lips,
A grin spreads to the eyes,
A chuckle comes from the belly
But a good laugh bursts forth from the soul,
Overflows, and bubbles all around.
~Carolyn Birmingham

 


 

HUMANITY has unquestionably one really effective weapon—LAUGHTER.
Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution—these can lift at a colossal humbug—push it a little—weaken it a little, century by century; but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.
~ Mark Twain

 

 

The old man laughed loud and joyously, shook up the details of his anatomy from head to foot,
and ended by saying that such a laugh was money in a man’s pocket,
because it cut down the doctor’s bills like everything.
~ “Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain

 



What is laughter?
-It is a form of internal jogging.
-It moves internal organs around.
-It is cheap medicine and enhances respiration.
-It ignites a fire within the pit of the belly.
-It is one mighty scarce thing that heals all hurts.
-It is a spark that ignites and awakens one’s being.
-It is the sun that drives winter from the human face.
-It is God’s hand on the shoulder of a troubled world. 

 

Everyone is so afraid of death, but the real sufis just laugh: nothing tyrannizes their hearts. What strikes the oyster shell does not damage the pearl.” — Mevlana Rumi

Medical benefits of laughter: 



Beware, laughter is soooo very contageous 😀 😀 😀

 

Category:

Art, General, Health, Humour, Social Issues

The Known Universe


The Known Universe takes viewers from the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world’s most complete four-dimensional map of the universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History.

Director: Carter Emmart
Curator: Ben R. Oppenheimer
Producer: Michael Hoffman
Executive Producer: Ro Kinzler
Co-Executive Producer: Martin Brauen
Manager, Digital Universe Atlas: Brian Abbott
Music: Suke Cerulo

Category:

Film, General, Science

Khoobsurat


Gehri hain woh aankhein
Dukhi ke dil mein jo jhankein

Meethi hai woh muskaan
Hamdardi ki bane jo pehchaan

Sureeli hain woh baatein
Ghareeb ki fikr ko jo battein

Haseen hain woh haath
Musibat mein jo dein door tak saath

Khush shakl hai woh chehra
Adl-o-insaaf ka dost ho jo gehra.

Bemisaal hain woh ehsaas
Zaalim ke dushman hon jo khaas.

Khoobsurat hai woh insaan
Insaaniyat ho jis ka eemaan.

Oopri rang roop bemaani hai
Husn e sulook ka na koi saani hai.

Category:

Instrumental Music, Music, MY POETRY, Personal, Social Issues, Uncategorized

INDIA: UNPRECEDENTED SUPPORT TO A CIVIL UPRISING (part 2)


Following India…..Part 2

THE FIGHT FOR REAL DEMOCRACY AND TRANSPARENCY

On April 5th. a Gandhian activist known as Anna Hazare started a ‘fast unto death’ to exert pressure on the Indian government to enact a strong anti-corruption act as in the Jan Lokpal Bill..

As Indians rise in protest and rally around Anna Hazare’s crusade against corruption, the swelling resolve to birth a movement that would usher in real democracy with transparency and accountability as hallmarks is slowly assuming unprecedented levels.

This is a tide of popular discontent against the venal politician-bureaucrat-corporate nexus that has not only fattened itself on public money but has also perpetuated a system that carefully looks after the interests of the privileged and the powerful, often denying just basic rights to the majority.

The civil movement is seeing unprecedented level of support by the Indians all over the world.

Support has been pouring from Indians across the globe in support of Anna Hazare’s fast against corruption started at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi April 5

I paste her some of the support pledges from the news from today( April 8, 2011):

• The Communist Party of India (CPI) in Kerala today extended its support to social activist Anna Hazare on his movement against growing corruption in the country.

• Indians in Los Angeles are organizing a day-long fast Saturday in support of Indian social activist Anna Hazare’s fast against corruption in India. 45 cities in the US, 40 cities in India and 8 other countries globally joined the movement.

• Film actor Aamir Khan’s letter in support of Hazare written to prime minister Manmohan Singh is being widely circulated on the Internet.

• Self-exiled artist MF Husain has drawn a cartoon extending support to Anna Hazare saying what the anti-corruption crusader is spearheading is “another revolution”.

“I am thrilled that the younger generation has taken up the cause to crush corruption in India and I wish them great success,” Husain, now a citizen of Qatar, said.

• While Madhur Bhandarkar, Vivek Agnihotri and Anupam Kher have already made efforts to meet Hazare personally at Jantar Mantar.

• Sonakshi Sinha: It’s usually ONE person that makes a difference. Mahatma Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa. Kudos to Anna Hazare! We’re with you.

• Naseeruddin Shah : We have started accepting corruption as a way of life. We don’t think twice or feel bad about handing over Rs. 50 to a traffic cop or Rs. 50 crore to a neta . We don’t hitch as we think ‘ yeh toh chalta hai, yeh toh hota hai’ . But it happens because we let it happen and it will never stop till we don’t stop it.
“What Anna Hazare is doing will definitely bring about a positive change in the way the system works. The need of the hour is for the youth of this country to awaken and fight against corruption. Only that and nothing else can help India become a corruption free nation. “

• Hrithik Roshan: I support Anna Hazare. It’s TIME to make a CHANGE!

• Bipasha Basu: The biggest drawback of our country is the existence of corruption right from the grass root level right to the top!

• More than 50 employee unions from Pune and social organisations, along with citizens’ groups, extended their support to Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption agitation on Thursday.

• Sacked Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi on Friday urged fans to carry flags and placards to IPL matches to express support to fasting Gandhian Anna Hazare.

• Support for Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption campaign is growing in Punjab and Haryana where hundreds of activists, students, doctors, lawyers and teachers have rallied behind him.( Panjab University, PGIMER.,People’s Party of Punjab). Two lawyers of Punjab and Haryana High Court, V.S. Makkar and Gaurav Goyal, are on an indefinite hunger strike in Chandigarh.

Twitter

The microblogging site has people sharing their 140-characters on Hazare, where the hashtag #hazare not only lists a whole bunch of tweets, but also shows updates as comments and thoughts are tweeted. Twitter is also the forum of choice for celebrities and the intelligentsia to share their two cents.
Anna Hazare is the top trend of India in Twitter, and is followed by lokpal, Mera Neta Chor Hai, Corruption, and Jantar Mantar. Incidentally, IPL is also among the top trends of today.

A  look at  few  tweets:

AzmiShabana: Anna Hazare embodies hope of a nation dat corruption can b rooted out Lokpal bill 1st drafted in 1972.arm yrself with information n join

Riteish Deshmukh: Am shooting in Hong Kong, the voice of Anna is heard all over the world- I support ANNA HAJARE – and his campaign – More power to him

Shashi Tharoor: Sorry, have been focused onKerala campaign. Huge respect for AnnaHazare. Unconditionally support consensual national action agnst corruption

Anand Mahindra: This is a movement whose heart&voice cannot be ignored “@sundarsez: If only industry captains can voice their support for Anna Hazare”

Lalit Modi: All fans attending IPL matches should carry flags and placards in support of the Jan Lokpal Bill. This will ensure the message reaches all.

Facebook

There are several pages and communities on Hazare; with both the number of pages, and people who are getting involved increasing every hour. There are 146,855 members in the ‘India Against Corruption’ community. The number of likes has exceeded 100,000; and these are mostly people who have joined in over the last couple of days.

Every  Wall on the Facebook is likely to have  at least a few comments on Hazare. These wall posts are in turn fuelling debate and discussions. While the overall mood seems to be in support of Hazare, there are the skeptics and quite a few discussions seem polarized between the sheer idealist and the mere nasty. There are also events (both virtual and otherwise) scheduled and shared using Facebook, like ‘Light a Candle in support of Anna Hazare, get ready for Jail Bharo.’
A quick look at some random comments from Facebook Walls (names have been removed). These posts are often not in English, as you will see, but in local languages written using the English script.

User A: Whatever Anna Hazare is doing is utter bullshit. What is the point of doing so? Most of the folks who have been supporting Anna, will vote for the same old corrupt politicians against whom the old man is fighting. You can’t make much difference by supporting Anna except making some superficially-intellectual and style statement (wearing that cap)

User B: emon ‘purush’ haazar-e non, 120 koTite ‘ek’ !! (Hazare is not one in a thousand, but one in 120 crore)

User C: I am ready to support Sachin Tendulkar for Bharat Ratna if the “god” and the men in blue come out and support the demand for early enactment of the Jan Lokpal Bill…

User D: Unreal scenes in India — “Gali Gali mein shor hai, mera neta chor hai”. Chetan Bhagat’s blog is actually pretty good. (Apologies to my non-Indian friends here, but this is regarding a massive anti-corruption protest in India).

BOTTOM LINE: New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar venue has become the Tahrir Square and Tiananmen Square ready to shake the world again with another Revolution.

(Courtesy Biztech: Sudarshana Bannerjee).

Category:

India, International, Politics

INDIA: MOVEMENT FOR REAL DEMOCRACY AND TRANSPARENCY PART 1


FOLLOWING INDIA…….PART 1

INTRODUCTION TO LOK PAL BILL AND ITS CONTROVERSY

India regularly ranks among the most corrupt nations in the world. India holds 87th place in Transparency International’s list of the most corrupt nations. Everyday, the headlines scream about senior government officials or legislators being caught with their fingers in yet another corrupt pie. But hardly anyone ever gets punished.

Man Mohan Singh government, under massive pressure due to corruption charges,and to gain some of its lost ground, half heartedly agreed to think over the introduction of LOKPAL BILL in the parliament.

Scams of Common Wealth games and Adarsh Housing Society proved as a limit to the forbearance of Indian public to corruption. And the civil society as well as the general janta came out in hordes to give unprecedented support to Anna Hazare’s fight for a movement against corruption.

What is Lokpal Bill:

The LokPal Bill provides that any one except a public servant can file a complaint of corruption against the Ministers, members of Parliament and the high government officials. And that the inquiry and redressal against the complaint has to be completed within six months.
The basic idea of the Lok Pal is borrowed from the office of ombudsman, which has played an effective role in checking corruption and wrong-doing in Scandinavian and other nations. Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Spain, New Zealand, Burkina Faso and the United Kingdom are some of the countries which have the office of an Ombudsman.

The Lokpal means a forum where the citizen can send a complaint against a public official, which would then be inquired into and the citizen would be provided some redressal. The office of the Lokpal is the Indian version of the office of an Ombudsman, who is appointed to inquire into these complaints made by citizens against public officials.

History:
It is a 42 year long journey for the LokPal Bill. Eight times in the history of this republic, governments tried to get the Lokpal Bill enacted. But no government – from Indira Gandhi to that of Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Manmohan Singh – could succeed in installing an all powerful ombudsman to probe graft cases against the high and the mighty in the country

What is the controversy :

Civil rights activists, including Anna Hazare( a 71 year old Gandhian), Swami Agnivesh, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal, termed the draft legislation as weak and demanded that fifty per cent of the members in the committee drafting the bill should be from the public. They proposed a draft Lok Pal Bill by the name of Jan Lokpal.

The Jan Lokpal Bill or the Citizen’s Ombudsman Bill, a draft anti-corruption bill, would create a Jan Lokpal, or an independent body (like the Election Commission) which would have the power to prosecute politicans and bureaucrats without government permission.

Jan Lokpal ( by Anna Hazare& co) will have powers to initiate suo moto action or receive complaints of corruption from the general public. While Lokpal ( originally drafted by the govt) would have no power to initiate suo moto action or receive complaints of corruption from the general public. It could only probe complaints forwarded by Lok Sabha Speaker or Rajya Sabha Chairman.
They insist that the high offices of the Prime Minister and the judiciary should also come under the compass of the Lok Pal Bill.

Diverging Opinions:

There are diverging views on issues such as the inclusion of the office of the Prime Minister, ministers and Members of Parliament, inclusion of judges, and powers of the Lokpal. Some experts contend that all public officials should be accountable while others feel that the autonomy and privilege of Parliament require the Prime Minister, ministers, and Members of Parliament to be accountable only to Parliament.

Now the whole controversy has taken the shape of a National Movement of unprecedented proportions, as Anna Hazare announced ‘a fast unto death’ at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, on April 5, 2011.
The prime minister, bowing under the pressure from the support to this mass movement, formed a sub-committee of the Group of Ministers to discuss the issue with these activists. However, initially, these two groups were unable to reach an agreement on the provisions of the Lok Pal Bill.
This led to Anna Hazare go for a hunger strike in early April, but just in few days the government accepted his demands.

There are three major points in the murmur of criticism against this civil uprising:

First, the cause is just but the method is undemocratic and, some have suggested, fascist. These civil society leaders are not elected and thus have no locus standi to demand change.
Second, if we allow such pressure groups, instead of established institutions and channels, to dictate terms to government, there would be anarchy.
And third, a mere law will not be able to curb corruption.

Now it is for the readers to form their opinion and decide if this is justified or not.

UPDATE ADDED ON JULY 5, 2011:

On July 4, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made the announcement at an All Party Meeting, ” “We are also committed to bringing the bill before Parliament in the coming monsoon session. ……”

Not all is over. There shall be debate in the parliament to bring consensus on the tricky parts of the bill which include: bringing the Prime Minister’s Office and higher judiciary under the ambit of Lokpal. And also to include bringing the conduct of Members of Parliament (MPs) inside the House, CBI’s anti-corruption wing and lower bureaucracy across the country under the Lokpal.

After all a journey of 42 years, 8 failed attempts at getting it passed in the Parliament, display of ‘People’s Power by tens of thousands and civil society members coming out on streets and 60 million tweets has led to this day where LokPal Bill can see light at the end of the tunnel.

And hence a great leap towards ‘real’ and ‘transparent’ democracy.

(WHY have I posted this to you?  We in Pakistan love to follow Indian Soaps, Bollywood buzz, IPL, Indian sarees, fashion trends etc etc . Now it is time to follow their political movements too and learn some good lessons too).

Category:

India, Pakistan, Politics, Uncategorized