India's "Kristallnacht"

"Kristallnacht" is a term you may not be familiar with. It's actually a German term. When Hitler first began discrimination against jews, Jewish homes were attacked, burnt down, they were ousted from Jobs and forced to live in isolation in Ghettos. That infamous night came to be known as Kristallnacht or the night of Broken Glasses. OK This isn't how i had meant to start my post.
What i had meant to say is that Indians have been strugglers since the very beginning. In the early 20th Century one generation decided to put their foot down. The days, months and years that followed shook the very foundation of India, yet we survived.
The nation stood steady.
The early years were difficult, millions of immigrants had to be looked after. There were insufficient jobs, hospitals, defenses, schools. There was despair everywhere; homeless, poor, jobless, ill people will minimal resources. Yet we survived. The nation stood steady.
During the 60’s the nation’s economic stability entered its steepest decline. There were more jobs to be lost, more people to die of hunger more insecurity and more protests to curb. Yet we Survived. The nation stood steady.
Recently, the Indian administrivia encountered the most dangerous and by far the most successful terrorist attacks since a long time. These attacks did more than killing 183 men and exposing our vulnerability, it actually united one nation, and old saying goes—
That which will not kill us will only make us stronger.
So is it with India; Every piece of broken glass, every overturned furniture, broken crockery, burnt furniture, bullet hole bears testimony to the terrible strife that took place between The Indian troops and the militants. Taj will never be the same again.
Yet we will overcome; our spirits shall stand tall; we shall build an India that will be the cause for envy of the free world. We shall reaffirm our belief in the nation, and India’s beacon of freedom, opportunity and undying hope shall burn more brightly than it ever did. Life will go on in India as it did and the government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the dominions of the Indian constitution

Barrack Obama and Abraham Lincoln

He came, He won hearts, he conquered and when skeptics aroused suspicions, his solemn voce pressed on that American creed “Yes, we can”. In 1861, one man poor as he was made an arduous journey from a log cabin in Illinois to the White House in Washington DC, on his journey he saw some of the most piteous and savage spectacles that could infuriate any man. Notorious as was for losing elections, he becoming the president surprised many. As the 16^th president of the United States of America, he revolutionized the American society by leading the citizen to a civil war, the likes of which are rare. During this time he also made a proclamation that inspired numerous societies across the world. His proclamation became a timeless and fundamental creed for impending societies in the world.

“It is for us , rather to be dedicated towards the unfinished work that these men have so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be dedicated towards the great task remaining before us- that from these honored dead we take increasing devotion to the cause for which they gave their last full measure of devotion-that we here highly resolve that these people will not have died in vain-that this nation under god, will have a new birth of freedom- and that the government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from this earth…..” That’s quoting the very words of Abraham Lincoln in what the world knows to be the Gettysburg address.

In 2008, another man still poor, hailing again from Illinois made his way to the White House. His win was not only spectacular but also historical for he was the first black president of the States. The dream seen by many like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela and many others had finally reached its crescendo. 45 years after Martin Luther King had a dream, America had finally opened up to the new world, and America had finally adopted a perspective broader than had ever been. As the headlines screamed the next day, “America unites to vote out racial prejudice”. America woke up to a new dawn, a new beginning.

On the night of the win, President Barrack Hussein Obama made a speech that complimented that of Lincoln’s : “This is our chance to answer that call….this is our time to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and to promote that cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm the fundamental truth: that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope and when we are met with cynicism and doubt, and those who tell us we can’t we shall respond with that timeless American creed that sums up the spirits of our people,’ Yes, we can’ ….”

Democracy vs Totalitarianism

m reading APJ Abdul Kalam's "Ignited minds". He writes briliantly, this book is really insightful, In this book he says
" A Renassianse is imperative for India to be a knowlege superpower instead of producing cheap labour to institutions of high technology "
got me thinking , is democracy a sworn enemy of development, while the activists are busy holding strikes, bandhs and lockouts in the name of democracy the government mantains that Democracy is the greatest strength of this nation. Please think about it. for it concerns you, me and evry individual of this country.Is democracy a sworn enemy of development in this nation?? Would we have been btter of as a country with a totalitarian form of government?

Livin' Symbiotic

Hi.......This is Himel Sarkar ....signin' in.....no more lectures abt th political status quo or ethical issues....This time I'm here 2 relate a matter of utmost importance to me......I am the president of the Biology club of Loyola School.....This past week the Biology club of Loyola School hosted the mega Inter-school biology fest "Symbiosis 2008" resulting in the confluence of around 20 schools all over the city.

All members of the biology club got Euphoric when the Volunteers' list was out (to bunk classes, why else). The same were seen with burlesque grimaces when they found out they hadn't been given a duty. The one month-long endeavor would end on the 22nd of Aug.,2008. One month had we struggled to get everything perfect with the mind set that anything less than exellent was terrible.

On a more serious note, "Symbiosis 2008 " was perhaps a wake- up call for many. We are at a war . This is a war of humanity against eternity. 100 months left to conserve the Environment.....NO Excuses .....That's the reason we took so much trouble.....It's high time we realize that with each polythene packet lying on the ground the hopes of humanity surviving are evaporating...Either we fight.......or we perish.

This post is dedicated to all those unsung heroes, those passionate individuals who have helped us in this endeavor.......This was not just a competition, it was a battle....schools were not competing against each other but vowing to walk hand in hand , fearless and stand for the Environment. So there..........HS signin' out

The "fix"

The Indian Economy is one of the impeding economies of the world. Now we are locked in what is called “A situational fix”. Do we focus on Economic development at the cost of Environmental degradation or do we sacrifice economic growth for Environment Conservation? A careful observation and interpretation of the situation is required for this. The prediction of the near future will be mandatory in order to make a judicious decision for in this decision lies the fate of mankind.

The immediate impact of neglecting the environment will be disastrous whereas economic development is a must if India is to combat growing poverty, famines, illiteracy, unemployment and to feed the teeming millions. However it would be unwise any of the above. Lack of sufficient capital and growing indebtedness to the World Bank has always been a problem for India. What needs to be done is to regulate the economy. Construction of massive high capital shopping malls is being executed. Needless development of Urban areas must be stopped and development of rural areas is to be done.

Human Relationships in the 21st Century

Human Relationships of late has undergone a revolution.Apparently the emergence of nucleated families proves that.That is the direct result of "Westernizing" Indian society. This the modern global scenario. Keeping in mind the global trend of nuclear families I'd say that this modern concept of nuclear family system India has adapted from the west.So basically it is quite certain that human relationships have changed. But Is this change for the better or for the worse is yet to be determined. Is the Indian adaption of the Western form of relationships a boon or a bane?

A retrospective approach reveals that initial relationships in India were much more complex. Indian society was one that sported relationships with much pomp and show but minimal social distance. The fathers were considered benign dictators who were worthy of honour, respect, fear and athourity, but not love.

Modern human relationships are much simple with minimal show of affection, and increasing physical distances. But if physical distance is decreasing social distance then its too less a price to pay. So can we say that this is the west's gift to India? Are modern Indian Relationships changing for the better? To a certain extent ..yes.

However when you look beyond the average at the "exeptional " is when you get a clearer image. The purpose of writing "exeptional" within double quotes is that the term exeptional is actually a misnomer. That which had actually been an exeptional case has ceased to be one. Now itis more or less a public affair. Connected to the world through Internet, Orkut, Facebook, hi5 etc. but hey, who has got the time for one's own mother. That is a direct result of success. So.....
is India choking in its own success?That requires Introspection........
Think about it

Your Limiting Factors

Certain incidents in life force us to reflect on the subtle yet hidden aspects of life. Last week i had been to a rock concert with a friend. Amazing how most people forget themselves and the world at one. The band was phenomenal........people were crazy about the music. My friend seemed inspired by the band. "Wish i was 1 of them?" he sighed. "So, what's stopping you?" i exclaimed. He said that he lacked the X-factor, he couldn't play the guitar and his family wanted him to be a Chartered Accountant. THESE WERE HIS LIMITING FACTORS. What're yours?

Everyone gets the same amount of time to achieve greatness : 1 lifetime. Some manage to achieve greatness, some don't. This question is to all who seeks greatness, "What's stopping you from achieving greatness? What's your limiting factor?"Make a list of your limiting factors and knock hem out of your life one by one.

Here's a big idea: The path that will deviate you most from your path of greatness the easiest one. Most of us choose to follow the path of greatness which apparently is one of the most difficult ones in the desert of time but one that leads to the oasis with beautiful palm trees, greenery , sweet natural, pure water and colorful tropical birds.

It's easy to steal.......It's easy to jam a punch on the face of some1......It's easy to dupe some1....... It's what most common men do....... That's what most common men do....... That's what is their limiting factor..... That's what distinguishes them from great men. Great men are different .... They do not follow popular trends....... they do not take popular decisions...... They take the right decisions.

The path to greatness which may appear Topsy and turvy is guaranteed to appear straighter once you identify your limiting factor, once you identify what distinguishes you from great men.