Oily Issues

The Indian shores particularly the western part of it is in the News again for all the wrong reasons ,of course. Merchant Vessel- Rak capsized some 31 nautical miles off the Mumbai Coast on 3rd August 2011.The Ship is leaking crude at the disastrous rate of about 1 to 2 tons every hour. The high tide coupled with the choppy monsoon conditions hastened the Oil Slick to Juhu , Versova & Madh Islands.
The fishermen community has already sounded alarms and blasted the slow and lackadaisical attitude of the Govt. agencies viz. the ever sleepy Coast Guards and the almost defunct Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.
The Navy which boasts of having acquired sophisticated gadgets over the years has time and again failed to locate the drifting ships or even plug the leaking vessels prompting people to cast apprehensions on these so called security agencies who might well be novices in using /handling the sophisticated arms and security gadgets.
This incident comes barely weeks after the Merchant Vessel – (M.V. WISDOM) which had drifted from the Gulf state of Qatar and settled itself on Juhu beach.
On 7th of August 2010 there was a collision between MSC Chitra and MV Khalijia near Mumbai which destroyed tonnes of precious marine life and uprooted huge tracts of Mangroves so essential to maintain the fragile ecological balance.
There were talks of taking the owners of both the ships along with the captains to task and recover the damages. It is likely that an ‘’OUT OF COURT SETTLEMENT’’ was negotiated and the culprits were allowed to go after greasing the palms of the authorities.

The Navy and the coast guard doesn’t believe in rescue operations but can only indulge and limit itself to salvage operations. They wait aimlessly and shamelessly to let the ‘’event’’ happen and then rush in to clean the muck.
It was evidently known during the rescue operations conducted on M.V. RAK, that the ill fated Vessel was carrying Crude/diesel /coal and impetus should have been given to block the Oil-Slick and restrict it to a limited area.
The callous attitude of all, be it the Govt. agencies, the navy, the Coast Guard and others is deplorable to say the least.
The damages for restoring the partial ecological balance should not only be recovered from the Ships owners involved but also the Coast Guard and the Navy for negligence that defies logic.
It is also quite possible that many ships (mostly registered in Panama) are on their last voyage and are deliberately drifted in this part of the Ocean saving the tugging costs up to Alang -Shipyard in Gujarat, where ships are broken down after its seaworthiness is over. The Ship Owners are fully aware about the lax in intelligence and obsolete security measures prevailing in the region making their task even simpler to carry out.

By the time you read this scores of marine species would have been exterminated from the Arabian sea , the beaches have been rendered unsafe, livelihood of innumerable fishermen has been put at stake and the rapidly dwindling mangroves snuffed off in double quick time, but who cares?
This careless and arrogant attitude coupled with lack of responsibility is primarily responsible for many forgettable incidents that have happened in our Country.

Bolting the stable after the Horse has fled

1. Bomb blast.
2. Cops, ATS ,RAW officials, Bomb disposal Squad rushing to the Site to take Stock.
3. P.M., home Minister, Leaders of the opposition make a beeline to visit the injured and offer condolences and shed CROCODILE TEARS.
4. Act is termed as dastardly, cowardly etc. and the terrorists are condemned.
5. Compensation is announced to the next of Kin.
6. A high –level enquiry is set up.
7. Candle –Light Vigil by the elite often accompanied by celebrities.
7. Spirit of Mumbai is evoked and saluted.
8. Garlands would be offered at the site –NEXT YEAR as remembrance.
9. End of the Story.
10. Waiting for another round of such unfortunate and avoidable incidents.

Moral of the story:Bolting the stable after the horse has fled

This is the sequence followed in our Country which is touted as the largest democracy in the world but in reality is headed by one of the most spineless and timid govt.post-independence. Even before the mortal remains of those killed in the Mumbai blasts of 7/13 have been cremated the home minister makes a callous statement and gives a clean chit to the intelligence officials who have time and again have failed to detect the conspiracies despite obtaining a lead from Interpol and western intelligence outfits.
The media has uncovered that the Local intelligence was hot on the heels of an anonymous person and tracking his each and every move before he gave them the customary slip and vanished into oblivion a couple of days before the blast.

The infiltration from Bangladesh/Pakistan that is taking place in and around Mumbai since he past several years is hardly heeded to. Most of our pseudo-secular Parties have time and again thwarted attempts to evict slums that are proliferating in and around Dongri, Bandra East/Kurla and Mankhurd in fear of losing the minority votes. These dingy shanties can easily camouflage scores of terrorists who can strike at will.
The Politicians jump the gun and announce compensation /ex-gratia to the dead and injured.
No one objects to the compensation being paid as this is one way of providing solace to the affected family who many a times lose their sole bread winner of the family.
What hurts is perhaps the mode of declaration. The govt. decides the amount to be doled and declares the same (out of the tax- payers money) as if their accountability and responsibility towards the people is over.
There is no accountability on those who run this Country. The salaries of all those in charge(Home ministry/Top Police Brass/PM & the cabinet ministers should be used to compensate the loss of limb and life instead of wasting the TAX PAYERS money. Once this is leveled we will see a drastic fall in such incidents as these guys would work 24X 7
It is difficult to manage the surging crowds at every nook and corner. Numerous food stalls and shops selling cheap Chinese items attract small time crowds and are potential soft targets for terrorists to leave the minute of bags containing RDX and other deadly potent mix of chemicals which can cause maximum casualties. At almost all major railway stations spaces have been encroached courtesy, the municipal/railway police officials who are bribed at regular intervals to set shops which have become possible terror targets.
Our dirty Politicians send negatives vibes when they openly say that the terror acts cannot be eliminated entirely which shows the glaring inefficiency of the Police and intelligence bureau who are spending all their precious time in protecting/shielding our corrupt MP’s and MLA’s .
It’s high time that an all out effort is made to deal strictly with terror and tough judgements are delivered in the least possible time frame and eliminate these outlaws by an iron hand .

Singling them Out

The latest Indian origin student casualty Andrew Naidu gunned down in Toronto has not only merely raised the death toll by a single digit but also the eye-brows of many analysts who might evaluate these incidents in a different way.
There has been a spate of attacks on Indian origin students mostly IT Professionals in Countries like USA, Canada and Australia.
It is well known that Indians are as compatible to IT just like any marine species blending with its surrounding aquatic conditions.
The Profound research and abundant supply of cheap but technically-sound labor has relegated yesterday’s invention redundant today.
All these has resulted in better, cheaper and competitive products and of course better and through knowledge based professionals who migrate to western countries in hordes to graze in the greener pastures and better working conditions.
It is quite possible that the locals may have been sidelined by employers favoring the more elite and cheaper expatriates. It is seen in recent surveys that unemployment figures are steadily rising in the western countries and the ire is often directed at expat Indians.
The South east Asians- all the lot comprising of Pakistanis, Indians or Bangladeshis are referred as Pakis as it is very difficult to distinguish this lot for most of the local population because of the similar facial features and the common language.
When it is difficult even for us Indians to distinguish and identify the South Indians for that matter it is quite surprising as to how the Andhraites are singled out and targeted by the attackers.
If one analyses the attacks carried on in the recent past almost 90% of the people are from Andhra Pradesh. One might safely assume that either 9 out of 10 techies migrating to these lucrative Countries are from Andhra or those techies are not adjusting or mingling/behaving with the locals.
Some time back a major racket involving Andhraites was unearthed who used a novel method to gain admission to an university run on dubious lines in violation of the laid down US norms and laws. The University had a sole intention or call it a hidden agenda to aid the ‘infiltrators’ (read students here) gain access/foothold in the US of A. Once the Visas were issued these so called students tried to solicit work without having a legitimate work-permit. Stung by the nefarious activities the US took an extreme step of clamping tags on their feet till better sense prevailed and put their ordeal to an end.
It is easy perhaps to criticize the US action but after the recent terror acts they are bound to protect their Citizens and if outsiders infringe on their sovereign right the authorities were bound to retaliate in a harsh manner.
No one however, has given a thought to the manner of the attacks which has often singled out students from Andhra in particular and authorities should analyze /investigate as to why such incidents revolve around a specific and miniscule community.

Managing the Politicians

We are proud to say that we are the World’s largest democracy and assume that we are in a far better state than impoverish and anarchy ridden countries like Somalia, Egypt, Myanmar and some east African countries. Perhaps India is affected by both anarchy and oligarchy.
Once the elected representatives get hold of their coveted Posts all they can manage is to go on endless trips with their entourage to European countries, stash away the black money in safe tax havens, corroborate with high-profile business magnates and hobnobbing with dreaded criminals.
Its 64 years that we became Independent but still we have not been able to unshackle the bonds of illiteracy, female infanticide, soaring crime rate, widespread corruption, ever widening gap between the haves and the have-nots.
In 1947 India indirectly benefited from the numerous infrastructures like good roads, steel plants, textile industry and ports etc which was built during the years of the raj and was naturally the most industrialized Asian Country.
Most of the Asian Countries today have marched past India and can exercise their right and influence in decision making in the economic affairs relating to the World due to their sound economic Conditions.
The dearth of good quality leaders has led to this mismanagement and chaos. All political Parties in India have a Single Point agenda of clinging to Power and have no real interest of catering to the well-being of the Country and its folks.
Politicians who have committed frauds and scams have somehow always managed to hoodwink the law and emerge unscathed.
The recent opposition to the Jan Lok-Pal Bill by the wily politicians is very much justified considering that once the bill is ratified then the Politicians would be at their wits end to save themselves from the tentacles of Justice.
Any person trying to garner a mass movement against this scam ridden Govt. would find themselves throttled by the Govt. agencies like the CBI/Tax authorities and would have to face a barrage of questions ranging from questioning their nationality to barring their assets and the ways and means of acquisition of the same.
If the Govt. is so worried why doesn’t it act when they feel wealth is being amassed /accumulated from undisclosed sources? Why foreign nationals are not stopped from entering this country illegally?
Why allow people from HOSTILE Countries to settle in hordes and pave way for suicide attacks like 26/11?

Sycophants like Kapil Sibhal /Digvijay Singh with their usual way of owning and disowning a statement ,trying to divert the peoples mind and even making a desperate attempt to create a rift amongst the members of the Civil Society will realize the folly of playing to the gallery as the Common man is fed up of the antics and give back what they deserve.
A well known Stooge of the UPA/Paid self styled Journo/small time actor cum entrepreneur recently made a statement that the Civil Society has no right to ask for reforms or amendments in the Jan Lok-Pal Bill citing only elected representatives of the Govt. can decide who should be within the ambit of the law. Though everyone is entitled to his/her opinion his backlash on TV, the adamant manner in which the views were voiced/dictated were atrocious.
What has this Stooge/self-righteous man done for this Country than rile away at the top of his Voice in the comforts of A/C Press Box?
It is very easy to speak about Politics in trains /buses, give discourses sitting in A/C media rooms etc but try contributing to the Common man on the street ,try to be involved in social causes, most of us would sulk citing some goddamn alibis and instead preferring our neighbour to take the plunge first.

Anna Hazare /Ramdev have barely managed to Pass STD.V but have definitely managed to awaken the educated illiterates across the length and breadth of the country by their sincere and conscious efforts. While one has changed the attitude of his countrymen the other has changed people’s life and vision that was dormant for years
The elected representatives (our eminent Parliamentarians) were the ones who have repeatedly blocked the bill since the 1960’s fearing that their right to cheat and right to commit all types of atrocities would get exposed.

The CAG-Comptroller and Auditor General along with the Supreme Court in their recent overviews have time and again commented adversely over the functioning of the Govt. but the Puppet PM along with his coterie have chugged along without any remorse. The Choreographer of this nautanki along with her projected PM Son are working overtime behind closed doors to magnify /cleanse their larger than life image to no avail.

The Politicians know very well that their days of cowering/bullying the people are numbered going by the mass intelligentsia who have joined the movement to jettison the sinister designs perpetrated on the Common man since the last 6 decades.

TOLL Taking its ''TOLL''

Modern Technology has made road travel more comfortable, faster and reliable and it’s a pleasure to go on long journeys keeping our spinal cord intact. It was only during the last decade or so that the govt. has woken up to solve the grave problem of setting up a decent infrastructure and expressways have sprung up all along the country.
We have had a perennial problem of farmers not getting the correct procurement price due to lack of warehousing facilities, lack of good roads connecting the rural cultivating area to the urban Consumer market which often leads to wasting about 25% of the total produce.
More than one lakh people succumb on the Jittery roads and crore’s are doled out every year from the TAX PAYERS money to the next of kin of the unfortunate Victims in compensation.
Gallons of Petrol/Diesel are wasted day in and day out due to the lack of good roads or bad maintenance.
Building an infrastructure needs lot of capital investment which culminates in national benefit because it arrests most of the ill effects mentioned earlier. The Govt. ropes in Companies of repute after setting a deadline offering the contract to the lowest bidder. It further gives them authority to operate on BOT basis. BUILD, OPERATE & TRANSFER.
The Person who builds the roads/bridges has to maintain that infrastructure in a sound condition.
The Govt. gets the credit for building the bridge and the Contractor the coffers from the TOLL that they subsequently impose/collect from the end users.
Unfortunately off late it has been seen Kiosks have been built alongside old roads which are in dilapidated state to collect tolls. Though the sum is quite meager in some cases , huge amounts are being collected for no effort at all. The Babus in the govt. have hit upon this new found idea to procure advance money from the so called infra co’s which in turn, more than recovers the same through engaging in ‘’TOLL””.
One would have felt happy if the toll was utilized for maintenance of the roads but most of it is ends up in the wrong side of the pocket after paying the trivial salaries/mundane expenses of the collection agents.
After a certain number of years when the cost of the infrastructure is recovered through the levies some benefit should be passed on to the users may be through reduced fare structure, instead the toll inevitably goes on mounting every passing year devoid of any logic or sense.

The people have become immune to all these irrelevant taxes that are treacherously levied on them and seldom protest against these unjustified and immoral practices.
Though we Indians are intelligent, mature and knowledgeable we show an amazing tolerance level that has instigated and emboldened the perpetrators (our spoilt parliamentarians) to levy any tax at their whims and fancies.
The muck in the Parliamentary sort of working where the netas dictate terms to the electorate ,raise their own salary by unilaterally amending/flouting the laid down norms in the name of ‘’DEMOCRAZY’’ should be exposed at all levels .

Living In a Material World

Money, Money ,Money ...must be funny In a rich man’s world.
This evergreen hit song sung by ABBA in 1976 aptly describes the value of money in one’s life. It has relegated every other want or desire to an inferior position and placed this on a pedestal and has almost become a monopolistic entity.
Money can almost buy anything on this planet except perhaps happiness. The law of diminishing returns perhaps is made to look ridiculous by the sheer lust it has created amongst the mortals who fight for a tiny morsel of the same.
Numerous ways have been devised to acquire the Vitamin –M and People try out novel ways by applying various permutation and combinations available within their ambit .
Some gain it through specialised skills, some through destiny, some others due to hard work, perseverance and dedication. Some are lucky enough to inherit the same.
The inherited money is the primary cause of discontent igniting the inferno of bitterness in families and destroying the thin fabric of love and compassion existing amongst the siblings.
It is sad watching the siblings slug it out between themselves for the share of the pie which incidentally has been ‘’baked’’ and ‘’nurtured’ ’by their fathers and forefathers and their own personal contribution towards its actual nourishment is practically zero.
The siblings who during their kindergarten years have shared food, clothes, love and happiness within four corners of a room suddenly start manipulating and conspiring against one another to lay claim to their ancestral wealth.
The morals can further deteriorate if one of the more opportunist and wily sibling gets control of the ancestral assets through dubious means casting aside the rights of the others.
It is but natural that every individual tries to improve upon his/her standard of living and yearns to earn more by utilising and applying their skills and knowledge and gain foothold to the luxuries of life.
The simple basics of life are forgotten –we come into this world empty handed and would leave it empty handed one fine day, whatever be the amount one may have stockpiled during his/her life time.
It is a common sight nowadays about well to do people struggling to work odd hours, investing in shares and property day in and day out in a desperate bid to add to their already filled kitty and perhaps outwit financially their nearest relative, acquaintance, or friend out of sheer jealousy.
If despite having enough fortune the heart still aspires for more, it will be futile to gain satisfaction in life besides putting an enormous amount of stress due to comparing/matching their wealth with everyone within their vicinity and community.
We usually tend to compare ourselves with those who earn much more than us or those whose standard of living is tad higher than us rather than comparing ourselves with those who struggle to earn two square meals a day. It is very difficult to identify or associate ourselves with persons who strive to earn the bare minimum. Our place in society, the respect we get from our relatives/friends is determined by the income we generate which incidentally provokes us to go all out in quest of this never ending saga. The comparison with a lesser mortal is perhaps a realistic way of measuring as to where we stand. The day we realise that we have been blessed with a small but cosy house, can afford a comfortable if not, lavish lifestyle and live with a clear conscience, life would be more comfortable and peaceful.
It is true that every service or product comes with a price tag and one should have enough money for their old age, medical emergencies and other comforts but to amass money in a greedy manner with no real end in sight would take away the satisfaction that is needed to live a cheerful, bountiful and meaningful life.
It may be too late to realise the harsh truth that the money so painstakingly nurtured, gathered, or pilfered would not be with us once we leave this mortal world at the end of our limited life span.

The Forbidden Fruit

Life has become so cheap that it can be snuffed off just for anything and by any one for the flimsiest reason.
The scorching summer heat over the sub-continent takes a heavy toll of both humans and cattle alike due to dehydration and depletion of essential minerals in the body. Survival of the fittest as depicted by Charles Darwin seems to eliminate the unfortunate few who cannot withstand the brutality of either Man or Nature.
The Chilling incident which unfolded in a small town of Harishchandrapur, a district in Malda -west Bengal on 9th May 2011 will stand testimony till eternity for lynching a small girl aged 9 years for a petty ‘crime’ she so innocently committed.
The sight of juicy watermelons laden aboard a truck in addition to the parched throat courtesy, the glaring summer heat induced the girl to pilfering the fruit.
Unfortunately the act was witnessed by the driver of the truck who along with his accomplices tied the hapless girl to a tree and then mercilessly beat her up with bamboo sticks. The little girl succumbed to the injuries inflicted soon after.
Malda district of West Bengal is one of the impoverished and most of the people barely manage to have 2 square meals a day. Does this act induced by acute hunger and thirst quantify to be a crime? The minor age and the innocence of the kid too was at stake.
This incident is just one of the many that happens routinely in one of the largest democracies of the world and is brushed under the carpet as the Victim is living hand to mouth and has no platform or support to fight against the oppression.
The photograph of the dead girl with deep anguish writ all over her innocent face would have moved the most hardened person to tears. It was perhaps even reflecting the calm serenity of death which released her from acute Poverty, from the clutches of starvation, from living a life which often pondered when the next meal would arrive.
If God is hell bent on giving her a re-birth then I earnestly appeal to him to at least give her a life which will not coerce her to commit a ‘crime’ and lose her life over a goddamn fruit.
Stealing is a crime and the perpetrator should be dealt with stringently.
This being the case the politicians who have stolen, misappropriated, embezzled billions of dollars should be handed the most apt Punishment commensurate with the extent of committed offence.
Our Country has always boasted of separate laws –one for the common man and one for the elite.
In unison we wish that the waves of change that is engulfing the Country at the moment would be instrumental in abolishing the glaring disparity/lop sided development pervading the shores of our ONCE great Nation.