Where to Look? Inside Us!

Where to Look? Inside Us!
July 25, 2008
(in continuation to ‘Guns & Roses Part 2: Roses – Immobilized Khaki’)
Mr Pravin Sheth, the eminent political analyst says, (Ahmedabad Mirror, 24 July 2008 ) nowadays people are much candid about their conduct and do not care about the behavioural ethics in public. Because of his deep insights in social issues, Mr Sheth relates two recent outrageous incidents, first is the violent consequences after protest against the death of two kids and the second is the display of currency bundles in the Lok Sabha. We know the roots and the extent of corruption and conspiracies are not easy to find. But the contemporary methods of ill-behaviour are ingenuous. So called ‘sadhaks’ of Asaram came out with weapons, got violent openly on roads and vandalized residents’ belongings. In Delhi, some MPs displayed bundles of currency notes in Lok Sabha during trust vote, not giving a single thought for dignity of the Parliament, dignity of the democracy! They colored India’s face black to the whole world and wrote a black day in Indian history. As I just previously mentioned, that I doubt if there’s any line to be crossed as I cannot even dream about worse things. But as the fact, we can see unimaginable things keep happening every other day.

More or less, we all behave analogously, be it in private or public. At times, we do not care the expressions we send across are very harmful and unfavorable to many. If we look at the example of the cyclist (Part 2: Roses – Immobilized Khaki) who did not hang back before insulting the traffic officer, did not think whether he’s in fault or not and rashly started abusing and threatening in public. Being candid would also involve that one wouldn’t even be bothered for his own decorum being grounded. Swearing, shouting, making filthy comments and gestures to women, offending others in public, bullying the weak – all these are everyday and everywhere. The vision has to be changed from eyes and to be reached to the mind. We must start looking inside ourselves. We have to start seeing others equally and understand the importance of their existence too. I am resisting the notion of ‘Kaliyug’ as I didn’t much believed in. We don’t have to act accordingly either to prove the commencement of ‘Kaliyug’. Let us preserve ourselves as humans (‘Manav’) and re-establish an undivided and complete ‘Manav Yug’.

 

Related Articles:
Guns & Roses – Part 1: Guns – Memo No. 1!
Guns & Roses – Part 2: Roses for Immobilized Khaki

Global Warming – A simple note…

Could the destruction of southern states of USA be linked with collapsing ice rocks in Greenland? Could the millions of dead fishes in Amazon linked with deforestation in Australia? Are these disasters are also related in any way with Europe’s recent ever hottest summer, which left 27,000 people dead!!?

It is the most serious issue that the World has ever faced, GLOBAL WARMING. The World scientists are collaborating to study Global Warming and its effect in forth coming decades. The most unprecedented changes in the climate have been observed after mid 20th century. Rising temperatures have been measured by a number of space stations.

The Sun is the source of warmth and light to us, but the intensity of the heat is different to the different parts of the Earth. Over the years, the earth has kept changing its orbit and moving pattern around the sun, and because of this the World has seen the significant changes in the climate during the last few centuries.

Let’s have a look at this…

Ideally, the rise in temperature over the years would have not been so momentous, but if we consider the greenhouse effects and the Earth’s orbital movements we can accept some changes or rise in temperature. Although at present, the actual situation of climate change is far more terrible; and human beings are responsible for this. Me, you and all of us.

As we study the numbers, it is only 0.6 degree of rise in planet’s average temperature. But this has already created so much havoc with the climate of the planet. Arctic is warmed by 3 degrees in last few centuries and the ice is melting unbelievably faster. Although, dirty snow has also played the part in this increase. The existing wild life on these continents is under threat. We might think that what if those animals die there in Arctic that is not going to affect us!!! But the whole Food chain would be disturbed by extinction of these animals. Of course, it is the later issue in this case but it is. In addition, rapidly melting ice is the biggest threat for the whole world not just north and south poles. Katrina, Hurricanes, Tsunami – most of the people was not aware of these words before a few decades. The rise in sea temperatures is the reason behind these destructive winds and storms. The rise has caused the average sea temperature to reach up to 26 degrees. In August 2005, Katrina struck New Orleans, Mississippi and parts of Mexico and we have also observed many destructive winds in last decade. It was the worst season of climate disasters in 2005 and it was also the alarm for the World to wake up and take significant action against this Global Warming and Climate change. Researchers say, “They can be more destructive and frequent in next few years!”

Before 160,000 years ago, the World’s average temperature was just 3 degrees less than it is now. But we human beings will make it rise (!) by 2-3 degrees higher within next 30,000 years and many cities near coasts will be flooded.

The choice is yours!

Sneh Bhavsar
London, 23 June 2007

We Do Not Need GUJCOC!

Although I witness these issues closely around us, in my state Gujarat, in India, I closely relate this to each country, each society and community. The increased violence through out the world is the biggest concern.

Could any law or could any police stop a person who decides to kill himself to kill other people? No. Gujarat government is insisting on implementing GUJCOC, a proposition of an anti-terrorism law. Mr. Modi did not have time to educate people about GUJCOC because he has been very busy in preaching for writing post cards to the Prime Minister to advocate GUJCOC. It seems, only one person would decide what “sada 5 karod ni janta” should do.

I call this person as a man with the metal chest; Lawyer Anand Yagnik has shown the excellent example how to be in complete senses regarding political happenings and policy making from which normal people are alienated. (Ahmedabad Mirror, 26 September 2008 | “Do we need GUJCOC or a collective will to respond?”) He has tried to bring in this issue in the best possible way that people can understand GUJCOC and decide themselves that is it really needed? In further, it also doesn’t seem to be a law to control terrorists as the definition of organized crime (for which GUJCOC is proposed) is quite contradictory from what terrorists do. As per the Statement of Object given by Gujarat Government, “The organized crime has been for quite some years now come up as a very serious threat boundaries and is fuelled by illegal wealth generation by contract killing, extortion, smuggling in contrabands, illegal trade in narcotics, kidnappings for ransom, collection of protection money and money laundering etc.” Give it a thought; do terrorists want to do these killings for wealth generation? Do they place bombs for extortion or is this contract killing? Poor reasons!

Now let us put some light on provisions of GUJCOC (As Anand Yagnik brought them for us):

·         Every offence punishable under GUJCOC is cognizable

·         No Anticipatory Bail

·         Provision of bail is excessively stringent so as to keep accused behind the bars for a substantial period of time without trial

·         Confession made before Superintendent of Police is admissible evidence irrespective of how much an accused is tortured

·         Valid intercepted communication is also admissible evidence

·         An accused can be kept in the police custody for up to 60 days

·         The failure of police to charge sheet an accused does not create a technical ground for bail

·         Special courts permitted to have summary trials

·         Protection for witnesses

·         Property of the accused on a reasonable ground liable to be forfeited

There are two affecting factors of GUJCOC. First is the Statement of Object from state government. The definition of organized crime and actual terrorist activities are quite different. Let us come back to that core issue after we get to know powers and authorities requested in GUJCOC for the police.

Each of the provisions can easily be abused by the authority and we know how much we can rely on government and police authorities!!! Keeping an accused in custody for uncertain time up to 60 days, no bail, no trial and tortured confession is evidence; it is questionable if these clauses are not violating the human rights. Apparently, they are insisting on more power over society by proposing this law. The initial picture suggests that GUJCOC is needed to target some particular people and community and making them easy targets with the name of law. Well Done! Even if it is not so, then it is an apparent threat to each citizen. Who knows if your son, your brother would be taken to custody without any reason, just on the basis of suspicion!? We may not feel secure in our home, in our own city.

Now go back to the long term concern, as a few brutal minds are spreading terror and targeting innocent lives, anytime anywhere without any glitch. Again, can hard laws stop these people? I don’t think so. This is no more a matter of crime, violence and police. It has gone far out of the reach of law and order. Have we ever realized and related these incidents with naxalism? Although unpopular, it is a modern way to fight for existence and self-respect. The actors of recent incidents claim this as a revenge of Gujarat riots of 2002. Yes, revenge itself is immoral. But how long and how much one can tolerate? Terrorism is not a monopoly of Laden anymore. This is the age of home grown groups who drive these bomb campaigns from one city to other, another characteristic of naxalism! We may not be aware of the complete truth, but we can see what is clearly apparent. We have chosen not to see and not to consider some aspects of it, but in this case ignorance is sinful. We cannot undo what has happen; we also can’t keep blaming and keep moaning about the injustice prevailed and also that how legal authorities applied its stamp on it recently. Let us forget and forgive all those people who wore knives and swords as ornaments and danced over blood of thousands.

Society starts from home and the strongest instincts get developed in a child from its own family. Family is the most important and primary institution of a person in his social life. Parents do have to pour in right values in children from the beginning. Not only skills of singing, dancing and drawing are the parameters of a better person. We have to develop better citizen because after being a student for a few years, a person lives rest of her/his life as a citizen in the social context. How strong and how determined is this citizen who would never involve in such activities? How could a bunch of people preach us and overshadow our learning of life, which we received from our parents, schools and colleges? This is what we need to learn and teach. If they preach for revenge and killings, why can’t we teach to forget and forgive? Why can’t we teach to accept others? There are endless conflicts in diverse communities, from among the countries to families. But we have to live with it, as we live in our own families.

Let us start afresh. Let us concentrate on our own selves and find out, do we contain any bit of such poison within us? If yes, you really need a treatment. Open eyes and open arms, a lot would get better. If we see it real, it is real. We have to support and be with those people and communities who are suffering the most. To blame is easier, to give a hand of courage is what does matter!

We do not implement rule of stick if our child, our brother or sister is being stubborn, violent and out of control. We always keep patience and try to nurture them.

I would like to present this as a petition and want to know and show that we really don’t need GUJCOC! Please leave your name, email address and also your comments in order to sign this petition. Also forward this if you feel it is worth preventing our state from ghost of GUJCOC.

The Much Needed, Real Effort!

It is an effort of its kind, which also has been made by honorable Gujarat Vidhyapith last year. The second ‘Gandhi Jayanti Gramjivan Padyatra’ organized from 28th September to 2nd October this year. 700 villages were covered, where students, teachers, volunteers from NGOs and so many other people talked with villagers about Gandhian values and ideas of life and to make the people aware.
Along with connecting rural and urban, it will allow the rural population to really understand their own situation, applying ideas with which they can improve their own lives by staying only in villages. Migration from villages to cities is taking toll on the balance of the population and economy that is where this kind of event can help villagers to know their own capabilities, strength of their own villages and a better life there. There were four basic issues – literacy, cleanliness, panchayat rights and de-addiction to be addressed. Also, it would help to come over rigid rituals, traditions and will encourage women empowerment in each corner of Gujarat. It is known that most of the villages did welcome ‘padyatris’ last year and they appreciated the motive of this ‘padyatra’.
There is a lot of buzz about technical happenings around the city from the Media, addressing issues like what you can do with your mobile Bluetooth, how harmful the mobile towers are, an author caught a guy for not respecting our national anthem. I really appreciate everything coming to the platform in such a new tabloid. But, should we miss such core news? I believe, we must give full coverage to such an event, with photographs, stories and testimonials by media people, going in villages with these teams and participating in this evolutionary event. Only these things will bring the core values and humanity back to the urban and rural people. Roots are being detached, and we must prevent. All the newspapers of different languages should remark and encourage this as a significant event and display that it is not that difficult to spread a message if we really want. “Hats Off!” to the efforts of Gujarat Vidhyapith and the team. Even a few percents of success would turn into gold and nothing else.

Heartily wishes and gratitude for all the ‘padyatris’!

Gujarat – Liquor’s Flooding and Water’s Drying!

A few days back, journalist of Ahmedabad Mirror, Mr. Tapan Joshi presented his views on prohibition policy in Gujarat. He is concerned with international delegations and domestic cricket leagues. His article left me surprised as the arguments were not even mature to vote for relief in policy. A few very simple and disastrous consequences can be understood by a common man as well, where a responsible entity like a journalist is leaving me dismayed.

From the day AM has started, it is the first time when I have come to read something very political and far away from truth. Tapan Joshi is having his perspective for the liquor prohibition policy in Gujarat. But apparently, it is a very naive representation from a journalist. It would need a lot of understanding to state anything about the policy and the policymakers. The reason he has mentioned is futile and has no substance. For a few commercially glittered cricket matches, for a few neo-rich foreign delegations, should we change our identity? Should we change are moral values? The long lived recognized policy from Mahatma Gandhi is being abused with the excuses of loosing revenues. Today’s journalism, youths and even leaders seem very short sighted and have least vision for a healthy society. The revenue itself is immoral if it is generated by selling liquor. If you see it with a basic example, if a middle class family is struggling to survive, would we allow any of the family members to earn bread by selling any kind of alcohol? Even in this metro culture, we have an evil eye for such businesses. This is exactly the same situation. We may not be a rich, developed (!) and advanced state, but we have enough to live a basic life. And in anyway, bringing these international traders to Gujarat would benefit the least to the majority. Main interests pushing the policy back are political and influenced by those ‘panch karodpatio’ and their material ambitions.

Mr Joshi also criticizes CM for not relieving the policy, which is again contradictory. It is a political game, ‘Act Accordingly’! And recently, much more relief is given to the businesses and in SEZs, and by our “honorable” Government.

We know the fact that how it is being consumed in majority of the youths and also families. Women are also taking a big part in this growing metro culture. We already had a few incidents recently at a beach Mumbai and on the roads of Punjab. Where to go and what to stop! Giving liberties will make the situation worse only. Today liquor and tomorrow we’ll have bars! “Stopping at the bar for a pint of beer”, Come on! Wake up! At least Gujarat is not the place. There is the whole world to roam around and have a pint.

Crying Paragraph From A Novel Called ‘Services’

“Apne desh ka kuch nahi ho sakta!” (Nothing would happen to our country). The most popular, most common and proudly pronounced catch up line among almost every street corner debates. Whether they are fresh collegians, newly qualified graduates, highly skilled and established professionals or whitely attired politicians, dissatisfaction from the country comes out loud from every mouth. We certainly need to come over this lousy thought. We certainly need to look out of the window now. We need to know the facts by comparing.
I had this intense thought to address this issue while sitting in an underground train I just initiated at the same time. “I have lived in London for three years. Initially I was a foreigner for this country but now I am a lot into the things. I have earned experiences and learned the jobs. I have used from basic to leisure services in this country. I have enjoyed and I have endured. So this is what I need to address about. SERVICES! I have got mixed experiences with the service sector in United Kingdom.”
Starting with the first and essential basic service, Transport. Train service of London, London Underground as it is better known locally, is famous in all over the world. They have got these iconic red double deckers, splendid black cabs and trams as well running in all over the city. The fares of underground and buses have risen nearly 25% in only two years. But the service is getting worse every other day. Appearance is the only thing which differs from Ahmedabad’s AMTS or Mumbai’s well known BEST or Local trains. The commuters might look decent and clean in their cashmere overcoats and jackets in comparison of our ordinarily clad, smelly commuters. The allover external impression is that it is an organized transport system. Yes, we cannot deny the crystal infrastructure of the transport system. But trains remain in tunnels for minutes, buses get terminated anywhere on your way. Single cab journey can buy a second hand scooter in India which can live your purpose of commuting. Weekend refurbishments, planned engineering works, reduced services, severe delays, track replacement, signal failures, disruptions, faulty trains, unavailability of staff and replacement services are the common news at every single underground station chart. And still what you pay is 20% of your income to the dedicated underground. The rail boss stays an inch higher from the ground than everything else, “Don’t expect a seat while short journeys (30 minutes)”, he suggests. “Get off the train if you fill it is crowded”. These are the advisable answers from the responsible and authorized person of London Transport! Congestion charges soar like never before. The motorists have to pay daily congestion charge (£8 per day) if they enter in the designated area called congestion zone of the Central London. So you don’t drive and you pay for public transport and which is bone-breaking for a normal commuter. It is always frustrating for any routine commuter to be late at work or anywhere just on account of Trains and Buses. God bless Briton’s “Read anything! Read anywhere!” habit!
Let’s see what Mobile & Internet providers do. You will find the best offers, the best gadgets and many goodies when you start your services with mobile or internet. You would even get virtually free starter packs. Everything is contracted so once your contract terms are overshadowed by the wonderful offers and freebies, you would start to realize slowly that what you are into! You will surely end up paying more than you would have ever expected. The promises of relentless services would look blurred. A small or serious problem in service may make you suffer for life. To assist you with your problem, there are hundreds of outlets or so called customer service centers of the provider on streets and malls but in most cases you would get the answer, “you will have to talk with customer service advisor on phone”. A physical person cannot resolve anything in front of you, and security reasons are the explanations. More worse happens when you call to customer services. They now describe themselves as information providers only. They can empathize, they can understand your problems, they can listen to your shouting and swearing but at the end, they say, “There is nothing I really can do about it!” You would never be able to speak to the relevant person who can resolve something in real time. Everything works on automated systems, and you would be queuing up to get answered or responded. Problems do occur, technology has got flaws and it is human to accept the problems and to wait for them to get resolved. But you would be left in dark that what is going on, you will just have to wait. Most of the people get fooled with technical terms and they think there is something really serious happening, as serious as ‘launching a space shuttle’. Sales people do anything to sell a ‘bell’ to anyone and rest becomes an ordeal for the customer. We have to be extra careful to understand the services we are going hire.
However, I am back in Ahmedabad for good and I have had some interesting occurrences being a social entity, I will have my hands and mouthful for very long to keep bringing the issues in light

Sneh Bhavsar
London, July 2007

My First Ever Words – Notating Thoughts

“It’s been a year from the day I penned down my first proper piece of writing, 23rd June 2007! I would like to share this note on Global Warming. Mr Al Gore, former president of United States of America, has spent year researching on Global Warming and there is a short movie called ‘An inconvenient truth’. I strongly recommend watching this movie; you would find a great importance of every single human to this earth’s survival from global warming consequences. A quote from that movie, which is one of the best I have ever heard in my life, and I would like to mention it before to start to my first ever article.”
(Pointing to a little dot in a picture of universe taken from a satellite Al Gore says,)
“That little yellow dot is our planet, planet Earth, our only HOME! We have nowhere else to go and live from our lovely little home. So please we all, let us take care of it!”
Global Warming – A simple note…
Could the destruction of southern states of USA be linked with collapsing ice rocks in Greenland? Could the millions of dead fishes in Amazon linked with deforestation in Australia? Are these disasters are also related in any way with Europe’s recent ever hottest summer, which left 27,000 people dead!!?
It is the most serious issue that the World has ever faced, GLOBAL WARMING. The World scientists are collaborating to study Global Warming and its effect in forth coming decades. The most unprecedented changes in the climate have been observed after mid 20th century. Rising temperatures have been measured by a number of space stations.
The Sun is the source of warmth and light to us, but the intensity of the heat is different to the different parts of the Earth. Over the years, the earth has kept changing its orbit and moving pattern around the sun, and because of this the World has seen the significant changes in the climate during the last few centuries.
Let’s have a look at this…

Ideally, the rise in temperature over the years would have not been so momentous, but if we consider the greenhouse effects and the Earth’s orbital movements we can accept some changes or rise in temperature. Although at present, the actual situation of climate change is far more terrible; and human beings are responsible for this. Me, you and all of us.
As we study the numbers, it is only 0.6 degree of rise in planet’s average temperature. But this has already created so much havoc with the climate of the planet. Arctic is warmed by 3 degrees in last few centuries and the ice is melting unbelievably faster. Although, dirty snow has also played the part in this increase. The existing wild life on these continents is under threat. We might think that what if those animals die there in Arctic that is not going to affect us!!! But the whole Food chain would be disturbed by extinction of these animals. Of course, it is the later issue in this case but it is. In addition, rapidly melting ice is the biggest threat for the whole world not just north and south poles. Katrina, Hurricanes, Tsunami – most of the people was not aware of these words before a few decades. The rise in sea temperatures is the reason behind these destructive winds and storms. The rise has caused the average sea temperature to reach up to 26 degrees. In August 2005, Katrina struck New Orleans, Mississippi and parts of Mexico and we have also observed many destructive winds in last decade. It was the worst season of climate disasters in 2005 and it was also the alarm for the World to wake up and take significant action against this Global Warming and Climate change. Researchers say, “They can be more destructive and frequent in next few years!”
Before 160,000 years ago, the World’s average temperature was just 3 degrees less than it is now. But we human beings will make it rise (!) by 2-3 degrees higher within next 30,000 years and many cities near coasts will be flooded.
The choice is yours!

Sneh Bhavsar
London, 23 June 2007

Rude ‘Crude’

Bang! You must be burning with no visible flames because of the recent fuel price hike. Worse, if your ‘Roti’ is cooked on LPG gas stoves, then each one of them is becoming more expensive. Yes, we do have many reasons to criticize the outrageous price hike which has fumed the country all over. But we could also try at least to consider a few reasons for this move from the Government. I strongly recommend reading ‘Government’ as ‘The Government of India – Our Country’ not as the UPA or Congress government. Should we know the whole perception about this dark market of fuel and gases before we really conclude anything? How much is the Government is blamable for the price hike? Think, think and think.

 

Crude oil is the most ‘wanted’ commodity in the world today. Everyday 7.6 Crore barrel (approx 1200 crore litres) of oil is consumed by the whole world. Let’s see, who the top consumers are!

 

 

Country	Oil Consumption
United States of America	200 lacs barrels per day (not surprised at all!)
China	56 lacs barrels per day
Japan	54 lacs barrel per day
India	22 lacs barrel per day

                                                                                                                                                                                               

1 barrel = 158.98 litres

 

India consumes a fair amount of oil everyday and ranks among top 10 largest consumers of oil in the world. India does not have enough oil produced from within the country itself and hence we import 70% of our consumption. Although, country’s capacity to refine the necessary oil stock is quite adequate.

 

 

India has to largely rely on the imports for oil sources as the consumption (approx 35 crore litres per day) is significantly greater than the ability of production (approx 12.7 crore litres).

 

 

Indian government officially dismantled the Administered Pricing Mechanism (APM) in 2002. APM used to regulate the flow and the prices of oil. Oil companies were told how much to sell and at what price. It means there was a less influence of international market on the fuel prices in India. But an insistence for free market pricing and foreign competition made the government to loose APM completely. But they kept an indirect eye on some key fuels to keep regulating their prices. As a result since last few years, crude price is having high correlation with the international market price. 

India’s price regulation mechanism for crude oil came to an end and it is to encourage the foreign participation in oil exploration. Now the prices are highly correlated with the international market price.

 

Let us see the domestic price graph of petrol, diesel and international price of crude oil between the years 2003 and 2008.

 

The graph clearly represents the gradual increase in prices of petrol and diesel since 2003. Of course, it shows the prices getting increased on regular basis since 2003 and that is natural. The most interesting part resides between starting 2007 and mid 2008 (now). In this one and half year crude oil prices have risen from $55.80 per barrel to $138.14 per barrel (as on 7 June 2008). It comes to 150% of hike within just 18 months. As a fact, India is least capable to anything about these prices and hence we have to absorb this increase in price somehow.

 

Let us compare the petrol and diesel prices during these 18 months of time. Petrol has gone up from Rs. 42.85 (Jan 2007) to Rs. 56.52 (June 2008) and Diesel has crossed Rs. 38 (June 2008) mark in compare to Rs. 30.25 (Jan 2007). There is a 33% and 26% of rise in petrol and diesel respectively. Doesn’t it seem that we have reasonably regulated fuel prices despite of the madness running over crude oil price?

 

 

 

The government is bearing a huge financial burden to provide uninterrupted supply of petrol, diesel and LPG to common men. Looking at the unprecedented price hike in international crude oil prices, we have got to bear a fraction of it for our own oil companies and hence for our country.

Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has released the figures and they suggest that the government and oil PSUs have been trying to moderate the impact on the common man. At current prices government will bear a financial burden of Rs. 245,000 crore in 2008-09. It would be out of scope to understand crude oil international price market at the moment. We need to be concerned with the solutions we can derive by our own efforts to deal with the increasing prices of fuels. There is not doubt that the increase of Rs. 5 per litre in petrol price is significant for a common man but for now considering this difficult situation and to act accordingly is the only choice left. It could have been worse if we look at the over all growth in crude prices internationally.

 

As one of the main reasons is that we have a greater reliance on imports for the oil and that is because we consume more. How can we contribute our bit? It is by trying to optimize our consumption of fuels, whether it’s petrol, diesel or natural gases. Broadly, any kind of energy should be saved to minimize unexpected consequences. And at last, Indian government has put some suggestions in a public advertisement, which may help us controlling our own consumptions and hence the oil situations and prices in future.

 

 

 

Conserver Energy for Brighter Future

 

• Drive at optimum speed of 45-55 kms/hr
• Maintain correct tyre pressure
• Switch off engines at traffic signals
• While driving do not drive the clutch
• Keep your vehicle engine tuned
• Light your stove only after you have all ingredients within your reach
• Pressure cooking saves fuel and time
• Use optimum quantity of water while cooking
• Use higher efficiency ‘ISI’ marked LPG stove

 

Sneh Bhavsar

Ahmedabad | 9 June 2008

SARKAR RAJ – Pre Release

Ambalal Kausty – an active, experienced and a person with involvement in political activities could not get help for his own family from the authorities. (“BJP can’t protect my family”, 25 March, Ahmedabad Mirror) 

How much assurance ‘Modi Sarkar’ provides that they would protect our families, our daughters from anti-social elements? Bugle blower of fighting terrorism, Mr. Modi & party appear to be unable of handling the social violence. It is alarming for any of us to be alert and aware of the domestic issues around our neighborhood. It is very usual to find bigheaded individuals in every locality. We ignore such things and our liberal approach towards them is often encouraging for such people, as Ambalal Kausty had their daughter-in-law left harassed by a local garage guy in Kankaria. They were even threatened and attacked with weapons. It’s a shame that even being an active member of a ruling political party Ambalal cannot get justice for his family’s honour. Why should someone even have to use his political connections to protect the women of his family? Are the law system and the police completely handicapped? Does a victim always need a political relation to get protected or to get justice? Common men’s honour and security are at stake, and have no value in this Modi’s hierarchical power planner. You will be served better, how better your relations are! This government is reaching the highest number of rapes, women assaults, child abuses and there are countless little problems around us. “The number of rape offences registered last year in Gujarat jumped from 253 in September to 336, by 2005 end.” (16 Feb 2006, Sourav Mukherjee , TNN). Our faces are still red with the shameful slap of Patan college incident. 

A few anti-socials are not just troubling some women or individuals but they are murdering the social dignity in daylight. Any development and technological industrializations are futile when they are ignoring the social security of the citizens, especially of women. No political party or no government had such an extreme dominance over the people and the social system in past, if we talk about Gujarat. We seem to be least secure with our lives, our dignity and our social disposition at present. Human lives have gone cheaper compared to material development. 

It is also not restricted to the individuals only, there are convicts who are pain for the whole locality, or to the organizations and still they roam free despite of getting charged for serious offences. They get out of jail merely within two days with their political powers. For instance, Gandhi Ashram residents suffer including some local innocent families and even some gandhians too. They are humiliated with the indecent activities around; they are abused with their belongings and bearing the damages to their reputation and businesses. Gandhi Ashram itself is being disgraced falsely by some individuals on regular basis. Ashram trustees are inactive and ignorant even about such serious tribulations in this heritage premises. Spiritless local authorities and political backing to such anti-socials work well and social integrity get killed here every other day. An immense amount of pain spills over when such things happen in a place which is the source of inspiration to non-violence, peace and humanity through the whole world. It is the place which gives Gujarat and Ahmedabad an identity through the world to feel proud of. It is up to us how much should we care about it?  

Sneh Bhavsar | 25 March 2008, Ahmedabad

Morality Declines!

Children are the real asset of the country. How much care we are taking of our national wealth? The beauty of childhood has lost over parents’ hyper-sensitive approach for their children’s success, be it in school examination or in a curriculum competition. Success at any cost! There was a time, mothers sang poems and fathers swung their children in parks. Sparing designated time to children’s study was a part of daily routine for parents. Utmost they could do is to provide extra tuitions and expecting more hard work from kids in order to reach the top results. But the appetite for success has gone beyond limits.  

Students are at immense pressure and it is more than ever. They spend hours at school, go for tuitions, spend their evening at learning swimming, cricket, singing, dancing or playing piano and then piles of home work and practice. Parents do not want their child to fall second in anything. We made up our minds before some time believing that it is a competitive age with the growing population and flooding opportunities in our country. We understood the seriousness of the contest in every domain. But we are facing moral decline against achieving success. It has been observed over the years that human morality is touching grounds in some cases, where people are vulnerable to any inhuman act. Money can buy anything and anything could be done to make money. This modern philosophy is seemingly eradicating moral values in this generation of people.  

As we have seen in recent board examinations in Gujarat, how money and power tried to rule over the ethos of education system. Last few days were completely shocking which ruined the trust over education system and teachers. We are yet to come over the pain of Patan incident. Teachers are playing evils and parents train their kids how to get success at any cost. Most basic sources of learning in a human’s preliminary life are not performing pure. Provocative media, conspiracies in public life, nudity served in news papers, pushing boundaries of entertainment world, and hardcore technological life style – all these have made our children grown before time and have left them with no ethical and disciplinary education. ‘Innocence’ has been isolated from children. Being responsible entities of the society we all – parents, teachers and all of us are accountable for it. It is in our hands, what we want our kids to be. The society expects and we are to decide between raising a clean human or encouraging corrupted success.   

Sneh

Ahmedabad | 19 March 2008