Saturday, August 27, 2011

Julian Hanton about India

Julian is a travel reporter who travelled to India. His closing comments on his video on India were,

The ever widening gap between the rich and the poor and the blurring lines between religion and business is what India will have to contend with in the very near future.

Why did he say that? When he travelled through India every poor person wanted his money which happens in all countries. But there are too many poor in India. The volume compounds the issue. Till people in power stop looting Indian tax payer money and instead spend it for the benefit of India and Indians poverty in India will never be addressed.

We've heard of scam after scam where huge sums of tax-payer money have been siphoned off by individuals; The newspapers and TV report it is lakhs of crores of rupees where 1 lakh crore=Rs 1,000,000,000,000.
we've heard how the Indian anti-corruption laws need changing so that a case against a corrupt person isn't addressed by people under the very person who has been charged with corruption;
we've heard of people demanding that every rupee illegally swallowed up by individuals should be returned;
we've started hearing of Indians, fed up of the level of corruption that is endemic in the country, starting to speak up;
we've heard of a huge movement, gathering momentum in India against corruption. We've started hoping again;
and of course, we've heard the government is fighting the ordinary people's desire to bring in the strong anti-corruption bill tooth and nail.

If you haven't heard of this movement - "India Against Corruption" and their action plan, here's the link: http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/

On a lighter note, this movement has gone viral. Here's a comment after the song "Mother" by Pink Floyd.
"Mother can I trust the government?" sing Pink Floyd, "Hell no!" says helen11937, "Just ask an INDIAN!"

Here's the link to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBkTUzKAiXQ&NR=1



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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Bombay In Her Heart - K.Mathur Interview


I enjoyed being interviewed by the Hutt News for Never Mind Yaar and managed to talk about many things I feel strongly about besides the book.

Please click on the photo to enlarge and read the interview




In NZ the book is available at The Best Little Bookstore 

Also available on Amazon, USA.

For excerpts and reviews please go to the following page.

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Monday, August 22, 2011

The HOME project

One of the most comprehensive, hauntingly beautiful, yet frightening videos I've seen on the environment. You still come away with an upsurge of hope for our beautiful Earth, for life, for the only place we call HOME.

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  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU&feature=watch-now-button&wide=1 
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The Earth is a Miracle - image from the Home Project
Gombodorj Byambajargal (Mongolian) starts off the singing which is somehow so fitting to the stunning images. The music is composed by Armand Amar.

The video entreats us to get involved and join them at
http://www.goodplanet.org 

The commentary tells the story of Earth as it was, interspersed with compelling images of what we've done to it, how we've depleted our natural resources and changed the climate of our planet. According to the blurb under the video, We've got ten years to change all that.

"The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being.

For this purpose, HOME needs to be free. A patron, the PPR Group, made this possible. EuropaCorp, the distributor, also pledged not to make any profit because Home is a non-profit film.

HOME has been made for you : share it! And act for the planet.
" Yann Arthus-Bertrand



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Thursday, August 18, 2011

10 things to know about Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal Bill

Did you know Anna introduced solar panels and wind mills in his village 25 years ago? Read on...

Copied and pasted from Danish Aftab’s post on the India Against Corruption Facebook Site.
 
1.      Who is Anna Hazare? An ex-army man. Fought in the 1965 Indo-Pak War.
2.      What's so special about him? He built a village Ralegaon Siddhi in Ahmadnagar district, Maharashtra http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralegan_Siddhi.
3.      So what? This village is a self-sustained model village. Energy is produced in the village itself from solar power, biofuel and wind mills. In 1975, it used to be a poverty clad village. Now it is one of the richest villages in India. It has become a model for self-sustained, eco-friendly practices.  
4.      And...? This guy, Anna Hazare was awarded the “Padma Bhushan” and is a known figure for his social activities.
5.      Really? What is he fighting for? He is supporting a cause, the amendment of a law to curb corruption in India. How can that be possible? He is advocating for a Bill, The Jan Lokpal Bill (The Citizen Ombudsman’s Bill), that will form an autonomous authority who will make politicians (ministers), bureaucrats (IAS/IPS) accountable for their deeds. It's an entirely new thing, right..? In 1972, the bill was proposed by the then Law minister Mr. Shanti Bhushan. Since then it has been neglected by the politicians and some are trying to change the bill to suit their theft (corruption).
6.      Oh.. he is going on a hunger strike for the passing of a Bill ! How can that be possible in such a short span of time? The first thing he is asking for is: the government should come forward and announce that the bill is going to be passed.
7.      Next, they should make a joint committee to DRAFT the JAN LOKPAL BILL. 50% goverment participation and 50% public participation - because one can’t trust the government to independently create a bill that doesn’t suit them.
8.      Fine, What will happen when this bill is passed? A LokPal – a committee will be appointed at the centre. It will have autonomous charge, say like the Election Commission of India. In each and every state, a similar committee – the Lokayukta, will be appointed. The job of the Lokpal at the centre and the Lokayukta at the state levels will be to bring all individuals in the government accused of corruption, to trial within 1 year. Within 2 years, the guilty will be punished. Not like the Bofors scam or the Bhopal Gas Tragedy cases, that have been going on for the last 25 years without any result.
9.       Is he alone? Who else is there in the fight with Anna Hazare? Ex. IPS Kiran Bedi, RTI activist Arvind Kejriwalm, and just about every ordinary person. Prominent personalities like Aamir Khan and Shekhar Kapoor are supporting his cause too.  
10.   Ok, got it. What can we do? We can help spread his message.  How? By joining his website and facebook https://www.facebook.com/IndiACor sites, by actively commenting, sharing status messages, links, video, by believing in his cause and spreading the message and by understanding the flaws in the government's weak anti-corruption bill. He is fasting from 16th August 2011 for a week. We are welcome to join the fast in a public place at any time (and stop at anytime). But he won’t stop until the government agrees to introduce the Jan Lokpal – a strong anti-corruption bill and not their weaker version which allows them to be the exceptions who do not come under the ambit of the bill.

(For a comparision of the government Lokpal Bill and the IAC's Jan Lokpal bills see
The government jailed Anna before he could begin his fast but with a public outcry from his followers and others who called the government move unconstitutional, they were forced to relent and free him.

Let us support Anna Hazare and the cause for uprooting corruption from India. Let us hope that his Hunger Strike does not go in vain. Let us hope that he remains safe and well. Power to the people.

Here's what the BBC says about Anna http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14525537



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Monday, August 15, 2011

India Against Corruption - Anna's Message

My Dear Fellow Indians
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A decisive battle against corruption has begun. We are not against any political party. We want systemic reforms. We want a corruption-free India.

After all, what are the people asking for – a strong anti-corruption law which provides for honest and time-bound investigations and trials that result in jail for the guilty, confiscation of embezzled money and their dismissal from service?

Are we asking too much?

For two months, we were talking to the government. Government seems unwilling to take even small steps against corruption. Government appears insincere. We have met all prominent political leaders. We have tried everything. What do we do now? When I announced my indefinite fast from the 16th of August, the government threatened that they would crush us the way they crushed Baba Ramdev's peaceful agitation.

Friends, this is a historic opportunity. We can't afford to lose it. We are determined to fight to the end. If they arrest us, we will peacefully offer ourselves. If they use batons and bullets, we will happily lay down our lives but will not leave the place. We will not retaliate. It will be a completely non-violent movement.

“If you fast on 16 August, you will be crushed” – this is what they are saying. “We will impose section 144 on Jantar Mantar” – this is what they are thinking. But I say that if every citizen in this country takes off from his work from 16 August, comes on the streets in front of his house, at the crossing, with a tricolor in his hands shouting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and raising slogans against corruption, they will fall short of batons and bullets.

The government may arrest one Anna Hazare but how will they arrest 120 crore Anna Hazares? They may
impose section 144 at one Jantar Mantar but will they impose section 144 on the whole country? And let me tell you – the police and army is with us. At traffic signals, policemen stop us, express their support
and wish us well; at Raj Ghat, the policemen donated generously for the movement!

So, will you take off from your work from 16 August? Will you descend on the streets with me? This year, the country will wait for 16 rather than 15 August.

In solidarity,
Anna Hazare

(Please make copies of this pamphlet and distribute it in large nos.)

For more on India Against Corruption please go to http://nevermindyaar.blogspot.com/p/india-against-corruption.html or http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/ 



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Thursday, August 11, 2011

Another Review From India

"Overall, a lovely book that will flood your brain with fond memories of college , friends and first love." says reviewer, Bhargavi, of Hyphenatedsemicolons, about Never Mind Yaar. 

"The book not only makes you nostalgic,but also makes you think and want to make a difference."

The link to her review - 

http://hyphenatedsemicolons.bl​ogspot.com/2011/08/never-mind-​yaar-by-kmathur.html

Thank you Bhargavi.

Hopefully, the book will be available in India soon. For Excerpts and a reading from the story, please go to the "About The Book" section. http://nevermindyaar.blogspot.com/p/about-book.html




Monday, August 8, 2011

Necessity the Mother of Technology Advances in Rural India?


I remember in the seventies and eighties even we, living in a mega metropolis like Mumbai, couldn’t get a telephone line and in the nineties, at a heavy cost to India (please google "2G scam"), cell phones took off in India. Suddenly, even our villagers had connectivity. So many of them might not have had light, clean water to drink or proper roads to walk on amongst other things. But they had cell phones! 

The light they used was smokey kerosene lamps that polluted their air, gave them breathing problems and made their eyes water. But now, guess what? Fed up of kerosene lamps, our villagers are powering their houses with solar panels. They kept waiting for a power grid, one that was promised by - you guessed it - their Government. But year after futile year of waiting and the electricity grid never did reach so many of their villages. It just remained an empty promise. Many of them had invested heavily in getting their houses wired in anticipation of the grids being introduced in their villages. Unfortunately, it was hard-earned cash that went down the drain. Now, thanks to the private sector, they've shelled out once more to have solar panels installed on their roofs.

Solar powered houses have one or two problems. The main problem is that the installation cost is high. But when villagers are shown how they make up the cost in no time at all by not spending on kerosene which gives them so many health problems, they've started buying in enthusiastically. There are other problems too. Without getting too technical, it is to do with ac-dc currents and batteries. But the advantage is that solar panels are relatively maintenance free. And the more they are used (as in Germany) the cheaper they get.

As for the government electricity grids which have already cost them dearly, they have been forced to write that expense off. Still, they are thrilled and who can't help but be happy for them.

Links used to write this post:
http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/solar-lamps-transform-indian-village/ 
http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Solar_energy_could_help_light_up_Indias_villages-nid-37425.html 
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-01-21/interviews/28008346_1_solar-power-solar-panels-pv-modules
http://environment-msnbc.newsvine.com/_news/2011/07/02/6998926-indias-rural-poor-give-up-on-power-grid-go-solar 




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Wednesday, August 3, 2011

August 16 Indian Independence Day?

August 16?  But didn't India gain its independence on August 15?

Ah yes. But that was in 1947. Since then India has slowly but surely moved towards anarchy from its own representatives. They rule supreme. And whilst they rule, they indulge in looting. Scam after scam has been exposed by the Indian press but Indians have been mute and helpless against the all powerful parties in power. The anti-corruption bill has been stacked against whistle blowers, many of whom, if accounts I've been reading are true, have lost their lives; the anti-corruption bill ensures that corruption charges against politicians ultimately land up on the desks of people working under the very person who's being investigated. (see the post
http://nevermindyaar.blogspot.com/2011/04/problems-in-present-anti-corruption.html)


Anna Hazare and India Against Corruption have come up with an alternative - an anti-corruption bill that is for the people, for the tax payer, for whistle blowers and against the looting of tax-payer money. The government is fighting this bill, the Jan Lokpal Bill, tooth and nail. They want their own watered down version, the Lokpal Bill, implemented, whereby the scammers and looters continue walking off scot free. (http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/questionanswer.html)

Indians have joined  Anna and India Against Corruption in their droves. The battle of the mighty government Goliath and the people of India is on. Anna wants to start a fast to force the Government's hand - to insist that the IAC's Jan Lokpal Bill is implemented so that scammers and looters are brought to justice; so that future scams and looting is prevented; so that past scammers and looters are excused provided whatever they have looted is declared a "national asset".


The fast starts on August 16 2011. Many Indians will join the fast. The venue was supposed to be Jantar Mantar, N.Delhi. It is a popular venue for citizens' protests. The latest protest was the "Slut Walk" just a couple of days ago. (See my post on the "Slut Walk") Now, the police have banned peaceful gatherings of more than 4 people at  Jantar Mantar.

"The Hindu" has come out with an Editorial on this "Undemocratic Ban". Here's the link: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/article2311296.ece

This Editorial deserves to go on everyone's web, blog and on all our facebook pages.

We do want to ensure no harm comes to Anna on the 16th of August 2011 and that Jan Lokpal is implemented to stop corruption, looting, the daily hardship borne by ordinary Indians when dealing with the municipality / government and the feeling of disgust Indians feel towards their representatives.

So what's it going to be - the people's victory or the looters'? Tune in to India on August 16 to find out.



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