tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17568968497380954152024-02-20T07:22:59.639-08:00Write StuffAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-91396505811394657302015-03-05T17:59:00.003-08:002015-03-05T18:03:51.335-08:00An Indian optimist’s dream of repeating the cricket world cup win<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdCqZUseESKZHqpTUbpj1xsLpocQsxWq8-fJcDPDsizLFa1Cef11Je_Bet70V_nof17uxoWOqTcxwjquw-JnTuY89AjHFXsTQPwLtotkGDIFiObyXkKzCSmpijI4YR8m0UaNPoDhi3hE/s1600/ms-dhoni-with-world-cup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdCqZUseESKZHqpTUbpj1xsLpocQsxWq8-fJcDPDsizLFa1Cef11Je_Bet70V_nof17uxoWOqTcxwjquw-JnTuY89AjHFXsTQPwLtotkGDIFiObyXkKzCSmpijI4YR8m0UaNPoDhi3hE/s1600/ms-dhoni-with-world-cup.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Can he hold it again? (<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Image courtesy: NDTV)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">After a great start with an emphatic win against arch rivals
Pakistan followed by an impressive victory over the tournament’s favourite,
South Africa, Team India is geared up for a tremendous competition. The way things are shaping up, Australia,
South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka are
the four teams that can threaten India defending the title. The Proteas and the
Kiwis have never made it to the Finals, while the Lankans won the Cup once, in
1996. Other teams like England, Windies
and Pakistan don’t seem to measure up to the competition for some reason or the
other. While it appears South Africa’s
time to sparkle, the Indian fans just don’t empathise with other teams.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With batting its strong point, Indian skipper M S Dhoni,
whenever calls it right and often lucky with the coin, opts to bat first to
gain the psychological merit. When you
bat first, the team is resting while the opponents are on the field and you set
the target and know how much to defend, hence plan accordingly. There is more scope for trial and error, test
and research when you have runs on the board, but the margin for error is thin when you have less than 200 to guard.
Though the Kapil Dev-led camp made it in 1983 (in a 60-over decider), can one really fancy a
sub-200 risk in today's batsman-dominated game? Mind you, cricket, today, is breathing in a T-20 age.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though Indian bowling is not at its peak, Dhoni does have
options with seven regular time bowlers, but lacks one genuine legendary bowler
like an Anil Kumble or a Dale Steyn. The
media hype with plenty of advertisements are okay but it usually works against
the ultimate goal of retaining the World Cup.
Cricketers are deemed immortal when the team performs well but the
support evaporates when they hit a slump till they restore form and perform again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With the magic spell of great victory against South Africa,
the bowling seems matured to become more trustworthy. If the exhibition in the
fist two matches is any indicator of Team India’s subsequent delivery, the
Indian fans can be in for a treat, and can be expected to qualify for the semis
and why not clash in the finals as well.
An optimism assumes why the
winning title shouldn’t be defended? An
India vs. Australia final is what many of the cricketing world will be hoping for and the 2003 results can be
avenged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lucky with the toss aside, Indian team has it that they have
been playing matches in Australia for quite a while before the World cup and
are accustomed to the weather and pitch conditions. As India sails through the remaining matches,
it will be delightful when the quarter-finals starts and move to heated
semi-finals and the ultimate finale. Can
we hope for a party for the third time?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-7996088669261273552015-02-18T06:56:00.001-08:002015-02-24T05:51:09.233-08:00The muffler man has the last laugh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IZkhzKos2aYYj2pBAJzQQQoE-20s8UdA0boOHBqlxXsjXzif17GJVY5U73iH7Y7OlxdvsS6HXdCweg5WPet1ERBbjJHAzzhXHU7REU6jRwLaCmELpA8jlp9Ms7_FjJIwdP58apD81XU/s1600/arvind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IZkhzKos2aYYj2pBAJzQQQoE-20s8UdA0boOHBqlxXsjXzif17GJVY5U73iH7Y7OlxdvsS6HXdCweg5WPet1ERBbjJHAzzhXHU7REU6jRwLaCmELpA8jlp9Ms7_FjJIwdP58apD81XU/s1600/arvind.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When a national TV channel flashed 67-3, I, for a moment,
thought that it was the customary Pakistani score card in a ODI cricket match. On reconciling with the electoral
reading of the Delhi election results, Arvind Kejriwal was declared as the
man-of-the-match, who showed in no unequivocal terms that he can sweep and
reverse-sweep. The Delhi verdict clarified that there were few contenders, most
of them comprehensively swept under the rug. The Congress party scored a golden ‘duck’ and the paltry three seats confirmed the
BJP humiliation complete. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The common man was taken casually for someone who wears muffler
to fight cold and cough. But here is some one who showed he can fight the
mighty and the corrupt, too. Whether the vote is against Modi or Bedi,
the clear winner is Arvind Kejriwal, the muffler man had the last laugh. If
1977 were Janata-wave, 1984 Rajiv Gandhi-wave, the 1989 V P Singh-wave, 2015 can
be named a “Kejriwal-wave”, partly denting the 2014 modi-wave. Sniffing
that the Bedi-factor may not work, the BJP drafted the entire central
leadership for the campaign. The phenomenal political event may well have major
consequences for the national domain, as the 67-3 score-card applied the brakes
on what looked like an unstoppable pan-India ride to power. Rarely has
there been an occasion in Indian politics when a party scripted such a massive
victory, reminding the AIADMK-Congress alliance winning 225/234 seats in 1991.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While this victory is AAP’s defining moment for the future, the
46-year old IITian showed that agenda can outsmart propaganda and desisted from
indulging in counter-smear campaign. Calling him “urban naxalite”,</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">bhagoda</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(runaway, escapist) and more, never behoved a Prime Minister to
get down to name-calling. When Mani Shankar Aiyar derided the</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">chaiwallah,</span></i><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the PM was backed, but the latter did not replicate
the courtesy. A few more vitrolics, AAP would, probably, have scored a centum –
70/70. The recent attacks on the churches had its share in affecting the
BJP’s poll prospects, the muslim-vote seems shifted in AAP’s favour. Mind
you, it is not a photo-finish, but a landslide victory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wake-up call</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No state election is referendum of central government.
Good or bad central government affects state election results, not
vice-versa. But ensure that it doesn’t become one, as we all know only
too well it doesn’t take long for a spark to become an inferno. BJP, nevertheless,
exposed its vulnerability in a direct contest. In 2013-14, the Congress
party was left bewildered by the AAP which came from nowhere to steal its
thunder. Arvind Kejriwal deserves standing ovation for his dare-devilry
in making substantive inroads into the national parties, one after the
other. Though AAP did not win a single seat in Delhi in the Lok Sabha
election, Kejriwal remained steadfast to his ground.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The voting pattern showed that it was a mass exodus from
Congress to AAP. Usually a vote lost from Congress goes to BJP. But
this time, it went to AAP, and in a big way. The electorate reckoned that a
Congress vote is a wasted vote. Apart from maintaining positive posture, AAP
also had the grace to seek apology from the electorate for its earlier
missteps. The ‘broom’ swept clean and revived the sinking ship, the democracy,
exhibiting the presence of a much-needed opposition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Modi should take the onus for the Delhi debacle, else there is
little to distinguish him from the dynastic ‘Gandhis’. BJP’s enormous
resource base had to give way for the ‘common man’, happily showing democracy
is not dead, yet. Thousands of people including students, lawyers,
retired professionals, college professors and housewives see AAP a new phenomenon
which renewed their faith for a better future of the common man. The
story of AAP, in fact, is not just its story, but a story of the people,
reinventing politics and themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AAP must move beyond fighting corruption. It is vital for
Kejriwal to have a strong cadre before taking policies to the masses. Having
said that, running a political party and maintaining a vibrant cadre is tough
especially in national scenario and we have many examples where many
parties failed to maintain their establishments and shut their shops after one
or two general elections. Praja Rajyam Party in Andhra Pradesh started by
the matinee-idol Chiranjeevi failed to reach its expectations, so is Uma
Bharathi’s Bharatiya Jan Shakthi Party. Former IAS Officer and often
considered to be an intellectual bureaucrat Jaya Prakash Narayan’s Lok Satta
too could not move into the masses. These cases show that the vote bank
and election foray in India is altogether a different and a difficult game that
a person like Arvind Kejriwal needs to tackle with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The common man’s life has been miserable by the unabated price
rise. FMs, Planning Commission officials and advisory councils have been
<i>ad nauseum</i> assuring that the prices will go down, while the common man remains
in dark. If Kejriwal makes even a small difference to the popular
perception of politics, he will have done a lot. And Kejriwal will surely
experience for himself the challenge of practising politics without its
attendant ills. People of Delhi have sent a strong message to the
politicians and political parties how they should behave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If political honesty is oxymoron, Mr. Kejriwal, the mandate has
bestowed you a chance to dispute it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">===<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-7423910713519833862015-01-18T09:06:00.000-08:002015-01-19T18:50:06.543-08:00AB de Villiers bludgeons Windies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>18/01/2015</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7a0AaBfn9vO9198n3WBBqIOfEbamjqmoxzxN2nidEgipRyrHBWFg9IBHv0JEyn6KUGNgTUnftEQOLNh9W8-whf7O2paeaVkuvmqO6bhWhpv6hUWvuMZehYVDZgAHNdMK_OkNwhLJfBs/s1600/Ab+De+Villiers++(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7a0AaBfn9vO9198n3WBBqIOfEbamjqmoxzxN2nidEgipRyrHBWFg9IBHv0JEyn6KUGNgTUnftEQOLNh9W8-whf7O2paeaVkuvmqO6bhWhpv6hUWvuMZehYVDZgAHNdMK_OkNwhLJfBs/s1600/Ab+De+Villiers++(5).jpg" height="513" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Life is all about taking the right decision, seeing Gayle
bat today I think I took the right decision of being wicket-keeper”. Recall the message tweeted by MS Dhoni when
Chris Gayle massacred the Pune Warriors with his record-breaking 175 in the IPL-T-20-2013
edition. Similar sentiments would be echoed
by many more teams and players on seeing
the AB de Villier’s holocaust today, while most international bowlers must be
sighing, “Thank God, we are not at its receiving end”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What unfolded at Johannesburg can only be described as
absolute carnage. The West Indian bowlers were annihilated by the Proteas
batsmen, dominated by the captain Abraham Benjamin de Villiers. The South African skipper shredded the record
books at the New Wanderers Stadium with his sensational 44-ball 149 that is
registered as the fastest century in the cricket history. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Records galore<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Studded with 16 sixes (sharing the record number of sixes
with Rohit Sharma) and nine fours during his devastating knock, AB broke the
record of New Zealand Corey Anderson’s 36-ball ton (2014). AB’s
16-ball fifty followed by 31-ball 100, in today's One-Day International against the West Indies, kept the scorers and statisticians
busy. The strike-rate flashed a whopping
338.63, whereas he stepped in to the wicket only after the fall of first wicket
at 38.3 overs. From the start of his
innings, it was evident that AB was going to make it a special day, but little
did anyone, including his own team mates– who were spellbound by his blitzkrieg.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the fierce contest between fours and sixes from AB’s bat,
the boundaries ultimately gave way for the big ones, and the calypsos left to
be mere spectators.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A genius of batting
innovations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As many as seven bowlers tried their luck, but … not today!
The decimation inflicted on the bowlers, instead of making the rivals numb,
turned them into AB’s fans, on the field. The helplessness of the bowlers was
writ large on their faces, ball after ball sailing over the boundary ropes. The
odd dot-balls, far and few, reflected
disbelief in the fielding side and the spectators alike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though the openers Hashim Amla (153 n.o.) and Rilee Rossow (128)
posted an opening partnership of 247 runs, the captain’s domination was loud
and clear to finally post a record total of 439/2 in 50 overs. What stood out more than how much he scored
or how much he spurred the team to an almost surreal total, was the way in
which he dominated the rival bowling attack.
He took on every bowler and sent each one of them on a leather hunt,
producing the big shots at will, and reached his century at frenetic 31 balls
in an exhibition of ceaseless, remorseless hitting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Colourful stadium, colourful spectators, colourful South African team. AB De Villiers richly added
content to the colour. The picturesque record appears to be safe and stay with the
ever-entertaining AB for a long time to
come. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While it should send jitters to Indian cricket fans with the
World Cup around the corner, AB deserves sport-hearted salute. And if you are an RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) fan, add
your extra quota.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You might ask what was the reply by the West Indies. The flip side to these type of matches is
that it makes the second half of the game a mere formality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A magic indeed!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">=====<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-31356040687356882532015-01-14T18:00:00.000-08:002015-01-14T18:49:05.547-08:00Blogging as an academic tool in classroom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h1 style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 26px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;">
Blogging as an academic tool in classroom</h1>
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CS Krishnamurthy , Jan 15, 2015, DHNS</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13px;">Learn online, Easy usage, zero technicalities and ageless appeal, blogs are the new teachers on the block. </span><i>CS Krishnamurthy</i><span style="font-size: 13px;"> describes the many benefits</span></b></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The knowledge revolution has transformed our homes , jobs and our lives. It is therefore, apparent that it will also transform our education system. </strong></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">To keep pace with a globalised technological culture, we must rethink how to educate the next generation and the vision should go beyond the walls of the classroom to include online social networks, distance learning with anytime, anywhere access, digital schooling models and more.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">Blog, a utility that solidifies the use of technology, is a great resource for the 21st century teacher and student. Blogs open up a whole new door to collaborative learning, incorporating the tools that are not only useful, but peak the interest of a new generation of learners.</span><span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">With the increasing influence of internet in our lifestyle, the phenomenon of blog stands out as a fine example of the way in which the Web enables individual participation in the marketplace of ideas. This web-publishing tool helps to self publish text, art, cartoons, and also helps you to create hyperlinks.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">Many students find writing to be a tedious chore. While many write just to finish an assignment, others write to gain marks. Blogging can change these attitudes. Classroom blogging not only excites students about their work, but also hones their writing, reading, comprehension, critical thinking and communication skills. </span><span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Typically, when students write essays in school, their work is mostly read by their teachers. Students spend hours together on Shakespeare, wars and history only to find one single person evaluate the end result. Blogging will help get a greater audience for every published piece. It goes beyond academic significance, as the audience is global and any one can read and even respond. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">One of the major advantages of blog is its easy usage and the minimum need for technical knowledge. Unlike many traditional websites, blogs are flexible in design and can be experimented with easily. Most importantly, students will find them convenient and accessible via home or library computer. </span><span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">Students reticent in face-to-face learning environments may be more comfortable with blogging for expressing their creative thoughts. Sometimes, the fast-paced teaching in the classroom disconnects students from the rest. Blogs will bridge that gap and help them cope up with the current teaching. Also, personal publishing via web-blogs can be a meritorious practice because it promotes self learning in a major fashion.</span><span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Blogs can be utilised by teachers also. They can use it to send notices, post assignments, project updates, instructional tips and even have a Q&A Board for daily classes. This serves as a perfect platform for online mentoring too. Traditional classes can take a toll on the young minds. Using blogs, educators can give an interesting twist to their teaching. This also helps to keep the curiosity alive in the classroom. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">Teachers can make use of the internet, where knowledge isn’t a lecture, but is an interactive social process and is the starting point for a healthy dialogue. The fact that many educators across boards are using social media to teach is not very surprising as there is a rise in the concept of blended learning and flipped classroom strategies.</span><span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A class or a group blog enables students to discuss topics outside the classroom, where each and every student has equal opportunities to share their views. Reading the blogs of their peers may spur the students to read, analyse and question more. Group blogging will also allow for better transfer of knowledge and enhance the vocabulary skills at a faster pace.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">Blogging can unleash the hidden capabilities of aspiring writers and stimulate expression of ideas and interests in real time. Learners need real opportunities for writing and publishing the knowledge they have acquired over time. Having the chance to publish their perceptions online, students can craft and often revise their writings, thereby providing a rich and satisfying learning ambience. Thanks to their ageless appeal, blogs can be used throughout the educational spectrum, from grammar to graduate school, as well as by faculty members who wish to share their research projects.</span><span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">But students have to be made aware of the risks involved in blogging. As blogs can be viewed publicly, students must be trained on issues regarding access to privacy, security and free expression. Also, since blogs have no publisher, producer or editor, students must carefully consider the content of posts to avoid defamatory or libelous content.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The philosophy of blogs in classroom teaching is to impart students with lateral skills that can be used in a number of disciplines. Educators are increasingly becoming more interested in the ability to leverage social media tools to facilitate engagement with course material and encourage the learning process, while the digital revolution has hit education with more and more classrooms plugged into the whole wired world. Blogs are one of the best ways to tap into the learning potential of today’s online generation.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-27464834584158278162015-01-09T21:22:00.001-08:002015-01-11T20:02:21.763-08:00Score-cards, Statistics and Sachin Tendulkar’s autobiography<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyXwFBu6XMQQXyoh0_Gn8gn6-3A5MGfKW4Vp4VeKcJm4yhHZxDIyDslUD20_eIcwfGJYwuaDYfqy6-5gNtxYqr0N4fI7tMgZ3kfV39AYxa7TejkV4Wf_lMqvcO6nyqUvqq0QAOhOGYU0/s1600/Sachin+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyXwFBu6XMQQXyoh0_Gn8gn6-3A5MGfKW4Vp4VeKcJm4yhHZxDIyDslUD20_eIcwfGJYwuaDYfqy6-5gNtxYqr0N4fI7tMgZ3kfV39AYxa7TejkV4Wf_lMqvcO6nyqUvqq0QAOhOGYU0/s1600/Sachin+image.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sachin Tendulkar is one of the most written about, and the
486-page title <i>“Sachin Tendulkar: Playing
it my way - My Autobiography </i>is all about how many runs he scored, the
landmarks reached, how he hauled the bowlers, the injuries, how unlucky he was
due to some umpiring decisions…. Feedback
by now would have enlightened the cricketer that writing is an altogether
different format, as the bulk of the book is a perfunctory recall of matches,
prima facie has no grip or the punch. If you
believe the icon pursued the game
with impeccable passion, the life story had to be equally riveting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The “Childhood” chapter makes a joyful read in an otherwise
dozy and prosaic printed pages bound together.
The sulking child getting the bicycle he wanted from his parents by
adopting adamant pranks, …having scored
24 runs and ‘acceded’ with a reporter to make it 30 to abet his name appearing in print … all appeared
to blend the reader with reality, though the bond was short-lived.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After reading his debut against Pakistan, the rest of the
matches sounded more like running –commentary.
“In the Final at Wankhade on November 6 (1996), I scored 67 in our
modest 220, with Jadeja adding 43, and it was all down to Anil Kumble, who took
four wickets as we bowled the South Africans out for 185….”. You are hacked when you turn page after page
with something of this sort moving at a listless pace.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For youngsters, the memoir could motivate how hard-work is key to
success, amid series of injuries suffered. A broken finger, fractured toe, tennis elbow,
groin problems... “The injection, which
was pretty painful, was the first of a hundred or more cortisone injections
over the course of my career”, said the cricketer of records, the excruciating
details about the injury-ridden career reflecting his unflinching focus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The normally restrained Sachin shows his other dimensions …<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Greg Chappel, Ian Chappel, Kapil Dev, Rahul
Dravid’s declaration at Multan, how
taking losses so personally that affected Sachin’s captaincy… BCCI held in high esteem and on administration … Shhhh…. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sachin will always be hated for not
standing by Saurav Ganguly when ‘Dada’ spoke against Coach Greg Chappel. All the news that Chappel came to India to
destroy Indian cricket or with some motive is a far-fetched logic, as we are
only too familiar that most Indian cricketers don’t retire on their
own, but compelled to do so. While some
of Rahul Dravid’s gem of the innings
hardly gets noticed, the autobiographer was generous in devoting three full
pages ranting about the ‘controversial’ declaration, which provides fodder for those who say Sachin plays
for numbers. His fascination for statistics is,
nevertheless, more obvious in his writing.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The master also blasted Ian Chappel
for criticising his form and urging him to hang the boots. Back in 2007, Ian
Chappel had written that Sachin should look at the mirror to query himself if
he is good enough to continue playing cricket. “I showed him the size of the
mirror in 2008 when we toured Australia. He should have realised that the man he is
asking to stand in front of the mirror has played more cricket than him”,
Sachin settled through his memoir.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While the tidbits of how he faced a
particular tactic by a fast bowler, attacking Shane Warne, mastering Dale Steyn,
the mind games played and strategies adopted to outthink the opposition … makes
up interesting reading, he doesn’t reason why his attacking instincts subdued
in the later side of his career and the thread that accompanied it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He talks about his love for cars, but
silent on the red Ferrari issue. His relationship within his family, with his
team mates, his love for food, besides very few anecdotes are broadly the
highlights. There is an overdose of Anjali’s sacrifices, and repetitions galore in an otherwise
first-person chronology of his career. The finer points of his batting technique
might interest the keen followers of the game and the pictures studded can be a
collector’s delight. His ‘stint’ as a
Member of Rajya Sabha does not find any marked mention. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">More score cards, less substance<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The bulky book is woefully thin on
many intimate moments as much as the title also seriously suffers from poor
narrative pacing. Incidents like his
encounters with Glenn McGrath, his IAF captain’s status, MSD’s leadership
ability, 1999 World Cup disaster, …. failed to find space under the maestro’s pen,
the holistic silence on “match-fixing” the most startling. Even if it is
conceded that he had little knowledge of the corrupt activities of some his own
team-mates, it is deplorable that he doesn’t have an opinion on it either.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If Sachin preferred to keep mum on
international players, at the least, he could have shared his deeper thoughts
on his relationship with his own team mates and the dressing room aura, tone and mood. Probably,
is it because nobody expects a person who has steered of any controversy during
his playing tenure, to create one at this stage. An exclusive chapter deals with the way
pressure built up on him due to the evading milestone of the 100<sup>th</sup>
100. He vividly remembers his hero Sir
Viv Richards for the inspiration to continue when the trying times of
retirement contemplation haunted him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Bits and pieces</b></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Arjun Tendulkar doesn’t like his
father to be criticised. When a school
friend blamed Sachin for India losing, ‘Arjun punched the boy and told him not
to say anything bad about his father again”.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A foodie, Sachin learned how to use
“lettuce leaves to construct a wall so that the size of the bowl which was
normally two to three inches tall increased to five or six inches. We would then fill it with as much salad as
wanted”.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“I was hurt when BCCI sacked me as a
captain”.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Kapil Dev’s thought process was limited to leaving the running of the team to the captain, and hence he did not involve himself in strategic discussions that would help on the field”.</span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Every time I look back at the
footage of my first century, I realise that celebrating was not something that
came naturally to me”.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Sachin reveals how an IPL team owner
lets his priest decide which players leave the hotel rooms first on match days,
while another has dressing rooms arranged in Feng Shui style.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The batting hero shares that one day
a stomach-upset prompted him to play with tissues inside his underwear. Destpite (t)issues, he went on to score a
patient 97 against S/Lanka. (I hope no
hardcore Sachin fans start worshipping those ‘fragrant’ tissues!).</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last word on the Co-author <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Boria Majumdar failed to ferret out
the best out of the life story. The what, where and when have been accorded the priority over the why and how. The
ghosted autobiography read more like a flawed document, failing to escort the
reader. The historian should have
enlisted the services of a good
sub-editor and trimmed the book-size to at least half, if not less. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> “Amazon” ensured their quality delivery, but
Sachin …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
=====</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-68758893049585869512014-11-29T02:45:00.002-08:002014-12-11T20:10:44.484-08:00The death of Phillip Hughes and the dilemma of a fast bowler<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br /></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nUTgL3yZU9DSuylSE4R_BxgPBBsQAZqt5be35fQnehJrmNIsfhANCaYV-JVboVwU8dKwBoWL4f_3Wl3ljfxpDAqpI_kbGhJCXiJlQUeoOWVJQzhKQApQ4Mi1g0iRe806NpMWyk-4Bws/s1600/IndiaTv1302a3_hughestrib2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nUTgL3yZU9DSuylSE4R_BxgPBBsQAZqt5be35fQnehJrmNIsfhANCaYV-JVboVwU8dKwBoWL4f_3Wl3ljfxpDAqpI_kbGhJCXiJlQUeoOWVJQzhKQApQ4Mi1g0iRe806NpMWyk-4Bws/s1600/IndiaTv1302a3_hughestrib2.jpg" height="280" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: PTI</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">To sad, too soon... accidents arrive unannounced</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Phillip
Hughes’</b> death undoubtedly rocked nations, borders and cultures. The news produced a deep hurt among all
cricket lovers, while it is extremely sad that such a promising player had been
cut short in his prime. Freakish though,
as reports suggest that the hit “millimeters either side could have saved him with
a mere concussion”. The leather ball,
weighing 160 grams, was travelling at 135 km speed when it left the bowler’s
arm to strike “<b>Hughes</b> under the helmet behind the left ear”. Some biomechanical experts say the impact is “similar
to being hit by a bullet”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">While
it is sad day for the game for sure, a
section of the media and cricket fans, as expected, have kickstarted the debate
if the “bouncers” (known as “bumpers” in the earlier days) should be
banned. There are cries for the bouncer
to be outlawed, and on the face of it, the arguments are compelling. But one of the reasons Hughes’ tragedy has
hit home so hard is its rarity. Bouncers
are used tactically to drive the batsman
back on to his back foot if he has been freely playing his front foot
shots. To this end, they are more or
less directed at the line of the batsman’s body, which is not illegal provided
the ball bounces on the pitch. Aiming the batsman’s head without bouncing on
the pitch is “beamer”, which is illegal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Momentary reactions should
be kept at bay</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As former England captain <b>Michael Vaughan</b>
recently said: “The bouncer is such an important part of the game. It is a test of mental toughness. It is designed to put the batsman off his
game, upset his front foot movement and get his head in the wrong position,
which is what batting is all about. I
hope that does not change”. The essence
of good batsmanship is the ability to stroke and defend, both off the front foot
and the back foot. Banning the bouncer
would produce more kids and less cricketers.
A debate, nevertheless, would continue in the coming days, but it is
ill-advised to make snap judgements. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Any
attempt to redefine “the bouncer” would be a major regression to the game,
which is already pro-batsman (with fielding restrictions, power plays, limits
on number of bouncers in an over, high quality bats ….) than it ever used to
be. Again, forbidding bouncers would be ineffective, because occasionally a
bowler would accidentally at least, break the rule. Also, coming generations may not learn how to
avoid being hit in the head or the rib cage …; where it would make injuries
more likely, not less. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Batsmen in the pre-helmet days relied on agility and a good eye.
All glory to those stalwarts like <b>Don
Bradman, Sunil Gavaskar, Viv Richards, Gary Sobers, G.R. Vishwanath …</b>… Same delivery. Some defend. Some hits six. Some gets out. Some injured. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In
some sports, dire risk is a constant companion.
A single punch in Boxing at the wrong place can kill. In F1, a miscalculation can decimate in
seconds. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmpSYEmulwJjgpZOXfsPnfAtWIEM1C9Kg6X-DFmT-mmrm_66-NQo_qJWJgZGe5XHE8h9_f38wgdXR-AvhRmI-X4UFeGpg7Ds5TH_DQg3C8Yy3tO_fkO2uwtSYFZT6vlyYmJmfBlIZ0EE/s1600/collrge-_112714015407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmpSYEmulwJjgpZOXfsPnfAtWIEM1C9Kg6X-DFmT-mmrm_66-NQo_qJWJgZGe5XHE8h9_f38wgdXR-AvhRmI-X4UFeGpg7Ds5TH_DQg3C8Yy3tO_fkO2uwtSYFZT6vlyYmJmfBlIZ0EE/s1600/collrge-_112714015407.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Boucher, Stuart Broad, Raman Lamba<br />
Photo credit: India Today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Australian
duo, <b>Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson,</b> and the Caribbean pacers of the
seventies and the eighties were allowed to bowl all day with barely any one,
not even the umpire, took any objection.
<b>Viv Richards </b>underwent psychiatric treatment after being at the
receiving end of Lillee and Thomson in 1975-76, while <b>Don Bradman</b> said it was “a
wonder more batsmen were not seriously injured”.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Aussies, Proteas ….take great pride in the
bouncy nature of their wickets.
This meant that a ball that
normally would need to be pitched quite short anywhere else in the world to
come up to the head height, can be pitched just short of a length on most Aussie/South African pitches. Means the ball is going to gear
up at an awkward angle in Oz. It is time
some parameters are in place regarding the hardness of the pitch. It goes the other way in India with the ball
hardly going over ankle height!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The game should go on<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
simple fact is <b>Hughes</b>’ death was the culmination of numerous factors that
cluster to create the perfect storm.
Replays suggest that Hughes head had turned away from the ball as he was
still playing the hook. Had he kept his
eye on the ball, at worst, the ball would have hit him on the grill, rather
than on neck. According to <b>Kevin
Pieterson,</b> “He (Hughes) did not have a classic batting technique, but he was
able to score runs his own way”. The
game of cricket tests everything of a batsman, bouncer inclusive, only then the
comprehensive ability is best ascertained.
The helmet manufacturer has reportedly said that Hughes was not wearing
the latest version which is far more protective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A
fast bowler would probably say that banning bouncers is akin to banning
cover-drives. It is part of the game. In cricket, fielders are also prone to
serious risk. <b>Raman Lamba, Mark Boucher, Saba Karim</b> instantly comes to mind. What one would question though is the quality
of the pitches, helmet designs, player’s behavioural pattern (like sledging,
verbal intimidation….) Sledging that involves threats such as <b>Michael Clarke</b> advising
an opponent that he is about to get a broken arm should be outlawed, as it
sends a wrong message to youngsters that it is okay to break some one’s arm in
the name of sport.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KwRo5Owr8ET8cYCgC6qC1yUNfC-y9xi7gJwa2Ee00F3Qlp_EtwGaxwIEzReui-J8MpyuVH9_YkGuwxiEf2aFFoRSrB3L59_kGrYV3yvAE5yolSEuRbfeNfrNS8rZPnVKkuYqh1ZWFbQ/s1600/prior_2729139b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KwRo5Owr8ET8cYCgC6qC1yUNfC-y9xi7gJwa2Ee00F3Qlp_EtwGaxwIEzReui-J8MpyuVH9_YkGuwxiEf2aFFoRSrB3L59_kGrYV3yvAE5yolSEuRbfeNfrNS8rZPnVKkuYqh1ZWFbQ/s1600/prior_2729139b.jpg" height="199" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Telegraph</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the modern version of the game, the
batsman reverse-sweeps, scoop-hits (<i>Dil-scoop</i>) – and can miss and get gravely injured. The game is played across the length and
breadth of the country in grounds and gullies, with inferior gears, poor
pitches and no first-aid, and one can even without bouncers, get hurt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If
cricket is not prepared for the funeral
of a 25-year old Australian batsman, who was in the process of returning to national
duty, then the process of feeling “normal” about cricket will take
longer time. To sum up, in the words of Australian pacer <b>Stuart Clark,</b> “as a fast
bowler you’ve got to intimidate. That’s part of the game. It’s been part of the game for a long period
of time now and I hope it will always be”. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A tiger without ferocity, a cobra lacking venom, and a fast-bowler sans bouncer is not in line with established nature. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Improving the helmet design and better coaching on how to negotiate a raising
delivery are a more logical response to the tragedy. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
cricketing fraternity, in the meantime, should wholeheartedly support the cause
of restoring </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sean Abbott’s</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> normalcy,ensure his return to the run-up with the new ball, and delete the dilemma of a fast bowler.</span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-33854410118947640902014-11-16T19:23:00.001-08:002015-08-31T20:11:24.704-07:00Making childhood safe for children is becoming an overwhelming task<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: justify;">Bangalore again. The garden city first turned to </i></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: justify;">garbage city and now becoming infamous for </i></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: justify;">rape city</i><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: justify;">.</span></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGxWD_ePB24qJ28ERzJIKKvX5jgF2jylEzU9xBzUjN-msHP3pMU28u_dftAm9H24SxPTkxWlgAY6Y2RIq1exhF9YwOJcINwIVfUBlSzmIzorrAODsI41h-p9ozOjHIBi_XkKDSmMITlI/s1600/019022Child-rape-Delhi-Jaipur-News.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGxWD_ePB24qJ28ERzJIKKvX5jgF2jylEzU9xBzUjN-msHP3pMU28u_dftAm9H24SxPTkxWlgAY6Y2RIq1exhF9YwOJcINwIVfUBlSzmIzorrAODsI41h-p9ozOjHIBi_XkKDSmMITlI/s1600/019022Child-rape-Delhi-Jaipur-News.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy: www.exclusivenews.co.in</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>A three-year-old girl child in Bangalore was
allegedly sexually abused at the private school she attends. "We have
registered a criminal case late Tuesday (Oct.21, 2014) on a complaint by the
victim's father that his young daughter was sexually abused in the Orchid
International School premises," said Police Inspector TC Venkatesh.
"We are checking the footage of the closed circuit television (CCTV)
cameras installed in the school and questioning its staff and faculty," he
added.</b></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">According
to the police complaint filed by her father, the child "had signs of fever
and complained to her mother that she was physically abused by someone she did
not know or recognize."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The public anger of the Bangalore VIBGYOR High (School) rape incident reported about a couple of months ago is still
lingering, while more grisly spectacles make a beeline to grab the pungent
headlines. It is bad enough that the alleged rape occurred in the</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">campus sanctity, the accused, yet again, a staff.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Are more students being raped?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Are more rapes reported?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Has the definition of rape become diluted
that more incidents being red-flagged? Is rape avoidance a feminine responsibility?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Or, are we failing collectively?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How is it
that a three-year old tot was left alone for this to</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> happen at any given point
of time while at school?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Even when the
child has to use the rest room she must be accompanied by a helper staff.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Someone knows the answer there.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Fortunately,
the abuser cannot invoke the familiar defence that it had been consensual
sex.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While the recent beastly Delhi gang-rape is not yet fixed,
more such heinous crimes are unfolding all over the country. While the current laws and the concomitant loopholes enable abusers to escape
punishment, many rape cases fail to result in rape law enforcement, thanks
to the systemic inadequacies that render the criminal law ineffective in
responding to and preventing such violence.
To get a conviction, current law requires prosecutors prove a suspect
acted with “depraved indifference”, which is a high bar to clear, especially
since most child abuse takes place in private.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A less-scrutinised explanation may be the campus
grievance process itself oriented
towards the protection of perpetrators than the vindication of survivors. While
the child abuse is more than a passing issue to be bantered about by talk show
hosts, the community leaders must come up with preventive strategies. It is not enough to warn a child to keep off
strangers. By now, we might have told
our children about “good and bad touches”, but don’t miss to caution that it is
often from someone we know and trust.
Keep an eye on a lesser known but growing category of molesters –
children who perpetrate sexual crimes
upon children younger than themselves, as nearly half of all sex offenders are juveniles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The common trouble spots include lack of a sexual assault
response policy and underreporting of campus crime statistics. Studies also indicate that victims who have
not come to terms with the abuse they suffered as children, will, in time,
repeat the same destructive patterns. The
educational institutions should adopt some promising practices to prevent and manage
sexual assault. The campus programme should include comprehensive
education about rape myths, common circumstances under which the crime occurs,
prevention strategies, rape trauma responses….. along with a sexual assault
policy clarifying all forms of sexual misconduct, and provide reporting options. As campus grievance
procedures are civil in nature, the sexual offenders are found “responsible”,
not “guilty”.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The strongest punishment schools can deliver is to expel a
rapist from campus which can be valid for cheating on a Physics final, not for
a felony on par with murder. Campus
judicial systems aren’t designed to address that sort of defence. A system run by corporates will always try to
put the school’s interests above that of
the victims. Probing sexual assault complaints and meting out punishment should
be a police matter, handled by personnel trained to deal with such highly
complex cases, as these are tough crimes to investigate, as rape is more than a
violation of campus discipline. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Students should be surveyed annually about sexual violence on
campuses and the results made public and present a more accurate picture of
campus life, while they also must take
responsibility for protecting themselves and be mindful that alcohol and drug
use can lower their defence which can target them easy prey.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Beware of illusions<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We owe it to our children to remember that the next
generation of molesters is emerging from this generation. Become aware of our own bias – our illusions
that cloud our judgement by making us believe that we live in a much kindlier
and gentler world than is really the case.
“Rape culture” is deemed as the set of widely held social and cultural
beliefs that tend to make sexual abuse invisible and inevitable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2imgPSFLzrl1cHDv2NqKsG5YWMK4t_bIEuK2a11yBwX6j6YYilzwkjPA5_DDxRJ56TfKgoJcw9ZuYbXXeFCnkqhTa_jFY4oe2pqNiKcxHBmNKGgRXjMaBj3TqOKVgwkefSd4_OtSWiU/s1600/HALPoliceStation-p_2011275f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2imgPSFLzrl1cHDv2NqKsG5YWMK4t_bIEuK2a11yBwX6j6YYilzwkjPA5_DDxRJ56TfKgoJcw9ZuYbXXeFCnkqhTa_jFY4oe2pqNiKcxHBmNKGgRXjMaBj3TqOKVgwkefSd4_OtSWiU/s1600/HALPoliceStation-p_2011275f.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy: The Hindu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Few campus rapes are reported, fewer prosectuted. National
Crimes Bureau Annual Report confirms that “rapes are committed in all states as
well as the rapists belong to all castes, communities, colours and regions of
India and abroad”, adding that “a woman is raped somewhere in India every 20
minutes , and the number of children raped has increased by 336 per cent in the last 10 years”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is disturbing that our children are so trivialised as to become the objects of exploitation and
their innocence is sought to be destroyed for perverted greed. When sexual violence occurs on campus and
authorities fail to adequately respond, there is a fundamental breakdown in
educational mission. Men who treat women
with respect can play a big role in preventing the crime. Human Rights activists who fight capital
punishment should propose meaningful inputs. The children need to be protected, not labeled
as tramps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-11859265960250629412014-10-21T08:32:00.000-07:002014-10-29T09:08:04.711-07:00The hypocrisy of ''statutory warning''<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWE-039j5b5ONyoZ8YtgBzgL4ZhpsEpzZt-Kn12Em3qifC10cxr-tWZpGzEWoY-xfuCN468Y-WdEfJ0vIejvvh9DoQglbXgGOzwtnG8mTNsdAsgMTv5cOhLWG1-cdnW9H6nllr_N8DnY/s1600/Surgeon_General's_warning_cigarettes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWE-039j5b5ONyoZ8YtgBzgL4ZhpsEpzZt-Kn12Em3qifC10cxr-tWZpGzEWoY-xfuCN468Y-WdEfJ0vIejvvh9DoQglbXgGOzwtnG8mTNsdAsgMTv5cOhLWG1-cdnW9H6nllr_N8DnY/s1600/Surgeon_General's_warning_cigarettes.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>“Tobacco
means only death. I have seen this closely, effects of tobacco as an ENT
surgeon” Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan said. “From April next
year, 85% of space on both sides of cigarette packs and other tobacco products
will have to be mandatorily covered with pictorial and text warnings ….”, said
a Health Ministry notification reportedly carried by <i>Times of India</i> under the caption
“Warning to cover 85% of cig packs” (October 16, 2014). </b></span></blockquote>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">“Cigarette
smoking is injurious to health.” “Smoking is addictive.” “Smoking may
cause impotence.” While there is no dearth of “statutory warnings”, days were
that, for many, college days remained incomplete without the smoking
adventure. Boys and girls smoke to impress their peers and flirt with the
forbidden – a sort of heroism. Some puff because they enjoyed. They may
ask, why would people quit something they enjoyed. One person tells me,
“I smoke. Why not non-smokers respect it? It is not easy to stop
smoking”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">If the
product is evil, why not make it illegal? A common-sense query, but uncommon among our law-makers! Tobacco kills up to half of all
users. Statistics screams that 100 million deaths were caused by tobacco
in the 20<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>century.
If the current trend continues, there is likely to be one billion deaths in the
21<sup>st</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>century, while a third
of the world cigarettes are smoked in China alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
Even if a cigarette packet that recites a health warning every time you open it
(similar to the one used in musical cards), there may be few
takers. A long-time smoker of over three decades, over an informal chat, confirms, “You slap a
100 per cent tax on the tobacco product and display the goriest image of a dead
body on the cigarette box in support of the “warning”, it will not deter me to stop smoking”. An addict shared that “nicotine helps to
focus”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">How many smokers "quit" by seeing the "warning" label? No smoker ever argued that smoking is not harmful to health, as</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;"> their brain can process this information</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;">The knowledge is there, yet it is more about giving into the addiction.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> But as Mark Twain said, “</span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Giving up
smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it
thousands of times</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">.” </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>“Statutory” doubts</b></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;">Warning labels on cigarette packs may stir the emotions, but never drive them to quit. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;">How does the psychology - selling cigarettes and also "warning" about the ill-effects of smoking tobacco - work? </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Does
the law forbid cigarette brands from sponsoring sporting and cultural
events? I wonder why no tobacco industry representative has seen it as a
curb on its right to free speech? Smoking is being singled out in a way alcohol consumption,
or fast food for that matter, is not. You don’t see images of obese
people on potato chip packets, nor liquor bottles show images of diseased
livers/drunk driving accidents.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">It is
not the same craving for chocolates that can be applied to craving for cigarettes.
“Drink responsibly” is different from “smoke responsibly”. If smoking is
so evil and dangerous, causing illness and death, why the government fails to
criminalise tobacco, and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>in
fact</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>makes money from the
sale of the anti-health product. Does that make the government an
abettor to the crime? Why something so demonstrably damaging is legal? It
tantamounts to “we think this product is so awful but we will let you buy it”,
hypocrisy generously flamboyant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>What does corporate social responsibility signify? </b></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">The
tobacco industries are clever, and they have resources. They come up with
new ways to get around bans, they are canny about it. It is illegal to
sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18. Not a single
prosecution has ever been brought for selling tobacco products to minors, not
one. How could any shareholder in the tobacco companies not feel
sorry for what they promote? Why tobacco manufacturers didn’t think of
any other business alternatives? <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;">Anti-smoking segments may be thrilled with the invention of</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;"> </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;">“talking</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;">” cigarette packet. However, without the government intervention, cigarette manufacturers will pay no heed to the request and continue to use the tiny-lettered health warnings on the cigarette packets. </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">“Drinking”
has seen a lot of regulations and bans. Unlike cigarettes, is it possible
to consume alcohol safely? Can people drink socially without
damage, and can be positive one in moderation? If you want to discourage
tobacco use, attack the source. Tell the young smoker the truth – they
look insecure and immature, when they light up. We don’t need statutory
warnings for that. People choose to do things that are unhealthy all the
time, and they are aware, they have to at some point of time accept the
consequences of their choices. The Turks in the 18<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>century threatened death to smokers.
Hardly a few were executed, but smoking continued to become number one drug of
use in Turkey. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">If the
government put a tiny ‘warning’ message, it is the least they could do, and it
is the least they have done. Graphic and grisly images are steadily
losing their “shock” value as people become desensitised to grotesque images.
Not once have I heard the medical and health professionals say “<i>Ban it
completely</i>”. There is none so blind as those who will not see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">A
seasoned smoker shares, “The only time I stopped smoking was for six months
when I had to look after my first grandson, emotional reason clearly paving the
way to keep tobacco product at bay. To a fair extent I could maintain the
same arrangement with my next grandson as well”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Dear Doctor/Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, yet,
where is your prescription for smoke-free lungs?</b></span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Skull
and crossed bones, nevertheless, get my vote.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-54740623785893087592014-09-24T18:42:00.000-07:002014-09-25T01:55:16.487-07:00Blowing the cover of whistle blowers will harm democracy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Blowing the cover of whistleblowers will harm democracy</h1>
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By C S Krishnamurthy, Sep 25, 2014 :</div>
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<figure class="floatLeftImg" style="float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><img alt="The recent suggestion of the Supreme Court asking the Centre for Public Litigation to reveal the identity of the source that provided the visitors' diary at the residence of CBI director Ranjit Sinha dilutes the purpose of The Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2011 enacted last year. " border="0" class="floatLeftImg" src="http://www.deccanherald.com/page_images/thumb/2014/09/25/432619_thump.gif" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 3px 0px; padding: 0px;" title="The recent suggestion of the Supreme Court asking the Centre for Public Litigation to reveal the identity of the source that provided the visitors' diary at the residence of CBI director Ranjit Sinha dilutes the purpose of The Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2011 enacted last year. " /></figure><br />
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The recent suggestion of the Supreme Court asking the Centre for Public Litigation to reveal the identity of the source that provided the visitors’ diary at the residence of CBI director Ranjit Sinha dilutes the purpose of The Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2011 enacted last year. </strong></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">While anti-corruption activists campaigned long for its enactment, the government passed a resolution in 2004 under which the Central Vigilance Commission was empowered to protect the whistleblowers. As sources of information, whistleblowers often face serious consequences if their role is disclosed either through legal process or more commonly through internal investigations, which include termination or detriment in their jobs, prosecution under civil/criminal laws or even threats to their safety. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A growing number of countries have adopted whistleblower protection laws. The right to protection of sources is well recognised in international law, more specifically by the United Nations, and it is an integral part of freedom of expression. The UN Commission for Human Rights resolution in 2005 stated that it was “stressing need to ensure greater protection...for journalistic sources”. The ‘sources’ may have data valuable to the public discourse, yet each may be willing to share only in confidence to whom s/he trusts, either due to excessive caution or fear of reprisals.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Journalists have defied court orders and have been jailed, rather than compromise their ethical duty. It is nothing new that government officials attempted to get journalists reveal their sources by obtaining subpoenas and compelling testimony. While every social communicator has the right to keep his/her source confidential, the fundamental free expression philosophy is that source protection is basic condition for press freedom in democratic society, else the vital watchdog role would be neutered and the public receive less information of news value. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">There is a symbiotic relationship between whistleblowers and journalists. Strong legal rights for whistleblowers enhance journalists’ ability to gather information by strengthening rights of anonymity, while sources will also be more willing to speak more publicly if they believe they are protected. Nevertheless, these legal and ethical protections are challenged in many jurisdictions by police, lawyers and judges who demand that journalists provide information to assist in investigations and proceedings. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">These disclosures are often the means for news feed. The quintessential case on protection of sources is the famous US Watergate affair, where the reporters exposed the abuses of power of US President Richard Nixon and his staff which led to his resignation and imprisonment of many officials. The most significant consequence of forcing to disclose the source is the effect it will have on the ability to obtain information. The sources will not trust them, as journalists’ reputation will be changed from that of an independent gatherer of information into that of an arm of authorities-that-be. Unfairness would go unremedied and misdeeds in the corridors of power – corporate or in government divisions – would never be known.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The potential source would choose between risking exposure by giving information or avoiding risk by remaining tight-lipped, while another facet is whether the regulations on protection of sources are a right or duty for the journalists. In Sweden, for instance, the law on freedom of press, a part of the Constitution, makes it a criminal offence for the journalists to disclose a confidential source. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The tension between protecting their sources and being able to defend their stories create basic dilemma for journalists, and they must often choose to either follow their ethical obligations or defend themselves from unjust law suits. The law that is meant to protect the whistleblowers, who reveal misdeeds, is supposed to keep truth-tellers from being punished for having spoken up. Libel and defamation laws can also be triggered to threaten to deter whistleblowers from making disclosures. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Though whistleblowers tend to be viewed by their co-workers as traitors, when however conducted in a fair manner could save their organisations from an unfortunate predicament. When you suspect that your employer is skirting safety or environmental rules, cheating on taxes, violating government contracts, committing financial fraud or breaking the law, and if the boss is a crook, speaking up is never easy. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">While its time that those who harm or threaten to harm the interests of the whistleblowers faced sanctions, the media and NGOs should dish out a ‘how-to’ guide for whistleblowers to ‘blow’ right, which is vital for a country like India, given the backdrop of massive corruption, waste, fraud and abuse. In a world where corporate corruption is rampant and taxpayers are often left with enormous bills as a result, understanding and protection of ethical corporate whistle blowing should be an even more important education and policy issue. Though it is hard to manage subject matter, it gives a good sense of how invaluable whistleblowers are to the fundamental underpinnings of democracy itself. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Common man too often find his life and career turned topsy-turvy because he is honest enough to “commit the truth” after witnessing corruption in high levels. They are on last line of defence when those in power decide the rules need not apply to them. From threats to our food supply to 2G to 3G to healthcare fraud to corrupt politicians ....whistleblowers are the source of our learning. Though statistics are not available, their effort to report crimes, fraud and dangers to public health and safety have saved hundreds of lives and property. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Whistleblowers, also known as, persons of conscience, are the people who alert the public of an impending disaster, substandard healthcare, unfair elections, banks going to meltdown.... Think of a world where Enron had been prevented, where FBI stopped 9/11, where the Challenger had not blown up... Prevention saves trillions. Few whistleblowers succeed in effecting change, fewer regarded as heroes or martyrs.</span><br />
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">(The writer is a former banker and social researcher)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-78266556381456965652014-09-11T22:17:00.000-07:002014-09-11T22:34:10.267-07:00Visit to Human Brain Museum, a memorable experience<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxR8LcTPWPhMuAl5vIRexDq0lnPSqJ50d9Qhvdw8WRHsiVFkWMyMhkr625UV5fOcUrZBOyBw4U5XDRQOw-8f0Y51aqAiUeXC5z0e2hf6CDk-OQMu4OPX8ykkzQOoyMtzvqt84gyNi5iU/s1600/human+brain+bank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxR8LcTPWPhMuAl5vIRexDq0lnPSqJ50d9Qhvdw8WRHsiVFkWMyMhkr625UV5fOcUrZBOyBw4U5XDRQOw-8f0Y51aqAiUeXC5z0e2hf6CDk-OQMu4OPX8ykkzQOoyMtzvqt84gyNi5iU/s1600/human+brain+bank.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">“Don’t you have brains?” “Use your brain before you
talk”. We have been frequented many
times by such comments. How does it feel
when you hold the real human brain on your palm? That’s precisely what you would experience
when you visit the brain museum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">India’s only museum of its kind, dedicated to the “grey
matter” - the Human Brain Museum, is located in the sprawling premises of National Institute of Mental Health
and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans), Bangalore. The museum showcases about 600 samples, brains
acquired after the death of donors with the permission of family relatives, for the cause of scientific research.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What is there inside
the head, let’s take a look outside, too<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When you enter the museum hall, you wonder that those “objects”
displayed were once living and thinking, and currently become a subject for
thinking. Whatever we think and do is directed by the brain, but how it
operates is an unresolved mystery. It is
at this point Dr. S.K. Shankar, the Head of
Department of Neuropathology, Nimhans, comes to our rescue. Even before you walk along the display where
you would notice some samples marked with diseases, Dr. Shankar was all
excitement to help us hold a real human brain in our hands and pose for the
image, which can be cherished as a souvenir.
Simply point to the specimen,
and Dr. Shankar is only too happy to share his insights. Each brain has a story to share, be it tragic
or fascinating. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A sample shows how the brain was affected by head-injury, due
to the person not wearing the helmet.
This would spread awareness about using helmets and seatbelts. While he
explained the parts of the brain that affects memory, emotion, dreams …, he
also warned how the habit of cleaning of one’s ears with pencil/long sharp
object can produce boil in the brain
which is capable of killing a person. An
unhygienic swim can cause dangerous bacteria entering your brain through nose,
which can ultimately damage vital parts of the central nervous system. Another infected brain related to the
tapeworm eggs found in coriander and raw vegetables was depicted by small holes all around. “This does not mean that you should not swim
or eat<i> chaat, </i>but only ensure the
pool is clean and the coriander is washed”, a reassuring Dr. Shankar said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_ReE0rGiCpNNFmviw5uoGCVAwDqmprsYh7h2WG7ioOpTxbtdA_PA5V3Mcr562L-MKcpveT7YczAvNSW2ujddxkliztoZAwc8Uh6ktrFECSUTaWoahHAgs6pSYvQ0lSDenKKmRdyVoPk/s1600/amc+pictures+and+others+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_ReE0rGiCpNNFmviw5uoGCVAwDqmprsYh7h2WG7ioOpTxbtdA_PA5V3Mcr562L-MKcpveT7YczAvNSW2ujddxkliztoZAwc8Uh6ktrFECSUTaWoahHAgs6pSYvQ0lSDenKKmRdyVoPk/s1600/amc+pictures+and+others+019.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Specimens of brains infected due to various diseases like
tuberculosis, meningitis, dementia, Alzhemeir’s, brain tumour ….had their own details. Though “schizophrenia”
is a mental disorder often characterized by abnormal behavior pattern, the
sample looked like a normal brain showing no external
manifestation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Brains apart, a selection of heart, kidneys, livers,
intestines, were also on display.
Brain specimen of rat, cat, duck and monkey also added to the
variety. About animal brains, Dr.
Shankar says they too have emotions as humans, but the number of neurons and
connections vary. While a human adult has
8.6 b neurons, rats have 200 m and monkeys have 6,000. Monkey
brain, curiously, looks similar to human brain, but has different interior
connections.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dr. Shankar not only educates about the
complexities of the brain, but also relates that many of these conditions are
preventable through early diagnosis. The
narration of how different organs are connected to the brains sans overlapping is not only amazing, but makes us regret how we abuse our body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dr. Shankar’s sparkles during
the chat</span></b></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">The standard adult brain weighs
between 1.2 kg and 1.4 kg and weight has nothing to do with intelligence.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Intelligence is nothing but capacity to solve
a problem.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Everyone in the world uses brain. Gender
has nothing to do with the brain. The brain never relaxes, and active from birth
to death. If the brain is silent, the
person is dead. Brain can be active
without blood only for 15 seconds. Brain
never feels the pain, but only interprets pain.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">All animals see only in black and
white. Dogs face severe ear pain when
crackers are burst.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">All our lungs are black in colour,
thanks to pollution/smoke.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">There is tremendous amount of
competition between twins in the mother’s womb.
One steals more food from the other, and one kicks the other, because of
which the psychological development of the twin-babies are not the same. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Cancer doesn’t have permanent cure.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">If the mobile is hot, switch it off.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Brain transplant is not a
possibility, as there are billions of neuron connections. Even if one connection goes wrong, it would
be a major catastrophe. Japan, however,
continues its research work on some animals.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Gossip helps to stimulate the brain.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Grand parents should tell stories to
grand-children, as it helps the former to "recall" the nitty-gritties of the
story.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Omega-3 rich food – fish, almond,
walnuts are recommended in the daily intake.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thank you, Doctor<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmJG3u9xzVG2OQV_ZRbqxiiTnXkmIW27IAFktHqtWgeD6LlDAUPMq60sZEDzMmCU9gA9Xq7MbLJ3xzqNoIopvRTXdxTL-g6NM7-qN8L1fEnRg2xfqzXdId-9ZcUc7CkpZAOZRv3eE25M/s1600/amc+pictures+and+others+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmJG3u9xzVG2OQV_ZRbqxiiTnXkmIW27IAFktHqtWgeD6LlDAUPMq60sZEDzMmCU9gA9Xq7MbLJ3xzqNoIopvRTXdxTL-g6NM7-qN8L1fEnRg2xfqzXdId-9ZcUc7CkpZAOZRv3eE25M/s1600/amc+pictures+and+others+027.JPG" height="320" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. S.K. Shankar, the brain behind the Human Brain Museum, Bangalore</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The interaction with Dr. Shankar reflected his unflinching
passion for spreading the knowledge and intending to achieve social goal, his
academic excitement intact. The diverse
collection of samples is a clear evidence to show scientists are convincing to
encourage people to donate their brains for research purposes. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I am grateful to Dr. Shankar for taking us through
the stimulating brain journey.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Also, my thanks to Mr. R.G. Subramanyam and Mr. Surendar for arranging the appointment and extending transportation courtesy, respectively.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-16846358194612966602014-09-04T10:48:00.000-07:002014-09-04T19:44:15.404-07:00Happy Teachers' Day, Sir <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0B8rylfRZ5Itpk7htihFjJTCtXWTSIvk6Df4dGJuRlzMV7oixQL0BZcNcI3KZBR0kaVHd6BkEdZNEUgEEzbB6oMsxDQvSGMIPZYeDEHvfLj7LP6B17av39fMDBHAkDfieBCGb26Wf9-A/s1600/lg-Teacher-s-day-wishes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0B8rylfRZ5Itpk7htihFjJTCtXWTSIvk6Df4dGJuRlzMV7oixQL0BZcNcI3KZBR0kaVHd6BkEdZNEUgEEzbB6oMsxDQvSGMIPZYeDEHvfLj7LP6B17av39fMDBHAkDfieBCGb26Wf9-A/s1600/lg-Teacher-s-day-wishes.png" /></a></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In conjunction with Teacher’s Day, I dedicate this post to
Mr. Narasimhan a.k.a Narasimha ”Vaadhiyar” of our primary School in Chennai.
“Vaadhiyar” in Tamil is synonym for teacher.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rewind 1966/67, I don’t precisely remember the year. I was in the Fourth standard. The morning school assembly was on. Narasimha "Vaadhiyar" (NV), the powerful “Sir”, more a terror, always conducted the assembly. Students and teachers were terrified of him, as
he used to mercilessly cane and won't spare even the tender children. I don't remember even parents making any fuss about
it. Of course, there was a Headmistress, a holy
cow. NV was making various announcements about exams and holidays. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally, as is the daily ritual, the students and teachers
sang the National Anthem. In the
process, I was "humming" the musical version of the Anthem, without lyrics. Our class teacher curiously observed it and dutifully
reported to NV after the assembly, which I was not aware of. (By the way, “Teacher” then
was a reference to feminine gender and “Sir” to the masculine
counterpart). After the National Anthem was over, we moved in line towards our
respective classrooms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next day: the assembly, as usual started. Announcements were made. Before the National Anthem was sung, to my
utter disbelief (and to the joy of many other students and teachers), NV throated a
sarcastic reference about me, in his customary high-decibel pitch. I thought for a moment that he was showering good words about me, which added
to my confusion. Finally, slowly but
surely, he exploded that I made “fun” of
the National Anthem the previous day by singing the “musical version” sans
lyrics. True, I hummed but never in the
least meant to make “fun”, as screamed
by the NV. And I was lifted aloft by him as if he held the “World Cup” in his
hands, taken around the assembly arena twice to make sure that everybody gave a
scornful look at me, and ensured I was sufficiently embarrassed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Aged nine then, even had I explained my position, I would
have only been thrashed, probably for back-answering. And I was never
naughty, least of all at School (I know some of you finding it hard to digest
it). When I give a nostalgic rewind,
apart from discarding the NV’s understanding of the whole issue as ignorance, I
wish to know: Is it wrong to play the
National Anthem in musical version? It
is pleasant to hear the Anthem even on Guitar.
Is vocal rendition mandatory?
Playing of the National Anthem by way of musical instrument is not an
offence. The Indian Armed Forces Band
have performed the Anthem in official musical version. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All said and done, you are my teacher, nay, Sir. Teachers are role-models. I believe so. To be so, it is a huge responsibility There are no doctors, engineers, architects ...... without teachers. There is more to teaching than just impart the lessons of the curriculum, and the gap between a teacher and an educator is really, really massive. We can't do away without teachers. The best way to test is abolish education and see what happens in the next 10 years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires".</i> - William Arthur Ward, Author</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Happy Teacher’s Day, Sir, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh26zOjIh9I"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh26zOjIh9I</span></a></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-64876509614782726832014-08-22T02:28:00.000-07:002014-08-22T04:17:02.686-07:00111-year old Japanese, Sakari Momoi rocks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjd7TznnvDq33ezg9tA5i08C_b6fNPpjlegfpBFGz56K6dtdqz6qpdosqaghIX_vWeQ_gVXeBZ3kesq2ra8T29PheHWbaPSfy-iadClUf6TNQXQkFGyl5dOzDqth4TaBxjt-fVP9YLjY/s1600/oldest+japanese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjd7TznnvDq33ezg9tA5i08C_b6fNPpjlegfpBFGz56K6dtdqz6qpdosqaghIX_vWeQ_gVXeBZ3kesq2ra8T29PheHWbaPSfy-iadClUf6TNQXQkFGyl5dOzDqth4TaBxjt-fVP9YLjY/s1600/oldest+japanese.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sakari Momoi, retired educator, poses for a photo after receiving a certificate from a Guinness Word Records official, on Wednesday (20/08/2014) - Image courtesy - AP photo</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Sakari Momoi, a 111-year old Japanese, has been recognised as
the oldest man by Guinness World Records.
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Momoi, whose date of birth is </span><b style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">05/02/1903</b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">,
wishes to live another couple of years.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Barring some “hearing” issues, Momoi, a former teacher, is in decent
shape.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Japan is the “fastest aging
country and has the highest average life expectancy – 80.21 for men and 86.61
for women”.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Incidentally, the world’s
oldest living person is also a Japanese, Misao Okawa (116 year-old woman).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You and I don’t have the age to bless Momoi, but certainly we
can congratulate him. Though other
details are not available, it is not difficult to identify him as the
supercentenarian. Momoi has obviously witnessed
the world transitions at many stages – changing technologies, World Wars I &
II, the Great Depression ….. As of now,
he has lived 72 years from WW II. Wow,
he has certainly seen a lot of events in his life time, and has outlived most
of the people in the world in many stages at different times. He is a witness to “Wright” brothers flying, the Titanic sinking,
stock markets crashing, changing and toppling of governments, 9/11 attack
…. That kind of age should have probably
brought enormous depth of wisdom. Or, is
it debatable?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What is the secret of Momoi’s
longevity?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">People must have attributed this or that for that sort of
long life. It can be basic discipline,
proper dieting, fitness, exercise…, but at the base it could be their
genes. "Luck”
factor, probably, could be one of the things, as he is an obvious survivor,
having avoided serious diseases and accidents. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Momoi is mentally very active, which is good cover against Alzheimer’s disease – he reads, loves poetry – those brain cells must
be consistently alert, despite his advanced age. A Japanese man who enjoys reading Chinese
poetry in itself is poetic. The longer
life expectancy can also perhaps be attributed to the ability to handle stress
well. Longevity is a blessing as long as
one stays physically and mentally fit. After seeing his
age of 111, it is fascinating to notice the vast gap between retirement and old age.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is life really worth at
that stage?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We see so many people living on chronic medication. “I guess these medicines are keeping me
alive” – a common confession we hear about.
And there is a lot of truth. If
you suffer from Alzheimer’s, arthritis, BP, hearing, vision ….etc. issues, it
is no picnic. If there is constant pain
and a battle just to keep on living, just trying to survive the pains and
medical issues on a day-to-day basis, there is nothing quality about it. Before you figure out how to live longer,one
must start focusing how to make it “lively”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you believe that all the people who sacrifice so much
“living” to get this “old” have the
right mindset? Does 111 sound scary, or
people would be nice to you? How about
experiencing at least one day at 100? If
you are, say 50, and look at some one who is 20, you may feel old, but when you
look at some one at 80/90, your thought process is different. There is a difference between a present quality and speculative
predictions about the future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We are only too familiar with views like “I would not want to
live that old”, or “I wouldn’t live like that, rather I’d die….”. But as you age, it appears you might see
things in a different perspective. In
many families, we do observe that even as the parents are alert and active, the
grown-up children find them out-dated.
Even if you take second-reading, Momoi has five children and probably
dozens of grand children and great-grand-kids, yet he was dumped in a nursing
home. Old-age in our culture is more
seen as a “curse”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am young and that’s
how I think too<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As long as I would take care of myself, I would prefer to go
on living, <i>else it is a prolonged agony</i>. Any second opinion? People generally don’t think of dying, given
the numerous distractions they
have. Keep busy. Momoi is a great inspiration to remain sharp
and he speculates on how many years he would like to live. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Enjoy living, there is
always a tomorrow. Life must be
funny, even at old age, I don’t know though! There can be more fun if money and
health can coordinate each other. Live,
laugh, love and be happy. Well, its upto
you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Momoi, you sport only 90, whereas calendar has a different figure of 111 for you. Why you are shooting only for two more years? That seems pretty realistic. I can’t wish you a long
life, you have already had that, but I wish you as many years as you want. Sir, persons like you can be global game
changers when it comes to human life span.
A good looking man for 111 – may you continue the journey to its fullest
potential. Also, the Japanese honour the
elderly a lot more than we do. In the
meantime, let’s try to understand our parents and grand-parents – how they
live/d a long life.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">At the moment, I am immortal.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRE_LjyT8lzoUj8XWPMFw3mIu_KuobxPp2U116DefZYEUJVwAuEMbtlumqJLAcn_xvUOiGAq05GbpmKKWN86e9SLZYWeNSDBFYmrUMmxrbiLxb97r1yMUPfdIDiNRDpwbSXyKlj4fuR0/s1600/clipart-thumbs-up-happy-smiley-emoticon-256x256-8595.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRE_LjyT8lzoUj8XWPMFw3mIu_KuobxPp2U116DefZYEUJVwAuEMbtlumqJLAcn_xvUOiGAq05GbpmKKWN86e9SLZYWeNSDBFYmrUMmxrbiLxb97r1yMUPfdIDiNRDpwbSXyKlj4fuR0/s1600/clipart-thumbs-up-happy-smiley-emoticon-256x256-8595.png" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-17303276751934789682014-08-17T22:46:00.001-07:002014-08-19T00:33:13.402-07:00 MP Jaya Bachchan asked for it<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUI1oLKlPWP-UZSycBNujJSKTIHCjLBTK_WbttixYEySSOnOQ8tM3ABGhZgj6Gr3YwHNEDIpF1vfO3ULYdr9KC2_QrlKY7BVR7lDvdfWK6CLCyIUg7X87zzTTvE8uKAshpRUGN2TdpW4Y/s1600/jayabachchan_360x270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUI1oLKlPWP-UZSycBNujJSKTIHCjLBTK_WbttixYEySSOnOQ8tM3ABGhZgj6Gr3YwHNEDIpF1vfO3ULYdr9KC2_QrlKY7BVR7lDvdfWK6CLCyIUg7X87zzTTvE8uKAshpRUGN2TdpW4Y/s1600/jayabachchan_360x270.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan- Image courtesy: NDTV</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Samajwadi Party MP Jaya
Bachchan recently demanded action against Radio Jockeys (RJs) who joked and
mimicked parliamentarians. She obviously
drew support across the party lines. A
few MPs from other parties remarked that “this trend is becoming atrocious”,
exhibiting their level of intolerance.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After a hard day’s work, when we are struck in traffic, RJs
come to our rescue, and we are thankful to them for the fun-filled chats and
help us refresh and relax.<b> </b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Epithets like “chaiwala”, “pappu” ….were not taken offensive.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Chaiwala to Prime Minister” is a mammoth
success story.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Pappu” didn’t take the
tag serious.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Most of Lalu’s fame is
because of RJs, comedians and cartoonists.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When the famous cartoonist Shankar had published a caricature depicting
Jawaharlal Nehru, the latter complimented the artist, but chided him that his ‘nose
is really not that long”.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Take comment
and criticism with a spoon of honey, ma’am.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It is also an art to convert the satire to your advantage and popularity.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Movies portray
politicians in poor light<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In most Indian movies, politicians are shown as jokers or
villains. The “<i>Kapil comedy shows</i>” on TV channels often mimick. Will you ban
them? Tamil fortnightly <i>Thuqlaq </i>editor, Cho Ramaswamy is
renowned for his political satire and has not, for that matter, spared any politician. Can you censor the publication? Do you dare silence him? Khushwant Singh’s popular “With malice towards
one and all” was extensively used for lampooning the politicians. None of the
cartoonists ever spared any one or any act.
Incidentally, it is a major part of their job description. You
are no stranger to movies. Sauce for the
goose, is sauce for the gander. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Joking and mimicking parliamentarians is another form of
freedom of expression. When we watch “live”
parliament on TV channels, I am sure, ma’am,
you will agree with me there is no need to listen to any RJs. Your colleagues on the floor of the House
provide sufficient stunt and comedy shows.
We can give nice titles. “Pepper
spray”, “Sleeping beauties”, “Conspicuous absenteeism”, “Guest appearance”, “Tearing
papers/bills”, “Indulging in fist-cuffs”, “Fight for Room No. 5”…… please help me to
continue the list. We have ministers who
cannot distinguish a “degree” from a "certificate”. MP threatening to “rape”. Nearly
30 per cent of the MPs reportedly have criminal records. The decorum of the House is consistently
floored. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Non-performing and mal-performing parliamentarians can be
mocked and mimicked. If media (in any
form), doesn’t point out, who else? As
long as it is not vulgar or derogatory, a witty humour or mimicking is
perfectly valid. Our politicians have
forfeited their right to muzzle the media due to their own actions and
inactions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Do we really have
parliamentarians?</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The real ones like Acharya Kriplani, Jayaprakash Narayan, Dr.
Ram Manohar Lohia, Somnath Chatterjee, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, … and a handful of
others can be found only in our history and politics text books (we should
guard that too, as history these days are being ‘rewritten’). <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I hope the whole thing is not a farce that she is trying to claim
some publicity. Let us not forget that she has been “nominated” by a party that
makes fun of rapes. When her boss, Mulayam
Yadav said “Boys are boys” over the punishment for rape, where was her
anger?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is real life, not
show business<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The slandering and counter-slandering during election
campaigns are there for all to see and believe. If our parliamentarians act
like clowns, making fun is an obvious corollary. The Speaker should initiate a debate in the
House on “Why people hate and mimick politicians?” and make it mandatory for every
Member to speak on the topic (attendance
compulsory, sleeping not allowed.).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Respect is earned, gagging doesn’t serve the purpose, not in
democracy. Even as a matter of strategy,
Ms. Bachchan has erred. By needlessly
raising trivial matter, she has reminded the RJs and the media about what else they
missed out. Akbar has not banned
Birbal. Krishna Dev Raya has not banned
Tenali Rama. “Bachchan” cannot ban RJs. By the way, ma’am, what happened to your funny bone? If mimicry is not an art, well, acting is
not, as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hypocrisy is an integral part of our democracy. When there are MPs who are jokers and black
spots and when parties have MPs with smelly foot in their mouth, the “RJ”-tribes
will only multiply and flourish. Let
people identify you by your deeds, and demonstrate yourselves beyond sledging. If
you can’t take pun in any form while in public life in your stride, its time
for you to move on. Its time the melodrama is drawn curtains. Thanks to Honourable MP Bachchan, RJs, for
once, are in the limelight. On a serious
note, our elected representatives must learn to command respect. Long way to go………<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-32516357920596383272014-08-12T18:45:00.000-07:002015-05-18T08:10:08.676-07:00Bank frauds are direct attacks on systems and procedures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h1 style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 26px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;">
Bank frauds are direct attacks on systems and procedures</h1>
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C S Krishnamurthy<b>,</b><span style="font-size: 12px;"> Aug 13, 2014 :</span></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently arrested Syndicate Bank Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), Sudhir Kumar Jain and others for indulging in corruption over extending credit favours. </strong></div>
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A report citing Jain, accused of taking Rs 50 lakh bribe, disturbed the conscience of the “faithful and friendly” Manipal-based bank. </div>
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The difficulties in the task of detecting internal frauds were realised ages ago. The problem continues to be difficult and Sudhir Kumar Jain reminds us of that. The sum of Rs 50 lakh seem small given the powers vested in the CMD. While the list of bank frauds is a long one, one can’t miss out the Ex-Indian Bank CMD M Gopalakrishnan who was sentenced to one-year rigorous imprisonment for allegedly causing a loss of over Rs 30 crore to the bank for approving loans without proper security between 1992-1996, and was subsequently found guilty of conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, misconduct and cheating under various provisions of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act. </div>
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While money and crime are made for each other, this appears only a tip of the iceberg. A wider net might reveal larger cupboards across more banks. If the loan is huge, probe if any “consortium” racket is in play. Leading banks like SBI, PNB and others have led the major consortium advances to top borrowers in the country. Frauds are said to be happening in corporate loans. Beyond financial losses, fraud has other negative consequences that impact an institution’s reputation, customer loyalty and the confidence of the shareholder.</div>
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CBI sources reportedly said that Jain “has allegedly taken Rs 50 lakh as bribe from Bhushan Steel for not declaring loans of nearly Rs 100 crore as Non-Performing Assets (NPAs).” NPA refers to bank loans, where the borrower has failed to make interest or principal payments for 90 days. The share-holders should also wake up. Jain has apparently taken unfair advantage of his position through manipulation and abuse of privileged data. He has allegedly given approvals beyond his bounds, for a price.</div>
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How safe is it to trust the RBI figures about the NPAs, the virus affecting the banking sector, in the context of willful manipulation of figures? Are the profits shown in the financials true and correct? Recall the infamous Satyam scam, where the Indian arm of PricewaterCoopers, the statutory auditor was fined US$ 6 m by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for not following the code of conduct and auditing standards. Also to be verified is if the internal and external auditors were controlled by the CMD.</div>
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<b>Why employees defraud?</b></div>
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Why do employees defraud? Is it an opportunity or attitude? The underlining issue that is being troubled is trust, which is believed to be inherent in our nature, and in the operation of banks. Indeed, higher level officials, motivated by greed, have more power, greater access and less likely to be controlled. </div>
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Largely hidden, employee fraud isn’t exactly something banks want to talk about, as they don’t want the public to lose confidence in their institution. It happens, generating huge losses. Tellers, managers, executives… they all have a chance to embezzle. Banksters, who can be found at every level of an organisation, have the potential to swindle the customers, tarnish the reputation and demoralise good co-workers. As a few executives have misled from the front, every time a new official takes over is looked upon with suspicion. Studies have, time and again, identified willful defaults, frauds, mismanagement and misappropriation of funds as primary reasons for the mounting NPAs. Its impact: the whole machinery would be preoccupied with recovery procedures, rather than focusing on expanding business.</div>
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I am aware of a dispatch clerk in a public-sector bank, about three decades ago, using two stamped-envelopes separately for the same destination, instead of one. Despite pleading “oversight”, the management charged him with “negligence and causing extra expenditure for the bank”, and postponed his increment by six months, for the “extra expenditure” of 20 paise. The higher the grade, the harsher must be the punishment. Else, there is little difference between a juvenile crime and a “qualified executive” crime. The penalty for the “executive” betrayers should be firm and fair. </div>
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Why such stories repeat in PSU banks? It is possible there is a lack of monitoring of warning signals at state-run banks. Who is to oversee RBI’s vigilance? Bank’s Board of Directors are expected to select competent executives, effectively supervise the bank’s affairs, adopt and follow sound policies and objectives, avoid self-serving practices and observe banking rules and regulations. Interestingly, there are officers/employee nominees on the Board. Even their agitation questioning the irregularities of the banking system can be more specific, well-directed, than a touch-and-go exercise. The need for a code of conduct has recently been echoed by C H Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees’ Association: "It is high time the government frames a set of rules and conduct regulations applicable to EDs (executive directors) and CMDs. It is all the more necessary because banks deal with huge public money and important financial decisions are taken by them.” Banks should design fraud awareness training programmes for all levels, while the vigilant teams in each bank should be strengthened with the right skills and right officials. Can we expect the Modi-led government that has promised to establish a system which eliminates the scope for corruption through public awareness and making it transparent?</div>
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Also read: http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2012/06/customer-delight.html</div>
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http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/01/beware-your-dormant-account-can-be.html</div>
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email: krs1957@hotmail.com</div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">https://kmurthy608.wordpress.com/2015/05/18/need-to-safeguard-atms/</span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-46124201538759313932014-08-06T22:56:00.001-07:002014-08-07T00:43:15.023-07:00Juvenile criminals cannot escape easily…<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwr8VNaVoIvPPsIUI6AZ5XWtlW2SZ2JoKVavDnKSeC6Dqxg0cUUDT3jluMv8wzMuz2Wdlk4PGz9bRSXTJouCjkpfwyn5WQondixxu3Dc-x08RzJ4VNZ9W4AwhS5WbJeJhBKJmHQTdznss/s1600/Juvenile+image+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwr8VNaVoIvPPsIUI6AZ5XWtlW2SZ2JoKVavDnKSeC6Dqxg0cUUDT3jluMv8wzMuz2Wdlk4PGz9bRSXTJouCjkpfwyn5WQondixxu3Dc-x08RzJ4VNZ9W4AwhS5WbJeJhBKJmHQTdznss/s1600/Juvenile+image+2.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Women and Child Welfare Minister Maneka Gandhi recently said that
juveniles who commit rape should be tried as adults. She is personally working to amend the law so
that 16-year-olds who account for 50 per cent of the sexual crimes are brought
out of the purview of the Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act
(JJA).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today, a need has arisen to discuss the growing clamour to reduce the age of juveniles from 18 to 16 in
the JJA in the wake of deadly Delhi gangrape, notwithstanding the subsequent
reports of unabated sexual offences. While there seems near-unanimity among most
segments of the society to do so, experts are of the opinion that this would
open a pandora’s box. There are very
strong groups who advocate that juvenile should be judged by the magnitude of
the crime, not age, a likely deterrent
for others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is it right to call
Juvenile Act lenient?</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But when we are frequented by cases of juveniles who are
involved in such abominable acts of crime that are horrific in their nature,
the society obviously lashes back. While
it is shocking a child of 17 years could commit such crimes, another school
of thought argues that the juveniles
have been into all kinds of crimes like rape, murder etc. but media, of late,
has exposed it in a big way. Why the child
has committed such crimes? It is for Juvenile
Justice Board (JJB) to probe the whole system and ensure the child does not become a criminal, while it cannot be
discounted whether the reformatory system worked or not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is JJA only for reform,
not to punish?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The inherent flaw in JJA is it never meant for punishment,
but to reform and correct. A big debate
has triggered after JJB declared the sixth accused in the infamous <i>Nirbaya</i> case as “minor”. Political
parties and activists have demanded that the juvenile accused, the most brutal
among the six, be treated on par with the rest.
The minor-accused was declared as 17 years, 6 months and 24 days old. As
per Section 15(g) of the JJA, a juvenile aged between 16–18 years if convicted
of any offence can be sentenced to a special home for a maximum period of three
years and thereafter be released on
probation. However, Section 16 of the
Act also provides a juvenile can be
confined till s/he attains 18 years of age, and cannot be sent to jail
thereafter, which in effect will result in this case. The severity of the crime has no consequence
in this case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A child cannot rape,
nor rapist be a child<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy: India Today Group</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nina P Nayak, Member of National Commission for Protection of
Child Rights (NCPCR) argues that “there should be no change in the age of the
juveniles. If juvenile commits crimes
like rape or murder, it is the failure of the system. Punishing a child cannot
be approved…” In India, 18 is reckoned
as the cut-off age for child labour, marriageable age, drinking, driving ,
contracting and hence more thought should engage the age amendment perspective.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But, a 16-year old has enough knowledge to differentiate between
right and wrong. Any girl on attaining puberty is an adult regardless of age. Juvenile Justice system may be applicable only
to minor offences where there is no bodily harm is inflicted, though punishment
can be severe for a repeat offence. Tougher
laws, stringent action and a proper mechanism to look into the aspect of updating
laws as society changes are becoming imminent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Are tough adult
sentences counter-productive?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When a juvenile rapes/kills, does he instantly become an
adult? Or does he maintain some
trappings of childhood, despite the gravity of his action? Studies suggest that the brain may not be
fully developed until 20 years of age. Should we give up our children and consign
them to the adult penal system, where rehabilitation is not a priority? These
are questions plaguing our society and the legal system, as violent acts of
juveniles continue to make headlines. It is argued that mind continues to
develop, well after the body has physically matured. The U.S. Supreme Court, for instance, has
ruled that “capital punishment is unconstitutional for anyone who hasn’t
celebrated their 16<sup>th</sup> birthday”.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Putting the juvenile offenders<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> with
hardcore criminals will make them fodder for the elements who will readily
accept such disgruntled teenagers. Even
as lawmakers reason merits of death sentence for rapists would bring down the
crime rate, there are those who warn that it may lead men killing women after
rape to avoid death penalty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How young is too young?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Crime, not the age, should be the criteria, but the quantum
of punishment must weigh if the juvenile’s brains and thought process are alert
to know that s/he had committed a grave act, before sentencing. Nina Nayak’s outlook is noble and visionary,
but it is indifferent to the safety of the common people. Is there a list of cases where she has successfully
rehabilitated juveniles, particularly the savage ones? Will there be a drop in crime because
juveniles would rethink about the severity of adult sentences? In U.K., anybody who is 17 is an adult and
can be tried as such in serious offences.
Children between 10 and 18 are punishable upto 14 years of imprisonment.
In many American states, an adult court automatically takes over serious crimes
even if a juvenile is aged 13-15.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzh3Iqm3IQqNYVG5RamxlrNwALS20VNuFOiLYC24MMr3cU6WDZnK0zlCEDr3IMWB8Td_kjDvE-D0DlIWkGGdx33UTbfSOj5cb4i5IVLjQuJkc9glgFD9KFKcZxbcevtYGX2EteHi8nfgg/s1600/delhi_660_123112052023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzh3Iqm3IQqNYVG5RamxlrNwALS20VNuFOiLYC24MMr3cU6WDZnK0zlCEDr3IMWB8Td_kjDvE-D0DlIWkGGdx33UTbfSOj5cb4i5IVLjQuJkc9glgFD9KFKcZxbcevtYGX2EteHi8nfgg/s1600/delhi_660_123112052023.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy: India Today Group</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Time to revisit the
Juvenile Justice Act<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though rehabilitation can give a second chance, children
today are more sophisticated at a young age and hence it could be absurd to
argue that a modern child who sees the effect of violence around him/her in the
media everyday, doesn’t understand what raping or killing really is. The
end-result of a heinous crime is the same, no matter who commits it. Perpetrators are beyond any help juvenile
system has to offer. The mind set of
trying juveniles as adults is gaining
national momentum. Rape culture is
perpetuated through the misogynic language and glamorisation of sexual violence, thereby creating a
society that disregards women’s rights and safety. Neither perspective on juvenile crime
adequately resolves the contentious issue of the age. When you can discern the crime, you can be
punished. There is no cure for someone who would do what he did. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Also read: http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/07/campus-rape-who-are-these-predators.html<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Feedback
welcome: krs1957@hotmail.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-65385484991940451432014-08-04T01:47:00.000-07:002015-01-01T18:19:35.655-08:00Wren & Martin ... Rest In Peace<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The onset of Internet is telling on the receding grammar,
with the tide of changing times. A
godsend, Internet is the solution to the cries of millions of frustrated
letter-writers and telephone users.
Phone calls were expensive and
penning letters were too time-consuming.
The answer: Internet, the miracle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As with any profound social movement, language evolved and jargons
emerged. English, as a language we knew,
has been steadily surrendering its remaining shreds of purity towards shortcuts and cyberspeaks. For instance: HI DiS IS JACOB, OMG, I Am So
HaPpEy 4u wRiTmEbAk U LOL ByE :). This
is not Latino, nor any programing language.
It only tailors into the domain of English treatment. This combo of letters, acronyms and signs
registers as a code. Logical enough, considering that friends have spoken in
code for ages. But this is no secret
parlance between mates. This fence line
illiteracy is widespread amid the English speaking people all over, more
specific within the young population.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A bulk of the 12-20 demographic in any online society employs
the same literacy “style”. Call it
spelling deficiency or whatever, except writing. Anti-grammar/spelling is the trend. We are facing it. There are good number of good spellers who
have an eye and acumen for purity and as to how a word would appear on
paper. Many struggle with syllables,
sound out a word phonetically till a logical result is reached. When spelling deficiency reduces a student to a lower level, we need
to probe how much of this godsend, Internet, truly has impacted the semantic change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A website emerges, bragging news and articles, but is there
anyone to authorise its contents? People
misspell basic and simple words a lot.
Those who adhere to the dictates of classical grammar are dubbed as
“purists” or “primitives”. Given the
current linguistic trend, a grammarian
is unstable. When an English
professor or Editor confronts a writer’s essay or article riddled with faulty
diction, the writer dismisses the advice as antiquated. Again, since the word is nearly archaic as
Latin itself, he is more likely to exclaim “Nobody conversates like that
anymore”. The editor has the last laugh
at the intensity of the nonexistent verb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead of entirely indicting on the cyberspace for this
rapid slide into functional ignorance, we should equally hold our educators
whose grading standards have shifted to the changing scenario. Students rejoice, and spell-checkers
everywhere go into dormancy, as this mode of writing renders technical execution
musty. How can grammar survive if student writers are not bothered themselves with “typos”.We must take
a stand against this rampant apathy. To
begin small, proofread E-mails and
instant messages from friends. Give mild
reprimand for an obligatory “LOL”.
Rearrange the sentences for them if they end with a preposition. Initially, you could be shunned for your
efforts. Someday, hopefully, the
world will be a better place.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Also read: http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/03/a-perspective-on-english-in-eyes-of_30.html</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Comments welcome: krs@1957@hotmail.com</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-6113411979754117022014-07-28T01:11:00.000-07:002014-07-31T00:58:04.231-07:00 Cheers, Bangalore International Wine Festival (July 25-27, 2014)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Gurjit Singh Barry, Wine Educator interacting with the audience on serious and trivial queries</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Taste wines for free and buy wines you like</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">The entry fee for the carnival : Rs.49/-<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">The <b>Bangalore International Wine Festival 2014</b> showcased wines from all over the world, gave consumers a chance to experience and understand the vast world of wine. Wine lovers in the city of Bangalore could learn the secrets of wine making from experts at the wine festival, organised by the Karnataka Wine Board in association with Horticulture Department, Government of Karnataka, during the week-end at Jayamahal Palace Hotel, Bangalore. Visitors indulged in tasting variety of wines. Several brands from India and across the world participated in the festival. The gala event also offered wine lovers an opportunity to be a part of traditional grape stomping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd77jCZi9yvn2xMvbje7sQIIkcbbuXGHZ352LWvagoKVswHe7DCJ68ipmRbNQjkv427cCbNEJbo0HxbzatNuD7hPgQ-bxlZ725I6kRYx8B9xamnDyL9CziRjSv2DRdFUdstVCxo_eGKSg/s1600/050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd77jCZi9yvn2xMvbje7sQIIkcbbuXGHZ352LWvagoKVswHe7DCJ68ipmRbNQjkv427cCbNEJbo0HxbzatNuD7hPgQ-bxlZ725I6kRYx8B9xamnDyL9CziRjSv2DRdFUdstVCxo_eGKSg/s1600/050.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Red wine Sangria, White Wine Mojito, Rose Wine Magarita</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Commenting about the festival, 63-year old Harish Shetty, a seasoned-drinker said, “it is very exciting to know that there is a growing trend of wine drinkers in the city and am delighted to tickle my taste-buds with a vast range of wines.” “Some emotions just can’t be bottled”, lured <b><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">Big Banyan</span></i></b> premium wines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">A survey indicated that wine consumption in India is “likely to increase to 2.1 million cases by 2017, 73 per cent higher than 1.21 million cases in 2013”. The three-day fete provided a huge platform for various wine houses to showcase their brands. Wine experts gave presentations about wine in India, wine tourism, trends in wine market. A gamut of wine tasting aside, a 10 per cent discount across the board was offered on all brands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Dedicated wine tours were also promoted. Swati Sahoo, who conducts tour on behalf of <b><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">Wine Tour India,</span></i></b> was pleased to uncork the details about the guided wine tours, short and long ones, ranging from 1 day to 5 days. “Wine tours are regularly organised at Bangalore, Mysore, Nashik, Akluj… The short trip, say, Bangalore, covers the famous vineyards and Wineries, usually not open to public. Guests will be able to taste different wines from vineyards. Wine lovers are welcome to discover the magic of wine-making. The guides would help to uncover the process from grape to bottle,” Swathi said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Stall owners showed interest in explaining the nitty-gritties of the beverage, the industry and the emerging wine culture. A few of them were enthusiastic to give details about grape growing, geographical conditions, fermentation, canopy management, aging, harvesting, crushing .... till it reaches the bottle and corked. “Quite a few first-timers to taste wine thronged the stalls”, said Mohit Nischol, Business Head, </span><b style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">SDU Winery</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">, adding that “wine has been accepted as a family drink.”</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Heritage Winery</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> attracted big crowd, as free sampling was going great guns. They listed the various health benefits of consuming suitable quantity of wine. “The antioxidant in the wine increases life span of the consumer, while consumption also increases the quality of blood circulation, relieved mental tension and improved renal function. The calcium content in the beverage strengthened the bones,” their literature claimed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Image courtesy: The Hindu</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">By the time you finished a round of sample tasting, free and paid-ones, you can spot the difference in variety, quality of tasting and fortified and a regular wine. You will also be able distinguish between Red wines and White wines, Rose wines and Sparkling wines … The price ranged from Rs.100 to Rs.6,000/- per litre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">The passion for wines and his wine-making experience prompted Ravi Susarla to make the</span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> <b><i>La Terra Winery</i></b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">, a reality.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">They make wines using local grapes, a first in Bangalore and India. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Exquisite grapes grown in the best of climatic conditions, supervised by renowned winemakers and tasted by experienced tasters resulted in the bouquet of “</span><b style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">Season Wines</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">.”</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> Winery </span><b style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">KRSMA Estates</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> insists that “for the wine to be true, unique and world-class, every step needs their personal touch.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Expertise is enlisted from across the world and the exacting standards flow down to every last detail.”</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">“Wine is all my heart,” believes Ajay Shetty, an ex-banker, who founded </span><b style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">Myra Vineyards</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">, based in Bangalore. They gave a ready demo of “</span><span style="color: #c00000; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Red wine Sangria</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">” – a mix of cinnamon syrup, canberry juice, Red wine and orange/apples (you can add any fruit of your liking, avoid banana though) – that savoured a refreshing experience. Though it is recommended to serve “slightly chilled, open and allow to breath for 15-20 minutes”, I felt wine, a great drink on its own.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><b>Bangalore now has an exclusive wine library.</b> A brain child of K.S. Lokesh, Founder of <b><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">Madhuloka</span></i></b> liquor boutique, <b><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">Enoteca </span></i></b>by <b><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">Madhuloka</span></i></b> promises to offer an array of services to all wine lovers and connoisseurs in the city. <b><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">Enoteca</span></i></b> will be a space where one will be able to taste wines, learn about their history and take in a course on wine appreciation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grape stomping image courtesy: Nine Hills</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Young and audience-friendly Gurjit Singh Barry<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">, Sommelier and Wine Educator</span></i></b> presented great details about the grape, the wine, the industry, the culture, and took questions from a cross section of the audience that were good, bad and the outrageous, while even guiding how to hold the goblet. Colour, clarity and aroma considered in evaluating wine before it is served, he added. If you had the passion and the patience, by the time you exited from the festival venue, you could have been richer with the grasp of the grape-to-wine journey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Get ‘PROTEQTED’. An off-beat stall promoted a kind of chocolate, branded “<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">PROTEQT</span></i></b>’ that seeks to neutralise the after-effects of alcohol, safeguards liver and enjoy the party better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; text-align: justify;">About 40 wineries including five international ones glittered the event. Stall owners agreed that the main purpose of organising such festivals is to promote “awareness”, and going by the crowd one witnessed, the objective seemed to have been achieved. Many stalls reported brisk sales. A fun-filled and happy week-end, not just happy-hours for the Bangaloreans who could sip many varieties and update themselves with the matured-grape knowledge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">End of the day, a win-wine situation! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaD-NMgBR43GGUMmzGHPwplZLzm8O0xMEeL71yIMXsZTMwZdDzq8-x3GmPVNviItcImYFl_HVRFcqudDlKm-tjgtPu4aWkqQVYGF9lNp6NJZqWQk2zA_2jpYgaJ4Kw0avykh4qfUCKMQ/s1600/red-wine-glass-clipart-large.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaD-NMgBR43GGUMmzGHPwplZLzm8O0xMEeL71yIMXsZTMwZdDzq8-x3GmPVNviItcImYFl_HVRFcqudDlKm-tjgtPu4aWkqQVYGF9lNp6NJZqWQk2zA_2jpYgaJ4Kw0avykh4qfUCKMQ/s1600/red-wine-glass-clipart-large.png" height="200" width="156" /></a></div>
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Feedback welcome at: krs1957@hotmail.com<br />
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<o:p></o:p><br /></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-60182968203588372202014-07-24T09:19:00.000-07:002014-07-31T01:00:16.247-07:00Campus rape: Who are these predators?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Outrage of rape over a
six-year old</span></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Tender innocence looted</span></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">The
horrors grip the nation </span></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Anger spirals in Bangalore </span></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Daughters continue to be hunted and looted
down</span></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Bring “teachers” to book</span></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Can cops deliver? </span></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Need
for criminal action over disciplinary action</span></b></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rape is the most frequented four-letter word in recent times, thanks to Vibgyor
High School incident that has thrown open a can of worms. The rape of six-year old girl in the city school has sparked off peaceful and
violent protests.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDacbL9JJWjvy1jkTSUM0eaDuhUgcvzK2QI0r5WNBANbYDXWZQ3aZumnw2e1akJNJT5JvEnO6hQeHKO3bjPdXccYf_cVAos4jgR5yLLH4xlWNrH0pjSbc7HcaXKtEgo_1qWDCKpFmJuc/s1600/Its+time+we+stopped+hiding+child+abuse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDacbL9JJWjvy1jkTSUM0eaDuhUgcvzK2QI0r5WNBANbYDXWZQ3aZumnw2e1akJNJT5JvEnO6hQeHKO3bjPdXccYf_cVAos4jgR5yLLH4xlWNrH0pjSbc7HcaXKtEgo_1qWDCKpFmJuc/s1600/Its+time+we+stopped+hiding+child+abuse.jpg" height="304" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">These are tough times.
Turbulent too. Instead of asking
“how is your child?”, be specific to ask “Is your child free of
child abuse?“ Many children have started
posing, “Mummy, what is rape?” “Is teacher good or bad?” Pungent realities, squeamish
though. Parents face a torrid time. Hard to imagine a six-year old being raped,
while even harder to fathom the rapist being a “teacher”. Isn’t it teachers are substitute parents when children are at school? <i>Guru, </i>next to<i> Maatha, Pitha </i>has, odiously, opened new synonyms like sexual
offender, criminal, rapist, abuser….. What significance, henceforth, the <i>Teacher’s Day</i> will carry? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A rape that savaged the innocence, the traumatic aftermath terrifying!
A tear-jerker that a bright child is in
an incomprehensible choke when she should be playing with teddy-bears. It deeply hurts the child is already raped
without knowing what it is. Can any
psychiatrist clarify how, someone, howsoever perverted he may be, prompted to offend
a child of six? There should be no
apology, as the offenders convict themselves and even admit to their depravity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Predators in campus<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is campus rape finally getting the attention it
deserves? Girls are disproportionately
vulnerable to sexual offences. The
abysmal campus adjudication make life easier for predators. More than half the victims are under 18, but
the latest is spooky and spine-chilling.
Campus rape points out to callous
administrations, ill-informed and recalcitrant disciplinary boards, obsolete
campus policies inferring that rape is a problem the society has to learn to
live with. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To recall: January 21,
2012 witnessed Bangalore police arresting Paul Francis Meekan, the Head Master
of Trio World School in Kodigehalli, on charges of sexually abusing a school
boy, (“The Telegraph”). On April 19, 2014 a security guard abused a
seven-year old girl in Marathahalli on the pretext of buying her
chocolates. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rape culture<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Examples<i>:</i> Blaming the victim (“She asked for it”); trivialising
sexual assault (“Boys will be boys” – courtesy: Mulayam Singh Yadav); </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">threatening to rape (“<span style="background: white; color: #333333;">I will let loose my boys in your homes and they will commit
rape</span>” – TMC MP Tapas Pal’s comment on CPI(M) women members); Sexually
explicit jokes; publicly scrutinising a woman’s dress; defining “manhood” as
dominant and sexually aggressive; refusing to take rape accusation seriously;
teaching women to avoid getting raped instead of teaching men not to rape;
tolerance of sexual harassment …. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We live in a world that tolerates, glorifies and even excuses forms of sexual
violence, when a rape survivor can become a hashtag. Rape, unlike other domestic violence, doesn’t
blend so easily in to any other human experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Campus rape, a grave
and persistent problem<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At a time of emotional turmoil, students who are assaulted are
compelled to make a choice: Seek help
from their school, approach police or remain silent. The majority choose their
school, as the expectation of anonymity and the trust that administrators will
offer, the sort of support that the police
may not<b>.<o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When girls were 16,
parents were concerned about their safe commutation to the college and return. The worry about eve-teasers who throng bus stops/railway stations near
schools and colleges has, instead, shifted
inside the campus. The stress, now, is on
the tiny tots! The parent/s can escort the child only up to
the school bus or the gate. Beyond that,
we have to take chances …. Is
teacher/Principal an educator or a paid
employee of the institution? The recent incidents,
though isolated, has dented the noble profession’s
image.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkG3nt96xP_yrHBTmMeFCltDuA_4CO4BWpzoC5owIh8x97U5oKHPQHRO8k_pHeqBfy4iNWATtat7BwGjSDxWbjJbXQZW7YcxuQRgFso5a9TdVDd5AZ3vcVdLvr2nr-myXF98BR-KVM8XI/s1600/See-what-children-feel-like-stop-child-abuse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkG3nt96xP_yrHBTmMeFCltDuA_4CO4BWpzoC5owIh8x97U5oKHPQHRO8k_pHeqBfy4iNWATtat7BwGjSDxWbjJbXQZW7YcxuQRgFso5a9TdVDd5AZ3vcVdLvr2nr-myXF98BR-KVM8XI/s1600/See-what-children-feel-like-stop-child-abuse.jpg" height="320" width="294" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Always report rape</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The student/child must report crime to the parent/police. A complaint to campus authorities is not suffice
for obvious reasons. Many children don’t
report the abuse fearing parent’s reactions, or because they don’t know how to
tell. Those children who maintain
“secrecy” are more likely to experience physical and emotional
consequences. Many offenders escape, as
most offences are unreported. Being tight-lipped, we remain with the problem<b>. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lies are easy to miss</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Are we equipped to teach our children about safety or warning
signs? Let us agree on one point: Any child is at risk. Any child regardless of age, gender, colour,
race, religion, culture, appearance etc. is abused.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When you chat with the teacher, thinking yourself. “What a
nice teacher, I am so glad my ward is in his class!”. Because the teacher is pleasant and socially
acceptable, it never cross your mind otherwise.
The reality is there aren’t necessarily any telling signs. People generally overestimate their ability
to detect deception. Pedophiles do not
look like monsters. It could be a priest,
your daughter’s teacher, the family friend, uncle, cousin, doctor, police
officer, teacher, coach…, any of those could be a sexual offender. Do we want to believe this? No. Is it possible? Yes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The more we know, the better prepared we are. Most people live in ignorance about the risks of the sexual
abuse. Sadly, the abusers don’t look
evil. They are charming, kind, agreeable, friendly ….
for a reason. They tend to be
manipulative and strike their targets. First
they gain your trust, then trust your
child, and they have the audacity to take advantage of that trust. What you don’t know can hurt you. Public behaviour
is not indicative of private behaviour. If predator “looks” like predators,
there may be no victims.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We live in a very dangerous and many ways harsh world and we
need as many survival skills as possible.
Proactive parenting is the best prevention plan, as children are
gullible and very precious. Children
seldom lie. If they think something is “weird”,
or makes them feel “weird”, that is a big red flag. They should think twice
before saying “YES” to help a stranger. The
school “Head Boy” and class monitors can play a vigilant role in saving the
situation, and participate in the parent-teacher meetings and punch their inputs.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">=====</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Also read: </span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px; text-align: justify;">http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2012/06/dad-is-bad.html</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Feedback welcome: krs1957@hotmail.com</span></div>
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-32366006622116098822014-07-20T01:38:00.000-07:002014-07-20T02:14:19.080-07:00Onion’s unrivalled political charisma<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPFdidF1QxPq1lzq57PHu5qVPLvPpCut4n_BxPhfBHMVKJFFpVG-Zm-EP73TuK3UW_4JOn4Zf4hsenb2vpvWemFgxwsM_PSOIsPm90Pb4Qhr-i9fjF7hVKAQqtBs_9nM9gRVWhF2TQNE/s1600/onion+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPFdidF1QxPq1lzq57PHu5qVPLvPpCut4n_BxPhfBHMVKJFFpVG-Zm-EP73TuK3UW_4JOn4Zf4hsenb2vpvWemFgxwsM_PSOIsPm90Pb4Qhr-i9fjF7hVKAQqtBs_9nM9gRVWhF2TQNE/s1600/onion+image.jpg" height="397" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The spectre of onion prices appear stabilised at Rs.35/- a kg, while
the retail outlets are non-committal about the consistency, the pungency might be
showing yet again. A raging debate not
only for consumers, but economists and
policy makers as well, the vegetable is routinely consumed and any spike tends
to be politically sensitive. Last year, a truck was hijacked on the Delhi-Jaipur
highway. The precious cargo was 40 tonnes
of onions. A few eat-outs, last year, suspended serving “onion dosas”. The North Indian kebabs without the raw onion
will lose its pride. In rural India, a
bowl of rice and onion is used as an indicator of poverty. The public anger over
food inflation, if not controlled, can spoil the honeymoon period of the new
government, which is empowered and has secured mandate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With a bumper crop 19 m tonnes , a 14 per cent increase over
the previous year, already reported, it defies logic for the price to rise,
whereas the consumption is about 15 m
tonnes. The toils of the farmers are gone astray
while the ultimate consumers are bearing high costs, distinctly depicting the
lack of magnitude afforded to agriculture in recent times. Indications are that
onion price will surge by September as the stocks are expected to be exhausted
by then, the delay in SW monsoon notwithstanding. The consumers’ owes soar with the dawn of
the rainy season and the intermediaries and hoarders silently encash the
opportunities. Short-term solutions like
importing the vegetable and curbing the exports only does more long-term
damages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onion growers have also claimed that they are pained by the
non-availability of quality seeds.
According to National Co-operative Agricultural Marketing Federation
(NAFED), “onion seeds are currently costing Rs.3,000/- a kg. as against
Rs.400/- during normal times”. India
is one of the largest onion producers along with US and China. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last year, the erstwhile Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar
asked the Chief Ministers to invoke the Essential Commodities Act against onion
hoarders. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
has recently blamed the hoarders and asked the state governments to act, while
Modi asked the people to “be ready to swallow bitter pills”. Read in tangency, not only likely it is to
see the hoarders’ role in the price crisis of the edible bulb, but asking the
common man to be prepared for a spurt.
The price has been rising across the country, especially in Modi’s town
Ahmedabad, where it recently touched Rs.56/- a kg. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The high price of the vegetable has given the opposition
parties an agenda. Isn’t it minimal that
controlling the middle-men can improve the supply chain considerably? According
to National Horticulture and Research Foundation, the “price has gone up and it
may increase further”.The government must procure directly from the farmer at a
fair price, enable modern storage facilities to regulate flow into the market
and make it unremunerative for the middlemen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Traders operating in the local market committees stock
the onions, which they procured from the
farmer for a paltry price less than Rs.10/- a kg. and stored it, which has a
shelf life of upto six months. The
hoarders and big traders have got the taste of blood last year which forced
onion prices to dictate Rs.100/- and above.
It is hoped the big daddies are not resorting to American policy of
dumping the produce into the sea and jack up the prices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Need for more than
quick-fix solutions<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Reform of procurement practices and agricultural marketing is
overdue. Being a State subject, the
Centre even a decade ago circulated amendments to Agricultural Produce
Marketing Committee Act. The main
amendment targeted at minimising the wholesale dominance in the marketing
chain. High onion price has been a key
factor for the ugly food inflation.
Retail inflation quickened to 8.59 per cent in April from 8.31 per cent
in March, primarily driven by food prices.
At the moment, RBI is more worried about tackling inflation, which is
necessary for sustaining economic growth in the long-term, while the central
bank at the same time would need some clarity on how the monsoon will pan out
and the impending union budget. Lower
rainfall may pinch farm output and spur inflation. Modi, who steered the BJP to
a thumping victory in the last three decades, has induced the optimism that he will take measures to
boost economic growth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The returns of the farmer and cost to the end-user shows a
yawning-gap and thus the enormous returns in the supply chain of agri-produce
are usurped by the intermediary forces. Probably
the sapping phenomenon is also a reason for the youth being averse to pursue
farming. Among the host of interventions
required to induce vibrancy in the sector, reforms in the APMC are paramount
that will ensure remunerative price to the primary producer and eliminate the
other villainous forces, which can be in any form – bad crops, market forces,
over-export or hoarders. At times, it
takes the form of nationwide transport when essential goods are not available
and price rise. That the economy’s
health is at stake, will Modi be able to crack the whip? The speculation that
onion hitting the three-digit mark by September might lead to further hoarding. And it sounds vulgar. The government should thoughtfully consider
take-over of all onion warehouses and start selling through Public Distribution
System. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onion is said to be good for heart, but the unfriendly price
movement is not conducive to the organ that pumps blood and continue its
business as usual. The existing
monopolistic control of APMC must be dismantled. Is it a rocketry for farmers to build storage
sheds? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Centre should come up with more than quick-fix solutions,
else the parties may have to pay a political price. The 1998-Delhi Assembly election debacle for
BJP is attributed to the rising price of “onion” factor. Maharashtra, the main hub for growing onions,
must pro-actively show urgency in tackling the hoarders and where the stocks
are piled up. There is no gainsaying the
fact that most of the 300-odd local market committees that control the price of
onions in Nasik district of Maharashtra are henpecked by politicians. Also, this could be a harbinger of the
Congress fall, if the Centre exhibits the political will to control the surge
in onion price.Export curbs on onions would have little impact on the prices of
the commodity, as the price of Indian onion is more than local price abroad. Onion<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> can be a game-changer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-25142839321777287672014-07-16T19:29:00.000-07:002014-07-16T22:30:38.228-07:00 TMC MP Tapas Pal’s politics of obscenity - Acche dhin aa gaye?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_no4q7FDkUjYH1O2Jgvds5odQfsaAx20lV_zN26CTs_Mi9z32HqTxngG8bqUtn3bHIqTRUzNpC6YfZDr9CXA6B5Qrb1dT9vVqK8mq_rcK9Au5KZRfsApP8lkiiOz5aEjtrkkMUdkiz4/s1600/TapasPal_Protest_PTI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_no4q7FDkUjYH1O2Jgvds5odQfsaAx20lV_zN26CTs_Mi9z32HqTxngG8bqUtn3bHIqTRUzNpC6YfZDr9CXA6B5Qrb1dT9vVqK8mq_rcK9Au5KZRfsApP8lkiiOz5aEjtrkkMUdkiz4/s1600/TapasPal_Protest_PTI.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Trinamool Congress MP <b>Tapas Pal </b>was, on 30/06/2014, caught on
camera purportedly making a sub-human statement, “I will ask our boys to go and
rape women …. If necessary”, setting abysmal standard of human behaviour. Pal had commented him saying, “If any CPM man
is present here, listen to me. If you
ever touch any Trinamool Congress worker …. I will let loose my boys in your
homes and they will commit rape….”, the MP had warned, confirming the ingredients of all that is
contrary to the dignity of the House, characterized by vulgar display of
intolerance and indiscipline. Tapas Pal joined the chaotic bandwagon of
making absurd remarks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Retired IPS Officer <b>Kiren Bedi</b> tweeted: “Wither we as a
society? An MP of the ruling party openly threatens rape and violence! Woman party chief also a CM silent! Police
looks on!” The controversial comment triggered an uproar. The political furore is growing high
demanding that the Speaker should take action and the MP should be sacked and
arrested. These remarks are absolutely
disgraceful and speaks volumes of utterly shallow mindset. Another day, another
example of how Indian politics deals unabashedly in the currency of misogyny. The crime and conversation around sexual
violence against women has been amplified across various channels. The dignity of a woman has become cheaper
than a candy, isn’t it?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Shame on the family</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“On behalf of
him, I am saying sorry”, said Nandini, wife of the TMC MP, attempting some
damage control, thanks to our colonial masters for bequeathing the five-letter
wonder “SORRY”. Pal’s apology is only
from the lips, not from the heart. It is
not his wife that should apologise for him, he should confront his deeds by
himself. Being a woman herself, she
should demand her husband to exit public life.
Any mother will be ashamed of
such remarks, presumably Pal’s mother as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What would have been the reaction of Nandini, her husband MP
and Bengal Chief Minister & TMC leader <b>Mamta Banerjee</b>, had the same
utterance been from any other party politician?
How does Pal feel that he is putting his wife before the public into the
shameful situation? Isn’t it like
sending mummy to explain away your lapse? Had Mamta asked Pal resign his MP seat,
it would have enhanced the prestige of the TMC leader and would have set better
standards. Isn’t Pal a political anomaly?
Alas, a party whose MP does not respect women is led by a woman! It tantamounts
to all women are invisible victims. Nevertheless, it is utopian, higher the position, harsher the punishment. The TMC supreme should have slapped a suspension,
pending enquiry. Why no one remembers
about the Code of Conduct of MPs?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Need for tough
presiding officers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What can one expect when over 30 per cent of legislators have
felony, convictions, or charges pending? No wonder, rapists and criminals roam
free. Why he is not arrested for
instigating heinously criminal threats, nor Parliament impeaching him?
The parliament should move a privilege motion against him. A Public Interest
Litigation has been filed, as his remarks are more criminal than political. MPs are expected to set high standards of
probity and rectitude. His remarks only
buttresses the point that today the need for emotional quotients to
be taught whilst as a young child, while one cannot forget that West
Bengal is renowned as the land of scholars like <b>Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit
Ray</b> …..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There should be clear and definite mechanisms to deal with the
disruptions and the scope of the Speaker should be extended empowering him to
the extent which is absolutely necessary.
There is a dire need to make MPs accountable for their actions committed
that disgusted the parliamentary standards.
Like animals who trust the butcher, we continue to trust our
politicians. Our respectable parliament
has become a fool’s paradise where they can do anything backed by
constitutional cover. We are all busy in
criticizing the system and feel that our work is done, without providing a
solution. Freedom of speech does not bestow on him to lash his tongue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is overdue the presiding officers redeemed the pledge they
have repeatedly made at countless conferences to observe a “code of conduct”
for legislators and create strong disincentive against disruption. Yet again, it is a clear warning to our
politicians who have made a mockery of power vested in them by the
electorate. The privileges extended to the
MPs are being misused as it evades the ambit of judicial intervention. Bring
back <b>T.N. Seshan</b> and make him the Speaker.
We need people of steel to enforce decorum. The parliament resembles a patient in coma,
its faculties frozen, its strength ebbing, with no consciousness at
all. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is
estimated that disruptions and adjournments has cost the taxpayers more than
Rs.250 m. To rewind public memory, in December 2012, President
Pranab Mukherjee’s son <b>Abhijit Mukherjee</b> (Cong.) brought huge disrepute to his
family name when he termed the anti-rape protesters in Delhi as
“dented-painted” women. His sister had
to apologise for his abnormal utterance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One often felt the politicians are insensitive but never
realised that a few of them could be downright stupid too. Pal has revealed himself and no amount of
apology, withdrawal, denial or explanation will take away the fact that he is hopelessly
undemocratic and seriously deficient in either intelligence or tact. Indian women are having high image in the
world. In general, Indian women are
conscious of dress code as parents from childhood take care of this. Think before you wink. The women’s issue has been for a long time
neglected by every political party.
Sonia Gandhi did not unseat Abhijit Mukherjee. Today Mamta has done the same thing,
explicating that women’s dignity is secondary.
A missed opportunity to be a
role-model.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Can't the judiciary be proactive?</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Your Honour, if Bengal government doesn’t act, can’t Courts consider
suo-motu cognisance? When most pillars
of democracy are guilty of lack of action, isn’t judiciary the last hope? Venomous
leaders, small and big, talk about killing, raping and revenge - a political
culture permeated in our system. The 16<sup>th</sup>
Lok Sabha reportedly had the highest number of MPs with criminal cases against
them. According to Association for
Democratic Reforms, 34 per cent of the new MPs face criminal charges, who will
be our law-makers. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Can a logical bad
input produce a good output?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In many
countries, with strict enforcement of law, these politicians wouldn’t have even
contested the polls.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">=======<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Email: </span><a href="mailto:krs1957@hotmail.com"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">krs1957@hotmail.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-41623628416008259942014-07-11T06:50:00.000-07:002014-07-30T02:37:49.982-07:00Miles to go before I sleep... Wake-up call, Rahul<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIbatuXU3P75niJALHz-KVpuw6alXZYhJmtaZ4p6Csf236dBMO18KdoH51upBEqZFqjEIXZa4Zru1z7umtvNS5pRGZK_56kI4_45HwjlcPtN45P_b0R0jRKwXfK6Lpw3jwU1rVD7HMMg/s1600/Rahul-Gandhi-caught-napping-in-Parliament.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIbatuXU3P75niJALHz-KVpuw6alXZYhJmtaZ4p6Csf236dBMO18KdoH51upBEqZFqjEIXZa4Zru1z7umtvNS5pRGZK_56kI4_45HwjlcPtN45P_b0R0jRKwXfK6Lpw3jwU1rVD7HMMg/s1600/Rahul-Gandhi-caught-napping-in-Parliament.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Image Courtesy: Times of India)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi was caught napping by the
Lok Sabha cameras on Wednesday (09/07/2014).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">The nation is awake when Rahul naps.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Could be due to soccer fever? Is Rahul a football </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">fan? </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Was
he giving a live-demo on the significance of power-nap? To his ill-luck, there
was no ruckus, parliament was quiet. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Jawaharlal
Nehru soon after independence said, “As the world sleeps, India awakens”,
little foreseeing that the great-grand son would be sleeping in the House when India
was awake.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What is distastefully ridiculous is the sycophants coming to
his salvage. “It is not true. I totally and categorically deny all
aspersions”, said Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi, lamenting that the
matter has been “sensationalised”.
Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said that a “trivial and frivolous issue”
is being unnecessarily highlighted. This
is not a controversy …. In the last 14 years during my parliament career, I have
seen lot many people taking a nap or sleeping or dozing off in parliament…. Sometime
people shut their eyes and listen to their speech very patiently. This must be the case with Rahul Gandhi ….lot
many BJP ministers are still sleeping …” said Shukla. “Many people in parliament close their
eyes. It doesn’t mean they are sleeping”
said senior NCP leader Praful Patel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Consider “nap” for a
moment</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A power nap works wonders. Studies have shown that short naps
can improve mood, alertness and performance. A mini-snooze of 10–20 minutes is
recommended for recharging your batteries.
It is far better than overdosing on coffee to try and force oneself to
stay awake. The caffeine is not only
less healthy, fact remains there is no equivalent for a meaningful siesta. Sitting for long at the work spot may not
sound like a lot of exertion, but it can wear you out worse than walking all
day long. It has been widely shared that
power naps have been found good for rejuvenation, memory and decision-making,
apart from cut down on stress. Don’t
misread naps for laziness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Some of the great thinkers were seasoned nappers.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagon, Albert
Einstein … to name a few.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Winston
Churchill adopted a sleep schedule for all of World War II, sleeping two hours
during the day and five hours at night, and as a result was increasingly alert
all through the day.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“That way you will
be able to accomplish more”, he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’t be surprised, napping-breaks will soon replace
coffee-breaks and more nap rooms in a few more MNCs. Alternatively, if you
drive to work, nothing like that.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Recline the seat; sun-filmed windows can be merrier as you snooze. Y</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">ou can surprise your boss with
better productivity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Every closed eye is
not sleeping, and every open eye is not seeing” – Rahul can claim advantage of
the quote by American comedian Bill Cosby.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Let’s hope after every nap, Rahul
wakes up </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">fresh and creative.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On the flipside, silence is golden and
nothing is better than nonsense. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2014/01/frankly-rahul_30.html</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-39437581973318545452014-07-08T12:47:00.000-07:002014-07-08T22:25:38.616-07:00Announcing the arrival of ……. Railway Budget 2014-2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvbvXrRNyGBjhsSru_rkAqdJCKEnWKSIZrsNANJ5XOc8nM_FHSqc24N5j9S-0_bgmaFQxCn4K8BEm6j2hLipc3KLFYKIILjEkDGUhvT8ZdYEsC94R9NWOnHbRgoSkIlqv2PCryL9SG9M/s1600/indian1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvbvXrRNyGBjhsSru_rkAqdJCKEnWKSIZrsNANJ5XOc8nM_FHSqc24N5j9S-0_bgmaFQxCn4K8BEm6j2hLipc3KLFYKIILjEkDGUhvT8ZdYEsC94R9NWOnHbRgoSkIlqv2PCryL9SG9M/s1600/indian1.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bangalorean Sadananda Gowda, the Union Minister for Railways,
presented Narendra Modi’s maiden Railway
budget, this day, the 08/07/2014.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Since the fare and freight hike already underwent an upward
revision about a week ago, today’s exercise looks more like an elongated
mission statement. The increased budget
allocation for cleanliness for the current year by 40 per cent over the previous
year is commendable. The budget is more
a combo of many things – introducing new trains, improving amenities,
dreaming bullet trains, office on wheels ….. Also, improvement of the catering quality,
ready-to-eat reputed brands in trains, proposal to set up food courts at major
stations, introducing bio-toilets, use
of CCTVs at stations to monitor cleanliness activities, provision of potable
water are some of the interesting features proposed in Mr. Gowda’s railway
document.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A word on bullet trains.
Can our tracks carry the bullet trains?
Are we ready to reset the tracks? Elsewhere I had read that train running at 225
kmp are likely to cause catastrophic derailment. For the moment, let us slow down the “bullet”
plans and address other basic priorities. The moment one says railway safety,
it instantly reminds “unmanned level crossings”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bio-toilet, the much-needed amenity, given the Indian hygiene
culture, must be extended to all the coaches and stations irrespective of the class
of travel without levying any extra charges.
It is even more relevant in the backdrop of stress on water supply. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Gowda’s proposal to introduce special pilgrim trains for
various religious circuits like Jain circuit, Christian circuit, Muslim
circuit, Sikh circuit etc. should be considered with caution, from the security
perspective. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is learnt that there are 2.5 lakh posts lying vacant in
the railways and out of these 1.6 lakh posts are in departments directly
concerned with the railway safety. Add
to this the additional man-power requirements on account of the proposed
increase of 58 new trains in the present budget. Mr. Gowda should be aware of
the safety factor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Gowda has not proposed any deadline to achieve the
ambitious plans. Nor has he spelt out with any clarity about balancing the
much-required finance. Of course, the
Honourable Railway Minister made a mention to “attract Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI)” to the cause of modernisation of the largest Public Sector
Undertaking. The idea is undoubtedly
luring, but will the FDI investors step in without expecting returns? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The politico-bureaucratic management has so far failed in
making the railway modern and safe. The
government must come out of its political comfort zone to improve the
deteriorating condition of Indian Railways.
Make the Railway Board members
and General Managers of all the Railway
Zones accountable for their decisions, while at the same time, freedom should
be given to take decisions without interference from the Ministry. Introduce modern audit and vigilance methods
to prevent wastages and frauds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Gowda, can we, by whatever you have proclaimed in the budget,
take it as a green signal?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The solution
is very simple, at the same time not at all easy. Yes, the two-word wonder : “Political will”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Have a safe and passenger-friendly journey, Sir!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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What corporate take over of media groups mean…</h1>
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C S Krishnamurthy, Jul 7, 2014 :</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">In one of the biggest deals in the media industry, India’s largest privately-owned corporate entity, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has recently taken over the country’s biggest media group, the Network18 Group. Mukesh Ambani formally launches into the media industry. </strong><br />
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What does it mean for the media? Does it signify for the freedom of press? Is the Fourth Estate pillar strong enough withstand such powerful ‘influence?’ Does a man who owns a huge business really need media to influence anything? Does it sound any alarm? Can anybody have an effective monopoly in a country with so much media presence? Does it stare at media’s credibility? Too few people are calling too many shots? Or a mere hype and non-story? A section of the press cited a few employees who described the situation as “hostile” takeover. Some analysts say it is natural for corporate bosses to exercise control over policy.<br />
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Back in 1983, about 50 corporates controlled the majority news media in United States. Today, the concentration is in the hands of six powerful media corporations. These corporate behemoths control most of what we see, watch, hear and read every day. They also have the authority to pull programmes from circulation if they do not fulfill their criteria or promote a viewpoint.Most media brands have a perspective. There are pro-political party channels, and even the regional parties have their own organs. It is a case of corporate ownership of media and media ownership of RIL. Big business conglomerates get into the media business. Their influence would specify what and how people are informed. When we watch the news, we are passively receiving information delivered to us in the comfort of our living rooms. The news presented to us implies a version of the truth that may not be accurate. </div>
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Ambani has as much right as anyone else to own a media house. The worry is about the conflict of interest. In recent elections, Ambani was angered due to the attacks made on him by Arvind Kejriwal. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had captured the public mood and even formed a 49-day Delhi-government. Kejriwal had gone all guns blazing for Ambani.<br />
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Threatened freedom</strong><br />
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Often, many media institutions survive on advertisement revenue, which can lead to the media outlet being influenced by various corporate interests. The ability to make formed decisions is crucial for a fair and functional democracy, but now becomes threatened by such concentration of ownership. The hold on commercial and political power is vulnerable for any democracy if media moghuls control media content.<br />
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A major concern that arises from such concentration is very few media owners in the mainstream reach out to the masses and seldom the public hears of editorial muzzle. While it is not easy to document the implicit influence of corporate bosses, most do not have to apprise their subordinates their penchant. The real loss is in the self-serving censorship of political and social ideas in news, articles, magazines, broadcasting and telecasting. But most screening will be subtle, as subordinates learn by habit to conform to owners’ ideas. Subtle or not, the ultimate result is distorted reality.<br />
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Corporates can have big budgets to dissect and attack news reports they desire. As the mainstream media is largely corporate-owned, they are largely driven by market forces.<br />
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For example, it is very much noticeable how competitive the media companies are among themselves. Competition can be healthy aspect of news reporting and pushing for better quality. The concerned approach has meant that the competition, if not rivalry, has reduced itself to attracting viewers through sensationalism, rather than professional ethics. Many channels report on the same stories and air even commercial breaks at the same time. This type of competition affects the ability to provide quality news and impacts the depth and analysis.<br />
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Today’s concentration of media ownership and editorial freedom brings into sharp focus not only the immense responsibility, but also the freedom of the editors. Yet it is the owners and their hand-picked editors, who decide what the vast majority receive. Is it acceptable in a democracy? In the absence of freedom or protection from the owners, the people’s media information interests are jeopardised, if not ruined. Censorship creeps in, not from the government, but from the protection of conglomerate interests.<br />
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The public is disenfranchised as there is no effective democracy in the media realm. Sadly, objectivity is replaced by prerogatives.<br />
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However, when we actively seek to learn new things and take it upon ourselves to find new sources of information about what is going on in the society or the world-at-large, we find ourselves able to form our opinions without there being the presence of a corporate agenda in our thought process.<br />
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While more people are able to produce, and share information widely, within and across borders, this is a blessing for creativity, new threats arising at the same time. If the quality of news and entertainment is concentrated in the hands of the conglomerates, aren’t we suffering both as media consumers and citizens?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991425046511108470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756896849738095415.post-42131858790465276102014-07-04T04:31:00.000-07:002014-07-04T04:32:03.859-07:00Does big corporates intimidate media objectivity?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; text-align: justify;"><b>Reliance formally launches into media space</b></span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgBf_Jvv1_iXSK21sWhDnCn_VVVquPfctiBA1XN_jJNbE3-J_ndMjyccBCMfV7UoEaQt2KR9QhWj0zKdTi-_bHE47hF5MKJHOfCk1XY-7czePJD3jsi1yy3MfRsn0BMx5s-j-2XwB2Xg/s1600/ambani.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgBf_Jvv1_iXSK21sWhDnCn_VVVquPfctiBA1XN_jJNbE3-J_ndMjyccBCMfV7UoEaQt2KR9QhWj0zKdTi-_bHE47hF5MKJHOfCk1XY-7czePJD3jsi1yy3MfRsn0BMx5s-j-2XwB2Xg/s1600/ambani.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; text-align: justify;">In one of the biggest deals in the media industry, India’s largest privately-owned corporate entity, </span><b style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; text-align: justify;">Reliance Industries Limited (RIL</b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; text-align: justify;">) has recently taken over the country’s biggest media group, the Network18 Group. </span><b style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; text-align: justify;">Mukesh Ambani</b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; text-align: justify;"> officially steps into the media industry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">What does it mean for the media? Does it signify for the freedom of press? Is the Fourth Estate pillar strong? Does a man who owns a huge business really need media to influence anything? Does it sound any alarm? Can anybody have an effective monopoly in a country with so much media presence? Does it stare at media’s credibility? Too few people are calling too many shots? Or a mere hype and non-story?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">A section of the press cited a few employees of the Network18 Group who described the situation as “hostile” takeover. Some analysts say it is natural for corporate bosses to exercise control over policy. Soon after the news broke out, <b>Rajdeep Sardesai</b>, Editor-in-Chief, IBN18 Network, emailed to his teams, “…. Please keep the energy levels up through the next few weeks and always put journalism first ….”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Back in 1983, about 50 corporates controlled the majority news media in United States. Today, the concentration is in the hands of six powerful media corporations. These corporate behemoths control most of what we see, watch, hear and read every day. They also have the authority to pull programmes from circulation if they do not fulfill their criteria or promote a viewpoint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Most media brands have a perspective. There are pro-political party channels, and even the regional parties have their own organs. It is a case of corporate ownership of media and media ownership of <b>RIL.</b> Big business conglomerates get into the media business. Their influence would specify what and how people are informed. When we watch the news, we are passively receiving information presented to us in the comfort of our living rooms. The news delivered to us implies a version of the truth that may not be accurate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><b>Ambani</b> has as much right as anyone else to own a media house. The worry is about the conflict of interest. In recent elections, <b>Ambani</b> angered due to the attacks made on him by <b>Arvind Kejriwal</b>. The <b>Aam Aadmi</b> <b>Party (AAP)</b> had captured the public mood and even formed a 49-day Delhi-government. <b>Kejriwal </b>had gone all guns blazing for <b>Ambani. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Powerful establishments have enormous influence</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Often many media institutions survive on advertisement revenue, which can lead to the media outlet being influenced by various corporate interests. The ability to make informed decisions is crucial for a fair and functional democracy, but now becomes threatened by such concentration of ownership. The hold on commercial and political power is vulnerable for any democracy if media moghuls control media content. A major concern that arises from such concentration is very few media owners in the mainstream reach out to the masses and seldom the public hears of editorial muzzle. While it is not easy to document the implicit influence of corporate bosses, most do not have to apprise their subordinates their penchant. The real loss is in the self-serving censorship of political and social ideas in news, articles, magazines, broadcasting and telecasting. But most screening will be subtle, as subordinates learn by habit to conform to owners’ ideas. Subtle or not, the ultimate result is distorted reality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Corporates can have big budgets to dissect and attack news reports they desire. As the mainstream media is largely corporate-owned, they are largely driven by market forces. It is very much noticeable how competitive the media companies are among themselves. Competition can be healthy aspect of news reporting and pushing for better quality. The concerned approach has meant that the competition, if not rivalry, has reduced itself to attracting viewers through sensationalism, rather than professional ethics. Many channels, for instance, report on the same stories and air even commercial breaks at the same time. This type of competition affects the ability to provide quality news and impacts the depth and analysis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Today’s concentration of media ownership and editorial freedom brings into sharp focus not only the immense responsibility, but also the freedom of the editors. Yet it is the owners and their hand-picked editors, who decide what the vast majority receive. Is it acceptable in a democracy? In the absence of freedom or protection from the owners, the people’s media information interests are jeopardized, if not ruined. Censorship creeps in, not from the government, but from the protection of conglomerate interests. The public is disenfranchised as there is no effective democracy in the media realm. Sadly, objectivity is replaced by prerogatives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">However, when we actively seek to learn new things and take it upon ourselves to find new sources of information about what is going on in the society or the world-at-large, we find ourselves able to form our opinions without there being the presence of a corporate agenda in our thought process. While more people are able to produce, and share information widely, within and across borders, this is blessing for creativity, new threats arising at the same time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> If <b>‘Doordarshan’</b> were like <b>BBC,</b> it could be debated if the private channels be kept under check. If the quality of news and entertainment is sacrificed in the hands of the conglomerates , aren’t we suffering both as media consumers and citizens?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Social media, emerging key political communication channel</h1>
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C S Krishnamurthy, June 23, 2014, DHNS:</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Prime Minister Narendra Modi has advised the cabinet ministers to use social media (SM) regularly and issued a diktat to all his ministers to be present on Twitter and Facebook and interact with the masses. </strong></div>
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Desiring his ministers to be pro-active, Modi’s IT team will be monitoring the ministries to elicit firsthand feedback.</div>
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He is keen to use SM platforms effectively for transparency, authenticity, speed and ultimately better governance, in addition to reach out a large section of the people, youth in particular. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar requested the various ministries to employ this initiative to disseminate information.</div>
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Barack Obama’s 2008 US presidential campaign has been described as the first electoral campaign in which the use of SM had a decisive impact.</div>
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While it is great for marketing, entertainment and individual users, does it work for politics and governance? Is SM inevitable? Does the unabated influence of this mode of communication add new insights to democracy?</div>
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Modi apart, the other ministers like Ravishankar Prasad, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitaraman are already active players in social media. Modi has two twitter accounts, one in his personal capacity and the other in PMO twitter account. Modi’s personal website has been given a spanking new election upgrade, as much as his other platforms like Twitter, Facebook page, Youtube channel etc.</div>
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It doesn’t need to be interpreted that the mainstream media’s intolerance and bias against Modi that forced him to go over to social media.</div>
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While SM usage in 2009 was miniscule, the 2014-LS polls will be commemorated for large-scale use of technology, online chats and mobilisation of opinion.</div>
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This election is more about combating corruption, controlling inflation, securing jobs and restoring governance, and these were the main FB themes. Whether the “likes” of FB can be turned into votes or not, Modi’s FB fan base crossed 17 m.</div>
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The transfer of modern approach to communication could usher in far-reaching changes to the style of governance after the taciturn Congress Prime Minister</div>
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Manmohan Singh’s dismal failure on the vital subject of communication with the people. Modi’s main rival, Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party’s undeclared PM candidate, doesn’t have a website and doesn’t use any of the major social networks.</div>
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Today, FB has 150m users and Twitter has about 35m accounts in the country. No serious politician can afford to avoid SM altogether. It is possible that data collated through SM can, in future, be used for replacing opinion polls and evaluate sentiments.</div>
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Though cynics infer that most of the people are illiterates without access to the tech-savvy ambience, the medium will continue its march.</div>
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Gripping it is to observe that more politicians are realising that more people are directly accessible, the digital media is, hence, more to welcome. Stepping into the virtual world is seen as an effective way of reaching out to the people at large, deepening the democratic process.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Fake following</strong></div>
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SM can also be subject to significant snipe, as some politicians can be accused of fake following and tarnish the rivals. Dissemination of sensationally corrupt video clipping may abet spark deadly clashes between different groups. Compared to the national television networks, the SM tools are accessed by a larger global audience. Personal communications like letters and phone calls simply didn’t reach enough people, if not outdated.</div>
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When events occur that the government likes to downplay, news spreads rapidly via emails, text messages, blog posts and online videos.</div>
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Information is making easier to be informed. People can check facts effortlessly, have access to more points of view. Everyone feels they need to be heard. Internet has also opened things up and made it difficult for censors to keep the world in dark. </div>
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Responsible reporting aside, there are dangers involved when the reporting turns particularly malicious, reputations damaged, and genuine personalities hurt by the actions of mob mentality.</div>
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When people get their political news from their social networks, it woefully informs less, because they often get sources of news in their newsfeed which are unreliable and not factually scrutinised by commonly accepted standards of journalism. The political choice, consequently, based on half-truths received from like-minded individuals would vitiate the authenticity.</div>
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It can also be a many-headed hydra and progress may just as easily be impeded by it as facilitated by it.</div>
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As different things mean differently to different people, it requires more time to educate the common man and comprehend how people use social media all over, implying that exchange of information and authentic communication is understood in perspective.</div>
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While politicians can check the pulse of the people with an understanding of issues in trend, there is the likelihood that political parties and candidates will become more astute and increasingly versatile in their use of social media as it becomes more familiar.</div>
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The non-traditional media is an easy and inexpensive way to organise, provide information and get feedback. Businesses do it every day. Why shouldn’t our representatives?</div>
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Though it is premature to believe that the modern media provide alternative source of news, it, nevertheless, is emerging as an important political communication conduit, enabling the parties and the electorate to directly interact with each other.</div>
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The new breed of politicians are learning to use and manipulate SM in the same way generations of politicians have done alike with other media. Whether social media will supplement or supplant the traditional channels, it will be a curious wait-and-watch.</div>
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email: krs1957@hotmail.com</div>
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