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Deccan Herald

Tuesday 16 March 2010
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 Vasanthotsava for Ugadi     Bill to help victims get compensation faster     Phone calls of held terror suspects traced to Karachi     SC rejects Satyam’s Raju bail plea     India-born Labour MP Ashok Kumar dies     Nithyananda wants to ‘cleanse’ self in Ganga     Rajasthan get Royal taste of Viru storm     Pak players in match-fixing: panel     'Arrested terror suspects associated with Dawood Ibrahim'     Pachauri not to quit IPCC     Vijender, Suranjoy in finals of C'wealth C'ship     Four jawans killed in Pokhran firing range blast     'ISI sharing intelligence and providing protection to LeT'     Krishna hints at next secretary-level talks in Islamabad     India will fight attempts to unseat Pachauri: Jairam Ramesh     11th plan aims to create 58 mn new jobs: Govt     Govt allows foreign varsities to open campuses     Cabinet nod to plantation workers bill     Decision on judicial standards bill deferred     11 MNS men held for threatening filmmaker     Cong bashing at Maya rally     Govt clears draft bill on road safety    
Are Indian cities sitting ducks? February 24th, 2010

There is a big stink adrift right now with yet another terror outfit claiming responsibility for the Pune blast. Of course, as always, the media is using this to refuel their already hot assault weapons at their favorite pinata of a neighbor. Nothing new so far but then here’s the thing.

Every time I read of something this ghastly being reported from the buzzing belly of our beloved nation, I cannot help recall what that Swedish fellow had mentioned to me in that boiling summer of 2007.

I (more…)

Moral decay February 24th, 2010

Man, after going through all the chiselling process during the course of evolution and has emerged as a societal being having certain norms and conventional practices. Monogamy is one such byproduct and is largely accepted as ‘correct’ and places both men and women on an equal footing.

High society has always been the trend-setter and with the trickle-down effect these folks have a moral obligation to set high standards in public life. Even the slightest deviation gives ample fodder for grape (more…)

Tackling terrorism in India February 17th, 2010

As long  as we follow a policy of appeasement, we will never be able to tackle terrorism and we might have to live in constant fear and anxiety. Several cowardly attacks on ’soft targets’ have killed the innocent common man.  In the interest of the nation, all communities, caste, creed, class, must be banned immediately.

Henceforth, all those who live in India must be called Indians. Any Indian can privately practice his/her own chosen religion. The Indian-ness must be emphasized .No one mu (more…)

To Your health February 17th, 2010

     It is true that ultimately everyone of us shall die, but till we live, we live because of our body is in existence.  And if we are not well and ill, we shall live, but such a life shall be hell for us.  Therefore, the concept of health must be understood and we should keep our body hale and healthy.

We must regulate our diet, our exercise, our punctuality, our care for the body and mind because if there are worries in our mind, our body shall start decaying and we shall not be in a (more…)

2013- After apocalypse February 13th, 2010

The greatest grandmother of all the doom’s day movies, 2012 weaved such a spell on the audience that it left an elderly person sitting next to me sobbing at the end of the film. In the climax, after the usual cries and screams-the hallmark of any Hollywood movie - a girl on board the three ships tosses a question towards her parents- when would we all be returning home.

That was a big question for the survivors of the doom who not only lost their houses, districts, nations but all the contine (more…)

Everything is politics… February 13th, 2010

The NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra has recently announced that action will be taken against the Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. Finally, the right move, I think. But sadly, it took a threat to the ‘Congress Yuvraj’ and of course what’s-his-name ‘Khan!’ –– to do so. Not the Bihari taxi drivers and others who are under constant threat.

But then, everything is politics!

Yes, if something can personify Paul Thomas Mann’s –– ‘everything is politics’ theory –– (more…)

It all starts from within… February 9th, 2010

I know its a boring one that I am writing and I don’t even know how I can make this interesting or humorous or curious piece of writing but its a very sensitive one for sure. I’m unable to find ways to put things on my mind into a palette and paint the perfect picture. I only have a faint Idea of what I want to tell but to start, I’m looking for the right time, or maybe I should just say, as I’m writing, wherever it takes off that’s the right time.

If at any moment there is ambiguity in the d (more…)

Devil’s Advocate - A Mumbaikar’s version February 9th, 2010

The first thing I’ve been doing the past few days is checking the news and blogs on various sources. Every day I get to see the word “Mumbai” used and abused by the media, the politicians and the new breed of people calling themselves bloggers. I realized that its high time that I, a Mumbaikar,  helped throw some light on the many misconceptions  people have about my birth land - Mumbai.

As we all know recently one of the political parties of Maharashtra has been criticizing ShahRukh Kh (more…)

Bollywood as India’s soft power? February 5th, 2010

A friend of mine recently circulated a TED talk by Shashi Tharoor, talking about Bollywood being India’s softpower. We study in Germany amidst a good mix of students from around the globe. And this was circulated to the entire class.

To explain soft power of a nation in particular, very briefly, is the ability of a region (I defer from using the word country) to influence another region and obtain what it wants, through co-option, in the form of its policies and cultural richness.

I imme (more…)

Treating monkey like a donkey proves fatal for owner: February 5th, 2010

Quite often, in our work life we have come across bosses taking advantage of employees in getting the job done that is outside of the job profile or extracting excess jobs from an employee.

Most times, workers are obligated and tied up with so many uncontrollable factors that they succumb to their bosses without retaliating. They won’t retaliate just to keep their job going and prefer to live with unwanted stress all the time spoiling the work life balance and affecting their family members (more…)