DEFINE POVERTY IN A NEW WAY

I have written a lot on kashmir.Probably, this is the hottest topic today, which is trying to tear our national fabric. Now let us come to the core issue of poverty eradication.

After 61 years of our independence and various poverty eradication schemes adopted by various governments have been a flop. Rajiv gandhi correctly said, only 15% of the money alloted for poor, reach to them. Rest is eaten up by bureacracy from top to the tehsil level. Are the statistics given by govt and world bank correct ? After all the datas are also provided by bureacracy, which are far from reality. In a country like india, where the poor have little access to free primary healthcare and education and cost of living varies across length and breadth of the country.Rs 21/- in urban areas and Rs 14/- in rural areas a day, per person is a fair measure of standard of living ?

The govt.needs to relook its strategy for reducing poverty. Schemes such as National Rural Empolyment Guarantee Scheme, which provides minimum wages can at best provide solutions for the short term. The rapid indutrialisation, especially creating special economic zones, can threaten to displace people from their land and put them into destitution, if adequate measures are not taken to prepare poor for participation in the marketplace. Education and Healthcare becomes critical here.It must be given adequate weightage, along with calorific value, in determining the actual poverty line.

Indeed it is ironical,that in a country of more than a billion, the industry is facing shortage of skilled workers, while over 700 million live on less than rs 85/- a day.Long term plans to address poverty must include measures to not just send all children to school to gain primary education but skill development at secondary school level, so that they become market-enabled.. Only thenn acual reforms be deemed complete.

GURU TEGH BAHADUR, HIND KI CHADAR

Guru Tegh Bahadur is known as ( Guru Tegh Bahadur- Hind ki Chadar ) means protector of hindus.In 1675 Aurangzeb, the most cruel mughal emperor caused the Matyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur. He had gone to Aurangzeb on behalf of kashmiri pandits, who requested him to plead against their forceful conversion. Aurangzeb asked Guru Tegh Bahadur to convert and he defied him, because he refused to convert to Islam. According to Khushwant Singh, when Guru Tegh Bahadur was summoned to Delhi, he went as a protector of hindus and encouraged them to stand against the increasing oppression of Mughals. He embraced Matyrdom in 1675. Guru Tegh Bahadur undertook the supreme sacrifice for the protection of the most fundamental of human rights- the right of the person to freely practice his or her reigion without interference or hindrance.This is why, he is called, HIND KI CHADAR, protector of Hindus.

Today, we need such kind of heroes, who can sacrifice everything for the majority of the population. Reason being, Hindus themselves are weak and divided in thousands of castes and they have become immunne to be ruled by foreignors. First by muslim sultans, emperors, then by British and now by Politicians.

HINDUS- JAGO ?

Today i have received anoynomous comment, which says, let Kashmir go. We will be better off without Kashmir.I would request the anoynomous comment maker to answer a few questions. I am also thankful to my son, Zubin for his inputs.

1.In 1947, when India got partitioned,the Hindu population in Pakistan was 24%. Today it is not even 1%. In 1947, The Hindus in East Pakistan ( now Bangladesh ) was 30%.today it is about 7%. What happened to missing Hindus ? Do hindus have human rights ?

2. In contrast, in India, muslim population has gone up from 10.4%in 1951 to about 14% today, whereas hindu population came down from 87.2% in 1951 to 85% in 1991.Do you still think, hindus are fundamentalists ?

3. Why Gandhiji objected to the decision of the cabinet and insisted that Somnath Temple should be reconstructed out of public fund. When in january,1948, he presuurized, Nehru and Patel to carry on renovation of the mosques of delhi at govt. expenses ?

4 If muslims and christians are minorities in Maharashtra, UP ,Bihar etc, are Hindus not minorities in J& K, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal pradesh, Meghalaya, etc ? Why are hindus denied minority rights in theas states ?

5. When haj pilgrims are given subsidy, why Hindu pilgrims to Amarnath, Sabarimalai and Kailash Mansoravar are taxed ?

6 When christian and muslim schools can teach Bible and Quran... why hindus cant teach Gita or Ramayan in our schools ?

7. Why post-Godhra is blown out of proportion, when no one talks of the ethnic cleanising of 4 lakh Hindus from kashmir ?

8 When uniform is made compulsory for school children, why there is no Uniform Civil Code for all citizens in india ?

These questions have to be answered by all political parties and those called SECULARISTS

KASHMIR- JIS THALI MEIN KHAO, USI MEIN CHED KARO

In kashmir defiance without logic is reigning. Lunacy prevailing. A decade of hard work has been reversed in the quest of votes.The failed state of Pakistan is yet considered a " friend ". Last week kashmiri muslims mindlessly marched again calling for Azadi. It seems thet they have forgotten the arithmetic. They think that like always, india will pick up their bills. In 12 years , between 1990 and 2002, Jammu & Kashmir got Rs.35,000 crore in grants assistance from " New Delhi ", as they call it. Numbers were doubled to touch Rs.38,000 crore in just only 5 years from 2003 to 2008. This is too much of pampering.Its own revenue of Rs.2200 crore will not cover the salary bill of Rs. 4300 crore. Even without Jammu & Ladakh, Azadi is unsustainable.The sum of Rs.16000 crore spend last year, two-thirds or 65 paisa out of every rupee, came from the centre. This year too, the state will spend Rs. 17000 crore, of which Rs. 12,000 crore or Rs.12,000 per person will come from the centre.Compare this with the Rs.700 per capita that uttar pradesh gets.

Where has all this money gone ? Azadi sounds more romantic and many across the border will revel in the rebellion. But those chanting slogans in the valley need to wake up to one critical question. Can they afford Azadi ? Will a failed state like pakistan afford to pamper them like india does ? Will they get susidised rice and wheat ? They should introspect.

HINDU BLUNDERS IN KASHMIR- SPINELESS-YEAR 1818

Hindus have been spineless for centuries & will remain so ever after. Afghans, Mughals, Turks and the British have found hindus most soft and gutless people. No doubt, they ruled our land for almost 800 years.Hindus have been meek spectators during those times and still are meek spectators till today.Bomb blasts, being conducted so frequently in all parts of india. No reaction except for bandhs carried out all over india. Again disturbing public life, loss of crores in business,and that too, to their own people. The extremists want such kind of bandhs to happen more frequently. They have a win-win situation. First kill people, create chaos and spread fear. They know very well, that hindus can only resort to bandhs, which bleeds the economy more than their bomb blasts.

I am thankful to mr Vinod Khurana and Mrs Poonam Kundra from Austria to enlighten me about such hard facts on kashmir, which most of us are not aware of. But they are in history. While searching the net, my doubt, became clear, about the incident they told me. Dr Biplab Pal, editor of Fossac TV,is an eminent scholar and optical fibre engineer in USA. His article was an eye opener. In the year 1818,Maharaja Ranjit Singh conquered Kashmir & drove out the Muslim rulers. During this time,a lot of Muslim tribal leaders in Kashmir who were frustrated by cruelty of alien muslim rulers wanted to be folded back in Hinduism. But petty minded pandits refused to assimilate them into Hinduism. And thus pandits committed largest blunder in Hindu history of Kashmir. As a result, chance of revivalism of hinduism in kashmir was lost for ever. It resulted in more hatred by muslims against hindus which continues till today.

Had this blunder by kashmiri pandits not taken place, Kashmir would have been a hindu dominated state.

Stop bandhs. Do something purposeful.

KASHMIR WITH INDIA. LET MUSLIMS IN KASHMIR GO TO PAKISTAN

If we go down the history, kashmir was always the integral part of india since thousands of years.The mauryan Emperor, Ashoka The Great is often credited to have founded the city of Srinagar. Kashmir was the buddhist seat of learning. The buddhist monk bandhudatta helped take buddhism to China.The sufi islamic minority community revered the same saints and prayed in the same shrines. They lived in complete harmony. The minority sufi muslims at that time complimented the Rishi tradition of Kasmiri pandits. For 400-500 yrs various muslim invaders, Afghans and Mughals came and went. Their main motive was loot and demolition of temples.

The Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, was one of the most cruel rulers. He converted majority of kashmiri pandits to muslims.By early 19th century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, conqured Kashmir. The last descendant of this kingdom was Raja Hari Singh, who was the ruler till yr 1947.

Aligarh, Moradabad and many more cities in india are muslim dominated. All over india, many cities have colonies with muslim majority. Have they ever asked for accession ? They have never supported muslims in Kashmir.Every nook and corner in india, would have been mini Pakistan, if they thought like muslims in Kashmir.

They have always been part and parcel of india. Then what is the problem with muslims in Kashmir ? There great grandfaters had hindu origins. If they still think, they want a muslim state, let them go to Pakistan. As history proves, Kashmir was always part of india. Kashmir cant go to Pakistan. They have to make a decision. To stay in kashmir or move to pakistan. choice is theirs.

WHAT IS JEHAD- MUSLIM SCHOLARS

We hear this word JEHAD again & again from fundamentalists. After all what is the real meaning og JEHAD ? As per the hardcore muslims, the non beleivers in islam should be waged with jehad. They beleive muslim religion is under threat and they are waging a Holy war ( jehad ) to teach these people a lesson. They beleive by bloodshed only, they can acheive their goals. This word is highly misunderstood not only by non-muslims but also by muslims. According to a famous theological expert, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, the Quran states that " treason against the state, combined with treason against Allah is a crime with punishments like executions,crucifixion, maimimg or exile as per the situation ". Islam sanctions war,but under very strict rules.The true concept of jehad is the waging of war against one's own selfish nature, vices and shortcomings. It is also the war to be waged within muslim society to fight evil, injustice, inequity, illiteracy and ignorance.

it is hightime, learned muslim scholars come forward and explain the real meaning of jehad to extremists and islamic terrorists, who in the name of jehad do mass murders, bomb explosions and kill innocent people. In fact, they should start a jehad within themselves to fight illiteracy and ignorance.

WE NEED ANOTHER SARDAR PATEL- THE IRON MAN

While going through history, i find that Sardar Patel played the most important role for unification of india. During British rule, there were 565 princely states, having its own King or Monarch. It was Sardar Patel, as Deputy Prime Minister & Home Minister who brought all the princely states under Indian Republic. It was a daunting task but as he was known THE IRON MAN OF INDIA,he accomplished the impossible task with diplomacy and with the help of indian armed forces. He knew where to use diplomacy or force. Only 3 states, Hyderabad, Junagadh & Jammu & Kashmir,did not agree. He sent armed forces, when Nehru was away to Europe, and by force, brought them in the Indian Republic. Nawab of Junagadh fled to Pakistan. Nizam of Hyderabad surrendered within 4 days but as he was embarking to win over Jammu & Kashmir, Nehru, never agreed. It was the biggest blunder of history, for which Nehru is still blamed for. Had, Nehru, not interfered, in Sardar Patel's endeavour, kashmir problem, would have been resolved, there and then.

We are still paying for Nehru's blunders. Sardal patel was the 1st choice of Congress for a Prime Minister of free India. Only Gandhiji never agreed and made Nehru the Prime Minister. The situation in india today would have been quite different.

If Sardar Patel could manage to unite 565 princely states into India, we cant manage only one state like Jammu & Kashmir. It is a sad day for our country. Cant we have another Sardar Patel ? If we look around, i dont think any leader today, even stands a 1% chance, to be closer to Sardar Patel.

THE PLIGHT OF KASHMIRI PANDITS

Refugees in your own country ? Is'nt it strange ? I have yet to see even a smallest country in this world, where their own people are refugees. Yes, you can see the refugees, kashmiri pandits, in a big country like india. We talk of becoming a global power, nuclear power, sending a mission to the moon. A country which is next to china.The 6th largest army in the world. Yet, we cant protect our own people. For the last 20 yrs, kasmiri pandits are staying in exile, in their own country. Have we seen such a situation anywhere in the world ? I dont know. 3 lakh kashmiri pandits turned out of their own homeland ? 1000 pandits killed in the valley ? Their women raped, children murdered and 3000 of their properties looted and confiscated. At the time of partition, pandits constituted 9% of the total population of the valley. Today their are almost none. Stastics show, that at the time of partition, there were 30% hindus left in pakistan. Today they are hardly 1%.

I am not against muslim community. They form a formidable part of india. They are everywhere. In govt. service, pvt. sector, in services sector like IT & BPO's. they are in the army, paramilitary forces etc. They as a community are religious people, but what about their leaders and our leaders ?

We talk of secularism. Are we secular to the these pandits ? We are ofcourse secular to the minority community. Why double standards of secularism ?

The leaders have to answer this. Otherwise, communal problems will always remain. And in a communal society,a country cant reach anywhere. We cant talk of big words like upcoming global power, nuclear state with 8% GDP. It sounds strange.

Let us return the pandits, their self-esteem. Let them have their own Homeland, which they can proudly say, belongs to them. There is no harm in making Jammu, their homeland. Let it be a Union Territory like Chandigarh.

JAMMU & KASHMIR- CURRENT TURMOIL

It is really sad to see new problems coming up between jammu & kasmir valley. Why dont the politicians stay away from this disturbed state ? They are adding fuel to fire. Instead of making bridges between hindus & mulims,
they are creating more problems for both the communities. Hindus and muslims have been living in peace for centuries, there was no animosity between them. All the problems are created by politicians for their vested interests and to create a vote bank. On both the places, many people are dying everyday. Let amarnath shrine board and the the hurriyat leaders sit across the table and sort out the problem. It is only when politicians take sides, the problem aggravates. I am sure if both the opposing sides sit together, they can find a solution to the problem. For the last 130 yrs, local muslims have been helping amarnath pilgrims. Serving langar to them and taking their bag and baggage till the sacred cave. Why suddenly the problem arrived ? lok sabha elections are very near. Each of the parties want to create and increase their vote banks.They dont mind if both the communities fight. Let people die. they are hardly bothered.

The day is not far, when on an election day, voters say, they dont want to vote for any party.what is the way out ?
let us create a panel of impeccable people. They could be from business, professionals, leading doctors, professors, retd. generals, retd. ips officers and from other streams. Let them come together on a common platform and stand as candidates for elections. They will have the knowledge and the expertise to run the country, more efficiently. How should they collect money to fight an election ? There will be no dearth of money for them.
Once their names are announced, people will themselves come forward with loads of money for them. People will be willing to volunteer and canvass for them. Reason being, people are now sick of politicians. They have no option today. But if the option comes, they will grab it and throw out these politicians out for ever.

ECONOMY SHINING- TRUE STORY

As our finance minister and the prime minister claims, that are economy is on the upswing, i think, it is a farce. Are they making fool out of us ? Are they not aware of the ground realities ? The policies they are making are actually for the rich. special economic zones ( sez's ) are being created everday, which are actually tax havens for the top industrial houses. No taxes at all will be charged, from big industrial houses at all. they are actually creating policies to grab hundreds of acres of land for these big houses. this is a legal way of land grabbing from poor farmers.

small scale industry used to be the back bone of indian economy.govt is slowly and gradually making policies to make them dead. time is not far off, when small scale industries will eventually become ancillaries of big industrial houses.rich are getting richer every डे. small scale industries all over india are on the threshold of closing दोवं.

Recently, i happen to meet a senior bureacrat। in an informal meeting over drinks, he told us the govt's roadmap।

as per the govt। small scale industries are not paying taxes to the govt। they claim, small scale sector deals in all in all illegal activities। they dont pay excise, sales tax, income tax, vat and they misuse the power। so let small scale die its own death। it could be true in a few cases। there is no denying the fact। but how can you penalise the entire small industries, if some bad fishes are there। you penalise such small industry, who adopt such method, but why withdraw all the incentives from them, just because of some black sheep। there are millions of small scale units all over india, which give good quality products to the consumers at much lesser rates than big houses। big houses dont want the small scale sector to survive। they are in the process of making big monopolies and cartels to exploit the cosumers। they dictate their terms to the govt and policies are made for them।

what about middle class people ? they are white collared people who are being squeezed by rising inflation। they have to maintain a certain standard in the society and it is becoming difficult for them to make both ends meet।

as per the very small shopkeepers like kulcha wala is much better off than a middle class man। he does not pay any taxes। he bribes local authorities and gets away। what about middle class ? he has to pay incometax, other local taxes like water supply, corporation taxes like house tax, sewerage tax and has to maintain a certain standard in front of the society he relates to।

in nutshell, very rich are becoming more rich and competing among themselves to to gain rankings of super rich

in " FORBES " magazine। local kulchawalas, pan shops, bakery shops and all kinds of such people have no hangups in the society। बोथ are enjoying the economy एक्स्सप्त अ poor, middle class मन.

TERRORISM

it has become a big beast in the entire world. hardly any country is spared of this.the roots lie in uneducated fanatics, people who are deprived, misled people and brain washed by vested countries to make this world an unstable place। they are not aware, that the people, they are training for terrorism will eat them up one day। pakistan is a living example। it trained taliban, extremist elements in its own territory and now it is facing the music, in their own country। the entire pakistan is disturbed these days। fanactics are killing their own mentors। it had to happen some day। whatever you sow, so shall you reap, is an old saying।

india is a soft country। we have all seen this। bomb blasts are taking place in one state or another, with a pinpoint

precision। terrorists are one step ahead as cmpared to the authorities। they choose the place and time with an advance warning to the concerned state govts। and they do strike। what are intelligence agencies doing ? siiting in their plush airconditioned offices, they have failed every time to bust the terror network। they have not been able to trace, who these people are। its a great shame and a big slap on the authorities। we should strengthen our intelligence network to pre-empt terror strikes। after ९/११, american govt। has not allowed even a small single strike.their intelligence is par excellence। uk, after train bomb blasts are so vigilant, that none of the terror groups have dared to strike। our image of a soft state has emboldend the terrorists। they know well, that nothing is going to happen to them, as indian govt is busy in their own deal striking politics and has no time and courage to displease the minority। minority is themselves at risk। dont their children, wives and men die in the bomb blasts ?

bombs are quite secular, that way। they explode and spare nobody।

we should go to the root cause of terror। these people who are used as instruments to carry out blasts, are themselves victims of atrocities by some hard core so called nationalist elements। when gujarat burnt in the yr २००२, many innocent muslims were killed for no fault of theirs। their women raped and children killed। they have not got justice till today। our govt and active ngo's should put a balm on their wounds। they should be given proper justice and should be brought to the mainstream। they should feel at par with all indians.when you make them sure, that

mistakes have been done and justice will prevail, i dont think, any indian muslim will again fall in the trap of foreign terror elements। if foreign elements do not get get the local logicstics support, yhey will not be able to strike any more। punjab is a living example। at one time, a terror state, people when they came to know the real motives of terror groups, stopped giving shelter। and terror was replaced by peace.

BRING EMINENT PEOPLE

We have been silent spectators all these yrs. But now the time has come that we should act. Why dont we form some kind an NGO, may be " HALLA BOLE ".All businessman, professionals, students, pvt co. employees, govt.employees, workers and people from all streams must come on a common platform. Who should guide us ? Eminent retired army generals, retd. high police officials like DIG'S, retd.bureacrats with impeccable track record, should come forward for the movement. After all, what are they doing sitting at home ? They are just silent and moot spectators like us, reading newspapers and watching tv, helplessly. Now is the time for them to come out and lead us all to a common goal, which is start NGO from scratch. Let there be one member initially, but remember, " ek diye se hazaro diye jalte hai ". We have to make a start at some point, and it is today. It may take10-15 yrs for this movement to grow in strength, but act we must now.

If we still dont do anything, future generations will not spare us and if we dont act today,our grand great children,
will be doomed. Its hightime, we must join hands, start thinking and do something to make brighter future for our next generation.

CRITERIA

The politics in india, is in sad state of affairs. Recently in vote confidence vote in parliament, politicians became naked, in front of the nation, watching them live, in parliament with currency notes. Are these the people, we have chosen to represent us ? Certainly not. We are to be blamed for that. We send these MP's to parliament by voting for them. Are we fit for democracy ? No, we are not. Democracies are fit for a country, where people are educated. they know about their rights and duties. England and USA are living examples.

Voting should be linked to education. A person, minimum a matriculate, should be allowed to vote. Reason is. he has the basic education. He knows for which candidate to vote for who has to go to parliament and represent him for his needs and for his future. Their should be education clause for the candidate too, who is standing for election.He should be minimum BA, without any criminal record and must have work experience of minimum 10 years. It means, before standing as a candidate for a particular area, he should have worked in that particular area for the last 10 yrs. People must know him. For an MBA, you need, work experience. why not for, politicians ? Election commission should not allow the candidate to fight for election, until unless, the candidate has fulfilled the required criteria.

These changes have to come, if we want to secure our future and our country's future. Politicians will not pass this bill as they are themselves criminals, tainted and uneducated. So who should bell the cat ? It is the supreme court and it is its duty to pass such strictures and direct election commission for that. I think, many problems will be solved. If supreme court can give strictures for using cng in delhi to reduce pollution level, then it should also give strictures to the election commission, so that pollution level in politics also gets reduced.

KUCCH KARO- WHY WRITING A BLOG ?

I am an ordinary citizen of india, staying in Amritsar, Punjab, India. I am writing this blog for myself and for the people who share the same sentiments for my great country, India. I never thought of writing a blog, initially. But when i read a few blogs, i came to the conclusion that writing a blog is very important for reaching people and sharing my views about the political turmoil we are going through. I used to discuss political situation with my friends and my rotary club, of whom i have been the president in the year 2003-04. I noticed that most of the people i talked about the political conditions prevailing in our country, were least interested. They were interested to discuss their own problems, which every one of us faces every day. But what about our country india ? Nobody was interested. Then i thought of writing a blog, thinking, there must be few people on the net, who have the same feelings.
For many years, we all have been silent spectators watching tv, reading newspapers and magazines, on whats going on in the country. We mostly are people who discuss politics in our drawing rooms and blame politicians for the situation our country is in. But what to we do for that ? Nothing. After having a drink or two, we all go back to our houses and sleep. Next day morning, we all are away to our respective works, trying to make our ends meet to give best to our family. We are busy the whole day long in our work and remain dumb, when we hear the news on tv, that there have been bomb blasts in some city or the other. We discuss bomb blasts for a few minutes, and then again go back to our work, forgetting everything about the bomb blasts.

Have we become impotent or deaf ? We are not bothered where are country is heading to ? We just say " ye to sab chalta rehta hai "