BABA AMTE

ARVIND K.PANDEY

Baba Amte was man with a noble mission -to serve the cause of humanity in a selfless manner .It was really very inspiring to see a critically involved ill person involved in movements like Narmada Bachao Andolan .Kudos to his children and wife , who have become carriers of his idea to create a leprosy free world .Baba Amte would always remain a guiding star for people who wish to make substantial contribution for the society .Surely , he was " man with a difference " in a society , wherein so-called reformers are making huge money in the name of serving the society .

LEADERS :MAKING LIFE HELLISH

ARVIND K.PANDEY

Maharastra , which was washed out by the tidal waves of divisive politics is gaining back normalcy after the dramatic release of Raj Thackeray . However , the whole drama is indicative of the fact that absurd orientations of foolish politicians make lives of common people nightmarish . It's always the man on street , who has to pay a heavy price for the crimes done by shrewd political bigwigs . Raj Thackeray might have attained popularity among some sections of Marathis but it serves no purpose for thousands of North Indians , who were forced to make emergency exit , leaving behind their homes and belongings at the mercy of God . Well, we need to crush the egos of such dirty politicians to provide a breather to hapless North Indians or , for that matter , ordinary citizens of India .

PAKISTAN : DEN OF CORRUPTION AND MAYHEM

ARVIND K.PANDEY

Let me state that dependency on aids has crippled the political set-up of Pakistan . The aids never allowed Pakistan to pitch in better moral and ethical standards in politics amid well-managed constituitional bodies . Probably this is why military can at will crush the dignity of constituitional institutions like the Supreme court . No wonder why Pakistan has turned into den of corruption and mayhem , where an influential person can be assassinated with much ease . Worse , love for aids also prevented Pakistan from learning the art of creation of infrastructure . True , the military aid nedds to be spend on development of civil society instead of catering to the needs of men in uniform . The military needs to be shown the door from politics and economy to usher in democratic temper in Pakistan . Or else , dark days are ready to engulf Pakistan forever .

THE CREATION OF FEDERAL POLICE AGENCY

ARVIND K.PANDEY

Considering the emergence of new forms of terrorism , growing influence of Naxalites and threatening developments which could very easily excite the fundamentalists , it has become imperative to set up a Federal Police Agency .It's commonplace nowadays to hear about blame game after a major terrorist attack . The war of words between Centre and State during such critical times allows the culprits to find a safe hiding place for themselves . The lack of co-ordination between the State and Centre has always lead to successful execution of sinister gameplans of the terrorists .The Federal Police Agency would not only prove handy in deciphering complex cases but also turn out to be great asset for the CBI overburdened with cases . Ironically , it has become tendency of the State governments nowadays to mould the investigations in their favour . Against this scenario , the Federal Police Agency would provide a new lease of life to victim's family by ensuring transperency and efficiency in the investigations . Needless to state , the Rizwanur Rehman case and some high profile cases in Bihar have proved that State police merely serves the wishes of their politcal masters .

PAKISTAN AFTER ELECTIONS

ARVIND K.PANDEY

(Published in INDIA TODAY , MARCH 17,2008)

The electorates' verdict has placed Pakistan in the corridors of uncertainity .Despite the odds, it's a great opportunity for the strange bedfellows Zardari and Sharif to be the agents of positive changes in Pakistan .It's on them whether they make or mar the better possibilities roped in by the electorates , who have not provided any one poltical bigwig total control over the political scenario . However , the big obstacle in its attainment is that both of them are not very great visionaries and also not very capable of conceiving sound strategies to tackle the complex challenges . The crumbling economic structure and dominance of extremists have reduced Pakistan into bundle of negative developments .It's time for these two leaders to have a strong coalition by rising above their differences and prejudices .

NEPAL :TRAPPED IN DOUBLE-STANDARDS OF MAOISTS

ARVIND K.PANDEY

The alliance including the Maoists has led to further destabilization and fragmentation in Nepal . Ironically , it does not enjoy the support of Nepalese people , which it claims to possess time and again . It's an open secret that Nepalese people don't have any faith in this alliance , resting on conflicting interests . There are reports which indicate that the Maoists are engaged in extortion of money from the hapless citizens . One fails to understand how can dismantling of the old beliefs and cultural patterns can take place in the name of creation of new way of governance ? However , this is what the Maoists have been doing since past few years . Lastly , I don't agree with the Time's observation that India is inclined towards Nepal simply because of its political interests the China way . Unlike China , India enjoys a centuries-old cultural and social bondings with Nepal , which make it imperative for India to keep an eye on the happenings in Nepal .

CRICKET IN GRIP OF MONEY

ARVIND K.PANDEY

The Indian Premier League ( IPL )might be today in a position to dominate the world of cricket with its money power but it would not be able to retain its charishma and charm for a very long time . Ultimately , it's cricket devoid of glamour of money that would rule over the hearts and minds of the cricket lovers , being devoid of nuisances of phataphat cricket .Rickey Ponting has rightly stated that crude show of money is destroyiing the essence of cricket .Yes, the ICC should have anticipated that introduction of T20 format of cricket would only lead to death of real cricket with market gurus turning it into channel of making huge money. Lastly ,there should be a serious probe by the Income Tax Department to ascertain the real source of money of the movie starlets backing up the various teams .

DARING TO HAVE CHILDREN

ARVIND K.PANDEY

(Published in NEWSWEEK ,MARCH 8,2008)

China's strict implementation of its one-child policy was the beginning of the harsh ordeal for China's rural poor. But the urban rich came up with novel ways to conveniently avoid the implications of breaking the law. In fact, Asia's rich and powerful, whether in India or China, somehow manage to find an escape route. It is shocking that corrupt officials abducted unregistered children and demanded large "fees" for their release from families who dared to have more than one child. No doubt the one-child policy has stabilized and controlled population growth in China, but it has also made trouble for ordinary people.

WRITER :CRITICALLY ILL

ARVIND K.PANDEY

Sorry folks !, being ill, I,m niether able to write regularly on my blogsite(Indowaves) nor able to place my comments to the responses .I'm bed-ridden but this does not mean I'm not going through what's going on the site .So please remain hooked to me as well as my writing and pray that I get well soon to become part of you all in a regular way . Thanks to the blog.co.uk team who didn't misss the opportunity to enquire about me !!!!!

THE OTHER SIDE OF KISHORE

ARVIND K.PANDEY

Only Leena Chandavarkar could have defended Kishore Kumar in such an intimate and moving manner , leading to the mitigation of his " madness " theories propogated by the prejudiced minds . A real genius does not believe in leading a life in sync with existing worldly norms , which are , more or less , obstacles in the attainment of creative perfection . This really upsets the minds used to following the beaten track , who cannot intercept the perceptions vibrating at a higher plane . However , Kishore Kumar , who possessed all the elements found in an elevated soul , didn't allow such crazy characters to interfere in his experiments with creative perfection . A legendary figure in the world of cinema , who established new paradigms in nearly all the departments of movie making .However , we love to remember him as a singer , whose voice never fails to transport us into a mysterious world .Let's remember him the way any great soul is rememberd .

OWNING A CAR BECCOMES EASIER

ARVIND K.PANDEY

(Published in BUSINESS ECONOMICS ,MARCH 15,2008)

The Tata Group has finally managed to take its most ambitious project to its logical culmination , bringing before the world $ 2,500 car " Nano " in all its grandeur . Certainly , it would be now easier for the middle class people to fulfil the cherish dream of owning a car . However , there are some grave implications , which cannot be ignored . Apart from unfortunate series of incidents that hit Singur , the poor roads and ever-increasing cases of rad rage would make the life hellish for the commuters especially the pedestrians and bicycle users . The Tata Group might boast of its fuel-efficiency but it's a harsh reality that huge consumption of petrol would only deepen the crisis of oil with mounting debt on the country caused by the huge imports of oil .Again , are we in a position to ignore our contribution of the carbon-emission ? More cars mean more carbon emission . Against the scenario , whererin developed nations are continuously screwing us , how do we plan to reduce the carbon-emission when we have provided the huge middle class a perfect route to own a car ? Perhaps instead of providing wings to common man's greed , it would be much better to provide them living standards not marred by lack of basic amenities .What prevents the corporate giants and government to start a joint initiative to provide us better roads , pure water , sound education and quality health facilities , to name a few ? Lastly , owning a bicycle than a car would please the Mother Earth more !!

MASTERS OF VOICE

ARVIND K.PANDEY

(Published in CITY CHEERS, MARCH, 2008)

The stalwarts in the field of anchoring like Ameen Sayani ,Kabban Mirza , Harish Bhimami , Ashok Sonavade and Rajendra Tripathi , to name a few , achieved pinnacle by having a near-perfect control over voice modulation . This coupled with their terrific hold over the vernacular language helped them to strike an eternal bond with the listeners . Surely , the right pronounciation added new dimensions in their glorious career . Sadly, the present-age anchors on both private channel and Vividh Bharti have turned out to be butt of ridicule among the conscious listeners . Their craze for fusion of Hindi and English might have helped them to gain popularity in the metroes but they are unheard in real India -the villages . Above all, they have little knowlewdge about the old classics or , for that matter , they have little respect towards lyricists/musicians of yesteryears . Having no concern for the right accent , they speak in a manner as if they have to catch a train after the programme ! The commercialization has given rise to such a dissaponting scenario in the field of anchoring .Our last hope Vividh Bharti ,too, has given way to waves of globalisation and , barring the old ones ,the upcoming anchors are not up to the mark . Anyway , I was taken aback over the magazine's step-motherly treatment towards the anchors of Vividh Bharti , doing excellent work in recent times . Or else , you would have mentioned about them in your magazine .

PRASOON JOSHI : LOVING REALISM

ARVIND K.PANDEY

(Published in DASH , MARCH ,2008)

The likes of Prasoon Joshi and Piyush Pandey have defied the norms by presenting conventional wisdom in crucible of modern lingo without destroying the essence of knowledge shared by the comon people . One of the main reasons for present-age writers /lyricists inability to strike bond with average people has been the absence of Indianness in them . Having little connection with lives of people living in rural India (the real India ) , the bonhomie of so-called writers with Hinglish fails to leave everlasting impression on the listeners/readers .The good thing about Prasoon Joshi is that he is trying to follow the footsteps of lyricists of yesteryears especially Gulzar .Probably , he is right in his observation that that song writer should have ability to record the happenings of real life in simplistic manner .The songs of Taren Zameen Par , Fanaa , Hum Tum and Rang De Basanti , to name a few , bear testimony to his ability to say things in a simple manner . Needless to state , such powerful ex-pressions cannot surface without having a deep bond with vernacular literature .

DOCTORS : IN GRIP OF PATIENTS NOW

ARVIND K.PANDEY

(Published in HARMONY , MARCH 2008)

The Supreme court has rightly placed the services provided by the doctor within the ambit of services mentioned in the Consumer Protection Act .It's no secrert that doctors these days are behaving more like businessmen than a professional involved in the treatment of patrient with care and sincerity . More often than not the patients are compelled to go through series of unwanted and complicated medical tests even in treatment of diseases of simple nature .But the real problem arises when the doctor refuses to own the responsibity of blunders committed during the treatment , leaving the patient high and dry . Before the Supreme court's verdict , such matters involving the negligence of doctor often turned out to be bone of contention with the doctor managing to escape in the name of medical complexity envirioning the treatment . Thanks to the Supreme court's judgement , the scenario has changed altogether . It's now longer possible for doctors to treat patients as black sheeps , providing compensation to the patients in the negligence cases . However , it's for the patients to ensure that they don't misuse the law to give rise to fake cases .

KERALA: SHOWING THE WAY

ARVIND K.PANDEY

(Published in INDIA TODAY , MARCH 24,2008)

The Kerala government has turned out to be the harbinger of hope for other farmers in different states , who are reeling under debt related issues .At least , the Kerala government has demonstrated that out-of-box-thinking could lead to creation of new path even amidst the most trying situation . The suspension of recovery proceedings , compensation for the farmers and better implementation of NREGS has led to fall in farm suicides in Kerala . However , the implementation of NREGS is marred by high level of corruption with states like Maharastra , Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh folowing the beaten track in tackling the issues of farmers .The other states need to replicate the methadology adopted by Kerala to provide farmers better living standards .