In one of my earlier blog, I had suggested that prospective candidates to hold elected offices be subjected to public scrunity though a live-telecast question and answer session without the help of a moderator - on the lines of "RATIFICATION" in vogue in USA.
A fellow Blogger has come out with a gem of an idea now in Indian Express. He has suggested a live telecast of Narco test on these eminent personalities. He has suggested such a test for President, PM, Judges, etc etc.
This is a great idea.
Imagine conducting such a test on Maneka Gandhi. We will have newer material on Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi - and from horse's (horse-lover's) mouth too.
Such tests on eminent personalities , apart from giving information about the testee himself/herself, will also enable us to update history books, if not Account books!
Such a test on Vajpayeeji will bring out more of the poet in him excelling even Ghalib or Bachchan.
In the interest of preserving our heritage and history to posterity, we should seriously pursue this idea. Future generations will benefit more if video recordings are put in time capsules and buried deep in the bowels of earth instead of allowing them remain deep in the secret vaults of some hearts.
The only drawback is that the present generation may lose the 'services' of some 'servants of people' due to their reluctance to undergo the test or due to the revalations of somebody else who dares to undergo.
Present generation will be willing to make this sacrifice for the sake of future generations.
Alas this is a pipe-dream - the excuse of state secrets is there - notwithstanding Right to Information Act.
...ponder
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Myth
Today's dose of myth is that Nehru loved children and hence his birthday is observed as Childrens' Day.
To accept truth Nehru, indeed loved but one child only whom he groomed as PM over the head of many a stalwarts.
Can there be anybody who does not love children, especially if they are kept far and used only to gain publicity? Children are kept in hot sun for hours to greet VIPs, to take part in ceremonies, to celebrate childrens' day - and I too love them if they are kept that way.
Somebody said that people tend to see extraordinary in ordinary things, and attribute greatness where none is deserved. This is how myths and halos are artificially created.
To quote a quote in an article in TOI today -
"For a man who left the country not better fed, clothed or housed... more corruptly governed ... with higher taxes, ever-rising prices, over-acute foreign exchange difficulties and more unemployment than when he took charge, India has been too kind to Nehru. It is time we took the mythology out of History."
I would add, we should remember him for
1.his pseudo-secularism (discarding dhoti for churidars)
2.his pet socialism which had to be dismantled eventually by Narasimha Rao & Man Mohan Singh.
3.Eternalising Kashmiri problem.
4.Ceding away large chunk of India 'as not a blade of grass grows there'!
5.Dynastic politics.
remove the chaff take the grain.
...ponder
To accept truth Nehru, indeed loved but one child only whom he groomed as PM over the head of many a stalwarts.
Can there be anybody who does not love children, especially if they are kept far and used only to gain publicity? Children are kept in hot sun for hours to greet VIPs, to take part in ceremonies, to celebrate childrens' day - and I too love them if they are kept that way.
Somebody said that people tend to see extraordinary in ordinary things, and attribute greatness where none is deserved. This is how myths and halos are artificially created.
To quote a quote in an article in TOI today -
"For a man who left the country not better fed, clothed or housed... more corruptly governed ... with higher taxes, ever-rising prices, over-acute foreign exchange difficulties and more unemployment than when he took charge, India has been too kind to Nehru. It is time we took the mythology out of History."
I would add, we should remember him for
1.his pseudo-secularism (discarding dhoti for churidars)
2.his pet socialism which had to be dismantled eventually by Narasimha Rao & Man Mohan Singh.
3.Eternalising Kashmiri problem.
4.Ceding away large chunk of India 'as not a blade of grass grows there'!
5.Dynastic politics.
remove the chaff take the grain.
...ponder
Friday, November 14, 2008
Disturbing
There was an interesting but disturbing news item in TOI recently.
The newly elect Maldives President is mulling on buying up vast tracts of land in India to settle his people in case his country is inundated by rising sea due to global warming. He cited the Israeli precedent as his model. Ofcourse Sri Lanka and Australia are also possible options according to him which may be a red herring.
This is very alarming. We know what followed Jews' buying of land in Palastine. Sovergnity followed. Wars followed. Forcible occupation of territories in neighbouring countries followed. Palastinians are reduced to refugees in their own lands. Bloodshed is still regular.
India has already lost a lot of its territory through partition, forcible occupation and squatting. Pakistan and Bangla Desh were legal creations. Pakistan and China occupy large areas in Kashmir illegally. China has taken over thousands of square miles in NEFA. It has its eye on Arunachal now. We have ceded an island to Sri Lanka. These are cent percent territorial losses with no hope of retrieval.
in addition we have various secessionist movements. Tamils may have given up demand for Dravidastan. But in North East insurgency is a fact of life. we dont know what future holds in store.
Lakhs of Bangla Deshis have infiltrated and squat with all documentations. Likewise Tamils from Srilanka. From Nepal too. Pakistanis come with valid visas only to vanish in India.
This loud thinking from Maldives reveals what opinion even insignificant countries have about our will to uphold our territorial integrity. Indias's statecraft and especially our foreign policy has never been ruthless, determined nor, if I may say, patriotic. Our soft belly is ever exposed. We beg for approval from all and sundry.
India, whatever is left of it, must be for Indians - atleast now.
Our Government should take serious note of Maldives intent - may be only intent now -and send strong signals and keep a vigilant eye on land transactions. There is no room for complacency.
...ponder
The newly elect Maldives President is mulling on buying up vast tracts of land in India to settle his people in case his country is inundated by rising sea due to global warming. He cited the Israeli precedent as his model. Ofcourse Sri Lanka and Australia are also possible options according to him which may be a red herring.
This is very alarming. We know what followed Jews' buying of land in Palastine. Sovergnity followed. Wars followed. Forcible occupation of territories in neighbouring countries followed. Palastinians are reduced to refugees in their own lands. Bloodshed is still regular.
India has already lost a lot of its territory through partition, forcible occupation and squatting. Pakistan and Bangla Desh were legal creations. Pakistan and China occupy large areas in Kashmir illegally. China has taken over thousands of square miles in NEFA. It has its eye on Arunachal now. We have ceded an island to Sri Lanka. These are cent percent territorial losses with no hope of retrieval.
in addition we have various secessionist movements. Tamils may have given up demand for Dravidastan. But in North East insurgency is a fact of life. we dont know what future holds in store.
Lakhs of Bangla Deshis have infiltrated and squat with all documentations. Likewise Tamils from Srilanka. From Nepal too. Pakistanis come with valid visas only to vanish in India.
This loud thinking from Maldives reveals what opinion even insignificant countries have about our will to uphold our territorial integrity. Indias's statecraft and especially our foreign policy has never been ruthless, determined nor, if I may say, patriotic. Our soft belly is ever exposed. We beg for approval from all and sundry.
India, whatever is left of it, must be for Indians - atleast now.
Our Government should take serious note of Maldives intent - may be only intent now -and send strong signals and keep a vigilant eye on land transactions. There is no room for complacency.
...ponder
Friday, November 7, 2008
I am confused
Telugu Desam Party recently put Vijayawada-Guntur areas into total chaos with its so-called 'YUVA GARJANA'. The galaxy of speakers were no so 'Yuva' being on the wrong side of 50s. If this is the youth of TDP, God save (not necessarily) TDP. This is supposed to counter Chiru effect. Congress is coming out with its own version of cine-blitz to counter both.
Fringe parties like CPI, CPM, Lok Satta only appear immune or have no takers in this mad rush to encash cinema actors.
I am confused about a few issues.
1) What individuals now projected have to do with politics, what service or sacrifices they have done for the people or the country?
2) Why is it that TDP harps on NTR after unceremoneously ousting him out of power. Why not forget him?
3) where was Purandhareswari when NTR was dethroned? Did her husband bargain for DyCM post?
4) where was Chandra Babu when NTR was roaming around the state for establishing the TDP and quite sometime after NTR came to power?
5) Does not Lakshmi Parvati belong to Nandamuri family?
6) Is the TDP the family property of a certain clan like Congress is?
7) Why there are no intellectuals in this party? What is is ideology?
8) Whether NTR would have been thrown out had he not re-married and a non-Nandamuri influence entered the picture?
What is this tamasha?
...ponder
Fringe parties like CPI, CPM, Lok Satta only appear immune or have no takers in this mad rush to encash cinema actors.
I am confused about a few issues.
1) What individuals now projected have to do with politics, what service or sacrifices they have done for the people or the country?
2) Why is it that TDP harps on NTR after unceremoneously ousting him out of power. Why not forget him?
3) where was Purandhareswari when NTR was dethroned? Did her husband bargain for DyCM post?
4) where was Chandra Babu when NTR was roaming around the state for establishing the TDP and quite sometime after NTR came to power?
5) Does not Lakshmi Parvati belong to Nandamuri family?
6) Is the TDP the family property of a certain clan like Congress is?
7) Why there are no intellectuals in this party? What is is ideology?
8) Whether NTR would have been thrown out had he not re-married and a non-Nandamuri influence entered the picture?
What is this tamasha?
...ponder
Temple Renovations
Extracts frim a report from 'the Hindu" regarding the loss of priceless art during temple renovation are produced below:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHENNAI: A 1,200-year-old Siva temple of the Pallava period at Tiruppulivanam village in Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu, has been wiped clean of its beautiful Chola-period paintings. The frescoes, about 975 years old, have been sand-blasted out of existence.
Ironically, at a seminar organised on the temple premises on August 27, 2007, archaeologists, epigraphists and artists had decided on measures to preserve the paintings and inscriptions in the temple.
Two 16-pillared mantapas are among the temple’s treasures that have been destroyed. One of the mantapas, which was commonly called ‘madapalli’ or kitchen, had Tamil inscriptions dating back to Kulotunga Chola III (1215 A.D.), the Telugu Chola Vijayakanda Gopaladeva, Rajanarayana Sambuvaraya and others. The other mantapa, called Alankara Mantapa, belonged to the 16th century Vijayanagara period.
This destruction has taken place during “renovation” that the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department officials are undertaking. As part of this exercise, they plan to pull down a 100-pillared mantapa just outside the temple and “rebuild it.”
The Vyagrapurisvara temple at Tiruppulivanam, near Uttraramerur, 95 km from Chennai, was one of the three temples in Tamil Nadu where Chola paintings existed. The others where they still exist are the Brihadeesvara temple in Thanjavur and the Vijayalaya Cholisvara temple near Pudukottai.
When this correspondent and a photographer visited the temple on November 2, an earthmover was piling up the dismembered granite slabs of the Alankara Mantapa.
In the main temple itself, sandblasting had been done on the southern, northern and western walls of the prakara, on the sculptures on pillars and on the ancient Tamil inscriptions — in violation of a State government directive against sandblasting for renovating temples. The inscriptions on the outer wall of the sanctum sanctorum and the sculptures stand disfigured.
The temple existed during the reign of the Pallava king Nandivarman II in the 8th century A.D. The Rashtrakuta king Krishna III, the Chola kings Parantaka I, Rajendra I and Kulotunga I, the Sambuvaraya chieftain Rajanarayana and the Vijayanagara rulers added structures to it.
What stood out were the Chola frescoes, painted perhaps during the rule of Rajendra I, on the northern prakara wall. Dr. A. Padmavathy, retired Senior Epigraphist, Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department, said the paintings were of Siva as Tripurantaka (riding a chariot and armed with a bow and arrows to kill the demons of the three worlds) and Nataraja, and of Dakshinamurti, Narasimha, and Vishnu in “ananthasayana” posture. There were murals of Raja Raja Chola’s teacher Karuvur Thevar and of princes, princesses, dancing girls, ponds with lily and lotus flowers and wild animals. These frescoes do not exist today. The mantapas, one with ancient inscriptions, are gone.
When contacted, the temple’s executive officer, S. Senthil Kumar, of the HR & CE Department, said that “no paintings ever existed in the temple” and “no structure called Alankara Mantapa ever existed.”
He added that the ‘madapalli’ mantapa was demolished long before he took charge of the temple eight months ago. He said that “no sandblasting was ever done” and that only “water-wash and air-wash” were done.
However, informed sources asserted that the frescoes were sandblasted four months ago, the ‘madapalli’ mantapa demolished about six months ago and the Alankara Mantapa brought down a year ago.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this contexi I would like to recall the official vandalism caused to the centuries old Kukkuteswara Temple in Pithapuram, AP. This is a centuries old temple, finds mention in several puranas, is a Shakti Peetam. The whole character of the temple was destroyed with total demolition of the Main temple with its distinct style and erection of concrete pillared structure that is garish and too modern to digest. The whole atmosphere has changed.
Temple renovation is a painstaking, timetaking specialised science. Qualified Archeologists. Preservation experts, Agama Pandits and Venerable Sthapathis should put their heads together and decide how to save and foster temples. But it appears that decisions are taken by politician-engineeer-babu-contractor nexus.
Public also does not know what was done with the removed artifacts.
There must be some standard Manuals and Procedures for such rebovations.
Those were days when temples were built not only to cater to the spiritual needs but also to create economic activity, employment and show case the skill of the artisans who put their heart and soul into their work. A lot of property used to be donated for the maintenance of temples and their staff. Today most of temple lands have vanished. Temple premises encroached. Now temples are being destroyed. Temples are administered by atheists and sharks who have no understanding of their hoary history, distinctive styles and significance of each style and stone nor care for it. British were far more sensotove and understanding. The loss is our heritage.
Chilkur Venkateswara Temple near Hyderabad is an example of successful resistence to official onslought to bring under vested control of government. There is no hundi, no collection, no arjita sevas but temple is maintained wonderfully. Hats off to Mr.Sundararajan.
...ponder
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHENNAI: A 1,200-year-old Siva temple of the Pallava period at Tiruppulivanam village in Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu, has been wiped clean of its beautiful Chola-period paintings. The frescoes, about 975 years old, have been sand-blasted out of existence.
Ironically, at a seminar organised on the temple premises on August 27, 2007, archaeologists, epigraphists and artists had decided on measures to preserve the paintings and inscriptions in the temple.
Two 16-pillared mantapas are among the temple’s treasures that have been destroyed. One of the mantapas, which was commonly called ‘madapalli’ or kitchen, had Tamil inscriptions dating back to Kulotunga Chola III (1215 A.D.), the Telugu Chola Vijayakanda Gopaladeva, Rajanarayana Sambuvaraya and others. The other mantapa, called Alankara Mantapa, belonged to the 16th century Vijayanagara period.
This destruction has taken place during “renovation” that the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department officials are undertaking. As part of this exercise, they plan to pull down a 100-pillared mantapa just outside the temple and “rebuild it.”
The Vyagrapurisvara temple at Tiruppulivanam, near Uttraramerur, 95 km from Chennai, was one of the three temples in Tamil Nadu where Chola paintings existed. The others where they still exist are the Brihadeesvara temple in Thanjavur and the Vijayalaya Cholisvara temple near Pudukottai.
When this correspondent and a photographer visited the temple on November 2, an earthmover was piling up the dismembered granite slabs of the Alankara Mantapa.
In the main temple itself, sandblasting had been done on the southern, northern and western walls of the prakara, on the sculptures on pillars and on the ancient Tamil inscriptions — in violation of a State government directive against sandblasting for renovating temples. The inscriptions on the outer wall of the sanctum sanctorum and the sculptures stand disfigured.
The temple existed during the reign of the Pallava king Nandivarman II in the 8th century A.D. The Rashtrakuta king Krishna III, the Chola kings Parantaka I, Rajendra I and Kulotunga I, the Sambuvaraya chieftain Rajanarayana and the Vijayanagara rulers added structures to it.
What stood out were the Chola frescoes, painted perhaps during the rule of Rajendra I, on the northern prakara wall. Dr. A. Padmavathy, retired Senior Epigraphist, Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department, said the paintings were of Siva as Tripurantaka (riding a chariot and armed with a bow and arrows to kill the demons of the three worlds) and Nataraja, and of Dakshinamurti, Narasimha, and Vishnu in “ananthasayana” posture. There were murals of Raja Raja Chola’s teacher Karuvur Thevar and of princes, princesses, dancing girls, ponds with lily and lotus flowers and wild animals. These frescoes do not exist today. The mantapas, one with ancient inscriptions, are gone.
When contacted, the temple’s executive officer, S. Senthil Kumar, of the HR & CE Department, said that “no paintings ever existed in the temple” and “no structure called Alankara Mantapa ever existed.”
He added that the ‘madapalli’ mantapa was demolished long before he took charge of the temple eight months ago. He said that “no sandblasting was ever done” and that only “water-wash and air-wash” were done.
However, informed sources asserted that the frescoes were sandblasted four months ago, the ‘madapalli’ mantapa demolished about six months ago and the Alankara Mantapa brought down a year ago.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this contexi I would like to recall the official vandalism caused to the centuries old Kukkuteswara Temple in Pithapuram, AP. This is a centuries old temple, finds mention in several puranas, is a Shakti Peetam. The whole character of the temple was destroyed with total demolition of the Main temple with its distinct style and erection of concrete pillared structure that is garish and too modern to digest. The whole atmosphere has changed.
Temple renovation is a painstaking, timetaking specialised science. Qualified Archeologists. Preservation experts, Agama Pandits and Venerable Sthapathis should put their heads together and decide how to save and foster temples. But it appears that decisions are taken by politician-engineeer-babu-contractor nexus.
Public also does not know what was done with the removed artifacts.
There must be some standard Manuals and Procedures for such rebovations.
Those were days when temples were built not only to cater to the spiritual needs but also to create economic activity, employment and show case the skill of the artisans who put their heart and soul into their work. A lot of property used to be donated for the maintenance of temples and their staff. Today most of temple lands have vanished. Temple premises encroached. Now temples are being destroyed. Temples are administered by atheists and sharks who have no understanding of their hoary history, distinctive styles and significance of each style and stone nor care for it. British were far more sensotove and understanding. The loss is our heritage.
Chilkur Venkateswara Temple near Hyderabad is an example of successful resistence to official onslought to bring under vested control of government. There is no hundi, no collection, no arjita sevas but temple is maintained wonderfully. Hats off to Mr.Sundararajan.
...ponder
Monday, November 3, 2008
Man Mohan Singh's Surrender
When the left withdrew support on the nuclear issue, MMS deftly managed support and pushed through a Confidence motion. Whether it was money power or ideology, Singh became the King. This status he acquried after prolonged meekness and remaining in the shadow of the saree.
But he flipped again on the Sri Lanka issue when he meekly surrendered to the threats of the Southern Supremo.
Yesterday's newspapers report that Indian High Commissioner in Colombo will coordinate relief action. This is not acceptable, if true.
It was a wily Julius Jayawardane who manipulated an immature Rajiv Gandhi in committing Indian Army in Srilanka's internal strife with disastrous consequences. If India is worried about Tamils in Srilanka, what is wrong if Pakistan's ISI, Jehadis, etc are worried about Muslims in India in general and in Kashmir in particular?
Now Lalu is threatening to withdraw support on MNS issue. He threatens to stop trains in Maharashtra when trains and stations in Bihar are burning. Now it is his turn to be cajoled and appeased. Praful Patel sees merit in 'Son of Soil' theory. Is UPA working under a "UNCOMMOM MAXIMUM PROGRAMME:?
Elections are nearing. The UPA is no more a coalition but a bunch of mercenaries hanging together but fighting to usurp the same space. What about the country? The principal opposition party is silent. Why?
We have already burnt our fingers in helping create Bangladesh.
...ponder
But he flipped again on the Sri Lanka issue when he meekly surrendered to the threats of the Southern Supremo.
Yesterday's newspapers report that Indian High Commissioner in Colombo will coordinate relief action. This is not acceptable, if true.
It was a wily Julius Jayawardane who manipulated an immature Rajiv Gandhi in committing Indian Army in Srilanka's internal strife with disastrous consequences. If India is worried about Tamils in Srilanka, what is wrong if Pakistan's ISI, Jehadis, etc are worried about Muslims in India in general and in Kashmir in particular?
Now Lalu is threatening to withdraw support on MNS issue. He threatens to stop trains in Maharashtra when trains and stations in Bihar are burning. Now it is his turn to be cajoled and appeased. Praful Patel sees merit in 'Son of Soil' theory. Is UPA working under a "UNCOMMOM MAXIMUM PROGRAMME:?
Elections are nearing. The UPA is no more a coalition but a bunch of mercenaries hanging together but fighting to usurp the same space. What about the country? The principal opposition party is silent. Why?
We have already burnt our fingers in helping create Bangladesh.
...ponder
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Hilarious
Catching up with news, whether on TV or through papers is quite depressing. Lakhs of crores wiped out in a single day, impending recession, falling employment, violence, terror strikes, antics of our politicians, all add to the gloom
However, even amidst this pot pourrie of disaster and gloom, there is an occational humorous nugget. One such news item is the celebration of the Anniversary of October Revolution by Indian Communists.
Ofcourse, they live in their cozy cocoon and revel in their redundant gymnastics with worn out cliches. It is an opportunity for the fossilised bhadraloks to wear their starched whites and have an 'adda' over tea and biscuits provided by the most venerated bhadralok's industrialist son.
Forget the purges, forget the disappearance of vast mass of population, forget the executions, forget the hunger and famine. Last but not the least forget today's Russia and China. Long live the Revolution.
It is ofcourse comfortable to be a 'lotus-eater'. Why live in present when past was hoary. Forget Nano, forget industrialisation, forget unemployment, forget grinding poverty. The only way to forget care and worries of present is a dose of humour even if the joke is quite old.
...ponder
However, even amidst this pot pourrie of disaster and gloom, there is an occational humorous nugget. One such news item is the celebration of the Anniversary of October Revolution by Indian Communists.
Ofcourse, they live in their cozy cocoon and revel in their redundant gymnastics with worn out cliches. It is an opportunity for the fossilised bhadraloks to wear their starched whites and have an 'adda' over tea and biscuits provided by the most venerated bhadralok's industrialist son.
Forget the purges, forget the disappearance of vast mass of population, forget the executions, forget the hunger and famine. Last but not the least forget today's Russia and China. Long live the Revolution.
It is ofcourse comfortable to be a 'lotus-eater'. Why live in present when past was hoary. Forget Nano, forget industrialisation, forget unemployment, forget grinding poverty. The only way to forget care and worries of present is a dose of humour even if the joke is quite old.
...ponder
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