The caste system that was prevalent in the Indian society granted different privileges to a person based oh their caste. This is similar to the path-breaking proposal earlier by your truly. So, it essentially meant that if you are a low caste, you can not drink from the same well, pray in the same temple, eat certain things, what not. So, one would naturally assume that being a low caste kinda sucked, right?
WRONG! Boys and Girls, Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the world of reservations! A new ideology where the ‘in’ thing is to be an outcast!
How? Very simple! If you belong to a particular category, you can get whatever job you want, go to whatever institution with a fraction of the effort! And yes, you can compete in the general category as well if you’re half as good. If you don’t get through, there’s the backdoor. This backdoor is called reservation.
Now that the concept is clear, I’d like to introduce you to a disturbing trend. Despite a ceiling of 50% (WTF??!!) on reservation, a state like Tamilnadu has 69% reservation. Another interesting fact is that 87% of the state’s population qualifies for it! That means that 7 out of every 10 buses that ply in Tamilnadu are driven by someone who didn’t ‘quite’ know how to drive! Scary? You bet it is!
Unfortunately, the sad part is that 13% of the population has to work twice or thrice as hard to get into the same college or job. But who cares? Even an illiterate can do the math – 87 votes is more than 13.
Seats are reserved for Schedules Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Castes (based chiefly on caste at birth) in varying ratio by the central government and state government. This caste is decided based on birth, and can never be changed. While a person can change his religion, and his economic status can fluctuate, the caste is permanent. In central government funded higher education institutions, 22.5% of available seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste (Dalit) and Scheduled Tribe (Adivasi) students (15% for SCs, 7.5% for STs). This reservation percentage has been raised to 49.5%, by including an additional 27% reservation for OBCs. In AIIMS 14% of seats are reserved for SCs, 8% for STs. In addition, SC/ST students with only 50% scores are eligible. This ratio is followed even in Parliament and all elections where few constituencies are earmarked for those from certain communities. For example, In Andhra Pradesh, 25% of educational institutes and government jobs for BCs, 15% for SCs, 6% for STs and 4% for Muslims. (That's 50%!)
And something very interesting is happening in Rajasthan as you read this: the Gujjar community wants to avail reservations and are fighting (and violently at that) to be called Scheduled Castes! To put that in perspective that we can identify, it’s like Amitabh Bachhan wanting to be a porn star so that his son can get a government job! Yes. It is that ridiculous!
Is there a way out? IMHO, the only way out is education. The whole “I will not send my son to school, but I want him to be a CEO” shit won’t fly… What we need is a paradigm shift. Reservation is just an excuse for being mediocre. According to the Sachar Commission, the Indian Muslim is not being provided the right education. And according to a related report, the Indian Christian has the highest literacy and the lowest employment rate. I agree with the BJP when they say that the reports have been manipulated for electoral reasons.
So, where will this end? I think the constitution should declare that all Indians are Scheduled Castes. And remove religion from the equation.
If you are still wondering why we can not co-exist peacefully, it’s because we have been divided by OUR constitution and played on this ever since by OUR leaders!
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Read No Evil...
Caution: Longish, severely MCPish and anti-Feminazzi post
Do we really (like really, really) need Taslima back?
Taslima Nasreen, described as “a physician, a writer, a radical feminist, human rights activist and a secular humanist” by her official website, is craving to come back to Calcutta. The literary circles and activist groups are crying hoarse about her plight. Why? For those new to the newest poster-child for freedom of speech, here’s why…
Excerpts from Wikipedia: (What would we ever be without Wikipedia…)
“Taslima Nasreen is a Bengali Bangladeshi ex-physician turned feminist author who describes herself as a secular humanist. From a modest literary profile in the late 1980s, she achieved a meteoric rise to global fame by the end of the twentieth century, for her severe criticism of Islam and of religion in general.”
“Autobiographical books of Taslima raised controversy not only because of her criticisms of Islam but also for narratives involving the private lives of people. Taslima candidly described her sexual relationship with a number of named persons. She also touched upon her relationship with her four Bangladeshi husbands. Published in 2003, Ka, her third autobiographical book, was the first to raise such issues.”
“Ka, published in Bangladesh, is a self-censored version of Dwikhonditp published in India. Dwikhonditp is said to contain critical comments on the Prophet Muhammad (according to Islamic Sharia law, criticism of Muhammad is haraam and punishable by execution, provided Sharia law is in force). The latter was also banned in India by the Calcutta High Court in the state of West Bengal on 18 November, 2004.”
Now we know why she is in exile for the last 14 years. The poor lady can not enter her own country; leave alone any country with a semblance of religion… She was unceremoniously evicted from Calcutta after fierce protests. Before that, she was assaulted during a book release in Hyderabad. She was then taken to Delhi and kept in “safe custody” fearing attempts on her life. (BTW, there is a prize on her head… In March 2007, the "All India Ittehad Millat Council" of Bareilly U.P offered 500,000 rupees for her beheading.)
All this just for being promiscuous? Or for publishing those escapades? Or, is it just because she is a raving anti-Islamist? Maybe because she criticized The Prophet? What if she wanted more money? Vanity? Fame? Attention?
We shall never know. But what we do know is that she is ‘longing’ to return to Kolkata and is wondering why the government won’t let her. She innocently asks, “Kolkata is where I had set up my home. Can't I be allowed by the West Bengal government to return to my city?” I’ll hazard a guess – The Government and the people of West Bengal don’t F#@%ing want her back. And what makes her think that India will extend her Visa? Or will we see another “Ka” about her attempts to get her Visa extended? Hmmm… Her popularity abroad is also quite evident – “In 2005, her attempt to read an anti-war poem entitled "America" to a large Bengali crowd attending the North American Bengali Conference at Madison Square Garden resulted in her being booed off the stage”
What would you do if you were in her place? How will you fight this cruel, cruel world? If you ask me, I would shut the f@#k up! I never, ever kiss and tell all. I would pray to Allah to forgive my sins and publicly apologize for my indiscretions with the pen (and whatever).
Because, my dear lady, we Indians are forgiving. But we are also sensitive people who fear God. You may have had experiences that were unfortunate. But don’t blame them on The Prophet, or The Paramatma, or The Heavenly Father. Because in India, we live by a simple code: Love your Country, honor your Gods, and respect your elders. Honestly, we don’t really care whether you believe in the same God, but we will kick your @$$ back to Bangladesh if you disrespect ours. And going by the love your people have for you, you really don’t want to go back there!
P.S.:
1) This is one post I sincerely pray my wife doesn’t read. She’s a bit left of center I’m more center of right…
2) I know you may say that I’m still being ‘analy Catholic’ (a good friend once remarked so on another issue) and a bigot… Maybe I am :(
3) Freedom of speech and slander are two entirely different things. If you call your dog my name, what stops me from naming a bitch after your mother and leave her out with street dogs and writing about it huh? I’m sorry, that’s not freedom of speech! [I am using this as an example and I do not intend to infringe on that copyright]
4) If you’ve read so far, thanks. Dude, you really have nothing better to do? *LOL*
Friday, May 9, 2008
Feeling Artsy?
Image 1
Image 2When does something cross the line from artsy to obscene? Why is a nude painting artistic, whereas half-clad cheerleading is obscene? I am referring to this article where Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul noted that the complainants, “seem to be of the type who wouldn't go to any art gallery or have any interest in contemporary art because if they did, they would know that there are many artists who embrace nudity as part of their contemporary art."
About this time last year, we had a scandal involving Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty. The court in Rajasthan ordered the arrest of the duo under IPC Section 294 (committing obscene act in a public place). What really happened was that Gere kissed Shetty on her cheeks. Thrice! The whole nation went up in arms against the incident. Recently, we had the cheerleader issue in the IPL. In both the above cases, the people in question had more than enough clothing to cover ‘objectionable’ areas.
Not so in MF Hussain’s case. He painted Hindu deities and Mother India in the nude. The kind of action that could get you fatwa’d. How different is he from the Dutch artist who cartooned The Prophet? At-least the cartoonist had sense to clothe and add a turban to the cartoon in question.
Oh I get it. The cartoonist hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims. Whereas, according to the ruling yesterday, MF was just being a ‘contemporary’ artist. I stand corrected. Depicting Goddesses in the nude is freedom of expression… How dumb of me!
Coming back to the Judge’s comment, I still have not understood ‘contemporary’ art. I hate modern art. I think inkblots have more character than most of the obscenely expensive stuff that looks worse than the paintings of a kindergarten kid high on LSD, let lose with a paintbrush. I fail to see art in them, and I have tried hard. Look at these few exhibits…
Exhibit 1
Exhibit 2
Exhibit 3
Exhibit 4
Hell! I can do better than that!
And just in case you were wondering, the first image is ‘Fishbowl’ by a kindergarten kid and the second by Picasso called ‘Still Life’. To me the fishbowl looks more artsy than the still life. But, then again, that’s me.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
The search continues…
I started writing this as a reply to Sue’s comment to allow Female Gods in ‘our’ outfit. Got too long and I thought I might as well post it. Let me start by setting the context right here…
The search for a new, parochial, God-figure started in response to violence in many parts of the country against people from ‘other’ regions. These people who want total rights over ‘their’ land come from a certain school of political thought – I, Me, and Myself. So, please keep that in mind.
I’ve been consulting for some time now, and the one thing that I’ve learnt is that unless your solution, product, or service meets the end user requirements, it is a disaster. However, the end user doesn’t have control over what is bought. A salesman sells a product to the CXOs, CFOs, COOs of the world, who in all probability do not use the solution in the first place. That puts your brand image at stake, because the users start complaining after a while… Therefore a good solution, in addition to making ‘business sense’ to the top bosses (read massaging their ego), should also be appealing to the masses. That is consulting!
I shall examine the situation for you. This, of-course, should have been a PowerPoint presentation, but no one’s interested in seeing them (what’s new?). So I give you the gist of it here.
Management
Vision (Propaganda)
Revenues (Party Collections)
Investor Relations (Vote Bank)
Shareholder Value (Advantages for the rank and file)
Market Share (Actual number of seats)
End User
Ease (Will I ‘have’ to work?)
Appeal (How will I be identified as a part of this outfit?)
Productivity gain (How many people out of 10 will (or can be forced to) contribute?)
Earnings (And how much can I siphon off?)
Growth (How fast can I move to the next level? Is there another ‘group’ we can target?)
An altruistic solution WILL NOT help. No one’s buying that and we’re not here for charity. A leftist approach too, is out of the question. The top bosses do not (secretly) endorse the concept of equality. We are, therefore left with a concept of a right-winged outfit that deludes you into believing that it is participative. The righter, the better.
Now that we have identified the target audiences, we need to offer a solution. So, put on your thinking caps and give me options. If you think they are a bit long, e-mail them to me. I’ll compile them for another post and shall acknowledge your contribution. Who knows? You may even qualify for the top job if you can spew enough venom! And I am open to Gods, Goddesses and beyond.
And remember – Right is right.
The search for a new, parochial, God-figure started in response to violence in many parts of the country against people from ‘other’ regions. These people who want total rights over ‘their’ land come from a certain school of political thought – I, Me, and Myself. So, please keep that in mind.
I’ve been consulting for some time now, and the one thing that I’ve learnt is that unless your solution, product, or service meets the end user requirements, it is a disaster. However, the end user doesn’t have control over what is bought. A salesman sells a product to the CXOs, CFOs, COOs of the world, who in all probability do not use the solution in the first place. That puts your brand image at stake, because the users start complaining after a while… Therefore a good solution, in addition to making ‘business sense’ to the top bosses (read massaging their ego), should also be appealing to the masses. That is consulting!
I shall examine the situation for you. This, of-course, should have been a PowerPoint presentation, but no one’s interested in seeing them (what’s new?). So I give you the gist of it here.
Management
Vision (Propaganda)
Revenues (Party Collections)
Investor Relations (Vote Bank)
Shareholder Value (Advantages for the rank and file)
Market Share (Actual number of seats)
End User
Ease (Will I ‘have’ to work?)
Appeal (How will I be identified as a part of this outfit?)
Productivity gain (How many people out of 10 will (or can be forced to) contribute?)
Earnings (And how much can I siphon off?)
Growth (How fast can I move to the next level? Is there another ‘group’ we can target?)
An altruistic solution WILL NOT help. No one’s buying that and we’re not here for charity. A leftist approach too, is out of the question. The top bosses do not (secretly) endorse the concept of equality. We are, therefore left with a concept of a right-winged outfit that deludes you into believing that it is participative. The righter, the better.
Now that we have identified the target audiences, we need to offer a solution. So, put on your thinking caps and give me options. If you think they are a bit long, e-mail them to me. I’ll compile them for another post and shall acknowledge your contribution. Who knows? You may even qualify for the top job if you can spew enough venom! And I am open to Gods, Goddesses and beyond.
And remember – Right is right.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Where are we headed?
See you guys in hell… or wherever!
I am a part of numerous mailing lists. Some are funny, some loony, and some are outright torturous. And then there are the religious ones… While cleaning up my mailbox, I saw one that sent shivers down my spine… I realized that I was going to hell! Just like most people I know. And going by the mail, I guess that will be where more than 99% of us land L
The mail was about the seven deadly sins, also known as the Capital Vices or the Cardinal Sins. And I don’t know why, but the first thing that came to my mind while reading that was food! Believe it or not, food often evokes feelings in me that are otherwise quite latent. And that is why I will go to hell.
Lust – no other word in the English language can better describe my feelings for food.
Gluttony – it is a common occurrence.
Greed - the thought of food makes me drool!
Sloth – there is nothing I enjoy more than a siesta after lunch.
Wrath – woe betide anyone who keeps me away from my meals!
Envy – I envy most cook show hosts who travel the world just to eat…
Pride – do I pride myself on my appetite?!
I am a foodie. Yes! I love to eat. Rarely does anything match the satisfaction I derive from a tummy full of goodies. Some consider me a glutton, others, a legend. Frankly, I don’t give a damn!
My mom is an excellent cook. And she loves people who appreciate good food. So, it was little surprise to people that I am her favorite child. (Sorry sis, but that’s the truth!) She used to equally dote on all my friends who had this admirable quality. And so do my aunts, my elder sister, mother-in-law, some friends, and of course my wife. My cholesterol levels, BP, other vitals are good and way below borderline risk (Touch-wood)! So, I ain’t going to hell any sooner…
I was told that a hearty appetite is the symptom of a happy mind. A soul without worries or guilt, a heart that loves and is loved. And I believe it, for most people I’ve met with good appetites fall into this category. In most Indian cultures, when a prospective groom declines to eat, he is politely refused any alliance from the household. It’s going to be one hell of a party down there…
And I’m not for a moment saying that all people who cannot eat well are twisted… It’s just that I find it really difficult that people starve themselves to look anemic, anorexic, malnourished, and terminally ill! These losers may go to heaven; I don’t envy them a bit! Blame it on generation gap, but I still prefer people who are healthy – Physically and mentally. After all, only in a healthy body can a healthy mind survive. Oops! Now what kind of people go to heaven now?
I leave that up to you to decide where you want to be headed. Probably I got it all wrong and I might just end up ‘up there’… Like I say, there’s only one way to find out… Wherever I end up, I am reassured to think that I’ll be with like-minded folks. I that reassurance, I Keep Walking…
I am a part of numerous mailing lists. Some are funny, some loony, and some are outright torturous. And then there are the religious ones… While cleaning up my mailbox, I saw one that sent shivers down my spine… I realized that I was going to hell! Just like most people I know. And going by the mail, I guess that will be where more than 99% of us land L
The mail was about the seven deadly sins, also known as the Capital Vices or the Cardinal Sins. And I don’t know why, but the first thing that came to my mind while reading that was food! Believe it or not, food often evokes feelings in me that are otherwise quite latent. And that is why I will go to hell.
Lust – no other word in the English language can better describe my feelings for food.
Gluttony – it is a common occurrence.
Greed - the thought of food makes me drool!
Sloth – there is nothing I enjoy more than a siesta after lunch.
Wrath – woe betide anyone who keeps me away from my meals!
Envy – I envy most cook show hosts who travel the world just to eat…
Pride – do I pride myself on my appetite?!
I am a foodie. Yes! I love to eat. Rarely does anything match the satisfaction I derive from a tummy full of goodies. Some consider me a glutton, others, a legend. Frankly, I don’t give a damn!
My mom is an excellent cook. And she loves people who appreciate good food. So, it was little surprise to people that I am her favorite child. (Sorry sis, but that’s the truth!) She used to equally dote on all my friends who had this admirable quality. And so do my aunts, my elder sister, mother-in-law, some friends, and of course my wife. My cholesterol levels, BP, other vitals are good and way below borderline risk (Touch-wood)! So, I ain’t going to hell any sooner…
I was told that a hearty appetite is the symptom of a happy mind. A soul without worries or guilt, a heart that loves and is loved. And I believe it, for most people I’ve met with good appetites fall into this category. In most Indian cultures, when a prospective groom declines to eat, he is politely refused any alliance from the household. It’s going to be one hell of a party down there…
And I’m not for a moment saying that all people who cannot eat well are twisted… It’s just that I find it really difficult that people starve themselves to look anemic, anorexic, malnourished, and terminally ill! These losers may go to heaven; I don’t envy them a bit! Blame it on generation gap, but I still prefer people who are healthy – Physically and mentally. After all, only in a healthy body can a healthy mind survive. Oops! Now what kind of people go to heaven now?
I leave that up to you to decide where you want to be headed. Probably I got it all wrong and I might just end up ‘up there’… Like I say, there’s only one way to find out… Wherever I end up, I am reassured to think that I’ll be with like-minded folks. I that reassurance, I Keep Walking…
Thursday, September 20, 2007
God riddance?
What is wrong with the world today? Don’t we have enough excitement already? Aren’t our hands full with terrorists with their perverted ‘religious’ agenda? Then why does our DMK chief, the octogenarian M Karunanidhi, have to make silly, frivolous remarks to feed an already growing fire? His daughter's house was vandalised as a result, but in true Kalaignar style, he says that such incidents are just like "bits of dust". Wow! And I thought his dialogue delivery days were long over.
Now for those of you who haven’t read the latest, the old dude, at just the time he has to make peace with his God, decides to go senile. He makes comments like, “Who is this Ram, which engineering college did he go to?” and stuff. And to prove that Ram did exist, some ‘suspected’ sangh parivar activists pay a visit to his daughter’s house in Bangalore and put the fear of God in her. And to cement His existence, they also burned a Tamilnadu-bound bus with a couple of people in it. Yes! Now everyone believes.
Just the same way every Christian now believes in Muhammed because of Osama bin Laden and every Muslim believes in Ram because of Narendra Modi. What a sham! If you believe that you can prove the existence of God by such means, go ahead. Probably you will have the 72 houris (virgin, angelic girls) and 28 gilmans (supple young boys) waiting for you in the netherworld. But don’t blame me if you find your name on the gilman roster in hell! You most certainly deserve it.
Advani, probably was feeling left out of all the action. What if someone 1000 years down the line asks, “Who is this Advani, the avtar to save all Hindus? Did he really exist? I know there are ruins of a mosque in Ayodhya, but did he actually do it?”. So he decides not to rest on his bygone days of glory and proclaims that a civil war is rife in India! What excitement! And what a way to go down in history.
Here are some links relared to the post:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7002695.stm
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070026617
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/karuna-calls-lord-ram-a-drunkard-advani-fumes/49009-3.html
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200709191966.htm
I am now waiting for the rituals to follow:
The main (probably ignorant) perpetrator of all this mayhem is the ASI. That the ASI made such a comment in itself is surprising. I am surprised to think that people who study history and its preservation for a living did not predict the juggernaut to follow. We live in a secular democracy (or so we are led to believe), and a government body does not have a right to question anyone’s faith. Faith… now what’s that?
Faith is a belief. It does not require scientific validation. It is like common sense or conscience. It can’t be proved, only practiced. My faith is something very personal and I have no obligation to prove it to anyone. I believe. And that, I am sure, is the same with all of you. If you ask me which brewery Jesus Christ went to, or where Ram did his engineering, or who discovered the being on which the prophet took a celestial trip, I will say (censored)! It was once said, "Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe." That, my dear friends, is faith. Your and my faith is not open to discussion or ridicule. We were born with that right in this great country.
I will not trivialize my beliefs in God by engaging in an argument. I believe that MY God is MY business. No matter what anyone says, I remain steadfast. And in that belief, I shall keep walking.
Now for those of you who haven’t read the latest, the old dude, at just the time he has to make peace with his God, decides to go senile. He makes comments like, “Who is this Ram, which engineering college did he go to?” and stuff. And to prove that Ram did exist, some ‘suspected’ sangh parivar activists pay a visit to his daughter’s house in Bangalore and put the fear of God in her. And to cement His existence, they also burned a Tamilnadu-bound bus with a couple of people in it. Yes! Now everyone believes.
Just the same way every Christian now believes in Muhammed because of Osama bin Laden and every Muslim believes in Ram because of Narendra Modi. What a sham! If you believe that you can prove the existence of God by such means, go ahead. Probably you will have the 72 houris (virgin, angelic girls) and 28 gilmans (supple young boys) waiting for you in the netherworld. But don’t blame me if you find your name on the gilman roster in hell! You most certainly deserve it.
Advani, probably was feeling left out of all the action. What if someone 1000 years down the line asks, “Who is this Advani, the avtar to save all Hindus? Did he really exist? I know there are ruins of a mosque in Ayodhya, but did he actually do it?”. So he decides not to rest on his bygone days of glory and proclaims that a civil war is rife in India! What excitement! And what a way to go down in history.
Here are some links relared to the post:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7002695.stm
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070026617
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/karuna-calls-lord-ram-a-drunkard-advani-fumes/49009-3.html
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200709191966.htm
I am now waiting for the rituals to follow:
- Shiv Sena’s Maharastra bandh.
- CPI (M)’s Bengal and Kerala bandh.
- Trinamool congress’s Calcutta bandh.
- RJD’s Bihar Bandh.
- Congress’ ‘bandh ke khilaaf’ bandh. and many more...
The main (probably ignorant) perpetrator of all this mayhem is the ASI. That the ASI made such a comment in itself is surprising. I am surprised to think that people who study history and its preservation for a living did not predict the juggernaut to follow. We live in a secular democracy (or so we are led to believe), and a government body does not have a right to question anyone’s faith. Faith… now what’s that?
Faith is a belief. It does not require scientific validation. It is like common sense or conscience. It can’t be proved, only practiced. My faith is something very personal and I have no obligation to prove it to anyone. I believe. And that, I am sure, is the same with all of you. If you ask me which brewery Jesus Christ went to, or where Ram did his engineering, or who discovered the being on which the prophet took a celestial trip, I will say (censored)! It was once said, "Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe." That, my dear friends, is faith. Your and my faith is not open to discussion or ridicule. We were born with that right in this great country.
I will not trivialize my beliefs in God by engaging in an argument. I believe that MY God is MY business. No matter what anyone says, I remain steadfast. And in that belief, I shall keep walking.
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