Day 166

Today I was reading The Times of India in the morning. I was stuck by an irony. On the front page, a news article was there about the recent attack in Srinagar. The media has report of the talk between the terrorists, who attacked a hotel in Srinagar, and their boss in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. And on the second page the paper was having the article about Aman Ki Asha, a peace initiative between India and Pakistan. So, we got the first breach of our friendship. This was the thing about which I was talking about in my last post. I’m not against the peace between the two countries. But is it easy to trust Pakistan after so many infiltrations? I don’t think so. In my view, Pakistan is a country which is not trust worthy. From 1^st January, 2010, the two big media houses of both the countries started the peace plan. But Pakistan sends the terrorists to Srinagar to kill innocent people. What does this means? Is anyone going to answer this? That’s why I told that first of all the Pakistani government has to close all the terrorists camps on its soil, if the Pakistani government is really concerned about the peace and prosperity in the region. But unfortunately for India, Pakistan is still nurturing the dream of weakening India to have dominance over it. So I would like to say that there is no need of having any cultural programme like Aman Ki Asha. What we need to pressurise our government to take action against Pakistan. If America can attack Afghanistan to destroy Al-Qaida, then why can’t India do that? More people have died to India due to this guerrilla war with Pakistan than the people died in the sad tragedy of World Trade Centre. I know that war always destroys both sides but its important now. Every time Pakistan sends terrorists whenever India does something for the peace. There is no need of having more bloodshed now. For the last 62 years we have seen much bloodshed. We need to have break from that. So instead of having cultural programmes, we need to have our armed forces ready for the strike.

Day 165

I know that I’m not writing continuously these days. Actually I was thinking about what to write. Well, I got a theme. Actually it’s about the new cultural programme going to be conducted by The Times of India in collaboration with The Jang Group of Pakistan. The programme is named Aman Ki Asha. A peace project to improve the harmony and peace between the two countries. There are various cultural programmes being arranged to bring the people closer. They are calling it a new chance to the bond of humanity to the citizens of both the country outside the battlefields of politics, terrorism and fundamentalism.

But I don’t think that it’s going to work for us. Indeed both the media publication houses have raised a good question. They have asked that shouldn’t we say no to giving peace a fighting chance? Should we condemn our children, grandchildren and the generations thereafter to a life of strife? Indeed the answer of these questions is no. Any sensible and civilised person would say no. But I want to know whether we are ready for this change? I don’t think so. There are many things which we can’t neglect.

History is full of treachery by Pakistan whenever India has done anything to increase the peace, harmony and friendship. I’m not going far back. Just a decade back. The then Indian Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, took a bus ride across the Wagah border to the Pakistani side. His counterpart, Mr Nawaz Sharif, welcomed him. It was called a good move to reduce the tension. But what we get in return. Kargil War. We haven’t forgotten the Kargil War then we got attack on Indian Parliament in 2001 by the terrorists coming from Pakistan. There had been countless cross fires from Pakistani side to Indian side. And lastly, we have seen terrorists coming to Mumbai and attacking it on 26 November, 2008. I wonder that how can a sensible media house of India like The Times of India forgets this and starts peace programme like Aman Ki Asha? How can it forget the sacrifice of so many Indian soldiers, who died on the border while fighting with the Pakistani army? This is really ridiculous.

If the media house like The Times of India really wants to do something for the country then it should tell the Pakistani government and Pakistani army to be honest in their intentions. I know that it’s really easy to say Hi than to say Sorry but we don’t want to do easier job. We need assurance from the Pakistani side that they won’t do anything else. We need to have trust on them. And trust doesn’t come from having any cultural programmes. Who knows that Pakistani army won’t do anything destructive in India, taking advantage of this Aman Ki Asha? Is there any surety that there will be peace, harmony and prosperity at the both side of the borders? There is no surety.

In my view, if there is any way to increase the trust on Pakistan then there should be commitment from the Pakistani government that they won’t attack India again. They should destroy all the terrorist camps in their territory. They have to refuse giving shelter and security to all anti- India agents. Then only programmes like Aman Ki Asha will work.

Day 164

New Year Cards by Tucmuc

Day 163

I know that it’s been a week now since I last posted two songs on my blog. Well, I was not well. Even I haven’t recovered fully. But I thought to write something today. I can’t stay away from writing for a long time. Yesterday one of my friends called me just to enquire about my health. Well, she is a nice friend of mine. Her name is Miss Snehi. She is very sweet. And we were talking after a long time. You might think that if she is a nice friend then why did we talk after long time? Actually I didn’t talk to her when I was down with fever. Anyway, today I’m not in mood to talk about my illness. I was talking about my friend, Snehi. She is very sweet, innocent, frank and very openly. That’s why everyone likes her. She bowls others with her cuteness. And she likes to make good friends. That’s why she has made me her friend. A bit of self praising. Isn’t it? Well, it happens sometimes. Well, Snehi is a girl who really makes her friends comfortable. The main attraction is her smile and the dimples which she gets on her cheeks while smiling. She really cares about her friends. And she has a nice voice. She sings quite well. You can say that she is a perfect example of a good friend. I’m delighted to have Senhi as my friend. I wish that we have a long lasting friendship.

Day 162

More www.chirkutonorkut.com

More www.chirkutonorkut.com

Day 161

World leaders are having meeting at Copenhagen to curb the world pollution. But the rich countries led by America are telling developing countries and under developed countries to curb their pollution emissions. But rich countries aren’t ready to curb its own pollution emission. Western countries are saying that emerging economies like India and China aren’t doing enough for the climate. They are taking double standards. They don’t want to curb the pollution emission from their industries but are forcing India and China to curb their pollution emissions. This is nothing but an attitude that we will be the law maker but we are above the law. We will do whatever we like. I think you people are getting confused. You people might think that I have gone nuts and am talking nothing but something scrap. So, lets have a look at few statistics. Lets have example of number of vehicles per 1000 population. America has 765 motor vehicles in 1000 population. India has 12 motor vehicles per 1000 population. Now think about the difference in the pollution level due to cars in India and America. But still America isn’t doing to curb the pollution from its motor vehicles. Lets have another example of electricity consumption. We will have it per capita/day consumption. In America its 1,460 watts per capita per day, while in India this consumption ratio is 50.5 watts per capita per day. Now all of us know that for more consumption of power or using more motor vehicles emits more pollution. This is nothing more than double stand. America is polluting the environment more than India but still America is forcing India to emit less pollution. If a rich country like America is not serious about the global warming then how can it expect others to do that? In Kyoto Protocol, rich countries are also expected to reduce their emissions but that’s not happening. They are dictating the rest of world to reduce their emission so that there industries shouldn’t hamper. They become more rich and rich. I think that this Copenhagen Summit is nothing but the wastage of money and time. I think rich countries have decided it well off long before the starting of this Summit that they will force others to cut down their emissions so that they should put their industries on roll and become more and more rich. They are not seeing this that they are also in this world like others. They also have the same responsibilities like others. But being the rich countries they are thinking that they can do any thing on the basis of money.

Day 160

Now the directors of two IIMs – Calcutta and Bangalore – have mooted a proposal of the online exam. They want to have a pen-paper based exam at least for this year. This is an attempt to save the reputation of the IIMs. The CAT 2009 fiasco has lead to the anger amongst the CAT aspirants. It has really put the CAT’s credibility at stake. The Prometric romance has cost CAT Committee more than just the money. Its reputation, its credibility and the dignity of conduction quality CAT exam has been damaged this year. Now the aspirants of CAT 2010 are having dilemma in their minds that whether they will get a fair exam or not? Whether there will be online exam or will be pen-paper based exam? If again online exam will be conducted next year, then will be a fiasco like CAT 2009? There are many more questions like this. Aspirants are favouring the pen-paper based exam. They don’t want to be at the risk level. After all, CAT exam is not like another exam where you are sure that okay after couple of months, we will reappear in this exam. CAT exam is having some dignity attached to it.

And the major setback is that online exam contract was given to Prometric. People are saying that foreign companies are coming to Indian IT Professionals for all their software works. And IIMs went to a foreign company to conduct such a prestigious exam. Mismanagement was already there. But the technical hitches which popped up become another instrument of insult. People are even saying that IIMs teaches management to others but when it came to take vital decisions then it forget all its management lessons. BITSAT is conducting online exams every year successfully for over 1.25 lakhs students. And that without any hassle. People are even saying that when the CAT exam was paper based then the question paper was having a good standard and when the matter came to set 20 different question papers then CAT Committee couldn’t maintain its standards.

It’s true that CAT Committee gave the assignment to Prometric Company but the general mass thinks that CAT Committee is the sole responsible authority of conducting CAT exams. And they gave the assignment to Prometric without any mock test or without any other tests to check whether the exam will run smooth or not.

So not the CAT Committee has to take some concrete steps for the quality of CAT exam and for regaining the lost stake. I hope that CAT 2010 will be conducted without any hassle. Only time has the answer to this anxiety. And of course, CAT Committee knows it very well.