Speed Kills Cheap Thrills

Nothing is so bad that it can’t get worse!

Bengaluru, is culturally diverse and complex, it is not surprising to find that people here reflect the rich glories of the past, the culture, traditions and values. If you were among the millions in Bangalore who drive to work every day, you would probably grimace with recognition. With traffic congestion getting worse each year in the wake of constant growth in vehicle ownership, all kinds of people.sometimes even cows, throng the roads and your daily slog could easily put your life at risk.

Break Inspector Appointed By Nature

If there is one experience we all enjoy- I call it CT-Cheap Thrills!

It's a jungle out there! When it comes to driving on Bangalore roads, it is either easiest (if you are an alert driver) or the toughest experience (if you are a stickler for rules or a learning license holder) you may encounter. Our Driving Schools understand the trauma of driving through our Traffic. They are dedicated to providing you training on defensive driving, race car driving, traffic driving, aggressive driving, and child safety driving-Cheap Thrills- all inclusive!

Red Lights that stare!....It’s not a suggestion Friends!
The traffic light that stares us in the face every single day…and of course the RED light…it glows, we all know what it means….STOP! What do we do? Look around if there is a traffic cop- the moment we see none around there CT…we just take off through streaming traffic and enjoy the abuse yelled at us! Some of us even gesticulate rudely. Oh another boon- CCTV?…yeah maybe we need to just don some more make up change a full set of clothes or re-do your hair to look good when caught on camera jumping the light!

Indicator lights are always blinking in the direction opposite to the one you're turning! We have specialized in overtaking from the left. Wow what CT-in fact one road opposite the Garuda mall entrance actually insist that traffic flows the opposite way of what is expected as a rule.

Parking in No parking zones ! -Then the CT -waiting to see if our vehicles get towed away, or not.

The helmet hangs more on the handle than on your head! -CT
Pillion ends up becoming zillion behind. Suddenly the two seater bike gets converted into a family carrier right in front of our own eyes! Wah wat- CT until we get knocked down and actually need to undergo a CAT scan this time=CT

We hate queues!...guess we Bangloreans are what originated lateral thoughts in Edward de Bono’s mind …insist on making multiple queues. Which of course join the main queue?Imagine lane driving a guy planning to take a left turn would insist on driving in the extreme lane to the right-CT of course how can we deny him the pleasure? What CT if we actually manage to slip by …st lines or curved lines/lanes are an exercise in futility!

Mobile phone users have these funny postures, cricking necks and piles afflicted rears in order to adjust safe conversations especially since they are not allowed…Cheap thrills! The Network rarely falters!

Seat-belts…Gosh what CT… seen a majority wear it everywhere in and around the body, except where one is supposed to wear it! Most of them strap it on just to avoid the constant flicker on the indicator display panel in the car.Experts at bad posture-  you use your knees for steering more than your hands-Some CT!

Going so close and almost nuzzling against the vehicle in front of us…what CT… it’s like we are actually kissing the rear. And yet not!

Some of us, green revolutionists, don’t ever miss a tree in a car... our Air freshener!
Peeing on the roadside the cheapest thrill-its probably easier for a man because a woman would have to squat and it would just be a big hassle. Rarely seen woman pees on the roadside men don’t really care. 

Friends, watering concrete does not help!

You have the policeman hold your beer while you get your license-CT
Alcohol and driving don't mix, but still, many people love to drink and drive resulting in numerous road mishaps. Drunken driving has been recognized as a world menace, based on the stats which reveal that road accidents cause 1.2 million deaths and 50 million injuries around the world each year. Some 480,000 of these deaths and 20 million of people get injured by drunken driving

A lot many of us at Bangalore, are masters at breaking traffic rules and driving vehicles as carelessly as we wish. Traffic rules are flouted on our roads equally faster than changing lanes. Every single driving experience on roads here is race against time and it is better to keep your fingers crossed, if you are sitting next to the Formula CT Driver!

The very mention of rules makes some people rebel!
Traffic safety rules can be ignored at one's own peril. What is worse, the violators might end up harming not just themselves but law-abiding persons as well. A conscientious driver might be observing every rule under the book but if the driver behind him didn't bother with traffic niceties, he might add to the accident victims' tally.

This Could Be The Worst Turn Of Your Life!

Obey signs and signals. Seat belts are meant to be used. Don't indulge a minor by letting him drive. Children should play in a safe place away from the street. Use standard helmets while driving two-wheelers and don't carry more than one adult pillion rider. Carrying persons on the bonnet of a motor vehicle is not done. No person should be allowed to stand or sit in a manner, which would hamper the driver.

Right to life and safety is the fundamental right of any citizen. This is guaranteed under the constitution of every country in the world including India. However, more people die every year from road accidents all over the world than the number killed during the whole of the Second World War!..Cheap Thrills eh?

When things go wrong don’t go with them!
 The next time you feel like Romancing a Cheap Thrill, pause to think. A lot hinges on your decision!

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Of Cocks And Bulls, Flutes And Fiddles!

Some folks suffer from an extreme case of machismo-Not enough however to dismiss it as being SICK! ---Sex is more like a conquest for such toothpick dicks!

HOW DARE anyone consider women’s feelings as being worthless and socially induced, sanctioning their oppression, not being bothered about their sufferings or degree of domination?

 I am not an advocate of dressing like a whore/slut or whatever that means!

In fact I lived out my youth dressed in full sleeved clothes and long ankle length skirts in a bid to deploy unwanted male attention from them ever-present roadside Lotharios, who considered it their birthright to touch, grope and pinch.

It is convenient to put the blame on the victim, you dressed like a slut so you deserved to get raped!

 Many times in buses or public transport systems men tease, comment, follow, molest and some even touch or pinch butt. The worst is in theatres, when they extend their hands from the side to touch the mammary! How disgusting could that feeling get! I have never heard of one episode written or reported, of a woman do the same, like grope a man’s crotch in a public transport system! 

The discussions/debates invariably end up talking about the victim’s collusion means that she cooperates or agrees to being raped!

This actually renders the word RAPE meaningless! Can it be rape when one colludes?

In dating situations too, many women are made to feel exploitative if they don’t reciprocate wit sex at the end yet if the woman offers to pay the bill or half the bill many men take it as an attack on their masculinity!  The fact is rape is a premeditated act of violence, not a spontaneous act of passion. 71% of rapes are planned in advance. 60% of convicted rapists were married or had regular sexual partners at the time of the assault. Men can control their sexual impulses. The vast majority of rapists are motivated by power, anger, and control, not sexual gratification. It is NOT is an impulsive, uncontrollable act of sexual gratification.

The best deterrent for rape is social censure of the perpetrator to the same degree as the victims are made to face. One of the main reasons why rapists think they will get away is because they are cashing in on the ‘shame and social stigma’ the society will subject the victim to and not them.

While passivity and submissiveness may make women more rapable, it is a mistake to think that any woman is invulnerable to rape. If provocative or skimpy clothing left men unable to control themselves, sunny beaches would be over-run with flailing would-be rapists. Instead we know from research that only four per cent of rapists are able to remember what their victim was wearing!

Why must women have to beautify themselves in culturally defined/prescribed ways? ‘Modest dressing’ actually exacerbates the problem.

The more the people are used to seeing skin, the lesser the chances of debates on how much to cover is just taken as ‘natural’. People in the west go sun bathing topless in public parks; no one bothers a second look… In India too, men often go topless in summer without anyone raising an eyebrow!

Just because men are at the mercy of their testosterone and see a woman in a short skirt and think “I’m going in for the kill”-Are they’re not capable enough to ascertain for themselves what they really think or want. 

What is the line between controls and concern? Pinching and prodding hands don’t care about what you are wearing… but maybe leering eyes do?Covering of women is similar to covering men's eyes. Will the men agree to cover their eyes? 

Red-Blooded Alpha Male! - I believe how a woman dresses (and behaves in that dress) does NOT tell a you what’s on her mind!---It just means “keep your eyes, hands and your precious prick to yourself!” 

If any such remarks are utterly repugnant and insulting to men- same is the case with women!

I like you-people say I've got no taste, but I like you Mr Dinesh Reddy, DGP Saar!

I'd like to see things from your point of view, but I can't seem to get my head that far up your ass!

In 2010, a chastity belt for dogs, called PABS (Pet Anti-Breeding System) was made of polypropylene and uses an eight-buckle locking system and a washable mesh pad to prevent intercourse in female dogs. Dr. Makolinski, Veterinary Director commented that "For the majority of animals, spaying and neutering remain the most beneficial option"

DGP Dinesh Reddy, Minister Patil -Are you listening? Neutering?
Madam Seethamma you have your choices! Get strapped-ABS-Anti Breeding System?

DGP Dinesh Reddy:Foot in Mouth Disease

Kudos to Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) V. Dinesh Reddy is the latest to adorn the “wall of shame” --He is suffering from a disease which has no cure-It’s called Premature Articulation…a predecessor to Emission Impossible! Guess he has had too little a dose of cracks and cleavages!

Even in Saudi in where in public a woman is expected to wear an abaya (a black garment that covers the entire body) and also to cover her head and hair also there has been rape reported! So, WTF DGP Dinesh Reddy? Even the visually impaired can rape!

In 2004,DM Parghi,even put a "sleeveless blouse" in obscene category!A 'pardarshak vastra' — i.e. a see-through or a transparent dress!
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-10-12/ahmedabad/27168000_1_garba-organisers-dress-code-nitin-talati

What is this concept of decent and indecent dressing? Some call it provocative? Or obscure?

Women are always harassed and questioned regarding what they choose to wear and I don’t think that’s right or fair.What about the men who wear such tight jeans that one gets to see their “tom tom” bulging out to the extent that one can even predict the diameter of their vas deferens! Ain’t that indecent?

Why this notion or critique of indecent dressing has to be limited to women only?

Some advertisements where pheromone laced cologne when used by men, attract women from miles around to ravish him--Would they(men) be guilty of rape? Or would they be innocent by reason of drug-induced insanity?

The way a woman dresses cannot be routinely cited as an incitement to rape.

References to clinging clothes, low cut tops, bare midriffs, short skirts and even sleeveless blouses are common in the context of rape trials.The assumption that such choices of clothing can lead to rape-that clothes can speak for a woman who says NO are extremely damaging and ludicrous!

The suggestion that there even is such a thing as an “Invitation to Rape” is appalling!


Why should women be judged according to the now uniquely male "reasonable man" standard?Would a reasonable man feel a woman was subjecting him to undue sexual provocation with her dress, perfume or behavior? Many men might say yes,however, I do not agree!

We are in need of a new discourse directing the focus onto the perpetrators as opposed to the victims! 

Why should the focus only be on women? To prevent rape, we need to know what causes someone to rape. Is it true that -- only men rape?Are only men  the problem, therefore the solution is to control men? It should be obvious, however, that like all bigotted viewpoints, this oversimplifies both the problem and the solution!

Are rapists really disempowered men? Yes, many are.

Then we have the likes of the DGP,  who I’m has  enjoyed the voyueristic cinematic violence and lurid pornographic sequences in mainstream movies featuring hyper masculine men! Validate their masculinity, provide them with ethical and constructive outlets for expressing that masculinity, men will rape less and contribute more! This will work,but, as with so many things that are true, empowerment is only part of the answer, because there are other reasons why men rape.

Not the least among them being that millions of women idolize "heroic" rapists.

Identifying the cause of a problem, as most of us know, is half the solution.

Attacked by the DGP, the press, crucified by the politically correct gospel of intolerance, alienated by women-bashing, and disenfranchised by growing social injustice, women are targets for sick chauvinistic true believers.

Mr DGP! You have Halitosis-When was the last time you had a mouthwash? It stinks!What is it going to be next?...When a woman smiles she seduces?
You Mr DGP, are a serious case of Foot in Mouth Disease!

History Repeats--The Dirtiest Picture

Is Corruption in India is a cultural aspect?

We, Indians seem to think nothing peculiar about corruption . It is everywhere. They seem to tolerate corrupt individuals rather than correct them! Our Culture has been that of Tolerance!

Can any race can be congenitally corrupt. Maybe it could be corrupted by its culture?

Sometimes I wonder is it our beliefs and practices?

I received an email, some of the contents of which which set me thinking! I have added some of my own thoughts am sharing some points from that……I hope to get some answers from Friends!

Is Religion transactional in India?

Do Indians give God cash and anticipate an out-of-turn reward?
Do such pleas acknowledge that favours are needed for the undeserving?

A wealthy Indian gives not cash to temples,but gold crowns and such baubles. In June 2009, The Hindu published a report of Karnataka  former Minister Mr G. Janardhan Reddy gifting a crown of gold and diamonds worth Rs 45 crore to Tirupati!His gifts can not feed the poor!His pay-off is to God!

Does he thinks it will be wasted if it goes to a needy man? or is it some kind of atonement for his sins?

Do some religious places of worship collect so much that they don't know what to do with it?
Are Billions gathering dust in temple vaults? The Padmanabhaswamy temple was an example of Wealth collecting dust in vaults!

When Europeans came to India they built schools. When Indians go to Europe & USA, why do they build religious places of worship?Do we Indians believe that if God accepts money for his favours, then nothing is wrong in doing the same thing. Could this be a reason why we don’t take corruption seriously?

Does Indian culture accommodates such transactions morally?Is there is no real stigma?An utterly corrupt Amma in Tamil Nadu or an already accused Sriramulu in Karnataka can make a comeback in India, just unthinkable in the West!

Is Indian moral ambiguity towards corruption  visible in its history? 

Indian history tells of the capture of cities and kingdoms after guards were paid off to open the gates, and commanders paid off to surrender. This is unique to India. This corrupt nature has meant limited warfare on the subcontinent.It is striking how little Indians have actually fought compared to ancient Greece and modern Europe. In India fighting wasn't needed, bribing was enough to see off armies? Any invader willing to spend cash could brush aside kings, no matter how many tens of thousands soldiers were in their infantry. Check what’s happening with Terror and it’s control today!Our terrorists after having slaughtered hundreds are enjoying a good lifestyle and being cared for in our prisons! Athithi Devo Bhava?

Little resistance was given by the Indians at the Battle of Plassey. Clive paid off Mir Jaffar and all of Bengal folded to an army of 3,000!There was always a financial exchange to taking Indian forts.Golconda was captured in 1687 after the secret back door was left open. Mughals vanquished Marathas and Rajputs with nothing but bribes. The Raja of Srinagar gave up Dara Shukoh’s son Sulaiman to Aurangzeb after receiving a bribe. There are many cases in history where Indians participated on a large scale in treason due to bribery.

The question is-Why we Indians have a transactional culture while other 'civilized' nations don't?

Mostly we Indians not believe in the theory that they all can rise if each of  us behaves morally, because that is not the message of our faith. Our caste system separates us. We don't believe that all men are equal. Has this resulted in our division and migration to other faith/religion?

Many Hindus started their own faith like Sikh, Jain, Buddha and many more.Many converted to Christianity and Islam. There are no Indians in India ,mostly there are Hindus ,Christians, Muslims and what not.

Don't Indians trust one another ? Indians forget that 400 years ago they all belonged to one faith. This division evolved an unhealthy culture. Has inequality resulted in a corrupt society?

Why is it that In India every one seems against everyone else, except God?- ­ and even he/she must be bribed?

The Real Dirty Picture -A Culture of Self Interest

My intent is to briefly share some Philosophy put forth regarding Sate of man and Politics! 

It is relevant in the current context! 

Both Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were philosophers and products of the Enlightenment.

·         They were also both interested in the condition of mankind, the natural state of man, and politics

·         While Hobbes and Locke dealt with the same subjects, they differed on some major points

·         The difference between the philosophies of Hobbes and Locke was, in the long run, due to the expanse between the two generations and the developing  concept of democratic rule and the rights of man

Locke believed that mankind, when left to their own devices, was fundamentally good, and had every right and ability to determine their own futures. He also believed in a government, whose main purpose would be the enforcement of certain laws protecting property and lives, and to provide for national defense. He considered autocracy and divine right an outdated myth, imposed on people who, up until his day had allowed themselves to be subjugated. He argued that no one person had no right to hold authority over others	Hobbes insisted that a ruling monarch, with indisputable power over his people, was the only sustainable government. A product of centuries of autocracy, he remained convinced that only a monarch with supreme power had the capability of protecting a country and maintaining law and order among the people.
Locke, believed that people were inherently good, and would choose, for the most part, to do what was right for all.	Hobbes’ view of humanity was less than complimentary, believing that the life of mankind was basically “….solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short..” He believed that every man was concerned with his own life, ambitions, and survival, and not the welfare of others, or the country. Democracy, in any form, Hobbes believed, would lead to thousands of dissenting people with no common goal, resulting in anarchy .
Locke argued that education was needed for all.	In the world of Hobbes’ autocratic government, there was no need for the masses to be educated or have opinions,

 Ref:Locke, John. On Politics and Education. New York: Published for the Classics Club by W.J. Black, 1947

Old Whore In A New Brothel!

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT A BODY WHICH ENDS UP GETTING USED! OR MUST I SAY ABUSED!

I feel a tear of joy in one eye, a tear of sadness in the other,I clench my teeth and wonder if it’s frustration,desperation or anger? I need to let it all out with a great exhale, as I watch our Union Govt tie itself in knots, over and over again! It’s all about the poor poor CBI!

Result of flexing and bending over to produce a “strong” and “credible” Lokpal Bill.

The Credibility of our elected representatives is surely at it’s lowest ebb and that I presume is the reason why each and every Institution is demanding that they be conferred autonomy.

From what I understood after yesterday’s cabinet meeting concluded, A Director Prosecution is to be appointed to keep prosecution insulated from investigation? Investigation is the perogative of the Police alone? And the Police force works independently? Since when?

Most of the times,investigating and the prosecuting bodies have been used as the long arm of the “party in power” And that is the “crux” of the problem. Mr S Yadav of the JD-U admitted at the Jantar Mantar that the CBI was a plaything of the “party in power” and likely it has been misused by almost all the Governments.

Always the probability of misuse is extreme in an era of coalition politics.Every organisation be it investigative or prosecuting does have a petty tyrant in a middle management level who appears to have the full blessing of top management and the Politicians.Is the Lokpal going to change all of that? It tickles my ribs to watch the whole country erupt in frenzy to what they belive is the best way out! Look at all the cases handled thus far be it the Laloo Prasad Yadav’s or the Mayawati or the Mulayam Singh’s…It’s almost always a volte face in the DA cases.It so happens that the Government in power for long as been the Congress.It enjoys the support of a few parties who at the drop of a hat threaten pulling back their support…It’s natural that for the “party in power” POWER and only POWER comes first!...people come next!

Flip flops are seen with all forms of Governance and Coalition Politics.The CBI was and will always be influenced by changing equations of the accused with the “party in power”!

The Supreme Court has attempted to wean anway these ills and sought to give autonomy to the CBI (Reference the Vineet Narain case 1998) http://cbi.nic.in/dop/judgements/excrpts.pdf “Clause 4 under Directions of the Court clearly states “The Central Government shall take all measures necessary to ensure that the CBI functions effectively and efficiently and is viewed as a non-partisan agency.” The word Non partisan has become the joke of this century! These directions are observed when in breach only and the single directive was restored by the government by making it aprt of the CVC Act http://cvc.nic.in/cvcact.pdf

My worry is the gross misuse of power and not just the misuse of the CBI.

The Gujarat government is in the dock over alleged misuse of power.What about the Rajasthan Government? Not to forget the States of Karnataka and Goa?...Although many commissions recommended to make investigations independent was anything ever implemented?

“Good policing is what the public wants but does not have. Good policing is policing that protects everyoneís person, property and rights. Good policing is designed to work in an impartial and efficient manner for the benefit of all, and not meant to be in service of just the elite few . In India today, illegitimate political interference in policing is routine. Some trends include manipulating police recruitment, promotion and transfer practices to suit political purposes,bringing political elements into crime control and investigation, or using the strong hand of the police to endanger communal harmony in the worst cases. The result is intense public dissatisfaction and a demonstrable deterioration in safety and security. This needs to change.Yet, there is a danger that too much autonomy can lead to blatant abuse of power,while too little can create a police that is pliant to the political/partisan interests of a powerful few.”

http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/programs/aj/police/india/initiatives/compliance_with_supreme_court_directives.pdf

It is surely impossible to arrive at justice unless the investigation and the prosecution is impartial.However, the thought of giving “total autonomy” is fraught with unimaginable danger,in some instances worse than what we own currently! Could we imagine a DG Vanzara or an SPS Rathore handling autonomy? These men have the chutzpah to walk around in society with smugness of a conqueror.How can we expect any body maybe even those consisting of Civilians to be impartial?

It’s impossible for humans to deliver without favour. I have grave doubts that any interventions can be delivered impartially and am certain that humans no matter how deeply entrenched in the mire of righteousness cannot execute without the error of bias.

Sorry, wish I could without doubt say YES YES, because it is wrong to stand back and allow cruelty, abuse and victimisation but whose hands are clean enough to be the judge and jury.Intervention cannot be impartial and delivered without favour.A cop or a hoodlum with a gun wields POWER. It can be used to the hilt to harass or hurt anyone who dares to question! The tardy pace of of our judiciary is another matter and I am no expert in the matter to discuss.I have seen some quality judgements inspite of the delivery time! 

The point I’m driving home is the fact that most of our laws are already excellent! We have failed at the level of implementation.Our whole culture of administration and governance must be revamped.

The Lokpal is not the panacea to all ills.It has no magic wand that can eradicate Corruption.

We need to aspire to implement at our level some fundamental rights crucial for a safe society, such as the right to life, freedom from torture and slavery, alongside other crucial but at times less tangible rights such as privacy, religion, freedom of expression, movement and so on.Poverty and Illiteracy needs to be addressed.

Social and economic rights remain the least easy to agree on, in part due to to financial cost, and in part due to cultural differences, and so on networking sites and in the whole country it has formed a lively basis for debate within the civil and the political community.People take sides which they feel best explains their grievances!The hope that the introduction of a Bill will cure their ills!

The Lokpal is not the panacea to all ills.It has no magic wand that can eradicate corruption.

Yes ,the CBI is critical but it’s constitution needs to be debated and quick fix solution with ever quicker guarantees can be detrimental to the whole issue of becoming another long arm to someone else!...maybe this time “not a party in power”  I do not wish for the alleged Congress Bureau of Investigation to turn into the Civil Bureau of Investigation!

Friends it’s the same old whore in a new brothel! It will get used and abused…maybe for better rates!

It’s time for some Hope-Pal! not just the Lokpal...

Turning into Anna-ther Hazard:

Satyagraha (holding on to truth) Vs Duragraha (holding on by force)

In independent India ,Gandhi has been misunderstood out of ignorance and his philosophy sometimes misused and exploited out of sheer political devices.In my personal opinion no leader of modern India has been misunderstood as much as MKG!

A lot many of us have tried writing about him but very few have tried understanding him or his doctrines!

Anna Hazare’s next fast is fast approaching!

We the people, allowed it for one cause,no matter how noble, will we now on, allow fasts for any cause?

Who decides which cause is worthy or more worthy? Anna’s crusade against graft was worthier than, say, a crusade against female infanticide or child labour?What about illegal mining? Or illegal killing of Tigers? What about the Mulla Periyar dam?or AFSPA? Sharmila Irom?-must we leave her to die?

By conceding thus, have we set a precedent whereby the Government will be expected to accede before any form of civic pressure in the form of such fasts?

Has anyone thought what would happen if the cause was not a near unanimous one but an intensely polarising one like reservations.What if two opposing groups in large numbers decide to fast for their respective beliefs? Who will the Government give in to then? Will those on the other side be allowed to die?

At this stage, it is very necessary to have some clarity regarding the Gandhi’s “Satyagraha”…perhaps no single idea has been invoked or distorted as much as this one.Gandhi has just been used as a legitimising stamp with total disregard for the true essence of the Gandhian Satyagraha.Gandhi defined his Satyagraha as an ethical weapon to apply moral pressure on his adversary in order to force him to be a part of a common pursuit for the truth.It was more like a search for the correct option which was to be pursued by both sides.It was surely not blackmail to force the opponent to bend him/her to one’s own will.

Here an important conceptual distinction has to be made between Satyagraha and the contrary! Superficially almost resembling one another but with serious fundamental differences that lie beneath. MKG never resorted to any fasts to get major Indian demands fulfilled.Most often he sat on a strike against his own people.His fast was not a weapon to score victory over his opponent.It was more a moral insturment to carve out common space with an adversary in pursuit of larger social good.In the words of MKG “A true satyagrahi should always be ready for the highest form of settlement.” He will therefore constantly and continually approach the constitued authority,appeal to public opinion, educate the public, state his case calmly and coolly before everybody who wants to listen to him, and after having exhausted all these avenues, resort to Satyagraha.

Gandhi contrasted satyagraha (holding on to truth) with duragraha (holding on by force), as in protest meant more to harass than enlighten opponents. He wrote: “There must be no impatience, no barbarity, no insolence, no undue pressure. If we want to cultivate a true spirit of democracy, we cannot afford to be intolerant. Intolerance betrays want of faith in one's cause."  (R.K. Prabhu & U.R. Rao (eds.),"Power of Satyagraha" in The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi)

This philosophy has been utterly misunderstood and distorted to suit the need of the hour in Independent India.I can see a clear case of blackmail being practised in the garb of Satyagraha.

Victory I am sure was never a part of MK’s political vocabulary.Also, Satyagraha was not meant to be a routine everyday activity.It was to be resorted to only after all other means had been exhausted.

Formal imperialism is a thing of the past but still we use his philosophy just because it gives people a framework maybe a way out of conflicts, real and apparent that have enveloped our country.Conflicts are much more rampant today and can be much more destructive given the fact that highly developed weapons are available.What one fails to realise is that as Gandhi transformed the national movement he was also transformed by it.So, the need of the hour is to construct a dynamic Gandhian philosophy than some eternal antiquated versions existing suiting the convenience of a random few.

Stop buying into the system-people!The real issue is eradication of corruption.

We surely lack Social Leaders who can show the way to our predominantly aimless masses.In the name of non violence Anna Hazare led an intolerant, irresponsible and adamant movement that paralysed the Indian democratic system.

It almost seems like the Janlokpal Bill is to be written under the dictation of Anna and his group.Then why send representatives to the Parliament at all? The wall created between the Political leadership and civil society can only be broken through dialogue.Wonder how many people gathered around Anna have an idea of the Constitution and the legal framework of our nation?

Anyone hear the word Duragraha?...errr mean blackmail?....umm arm-twisting? Holding by force?

When the cacophony of the civil society and the senile chants of the politicians reach a cresecendo the voice of reason is lost.We need transparency in existing set ups rather than invent a whole new one.

Lokshahi cannot be replaced by a Lokpal-Shahi! Hope we don’t turn into Anna-ther Hazard!

May “Satyagraha” decide whether it’s going to be collective survival or collective suicide!