I met a human… (2)

8 December 2009,

Blind People’s Association, Ahmedabad

It was truly heart rendering to meet all those enthusiastic job seekers with physical disabilities at Blind People’s Association! I was so lucky to be the part of this employment fair organized by BPA as I represented Cybersurf India where I work. The auditorium was filled with more than 300 aspirant persons with disabilities, and there were more than 10 representatives from different companies who wanted to hire these people according to their needs. Safal Group was one of these companies who have recently received an award for employing the most number of persons with disability.

Mr Bhushan Punani, Executive Director of BPA, hosted the event where they allowed all the companies to present their needs and the types of jobs they are offering. The count of jobs being offered reached to 250 jobs within a few minutes and the job seekers were thrilled to receive such offering on the day of the fair itself.

I interviewed more than 20 candidates for the computing and data processing related jobs. The amount of readiness and enthusiasm was really amazing in those candidates. Many of them could not walk and made their way into the room moving on the floor. More I was touched when I was being looked as a ray of hope for them! They thought I will give them a job and they will start sustaining a good life ahead. I wish I could employ them all in any way…

The event arranged by BPA is really appreciable and also the companies who are actively taking part and hiring the persons with disability deserve a great deal of respect. Here, in a bit different context, in the context of equality; these were all humans whom I met and I was delighted with the positive energy they had and also the companies and organizers who did put an honest effort to gather both on a platform.

One more incident which really touched me inside out and really made my belief strong that one does not have to be an intellectual or a scholar to be a good human being!

One of my good friends insisted me not to tell this to anyone, but I really want to put this here without mentioning his name…

There is a little boy of around 15-16, and he was working at his office as an office boy for Rs. 900 a month. He lost his father earlier and his mother works as domestic help in neighborhood.  That boy’s willingness to work hard and learn new things got noticed by my friend. He talked to him; put him in a computer class for 6 months. He and his girlfriend collected some 4,000 rupees for the course and now after a year that boy is earning 4,500 a month. The little boy is also more encouraged to work hard, to learn more and lead a better life.

I met a human again…

Know Your Neighbourhood…

21st century woke up with the dawn of extraordinary inventions and also horrendous issues within the society, environment and economy. Where does the right solution lie? INDIA has enough financial resources to empower the poor section! We do not lack infrastructure and arrangements to bring up the problems on the board!

India today, does not seem to be unable to deal with the serious issues we have! Our NGOs, our wealthy industries and businesses, the pool of young, intelligent & talented population and increasing awareness through media and technologies – these are the few of those able sources which can make a difference. Having said that, what can the individuals do?

It is more appropriate to touch upon some questions than answering them right now, because most of us may not think enough about it! Are we Mahatma? I guess, no. Are we Abraham Lincoln? Are we Dalai Lama? No, we are common people with constrained ability, access and power to the resources which does not motivate our intensions and turn our inner zeal into practice. But there is something we all have and that something we do not know. We could be no different than any great personality only if we identify our own ability though limited.

Watering the roots should make the tree grow up and high! Roots have to be very strong to survive a long life. Three major institutions of the society, family, schools-colleges and friends-family (let us call it ‘the neighbourhood’). I have to acknowledge one of my acquaintances who helped me to vocalize this word which was roaming inside of me somewhere! Families pour the substantial values, schools and colleges teach public behaviour and manners whereas what is more important is NEIGHBOURHOOD which remains with us, keeps changing us for the major part of our lives. Hence the first thing is to be aware what is happening around us and then to think of doing something about it!

How can a business/IT professional make a difference? How can an accountant who is just making his/her livelihood, help someone in day-to-day life? Apparently, these people may have least time to spare to conduct a camp, to volunteer in a public service or to join a protest against injustice. As said, there are organisations and nowadays corporate social responsibilities to do that. We all are small time people with our little ability to help others. But often we help a person who meets with an accident on a street, who needs a quick lift to somewhere, who needs a little help with their electric fuse and many other ways.

We apply our hands when we get confronted by our own swoon values or our human responsibilities. We hardly know that what our neighbours are up to! We least know about their profession, their views about others or us, their interests and sort of problems they face in public life. Technically speaking, a piece of information is always helpful! Knowing about your neighbourhood can solve a lot of issues itself. A computer professional can fix someone’s minor problem in minutes! Two neighbours have to travel long to work but their offices are so close to each other, can share a car while going to work every day – which eventually saves money and precious fuel on this earth. There can be so many other major things as well which can be worked out! So again, it is about being aware of neighbourhood and being proactive to know.

Recently, some religious issues got surfaced regarding acquiring a residence in Mumbai and also in Ahmedabad.  Most people do prefer to live in equated communities and we do resist residents from other cast, religion and even language. Again, when we do not know much about our neighbours we know WRONG about them! What do we know about Muslim or Jain religion? Most of us can only give the name of their prophet and their holy book! We wouldn’t know more than this and still we have strong presumptions about their religious practices. Our most opinions are based on incomplete information and our resistive attitude. We are far too busy in blaming government and authorities. One of the recent movies, YEH MERA INDIA (YMI) did try to convey a simple and basic message which is still very deep and worth understanding. There are always good things and bad things; it is up to us what we remember. Resisting the human nature, which is more intolerant about negative things, is the foremost thing we could consider.

Knowing about your surroundings may lead you to be a little helpful to others and there is no university of social services, NGO or public bodies you have to go to. I trust our humane instinct that with some more awareness about the people next door will surely do wonders!

Amen…

Visit  www.snehism.com to view the site.

Online Communities – Trends and Threats!

Facebook is looking very slow these days! It could be a slight downfall as human interests change frequently! If something’s thrown quickly against FB it might click!

One more reason: Compared to Indian visitors (4,063,300) there are far more users in western countries like US (83,558,820) and UK (20,247,300). And all these majority users are busier during August to Pre-December! Approaching deadlines of projects before Christmas… And hence, may get less time for hanky dolly! I have seen significant fall in status updates, useless messages like “I m cleaning my room today!” etc. Facebook is on rank 31 in best 50 sites of 2009! Guess who is on top… Flickr.com.

Facebook is looking very slow these days! It could be a slight downfall as human interests change frequently! If something’s thrown quickly against FB it might click to the users and can go places!

One more reason is that compared to Indian visitors (4,063,300) there are far more users in western countries like US (83,558,820) and UK (20,247,300). And all these majority users are busier during August to Pre-December! Approaching deadlines of projects before Christmas… And hence, may get less time for hanky dolly! I have seen significant fall in status updates, useless messages like “I m cleaning my room today!” etc. Facebook is on rank 31 in best 50 sites of 2009! Guess who is on top?… Flickr.com. Twitter is way on top in this ranking compared to Facebook.

Facebook activities also are more of an imitation of friends or contacts. Well, it is all about following each other and forming a community! But still a thin line is surfacing between imitation and following. Offline (a new word for the “real world”) friends have got new place to meet and share things, Facebook! Friends, people in relation, husband & wife, mom-dad, siblings – all these relations are getting a new dimension through this online world of sharing and caring! Unknowingly, a lot is happening around those tangible comments, pictures and connections! A new sense of jealousy, rivalry, imitation and unhealthy competition is spreading. Some are competing for more friends on the list, some are jealous of their friend’s ability to exploit FB apps to show new creations and there are some who just follow the activities because their friends are doing it!

We still are not aware of the time bomb we are sitting on! These micro and macro level oscillations of emotions, rivalry and imitations are becoming the strength of the online world. The amount of information in various forms they hold, the accumulation will create a dangerous diagram of our lifestyles. Being with Google, they have your emails through GMail, your documents through Google Docs, your location and map activities through Google Maps, your schedules through Google Calendar, your sites through Google Site and many more. A common user may not realize this fact but going ahead with all these community sites and live update of your lives will take a certain level of control on your activities!

It will be a bit early to say anything more, and rather we just keep this thought in mind while embracing anything online!

More on me @ www.snehism.com

Calling the real institutions of the society!

The state is spilling over with internal filth and dirt when Modi is busy defending the so called anti-terrorism bill – GUJCOCA. Government again refused the bill and with the recommendation of changing some clauses in the bill mainly which were allowing the authorities to seize the properties of the suspect and tracing the calls of any suspect at any time without any explanation.

When I assume the process, I can imagine a few thoughtful people thinking over different points of the bill and discussing the pros and cons before reaching to any vital decision. But as the verdict comes out, BJP’s immature comments started coming out and the dirty politics starts over again. Mr. Modi’s ego speaks again, “I will not make any changes to the bill and foot it again to the center.”

Outrage is spreading throughout the state because of increasing overall crime rate. Yes, we cannot deny that the overall rate of crime is also increasing in the whole country. But we haven’t seen the Gujarat in this shape before. We are witnessing the incidents which we have never seen before in our own Gujarat. Police is still summing up the amount of money Ashok Jadeja has acquired from hundreds of people and each day a new rape case is coming out. Frauds, robberies and petty stealing are also riding high in daily newspapers. The crime rate is all time high in Gujarat. I do not think I need to refer to any sources because we all read and watch what happens around us. It is matter of our own sense.

Black memories of Patan gang rape case haven’t yet faded and Surat is blotted with a shameful gang rape. As I am recalling these inhuman acts, news comes out from Rajkot and Himachal Pradesh, teens raped respectively in both of this places where in the latter case the victim is a tourist from Britain. I just took a note of the rape rate in Gujarat before a few months that how it is increasing consistently. Although very complex and sensitive, undertaking the studies of increasing rapes in the social context and also other external reasons for such activities seem essential at this point of time.

Rapes, sexual harassments, making video clips – all these are new form of criminal activities of this modern time and they are getting so frequent. The victims seem to be coming out more openly than before and we can also see many reputed entities of the societies involved and alleged in cases like this. Shiney Ahuja and an MLA from west Godavari are the most recent examples of those. But still the numbers of rapes reported to the police are far lesser than the actual number.

On the other hand, ‘organized’ and gang rapes (which in turn can be called organized) have significantly got surfaced in the recent times. The definition of rape has always been powered over other elements in different cases and it remains the centre of the case in most instances. Even in Shiney Ahuja’s case victim is constantly stressing how Shiney forced, grabbed and pushed her, because all these phrases lead to the confirmation that the rape was committed. I am not sure that how accommodating is our judicial system for the crime conditions and the social context (behaviour of an individual and the reasons for that behaviour) involved in the incident. But I am sure the society should and must be interested in the detailed examination of reasons involved in such criminal occurrences.

The reason behind such study is to understand the affecting elements which trigger such instances like rapes and sexual activities. “Spot” rape – a spontaneous excitement leads an individual to lose the control over sexual urge and expressing that in verbal, gestural or physical form. As I mentioned earlier that the “organized” rapes are increasing and this kind of rapes involve raping a fairly known individual and in many cases an acquaintance or an intimate friend. “Organized” rapes means an individual or a group of people pro-actively look to satisfy their sexual urge or forcing verbal, gestural or physical abuses to a man or woman. If assessed on moral grounds, organized rapes would hold a very lower position compared to the spot rapes which only take place on an instantaneous sexual aggression. This classification may not be that important for the legal resolution of the offence but considering the long term societal balance, some profound study should take place. (There are enough reasons, anger and misery over these inhuman incidents which tell me to conduct such social studies but time, conditions and limited understanding do not YET allow me!)

There is another issue which I do not want to discuss in detail but just a note:

No political parties or diplomats came out at the time of Patan incident. But as soon as the Surat gang rape case came out and the culprits are held, VHP is coming out asking for strict action. Can you people guess? Yes, because the culprits are Muslims. It may get more sensitive as the Rajkot case contains the same attributes. Let us just don’t get carried away by all these and let us focus on the safety of women at first and then to understand, evaluate and take some meaningful actions where we can develop a society which is more cleaner and moral.

“Mothers, please teach your son that every woman must be respected as he respects his own mother!

Fathers, please provide an example to your son that how the women in any relation, mother, sister, daughter, friend or wife must be respected in every manner!

Teachers, please teach your students about the social and public behaviour towards women and any other individual in the society!

You are the INSTITUTIONs of the society!”

I met a human!

26 February 2009, 8:45 PM

Standing near a little corner shop, off the main road and traffic, I met a human!

An ordinary (please excuse this strong word, but that only portrays the actual condition!), an ordinary man, must be in his 50s, old before age, and with an empty three wheeled pedal came to the shop and bought something. This man, who must have ridden his pedal for the whole day, must have earned merely 100-120 bucks and he has not yet reached home, and not yet reached his loaf of bread. He bought a pack or two of biscuits and for those four dogs roaming around!

I shouldn’t utter a word more…

Is anyone listening them?

Seven years on after the bloodshed and burning lives, red and black, stains are still there on some hearts! For us, it could be a daily newspaper, but the red block letters reminded me of cowards of soil Gujarat. The ones who suffered call them ‘Butchers’. Is anyone listening to them at all? Several statements released, how Maya Kodnani carried out a string of operations of open firing on people and burning houses! Naroda Patiya is still in a reckless condition with a few whole hearted people, who are all living with their incomplete families. Some lost their young sons, some lost husbands or some are still waiting for their missing children.

21 February, AM Mirror – A social worker, Shahadat Malik, who has settled in Madninagar after his house in Naroda Gam was destroyed, said the victims prayed for death. “What is the use of this life? Were we born to endure such fate? Death will bring an end to our woes,” he said.

A tribute to all those victims (now more than 1000)!

Our new so called Gujarat anthem says, “Jityu hamesha Gujarat!” (courtesy: Mr Modi’s new friend TATA) I am not sure if we can say we have always won! But yes, these people’s endurance is keeping Gujarat stand still. Be it Hindu or Muslim, we haven’t shown enough tolerance being a part of the society. We have given liberal rights to our leaders to do whatever they want. We do not keep track, we do not try to understand! What are the consequences and what are the counter effects of all those activities, plans and projects executed by the Government! Modi said in his recent speeches, “Gujarat ne etlu agal lai jaie ke koi ena sudhi pohnchi pan na shake!” (Let’s take Gujarat forward, that no one can reach us!”) What are we into, a dog race? Why do we want to go ahead of everyone? From ages, we are trying to learn the lessons of togetherness and harmony! Who do we want to beat? Yes, we protect ourselves from anti-socials and criminals, but who else we want to defeat? It involves some kind of lust for success, power and numero uno! We develop our cities, state and take others with us and grow together!

Rather than celebrating Nano’s plant in Gujarat, it could be a humble gesture of accommodating something which our fellow state could not due to whatsoever reason! Actually, if it would have been the same case in Gujarat as it was in West Bengal, I really doubt we would have protested! But, one thing I am sure about is, this is going to be the punch line for the next election! This one case was a national affair and there may be transparent transactions for the plant, lands and employment. But how many of us would know about the lands allocated to Ambanis and Adanis. Ace political scientist, Pravin Sheth has also raised questions over the model of development of this Gujarat Government. The primary impact seems fruitful but the counterparts are not getting compensated well and not being taken care!

Government has been poor in after sales services, be it sustaining the developed cities like Ahmedabad, or sustaining the shine of Gujarat – diamond industry in Surat, or rehabilitating the riot victims. Many malls got opened in the city in last couple of years and now we see an apparent decline in sales, malls are empty as well as shops are closing down and recently, it has come to my knowledge for the first time that the new Reliance mall on SG Highway, Ahmedabad is closing soon! Two floors are already shut! On CG Road, Iscon arcade recently rented open space for exhibition stalls! I think it is time to realize before it is too late.

Now, a young congress man, visiting Gujarat to reach different regions and different issues of Gujarat is giving the BJP chiefs sleepless nights. They are trying everything! Yes, Rahul Gandhi is also doing it for votes and he wants to win elections in Gujarat under Congress. But, he is at work! I have seen Modi appearing for promoting Mr Advani, commenting on Rahul Gandhi that he is coming to Gujarat to learn (which is again a positive initiative, isn’t it Mr Modi?), or hailing for TATA (“my nano, my nano!” as if it his own production!) I did not hear a word about Surat and diamond workers. What is he busy with? Pushing Advani for PM position?

Mr. Modi has crores of rupees for “Summits” and “Vibrants”! I am so amazed, he asking for money from Central Government for rehabilitation of diamond workers of Surat. Also, he clinches the credit for every development and blames Center for the failure in maintaining the conditions of diamond workers. I just mentioned this a few days before in my previous post:

http://snehism.wordpress.com/2009/01/30/urbanization-backfires/

To be very honest, I believe to ‘forget and forgive’ at some extent and hence I have often tried to leave it back (can’t forget!) what Modi has done! But again to be extremely honest, it keeps coming back by his biased policies. His language sounds more arrogant, and has always taken an advantage of people’s emotions. His speech on August 24, 2002 at Bodeli near Vadodara can be read here!

http://www.hvk.org/articles/0802/180.html

In his speech he is blaming for Lyngdoh for indecent language and he himself calling him, “halia malia jamalia from dehli footpath”! What decency he is preserving?

I can go on and on this, hurting a lot of sentiments of people who love Modi blindly! Do love everyone including Modi and do make him win elections, just be aware of what is actually happening and think of the consequences before taking any decision. think, think, think!

Vandemataram!

Urbanization Backfires!

The commercial capital and the city in center, Ahmedabad is getting all the glitters and revamp. Roads, junctions, buildings and public places are rejuvenated over the last few weeks following the Vibrant Gujarat’s international investors’ summit. Would it have happened for the citizens of Ahmedabad in order to provide civil services? I strongly do not think so. I buy the idea that we hide those dirty table and broken shoe rack when we invite guests at our place, but we don’t lose the priorities of our family needs. The areas of the city, which were not likely to be touched by these visitors are still in despair. No one to look at those even! Anyway, this was just to make a way to the following points.

“In the past six months, Modi has spent Rs.750 crore of State money on propaganda – equivalent to the amount Gujarat spends on social welfare and nutrition in a year.” Dionne Bunsha says in his recent article in Frontline, from the publishers of Hindu

Surat, the city of diamonds, sends out 80% of diamonds being used in jewelry in all over the world. Out of 250-300 diamonds factories with more than 2500 grinders, there are only 15 functional. We may just flip a page over a headline of a suicide but there have been 80 in last 2 months and most of them are either diamond workers or their family members. Earning a sufficient living for family is now standing in queue for relief. BECAUSE, perhaps we do not know how to live in a villages and remain in villages. There is no eligibility or courage I might have to say this, but it does at least leave me with a lot questions. The blind migration (URBANIZATION) over easy jobs without having any qualification or any special skills. Thousands left villages, left well settled farming practices and ended up in these “not forever” diamonds. I see it more as the disconnection with the soil, seeds and the dust at the cost of making those artificial beauty objects. I think, no one wants dirty and scruffy hands at the end of the day.

State Government spent 750 crore rupees to provide A-class cars, 5 star accommodations and luxurious services to the investors, and there are queues of diamond workers to get welfare relief. After the discomforting communal divide which has rooted some very downbeat feelings within thousands of hearts (I use ‘thousands’ as out of millions, I doubt that there is much sensitivity in the people of Gujarat regarding these issues.) and the huge distance between the rich and poor, it’s the intensive time of disparity between rural and urban, specially at the time of global melt-down!

“Some get roads to glide and some, a death-ride!”

There is a lot to be heard about villages and victims of our social imbalance, please read on Dionne Bunsha: http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2424/stories/20071221508312900.htm

Retail Menaces

A lady came from England and ignited Amdavadis to hit the cleanliness campaign. I shouldn’t let this hour pass without appreciating the effort from Ahmedabad Mirror and the people who gathered for the task. Bravo!

 

Let’s get more issues in light and let’s clean our own Ahmedabad thoroughly! Let’s clean the dust, rubbish, plastic, papers and importantly corruption and retail menaces. I am trying to buy an ink-pot and no joy from last few days. There are some cases I want to share!

 

Case 1

 

State Transport: Koba circle to Vadaj Terminus

 

This one is a little off the track from retail sector but it’s again about tricking the customers in a cleaner way! I was travelling from Koba circle in an ST Bus and as soon as I got on the bus, I asked for the ticket to Vadaj. Front-seated conductor released a ticket from a gadget he had for generating tickets and said, “Chhutta 7 rupiya aapo!” (Give me the change of 7 rupees!) His sentence struck me at the very moment, but I gave him Rs. 10 note believing it is a fair change I am giving and not a 100 rupees note. He said that he doesn’t have 3 rupees change.

 

Now, isn’t it ridiculous that they don’t have change for the passengers. It is their duty to keep enough change for the passengers because ad-hoc passengers wouldn’t carry the change always.

  

Case 2

 

Retailer: Vidhyarthi Book Depot, Stadium Five Roads

 

I wanted an ink pot of 60 ml. I handed over 20 rupees as the MRP was Rs. 12. Sales person said “You will have to buy a pen worth Rs. 3 because we don’t have change!”

 

I bailed out, “I don’t want to buy anything!”And got my money back! Why should I be obliged to buy something which I don’t need? And to keep and to give change is the responsibility of the retailer.

  

Case 3

 

Retailer: Krunal Stationers and Xerox, 6, Corporate House, Opp. Pakvan-2 , Judges Bungalow Road. Name: Shaileshbhai Shah (40027042/9428580125)

 

I have mentioned more details because I think everyone should know who the person is and should we really buy anything from him.

 

As I said, I am trying to buy an ink-pot and it hasn’t happened yet ideally. I sent my office help Vipul to get me this ink-pot. He got me this 60ml ink-pot and he paid Rs. 15. As you can see in the images, the MRP is covered with black marker and hand written price appears on the top (Rs. 15/-). I went back to the shop and asked why it is so? “Etla j laie chhie, amne posatu nathi!” That’s what Shaileshbhai had to say about this. So what is the need of putting an MRP on any product? 

 

It was just a matter of 3 odd rupees, but it doesn’t end there. You would definitely think, what is the fuss about just a few coins? There is a lot of fuss about it, because it begins only there. There was a young guy working in the same shop and presumably he was the son of Mr. Shah. He would follow and may use better tricks than his father. I could have paid 3 rupees more and got my ink-pot but I asked for the refund and did not buy it! It is up to you to decide how much you want to allow these people to do whatever they want. There might be more serious cases but I hope this was exemplary to understand such situations.

 

“JAAGO GRAHAK JAAGO!”

How retailers make a fool out of you!

We Do Not Need GUJCOC!

Although I witness these issues closely around us, in my state Gujarat, in India, I closely relate this to each country, each society and community. The increased violence through out the world is the biggest concern.

Could any law or could any police stop a person who decides to kill himself to kill other people? No. Gujarat government is insisting on implementing GUJCOC, a proposition of an anti-terrorism law. Mr. Modi did not have time to educate people about GUJCOC because he has been very busy in preaching for writing post cards to the Prime Minister to advocate GUJCOC. It seems, only one person would decide what “sada 5 karod ni janta” should do.

I call this person as a man with the metal chest; Lawyer Anand Yagnik has shown the excellent example how to be in complete senses regarding political happenings and policy making from which normal people are alienated. (Ahmedabad Mirror, 26 September 2008 | “Do we need GUJCOC or a collective will to respond?”) He has tried to bring in this issue in the best possible way that people can understand GUJCOC and decide themselves that is it really needed? In further, it also doesn’t seem to be a law to control terrorists as the definition of organized crime (for which GUJCOC is proposed) is quite contradictory from what terrorists do. As per the Statement of Object given by Gujarat Government, “The organized crime has been for quite some years now come up as a very serious threat boundaries and is fuelled by illegal wealth generation by contract killing, extortion, smuggling in contrabands, illegal trade in narcotics, kidnappings for ransom, collection of protection money and money laundering etc.” Give it a thought; do terrorists want to do these killings for wealth generation? Do they place bombs for extortion or is this contract killing? Poor reasons!

Now let us put some light on provisions of GUJCOC (As Anand Yagnik brought them for us):

·         Every offence punishable under GUJCOC is cognizable

·         No Anticipatory Bail

·         Provision of bail is excessively stringent so as to keep accused behind the bars for a substantial period of time without trial

·         Confession made before Superintendent of Police is admissible evidence irrespective of how much an accused is tortured

·         Valid intercepted communication is also admissible evidence

·         An accused can be kept in the police custody for up to 60 days

·         The failure of police to charge sheet an accused does not create a technical ground for bail

·         Special courts permitted to have summary trials

·         Protection for witnesses

·         Property of the accused on a reasonable ground liable to be forfeited

There are two affecting factors of GUJCOC. First is the Statement of Object from state government. The definition of organized crime and actual terrorist activities are quite different. Let us come back to that core issue after we get to know powers and authorities requested in GUJCOC for the police.

Each of the provisions can easily be abused by the authority and we know how much we can rely on government and police authorities!!! Keeping an accused in custody for uncertain time up to 60 days, no bail, no trial and tortured confession is evidence; it is questionable if these clauses are not violating the human rights. Apparently, they are insisting on more power over society by proposing this law. The initial picture suggests that GUJCOC is needed to target some particular people and community and making them easy targets with the name of law. Well Done! Even if it is not so, then it is an apparent threat to each citizen. Who knows if your son, your brother would be taken to custody without any reason, just on the basis of suspicion!? We may not feel secure in our home, in our own city.

Now go back to the long term concern, as a few brutal minds are spreading terror and targeting innocent lives, anytime anywhere without any glitch. Again, can hard laws stop these people? I don’t think so. This is no more a matter of crime, violence and police. It has gone far out of the reach of law and order. Have we ever realized and related these incidents with naxalism? Although unpopular, it is a modern way to fight for existence and self-respect. The actors of recent incidents claim this as a revenge of Gujarat riots of 2002. Yes, revenge itself is immoral. But how long and how much one can tolerate? Terrorism is not a monopoly of Laden anymore. This is the age of home grown groups who drive these bomb campaigns from one city to other, another characteristic of naxalism! We may not be aware of the complete truth, but we can see what is clearly apparent. We have chosen not to see and not to consider some aspects of it, but in this case ignorance is sinful. We cannot undo what has happen; we also can’t keep blaming and keep moaning about the injustice prevailed and also that how legal authorities applied its stamp on it recently. Let us forget and forgive all those people who wore knives and swords as ornaments and danced over blood of thousands.

Society starts from home and the strongest instincts get developed in a child from its own family. Family is the most important and primary institution of a person in his social life. Parents do have to pour in right values in children from the beginning. Not only skills of singing, dancing and drawing are the parameters of a better person. We have to develop better citizen because after being a student for a few years, a person lives rest of her/his life as a citizen in the social context. How strong and how determined is this citizen who would never involve in such activities? How could a bunch of people preach us and overshadow our learning of life, which we received from our parents, schools and colleges? This is what we need to learn and teach. If they preach for revenge and killings, why can’t we teach to forget and forgive? Why can’t we teach to accept others? There are endless conflicts in diverse communities, from among the countries to families. But we have to live with it, as we live in our own families.

Let us start afresh. Let us concentrate on our own selves and find out, do we contain any bit of such poison within us? If yes, you really need a treatment. Open eyes and open arms, a lot would get better. If we see it real, it is real. We have to support and be with those people and communities who are suffering the most. To blame is easier, to give a hand of courage is what does matter!

We do not implement rule of stick if our child, our brother or sister is being stubborn, violent and out of control. We always keep patience and try to nurture them.

I would like to present this as a petition and want to know and show that we really don’t need GUJCOC! Please leave your name, email address and also your comments in order to sign this petition. Also forward this if you feel it is worth preventing our state from ghost of GUJCOC.

Gujarat – Liquor’s Flooding and Water’s Drying!

A few days back, journalist of Ahmedabad Mirror, Mr. Tapan Joshi presented his views on prohibition policy in Gujarat. He is concerned with international delegations and domestic cricket leagues. His article left me surprised as the arguments were not even mature to vote for relief in policy. A few very simple and disastrous consequences can be understood by a common man as well, where a responsible entity like a journalist is leaving me dismayed.

From the day AM has started, it is the first time when I have come to read something very political and far away from truth. Tapan Joshi is having his perspective for the liquor prohibition policy in Gujarat. But apparently, it is a very naive representation from a journalist. It would need a lot of understanding to state anything about the policy and the policymakers. The reason he has mentioned is futile and has no substance. For a few commercially glittered cricket matches, for a few neo-rich foreign delegations, should we change our identity? Should we change are moral values? The long lived recognized policy from Mahatma Gandhi is being abused with the excuses of loosing revenues. Today’s journalism, youths and even leaders seem very short sighted and have least vision for a healthy society. The revenue itself is immoral if it is generated by selling liquor. If you see it with a basic example, if a middle class family is struggling to survive, would we allow any of the family members to earn bread by selling any kind of alcohol? Even in this metro culture, we have an evil eye for such businesses. This is exactly the same situation. We may not be a rich, developed (!) and advanced state, but we have enough to live a basic life. And in anyway, bringing these international traders to Gujarat would benefit the least to the majority. Main interests pushing the policy back are political and influenced by those ‘panch karodpatio’ and their material ambitions.

Mr Joshi also criticizes CM for not relieving the policy, which is again contradictory. It is a political game, ‘Act Accordingly’! And recently, much more relief is given to the businesses and in SEZs, and by our “honorable” Government.

We know the fact that how it is being consumed in majority of the youths and also families. Women are also taking a big part in this growing metro culture. We already had a few incidents recently at a beach Mumbai and on the roads of Punjab. Where to go and what to stop! Giving liberties will make the situation worse only. Today liquor and tomorrow we’ll have bars! “Stopping at the bar for a pint of beer”, Come on! Wake up! At least Gujarat is not the place. There is the whole world to roam around and have a pint.