I am Thankful

Each moment, I am Thankful to million of events around me. So this is the first category I can think of.

Telecom Policy – a Paradigm Shift

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P. Chidambaram’s decision to raise the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to 74 percent in telecom sector and plans to implement the universal licensing regime by the middle of year seems to give a new turn to the Telecom policy of finance ministry.

The collation Govt. with so much leftist outcry against the increase of FDI is being silenced by the PC’s statement that every possible outcome has been well studied as well as security concerns.
Main points are worth notable:

  • Majority of the directors including the chairman, MD, and CEO, “shall be” resident Indians.
  • Al least one investor will have to hold 10% of the equity.
  • Chief technical officer and chief technology officer “should be” resident Indians.
  • No call between two points in India can be routed via any place outside the country.
  • The company shall not transfer information on subscribers and details of infrastructure
  • The company must provide traceable identity of subscribers.
  • Network management and repairs cannot be outsourced outside the country.

At the same time the major players in the industry circumspect the possible outcomes after the universal license regime is implemented. And the universal licensing regime will allow the companies to offer additional services like television, internet and to VSAT links apart from telephony.

Major six players like BSNL, MTNL, Reliance, Tata, Bharati, Hutch in which the former two who are likely to be merged are aggressive to expand their network and value added services. For the telecom majors the FDI will certainly improve their operation performance. But the question is why the present govt. has to decide the increase in the FDI from 49 percent to 74 percent. The reasons are obvious need of huge investments of funds in the telecom sector as the different targets were set by the govt. By 2007, the national target of ‘250 million phones’, needs 1,60,000 crores and it’s impossible for Indian investors and FDI are needed. The Financial analysts are seeing it as a next step towards consolidation in the long run.

(The future prospects in the telecom sector in India, which is mostly dependent on electricity sector as a backbone. Now let’s see the govt. plans for the secotor. It’s seems a mirage but the policy if implemented there will be a major infrastructure reforms. To recapitulate in short,by the year 2012
1. the power demand of all Indian houses will be fulfilled.
2. Minimum consumption of electricity will be 1 unit per household per day as merit good.
3. Per capita availability of electricity is to be increased to over 100 units by 2012.

May we will live in a better India then if theories meet the practicals.

Indian Guns with Roses

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“I want to eliminate ‘kills’ from army’s vocabulary”, General Joginder Jaswant Singh roared.

General J.J. Singh, the new army chief, who took over as the chief of the army on Monday, seems to make a transition in the Indian Army. At present, when the insurgent prone states cried foul against army atrocities and youths were thrown out of running train by the army personals and cease fire is going on in J&K, the announcements from the new four star general are very important. The image of an army personal with a pinpointed carbine towards the people and readiness to trigger and the feeling of the people getting intimidated is not only present in India, Iraqis have worst experience in this regard. The first Sikh army chief’s effort to scrap this image of army is worth watching. He will award the army troops not on the basis of kills or captures of so called insurgents but after inspecting the reports of local civic authorities like superintendent of police and the head of the panchayat.

WHAM, Winning Hearts And Minds, which was much talked about in the senior army circuit seems to be declared publicly. General Singh, the 22nd occupant of the office, himself made the statements may be too early in his tenure, but the people of those insurgent prone states will be relieved a lot if the statements will be reflected in actions by the army personals.

At the same time General JJ can’t be underestimated for his winning capability. When he was the company commander in J&K he used the guns loaded with roses and frequently meet and address the common people and listen them to win their confidence.

Along with his announcement about reviewing the reduction in army troops in high altitudes he also wants to reorient priorities to the technological upgradation of the information systems, intensive use satellite communication. His aim is to transform the Indian army into 21st century futuristic battlefield with mechanization of logistics and extensive use of IT.

Idol Worshipping

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Today morning in newspaper, I saw a big photograph of Sania Mirza, with a huge garland containing enough flowers, to cover up the whole tennis court, around her neck and a crown and a big sword in her hand. The caption of the photo was “Burden of a billion”. This picture was snapped at her college at the felicitation program. This picture might have inspired the budding tennis players especially, the court girls. I too appreciate and admire the effort she put in her tennis career and her future plan. Good things must be encouraged but adoring one in such way, leaves some issues unanswered.

It’s nice to see that advertisement agencies come forward to these photogenic and popular faces and help them financially. No wonder if within some days their posters will start appearing on the roadside shops .People will decorate the living room walls with them. Some of them will put them for inspiration and mostly just for decoration.

I have seen many room walls filled with Aishwarya, Hirtik, Sachin, and so on. May these so called fans not put the big poster of their family members among those posters, who do support them in need! And among the fans, most of the time used in discussions, about their performance and so on ends without any net result but killing own time and potential. These Idol worshipping will exist in India with a lot of drama till people have free time.

On the other side of the coin, after so much adoration, the career of those performers will come under strict scanner, the expectations will increase. Some day when they will again leave for some major match abroad, people will wish them good luck with bouquets. By chance if the result is negative there and they will return home barehanded, only family members and very few supporters will be waiting on the airport.

These idols along with appreciation, support and finance need competitors inside the country, such that their performance will increase during the practice sessions. And to create competitors, we need to disseminate the idol worshipping efforts for them who are playing around us. There are many more potential sportswomen/men like Karnam Malleshwari, Milkha Singh, Anju Bobby George and P.T. Usha, Baichung Bhutia, Dhanraj Pillai around us who need moral and financial support, along with competition and they are capable to excel in Olympics.

When ego breaks

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Last month, one night around 11 pm, I was immersed in my books and keyboard.

“Prem…” Ma was calling me. Usually Ma does not call me while I am studying. So It was surely some necessary call from Ma. Although her voice was calm as usual, and I had seen her reading on the bed before coming to my room. I did not panic. I got up from the chair and attended her call. I understood that she will tell me some work to do. As I reached there she was closing the book, which she was reading. She had still some pages to read from “Vaitarini” which we got from NBT, Kolkata shop. She was going to sleep now because she had morning schools next day.

I had already finished the book. So we discussed some of the literary aspects of the book. As we finished talking she gave me spectacles to keep on the table and told me to switch the light off. I was aware that because of these works only she had called me. When a child grows up, he has some innovative ideas to follow and these ideas have contradiction with the ideas of the experienced persons. Me and Ma are no exception at few times in this regard although we both have a great understanding.

As I was taking the specs of Ma from her to keep on the table, I told her that she can put it near to pillow too at times, as I do for my specs. Ma leaves no chance to make me perfect human. She told me about the importance of specs and always keep it in the case or a safe place when not being used. She also told me about the wearing and taking the specs off with both hands. After I heard everything from her, I accepted my habit of wearing specs with one hand and taking off same way. While I was telling, I also demonstrated this and was going to tell that I never had any problem with this habit. I took off my specs with my left hand as my habit. I succeeded to do it and frame was safe in my hand. Ting!!!!!!!!!! Some thing has fallen on the floor it was my right glass from the specs frame. I bent down on the floor to pick it up, and it had broken partially. I was dumb struck. My ego to contradict elder’s suggestion had broken down. My face reddened. Ma did not smile or got angry. She told in sorrow “Ah! Bhenge gelo” ( Ah! It broke down). She did not told me much since she knew well that the sound of breaking glass was as loud as lightening for me with a thunderstorm. Rather she was feeling sorry for my glasses. She had remorse and told me that because of her only it broke down, had she not called me, my glass would not break!
She knew that something much harder than glasses had already broken.

Stolen leaves

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I have a book of poems which I can’t read. My every attempt to read it becomes a setback. In so many days I have been able to read only few pages of it. Reading the poems gives me pain. The author seems to have stolen my poems, so I feel cheated. Those poems have almost same rhythm and tunes, as I had written in those days under the tree. I wonder if I find the author, should I sue him.
Those poems were written by me under the tree in the barrens when I was crying. I used to write those poems on the falling leaves of the tree. May the author have collected those leaves and arranged them in the book.
I like to cry in the barrens, because I am a man. Men are not supposed to cry in public. If not barrens, pillows become the companions. When I cry, the tears fall on my heart where the heavy stones are kept. These infinite tears are capable of melting them down. Reading those poems may dry out my tears. And the heavy stones will not be able to melt down due to lack of tears.
I feel those heavy stones put on by the circumstances around me and the society I live. The woman inside me wants to cry loudly. I want to shed my tears under the tree in the barren land again. There I shall write again on the falling leaves and recollect those poems again. I shall collect every leave from there, and this time I will not leave any leaf there. Once every poem is recollected on those leaves, I shall open the book and read to see what alterations have been with my poems.
I can’t throw that book because I am a human with my own limitations. Apart from my limited capacity I see more probable things that can happen. May today I shall not find out the tree again. May the leaves not fall now, on which I can write again. May in the barrens the rain start falling and wash out all my tears and melt down those heavy stones and the leaves will become useless for me.
I can’t read the book and I can’t throw it too. I feel angry as well as guilty.

Run ! Boy Run !!

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Yesterday morning, in my hotel room in Kolkata, as I switched the TV on, the coverage of Mumbai Marathon was being telecasted. Around 25 thousands of participants were there and some of them were to participate in 42 kms. of full marathon. Others were to participate in other partial categories of the marathon. The disabled persons, children as well as senior citizens everyone were participating. The professional runners were rhythmic in their running steps, sweating and running like machines. Some of the slow runners were encouraged by the clapping of the onlookers. As I see people clapping and runners getting faster due to encouragement, my eyes started fainting on the TV screen and a vast green playgrounds of a school started appearing before my eyes and a slim boy running uncounted times around it.A serious Joke:
14 years ago there lived a boy in the Navodaya school hostel. The mornings were as usual as every day. As soon the boys were ready wearing the P.E.T. dress and they have tied their shoe strings firmly, a long whistle was heard coming from the foggy playgrounds. Everyone ran towards the whistle for the morning Physical Education Trainings (P.E.T.) and whoever was left in rooms used to reach at the grounds by the third whistle. In those cold months, the temperature was enough low to put the hands inside the pant pocket. But unwillingly no one could do that because of the fear of being poked fun by the P.E.T. sir, Mr. Amarendra Singh. It was mandatory to run a full round of the playground before physical exercises. Some girls never completed the full round and of course there were some boys too fall in the same category. But most of the students used to complete the round. This boy also used to run one round and occasionally two rounds. That day as soon the physical exercises finished there was an announcement by the P.E.T. sir. It was about the inter school sports meet among the Navodaya Vidylayas of the nearby districts which is popularly known as cluster meet. So the football team and volleyball team member were enthusiastic about the event. This boy could not get selected for any of the school games team. Despite having a strong will power and deprived of the participation in any event this slim boy was searching for the possibilities near to him. So sir was today going to try the athletics team member. There were events of 100m to 800 meters in running category.

After short races trials were completed formally, there came the event of 800 meter trials. The willing participants stood in the starting line. A running of 800 meters were the two rounds of the 400 track made around the playground. Jokingly this boy stood 15 meters ahead of the other participants J . Naturally everyone resisted his position of starting. But the considerate P.E.T. sir asked the boy if he really want to race and he got a positive reply. But sir did not resist his position of starting and he convinced the other runners that let him allow running from his position and he will not be counted in the result of the race. So everybody was ready to run.

On your marks! Get Set! Go!!
The race started, and the boy also ran. He has got a false feeling of being ahead of others and he was enjoying this feeling while running. In long race 15 meters gap is a big difference. He was trying hard to maintain the distance and he maintained it in the first lap. As the first lap was going to finish and second was going to start, everyone reached the point where the race have started and where all the students were standing clapping the hands , few friends of the boy and P.E.T. sir encouraged the boy to keep it up. But running the 400 meters at such a high speed was his first experience, he has lost most of his energy but still a second lap was there. The clapping and encouragement revitalized the remaining energy. He continued the second lap and as he was in the midway of the second lap the leg muscles were aching badly, mouth was wide open gasping air, a peculiar pain in the chest and stomach started and throat became completely dry. And the lead he got from the last gap was going to disappear. In the last remaining 25 meters of the race Anil Hembrum, the tribal big guy was going to overtake him. Anil’s big strong leaps succeeded to overtake him. Seeing Anil running he tried to run parallel to him. He did not thought of the other star runners of the school behind him. His legs were out of his control while running now. He can see jumping and encouraging guys at the finishing line. He was trying more than his capacity but by the time another guy, Rabbani again crossed him before reaching the finish line.
He stood third but useless! His labour went in vain! It was the precondition before that race that his position will not be counted. He did not claim any thing but he was almost collapsed with tired, aching legs and a pain in stomach. But the day envisaged the rise of an athlete. He had tasted something and this sweet taste of the false success eased out the pain in his body.

Real Race:
Once an experimenter gets the taste of the narcotics first time as trial basis, next time he will not try to experimental basis, he will try to get the same taste seriously at any cost. False winning may be the similar kind of pleasure for him. Next day at the test trials he stood in the same line along with the other participants and P.E.T. sir was surprised to see his courage and appreciated the effort.
Stand on marks! Get Set! Go!!
So this time it was a difficult startup. So today’s result was that he was second from the last. This was his real position in school 800 meters team! But dissatisfied he wanted to get the same position as he got the previous day.
Unlike today, his physique was too slim to compete in such races. He had a burning desire to win. And from that day evening the running tracks were his companion .He used to take 6 to 10 rounds of the ground in evening and 4 or more in morning. His aching calf muscles were not paining any more now but despite being thin, the calf and thighs were getting stronger after daily practice. His diet has increased and in classrooms too some planning were done by his head about the track. He still used to take part in the daily trials and one day he stood third again but now he was real third. So his belief in himself was getting stronger.

The school team:
Being a participant of the cluster meet meant availing facilities like relaxation in attending classes, double protein diet in mess and extraordinary participant feelings among the other friends and many management works.
So on the final selection day as the race started and there were more participants than the other normal days of trials. Some of them really did good practice along with him. So as the final selection race started, he again made his favorite leading gap and maintained it until last 100 meters. Although the runner’s feet don’t remain in his/her own control in the times of running the last moments. The strong will power, confidence and tricks of bending body forward works out. For him too it worked out and he came second and Rabbani third by a difference of one second. So he was feeling much happy now with heavy breathing and still jogging. The P.E.T. sir was the happiest person like the other friends of the J.P.House to which he belonged. He was the part of the school athletics team now, which he dreamt 15 days ago.

Practice! Sleep and Diet!

Text books were given rest until the clusters meet finish.

Clusters meet Day:
His school was the hosts of the clusters meet this time, so he already had various tasks other than practicing like to arranging various things for the participating guest schools. On the day of his event in morning he participated less in the management works and took a normal breakfast. But he could not sleep well in the night, he saw himself running and flying on the ground in dream. He became little annoyed with this dream. An unknown fear had entered his mind.

The event of 800 meters started around 10’o clock. Selection of tracks are done after lottery and he was given the last track which one have to run for the first 400 meters only then only everyone can come to the first common lap. No problem! He was calm and he swallowed water and started off to his track. The whole school is there and the event’s guest is Sengar Sir, his favorite teacher.
The participants from other schools were bigger and stronger than him and some of them looking fierce too, some had already started jogging and some were doing exercise and some were wearing nice spiky shoes and he did not had such shoes. Any way he had to run today.

On your marks! Get Set! GO!! And Firing was done concurrently.
He has started with a better speed today. The last lap has some psychological disadvantages of going wider laps. But he was covering the track as soon as he can complete. But as soon the second lap started a boy from some other school was coming first with amazing speed. But Anil, the best runner of his school took over that other guest runner. On seeing Anil overtaking that guest runner he also overtook him. To succeed is hard and maintaining success is harder. It was more difficult to maintain the speed above the guest runner. The friends were shouting loudly which can be heard. The juniors’ class students were shouting “Bhaiya – Bhaiya” and surely they might be praying to God. His heavy breaths seemed to collapse the lungs and jaws stuck wide open and the last leap fall on the finishing line but alas the guest boy have already put his leap just before him. And result was Anil first, the guest boy second and he third. So host school won two medals in the same event. The winners were carried on shoulders by the friends and he was feeling stronger than all the big boys participated there. Incidentally the place where the medal giving ceremony was organized was the same place where he jokingly started the race ahead 15 meters of others! Accolades started pouring in. Sengar sir was happy like P.E.T. sir .He was so surprised and complemented “Hey you can run I am very much happy today”. He was putting the bronze medal of sports meet 800 meter event around the neck of his favorite scientific model making boy. Now the boy was feeling more confident among his friends.
And in the next house elections he was selected as he vice captain of the house. And participation in the state level event was the next milestone he reached in the same year.

He is still running today but on a different track. Run! Boy! Run!!

Sea, Man and God

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This is my impression of Tsunami using my paintbrush.Please see this painting at this link to get a sound effect. You may be asked to download a .wav file and it wouldn't harm your computer.

P.S: The free angletown has removed the free service to host photos without notice 🙁 .

Bihar – the write thing ! (4) – Common man and Media

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Before I continue this series, I would like to make clear about the phenomenon about being Bihari which arose during comments and chats. Here the Bihari means the residents of Bihar, who are proud of many things and at the same time devoid of respect which was available to them in past as a resident of this particular territory.
No doubt they are spread over the whole India doing various odd jobs and also on the responsible posts and there is something which makes us some what different from the average Indian. Be it be the large number of desperate candidates travelling outside the state for competition exams or the red shirt wearing coolies spread over New Delhi station to Lumding station in lower Assam after taking Chura( Bitten Rice) and Gur (Jagery) tied in cloth or Sattu sarbat, strongly determined to face challenges. Be it the representation in ministerial posts in center or the needy voters who take money from ministers for buying sweets or the poor literacy rate or failed population control efforts we Biharis make a difference for sure.
My readers may blame it to media hype or some specific facetious (Cleverly amusing in tone) leaders for making Bihar backward state.
I am not giving the gloomy picture of Bihar but I am trying to find out the circumstances which make the Bihar a backward state. Blaming was never my aim; my effort is to find out the lacuna (A blank gap or missing part) within us as well as the best characteristic dormant within us.
Please don’t blame media; they too don’t have many things to publish here. For them doing here business is more difficult than other state.
I reside near the border of Bihar and West Bengal. The daily newspapers published from West Bengal cost 1.00 Rs. – 2 .50 Rs. and the newspapers published from Bhagalpur and Patna cost 3.50 Rs. or more on weekdays. The reasons can be guessed out; the prominent advertisers come in less number. But it mostly contains local trivial news and many a times missing national and international news. To increase the sale of newspaper they will arrange various contests for local people. For me the headlines in these newspapers are distractive. Some cheap quality magazines are well sold too here which have a large number of young readers. Bihar even though is the birth place of many Hindi scholars, but their readers form only a higher stratum of society.
One thing more in constant demand is competition books and Biharis are specialized in preparing for the railways, banks and Staff selection competitions (Description of preparing for engineering and medical and UPSC can make several blogs again). Biharis are well known for being good at Mathematics and reasoning and a bit weak in English .Their mathematics inclination is strengthened by the fact that the birth place of famous Aaryabhatta, the genius was in Kusumpur (Currently Patna).

Am I am too descriptive about Bihar? May you need change of taste, so wait for the sip of fine CTC tea in next episode in this foggy winter which is being produced in Bihar again.