Anil Sharma

Dear Mr Rahul Gandhi

I am shocked at the speech you gave in Parliament today, you have no right to be a leader of the masses if your speech reflects your thinking. I am left with no choice but to educate people by dissecting your speech in detail:

You have said:

“I have been deeply distressed at the developments of the last few days. Many aspects of the situation have caused me anguish.”

Are you speaking the truth? With a surname like Gandhi, that’s the least expected of you. Where were you for the last few days? The entire nation awaited your intervention to resolve the impasse but you were absent.  Various TV channels and eminent people in the Media tried to get your comment, there was none. Everyone in India gave their comments, from the general public to attention seekers like Shobha De, Arundhati Roy & Rakhi Sawant. Where were you?

“We are all aware that corruption is pervasive. It operates at every level.”

Oh, Oh. You are the General Secretary of the Congress party, that has lead the nation for almost 60 years of it’s Independence. Aren’t you responsible for the State as it exists today? Thereby, aren’t you responsible for creating this ever so pervasive corruption at every level?

“we cannot wish away corruption by the mere desire to see it removed from our lives. This requires a comprehensive framework of action and a concerted political program supported by all levels of the state from the highest to the lowest. Most importantly, it requires firm political will.”

That’s exactly what the Congress Party lacks, firm political will. In case you are not aware, your party is running the government currently, if you had political will, you should have prepared the comprehensive framework of action by now.

“in the past few years I have travelled the length and breadth of our country. I have met scores of countrymen, rich and poor, old and young, privileged and disempowered who have expressed their disillusionment to me.”

Thank you so much for informing the public that you have travelled extensively around the country, I assume it was done at the cost of taxpayers. What is the outcome of all your travels? That people are disillusioned by the way the country has been run by your party? Good, so now you’ve heard it. What have you done about it? Do you even intend to do anything about it? Lets hear the plan then.

“Witnessing the events of the last few days it would appear that the enactment of a single Bill will usher in a corruption-free society. I have serious doubts about this belief.”

If you have any belief (a.ka. plan), please express it. Sure the enactment of a single bill will not usher in a corruption-free society but how will not allowing any bill to pass ensure a corruption-free society? A combination of bills such as the RTI Act, RTE Act, The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, Lokpal Bill, Women’s Reservation Bill together can surely reduce corruption, why do you prevent or subvert these bills from being passed?

“An effective Lok Pal law is only one element in the legal framework to combat corruption. The Lok Pal institution alone cannot be a substitute for a comprehensive anti-corruption code.”

So why has your government not worked to create an effective Lok Pal? The bill presented by your government is toothless, you’re ensuring that it does nothing to combat corruption. And where is the comprehensive anti-corruption code, what has your party done in the past 64 years to create this code?

“ Madam Speaker, why not elevate the debate and fortify the Lok Pal by making it a Constitutional body accountable to Parliament like the Election Commission of India? I feel the time has come for us to seriously consider this idea. “

Sure, why not? For the first time, you’re talking sense. So why doesn’t the bill presented by your Government have this provision? Why doesn’t it propose making the Lok Pal a constitutional body? Maybe you’ve just woken up but it’s not too late, please get this added in the bill, thank you.

“A tactical incursion, divorced from the machinery of an elected Government that seeks to undo the checks and balances created to protect the supremacy of Parliament sets a dangerous precedent for a democracy.”

Tactical incursions are made today by the people of India because the elected Governments and representatives have failed to deliver. Simple. Yes, Democracy is at stake and the current revolution and protests are to warn the leaders that unless they wake up and take action, the people will take over.

“Today the proposed law is against corruption. Tomorrow the target may be something less universally heralded. It may attack the plurality of our society and democracy.”

So Mr Gandhi, in fear of tomorrow, you will not do something right today? You will not approve a law against corruption today because the people of the country might ask for something else tomorrow? Smells fishy really.

“I believe in Government funding of our political parties.”

As the General Secretary of the Congress party, would you mind putting up details of funding received by the Congress Party on your website? It will help the nation decide if the Government should give such amounts of funding to political parties or not.

“Let us commit ourselves to truth and probity in public life. We owe it to the people of India.”

This is how you end your speech, without even addressing the key issue.

Where is your stand on the Jan Lok Pal Bill? Do you support the Jan LokPal bill as presented by the Civil Society member? No? Yes? Do you support the inclusion of the Citizens charter in the LokPal bill? Why don’t you want lower level government officials, who collect all the money on behalf of the top level leader, kept out of the LokPal jurisdiction?

To have read a speech without a stand on an issue so important clearly indicates your support to forces in your government who want corruption to flourish.

You have let the Nation down and you must make amends before a tactical incursion, divorced from the machinery of an elected Government seeks to undo the likes of you.

This is a simple complaint- stores in India need to stop playing music- specially at a volume that could cause permanent damage to their customers ears.

We decided to spend an evening at Connaught Place on Saturday evening. We started by getting coffee at a Cafe Coffeeday outlet, the cafe was packed but we found a nice table in a corner. The moment we sat there, we realized we couldn’t talk to each other across the table as the music was too loud. Requesting the waitress to reduce the volume did result in some sanity that lasted only for a couple of minutes till our order was processed. This time around, the volume was incremented with a vengeance and the choice of a sleazy Bollywood number made it worse.  Why does a coffee store that’s supposed to promote conversation play loud music?

Frustrated, we walked out and took a stroll around the nostalgic circle. A shoe caught my eye at the Reebok storefront so we walked in only to find loud blaring hip-hop noise playing in the foreground. Everything else was in the background – including the customers who just weren’t able to explain to the store assistants what they wanted. It took us probably less than a minute to walk out.

Some distance away was the good old Wenger’s pastry shop. The good old store has been in existence from 1926 and is famed for its excellent choice of cakes, pastries and snacks. Entering it to pick up some bread, we realized what a world of difference no-music-in-the-store could make. Customers were busy buying products at a phenomenal speed, the staff was focused on taking orders, collecting cash and delivering. If the next generation of the owners of Wenger’s takes over and introduces some hip-hop or Bollywood bull**** in the background, I’m very sure their sales are going to steeply decline.

Music has it’s place, time and acceptable volume levels. Also, music is very personal choice just like religion. I like to listen to Johnny Cash in a low volume in the background when I’m not working too seriously. Or to Buddy Guy when in a relaxed mood. When my choice is selective Country or Blues or Jazz in a particular setting and volume, how can any store managers decide to thrust blaring noise on me just because I’ve been kind enough to consider buying something from them?

I’ve received this certificate and what a good feeling it gives.

Nice!

I have no idea if a tree has actually been grown on not. Maybe the bank only paid some money to some people to plant trees and thereby issued the certificate. If they do actually plant a tree for each customer, they would end up creating a forest large enough to driven through. If the bank was so concerned about saving paper, they should stop paper statements for all customers anyways.

However, this initiative does make a customer feel nice. It certainly motivates people to use online facilities and save paper. If that’s what it takes to move people towards online options, then so be it.

For me, it’s left me worried. Who’s going to water the plant till it becomes a strong bountiful tree?

It was in one of the break’s I take during work that I Googled up my old school.

I studied in the St. Joseph’s School (also called North Point) at Darjeeling between 1983 and 1989. The school was started in 1888, that’s 112 years ago.  The school building, made of large blocks of stone, is so beautiful; it should actually be declared a heritage structure. While doing this search I found this picture, just click on it to see it in its true grandeur:

St. Joseph's School, North Point, Darjeeling

Notice the Mt. Kanchenjunga in the backdrop, the world’s third highest peak at 28,169 ft. The facade of the building neatly hides the rest of it; the building is actually a square structure. Here’s a Google Earth image that show’s the entire school.

North Point School - Ariel View

The quadrangle of the school is where we had our assemblies (surprisingly, I don’t remember a single speech given by the Principal!).  In front of the school building is the cricket ground, at the back is the football ground and towards the left, the main playground.  The structure behind the football ground houses the Swimming pool and the gymnasium. The structures to the left are the Frazer Hall (auditorium) and the junior school block.

Looking at these pictures made me search for the school song which I must have sung, forced by our great teachers, a hundred times then.

Northpoint chorus

Hurrah for our home in the mountains !
Hurrah for the monarchs of snow !
For the land of the forests and fountains,
And the torrents that ever flow !

Toil up from the valley below;
“Lift your heart” to the breeze and the glow;
And our school on the hill
Here’s a cheer for it still,
As onward through life we go !

From the sweltering South and the Islands,
From the plains where the hot winds blow,
We have met in the heart of the highlands
At fair India’s gates of snow.

Here’s a hand to a faltering brother.
Here’s a lift for the lame and the slow,
And we’ll stand, boys, like men to each other
As onwards through life we go.

It all makes sense now, the years of fun and toil at such schools and the efforts of all the teachers made me what I am today. Maybe I’m old school too.

Help required for Leh floods relief

A friend and photographer Sankar Sridhar is heading to Leh on 11 Aug 2010 to help with the flood relief work there. He knows the area and people well – he will be able to contribute to the relief work immensely if we all support him. The floods and mud slide has left Leh in shambles and it’ll take a lot more individual effort and contribution to try and rehabilitate the people who have lost everything in this natural disaster. A fund has been setup to support him, please be generous and transfer :

Beneficiary Name : Flood Relief Fund AMI Leh
Account Number : 0069040100027906
Account type : Savings
Bank Name : The Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd
Branch : Leh – Main
IFSC Code : JAKA0PRIEST

You can directly interact with Sridhar on facebook by clicking here.

Here’s a brief of the situation :

I visited Leh in June 2009, here are some photos from the trip. Leh and its surrounding areas are the most beautiful locations in India – at the same time, they are difficult to access and live in. In such a calamity, one can only imagine how the people there will suffer. While we all wish we could be there to provide support, it’s only bold men like Sridhar who dare to take on the responsibility. The least we can do is support him in all ways possible.

Please make your donations today.