Voltaire

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"We must cultivate our garden." ---- Voltaire
                                       

WHO

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World’s highest road traffic accidents in India: WHO

Road traffic accidents, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), are the second highest cause of death in the world while India holds the dubious distinction of registering the highest number of road traffic mishaps globally.

        In 2012, India, with 30 crore vehicles, accounted for 130,000 road accidents.

        The four major factors of road accidents were bad road condition, speeding by drivers, drunk driving and refusal to use safety measures like helmets and seat belts and inefficient law enforcement.

The number of road mishaps in India had increased from 54,100 in 1990 to 130,000 in 2012.

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Lal Bahadur Shashtri

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LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI, FIAT CAR AND OTHER STORIES

What kind of a person was Lal Bahadur Shastri, India’s second prime minister after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru?

          He was a person who fiercely guarded his self esteem and that of the nation, even if that meant going hungry for half-a-day, his son and former union minister Anil Kumar Shastri said at a function recently .

          During the 1965 war with Pakistan, the then US President Lyndon B. Johnson sent a tough missive demanding that  India stop the war and warning if India did not relent then the US would stop providing wheat to the country under the PL-480 agreement. India used to import wheat at that time to meet the domestic requirement.

           “The same day, Shastriji told my mother not to cook food for the family in the evening. When she inquired as to what was the cause, he explained that he wanted to know whether his family members could withstand hunger for half –a-day. I must know how it feels before asking the countrymen to forgo one meal everyday to meet the situation”, the former prime minister’s son recalled.

          The next day Shastriji addressed the nation on the All India Radio exhorting the people to skip one meal a day. “We may go hungry, but not bow before the US,” he said.

            Shastriji’s integrity came to the fore during the freedom struggle when he was in jail. His family was living on a pension of Rs. 50 provided by the Servants of  People Society. Shastriji wrote a letter to his wife from jail inquiring whether she was receiving the pension and whether it was enough to meet the requirements of the family.

       

“My mother wrote back informing that she was getting the pension every month and she could meet the household expenses which came to Rs. 40 and she was able to save Rs. 10. Shastriji promptly wrote to the Servants of People Society requesting the organisation to send his family only Rs. 40 as it was enough to meet the household expenses while suggesting that the Rs. 10 should go to some needy family.

            Even after becoming the Prime Minister, Shastriji did not own a car though the family members had been pestering him for one. He wanted his secretary to find out how much a Fiat car cost. The price was found to be Rs. 12,000, but he had only Rs. 7,000 in the bank. He applied to a bank for a loan which was sanctioned in one and half hours.

            Shastriji promptly summoned the bank officer who had sanctioned the loan to his office to inquire if the bank was as prompt in sanctioning loans to other people as well. He advised the officer to be prompt in meeting the requirement of the bank’s customers.

            “When my father became Prime Minister, I was studying in school and suggested that he should have a carpet in his bed room. But he turned it down saying he was the prime minister of a country where millions of people had no roof over their heads. So he could not afford such a luxury and that he should be happy with whatever he had,” Mr. Anil Shastri recalled.

             “During my stay in Bhubaneswar, a group of five youngmen met me in the hotel and wanted to know whether I was Anil Shastri. When I confirmed that it indeed was me, they wanted to be photographed with me.”

            “I am not as famous as my father, but youngsters today recognized and honoured the legacy of Lal Bahadur Shastri. They wanted to be photographed with the legacy of the former prime minister,” he said adding Shastri was in the prime minister’s seat for barely one and half years.

            “But he created an identify for himself during the short time and his slogan ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kishan’ is still relevant today,” he said.

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Job moods

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Durga Shakti Nagpal

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                      Following questions landed in my email

In honour to IAS officers Ashok Khemka and Durga Shakti Nagpal

Why things happen like that?

Who is responsible for that?

What is the need to talk with conceited people?

Where is the need to go to cunning and crooks?

When did the need arise to go to cruel people?

How does it matter if you don’t visit to wicked people?

Why people lag behind their fellow citizens?

What ails them?

When will they learn from their mistakes, rather from others’ mistakes?

Where will the poor go?

Why should some politicians seek votes from the poor when they usurp their share too?

Who is responsible for the deprived people’s plight, humiliations and hand-to-mount existence?

How will the forest grow when mindless deforestation is continuing by timber mafia, connected to some politicians?

Don’t you know contractors, timber mafia, mineral mafia, scam-triggers, brokers, middlemen---all are in one or the other political party and some of their political masters give them protection?

Why do some politicians protect criminals and mafia while cornering the honest and the hardworking citizens?

Why some politicians throw dinner parties?

Why some bureaucrats have their own mindset detrimental to all round social growth?

What is the need for some politicians to cut ribbons everywhere they go?

What breed is some of the politicians made off?

Why can’t some politicians understand that the tri-colour, which they unfurl every year on Independent’s day, flutters to make happy even the last citizen?

Why some politicians make false promises?

Why do some politicians pretend to be omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent and behave as if they are the masters and their voters are their slaves?

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Dancing Tree

Have a great day.                           Courtesy google

Live life kingsize

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The other day I was at a mall where a group of teenagers trying to help out a severely bruised and abused friend.

Their conversation weaved through questions, advice and admonishment.

The following are excerpts:

Quote

Why should you feel ashamed what corrupt and work shirkers say against you?

How many times should you be humiliated by Lilliputians and conceited people?

What benefit do you get talking to nymphs and pimps all around?

Why should you mind what people accuse of or address?

When was the last time you felt like swimming in the ocean like a Dolphin and floating in the air like a cloud?

Where has your dashing approach gone?

Where is your old persona, daredevil, dashing, outspoken and fearless approaches?

Where is the quick-footed and nimble-footed you, envy of many?

Why should you sympathize with negative people?

Why do you talk to conceited and usurping people?

What can they do if you don’t talk to them?

Why should you feel weak and powerless against demons?

‘The Gita’ has never advised to usurp properties of others---land, money, humans or cattle?

How long will you take blows on the chin, below the belt and kicks in the *** from bad for everything people?

Who can be your match in sacrifice, help or work?

Why should you fall in traps repeatedly?

What benefit you derive talking to negative people?

Where and how timidity beset you?

Do you know controlling one’s senses is the easy and perfect route toward peace?

How many years will you take to understand your worth, your dignity, your weight, your intuition, your perfection and hard work?

Don’t you know everything has two sides good and bad----the nose can smell fragrance and odour equally, eyes can watch the beauty and the beast, mouth can eat sweets, sour, bitter, salty, hot, cold and rotten things, ears can listen to prayers and abuses?

People deliberately make you feel guilty and bad, because that serves their interests. And you should turn the table by ignoring them.

Adoring yourself means to shun problematic, depressed and difficult people and then align your senses in perfect harmony.

There is nothing like enjoying life by uniting all the senses through coordination among body, soul and mind. And words can do wonders if used wisely and friendly.

One must be alive to one’s existence in this beautiful world, allowing oneself submerge in the Ocean of happiness that the nature brings with it every day with the rising Sun amazingly, day in and day out.

One should anticipate joy and appreciate happiness instead of constantly thinking of what others could do to you.

 It’s awesome to sacrifice, give up and smile at every odd, difficulty and crisis, no matter if it hurts or affects you at any front.

Being blissful means to bask in the glory of one’s success and set more goals to bloom wherever one is pushed, thrown or dumped.

The bright and upright people are the brilliant people who never depend on flattery, help, assistance or praise---they do their work with impassion and non-attachment.

A calm mind helps a person live cheerfully and smilingly with confidence and cherish every moment of comfort and creativity.

Courageous people are those who don’t fight with others, but fight with their challenges to overcome every hurdle, thorn and obstacles coming their way.

Dance with words delightfully and see how the words would act like dynamite in rejuvenating you with sparkles.

Unquote

Beware of torturous people

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        Beware of Mahaan, the silent ‘brain eaters’

             

                                     photo-courtesy Griffon

My friend Koy knows his so called friend Mahaan, who is a guy fond of breaking relations. By the time Koy came to know it was too late and he lost many precious and good friends.

        Mahaan is so bad that he sits on one’s nerves till that person is totally sapped and submissive to him. He has a knack to make his victim believe him as his well wisher.

        The only way to escape such silent killers is to block them from one’s reach before they eat up one’s ‘brains’ i.e., making their victims timid, coward, submissive and emotionally drained.

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Mahendra Singh Dhoni

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Who would win a 50-overs match between  A and B teams, and what should be the cost of tickets?
      A                                                                                        B
1 Adam Gilchrist       (V Capt)                                       1  Graham Gooch

2 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (WK-Capt)                           2  Gordon Greeniege (V Capt)   

3 Viv Richards                                                               3   Martin Crow

4 Sachin Tendulkar                                                        4  Javed Miandad

5 Brain Lara                                                                   5  Saurav Ganguly (Capt)

6 Garfield Sobers                                                           6  Steve Waugh

7 Imran Khan                                                                  7 Chris Gayle 

8 Ian Botham                                                                   8  Richard Hadlee

9 Kapil Dev                                                                     9  Geffery Dujon (WK)                                                                     
10 M Muralitharan                                                        10 Roger Harper

11 Anil Kumble                                                              11 Abdul Qadir

Amartya Sen

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Insensitive Public Sectors: Master Players on Sensitive Issues

The pain was just like a needle prick for the authorities of the National Thermal Power Limited (NTPC), when the police fired on the anti-land acquisition protestors----killing one and wounding five----at Pagar village in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district on 23 July 2013.

Soon after, a ‘pained’ Chief Minister Hemant Soren had summoned   NTPC’s Chairman Arup Roy Choudhury, and asked him there should not be a repeat of such incidents.

The NTPC chairman expressed obedience to whatever the CM had to say, for he knows it was not the first time a public sector had been insensitive to the poor people.

In their book-----An Uncertain Glory-----Nobel laureate Amartiya Sen and economist Jean Dreze recollect how insensitivity has been the professional culture with the NTPC.

The book’s fourth chapter (page 81), “Accountability and Corruption” highlights a serious lapse by the NTPC authorities:

Quote

On the shores of a man-made lake in Sonebhadra  district (the Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar in Uttar Pradesh) there is a huge power plant operated by the NTPC.

When one of us (authors) visited the NTPC headquarters, located on a pleasant green campus near the power plant, he found that a large number of air conditioners were switched on full blast throughout  the day, even in the deserted lobby of the guest house (this was in the middle of the summer).

Just outside the boundary walls of the campus, people from the Dom community (a schedule caste), who have been working as “sweepers” for the NTPC for twenty-five years, live in shacks, without any electric connections (or any other modern amenity).

When asked, they said that they were afraid of losing their jobs if they complained about their predicament.

A little further on, people who have been displaced by the power plant without any significant compensation are somehow trying to rebuild their lives. Like their Dom neighbours, they too have no electricity connections, and they are also afraid to complain.

Unquote

The authors go on narrating how the Indian development strategy important to ask how the accountability of the public sector should be developed and strengthened, putting two questions:

1.    In what areas can the public sector, given feasibility good arrangements, serve the interests of the public better than the private sector?

2.   How can public sector institutions be made accountable so that they can serve well the purposes for which they are set up?      

The book rips apart the public sectors like NTPC in the chapter.

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Read and enjoy

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Quote----Hi Everyone,

>We in India take our Services for granted -- to be there as and when
> required even for matters that our civilian administration should have
> attended to years earlier.
>
> I do not know if any of us will get a chance to emulate what the
> sender of this e-mail did, but we can ensure that we add our voices
> and our votes to make conditions for our Servicemen better.
>
>

>
> A narrative I received from another Group: ( A British Experience)
>
>
> Airline Lunches
>
> I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat.
> It was going to be a long flight from Gatwick UK. ( Means Goat Farm,
> then converted to race course and now to Airport )
> 'I'm glad, I have a good book to read, Perhaps, I will get a short
> sleep,' I thought.
>
> Just before take-off, a line of British Army Youngsters came down the
> aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I
> decided to start a conversation. 'Where are you blokes headed?' I
> asked the young man, seated nearest to me.
>
> Cyprus. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then
> we're being deployed to Afghanistan. After flying for about an hour,
> an announcement was made that lunches were available for five pounds.
> It would be several hours before we reached Cyprus, and I quickly
> decided a lunch would help pass the time..
>
> As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his mate if he
> planned to buy lunch.
> 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just an airline lunch.
> Probably wouldn't be worth five Quid. I'll wait till we get to Cyprus
> .... His mate agreed.
>
> I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I
> walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a
> fifty Pound note.
> 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers..'
> She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly.
> Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me.
> 'My young bloke was a soldier in Iraq , it's almost like you are doing
> it for him..'
>
> Picking up ten lunchboxes, she headed up the aisle to where the boys
> were seated.
> She stopped at my seat and asked,
> 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?'
>
> 'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked..
>
> She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later
> with a dinner plate from first class. This is your thanks.
>
> After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane,
> heading for the rest room.
> An old bloke stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it.
> Here, take this.'
> He handed me twenty-five Pounds..
> Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Captain coming down the
> aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he wasn't
> looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my
> side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out
> his hand, and said, 'I want to shake your hand.'
>
> Quickly unfastening my seat-belt I stood and took the Captain's hand.
> With a booming voice he said, 'I was an army pilot a long time back.
> Once someone bought me lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.'
> I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.
>
> Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs.
> A kid who looked about 18 was sitting about six rows in front of me
> reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine.He left another
> twenty-five Pounds
> In my palm.
>
> When we landed, I gathered my belongings and started to depart.
> Waiting just inside the aircraft door was a man who stopped me, put
> something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a
> word.
> Another twenty-five Pounds!
>
> Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their
> Trip up to their training area.. I walked over to them and handed them
> seventy-five Pounds.
> 'It will take you some time to reach your training area. It will be
> about time for a sandwich.
> God Bless You Blokes.'
>
> Ten young blokes left that flight feeling the love and respect of
> their fellow Brits.
> As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe
> return. These soldiers were
> giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals.
> It seemed so little...
>
> .................unquote

Stand up

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Courtesy standstrengthteam.org

Let me explain something to you. There will always be jerks and bad people with whom you will come in contact. What makes the difference is how you respond to these bullies. These people become nothing more than distractions. When I was a child, I was bullied a lot. At five years of age, I would often get beat up by the bigger kids in the neighborhood. We lived in a very rough part of town. I would often go home crying and my dad would beat me even more. He would say to me, "If you come home crying to me, this is what I am going to do to you...learn to fight." From that point on, my life became filled with violence, rage, anger and bitterness. I made a vow to myself at the age of five, that one day I would become so big , so strong and so dangerous that no one would ever pick on me again. In middle school (because I was so dangerous to the population of other students) the school administration gave me a job outside of school for half a day, everyday, at an ice rink. The other half of those days I spent isolated within the school in a few select classrooms, known as the special-education department.