Creation of a new state or a step backwards to 1947?

565 princely states once integrated to make a country which would be noted down in the history as cultural, diversified and strong. A country whose power lies in its pool of scientists, doctors, engineers and the diversity within. Even for the unification of these princely states, there was a whole different front of politics which was being played on. Piece by piece, inch by inch the states came together in the hope of a glorified future.

67 years since the Independence, we have now 29 states, the last being the newly formed state of Telangana. For years there have been demand and loud protestations for a different state. It all triggered when Andhra Pradesh was carved out of the Madras region, and became the first state to be bifurcated on linguistic basis. And it was not just Telangana, along with that there are persisting demands from Widarbha region in Maharashtra, and a different Gorkhaland in Sikkhim.

The various reasons as to why these demands have come up include, difference in cultural values, development issues (which was the reason for the bifurcation of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, but a peaceful one), and aspiration of a better governance which would address the problems of the people more lucidly.

And whose fault is that? Is there anything wrong in aspiring for better development in ones own area, or is it wrong to hold such notion as a citizen of this country? If our leaders would have been more dedicated towards their actual work, would these matters go out of hand so much? One will be foolish to admit that the bifurcation was the only possibility.

A proper and lucid governance would have been the answer to all the problems instead of carving out another piece of land. But alas, there is a difference between the right way and the easy way and that it what they did. Took a shortcut in order to confirm on the 15 seats in Lok Sabha and unknowingly opened the gates for more protests in Maharashtra and Sikkhim.

We are gradually loosing that oneness and unity for which the great freedom fighters laid their lives. The independence for a different unified country for which we had to cut our arm off and now it is a hostile nation, and 67 years later, we still are fighting over linguistic and regional basis!

If it keeps going like this, a day might come when we will call this country as "Divided States of India" (D.S.I) and there can be no pride in that.

I just hope that the citizens of India put the interests of the country first and then their regional differences. These words have been overused far too many times but have been implemented not even once significantly.

United we stand. Divided we fall.

Pseudo reality shows and the great Indian obsession.

"Arey yaar kal Big Boss me kya hua dekha"?
"Roadies ne Raghu me kya maari uss bande ki"
"Splitsvilla is sooo cool."

 

These are the conversations one can easily come across in public areas nowadays. Be it your classroom, office, bus stop, or a local train, these pseudo reality shows have dominated the Indian media market like a plague virus.
The word I used here is pseudo, because anything and everything that goes in those shows is in every definition, a deviation from what's commonly referred to as an accurate representation of reality.

Reality shows do not present reality in ways both implicit (participants being placed in unusual situations) and deceptive or even fraudulent, such as

• misleading editing
• participants being coached in what to say or how to behave
• storylines generated ahead of time
• scenes being staged and re-staged for the cameras.

Another argument is also justified that the shows are intended to humiliate or exploit participants (particularly on competition shows), that they make celebrities out of unwanted people who do not deserve fame, and that the glamorize vulgarity and materialism.

I understand that entertainment is necessary, and neither am I a nerd who is against it, but entertainment too like everything else does have a boundary. When more than half the youth population of a country is willing and aspiring nowadays to get fame and popularity by entering these shows, there definitely IS something wrong with the whole system.

Earlier students aspired to become engineers, literature experts, doctors etc etc. Their goals were defined and they didn't bask in the glory of people who won a stupid tv show and aspired to become like them. Survey suggests that 1 in 4 of every youth aging 18+ now aspires to become a celebrity by entering in these tv shows.

The big question now. Whats wrong in that?
EVERYTHING!

What is the very purpose of existence of these shows? Entertainment. But that boundary has long been crossed. People are less interested in the development of the very nation which they abuse everyday, but very comfortable in enjoying the bitchiness, gossip and voyeurism portrayed in these so called reality shows.

Our minds have been infected and we need a way out of this, else soon the greatest strength of the country will become its greatest weakness, which is the youth.

I do not say not to watch these shows, but letting it get into your head is another problem. Inception is the right word to describe the current scenario.

Today an average youth knows less about their fundamental duties and apparently everything about Shahrukh's and Salman's fights. Doesn't anyone think that there is something terribly wrong with this country?

Richard Steele aptly said "Fire and swords are slow engines of destructions, compared to the tongue of Gossip."

 

    

In Memoriam - Kargil War '99

26 July 1999, It was a Monday and the whole Nation united to see the end of 60 day war.

May 3rd 1999, Pakistani forces and militants were sighted on this side of the LoC by local shepherds. Pakistani Forces and Militants on the order of Gen Parvez Musharraf infiltrated the LoC and captured the areas which served as the de-facto border between the two countries.

And hence Operation Vijay was initiated with the sole purpose of sending the rats back to their holes. With opposition forces sitting on altitude, they had a natural vantage point.

And then came the Indian Army, the culmination of the fiercest warriors on the face of earth with their motto instilled in their hearts "Service before Self". The same army defeated the same opposition forces not once, but thrice before this war.

June 9th 1999, Indian Army captures two key positions in the Baltic Sector. A crucial point. And by June 13th, we got back Tololing in Dras sector. By June 29th, Point 5060 and Point 5100 were captured near the Tiger Hill.



July 4th 1999, Brave soldiers took over Tiger Hill after a 11 hour long battle. This is now also famously known as the Battle of Tiger Hill, and by 5th of July Indian Army successfully took control over the entire Dras Sector. By July 11th Pakistan begins pullout and on 14th of July Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared Operation Vijay a success.

In the whole operation 527 Indian sons, fathers and friends lost their lives protecting the country they swore to defend. And nothing, not even that victory can bring back the souls lost during the war, let this day serve as a reminder of those who laid down their lives in order to protect the lives of 1.04 billion people.

They did their job and more than that. Least we could do is to show them some courtesy, extend a hand of compassion and sympathy for those who are dead, for those who are still out there on the night's guard saying "Nothing is gonna hurt you tonight, not under my watch."

So lets take some time off our daily routine and commemorate the Bold, the Brave and the silent guardians who laid down their lives for us. It is often said, that a dream death of a soldier is to die in action. I could agree no less.

14 years have passed since, but the wounds are too deep to heal. The scars of the war are still visible quite distinctly. And neither should we forget, because the history always teaches us some lesson. In this great War there was again a lesson which would be faded away with the currents of time. The nation who forgets their martyrs and soldiers isn't fit to be a nation at all.

The lines sung by Lata Mangeshkar aptly fits here - "Tum bhul na jao unko, isiliye kahi ye kahani, jo shaheed hue hain unki, zara yaad karo qurbaani."

So heres one. To,
The Indian Armed Forces and the Martyrs of the War.

Jai Hind. Jai Bharat.