Arun Shourie addressed on ‘Real Significance of Scams’

It was a cloudy Saturday morning with chill breeze striking my face and I was in 29c bus to reach chetpet for a speech addressed by Mr. Arun Shourie, Journalist, author and former union minister and Mr. Vittal former central vigilance commissioner on the topic ‘Real Significance of Scams’ at chinmaya heritage centre organised by Nani Palkhivala foundation. I knew the speech is going to be amazing and most interesting. Since my company is doing PR for Nani Palkhivala foundation i was the PR executive assigned for this event. This is my first political event. i was under the impression that very young guns would be seen in the crowd, but to my surprise i saw so many old grandfathers and grandmothers walking up to floors to listen to the speech. The crowd had gathering of retired IAS, IPS, Advocates etc, mostly above 60’s. Their involvement in this speech made me listen to the speech. As so many people came via lift I saw Mr. Arun Shourie climbing the stairs with a beaming smile at me in reception and proceeded to the hall...

People were still coming in groups; never i have heard any political speech, i was so anxious to know what he is going to speak. Usually for any event media would reach little late or sometimes never turn up, but this time i saw herds of media people specially TV channels and almost all the publications signing the media registration. My curiosity went sky high.

After all the registrations i finally entered the hall. Mr.VIttal was speaking about the scams. I am no great in understanding politics ever. For that fact i used to sulk in college to study politics and write an exam for 100 marks (which was totally a disaster) one good thing about my college days is that i got the habit of taking running notes whenever someone addresses the gathering. The same thing happened here also.

The main topic discussed here was the 2G spectrum scam. (1.76 crore scam by RAJA)

Well coming to the point Mr. Vittal made few statements which was very much informative... i would like to jot them as points.

• He said time has come to expose those who give bribe rather than those who receive them.
• 1961 of dowry act says both the giver and the taker are found guilty; the same thing could be done for scams also. Or take actions like the outcomes of chandrawadhana commission.
• Today the conviction rate of punishment in court is only 6% which means 94% of people get escaped.
• In our country we make laws with huge loopholes.
• When there can be law breakers? And why not law makers?
• Why should we have tainted ministers?
• This topic of ‘Real Significance of Scams ‘shows how systematically we are fooled by our constitution.
• In Hong Kong when they had corruption they had ICAC – Independent commission against corruption, which was aimed to clean up endemic corruption in the many departments of the Hong Kong Government through law enforcement, prevention and community education. The ICAC is headed by the Commissioner. Due to which the corruption rate got reduced.
• To see a change in our country there are two T’s important to fight corruption

1. TINA factor (There is no other alternative) – This would ensure guilty and punishment is given.

2.Transparency – this would ensure prevention of corruption

• CVC, CAG, Election commission and Judiciary should bring the TINA factor.

Then comes Mr. Arun Shourie he opened the topic by what Mr. Vittal had said. I will jot them as points too

• Mr. Vittal said there are huge loopholes in our constitution but I don’t see any Loops I see huge holes instead.
• Corruption is like a cancer in our country it should be killed soon else it would spread so much.
• He mentioned that if ministers are corrupt their assistants would do paper work for the ministers and later for them too, this would develop and corruption level goes high.
• He said Nira Radia is a great contribution to the society where there is an interlocking web of mutual complexity which is exposed through the record conversations
• Today reforms are becoming impossible and PM is operating in a system where he is unable to improve reforms. Also added that PM knew about these scams before but did nothing for about 2years.
• Further he said we should be very active else a corrupt person will rely on our laziness by not looking into the facts.
• There should not be any adjournments by court for any scams else they would keep piling and over a period of time people would forget it and new scam would come up.
• Two punishments should be given

1.Physical incarnation – should be put in jail

2.Barred from public life for life.

• He said not to believe everyone is a crook and do not get deflected by facts
• Today most honest people are being under investigation for scams, advice to those people would be, don’t feel bad because it is your duty to help the country
• Advice to Raja – stop following my footsteps and become a approver, even your leaders have said that a single person is not involved in any scam.

Well there the speech ends. These are the few important points i could make note of. Once the speech got over every television media circled Mr. Shourie and asked zillion questions like are you ready to face the CBI, was your ministry clean when you were union minister and all that. He had answered positively for those questions.

What i was amazed was i had seen media being gathered to one person only in TV.. When I saw so many of them climbing up to the stage and asking question i was amazed. I was standing much interested in knowing what Mr. Shourie is speaking rather than the media crowd, so i was rounding that small speech trying to listen sharp. I felt happy sharing the same stage of Mr. Arun Shourie.

That day event was so damn educative. I had zero knowledge in politics before now it has grown a little; I hope I would follow about this spectrum scam if not other scams...

Old is Gold - postal mails to emails

I appreciate technology, it has definitely made life lots easier and comfortable... people are able to communicate through video chats, emails, sms, phones and lots more, but even now one thing I miss are the letters being posted.

Going back in time is always really nostalgic, I recall the days where my thatha (Grandfather) use to write letters to my mother and at the end of the letter he used to write for me too. It will be a small paragraph still I would be excited to read them... I used to get greeting cards from grandparents for my birthdays. During those days these never mattered so much for me, yet at bottom of my heart I would love those cards and letters addressed to me.

There are few letters which my mother used to preserve; sometimes I read them which make me miss those beautiful communications. I still remember fetching inland letters from the post box, baffling how to open them and hand it over to my mother. Once I tore it in a wrong direction and got scoldings also... happy days... life was much simple then.

In today’s world it’s very hard to have a postal communication especially for the time it takes to reach us. I almost forgot how to open an inland letter now. Emails do has options to save the conversations and stuff, but I personally feel that nothing can match to that of seeing your loved one’s handwriting in the letter and reading their words after years particularly when the letter looks fade and dull. Only thing which can be done is to cherish those yester year modes of communications.

Old is absolutely Gold... the much proven incident in everyone's life.

My sudden craving for paratha

We all crave for many things in life; I bet every human being would dream about hogging their favourite food especially when they don’t have access to it at that moment. The same sort of thing happened to me during two days before diwali. I dreamt of having nice aalo paratha that too at middle of work right after my lunch. I looked out of the window and saw herds of people walking here n there with their diwali goodies, I was so sure that I could never sneak between this mad crowd for one paratha.

I really had to push time till evening and divert my mind to something else, but somehow I end up in munching paratha only. I imagined how I would literally hog on them when i get them, but I could only imagine and never eat.

I was completely disappointed and tried to forget about my craving and started to proceed towards bus stand from work. I made up my mind that I would have paratha the next day whatsoever.... just then i was fixing my mind one singh was sitting in bus talking about how to make paratha to someone over phone. I was like omg.... stop this, already I am going mad and this fellow is adding fuel to fire.

I went and stood away from that conversation so that I don’t hear him, but hard luck he was heard all over the bus may be the next bus too.. Sigh.... with all longing I got down at adyar and started to walk towards besi road to reach home, still I was figuring out a chance to have paratha somewhere. I crossed adyar bakery, outside that place there was a stick board saying all grand sweets products.... Before I finished reading it I knew I am going to have something if not paratha. The first menu in the list said aalo paratha, my eyes beamed like never before with a wide smile. I happily ordered... but the guy said its over and aalo gobi paratha is only available (as if i care) I nodded miming give whatever man, I am craving since this noon...

Hot Hot paratha with gobi side dish came, I hogged on to yummy paratha happily without thinking about anything and walked home briskly as if I achieved something.

At times craving for food is a nice feeling that too when you find what you wished for is right next to you, the feel is outstanding. That evening was satisfactory !!

Realised not a student anymore !

My student life is over. I realised it in a much better way when government announced off for schools and colleges due to 'Jal' cyclone. I am recalling the days where I use to wake up early on a Monday morning for college and news will be running behind the ‘getting ready process’… just then I brush my teeth watching the news in tv, the lady would announce, TN govt announced off for schools and colleges… there is no better news than this that too on a Monday morning. I brush my teeth and blissfully go back to sleep. It feels like I have achieved something, it sounds so stupid but holiday on a Monday is the best ever news in the whole world being a student. That’s when our chain sms starts to all our friends.. “hey its off…we don’t have college for 2 more days”...I miss those texts.

But the funny part is the next two days sun will beam all way to glory. haha.. thats when our movie plans, besi meets will be made... Those days are heaven.

Today I am not a student anymore. I have to work, I always wonder why government never announces such kind of holidays for working people as well. Sigh… student life is ever green whatsoever...

What is professionalism?

What is professionalism? A person who is skilled in his work and does his job perfectly to best of his knowledge. But today software engineers and doctors alone are termed professionals which is unfair.

Three days back road constructing labours had come to a street opposite to my flat. The road was bad due to rains and had so many ridges. It looked like people are climbing on the road and walking and vehicles use to go zig zag became of the bumpy surface.

One fine morning ultra tech road machine had come and labours were making the tar road as cement road, so that the further rains would not spoil the land for some more time. Since it’s going to be cement it needs to dry for one whole day .The labours arrived early morning around six and informed all the residents on the street not to walk on the cement until it dries and if anyone needs to leave for office use some fence or (my) flat’s back gate to go out. Many residents knew that news and started early to office and few jumped behind my flat and went out.

The labours started to pour cement on the ground and neatly leveled them on the road and made it look like school basket ball ground. It really looked nice to see them making it level, even I felt like leveling it. It looked like art for me. So within an hour they were completing the road and from my balcony the road appeared fresh and orderly.

Just then workmen finished and started, one girl did not know how to cross the road with her scooty. She was blinking for sometime not knowing she can go using the back entrance of my apartment. Out of her mind she drove over the wet cement, the nice tidy road had a thick tyre mark throughout the road. Other residents were so much frustrated seeing the road getting damaged again. More than feeling for the look of the road we all were worried about the effort put by the labours. It looked like a black spot on a white paper. For one hour these labours wore a cement guard in their feet and made it look good, within a fraction of seconds it looked all clumsy.

One of the labour who made the road could not stand seeing the road broken because of tyre, immediately he took the level board and started to patch up the mess. It’s not at all necessary for him to do this; once his work is done he could have happily left home. But he did not, he did not complain or utter a word seeing the mess, he quietly started to level the road again when other labours dint bother to help him. To add more irritation a dog started to run on the wet cement, now the dog’s foot prints were there. Everyone screamed looking at it (the scream was like a sixer hit by sachin), still this particular person did not bother and patiently made sure there are no sledges on the road after leveling the cement. This is also called as professionalism and he is a professional.

If he had thought that it’s not his problem to repair the mess created by someone the road would look much pitiable after the cement gets dried. Since it’s all properly leveled now, the road looks neat and tidy.

This proves that "professionalism is there in every level". It does not matter whether you are engineer, doctor, journalist, painter, architect, drivers, even homemaker for that matter etc. If a person has a determination and dedication towards their work and wants their work to look perfect, then everyone in this world are professionals irrespective of any job they do.

Winnie the pooh - My favorite bear :)

I never know to appreciate cartoons, recently hmmm may about two years I started to adore 'Winnie the pooh'. I never liked any cartoon face like the Winnie's. It looks cute than the other bears. I like the colour combination of it. Yellow and red - looks very bright and attractive. It seems Winnie the pooh was first made or given the name as 'Winnie the pooh' on October 14^th 1926 at London. I don’t remember seeing any of the pooh’s during my childhood days, may be it did not come to India. I am not sure of it though.

I feel so strange to buy a toy at this age. Yet, I like to own as many Winnie’s as possible. I started to collect every material which has pooh’s picture on it. I feel it’s not too late to buy. Crazy!! I think there are many people out there who love toys even though they are out of their childhood. I see many stuffed toys at shops but even now nothing strikes me as the pooh doll which will always be placed at one end of the corner or at the bottom.

Thanks to A A Milne who created this fictional bear. Loving it so much :) :)

I, CR and Blore ! FUN FUN FUN !

I always wanted to blog about my trip to Bangalore for conducting seminar somehow I forget to write. Today let me narrate the best fun I ever had during my college days.

Initially when I prepared myself to stay at Bangalore for more than a week, I was puzzled about my stay. I asked my friend Sharanya CR as to where will I stay? Without any hesitation she said, stay along with me at my sister’s place. I was happy to hear it from her. Thank u CR. I was much relaxed and felt so much secured.

I have not been to outstations alone, this is my first time and I was so much thrilled. Our train to blore was at 11:45 pm, so I went to cr’s place by 8:30 pm. We chatted for a while and started to central station. We had little talk with our other classmates at the platform and got on to the train. Since I am travelling to blore alone I did not know about the climate, Cr warned me to get a sweater, I did not mind her words and didn’t bother to bring one.

3:45 am she got up and said get ready next is our stop. I was almost blinking at her. It was pitch dark and where she wants to get down In the middle of the track. Then she said about Bangalore east stop, I did not have any idea about what she was telling and got ready and stood near the door. I casually opened the door, that’s allllllll. I never felt this cold in my entire life. Already it was damn chill and train is moving at jet speed, chillness was tremendous. Literally my teeth were typing and my eyes became all dry. CR was laughing at me as if she saw a clown shivering.
She gave another shock saying train will stop only for 2 minutes. Now, next tension for me; what if train starts before I get down? What if my dupatta gets stuck to the door? Blab blab. When the stop came, I literally jumped out of the train, CR started to laugh at me. Its okay! First time nah. Almost 20 people got out of the train in 2 minutes without any mess. I told to myself, good one tension over.

There came auto wallah, not like Chennai drivers, so I was walking out of station as if I know blore for some 15 years, we got into an auto and reached JB nagar. I entered her sister’s house with full fear (didn’t show in my face) her sister welcomed me very nicely at 4:45 am. She is damn sweet. Thank u akka.

I probably cannot draft everything but will tell certain things which I cherish. Commercial Street, the best place I could ever see in blore. Again thanks to cr, she was patient enough to suggest me what to buy and where to buy stuff.

Next is the walk which I and cr will never forget. I made her walk from shivaji nagar to Langford road. Lol. She could not stand my torture, yet, damn sweet enough to come along with me. I was excited crossing signals next to chinnasamy stadium, we sat in a bus stop and took pics (cr really went mad being with me) then again started to walk, in-between she forgot the way and asked traffic police man, every person showed one-one direction. She somehow figured out our destination point and directed me.

On our way we used to comment about the passersby’s and she will be telling some new info’s about blore. The best part is climate was excellent which made us walk that long. If I had walked 5kms in Chennai at 11 am…………. I don’t even want to think of the consequences.

We went to citizen matters office at Koramangala. That was another super experience, we took an auto and all way she explained about each road. Thanks again to her. Then I remembered about Shiva temple at Kemp fort, I asked her to take me there, again without hesitation she took me there. I have never seen Lord shiva that huge in my life. It was nice being there. We again took pics, and killed time as far as possible.

The whole blore trip was supposed to be educative as we had to organize media seminar, but for me it became an excursion. Everyday akka used to make super food. I enjoyed eating blissfully and playing with taarika and her kuti friends.

We killed time by watching chandramuki, 3 idiots, vetaikaran movies. So much of laughter, giggles, gossips, comments. The house was filled with full joy. The best man I met in blore is Bava, Vidya akka’s husband. He is a real super bava who talks very nicely and damn jovial. CR is lucky to have such an athimber. We had gala time at restaurant, I think its Tamarind, right cr?. I got absolute craze for guitar when we went to musical shop to get mouthorgan for bava. Yes, he plays it, he used to generally wake whoever is in deep sleep by playing it, I still remember akka pressing her ears hard when he starts to play. hahahah. Real fun.

The fun did not end there. Our seminar day came, I and cr almost did not sleep that night, every one hour either she will open her eyes or I will. We went to seminar hall, phew! Only empty blue chairs. Slowly students started to come, and the hall was filled. happy :) Somehow seminar got over, thank god one more tension over. On our way back, auto driver took us till Hyderabad national highway and dropped us home. We had to pay more than usual about 100 I guess. CR got so pissed and said one dialogue ‘andha panatha nai kowindu podium, emathinan andha auto karan thapa kutindu poi’ ie(A dog will snatch the money as he took us in wrong direction purposely) the way she said with her angry tone was hilarious, since then I did not stop laughing. Whenever I remember her say this I burst out laughing like how I am doing now. She is real fun to be with.

Likewise we came across many funny things and I did not feel even a bit that I am staying at someone else’s place. I felt like living at my own home.

There are lots more to write but I will stop with this. I can never forget this blore trip in my life. Zillion thanks to CR, Vidya Akka, bava and kuti Taarika. Truly amazing family.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S :)

''So no one told you life was gonna be this way (clap clap clap clap) Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D.O.A. It's like you're always stuck in second gear When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year But …………….I'll be there for you (when the rain starts to pour) I'll be there for you (like I've been there before) I'll be there for you (because you're there for me too)''

Yes, it is the title song of the famous serial F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Is it ever possible to watch a serial million times? It’s not just me who watches this incredible sequential friends, but a whole lot of people who think there is no best comedy series better than friends. I really wonder how Kauffman and Crane drafted such a script which makes people laugh across the globe. They really deserve claps. Complete entertainers.

It’s been almost 6 years since the show got over, yet whenever I see it again, I watch it with full excitement. I love to recollect the dialogues which those 6 excellent characters converse. When I am in complete stress during exams or projects or something, I switch off my mind and switch on friends, I must say I completely forget the fact that I should get back to my stress.

Thank You F.R.I.E.N.D.S for being there for me always :)

Autos should run on meters in Chennai !

I wonder how Chennai city is given Metro identity. As far as my understanding goes a city with almost all the facilities such as proper sanitation, pucca transportation system, less crime rate etc are given Metro status. We cannot expect more on sanitation and crimes but why do we have such a bad transportation system? Does constructing flyovers alone make the city look posh? Why can’t these ‘yellow criminals’, yeah I meant the autos, run on ‘meters’? When other metros has autos running on meters why not Chennai? I really do not know the answer for it.

A week back I had to reach a shop at besant nagar before 8 pm, and I was at Adyar bus stand at 7:45 pm, I did not get any direct bus to besi so I decided to take an auto. When I asked a auto man ‘besant nagar poganum, evlo’ (how much u charge?) without even thinking he said ‘aaruvadhu ruba kudunga’ ie. Rs.60/- OMG I got damn irritated, how dare he can ask 60 bucks? It hardly takes 5 minutes from adyar to besi by auto. I was thinking whether I should bargain, as I was sure he will not come for 20 bucks which is actually more if there was meter system in autos. Yet, I started to bargain; to my surprise in Chennai every auto man speaks economics to me. They speak as if they are the only community in this whole India who suffers from fuel hikes.

There was no limit for my irritation, felt like slapping, but obviously I could not, I reserved all my anger and turned around, I got a direct bus to besi. Thank god. I am lucky; I spent only 2/- bucks to reach besi by bus.

But sometimes I have faced situations like I will bargain for 50/- from 70/- and the whole way, the auto man will keep blabbering as if I stole his whole life with that difference of 20/- rupees, you will really feel like jumping from auto rather than to hear him speak economics and politics. But actually even that 50/- bucks which I give is more.

Chennai brought helmet system, now I see almost 100 people in the city driving without helmets, they also had seat belt system, I can spot 1000 people in the city driving without wearing a seat belt, they had yet another law ‘no smoking’ in public, I find about a lakh people in the city who fags on road. In the same way, Chennai also once had this meter system, but none knows when they implemented and when they lifted, for that matter you can see two sets of autos, 1. There will not be anything like a black box fitted in left side of the auto known as meter or 2. There will be a meter but it will be covered with a plastic cover and sealed. So, the point is anyway it’s useless.

In few years we can see auto fellows holding some big companies if they keep asking for money like this.

Chennaites know the plight of this situation and get away from these people somehow, imagine people coming from outside Chennai, its a real treat for auto men when they get to know the person is not from Chennai, they will ask as they wish. Indian part 2 movie should be made based on punishing auto men if they don’t run on meters.

I remember one of my friend’s grandparents who came from Bangalore, took an auto from nungambakkanm to mandaveli and the auto guy asked Rs.110/- if they put another 110/- to it, they can reach Bangalore itself safely by train.

If Chennai autos runs with meters I bet the city people will crown the government, but I don’t see such a thing happening or even will happen anymore. Till now I have not seen one auto driver charging based on meter, let me see how many years it takes.

Maybe my auto fare from adyar to besi will become 120/- in another two years time. I should not be shocked.