The growing use of digital media has changed the way we get news. Technology has not only made travelling of words, pictures and videos faster but also has provided us with multiple sources to get our daily dose of news. We read newspapers and magazines, listen to radio, see TV bulletins, access news websites and get information as updates or through social readers on social networking websites. Technology is making information available everywhere with ease. Information is just a tap way. You tap your smart home and it comes flowing.

Marshal McLuhan said: “The medium is the message.” He said that a "message" is "the change of scale or pace or pattern" that a new invention or innovation "introduces into human affairs." McLuhan was a Canadian media analyst. He predicted the invention of New Media in the 50’s, thirty years before Internet took a shape.
Fifty years ago, no one had thought of getting news when travelling in bus or train or sending information anywhere in the world from a remotest part of the country. It is possible now. We live in a ‘Global Village’ as referred by McLuhan and are always connected to the outside world.

 On the 100^th birth anniversary of McLuhan, his theories which were rebuffed by media critics those days seem relevant today. Technology has bridged gaps between the informed and the ill-informed. I remember a real story in which children and youngsters of a village in Rajasthan got frightened when they saw rains for the first time. They were ill-informed about this phenomenon of nature. They had no exposure to the TV and newspapers. This incident draws a stark picture of the days when there were people who were unaware of certain things which we find obvious today.

The scenario has changed and people have access to information from multiple sources. News dissemination has become easier and quicker than the earlier times. We receive news at lightning speed. Even a secret mission of US Navy Seals was known to the world a few minutes after they stormed into a house in Abottabad to kill the deadliest terrorist Osama Bin Laden. A minutes after their raid a man in the neighbourhood update minute-by-minute update on the micro-blogging site Twitter.

The Internet hasn't become just another medium for news consumption; it is changing how people interact with news. We have seen people sharing news which interest them with others on social networking sites. Such updates on popular sites have brought revolution such as the Arab Spring. Everything has its flip side. Sometimes technology is used with bad intentions too. London riots are one of the few examples where the rioters used Blackberry Messenger (BBM) service for rioting. Anti-social elements use it to spread hatred and hoaxes while academicians use to share their knowledge with their students and colleagues.   So, the medium has given its message but it is up to people how they interpret the message or it will be right to say how do they handle the New Media?

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Statutory warning: Readers who are in love and have not seen the flip side of their relationships are advised not to read this article. 

Abhishek Pandey
 
Love is about sacrifice. Is it? I have seen in the Bollywood movies of the late 60s and 70s actors profess that love is all about giving and not gaining. Their dialogues are only appropriate for reel life and not practical in real life. 

I don’t believe that love is about sacrifice. I have not seen it around me—not in a crowded industrial city like Kanpur, nor in Delhi and nor in Bhubaneswar. I have not seen a single person who is in a relationship and does not expect anything from his/her partner.
I have seen them fighting over trivial issues such as the girl going out with boys make the boy jealous; the boy not giving time annoys the girl; the boy accede to the girls’ suggestions to speak to her parents in a particular manner irks the girl; and the girl wearing skimpy dresses and uploading pictures of herself in them on social networking sites makes the boy furious. There is a long list of complaints that both—the girls and the boys—have and find them enough to break the relationship. They love to play the blame game when they get bored with love.

Am I sounding like a frustrated jilted lover. May be. But I am sure there are many out there who will share my views. Boys who appreciated Pyaar Ka Punchnama and girls who broke up with Mr Wrong recently will agree with my point. I am not forcing my views on you guys but just trying to see things through my own spectacles.

Before writing this article, I asked a few persons who have been in a healthy relationship for couple of years. They accepted the charm of the relationship fades with the passage of time and does not remain always the same. Love for them vanishes in the process of exploring each other over a year or two.

Some are in a relationship because they have committed themselves and given their word and the whole world knows about it. There are people who want to break up with their partners but cannot do so because it will tarnish their image.

Others remain stuck for their vested interests. Some want emotional or financial security and some want the fulfillment of basic instincts. Live it as it comes to you or leave it. It is all a farce. Do one thing this Valentine’s Day. Observe people around you and try to find out why they remain hitched. You will find answers of your unanswered questions.

Many sayings about love have negative connotations such as Love is blind; people fall (not rise) in love; everything is fair in love and war. Here is a list of things you lose while trying to be in love and prove that you love someone special.

You lose your precious time (and many persons money too) trying to prove that your love worth attention. Your love is important till the time the person trusts it is important.

The relationship is a kind of a competition. In trying to win it, you lose a lot of things such as you stop giving time to yourself; you get hurt and do not get in return what you expect.

People act blind under the spell of love. They don’ want to see the reality. They realize it when their illusion gets over and find they are left with nothing. And there is only one panacea. It is that you should learn to live without expecting anything from life or for that matter from someone.

# # #

A stand-up comedian mocked the metamorphosis in the relationship between lovers. He joked: “In the olden times the song was hume tumse pyaar kitna ki hum nahi jaante, magar jee nahi sakte tumhare bina. This has changed in the present time to Hume tumse pyaar kitna, I don’t know. Whether it is more than Sheela or less than Julie.”

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No. It’s not. The three-word expression I Love You is perhaps the most difficult one to express. People may be headstrong but go weak at the knees when it comes to proposing to someone special. For one and all, the expression of love requires perfect timing, ideal setting and right approach.

Valentine’s Day is considered an important day in the lives of people in love. They may or may not be in a relationship but the day holds significance in their lives. People in relationships want to make it large by planning an outing with their partners or by giving special gifts. Others want to make it memorable by expressing their love to someone special. You need not break a bank to make Valentine’s Day special for someone. It just requires a decent attitude and a right approach.

Many of us fall in love with a friend or a colleague or someone in our neighbourhood or someone we see at a bus stop or in a market. And sometimes it is difficult to break the ice with a person we know than with strangers for several odd reasons. Here are a few tips on how to begin a conversation with someone special.

The most important factor to start an interaction is the consent of the other person. You should not make him/her uncomfortable. And the level of comfort varies from person to person; some will not like you interacting with them in public places like college canteens, libraries or at bus stops. You should consider other factors too like wheter the person is alone and you are in a group or you are meeting in a deserted area at night.

If any of these factors apply, be aware that the other person may feel a little unsafe or unsure of your approach. If you are not sure about their comfort in the interaction do ask them, “is it ok if I talk to you.” Make it clear that you mean no harm and leave them alone if they do not wish to talk.

Treat the person with respect. One should not become over-friendly in the first meeting. He or she should avoid commenting right away on their looks and attire. One should refrain from using endearing terms. A hello and a smile will rarely offend anyone and can open up the door for further conversation.

Getting rejected is surely not your desire. But you should not curse, insult or hurt a person who turns you down. Often people do not want to meet or even talk to someone in public places. There could be many reasons. They may be preoccupied or may be in a hurry. They may be already in a relationship. They may not be interested in any kind of relationship before getting into marriage.

If the person talks comfortably, you should not become overfriendly. You should behave decently and give enough time for the relationship to grow. Rome was not built in a day. Everything takes its own time. If you know the person for quite some time you can propose to him/her in right setting but the rules mentioned above still apply.

Expressing your feelings over phone or online is a safer option rather than saying those three words personally. But this is an impersonal approach and shows lack of confidence in yourself and lack of seriousness in your proposal. It is the worst thing to convey your expression through someone in his/her group or in your circle of friends because many a time your ‘someone special’ may not want to share his or her relationship with anyone else except you.

This article has been published in Yuva Sambad dated February 11, 2012.

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I received a Facebook update that reads: “In India, the Government is deciding the age of Army Chief. While in Pakistan, the Army chief is deciding the age of the Government.”

The update was amusing. Jack says, the Indian Army Chief is not behaving awkwardly; and for that matter not even the Pakistani Army Chief. They are behaving in a normal fashion. He snubs me when said that the Indian Army Chief has lowered the image of the sacrosanct institution of India. Jack told me off the record that the Army chief will get a hike of a few thousand rupees if he stays for one more year in the service and an extension of one year to the facilities he is using as the boss of the Indian Army. I believe it cannot be true and he must be kidding. The person of his stature can no go that low for a hike or extension of one year service.   

Jack further explains, everyone wants to remain young forever. Haven’t you ever heard that a 40-year-old lady or may be older fighting with an innocent sales man in his twenties who dared to call her aunty. “How dare you call me aunty?” “Do I look like an aunty?” The fight goes on and on but if the salesman has learnt marketing tricks from some professor from the top institutes like IIMs then he will immediately correct himself saying, “Sorry Didi. It was just a slip of tongue.”

However, it may be the case the women in front of her is as old as her mother.  But his correction and choose of words may help him in achieving his monthly target.

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Micro-blogging is all about posting small digital contents—text, pictures, video and links—on  the Internet. In short, it is a combination of blogging and instant messaging. Micro-blogging websites allow users to share a message of 140 or less character, a video of 12 seconds or less duration, short links or individual images with online followers.

Twitter is the most famous micro-blogging website. It allows users to update their messages in 140 or less characters. The website is increasingly becoming popular because the list of celebrities joining the site is growing each day and everyone out there wants to know what these celebrities are doing. The site has been in news for many controversial tweets by famous personalities. A few tweets that grabbed headlines and caused a ripple effect include Shahsi Tharoor’s calling ‘Economy Class’ a ‘Cattle Class’, Lalit Modi’s tweet on Indian Premiere League (IPL) and many more.  The tweet that made the biggest news of the last year was from a man from Pakistan. Sohaib Athar (@ReallyVirtual) live-tweeted the raid in which terrorist Osama bin Laden was killed.

There are certain things we should know about micro-blogging. There are a few must-know terms related to micro-blogging. One of them is hash tag (#). Tweeter users (generally called tweeple) must have seen the hash tag often in tweets. Hash tags allow an online community to easily stream a particular subject. It is a community-driven practice of tagging an individual tweet by using a hash in front of the tag such as putting #Indiancricket in a tweet about Indian Cricket. It also makes the tweet easily searchable online. Another term is re-tweet, it is used when you update someone else’s tweet on your page. ‘@’ is the sign used for specifying that a message is for a particular individual.

People using Tweeter has developed a terminology. They use tweeple for people using twitter, twaffic is used for users’ traffic on the site, twalking is used for tweeting while walking and twitticism is used for witticism used in tweet updates. There are several other terms and many are being added by its users.

The micro-blogging phenomenon is not limited to sharing text updates.12seconds.com is a micro-blogging video website. 12 Seconds limit the length of uploads to just 12 seconds. Making a video that’s interesting but is only 12 seconds can be a bit of challenge. Currently, they only offer integration with Facebook and Twitter. Some other websites such as Pluckr, Tumblr, Posterous, Plerb and Sweeter are also known among online users for their distinctive features. There are many sites such as twitpic, pikchur, twitgoo and others which allow users to share their pictures on Twitter.

There are many sites which provide an application through which you can shorten a Universal Resource Locator (URL)—you want to share with online pals. Some sites such as bit.ly, tinyurl, ow.ly and goo.gl provide an online tool for shortening URLs. These sites are useful because many URLs exceed the character limit.

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Cloud computing is about accessing or sharing applications, software installed on a virtual server. It facilitates data storage solution to small companies. They need not to buy bulky and expensive servers. They can subscribe to cloud computing services and access their data anytime of the day provided there is no technical problem at host’s end and no Internet connection problem at company’s end.

Cloud computing service is useful not only for small companies but also for other online users. There are hundreds of websites which allow you to save your pictures, videos and other important documents on the Web. These websites provide 1GB to 50 GB free storage. Many websites provide the service for free and a few sites charge for premium service.

Sky Drive of Microsoft delivers online file storage and sharing solution in a free and easy to use way. Other websites providing similar services are esnips.com, hordit.com, gdisk.com, mediamaster and mp3tune (for storing music collection), Flicker and Picasa (for storing pictures and videos) and many more. People can not only save their data but also access several other features i.e. sharing files with friends and public, downloading data of your interest and upload data for public usage.

There are websites which allow you to use useful applications without installing them on your personal computer or laptop. For example: you want to play around with your pictures and you don’t have any photo correction software installed on your computer. You can visit aviary.com, phixr.com, graphita.com and many more similar websites those not only have photo correction tools but also provide image hosting services.

Some popular websites like Google and Microsoft has already launched ‘cloud service platforms’. Microsoft had started the Office Web Apps on ‘Sky Drive’ for users in select countries. The platform gives users the ability to view and edit Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote documents online via browsers.  Microsoft had launched such cloud functionality to get an edge in the battle against Google Apps and similar Web-based productivity suites. Using Google Doc users can create documents, spreadsheets and presentations online and can share and collaborate in real time with others.

However, there is a problem with professional usage of cloud computing in India where Internet connection is slow and not reliable. In cloud computing, users cannot access their data when their internet connection is down or there is any technical problem at host’s end. This is a major drawback of cloud computing; particularly for the companies those deal with customers on 24x7 basis and cannot afford non-availability of their data even for a few minutes.  Until Interne connection becomes faster and more reliable than what it is today; users can continue using cloud computing platform for personal purposes.

Note- After reading the article, I would like you to watch a funny video on 'Cloud Computing' (in Hindi) that spread like a viral on YouTube. In this video, an ex IT commissioner is trying to explain Cloud Computing on TV.

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Why is doing homework with friends better? Piazaa explains it in many ways. First, when you are at sea then someone who is stable can be a lifesaver. Second, when professors or teachers ask, there any doubts, students remain silent. Piazza, the website, helps you to connect with studious friends and tech-savvy instructors. They can help you out in virtual classrooms where you can reach out to back benchers like the ever intelligent Ranchodas Chanchad (Aamir Khan) of the movie Three Idiots.

Have you ever faced a query that stumped all your classmates including the most brilliant student in your group? Even Google Baba fails to come up with a solution. If you have ever faced such a situation, then Piazza is the answer for you.

Piazza is essentially a ‘question-and-answer platform’ for students and teachers. Students can post their questions and their peers or teachers can answer.

Pooja Nath

Piazza has been developed by a Computer Science student of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K), Pooja Nath who was annoyed as she struggled with the nuances of assignments and did not feel comfortable asking her male peers for help. She also felt that online tools, like Google and Wikipedia, were not specific enough to answer the questions that her assignments posed.

Keeping this in mind, Pooja developed a website called Piazza of which she is now the CEO. The website provides students who want to work alone an opportunity to ask questions. Piazza also allows teachers to understand the problems that students face and tailor the curriculum to their needs.

Pooja says, the platform is in the beta form and the Piazza team is making efforts to make it a helpful one.  

Students can sign up on the website and create a virtual classroom. It allows only users with an official e-mail id of schools or institutions.  The administrator of Piazza verifies the credentials of any new instructor or professor joining the virtual classroom. Students new to the website can understand the functioning of a virtual classroom through an online video on its home page.

The website is popular among tech-savvy students especially in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and other European countries. Many Indian students from different engineering colleges are also using the virtual classrooms for enhancing their knowledge of their subjects.

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Dear friends

The year 2011 has been a busy year for me. I did many things unplanned. I was not regular in updating the blog—Newsy Take. I don’t want to go this year dry so I am updating a story written by me on the change youngsters seek in our society. This year I started writing a column Net Connect on happening in the virtual world.  I will update a few of them. I am assertive that you will find the articles interesting and informative.

This following article has been published in Yuva Sambad.

This New Year—when everyone is busy making New Year resolutions and planning to live their life anew—we tried to find out what youngsters think on issues concerning them and what changes they want in the education system, in their city and in the attitudes of people around them. Are we listening to what they want?

We tried—in this news report—to find out what irks them and what solutions they can offer to correct the system.

We also spoke to a few children in primary classes to know what they want in their dream school. Ideas flooded in from children all over Bhubaneswar. Some wanted to replace bells with music, a few demanded colourful classrooms, some asked for pin-up idea boards in each and every classroom, some came up with the idea to provide digital recorders to students so that if they go to the toilet, when they come back they can catch up on what they have missed and so on. 

A report by Abhishek Pandey on their dreams, aspirations and their new ways of living their academic, social and personal lives.

Every child aims high in life. Following the well-trod paths, many want to be doctors; some students want to go for engineering or for the civil services. Many a time their parents force them to choose careers they think are good and sometimes students do not want to risk choosing a non-traditional career option.

But nowadays the situation is changing and there is no dearth of students who dare to think out of the box and do things differently. They are setting trends for others to follow. Vikas Mohapatra is one of them.

Vikas, an MBA student, says, “I love travelling and clicking photographs. Unlike other parents, my father never forced me to become an engineer, a doctor or an IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer. I wanted to become a photographer and my father always encouraged me. He is liberal and believes that everyone has his or her own forte.” Vikas says, “This year, I want other parents to take a cue from my father and allow their children to follow their heart because I believe if your heart is not in your profession you cannot excel.”

Sonali Priyadarshini, an undergraduate, wants something else. Sonali said that she is fed up with eve-teasers. “Girls face eve-teasing and molestation. I want Odisha Police to deploy adequate personnel near colleges and coaching institutions to put a stop to such instances,” she adds.

“Girls should also take some preventive steps such as carrying a pepper spray and pop-up knives for self-defence. They should join self-defence training classes too,” she suggests. “I regularly go to karate classes and no boy can dare tease me, she says.

Jitendra Moharana, a student of Masters in Social Work (MSW), is aiming to do his bit for society this year. “Chewing tobacco and smoking cigarettes are injurious to health. Though there are laws against smoking at public places many people flout the rules with apparent impunity.  I have seen students smoking inside college premises and near schools or colleges. Professors and disciplinary bodies in school should take cognisance of these important issues and must take action. Shopkeepers cannot sell cigarettes and tobacco near schools or colleges as it is against the law,” Moharana says. This year, he wants to run a special awareness campaign in all colleges and schools across Bhubaneswar.

Youngsters live their life with a true sense of belonging with their friends in schools and the neighbourhood and even in the virtual world. However, many of them believe that elders have lost the sense of belonging. Raman Agarwal, a 17-year-old student, says, “People fight with each other in society on trivial matters. I suggest that elders should learn a few lessons in social behaviour from children who forget their fights with their neighbours or school friends the next day.”

He said that people today do not have time for their friends and family and sometimes even do not talk to their family for days because of the hectic lifestyle they follow. At home, they spend time seeing television or browsing Internet. Parents should spend quality time with their children.

These youngsters seek a change in the behavioural pattern of people in the virtual world too. “I am fed up with seeing boneheaded sentences as updates and tweets in the virtual world. Internet has grown up and we should too. People update useless status—sometimes about their personal affairs and many a time they intrude into others’ lives. It is high time everyone should learn online etiquette. People should not update anything that they do not want their parents or boss to read. One should also avoid texting while in office or in a group,” suggests Radhika Chaterjee, a management trainee.

There are other students who want to bring about a change in the educational system and make it interactive. “Every student should be given an opportunity to express their ideas. I suggest every school should have a mechanism by which students can convey their ideas to the school management and teachers; be it pin-up idea boards in every classroom or through student parliament or any kind of open forum. Their ideas should be taken into consideration,” suggests Jyotirupa Mohanty, a student of class XII.

Niranjan Sahoo, a student of class IV, wants drastic changes in the way schools function. He wants that there should be no compulsory subjects and there should be more periods for sports and co-curricular activities. He wants colourful classrooms and looks for bells to be replaced with music. Students can be given digital recorders so that they do not miss important lessons while they are not in the class room. He said that these are the possible and easiest ways of making learning interesting and fun.

Other children of his age group in government schools want that the government should build infrastructure in their schools to provide facilities as good as those available in private schools. A student from a government school on condition of anonymity said, “We do not have football or basket ball grounds in our school. There are many students who can perform better than their counterparts in private schools provided that they are given proper training and facilities.” He urged that this New Year the government must come up with some schemes for providing similar facilities to government school students.

Wishing You All a Happy New Year in Advance

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Police officials came down heavily on media persons for their extensive reporting on an eleven-year old school girl Divya, who was sodomised in a school premises and died of profuse bleeding from her private parts.

Investigation officer (IO) and Station Officer, Anil Kumar, has summoned over 21 journalists under section 160 of CrPC and have demanded proof of their media reports.

Not only that, police officials are allegedly making threatening calls in newspaper offices and warning reporters to not file stories on the issue or face consequences. Even, several vehicles meant for transporting newspapers were halted by the police officials and did not allow passing for so called flouting the norms.

The draconian act of police in absolving the culprits in rape cum murder case was exposed by the print and electronic news channels.

Police officials have arrested as many as four people in the case but have failed to prove who the real culprit is? Even, they could not conclusively prove that which is the place of crime? Police theory has numerous loopholes and Justice for Divya has become a people’s movement that is gathering momentum after leaders cuttinmg across party lines, social activists, students, youths have come forward for demanding the arrest of real culprit?

It is important to mention that police officials even did not spare the victim’s family members and resorted cane charge on them while they were staging silent protest in front of the school where the little girl died.

Does the right to speech and expression exist in real means in Kanpur?

Can police force the media persons to reveal its news sources, though even court gives them freedom for not telling their news source?

Media advocacy in several cases has brought justice for the victim’s family. Is this an attempt to put a stop on advocacy or missionary journalism?

Many more questions are being raised in media foray and these questions remain unanswered ......And, until these questions are answered. People of India could be hapless in seeing in near future cases like Priyadarshini Matoo, Jesica Lal, Nitish Katara, Nithari getting solved .....

- Busy bee

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A nine-year old girl Divya Bhadauria was raped brutally inside a school premises in Kanpur. Divya died of profuse bleeding of around 4.5 litres blood from her private parts.

Words have to be censored harshly, if I choose to explain her sufferings and pain before her death.

It’s gory. It’s horrific. It’s unexplainable.

Her mother Sonu is still in utter shock and six year old younger sister Deeksha is waiting for Divya to come and play hide and seek with her, unaware of the fact that her sister is no more in this world.

I might have been completely driven by my intense emotions while covering the issue for HT. I might not report objectively. I might not be fair with the accused Piyush Verma or whosoever it is.

But, I am sure about one thing, a girl had been raped inhumanly and a mother has lost her nine-year old daughter. And, there is someone bloody out there who is responsible for all this mess. The girl deserves justice and the pervert deserved to be hanged till death.

But, police is insensitive and irresponsible for what reasons ? The insensitivity shown by police is sprinkling salt on the festering wounds of the deceased’s family. Police beaten up the guys, who took the girl to the hospital after school-maids literally threw the girl at her house after her condition deteriorated. Police also managed to implicate a middle-aged man for the crime and made him confess that he has committed the crime six days ago.

Autopsy reports, circumstantial evidences and statements of key people contradict police theory. The weak case will collapse in court of law. But, they hardly care. They are real dabang – fearless - in Mayawati’s fearless society.

Justice for Divya needs mobilisation of people, a people’s movement to ensure that no Divya becomes victim next door or inside your house in future.Its your movement. Come on, come out. In real world, in virtual world. Everywhere.

******

One more thing for parents, please do trust your children and take their complaints of any kind of sexual assault seriously, as more than 80 percent children in India are victims of sexual assault. And, the close relatives, teachers, uncles, neighbours are culprits in 60 percents of cases.

So, there is no good reason in not trusting your own kid.

At last, please do pray for the girl Divya so justice served without much delay.

Busy bee

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Don’t misinterpret me by the headline and start thinking that I want to go gaga about the unexpected and spectacular opening of CWG in Delhi.

Media, both print and electronic, has reported extensively on the issue explaining -crores of rupees were siphoned off during preparations. The construction of stadia was not qualitative. Black sheep were involved for carrying out construction work. Even, AR Rehman composed a sub-standard anthem.

and, Blah… blah…. blah......blah….

Media has over-stuffed the minds of the people with the information about CWG mess. Media had already put millions of question marks on India's capabilities of holding a grand event like this and made whole country ashamed off these wrong-doings.

I don’t want to depress our Indians friends further more with some more facts and figures about corruption in preparedness of CWG games.

I am sensing, CWG has changed something in the country. And, that is attitude towards ‘less important’ sports. This attitudinal change was brought in the psyche of people in 1984 also, when country organised Asiad successfully.

Common men are more interested in knowing who bagged medals from India in wrestling or shooting than getting information about Tendulkar’s performance in test match against Australia.

CWG fever has gripped India much fiercely than dengue, Chikangunia and other variants of viral fever.

This is a good sign of change in the country, where cricket is religion.

###

One thing more, Sports ministry must ponder over fewer turnouts of visitors inside stadia in CWG matches.

Government could think of providing concession on tickets to the school children in and around Delhi for watching CWG games. It will kill two birds from one stone:

First, Stadiums would be full to encourage players.

Second, Students would get the chance to see playing international players and they would be encouraged for playing unconventional sports.

- Busy bee

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What has gone wrong with our TV channels? They are showing almost everything without giving a thought. Don’t they have any social responsibility?

Big Boss-4 is the perfect example of the mad race of TV channels for increasing number of eyeballs glued to their channels on prime time. The show has been always in controversy over happenings inside the house in all its three seasons. Sometimes, guys inside the house abuse each other or girls run skin show in and around the pool.

It kicked off with dust storm of controversy today. The makers have gone one step further, this time. Dacoit, super-thieve, and persons allegedly shown in mms sex clips are being portrayed heroes and they are privileged to live in Big Boss’ house.

The show is aired on prime time and families watch the show with children. Don’t you think, our children could think of becoming a ‘super-thieve’ or could indulge in making sex mms clips for becoming famous all over.

What is the way-out? Come on the roads to protest or use the remote in our hands to switch the channels. That, I leave to intellectuals to decide. But why they, you decide your matters.

- Busy bee

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Abhishek Pandey

Spreading hatred has not benefited any but many institutions in our country do not seem to understand this. They are promoting it in the name of cultural traditions and cultural purity. The best example of present times is Khap which has wage a war against the people wants to spread love in the society.

It seems these panchayats are above the law, as Khap Panchayats can allow killing of the lovebirds, if any one dare to marry the partner of the same gotra. What is Gotra and why there is much hue and cry about it? Perhaps, many gen-Y Hindus may not be aware of. It looks like the Khap Pancayat has been given responsibility for its public relation and they have done their job well.

Now, the concept of gotra is very much clear in the minds of this present generation after the panchayats call for killing of many couples in the name of gotra followed by detailed media coverage.

Many opine, if the panchayats consider the marriages in same gotra immoral, they should also declare that any Indian would be punished if he or she marries an Indian by justifying their decision with the old cultural saying – All Indians are my brothers and sisters.

And, they can also call upon Sania Mirza from Dubai and must load her with lots of prizes for marrying a Pakistatni cricketer Shoaib Malik. They can also propose her name for the Bharat Ratna award.

They are planning to shut down Delhi on June 20, if the central government doesn’t agree to amend the Hindu Marriage Act. No one knows the government will succumb to that pressure or would nip them in the bud.

Political parties have not came forward against this faction of the society, as no one want to annoy the huge vote bank in Haryana, Rajasthan and western UP. Shamelessly, several ‘intellectual’ young leaders like Jatin Prasad have supported them with many senior leaders like Ajit Singh, Mahendra Singh Tikait and several others.

Rashtriya Swayam Sewak (RSS) has also called the issue a social issue and does not show any interest in commenting on the issue.

It is irony of the state. On one hand, the government is encouraging inter-caste marriages for promoting harmony in the society. On another, the loose canons of political parties, including congress party, are aggressively waging war against the lovebirds.

Khap panchayats are continuously giving decisions for social seclusion of the couples those have tied knot with the partner of same gotras. It is the high time that the government must crack the whip on these panchayats and the person responsible for causing death to any couple must be punished.

It seems, the time is not too far when such institutions, if allowed to flourish, would demand for the separate colleges, schools and hospitals in the country for members of different gotras, caste and communities.

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Indian Premiere League proved to be Indian Profit League but many don’t like its prosperity.

Lalit Modi, the person behind the idea of IPL and who turned the cricket into ‘Cricketainment, ’is in problem. The reason is simple; he dared to mess with a politician, ‘Union minister of state for external affairs’ Shashi Tharoor.

Though, the squabble backfired Tharoor who allegedly tried to help his girlfriend Sunanda Pushkar in the whole deal of IPL Kochi team. The probe is ordered, Tharoor has been fired and Sunanda Pushkar resigned from her role in the Kochi team.

The case has opened the Pandora box of the problems for many in Board for Cricket Control of India (BCCI). People including several politicians have started raising fingers over the involvement of hundred of crore rupees ‘black money’ in the IPL business.

Sport has become a business and so has politics. There is no difference between both the fields as there are great chances of earning huge money in both the genres.

No political party is exception in making their ‘persistent’ efforts to improve the condition of sports. Please don’t overlook, I mean cricket for sports here.

It is the tragedy of the nation that the politicians poke their nose in sports, apparently for their vested interests.

Though, all the sports are not great earner of the money and so you would not find many politicians in other sports. Say, Badminton or for that matter any other sports ranging from Kabbaddi, Kho-Kho, High jump, Long jump, wrestling and so on and so forth – not many politicians are interested in it.

Leaders like Sharad Pawar, Rajeev Shukla, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Arun Jaitely, Narendra Modi and several others are interested in alleviating the standard of cricket. It seems they damn care of improving standards of other sports. It is the love for cricket or lust for money, only god knows.

I believe, the politicians must keep themselves involved in the politics and they should leave sports for the sportspersons. Not only me, many believe in the country that the sportspersons would better take care of the sports.

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Abhishek Pandey

The connections of the god men and sex are not very new. India had Devdasis system prevalent in the olden times. With the changing times, the contours of relations keep changing between sex and Sadhus.

Nityanand and Bheemanand aka Ikshadhari has tainted the saffron colour. It was not the very first time the saffron has got stains. Baba Ram Raheem, Kripalu ji Maharaj, Asha Ram Bapu and several others self styled god man have been reportedly involved in the much hyped sex scandals. Though, the rule of law is still to decide on these matters and they continue to play their ‘dirty’ game with apparent impunity.

In recent incidents, a self styled Hindu god men, Bheemanand, was arrested for running a sex racket of more than 500 call girls from Delhi. Another god man Nityanand was found in compromising position with her disciple and Tamil actress Ranjitha. She also accepted that she was giving her service like others services as serving food and massaging him.

Not only that, there are more disgusting acts in which many self-styled gurus had been indulging in the act of molestation and rape with the girls as younger as seven year. In a recent case in Kanpur, a priest raped a seven-year-old girl and strangled her to death.

These impostors in the business of faith have also brain washed their followers and the disgusting example was when a Tantrik cum religious preacher suggested his devotee to rape his own daughter for bringing prosperity.

Which religious text suggests that you would attain prosperity if you rape your daughter? The answer is an obvious, NO. But, I really don’t understand why all the genuine saints and devotees clad in saffron are not coming forward to save the Sanatana Dharma from viciously assaulted by these thugs.

These thugs turned Gurus teach abstinence but exploit innocence. They preach, keep yourself away from earthly affairs like sex, as they don’t want competition for themselves. They say, why follow Moh-maya perhaps indicating leave all these for them. These imposters are hypocrites.

Though, Osho or Rajneesh tried to change everything in between and talked about every taboo ranging from sex, wealth to other earthly matters. He talked openly on all these issues and taught people that they must not refrain themselves as it does not come from their mind.

I think the saints; religious bodies must evolve a system in which a centralized body monitors everything ranging from the activities going in the religious places and transfer of funds there. The temples and religious institutions are one of the largest investments for many big industrialists in the country.

The body also issue them license to preach and flourish the business of faith and it could also prohibit the entry of imposters by regular monitoring by the ‘Dharmgurus’.

Though, it is easier to say than implement because the path has innumerable hurdles. Many don’t want complication in religion. Many have their own interest in the on going system.

Some say, Sanatana Dharma has many sects as no sect would accept authority. It has Arya Samaj, Brahma Samaj, Shavites, Vaishnavites and several others. The solution is that we could implement UN system on which the people from different sects are appointed periodically depending upon the number of people they represent.

There are hundreds other solution but some one has to come forward to take an initiative. But there is no light of hope visible in the tunnel. Perhaps, it is the high time in Kalyug and we need real Avatar not of James Cameron.

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Abhishek Pandey

BJP wants to take the power ride. Ram temple issue is too old to win this ride. Party needs fresh ideas and newly appointed president of BJP understands this well. He has presented the ‘old wine in new bottle’ and this wine does not seem to be deleterious for nation’s health, as Hindus and Muslims, both, would find it yummy.

Since the inception of the Ayodhya issue, the right wing never tuned its tone as soft as national president of BJP, Gadkari did during recent national conclave at Indore. He said, BJP is committed to the cause of temple construction at Ayodhya. Nothing new in this idea but Gadkari went one step further.

He asked Muslims to be generous to not oppose the construction of grand temple at disputed site. Even, he allured them saying that the party would facilitate the construction of mosque beside the temple. The tone is new and has never been heard by anyone, at least from the saffron brigade.

I think, he is trying to find out the practical solution of the problem and the plot to erect BJP’s building. He mentioned that the litigations are pending in the court for the resolution of the dispute and the verdict would not serve the purpose because one party would win and other may lose.

The visionary Gadkari is also aiming to hit the two birds from a single stone. As his proposal would neither annoy the ‘moderate’ Hindus, those are looking for the resolution of the dispute, nor would it send a wrong message to the Muslims that injustice has been done to them.

I used the moderate world because the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Shiv Sena have already registered their protest. The supreme of these parties, Ashok Singhal and Bal Thackeray, have said that “Ram temple is religious issue not a political issue. BJP or for that matter any party must refrain from taking any decision of its own, as it would bring dishonor to the several Karsevaks who sacrificed their life for the cause of Hindus.

Why the hell they don’t understand that the days of decisive politics are gone and they are gonna get nothing from such politics. Except, killing or maiming some innocents and making the life of their loved one’s hellish.

He knows and also understands it well that the developmental politics is the future and the construction of temple would alleviate the stature of the BJP among the parties supporting Hindu cause.

Though. in his complete speech of 7993 words, he spoke only 103 words on temple issue, mere 1.3 percent of total speech, but all the media, print, electronic, web, blew its as it was the core of his speech. Whatever, media know well what sells. Gadkari also knows well what sells and he is selling what is in trend, as he is a businessman turned politician.

Even, his vision is politically correct also. I too share the view of Nitin Gadkari, “This initiative would herald a new amity and reinforce the bond for a resurgent India.”

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Abhishek Pandey

SRK says he want Pak players for his IPL team. Shivsena says it wants SRK to apologise in public or go to Lahore for his ‘Pak love’. BJP and Muslim groups surprisingly come together against Sena’s politics. Rahul goes Mumbai and tells Sena, Mumbai belongs to everyone and it is not the legacy of Thakreys. Everyone is busy doing business for good or bad. None of them wants to bear the losses in the business and SRK is not an exception.

It is the business and it doesn’t know any principle. Even SRK accepted in one of the interviews, no one in the industry knows any principle on Thursdays and Fridays – the release day of the Bollywood flicks.

Shahrukh Khan has invited controversy for himself after commenting on inclusion of Pak players in his IPL team. But, he could not become braver any more because he is not a politician, he is a businessman. He can not take any stand strongly that affect his business – the commercial success of his movie.

His movie ‘My name is Khan’ is about to release and he would not like that his movie fell prey to any controversy failing his arduous efforts and losing his hard earned money that he put in making a ‘wonderful’ movie.

Neither he would apologise nor did he will take his words back because both the actions would affect his stardom in turn affecting his business. He needs not to do this though as being an Indian he has all the rights to speak out his mind as Sena and MNS has. SRK and Shivsena both have right of free speech, both have right to do their business.

But, the business started stinking and becomes unbearable when his daughter asks him whether they have to leave India for Lahore or any other place. It is just very sad, shameful, and unconstitutional and against the core values of the country. All the problems arise here.

Who has given the Sena, MNS right to spit venom against any one who does not belong to their cult? Who has given them right to throw any one out of Mumbai or the country? Who has suggested them to poke their nose in every issue they find beneficial for their politics? Who authorize them to beat north Indians for appearing in exams in Mumbai?

They are no one to be the voice of Mumbaikars as they dint come out when Mumbai was bleeding and needed help after 26/11 attack. MNS and Sena must reply why Mumbaikars allow them to play politics on their issues when they can’t stand for them in need.

Politics is good, so is business. Sena wanna make use of every moment in the times when MNS, congress, NCP are ready to fix the last nail in Sena’s coffin anytime. It is the fight of survival for Sena but these kinds of strategies in ‘business’ would fail its all efforts. It is wiser for Sena not to create any problem over SRK comments because it can backfire fiercely. Even, SRK would not like to prolong the spate because its better to become coward sometime for good.

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