On a bright sunny day

This poem occurred to me yesterday and as it happens I penned it down. Do tell me whether you enjoyed it or not

On a bright sunny day

When lovers stroll their way

I rest my ass on grass

With the book which is crass

With the sun hitting my face

Without sun-screen in this case

Thinking about the test

I lay my book to rest

There were green all around

High pines look me down

I thought taking a walk

Only to get some real shock

There she stood in pink

The color she wanted me to drink

A guy was holding her hands

The one who wore grey pants

They looked happy and gay

As they began to sway

I was left in lurch

I moved toward the perch

I want to hear their talk

As they talked and walk

He said he is a vet

As I hid my silhouette

It was a blind date

But was on my wedding cake

Cupid’s arrow did struck

My heart bled, and their fluffed

Dejected- I turned back

I needed my book to relax

I reached the grass where I rest

I have to prepare for the test

There was a book once

But now there was none

A swine took it away

Spoiling my fine sunny day

Soon my cell-phone rang

From there she pang

Her disapproval of mine

A bungee from cloud nine

Losing my book

Losing my girl

Flunking the test

I became a jest

On a bright sunny day

© Tarun Mitra

Try out my Skywatch Friday picture at targetaimshoot.blogspot.com

The March of the Republic

Amidst all raves and rants, slumber and celebrations, whining and winnings for the last few last few days I was torn apart into two parts to what to write about the Republic Day. Topic was clear, but reasons weren’t.

To celebrate the day by poetic travail with patriotic piousness would be amount to lying to my own beliefs and ideals. And to rip apart into small shreds this imperfect democracy would tantamount to treachery as this very imperfection has surprisingly stood the test of time. Adding on to this conundrum is a book written over 60 years ago, amended more than 100 times, fought over ever since it came into being and still in spite of all still retaining its basic structure guaranteeing the integrity and continuity of the Republic.

In order to get over this confusion, I resorted to read as many articles I can about Republic day; sadly none fit the bill and provided the missing block. Most of them either written by commentators, political scientists, critics, professors or plain journalists either criticized the shortcomings of this imperfect democracy or plainly or rather vulgarly flaunted the naked patriotism. Everyone talked about the Republic, hardly anyone wrote about the book and its continuity. There were talks about corruption, nepotism, politics, but not Constitution. For a citizen while talking about the nation, the problems and its cleavages are the first thing noticeable, but the book which provides for the panacea is not talked about. I am not saying that the Constitution is the panacea, but it provides for the process of panacea.

So what is Constitution? A simple Wikipedia search will put the meaning in this way:

“A Constitution is a set of rules for government—often codified as a written document—that enumerates the powers and functions of a political entity. In the case of countries, this term refers specifically to a national constitution defining the fundamental political principles, and establishing the structure, procedures, powers and duties, of a government. By limiting the government's own reach, most Constitutions guarantee certain rights to the people. The term constitution can be applied to any overall law that defines the functioning of a government, including several historical constitutions that existed before the development of modern national constitutions.”

Therefore it can be safely said that Constitution is a set of rules which determines the conduct of a nation, its government and its people. It put limits to the powers enjoyed by the government and also determines the scope of sovereignty of a nation state. And more than that it guarantees its people, who bestow it upon themselves, that they have certain rights which cannot be taken from them.

Indian Constitution is one of the longest in world, having approximately 395 articles divided into 22 Parts and 12 schedules. It took two years eleven months and eighteen days to draft and was adopted by Constituent Assembly (not parliament) on November 26, 1949. It became applicable on January 26, 1950. The date of applicability was mere symbolic as it is on January 26, 1930 Congress demanded Purna Swaraj or complete independence.

Just like the country itself, the constitution itself is mish-mash of various other constitutions across the world subjected to Indian conditions intelligently worded and subjected to judicial interpretations. Structure of the Constitution is derived from Government of India Act, 1935, Fundamental Rights is inspired from American Bill of Rights enshrined in American Constitution, Directive Principles of State policy is from Irish Constitution, principle of Cabinet Government and relations between Executive and legislature is largely drawn upon British common law (there is no written constitution is Britain), Union-State relation is similar to that of Canadian Constitution and parts regarding trade, commerce and intercourse is inspired form Australian Constitution.

The Constitution operates as a fundamental law. The government organs owe their origin to the Constitution and derive their authority from, and discharge their responsibilities within the framework of the Constitution. Constitution is not to be construed as a mere law, but as the machinery by which laws are made. A Constitution is a living and organic thing which, of all instruments has the greatest claims to be construed broadly and liberally. Any change or amendment in the Constitution can be only done within the ambit of the Constitution itself, without any interference with the basic structure of Constitution. Such powers the Constitution gives to it organs that any change by one organ to detriment of other organ can be rendered useless by the other organ.

The pervasiveness and vastness of the Indian Constitution is such that the final solution to every separatist cause in this vast country with multiple grievances has fallen within the purview of the Constitution. The social cleavages, the wounds in name of every –ism had it solution within the Constitution itself. Hadn’t this being intelligently worded, rigorously parsed, and morally universalistic guidebook of sheer class, India would likely have Balkanized into thousands of splinters by now. But it isn’t, and its credit lies not only to this book but also to its drafters whose foresight helped in management of the largest democracy of the world.

B.R. Ambedkar is known as the father of Indian Constitution, rightly so, but he was not the only one, there were many others. It composed from apart from leaders like JL Nehru, Dr. SP Mookherjee, Sardar Patel, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, people like BN Rau an eminent Jurist, SM Saadullah Muslim League leader and Premier of Assam, Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha, MA Ayyangar first Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, NG Ayyangar, AK Ayyar thrice Advocate General of Madras, G Durgabai a criminal lawyer and feminist, TT Krishnaswami, HC Mookerjee, KM Munshi founder of Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, NM Rau from Orissa, PB Sitaramyya and many others who participated in the debates, gave suggestions, protested and asked questions. It is the collective foresight of these individuals that today we have a nation that in spite of problems is still united, still not every constituent of this union is taking up arms against another constituent, still courts are moved whenever there is a problem.

If you have read the preamble of the Constitution it goes like this:

WE THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens:

JUSTICE, social, economic and political;

LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;

EQUALITY of status and opportunity;

And to promote among them all

FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;

IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.

Read it carefully, it says WE give it to ourselves this Constitution to secure US of JUSTICE, LIBERTY, EQUALITY and FRATERNITY. On each of this word revolutions happened, on each of these words theses are being written and these we give it to ourselves and forget.

Today, almost all of us complaint that we failed to secure all of these, today corruption is rampant, today India is lying low in HDI, today politicians have eaten into the very fabric of this nation, our laws are weak, true. But ask yourselves have we forgotten what we gave to ourselves.

Somewhere I read we have managed to protect the process of democracy but have failed to do justice to its spirit, I wish I could disagree. Our laws our constitution hasn’t failed us, but we have failed it.

Ask yourself how you celebrated the Republic Day? The answer would be in this form:

“Happy Republic Day to you, well I watched the parade, listened to patriotic songs, watched patriotic music, waved flag, felt great about the country blah-blah”

Now I ask this one, on a bright sunny day when temperature touched forty degree centigrade did you went to the polling booth located at 10 minutes walk from your home to exercise your franchise, or did you just chose to give your feet a rest during this one day. At any day you called your fellow countrymen with a slang or abuse based purely on his or her racial feature, categorizing him or her as a foreigner. At any time, as an employer, you rejected a person just because he belongs to certain caste or tribe. At any time you paid a bribe you thought you are doing the right thing so that thing could be easy. At any time you flaunted about the contacts you have. If yes in most of the cases, then take my sympathies, but the truth is you haven’t celebrated the Republic Day.

It is not just the show of patriotism, cherishing the each and every moment of it. It is not the parade, but the ballot. It is not waving but asking question. It is not just about chest thumbing, but of being accountable.

Till now, it was the foresight of the founders which have steered us from all the trouble, but from here it will be our foresight to take us from here to where we wish to go.This march of the Republic is still incomplete. The way is there, so there is means, but the person marching is in tatters. So pick yourself up and march. Because undoing it would just be lying to ourselves, after all we gave ourselves this constitution.

© Tarun Mitra

References

1. Constitution of India with selective comments by PM Bakshi

2. Goodyear India V. State of Haryana, AIR 1990 SC 781:(1990) 2 SCC 71, paragraph 17

3. Minerva Mills Ltd V. Union of India, AIR 1980 SC 1789:(1980) 2 SCC 591

4. Keshavananda Bharati V. State of Kerala, AIR 1973 SC 1461: (1973) 4 SCC 225: 1973 Supp SCR I

5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution

6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_India

7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constituent_Assembly_of_India

8. http://www.zeenews.com/news598978.html#

9. Mint, Delhi Edition, January 26,2010

10. Guidebook of Nation, Sreeram Chaulia, Financial Express, January 26, 2010

Celebrating 60 Years of the Republic

Amidst all raves and rants, shouting and sloganeering, jeering and protest, peace and unrest, I wish all of the Indians their Republic Day. Remember, in spite of all of shortcomings, we still are able to voice are concerns, without being sabotaged just because of that book, written over two and a half years, over 60 years ago, determining that we became citizens and not merely subjects. Cherish this moment

Life is full of Contradiction

After a Political commentary, I am back. But this time with an old poem of mine. My mind is going through certain phases, which though conducive for ideas but not for application. As I put my mind in order, here I present a poem I wrote in November 24,2005. Why did I write it? Honestly, I don't remember. But it does reflects my state of mind then. Pound me if you don't like it.

Life is full of Contradiction

Life is full of contradiction,

It’s not just any make or buy decision.

Decisions other take may seem hollow,

But decisions we take we seldom follow.

We know the difference between right and wrong,

But we always tell ourselves ‘what’s wrong with wrong’.

For future, a grand life is what we dream,

In reality, we can’t even afford an ice-cream.

So we may ask ‘what’s wrong with our decisions’,

Are they usually mired with contradiction?

No, our decisions are right,

But premises are wrong.

With contradictory premises we cannot get along.

So get a clean thought and clear mind.

So as to face the ultimate and not resign.

For what turn life may take we don’t know.

As with every good life a contradiction follows.

© Tarun Mitra

Check out my other blog also

Legacy of Jyoti Basu

It is one of the obituary is which not suppose to be like one. But the person for whom it is written deserved this. There are very few parallels in history for this person and his acts. Very few people in this world have being such systematic. Systematic in eating into very roots of which it is a fruit. But this fruit was infected, like many others and from various other trees, by a foreign pest.

Criticism is one of the easiest things to do. It is very easy to find faults and point it out. But what do you do when you know the person in question lead a massive decline in a state, and a society on a whole. I am referring to Jyoti Basu (1914-2010) the longest serving Chief Minister of any Indian state, and practically ruled with an iron fist.

As respects poured in, after (finally after rumors of two weeks) his death, describing him as a great leader, great communist, a visionary and an honest person. It is the appropriate time to reflect what is his real legacy is and question ourselves, are we drowning ourselves and the truth in the barrage of emotions?

Politicians are like chameleons, they change their colors depending on the situation. That can explain the praises bestowed on him by the politicians across the spectrum. Sonia Gandhi described him as “A Towering personality” which he was, towering over the destruction of Bengal. Prakash Karat remarked “he taught communists how to work and serve the people” yes, indeed he did, the terms ‘Gherao’,’bandh’ would have become a part of Dictionary only because his students comrades applied it in the streets of Bengal, Kerala, Tripura and other parts of India with or without any valid reason. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said “...He played a significant role in organizing left and democractic movement” organizing left, indeed he helped by politicization of educational institutions, banning of English teaching till fifth medium (can be explained from the fact that he even could not write in Bengali because he was not provided Bengali education at St. Xavier’s) and growth of SFI (by even enrolling school children into its ranks), but growth of democratic institutions? Well if you count illegal migrants, a bottle of local liquor brew, a sari and 20 rupees note before elections as democracy, then absolutely, under his regime rigging of election (as it is actually called) acquired new degree of sophistication.

Bengal once was the most industrialized state in India; every multinational present in India had an office or a factory here. Pandit Nehru once quipped “what Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow”, by jove! India didn’t think Basu as Prime Minister of India during tumultuous nineties otherwise the nation would have same fate as Bengal had under his regime. Flight of industries began in 1960s as a direct result of Naxalism and militant unionism. But it was under his regime that CITU created a vice like grip over the industries, resulting in stagnation and lastly the flight. In the name of protecting the workers, his fellow comrades made them useless. Calcutta was supposed to be aviation hub of South Asia, but militant unionism killed that very opportunity itself. Jute industry, a green industry, declined under his rule. And those businessmen, who remained, became oligarchs, with virtually no one to challenge and with alleged patronage of the Party.

He was credited with land reforms and rejuvenation of Panchayati raj in Bengal. Holds true, situation in rural Bengal was really pathetic then. Land was redistributed, panchayati raj instituted and the Party gain prominence and that to such extent that any voice of dissent coming out of the fellow villages is met with two ‘b’, butcher or bribery. Offices of Panchayati Institutions doubled up as Party commissariat, and its godowns doubled up as arsenals, with weapons which policemen can only dreamt of. Singur, Lalgarh and Nandigram are the fruits of the seed sown in by left front under the demagogue of Late Jyoti Basu.

Kachan Gupta, a journalist writing in The Pioneer and his blog aptly observes

“Uncharitable as it may sound, but there really is no reason to nurse fond memories of Jyoti Basu. In fact, there are no fond memories to recall of those days when hopelessness permeated the present and the future appeared bleak. Entire generations of educated middle-class Bengalis were forced to seek refuge in other States or migrate to America as Jyoti Basu worked overtime to first destroy West Bengal’s economy, chase out Bengali talent and then hand over a disinherited State to Burrabazar traders and wholesale merchants who overnight became ‘industrialists’ with a passion for asset-stripping and investing their ‘profits’ elsewhere. A State that was earlier referred to as ‘Sheffield of the East’ was rendered by Jyoti Basu into a vast stretch of wasteland; the Oxford English Dictionary would have been poorer by a word had he not made ‘gherao’ into an officially-sanctioned instrument of coercion; ‘load-shedding’ would have never entered into our popular lexicon had he not made it a part of daily life in West Bengal though he ensured Hindustan Park, where he stayed, was spared power cuts. It would have been churlish to grudge him the good life had he not exerted to deny it to others, except of course his son Chandan Basu who was last in the news for cheating on taxes that should have been paid on his imported fancy car.”

When I was a kid, my father told me about Bengal, about trams and metros and about communism, my father is no way communist but in 70s it was a fad and he was attracted towards it. I went to Calcutta more than 20 years ago (it was my first and last visit) and have no memory of the place except the laidbackness of a metropolitan which I witnessed for the first time. In comparison with Delhi in 1989/90/91 (I don’t remember the exact year) Calcutta was overwhelming, yet there was something which I felt, even as kid, was not right. As I grew up more disinterested I got about the state from which I only inherit my culture and mother tongue, but on retrospection kept comparing between the Delhi and Calcutta, between capitalism and communism, in spite of the disinterest I somewhat was unsure. However, when I changed my school to a Bengali school I first came into contact with the Bengalis from the state talking with then I realized how have the Mr. Basu and his cronies have trivialized the state. One day of my friend then boasted me about a super-specialty hospital ‘fully computerized’ that has being built in Calcutta to which my other Bengali friend (another Delhitie) coldly replied “only one, here in Delhi almost every hospital is computerized”, end of debate, but beginning of introspection in my mind. One of my uncle’s friend visited Calcutta two years back and gave his observation to us, “Products there is good, so is creativity and craftsmanship, but attitude is disgusting, every street corner, young men who should be working is talking about dada(Sourav Ganguly) or the Party. People just don’t like to work, if it pays on Sunday I would have opened my shop but here no….Delhi is much better, people at least work hard”. This entire attitude, I believe, is an outgrowth of ideology of gherao. An ideology defended by the man himself.

Somewhere I read, “A statesman thinks about the next generation, whereas a politician thinks about the next election”, Jyoti babu might have never thought about the next election, but his views about the next generation was sure myopic. Today Jyoti babu is no more, like any other communist he has donated his body (a tradition amongst communists showing aversion towards religion but in fact serves no end). Thousands have thronged Calcutta Kolkatta for his shes jatra (last journey) crying, saluting over his body. But sadly enough, no matter how great statesman politician he was he has left a legacy which a people of Bengal should rather forgo and forget.

© Tarun Mitra

Reference

1.http://kanchangupta.blogspot.com/2010/01/destroyer-of-west-bengal.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+AgentProvocateur+(Agent+Provocateur)

2. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/basu-presided-over-bengals-industrial-decline/108880-37.html

3. Mint, Delhi Edition, Dated January 18, 2010

4. Mail Today, Delhi Edition, Dated January 18,2010

3. Photo Courtesy, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Jyotibasu.JPG (Covered under GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.

Only in India

I took this picture at Tilyar Lake, Haryana. Well I need not say much about it. It happens only in India.

Here you can also check my other two photos taken at Tilyar Lake

Post of Jan 10

Post of Jan 17

Man's Best Friend

Groucho Marx once quipped "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it is too dark to read." I agree, really its too dark. And this dog is an item itself, he seldom barks. A thief would come and steal everything and he wouldn't even sneeze, not that he is cowardly, but he is too pampered. He doesn't belongs to me, he belongs to one of our neighbors (cum relatives). And being to their home innumerable times (and even at times when they are out for a tour or some work), I can fairly say, he is harmless. Though he has grown old now, this picture was taken on July 12,2009.

3 Idiots-My Views

By now many of you must have watched the movie. Many liked it, many did not. Many critics would have torn it apart and many have garlanded it. For many amongst us it was reliving of a terrible memory. Many would have enjoyed this movie. And many have being inspired. Controversy or no controversy, this movie did stir few nests.

I have a policy of watching Bollywood movie, as far as I can, I leave my brain at home and if it is not possible I put it under remote control mode, starting it only when it is required. And I can safely say 3 idiots is one of those movies where I kept it on ‘on’ mode for most of the time.

I do not wish to write about the movie, by now you have known it all. And the controversy generated by it, by now all us might have taken their sides either by whipping Vidhu Chopra and Aamir Khan or by criticizing Chetan Bhagat (latter have the larger share of brickbats). My view is that if Chetan Bhagat has signed any such contract, then he should shut up. Or if such contract was signed under explicit consideration that movie is only 2-5% based on the movie, then Chopra and Khan deserve the brickbats. And for me, my take on the movie is this

“The movie is based upon the plot created by Chetan Bhagat but the story is totally different than that of the book.”

I liked the movie, and I wanted to watch this movie based upon that book. Even though I have developed some aversion for Aamir Khan (his last movie I liked was Lagaan), but it is also true that the role of the 22 year old can only be done who has experience of 22 years. And it is one of those few movies that have raised some really relevant questions. Questions on our attitude, questions on our education system.

For many amongst us, the movie is not what actually happens at IITs, there is not so much pomp and show. I agree, but before, we must also see that it is a Bollywood flick made to make money. Bollywood is an industry after all. So we must not expect ramrod straight movies from such industry. But yet, the movie drives a point.

The one dialogue which stands out in the movie was “Yeh suicide nahi, murder hai” (It is not suicide, it is a murder). The amount of pressure, expectation a normal student faces is exceptional. Daily routines, classes, tuition leaves no chance for living what is called life. And after 22 years of education, what comes out is a machine; a machine which cannot think out of the box. Sharman Joshi’s role somewhere summarizes the dilemma an average middle class student face, a catch 22 situation indeed, learn to support but for learning you need support.

Now what do we expect from our lives? A good home, a car, 5-6 figured salary, a good wife and all such blah-blah. Now think, what if the entire human race has thought like that. If the entire human races thought like that, then there wouldn’t be the next big thing. Stagnation would be the order of the day. But alas! Many of us think differently.

Now for that ‘different thinking’ we need to support; support those people who think unconventionally. We need to nurture an environment where we don’t just use or sell new things but create newer things. We must built competencies. The movie was about that different thinking.

The characters in the movie have come in for heavy criticism. But one thing must be seen that they don’t represent individual characters, they are a combination of various characters and their prejudices. Boman Irani represented all those who represent this system which produces donkeys who go in for salary, and not innovation. Rancho and Lobo represented the different thinker. Raju and Farhan represented the middle class, the hand to mouth existence leaves no scope of thinking ahead, and the family, in spite of this is bothered about what others think. Chatur (Silencer) represented a rote-monger, a competitor who will cut other at any cost. We, in our lives, somewhere might have met, or might have being any of these. Ask yourself, and you will get the answer.

We are guided by our prejudices. If we think we might not like a movie, we may never like it. I haven’t watched Rang de Basanti, Fanna yet. I think I may never like those movies, so have avoided watching them. Many of you might think that the book and movie represented the IIT life in a wrong way. You are right about it, but the thing is what is underlying here. For the book it is all about a story, a combination of both fact and fiction. And for the movie, it is the education system on a whole.

One need not have a big brain to find out how many suicide attempts students make in India. Pressure cooker like education scene has only led to proliferation of coaching institute, where those who can afford, get the edge and those who don’t rot. Here most of us think about having the coolest thing, but not creating the coolest thing. And those who do think otherwise, are laughed at. The movie is about this only.

It is only another Bollywood movie, so element of drama is explainable, otherwise it would be just another docu-drama, and then might have not made any money. As I have said Bollywood is an industry, its motive is profit. So is ours, isn’t it, if it isn’t then work for your company free for one day, you won’t. Therefore, my advice is to watch this movie, but please avoid relating with your life.

To conclude, I might have not written this post if it wasn’t for this quote by Larry Ellison, CEO, Oracle Corporation.

“When you innovate, you’ve got to be prepared for everyone telling you you’re nuts”

© Tarun Mitra

Delhi 2010

Picture speaks louder, the city is getting ready for the sporting extravaganza. But at what cost and who is bearing it?

Picture taken on: January 5, 2010

Place: NDMC Headquaters, taken from Jantar Mantar

Camera: Canon A580

PS: For quite few days I am thinking to write something meaningful, but the words are not coming out.

Turning words

Back here

Without any one

Still there

But no

Where is the light

All the people there

Are trying to get me

Execute me

Convict me

For the crime I didn’t do

So what I do now

Run

Hide

Or kill to survive

Whatever I do

People will still be there

To get me

To satisfy themselves

Of their lust for power

Their lust of bashing up

An innocent man

For no reason whatsoever

But look

Aren’t we diverting?

We were talking about me

The egoist

Who only writes about

Himself

Whose writing suggests

He is the center

Of the world

Yes I was talking about myself

Of being

Executed

Of no crime whatsoever

But it is not so

What I did

Was wrong

Just because I did it

If anyone else had done it

It would be simple

Any other thing

But for me

Every rule changes

Why I never know

That’s why I face

The execution

Without any

Explanation

© Tarun Mitra

PS: This piece was written on April 9, 2008 at British Council Library New Delhi.

Will this termite be allowed to last?

“The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told Chandigarh trial court on December 24 that it wanted to close the case it was investigating against Justice Nirmal Yadav of the Punjab and Haryana High Court not because it was convinced of her innocence, but because the government and the Chief Justice of India refused to grant it sanction to prosecute her”

This is the first paragraph of Headlines of today’s newspaper (Hindustan Times, New Delhi, January 8, 2010 edition) ‘CBI hands tied against judge’. Last few years, especially with the advent of new millennium has seen the judicial hyper-activism in India which aptly established the Judiciary and backbone of Indian democracy. However, in the pursuit of becoming the backbone does Indian Judiciary forgot the termites within it?

There are more than 30 million pending cases in Indian courts; many of them are for more than 30 years. It takes more than 10 years to liquidate a company and in many cases a rape victim gets justice (or whatever left of it) only after becoming a senior citizen. And to add on this there is corruption in the judiciary itself.

It would be myth to say corruption in judiciary is a new phenomenon which got accelerated only after liberalization of economy. It would be debatable to say whether such corruption got accelerated after opening up of the economy. However unanimous agreement is that it is there and has being there for long.

Any common man like us, who has dealt scores of Law Enforcement Agencies, knows what it is like there. How Mahatma Gandhi keeps smiling in every hands it passes through; how virtues of that man, printed on note, is shared. But it is really of recent phenomenon that these are coming into light.

Justice Dinakaran is accused of amassing wealth, Justice Nirmal Yadav is accused of taking bribes and forgery, R. Vasudevan of Company Law Board is mired in a corruption case and this is only a tip of iceberg. There are many to be dug up, many to be discovered. And still a lot stink to be raised.

But here in this given case where government and Chief Justice could have acted to stem the rot they chose otherwise. Approval of Government and Chief Justice is required to implicate a Judge. They refused the same. Will this termite be allowed to last?

© Tarun Mitra

1. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/infotech/software/Arrest-of-CLB-chief-may-raise-questions-on-Satyam-scam-probe/articleshow/5265454.cms

2. http://www.rtiindia.org/forum/2385-nearly-30-million-cases-pending-courts.html

3. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/CBI-cites-CJI-to-close-graft-case/articleshow/5379653.cms

4. http://www.hindustantimes.com/CBI-hands-tied-against-judge/H1-Article1-495023.aspx

I am just standing here selling everything

This song of Phil Collins usually comes to mind whenever I see people selling wares roadside. It is not that I despise them for the filth they carry, but the defeat I see in their faces and their willingness to stand for one more day under the blazing sun. I do not see the purpose of their existence as such. Must am really amazed at the obstinacy to live for one more day. Most of the time they don't have an ambition, but at the same time they have this dire necessity for live to breathe and to eat. These are the things which keeps them alive, even at the fringes.

This photograph was taken on January 7th, 2010 at India Gate, New Delhi. The guy was selling papad.

Lets Hop on to 2010

Unlike many others who were partying, or relaxing or watching TV. Mine was different, just like about 20,000 of my types, looking at books in desperation without actually knowing what to read and at the same time anxious of outcome, but the outcome was not predetermined. So it was my 31st night.

As I said in my last post, 2009 was terrible, yes it was and it ended in two premature deaths, one of my friends's mom and another a relative of mine. God bless their souls. But shit happens, and this was one of those years.

So Now I am looking forward to this new dawn.

PS: Detailed posts will begin now.