A few khadi figures in New Delhi get way too benevolent when any natural calamity strikes South East Asia. They are the first ones to feel the quakes, the first ones to bleed and cry blood whenever something pinches our neighbours, esp. Pakistan.
Pakistan these days is hit by the worst floods in 80 years. Indians had announced an aid of USD 5 million to help rehabilitate (themselves and) those hit by the flood. Our honourable external affairs minister Mr. S M Krishna (after being recently humiliated in Pakistan) has shamelessly forgotten all bygone, and says- "As a more concrete assessment of the damage inflicted by this natural disaster and the urgent needs of the people of Pakistan emerges, government has decided to increase its assistance to Pakistan from USD 5 million, announced earlier, to USD 25 million". I wonder how in 60 years they haven’t been able to concretize their assessment of poverty within India.
Helping our neighbours will only hold good when we ourselves are self-sufficient. When we aren’t responsible for the natural calamity, and aren’t self sufficient ourselves, why on earth do we need to spend so much money in helping a neighbour like Pakistan?
I feel India is plagued with nurturing ostentatious mannerisms at the cost of tax-payers’ hard earned money. Rearing one the poorest populace on earth, we take pride in housing the largest Presidential residence in the world, spending (wasting?) crores in its monthly maintenance. We get to gather lot of (money and) pride by boasting the abilities to host the Commonwealth games. We spend crores in directing the drama of Ajmal Kasab, when the whole country knows that he will never be hanged, and will lead a secure life in India, while his petition will remain dust ridden with our honourable President for decades to come. All in all- a great show depicting the greatness of Indian democracy gets presented in front of the whole world, while Mahatma Gandhi’s (who open heartedly contributed Rs. 56 crores to “rebuild” Jinnah’s Pakistan) soul remains happy. The fact that half the population of India is half naked and sleeps hungry every night, stays comfortably ignored.
I believe the next line of action of our Pak-hearted politicians should be to make every attempt to get the Pakistani cricketers clean out of the match fixing allegations slapped on them. Every small help extended to our neighbours shall add on the credit side of their balance sheet meant for the “ultimate justice” (in hell).
Helping Pakistan is like feeding milk to a snake, Indian politicians don’t mind it, as long as it (as they assume) helps them gather the minority votes. Chanakya- one of the greatest philosophers and politicians of all times- suggests that- “It’s a snake’s trait to bite, so even if you feed it with milk, it will leave no chance to bite you”.
“Love thy neighbour” is what every religion teaches, but “Charity begins at home”, is what should matter more. It’s high time we follow Chanakya in Politics, rather than Gandhi.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
When fate saves...
Have you ever experienced this? Sometimes a thought strikes from nowhere, and your mind unconsciously follows it, without asking- why? You act instantly, least bothered to think deeper and being absolutely unaware that you are actually being taken away from a nemesis.
It happened with me this weekend. With nothing major to do and an official tour coming up for my brother, my family decided to spend the weekend with my uncle in Thane. Saturday passed faster than I anticipated and spending half of our day in Nirmal Lifestyle- Mulund, we (my parents and I) started back to Pune, leaving my brother behind to finish his official work and return the next day.
It was when we hit the Mumbai-Pune expressway that my father suggested we take the older highway. I was excited, I’d never been through it and was told its at its best in monsoon. I took the Khopoli exit and started on the older highway. With lush greenery all around, we enjoyed the smooth climb on Khandala ghat.
A wrong turn led us back on the expressway. I thought to continue the rest of my journey on the expressway, as the exciting ghat was over and we could reach home faster. I paid no heed to the Khandala exit and continued on the expressway, driving my Santro at around 100 kms an hour. It was now that a thought came to my mind- driving on the extreme right lane, I saw a board which said- “Lonavala Exit- 500 m ahead”, I told my father- “Let’s take the exit and continue on the older one, why pay another toll?” About 150 – 200 meters prior to the exit, I cut my speed and started cutting the lanes to get to the left exit lane.
While Lonavala exit was at a stone’s throw, I suddenly saw a Honda City- skidding across the highway it made a complete 360 degree horizontal turn, cutting lanes from left to right and finally hitting hard on the back on the road divider. All this happened barely 60 - 80 metres from where I was, and no vehicle between my Santro and the battered Honda City. Thankfully, there was no other vehicle in vicinity in the 2 right lanes, and accident wasn’t fatal. The driver was the lone traveler in that car, and he seemed safe- absolutely bewildered though.
What could have possibly happened is (out of what I observed there)- the driver of Honda City was about to take the Lonavala exit, but changed his mind at the eleventh hour to remain on the expressway. A Tempo Trax (or something similar) that was driving in the extreme left lane could have unintentionally pushed the Honda City, being unaware that it may continue on the expressway. A slight push on the back at around 80 – 90 kmph matters a lot. Thankfully Honda City wasn’t fast enough to get itself tumbled on the road.
Made me think- what would have happened had I not thought of getting off the expressway to hit the older highway? Being in the extreme right lane, and driving at approximately 100 kms an hour, I could have either rammed the skidding car at 90 degrees, or maybe the car skid could have rammed my car into the road divider- losses not to be estimated. At the end of all this- I was happy my parents and I (also my car :-)) were safe.
Whatever made me get off the expressway, definitely saved me from losses. But what is it? Call it my fate or my good luck? I believe there are certain things which cannot be proven, why they happen- cannot be explained. But at times it definitely makes you appreciate what the situation presently is, as it is much better than what it could’ve been.
It happened with me this weekend. With nothing major to do and an official tour coming up for my brother, my family decided to spend the weekend with my uncle in Thane. Saturday passed faster than I anticipated and spending half of our day in Nirmal Lifestyle- Mulund, we (my parents and I) started back to Pune, leaving my brother behind to finish his official work and return the next day.
It was when we hit the Mumbai-Pune expressway that my father suggested we take the older highway. I was excited, I’d never been through it and was told its at its best in monsoon. I took the Khopoli exit and started on the older highway. With lush greenery all around, we enjoyed the smooth climb on Khandala ghat.
A wrong turn led us back on the expressway. I thought to continue the rest of my journey on the expressway, as the exciting ghat was over and we could reach home faster. I paid no heed to the Khandala exit and continued on the expressway, driving my Santro at around 100 kms an hour. It was now that a thought came to my mind- driving on the extreme right lane, I saw a board which said- “Lonavala Exit- 500 m ahead”, I told my father- “Let’s take the exit and continue on the older one, why pay another toll?” About 150 – 200 meters prior to the exit, I cut my speed and started cutting the lanes to get to the left exit lane.
While Lonavala exit was at a stone’s throw, I suddenly saw a Honda City- skidding across the highway it made a complete 360 degree horizontal turn, cutting lanes from left to right and finally hitting hard on the back on the road divider. All this happened barely 60 - 80 metres from where I was, and no vehicle between my Santro and the battered Honda City. Thankfully, there was no other vehicle in vicinity in the 2 right lanes, and accident wasn’t fatal. The driver was the lone traveler in that car, and he seemed safe- absolutely bewildered though.
What could have possibly happened is (out of what I observed there)- the driver of Honda City was about to take the Lonavala exit, but changed his mind at the eleventh hour to remain on the expressway. A Tempo Trax (or something similar) that was driving in the extreme left lane could have unintentionally pushed the Honda City, being unaware that it may continue on the expressway. A slight push on the back at around 80 – 90 kmph matters a lot. Thankfully Honda City wasn’t fast enough to get itself tumbled on the road.
Made me think- what would have happened had I not thought of getting off the expressway to hit the older highway? Being in the extreme right lane, and driving at approximately 100 kms an hour, I could have either rammed the skidding car at 90 degrees, or maybe the car skid could have rammed my car into the road divider- losses not to be estimated. At the end of all this- I was happy my parents and I (also my car :-)) were safe.
Whatever made me get off the expressway, definitely saved me from losses. But what is it? Call it my fate or my good luck? I believe there are certain things which cannot be proven, why they happen- cannot be explained. But at times it definitely makes you appreciate what the situation presently is, as it is much better than what it could’ve been.
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