World War 3.0

So now I know how the world is going to end. It will be annihilated by the commencement of World War III. How did I reach to this conclusion? Read on.

There was a bomb blast in Thane, Mumbai on June 4 2008. Some more bombs were recovered live from other places. Two Hindu extremists have been arrested for the same. Supposedly they belong to some Hindu organizations called Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) and Sanatan Sansthan. Read the whole news here. Now after this happened, the Shiv Sena's mouthpiece Saamna ran an editorial in which Mr.BT (the editor) advocated "build-up of Hindu response to counter the 'growing Islamic terrorism' in the country while ridiculing members of a Hindu fundamentalist organisation held for low-intensity bomb blasts in Thane." Of course it doesn't matter that 7 people died (correction:injured) in the blast and my guess would be all of them were not Muslims. What is the problem if 7 die (correction:get injured) among 13 million population of Mumbai? Sacrifice must be made for the greater good, right? I guess this is the convoluted mentality of these people.

So Mr.BT has commended the creation of Hindu suicide squads as a tit for tat for Islamic outfits. I've already expressed my indignation over how irresponsibly leaders speak and behave. But this has crossed the limit. How can a leader in his sensible mind ask his people to form suicide groups for spreading violence? How can he ask them to sacrifice their lives and families to die for his absurd cause or rather I presume his personal vendetta? In today's world how can a leader champion the cause of terrorism and blood for blood? Our Nation's Bapu must be turning and tossing in his grave!! (yes, I know he was a Hindu) How can a leader encourage his people to take the law in their own hands?

I condemn such fundamentalist leaders of any country who show the path of violence and bloodshed to their people. Instead of waging wars why doesn't he encourage people to form cleaning squads to keep Mumbai clean and water logging free?
According to Mr.BT these Hindu squads should go to Islamic countries and carry out bomb blasts there. I guess if this happens those countries will retaliate and US & EU will jump in too in the foray. Taking the opportunity China may attack India from other side. And thus World War 3.0 will ensue. And the world will come to an end.

On second thought, that might be a good thing. Everything will start anew after humans have wiped out each other. Sigh! A 6 yr old kid is wiser than a 80+ adult.

Click to enlarge and read

P.S. Logos credited to northernsun.com

Pro-Men Indian Customs

Today is Jamai Shashthi i.e. Son-in-law day. Its a day in Bengali tradition; held every year in the Bengali month of Jaishtha; when the "Jamai" is treated with the best of the delicacies. The son-in-law is invited well in advance for the occasion. And when the daughter & son-in-law arrive, a few rituals are performed. The son-in-law also gets gifts from the mother-in-law. Basically a day to celebrate one's son-in-law.

This got me thinking that why don't we have a day to celebrate daughter-in-laws in India? A son-in-law who has taken away the daughter, sometimes even taking money to do that and maybe even mistreats one's daughter is invited and showered with gifts!! And one burns the daughter-in-law if she has brought insufficient dowry!! Why don't we celebrate the girl who has left her parents to be a daughter to the new family too and to look after one's son and bear his child, who by the way carries your family name not hers. She even gives up her identity by adopting her husband's surname and is not able to look after her own parents often. But she is not appreciated or celebrated with one special day just in her name. Most thankless relation I say! I demand a "Bahu" i.e. Daughter-in-law day! When I become one I too want to get gifts and eat my favorite dishes on that day. If he (my future hubby) gets it I want it too. So there!

Taking this further, why are there so many symbols an Indian girl has to wear to show she's married? To declare she is someone else's property or taken or back off to everyone?? There's red bindi

sindoor or vermilion to be worn on forehead,

mangalsutra (a necklace made of black beads and gold),

a bichiya or toe ring

and red churis or bangles!!!

I mean there should be no doubt left of an Indian women's marital status in Indian society!!!
But what about our men? No, they don't wear anything which may indicate their marital status except maybe their pot-bellies when in middle age!! Why this discrimination? This is one of the things I like about Christianity that they have wedding bands for both husband and wife.

Atleast one can accuse one's husband in case he has an affair and the girl thinks he is single that "why did u take off your wedding band?" In Indian society there is no option at all!! Totally unfair I say!! What if I make my husband wear a ring with my name engraved on it ? Nice idea, eh?

Last but not the least, the tradition of Karwa Chauth and Vat Savitri Vrat which are different types of fasts Indian women are supposed to keep for the long life of their husbands and marital harmony!!! I suppose keeping them will solve problems of those women who are physically abused by drunk husbands? And a fast will ensure long life? Then why isn't there such a fast for the husbands to keep? Do they want their wives to die early? The desire for life long companionship and efforts to achieve that, even if religious in nature, should be on both sides of the sacred bond of marriage.

Seed of Discord

Just now one of my colleagues called me to ask for a favour. Her relatives had gone to Ajmer Sharif and are now stranded there. She wanted to know from Internet about bus journey details from Ajmer to Ahmedabad. How distraught rest of the family must be feeling. For most of us its like "None of my near & dear ones are there. So it doesn't matter". Not only her relatives but around 50,000 people have been stranded as more than 50 trains have been canceled due to Gujjar women who have blocked the rail routes. Earlier, the men had damaged railway tracks. In fact it has been estimated that India's corporate sector has lost some $1.25 billion since May 23 and Indian railways suffered a loss of Rs.29.6 million ($696,659) on May 29 alone because of delays and cancellations of trains. Read this here and here. All this because the Gujjars want to be re-classified as a ‘Scheduled Tribe,’ to qualify for jobs and university places reserved for disadvantaged groups.

Do these people ever think of the sick persons, pregnant women, examination/interview candidates, small kids, the elderly or poor people who are stranded due to cancellation of trains? As if terrorists weren't a big enough problem for all; that now we have Indians causing problems for Indians. We have become so selfish in our demands and so greedy that we ignore everyone else's inconvenience. Like these Gujjar protests, political strikes in Kolkata etc etc. Satyagraha or rather Gandhigiri is just a celluloid dream. Now the attitude is "If I want something I'll snatch it by hook or crook"...rather only crook i.e. violence and riots.

My point is that Indian leaders who laid the foundation of a new country 60 years ago just sowed the biggest seed of discord by defining different castes and tribes and making provisions in the Constitution for them; by giving the word "reservation" a whole new meaning; by creating a divider bigger than the Partition. We are just reaping what they sowed. It was supposed to benefit the rural and backward classes who are poor to get education and job. But in reality? A friend of mine who is a Bachelor of Engineering, has own house, very good monthly income and is counted as upper middle class; gets job in public sector using "quota" allotted to his caste. And a kid in a village is still illiterate and a farmer or weaver. So Mr.Leader's soul, it hasn't quite turned out the way it should have been, right? Now what do we do?

As for these Gujjars, they want a re-classification!!! I want one too. From being "General" or "No Category"; I want to become "Categorized". I want to be given preferential treatment everywhere. I want my son/daughter to not do hardwork in studying and to get admission in finest colleges/schools just on basis of caste and to get a job just as easily.

As for these Gujjar women, have they stood up in protest against the rampant use of infanticide against the girl child in their caste? Have they ever raised their voice against abusive husbands or other malpractices against women? Have they protested against the falling sex ratio, unavailability of brides and the resulting polyandry in their caste? Then why now? Out of greed? Even if they are "re-classified" do they assure that they will send their daughters to school too and give them equal opportunity as their sons?

I just pray that may all the people stranded reach their destinations safe and sound. And...

रघुपित राघव राजाराम , पतित पावन सीताराम
सीताराम सीताराम, भज प्यारे तू सीताराम
ईश्वर अल्लाह तेरो नाम, सब को सन्मित दे भगवान

Translation:

Lord Rama, Chief of the house of Raghu,

Uplifters of those who have fallen,

(O divine couple) Sita and Rama,

Beloved, praise Sita and Rama,

God or Allah is your name,

Lord, bless everyone with wisdom.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are entirely mine and I have no intention of hurting anyone's feelings. Neither do I support nor I oppose anyone.
All images credited to NDTV.

Social Awareness Ads

I came across these ads for social awareness on YouTube.

Although the uptight sophisticated feel & the price of ticket didn't appeal to me, this is the one thing I liked about Gold Adlabs in Pune that they played the National Anthem of India before the movie started and all stood up in respect. I don't know if all movie theaters of Maharashtra follow that or only Pune. And I've no idea about other states except MP & CG where there is no such practice.

This one is a bit long but a very nice song & theme and one cant guess whats the ad about till the end. I hope posting it here will spread the awareness.

I couldn't believe this one was titled "social awareness". I admit there should be freedom (with responsibility) to choose one's career/job/life partner but creating a ad about Mens' Freedom??? and what was the implication? First guys should get their freedom then girls??? What a sexist ad. Stop cribbing and comparing to women. But its funny. Enjoy!

Man of Few Words

Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief.
~William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Please click and read the enlarged view if not clear

While browsing a matrimonial website together for obvious reasons [recent past time of my Dad, me a poor victim. Sigh!] we came across this profile. And it just reminded me of what Shakespeare said. Ahem!!...95% compatibility....Errr...Excuse me Dad for rejecting a qualified guy who is full of so much wit but it looks like I'll be in constant struggle to meet some pre-defined high standards and will be compared at every step. Thats only one reason. No comments further....everyone is entitled to write as little or as much possible in "about me" sections of a matrimonial profile. :D :D

P.S. Guys are MASHA-ALLAH!

Shame! Shame!

I'd decided the world would never come to know of a recent and one of the most embarrassing incidents that happened to me . But then by not sharing I lost the opportunity to rant about men. So first the incident then the ranting.

Few days back the college where I work was a center for candidates appearing in Pre-Medical Entrance Exam. The candidates ranged from general category to the reserved, urban to rural and intelligent enough to understand instructions to the dumbest. We, the lecturers, had been assigned as invigilators. Now, each floor has 4 bathrooms at its corner...for girls, ladies staff, gents staff and boys and has that written boldly in red at top. Before the exam started, I went to freshen myself in the ladies staff one and just as I went inside the already open door, a young boy (must be candidate) was answering nature's call!!! I rushed out shouting "its ladies bathroom" and went straight to the assigned exam room.. [Yeah laugh at my plight!!] Thank God he had his back towards me!!!

Later in retrospect, I thought why was I feeling embarrassed with no fault of mine and I was disgusted at the non existence of the feeling of shame in most Indian Males (or maybe all males of world). Even if the boy had entered the wrong bathroom and didn't even know that there are separate facilities in cities/colleges; still he should have locked the door not out of manners or etiquette but out of shame. As I analyzed further, I remembered the common sight of men(any age group) answering nature's call by roadside or on a wall and mostly not hidden from view. For pictorial depiction you can see here.

One may argue that maybe men have less bladder control than women but anatomically speaking women are supposed to have less bladder control. But do we see women sitting on road side? Maybe the poor and illiterate women are seen but males of any class & any age can be seen. They consider it their birthright. The trouble we girls have to face when we go on a picnic or trip!!! We have to take a friend (girl) along to stand guard against any Peeping Toms. Why us? Men don't have to worry about such problems.

So is this habit a result of the difference in upbringing of the male child and the female child in Indian society? Do we encourage our sons to become shameless by allowing them to bath openly or roam around without wearing vests? Is covering up essential only for the girls? Is lajja or shame meant exclusively for women? Is decency a feminine virtue?

Why is it wrong for girls to wear low waist jeans and not for men? I don't like seeing or knowing about the brand of brief they wear!!! Another example.. this attitude "We are men. We don't need to hide" is so expressed in the design of Men's bathroom (note: no personal experience..as seen in movies and asked guy friends) which is different from the Ladies' in matters of privacy.

Of course the Govt is to blame for not providing public utilities along the road on an infrastructural basis and for not maintaining those which are provided. One factor is the so called lack of funds for such a trivial thing when we have bigger problems to deal with like price rise and poverty. Another may be that are not most of the politicians male and have the same attitude towards "shame"? Thus they feel no need to provide such a basic amenity even in slum areas. There is an old joke about this Indian habit. You can read the joke and a good rant about this habit and another famous Indian habit of spitting here.

I admit its fine when one goes long distance driving like from one city to city. But in normal circumstances why can't you just stop at a restaurant/petrol station or hold it till you reach wherever you are going? And for God's sake look if its for men or women & for Shame's sake Lock The Door!!!

P.S. Some (like a very dear guy friend of mine) may think "what an absurd topic!" but its My Blog and I can rave and rant about whatever I feel like. So there!

Pseudo Birthdays

Today is my Didi's pseudo birthday. A pseudo birthday is that birthday date Indian parents (mostly fathers' idea) put as their child's birth date instead of real one and which is a few months or years later date and in some rare cases it can be a few months previous date. The mentality behind this practice is that the child will get extra years at service which means extra money. It is also done in case of those children whose actual birth dates fall between school session like in October,November etc so that they get admission instead of wasting one year. Then there are some unlucky ones like my Dad. He was a naughty child and always playing outside. He caught the local school's headmaster's eye and the headmaster suggested my Grandpa to put him in school. When Grandpa said my son is not yet of the school going age, the headmaster said nothing to worry and promptly increased my Dad's year of birth by 1 year and admitted him to school!!! Poor Dad. Maybe thats the reason he was influenced to change my Didi's birth date by 6 months!! Not even a year! Its like done with a mind that wants to do it and also doesn't. Then there are some like one of my colleagues whose parents made her birth date 25 July instead of using the actual 10 July because 25 July is their marriage anniversary!! Talk about saving expenses!!

But there are so many consequences of this silly practice!!! The repercussions range from mere explanations to dealing with red tape.

1. Those who have dual birth dates tend to hide this even from their closest friends because after all its illegal and to save themselves from Q&A session.

2. Poor fellows do not get to celebrate their actual birthday and people wish them on the pseudo birthdays for years whereas they are not feeling the joy. They even receive cards & gifts on the wrong day. (But that shouldn't hurt right?)

3. People (having read Linda Goodman) may form false impression about their actual nature and traits as they appear to belong to a sun sign and may get themselves into trouble. Like people may mistake my Didi for a paradoxical, flirtatious, talkative, breezy Gemini whereas she is a reserved, intense, mature, stubborn Scorpio. Their friends even read out wrong daily horoscopes from newspaper for them. Some friends may even chart out horoscopes and come out with wrong predictions!!!!

4. I don't want to sound biased or generic [Amit plz note :) ] or accusing anyone, but decreasing the age used to be quite common in Biharis, UPites and MPites (don't know about present situation).There are so many uncles who have become so old (You may decrease the age but you can't stop/delay the aging process) but are still in service. And others make fun of them or may be jealous of them.

5. And then some get retired early or get sucked in the Education System early.

6. Last but not the least, the amount of running around and bribing it takes to make a duplicate birth certificate (because the original is submitted during admission to Class 1) showing the pseudo date and Ministry's signature for Visa and Work Permits purposes especially for Europe; causes high blood pressure, sleepless nights and hypertension and you really regret the day you lied about the birth date.

So don't do koi jhol jhaal
Mat chalo koi chaal
About the janm tithi or saal
Warna karna padega babu ko mala-maal
Tab jaake galegi aapki daal
Aisa hai jhooth ka jaal
Mat rakhna koi shikwa mere naal
Goodbye to aaalll

[I got carried away by the poetic/rap urge :D]

Anyway,Didi, your birthday today may be pseudo but my wishes are always heartfelt.
Happy Pseudo Birthday!!


P.S. Don't worry guys...Mine is real i.e. 22nd June :D

Edited to add: This poem is an original Rimu and subject to copyright laws.

"Anti-Indian" Indiana Jones

I don't think that every famous and admired story writer or director has only good/brilliant movies to their credit. I'm sure each one of them has one or more movies which they are ashamed of writing or directing. The ones who provoked me to write this post are still living in the illusion that its another wonderful and different creation of their remarkable skills. They advertise the "work of art" using sentences like "The movie which broke all the rules and changed the film industry"!!! Maybe they think that any art they dish up would be lapped up by the public without any criticism and from the hype about the movie I gather they have managed to pull it off. I'm talking about the crap called "Indiana Jones and Temple of Doom". (Maybe I'm not the first one to write such a strong criticism against the movie as I have not yet researched into the reviews that movie had received and also I believe some sane people are still out there in the industry).

I think Mr.George Lucas (yeah the guy behind Star Wars) the story writer and Mr.Steven Spielberg (yeah yeah the Jurassic Park guy) the director, should hide this movie in question in their biographies and their later real works of art are a compensation to the torture they inflicted on the audience with this Indiana Jones sequel. After hearing so many people rave about the famous movie I decided to download and watch all three. I liked the first one "Indiana Jones and Raiders of Lost Ark". Infact I think its the source of inspiration for most of the action sequences and damsel in distress scenes of Bollywood, Tollywood et al. It was an enjoyable movie with every imaginable twist in action sequence and drama. Then I started the 2nd sequel. It turned out the movie's story is set in India and had our own Amrish Puri and Roshan Seth starring in it. (How did Amrish Puri agree to act such a role? Just for Hollywood fame?) I wont describe the plot and lengthen my post. An Indian village was shown where people spoke god knows which language and of course few spoke English!!!!!! The most disgusting scene of the movie and which made me scream out of indignation"Is THIS a Spielberg creation? What was he thinking? Shame Mr.Spielberg" was a dinner scene at the Pankot palace of Bhanpur. In this scene, 1st dish to be served was "snake surprise". A huge boa was served and when its stomach was cut lots of little snakes crawled out and people aka Indians ate that. Then next on menu were beetles whose shells Indians cracked and slurped the insides with the heroine (Kate Capshaw) gaping at them and ready to puke. Are you too feeling gross? Wait, there's more. Then the heroin asked for soup seeing such food and she was served soup with eyeballs in it. The dessert was a monkey's head on a cup with head split and Indians eating its brain with spoon just like icecream. I'm ready to puke now!

Maybe if we really ate that stuff, George Bush wouldn't have blamed us for price rise. Then maybe SPCA and PETA would have targeted us!!

More absurd and demeaning scenes of a cult of "Thugees" (whatever that means!) who were Kali worshipers were shown. (I think its the practice of sacrifice to Ma Kali that fascinates Western people and inspires them to cook up gory stories). People were made to drink human blood and were thus hypnotized to follow the cult leader, Amrish Puri. He was shown to punish by digging his fingers right into the offender's bare chest and grab his heart out!!!! By the love of god, that was the height of preposterousness.

Well maybe I'm being too harsh. The mine chase sequence was definitely nicely wrote and shot. But that doesn't make up for the image portrayed of Indians and their diet. No wonder Western people have strange ideas about India, Indians and their cultural and religious practices, India's mysticism (e.g. snake charmer found in most cartoons where the snake stands up and is used as a rope to climb or an ascetic on bed of nails or flying carpet). A person like Lucas or Spielberg who are making sci-fi movies should have at least done little bit of research into India before showing such ridiculous and offensive stuff. Neither it can be enjoyed for the sake of fun nor can it be included under artistic license or cinematic license. Any true blue Indian will be enraged at such depiction. I was.

Marathis vs North Indians - Part 2

In the name of Lord Rama, what is going on in India? Wasn't the eternal feud between Hindu and Muslims enough, that now we are hell bent on fighting among ourselves on the basis of region? Our so called leaders or people's representatives have forgotten the Preamble of the Constitution of the Republic of India. I quote

"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 of 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 TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION."

Well, I guess its not their fault. After all power corrupts. And most of them are not educated enough to be political leaders. Literacy is different from Education. But still they are adults and supposed to behave maturely and understand the effects of the influence they wield on their followers. Just by saying provocative sentences they create disorder, lawlessness and riots leading to violence and cruel acts of fanaticism. When did this feeling that I'm only leader of Marathis exclusively and have no responsibility towards rest of Indians, creep into their hearts? Why should a particular region be resided only by their natives? Then we should all go back to where Aryans came from!!! In today's fast growing economy where India is dreaming to be a superpower, a leader can't see the money the immigrants are bringing. If north Indians are earning from jobs in Maharashtra, they are spending it there only. They pay their taxes to the Maharashtra government only. Just because the leader is not in power, he thinks Marathis should drive out North Indians. I want to find out whether his laundry man or driver or maidservant is Marathi or North Indian and whether he has fired them or not. I want to know if workers have stopped working in the industries owned by him?

In today's world where peace is the keyword, the leader is creating a mass exodus like in the time of partition. How does he justify an act as cruel as chopping off hands by his followers? Are Marathis only about violence and intolerance? Doesn't the leader know the fundamental rights of all Indians? How can anyone sleep in peace with the blood of many on his hands? May the souls rest in peace and may God give strength to the family left behind.

I would like to remind Mr. RT of the famous patriotic poem

sāre jahāñ se achchā hindostāñ hamārā

ham bulbuleñ haiñ us kī vuh gulsitāñ hamārā

parbat vuh sab se ūñchā, hamsāyah āsmāñ kā

vuh santarī hamārā, vuh pāsbāñ hamārā

godī meñ kheltī haiñ us kī hazāroñ nadiyāñ

gulshan hai jin ke dam se rashk-e janāñ hamārā

mażhab nahīñ sikhātā āpas meñ bair rakhnā

hindī haiñ ham, vat̤an hai hindostāñ hamārā

Translation

Better than the entire world, is our Hindustan,

We are its nightingales, and it (is) our garden abode

That tallest mountain, that shade-sharer of the sky,

(It) is our sentry, (it) is our watchman

In its lap frolic those thousands of rivers,

Whose vitality makes our garden the envy of Paradise.

Religion does not teach us to bear ill-will among ourselves

We are of Hind, our homeland is Hindustan.

"Sanctity of Cricket"

The recent controversy on cheerleaders performing in India Premier League cricket matches inspired me to write this post. Cheerleaders, many imported from abroad, were hired to liven up India's new $900 million domestic cricket league in which eight teams play a shortened version of the traditional game. The cheerleaders have been introduced into the IPL as part of moves to add glamour and entertainment to the game. The sight of many foreign women and Indians dancing in high boots and skimpy shorts sparked anger from both Hindu nationalists, who opposed their open sexuality, and some leftist parties who said it crudely copied Western culture.

One of the nation's leaders Mr.BT even said "the sanctity of cricket has been lost as the promoters have turned the stadium into a dance bar and the cheer girls have been brought to seduce the crowd."

For crying out loud, since when cricket rather any sport was a holy game?? Some games are "holey" but definitely not a single game is holy!!! Are we supposed to go to stadium like we go to a temple? Is watching cricket going to replace visits to temple? Are our cricketers replacing our Gods? First of all cricket is not an indigenous game...its an after effect of the British Raj in India. And Mr.BT of all the people should not create a hullabaloo. He is the father of the protest against celebration of Valentine's Day in India because its Western culture. Second, what this thing of Marathis against dance bars? Its just a supply to the demand. Third what seduction are you talking about? Its an open stadium not some private strip club. Don't you seduce potential voters by hollow words? Seduction is everywhere Mr.BT, in various forms of varying degree.

He also said "At a time when farmers in Vidarbha and Marathwada region are committing suicide because they are burdened by debts, it is not clear what the people, who are pumping money to bring cheer girls, want to convey."

Ohh is that so, Mr.BT? What do people try to convey when they pump enormous amounts of money in holding rallies and election campaigns for you? What about the time when your followers and henchmen destroy public properties and nowadays fellow Indians? All that comes from the taxpayers' money,Sir. When so many politicians are "pumping" money outside to Swiss accounts and "pimping" India's valuable resources, then what is the harm in pumping money in creating cheer and pimping cricket? What did you do when you were in power to stop these suicides? If all the followers and supporters were put to work, the annual flooding of Mumbai can be stopped by cleaning all waste.

Indian police say the organizers of the new tournament transforming world cricket could be fined if cheerleaders are deemed to be dressed indecently. Organizers could be fined for violating the norms of the entertainment licence they had secured for allowing performances in the stadium.

I do not say that the cheer leaders are not skimpily dressed. They do wear very short skirts and display midriffs. My point is that its not such a critical matter that it should have been discussed in the Parliament. When an important issue is to be discussed or a bill has to be voted upon, our MPs are absent or too busy breaking furniture of the House. But they consider this issue important enough to be discussed. Whereas each one of them secretly enjoys displays of flesh and I'm sure several of them have many skeletons in their cupboards. Are there no norms of the entertainment provided by movies? Because if the cheer leaders could be fined for indecent dressing then our heroines like "Marathi Manoos" Urmila Matondkar should be fined for films like Rangeela, ...or Kareena Kapoor for Tashan.....Bipasha Basu, Udita Goswami.....the list is endless....

An actor-turned politician lashed out at organizers of IPL matches for bringing cheerleaders to the stadiums and making a "mockery" of cricket. He said it was "difficult to find cricket in these matches". He appealed to the cricketing bosses to seriously ponder over the issue to save the glory of the great sport.

Dear Sir, if you would take your eyes off the cheerleaders you would find mostly cricket in 4-5 hrs duration. Aren't sports like basketball or football where the cheerleaders originally perform glorious or great enough? Or because they have cheerleaders, these games are not serious enough?

A minister of Maharashtra has said "We live in India where womanhood is worshipped. How can anything obscene like this be allowed?"

Oh my god!!! Well I suppose this worship can be understood from this information.....

Rape is a social disease in India. Hardly a day passes without a case of rape being reported in Indian newspapers and media. Women belonging to low castes, and tribal women are more at risk. What is sad about rape in India is the lack of seriousness with which the crime is often treated.Statistics from 2000 showed that on average a woman is raped every hour in India.

According to a recent report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) up to 50 million girls and women are missing from India' s population as a result of systematic gender discrimination in India. In most countries in the world, there are approximately 105 female births for every 100 males. In India, there are less than 93 women for every 100 men in the population.

Diagnostic teams with ultrasound scanners which detect the sex of a child advertise with catchlines such as spend 600 rupees now and save 50,000 rupees later.

And dont even get me started on eve teasing. What worship are you talking about Mr.Minister? Celebrating Navratri or Durga Puja can't be counted as worship of womanhood. How can you allow more obscene scenes and dialogues in Hindi movies which is seen by the Indian family more than cricket? Stop being a hypocrite.

"The manner in which semi-clad girls keep shaking their limbs is in bad taste," said another leader of a hardline Hindu nationalist party.

What about the song "Dhak Dhak" or "Choli ke Pichhe" by another "Marathi Manoos" Madhuri Dixit? Infact what about every other song in Bollywood movies? These cheerleaders are shaking only their limbs,if you know what I mean. We should be thankful for that.

There have been reports in the Indian newspapers of cheerleaders complaining of sections of the crowd jeering at them and making lewd comments.

This news item is another example of the famous worship of womanhood. Why can't Indian men show decency towards these professional cheerleaders and just watch and enjoy? Why do they assume that when a woman is dressing skimpily she is looking for trouble and naturally inviting comments and cat calls and find it justified to tease her? And this goes even for a girl wearing a very decent top and jeans.

At a time where there is acute shortage of water and inflation is hitting hard, our leaders are busy watching cheerleaders and then creating a unnecessary issue quoting the "Indian culture" as always and still continuing to watch sneakily. The fault mostly lies in cameramen on the field. They take close ups of these cheer leaders at various inappropriate angles and are crucial to sparking this controversy.

And is our hundreds of year old Indian culture so weak that few cheer leaders can destroy it? It definitely is not.

Marathis vs North Indians- Part 1

Hands chopped off in Pune, traumatised hawker returns to Bihar
Sat, Mar 8 10:16 AM

Patna, March 8 (IANS) Shri Kishun Singh lies traumatised in a hospital bed in Bihar. For the last 10 years, he was a food hawker on Pune's streets, but last month Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists chopped off both his hands.

Unlike many other Bihari migrants, Singh did not manage to flee in time to save himself from the Raj Thackeray-led MNS' campaign against Biharis and north Indian migrants in Maharashtra.

'I was made a disabled for no crime. My only crime was that I was a poor hawker from Bihar and speak Hindi,' said Singh. In his late 30s, he is undergoing treatment at the government hospital in Siwan.

He hails from a village in Bihar's Siwan district but used to sell bhujja - a mixture of gram rice and groundnut - on Pune's streets. Singh told IANS on telephone from his hospital bed that he was attacked by a group of MNS activists while he was asleep on the pavement, his regular dwelling.

He was brutally thrashed and fell unconscious. When he gained consciousness the following day he found himself in a hospital with both hands amputated.

'I was told by doctors as well as some Bihari migrants who thronged the Pune hospital that both my hands were chopped off by the attackers,' Singh said in a choked voice.

Singh's wife said her husband was the only bread-earner of the family. But now all was lost. 'Our livelihood was snatched away by the attackers in Pune; our future is bleak and dark,' she said.

The Bihar government too has done little to help out Singh.

'Not a single top official or minister has visited Singh to inquire about him and the government is yet to announce any compensation for poor Singh,' said Kamlesh Prasad, a social activist.

Singh's story is an example of the pain, suffering and misery of hundreds of Bihari migrants who have been forced to flee Maharashtra to save their lives.

Spoilt Indian Men

I had a lunch invitation at a colleague's place....non-veg lunch so only the colleagues who either eat non-veg or have no problem sitting with us had come....There was chicken and pulao on menu....Simple lunch....What struck me odd was that a colleague after he had finished eating,didn't pick up chicken leftovers from his plate and put in a bowl to make it easy to throw it in dustbin...Keeping the plate in the washing place is simply out of question....He comes from a typical orthodox Bihari family where the males are demi-gods and are not supposed to have manners or etiquette or do anything remotely related to housework. The women are supposed to wash their clothes, clean their leftovers,look after their children while they go out and earn bread. And he tells this proudly too!!! But the point is we maybe spolit kids of our homes but when we go to someone else's place , we should try and make the best impression.