Ghar Vapasi

Is it a case of " Dhobi ka xxxx na Ghar ka , na Ghat ka "??

It is really sad that some radicals want to pull the wheel of growth to a grinding halt, that too in 21st Century. Yes, it is true that BJP is the largest party in the centre. But that does not give any outfit / wing connected in remotest way to the BJP, a free hand to push its own agenda forward in the largest democracy in the world.

It is true that many Hindu families from backward or dalit or adivasi classes were converted to Christianity or Muslim religion by inducements, financial aids etc, for past so many decades, and similarly the RSS, Dharm Jagran Manch etc have been reconverting them back to Hinduism. It is also true that these Hindu outfits have not been indulging in converting Muslims or Christians to Hinduism but concentrating only on reconversions.

However, the biggest problem today is that many parts of rural India are still backward, and illiterate. So all these poor people who do not have a thinking mind of their own, who follow their cast leader blindly fall a pray to the words of their leader, who is allured, induced or compensated well in advance. Then it is all sheep walk. Or else how on earth can explain the mass conversions, which have been taking place.

First these Dalits - Backwards are converted in to Christians or Muslims. Nobody cares a damn, because of vote bank politics. However, when the Hindu Fundamentalists awake and reconvert, then socalled all the secular parties create ruckus, on the streets and in the parliament.

History:

The root cause for this malice perhaps is - Illiteracy.  

There were no anti-conversion laws in British India. After Independence, the Lok Sabha debated two bills that sought to curb conversions, the Indian Conversion (Regulation and Registration) Bill of 1954, and, six years later, the Backward Communities (Religious Protection) Bill. While both bills had wide support, Nehru, playing his usual role as the one-man vanguard of Indian liberalism, saw that both were eventually  binned.

In certain ways it was Gandhi -  Nehru - Congress combination which was responsible for many a problems that we face today. They all did a lot for the country, and their contributions cannot be ignored, but so is the case with many of their gross mistakes.

Situation Today:

Orisa and MP came out with suitable laws for Anti - Conversion. Chattisgarh, Gujrat, Himachal Pradesh followed with similar laws. Foiled at the Centre, anti-conversion laws had greater success in the states. In 1967, Orissa, then ruled by the right-wing Swatantra Party, became the first state to enact a “Freedom of Religion” Law. Madhya Pradesh followed suit the next year, with Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh following with similar legislation. Chhattisgarh inherited Madhya Pradesh’s law when the state was partitioned.

There was a caveat though - the individuals would require permission from the  state governments before such conversions. The major evils of coercion and deception can be dealt with under the general law. It may be difficult to obtain proof but so is it difficult to obtain proof in the case of many other offences, but to suggest that there should be a licensing system for propagating a faith is not proper. It would lead in its wake to the police having too large a power of interference.”

In Madhya Pradesh, it seems, conversions are banned if they take place away from Hinduism.

A good example of the law at work was seen in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, earlier this fortnight. Four Dalits converted to Islam as a reaction to the caste discrimination they faced. However, under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, a change of religion requires the permission of the state government. Not only were those four arrested, but Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists ensured that they were reconverted to Hinduism. A number of applications for religious conversion now lie with the state government, which refuses to act on them, even as right-wing organizations discuss punitive measures such as the destruction of standing crops and dispossession of land and other property for Dalits who dare to convert in the future.

When these laws first came out in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh, they were immediately challenged in the courts. Matters eventually reached the Supreme Court in 1977, where in the landmark case, Stanislaus v. State of Madhya Pradesh, the court held that conversion, per se, is not a fundamental right under Article 25 and can be regulated by the state

A core belief:

Conversion is often a core part of religion. In fact, restricting conversion not only violates the right to religion but also the right to free speech. Moreover, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ensures that a person’s right to religion also includes the " freedom to change his religion or belief ".

The state has no business policing the religious beliefs of its citizens; neither is it in a position to allow or disallow a change of faith if India is to be a liberal state.

My Recommendation:

The Big question, though is - How to decide that the conversion is not due to allurement, inducement or force , by an outfit of other religion through a leader of the community ?

I feel that the grant of such permission for conversions should be handled by a 3 - 5 member tribunal under the court, consisting of retired judges, and not the state governments. The tribunal should check and verify if the individual / mass conversion is a conscious decision or is it because of inducement, allurement, benefits like - food / health care assistance / education or cash benefits etc.

I have one more wild suggestion  - The Central Government should come out with a bill to Ban all such conversions till India achieves a literacy level of above 70 - 75 % ?

Uber Ban - Knee Jerk Reaction

This one rape has again shaken the countrymen who watch the various TV channels on 24 x 7 basis.Unfortunately the so called experts, activists and politicians and a couple of citizens from the affected city o0r place of incidence, who make rounds on all the TV Channels, in rotation, and on issues under the sun. We hardly see the right people who know the subject and are not affiliated to any party on these channels. Any rate, that is not the issue.

Let us consider the recent rape case:

Whatever happened  has happened. We should not politicise each and every issue, if want our systems to improve. Banning is no solution in my opinion. I remember a case when i was in service in Ranbaxy Ltd, Dewas.

Omelettes was an option to employees who did not like the regular food. One fine day, our receptionist wanted omelette , but it was denied. that resulted in a ruckus. the matter went to our Manger HR. He passed an ordinance of sorts - No more serving of Omelettes. Period. So rather than trying to get to the root cause of the problem, he looked for a simpler, short cut solution, which was dramatic, sensational  but draconian in my opinion.

I am afraid the government of the day also looked for a short term, dramatic, sensational solution by banning Uber Services. It is different issue altogether whether it is a blanket ban because of this incident, or because the company did not have necessary approvals to operate in Delhi. Whatever it may be, it certainly looks a Knee - Jerk Action.

What measures should be taken immediately ?

In my opinion, the following steps are all doable things. How much safety aspect will be addressed is for the experts to discuss and decide.

• The government can open a on line link to get specific suggestions from the public, collate these, scrutinize the same and list down action plan based on considerations of Complexities , Time for Implementation , Cost and set up a cell to implement these in a time bound programme. The status should be made public to see for themselves the progress and get a confidence in the machinery at works.
• Certainly Uber should be held accountable for the security lapses and punished.
• Certainly all the taxi service agencies, who do not operate with proper licences, approvals, check drivers' history from the police etc, should be taken to task with huge penalties, and asked to regularize their records before operating.
• Certainly all taxi operators / Auto Rickshaw drivers should be made to take a Yearly Renewal Permit from the RTO - Police .These agencies should check their records, check his behaviour pattern from the locality  and then only issue  the renewal for the next year 
• Now with Biometric based Adhar Card System, Licences of all drivers should be linked with the Adhar Cards and the data should be made available to the respective States / Cities / Towns. Drivers not having the Adhar should be given time to do so, failing which their licences should be cancelled.
• I propose one more simple system. The Police in Each Town or City should give a Toll Free  Number  and also a Free SMS Number and make it Public with advertisements / display hoarding all over the town / city. The Auto / Taxi Person should call the number and give his personal details like name, auto / taxi number, starting point - End Point etc. and should again call the same number and confirm safe service. The customer should send  SMS giving all the above details and forward a copy to their family members too.

I feel such actions will certainly help us in minimizing recurrences. But these will only be applicable for auto / taxi services. How do we handle other cases of Rapes ? 

I feel each type and category of case should be dealt with in similar way to find a workable solution

Kiss Of Love - A Volcano or a Tsunami ??

It all started in Kochi. It was a small incident, which turned out violent in the end, when some outfits not only opposed and manhandled the kissers, but damaged the assets of the hotel. It was a Kiss in a Hotel in Kochi.That was enough of the spark, needed to lit fire as the other two components the material which could burn - the passion and ego of Youth, and the Oxygen - TV Media and the Internet medium - Twitter and Face Book were readily available to let the heat and fire turn in to a Volcano. The Lava has spread now to other cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangaluru etc. 

Is it not a man made - Volcano or a Tsunami ?? Don;t we see such scenes on the beaches of Bandra, Chaupati, or any such public places or gardens ?

Had it not happened a decade back when Valentine Day was opposed by certain sections of the society.

Sadly when the western countries are slowly but gradually leaning towards our Indian culture and its values, we are moving towards their culture and values, if at all these exist. What is bad or good, what is an acceptable norm or not is and will always be a debatable issue. What movies / scenes people should see or what music to listen and what not is again a debatable issue, and similarly what people should wear and not wear, what they should speak or not and how they should behave or not are all such debatable issues.

There will always be strong Yes and a strong No for such matters. These are all equated with and linked to an individual RIGHT. No doubt about it. But then there is always a thin line which the individual should not cross, which is deemed unacceptable in our Society. However nobody gets a right to take law in his - her hands, just because he - she feels the act is unacceptable in our society. Nobody has a right to sit on a judgment on others behaviour / act. No one has got a right to Moral Policing.

Leave them alone. Let them decide what is good or bad. 

But the very fact that the youth today gets attracted to these behavioural patterns, is certainly alien to our culture. It may require lot of counselling from parents , friends , teachers etc. They may listen and change or may decide against it. In the worst case our culture and values may take a beating, collapse and rise again like a phoenix , if it has intrinsic strengths or finally evolve in to a culture which has goods from all cultures and values.

Let time tell who and what is Right. 

I for one have never supported such moral policing acts, because I am quite positive about intrinsic strengths of our Culture and Values. I am of firm belief that these are all passing times. Our Culture and our Values are Centuries old.  These will stand all such challenges and come out stronger.

To Be Or Not To Be - with BJP ??

The talks between the BJP and Shiv Sena are said to be very positive and constructive at some time in a particular day and the tie up between BJP and Shiv Sena appears to be getting closer and closer and suddenly the everything collapses and falls apart like a castle made from pack of cards. This is the scene for last 20 odd days now. Both sides take a position at the end of the day, and the talks continue on the next day. 

What Shiv Sena has said loudly about the BJP and Mr. Modi during and after the elections is very well known. On the other hand though BJP has maintained non committal stance throughout, BJP is playing tough with Shiv Sena, in the aftermath of the election numbers and pushing Shiv Sena to the corner.

On one side Shiv Sena says that it is not power hungry, but keeps on demanding for larger pie in the power and is demanding plum posts, on the other hand. Where as BJP is acting tough more so, because of the position taken by NCP's Shard Pawar.

The confusion is as good or as bad as it was on day one after election. However, I feel that BJP should show it's 56 inch chest filled with humility in success, rather than showing the 56 inch chest filled with Ego , Revenge and thoughts of cutting the other partner to size. That will be in the larger interest of both the parties and the state too, and to a great extent, of the country too.

Otherwise this state of " To Be or Not to Be - with BJP ",will be the condition of  Shiv Sena.

Politics - A big timeTeacher

If the recent elections results in the Lok Sabha, the Haryana & Maharashtra and also the by polls are any indication then yes, The Politics is a big teacher. No one can take himself, or his party for granted, particularly in Indian Politics. People can talk of waves, anti - incumbacy, governance, development, cast factor, illitracy  etc etc. and come out with loads of statistics and when the results are out, the politicians fall flat on their faces, and have to chew their words and claim that all their utterances were either misquoted by media or were only meant for the the duration of elections alone.

These elections have once again taught the politicians a couple of things:

• Never Ever Assume that you or your party will be on the winners podium with majority numbers, if not absolute majority numbers.
• Never Ever Speak Foul about any party, who is likely to become your strange bed partner after the election.
• Never Ever be so rigid that you eventually eat your own words.
• Never Ever Think that the other party members only should come forward with options and demands.
• Always it is advisable to keep your Ego aside 

In Maharashtra, the BJP is sitting pretty with numbers to their advantage, however they would have been better off if they were little cautious before the elections and had avoided total aggression against NCP. Now it is difficult for them to even consider unconditional support by NCP as a safe bet.

Similarly the Shivsena went hammer and tongue against BJP and Mr. Amit Shah and Mr. Narendra Modi in particular during the elections. The language used by them was unparliamentary and like Mumbai Taporis to say the least. Besides, their ego was so high that they expected BJP to take initiatives and approach them with Offers on Golden Plate. They also thought that Delhi ( BJP bigwigs in Delhi ) would and should come to Matoshri ( Udhav's residence ) like it used to happen in good old days.

Eventually it has so happened that Shiv Sena is looking like fools and beggars of sorts. Now they are making efforts to reach Delhi, with a begging bowl..

They have been taught a lesson, no doubt. But even BJP has a lesson or two to learn, if they want to survive in the rough seas of Indian Politics.

You never know when the tables could turn upside down. Look at the Congress. Arrogance of power can make you bite dust any day. It would do a world of good if BJP has its' feet grounded and if it does not allow the power of the chair to go to their heads.

Labour Reforms

The central government has taken the first step in making big ticket reforms. However, it falls short of some game changing steps, which could have given a big boost to both the workmen and the industry.

As some print media said " It is an attempt to pluck low hanging fruits ", it surely appeared that way. I have read somewhere that the Rajasthan Government has come out with a better plan which is pending with the President of India for final approval. In that case the center should have been a step or two better only.

I would have like to see following inclusions in the proposal:

By the way the Rajasthan Government has already covered some of these issues.

• Labour Unions shall be recognised if they have a membership of at least 40 % of the strength as against 15 %.
• Applicability of Contract Labour ( Regulation & Abolition ) should be raised from 20 at present to 60 - 70 contract labour. But then the rules for regularisation of such labour and converting them to permanent employees, should be changes on the lines suggested down.
• The Contract Labour law should be reviewed and revised. I would suggest that the contract labour needed to work on a repetitive work for more than 1 year continuously should be taken on regular pay role of the company, if the work is operational in nature and directly related to production - manufacturing activity. The contract labour engaged as helpers, cleaners, sweepers etc can be engaged through a contractor. However, it would be the responsibility of the corporates to ensure that their salaries are given as per minimum wages acts, from time to time.The corporates should also ensure that the contractor covers them under ESIS, and other welfare schemes and also give a reasonable profit to the contractor.
• The Labour Unions should first give their demands in writing and seek amicable solutions through dialogues. The Corporates should give a timeline for at least 3 - 4 meetings for arriving at an amicable solution, failing which the matter should be taken up to a tribunal or state governments labour department. If no solution is arrived at, then the Labour Reforms should first seek redressal from the labour courts or high courts, before taking up the last step of a strike, after giving a notice of 1 month. This will certainly help in minimizing labour unrest.
• The working hours should be fixed. O T should be allowed only in case the reliever does not report on duty. This will ensure necessary health fitness levels across the board.
• The Overtime should be fixed at 2.5 / 3 times as against 2 times their basic and DA. This way the menace of engaging people on OT and not taking workmen on regular roles, will be minimized. The corporates.
• The Factory Act should be applicable for  minimum 40 workmen , against 10 at present, for  industries using power and 70 workmen against 20 at present, for industries not using power.
• Employers having a strength of 300 workmen against 100 at present, should be allowed to retrench workmen without seeking government's approval
• I have also observed that the unions normally enter in to an agreement with the managements for a period of 3 years, and the salary hike is normally 15 to 20 % and spread over 3 years. The corporates should be forced to agree for a hike which is either equal to or more than the cumulative inflation rate of preceding 3 years.

If these and some more steps are taken then we can see good boost to the economy and manufacturing sector as a whole.

Toilets for All

I have thought of an idea for providing toilets in farthest of corners of india. The government should introduce a bill &  Tell all the MPs of Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha that they all would get Rs.1 Crore  each in a year  for building toilets in the villages falling under their constituencies  besides their allocation of Rs.2 crore to be spent on development  works in their respective constituency and produce a certificate of completion from the respective gram panchayats / corporations etc. In case they spend that in earlier than one year, they can be given given additional Rs. 1 Cr. This will be then truly an INCLUSIVE Growth, no one earlier had thought off. Let it not be the responsibility of the government machinery only for implementing this and many such similar dream projects, Be it City Cleaning, Ganga Cleaning etc. And yes, extend the same to the MLAs at State Level. There the cap could be Rs. 50 L each. If this approach is adopted the completion of this laudable project would create a history of sorts for inclusiveness and speedy completion. I do not think any opposition, including the Congress would dare to oppose this bill. 

What is Better ?

PM wants to scrap the Planning Commission altogether. I would appreciate if the government overhauls the commission rather than scrapping it. The government would be better of doing gap analysis to know where the commission is today vis vis what objectives it ought to fulfill. that would be a more scientific approach. I do not think the whole system is bad. That would be like reinventing the wheel. Is it really worth the time we need to spend on rebuilding and reinventing ? The government should give it a serious thought. Yes, the idea of inclusiveness of all state stake holders, the corporates is good, but these issues can well be addressed to by fine tuning the existing system. Yes, Like it did of MNREGA - UIDA schemes. Let them not  touch the good points, leave the bad ones, add few good ones, implement it , see the results over one year, and then carry out mid course correction.

I feel that would be a better approach. This is what I wrote to the PMO today.

Destiny

It happened twice in a span of 3 - 4 months. first i lost my uncle - Kazi Kaka and then now Suhas, my cousin brother. I had talked to them both only a couple of days before their sad demise. I had planned to meet them both for different reasons though, but it could not materialize in either case.

In kaka's case, i had planned to go to Jalgaon to give him a pleasant surprise on the auspicious day of Idd, because he was bedridden for quite some time. But he breathed his last only a couple of days earlier. I was very sad then.

Suhas spoke to me only last week and told me that he remembered me because he had listened to a song, a ghazal to be very precise - " Dard Se Mera Daman Bhar De Ya Allah " sung by a young Pakistani Singer - Sara Raja Khan. He wanted me to listen that and tell him what I felt. I heard that song. It is a lovely rendition. However, I did not call back. I thought I would meet him him and then discuss with him about it. And very sadly I came to know that Suhas was no more amongst us.

 It was all very sudden and shocking. I am at a loss to understand why so lovely persons leave us suddenly. Both had been very close to me right from my childhood.

Kaka and his family stayed in Pilani next to our old house in NCC Colony. Later when both families shifted to new houses near Shiv Ganga, we were still only a few houses away. I used to be a regular whenever kakau prepared Non Veg or Tur Daal Khichadi and Mungafali Chatni with lahsun ( Peanuts - Garlic ). When Kaka shifted to Delhi, we all children used to be frequent visitors to their house. Kaka used to stay with my sister whenever he visited Pilani for work. Similarly he stayed for almost 6 to 8 months whenever he came to our house iun Hyderabad for work.

He had then made portraits of my father and mother and had also made a landscape. All these are treasures of my house even today.

What can I say about Suhas. We were almost same age. He had also been very close to our family. Last year sometime when he visited my house with sunanda's daughter, we had lunch together. I remembered about his portrait painting drawn by Dada ( my father ). I went to our store and took it out and gave it to him, and told him - It really belonged to him, and so it deservedly should be in house. 

I could see the emotions in his wet eyes, and face. 

I have many fond memories of them both, but i am choked  for words to express, so i close it here by wishing them eternal peace for their souls and pray to the god to give their family members strength and courage to face reality.

 .

NDA Sarkar - Ghise Pitey Path Par ??

It may be stupid on my part to say that Modi lead NDA Government  is functioning like the UPA ruled sarkar. At least not yet, barring a couple of instances when one feels that his 56 inch wali sarkar ka seena  ( Chest ) has shrunk. 

Yes, I felt the same when the government drew cold feet on the gas pricing issue. I am not qualified to comment on the same for want of home work on my part.

But, Yes, I felt so when the rail minister rolled back the local passenger tickets & pass fares, under pressure from shiv - sena and other local alliances. Why ?? because of elections. It is not befitting Modi sarkar. It is understood that the commuter in Mumbai wants status quo, but then if you analyse then you would notice that the pass holder pays for about 15 trips in a month, compared to his actual 50 odd trips ( leaving the weekly offs ), Similarly the daily tickets for Borivili - Churchgate or Karjat / Kasara - VT are abysmally low. If the railway ministers do not raise the fares for years together for the fear of backlash / loosing vote banks then the Railways would remain like that for life long. Instead, if the fares are calibrated on yearly basis on the basis of fuel and electricity charges then people would be mentally prepared. 

The pass holders fares should immediately be increased to cover 25 trips instead of 15 at present. Then probably this too can be increased every year by about 2 trips / every year till it reaches 40 trips. This should be implemented in the budget itself. 

It is Surprising  to see people's mentality also. They accept the inflation in food items, petrol / diesel, cinema tickets, clothing and what not, why forget the air fares, but not the Road / Railway fares.

I for one though I am retired person, feel that the railway fares should increase 2 - 3 % every year across the board, be it the freights / local trains / passenger - fast - super fast trains. 

If we want the services / infrastructure to improve, if we want the bullet trains , if we want railway network to cover our frontiers too, then we should be prepared for shelling out some money. 

I would rather be prepared to shell out more to see our stations & platforms spic & span, Rail Lines on stations devoid of shit and obnoxious smell, better safety, our compartments of better ( if not international ) standards, better toilets in compartments, better food quality, more trains, easy ticket availability, better booking systems,  etc etc

I hear the logic of some people who say - the government should plug the loopholes, arrest corruption, improve efficiency, etc etc. their point is well taken. But then it will take 5 decades to come to that stage. 

Shall we wait?

Habitual Mess Creators

Some people are very good at creating a mess first, without others realizing or knowing about it and then finally solving it too. Such People are called Trouble Shooters in Management Jargon. In such cases the mess is intentional.

But in Real Life Some people just create a mess by habit. Such people are called Habitual Mess Creators. In these cases the mess is not intentional but habitual. 

The Du's 4 years' degree course mess falls in the second category. In fact let it be any university or a state, such issues crop up at the time of admissions only. With the result,the Colleges have a delayed opening and the students are made to suffer. 

I fail to understand why these authorities do not find out a problem, be it related with the course duration, curriculum or deposits / fees  and find a solution for the same during the one complete year, before the next year's admissions? This way they or any petitioner has one year to fight it out in the courts. Why only at the time of admissions ?

This is some thing similar to Road Repairs taken up by all municipal corporations just before the onset of monsoons. Well, here at least one understands the motive for such acts, but what is the motive of the universities or UGC to hang on with such issues till the admissions ?

Nothin but the " SADISITC PLEASURE " they derive out of harassment of the students, in my opinion.

The First Bitter Pill

The first bitter pill declared by the Modi Government was the Rail Hike. The hike was justified in my opinion. It was already planned by the earlier government, but it was not announced . It is not of any importance to know if it was planned by the earlier government or not. What is important is to know if it was needed or not, and if yes, then could it not be coupled and timed it with the Railway Budget in two weeks time.  I really doubt if there can be an argument on the first part, but yes, it could certainly have been part of the regular budget. 

But the larger question is " How long we will live on the free bees and subsidies ? ". Let there be any government coming out with such policy decisions. The opposition, the Media and People in general are just waiting to grab the opportunity to occupy the center stage of attention. Nobody is interested in looking at the statistics, the bottom lines. 

There is hardly any party or media channel who thinks rationally on such issues. They all want attention and TRP ratings. 

In fact if one looks at the Railway deficits seriously he or she would realize that it was necessary. Forget the bullet trains, the new infrastructure, the better signalling systems, the new railway coaches, new trains, the tracks etc, this hike is necessary for sustainability and overall health of the railways. Where will the money come from to compensate for the regular salary hike ? where is it, along with the increasing diesel cost factored in ?

We want better services, more safety, better platforms, but are not ready to shell out more. We want salary hikes to compensate for the inflation but are not ready to shell out part of it. 

In fact the burden seems more because it comes after big gaps ( 6 - 10 years ). A better approach would be to increase the fares and freight charges by about 2 %  every two years at least, if not every year. It should be planned and rolled out as a policy for 5 years period, which could be reviewed , retained or increased by the new government. Then there will not be so much of hue and cry.

But then what the Opposition and the Media will live on ? I would love to keep many other issues at their disposal, like the 4 years' degree course of Delhi University.

I have an opinion on that too. It is reserved for the next blog.

Parochial Steps.

The Modi Government is following the same old and dirty practices of seeking resignations of governors and chiefs of some commissions and organisations appointed by earlier ruling party.  The Sarkariya commission had recommended some very practical ground rules for appointment and replacement of persons in such offices and the Supreme Court had also given a ruling on the same issue, some time in 2004. I do not understand why appointments are made in the first place which are controversial, like the appointment of Mrs. Sheela Dixit ? 

The moot questions are - " Why the opposition parties did not raise the issues then and why did they refrained from approaching the Supreme Court then?"

Is it not a parochial step on the part of Modi Government? Are there no more pressing issues on their plate ?

Though I feel Sheela should go and so the others who are under CBI scanner, but then it is not the right time. The Modi Government should have first settled down, addressed some really pressing issues like Indians stranded in Iraq, Price Rise, Electricity or lack of it in Delhi  etc.

That would have given the right signals to the people who have voted them in. And Yes, now at least the Modi Government should come out with a Policy and get it passed in both the houses, to ensure that such incidences are  not repeated in future. That would be a better beginning.

Mr. Modi would do well to rise above all such petty issues and govern in a way which is different and Trend Setting, rather than following old practices which boarder on Revengeful Acts.

Tax Exemptions

The ministry gives tax exemptions for the corporates, but not to the individuals. I feel it is high time they think out of the box. Our coals reserves are in a mess, Uranium has to be imported, even though we have it in NE region, Thanks to some NGOs, Hydel Stations have to depend on rain water.  New generation capacities require huge investments and time. Then why not think differently.

I would like to see in this year's budget tax exemptions for individuals who purchase energy efficient appliances / electrical light fittings / solar heating systems etc. yes, we have subsidy on solar heating systems. But there should be tax exemptions too. The exemptions could be different for different savings. 

Say if conventional refrigerator consumes X wattage, then exemptions could be in slabs of 50 - 70 -  100 % based on energy savings of 10 - 20 - 30 % and above. Similarly, A CFL Fitting / Lamp consumes say 30 % less than conventional tube light / incandescent  lamp and a LED fitting consumes  60 - 70 % less power the conventional lamp source,  then the exemptions should be 30 % and 70 %  or even 100 % respectively. The individuals should attach all such bills with the returns to get exemptions. It will certainly motivate the real end users to buy energy efficient lamps / fittings / appliances. 

We should realize that  Every Unit saved is Unit Generated. 

Our population is about 120 crore which may be 30 crore houses . If each house saves two unit each, every day, the country would have 60 crore units surplus from the existing generation capacity, with out having to incur huge capital investments. I have posted this on the PMO India FB Link & also on the Finance Ministry FB Link. 

I had this one thought. If the ministry asks the people, there may be 30 crore such or better thoughts.

Hope the concerned authorities see it and weigh it seriously.

Special Packages

I can not understand the logic ( if any ) the Governments at center adopt to declare any state eligible for special package. This should not be a tool to garner support in Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha. 

I feel it is high time you and your council of ministers come out with a policy defining eligibility. The planning commission could then be directed to declare special package for such states. 

It should be based on YOY growth rates for preceding 3 / 5 years, which should take in to consideration industrial growth, Infrastructure growth ( Roads, Railways, Energy, Water management, Sanitation, Health Care, Education, Poverty etc. Any state falling short in a particular area, and is below the national average, should then be given package to develop that area of concern. and with accountability riders tagged to it and for a definite period of say 3 / 5 years. 

If the Growth is not reflected in real numbers, then the special package should be stopped. The package / s can be reviewed and renewed again on expiry of the period. In short there should be a scientific way in doing certain thing. Then the states will not be seen begging / requesting for such packages. 

Be it Bihar, Odisha or Tamil Nadu or West Bengal. The factors arrived at by a National Economic Survey Division under the Planning Commission will automatically help the center to give special package / s to the states falling below the National Averages, in each area or Sector of Concern.

For God Sake let us not have something like article 370 , Reservations to Minorities, Uniform Civil Code etc which certainly need a debate and review. However, I feel these can be taken up in BJP's Next Term. They will be well advised to focus on growth and employment opportunities, Health Care, Sanitation & Education. 

An Appeal to the PM

Sir, Heartiest Congratulations for this wonderful victory. 

I personally feel that Article 370 & Uniform Civil Code should not be taken up immediately. People in opposition and some media channels are ready to lap this and project this as the controversy jacks up their agenda & TRP. Instead ask your ministers to concentrate on Bijli, Paani, Sadak ( Infrastructure - Roads, Rails - Energy Sector ), Makan, Suraksha ( Women Safety first ) & Sauchalaya ( Sanitation ). Yes Cleaning up Ganga & Developing Varanasi as a tourist spot too should be taken up on Priority.

I also feel that our armed forces like your BJP Karyakarta are more important for our freedom & democracy. So do not forget them. One rank - one pension, Rehabilitation of retired armed forces, honouring the awards and compensations declared to them by states / center etc should be taken up on priority.

Procuring latest arms / ammunition , ships / planes  etc should also be a priority. Our armed forces have to fight the battle with old technologies.

We should not forget our police forces. the system needs to modernized. their moral should be boosted.

And yes, developing 100 nodal cities around the big cities too will be an important step in the right direction.

Your idea of picking 10 odd professionals / technocrats / experts too is good. Please implement it fast. I would like to see people like Mr. Sridharan , Mr. Deepak Parekh  , Mr. Suresh Prabhu,  Mr. Jalan ( Ex RBI Governer ), Mr. Arun Shurie, Mr. Narayan Murty, Mr. Ratan Tata etc to be in this advisory group of people.

I pray to god to give you long life to serve the nation.

Jai HInd.

Forgotten Promises

All the states declare gallantry awards to soldiers / policemen from their states, including some who have lost their lives in the service of the nation. They do it for their sportspersons too. Similarly The Centre & States declare compensations for victims of Riots, Accidents, Natural Calamities etc. The Centre too does the same.  Nothing wrong in it. The biggest problem is that the states forget to implement the same.

I feel these awards and honors compensations should be under the umbrella of Ministry of HRD. The respective ministry like The Ministry of Defense for armed forces & Ministry Sports for sports persons , should take stock of all such declarations done by various states and give it to the Ministry of HRD to follow up with the respective states, for a defined period of say one year after the case is brought to their notice. Since the compensations are part of a welfare activity, it should directly be dealt with by the HRD Ministry.

On Expiry of the one year, if the respective states fail to honor their commitments, The HRD Ministry should put up the case to the PMO and scale it up to the PM. The PM then should then give directives to The HRD Minister to honor the commitment and direct the Finance Minister to deduct double the amount equal to the commitment, from the respective states' over all yearly budgetary allocation. In case if the centre is the defaulter, then the money should be accounted for in the name of unaccounted expenses, in the budget.

The recipients should not be made to run from pillar to post. They are not beggars, for god sake !!

The same logic should also be applied to all who are victims of riots, accidents, or any calamities etc. Going one step further, It would be really great if there is uniformity in policy for declaring such awards / compensations. This policy again should be reviewed every five years or so and shall not remain sacrosanct for eternity.

Then only we will be doing justice to all.  

Modi's Likely Team

The political compulsions of coalition partnership, adequate representation of states based on the number of MPs from the states, the covert / explicit push and pull of RSS etc may force Shri Narendra Modi to come out with his council of ministers as per the table given below:

STATES / PARTIES	CABINET RANK	MISTER OF STATE
Delhi	2	2
Rajasthan	3	3
Madhya Pradesh	3	4
Maharashtra	3	4
Karnataka	2	3
Gujrat	2	3
Bihar	3	4
Utttar Pradesh	4	6
Goa	0	1
Aasam	0	1
Himachal Pradesh	0	1
Uttarakhand	0	1 / 2
West Bengal	0	1
Paswan ( LJP )	1	0
SAD	0 / 1	0 / 1
TDP	1	2
Shiv Sena	2	2
Raju Shetty Party	0 / 1	0 / 1
Ramdas Athawale's Party	0 / 1	0 / 1
Professionals / Technocrats	1 / 2	1 / 2
From Rajya Sabha	2	0
TOOTAL	30	44

If I have missed out some states / coalition partners then add a couple of Minister of States.

However,I would be personally very happy to see a smaller number. I would also prefer to see Mr. Arun Shurie braught in. Similarly I would also like to see an important role for Ex. Gen. V K Singh in Defense / Internal - External Security related issues, be it as a minister of as a part of PMO in some advisory capacity. he could also be head of defense procurement committee.  I would also like to see some top notch professionals ( Economists / Educationalist / IT Guys etc ) to be brought in the ministry or in the PMO or advisory committee.

I would be personally happy if Yeddurappa, Munde, Ramdas Athawale are either kept out of the ministry or given some portfolios where they could get secondary roles to play.

Finally it should be a big " NO " for anybody with an un - clean image. So Yedu !! you should cool your heals in Karnataka only.

INCENTIVES - PEANUTS IN REALITY

Incentives have been in vogue since the days Management Principles were thought of. The beauty of these Incentives is that the receiver thinks he has got the WHOLE and he jumps with Joy, like a monkey and spreads the news to the world around him to impress one and all. In reality the poor receptor hardly realizes that what he got was actually Peanuts.

The real manager uses this tool to maximize the gains to the management. My wife, Meena knows this very well and uses it the best and in most effective way. And you must have known by now that the poor receptor is none other than Yours Truly. Every time she shows carrot of some incentive, I fall a pray every time. Yes, I think I am an Idiot of first order. She shows the carrot  with a mischievous smile on her face and assigns me a job. Every time I accept the job, just for that bloody incentive. The problem is that I come to know of it only when it is too late, and the damage has been done. I do not know whether it is the carrot or her killer smile, which traps me, time and again.

Today again, she said in her most loving voice " Aaj aam Ras Nikaloge ?, Dekho Tumhe Daibetes Hai Fir Bhi  Tum ko Saare Aamo Ke Chilke Chusne Ko Milenge Aaur To Aaur Guthliyan Bhi Chusne Ko Milengi". She had that deadly mischievous smile on her face, because she knew I will jump for it with joy and hope.

And yes, before I could think rationally my heart took over the control of my thinking mind and forced me to say " Yes dear, Why  Not ". The heap of mangos and the two big bowls were right in front of me.

I was on the job for almost two hours, living on the hope of " Ab Acche Din Aayenge - means sooner or later I will get the incentive. " Little did I realize that she got her job done and finally I got the incentive.

I jumped with Joy, like a monkey and now I am spreading the news to the world around me, to impress you all with that INCENTIVE.

Look at the pictures and you will know that Incentives are , in reality, PEANTUS only.

I have the mango peals as Incentive in front of me, the Aam Ras will be all hers, in a moment. Still you can see the big smile and happiness on my face.

The monkey in me is content with the PEANUTS.

 Mango smeared all over the face. Note the happiness on my face. Is that not a monkey act ? If not then why am I spreading the story all around ?

MORAL OF THE STROY:

See the whole picture and don't fall a pray to such incentives, your wife or your girl friend throws at you !!