Criminalization of politics in UP

In spite of repeated recommendations of the Election Commission to keep people with criminal records away from politics, the political parties still continue to resort to such means. For them the only motive is victory’.
Tags: ellection commission, up, politics, india

Veils & the Muslim women

Hijab or Burqa tradition among the Muslim women, which has been accepted by the Islam religion, has again become a subject of controversy, these days. The Burqa controversy that came out from the statement of former foreign minister of Britain, Jack Straw hasn?t yet lost the ground when the government of Netherlands has decided to make a law that bans the Burqa tradition there. Hijab, Naqab or Burqa, all the three are almost the same things, by which a women hides her face from other men. In Islam, this tradition is known to be a direct command received from God. Regarding it, the Muslim religious leaders that advocate for the Burqa tradition say that God has clearly ordered in Quran Shareef, ?Say to your wives, daughters & women to cover their head with the veil so that they are not recognised & are not open to cruelty. As the religion Islam came into existence, on the land of Arabs, so the ?Naqab? prevalent there should be seen as real Hijab. But as a chance, the difference & the paradox regarding this tradition, in Islam is so much that the Muslim world is in a fix that if Burqa tradition is accepted & women of the family are asked to act upon it then what type of veil should it be, as it is in Arab or in Iraq. Should it be Hijab adopted by the British or the American women? Or Burqa as prevalent in India, the Naqab worn in Pakistan or that openness as it has been accepted by Benazir Bhutto, Begam Khalida Zia, Sheikh Hasina Wajid, Shirin Ibadi & Sania Mirza & other Muslim women of world fame.
Undoubtedly, after the terrorist attack of September 11 on America, the Muslim world is passing through a tough test. Now a day if a finger is pointed towards Islam or its beliefs, the whole Muslim world seems to take such effort, very seriously. And if this finger is from such countries as America, Britain, Netherlands or Denmark, then the Muslims of the world start to think it as a direct attack on the Islam. But in reality this is a matter of discussion not only in Britain or Netherlands, but a great part of the Muslim society is also not in favour of keeping its women veiled.
It is a bitter truth that almost all the traditions & beliefs of all the religions are mostly formed under the main role of male society. Obviously this male dominated society, while framing religious rules of the society used its dictatorship & double standard in which they kept themselves free & tied the women in many troublesome ties such as to keep their faces curtained. It is a matter of sorrow, regarding veils of a woman, there has been given a reference of the God?s command in Quran Shareef & accordingly ordered them to remain veiled so that they are not open to cruelty. But there is nothing for the man to stop them from doing cruelty.
It may be that at the time of embodiment of Quran Shareef or the time when the Islam religion came into existence, the Hijab tradition may have been useful. But can this tradition be accepted so meaningful, in this modern age of today, as it was fourteen hundred years ago. Today Benazir Bhutto has the power to handle the political leadership of a Muslim country, Pakistan & has given successful leadership to Pakistan, as a successful Prime Minister. Shirin Ibadi of Iran has proved by winning the Noble Peace Award that a Muslim woman even behind a veil & being a housewife, when comes out of the veil can win the greatest award of the world, that is the Noble Peace Prize.
Sania Mirza, an Indian Tennis Player also gives this type of message. Sania Mirza is far away from wearing the Burqa but even her tight clothes while playing Tennis, became a subject of controversy & many Muslim scholars raised fingers on her. Now the question is that even today the Muslim men have kept the right of deciding it with themselves, if the Muslim women should wear the Naqab or not? Why can the women not decide it themselves whether they should wear Burqa or not? A Muslim woman can feel it better, if to act upon the veil tradition is useful for her or a hurdle in her progress.
I am not against the veil tradition among the Muslim women in Islam. But I am worried that it may prove an obstacle in the race of their life career. Today it is a common talk in the world that the main cause of being conservative & fundamental of the Muslims is lack of literacy in them. It is a universal truth that if the mother is educated, the children have better chances of getting education. But if the mother is uneducated, she can neither understand the importance of education nor encourage her children to get education who can deny the fact that wearing Burqa is a great impediment in getting the education & progress in life.
Undoubtedly, the fresh statements of the leaders of the western countries, regarding the veil of the Muslim women, may revive the thought among the Muslim society that if the Christianity is against the Islam. But in reality, the entire Muslim world is not unanimous regarding the veil tradition. There are different ways prevalent to veil among the Muslim women in different countries, somewhere the head is covered & face is uncovered. At some places a cloth when wrapped solves the purpose. The educated Muslim society, wherever they may be living in the world, today doesn?t consider it necessary to veil the women. This elite class understands it that Burqa is an obstruction in the mental & educational development of women. The Muslims who belong to this class don?t force the women in their families to cover themselves with Burqa. And even the Muslim women of these educated families don?t consider it compulsory to wear Burqa in this modern age.
So now the time demands that every controversial matter should not be viewed from the angle of the Christianity or the Islam. The merits & demerits must be seen & that too without prejudice. If either in the Islam or in any other religion, there is something that is not beneficial for the society & hampers the educational, intellectual & mental growth of the society, then it should be done away with & the religious leaders or the responsible group should not stand in its way.

Tags: muslim women, burqa, modern civilization, islam, veil tradition

Is Deputy Prime Minister?s Office in India justified?

Despite the fact that there is no special place for the office of deputy prime minister in Indian constitution, by now seven persons have enjoyed this office in India. After independence, first deputy prime minister was Vallabh Bhai Patel, who got a chance to work with the first Prime Minister of free India, Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru. Sardar Patel had also been a successful Home Minister of India. After that from 1967-1969, Morarji Desai remained Deputy Prime Minister with the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In 1979, Choudhary Charan Singh & Jagjeevan Ram took this office jointly with the Prime Minister Morarji Desai. This was the first time in India when two Deputy Prime Minister were jointly holding this office. After that from 1979 to 1980, Y.B. Chavan was in charge of this office. Then in 1989-1990, Choudhary Devi Lal held this office with the Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh. Choudhary Devi Lal again got the chance in 1990-1991 with the Prime Minister Chandrasekhar. Similarly on June 19, 2002, Lal Krishan Advani was given this office as seventh & last Deputy Prime Minister of India.
It is worth knowing that there is no role assigned to the Deputy Prime Minister in the constitution of India & the makers of the Indian constitution didn?t feel this need to run the government of the country for the office of Deputy Prime Minister, in spite of it, the country has to bear the burden of Deputy Prime Ministers. As the Indian constitution doesn?t have any room for the office of Deputy Prime Minister, so there is neither separate oath taking ceremony for the Deputy Prime Minister nor there is any separate arrangement for seat of the Deputy Prime Minister in the Lok Sabha. In India, the status of the Deputy Prime Minister is equal to other Cabinet Ministers. But it is seen that the persons who hold this office are usually high ranking politicians. Generally the ministers who hold the portfolios of Home or Finance are given this office. Whereas the powers of Deputy Prime Ministers are concerned the Deputy Prime Minister doesn?t have any special powers. But if the Prime Minister is not keeping good health or in his absence or during his foreign tour or in case of the death of the Prime Minister, the Deputy Minister takes charge of the office of the Prime Minister. Generally the function of the Deputy Prime Minister is to preside over the meetings of councils of ministers in the absence of Prime Minister.
The office of the Deputy Prime Minister may be a production of Indian political set up. There is a provision of Deputy Prime Minister in the countries as Australia, Canada, Israel, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, North Ireland, Scotland & Wales. There is also a provision for the office of Deputy Prime Minister in the new political structure of Iraq. In Britain, Deputy Prime Minister is also called the Shadow Prime Minister whereas in Germany the associate minister of Chancellor is called the Deputy Chancellor. But besides India, in all the countries, the Deputy Prime Minister has got some additional rights. Then what is the compulsion of appointing Deputy Prime Minister in India? Is it proper to appoint a powerful leader on this unconstitutional office just to have political stability? He may be Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, who is remembered as the ?Iron Man of India? or Lal Krishan Advani, a leader of the Hinduism or other five Indian Deputy Prime Ministers appointed in between them. Undoubtedly all these had their influential role in the politics of the country. But we can?t deny the fact that by accepting this unconstitutional office of Deputy Prime Minister, all these expressed their greed for power. Among the Deputy Prime Ministers of India, the two Deputy Prime Ministers Morarji Desai & Choudhary Charan Singh were fortunate enough to hold the office of Prime Minister of India. But for the last few days there is a controversy in India on the name of Lal Krishna advani in which he has shown his desire to be the Prime Minister.
Lal Krishan Advani has a claim to show his desire for being a Prime Minister that as in British Political System, in India too the claimant of this office should be the leader of the opposition party. But in reality the reason for his desire of Prime Minister?s office is that he remained the Information Minister of India from 1977-1979 & after that he was Home Minister in 2002 & afterwards the Deputy Prime Minister of the country. But it may be said the political misfortunate of Advani that the way to Prime Minister?s office was never clear for it. As a result of it, Advani?s political journey couldn?t go far from the Deputy Prime Minister?s office & couldn?t reach the Prime Minister?s office. In the last days, in an interview to a T.V. Channel Advani said that he was desirous of being a Prime Minister but he had no hope of being his name proposed through Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
I don?t see any leader of first line or second line in the Indian politics who is not ambitious of sitting on the chair of the Prime Minister of India. Specially in the Indian politics where there has come a new tradition of coalition governments, where Chandrasekhar, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, H.D. Devegoda & I.K. Gujral, the person who had comparatively low political position, became Prime Ministers there, to think of sitting on the chair of Prime Minister by Advani can neither be said wrong nor impossible. It can?t be put off by saying Advani?s mere imagination or personal ambition because his political life remained full of hard struggle & political achievements. His handling of many a time president ship of national political parties as Bhartiya Janta Party & Jansangh, his appointment as at many important ministerial ranks & an honour to be a Deputy Prime Minister & at present to be the leader of opposition in the Indian parliament are his important political achievements. After that in his political career, there only remains the chair of Prime Minister. Vajpayee by giving Advani the status of Home Minister & Deputy Prime Minister in his cabinet has tried to give this message in the Indian politics that after Vajpayee, Advani is the leader of highest rank. But in reality, if Atal Bihari Vajpayee wanted it himself to propose the name of Advani as Prime Minister of India, even then it was difficult task for Vajpayee to get for him the chair of Prime Minister. Its main reason is that impression of Advani has become as a fundamental Hindutvavadi leader. Even too last year, during his visit to Pakistan, Advani called Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, a secular leader. Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh openly opposed this statement of Advani. Despite all these efforts, Advani & Sangh couldn?t succeed to mitigate the impression of Advani as communal & Anti-Muslim leader.
79 years old Lal Krishan Advani who was born in 1927 in Karachi (Pakistan) may not be able to realise his dream of being a Prime Minister as all the Prime Ministers of India had an impression of a secular leader. Vajpayee is known as a secular mask of the party even though Bhartiya Janta Party is known to be a representative of Hindutvavadi thought. But Vajpayee, by giving a status of Deputy Prime Minister to Advani has proved that Advani?s political status is not below any other leader. Usually, more or less, the office of Deputy Prime Minister is given to those leaders who have a claim for the chair of Prime Minister or just for the political bargaining for coalition government. That?s why; this unconstitutional office is filled up. All the governments of state of India are now following the footsteps of central government. In many states, Deputy Chief Minister is nominated & powerful political leaders are installed on this unconstitutional status. In India, there is a strong need to abolish such useless & unconstitutional ranks so that the public money spent on the political satisfaction of the leaders may be used for the development of the country.

Tags: indian politics, deputy prime minister, unconstitutional office

This weeks News Articles at merinews contributed by Citizen Journalist

Iron ore exports: Long-term implications
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The government has hastily decided to export iron ore, perhaps to offset the depletion of forex reserves in view of the spiraling oil costs. But is it prudent?
Tags: export, iron, commerce, steal, industry, sail, tata steal, j j irani, government, india
Trackback: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=123889&catID=8&category=Business&rtFlg=rtFlg

A Hard Fact by World Institute for Development Economic Research (WIDER)
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Facts are stranger than fiction. And, it’s an established fact now that 1 per cent of the world adults account for $125 trillion or 45 per cent of the total world’s wealth. These gains could not have been made without globalization.
Tags: wealth distribution, World Institute for Development Economic Research, WIDER, study, research
Trackback: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=123884&catID=8&category=Business

Indian judiciary redeems itself
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Recent decisions taken by the Indian courts have helped in reaffirming the lost faith of the common citizens in the judiciary. These decisions reinforce that all citizens are equal before law.
Tags: india, court, judiciary system, history, tis hazari, delhi, citizens, shibu soren, jmm, novjot singh sidhu, sanjay dutt, imprisionment
Trackback: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=123882&catID=2&category=India

Dear friends

It’s a change of season and a change of scene. As winter brings in the soft, pleasing sun, www.merinews.com is set to change its flavour and offer the myriad shades of life fused with the citizen’s voices on merinews.  Now that you will be stepping out more often under the pleasing winter sun, you will see and discover things you would like to share with the others. Like always, you can write a piece on things that strike you or hold your attention or simply key in your experiences. Soon you will be able to submit your images online for the world to see. Yes, you got it right — merinews is getting photo-enabled! This means that from now on, any photograph — taken either from your digital camera or your cellphone — can be posted on merinews for fellow citizens to see and appreciate. Posting the photograph is just as easy as sending in your articles. If you are new to merinews, you only need to register, create a user Id and password to upload the images from the convenience of your desktop. So go clicking this winter to capture and share the good, the bad and the ugly world around you! Team merinews

Pick of the Posts

Trial by media: Stop the menace It’s becoming a pernicious media practice to blame the accused in a crime even before the judiciary’s ruling. To stop this, the courts would be right in issuing a gag order for cases that are sub-judice. more…

Tags: trial, media, judiciary system, article

The Saddam trial: Liberation or judicial assassination? The verdict on Sunday puts Saddam to the gallows. What the western world and power blocs show as liberation may be a well-planned judicial assasination. more… Tags: saddam trial, assassination, iraq, invasion, judicial system

The India Social Forum [NEW DELHI , 9-13 NOVEMBER 2006]

Action or Reaction?

For a live report please visit http://www.merinews.com/isf/indiasocialforum.jsp

If we look for another world then to discuss the how part is really very important. I feel that our political leaders were blind folded while fighting for our rights during freedom movement. What we now see around us is more corruption and unorganized law & order than the British Era. Why freedom then? I would like to think about the injustices which took place every now n then in Ethiopia or Afghanistan … but it really do not make any sense to me to ignore the issues right underneath my nose … so let us priorities problems and our ways to fix them … if we agree to the fact that action speaks more than words than let us discuss what can be those actions …

We can write volumes on issues … and talk on length … does it going to help those who have no education? Does it going to feed hungry people? Does it going to bring subsiding farmers out of their debt trap? Does it going to help Jessica Lal to get her share of justice? Does it going to help unborn girls for whom world is getting unsafe everyday? Does it going to alarm those corrupt politicians and bureaucrats who are making fortune through fooling around? Does it going to establish peace among Maoist or insurgents? Does it going to keep Pepsi & Coca Cola out of market?

The list of issues will keep on growing , so the volumes. I myself have seen how effectively we used to discuss issues in our university campus … so many friends and teachers used to turn out in such meetings. And I’ve also seen people who make no sense and are real good in eating free pettish or bread pakoda along with chai. Still the same will keep on happening, unless until we seriously think of action against odd situations. Believe me, by talking we can’t make the world green.

So, I feel that it’s too much that I’ve written …so I may myself land up writing volumes like many of my able friends … I must get back to action with the hope that in future, we, thorough this community will discuss more on actions than the obvious reactions…

Tags: indian, india, world, asian, social, forum, ISF, wsf, WSF-INDIA, 9 to 13, convention, delhi, social nerworking, merinews

Traditional Media: We Are Secular!

Why do not fake secular media and others take Afzal hanging on the same spirit? Is mercy for Afzal not for votes only? Sonia said to Delhi traders “We are with you”. To day who faces water cannons?

Anupam Kher’s Selfless fight for getting justice to Mattoo

Anupam Kher was sacked from censor board to blame that he is a swayamsevak of RSS. Communal Kher selflessly came forward in the move for getting jusice for Mattoo. Congress CM of J & K Gulam of Afzal with other two CMs, Congress, NCP, CPM and other parties leaders were weeping for Afzal.

Youth Congress leaders’ role

Two more cases similar to Mattoo case are in the media highlight. Tandoor Sharma former leader of Youth Congress got punishment from the court. A Delhi Police constable investigated what he suspected to be a fire and came across the manager trying to fuel the fire in the tandoor. Culprit said he was burning Congress flags and campaign material, but the constable, Nazim Kunju, found the burning body of Naina.

Another case related to Jesica Lal murder case is pending before the court. Manu Sharma accused, is the son of former minister and Congress leader Vinod Sharma. One of Manu’s aunts is a daughter of erstwhile President of India, Shankar Dayal Sharma.

To day we should decide this. To marrow will be late. Communal Anupam Kher uptill today does not meet the family member of Mattoo. He selflessly threw himself in the move of ‘Justice for Mattoo’. He has no intimacy with the Mattoo’s family. And what shoul we say to the leaders who seeks mervy for Afzal?

Why role of religion in the secular India?

Fake secular leaders and media human activists boldly initiated ‘Save Afzal’ Move with a selfish motto. They will also succeeded in their move and hanging of Afzal stayed.

Santosh Singh hanging will be the second example of same type crime after the hanging of Dhanjay Chatterjee. Why in secular country religious deffernciation between these two and Afzal? Why religious head counting is going on? Why security forces and the people are being divided on religion and caste basis?

Role of media in Santosh and Afzal

The role of the media and the public has been constructive in nailing the police and the judiciary to act in favour of truth and justice. Should the same not be in forcing the leaders to behave in the interest of the safety of the people and the nation?

Channels are asking every public figure about the role of media in the Mattoo case. Ashok Pandit of Bollywood who is the nearest to Matto family said the credit for the sentencing went "110 percent" to the media, which he said was responsible for highlighting the injustice done by the lower court. Do we need media to takeup each and every case and is it possible for media?? People may say the credit for the staying Afzal’s hanging went double of 110 % to the fake secular media and leaders.

Another family member rightly thanked "I thank the millions of people in Delhi, outside Delhi and also abroad who stood by us through e-mail and other forms of protest.". No doubt this type of awareness is necessary.

The statement should be welcomed. More than this awareness is also necessary against the terrorists. Are crimes of terrorists less brutal than the Santosh Singh and Dhanajay? We should ask ourselves what and who did for hanging or saving the Afzal. Definition of traitor and patriot, secular and communal can be got after getting the answer of this most important question. This is not the question of only a family but this is the question of whole nation.

Dhanjay Chatterjee & Santoslh Singh Vs Afzal

Government of India has apparently reserved article 72 for grant of mercy to terrorist such as parliament attacker Afzal and hardened criminals whose cases are pleaded by foreign powers. Foreign nationals, who were convicted in the famous Purulia arms drop case, were pardoned even though they did nothing to demonstrate remorse.

Similarly, in extradition proceedings from European countries (recent case being of Abu Salem and his associate Monica from Portugal) Government of India routinely gives undertakings that the President will use his powers under article 72. If Dhananjoy, during his stay at prison, had made or Santosh Singh makes friends with some cronies of Dawood, he could have affected a jailbreak and fled to Portugal. After his arrest in Portugal, Government of India would have guaranteed a pardon from the President and he could have returned without any fear of death penalty.

Prince of haryana Vs Factory of terrorism

Beforre two days I read news that army in more than 10 hours save a drunker who felled in the mud. It is good. Every human life should be saved. Saving of ‘Prince’ little of Haryana in the well was necessary but saving of thousands and thousands of innocent boys is also necessary who are being pushed in death well of terrorism. Pakistani army helicopters killed around 80 al Qeda suspected militants to day on Oct 30 in a dawn attack on a religious madarsa. It is being said that attack was made without giving prior warning and in the night which is against the Islam. Can secular India dare this? `Don’t execute him (Afzal) during the month of Ramzan,’ has been pleaded by Congress CM of J & K. On the days of Ramzan terrorists attacked on CRPF and innocent people to hide in a hotel of lal chowk Srinagar was a pious act.

Rarest of rare case

Earlier in the day, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Monday argued for death to Santosh Kumar. Additional Solicitor General A.K. Sinha said it was a "rarest of rare case" as the crime was committed in a diabolical and dastardly manner. Attack on Parliament was also a rarest of rate in the history of Democracy of the world. Judiciary did its job. But our fake secular media leaders could not take the Afzal’s crime seriously. They dishonor the brave security officers who sacrifice their lives to save even so called fake secular parliamentarians.

Fake secular leaders should think. What would be if these security jawans decide not to save them? Top to bottom, poor to rich, security force to leaders all should be devoted for the safety of each other and for the security of the country.

Judiciary Vs politicians

At present only judiciary is active all other three pillars of the democracy are affedted by the disease of selfish disease. On the matter of reservation mainly they want to go against the judiciary and the constitution only for seeking votes. But what are judges getting benefits by delivering historical decisions?

Decision a precedent, a deterrent

One family member of Mattoo described the decision as "a historic judgement" that would set "a precedent, a deterrent". Order of Supreme Court on Afzal hanging would be a precedent, a deterrent if the fake secular leaders who seek mercy for Afzal would be punished.

Daughter of Santosh and son of Afzal

Santosh Kumar’s counsel R.K. Naseem had sought life imprisonment, saying his conduct had been clean after the murder. He said Santosh Kumar was young and had a two-year-old daughter besides a mentally challenged elder brother to take care of.

Afzal Guru’s seven-year-old son Ghalib accompanied Guru’s wife Tabassum to Rashtrapati Bhawan, requesting clemency for him, told the President that his dream was to become a doctor and for that he needed his father around. ‘I cannot fulfil my dream if you hang my father’.

One should take Ghalib to meet the innocent orphan kids of Kashmiri Pandits, who are lying on the streets for that they needed their fathers around.Can the Seekers of pardon for Afzal bring back their father’s who were killed without reason by many Afzals?

No sorry by Afzal: Bin mange moti mile, mange mile naa bhikh

Santosh Kumar Singh was present outside the courtroom and broke down when he heard the verdict. His father J.P. Singh, a senior retired Delhi Police official, consoled him.

Afzal never even said sorry for the crime he committed. He smiled to hear the death penalty.

1. Afzal did not write letter for mercy to the President Kalam.
2. Without receiving letter from Afzal why mercy under consideration?
3. On the basis of fake hearing why hanging stayed?
4. Neither Afzal nor his wife accepts Kashmir as a part of India. Musharraf book contains Kashmir in Pakistan in his book: In the line of fire. Why book of Musharraf is being sold in India against the prevailing law?

Afzal is no threat but Santosh Singh is threat

"Keeping this in mind, we can say that he is a threat to society and, therefore, deserves the harshest punishment," the court ruled. "Even while in jail for three-and-a-half years, his good conduct has been appreciated by the jail authorities," Defence Council said. After getting bail also he kept himself under the law.

Verdict will send a strong message to those powerful people who consider themselves above the law. But mercy seekers for Afzal are above the law. They seek votes only and so called NGOs human activists want to act only for money even against the national interest.

Tags: role of media, secularism, politician, mattoo’s case, santosh singh, afzal clemency, article, citizen journalism

Suggested Reading:
Santosh verdict: Media reverses the free run
Mattoo case: Justice delayed, not denied

I think… Therefore I blog!

Cogito ergo blog. Rene Descartes wouldn’t have imagined that his most famous tenet could be bastardised that far. For, blogging is not just the rage in cyberspace today, but the narcissistic recluse of many a cyber-junkie.

So, first of all, who are bloggers? Bloggers are independent writers, who, with their blogs, comment upon or write about anything and everything under the sun.
And a ‘blog’ could be closely defined as a daily dairy, which is online for the world to read, and to comment upon. And don’t forget the miracles of hyperlinking.

Blogging started off as a uber-geek practise of posting messages on internet forums. Those were the days when connectivity was the domain of a privileged few. The term ‘weblog’, long for ‘blog’, wasn’t even coined then.

The personalisation of online forums followed. Writers began recording their own thoughts in a private space. "Weblogging" had begun. The term ‘blogging’ however was coined only in 1999 by Peter Merholz. The Oxford Dictionary recognised it as a noun and a verb, only in 2003.

Now, back to "blogs as a narcissistic recluse". Basic blogging decorum requires you to write with a pseudonym. The pseudonym often allows you the freedom to speak out about something without the hassles of being recognised.

The Internet is anyhow a domain free of general censorship. This allows a blogger to sketch a description of the world, coloured by his own bias and prejudice. Like TeenQueen’s blog, "Confessions of The Teenaged Mind". The 18 year old blogs her angry rants against the world and its people.

"Or you can call it the absolute masturbation of thought", adds a blogger who goes by the name of ‘Alfredo’. "It brings intellectual and creative self-gratification. It’s for people who feel the compulsion to blurt out their deepest thoughts onto a paper and yet want people to read it", says Alfredo.

The uber-geeks started off by recording their arcane musings on HTML, PERL, CGI etc on their blogs. As the blogging rage caught on, more humanisation of content followed.

Poetry, philosophies, essays, viewpoints, all found an easy way to be communicated to the masses. Now blogging is a medium in its own. And its scary how it cuts down on broadcast and publishing costs.

Closer home, blogs are being publised in Hindi, Bengali, Malyalam, Tamil, Telegu and other local languages. The Hindi Blogging Ring, christened Hindi Chittha Jaalmudrika, is a fast growing community. A good directory of language websites would be indiebloggies.blogspot.com, which hands out awards in various categories to Indian bloggers.

Hardcore bloggers now have their own communities and meetings too. Delhi too has such a forum, Delhi Bloggers Meet, where the Delhi bloggerati hobnob. Visit delhiblogmeet.rediffblogs.com for more information.

And if you aren’t blogging already, hop on to the bandwagon soon. See you there… in the blogosphere!

Tags: blogosphere, blogging, indepndent media, citizen journalist

Does Gandhi really need any peace prize, whether it is Nobel Prize or anything else?

Nobel Committee Regrets to Miss Gandhi

‘The greatest blunder done in the 106 years of Nobel foundation that Mahatma Gandhi did not receive Nobel Peace Prize’ this is statement made by Geir Lundestad, secretary, Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Mahatma Gandhi was shortlisted for the Nobel Peace prize as many as five times in 1946, 1947, 1948 and two times before World War II.

Today the Nobel committee are regretting on its past decisions.

The Euro-centric perception could have blamed for the decision not to award Nobel Peace Prize to Gandhi.

Does Gandhi really need any peace prize, whether it is Nobel Prize or anything else? They did not recognize Gandhi as the man who fought for peace and non-violence, this is there fault. They are regretting for that. I rate Mahatma Gandhi above these awards.

Related Article: Nobel peace prize: Well deserved, but…

Tags: bangladesh, Dr. Younus, Global Events, GrameenBank, nobel, nobelpeaceprize, opinions, Politics, Taj Hashmi

New Window version in telangana by Microsoft

Bill Gates announced that Microsoft plans to release a windows version in telangana. Here are some Windows related terms that are proposed to be used in the telangana version of "kitkeel rendvel" (Windows2000):

Keywords
==================
Microsoft windows 2000=ginta anta metha kitkeel rendvel
search = devulaadu
Save = bachainchu
Save as = gitla bachainchu
Save All = anni bachainch
Help=Nannu bachainchu
Find=ethku
Find Again=malla ethku
Move=sarkainch
Zoom=peddagachei
Zoom Out=shinnagachei
Open=tervu
Close=mooi
New=kothadi
Old=pathadi
Replace=maarcheyi
Insert= Nadimitla vettu
space=jaaga
Backspace=enka jaaga
Run=vurku
Copy=gatlane
Cut=koi
Paste=atki
Paste Special=peshal atki
Delete=teesipadey
View=soodu
Tools=mutlu
Toolbar=mutla gottam
Exit=igavori
Compress=gunju
mouse=elka
Forward=idkelli aadki
Scrollbar=thippudu gottam
Errors=nee notla mannu vada

Tags: window, telangana, microsoft, lacal language