A Uniform Civil Law Code

It has always been said that India is a nation with unity in diversity. A nation which defies believing that any one religion is all potent and vital, a nation under whose aegis, a Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Christian all are equal.

But still there is one thing absent in the nation which restrains in from being the paramount exemplary of being a nation equipped with equality for all, the things which continues to haunt our desired prospects of equality is the absence of a civil union code from the nation’s law files.

Equality can never be attained until each and every person of the nation feels that he is at par with all other. Even if one person is slave, the whole nation is a slave because nation is itself composed of various people. Therefore even if one person of the nation feels that he is being treated unequally and not up to the desired standards, then surely there is something wrong in the nation which is halting it from attaining the desired standards of equality. In India’s case this is the unavailability of a “Uniform Civil Code” for the whole nation.

Today on one side our nation boasts of an equal society with great foundation and respect but on the other hand, we are made to observe some citizens being dealt with more care and precision. Take for example the appeasement policy which has been in use for more than four or five decades. Political parties try to win in India not the basis of their merits, not on the basis of the qualities and strength of their leaders but merely by developing vote banks by trying to appease various section of the society. The governments at the center in order to book their place in the Lok Sabha for the next terms appeased Muslims by making several laws for them which were in coordination with their religion’s laws. The government even made changes to the constitution and made provisions for laws relating to marriage of Muslims according to their own laws thereby executing the Muslim Shariat law. Still the Muslim Personal Law Application Act. 1937 providing for application of Islamic law code of shariat to Muslims in India in their personal affairs and something that is dramatically grave in this matter is that All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) which is the body executing laws on personal affairs of the Indian Muslims is an antagonist of the Right of Children for free and compulsory education act, 2009 and also defies considering any changes in the divorce procedure in Muslim marriages. This act even blatantly supports child marriages and is a detractor of Child Marriage Restraint Act.

Despite of vehemently denying to follow the beliefs of Indian judicial system, this body still continues to function and even with huge government funds and allowances.

Is thing providing the people of the nation with equality? Where no one is in fact equal in front of the law. Isn't this ridiculous that despite of boasting of being world’s greatest democracy and having humongous diversity in anything the denizens of the nation are not equal?

Through my this article I am neither criticizing anyone nor blaming anyone, I am just asking for equality for all which can only be established through a uniform civil law code which will “truly” make everybody equal in front of law.

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT

JAI MA BHARTI

The black money conundrum.

Contemporarily the whole of the nation’s politics is in turmoil. All the political parties are teaming up to make one task successful i.e. to engulf the Bhartiya Janata Party on the topic of the list of Indian account holders in tax havens.

Though BJP talked at length about the issue during the Lok Sabha elections and even condemned the UPA government for not abiding by the Supreme Courts rulings over forming Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter of black money stashed in foreign accounts.

Though the issue has always been a invigoration source for the opposition parties but this time it was recently mooted up by the Indian Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley who in an interview talked about the government’s plan on fetching back black money. Soon all this turned to a heated debated when all the parties jumped in to contradict the points of Mr. Jaitley and to prove that BJP government has not done much that is ample to bring back black money from foreign nations. After this, the government released names of three people in the media of three businessmen. This further led to exacerbation of the furor. All the parties just plunged into the battleground and started blaming the government of having vested interests in not revealing the name of all the people on the list. The government remained silent on the issue but denied showing any favoritism to any businessman or corporate house.

The next day, Supreme Court too plunged into the matter, reprimanding the government for not giving the list of names to the court. Though the government said that it can lead to restraining of the process of getting more names out, but the supreme courts didn’t listen anything and demanded the list. Eventually the government submitted the list bearing 627 names to the Supreme Court and said that more than half of the people on the list are having illegitimate accounts abroad though many are also having legal accounts, thereby an investigation would be done on the basis of the list given to the court and according to the government the charges would be framed by March next year against the culprits who have stashed money in foreign accounts.

Though the steps which have been taken by the government are stiff and laudable but still more needs to be done in the matter because the black money deposited by Indians in foreign banks is in deluge and therefore the efforts to brink it all back must also be done in plethora.

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat

Jai Ma Bharti

India Pakistan conflict.

Modi government’s policy on Pakistan has been truly unprecedented. No other government has ever taken such stiff steps against this recalcitrant neighbor in the path but surely Modi government has turned on a new lease of relations with Pakistan.

After the promulgation of the cease fire agreement between India and Pakistan, Pakistan has always been belligerent and has been breaking the cease fire protocol at the border in order to provoke India and instigate the Indian army for skirmish. But the previous Indian governments never asked the army to retaliate thus leading to even martyrdom of many Indian soldiers over a period of last ten years due to vicious one side firing from the Pakistan. Pakistan even broke all the barriers of barbarism by decapitating two Indian soldiers and even took their heads off with themselves after illegitimately entering Indian soil.

When Pakistan was finally crushed to defeat in 1998 Kargil war and it was shown how much it amounts to in front of India, Pakistan started using a policy of stab in the back and duplicity towards India. On one side, their Prime Minister would talk about excessive cooperation between the two neighbors and on the other hand, on the border their army would meddle up in cease fire agreement violations. On one hand, its Prime Minister sheds crocodile’s tears of being stricken by terrorism, on the other hand the Pakistan army funds most wanted terrorists like Dawood Ibrahim, Al Qaida chiefs and would organize training camps for terrorists on its soil in order to prepare them for insurgency and attacks in India. Though the whole world knows about such reprehensible measures taken up by Pakistan, but still Pakistan, an Asian black sheep, continues carrying out its programs without being ashamed. Pakistan dubiousness is so much high that one hands, it begs for good cooperation and Indian funds and on the other side its army reveres terrorists like Hafiz Saeed, mastermind of the 26/11 attacks, the great assault on Indian security.

The previous government condemned Pakistan but never rebuked it as much stiffly as Narendra Modi’s government has done. Soon after taking office, Mr. Modi, as a good gesture, invited Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif for his inauguration ceremony. Everything went on well but a few months back when India and Pakistan were going to go for a foreign secretary talk, just a few days back Pakistani high commissioner Abdul Basit announced his proposed meeting with Hurriyat leaders in Kashmir. Indian government decried the announcement and threatened of dire consequences, but still Pakistani high commissioners followed his schedule and Indian government afterwards cancelled all diplomatic talks with Pakistan. Pakistan even raised this matter on UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) meeting but Indian Prime Minister slapped a fine response to Pakistan by saying that India vehemently denies having any talks with Pakistan under the shadow of duplicity and terrorism and that if Pakistan is ready to leave all aspects of terror before coming on the desk to discuss matters with India.

Pakistan, addicted to terrorism, could not leave terrorism and hence India rebutted any diplomatic talk. After that, notwithstanding being ashamed of its bad deed towards India and in spite of being reprimanded by the whole world over its affiliation with terrorist organizations, Pakistan started violating cease fire regulations again but this time, India retaliated and Pakistan was shown that India, is a peaceful nation, but if Pakistan attacks its integrity and security, India will crush Pakistan to pieces.

But now many security experts are voicing their concerns against this move of India. They are saying that retaliation by Indian forces is not the appropriate move as this will lead to worsening of relations between the two global states and that cease fire has led to lessening of terrorist insurgency from Pakistani side and therefore India should not violate the ceasefire.

Though to some extent this view is justified, but I believe that relations between India and Pakistan have never been good so what to think about their worsening, and besides this Pakistan needs to retorted back too for its unpleasant deeds against India and this neighbor must be mended and therefore to a large extent, I believe that this policy of Modi government is totally right.

I believe that Pakistan needs to be given an answer for all its unjustified acts against India so as to safeguards Indian credibility, integrity and security.

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT

JAI MA BHARTI

Strive to success

I don’t know how much difficult your life is,

I don’t know how much hurdles you have gone through,

I don’t know how much pain engulfs you,

But I do know one thing,

That you are born to be great,

You are born to rise up the world’s hate,

Humongous may be the problems that shroud you,

Harsh would be that pain that pursue,

But you are great and invincible,

And I know that you are deserving and able,

Others never try because they fear being failed,

But to reach success, you need to face thousands of gales,

Every great work requires something extraordinary,

Thousands of hours of pain would be needed,

Many sacrifices and needs would go unheeded,

People might laugh at you, deeming you insane,

Because you are not of their breed and they are inane,

Whenever you shoot high,

This world being jealous would try to thwart your fly,

Attempts would be made to change your goals,

But in your court always, lies the ball,

Whether you want to go back, do what others do,

Or whether you want to change the world’s view,

If you go back, you would die sans any fame,

But if you move ahead, you will be for forever a great name,

Life is indeed a game,

Don’t play it for just sake of name,

You are born great,

Greatness is everybody’s innate,

The thing is how you maintain it notwithstanding others hate.

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT

JAI MA BHARTI

Endangered Congress.

Today, India politics stands at one of the most unprecedented places it has ever been. Today Bhartiya Janata Party(BJP) leads the nation and continues on its winning streak elsewhere in the nation too, bagging big states like Haryana and Maharashtra without much striving and the Grand old party of India which was once supposed to be the only one having the power to rule the nation is now one the third or fourth place in various states not even what we call as “near” to BJP. Such circumstances are an unusual and almost incredible site. The party which once ruled the whole of the nation is today caught in the shackles of defeat and that too because of the family which started it all.

The consequence that we see today have not just suddenly appeared. Rome was not built in a day and just like this Congress was not devastated in a day too. Till 1991, it was believed that no one except the scions of Nehru-Gandhi family could rule the nation, Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao whipped this conjectural theory to the ground, after becoming the first non-Gandhi to run the whole nation and that too for five year and even starting the era of modernizing Indian economy. Mr. Rao is today known as the father of liberation of Indian economy and is truly the pioneer of the policies that we follow today and he did all that without being a member of Nehru-Gandhi family. Till 1996 those who believe that non-Gandhis can’t run the nation started saying that a non-Congress government can’t go on for five years. But fortunately courage and determination to serve that nation is not a pawn of Congress or any other family of the nation. Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee came up as a rising superstar of the Indian politics and crushed all the antagonists to near death by running the government for complete five years, and that too with humongous success, giving India the road network plans, better infrastructure and even winning the Kargil War thereby, silencing the most menacing neighbor of India, Pakistan. This dashes all the contradictory opinions against the non-Gandhis and non-Congressmen leaders.

But then again, History repeated itself, Congress got the first term with coalition government as UPA-I and managed it well and with no effective leader from any other party, Congress got the second chance when it reentered Lok Sabha as UPA-II with some other folks. But this time, the party neared its domination’s end. Scams, corruption, nepotism sucked the nectar out of the party and gave the nation one of the worst governments headed by an accidental prime minister being controlled by others. In 2014 election took place, the whole nation voted against the Congress. Rahul Gandhi, who was defeated in most of the other election due to his indifference towards Indian politics and his reluctance to be with people in their time of need, was shown the way out with Congress and people observe as shrewd and astute, deserving Prime minister in Narendra Modi who would serve the nation for better.

This time Congress was trounced harsh to the ground experiencing one of its greatest defeats, not even becoming eligible of having its own leader of opposition in the house. Since then, the Congress has been on a losing spree. Whether its state or any other election, Congress is regularly been defeated to the hilt, not even being able to get the second spot in the voting share.

Now the Grand Old Party is facing its worst crisis ever and with weak leaders with no exception leadership to take it out of the harsh conditions, situation looks much more in despair and the future of the party in sixes and seven.

Now we just have to see, if the Congress can get itself overhauled or if the future has something else for it.

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT

JAI MA BHARTI

A warning to dragon.

Recently Indian home minister Mr. Rajnath Singh voiced his concerns and vision of cooperation with China by saying that, “We need peace with China but not at the cost of our honor.” Mr. Singh, sans any skepticism struck the right chord by saying so.

Although it’s a true fact that since the deadly and agonizing Sino-Indian war of 1962, neither India nor China has been able to bag each other’s confidence in-toto. Though there have been many developments, both the nations are collaborating under various fields of science, technology etc., trade between both the nations has risen exuberantly but still the scars of the 1962 war continue to haunt both of them.

After the 1962 war, India made various attempts in order to again normalize the conditions but Beijing has long been apathetic towards all the steps taken by the New Delhi and despite of working over ameliorating cooperation and harmony between both the nations, China has been constantly hurting Indian sentiments of brotherhood and India’s vision of peaceful neighbourhood by regular illegitimate insurgencies of Chinese forces in the Indian territory and by asserting its unjustified influences on various disputed areas of both the nations.

In September this year, more than 50 Chinese troops entered the Chumar region of Ladakh and more than 35 soldiers even entered into the India territory and stationed themselves there. This was in fact not the first incursion by the Chinese soldiers, many had been conducted out in the past, and in some case the Chinese military even threatened some inhabitants near the border posts of dire consequences against India.

But one of the most disgusting things is that the previous governments never even bothered to check it up. Despite of reprimanding China on international forums, the previous governments just deferred the matters thus exacerbating the conditions at the borders and thereby promoting illicit Chinese missions.

Arunachal Pradesh too has suffered a lot due to regular Chinese incursions and threats. Despite of knowing that Arunachal Pradesh has always been and will always be an integral part of India, China regularly tries to assert its ownership over Arunachal Pradesh as a measure to instigate India.

Today the relations with China need to be mended and China needs to be shown that India has also improved a lot since 1962 and that now we can even show China what its really up to. Therefore in the 53^rd Raising Day of ITBP Force, Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced that ITBP border outposts would be more than doubled and unmanned aerial vehicles would be deployed for effective surveillance. The move is surely a good one and would lead to infusion of more than 10,000 more soldiers in the area. With this the Home Minister also announced to sanction a package of around Rs. 175 crores for repair and maintenance of border infrastructure. The move came after China made objections to Indian army’s act to repair and build the requisite border infrastructure in the Arunachal Pradesh and this step surely is a tit for tat for China. The Home Minister said, "India wants peace with China, but it cannot be at the cost of national honour and any compromise on the territorial integrity of the country. The infrastructural development on the Indian side of the border with China is necessary for facilitating our forces. There should be no concern for any infrastructural development on our side of the border from our neighbours. Any issue along the border can be resolved through negotiations in a peaceful and cordial manner." 

The move taken by the Home Ministry surely says much about the Indian power and also its vision with its neighbour. India will try to do everything to maintain peace and brotherhood but if the other side transcends its limits India will never endure any infliction of pain on its own people and India surely means it.

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT

JAI MA BHARTI

Crony Capitalism-A poison

Contemporarily, one of the toughest problems which Modi government has encountered is of “crony capitalism”. Crony capitalism continues to confront the Modi government and has been an uneasy hurdle in the way of the success of Indian economy.

Today India faces a very deadly and illegitimate combination of politics combined with business which continues to eat up most of the progress of Indian economy. This collusion between the politics of the nation with some big corporates houses of the country is conducive to complete domination of the whole of Indian market by some old players leading to in-toto death of entrepreneurship and innovation.

After India got independence, many of the famous businessmen of that time had previously worked as freedom fighters but on gaining independence and opening their respective industries, these people parted away from the government and the government too didn’t feel it requisite to erect a cozy relationship with them. But soon this layout of the relations of Government and corporate houses changes its course, leading to complete overhaul of the government policies. When Rajiv Gandhi came to power in the year 1984, the relationship between the government and private enterprises made a transition. The liberalization agenda of Rajiv Gandhi demanded a fillip from the corporate houses and in order to do that Rajiv Gandhi reduced the distance between corporate houses and government thereby increasing proximity between the two leading to crony capitalism.

After the demise of Rajiv Gandhi, though the new relationship continued but with slower pace and halved interest. But the history repeated itself again, when UPA-1 rose to power and made a redux of the time of Rajiv Gandhi, again renovating the relationship between the government and business houses and this led to the formation of a complete labyrinthine of crony capitalism and thereby begetting an epoch of depreciation of Indian economy.

The crony capitalism has led to complete monopoly of only some businesses over the whole of Indian economy. Some big corporate houses, took cover of whole of the Indian market finally leading to completely suppression of the new enterprises and thereby becoming the cause of decline of innovations and new competitors in the Indian market.

Now the Modi government surely needs to take some stiff steps in order to restrain this crony capitalism.

The first thing that the government needs to do is to go beyond the famous companies like top 100 etc. in order to promote competition in the market and the birth of some new companies. If the government sticks to this principle rather than always choosing the same players, surely huge changes can be inculcated in the system.

Second thing is to promote FDI in export industries. This step could lead to entry of some new players in the field and can surely give rise to a healthy competition putting a full stop to the monopoly of only a few power corporate houses and giving birth to new blood and technology in the field.

The third thing is to promote the ease of doing business. India is currently considered one of the worst place to do business and this leads to the burial of many companies which have not even been founded. The red tapes in the procedures to get clearances for various projects, industries etc. eventually kill the alacrity of the companies to start their project here, again giving the reins to the previously entrenched companies, again leading to the transfer of power back to the same hands.

Crony Capitalism has long been a venom for the whole nation, which has always lead to demise of entrepreneurship and innovation thereby abating the growth of the Indian economy.

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT

JAI MA BHARTI

YOU WOULD NEVER GET IT AGAIN.

You crave for what you never got,

And what God gifted you, you never found that hot,

Its our tendency to run behind a lucrative thing,

But as time goes by we throw our passion for that in the bin,

Everything in this world has a unique importance,

Everything around you has a great sense and essence,

But you are always crazy about that,

Which you have never got,

We do it with everything in life,

What ever it may be,

When you finally realize you love, passion,

When you replenish your obsession,

We take that thing for which we were once ready to die,

As simply unworthy and satisfying,

But go and ask those, who have not even got a bit,

Of what you have been rewarded with,

But surely a day will come,

When everything will be gone,

You would be left unsatiated,

You life would become eluded,

Then you would cry,

Then you would shout,

You would curse yourself,

You would miss that time,

And say, "Oh! God, why is not that mine",

But unfortunately life necessarily, not always gives a second chance,

That thing would go to someone else sans having any glance,

At you.

Therefore I say,

Wait for a moment,

Before making a success plan for a new achievement,

First secure what you have got,

Love what you have, a lot,

Because everything you have got is in itself, hot.

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT

JAI MA BHARTI

Modi wave still breathing.

Yet again, Mr. Narendra Modi has shown all his antagonists that, still now there is a tsunami waiting for them to be drowned. Just as the Lok Sabha elections were over, everybody although reluctantly conceded that yes they sank into the Modi wave, but just after some days, when BJP lost in some by polls of states, some said that Modi wave is lost but yet again Mr. Modi has shown them the way.

With the outcomes of the assembly elections of Maharashtra and Haryana, people have again exhibited their humongous desire for a change in the Congress regime which was in plenitude with scams and with this Mr. Narendra Modi has also enhanced the horizons of his mission of India without Congress.

For a long time, people have been pitching their voices for a change in their government which have been clad in the shroud of scams and notorious acts and the inability of the previous governments of the state of Haryana and Maharashtra in fulfilling their promises towards the citizens of the states was also a major factor which made people raise their voice their votes to show the people in the government that they are indeed the servants of the people and if they think of deceiving them, they are surely going to be at a loss.

In Haryana, BJP smashed all its previous records. BJP ameliorated itself with a +43 margin, reaching on top of the ladder as the single largest party with complete majority in hand. The transition of people from others to BJP happened due a lot of reasons. First of all, the government in Haryana was engulfed with allegation of scams and many other cases including the case of Robert Vadra and accusations made on him by Ashok Khemka. All this summed up to change the mood of people and at last we all know the consequence. People voted for a change, a transformation from a corruption bounded state to a full-fledged developed state with technology and advancement. Mr. Narendra Modi also played a key role in the victory of BJP with his splendid rallies gathering a huge support base for the BJP in order to boost the morale of the workers and with all this combined with the tireless effort of the workers of the party, BJP clinched a clear cut victory, trumping others back.

The next state which observed a resounding victory for the BJP was Maharashtra. In Maharashtra the faults of the Congress-NCP government combined with the charisma of BJP and at last the votes fell into the basket of BJP. The Adarsh scam which even resulted in the resignation of Ashok Chavan, former CM of Maharashtra proved to be a poison for the Congress party again and led to complete devastation of the party in the state.

One more reason behind BJP’s getting a lion’s share in the vote share of the state is the business friendly personality of the Prime Minister of India. Just after getting so many investment offers from Japan, China and especially United States of America, and also improving upon the foreign policies of the country especially with neighbors which need excessive investment from India, Modi has been able to woo the business families of the state and Mumbai being the financial capital of the country, voted in plethora for the BJP which has been able to establish itself as a pro-development party and this image credited votes to the account of BJP.

All this proves that Modi wave or NaMonia is still alive and the desire among the people to change is also humongous which has led to the flowing of votes to BJP and at last BJP won it all.

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT

JAI MA BHARTI

RISE UP AGAIN

If people deem you insane behind your passion,

If they consider, "nugatory" your obsession,

You are on the right path,

When you leave the flock,

When your ship sets sail and leaves the dock,

Other might throw stones in jealousy and pain,

But at last only those who have the courage to leave the shore, win the game,

Others might never want you to succeed,

They would never want you to leave their breed,

Being genius for them is a sin,

If you try to pursue your aim,

They would try to sabotage your game,

First even the God tries to get you barred,

The lord himself would try to get your respect marred,

Some might call you haughty,

The others proud and unworthy,

The invective may flow in deluge,

But keep in mind your aim is also very humongous and huge,

Never be fearful of such circumstances,

A stone fearful of hammer's beating,

Might never be able to mould itself according to a sculptor's feeling,

If you think about such people,

You might never be able to scramble up the ladder,

If you believe you can,

You can surely put a dent in the universe, then,

Start believing you talent and hard work,

It might take some beating, lots of pains and sacrifice,

But the success always feels nice,

One day they might realize that you are born to win,

They will then discard their prospects against you in the bin,

The rising son will be worshipped,

Your name, fame and everything will be relished,

But never ever stop in between,

If you do, you will go on to commit a sin,

Annihilate your vices and ameliorate your virtues,

One day you might rise up to rule.

Become a paradigm for others to follow,

To get a caravan, first you need to walk solo.

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT

JAI MA BHARTI

POVERTY-A CURSE AND STIGMA

Today a great day was observed around the day. A day to reinforce the need for a poverty-free planet, the day to again commemorate the principles against poverty which we need to take forward, today on 17-october-2014, International Day for Eradication of Poverty with the theme “Leave no one behind- think, decide and act together against extreme poverty.” The 2014 theme of the day clearly underscored the need as well as the exigency to help the upliftment of impoverished people from extreme poverty condition and to induce them in the actual world by allocating them requisite and basic facilities.

The international day for eradication of poverty was celebrated for the first time in the year 1993. In 1993, this day was deputed was the United Nations as a day to encourage people to help the paupers and destitute countries around the map of the world and to accouter them with the basic things that are indeed the right of every human being. This year too, the commemoration was done in the United Nations, New York in partnership with the International Movement ATD fourth world, the NGO Sub-committee for the Eradication of Poverty and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, supported by the Missions of France and Burkina Faso to the UN. 

Poverty is surely a reprehensible thing around the world, which leads to the slaying down of expectations, emotions, feelings and even the desire to live, of millions of people around the world. It would not be a wrong thing to quote here that poverty is actually a mass slaughterer which every year mows down million. 

The World Bank states that those living on less than $1.25 (per person) are stricken by extreme poverty and surprisingly more than a sixth of the world’s population doesn't even earn this much money per day. More than 1.4 billion of the world’s population live under this poverty line and this shows how much we need to work today.

In nations of African continent the situation of much worse. With no potable water supply and harsh diseases like AIDS and Ebola conditions of such nations have been exacerbated. With such a low income, people can’t even earn a three times meal for themselves and can hardly ever think of living even one day of their life peacefully.

On one side we have stepped on the Mars, but just like the other face of the coin, we also have people who would consider their life heaven if they just get two times meals for just one day. Though we have covered a long way, in around three decades we have helped uplifting around 15% of the world’s population out of poverty, and this surely is a great achievement. But rather than limiting or restraining ourselves, we should focus on a greater role. We should have a dream to bring about a day, where everyone would have perfect basic facilities, good education and poverty would be something primitive in this world. With advancements in technologies, we can surely cover a long distance, by helping the paupers out and to give every citizen of the world a good place to live because on this planet earth everyone has right for equitable distribution of resources and also the right to live.

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT

JAI MA BHARTI

Hudhud-Devastating lives

India, just recently felt the tremors of a disastrous calamity once again which jolted the whole nation in grief and pain. The cyclone Hudhud made the whole of Vishakhapatnam slip into pain and devastation summing up to cause a huge loss of property, land and lives.

Vizag has always been known as a city of destiny. After coming out of the annihilating effects of 2004 tsunami and the 1977 cyclone, the city has again been forced in the shackles of devastation. The cyclone Hudhud, completely ruptured the city’s electricity supply, also stopping the functioning of its airport an unfortunately also the stoppage of its steel industry.

More than 22 lakh people in the city had to face the humongously scaring effects of the Hudhud disaster thereby sending the denizens of the port city to complete darkness, with no electricity at homes and working area thereby forcing all to live like primitive humans. Even till Wednesday, only 5000 households were accommodated with the electricity supply.

One more inauspicious thing is that Visakhapatnam’s most important steel plant giving occupations and livelihood to thousands of the citizens of the city has been closed and there is no probability of its opening in the near four to six months. The whole of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is in complete ravages. Main reason behind such condition is that when the disaster struck the area, the blast furnaces were operating at full blast and just as the cyclone hit and electricity was snapped the steel was left in the furnaces only, and now it is next to impossible to extract the steel out of it. The closing of the steel plant has not only led to destruction of steel but also of the livelihood of so many people who have been dependent on the plant for such a long time for all of their money, thereby also hiking the danger of complete loss of occupation of many people.

The airport facility of this important city has also been disturbed due to damages sustained by the Visakhapatnam airport. The airport authorities have said nothing about the reopening of the airports after the required renovation but have signaled that restoration of airport will surely take some time due to the heavy damages incurred.

One more hapless thing that took place was the demise of more than 20 people in the cyclone which shook the whole nation. According to the government records, the death toll reached around 24 in the Andhra Pradesh coast.

This is surely a time for pain for the whole nation but now we need to stand united to support each other in this difficult time. I am really sad to see such a huge ruin of property and lives and my condolences go to the family of bereaved and I would like to assure them that the whole nation stands with them in this difficult hour.

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT

JAI MA BHARTI

LIGHT THE LAMP

Look for light,

Even if you are counting the last breath of your life,

Complacency and solipsism may be rife,

Troubles would be numerous and high,

But never stop looking for light,

Everyone might leave you,

People might hate you,

Problems might hate you,

Problems might abate you,

But you need to move on,

At times hate and defeat would shroud,

You would be engulfed by haughtiness' cloud,

But keep in your heart,

No success is success without touching the highest bar,

If you ever stop in between,

Be ready to live with,

A humongous stigma and scar,

Never stop even when darkness prevails,

You can be the one to light the knowledge's grail,

Just be different from the world,

At first, the world might hate,

But calm down and wait,

Compel others to acknowledge that you are great,

Even in the harshest adversities of life,

Never stop trying,

Try to trek the success' mountain even one inch high,

Keep in mind never shirk,

Be the best in your field and work.

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT

JAI MA BHARTI

This Diwali, let make a new beginning.

Nowadays the whole of the India has been clad in the festive atmosphere with brotherhood, peace and love prevalent in the whole of the air and the fragrance of festivals and sweets rife everywhere. Still now understood why? Diwali, India’s biggest festival is approaching faster and faster.

Diwali is India’s most charming and wonderful festival which is a melody for all the people around the nation. Diwali is a festival which inspires Indians around the globe to again make a new beginning, to forget the past failures and to against invite the Goddess of money Goddess Laxmi and the Lord of prosperity Lord Ganesh to our homes and therefore this festival means a lot to everyone.

Diwali’s origin from two Sanskrit words Deepa(lamps) and avail(row) meaning rows of lamps or light. This festival is celebrated not only in India but also in Singapore, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Suriname and Malaysia.

Diwali is a festival of light signifying the victory of good over evil, hope over despair, happiness over sadness, knowledge over ignorance and light over darkness. Diwali encourages us to again make a new commencement, to forget the nightmares of the past but to heed to the lessons of failure and therefore start a new beginning in itself which would go on to be prosperous, helpful to others and all in all wonderful.

Diwali dates back to ancient times in India, as a festival after the summer harvest in the Hindu calendar month of Karthikai. The festival is mentioned in Padma Purana, the Skanda Purana, and other Sanskrit Hindu scriptures; the divas (lamps) are mentioned in Skanda Purana to symbolically represent parts of sun, the cosmic giver of light and energy to all life, who seasonally transitions in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik.

According to Hindu mythology, this festival is one of the most pious and remarkable of all the celebrations of the Hindu calendar because on the auspicious day of Diwali, Shri Ram, one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu, came back to Ayodhya. According to Ramayana, Lord Ram, after defeating Ravana, king of Sri Lanka, and after completing his 14-year old exile, came back to his kingdom with Goddess Sita and Lord Hanuman. As the day of his return coincided with one of the darkest days of the year of new moon night of the unisolar month of Kartik, elated people of Ayodhya lit up lamps everywhere in the city of Ayodhya to nullify the darkness and to celebrate the homecoming of Shri Ram thereby signifying that no matter how much is the magnitude of darkness, despair, ignorance, calamities, lord is always there with us to devastate its effect, we just need to be calm and happy at all times and to keep in mind that “God helps those who help themselves”.

Diwali is celebrated over a period of five days. Dhanteras pioneers the beginning of the festival of Diwali. This day celebrates the churning of ocean and the birth of Goddess Laxmi and therefore on this day houses and offices are cleaned, decorated and renovated and in addition to that gold and silver articles and bought and Laxmi Puja is done in the evening.

The next day is Naraka Chaturdashi. On this day houses are decorated with floral designs on floors known as “Rangoli” and sweets are prepares to be sent to neighbourhood and relatives.

The third day is the paramount day of celebration also known as Diwali which marks the homecoming of Lord Ram. It is believed that on this day, Goddess Laxmi come on earth to fill the houses of people with prosperity and happiness and people also perform Laxmi Puja on this day to thank the goddess for the all the things they possess and asks the Goddess to remove all the hindrances in their path to success. Afterwards people go out, light lamps and burn crackers to celebrate this great day.

The fourth day is Padwa which is a special day for the married couples. On this day husbands give gifts to their respective spouses and this day is considered very pious for the married couples.

On this day Govardhan Pooja is also done to mark the event when Lord Krishan rose up the whole of Govardhan Mountain on his little finger to save the people of his homeland Gokul from excessive downpour.

The fifth and the last day is one of the most important days of Diwali which marks the loving and wonderful relationship between brother and sister involving gifts sharing, food sharing etc. to mark the humongous significance of this important day.

In this way Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated in India. This year, go out and celebrate Diwali with your friends, family and relatives and make a new beginning and also take a vow that you would never look back and would move on to do something large, to do something great.

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT

JAI MA BHARTI