Are changes taking place in modern warfare engineering system sustainable? Why or why not?

Few months back I came across the book, Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century by P. W. Singer. The essence of the book deals with a very tricky content taking into account the connection between imaginative scientific innovations and modern day military warfare. Before reading this book I had a totally different outlook towards the current military activities and politically volatile situations around the world. However after going through Dr. Singer’s book as well as hearing from him, the whole idea of modern warfare has changed in my mind.

With technological progress continuously taking place at a rapid pace, the future of wars seems to be taking an interesting turn. With the introduction of remote controlled weapons, robotic army men, unmanned bomber aircraft's, and nuclear weapons and stuff, I have no idea where these war related technologies are going to lead us. Are we going to get the age old and reliable human destiny of democracy, liberation, independence and liberty? Or do we again have to face the unavoidable sadistic clash of societies on a worldwide scale, due to introduction of these high-tech robotic war systems. The whole world knows the tragedies that people had to face due to different wars that have taken place until now. Be it the first and Second World War, the Gulf War, Indo-China war, war in Kargil, or the latest ones in Afghanistan and Iraq. These wars have caused loss of sovereignty, deflationary tendencies, and the worst of them an unstable world system. Use of technology in wars is ok to a certain extent. But whether a balance of these unmanned robotic engineering technologies is an adequate basis for survival as human beings or as a nation is a questions that needs to be asked.

It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention. I think that the upshot is also true; invention is the mother of necessity. Technology and communication are necessitating basic changes in our lives. Information has become accessible in all parts of the world. Due to this, dictatorial administrations in countries are feeling a strong pressure on themselves. The world is very much smaller. One thing we have to accept that even smallest of things, which are not even very serious, happening in certain part of the world can immediately be heard in other parts of the world – and consequences follow. Scientific innovations are stretching our minds and our grasp of reality to the outermost dimensions of our capacity to understand them. Efforts are being made to know more about the endless horizon of space, mysteries found in the great depths of our seas which are virtually unknown to us and to see whether there is life on Mars and water on the surface of Moon. The scientific education that we have still seems to be just a drop in the ocean. But scientists and researchers do what they are supposed to do. And as an indication of that more than 90000 scientific research papers and journals are written in a year so as to publish the flood of new techniques that come out of different places on the globe. But in recent years due to highly unstable social and political scenario in many parts of the world, ever increasing presence of active rogue and terrorist forces there has been a threat of collision between the good and the evil. Moreover with their capabilities for dangerous purposes and cruel intentions it was getting more and more serious to tackle this issue. Therefore in order to make sure that they seek security and try and reduce the problems that these extremists and chauvinists pose for the mankind, super powers like USA, UK, Japan started to think of some out of box, war systems. And in recent years what has turned out to be one of the most dramatic discoveries, remote controlled weapons are being used in the war-zones. The latest place to witness these modern battlefield marvels being Iraq.

Since ancient times there have always been conflicts between two different societies. Be it for political reasons, for wealth, for land, religious supremacy or for being a world power. Although it is seen that the difference between the ancient and the modern warfare, was mostly based on organization than on technology, but still in order to make sure that they do not lag behind in their might of weaponry and arms and ammunition, the countries always kept on working over improving their military strength. Early armies primarily used to have bows, arrows, spears etc. These were the same weapons the early armies used for hunting purposes. As time passed on, people felt that they needed improvements in the warfare technology. So we see that in early armies of Egypt and China massed infantry armed with bows and arrows was being used. Gradually more and more improvements were made with introduction of heavy cavalry, siege engines, and trebuchets. But due to introduction of Iron Age there was decline in the chariot warfare, and increase in the use of metal weapons. Then we witnessed large standing armies and use of military power. In the beginning of 20^th century urgency was seen in weaponry technology leading to development of long range guns, tanks, machine guns, flame throwers etc. All these weapons were very significant for the future development of war weapons. These deadly weapons were used widely in the First World War. In 1939 there was a growing conflict between the European and American countries, leading to a global military clash or Second World War. It lasted for almost seven years. This period required massive outpouring of manufacturing capabilities. There was a great fusion of man and machine, leading to world’s largest conflict. The growing use of technology was making its presence felt.

In the past 6-7 years the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have been a major source of debate. Lot has been said about the way the American military along with their allies handled the situation in these places. The Vietnam War which lasted for almost 20 years had already created a sense of insecurity, tension and doubt among the people of America. The tension was regarding the ability of government to win a war. And in the first decade of 21^st century the same feeling is gripping the entire nation again. Most of the effects of these wars are clearly seen and felt. In an effort to bring justice to their country, they decided to use all the power they had so as to teach the perpetrators, who created tremendous destruction, a nice lesson. In the attacks that took place in USA, there was a large scale destruction of human life, economy was badly affected, tourism got affected and most important of all there was insecurity among the people. Hence in there war against the terrorists along with the traditional war technologies in 21^st century which involved machine guns, tanks, aircraft carriers, atomic cannons, bofors guns, aircraft mounted guns, air launched missiles, rockets and torpedoes and bomber aircraft’s and helicopters, there was use of computer controlled weaponry of all kinds on such a large scale. There were robots from the size of small flies to a conventional robot similar to a normal human, being used on a large scale. These robots and other unmanned weaponry have been able to locate the culprits deep within caves. The remote controlled drones as they are called since the war in Afghanistan, take out terrorists from places where human soldiers find a difficult time to fight against their rival opponents. However as far as my personal opinion is concerned I am against the use of these high tech war systems. This technological escalation has since ancient times been a source of dominance of one civilization over another. In these wars up till now, millions of people have lost their life. Not just from the enemy side but even the soldiers who were fighting for their country had to sacrifice their life for their motherland. However these killings are still continuing and the end does not seem to be near.

Motives of sophisticated technology, modern engineering systems used in war, seem to have a deeper meaning and desire to me than just a triumph necessary over the evil. On one side it is said that it is important to conserve the human race while on other side each day along with hundreds of militants some innocent people have to die. It is ok that the modern robotic arms and unmanned weapons have been developed after years of research and hard work. But just like humans can make a mistake we cannot expect these weapons to 100% accurate in their tasks. As a result theses robots have unnecessarily killed too many people. It is not easy to distinguish between a culprit and a normal person, particularly in places where the entire surrounding is full of blood, sorrow and unhappiness. We cannot just rely on machines every time to be our slave. Machines have certainly made our life easier and happier. But to get work done from them especially for a volatile situation such as war seems difficult for me to understand. Every year millions and millions of dollars are being put into research and development of these deadly machines. Unfortunately I have a feeling that the authorities are keener on establishing their supremacy and worldly influence in general. The technological escalation and the increasing amount of time that is spent by the government in an engagement with these modern war tools may be literally showing us the inability to imagine and think in any other way to compete or show off their strength. Technological progress is good, but mindful utilization is the key here. It is well known that more the scientific and engineering development more will be the dependence of human beings on these highly efficient but dangerous machines. And more the dependence the chances of over utilization and being a slave to these “automatic men” increases. Also it is fine if these automatic weapons are used for the welfare of mankind. But if people start taking undue advantage of these weapons, then surely one or the other day, weapons are bound to backfire at some point in the future. Also nations in the hunt to be super powers try and get all the latest possible technologies, in this case getting equipped with robotic and unmanned weapons. But they should keep in mind that, this should not arouse ill wills in the mind of other world countries. What I mean here is if such weapons are used for showing up their prowess, then other countries will be forced to do more research on developing more technologically sound weapons, which are no good for environment and society. I feel that such a race is more dangerous for sustainability of these war systems. The cost of these weapons is very high, and for using them continuously over a period of time like in case of Iraq War, the participating countries had to spend millions of dollars to accomplish a war mission overseas. And in spite of doing this if they are not able to achieve success then what is the point of using them? There are still thoughts about the horror in Vietnam and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have created doubts about American judgment, about American credibility, about American power- not only at home but throughout the world. At least now the authorities should understand that robotic warfare is not going to solve their problem. The people know this and hence they no longer have a delusional notion that their country could take on any power anywhere in the world and come out victorious. What I feel that they decided to use these weapons, with a faulty assertion and a defective intelligence.

To conclude I feel that I don’t really have the authority to make a statement, that these modern robotic engineering, are going to last long or are going to be sustainable in today’s fast changing world. But I am inclined to say that their use should be stopped or at least limited to a certain situation. In spite of using such systems, if a country remains skeptical about the success, then what is the point of getting engaged in an overseas situation which is not going to be of your use or vital to your interests. So I am afraid I won’t accept use of such engineering systems, which are not sustainable for a better environment, society and a nation’s economy.

Billion Votes Mandate 2009:

Never have the elections in India been so clumsy & unpredictable than they are this year. With so much of political drama, feeling of uncertainty among parties regarding their fate, the Indian Lok Sabha Elections 2009, is no doubt the hottest topic, which has attracted the attention of the Indian masses in general.

Since the day, the Election Commission announced the poll dates, all the major political players’ started taking rigorous efforts to highlight the developmental plans they had undertaken for the people. The future projects they will offer for the betterment of the people were also given top priority. But in all this the most interesting thing that this election has on offer, is not the usual two way tussle between Congress and the BJP. In fact with the numero uno post in sight, two other fronts started their campaign trail and bring their Priministerial candidate in the fray. They are the third front and the fourth front. The CPI led 3rd front led by Mr. Prakash Karat and the so called 4th front which has Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, SP leader Mulayam Singh LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan. With these parties giving a major fight this time, outcome on 16th May will be really something to watch out for.

The Congress suffered severe setbacks in its initial campaign days when important alliances like that of Health Minister Ramadoss, Railways Minister Lalu Prasad parted ways with the party. The BJP too were in for shock when its long term ally Navin Patnaik left their side. Then there was the Varun Gandhi incident which gave the anti BJP or anti NDA parties, a chance to have a strong attack on their opponents. His severe remarks against the non-Hindu people landed him in jail, only to be out on parole for a few days when he had spent sometime in jail. Then there were some shoe throwing incidents on some of countries top leaders, which continued a phase of uncharacteristic campaigning this time. All these acts were nothing but a sheer example of the enormous anger and resentment the people are having for the current politicians.

Lower voter turnout in the initial phases of this mandate have made this election totally unexpected and one where every party has to keep its fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Need to introduce personality development courses in regular college curriculum.

Every person feels that he should have some characteristics, certain attributes which can distinguish him from everybody else around him. It can be anything, may be your temperament, way of interacting with others, ability to handle tough situations, or say presence of mind. All these qualities are unique. It is very rare to find all such features in an individual at the same time. But if someone has them, he will surely be a person who will be very much respected in the society. Personality is another such characteristic which is distinctive and can make a person very unique. Personality is what makes a person a unique person, and it is recognizable soon after birth. Charles M. Schwab has described in very simple sentence that Personality is to a man what perfume is to a flower.

The phrase ‘personality’ is derived from the Latin word persona, meaning the disguise which the artists wore on the Greek and Roman stage to differentiate their roles and increase their voices. It was used to mark off the individuality of or difference between one man and another. The act of enhancing this trait is known as personality development. In simple words Personality development is the developing of a personality cult so as to create a strong positive influence about self with the targeted group, or in general; and more relatable aspect of such personality is to sustain and prove in a long run. In other words Personality development is the development of the organized pattern of behaviors and attitudes that makes a person distinctive. Personality development occurs by the ongoing interaction of temperament, character, and environment. In recent years personality development has created a lot of attention. Now the reason I feel this change is taking place is due to the race to be the best in this competitive world. World is moving at a rapid pace. You have to keep pace with it, if you fail to do so you will struggle. So in order to succeed and stay alive in this competitive world you have to do some thing different. Personality development helps an individual in making him aware of his talent and taps his good qualities. By doing something in a different way, a person can create his own identity. And today’s youth are certainly up for it.

It is very aptly said that youth will reshape the world. Today’s youth are smart and independent thinking. They are the leaders of tomorrow. And so they should learn and try to practice virtue of discipline. But some where there is a sense of overzealousness, tendency to move fast. He has a lot to say, but some times he just fails to deliver it. And so he accepts things views as they are. In such situations if he is guided properly and taught to deal with things in calm manner he will surely succeed. Personality development helps in injecting just the spark that is needed to accomplish something. George Gurdjieff has aptly said that Personality in man is what is "not his own" . . . what come from outside, what he has learned, or reflects, all traces of exterior impressions left in the memory.
Students now days due to their hectic academic schedule don’t have enough time for other extracurricular activities. So if personality development courses are made available to them in their schools or colleges, students will definitely benefit from them. Personality development in general revolves around three aspects; firstly physique then the intelligence and finally the temperament. Generally in students the qualities of temperament and intelligence are determined by conditions in their academics. The experiences that a student gets during the course of his school life firstly and then his junior and higher classes, contribute in a large number of ways to the formation and development of his personality. When a student gets into a school his main aim is to do well in his studies, and lay a solid foundation for his future education. But in addition to that he has to keep a close watch on his extracurricular acts, which project his persona. Unfortunately at such a young age he is unaware of all this. In such a situation, it is the duty of the institute to make the students aware of things that matter a lot apart from the academics and which play a far more vital role in their life. But at school level it’s ok, if the authorities fail to impart knowledge about personality development. And so importance of college becomes very important as it is this place where students are much more matured and have to handle lots of critical issues.

There has been growing interest & keenness of personality development in the college going chaps. Western countries, which are economically and culturally quite different from India, were the first to realize importance of enhancing the personality. They had a strong insight, which helped them realize that it is the student class which is vital for nation’s development. Due to fast changing nature of the industries, business firms this concept came to India. But like in western countries, it did not get inducted in regular college academics here in our country. The personal and professional development plan helps to improve our capacity to understand what and how we are learning, and to review, plan and take responsibility for own learning and career choices. If a course in personal and professional development planning is started in colleges it will help in a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual. It can reflect upon their learning, performance and achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development. Personality development can boost self-confidence and increase staunch faith in a students own ability and power to undertake the task in hand with utmost confidence in order to make life really successful and happy. Colleges should try to be more agile and make students aware of what they already have in their life and what they are grateful for and then make them think about what is missing, what they want. Awareness has to come first, because without an awareness there can be no conscious decision to take action. Becoming aware also means asking your self different questions and then seeking out the answers. Personality development lectures if introduced can help in making students ponder over whether “there must be more to life than this?" By doing this your mind is already making an assumption that there is more to life and as if by magic you start to see things around you that maybe you did not notice before. Noted thinker Mae West has very correctly said that Personality is the glitter that sends your little gleam across the footlights and the orchestra pit into that big black space where the audience is.

Personality development helps in making an individual flexible and willing to change his approach if things are not working. Sometimes when you set your mind to do something, with a set plan, things don't always go smoothly. Remember that as long as you are clear about your destination, you can always change your route, it may take you longer, but as long as you get there in the end. In colleges students have to go through a lot of hard work, there are assignments, homework, seminars, presentations and what not. Students have to do all this in prescribed time, which if not completed puts them in further trouble. By starting personality development courses in regular curriculum it can help students visualize their goals on a daily basis. After all it is all about believing in your abilities. As one Dr. White has very rightly said that Personality is a mask you believe in.
Also if a personality development centre is made active in every college, every student can engage in a creative process with like minded students. This can boost ones confidence and make one more social to know that there is someone else too who has the same interests as you have. These personality development centers should have a counselor too, who can give an ear to personal problems and provide the right direction to the student. The aim of such courses in college should be boosting confidence and raising self-esteem of particularly those students who have the ability but don't have the dash or the guts.

So summing up Life’s success lies in becoming a good human being and developing the personality acquiring good virtues and high morals and not in gaining high post or authority. So if an individual has to perform well and be the best, it is more of his inner skills, his flair and confidence rather than bookish wealth. These paper based things are just like our beauty aids they don’t increase the beauty but just assist in outer brilliance. So if personality centers are opened and made compulsory in colleges they will surely be a great boon for the students. On personal front, I had great experience. During my early days of graduation I found it hard to cope up with the immense workload and pressure to deliver in a big way in exams. Initially I didn’t do my self any good by scoring below the distinction mark, but later I joined the personality development course outside the college which changed my life completely. They made me think positively and helped me in coping stress due to academics. Since then I am a totally changed successful chap. So if such courses are compulsorily made a part of the curriculum they would not only help in creating successful students but also good human beings.

Terrorism And Indian Politics .....

Terrorism, a horrifying situation is a state, which impresses an organized system of using of violence or threats to influence the conduct or urge to comply of another.
The attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington DC, the Parliament House in New Delhi, the Bali bombings and attacks in London shook up the world and indeed made terrorism, its gruesome presence felt and highlighted the shocks that terrorism can unleash on humanity. Many parts of the world had been facing terrorism and urging for international action for facing the dreadful menace. Minor wakeup calls were coming up time and again, but the world did not do much beyond paying lip service to its cause of fighting terrorism. After such horrendous acts if terrorism comes to an end, it will be the most fortunate moment when the hopes and dreams of the people all over the world will be materialized. The world will be free of corruption, hatred, jealousy and with unity and integrity among the people. But, the euphoria will be soon marked by the tensions followed. On the other hand, if terrorism wins, then the world should be doomed to be doomed at the hands of terrorists for all the time to come.
Now one of the most important questions that come to our mind is how to control and overcome this menace. It’s very difficult to tell, because even after lots and lots of efforts that have been taken to overcome it, it shows its might in some or the other way. So it’s doubtful to say whether, it can ever be overcome or not. In fact, it feels very sad in saying this, but I have come to a conclusion that it will never end and will continue for years until some strict action is not taken by the world leaders against the dreadful acts of terrorists. It will never result in bringing and establishing peace anywhere in the world. The beautiful and spiritual places in the world will be battered, coupled with polarization of masses on religious grounds and petrified and helpless citizens of the world.

India in particular, is facing the problem since many years. Many actions have been tried and tested which can tackle this threat to some extent, but the results have never been on our side as our neighboring countries are the hub of all these activities. Terrorism has become a menace for India. No part of the country is unaffected by terrorism. Every time an attack takes place, the government puts the blame on `failed' intelligence and even after years, the cases remain unsolved. INDIA has been a soft target for the Pakistan and Bangladesh based terror-outfits for quite some time. While jihad against India has been the focus and main agenda of the Islamic terrorists, Kashmir issue, Babri demolition and Gujarat riots have become convenient reasons for the so-called liberals, secularists and rights activists to justify the actions of the terrorists. The bogus - worldly politicians, who fight with one another for acquiring the Muslim vote-bank, do not show the resolve and honesty to put an end to this briskly increasing menace. After our country got independence,, congress came out as one of the most strong party. Since then their presence has been more or less similar, until some 10–12 years ago, their position has started facing tough competition from other parties. As the Congress Party lost its foothold in many states over a period of time since Independence, the regional parties, which gained and captured power, have also been not far behind the Congress in appeasing the minority community. This vote-begging attitude of these fake parties lined the way for the rise of the fundamentalists to carry on with their holy plan through their priests, who have been continuously triumphant in their pacts with political factions. The officials, in their hunger for power, adopted troublesome course of action to divide the masses along social group and class lines, as at the same time, they paid special on capturing votes of minority class people by persuading their spiritual heads, whose directions are followed and obeyed by the people. The successive governments started curbing the privileges of the majority community, while giving undue privileges to the minorities. These governments allowed the minority communities to have separate personal and civil laws instead of ensuring a Uniform Civil Code despite directions from the Apex Court based on Article 44 of the Constitution. The official machinery remained as mute spectator when the minority community took the law into its hands. Lack of will to curtail the mushrooming of madrasas, lack of control over the growing fundamentalist organizations like the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), Al-Umma etc have emboldened the local ’jihadi’ elements to connive with foreign terror outfits, resulting in frequent terror attacks on our soil. In 2004 the Congress government with the help of some other parties came to power again. It has been quite a long period of 4 years now that they are in power. In these 4 years there has been an opportunistic alliance of minority appeasing pseudo-secular parties and Islamic terrorism has increased manifold. The situation has gone beyond control to such an extent that the ’jihadis’ have started striking at will in trains, buses, markets, malls, temples, mosques, theatres and even courts. The only places, which are left untouched, are police stations! Some of the terror attacks which took place since the UPA government came to power shed some light on the hopeless sutuation of internal security in our country


July 5, 2005: Terrorists attacked Ram Janmabhoomi, Ayodhya.
July 28, 2005: Around 15 killed and 52 injured in an explosion on board Shramjivi Express at Jaunpur, in UP
March 7, 2006: 28 people killed and 62 injured when 3 bombs went off through the sacred town of Varanasi, including the famous Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple and the railway station.
July 11, 2006: Seven bomb blasts within eleven minutes on the suburban trains in Mumbai, killing 186 people and injuring more than 800.
February 19 2007: 68 people killed and dozens injured after four explosions on board the Lahore bound Samjhauta Express.

May 18, 2007: Ten killed and more than a dozen injured in a blast at Mecca Mosque in Hyderabad. Five more killed when police fired at an unruly Muslim mob when it tried to attack the police.
May 13, 2008: 60 killed and 150 wounded in a series of bomb blasts in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Apart from the above mentioned terror attacks, the country has also been facing consistent assaults by the Naxalites in and Maoists in states like Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.

The alliance government scrapped the most essential law like POTA, on the first day it took office. The prime minister loses sleep on the plight of the family of terrorists and terror suspects. The home minister doesn’t even have a clue on what, when, where, why and how such attacks are happening, one minister of state for home, ceremoniously visits the places of attacks and makes repeated statements condemning the attacks. The whereabouts of another minister of state for home, appointed just to satisfy an alliance partner, is not known at all. The national security advisor, every now and then, lists the susceptible targets of terror attacks and fund raising avenues of terror outfits, creating panic in the minds of the people. The extra constitutional authority remote controls the government and official machinery and makes them subservient and ineffective just to keep the nation divided on communal lines. The annual report of the Union home ministry has confirmed the involvement of Pakistan in most of the terror attacks, which have happened on our soil. It is reported that the Pak based terror organizations like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) have been active from across the border and have been involved in major attacks. Also, the Bangladesh based organization Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami’s (HuJI) involvement has been on the increase, it is said. All these organizations have been sending well-trained militants to set up ’sleeper cells’ and to ensure connectivity with one another by forming a network of sorts. The home ministry’s report claims that the government has banned 32 groups as terrorist organizations under the provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, as part of its counter measures. It claims that the Centre has increased strengthening of coastal security network, deployed para-military forces in sensitive areas, heightened the vigil in and around vital installations and enhanced the communication network of intelligence agencies and sharing of intelligence between Centre and states through well coordinated efforts. But the ground reality is totally contradicting the claims made by the ministry. In fact, the terrorists are active and effectively executing their attacks in Congress and Left ruled states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal and Kerala, which goes to prove that the areas of appeasement are more prone to attack. . In reality, the coordination and sharing of intelligence by the terrorists seem to be better than the intelligence agencies and security forces! Every time an attack takes place, the government puts the blame on ’failed’ intelligence and even after years, the cases remain unsolved and the perpetrators remain at large planning their next attack. The long and snail paced investigation process, lack of courage to get into the Muslim dominated areas and make them cooperate with the investigation, unnecessarily yielding to the pressure tactics and secular threats of the so called intellectuals, liberals and rights activists, who interfere and block the process of investigations and execution of judicial orders, the long delay in judicial processes and the absence of a stringent law like POTA, have all weakened the police forces, intelligence agencies and law enforcers.

A total wiping out of terrorism may not be practically possible, but, to make concentrated efforts to finish terrorism with an iron hand should be order of the day in the present day situation. In a country like India, it is very difficult as its neighboring countries are the hub of all these activities. For this, there should be collective action. Terrorism is not only brutal, but also a crime against the whole of humanity. Leave aside people, now the outlook is scarier, because, virtually, all the countries will have to be on guard against enthusiasts driven by religion bigotry, who think nothing of killing themselves in the aid of their dubious cause. They are so blinded by their religious frenzy that they seem to be devoid of all the normal human agitations of mind. The insane killings of blameless people including women and children like in Godhra Riots are no concern for them. The world powers will have to take a lead hand is this matter not only because they have equipped resources and useful tactics to tackle this menace if all. If unchallenged, these elements will ring the death knell of modern civilization. If they can dare to take on powerful nations like US, India, UK, one can imagine how vulnerable other countries would be. Our country, however should take appropriate stand to be effectively involved in the worldly fight against terrorism without giving up friendship of any nation. It is necessary to tell them that the clock cannot be turned back to the dark ages.
I think I should stop here saying that, there is no point in thinking whether terrorism can be overcome or not and whether it will bring to effect the calmness and peace, as it is the crying need of hour. The destructive acts of the mercenaries involved in terrorist groups, has forced all peace loving nations to come together. But then also these unprovoked acts of terrorists will only end in leading to evil and deadly as it is said by noted thinker Barry Farber;

"Crime expands according to our willingness to put up with it."

Terrorism will come to an end only by itself, when terrorists get tired or run out of resources.

Salient features of Indian T.V serials, to which people are falling prey since a long time.

1. Most notable feature is that an individual can have an affair and marry a girl any number of times. No restriction imposed on them. I wonder in which house, the parents give a go ahead, for such behaviour.

2. Economic or financial clout of the people is always well to do. And even if that isn’t the case there are always a few generous people who kkkkkkome forward to lend a helping hand to them.


3. Another striking feature is that everybody, in spite of their status, resides in grand houses and bungalows and in posh localities, with all the modern facilities. I sometimes wonder whether the terms middle class people or low income group does really make any sense ?????????

4. The main occupation of such people is always some or the other kkkkkkind of business, which has made them so wealthy that within no time they become world renowned without much efforts >>>>>>>> . That’s why these money machines have to do with frequent foreign trips, meetings with foreign delegates, seminars & …………..But they are not shown, working in their offices???


5. Due to such a busy schedule, they don’t have time, to just have a chat, sit together with their family members. They even don’t know what exactly is happening in their house, is everyone okkkkkk….. Or not. These things get clear only when they meet each other during the frequent grand parties, that seem to go on and on and on n n n……….
6. Before coming to the next point, I would like to ask you 1 question. Is there only one temple in the entire country? I am asking this because all the religious functions, puja’s, and most importantly the marriages, all take place at the same temple.

7. Last but not the least is the dressing. All the characters’ are loaded with fancy dresses and heavy jewellery [keep an eye on the female section ]. I don’t know where people live in such a fashion , right from morning when they get up from the bed to the time of going to sleep. After all there is a limit to show off.

Now after going through all these points people should know that these dramas are no where near depicting the life of a common man. These serial’s studded with all non sense stuff and are far far away from reality. I wonder what people find in them to watch it every day without fail. And even if they are a few minutes late then the reaction is, Oh! it’s 8.10 we are late, shitttttttt shitttttt . It’s 8.35 what happened in the first 5 minutes ???????? The serials take away people from reality and divert their day to day life , force them to change their thought process.

But as we know “ tali kabhi ek hath se nahi bajati “ The producers are not oafs to create such sort of dramas, until they have backing up from some one, and in this case it’s the tasteless audience. More over these the people who come forward to fund such ‘ gira hua’stuff. So now it’s up to a few intelligent brains to take some step and prevent such degrading stuff from flourishing further……

Earn and Learn: In Demand

Not many branches needed such drastic changes after our country got Independence, as did the area of gaining proper education. During the pre-Independence era, when the Britisher’s, introduced their system of education in India, it was a bit divorced from the practicalities of life. So quite a few people, who were concerned about the schemes of learning, came together and formulated a scheme of education. By this they were keen to make learning self dependent for finances and to see that every individual after completing his schooling was in a position to make a living. This method also helped in the all round development of the child. Now after 60 years of Independence, we can be proud of all the things that we have achieved in the field of education. But still there is a long way to go and be competitive in this fast paced field of education, where always some new things pop up day in day out. But today’s educated youth of India have the capabilities as all educationalists say,

“YOUTH WILL RESHAPE THE WORLD”

India can look forward to it’s student class, to solve the grave problems of illiteracy, lethargy of people, unemployment etc. I intend on saying this because, the foundation of every state is the education of its youth. It’s not easy, but for solving them, we can look forward to students and students only to make this beginning. This is just because they are more passionate and capable of working hard. They can, by their dedicated hard work and devotion, inspire people and set an example to arouse people’s enthusiasm.

Now as discussed above, in this race, according to me, the western trends, the lifestyles and the culture there, play a really significant part. And it is not without foundation either. Be it a language or fashion or technology or attitude or lifestyle, the impact western culture has on today’s youth is indeclinable. Even if the power on popular culture is difficult to miss, other western inclination is catching the liking of today’s youth and it is the need to gain financial freedom earlier in life. In the western countries a popular way of teaching young minds for the world that awaits them after education is through internships and temporary jobs alongside their education. It helps prepare students in various ways including the clearing of pre-conceived notions about what a certain job may involve unavoidably, the work pressure involved and hence helps them to see if they are really cut out for the job and if it truly makes them happy. But out here in India we largely omit such “earning while learning “opportunities in the mainstream education. But now it is this trend that is slowly but surely gaining popularity, with more young people entering the job market for part time or summer jobs. Up till now, back here, students finished their studies, even higher studies in some cases under the financial care of there father and mother. The parents not only funded their fellows for their education but also took care of their pocket money to meet their day to day needs. But this concept of earning while learning is gradually changing the thought process amongst the youngsters. For getting greater independence, the search of these youths has taken them to a point where they now take the financial responsibilities at a younger age. They are now looking for favorable conditions to work part time or taking up summer jobs while pursuing their academic likings. Some may be wondering what made this new trend so much favorable. It is really simple, because the youngsters get experience, makes them financially independent and intensifies and heightens their career.

Now a day’s in spite of doing well in the academics, no one can guarantee himself of getting a good job. Many a time’s the applicants are asked about their work experience. In such circumstances if a student has taken up some part time job in some firm, along with his academics, that can be a blessing in disguise for him in the near future. Youngster’s can choose a job that’s related with his field of study or liking. This way by the time he graduates, he has on his hand a CV with work experience. His job stint helps him gain practical knowledge in the field he chooses. However in all this the level of responsibility an individual is thrusted depends on the level of expertise the company is looking for and the degree of experience the student is seeking.

Financial independence is another talking point amongst the youngsters for the ‘earn while learn’ concept. Whether you are a teenager or 20 something, getting yourself a part time job means you will have that much more dough to splurge on the latest in electronic items, traveling, partying with friends, visiting entertainment zones and much more . By this students feel good for not having to depend on their parents for money. They can pay at least something, if not entirely, for their food, their college related stuff etc.

Enhancing ones career is other important feature, tempting individuals, who come under the category of full time professionals. These people who are waiting to pursue higher education are quite keen to embrace the earn while learn strategy. Such people can undertake some Correspondence course without leaving their day job.

Now after having a look at all these features one can certainly feel rosy and enthusiastic enough for embracing this upcoming culture. But even though visible prospects are very colorful and tempting, an individual should not at all forget that

“Life is not a bed of roses. It may spring upon sudden jerks and speed breakers “

Nothing can be taken for granted. And one experiences this in a real sense when a young student sets out in this big bad world to prove himself, which has lot of things to teach him , offer him, certain things which he has to take note of and follow them in practical life. One must carefully look into these offerings which will be helpful to him all his life.

Personality development of the individual is one such major asset when he enters the job market. Earning while learning certainly boosts your level of confidence and helps in achieving a balanced and graceful personality and with this one can face any test or interview with smartness and élan. The experience can definitely help one to score a point over your counterparts who have not faced any such situation. The virtue of earn while learn also teaches a youngster how to make right decisions at the right time. It will also help you to be hard working and a sincere person and these are certain sought for qualities. This concept also teaches an individual how to utilize the time spent with an organization to explore ideas and test his practicability and who knows he might just land himself a permanent job after completing his education. Whether or not a youngster enjoys being part of a firm at a young age, one gets to see at least how a real firm is run. This can probably help youngsters in reshaping the career options after seeing his job practicability in a way as what you aim for may not always be what you like. For example while wanting to do a technical course as a career one opts to earn by looking after plants in his backyard or in the garden in front of his house, it may dawn on you that plants or trees are your first love. You may realize that you are a born naturalist and can never be happy in technical gadgets. Then why stifle a budding horticulturist or a botanist?? Who knows you may decide to take a sudden career shift that can satisfy you all your lifetime!!!! Also while, one’s on a job, he has to face the world while he works because you are always treated as an adult and there are no concessions once the money factor enters any situation. By this way one gets to know people, their personalities and how to handle different categories of people. One comes to understand the world and makes ones thinking rational and practical. He thus learns about the work culture of an organization when he enters the job market as a full time professional. Learning to communicate well with your colleagues, your bosses, your customers will also go a long way in preparation for your future job. One can develop public relation skills more than any thing else. But whatever the reason and duration of your part time job make sure you learn as much as you can while you are there. With this regard, a well known thinker has aptly said,

“ Don’t think that you know everything, but ever be learning more and let that learning touch most on the practical concerns of your life “
Also during your stint as a part timer keep in mind that the basic rules at any job are the same. Example: When it comes to attitude for work, etiquettes and attire follow the same principles and rules as you would for a permanent job. And in all this focus on the money aspect only if your family in not in a position to help you financially with your education. If money is not a factor consider your job as an unpaid internship for learning some valuable lessons about yourself and your interests. Thus these monetary matters teach a youngster that earning money is no cakewalk and this realization increases ones endurance capacity and helps to control temper tantrums. It helps him in making him realize the stark difference in time spent in earning money and spending money. As Charles Dickens puts it in his epic David Copperfield that “Annual Income 20 pounds and Annual expenditure 21 pounds the result is MISERY. But Annual Income 20 pounds and Annual expenditure 19 pounds the result is HAPPINESS”.
This worldly knowledge at an early stage will help one to attain the qualities of effective budgeting or money planning. If youngster at least has a sense of realization about these things, it will not be an exaggeration if it is said that by this our personal family bonds shall surely be warmer. Last but not the least earn while learn should not remain a bookish phrase but should be adopted as a national culture as a score of hard working young generation will lead India to a leading position.

But what ever nice the prospects may be, just like a coin has two sides, certain class of people have been able to show some loopholes in this revolutionary feature of earn while learn. The main reason for their dissatisfaction to such a system is because of its effect on, both the physical and mental state of the students. According to the parents and the members of the teaching class, although students might claim that working helps them gain experience and earn money, the effect of juggling studies and work can be clearly seen in their academic grades. They also opine that although a few manage with par time jobs being regular at classes and getting fairly good grades, for others the distractions of work are obviously too much. Some parents also feel that, even if their wards are earning some money by taking up some job, there’s really no need for them to do so. They think that they are giving enough money to their children. However these people are mostly from the upper middle class income group. Thus the reasons vary from person to person. The views of teachers suggest that students who work late into night might exhibit fatigue and lack of concentration and awareness in the classroom. Also some studies show that college students, who work, may suffer from stress and nutritional deficiencies. Such cases are generally seen in call centre jobs where there is a culture of recruiting mostly non graduates by paying them considerable pay packages. But in spite of all these things, it is very rare that work interferes to the extent of inducing some students to drop out off college.

Thus after going through these issues on a very detailed note, though one finds a few drawback’s in it, overall it certainly projects some really nice things. With a planed manner, it can make individuals live a better life. Seeing the positive side and hoping to eliminate some of the disadvantages, a number concerned authorities have shown keen interest to promote the earn while learn concept. The growing trend, has even led to some Universities follow this culture. And now that quite a few jobs are at hand for the students, even the teaching class has a certain amount of satisfaction. Of course it solely depends on the liking of the students to choose a certain job. Now a day’s event management, business promotion, assistant technicians, industrial survey jobs are quite in demand. Some may even try their hand at small level entrepreneurship opportunities like running a cafeteria, cyber café, food stalls etc. Some weekend jobs like the ones in retail trade help students work, with out missing their classes. Thus in a broader sense the earn while learn concept is an encouraging thing for the youth of free India, to cherish and stand tall with pride.

Remember:

God has not promised
Skies always blue
Flower- strewn pathways
All our life through
God has not promised
Sun without rain
Joy without sorrow
Peace without pain
But God has promised
Strength for the day
Rest for the labour
And light for the way


******!!!!!******!!!!!******!!!!!******

Veryyy Very KKlever ,,, iS"NT IT !!!!!

Someone out there either has too much spare time or is deadly at Scrabble.
DILIP VENGSARKAR ::::::::: When you rearrange the letters:::::: SPARKLING DRIVE
PRINCESS DIANA::::::: When you rearrange the letters::::::: END IS A CAR SPIN

MONICA LEWINSKY:::::: When you rearrange the letters::::::: NICE SILKY WOMAN
DORMITORY ::::::: When you rearrange the letters:::::::: DIRTY ROOM

ASTRONOMER:::::::: When you rearrange the letters:::::::: MOON STARER
THE EYES ::::::::: When you rearrange the letters::::::: THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH :::::::: When you rearrange the letters:::::::: HE BUGS GORE
SLOT MACHINES::::::: When you rearrange the letters::::::::: CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY :::::: When you rearrange the letters:::::: IS NO AMITY
ELECTION RESULTS :::::: When you rearrange the letters:::::::: LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS:::::::: When you rearrange the letters:::::::: ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S
A DECIMAL POINT::::::: When you rearrange the letters:::::::: IM A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES ::::::: When you rearrange the letters::::::::: THAT QUEER SHAKE
ELEVEN PLUS TWO:::::: When you rearrange the letters:::::: TWELVE PLUS ONE
AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE
MOTHER-IN-LAW::::::: When you rearrange the letters::::::: WOMAN HITLER