Its Shoe's day out

This election has thrown many surprises and will be remembered for a long time for many reasons. It is a 3 way fight and all the three alliances are having a close fight. Many analysts say the result will give a hung parliament. However, one unique thing about this election is the shoe throwing incidents. We see a number of people throwing shoes at the leaders including the Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition. Has it become a fashion to throw shoes at the leaders to show their protests? It all started with a Iraqi journalist throwing shoe at George Bush when he was given a farewell. This continued in India and the first victim was our Home Minister Mr. P.Chidambaram when he was asked about the acquittal of Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 Sikh riots. This was followed by Naveen Jindal. However the most daring incident of all is a man throwing shoe at the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, when he was address a rally. These shoe throwers continued their fight when they threw a slipper at the NDA Prime Ministerial candidate Mr. L.K.Advani. The latest to join the group is the Karnataka Chief Minister Mr. B.S.Yedyurappa. I don’t know whether it is a political plot or not as all these leaders have pardoned the shoe throwers. I never knew that these people are so kind hearted :)

Chak de India...

The wait is finally over. India has won a test series in New Zealand after 41 years. It last won a test series under the captaincy of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. It has been a splendid performance from team India and Dhoni’s golden run as captain continues. India has not lost a test in the last 9 matches and Dhoni maintains his 0% loss since taking over the captaincy from Anil Kumble. Everyone lived up to their tasks and performed really well. This well could be the last series in NZL for the big three and they didn’t lose the opportunity to stamp their authority. Sachin and Laxman scored centuries and Dravid didn’t fail even once. Apart from this, he broke the world record for most number of catches in test match cricket. Gautam Gambhir has been a revelation since the Sri Lanka tour, scoring 2 centuries in consecutive matches. Sehwag has been a disappointment in test series, not able to convert his quick starts into a big one, but that’s how he plays. Yuvraj has to prove his credentials if he has to be a permanent member of test team and he had an average series. Dhoni, as usual had a terrific 3^rd test, scoring 50’s in both the innings and taking 6 catches in the 1^st innings. Bowlers too had a good outing in all the 3 tests, especially Harbhajan who had his best overseas tour in his career picking 16 wickets including a match winning 6 wickets in the 2^nd innings of the 1^strd test with a 5 wicket haul in the 1^st innings and as always had given early break through all throughout the series. Ishant Sharma did support Zaheer well by taking wickets in crucial times. Munaf too didn’t disappoint as a third seamer. Overall it was a tremendous performance from team India and is very well on course in claiming the top spot. test. Zaheer Khan was brilliant in the 3

It would have been sweet had India won the third test. In fact I would say that they were really unlucky as Vettori was given not out, what seemed to be a plumb LBW and Ishanth dropping O’Brien in the square leg. Had they won the match it would have been their 100^th test win, which would have made the series triumph even sweeter.

As Dhoni wished, it is a great gift for the big 3.

Congrats team India and hope they continue this form for at least 2 more years.

Yet another very good tool from google

http://www.google.co.in/intl/en/landing/loksabha2009/

Check out this link to know everything about election 2009 including, how the government has performed in the last 5 years in each state.

This is really a very good tool to choose the candidates before voting.

Gandhigri

The one I am going to say here is the most revered principle of all time. It has changed many nations’ history. It had its birth in our very own land which was adopted by many. In fact it took me at least 3 to 4 years to fully realize the power of it. Yes, I am talking about none other than the Gandhigri.

Gandhigri is nothing but the principles of Mahatma Gandhi. I may not the best person to talk about it, but I feel it is my duty to spread the awareness about it. To be frank, few years back I never believed in Gandhigri, but few articles, books and of course movies changed my perception. Now I somehow believe that, it is the most powerful weapon to fight against injustice.

The most important aspect of Gandhigri is Ahimsa i.e. non-violence and peace. People may argue that it is not possible to follow non-violence in the current scenario when the world is facing threats from enemies and terrorists. Yes, I do accept it but it is not impossible to make them realize about it, may be not the terrorists but at least the enemies.

Ok let me explain with an example.

Let us take the case of LTTE – Sri Lanka dispute. After fighting for 24 years for a separate state what have they achieved? The only thing that was achieved was the loss of millions of innocent people and also our very own Prime Minister. Now the situation is that they have been wiped off Sri Lanka. The leader is missing and they lost almost all their territories. I am sure, had they approached in a peaceful manner, they would have got the support of the world, but now they are an abandoned group. I am sure everyone would have supported their cause had they fought it in a peaceful way. At least they would have got some breakthrough in their talks.

I am not asking you to show your other chin when you get slapped, but at least try not to hit back. If you hit back, the ultimate result is enmity between the two, but if you don’t there are possibilities of friendship between the two and who knows it could be the turning point of your life. One should give the other person a chance to realize their mistake. The Indian law says that every person who has been charged should be given a chance to defend him or her and the greatest example is the appointment of a lawyer to Ajmal Kasab. I am not trying to defend his actions, but he should be given a chance to realize his mistakes so that he doesn’t repeat it again. It may sound difficult to digest given the fact that so many people died, but by hanging him it will only increase the anger of terrorists rather than subside.

I would love to quote Barrack Obama here who in his reply to John McCain regarding Al-Qeda in Iraq:

“…..I have news for Mr.McCain as well. There was no such thing called Al-Qeda in Iraq before Mr.Bush invaded…”

By invading Iraq for no reason, they just increased Al-Qeda’s aversion towards US and as a result 100’s of innocent people being killed every now and then.

One voice changed India which inspired the voice that changed South Africa and both these voices preached non-violence.

I am sure, when one voice can change a nation, one billion voices can certainly change the world. Hope to see a peaceful world at least before my death.

Last but not the least, I would like to quote Superstar as well.

“Anger is the cause of everything, one should know how to control it otherwise life will be miserable”

My Election Manifesto

Ahh… it has started again. Both, the Congress and BJP are planning to give rice at a subsidized price. They are following the foot steps of DMK, which promised to offer rice at Rs2/Kg during the 2006 assembly election. The election fever is gripping up and everyone is trying to prepare a populist manifesto. I too thought why not try my hands in writing a manifesto. It goes as below

1. Will ensure that people get the basic amenities (food, water, shelter and clothing).

How will it be achieved?

• A team will be formed for each state and each team will have a member from the ruling party and a local NGO.

• The team will be headed by the NGO to make sure that everything is in control and quality is maintained.

• A subsidized restaurant just like a ration shop will be set up which will offer food at low price.

• All the waste cloth materials will be collected directly from the factory and dress will be stitched for the poor and will be sold at low price in ration shops.

• Single room will be built for all those who do not have shelter and make sure that there are no slums in India.

• Rain water harvesting will be made compulsory throughout India and linking of river project will be kicked off as soon as the government is formed.

• The government will make sure that flood waters are directed towards a reservoir.

All the expenses will be update in the website and citizens can check out for the details using RTI. To ensure that sufficient money is there to carry out the scheme, a 10% food cess will be applied on star hotels, 5% on food chains which has more than 10 outlets and 3% on remaining restaurants. A similar cess will be applied on clothing as well. A 10% if the total bill is above Rs 5000, 5% for above 3000 and 3% for above 1500.

2. Proper sanitation and drainage facilities. My government will see to that flood waters don’t clog the road anymore.

3. Cement roads in important parts of metropolitan cities and tar roads everywhere else where there are sufficient amount of traffic.

4. A social security number for all and common ID cards will be given. The card is bar-code enabled which has the full details of the person. This will be achieved in 1 year.

5. A central database having the full details of all the citizens and the common ID card will be connected to this. Hence, scanning the bar code will give the entire details of the particular person. It is must to produce the ID card whenever a person is availing any quota in any of the institutions.

6. Compulsory education till graduation for girls and boys. If not followed, strict action will be taken against the parents. 10% quota will be there in each and every college and school. This scheme is free for those living below poverty line and subsidized fee for lower class. (Class is based on financial position and not a caste based).

7. More funding for research in IIT’s, NIT’s, IISc’s and IIIT’s. The funding for research will be shared by the government and the industries. Government will bear 75% of the funds whereas the industries will bear the remaining 25%.

8. With nuclear deal being signed, the government will see to that all the reactors work to its maximum capacity. This will ensure uninterrupted power supply for all.

9. Money will be given to those who are selected for the sports academy for selected games and sports.

10. Usage of technology to ensure that everything is transparent to the citizens of the country. The government will work with the industries to implement it. The system will be such that people need not have to pay bribe.

11. Formation of National Investigating Agency, to fight terrorism.

12. Employment exchange will be computerized and a unique id will be given to all those who have registered. This will enable them to check status online. The system will be such that right job is given to the right person. One can also register themselves with the exchange online.

13. Basic law will be taught to the students in college.

In order to implement these, I expect full cooperation from the citizens of this great country. Without you people nothing is possible. 

Jai Hind!!!

$%&*#

I was always told by my friend that people in South India especially Tamil Nadu are more narrow minded compared to the people living in North India. He has this perception because, South Indian’s are more conservative than the North Indians. However, I never understood the exact meaning of narrow minded and broad minded people. I always felt that both the terms are relative in nature. For some people I might be a broad minded person but for others I might be a narrow minded person. Let’s discuss this based on four kinds of people (just an example). Let me name them A, B, C and D

Person A:

He/She is a kind of person who feels nothing is wrong in losing virginity before marriage as long as they are loyal to their partners. They are more practical and more concerned about their present life rather than their past. At times girls of this type do drink and smoke as happened in Mangalore.

Person B:

He/She is a bit conservative than the above person. They might not drink, smoke or lose virginity before marriage but they are very social and move freely with the opposite sex. They wear western dress which at times will be bit steamy. However, they will see to that they do not cross their limits.

Person C:

He/She, the most conservative of the four kinds I mentioned. Girls of this type wear traditional dress and at times western dress. They too will move freely with opposite sex but restrict themselves on certain things like going out to movies, beaches etc. They value their culture and tradition a lot.

Person D:

He/She is one who live the American way of life. According to them, nothing is wrong in relationships as long as they are happy. When I say relationships it includes pre marital, extra marital, living together and marriage. This is the difference between type A and D.

Now as per the definition I know, for A, B and C, D is a broad minded person. Similarly for D, A and B, C is narrow minded. But what about A and B. According to B, A is broad minded but for D, A is narrow minded. Similarly, for C, B is broad minded but narrow minded for A and D.

My question is, as far as I know I have seen people of type A, B and C living in Chennai.

So is Chennai a narrow minded or a broad minded city?

Is it ethical to generalize things on such issues?

Jade Goody and IPL

Jade Goody, a participant of the famous reality show Big Brother, UK passed away yesterday. She was well known in India for her racist remarks against Shilpa Shetty in 2007 during the Big Brother, which the Indian won eventually. She was suffering from cervical cancer and showed courage and determination while fighting it. She is survived by her husband and 2 sons. May her soul rest in peace.

The confusion about IPL is finally over. The event will be held outside India due to security reasons. South Africa or England will be the likely venues where the mega event will take place. Even the game of cricket started, the game of politics over IPL has started. The BJP is already planning to make it a political issue, accusing Congress for shifting IPL outside India. I guess, they don’t want to leave any stones unturned when it comes to accusing the government J

The need of the hour

NASA launched their space shuttle discovery few days back. I don’t know why, I never had any penchant towards space and space shuttles. I have always wondered why people are looking into space when there are lots to know on Earth. Yeah, these satellites made our life simple and without which who knows I wouldn’t have written this. Space programs are indeed one of the greatest advancements in science. These programs help us avoid natural disasters and other threats from outer space. They have saved our life and will be working towards the betterment of mankind. However, I seriously don’t understand the concept of Moon and Mars mission. What these people are going to do if they find life on Mars.

Mars

Are they going to get water from Mars to the Earth? Or are they going to transfer people from Earth to Mars? If these two happens, according to me the most stupid things ever to happen in the world. Even if some one gives me a valid reason for these, then I am sure very soon, there will be NGO fighting against environmental issues in Mars. Rather spending billions of dollars in it, they can donate it to countries like Somalia, which is struggling with mal nutrition and other day to day problems. Even now, US is spending lots of money to help poor countries, but I feel they can spend more on people and current issues rather than spending on Mars and other planets.

Moon:

The next in the line is moon mission. People cheered for the recent success of Chandrayan in India. The mission’s aim was to find the minerals on Moon’s surface so that they can be brought back to Earth and use it for power generation. Sounds funny rite!!! Back at home, people are suffering from poverty, lack of education, no proper food and these people spent crores of money on moon and I was told that this was the cheapest of all. I wondered if this was the cheapest, then how much it would have cost for the previous programs.

I feel its high time, these space organizations think about those people who don’t even know what Space means.

Who (I wish) should go to 7 RCR?

Let me write one more article on the election. This is time its about the probable candidates for the top job – the Prime Minister of India. With the Third Front being launched officially, the contenders for the top job has increased dramatically. Every major player is throwing their hat for the top job. Let us make a quick analysis on the people who are fighting it out for the 7 RCR.

The first and foremost is the current PM, Dr. Manmohan Singh. Undoubtedly he is the most qualified person for the top job. He has the backing of UPA chairperson Mrs Sonia Gandhi and many other leaders within the INC. He is considered the architect of Indian Economy and has served a full term as the Prime Minister of India. He is regarded as Mr.Clean and by far the most intellectual person in Indian Politics for over a decade. However, there are many reasons for why he cannot be the Prime Minister again. His poor health condition, record of not winning a Lok Sabha seat, not being aggressive, being termed by many as a puppet may just act against him from contending for the top job. However, if UPA comes to power I would like to see a person who is corruption free and intellect rather than corrupted and aggressive person.

The next in the line is the NDA candidate Mr. Lal Krishna Advani. One good thing about NDA is that they have declared the prime ministerial candidate rather than waiting for the elections to get over. I termed it as a good thing because I believe that people should know who is going to be their Prime Minister before voting so that they will vote accordingly. This is because a leader is more important than his/her followers. Coming to the analysis, he is considered as a strong, dynamic leader who can really marshal his troops well. He is more like Sardar Patel, the iron man of India. At 80, he is more energetic and active than many of the younger leaders. He is richly experienced in Indian polictics. He is considered as the face of hindutva which could play a major role in the election. On the other side, he is not a consensual politician as his predecessor Mr.A.B.Vajpayee. His hindutva ideology might backfire on him because many people might not agree with it. However, he is the only top leader in the BJP who can be considered for the post. As far as who ll be the PM if NDA comes to power is not an issue as it is in UPA.

The real fight is between the above two candidates. It will be interesting to see who becomes the PM. However, there are other possible contenders for the top job.

One person I would love to see as the Prime Minister of India is Mr. Rahul Gandhi. He is just in late 30’s and am sure like his father he will be a great leader for the country. This country needs a young leader (atleast me). I am bored of seeing people in their 70’s becoming the PM. If Congress declares that he is their Prime Ministerial candidate for the coming election, I openly say here is that my vote is for Congress and I can at least campaign for him among my family members. He may not be experienced like other politicians but the way he spoke during the vote of no confidence motion just shows his character. Along with him, Omar Abdhullah can certainly drive nation towards the progress. I am really impressed with these two young leaders and hope someone like these two, rule my native state as well.

There are other leaders who aspire to become the Prime Minister and are actively working towards it like Sharad Pawar, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Laloo Prasad Yadav etc and the list goes on. I certainly do not even want to analyse about these people. Apart from Sharad Pawar, all other have corruption cases against them ( as far as I know. But I may be wrong) and Sharad Pawar is considered an opportunist. He was part of INC, but came out of it form the NCP as he was against Sonia Gandhi being made the president of INC on the grounds of her nationality. However I found no reason why he went back to support the UPA led Congress. I don’t know why he is hungry for power. BCCI president, current ICC Vice president and ll be the ICC president in the future, union minister and now the way things are moving, no wonder he might openly declare that he wants to be the PM.

Oh God!!! Pls save India. What sin did we make?

At times I wonder whether the PM’s post have become like a child’s play which can be occupied by anyone irrespective of education, caliber, intelligence, and of course honesty and ethics. As I said in my previous post, an Aam Aadmi can only pray to God for his survival.

The greatest rivalries in Men's Tennis

The rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal is continuing to be one of the best ever in the era of Lawn Tennis. It carries the legacy of Bjorn Borg – John McEnroe and Pete Sampras – Andre Agassi. Undoubtedly all the 6 players are one of the greatest of their generation. However, only one from these 6 has won all the 4 major grand slam titles. It is none other than Andre Agassi. He is one of the few players to have achieved this feat. However, his achievement has been overshadowed by Pete Sampras’ domination in the 90’s. Winning 7 Wimbledon titles, the queen of grand slams is no easy task and a total of 14 grand slam titles, highest by any one in the era of professional tennis just shows how great he is. However, not even reaching the finals of the French Open is a blot in his great career. I am not here to compare the player’s greatness. I consider it is my privilege to write about these tennis giants.

Since, I have not watched Borg and McEnroe, I will start with Sampras and Agassi. Ever since I started watching tennis (guess its 1990), I started loving it. Watching Agassi and Sampras playing was like a treat for my eyes and am sure every tennis follower would accept this. I still remember Agassi playing against Goran Ivanisevic in 1992 Wimbledon finals. Agassi winning the finals in 5 sets and thereby winning his first grand slam title. For any tennis player it will be like a dream come true winning his first grand slam at The Championships. His forehand return serve was so elegant and no wonder it was considered one of his trademark shots. His first title saw him reaching greater heights in his career reaching world number 1 in ATP rankings. Later he went on to win 4 Australian Open, 2 US Open and 1 French Open, becoming only the 5^th player to win all the 4 grand slam titles. Apart from this, he is the only player to have won a career golden grand slam which includes an Olympic gold medal winning at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics beating Sergi Brugera of Spain in the finals. During the mid 90’s his form dipped and his ranking plunged. However, he came back strongly to win Australian Open and the French Open and regaining the No 1 spot. His last match at the grand slam was the US Open finals which he eventually lost to Roger Federer.

Pete Sampras, one of the greatest player to have played tennis. He has won a record 14 grand slams which includes 7 Wimbledon, 5 US open and 2 Australian Open titles. However, not winning the French Open title is a blot in his illustrious career. He was by far the most dominating player during his days. His win- loss record against his rival Andre Agassi is evident to show his class. It all started in 1988 when he started his career in professional men’s tennis and went on to win his first grand slam in 1990 US Open when he defeated Andre Agassi. Then 1993 saw him winning his first of the 7 Wimbledon titles. He faced fellow American Jim Courier in the finals. In the same year he won his second US Open title. In 1994, he won his first Australian Open and winning his second Wimbledon title in a row. His domination in the sport continued till 2002 when he beat Agassi in the finals of the US Open in four sets. It was his last ATP finals. His main strengths were his big serve and forehand. In 2007, he was inducted into the International Tennis hall of fame.

Roger Federer, by far the complete player of modern tennis. He has already won 13 grand slam titles equaling Bjon Borg’s record of 5 consecutive Wimbledon. With age in his side, he will surely surpass Sampras’ record of 14 grand slam titles. Unlike Sampras, he has reached the finals of the French Open thrice. He also holds record of 5 consecutive US Open title. Apart from this he has won 3 Australian Open titles and Olympic doubles gold medal. He was ranked number 1 for a record 237 weeks going past Jimmy Connors’s record of 167 weeks. He was the most dominating player winning almost all the games he played until the arrival of Rafael Nadal. Apart from this he has the highest career earnings and have won a record 57 ATP titles keeping him in the 8^th position of all time lists. He is the only player to have appeared in 10 consecutive grand slam finals and to have won 5 consecutive grand slam titles on 2 different events – Wimbledon and US Open. However, Nadal has been a thorn in his flesh beating him in 3 French Open finals and 1 Wimbledon finals and 1 Australian Open finals. He lost his world number 1 ranking to Nadal in 2008 at the Masters cup in August. I am just waiting for more from these two players.

Rafael Nadal, the gutsy Spaniard and the current World Number 1 holds the record of the only player after Bjon Borg to have won French Open and Wimbledon in same year and equaled his record of 4 consecutive French Open title. He has won 6 grand slam titles and an Olympic gold medal. He holds the record of longest winning streak at the clay court winning 81 matches. He has faced Federer in the finals of grand slam 7 times which itself a record in the Open era. He has been the dominant among his rival Federer having a win-loss record of 13-6. He may not be as elegant as Federer but his never say attitude is what has fetched him the glory. He has a strong forehand and when he plays the ball flies like a rocket. His Wimbledon victory over Federer is considered to be one of the greatest finals to have ever played in The Championship history. I just cannot wait to see these 2 playing the finals again.

Election 2009 - An Analysis

With just over a month to go for the 15^th Lok Sabha general elections, all the major political parties are busy finding new allies or revamping old alliances. With Congress drawing the first blood in winning the alliances of regional parties and other national parties, for the BJP it’s been a downfall everywhere. If Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackrey refused to meet the BJP prime ministerial candidate L.K.Advani in Maharashtra, then they lost a key ally in the form of BJD or the Biju Janata Dal in Orissa. However, they were successful in bringing Rashtriya Lok Dal (Ajit Singh) in to NDA from Uttar Pradesh. For Congress apart from losing Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, till now it has been a win-win situation everywhere. However, losing SP’s support may prove to be a big loss for the Congress in Uttar Pradesh. The other major party, the Left has gained from what is said to be BJP’s loss. They have invited the BJD in to the third front and if they manage to contest elections together then it will be advantage Third Front in Orissa.

This is the summary of what is happening in India over the past few months. Let us see the prospects of the three alliances in those states which can swing the results in either way.

Let’s start with recap of what happened in 2004.

United Progressive Alliance (UPA) – 275

• INC – 145
• SP – 39
• RJD - 21
• DMK – 16
• NCP – 9
• Kerala Congress – 2
• PMK – 6
• TRS – 5
• JMM – 5
• MDMK – 4
• LJSP – 3
• PDP – 1

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – 185

• BJP – 138
• Shiv Sena – 12
• BJD – 11
• Akali Dal – 8
• JD(U) – 7
• Trinamool – 2

Left - 60

Others – 78

Independents – 3

Out of these 275 seats + 60 from the Left, the UPA enjoyed clear majority in 2004. However, lots happened in the last 5 years with many parties switching allegiance. If the results replicate in 2009 then

UPA: 335 – SP- Left -MDMK-TRS + Trinamool - BSP = 217 Seats

NDA: 185 – Trinamool – BJD = 172 Seats

Third Front: Left + TDP + BJD+ADMK = 76 Seats

Now let’s take a look state wise

Andhra Pradesh

With 42 seats, AP is also going in for the assembly elections. The ruling Congress under the leadership of Y.S.Rajashekara Reddy is fighting the elections against the grand alliance of TDP and TRS along with CPI and CPI (M) forming the third front and megastar Chiranjeevis’ Praja Rajyam Party. With the advent of PRP, the vote share of both Congress and TDP will be split and the presence of TRS in the third front means chances of increasing the seat numbers for TDP compared to the previous election looks good. They might just have upper hand at the Telengana region. However, the welfare policies of the current Congress government will give them the edge over other parties. The biggest loser in AP is the BJP after losing their key partner TDP to the Third Front. At present it is advantage Congress in AP for the coming Lok Sabha election.

However for the assembly election nothing can be said as the presence of Chiranjeevi might just change the scenario. With PRP already decided to field maximum women and physically challenged candidates for the election, he might not win the election but will definitely cause damage to both Congress and TDP.

Karnataka

With 28 seats, Karnataka is the next big state that could swing the momentum either way. The BJP is enjoying its success here and it has been just a year since coming into power in the State, the anti incumbency effect will not be a major factor in the election. The success of BJP even in the by polls means BJP is clearly ahead of other parties and could win majority of seats in the state. Its advantage BJP in Karnataka.

Kerala

With 20 seats, Kerala is one of the Left bastions in India. However, the anti incumbency effect along with the fight within the state party may act against the Left. This will certainly add to the advantage for the Congress and the Congress is expected to do well here. Even though they might have a clean sweep, it is expected to win at least 50% to 60% of the seat i.e. around 10 to 12 seats which could definitely swing the momentum towards the Congress. BJP might just repeat their 2004 performance. Its advantage Congress in Kerala.

Maharashtra

If there is a state which will decide the next Prime Minister of India then this could be the one. With 48 seats, everything is happening in this state. The NCP under Sharad Pawar has asked for atleast 50% of the seats which the Congress is not willing to give. Shiv Sena – BJP alliance is in danger after Bal Thackrey refused to meet L.K.Advani and has hinted that NCP is a better ally than BJP. This could cause a serious damage to both Congress and BJP as both NCP and Shiv Sena are an important ally. If Shiv Sena and NCP come together then there will be a 3 way contest in Maharashtra between Congress, BJP and Shiv Sena- NCP alliance. Nothing can be said about who is going to win and its advantage to neither Congress nor the BJP. However, anything can happen in Indian politics. So one has to wait till May 16^th to know the exact result.

Orissa

Even though it might not change the political scenario at the center, the recent developments indicates that this state might throw in few surprises. The break up of BJP-BJD and BJD planning to join the Third Front means its advantage Third Front. The clean score card of Naveen Patnaik and Kandhamal violence means BJP is in a big problem and might not repeat its 2004 results. This could really be an important factor in deciding who will be the next Prime Minister of India.

Tamil Nadu

The state which has thrown surprise in every election. With 39 seats, in 2004 it was clean sweep for the UPA. But things have changed. The anti incumbency of the ruling DMK government and the rift between the DMK and the PMK, the presence of Vijaykanth, the formation of alliance between the ADMK and the Communists, the Srilankan Tamil issue, this state has seen everything. This time around it is impossible for the UPA to repeat its 2004 performance, which means they have to improve their performance in other states to come back to power. The BJP again has no allies in TN and Left – ADMK alliance means, it’s a fight between the Left – ADMK and the UPA. However, its advantage ADMK and its allies and it will be hoping to win at least 25 seats i.e. around 50% of the total seats.

Uttar Pradesh

The biggest of all the states, UP is the most important of all the states when it comes to Lok Sabha election. It is a battle between four major parties, the BSP, the SP, the Congress and the BJP. Ever since the fallout between the Congress and the SP last week, this state has been keenly watched by the political analysts, all over India. Just like Maharashtra, it is difficult to predict the clear winner. However, with Kalyan Singh changing his allegiance towards the SP means, problems continuing for the BJP as he was the face of BJP among the lower caste people in UP. At present this is the most interesting state of all in India. If at all the BSP or the SP joins the Third Front, then we are almost certain for a hung Parliament. But again, anything can happen in Indian Politics.

West Bengal

The Left bastion for almost 5 decades might just throw a surprise this year. The happenings at Nandhigram and Trinamool Congress joining hands with the Congress, the anti incumbency of the present West Bengal government everything will play an important role in this year’s Lok Sabha election. Again, the BJP is left with no major political alliance, it’s a close fight between the Congress and the Left and anything more than 10 to 15 seats means, a gain for the Congress from the previous election. However, it was Congress – Left alliance that won 32 seats on the whole during the last election and to repeat the performance is not that easy for the Congress-TMC alliance. As such, in terms of number of seats, its advantage Left in West Bengal.

My prediction:

• Congress+ - 220 to 230 seats
• BJP + - 160 to 180 seats
• Third Front – 80 to 100 seats
• Others 30 to 80 seats

If my prediction proves correct then we will see a hung Parliament. It is a close fight between the 3 alliances i.e the UPA, NDA and the Third Front, with the UPA leading the pack. However, in Indian Politics there is no enemy or friends. So it is possible for the parties to change allegiance again and form a post poll alliance with either the UPA or the NDA. So lets wait and watch. Whoever comes to the power, hope they don’t buckle under the pressure of the alliances and work towards the welfare of the people and as always it is the aam aadmi who suffers irrespective of who is in the power.

Slumdog Millionaire

Yesterday I got to watch the most talked movie of the year 'Slumdog Millionaire'. The movie is all about a person called Jamal Malik. It talks about his childhood and how his life goes and how he wins "Who wants to be a Millionaire". The casts includes Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Irfan Khan, Saurabh Shukla and others. The most confusing part of the movie is how Jamal and his brother Salim, who are from a slum speaking Hindi, starts conversing in English with utmost fluency given the fact was that they are uneducated. Apart from this, I found not much of a flaw in the movie and Rahman's music was as usual awesome. The screenplay was adapted from a Warner Bros movie and it was good. The chemistry between Jamal and Lathika was nice and have taken well. Initially I was skeptical about the movie after listening to reviews from many, but after watching the movie I found it be good but not as great to be nominated for 10 Oscars. I somehow feel that there are many films taken in India which are better than Slumdog Millionaire which deserves more credit that what it had got. Apart from the director, everything else about this movie is Indian and proud to see an Indian nominated for 2 Oscars. I wish him all the very best and hope he brings more glories to India. 

Found a new interest

Offlate I have developed a new interest in the form of photography. Below is one such photo which I like a lot given the fact that I have taken it with my Sony w810i :) I am sure my photos would have been better if I had a better camera. 

Are these awards a mere formality?

The Padma Awardees have been announced for the year 2009. The list really surprise d me with the likes of Akshay Kumar, Helen, Vivek and Aishwarya Rai Bachan. What surprised me the most is that the panel left out Vijender Kumar and Sushil Kumar who brought glories to our nation by winning Olympic Medals. Apart from this, BCCI recommended VVS Laxman and Dhoni for the award, but unfortunately they left out Laxman and instead gave the award to Harbhajan Singh whose name was not recommended. Helen being a vetern actress was given at the same time when Aishwarya Rai was given. Does this mean, these Padma Awards are a mere formality to felicitate people? Moreover, the biggest blunder of all is that the award for given to a shawl exporter mistaking him for a craftsman. This really bemuses me whether the panel is seriously looking into the credentials of recommended people or not? There is no wonder why these awards were refused by many great people. I hope most deserving people receives it from 2010. 

My life @ Singapore

On reading my friend's blog, i thought why should i not write one about my experience in Singapore. I came here on December 24th 2007 and it has been 1 green and pollution free year for me. It was like a dream come trur for me as I have been trying for my Masters since I graduated in 2006. But due to many reasons I was not able to do it. I woould mention few memorable dates for me in Singapore rather than like a essay :)

Dec 24th: I landed at Changi airport. It was a smooth journey in Indian Airlines. The aerial view of the Marina rather Chennai was awesome.

Dec 26th: Course registration at the University. The university was big and green. I felt as if i had come back to Mysore Infosys. It was lush green and clean.

Jan 1st 2008: New Year celebrations at Marina Bay. Fireworks were awesome. It was the first time i had seen fireworks of that kind.

Jan 6th: Went to Underwater world and Dolphin lagoon in Sentosa Island. It was really good and being from India where it rare to see such species, i thoroughly enjoyed it.

Jan 7th: The classes started

Feb 6th and 7th: A trip to Singpore Zoo, Night Safari and Jurong Bird Park. Being a nature lover, it is very difficult for me to express how I enjoyed these 3 places. I was astonished to see beautiful animals and birds which i had never seen before in my life.

Then life was smooth and exams started on April 14th.

May 5th: I left for India for 3 months vacation. The feeling was great as I was flying back to Chennai. After a long time I stayed in Chennai for such a long period.

August 8th: Back to Singapore. This time the comfort level was better as more friends had come to Singapore for studies.

It was around mid September, when i visited a near by island called Pulau Ubin. It was really a nice experience as it maintains the traditional Singapore. It was like a welcome change from the busy Singapore to a calm and peaceful Singapore.

October 15th: I got an offer from a US MNC to join them as Logistics Analyst for 6 months. I guess I was very lucky given the current market condition.

November 25th: I completed my Masters and joined the company the very next day.

Jan 24th 2009: Again a trip to Singapore Zoo and Night Safari with my friends.

Jan 26th: A trip to Bird Park.

I guess I have written all those days which I thoroughly enjoyed. It has been a wonderful 1 year for me. However, I always missed my family, friends and ofcourse Indian food. Hope to get back soon.

Happy New Year, 2009

Wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year, 2009.
Hope this year brings prosperity and happiness to all.

Few things i wish to do/see before i die

There are few things i wish to do before i die. I hope my wish comes true.

• India - free of pollution, corruption, terrorism and of course more disciplined.
• India winning the cricket world cup and dominating other sports.
• Sachin Tendulkar's final match of his life for India.
• Wimbledon finals.
• Formula 1 grand prix.
• African Safari.
• Tour the whole of India.
• Build a school for poor.
• Football worldcup finals
• Kamal Hassan winning Oscar for lifetime achievement
• Victoria and Niagara falls
• The Pyramids
• Tour Switzerland and New Zealand.

There are many more, but i guess the post will be too long. So i stop here :)

Few unanswered questions

India, for the past few months have been under terrorist attack. Our security has gone from bad to worse. People are unable to live peacefully not knowing what will happen and when will happen. However, the recent Mumbai attack have brought people together and now they have started raising their voice against the politicians, whom they elected few years ago. Heads started rolling and government under pressure have taken action by sacking inefficient Union Home Minister, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Maharashtra Home Minister. Citizens marched towards various land marks in various cities to show their solidarity and their anger towards politicians. I even saw bollywood actors joining the people in their protest. Few questions keep coming in people's mind.

1. What is the solution for this?
2. Who can save us from the terrorists?

Everyone in the news channel have started talking about the holes in Indian political system. But is it possible after 60 years to change the system. Certainly not. So what could be done? Politicians are corrupted to the core, so as policemen and other officials. Unlike cinema, it is not possible for a common man to fight against these politicians. What started like a revolution, Lok Paritran is no where now. Infact very few knew about its existence. That is the situation in India. Everytime something happens, political game starts and finally India will say that it has proof of Pakistan's hand in attack and as usual Pakistan will reject it. This has been the situation for the past few months.

So when it is not possible to change the system and also not possible to fight against these politicians, what can be done to protect ourselves from these terrorists?

I hope there are few people in politics who care for others and the country who can bail us out from this situation.

India's 9/11

I can only say "My hearty condolences to all those families who lost their near and dear ones". Lets pray for a secured India. At this point, only God can save us from terrorists unless the government takes strong measures.

Hats off to the brave Policemen, Indian Army, Marine Commandos and the National Security Guard Commandos.

தீபாவளி நல் வாழ்த்துக்கள்

அனைவருக்கும் இனிய தீபாவளி நல் வாழ்த்துக்கள். அனைவரது இல்லத்திலும் அகல் விளக்கின் ஒளியை போல் என்றென்றும் மகிழ்ச்சி பிரகாசிக்கட்டும்.