YET AGAIN, ASHAMED TO BE AN INDIAN !!!

Note: Well I initially thought of writing an article in a general paragraph form. But soon I realised that it would be very tedious for my readers to grasp article in one go if I wrote all my emotions. I figured out if I write the Ramdev crackdown incident in points then you guys will be better able see what has happened and is happening. Also you would have your own, original set of emotions and reactions.

NARENDRA MODI

• “The PM had said during the elections that he would bring back black money stashed in Swiss banks within 100 days of coming into power. But today it is two years and nothing has happened”
•  “Congress will have to answer 120 crore people of India about the use of violence on innocent people”
• “The onslaught was ironically against a person who was welcomed by four ministers".

WHAT HAPPENED?

Mithu Roy from Gujarat was one of the thousands of Baba Ramdev supporters. This is her account of the assault on the Ramdev camp and its aftermath, as she spoke to “First post” (www.firstpost.com) while she was returning to her hometown.

• The whole raid was pre-planned. All the media people were the first ones removed.
• All afternoon people saw police presence increasing slowly, but at that time they were happy thinking government is making all these arrangements for their safety.
• People had started to sense something was amiss Saturday evening itself; as temperature had somehow changed. Baba told them that evening, “If the government comes to arrest me, what will you do? Will you continue with your fast?” And people said yes.
• Raid caught them by surprise. It is not like the police gave them 30 minutes to evacuate the tent, and collect their belongings. Instead there was tremendous pushing and shoving and total panic.
• Women were being pulled by their hair.
• People lost their belongings (matters as many were simple travelling villagers) like mobiles, baggage, etc.
• Some women hid in the toilet to save themselves.
• One woman’s sari was so badly torn that one of the men gave her his jeans to wear.
• One old lady’s head was cracked open.
• It was indeed "laathi ki barsaat".
• The sound system was cut off as well, adding to the chaos.
• The lights were off at the back of the shivir leading to great confusion. People were screaming and running. (If you wake up in the middle of the night in your own house, at least you know where the bathroom is. Here people didn’t know which way to run.)
• Baba also kept telling people that talks with the government were going well, that they had agreed on 99% of the issues, and only 1% was left. And that the fast would not go on very long.
• Baba wanted the government to release the names of those who had stashed their black money overseas. The government had the list but is not doing it. Baba said it’s the people’s right to know. But he said the government has been cooperating with us. But instead it stabbed him in the back.
• Many of the people inside wandered the streets at night [after being thrown out]. Some went to the gurudwara. Some went to the railway station.
• Baba had asked people who can afford, to book rooms outside to make more room for people inside the camp to sleep at night. Those people who went came to the camp in morning but they were not being allowed back in. They couldn’t reach their people inside.
• Sunday morning, people were told the rooms they had booked were cancelled. The owners of the hotel suddenly said they did not have the right papers. They told followers in the morning that PAN card was not good enough. They said, “We need your voter ID cards. Please take your luggage and go away.”
• Section 144 imposed in Ramlila ground leaving all supporters nowhere to go; henceforth forced to go back. It’s a clear intention to cut short Baba’s support.

QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED?

This was Operation Ramdev – it happened under the cover of night like Operation bin Laden.

• Is Baba some kind of terrorist? Baba was not forcing anyone to fast. Baba always said: whatever you do, do non-violently.
• Is it a crime now to fast in your own country?
• People abandoned their own meals, is that also a problem for the government?
• Why did the police not come on stage during the day and arrest the Baba if they needed to?
• The ministers can go to the airport to meet him. Why not come to Ramlila to meet him onstage?
• What did ordinary people like us did to deserve this?
• Why lathi-charge ordinary people who are sleeping at night?
• What is this country, where mothers and sisters are treated like this? Is this our country’s culture?
• Is government saving its face by disagreeing to release the list of people with black money?
• Where is Rahul Gandhi now?       

FOR CRITICS OF BABA RAMDEV

Some critics say:

Baba is cheat. Baba Ramdev and his followers, always divert question about their assets. They should give account of the money that was used to do this grand fast (staggering 18 crore). Baba Ramdev owns assets of Scottish island, 95 acres in Houston, real estate in Canada, and the $ 45 million dollars, annual funds is received. Why cannot the Baba Ramdev give an account of where and who are making these donations. How can this Baba talk about Black money of other people when his own money is stashed abroad?

My answer to this is:

If Baba had black money and such assets illegally, then he would be the first person to be caught by the law he is demanding. The prime demand about declaring black money is in extreme good faith of our nation. Not supporting such move certainly means indirectly supporting corruption. Whatever is going on, is against corruption and enough reason to support Baba.

WRAPPING UP

Like we saw in “Rang de Basanti”, the government made a barbaric attack on people protesting peacefully. Finally they had to pay back. A generation awakened.

Similarly, government have again taken a inhuman step to stop a peaceful protest. Keeping in mind this is not a movie. We have to carefully & peacefully again awaken a generation.

Save India and rediscover a reason to say “Yet again, Proud to be Indian”. JAI HIND.   

Cities: I've Been To (Current Count 51)

 Vaguely In Order I've Came Across Them

 

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Capital of U.P. Lucknow is popularly known as The City of Nawabs. Known for Chicken Clothes, Tunde Kawabs, & Tehzeeb. Lucknow has Asia's first human DNA bank. This is world's second bank having DNA identification system (DIS). I've born here. I have been living here for eight years. In three patches of two year, three years and three years respectively.

Nagpur, Maharashtra
2nd Capital of Maharashtra. It is also famous throughout the country as "Orange City" for being a major trade centre of oranges. A week long visit with family.

Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh
It has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculpture. The Khajuraho group of monuments has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is considered to be one of the "seven wonders" of India. A tourist visit with family

Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh
Famous for Bareilly Bazaar. A visit to relatives.

Maksi, Madhya Pradesh
It is a small city in Madhya Pradesh. I started my schooling here. Lived here for about two years.

Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
The Kumbh Mela religious festival is held here every 12 years. It is also the place where Lord Krishna got education with Balarama and Sudama from Maharshi Sandipani. For me, it was the big city to look for, near Maksi. Many small miscellaneous visits.

Dewas, Madhya Pradesh
The name Dewas is derived from the Devi Vaishini hill near the city. The hill has a temple of deity Devi Chamunda and tulja bhavani. I have been to that hill numerous times. Also, I made the record of 99.5% in the class during my one year stay here.

Shajapur, Madhya Pradesh
The original name was Shahjahanpur, which was later shortened to Shajapur. I have been there quite a few times for miscellaneous reasons.

Indore, Madhya Pradesh
It is a major city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh. Indore holds the Guinness World Records for largest tea party with 32,681 participants. Radio Mirchi started out here. And it is the only city to have IIT and IIM. Some, two three visits during my 5 years stay in Madhya Pradesh.

Agra, Uttar Pradesh
It needs no introduction. Famous for Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and many others. A visit to relatives and also went on to see Taj Mahal with family.

Chandigarh
The name was coined from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu Goddess Chandi, present in the city's vicinity. Known internationally for its architecture and urban planning. It is cleanest city of India. Had a couple of tours here with family and also visits to relatives.

Pinjore, Haryana
A small city in Haryana. The Yadavindra Gardens at Pinjore have terraced gardens, famously known as Pinjore gardens. I have visited these gardens two or three times with family and with college friends.

Kalka, Haryana
The town is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and is a gateway to the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh. The Kalka Shimla Railway features on the UNESCO's World Heritage sites list as the Mountain Railways of India. Work on the railway line started in 1898 and it opened for traffic in 1903. I have been here as the part of Chandigarh tour with parents. It acted as a stoppage many times while going out of Himachal Pradesh.

Rewari, Haryana
It is a city Haryana about 85km from Delhi. It has some haveli(s) to see. Stayed here for couple of days as a visit to relatives.

Muradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Moradabad is renowned for its brass work and has carved a niche for itself in the handicraft industry throughout the world. The attractive brass ware is exported to countries like United States, Britain, Canada, Germany and Middle East Asia. Stayed here for couple of days to attend some function.

Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
The city is famous for its scissors, Handloom Cloths, gold jewellery, sports goods (especially cricket goods).  Most of all, the city is famous for the Revolt of 1857, also called India's First War of Independence, which began here. I stayed here for two days as visit to relatives.

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
It is a city situated on the banks of the River Ganges . Also regarded as holy by Buddhists, and Jains; is the Holiest Place of Hindus where at least once in life a Hindu is expected to do pilgrimage and if possible pour the remains (ashes) of cremated ancestors here into the River Ganga. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and probably the oldest of India. I lived for five years here. I have been a pseudo-guide to many relatives visiting us.

Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh
Sarnath is located 13 kilometres north-east of Varanasi. It is mentioned by the Buddha as one of the four places of pilgrimage which his devout followers should visit, if they wanted to visit a place for that reason. I have visited this place numerous times with family, relatives and friends.

Mumbai, Maharashtra
No introduction needed for this place. Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment centre of India, generating 5% of India's GDP, and accounting for 25% of industrial output, 70% of maritime trade in India, and 70% of capital transactions to India's economy. Stayed here for about three four days as tourists.

Panvel, Maharashtra
Panvel is also known as gateway of Konkan region. It adjoins Navi Mumbai, and is just after the Thane district border. Panvel is located on the Mumbai Pune Expressway about 22 kilometres from Mumbai. Stayed here for two three days as a visit to relatives.

Panaji, Goa
Panaji is capital of goa but surprisingly it is Goa's third largest city after Vasco da Gama and Margao. My stay here was the part of Goa tour with parents.

Margao, Goa
Goa's second largest but busiest town, the commercial capital of the state, and the administrative headquarters of South Goa district. My stay here was the part of Goa tour with parents.

Mormugao, Goa
It is Goa’s main port. It was featured in the 1980 film The Sea Wolves and the Bollywood film Bhootnath. My stay here was the part of Goa tour with parents.

Vasco da Gama, Goa
Vasco da Gama (often shortened to Vasco) is a small city in the state of Goa on the west coast of India. It is named after the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Vasco has Goa's largest population. My stay here was the part of Goa tour with parents.

Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh
It is in midway of Lucknow and Varanasi. I stayed here for one day. A halt during road-trip.

Howrah, West Bengal
Located on the west bank of the Hoogli River, it is a twin city of Kolkata. It is West Bengal's second largest city in terms of both area and population. Stay here is limited to a day only.

Kolkata, West Bengal
Capital of West Bengal. Kolkata is the cultural capital of India and the commercial capital of Eastern India. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the Hooghly River. Stayed here for about three days. To me Science city was super awesome.

Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
It is home to several museums and a major base for the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. It is also the headquarters of the Tri Services Command. It is famous for cellular jail (Kala Pani). Stayed here as a part of ten days tour with parents.

Rangat, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Cutbert Bay Beach here is a turtle nesting ground (December to February). Stayed here as a part of ten days tour with parents.

Mayabunder, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Love the super awesome "Avis island" here. Stayed here as a part of ten days tour with parents.

Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh
It is renowned for its famous carpet and brassware industry. It is a city with several spots around it including many hills such as Rajdari, Devdari, Lakhaniyadari, and Windom fall range and Sirshi. Stay limited to one day only.

Jaipur, Rajasthan
It is popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of Rajasthan. Jaipur is the first planned city of India, located in the semi-desert lands of Rajasthan. Jantar Mantar, is one of the World Heritage Sites. Stayed here as a part of fifteen days tour with friends.

Ajmer, Rajasthan
The Dargah Sharif of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti is situated at the foot of the Taragaṛh hill, and consists of several white marble buildings arranged around two courtyards, including a massive gate donated by the Nizam of Hyderabad, a mosque donated by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the Akbari Mosque. Stayed here as a part of fifteen days tour with friends.

Pushkar, Rajasthan
It is situated at 14 km North West from Ajmer. Pushkar is one of the oldest cities of India. Pushkar lies on the shore of Pushkar Lake. The date of its actual origin is not known, but legend associates Lord Brahma with its creation. It is mentioned that Brahma performed penance here for 60,000 years to have a glimpse of Vishnu. Stayed here as a part of fifteen days tour with friends.

Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Jodhpur is a popular tourist destination, featuring many palaces, forts and temples, set in the stark landscape of the Thar desert. The city is known as the Sun City for the bright, sunny weather it enjoys all year. It is also referred to as the Blue City due to the blue-painted houses around the Mehrangarh Fort. Stayed here as a part of fifteen days tour with friends.

Haridwar, Uttarakhand
Haridwar is regarded as one of the seven holiest places to Hindus. Tourists congregate in Haridwar to perform ritualistic bathing on the banks of the river Ganga to wash away their sins to attain Moksha. I stayed here as a part of twelve day tour with friends.

Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Is is capital city of the Uttarakhand. The products that have made Dehradun known within India are "Dehradooni basmati rice", bakery products and Iychee. I stayed here as a part of twelve day tour with friends.

Mussoorie, Uttarakhand
This hill station, situated in the foothills of the Himalaya ranges, is also known as the Queen of the Hills. I stayed here as a part of twelve day tour with friends.

Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
It is located in the foothills of the Himalaya in northern India and attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists each year, from within India, as well as from other countries. I stayed here as a part of twelve day tour with friends.

Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
It is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills" (a term coined by the British). I had numerous trips to Shimla during my college years with friends.

Solan, Himachal Pradesh
It is known as the "mushroom city of India" because of the mushroom centre situated at Chambaghat. The district is better known for the Mohan Meakin's brewery (reputed to be India's oldest brewery) and the famous Old Monk XXX RUM, Solan No. 1 whiskey and Golden Eagle beer. I had many trips to Solan during my college years with friends.

Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh
Saharanpur is internationally famous for its wood carving work cottage industry. It is a thriving market of local agricultural produce, including basmati rice and mangoes. My stay here was limited to one day only. A visit to close friend, "Digvijay Singh Chauhan".

Unnao, Uttar Pradesh
It is approximately 18 km from Kanpur. It is connected to luck now and Kanpur by roadway as well as by railway. My stay here was limited to one day only. Missed the chance to meet a friend, "Shivam Srivastava".

Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
Famously known as leather city of the world. It is also home to several globally recognized institutions such as IIT Kanpur, Harcourt Butler Technological Institute (HBTI) and GSVM Medical College. I had one visit to Kanpur for a day only.

Zirakpur, Punjab
A city near Chandigarh. Stayed here for four days.

New Delhi
Capital City of India. I have been many times here. Trips been ranging from three to ten days each. Reason being exams, visit to family, friends and sight seeing.

Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Neighbour city of Delhi. I have been many times here. Trips been ranging from two to five days each. Reason being campus placement drive, relatives and friends.

Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
It is a planned industrial city 19km east of Delhi. I have been once here. Visited here for placement drive and meet a close friend "Akshay Gaur" and his friends. Visit was for three four days.

Amritsar, Punjab
Amritsar is home to the Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, the spiritual and cultural center of the Sikh religion. This important Sikh shrine attracts more visitors than the Taj Mahal in Agra as it has more than 100,000 visitors on week days alone and is the number one destination for non-resident-Indians (NRI) in the whole of India. I have been here for a day with college friends.

Katra, Jammu & Kashmir
Katra or Katra Vaishno Devi, as it is popularly known, is a small city in Jammu and Kashmir, India, situated in the foothills of the Trikuta Mountains, where the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is located. It is located 42 km from the city of Jammu. I have been here for the holy shrine with college friends.

Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
Jabalpur is one of the largest cities in Madhya Pradesh. It has a beautiful collection of Marble Rocks called Bhedaghat bordering the holy Narmada River. Many visitors every year come to visit Jabalpur because of this major attraction. I have been here on a four day visit to a close friend "Aditya Patel". Saw whole city, Begaghat and his villages; Alheni, Imaliya and Bijoura.

Keep Moving Forward - I

The plot, all the characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Life can hit hard. Sometimes you get knocked down when you don’t even see it coming. Some are cheap shots, some are glancing blows and some can bring you to your knees. When this happens, it’s not about how hard you get hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, but still find the strength to keep moving forward. It’s about having the will to continue in spite of the obstacles.

Let me tell you a story in context of the blog.

There was a boy. Who loved a girl – one sided. She loved him or not, that he didn’t know. What he did know was that she might be even, hating him. Due to some unavoidable circumstances, he couldn’t talk to her. And, after he got the senses to talk to her; it was too late. In all, the thing was that, sadly being an optimistic person, he was hopelessly into her and wasn’t able to get over her. Now, all this was affecting his day to day life; his academics, his lifestyle, his decisions, etc.

This is not any special story. This happens with many people. But, a really good thing was with him. He learnt right lessons, indirectly, from any incidents that took place near him. He eventually leant to, “Keep moving forward”.

He saw a dream one night. He was having supper or dinner with his seven-eight friends at a public place. Then due to some genuine reason, an unknown girl came to her. She said “excuse me” to him, but he was too busy with his friends. He heard her, when she called him one more time. They had a magical, four minute conversation, between them. They felt a heavenly connection between them and even exchanged their number. After the small chat, the last thing they asked each other was their names.

The boy woke up and thought about what he had just seen. He got inspired with the fact that how this could might have happened in real life. He learnt that a thing will surely happen, if it is destined to. You cannot beat time. Learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward.

This helped him a lot. He got over her and his life came back to track. He achieved many academic accomplishments. The only key is to KEEP MOVING FORWARD. 


There are many ways to keep moving forward. Which are continued in second part of post. :)

Keep Moving Forward - II

9 Ways To Keep Moving Forward

Forget Regret

Leave your mistakes and regret in the past. They don’t define your value, then or now. When you stay in the past you become stuck and unable to move forward. We all have made mistakes with our job choices, friends and relationships. The consequences can hit us pretty hard. However, to begin learning how to put these experiences behind us – by letting them go, we can begin to live in the here and now. Give yourself the gift of forgiveness and keep moving forward.

Learn from Failure

Learning from failure and having regret are two separate things. Regret is an emotion; a feeling of disappointment along with a modest amount of shame or guilt. But to look back at a circumstance and figure out what went wrong gives you some very important information. This review allows you to evaluate what worked and what didn’t, and more importantly, why. Often when you are removed from a situation, you can look at it more objectively which will allow you to make better choices to keep moving forward.

Ask for Help

You are not alone. It may feel that way sometimes, but there are many people who would extend their hand and lift you up if asked. All you have to do is ask. Consider co-workers, neighbors, or your friends. Often times we are afraid to ask because we don’t believe we are worthy to receive the help. Think about this: we are surrounded by millions and millions of people by design – for a purpose. A hand to grasp, a shoulder to cling, and a face to radiate hope can help you to keep moving forward.

Believe You are Worthy

Whatever your goal, your dream, or your desire, you are worthy of achieving it. The closer you get to it is when the enemy of your soul will begin putting doubt in your mind by playing the self-limiting tapes that say you are not worthy. Replace these old tapes with a newer one that contains the truth – you are worthy to have your heart’s true desire and to keep moving forward.

Take 100% Responsibility

Except in rare and unfortunate circumstances, you are responsible for the quality and condition of your life. Your career, your relationships and your happiness are all under your direct control. Sometimes we choose to do nothing when we get hit hard because it’s just easier and less painful that way. But the real pain is only deferred. You have to live with yourself. You have to live with the voice in your gut, your inner wisdom, that says you gave up too soon or didn’t try hard enough. When you hear this inner voice speaking to you, it’s usually right. It’s your choice, then, to get up and keep moving forward.

 Know What You Want

This isn’t about the how, only the what. In order to move forward in life, you need a firm foundation to step from. Understanding what and where you want to go in life will provide your vision and spirit – your foundation. The how will figure itself out when you know you want to keep moving forward.

Trust

There are no accidents without value. When you get hit hard and land on your back, look for the reasons and for the value in this. Open your heart and trust this happened for a reason. Perhaps it was to test your determination or to alert you to the fact you were on the wrong path. Either way, trust the experience is happening for a reason and be open to making adjustments in order to keep moving forward.

Want it More

How badly do you want it? How badly do you really want to achieve what you are working so hard to accomplish? When you get hit hard, you have an opportunity to answer this question. It’s one thing to say you want to do something, or to be something. But to walk through the pain; to get up and keep moving forward knowing there may be more pain ahead, is a test of your determination and resolve. When you find yourself getting back on your feet, you have indeed answered this question and there’s no doubt you will keep moving forward.

Keep the Faith

Faith: A strong belief in something without proof or evidence
At the end of the day when you are weary from all of the effort and energy you have expended and you are sore and tired from being hit hard so many times, but the dream is not realized, the one thing that tells you to keep going; to get up tomorrow and to keep moving forward, is your faith. Honor this and cherish it. Faith is what makes you human. It gives you energy and hope. And if you let it, your faith will deliver you to wherever you want to go in life.

Because I Still Love Her

She does not love me;

 Why must I dwell on this?

Because I still love her regardless.

I watch her pass me by every day, 

I stay to see her, look my way.

But she never does.

Just because,

She does not love me.

I am sadden by the very thought,

That she will never be mine,

Because there is someone else, in her life.

She does not love me;

Thus, why do i still care?

Because I still love her regardless.

I should stop this love sick melody,

Stop singing the same old sad love song.

For I know that, she will never love me;

But, why does it feel right, if it is wrong?

She does not love me,

I am merely someone she knows, but does not care for;

So, why do I still love her?

I don't know;

But I will still love her regardless.