Lokpal Bill simplified.

Forget Anna Hazare. The Jan Lokpal movement can go to hell for all I care. Let us just look at the issues over which the battle between the Government and us citizens is being fought. And then let’s decide where we want to stand, each one of us, on the issue of corruption.

The first question is:
Do corruption and bribery hurt you? If they do, do you want a solution?
If your answer is yes to both, do you think such a solution lies with an independent authority? Or do you think a corrupt Government can fight corruption on its own, and within its own ranks? If your answer is no to that, then we need to create an independent institution to fight corruption.Right? Well, that’s precisely what Anna is asking for. He is asking for a Lokpal that the Government cannot influence nor manipulate. This is the first battle.

The second battle is over four things.

1. Should the Prime Minister come under the purview of the Lokpal?
   Almost everyone I know thinks he should. A honest Prime Minister wouldn’t care. A dishonest one must be supervised.Or else, we will have cases like Bofors that will never ever be resolved.
2. Should Members of Parliament come under the Lokpal?
   I have not met a single person till date who thinks that our MPs are so honest that they need not be supervised. My guess is if a referendum is ever taken, Anna will get a 100% yes to this question, given what people think of our politicians and the standards of probity in public life.
3. Do all public servants need to come under the Lokpal? My guess is India’s answer will be yes, yes, yes. Every day, in every area of our life and work, we are constantly harassed, intimidated and extorted by corrupt Government officers. The poorer you are, the worse is the torture. So yes, every public servant, every Government officer must come under the Lokpal.
   
4. Who should give permission to file an FIR against a corrupt judge? If the Lokpal can look into corruption charges against the PM, the MPs and Government servants, isn’t it only logical to expect it to do the same against judges?
   

The third and final battle is over an even simpler thing:
The Citizen’s Charter.
Should every Government office have such a Charter which will clearly state which officer will do what work and in how much time? And should an officer who refuses to do his work in time or asks for a bribe to move a filebe punished? The Government says a charter is fine but Government servants must not be penalised if they don’t do their work!
Anna believes that officers not doing their work in time amounts to corruption and must face the same treatment. Isn’t it rather obvious what India thinks about this?

Do we really need a referendum on these simple, basic issues? I seriously doubt it. Every Indian will endorse the idea of a Lokpal as Anna and his team have envisioned it, with the help of thousands of Indians who have contributed online to the process of drafting the bill.

Yes, there are genuine fears that we should not create yet another monster out there, who will make life more difficult for us than it already is. But even that has been addressed rather adroitly by Anna’s team. It is a complex process, true but it also ensures that the choice is wisely made. And what if there are charges against the Lokpal? Well, there’s a provision there too. You can go straight to the Supreme Court and seek justice out there.

So why are we arguing so much over this Bill?
Why is the Government digging its heels in and refusing to listen to us citizens?
Why must Anna go on a hunger strike all over again to press home the point that corruption must be fought back?
I guess it’s a question of both ego and fear. No one likes to give up the power they have, and certainly not the Government. In fact, it’s always trying to interfere more and more in our lives, grab more and more authority, more and more space. And fear? Well, I guess we all know the answer to that. This is possibly the most corrupt Government we have ever had. It has good reason to be scared.

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By Pritish Nandi

गब्बर सिंह का चरित्र चित्रण

1. सादा जीवन, उच्च विचार: उसके जीने का ढंग बड़ा सरल था. पुराने और मैले कपड़े, बढ़ी हुई दाढ़ी, महीनों से जंग खाते दांत और पहाड़ों पर खानाबदोश जीवन. जैसे मध्यकालीन भारत का फकीर हो. जीवन में अपने लक्ष्य की ओर इतना समर्पित कि ऐशो-आराम और विलासिता के लिए एक पल की भी फुर्सत नहीं. और विचारों में उत्कृष्टता के क्या कहने! 'जो डर गया, सो मर गया' जैसे संवादों से उसने जीवन की क्षणभंगुरता पर प्रकाश डाला था.

२. दयालु प्रवृत्ति: ठाकुर ने उसे अपने हाथों से पकड़ा था. इसलिए उसने ठाकुर के सिर्फ हाथों को सज़ा दी. अगर वो चाहता तो गर्दन भी काट सकता था. पर उसके ममतापूर्ण और करुणामय ह्रदय ने उसे ऐसा करने से रोक दिया.


3. नृत्य-संगीत का शौकीन: 'महबूबा ओये महबूबा' गीत के समय उसके कलाकार ह्रदय का परिचय मिलता है. अन्य डाकुओं की तरह उसका ह्रदय शुष्क नहीं था. वह जीवन में नृत्य-संगीत एवंकला के महत्त्व को समझता था. बसन्ती को पकड़ने के बाद उसके मन का नृत्यप्रेमी फिर से जाग उठा था. उसने बसन्ती के अन्दर छुपी नर्तकी को एक पल में पहचान लिया था. गौरतलब यह कि कला के प्रति अपने प्रेम को अभिव्यक्त करने का वह कोई अवसर नहीं छोड़ता था.


4. अनुशासनप्रिय नायक: जब कालिया और उसके दोस्त अपने प्रोजेक्ट से नाकाम होकर लौटे तो उसने कतई ढीलाई नहीं बरती. अनुशासन के प्रति अपने अगाध समर्पण को दर्शाते हुए उसने उन्हें तुरंत सज़ा दी.

5. हास्य-रस का प्रेमी: उसमें गज़ब का सेन्स ऑफ ह्यूमर था. कालिया और उसके दो दोस्तों को मारने से पहले उसने उन तीनों को खूब हंसाया था. ताकि वो हंसते-हंसते दुनिया को अलविदा कह सकें. वह आधुनिक यु का 'लाफिंग बुद्धा' था.


6. नारी के प्रति सम्मान: बसन्ती जैसी सुन्दर नारी का अपहरण करने के बाद उसने उससे एक नृत्य का निवेदन किया. आज-कल का खलनायक होता तो शायद कुछ और करता.


7. भिक्षुक जीवन: उसने हिन्दू धर्म और महात्मा बुद्ध द्वारा दिखाए गए भिक्षुक जीवन के रास्ते को अपनाया था. रामपुर और अन्य गाँवों से उसे जो भी सूखा-कच्चा अनाज मिलता था, वो उसी से अपनी गुजर-बसर करता था. सोना, चांदी, बिरयानी या चिकन मलाई टिक्का की उसने कभी इच्छा ज़ाहिर नहीं की.


8. सामाजिक कार्य: डकैती के पेशे के अलावा वो छोटे बच्चों को सुलाने का भी काम करता था. सैकड़ों माताएं उसका नाम लेती थीं ताकि बच्चे बिना कलह किए सो जाएं. सरकार ने उसपर 50,000 रुपयों का इनाम घोषित कर रखा था. उस युग में 'कौन बनेगा करोड़पति' ना होने के बावजूद लोगों को रातों-रात अमीर बनाने का गब्बर का यह सच्चा प्रयास था.


9. महानायकों का निर्माता: अगर गब्बर नहीं होता तो जय और वीरू जैसे लुच्चे-लफंगे छोटी-मोटी चोरियां करते हुए स्वर्ग सिधार जाते. पर यह गब्बर के व्यक्तित्व का प्रताप था कि उन लफंगों में भी महानायक बनने की क्षमता जागी.

udaipur_Dec2010

My Inspiration

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.


-this version is credited to Mother Teresa

Unexpected question and witty answer

When swami Vivekananda went to USA, a lady asked him to marry her.
When Swamiji asked the reason, she said she was facinatted by his intellect and wanted a offspring with his intelligent caliber.

Swamiji smiled and said, "My dear lady, I understand your desire. Marrying and bringing a child in to this world and understanding whether it is intelligent of no, takes a very long time. Moreover its not guaranteed. Instead, to fulfill your desire immediately, I can suggest a guaranteed way. Take me as your child and your desire of having a child of my intellect is fulfilled".

The lady was speechless....

Moral:
We may receive unexpected questions at times, it depends on how we handle the situation and how witty our answer is...

Success Does Not Happen In Isolation

There was a farmer who grew superior quality and award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won honor and prizes. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learnt something interesting about how he grew it.

The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors'.

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir, "said the farmer, "didn't you know?

The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior, sub-standard and poor quality corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."

The farmer gave a superb insight into the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves. So it is in the other dimensions! Those who choose to be at harmony must help their neighbors and colleagues to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well.

The value of a life is measured by the lives it touches.

Success does not happen in isolation. It is very often a participative and collective process.

So share the good practices, ideas, new learning's with your family, team members, neighbors'

Call of Dharma

Has this thought every crossed your mind? When everyone around me is having a great time taking the shortest route to instant success, why should I not do the same? Surely, a few shortcuts, a few bending of the rules won't do much harm. This thought has engaged me on many occasions. Why should one stick to one's dharma?

There is, it seems, a sweet gift waiting at the end of a long, arduous wait especially when the time is spent following one's dharma. This is not just good for the individual, it also affects people around us in ways we cannot even imagine. It keeps the balance.

Here's a story from ancient India to illustrate the importance of purity in thought and action. There was once a village by the banks of a river in which lived a few Brahmin families. The courtyard in each house had a yajnakund in which fire rituals were performed. One day, a Brahmin found a piece of gold in his yajnakund. He asked his wife as to how it got there.

His wife told him: "When I was cleaning the courtyard, a bull walked in. I had to shoo it away. But I was chewing on betel leaves. I had to spit before driving the bull away. I spat in the yajnakund." Doing that had turned a part of the kund into gold. The Brahmin was outraged at the pollution of the scared kund. He was seething, but softened when he saw that the piece of gold had, the very next day, bought his wife a silk sari and himself, a silk dhoti.

They then bought a bigger home, hired servants and lived comfortably. The rest in the village were envious. The Brahmin's wife revealed the secret of their material prosperity to her neighbour.

The neighbour, too, spat in the yajnakund and a piece of gold changed their lifestyle. Many houses in that village did the same. Except for one Brahmin.

This Brahmin refused to use the yajnakund for anything but worship. His wife pleaded, but he did not relent. His wife told him she is embarrassed that the other houses are filled with riches while they are stuck on principles. She convinced him that they at least leave the village to save themselves embarrassment.

The husband refused at first saying it would spell disaster. But he gave in on his wife's insistence. Hardly had they left the village that they saw it go up in flames with people quarrelling over petty issues.

The Brahmin told his wife: "This is the catastrophe I foresaw. Wealth earned without toil breeds hatred. So long as even one yajnakund remained pure, order prevailed. With our departure, the village lost all right to peace."

It is only by holding firm in the storm of desire can we weather desire. But the desire for peace must be stronger than all other desires.

[copied from http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report_respond-to-the-call-of-dharma_1432858]