Happy New Year

I wish a very happy and prosperous new year 2010 to all my readers. May God bless you and grant you happiness and satisfaction in the new year.

एक नई ग़ज़ल

दोस्तों,
कल काफ़ी दिनों बाद, मैं अपनी पुरानी लाल डायरी ले कर बैठा। उस में कुछ ऐसी ग़ज़लें थीं जो मैंने करीब डेढ़ साल पहले लिखी थीं । उस वक्त मैं डी.सी.एम् लखनऊ था । उनमें से एक आपके पेश-ऐ-खिदमत है:
मैं किनके साथ हूँ किनसे है मेरा राबता हर दिन,
यहाँ कितने ही चेहरों से है मेरा वास्ता हर दिन;
ना जाने कौन अपना है ना जाने कौन है दुश्मन,
इन्ही चेहरों में हूँ अपना पराया ढूंढता हर दिन;
मैं अक्सर सोचता हूँ कौन सी मंजिल को जाता है,
किया करता हूँ तय खामोश जो मैं रास्ता हर दिन;
मैं छोटा हूँ मुझे मेरे खुदा छोटा ही रहने दे,
बड़ों के दिल की गहराई का लगता है पता हर दिन;
ये माना साफगोई है खता इस दौर में लेकिन,
खुदाया माफ़ करना हो ही जाती है खता हर दिन.....

Vultures Behind Lenses

Dear Friends,

Its been almost one full month as Sr.DSO Agra. And what a month it has been! Even as I was trying to settle down after being suddenly transferred out of Lucknow, the biggest railway accident on my territory, in my career happened. On the 21st of this month, in the early morning hours, Mewar Express was Dashed from the rear by Goa Express. In railway terms, it is known as a Rear-Collision. Understandably,it instantaneously became the subject of intense media scrutiny and criticism.

I was there at the accident site within a very short time after getting to know of the accident through the divisional control (As were the other officers of the Division). But, sure as hell, the media guys were there as well almost at the same time that we reached the site of the accident. All sorts of media vans with round dish antennas mounted on their roofs soon choaked the makeshift parking created at the accident site. The reporter, photographers, corrospondents, special corrospondents etc. were practically climbing over each other to get the best (and the most damning) shot of the dead/injured. Indeed, their devotion to their duty was more than visible. But what was more visible was their complete disreagard and callousness towards the enormity of the incident and loss of human life. I heard two 'reporters' brandishing a video camera talking to each other. (they were talking in Hindi, but I have translated their dialogue into English). It went thus

The first one said "Pal look at that dead body stuck in the wreakage, next to the window"

"Yes I can see it" his friend replied

"Just try to get closer and get a good shot when it is extracted. It will make lovely footage.."

Yes, this is what they were saying to each other. It was the overhearing of this dialogue that forced me to think about the role of media in such disasters. Its an ode to the efficiency of the Indian Media that they are almost always the first ones to reach at the site of a disaster. But having reached there, are they the first ones to help? The answer to this question is a thumping 'NO'. In fact, if a person is dying of his injuries, our media persons will cover his/her dying moments and the pain in minute detail and bring you the best pictures and bytes. Most of them would love to ask such a person "sir, how does it feel like to be dying of injuries"? Even when I try, I am unable to recall even one occasion when someone from the media has come forward to help in any such disaster. All they do is to click photographs and collect bytes from all and sundry. The greater the death and destruction, the happier is the guy behind the lens of the camera and the one holding the mike. And this is precisely why I have called them 'Vultures Behind Lenses'. Media persons are like vultures . Vultures gleefully descend in a pack on dying animals and start tearing on their innards even before they are dead!! Similarly meida persons also descend on the site of a disaseter and start filling the bellies of their cameras and recorders with the choiciest morsels of the sights of the death and destruction around them without ever lending a helping hand. In fact, my qustion is that why should media-vultures be allowed at the site of a disaster if all they can do is to click photographs and criticise? All that these people do is to add to the crowd and chaos at the site. Any person who is not at the site with the intention and the means to help in the relief and restoration should be evicted from that place. In fact, it should be made illegal to reach the site of a disaster armed to the teeth with cameras and recorders but without a single vial of medicine and a single box of first-aid!! It should also be made compulsory for all the media houses sending their 'corrospondents' to the accident site to send an ambulance along with the van containing their equipments. If the media has the ability to reach its vans at the disaster site much ahead of any other responder, surely, it is a most valuable ability. It must therefore be utilized in national interest and an ambulance with every media-van should be made compulsory by means of suitable legislation and, any media house violating this law should be heavily and publicly punished!!

It is all very well to criticise others but its time the media took a good look at itself in the mirror. I am sure that if it does that it will surely see not the face of a human, but the face of a vulture.

Here is a poem that I have written. Perhaps it will illustrate the point that I am trying to make:

Beautiful Vultures

I watch those vultures,

Flying up in the sky,

Never flapping a wing,

As they soar so high;

How beautiful they seem,

From this distance great,

They glide on the winds,

As they patiently wait;

For something to die,

On the earth below,

They watch from the skies,

And they come to know...

I watch those vultures,

Descend in a pack,

On a helpless-dying,

Creatures Back;

They tear it to pieces,

With joyful screeches,

They devour it,

Their fury fuelled by its pain;

Then gently they rise,

Back up in the sky,

And seem oh-so-beautiful,

So beautiful again........

The uncomplaining Indian

Dear Friends,

This is in continuation to my earlier posts on the unethical business practices being followed in the private sector. Well to some extent the consumer is also responsible for this state of affairs. Let me give you the example of an experience that I had today. Swati (my wife) and I went out in the evening today. On our way back we felt like having some Chhola Bhatura. We decided to stop at Ritz Continental, which is one of the prestigious resturants of the city, in order to have Chhola Bhatura. When we entered the restuarant, we found that the inside of the place was hot and suffocating. Clearly, the air-conditioning was not working. The resturant was not empty mind you. In fact it was quite full, with a lot of people braving the hot and suffocating interior of the place and eating their snack/dinner in silence. I decided to approach the guy on the cash counter and asked him the reason behind the dead air-conditioning. He had no convincing reply to my query, save "it has been switched off due to some problem". Well, I told him that either he should tell me the exact nature of the problem or he should switch on the ACs. Sensing trouble, he went and switched on the Air Conditioners and, to my surprise, I found that there was nothing wrong with them. Within a few minutes, the interior of the resturant was cool and comfortable. We then sat down and had our Chhola Bhatura in peace. However, all the time I was in the resturant, all I could do was to wonder at the tolerance of our fellow Indians. I was amazed at how willingly and uncomplainingly all these people eating in the Ritz were paying for a facility that was being denied to them not because of any technical snag but due to the greed of the resturant management. In any Air Conditioned eatery, the customer pays not only for the food but also for the ambience, cleanliness, service and Air Conditioning. However, in the Ritz, today, the Air Conditioning was deliberately switched off in order to shortchange the customers and save on the power bills. The cleanliness was also nothing to write home about. But none of the people sitting there complained. Consequently, they were forced to sit there and eat an exorbitantly priced meal in extremely uncomfortable and suffocating conditions.

This uncomplaining and 'adjusting' attitude of Indians is one of the major reasons why the average consumer in India is shortchanged-even robbed-by unscrupulous vendors in broad daylight. The least that we can do as consumers is to complain when we find that the value of our money is being denied to us. In case of substandard goods/service provided to us by a vendor/service provider, the least that we can do is to educate our fellow Indians. Now, with the advent of so many networking sites, it is easy for us to share our experiences as consumers. Each of us now possesses the power to tell hundreds of others about any case of cheating by any vendor/service provider. We can even call for a bycott of such businesses who cheat their customers in order to boost their profits. Friends, I call on all of you to become slightly intolerant. Stop adjusting, Start complaining!!

Thieves of the Private Sector Continued

Dear friends,

This is in continuation to my previous post on the subject. There was a report in one of the prominent papers of Lucknow today. It was about how the insurance companies are defrauding their customers. One gentleman of Lucknow, Dr.Ram Kapoor bought an insurance plan from Aviva Life Insurance through ABN Amro Bank. The report says that the company issued him revised insurance plans without taking his express consent. In these new plans they allegedly changed vital clauses such as those relating to partial withdrawal of money after the mandatory lock-in period was over and the liability of the policy holder in case on non-payment of further installments after the mandatory intallments had been paid. The poor gentleman has now gone and complained to the IRDA.

In my earlier post, I had pointed out similar unethical practices being resorted to by supposedly reputed companies like 'Airtel' and 'Hot and Juicy'. This only goes to illustrate that the private sector in our country is extremely corrupt and prone to defrauding the unsuspecting customer. Unfortunately, the private sector and 'Privatization' have been hardsold to the citizens of this country as the panacea to all the ills relating to governance and delivery of goods and services to the citizens. The reality is that the private sector is maintaining a beautiful drawing room. However, walk into their bed room and you find that it is a seedy place with an attached bathroom full of filth. The driving force of the private sector is 'Profit' and they will try to extract their pound of flesh from the customer at all costs and by all means-fair and foul. It is the government sector that is fair and not prone to profiteering like the private sector. If you don't beleive me try giving critical areas like roads, power, ports, health, education, taxation, policing etc. to these guys. They will come to your home, bodily lift your belongings and run away with them!!!

बदलने की बात

दोस्तों, हम हमेशा ये कहा करते हैं कि कुछ बदलना चाहिए। इस पर चंद आशार हैं:
कोई बदलेगा नही ख़ुद को बदलना होगा,
आग बरसेगी मगर घर से निकलना होगा;
राह में ख़ार मिलें या के दहकते शोले,
पाँव नंगे ही सही राह पे चलना होगा;
ज़लज़ले यूँ ही ना आयेंगे सतह पर यारों,
दिल में ठंडे पड़े लावे को उबलना होगा;
फिर मेरे मुल्क में भूखा न दिखेगा कोई,
चंद जेबों में जमे घी को पिघलना होगा;
कल इसी राख पे फूलों कि कतारें होंगी,
आज लकड़ी को मगर आग में जलना होगा....

एक और ग़ज़ल आप के लिए

दोस्तों,

एक बार किसी बड़े ने मुझसे एक सवाल पूछा। मैंने उसका जवाब तो दिया ही साथ ही उनकी उस बात से जुड़ी अपनी थोड़ी तकलीफ़ भी बयान कर दी। वो जानना चाह रहे थे की काम क्यों नही हुआ। और मैं उन्हें बताना चाह रहा था की मैंने तो करने की कोशिश करी थी मगर एक और बड़े ने मुझे करने नहीं दिया। बस वो बड़े मुझ पर बरस पड़े। बोले "जितना पूछा है बस उस का जवाब दो"। अब, आख़िर वो बड़े थे, तो उनसे तो कुछ कह नहीं सकता था, मगर लिख तो सकता था। उस दिन लिखी ग़ज़ल पेश-ऐ-खिदमत है:

मुझे ख़ामोश रहने की तबीयत सीखनी होगी,

सितम सह कर भी चुप रहने की आदत सीखनी होगी;

खिलाफ़त ज़ुल्म की न हो शराफ़त इसको कहते हैं,

अभी मासूम हूँ मुझको शराफ़त सीखनी होगी;

अगरचे झूठ भी बोलो तो वो सच ही नज़र आए,

बड़ों से बात करने की नफ़ासत सीखनी होगी;

ज़रा बारीकियां समझूं अदा से चोट देने की,

नफ़ासत सीख कर मुझको नज़ाकत सीखनी होगी;

नया इंसान देखो रीढ़ की हड्डी नदारद है,

तुझे गौरव लचीलेपन की फितरत सीखनी होगी...

Prostitution Of the Truth Continued

Friends,

I hate to say "I told you so", but can't escape saying it either. There was a news in the papers today about a lobourer couple. The husband had slit the throat of the wife with a razor blade. "So what's new?" you could ask. The answer is "nothing much, its just that this incident was related to a certain show being aired on the television these days. The name of the show is 'sach ka saamna'!!". In the case of this unfortunate couple, after watching this show they decided to play the game with each other. First the husband occupied the hot-seat and the wife played the host of the game show. She asked him a whole lot of questions that he answered truthfully. Then it was the turn of the wife to occupy the hot seat and the husband to turn the host. After asking a few questions, the husband shot a question to the wife. Like in the real show the question was related to infidility. To this question the wife responded that both their children were actually not the biological children of her husband-that they were fathered by someone else. This was too much for the husband and he slit her throat with a razor blade that he had in his pocket!! Even as I write this post, the wife is in the hospital battling for her life and the husband is in police custody. In my previous post on this subject, I made precisely this doomsday prediction, that, unfortunately, has come true. And this is not the first case of this type mind you. In a similar situation, a few days ago, one husband committed suicide after playing 'Sach Ka Saamna' with his wife at home. I am also told that one couple who participated in one of the episodes of this show on TV have already divorced. The time, friends, is not long before other predictions made by me regarding the impact of this show on our society will also come true. And at that moment, unwillingly, with a lot of regret, I will be forced to say,"I told you so..."

एक ग़ज़ल आप के लिए

दोस्तों कल नसीम अंसारी लखनऊ आई हुई थीं। नसीम एक शायरा हैं और मेरी पुरानी दोस्त हैं। उन्होंने मुझे सिखाया की कैसे ब्लॉग पर हिन्दी में पोस्ट किया जा सकता है। इस जानकारी ने मुझे आपसे अपनी ज़बान में बात करने का एक ज़रिया दे दिया। मेरे बयाज़ 'सबकुछ ' की एक ग़ज़ल पेश-ऐ-खिदमत है:

दोगले चेहरों पे खूनी मुस्कराहट किस लिए,

हर तरफ़ डर और बर्बादी की आहट किस लिए;

हक छिने कुचले गए रौंदे गए पर चुप रहे,

राख में शोलों की अब ये सुगबुगाहट किस लिए;

मुल्क के लाखों घरों में जब अँधेरा है बसा,

कुछ चुनिन्दा कोठियों में जगमगाहट किस लिए;

दश्त है वीरां हवा भी रुक चुकी है आज तो,

झाड़ियों की पत्तियों में सरसराहट किस लिए;

आज तेरे पास है दुनिया की हर नेमत मगर,

फ़िर तेरे दिल में ये गौरव छटपटाहट किस लिए...

Where Dogs Piss On Gods Continued

Dear Friends,

Today was a monday and I was indisposed since morning. Nothing serious, just down with a stomach bug that seemed to be doing its job rather seriously! Wouldn't have gone anywhere, but it being monday and monday being my mother's weekly fast for lord Shiva, and my mother being more indisposed than me, per force, I had to go to the temple in the evening so that mom could break her fast. There is a temple near my home. It is called the 'Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir'(Taking advantage of this rather unusual name, a sweet shop has also come up next to the temple by the same name). Our family has been visiting this temple since the time we shifted to vikas nagar which was more than a decade ago. Since then we have seen it grow from a run down little place into an impressive structure. In this area of Lucknow, it has become rather well patronized, hence the turnaround in its fortunes. Will, like most other temples, this one also has a Shiva Lingam. The Shiva Lingam, as you must be aware, is traditionally worshipped by bathing it with water/milk and offering belpatra, dhatura, flowers, and fruits to it. Typically, the Shiva Lingam is one deity that is never worshipped from a distance. (Incidentally the same practice of worship is followed in the Kashi Vishwanath Temple at Varanasi, which, arguably is the most powerful of all the Shiva Temples in India.

For so many years our family (and other families of the area) had been performing this simple ceremony of Shiva Pooja at this temple without any problems. However, we were shocked to find that this time round the Shiva Lingam had been surrounded by a fence and a gate was installed that was kept locked. This was especially inappropriate on a Monday, since it is the day of worship of Lord Shiva. Equally, or even more shocking was the fact that the Mahant of this temple had installed some Takahats and a television in the Sactum Sanctorum and was using the public worship area as a place of personal recline and recreation.

Desisiting from commenting on the Television, I requested the Mahant to kindly open the gate of the fencing surrounding Lord Shiva so that we could offer worship as usual. Imagine my shock and surprise when the Mahant not only refused to do so, but when I insisted that he open the gate, became abusive and demanded that I leave the premises. Its, of course, no secret that even though this particular temple belongs to a trust, its major portion is constructed on encroached public land like most other such temples in the city. This case is a classic example of how we allow antisocial, undesirable and possibly criminal elements to masquarade as 'priests', occupy public land and finally misbehave with devotees who have developed a spiritual faith in the deities in such temples. Friends, I for one have decided that if I ever visit a temple again, it shall only be after I have verified the antecedants of the temple in as much as whether or not it is constructed on legally aquired land. I also exhort to you to stop patronizing temples built on encroached and illegally occupied land. By offering worship in such 'temples' we are only strengthening the hands of the land mafia that operates in their garb and are directly contributing to the desacration of our religion and faith. In fact, we should all write to the respective District Magistrates about such illegal 'temples' and demand that all of them be demolished at once. What we require are better and safer roads, bridges, public parks etc. Any such illegal structure that becomes an impediment in the provision of these facilities should be demolished without a second thought. I am sure that if Lord Laxman (the founder of Lakhanpuri- now Lucknow) was still ruling Awadh, he would have done the same.

Honorable Supreme Court's Judgement Supports My Stand

Dear Friends,
This is with reference to my post "Where Dogs Piss on Gods'. This article was written by me to expose the activities of the land mafia operating in Lucknow (and other parts of the country) under the guise of religious pontiffs. It has taken the dimensions of an organized crime whereby 'temples' and other 'places of worship' are erected on public land at prime locations in the city. Once erected, such places become safe havens for such criminals masquarading as priests. Since religious sentiments of people are involved, it becomes well-neigh impossible to remove such encroachments on public land. Finally, such 'temples' create severe bottlenecks whenever the government undertakes development projects. Hats off to the Supreme Court for giving an order directing the governments to stop this menace.

Prostitution of TheTruth

Dear Friends,
At the very outset, allow me to apologise for being off air for some time now. Actually, the demands and pressures of regular work sometimes become so overwhelming that it becomes, well neigh impossible to pen down the ideas in your mind.
I am sure that all of us must have seen the latest programme (reality show) being aired on the idiot box under the euphamism of 'sach ka saamna'. Actually the word that I shuld be using here is not 'euphamism' but 'blasphemy'. That is because this show is wrongly titled. The real title for this show should be 'sach ki veshyavritti' (Prostitution of truth). Like most other such programmes, (kaun banega karorpati, and big-boss being two notable examples) this programme is a copy of a similar programme being aired in the USA. The underlying presumption of this programme is that a certain machine called 'Polygraph' has the magical-almost godly- power of diagnosing a truth and differentiating it from a lie. Well, the oxymoron here is that nothing could be farther from the truth. Polygraph as yet is an inexact machine. It works on the assumption that telling a lie produces anxiety in a human being. That anxiety is reflected in the form of apparent (in case of the unskilled lier) or imperceptible (in case of the skilled lier) fluctuations and changes in blood pressure, rate of breathing, pulse count etc. The polygraph measures these vital parameters and compares them to normal values. Any significant changes observed in BP, Pulse etc. during answering a question, indicates that the subject is lying. However, this entire test is based on changes in physical parameters caused due to anxiety or a feeling of guilt. The unfortunate fact is that similar changes can be caused by anxiety produced due to any other cause. The nature of the question itself may cause sufficient anxiety so as to cause a change in vital physical parameters being monitored by the polygraph. In such a situation, the polygraph (lie-detector) will mark the reply to the question as a lie. Not surprisingly, the polygraph is used by our security forces and law enforcement agencies merely as a tool of interrogation. The result of any lie-detector test is as yet (and rightly so) not acceptable in any court of law as evidence under the IPC. Thus the question here is that how and under what principle or law has such an inexact and legally non-admissible machine has been give the status of a virtual god on Television? And then, even if we assume that there was indeed a way or a machine that could accurately and in one hundred percent cases distinguish between a truth and a lie and if we further presume that the results of such a test or machine were admissible in the court of law as a legally clinching evidence, even then, such a show would deserve to be banned.
Take the case of the first episode of this show that was beamed into our living and bed-rooms. The person on the chair was a housewife called Smita Mathai. She was asked all sorts of questions, but the one that she lost out on was thus. "Would you sleep with another man if you were certain that your husband would never come to know about it ?" Now, consider this question carefully. Is the subject matter of this question related to a fact or an openion? In my view it is related to an opinion. Whether a person would cheat on his/her spouse is not a varifiable fact. It is at best an opinion given by that person based on a very subjective judgement of his/her own feelings towards his/her spouse and his/her moral grounding. The answer to this question is subject to change depending upon the mental and emotional condition of the person being so examined. The same machine can declare the same answer to such a question as 'true' on one day and 'false' on the other. And imagine the plight of the person being publically examined under such conditions. Smita Mathai answered that she would not sleep with any body else in case she was certain that her husband would not come to know. It was a perfectly valid answer and should have been accepted as true because at that time and point, she felt certatain that she would not indulge in such an act. But what happened? The 'God' called 'Polygraph' announced in a manner of 'aakashvaani' that Smita was lying! What does the poor woman do in such a circumstance? She is saying that she would not sleep with another man and the machine is announcing that she is lying!! That means that she would indeed go and sleep with another man. What that means is that the machine has proved to all and sundry is that that poor woman is a cheating, lying and unfaithful wife!! And since this 'fact' has been aired on national television, everybody who is anybody knows that this woman is 'availbale' (to say the least). Now, what life does she have left after this? How on earth is she going to prove to Tony (her husband) that she was not lying? How is she going to contact the entire India again and explain to them that she is not 'available'? In one stroke, on the basis of an inexact and legally inadmissible machine, the life of a perfectly sober woman has been ruined both personally and publicly!!
Again, it would still be OK if this programme was ruining only the lives of the contestants who are foolish enough to volunteer to participate in it. But it goes beyond. It is ruining the life of those around them. I think that all of us will agree that a personal truth is not so personal. Actually a truth which relates to the sexual behaviour and other relationships of an individual is a collective truth, the revelation of which has a negtive impact not only on the individual revealing the truth but also on those who would have preferred that the truth should remain a secret. To illustrate this point, let me move to the second episode of this programme. The gentleman undoergoing public humiliation on his own volition was an actor, 60ish in age, belonging to Lucknow. He was asked a number of titillating questions all of which revealed that he had led a very interesting and colorful life. This gentleman had slept with prostitutes, changed wives and thought that he was pretty handsome and happening. Well, all was fine till he was asked this question. "Have you ever slept with a near relative?" To this scandalous question about incest, he replied in the affirmative-that he had indeed slept with a close relative. Now, I will not dwell on what this public admission of incestuous behaviour did to his reputation. But spare a thought to what this admission did to the reputations of all his lady relatives to whom he had ever been close. In one moment the lives of all of them stood shattered. True, one of his lady relatives committed incest with him as per his admission. But what about the rest who didnt?!! Will they not become suspects in the eyes of their families and loved ones on the strength of this admission by this gentleman? Would his entire family not be guessing as to which of the ladies it was who went and slept with him? Would not all aunts, cousin sisters and the like be placed under a cloud of suspicion and redicule because of this singular admission by an irresponsible maverick?!! And then again, it is the polygraph that decides that this gentleman is speaking the truth. What if he is lying? After all he is a thespian and a seasoned one at that. Is it absolutely certain that there is no way he can avoid hoodwinking this mechanical and electronic God?!! So far as I am aware, regular tibetan buddhist monks, through constant practice, aquire the ability to slow down their hearbeat, and raise their body temperatures in the frigid environment which they inhabit. Can the polygraph catch a lie spoken by such a monk? If not, then what is the certainty that a skilled and experienced actor will not be able to fool this machine? Now, let us move a step further. Suppose this gentleman had a beautiful cousin of his own age by the name of Zubaida. The next question could well have been, "Is the name of the relative you slept with Zubaida?". What would have been his answer to such a question. Suppose he said "Yes" and the polygraph declared that his answer was true. In that case, regardless of what our fictional Zubaida said, she would be completely and irrevocably ruined by such an answer. Now, suppose that this gentleman said that it was not Zubaida who slept with him and the polygraph machine declared that he was lying. In this case also poor Zubaida would be ruined. How can we allow any single individual to play with the lives of so many people and that too publicly?!!!
The next question here is that of money. Since there is a maximum reward of Rs. One crore (Rs. 100,000,00/-) for anwering 21 questions 'truthfully', it can, therefore, be safely presumed that the persons coming on this show are coming in order to win the jackpot of Rs. 100,000,00/-. Well, I always thought that the truth was priceless and that it could not be bought or sold. But here, the 'truth' appears otherwise! Look at it from this angle. When two individuals sleep together for the sake of love and affection, it is known as 'making love' and is a desireable activity. On the other hand when a man sleeps with a woman and pays her for it, it is known as 'prostitution', and the woman in question suffers grave social stigma. The similie applies here also. Truth should be spoken not for the lure of money but because of a love for it. Truth spoken under duress of any inducement is bereft of free conscience and is akin to a prostitute. Thus, what this show called 'sach ka saamana' is doing is public prostitution of truth!! Thre is also a financial twist to this tale. As per the rules of this game, one lie reduces the entire winnings of a contestant to zero. Now look at it this way. The questions posed to the contestants are those that have been asked in advance under polygraph monitoring. The responses of the contestants to these questions are also known to the promoters of this show. That means that they know the questions, the answers to which, as per the polygraph are false. Again, that means that the moment a contestant starts coming close to Rs. one crore jackpot, the anchor can easily slip in one question which (as per the polygraph) that person had answered falsely. With this trick, the chances are hugely against the hapless contestant because he/she will in all probability give the same answer on the show that he/she had given during the previously conducted polygraph test. That answer, obviously, would be declared false by the polygraph during the show and the contestant in question would end up losing all his/her winnings and getting eliminated from the show. Small surprise then that all the contestants who have not quit the show after winning Rs.5 lakhs have been declared to be liars at some juncture or the other and have been made to lose all the money that they have won. This is game of poker in which the opponent holds his cards and yours too! If at all such a game is to be played on national television, it should be done under the independent monitoring of statutary regulator in order to ensure transparency and exclude possibility of fraud by the promoters.
Last but not the least, is the effect such a show is going to have on the society and its structure. Think about the children and teenagers who will watch this programme. Imagine the mental state of two cousins attracted towards each other watching a 'respectable' gentleman admit that he/she has indulged in incest. What will be their thought process. I feel that it will be "if this guy can do all this and still be respectable and a celebrity to boot, then let us do it too". Think of the industry that this programme will spawn. Soon Polygraph 'clinics' will sprout all over India like mushrooms. The day is not far off when the outcomes of little spats at home between spouses will be decided in 'Polygraph Clinics'. Suspicous husbands will start insisting that their wives undergo polygraph tests in order to prove that they are not cheating on them. Imagine the helplessness of a woman who faces such a suggestion from her husband. What escape does she have? Such a wife is finished the moment she faces such a suggestion, request or order from her husband. If she undergoes the test, the husband will believe the polygraph machine rather than her. And in case she refuses to undergo the test, well, its curtains for her since her husband will take such a refusal as the confirmation of his suspicions regarding the chastity of his wife. In future, what is stopping schools from demanding polygraph tests of children/parents for admissions or bosses (especially in the private sector) from forcing the same on their employees? What will happen when some would-be groom and his clan demand that the would-be bride undergoes a polygraph test before the nuptial vows are taken (or vice-versa)? What is stopping a hitherto unsuspecting wife from raising a questining eyebrow to her husband when a question like "have you ever slept with another woman" is asked to one of the male contestants on the screen?
It is alright to say that it is a free society. It is alright to invoke the right to speech and expression (article 19) of the constitution. But article 19 does not do away with the maxim of "your freedom ends where my nose begins". This programme, and the likes of it, are making a mockery of the whole concept of right to speech and expression enshrined in our constitution. That is because the questions being asked on this programme and the 'truths' being spoken by the participants are negatively impacting the right to life and liberty guaranteed to all the citizens by article 21 of the same constitution. The airing of this programme is also against the directive principles of state policy which have been put in the constitution in order to ensure and guard 'common good' against the depredations of the individual under the guise of fundamental rights.
Friends, in our scriptures there is a line, "Satyam bruyet priyam bruyet, na bruyet satyam-apriyam" Translated into Lingua Franca, it means, "if you have to speak the truth , let it be Pleasant (i.e. for common good). If not for common good, don't speak the truth". It seems that the wisdom of this line has been completely lost to the promoters of 'sach ka saamna'. They are peddling cheap titillation and commioditification of human beings in the garb of truth. From the live telecast of the death of Jade Goody, to the Swayamvar of Rakhee Sawant, to Sach Ka Saamna, the television is exploring new avenues of turning human beings into commodities and their lives into juicy potboilers.

Thieves of The Private Sector

Dear Fellow Indians,
Produced below, verbatim is the text of an SMS that I keep getting from Airtel on my mobile phone. "Banaye Naye Dost Aur Uthaiye Chatting Ka Asli Mazaa Dial...., Charges Rs.3/min". Of late these messages are slightly toned down. Earlier they used to be much more explicit. Consider this one : "Live Chatting Karne Ka Muka, Bina Apna Mobile Number Bataye, Dial.....(F-22), ..........(F-24),.........(F-26), Charges, Rs.3/min." (I have purposely left out the numbers sent by Airtel since I do not want any reader of my blog to call up any such number). The import of these messages are lost to none. Both these messages are nothing but invitations to the subscriber to call one of these numbers and have steamy phone-sex with the babe on the other side of the line. And who knows, whether this racket is limited to phone sex or the Airtel guys have gone deeper and are also providing call-girls!!! These messages have not stopped even after I have sent a written camplaint/request to the Airtel authorities to stop sending such messages on my phone. So far as I am aware, such messages are also in violation of the recent judgement of the honorable Supreme Court of India which says that no unsolicited messages can be sent by any company on any subscribers mobile phone. And what adds insult to injury is the fact that the Airtel authorities term such objectionable messages as a 'value added serivce' and also deduct a monthly fee for the same. The also send you messages telling that your 'service' has been successfully renewed for a fee. But they never specify in their messages how to unsubscribe to this 'service'. So in essance, they are carrying out a business of phone-prostitution-promotion via SMS and that too at the cost of the hapless customer. This, of course is one example. I am sure that almost all of us have suffered and felt harrased when our mobile/internet plans provided by the private players have suddenly been 'upgraded' without our express consent and the monthly bills accordingly jacked up! Untold 'deductions' and unexplained 'charges' which keep appearing and disappearing from our monthly connection bills are another way these private operators shortchange the consumer. The average customer, already exhausted by the day-to-day demands on his time and energy usually has no will or the time to keep an account of such fradulent deductions, charges and 'value addes services' and thus, this racket of the private mobile/internet service providers goes on.
And then, it is not as if this tendency to shortchange-indeed loot-the customer is limited to the bigwigs in the private sector. Event the smaller players are jostling find their space in the unsuspecting consumers pocket. Take for instance the example of a company that sells steamed corn in Sahara Ganj, Lucknow, under the brand name of ' Hot and Juicy' . Once again, I am sure that all of us must have enjoyed this form of our ubiquitous "Bhutta" at the astronomical price of Rs.35/- for a cup. Well, leaving the price- issue aside, let me tell you something about the quantitiy- issue. Have you ever, by any chance, noticed the photograph of the typical cup of steamed corn that is displayed on 'Hot and Juicy' counters? In case you have, then you will no doubt recall that it is filled to the brim in the photograph. But what do they give you in exchage for your 35 rupees? A cup which is left slightly empty at the brim. In case you are a keen observer, you must also have noticed how they fill the cup. First they tilt the cup to one side and gently pour the corn into it so that the grains do not settle down and become compacted. Essentially, it is technique expertly developed by this particular firm to ensure that the maximum amount of air and the minimum amount of corn go into every cup sold to the customer. I am also sure that in case you have noticed either or both the phenomenon I have detailed above, you would have felt just as irritated and cheated as I felt. But then, adopting the usual "jaane do kuchch nahi badlega, ladne se koi fayda nahi" mentality of the typical Indian customer, you must have paid Rs.35/- of your hard-earned money for a cup of corn that contains much less than the advertised amount and moved on. Now, now, before you proclaim me a cynic, just see what it means for the company. Suppose they have two stalls in a mall and each stall sells 500 cups/day on an average. That comes to 1000 cups/day for both the stalls. Now, Suppose they 'save' one tablespoonfull of corn on each cup that they sell.That means that for roughly every ten cups sold , they 'save' (read 'steal') one full cup from the consumer. That means that on a sale of every 1000 cups, the company steals 100 cups from the customers. Translated into money terms it is theft of Rs.3500/- per day, Per mall!! Apply this figure to their All-India operations and this figure of daylight theft would jump to literally lakhs of rupees per day and crores of rupees per month!!! And you, are the unsuspecting (at best) or reluctant(at worst) victim of this theft of crores!!
These are just two examples I have discussed and illustrated. The trend of shortchanging/looting the customer is prevalant all over the private sector. It is only competition and the pressure of the market which forces them to indulge in this theft covertly and say 'sorry' when you catch them with their hands in your pocket. If you still don't beleive me, allow just one company-any company- to become a monopoly. I guarantee that it will run away with your house and not blink an eyelid.

Most Meaningful thought

Dear Friends,
Here is a thought for all of you
"THE SUREST WAY FOR EVIL TO TRIUMPH IS FOR A FEW RIGHT THINKING PERSONS TO SIT BACK AND DO NOTHING"

A story for you

Dear Friends,

I was going through some of my writings today. One story that I had written and is a part of a collection of short stories that I published a couple of years back (by the title bitter-sweets), caught my attention. I am putting it here for all of you. It has a message. Hope you like it..

THE COMMISSION

Shastri Post Graduate Institute (SPGI) was a land-mark and the pride of the city. It was part of the Central Government’s plan to provide affordable and world-class healthcare to general public. Being chosen for the establishment of the Institute was a big achievement for the city. The site was well chosen. It was on National Highway number one, which connected the city to the national capital. The project had been started with much fanfare. The foundation stone was laid by the Prime Minister. Everybody who was anybody in the state was present on the occasion. A big show, which boasted of the biggest names in the tinsel town, was held to mark the founding of the institute. The show was sponsored by ‘Globe International’, a company which was based in the city itself. Globe International had climbed the corporate ladder very quickly to emerge as one of the most prominent companies on the Indian corporate scene. A huge sum was also given as donation by the company in order to develop parks and public amenities in the land that surrounded the institute. Of course, criticism of the show and the donation was there in the papers and electronic media. That was because the company was notorious when it came to business ethics and practices. In fact, it was widely known that it was the single biggest tax defaulter in the country. There were also rumors that in return for the donation and the show, some very important and lucrative contracts had been awarded to the company which pertained to some of the most medically-sensitive works in the institute. But soon after the commencement of construction, public attention had been diverted by more important issues like the oncoming cricket series between India and Pakistan.

It was the institute’s fifth anniversary. The Director of the PGI was furious. “Another electrical breakdown! And that too in the ICU and two of the Operation Theatres!! What is happening in this place? Don’t we have a generator backup or a UPS to cater for such eventualities!” he shouted at the assistant electrical engineer.
“Sir we have”, the engineer answered in a meek tone.
“Then why is this problem repeating itself again and again. Do you have any idea how serious the consequences of such a breakdown can be? A patient could die. Or much worse.. some VVIP patient could die! You understand what that will that do to our reputation and credibility!?”
“Yes sir, I fully understand. And believe me, I am doing my best. Actually the problem is in the heavy-duty UPS system. It was supplied by a contractor of Globe International when the PGI was constructed. Its codal life was ten years but already its fuses are blowing at the slightest of voltage fluctuation and its circuitry is also giving problems. These problems are not my fault sir. The system was installed five years ago and I have joined the PGI only a year back”
“Well if that is the case then get the bloody UPS changed. Write a letter and mark it to me. I will chase it with the authorities in Delhi. Uninterrupted electricity supply is our lifeline and nothing can force us to compromise on that”
“Very good sir” said the engineer and turned to leave.
“And Mr. Anupam”
“Yes sir”, the engineer turned.
“This time let us be sure of the quality”
“Of course sir” he said and walked out of the room. Anupam’s junior electrical engineer, who had been standing there and listening quietly, came out with him. It was only after they had left the room that he spoke.
“Sir, you know that we don’t need to change the entire UPS system. I mean, I agree that it is not of a good quality, but the problems can be tackled at our level. A new system would be prohibitively costly”
“Don’t talk like an idiot!” Anupam retorted. “If we keep on doing repairs to this system, then both of us can forget the cars that we are planning to buy. A new purchase would mean a big killing. How can you be so shortsighted in these matters?”
The junior engineer smiled. Anupam was right. The monthly bill of the repairs was only rupees ten thousand on an average. That meant a cut of not more than rupees one thousand five hundred for both of them. This was peanuts. A new system would be worth at least a crore of rupees. Anupam would be the nodal officer who would shortlist the suppliers and negotiate on the price. Three percent of the total purchase value was the going rate of commission that Anupam charged from his suppliers. But that was for small purchases in which the profit margin was small. For a purchase of one crore rupees, the commission could go up to five percent. And that too, after the cut of the higher officers was taken out. The Director, Bansal, was an idiot. He was an honest man. And, to top it all, he was a doctor, not an engineer. He had no idea of the money involved. And even if he had, he would not take a cut. Add his cut to their share and the percentage could go up to six percent. That meant a cool rupees two lakhs for him and four for Anupam. The junior engineer’s smile became brighter as he pictured, in his mind, his new car rolling out of the showroom.

Anupam was a clever man. He drafted a beautiful letter, highlighting all the flaws in the UPS due to which it had become irreparable. The Director was extremely impressed.
“Good work”, he complimented. “I am sure that they cannot shoot down this letter, keeping the sensitivity of the item in question. I will send it to the head-quarter straight away. In the mean while, you can start your technical work”
Anupam was ecstatic. It’s not often that you kill two birds with one stone in the course of your regular work. Not only was he firmly on the course of getting his commission in the purchase, he had also managed to please his boss with his letter. And then, the short-listing was only a formality. He knew very well from where the UPS was going to come. He had already talked to his senior in the head-quarter about it. Sure the system was going to be lousy, but the cut was a whopping fifteen percent. Half of the cut, he would send to his senior, the rest of it would be distributed between him and the junior engineer. The J.E. was a sucker. He could give two percent to him and he would be happy. Now, that left him with five and a half percent. “Five and a half lakh rupees in one deal!” he thought. Entering his office, he sprawled himself on the sofa, took out a packet of cigarettes, lit one and started blowing smoke rings towards the ceiling.

As expected, the head-quarter had no option but to acquiesce. Anupam was sitting with the proprietor of the firm that was supplying the UPS system.
“Well Mr. Meena, we will take your UPS. But you are not giving us our due” said Anupam
“Sir, no body in the market is giving more than twelve percent. I am giving you fifteen percent. That means that I am already cutting into my profits. Beyond this, it will hit my bottom-line” protested Mr. Meena.
“Well, in that case, I think that I will talk to Sigma Heavy Electricals’ guys. I am sure that they will not be so stingy about our dues.”
Meena was quiet.
“What do you say Mr. Meena? Do I stay, or do I go?”
“Sir..If you are adamant….I guess that I can go up to sixteen percent, but that will have to be final.”
“OK, sixteen it is. But for the purpose of head-quarter, it is only fifteen percent. After all, the annual maintenance contract is also up for grabs and I am sure that you will not want to lose out on that”
“Sure” said Meena. Anupam shook hands with him and walked out of the office.
“What a bastard!” thought Meena. Corruption in regular work, he had seen often. But it was rare to come across a man who was wishing to do corruption within corruption.

“Sixteen percent!! Are you mad!!” shouted Meena’s partner. “You know that the economics doesn’t work out!”
“Oh don’t worry, it will work out”, replied Meena
“But how? Are we going to supply them trash?”
“Yes. Not exactly trash, but it will be trash within two years”
“And what happens if it breaks down before that?”
“Doesn’t matter. The purchase will be duly vetted and the quality certified by a committee of experts from the head-quarter. They will, of course, certify the flawless quality of our product. After that the annual maintenance contract will be ours. Any breakdown, and we attend. Replace the part, charge the money, give that bastard Anupam his cut. He is happy, we are happy and work will go on as usual.”
“Meena, you are brilliant!” exclaimed his partner.

Anupam was sitting in his office blowing smoke rings as usual. Being richer by six and a half lakh rupees had had its effect. The brand of cigarettes had changed. Now it was the most expensive brand in the market. The car was the same though. He had decided to let the money lie for one year before he went for a new car. What was even better was that after two months of its installation, the UPS was working just fine. That translated into less work for Anupam. Life just couldn’t get any better. Suddenly the phone rang.
“Drat!” thought Anupam, “what the hell is wrong now” reluctantly he picked up the receiver.
“Hello. Anupam Singh speaking”
“Anupam, beta, this is mummy” It was his mother. She sounded hysterical.
“Mummy, why are you speaking like that? Is everything alright”
“Beta…..Aarti…” Aarti was Anupam’s wife
“Aarti…She has met an accident….a car hit her on the highway….some of our staff were passing by….they brought her home……she is unconscious…….Her head is all swollen up……..I have phoned for the ambulance…………Dr. Srivastava was there……….he is coming with the ambulance……….come home immediately” Anupam’s mother’s narration was interrupted by uncontrolled sobbing.
Anupam banged down the phone and rushed out.

Aarti’s injuries were serious. She had gone out to buy some milk. The milk booth was across the highway. As she was crossing the road she was hit by a speeding car. She fell down and hit her head on a boulder lying by the road side. The CAT scan revealed serious brain injury. An immediate operation was needed to stop the bleeding in the brain. Anupam was sitting ashen faced outside the operation theatre.
“Don’t worry sir.” Said his junior engineer. “Let us not forget that this is SPGI and Dr. Klere is one of India’s foremost neurosurgeons. And then you are more than merely a PGI officer for him. After all that you have done to help him out with the electricity problems of his house, I am sure that he will do his best. You will see that bhabhiji will be OK”
The words were reassuring. And they were true. Dr.Klere was indeed an exceptional surgeon. Aarti was in safe hands. And it was only a case of bleeding in the brain due to an accident. Otherwise Aarti was a fit girl. Dr. Klere had tackled far more serious cases. But still Anupam was far from reassured. Aarti was his love, his life, his everything. He knew that he could not live without her. Once again he glanced at the red light above the door of the operation theatre. The light was extinguished. “Good the operation is over” he thought. “But in that case the green light should be on”. Even as he was wondering why the green light wasn’t being put on, the Dr. Srivastava rushed out of the operation theatre. “Anupam!” he shouted. “Where is Anupam!!”
“Wha…..what happened…” said Anupam standing up with a start.
“Anupam the light. I mean the…electric supply! It gone! Do something! The operation is in its most critical phase! We have not more than three minutes. What happened to the backup! Anupam…..”
Anupam was not listening. He was running. Running with all his might towards the room which housed the new UPS.
Dr. Klere was standing and gazing at the dark operation theatre in a condition of shock, with his electric cauterizing tweezers in his hand. Blood was spurting out of the punctured temporal-lobe artery in steady spurts.

Anupam entered the UPS room to find it filled with an acrid smell of burnt plastic insulation. Helplessly he looked at the UPS. If it was a blown fuse, he could have swapped it with the fuse of the segment of the UPS that supplied the general ward. But it was not a blown fuse. It was a short circuit. Three minutes was nothing. He and his full team would take not less than half an hour to fix the problem.

Dr. Klere Pressed the backlight button of his watch and saw the time. Five minutes had passed since the lights went out. Slowly he lowered his electric tweezers and put them on the stand.

Anupam sat down on the floor of the UPS-room clutching his hair.

Dr. Klere pulled the white sheet over Aarti’s face.

Campaign against illegal parkings-continued

Dear Friends,
The response to the campaign against extortion in the name of parkin-lots, that I have started, has been very encouraging. I have been receiving a lot of moral support and some sections of the media have also stepped forward to lend a hand in this campaign. However, my demand to you goes beyond moral support only. I am looking for some ACTION. Now, the word action has very broad connotations. But, THE SINGULAR ACTION THAT I WANT FROM YOU is that each one of you should write a letter to District Magistrate, Lucknow expressing your opposition to the present scenario of parkings in the city. If you have some experience of the kind that I have described or the kind that Toolika has described, please mention that experience along with details such as time, date,location etc (if possible) in your letter. If you want you can mention my name in the letter and remind the DM that a complaint in this regard is already pending in his office. Further, when you write this letter to DM, Lucknow, Please print it in two copies and mark a copy to me at G K BANSAL, 3/61 VIKAS NAGAR, LUCKNOW-226022. I know that it will take some effort on your part to write a letter and send it by snailmail (regular post) in the age of e-mail. But beleive me, one such letter from you ( with a copy to me) will help to put the extent of the problem in front of the authorities in its full enormity. Your letter really counts. One letter is like one vote. And I think that all of us will agree that in a democracy the most powerful agent of change is a vote.

Where Dogs Piss on Gods

Dear Fellow Lucknowites,
I am sure that the title of this post will be found to be scandalous to most of you, to say the least. But then, I think that it is best to call a spade a spade. Believe it or not, this is exactly what is happening in our great city. DOGS ARE PISSING ON GODS! And it is not heresay or metaphor. This is exactly what I saw happeing on a road of Lucknow.
When you move from Alambagh to Amausi, you encounter a newly built chowraha, carved out in sandstone, en route. This crossing is also known as 'Avadh Chowraha.' (because of its proximity to avadh hospital.) Move right from this crossing, and you enter a road known as 'hardoi road bypass'. This road connects kanpur road to hardoi road and is currently being widened and beautified. It is on this road, in the morning, that I saw the fateful sight that prompted me to write this particular post with this particular title. I SAW A DOG PISSING ON AN IDOL OF GOD!! "How", you may ask. To get an ansewer to this query you will have to turn right from Awadh Chowraha and start moving towards hardoi road on the bypass. Scarcely would you have travelled 100 meters when you will be able to see a few Idols of Hindu Gods and Godesses kept on the sandstone footpath (on the left side of the road) in the shape of a crude altar. Well, needless to say, this altar has been kept there not because someone in that area is overtly relegious or because there is a shortage of temples in that area, but because someone is trying to grab premium land in that place in the guise of a temple. Again, needless to say, whoever has kept the idols at that particular spot is neither interested, nor has the wherewithall to protect the idols from the dogs that roam the streets. So it was well neigh inevitable that one day someone would see a dog releiving itself on the altar. And, It was sheer chance that I was the person who saw it. Now, I will not blame the dog. Dogs, you know, have a habit of urinating on pillars and sundry projections on the ground. I am pretty much certain that the dog who was urinating on the idols of Gods that day was not aware of his folly. He was simply doing what nature has programmed every dog to do-urinating on a raised pile kept on the ground.
Let me share a secret with you. I am not what you would call a "religious" person. In fact, I hardly ever go to temples or other such places of worship. But EVEN I was deeply distressed by that sight. I mean, someone is allowed to create conditions in our city where idols of our gods are desecrated in public by a dog!! But there is some solace at hand for those among us who are religious in spirit. Pretty soon a makeshift wall will be erected around that altar. Then an asbestos roof will be put on it. Then a 'devi jagran' will be held there for which public road will be blocked and dug up and local residents will be forced to suffer a sleepless night. And soon, what used to be a public footpath will be a private 'temple' in which some 'baba' will recline and smoke 'chillum' all day long at the expense of the devout who will continue to pour money into the 'dan patra' kept in the 'temple'.
This particular 'altar' (would-be 'temple') is just one example of how religious feelings are being exploited in our city in order to grab public lands. The entire city is dotted with such 'temples'. Once such a structure (I refuse to recognize any 'temple' which is built on stolen land) is erected, it becomes impossible for district authorities to demolish it. The poor hapless devotees do what they always do-Throng such structures beleiving that they are abodes of God. There are 'n' number of such structures in the city. One such structure has been built in Vikas Nagar, where I live. This 'temple' has been erected on public land grabbed next to a sulabh toilet complex. In fact, the toilet complex and the 'temple' have a common wall! Its a shame that instead of razing such a structure to the ground, local residents go and offer worship to the idols kept there. With the passage of time, this blasphamous structure is being beautified and expanded. On 'bada mangal' shamianas are erected at this spot and food is distributed to beggars and the like. Again, all this is not being done because of any devoutness on the part of the 'babas' who have erected this 'temple'. Rather, the motive behind such seemingly religious and altruistic acts is to buy legitimacy for an illegitimate structure!
The rate at which such 'temples' are coming up in our city, soon there will be no road for the average citizen. Each such structure, once erected, creates a permanent bottleneck and a permanent impediment to the development of the area where it is situated. Through this post I would like to appeal to fellow citizens to resist this emotional blackmail in the name of religion. My appeal to fellow citizens is that we should shun such structures and should desist from lending legitimacy to them. What we need are more hospitals, schools, colleges and public amenities. What we need are more and wider roads to walk/drive on. What we need are places of worship that have been built on land owned by the trust that builds and runs the place. And what we ultimately need is that our faith is not flouted and our idols are not desecrated in public just because some 'baba' of questionalble credentials wants to grab a piece of premium public land and smoke 'chillum' happily ever after.

campaign against illegal parkings in Lucknow

Dear fellow Lucknowites,
Its been almost two years since Lead India happened. Even though it was not a real election, rather only a competition, I still wish to convey my gratitude to all the fellow Lucknowites who voted for me and made me win in the popular voting with my vote share being close to 44% of the total votes polled. Two years hence, even now, I am often plesantly surprised when people whom I do not know personally approach me and ask me what I plan to do now in order to provide them with leadership.
Well, for starters, I have started a campaign against the racket of unauthorised parkings in the city. Almost all major markets of the city have goons of all shades masqurading as 'parking contractors'. In the name of 'parking tickets' daylight robbery is taking place and innocent citizens-often with their families-are daily being harrassed, humiliated and even manhandled by such elements.
I am sure that almost all of us have been victims of such extortion at some time or the other. We ignore this extrotion saying that it is only a matter of ten rupees. Actually it is not a matter of ten rupees. IT IS A MATTER OF OUR RIGHTS. The constitution of India gives us the right to life and liberty (article 21) and the right to reside and settle in any part of the country (article 19). The preamble to the constitution spells out principles of justice, equality, liberty and fraternity guaranteeing the "dignity of the individual". But what do we see in real life? Whatever we see is the antithesis of the lofty principles and fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution.
Of course, EXTORTION IN THE GUISE OF PARKING-LOTS, is only one issue. There are a thousand such issues that need to be addressed. I have taken up this issue primarily because it is an example of how we give up our rights daily in the face of criminal intimidation and extortion by a handful of goondas in the city.
I have already submitted a written complaint to the District Magistrate (lucknow) detailing this racket with an example of an unauthorised parking being operated in front of Kapoorthala Market. Fellow citizens, in case you feel strongly about this issue, join me in this crusade. You dont need to come out on the streets and sit down on a dharna in order to do this. All you need to do is to write to the District Magistrate (lucknow) expressing solidarity with the issue that I have raised (mark a copy of the letter to me. Send it to 3/61, Vikas Nagar, Lucknow-226022) You can also write to the editors of the newspapers in the city. And the least that you can do is to refuse to accept a parking ticket at a parking lot where:
1) The personnel manning the parking lots are not in uniform
2) Where such personnel are not wearing proper name plates
3) Where proper information regarding the authorization of the parking, its rates and the authority to complain to in case of misbehaviour by the 'staff' is not displayed
4) Where the 'contractor' refuses to produce relevant papers on demand
In case of any misbehaviour/intimidation by such unscrupulous elements, go to the nearest police station and complain and/or call 100 and inform the police control room about such activities.
Friends, it takes a little time and effort to fight for your rights,but in the absence of such effort we become victims of abuse and intimidation in our own city and nation. I have decided not to give in to such gross, blatant and daylight robbery of my rights. Its time you also stood up and said NO to the murder of your rights.