Shocked Minister and Sleepless Prime Minister

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

While appeal options have not been exhausted and it is natural for many to be unhappy with the verdict due to emotional reasons, I am aghast that Union Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi says he is shocked at the sentencing of Sanjay Dutt. Isn't it to be expected that if you are part of a conspiracy to bombard Mumbai you'll have to pay for it? Or is the Minister reflecting the emotion of the Prime Minister who lost his sleep worrying for the terrorists?
10:03:06 AM
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Comments
vivek Wednesday, August 1, 2007 10:17:21 AM
These ministers are must be taught a lesson during next election.

Mahesh_G Wednesday, August 1, 2007 11:35:43 AM
Priya Ranjan Das Munshi has no business in commenting about the judgement. All congress people are traitors.

ashok Wednesday, August 1, 2007 12:29:57 PM
yes all the congress people are traitors except old congress.

K.V.Gopalakrishnan Wednesday, August 1, 2007 1:00:05 PM
Some time ago there was a news that a person who was booked for a petty offence remained in jail as an under trial for over 27 long years - for an offence for which even if he was convicted he would not have got more than 6 months jail term.Neither our Prime Minister had a sleepless night nor our Minister got shocked as he was an ordinary poor citizen of this nation.Who cares for ordinary people in this country.

Sex education in schools

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Sex is a unique subject, to say the least. Introducing it as an academic subject in schools has to be done most cautiously, after much experimentation and pilot projects and studies. Imagine conducting cooking classes amongst the starving and disallowing the cooked delicacy to be sampled. Sex education should not arouse passions lying dormant in school children. Thus, the necessity of enlightened methods of imparting sex-education.


9:23:31 AM
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Comments
jkeshav Saturday, July 28, 2007 9:28:41 AM
I WOULD SAY THAT SEX-EDUCATION IS NOT REQUIRED AT ALL AT SCHOOL STAGE. LET THEM GROW IN INNOCENCE LIKE MANY OF US DID. WHY AROUSE CURIOUSITY WHEN THERE IS NO NEED. THERE WILL BE A TIME FOR THEM TO LEARN SO MANY THINGS ALONG WITH NATURE AND NATURAL OCCURANCES.

K.Venugopal Saturday, July 28, 2007 12:42:53 PM
Dear Keshavji, You have put it superbly. "Let them grow in innocence." Yes, this is the key point. It leads to the questions, who is in a hurry to teach children sex? What has occurred to make this sex education imperative? Can we see any benefits accruing out of it? All these questions cry for answers.

Stenographers - an obsolete lot?

Monday, July 23, 2007


This is in response to Vikram Bhatia’s blog “Has shorthand outlived its utility? Thanks, to computers and high-tech? posted on Monday, July 23, 2007. [The conditions for successfully posting a response in the comments slot are getting somewhat mysterious. More often than not only a blank slot stares at you!]


I am a professional stenographer and have been one since I was 19 years old. I am now 52. The advent of the PC has been a boon in the sense that the tension of transcription no longer exists. Before, a single mistake and the whole page might have had to be retyped or corrected using a "whitener", with ugly scars showing. I always tell myself the PC has been a boon most to typists and accountants. How tension-free our lives have become. That we still find other things to tense ourselves with is another matter.

Stenographers are becoming a rare breed. That august institute of Stenographers, Daver's in Mumbai, now, I understand, turns out only a sprinkling of stenos.

Bombay was the dream city for stenos and most came from the South. Bal Thackeray had once wryly commented about South Indians having conquered Bombay at the speed of 140 wpm!

Though in most offices stenographers have become obsolete, those offices that have them treat them like treasure. Maybe this was always the case because stenographers were one class who always could chuck-off their job on whim as they were in demand everywhere. Now, of course, they have become a rare commodity and so all the more precious!

Thus I wonder, am I about the last generation of stenographers? I hope not, because when a great 'dictator' tilts his head in deep thought and creates the magic of literary expression, the artiste across him captures the magic in mystical strokes and curves and ensures the enchanting prose lives to cast its spell over its targeted audience. May the best of literary minds realize the value of a steno as a sensitive aid(e) to his thoughtful outpourings and may the tribe of stenos be re-bred and grow in strength!
7:07:41 PM
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Monday, July 23, 2007
Has shorthand outlived its utility? Thanks, to computers and high-tech?
This is a debate on a subject which might interest mainly people in or linked with stenographic profession? My question to such people on the net is whether shorthand has outlived its utility to computers and high tech gadgetry like the Dictaphones etc.?
Twenty years back, the P.A.or steno in govt.offices/psus/or private offices quietly took down the notes in shorthand from his or her boss and simply typed them in the required format that is letters/notings/draftings etc. He enjoyed doing so, because his skills in fast writing were tested and he enjoyed the challenge whether in Govt.service, Courts, Parliament or offices of public/private undertakings. With the passage of time, the high tech gadgetry and advanced aides like the Dictaphones, computers etc.took over. Slowly but surely there was less number of dictations in shorthand and people with high speed in the skill slowly began to think about the utility of the skill they had acquired over a period of time. Today, with the little bit of exception of reporters in parliament taking notes in shorthand (roughly at the speed of 130 to 150 w.p.m)during the proceedings or debates (though now they also are supported by recorded version )or the laywers/advocates in courts, who dictate in shorthand to their P.A.s/stenos in fast speed for the latter to type out these court cases-petitions etc.on computers, does the need for shorthand skill, seems to be eroding slowly otherwise in other offices, thanks mainly to the high-tech invasion in all walks of life.
Or is it still in man?s own hands whether how he uses or maintains the skill of fast writing i.e. in shorthand to his own advantage inspite of the high tect gadgetry available to him or plainly dump the art and outstanding skills that were invented by Lord Ganesha (it is so presumed by many) while writing the epic Mahabharata dictated by Sage Sh.Ved Vyasa? All views sincerely discussed & posted are welcome. VIKRAM BHATIA, N.Delhi
4:53:19 PM
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Mumbai flyover diverted to protect Haji Ali, Then why not SSCP?-Togadia

Monday, July 23, 2007
[I take the liberty to cut and paste here Dr. Pravin Togadia's views.]
7/22/2007 3:41:12 PM VHP
WHILE BUIDLING BRIDGES WITH ENEMY PAKISTAN,
DON’T BREAK BRIDGE OF HISTORY & FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN BHARAT & SRI LANKA

-Dr. Pravin Togadiya

“Sethu Samudram Project is nothing but an inhumanly cruel destruction of History, Ecological balance, Security & Passage of friendship with Srilanka. By giving futile excuse of development of an Oceanic Canal saving sea fuel costs & time, Government of India is not only trampling on the ancient faith & history but also misleading India & endangering ecology, security & a living of lakhs of fishermen at South Indian coasts.” Lamenting on the Sethu Samudram Project, VHP International General Secretary Dr Pravin Togadiya criticized the very basis of the project where the ancient bridge between India’s Rameshwaram & Sri Lanka is being broken by Govt of India.

Dr Togadiya further said,

“Those who question the faith of billions of Hindus that the said bridge is Ram Setu, built by Lord Ram & his army, very vehemently do everything possible to protect Haji Ali shrine in the Mumbai Sea Sea. The costliest flyover over the sea joining 2 parts of Mumbai has been diverted at a whooping extra cost only not to break Haji Ali. There, the same people do not mind millions of dollars of the nation are spent on extra fuel which will be burnt by the cars due to that Haji Ali protecting diversion! Same is the case with Hazrat Bal. Without questioning the faith or asking for the DNA report if the hair in that place belongs really to Paigambar, the same people have been aiding it for years. Therefore, Government’s excuse to break the Ram Sethu is NOT really palpable to billions of Hindus all over the world when it is obvious that the Sethu Samudram Project has been started ONLY to appease minority by hurting religious sentiments of the Hindus eve en at the cost of NATION’S COASTAL BORDER SECURITY, PERMANENT LOSS OF ECOLOGICAL BALANCE PERHAPS PUTTING COASTAL SOUNTH INDIA IN THE DANGER OF TSUNAMI & DETROYING THE LIVELIHOOD OF LAKHS OF INDIAN FISHERMEN- INDUSTRIES DEPENDING ON SEA PRODUCE.”

Demanding that the Sethu Samudram Project be immediately stopped, Dr Togadiya assured that the Hindus are not against any development provided it protects the nation & its heritage as well as security. He said,

“The same government is opening borders to Pakistan through rail, roads, bridged, trade but entirely cutting off the heritage bridge of trade, social contact & friendship with Sri Lanka. The same 2 kms wide Ram Sethu had been used by the people who come to Tamil Nadu for social visits, trade & Jyotirlingam Rameshwaram worship. Government gives millions of tax payers rupees as Haj subsidy for Indian Muslims to visit their religious place in Saudi Arabia, but breaks India’s own heritage bridge just because it is closer to the faith & hearts of billions of Hindus. Canal can be made in the coastal land for the boats without breaking Ram Sethu & Hindus will support it but if in spite of many feasible options for the canal, if the Government if bent upon breaking Ram Sethu to appease minority & hurt billions of Hindus, than globally Hindus will protest in a democratic manner to save Ram Sethu.”

While announcing the planned democratic protests against the Sethu Samudram Project, Dr Togadiya also explained the historical, scientific, and environmental as well as security related aspects of the Ram Sethu & the ill effects of the proposed Sethu Samudram Project in a detailed document.

10:17:16 AM
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Unique Mohammad

Friday, July 20, 2007
This is in response to “Islam as seen through the eyes of a non-Muslim” posted by Mr. Satbir Bedi on Thursday, July 19, 2007

Dear Satbir Bedi,
Congratulations for your balanced and well-written essay. The telling point is that unlike Jesus, the Sikh Gurus or Swami Dayananda Saraswathi, who did not believe in idol-worship but never went about destroying others’ idols, Mohammad alone went about destroying others’ idols. This mind-set or tradition is what makes Islam a dangerous religion for world peace. They have no space for non-believers except on sufferance. The oft-quoted Quranic verse "To me my religion and to you yours" is not indicative of any acceptance of other ways of worship but is reflective of the spirit of "My way to paradise and yours to hell".
10:45:12 AM
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Scientific Quran?

Monday, July 16, 2007

There have ever been attempts, even in this 21st century, to prove that the Quran is also a scientific manual worthy of being studied to keep us abreast in the field of science. Even if for arguments sake we accept that the Quran has revealed many scientific secrets for the first time (like the world is egg-shaped), the fact is that since then the world has gone much ahead in the matter of science and its application. This makes the Quran, as far as science is concerned, outdated. Which is not surprising, because the scientific attitude is to be ever discovering newer and deeper truths, whereas in the Quran nothing can be updated. Furthermore, if the 'science' of the Quran is outdated, is it an indication that the rest of the Quran could also similarly be outdated?
10:39:56 PM
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