Our minister for environment has said that India would easily win the Nobel prize for filthiness.So truly said.We don't really care about any cleanliness except , perhaps, our own homes.We keep surroundings dirty & untidy.Similarly,we litter trains,buses,public places,etal.We feel that it is our right sorry that we have a license to dirty around.In addition,we believe, that it is the responsibility of our Government to clean all the dirt.
How irresponsible can we get ? Moreover,how do we forget that no facility comes without a price ? If we want to keep littering around & want cleaners to clean up after us,we have to pay a heavy price-literally .Obviously higher taxes .As it is,all crib about high taxes but India being a welfare state,there is no escape from taxes . Our dirty attitude will keep the taxes high & in all probability even raise the taxes.
Actually,becoming clean has so many plusses- less diseases like malaria,diahorrea,dengue,plague,etal Another is that a clean ambiance will add to the tourist inflow.The money saved by being disease free can be invested elsewhere like education,environment ,etc.
The plague in Surat cleaned up the city.Do we need another epidemic to make us go clean ?
Moreover by being dirty,we are torturing the poor.The rich can afford to be sick but the poor can't even get medical aid for the simple reason that it is too pricey.So,we all haves have a duty to keep clean so that we don't spread filthiness around harming the have nots.
Many Indians,especially those, who have lived and or travelled abroad are always praising other nations about the clean roads,cities abroad.But these same persons will litter the roads in India with cigarette packs,chocolate wrappers,plastic bags,cartons,etal.This is because,if one of them does that,how does it affect anyway ? Moreover ,since everything is so dirty,how does one more bag ,carton make it more untidy ?
Policing in our nation is quite difficult because of the huge population & also because additional resources will be needed.So,it is high time,we learnt to be clean & tidy .We,Indians are very religious.It is said that cleanliness is next to Godliness.So what is that prevents us from being clean ?
Let us, at least ,make a sincere attempt to prove Jairam Ramesh wrong .On second thoughts,if only our netas could come clean ...After all,everything is in the mind.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Rangolis drawn today.
I try to keep basic pattern same for the two rangolis .Then ,I change the outer design.It all depends on what just comes to mind & my hands move accordingly.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Work at the office.
As I went on my daily walk in the evening,I remembered the kind of jobs I had performed in Office.
I was posted in a moffusil office in the beginning.We had been warned during our training that the offices would make us do jobs like filing papers et al & that is what precisely happened.On the second day,I was told by the head clerk to start filing claim papers in the numerous files.I did as asked as I myself had asked that I be given some job.
There was a water problem-shortage of water.So,we would go & request the landlord who lived at the back of our office to turn on the tap.Now,our suggestion was considered qyuite atrocious & the landlord would coolly inform us that the Muncipality was responsible for water & not him.But we used to persist with our efforts.My ex-employers executives had this fixation of having their various offices in places where they would pay a pittance of a rent.What followed later was an ordeal soory,ordeals for the staff posted at those offices.Water shortage was the common complaint. There were others like power going off sometimes for the whole of the day but our executives just looked through all this.
So,in these circumstances,I teamed up with another colleague to fill up water for drinking.The colleague was physically challenged but still others rarely assisted.They were angry that the management was so unkind about our water woes.Later,we started ordering mineral water for all but that would lead to fistcuffs with persons holding on to their bottled water as if there was a drought.People stopped bringing water from home!
I also once sat in the office on the floor to tear up old records which were no longer needed as nobody else was ready to do it.Moreover,the staff was doing their routine work.Since,I was the only one who was not assigned any specific work or rather, I was the officer & hence all office work was my responsibility,I ended up doing it !
When,I was posted to a suburban office,I had to accompany the peon to the bank as a shock absorber.The bank was perpetually angry that we were depositing cash very late in the day.So,they would admonish the peon.So,the peon opined that as I was in charge of accounts,it was my privilage to listen to the lectures at the bank.The bank manager was a lady.She had visited US & was all praise for the offices,the people there.I wanted to blurt out that if banks can't put up with cash deposits which are within the day ( though somewhat late),how does she expect others to be Americanised ?But then she was a true desi -she was so very patriotic !I also used to be in charge of the cash box keys.This resulted in getting into arguments with the boss more than once.My kid was sick & though a duplicate was available with him,I had to travel to office just to deposit the keys.
At moffusil office as also at the suburban one ,I was also in charge of marking the muster roll.This would lead to all sorts of tiffs with the staff.Some would come so late that their presence in office was as good as half a day.Citing that ,they would sit idle till lunch hour disturbing others as well.My bosses would invariably,condone all late marks including half day & send the muster register back to me.I could never understand the logic behind all this generosity.The reason given was that we needed people to finish pending work ! But nobody wanted to analyse why work remained pending -of course,due to the officer in charge-that is me !So all this sympathy was for me & I could not just observe it ! So ungrateful of me !
I was posted in a moffusil office in the beginning.We had been warned during our training that the offices would make us do jobs like filing papers et al & that is what precisely happened.On the second day,I was told by the head clerk to start filing claim papers in the numerous files.I did as asked as I myself had asked that I be given some job.
There was a water problem-shortage of water.So,we would go & request the landlord who lived at the back of our office to turn on the tap.Now,our suggestion was considered qyuite atrocious & the landlord would coolly inform us that the Muncipality was responsible for water & not him.But we used to persist with our efforts.My ex-employers executives had this fixation of having their various offices in places where they would pay a pittance of a rent.What followed later was an ordeal soory,ordeals for the staff posted at those offices.Water shortage was the common complaint. There were others like power going off sometimes for the whole of the day but our executives just looked through all this.
So,in these circumstances,I teamed up with another colleague to fill up water for drinking.The colleague was physically challenged but still others rarely assisted.They were angry that the management was so unkind about our water woes.Later,we started ordering mineral water for all but that would lead to fistcuffs with persons holding on to their bottled water as if there was a drought.People stopped bringing water from home!
I also once sat in the office on the floor to tear up old records which were no longer needed as nobody else was ready to do it.Moreover,the staff was doing their routine work.Since,I was the only one who was not assigned any specific work or rather, I was the officer & hence all office work was my responsibility,I ended up doing it !
When,I was posted to a suburban office,I had to accompany the peon to the bank as a shock absorber.The bank was perpetually angry that we were depositing cash very late in the day.So,they would admonish the peon.So,the peon opined that as I was in charge of accounts,it was my privilage to listen to the lectures at the bank.The bank manager was a lady.She had visited US & was all praise for the offices,the people there.I wanted to blurt out that if banks can't put up with cash deposits which are within the day ( though somewhat late),how does she expect others to be Americanised ?But then she was a true desi -she was so very patriotic !I also used to be in charge of the cash box keys.This resulted in getting into arguments with the boss more than once.My kid was sick & though a duplicate was available with him,I had to travel to office just to deposit the keys.
At moffusil office as also at the suburban one ,I was also in charge of marking the muster roll.This would lead to all sorts of tiffs with the staff.Some would come so late that their presence in office was as good as half a day.Citing that ,they would sit idle till lunch hour disturbing others as well.My bosses would invariably,condone all late marks including half day & send the muster register back to me.I could never understand the logic behind all this generosity.The reason given was that we needed people to finish pending work ! But nobody wanted to analyse why work remained pending -of course,due to the officer in charge-that is me !So all this sympathy was for me & I could not just observe it ! So ungrateful of me !
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Encounter.
This happened whilst I was in my first year of college.I was studying at Pune & had come home to Narora,as it was Deepavali vacation.Narora is a small village in Uttar Pradesh.My dad was posted there at the Atomic Energy power plant.
All my school friends were also in college but they were not yet home for Deepavali. I was getting bored with no friends around.One day ,my dad announced, that, a vehicle was leaving for Delhi on some official work on the next day.One of school friend's dad would also be going in the vehicle,he said.I was delighted.I thought,why not travel with my friend's dad & go & meet her at Delhi.She was studying in a women's college in Delhi.So all was set.
We left the next day - it was a Matador.I was seated in the row behind the driver with Uncle,my friend's dad.There were one more person seated in the front besides the driver.He was travelling to make some purchases for the Grocery stores.We were all from the colony, set up, to house the people, who were working at the Atomic Energy unit.So,we were all known to each other.
We reached Delhi.The vehicle dropped me & Uncle at the college campus.I was thrilled to meet my ex-classmate & we gossiped non-stop.Uncle meanwhile, attended to his errands.He returned in the evening by about five.The vehicle had also come back with the driver & the other occupant.We were told that we have to pick up an executive from the airport at around ten.My uncle suggested that we all should stay back in Delhi & proceed home early next morning.We requested the College authorities to let me stay for that night but they refused.So,it was decided, that we will depart after the executive joins us at the airport.
After the arrival of the executive,we started on our home journey.It was quite late in the night & not recommended as there had been reports of looting en route.We kept praying as we travelled.Most of us had dozed off.Suddenly,the vehicle came to a halt.I woke up & tried to make sense of what had caused the driver to hit such a strong brake.I saw that we were on a road & just parked ahead was a small goods carrier -a tempo.It was standing in such a way that our vehicle could not get a way.The road was too narrow.On one side,was a valley not too deep but quite wide & another side was a tree .So our vehicle was struck.The driver got down .At that moment ,four to five persons sprang up from the shadows.We were aghast ! They had pistols & choppers.They prevented the driver from getting into the vehicle.They surrounded the vehicle & demanded that we hand over all the valuables.
We hardly had any money with us.We told them so, but, they refused to listen.We pleaded with them to let us go .We informed them that this was a sarkari gaadi( government vehicle ).This was because it was Friday midnight then. On Fridays,it is customary in that area for businessmen & traders to travel on business. But our pleas fell on deaf ears.The executive was carrying a suitcase & the robbers had seen it.They demanded that he hand it over.He refused ,"I can't give-all documents are there,"he screamed.They got angry & started firing.I was just staring & my Uncle just shoved my head down on the seat before ducking himself.I could hear some more shots.Uncle saved me from the pellets which were being fired. We now pleaded with the executive to hand over the suitcase.This was when the robbers were reloading their country made pistols. The executive had got hurt & blood was oozing from his injury.He was unable to protest as we handed over the suitcase.The robbers broke open the suitcase & finding the contents useless threw it back at us exclaiming,"When nothing was there,why so much fuss !?"Next,one of them demanded, that, I hand over my earrings-Uncle replied,"She is studying in college away from home .So she wears fake gold earrings."They seemed satisfied.The executive was crying as he was in great pain.We requested the robbers to let us proceed.They agreed but said that we turn back & go.We had no choice .The driver got into the vehicle & drove it at breaking speed.
All were talking at once as we were too excited by shock.The Grocery store assistant was thanking his stars that the money he had carried for the purchases was safe.He had not been able to buy all things & hence a balance was still there.I informed Uncle that I was wearing real gold earrings- though they were a tiny pair.We were thanking God that we escaped without any major mishap.We concluded that the robbers were small time thieves out to earn a small amount of pocket money.
Actually,we had the encounter very near to our colony & so the robbers wanted us to turn & go back.They were sure that if we were to go ahead ,then very soon,they would be behind bars as they won't get time to escape. We reached the district headquarters after an hour.We landed at the Government hospital.The executive was taken in & attended.The police arrived.They said that we should not have travelled so late in the night.All formalities were over .It was early morning now.The news about the encounter had reached the colony.But my dad was kept in the dark.A vehicle had started from there to pick us up.The executive was to stay in the Government hospital for a day because of his injuries.He had escaped almost unhurt.
The vehicle came & we all started homewards.I asked for my parents & was told that they had not been informed .Maybe,nobody wanted my parents to be alarmed.Or it was not known that I had also travelled in the said vehicle. We all reached home.My parents were anxious as they had also heard about the incident by then. We had to keep repeating the saga umpteen times to avid listeners.All were of the opinion that the executive had asked for trouble by refusing to hand over his suitcase.Anyway,we were all glad that we were all safe & sound.The executive was discharged the next day & he went around the colony telling that he had saved the day for all of us !
All my school friends were also in college but they were not yet home for Deepavali. I was getting bored with no friends around.One day ,my dad announced, that, a vehicle was leaving for Delhi on some official work on the next day.One of school friend's dad would also be going in the vehicle,he said.I was delighted.I thought,why not travel with my friend's dad & go & meet her at Delhi.She was studying in a women's college in Delhi.So all was set.
We left the next day - it was a Matador.I was seated in the row behind the driver with Uncle,my friend's dad.There were one more person seated in the front besides the driver.He was travelling to make some purchases for the Grocery stores.We were all from the colony, set up, to house the people, who were working at the Atomic Energy unit.So,we were all known to each other.
We reached Delhi.The vehicle dropped me & Uncle at the college campus.I was thrilled to meet my ex-classmate & we gossiped non-stop.Uncle meanwhile, attended to his errands.He returned in the evening by about five.The vehicle had also come back with the driver & the other occupant.We were told that we have to pick up an executive from the airport at around ten.My uncle suggested that we all should stay back in Delhi & proceed home early next morning.We requested the College authorities to let me stay for that night but they refused.So,it was decided, that we will depart after the executive joins us at the airport.
After the arrival of the executive,we started on our home journey.It was quite late in the night & not recommended as there had been reports of looting en route.We kept praying as we travelled.Most of us had dozed off.Suddenly,the vehicle came to a halt.I woke up & tried to make sense of what had caused the driver to hit such a strong brake.I saw that we were on a road & just parked ahead was a small goods carrier -a tempo.It was standing in such a way that our vehicle could not get a way.The road was too narrow.On one side,was a valley not too deep but quite wide & another side was a tree .So our vehicle was struck.The driver got down .At that moment ,four to five persons sprang up from the shadows.We were aghast ! They had pistols & choppers.They prevented the driver from getting into the vehicle.They surrounded the vehicle & demanded that we hand over all the valuables.
We hardly had any money with us.We told them so, but, they refused to listen.We pleaded with them to let us go .We informed them that this was a sarkari gaadi( government vehicle ).This was because it was Friday midnight then. On Fridays,it is customary in that area for businessmen & traders to travel on business. But our pleas fell on deaf ears.The executive was carrying a suitcase & the robbers had seen it.They demanded that he hand it over.He refused ,"I can't give-all documents are there,"he screamed.They got angry & started firing.I was just staring & my Uncle just shoved my head down on the seat before ducking himself.I could hear some more shots.Uncle saved me from the pellets which were being fired. We now pleaded with the executive to hand over the suitcase.This was when the robbers were reloading their country made pistols. The executive had got hurt & blood was oozing from his injury.He was unable to protest as we handed over the suitcase.The robbers broke open the suitcase & finding the contents useless threw it back at us exclaiming,"When nothing was there,why so much fuss !?"Next,one of them demanded, that, I hand over my earrings-Uncle replied,"She is studying in college away from home .So she wears fake gold earrings."They seemed satisfied.The executive was crying as he was in great pain.We requested the robbers to let us proceed.They agreed but said that we turn back & go.We had no choice .The driver got into the vehicle & drove it at breaking speed.
All were talking at once as we were too excited by shock.The Grocery store assistant was thanking his stars that the money he had carried for the purchases was safe.He had not been able to buy all things & hence a balance was still there.I informed Uncle that I was wearing real gold earrings- though they were a tiny pair.We were thanking God that we escaped without any major mishap.We concluded that the robbers were small time thieves out to earn a small amount of pocket money.
Actually,we had the encounter very near to our colony & so the robbers wanted us to turn & go back.They were sure that if we were to go ahead ,then very soon,they would be behind bars as they won't get time to escape. We reached the district headquarters after an hour.We landed at the Government hospital.The executive was taken in & attended.The police arrived.They said that we should not have travelled so late in the night.All formalities were over .It was early morning now.The news about the encounter had reached the colony.But my dad was kept in the dark.A vehicle had started from there to pick us up.The executive was to stay in the Government hospital for a day because of his injuries.He had escaped almost unhurt.
The vehicle came & we all started homewards.I asked for my parents & was told that they had not been informed .Maybe,nobody wanted my parents to be alarmed.Or it was not known that I had also travelled in the said vehicle. We all reached home.My parents were anxious as they had also heard about the incident by then. We had to keep repeating the saga umpteen times to avid listeners.All were of the opinion that the executive had asked for trouble by refusing to hand over his suitcase.Anyway,we were all glad that we were all safe & sound.The executive was discharged the next day & he went around the colony telling that he had saved the day for all of us !
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