How much Indian is Hindi?

British bans people from entering England if they cannot speak English. Some people say ban British from entering India if they cannot speak Hindi. Well, not every one speaks Hindi in India. In many parts of south India, Hindi is as foreign as English. I say Sanskrit should have been the national language. All of India relates to this language. I wonder what our founding leaders were thinking.

Regional Indian politics

The states of India should never have been formed on the basis of language. Harassing people who cannot speak the local language has become the norm across India. If every person sticks to the land he/she was born in and do not go any where else, India can never function. Dividing up the country in to smaller bits means more politician seats which is the crux of the matter. Preserving culture is a good thing turned bad. One of these days India will be facing more Khalistan kind of movements which no one will be able to control. Because if a country is not united how can the politicians be?

In the recent years India was divided on the basis of religion. Now the problem has become worse because the language division is finer.

Julian Assange goes after spies - Cheers

Lets have the spies running for their lives, the pests. In the name of monitoring terrorism, spying has annoyed many a decent person. Assange is a real hero if he can make the word privacy a real concept again. How does one demand privacy legally is the biggest question facing humanity today.

Suu Kyi - Will she or wont she?

Hillary meets Suu Kyi. It took a long time to get here. But there is optimism. Though US foreign policy has been a flop these past few years, there is glimmers of hope. Revolutions in Middle East are a good example of hope. But the loose ends are not tied yet. So we are left with the question what happens to Suu Kyi now?

The backlash facing America

Pat downs and racial profiling in America has met with a backlash. Americans and even Europeans now face more security scrutinies at international airports than any one else. America controlling bank resources of other countries will result in more loss of credibility. Business thrives more on solid credit than solid money. As I watch the debate of presidential candidates in America, I can only say they do not get it. As long as the politicians get their Ferraris, they will not understand the economics of the common man.

Pepper spray at UC Davis and writings on the wall

Police uses pepper spray on students protesting peacefully at UC Davis because Peaceful protests, they know, are way more dangerous than rioting. Most US universities allow no protests on campus and any demonstrations are strongly put down. Change is coming to America. When university students in US protests, things have gone too far. It is a wake up call. Change I predict will come from software engineers and university students. Julian Assange has already started the process. The internet that is bringing revolutions across the globe will also change America.
It is no tea party nor Murdoch generated media events that can save America.

The disappearance of jobs in America

Way back in 2006, when the recession was still fresh, I happened to be looking for a job. Suddenly, for me, nothing was working. I was not landing a job, no matter where I applied. And then I went to the employment bureau for getting trained on how to get a job. And I met the greatest idiots in America. They were training people to become zombies, forget their achievements, aspirations, and bow down to the master, your employer. Do everything your employer wants was the motto.

And I still remember the crowd in the room, a little like me, lost and wondering, why they were in that room, and in that situation. In time, it was clear that the present employers were faulty, and the good jobs were disappearing in America. It was best to find fresh grounds or form new companies where every person could live up to their god given potential, a statement American politicians make time and again.

Times up for Berlusconi

Berlusconi is a politician who broke every rule but survived in office. Now he has to go. If Berlusconi did not make a difference in the past to Italy, I do not see how it will make a difference now. Changes happening across the globe but expectations are considerably reduced.

Palestine enters UNESCO

With Mubarak gone in Egypt, Palestine has a chance to become recognized. UNESCO recognizes it and I do not see why others will not. Israel cannot encroach on Palestine land any more. They may not like it but it is a small glitch for Israel. Israelites have the entire world to expand in. Unlike their Islamic neighbors, there are no terrorist labels on Jewish foreheads.

Being a nation

A nation is defined as a large aggregate of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory. And to remain a nation, a country really has to be that. Against the future military drones of the mighty nations, very few regions in the world are prepared. Under such circumstances a united people may provide the necessary ammunition to stay free.

Gadaffi is no more

Gadaffi a hero who turned dictator is no more. A lot of dictators around the globe now must be squirming right now. Clearly many parts of the world is doing away with dictators. The question now is are dictators replaced with fanatics, colonial powers, or a real democracy. Though real democracies are a myth it is still the best choice till another more honest system comes along.

Dehumanizing of war

People are video game targets. Dead soldiers are not to be mourned but to be proud of. Perhaps this is the trend. Human beings feel less and less connected to each other in the modern era. The lines between reality and fiction forever blurring.
To quote Shakespeare

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances"

Public lashing of women

A woman gets 10 lashes for driving a car in Saudi Arabia. The immediate response is that this is how men treat women in Saudi Arabia. I wonder why Saudi men do not protest. Its hard to think that young men of Saudi Arabia have no chivalry to stop things like this from happening to women. It is a shameful situation. The stupid Saudi administration needs to go. More than Syria or Libya, Saudi is where we need to see change happening.

Looks like the King prevented the lashing to happen. Cannot say that was kind because the entire thing was really gross. On the other hand looks like the King thinks Saudi women should be treated a little different from the past. Whether it be king or kin change for Saudi women is a good thing. Clearly, a smart woman is a smart home. Children of smart moms do way better than when only the dad is smart or even when the dad is not.

Fighting corruption steeped in corrupt tradition

Anna fights corruption and talks about dalits. I say there should be no dalits in the world any more. The concept of dalits is a gross civil rights violation and shows no dignity towards labor. Seriously, a lot of Indian tradition is corrupt. A group of people giving themselves airs of being superior because their ancestors were priests is a joke and I wonder how they have managed to convince a mass of people. The windbags have not traveled I say.

Moreover, it is this disgusting caste system that is leading to labor problems in India. If there was more dignity of labor people would have loved to work more. Now every one who has to labor feels he/she was cursed. Hey how about some brawn power besides brain power?

Reflection of India via Anna Hazare

A call to fight corruption and the crowd responds in large numbers. This would not be possible even in America. People are too afraid to express opinions elsewhere in the world because they may lose their valuable jobs. India is a kind and dynamic nation especially the uncorrupted youngsters are India's biggest strength. Brought up to respect elders and tradition, this mass of youngsters can make anything happen.

Corruption for India is a nuisance and was brought in with British rule. It will be easy to uproot and throw this dying tree of corruption from India forever.

Revolutionaries who end up as dictators

When we see the protests in Libya and see Gaddafi squirm, we wonder how did this man change so. A lot of men who fought for freedom end up as oppressors of freedom. For example, Che Guevara would be fighting Fidel Castro if Che was alive today. Being excessively popular at one time make people intolerant to dissent. Slowly, they turn tyrants and never think its their fault.

Immigration policy change in the US

The US has now decided to not deport immigrants who are not a threat to the US. In fact we can go one step further and say US is not deporting immigrants who are beneficial to the US. Every one could clearly see that immigration was great for the US. Even illegal immigration. US had all the labor it ever wanted for her farms and the industry. Labor is shrinking every where and many parts of India is facing an acute shortage of labor. Its a timely move and I hope it is not already late.

Anna magic

Anna Hazare convinced a village and now is convincing a nation. Must say I did not think he could take his fight against corruption this far. Truly, only a few people matter and they make all the difference. Cheers to Anna Hazare.

Anna Hazare's crusade against corruption

One might think Anna Hazare is generating drama with his hunger strikes against corruption. But I think this was needed. Corruption is a disease and needs to be cured. One can demand better pay etc if corruption is eliminated. Else the struggle to attain basic needs can be circumvented by piling up bribes.

The govt taking a stand against Anna makes it look like the present govt is the only corrupt govt. Every govt has corrupt elements. I am glad they are letting Anna fast and bring the problem of corruption to the forefront discussion. Corruption has been a way of life for a long time in India but is slowly reducing. A faster disappearance of corruption is always more than welcome.

Catching up on programming

Most schools mainly teach desk top pogramming. It is time for main stream to catch up with internet and mobile pogramming.

The dastardly mob and the individual

Mobs easily harass the individual. Mobs might have formed for the very reason under various guises.

The embarassing dalit question

When I was in Ghana, Africa, I was faced with the question of whether there were dalits (untouchables) in India. I said what I know that is that Gandhiji abolished untouchability way back and it is illegal to treat any one like a dalit. Technically dalits do not exist in India any more since independence.

But the reality is all Indians know what dalit means. To make repairs to the dalit community for being treated badly forever, the Indian government follows reservation policies which make room for dalits for jobs without the expected levels of merit required for those jobs. Thus, Indians understand what dalits are. I am ashamed to know about this shameful concept but cannot ignore the fact that I know it. Reservations has helped change fate of the dalits to some extend but Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constitution did not require reservation to become who he was. A lot of dalits have changed their fates by migrating etc etc.

Gandhiji was a noble soul. When he got treated as a second class citizen by the British, he decided to make sure dalits were treated better. This is not necessarily the reaction for all. Most people when they get treated badly treat their subordinates even worse. But dalits got their freedom without fully fighting for it. The dalits never got a chance to demand equality. On the other hand civil rights movements in America and South Africa reflects clearly without a doubt the common man's desire to be treated equally and with dignity. Hence these are better evolved societies.

Rahul Gandhi and the Kisan Mahapanchayat

Rahul Gandhi is farmer friendly and that is a good thing. But he has never farmed so he cannot understand the issues that plague Indian farmers. Farming is a noble profession with many perks. But very little is done to educate farmers. Education does not mean read and write and become clerks or whatever but to explore how farming can progress. More timber and organic farming will do magic for Indian farmers. And why not have farm machinery too? After all labor is getting scarce. The small farmer cannot afford labor charges these days. Being farmer friendly does not mean giving loans or free money. Farmer friendly leadership implies making farming easier. Instead of Padayatras and Panchayats, I seriously recommend Rahul Gandhi to be there on a farm and help with farming for some days. It will do Indian farmers a lot of good if leaders understand who the farmer really is. Half the time the politicians are surrounded by people who call themselves farmers are not. A lot of govt schemes of sending farmers abroad etc are misused.

South Sudan

South Sudan became a nation but should have chosen a new name. Is it going to be Sudan and South Sudan in the map? I see no reason why Sudan will call itself North Sudan just because it got divided. Independence is good. South Sudan has suffered. May tomorrow be brighter.

Academic shocks

I just read an article about a Professor's shock at being denied tenure at a university. For some people this is a minor thing. There are bigger problems like people dying and going hungry etc. How does the problem of tenure denial compare to such problems?

But I can relate to this professor because I reacted similarly when I was unable to find employment after a PhD in math. This happens to people who have had their way all their lives. We work hard, create beautiful things, and expect the world to appreciate it. Denying academic opportunity to deserving candidates is going beyond denying appreciation. It is destructive. It took me a few years to trust the world again.

I am in a way happy that I went through that turbulence. Made me stronger and not so naive. Qualities necessary to defend the valuable goods I deliver. Cheers. Now would I wish this experience for other people? I am not sure. You enter academics because you were treated real gentle by hundreds of people. Before the shock you did live in an unreal world of books. It is a rather charming life to always get what you want.

Slipping positions

So is America the number one country? In many ways no. The dollar is no longer at the top of the chart. The middle class American traveling feels a pinch on his purse way more than the locals. This is true in Asia, Africa, and else where. A country's global position is decided by the spending power of the middle class. Not the rich and not the poor, for nothing changes for the poor and rich. But in many ways America is still number one. Hard working people who take pride in their work is America's biggest strength. A lot of people who were willing to work hard gathered on American shores from many parts of the world. Now many have dispersed. Yet, I see no contender for the top post apart from America. China has to get rid of many chains and India has to get rid of many divisions before it can even contest for the number one spot. Canada, Australia, etc are too conservative to become global number one. In other words, America is still number one because there is no other contestant.

Labor crisis

With the attitude of the US government in the past decade, I predict US will face one of the worst labor crisis in its history. Labor in most parts of the world is shrinking.

H4 visas

Women are finally talking about US H4 visas. This is a spousal visa which will not allow you to work. Intelligent women who learned to dream and do well at school will find this visa unbearable. Immigration laws in the US can rip off dreams like children of illegal Mexican workers will be denied education. Immigration laws in other countries are worse but US is where we can aspire for ideals.

Advantage China

The biggest advantage China has over India is that Chinese are hands on. They can build. Indians prefer theory. Creating theories expecting others to make practical is not going to help in a war. India is collaborating with Russia and US to build weapons and these two countries in turn depend on China to deliver. How did the world end up this way?

The role of mathematics in a country's progress

Historically the countries that dominated the world had really good mathematicians.

Egypt, Greece, England, Germany and in recent times US. Who is next?

Developing nations

India has become quiet suddenly in the international scene. It is no longer India and China but the whole world is suddenly developing technically. In Ghana students can program and aspire for the same jobs as US students. Students from the middle east are doing much better than in recent past and are matching US counterparts. Being educated is no longer going to give a nation a leg up but innovation and self reliance sure will.

Japan and Nuclear troubles

Japan unfortunately has been rubbed the wrong way when it comes to nuclear matters. Hopefully things will return to normal soon.

Rest in peace Elizabeth Taylor

Looks like all the cute ones are leaving this world. After Knut, it is Elizabeth Taylor. Rest in peace ET.

Rest in peace Knut

Knut the lovable bear is no more. Was he poisoned? No one knows and few care. All we can say is Rest in peace knut.

To the women of Egypt, let the force be with you

On Women's day we show solidarity to Egyptian women who is demonstrating to get their due in society. Cheers and god bless.

Subway beats Mcdonald's and that is a good thing

The food in Subway is a lot healthier than Mcdonald's. It is sad that Mcdonald's has lost its number one position but it had all this time to fix the downslide. Quality is winning and that is a good sign for America.

The last stand of a dictator

Till the end the dictator thinks he can dictate. He fails to see reality. Good bye Gadaffi.

Tolerant Christians

If you say something against Jews, you get sued,
If you say something against Hindus, you get stoned,
If you say something against Muslims, you get killed,
But if you say something against Christians, you are simply ignored.

Defending the champion

Every decent minded soul will defend Assange against slander in every way they can. He did what he had to do and we are all grateful for that.

Revolution by technocrats

Facebook is a big part of middle east revolutions. The youth in the Middle east is leading the way to change and it is a pleasant surprise. Let the dictators go. Good riddance is all that we can say.

Revolutions in the middle east

Exciting times in the middle east. Freedom to people is finally coming it looks like. We can only wish them luck as we watch the news in true amazement. The happenings in the middle east is contagious in a good way. We see revolutions happening across the globe. It was long due anyways.

Mubarak steps down

It was necessary for Mubarak to go for change to happen in Egypt. The protesters now need to complete the job and make sure that a fair and free elections takes place in Egypt. We would love to see Egypt come back to its ancient glory once again. Cheers.

Renaissance in the Middle East

There is a wind of change across the middle east and it was time that this happened. Leaders of democracies lasting for decades do not make sense. Moreover these leaders are autocratic like dictators suppressing dissent with an iron hand. We love to see people's rule in the middle east. But will it be like Iran? The revolution has taken Iran backwards and people wanted it then. Hopefully the new middle east will be better than the old one. It will be a region that will separate religion from politics and be elite.

In Africa there is talk about new Africa every where. I wanted to be a part of it in a small way. But to my surprise change came to middle east sooner. Hopefully, whenever I visit Egypt, I will visit a really democratic and elite Egypt. Cheers!

The fury and violence

We all need to work towards reduction in violence and calming anger. There is no victory in acts of anger no matter how justified the anger may be. Diffusing the volatile situation across the world is the urgent need of the hour. So that we may honestly say "Welcome" as they say in Ghana to every new face we come across. The religious, political, and social leaders have failed miserably. May be, it is time for technocrats to take the lead like Julian Assange.

People, no matter who you are, and of which faith, say no to leaders who propose to solve problems with violence. It leads no where and is morally wrong.

Education and the underprivileged

Recently I have been hearing a lot about why it is better for society for women to not work and it has been bothering me a little. Is it society or some men that benefit by women not working for real money? Not finding employment directly translates to being dependent on the benevolence of a husband. It is a disgusting state to be for intelligent women. It bothers me that women are back in the cycle of fighting for rights at the very beginning. This is the story of all civil rights. Nothing is permanent and it is a vicious cycle. You fight for the same thing again and again. Education was considered as a difficult check point to affluence by many in society. And lo and behold women cross that check point quite easily and much better than men. And so this theme of how good it is for women to stay at home takes roots. I can only say that I am disgusted by people who hold this view and I announce this quiet publicly in this blog! In fact every qualified woman who is not working needs to be legally investigated as to why this is so and who is behind it.

Personal information extraction

Privacy is mostly a thing of the past. Surveillance is here to stay. But who has access to your information and how are you protected against rogues is the question now. Just like the internet grew like the wild west without laws, surveillance is growing too in the US. Seriously it gets exhausting if your very breathing can be controlled by some anonymous freak with little sense.

A wave of criminals in Hollywood

Too many murders, suicides, and sensational news from Hollywood. Some how the stars appear puppets of criminals. To some extend it appears as though these crimes were perpetrated to create news stories.

The change of speaker

Nancy Pelosi is no longer speaker of the house. She did quite a good job as the first female to hold that office. I must say I was kind of worried that the new speaker Boehner would start weeping again. I am glad he did not do that.

Dividing Sudan in to two

Sudan will split on the basis of religion. It reminds me of the split of India and Pakistan which was a big mistake. Pakistan is a failed state now. One must remember that in 700 years of Mughal rule, the Muslims found no difficulty living with Hindus and there was no need for a new country. In the Ivory Coast of Africa there is 30 to 40 percent Muslims. But that does not mean every one will vote for a Muslim leader. It is like assuming that every Hindu in India will vote for the BJP. Some times a party that separates religion and politics may be the people's choice. It should be so, else countries will divide by leaps and bounds. It is sad that there was no third party who wanted a united Sudan and that people could relate to.

The Mamta-Tata standoff

A Tata project any where in India has always been a good thing. Mamta has denied Bengalis this opportunity with her stupid protests. It was a good idea for Tata to pull off from such a project. Gujarat benefited. Gujarat has a fundamentalists problem. One of these days when non Parsi minorities begin investing like Tata, Gujarat will feel stupid too.

Political correctness

Political correctness is pushed too far in American media. The American media is a joke. The jokers go around destroying sense of humor.

Say no to diversity

All along I loved diversity. But every where in the world we see that minority bashing is a reality. Easiest way to make money is to harass and kill minorities and grab their property. So I am convinced that being among the minority is a bad idea. So from now on wherever I visit I am going to blend in. If I go to a muslim country, I am muslim. If I got to a Christian country, I am a Christian, etc. Now skin color is a problem in certain situations. One could go the Michael Jackson way or just use make up. Make up is better because one can change quite easily. Black, brown, white, and every day I am a different race. Happy new year.