Train to the roof of the world

there were photographs splashed across most of the newspapers this week about china's latest engineering feet.
The train to lhasa, with which china wants to tighten it's grip over tibet, and integrate it more tightly with the mainland.
Well there are more sides to this issue.
One is probably how much of a engineering feet is it?
As the rail line passes through regions where the soil is only composed of permafrost, global warming is the biggest challenge.
Second is the envoirmental damage this railway it is going to do.
Third, as dalai lama put it is the cultural genocide that is happening.

But, on the other part it has the ability to bring more investment into the region thus alleviating one of the poorest regions in the world.

I found good analysis of all this in a guardian article dated september 2005.
here is the link to it

http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,1573971,00.html

Train to the roof of the world

there were photographs splashed across most of the newspapers this week about china's latest engineering feet.
The train to lhasa, with which china wants to tighten it's grip over tibet, and integrate it more tightly with the mainland.
Well there are more sides to this issue.
One is probably how much of a engineering feet is it?
As the rail line passes through regions where the soil is only composed of permafrost, global warming is the biggest challenge.
Second is the envoirmental damage this railway it is going to do.
Third, as dalai lama put it is the cultural genocide that is happening.

But, on the other part it has the ability to bring more investment into the region thus alleviating one of the poorest regions in the world.

I found good analysis of all this in a guardian article dated september 2005.
here is the link to it

http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,1573971,00.html

Bombs over theran

Well, that is the tune they are now playing on the radios!
US is again saying, "Let's screw Tehran". In the past few days i have gone through various articles on the web from both the sides, some wanting bush to bomb tehran, while others who are against it saying IRAN IS NO IRAQ.
I went through this article by simon jekins on guardian.
I think it provides a very balanced view of the whole situation, and cuts across the rhetoric that exists on both the sides.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1771372,00.html

Dam the protesters.

For the past few days there has been lot of debate about the narmada dam. The supporters have i think got a attitude which says, "hey, i do not really care for where the displaced people go. I only care about my power cuts and water that i get".

States have not cared about the rehabilitation of the displaced and have gone about the so called "devolopement".

Why are they doing this? Vested interests. In a democracy i feel the power is there with the people only in the definitions of democracy. The people who are really interested in getting this project implemented because they will profit from it, want this project to go on the ruthless pace.

I really do not know about the environmental implications of implementing this project. They have not even been discussed here.

My stand. Build the dam, but give a proper rehabilitation to those displaced.

Affirmative Action

Arjun did it!
he stirred a hornest's nest when he declared that he is going to have reservations extended to IIT/IIM.

Immediately my admission in to a engineering college flashed into my mind.
At that time they decided to have a 30 percent reservation in the engineering colleges just for girls.

Already they had reservations for schedule cast, schedule tribe, other backward cast, nomadic tribe 1 , nomadic tribe 2, nomadic tribe 3.

god knows and which all categories were there.
I asked my mother are we not entitled to these reservations since we have shifted from mathura to so many other places in india. are we not entitled to be nomadic tribe?

Alas, that was not the case.

Niether did i have a relative who opened up a Engineering college and gave reservation to all of us.

but there was one for muslims, gujurathis, kutchis, malyaleese, christians.bottomline is that you are screwed if you are a open category guy. You better manage 98 % or else.... go to some distant town to complete your engineering.

So what is Mr. Arjun Singh trying to achieve?

Political mileage to run his old car. I do not think he cares a iota about social welfare.

if he had the primary education would not be languishing, where it is doing today.

What it will do?

It will divide the country. More colleges will spring up which give reservations to its own community. The chasm between the different castes will widen.

I hope some body stops him from doing this.

Bush visit, a sad day

So finally, "prez" as the press would call him when he lands in india is coming to town.
Biggest irony is that he will be going to mahatma gandhi's memorial and paying his homage. He has even managed to give indian trip a communal hue by saying india has third largest Muslim population in the world and none of them is in Al -queda.

He is mistaken if they do not hate him. Indians probably do not hate america that much, but make no mistake, they hate George .W. Bush.

If he thinks that we will be along his side in his adventures then he is mistaken.

I wish bush had not come to India.

But now since he is coming we all should unite!

google, don't be evil

just type tianenmen sqare in images in google china and in a normal google and check the results.

Also check with other search phrases like dalai lama and free tibet.

I feel what google is doing is great diservice to the world and putting at stake it's reputation of not being "evil" .

It is a great diservice to the information driven world as it is hiding information from the world.

just type tianenmen sqare in images in google china and in a normal google and check the results.

Also check with other search phrases like dalai lama and free tibet.

I feel what google is doing is great diservice to the world and putting at stake it's reputation of not being "evil" .

It is a great diservice to the information driven world as it is hiding information from the world.

Cartoons! Uncut

So, we had this major controversy that has erupted all around the world over the danish cartoons.

I believe that cartoons were completely unnecessary and were in bad taste.
But, i also believe that violence was completely not how the muslims should have responded. Violence is only going to fuel the islamophobia that has currently gripped the west.

On the newspapers, part I feel it was guilty of making fun of somebody else's religion. I feel we need to utilize freedom of speech in a much better way.
It should be utilized for other purposes like bringing democracy in the arab world, emacipation of women in the Arab world.
I am sure fanatics will try to curb the voices in regards, but then tell me one religion in which process of reforms was undertaken without a hue and cry.

This is just not cricket! Unfair to Ganguly

I protest!
This is just not cricket! this is not the gentleman's game that we all expect cricket to be.
Selectors in India have stooped to such low levels.
Ganguly was the guy who resseructed Indian Cricket and now he was given the boot.
Where is the justice.
This man scored 40 and 39 on a sluggish pitch.
He was involved in two vital partenerships in both the innings, and they sacked him.
But, I am sure Ganguly will be back.