Billed for the Future....

Finally, after a grand Tamasha in Parliament, the Women's Reservation Bill has been passed in the Rajya Sabha.

The big question everyone is asking is whether this is really a big deal or not?

We are not talking of the fuss created by the Yadav trio.

On the way to office today, I heard the very interesting Rajesh Tambe, a guest speaker on Meow 104.8 FM say that the bill will perpetrate dynastic politics. It could result in proxy candidates being put up on the electoral front.

True, all that could be true. It is quite likely all this would happen.

After all, it had happened in the past.

Indira Gandhi was propped up as the "Gungi Gudiya" by power centres in the Congress after Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri passed away in 1966. But 5 years later, after the decisive victory in 1971 war, she was labelled as "Durga", that too in Parliament, by none other than Atal Behari Vajpayee.

I am no fan of the Lalu Prasad Yadav clan, but Rabri Devi did manage to achieve quite a transformation in the three terms that she had as the Chief Minister of Bihar.

Reservation for women is not new. Women have had this privilege for some years now in the village Panchayat elections. And some newspapers say that it has been quite a success, with a cleaner, less corrupt and action oriented style of functioning.

We in the corporate world have seen successful women professionals, though one often hears snide comments and knows "visible" glass ceilings exist.

But the Yadav trio seem to be worse than them....

And what Mr. Tambe said could be true for 5, 10 or 15 years, but surely women lawmakers will catch up with time, like the way they did in the Panchayats.

This could be an epochal moment in our history and our women lawmakers are certainly billed for the future...

One Question for Mr. Hussain....

What a ruckus has MF Hussain's acceptance of Qatari citizenship created..... !!!!

It is undoubtedly true that we failed to provide to provide him the necessary security. It is also true that while he was hounded by hordes, the lawmakers and intelligentsia had kept quiet. So why the hullabaloo on TV now? For TRPs?

Isn't it true that an artist has a right to express? Ancient Indian artists expressed themselves and created wonder like Khajuraho, Ajanta Ellora, etc.

So has Mr. Hussain.

But freedom has limits, and each individual (artists included) need realise that, before they cross the rubicon.

MF Hussain may have crossed the rubicon ..... I am not sure.

But I only have one question for Mr. Hussain.

Won't the Qataris throw him into the Persian Gulf if he artistically painted local historical or religious figures in a certain light?

Aman ya Jung?

The one thing that has angered me over the last few months was the Aman ki Asha campaign, initiated by Times of India.
I have a question - will you ever sit and have a cup of tea in an aman shanti ka mahaul with a neighbour who is always pelting stones on your house?

Never, would be the unanimous answer.
Would the pseudo-liberals, pseudo-intellectuals who have spearheaded Aman ki Asha have tea with their own belligerent neighbours.
Not one would do that in reality, yet it seems the country, India, does not matter for them.
And while we kept the asha for aman and mohhabbat, we got a lovely Valentine's Day gift reecently. A grand blast and about 14 deaths at the German Bakery in Pune.
As if that's not enough, the much wanted, Hafiz Sayed, addressed a public rally in city of Lahore after the German bakery blast, and said that one 26/11 was not enough for India, there need to be more. He went on to say that they will drink blood of the Indians, rather than die thirsty.
All this in broad daylight, in a public rally, in the city of Lahore and the Pakistanis claim they cannot arrest him, because they do not know where he is.
What a bloody joke!
Just as we were coming to terms with the Pune blast, Salman Bashir and his Pakistani delegation caame to India. The press waxed eloquent about his pragmatism, attitude and his personal rapport with Nirupama Rao.
The talks happened, or rather should I say we had "tea" again. And after that the vitriolic press conference made the Pakistani intentions very clear. They'll continue throwing stones.
Its barely been two days since the talks got over and today, Indian interests were targeted in Kabul. The result: 6 Indians died.
The Taliban claimed responsibility. No prizes for guessing who supports the Taliban.
And what do we do?
We keep the Aman ki Asha.
But this is a Jung.

In one of my blogs titled "Is India Truly Independent?", I had written that we need to retaliate, an eye for an eye.
Why can't we learn from the Israelis?
An eye for an eye, a limb for a limb, should you dare touch my countrymen, should you dare even look at my motherland.
That's what we should do - systematically throttle Pakistan, cultivate fringe groups in Pakistan, encourage Baluchis and the Sindhis and get them to eliminate terrorist leaders, one by one.
But we certainly caannot afford to have tea with our neighbour. We certainly cannot hope to have any Asha because the neighbour wants a Jung.
And our pseudo-liberals, pseudo-intellectuals better realise this fact of life in India, that this is a full fledged, yet undeclared war, the Jung of our lives.

香港 - Images from the Fragrant Harbour - Part 2

Be careful, that's the Smuggler's Inn!

Is that Hong Kong? Yes, that's Stanley .... a part of the city, yet so idyllic!

Flags of the Swire Group, Hong Kong and People's Republic of China flutter in the breeze. wow, what a sight!

Saturday night? No, it's Thursday and seems that the weekend is here already!

Would you buy stuff from the Pink Pussy Cat?

The hangover of 1997? (1997 was when Britain handed over Hong Kong back to China)

Interesting lighting at the Coach!

Fluttering prayer flags ensure my prayers go to God!

Ohhh, not again! They missed out the Taj Mahal.

Zip, zap, zoom.......

Will we ever enforce all this in India?

The Airport Express brings me to Hong Kong!

Kids are the same everywhere, chirpy and playful!

If there's tea, can I be far behind?

An enduring symbol of Hong Kong, the Golden Bauhinia!

The Beetle hitches a ride!

When you meet an old friend, you become oblivious to the world around you!

At the Central, Filipino maids socialise.... Man, what a cacophony!

A view from the 27th floor...

Crossing Tsing Yi on the Airport Express

Ask any spotter and he'll recognise the Control Tower. It's Chep Lep Kok, stupid!

There's a certain charm and energy about Asian festivals, as these Chinese lanterns signify....

Tradition meets modernity - lanterns at Times Square...

A woman's paradise .... ubiquitous Chow Tai Fook jewellery stores can literally empty your wallet

An amazing view of the Fragrant Harbour from Kowloon...

Now that's the way we dry clothes in Bombay, isn't it?

香港 - Images from the Fragrant Harbour

What a view of the Fragrant Harbour!!!

"One Country, Two Systems", but for how long?

"How much?"

"Tennn Dolllaaa"

If Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is here, Forrest Gump should be close by....

We lost the trams in Bombay and Delhi. They are in shambles in Calcutta. But here, they live on....

You pray, I pray to the One God, Almighty....

I can't help rubbing my eyes, that's Neeti surfing in Chinese?

Mmmm, that sounds like New Delhi. Now that's why I feel home in Hong Kong.

One of the Grand Old Ladies of Asia, The Peninsula Hong Kong makes all Asians feel proud, just like our own Taj Mahal Hotel of Bombay

Hong Kong's version of "Rapidex English Speaking Course"?

Is it an alien spaceship?

The Time at Times Square

Lucky dog! He gets a massage....

恭喜发财 -- Kung Hei Fat Choy - welcoming the Year of the Tiger

Ohhh, Love sells?

Is that Janpath?

Falling in love all over again.... with the view...

... and Read on at Your Own Risk!

Deadly street food at Ada, Wan Chai - Jaanleva Ada, Katilana Ada!!!!

O Giant Buddha, shower your blessings on me and all....

Chep Lap Kok, a spotter's paradise!

Architect I.M. Pei's labour of love, the Bank of China Tower, pierces the clouds....

The Symphony of Lights is quite a spectacle...