Anna vs Kejriwal - Is it a case of sour grapes or the Politicians have had the last laugh !

 

The politicians have had the last laugh. Its a pity that just when we were hoping to see "light at the end of the tunnel", it looks like its turned into a mirage. Anna and his "India against Corruption" movement on Lok Pal offered a ray of hope for India and its billion citizens but the recent developments and public spa between the two has disappointed millions across the country. The politicians have had their say in driving a deep divide between Anna and Kejriwal. 

Anna without Kejriwal and his team in not the force that it was in the height of the Lok Pal movement, at the same time Kejriwal is what he is today, because of Anna. Not sure whether it is jealousy, or insecurity or intolerance or its the handiwork of the politicians in driving this divide.

It is disappointing that a man of Anna's stature should stoop low to criticize Kejriwal on the utilization of funds despite the latter clarifying. Kejriwal has had the funds scrutinized, audited and verified a couple of times by competent people and even offered another round of enquiry/auditing by a reputed person like Justice Santosh Hegde and offered to quit politics if found guilty. Anna should have kept quite but he continued his tirade against Kejriwal either directly or shooting thro the shoulders of Kiran Bedi or Gen VK Singh.

The latest episode at Raleigh Maidan was in bad tasted. It was Gen Singh who was launching a tirade against AAP but the AAP Leader was the one who got the stick. Instead of supporting and encouraging Kejriwal and his newly formed AAP Anna has turned into a sour grape and is whining day in and day out. His comment that if he had canvassed for Kejriwal he could have become the Chief Minister was in bad taste.

The anti-corruption movement has dwindled into insignificance despite attempts to revive it with the likes of VK Singh. It is Kejriwal who has emerged as a potential giant-killer with the gutsy and organisational skills to take on Sheila Dixit. He no longer needs Anna's endorsement to make his political fortune. Now when Anna warns Kejriwal not to use his name during the campaign, it sounds outright amusing. 

Anna's hysterics look suspiciously like that of an actor past his prime, desperate for attention. Far from Kejriwal relying on Anna's celebrity, it is the guru who needs the shishya to find his way back into the headlines, and in front of the cameras. That could  be one of the reason for Anna backing the toothless Lok Pal bill being floated by the UPA Government.

Its a story of the famous Indian Crab story. One cannot stomach the success of another. This malady is threatening to kill India's fortunes. 

Time and political tide wait for no one. Not even the for grand old man from Ralegan Siddhi.

Scheider Electric wins 2nd place in SSON Awards

http://www.peoplematters.in/news/2013/12/14/corporate/scheider-electric-wins-2nd-place-in-sson-awards/4170

Sexual orientation should be a "Freedom of Choice"

With due respect to the Apex Court, but the Supreme Court's judgment on Section 377 of IPC which inter alia penalises homosexual relations is quite unfortunate and regressive. Section 377 of the Indian constitution is a descendant of an archaic law from the colonial British rule, which described homosexual acts as “unnatural”. It was incorporated into the IPC in 1860. The judgment discloses an intolerant mindset and which is also insensitive to the real problems of those with a different sexual orientation for which they are not to be blamed nor branded.

LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community are equal citizens of this country and thus entitled to all the constitutional protections of equality, liberty, privacy, dignity and health. By setting aside the Delhi High Court ruling , the Supreme Court — the supposed protector of fundamental rights of citizens in this country, particularly the marginalized communities — has snatched away from the LGBT community all these fundamental rights.  It more or less brands them as criminals and is grossly unfair.

The right to choose must be left to an individual and cannot be forced upon. As long as it is a consensual relationship between 2 adults, no one has the right to impose their views on them. It defeats the basic principles of equality, freedom and liberty enshrined in the Constitution. Its absurd to believe that relationships must be only between a man and a women. Its a norm laid down by the society in the past. Times have changed, the world has moved on and become more liberal and tolerant to diversity. In these liberalised times, people are increasingly speaking up for the rights of deviants. Even the current Pope who represents the Catholic and who were once terribly opposed to Homosexuality and same sex marriage has openly expressed that its not a sin, which shows changing mindset by religious leaders.  India once again joins the ranks of countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is considered a criminal offence and the penalty is life imprisonment or even death.

Its heartening that this judgement has opened a huge public debate and seen people from all walks of life expressing their disappointment and disagreement to this judgement. The politicians for once are listening to the voice of the public and are talking about taking corrective action through an amendment to the Article 377. It is against the right to life as it includes one’s freedom to choose one’s life partner. It is an inviolable right of an individual to choose his partner for life. One must have a broad outlook to analyse the emerging trends and the transformation that society is going through. Homosexuality is a social reality since mythological times, and it has been accepted worldwide. India cannot pretend not to see the reality....