NON-PRODUCTIVE FUEL CONSUMPTION

Yesterday in Lucknow, there was huge rally of Dalits in Lucknow in support of a political party. On 18th December there will be another rally of Thakurs, Muslims and Vaishya communities of the same party. There already had been a Brahmin rally. Apart from dividing society on caste lines, the rallies of any kind bring thousands of vehicles for a non-productive cause and consume huge quantity of fuel. Besides, due to traffic jams caused by crowds, traffic moves at snails speed forcing vehicles to consume more than normal fuel. It may sound insignificant but if you imagine the rallies organized by all the political parties, trade unions, student unions and all the rest, the quantity of non-productive consumption of fuel will come out to be enormous.

We are silent spectators nay sufferers of the political hooliganism. We cannot do much but surely we can do one thing. All those who cased inconvenience to us and wasteful consumption of fuel by organizing rallies should not get our vote. We can possibly do it through carefully identifying such people. There are decent ways of canvassing like debates on tv, Newspaoer ads, hoardings, pamphlets, corner meetings, door to door contacts and so on. I feel the Election Commission should ban the vulgar show of muscle power and ill-gotten money.

AUSPICIOUS - INAUSPICIOUS

I was building he school Bhartiya Gramin Vidyalaya, my dream project. One fine morning the mason informed that one window was short and was needed the same day. I asked my driver to start the Marshall and move to Itaunja, at a distance of 12 km, where I used to go to school everyday as a child. I purchased a window there and was returning. When I reached Mahona, about 3 km from Itaunja, on my way back, I realized it was Saturday. I should not have purchased iron that day. Well, I said to myself that I have done it without knowing and allowed the mason to fix the window. Many years have passed and nothing bad has happened. Whenever I go to the room and glance at the window, I smile and say to myself 'inauspicious Saturday'. All days are equally good or bad bu destiny or the law of probability decides incidents. We cannot be absolutely rational but surely it is possible to introduce certain elements of rationality. When we see young kids and old ones alike begging for money and oil on Saturdays, they must be discouraged. It is a pity that some of us encourage them by paying money.

NEEDS COURAGE TO BREAK TRADITION

When I got married some 40 years ago and marriage party along with the bride (my wife Nirmala) arrived to my village, the village women said I could not enter the house though the bride could go in. I was told a ritual called 'Chatursi' must be performed before the bridegroom could enter his house. And the ritual this time had to wait until the auspicious time two days thereafter. I was shocked and disappointed to be asked to spend two nights and two days outside my house. I gathered courage and asked the village folks ' we should forego chatursi as it was not an essential part of the marriage'. They were reluctant but I was firm and they finally agreed. Believe me there has been no chatursi thereafter and evil spirits have harmed any one. I do not mean that traditions be broken for the sake of breaking them but if superfluous, they must be dispensed with.

There are many beliefs in the countryside like you should not travel to North on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, to South on Thursday to East on Mondays and Saturdays and never travel on Sundays to West. This may sound ridiculous and ridiculous it is but the people in the villages believe in such notions. It is good that children in the cities are not aware of such beliefs and may be I should not tell them but those who are aware should refrain from following the practice.

Agnivesh with Bigg Boss

Swami Agnivesh has gone to the house of bigg boss supposedly to guide the youth there. He seems to forget 'kaajal ki kothari mein kaiso hi sayano jaye ek leek kaajal ki laagihai pai lagiha". It would have been different if he has claimed to go there to learn a few more tricks of his trade. It would be appropriate to take Digvihjay Singh and Manish Tewari along to give him company. Occasion demands that he take off his saffron garments and do as Romans do. In any case, let us wish him to achieve for which he has gone there.

INFLATION AND GROWTH

Inflation in India is likely to reach the level of 1979 when it was more than 16 percent. Some of the government functionaries say it is due to population growth while others think it is a symptom of vibrant economy. Still others think we Indians eat too much but the bellies have remained as they are. Indeed, inflation is a result of mismanagement, corruption and greed. Yashwant Sinha in a debate in Parliament had claimed that food inflation can be brought down in a single day. It is understandable because millions of tons of food grains are rotting in the go dawns and millions of people are starving. Why do the government purchase if they are unable to preserve. Situation of mismanagement in other items may not be different.

Recently they increased petrol prices and tried to explain away that petrol is decontrolled. But, who decontrolled petrol, none other than the government. International price rise cannot be blamed for the hike in India because situation outside is not that bad.

Basic necessities of human beings namely food, shelter, clothes, medicine and education are going beyond the reach of common man. Inflation hurts everyone except those who have the cushion of black money.