BUGLE

( contineued from part ............II) Today, on news paper I find a news stating that renowned activist Medha Patkar is organizing rally from Jammu Kashmir to Manipur in support of Iriom Sharmila for her unending fight against AFSPA or Armed Forces Special Power Acts; now in force in all the North Eastern States and J&K. What surprises me; has Medha been sleeping for this long period of 11 years, ever since Irom Sharmila was on fast to repeal AFSPA? Or it was other lucrative issues like ‘Narmada Banchao”, oust Tata’s Nano plant from West Bengal and many more were more alluring to her to steal the lime light or strike the headlines! The incredible India and Indians! So when rest of the country is rallying after Anna for his ‘Jan Lokpal Bill” and anti corruption move and Anna’s fast raising massive support amongst the sensitive, educated middle class; now Sharmila gets a chance. So, Medha is on the move; this time with a ‘Sharmila’ banner. We wait and see how long she lasts A...

( Continued from part ….........I ) To start with; let me correct some points in my first chapter,Irom Sharmila witnessed the killings that prompted her to fast unto death till the AFSPA repealed; the victims were not all ladies there were male members too. This has been corrected by one of my friends who has been closely watching the developments since long. Now let us see what AFSPA is all about. This law was passed by Indian Parliament on 11th September 1958 conferring the special powers on Armed Forces to act on Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Trupura as they all were declared disturbed areas. Later this law was extended to Jammu & Kashmir on July 1990. Now what are the special powers! The Constitution of India empowers a state government to declare it disturbed or a state of emergency is called upon. The reasons could be failure of stated administration and police to tackle the situation as the scale of unrest is too large. As a consequence; the ...

How do we start our days in any of our metropolis or smaller town; the busy morning schedules to catch up with our times. Even in villages where the roads and electricity have reached; the life has become more or less same; the only difference for those who are associated with farming may start the day quite early. The day may vary from one to another due to various professional and occupational differences but for all our days pose no fear. Imagine a morning you are passing by a bus stand in the outskirts of your town; people there as usual gathered to catch buses. All of sudden 'tara .. tara. ta. ; you find security perosonals on patrol opening fire to those in the bus stand with out any provocation! Ten die there instantly, in that doldrums you manage to take a glimpse, all the ten bodies are of innocent village women lying in pool of blood! What will be you reaction? Just to hurry back your home and taking recourse to nudge the very thought of that heinous killings. That...

Just click to enlarge the image See how Lokpal Bill can curb the politicians, Circulate it to create awareness Existing System System Proposed by civil society No politician or senior officer ever goes to jail despite huge evidence because Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) and CBI directly come under the government. Before starting investigation or prosecution in any case, they have to take permission from the same bosses, against whom the case has to be investigated. Lokpal at centre and Lokayukta at state level will be independent bodies. ACB and CBI will be merged into these bodies. They will have power to initiate investigations and prosecution against any officer or politician without needing anyone’s permission. Investigation should be completed within 1 year and trial to get over in next 1 year.Within two years, the corrupt should go to jail. No corrupt officer is dismissed from the job because Central Vigilance Commission, which is supposed to dismiss corrupt officer...

Anna Hazare says bring back the Black Money.   Do u know what will   happen if   1,456 Lac Crores comes back.   1.  India  Financially No.1 2. Each district will get 60000 crores & each village will get 100 Crores 3. No need to pay taxes for next 20 yrs. 4. Petrol 25 Rs, Diesel 15 Rs, Milk 8 Rs. 5. No need to pay electricity bill. 6. Indian borders will become more stronger than the China Wall. 7. 1500  Oxford  like Universities can be opened. 8. 28,000 kms Rubber road (like in  Paris ) can be made. 9. 2,000 hospitals (with all facilities) all medicine Free. 10. 95 crore people will have their own house.     Support Anna Hazare by forwarding this message to atleast 10 Indians.         PLease take time to read it. ‎ 10 things to know about Anna Hazare 'n Jan Lok Pal Bill.. ! 1. Who is Anna Hazare? An ex-army man. Fought 1965 Indo-Pak War 2. What's so special about him? He built a village Ralegaon Sid...

1978!  You must be thinking what is precious about the year!  All the way the year 1978 carried special significance for me. How come!  You know I was born on 16 th January; numerically they say if you add the birth date=, then number carries a significance in your life; so for me it is 7 as 1 + 6 = 7; and mind you, in the year 1978 I was 25. So 2 + 5 = 7 . Now here comes the story; till 1978 in Indian Air Force a law prevailed those Airmen failed to get promoted to the rank of at least Lance Air Corporal within nine years of their service; would be discharged. I was an airman then. With law or rules in view , I  did not take any promotion till 1978 (even thereafter) expecting my salvation after nine years of service with Air Force. But to my utter dismay  in 1978; all of a sudden a circular came; stating that Airmen who even fails to get promoted by nine years , will be in service till they complete their initial bond i.e. 15 years. Can you imagine how I felt...

STROKE! it may turn out to be silent spot killer; at the best it leaves one like vegetables! Treated but not cured, the attack of stroke can be suspended but the damage can hardly be reversed. Could we identify the early warning, many lives could be saved much damages could be avoided. Here are some ways.................. STROKE:  Remember the 1st Three Letters.....  S. T. R. STROKE IDENTIFICATION: During a BBQ, a woman stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) ....she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Jane went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Jane's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 PM Jane passed away). She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stro...

Obama eradicates Osama; what started with President Bush, the question is, will it end with Obama? This is a million dollar question. In fact with presidential election in United States due in 2012; and Obama's popularity having touched nadir; is going to look up with Prize Osama. Despite US economy remains where they were till now. Obama's promise to retrieve it from the down-fall remains unfulfilled frustrating US citizens of all levels. How ever Americans value more for their national security than anything else. As we know they fight all the wars away from their home land. Destroying, devastating and ravaging other countries has been their favorite pastimes on the pretexts like saving the mankind from disastrous chemical gas (never found in Iraq!), spread of communism and threat of nuclear war (Korea,Vietnam, Afghanistan)! They indulge in wars and destruction always on others soils taking their allies from European countries ( therefrom they poured in since sixteenth cen...

THE ONLOOKER: CHITTARANJAN IN 50s PT.........2 The life at the small industrial railway town Chittaranjan ...............

Products & Service Reviews: Bengal Hyundai, Sevice Center at Manicktala and Ba... : "Hyundai; makes good cars. When I made up my mind to buy a car since it’s more a necessity now than luxury; given to the city’s poor trans..."

Have you traveled through district roads of West Bengal recently? It your answer is in affirmative, then I need not to tell you how those roads are! If you did not take a journey through those roads anywhere in the state. Those who take frequent journeys by road, they are likely to know NH2 & 6 ; the Durgapur Expressway and Bombay Road. After coming into national highway networks those roads are converted into six lanes and that turned the road travel experience is worth that you pay in terms of toll tax. But comparing to them journey through any other roads criss crossing the state covering several districts and major part of NH 34 are in horrible state. The potholes and bumpers ( with no uniform specification!) turn the travels into travails. The state government collect road tax, they get central allocations to fund the expansion, repair and maintenance of these roads. One surmise where the fund goes? Some of the roads come under District or Panchayet authority ; they get re...

Law and order situation is fast deteriorating at our state of West Bengal. So far  political murders were hitting the headlines almost regularly. Specially the Naxal movement prone districts like Purulia, Bankura, Midnapore , skirmishes between polices, paramilitary force personals and Naxals are reported daily. In our city life we read them with morning cup of tea and some time try to imagine how the things are going on there. Though most of us even don't have vague idea about those areas, societies , people or the firings between the terrorists and forces. However we remain perplexed to find photographs of dead bodies of  innocent. rustic villagers being carried by security personals in Van Rikshaws or by some other carts. We surmise how come these simple villagers turn to terrorism! But the news of killing of a teen aged boy at the late night in the district town Barasat, by three drunken hoodlums  right on the street where District Magistrate , Police Super reside an...

If I die in a battle zone, Box me up n send me home. Put my medals on my chest, Tell my mom I did my best. Tell my love not 2 cry, Coz I am a soldier born 2 die.

So the first decade of new millennium has passed. We are going to step into a new decade. Still the memory of stepping into new millennium is fresh. Don’t you remember the millennium bug? All the institutions including defense, banking or any other using web network were frightened that they would lose the data as the computer would read the 1 st Jan of 2001 as 1 st Jan of 1901. I remember the 31 st Dec of 1999; till late hours we have been taking the print outs of all the accounts. The software industry as a whole had their hay days selling their millennium bugs cleansing software. However nothing happened anywhere in this planet. Nobody reported being charged by millennium bug in their system.  The hue and cry was forgotten soon. Except the share price of IT sector sore higher. They made huge profits. The last decade saw 9/11, Iraq war and global recession. In fact throughout decade headlines were struck by hot and chill news. Terrorism tops the list and a new term like finan...

With ‘Raj’ ended and British colonial ‘Sahib’s packed up for their mother land. Most of them when back to their ‘home’; first oddity they faced, lack of service from soft-footed domestic servants. Ruling for 200 years in their oriental colonies,  they became so used to these ‘Khidmatgars’ or domestic helps; back home without them , for many life became painful experiences. There were many having never seen their ‘Home’ or Great Britain could never imagine a life without domestic helps. On the bank of Ganges or Hoogly  river there were many jute mills owned by mostly Scottish ‘Sahibs’; still some of their old English style Bungalows stand within the those old mill compounds, although mostly in dilapidated condition but they still show their elegance. It is surprising, how the ‘Memsahib’s could maintain them! How many domestic helps, Malis (gardeners) , ‘Khidmadgars’  were engaged for their upkeep! One of my friends after leaving Air Force joined as a Security Officer in o...

It is only possible in India. The all time record of session adjournments have been broken in this winter session of our parliament. Our leaders ( read opposition) have made it possible to put full stop of session activities for 23 days in the term of 24 days  winter session of parliament. Perhaps we should seek a place in Guinness Book of Records for such wise parliamentarian saga! The fund wasted for session less parliament is around Rs 146 Crores. This includes the allowances paid to our revered members of Parliament and all other expenses made to run full parliamentary session. Apart from wastage of public fund what has been more disgraced is parliamentary democracy. 

Next time when you go to shop with plush shopping mall, take care you are not cheated........... Products & Service Reviews: HOMETOWN-- The Shopping Mall at Rajarhat, Kolkata : "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

( This is concluding part of same article PART - I) In 1857, the history changed its course as India’s first war of independence altered the fate of British East India Company. The Crown took over the charge directly after English soldiers with their native army could defeat the rebellion. This was a jolt for the Crown. However, peoples of Nepalese origin in British army the“Gurkha” played a formidable role for British to suppress the Indian uprising or war of independence that British termed skillfully as ‘Sepoy Mutiny’. The expert English officers in British army could recognize the excellent valor of ‘Gurkhas’ in war- field. There after, ‘Gurkha’ soldiers became indispensable for British Army. They are so even now. Last war British used them was Falkland war against Argentina in recent past. Now with monarchy gone and became a part of Nepal’s history. The present Maoist government is keeping close tie with their Chinese godfathers. Taking clue from Chinese aggressive policy, th...

Parvez Iqbal Siddique; a correspondent in north India, wrote back in 2005 an article citing the boiling Nepalese’s sentiment for ‘Maha Nepal’. The new Maoist government in Nepal is all the way supporting the demand for ‘Maha Nepal’ that should chunk out a good portion of Indian territory covering the area between Nepal’s border and the Tista valley in east and up to Kangra ( Sutlej river) in west. However, this news grossly escaped the notice of Indian politicians and policy makers keep afar the Indian citizens. No furor rose anywhere in this issue.  Many articles are published since past two decades in various Nepalese newspapers and magazines in this issue. In support of this claim, the promulgators of ‘Maha Nepal’ are citing history.  They claim the ancient Nepal was far bigger than what it is now, though that goes without any historical evidence. During the regime of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, in 1744 Nepalese army went on war for re-integration of its lost territory. Th...

The festive season in Bengal starts around this time of the year. lt starts with 'Durga Puja', as 'Nava Ratri' elsewhere. Kolkata being capital of West Bengal , the celebration is most ostensible and decorative here. The four days of celebration invites people from all over the states and beyond. The spirit runs so high that it stalls the movements of Metro ( the city as well as its underground railway system). There is distinct difference of the Kolkata's temperament in comparison with other metros across the country. Say , in Mumbai the 'Ganesh Puja' is celebrated with equal zeal and spirit. But sooner the celebration is over people are back to track. You find the city is in the same usual mood full of activities. But Kolkata stands apart. After the 'Durga Puja' at least for a week the city as well as Kolkatans suffer from hang-over. This is evident every where. The roads are more or less empty., traffic congestion is missing. People are not runnin...