The best way to know the self is feeling oneself at the moments of reckoning. The feeling of being alone, just with your senses, may lead you to think more consciously. More and more of such moments may sensitize ‘you towards you’, towards others. We become regular with introspection and retrospection. We get ‘the’ gradual connect to the higher self we may name Spirituality or God or just a Humane Conscious. We tend to get a rhythm again in life. We need to learn the art of being lonely in crowd while being part of the crowd. A multitude of loneliness in mosaic of relations! One needs to feel it severally, with conscience, before making it a way of life. One needs to live several such lonely moments. One needs to live severallyalone.

Thursday 28 February 2013

CHIDAMBARAM SUCCEEDS IN PRESENTING A POPULIST BUDGET

Now what are its measures to say so?

The slowdown in the Economy and the fiscal credit crisis had not left much space for Chidambaram to maneuver or manipulate. He could not take risk to antagonize the international rating agencies or could not let the Economy slip to a junk status that would ultimately flatten the foreign investment in the country or would kill his name as finance minister.

At the same time, he was not in a position to delay or slow the fund-flow to the populist measures direct cash transfer of Food Security Bill.

HUMAN SUBJECTS OF THE UNION BUDGET 2013-14 OF INDIA

The day of the Union Budget of India has some categories of human subjects.

Let's see who are they on the day of presentation of the Union Budget 2013-14 of the Republic of India:

1. The 'Aam Aadmi' 

The sucked-out common man - say it Manmohan's or the Mahatma's 'aam aadmi' - and we clearly know the sea-difference of priorities of the Mahatma and the likes of Manmohans when it comes to the 'aam aadmi' - The Mahatma thought of him from his heart while the likes of Manmohans think of him their unconscious mind 

2. The Middle Class 'Aam Aadmi'

The salaried class, looking for changes in its tax liabilities to the varied elements that might impact its domestic budget to personal expenses

3. The Political Class

Looking, somehow or anyhow, to manage and straddle between the over-expenses of the political class and the government, the electoral needs of the political class, the 'neglected' needs of the 'aam aadmi', the forced needs of the corporate class, and the pressings needs of the economic wisdom

4. The Airwaves

TV channels, business as well as general news, vernacular as well as English language - with their overblown, over-the-top and 'hardly-registered' and 'hardly-mattered' coverage - but with some exceptions

5. The Information Highway

Yes, the all-important and 'in-real-time' Internet - in addition of giving TV networks additional teeth to grind more, equipping the newspapers to somehow, though not so paralleled, option to air their expertise - in real time - competing with the news channels

6. The Business Class

Always concerned to lobby for the policies that can maximize their profit and 'profiteering' - lobbying to impose favouring policy measures

7. The Expert

Now they are a breed, fast on the process of evolving categories and sub-categories - they come from almost every class of expertise that can be lectured at on TV screens - be ready for the breed members from political, business, social and civil affiliations, roaming randomly with their thoughts and words, testing the viewers' tenacity

These seven categories are universal in the present frame of the Indian Economy and policymaking irrespective of what sort of Budget is presented. They are always present with sub-sets of the Budget priorities mentioned above.  

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/

POLITICIANS MAKE THE INDIAN RAILWAYS BLEED

A half-populist Railway Budget in the election year is the testimony to the survival crisis the Indian Railways is facing. Passenger fares were hiked by the back-door measures and many senseless but populist projects and plans (many of them unachievable) were announced. But the locomotive giant needs immediate and direct measures to become self-sustaining.

Yes, the priority at the moment is to become self-sustainable. Modernization has no scope for now.

Indian Railways is bleeding. It has not been able to do much after the British left the India. It could not gain much in terms of operational and commercial efficiency even in the heydays of the Indian Economy post-1991 that more than quadrupled the size of the Indian Economy.

Its story has been akin to the common man, the ‘aam aadmi’, a compromised and neglected entity in the making of the Indian Democracy – who has been subjected to a sluggish growth rate midst the chaos and chorus of the high-voltage growth of the Indian Economy.

And it is all due to the present political culture.

Wednesday 27 February 2013

A MORE ‘IN-BETWEEN-THE-LINES’ RAILWAY BUDGET – THE WAY TO A POPULIST UNION BUDGET?

Complete write-up

A more ‘in-between-the-lines’ rail budget only supports the notion that the Congress party is preparing for an early Lok Sabha election. Except politics of claims and counterclaims, there was nothing new in the maiden Railway Budget speech of Pawan Kumar Bansal.

After the recent hike in the passenger fares in January, no one was expecting yet another hike in the Lok Sabha election year.

But the government coffers, more than the ill-health of the Indian Railways, was on the radar of the makers of the Railway Budget 2013-14.

The UPA government needs billions in funds to fund its populist schemes to encash them in the upcoming general elections, which by the analysis of the political developments of the moment, are going to be held later this year.

(WHY, MORE THAN ANY OTHER PARTY, THE CONGRESS PARTY WOULD GO FOR A 2013 LOK SABHA ELECTION?)

Indian Railways’ ill-financial health has been a matter of concern for sometime now and the sudden fare-hike in January was a well thought measure to address, at least, some elements of the financial decline.

The timing served two purposes in one go – financial and political. It gave the Indian Railways the much needed cushion of increased cash flows. It also saved the government from the protests of the political opposition if the hike was announced at the floor of the Parliament during the presentation of the Budget.

A MORE ‘IN-BETWEEN-THE-LINES’ RAILWAY BUDGET – THE WAY TO A POPULIST UNION BUDGET? (II)

Extended from: 

A MORE ‘IN-BETWEEN-THE-LINES’ RAILWAY BUDGET – THE WAY TO A POPULIST UNION BUDGET? (I)


http://severallyalone.blogspot.in/2013/02/a-dampening-and-more-in-between-lines.html 

Hiking passenger fares is a sensitive issue as it directly affects the consumers and may invite negative sentiments from the lower income groups – a gamble not to be taken in an election year.

The Indian politicians believe perceptions play a major role in the electoral battles. But, what if it is a do-or-die situation for the Indian Railways?

So, squeeze him out indirectly. Let him be in the perception that the fares were not hiked again. As for the other price hikes, the UPA government believes (wrongly) that it would be able to sail over the troubled waters by launching its populist schemes.

By the time, the voter would come to realize these back-door games, the elections would already be over.

The Railway Budget has increased the ticket prices indirectly by increasing rates like reservation charges, Tatkal charges and fuel surcharges. As expected, the ‘sleeper class’ has been given the least hike, but the consumer here too, has been duped by the other indirect tariff hikes.

Tuesday 26 February 2013

A MORE ‘IN-BETWEEN-THE-LINES’ RAILWAY BUDGET – THE WAY TO A POPULIST UNION BUDGET? (I)

A more ‘in-between-the-lines’ rail budget only supports the notion that the Congress party is preparing for an early Lok Sabha election. Except politics of claims and counterclaims, there was nothing new in the maiden Railway Budget speech of Pawan Kumar Bansal.

After the recent hike in the passenger fares in January, no one was expecting yet another hike in the Lok Sabha election year.

But the government coffers, more than the ill-health of the Indian Railways, was on the radar of the makers of the Railway Budget 2013-14.

The UPA government needs billions in funds to fund its populist schemes to encash them in the upcoming general elections, which by the analysis of the political developments of the moment, are going to be held later this year.

(WHY, MORE THAN ANY OTHER PARTY, THE CONGRESS PARTY WOULD GO FOR A 2013 LOK SABHA ELECTION? - http://severallyalone.blogspot.in/2013/02/why-more-than-any-other-party-congress.html

Indian Railways’ ill-financial health has been a matter of concern for sometime now and the sudden fare-hike in January was a well thought measure to address, at least, some elements of the financial decline.

Monday 25 February 2013

WHY, MORE THAN ANY OTHER PARTY, THE CONGRESS PARTY WOULD GO FOR A 2013 LOK SABHA ELECTION?

To maximize the instant gains from the populist measures like the direct transfer of cash subsidy and food security bill and possibly, yet another installment of the farm debt waiver:

A shorter impact period of, say eight months (if the elections happen sometime in October-November 2013), would help maximize the effect on the impulsive behaviour of the target segment of the population, that the Congress party sees as its ‘saviour vote bank’.

Eight months would be enough to reach the intended voters with good numbers of cash and food-grains installments already stacked in the thoughts of dilapidated and poverty-ridden lives.

Eight months would be too less for the intended population to realize the shortcomings, narrowness and futility of such populist schemes. Also, the immediate needs would work to manipulate their thoughts effectively covering-up the pain of scams like MNREGA, PDS, farm debt waiver or NRHM.  

Eight months, therefore, would, the Indian National Congress, think are a good bet to work towards the maximum conversion rate from the intended population segment - conversion, from being voters to become the committed Congress party voters.

Eight months would not be enough for the opposition parties to make some definitive noise on MNREGA of farm debt waiver scams as the investigations or comprehensive CAG reports are still in primary stages.

Sunday 24 February 2013

FEBRUARY 2013 GENERAL STRIKE OR THE ‘BHARAT BANDH’: THE UNCIVIL CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE (I)

Two days of general strike of February 20-21, 2013 in India was violence-ridden. Reportedly, it cost almost over Rs. 25,000 crore. The ‘Bharat Bandh’ evoked a mixed response as has been happening with every other ‘Bandh’ by the political parties or the trade unions that in turn, are affiliated with this or that political party or ideology.

It can be said from the places where the ‘Bandh’ saw establishments shutting down, it was more from the fear of vandalism and not because of the camaraderie to join the brotherhood of ‘Bandh’ supporters.

It is always easier for the government employees to participate in such ‘Bandhs’ as they can easily go to avail an off day but most of the private sector entities, vulnerable to their balance-sheets and unfriendly towards employees, usually abstain from such practices unless and until there is a great call, something that the country has not seen post the call by Vinoba Bhave or the Jayaprakash Narayan Movement or the Lohia Wave, when there could be a complete shutdown on mere a call from a leader for a cause or a cause itself.

Also, the February 20-21 ‘Bharat Bandh’ had not any immediate precursor like some fuel price hike or introduction of a controversial policy like the Retail FDI. The country has already seen mixed-response ‘Bandhs’ over these issues.

LIFE HAS ONLY ONE CONTEMPORARY – YOU

My reflections on life – in quotes (XLI)


“Life has only one contemporary – YOU.
Celebrate YOU.
Be the epitome of being Yourself.”




























©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/

Saturday 23 February 2013

THE EVENING GLOW OF GANGA ENLIGHTENING VARANASI

PHOTOGRAPHY





























THE EVENING GLOW OF GANGA ENLIGHTENING VARANASI

Get interactive with Banaras Calling’s Facebook extension at: http://www.facebook.com/BanarasCalling 
Email at: interact@banarascalling.com 

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/

Friday 22 February 2013

CHARITY DOESN’T COME FREE..ALWAYS

Complete write-up
LIFE - COLORES INFINITUM (31)


The grandpa-aged uncle is in urgent need of some medical intervention. He needs a doctor and medicines that can work on him. Age is not the only factor that is adding to his problems. At 81, he is burdened with many physiological problems and the medical diagnosis has failed to put forward any effective hint about the problem directly affecting his mobility and so his life.

Medical consultants like neurologists, cardiologists and orthopaedic surgeons have ruled out that is he affected from any chronic illness of nerves, heart or bones. Even a psychiatrist was approached but his medicines produced negative effect making his ‘difficult mobility’ even more difficult.

He has had a long critical medical illness history but the specialists are unable to make any sense of it in the context of his present condition. His one ear is dead since the early 70’s; other is partly working with hearing aid. He had an open heart surgery in the 90’s. He regularly takes blood pressure pills. Last year, he was hospitalized after danger of cardiac failure and some seven-eight liters of fluid was taken out of his body.

Another problem that has much to do with his increasing immobility is increasing sense of inertness in his legs and abdomen.

This problem began some five-six years ago from legs and now it has reached to the abdomen. He feels a sort of heaviness in these parts weakening his legs rendering him unable to stand-up or to walk even smaller distances. His abdomen stiffens like a hard ball. He feels extreme weakness, but surprisingly there is no sensation of pain.

MRI and every other medical diagnosis recommended by the experts have been carried out. Even then, the categories of medical experts mentioned above have failed to detect any infirmity and so to resolve the crisis.

This time, it was thought to go for some other form of treatment, preferably Homeopathy. After deliberations and advices, a name of South Delhi based doctor was found to be most impressive. Now, the grandpa was to be taken to the clinic of the doctor.

On calling the clinic, the people there tell that any nearest appointment available is only in April 2013. If there is urgency, then we can walk-in on the days the doctor sees the walk-in patients. There is no appointment for it over the phone. One needs to come to the clinic and wait for his turn to see the doctor.

As the need is urgent, it is decided that the grandpa should be taken to the nearest walk-in session. One fine day, they begin for the Bengali dominated locality where the clinic is. The doctor’s sitting hours are 4:30 to 8 PM it is told. They start at 3:30 PM and reach the clinic by 4:30 PM.

There, they are made to sit in multilayered queues. On surface, the number of people waiting doesn’t look more than 40 and they breathe easy thinking it should be over by 6 PM.

While enquiring for the charges, they are told by others that the doctor doesn’t charge the consultation fee from the walk-in patients. They only have to pay for the medicine. Only the patients coming through the appointment need to pay the consultation fee of Rs. 1000.

The claim of charity, as claimed by the clinic’s website, they think, is somewhat true. Yes, the person accompanying the grandpa had one some googling on the doctor and had some basic information about the doctor.

The website claims the clinic has distributed over millions of charity subscriptions over the year. Also, he could spot patients there who could not afford the high consultation fee of Rs. 100. So, giving the prescription free made a renowned doctor accessible to the needy. So far so good.

A short while after 4:30 PM, the call is made for everyone to take the registration number. The grandpa’s number is 36. Also, they come to know that everyone waiting there is not to see the famed doctor only. There are other consultants in the clinic and many of them are getting registered for them as well. Another prospect of breathing easy!

But it ended at this point only.

Thursday 21 February 2013

THE SILENT SHOCK YET AGAIN! SERIAL BLASTS IN HYDERABAD

It is really broken like it happens during every terror strike anywhere. After a year of no major blasts, terror has struck again killing over 20 in India. This time, the serial blasts have targeted Hyderabad.

Words can never describe such unexpected horror. They always fall short in explaining the massive scale of loss made in every such incident.

They leave us numb, sending a frozen panic down the spines, throwing us, the common men - the class of the victims, into a state of silent shock.

Yes, a silent shock, because the cries after every such attack have failed to stir the sentiments of political class elected by us to give us a better and secured life.

But like always, we are hearing and will hear the silly statements and tall claims made by the politicians and the hyperactive delivery by the media outfits.

The blast happened in the evening around 7 PM. It will take some time for the clarity to settle in. Till then, it’s the time for verbal overdose. Subsequently, the tide will lower down giving way to the stinking politics.

How incredulous it has become to believe Manmohan Singh when he says that those behind the Hyderabad blast will not go unpunished. To company him is yet another vague-minded minister tasked to handle the internal security of the country.

But why just these two, the track record of politicians, in combating and mitigating the terror strikes, has been abysmal in India, irrespective of their political affiliation.

Since 1994, over 60,000 people have lost their lives in different types of terror attacks. And everytime, we are given some ‘high-on-words’ assurances that, by now, have become ‘so-low-on-substance’ that they even fail to register, let alone generating some sort of trust.

The victim is always the common man. Like everytime, many nonentities carrying out their day-to-day lives have died in a busy Hyderabad market place.

What the government would do?

It will engage in verbal jugglery. It would try to sound as serious and sincere as it can be. It will send missives and issue appeals. Some of its members would engage to supply the food for thoughtless thoughts on the media carriers. Some others would sit tight to catch and reflect the verbal volleys by the political opposition. Then, there would the bunch of so-called ‘this breed of or that breed of experts. The drama happens every time.

Wednesday 20 February 2013

Tuesday 19 February 2013

YET ANOTHER BHARAT BANDH!

There were, at least, four in 2012.

February 20 and 21 are days of mountainous discomfort for the Indians it can be said. All the central trade unions have called the ‘Bandh’ or ‘general strike’ across the country to protest the anti-people policies of the government.

On a countrywide scale, it can be easily assumed that the services will be hit hardly as these trade unions have good inroads in the public sector undertakings and behemoths like the Indian Railways, in banking and insurance sector, in semi-organized sectors like transportation and in unorganized sectors. To make matters worse, the auto-unions in Delhi and Mumbai have also called two-day strike on February 20 and 21.

‘Bandhs’ are not new in India. In fact, I can still recollect appeals by the ‘Bandh’ calling parties and the counter-appeals and Doordarshan advertisements by the government before and after the August 30, 1989 ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by opposition political parties at the height of the Bofors scam or appeals made by the government before a proposed 24-hour Indian Railways ‘Chakka Jaam’ (stop the wheel) in 1990’s.

Monday 18 February 2013

BIGGEST BRANDING GOOF-UPS OF THE CONGRESS PARTY

And so of the coalition United Progressive Alliance as the Congress party is the largest one! Anything done by the Congress party reflects in the overall imagery of the alliance.

MANMOHAN SINGH: From a reformist prime minister to an underachiever

It has been hara-kiri, an utter failure. From being seen as a master economist and a reformist prime minister, Manmohan Singh is now seen as the man who is not only failing the country, but has also lost his personal integrity.

‘Weak’ and ‘Underachiever’ are the epithets now being associated with his name and legacy.

RAHUL GANDHI: From the politician with a difference to the reluctant heir of the dynasty politics

From the unorthodox politician with a difference, Rahul is increasingly being seen as yet another Indian politician exploiting the riches of a powerful political family. Electoral losses, silence and selective opinionating have given him labels like ‘the reluctant prince of the Indian politics’.

THE GANDHI FAMILY: From the first family of India to the most powerful political family of India

Being the first family was always the biggest asset of the Nehru-Gandhi family. The family remained so in public perception even during the period when no one from the family was governing the country. Bofors was the beginning and the need was to get rid of it. Instead, what followed has been a downward spiral. But the present government has brought it much faster. Sycophancy to the Gandhi family leaves us only in bad taste.

PAIN AND RELATIVITY OF EMOTIONS

It’s better to look inside than to run aimlessly when pain afflicts you. Handling it positively is the reminder that you are still in the league of independent souls, and have not become the mere pawns of fate, destiny or compromised existence.

Like most of the emotions in life, pain, too, is a feeling, relative in its impact (except in cases of death, where it is absolute, beyond control, beyond counseling).

This relativity is directed to and directed by the ‘inner us’, that leads us to develop the way we communicate with the life.

The ‘inner us’ is guided by the way we look at life and it, in turn, helps us to create and follow a trajectory.

Most of the things in life are interrelated and so are the emotions. Most of the events that look and feel standalone could lead to something and could have resulted out of something. Yes, there are exceptions. But exceptions are not the rule. Isn’t it?

As a natural corollary, we develop a mental faculty that explores (desirably or undesirably) links to the events happening in our lives.

If it is positive, it adds positively. But if the self-initiated sensory process of visiting and revising the past or the probabilities comes out to be negative, it makes living miserable. It adds to the gloom. It compounds the pain. It creates pain where pain had not to be. It adulterates feelings.

Once its starts happening, it creates a chain of similar feelings overtaking the person. And it leads to escapism where one runs away from the pain, compromising the independence that one had, killing the identity one wanted to be, overriding the ‘person’ one needed to be. The person becomes prisoner of the pain when he needed to master it. Pain suppresses his learning when he has to learn from it to handle it effectively the next time anything similar happens.

So, the interrelation involves risk. And if it involves ‘past or probabilities’ associated with painful memories or pain-evoking prospects, the risk level magnifies significantly.

Sunday 17 February 2013

CHARITY DOESN'T COME FREE..ALWAYS (III)

Continued from:

CHARITY DOESN'T COME FREE..ALWAYS (II)

http://severallyalone.blogspot.in/2013/02/charity-doesnt-come-freealways-ii.html
========================================================================

LIFE - COLORES INFINITUM (31)

But, then there are certain natural questions making inroads.

Why making people stand like nonentities when there can be alternate arrangements without changing much or without altering the no-frills look and feel of the clinic? There is plenty of waiting space, in the hall of the registration kiosk as well as in the lobby outside, and it would not alter the branding of the clinic. Instead, the good word would make it even better.

All it takes for an assistant is to call the next patient when the previous one leaves. And there is good number of assistants in the clinic. Be it the free consultation and paid medicine or paid consultation and medicine, people are being made to wait. What if someone is in urgent need of attention or if it is someone who cannot stand for so long or someone like this grandpa who cannot stand even for 10 minutes. At least give the gentleman a sitting place till his number comes.

Like said earlier, there are many thoughts, many comments, many observations and some solutions, being said, being proposed, while waiting to see and meet the doctor. A good-sized piece (like this one) can be written on the recollected thoughts of these waiting hours. 

Meanwhile, there comes a privileged case. An assistant ‘guides’ someone out of the turn and takes him directly to the doctor. That, in addition to the regular calls on the doctor’s cellphone, makes the waiting time even longer. The frustration of wait makes getting to the place in the queue, which offers a direct view of the doctor, an achievement. The younger man with the grandpa, like others, is slowly inching towards this supplanted victory. 

When the grandpa’s number finally comes, it is 8 PM. The younger one calls the grandpa in the doctor’s chamber. The doctor takes five minutes to go through the medical history written by the other doctor. Then he asks the grandpa some questions. He checks the heart beat and writes a prescription on one of the pages of the 4-page medical history. The grandpa is given three types of medicines. The regime is for one month and the doctor will see the progress to decide on the further course of action after it.

Friday 15 February 2013

CHARITY DOESN'T COME FREE..ALWAYS (II)

Continued from:

CHARITY DOESN'T COME FREE..ALWAYS (I)

http://severallyalone.blogspot.in/2013/02/charity-doesnt-come-freealways-i.html
======================================================================

LIFE - COLORES INFINITUM (31)


The security guard, on routine interrogation on how much on an average it takes for the doctor to wind up with this many of patients, tells us it would be anything around 8 PM. He further tells the doctor usually comes around 5:30/6 PM. The doctor only leaves when all the patients registered are done with and he gives due attention to every patient.

That was around 5 PM.

So another hour of wait lies further ahead. They are sitting in the lobby of the clinic. A while after it, an elderly gentleman advises the younger of them to go inside as they are the first-timers to the clinic and their names would be called to show the reports.

Thanking him for the advice (a valuable one), he goes inside. Soon after entering, he finds his name being called by another clinic assistant. The assistant gives him a small piece of paper with the number 36 written over it and asks him to show the reports of grandpa to another doctor sitting in the chamber adjacent to the registration kiosk.

He proceeds and finds that he is in queue there. The doctor inside is taking her time while talking to the visiting patient and diligently asks and writes detailed reports on patient’s medical history.

Around 5:30 PM, his number comes.

Thursday 14 February 2013

CHARITY DOESN'T COME FREE..ALWAYS (I)

LIFE - COLORES INFINITUM (31)

The grandpa-aged uncle is in urgent need of some medical intervention. He needs a doctor and medicines that can work on him. Age is not the only factor that is adding to his problems. At 81, he is burdened with many physiological problems and the medical diagnosis has failed to put forward any effective hint about the problem directly affecting his mobility and so his life.

Medical consultants like neurologists, cardiologists and orthopaedic surgeons have ruled out that is he affected from any chronic illness of nerves, heart or bones. Even a psychiatrist was approached but his medicines produced negative effect making his ‘difficult mobility’ even more difficult.

He has had a long critical medical illness history but the specialists are unable to make any sense of it in the context of his present condition. His one ear is dead since the early 70’s; other is partly working with hearing aid. He had an open heart surgery in the 90’s. He regularly takes blood pressure pills. Last year, he was hospitalized after danger of cardiac failure and some seven-eight liters of fluid was taken out of his body.

Another problem that has much to do with his increasing immobility is increasing sense of inertness in his legs and abdomen.