Kamala Rani's Indian Magic Trick THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ATTORNEY GENERAL & A FELON

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump go into a bakery shop. As soon as they enter the bakery, Trump steals three pastries and puts them in his pocket. He says to Kamala: “See how clever I am? The owner didn’t even see anything, and I don’t even need to lie. I will definitely win the election.” Kamala says to Donald: “That’s the typical dishonesty you have displayed throughout your entire life, trickery and deceit. I am going to show you an honest way to get the same 3 pastries without stealing or lying, and also prove that I am much clever than you!” Kamala goes to the owner of the bakery and says: “Give me a pastry and I will show you a magic trick?” Intrigued, the owner accepts Kamala’s offer and gives her a pastry. Kamala swallows it and asks for another one. The owner gives her another one. Then Kamala asks for a third pastry and eats that, too. By this time, the owner is starting to wonder where the magic trick is and asks: “What did you do with the pastries?” Kamala replies: “Look in Donald’s pocket!”

AN APPEAL

Have you ever thought of a 15-month-old baby suddenly rendered helpless, motionless by a stroke of medically induced spasticity, not even able to suckle her mother for the much-needed milk, How a father used a dropper like a pipette to put the milk in her mouth one drop at a time, How the family coped with this child as she grew up, her spinal cord paralyzed. The relentless effort by the father to get her back to "normal" making her sit, her back to the wall with two pillows on either side for support - at the age of four years! And as the years passed she improved but very slowly. She started walking only with someone at her side, which was to be a lifelong necessary precaution, as her balancing function was far from working optimally. She attended the Savera Special School (opp New  Excelsior Cinema) for children with special needs for almost three decades. After her parents passed away her brother was her sole caretaker who quit his job as a copywriter to be able to take care of Ruqaiyah full time...

But the loss of income has made there life really difficult as he takes her  for an outing throughout south Bombay in her wheelchair pushing it himself which is physically draining him since both are aged. Shakir bhai is 62 and Ruqaiyah bai is about 72 years of age.

Shakir bhai is her sole caregiver. They used to have a two-wheeler before but it got stolen when he had taken it for  repairs to a workshop near Tardeo A/C Market. Getting its replacement is not something he can afford. Rising costs for her medical needs and diapers are continuously making it difficult for him to manage their lives. 

A few years back livemint even published an article about them. Here’s a link to the same  

https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/TIoEvzuPhNjv2hOC6lAYBM/The-ride-back-home.html?facet=amp&utm_source=googleamp&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=googleamp

Please help them generously, who are struggling in old age. 

Details for direct bank transfer / UPI 

MOBILE NO.+918898041648

UPI ID

8898041648@ptaxis

BANK OF INDIA 

BENEFICIARY NAME- SHAKIR R VIRPURWALA, 

BENEFICIARY BANK A/C 

NO.002810110001297, 

BENEFICIARY BANK-BANK OF INDIA, MAHALAXMI BRANCH,MUMBAI 

400026. 

BANK IFSC-BKID0000028, 

BENEFICIARY PAN CARD NO.-AESPV5815J 

KOTAK BANK 

BENEFICIARY NAME- SHAKIR ROSHANALI VIRPURWALA. 

BENEFICIARY BANK A/C 

NO.0911973486

BENEFICIARY BANK-KOTAK BANK , WORLI BRANCH, MUMBAI 

BANK IFSC-KKBK0000634

BENEFICIARY PAN CARD NO.-AESPV5815J

EC's Need To Be Prosecuted Over Multiple Offenses Including Voter Fraud - Oliver D'Souza

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won over 40 seats with less than a 50,000 margin of votes. It also won over 77 seats by less than 1 lakh in the election.

Normally, as in previous elections, in 2019 for instance, the full details of the polling were put online latest with 48 hours and included details of voters, votes polled, percentage of votes and also comparison with 2014.  

This election, however, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has failed to put out total polled votes to date, merely percentages. 

What’s worse is that, after voting in phase 1 took place, in which 102 seats were polled in 21 states, the election commission not only upped the figures by an average of 6% but took 11 days to come up with it, and provided only percentages without figures of polled votes. 

Shockingly, the total count of votes also increased by over a whopping 1 crore votes. Several states have lesser voters than that! In Lawkshwadeep the vote percentage increased by 25%.

Among other states, for instance, after the revision by ECI, while Andaman which has 3,15,148 voters had the least increase of 22,785 votes, Tamil Nadu which has 6,23,33,925 voters, increased by 46,93,745 votes, Rajasthan which has 2,53,15,541 voters increased by 16,18,141, Assam which has 86,47,869 votes increased by 5,94, 109, Maharashtra which has 95,54,667 voters increased by 8,04,503 and MP which has 1,13,09606 increased by 4,99,886. 

On an average there has been 4,76,190 votes per state or 98,039 per constituency in phase 1.

If you go by the 50,000 figure margin that BJP won by in 40 seats, 1 crore extra votes can turn the results in 40 seats. If you go by the lees than 1 lakh margin, it can affect 77 seats. 

When the matter was brought before the CJI, the government gave all kinds of excuses including the time it takes to collate data, that too in a digital age. If that’s so, how were the earlier EC’s able to do it latest within 48 hours? What did the EC need 11 days for?

Former EC, S Y Qureshi, who has conducted several elections is on record saying that it takes less than an hour to collate all the figures after a day’s polling.

More importantly, what happened in those 11 days? Were EVMs replaced? Were EVMs subsequently manipulated? Is ECI conspiring to play the fool on counting day by announcing figures that it has announced as percentages? Any number of possible criminal processes could have been indulged in.

There is no way of knowing the facts immediately, but what is immediate is that there is a major problem here and it needs to be addressed.  

The only way this can be corrected is by having re-polling in all the 102 seats. 

In fact, since the same pattern continues – to date ECI has not revealed total votes polled but only percentages, how can one trust the entire electoral process in all phases so far? This would require for the entire elections themselves to be annulled and re-conducted.

The CJI saying that he would sit all night if necessary on 24th before the next day’s polling of phase 6 to sort out the issues indicates that the courts have taken this matter extremely seriously. It remains to be seen how the Judges rule on this.

At the same time, considering the almost complete failure and visible collusion of the ECI with the ruling party, a case is made out to initiate criminal proceedings against all 3 EC’s leading to subsequent initiation of impeachment proceedings against them.  It also calls for a SC monitored re-election to be held.

Is it too late in the day for all this because 5 phases are over? Never. No price is too much to have a free and fair election in a democracy.

WHY WE MUST ENSURE THE DEFEAT OF BJP IN 2024:60 REASONS WITH FACTS AND EVIDENCE By Sanjay Jha

No Jumla.  India is bigger than any political party or leader. It deserves much much better.  It is up to you now. Thank you.

1) The BIGGEST SCAM SINCE 1947: Electoral Bonds. Corruption, Criminality and Crony capitalism combined. The government told the SC; People have no right to know who funds political parties

2) Chandigarh Mayor election fraud under cameras: SC said; Murder of Democracy, mockery of democracy.

3) Patanjali: The government allowed the company to fraud Indians during Covid. Why?

4) Farmers were lied to by saying their income will double by 2022. Agriculture growth has been below average.

5) Demographic dividend story destroyed; Record unemployment among the young in India, has effectively damaged the “ India story”. 2 crore jobs per yer were promised.

6) The Great Washing Machine of BJP: 23 out of 25 opposition leaders who joined the BJP found their cases closed or in cold storage.

7) Abuse of Power: 95% of cases against opposition leaders by CBI/ED/IT etc.

8) Over 500,000 Indians died during Covid, and will you ever forget the nightmare of second Covid wave of 2021 ever in your life?

9) Instead of giving credit to vaccine manufacturers, a politician’s face was marketed on Vaccine certificates even as people were dying left, right and center. No other world leader sold themselves amidst the humanitarian tragedy.

10) Operation Lotus and resort politics to buy MLA’s lowered India’s stature. India resembled a banana republic.

11) MLA Stock Exchange boomed during 2014-24 as many opposition governments were toppled. Source of funds? Cash? Or was threats enough?

12) Lynching deaths in mob violence made India look like a Ku Klux Klan republic. But nobody cared.

13) Over 150 deaths and nearly 50,000 homeless in Manipur, but the PM of India has not even visited the state in 10 months. That is okay? Really?

14) What happened to the extradition of Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Mehul Choksi etc?

15) Do you know who is India’s Lok Pal and what exactly are they doing on anti-corruption since 2014? The UPA was defeated on this issue despite the fact that they passed the RTI and Lok Pal Act. You are fine with this?

16) In Dharam Sansads there was an open call for the genocide of Muslims. A deathly silence from the powers that be has since followed.

17) CAG pointed out serious corruption charges of approximately Rs 7.75 Lakh crore in the handling of infrastructure projects. No discussion because blanked out by Big Media

18) Rafale Scam: Yet to be investigated; why was a big industrialist favored over India’s biggest defense manufacturer HAL ? This issue is far from closed. Will need to be reopened.

19) The Adani Group Scam: The allegations are yet to be fully investigated. This does not need further elaboration as the markets have spoken. SEBI/SC looking into it. A potential financial heist could emerge.

20) The PM in 10 years has not held a SINGLE press conference, a world record. Seriously??? Why would that be? Democracy?

21) The 11 rapists of Bilkis Bano who was gangraped during the 2002 Gujarat riots were released on India’s 75th anniversary of Independence Day. Nari Shakti, anyone?  

22) Women wrestling champions of India were forced to protest on the streets of Delhi for justice for many months, as they accused a BJP MP of sexual harassment. No one bothered.

23) A former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik ( a BJP leader ) alleges that he was told to keep quiet after the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 brave soldiers. A disturbing expose which has not been followed up. Why?

24) Over 16-20 lakh Indians have surrendered their citizenship and / or left India during the last decade. Acche Din? Why would they do so if everything was hunky dory?

25) Inequality has worsened during the last 10 years with 1% of Indians owning over 40% of its wealth. Inequality is worse than during the British Raj and only one rank better than South Africa.

26) On an average over 30% of our children are stunted, underweight, wasted etc. And yet, health budgets are barely growing. Why?

27) Free foodgrains for over 57% of Indians for 5 years shows that poverty and destitution remains disturbingly high. The PR says Amrit Kaal?

28) Average GDP growth during 10 years of BJP rule of 2014-24 is just 5.9%, way below Congress/UPA’s 7.8%. In the last 5 years ( 2019-24), GDP average growth has been 4.1%. That’s why the USD 5 trillion spin that was promised in 2024?

29) Make in India was another jumla; the share of manufacturing in India’s GDP has dipped to around 14%

30) The RTI act, empowering citizens, has been steadily diluted. Afraid to disclose?

31) A record 146 MP’s were suspended from the opposition, and bills passed without any discussion.

32) On a Jaipur-Mumbai train, a railway police constable went on a shooting spree targeting Muslims. Can you imagine the anger and hate within? Who is causing it? Why?

33) Snooping and surveillance is rampant; besides Pegasus spyware, there was the issue of Apple iPhones being hacked. A thorough investigation never really happened.

34) A BJP MP in Parliament named Ramesh Bidhuri used the obscenest offensive speech against Muslims. No action taken against him.

35) 75% of all hate-speeches have happened in BJP ruled states.

36) The SBI became a puppet bank, as it tried to obstruct investigation into Electoral Bonds at the behest of the government. Another one bites the dust.

37) A HC Judge who suddenly resigned and joined the BJP said: I cannot make up my mind between Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse, when asked to choose in a rapid-fire round on TV. This is the ideology amongst the educated in the ruling party?

38) Rural real wages of agriculture labour, unorganized sector and the self-employed has remained stagnant over the last decade. Farmer suicides are averaging over 10,000. That’s why the farmers are on the streets.

39) India’s independent institutions such as the Election Commission, ED, CBI, IT, NIA, PSU’s etc are all weak and are being strangulated further every day in front of our eyes.

40) The Great Washing Machine saga : Extortion, mafia-style is evident. Criminals overnight become approvers. Where does the ordinary Indian go? Is Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest justified?

41) On Electoral Bonds, besides threats and favors, there is obvious use of black money, as companies with no income and profits, donated money. Where did they get the money from?

42) In Lakhimpur-Kheri, several farmers were maliciously run over by a jeep which had prominent leaders from the BJP. The case is nowhere near closure.

43) 42% of Modi’s cabinet has criminal charges against them. How can change ever happen?

44) SC Judge on Demonetization: Where is the black money?? This is another scam like Electoral Bonds. An investigation is a must.

45) 40% of children between 14-18 years unable to read, write or do math’s of standard 2.

46) Police constables kicked Muslims offering namaaz, while students were beaten up for offering Ramazan prayers in a hostel. Is this what India should be?

47) Dalits and Adivasis have faced extreme penury, discrimination ( Rohit Vemula case and Unna thrashing) and marginalization. Caste bigotry has worsened during the last 10 years.

48) Mahua Moitra targeted for exposing the Adani issue repeatedly in parliament and public. Scared?

49) BJP leaders like Anant Hegde and others openly threatening about changing India’s constitution after 2024 if they were to win. Hindu Rashtra on the way?

50) The top 10 most polluted cities in the world are in India. Should that not bother us? What changed since 2014? Did they become a Smart City?

51) Whatever happened to the investigation in money laundering cases exposed in the Panama Papers, Paradise Papers, Paragon Papers etc.??? Rs 15 lakh came in your bank account?

52) India’s ranking in key Global Index : Human Development Index ( 134 of 193), Per Capita Income ( 131), Global Hunger Index ( 107 out of 121), World Press Freedom Index ( 161 out of 180), Gender Disparity Index ( 127 out of 146), Environmental Performance Index ( 180 out of 180). It is a dismal story of failure and incompetence.

53) Why is the public of India not being told about the PM-CARES Fund: source of money, utilization, etc?? Why the secrecy? What is there to hide? Has it been used for political purposes?

54) Is there any justification for arresting writers, activists, journalists, etc.  under charges of sedition and anti-terrorism because they questioned the government? Disha Ravi, a 23 year old girl was arrested for fanning a global conspiracy against India. How bizarre can one get?

55) Why are think-tanks, Amnesty International, NGO’s etc. being regularly hounded? Is this free speech?

56) The famous case of BK-16 is worrying, as it alleges that evidence was planted against the accused using digital hacking; in that case, is anyone safe? Are you safe?

57) Why is the government silent on Chinese incursion on Indian soil? Is that the reason why they allowed the renowned activist Sonam Wangchuk to fast for 21 days and completely ignore him?

58) The Agniveer scheme makes a mockery of building a strong skilled permanent defense manpower. Does this government even have the right to talk about national security?

59) When an 84 year old activist Stan Swamy is denied even a sipper to drink water and dies while in captivity, can we deny that we have become a brutal authoritarian police state?

60) This government lives in the past; it is rewriting history, dropping uncomfortable truths, one of them being that its founders did not participate in India’s freedom struggle. But can one change facts, historically recorded and available in libraries and the internet?

The above is a list compiled using elementary mental recollection of the prominent events post-2014, but it is far from exhaustive. I will update this from time to time. Please share liberally on social media and WhatsApp groups you are part of. With the media capture and regulatory bulldozing in place, direct access to our friends and family, acquaintances and associates is the only option. But it can work magic, so do not be complacent if you care for India’s democracy and its future.

Good luck!

THE GAZA SAGA

Israel has admittedly dropped over 6000 bombs in two weeks in Gaza over
an area of 345 sq. km. which is 16 bombs/ sq. km. This kind of bombing
goes beyond the intent of getting at Hamas who are hiding in the
underground tunnels for the most part, and one cannot but entertain the
suspicion that Israel may also have genocidal intent as over 10,000 people
have been killed, including over 4000 children, with many still not removed
from the rubble. A million people have been displaced and under siege with
no food or water or fuel. The Gazan people are not Hamas. They want to
live in peace, but they have been the victims of several wars, often initiated
by others: Egypt Syria, Jordan, and Iraq.
These Arab countries were guilty of aggression against Israel and thought
they could destroy it and I recall that I joined protests against them at the
University of Michigan during the 6-day war in 1967, the Yom-Kippur war in
1972, and the 1982 Lebanon war.
But did these countries suffer? Hell No!….. It was the Palestinians who had
to bear the brunt of Israeli response and they became the political football
to be kicked around by everybody including their own weak leaders.
Hamas terrorizes their own people who have no means to fight its
dictatorship. Their launching of rockets near residential areas demonstrates
their insensitivity to the deadly repercussions that such strategies invite on
their own people.
But Gutierrez is right. Hamas’ action was provoked by Israel’s settler
colonization, its apartheid treatment of Palestinians, and the fact that over
the course of the conflict 13 Palestinians have been killed for every 2
Israelis. I certainly condemn Hamas fiercely for its brutality and fanaticism,
but I understand that it gives voice to long simmering Palestinian rage that
only needs a spark to explode.
Israel lost about 1400 people. Gaza lost 10,000 including about 4000
children in about 3 weeks Of course, the US and Israel will say the Hamas
figures cannot be trusted, but the Red Cross has indicated that in previous
conflicts, their own statistics were not dissimilar to what was provided by
the Gaza ministry of health.
To understand how intense this bombing was, by comparison the US
dropped about 7500 bombs in all of Afghanistan in 2019 with an area of
650,000 sq. km. The bombing density was 0.011 bombs/sq km. in  Afghanistan compared to 16 bombs/sq. km. in Gaza, a factor of 1450
higher. Even if we assume that only a quarter of Afghanistan was bombed,
it still is higher by a factor of 360. Over 50% of civilian homes were
destroyed. Worse yet the Afghan figure is for a whole year, the Gaza
figures are just for only two weeks.
Israel may insist that this is a one-sided view as Hamas has also fired 7000
rockets into Israel in the same amount of time. The difference is that
Israel’s Iron Dome of missile defense has intercepted 90% of these rockets,
with only about 15 people killed and minimal structural damage. The
contrast is about as stark as it gets.
Make your own conclusions about the statement that Israel is only going
after Hamas. It appears they are going to keep killing Palestinian people
until the hostages are released by Hamas. Basically, they are saying every
day you keep the hostages, we are going to kill x number of Palestinians
and are actually doing it. In support, Israel cites the false claim that Hamas
slit Israeli children’s throats, and that claim was eagerly and luridly spread
across the Western Media without any authentication. The blood of
Palestinian citizens is on both Hamas and Israel.
Given the limited target area of Gaza and the intensity of bombing, and
comparing this effort to what is happening in Ukraine, these Israelis make
the Russians look like Boy Scouts. I cannot recall in recent history where
the “collateral” damage/sq. km. in a conflict is so high.
Don’t blame Hamas because you, Israel, went to sleep on security, with a
massive intelligence failure, focusing instead on removing the authority of
your supreme court, and on subverting democracy, and were militarily
unprepared, despite you being light years ahead of Hamas in military
capability. Accept part of the responsibility for Hamas’ rise, because you,
Israel, funded it in the beginning as a countervailing force to the Palestinian
Authority, and that decision to sustain instability in that region has come
back to bite you in spades.
US has paved the way for Israel to follow its own historically destructive
path. It destroyed 110,000 civilians in minutes in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
in action against Japan, and decimated the Native American population by
85% in the land they have taken over, and then also enslaved over 4
million Black people, all in the period between 1700 and 1948. Killing and starving civilians is the game that it has played in that time with the excuse
that such action has prevented casualties in their own ranks.
Hamas does not look at its people in the same protective way that Hirohito
did when he surrendered to prevent further civilian bloodshed. In his culture
that surrender was the ultimate shame, and he had to experience it and
embrace it for his people. Don’t expect that from Hamas.
US…...Land of the Free they say? Home of the Brave they say? Please!
Love it or Leave it they say?
I say stay and devote your life to make it live up to its stated ideals instead
of making a mockery of it and expose those who are making a mockery of
it, and getting unthinking people to swallow their lies. People, like myself,
dearly want to make it so, but we are still a long way from getting there.
Want peace Israel? No way will you get it by destroying the Gazan people.
They have long memories and have suffered far far more than your people.
The proud legacy of your struggle to survive and thrive in a hostile
environment will be stained by the carnage recently caused. Hamas, who
has been sadistically brutal in its own right at times, has to be defanged
and decommissioned, without, or with far far less civilian collateral
damage, no matter they are being used as shields. You don’t bomb a
school bus with children because a terrorist Hamas person is in with
them, and you take him out along with the children, and then absolve
yourself of your own brutality.
I believe the Israelis know they can take out Hamas without the collateral
civilian damage if they really wanted to by focusing on the tunnels and a
slowly moving ground war, especially given their superior weaponry and
resources, but chose not to, and even though carpet bombing was the best
way to minimize Israeli military casualties, the price of killing over 4000
children in the process ends up making Israel look no less brutal than
Hamas.
Get rid of ultraright wing, bribery charged Netanyahu who has invited
genocide on the Palestinians with a quote from the Old Testament
"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and
spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and
sheep, camel and ass," Samuel 15:3 before the party with the upper hand has reached significant
strategic military milestones.
The irony is that the fox is guarding the chicken coop in the U.N. Security
council, as most of the players there, China, France, Russia, Great Britain,
and the US have had current or past imperial designs. They are more
concerned about using their vetoes to jockey for more power, than in
promoting world peace.
How and when can we rid the Security Council of these U.N. oligarchs that
hold the entire U.N. hostage, and find a way to enforce the will of the
General Assembly.
So, tell me folks, who is under the greater existential threat, Israel of Gaza?
It's a slam dunk answer. Power keeps on trumping Justice and it is time we
all woke up simultaneously and decided it was time to turn the tide. I am
heartened that many of the Jewish children of people killed in the holocaust
,and now much aged themselves have protested vociferously and said to
Israel “Enough”!
Despite my stand on Israel in the current conflict, be sure my sympathies
are not with the surrounding Arab countries. They have used the
Palestinian people as a political football to kick around, as, and when they
like, and I don't have the same respect for them as I do the Palestinian
people who will lament and tell you, as did eloquent Palestinian leader
Hanan Ashrawi, "May you never be sold out by your friends”. The Israelis
are tough people and have the fortitude to stand up to anything that comes
in their way. They knew they had to be so, in order to survive, and I have
serious admiration for their guts, their smarts, and their achievements.
My deepest sympathies however are with the vulnerable people of Gaza
who keep relentlessly suffering for the sins of others no matter in which
direction they turn. They do not deserve it. But we have much deeper philosophical issues to confront that are
underpinning such recurring conflicts. Much historical brutal violence has
been orchestrated not merely to gain resources, but to demonstrate the
superiority of one belief system over another. These memories do not die,
especially for the vanquished, and the simmering desire for revenge can
explode at any time.
The religious institutions that ostensibly promote the teachings of their
original inspiring spiritual founders, with few exceptions, are actually
focused on expanding their own power, wealth and influence, and often
feed the strong undercurrents of ideological conflict that permeate the world
today, and that erupt from time to time into militarily expressed ones.
The hold that these institutions have on the social structures in which they
function, and in which they transmit their pitch, even as we are barely out of
the womb, makes it very isolating if one insists that we return to the actual
teachings of the original founders sans the institutional lens to guide us,
and it becomes challenging to bring even our own loved ones, totally
entrenched in the religious/social status quo, with us and embrace deeper
truths.
Humanity cannot afford to continue to move in this direction and it is
imperative that the leaders of competing religious belief systems with
genuine spiritual heft, create a forum to examine how they may infuse
natural law into their ideology/spiritual practices where respect for all living
things, and doing unto others as others do unto you, becomes the core of
the moral compass that they all are willing to embrace to guide us through
the most turbulent and menacing period in human history where one false
step can explode in a global military conflict that annihilates us all, or in the
case of climate change, where we respond as unaware frogs dumped into
cold, but slowly heating water, not noticing that we are being slowly cooked
to death until it is too late.
The paralyzed response to climate change and multiple localized conflicts
between neighbors makes it clear that we seriously lack political leaders
globally who have both a vision and a concrete plan to move us towards
global peace and/or reversing climate change. They are too seriously bent
on obtaining power and becoming as authoritarian as necessary, (and we
find them increasingly so across the world), to retain it as their main focus.
Sadly, their brainwashed fevered sycophants scream so loudly in support, that opposed voices of reason that point that the Emperor has no clothes
can barely be heard, because the rest have already gone blind.
We also lack a global body that can intervene effectively in conflicts
between states as the historical imperialists have, through the U.N.
Security Council maneuvered themselves into being the U.N.’s puppeteers.
It should have long been more appropriately named as the U.N. Insecurity
Council. We need to create a body where justice trumps power and
everyone has an equal vote and we also need to support systems in nation
states that can remove incompetent leaders without violent repercussions.
Lastly, we need to have global institutions that can swiftly and effectively
intervene in conflicts internal to a country directed against the powerless
and especially when genocidal intent rears its ugly head.
We have the tools to reach people globally with our message of peace. We
need those of us who have a better idea of where we are headed to be far
more activist than we currently are, if only to spread the message far and
wide. Until we are ALL ready, despite the ascent of multiple divisive forces,
to embrace our interconnectedness with one another, and with all living
things, and are focused on the preservation of nature, instead of having
dominion over it to do anything we arrogantly please, and we realize that
doing unto others should be modeled after our expectation of what should
be done to us in the same circumstances, we will not escape from
inevitable fate.

 

THE MEASURE OF THE MAN By Mitali Saran

An accurate portrayal of Narendra Modi. A must read.

The trouble with  manufacturing a larger-than-life persona for a man of averagely limited personality is that he will forever after be on the run from his own reputation. He must dodge and weave endlessly to avoid exposing his true measure, else people might begin to question the outsize shadow it casts. That is why Narendra Modi doesn’t risk open press conferences, it is why he won’t face questions in Parliament, why his speech is jealously controlled one-way monologue, why all his ministers’ primary responsibility is to defend the PM at all costs, and why he’s so much happier preening on the election-free foreign stage than on the domestic one that comes with scrutiny—or would do, if most of the Indian media weren’t such enthusiastic cogs in his image-building machinery.

And the trouble with constantly running and hiding is that eventually people will see that as his true measure: he is not much more than a man incredibly determined to gain and hold on to power, devoted to his image at the cost of actually doing the job.

The blood-drenched crisis in Manipur, and the Prime Minister’s tone-deaf and cowardly refusal to face, address, and answer the Indian public, his inexplicable refusal to speak in Parliament about the nightmare unfolding in the state, is only the latest instance of his dereliction of duty, but it is the worst. 

His image has allowed him to weather what many democratic leaders would not have: holding massive election rallies as covid ravaged India (suck on that, Partygate Johnson!), denying Chinese intrusion as the Chinese built villages in Arunachal Pradesh, and the worst unemployment numbers in half a century to name just a few. He’s weathered the death of all his vaunted promises—achchhe din, 50 days to end corruption, maximum governance, minimum government, sabka saath, sabka vikas. Lately it seems that the public is becoming more watchful. but old habits die hard, so with Manipur on fire, Modi is still brazening it out. His silence has been punctuated by just one, brief, mealy-mouthed comment comprised of hollow whataboutery. It is the most devastating instance of his contempt for democratic accountability.

Democratic leaders around the world possess varying degrees of actual relatability and empathy, but they have learned to at least be seen to be trying. When a domestic crisis blooms, they drop what they’re doing, cut short whatever trip they’re on, and show up for their people. They hold and comfort the suffering, wipe tears, listen, understand, talk, offer aid—and make sure it’s on camera, because they have to at least be seen to be trying. The people gave them power, and can just as easily take it back. That’s democracy. 

Narendra Modi has substituted accountability—the bedrock of democracy—with the projection of unassailability. Perhaps he has bought into his own myth so far that he experiences his own tone-deafness as strength, and his remoteness as splendour. But people mired in blood and terror want empathy, dialogue, and sensitive action. They will remember that the prime minister said and did nothing. 

In Manipur, in Haryana, in minority communities, in the barbaric sexual terrorism of women—in every instance of violence that flares along the seams of ethnic or religious or sexual chauvinism, the PM’s echoing silence looks like incompetence at best, indifference, or complicity at worst. People will remember that the man whose X (previously Twitter) handle is on a permanent hair-trigger to tweet birthday greetings and sympathy for the most distant troubles in the most distant countries, the man posturing as the wise and peaceable world leader of democracy, has publicly ignored a months-long civil war raging in his own country. 

Trying to figure out whether he’s complicit or indifferent or incompetent is just nitpicking. 

*The bottom line is, he’s not fit to be the Prime Minister of India.*

BUDDY BENCH

A friend recently told me, "Walking through my son's schoolyard, I noticed a bench painted bright red.

I asked my son, 

"Is that the only place to sit around here?"

He said, "No, that's the Buddy Bench. ..When someone feels lonely or they have nobody to play with, they sit there, and kids ask them to play." 

What an inspiring idea ..!!

I then told him how wonderful that was and asked him if he ever used it.

 He said, "Yeah. When I was new I sat there and someone came and asked me to play. I felt happy. And now, when I see kids on it, I ask them to play with me. We all do."

This simple anecdote teaches so many things*.

1. Don't hesitate to ask people to give you company if you are feeling lonely. 

2. Don't be immersed in your own self so much, that you don't notice another's silent cry for help. Look around. 

3. Everyone needs someone at some point in life. Step up and help someone when you can.

4. Appreciate life giving you new friends. For that to happen, you need to welcome new experiences.

5. Be childlike and innocent, and don't overthink. Ask for what you want. Life has a way of giving you what you want when you help yourself. 

6. What you give comes back to you, manifold. Give someone love and a little of your time. You will be blessed. 

The Best Helping Hand is at the end of Your own Arm... Help Others, and You Help Yourself .. We all need a Buddy .. Let's keep a Buddy bench for All* ...!!!

REMEMBER ..

KIDS AND SENIORS ARE THE SAME