Sep
22
If The World Could Vote - who would be the next president of the United States of America?
On November 4th 2008 the American people will choose a new president, a person who will become the most powerful person in the world, a person that will influence the whole world. Americans are debating, but it seems that almost every single person in the world has an opinion on who should become the next president of the United States.
To find out who would be the next president of the United States of America - if the world could vote, three guys in Iceland created a website, www.IfTheWorldCouldVote.com. On the site people get one vote for the next president of the United States. The results are then displayed where you can see how many from each country have voted, and who each country has voted for. Read more
Aug
17
Buddhist monks fear being killed in Srinagar, don’t wear robes
Filed Under Politics, Social Issues | 1 Comment
Buddhist monks (lamas) in Ladakh (and probably everywhere else too) are supposed to be in their robes all the time, even when they are allowed breaks for some leisure. The exception is when they are in Srinagar, the capital of the disputed Indian Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir; if they are identified as lamas, there is the fear of being shot by Muslims. As a rule, they have to be in regular clothes when visiting Srinagar.
This was told to me by Rigzen, a 20-year old lama posted at the Chamba Statue of the Maitreya Buddha in Mulbeck, a 75 minute drive from Kargil when going to Leh during my recent trip to Ladakh. If what he said is true, it just goes on to show how violent elements do not spare even practitioners of a peace loving religion like Buddhism. Read more
Apr
29
No matter what the Chinese say, Tibetans seem to continue to suffer from some of the worst form of state sponsored violence. All for asking for some basic human rights like dignity of life and a degree of autonomy that would allow Tibet to preserve its cultural, religious and social values intact as they have over the centuries. The Dalai Lama has not even asked for independence from China.
If killing Tibetan protesters was not bad enough, the Chinese soldiers strip the bodies of all their valuables, and then steal the organs from the bodies to feed the thriving black market for these in China. To add to the indignity, these bodies are then dressed in those of Chinese soldiers to show the world that the Chinese authorities are being forced to retaliate to violent acts of the Tibetans. Looks like propaganda of the Goebells and the Hitler kind did not go away with the second World War. Read more
Apr
26
The dying amongst the dead in Tibetan mortuaries
Filed Under Politics, Public Interest | Leave a Comment
This is supposedly a true story I heard from a Tibetan migrant on my trip to Mcleodgang (the Himalayan town where the Dalai Lama lives and runs his Government in exile). A Tibetan girl’s brother went missing after taking part in protests against the Chinese, and what this girl saw in the mortuary can only be described as gut-wrenching.
Not that she could get easy access to the mortuary in the first place: she had to bribe way through; China is one of those countries where money can achieve a lot. She had a hard time even identifying anyone, with faces either already decayed or disfigured with acid. Tragically, her brother was there too – face unrecognisable – but identifed by a unique neck piece (Tibetans believe in wearing different kinds of stones on their body, and he was wearing one on a string).
What made the trip even more shocking was the sight of many other bodies with life still in them – the dying were left to die with the dead. Read more
Oct
5
So, Rahul Gandhi is general secretary of the Congress Party, the lead partner in the coalition currently ruling India. So, does anyone care about this except the party workers (who think this is like winning the World Cup, but more on this later)? Here are five reasons why it cannot be a big deal unless proven otherwise:
- Where is the charisma? Don’t go by the crowds one sees following Rahul in his constituency, aptly covered by Doordarshan, but where else have you seen people swooning over him? Does he realise charisma is no longer spelt ‘Gandhi’? Or is his coterie of advisors, like his late father’s, leading him up the garden path too?
- A youth leader? Is he? Does he represent Indian youth and their aspirations? Do they really care about him – their icons are now Infosys founder Narayan Murthy, former President Kalam, actor Shah Rukh Khan and cricketer Rahul Dravid. And everyone else who became what they have with no family name and fortune, and showing the way to do it.
- Does anyone want his dole? Continuing the point 2, Rahul Gandhi is still caught up in believing development is only through the dole route – the first thing he insisted upon after being appointed General Secretary was expansion of the National Rural Employee Guarantee Scheme. No talk of taking education, healthcare and infrastructure to the interiors which will generate employment on its own and in a much bigger and sustainable manner.
- Is he really smart? Tough, considering his suspect academic credentials and subsequent work experience, if any. Can one recall any inspiring statement by Rahul Gandhi to show he has a vision for India and its citizens? And his smile, quite uncharismatic at best, cannot hide all the times he has ended pushing his own foot in the mouth when he does open it to speak.
- Leadership has to be proved, even if it is thrust upon you. Rahul Gandhi has got the ‘crown’ easily, but his ‘leadership’ has shown little success other than winning seats for only the family members. The party is losing ground – largely due to a lack of leaders who can motivate and discipline workers to perform for results.
Rahul Gandhi, show you can lead the youth – and then all posts like General Secretary etc etc will not be of any consequence. And to so that you need to start conversing with them first.
