Our heart goes out to the six year old baby girl and this song is dedicated to her -
I pray to God to give her enough love, care and strength that she grows up and lives a beautiful life from here onward. Wishing her all the happiness in the world.
Don’t be surprised when I say that 81% of Generation Y (born
between 1980 and 2000) use Facebook or that a whooping majority of Gen Z (born
after 2000) are constantly ‘connected’, are emotionally attached to their
devices and they prefer to connect online more than face to face.
Gen Y is now their 20s and Gen Z are now kids or getting
into teens. Together they make the new generation. I am sure you have one of
them near you -in all probability in your family as your son or daughter or in your
school/colleges as students or in your organizations as an employee.
The new Generation feels that it is very important for them
to stay connected. However since they are constrained with time, even as they
call themselves a bit ‘socially lazy’, they prefer 'online' to stay connected.
The new generation is heavily connected on social media, for personal, social and
professional reasons.
Despite the advent of other instant messaging services, Facebook outscores everything else in social networking. My
research on the new generation has thrown up reasons behind the continued popularity of Facebook . New Generations feels
Facebook helps them to stay connected and use it for one or more reasons.
Here are the top 15 -
The new generation is generally curious
and Facebook helps them to know what’s going on in the lives of others. It
also helps them to know personal things about other people in a very
impersonal way.
Facebook helps them stay
abreast with the major life events of their friends and acquaintances.
It helps them to bridge
the gap of distance and time that they suffer with their friends and
remain in touch.
Facebook helps them to
forge and nurture relationships. Birthday, anniversary wishing is very
common.
Many use Facebook to engage
with brands.
Facebook helps them
improve their networking skills.
They use Facebook to
maintain close friends-group camaraderie.
Facebook helps them
compare their life and live an aspirational life.
At times even brag, boast
and make others jealous or simply get the ‘Likes’.
Facebook helps them to
know and share interesting stuff (updates - information, photos, selfies
and jokes).
Helps them earn virtual
currency (for example Facebook Credit, Farmville Cash and Microsoft Points).
Promote their work
(Facebook pages).
Search lost friends.
Seek help.
Beat loneliness.
Some of them also use LinkedIn for professional networking. They
also heavily use their smartphones and messaging apps like Whats App to stay
connected. Many are constantly on Whats App.
What’s interesting is that the line between online and
offline is blurring for the new generation and for them it is parallel
existence in both these worlds. They find it strange when their parents,
teachers or employers ask them to give up their gadgets, or come out of the
online world or restrict their social media usage. For them the online and
offline world are one and the same, one diffusing into the other.
Yes, I know it changed into Kolkata sometime back. But I wonder other than what really changed in Kolkata or for that matter in West Bengal. Yes, there has been a change in government, now Manna Da's songs play at traffic light junctions...but has something significant altered? When last I visited Kolkata after a gap of about 12 years, I expected lot to have altered in the city. But to my utter surprise I found Kolkata to be pretty much the same ... same taxis, same rickshaws, same streets, same roadside sellers at Garihat, same nowhere-leading political debates 'on the rock' at corners of the lanes...just nothing seemed to have changed or say changed for the good. Recently, Calcutta....err...sorry, Kolkata has been in news for city being decorated and decked up for the FIFA world cup soccer. I thought world cup was happening in Brazil... ok! the news reports suggest that Kolkata streets decoration make it resemble like Sao Paulo. Great, so the city is celebrating. Last time they were celebrating was about a week back when KKR won the IPL T20 cricket title. A official celebration was organized at Eden Gardens! It is another story that except the name Kolkata in KKR, there is hardly anything that resembles the city or the state. Celebrating again...for someone else achievements and some others' feats. Good, very philanthropic but I really wonder when the city and the state will start celebrating for itself and for what it does. All economic indicators show that the city and the state as a whole is decaying and dying a slow death. Bengal’s GSDP or Gross State Domestic Product has shown a consistent
slide downwards and the state ranked a poor 23rd place if we look at
the average growth rates over 2001-12. Agricultural growth has slowed down. In
fact it has shown a negative growth. Industrial sector in West Bengal has also
seen a slowdown. The average growth rates fell over the past decade, while even
states like Orissa showed improvement. Remember this is the state that gave Tatas a
complimentary drive out of the state.
West Bengal ranks very poorly in terms of per capita income
among all the Indian states. West Bengal continues to be one of the poorest
states in India. According a UNDP Human Development report published some time
back, acute poverty prevails in the state. As per the Multidimensional Poverty
Index (MPI) study done in India West Bengal along with 7 other states in India together
have more poor people than in the 26 poorest African nations combined!!!
The
MPI assesses a range of factors or “deprivations” at the household level as
well as income and assets. These include: child mortality, nutrition, access to
clean drinking water, sanitation, cooking fuel, electricity, and years of schooling
and child enrollment. A person is considered poor if they are deprived in at
least 30 percent of the weighted indicators. West Bengal is home to the third
largest number of poor people.
As per the Institute of Competitiveness report, states Nagaland
and West Bengal are contributing to the greatest amount of misery to Indian
economy. They run the risk of going into stagflation (an economic condition
characterized by high Inflation and high unemployment). High degree of
joblessness combined with steep rise in prices has pushed-up West Bengal’s ‘Misery
Index’.
But
most Bengalis revel in this misery. Misery makes them feel that their cause is
still alive…Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo – the last word though does not quite rhyme with
misery. Poems on misery, songs on misery, street plays on misery, even
nostalgic about greater miseries in the past. Perhaps, misery is too dear to be let off! As Suman Chattopadhyay says - ' Preference for melancholia over enterprise is deeply embedded in the Bengali psyche.'
All the intellectual power of Bengal does not seem to know
how to stop the down slide slip of the state and the city. West Bengal needs more
of business-friendly climate, more enterprises, jobs, income and less of
politics, ‘bondhs’, and populist rhetoric by the political leaders.
For now though the offering seems to be one year property
tax holiday for those who colour their houses or building in white and blue. Welcome to the party!
I again wonder, taxes also drying up…from where will the money come now in the state
coffers? That was the only source, after all.
Who cares?
Misery is still there and poets, song writers are
busy. By the way in Bengal every house has a poet.
Being a Bengali myself who is born, bred and lived out
of Bengal, the sight of Kolkata city and Bengal state crumbling down is a
miserable sight and thought. And I am not writing any poems.
Having streets, buildings, parks, stadiums, markets, airports
etc. named after one’s name or in the name of one’s family member remains the perpetual
fancy of most people in this nation.
The latest to join this bandwagon is Bollywood actress
Priyanka Chopra who wants to get a street, in the commercial heartland of the
country Mumbai, named after her late father. Her dreams appear to becoming
reality soon with the local municipal commission approving her request.
Ms. Chopra’s father who served the Indian army as doctor had
a distinguished service and this is by no means to disrespect his soul or to
belittle his achievements. But if a road is named after him, then there are thousands
of others equally or more deserving service men and women, some of whom have
even laid their lives for the nation, who deserve similar honour. The brave
policemen who laid their lives during the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai city,
the Taj Hotel General Manager who lost his wife and two sons while trying to
save other guests… will we have a street named after each of them? The ordinary
tax payer who pays through his nose for the construction of all these roads…will
one of them ever get a street named after him/her?
Besides, in this case it is
the family pressing for a street to be renamed, not as if the nation or the
Mumbai city is conferring this honour. How can personal tribute be paid in the
form of claiming a right on a public property? Personal grief and tribute are
best in private, not for public display.
Ms. Chopra could have done a world of
good to start a social campaign for the girl child or for orphan kids in her
father’s name, with a small portion of her own millions.
Sycophancy
and ego-massage never ever ceases on this land. If you are rich and/or powerful you can pretty
much get any public property named after yourself or after your family member.
If that is not enough, then even get the public to sing praises of the same.
Violence against women goes unabated in India. In the latest, two girls were gang-raped in a remote town of a northern state in India and then mercilessly hung from a tree. Reportedly, delay in police action failed to save the lives of the girls. To add to the tragedy and misery the state chief minister, under pressure from the scribes over rising cases of violence in the state, made a comment that lacked sensitivity or concern. When asked repeatedly about the safety of women in the state, he reportedly shot back at the journos and asked them - I hope you have face no danger. The comment has not gone down well with anyone and the opposition has already made it an issue. But beyond all the politics, family of the girls continue to face attacks and reel under unimaginable trauma. Their lives have been scared beyond repair.
Women in this part of the world including India continue to face sexual and brutal physical violence. Media has highlighted such incidents especially after the Delhi gang rape incident, raising public awareness. Some steps have been taken by governments like setting up women cell etc Despite all this incidents of such violence keeps happening that are emotionally draining for many people like me.
The question is why? Why sexual and physical violence against women continues in India?
Philip Zimbardo in his work - 'The Psychology of Evil' has perhaps the answer. What Zimbardo calls 'Lucifer Effect' explains that an individual behaviour is determined by three things - Individual disposition ( that is what is inside the individual); situation; and finally the system. Simply speaking it means that every individual has both good and bad inside and a bad situation brings the bad out of a person. The system that has various variables cultural, social etc. shapes the situation or in other words make a situation good or bad.
To say India is culturally, socially a male dominant society is a partial representation. Male domination in this nation in its fullest sense means that women are considered secondary in society. They are expected to conform with male norms of existence failing which they are subjected to abuse and torture. Male and female children are not brought up similarly in the same family. Girls are always asked to learn to adjust first to what her family wants, then what society wants, then what husband & in-laws want and finally even what children want. Boys grow up seeing their mothers and sisters given second class treatment and are never taught to respect girls and women. They grow expecting women to follow their orders without questioning. Such a 'system' creates a situation that makes insensitive men who have scant respect for women and in many cases women are objectified by men.
Most men end up mistreating women, in simplest form it happens as bad stares, lewd comments or eve-teasing; and in its most ugly & brutal form as rape and murder of women. Otherwise what explains recent cases of highly educated men in responsible positions engaging in obscene comments and acts on women. At the same time even juvenile boys are accused of sexual crime on women.
Do all men turn out like that?
No. There are heroes as well that come out of a bad situation. That may be because some aspects of their social variable was different. May be they grew up in very good families or may be they experienced in some way such torture on women and were exposed to such trauma at an early age. The micro-environment variable could also play a role. Certain states are less male dominant then the other.
Is there a hope for women?
Behaviour alteration requires alteration of situational variables, in this case cultural and social factors. However cultural and social transformation do not happen in a day. They take time. In case of India it will first require alteration in beliefs. That's not happening any sooner as well. In fact very recent casual and mild description of rapists by some politicians has shocked many like me in this nation. Then?
I reiterate judiciary is the only hope. Fast tracking of such cases and death penalty to rapists with unfailing regularity is the only way out. This is will disrupt the current social norm and hence the situation from current state of almost indifference. A sense of Fear in the situation can be the only deterrent.
For stopping sexual and physical violence on women judicial proactivism is the only way. New tougher laws need to be enacted and implemented.
Whenever such initiatives start some social activists stand up against death penalty to criminals. Some one Please stand up for victim and stop empathizing with those who brutalize and demonize girls and women. These animals are beyond reform and need to be eliminated to protect the innocent.
Fear of justice needs to be instilled to change the social order.
Remember, the Lucifer effect! The system variables have to be altered to alter the situation and hence the behaviour.
As the nation watches the new government take charge at New Delhi and the coronation of Mr. Narendra Modi as the new Prime Minister of India, expectations of people are soaring. The promise of the party voted to power - BJP has been that better days are about to come (Acche Din Aane Wale Hain).
So are 'acche din' really round the corner? For whom 'acche din' are coming? What will those 'acche din' mean to the common man on the street? How will be those 'acche din' be different from the aaj ka din (present day)?
Anyone's guess right now!
But really what can any government of any nation really do or should do for 'Acche Din' of itsd citizens? In my opinion it needs to do ensure three things -
1.Protect the liberty of the citizens of the country from external aggressors and from internal threats. Safeguarding the liberty of the citizens of a nation becomes the prime responsibility of any government. While external aggression needs to be repelled and discouraged, it's often the internal threat that suppresses and harms the liberty of the citizens.
Creating an Just, Fearless, Disciplined environment protects the citizen liberty irrespective of caste, creed, religion, colour, gender, region and ethnicity. One Nation, One People. Government should realize threats to individual liberty comes even from small things often ignored in our nation as 'chalta hain' like a road encroachment for a private function, a overloaded vehicle on the road, people littering public places, non-working street lights and the list is endless...
2. Protect the citizens from the government itself. This may sound a bit unusual but any wise government would know that power by its very nature often corrupts its holders. Government being the power centre of a country it needs to be vigilant that none of its members or representatives misuse or abuse power.
3. Create a truly entrepreneurial climate by removing barriers like trade restriction, regulations, licenses. In short reduce government's interference into business to minimum.
As a consumer I must not be forced to buy from anyone. I must be free to choose what to buy, where to buy from and not dictated by government. If I can choose the representatives who runs the nation, then I can also choose what to consume and from where I should purchase and consume.
As an entrepreneur I must be have the freedom and ease to start an enterprise without really having to worry for permits, licenses and permissions. Entrepreneurial climate couple with lower trade barriers and restrictions means more jobs, more disposable income, more competition, better choices, lower prices for consumers and more consumption - that in turn fuels greater industrial productivity, and that in turn results in even more jobs, even more income and even more consumption.
Will the new Indian government recognize and practice these key principles?
'Kya Acche Din Saach Mein Aane Wale Hain'? (Are good days really about to come?) Will India be MODIfied?
The voter who voted BJP and Mr. Modi to power is optimistic that the party and NaMo will deliver. There are others who are circumspect. I will leave this debate for the 9 p.m. prime time shows. Days to come will tell for themselves...
Meanwhile, Nation's hopes and wishes are with Mr. Modi and BJP that days change for the good and 'acche din' really come... Good Luck Mr. Modi.
A single zebrafish, exposed to alcohol, not only doubles its
swim-speed among its "sober" peers, but also increases the speed of
the whole group, according to a finding of New York University Polytechnicschool of Engineering.
Most two-wheeler drivers on Bangalore roads seem
to share the 'zebrafish' influence.
Their speed is generally double of the speed of other
vehicles on the same road at the same time. They swarm like
mosquitoes from all 'sides' and swerve, suddenly cut right in front of you and
keep dancing in front of your vehicle.
It seems that the responsibility of their safety has been
entrusted with you and you must tolerate all their calisthenics on
the road.
Today morning on a Y shaped cross near ITPL my friend's car happened to have a minor accident with a similar biker who
suddenly rode his bike right in front his car. Although it was the
fault of the
biker, my friend offered no resistance and offered help
to the biker. The biker instead became aggressive, snatched away the
company identity card that my friend was wearing round his neck,
tried snatching away his car keys ad even started to threaten that he
will damage the car. Seeing the biker resort to rowdy tactics,
my friend sought help from a traffic lady police constable
standing nearby. Unfortunately she simply listened and showed no
intention to help.
Left to his own, he found timely help from another biker
(who was thankfully not of the 'zebrafish' type) and he helped negotiate. An
intervention from another passerby sobered the tempers of the rowdy biker, although
he extorted good money from my friend, who had no choice but to pay despite the fact that the bike had undergone no damage.
All this happened while traffic police was in the
vicinity. Under such circumstances how do ordinary citizens connect and
depend on traffic police personnel on the road. Instead they
fear and mistrust them. Few days back when an
incident came to light in the city where a innocent car driver was indicted
of drunken driving the city was shocked! Overloaded trucks, drivers talking on
phone while driving, cabs over speeding, unjustified road rage from erring rowdy
motorists - a lot is happening on roads that is somehow visible only to the public.
All this is eroding trust!
Strict traffic rules are not enough to ensure safer roads.
Citizens must develop a sense of trust that the traffic police on duty are
there to help them when they need and punish the real offender. Dereliction
of duty, indifference and non-uniform enforcement of rules will never engage
people to traffic police and roads will continue to be hell for every decent
motorist. A few honest traffic police officers like
Constable 'Singham' Bhasker helping the innocent citizen and bringing the offenders to the book are worth applause and should be a role model to rest of his colleagues. We salute you Constable Singham Bhasker!
