Freedom From Fear - Bijoy Joseph

'My Book Will Tell The Truth'  says former ISRO scientist  Nambi  Narayanan , who was accused and  arrested of being a spy in the cryogenic engine research scandal that rocked kerala in 1994. He  was acquitted by the Supreme Court in 1998 but since lived under a cloud, being a spy. Mr Nambi Narayanan wishes to expose the people who framed him and redeem his good name, but can he get back those years that passed by . Now on the wrong side of 70, he says ' I shall not die a spy' . That much for self respect and guts. Narayanan is but one of the few who've the courage to fight against the establishment . How many are languishing outside under fear and a weak order of redressal.

When the country is today marching forward in economic growth , let us

not close our eyes on the citezen's rights to living in freedom & upholding of dignity . The quality of life  of a country which is not measured on just economic prosperity but on the social and cultural  

parametetrs should not be sidelined . Do we have the right to  freedom of thought without the  fear of being victimised, equal rights to education & employment or in invoking the constitution against corruption .  There's little meaning in prosperity when money does not ensure peace and security .  How long  will you  be living in the security and comfort of a house  surrounded by poor and oulawed citizens on the streets. This is the case in many countries of Africa & the Third World. Is there real freedom ?   

-Bijoy Joseph

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Happy Teachers Day!!!

“ The best teacher is the one who suggests rather than dogmatizes,
and inspires his listener with the wish to teach himself.”

~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton

 

In India 5th September is celebrated as Teaches' Day as a mark of tribute to the contribution made by teachers to the society. 5th September is the birthday of a great teacher Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, who was a staunch believer of education, and was the well-known diplomat, scholar, President of India and above all a Teacher.

When Dr. Radhakrishnan became the President of India in 1962, he was approached by some of his students and friends and requested him to allow them to celebrate 5th September, his "Birthday". In reply, Dr.Radhakrishnan said, "Instead of celebrating my birthday separately, it would be my proud privilege  if September 5 is observed as Teachers' Day". The request showed Dr.Radhakrishnan's love for the teaching profession. From then onwards, the day has been observed as Teachers' Day in India.

One of the most celebrated writers in the modern India today his work varies on philosophical, theological, ethical, educational, social and cultural subjects. He contributed numerous articles to different well-known journals, which, are of immense value and seems to surprise various readers because of the depth in the meaning of the articles.

Teachers mold the lives that they influence because the lessons learned from teachers remain with their students throughout life. We should always respect our teachers. Teachers need encouragement and support from the community to feel that their devotion to students is appreciated.

Teachers' Day:

Teachers' Day is now one of the occasions that is looked forward by the teachers and students alike as on this occasion its not only when teachers are praised but also around various schools students dress up as a representation of their teachers and take various lectures that are assigned to the teachers they represent. As the day passes the students perform the regular activities that are performed by the teachers. On this day students realize what it means to be a teacher and what it means to control the future of several students in their classes and also teachers are reminded what it felt like when they were the students.

Apart from the fun aspect of the day it is also a day when one can look back, admire and get inspired by Dr. Radhakrishnan, a small town cunning boy, who grew up to become one of the most respected politicians in the history of democracy of India.

A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others.

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Jayaram - Providing Solace

The Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) here will now have a new brand ambassador in cine actor, Jayaram.

Jayaram, who was the chief guest at the ninth anniversary celebrations of Prathyasha, a non-governmental organisation working in RCC for the welfare of cancer-afflicted children on Saturday, was so moved by the young stricken faces around him that he vowed to make it his life’s mission to work for the welfare of these children.

His mission:

“I will carry these faces with me wherever I go and from today, my mission will be to generate as much funds as I can for the care, well-being and rehabilitation of young cancer patients,” Jayaram said.

He promised to set up a foundation for the welfare of child patients at the cancer centre.

The actor also vowed to contribute regularly a part of his earnings from all stage shows and other programmes towards the foundation.

He kicked off this initiative on Saturday itself by contributing Rs. 1 lakh.

Campaigns:

Jayaram, who posed for photographs with the children, said he would lead fund-raising campaigns and solicit donations from all possible sources to promote the cause of cancer-afflicted children.

RCC sources said Jayaram had promised to be part of the cancer awareness programmes led by the RCC and to promote Cancer Care for Life, a medi-claim scheme floated by RCC to help raise funds for the treatment of poor patients.

-Re Published (Thanks to The Hindu)

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Role of Youth In Politics

Democracy is the buzz word for our political system. But is it really so? Is it democracy that a nation where a majority of population is below 40 elects a majority of people above 60 to power? Are we really satisfied with the way our country is being governed? Should it not bother us that at the age people generally take retirement and rest, our politicians actually become eligible to be at the helm of affairs? Why is it so that people below 50 years are considered as political ‘kids’?

The country desperately needs some young leaders who personify energy, enthusiasm, morality, and diligence. No doubt we have progressed a lot in the last 62 years but the development pace would have been completely different had some young torchbearers led this process of development.
At the time of independence, Gandhi called upon the youth to participate actively in the freedom movement. Young leaders likes Nehru came to his reckoning and led the movement. But this is not the case now. Nowadays we have only a handful of young leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Pilot, Varun Gandhi etc, but they are in the political scenario because they belong to influential political families. It is next to impossible to find a young leader with no political family background in the furor of politics.
There can be two reasons for this deplorable scene of Indian politics. One may be that the youth today are not interested in actively participating in the political field. They are content with what they are doing and how the country is being governed. But this reason seems to hold no ground seeing the discontent shown by the youngsters towards cases like reservation, Jessica lal murder case etc. The youth of modern India are aware of the problems facing our country and the world at large. Given a chance they would be ready to change the political condition of the country for better.

Second reason may be that young people are not given opportunities to prove themselves claiming that they are not equipped with experience to participate actively in the governance of the country. This reason seems to be more logical seeing the monopoly of old leaders in almost all the major political parties of the country. Old people should realize that proper development can take place only when they make way for younger people to take control of the activities.

There are few things which need to be clarified. One that youngsters do not mean people who are 20 years old with no experience at all. Youth in this context is meant to refer people in their 30’s or early 40’s with a good mix of energy and experience. Two, it is not intended to mean that old people should leave the political scene and rest. What is wanted is that they should be there but for guidance because they are treasures of invaluable experience.
There are a few things which I would like to suggest. There should be a retirement age for politicians as well which may be around 65 years. There should also be some educational qualification for politicians. How can we give those illiterates the key to our country whom we can not give the key to our house? People with serious criminal background should not be allowed to contest elections.

As for the youth of our country, they can contribute in more ways than just contesting elections. Much can be done in areas like educating people, raising awareness about various social ills, and many other areas.
We can just wish that the next time we go to vote we find more names of youngsters who can make our country a better place to live in.

Rohit Jain

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Illiteracy In India

Every issue that our society faces is like a link of a chain. Each issue is connected to another, either directly or indirectly. The chain of issues in this society that we live in, the strongest link of that chain is illiteracy. Illiteracy is the mother of all issues as it gives birth to many other issues like poverty, unemployment, child labour, female foeticide, population burst and many more.

It is very hard to digest that the land of the Vedas is one of the countries with the highest illiteracy levels and shows the inability of our government to utilize programs like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and National Literacy Mission. Even countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand and the like have achieved, in lesser time, a much better percentage of literacy. Literacy is a reasonably good indicator of development in a society.

Spread and diffusion of literacy is generally associated with essential trait of today’s civilization such as modernization, urbanization, industrialization, communication and commerce. This fact can be clarified as all the developed countries like America and Canada have very low illiteracy rates, whereas countries like India, Turkey and Iran have a very high rate of illiteracy. World Bank studies have established the direct and functional relationship between literacy and productivity on the one hand and literacy and the overall quality of human life on the other.

A person aged seven and above, who can both read and write with any understanding in any language, is treated as literate. As per 2001 Census, the overall literacy rate of India is 65.38%. The difference between the highest and the lowest literacy rate in India is very high. Kerala has the highest literacy rate which is 90.92 %, while Bihar has the lowest with 47.53 %.

Illiteracy in India is characterized by wide gaps between the urban and rural populations. The rural population depends mainly on agriculture and the rate of illiteracy is high, while the urban population is more of the ‘employee class’ and also more educated. Even amongst the male and female population, there is a wide disparity in literacy. The male literacy rate is 75.96% and female literacy rate is 54.28%. The social system in India promotes education for the male gender while the female population, especially in the deep interiors of the country, is kept away from schools.

Several efforts have been made on part of the government to deal with illiteracy. The National Policy of Education -1986, declared that the whole nation must pledge itself to the work of eradicating illiteracy, particularly in the 15-35 age group. The National Literacy Mission came into being in 1988 and started striving to involve all sections of the community in the literacy endeavour. The 1992 Education Policy envisaged free and compulsory elementary education of satisfactory quality to all children up to the age of 14 before India entered the 21st Century.

The Supreme Court in its 1993 ruling held that children had a fundamental right to free education. Ex – President A.P.J Abdul Kalam gave his assent to the Constitution (83rd Amendment) Bill, 2000, and the “right to education” was incorporated in the Constitution as a fundamental right. The country had failed to implement the provisions of Article 45, providing for compulsory and free education of children up to 14 years of age within 10 years from the commencement of the Constitution.

India is developing but at a very slow rate, this is not the fault of a corrupt government; it is due to this problem of illiteracy only. Literacy enables a person to think rationally, to be understanding, to be more responsible and to make his/her own decisions. A literate person is aware of all his fundamental rights and duties. Literacy is the ultimate solution to fight problems like communalism, terrorism and under development. Our government is of the people, for the people and by the people, but what is the use if people can not even make the right choice?

Illiteracy can bring down even the most powerful nations down, so if we are to become a developed nation, the government should first remove the problem of illiteracy by introducing effective programs with proper implementation and budget. It is ironical that even today, our leaders and people’s representatives give literacy a very low priority, pitting poverty alleviation, food, clothing, shelter, work, health etc. above it. They fail to perceive literacy as part of the development process, as an endeavour to improve the quality of life, as the process of building awareness among the weaker sections, as part of democratisation of political power, as the arrangement to give their due, to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. They are unable to appreciate the relevance of literacy in matters like infant mortality, immunisation, children’s participation in primary schools, population growth, family planning, women’s emancipation, social evils like child marriage, dowry, bride burning and so on. Neglecting the issue of illiteracy can hurt the development of India very badly.

Not only the government, but every literate citizen should contribute in battling with the demon of illiteracy. Our motto should be “each one teach one”, if we are to become a developed nation. One of the initiatives is “Teach India”, whose aim is to provide a platform to educated Indians to provide assistance in basic education to the unprivileged children. “Teach India” will connect educated individuals with the specialist education providers. Its now turn of the youth to step up and take the responsibility on their shoulders to take this nation towards the light of literacy. In the words of the new President of the United States, Barack Obama “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”. The time for the change is now, I am ready for it, are you?
Bhuvan Narang

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Students And Politics

The most progressive, articulate, inspired and dynamic segment of the country’s population is the student’s community. The formative period of student’s life should be utilized for an all round balanced development of his/her personality. Political experience constitutes an essential part of this learning experience. This period prepares one to face the challenges better and enables one to succeed in life. The much hyped dirty murky nature notwithstanding Politics has the potential to inculcate qualities like general awareness, keeping abreast with current happenings and above all leadership qualities in an individual. Student’s who join politics are good orators. They become assertive by shedding their timid ness and shyness. Tackling problems and solving disputes and handling crisis situations however small or big they may be, infuses confidence in them. It helps in developing skills to deal with people from all backgrounds and of all shades of opinion.


Moreover, politics cannot be divorced from a student’s life as he continuously interacts with the Student’s Union and various other student associations in college. Students also have a great deal of exposure to mediums like the press, television, cinema, etc. which are important agents of political expression. Political science is a vital part of the syllabi both at the school and college level. This underlines the role that politics plays in various stages of a person’s life. Hence, it is futile to shut out students from politics.


History is replete with examples of students playing a vital role in over-throwing corrupt dictatorial regimes, freeing their people from foreign yoke and launching relentless crusades against social injustice and exploitation. Majority of the great leaders entered politics during their student life. Therefore, political education or training during student life is important for success in life. Many students’ organizations like all Manipur students union (AMSU) are big and powerful students’ organizations in the north eastern part of India. Their clout is so great that they could even go against the general people’s verdict. Where politicians fail, they succeed easily. The power of the youth is a mighty river, waiting to be channelized. The politics of a particular system determines whether this happens in a constructive or destructive manner.



However, there is a limit to the extent of a students’ involvement so that a balanced participation does not affect his main purpose, which is to study. While he is not expected to remain passive in the face of criminalization of politics, dismantling of democratic organizations, corruption, communalism and casteism, he should not indulge in factional or partisan politics, or give into the unjust directions of senior party leaders. The student wing should herald the new, only then do they deserve to be called the promise of tomorrow. A better tomorrow.


Poonam Jain

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Fitness :Tackling Obesity

You know it’s a serious issue when Michelle Obama’s fighting against it. India too, suffers from an increased rate of obesity in children and teenagers. The WHO defines obesity as – abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. The three main reasons for obesity in India are – reckless diet, lack of exercise, and most importantly, over indulgent parents.
SYMPTOMS
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of body weight relative to height. It roughly indicates the level of fat accumulation in the body. It can be calculated by dividing height in centimeters by weight in kg squared. BMI greater than 25 is considered overweight while BMI over 30 is considered obese.
Some of the noticeable symptoms of obesity include – lethargy, breathlessness, difficulty in doing daily chores, ballooning of the abdominal area et cetera. Flabby under arms and thighs along with stress are also valid symptoms.
CAUSES
There are various causes of obesity in teenagers; especially in India. One of these reasons is the refusal to eat home cooked food. Children today insist on skipping home meals and replace them with highly fatty street food. A lot of teenagers nowadays experience higher levels of stress. This can lead to depression and, ultimately, binge eating. Distortion of the sleep pattern is also a serious offence which children commit.
It has been medically proven that lack of sleep aids obesity. Peer pressure often forces teens to light up. Smoking is as much of a serious threat as aerated drinks. Perhaps the most important factor is the sedentary lifestyle that young people today have adopted. In order to get rid of fat, calories need to be burnt.
Engaging in light physical activities like walking can be extremely beneficial in the long run. Indian society is also to be blamed for this sorry state of affairs. The weight of a child, apparently, reflects the economic prosperity of the household. The phrase “khaate peete ghar ka” is used quite proudly and misleadingly by mothers in India. Sometimes the reasons for obesity are hereditary. The child of an obese couple is more likely to be obese than the child of a normal weighted couple.
EFFECTS
The myriad effects of obesity include – cardiovascular disease, infertility, blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, obstructive sleep apnea, liver and kidney disorders etc. The psychological effects of obesity are perhaps graver than the physical ones. Obese people are more likely to show low self-esteem because of their unattractive girth. They are also likely to face social discrimination because they don’t fit a certain mould of consistency.
TREATMENT
The best way to tackle obesity is to start exercising regularly. The calories need to be burnt in order to fight the fat. Hitting the gym is unnecessary in most cases. Brisk walking is shown to be effective. Practicing beginner’s yoga is also very effective.
A proper dietary plan is imperative. High intake of vegetables is always beneficial. Cutting back on fast foods; especially aerated drinks, is very important. Eating small portions at regular intervals is better than eating huge portions twice a day.
Kicking the cigarette butt and divorcing alcohol would be hugely profitable. De-stressing and getting proper R.E.M. sleep is also a necessary part of the plan. Surgery can be employed in severe cases. Operations like gastric bypass and sleeve gastronomy have proven to be effective in the past.
For normal or slightly overweight people, a proper balanced diet with regular exercise is all that is required to maintain a healthy body.
Anirudh Madhavan

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On The IIT's, The Coaching Centers And Mr.Murthy's Statement

“I didn’t even know there was something called facebook or for that matter much about internet
until I reached college” – says a friend of mine. A rather shocking statement considering the fact that he is of the same age as me and I on the other hand knew much about facebook right in my 10th std and about internet a couple years before that.
That statement made me a little curious, it was not like he didn’t have a computer at home or anything, so I ask him how he wasn’t aware of the trend that was rising like a wave, gathering everyone’s attention and probably was becoming a part of everyone’s life, to which he says “Arey try to understand, I was in one of those coaching centre’s in Andhra preparing for IIT”.
Nothing new really- “preparing for IIT” was a standard answer you would get from every other person, in his 12th class in the country, in fact even I had done it or rather I was seen doing it, perhaps one of the many false images people have/had about me. But in spite of my so called preparation, (I did attend coaching classes) I wasn’t like him, I was indeed aware of the things around be it the facebook or the other prominent things that happened. This fact made me a little more inquisitive and so I asked him on how he could have missed such a big thing.
“Buddy you don’t understand how it is like in Andhra. I had joined a reputed coaching institute during my 11th and 12th class, a residential one”. Apparently his parent’s had put him there probably hoping that he would one of those success stories those institute’s always advertised of, and they thought that he would be one of those “gifted” few who would ultimately enter the premier institute- the IIT.
It’s sad that he is not in an IIT now, he had missed the cutoff by less than 10 marks and he was telling me all this sitting right next me, in the college canteen! I’m little saddened by the fact that he had missed it by a mere 10 marks and at the same time I’m drawn into his story. To me what he said after this was completely indigestible and the fact that for everything he said I could see myself in his position made the feeling even more horrible.
“Life there is worse than being in a jail” he says. A typical day of his begins at 5:45 in the morning with a loud thud on the door signaling that it’s time for the machine within him to start. “They give us 15 minutes for our daily routines and by the stroke of 6 we’re supposed to be at a classroom for the 1st study hour of the day- 6:00 to 7:30”-he says.
At 7:30 the breakfast is served and by 8:00 the regular school begins. They teach only math, physics and chemistry and this continues until 1 in the afternoon. After 1 is their longest break he says, exactly 1 hr for lunch which he says is the same old stuff- rice and some curry, nothing new. I ask him by mistake if they serve fried rice or biriyani and he’s quite amused at that and tells me that those are forbidden words because they think a fried rice or biriyani can hamper his preparations!
By 2:00p.m you’re supposed to be back at the classroom for the day’s 2nd study hr- 2:00 to 4:45p.m. After that it’s break time for 45 minutes, and at 5:30 it’s time for him to go back again – the 3rd study hour- 5:30 to 8:30. Half an hour for dinner and again from 9:00 it’s study time again right up to 12 midnight.
All this is fine he says, he doesn’t like the weekends much, there is no school on weekends, which means its study time from 6:00a.m to 12 midnight with only 3 breaks totaling to 3hrs, solid studying for 15 hrs! At this point I become a little nosy and ask him what happens if someone sits in front of the book and sleeps to which he calmly replies- “Menon, you don’t think they’re fools right? They make us study in classrooms where we have a supervisor in every corner, everyone is given an individual bench and in case the supervisor finds you sleeping he will just come and poke you with the long stick he always carries”.
I was totally shocked on hearing that and next I ask him whether they get to see news and matches on TV if any. The moment I ask that he’s thinks I’m mad- “leave alone the news or sports on TV man! they don’t even allow us to read newspapers inside the campus!”. There is not even enough time to have a bath” he says. To him having a bath was a luxury, which he says is something he could afford to do only once in 3 days during the summer and once in 5 during the winter.

What about going home? Do they allow that? I ask next and he says – “Yes, twice in a year and if we’re lucky we might have a telengana bandh. We’re allowed to go home during these days too. And as far as parent’s coming here is concerned, they’re allowed only once in a year for our birthdays’.
And monthly once we’re allowed to go out but only for a haircut that too for a maximum of 45 minutes”- he says. He seemed happy when he said the last statement and I ask him what makes those 45 min so special. He says that those 45minutes according to him is the most precious time- a time when he can go to the nearby shop to get some biriyani or fried rice parceled and throw those packets to his friends who would be waiting near the back gate.
I was completely out of words when I heard that, that was something terrible I just heard and I was sure it can’t get worse than that. Shocking indeed!
The fact that they were being taught only math, physics and chemistry made me ask him about the board exams. “It’s simple. Board exams are like a cake walk for us. We hardly study for a day. 3 days before the exam they tell us all the probable questions and we’re asked to by-heart all the answers.
Only problem is with physics, since the answers are pretty long it takes time for us to do it, but still we mange it quite easily” -he says. That is not all he reminds me –“at 9:00 p.m on the day before the exams they hand us the question papers along with the sets. We are asked to practice those until 2 in the morning. How much more easy can it get, huh?” – he asks me.
WTF??? That’s even more shocking to me, I mean how can a system like that even exist, question papers along with the sets leaked out on the previous night – I raise that point to which he replies- “Dude common it’s an open secret, everyone knows it’s the case here in Andhra!”
In the beginning I thought he was doing a bit of exaggeration when he said Jail was better but then after hearing this I could do nothing but empathize with this poor soul. I just couldn’t imagine their plight, those grueling study hours, the rude supervisor, the endless wait for their biriyani’s…
And at the end of all this I ask him- “How could you ever cope up man? How did you even survive? Aren’t you angry at your parent’s?” Surprisingly I did not find any regret on his face, in fact he was smiling and he coolly said- “Never man! My parent’s only did what everyone else in Andhra does. And moreover I’m happy they put me there otherwise I wouldn’t even have reached where I’m now!”
In a country where every other child is brought up with a fixed goal in front of him – to somehow get in to an IIT – it doesn’t come as a surprise when someone like Mr. Narayan Murthy comes out with a statement that the quality of students in deteriorating. I find it quite evident, for there are many students in these premier institutes who have got in from coaching centre’s like the one described above and I’m pretty sure that almost all of those lucky ones will have a story like the one above.
Many people did get offended by what Mr. Murthy said but I think we need to accept facts and that was something someone had to say at one point or another. It’s indeed a wakeup call to our system, we do need to buck up because 20yrs down the line I don’t think we would want someone like Mr. Murthy to say- “Oh! IIT? – Just another engineering college!”
I was actually flabbergasted by the way my friend responded to that last question I asked him. I think if I were him I would have definitely cursed myself and my parent’s for ruining 2yrs of my life. Incredible, that reply I thought!
Vijay Menon

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Jagjit Singh : An Immortal Voice Of Silence

Back in 1980, I got my first Tape Recorder (two-in–one) as a gift from my father. Two blank Sony tapes came free with it. On one we recorded our voices and voices of all the family and neighbourhood bacchas. Believe it or not, that was an amazingly fun pastime for our generation.
On the other I recorded the runaway hit of the time Jagjit and Chitra’s – The Unforgettable. I did not understand all the Urdu lyrics. But his voice transcended the necessity of mere understanding meanings of words. Even as a frisky teenager I could appreciate the soothing silences and the meaningful pauses animated by his silken voice.
Then came Mirza Ghalib on Doordarshan. I had no inkling about Ghalib. Gulzar recreated Ghalib’s life and brought him into our drawing rooms – but he could have scarcely done it without Jagjit’s rendering of all those Ghalib Ghazals. One immortal, lending voice to another immortal. I could appreciate Bazzecha-e –atfaal before I could understand it. Ghalib’s life story was about making Urdu poetry a popular idiom. Taking it out of palaces and courts to the lanes and streets. Jagjit’s life story is about making Urdu poetry a listening pleasure for the masses.
He could lend gravity to nostalgia (kaagaz ki kashti) and love ( jhuki –jhuki see nazar). He taught me that life is all about nuances (Tum itna jo muskara rahe ho), that love is reaching home (tumko dekha to yeh khayal aaya…) and that there is dignity in despair (chitthi na koi sandesh).
His bhajans are imbued with spirituality for the same reason. Even an agnostic can put on Hey Ram or Kabir and feel the calmness and peace flooding them. His voice is able to reach places in our hearts that even we are not aware of. That is why he always stood above and apart from all the raucous cacophony and even melodious pleasantness that is popular music.
He had his roots in the classical tradition, his heart in Urdu literature and a deep spiritual instinct. His spirit soared high to bring together all this for the listening pleasure of the man on the street – from an auto driver to youngsters to aficionados. We could never have enough of Jagjit.
His going is going away of those magical silences that made music go beyond words beyond language and beyond meaning. Aah ko chaahiye ek umr asar hone tak – Jagjit we will never stop sighing.
Varsha Tiwary
Full time bureaucrat and mother of two,part-time dabbler in rhymes and preacher of health and fitness as a way of life.

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How To Use Facebook So It Doesn't Use You

Whether you call it a time-saver or a time-sap, Facebook is the second most popular site in the world, and in India – just after Google. has surpassed the almighty Google as the most trafficked website in the U.S. — and the second most popular site in the world. Whatever you happen to think of it, if you haven’t been living in a cave the last few years (and maybe even if you have), you’re probably using it in some manner. Need someone’s contact info? Check. Birthday minders? Ditto. Photos and videos to share? Done and done. Random thoughts to send into the ether? Well, you know the drill.
But as quickly as Facebook has become an integral part of the way we communicate with friends (and “friends”), it has also raised concerns. How much sharing is too much sharing? What do Facebook and its marketing partners really know about you? And what are they doing with all of that juicy data? Men’s Life Today reached out to David Kirkpatrick, author of The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World, for tips on getting the best out of Facebook while avoiding its potential dark side.
Don’t Be Daft
For starters, says Kirkpatrick, if there’s something with the potential to embarrass, don’t post it. Despite how secure you believe your privacy settings to be, modern society is littered with Internet roadkill, like jobs lost and relationships shattered simply because a user didn’t think twice before posting. “This is a shockingly common-sense rule that many people disregard”, says Kirkpatrick. But don’t go too far in the opposite direction, he advises. “If you never post anything of interest, you’re less likely to have anything of interest come back to you”.
Friendly Fire
If your standards for accepting friends have been, shall we say, less than discerning, Kirkpatrick suggests it could be time to do some pruning. “One of the classic errors is to accept every friend request you receive”, he says. The problem with such loose standards? “You’re empowering these individuals over your information”.
It may also be time to shed people you do know, but who don’t reflect your sensibility or values (see “jobs lost”, above). “If you’re beginning to question their judgment, hide them from your news feed or unfriend them entirely”. If we were to discard all but those whom we consider true-blue buddies, says Kirkpatrick, many of us would wind up eliminating three-quarters of our so-called friends.
App Happy
Here’s a little heads-up: Third-party apps gain access to your personal information when you install them. (And yes, “Mafia Wars” and “Farmville” fans, that includes you). So be picky. “Something that looks cool, but which I’ve never heard of and that only a couple of my friends are using? I’m not going to adopt it”, Kirkpatrick says flatly. If you already have an app installed but haven’t used it in a while, delete it. Why? Because even if you’re not doing anything with it, chances are its developers are still doing something with your data.
Fortunately, right before you install any app, Facebook will remind you that you’re about to hand over access to your info. The choice to “allow” is up to you. Pretty simple.
Privacy Protection
Although he concedes that navigating Facebook’s privacy settings can be like trying to solve a Chinese puzzle, Kirkpatrick says an investment of 45 minutes should be enough to establish settings you’re comfortable with. For advice on how to get started, he recommends the site AllFacebook.com. (Search for “privacy settings”).
To be on the safe side, a good across-the-board option is “friends only”. If you have a burning desire to make your life an open book for exes, frenemies and strangers, go ahead and use “everyone”. If you’re particularly guarded about your information, there’s a custom setting called “only me” — though if you choose this option, you might just want to delete your Facebook account altogether and go back to calling your friends on a landline. Tedious, yes, but no privacy worries!
Target: You
And what about those ads in the margin that seem to know a little too much about you? They don’t concern Kirkpatrick terribly. If Facebook is doing its job and serving adverts that jibe with your interests, you might welcome seeing some of them. And if you don’t, “they’re easy to disregard”, Kirkpatrick points out, explaining that one of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s core tenets is that advertising should not disrupt the user experience.
Despite articles like this one, Kirkpatrick knows that many of you will continue to throw caution to the wind. “Facebook is loosening inhibitions about self-display”, he acknowledges, “and we’re becoming a more transparent people”. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, he adds, but if you’re going to share, just be sure you do it wisely — or be ready for your mom, crazy ex, nosy co-worker and the rest of the world to know your business.
Thomas P. Farley

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Understanding Lokpal

Tuesday morning, Anna Hazare was arrested, before he could proceed to JP Park, the venue for his fast, demanding that his bill be brought before Parliament. Ever since then, we have had a news overload. Every news channel and paper is covering Anna’s protest extensively. Even the second tier of information source, people’s contacts are proclaiming support for Anna Hazare and his campaign. In today’s information age, it is nigh impossible for one to not know that a 74 year old Anna Hazare, is protesting that something called the ‘Jan Lokpal’ bill be presented in front of the Parliament.

But sadly, this is all they know. Hordes of people have been mobilized, and these people who have poured onto the streets have offered undying support to Anna Hazare and his campaign. The reason for this mass support, without a doubt, is the people’s frustration. There is no denying the fact that the common man is fed up with the rampant corruption in society and he feels powerless against this evil. So, when in such an environment (in reference to the various publicized scams such as Commonwealth, 2G etc.), one man comes to the fore claiming to fight the system, it isn’t surprising that he receives the kind of support that Anna has. While the mass support is understandable, the tragedy is that most of the people out on the streets, who swear to stand by Anna, don’t even know Anna’s basic demand. Some know that it has something to do with the Lokpal bill, but don’t know whether he wants it passed or presented. And it’s a very small percentage of the street protesters who know what exactly the Jan Lokpal bill says, and the differences between Jan Lokpal draft and the Government draft.

So, what exactly is the Jan Lokpal bill? In a nutshell, it’s an anti corruption bill, drafted by civil society members (hence the Jan prefix), which seeks to create an ombudsman at the centre, Lokpal, with counterparts at the state level, Lokayukta. The purpose of this is to deter corruption, redress grievances and protect whistleblowers. Now, the basic demand from Anna’s side has been to present the civil society’s version of the bill, and not the Government’s version, which, Anna and his supporters believe is too weak, and incapable of tackling corruption. Those of you who are wondering how members of the civil society (just a fancy name for people who hold no official position) got to draft a bill in the first place, let me refresh your memories. Anna Hazare went on a fast-unto-death, in April, demanding the creation of a joint committee, with equal representation by the Government as well as civil society, to draft a Lokpal bill. The Govt. gave in and a committee was created, but could not present the Parliament with a single bill. Thus, two versions were created and the Govt. decided to present the Parliament with its own version, and not the civil society’s. Now, what are the differences between the two drafts? The major differences are inclusion of the PM, the Judiciary, MPs, and lower bureaucracy, grievance redressal system, whistleblower protection, selection and authority of the Lokpal, and the punishment dished out to offenders.

The Govt. draft excludes the PM, MPs, Judiciary and lower bureaucracy from the purview of the Lokpal, while the Jan Lokpal draft includes all of them. The Jan Lokpal draft states the penalty for not providing services to citizens on time, whereas the Govt. draft chooses not to state any such penalty. Coming on to the selection process, the provisions in the Jan Lokpal draft provide for a transparent selection process, with the selection committee making all details publics, whereas the Govt. draft leaves everything to the discretion of the selection committee. Another major difference is that the Jan Lokpal draft provides for only 2 politicians in the Lokpal committee, as opposed to five. Another difference is in the accountability of the Lokpal committee. The Jan Lokpal draft proposes that it be answerable to the people, which would mean that any citizen can go to the SC and demand removal of the Lokpal, as opposed to only the Govt. being able to do so. They also want the Lokpal to have police powers, to file FIRs, after preliminary investigation and that the accused be dealt in the same manner as accused are in cases of regular crime, whereas the Govt. draft suggests special protection to the accused. The civil society draft also enables the creation of a Lokayukta at the state level, who will have all the same powers and duties as the Lokpal, but at the state level. A major standoff between the two committees is the whistleblower’s protection provision in the civil society draft. The Govt. draft has no provisions to protect whistleblowers. Apart from this the civil society wants the Lokpal to have prosecution rights, with special branches created in HCs, but the Govt. draft creates the Lokpal only as an advisory body, which can forward reports to a ‘competent authority’.

The civil society’s stance is that only if such strong measures are put in place, will we be able to deter corruption, to which the Government’s response has been that the PM’s office should not be under the ambit of the Lokpal, since the PMO is sacred. Regarding Judiciary, they believe that such a provision would undermine the powers and sovereignty of the Judiciary.

Add to this that Anna Hazare has clearly stated that he has full confidence in the Parliament, and he believes in the supremacy of its powers. Hence, all he is demanding is that ‘a strong version’ of the bill be presented to the Parliament. Never has he said that only his version of the bill be presented. I don’t think there would be many people who would say that what he wants to bring in is wrong. Thus, the only question that arises from all of this is whether his methods are right, or rather, do you support them? And that, I feel is totally personal.

Rithvik Pamidi

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Hazare V/S The Apparent Democracy

Hazare’s Fast has brought many Great yet forgotten heroes back into the Media glare. Touted as the modern day Gandhi, Anna has projected to the world, one of the most unconventional modes of protest (through peaceful means); which has in fact had a greater impact on the Country than the arsenic revolts!

Antonio Gramsci, an Italian Marxist elaborates upon two kinds of intellectuals, Traditional and Organic. The Traditional Intellectuals call themselves the Autonomous Group, who alienate themselves from the Society. Organic Intellectuals on the other hand, work for the ‘Grass Roots’ from the ‘Grass Roots’! The Organic Intellectuals bring the Society together under a common rubric of the goal to be achieved. They are not merely ‘eloquent orators’ rather they are ‘permanent persuaders’.

According to Gramsci, Gandhi was the perfect paradigm of an Organic Intellectual, and for the 21st Century India, Anna Hazare is one such man! His techniques of protest are humble and organic, something that speaks to every specter of the Indian Society! He has been instrumental in reviving the Oral Traditions of India such as chants, hymns and other modes of dialogic protests!
This form of protest is juxtaposed with the despotic and oppressive power of the Indian Society! The Country is visibly divided between the followers of the Traditional and the Organic Intellectuals! The Politicians following the former and the Citizens swearing by the latter!

Ideologically, the Country is being oppressed by the seemingly ‘meek’ words of our Hon’ble Prime Minister who has vehemently criticized Hazare’s mode of protest! Repression has followed in the face of Hazare’s arrest and the refusal to provide him with a venue for his ‘anshan’!

Although Hazare’s protest has been met with innumerable obstacles, it has given tremors to the very fabric of the Indian Society! The people of the Nation have come out in full force to support his cause! They have realized the hegemony they were in and are supporting him for a counter-hegemonic Revolution!

Ironically, such a revolt falls one day after the Country had attained Independence about 65 years ago! Sadly the country has receded from its path of progress and has fallen prey to the neo-colonial clutches of corruption, bureaucracy and dishonesty! Hazare’s attempt has revived the country from its dormancy! This should not be allowed to fade away! It is about time the Nation realizes its worth and starts giving due respect to people like Hazare!

Sadly, the protest has not had the ideal start yet again! Hazare, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal have been detained by the Delhi police in the wee hours of 16th morning, and have been detracted from their agenda again! This however will not dampen the Nation’s spirit and will continue to follow the ethereal presence of Hazare!

Garvita Khybri

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Target Practice...

It’s like each day starts with the same thought. I am not talking about the one that comes just as you open your eyes and sit up. It’s the one that comes just after. Life passing you by, each day, as it turns on its head, from day to night and then again night to day. What happens in between, almost always gives you a feeling of moderate to complete helplessness, guilty exasperation. We regret the things we have not done, the money we haven’t been able to earn yet, the degrees we haven’t acquired, the girls we missed out talking to.

We regret not trying out the new dish in the cafeteria, not catching the new flick that everybody’s been talking about. Life is like a stockpile of missed chances. The more we can remember, the more our troubles are. And we do remember them. The big ones, the not so big ones…everything. We may not be willing to say that out loud but we hate to lose track of our failures. In a way, it’s like a survival mechanism. We learn from our mistakes; we get better.

Now this is where we take leave of our more fortunate comrades. People who fell and then rose up to reach for glory. Their story ends right here. They have what they wanted, what others wanted out of them and will probably have everything that they want now at some point in the future. What of those petty, good for nothing souls who keep falling and then fall again. Arre baba I know Edison. He invented the gramophone, gave us the light bulb. He did it after trying a zillion times.

The point of the matter is that he did it. What if he had not? Well, I agree Edison’s failure as a scientist would have been the least of our worries then, but the fact is that no one would know his name. Children wouldn’t be learning about the eccentric little partially deaf scientist who gave us the magic of light.

We all want the same things in life. Some more than others. Here is the problem. The ever increasing gap between demand and supply. Forget fuel and vegetable prices. Success by far, is the highest on the list of inflation. Most of us go through random facebook profiles each day, I know I do. The part which makes the ritual interesting is the number of people who have allegedly made it big in their lives and still have the time to manage and update their pages. Even I have the time to do that.

The problem is there is not much to update. I salute the people who live abroad, have high paying jobs, have beautiful wives and cherubic children. Even I would like to have all those things some day, not necessarily in that order even. Maybe meeting these people and getting their valuable advice would mitigate the trauma we lesser ones face each day somehow. We can but hope.

What comes after you have finished admiring the kind of classy life that these successful people lead. Then, you turn green. That guy sat next to you in class, had the IQ the same as the size of the shoes he wears, how the hell does he manage to land in some city you may have not even heard about, working for some company which pays him in one month that your God forsaken company pays you in a year. Who in the name of the devil is that chick who he has his arms around in the new pic he’s just posted. What the f@#k???

The girl who sat on the last bench and you probably never noticed in your school days, her name comes up on your suggestions list one day. You take a closer look and try to ascertain whether it’s the same person. Difficult it may be, because she’s nothing like the way you had imagined she’d turn out to be. She’s all grown up. She has her husband alongside her in the picture who might not bring out the most favorable response from you at first glance. Then it hits you, the photo; the surroundings look familiar although not some place you have been to, but still. Yes, it’s freaking NY Times square. Shit Shit Shit!

Where are my books, I need to study for my CAT exams now. Will think about this stuff again, when I have time (its sooner than you think).

Abhishek Mandal

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