Corrupt vs Perceive to be Corrupt. Where does AAP stand

Corruption matters and it matters a lot. But equally important is the image that is perceived to be corrupt. History has not forgiven corrupt as well as those perceived to be corrupt. In later case the redemption comes a little too late. By then many vanish into oblivion before people realise they were probably as good. 

Recent history has punished the governments more on such perception that the reality. One cannot forget 2G, 3G, Coalgate etc. and its impact on electoral outcome. Now when they have all managed to get the clean chit the junta has almost forgotten them. 

Delhi too became the AAP bastion on corruption bandwagon. The party came, lost, came back and again came back on the same very plank. Freebies like electricity, water etc are always welcome but the image of non corrupt pack has been on the forefront that led to their survival so far. 

Delhi schools are shining, so are the hospitals. But, what about other departments. 

I recently had an encounter or should I say it is still ongoing with the revenue department. The property registration department. Basai Darapur II sub registrar office on 17th February, 2021 to be precise. The building looked swanky and pretty clean. A welcome change probably buoyed by the corona pandemic consciousness. 

Briefly speaking about my reason for the visit was to get the property purchased on 18th of August 2020 under SARFAESI ACT from Union Bank of India. It should have been registered by now but reluctance to move out to a process that calls for multiple human interactions during a global pandemic held me back. 

Shockers came in series. Completely dismayed by the whole process you see some deed writers directly interacting with the registrar office. So was my case when I was expected to be called to finish the process the office called in the deeder(the deed writer). The called man rushed in and came out busy on the phone. Soon it was cleared that there was a confusion in Khasra number. It was sorted and the wait began again. Few minutes later the deeder was called in again for some more clarification. He came out and asked us to get the date on the sale letter changed. It was revealed that a property cannot be registered at Sub-Registrar end after 4 months of sale. The bank officials were called in but of no use(I was kept out of the meeting despite efforts to be in front of the authority. Sub-Registrar was adamant as told. The banker said that is beyond the rules to change the date of sale letter. Max they agreed was to endorse the sale once again on the same letter with original date remaining. Again of no use as Sub-Registrar will not consider it. The deeder told that you have to go to SDM of the area but that is again a complex and a lengthy process and he can still levy fine for delay. He promised to have a word with Sub-Registrar to find a way out on the weekend. We left shocked and dejected with the whole process. 

Monday, 22nd February, 2021 deeder revealed that SDM has become adamant and is asking for 50,000 to 60,000 to consider my case. To which I said out of question. Let me just go and meet him soon as I have not so far and see how the registration in my case can happen. I am ready to fight for it as I have done nothing wrong. The delay in registration process is all due to safety consciousness and when world over the processes and paperwork is waiting then why not these tasks where public interactions can be limited(classic in case is the transport authorities who have delayed the whole processes till end of March 2021 to reduce the burden of compliance)

Will update all on the whole process and promise to tell all that is it part of corrupt practice or just a perception which is equally harmful for the government trying to live upto the moral high-grounds.

Wish me Luck as I go about it along with my hectic job.

Signing off for now 

Jagjot Saini

Udta Punjab—My Punjab Still Flies High(on Ecstasy)!

Udta Punjab! What is this chorus about? Suddenly every one is realising that Punjab is no more flying high. It has become one of the worst states in India. What nonsense! I say... so what if on few parameters our performance has dipped few notches, Punjabis are still far better than Biharis. 

Punjab has always lived life king-size. They have always in a fast lane. They worked hard and partied even harder. Prosperity flowed through their veins in form of alcohol. It is just that they have become too lazy to work now and means of intoxication have changed. Now it comes in various forms—you can sniff it, smoke it, inject it or even ingest it in the form of a pill. Packets of all sorts(including drugs, fake currency, arms & ammunition and god knows what) hurled across the international border and later picked up by one of the most efficient nexus has ensured that psychotropic substances are abundantly available over the counter and can cost as low as 5-10 rupees. 

No please don't tell me about the deteriorating situation. I know it very well that now it is a curfew like situation in major portion of the state after 10 pm, with police almost forcing shut every dhaba, joint on the roads and lesser traveled roads are barricaded and travelers warned against looters. So what if there are car-jacking, motorcycle-jacking or people are waylaid, it is still better than a few places in the country. I pity the villagers who get up perplexed and do a stock taking exercise around their house to find what was the latest target. Wires, plastic, scrap metal, old papers anything and everything that can fetch a dose makes sense for junkies. Someone even took pains to steal spark-plug out of a motorcycle in Kapurthala probably for dope. 

So what if I don't wear turban, I am still a die-hard Punjabi. And I have a newer version of Beatle's famous 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamond' AKA 'LSD' and it goes like thisUdta Punjab—Jo Vi ho... Sannu Ki'(whatever happens I am not bothered, my Punjab is flying high on ecstasy). 

But still if you want your film to be certified, don't use word 'Punjab'. It gives a wrong impression and I only care about my image. And if it is so I would say after thousands of deaths and lakhs of households ruined you must be joking Mr Nihalani. If abusing or tarnishing image of the state is in question I would like you to go back and watch Delhi Belly once again. Or may be you are scared of loosing job if political bosses are do not like the film.

For those who want to decide for themselves, Please watch the official trailer

International Women's Day--Bollywood Collections

Men in most societies were seen as breadwinners while role of women was restricted to being a good homemaker and a good mother. This applies to women in a highly patriarchal society of India. As societies entered the world of modernization, the role of women changed dramatically. Media played an important role in the modernization of societies and greatly affected the image of women in today’s modern world. A number of researches have been done on the role of women in different societies. However little has been said about the importance of movies in portraying women in shifting roles over different decades and the impact it has on societies in general. Over past decades, Indian cinema has witnessed a significant transformation in the way women are portrayed through movies. Contemporary movies portray women as more independent, confident, and career oriented.

Mother India (1957)

A 1957 Hindi epic melodrama film, directed by Mehboob Khan, Mother India is one film that comes to every mind when thought of top women-oriented films of all time. The film represented India after Independence, being the avant-garde in introducing the woman to her inner strength.

Aandhi (1957)

Suchitra Sen's portrayal of a politician stands unbeaten so far. It's interesting to see how her personality changes with circumstances in the film. The film was banned by the ruling government at that time, but later premiered on television. Yet it enjoyed immense popularity and is considered one of the best films Bollywood has ever made about a woman's choices.

Seeta aur Geeta (1972)

 Hindi comedy, drama film starring Hema Malini in a dual role, and directed by Ramesh Sippy. The story is about identical twins who are separated at birth and grow up with different temperaments. The twins then swap places like The Prince and the Pauper. This theme has been repeated in other movies before and after. However, Hema Malini was at her best and won her only competitive Filmfare Best Actress Award of her career. The film was shown in Soviet Union where it was a success.

Bhumika: The Role (1977)

The film explores the life of a female actor, who starts off as a child artist, and then becomes a successful actor in her prime. Smita Patil gives it all up and becomes a recluse. It was perhaps the first Hindi film that belonged to the New Indian Cinema movement that managed to reach large audiences, and was able to receive a significant release

Arth (1982)

Shabana Azmi plays the role of a loving housewife who's betrayed by her husband for an actress played by Smita Patil. This film is all about her struggle to get back on track and fight against all odds to lead an independent and successful life. It also touches upon the issues of domestic violence faced by the lower strata of the Indian society.

Mirch Masala (1987)

This film is an epic in its own right! It's all about women power and the mental fortitude and courage of a woman to stand up against all odds. This film by Ketan Mehta has power-packed performances by the elite set of actors such as Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil, Deepti Naval and Suresh Oberoi. However, it is Smita Patil's character (Sonbai) that stays on your mind days after watching the film. The famous climax scene is unforgettable, in which the women in the spice mill throw fists full of spice on the Subedar (Naseerudin Shah) as an act of defiance.

Damini (1993)

Meenakshi Sheshadri portrays the story of a woman who fights against her own wealthy family, to give justice to a maid gang raped by her brother-in-law and his friends. She is proved unstable, but yet later emerges to be someone who fights her way out for justice.

Chandni Bar (2001)

Madhur Bhandarkar's Chandni Bar was again the heartwarming story of a sex worker played by Tabu and how she struggles to provide a better lifestyle to her kids, keeping them away from the gritty world of prostitution. Tabu walked away with the national award for best actress.

No One Killed Jessica (2011)

Rani Mukherjee is locked in a passionate embrace but the moment her work-phone beeps, she is ready to leave her lover high and dry and asks him to 'fly solo'. Rani's (Meera Gaity) is a no-nonsense journalist who does yoga at work, smokes non-stop and mouths expletives without thinking twice.

The Dirty Picture (2011)

'Mujhe jo chaiye, uska mazaa sirf raat to aata hai', Vidya Balan tells a blushing Tusshar Kapoor. Vidya's (Silk) is blatant about her sexuality, which almost borders into arrogance. In a country of repressed sexuality, Vidya's role was a breath of fresh air and her cheeky lines were an instant hit. Naturally, the film managed to deliver what it promised- 'Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment.' Vidya also bagged her first National Award with this film.

Kahaani (2012)

Vidya Balan's success story enhanced the status of Bollywood women from a hero's sidekick to centre piece. In her latest film, she portrays a seven-month pregnant lady in search of her missing husband and how she finds him

Queen (2014)

Indian comedy drama film with Kangana Ranaut in the lead role, and Lisa Haydon & Rajkummar Rao playing supporting roles. Rani, an under-confident Punjabi girl from New Delhi embarks on her honeymoon to Paris and Amsterdam by herself after her fiancé calls off their wedding. On her return back to Delhi, Rani visits Vijay at his home and hands him her engagement ring. After saying "thank you", she walks away with a smile on her face. At the 60th Filmfare Awards ceremony, the film won a leading six awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress for Ranaut. At the 62nd National Film Awards ceremony, the film won the Best Hindi Film and Best Actress awards.

Agra Expressway Accident--Smriti Did Her Best

On 5th-6th March intervening midnight, The Union Minister for HRD, Smriti Zubin Irani was somehow involved in a crash on Agra Expressway in which a Doctor died. As per her own narrative on twitter, the minister immediately tried getting help, called up for an ambulance, hoped the doctor who was lying on the road would get well soon and soon left and added that she is safe. The doctor who was injured and was lying on the road unfortunately could not survive. 

For all enquiring re my accident- I'm fine. Thank you for the concern and wishes.

— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) March 5, 2016

There was a pile up of vehicles due to an accident on the expressway. Unfortunately the police vehicle before mine & my car also crashed.

— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) March 5, 2016

Tried to help the injured who were lying on the road for quiet sometime and ensured they reach a hospital. Pray for their safety.

— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) March 5, 2016

Good Samaritan Manoj Chopra and his wife also helped injured citizens. God bless them for their empathy and kindness.

— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) March 5, 2016

All her tweets are from 12.20 midnight to 12.24 denoting that she must have been there anywhere between 5-20 minutes. She must have settled down from her own trauma, then inquired on the accident, calling for help and then finally leaving. 

Medical help must have arrived a few minutes later but the main purpose was lost by then. Any accident is bad and a lost life is an irreparable loss to the family. Doctor's daughter has a different story to tell altogether. According to Sandili Nagar, the injured 16 year old daughter the event flow was a bit different and claims that Smriti Irani's convoy was directly involved in the accident and the minister did not even help. 

Agra: Smriti Irani's convoy rammed into our car,she came out,I begged her for help but she left-Daughter of victim pic.twitter.com/d04zWUvuIO

— ANI (@ANI_news) March 7, 2016

My sister literally pleaded with folded hands to Smriti Irani for help,but she did not stop-Abhishek,son of victim pic.twitter.com/ez7Mgi6zaf

— ANI (@ANI_news) March 7, 2016

Accusations apart the accident is a reminder of an ironical situation that prevails on 165 km long Taj Expressway. It is a 6 lane concrete highway designed for speeds. It has all the facilities that a stretch like this should have. High speed is regulated to 100 kmph for cars rest have to travel at 60 kmph. However the road is often used to test speed limits of cars/motorcycles of various sizes and horse-powers. A friend long back boasted of 250 to me. 

Aghast I was as slow moving 2 wheelers are often spotted darting at their own pace. whether or not Smriti Zubin Irani was callous in her approach the blame squarely goes onto the authorities who allow scooters and motor cycles on that road. It is indeed too dangerous for them and time and again they have been the sitting ducks. 

Similar to the expressway there is a road between Mumbai & Pune which completely bans any kind of 2 wheels on the road. good for them atleast few less casualties. Do whatever, face local unrest if need be and convince the toll operator that price of a life far outweighs the toll collected from them. 

This would be the first step in reducing accidents on such a prestigious stretch.

PARIS ATTACK: FRANCE TARGETED ONCE AGAIN!

Most westerners know that Islamist extremists would love to strike a blow at its heart. But few are so tantalising a target as Paris.

Why?

The answer is that France is fighting jihadists all over the world; and has one of the largest Muslim populations in Europe – and arguably the most divided society. It also has a steady stream of guns pouring in from across continental Europe's porous borders. It is a potent, explosive mix – as shown by the Charlie Hebdo attacks of January, and now the Paris shootings.

"This is for Syria," one of the Paris attackers reportedly said. But he could have said it was for Mali, or Libya, or Iraq.

Indeed, France takes pride in its proactive stance against Islamists worldwide, especially in the face of what is frequently seen as British and American retreat. Over 10,000 French troops are currently deployed abroad – over 3,000 in Western Africa, 2,000 in Central, and 3,200 in Iraq.

French intervention in Mali, against al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, in 2013 was seen as pivotal in the weakening of the jihadi group. A fortnight ago a leader of an AQIM affiliate urged his followers to attack France in retaliation for their presence in the region.

And last week President Francois Hollande announced that France will deploy an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf to assist the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq the Levant (Isil), setting him on a collision course with the Islamist leaders.

A key problem, however, is internal.

The feelings of isolation and exclusion can be overwhelming, with few high profile Muslim role models in business or politics. France's stridently secular state, the banning of the burka and the power of the Front National have not helped to ease tensions between communities.

Mohamed Merah, the Toulouse shooter of 2012, grew up in a tough suburb of paris, began as a small-time delinquent, was sent to prison, and emerged a hardened jihadi with "meaning" in life.

Mehdi Nemouche, author of the May 2014 murder of four people in Brussels, was also radicalised in prison – travelling to Syria when he was freed and then coming back to attack the Jewish museum.

Chérif Kouachi and Amedy Coulibaly both followed a similar trajectory of lack of opportunity, descent into criminality, prison and radicalisation.

Inside France's prisons, 70 per cent of the inmates are estimated to be Muslims – by law, France cannot ask a person to state their religion, so official data is unavailable. In England and Wales, by comparison, Muslims account for 14 per cent of the prison population, according to Home Office statistics, and five per cent of the population nationwide.

In the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attacks The Telegraph reported how France was struggling with radicalisation inside its prisons, and unlike Britain had very few Imams to enter the cells, and limited de-radicalisation programmes. In April Rachida Dati, the former justice minister and now a special rapporteur on radicalisation, told this paper that France was not doing enough to fight the power of Islamist radicals behind bars.

And another constant source of concern for the French authorities is the ease with which weapons can be trafficked into France.

Belgium has long struggled with illegal arms; it is believed the Charlie Hebdo attackers sourced their weapons there. The Balkans are also favoured shopping destinations; the years of conflict there during the Balkan Wars have left the region awash with cheap, nondescript weapons.

The result is a powder keg atmosphere. And French were not completely unaware of the fact.

Diwali & Delhi: Pollution Woes

Cool or uncool the capital will not stop indulging in the extreme means to show offs. More so, on Diwali night when many households vie for the loudest and the longest running fire-shows. Oh—who cares for fumes, which are the most hazardous by-products along with high decibels. This year too the air quality in the Capital deteriorated alarmingly on Diwali night as pollution levels spiked as much as 23 times higher than normal in areas.

Delhi Pollution Control Committee while monitoring found out that the Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), which directly affects breathing, has gone up by over 23 times from the national ambiance air quality standard at Anand Vihar. At 11pm, PM10 was recorded at

2,308 microgram per cubic meter (mpcm) while the prescribed standard is 100mpcm. PM2.5, for which the prescribed standard is 60mpcm, also touched an alarming high at 619mpcm at midnight in this heavily polluted area in East Delhi. Rest of the capital was a little better in terms of extreme readings.

Every year, the pollution figures start to increase around 6 pm on the day of Diwali, tend to peak between 10 pm & midnight and remain unhealthy till about 6 am the next day. Experts say these particulate matters which are way above the permissible limit are extremely dangerous for people suffering from asthma and other respiratory and cardiac problems, and also for children and the elderly.

Ironical it is when National Green Tribunal is working overtime to ensure clean air supply to our lungs, we will keep on feeling the aftereffects of such frenzy show-offs for few days to come. I will not be surprised if next time around the tribunal orders ban on crackers in Delhi. On second thought, whole country needs clean air. LET US BAN FIRECRACKER PRODUCTION ALL-TOGETHER

Till then those with heart and lung diseases, it is better to stay indoors.

Ludhiana School, Live Cartridges Haul may not be Punjab Terror Revival

Call it the Independence Day effect or the beefing up of security operations, 265 live cartridges found next to a Ludhiana school will raise many eyebrows. Especially when the school happens to be the Kundav Vidya Mandir in the city’s high security area of civil lines.

Security agencies have become alert ever since the news broke and are doing their share of investigations. The suspicious bag left by the side of the school bag contained bullets meant to be used in a wide variety of weapons including AK 47. Surely this kind of cache recovered days before the nation celebrates its independence day needs to be taken seriously.

This also has an added significance as it comes about a fortnight from Gurdaspur attack by terrorists from Pakistan. On July 27 2015, 3 gunmen dressed in army uniforms took siege in Dinanagar police station after spreading terror in nearby areas. 3 civilians and 4 policemen including superintendent of police lost their lives in on that day. All gunmen were killed after a day-long operations and the area was sanitised subsequently.

A few days later a similar kind of scare was revisited when local villagers near Pathankot reportedly saw gunmen moving around in suspicious manner. Search operations followed without any fruits.

The questions are many and so would be the reasons and arbitrary logics. Firstly is Punjab going back to the days of terror? In my opinion not probably… as in Dinanagar attack was a very peculiar one. If one goes by the clues out in the news, the place terrorists crossed border was one of the easiest routes across to India. The crossing point is equidistant from Jammu and Dinanagar. Recent trends indicates heightened terror activities in and around Jammu region. Though remote, there is a possibility that despite GPS assistance, the 3 Pakistani gunmen strayed eastwards touching Gurdaspur Pathankot highway rather than going northwards on to the Pathankot-Jammu Highway right on to the border of J&K. The reason I say so is the fact most of us would have experienced straying off-course while relying on GPS. Even I did a terrible blunder while travelling from Abu to Jaipur, it resulted in a horrible situation in the middle of night. I ended up 20 odd kms off from the expected track about couple of years back.

As far as Pathankot goes it happens to be one of the biggest military cantonments in the area. Hailing from the same region I can vouch for similar kind of army movements, which can raise suspicion. Or it could be a genuine terrorist movement trying to entre J&K from the other side of the state via north Punjab and Himachal route. Nothing can be surely said till the time one finds real answers to this particular scare.

I call myself inherently optimistic with extreme patience, sometimes even exasperating for people and believe in giving benefit of doubt to all till proven guilty. On the same lines I attribute the Ludhiana school bullet haul as a desperate dumping of someone’s terrorism days possession amidst all the security concerns in the state fearing police action. One definite clue would be to ascertain the age of the live cartridges recovered outside Ludhiana school.

I might be proven wrong in all these cases, but this is my gut feeling and it might be true in all senses.  And if so, then there is hardly anything for Punjab to worry as such. However, for J&K it might not be a great situation, they would remain in deep shit for longer if it is so.