Hi friends,

As we all know, flash cards or notes are very good for practice of recall. Flash cards/notes mean the question and answer are written in different pages so that when we look at a question, we do not see its answer and can practise recall easily. And after we recall, we can then look at the answer page to verify how correctly we could recall our answer. This recall process is very, very good for remembering details as well as for gaining a better conceptual clarity. For those of you, who want to know more about the importance of recall (and how to create flash notes on paper notebooks), please read this post:

Brahmacharya (celibacy) during bachelor life and other important study skills (February 7, 2009)

I used to use Anki software in the past for creating flash notes, but I did not feel fully in control of the notes while using this software. And hence, was reflecting over how to create flash cards/notes in Microsoft Word. I got the clue now. Here is the process (if needed, feel free to tweak it a bit to suit it more to your particular needs or whimsies): open this doc first so that you can understand the method easily.

1. Write a question. And then, do ctrl + Enter to insert a page break.
2. You will be in the next page now. Write answer to the question in this page (and subsequent pages if needed).
3. Keep on repeating above steps for as many questions as you want.
4. Now, your flash notes/cards is ready. When you read your question, your answer will not be visible as it is in the next page. And once you practise recall for the answer mentally (for objective/”short-answer” questions) or in writing (for subjective/”long answer” questions), you should go to the next page by pressing “page down” key and then, verify how accurately you could recall the answer. Keep on doing this for all questions in the Word notebook.

This was just a basic level of flash cards/notes. To make it more effective, have a categorization similar to the following:

p1 category – extremely important
p2 category – very important
p3 category – important

In the beginning, all the questions should be marked as p3 (important). Why? Because increasing the grade of a question in future is easier and more accurate to do than decreasing the grade of a question. So, if you put all your questions in p1 category (extremely important) category in the very beginning, your eventual categorization into p1, p2 and p3 would not be very good due to this psychological reason. So, mark them all as p3 in the beginning.

Now, as you revise the questions, you will have some clue on some questions being more important than others. Promote them to higher grading category like p2 or p1. Thus, you will have a good priority wise categorization with time. This will help you when you have very little time left before exams as you will then revise only p1 or p2 questions (of course, when you have enough time, you should revise all p1, p2 and p3 questions).

But, there is one more issue to consider. Two questions belonging to the same category, say p1, may not be equally difficult or easy for you. What to do if you find a question more difficult for you to remember. Do the following:

• Suppose that category p1 has 4 questions. During revision, you were able to answer questions 1 and 2 very easily. But, then you faced difficulty in answering question 3. So, copy question 3 and its answer pages and paste them at the very top of your p1 section. Now, question 3 becomes question 1, question 1 becomes question 2 and question 2 becomes question 3. This way all the questions that you find difficult will be moved to the top regions of p1 category – do the same for p2 and p3 category questions. This will ensure that the next time you revise, you find all the difficult questions in the very beginning so that you can pay more attention in mastering them and thus, earn good scores in exams.

Thus, you have taken care of two vital aspects of right prioritization and right difficulty-management approach both together using the suggested methodology.

Sorry, Anki – you served me well in last 1 year, but now, I will move to this “Microsoft Word” based flash cards/notes technique as it is more flexible and extensible.

Do share this cool technique with your friends also (just like I did with you) so that you can earn more punya (merit) points for a bright heavenly future

Thanks,
Gopal

Note: I have taken the final decision with a clear mind to exhaust my 2 attempts at UPSC and in case, I get an IAS rank, join it to get an administrative experience of 1-2 years (just to see how much improvements I can bring upon the existing system using all top-class management techniques I have gathered and will continue to gather in future as well) and then to switch back to original vision of fulltime social and political work (total 5 years spent on all this) to do the actual mass-scale transformative work in social and political fields. The reasons behind this are many – some strong childhood craving for cracking civil services with a good rank; knowledge growth; networking with bureaucrats of my generations and some executive experience. I will not disappoint myself in quantity and quality of efforts – rest, the results is left to the grace of God and good wishes of you all. Please pray for my success.

Hi friends,

Since last 1 week, I had been seriously ruminating over the idea to exhaust my 2 remaining attempts at UPSC in 2012 and 2013 after returning to India by end of this year. Not that I am fond of administrative job – my actual goals are only the following (as mentioned in “About me” page):

1. To have the spiritual experience of Nirvikalpa Samadhi like Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda and other sages.
2. To contribute my utmost to social reforms in fields of education, health-care, gender equality, caste-free society, brahmacharya during student life, human values and healthy/functional families.
3. To clean up the politics of India thoroughly through a new political party along with like-minded people and to establish a new model of politically conscious sannyasa (Sarvodaya Sannyas), whose aim will be to give India intellectually and spiritually evolved politicians for centuries and hopefully millenia to come. I consider Chanakya, Shiva Ji, Guru Govind Singh Ji, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Bhagat Singh and his comrades, Subhas Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi as my role-models in this political mission.

Why did this idea came to my mind? Reasons may include some or all of the following at conscious and subconscious levels (it is not so easy to analyze our subconscious motivations correctly):

Possible positive reasons:

1. Desire to learn and develop general knowledge level through civil services preparation because many times, we find that under exam pressure, our learning motivation is high. But, I do not think that this applies to a person like me who spends almost 90% of his free time in learning through studies of books, internet and other materials. I can always use IAS toppers’ blogs to get the reading list for general knowledge topics (many of them are writing their personal blogs.) for all kinds of subjects like geography, public administration, sociology, history, economics, etc.
2. Desire to join civil services to get few years’ experience and then, quit to jump into politics with the advantage of the administrative experience. (But, I find my management skills and strategic intelligence so high now that I can figure out brilliant ideas by studying the situation objectively from a distance also – this is also the reason why people like Nitish Kumar, Narendra Modi, Bill Clinton, F. D. Roosevelt, etc. proved themselves to be highly competent leaders without any bureaucratic experience.)

Possible negative reasons:

1. Desire to prove to myself (and others) that I am capable of cracking UPSC with a good rank.
2. Fear of starting something from scratch almost all alone after starting fulltime public life in India – so, using UPSC exams as a temporary escape route (temporary because eventually I will end up in fulltime public life sooner or later).

Anyway, the option 1 of preparing for civil services 2012 & 2013 have following pros & cons:

Pros:

1. Will gain a good level of knowledge on general studies topics like economics, political science, geography, history, etc.
2. Testing of all self-study and time-management techniques that I have learnt and developed so far in USA (and before that in India also) – various articles in this blog already explain 80% of them.

Cons:

1. Very few people have done such in-depth study of human mind which I have been doing whole life. The self-help book that I can write after returning to India will be the most singular contribution to society on my part. Then, the vision of “Sarvodaya Sannyas” is also something which I cannot expect anyone else to establish. And all these things are big projects requiring lots of efforts. So, is it fine to distract myself for around 5 years or so in UPSC preparation and a bureaucratic career of 2-3 years?
2. Bureaucracy has never been my goal once I understood that the political system is responsible for creating dysfunctions in our bureaucracy also. And fixing political system is such a complex task that every year of my life counts in how much I can contribute to the successful fuition of this task.
3. Whether I join political system after resigning from my current job or I do so after resigning from a bureaucratic job, the factors of “facing the scepticism from many others, facing the strong turbulence of challenging circumstances that always adorn the life of pioneers, getting opposition from family members, etc.” will always be there. So, there is no gain at all at psychological level also if my final goal is fixing the dysfunctions of India’s political system through a fulltime public life.
4. Civil services is more a testing of one’s strategic intelligence, communication skills, perseverance and a bit of luck. My strategic intelligence and perseverance levels have gone beyond the need for any more testing – and I think, my communication skills will be much better and more usefully tested in the most challenging tasks of rallying around the masses of India for the requisite socio-political reforms rather than in answering questions of civil services mains and interviews.

It is possible that I may not have listed any other pros and cons of “resign from job in 2012/2013, prepare for civil services bureaucratic career for 2-3 years -> go into politics” or “resign from job in Dec 2012 and directly go into politics” – you are most welcome to point to them. So, please give your suggestions/conclusions on which path I should go and why? I have no problem of perseverance and challenge-facing courage (and my overall mental ability is also at the best that I have ever had). So, I am competent for executing either of the two plans efficiently. Keeping this in mind, feel free to give your suggestions/conclusions below in “Comment Section”?

Thanks,
Gopal

Year 2010 was a year of glorious success in boosting my typing speed to 65 words per min when I learnt touch-typing (how to type using 10 fingers). Touch-typing is gentle on hands as well as eyes, as the amount of space one’s fingers have to move gets minimized and one need not watch the keyboard while typing (In fact, one watches the computer screen while typing using 10 fingers after getting habituated to it).

If you have been looking for an optimal technique to learn touch-typing (10-finger typing), look no more. Here is one technique developed comprehensively based on column-based mnemonics-aided lessons. Enjoy the journey to touch-typing (10-finger typing) in a breezy manner by following this technique and share it with others also.

Thanks,
Gopal
Doc link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16wkMLu9_SD7eTMeKV4nWqwJgGQLxNae6e_Rcqs-bGpA/edit?hl=en_US
Doc embedded below:

Hi friends,

I have created a facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_171019886288296 to discuss means and ways to improve Jan Lokpal Bill. This is one of the historic works for our country. The facebook group has email notification and other features for discussing and voting for an idea. It is quite decent.

I will spend all my weekends and other free time from now onward till July 30 (deadline for draft committee to finalize the bill) and will also try my best to take 2-3 weeks vacation from company to do the best possible efforts in finding ways and means to improve the long-term effectiveness of this important bill.

If you have time and interest, please join the facebook group (you need to have a facebook account to do that – if you don’t have, creating this is just 1-2 min work). This is a serious invitation to serious people only for a very important purpose. Feel free to invite your friends also.

Thanks,
Gopal

Hi friends,

Many of us want to see a caste-free society in our country, a dream envisioned by greats like Mahatma Buddha, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Narayan Guru, Baba Ambedkar, etc. Social, economic and political situations are helpful now to work for caste-free society. The top-level intelligentsia of the country is already ready for a caste-free society. And so is our spiritual class. Since most great ideas spread to society from either our intelligentsia or spiritual class, sooner or later we can hope that there will be a great support for a caste-free society among common man also.

But, there is one big road-block in working for caste-free society. And that is caste-based reservations in jobs and even at the level of electoral constituencies. For example, in some regions, only people of a particular caste-group can fight for elections. All these were done by our political class partly due to short-sightedness, partly due to vote-bank politics and partly due to lack of devotion to a caste-free society. And these caste-based reservations will prove to be a great challenge for reformers of present times as they stand as a complete anti-thesis of what the vision of caste-free society stands for. Caste-free society means a society free from all kinds of caste-based identities and caste-consciousness. Caste-based reservations, caste-based surnames and caste-based organizations do nothing but perpetuate caste-identity as well as caste-consciousness.

True votaries of caste-free society are always opposed to all these three: caste-based reservations, caste-based surnames and caste-based organizations. It will take many decades to do away with all these three. In fact, a caste-free society cannot be enforced; it can be only created from within through transformation. For dealing with caste-based surnames and organizations, we have to start with ourselves:

1. My friends like Jitendra have legally removed caste-based surname – these people stand as a role-model for all. We should surely encourage everyone to remove caste-based surname and never to give them to next generation.
2. Also, we should never associate with any caste-based organization.
3. “I believe in a caste-free society.” and “Humanity is my only caste.” – these quotes should be used by us strongly whenever anyone start caste-related talk before us. This will help a lot in spreading the vision of caste-free society

But, caste-free reservations in jobs and electoral constituencies are a part of our constitution. The majority among the framers of our constitution were believers of caste-system, but they wanted to remove caste-based discrimination. So, their basic notion was let the caste-system remain or let it go away with time, but we should not allow caste-based discrimination. Our constitution outlaws all kinds of caste-based discrimination which is a great thing. But, unfortunately our leaders of freedom struggle were not idealistic and far-sighted enough to firmly believe in a caste-free society. So, unwittingly, reservation based on caste was added in our constitution itself with a naive corollary that caste-based reservations will remain in effect only for the first 10 years of the adoption of the constitution – what a foresight! Now, the price of the short-sightedness of that generation has to be paid by the reformers of our times who want to work for a caste-free society.

It is true that lots of crimes have been done in the name of caste in the past centuries. But, that is the very reason why the votaries of caste-free society want to do away with the caste-system itself. Two wrongs do not make a right. Considering oneself a high-caste person and feeling proud is as much narrow as considering oneself a low-caste person and asking for special benefits in the name of discrimination of the past centuries. What is required is asking and working for an equal-opportunity society and not for caste-based reservations.

It is true that kids born to poor families do not get the same amount of opportunity as kids born to the relatively well-off families. It is also true that the educational and economic infrastructure of rural and tribal regions is much less developed than urban areas. So, caste-based reservations should be replaced by some other mechanism which can mitigate these grave inequities without perpetuating caste-identity and hence, posing an impediment to caste-free society. What can be these measures? Let me list the following:

1. If kids belong to poor families and hence, are not getting good nutrition hampering their learning and development, let them be provided with 4 time nutritious meals in school itself.
2. If kids belong to poor families and hence, are not getting a good environment to do self-studies due to lack of good space or family troubles, let them be provided with library-cum-study rooms attached to schools which will be open from morning till late night (say 8 am to 12 am) 7 days a week.
3. Let the kids born to poor families be provided with all the necessities of student life like books, school bags, etc. and free health-care services by government.

One may say that these are good measures, but not actionable in present times. But, what is good must be achieved through sincere efforts rather than being explained away as not actionable in present times. Action and not talk determine who we are as individuals, families and nations. It is very important to understand that people who are in a dysfunctional state either due to their own wrong deeds or due to wrong deeds of their parents or due to wrong deeds of others expect and need help. The only thing that this article is suggesting is that let that help be given in a way such that it does not stand as an impediment in the establishment of a caste-free society for the caste is an outdated and regressive legacy of our not-so-honorable national past and must be relegated to the dust-bin of history for ever.

Still, in the immediate sense, caste-based reservation is a reality and we can start only from where we stand now. So, the immediate first step for doing away with caste-based reservation seems to be the combination of one or more of below options:

We should aim to set the criteria of reservations based on economic factors. Even now, the majority of our people are poor. Let us keep the reservation percentage same, but let us persuade the masses to support the reservation based on economic criteria like annual family income being less than a certain number. The creamy layer among so-called backward castes will surely oppose this move in the name of injustice to their castes because of their selfish interests, but we can expose these elements’ selfishness through concerted efforts because the people belonging to the non-creamy, poor layer rather than creamy layer is still the majority in our country and they need to be awakened that the alternate mechanism of “economic criteria”-based reservation rather than caste-based reservation is in their supreme interests.

So, in essence, we have to work for replacing caste-based reservation by “economic criteria”-based reservation. It will require awakening among the poor, but it is certainly actionable if we make enormous efforts. If we fail in doing so, in another few decades, the masses will have developed such a strong attachment to their caste-identity that caste-free vision will have to wait for a few millenia like it has waited since last 2500 years, the time of Buddha. So, gird up your loins for this is our time to make the future of our country, by taking forward the best from our past and leaving the worse things of our past for ever. This is the time to prove that there are still people who can work for great ideals with supreme level of zest and devotion. We must not miss this opportunity to work for a caste-free society and hence, fulfill the dreams of our greats like Mahatma Buddha, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Narayan Guru and Baba Ambedkar.

Comments are warmly invited on this.

Thanks,
Gopal

What do you think about the issues raised in this article? Please post your comments below:

Ref: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-openpage/article1762947.ece

Yes, you read it right; to hell with the World Cup; to hell with the celebrations; to hell with all the free land and money being showered by different governments on the players. How can I jump, scream, have gallons of beer and cheer for the nation when a few kilometres away the farmers and feeders of my country are taking their own lives in hordes?

Do you know that, on average, 47 farmers have been committing suicide every single day in the past 16 years in our shining India — the next economic power, progressive with nine per cent growth?

Last month, on March 5, Friday evening, when Bangalore’s watering holes were getting filled up, when all the DJs were blaring out deafening music, when we were busy discussing India’s chances at the World Cup, sitting in CCDs and Baristas — just 100 km away from Bangalore, Swamy Gowda and Vasanthamma, a young farmer couple, hanged themselves, leaving their three very young children to fend for themselves or, most likely, die of malnutrition.

Why did they do it? Were they fighting? No. Were they drunkards? No. Did they have incurable diseases? No! Then WHY? Because they were unable to repay a loan of Rs 80,000 (a working IT couple’s one month salary? 2-3 months EMI?) for years, which had gradually increased to Rs. 1.2 lakh. Because they knew that now they would never be able to pay it back. Because they were hurt. Hurt by our government which announced a huge reduction in import duty for silk in this year’s budget (from 30 per cent to 5 per cent).They were struggling silk farmers and instead of help from the government, they get this! Decrease in import duty means the markets will now be flooded with cheap Chinese silk (as everything else!) and our own farmers will be left in the lurch.

On average, 17,000 farmers have been committing suicide every year, for the past 15 years on the trot. Can you believe it? Most of us wouldn’t know this fact. Why? Because, our great Indian media, the world’s biggest media, are not interested in reporting this! Why? Because they are more interested in covering fashion week extravaganzas. They are more interested in ‘why team India was not practising when Pakistanis were sweating it out in stadium on the eve of the match?’ They are more interested in Poonam Pandey.

The media are supposed to be the third eye of democracy and also called the fourth estate, but now they have become real estate. Pure business.

So any attention from the media is out of the question. Who is left then? The government? But we all know how it works. The other day, I was passing by Vidhan Soudha in Bangalore and happened to read the slogan written at the entrance, “Government work is god’s work”. Now I know why our government has left all its work to god!

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa announced plots for all the players. But land? In Bangalore? You must be kidding, Mr. C.M.. So he retracts and now wants to give money. But where will it come from? Taxes, yours and mine. Don’t the poor farmers need the land or money more than those players who are already earning in crores?

A government-owned bank will give you loan at six per cent interest rate if you are buying a Mercedes but if a poor farmer wants to buy a tractor, do you know how much it is charging him? Fifteen per cent! Look at the depths of inequality. Water is Rs. 15 a litre and a SIM card is for free! For how long can we bite the hand that is feeding us? The recent onion price fiasco was just a trailer. Picture abhi baaki hai doston!

In 2008, Lakme India fashion show venue was in a Mumbai five-star hotel and was covered by 500 journalists and the theme was ‘Cotton’. A few hours drive from there, cotton farmers were committing suicide, 4 or 5, everyday! How many TV journalists covered this? Zero!

Sixty-seventy per cent of India’s population is living on less than Rs. 20 a day. A bottle of Diet coke for us? The electricity used in a day-night match could help a farmer irrigate his fields for more than a few weeks! Do you know that loadshedding is also class dependent? Two hours in metros, 4 in towns and 8 in villages. Now, who needs electricity more? A farmer to look after his crop day and night, irrigate, pump water and use machines or a few bored, young professionals with disposable incomes, to log on to Facebook and watch IPL?

How can we splurge thousands on our birthday parties and zoom past in our AC vehicles and sit in cushy chairs in our AC offices and plan a weekend trip to Coorg when on the way, in those small villages, just a few minutes’ walk from the roads, someone might be consuming pesticide or hanging himself from a tree for just Rs.10, 000? How can we?

There was much panic when there was swine flu. Every single death in the country was reported second by second, minute by minute. Why? Because it directly affected our salaried, ambitious, tech-savvy, middle-class. So there were masks, special relief centres, enquiry centres set up by government to please this section. On the other hand, 47 people are dying, every single day for the past 15 years. Anybody cared to do anything?

It has been observed that within months of a farmer taking his life, his wife follows, either by poisoning the kids first or leaving them on their own. In Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, a distressed woman farmer went to the government seed shop, bought a bottle of pesticide, on credit, went home and drank it. She was under debt for most of her life and now — even her death was on credit!

Centuries ago, there was a Roman emperor, called Nero. He was a strong ruler and also very fond of parties, art, poetry, drinking and a life full of pleasures. Once he decided to organise a grand party and invited all poets, writers, dancers, painters, artists, intellectuals and thinkers of society. Everybody was having a great time eating, drinking, laughing, and socialising. The party was at its peak when it started getting dark. Nero wanted the party to go on. So he ordered and got all the arrested criminals, who were in his jails, around the garden and put them on fire! Burnt them alive, so that there was enough light for the guests to keep on enjoying! The guests had a gala time though they knew the cost of their enjoyment. Now, what kind of conscience those guests had?

Nero’s guests

What is happening in our country is not different from Nero’s party. We, the middle-class-young-well-earning-mall-hopping-IPL-watching and celebrating-junta are Nero’s guests enjoying at the cost of our farmers. Every budget favours the already rich. More exemptions are being given to them at the cost of grabbing the land of our farmers in the name of SEZs, decrease in import duties in the name of neo-liberal policies, increase in the loan interest rates if the product is not worth lakhs and crores. Yes, that’s what we are, Nero’s guests!

I’m not against celebrations. I’m not against cricket. I’m not against World Cup. I would be the first person to scream, celebrate and feel proud of any of India’s achievements but, only if all fellow countrymen, farmers, villagers also stand with me and cheer; only if they do not take their own lives ruthlessly, only if there is no difference between interest rates for a Mercedes and a tractor. That would be the day I also zoom past on a bike, post-Indian win, with an Indian Flag in hand and screaming Bharat Mata Ki Jai. But no, not today. Not at the cost of my feeders. Until then, this is what I say. To hell with your malls. To hell with your IPL. To hell with your World Cup. And to hell with your celebrations.

(The writer’s email is: naren.singh.shekhawat@ gmail.com)

On average, 47 farmers have been committing suicide every single day in the past 16 years in our shining India

Once upon a time, in a nation corruption was at its zenith and then ….

Ref: http://www.icac.org.hk/new_icac/eng/abou/history/main_2.html

Corruption on the Rampage. Hong Kong was in a state of rapid change in the 1960s and 70s. The massive growth in population and fast expansion of the manufacturing industry accelerated the pace of social and economic development. The Government, while maintaining social order and delivering the bare essentials in housing and other services, was unable to meet the insatiable needs of the swelling population. This provided a fertile environment for the unscrupulous. Many people had to take the “backdoor route” simply to earn a living and secure other than basic services. “Tea money”, “black money”, “hell money” – whatever its name – became not only familiar to many Hong Kong people, but accepted with resignation as a necessary way of life.

The Victims. Corruption was rampant in the public sector. Ambulance crews would demand tea money before picking up a sick person. Even hospital amahs asked for “tips” before giving patients a bedpan or a glass of water. Offering bribes to the right officials was also necessary when applying for public housing, schooling and other public services. Corruption was particularly serious in the Police Force. Corrupt police officers offered protection to vice, gambling and drug activities. Law and order was under threat. Many in the community had fallen victim to corruption. And yet, they swallowed their anger. (Does not it read like what our own country, India, has been facing in last 6 decades? Read on…)

Community Backlash. Corruption had become a major social problem in Hong Kong, but the Government at the time seemed powerless to deal with it. The community’s patience was running thin and more and more people began to vent their anger on the Government’s futile attempts at tackling the problem. In the early 70s, a new and potent force of public opinion emerged. People pressed incessantly for the Government to take decisive action to fight graft. Public resentment escalated to new heights when a corrupt expatriate police officer under investigation was able to flee Hong Kong. The case proved to be the last straw.

Last straw. Controlling assets of over HK$4.3 million, Peter Godber, a Chief Police Superintendent, was under investigation in 1973. It was suspected that his unearned wealth had been obtained from corrupt means. But Godber managed to slip out of the territory undetected during the week given to him by the Attorney General to explain the source of his assets. Godber’s escape unleashed a public outcry. Students spearheaded a mass rally in Victoria Park, protesting and condemning the Government for failing to tackle the corruption problem. Demanding prompt government action, protesters with slogans like “Fight Corruption, Arrest Godber” insisted that Godber be extradited to stand trial.

Answering the Call In response to mounting public demand, the Government was quick to take action. Following Godber’s escape on June 8, 1973, Sir Alastair Blair-Kerr, a Senior Puisne Judge, was appointed to form a Commission of Inquiry into Godber’s escape. He compiled two reports. The first detailed the circumstances of Godber’s escape. In his Second Report, Sir Alastair pointed out that “responsible bodies generally feel that the public will never be convinced that Government really intends to fight corruption unless the Anti-Corruption Office is separated from the Police…” In the wake of the Blair-Kerr reports, the then Governor Sir Murray MacLehose articulated for an independent anti-corruption organisation in a speech delivered to the Legislative Council in October 1973.

Decisive Action. “I think the situation calls for an organisation, led by men of high rank and status, which can devote its whole time to the eradication of this evil.” Sir Murray told legislators. “A further and conclusive argument is that public confidence is very much involved. Clearly the public would have more confidence in a unit that is entirely independent, and separated from any department of the Government, including the Police.” Many in the community sensed the wind of change at this time. They started to see the Government setting the stage for the birth of an effective anti-corruption regime.

The Birth of ICAC. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was established in February 1974. Since its inception, the Commission has been committed to fighting corruption using a three-pronged approach of law enforcement, prevention and education. The ICAC’s first important task was to bring Godber to justice. In early 1975, Godber was extradited from England to stand trial. The charges were a conspiracy offence and one of accepting bribes. Godber was found guilty on both counts and sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. Godber’s extradition and prosecution were an unmistakable statement of ICAC’s determination and resolve to eradicate corruption. It was this landmark case that kicked off a new start against corruption and the beginning of a quiet revolution.

You can know more about ICAC at its official website: http://www.icac.org.hk/. In case you are wondering, how much dent did ICAC caused to the problem of corruption in Hong Kong, here is the latest Transparency International report. ref: http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2010/results

Hong Kong has been ranked as the 13th most honest country in the world with score of 8.4 out of 10. Whereas India has been ranked as 87th most honest country in the world with score of 3.3 out of 10. To understand more the meaning of score of 3.3/10 that our country, India, has been given, please note down the following data (ref: http://www.millionface.com/l/is-india-a-poor-country-revelation-on-swiss-bank-accounts/):

Black money in Swiss banks — Swiss Banking Association report, 2006 details bank deposits in the territory of Switzerland by nationals of following countries:

Top five
India—- $1,456 billion
Russia —$ 470 billion
UK ——-$390 billion
Ukraine – $100 billion
China —–$ 96 billion

Now do the maths – India with $1456 billion or $1.4 trillion has more money in Swiss banks than rest of the world combined.

This is what has been going on in India in last 6 decades – the most shameless and degraded people entered our political system to plunder the country whereas our wretched intelligentsia and spiritual class could not find any time from their relentless pursuit of personal pleasure and personal salvation respectively to bother about savage political ruin of the country.

Time to wake up now. It is now or never. It is do or die for us – we have suffered for 6 decades. Enough now. If Hong Kong can do this, why can India not do this? Support “India against Corruption” movement spearheaded by Sri Anna Hazare which aims to bring Jan Lokpal bill which will create the institution of Lokpal in India similar to ICAC of Hong Kong – a totally independent, anti-corruption agency which will have power to prosecute the corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and businessman and will have the selection procedure to bring the most honest people in it. The Jan Lokpal Bill calls for setting up Lokpal and Lokayuktas (in states) independent of government control. In the activists’ version, investigation in any case will have to be completed in one year, and punishment would be a jail term of minimum 5 years and maximum of life imprisonment. The government’s version recommends a prison term of minimum 6 months and maximum 7 years as punishment for corruption. To read a detailed comparison of Government proposed “protect the corrupt” Lokpal bill and Jan Lokpal bill, please read this link: http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/doc/how_will_civil_society_s_lokpal_bill_curb_corruption.pdf.

It is time to do or die to bring Jan Lokpal bill into existence so that the corrupt get punished for their anti-national deeds and India becomes free from the stench of corruption to a considerable extent. Decades from now, people will say the same thing about India then: “Once upon a time, in a nation corruption was at its zenith and then ….” – the public rose and forced the parliament to bring Lok Janpal bill and then, the corruption reached the nadir in that nation soon (with scores of corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen sent to jail and their ill-gotten wealth confiscated back to get used for public welfare).

Time for action. Send this post to all your friends and share it on online forums – the story of Hong Kong will surely inspire us to strengthen their devotion to “India against corruption” movement more and more.

Amen (Be it so)!

Jai Hind,
Gopal

Hi friends,

Corruption has been the biggest hurdle to India’s development in last 6 decades. It has been institutionalized into our entire administrative and political setup. It has severely eroded the ability of our democratic institutions to work to their best potential and has completely undermined the supreme sacrifices made to free our country from the thraldom of the British empire.

Fear and greed are two biggest motivators for human mind. They can be channelized towards darkness (tamas), passion (rajas) as well as illumination (sattwa). Dark greed of our politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen can be dealt only by using a big stick of fear of strict punishment. It is not that the corrupt in our country feel any pangs of a guilty conscience. They rather feel proud of their misdeeds and want to continue looting the country as much as humanly possible for them. This is pure darkness (tamas) and the most shameful thing is that such dark (tamasic) people have been our political leaders for last 6 decades and have occupied our august parliament and assemblies. This only shows that we, as a nation, have utterly failed in learning the painful lessons that the history taught us regarding our political duties. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And exactly this has happened in post-independence India. Again the political unconsciousness of our intelligentsia, common man and spiritual class came to the fore. Common man has been busy with survival – so, they can be forgiven. But, what our wretched intelligentsia and spiritual class have been doing in last 6 decades regarding such deep political weaknesses of our country! The former are too busy with career, spouse and children and the latter are too busy with personal salvation to care about the political ruin of the country through deeply infested malaise of corruption. Cowardice and selfishness are not the adornments of true humans – they do not befit us. They make us worse than even the insects of gutter who are also capable of living for themselves.

It is time to do or die. It is time to wake up and do our political duties at all costs to remove the cancer of corruption from the body politic of our dear motherland.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lokpal – please read the following to understand what has been going in our country in last 60 years:

The first Lokpal Bill was passed in the 4th Lok Sabha in 1969 but could not get through in Rajya Sabha, subsequently, Lokpal bills were introduced in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and in 2008, yet they were never passed and its pending. [1][2]

The Lokpal Bill provides for filing complaints of corruption against the prime minister, other ministers, and MPs with the ombudsman. The Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) while recommending the constitution of Lokpal was convinced that such an institution was justified not only for removing the sense of injustice from the minds of adversely affected citizens but also necessary to instill public confidence in the efficiency of administrative machinery. Following this, the Lokpal Bill was for the first time presented during the fourth Lok Sabha in 1968, and was passed there in 1969.

However, while it was pending in the Rajya Sabha, the Lok Sabha was dissolved, resulting the first death of the bill. The bill was revived in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and most recently in 2008. Each time, after the bill was introduced to the house, it was referred to some committee for improvements – a joint committee of parliament, or a departmental standing committee of the Home Ministry – and before the government could take a final stand on the issue the house was dissolved.

The current UPA government has broken all records of corruption. Ref: http://gopal4mission.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/corruption-in-india-2010-and-before.pdf. Commonwealth games, 2G spectrum scam, Adash Society Scam, and many more yet to be unearthed. Congress has deliberately promoted corruption and dynastic politics in our country. 80% of the money looted by politicians have been done by Congress politicians. They have given one shameless leader after another. One of the most shameless and corrupt leader, Sharad Pawar, is in the committee to draft Lokpal bill. No wonder, the bill has been designed to protect the corrupt. The most notable point of this bill is that the Lokpal will have no powers to punish the guilty. After finding someone guilty, Lokpal can only report its findings to the Prime Minister or a House of Parliament. And we all know, in today’s corrupt politics, what will happen to these findings?

On the other hand, Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by Shanti Bhushan, former IPS Kiran Bedi, Justice N. Santosh Hegde, renowned advocate Prashant Bhushan, former chief election commissioner J. M. Lyngdoh in consultation with the leaders of the India Against Corruption movement and the civil society is like light at the end of a dark tunnel. The bill proposes institution of the office of Lokpal (Ombudsman) at center and Lok Ayukta at state level. Jan Lokpal Bill is designed to create an effective anti-corruption and grievance redressal systems at centre and to assure that effective deterrent is created against corruption and to provide effective protection to whistleblowers. In Jan Lokpal Bill, the selection procedure has been designed to bring most honest people in the institution of Jan Lokpal.

The Jan Lokpal Bill calls for setting up Lokpal and Lokayuktas (in states) independent of government control. In the activists’ version, investigation in any case will have to be completed in one year, and punishment would be a jail term of minimum 5 years and maximum of life imprisonment. The government’s version recommends a prison term of minimum 6 months and maximum 7 years as punishment for corruption. To read a detailed comparison of Government proposed “protect the corrupt” Lokpal bill and Jan Lokpal bill, please read this link: http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/doc/how_will_civil_society_s_lokpal_bill_curb_corruption.pdf.

Anna Hazare requested Prime Minister, Sri Manmohan Singh, to accept the Jan Lokpal bill instead of the “protect the corrupt” Lokpal bill drafted by the likes of Sharad Pawar and other ministers infamous for being highly corrupt. But, Sri Manmohan Singh said, “He cannot find time for Lokpal bill till May” to cool off public ire. Anna Hazare had given the deadline of decisive action by March to Prime Minister’s Office. As expected, nothing was not done. So, Anna Hazare has started a fast-unto-death from April 5 so that the draft committee of the Lokpal bill has at least half the members from civil society.

In solidarity with Anna Hazare, I am keeping a 24-hr fast today. I request you all to keep a 12-hour fast to show support to Jan Lokpal bill and Anna Hazare’s fast-unto-death for the sake of nation. Those of us who are in India, should join “India against corruption” movement which is spearheading the mission of legislating Jan Lokpal bill to effectively curb corruption of our politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen.

It is time to do or die to bring Jan Lokpal bill into existence so that the corrupt get punished for their anti-national deeds and India becomes free from the stench of corruption to a considerable extent.

Jai Hind,
Gopal

भगत सिंह

सुखदेव

राजगुरु

जतिन दास

In the Lahore jail, Jatin Das started a hunger strike along with other revolutionary fighters, demanding equality for Indian prisoners and undertrials. The conditions of Indian inhabitants of the jails was deplorable-the jail uniforms that they were provided with were not washed since several days, the kitchen area and the food was covered with rats and cockroaches, they were not provided with any reading material-no newspapers, no paper, while the condition of the English prisoners in the same jail was strikingly different.

The memorable hunger strike started on 13 July 1929 and lasted 63 days.[2] The jail authority took many measures to forcibly feed Jatin Das and the other freedom fighters, beat them and did not even provide them with drinking water.[3] However, Jatindra did not eat. He died, hunger strike unbroken, on 13 September.[4] As his body was carried from Lahore to Kolkata by train, thousands of people rushed to every station to pay their homage to the martyr. A two-mile long procession in Kolkata carried the coffin to the cremation ground.[5] The hunger strike of Jatin Das in prison was one crucial moment in the resistance against illegal detentions.[6]

भगवती चरण वोहरा

23 मार्च, 1931 को माँ भारती के सच्चे लाल – भगत सिंह, सुखदेव और राजगुरु – ने अपना सर्वोच्च बलिदान दिया था| उस दिन भगत सिंह 23 साल, सुखदेव 23 साल और राजगुरु 22 साल के थे| मैंने अपने दिल में बचपन से ही जलनेवाली आग आज फिर से इन महान शहीदों पर बनी यह फिल्म “शहीद” देख कर और भी प्रवजलित की| आप भी इस फिल्म को देख कर थोडी आग और पैदा करें – इस आग को और प्रवजलित करना होगा| अभी बहुत काम बाकी है| अभी बहुत सपने अधूरे हैं| अभी शहीदों के बहुत ख्वाब पुरे नहीं हुए|

आज से 10 दिन पहले यह तारीख थी – मैं तारीख तो भूल गया था, लेकिन अपने देश के इन अमर शहीदों और उनके अधूरे सपने को पूरा करने के संकल्प को नहीं भूला हूँ| लानत हो मेरी जिंदगी पर यदि मैं इन शहीदों के अधूरे सपने पूरे करने के लिए अपने जीवन का सर्वोच्च बलिदान करने के संकल्प से थोडा भी डिगा| क्या अर्पित करूं मेरे नायकों| दिल तो मैंने आपको अपने बचपन में ही दे दिया – अब वक्त है यह जीवन देने का आपके सपने पूरे करने के लिए| इससे कम में श्रद्धांजलि पूरी नहीं हो सकती – यह पूरा जीवन अर्पित है, ऐ महावीरों| हवन है मेरा सारा स्वार्थ, हवन है मेरा सर्वश्य| कोई जंजीर नहीं होगी – होगा केवल सौ प्रतिशत प्रबल कर्म| आपके माँ के आंसुओं की कसम – आपकी तपश्या और बलिदान हमेशा मेरे जीवन को मार्गदर्शन देगी|

वक्त आने दे तुझको बता देंगे ओ आसमान|
हम अभी से क्या बताएँ, क्या हमारे दिल में है|

वन्दे मातरम्|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|
इंक़लाब जिंदाबाद|

Ref: http://www.hindu.com/2011/02/27/stories/2011022764330600.htm. To know more, read this.

Anna Hazare threatens to go on fast unto death

At war against corruption: Social activist Anna Hazare, flanked by Swami Agnivesh (left) and Dr. Kiran Bedi, demanding a strong anti-corruption law at a press conference in New Delhi on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: Demanding enactment of a strong anti-corruption law on the lines of Jan Lokpal Bill, social crusader Anna Hazare on Saturday threatened to go on an indefinite fast unto death at Jantar Mantar here from April 5 if the Prime Minister does not act decisively on his suggestion by March-end.

“None from civil society consulted”

Addressing a press conference here, Anna wondered how the government could pass the anti-corruption Bill without consulting anyone from the civil society. “There should be 50 per cent partnership between the government and the civil society. Corruption has increased manifold but there is no fear of either the law or the government. The law is so weak that it cannot fight corruption. Even if I have to give my life to see that the Bill is passed, I will not hesitate.”

The Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by Justice Santosh Hegde, Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal has been refined on the basis of feedback received from the public. “An institution called Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayukta in each State will be set up. Like the Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be independent of the governments. Investigation in any case will have to be completed in a year. Trial will be completed in the next one year so that a corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two years,” said Anna.

Bill stands for transparency

Noting that the Jan Lokpal Bill stands for transparency and has been put on the website to receive suggestions from the public, social activist Swami Agnivesh said many people including Anna Hazare, Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal and others had signed on a letter drafted to the Prime Minister on December 1 requesting that the law be enacted.

Signatories to the letter are part of the movement “India Against Corruption” that organised rallies demanding enactment of Jan Lokpal Bill on January 30 in 62 cities.

Former police officer Kiran Bedi said IAC had met leaders from all political parties. “A majority of politicians have given us a positive response. What we require is a tough law that can fight corruption.”

Mr. Kejriwal said a strong anti-corruption mechanism needs to be put in place so that the large sums of money stashed away in Swiss bank accounts can be disbursed in the country. “The problem is not in implementing the law, but in not having a strong law to root out corruption from our system.”