Who would you nominate on the panel for Lokpal Bill?

The wish to have an anti-corruption ombudsman is not new. Lokpal Bill was first introduced way back in 1968! And subsequently in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2008, but unfortunately they were never passed. All these years, politicians have been successfully able to avoid it for reasons well known to them. Were they sincere to their office and the oath they took while assuming their offices!

The root of corruption that took birth with emergence of a new political class – post independence, has by now developed a well established system that has pervaded and got well entrenched into our civil administration, judiciary, government offices, business houses and into every facet of life that affects the life of a common man. I feel that almost 100% of our grown up population must have had first-hand experience of corruption – in one form or the other.

After all these years, a momentum has been created against corruption. Anna Hazare has been able to create a lot of awareness among the masses on the Lokpal Bill and provide the much needed thrust to pressurize the political class to re-draft the Lokpal Bill and pass it in the coming monsoon session. However, all this effort may go down the drain and 2011 too would appear in the above referred list of years when a failed attempt was made to get the Lokpal Bill passed. Hence, it is very important to keep up the momentum.

The most worrying factor today is non-availability of enough persons from civil society with un-doubtable integrity and enough intelligence who can be on the panel for finalisation of the Lokpal Bill. The CDs involving Bhushans with some shady deals are said to be available! Kejriwal and Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde are the members who can be depended upon. Who else?

Since the proposed Lokpal Bill is primarily to rein in corruption, only personalities with impeccable track record should be nominated on the panel- whether from political field or from civil society. Given the powers to nominate, I would have nominated these two members for sure- Mr. Abdul Kalaam and Ms. Kiran Bedi – for their integrity, for their passion towards their profession, for their commitment and for the values they have stood for.

Who would you nominate on the panel for Lokpal Bill?

madhukarmohan@gmail.com

Good bye plastic bags – villagers show the way!

It is a fact that each of us know what is right and what is wrong- on almost every matter that concern us. Still, many times we follow the wrong way – if it suits our interest. And though the wrong action of ours may not necessarily be a heinous crime, but since it falls in the wrong category – it does leave some unpleasant foot marks. Our wrong deeds may result in affecting our personal life, our social environment or the ecosystem at large- depending on for what type of wrong action we were responsible for!

Among the wrongs that almost all of us commit is – use of plastic bags - irrespective of our education, belief, or any other factor that distinguishes us from each other. And this, despite the well known fact that plastic bags are not biodegradable and it is the main culprit behind choking of storm-water drainage lines. Choked drains have been causing inundation of many city areas during monsoon, creating havoc. Some state governments have taken some initiative by banning plastic bags of less than 20 micron thickness and spent some resources in educating people about avoiding use of plastic bags. However, the attempts have been half-hearted – both on the part of the government as well as us- the general public. We are not letting the plastics go from our daily life.

About four months back, people of Mankua village (in Rajkot, Gujarat) resolved to shun away the plastic bags – which were choking their cows to death. An organization by the name – Vishwa Mangal Gau Raksha Samiti took birth – to save the cows. The Samiti collected Rs. 5000/- from the villagers and used it in making cloth bags with message printed on it, requesting villagers to avoid plastic bags. Bags were distributed to every household. Village with population of about 17,500 has since then not bought any plastic bag! Nearby villages too have started creating awareness among the folks and some villages have already adopted the concept of cloth bags. The cloth bags that used to cost Rs. 10/- a bag is now being offered at Rs. 4/- a bag by the dealer and some sponsors have also come forward to provide the handbags free of cost! What better deal than this?

It is learnt that the women from the Mankuva village are following the no-plastic resolution religiously and this has helped in making it a great success. May more and more villages adopt the cloth bags and may it spread across the length and breadth of the country.  

Our urban areas are already suffering because of choked drains, used loose poly bags – flying here, there and everywhere. I only hope that this revolution catches the urban population too! And life without plastic bags is possible, it has been now very well demonstrated by the 17,500 strong enlightened villagers of Mankuva.

madhukarmohan@gmail.com

The Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare and significance of the Big Win!

The last two weekends brought smiles on every ordinary Indians face and people celebrated it with crackers and gulaal. While MSD and his team brought back the much awaited ICC World Cup 2011 on 2^nd April 2011 by beating the foreign opponents, Anna Hazare won a significant battle for the Lokpal Bill against the government on 9^th April 2011 which will go a long way in deciding the future course of the nation towards a corruption free system!

Before dwelling further upon the significance of Lokpal Bill, it is important to understand what actually it is.

The basic idea of the Lokpal is borrowed from the office of the ombudsman in other countries. It provides for filing complaints of corruption against the Prime Minister , other ministers and members of parliament with the ombudsman. The Lokpal is proposed to be a three-member body with a chairperson who is or was a chief justice or Supreme Court judge, and two members who are or have been high courts judges or chief justices. Implementation of the Lokpal bill will hopefully reduce corruption in India.

We are running late, but at least we have started running! ‘Ombudsman’ is a Swedish word that means ‘an officer appointed by the legislature to handle complaints against administrative and judicial action’. The office was created in Sweden long back in 1809 and was subsequently adopted by other Scandinavian countries that saw it as ‘a bulwark of democratic government against the tyranny of officialdom’. Many countries, including UK has this office. Hongkong has registered spectacular results in the fight against corruption. When corruption in its police force peaked in 1970s, the government set up an Independent Commission Against Corruption and gave it full powers to investigate and punish the guilty. It sacked 119 of the 180 police officers in one go, sending a strong message to the rest of the force and other government functionaries. Hence, if Lokpal Bill is drafted and implemented earnestly, it has the potential of changing the face of our country.

Significance of the Fast-Unto-Death by Anna Hazare can be gauged from above example and it was rightly taken to enforce participation of civil society in drafting the Lokpal Bill. And the full support that this revolution got from the ordinary people from all walks of life - who converged at Jantar Mantar, made the indifferent government to sit up and accede to the demand. The four day revolution that galvanized the entire country, culminated with government acceding to 50:50 joint committee comprising government and civil society. It is a big victory for the ordinary people, a non-violent war led by an ex-army man against the kaale angrez and their corrupt ways!

This episode should also work as an early warning to the entire system that thrives on corruption. It has to stop, and sooner the better. Else, the day is not far when public outcry against corruption may take the shape and proportion of revolts as has been seen in Egypt and the chain reaction that followed elsewhere.

Madhukar Mohan

2nd April 2011- When Lighter overpowered the Darker

In the polls - in my post on World Cup 2011 captioned ‘Who Will Win’ - 87% of the readers who voted –favoured India lifting the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and the majority won! I congratulate everyone for the big win and remember - faith can do wonders.

MSD and his team ultimately fulfilled the long cherished dream of Indians. The cricketers sobbing and their eyes overflowing with happy tears from the uncontrolled emotions was a sight worth waiting for 28 long years! Entire nation kept awake till late night on 2^nd April 2011– celebrating the well deserved win. While my kids were excited with every boundary Gambhir and Dhoni hit, my father aged 80 years kept calling me from my home-town in Patna to know my opinion-what will happen! And mind it we are not at all a cricketing family. I am sure, same must have happened at your place too.

The final match very well demonstrated the cool leadership of MSD and determination of his team-mates. Else, with the dynamite Sehwag gone on the very 2^nd ball and maestro Sachin dismissed for a measly 18 runs – laying hand over this cup wouldn’t have been possible, even in dreams. But, it was a team gelled together by a desire to win- which made it happen.

And today there is some more good news from the world of sport- the old pairing of Paes-Bhupathi have regained their Numero-Uno position in World Doubles ranking after their win at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami! Is it not - icing on the cake?

Winning World Cup 2011 and regaining No. 1 spot by Paes-Bhupathi pair also validates the age old adage- Unity is strength! Let’s be together!

And at last, you must be wondering – why the caption ‘On 2^nd April 2011- Light overpowered the Dark’ for this article? Simple. Men in blue (the Indians) wore a lighter shade of blue, while the Lankans wore a darker shade in blue!

Keep winning!

Madhukar Mohan

Lessons to learn from The Land of Rising Sun!

As per the news reports, Plutonium was detected in soil at five locations on the grounds of an earthquake — and tsunami-damaged nuclear power plant, heightening fears about radiation contamination from Japan’s worst nuclear crisis. Efforts to contain the nuclear radiation at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station continues, while death toll stands at 11,102 and 16,493 people are reported still missing- post quake and tsunami.

The tragic combination of deadly earthquake, tsunami and nuclear radiation has raised questions on safety aspects of the nuclear facilities world over. In my view, no nuclear plant design can ever be safe, if the nature decides to unleash its lethal forces! And nature will play its role on its own will. Then, why to go for nuclear energy and further risk our lives and that of other leaving creatures!

Many of us are under the impression that nuclear energy is fast emerging as an alternative form of clean and cheap energy source and that it accounts for a sizeable share in the energy pie-chart. But it is not so. For India, share of nuclear energy is barely 1% and in next twenty years i.e. by 2030 A.D., it is going to remain at this level! Even if we talk about the world average, share of nuclear energy is only 5% and in next twenty years it would be just 6%. We are heavily dependent on fossil fuels and we will remain so. Hence, instead of going nuclear, governments must put brake on it and put all its resources for development and use of the clean renewable resources of energy – solar, wind and hydel.

The nuclear tragedy in Japan is an eye opener for the governments and gives a reason to revisit their energy policy.  If Japan- the perfectionist can fail in safeguarding its nuclear facility, what can we say about other nations! Hence, option of going nuclear must be reviewed earnestly – especially in case of populous India.

Apart from the concerns that this disaster has raised worldwide; this disaster also showcases the inner strength and discipline of the Japanese people, preparedness of the government, quality of construction and in general the law and order of the country- post the devastating combination of quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. For instance, even in such trying moments we are yet to see chaos on the streets for food, water and medicines; Japanese media showed its maturity by not unnecessarily creating panic in the minds of its people and the world, regular training ensured that kids and the old – did what exactly was needed in such situation and most noteworthy- no looting and no incidences of rape! Hats off to Japan and its people for maintaining the poise even in such trying moments. While it shows their real character, it reflects on what we lack as a nation and as its responsible citizen!

Madhukar Mohan

I am become death, the destroyer of worlds

“I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." Robert Oppenheimer, the "father" of the nuclear bomb, said following the initial successful test of the weapon in 1945.

More than the earthquake and the tsunami  that shook Japan on 11^th March 2011, what is worrying one and all is the nuclear catastrophe that followed at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. What is worrying is that a country which is well known for maintaining highest standards in all fields of engineering and design, is fighting hard without much hope to contain the nuclear radiation. The nuclear facilities could not be kept safe and is posing real danger to life and environment. Multiple layers of protection provided for this nuclear facility were supposed to plug any chink. But, as the investigation progresses, it exposes that every layer had a chink in itself. And, the entire system was blown to pieces. Reactors were supposed to automatically shut down in case of any natural calamity – but, the combination of deadly earthquake and tsunami made all the lines of protection - totally ineffective!

And mind it, had it happened in India or for that matter in any populous developing country, it would have been disaster of unimaginable proportions. ‘Father’ of the nuclear bomb was right, at its very inception!

In the Indian context, our system would fully collapse in case of such eventualities. We have experienced Latur earthquake at 6.4 on the Richter scale that claimed more than 10,000 lives. Bhuj earthquake in 2001 claimed more than 20,000 lives while recording 7.7 on the Richter scale and the Kashmir earthquake in 2005 claimed more than 80,000 lives at 7.6! And this is not the worst that could hit us.

Our major cities with dense population are very much earthquake prone– Delhi (seismic zone 4), Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata in (seismic zone 3), Srinagar and Guwahati (seismic zone 5). The non-adherence to recommended construction and design codes for buildings would cost too dearly. Apart from this, emergency services such as fire brigades and hospitals are critical. Important arterial roads and airports need to be fortified. Decentralisation would help in disaster management and community-level preparedness could greatly reduce the loss of lives and property – as the Japanese have demonstrated in their moment of crisis! Let us prepare ourselves for the worst.

As far as nuclear accidents are concerned, it is not that this is something new for India – in August 2010, the Journal of Contemporary Asia reported that between 1993 and 1995, more than 120 hazardous nuclear accidents took place in India! Going by the low standards that we are used to, it is high time that a thorough safety audit be conducted of Indian nuclear plants- to test whether we would be able to withstand the severest of earthquake and tsunamis? And, it is time to reconsider our nuclear plans. Do we really need nuclear energy? Can’t we go full throttle for tapping the non-polluting, never ending natural sources like solar, wind and hydel  power?

I hope, Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi makes the governments all over the world to re-think and re-model their energy strategy for a better world.

Madhukar Mohan

On a Smiling Note

As a child we used to laugh a lot, we had the ability to discern the humour in little things that happened around us. Slowly, we lost it to our growing age and responsibilities! But we shouldn't forget smiling, the art gifted only to the human beings; though I have also seen a few photographs of some apes too with wide grins on their face spread wide - from ear to ear. Lucky fellows!

It is high time for us - specially the forty plus group - to bring back the smile on our faces. Any further delay is going to leave permanent mark on us with frowning lines running deep into the face. As is said, smile increases ones' face value, let us smile and laugh more and more - but in good humour. Let the 'laugh lines' talk about the way we take our lives.

It has been more than a month now since I started this blog and it is time now to relax a bit by sharing a few rib tickling samples of leave applications forwarded to me thru email. While you enjoy these applications, I hope and wish that smiles find a place on your faces, forever. And with smiles on your faces, I would like this blog-site to register 1K mark of smiling hits and move on with you.

Now, get ready and enjoy the Leave Applications- as forwarded to me :

1. Infosys , Bangalore :
An employee applied for leave as follows:
'Since I have to go to my village to sell my land along with my wife, please sanction me one-week leave.'

2. This is from Oracle Bangalore :
From an employee who was performing the 'mundan' ceremony of his 10 year old son:
'as I want to shave my son's head , please leave me for two days..'

3. Another gem from CDAC. Leave-letter from an employee who was performing
his daughter's wedding:

'as I am marrying my daughter, please grant a week's leave..'

4.From H.A.L.. Administration Dept:

'As my mother-in-law has expired and I am only one responsible for it, please grant me 10 days leave.'

5. Another employee applied for half day leave as follows:

'Since I've to go to the cremation ground at 10 o-clock and I may not return, please grant me half day casual leave'.

6.A leave letter - declaring holiday:

'I am suffering from fever, please declare one-day holiday.'

7.A leave letter to the headmaster:

'As I am studying in this school I am suffering from headache. I request you to leave me today'.

8. A Covering Note:
'I am enclosed herewith...'

9. Another one:

'Dear Sir: with reference to the above, please refer to my below...'.

10. Actual letter written for application of leave:

'My wife is suffering from sickness and as I am her only husband at home I may be granted leave'.

11.Letter writing:

'I am well here and hope you are also in the same well.'

12.A candidate's job application:

'This has reference to your advertisement calling for a ' Typist and an Accountant - Male or Female'... As I am both (!!) for the past several years and I can handle both with good experience, I am applying for the post.

That's all for now. Keep smiling.

Madhukar Mohan