To understand the harm that extreme religious thought can cause to a community one needs to read the writing of Hamid Dalwai who was from Mumbai and had worked as a social reformer in the 70’s . He devoted his life to changing the hardened mind sets of obscurantist mullahs , populist communal politicians , husbands who treated their wives in the worst possible male chauvinist tyrannical fashion , and women suffering slavery before a purdah they dare not lift . He attributed Muslim backwardness to the communities opposition to educational reform ( the rejection of English education by the ulema of Deoband). What is thought provoking is his observation that “ it would be suicidal for the Hindu communalists attempt to answer Muslim communalism by obscurantist Hindu revivalism. Muslim Communalism will be defeated only when the Hindu achieves a greater degree of social progress and modernises himself . By making the Hindus more obscurantist – by making them more puritan and orthodox – Muslim communalism can never be eliminated ….

What is important for us in this cyber age is not to fall prey to the propaganda which is deliberately unleashed and spread with ulterior motives by obscurantist people with a medieval mindset . It is important for us to embrace modernity and progressive thought and debunk those parts of history which are being conveniently twisted and presented by those who have their own agenda .

Bingo …quite excited ..Did you know Chand failed ?

What do you mean ..the moon was not sighted ..

Bingo ..No No its not that Chand ..am refereeing to the World cup winner Chand

How can he fail …his is the biggest success story ..

Bingo ..exactly in spite of that his college failed him ..

Why bother when cricket can give him the riches that a poor Bachelor of Arts cannot even dream of ..

Bingo ..it is not about riches its about honour ..he has made the country proud ..

Why does he not take a cue from Sachin…has a degree ever come in his way …

Bingo..this is not about Sachin ..it is about a man who is half his age ..

Since when have you become a Chand fan ..

Bingo ..Am not alone Sibal , Shukla , Maken …we all are on the moon ..!

Anna Hazare’s movement against corruption received spontaneous support from all across the country and particularly from the youth . The anywhere / anytime access to news , the general frustration with politicians and their scandals , the appeal of Anna the crusader all helped in the common man and the celebrity to come together in a common cause and so the movement was unleashed ..  If it was the collegian , or the newly employed graduate or the senior corporate executive or a housewife ..all of them came out to join the candle light marches and did not hesitate to don the ‘ mai hu anna ‘ cap ..

It is just another matter that Anna and his team were not able to capitalise on this mass following and channelize this huge energy in achieving something tangible and eventually the movement just petered off … however what still exists and what has not gone is the urge amongst a multitude of people out there to stand up and do their bit and contribute in whichever way they can for the well being of the nation …all realise that the future of this country and its destiny lies in their hands and it is for them to bring about the change …

The usual and the common refrain is what can we do ..? How could we do it  ?  Join a NGO ? yes probably . Join a political party  ? depends ..maybe you succumb to its ways and be part of the decayed system or simply keep doing the right thing that an upright citizen is supposed to do … ?

Amongst the many is one such avenue charted out by the Times Group through its CSR initiative called Teach India . This is a well thought out , well planned and also well executed movement which is going to help empower hundreds and thousands in spoken English …it would help the under privileged to  learn the language that will open up employment opportunities and thereby contribute in nation building . No big utopian ideas of eradicating corruption or bringing in black money but surely a small step forward .

Its all happening in the same week …we have two supermen in the city !

Bingo ..Two …? who are they …

We had ‘Ek Tha Tiger ‘ and now the Muscle flexing Raj !

Bingo…But I thought Raj has deserted the Tiger ?

No …I am not talking about the saffron tiger …this one is Salman tiger ..

Bingo…Why were they in Mumbai in the same week ?

One was at the Box Office and the other at the choupathy planning for office ..

Bingo…Yes i heard about that … Raj’s call was responded to by 50,000 of his fans …

No it was actually 50,001 …one police hawaldar too joined them …

Bingo…That would be one less fan for RR Saheb ! ?

But RR ji is not a MAN to give up … Aisi Choti Mothi Ralliya tou hoti hai … ek phul nahi mila tou kya hua mere paas tou Sangli me bagicha hai !!

Bingo…. Its about time …Salman’s plans his next super hit production  ….Ek tha Mantri !!

The BPO industry was indeed a boon to so many middle class Indians who saw a surge in their incomes ; just five years back Ankit would not have imagined earning RS 50,000 per month . So much had changed since the outsourcing boom happened and so many new job opportunities were thrown up ..of course one needed to have the requisite skills to avail of those and Ankit was fortunate to have taken up Structural Detailing soon after completing his Diploma in Civil Engineering .It was 2003 when he passed out and he had through campus recruitment taken up the offer which came from Seth and associates ..the offer itself was not very attractive but the job attracted Ankit ; As a site supervisor he would have to be actively involved in the civil construction process and this was the place where he thought he could apply some of the theory he had learned at college . Only three months in to the job Ankit had a chance meeting with the Structural Engineer who taught him how to read the rebar drawings and to prepare the bar bending schedules and very soon Ankit was managing the schedules and preparing the MTO’s . Observing Ankits skills and his quick grasp of the subject the structural engineer offered him a apprenticeship in an Engineering services company which specialized in structural detailing . The company had all overseas clients who paid in dollars and the company offered a very decent salary and much above what he had drawn as a site supervisor and that’s when Ankit realized the benefits of working in the outsourcing industry . With a good salary came the ability to save and on top of his priorities was to book a flat and move his parents in to the comforts of a residential complex and out of the hardship of the housing board apartment in which they all had spend the past 35 years .

Keshavbhai walked intently clutching his stark white pyjama pocket quite oblivious to the din and cacophony around .As he entered the Virdhiman commercial complex he did not wait to take the elevator and instead took the stairs ..probably he did not have the patience to wait or may be wanted to avoid the crowd . “ Kem Cho Keshavbhai “ greetings came from Hitenbhai who was seated across the table along with four other Kathiawadi banias . This was Virul Shahs office and unlike any other Chartered Accountants office there were no law books or Income tax ready reckoners on display . Virul himself was seated behind the large desk while the assembly of banias with the addition now of Keshavbhai sat across . Keshavbhai finally released his hold on his pyjama pocket and removed a bundle wrapped in an old newspaper and said ” Aa Saru ek peti che” Virul did not count the notes , he simply unwrapped the bundle and placed it in the drawer of his desk .He peeled off a single stick it note from the pad and scribbled on it RS 1 lac , wrote the date and initialled and gave the paper to Keshavbhai .The transaction was complete …Keshavbhai had just invested RS 1 lac in the cartel which financed a group of builders .Virul would collect funds from the Keshavbhais and the Hitenbhais  on a daily basis and invest the funds with one of the builders in the group. The builder would usually allot a complete floor to the ‘investors’ on a price much below the market price ; this arrangement suited both as the builder got the funds to complete his project and the investor got the premises at a discounted rate . There were no formal agreements , no paper work what so ever and everything was based on trust .But in line with the risk came the profits ..which were immense . Typically an investment doubled in a period of 1 year which would give an indication of how steeply and how quickly the property prices were soaring .

The builder was making the moolah and so was the investor and it was all at the cost of the genuine buyer like Ankit . Very soon Ankit realized that his dream project would have to wait ..he did not have the requisite funds to make the initial investment , the prices were far more then he had budgeted for . As he walked back home he wondered if this new economy was indeed a boon or a curse ..it had raised his level of income and so had the prices ; the rich with their surplus income were becoming richer as they speculated and manipulated the supply to create scarcity ….and in all this the peoples government was the silent spectator , thought Ankit ,as he entered the housing board apartment where he had spend all his life and by the look of things would have to spend the balance of the years that were in store for him…

“ So finally Salman will not be coming “

Bingo “ Why is Shahrukh going to be there ?”

“ No , NO , I am not talking about Dabang Salman ,I was refereeing to the Satanic Salman Rushdie “

Bingo ‘ He is not Big Boss not many will miss him “

“ Its not about many missing him it is about some who did not want him here “

Bingo “ May be Ash could be one amongst them ! “

“ This is not about an affair having gone wrong … it is about a writing which has gone all wrong “

Bingo “ In our liberal democracy we could say and write what we like ..why should people object ?

“ A writer needs to be responsible he cannot hurt the religious sentiments of others “

Bingo “ So this is a Fida Hussain case ! “

“ Yes except that in Fida Hussain’s case people drove him out and in Salmans case people don’t want to drive him in ‘

Bingo “ At least Salman will not have to change his nationality “

“ Yes  but why cow down to such intolerant religious fanatics ”

Bingo “ Cow’s do attract a lot of fanatics ..oops have been blasphemous  ! ”

“ Don’t worry ..before a Diktat is issued ..go take a bath in Gomutra !

Bingo “ This is the great Indian Jugaad  ..you can get away with anything …. Brit Salman should have stuck to his country of birth !

“ Go Karting has not helped the men in blue “ “ It was supposed to relax the boys before the BiG day “

Bingo ..” Well Go Karting is an amusement sport and people who love to amuse enjoy the sport “

“ What do you mean ? “

Bingo “ Why only recently fans would complain that ‘ Test’ cricket was on its way out .. it was considered a slow and most boring form of the game .. “ But see how our boys have converted this dull game in to an amusing game and while doing so they have also made sure that you don’t have to waste your time sitting glued to the idiot box for five long days “

“ Probably the pitches were bad .. Ravi said something like that “

Bingo ..” They had the Green Top ..now are these not the Go Green Days ? ! “

“ So our guys are not environment friendly ..and as Jayram Ramesh would agree ..most of the Indians are not !

Bingo ..” Probably the boys got confused about increasing their carbon footprints and ended up conserving  their footprints on the Aussie pitches !

“ Adelaide would be a different story .. ..we will come out strong ..we now have the Nawab leading the pack’

Bingo ..” Yes and you have Saha too .. Dada and Didi both are upbeat !!

Bingo seemed upset ..” Everybody seems to be talking about Keyani ..wow , those yummy Shrewsbury biscuits and mava cakes ! But not this household !!”

“ Now if anybody has been talking about Keyani ..it has to be a Puneite ..they do not have any branches out of Pune ..don’t you know “

Bingo ..‘ Its in the papers all this talk about Keyani ? “

Oh !! its not Keyani its Kayani ..the great Pakistani General who holds the distinction of not taking over power even when the opportunity came knocking , and everybody expected the coup to  happen “

Bingo “ Nothing distinct about him , the Americans don’t like him and dint give him the Nod ..he shielded Osama “

“ May be its Not America anymore , the Pakistani society is changing .. the media is free and independent and the judiciary is active .that’s what is making the difference “

Bingo “ Oh ..those are the tools of democracy ..they cannot fix Pakistan and the Americans would never use them , other then in their own country “

“But then if you don’t like the General , why support the Gilanis and the Zardaris “

Bingo “ Its simple mate .. they both are Mr 10% and the Americans know how to use the greenbacks other than in their own county ! “

Bingo sat forlorn with his face tucked in the far corner  , nor had he barked or wagged his tail since I had entered the room  . His pedigree beef sticks lay untouched in his food bowl which was quite unusual . Concerned I  nudged at his front paws “ what’s the matter mate ? “

Bingo Growled ..” Loyalty is for nothing ..no one cares “

’ Why , What’s wrong ?

Bingo .. ‘ They have an elephant , a lion but never a dog ..as an election symbol ‘  ‘ We represent loyalty , are man’s best friend and yet we cannot be on a ballot paper ‘  This is disgusting , it is humiliating .”

“ You know it Bingo , voters are never loyal and may be that is the reason the political parties avoid dogs “

Bingo ..” But a lumbering elephant ..that represents a slow and sluggish economy”

“ Elephants are revered animals in the south “

Bingo ..” But we are talking here about the North .. what about UP ?”

” Well UP there the mahout called “ Mayawati’ is revered “

Bingo .. “ Always knew you were a Mayawati fan .. ..if she had her way ‘ Mayawati’ would have been an election symbol !

“ Why not , that happens with popular netas and the aam aadmi can quickly identify with that image “

Bingo ..” sycophant that you are ..this country will go to dogs …oops sorry ..go to elephants , with voters like you around “

“ Cheer up ..today may be its the elephants Day but as they say ..’Every dog has his day “

Bingo ..” Oh well , did you see what does this paper say .. Election Commission orders all statues of Mayawati and Elephant to be covered “.. ..My Day has come !

He was located in Chorgao Raddhi , which is a small hamlet about 63 miles away from Ralegoa Siddhi , having a population of 1420 . There are no kids here, all are adults both males and females . This hamlet holds the distinction of having recorded no crimes what so ever ..which being as astounding and unbelievable as it could be , in today’s India, had draw the attention of social scientist from all across the world . Intense research was carried out , studies done and the final conclusion was equally surprising ..every resident of this town was a criminal , and following the unwritten code of criminals all over the world ..they lived with mutual respect .

Lootanna Hazare as he was popularly called had been the acknowledged village Boss , a leadership position , which was earned based on the degree of crimes committed . It was said that there was no crime which had escaped from Lootannas grasp , be it theft , dacoity , bootlegging or just corruption .Twelve years had gone by since Lootanna had adopted Chorgao Raddhi as his home and what a mammoth change he had brought about in this sleepy little hamlet since .In 2000 he had taken shelter here while on the run from law enforcement agencies and soon using his criminal contacts and ruthless ways driven away all those without a criminal background , the exceptions being ,the local sarpanch and the Police Patil .To his horror he had noticed that not a single person drank alcohol which had been banned nor did any one gamble ..he soon got the situation corrected and established multiple gambling dens and illicit liquor parlours .The few families who complained were driven away ensuring that all those who stayed back had a crime to boast of . Very soon the word had spread and application for the residentship of this hamlet came from far and wide .. Delhi having the maximum share followed by UP , Bihar , Chhattisgarh , Maharashtra , Karnataka and so on ..with about 90% of the applicants being sitting MP’s or MLA’s .Admissions were strictly merit based and yes there was no corruption in the process .. more shoddy the record better the chances .As per the latest census carried out the number of residents had swelled and it was reported as the fastest growing hamlets in India .

The people in the village were quite amused when they heard about Ralegao Siddhi and the fame of one of the residents there called ‘Anna’ .They were equally surprised to know of the huge following that this Anna had all across India and particularly amongst the youth in urban India ; the media had claimed this as peoples power ..how naive they thought …when the real power was so well concentrated in this small hamlet of theirs backed by the rule of law that they followed ..and so popularly called ..Parliamentary Democracy !