Anna Hazare's protest

Proves a few points

Unless politically motivated, thousands of people can get togather and protest without destroying public property and harming fellow citizens.

When people come togather for a cause, the govt has got to listen. When people march, the govt crawls - that was the apt headline in TOI.

We do not have a great govt but the opposition is even worse and has no position on any matter other than congress thrashing.

And now its time to withdraw the fast
and let the elected representatives focus on their job.

Just Gup-Shup

There is no way I am going to be able to complete this blogathon that I declared on myself without much thought. I was on a 1 week leave. At home. Totally rested. Mom's off to kerala to attend the little boy's baptism along with my sister. I and my other sister couldn't make it. But my other sister, the Jellybean's mom is in Pune while mom is away. The peapod and the jellybean are having a great time. Lots of sweet conversations. I wasn't feeling very great and hence took a week off with my sister in town. I was totally rested. Slept mornings and afternoons, only to be woken up for food, tea and some niceties and our general gup-shup. Sisters totally rock and so you should have atleast one ;).

I read Amit Varma's "My Friend Sancho". Its an easy one day read. Since I have been reading him for almost 2 or more years, I think I would just like anything he wrote. While the story is pretty interesting but it kind of ends like many Malayalam movies do, leaving the audience to figure out what could have happened. And like his posts there were a couple of thought worthy lines and scenes.

I started reading "Not without my daughter" and god have I been glued to it. I couldn't put the book down untill after 1am y/d. I do not think I can rest untill I know how she pulled it off. I can only thank God I have been born in India for whatever its flaws are atleast I know I have a right and stand a chance to justice even if it might mean I may have to take to the streets, a signature campaign, a hunger strike, a candle light march, dharna, whatever it takes.

I am really happy the UPA won the elections with good majority. I hope they deliver. I did not have half a hope in any other contesting parties.

Roads are being built-rebuilt all over pune. Specially the one I take. I hope its done in time before the rains. The construction work all around gives a lot of hope that it will adorn a look it really deserves. Suresh Kalmadi has been talking about the metro project for a long time now, its high time to put a proper local transport system in place. The 4-wheelers and 2-wheelers are screwing up the traffic, the roads and the environment. How I wish I had a bus or a metro to take and had 30-mins of reading time to-n-fro. I had a 45 mins bus ride during my last job. It used to be hopelessly crowded but I enjoyed that 45 mins reading even if I was standing on one foot. I hate this driving business, I am just not made for it. Specially city drive.

That is all for now.

Say No to Sanjay Dutt

Goofy Mumma has done couple of posts and has linked various people who have very strongly opposed Sanjay Dutt contesting elections in India.

There is nothing new I have to add to what many bloggers from the blogosphere have already said about Sanjay Dutt contesting the next Lok Sabha elections and about his views. I write anyway to just show I totally support the cause.

Some of Sanjay & Amar Singh's quotes or opinions are so ridiculous, I fail to see the primary motive to contest

Sanjay Dutt has been quoted to have said:

“Women should not stick to their fathers’ surname after marriage just for the sake of fashion. It will be a disrespect for their husbands if they do so. They must give up fathers’ surname and adopt husbands’ surname”.

Its been an age old tradition. It was invented at a time when women were just faceless, nameless people in a household who would take orders. That is no more the case and so this is a tradition way past its expiry date. I am not against taking on your husband's name but I would like to have that choice and not forced upon me. The foundation of a marriage should be commitment and love, everything else is just frills. The only thing that you achieve by changing names is you can collectively be addressed as Mr & Mrs Dutt. Otherwise it would be Sanjay & Manyata, its not a meter to prove how strong your marriage is. With people who marry and divorce every 5-10 years, the "department of names" would be a busy one to change when married and then change when divorced.

With that settled now, some of your reasons and statements made in the press about you contesting for elections are really ridiculous

To quote ibnlive,

1. Sanjay cited cricketer-turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu's case, saying "if Sidhu, who faced murder charge, can contest, why can't I"?

Oh so now if you get the ticket, then Dawood Ibrahim can come contest here under the same argument.

2. "..Sunil Dutt's (Sanjay Dutt's father) first job was in Lucknow so Sanjay chose Lucknow as constituency," Amar Singh said.

if you had a choice then why not Bombay? You really take the people of this country for granted, don't you?

3. Amar Singh, however, also said that Sanjay's first priority will be films and politics is only overtime for him

WHAT??? Oh sorry I read "overtime" as "pass time".

Firstly, We do not want a criminal contesting elections in India. Secondly Sanjay Dutt does not seem to have an agenda for Lucknow or have the faintest clue what is required. Last but not the least, from the 10 lines that he has spoken to the media, its kind of clear his thoughts and opinions are way 18th-centurish.

image courtesy: Goofy Mumma