The Common Man Speaks

Archives for November 2011

List of protest rallies in December for Jan Lokpal

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As expected, the Government and our parliamentarians have betrayed us once again by passing a weak Lokpal in the on-going Winter Session of the Lok Sabha. Hence, the time has come for us to show once again that we won’t take it lying down. We are ready to do what we did successfully in April and Augsut 2011- protest!

There will be a number of protest rallies all across India in the month of December before the massive protest from December 27 begins.

Here is the list of protest rallies all across India: –

1)      Kanpur: December 1, Thursday (Candle March)

Venue: Phool Baug, Near Gandhi Statue. Contact – 9580303575 , 9616002123

Time: 5pm

2)      Mumbai: December 3, Saturday

Venue : Mahajan Wadi, Opposite Voltas, Dr Ambedkar Road, Below Lalbaug Flyover,

Chinchpokli East, Mumbai.

Time: 5:30pm to 8:30pm

3)      Chandigarh: December 4, Sunday (Car and Bike Rally)

Venue: Sec 17/21 roundabout, Opposite Sec-17 Bus Stand, Chandigarh, India.

Time: 11am to 2pm

4)      Pune: December 11, Sunday (Full day Dharna)

Venue: Kamala Arcade, Opp. Balgandharva, J.M. Road, Pune.

Time: 10am to 10pm

5) Pune: December 11, Sunday – Freeze Mob to Support Anna Hazare’s Fast

Venue: Outside Pune Railway Station at 1pm, at Swargate Bus Stand 3pm and at Shivajinagar Bus Stand at 5:pm.

6)      New Delhi : Anna Hazare’s protest on December 11, Sunday

Venue: Jantar Mantar

Time: Full day

Let us show the government once again how wrong they are in underestimating the power of The Common Man!

Common Man to rescue Indian TV?

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Finally, there comes something which revives my interest in TV serials. After more than a decade, I felt like watching a soap (as they call it now) when I saw promos of R K Laxman Ki Duniya – Aam Aadmi Ke Meethe Namkeen Kisse on Sab TV.

There are three reasons for me being attracted to it. Firstly, it’s based on R K Laxman’s Common Man. His cartoons based on the daily life of the aam aadmi are captivating for all of us. Secondly, because I am obsessed with the concept of The Common Man. And lastly, it was more than refreshing to see something clean and simple on TV during an era of meaningless and obscene content.

I am hoping the show rises at least to the level of my expectations. R K Laxman Ki Duniya starts tonight (November 28, 2011) on Sab TV at 9:30 from Monday to Friday. Let’s see if The Common Man can rescue Indian TV from the dumps it has fallen into!

3 years on, Kasab continues to be India’s guest!

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I am unable to believe that it will be three years since the 26/11 terrorist attack happened in Mumbai. In fact, the effect of the horrifying incident was such that most of us have a feeling that it was just recently that the inhuman activity took place. Although one-by-one five years have passed, Ajmal Kasab, the terrorist who was arrested red-handed for committing the crime, continues to live as India’s guest!

The whole of India (or the world) saw him killing innocents. Later, he himself admitted to it. Hence, proving his crime and convicting him wasn’t difficult. Yet, he hasn’t been punished for committing the most heinous of crimes! What the hell is stopping our law system and government?

I have said this before as well – this will surely motivate upcoming terrorists to attack India as they very well know they will get to live a long life even if they are caught.

On one hand, the US soldiers entered an unknown country and ruthlessly killed the person who committed the biggest terror attack on their homeland – Osama Bin Laden. On the other hand, we have Kasab in our custody. He is convicted but yet he is not punished. Most ridiculously, crores of rupees, which are paid by the common man in the form of taxes, are also spent on him! Shameful is a tiny term to describe this!

I think it would have been better if Kasab was killed in the operation. What have we achieved by arresting and convicting him? We wouldn’t have spent crores on him and made a fool of ourselves in front of the world!

By delaying the punishment, more and more amount of salt is getting rubbed on the wounds of the victims and their families! Plus, the sentiments of the common man are getting hurt further and further. How much more will our government and law system hurt the common man?

The only possible way looks like the one shown in the movie A Wednesday. The pro-terrorism attitude shown towards Kasab is making me think like this! How can I have respect for a law system which is becoming a circus?

Single slap turned into bigger humiliation!

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Throwing shoes at (so-called) personalities has become a thing of the past after Harvinder Singh, a common man, slapped Union Agricultural Minister Sharad Pawar in Delhi. He was the same person who slapped Sukhram last Saturday.

The incident would have not gained this much attention if the NCP party-workers hadn’t reacted in this manner. By damaging public property (setting tyres ablaze, breaking shops, etc) and doing rasta-roko, they have made the incident more famous. In other words, the party-men made sure Pawar’s humiliation became a much bigger one than it was intended to be.

Few years back, a gentleman had hurled a shoe at ex-US President George Bush. This started an unusual trend since after that, few other (some so-called) personalities were attacked in the same manner. So, will Harvinder’s act start a much bigger fad of big names getting slapped? Let’s wait and watch!

This is the video of Sharad Pawar getting slapped by Harvinder Singh: –

Pornstar on primetime! Who next?

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In India, pornography is considered a crime while porn is considered a disgrace. Obviously due to this, pornstars and looked down as one of the biggest social evils and are also considered worse than prostitutes. But our so-called reality show makers of Bigg Boss 5 have signed pornstar Sunny Leone in their desperation to earn TRPs!

Now suddenly, a pornstar is welcomed with open arms! In fact, she was given a superstar welcome! They are making it appear as if acting in porn movies is a respectable profession! Those who considered the profession the most shameful are now watching someone from the same profession with their families!

I wonder whether one can stoop so low? How can they become so blind to earn viewership and publicity that they can portray a pornstar as a respectable celebrity in a place like India? More importantly, where are those political parties and groups who are always up in arms against anything that harms Indian culture?

Prostitutes and bar dancers enter their profession not out of choice but due to financial woes. By reading Leone’s interview published in Bombay Times, it is certain she comes from a well off family. She has revealed she entered the profession out of choice (obviously to earn quick bucks). So, if we can respect her, why look down upon on sex workers and bar dancers, who are victims of circumstances?

These are some of the other things shown in the so-called reality show: –

* Shakti Kapoor indulging in all kinds of cheap behavior. He even pressed the a** of a female contestant! No objections raised by anyone!!!

* Even a pregnant woman Sonika Kaliraman locked in the house!!!

* Mehak Chahal, Pooja Misra, Shanali Nagrani, Rageshwari, Lakshmi, Siddharth (Sid),  Aakashdeep Saigal, etc fighting and cribbing against each other in a manner which will make kids appear grownups.

* Skin show especially in those pool parties! Regular vulgar moves!

* Imagine all this being shown on primetime!

It’s shuddering to think how further low the makers of Bigg Boss will fall to generate hype and TRPs! Looks like if the makers don’t get the desired TRPs, they might even try to bring Kasab in the house! They will justify their proposal saying, “What difference will it make since he is already locked up as our guest since years?”

P.S – I am not at all sorry to say that the makers of the show are no different than pimps!

Anna Hazare’s New Blog

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After shutting down his blog due to a fall out with his blogger Raju Parulekar, who was accused of putting up his own views without permission, Anna Hazare has returned to the blogosphere by starting a new blog.

The URL of his new blog is – http://www.annahazaresays.indiaagainstcorruption.org

Anna’s Facebook page and Twitter page remains the same which are: –

Link to his Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anna-Hazare-Says/268687513149703

Link to his Twitter Page – http://twitter.com/#!/annahazaresays

LET’S KEEP THE FIGHT ALIVE!

MCA wakes up, slashes rates for India-WI test at Wankhede

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In a hugely surprising movie, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has drastically reduced the ticket rates for the third and final test between India and West Indies staring from Tuesday November 22 at the Wankhede Stadium.

The ticket prices for the match are as follows: –

* East Stand (Lower) per day – Rs 50 (This is not a typing mistake!)

* East Stand (Lower) for five days – Rs 150 (!!!)

* North Stand, Vijay Merchant Stand and Sachin Tendulkar Stand per day – Rs 100

* North Stand, Vijay Merchant Stand and Sachin Tendulkar Stand for five days – Rs 500

* Vithal Divecha Stand per day – Rs 150

* Vithal Divecha Stand for five days – Rs 600

* Sachin Tendulkar Pavillion and Corporate Box Seat for five days – Rs 25, 000

The biggest reason for such drop in ticket prices is due to the fact that the attendance for the first two matches of the series has been way below par. Secondly, last month only around 13,000 turned up for the India-England one day international whereas the capacity at the newly built stadium is 33,000. And lastly, there has been an over-overdose of cricket in 2011. Plenty of matches took place in India in the world cup earlier this year.

This was followed by the Indian Premiere League which had as many as 60 matches played in a span of less than two months. Even after this, India has been playing regularly in England, West Indies and then again in India against England and against the West Indies in the ongoing test series.

Over the years, the ticket prices at Wankhede (especially for ODIs and IPL matches) have been abnormally high. But one thing is sure that if spectators remain away from the matches, the association can be forced to reduce the rates. I think we should continue to do this so as to make sure we are not charged ridiculously high to witness our favorite game.

The same can be happen at cinema multiplexes as well. For per ticket, the price can go as high as Rs 350, 400 or more! Due to this, common middleclass people are forced to stay away from multiplexes. But if we refuse to bow down to the demands of the multiplexes by boycotting them, they will be forced to reduce the rates. It has happened at few multiplexes like PVR Lower Parel. After all, there is a hidden power which is amongst we the people!

Picture courtesy - Pravasitoday.com

Aish delivers baby girl! Time to stay away from news channels!

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So finally, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan delivers and it’s a baby girl. Amitabh Bachchan broke the news on Twitter saying, “I AM DADA to the cutest baby girl !!” Abhishek soon followed with a Tweet, “IT’S A GIRL!!!!!! :-)))))”. Congratulations to Abhishek, Aishwarya and the Bachchan family!

But I fear the media and the people of India will blow things out of proportions. The news might give rise to some national celebration as if India achieved something. So for the next few days (or weeks) we will hear about the baby, which had become world famous even before entering the world!

When Aishwarya and Abhishek got married, the hype generated by the news channels gave a feeling as if it is the first couple in India to get married! Now that the couple has given birth to their first child, I fear it will be reported in a way as if it is the first child to be born in India!

The fact that Aishwarya’s delivery generated Rs 150 crore betting speaks volumes about the craziness surrounding the incident. Sorry to say but such idiocies can take place only in our country.

Now that the news if out, people will do some extra-aish with Aish! News channels (specially the Hindi ones) and Bollywood websites can go crazy now. So, it’s time for me to stay away from them for few days… or, as I said earlier, maybe weeks!

P.S : – Let the Bachchan pariwar live the moment in privacy!

Sachin’s 100th century > victory?

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Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar currently has a tally of 99 hundreds in international cricket. Obviously, cricket fans, not just from India but from all over the world desperately want the legend to reach 100 centuries soon.

You can’t blame the fans as 100 tons is a humongous feat which nobody has achieved till date. However, I have started getting a feeling that we the audience and the media are putting huge amounts of pressure on the little man to reach the mega milestone.

Every time Sachin goes out to bat these days, there’s only one question going on in everyone’s head, “Will he or won’t he?” This is equivalent to parents desperately wanting their child to top the exams! Although he has borne pressure all his life but the whole nation expecting you to score a hundred every time you go out to bat is a bit too much to handle.

When India won the first test match against the West Indies, almost every headline mentioned the fact that Sachin failed to reach the milestone. Even news reports gave too much importance to it rather than India’s praiseworthy fight back to win the test.

(Article continued after picture.)

Now, according to latest reports, The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has decided to present Sachin with 100 gold coins if he gets his 100th ton in the second test at Kolkata! Phew!

By giving crazy importance to his 100th hundred, we are forgetting the basic fact that cricket (or any other sport) is a team game where the end result matters the most. Hence, we should be more concerned about the result of the ongoing test series rather than concentrating on one individual score.

Sachin’s greatness is as huge as the universe. So, it’s just a matter of time when he reaches the 100 centuries mark.

The second test match between India and West Indies has just started in Eden Gardens at Kolkata. India are batting. Sachin has come out to bat but I hope our focus remains on India’s performance. Just let the Master Blaster be!

As Unusual as Rice Omelette

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By: Keyur Seta

(This is my entry for #MasterChefIndia2 contest)

I have been blogging for almost two and half years but I have never written on food. This is my very first attempt. It took a memorable Indiblogger meet last month to inspire me to do so. MasterChef judges and chefs Ajay Chopra, Kunal Kapoor and Vikas Khanna deserve special mention for influencing me for it. And when Indiblogger announced the MasterChefIndia2 contest, I thought the time is right to take the plunge.

Surprisingly, the most unique dish I have ever had is at my home. My mom made it. It is called Rice Omelette. I know you must be thinking – How the hell can anyone make an omelette from rice? But let me tell you, it tastes super good!

To know what Rice Omelette is and how it is made, let’s take a look at its recipe: –

Ingredients: A bowl of cooked rice, half a bowl of buttermilk (chhaas), 1 big spoon chana dal flour (chane ka atta), 4 big spoons of wheat flour, green chillies, turmeric powder coriander leaves and salt.

Procedure: Mix rice, buttermilk, wheat flour and chana dal flour in a vessel. Add green chilies, turmeric powder and salt to it.

Heat a frying pan. Sprinkle a small spoon of oil on it. Pour some amount of the dough on the pan and make a circle out of it. As soon as the dough is well cooked, scoop it and turn it upside down very carefully so that the other side of the dough can be cooked. Soon, the other side will be cooked and your omelette will be ready. Lift it carefully from the pan and land it on a plate.

Tastes Best With: Tomato Ketchup and Green Chutney

Serves: 5-6

 

Rice Omelette is unusual no doubt but, I say again, it tastes wonderful.  It suits well for breakfast since it is fulfilling.