Friday, July 30, 2010

I Love my India

BALANCE...

Once upon a time in the kingdom of Heaven, God was missing for six days.

Eventually, Michael the Archangel found Him, resting on the seventh day.

He inquired of God. "Where have You been?"

God took a deep sigh of satisfaction and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, "Look, Michael. Look what I've made!"

Archangel Michael looked puzzled and said, "What is it?"

"It's a planet," replied God, "and I've put Life on it. I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a great place of balance."

"Balance??" inquired Michael, still confused.

God explained, pointing to different parts of earth.

"For example, northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth while southern Europe is going to be poor.

Over there I've placed a continent of white people and over there is a continent of black people,"

God continued pointing to different countries. "This one will be extremely hot while this one will be very cold and covered in ice."

The Archangel , impressed by God's work, then pointed to a triangular land mass and said, "What's that one?"

"Ah," said God. "That's India, the most glorious place on earth. There are beautiful beaches, mountains, streams, hills, waterfalls and vineyards.

The people from India are going to be very beautiful, handsome, modest, intelligent and humorous and they are going to be found traveling the world holding good jobs.

They will be extremely sociable, hardworking and high-achieving, and they will be known throughout the world as diplomats and carriers of peace, play cricket and win world test matches. Even their wine will be appreciated and exported to far places."

Michael gasped in wonder and admiration, but then proclaimed, "What about balance, God? You said there would be balance!!!"

God replied wisely, "Wait until you see the clowns that will run their government."

Sent by Arun Shroff.
I think we all agree with God here?

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Who's who?




Sent by Ashok Goyal

Yes, we could treat the above as a joke.
But just remember, one of the persons under the burka may be a terrorist, carrying an AK-47 rifle or a belt of explosives.
I fully support France, Switzerland and the other European countries who are banning the burka.
On a less dangerous level, we in India, have had men under the burka, casting votes for women.
The burka should be banned throughout the world.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

How to file your Tax



Some one Help me on TAX......... .


1) Qus. : What are you doing?

Ans. : Business.

Tax : PAY PROFESSIONAL TAX!

2) Qus. : What are you doing in Business?

Ans. : Selling the Goods.

Tax : PAY SALES TAX!!

Qus. : From where are you getting Goods?

Ans. : From other State/Abroad

Tax : PAY CENTRAL SALES TAX, CUSTOM DUTY & OCTROI!

4) Qus. : What are you getting in Selling Goods?

Ans. : Profit.

Tax : PAY INCOME TAX!

5) Qus. : How do you distribute profit ?

Ans : By way of dividend

Tax : Pay dividend distribution Tax

6) Qus. : Where you Manufacturing the Goods?

Ans. : Factory.

Tax : PAY EXCISE DUTY!

7) Qus. : Do you have Office / Warehouse/ Factory?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY MUNICIPAL & FIRE TAX!

8) Qus. : Do you have Staff?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY STAFF PROFESSIONAL TAX!

9) Qus. : Doing business in Millions?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY TURNOVER TAX!

Ans : No

Tax : Then pay Minimum Alternate Tax

10) Qus. : Are you taking out over 25,000 Cash from Bank?

Ans. : Yes, for Salary.

Tax : PAY CASH HANDLING TAX!

11) Qus.: Where are you taking your client for Lunch & Dinner?

Ans. : Hotel

Tax : PAY FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT TAX!

12) Qus.: Are you going Out of Station for Business?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY FRINGE BENEFIT TAX!

13) Qus.: Have you taken or given any Service/s?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY SERVICE TAX!

14) Qus.: How come you got such a Big Amount?

Ans. : Gift on birthday.

Tax : PAY GIFT TAX!

15) Qus.: Do you have any Wealth?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY WEALTH TAX!

16) Qus.: To reduce Tension, for entertainment, where are you going?

Ans. : Cinema or Resort.

Tax : PAY ENTERTAINMENT TAX!

17) Qus.: Have you purchased House?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY STAMP DUTY & REGISTRATION FEE !

18) Qus.: How you Travel?

Ans. : Bus

Tax : PAY SURCHARGE!

19) Qus.: Any Additional Tax?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY EDUCATIONAL, ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL & SURCHARGE ON ALL THE CENTRAL GOVT.'s TAX !!!

20) Qus.: Delayed any time Paying Any Tax?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY INTEREST & PENALTY!

21) INDIAN :: can i die now??

Ans :: wait we are about to launch the funeral tax!!!

TAX STRUCTURE IN INDIA


This has been sent by Arun Shroff.
Our corrupt bankrupt government collects taxes by whatever means possible just to pay the salaries and perks of its bloated,underworked "servants", even asking you for advance tax and in the case of motor vehicles 15 years advance tax.
However, when there is any refund to be made, they just sleep on it unless again you pay the concerned officers.
When will all this corruption come to an end?

WHY ARE INDIANS EASY TO IDENTIFY

This is further to our earlier blog "I am proud to be an Indian", with more humour.
Sent by Prakash Bhartia



1. Everything you eat is savored in garlic, onion and tomatoes.

2.You try and reuse gift wrappers, gift boxes, and of course aluminum foil.

3. You are always standing next to the two largest size suitcases at the Airport..

4. You arrive one or two hours late to a party - and think it's normal.

5. You peel the stamps off letters that the Postal Service missed to stamp.

6. You recycle Wedding Gifts, Birthday Gifts and Anniversary Gifts.

7. You name your children in rhythms (example, Sita & Gita, Ram & Shyam, Kamini & Shamini..)

8. All your children have pet names, which sound nowhere,close to their real names..

9. You take Indian snacks anywhere it says 'No Food Allowed.'

10. You talk for an hour at the front door when leaving someone's house.

11. You load up the family car with as many people as possible.

12. You use plastic to cover anything new in your house whether it's the remote control, VCR, carpet or new couch.

13. Your parents tell you not to care what your friends think, but they won't let you do certain things because of what the other 'Uncles and Aunties' will think.

14. You buy and display crockery, which is never used, as it is for special occasions, which never happen.

15. You have a vinyl tablecloth on your kitchen table.

16.. You use grocery bags to hold garbage.

17. You keep leftover food in your fridge in as many numbers of bowls as possible.

18. Your kitchen shelf is full of jars, varieties of bowls and plastic utensils (got free with purchase of other stuff)

19. You carry a stash of your own food whenever you travel (and travel means any car ride longer than 15 minutes).. .

20. You own a rice cooker or a pressure cooker.

21. You fight over who pays the dinner bill.

22. You live with your parents and you are 40 years old. (And they prefer it that way).

23. You don't use measuring cups when cooking.

24. You never learnt how to stand in a queue.

25. You can only travel if there are 5 persons at least to see you off or receive you whether you are traveling by bus, train or plane.

26. If she is NOT your daughter, you always take interest in knowing whose daughter has run with whose son and feel proud to spread it at the velocity of more than the speed of light.

27. You only make long distance calls after 11pm

28. ( this is Best One ) If you don't live at home, when your parents call, they ask if you've eaten, even if it's midnight.

29. You call an older person you never met before Uncle or Aunty .

30. When your parents meet strangers and talk for a few minutes, you discover you're talking to a distant cousin.

31. Your parents don't realize phone connections to foreign countries have improved in the last two decades, and still scream at the top of their lungs when making foreign calls.

32. You have bed sheets on your sofas so as to keep them from getting dirty.

33. Its embarrassing if you're wedding has less than 600 people .

34. All your Tupperware is stained with food color.

35. You have drinking glasses made of steel..

36. You have mastered the art of bargaining in shopping.

37. You have really enjoyed reading this mail - forward it to as many Indians as possible.



I STILL LOVE TO BE AN INDIAN

Monday, July 19, 2010

Precautions while fueling your car

The Shell Oil Company recently issued a warning after three incidents in which mobile phones (cell phones) ignited fumes during fueling operations

In the first case, the phone was placed on the car's trunk lid during fueling; it rang and the ensuing fire destroyed the car and the gasoline pump.

In the second, an individual suffered burns to their face when fumes ignited as they answered a call while refueling their car!

And in the third, an individual suffered burns to the thigh and groin as fumes ignited when the phone, which was in their pocket, rang while they were fueling their car.

You should know that:

Mobile Phones can ignite fuel or fumes

Mobile phones that light up when switched on or when they ring release enough energy to provide a spark for ignition

Mobile phones should not be used in filling stations, or when fueling lawn mowers, boat, Etc.

Mobile phones should not be used, or should be turned off, around other materials that generate flammable or explosive fumes or dust, (i.e., solvents, chemicals, gases, grain dust, etc.)

To sum it up, here are the: Four Rules for Safe Refueling

1) Turn off engine

2) Don't use your cell phone - leave it inside the vehicle or turn it off

3) Don't re-enter your vehicle during fueling

Bob Renkes of Petroleum Equipment Institute is working on a campaign to try and make people aware of fires as a result of 'static electricity' at gas pumps. His company has researched 150 cases of these fires.

His results were very surprising:

1) Out of 150 cases, almost all of them were women.

2) Almost all cases involved the person getting back in their vehicle while the nozzle was still pumping gas. When finished, they went back to pull the nozzle out and the fire started, as a result of static.

3) Most had on rubber-soled shoes.

4) Most men never get back in their vehicle until completely finished. This is why they are seldom involved in these types of fires.

5) Don't ever use cell phones when pumping gas

6) It is the vapors that come out of the gas that cause the fire, when connected with static charges.

7) There were 29 fires where the vehicle was re-entered and the nozzle was touched during refueling from a variety of makes and models. Some resulted in extensive damage to the vehicle, to the station, and to the customer.

8) Seventeen fires occurred before, during or immediately after the gas cap was removed and before fueling began.

Mr. Renkes stresses to NEVER get back into your vehicle while filling it with gas.

If you absolutely HAVE to get in your vehicle while the gas is pumping, make sure you get out, close the door TOUCHING THE METAL, before you ever pull the nozzle out. This way the static from your body will be discharged before you ever remove the nozzle.


As mentioned earlier, The Petroleum Equipment Institute, along with several other companies now, are really trying to make the public aware of this danger. You can find out more information by going to Once here, click in the center of the screen where it says 'Stop Static'.


Please convey this information to ALL your family and friends, especially those who have kids in the car with them while pumping gas. If this were to happen to them, they may not be able to get the children out in time.


Sent by Huzefa Zakir

Sunday, July 18, 2010

WORLD HISTORY FACTS ABOUT INDIA

Some of the following facts may be known to you. These facts were recently published in a German magazine, which deals with WORLD HISTORY FACTS ABOUT INDIA.

1. India never invaded any country in her last 1000 years of history.

2. India invented the Number system. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.

3. The world's first University was established in Takshila in 700BC.

More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4 th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

4. According to the Forbes magazine, Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software.

5. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans.

6. Although western media portray modern images of India as poverty striken and underdeveloped through political corruption, India was once the richest empire on earth.

7. The art of navigation was born in the river Sindh 5000 years ago. The very word "Navigation" is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH.

8. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is now known as the Pythagorean Theorem. British scholars have last year (1999) officially published that Budhayan's works dates to the 6 th Century which is long before the European mathematicians.

9. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India . Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11 th Century; the largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Indians used numbers as big as 10 53

10. According to the Gemmological Institute of America, up until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds to the world.

11. USA based IEEE has proved what has been a century-old suspicion amongst academics that the pioneer of wireless communication was Professor Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi.

12. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra

13. Chess was invented in India

14. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted surgeries like cesareans, cataract, fractures and urinary stones. Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient India .

15. When many cultures in the world were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley ( Indus Valley India in 100 BC.

Quotes about India

We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made. Albert Einstein.


India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grand mother of tradition. Mark Twain.


If there is one place on the face of earth where all dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India French scholar Romain Rolland.



India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border. Hu Shih (former Chinese ambassador to USA )


ALL OF THE ABOVE IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG, THE LIST COULD BE ENDLESS.

BUT, if we don't see even a glimpse of that great India in the India that we see today, it clearly means that we are not working up to our potential; and that if we do, we could once again be an evershining and inspiring country setting a bright path for rest of the world to follow.

I hope you enjoyed it and work towards the welfare of INDIA

Say proudly, I AM AN INDIAN.


This has been sent by Swapan Das.

It is good, knowing your roots and your history. However, our Gurus tell us forget the past. It is over.
Forget the future. Don't worry over it. If you take care of the present, the future will take care of itself.
You cannot do anything over your past and sitting on your laurels is the worst disease which we Indians are very much prone to. It does not help whether your grandfather held 2000 bighas of land in Bangladesh and had 10 acres of fish ponds where there were Hilsas weighing 20 Kg were caught.
What are you now?
A refugee from Bangladesh who still depends of government dole.
Look at the Punjabi.
He too was a refugee from West Pakistan but by sheer hard work, he has become a useful citizen instead of a parasite on the nation.
It is good we did not invade any country but when rulers, whether from Greece or Persia or Afganisthan or Britain, France or Portugal or China invaded us, we were found to be sitting ducks.
The Chinese still hold large tracts of our land which they grabbed in 1962 and still claim Arunachal Pradesh and are also surrounding us from the North, West and South with governments who consider us their enemies.
Forget what you
We still have Indians who are intelligent and hardworking but they leave India for the Western countries where they can work without any bias.
What can they do?
With intellectual imbeciles like Mulayam, Mayawati, Lalu Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan, Sibu Soren and their likes forming the ruling elite in India, our actual intellectuals who could do anything for India are leaving our shores. They have to.
With quota and reservations now extending upto 75% and nothing to prevent it becoming 100%, the cream of India will leave this country.
There will be many for 26/11
Our country will be ruled by mediocre and semi mediocre people, very ripe for China to invade again.
What Albert Einstein, Mark Twain and Roman Rolland said was about pe-independence India, when we were forced to be honest by the British.
What have we become under our home grown rulers.
About 60% of our 1.2 billion population are BPL and do not earn even Rs 300/- per month.These people sleep on empty stomachs and yet food grain rots in government godowns.
We have got recognition of our own unique symbol for the Rs, but how does it help these BPL people?
Does it give them more purchasing power?
India ranks 84th in the list prepared by Transparency Internationsl of the most corrupt countries.
I am sure our politicians would claim proudly that at least we beat our neighbours Sri Lanka (97th), Bangladesh and Pakistan (139th), Nepal (143),Myanmar (178).
60% of our MPs and MLAs have criminal records.
But are you still proud to be an Indian?

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Dos & Don'ts


'Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.'

A sharp tongue can cut your own throat.

If you want your dreams to come true, you mustn't oversleep.

Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important

The best vitamin for making friends..... B1.

The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.

The heaviest thing you can carry is a grudge..

One thing you can give and still keep...is your word.

You lie the loudest when you lie to yourself.

If you lack the courage to start, you have already finished.

One thing you can't recycle is wasted time.

Ideas won't work unless 'you' do.

Your mind is like a parachute...it functions only when open.

The 10 commandments are not a multiple choice.

The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime! It is never too late to become what you might have been.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

Family and Friends are like balloons; once you let them go, you might not get them back. Sometimes we get so busy with our own lives and problems that we may not even notice that we've let them fly away. Sometimes we are so caught up in who's right and who's wrong that we forget what's right and wrong. Sometimes we just don't realize what real family or friendship means until it is too late. I don't want to let that happen so I'm gonna tie you to my heart so I never lose you.


Even if we can remember a few of the above in our daily lives, our lives would change for the better.
Sent by Kamal Kallani

Pictures in Pictures

Some years ago, the TV industry had introduced PIP (Picture in Picture) TV sets where one could watch two channels simultaneouly, one main and one in the corner, any one of which could be enlarged and the other put in the corner. I don't hear much of those TV sets for I fear the Ad industry had objected as people switched channels so that ads could be avoided.
Couldn't some genius invent some device so that as soon as ads come, the TV goes into the mute mode and again switches on as soon as the ad is over.
I know you have the remote but you cannot carry it everywhere and then they do not work from another room.
Normally ads are intentionally made louder and gaudier than the main programme.
This difference could be used.
Viraj Thacker has sent some pictures in pictures.
I am seeing such pictures for the first time and am posting them on our blog although they are not very soothing to the eyes, something like modern art.
Different people give different interpretations to the same painting.
The more the interpretations, the higher the price.
Something like Einstein's General Theory of Relativity.










Thursday, July 15, 2010

Car Owners - Beware!

After yesterday's post on how you should protect yourself from theft in ATMs, here is another warning for protecting your self from car theft.
I hope you never face the situation but just in case you do, being forewarned is being forearmed.

This was sent by Huzefa Zakir


ATTN ALL CAR USERS

Subject: Warning From Indian Police Dept - It can happen to
anyone....Warning. .!!!!

Just last weekend on Friday night we parked in a public car park. As
we drove away I noticed a sticker on the rear window of the car. When
I took it off (after I got home), it was a receipt for petrol. Luckily
my friend had told me not to stop, as it could be someone waiting for
me to get out of the car.

Then we received this email yesterday.
MESSAGE FROM POLICE:

"THIS APPLIES TO BOTH WOMEN AND MEN BEWARE OF PAPER ON THE BACK WINDOW
OF YOUR VEHICLE. NEW WAY TO DO CAR-JACKINGS."
You walk across the car park, unlock your car and get inside. You
start the engine and put it into Reverse.
When you look into the rear-view mirror to back out of your space, you
notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear screen. So you
stop, and jump out of your car to remove that paper (or whatever it
is), because it is obstructing your view. Then when you reach the back
of your car, is when the car-jackers appear out of nowhere. They jump
in and take off. They practically run you over as they speed off.

And guess what, ladies? I bet your purse is still in the car. So now
the car-jacker has your car, your home address, your money, and your
keys.
Your home and your whole identity are compromised!

BEWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME THAT IS NOW BEING USED.

If you see a piece of paper stuck to the back window, lock your doors
and just drive away. Remove the paper later.
And be thankful that you read this e-mail. I hope you will forward
this to friends and family, especially to women.
A purse contains all kinds of personal information and identification
documents, and you certainly do NOT want this to fall into the wrong
hands.

POLICE ALSO STATED THAT:
If you are driving at night and were attacked with eggs on your car's
windshield, DO NOT operate your wiper or spray any water. Eggs mixed
with water become milky and block your vision up to 92.5 %.You are
forced to stop at road side and become victim of robbery. This is new
technique used by robbers.

Take care and Safe Driving

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

ATMs have become common phenomena across the country. However, the seemingly safe ATM location can also become a place of crime……
















The above clips have been sent by both Arun Shroff and Ranjan Guha Mazumdar.
Since quite a few of our boys must be in the mailing list of either or both of them, I fear, I may have repeated.
But it is of sufficient importance to warrant a repeat. Something like the Tom and Jerrry movies we saw in school during the Puja Holidays in 1957.
The same reels we saw daily for seven days but our laughter never ceased.
The above, however, is no laughing matter.
Rather, it is to prevent your crying later on.
Anything to do with your health or the health of your finances, I do not mind in repeating.
Of course, most of the ATMs I have observed in India are guarded by a security guard as we Indians know how honest Indians are.
These clips are probably from some of the western countries where there are no guards but hidden cameras to record every movement.

Nitish visits Anand Mohan’s house, but Lovely eludes him

Patna,(BiharTimes): Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar did what was never expceted of him, or any other chief minister. He paid a visit to the ancestral house of convicted––not undertrail––prisoner, Anand Mohan. The latter is undergoing life-term in Bhagalpur Central Jail in the murder case of the then district magistrate of Gopalganj, G Krishnaiyah in December 1994.

He landed up at Panchgachia in Saharsa district on Sunday afternoon to bless the newly-wedded niece of Anand Mohan. It is widely seen as Nitish’s offer of peace to Anand Mohan. Media reports suggest that the former MP, Arun Kumar, who recently re-joined the Janata Dal (United) met Anand Mohan in Bhagalpur Jail a couple of days back.

What is strange is that Anand’s wife, also a former MP, Lovely Anand was not present when Nitish visited the house. However, he was received by Anand’s elder brother Madan Singh and other relatives.

Though Nitish termed the visit as purely personal it is being interpreted as an attempt to woo back the Rajputs of the region who are feeling alienated after the arrest of Anand Mohan and the reported attempt to enact Bataidari law last year. Though slogans like Nitish-Anand Mohan Zindabad rent the air the absence of Lovely Anand suggested that everything is not hunky-dory.

From Panchgachia, where he spent an hour, Nitish went to Bangaon, said to be the biggest Brahmin dominated village in Saharsa, to attend the marriage ceremony of one of his personal staff. He spent half an hour there. He intereacted with the family members of the employee and on their request paid a pilgrimage to Lakshminath Gosain temple in the village to seek his blessings for a second term.

Meanwhile, the RJD state president, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, strongly criticized the visit of the chief minister Nitish Kumar to the house of Anand Mohan. “Nitish might be there to seek forgiveness from Anand Mohan as he got him thrashed publicly at Patna railway station by the then SSP, Patna, Kundan Krishna,” he told mediapersons on Sunday.

With Anand Mohan moving Supreme Court it is to be seen what will be the respond of the state government in this case now.


Just when we think Nitish Kumar has controlled crime in Bihar, we find him getting cosy with convicted criminals.
If the Chief Minister of a state has to take the help of criminals, where does it leave law abiding citizens.
With such actions, it makes it appear that politics in India will never change.
Criminals will always rule.
When I had seen the article below I had just laughed it off as the rambling of a politician.
However, after reading the above, it seems that there may be truth in what the congress MP, Sanjay Nirupam, of Maharashtra says.


Congress leader and party MP from north Mumbai Sanjay Nirupam on Tuesday said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was a good marketing man, 'but his products were not good'.

"The Nitish Kumar government has failed on all fronts, but Kumar has succeeded in selling sub-standard products as he is a good salesman," Nirupam told reporters at the party headquarters here before leaving for Ara and Buxar to gear up the party ahead of November assembly elections in the state.

"The ground reality in Bihar is quite different from the rosy picture painted by the Bihar government," he said.

Kidnap for ransom, atrocities on dalits and other crimes were continuing though Kumar claimed to have ushered 'sushashan' (good governance during the past four-and-half-years rule of NDA rule, he alleged.

He also said that there was total peace in Mumbai with crime against the north Indians abating due to the efforts by Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and senior Congress leaders including AICC chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Modern Shylocks

HYDERABAD: Unable to bear humiliation meted out by recovery agents, a 27-year-old private security guard, Mahendra Prasad, committed suicide at his house in Neredmet on Sunday.

According to Neredmet police, Mahender had recently taken Rs 40,000 loan from ICICI Bank. Due to financial problems, Mahender was not paying monthly instalments since some time and recovery agents of the bank began frequenting his house.

At about 2 pm, two recovery agents went to Mahender's house and 'inquired' when he would be repaying the loan amount.
"Mahender, who was having lunch at that time, felt humiliated. After the agents left, Mahender pushed his wife and children out of the house, locked the door from inside and hung himself," Neredmet inspector K Venkat Reddy said.

The body was found by neighbours who broke open the door after some time.
Based on a complaint lodged by Mahender's wife Lavanya, a case under Section 306 (abetment to commit suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was filed against the ICICI Bank agents.


Those who have read Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice" must remember how Shylock relished the moment when he would be able to remove a pound of flesh in lieu of the loan he had given to Antonio and how Portia, Antonio's friends wife saved him.

In spite of the courts of the land instructing banks not to harass customers if they default, the evil continues.
THE ICICI BANK is the worst of the lot.
They first entice persons to take loan without going into their repaying capability and then make his life hell by hounding them day and night.

This is something like the sub-prime crisis in the USA.
Loans were given to undeserving people and see the result.
The whole financial world collapsed.

In the above case, the ICICI bank agents who harassed Mahendra Prasad should be tried for culpable murder.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Living together

Photographer Michel Denis-Huot, who captured these amazing pictures on safari in Kenya 's Masai Mara in October last year, said he was astounded by what he saw:

"These three brothers have been living together since they left their mother at about 18 months old,' he said. 'On the morning we saw them, they seemed not to be hungry, walking quickly but stopping sometimes to play together. 'At one point, they met a group of impala who ran away. But one youngster was not quick enough and the brothers caught it easily'".

These extraordinary scenes followed






The above have been sent by Avijit Roy.
Living together as shown above has a different meaning to what the western world understands.
But in the animal world it is possible.
I would be much more surprised if Mamata Banejee and Buddhadev Bhattacharya or Mayawati and Mulayam Singh and internationally if George Bush and Osmana Bin Laden could live like the above animals.

Oil Price Hike

Petrol Prices in

Pakistan Rs 26/ -
Bangladesh Rs 22/-
Cuba Rs 19/-
Nepal Rs 34/-
Afganistan Rs 36/-
Burma Rs 30/-
Qatar Rs 30/-
INDIA Rs 53/-

Basic Cost Per liter is Rs 16.50
Central Tax Rs 11.80
Central Excise Rs 09.75
Sales tax Rs 08.00
Vat Rs 04.00
Total Rs 50.05


Now extra Rs 3.00 great job from govt.

HPCL FY 08-09 Profit 574.50 Crore

INDIAN OIL FY 08-09 Profy 5556.77 Crore

Bharat Petroleum FY 08-09 5015c Crore

But the govt crying for loss making companies. What this result shows


Sent by Arun Shroff.

There is a fallacy in the argument.
You can compare only likes with likes.
Reminds me of an old story.

A man had gone to a tailor and asked him how much cloth he would require for making a pair of trousers for him
The tailor replied, " 4 metres"

He left the shop and went to another tailor's shop and got his trousers made there.
A few days later he went to the first tailor and scolded him for asking for 4 metres. He informed him that the neighbouring tailor made his trousers with just 2 and half metres and in that too he was able to make a half pant for his (tailor's) six year old son.

The first tailor then informed him that his own son was 20 year old.

I can only say from the above that corruption in India is at a much higher level than the countries mentioned above.
Our politicans like PC and Murli Deora do not like to deal in small change.
We prefer big bucks.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Woman advocate stabbed to death in High Court premises

A young woman advocate was allegedly stabbed to death by her paramour, who later tried to stab himself, at the premises of the Karnataka High Court here on Thursday.

The incident occurred around 1.50 p.m. near the Court Hall No. 3 at the first floor of the High Court. The victim, identified as J.S. Naveena (25), succumbed to injuries on the spot.

High Court police identified the accused as Rajappa (29), a paramour of the victim.

After committing the crime, the accused had attempted suicide by slitting his throat at the murder scene. However, he ran away from the spot when his colleagues tried to catch him and entered a retroom in the court where he consumed pesticide. The police and other advocates chased and nabbed him, an eye witness said.

Rajappa allegedly stabbed the victim at least four times leading to her death. Naveena received injuries in the neck and chest. Both were wearing black robes when the incident occurred, sources of the High Court police station said.

According to the police, the motive behind the gruesome murder is yet to be ascertained.


I don't know what was the cause of the anger of the person who stabbed the advocate but I would guess she may have double crossed him.
Besides the usual practise of dragging on cases so that their source of income continues uninterrupted as they continue to milk their clients, advocates are known to take money from both parties.
I myself was the victim of one such advocate. I won't name names as even the government is scared of rubbing them the wrong way.
I had bought a shop in our area for my younger brother.
One of my colleagues had a relative who was an advocate and lived in our area.
I was referred to the advocate by my colleague.
Now, this shop was financed by a bank and the person who owned the shop had defaulted. The advocate whom I had contacted knew of the default as he represented the other party.
However, he did not inform me and I went ahead and bought the legally disputed shop.
Just when I was doing Puja before entering the shop, the bank representative called.
I had to finally clear the other person's due before I could take posession of the shop.
I had to pledge my wife's jewellery to do so.
At that point. I would have willingly murdered the advocate.
I sympathise with the person who hacked the advocate in Bangalore.
In my list of corrupt persons, the advocate comes just below the list of politicians and policemen and just above the medical profession.

Jyoti Basu

How best can you remember a veteran statesman and leader with a political career spanning seven decades, especially on the occasion of his biography launch? By simply lauding his achievements, you might say.

But here is an instance of an official, who worked for 12 years under Jyoti Basu in West Bengal, making the event more meaningful by comparing the administrative systems in West Bengal and Karnataka.

N. Manjunath Prasad, Commissioner of State Social Welfare Department, who worked from 1996 to 2006 in the districts of Burdwan, Midnapore and Murshidabad of West Bengal in various capacities, recalled the spartan lives of West Bengal's politicians and the transparency of the system there.

“Legislators and Cabinet ministers commute by public transport. They live in small rented houses,” he said.

THE CONTRAST

In contrast, “when I was posted in Karnataka as Deputy Commissioner of Raichur in 2006, I was surprised to find that all the 45 zilla panchayat members who attended a meeting arrived in multi-utility vehicles,” he said.

Appreciating the land reforms brought about by Mr. Basu, the official said there were no beggars there because the Government had provided every individual with minimum land to get by. “The land ceiling limit is strictly followed there. No one can have surplus land and if they do, the Government will recover it and allot it to landless farmers in the village,” he said.

Padmashree awardee K.S. Nisar Ahmed, who released the biography, hailed Mr. Basu's contribution to Indian polity. “He was Chief Minister for 23 years; but he never fought for the post. He believed in administration for the people and from the people. He became the Chief Minister not for power but to serve,” Prof. Ahmed said.

The biography, originally written in Bengali by Surabhi Banerjee, has been translated into Kannada by R.K. Hudagi. It is published by Chintana Prakashana.


I wish I could say the same of Jyoti Basu.
For me, he was the destroyer of Bengal.
From being one of the leading states in India, in almost everything, it has now sunk to a lower level than Bihar.
People are now so disillusioned with his party that they are beating up anyone carrying the red flag.
His goondas are leaving in hordes and joining Mamata Banerjee.
She is no better than Jyoti Basu.
From 1967 to 2011, Jyoti Basu and his party have murdered Bengal.
Now, it is up to Mamata Banerjee to continue the good work and bury the dead body and let ghosts run Bengal.

ZEN TEACHINGS



1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me for the path is narrow..... In fact, just piss off and leave me alone.
2. Sex is like air. It's not that important unless you aren't getting any.
3. No one is listening until you fart.
4. Always remember you're unique. Just like everyone else..
5. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
6. If you think nobody cares whether you're alive or dead, try missing a couple of mortgage payments.
7. Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.
8.. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
9. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
10. If you lend someone £20 and never see that person again, it was probably well worth it.
11. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
12. Some days you are the dog, some days you are the tree.
13. Don't worry; it only seems kinky the first time.
14. Good judgment comes from bad experience ... and most of that comes from bad judgment.
15. A closed mouth gathers no food.
16. There are two excellent theories for arguing with women. Neither one works.
17. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.
18. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
19.. We are born naked, wet and hungry, and get slapped on our arse - then things just keep getting worse.
20. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night


Sent by Keith Hayward

Friday, July 9, 2010

Does God Exist?

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.
As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.
They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:
"I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist.
Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?
Would there be abandoned children?

If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.
I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.
He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:
"You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber.
"I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because
if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me."
"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist!
That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help.
That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."


If you still believe God does not exist, just read on...

A policeman was being cross-examined by a defence attorney during a felony trial.

The lawyer was trying to undermine the police officer's credibility...

Q: 'Officer, did you see my client fleeing the scene?
A: 'No sir. But I subsequently observed a person matching the description of the offender, running several blocks away.
Q= 'Officer -- who provided this description?'
A: 'The officer who responded to the scene.'
Q= 'A fellow officer provided the description of this so-called offender. Do you trust your fellow officers?'
A: 'Yes, sir. With my life.'
Q= 'With your life? Let me ask you this then officer. Do you=have a room where you change your clothes in preparation for your daily duties?'
A: 'Yes sir, we do!'
Q= 'And do you have a locker in the room?'
A: 'Yes sir, I do.'
Q= 'And do you have a lock on your locker?'
A: 'Yes sir.'
Q= 'Now why is it, officer, if you trust your fellow officers with=your life, you find it necessary to lock your locker in a room you share with these same officers?'
A: 'You see, sir -- we share the building with the court complex, and sometimes lawyers have been known to walk through that room.'

The courtroom EXPLODED with laughter, and a prompt recess was called.
The officer on the stand has been nominated for this year's 'Best Comeback' line.


Now here’s one from General Schwarzkopf

In a recent interview,
General Norman Schwarzkopf
was asked if he thought
there was room for forgiveness
toward the people who have harbored
and abetted the terrorists who perpetrated
the 9/11 attacks on America.

His answer was classic Schwarzkopf.

The General said:
I believe that forgiving them is God's function.

OUR job is to arrange the meeting”


Sent by Arun Shroff

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Some stray thoughts

Don't just have career or academic goals.

Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life.

I use the word balanced before successful.

Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.


There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup.

There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts.

Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

Life is one of those races in nursery school where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth.

If the marble falls, there is no point coming first.

Same is with life where health and relationships are the marble.

Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life.

Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously.

Life is not meant to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here.

We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity.

If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years.

And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends.

Do we really need to get so worked up?

It's ok, bunk a few classes,

scoring low in couple of papers,

goof up a few interviews,

take leave from work, fall in love,

little fights with your spouse.

We are people, not programmed devices.

"Don't be serious, be sincere"!!!


Sent by Desmond, from a speech by Chetan Bhagat, of "3 Idiots" fame.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Treating patients at home

Last Thursday, my brother-in-law, (sister’s husband) suddenly fell ill.
He is aged 77, which is comparatively young by western standards but is old by our norms.
He had not been keeping well for some time and had started eating very frugally, hence was very weak.
As is usual in old age, he had become cranky and like a child, obstinate.
Unknown to the other members of the house, he went for a walk on the road.
Shortly. the other members of the house found out and went to bring him back.
When they called his name from the back, he turned to look and fell.
He suffered some injury and his hand started bleeding.
The wound was bandaged but he did not allow a second dressing for the pain.
On Thursday, probably because of pain and infection he became unconscious at night.
An oxygen cylinder was arranged because his breathing had become strained and he had lungs problems.
On Friday they called their family physician and also informed me.
I went immediately.
The family physician asked them to call a cardiologist to check to the heart.
The cardiologist came at around 2.00 pm. He did his check-up but he came without a ECG machine.
Imagine, a cardiologist, coming for a call, without his ECG machine.
He advised hospitalization in ICU but we preferred to do the treatment at home.
Anyhow, an ECG technician was called to do the ECG and the report came at 6.00 pm.
There was no problem in the heart.
Since, he had not eaten or drunk anything, saline drip was arranged at home.
We bought a nebulizer for his lungs problem.
Immediately after using the nebulizer for 10 minutes and starting the drip and giving one injection, his condition started improving.
Treatment started at 7.00 pm and he had started improving by 8.00 pm.
Now, why did we prefer the treatment at home and not hospitalize him.
Because of poor experience from previous episodes.
Hospitals keep patients in ICUs just to raise their bills and even after a patient expires, it is not declared so that they can continue billing him. Even reputed nursing homes in Kolkata resort to this method of fleecing customers. So a new movement has started where people, if they can arrange the facilities at home keep the patient at home and just employ a nurse to care for him
A few days ago, a director of our company, preferred to have his ailing mother treated at home rather than send her to the wolves in the hospital. Since she was old, they thought it is better she remain with the family during her last few days.
I commend the decision and would advise Indians to do the same instead of handing over your near ones to the beasts in the hospitals. I mention Indians for our Indian doctors, especially those in North India are just scoundrels, out to earn quick money only with no sense of serving the people.
The HIPPOCRATES oath has become the HYPOCRITES oath.

The Girl Child

People always pray for a boy
not for a girl
Blessings of elders are for male
not for female
but if in need of wealth
people pray to ma Laxmi
For success in education
people pray to ma Saraswati
For removal of tension
people pray to ma Ambaji
And to escape from the devil
people pray to ma Kali
Now tell me, why do people hesitate to have a female in the family,
while those whom they pray to during trouble, are females?

save the girl child!!!
spread the beautiful message!!

Let's give unconditional love to the girl child!!!


Sent by Pradeep Mohan

Your mother & sisters will bless you.

A daughter is more caring during old age than a son although she can hardly help much as she has to look after her own and husband's family. In spite of that she finds time to look after her parents.

Ironically, another woman, the mother-in-law, is the greatest enemy of the girl child.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Power without responsibility

The Curious Case of Indian Bureaucrats

Last week Maj Gen Joshi called on me. He was an esteemed instructor during our Degree Course days, and EME officers would remember him as one of our finest engineers. Indeed, he spent most of his time with the DRDO. He was commissioned in Jun 1960 and was in the Eastern sector during the 1962 debacle. He has analyzed the event very systematically, and his study reveals the following :
· Pt Nehru, the architect of modern India suffered a severe stroke of depression from which he never quite recovered. He died in May 1964 at the comparatively young age of 73.
· VK Krishna Menon was removed from the post of Raksha Mantri for his incorrect assessment of the situation.
· Gen Thapar, the COAS was sacked. The careers of Lt Gen Kaul and scores of other military officers took a "U" turn.

· A few thousand soldiers died; many more were wounded and some were taken prisoners.

· The psyche of the country received a severe blow. It was considered a 'National Shame'

The question he asked me was, "Who was the Defence Secretary? And what was the punishment meted out to him?" I have asked several friends and also surfed the Internet but I am unable to find an answer. In all probability nothing was done to him, because he had no role in this!

Gen Joshi then took this discussion a step further. He observed that during the recent attack on Mumbai, dozens of soldiers and policemen have been killed. The whole nation is shaken. Mr Shivraj Patil has lost his prestigious job. The CM of Maharashtra has been axed and several heads in the government are likely to roll. Can some one tell us as to what action has been taken against the Union Home Secretary or the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra? (Thomas tells me that they will all be "promoted" soon though he does not know why).

Having spent many years in and around the South Block, I marvel at the way our government has been structured. The Civil Servants rule the roost. In terms of promotions and status they are ahead of every one else by miles. They are central in the Pay Commission and the Cabinet Secretary is involved in every major decision making process. Yet, when things go wrong, they wash their hands off so clean that one wonders how!

A slightly closer examination reveals the secret. I have figured it out this way: They never do anything themselves. They always find some one else to be the head, and they know how to reduce him to be a 'figure head'. (In the Pay Commissions, they have a retired Judge). However they place themselves in a spot which has the maximum opportunity to influence matters.

After the event, they never face the Press or the Media. Their role is amorphous. The senior amongst them rarely sign a letter or order. Our pension letter is signed by a Director, who is not directly recruited IAS officer. Only rarely do you find a paper signed by a Joint Secretary. Officers above that level do not sign any document.

They have a strong association. It protects the interests of its members dutifully and diligently. So we have our Defence headquarters in which the postings, promotions, rewards and punishments of all senior officers are controlled by the civil servants; and they also have the final say in the process of procurement of weapons and eqpt, but they are not "responsible" if things go wrong! It is authority without responsibility. (For those who may not know, a lowly officer in the MoD can have a Deputy Chief posted out, but a Service Chief can not get even a Desk Officer moved)

When Gen Joshi left, I found myself perplexed. What sort of system have we evolved? And how has it survived all these years? It is a bit like a unit in which the clerks are running the unit and the CO is so dependent on the Head Clerk that he can not move without their help!

Can some one give a cogent answer to the questions raised by Gen Joshi?


Sent by Avijit Roy.

Not everyone was punished.
R J Patil who was the Home Minister in Maharashtra was sacked but got back his job after things had died down.
Sadly, public memory is very short and these corrupt politicians take full advantage of it.
They would have even brought back Shivraj Patil but he was as out and out a failure.
Shashi Tharoor had helped his lady friend whom he planned to marry, in the IPL auctions.
Sharad Powar misused his power in the same auctions to help his daughter in the auctions.
Shashi was sacked but Powar went on to become President of ICC.
What a shame?
India should send a corrupt minister to represent India as ICC President.
Is it any wonder that with a population of 1.2 billion, we find no place among the 32teams who went for the World Cup Soccer