Indian MPs make merry on tax-payer's money!

Last updated on: April 11, 2009 at 7:11 pm By Desh Kapoor

Indian MPs on official assignments should not go for 5 star hotels. That is the policy. However, when the terrorists struck on 26-11, 4 MPs were caught in the cross fire. They were there as part of 15-member Lok Sabha Committee on Subordinate Legislation to hold meetings with the top brass of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd [Get Quote] and other Public Sector Undertakings. The four MPs were N N Krishnadas (CPI-M), Jaisingrao Gaikwad Patil (NCP), Lal Mani Prasad (BSP) and Bhupendrasinh Solanki (BJP). Read more

The so-called "Indian Hand" in Pakistan Terror is… well…. uncut!

Last updated on: April 10, 2009 at 10:43 pm By Desh Kapoor

Pakistan is now saying - after initially totally denying for all along - that there was an "Indian hand" in the attack on Sri Lankan team. [1] To normal and intelligent people this is nonsense to begin with knowing the type of attack and how those folks melted into Lahore's street without trace! One would assume that Pakistani administration would have a rather scientific way of identifying the Indian "hand" (or is it euphemism for something "else'?). It seems that the litmus test or the most important test for Pakistanis has been checking out the corpses on the scene and identifying if the persons killed (specially the militants) were circumcised or not. Just that. One look at you-know-what and voila.. Indian "hand" is certain! Why? Because the folk-lore goes in that part of the world that EVERY Muslim on the earth is circumcised and since India = Hindu/Sikh anyways (of course, they are certain that no Muslim soldier or spy is ever recruited.. and if he is.. he won't fight against Pakistan... so go figure!)... this is the conclusive proof for.. the "Hand" from across the border! 🙂 Read more

Intention, Consciousness and the New Science

Last updated on: April 9, 2009 at 11:44 pm By Desh Kapoor

Special thanks to Rajesh H. for sending me the clip that enabled me to delve more into this When temples were constructed a certain ceremony was followed. Yantras with Mantras and adequate, appropriate as well as concentrated meditation and recitation of shlokas was a very important part of the entire process. Central to the idea of temples has been the belief that a certain type of power can be generated and stored in that area within the building to help the devotees with a certain type of desire or need. In some cases, the temple acts as an extension of a spiritual Master such that His/Her "intentions" and/or mission is followed through after the Master has passed off. To most in science this has remained mere hog wash. Even to many Spiritual Masters, the need to go to a "place" (temple or pilgrimage) has been a useless exercise. The devoted however, had argued that a pilgrimage was no different from going to the Master Himself. For example, to a devotee, going to say Dwarka was equal to going in the presence of Krishna himself. To which the argument came back - if Krishna is not there, can His "power" or presence be even preserved? Read more

India launching spy satellite to guard against terrorism

Last updated on: April 9, 2009 at 3:45 pm By Desh Kapoor

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is ready to launch an advanced spy satellite on April 20 aboard the indigenous Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The satellite has been built by Israel and would help India keep a tab on things at India's borders round the clock. This remote-sensing advanced imaging satellite, has all-weather capabilities, including under cloud cover and since it would carry the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload - it could be used to take pictures during day or night. Therefore it is an all-weather satellite with ability to track things during day and night. It will be at 550 km orbit. Read more

Yeh Hum Nahe Hein [The way are portrayed is not the way we are]

Last updated on: April 9, 2009 at 3:22 pm By jessicafick

This is a special post in collaboration with Pak Times and Rubab Saleem. In the midst of all the terror and mayhem, one forgets that every nation has ordinary citizens within its borders. It is important that their voices are heard and understood. Blast after blast, death after death and in the end what we end up is just regrets!!! The Prime Minister announcing the compensation amount and the rest of the world around announces condolences. But have we ever thought how hard it is for the people to over come such unusual deaths when they actually occur? Have we ever thought of the consequences these continuous deaths can bring in the society? Isn’t it high times to really think that all this silence inside the nation is creeping and no wonder one day it just blows out as a volcano in the middle of the country? I don’t think the number of people will be as less as they were for the proposed long March of the lawyer’s movement. Every single person around us is a victim in some way or the other of this war against terror. 12 months after the general elections, that for the first time in the history of Pakistan brought the change in the mindset of the general public, the public still waits for the hopeful results for which they voted. The increasing number of suicidal attacks in the past few weeks has again brought the question of a sense of unsecured surroundings. I and everyone around me feel unsafe, exposed and an open target for the terrorist activity instead of all these security measurements around. Things keep moving faster and faster and the nation as always keeps going even faster in forgetting what happened. With so many things happening around one wonders what to remember and what not to. Beside we have far more problems in our own homes to sort rather to sort the nation’s problems. This is how the mentality of a normal Pakistani has turned into. Why have we become so senseless, why have we just disowned the mess that we can not even blame no one else for. The war against terror may have started from 9/11, but the things started to worsen up for Pakistan way back. No wonder Pakistan is announced to be the center or the afghan policy, because of position in the region. Read more

Vyadha (Butcher) Gita: How a Butcher helped enlighten a Brahmin

Last updated on: September 17, 2020 at 3:36 pm By Desh Kapoor

There are many stories and sermons on what the correct Karma of a Karma-Yogi is, as narrated by Gita. Generally, since the religions around the world have been mired in moralistic nonsense, people have created moralistic overlays on Gita's message. Divinity and Purity have been assigned to Karmas or deeds and Sri Krishna's message has been reduced to some moralistic definition. There is one story in Mahabharat, the Indian Epic, which I had read about in a lecture by Swami Vivekananda - which, I believe, BEST discusses Krishna's Karma Yoga! Today, I again chanced upon that story. Now, Hindus are most known for vegetarian lifestyle. Which most Hindus (and even other spiritual sects) believe is religious duty and non-vegetarianism is a sin. Well, Swami Vivekananda was a non-vegetarian. (Disclaimer: I am a vegetarian since birth). Let us see what our scriptures say about this practice? This story is also called Vyadha Gita. It consists of teachings imparted by a Vyadh (Butcher) to a Sanyasi (monk) and occurs in the Vana Parva section of Mahabharat. This story was narrated by Rishi Markandeya to the eldest Pandava - Yudhishter. The central precept of the story is: No duty is ugly, no duty is impure it is only the way in which the work is done, that determines its worth. Read more

Narendra Modi on Advani vs Dr. Singh

Last updated on: April 8, 2009 at 3:25 pm By Desh Kapoor

Here is Modi talking on the political equations for the elections this year and why Advani is better than Dr. Singh.. Read more

ईदगाह: Idgah – Story of Hamid and Eid

Last updated on: November 3, 2013 at 12:27 am By Desh Kapoor

During our school time, Idgah was one of my favorite stories. It was written by Premchand, the famous Hindi writer and is very sensitively written. Read more

Chinese Mobile Handsets are a Security Risk – DON'T USE THEM!

Last updated on: April 8, 2009 at 6:18 am By Desh Kapoor

Chinese phones have flooded the Indian market in the recent past. But they are a security risk! Around 250 lakh handsets will stop working by April 15. These phones do not have IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers. This IMEI number gets reflected at cell phone towers with which, if required, the location of a mobile phone user can be tracked. The Chinese handsets do not have any IMEI number and sometimes multiple sets share one IMEI number. A proper and legal IMEI #s are 15-17 digits long and are unique in nature, but the Chinese phones either show up as a string of Zeros or cloned IMEI numbers. It is because these phones are cloned during manufacturing at the unbranded Chinese mobile phone makers. Do you want to see your IMEI #? Press *#06# on your mobile and it shows up on your screen. Read more

India is a "Flawed Democracy"

Last updated on: April 8, 2009 at 5:37 am By Desh Kapoor

The Economist Intelligence Unit's 2008 Democracy index has ranked India at 35 position and put it under the "Flawed Democracies". In this list which was divided into "Full Democracies", "Flawed Democracies", "Hybrid Regimes" and "Authoritarian Regimes" covered a total of 167 countries. The Flawed democracies and Authoritarian Regimes lead the tally with 29.9% and 30.5% countries representing. Sweden. Norway, Iceland, Netherlands, Denmark and Finland were the top 6 - thus making it an all-Nordic club. US is #18 in the "Full Democracy" category. Canada is #11!. Heck, even Mauritius is #26 and a "Full Democracy"!! Now, I can understand that since this list was drawn in Britain, there is a certain Western bias, but India's democracy is flawed, in my view because of it having TOO MUCH democracy! Every one and his brother can simply get up and start a party and a clear majority is almost impossible. Read more