Earlier last week, a friend of mine commented on Facebook about the next CM for Maharashtra being one of two animals – I replied to his comment and paused to stop in my tracks – I was scared of consequences!

Anything that you do in this RASH state can get you into trouble!

• An airline wanted to lay off a few people because they were in deep trouble – They went ahead at their own peril and got into trouble!
• A movie director referred to the capital of this state as Bombay – the old name which this city has held for ages and is world famous for. While everyone knows the city changed its name, the poor director had to apologize for a mistake that he made!
• Supposedly a cosmopolitan city and a city that provides a livelihood for everyone under the sun, folks from other states, especially the north of India were targeted because they lived there and were threatening the livelihood of the local community
• This one takes the cake for me – A Formula One driver is invited to the city to drive on a cordoned off road and gets a 1.4 million fine because he breached speed limits!

Our financial capital continues to amaze me. While I have a lot of friends who swear by the city as the place to be, these bizarre events make me wonder if modern India is in reverse gear!

The business world we live and operate in has changed and changed for ever! There will be business cycles because of which businesses will hire and fire. I’ve seen days when we’ve gone to campus with nearly insane compensation numbers to hire fresh from college grads! If you create an issue when businesses fire people, will you also create an issue when business picks up and hire people?

Movies are a flippin fun thing! There’s everything from sex to crime to fun and song and dance – there’s a censor board that has a role to play in and if they have done their job, who are you to come and throw a spanner into the works?

India grows in cities and now in small towns and villages. This is a reality that people need to accept and live with. If you are truly concerned about people migrating, as administrators, you’ve got to ensure that growth is uniform across cities and states

If you don’t understand what formula one is all about, please don’t call heroes in their own rights home and shame them and make a mockery of yourself!

It’s about time that my RASH state learnt to deal with change better!

PS: Can someone assume me that my IP won’t get tracked and I won’t get attacked? I care a damn – hopefully, I won’t have to live there in a long long time!

Image Credit: Don Carey

Popularity: 6%

The Times of India has been tracking a very interesting story over the last few days. A Legislative Assembly (MLA) member was caught red handed for accepting a bribe of INR 500K in cash to settle a civil dispute. Ever since this MLA has been caught, he’s been on the run. In a bid to avoid being arrested, this MLA has been hospital hopping!

His misfortune or otherwise, the heart hospital that he went to seeking cover first said he was perfectly fit and said here were no grounds to admit him. The MLA then developed a severe headache and then went to another hospital where he has been admitted. This is the National Health of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) where he is now housed on the stated pretext that he is unwell!

In such a blatant act of exploiting the loop holes in the law, this MLA, who has no way to get out of the mess that he is in, is now in hospital. The organization that caught him is complaining saying that this time enables a man in power to tamper evidence.

This is certainly no isolated incident – the fact that the SEBI is moving the high court to seek access to someone who himself has confessed that he siphoned out money, the fact that the state governments of both Andhra and Karnataka took their own sweet time to act on cases where there was immense pressure to act and did all but bare little, the fact that someone who has been convicted for attacking parliament is still alive, and let’s not forget the story of the captured militant from 26/11 who’s still yet to have a formal charge sheet registered against him… the list is just endless.

When the principles of the Indian constitution were being formed, we choose to mirror “best practices” from the land that ruled us for a long time – the British. If the laws we incorporated were on the principles of natural justice, where has natural justice gone suddenly?

While our laws badly need a re-look, I think institutions like hospitals need to act a little more responsibly. If a hospital is intended to be a cause to support a noble profession like medicine, who does their act to house someone on “medical grounds” go in line with their stated cause? It’s easy to argue a case the other way saying we are doing our jobs. If that’s the case, the yard sticks have to be the same and hospitals need to accept a common man who goes to hospital with a burn or an accident. It is in situations like these that hospitals gets on to the moral high ground and says that an FIR is needed for us to accept this person as this is “police case”.

We all know how frustrating these acts are. It’s time for change… but who is listening???

Image Credit: Atomic Jeep

Popularity: 9%

Going to police station to lodge your complaint, worry about uncomfortable interactions may be a thing of past for people of Hyderabad. 

Yes Hyderabad Metropolitan police now have introduced a new way to lodge your complaints or seek emergency assistance. Apart from the Dial 100 service, the police department is launching this new service.

Citizens can now alert police about Terror Alerts such a suspicious baggage, person. They can also use this service to report crime, pass information about wanted criminals, traffic and any other social nuisance. The following options have been publicized as of now and more may be added. So all you Hyderabadis, keep these handy.

Emergency number: 9010100100

Message Prefix Codes:

• te – Terror alerts and complaints
• t – Traffic Issues
• w – Eve Teasing, Harassment of women
• c – any other crime
• n – nuisance

Apart from these police department would send periodic messages to subscribers in different areas about wanted criminals, any alerts etc.

I think this is a very great step in curbing or at least enabling people to participate in crime control. My kudos to Police Department.

Popularity: 15%

This article was written a couple of days ago. Due to some technical difficulties, this could not be published earlier. The latest news surrounding the death of Hemant Karkare takes away the relevance of the articles. However, worth still a read, me thinks. Enjoy!

It is the story that has caught the nation by storm. On one hand you have the Union Minister for Minority Affairs and a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, A R Ant-u-lay who seemed to open his mouth at a time when the whole country is going through the post terrorism crisis and on the other hand, there is another so called self made icon of the Marathi Manoos, Balasaheb (a.k.a. Uncle) led Shiva Sena who wants to press it hard….as hard as he can so that the affairs (however minor that is) come to an Ant.

Jokes apart, Uncle Bala and his son Udhav can do away with their “no-one-cares” remarks. Why do they need to raise their voice for every thing that is said and heard. First of all, they can’t take care of their people when in crisis, and now they come forward to shout at the top of their voice as if our Mr.Ant is the only one who has made controversial statements.

Did you forget about your nephew Raj Thackeray and his escapades?

High time The Thackerays kept a low profile and not pressed hard for every thing that is said and heard. Sometimes it may be worth doing so.

Should Antulay have spoken the way he has? Should he not have given considerations how people would react especially the police fraternity who gave many a lives to save the city of Mumbai from falling down?

Of course, he could have watched his mouth. Instead of guess-working in the media about his wild Sherlock Holmes like detectivities, he would not have been lynched by these senseless morons if he were a bit cautious in your approach. He needs to take a lesson or two in public speaking. Yes Minister!!!

Speaking of Aam Aadmi, we are still at a loss why did Hemant Karkare lose his life ? May be he was a victim of terror. May be he was pinned down by his detractors. May be there was a hidden agenda – who knows ?? Government ought to probe some of these incidents de facto

If Antulay has spoken, he has done so on behalf of the public. There is widespread anger the way government has been conducting its business and the way senior police officials have been made scapegoats. Else, explain why Senior Mumbai Police Officials, Roy & Gafoor got transferred despite them being very actively involved in the rescue effort ?

May be it’s time for sweeping the “Home” once again – Mr. Home Minister, are you listening?

Popularity: 9%