Are speculators deliberately bringing the global economy to the brink ?

shekhar5 Comments

The last time this happened was during the Asian Currency crisis, when all the then so called ‘Tiger Economies’ were destroyed by speculation in their currencies. Who were these speculators ? George Sorros was definitely one of them. Who are these people that in the name of return on investment actively go out to destroy the livelihoods of millions of people ? With the rise in food prices all over the world leading to food riots, and now the sudden rise in oil prices that will completely hamper food distribution, the world is heading to the brink of economic turmoil. Both the rise in food and oil prices have not been caused by sudden shortages. They have been caused by immense speculation and trading in commodity futures. Remember that trading in commodity futures, rather than easing price fluctuations as economic theory teaches you, actually creates artificially high prices.

Continue reading “Are speculators deliberately bringing the global economy to the brink ?” →

Amitabh Bachchan and Amir Khan Blogs.

shekhar29 Comments

It is wonderful to see blogging come of age in India. I have always believed that blogs are the new way that people will express themselves, and bloggers will create communities that will become more powerful and more connected than newspapers and tv channels. Soon we will have blogtv – where the combined reach of the individual communities will far exceed those of the current (rather poor) tv channels. And because blogging is an interactive and democratic process through which no one person is allowed to become so powerful that he/she becomes the ‘gatekeeper’ of public opinion and even news, bloggers carry the responsibility to nourish and nurture this new medium. For like freedom, it is by the people, of the people and for the people. And so, while I love that both Amir and Amitabh are attracting so much attention from bloggers, I sincerely hope that ultimately their blogs will mature into creating communities that will become focal points for community discussions. For a Blog to be sustainable, it must go beyond being about an individual personality. Both Amir and Amitabh have the ‘pull power’ to create large blogging communities. I sincerely hope they do.

Identity crisis anyone ?

shekhar13 Comments

Language does limit comprehension sometimes. And the more we communicate, the more we rely on ‘key words’ as a means of speedier communication. And so the more we tend to define and therefore confine things into narrower and narrower meanings. So what do we mean by identity crisis ? Have I ever been without one in my whole life ? I am still unable to define myself, and am still trying to understand who I am, and why I am. I guess I take that as a positive – as long as I am searching for my identity, as long as I am yearning for something that I can identify myself as, so long will I keep searching for that part of me that exists eternally. And has always existed. Wonderful how I am able to escape the psychological definition and escape into the mythic one !

Continue reading “Identity crisis anyone ?” →

Should the Dalai Lama go to the Beijing Olympics?

shekhar26 Comments

Yesterday the Times of India asked me to comment on the possibility of the Dalai Lama going to the Beijing Olympics and of course, journalism being what it is in India, outrageously misquoted me. I said that the Dalai Lama should go to the Olympic, because if he did, the people of China would embrace His presence and that could start a non confrontational political dialog that could give some kind of autonomy to Tibet. Of course the Times of India misquoted me as saying that his presence at the Olympics would ’embarrass’ the people of China into provoking a dialog. A little bit of difference between embarrass and embrace, wouldn’t you say ?

Continue reading “Should the Dalai Lama go to the Beijing Olympics?” →

Can we change our Destiny ?

shekhar68 Comments

Respected Sir : am parineeta sharma from jodhpur.Now I have to ask a question to you that I have waited about 24 years my success.But still unable to achieve it. What is reason? Pl. tell me what is wrong with my fortune?
Parineeta, I am not a jyotish, nor do I have the power to tell anyones future. But I believe that your future is changeable, and your destiny is just a potential at any given time. A potential that exists under the influences of your own Karma and the rest of the Karmic influences upon you in a huge inter-related matrix that is immemorial in time.

Continue reading “Can we change our Destiny ?” →

Politicians squabble, strut, do photo ops over the bodies of dead children

shekhar13 Comments

So even as families are searching for their loved ones in Jaipur. Even as the nation is in a state of shock (if they can get their minds off cricket), and the grief of mothers that lost their children is not over, the Politicians have stepped in. The Rajasthan Chief Minister is claiming that the intelligence reports were deliberately vague, like ‘weather reports she said’ and advised Sonia Gandhi not to try and come to the state to do photo ops for political mileage. But of course the top brass of the BJP was there, doing immense amount of photo ops for their own political benefit. I hope and pray that the people pf this country see these political acts for what they really are. Our politicians often turn into parasites on the miseries and grief of their own people.

Continue reading “Politicians squabble, strut, do photo ops over the bodies of dead children” →

The Indian people deserve better

shekhar16 Comments

No wonder Indians do so well when they move overseas. Look at the odds they have to overcome just to survive in their own nation. If they are not constantly fighting bureaucracy, corruption, lack of basic health, education, the state is unable to even protect their lives against acts of terrorism. Isn’t it time that the people forced the politician to overcome their obsession with their own power, greed and criminal irresponsibility ? Is it not time for the people to hold the politicians accountable ? The state is as responsible for these acts of terrorism as the terrorists themselves.

Terrorists strike in Jaipur

shekhar16 Comments

Will we never be free of this ? Innocents being killed in the name of political or religious gain. How does this killing of innocents help anyone ? Who was probably killed ? Families that went shopping, or to pray in the temples, or tourists that came to Jaipur from all over India. Having saved for this one holiday with the family. Not once thinking that they were just walking into a terrorists bomb. Lets just pray for the families and the bereaved ones. At this moment I hear over 40 people are dead. I just hope and pray the count does not go up by the morning.

IPL 20/20, like quick sex with no foreplay- the end of cricket we grew up on ?

shekhar23 Comments

Will there never be another Gavaskar or Tendulkar in Indian cricket ? Is the time to nurture cricketing talent over ? With fortunes being decided on the hit and miss formula of 20/20 , will it all be about instant gratification and financial returns from now on ?
Don’t get me wrong. I am addicted. But I am completely confused about who plays for who. While I knew who’s side I was on in an India/Pakistan match, how do I root for a great Pakistani bowler against Tendulkar ? And how dare Vijay Mallya speak against Dravid, one of the greatest Indian batsmen playing the game and should he not confine himself to selling beer ? Suddenly the much maligned Indian cricket board seems almost benign in light of the ruthlessness of the current owners of the team ! And I feel disoriented when the fortunes of the teams are being decided by the Australians and the Pakistani players that float in and out. Are Indian players going to be sidelined ? Will we ever be able to raise the spirit of Indian team together again after they have publicly fought against each other ?
We need to say a one minute silence to the cricket we knew, even as we welcome instant gratification.