Why Lokpal Bill is Important

Government Lokpal Bill is a joke, eyewash and totally ineffective !!!!!!

1)Why

Government is afraid of discussion of bill in public??Is it because its so called lokpal bill is garbage. While team Anna gave arguments regarding the effectiveness of the Jan lokpal bill and  severe shortcomings of Government Lokpal bill , Government simply has one argument “ Parliament is supreme and its member alone can decide the provision of Lokpal. They do not want any discussion on provision and shortcoming of their bill. Team Anna has asked government to publicly debate on this issue or videotape the meeting between civil society and government but government rejected both demand.


2)Team

Anna will get nothing from having week or strong Lokpal bill. But corrupt politicians will definitely be atloss if strong lokpal bill is passed ( the chances of them getting prosecuted and getting jailed will be more). Â In thiscase, the thief(politicians) himself is making law to lay parameter how investigationwill be done against him.


3) Government

Is acting like a local trader or Blackmailer by coming up with give and take offer. Inother words, it is asking Team anna to tone down their demands for strong lokpal and include weak government recommendations. Why?Why Government dont want strong lokpal ? Also it is following policy of “Divide and Rule by bringing fringe elements( like Aruna roy of NAC) and sayingcivil society is divided.


4) Since the Jan

Lok bill will create independent authority regarding the investigation of government officials and its ministers, MP’s etc.  it is required that independent agency should look after these matters. ( CBI has to start inquiry in 2G and CWG scam only after supreme court initiative). In government so called Lokpal Bill.

5) Government lokpal 


Will be elected by majority of governments nominees and will be under government control. A Just like CBI, CVC etc. So it will be atoothless body who will never initiate inquiry against government ministers. (Remember a government nominated CVC , supposed to be most honest person, has been charged by SC in corruption case). 

6) Government effectively gave chance to accused to be alert and remove/destroy the evidences by telling him that inquiry will be initiated against him/her.

7) Since all scam has its presence from low level to high level officials, by bringing only high level under investigation will effectively way to hamper a proper and full investigation.

8) The person who brings corruption charges against an official/ minister will get 2year Jail term if Corruption charges are not proved. In other words, Discouraging and intimating the person who brings corruption charges against corrupt.


9) The investigation for corruption will be effectively done by government agencies( CBI etc.),Lokpal will only supervise. In other wordno action against government ministers/ officials.


10) Want to bring NGOs under Lokpal investigation thereby increasing the workload of lokpal and remove the focus from political corruption. ( NGO could have been brought under any other investigation agency like CBI, police etc).


11)Governments don't want to provide sufficient manpower to lokpal under its bill making it a toothless body. A See how Lokpal Bill can curb the politicians, Circulate it to create awareness Existing System System Proposed by civil society No politician or senior officer ever goes to jail despite huge evidence because Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) and CBI directly come under the government. 

Before starting investigation or prosecution in any case, they have to take permission from the same bosses, against whom the case has to be investigated. Lokpal at centre and Lokayukta at state level will be independent bodies. ACB and CBI will be merged into these bodies. They will have power to initiate investigations and prosecution against any officer or politician without needing anyone's permission. 

Investigation should be completed within 1 year and trial to get over in next 1 year. Within two years, the corrupt should go to jail. No corrupt officer is dismissed from the job because Central Vigilance Commission, which is supposed to dismiss corrupt officers, is only an advisory body. Whenever it advises government to dismiss any senior corrupt officer, its advice is never implemented. Lokpal and Lokayukta will have complete powers to order dismissal of a corrupt officer. 

CVC and all departmental vigilance will be merged into Lokpal and state vigilance will be merged into Lokayukta. No action is taken against corrupt judgesbecause permission is required from the Chief Justice of India to even register an FIR against corrupt judges. Lokpal & Lokayukta shall have powers to investigate and prosecute any judge without needing anyone’s permission. Nowhere to go- People expose corruption but no action is taken on their complaints. 

Lokpal & Lokayukta will have to enquire into and hear every complaint. There is so much corruption within CBI and vigilance departments. Their functioning is so secret that it encourages corruption within these agencies. All investigations in Lokpal & Lokayukta shall be transparent. After completion of investigation, all case records shall be open to public. Complaint against any staff of Lokpal & Lokayukta shall be enquired and punishment announced within two months. Weak and corrupt people are appointed as headsof anti-corruption agencies. Politicians will have absolutely no say in selections of Chairperson and members of Lokpal & Lokayukta. 

Selections will take place through a transparent and public participatory process. Citizens face harassment in government offices. Sometimes they are forced to pay bribes. One can only complaint to senior officers. No action is taken on complaints because senior officers also get their cut. Lokpal & Lokayukta will get public grievances resolved in time bound manner, impose a penalty of Rs 250 per day of delay to be deducted from the salary of guilty officer and award that amount as compensation to the aggrieved citizen. Nothing in law to recover ill gotten wealth. A corrupt person can come out of jail and enjoy that money. 

Loss caused to the government due to corruption will be recovered from all accused. Small punishment for corruption-Punishment for corruption is minimum 6 months and maximum 7 years. Enhanced punishment -The punishment would be minimum 5 years and maximum of life imprisonment.

Affirmations

Affirmations are one of the simplest and most powerful things we can do to change the quality of our lives, and to create the things we want.


The power of affirmations

Affirmations are the force of creation.

“Every thought has a counterpart in a word or sound; the word and the thought are inseparable. The external part of a thing is what we may call the thought. The same thought may be expressed by different words or sounds. Though the sounds vary, yet the relation between the sound and the thoughts is a natural one”.
(Swami Nikhilananda  Sri Ramakrishna Math:)


The power of affirmations can be stated very simply: Affirmations are the force of creation. For AUM being the sound symbol of Parmatman (Supreme Reality), it is considered to be the first vibration as sound emanating at the beginning of creation.
“In the beginning was the word….”(John 1:10)

To affirm means to make firm. There is very little mystery about how and why affirmations work, once the principle is understood. An affirmation is simply a spoken declaration, in the present tense, which creates a desired reality.

Affirm what you know to be true in your heart, and you will create that reality. Affirm that you are free, and strong, and attractive, and prosperous, and loving – and you will find, often in a remarkably short time, that your outer world will begin to change as a reflection of your changing inner consciousness.

Stand up and support !

1. Who is Anna Hazare?
An ex-army man. Fought 1965 Indo-Pak War

2. What's so special about him?
He built a village Ralegaon Siddhi in Ahamad Nagar district, Maharashtra

3. So what?
This village is a self-sustained model village. Energy is produced in
the village itself from solar power, biofuel and wind mills.
In 1975, it used to be a poverty clad village. Now it is one of the
richest village in India. It has become a model for self-sustained,
eco-friendly & harmonic village.

4. Ok,...?
This guy, Anna Hazare was awarded Padma Bhushan and is a known figure
for his social activities.

5. Really, what is he fighting for?
He is supporting a cause, the amendment of a law to curb corruption in
India.

6. How that can be possible?
He is advocating for a Bil, The Lok Pal Bill (The Citizen Ombudsman
Bill), that will form an autonomous authority who will make politicians
(ministers), beurocrats (IAS/IPS) accountable for their deeds.

8. It's an entirely new thing right..?
In 1972, the bill was proposed by then Law minister Mr. Shanti Bhushan.
Since then it has been neglected by the politicians and some are trying
to change the bill to suit thier theft (corruption).

7. Oh.. He is going on a hunger strike for that whole thing of passing a
Bill ! How can that be possible in such a short span of time?
The first thing he is asking for is: the government should come forward
and announce that the bill is going to be passed.
Next, they make a joint committee to DRAFT the LOK PAL BILL. 50%
goverment participation and 50% public participation. Because you cant
trust the government entirely for making such a bill which does not suit
them.

8. Fine, What will happen when this bill is passed?
A LokPal will be appointed at the centre. He will have an autonomous
charge, say like the Election Commission of India. In each and every
state, Lokayukta will be appointed. The job is to bring all alleged
party to trial in case of corruptions within 1 year. Within 2 years, the
guilty will be punished. Not like, Bofors scam or Bhopal Gas Tragedy
case, that has been going for last 25 years without any result.

9. Is he alone? Whoelse is there in the fight with Anna Hazare?
Baba Ramdev, Ex. IPS Kiran Bedi, Social Activist Swami Agnivesh, RTI
activist Arvind Kejriwal and many more.
Prominent personalities like Aamir Khan is supporting his cause.

10. Ok, got it. What can I do?
At least we can spread the message. How?
Putting status message, links, video, changing profile pics.

At least we can support Anna Hazare and the cause for uprooting
corruption from India.
At least we can hope that his Hunger Strike does not go in vain.
At least we can pray for his good health.

Mindset !

One fine day, an old man was passing through the woods and he noticed few elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not. The old man saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well," he said, "when they are very younag and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." The old man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.

Moral: Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? So make an attempt to grow further.... Why shouldn't we try it again?Your attempt may fail, but never fail to make an attempt.

The sory of Eagle - Worth Reading to boost innerself

 

 TIME DECIDES WHOM YOU MEET IN LIFE

 

YOUR HEART DECIDES WHOM U WANT IN LIFE

 

BUT YOUR BEHAVIOR DECIDES WHO WILL STAY IN YOUR LIFE

 

Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens,  Not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life.
A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes.
It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results.
Let’s change to make a change!!! 
 
When it rains, most birds head for shelter;

the eagle is the only bird that, in order to avoid the rain, starts flying above the cloud. ...

 

                   Winners win by pushing their limits until their limits become the norm.

Apostrophe'O magazine

The last few weeks carried very few news items worth paying attention to, one of which was undoubtedly the consummation of scientist-entrepreneur Craig Venter’s project of creating life in the lab, or to be fair, the very first steps toward artificial life. In this edition, we get to know a little more about the man of the moment, with a very clean profile of the very controversial Venter by our science writer Mila Mitra. As expected, the journalistic community pounced upon this scoop, and perhaps in their excitement ‘over-reported’ the news. In the throes of inane headlines like ‘Man Plays God’, and ‘Man Creates Life’, writer Nikhil Pawar provides a much needed balance, and points out the flaws in scientific journalism, a form of reporting that generally tends to be exaggerated. Passing the baton to our science writer Preshant Jagannathan who talks about how the Grand Unified Theory remains an unlikelihood. Finally, to lighten the tone a bit, we have a brand new and thrilling science fiction, or as the afficionados would call it, SF, by our fiction writer Aruna Rao.

Moving further from the scientific theme and carrying on, our feature writer Suhas Munshi sketches out the history of political cartooning and the use of humor as a revolutionary tool in his insightful essay. And we end the features with an argument in support of pornography, and that too not just for onanistic purposes.

Author and RJ Ujjwal Bhattacharya continues his enlightening series of literary essays on Rabindranath Tagore with his second installment from a three part series on the poet.

Visions and Perspectives showcase a wonderful painting feature on the fairer sex by Shubnum Gill, a unique perspective of a filtered world and a world bathed in moonlight by our lensmen Sunny Lamba and Atish Aman.

Articles and essays embellished like always with witty and appealing graphics and paintings by the very talented Niharika Singh, Sumit Sond, Raghav Arumugam, Rupesh Dutta, Shubnum Gill and Anarya.


this issue contains
Creating Life, Playing God by Nikhil Pawar


The Maverick Genius – Craig Venter by Mila Mitra


Liberty And Libido – A Case for Pornography by Vineet Gill


That’s Not Funny – The Art of Political Cartooning by Suhas Munshi


Fiction: The Journey’s End by Aruna Rao


Tagore: Seeking God in Pursuit of Self by Ujjwal Bhattacharya


No GUTs No Glory By Preshanth Jagannathan


An Artistic Perspective – Tender to Touch by Shubnum Gill


A Filtered Perspective by Sunny Lamba


Moonlit Nights by Atish Aman

I m L O S T...

RECAP

Fans who tuned in to the “Lost” series finale hoping to get all their questions answered may have been disappointed. Those who hoped for a believable explanation to the alternate-reality dilemma ... well, for them disappointment doesn’t even cover it. But if, on the off chance, some pined for a partially satisfying, partially infuriating end to the twisting mystery, Sunday’s episode was a winner.

It began as the last installment ended, with a newly Jacob’ed Jack standing in the river. Though he didn’t feel any different, he seemed to know exactly what he needed to do. So he called his troops — Sawyer, Hurley and Kate — into action. Sawyer went off in search of Desmond, while Kate and Hurley followed Jack to the heart of the island.

Sawyer’s search ended before it even began. Rather than finding everyone’s favorite electromagnetically resistant pal, he found Smokey and Ben ruing their similar plan over an empty well. Sawyer hightailed it back to Jack after guessing Smokey’s new destroy-the-island-using-Desmond platform and left Smokey and Ben to continue their own search.

As for Desmond, he enjoyed the company of his rescuers — wait for it — Rose, Bernard and perhaps the most missed castaway of all, Vincent the dog! OK, sure, it felt as if the long lost trio were sort of shoehorned into the scene as a final nod, but it’s Rose, Bernard and Vincent, so who cares?

Did it answer everything you wanted resolved? What was your favorite reveal? Are you satisfied with how it ended? Share your thoughts, and we’ll publish a selection of the best.

As if to explain their complete absence from all things plot related, Rose informed Desmond that she and Bernard broke their cardinal rule by rescuing him. The rule basically consists of staying out of everyone else’s drama. And if they thought they broke it by helping Desmond, the arrival of Smokey threatened to show them just how broken it could get.

It wasn’t long before Smokey threatened to kill the old familiar faces if Desmond didn’t follow him to the glowing source. Needless to say, Des obeyed.

Soon Jack and his gang, once again joined by Sawyer, met up with Smokey, Ben and Desmond. Though an epic battle seemed the logical choice of action, Jack didn’t see the need for it. Instead, he, Smokey and Des made a trip to the heart of the island.

It seems Smokey’s plan to destroy the island meshed pretty nicely with Jack’s plan to destroy Smokey, so they decided to cooperate instead by helping Desmond down into the light in the cave.

Once down there, Desmond somehow knew to pull a stone cork out of a shimmering pool, which turned off the all-important light and triggered a load of earthquakes.

The result left a smug Smokey believing he was the winner. It left Jack believing it would be a great time to attack Smokey. So he did.

Apparently there was one big perk to turning off the island’s light — it also turned off its magic. Smokey was now flesh and blood, emphasis on the latter. He could be hurt. The epic battle was back on.

While the island shook and rumbled and they skies ripped open in storm, Jack and Smokey carried out their attacks along a cliff side. Jack attempted to choke his foe. Smokey stabbed Jack. Kate, appearing out of nowhere, shot Smokey.

What? Yep, just as the fight really got going, Kate stepped in and cut it short. In Jack’s victorious defense, he did get one last kick in — the one that sent Smokey plummeting over the cliff to his death.

But there was still work to be done. If the island was ever going to stop rumbling, someone needed to put the cork back into the source.

Jack volunteered. He urged his friends to leave. After all, Frank Lapidus (who was somehow still alive), Richard Alpert (who was somehow still alive) and Miles planned to fly away on the plane. Sawyer and Kate decided to go, but Hurley and Ben — despite his back-and-forth-baddie status — stayed with Jack.

Just before Jack plunged into the same depths he sent Desmond to, he prepared a special muck-water drink for Hurley. It was the big guy’s turn to be the new Jacob, or Jack-ob. Either way, the dude would protect the island, and thanks to his kind nature, Ben would get a second shot at being the leader’s right-hand man. That’s trust. Crazy trust, but trust all the same.

Once at the bottom of the source, Jack spotted Desmond and helped him to safety before grabbing the cork in one glorious, if equally odd, form of self-sacrifice.

1.Filling the hot-guy void ‘Lost’ leaves behind
From the classic good looks of Jack and Jin, to the sex appeal of Sayid and Sawyer, no other show on TV packs nearly as many hot men.
2. Survival guide to the end of ‘Lost’
3. Imagining a world without ‘Lost’
4. Tale of Hurley: Making of ‘Lost’s’ unlikely hero

The end.

Not really.

It’s a shame, too, because had that been the end, viewers could have cherished it. It would have made for a respectable closure to all that island action. Sure, fans would always wonder about that pesky alternate reality they saw glimpses of all season long, but there are fates worse than wondering — like finding out the answer, for instance.

Well, that sounds a bit gloom and doom, doesn’t it? In fairness to the alt-world, it had its moments. A sugary-sweet, rapid-fire series of “aha” moments, but still, they were anticipated and welcomed by all but the cold-hearted.

There was the moment Juliet administered Sun’s ultrasound and thereby triggered the Kwons other-life memories. Sniff. Or when Sayid attempted to rescue a seemingly random woman only to touch her and instantly know she was none other than his lost island-love, Shannon. Sniff. Or when Kate helped Claire deliver Aaron and suddenly knew everything, and then Claire touched Aaron and remembered everything, and then Charlie touched Claire and … you get the idea. Sniff, sniff, sniff.

Locke had his own somewhat less tear-jerking solo flash after Jack completed his operation. A wiggle of the toes brought to mind another lifetime of mobility.

Of course the big mind-reunions were saved for members of the island’s old love quadrangle.

For Sawyer and Juliet, it was simply a shared meaningful moment by the glow of a vending machine. They went from strangers to passionate lovers in seconds. (Note: Anyone who didn’t cry when Sawyer pulled Juliet to him after he remembered her dying in his arms on the island has a rock where their heart should be. Just FYI.)

Then there was Jack, who despite multiple flashes of the other world just kept trying to push back the memories. He even saw something when Locke had his own moment, but perhaps Locke’s insistence that Jack’s son, David, didn’t really exist inspired some denial for the doctor. But you know what he couldn’t deny? A little contact from Kate.

Although he still wasn’t ready to fully accept his former life, just a touch from Kate was enough to get him to tag along to the big group get-together she and the other folks had planned down the rabbit hole, er, at the church.

Not just any church, either. This was the church where a very tardy Oceanic Airlines finally delivered Jack’s father’s remains. So while Kate joined her pals in the pews, Jack decided to have some private time with his dad’s coffin. Only — and this should come to no surprise to anyone who’s watched a single episode of “Lost” — Jack’s father wasn’t in the coffin.

Did the ending satisfy, or were you thoroughly disappointed?

Empty coffins and Christian Shephard go together like peanut butter and jelly. Still, while that part was predictable, what followed wasn’t.

While Jack mourned, Christian, soon to be known as Exposition-man, stood by waiting for his big moment.

Sometime after his “Hey, kiddo!” and Jack’s understandable “What-the-what?” reaction, the silver fox explained precisely what the alternate reality was — a place Jack and his past pals created to have one giant, post-mortem meet up.

That’s right. It wasn’t a different thread of reality created by the time-changing blast Daniel Faraday suggested. That makes too much sense. Instead, it was all just some oddly plotted excuse for everyone (minus Michael, Walt and loads of other characters) to get together after their respective deaths but before they moved on to whatever follows.

What was the point of everything before that? What about all that alt-action? The alt-escapes? The alt-killings? The alt-family members who don’t really exist? (Sorry, David! And sorry anyone else who paid attention to your now meaningless story.) There weren’t any.

The end.

Really this time.

Those who spent the better part of the last six seasons wondering where in the heck the sometimes frustrating, almost always entertaining mystery could possibly go finally got their answer. If they can make sense of it, that is.

In the end, the electromagnetically charged mystery island gave way to a hug-filled waiting room leading to a pan-spiritual afterlife, led by the aptly named Christian Shephard. Whew!

It’s a daring way to end “Lost” — leaving plenty of questions unanswered and winking out on what has to be its least satisfying twist to date.

At least no one can say they saw that coming.