21 Aug 2014

5 #AccheDin News Which Narendra Modi has Brought in 90 Days


Narendra Modi working for a brighter India
It’s almost 100 days since Narendra Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister. This was a historic defining moment in India’s history; democracy in the true meaning. The Congress and AAP were mauled by the BJP because all of India believes in one man – Narendra Modi.

Modi’s time spent at the Centre has not been devoid of controversy and protests. The appointment of Nirpendra Misra, rising inflation, increase (and subsequent rollback) in railway fares... what irks a lot of people is his silence on all this.

It’s not that nothing good has come out in these 100 days. His Independence Day speech took the country and the world by storm. He spoke on topics which are otherwise considered taboo by politicians. Plus his words have galvanized many people, including the corporate, to work towards the upliftment of India.

Here are 5 good things which have occurred since Narendra Modi has taken the oath as PM:

1.      Ministers have become efficient: Reports say that productivity of ministers has increased 130% over the UPA’s time since the BJP has taken centre stage. Saturday holidays have been cancelled. Gyms are empty by 9 and work output has substantially. However, Modi says this is nothing to be proud of. This is hygiene and should be the norm. India’s PM has egged his ministers and government workers to work harder. He says “If you work 12 hours a day, I will work 13. If you work 14 hours a day, I’ll work 15.” What a motivator!

2.      GST talks are moving forward: In the UPA’s regime, talks about implementing GST were stalled since the government could not convince the state governments. Talks are now underway and many obstacles have been overcome. State governments have been promised compensation for revenue which will be lost and the policy may go through soon. This will bring down prices of goods since excise duty, custom duty, service tax, VAT, octroi, etc. will be replaced by a singular GST. It will also increase speed of delivery since many bottlenecks will be eliminated.

3.      Basic sanitation is being addressed: “Build more toilets than temples”, says Modi. And he’s right! Girls in rural areas stop attending school since they don’t have toilets, which is a huge inconvenience. Women have to wait till dark to step out to defecate, which lead to health issues. Following Modi’s Independence Day speech, 2 corporate giants TCS and Aditya Birla group have come forward to build 10,000+ toilets for girls and rural areas. Basic sanitation and hygiene will improve, which will have a positive cascading effect on many other things like health, education and mortality rate.

4.      Infrastructure development is proposed: Nitin Gadkari has claimed that once the project is implemented, the government will build 30 kilometers of road everyday across India. That’s quite an audacious ask, but if anyone can, it is the Modi government. The man is driven by common sense and an urge to implement things quickly, something which was visible in Sardar Patel. Infrastructure development will improve logistics which will speed up transportation, improve warehousing and bring down prices due to less delay in transit.

5.      The world has faith in India’s economy: Donald Trump has publically stated that India’s outlook is positive since Narendra Modi has become Prime Minister. The world sees India as a country which will be able to tap into its potential and become a force to reckon with. IIP has improved and the stock exchange is in a good mood. Major leaders of foreign countries are extending the olive branch to India and queuing up to meet Modi. He, instead, is spending time ensuring that corporate India and its neighbours are made happy first.

Someone who knows Narendra Modi has said that he is a shrewd man; that he is keeping quiet for some time now and will open up to the media once some substantial result-oriented work is visible. If Modi decides to stay mum over media and the Congress party’s (I refuse to call them ‘Leader of Opposition’) allegations, we BJP supporters should do so too. I am a firm believer in #acchedin because I voted Modi into power. I will keep desist from commenting on anti-Modi posts on social media and will pray to God that He gives our PM strength to achieve his novel goals. What will you do? Shout? Or support?

6 Aug 2014

Newspapers Are the Cause for Rise in Crime

Gangrapes, child molestations, extortion and blackmail, accidents, deaths, divorces... newspapers are filled with these reports. And they should be. We should be aware of the latest happenings around us. And it’s the duty of newspapers to report these incidents, right?

Well, my theory is that newspapers are the reason these crimes are on the rise. Now that’s a paradox. Aren’t newspapers the reason these crimes are reported and can be controlled? Well, not really.

Man is a product of the 5 people he spends most time with, and what he reads. And today, man barely has time to read anything other than newspapers. Maybe a Chetan Bhagat novel here and there. What does he read in newspapers? Rampant incidents of rapes, child abuse, domestic violence, death, bribery, corruption and more. Since papers barely report the punishment meted out to such criminals, they appear to have gotten away with it. Maybe he can too. If he can’t the newspapers will carry his name, won’t they? They will glorify him. He will be a hero; brag to his friends; his colony will celebrate his name – doesn’t matter why. In short, these bloody newspapers indirectly encourage criminal minds. Why do they continue to report these cases? Because they’re paid by politicians and rich businessmen to keep actual news like ineffective policies, corruption and dying farmers under wraps. Don’t believe me? Look for the e-newspaper article of Ambani’s son crashing his car into 2 others one night. After all, why won’t we vote for politicians just because molestation cases are on the rise? We will protest a little (get our names and faces in the papers), turn apathetic in some time and go back to our depressing lives again.

Gurcharan Das had written in ‘India Grows At Night’ that during the internal war in Egypt, a leading Egyptian newspaper carried the photo and an article on an old man planting a nursery. This was a symbol of hope, of positivity. Numerous websites and posts on social networking sites carry stories of humanity, inspiration and love. Why can’t newspapers do the same? Well, it’s because they’re just trying to sell. And they know that this ‘inspiration, motivation and hope’ shit doesn’t sell for long. We humans crave for tragic stories; we yearn to feel subconsciously satisfied at the fact that other people are worse off than us.

I have stopped reading Times of India and Indian Express since some time now. I just breeze through it because I’m still a sucker for stories which offer hope. Unfortunately, I find none. Time for you to open your eyes and mind. Stop lapping up these crappy stories in newspapers and watch crime rates dwindle. Or maybe newspapers will start reporting the punishment dished out to these criminals too. Change will be slow, it will be gradual, but it will come.
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