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Sheetal Kumar N answered the question What type of movie is "Bahubali" ?.

It gives you a feel of Mythological Action movie. It does contain elements of love, betrayal, revenge.

7 years ago

Sheetal Kumar N liked an answer to the question Favorite song from Backstreet Boys.

7 years ago

Shampa Sadhya replied to the topic Why do Private Companies (Not MNC's), pay less despite having good profits & revenue?.

An MNC job is good in many respects but the pension scheme is not at all a respectable one. I feel this is a big constraint for the employees of MNCs. As retirement comes...

7 years ago

Shampa Sadhya replied to the topic What is the best way to deal with depression?.

It is known to many that Deepika Padukone went into depression. She too met psychologist and attended counselling sessions. She had recovered from it.

7 years ago

Shampa Sadhya said thank you to Kalyani Nandurkar for his/her reply to the topic Please do not dig out old discussions/Threads.

epraneeth77 wrote:Doing it right away!Do it however, use your better judgement. Just for the sake of...

7 years ago

Shampa Sadhya said thank you to Arunima Singh for his/her reply to the topic Please do not dig out old discussions/Threads.

I feel that we should not delete the any thread as some important discussions might get deleted. Though it might be demanding and tiresome for moderators, any thread that...

7 years ago

usha manohar replied to the topic The Directive Principles of State Policy contained in Part IV, Articles 36-51 of the Indian constitution. It enjoins the state to enact a uniform civil code. Should this proviso be scrapped?.

What exactly can be done when they have no majority in the Rajya Sabha ? Just blaming Modi is unfair since the issue is very much alive in all BJP supporters but they cannot...

7 years ago

usha manohar replied to the topic I was asupporter of Modi but now I have veered around to the view that its about time he was shown the door for good of Indian unity.

Of course it is your view but the way I look at it , it is a very biased view because all the problems have always been there created and left to escalate for decades...

7 years ago

MG Singh created new topic I was asupporter of Modi but now I have veered around to the view that its about time he was shown the door for good of Indian unity.

Modi like Vajpayee came into power on a string of promises but 4 years down the line he has proved he is a step behind the UPA. For the first time, the 6 southern...

7 years ago

MG Singh created new article The army and constitutional responsibility.

RecentlyI had been to Burma now called Myanmar. A fact that stood out was that the Burmese Army had a constitutional role in the governing of the state. I came to know that 30% of the seats in Parliament are reserved for the army and only the remaining 70% is up for grabs. This means the Army controls Burma. In addition defense, border relations and home affairs remain under the control of the Army. I am deliberately giving the example of Burma which is a Buddhist country and not Pakistan. The matter does not end with Burma and in Thailand also which again is a Buddhist country the Army is in the driver seat. India's neighbors Thus in Southeast Asia, two of India's immediate neighbors are controlled by the army. One can safely say that if the army was not in power in these two states, there is every chance that there would be very little progress and the country could have degenerated into a violent place.This fact cannot be denied. Pakistan is the twin of India and one can say that the roots of both nations are the same as both inherited a British Indian Army but in Pakistan after 1957 when general Ayub Khan took over as the President, the Pakistan army has a constitutional role in the Governance of Pakistan. As things stand now Pakistan is beset by extremist jihadists war supported by the Pakistan Taliban and the ISIS. I can safely say if the army was not acting against them, the state of Pakistan would have long ago fallen and become a totally theoretic state. Many people have asked me what about India? Here also fissiparous tendencies are rearing their head and the country despite its massive size unable to exert even against Pakistan which is one fifth the size of India. Even a small country like Sri Lanka captures Indian fishermen from Tamilnadu with impunity and the Indian government keeps sitting on its haunches. What history says A look at history will give us some insights into the role of the army in India. During British days the commander in chief of the British Indian Army was the second most important person in India after the viceroy. The Indian Army literally perpetuated the Raj that is the reason that the commander in chief used to stay in Teen Murti house which was later occupied by Pandit Nehru simply because there is a direct route from Teen Murti to the Vice Regal Lodge and the commander-in-chief could easily meet the Governor-general for any policy decision. Without being explicitly stated the Army was part of the governing process in India during the days of the Raj After independence in 1947 the set of leaders who took power at the helm in India were men with a very little strategic horizon and in any case, knew nothing of power politics or heard the name of Clausewitz. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who took over as PM was very suspicious of the Army and began taking steps to dismantle the control of the army over the country. In this effort, sadly one has to note that the successive chiefs of the Army led by General Cariappa played ball with Nehru.Cariappa set the ball rolling when he along with general Rajinder Singhji agreed for the post of the C-in-C to be abolished. Cariappa was beholden to Nehru as he had been made the chief of the Army when he was not the senior most general. Nehru at that time superseded Lieutenant General Kulwant Singh to make Cariappa the Army Chief. Obviously, he was not in a position to oppose Nehru.This state of affairs started from that time and successive generals including the infamous general Bewoor agreed to a 30% deduction of pensions of the Indian soldiers without a murmur. Sidelining army Nehru and the Congress Party also set in motion a series of checks and balances by which generals who were forthright or strong never rose up. There are many examples of generals like Bhagat and Sinha being superseded. The Indian Army thus became literally a shadow of what it was during the days of the Raj. The government also ensured that anybody going up the rank of Colonel would be a man who would be compliant to the political leadership.There is nothing wrong with it but the fact is the political leadership had ulterior motives in keeping the Army toothless. This had disastrous effects as India lost a war to China in 1962 as well as losing almost 40000 square miles of Indian territory to the Dragon. India also lost Tibet as a buffer state and due to the vacillations of the political leadership, India lost 40% of Kashmir as well. Unable to realize the gravity of a Maoist revolution the political leadership allowed internal insurrection to flourish and even now this is going on with almost 30% of the land in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand under the control of the Maoists. The political leadership has made a complete mess of Central India.This is not all, as an insurrection is on in Nagaland and the northeast since 1955 and is still Simmering. Toothless army leadership All this could have been avoided in case the army leadership had asserted itself and worked out a method by means of which it would have a say in the running of the government. But most of the Army top hierarchy was not interested and their only interest was to get promoted with the result, the Army never pressurized the government for anything. Giving a small example a perk like free rations for the officers was discontinued and the Army chief general Rawat has been unable to do anything about it. If an army general cannot exert himself in such a case one can well imagine what say he will have in matters of policy. The political leadership has ensured that though India may become second fiddle to China, they will not allow the Army any say in the political setup in India. Since 1947 despite lip service, the political leadership from the time of Nehru has been suspicious of the Army Much of this sorry state of affairs lies with the top brass of the army officers corps. It is very amusing now to read some of the retired general and admirals saying that the constitution is sacred and the army should be happy with whatever they get. They are also opposing a good agitation started by General Satbir Singh for one rank one pension. As yet OROP is not sanctioned by the government and most of these retired worthies are still insisting that there should be no agitation against the government. The reason is that these men when they were in service never exerted themselves as they feathered their own nest and now they feel ashamed of their background and oppose a good cause as being carried forward by Satbir Singh Future If India has to move forward there is no choice but for the army to assert itself. Old generals and Admiral talking of the constitution is sacred would mean that a revolution should never take place. These are the man who would even like something like the French Revolution or the Chinese revolution never to take place. This is a great danger to India we cannot accept the status quo which talks of caste divisions and classes of society and divisions on the basis of language and religion. The army must assert itself and be part of a constitutional process like it is there in Pakistan, Burma, and Thailand I do not see this happening in my lifetime but I am an optimist and I am certain the hour finds the man. There is every chance that in the decades to come to, a Revolution will happen in India it may not be with a gun but if India is to move forward and be one Nation there is no choice but for army to shoulder and take part in the Governance of this great nation.

7 years ago

Maneka created new article Definite To-do's in Australia in 6 days .

If you have only 6 days to cover Australia, let me tell you - it is practically impossible ! Australia is the sixth largest country by land area and 6 days does not to justice to the magnificent destination. However, there are a few places that you must and can cover in a short trip. Sydney One of the largest cities in Australia in the state of New South Wales, Sydney is the hub of art and culture will leave you exhausted with all it's hustle and bustle. Though Australia boasts of natural wonders like the The Great Barrier Reef, it is also extremely urbanised and Sydney is the perfect example of an uber urbanised city. Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House These two iconic structures define Sydney. The Harbour bridge is a marvellous structure running through the Sydney harbour. There are a lot of ways to explore the harbour bridge, the most common ones being walking under the bridge and climbing the bridge. You can also cycle or drive by on the bridge. The bridge climb is a popular tourist activity and takes approximately three and a half hours. Bridge climb is done in groups and all individuals are made to wear protective gear for safety. A picture clicked on top of the bridge is for keeps. The Sydney Opera House is a modern, innovative architectural structure which hosts a number of performing artists. I got to see the Opera house for the first time on a full moon night and what a breath taking sight it was !! Apart from being a centre for performing arts it is also a very active nightlife spot. You can go for nice cocktails by the harbour with this beautiful structure right behind you and a view of the harbour bridge. The Great Barrier Reef It is the world's largest coral reef system located off the coast of Queensland, Australia. You can easily take a flight from Sydney to Cairns to see this UNESCO World Heritage Site. I got the chance to tick The Great Barrier Reef off my bucket list in November 2015. Ways to explore The Great Barrier Reef Chopper - You can take a chopper and fly over the beautiful reef. There are very high chances of you spotting a turtle while sitting in the helicopter, that's how clear the water is !! Snorkel/ Dive - You can also go to the wharf and book yourself for a snorkelling trip which would typically last for 4-6 hours. You are taken on a boat, made to wear a diving suit and gear and dropped off at an island from where you either snorkel or dive your way into the naturally vivid world of corals. You don't need to know swimming in order to snorkel, the instructors there are excellent at teaching you the basics of snorkelling. Glass bottom boat - If the idea of going under water unsettles you, you can event sit on a glass bottom boat and see the corals without venturing into the water. I got back beautiful memories from Australia inspite of it being a short 6 day trip. Hope the trip you take turns out to be equally memorable.

7 years ago

MG Singh created new article Another benefit of the Raj the Maid as Mistress.

The Raj The Raj is a period in Indian history that will never be obliterated.The Raj is euphuism for British rule and a period that remains an indelible part of Indian history. Unlike the Muslim rule which brought tyranny and suppression of Hindus, the Raj was entirely different. It brought development. The fact is if you read Nirad C Choudrys book “The continent of Circe” he brings out succinctly that India did not change during Muslims rule and the country remained backward. In addition Muslim rulers imposed the Jizzia tax on Hindus and killed Hindus as a pastime. One of the Michal emperors, I think it was Jahangir killed a Hindu just to savor the taste of killing a Hindu. The British rule in contrast was godsend and India for the first time in 4000 years became one nation as never before. The Hindus were liberated and In addition, the Indians had fringe benefits like the railway, postal services, roads, and industry( Jamshedji set up the first steel plant and Walchand the Aircraft factory)You can’t wish it away. The British left in 1947. They left a rich legacy and whatever one might say their rule was beneficial. Many other gifts trickled down which are not so tangible, but never the less extremely important socially. Some gifts make one wonders are in reality gifts or not, but they are very much part of British rule Loneliness At no time as brought out by D Lapaire in his book “Freedom at Midnight” did the British have more than 100,000 Englishmen to govern nearly 350 million Indians. This is on the face of it preposterous but obviously means the vast majority of Indians accepted the Raj and we're loyal to the crown. These English men were a dedicated lot and worked in distant places, forests, deserts and faraway places as they administered the country. At many places, these English men lived lonely lives and we all know that a lonely man, healthy and virile can succumb to sexual desires, especially if there is a young and nice looking maid working in the house. The English had a retinue of maids working for them and the English as a rule hired only the prettiest of them. This led to what has been termed the Gora Sahib-maid sexual relationship. The maid –sahib relation is thus a hangover of the Raj. Not much has been written about it but many memoirs are available of lonely Britishers who spent hours in the arms of their maids. This is brought out by Lt Col Moolgavakar in his novels. HIs novels bring out the close sex relations between the masters and the female workers. Manyy other Indian writers including Kushwant Singh have alluded to it. Liason This maid –sahib liaison led to the coming of the Anglo Indians. Mamy if the Anglo'S were product of the Sahib - maid union. Contraceptives were near used resulting in umpteen maids being impregnated by the Sahib. Now the sahibs looked after the maids well but the Anglo Indian was treated better than the Indian locals yet were not treated as equivalent to the English. This is brought out in the books by John Masters and in particular his novel “Bhowani Junction” mirrors Anglo India society. Hollywood made an excellent movie on this novel with Barbara Rush and Stewart Granger. Anybody getting a chance can see the film which also stars some Indian actors. The Sahib also called the "goraji" found love in the arms of his maid. She became the mistress and this was common knowledge as maid many times accompanied the sahib even on his tours and after a hard day, the sahib gathered the maid in his arms for solace and lov Maid-master sexual relationship The maid –master sexual relation has its genesis in Victorian England where there are umpteen tales of Victorian maid’s sleeping with the master. The same thing translated to India, but here it was a necessity, as well as lonely English men in far-off plantations and distant jungles, had nothing to do and it was inevitable that they picked up sexual liaisons with maids. It was a need and I wonder if anything could have stopped it Last word What did the maids think of such sexual liaisons? this is brought out in the movie " Before the rains "starring Nandita Das and Rahul Bose. Nandita Das plays the role of the maid who loves an English Sahib in South India. The fact is the maids loved it and it was a competition that who would sleep with the master. To be undressed by the master was a status symbol. This is what one can glean from the literature of that period. Never the less the maid sahib relation is part of English folk lore and along with other British gifts this also has to be accepted and what of Indians? I think it’s a lot more common in India after the English left than people know or dare to acknowledge. In the cantonments I have come across tens of such relationships with a subtle difference. The brown sahibs try and not make the maid pregnant. .

7 years ago

Reena created new article Why do we create anger.

Introduction We all become angry at some point or the other in our everyday lives. Some of us are very short tempered and create anger every now and then, even on slightest of the issues and some of us are more controlled and thus do not become angry quite often. We often become angry when something unpleasant takes place and in situations which are unfair and also blameworthy. When two individuals are exposed to same situations or circumstances, each of them reacts differently to these situations. One will remain calmer and maintain his cool whereas another one might lose it. The intensity of anger also differs from one person to another. We often feel that there are certain triggers which come from outside that kind of invoke anger in us. Though triggers may be same for two individuals still it is seen that an individual's reactions differ and this may be due to the difference in qualities of those two individuals. The external stimulus which acts as the trigger We all have certain trigger events which make us lose our calm. It may be anything like being stuck in the traffic, handling too much work pressure, someone playing the blame game, when exposed to too much noise, when the electricity goes off etc. Sometimes, even certain people can act as triggers. Whenever we see them, we lose our calmness and that may be due to our unpleasant communication or encounter with them in the past that brings back unpleasant memory again and again. We often feel when so and so situation takes place and when we are put into so and so trigger event, we show anger. This is the reason that we say that these events or certain individual made us angry. We never use the word that we created anger and this is because we feel that we are no longer in control of our anger. Our anger is only dependent on the external environment. When someone says something or does something unpleasant then automatically our anger gets created and that is why it is them who have triggered it. If this was true then everyone must lose their calmness in the same sort of situations. But, not everyone does that. That means, the statement that triggering events create anger is not true. Dangers of anger Our anger consumes us and this is because it comes under the category of consuming emotions. It creates a lot of damage. We can check it when next time we get angry. During periods of this consuming emotion, we can sense that our blood is boiling in our body. On one hand, we say that we love our near and dear ones but when we are angry, we let everything out and seem to hurt the same people to whom we so much care about or are affectionate about. When we get angry, for that period of time, we tend to block our love energy. This is the reason-loving someone unconditionally has become impossible today. Blocking energy of love even for a second means we are sending the energy which is opposite of love towards our loved ones and that is nothing but the energy of hate. Even for a second if we are blocking our love then how can love be termed as unconditional and selfless. Anger exerts multiple side effects. We often hold our past and usually not reveal it to others. When we are angry, we let everything out which may be intentionally or unintentionally and say such things which can prove disastrous to the relationships. Instead of understanding that there is nothing that can be done to repair our past, we still hold on to it and instead do not even try to connect with our present. Anger and other emotions Anger is not just related to losing calmness. It brings with itself lots of other emotions like the person who is angry also feels sad and afraid. Underlying our fear exists our hidden emotions. In order to conceal our sadness or fear, we wear the mask of anger. We do not want to show the world that we are scared of something nor do we want to show that we are feeling vulnerable and sad. Both fear and sadness are associated with weakness. This is why we keep them concealed within us. On the other hand, anger is associated with power. This is, however, a sort of misunderstanding and a myth. We feel that one who shows anger and shouts at others is more powerful than the one who cannot. For example, a boss can be angry at his workers and a teacher or a parent can be angry at the kids but vice versa is not possible. This is because the boss, teachers, parents are more powerful and thus they can show their control in the form of anger. This is the reason that anger is an easy way to hide our other emotions. When we are cheated and feel bad then instead of crying or feeling sad, we opt for anger. Anger is not the solution but the problem We usually focus our anger on all those people whom we consider as the culprit for the condition that we are right in. We do not even leave God alone. When certain things don't go as per our according to then we focus our anger on the almighty God too. All those individuals who are related to us, all the ones who might not be related but scare us and the Supreme Soul, all become our focus at one point or the other. Anger is not a right act but hardly we get this fact. When we are in anger, we are in a vulnerable state and thus we do not understand that we are causing too much damage to everything, including to ourselves. In no way, we are trying to justify anything or solving the problem. Anger isn't the solution. In fact, it worsens the situations and creates more problem. Sometimes, we show anger towards others so that we can teach them a lesson or we want them to act in a rightful manner. However, a lesson taught in this way is neither going to make them learn anything nor is going to help us in any way. Anger is damaging and is not a solution to any problem. Causes of anger We display anger as soon as we feel that we are attacked in some way which can be either physical or mental. Verbal attacks too can result in anger. As soon as we see that the other person is threatening us, we become angry. We want everything to be fair in our life. It does not matter to us whether we are trying to implicate the same in our lives. We do so much of injustice in our lives but when the same is done to us when we become vulnerable and feel sad and this sadness towards injustice is shown in the form of anger. We all want to be powerful because that is what makes a person outshine and noticed. When we lose power and start feeling powerless in our lives or in certain situations then it will trigger anger in us. We don't know what the future has stored in for us. We are not good at accepting the destiny as it is. In our minds, we have already planned everything whether it is about next moment or about the moment which is 10 years from now. However, when things do not turn out the way we want them to be then we feel bad and display our emotions in the form of anger. This is nothing but our frustration which has resulted as we are not able to have control over things. Characteristics of an individual and anger All of us react to the different situations in different ways. Some of us display hurt, sadness, amusement whereas others display anger by hiding the other emotions. This is because there are certain characteristics of an individual which make them vulnerable and more prone towards getting angry and that too more often. If an individual has been displaying more anger right from his childhood itself then it is very obvious that in later parts of his life too, he will do the same. He will continue doing so until he really wants to stop showing anger as he understands how damaging it can be. If it is the upbringing then it is difficult to mold him differently in the later parts of life. Kids when witnessing their parents and others in early childhood that they can get their work done by showing anger then they too start practicing the same. They feel that this is the only method of getting the work done by the people who work for them. If they do not display anger then the workers will get lazy and not work efficiently. If they have experienced in the past that anger helped them in some way or the other then they will start using the same tool everytime they need someone to do something for them. If in the upbringing itself we are taught that it is okay to show our aggressive side then we feel that it is very normal to act aggressive or violent. This is the reason that within no time we will display anger instead of trying to keep it under control. Even the smallest trigger will invoke aggressiveness in us. We will not at all work towards managing or controlling our actions and anger. A highly competitive person will not feel good when he loses. When he faces failure then he becomes vulnerable and shows anger. A person who is narcissistic thinks about highly of himself but when others do not think the same about him or when certain situations do not make him feel important then he will start feeling angry. On the other hand, a person who has very low tolerance will show anger every now and then. Even on slightest triggers, he will show his most violent side. A person who is already frustrated, angry, tired and feeling vulnerable will react more aggressively and more violently to the situation as his patience level has been tested enough. Anger and loss A person who has lost someone precious in his life, who was very near and dear to him will show anger every now and then because of his loss. He will find difficulty in dealing with everything. Not only loss of someone's life will make a person react in this manner but the loss of anything like loss of the house in the floods, loss of money when the market goes down, loss of field etc will also make people vulnerable. Loss and anger are very closely associated with each other. Fear of losing anything will also immediately make a person become defensive and he will display it in the form of anger. Hidden Anger Sometimes we are not able to show our anger in some places and on some people. For example, we are not able to show our anger on our boss, irrespective of how angry he makes us. Thus, we will keep our anger hidden. We will instead throw it on our colleagues and on those people who work under us. Moreover, we will bring that anger along with us to our homes and ruin our personal lives too. We will try to display that feeling of frustration and anger anywhere and everywhere we can, except on our boss. This is how a spark of anger can ruin everything in life. The place where it had to be shown, when not displayed ruin other places in life. It does not mean that we need to show our anger on our boss. It simply means that instead, we can solve our problem by taking the initiative of reaching out to our boss and having a conversation with him instead. This itself had solved the whole problem. Expectations Expectations and anger have a very deep relation. When we start expecting something from someone then we should understand that we are creating trouble for us. When these expectations do not get fulfilled, then we get disheartened and feel bad. When someone does not behave the way we want to, when someone acts or speaks against our will, when circumstances turn out to be against our plan then all our expectations shatter and thereby we make use of anger to hide what we are feeling and lose our control. Conclusion It is not true that the cause of our anger lies outside us. It is we who create anger. It is just that external environment can trigger or act as a stimulus. Whenever our expectations are not met, whenever we feel threatened or scared, whenever we feel sad may be due to loss of something precious or simply because we are too sensitive, we will create anger. It is based on our upbringing and the way we look at the things. If we are short- tempered right from the beginning then we will show more anger when compared to other individuals. We get angry because we are not able to clarify certain things in life. We have certain problem areas and puzzles in life and when we do not solve them, we tend to carry that weight along with us wherever we go and as a result, we ruin every other area of our life. Everytime our wishes do not get fulfilled, we feel sad and vulnerable and get angry. The mind which is already sad, tired and frustrated will become angry quickly. All we need to keep in mind is that it is we who create anger. It is our choice. If we want, we can maintain our calm and keep our cool and thereby our anger can also be controlled. It is we who choose the easy option and instead of trying hard to suppress it, we let it out. We feel that way we will be able to achieve what we want to, but we need to understand that anger has never been a solution and never will be. It is always considered to be destructive for our relations as well as for our health. It is we who create it and if we wish to control it then we can very well control it by teaching ourselves anger management tips. The more and more tips we learn and practice, easily we will be able to deal with our anger.

7 years ago

MG Singh created new article Could Khalistan have been a Reality?.

Khalistan is a bird that was flown away. It was an ill-defined concept that could not have bone fruit in independent India but there was a time before 1946 when Khalistan or the state of Punjab could have become an independent entity. Punjab was the biggest province in North India but I think people must know that neither the Congress Party not the Muslim League ruled Punjab. In those days Punjab was ruled by the Union Party which consisted of the landed gentry and consisted of Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus. This was a party of the rich but Punjab was the richest state in India at that time Punjab in 1946 The Akali party which represents the Sikhs was a member of the union party and it supported it. Master Tara Singh the Akali leader was, however, wary of the Muslims and had built bridges with the Congress Party and Mohandas Gandhi. This was after Jinnah had made overtures to the Muslim's in the Union Party. The British were waiting to fish in troubled waters and also they wanted to reward the Sikhs for all they had done to perpetuate the reign of the Raj.It's a known fact that the Sikh Troops not only stormed Delhi in 1857 but also took part in the first and second Afghan wars. They also took part in various campaigns from the Siege of Peking to battles against Japanese in Burma and Singapore. The offer Lord Mountbatten sent his secretary to meet the Akali leader Master Tara Singh. The British offered master Tara Singh an independent Sikh State. Lord Mountbatten Secretary offered Tara Singh a state which would be almost similar to the area ruled by Maharajah Ranjit singh. The situation was however not all that rosy as Muslims who were members of the Muslim League in Punjab were hell-bent on joining Pakistan and they were carrying out many attacks on Hindus and Sikhs . Master Tara Singh in his wisdom at that time decided that in case a independent Punjab was created the large number of Muslim's in the state would create a perpetual strife as in west Punjab the Muslim were in the majority. The British could give him no assurance as to what would happen to the vast Muslim population. Tara Singh was in a dilemma. He was wondering what to do. In early 1946 Jinnah met Tara Singh and other Sikh leads and offered them to join Pakistan. He offered a blank check to the Sikhs. But during the same period riots broke out in Karachi and many Sikhs were killed. Tara Singh and Akalis realized that Sikhs and Muslim could not live together. In a subsequent meeting with Gandhi, he was told Sikhs would have a special status in India. The die was cast as the Sikh leadership decided to reject Jinnah's offer and join India. In addition, Tara Singh felt an independent Sikh state may not be viable because of a large number of Muslim's in Punjab. In hindsight one can see that 1946 was a very crucial period in the history of India . A more ambitious leader then master Tara Singh had been there and he had accepted the offer of an independent Punjab then the history of the subcontinent would have been entirely different. This was the one chance of Independence but there was a problem because in the state which was to be carved out the Sikhs themselves constituted only 30% of the population. the Muslims were about 55% and the Hindus were 15% The question arises what would happen to the Muslim population and would it have remained in Punjab ? there was very little chance that Sikh state t would have been carved out. What is more likely is that an independent Punjab would have come into being. We cannot now judge whether it would have been good or bad because we must remember that the union party was ruling Punjab for good part of two and half decades and this consisted of both Muslims and Sikhs. Sikhs in Punjab Special rules had been passed and special laws enacted to protect the Sikhs, who were in minority but the British had the revenge on the Silbs because at the time of partition most of the major Holy shrines of the Sikhs which were in the Western Punjab were not handed over to them.The Sikh demand of Lahore to be incorporated into India as it was the capital of Maharaja Ranjit Singh not accepted . Even Gandhi after 1947 backtracked on his promise of special status for the Sikhs. However, over a period of time the Sikhs who are a hardy people though constituting only 2% of the population of India have made their presence felt in all walks of life all over the country. We can now only study the period from 1944 to 46 which was one of the most two traumatic periods in Indian history was also the period when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel to stop Jinnah becoming the Prime Minister of India agreed on the partition. Tunion party in Punjab never favored partition. These are facts of history and there's nothing much one can do about them except to read about them and interpret what all happened in that period. An independent Sikh State if formed would have been guaranteed by the British and it would have well been an ally of the British for all time to come but now we can only look back at that error and wonder whether Master Tara Singh and the Akali leadership was correct or not to accept an independent state. There can be no clear-cut answer because now as I am already written the bird has flown and the Sikhs are the sword arm of India and I do not see an independent Punjab ever coming up in the decades to come

7 years ago

Reena created new article Best reasons to save money.

Introduction We all know how valuable money is and what important role it plays in each and every one's life. Money is an element and in absence of it, everything seems almost impossible at least in today's era. Earning money itself is so difficult, except in case of those individuals who have an assured job and at the end of every month, cash gets deposited in their respective accounts. Ask its importance to someone who is on daily wages. If that person does not go to work on one particular day and it may be due to ill-health or any personal reason then he may not be able to satisfy his hunger alongside his family's on that day. We all save some money as and when we can, irrespective of whether the saving is done in a bank, in mutual funds or in one's locker. Every month we try to add a tiny bit to the savings and witness its increase in increments. Why do we actually do that? Instead of doing that, we can simply use it to buy trendy clothes, spend it on delicious meals, on vacations etc. What is the reason that we think of saving it rather than spending it as soon as it comes in our hands? Most of us try to spend our money as cautiously as possible. We spend only on those things which are essential and necessary. If by chance we spend money on articles which we feel were not essential at least for time being then we start feeling that we have wasted our hard earned money. Saving money is very essential. It serves many purposes and the most important ones are listed in this article below. Top reasons that money needs to be saved For safe future and uncertainties Money that is saved in some form or the other usually brings some kind of pleasure to the saver. We feel good when we know that our money is safe and secure and we can use it as and when required. Savings always take care of future. This is why so many retirement plans have been introduced today. We are earning money now but after our retirement, there will not be any earnings and instead of depending on kids to take care of us financially, we can opt for some savings, starting from today itself i.e., we are teaching ourselves to take care of our future self. If we want to secure our future then saving money is very essential. Money is essential for emergencies. Saved money can be used as an emergency fund. If there are no savings then we might have to run to others to borrow some amount which can be embarrassing to most of us. If money could not be obtained from anywhere then it kind of jeopardizes the whole situation. Financial independence Savings is essential to make us financially independent. Just earning some amount does not completely make us independent. The whole purpose of doing things on our own gets lost if we have to run to others for help in times of needs. We should know to earn as well as save some portion on a regular basis so that our sense of pride does not have to get compromised. Enough savings can help a person to achieve financial independence which can also be termed as financial freedom and it is not related to age but very well associated with money. It can even come at the age of 30 and one does not need to wait until he is 60 to retire. Savings can help a person to retire early as per his wish. If the person has saved enough, spends very little and earns a lot then he can retire way early than all those individuals who need to work even after their retirement. Most of us do not save as we feel during later part of our lives, our kids will look after us financially. It is good if they do so. However, if that does not take place then we will be shattered completely as we have not saved anything. Moreover, it is not right to levy responsibilities and extra burden on kids. Instead, it is better to plan our future in advance, start saving money and invest it in right places so that passive income that is generated will help us remain independent financially, no matter at what age we reach. Decreases stress Savings reduce stress to a great extent. When we know that we can easily get through next month without much trouble, without even going to work then it is only because we have saved enough. On the other hand, people who have not saved money and all of a sudden loose job or some uncertainty take place then they will be engrossed in lots of stress and anxiety and hardly able to sleep at night as they will be constantly thinking through the ways to get through the monthly bills. Saving money avoids anxiety and the person does not feel suffocated when compared with that individual who is very much dependent on his monthly salary to get through the whole month. For him, the process becomes quite tedious and very suffocating and with that money, he can only fulfill his basic needs and hardly think about fulfilling his secret desires or aims. Savings and investments bring peace of mind to the person where he can easily spend his life on passive income and not think about earning money. Enough saved money will take away all the burdens from the shoulder whereas loans and debts that are taken can levy lots of burdens and result in unnecessary anxiety and stress in the life of an individual. Enables control Saving money will help a person to form control over situations. Suppose his job is wearing him down completely and he cannot continue it then he can bid goodbye to it as he has enough money that will help him to pay his bills before he gets another job. On the other hand, a person with no savings cannot think of quitting his job, even if he is on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. Savings help a person to mend destiny. Since he can easily deal with unfavorable situations or circumstances that are arriving which are related to finances, it will seem to him that he is able to have a control over destiny which may not be possible in case of those individuals who have no savings. Actually, savings help a person to come out on the top as it increases the options in front of him. Savings put to nice use will make money work for us. Initially, we need to work hard and earn money and once we put that money in right places, within no time, it will start working for us. Our life will seem easy even if we can altogether stop working. Fulfills desires Savings improve quality of life of an individual. This is because in front of him so many options are spread out and he can choose the best out of all and thus he is able to live a very fulfilling life. This being a materialistic world, we need money for almost all the things and savings help us to live a better lifestyle. Savings help us to accomplish everything that we have always dreamt of. It can be anything either in personal or professional life. Just time isn't enough to accomplish things. Hobbies, passions, desires and all the cravings demand money. In our early years, we let our aims remain unfulfilled due to lack of time and finances. However, if we save enough then we can fulfill all these unfulfilled desires in later part of our lives with the help of our saving funds. Sometimes we miss opportunities and that is because we do not have enough money with us. Savings help us to grab such opportunities with both hands.Saving money even if it is a very small amount is worth the effort. Every time we save some, we can see it growing and all this effort made does not go in vain. It kind of pays off in the end and gives us peace of mind and security. Can be gifted to next generation Savings can very well be passed to the next generations as a gift. Some families have a very bad destiny. We can see each of their generations suffer from financial problems. It is because they do not earn enough and thus do not even think of saving anything. Our savings will not only help us greatly but anything excess can be gifted to the coming generations as a gift so that they can take a lead and do not have to struggle right from the beginning. This will help them to give a kick-start to their dreams and also it will make their project run quite easily. Avoids over expenditure Sometimes saving money will teach us how to avoid ours over expenditure. Buying everything that is necessary is a different thing but buying everything in bulk and buying something that is least needed is a total wastage of money. We will cautiously start buying everything as we want to save money and this habit of ours will teach us to reduce our expenditure which will ultimately help us in long run. We will thereby stop wasting money in various areas which we were doing previously in our lives. Conclusion There are many reasons that why we need to save even if it is in a small amount on regular basis. It reduces our stress levels and teaches us to remain prepared for any kind of physical, psychological or emotional stressful circumstance in the life. Saving money helps us to become financially free so that we can take care of ourselves even in our old age and after retirement through our savings funds as this is the time when our active income gets stopped and all we need to depend is on our savings. If savings are good then it gives us the liberty to retire early or stop working for some time to take a break from the ongoing process. It creates lots of opportunities in front of us and we can grab them as and when they arrive. We can limit our over expenditure and can gift our savings to younger generations which will make their process easy and less tedious. Moreover, it will help us to live a good life and improve quality of our life. Saving money makes us feel good and secure as we know that our finances are in our control. It gives us immense pleasure and complete contentment as it keeps our present as well as our future safe and secure.

7 years ago

Reena created new article There is no place like home on this earth.

Introduction We all have our favorite place and we consider it as our favorite spot because it kind of brings some contentment and comfort to us. We treat that place very differently than other places. This is because it treats us in a very comfortable way. For most of us, that place which calms us down and where we can relax completely is nowhere other than our house. Within the walls of our home sweet home, we can breathe freely and do not have to pretend like someone else. This is what comforts us the most. We do not have to be accountable to others when we are within our homes. Throughout the day, we play so many roles and most of the times pretend to be someone which we actually might not be in our real lives and this is simply because our roles demand us to do so. However, when we are back home, we hardly need to pretend like someone else. We can totally be ourselves and relax on our favorite sofa and couch, drifting away all the anxiety and stress and calming our mind and body completely. Home is more than a dwelling place We form a deep connection with the place we live and this will result in forming a strong bond. Home is a place where we live and it means much more than a place which we use to eat, sleep or perform other activities. It is a place which makes us feel good about ourselves. It acts as a strong barrier between us and the external world and this strong shield acts as a protective covering against all those physical and moral disastrous circumstances. It is not necessary that we feel the same about our present living place. It must be our old house or the house in which we have spent our childhood or the one which is in our native place. We all form a deep connection of some sort or the other with the place in which we have spent some time. Most of the times, we form a deep connection with the home which is located in our native land and this is because it always reminds us of who we actually are. It reminds us of our roots. Home is incomparable No matter how much we spend on our vacation and regardless of how expensive our stays are at hotels and lodges, they can never bring that kind of comfort and cozy stay which a home can easily provide. This is the reason home always remain incomparable to other stays and at first, one might disagree but the more and more he travels and more and more he moves away from his roots, he will find himself craving for that return so that once again he can feel safe and sound within his home's premises. There can be places which are more beautiful, more comfortable, safer but there can never be a place like one's home which is a bundle of everything ranging from beauty to comfort and from coziness to safe and sound. Home brings real happiness. We no longer feel like intruders who are trying to invade other's personal space. When we are at home, we can enjoy our privacy and this is what brings the real joy and contentment. We might have visited many beautiful places in our lifetime. But still we find our home which is so small to be better than all those beautiful places and this is because the kind of atmosphere it provides. It relaxes us and rejuvenates us at the end of the long tiring day. We might travel the whole world and still wish to come back to our home sweet home and by this, we can understand how comforting and relaxing it is. We might have slept on the best beds and cushions but still, we enjoy a sound sleep on our old, warm bed and this is because of the connection and attachment that we have developed with it. Home signifies our roots We develop deeper connections with our homes because it might be a place where we have taken birth or have lived our childhood or maybe lived most of our life. It might be a place which actually reminds us of our roots which signifies stability. As soon as the word home arrives, we start collecting so many memories as that place represents peace and tranquility. There is some sort of warmth in it and it is better understood only by those of us who have lived away from it. To earn fortunes, to acquire skills, to achieve better education, people move away from their homes. They get what they needed but at the cost of staying away from home which is a harrowing experience. Adventures cannot hold us forever Some may argue that home life is too monotone. Yes, indeed it is. For this, one can go on some adventures and vacations which will be a new learning experience in life. Seeing new places, meeting new people, facing new hurdles, all add up to the experience list. All these activities create lots of excitement and bring joy and fun. It is a rejuvenating experience to mind and refreshes the body completely. Missing home food and eating out, spending a few days away from home, managing inconveniences of journey whether it is the scorching heat of the sun or drenching rain etc is all okay for a certain period of time until that monotone is broken away. After a certain period of time, this whole excitement of seeing new things and meeting new people wears off and an individual wants to go back to experiencing the same old things and familiar people. He starts to miss his sweet home.as he starts missing that warmth which only his sweet home can provide. Conclusion There is no other place in this universe like our home and this is because our home is where our heart is actually. All our beloved family members stay underneath it and all our beloved friends, relatives and others come to meet us over there. It is a place where we do not keep our guards up. It is a place where we feel that we can express our emotions freely and still will not be judged for our actions or emotions. This is because everyone around us either cares about us or wish the best for us and thus it becomes a place of least embarrassment and total freedom. We feel free to emote and act in a way we want. Without a home, our lives would just be miserable as it is not just a matter of shelter that our home provides to us but it also promises safety and warmth. No matter how brightly fortune favors us and we become successful in buying many possessions, but still, the home will be the place which we will always crave to go back. This is because the kind of comfort and ease it provides, no other possessions can ever provide to us. Instead of taking home for granted as most of us do and consider it to be not more than a pit-stop, it is high time that we consider its value. It is a place not just made out of some bricks, it is, in fact, a place which brings the best out of us and helps us to be ourselves.

7 years ago

Zinnia created new article My favourite movie.

One of my favourite bollywood movie is 'Queen' starring Kangna Ranaut and Rajkumar Rao. The movie basically revolves around Kangna's character named 'Rani' . Rani is a simple delhi girl who is innocent, sweet and obedient. Respecting everyone and their wishes is what Rani lives by without ever thinking about what she wants. She had low self confidence thus was easily swayed by anyone trying to manipulate her. Rani's life changes when the boy who chose to marry her, dumped her after returning from London on a stupid excuse that she is not according to his standards anymore. Her life shatters out of disbelief. She pleads a lot but all efforts in vain. After a lot of crying, she decides to go on her honeymoon to Amsterdam alone, now that is where the magic starts. Depressed at first, her life starts changing when she meets a modern girl named 'Vijaylakshmi' the role actually played by Lisa haydon. Vijaylakshmi listens to her story, makes her shed all the inhibitions. Rani dances her way into the club like never before, she remembers how her fiance used to bully her and insult her whenever she danced at family functions. Throughout the movie there are instances where Rani remembers how she was dominated and never really allowed to live her life on her own terms. Her job decision was in the hands of her fiance who manipulated her everytime she wished to do something on her own, but the same opportunities could be used by her as her life was in her own hands. The other experience that Rani had was with 3 boys when she had to share her hostel room with me. Scared at first at the thought of sharing the room, she gradually realizes how good their hearts are. From becoming the best of friends and having different experiences Rani really changes as a person and comes home confident and bold.

7 years ago

MG Singh created new article Trump may end up as a Great President.

When the United United States election campaign commenced Donald Trump was not expected to win. Everybody including the political pundits had forecast that the winner would be Hillary Clinton. However, it did not happen that way and the Dark Horse Donald Trump stormed and won the election. He did not have the popular vote when he became president but that is because of the convoluted system of votes in America. This set the rumor mills churning full time and political stalwarts made forecasts that Donald Trump would be impeached. They also send he was unfit to be the president of The United States of America. Water flows down the river and like the Amazon it doesn't flow back. Donald Trump has surprised many people by taking decisions which previous us presidents had not touched with a pole. Important decisions The decisions that Donald Trump took are going to place Donald on a different footing than the earlier presidents. He has shown that he is a man made of a different metal as he has taken decisions that nobody else took. To start with he took the historic decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. This was a momentous decision and now orders have been passed to shift the US Embassy to Jerusalem. Earlier American presidents all would put this shifting in their election manifesto but when it came to brass tacks developed cold feet and never carried out the shifting. One reason was they were scared to antagonize the Muslim world and the Arabs in particular. Donald, as I have said, taking the decision and though he angered the Arab world, he has not changed it. This shows that Donald has honored the pledge that he made during the election campaign Another important point which needs to be mentioned here is that he has stopped the free lunches for the Palestine Arabs. The Palestine leader Mohammad Abbas was using American funds and paying them to the next of kin of terrorist killed in combat. Donald's put a stop to and now there are no free lunches. He hs said that no aid from the USA would be coming in case it was being paid to terrorists. This is another major step which the previous American presidents were scared to take. This is a lesson to India where something similar is happening in Kashmir. Terrorism and Islam Another major decision Donald Trump took is identifying the source of terror. Terrorism, as we know, is the biggest danger in the globe today. Donald Trump has been the first man to identify Islam as a source of terror. He has repeatedly used the word "Islamic terrorism". This word was an anathema to the previous American presidents, who were scared to use the word and identify terrorism with Islam. No such inhibition with Trump, as he has clearly identified Islam as a source of terror. He has followed up with the travel ban on Muslims from a few countries associated with terrorism to travel to the USA. This ban was challenged in court but now has been upheld by the US Supreme Court. Donald Trump has done a great service to mankind by identifying the terror groups as drawing sustenance from Islamic scriptures. Obviously, this is not to the liking of the Arabs and the Muslims but it is only a man like Trump who will call a spade a spade Trump also identified Pakistan as a source of terror. This is something which was be overlooked by American presidents, even when the Pakistan army had given shelter to the notorious terrorist Osama Bin Laden for close to 6 years. Trump has accepted that Pakistan needs to do much more to fight terrorism One of the most reaching decisions of Trump in case it goes through is his slated meeting with the Korean Dictator Kim Jong. No American President had met any North Korean leader for the simple reason they could not look beyond their nose. Trump has broken the shackles and even earlier he had said that he would have no objection to meeting Kim Jong in the right circumstances Great president All this happens just after one year of Donald Trump rule. There are many more points which will not be part of this article which puts Trump as something apart from early American presidents. There is no doubt that in that in case he completes his full term as the President of the USA he may very well be considered a great president for giving a new direction to the world, more for identifying Islam as a source of terror.

7 years ago

Reena created new article Importance of good concentration.

We all know that concentration is the key to achieve success. In absence of it, success will hardly come to us. This is the reason that right from the early childhood, more stress is given on increasing the mental concentration. It is actually nothing but keeping the complete focus on one thing at a time and this is usually accomplished when one deviates oneself from everything that is taking place around. Concentration helps a person to become mentally tough. This, in turn, will help him to perform his best irrespective of the type of prevailing circumstances around him. It reduces the chances of getting psyched out. As soon as the concentration shifts, lack of focus will ruin the whole game and if we are not able to bring back the lost focus then within no time we will end up losing i.e. if we do not have concentration then it is like we cannot complete any task in this world. This is the significance of concentration or focus. Concentration Vs lack of focus The function of the mind is to think and it thinks in all directions. Since it is dissipated in various different routes, its enormous power is not put to the best use. If it is allowed to dwell in different directions and in different places and if it is allowed to think about so many things one after the other without concentrating on one single aspect then this kind of lack of concentration will surely affect the working potential and mind will thereby become an average mind. If we want to excel in what we are doing then we need to learn to focus on things and this is what concentration is all about. When we make our mind to focus on one point or on one aspect at a time when this kind of holding of focus will help us reach the state of meditation. A fully focused mind does not wander here and there. It is unaware of the things which are taking place externally. Its focus is completely on one point and in one place. Power of concentrated mind The concentrated mind has enormous power and thus it has enhanced the ability to accomplish any task when compared with a mind that gets easily distracted and loses concentration. It has the ability to complete tasks which might seem almost impossible for an average brain. This is the reason that greatness is always associated with the one-pointedness ability of mind which is nothing but the concentration in other words. Concentration is also directly proportional to relaxation. The more concentrated mind is the more relaxed it is and it is useless to say that it is free of stress and tension. If we want to remain mentally healthy then we need to teach our mind to remain relaxed and calm and it can only do so if it stops wandering here and there without any purpose and gets engrossed deeply on the subject which it needs to focus. Concentration improves working ability Concentration helps us to enjoy what we are working on. Work will then hardly seem like a trouble to us because it will become effortless. It will be carried out efficiently and effortlessly without any pain and this will make the whole experience enjoyable. Complete focus does not leave any space for errors and when the concentration is complete then tasks seem to get accomplished beforehand. Concentration also increases our inner power and channelizes our energies in the right direction instead of letting them get wasted. We need to work on increasing our concentrating power and keeping our focus because concentration is essential to attract inspirations and opportunities. It is the major element essential to bring success and in its absence, no way one can become successful in accomplishing any task.

7 years ago

MG Singh created new article Could Modi bite the dust like Vajpayee ? .

An important election has just taken place in Uttar Pradesh. This election was held for two seats to the Lok Sabha included a seat -Gorakhpur which was supposed to be a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In fact, the party has won the seat 7 consecutive times in a row and Gorakhpur was considered a bastion of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The chief minister himself has always treated Gorakhpur like his own backyard. The results of these two by-elections have come as a surprise as the BJP has lost both the seats. Apart from the shouting, it appears the people have voted the BJP out of power in these two seats. This has come as a shock to the BJP leadership which had been banking on a massive win in UP to form a government in the center. The importance of Uttar Pradesh can we gauged from the fact that it sends 80 members of parliament from the state and last time the BJP had 72 of them. This even a loss of 25 or 30 seats in Uttar Pradesh would mean the BJP may not be able to form the government at the center. As things stand the two parties, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj party have both joined hands together and the result has been a polarization of votes. This has led to the BJP losing both the seats. The gang-up If the two parties the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj party can join hands together during the 2019 election and by chance are able to win 50 or 60 seats the fat will be in the fire for the BJP. Another disconcerting idea is the fact that a similar alliance would be stitched up in MP and other states and one can safely say that the alarm bells are ringing for the BJP. The defeat of the BJP does not mean that the Congress will come to power, for the simple reason that the Congress party under Rahul Gandhi has performed very poorly in the elections and is a distant 3rd but what does stand to reason is that a grand alliance of opposition parties may well rout the BJP and that will not be a good thing for the country, because the only uniting force among the opposition is the anti-BJP rhetoric. Apart from this anti-BJP rhetoric, they have no plan of development or any social change and have a one-point plan only to unseat the BJP from the seat of power. In 2004 We can recollect that in 2004, the BJP entered the elections confident of victory with the slogan" India shining ". Unfortunately, the people did not think India was shining and Vajpayee could not get a second term as the prime minister of India. It must be mentioned that Vajpayee during his term as the Prime Minister of India failed to fulfill his poll promises and reforms which he had been talking about all his life. He did not move forward on the Uniform Civil Code, Article 370. and integration of Kashmir with India. The result was that he was defeated. It was not a good thing because the man who came to power was worse than Vajpayee. He was Manmohan Singh who let the country down by becoming Lakey of Sonia Gandhi and abdicated his responsibility as the leader of India. This was the period when India saw the maximum corruption. The situation looks somewhat similar. Modi may bite the dust in the 2019 election and there is every chance that an opposition united on a one-point agent of removing Modi may come to power. But India will suffer because this disparate group will not be able to govern the country and there is a chance that India will once again go down into the pit of history. It is a sad story but there is no doubt that Modi himself is responsible for the state of affairs. He had talked of development and he had talked of so many other things like one rank one pension, Uniform Civil Code, article 370, but he failed to keep his promises. The people remember and there is a chance that Modi may be a one-time Prime Minister. Last word History has a uncanny knack of repeating itself and I for one would not be surprised if Modi is defeated. It will be sad for the country because the alternative is worse but who will blame anybody other than Modi. He has to shoulder the blame because he has been wasting time on inconsequential items like Aadhar card linkages and could not stop the many banking scams that ran amuck like wild horses.

7 years ago

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