1500 full bags of used plastic...

I know its a topic most of us know about, that we should recycle and its environmental advantages and all other details. However most of us don't do that (including me, until now).

Few days earlier, I noticed that in the apartment complex I live, there is a nice recycling center and few people use it as well. It has separate dumpster for papers, glossy magazines, plastic, cardboard, glass etc.

Inspired by that, I made a separate trash bin in my apartment to collect plastic and paper (I used the trash bin near my study table for paper stuff). In one week, the total amount of plastic generated in my apartment was one full walmart bag. I thought may be I used too much plastic in this week, but it was again the same amount the next week and so on. I was frustrated to see the amount of plastic we use in daily life.

Milk cans, yogurt cans, oil cans, polythene wrapper for refrigerated vegetables, polythene wrapper for cheese, bread, wrapper for candies and chocolates, shampoo bottle, toothbrush, toothpaste tube, cover of clothes, tags with the clothes, plastic bags in which we bring stuff home, and too much more than that. Astonishingly, this is from a family of just two people.

I felt ashamed to see that because I realized that without recycling in my life I have thrown about 1500 full bags of plastic in trash. If you spread that much of plastic, it might cover a whole football field :(. Just multiply this amount by the number of your friends whom you know don't recycle.

I also started collecting cardboard, and I was using lot of that as well. packing cardboard, rolls on which paper towels and tissue papers are wound, box of corn flakes etc. I was not using glass as much (its different after a beer party though).

At this point in time, I can always say that our previous generation did everything to destroy our environment and didn't do much to save it. I would hate to see future generation saying that. I would request all my readers to just think about it and do their small contribution to the earth, environment, society and future generation. Please recycle your waste as much as you can.

Initially it might appear clumsy or confusing to have more than one trash bins for different kinds of waste, but it becomes normal and its worth it.

In India, we used to sell plastic and old papers to "kabadiwaala" which was a good way to recycle, but that's definitely not enough. There are some attempts by local administrative bodies to encourage recycling as well. However, more local bodies need to realize the importance of recycling, and start waste management as is there in USA.

Anurag

Love Marriages In India

Most of us have read or seen news about a teenager committing suicide as her parents did not support her involving in a love affair with a guy, and tried to control her forcefully. We do not need to look for specific news, but most of us know these to be pretty normal issues in India, especially in middle class. After looking at this news, and other related news, I decided to write on how the mechanics of Love Marriages work in India, and how it should work.

Before going further, I would like to clarify that,
1. I am not against arranged marriages, and
2. I am not against age old Indian culture and tradition.
3. I am not against the caring and loving nature of Indian parents as well.


Parents in India generally believe that their offspring are not wise enough to choose a suitable spouse for them. And, if the young generation do decide on that, they most likely make the wrong decision, and then in most cases it becomes a duty for the parents to do otherwise.

I think that rather than believing or disbelieving on the abilities of young generation to take this decision, it is a duty of every parent to prepare their kids for this decision, and other important life decisions as well.

I have read and heard at many places that marriage is the most important procession in the lives of Indian and it is also an industry worth thousands of crores. It becomes ironical that marriage becomes most important procession for the parents most of the times rather than the bride and groom.

I believe that kids must be taught few basic things by their parents and then the kids must be allowed to exercise their choice when they grow up. To prepare them for the future, not only the marriage there are some things which every parent must talk to their kids about.

1. Appropriate sex education - It doesn't only include the mechanics of sex, but as a way of expressing intense love and trust for the partner, a source of several diseases including AIDS if unprotected, a probable cause of emotional disturbance if it doesn't involve love.

2. Future life partner - What are the things they should look for in a probable partner, when they think about it?

3. Meeting with friends - Parents should be ready to meet and mingle with friends of their kids if possible. They should also encourage their kids to bring their friends home sometimes. When kids talk about their friends or probably boy friend or girl friend, parents should listen to it and talk as well. They should just live the life of their kids with them. This will instill confidence in kids with their parents and at the same time parents will be able to watch out for something abnormal.

3. Love - If the parents come to know that their kids are in love, they should take it normal and I think it is normal for the young people to fall in love with each other.

4. Marriage - In many cases when two young people decide to marry, parents tend to disagree and provide reasonings that love marriages do not succeed and it's not our culture. Instead if they support the kids, explain what marriage is all about including new life style, new responsibilities, take them to pre-marital counseling, the love marriages will succeed as well.

5. Religion and Caste - This is the most troublesome issue. Many people think that if their kids marry in different caste, something xx xx xx will happen, earth will tear up, volcanoes will erupt and Lord Shiva will himself come to the earth to cause destruction.... And then there is an issue of Family's age old respect or "Khaandaan ki Izzat". I believe, happy and successful generation with lots of respect for their previous generation would increase family's respect a lot more than the act of controlling young generation forcefully and/or suicide attempts.

What I have written above is a collection of sequential thoughts which according to me should be followed not only for successful marriage, but successful young generation as well. These are the reflections of experiences earned by keenly observing the world around, and comparing the contrasts between Indian and American cultures as well.

Anurag

Expectations

I had read this story long back. Got it again today and thought to share.

The MORAL of the following story is just toooo good .

A butcher watching over his shop is really surprised when he saw a dog coming inside the shop. He shoos him away.

But later, the dog is back again. So, he goes over to the dog and notices he has a note in his mouth. He takes the note and it reads "Can I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please". The dog has money in his mouth, as well.

...
Whole Story

Anurag

So, this is the respect of first citizen of India

Congress is not planning to reconsider the "Office of Profit" bill returned back by President.

click here for the actual news

Congress has always relied upon using its shameless politics to make most of the votes. THey considered people as votes. Earlier Congress always made President who would not question the Govt. at any point of time. Now since they have got one who can question them, they are getting into playing dirty politics as they have done in the past.

The implementation of Emergency by Indira Gandhi, reversal of SC decision on Shah Bano case by Rajiv Gandhi, opening the Ayodhya Mandir, the reservation row, everything was done to satisfy some group of people or earn votes. These are just few examples, else the whole post-independence era is filled with such activities by Congress.

Congress never relied on long term policies and decision which could benefit India as a whole. Everything was done to satisfy few power hungry people or a group to gain votes.

With regard to current "Office of Profit" bill, Congress just wants to clear few posts especially for the current ruler of Congress Ms. Sonia Gandhi, and it has no intention of looking into its repercussions. When the bill was returned by President, most of us thought (with a sense of doubt) that at least now the Govt. will do something about it.

I believe that if Congress returns this bill to President as it is, then that would be the biggest disrespect of the First Citizen of India. If it actually takes place, I would recommend Dr. Kalam to resign from his President post and start a new political party afresh. Enough is Enough. He should recruit members of his new party in the same way as the officers in Indian Military are recruited. This new party will lead the country with the most scientific and appropriate approach.

I think now that Govt. should really cross its limit of shamelessness and force a revolution to happen, else it will lead us to the future I predicted in my earlier blog.

With the expectations of brighter future of India
Anurag

Another set of worthless arguments

The interview of P. Chidambaran by Mr. Karan Thapar now shows another set of all misleading arguments leading to reservations. It is a ridiculous interview. Chidamabarn trying to show extra calm and composure evaded the harsh questions by Thapar.

I have just one question, if reservations have been succesful for so long in South, that means Social Justice has come in Southern States. If southern states have social justice then there should be no reservation now. And I think that was the spirit of reservations.

Interview Link

Look at this interesting excerpt.

Karan Thapar: Let me ask the question differently - after 50 odd years of reservations and the controversy that they have created, atleast in some quarters, do you believe that a review of how they function would be a sensible thing to do?

P Chidambaram: If review means questioning the justification of reservation, I say 'no'.

Karan Thapar: A review means questioning whether they have worked effectively or not and if it is to be found that they haven't worked effectively, that would end up questioning this justification as well. So, there is no doubt that one could lead to the other, but not necessarily.

P Chidambaram: I would not give my view, which I have to give in the Cabinet, but I know from experience that reservations have helped many members of the OBCs to rise in the Southern states. I am totally convinced about it.

Let's celebrate cause Mr. Chidamabaram is convinced, and rest of the Indians should believe in his words.

Other interesting excerpt.

Karan Thapar: Let me then come to another issue. The Government has committed itself to extending 27 per cent reservations to OBCs in higher education on the basis of the recommendation of the Mandal report. Your late leader, Rajiv Gandhi, who you revere, in a speech in Parliament on September 6, 1990 effectively showed that Mandal was inaccurate, it was unscientific, it was misleading and in very many areas, it was actually wrong.

P Chidambaram: I know that speech.

Karan Thapar: His conclusion is important. In the end, it may be emphasised that the survey has no pretensions to being a piece of academic research. On what basis then today, as successors to Rajiv Gandhi, do you want to keep pursuing the report?

P Chidambaram: Please remember, after that speech, in 1991, a Congress Government implemented reservation in Government jobs and that has come to stay.

Karan Thapar: So, in other words, Mr Gandhi's position has been forgotten?

Reservation was implemented before Congress Govt. by V.P. Singh. Its an interesting fact that Rajeev Gandhi refuted the factes of Mandal Commission.

My verdict, hopeless situation. Meira Kumar recommended increase in SC quota now. Please look at my previous blog, and see how we are moving steadily towards our own destruction.

Anurag