Monday 30 June 2014

29th June 2014 Letter to PM on Education

Dear Shri Modiji,

As Swami Vivekananda once said, the primary purpose of education is 'building character'. However what we see today in schools and even higher education, is a senseless 'rote' learning, with no space for creativity or application. If we want Bharat of the future vastly different from what we see today, then young children need to be provided a different perspective on their own self, life and its purpose. Example, the 4th Std students are taught History of Shivaji and then in the exam are asked which year a specific event happened. That is testing memory not what the child has learnt from this Great Maratha Warrior. Instead why not take them to see a fort and explain how he fought the invading Mughal armies or ask to write a thought paper on how Shivaji would have changed today's Bharat based on which of his key principles. The moment application of thought and learning gains precedence, our universities would start their march into global top 100.

Friday 27 June 2014

Salute

I salute a person every day. And its not Modi. J Let me go back to an incident last year. The new security person in my office building one day stopped me from entering the building as I was not carrying my I-card on my way back from a run on Infy ground. Many of us would feel offended .. our ego doesn’t allow us to be ordered by people we perceive as ‘lowly’ than us. I however smiled and apologized and said it wont happen again as I am myself a stickler for rules and regulations.

From the next day he started smiling back. And one day I stopped to speak to him and he turned out to be an ex Army jawan from Rashtriya Rifles who has spent more than a decade fighting insurgents in our border areas. From that day, whenever I see him at our reception, I salute him. This guy genuinely deserves my respect more than even most of the people up the hierarchy. And it makes me think, someone who serves us deserves more respect cause they make our life much more easier at such a meagre pay. So next time don’t forget to say a simple thank-you to the person who cleans your table at a restaurant or the guard at your apartment who opens the gate for your car. 

Monday 23 June 2014

Security Concerns - Letter to PM on 18th June 2014

1    Dear Shri Modiji, The increasing crimes against the vulnerable (Women, Children, Mentally challenged, Sr Citizens) in most cities and even villages is indeed appalling. I read about Shri Rajnath Singh wanting to expedite the Nirbhaya project. It will be indeed good to have the necessary infrastructure and sensitivity of the police force and allied emergency services to react within minutes of a crime or possibility of crime. However prevention is better than cure. It reminds me of Ex-Police Commissioner of Mumbai Mr Julio Rodrigues interaction with my late father in 1980s, that Mumbai is safe cause the Mumbai police know each and every goon in a locality and have a vast informer network. Today over the last 2 decades, the crime graph has gone up as police force have become another revenue generating department for their political masters. When you get promotions and other benefits by meeting ‘revenue’ targets especially in collaboration with local criminals, why would a policeman work hard to instill confidence in law-abiding citizens and fear in criminals. GOI needs to take measures to see that the police force is effective in preventing crime and people regain their trust in the police force. The increasing police patrols and police-public interaction itself will, in my humble opinion, reduce the crime rate by half. Jai Hind. 

Saturday 14 June 2014

Letter to PM on 14th June 2014

Dear Sir, 
This is with reference to road safety. After we all lost a senior leader Mr Munde, there needs be a realisation that Indian roads are a death trap, where accidents are waiting to happen. After living in UK, I can clearly see where we are lacking and I propose following solutions: 1. Getting an Indian license is child's play, one goes through a driving school which bribes the RTO and everyone clears the exam. Make it stricter with theory and practical exams. Everyone holding a license needs to reappear and clear this exam. 2. Speed cameras to capture speeding cars especially in the cities and heavy fines and repeat offences losing license. 3. Equip police cars with number plate scanners to find rogue drivers driving without insurance. 
Rgds.. Nandan