Do it yourself

Thought for the day " Mediocre minds usually dismiss anything which reaches beyond their own understanding." —Francois de La Rochefoucauld (French, 1613-1680) Word for the day Longanimity (n) Patient endurance of hardship, injuries, or offense; forbearance. Malice towards none After Congress now SP hires an election strategist with experience of US elections! What does this reflect? First random thought this morning Would it not be appropriate if someone from this side of the border also takes responsibility for loss of precious life in Uri (Jammu)? After all some General, Minister, Politician, Bureaucrat must be accountable for the grave security lapse, especially after Pathankot had happened. Is it too much to ask from those who routinely speak of morality, ethics, accountability and transparency in public life, beside claiming to be brave and potent enough to tackle the enemy? Make growth e...

Thought for the day We give advice, but we cannot give the wisdom to profit by it. —Francois de La Rochefoucauld (French, 1613-1680) Word for the day Overweening (adj) Exaggerated, Excessive Malice towards none The latest Arunachal development reflect best on who: (a) Supreme Court (b) Congress (c) BJP (d) None of the above (e) All of the above   First random thought this morning UP Chief Minister has reportedly offered his sulking Uncle whatever ministries, departments and power he likes. This demonstrate that the most populace state in the country has been reduced to a feudal fiefdom of a family, in a total mockery of democratic process and subversion of constitutional proprietary. Surprising the civil society, especially those who shout their throats hoarse on prime time TV shows every evening, are totally apathetic! Nifty: Down but not out Despite a sharp gap down open...

Thought for the day " It is utterly false and cruelly arbitrary to put all the play and learning into childhood, all the work into middle age, and all the regrets into old age. " —Margaret Mead (American, 1901-1978) Word for the day Pulverulent (adj) Covered with dust or powder. Malice towards none Every politicians is busy telling us our problems! No one is suggesting solutions(:   First random thought this morning Visited a government hospital in Delhi yesterday. The condition of poor patient there was really appalling. The medical staff was highly stressed and exasperated. Non-medical staff was mostly unhelpful and exploitive. This reminded me what I wrote last year at this time. Most of Delhi government & civic administrators, and many of Central leaders residing in Delhi (including PM himself) claim to come from modest socio-economic background. If true they must understand and feel the pl...

Thought for the day " A lways remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else." —Margaret Mead (American, 1901-1978) Word for the day Phalanx (n) A number of individuals, especially persons united for a common purpose. Malice towards none The game of mudslinging between AAP and BJP is no longer funny! First random thought this morning It is the nth time we are witnessing violence and disruption to the public life due to the dispute over the Cauveri water. The dispute over Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) is also far from resolved, as Haryana and Punjab governments are sleeping over it. Nonetheless, given the current Punjabi non-Punjabi equation in Haryana, politicians like Arvind Kejriwal may ignite it anytime. Similarly there are many unresolved issues between various states and the center and states. It is just like the situation in various courts in India where millions of cases are pending for deca...

Thought for the day "Man's role is uncertain, undefined, and perhaps unnecessary." —Margaret Mead (American, 1901-1978) Word for the day Lucida (n) The brightest star in a constellation. Malice towards none In a democracy, why an elected representative helping a citizen should be a NEWS? Ain't that a total failure of our democracy? Would someone mind informing this to the paean singers and cheer leaders at Raisina Hills and Ashok Road! First random thought this morning BJP has reportedly decided to go with PM Modi as its mascot in UP elections. It's a pity. This state gave the party more than one fourth of its MPs in 2014 elections, and still the party does not have a local face to show to the people. Show me a miracle! Last week Mother Teresa was declared a saint. The church said that she fulfilled the condition of doing two miracles to attain sainthood. Regardless of the ...

Thought for the day "We have nowhere else to go... this is all we have." —Margaret Mead (American, 1901-1978) Word for the day Corybantic (adj) Frenzied; agitated; unrestrained. Malice towards none Was including river water in List II (State List) under Article 246 of the Constitution a big mistake? First random thought this morning For the first time I travelled to Mumbai from Delhi was in 1992. Civil aviation sector was just opened to the private competition. The price I paid was Rs3493 one way. The one week advance fare on the same sector today is less than Rs2500. Air India is competing with Indian Rail! Inflation has certainly missed few corners of the economy. Nifty: Choppy season ahead Despite a nervous end to the last week, Nifty managed to record its third highest weekly close and second highest weekly average traded value, ever. ECB staying put and increasing chances of Fed acting ...

Thought for the day "A partheid does not happen spontaneously, like bad weather conditions." —Jonathan Kozol (American, 1936) Word for the day Nodus (n) A difficult or intricate point, situation, plot, etc. Malice towards none If surge pricing by app based taxi operators is unacceptable; how could Indian Rail could be allowed to use it? First random thought this morning PM Modi is gaining in international popularity ratings with every flying mile he earns. His party, BJP, though is not able to match his steps. The party in fact may be losing some of its core support bases - Traders, small businesses, security forces for example. In six months we would enter the election phase that shall continue till the 2019 general elections. A loss in UP & Gujarat could hit the party badly. The question is should PM & FM make a mid-course correction in their policy focus for electoral considerations or continue...