Lucknow girl address UN climate summit

                                 Climatic Change – The entire world is worried about now.When over 100 heads of States and governments, including US President Barack Obama, gather at the United Nations for the Climate Change Conference on Tuesday, a 13-year-old girl from India will have the singular honour of addressing the assembly, representing the voice of the world 3 billion youth on the issue.

                                Yugaratna Srivastava of Lucknow, who was sensitised to environmental protection in sixth grade in St Francis School in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh , says that world leaders must recognise the energy and potential, which lies in children and youth.

“Our ancestors gave us clean earth and is this what we are going to give to our successors………..If not now then when, if not us then who……”

she echoed in UN summit.I was awestruck seeing her speach  in T.V.

Yugaratna- UN Summit

                                “I want to tell (President) Obama that the youth and children are with the politicians and that we are ready to provide full support. I want him to listen to us, to our voices,” she said during a press conference in New York on Tuesday morning ahead of the Climate Change meeting beginning on Wednesday.

Despite her wish, the United States is most unlikely to make any firm commitment on Wednesday for reducing its greenhouse gases mission level anytime soon. The US is the second largest emitter of green house gases in the world after China.

 The US has also laid the blame on developing countries like India that has far less greenhouse gas emissions than the US or China that lead the pack for the state of affairs.When US,Britain and Europe developed they had polluted the environment with great luxury and space and now they look at developing countries like India or China and say that you can do what we did?

Even now US emits more CO2 when compared with many other countries.It does not mean other countries can stay numb.Everybody has to take part rather than blaming each other.

But Yugaratna said she does not care whether the fault lies with the developed or developing countries.

“It is not about developed and developing countries whatsoever. It is just about one mother earth. They (the politicians) have to take action because children have to live on this earth. They have to make a good deal and enforce it, and there has to be action-oriented programme at the Copenhagen,” she said.

In response to a question at the press conference, Yugaratna said she is doing all this for the future of children of the mother earth.

Yugaratna, who was very excited at the prospect of addressing the UN, said she was proud to be an Indian to be able to address this meeting.

“I am going to urge the leaders to involve youth and children in the decision making process,” she said.

Trip to Alleppy

                                We reached Alleppy from Thrissur by Chennai-Alleppy Express.We took an auto to Punnamada boat jetty.From there Bamboo Stix resort boat picked us to the resort.We wended through the backwaters passing many house boats.

On Boat to Resort

                               We were served with coconut water as we got into the resort.The place was awesome and deserted as well.ofcourse my parents did not like the place and so did I.I wanted to visit Kuttanad (below sea level farming).One side of the resort was the sea backwaters and other side of the resort was Kuttanad.It was great view.

Kuttanad and Backwaters

                             We were served with a very delicious Kerala meals.After relaxing for some time and taking pictures we left the place again by boat to stay at a hotel in Alapuzha town.We stayed at Hotel Royale Park.We then went to Alapuzha Beach.It was very calm beach without much waves unlie Marina beach.Then we saw the Mullackal temple and got some chips.

                           Next day we just had food and stayed back at Hotel because of rains.We boarded the train at 4’O Clock and reached chennai.

Kerala Trip

Guruvayur-Thrissur

                                We took a private bus to Guruvayur.The driver was driving crazily along narrow streets that too the streets were uphill sometimes.We got down at Guruvayur bus stand and marched towards Sagar Tourist Home where we had booked room.We checked in, got freshen up and went to temple in dhoti.We had dharshan after a long wait.

                                We mainly came here for Thulabharam(Physical Balance).I had to sit on one side of  the pan and offerings to god on other side.We offered bananas.Then after lunch we took a cab and visited Punnathoor Kotta.All the elephants were kept here and taken care.

At Punnathoor Kotta

                              We then went to two divya desam temples (Thiru Naavay and Pattambhi) very far along Bharathapuzha river.We visited Mammiyur and went back to room after Guruvayur dharshan once again.

                               Next day we checked out and came back to Thrissur, started to Athirampally falls.We reached Adhirampally boarding 2 buses.There were people living along the path to falls.We got down and had a mercurial glimpse of the falls.We got ticket and went near the falls.It was awesome.Click!Click! and Click!

I took lot of snaps but did not go to the bottom of the falls due to rains.We had lunch at Chalakudy and reached Thrisur.In Thrisur we saw ancient 19th Century church and vadakunathan temple located in a vast landscape.We roamed around and reached Hotel Alukkas where we were staying.

Kerala Trip

Hair Loss – No!

For the hair

Try this dry shampoo if you are in a hurry. Divide your hair into sections and fluff a little multani mitti powder through each section. Rub in well and leave for 10 minutes. Brush out thoroughly with a clean brush. The powder will absorb most of the grease and dirt.

For damaged or dull hair try this treatment. Moisten your hair with warm water and massage a generous amount of refined oil (sesame or apricot oil) into your hair and scalp. Cover your hair with a plastic shower cap (or plastic wrap) and a towel. Leave on for at least one hour. Next, apply a mixture of multani mitti to your hair and scalp. Leave it on for 30 minutes. Using warm water, thoroughly rinse the mud from your hair and scalp. Shampoo as usual. Apply a liberal amount of refined oil to damp, towel dried hair and scalp. Comb through with a wide-tooth comb. Let your hair dry naturally.

For treating split ends, massage your hair and scalp with olive oil. After two hours steam your hair for half an hour by wrapping a towel dipped in hot water. Wash your hair using a mix of multani mitti and curd (buttermilk for oily hair). The next day shampoo your hair with a regular shampoo.

For Dandruff Treatment

Wash your hair with a mild herbal shampoo three or four times a week, using less shampoo and rinsing it off well with water. Half an hour before shampooing your hair, massage your scalp lightly with two tablespoons of vinegar. Once a week, heat olive oil or sesame seed (til) oil and apply it on your scalp at night, leaving it on overnight.

The next morning, apply the juice of a lemon on your scalp half an hour before a shampoo wash. Weekly henna treatments will also help. Add 4 teaspoons each of lemon juice and coffee, 2 raw eggs and enough tea water to the henna powder, mixing it into a thick paste. Make tea water by boiling used tea leaves again in enough water, and cooling and straining the liquid. Apply the henna on your hair and wash it off after an hour. If you do not wish to use egg, add more tea water.

Include fresh fruits, raw salads, sprouts and yoghurt in your daily diet. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily. Add the juice of a lemon to a glass of water and drink it first thing in the morning.

                              If possible take a head bath daily to prevent dirt accumulation, which inturn avoids dandruff.

Dynasty Politics- Me and My Kin

                                 This is a wonderful article I read.Please read completely……………..

                                 The recent death of the Andhra Pradesh chief minister was indeed a tragic event. To lose a leader is a loss to the nation too. However, what is striking is the immediate succession drama that ensued. The top choice for the new CM’s job was, in what will be no surprise to Indians, the CM’s son.

Somehow, we have almost accepted the hereditary entitlement of the children of Bollywood superstars and politicians. I am amazed by peoples response to YSR. However, i am intrigued by this general phenomenon on how some of the most important jobs in the country are handed over based on lineage more than calibre.                              

We simply don’t have a mechanism to get the best person for the most responsible jobs in the country. So, why are we like this? Why do we think it is almost alright for a politician’s son to become the next leader? I think there are three main reasons. First up is emotional decision-making. Apologies for stereotyping, but Indians are emotional people. The content of our films and TV programming is ample evidence of this.

 When it comes to choosing a public figure, the decision is almost never completely rational. We are fond of Big B, so we also give Junior B a chance. It doesn’t matter as much when it is about choosing the star you want to watch on screen. It has huge repercussions when you use emotional criteria for positions that involve running the country. 

 

Farookh and Umar Abdullah

                                  There is no doubt that the deceased CM’s family is in deep grief, but to hand over the reins of the state only for that reason may not be the best idea. Political choices by voters must be rational. I am not suggesting that all people with lineage will not be able to do a good job.

Rahul Gandhi has resurrected the Congress; he speaks well and has kept his patience and not jumped to take the top post. He himself is against dynasty politics for the same reason he is calling youngsters to politics.Maybe that should be the reason to elect him, but not because he reminds you of his father. Similarly, if some of his subsidy policies are damaging the country’s finances, you can consider switching your vote. Your vote is an important choice for your country, not an expression of love. 
                             

Second, there is a lack of institutions to groom political talent. Politics is something for goons or people with money.We make great engineers and doctors but we don’t take our liberal arts courses seriously. A handful of colleges are good, but most places are poorly run and we don’t have any institutions like Georgetown University in the US, for example, which actually trains students for political careers. The content of existing courses is outdated.

I have met few political science graduates who can give an insightful view on the current state of Indian politics and how to bring about change in the present times. Even apart from education, the political parties have no induction methods of taking in bright young Indians, conducting training programmes, or a meritocratic evaluation system in place to make sure the best talent gets a chance to shine. 
                               

In absence of all this, parties depend on a few charismatic personalities to run the show and their sudden absence creates a void, which needs to be filled by a personality clone rather than the best leader available. This further acts as a demotivator for capable people to make a career in politics – who know they’ll never make it to the top. This worsens the supply of good people in   times of need. 
                             

And then there is the lack of political awareness. While we do study the oversimplified definition of a democracy in school – by the people, for the people – millions of Indians, particularly in the economically weaker sections of society, still do not understand the full power of a democracy.

Our history of monarchy is difficult to shake off, as democracy is a recent arrival in India’s story. The established lines created by the caste system over centuries make it difficult to grasp the concept that anyone with talent can and, importantly, should rise to the highest levels in society. In this scenario, we see political leaders as kings, and their little princes are automatically next in line. 
                              

If we do pay attention to these issues, we can make the beginning towards a robust political system that elects strong leaders who can take India to the next level. Meanwhile, the little princes should learn a lesson from Bollywood. Your pedigree may have given you a break, but you still need to perform. There are only so many flops daddy’s name can support. Somebody may have made you a prince, but to stay there and become a real hero, you need to become a leader. The lights and cameras are on you now, so let’s see if you can deliver. Action! 
  

 The writer is a best-selling novelist.

No Men Please-Go For Pink Ladies Taxi

Go For Pink

                               The dentist Basima Farah who spent her life examining patients teeth has now started taking calls and despatching cabs.This is not an ordinary cab.She and her hus-band Dr Ariff Ali have launched the city’s first all-women cab service, Go For Pink Ladies Call Taxi Service, with five women drivers who ferry only women and chil-dren around.

                                There has been frequent issues of BPO and call centre girls being killed by Taxi drivers.This call taxi would be relief to thousands of girls.Currently with five drivers it is doubtful how much percentage of women they will carry.But we should appreciate the idea. 

                            Go For Pink has ordered five Maruti Omni cabs pale grey with bright pink streaks and their phone number 64563333 emblazoned on the sides and back though only two are running right now.

Another Fake encounter

                                Another major setback to the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat, Ahmedabad magistrate S.P. Tamang, has ruled that the incident in which Ishrat Jahan and three others were killed in June, 2004, was yet another case of “fake encounter.”Mr. Tamang has named the then “encounter specialist” of the Gujarat police, D.G. Vanzara, and others as accused in the “cold blooded murder” of the teenaged girl and three others.

                                   We knew that Mr. Vanzara was are already in jail in connection with the Sohrabuddin case which the State government confessed before the Supreme Court was a case of “fake encounter.”

                                 Claiming that Ishrat and three others were killed in fake encounter by the police officers for their personal interests, to get promotions and gain appreciations from the Chief Minister.

                                   Mr Tamang’s report said the Crime Branch police “kidnapped” Ishrat and three others from Mumbai on June 12 and brought them to Ahmedabad. The four were killed on the night of June 14 in police custody, but the police claimed that an “encounter” took place on the morning of June 15 near Kotarpur water works on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. The rigor mortis that had set in clearly indicated that Ishrat died between 11 p.m. and 12 midnight the previous night and the police apparently pumped bullets into her body to substantiate the encounter theory.

It said the explosives, rifles, and other weapons allegedly found in their car were all “planted” by the police after the encounter.

                                  For personal gains they have runied the life of these innocents.This has also affected their family in getting education or jobs.Her sister Nusrat says, “She was as patriotic and loved the country as much as you and we do. We are happy that finally the blot on our family has been erased and she has been proved innocent,” the 22-year-old said.

Nusrat added that all those people who had viewed the family with suspicion had been given an appropriate answer by the Ahmedabad court verdict.

Her mother Shamima Jahan added tearfully that Ishrat’s killing had branded their entire lives and affected the job and educational prospects of her six other children.

With the terrorist slur finally being removed, “our lives can come back on track”, she said.

                                 Ishrat, a resident of Mumbra suburb in Thane district, was a second year B.Sc student at Mumbai’s Guru Nanak Khalsa College. Having lost her father two years before her death in 2002, she embroidered clothes and gave tuitions to help support her family of eight — including her mother and six brothers and sisters.

                                 Even Manipur faced a fake encounter issue.So killing an innocent for getting promotion is horrible and they have to be dealt strictly.Here onwards people will view all encounters with a suspicion.Even good officers will come under vision of doubt.Lets hope officials avoid indulging in such crimes.

Jegapritha’s Reception

                               I started for Jegapritha’s reception in Food Village, ECR Road.When I strated Bhoopal called me and asked to buy the vouchers.So I got down in Vijayanagar, got the gift voucher from Vasanth & Co.We reached there and waited for bhoopal.We wished Jegapritha and went for dinner.

10000 Hits

                                I would like to thank all the readers of this blog.Today the Hits had reached 10,000.

I would try posting more social and environmental related posts in future.As usual do let me know your thoughts through the comments.

I started as an amateur blogger (still I am) more to write a travelogue.Later I used this platform to vent out my anger on the society,government,politicians,bureaucrat and last but not the least killers of nature.I could also improve my english.

Thanks for your support and cooperation.Continue the same.

Regards,

Varun

 

 

Satya Marriage Reception

                               I planned to take  a bus to reach shenoy nagar for satya’s marriage.Luckily, sugumar was coming by bike and I joined him.I got the card and sugumar had got the gift vouchers.It was a very long journey.Traffic was mad and the people driving too.Now I understood why India stood top in deaths due to road accidents.

                               No body is following lane discipline.Everybody wants to reach first to their destination.In this race sometimes destination becomes different.Everybody is owning  a car.Nowadays it has been a mantra to buy a car.It may sound like a thief talking about stealing as I also own a car.But atleast I make sure I dont take car for 1 person.

                                We reached marriage hall.There were popcorn and candy machines kept near the entrance.After tasting them we were waiting in the hall, then came satya and his fiancee kirutheega.We wished them and went for dinner.Sudarsan,Sugumar,Mukilan,Mangal and his wife were the attendees.We had fun chatting and pulling each others leg.

                                 We started late and reached velachery and believe me it was above 10 p.m and the road was so crowded…My God!!!!!!!!!

                                    It was a tiresome day.