tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-337812382024-03-14T00:55:34.376-07:00The modern thinking IndianThe idea of this blog is that I read the newspapers, see the news and wonder as to why there are so many things that seem so strange to me and yet I do nothing, just take things in my stride. I am rightist in my opinion, and writings will reflect that. For some of my posts, it can be considered as an India Political Blog.Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.comBlogger387125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-76364492074677290342017-06-24T01:35:00.000-07:002017-06-24T01:35:11.897-07:00Sedition charges for supporting Pakistan in a match
It's a tricky situation, and the local police departments know how to handle it well. A cricket match between India and Pakistan, and you have people cheering Pakistan while living in India. There is some outrage among the other people there, and the media and social media hype up the outrage to a drastic degree. The police then take the expected action, charging the people with sedition. What Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-34773574479596849172015-06-19T10:54:00.000-07:002015-06-19T10:54:11.361-07:00Woman fined for misusing domestic violence law
It is not the case that the country is safe for woman. India is notorious for the bad condition of its woman. The problems are many - the country is highly patriarchal, woman's rights are more in theory, education for woman does not follow the same sense of rights as that for men, violence in the household is at an uncomfortable level for woman. Over the years, there has been a sustained push Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-82529581007519080622015-05-13T01:01:00.000-07:002015-05-13T01:01:28.899-07:00Divorce case, if women wealthy, not entitled to maintenance
Typically, divorce cases in India take a long time to settle; at the same time, as a reaction over the years to the country's social environment being strongly patriarchal, in favor of men, the laws that have evolved over the years to handle problems related to divorce and the economic needs of women who have separated from their husbands are more in favor of women. Women in divorce cases, or Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-29751381995742258322013-06-21T02:37:00.000-07:002013-06-21T02:37:16.954-07:00The rudeness shown in the Kent water purifier advertisement ..
I was shocked the first time I saw the advertisement; it takes the concept of safety to a paranoid level and showcases a very rude behavior. For those who have not seen the ad, it shows Hema Malini and girls in somebody's else house, being served tea (remember that tea is boiled, which means that the water is also boiled). Hema Malini asks about where the water was taken, and when she heard thatAshish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-44722222338502470852013-06-18T09:23:00.001-07:002013-06-18T09:23:54.634-07:00Weird judgments - Madras High court judge rules that sexual relations means instant marriage
What kind of judgment is this ? Seems like an incredibly repressive judgment, and one wonders whether there will be any efforts made to overturn this judgment ? What is this judgment ? Well, a judge of the Madras High Court gave a judgment which effectively turned over years and centuries of liberalization, and said that if a man and woman had sexual relations, then in effect this meant that Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-39250552680592303682009-09-22T11:59:00.000-07:002009-09-22T12:10:35.328-07:00The Congress campaign for austerityThis must have been the shortest austerity campaign in recent times; the Congress Government, in a measure to try to get some political points, decided to try and make a show of an austerity program. Hence, 2 ministers were evicted from their hotels (even though they were apparently paying for their stay out of their pocket) and told to stay in the State Guest houses, ministers were told to fly Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-59832231850642593022009-09-15T11:12:00.000-07:002009-09-15T12:05:37.397-07:00Preparation for the Commonwealth Games - how good are we ?First of all, it is difficult for an individual to really find out what the current state of the preparation for the Commonwealth Games is ? The current reality is that there is work needed to be done at various fronts - the Delhi Government has set in process a huge amount of infrastructure improvements to give the city a modern feel and look. This includes improvements to the transport Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-90020875032077637882009-09-12T03:07:00.000-07:002009-09-12T03:10:51.604-07:00Nuclear issue over Iran - another attempt at dialogueThe nuclear ambitions of Iran well known, and the attempts by some of the significant world powers to stop these nuclear efforts (mostly in a futile effort) are also well known by now. Iran has most likely done the calculation that it will be able to pursue its nuclear quest through a measure of playing one country against another along with a dogged determination to go the full path. Further, Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-78850972193178096702009-09-11T22:54:00.000-07:002009-09-11T23:03:04.204-07:00Massive changes in the Artic weather and ice levels happeningIn the last few years, there have been a spate of reports on how global warming is continuing to march ahead, irrespective of the debate among countries and politicians about the steps needed to stop the emissions that contribute to global warming. Global warming is supposed to have a horrific impact on the ice levels of the polar regions and Greenland, with large scale reduction of the Artic andAshish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-36236189682973663352009-09-07T12:44:00.000-07:002009-09-07T12:59:50.446-07:00Government goes in for reform in education system: Class Xth boards offThe Congress Government, in its second 5 year term, wants to make a start with a bang. As a result, the Government had set an ambitious plan of kicking off many major initiatives in the first 100 days; part of which were some announcements by the education ministry. Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal shocked a large number of politicians and state officials when he advocated for theAshish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-35997461252606690042009-09-04T12:53:00.000-07:002009-09-04T13:25:55.896-07:00Gujarat High Court removes ban on Jaswant Singh's bookA democratic country believes by certain principles; one of the most important ones is to recognize freedom of speech, and make that a corner-store of policy. There are certain real world considerations that come into this freedom of speech (one classic example is that of hate speech, where you would certainly like to control such freedom of expression), but such considerations should be only Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-77999975385886009562009-08-31T06:29:00.000-07:002009-08-31T09:57:27.272-07:00Swine Flu resistance increasingSwine Flu (or more correct, H1N1 flu) is now spread all over the world, declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. It has been reported from countries all over the world, with people contracting the disease, and a majority of them recovering; for a small fraction of them, the disease worsens to the point that the afflicted person dies. One of the major factors that has helped prevent aAshish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-67737968252282223522009-08-29T10:09:00.000-07:002009-08-29T11:44:10.602-07:003 people awarded life imprisonment in 1984 Sikh riots caseIt is always said that justice delayed is justice denied, the very fact that the criminal justice system in India takes decades to wind through and deliver justice. In that time, people either give up on justice, die, or implemented their own form of justice; conversely, it becomes easier to thwart justice by either witnesses being bought or scared away, their testimony becoming hazy, or Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-45582007274942250352009-08-18T09:24:00.000-07:002009-08-18T09:30:53.308-07:00Law subjugates Shia women in AfghanistanIn April, there was wide-spread international condemnation when a legislation catering to the Shia sect in Afghanistan was passed. This legislation tilted the gender balance very strongly towards men, something not uncommon in Islamic countries. However, since Afghanistan was a place where troops from many nations were fighting the Taliban, and many of these troops were losing their lives, there Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-24205389651954346352009-08-15T13:52:00.000-07:002009-08-15T14:33:50.047-07:00Drought and loss to agriculture strikes India in the faceEver since June, there has been some amount of debate over whether the monsoon will be good this year. The met department was predicting a slight shortfall in the rains, and there was also news that another El Nino effect would be in place that would impact the amount of rains. As the months of June and July progressed, it became clear that the monsoon was late, and was not adequate. At the same Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-9419621550128712692009-08-09T00:00:00.000-07:002009-08-09T00:06:45.834-07:00Baitullah Mehsud dead in a drone attack - and his successors are now fightingFor Pakistan, Baitullah Mehsud has been one of the people who have caused it the most grief. Baitullah was the leader of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the leader of what has been called the Pakistani Taliban. He first became internationally famous when he was blamed for being behind the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, and in an ironic revenge, he was killed by a missile fired by a US Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-12757204695141846882009-08-08T12:38:00.000-07:002009-08-08T12:41:38.341-07:00World glaciers melting at rapid ratePart of the worries about global warming is about the loss of glaciers, with increasing melting and lower mass covered by the glaciers. Recent reports have confirmed the data, that glaciers are indeed getting impacted. Since glaciers are one of the primary source of water for the world's rivers, which are in turn are the primary sources of fresh water, water for irrigation purposes, and also Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-48368493123472112502009-08-06T11:39:00.000-07:002009-08-06T12:14:27.031-07:00Tasleema Nasreen back in India (most likely for a short time again)Taslima Nasreen does not find it safe in India, nor does the Government really want her to be here in India. Every time she comes to India, the Government is stuck as to what to do with her. Given the feelings of repulsion and hatred she inspires in a section of the Muslim community and the vociferous protests that are held, the Congress Government is certainly not going to give the impression Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-67628950031423591422009-08-02T19:49:00.000-07:002009-08-03T07:15:35.207-07:00Strike, and then called off - Private airlinesIn India, private airlines have a tough field. They have to pay high rates for their fuel (ATF costs in India are higher than most places in the world), the conversion to new airports run by private operators are loading user convenience charges that passengers do not like to pay, and it is a cut-throat business with high fixed charges and a variable market that has been severely affected by the Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-68831309980109583252009-07-30T12:46:00.000-07:002009-07-30T13:14:42.158-07:00Safety feature - Online Credit card usageIf you have ever stopped to look at the online credit usage you would have done (including reviewed the information you were asked to provide), it would seem extremely easy to use somebody's card and use it for buying stuff. What is it that you need to provide in terms of information when using your credit card online ? You go to a site, decide to buy something (maybe jewellery, maybe some Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-80697592259338718592009-07-30T12:10:00.000-07:002009-07-30T12:23:55.456-07:00Drama in Kashmir finally over - Governor rejects resignation of Omar AbdullahEver since Sonia Gandhi did her act of sacrifice many years ago by not accepting the post of Prime Minister, the rarely done act of denial and refusal (also known as sacrifice by the adulating supporters) has become one of the ultimate weapons of defence when pushed to the wall. On another note, Omar Abdullah was the junior external affairs Minister during the NDA rule, and hence would have come Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-9889731047684561572009-07-27T10:40:00.000-07:002009-07-27T12:40:47.722-07:00Delhi collapses after 4 hours of rainBe careful what you wish for ! Delhi and North India were bereft of rain during the first month of the rainy season. A bit about why Delhi is special. This is a city that is supposed to become a world class city, a city that will host the Commonwealth Games. It is the city that is the capital of a hot emerging economy, the city where people from over the world get their first glimpse of Delhi.On Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-8170376346857700152009-07-24T12:05:00.000-07:002009-07-24T12:17:42.788-07:00PM Manmohan Singh facing flak over joint statement with PakistanHow often is that the Government, and the party that runs the Government, speak in different voices ? And yet, that is what is happening recently. India has a long history of taking steps that seem like buckling down under pressure, or which don't seem to be fundamentally sound. One can name the letting go of Occupied Kashmir by Nehru, of letting the victories of 1965 and 1971 preventing the Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-69486448265935060342009-07-23T09:46:00.000-07:002009-07-23T12:39:16.028-07:00Delhi Police gets a clean chit in the Batla House caseIn the fight with terrorism, there is a thin line between what is justified for national security and what is a violation of human rights. Sometimes, this gets muddled up. An example is when sometime back, the UP police were shown to be shooting down a dacoit when he was coming out with hands in the air. There was a lot of protests and condemnation over the way the police shot him in cold blood. Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33781238.post-86337822310991327212009-07-18T13:27:00.000-07:002009-07-18T13:28:39.280-07:00Economy: Market not happy over the Budget - Sinking and then rising a bitWhat does a deficit mean ? There are many terms such as fiscal deficit, monetary deficit, revenue deficit, but the differences between are them are relevant for people involved in the field of economics. For the normal person on the street, a deficit means that you are spending more than you earn. A normal person cannot do this without getting into serious money problems, but a Government can (Ashish Agarwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17375418045330076026noreply@blogger.com0