Protest song against corporate greed brewing at the top

Dear Dave,

Perhaps you have heard about the Bhopal Gas Disaster in 1984, where around 3-5 thousand people died immediately after the gas leak. Till today more than 25000 have died. For 26 years, we were told judicial action,that is, a court case against the guilty is ongoing and due process is taking the time. After 26 years and 25000 dead, hundreds of thousands sick with chemical poisoning and dying, 7 of 8 accused got 2 years jail and currently are appealing in higher court and are out on bail. In normal course, this case will take another 10-15 years by which all of the accused would have died their natural death after living their normal life (As it happened in the case of the 8th accused)

Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson, is currently living in New York, He had jumped bail and has been declared a fugitive by the Indian court. Surprising after or maybe before the bail, he was flown out of Bhopal by that state's Chief Minister. Request for his extradition was never taken up seriously by Indian Government and all politicians are backing the corrupt corporation. Union Carbide does not exist now, both internationally and in India, Globally it has been purchased by Dow Chemicals and In India, all of its assets were allowed to be sold in Eveready.

All the lawyer-turned-cronies are claiming the top management and the new companies/owners carry no liability, Primary or Vicarious. Like many others, I am protesting in all the ways possible. I feel there is no east-west or north-south divide in this. The People of United States are feeling the same about BP oil-spill. Tomorrow if a similar Oil-spill or Industrial disaster happens in Europe, people will suffer the same way. Our common friend (Although my acquaintance is through twitter only) Mr. Shekhar Kapoor also feels justice has not been done in Bhopal case. 

I have written a protest song (More of rhyme actually), which is given below. I'm no poet or songwriter or musician, but a protest song will help in awareness. My forte is numerical analysis and software programming and my last position in 2 decade long career was Vice President (Technical). So please feel free to comment on my writing, which might be "no good" at all.

But I'm sure, you can make something out of it.

[PROTEST SONG]

I’m just a chairman with no responsibility,

In the name of torts, I carry no liability.

I got golden parachutes,

I can bail out, when I want to,

If you tax me more,

I can “get the hell out o town” too.

I’m just a chairman with no responsibility,

In the name of torts, I carry no liability.

Be it Bhopal, be it Gulf,

My greed can ruin any habitat.

Maybe people die, people starve,

But look at the GDP’s upward curve.

I’m just a chairman with no responsibility,

In the name of torts, I carry no liability.

[Mr Chairman, People are dying in Bhopal.]

I’m just a chairman with no responsibility

[Mr Chairman, People are crying in Bhopal]

I’m just a chairman, I'm the chairman.

[Mr Chairman, Mr Chairman livelihoods are lost]

I’m just a chairman with no responsibility,

In the name of torts, I carry no liability.

I'm the new King, I'm powerful

I can choke your voice.

I'm the gonna break your toys.

I'm gonna get you killed,

If you ever any more noise.

Dont you know....

I’m just a chairman with no responsibility,

In the name of torts, I carry no liability.

I’m just a chairman with no responsibility,

In the name of torts, I carry no liability.

The unnamed cyclone, Let call it 92B

Please find above the infra-red picture of system 92B its going to big cyclone. I don't know if Met office or administration would be surprised by this cyclone. Its an annual feature like cyclone Nargis or cyclone aila. this picture was taken at 1800 hrs GMT or 2330 IST

The picture below shows 92B at 12hrs GMT, The intensification of the system is obvious.

Cyclone forming over Bay of Bengal

It's the month of May once again. Last year it was #Aila, a tropical depression capable of becoming a big time cyclone is gaining strength. It is currently named 92B. Indian, Bangladeshi & Myanmar government should start doing their drills and start activating their watch now. Preparedness is better than lament.

Thats at 0000 hrs GMT

At 600 hrs GMT Cyclone still a strong possibility

Tagore's View on Social oppression

Rabindranath Tagore, Who gave Independent India its National Anthem (Jana gana mana) and Gave music to its National Song (Bande Mataram) can hardly be called Anti-national by any stretch of Imagination. He also gave "The Father of the Nation" Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi the name or the title of "Mahatma". I guess no body on Modern Indian Soil can dare say that, Tagore was an anti-national.

No folks, Today is not his birthday! I have had read him from my school days and I am yet to finish all his works (Such volumes he have created). I wanted to get a translation of "Durvaga Desh" (The misfortune of the Nation) . http://www.banglamusictrack.com/banglakobita/view-bangla-kobita.php?aid=1&kid=74

The Bengali Version can be found in the link above or the image, I am forced to try an English translation on my own:

The Misfortune Of The Nation

Oh My unfortunate Nation; Those whom you humiliated,

One day you would be forced in your insult, to be their equal.

Those whom you deprived

of the rights of being a human.

You would be forced in your humiliation, to be their equal.

Those whom you trod and trample, will pull you down.

Those whom you leave behind, will tug you back.

Those you cover with ignorance,

shroud with indifference,

You would be forced in your humiliation, to be their equal.

Now would NSA, HM, PM, Journos dare to call Tagore Anti-Indian!

Please comment.

My trouble with political spin: The Facade of Right to Education in India

Lets bust few bubbles in this govt. balloon.

1) This is not Dr. Singh or Mr. Sibal or Mrs. Gandhi's Idea.

Let me quote from my favorite book "The Constitution of India", Article 45 states:

"45. Provision for free and compulsory education for children.

—The State shall endeavour to provide, within a period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years."

So a law like this supposed to be made by 1950+10=1960.

2)Obviously why it took 50 years more? Surely a 13 page(that how much space it took in The Gazette of India, dated 27th August,2010) bare act could have been written earlier also?

Again I refer back to the great book, article 41 (where D. Ambedkar and his team gave a guideline on these type of silly, populist, headline-seeking, unimplementable acts).

"41. Right to work, to education and to public assistance in certain cases.

—The State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, and in other cases of undeserved want."

Note the phrases "within the limits of its economic capacity and development" and "make effective provision", the excuse of previous government was that this was beyond its economic limits.

My problem is that this bill (well its been passed and It's an act now)is neither within economic capacity nor does it make effective provision for education.

3) Why is the the Act not applicable to Jammu & Kashmir? (Section 1, Subsection 2)

4) My problem with RTE act (Section 2, Subsection c) The attempt to define child, why 6-14 age group?

5) My problem with RTE act 2, n) The attempt to define school, uses the word school itself.Improper definition. Many lawyers and private schools will be able skirt around the definition.

6)My problem with RTE act 3, (2) "No child will be liable to pay any kind of fee.." Guardian is not mentioned. Deliberate loopholes for lawyers.

Almost all sections are worthless, Section 11, Pre-school to all (In fact many school would use it as a shield to not to admit under privileged children). Section 6, Availability of schools.

Responsibility is scattered between State Governments, Local Authority (like panchayet, municipality) and guardians. No punitive measured against the authorities or incentive given to poor in this Act.

The number of students who are presently would be at least 200 million. Neither do we have the classrooms nor do we have the army of willing teachers who can leave the city to teach them.

This is not implementable (despite the good rhetoric churned out) and that the way government and bureaucracy likes it.

What is so populist about it, Dr. Singh?

Does our beloved Prime Minister Know that the country is touching 1.2 billion in population and the most populist idea is a decent life for all of them?

I heard the answer on the aircraft (through TV). I am shocked and appalled by the PM's ignorance of the letters of the budget. Nowhere (you can download and read it too) in the budget has it been said the oil subsidies would be removed.

The 2 things introduces are:

1. Duty of imported crude (Yes, in-spite of big ticket Private entries in Oil exploration, we still import crude).

2. Excise duty on Petrol and diesel.

None of these taxes would go to Oil subsidy pool. Subsidy remains as it is.

If he is so pro-market forces, why no open the oil market for foreign players as well. He is not pro-market or pro-investment (just pro-buddies).

I am not sure if I have convinced you or not. Lets try a simple illustration: Assume Mr. X is Indian oil company and he imports crude. Since historically (Thanks Mrs. Gandhi) oil companies were for-ex starved and they were nationalized, Govt. of India gave subsidies to allow "fuel for all Indian", they get half the money from the GOI as subsides.

For these transactions, Mr. X has to pay the duty for importing. Imagine, Its like taking a rupee back from a beggar from a sum of 10 rupees.

Now poor Mr. X takes the crude to refinery and makes finished product. Even the production is subsidized and the different products attract different Excise duty. Finally there is a OTC sales tax.

So actually, you would these 2 duties does not reduce the burden the subsidy pool. Let me remind you that Dr. Singh & his buddies don't pay for the subsidy but you and I do (And the debt we leave behind for future generations).

No other country in the developed world has a GDP higher than India; if we can't give subsidies for the poor now, then when?

Thanks James Gosling, Sun & Java

Dear James,

My last 13 years of interest in serious computing in java notwithstanding, lets talk economics for a while.

Sun has been single handed biggest generator of jobs (not 4 the brain dead) through its patronage of java and its servers, which basically expedited the reach of internet as many of newbies know it. But the fact remained, Wall street never loved Sun Microsystems. After all, the world belongs to Wall Street.

Strangely, nobody talks about Consumer Interest or Job losses when it comes to mergers & acquisitions by super-heavyweights (Bob Dylan would have said, "You never ask questions with God on your side"). Oracle was a good database company, nothing more. For last 3 years, they were buying rivals as if they have some obligation to use up spouse credit card, before filing 4 a divorce. And no one complained.

Tennessee Williams would have said, "Careful Larry, your claws are showing".

No wonder California will have double digit unemployment (it will take half an hour to prove that, not trying here and now).I see Oracle being broken up in 3-5 years (after the depression that is) to create 3 different companies. Look at GM now, they were doing the same act in 2000-2005. They are selling SAAB now.

Being Big is not the answer, Being great is. So hang it tight.

Although what Java and Sun has done for me can not be explained in few words, but let me sum up saying:
"We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the hills that we climbed
were just seasons out of time."

Thanks
Shuvankar Mukherjee
Founder Member of JUG,
JMoCal,
Java Magic On Calcutta (1999 - 2002)