Tuesday, February 7, 2012

A collage of thoughts.

1. Charles Dickens is 200 yrs.

Born in 1812, today is Charles Dickens' 200th birthday. His works can never be forgotten and I, for one, can never forget those English classes of Mr. AP Soans at school when characters like David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, Peggotty, Charlotte (I can also never forget 'Charlotty' as pronounced by another instructor much to the angst of Mr. Soans), Barkis and others came alive.

Most of his novels are drawn from his early experiences and are depictions of contemporary life.

Yes, Barkis is willin'. Give me a Dickens any day and I'll finish it from cover to cover!


2. An ideological change.

The CPM concedes that China is rife with growing unemployment, regional imbalances and and is also corruption ridden. And these trends are 'alien' to socialism!

In their latest ideological document, the party has tuned its ideological line taking cognizance of the changing global and Indian context. This ideological resolution has been reworked for the first time since 1992. A step in the right direction in making the outfit more dynamic in evolving with the times.


3. The Syrian agony.

Despite the regime changes that took place in the recent past in Egypt and Libya, where the supposedly strongmen Hosni Mubarrak and Muammar Gaddafi had bitten dust thanks to people power, Bashar al Assad of Syria still seems to be clinging on to power. His forces have shelled the thickly populated Homs to neutralise the rebels and it could be a mistake for which they've to pay dearly in the days to come.

But how long will the Syrians' agony continue? How many more innocents will be mowed down? Why don't guys learn from the past, from history?

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