Saturday, August 15, 2015

India @ 69.

The 69th Independence Day was celebrated all over the country with the attendant pomp and grandeur. The Prime Minister's address from the ramparts of the Red Fort had highlighted the achievements of his government over the last year and he also made a few important announcements of which I thought that the following were noteworthy:-

     (a) The remaining 18,500 odd villages to be electrified within the next 1,000 days.
     (b) The banks being told to adopt one entrepreneur from the SC/ST/economic weaker sections and
           women and
     (c) The 'start up/stand up' India initiative.

But as a man in uniform, I was disappointed that he did not provide a definitive time line towards the implementation of the 'One Rank One Pension' policy. The very fact that he hasn't been able to give a clear cut answer, points out that there are real impediments. Let me try to list a few of them:-

      (a) Bureaucratic inertia, coupled with quite a few of them who're Congress party loyalists, out to
            put impediments into the functioning of the government and ensure that Modi doesn't get the
            accolades for his good work.
      (b) Is there a nexus between the Finance Minister and the bureaucrats which is against the OROP
            implementation and thereby put in the spokes, citing technical/financial grounds?
      (c) The definition of the 'armed forces' distorted to include paramilitary forces - not that I'm                       against it - to magnify the overall financial effect.

Note.

I'm saying this because there are many among the civilian population who feel that the armed forces are a pampered lot who practically do nothing but eat and 'drink' at the expense of the taxpayer! All attempts to explain that to be battle worthy, the armed forces need to train continuously remain uncomprehended and fall on deaf ears. My only counter to this is that if it's the prevalent belief, why don't the youth join the honourable profession instead of hankering for jobs with fat pay packets?

A thing that has been promised by successive governments, since the '70s and failing to get implemented till date must be having an unnecessary undercurrent that needs to be sorted out without any further excuse!   

2. Piku.

Was finally able to see the Hindi movie, 'Piku' that was premiered on the Sony channel, this evening. Wonder whether this lovely movie was able to rake in the moolah at the box office? I ask this question because one has to have the experience of living with one's elderly grandparents/parents to understand the importance of regular bowel movements in their daily lives. The attendant irritation and the consequent pandemonium, coupled with irritability, can unnerve anyone.

I'd seen this at close quarters through my dad, who was also inflicted with the Parkinson's Syndrome, when he'd traversed through similar difficulties. I see it now in my mom and I've learnt to empathise to get her out of the episodes with suitable medicinal antidotes/peppy conversations.

Mr. Bachchan was his usual, convincing self as the irritating, yet lovable elder. His genuine surprise at the conclusion that he'd no admittable disease, from his pathological test results, had me in splits. Deepika Padukone, as his daughter does a good job showing her indulgence coupled, at times, with irritability/guilty for being irritable at her father and Irfan as the driver and co-traveler is good.


Tailpiece.

Proud to be an Indian!

         

     

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