A Portrait of PM

A Portrait of PM

The people don’t want any Lame duck, Accidental PM, ‘Pappu’ PM or any ‘Family’ PM; they want a peerless leader of democracy – a true PM of India who can make both nation and its people happy; he must be spotless like star

By Mukesh Sharma

Democracy begins with the ‘votes’ and ends with the ‘numbers’ in India. Anyone with numbers in his/her favour can be anointed as Prime Minister/ Pradhan Mantri even without contesting or winning a single Lok Sabha election. Not the common wish of the people but the coveted numbers cobbled up by hook or crook make one PM. And that is why India has witnessed with awe and rues many sitting duck PMs -   Indra Kumar Gujral, H.D. Deve Gowda, Chandra Shekhar, Charan Singh, Morarji Desai, Guljarilal Nanda who couldn’t last even their full term. Before the incumbent government, India had a PM who never won any Lok Sabha election and remained allegedly a “PROXY” PM for 10 years. Keeping in view the recent Kolkata jamboree and if media reports are to be believed, India may be foisted with a “pappu” PM in future. It is vain to look for silver and gold in the mine of iron and lead. However, the majority of Indian populace cherishes an ideal portrait of an Indian PM.

Prime Minister 2019

Charismatic personality

With charm and charisma, PM must be blessed with charismatic personality. Standing tallest among the leaders, his gait must exude confidence of a disciplined soldier. With elated chest and head in high-esteem, he must be able to see the world leaders straight in their face and command a respect; grey in experience but with a young heart of gold.

Man of soil

The people ideate a PM who must be the man of soil; he must look at the rivers and mountains of land with the reverence; he must be very well acquainted with all the ‘seasons’ and ‘crops’; he must have the knowledge of all the flora and fauna of the land; he must know how to make the ‘marigold’ bloom and flourish even in the roughest weather, and hold it with all care and caress. To him, Bharat must not just be a piece of land with geographical boundaries but a motherland and her honour dearer than life.

Man of masses

As a man of masses, would-be PM must be able to interact with the people in their simple tongue; he must understand not only their requirement of hours but also the demand of the future; he must know their wants and wishes; he must feel their pain and pleasure.

A good salesman

Under the steermanship of PM, Indian soil must produce more than the people can consume; factories must manufacture more than the people need to enable India to have a sizable share in foreign trade. China has made remarkable progress due to its manufacturing units ever churning out everything from needle to rocket for the world market. It is a fact that all the big and prosperous nations owe their prosperity to small and poor nations. All the heads of rich countries also look after the political and commercial interest of their respective countries while maintaining the relations with developing or underdeveloped nations. To rich nations, the poor nations are just customers. Indian PM must also be a good ‘salesman’; he must be able to generate orders in international market for Indian products. PM must see that national debt must be paid through the prosperity of the people; he must see that the money must be made not by law but by labour. PM’s entire team must be engaged in earning wealth for the country and spend it for the welfare of the people.

A man of courage

The people wish to see their PM as a man of superb moral courage who prefers reformations to radicalism; a man of intelligence; a man of integrity above suspicion; he should not be just a good leader but also a good statesman; he should be a diplomat of par excellence who knows well how to maintain relations of his government with the government of other nations, keeping the interest of own country at top.

A Commander

During war time, God forbids, if war is imposed on India, PM must be able to act like a commander; a silver tongue orator like Demonsthene leading the people and army from the front; must be able to goad the armed forces to achieve even impossibilities, and make the countrymen stand-by the army like bedrock.

The hapless Indian populace has already suffered a lot. The Britisher ravaged and plundered for 200 years. And now the people allege that ‘netas’ have been looting and booting the poor populace since independence. The people are sick of ‘POLITICS’ of crimination, recrimination, name-calling, self-preservation, self-aggrandizement and ‘gang-fight’ in the august House of the Parliament. The people wish to live as a respectable member of public rather than as beggars living off government doles.

Needless to say,the people don’t want any lame duck PM, accidental PM, “Pappu” PM or any “Family” PM; they want a peerless leader of democracy – a true PM of India who can make both nation and its people happy; he must be spotless like star.

Living Beyond Time

Living Beyond Time

They live by hours and day. Their day begins with rising sun and ends with setting sun. To these hopeless and hapless millions, no month or year exists beyond the devil day

By Mukesh Sharma

The millions die unborn in India. Lucky few come out in fullness of time. Out of this flock, only a few blessed are able to live in time. The majority of unblessed ‘breathing’ human beings are caught in time-warp. To these teeming millions, the time doesn’t move; the time doesn’t exist. The miserable millions are born out of circumstances; they survive in circumstances; their days are numbered in circumstances. To these children of poverty, roti is a luxury; a sound sleep is a celebration. They live by hours and day. Their day begins with rising sun and ends with setting sun. To these hopeless and hapless millions, no month or year exists beyond the devil day. As the stream of the Ganga can’t be divided into time, there is no old or new year in their lives. These calander-less people live beyond time.

Living Beyond Time

According to the Lancet, a global health medical journal, 15.6 million abortions take place every year in India, and 81 per cent of it at home. Of course, unofficial figures are enormously high. Though the unfortunate mothers of these unborn children are mere victims, their fathers are poverty, disease, and illicit relations. Each abortion brings a death to the unborn and the mother is reborn again for another onslaught. No new year exists between a death and rebirth.

The International Children Charity reveals that there are over 20 millions street children in India; these orphans, children of single mother ‘penury’ fight for every crumb of roti (bread) on the busy roads of cities and at railway stations where they wait for the trains for the leftover food. Always busy in roti-hunt, these forlorn kids have no time to look back to old year or look forward to New Year. They continue to wriggle between old year and New Year; the old year never ends and the New Year never sets in.

As per Ministry of Women and Child Development report, there are 3 millions female sex workers in India; 36 per cent of them are yet to attain the age of 18. Since this ancient ‘business’ of flesh trade has gone hi-tech with the advent of internet, the unofficial figure may be four times high. The reported and unreported alleged cases of sexual abuse of minor girls in shelter homes and other ‘centre’s so called Nari Niketan etc. are not being counted here. To these daily ‘wage’ earners, the day begin with the setting sun and ends with the rising sun; it is difficult to distinguish between the rising sun and setting sun. These unfortunate women live on night-to-night basis. Their ‘dayless’ life has no year.

Going by the international poverty line yardstick, 60 per cent populace in India i.e. 763 million live on $3.30 per day or in other words, is below the poverty line. Reported deaths due to starvations and suicides across the country, are the tell-tale sign of crushing poverty in India. These miserable millions can’t see life beyond ‘roti. They are destined to live on day-to-day basis. They can’t think of life in terms of years.

Now the pertinent question is who is responsible for this sorry state of affair. People allege it is grasping netas. The most of the netas are getting richer and richer. The politics is the most lucrative business in India. The Corruption has become a business culture.

In his write up entitled Equal Distribution, published in Harijan Bandhu, Mahtma Gandhi says:

“The rich cannot accumulate wealth without the co-operation of the poor in the society.”

Needless to say, New Year may be matter of celebration for the handful of ‘children’ of Power and Pelf only. To the vast number of ‘kids’ of Hunger and Penury not only in India but across the world, NEW YEAR is just a phrase. They live beyond time. Robert Burns rightly says:

“Man’s inhumanity to man,

 Makes countless mourn”

Democracy, a Well Organized Hypocrisy

Democracy, a Well Organized Hypocrisy

“It is the government  of the netas, by the netas, for the netas”

By Mukesh Sharma

When India got freedom from the clutches of the Britisher, China was said to be lagging behind by 60 years in comparison to India because of certain developmental works and infrastructure like railways, roads, Institutions etc. carried out by British regime in then India, and today, as the facts reveal, China must be 100 years ahead of India in almost all the fields. Even after 72 years of Independence, unofficially, over 45 per cent populace is below the poverty line, battling for life in the morass of hunger and poverty. Though these hopeless and hapless masses, euphemistically are called as ‘masters’ in democratic dispensation and their elected representatives as ‘servants of masters,’ the ‘masters’ reel under abject poverty, and the ‘servants’ roll in riches. Undoubtedly, democracy sounds to be a well organized hypocrisy, particularly, in India.

Democracy, a Well Organized Hypocrisy

As an answer to tyrannical rules of predestined Kings and Queens who used to have divine right to rule their subjects in savage world, perhaps some victimized or a public spirited mind must have coined the most attractive word ‘DEMOCRACY’ in good faith.

Meaning of Democracy

Scholars maintain that the term ‘democracy’ first appeared in ancient Greek; it originates from ‘demos’ (common people) and ‘kratos’ (strength) where Cleisthenes is referred to as “the father of Athenian democracy.”  Wikipedia says “Democracy means rule by the people.” Further, one of the most revered and a renowned president of America Abhram Lincoln spells it out tersely as “the Government of the people, by the people, for the people”.

However, common people argue that the democracy seems ‘safe and sound’ on the pages of holy ‘Rule Book’ only; out of the book, she (democracy) is only abused, misused and disused. In the name of democracy handful of able bodied and minded people manage to grab the power by their ‘poly-tricks’, and shrewdly call themselves ‘servants of people; they live like kings and the people remain at the mercy of their ‘servants’.

Lucrative business

Over the years, politics has become the most lucrative and the most-sought after business; no material investment except ‘TIME’, and assured unaccountable wealth. No business gives such huge returns. Though this GRAVY TRAIN attracts everyone, only careerist politicians with political link and muscle power manage to ‘board’ it. Of course, a few exceptions are always there.

As per the Election Commission report, there are 1866 registered political parties. Out of these, 56 are recognized as registered national or state parties. The people allege that the most of the political parties are like private limited companies headed by the self-appointed ‘chairman’ and ‘directors’. These political parties are run like family business; the title is always passed on to son or daughter of the family. With muscle and money power, the family members of the family develop a ‘pocket borough’ so-called ‘constituency’. They continue to get elected years after years and become an ‘institution’ in politics. Even if by some quirk of fate, they happen to lose an election, they manage to enter the Parliament through ‘back door’ (Rajya Sabha).

Demi Gods

Since there is no restriction in the formation of political parties, there is plethora of political parties in India that has marred the democracy;  votes are divided. And after election, such small parties gang-up to share the ‘loot’. The poor electorate have no SAY in the well chalked out SYSTEM loaded heavily in favour of netas; no provision of referendum; no rule to recall a non-performer representative. It is a crime to speak against an ‘elected representative’ at least for five years; they are not accountable to anybody; they become demi-gods.

Free-loaders

India is a country of under-class and free loaders. Except a few blessed, the majority of the youth are jobless or not gainfully employed. They just scrape through the life. Such youth are easy prey of these ‘gangs’. They ‘recruit’ them as members. The youth join these ‘gangs’ for an identity tags. Such youth are used to organize rally, bandh, etc. as per the directives of the ‘directors’ of the ‘companies’. And such companies continue to thrive because of their clouts and alleged ‘extortions’ from the unknown sources; crime and corruption go hand-in hand. The free-loaders and public extortionists continue to get richer and richer. It is open secret that almost all the political parties have crores of rupees in their coffers beyond the reach of Income Tax Department, with no material business.

No Free Votes

What is noteworthy, if any candidate is elected on the ticket of any ‘gang’, irrespective of social or national interest, he or she will have to toe the ‘party line, and look after the interest of the party (chairman and directors). Thus he/she becomes a prisoner within the party. He has no FREE VOTES. Even in British Parliament elected representative have FREE VOTES; they can express their views in national or social interests and can vote also even against their own party. So is in US, but not in India. That is why unruly scenes are witnessed in the Parliament. ‘Debates’ look like ‘gang-fight’.

See-saw Game

In the eye of the world, elections are held regularly after every five years. Mainline ‘gangs’ handpick candidates as per their worth and benefit, the party can drive out of their clout, and these candidates are imposed on the electorate. If you can’t avoid rape, enjoy it. On the Election Day, out of despair, the people line up to vote to teach a lesson to sitting MLA/MP who usually betrays the trust of the people, resulting in the election of the opposite candidate. It is like a sea-saw game; if one is down, the other comes up. Ironically, thus elected candidate declares himself as a popular leader of the masses. His ‘victory is celebrated by the ‘party’ workers for the ‘spoil system’, not by the people. Professionals call this anti-incumbency. Thus governments after governments are changed after every five years. Grasping netas get richer and richer and the poor populace continues to hope against hope for betterment but in vain; however democracy goes on and on.

Perception

Here the role of so-called FOURTH ESTATE (media) is also not beyond doubts. It is national misfortune that the most of the newspapers/TV channels are partisan. In collusion with netas, they, allegedly, side with one party or the other. They are no longer servants of light; they are no longer surrogate of public opinion; they remain busy in creating the PERCEPTION either in favour or against a neta/party. It is all business; everything has a price-tag in this materialistic world. If God governs people by belief, netas with the perception.

Degeneration

Degeneration of democracy has come to such a pass that any political party with no mandate can form the government. Netas call it the ‘game’ of numbers. Anyone who has never contested any Lok Sabha election, can become PM.

Hopefully, valued readers would agree that the duty of the elected government is to use collective wisdom of parliamentarians and earn wealth for the nation and use it for the welfare of the electorate (people). Professionals might dismiss it as an inverted snobbery, but people do maintain, it is not democracy but mockery of democracy.

Our constitution starts with the phrase ‘we the people’. But irony is ‘people’ are nowhere except on the day of election and after that they are just a scrap. Man on the street alleges “it is government of the netas, by the netas, for the netas.” Evidently enough, Democracy is a well organized hypocrisy in India.

Sentence- framing, Key to Good Writing

Sentence- framing, Key to Good Writing

Writing is like drawing water from well; more one draws the water, more it gets clear and clean

By Mukesh Sharma

The sentence-framing should not be confused with sentence-making. Based on translation from mother tongue/first language to English, the sentence- making is taught to students who learn English as a second language, through tenses and modals at school level. Though dependent on basic rules of sentence- making, the sentence framing is a syntactical ability of the writer to couch thoughts into suitable sentences, and draw a pen-portrait for the visualization of the scene and to enable the readers to feel the described situations. The Grammarians call it ‘composition’ or ‘synthesis’.

Be it a student or an ordinary educated person, sentence-framing is the most common problem. One can afford to speak badly but can’t take liberty with the written sentences. If one has confusion about the meaning of a word/ phrase, one can look it up in dictionary. If one has confusion about the correctness of a sentence, no dictionary is available to verify the correctness of the sentence. The most of the student-writers make the serious syntactical errors, and continue to drag it on even without the knowledge of its incorrectness.

Confusion over sentence-framing

The best way to learn sentence-framing is to read at least two English newspapers seriously daily without fail. It gives the idea to describe the same event/ incident in two different ways. To a learner, imitation is the easiest way to learn an ‘art’. Apart from sense, an avid reader must study the sentence-framing used by the scribe / journo in the newspapers for writing Headline, News stories, Editorials, Feature, Articles and Commentative writes -up.   

Before actual sentence-framing is discussed, it is inevitable to know how the mind reacts to the acquisition of a second language. Mother tongue is picked up through repeated hearing, and relating the words / sentences to things and situations that too without the knowledge of grammar. Of course, English can be picked up, if one lives among native speakers. This blogger has met scores of men/ women from Punjab settled in UK/US. They speak English with British/ US accent although they don’t know to write or read. It is easier to pick up a language than to learn as one picks up to sing a song like the singer even without the knowledge of ragas or suras just by repeatedly listening. Hearing and reading are the modes to pick up a language that further helps to read and write.

Moreover, right from first standard to PG level, students read number of text-books prescribed in syllabus. During this academic pursuit, the mind is fed with the great number of sentences, and whenever, a student sits down to write something, mind starts ‘supplying’ the readymade sentences which are already there in the mind. It doesn’t make any new sentence. If an attempt is made to think and make a new sentence, the mind makes it through translation from Hindi to English. So, the need is to feed the mind with the standardized sentences related to different situations of life to write well, as much as possible. 

However, to be a good writer, one must know how to mould sentences according to the need of thoughts, and here comes the sentence-framing. All the writers use THREE TYPES OF SENTENCES to express their thoughts.

1.   Simple sentence: A sentence which has one subject and one predicate with one finite verb.

Simple sentences are short and emphatic. It helps to create a staccato effect. It is used for clarity and emphasis. Besides children story books, it is extensively used in poetic expressions. Here are a few examples:

i.)    He was injured. He couldn’t walk.

ii.)    We are not alone. There is moon. There are trees. There is wind. Over and above, there is God.

iii.)    Making tea in kitchen, she burns her fingers

-    Born and brought up in a village, she was unknown to tea.

-    Learning English is not difficult.

-    (using participles)

-    Hinduism, one of the oldest religions, is observed in India and Nepal.

-    You have to work hard to become somebody in life (Using ‘infinite’)

Fair is foul, and foul is fair - Macbeth, Shakespeare

2.   Compound sentence:  A sentence which is made up of Principal or Main clauses where two independent clauses are connected to each other with a connective (co-coordinating conjunction) such as : for, or , therefore, so, yet, but, and, still, nevertheless, however, only, it is used for brevity and explicability. For example:
  i.)        Parents scold you, for they love you.

ii.)        Hurry up or we will get late.

iii.)       He was lazy; therefore he didn’t get any work.

iv.)       I don’t have cash, so I will withdraw from ATM.

v.)        He is not well off, yet he will never compromise with his principle.

vi.)        He may be honest, but I can’t trust him.

vii.)      He is rich and he can buy out

viii.)     She was annoyed, still she kept quiet

ix.)        He failed, nevertheless he didn’t lose heart.

x.)        The parents give their children the boat; they can’t however meet all the demands.
xi.)    She knows English; only she can’t speak eloquently.

3.   Complex sentence:  A sentence which has one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses that usually begins with dependent clause and connected together with a connective (subordinate conjunctions) such as :after, although, as, because, before, even though, if, since, though, unless, until, when, whenever, whereas, while. For example:

- After her first degrees, she decided to get a job.

- Although, she was poor in English, she cracked IAS.

- As netas are corrupt, the people have become indifferent to the issue of corruption.

- Because of financial problems, he couldn’t sustain his business.

- Before you fill up the form, read the instructions.

- Even though he is poor, he can’t be dishonest.

- If he works hard, he can succeed.

- Since he is sick, he can’t attend class.

- Though he is genius, he can’t crack IAS.

- Unless you work hard, you can’t succeed.

- Until he comes, you will have to wait.

- When I reached station, the train had left.

- Whenever you need me, you can turn to me.

- Some netas pretend to be global whereas Modi is a pure nationalist.
- While there is sun, we can make hay.

Furthermore, there are certain standardized phrases extensively used by the writers/ journalist to maintain flow of thoughts from once sentence to other or form one paragraph to another. For example:

-   Over 50 percent people are below poverty line in India. As a matter of fact, the most of the netas are corrupt.

-   For no apparent reasons, she turned down his proposal.

-   Infact there is cut throat competition; it is not easy to start a new business.

-   It passes belief that people like Asaram can commit rape.

-   Parents always scold their children for their mistakes.  Needless to say, they care for their kids.

-   The students study day and night to crack IAS exams. Obviously, the success doesn’t come cheap.

-   As a servant of public, netas live king’s life. On the contrary, public, the master live in abject poverty.

-   The most of the netas roll in money. Surprisingly enough, they have no personal business.

-   The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Undoubtedly, democracy has been replaced with ‘lootocracy’.

Besides sentence-framing, yet another common problem faced by the student- writers is the ‘sequence of tenses’. It is usual pit-fall for the students. Here, the students must follow certain established rules:

1. Past tense in Principle clause must follow Past tense in the Subordinate clause too. For example:

-   The court found out that he was not guilty.

-   All students worked hard so that they might crack SSC.

Exceptions

i)  In case of universal truth, past may be followed by present tense:

-     Gandhi said that non-violence is key to peace.

ii) If subordinate clause is introduces by ’than’, a past tense in principle clause may be followed by any tense as required in subordinate clause.

iii)   She loved him more than she loves her own children.

-      The people liked Indira Gandhi more than they like Rahul Gandhi

2.   Present or Future tense in principle clause may be followed by any tense as required.

-  People think that he did commit the crime

-  People can’t believe that he committed the crime.

Exceptions

- Subordinate  clause denoting’ purpose’ must be in present, if principle clause is present or Future:

People work hard so that they may earn.

Since writers/ scholars maintain that English Grammar is more confusing than comprehensive, it is better to study the sentence-framing, and style of established writers and develop a distinctive diction. Look at the lucid prose/ style/ word play. While addressing the senators on government, David E. Lilienthal says:

   “Any form of government, therefore, and any institutions which make men means rather than ends, which exalt the state or any other institutions above the importance of men, which place arbitrary power over men as a fundamental tenet of government, are contrary to that conception, and therefore, I am deeply opposed to them.” 

After the assassination of Gandhiji, Jawaharlal Nehru addressed the nation with the words:

   “Friends and comrades, the light has gone out of our lives and there is darkness everywhere. . . . The light has gone out, I said, and yet I was wrong. For the light that shone in this country was no ordinary light. The light that has illumined this country for these many years will illumine this country for many more years . . . .”

Mind you, writing is a matter of practice. It is like drawing water from well. More one draws the water more it gets clear and clean. Life is the best school. One continues to learn until the last breath. So live life long as a student in this vast world.