Some thoughts / My Philosophy on Birthday Parties.

 Just a few days back we were invited by one of our friend to attended birthday party of their granddaughter being organised by their son . Their granddaughter was going to be one year old .
 A marriage hall was booked and decorations including pink balloons in plenty  were all done by event managers . Guest list was considerable . Not only friends who were parents of one year olds and whose equally lavish parties they themselves had attended were invited , but many more people who were " owed " a return party were also invited . The one year old who was the reason for all this was decked in  branded brand new kids wear . Large crowd , loud music and generally higher noise levels , all were making the baby uncomfortable ,  very fretful  and prone to crying.Thanks to Modern nappies parents were at least not worried about minor irritants like nature's call.
It was grand birthday party for one year old enjoyed by young parents and retired grand parents and friend of baby's parents.I wondered if it was also enjoyed by the kingpin of the party -the baby itself !!!
I wonder if the party was really held to make their one year old daughter happy or ........

I have my own thoughts  about birthday celebrations and this party set me thinking .
Such parties  seem to have become the emerging trend nowadays . It could be birthday parties, "barsa" ( naming ceremony for baby), sacred thread ceremony etc . Grand parties and functions seem to have become the norm .But I wanted to talk about Birthday Parties . 
 So far as I am concerned you are growing older everyday and after 365 days you become older by one year and you become one year old . That is the FIRST BIRTHDAY ! Year after year you have successive birthdays which are celebrated as per one's own philosophy and thinking.
Personally I feel there is no need to celeberate birth days .
However ,weather any one likes it or not we have to celeberate them including myself . In my philisophy we can celeberate the birthdays in a style depending on the the stage at which that person has reached in his life . For this I devide our life existance in three stages .
Pre Teens , teens / formative years .
Adult hood .
The Veterans , After retirement from Profession.

For the time being ,this much is ok . My philosophy on how to celeberate the birthday for a person in each stage will follow in later posts . 

  

Letter to Editor . MOD comment on Rafale Deal .

Sir here is another article for your consideration for publication in Guest Coloumn of your esteemed news paper .

Sir .
Read the news item "Government pushes for "Tejas" , "NO" to more Rafale "  in the Hitavada dated
 8 October 2015 .

Chief of the Air Force in his annual press conference last week had laid strong pitch to expand the Rafale fleet to six squadron from currently ordered 36 aircraft . Chief of Air Staff , who has spent his life in the IAF , knows the strengths & weaknesses of the IAF and fully knows the requirments of the country as well as what the Ar Focre needs to carry out its functions . He knows the comperative performances of Tejas and aircraft of Rafale class .

An Official in MOD , who prefer to hide behind anonymity , gives the example of Quater & Egypt .
 The argumet being if the Airforces of the world  and that of Quatar Quater can operate with 2- 3 Squadrons of Rafale class of airaraft,Why should India need more than 36 ? And seem to be justyfy the decision to limit the purchese to 36 Rafale . Adding insult to injury by recommending to make up the short fall with Tejas  which is cheaper .

Okay .

 Let us give no considerations to the Area of Economic Zones , The Number of Island  , Total land area of the Country , etc , all of which are also to be be defended by the defence forces.
Let us give no consideration to the neighbour countries and their interstate relstionship .

Quatar has only Saudi Arebia and their relations are cordial .
Egypt has These countries as neighbours:Gaza Strip (11 km) ,  Israel (266 km), Libya (1,115 km) and Sudan (1,273 km) . Except for Yom Kippur Wra with Isreal in which Isreal won decisive victory and almost entirely destryoed Egyptian Air Foce , It has faught no Wars . Isreal , its known enemy, has since that war , taken no overt or covert offencive action agsinst it . 
India has these countries as neighbours: Bangladesh (4,142km) ,  Bhutan (659 km), Burma (1,468) km, China (2,659 km), Nepal (1,770 km) and Pakistan (3,190 km). 
It has faught a bitter war with China in 1962.Even today the relations are not what they should be . It has faught 4 major wars with Pakista, in which it won  decisive victorien in 1971 Bangladesh war and 1999 Kargil War . Pakistan is bent on promoting insurgency in J & K and sends terrorist groups to create chaos in our country . Nepal , Bhutan , Bangladesh  and Maynmar do not have evil intentions but are being used as training grounds by insurgency groups to train their cadre .This forces us to have constant vigil on all fronts.Drains our resources and lives .

 Let us Only compare the lengths of Land borders and the length of the coast line of  Quater , Egypt and India.

Quatar : 
Land Border = 60 Kms.
Coast Line = 560 Kms
 Total Length to be defended : 620 .
No of Rafale orderd : 24 .
Other Combat aircraft , Mirage 2000 : 9 , Alpha Jet : 6 . Total Combat ac : 39 .
Availability of Rafale ac per Km of border = 24 / 620 = 0.0387096, say 0.04 Rafale ac per km of border .
Availability of front line combat ac / KM = 36/620 =0.0580645 , Say 0.06 ac per Km of border .
Egypt 
Land Border = total: 2,612 km 
Coast Line = 2900  Kms  
Total Length to be defended : 5512 KMs. 
No of Rafale orderd :  Delivered : 3 , on order : 24 +.Option of additional  12 . Eventul total 36.
Other Combat aircraft ,  F-16 : 220 , Mirage 2000 : 18 ,Mig 21 & Chengdu : 113., Mirage V: 82 , Alpha Jet : 14
Total Combat ac : 436
Availability of Rafale ac per Kms of border = 36 / 5512 = 0.0065312046444122 say 0.0070 Rafale ac per Km of border .
Availability of front line combat ac /Km = 436/5512=0.079100145137881 , Say 0.08 ac per Km of border .

India . 
Land Border = total:15,200 km 
Coast Line = 7500 Kms  
Total Length to be defended :22,700Kms. 
No of Rafal orderd :  36 . Presently NIL .
Other Combat aircraft ,  606 . Air Superiority 408 ( 36 Trainers) + 291(33 Trainers)
Total Combat ac after : 606.
Availability of Rafale ac per Km of border = 36 / 22700 = 0.0015859030837004 say 0.0016 Rafale ac per km of border .
Availability of front line combat ac / Km = 606/22700 = 0.0266960352422907 , Say 0.03 ac per Km of border .

This would mean that if  India is to maintain availability of Rafale acircraft per Km of our border
as that of Quatar and / or  , Egypt India needs to place orders for Rafale ac as given below
Same as of Quatar : 908 Rafale ac .
Same as of Egypt  : 158.9 Say 159 Rafale ac .

Any one who says if Quater and Egypt can be satisfied with 36 Rafale ac why Indian AF needs more Rafale then them , must be stupidest man alive . No wonder the MOD Official wanted to maintain his anonymity . I am not giving the number of combat squadrons on the inventory of China , US of A , Russia and even pakistan , that would make MOD officials look even more stupider then they are .

It is the sadest and most tragic state of affairs , when the well thought out , considered essential operational requiments are projected by the heighest professional of the country , Viz , Chief Of Air , Staff , A babu from MOD , who can not defferentiate between aircraft air intake and aircraft engine exhaust , not only questios but more often than not overrules the needs projected by the Air Force & Defence Forces .

It is an open secret that generally products of Public Sector Undertakings are not only of poor quality. Often do not meet the requirements of their customers in numbers and time frame . Neither do thay meet the specifications of the Defence . Just because thay are Public Sector Undertakings their products are shoved down the throats of the Defence Forces. As has happend with Tejas in case of Airforce and Vaijayanta & MBT in case of Army .
Historically to use aircraft as a weapon started in first world when the observers in their bi-planes shot at enemy from revolvers and later with rifles . They inovated further by carying couple of 25 lbs bombe in their lap and dropped them on enemy . They should prove the cheapest option . If cheapness is the only criterian for aircraft purchase I am sure Babus from MOD will recommend WW I biplanes instead of Rafale or even Tejas ,

Things have come to such a pass that I am reminded of pre 1962 era when Krishna Menon as DM asked Ordinance Factories to start production of pressure cookers and other kitchen utensils . Desastrous consiquences of 1962 are well known to all .
It is said that wisemen learn from history. However the way Babus from MOD have systemetically undermined the Defence forces and continue doing it . It is very clear that neither the Babus nor the Political leadership has learned their lessons from history ,

The forces will never let the country down . They will fight the enemy with all the valour & courage and no hesitation to lay down their lives with whatever equipment the Government chooses to equip them with . It must be clearly understood that consequences of such a situation will spell disaster for the Country .

My Letter to Editor , The Hitavada.

As expected my letter to Editor of local news paper was not published .
I have written another letter to the Editor , this time not with the aim of getting published but to call a spade a spade and to tell the things as I see them .

Sir ,
I have been an avid reader of your Saturday coloumn , " Loud Thinking " in which you always raise very relevant questions like

1. General cicvic-sense . Resposnibilityies of an Indian citizens and what all of us can do to make our neighbourhoods , our cities , our states and eventully our country a better place to live .

2 . Moral degradition and lack of ethical behaviour in modern times  . And what needs to be done to improve the situation .

3. Total lack of traffic-sense . Willful jumping of red lights . The seriousness gets coumpounded when the passangers  in these cars or on two wheelers being driven by parents are young school going children . Who grow up thinking that there is nothing wrong in  what their mothers , fathers and elders are doing and as an adults they also jump red light , violate traffic rules without  any guilt feeling .

4. The sense of cleanliness of  as a responsible citizens to ensure "Swtch Bharat"

And many such related topics , which have always deserved most serious thought by the citizens of this country .
 After reading  your articles on various topics I had become your great admirer . I had placed you on a high moral and ethical pedastle .

Considering total boycott of and any favourable / unbiased news on the OROP issue by print and electronic media and general ignorance of the topic in populace , I had written an article explaining what it is about and what are the issues involved .

 I know that my writing was very harsh , Spoke disperagingly of our Indian Civil Servants .  They are  supposed be steel frame work on whome the future of shining India can be built. Who are supposed to give proper administration and governance , Supposed to impliment the infrastruture projects decided by PM & Parliament . To make India one of super Powers of the world . To take India to greater and greater heights . To make it number one country in the World .Unfortunately  what was referred to as steel frame work was the  ICS cadre during the British rule . Last almost 70 yeras of experiance has belied all our hopes . Last 70 odd yeras have made it abundantly clear that independent India's IAS cadre rether than a steel structure is just a facade of steel structure totally rusted and weakened to the core . Doings of none orher that the IAS cader itself.  As a result of all that has happenened to the Administration & Governence by IAS cadre , what I have opined about  Indian Administrative  Servicesis is not far offt the mark . Infact I am not alone in my thinking , I would say that  100 % of defence services think like I do ,  majority of the population also thinks so . Any one who is a responsible citizen and aware of what is happening to our Defence services will also be forced to think on similar lines .

 I call them Babus because in my openion they are no better than a third grade clerks in any government office without accountability , responsibility , lack of any ethical standars and lack of   moral courage to take decisions for the betterment of the country . Exceptions prove the rule . there are a few very fine and upstanding IAS officers . They are miniscule in number and in most cases done in by their own collegues and the politiacians . Infact I am actively participating  and have signed a petition to ABOLISH the Indian level services ,In palce of IAS cadre , appoint men of expertise and impeccable repute in their respective fields as Secretaries , Jy Secretaries etc . Pay them or let them work at honororiam or part time . Their few hours of work and decisions will equal to a Babus output of may be an Year or more !!

Considering my very high openion about your moral , ethical values , standing by the truth and courage to call a spade a spade had made me believe that my article will definetely find favuor with you and will get published so that general populace will know about the topic of OROP .

By not publishing an article which called a spade a spade indicates that the Hitavada is no different form the normal rut of media .

My aspirations and  very high position in which I held you has suffered an irrepeirable damage .
I do not expect this to be published . It is just to let you know what I thought of you as human being , a responsible citizen , earlier and now .

PM Velankar