Fight or Flight

November 14, 2008 Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.' This is how Nehru, the builder of modern India addressed the nation on the eve of Independence in 1947. Six decades later it is good to look back and see whether these dreams have been on the right track. One cannot help remembering these prophetic words when Chandrayaan I took off on October 22. It is a tribute to Nehru on his birth anniversary today that we pay homage to this great Indian. After centuries of invasions and internal turmoil, the last occupation of undivided India was by the British. It lasted for nearly a century before the n...

Its confirmed India's Bharti-Airtel will be launching 3G IPhone in India.Bharti is said to have signed the deal with Apple in May.The dual carrier business concept by Apple will permit another Indian contender for the bringing the 3G iPhone in India.The probability is Vodafone as it had announced earlier but with no later confirmation.With the IPhone priced in US at $199 for a 8GB model it won't be surprising if it launched in India with a price tag of around Rs 10000 range giving tough competition to Sony and Nokia phones.With the stylish looks and the cool touchpad with a 3.5 inch screen and the enterprise applications it won't be surprising if it builds up a huge fan following among college and office goers alike within a short period. With the cellular market in India growing at a phenomenal rate and the festive season starting in September it won't be surprising if India is one of the countries where IPhone will be launched on July 11,2008.No tentative dates have b...

Before you discuss the resolution, let me place before you one or two things, I want you to understand two things very clearly and to consider them from the same point of view from which I am placing them before you. I ask you to consider it from my point of view, because if you approve of it, you will be enjoined to carry out all I say. It will be a great responsibility. There are people who ask me whether I am the same man that I was in 1920, or whether there has been any change in me. You are right in asking that question. Let me, however, hasten to assure that I am the same Gandhi as I was in 1920. I have not changed in any fundamental respect. I attach the same importance to non-violence that I did then. If at all, my emphasis on it has grown stronger. There is no real contradiction between the present resolution and my previous writings and utterances. Occasions like the present do not occur in everybody's and but rarely in anybody's life. I want you to know and feel...

NEEDED, A VALUE SYSTEM WHERE PEOPLE ACCEPT MODEST SACRIFICES FOR COMMON GOOD. As it is said in the Vedas: Man can live individually, but can survive only collectively. Hence, our challenge is to form a progressive community by balancing the interests of the individual and that of the society. To meet this we need to develop a value system where people accept modest sacrifices for the common good. A value system is the protocol for behaviour that enhances the trust, confidence and commitment of members of the community. It goes beyond the domain of legality - It is about decent and desirable behaviour. Further, it includes putting the community interests ahead of your own. Thus, our collective survival and progress is predicated on sound values. There are two pillars of the cultural value system - loyalty to family and loyalty to community. One should not be in isolation to the other, because, successful societies are those which combine both harmoniously. It is in this context that I w...