Sunday, June 23, 2013

Satire WAS HE EMULATING GANDHIJI'S EXPERIMENT WITH CELIBACY?

Satire

WAS HE EMULATING GANDHIJI'S
 EXPERIMENT WITH CELIBACY?

Son:          Father.
Father:    Yes, my son.
Son:         Do you know, a CD of a veteran leader in a  compromising position with a woman is in
                 circulation in a State?
Father:   Yes, I read in a newspaper. That's very shameful, son. People shouldn't indulge in such mean
               activities.
Son:        Shameful for whom – people in the act or those who made the CD?
Father:   I don't know if the CD is genuine. In any case, I condemn the action of both.
Son:        Father, the leader allegedly shown in the CD is in his eighties. Therefore, he must have been active
                in the  freedom movement too.
Father:   That is but natural.
Son:         In that case, he must be a follower of Gandhiji too.
Father:   At that time, son, everybody was undoubtedly a blind follower of the Father of the Nation.
Son:         In that case, to me, the leader looks innocent. Even if the CD were genuine, I think he could have
                been emulating Gandhiji's experiment with celibacy?
Father:   You should feel ashamed of discussing such silly things with your father. Go and ask him.

            

Thursday, June 13, 2013

     

Rajeev Shukla: Meet the man who is a minister, networker, BCCI mandarin and businessman

Shukla knew both Shah Rukh Khan and RIL’s Ambani long before they invested in his companies.
Shukla knew both Shah Rukh Khan and RIL’s Ambani long before they invested in his companies.

  India's city of opportunity is Mumbai. It is to that city of commerce and cinema that young men from around the country migrate, with little but dreams of fame and fortune. Rajeev Shukla epitomises the promise of Delhi. By skilfully negotiating the shifting maze of power in the Capital, Shukla, who came to the city as a journalist, is today a third-term Rajya Sabha MP, a junior minister with the planning and parliamentary affairs portfolios, a spokesman for the Congress, a senior official of the very rich and very powerful BCCI and the promoter of a clutch of media firms that broadcast satellite channels and produce TV soaps. ........Read more .........(http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-company/corporate-trends/rajeev-shukla-meet-the-man-who-is-a-minister-networker-bcci-mandarin-and-businessman/articleshow/20563920.cms)


CCourtesy: The Economic Times
()








Tuesday, June 11, 2013

EC needs to be fair & impartial And also appear to be so

EC needs to be fair & impartial
And also appear to be so



It is now manifesting increasingly clear that in deciding on the poll schedule for various elections or bye-elections to fill vacancies in Parliament and State assemblies, Election Commission (EC), at times, appears to have been motivated by considerations unexplained and unconvincing sparking doubts on its obvious fairness and impartiality.

Earlier in 2011 the EC floundered on holding bye-elections to the three casual vacancies in the Karnataka State assembly within the mandatory period of six months on  incredible and contradictory grounds.
This time the EC has once again been found wanting in not holding bye-elections to the Mandi parliamentary constituency in Himachal Pradesh simultaneously with those  in parliamentary and assembly constituencies in Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal, UP and Maharashtra on June 2, 2013.

As a matter of principle and practice, the EC had throughout been announcing the schedule for simultaneous elections and bye-elections to all the vacancies in Parliament or State assemblies which had been by that time notified vacant to it.
Interestingly, on May 3, 2013 in the opening paragraph of the EC Press Note (No. EC/PN/22/2012  only mentions the "clear vacancies in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies" in these States and deliberately or otherwise, hides the fact that the Mandi parliamentary seat had fallen vacant on January 1.
It is interesting to note that while announcing the bye-election schedule for Mandi parliamentary constituency on May 21, 2013 in its Press Note No. ECI/PN/25/2013 the EC tries to explain that it has been able to do so "after taking into consideration various factors like festivals, electoral rolls, weather conditions etc. " It may be worthwhile to point out that in between the date of poll (June 2) in other States and in Himachal Pradesh, no "festival" worth the name took place in Mandi area to hinder holding of polling.

As far as the "weather conditions" were concerned, there was nothing abnormal and unusual this time. In 2004 and 2009 polling in Mandi parliamentary constituency have been held even in the month of May. Going by this year's experience, does it mean that the EC and HP government will not be able to hold polling for parliamentary elections due in May 2014?

It is also interesting to note that general elections to the State assembly of Himachal Pradesh took place on November 4, 2012 while the election process for the State of Gujarat commenced in December yet counting of votes in Himachal assembly elections was ordered to be held simultaneously after about seven weeks on December 20 in order to ensure that the results of Himachal elections did not impact the trend of voting in Gujarat.

On this very EC logic, in all fairness it was all the more necessary that bye-elections for Mandi vacancy should have been held simultaneously with those in Gujarat and in other States lest the results in these bye-elections did not in any way affect the outcome of Mandi poll.

The only excuse – and valid one – the Election Commission has been able to advance is that the "electoral rolls………with reference to 01.01.2013 as the qualifying date and (sic) have been finally published on 6.5.2013." That remains surprising. Why did the EC and the State government fail in their constitutionally mandatory duty to undertake revision and finally publish the same "with reference to 01.01.2013 as the qualifying date" earlier? If 2004 and 2009 elections to Parliament could be held in early May after finally publishing the revised electoral rolls with reference to 1st January 2004 and 1st January 2009 earlier enabling the EC to announce the election schedule as early as March those years, why could it not be done in May this time?

When the electoral rolls stood finally published on 6.5.2013, EC could either have announced the election schedule for Mandi simultaneously or just 3-4 days later because election schedule for other States was announced only on May 3. At the most, EC could have ordered polling to take place, if not earlier, at least on June 5, the day of counting.


It may be by coincidence or by design, but the fact remains that the day of polling has been set to be June 23, the birthday of the Himachal chief Minister Virbhadra Singh whose wife Mrs. Pratibha Singh is the Congress nominee for the constituency. Virbhadra Singh is openly campaigning in the constituency exhorting the voters to give him the "birthday gift" of his wife's (Congress candidate's) victory in election on June 23.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Chairman Rajya Sabha's Right to "casting vote" militates against other provisions in Constitution

Chairman Rajya Sabha's Right to "casting vote" militates against other provisions in Constitution
By Amba Charan Vashishth

The Vice-President of India (Article 89(1) of the Constitution of India) is the ex-officio Chairman of the Council of States (CoS  i.e. Rajya Sabha) who is "elected by the members of an electoral college consisting of the members of both Houses of Parliament "{Article 66(1)}. By virtue of Article 66(2) he "shall not be a member of either House of Parliament or of a House of the Legislature of any State, and if a member of either House of Parliament or of a House of the Legislature of any State be elected Vice President, he shall be deemed to have vacated his seat in that House on the date on which he enters upon his office as Vice President".

Further,  Article 89(2) stipulates that the CoS "shall, as soon as may be, choose a member of the Council to be the Deputy Chairman…"with  Article 90(a) further stipulating that he "shall vacate his office if he ceases to be a member of the Council".  In other words, while membership of the CoS is mandatory for election to the office of Deputy Chairman, the same is a disqualification for election to the post of Chairman (Vice-President)

The functions, duties and powers of both the Speaker in the House of the People (HoP  i.e. Lok Sabha) and the Chairman in the CoS, for all intents and purposes, are identical in their respective houses. Yet, the Constitution speaks in two contradictory voices as far as the election of the HoP Speaker and of CoS Chairman is concerned.  Membership of the HoP is as much mandatory for election as Speaker as per provisions of Article 93 as is it forbidden for election as Chairman of CoS {Art. 66(2)}.

Article 92(2) does give the Chairman "the right to speak in, and otherwise to take part in proceedings of, the Council of States while any resolution for the removal of the Vice President from his office is under consideration in the Council, but, notwithstanding anything in Article 100", it stipulates that he "shall not be entitled to vote at all on such resolution or on any other matter during such proceedings".

On the other hand, Article 94© provides that the HoP Speaker "may be removed from his office by a resolution of the House of the People passed by a majority of all the then members of the House".  The Speaker or Deputy Speaker are barred from presiding over the sitting of the House when a resolution for his removal "is under consideration under Article 96, yet its clause (2) extends him "the right to speak in and otherwise to take part in the proceedings of the House of the People while any resolution for his removal from office is under consideration in the House…… and be entitled to vote…." On the contrary, Article 92(2) says the Chairman "shall not be entitled to vote at all on such resolution (for his removal from office)… ", obviously because he is not a member of the House.

The provisions in Article 92(2) stand in contradiction and conflict with the provisions of the Article 100(1) which says the Chairman or Speaker, or person acting as such, "shall not vote in the first instance, but shall have and exercise a casting vote in the case of an equality of votes".

A point worth noting is that Article 80 limits the number of seats in the Council of States to 250 (238 "representatives of the States and of the Union territories" plus "twelve members to be nominated by the President in accordance with the provisions of clause (3 ).

It is relevant to quote Article 88 which though confers on every Minister and the Attorney General of India "the right to speak in, and otherwise to take part in the proceedings of either House, any joint sitting of the Houses, and any committee of Parliament of which he may be named a member, but shall not by virtue of this article be entitled to vote". This provision is equitable in the sense that it recognizes the right to vote only to an individual who is duly elected a member of the house as per the provisions of  the Constitution.  It is in conformity with the constitutional provisions that ministers who can be from either house of Parliament but have the right to vote only in the House of which they are the duly elected members as per the Constitution.

The Chairman's right to casting vote in the CoS {Article 100(1)} is directly in conflict with the denial of his right to vote for a motion for the removal of the Deputy Chairman {Article 92(2)}. He has rightly been denied the right to vote in the latter case because he is not – and cannot be {Article 66(2)} – a member of the CoS.

It is a general rule of equity that a person cannot vote in the Annual General Meeting of a company (or any other organization) of which he is not a shareholder or a member. On the same analogy the Chairman can have no right to a "casting vote" in the CoS of which he is not – and cannot be – a member as per provisions in the Constitution.

The extension of the right to casting vote to the Chairman in the CoS creates an anomalous situation. Article 80 restricts the number of COS members to 250. In the event of all the 250 members being present and voting and there is equality of votes for and against (125 each), with the Chairman exercising his "casting vote" the total number of members present and voting would swell to 251, which is against the provisions of the Constitution  restricting the number of CoS members to 250. Alternatively, suppose the existing strength of CoS at any given time is 240 with 10 seats vacant on any account and there is 120-120 tie on both sides, Chairman's casting would increase the effective strength to 241 which, again, is against the provisions of the Constitution because how can 251 or 241 members cast their vote when the effective strength of the house is 250 or 240 at a given time? The actual number of votes cast can never exceed the total number of votes.

Therefore, extension of the right to exercise his "casting vote" to CoS Chairman (Article 100) is anomalous and against the law of equity. In an eventuality when the HoP is equally divided for and against on a Constitutional amendment bill and it gets carried through the "casting vote" of the Chairman, it may not stand the test of judicial review.
It can create an anomalous and embarrassing situation for the ruling party, opposition and even for our Constitution. At the same time, it creates no problem when the Speaker exercises his right to a "casting vote" in the HoP because he is very much a member of the HoP.

Therefore, while the provision of right of "casting vote" to the Speaker of HoP is unquestionable because he is very much a member of the House, the same right to the ex-officio Chairman of CoS is certainly controvertible and against the spirit of the Constitution and the law of equity as he is not a member of the House and militates against the provisions of Article 80 which restricts the CoS membership to 250.


It is time our law makers ponder over this anomalous situation and rectify the situation lest there is an embarrassing situation for the nation and the country becomes a laughing stock for having made such a contradictory and incongruent provision. It can even be challenged in a court of law.

This article has been published in June 2013 issue of monthly Magazine SOUTH ASIA POLITICS edited by Dr. Subhash C. Kashyap, retired Secretary-General of Lok Sabha.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

आज की फुहार मासटरजी, तब तो मेरे पिताजी का करैक्‍टर ही खराब हो जायेगा (08-06-2013)

आज की फुहार                                                                 
मासटरजी, तब तो मेरे पिताजी का करैक्‍टर ही खराब हो जायेगा
            (08-06-2013)

एक अध्‍यापक अपनी कक्षा में बच्‍चों को नैतिकता का पाठ पढ़ा रहे थे। उन्‍होंने कहा, ''बच्‍चो, सदा याद रखना कि जो लड़की तुम्‍हारी उम्र की हो उसे अपनी बहन समझो। जो महिला तुम से बड़ी हो, उसे अपनी मां समझो''।

''पर मास्‍टरजी'', एक लड़का खड़ा होकर बोला, ''यदि मैं सब बड़ी महिलाओं को अपनी मां समझने लगूंगा तब तो मेरे मिताजी का करैक्‍टर ही खराब हो जायेगा''।

 (एक बार बस में चल रही एक सीडी में सुना था)

Friday, June 7, 2013

आज की फुहार सरकार, पांच सौ का एक नोट और देना (07-06-2013)

आज की फुहार                                                                 
सरकार, पांच सौ का एक नोट और देना
            (07-06-2013)


मालिक ने नौकर के हाथ में पांच सौ का नोट थमाया और धीमी आवाज़ में उसे समझाते हुये कहा, ''देखो, बीबीजी को मत बताना कि उनकी ग़ैरहाजि़री में कोई आई थी''।

नौकर बोला, ''तब तो पांच सौ का एक नोट और दीजिये, सरकार''।
''क्‍यों\'' मालिक ने हैरान होकर पूछा।

''ऐसे मौके पर तो मालकिन'', नौकर ने समझाया, ''मुझे एक हज़ार रूपया देती हैं''।


(शायद धर्मयुग में पढ़ा था)

Thursday, June 6, 2013

आज की फुहार हम घर के मालिक होते हैं, जहां मर्जी बैठें (06-6-2013)

आज की फुहार                                                                 
हम घर के मालिक होते हैं, जहां मर्जी बैठें
            (06-6-2013)


एक पत्नि अपने पति को डण्‍डे के साथ बड़ी बेरहमी से पीट रही थी। हार कर पति अपने आप को बचाने के लिये चारपाई के नीचे छिप गया। चारपाई के नीचे पत्नि का डण्‍डा पूरी तरी चल न पाये। पत्नि ने पति को आदेश दिया कि वह चारपाई के नीचे से बाहर निकले।

अब पति में भी पतित्‍व व मर्दानगी जागृत हो गई। उसने भी तैश में आकर कड़क जवाब दिया, ''हम घर के मालिक होते हैं। जहां मर्जी़ वहां बैठें। तू कौन होती है मुझे यहां निकलने के लिये कहने वाली\^^

(किसी ने पंजाबी में सुनाया था)

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

आज की फुहार पेशाब नहीं, पानी पीना है (05-06-2013)

आज की फुहार                                                                 
पेशाब नहीं, पानी पीना है
            (05-06-2013)

दो दोस्‍त इकट्ठे एक ही कमरे में रहते थे। सोने का समय हो गया तो एक ने कहा, ''मैं चिटकनी लगा दूं\ तुमने बाहर पेशाब तो नहीं जाना''\

दूसरे ने सहज भाव से कहा, ''मुझे पेशाब नहीं, पानी पीना है''।

पहले ने तुरन्‍त चुटकी ली, ''मैं कहां तुम्‍हें पेशाब पीने के लिये कह रहा हूं\ तू पानी ही पी''।

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

आज की फुहार आदमी लोग हर किसी को गधा कह देते हैं (04-06-2013)

आज की फुहार                                                                 
आदमी लोग हर किसी को गधा कह देते हैं
            (04-06-2013)

दो गधे आपस में बड़ी गम्‍भीर चर्चा कर रहे थे। एक ने कहा, ''यार अब हम गधों की कोई इज्ज़त ही नहीं रह गई है''।

दूसरे ने पूछा, ''ऐसा क्‍यों\''

पहले ने स्‍पष्‍ट किया, ''यार, यह आदमी लोग अपने में से हर किसी को ही गधा कह देते हैं''।


(शायद धर्मयुग में पढ़ा था)

Monday, June 3, 2013

आज की फुहार अभी मैं दुनिया को बेचना नहीं चाहता (03-06-2013)

आज की फुहार                                                                 
अभी मैं दुनिया को बेचना नहीं चाहता
            (03-06-2013)


दो अफीमची नशे में चर्चा कर रहे थे। एक ने कहा कि या‍र, मैं चाहता हूं कि दुनिया को बेच दूं।

ऊंघते हुये दूसरे अफीमची ने कहा, ''पर यार, मेरी अभी बेचने की इच्‍छा नहीं है''।

(शायद धर्मयुग में पढ़ा था)

Sunday, June 2, 2013

किस्‍से कंजूस के


किस्‍से कंजूस के

कंजूस को हम हीन भावना से देखते हैं। उसका मज़ाक उड़ाते हैं। पर यह भी तो सत्‍य है कि पैसा उसी के पास संरक्षित महसूस करता है जो कंजूस हैं और उसकी कदर करता है। जो पैसे को उड़ाना जानता है, जो पैसे को बचाने में नहीं खर्च करने में विश्‍वास रखता है, जो धन को बांध लगा कर रखने में नहीं, उसे नदी की तरह बेरोकटोक वहने देता है और उसके बहाव पर कोई बांध नहीं बनाना चाहता, उसका पैसा वैसे ही व्‍यर्थ हो जाता है जैसे कि नदी का मीठा जल अन्‍त में समुद्र में मिल कर खारा बन जाता है।
कंजूसों के किस्‍से-कहानियां सुनाने के लिये लोग कई मुहावरों व लोकोक्तियों का सहारा लेते हैं।

किसी की कंजूसी की व्‍याख्‍या करने के लिये लोग कहते हैं कि यह व्‍यक्ति तो इतना कंजूस है कि प्रात: वह जब पाखाना करता है तो नीचे देख कर तसल्‍ली कर लेता है कि कहीं ज्‍यादा तो नहीं हो गया।

दूसरा समझायेगा कि वह तो इतना कंजूस है कि वह अपना ताप (बुखार) भी किसी को देकर राज़ी नहीं है।

तीन कंजूस अपनी कहानी सुना रहे थे। ''भई, मेरा तो एक किलो देशी घी एक साल चल जाता है। हम एक बून्‍द घी से छ: फुल्‍के चुपड़ देते हैं''।

दूसरा बोला, ''यह तो कुछ नहीं। हम तो फुल्‍के को घी के मटके के बाहर ही रगड़ देते हैं, उससे ही घी की खुश्‍बू व स्‍वाद आ जाता है''।
तीसरे ने बताया कि वह दिन अब हवा हुये जब हम घी गर्म कर चरखे की तकली के साथ बांट कर लुटा देते थे। अब तो हम मात्र उसके दर्शन ही करवाते हैं।

एक कंजूस को उसके रिश्‍तेदार ने ताना मारा, ''क्‍या है\ तुम्‍हें शर्म नहीं आती कि तुम ऐस कपड़े पहनते हो जिसमें छ:-छ: छेद है''।
उसे गुस्‍सा आ गया। वह उस रिश्‍तेदार के पिता के पास शिकायत ले कर गया। ''आपका बेटा मुझे यूं ही बदनाम करता फिरता है कि मैं ऐसे कपड़े पहनता हूं जिसमें छ:-छ: छेद होते हैं''। उसने अपनी कमीज़ आगे कर कहा, ''बताओ, कहां हैं छ: छेद\ गिन लो। केवल चार हैं''।

यह भी किसी महान् कुजूस के ही चिरस्‍मर्णीय शब्‍द है कि मेरे पास पार्टी देने के लिये तो दूर, ज़हर खाने के लिये भी पैसे नहीं हैं
।  

और यह कहावत भी तो आपने सुनी ही होगी: कंजूस, मक्‍खी चूस।

Saturday, June 1, 2013

आज की फुहार पिताजी, बड़े तो आप हैं। (02-06-2013)

आज की फुहार                                                                 
पिताजी, बड़े तो आप हैं।                               (02-06-2013)

एक बार एक पिता को अपने बेटे पर ग़ुस्‍सा आ गया। चिल्‍ला कर बोले, ''तू बहुत बड़ा पाजी, मक्‍कार और निकम्‍मा है1''

''पर पिताजी'', अपने पिता के प्रति पूरा सम्‍मान व्‍यक्‍त करते हुये बेटे ने सहज भाव से कहा, ''बड़े तो आप हैं, मैं नहीं।''

(धर्मयुग में पढ़ा था)
satta king chart