Narendra Modi - will he win?

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This question will be asked in the next few months. The Elections in Gujarat are due. All the secular forces are sick of Narendra Modi. He is icon of Hindu supremacy. And that is not a correct political thought in India.

But Modi won for the second time 5 years ago. If he wins this time - and it is not impossible - it will be a feat of some sort.

"In my state you can't remove any chief minister by blaming him for riots! " - a Gujarat BJP leader opposing Modi speaking on off the record.

His winning will not be because the Hindus like the idea of Hindu supremacy. That is not innate nature of Hindu psyche. But his winning will be dependent upon the intensity of retaliation on the blatant policy of Muslim appeasement followed by other parties.

The more the Muslim appeasement, the greater the Hindu bashing, the better are the chances of Modi winning.

Modi as an administrator is probably no better or worse than other leaders in Gujarat/India. The prosperity in Gujarat is not an issue - as it is in BIMARU states. So issues of Hindu bashing and/or Muslim appeasement will get thrown up. At least Modi would like them to be thrown up. And if they are not (unlikely), Mody would induce such issues. He is master manipulator of such sentiments and would not rest in peace.

I wish him the best for that will make interesting reading in the months ahead!

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The Election arrangements are simply Impressive

I have come back after voting. And I am all praise for the arrangements.

We had moved here in Allahabad only 5 months back. The people deputed by the Commission had come to our house to get us photographed. We were still not sure that we will get voter card...

(Election Commission people photographing at our home)

But about 20 days back, my wife and I were walking to the market. A shaggy looking man, sitting in front of Dhobi's shop was asking every one - "क्या ज्ञानदत्त पाण्डेय को जानते हो?" (" Do you know someone named Gyandutt Pandey?") When I replied that I am that person, he handed over our voter cards! We had no option but to vote.

(The man in front of Dhobi shop who gave us the Voter Cards)

And today I saw massive reinforcement of para-military forces. Poor booth-capturers must be without job. Since we were not the regular voters, my wife and me were video graphed again to keep our identity.
No fuss, no mess, clean voting.
It is only a post election problem which I as Passenger Train Operator will be facing. The para-military staff would be moving out and I will have to arrange 150-200 coaches to move out these men. I am sure that I shall not be succeeding in a big way. Any failure will only make these uniformed men eating up the General coaches!
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And my mother gave me this good one:
She commented to the electoral employees: "With this para-military arrangements, you people must be very satisfied about your safety."
Pat came the reply from the woman checking the identity card: "अरे क्या माताजी, ये लोग न होते तो अब तक कितनी बार चाय समोसे आ गए होते। अब तो कोई पानी पूछने वाला भी नहीं है।" ("What mother, if these people were not there we would have got tea-snacks several times. Now the condition is that no one is giving even a glass of water.")

Shri M V Srinivasan

A letter from Shri M V Srinivasan to my Chief Operations Manager has driven me down the memory lane. Shri Srinivasan was the Chief Freight Transportation Superintendent, Chief Operations Manager and thereafter General Manager of Western Railway 15-20 years ago. I remember his heart ailment when he was the CFTS and the real sense of personal relief which I had felt on his recovery. On his becoming General Manager of Western Railway, we the people of 'Sinu's gang' (I hope he considered me one of his) were very delighted.

I do not have many memories of his tenure as Member Traffic, because we did not come to know what was going on in the Railway Board sitting in a small place as Ratlam. But I always used to get his post card on my official Birthday - 6th September. I did not reply those cards; though Shri M V Srinivasan tracked me on my various postings and did not miss sending card. Meanwhile, it seems I got lost in his address book due to frequent changes in my places and zones of working.

Shri M V Srinivasan, or kaptan (Captain) as we used to refer to him, always remains in my memory as a reminder to me that a man of simple nature can also rise to the top. Shri M V Shri M V Srinivasan is my ideal in many respects.

The Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee Meeting

The Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee Meeting (ZRUCC) is a big exercise in public relations for a Zonal Railway in India. The meeting is chaired by the General Manager of the Zone and is attended by the members of various Railway User Forums, nominees of the Minister and the concerned Members of Parliament. From the Railways side the various Departmental Heads are supposed to put forth the Railways viewpoint.We had the first meeting of the recently constituted body today at Allahabad.
It is always better to listen to the members. Many of the complaints are well known. But on certain matters we really get enlightenment. I had one such enlightenment by way of demands put forth for Railway services on the recently converted Broad Gauge sections. We may not be able to fulfill all or even the most; but a genuine exercise can be attempted.
Members hold the mike for as long time as they can. They are good speakers and like their own voice.
Today we had the election of The ZRUCC representative for the National body - NRUCC. And what a keen election! Out of 16 members present 5 stood for the lone post and the gentleman who won secured 6 votes. The person was visibly very happy. In the society, membership of such a body is a big status symbol.
One member - an MP from Rajasthan came in extremely attractive dress. Have a look at him.

The articulate Union Leader

We were having PREM meeting chaired by the North Central Railway General Manager. The meeting is for participation of employees in the management. The Union President proved to be excellent speaker. When cornered on the matter that his one division unit was at logger-head with the other division units; he took little time to get composed. And he wriggled out so well:

• साहेब, हम लोग तो समाजवादी हैं. लड़ना हमारे खून में है. पहले बाहर वालों से लड़ते हैं. न मिलें तो आपस में लड़ते हैं. यहां तक कि कमी पडे़ तो घर आकर पत्नी से लड़ते हैं. इसलिये इसे तवज्जो न दीजिये. (Sir we are socialists. Fighting is in our blood. First we fight with outsiders. If they are not there we fight among ourselves. If some stamina is left, then we come to home and fight with wife also. So do not give it much thought.)

The Union has made him the President, not without reasons. Diplomacy is the art practiced by all leaders - may be Union leaders.

Death refused to give me a small win for Golu.

Golu was my pet for the last 7 years. He was instrumental in saving us from deep despair in those dark days when we were fighting the battle against the imminent death of our son. He was the symbol of love and hope for us. His energy and affection was a source of inspiration. A pet can be so valuable for our emotional life...
He went away to eternity yesterday. With his damaged liver, body getting all the toxins and Golu refusing to take the food or the medicines orally, we had slender chance of saving him. Injections prolonged his life only for a few days.
still, I did not want to give in easily. In the early morning hours we took him in a rickshaw to Vet-Hospital. We talked to the doctor and persuaded to come to the hospital immediately. Golu was not moving even his eyelids. His temperature was dropping. He was barely breathing. The medical attention made some minor difference. We brought him home and in 1 1/2 hours he was gone beyond the body limits. Death did not give me a chance to win the battle for his life even for a few days.
Golu or Golu Pandey (he was son to me) will live in my memories forever.
(In picture: last attempts to save Golu)

क्षेत्रीय प्रशिक्षण केन्द्र, उदयपुर का कैनवास

क्षेत्रीय प्रशिक्षण केन्द्र, उदयपुर मेरे लिये कुछ वैसी याद है कि मैं वृहद कैनवास पर कोई चित्र बना रहा होऊं. अथवा कोई बडी़ कविता लिख रहा होऊं. लिखने या चित्र बनाने की प्रक्रिया तो रोचक होती है, पर अगर एक दशक बाद उस याद में कुछ लिखने को कहा जाये, तो मेमोरी ट्रिगर होने में समय लगता है.
मैं ZTC (उस समय इसे यही कहते थे) में तब आया जब परिचालन की नौकरी में "बर्न आउट" महसूस कर रहा था. मैडल और शील्ड पाने का जोश; उच्च रक्तचाप, थकान और वजन में बढोतरी (जो उदयपुर में हाइप- थायराइडिज्म पाई गई) के कारण दब चुका था. यहां पोस्टिंग पाने के लिये मैने COM महोदय से बडी़ चिरौरी की थी.
उदयपुर में जगह और लोग दोनो अच्छे लगे. एक संस्थान का प्रबंधन, जिसकी अपनी पहचान रही हो, बडा़ प्रिय अनुभव था. उसका नोस्टाल्जिया मुझे अब भी है. अब भी अगर कोई अवसर दे तो मैं पुन: उसी पद पर फिर आने को आतुर होऊंगा.
उदयपुर का केम्पस, अमलतास और गुलमोहर के वृक्षों की कतारें; भवन, कक्षायें और मॉडल रूम की सफाई व सज्जा किसी अंश मे मेरे व्यक्तित्व में स्थाई हो गये हैं.
मेरे बाद भी प्राचार्यों ने संस्थान में बहुत कुछ किया होगा. मेरे साथ के लोगों के अनुभव होंगे. वह सब देखने व सुनने का मन करता है. शायद कभी फिर जाने का अवसर मिले...

और फरवरी भी समाप्त

एक महीना और चला गया. काम कुछ हुआ, ज्यादा बाकी रहा. जो बाकी रहा वह समय के साथ irrelevant हो जायेगा. जो कुछ हुआ वह इतिहास का हिस्सा हो जायेगा.
इस महीने बहुत से ब्लॉग देखे. कुछ प्रयोग स्वयं भी किये. हिन्दी में यूनीकोड से IME द्वारा लेखन प्रारम्भ किया. हिन्दी का प्रयोग इससे बढ़ेगा. शायद जो कुछ अंगरेजी में सोच कर लिखा जा रहा था, वह फिर से हिन्दी में सोचना प्रारम्भ हो सकेगा.
जरूरी वही है. लिखने से ज्यादा जरूरी है भाषा सोच का माध्यम बने. भले ही F11 कुन्जी के माध्यम से सोच द्विभाषी हो, पर उसमें हिन्दी का अंश बढे तो. (फोटो में २८ फरवरी को सवेरे शिवकुटी मंदिर के पास गंगा नदी का सवेरा.)

हिन्दी मे ब्लॉग का प्रयोग

बडा झंझटिया काम है हिन्दी मे ब्लॉग लिखने को कमर कसना. एक तो नालेज नही. ब्लॉगरों का बढिया लेखन देख कर मन ललचता है अपना भी कुछ ‘मस्त’ लेखन इंटर्नेट पर चस्पां करने का. दूसरे जिन्दगी भर रेल गाडी हांकी. अब अपने स्टेनो को परे कर हिन्दी को रोमनागरी में पहली दरजे के बच्चे जैसे लिखना – वह भी रात के 11 बजे – जब पत्नी खर्राटे ले रही हो; आप समझ सकते हैं इस जुनून को?
बस जैसे तैसे ये लाइनें काट-चिपका कर ब्लॉग पर पोस्ट करता हूं. पता नहीं दूसरों को नजर भी आयेगा या कीडे-मकौडे दीखेंगे ब्लॉग पर...
कल मुन्ना से पता करूंगा कैसा दिखता है.

Islamic Fundamentalism at its best (or worst)!

I gave URL of a video depicting BJP top leaders not able to speak Vande Mataram correctly the other day. Here I invite you to view this YouTube video in which a Muslim scholar of (some) repute states some weird theory to justify non building of temples and churches in an Islamic state.
Sir, we have many incarnations of Bin Laden. And in most of the incarnations he may pass by us as an innocent intellectual like Dr.Zakir Naik! Beware.
Please click at the photo to view the video.