She may be the face I cant forget,
the trace of pleasure or regret.
May be my treasure
or the price I have to pay.
She may be the song that Summer sings,
may be the chill the autumn brings.
May be a hundred different things
within the measure of a day.
She may be the beauty or the beast,
may be the famine or the feast.
May turn each day
into a heaven or a hell.
She may be the mirror of my dream,
the smile reflected in a stream.
She may not be
what she may seem.
She who always so happy in a crowd,
whose eyes can be so private and so proud.
No one's allowed to see them
when they cry.
She may be the love that cannot hope to last,
may come to me from the shadows of the past.
That i remember
till the day I die.
She may be the reason I survive,
the Why and wherefore I'm alive.
The one I'll care for through the rough
and ready years.
Me I'll take her laughter and her tears,
and make them all my souvenirs.
For where she goes I've got to be
the meaning of my life is She.
(This work is not mine but is close to my heart & that I relate to)
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
WHY …? WHY..? WHY..?
Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are flat?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
Why doesn’t glue stick to the bottle?
Why do they use sterilised needles for death by lethal injection?
Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest,but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?
Are there specially reserved parking spaces for “normal” people at the Special Olympics?
If the temperature is zero outside today and it’s going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold will it be?
If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?
If it’s true that we are here to help others, what are the others doing here?
Do married people live longer than single ones or does it only seem longer?
If someone with a split personality threatens to commit suicide, is it a hostage situation?
Can you cry under water?
If money doesn’t grow on trees then why do banks have branches?
How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on bigger suitcases ?
Why is it that people say they “slept like a baby” when babies wake up, like, every two hours?
If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
Why doesn’t glue stick to the bottle?
Why do they use sterilised needles for death by lethal injection?
Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest,but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?
Are there specially reserved parking spaces for “normal” people at the Special Olympics?
If the temperature is zero outside today and it’s going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold will it be?
If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?
If it’s true that we are here to help others, what are the others doing here?
Do married people live longer than single ones or does it only seem longer?
If someone with a split personality threatens to commit suicide, is it a hostage situation?
Can you cry under water?
If money doesn’t grow on trees then why do banks have branches?
How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on bigger suitcases ?
Why is it that people say they “slept like a baby” when babies wake up, like, every two hours?
If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?
Mail from a frustrated victim of chain mails
A Mail from a frustrated victim of chain mails:
I wanted to thank all my friends and family who have forwarded chain letters to me in 2003 & 2004 & 2005 & 2006
Because of your kindness:
* I stopped drinking Coca Cola after I found out that it’s good for removing toilet stains.
* I stopped going to the movies for fear of sitting on a needle infected with AIDS.
* I smell like a wet dog since I stopped using deodorants because they cause cancer.
* I don’t leave my car in the parking lot or any other place and sometimes. I even have to walk about 7 blocks for fear that someone will drug me with a perfume sampl! e and try to rob me.
* I also stopped answering the phon! e for fear that they may ask me to dial a stupid number and then I get a phone bill from with calls to Uganda, Singapore and Tokyo.
* I also stopped drinking anything out of a can for fear that I will get sick from the rat feces and urine.
* When I go to parties, I don’t look at any girl, no matter how hot she is, for fear that she will take me to a hotel, drug me then take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.
* I also donated all my savings to the Amy Bruce account. A sick girl that was about to die in the hospital about 7,000 times. (Poor girl! she’s been 7 since 1993…)
! * I went bankrupt from bounced checks that I made expecting the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL were supposed to send me when I participated in their sp! ecial e-mail program would arrive soon.
* My free Nokia phone never arrived and neither did the free passes for a paid vacation to Disneyland.
* Still open to help some from Bulgaria who wants to use my account to transfer his uncle property of some hundred millions $.
* Made some Hundred wishes before forwarding those Ganesh Vandana, Tirupathi Balaji pics etc… now most of those ‘Wishes’ are already married (to someone else)
IMPORTANT NOTE:
If you do not post a comment and suggest at least 12477896 people in the next 10 seconds, a bird will SH** on your head today at 6:30pm
I wanted to thank all my friends and family who have forwarded chain letters to me in 2003 & 2004 & 2005 & 2006
Because of your kindness:
* I stopped drinking Coca Cola after I found out that it’s good for removing toilet stains.
* I stopped going to the movies for fear of sitting on a needle infected with AIDS.
* I smell like a wet dog since I stopped using deodorants because they cause cancer.
* I don’t leave my car in the parking lot or any other place and sometimes. I even have to walk about 7 blocks for fear that someone will drug me with a perfume sampl! e and try to rob me.
* I also stopped answering the phon! e for fear that they may ask me to dial a stupid number and then I get a phone bill from with calls to Uganda, Singapore and Tokyo.
* I also stopped drinking anything out of a can for fear that I will get sick from the rat feces and urine.
* When I go to parties, I don’t look at any girl, no matter how hot she is, for fear that she will take me to a hotel, drug me then take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.
* I also donated all my savings to the Amy Bruce account. A sick girl that was about to die in the hospital about 7,000 times. (Poor girl! she’s been 7 since 1993…)
! * I went bankrupt from bounced checks that I made expecting the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL were supposed to send me when I participated in their sp! ecial e-mail program would arrive soon.
* My free Nokia phone never arrived and neither did the free passes for a paid vacation to Disneyland.
* Still open to help some from Bulgaria who wants to use my account to transfer his uncle property of some hundred millions $.
* Made some Hundred wishes before forwarding those Ganesh Vandana, Tirupathi Balaji pics etc… now most of those ‘Wishes’ are already married (to someone else)
IMPORTANT NOTE:
If you do not post a comment and suggest at least 12477896 people in the next 10 seconds, a bird will SH** on your head today at 6:30pm
Is it strange ?
Isn’t it strange how Rs. 20/=
seems like such a large
amount when
you donate it to temple, but
such a small amount
when you go shopping?
Isn’t it strange how 2 hours
seem so long when
you’re at place of worship, and how
short they seem when you’re
watching a good movie?
Isn’t it strange that you can’t
find a word to say when
you’re praying,
but you have no trouble
thinking what to talk about
with a friend?
Isn’t it strange how difficult
and boring it is to read
one chapter of
the Bible/ Quran / Gita, but how easy
it is to read 100 pages of
a popular novel?
Isn’t it strange how everyone
wants front-row-tickets
to concerts or
games, but they do whatever
is possible to sit at the last
row in a holy place?
Isn’t it strange how we need to
know about an event for
temple 2-3
weeks before the day so we can
include it in our agenda, but we can
adjust it for other events in
the last minute?
Isn’t it strange how difficult it
is to learn a fact about
God to share it
with others, but how easy
it is to learn, understand,
extend and repeat gossip?
Isn’t it strange how we
believe everything
that magazines and newspapers
say, but we question the words in the
Bible and other holy books?
Isn’t it strange how everyone
wants a place in
heaven, but they don’t want
to believe, do, or say anything
to get there?
Isn’t it strange how we send
jokes in e-mails
and they are forwarded
right away,
but when we are going to send
messages about God, we think
about it twice before we share
it with others?
IT’S STRANGE ISN’T IT?
seems like such a large
amount when
you donate it to temple, but
such a small amount
when you go shopping?
Isn’t it strange how 2 hours
seem so long when
you’re at place of worship, and how
short they seem when you’re
watching a good movie?
Isn’t it strange that you can’t
find a word to say when
you’re praying,
but you have no trouble
thinking what to talk about
with a friend?
Isn’t it strange how difficult
and boring it is to read
one chapter of
the Bible/ Quran / Gita, but how easy
it is to read 100 pages of
a popular novel?
Isn’t it strange how everyone
wants front-row-tickets
to concerts or
games, but they do whatever
is possible to sit at the last
row in a holy place?
Isn’t it strange how we need to
know about an event for
temple 2-3
weeks before the day so we can
include it in our agenda, but we can
adjust it for other events in
the last minute?
Isn’t it strange how difficult it
is to learn a fact about
God to share it
with others, but how easy
it is to learn, understand,
extend and repeat gossip?
Isn’t it strange how we
believe everything
that magazines and newspapers
say, but we question the words in the
Bible and other holy books?
Isn’t it strange how everyone
wants a place in
heaven, but they don’t want
to believe, do, or say anything
to get there?
Isn’t it strange how we send
jokes in e-mails
and they are forwarded
right away,
but when we are going to send
messages about God, we think
about it twice before we share
it with others?
IT’S STRANGE ISN’T IT?
A to Z of Love
Age does not protect you from love but love to some extent protects you from age.
Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.
Choose the one who loves you, and not whom you love.
Don’t forget to love yourself.
Everyone admits that love is wonderful and necessary, yet no one agrees on just what it is.
For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of our tasks; the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation.
Gravitation can not be held responsible for people falling in love.
He who loves 50 people has 50 woes; he who loves no one has no woes.
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
Just three words, “I Love You” , but they mean world to everybody.
Kindness is love in disguise.
Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.
Mature love says: “I need you because I love you.” Immature love says: “I love you because I need you.”
Nothing can be as beautiful as falling in Love.
Offerings of love should be made without any expectations.
Precious possessions that a man can ever have, is a woman’s heart.
Quotes are peoples way to express their experience of love.
Rose is the symbol of love.
Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death.
There is only one happiness in life, to love and to be loved.
Usually a man in love cannot be harsh.
Victory of a heart is the most priced possession.
Within you, I lose myself; Without you, I find myself, searching to be lost again.
X-ray can not reveal a love struck heart.
Yes, is the ultimate word for love.
Zodiac signs are insignificant when it comes to love.
Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.
Choose the one who loves you, and not whom you love.
Don’t forget to love yourself.
Everyone admits that love is wonderful and necessary, yet no one agrees on just what it is.
For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of our tasks; the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation.
Gravitation can not be held responsible for people falling in love.
He who loves 50 people has 50 woes; he who loves no one has no woes.
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
Just three words, “I Love You” , but they mean world to everybody.
Kindness is love in disguise.
Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.
Mature love says: “I need you because I love you.” Immature love says: “I love you because I need you.”
Nothing can be as beautiful as falling in Love.
Offerings of love should be made without any expectations.
Precious possessions that a man can ever have, is a woman’s heart.
Quotes are peoples way to express their experience of love.
Rose is the symbol of love.
Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death.
There is only one happiness in life, to love and to be loved.
Usually a man in love cannot be harsh.
Victory of a heart is the most priced possession.
Within you, I lose myself; Without you, I find myself, searching to be lost again.
X-ray can not reveal a love struck heart.
Yes, is the ultimate word for love.
Zodiac signs are insignificant when it comes to love.
Some Quotes
Forgiving or punishing
The terrorists
is left to God.
But,
Fixing their appointment
With God
is our responsibility
- Indian Army
Updated statement for this…
———— ——— ——— ———— ——
In Software industry
Forgiving or punishing
the Developer
is left to Manager.
But,
Fixing their appointment
with Manager
is our responsibility
Tester
———— ——— ——— ———— —
We all knew that….. but this one is damn good..
Forgiving or punishing
the Manager
is left to Client.
But,
fixing their appointment
with Client
is our responsibility
- Developer
The terrorists
is left to God.
But,
Fixing their appointment
With God
is our responsibility
- Indian Army
Updated statement for this…
———— ——— ——— ———— ——
In Software industry
Forgiving or punishing
the Developer
is left to Manager.
But,
Fixing their appointment
with Manager
is our responsibility
Tester
———— ——— ——— ———— —
We all knew that….. but this one is damn good..
Forgiving or punishing
the Manager
is left to Client.
But,
fixing their appointment
with Client
is our responsibility
- Developer
Few funny answers in answer papers
These are answers, some students have written in their exams…
* A vibration is a motion that cannot make up its mind which way it wants to go.
* The tides are a fight between the Earth and Moon.
All water tends towards the moon, because there is no water in the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum.
I forget where the sun joins in this fight.
* When you breathe, you inspire. When you do not breathe, you expire.
* Many dead animals in the past changed to fossils while others preferred to be oil.
* Clouds are high flying fogs.
* I am not sure how clouds get formed. But the clouds know how to do it, and that is the important thing.
* Clouds just keep circling the earth around and around. And around. There is not much else to do.
* Cyanide is so poisonous that one drop of it on a dogs tongue will kill the strongest man.
* Thunder is a rich source of loudness.
* “Water is composed of two gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and water.”
* “H20 is hot water, and CO2 is cold water.”
* “Three kinds of blood vessels are arteries, vanes, and caterpillars.”
* “Dew is formed on leaves when the sun shines down on them and makes them perspire.”
* “The body consists of three parts - the brainium, the borax and the abominable cavity.
The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abominable cavity contains the bowels, of which there are five - a, e,i, o and u.”
* “The alimentary canal is located in the northern part of Indiana .”
* “Equator: A managerie lion running around the Earth through Africa ..”
* “Germinate: To become a naturalized German.”
* “To keep milk from turning sour: keep it in the cow.”
* A vibration is a motion that cannot make up its mind which way it wants to go.
* The tides are a fight between the Earth and Moon.
All water tends towards the moon, because there is no water in the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum.
I forget where the sun joins in this fight.
* When you breathe, you inspire. When you do not breathe, you expire.
* Many dead animals in the past changed to fossils while others preferred to be oil.
* Clouds are high flying fogs.
* I am not sure how clouds get formed. But the clouds know how to do it, and that is the important thing.
* Clouds just keep circling the earth around and around. And around. There is not much else to do.
* Cyanide is so poisonous that one drop of it on a dogs tongue will kill the strongest man.
* Thunder is a rich source of loudness.
* “Water is composed of two gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and water.”
* “H20 is hot water, and CO2 is cold water.”
* “Three kinds of blood vessels are arteries, vanes, and caterpillars.”
* “Dew is formed on leaves when the sun shines down on them and makes them perspire.”
* “The body consists of three parts - the brainium, the borax and the abominable cavity.
The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abominable cavity contains the bowels, of which there are five - a, e,i, o and u.”
* “The alimentary canal is located in the northern part of Indiana .”
* “Equator: A managerie lion running around the Earth through Africa ..”
* “Germinate: To become a naturalized German.”
* “To keep milk from turning sour: keep it in the cow.”
Profile of a Software Engineer
About me: I think I am changing the world, but I am not. I think I am contributing to the Indian economy, but I guess I am not. I think I love my work, but I do not. I think I hate all people who made me earn my engineering degree, and I do. I think I am living, but and most importantly, I am LOOKING for someone!! Ok…I won’t be funny anymore. I am a cool guy with a zeal to enjoy life (If you know me “Just stop laughing!!”)
Relationship status : what?
Birthday : The day my PL is about to fire me.
Age : 10111
Here for: web browsing in company hours.
Children : can’t be (hey, don’t get me wrong here!!)
Ethnicity : Programmer.
Languages I speak : Java, C/C++, 010101110101
Religion: I get holidays on all religious festivals, so I love all religions.
Political view : the guy sitting beside me is a pig!!
Humor : weekly.
Fashion: Ask my company HR. Btw, I like jeans, t-shirt and a cross-bag.
Smoking: The second greatest pleasure on the earth.
Drinking : The first is this.
Pets: Yeah, my PL looks like a dog. :-)
Living: Come on, this is a stupid one. How can this be asked to a software engineer? Believe me, I am living!!
Hometown : My company (Oh God! Please bring my appraiser to this page)
Webpage: http://naukri. com, http://jobsahead. com, http://monster.com * - Isn’t it Ultimate???
Passions: searching for the cheapest pub around, cursing my company, looking for other company, remembering my good old college days, worrying about my future.
Sports: quake, CS (Counter Strike), computer chess.
Activities: Are you crazy?
Books: “How to lose weight in 20 days?”, “How to live a happy life?”, “101 ways to attract a girl”, “Java Unleashed”, “C++ at your footsteps”, Others censored.
Music: Metallica, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, ACDC, and anything depressing.
TV shows : can’t afford one.
Cuisines : Bread Butter, Maggi, burgers and anything available for FREE within 200 meters of my cubicle….
Relationship status : what?
Birthday : The day my PL is about to fire me.
Age : 10111
Here for: web browsing in company hours.
Children : can’t be (hey, don’t get me wrong here!!)
Ethnicity : Programmer.
Languages I speak : Java, C/C++, 010101110101
Religion: I get holidays on all religious festivals, so I love all religions.
Political view : the guy sitting beside me is a pig!!
Humor : weekly.
Fashion: Ask my company HR. Btw, I like jeans, t-shirt and a cross-bag.
Smoking: The second greatest pleasure on the earth.
Drinking : The first is this.
Pets: Yeah, my PL looks like a dog. :-)
Living: Come on, this is a stupid one. How can this be asked to a software engineer? Believe me, I am living!!
Hometown : My company (Oh God! Please bring my appraiser to this page)
Webpage: http://naukri. com, http://jobsahead. com, http://monster.com * - Isn’t it Ultimate???
Passions: searching for the cheapest pub around, cursing my company, looking for other company, remembering my good old college days, worrying about my future.
Sports: quake, CS (Counter Strike), computer chess.
Activities: Are you crazy?
Books: “How to lose weight in 20 days?”, “How to live a happy life?”, “101 ways to attract a girl”, “Java Unleashed”, “C++ at your footsteps”, Others censored.
Music: Metallica, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, ACDC, and anything depressing.
TV shows : can’t afford one.
Cuisines : Bread Butter, Maggi, burgers and anything available for FREE within 200 meters of my cubicle….
Collage life
20 things common to all engg colleges:
1). The lecturers dont teach.The students dont study.The only guy who benefits is the one who owns the ‘dhaba’ next to the college.
2).Rules are made to be broken.
3).Promises are made to be broken.
4).Deadlines are made to be extended…ALWAYS!
5).Guys always think the chics in the college next lane are more beautiful.
5).The geeks are the most pampered lot during the internal exams.
6).The lab assistants are the most respected people(during the lab exams i.e)
7).The watchmen are the people most bribed.
8).The HOD is the person most respected(heights of sycophancy here).
9).The principal is the person most abused and insulted(behind the back i.e)
10).Dropping subjects is ‘cool’.(arre yaar..drop the idea of dropping subjects plzz).
11).There is always a lecturer in the college who cant speak proper ‘english’.
12).Night-out is the second most important tool to ace the exams.
13).The most important tool..the bhramastra..is the ‘chit ‘ in which the words can be understood only by the person who wrote them(in most of the cases i.e)
14).The freshers are the most sought after..be it in the canteen,the ‘free’ periods or for completing the records,assignments.
15).The second-years are the ones with the ‘I am the don-of-the-college’ feeling.
16).The third years are the ones with the ’so-many-backlogs’ feeling and the poor souls get down to studying after bossing around in the college for so long.but the fun still continues.(I gave 22 exams last year!!).
17).The fourth years have no connection with the college whatsoever…with no interest in ragging,pulling each other`s legs,the bday parties,the bday bums et al which they enjoyed so much till now.
18).All they want is a good placement and a ‘1st-class’ tag attached to their memo.
19).The first three years are spent in cursing the college,the people there,the system et al.
20).But towards the end of the fourth year,people tend to feel
nostalgic abt the pure unadulterated fun they have had for 4 years.Now the
very system they disliked,the very canteen they cursed,the time that they
spent there,the bday bums they suffered..all these seem like heaven to them.
1). The lecturers dont teach.The students dont study.The only guy who benefits is the one who owns the ‘dhaba’ next to the college.
2).Rules are made to be broken.
3).Promises are made to be broken.
4).Deadlines are made to be extended…ALWAYS!
5).Guys always think the chics in the college next lane are more beautiful.
5).The geeks are the most pampered lot during the internal exams.
6).The lab assistants are the most respected people(during the lab exams i.e)
7).The watchmen are the people most bribed.
8).The HOD is the person most respected(heights of sycophancy here).
9).The principal is the person most abused and insulted(behind the back i.e)
10).Dropping subjects is ‘cool’.(arre yaar..drop the idea of dropping subjects plzz).
11).There is always a lecturer in the college who cant speak proper ‘english’.
12).Night-out is the second most important tool to ace the exams.
13).The most important tool..the bhramastra..is the ‘chit ‘ in which the words can be understood only by the person who wrote them(in most of the cases i.e)
14).The freshers are the most sought after..be it in the canteen,the ‘free’ periods or for completing the records,assignments.
15).The second-years are the ones with the ‘I am the don-of-the-college’ feeling.
16).The third years are the ones with the ’so-many-backlogs’ feeling and the poor souls get down to studying after bossing around in the college for so long.but the fun still continues.(I gave 22 exams last year!!).
17).The fourth years have no connection with the college whatsoever…with no interest in ragging,pulling each other`s legs,the bday parties,the bday bums et al which they enjoyed so much till now.
18).All they want is a good placement and a ‘1st-class’ tag attached to their memo.
19).The first three years are spent in cursing the college,the people there,the system et al.
20).But towards the end of the fourth year,people tend to feel
nostalgic abt the pure unadulterated fun they have had for 4 years.Now the
very system they disliked,the very canteen they cursed,the time that they
spent there,the bday bums they suffered..all these seem like heaven to them.
Ten Interpretations To A Happier Life
Stress affects all of us and can show its manifestations in various forms. We cannot avoid it altogether, but what we can do is follow some of these hints to reduce stress from our lives. Here is a list of ten quotations and how we can interpret these to experience a happier and stress free tomorrow.
1) Cry a river; build a bridge; get over it.
Let go of past failures, sadness and people whom we remember but who no longer care for us. This sounds so easy but its easier said than done. We all have gone through our share of heartaches and sadness. But when we constantly remember the pain and suffering we had endured, we are allowing that sadness to gain an upper hand over us. What we must realize is that what has happened, has happened. Its over and done with. People change and times change. Moving on in life is very difficult but it’s the first constructive step to a better you.
2) Everything happens in its own time.
There are things that we do and expect to be rewarded for which does not happen. In offices, there might be a promotion that we might have wanted, a high score on a test, or a job offer that we were sure that was to be given to us that never worked out. At such times we lose perspective and blame our luck and become despondent. We need to realize that there is a time for everything that happens in our lives. And when the appropriate time comes, things will start working the way they were supposed to work.
3) You are the only person who can make yourself happy.
Think of “your” happiness, too, and be kind to yourself. In life, all of us have goals and ambitions. But in the pursuit of those goals, we lose sight of the bigger picture that we are doing these things to make ourselves happy. This is seen especially in the case of mothers who are doing so many things for their kids and family that they don’t remember when the last time was that they did something for their own happiness.
It happens to all of us. Be more gentle with yourself. Make yourself happy, and that can be done in so many ways. Treat yourself to some ice cream, buy a book that you were dying to read, spend a day lolling in the bed doing nothing. We deserve it and so do our bodies.
4) Laughter is the best tranquilizer with no side effects.
Laugh each and every day of your life. Humorous situations happen to us every single day. Whether you choose to enjoy the moment or not is your decision. There are so many excuses in our day-to-day life to have a good laugh. All we need to do is just look at the lighter side of life and enjoy the moment. When you laugh, don’t think whether people are watching you or how much you laugh. It’s their problem that they cannot find the humor in the situation that you have found.
5) Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
As we make our journey through life, we have so many things to savor and experience. There is no such thing as instant happiness or happiness that can be found somewhere. Live your life each day, the same way you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vantage point.
6) Do today what others won’t so you can live tomorrow like others can’t.
So many times we are faced with duties and work that we are not happy doing or performing. In those times, instead of hating or shirking from that work, we can try and make use of the thought that somehow, whatever we are doing will prove beneficial to us one day or another. Maybe the results won’t be seen tomorrow, but surely we will benefit because we did something that no one was willing to do. An example would be the people who started companies which are million dollar establishments today. They dared to venture and put their money in something that their colleagues would not have been willing to do, and today their work is paying off rich dividends.
7) It is never too late to be what you might have become.
There are several factors that cause us to end up doing the work we do. Many of us, at some point of time, would have definitely wanted to make a career change and thought that it’s too late to do it. But the truth is it’s never too late. You can start doing whatever we want to do because it’s your life and your decisions. Think of the people who attend college in their late 60’s and 70’s because they always wanted to do it. Such people are the ones who truly believe in this adage.
8) Treasure the love you receive; it will survive long after your gold and good health have vanished.
We always seem to cherish our material possessions more than we should. But life can take a lot more from us. Today we might have good health, family love and a good home to go back to. What we forget is that there are so many calamities that can take away all our comforts, but love is something that can never be taken away. We need to be more demonstrative of our love towards others and treat our loved ones with more kindness and affection.
9) The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.
Any huge task that needs to be done seems very daunting at first. But if we analyze the task carefully, and do it step-by-step, we will find that things get resolved very quickly and easily. But we need to be bold enough to take the first small step. Once that is done, we just need to proceed with additional small steps towards our goal.
10) Always have something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
These three things are what will keep the flame burning within all of us. Something to do will keep us busy, something to love will keep us motivated and something to hope for will take us faster towards our goal.
1) Cry a river; build a bridge; get over it.
Let go of past failures, sadness and people whom we remember but who no longer care for us. This sounds so easy but its easier said than done. We all have gone through our share of heartaches and sadness. But when we constantly remember the pain and suffering we had endured, we are allowing that sadness to gain an upper hand over us. What we must realize is that what has happened, has happened. Its over and done with. People change and times change. Moving on in life is very difficult but it’s the first constructive step to a better you.
2) Everything happens in its own time.
There are things that we do and expect to be rewarded for which does not happen. In offices, there might be a promotion that we might have wanted, a high score on a test, or a job offer that we were sure that was to be given to us that never worked out. At such times we lose perspective and blame our luck and become despondent. We need to realize that there is a time for everything that happens in our lives. And when the appropriate time comes, things will start working the way they were supposed to work.
3) You are the only person who can make yourself happy.
Think of “your” happiness, too, and be kind to yourself. In life, all of us have goals and ambitions. But in the pursuit of those goals, we lose sight of the bigger picture that we are doing these things to make ourselves happy. This is seen especially in the case of mothers who are doing so many things for their kids and family that they don’t remember when the last time was that they did something for their own happiness.
It happens to all of us. Be more gentle with yourself. Make yourself happy, and that can be done in so many ways. Treat yourself to some ice cream, buy a book that you were dying to read, spend a day lolling in the bed doing nothing. We deserve it and so do our bodies.
4) Laughter is the best tranquilizer with no side effects.
Laugh each and every day of your life. Humorous situations happen to us every single day. Whether you choose to enjoy the moment or not is your decision. There are so many excuses in our day-to-day life to have a good laugh. All we need to do is just look at the lighter side of life and enjoy the moment. When you laugh, don’t think whether people are watching you or how much you laugh. It’s their problem that they cannot find the humor in the situation that you have found.
5) Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
As we make our journey through life, we have so many things to savor and experience. There is no such thing as instant happiness or happiness that can be found somewhere. Live your life each day, the same way you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vantage point.
6) Do today what others won’t so you can live tomorrow like others can’t.
So many times we are faced with duties and work that we are not happy doing or performing. In those times, instead of hating or shirking from that work, we can try and make use of the thought that somehow, whatever we are doing will prove beneficial to us one day or another. Maybe the results won’t be seen tomorrow, but surely we will benefit because we did something that no one was willing to do. An example would be the people who started companies which are million dollar establishments today. They dared to venture and put their money in something that their colleagues would not have been willing to do, and today their work is paying off rich dividends.
7) It is never too late to be what you might have become.
There are several factors that cause us to end up doing the work we do. Many of us, at some point of time, would have definitely wanted to make a career change and thought that it’s too late to do it. But the truth is it’s never too late. You can start doing whatever we want to do because it’s your life and your decisions. Think of the people who attend college in their late 60’s and 70’s because they always wanted to do it. Such people are the ones who truly believe in this adage.
8) Treasure the love you receive; it will survive long after your gold and good health have vanished.
We always seem to cherish our material possessions more than we should. But life can take a lot more from us. Today we might have good health, family love and a good home to go back to. What we forget is that there are so many calamities that can take away all our comforts, but love is something that can never be taken away. We need to be more demonstrative of our love towards others and treat our loved ones with more kindness and affection.
9) The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.
Any huge task that needs to be done seems very daunting at first. But if we analyze the task carefully, and do it step-by-step, we will find that things get resolved very quickly and easily. But we need to be bold enough to take the first small step. Once that is done, we just need to proceed with additional small steps towards our goal.
10) Always have something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
These three things are what will keep the flame burning within all of us. Something to do will keep us busy, something to love will keep us motivated and something to hope for will take us faster towards our goal.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
The Muslims, as I think...
The Muslim of India is akin to the Hindu and has no resemblance whatsoever to the Muslim in Turkey, Iran or any Arab country. In fact, the Muslims of those countries customarily refer to Muslims of India as 'Hindis' only. What then is the factor that separates local Muslims from Hindus? Most of the Muslims do not yet regard India as their home of which they must feel proud. Many regard themselves, quite wrongly, I think, as belonging to the race of conquerers. Many consider their forefathers to be Aurangazeb, Humayun etc., who are worshiped as heroes. But none of them are descendants of these alien invaders(looters?). These are a peculiar new community, being the progeny of Hindus who had been converted to Islam, many time by fraud, temptation or force. Physically they are children of Hindustan, but mentally aligned with foreign invaders.
“There is not an inch of soil of India which our forefathers did not once purchase with their blood. We cannot be false to the blood of our forefathers. India the whole of it, is therefore our heritage and it must be conquered by Islam. Expansion in the spiritual sense is an inherent necessary of our faith and implies no hatred or enmity towards the Hindus. Rather the reverse. Our ultimate Ideal should be the unification of India, spiritually as well as politically, under the banner of Islam. The final political salvation of India is not otherwise possible”
~ A.F. Khan Durrani ( writes in the preface to his book 'THE MEANING OF PAKISTAN')
Are these foreign invaders really the heroes to be adored? As the great Historian Will Durant describes ' The Mohammedan conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history', during which the persecution of Hindus was conducted by massive ethnic cleansing. Forced religious conversion, enslavement, desecration and demolishment of Hindu temples and ashrams, and mass-rapes of Hindu women and sexual abuse of Hindu children were common during those days. Even the great Tipu Sultan, wanted to Islamise the entire south India. He had to wage a war against the Britishers when they prevented him from doing so, as the British wanted to rule them. Is he an Indian freedom fighter?
“Kashiji ki kalaa jaati, Mathuraa masjid hoti
Shivaji na hote to sunnat hoti sab ki”
(The beauty of Benaras would have vanished, Mathura would have turned into a Masjid, and all would have been circumcised, had not Shivaji been born)
The recent controversy over the recitation of Vande mataram raises doubts about the national spirit of the Muslims. I know that forcing someone to sing VandeMataram might not inculcate patriotism in them, but opposing to such things will definitely draw a line of demarcation between the Muslims and the Hindus, which might further split the nation in two. I don't understand why they always bring religion on issues concerning the nation. On September 7, a Muslim school in Lucknow preferred to sing Mohammad Iqbal's 'saare jahan se achha..' instead of 'Vande Mataram'. The Muslims should understand the fact that, even though we follow different religions we share a common motherland, and should never bring religion in all such matters. In contrast, the Hindus throughout the country sing 'Allah ke bande..', 'ya ali..' etc., without thinking of religion even once. This is what I call a true secularism! I know that there are Muslims who are loyal to the nation, but when a section of them are bent upon breaking the solidarity of our nation, I don't find any hesitation to blame the community as a whole. And their brothers, if they are true to the nation, should take the lead rather than supporting them. One thing that you got to observe is that most of the Muslims in India blindly follow the Mullahs and the Malvis. It is only because of these Mullahs, that a large section of Muslim community is uneducated. The statistics show that only 3.1% of the Muslims are graduates and 1.2% are post-graduates. The Mullahs insist upon sending the Muslim children to Madrassas rather than schools, so that they can keep these people under their control. These Mullahs issue fatwas against whichever is anti-Islamic (according to their interpretation). But not even a single fatwa has been issued against terrorism, which lies in the core of their religion. They proclaim that terrorism has no religion. But you cannot run away from certain facts. The fact that ' all Muslims are not terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims' is enough to say that Terrorism lies in the core of Islam. All the prime accused of the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts (for the matter of fact, any) are all the local muslims, who are the citizens of India. Now the question arises: what is that provokes these people to become Terrorists? The fact is that Madrassas have become the recruitment grounds of Islamic terrorists who brainwash the Muslim youth to believe that converting the Kafir land of India (Dar-Ul-Harb) into an Islamic Nation (Dar-Ul-Islam) is the sacred duty of every Muslim and therefore the Muslims must engage themselves in Jihad or Holy war to destroy the Kafirs. Their religious teachings not only brainwashes the uneducated but also the well learned. The best example that I can give is the case of Mohammad Iqbal, who had written 'Saare jahan se achha, Hisndustan hamaraa..'. The same person, after his return from Germany, where he had delved deep into Islamic studies, then writes ' muslim hain hum, watan hain saara jahan hamara' (we are Muslims and the whole world is our land).
George Bernard Shaw quotes:
“Islam is a religion where You will be butchered for worshiping other religions, for which you will go to hell and he will go to heaven.”
He further writes:
“Islam is the best religion and Muslims are the worst followers.”
The behavior of the Muslims all over the world is more or less the same. Whenever the Muslims are in a minority they have been generally reluctant to regard themselves as a part and parcel of a non-religious nation. For example, the Muslims of France, who constitute 24%, are clamoring for separate civil laws based on Shariat, and this is the same case in all other countries including India. The recent revolts of Muslims in Philippines, Thailand, Ethiopia, are merely expressions of the Muslim unwillingness to participate in a common social order on equal terms with others. Whenever Muslims are in a majority they have refused to recognize the equal rights to non-muslim minorities. During the partition of our country, Pakistan signed an agreement that it would make sure that the rights and the safety of the minorities would be taken proper care. But through planned activities of persecution and torture and forced conversion of minority Hindus and Christians, the number of minorities in Pakistan has gone down from 24% in 1947 to almost 1% today. In Bangladesh too, the number of minorities has gone down from 30% in 1947 to 7% today. What happened to these minorities?? Did they leave their nation and came back to India? I guess not. In contrast, the Muslim population in India has gone up from 10% in 1947 to almost 14% today; whereas the Hindu population has come down from 88% in 1947 to 81% today. The answer to these questions is not only because of conversion, but also because of giving birth to large number of children. There was a case in Mallapuram (Kerala) where a doctor found 3 generations of Muslim women –daughter(13), Mother(26) and grandmother(39) all pregnant being admitted for delivery.
Every religion has certain flaws. Even the Hindu religion was blindfolded by sati, casteism etc. After constant reformation by the Hindu intelligentsia these things have been abolished. The outdated notion of Manu Smruti has been rejected by VHP and Dharmacharyas. Among the Muslims there is conspicuous absence of unbiased self-critical and rational individuals who can discuss the problems fruitfully. Their so-called leaders are usually the leaders of a blind, orthodox, and ill-educated community. All of them put forward the arguments in the same tone again and again. When they find faults, the faults are invariable the faults of others. They do not have the capacity to understand their own mistakes. Atleast the Muslim intelligentsia who have understood the flaws should courageously strive hard to reform their society. Unless this is done riots, terror attacks etc. can never be put to an end.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for the good man to do nothing.”
~Edmund Burke
Indonesia, which was a part of Bharat long ago, affords a striking example of an Islamic country deeply imbued with Hindu culture. To the muslims who form about 80% of the population, Islam has remained very much their personal faith, but their national culture continues to be a Hindu -their culture before their conversion to Islam. Ramayana and Mahabharata are their national epics. They worship Ganesha and saraswati. Their currency notes have an image of Lord Ganesha (see the image below). Their constitution begins with the declaration “Dharmo rakhsati rakhitah”. Garuda, the mount of Vishnu, adorns the name of their airways. The epic hero Dronacharya inspires their defence academy. Most of the people bear the illustrious names of ancient Bharat. The Indonesians affirm with pride that they have changed their religion but not their ancestors. If any Indonesian visits India, it is more than a sight-seeing, it is a pilgrimage. But in India the first thing for a convert is to adopt an Arabic name. There was a ridiculous case in Perayur (Mathura district, Tamilnadu), where a convert named Mathu Karuppiah became Saddam Hussain. Let us realize and believe that we all are children of this soil coming from the same stock, that our forefathers are one and our aspirations are also one!
taken from my dear friend deepak http://deepakmarla.blogspot.com/
“There is not an inch of soil of India which our forefathers did not once purchase with their blood. We cannot be false to the blood of our forefathers. India the whole of it, is therefore our heritage and it must be conquered by Islam. Expansion in the spiritual sense is an inherent necessary of our faith and implies no hatred or enmity towards the Hindus. Rather the reverse. Our ultimate Ideal should be the unification of India, spiritually as well as politically, under the banner of Islam. The final political salvation of India is not otherwise possible”
~ A.F. Khan Durrani ( writes in the preface to his book 'THE MEANING OF PAKISTAN')
Are these foreign invaders really the heroes to be adored? As the great Historian Will Durant describes ' The Mohammedan conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history', during which the persecution of Hindus was conducted by massive ethnic cleansing. Forced religious conversion, enslavement, desecration and demolishment of Hindu temples and ashrams, and mass-rapes of Hindu women and sexual abuse of Hindu children were common during those days. Even the great Tipu Sultan, wanted to Islamise the entire south India. He had to wage a war against the Britishers when they prevented him from doing so, as the British wanted to rule them. Is he an Indian freedom fighter?
“Kashiji ki kalaa jaati, Mathuraa masjid hoti
Shivaji na hote to sunnat hoti sab ki”
(The beauty of Benaras would have vanished, Mathura would have turned into a Masjid, and all would have been circumcised, had not Shivaji been born)
The recent controversy over the recitation of Vande mataram raises doubts about the national spirit of the Muslims. I know that forcing someone to sing VandeMataram might not inculcate patriotism in them, but opposing to such things will definitely draw a line of demarcation between the Muslims and the Hindus, which might further split the nation in two. I don't understand why they always bring religion on issues concerning the nation. On September 7, a Muslim school in Lucknow preferred to sing Mohammad Iqbal's 'saare jahan se achha..' instead of 'Vande Mataram'. The Muslims should understand the fact that, even though we follow different religions we share a common motherland, and should never bring religion in all such matters. In contrast, the Hindus throughout the country sing 'Allah ke bande..', 'ya ali..' etc., without thinking of religion even once. This is what I call a true secularism! I know that there are Muslims who are loyal to the nation, but when a section of them are bent upon breaking the solidarity of our nation, I don't find any hesitation to blame the community as a whole. And their brothers, if they are true to the nation, should take the lead rather than supporting them. One thing that you got to observe is that most of the Muslims in India blindly follow the Mullahs and the Malvis. It is only because of these Mullahs, that a large section of Muslim community is uneducated. The statistics show that only 3.1% of the Muslims are graduates and 1.2% are post-graduates. The Mullahs insist upon sending the Muslim children to Madrassas rather than schools, so that they can keep these people under their control. These Mullahs issue fatwas against whichever is anti-Islamic (according to their interpretation). But not even a single fatwa has been issued against terrorism, which lies in the core of their religion. They proclaim that terrorism has no religion. But you cannot run away from certain facts. The fact that ' all Muslims are not terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims' is enough to say that Terrorism lies in the core of Islam. All the prime accused of the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts (for the matter of fact, any) are all the local muslims, who are the citizens of India. Now the question arises: what is that provokes these people to become Terrorists? The fact is that Madrassas have become the recruitment grounds of Islamic terrorists who brainwash the Muslim youth to believe that converting the Kafir land of India (Dar-Ul-Harb) into an Islamic Nation (Dar-Ul-Islam) is the sacred duty of every Muslim and therefore the Muslims must engage themselves in Jihad or Holy war to destroy the Kafirs. Their religious teachings not only brainwashes the uneducated but also the well learned. The best example that I can give is the case of Mohammad Iqbal, who had written 'Saare jahan se achha, Hisndustan hamaraa..'. The same person, after his return from Germany, where he had delved deep into Islamic studies, then writes ' muslim hain hum, watan hain saara jahan hamara' (we are Muslims and the whole world is our land).
George Bernard Shaw quotes:
“Islam is a religion where You will be butchered for worshiping other religions, for which you will go to hell and he will go to heaven.”
He further writes:
“Islam is the best religion and Muslims are the worst followers.”
The behavior of the Muslims all over the world is more or less the same. Whenever the Muslims are in a minority they have been generally reluctant to regard themselves as a part and parcel of a non-religious nation. For example, the Muslims of France, who constitute 24%, are clamoring for separate civil laws based on Shariat, and this is the same case in all other countries including India. The recent revolts of Muslims in Philippines, Thailand, Ethiopia, are merely expressions of the Muslim unwillingness to participate in a common social order on equal terms with others. Whenever Muslims are in a majority they have refused to recognize the equal rights to non-muslim minorities. During the partition of our country, Pakistan signed an agreement that it would make sure that the rights and the safety of the minorities would be taken proper care. But through planned activities of persecution and torture and forced conversion of minority Hindus and Christians, the number of minorities in Pakistan has gone down from 24% in 1947 to almost 1% today. In Bangladesh too, the number of minorities has gone down from 30% in 1947 to 7% today. What happened to these minorities?? Did they leave their nation and came back to India? I guess not. In contrast, the Muslim population in India has gone up from 10% in 1947 to almost 14% today; whereas the Hindu population has come down from 88% in 1947 to 81% today. The answer to these questions is not only because of conversion, but also because of giving birth to large number of children. There was a case in Mallapuram (Kerala) where a doctor found 3 generations of Muslim women –daughter(13), Mother(26) and grandmother(39) all pregnant being admitted for delivery.
Every religion has certain flaws. Even the Hindu religion was blindfolded by sati, casteism etc. After constant reformation by the Hindu intelligentsia these things have been abolished. The outdated notion of Manu Smruti has been rejected by VHP and Dharmacharyas. Among the Muslims there is conspicuous absence of unbiased self-critical and rational individuals who can discuss the problems fruitfully. Their so-called leaders are usually the leaders of a blind, orthodox, and ill-educated community. All of them put forward the arguments in the same tone again and again. When they find faults, the faults are invariable the faults of others. They do not have the capacity to understand their own mistakes. Atleast the Muslim intelligentsia who have understood the flaws should courageously strive hard to reform their society. Unless this is done riots, terror attacks etc. can never be put to an end.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for the good man to do nothing.”
~Edmund Burke
Indonesia, which was a part of Bharat long ago, affords a striking example of an Islamic country deeply imbued with Hindu culture. To the muslims who form about 80% of the population, Islam has remained very much their personal faith, but their national culture continues to be a Hindu -their culture before their conversion to Islam. Ramayana and Mahabharata are their national epics. They worship Ganesha and saraswati. Their currency notes have an image of Lord Ganesha (see the image below). Their constitution begins with the declaration “Dharmo rakhsati rakhitah”. Garuda, the mount of Vishnu, adorns the name of their airways. The epic hero Dronacharya inspires their defence academy. Most of the people bear the illustrious names of ancient Bharat. The Indonesians affirm with pride that they have changed their religion but not their ancestors. If any Indonesian visits India, it is more than a sight-seeing, it is a pilgrimage. But in India the first thing for a convert is to adopt an Arabic name. There was a ridiculous case in Perayur (Mathura district, Tamilnadu), where a convert named Mathu Karuppiah became Saddam Hussain. Let us realize and believe that we all are children of this soil coming from the same stock, that our forefathers are one and our aspirations are also one!
taken from my dear friend deepak http://deepakmarla.blogspot.com/
Monday, September 03, 2007
How to Start / Create Your Own Website: The Beginner's A-Z Guide
Although thesitewizard.com contains guides for a wide variety of issues faced by a webmaster, new or old, none of them provide a step by step A-Z guide for getting started with your website. As a result, I'm often asked by people who are absolute newcomers where they should start. Having an encyclopaedia in your hands is not much use if you don't know which articles you should read first, and which next. This tutorial attempts to fill in the gaps by providing you an overview of the web creation process from the beginning, linking to selected relevant articles on thesitewizard.com that you will need to read.
The Essential Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Your Own Website
1.
Get Your Domain Name
The first thing you need to do before anything else is to get yourself a domain name. A domain name is the name you want to give to your website. For example, the domain name of the website you're reading is "thesitewizard.com". To get a domain name, you have to pay an annual fee to a registrar for the right to use that name. Getting a name does not get you a website or anything like that. It's just a name. It's sort of like registering a business name in the brick-and-mortar world; having that business name does not mean that you also have the shop premises to go with the name.
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Detailed information on getting a good domain name can be found in the article Tips on Choosing a Good Domain Name.
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After you read that, you will need to know the steps to registering a domain name and the things you need to look out for when registering. You can find a detailed guide in the article How to Register Your Own Domain Name.
2.
Choose a Web Host and Sign Up for an Account
A web host is basically a company that has many computers connected to the Internet. When you place your web pages on their computers, everyone in the world will be able to connect to it and view them. You will need to sign up for an account with a web host so that your website has a home. If getting a domain name is analogous to getting a business name in the brick-and-mortar world, getting a web hosting account is analogous to renting office premises for your business.
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There are many issues involved in finding a good web host. Read up on the various things you need to look for in searching for a good web host in the article How to Choose a Web Host.
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After you have an idea of what to look for, you can search for one from the Budget Web Hosting page. You can also find out which web host I'm currently using from the Which Web Host Do You Recommend? page.
3.
Designing your Web Pages
Once you have your domain name and web host, your next step will be to design the web site itself. In this article, I will assume that you will be doing this yourself. If you are using a third party web designer to do it for you, you can probably skip this step.
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Although there are many considerations in web design, as a beginner, your first step is to actually get something out onto the web. The fine-tuning can come after you've figured out how to get a basic web page onto your site. One way is to use a WYSIWYG web editor to do it. There are many commercial and free web editors around. If you don't mind spending money on a commercial web editor, one of the most highly-regarded WYSIWYG web editors is Dreamweaver. Thesitewizard.com has a tutorial on how you can use Dreamweaver to create your website: Dreamweaver Tutorial: How to Create a Website with Dreamweaver CS3.
If you prefer to use free software, you can find a complete tutorial on using Nvu, a free WYSIWYG web editor, in the article How to Design and Publish Your Website with Nvu. The tutorial takes you through the steps to creating a website that has a home page, an about page, a site map, a links page and a feedback form. It also teaches you some of the basic features of the Nvu software so that you can go on improving and updating your website on your own.
There are many other web design software around. If you prefer not to use either of the above, you can find some others listed on thefreecountry.com's Free HTML Editors and WYSIWYG Web Editors page.
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After you have followed my tutorial, and are on the way to designing your website, you might want to read the article Appearance, Usability and Search Engine Visibility in Web Design as well. The article takes a brief look at some of the real world issues that every web designer must deal with.
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An integral part of web design is search engine readiness. Search engine promotion does not start after the web site is made. It starts at the web design stage. Some essential pages to read include my article on How to Improve Your Search Engine Ranking on Google for the simple reason that, at the time this article was written, Google is the most important search engine around.
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There are many other issues regarding the design of web pages. The above will get you started. However, if you have the time after you get something out onto the web, you may want to read my other articles on Web Design and Website Promotion and Search Engine Ranking.
4.
Testing Your Website
Although I list this step separately, this should be done throughout your web design cycle. I list it separately to give it a little more prominence, since too few new webmasters actually perform this step adequately.
You will need to test your web pages as you design them in the major browsers: Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 6, the latest versions of Firefox ( Get Firefox with Google Toolbar ) Opera and Safari. Since all these browsers are free anyway, it should not be any hardship to get them and install them. The trick however, is testing with two versions of Internet Explorer since the later version will overwrite the earlier. For that, please see the article How to Check Your Website with Multiple Browsers on a Single Machine (Cross-Browser Compatibility Checking). Although there are two possible ways given in the article, I suggest that you take use the emulator/virtual machine method to do this. (It's probably easier.) Read the article to find out more.
One way to improve your chances that your website will work in future versions of the web browsers is to make sure your web pages' code validate as correct. You can read more about this in HTML and CSS Validation: Should You Validate Your Web Page? There are numerous free web page validators listed on the Free HTML Validators, Broken Link Checkers, Browser Compatibility Checkers page.
5.
Collecting Credit Card Information, Making Money
If you are selling products or services, you will need some way to collect credit card information. You should read up on How to Accept Credit Cards on Your Website.
If you need advertisers for your website, you might want to read How to Make Money From Your Website and the follow-up article How to Increase Your Website Revenue from Affiliate Programs. A list of advertisers and affiliate programs can be found on Affiliate Programs: Free Sponsors and Advertisers. These companies are on the constant lookout for new web publishers to display their advertisements.
6.
Getting Your Site Noticed
When your site is ready, you will need to submit your site to the search engines, particularly Google. You can find the Google submission page by clicking on the "About Google" link on Google, and then locating the "Submit your content to Google" link on the page that appears. However, submitting your site to Google alone is, quite frankly, a pointless endeavour. If there are no other links to your site on the web, Google will be appear most reluctant to index your site and show results that include your pages. If there are many other links to your site, you don't even have to bother to submit it to Google - it will find your site by itself.
This is where promoting your website is important. This involves many things, including the usual way people did things before the Internet: advertisements in the newspapers, word-of-mouth, etc. You might want to consider advertising on Google itself using Google Adwords. ( Bring targeted traffic to your site with Google AdWords ) As discussed in my article More Tips on Google Search Engine Results Placement, this is one of the quickest way to get onto the first page of Google's search engine results page.
There are also Less Obvious Ways of Promoting Your Website, which you might want to consider.
Conclusion
Naturally the above guide is not exhaustive. It is a distillation of some of the basic steps to getting started with your site. If you want more information, you should read the other articles on thesitewizard.com. However, the above tutorial should get you started in putting your website onto the Internet.
The Essential Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Your Own Website
1.
Get Your Domain Name
The first thing you need to do before anything else is to get yourself a domain name. A domain name is the name you want to give to your website. For example, the domain name of the website you're reading is "thesitewizard.com". To get a domain name, you have to pay an annual fee to a registrar for the right to use that name. Getting a name does not get you a website or anything like that. It's just a name. It's sort of like registering a business name in the brick-and-mortar world; having that business name does not mean that you also have the shop premises to go with the name.
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Detailed information on getting a good domain name can be found in the article Tips on Choosing a Good Domain Name.
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After you read that, you will need to know the steps to registering a domain name and the things you need to look out for when registering. You can find a detailed guide in the article How to Register Your Own Domain Name.
2.
Choose a Web Host and Sign Up for an Account
A web host is basically a company that has many computers connected to the Internet. When you place your web pages on their computers, everyone in the world will be able to connect to it and view them. You will need to sign up for an account with a web host so that your website has a home. If getting a domain name is analogous to getting a business name in the brick-and-mortar world, getting a web hosting account is analogous to renting office premises for your business.
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There are many issues involved in finding a good web host. Read up on the various things you need to look for in searching for a good web host in the article How to Choose a Web Host.
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After you have an idea of what to look for, you can search for one from the Budget Web Hosting page. You can also find out which web host I'm currently using from the Which Web Host Do You Recommend? page.
3.
Designing your Web Pages
Once you have your domain name and web host, your next step will be to design the web site itself. In this article, I will assume that you will be doing this yourself. If you are using a third party web designer to do it for you, you can probably skip this step.
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Although there are many considerations in web design, as a beginner, your first step is to actually get something out onto the web. The fine-tuning can come after you've figured out how to get a basic web page onto your site. One way is to use a WYSIWYG web editor to do it. There are many commercial and free web editors around. If you don't mind spending money on a commercial web editor, one of the most highly-regarded WYSIWYG web editors is Dreamweaver. Thesitewizard.com has a tutorial on how you can use Dreamweaver to create your website: Dreamweaver Tutorial: How to Create a Website with Dreamweaver CS3.
If you prefer to use free software, you can find a complete tutorial on using Nvu, a free WYSIWYG web editor, in the article How to Design and Publish Your Website with Nvu. The tutorial takes you through the steps to creating a website that has a home page, an about page, a site map, a links page and a feedback form. It also teaches you some of the basic features of the Nvu software so that you can go on improving and updating your website on your own.
There are many other web design software around. If you prefer not to use either of the above, you can find some others listed on thefreecountry.com's Free HTML Editors and WYSIWYG Web Editors page.
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After you have followed my tutorial, and are on the way to designing your website, you might want to read the article Appearance, Usability and Search Engine Visibility in Web Design as well. The article takes a brief look at some of the real world issues that every web designer must deal with.
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An integral part of web design is search engine readiness. Search engine promotion does not start after the web site is made. It starts at the web design stage. Some essential pages to read include my article on How to Improve Your Search Engine Ranking on Google for the simple reason that, at the time this article was written, Google is the most important search engine around.
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There are many other issues regarding the design of web pages. The above will get you started. However, if you have the time after you get something out onto the web, you may want to read my other articles on Web Design and Website Promotion and Search Engine Ranking.
4.
Testing Your Website
Although I list this step separately, this should be done throughout your web design cycle. I list it separately to give it a little more prominence, since too few new webmasters actually perform this step adequately.
You will need to test your web pages as you design them in the major browsers: Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 6, the latest versions of Firefox ( Get Firefox with Google Toolbar ) Opera and Safari. Since all these browsers are free anyway, it should not be any hardship to get them and install them. The trick however, is testing with two versions of Internet Explorer since the later version will overwrite the earlier. For that, please see the article How to Check Your Website with Multiple Browsers on a Single Machine (Cross-Browser Compatibility Checking). Although there are two possible ways given in the article, I suggest that you take use the emulator/virtual machine method to do this. (It's probably easier.) Read the article to find out more.
One way to improve your chances that your website will work in future versions of the web browsers is to make sure your web pages' code validate as correct. You can read more about this in HTML and CSS Validation: Should You Validate Your Web Page? There are numerous free web page validators listed on the Free HTML Validators, Broken Link Checkers, Browser Compatibility Checkers page.
5.
Collecting Credit Card Information, Making Money
If you are selling products or services, you will need some way to collect credit card information. You should read up on How to Accept Credit Cards on Your Website.
If you need advertisers for your website, you might want to read How to Make Money From Your Website and the follow-up article How to Increase Your Website Revenue from Affiliate Programs. A list of advertisers and affiliate programs can be found on Affiliate Programs: Free Sponsors and Advertisers. These companies are on the constant lookout for new web publishers to display their advertisements.
6.
Getting Your Site Noticed
When your site is ready, you will need to submit your site to the search engines, particularly Google. You can find the Google submission page by clicking on the "About Google" link on Google, and then locating the "Submit your content to Google" link on the page that appears. However, submitting your site to Google alone is, quite frankly, a pointless endeavour. If there are no other links to your site on the web, Google will be appear most reluctant to index your site and show results that include your pages. If there are many other links to your site, you don't even have to bother to submit it to Google - it will find your site by itself.
This is where promoting your website is important. This involves many things, including the usual way people did things before the Internet: advertisements in the newspapers, word-of-mouth, etc. You might want to consider advertising on Google itself using Google Adwords. ( Bring targeted traffic to your site with Google AdWords ) As discussed in my article More Tips on Google Search Engine Results Placement, this is one of the quickest way to get onto the first page of Google's search engine results page.
There are also Less Obvious Ways of Promoting Your Website, which you might want to consider.
Conclusion
Naturally the above guide is not exhaustive. It is a distillation of some of the basic steps to getting started with your site. If you want more information, you should read the other articles on thesitewizard.com. However, the above tutorial should get you started in putting your website onto the Internet.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Indian Politics & Science
In the first half of this century, a number of Indian scientists carried out pioneering scientific research. C.V. Raman was awarded the 1930 Nobel Prize in physics; J.C. Bose, K.S. Krishnan, S.N. Bose, and Meghnad Saha also made major contributions. For example, Saha was responsible for the installation of a cyclotron in India in 1941. Such luminaries emerged as a result of the high scientific traditions which were then well established in Indian universities.
But Indian science today, which is heavily skewed toward nuclear, military, and space research, has failed to deliver significant advances either to the scientific world at large or to the Indian people. Despite repeated official claims that India is among the top ten industrialized nations in the world, with the third largest stock of scientific and technological personnel, the country's science and technology enterprise has had little effect on the daily lives of millions of Indians. Why has Indian science, for all its early promise, failed to become a vector of social change?
Although it is not easy to do so, much of the blame for this failure must be placed on two men whom history has set on a high pedestal: Homi J. Bhabha, tsar of Indian science policy during the 1950s and 1960s, and his patron, Jawaharlal Nehru. In the canon of Indian science it is blasphemy to criticize Bhabha or to question the wisdom of Nehru in giving Bhabha a free hand during a crucial period. Yet the legacy of that period, especially the cult of personality it encouraged, [1] weighs heavily on Indian scientific endeavor to this day.
In the days before Indian independence, scientific activity depended mostly on the interest of individuals and required only small funds. In practice, scientific activities were open and universal, and publication of results was considered a scientist's most important function. In this situation, Indian scientists were able to contribute directly to the advancement of science, and they did so. The gap between European and Indian science was relatively small.
World War II, especially the development of atomic weapons, changed all that. Not only did science lose its innocence in the destructive discovery of nuclear fission, but the gigantic enterprise that produced the bomb unalterably united science and technology. The period from 1948 to 1958, the first decade of the Cold War, gave a big push to war science and technology. In the advanced countries, "big science" activities, which grew from the industrial and technological base established by the war, took great leaps forward.
The peoples of India and other less developed countries, on the other hand, were involved during this period with restructuring their societies after 200 years of colonial rule. And as India had not been involved in wartime science, it had no infrastructure on which to build new science and technology systems. As a result, India fell behind in the race for big science.
The Indian science community felt an urgent need to close this gap and believed that taming the atom for peaceful purposes was the most crucial field of endeavor. The first government of free India visualized a forward-looking atomic policy for the country and established the first Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) on August 10, 1948. Homi J. Bhabha, founder of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bombay, was named head of the commission, which was charged with taking steps "to protect the interest of the country in connection with Atomic Energy." The commission was also directed to "increase teaching and research facilities in nuclear physics in the Indian universities." Bhabha remained at the head of the commission until his death on January 24, 1966.
The Indian government must have been aware that fundamental research was already being carried out at various universities in the country, and prominent scientists had already institutionalized scientific research in the emerging areas of physics and other allied fields. For example, in this period C.V. Raman became the first Indian director of the Indian Institute of Sciences at Bangalore, and in 1944 Meghnad Saha established the first Indian Institute of Nuclear Physics at Calcutta, now named after Saha.
But after the AEC was set up, most scientific research was shifted from Calcutta to Bombay, the ancestral hometown of the Tata family to which Bhabha belonged. The ambitious chairman of the AEC was not inclined to accept the contribution of the universities. In fact, all institutional developments in fundamental nuclear sciences in India are now officially credited to Bhabha. The dedicated efforts of other scientists are ignored.
This did not happen without controversy. As Nehru's science policy adviser, Saha had been responsible for introducing scientific matters to the Indian National Congress before independence. He was instrumental in making Nehru the first nonscientist to preside over the Indian Science Congress in 1939. Saha opposed the idea of separating fundamental research from the mainstream of science teaching in the universities, and he was against the creation of an independent atomic energy agency. When the AEC was eventually formed, he refused to be associated with the nuclear establishment. But Nehru, as prime minister, did not heed the counsel of his old scientific mentor, and Saha was forced to take an independent stand on national science planning. By 1954, his was the lone voice of dissent. Indian science policy had become a captive of the state.
Nehru had fallen under Bhabha's influence, and India's science policy became extremely personalized under Bhabha's leadership. The people and Parliament were not informed about scientific plans, and the government was not inclined to seek critical opinion from nongovernmental scientists. In the formative years of science policy, the prime minister was deprived of the counsel of India's patriotic scientists.
In 1958, Bhabha, in consultation with Nehru, reconstituted the AEC in a manner that gave him a free hand in planning and executing his science policy. In a March 1 resolution, the government gave the AEC "full authority to plan and implement the various measures on sound technical and economic principles and free from all non-essential restrictions or needlessly inelastic rules." The AEC chairman was granted "full executive and financial powers" and was made the ex-officio secretary to the Department of Atomic Energy, responsible only to the prime minister. (The AEC is a policy-formulating body; the Department of Atomic Energy is the government agency responsible for executing the policy decisions of the AEC. Both are formally under an independent Ministry of Atomic Energy, but the prime minister has always held the office of minister of atomic energy.) He was empowered "to overrule the other members of the Commission, except the Member for Finance and Administration," who in financial matters could "ask" to be referred to the prime minister. The AEC was empowered "to frame its own rules and procedure" and to meet "at such times and places as may be fixed by the chairman." [2]
Under this government notification, which was issued from Bhabha's own office in Bombay, Bhabha secured total personal autonomy within the formal constitutional framework of the country. He had managed to free himself from all accountability except to the prime minister. Besides his position as chairman of the AEC and secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, he remained the autonomous founder-director of the Tata Institute, which drew 99 percent of its funding from the budget of the Department of Atomic Energy. The institute grew at the rate of about 30 percent annually over the first 10 years, and about 15 percent a year over the second decade. But Bhabha made sure that government support did not entail bureaucratic control over his prolific activities. His ties with Nehru, who had become totally dependent on Bhabha for scientific advice, were friendly and close. Nehru's official biographer reports that Bhabha was one of only two men in the country at the time who could address Nehru as bhai, or brother. [3]
With his new mandate, Bhabha aggressively concentrated all big science research under his domain, the Department of Atomic Energy. Indian universities were denied funding for such research and were unable to purchase equipment or attract young scientists from abroad. Only Bhabha's department was authorized to initiate, explore, plan, and execute nuclear studies and research. The situation remains essentially unchanged today.
Bhabha believed that the problem of transforming an industrially underdeveloped country to a developed one could be solved by establishing big organizations. He did not perceive the significance of social forces in bringing about scientific and industrial transformation. His perceptions were directly borrowed from technologically advanced nations. A science policy resolution drafted by Bhabha in 1958, for which Nehru obtained parliament's approval by acclamation, rephrased some of the well-established truths:
"The key to national prosperity, apart from the spirit of the people, lies, in the modern age, in the effective combination of three factors: technology, raw materials and capital, of which the first is perhaps the most important, since the creation and adoption of new scientific techniques can, in fact, make up for a deficiency in natural resources, and reduce the demands on capital. But technology can only grow out of the study of science and its application.... It is an inherent obligation of a great country like India, with its great cultural heritage, to participate fully in the march of science, which is probably mankind's greatest enterprise today."
Questions of the appropriateness of technology never crossed Bhabha's mind. Ignoring economic principles and sociological imperatives, he advised the Nehru government to go for capital-intensive and energy-consuming nuclear technology. As a result, the country became even more dependent on external assistance.
The 1958 reconstitution of the AEC indicated another shift as well: the records suggest an increasing interest in the military applications of nuclear energy. Bhabha's role in this shift was decisive-he was able to convince Nehru of the diplomatic and strategic importance of nuclear energy. Although Nehru remained publicly committed to the peaceful use of the atom, Bhabha showed little enthusiasm for nuclear disarmament. He refused to be associated with the international scientific Pugwash movement for nuclear disarmament.
Bertrand Russell, recalling preparations for the antinuclear manifesto on which he collaborated with Albert Einstein, writes: "I had hoped that I might be supported in it by the Indian scientists and Government. At the beginning of Nehru's visit to London in February, 1955, my hope of it soared. Nehru himself had seemed most sympathetic. I lunched with him and talked with him at various meetings and receptions. He had been exceedingly friendly. But when I met Dr. Bhabha, India's leading official scientist, towards the end of Nehru's visit, I received a cold douche. He had profound doubts about any such manifesto, let alone any such conference as I had in mind for the future [Pugwash]. It became evident that I should receive no encouragement from Indian official scientific quarters." [4]
Today it is not one man but a handful of science and technology secretaries who make decisions on Indian science policy. Committees are constituted only to formally validate already approved plans and projects. Scholars who dare to dissent find doubts being cast on their credentials and credibility. [5] Such problems can be traced directly to the Bhabha legacy.
In 1962, Prof D.D. Kosambi was removed from the senior fellowship at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, for questioning high expenditures on atomic energy research and development. Kosambi made a brave but unsuccessful attempt to take up where Saha left off, trying to maintain an open and participatory system. It is difficult to find critics of Kosambi's stature in Indian science today. [6]
In 1970, however, a third conference was held to review Bhabha's 1958 science policy resolution. The conference was called by the national Committee of Science and Technology, under the chairmanship of B.D. Nag Chaudhuri, and included 130 scientists, technologists, and educators from different institutions and organizations. The conference concluded that the resolution was an "admirable enunciation of the government's faith in science and the role science must play in the transformation of our society." But it also felt strongly that "on several important counts, the implementation of the [resolution] has been highly ineffective. As a result, many of the objectives of the [resolution] have remained largely on paper."
A review committee on post-graduate education and research in engineering and technology, set up in 1978, again found the state of the country's education and research efforts highly unsatisfactory. Chaired by Prof. Y. Nayudamma, the committee observed that little was being done to implement recommendations of earlier review committees, that very little research and development was going on, and that scientific and technological endeavors failed to benefit Indian society. The committee concluded in 1980 that the capacity for generating and sustaining technological growth had to be strengthened considerably, since the number of people available for such enterprises was very small in relation to the country's high rate of population growth and corresponding social needs.
The Nayudamma committee questioned oft-repeated official claims that India is one of the 10 most industrialized nations of the world, with the third-largest number of scientific and technological personnel. If the scientific and technological content of a society is indicated by national investment, number of technically qualified personnel, facilities for education, and the amount of technical services available to citizens, the official claims to success cannot be sustained.
Unfortunately, the report was ignored because of its critical tone. Technocrats as a rule do not read reports of review committees, and political leaders are kept unaware of critical studies. It is customary for various ministries and departments to prepare voluminous studies projecting five-year science and technology plans for the future without evaluating past performance, except to refer to great strides made by the country.
The scientific bureaucracy, on the other hand, has flourished. From 1980 to 1989, the government inaugurated a number of ministerial-level departments in various fields of advanced science and technology in order to give the impression that rapid progress was being made [see table]. But these departments were established without carrying out basic need and feasibility studies related to industrial and economic demands. Instead of introducing these topics and fields into university or technical institute curriculums, national resources were diverted to build infrastructure and provide administrative machinery to "close the gap" in advanced fields of science and technology.
Without proper accountability in these organizations, inefficiency and corruption have gained the upper hand. In order to secure higher budgets and better perks, science and technology secretaries have fed the leadership inflated claims about successes and have promised increasingly populist projects which may or may not be based on proper studies.
Big science, especially atomic energy and space, has been used to boost the electoral image of the political leadership. This can be hazardous. For example, in 1974 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi announced the installation of a nuclear power plant at Narora, in Western Uttar Pradesh, despite critical reports by environmental experts. This was done to gain advantage over her political opponent, Charan Singh, on his home territory. In addition to being in a high-earthquake zone, Narora is in a predominantly agro-industrial sector which does not have the kind of constant high demand for power that justifies a nuclear plant.
Working scientists have little say in determining the direction of research, or in designing an independent project. Research grants, large or small, can be secured only through contacts with those who preside over science and technology departments. On the other hand, if someone knows someone who knows a minister or the chairman of the AEC, millions can be sanctioned without much ado, no matter how insignificant the research may be: the funds are granted first, and the scientific justification for them is worked out later. A minister's chance remark may be converted overnight into a research program, whereas a young scientist or a laboratory director cannot hope to initiate a research project.
The grandiose plans have produced few results. For many years science and technology activities have been aimed at "self-reliance," but the country has not achieved that goal in items of daily use, such as toothpaste and soap. No significant new designs or innovations in rural technology have been introduced. Towns and cities lack proper transport and regular supplies of water and electricity. Fewer than 1 percent of Indian scientists working in science and technology institutions come from the rural sector or underprivileged classes. Instead of addressing these problems, the tsars of Indian science have envisaged a "Science City," at an initial cost of 200 million rupees (roughly $25 million), to house visiting scientists from abroad. The AEC and the Department of Atomic Energy consume some 15-20 percent of the science and technology budget but have failed to produce even 2 percent of the country's electrical power.
This criticism of science policy is not to question Indian scientific and technological research per se, nor to object to funding new areas of research. On the contrary, technological advancement is crucial to India. And criticism must be directed less against specific projects than against the lack of democratic accountability inherent in the science policy system. The greatest tragedy is that those who should know best-the community of working scientists and independent university scientists-have been ignored.
To be sure, the priorities given to science and technology have been reflected in budgetary allocations-and these have been largely determined by international developments, as is true in any Third World country. During the early Cold War years, India's atomic energy program received as much as 41.2 percent of research and development funds (1958-59), although this percentage fell somewhat in the following decade. Defense sciences received strong backing during the 1970s when U.S. military activities increased in the Indian Ocean. In 1971, the Nixon administration ordered a U.S. naval task force, headed by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier U.S.S. Enterprise into the Bay of Bengal, as India was engaged in the liberation of Bangladesh. The arrogant U.S. posture forced India to step up its nuclear activities, eventually leading to the Pokhran explosion in 1974. After the Vietnam War, the United States increased its military activities on the subcontinent, providing advanced military hardware to Pakistan and the Persian Gulf states. The United States increased its military presence in the Indian Ocean by stationing B-52s in Diego Garcia and increasing the number of nuclear submarines in the Indian backwaters.
The Gulf War has once again demonstrated the vulnerability of Third World countries when pitted against industrialized Western powers. The U.S. presence in Diego Garcia and its intervention against Iraq have made an antinuclear posture politically untenable in India. The war has left India-and Pakistan-with little apparent choice but to strengthen their commitment to high-tech systems for energy and weaponry. Unfortunately, any budgetary increase in war sciences will invariably lead to a further loss of funds for social welfare and education.
But Indian science today, which is heavily skewed toward nuclear, military, and space research, has failed to deliver significant advances either to the scientific world at large or to the Indian people. Despite repeated official claims that India is among the top ten industrialized nations in the world, with the third largest stock of scientific and technological personnel, the country's science and technology enterprise has had little effect on the daily lives of millions of Indians. Why has Indian science, for all its early promise, failed to become a vector of social change?
Although it is not easy to do so, much of the blame for this failure must be placed on two men whom history has set on a high pedestal: Homi J. Bhabha, tsar of Indian science policy during the 1950s and 1960s, and his patron, Jawaharlal Nehru. In the canon of Indian science it is blasphemy to criticize Bhabha or to question the wisdom of Nehru in giving Bhabha a free hand during a crucial period. Yet the legacy of that period, especially the cult of personality it encouraged, [1] weighs heavily on Indian scientific endeavor to this day.
In the days before Indian independence, scientific activity depended mostly on the interest of individuals and required only small funds. In practice, scientific activities were open and universal, and publication of results was considered a scientist's most important function. In this situation, Indian scientists were able to contribute directly to the advancement of science, and they did so. The gap between European and Indian science was relatively small.
World War II, especially the development of atomic weapons, changed all that. Not only did science lose its innocence in the destructive discovery of nuclear fission, but the gigantic enterprise that produced the bomb unalterably united science and technology. The period from 1948 to 1958, the first decade of the Cold War, gave a big push to war science and technology. In the advanced countries, "big science" activities, which grew from the industrial and technological base established by the war, took great leaps forward.
The peoples of India and other less developed countries, on the other hand, were involved during this period with restructuring their societies after 200 years of colonial rule. And as India had not been involved in wartime science, it had no infrastructure on which to build new science and technology systems. As a result, India fell behind in the race for big science.
The Indian science community felt an urgent need to close this gap and believed that taming the atom for peaceful purposes was the most crucial field of endeavor. The first government of free India visualized a forward-looking atomic policy for the country and established the first Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) on August 10, 1948. Homi J. Bhabha, founder of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bombay, was named head of the commission, which was charged with taking steps "to protect the interest of the country in connection with Atomic Energy." The commission was also directed to "increase teaching and research facilities in nuclear physics in the Indian universities." Bhabha remained at the head of the commission until his death on January 24, 1966.
The Indian government must have been aware that fundamental research was already being carried out at various universities in the country, and prominent scientists had already institutionalized scientific research in the emerging areas of physics and other allied fields. For example, in this period C.V. Raman became the first Indian director of the Indian Institute of Sciences at Bangalore, and in 1944 Meghnad Saha established the first Indian Institute of Nuclear Physics at Calcutta, now named after Saha.
But after the AEC was set up, most scientific research was shifted from Calcutta to Bombay, the ancestral hometown of the Tata family to which Bhabha belonged. The ambitious chairman of the AEC was not inclined to accept the contribution of the universities. In fact, all institutional developments in fundamental nuclear sciences in India are now officially credited to Bhabha. The dedicated efforts of other scientists are ignored.
This did not happen without controversy. As Nehru's science policy adviser, Saha had been responsible for introducing scientific matters to the Indian National Congress before independence. He was instrumental in making Nehru the first nonscientist to preside over the Indian Science Congress in 1939. Saha opposed the idea of separating fundamental research from the mainstream of science teaching in the universities, and he was against the creation of an independent atomic energy agency. When the AEC was eventually formed, he refused to be associated with the nuclear establishment. But Nehru, as prime minister, did not heed the counsel of his old scientific mentor, and Saha was forced to take an independent stand on national science planning. By 1954, his was the lone voice of dissent. Indian science policy had become a captive of the state.
Nehru had fallen under Bhabha's influence, and India's science policy became extremely personalized under Bhabha's leadership. The people and Parliament were not informed about scientific plans, and the government was not inclined to seek critical opinion from nongovernmental scientists. In the formative years of science policy, the prime minister was deprived of the counsel of India's patriotic scientists.
In 1958, Bhabha, in consultation with Nehru, reconstituted the AEC in a manner that gave him a free hand in planning and executing his science policy. In a March 1 resolution, the government gave the AEC "full authority to plan and implement the various measures on sound technical and economic principles and free from all non-essential restrictions or needlessly inelastic rules." The AEC chairman was granted "full executive and financial powers" and was made the ex-officio secretary to the Department of Atomic Energy, responsible only to the prime minister. (The AEC is a policy-formulating body; the Department of Atomic Energy is the government agency responsible for executing the policy decisions of the AEC. Both are formally under an independent Ministry of Atomic Energy, but the prime minister has always held the office of minister of atomic energy.) He was empowered "to overrule the other members of the Commission, except the Member for Finance and Administration," who in financial matters could "ask" to be referred to the prime minister. The AEC was empowered "to frame its own rules and procedure" and to meet "at such times and places as may be fixed by the chairman." [2]
Under this government notification, which was issued from Bhabha's own office in Bombay, Bhabha secured total personal autonomy within the formal constitutional framework of the country. He had managed to free himself from all accountability except to the prime minister. Besides his position as chairman of the AEC and secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, he remained the autonomous founder-director of the Tata Institute, which drew 99 percent of its funding from the budget of the Department of Atomic Energy. The institute grew at the rate of about 30 percent annually over the first 10 years, and about 15 percent a year over the second decade. But Bhabha made sure that government support did not entail bureaucratic control over his prolific activities. His ties with Nehru, who had become totally dependent on Bhabha for scientific advice, were friendly and close. Nehru's official biographer reports that Bhabha was one of only two men in the country at the time who could address Nehru as bhai, or brother. [3]
With his new mandate, Bhabha aggressively concentrated all big science research under his domain, the Department of Atomic Energy. Indian universities were denied funding for such research and were unable to purchase equipment or attract young scientists from abroad. Only Bhabha's department was authorized to initiate, explore, plan, and execute nuclear studies and research. The situation remains essentially unchanged today.
Bhabha believed that the problem of transforming an industrially underdeveloped country to a developed one could be solved by establishing big organizations. He did not perceive the significance of social forces in bringing about scientific and industrial transformation. His perceptions were directly borrowed from technologically advanced nations. A science policy resolution drafted by Bhabha in 1958, for which Nehru obtained parliament's approval by acclamation, rephrased some of the well-established truths:
"The key to national prosperity, apart from the spirit of the people, lies, in the modern age, in the effective combination of three factors: technology, raw materials and capital, of which the first is perhaps the most important, since the creation and adoption of new scientific techniques can, in fact, make up for a deficiency in natural resources, and reduce the demands on capital. But technology can only grow out of the study of science and its application.... It is an inherent obligation of a great country like India, with its great cultural heritage, to participate fully in the march of science, which is probably mankind's greatest enterprise today."
Questions of the appropriateness of technology never crossed Bhabha's mind. Ignoring economic principles and sociological imperatives, he advised the Nehru government to go for capital-intensive and energy-consuming nuclear technology. As a result, the country became even more dependent on external assistance.
The 1958 reconstitution of the AEC indicated another shift as well: the records suggest an increasing interest in the military applications of nuclear energy. Bhabha's role in this shift was decisive-he was able to convince Nehru of the diplomatic and strategic importance of nuclear energy. Although Nehru remained publicly committed to the peaceful use of the atom, Bhabha showed little enthusiasm for nuclear disarmament. He refused to be associated with the international scientific Pugwash movement for nuclear disarmament.
Bertrand Russell, recalling preparations for the antinuclear manifesto on which he collaborated with Albert Einstein, writes: "I had hoped that I might be supported in it by the Indian scientists and Government. At the beginning of Nehru's visit to London in February, 1955, my hope of it soared. Nehru himself had seemed most sympathetic. I lunched with him and talked with him at various meetings and receptions. He had been exceedingly friendly. But when I met Dr. Bhabha, India's leading official scientist, towards the end of Nehru's visit, I received a cold douche. He had profound doubts about any such manifesto, let alone any such conference as I had in mind for the future [Pugwash]. It became evident that I should receive no encouragement from Indian official scientific quarters." [4]
Today it is not one man but a handful of science and technology secretaries who make decisions on Indian science policy. Committees are constituted only to formally validate already approved plans and projects. Scholars who dare to dissent find doubts being cast on their credentials and credibility. [5] Such problems can be traced directly to the Bhabha legacy.
In 1962, Prof D.D. Kosambi was removed from the senior fellowship at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, for questioning high expenditures on atomic energy research and development. Kosambi made a brave but unsuccessful attempt to take up where Saha left off, trying to maintain an open and participatory system. It is difficult to find critics of Kosambi's stature in Indian science today. [6]
In 1970, however, a third conference was held to review Bhabha's 1958 science policy resolution. The conference was called by the national Committee of Science and Technology, under the chairmanship of B.D. Nag Chaudhuri, and included 130 scientists, technologists, and educators from different institutions and organizations. The conference concluded that the resolution was an "admirable enunciation of the government's faith in science and the role science must play in the transformation of our society." But it also felt strongly that "on several important counts, the implementation of the [resolution] has been highly ineffective. As a result, many of the objectives of the [resolution] have remained largely on paper."
A review committee on post-graduate education and research in engineering and technology, set up in 1978, again found the state of the country's education and research efforts highly unsatisfactory. Chaired by Prof. Y. Nayudamma, the committee observed that little was being done to implement recommendations of earlier review committees, that very little research and development was going on, and that scientific and technological endeavors failed to benefit Indian society. The committee concluded in 1980 that the capacity for generating and sustaining technological growth had to be strengthened considerably, since the number of people available for such enterprises was very small in relation to the country's high rate of population growth and corresponding social needs.
The Nayudamma committee questioned oft-repeated official claims that India is one of the 10 most industrialized nations of the world, with the third-largest number of scientific and technological personnel. If the scientific and technological content of a society is indicated by national investment, number of technically qualified personnel, facilities for education, and the amount of technical services available to citizens, the official claims to success cannot be sustained.
Unfortunately, the report was ignored because of its critical tone. Technocrats as a rule do not read reports of review committees, and political leaders are kept unaware of critical studies. It is customary for various ministries and departments to prepare voluminous studies projecting five-year science and technology plans for the future without evaluating past performance, except to refer to great strides made by the country.
The scientific bureaucracy, on the other hand, has flourished. From 1980 to 1989, the government inaugurated a number of ministerial-level departments in various fields of advanced science and technology in order to give the impression that rapid progress was being made [see table]. But these departments were established without carrying out basic need and feasibility studies related to industrial and economic demands. Instead of introducing these topics and fields into university or technical institute curriculums, national resources were diverted to build infrastructure and provide administrative machinery to "close the gap" in advanced fields of science and technology.
Without proper accountability in these organizations, inefficiency and corruption have gained the upper hand. In order to secure higher budgets and better perks, science and technology secretaries have fed the leadership inflated claims about successes and have promised increasingly populist projects which may or may not be based on proper studies.
Big science, especially atomic energy and space, has been used to boost the electoral image of the political leadership. This can be hazardous. For example, in 1974 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi announced the installation of a nuclear power plant at Narora, in Western Uttar Pradesh, despite critical reports by environmental experts. This was done to gain advantage over her political opponent, Charan Singh, on his home territory. In addition to being in a high-earthquake zone, Narora is in a predominantly agro-industrial sector which does not have the kind of constant high demand for power that justifies a nuclear plant.
Working scientists have little say in determining the direction of research, or in designing an independent project. Research grants, large or small, can be secured only through contacts with those who preside over science and technology departments. On the other hand, if someone knows someone who knows a minister or the chairman of the AEC, millions can be sanctioned without much ado, no matter how insignificant the research may be: the funds are granted first, and the scientific justification for them is worked out later. A minister's chance remark may be converted overnight into a research program, whereas a young scientist or a laboratory director cannot hope to initiate a research project.
The grandiose plans have produced few results. For many years science and technology activities have been aimed at "self-reliance," but the country has not achieved that goal in items of daily use, such as toothpaste and soap. No significant new designs or innovations in rural technology have been introduced. Towns and cities lack proper transport and regular supplies of water and electricity. Fewer than 1 percent of Indian scientists working in science and technology institutions come from the rural sector or underprivileged classes. Instead of addressing these problems, the tsars of Indian science have envisaged a "Science City," at an initial cost of 200 million rupees (roughly $25 million), to house visiting scientists from abroad. The AEC and the Department of Atomic Energy consume some 15-20 percent of the science and technology budget but have failed to produce even 2 percent of the country's electrical power.
This criticism of science policy is not to question Indian scientific and technological research per se, nor to object to funding new areas of research. On the contrary, technological advancement is crucial to India. And criticism must be directed less against specific projects than against the lack of democratic accountability inherent in the science policy system. The greatest tragedy is that those who should know best-the community of working scientists and independent university scientists-have been ignored.
To be sure, the priorities given to science and technology have been reflected in budgetary allocations-and these have been largely determined by international developments, as is true in any Third World country. During the early Cold War years, India's atomic energy program received as much as 41.2 percent of research and development funds (1958-59), although this percentage fell somewhat in the following decade. Defense sciences received strong backing during the 1970s when U.S. military activities increased in the Indian Ocean. In 1971, the Nixon administration ordered a U.S. naval task force, headed by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier U.S.S. Enterprise into the Bay of Bengal, as India was engaged in the liberation of Bangladesh. The arrogant U.S. posture forced India to step up its nuclear activities, eventually leading to the Pokhran explosion in 1974. After the Vietnam War, the United States increased its military activities on the subcontinent, providing advanced military hardware to Pakistan and the Persian Gulf states. The United States increased its military presence in the Indian Ocean by stationing B-52s in Diego Garcia and increasing the number of nuclear submarines in the Indian backwaters.
The Gulf War has once again demonstrated the vulnerability of Third World countries when pitted against industrialized Western powers. The U.S. presence in Diego Garcia and its intervention against Iraq have made an antinuclear posture politically untenable in India. The war has left India-and Pakistan-with little apparent choice but to strengthen their commitment to high-tech systems for energy and weaponry. Unfortunately, any budgetary increase in war sciences will invariably lead to a further loss of funds for social welfare and education.
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