Gingeritis

I was at our local grocer recently. I do not generally typecast people, but the Oriental lady in front of me had in her basket one cabbage, one onion, two bulbs of garlic and a 4x6 piece of ginger. Her total came out to be about $3.50 but she did not have cash and our grocer does not take credit/debit cards below $5 so the cashier asked her to get something else. She searched around and finally settled on another 4x6 piece of ginger! Her total was still a few dimes short of $5 and so she brought it up with, hold your breath, another 2x6 piece of ginger!!! It was at this time that my eyeballs, which were bulging out, fell to the ground. Is this what ginger kids grow up to be?

Somebody answer the phone

I always wonder what the Indian Consulate does. It is supposed to have two purposes. One, it is supposed to be of service to Indians settled in that country. And two, it is supposed to interact with the country where it is set up with regards to giving visas or creating a positive impression about India.

I do not see the Indian consulate doing either in the USA. Well, the process of getting visas has been outsourced, which should reduce their workload and give them enough time to, amongst other things, pick up the phone. I have tried to call the Indian consulate in Chicago and the ofice of the Consulate General of India in New York many times today. I tried to reach different divisions in the hope that atleast one of them would pick up the phone and respond to my query. My hopes were in vain. How can the Consulate serve the Indian community if it does not even pick up the phone or reply to emails. I guess the reason the visa process was outsourced was not to reduce cost, but to ensure that work got done. What sort of an impression does that give to the rest of the world..................well wait, maybe it does get across the Government message........thats India.............Incredible India!

indian visas outsourced

I just found out that the process of giving an Indian visa has been outsourced to some private company. What is the job of the Indian consulate in that case. Is this the security promised to our countrymen? A private company whose sole purpose is profit will decide who gets an Indian visa?

No confidence motion

I raise a motion of no confidence against the Congress Government. I have my reservations about the way it has handled the current crisis, especially its refusal to show any spine. It has refused to pass strong anti terrorism laws (yes we need POTA back - it is not anti minorities, it is anti terrorism) and is using strong language (and language only) against Pakistan to please the common civilians.

Their recent bickering with the Tatas (telling them that it was insufficient security by the Taj that caused this) has shown how responsible they are. How can you expect a hotel to protect itself when the government could not protect it or the rest of the city. How could 10, 20 or a 1000 more CCTVs in the Taj have helped anyone other than the news media covering it. CCTVs can be shot at. For all you know, the terrorists would have taken control of the monitoring room and run amok.

But all of this is not the reason I call the motion of no confidence in the Congress government (both at the state level and at the Center). My grouse is against the statement by AR Antulay and the reaction of the Congress party to it. A dozen terrorists come into the country, carry out the most ghastly terrorist attacks ever and target and kill some our top police officials. At this time, a minister in the Government (without checking out the facts or talking to the Home minister or prime minister) makes a statement in the press questioning if Hindus fundamentalists were behind the murder of Hemant Karkare?

Dear Mr. Antulay, lets check some facts. You seem not to be concerned with them but here is what was reported in the Indian express well before you made your statements.


http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Witness-account-of-Karkare-Kamte-and-Salaskars-death/392181/

According to the constable with them that night, Saluskar, Kamte and Karkare were going to Cama hospita because they heard that a fellow policeman was hurt there. Now, you being a politician would probably have run away form the spot where a fellow politician was injured and, therefore, find it surprising that our brave policemen went in that direction.

You have questioned, Mr. Antulay, who sent Mr. Karkare to Cama hospital and whether he was sent there by the RSS/BJP/any of their organizations. Well, it may be news to you dear sir, but it is your own party which is ruling, both in Maharashtra AND at the center. Who else could have commanded him to go there. Do you think our police officers are stupid, as you want us to believe, to go somewhere based on random phone calls.

At a time when we expect our politicians to bring the nation together, this statement is not just divisive but a betrayal to the nation that has given you so much. The reaction of the Congress party to this treason was not a vehement rebuttal but support ("what is wrong with his statement" - Digvijay Singh and "to err is human" - Manmohan Singh). Why is the Congress doing this? The same old reason........catering to vote bank politics. Trying to seem pro-Muslim. Well, dear Grand Old party of the Indian polity, its time you woke up. Apart from the few fundamentalist Islamic leaders that have sided with you, I am sure that all our Muslim brethren see through this divisive plot.

The time has come for India to uproot the Congress. Rise my countrymen, brothers and sisters; Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians, let us show the Congress the door to reform. They have sold our country. Lets kick them out and regain it.

Galli cricket

We played cricket this week in the 3 foot wide corridor in our house. That too well past midnight! Playing cricket is always fun but it has been a long while since I played the box/galli version. Hitting any of the walls directly was out, as was a one bounce catch. Two consecutive body hits was out. We had a fielder in the restroom, one right behind the batsman and one in a khopcha near a room. Our bat was the box of a laptop keyboard. As you can imagine, scoring runs was very difficult, especially with the searing spinner that the track was. Therefore, a bat hit was a run. Crossing half pitch gave two runs while crossing the bowler gave a boundary. 5 runs made a half century. But it was fun and therefore, with it, we started the Sheetz Premier League cricket championship.

I welcome you all to join us in continuing the Sheetz premier league. You can enter your team by submitting the entry to any of us.