What is wrong with the US..?

I am from a state where there is at least one child from every home who studies in Texas, California, Kansas, Virginia, Newyork and so on.. Believe me, there is a temple at around 40KM from Hyderabad which is called visa temple. People go there with their passports so that their visa interview is successful. Not only in my State, many people dream of studying in US, working in US, living in US. People keep talking about I20s, H1s, B1s all the time. My intention is not to sound condescending at all. There was a time when I gave my GMAT and Toefl and had almost packed my bags before I dropped the plans. Studying or working in US has become on of the major goals of many people across the world. Its not wrong at all considering the promise of prosperity, freedom and novelty in the US. Thus starts the American dream for many.

After all, US is a great nation. America was the first nation to bring the concept of freedom to this Earth. The great American revolution gave rise to a 'free nation' resulting in a series of social, political, and intellectual transformations in early American society and government, collectively referred to as the American Enlightenment. They bravely rejected the age old British ideas and ideologies and were the first people is embrace 'liberalism'. They made a moral decision that slavery was wrong and a nation cannot be half free. America were the first to implement right to vote and right to employment for women. They defeated totalitarianism and won a war in the Pacific and the Atlantic simultaneously. They cured some fearsome diseases like Polio. They pioneered the industrial revolution. The merits are absolutely flawless, making the US an inspiration for many developing nations.

But there are a few issues which were stuck in my mind for the last few weeks. The first is the the recent recession. I remember reading that the cause of recession were the vast number of housing loans and the causes of the recession were so complex and nobody had absolutely any idea. But the recent movie "Inside job" (A must watch if you haven't) clearly shows that everybody knew sensed recession as early as late 2006. Many bigshots like the heads of all major banks, heads of federal agencies of US like the head of the federal reserve, federal bank and many more were involved. The painful part was that sheer greed of a few people in US caused a catastrphy throughout the world. Millions of people were literally thrown out of their homes. Europe spearheaded in implementing regulations on many financial instruments and though the US itself was one of the worstly affected countries, it did not implement any regulations on the financial derivatives markets, which was the main cause of the recession. We do not even know if US has taken any measures for to stop another financial melt down. Does it make US greater that any other country of the world?

The other troubling issue is the environmental issues. Many of us think Indian cities are dirty compared to the clean and polished streets of the US. But US is not so clean after all. The per-capita carbon emission in the US is around 18 compared to 5.6 of the entire developed world. India's is around 1.2 making India a lot cleaner than the US. The auto emission standards of the US are still around Euro 2 when the entire Europe is following Euro 5. Luckily when the states of US like California started taking the initiative and implemented high efficiency standards for the US, the automakers like Ford, GM and Chrysler sued the state that they cannot sell their vehicles in those states. These so called mighty auto makers haven't recognized the fact that these inefficient vehicle manufacturing have made them impotent to sell their cars in many European nations, which was the main reason for their bankruptcy protection in 2008. In a country where there are over 750 cars to every 1000 people, shouldn't there by high efficiency standards? Moreover, US and Australia are the only two developed nations which haven't complied with the Kyoto protocol, which is aimed at fighting climate change.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Are they really to end the tyranny and to end the terrorism? The tragic 9/11 attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon, are they really by terrorists. These were some of the many questions raised by the conspiracy theories. After watching so many movies and also some facts about what the US is capable of, the answer to most of these conspiracy theories seems possible. May be US needed constant supply of oil at very cheap rates for the next 50 - 100 years or may be they wanted to maintain the supremacy on the world. We never know.

Uncle Sam, are you listening?

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Health Naturally..

"If you have health, you probably will be happy, and if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you need, even if it is not all you want."

I still remember how much I hated Mr. Manthena Satyanarayana for his shows on TV everyday in the mornings. I woke up to his voice every day I was in Guntur and may be I hated him for this reason alone. My mom was a sincere follower of his shows and she tried to preach a few of his points to me and my brother, but always in vain. He had a huge fan base for his shows on natural medicine, mostly housewives. I never thought I would land up in a Naturopathy chain of hospitals for my summer internship and in fact become a fan of naturopathy. My last 45 days at a peaceful village in Gujarat have been a great learning in every way. The beautiful part is my experience with naturopathy. Please read the entire post as it is really useful for us, especially in this polluted world.

As our technology and development advance, enormous problems with respect to environmental pollution and the general quality of life continues to grow. We live in a world where stress, pressure, competition are inevitable. These have paved the way to irregular and irresponsible eating habits, lack of physical exercise, dependence on medication and many other unhealthy living habits. The fast lives, ever growing pollution has added to the above and is the main reasons for our immunity breakdown, making us vulnerable to many diseases. This lifestyle of ours is the root cause of many common chronic illnesses like Hypertension, Diabetes, Obesity, Heart diseases and all kinds of arthritis. As put by the World health Organization, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

Naturopathy is a system of medicine that focuses on natural remedies and the body's vital ability to heal and maintain itself. Naturopathy believes that our body has the innate capability to cure itself from any chronic disease but that capacity is reduced because of various factors like pollution, our lifestyle etc. Hence naturopathic treatment means to put ourselves back in order the nature force of life i.e. Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether, and Mind to gain perfect health. Naturopathy makes use of simple therapies to balance these forces and achieve healthy body and mind.

Naturopathic treatments include dietary changes, exercise, bodywork and natural remedies that support the body’s capacity to heal. It is the most profound medical science that goes deeper and heals from within. It removes dependence from external sources and puts your health back in your hands. Let us consider an example to understand the treatments better. Diabetes is a common chronic ailment. Modern medicine prescribes artificial insulin intake and also many pills to support the same. But naturopathy believes that simple changes in diet, exercise and yoga gives long term relief from diabetes. Naturopathic treatments include dietary changes through which intake of natural insulin is enhanced. Simple yoga asanas exercises like brisk walking are advised to stimulate pancreas and spleen, thus increasing the production of insulin in the body. Thus by addressing the root cause of the ailment, naturopathy is a competent system of medicine.

Naturopathy believes that “Sickness is the vengeance of nature for the violation of her laws”. Naturopathic medicine is defined by principles rather than by methods or modalities. Above all, it honors the body’s innate wisdom to heal. Naturopathy follows five pronged approach to achieve complete good health and wellbeing.

1. Healthy Environment: As a Danish proverb goes “fresh air impoverishes the doctor”. Healthy environment reduces various carcinogenic chemicals and hence prevents many chronic diseases like Cancer etc. A week away from the polluted urban environment at a clean and green environment works wonders on the human body. Hence they even advise to maintain ferns and potted plants in the living room as they increase the oxygen level in the room, which is vital for the well being of various internal organs.



2. Detoxification: Detoxification diets were created with the main purpose of freeing the body of stored toxins. Controlled fasting days along with a healthy diet will also help get rid of some excess weight. Diets of this kind may be very beneficial as they may constitute a great starter for a healthy way of life on condition that they are not abused. Also, there are many detoxification techniques in yoga and Ayurveda, which completely make our body toxin free.
   
   
3. Alkaline diet: An alkaline diet lifestyle will make you feel alive and vital; improve concentration, mental and physical stamina and overall self-esteem. The benefits of alkaline diet also include weight loss, better sleep. Also, it completely reduces acidity of blood which is the main root cause of many diseases. It also increases anti-ageing as the life of body cells is prolonged.



4. Naturopathic and Ayurveda treatments: External treatments like hydrotherapy, massages etc. relieve you from symptomatic relief. It increases the elasticity of nerves, which reduces the burden on heart. This also increases the efficiency of blood flow throughout the body, which helps in increasing the efficiency of many internal organs. Ayurveda emphasizes preventative & healing therapies along with various methods of purification & rejuvenation. Ayurveda is more than a mere healing system; it’s a science & art of appropriate living that helps to achieve longevity. It can guide every individual in the proper choice of diet, living habits & exercise to restore balance in the body, mind & consciousness, thus preventing disease from gaining a foothold in the system.
   
   
   
   
5. Meditation and Yoga: Meditation and yoga help in complete relaxation of body and mind. Yoga is not merely a set of asanas & breathing exercises- Pranayama, which helps in maintaining healthy body. It extends the beneficial effects on mental, emotional, social, as well as spiritual level of our being. Thus yoga gives us a complete healthy way of life. Yoga also improves the blood circulation, movements of various joints etc. It also solves the problems of constipation and insomnia, burns calories and lowers blood sugar levels. “Meditation is a delightful and spontaneous thing to do. It is the continual act of making friends with yourself".

After staying here for over a month now and witnessing how naturopathy is able to cure some of the most chronic diseases, I sincerely suggest you to spread the word. Also, naturopathy has preventive healthcare remedies, which include few diet tips and yoga, and is the best preventive healthcare across all the systems of medicine.

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Capitalism vs. Socialism

One of our many trips around Kutch, during my summer internship, was to Dholavira. It is a site excavated by the Archeological department. Dholavira was once a prominent city. It belonged to the Indus valley civilization, i.e around 2600-3000 BC. The site was occupied from 2650 BCE, declining slowly after about 2100 BC. It was briefly abandoned and reoccupied until 1450 BC. The site was discovered in 1967-8 and is one of the largest Harappan sites in the Indian subcontinent. The excavation brought to light the sophisticated urban planning and architecture, and unearthed large numbers of antiquities such as seals, beads, animal bones, gold, silver, terracotta ornaments and vessels linked to Mesopotamia.

The city, which existed then, consisted on three marked areas. Citadel - probably occupied by the royal family, the middle town and the lower town. It covered an area of about 100 Hectares. The citadel stands majestically in the centre, clearly insulation and defended by impressive guarding systems. Next to this stands a place called 'bailey' where important officials lived, so as we were told by our guide. One of the unique features of Dholavira is the sophisticated water conservation system of channels and reservoirs, the earliest found anywhere in the world and completely built out of stone. They were used for storing the fresh water brought by rains or to store the water diverted from a nearby rivulet. This probably came in wake of the desert climate and conditions of Kutch, where several years may pass without rainfall. The inhabitants of Dholavira created sixteen or more reservoirs of varying size. Some of these took advantage of the slope of the ground within the large settlement. Reservoirs are cut through stones vertically. Reservoirs skirted the city while citadel is centrally located on raised ground. Bathing tanks were found, which had steps descending inwards. Even the ground, as we were told was used for recreation purposes, had a drain on its side to allow the water collected to flow into the reservoirs.

Most of the royal families which existed in the past owned the natural resources and all other resources in their empires. They made sure that they were put to good use. People at Dholavira had bathing systems, water lines etc. around 4500 years ago. I remember studying at school about the advanced water systems and architecture of the Harappan and Mohenjodaro civilizations. It was amazing to see them in real. I remember about an other King Sri KrishnaDevaraya of Hampi Vijayanagaram. It was written that diamonds were sold in heaps on the streets, there were no doors to the houses. People and civilizations prospered. People were happy.

It reminds me of the never ending debate - Capitalism vs. Socialism. Capitalism is an economic system where the resources are privately owned. The main thrust of capitalism is that resources are owned by an individual or a group of individuals. For instance, a company can be run by one person or a group of people. The resources of the individual is used and traded solely by his decision. Capitalism uses the willpower of individuals, especially entrepreneurs, to foment economic activity. Capitalism is based on the assumption that individuals operate based on self interest; however, by doing so not only help themselves, but also propel others towards economic success. As Adam Smith put it "By directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his gain, and he is in this as many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor it is always worse for the society that it was no part of his intention. By pursuing his own interest, he frequently promotes that of the society more effectively than when he really intends to promote it".

India is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic republic. Socialism is a system where goods are owned by the state or the public. Capitalism is apparently founded on the belief that competition brings out the best in people. Socialism, on the other hand, believes that cooperation is the best way for people to coexist. The main difference between these two economic systems is the so called distribution and earning of wealth. In capitalism, everyone works for his own wealth, while in socialism everyone works for wealth which is distributed equally to everyone.

The authors of our constitution had a vision for this great country, India. They might have designed the constitution with that vision and with Gandhian era principles. But where are we now. People in the so called socialist republic are on neither side. Probably Nepotism is a near good word to describe the current attitude. I am ending this post on a note of cynicism as we all know the solution for this.

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Hunger free future

"Every 3.4 seconds, somebody dies of hunger"

Damn! This cannot be happening. Yes. This is the first reaction of 9/10 people. We cannot imagine anybody dying of hunger! Hats off to my friend Mukesh who made the above video around 3 years back. Do watch the video if you haven't.

India's performance at the common wealth games was remarkable. The joy of clean sweeping Aussies at home, priceless! "However, another kind of ‘competition’ ranked 84 countries in accordance with achievements in a different field this week. India was a lowly 67th. The field was hunger", said an article in Hindusthan times on 14th October. The report also added "By hosting the Commonwealth Games against all odds, India has shown that with political will, it can overcome problems and find solutions. With 55 million children under five being underweight, we need to show similar leadership to find a solution to the silent epidemic that is quietly wiping out generations of our children”. I then searched for few more articles on the internet and found this interesting piece "India is failing its rural poor with 230 million people being undernourished — the highest for any country in the world. Malnutrition accounts for nearly 50% of child deaths in India as every third adult (aged 15-49 years) is reported to be thin (BMI less than 18.5)." - TOI, feb 09, 2009.

Hunger is not a new problem, especially for the third world countries. Statistics say that over 90% of the starved population is the third world countries. Let us consider India, what could be some of the possible reasons. I searched for the same and found the following "The government of India's grain godowns are bulging with twice as much grain as is required, blocking about Rs4000 crore. More grain rots on Punjab's roadsides waiting for godowns to empty so that new grain can be picked up by the government". "The report said that while general inflation declined from a 13-year high exceeding 12% in July 2008 to less than 5% by the end of January 2009, the inflation for food articles doubled from 5% to over 11% during the same period." These could be some of the possible reasons at a macro level.

When I was still searching, I found this revolutionary, Pulitzer prize winning picture taken by Kevin Carter. This was taken on his trip to Sudan in 1993 when the girl had stopped to rest while struggling to a feeding center, whereupon a vulture had landed nearby. He wrote that he waited about 20 minutes, hoping that the vulture would spread its wings. It didn't. Carter snapped the haunting photograph and chased the vulture away. The photograph was sold to The New York Times where it appeared for the first time on March 26, 1993. Practically overnight hundreds of people contacted the newspaper to ask whether the child had survived, leading the newspaper to run a special editor's note saying the girl had enough strength to walk away from the vulture, but that her ultimate fate was unknown. Carter took his own life a year later, and his last words were "I am depressed ... without phone ... money for rent ... money for child support ... money for debts ... money!!! ... I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings and corpses and anger and pain ... of starving or wounded children, of trigger-happy madmen, often police, of killer executioners..". Imagine how much suffering he would have gone through, had he been alive today.

Is there anything that we can do about it? I found this quote by our father of Nation "There's enough on this planet for everyone's needs but not for everyone's greed." How true. Please do not waste food. Every rice grain few rice grains we waste would have made their day for thousand of people in our own country. We can even take many other precautions like cooking only as much is required or re-distributing the wasted food. Thinking on these lines. I searched for any waste food redistribution organisations in India. I hardly could find any. I found one NGO named "bhookh", and they are doing a phenomenal job. With hunger growing at this rate, we are in urgent need of these organisations, who can reach the needy, who can redistribute the tonnes food left over in parties, marriages etc.

Let us do our part in making this rich nation, truly rich. Because, when politicians can’t do anything, people can! And we as the ultra-educated youth of this nation, definitely can. If little things like these help save the life of a person, why not. Let us spread the message and wipe this silent epidemic of its roots.

Visit this website betterworld.net, which is dedicated to fighting this cause. A quote on the site says "If we are going to stop wars on this earth, we are going to have to make war on hunger our number one priority." - David W. Brooks, member, Presidential Commission on World Hunger..

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Sources:

A Special thanks to Mukesh for the awesome video. Hunger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4b9SNbAihQ&feature=fvw

Kevin Carter - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Carter

Better world http://www.betterworld.net/quotes/endhunger-quotes.htm

What India's growth story conceals http://www.hindustantimes.com/What-India-s-growth-story-conceals/Article1-613072.aspx

India tops world hunger chart http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-tops-world-hunger-chart/articleshow/4197047.cms

Bhookh http://www.bhookh.com/un_world_food_proramme.php

Between godowns and chronic hunger in India http://www.dnaindia.com/india/column_between-godowns-and-chronic-hunger-in-india_1401812

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Do not litter

Most of the times when we follow the "Do not litter" sign, we are glared at for our efforts! I was walking with a friend of mine, after an usual late night meeting in the library. Coffee and snacks before sleeping have become a sort of routine for me. It was the week before exams, so there would usually be more than one snacks break. We were both having coffee while chit chatting about things varying from gossips to the economy of the US. She almost dropped her coffee cup beside the road when she remembered that I was beside her, and said that she did not do it because I would feel bad! Situations like these have been occurring time and again to me these days, with another friend of mine, in an almost similar situation, said that we should stop worrying about these things and start enjoying this freedom of dropping anything anywhere in India. Somehow I cannot throw away even a tiny bus ticket after the ride is over, always wait till I get home and then throw it in the dustbin!

There is a little flashback for all those patient readers. Though I was a little conscious about littering, I never cared so much until a small incident happened to me exactly an year back, i.e in Aug 2009, when I was in Pune with IBM. We were following eastern standard time (US timings), though I had problem initially, we started having a good time with the entire office to a few of us. There was very little work and so we had lot of time for movies, LAN games, midnight walks, snacks breaks etc. The usual cleaning of work place takes place around 9 PM. It was the turn of a not so young man that day, and adding to his misery, the chocolate wrapper I threw didn't land in the dustbin. It was his job to bear with people like me and patiently pick all those. I was busy in having a good time with the online movie I was watching and he was having a hard time bending down to pick that wrapper. I realized what he is trying to do, and believe me, I felt very guilty and responsible for his painful situation. Though my ego dint allow me to apologize, I picked the wrapper and threw it into the dust bin.

After I came across the following lines in some website, the Do not litter conscience in me has even increased. "While most people leave the area happy after a night of drinking and chatting, there are others who dread the weekly gathering. One cleaner, who is part of a Malaysian cleaning crew at Little India, said in Malay: 'They take it for granted that somebody will always clear their rubbish for them." Are we doing the same? May be yes. We are making the lives of a few people miserable by littering. Its of course their job to keep the area clean, but is picking up our waste, for which we wouldn't have taken more than a minute to do it ourselves, their job?

Have you read those American or European bloggers, who come to India and start complaining "aw! dirty.. pathetic!! etc etc". I would just hate to read these stuff in their blogs. Indians are smart, intelligent and yes handsome too. But how can we stop such blogs. I searched for the same on net and the most common answer was impose a fine. But we all know what happens when a fine is imposed in India. Many of us know how to escape it, few will gain by not giving us a receipt, but the problem persists. So what is the solution?

I think it is time for us to make our country clean, a neat India, a shining India. No Singapore, No Malaysia.. truly Indian. We don't need sky scrappers or do we need American trained government workers to make India shining. Lets do our part in making a truly incredible India.

I have decided to stop littering and be responsible for my nation.. Its your turn now..!

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bit senti ?? Please bear with me.. :-)