When the biggest direct democracy of the world undergoes it’s election exercise, the whole world watches in awe, hoping that it’s ever so proactive citizens will wake up to the challenge and choose an able representative for this booming economy and a vibrant young crowd. But despite the big advertising campaigns the film stars and cricketers. The ‘pappu’ taunts and the ‘Dot is Hot’ crusades turned out to be nothing but a gimmick as the financial capital of India which had suffered the biggest terror attack in the country last year just managed a meager 43.5%, not only that, Delhi which also suffered a series of bomb blasts in 2008 was confused weather to press the button or not, the outcome was 50% votes. All this combined with the fact that the 15th assembly elections come at probably the most crucial time, globally. The recession, rising communal terrorism and a global interest loss in the two Asian giants are just the face of the problematic serpent…
On the contrary (and to my surprise) the youth has reacted in a very abash manner, this was a point where we, as youngsters could have proven a point, by going forward in full flow and stemming the roots of violence and injustice. We could have stopped the illicit ‘Behenji’ from spreading the roots of caste based politics; we could have stopped the incognito communal ‘Ram sene’ and ‘Shiv Sena’ from ruining the basics of a violence gratis communal and free for all society. We could have made the retirement of the so called ‘old horses’ of the IPL (Indian Political League) possible. But no, we chose to enjoy a long weekend…
The role of youth in this situation should have been as clear as water but why would they pay heed to the ailing nation?
I reacted quite strongly against a divulging status message on the social networking site ‘Facebook’ by an ex colleague from my institution. The message said something about abolishing democracy as the ‘Netas’ do not know how to use power and the people do not know how to vote. This lead to a livid discussion amongst us, the excerpts of which are given below:-
Ayush Dixit at 5:16pm May 8
What this country needs are more unemployed politicians...
But what has come over you Nirala?
Vaibhav Narula at 5:33pm May 8
Dumb democrat system!! No one has any idea about the political imbalances of our so called democratic imbalances still people are voting
Vaibhav Narula at 5:39pm May 8
R&D Funds for life sciences, biotech for more info visit our dumb DBT national site www.dbtindia.nic.in
Vaibhav Narula at 5:40pm May 8
@Ayush previous message
Ayush Dixit at 5:40pm May 8
What do u want? An autocracy? So that the rich rule and suck the blood of poor? Open ur eyes and see the state of Nepal, and if u think we should adopt a Presidential Democracy, not happening... what we need to do is to STOP blaming the system and get into politics.. We Change India Changes...
Vaibhav Narula at 5:47pm May 8
@ayush i want a proper legible political system with educated politicians n responsible voters ....u voted let me guess not!! n wt bout china....
Ayush Dixit at 6:04pm May 8
And you think that will happen overnight? No country can educate its population overnight specially if it was a slave for 150 years. Your insinuations are amusing, yes i voted, I had to go back to Bhopal for a day taking a holiday from my office. And as for China, Vaibhav, you are talking about a communist country which is still struggling to undertake democracy over economy.. In other words, its just a ruthless animal with a lust for blood... I don't think that would be your dream for India. Right?
Vaibhav Narula at 6:25pm May 8
Right.....but one must understand the narrow line which sevaralises democracy republic practiced n democracy ideology we studied in our civics book .........i have firm believe in true democracy ideology!
Vaibhav Narula at 6:27pm May 8
@Ayush ...you voted :)
Ayush Dixit at 6:36pm May 8
You fail to comprehend my point Vaibhav, the whole country is trying to get rid of the pseudo-democracy tag that posses but in vain, the 50% turnout here in Jaipur proves it. As for the compliance of the Civics in our books, one must strive as the system needs leaders, you and me... Only then true democracy can be obtained. Unlike what you put forward in your previous status messages that we should outrightly abolish democracy. Eye for an eye jus makes the world blind.
Ayush Dixit at 6:38pm May 8
Yes buddy... I voted and I always will. Till the time I am alive. No matter where I reside on the face of this Planet. I will change my Country.
The conversation between me and my colleague is just one example of the many disputes that a young mind faces in these times of irregularities. It is but us who should finally decide. We are hard working people who need success and strive hard for it, if we work as hard as maybe just 10% for the betterment of our country, we can make a difference.
The change beckons you.
If you support the cause and my ideology please send in your neo-generis to:-
Since November 26, 2008 many Indians, along with others around the world, have been preoccupied with the why of what happened. We wonder how Islamists could kill themselves and innocent people, believing they are doing this in the name of God. But terrorism is not new and exists everywhere. The radicalism of the late 1960s spawned its own terrorist movement, the Weather Underground. More recently the Unabomber-a lone individual with a history of mental illness-carried out successful terrorist operations and eluded capture over a period of many years. We saw another example in Hyderabad in 2007. Terrorists have come from religious fundamentalist organizations, social protest groups, and radical political movements, both of the left and the right. Although many of the terrorists have been poor and uneducated, others have come from affluent, privileged circumstances. The fact that nearly all are late adolescents or young adults (or started their terrorist careers during this phase of their lives) raises the question as to whether there is something about youth that makes the lure of an ideology that promises a perfect society, together with the prospect of the violent overthrow of the existing world order, irresistible. If there is, can anything be done about it? This chapter is an attempt to explore this question and its implications.
“TERRORISM” What Constitutes Terrorism?
The simplest definition of terrorism is: "the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives". However, the differentiation between terrorism and legitimate political struggle is not easy. The saying, "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" illustrates the difficulty in knowing where to draw the line.
Terrorism is not a new phenomenon. The origin of the word terrorism comes from the period in France after its revolution, which became known as "the Terror." Terrorist groups have existed in the United States in many forms; examples include ecoterrorists, rightist militias, the Ku Klux Klan, Black Panthers, Weather Underground, and militant antiabortion groups. Worldwide examples include the Red Brigades, Islamic Jihad, Basque separatists, and the Irish Republican Army. We also speak of nonpolitical groups as terrorist, such as narcoterrorists, organized crime, and gangs. Although these groups resemble political terrorists in the methods they use and in many cases have similar dynamics, however they are usually thought of simply as criminals rather than terrorists. Basically, terrorists are extremist groups with political agendas; their goal is to impose their views on others. The goal of theocracy is puritanism, that of Marxism is socialism, and that of groups such as the Aryan Nation is racial purity. All have a dream of what they consider to be an ideal society, and all believe that this ideal is achievable in reality, if only they can establish control. The goal of terrorism is to intimidate those whom they seek to influence. They do this by striking unexpectedly, creating a climate of fear and uncertainty-waiting for the other shoe to drop (Post, 2002). They choose targets that are symbolic, magnifying the perception of their destructive power. Thus, the influence of terrorist groups is often out of proportion to their numbers; a small group or even a single person can have a very large impact. The term asymmetrical warfare is an apt description. The prospect of violent change has its own appeal. Destroying entire buildings, disrupting social institutions, and striking terror into whole populations provide an unparallel sense of power, beside which the slow and incremental process of political change pales. My question to the young citizens of tomorrow is.
Q. The most horrible part of a terrorist attack is
A. The death toll
B. The retaliation (In terms of wars and cancelling of sports and social ties with a country)
C. National grievances
D. Kee farkh Painda hai???
At the time when the whole world is crying foul over the sickeningly aggravating rates of international terrorism, when the aftermath of Ahmadabad, Madrid, Hyderabad, London, Delhi, Kenya, Malegaon and Mumbai still haunt an average human being. More so, the agony and the pain of the victims which, I daresay (still alive) resides in the chasm of their eyes. But my question, (if you are reading this or not) is, What is it to you? Does it affect your life?
Are you getting a job\million dollars\recognition of some sort by worrying over petty things such as a ‘terrorist attack’? The inability of the participation of today’s youth in the effort to curb terror activities is breathtakingly scarce.
“Youth is the first victim of war; the first fruit of peace. It takes 20 years or more of peace to make a man; it takes only 20 seconds of war to destroy him.”
Fundamentalist ideologies offer ready-made answers to make sense of the world and one's role in it. As pure, theoretical frameworks, they do not necessarily have to work in practice. They are beautiful in their perfection as only ideas can be. One need not bother to figure out how people will actually live on a day-to-day basis in a theocracy. An Islamic state, led by an imam, with strict enforcement of the rules of the Koran as expostulated by the Sharia, will result in a perfect society. If people lead virtuous lives, everything else will take care of itself. Late adolescents, with their newly developed powers of abstract thinking that enable them to imagine a perfect world, are suckers for ideologies. The price they pay, a willing suspension of disbelief, seems small to them in comparison with the emotional and social rewards they gain. “The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently”, that is the exact scenario of Indian youth at the present time, The onus is on you, it’s up to us to decide either to build a nation where “The head is held high”, or where it’s unsafe, even to shop for bead at the nearest supermarket.
"Desire nothing; Chafe not at fate, nor at Nature's changeless laws. But struggle only with the personal, the transitory, the evanescent and the perishable."
The editorial is one part of a magazine which I’ve never read, I’ve always felt that it was a waste of time reading the ideas of an old man in his 40 something wearing horn-rimmed spectacles, balding a little as a sign of intense thinking and scratching of head (a favorite past-time for editors) working under a table lamp with a dingy typewriter and a cup of simmering hot tea. But, now after reaching the end of the editing part of our own ‘Biovignettes’ I feel like the father whose son has made him proud of his achievements.
People congratulate me citing the completion of the first edition of ‘Biovignettes’, which to their surprise is the second edition of the first “Biotechnology” magazine of AIB, I agree to the fact that the first edition was unable to create the impact that the original idea had promised, partly because of technical errors and partly because of scarce publicity, but what also bothers me is the inadequate response that we got while collecting articles from students of the institute who are not only good at research in biotechnology but also in expressing their thoughts with the pen.
A seminary magazine is nothing short of a heritage, I remember the times when I used to feel elated when my name used to appear in the school magazine, their used to be a feeling of pride and content on being a part of something remarkable (the word seems to be an understatement). But what I see today, at the verge of completing my 4 years in the institute is a breed of youth which are content with just keeping their attendance to 75% and watching new flicks every Friday evening.
At this point in history, India is standing at the verge of a bifurcation, a junction between good and bad, right and wrong. A time when a capitalist country where a black was not allowed to serve a white 60 years ago, is ruled by black man with a will to ‘Change’ the bylaws of the society, did we learn something from the great US of A? Does our generation, you and I, tagged as the money churning mindless fanatics ascertain nothing of this phenomenon? The social aspirations of a youth in the 1950’s were endless, they had a new world to create, a country with emotions and aspirations, today we ‘Give a damn’, we read the 4th page of Delhi Times just to confirm the timings of movie screenings and occasionally the sports page at the time of IPL, in fact just 25% of the people of my age are aware of the fact that the Lok Sabha was first constituted in 1952.
Guys, I think it’s high time we change this attitude of ours, at the bottom of our hearts and souls we’re all proud of our rich heritage and culture, a little effort could squash the side effects of a paltry looking syndrome of being “socially naive”, terrorism and corruption being the foremost. This issue is dedicated to the youth reaction on terrorism, which I daresay has till now been portentous.
I advice my compatriots to read newspapers, discuss politics, join civil services and to the least be vigilant and true to your motherland. Try and be a vital cog in the functioning of this nation or else I fear one day, we’d all become nothing but laid back cynics with a nation without ambition and souls without zest.
“The highest patriotism is not a blind acceptance of official policy, but a love of one's country deep enough to call her to a higher plain”
Ayush Shankar Dixit
Chief Editor, Biovignettes.
Atif Aslam
He came, he saw, he conquered. His voice reverberates through hearts and his persona sweeps ladies off their feet. Atif is one of the most successful Pakistani singers on Indian soil, after his exclusion from the band ‘Jal’, he walked alone on his musical journey (as he likes to call it) Atif came into view with the song ‘Woh Lamhe’ which made him a star overnight, the consistency at which he delivered hits is breathtaking, his Debut Indian album ‘Doorie’ was a chartbuster and as he gears up for a new album titled ‘Meri Kahani’. We rate him a cool 4.5.
BioViG’s favorite: ‘Mahi ve’ from the album ‘Doorie’.
E.P
Did I hear someone say ‘Enterophenol???’ EP is one Pakistani band which I prefer because they sound like Linkin Park singing in hindi, cool beats and supercool lyrics, EP have a smaller fan following in India as their debut album is still to arrive, but we Pakipop maniacs have internet at their command, when this band hits India, it’s surely going to be a big success. 3.5 would be suitable 4 if they change their VoX (vocalist) before coming to
BioViG’s favorite: ‘Hamesha’ from an unknown album.
Jilawatan
What all Pakistani bands and singles have in common is the sufiana touch in their music, which is perhaps inspired by late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahib who led the route to
BioViG’s favorite: ‘Sab bhula kai’ from the album ‘Jilawatan’.
Ali Zafar
An artist, a mega model, a Lollywood (Pakistani film industry) big wick and an amazing singer, Ali Zafar is a master of many traits, with an amazing voice that resembles the great Kishore Kumar, Ali has the charms to set the stage on fire, and with a debut like ‘Rangeen’ he certainly has what it takes to capture all imaginations. His latest album ‘Masty’ was runaway success as his days of Masty continue we rate him 4, and rightly so.
BioViG’s favorite: ‘Chal dil mere’ from the album ‘Rangeen’.
Jal
If Atif is the encore ‘Nusarat’ Jal definitely is the hottest band to have come from Pakistan, vocalist Farhan, guitarist and lyricist Gauhar and lead guitarist Shazi the three Lahorian lads make music a soulful desire, their debut album Aadat gave the charts not one, but three mega hits, and as the bollywood musical circuit gets (ahem..) ‘Inspired’ by their creations Jal gets ready for yet another album ‘Boondien’ at the end of this year which, going by their previous records is going to be another awaited moment for us fans. Jal deserves a sparkling 4.5 out of 5 as they say- ‘Har jagah hai JAL’.
BioViG’s Favorite: ‘Teri Yaad’ from the album ‘Aadat’.
Fuzon
If there was one thing missing in the Bohemian Pakistani music it was the classical flavour which was induced by the band Fuzon. This band made a quite start in
BioViG’s favorite: ‘Khamaj’ from the album ‘Fuzon’.
It would be crude if we did not mention Strings, Adnan Sami, Abrar Ul Haq, Faakhir, Shehzaad Roy and numerous other talented bands and artists who have reinvented the taste of music lovers in the country. And we hope that this musical and cultural liaison between the two countries paves way for better political ties as well…
Explaining Besotted fanaticism to Music and more… BioViG