The slow paths...and the slow minds

So...

Eh???

Huh!!!

And???

These and many such similar words/expressions/nonsensical garbage will irritate you almost daily in your life. And the people who use them, even more. You see, today I am writing about the people, the airplane of whose minds takes more than one runway to take-off (and if you didn't still get what i am talking about, you are one of them).

You must have had similar experiences in your life. You told your friends about the funniest show you just saw on the telly...and it wasn't the groin kicking humor of The Three stooges or the useless and inane jokes on Friends. I am talking of a much subtler thing. All of you laugh. Topic finished.

And then, half an hour later, on the way back home, one of you totally succumbs to the charms of hysterical laughter...and they begin to laugh their and your pants off. What's so funny? Oh, they only now understood what you said at the time. Its cute for the first time, funny for the next, and boring...destructively boring further on.

Generally people never, due to respect for civility, human rights, legal reasons, animal rights, fear of Scientology or of the fictional "Big Brother", or of CIA agents nearby (or whatever nonsense you feel comes in this category), tell a person to their face how irritating their slowness can be. I mean, you just hatched your brilliant plan to surprise your mother at her birthday with all your family, and the slow cousin potters of to her and tells her about it.

"I didn't realise it was to be a secret from her that we've planned a surprise party for her."

Darn!!!!!

I once remember my brother telling me about his slow boss. "He can't generally understand a word of what I am saying. It can be so frustrating to know something bad will happen in advance, but the Boss just can't understand it, and thus, work suffers."

So just a piece of request to you..use the gray matter a little bit. It wont so to keep your brains well preserved for future scientists to study about its undeveloped potentials. And it will be a big relief to many people. Who knows,then I may even get the Nobel Peace Prize for writing this......

(I realise I have been rather mean in this post. So this is for all those stooge followers out there..don't kick me in the groin to extract your revenge..it will be damn painful. Also, I have the fullest respect for all human, animal rights activists, am a law abiding citizen. And i am a firm believer in the freedom and power of science fiction, just in case the scientologists decide to come after me), and am not involved with any military, paramilitary, militant or terrorist group throughout the world, and so have nothing against Orwell, 1942, Big Brother or the CIA, Interpol or any such organization. Forgive me)

Time for new reforms

20 years ago, on the 24th of July, then Finance Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh flagged off a scheme of reforms that were intended to revolutionize the Indian economy. By far, they were the most extensive reform schemes India had ever witnessed.

Among developing countries, India’s growth experience during the past five

decades has been unique. Unlike many of its East and Southeast Asian neighbors, India

did not grow at the “miracle” rates that exceeded 6 percent and reached as high as 10

percent. At the same time, unlike Africa and Latin America, it did not suffer periods of

prolonged stagnation or decline. For three of the five decades (1950-80), India steadily

grew at the so-called “Hindu” rate of three and a half percent. During the remaining two

decades, it grew at rates between 5 and 6 percent.

"Twenty years ago tonight, three top Indian officials burned the midnight oil tearing up old import controls and preparing a package of economic reforms that would slowly lead to the booming India that is widely admired today, with growth of 8-9%, 300-350m people enjoying the benefits of a consumer economy, a strong rupee, and businessmen operating internationally."

John Elliot

But today, India lies seriously in need of economic reforms. Corruption seems to be creeping into the much venerated pvt. sector of India, and it seems that while India could cope with the recent meltdown, it is struggling with its after-effects, which is surprising, seeing that man at the helm of affairs today is a noted economist.

India's burgeoning middle class seems to have dropped into a stupor, and this once driving force behind India's growth seems to be bereft of ideas. We are all dropping into a cycle, where every man has only the government to blame. It seems as if we have reached a state of perpetual disenchantment with the 'system', and, if truth be told, the political establishment does not have any new face or idea to inspire confidence in us. The Nehru-Gandhi family seems to eclipse even the Prime minister's stature in India.

It is an irony that, though the past 20 years began and now end with Manmohan Singh, he was neither in charge at the beginning, nor is he at the end. That is not a criticism, but in the early 1990s he could only do what he did courtesy of Narasimha Rao, and now he cannot do what he doesn’t do courtesy of Sonia Gandhi and the UPA’s coalition partners. Something surely needs to change.