Facts That Are Bound to Shock You, Bigtime ! Wake up & Save The Environment!

The world is growing at a rapid pace! Nations are fighting it out to become superpowers and showcase their industrial and economic prowess to the world. While all this is taking place, we tend to forget about one major issue which could sound the death knell for the entire human race, if ignored- the environment. Today, I would like to highlight a few facts and figures which are bound to spark a sense of shock and disbelief.

Around 600,000 babies die every year without being blessed to come out of their wombs and have a look at this world, thanks to the impact of air pollution and the umpteen numbers of diseases it can bring!

While that's with the babies, we haven't spared our plants and animals either. We are on the verge of wiping out 1/4th of the species of precious plants and animals which could signal the rise of a huge ecological imbalance.

We live in a world where flaunting the latest phones in the market is some sort of a status symbol. Of course, they're affordable, attractive and addictive, but have we ever spared a thought to the people who work in the every growing yards for electronic waste? The problem with this trend is the fact that we do not mind throwing away our old phones but the concern with this habit is that only a few of them actually get recycled.

So, India is an agricultural country. People in almost every part of the country consume wheat which comes from Punjab. Now here's a shocker for every 'roti' lover out there. The pesticide content in Punjab's agricultural produce is the highest in the country and India swallows the largest amount of pesticide. Having some healthy rotis for lunch is it?

This one is for the girls out there and of course a few guys too. Cosmetics are something which most of us cannot live without. However, if we could afford to live without it, we would not be supporting the heartless brands that slaughter thousands of animals for their fat nor will we be indirectly choking the environment with the toxic pollutants which go along with the cosmetics and their packing.

With all that's said, I'm sure we cannot give up most of our modern life luxuries, but before making extensive use of it, we need to give it a thought!

Reduce, reuse and recycle is the mantra!

Tax For The Roads That Do Not Exist?

If you commute to office on a bike or drive your car for a minimum of 5 kilometers every day, you are bound to face a horrid time on the road. The main reason is that the roads do not actually exist. We live in a world today where urbanization is the latest sensation, but in India it only adds to the woes of the cities which are congested already. 

In any city which houses at least 4 million people, it is absolutely essential to get the fundamentals of development right. All that the common man could ask for is water, power and roads and this is what governs the development of a geographic area. However, in India, the story is pretty different. 

Roads in urban jungles face two huge threats - traffic and rain. A slight drizzle for 30 minutes could leave you hopping on the road to evade puddles of muddy water. A reasonable downpour has the power of a lightning to drill potholes of huge sizes within a few hours. This is how strong our roads which have thousands of people relying upon it for their daily commute, actually are. Another issue is traffic which is mainly due to the spurt in the number of vehicles and poor reliability factor of public transport. 

If you observe things keenly while travelling, you will find that a majority of the roads are laid at least once a year, however, post monsoon, you are left wondering if this was the newly laid road. The major problem which revolves around our roads is the fact that quality testing of newly laid roads is lacking big time. Most of the contractors get a chunk of the contracts through illegal means and when the job is done they do not bother about perfection or quality. The authorities who have the right the to question just cannot because of the hefty share that they get to keep their mouths shut. 

We as honest tax payers have the right to demand something that we deserve. And when it comes to roads, there's not much we can compromise on! We believe. ONE CAN CHANGE!

Who's Going to Stop The Sand Robbers?

The modern world has its own share of woes and it seems to be a silent spectator to the endless list of atrocities that it has to bare with. One such issue which seems to be literally 'eroding' our country's progress, especially in the world of agriculture is illegal sand mining.

We find that the real estate sector is on the boom and this has in turn caused a strain on the amount of land that is under crops in a significant manner. Apart from this, the illegal quarrying of sand from river beds has added to the woes of this country, where agriculture was once considered to the backbone of the country.

If you are wondering as to how the removal of sand affects agriculture, the answer is simple. The constant removal of sand from river beds tends to form huge cavities in the course of the river and in some cases it also tends to alter the course of the river. Apart from this it has a daunting impact on the ground water quality and also affects the salinity which makes the river water unsuitable for irrigation . Adding to the list is the fact that the flora and fauna in the regions adjoining to the river bed face a serious threat.

Concrete jungles are being built up at a rampant rate, thanks to the rapid urbanization and this has proportionately impacted the surge in demand of sand. With the prices going up every day, there is no doubt that people are looking at illegal ways to mine it.

So what happens when people try to stop the illegal sand mafia network? It is simple. They are brutally murdered. This has been the case during a number of instances in Tamil Nadu when trucks with illegal sand were stopped by the authorities. The issue of illegal sand mining is being downplayed to a huge extent and the main reason behind this is due to the fact that the heads behind the illegal mining network are pretty powerful.

It is never too late to take action against the law breakers who think that they own the environment!

More Coal Power = Less Green Cover

The population of India is growing at a rampant rate and it is predicted that we would be living in the most populous country in the world in another 15 years from now. Cities lack the infrastructure but are getting over burdened with people. It is not only the urban hubs which are facing the heat today, but the precious forests too.

We have emphasized the need to grow more trees and protect the existing ones but at times an individual's voice tends to be to weak to brave the ills that are crippling our country, thanks to the big shots who are behind the scenes. It is a simple vicious cycle which India is currently experiencing. We need the power to run the umpteen numbers of power plants which run on coal and with the demand for power surging, the demand for coal has risen proportionately. From possessing a tag of being one of the biggest producers of coal, we are now in a position where we are looking to import it. When the demand has spurted to such an extent, it is obvious that the government has to scout for alternative options to produce coal and this can be done only by exploring new areas that have a vast expanse of coal . It is pretty unfortunate that several densely forested areas have been identified as hotspots for coal mining. This is the vicious cycle that we are talking about. Power to grow at the costs of our dense green forests. 

When it comes to planning on issues like power, authorities should adopt a futuristic approach and have a certain extent of sympathy towards the environment. If we continue to rely upon coal power plants, the demand is definitely going to increase and this will not only reduce our forest cover but also pollute to a larger extent. It is important that we think before we act and ensure that our actions doesn't dent the hopes for a bright future!

Oh Wait, Are You A North Indian Or A South Indian?

We live in a country which is claimed by me to be rich in culture and traditions in almost every post on this blog. It is indeed a fact that we are one of the most populated countries in world and also one of those countries which has a huge 'inland diversity' when it comes to the number of religions, castes, languages and so on. Before independence our forefathers were successful enough in splitting Bharat into India and Pakistan based on two major religions - Hinduism and Islam.

Today, the scenario is pretty much different. While extremism still exists, there is a slight change in the way people think at least when it comes to the Hindu-Muslim divide. However, there is a bigger picture to this divide beyond the friction between these two religions.

We as Indians , forget that we are 'Indians' at times. It is our religion or caste or language which comes first to our mind. We are so biased towards it that we blindly tend to support politicians of our own religion or caste or language, irrespective of their political performance or background. Even during times of calamity, a Hindu will give preference to helping another Hindu over a person of any other religion and the divide and bias continues with the caste and sub caste and so on. Apart from this , there are geographical divides too. For instance, people in the south are looked with a meek eye in the north, while people from the north east are not treated equally in the country and there are several other examples which one can quote. There is absolutely no end to this.

We fail to understand how big an impact it would create on the future of the country and how weak we will become in terms of a country if we do not change TODAY. Forget about the common man, even the people who hold the highest authority in this country are biased and so are people everywhere.

If we need to take a step forward, we need to portray India as a nation that stands united in peace and harmony irrespective of the number and types of divisions it internally possesses. It is all in the hands of the educated youth to bury the divide and consider every Indian to be his/ her brother/sister.

The Manmade Theory Of Life

Today's modern world greets you with a lot of drastic changes which includes the ways in which we live, eat, sleep and of course - earn. In India, you are forced into school at an age of 3. However, in the west you get to enjoy your early childhood for a couple of years more. However , when you are in India, you're probably an engineer or doctor by the age of 22-24. And post that it's a mad race against time to settle ourselves with a decent job or continue to study*. 

*This if-else condition depends on your economic background and interest. 

If you choose to work, you are not going to sit back and enjoy as your teachers lied to you. Yes, we've heard our teachers repeating one common preach when we are in our twelfth grade, " Just struggle hard for one year and your future will be bright, I promise". You believe them , you work crazily hard and secure cool marks. Once you enter college , your professors tell you -" If you want to have a comfortable life , work hard for the next three/four years". You respect the words of your professor this time and slog hard. You are now a graduate with a job at the end of four years. Just when you think it is the time to relax, training tests, performance appraisals, your 'Hitler avatar' boss woo you to sweat it out like a dog and you realize that life's  synonymous to hell and you are never going to be happy, even though your bank balance is going to keep spiking. 

So, the point we'd like to convey here is simple. We are tuned right from our childhood with a notion that you need chunks of money to be happy and 'settle down' in life and this money is going to come only if you study hard. Of course, education is important but to what extent? We spend almost one-thirds of life span for education and post that the race to earn begins. When we blindly run behind money with only the future in mind and do not spare a thought for our personal happiness or satisfaction,  we would all sit back in our sixties and think about what we did or achieved in our lives and unfortunately, there wouldn't be a single moment to cherish. You would have all comforts at that stage, be it your self owned apartment for which you paid EMIs for more than 20-30 years, a nice little car and a lovely family but there's one important thing which would be missing in your heart- that's the yearning to do what you longed to do but you couldn't because you were pressurized to gain a meager steady income, even though your passion promised you more. 

This is the simplest theory of life. Make sure you do not regret living a life that didn't live up to your expectations. Find the source of your passion, chase it down and succeed! 

If Work is Worship, Are Offices Really Temples?

Crime is unacceptable , irrespective of the person or magnitude. But what is so disheartening is the fact that people who're educated, professional and have a decent life to live, commit incorrigible acts which not only drives them to shame, but also leaves a big question mark in our minds about the safety of employees in an organization.

We've been bombarded with news everyday about women being harassed or sexually exploited at work. While a few of these stories become sensational cover stories and breaking news topics, there are thousands of women out there who simply hide such incidents to save their reputation in the society. Such is the state of women who are considered to be equal to men when it comes to the modern world.

With a steady spurt in the number of incidents, organizations are slowly stepping up the ante on work related crimes as such incidents not only affect the lives of the employees, but it also dents the reputation or image of the organization to a huge extent. However, the effectiveness of the action taken is quite questionable when it is the person who is on the top of the hierarchy, who commits the crime. We must understand that ethics plays a vital role when it comes to addressing such situations and when work ethics is missing, there is not much that one can do to instill discipline and morality in an organization.

It must be understood that women are not tools to be exploited but similar entities like us who deserve respect and care on an equal scale. Professional ethics is the need of the hour. The judicial system needs to tighten up too, to grant an immediate judgement and punishments on crimes relating to a workplace.

If your boss is a sleaze, do not be scared to stand up and scream at him. It could cost your job, but it could potentially save several other people from getting caught in the hands of a perverted superior. Wake up before it is too late..

India and Endless Woes- What Are We In the Eyes of the World?

We live in India. A country which houses more than 1.2 billion people and is known for its rich culture and heritage. We possessed all that's required to drive our nation to glory and prosperity. But where we are today is pretty much far and away from where we actually should have been. Have you ever wondered why?

It is primarily because of one and only one reason - We do not value our land, our country more than ourselves. Our life, our jobs, our houses, our families, our future is what comes first and everything else takes a back seat in our priorities list. I'm not suggesting that we should simply sit and brood about the hapless state that our country's affairs are in, but we should spare a thought and do the needful at least during troubled times like these. If you are wondering about what I'm talking about, well, it is about the 'Image of India' in the eyes of the 'foreigners'.

How often have we seen taxi drivers and autorickshaw drivers circling around the foreigners who can just stop and stand there feeling awkward? How often do we see tourists getting raped in prime tourist locations? How often do we see tourist guides wooing the foreigners to take their services and coming out with innovative ways to fool them? Be it at shopping places, tourist spots or simply any other place , we consider the white skinned men and women to be mere puppets from whom we can extract a bounty from! This is indeed an act of shame and we are not simply losing out on our image to a family or two of foreigners but to an entire country or two.

This is one of the prime reasons why our country has been portrayed in a manner which makes us stand with our heads down. Numerous film makers look at India as a spot to shoot their films on the poor , needy and the malnourished. We are looked at as a dirty place with filthy slums and greedy people who give a damn about the nation.

We do know that we are far better than that and we can outnumber a number of developing nations when it comes to our skill and competence. However, the global image is something which needs to be repaired immediately to avoid adverse effects which could also dent our economy in the future.
Wake up India, we have a brighter face to show.

Food Food Everywhere - Wasting It Will Leave Nothing to Spare!

We all work for , earn for and spend on one common thing - Food. In fact to put it straight, we eat to live. Food is something that important. More often than not, we do not understand the value of something, unless we are devoid of it. It is predicted that the same is going to happen to food too.

Take a simple example of our own country India. We have all leading food joints setting up franchises in India because they know how much we love our food and how ready we are to spend on it. The rich spend millions of rupees on lavish weddings which boast of a six course buffet, but down the very street there would at least a dozen children starving without the wealth to afford even a meal a day. While this discussion could lead to the rich-poor divide which is haunting our country since time unknown, a little awareness or concern towards the needy could change things. We could always contact a food collection agency which could distribute the surplus food to the needy. It is not that tough a task to contact these people - simply google - waste food collection chennai , and it's done!

While this is one step which we can spread awareness on a personal front and successfully feed at least a handful of poor kids and people, food wastage is a bigger issue . In a country where malnourished kids are in millions, we just should not tolerate the fact that grains and crops get spoiled in the warehouses . Just because our storage facilities our inefficient, we can't allow innocent people to die. It is not their fault but that of the authorities. It is high time we raise a voice against this.

In future, if we do not have enough food, it is not because of growing demand or shortage of supply , it is mainly because we were reckless today and wasted a lot without caring about tomorrow. It is not only India but several other developed countries too, which are sparing little thought about food conservation and optimum utilization of the same.

It is high time the world wakes up before it dies hungry!

Food Wastage - All Talk and No Action Will Make Our Planet A Hungry House!

Alright, June 5th was World Environment Day and we all know that. Newspapers came out in green color, several corporates sent out advertisements to show their concern for the environment with their names embossed in bold. The media revealed umpteen numbers of stats - one of the most shocking was the one which stated that India ( alone ) wastes food worth 50,000 crores INR every year! There were several others which took to the papers and television channels.

Most of us would've been shocked once we read such stuff but the very next day we get back to our daily routine and all that we felt bad about is history! Yes, probably we need to wait till the next World Environment Day to wake up again.

It is a matter of fact that we follow the  'all talk, no action' strategy many a times and when it comes to the crisis revolving around the environment, things aren't different. Enough has been said that people should take to public transport and cycling to curb pollution but in reality is it easy to cycle through our packed roads in a safe manner or is it possible to find a seat in a train or bus during peak hours ? Absolutely no. We talk about saving electricity and how much of coal is burnt to light that bulb in your house, but can we bare the heat during peak summer without our air conditioners on? Absolutely no, again.

We live in a modern world where our ultimate goal is to make our life comfortable and save enough for our children . In such a scenario, even though it is tough to spare a thought about compromising on certain essential stuff, there's definitely something that we can do to protect the environment.

For instance, we could turn off lights and fans when they are on unnecessarily and even air conditioners when it pretty comfortable to stay without it.
When we see that a tree has been cut down in our street or near our residence, we could compensate for it by planting a sapling in our own backyard.
There are 1000's of such small initiatives which we could practically implement and make this world a better place. It is indeed true that an individual can trigger a revolution and that's why we still believe that ONE CAN CHANGE.
Save trees, save your breath!

Employing the Youth as 'Agents of Change'

The nation is drowning under controversies, corruption allegations and inhumane behavior against women. At times, the common man feels paralyzed when he has to battle it out against the intolerant police force and a weak and slow judiciary. People with money and powerful positions are the only ones who have a say in this country which is one of the world's most powerful economies. Luckily, there is some hope considering the fact that a few concerned souls are raising their voice against the evils of this modern society which still continues to reel under power of the rich and the corrupt.

As individuals, we are only bothered about our present and future, our career and our lifestyle. Limited is the time to spare a thought about the issues which are slowly crippling this country. Thanks to a few outfits and organizations, we have been a little successful in voicing protests against raging issues which is heard echoing at the parliament too, at times.

I Lead India is one such initiative which has been taken up by Maruti Suzuki and the Times of India which aims at utilizing the power which the youth of India possess and propagating them as the 'agents of change' against any act which is against the law. Today, India has a very strong percentage of population which is built up of young blood. Hence, it is an absolutely wonderful initiative to provide the responsibility to the youth to clean up the rot.

It is high time we stop sitting back and watching news channels and voice our opinions by simply sitting on our luxurious sofas. It is time that we actually take an actual step forward.

We believe, ONE CAN CHANGE and campaigns like 'I lead India' shall only strengthen our fight against India's umpteen numbers of problems.