Taming the Chennai City

I have move my blog to www.spotalks.com

I was in Chennai for least one week. The city was choked with heavy traffic from all directions. We all might have experienced if you drive in any parts of India, air pollution and traffic violations. But thats not the thing I am talking about now. Chennaiites tame city traffic not by using Toyota or Hyundai car but by using Indian made Bajaj Pulsar and Discover.

If you happen to travel with experts then I guarantee you that you will definitely have a pleasurable ride. One such driver is my cousin and uncle. They are brilliant in driving any vehicle. Especially my Cousin has the knack of taming any traffic on the planet. He just crusade through city traffic in minutes and reach the destination faster than Toyota and Hyundai car.

US Policy on Islam

I have moved my blog to www.spotalks.com

This article is published in "The viewspaper" and the link is http://theviewspaper.net/us-policy-on-islam/

The most debated issue on the planet right now is obviously the United States of America’s relationship with the Islamic world and Islam religion. It is purported that US president Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo University has started new age of reconciliation between Americans and Muslims. This may be true although it received mixed reviews. Some people from the Islamic world have hailed his speech as one of the most significant step in softening the hostilities between west and Islam. The relationship ,that was derailed and badly battered by Bush administration.

September 11, 2001 attack on the America’s World Trade Centre and pentagon caused the rift in the relationship with Islam. Since the 2001 terrorist attacks, Mr. Bush has consistently said that Islam is a religion of peace and warned against anti-Muslim prejudice. Yet he also nominated Daniel Pipes to a government institute, a scholar, who has enraged many American Muslims by suggesting that mosques are breeding grounds for militants and that Muslims in government and military positions should be given special attention as security risks. Bush policy towards Islam is basically based on the prism of Middle East politics whereas majority of the Muslims exist outside the Arab.

Former President Bush has adopted neoconservative foreign policy agenda that viewed Islamic fundamentalism as the gravest threat to national security.

”President Bush has clearly tried to make a distinction between Islam the religion and the actions of Muslim extremists,” said John L. Esposito, a professor of religion and international affairs at Georgetown University. ”But there’s a dissonance between what the president says and what his domestic and international policies have been.”

Former president George Bush has given several speeches on the Islam and US foreign policy towards Muslim world. But nothing has yielded good deeds instead it led to piling of foes. ”One day you get a signal from the administration that Islam is a religion of peace and of tolerance to the Muslim community,” said Omar Ahmad, chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group. ”More of the time you get the other signal- the silence of the administration over comments made by evangelical Christians.”

He invaded Afghanistan pledging to decimate the terrorist outfits but he had to face a defeat instead. Iraq war was solely based on the delusion of dismantling the weapons of mass destructions. He overtly said that intelligent agency have given wrong information about the weapons of mass destructions but successfully overthrown the ruthless leader Saddam Hussein. This war has not only provoked widespread anger but has exposed the vulnerabilities in the Islam itself too. The divisions between Shia and Sunni have led to uncontrolled insurgency. Only after tripling the troop levels to millions American military is able to contain the militants. But when Obama announced pull out from Iraq, apparently violence has increased drastically.

In the middle of this entire crisis, United States is never considered to be a friend in the Islamic world due to its unbreakable bond with Israel as described by President Obama. US policy towards Israel and Palestine is always considered to be a logger head in the improvement of the relationship towards other Islamic countries. America has banned several militant groups operating from Palestine region such as Hamas, Fata. This has also provoked anger among Palestinians against US. America was widely blamed for giving tacit approval to Israel to continue its settlements in controversial regions such as Jerusalem, West Bank and Ghaza. So US always found hard to play a credible negotiator in the Middle East peace process.

Islamic Republic of Iran is another foreign policy issue for US when it comes to dealing with Islam. America says it is against any country which produces nuclear weapons. Iran however claims that it needs nuclear power to meet its energy demand. USA has overtly denied and remarked Iran is building nuclear weapons in stealth. America has used its diplomacy in UN Security Council to bring economic sanctions on Iran. This has caused strife political rivalry between the US and Iran.

Midst of these problems, Barack Obama ran a historical presidential campaign that he will seek new beginning with Islamic world once he will be elected as president. After the election, he proactively worked with his foreign policy experts and posted envoys to the Middle East to sort out the problem. Ongoing crisis in Pakistan due to the Taliban insurgency is again challenging his military as well as diplomatic power. Obama said in Ankara, United States of America will never be at war with Islam. This changed tone of US president has raised hopes that America will be a credible negotiator in the Middle East peace.

Besides that, US has changed its stand on the Israeli settlement and publicly said that Israel should stop its relentless settlements and also accept the two state solutions. Though, Israel has not heeded the US request, political analyst foresee an empowered US to force Israel to contain the settlements. American president Obama’s speech in the Cairo University lucidly mentioned that US will never accept violence in any form. So if Palestine really wants peace in the region, they are obliged to relinquish their violence.

US military expansion in Afghanistan has pushed the Taliban to the North West tribal region of Pakistan; this has led to increased insurgency in the region and caused instability to the current civilian government. So people of Pakistan see USA as ruthless military power which wants to kill millions of Muslims. But president Obama’s speech in Egypt clearly said he is also committed to the economic development of the Pakistan. The civilian government of Pakistan is a staunch supporter of US policy in the region; this has provoked unstopped anger in the tribal regions and urged several civilians to join the militant groups.

Barack Obama currently faces a humongous challenge in dealing with Islamic world. He has correctly defined that Islamic world is not just Arabs but also of the Muslims in other region. His background has given him an upper hand in solving some of the problem of Middle East and other regions. But USA, for longtime, has been viewed by Islamic world as a hegemonic super power which wants to crusade the Islamic countries. Obama’s changed tone may bring peace if he can at least divulge some of the rhetoric speeches into deeds. Let hopes this president will have the guts and brains to solve problem for once and forever.

Enchanting Singapore

I have move my blog to www.spotalks.com

What comes to your mind when you think about Singapore? It is a bustling dynamic city with multi-racial society, confluence of east and west, international cuisine and predominantly workaholic people. There is a lot more than this. It is one of the favorite destinations for tourists around the world. Every year, around 8 million visitors pay visit to Singapore and contribute around $11 - $12 billion dollars in revenue. It is a huge money spinning industry so sincere that Singapore government has given several incentives for the tourists. It is a common perception of people who visits Singapore that the landscape changes drastically every six months. True to its changing spirit, the government has planned two integrated resorts and casino in famous Sentosa Island which will be completed by 2010.

The orchard road has eclectic collection of goods which will definitely attract shopaholic as well as normal people. China town provides a unique tour of the popular cultures of China and its cuisines. If you want to relax your body and soul, China town is the best in Singapore for massage. There are several other destinations suitable for family and children such as Sentosa, Little India, Singapore Zoo and Bird’s park, Singapore Botanical Garden, City Hall and Raffles. Each place is very unique and showcases its roots of origin in an organic way. Sentosa is a manmade island located away from the busy city and gives brilliant ambience for family members to chill out in silvering beaches and theme park.

Little India, as the name suggest exhibits Indian settler’s culture and their quintessential cuisine in Singapore. If you die for good spicy Indian food, this is the place you have to be. Variety is the right word to describe Singapore’s place of interest. If you want to see real animals and birds in a man built zoo and bird’s park, do not hesitate to visit Singapore Zoo and Bird’s Park. Night Safari in Singapore Zoo is way different from the Safaris you might have gone in India. If you are an avid fan of history, there is also place for you to quench your thirst. You should not miss the opportunity to visit Asian Civilizations Museums, Old Tao Nan School, Singapore Art Museums and fort Siloso.

Singapore is a home to two prestigious universities, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Government has built unparalleled universities to compete with the globalized world. If you are a serious student or a parent who wish your children to study in a good university, why not check out the infrastructure and ambience. Singapore is not just the place for nerds and geeks but also was ranked 2^nd in the night life according to Annual Country Brand Index 2006. There is a proliferation of night clubs, pubs, bars located in the surrounding areas of Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Riverside. Fun loving youth who wants to shake their legs and hit the floor obviously need to visit these places to experience the enchanting experiences Singapore can offer.

You may think Singapore is a very small city there could not be any adventurous places to visit but for your amazement; Singapore has couple of adventurous places to visit. Government of Singapore strives hard to reserve natural parks and small islands untouched for adventurous activities. One such place is Pulau Ubin situated in the north east of Singapore hosts a lot of adventurous sports such as cycling, trekking, etc. You may also find small villages while exploring Ubin. Weather is really pleasant in the evening so try visiting in the evening.

Apart from all the pleasant things about Singapore, there are also head ups too. It is advisable to visit in the month of July since it is a mild summer compared to India. There are cheap budget airlines also available from India. Money is really a big deal for Indian travelers. The budget of $2000 Singapore dollars will be sufficient to fulfil your dreams. Mindful of exchange rate before traveling to Singapore, current exchange rate is hovering around 32-33 Rs. The most important thing for Indians to take note is politics in Singapore. It is not a democracy like India, so do not shout out your opinions in the public place. Littering, spitting, not obliging to the rules and regulations will be heavily penalized in Singapore. If you have your facts and money right, you can obviously have a blast in Singapore.

Who’s Your City? By Richard Florida

I have move my blog to www.spotalks.com

This article is published in the viewspaper and the link is http://theviewspaper.net/who%e2%80%99s-your-city-by-richard-florida/#more-6198
In 2008, a book “Who’s your city? ISBN 0465003524” was written by Richard Florida, an American urban theorist to challenge the idea of globalization. If someone had read the nonfiction book “The world’s flat” by The New York Times columnist, Thomas L. Friedman and got convinced by his radical ideas on the flattening of the world, then you should definitely read this book to consider the ambivalence of the globalization. To understand the concept of this book, we should first understand the economics of globalization and its ramifications. Globalization has equipped far flung regions from once impoverished like China and India to connect with the west and also eventually challenge them in the creative economy.

In the west, the word “Bangalored” is much hyped for the information technological innovations it provides to them. China is now considered to be the manufacturing hub of the world. Likewise several different places once impoverished are now plugging and playing with the American and European economics. So, the common deduction based on these developments is that the world is getting flatter than before. Moreover, these developments have also led to the sudden spurt of mega cities like Shanghai, Bangalore, Dubai, etc. But Richard Florida in his book has denied the flatness by facts and figures to conclude that the world is rather spiky.

He says where you live in this globalized world actually matters more than before. In his book, he puts forth cogent arguments on how only the spiky regions from USA, UK, Europe, Singapore, China, India, etc. contribute substantially to the economic development of the world. For example, people who stay in Bangalore have more opportunities to create and innovate than anywhere in India in IT sector. Mega regions such as New York, London, Singapore, Sydney, Shanghai and very recently Mumbai compete among themselves for the pie in finance sector. The reforms done in any one of these cities will adversely affect the competition in other cities. The same principles also apply to other sectors like manufacturing, services, and agriculture.

Location is not only important in economic benefits in the creative economy but also for the other lifestyle purpose. Large population of single people in a place naturally attracts other single people from different regions to flock to that place. For example, there is usually a proliferation of night clubs and pubs where there is large number of single people.

Richard Florida’s insights on the location are interestingly important and make sense in Indian context when we face lack of political will to proactively fulfill the infrastructure in our megacities. His book explores important decisions every human being makes in his/her life like where to live, how to live, whom to live with. But most people tend to focus less on the location of their living. He explains where to live is the most important decision of the life since everything else comes on the way. It is also true in Indian context, like for example if you decide to succeed in the world of finance then you should probably choose to go to Mumbai to gauge the competition and hone your skills for the job. But if you do not go to Mumbai and clamor for the success then it is a distant dream. So, Location is the most important thing in this information rich world.

Richard Florida might have convinced people on the economic opportunities that each city provides but he didn’t ponder much on the economic impact of this congregation. He gave very little focus on the policies of why this urban area particularly attracts certain people. Some things will always be dependent on physical proximity, but it would seem that industries which can take advantage of the new electronic mobility will be growth industries. As for the people who love the peace and tranquility of the countryside or village Richard Florida’s “Who’s your City” is exuberantly urban minded. Nevertheless, this book is worth a read for people who love urban life and want to know which city will better qualify for their requirements.

Sojourn in India

Hello guys and gals!
Finally I am flying to my land of origin. I hope to discover more about the emerging new India and blog on the interesting people I meet in the journey and also their issues. As a rookie blogger, I am more interested in their perceptions of the current happening than mine.

A Blatant Mistake - SIPCOT Cuddalore

I have move my blog to www.spotalks.com

This article is published in "The viewspaper" and the link is http://theviewspaper.net/a-blatant-mistake-%E2%80%93-cuddalore-s-i-p-c-o-t/

The world is becoming a difficult place to live for all the living things including Homo sapiens. The World Health Organization (WHO) determined that 154,000 people die every year from the impacts of climate change (Global Warming) and particularly developing nations such as India are the most vulnerable. These numbers are estimated to double by 2020 as reported by BBC.

In India, the much needed industrialization is happening at rapid pace at the cost of resources. But industries in India are not acting responsibly to avert the plausible occurrence of incidents such as “Bhopal Gas tragedy”. This accident has taken more than 25,000 lives and also caused long standing problems to the residents of Bhopal. Indians obviously don’t want the repeat of this incident due to the negligence of Government and industry. Here is a case study to analyze the current problem happening in one of the most industrialized states in India, Tamil Nadu.

SIPCOT chemical industries in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu is notoriously known for the damage it has done to the environment. On 22 March 2008 a Nagpur based “National Environmental Engineering Research Institute” submitted a report for the Tamil Nadu Pollution Board that residents of the SIPCOT area of Cuddalore were 2000 times more at risk of likely to contract cancer in their lifetimes due to their exposure to high levels of toxic gases from chemical industries in the region. The different stakeholders involved in the SIPCOT problem are fishermen community, farmers, workers, Industries and Government.

Fishermen in the surrounding areas complain of the effluents mixed with river and sea water leading to the death of fish causing heavy economic liability to the community. Their livelihood is at stake because of the poisonous chemical wastages mixed with sea and river water without any treatment. Chemical effluents also equally pollute the soil in the region give poor yield of corps. If the companies move their plants from this region, workers’ employment opportunity will be at risk, currently SIPCOT employ around 5000 people. Governments need ample tax revenues from industries to support social programmes so it is not easy to dismantle these industries at the huge economic burden.

Contemporary India is also part of the global capitalistic agenda so it is not a sane idea to go against companies but the state government of Tamil Nadu needs introspection to avoid the previous mistakes such as in Bhopal. In 2005, Global Community Monitor declared Cuddalore, a toxic hot spot for rampant air emissions of volatile organic and sulphur compounds. The video above veraciously shows the problems associated in the chemical industries in Cuddalore.

Any serious government which wants to solve the problem in Cuddalore will form a committee or forum with all the different stakeholders to discuss and sort out the issue. The errant industries which have violated the standards frequently should be forced to shut down. The people who are severely affected by the pollution should be placed to safe locality for rehabilitation. There are feasible and viable technologies available to effectively treat the effluents before entering sea and river to avoid polluting the water. This will have a positive externality on the fishermen community.

Government should not give license to the industries which produces banned chemicals or emits the carcinogens into the air. It needs to educate the people surrounding the areas on the after effects of each chemical effluent so that people can refrain from doing dangerous activities. It is the responsibility of the industry to bear the cost of pollution since it enjoys other levy from the government.

If every stakeholder in Cuddalore can act soberly, we can avoid the repeat of Bhopal, otherwise a tragedy of that magnitude is not too far from happening. We must not practice capitalism at the expense of lives. We should make this world a better place for the next generation to live but not to extinct.

Self Realization

I am writing this entry particularly because I haven’t realized who am I completely or not even in half baked manner. If someone ask you, “Who are you?” how do you usually reply? I am sathiya son of subramaniyam, pursuing mechanical engineering in Nanyang Technological University (NTU). We may further go on to explain our interest and other stuffs. But how many of us really know our interest and purpose of our life. Honestly I haven’t discovered yet.

Many friends and relatives asked me why I choose to come to NTU over Indian universities. Did I make an informed decision of choosing the program and NTU? The answer to this question is a frank no. I didn’t make an informed choice. I chose to come to NTU for the exposure and better economic opportunities. I always had passion for chemistry but I betrayed my favorite subject and choose to study Mechanical Engineering thinking Mechanical has better career prospects than Chemical Engineering. I still don’t know whether I am right?

I do believe that destiny is always in the driver’s seat and we are in the passenger seat. So we don’t what is going to happen in the next few seconds. Things changes faster than we think. I met different kinds of people from the path of Cuddalore to Singapore. During tsunami, I met people who helps others whom they met for first time at Cuddalore. In Singapore, I met diametrically opposite end of people who are hypocrites’ want to manipulate others for their advantages. This is obviously not to brand Singapore is full of hypocrites, I personally think Singapore might have far more kind hearted people than Cuddalore.

I was fortunate enough to meet more brilliant and knowledgeable people than me. The conversations with them frankly increased my shallow I.Q by at least 1%. This is not an exaggeration because I asked them how they knew so much. Information is wealth; it may help you to explore lot of opportunities which were hidden. During the presidential campaign of Obama, Pastor Rick Warren questioned him on the greatest mistakes he had committed in his life. Obama is obviously smart so he replied that his greatest mistake was self obsession and in the process he figured out his life is to support the other people who are in dire of hope and change. These kinds of answers won him to white house which is even named as “white” ironically not to give political muscle to black Americans.

The greatest discovery in one’s lifetime is not discovering the honey in the stone but discovering himself. I am endeavoring to discover myself through the mistakes of my life and other’s too.