Where is Iran headed to......!!!

*   Minoo Khaleghi, an Iranian woman parliamentarian has been blocked from taking her seat in the Majlis by the Guardian Council because her photos without headscarf have appeared in some newspapers. She was one of 18 women to win seats in the recent general election. She has been accused of uncovering her hair while in China and Europe. 

*  Her successful election stands annulled, despite Khalegi’s protests that her photos were fakes. Now her only hope lay in the hand of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who has the last word in such cases. 

*  Not long ago a woman was punished for watching men’s volleyball. A few days ago some Iranian models have been arrested for posting their photos on the social media and charged with promoting western culture. 

*   In this century it’s unthinkable that citizens in some countries are not able to enjoy the freedom that folks in liberal and progressive democracies in Europe, Asia, Africa and Americas have. The leaders and people in such must realize that regression would push those countries into dark ages.

Rousseff's Impeachment

*     The impeachment of first woman president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff has begun. The sane folks around the world were expecting the Brazilian lawmakers to delay it until the completion of the Summer Olympics, which are being held in the continent for the first time. These are sad times for the great nation, which can ill-afford the negative publicity and the political turmoil. But the politicians the world over are hardly known possess any graceful. They are driven by pure greed for power.

*     The daughter of an upper class Bulgarian immigrant, Dilma became a socialist during her youth and joined left-wing urban guerrilla groups fighting against the military dictatorship. She was captured, tortured and jailed between 1970 and 1972. After her release, she married Carlos Araújo, and together they founded the Democratic Labour Party. In 2002, she joined the committee responsible for energy policy of the Presidential Candidate Lula, who, after winning the election, made her the Minister of Energy. In 2005, she became the Chief of Staff and remained in office until 31 March 2010, when she stepped down in order to run for the President. She was elected President on 31 October 2010.

*    Spiralling inflation and rising unemployment brought thousands on the street against her policies. And her detractors taking advantage of the situation moved to impeach her. It seems the Western powers uncomfortable with the leftist leaders in Latin America are fishing in the troubled waters. Recently, people in Latin America had chosen the leftist leaders through the ballet. This change had infuriated the West because their companies had lost billions in those countries. The West loves the rightist leaders in other countries, but people in those countries choose the leftist leaders. 

*   The leftist, the rightist, the conservatives, the liberals; these jargon are for the educated. The poor folks know only a few things; jobs, education and affordable medical facilities. Sadly, every politician fails to fulfil people’s these basic aspirations. 

Grandpa's Bench.

Grandpa’s Bench

I’m on my way to my native village. It’s an overdue journey; my last was two decades ago. This time I’m alone. It’s not just another trip, but a journey into my childhood. As I leave the city, I hit the metalled road, where a dirt track existed earlier. My conscious accuses me of behaving like a gapeseed. On either side, the paddy fields interspersed with a few sugarcane ones pass by in quick succession. Now the paddy has replaced the sugarcane, which within a decade has become an uneconomical crop. The sight of the old mango orchard with bletted fruits delight my heart, and lessen my unease. For the first time in an hour, I feel welcome in my own land.

          Thereafter, my drive up to the village reminds me of the hot afternoons when I, with my friends, rode bicycles and raced with one another. Needless to say, I didn’t always win the race. If I had ever won even once, I can’t recollect. I don’t want to and lose the joy of those carefree childhood memories. In joyous mood, I drive on and enter the village. The mud houses have been bricked, and dirt tracks have been paved with bricks. The sound of a motor vehicle drew out several villagers on the street. It did when I was a child. Some things, I guess, in a village life never change.

(for complete story, please go to short story  section)...............

Discrimination........When will it end?

* It's absolutely disgusting to read or hear about discrimination in the civilized world, particularly in the 21st century. Two news items have disturbed me immensely. One, in the world's oldest democracy, and another in the world's biggest democracy.  

*    In the U.S. a famous actress has decided to boycott this year's Oscars because the awards are heavily loaded in favour of the white actors, ignoring the rightful claims of black actors. Imagine, this is happening in the most advanced nation in the world, and not in some banana republic.

*    The second news is from India where in one temple the women are not allowed to perform the puja. This is as strange as stupid, because God, if He exists, wouldn't discriminate between the men and the women. Remember, the women after God are the only being who are blessed with the power to create a life. And what an irony? the mortal creator is being prevented by the conceited man to perform the puja of the immortal creator.

*    Like million others, sometimes I wonder whether we have really evolved as a human being?

  

Is democracy working for the Arab World ?

*     It has not been long since the famous Arab spring took place. Much euphoria was created and the entire world was hopeful that the dictators would be thrown out and democracy would bring joy and smile on the million faces. But nothing of that sort happened, nothing positive seems to be happening. In most countries the dictators have been removed leaving behind a political vacuum, turning the strife-torn nations into nurseries for terrorists. Iraq and Libya are examples of the failed western policy.

*    The U.S. invaded Iraq, removed Saddam without having a contingency plan of governance for that country. It resulted in the power struggle amongst the Shias, the Sunnis and the Kurds. The vindictive politics of the Shia rulers added to the misery. The Sunnis who under Saddam had enjoyed the fruits of power were left disillusioned with the present political system. 

*    The situation became perfect for the birth of Islamic State terrorists. The situation in Syria and the U.S.'s short sighted policy and one-point agenda of removing Assad from power proved to be a policy disaster. But the Americans have a history of committing one blunder after another. From Vietnam to Afghanistan to Iraq to Syria to Libya, they have destabilised one nation after another. To fight the Russians in Afghanistan they created the Taliban, which created Al-Qaeda 

*     The rise of the ultra-right, or the conservatives in Turkey and some other countries has poured water over the growth of  liberal democracy in the Muslim world. And tacit support of some countries to the Islamic State has made the world more dangerous than it was ever.