Delhi: Learning 1

bhai log dilli se salaam....
life mast hai aur dilli ki sardi bhi :)
yahan aye abhi zyada time nahin hua par 1 cheez zaroor seeekh li... dont trust the auowallahs over here...vaat laga dete hain saale!
chalo till nxt time....

yeh meri life hai....

kyun aajkal homework kam orkut jyada hai...
lagta hai fail hone ka pura-pura iraada hai...
kal tha topper aaj 40 bhi jyada hain...
lagta hai fail hone ka pura-pura iraada hai...
kya mujhe pyar hai aah...
orkut se pyar hai aah...
kya mujhe pyar hai aah...
orkut se pyar hai aah ..

Roboze 1.0

Ah...a new day! And that too a Sunday. Sunday marks the beginning of a new week, but this sunday has been really special. For as the clock ticked towards the first day of the week, we (Sobu n me) were busy working on creating something new! Not new as in inventing something but indeed new in the sense we had never done anything like that beofre. What we were actually doing would be accurately described by "assembling the geared motor set for our robot." And since then there was no looking back. When our day ended(when it was about to start for mere mortals, ie around 6 am) Akash, Sobu nd me had created the first model ofour robot, Roboze and I had the homour and privilege of christening as Roboze 1.0!!!(simply coz I was too excited to do anything else at that time!) Well that's it for now....just wanted to share wid u all the joy that one feels at creating something, the joy of one's own hard work!Till Roboze 1.1....

Thoughts

Thoughts...everyone has thoughts and I am no exception. Thoughts keep comin and going, its like an infinite loop; thoughts enter your mind, you muse over them for a while and then they exit, but not without creating some mischief. These swirling thoughts would sometimes leave you full of pleasure, and you'll feel as if you own the world. But more often than not they will leave you in a strange state. Now strange state is itself a a strange term to describe that state and this is the state I am in right now. Would I call it anxiety, perhaps no; worried no again; confused, another no! Its just that kind of a feeling when you don't really understand what's happening to you and if you do know that you have no idea as to why its happening to you!
Lost in this labyrinth of thoughts, one has to search for that guiding beacon which would help us emerge from this swirling mist. And that's exactly what I'm doing now. My present condition is one in which I for the first time am finding it tough to make a decision. For i know that whatever decision I make now will decide the course of my life for the few years at least. It may even define the course of my life but am not sure whether that's the case or not; and one should never make the folly of trying to look into the depths of future.
At this point, I'm truly alone. I have no one to and seek guidance from. My parents have since the beginning left all decisions to me. It was my decision to not to drop an year, it was my decision to choose this college and it has been my decisions that has brought me to this point. So why trouble them unnecessarily and besides I'm sure they won't be able to grasp the true sense of the situation, not that I doubt their ability; its just not their cup of tea. Now you would say what are friends for? Indeed thats what they are for! But whom would I ask; the guy whose opinion I respect the most is himself facing a dillemna, and I have neither the inclination nor the patience to explain my condition to those "wise people".
Under normal circumstances I would have taken up a good book and read myself to sleep and during the sleep a solution would magically appear. (not kiddin! it really works for me!)However as luck would have it I'm out of decent books right now so I did the next best thing: I just poured my heart out.Let's see if it works...

The Afghan by Frederick Frosyth

So the master is back! But is he really the master this time? From a debutant, The Afghan would have been considered a superb effort, but coming from the veteran of The Day of the Jackal and The Fist of God, it doesn’t quite arouse the same feelings! The book it seems swings between extremes, on some points one can detect the Forsyth magic at its work, but at others one can feel the lack of attention on the author’s part.

The storyline is current and in sync with the present world situation. It talks of a terrorist threat to the world that would even make 9/11 look insignificant. As the western intelligence agencies get wind of a possible catastrophe being planned by Al-Qaeda, they are desperate for more information. But who would provide it to them? For they have no moles in Al-Qaeda, and the secret is so well guarded that only the elite amongst the elite of the Al-Qaeda hierarchy actually know about it.

It’s impossible to plant someone in the Al-Qaeda unless they manage to pass of a westerner as an Afghan among the Afghans. Colonel Mike Martin is a 25 year old veteran of war zones, but more importantly is dark, been raised in Iraq and can pass as Izmat Khan, the true Afghan!

Is it possible for the British Colonel to pass of as a former senior commander of the Taliban? Does he have the potential to pass a test, the failure in which would surely guarantee a death ticket, but not before a journey through hell.

Forsyth has made references to the use of latest technology in the book and it seems that the modern thriller is going to have more of technology and less of the old-fashioned thriller stuff. However there are some glaring mistakes, mistakes which I feel a bit more of research and some good technical editing could have easily removed. One more thing which we as Indians would be especially interested in, Kerala has been referred to as providing a fertile place for Islamist extremism to grow!!!

On the whole I would say that The Afghan is surely not up there with The Day of the Jackal, but it does merit one reading.

Rating: 6/10

Insems!

Well finally the ordeal is over! The 3 days, when the entire student community heads to the RC is now a thing of the past. (At least for the next month!) Well newys I am not writing this to discuss how the insems were or how badly I fared in them. It’s something much more than that.

Let me go into flashback. A few years earlier in Jaipur. There’s this guy called Rohit studying in arguably the best school of the city. Well teachers are almost sure they have found the next genius, for you name it and the guy knows it. 5 time inter-house quiz champion, winner of various inter-school competitions. Period. Ok now, this wasn’t my pitch for trying to impress my non-existent girl friend. What it actually was an image, an image of myself, that I found staring back at me when I look down the portals of history.

And then there’s something else too; a question mark! A question mark as to what I have become, what have I done with my life and what is my future? What has happened to transform that studious guy into what I am today?

Well any ways I was discussing the insems that have just got over. After coming to the college, this was the first time that I felt that what I was doing wasn’t right. This doesn’t mean that I am going to revert back to that studious guy personality again nope dats not an alternative! However from these exams I learnt a lesson! I am not utilizing my potential! I don’t know whether joining AIESEC has to do something with it or not, but I feel that I have been wasting my time and now I want to make up for that. I wish to utilize every moment of my stay in this college. For at the end of the next three years, I wish to have a decent pointer, an excellent general awareness, a successful college magazine and an AIESEC legacy behind me! I know the road that lies in front of me is tough; in fact I don’t even know if there’s a road in front of me or not! But then whatever the case maybe, I’ll give myself a fair chance, I’ll do everything possible to achieve my aims. Amen!

Those were the Best Days of ma Life...

Almost everyone of has heard these words. And what do they remind us of? Bryan Adams, summer of 69! Well before the last weekend same was the case for me; but then something happened and it changed it all!

Around two weeks earlier I had entered into an organization, an organization named AIESEC and the this past weekend I attended my first ever AIESEC conference- the L-Cong! And trust me people words are not enough to describe those two days. It was something that you have to experience, to believe it.

During the conference I really got the opportunity to know what AIESEC really is, and it’s a lot more than any run of the mill youth organizations. The days were full of interesting sessions taken by professionals from TCS n Azure. The team game one by the TCS person was really great and I guess made us a more resourceful person in the process. Any ways for those who think that it was only work all the way are in for a pleasant surprise!

At AIESEC we believe in the dictum: Work like an animal and party like a beast! After the first day plenary ended at 9 pm, we all broke for dinner, and guess what? We were back by 10:30 and this time for the masti! The dance, the jives, the sculling competition…. It really was an awesome experience. One would say it would have been like any other party… but the answer’s a big NO. It was different, not only in the way it was conducted, but also in the spirit with which we absorbed, what quite a few of us would have termed as a cultural shock.

And how can I forget this! The dimension that made it certain without doubt that we will not forget this evening! For as the clock struck the midnight hour, the day changed form Saturday to Sunday, it was Venky’s (our LCP) bday! And how can a bday party be complete without some serious ass kickingJ. Well we were all part of a conspiracy to give Venky a nice time (pun intended). And am almost certain that Venky would agree to it! Any ways Venky was his usual self, and even performed babuji solo for us!

Anyways if we had thought that the L-Cong was over, we were grossly mistaken! For the second day was even better than the first day. What with us being allotted with our departments, the farewell to Noam and the surprise package: the AIESEC Baroda EB!

All in all it was an experience worth having! I am still sulking over the fact that I wouldn’t be able to go to the NLDS because of my insems…Oh ya one more thing! I forgot to mention my deptt. TN

TN too sexy for SN

Too sexy for YDEP

Too sexy for the non-exchangers…

TN.. TN… TN TN TN

7th September 2006

Are We Ashamed of Merit???

Every other day, we read accounts praising the Indian brain; we are awed by the pay packages that are being offered to the students of our elite institutes. Yet we also come across stories relating to the so called improvement of our educational system.

Why is it that we are so adamant to change the educational system which has enabled us to emerge as global leaders in the field of education? Recently there was a report that CBSE was going to introduce 20% project work in Mathematics for 10^th standard students. It was aimed at reducing the fear that this subjects induces in the minds of children. Already CBSE has done away with examinations and home assignments in the junior classes. All this is aimed at easing the pressure on the students.

Agreed there is pressure on the students but the educational system is in no way responsible for it. And besides by undertaking such steps we are only encouraging mediocrity. I fear that if we continue such measures that day is not far away when our students would be using a calculator to compute 7+5=12; just like their American counterparts.

Another issue which has been doing the rounds lately has been that of reservation and I am of the opinion that by increasing reservation we are doing nothing except diluting the quality of our premier institutes. It would do more harm than good. Reservation is not the panacea for all the ills that plague those who have not been able to reach the level of merit required for admission in the top notch institutes. Those who have reached the top have not become brilliant overnight; the foundation of the intelligent powers of these students would have been laid right from the primary school stage. Years of sustained effort has alone enabled them to rise to the pinnacles of success.

It’s high time that the politicians stop thinking of pleasing their vote banks and recognize the value of merit. The need of the hour is to preserve merit and not being ashamed of it.

A Talk With the Master......Prabhat Saraswat (aka papa bhaiya)

ok fellas here is what i promsed.....the interview wid our very own papa bhaiya....enjoy!

Did you always want to become an engineer?

Ya, it had always been my dream to become an engineer. In fact my dad himself is an electronics and communication engineer; so you can say that engineering runs in my blood. When I was young, all three of us that is my dad, my mom and me used to repair an old black and white TV every Friday, so that we could watch the Saturday movie. From my school days only I had an inclination towards science and have been taking parts in science fests since then.

What are your future plans?

Right now I am leaving for Switzerland, where I would be completing my PhD at ALARI (Advance Learning and Research Institute). It’s the second best university in the world for work on embedded systems. I am going there on a full scholarship, free accommodation and a handsome stipend. I would be working under Prof. Sammaria Giovanni and the duration of the course is 3 ½ years.

What do you plan to do after completing your PhD?

I plan to go for post-doctoral research at one of the leading labs say Bell Labs. After 2-3 years of research I would like a 1 year teaching stint in Argentina and then head back home.

Argentina; any specific reason for this choice?

I intend to make that 1 year a teaching and traveling stint. Also I have been inspired by Che Guevara (The Motorcycle Diaries).

After returning to India is there a possibility of you teaching here at DA-IICT?

(Laughs and says) Probably after enough raises and when I have nothing else to do! On a more serious note, yes it’s definitely a possibility. The new people that are coming, their attitude towards research is good, and it’s a healthy sign.

Your greatest passion apart from academics?

Music! No doubt about it.

Not many of us are aware of the rock star Prabhat Saraswat. Why don’t you throw some light about that facet of your personality?

When Prabhat Saraswat entered the college he had very short hair and this persisted till the 2^nd semester. It was during my 2^nd year that my senior Siddhartha Mohan made me enter the world of rock. I started growing my hair and during this year only I was gifted an electric guitar by my dad (it was the only real toy which I got!). Inspired by heavy metal and Rock n Roll, Chetan, Tushar and I formed a band called Igneous. We went to NIT Hamirpur and won the first prize over there.

However as happens with most of us, my mom had a problem with my long hair, but somehow I managed to keep them till the end of my 3^rd year when due to placements and stuff I had to cut them short. This marked the end of the rock star Prabhat and the return of the researcher. But now looking back I realize that most of my papers were written when I had my hair longJ.

What’s been the secret of your success?

Success is a subjective term. It depends on what kind of a success you are talking about. If one’s happy, one is successful. But if one can make other people around him happy, he’s more successful. Sheer hard work has been the reason for my success. Putting something like 10 hours in the lab and sitting alone, studying in the RC is what has made me successful.

Don’t you think luck had a role to play?

I don’t believe in luck, and it doesn’t really mater for me.

How important a role do you think a college plays in a student’s life?

College plays a huge role. You enter as boys and leave as men! It inculcates thought, reason, and a way of thinking. It enables us to take a stand on issues. For me, the college caused a drastic change of view. The humanity courses, especially the ones by Prof. Shiv changed my outlook.

Would you change your college is someone gives you the opportunity to do so?

No way! I won’t change even for an IIT. When I came here, there wasn’t even a cafeteria here. I have seen this college building. I know how well it’s growing and have tremendous faith in DA-IICT as an institution. And besides, I wouldn’t like to swap the friends that I have now for anything.

Which is your favourite book, both technical and non technical?

I am not much into reading fiction, but I do read some poetry and biographies. I particularly liked the biography of a mathematician named Stan Ulam and Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feymann!

Which is your favourite dish?

I am a foodie! I eat almost anything vegetarian. You can say that my favoutie is Italian and Mexican; since that’s what I have to eat for next few years, so better get used to it! And ya I love anything that I cook myself!

Do others love it as well?

(chuckles and says) they have to eat it! But then I am quite good a cook. When I was in 10^th I generally watched the culinary shows only on the TV. (that’s quite strange, isn’t it?)

have there been any setbacks or it’s been a smooth ride all along the way?

I won’t say that there haven’t been any setbacks. There have been a few like when I didn’t get placed for 6 days during the placement fair. I will never forget those 6 days! Then there was a sem in which I got really low SPI. But on the whole you can say that these past four years have been a good journey.

Now that you mention SPI, what do you think of the decision to shift from a 4point scale to a 10 point scale?

It’s bad! The 4 point scale was adopted because it put us at par with the US colleges in terms of grading. I guess that on large scale discrimination would be more which isn’t good. In my opinion an ideal grading scale should be fuzzy so that the guys who are lacking don’t feel all that bad; but distinct enough to clearly identify the cream. The 4 point scale set us apart from the other colleges and lent an international touch to the institute. Changing to the 10 point scale, in my opinion is a step backward.

The Design Project which we have to do in our 2^nd year is being made optional. Your comments?

It’s another bad decision! DP is our 1^st project and we learn a lot out of it! In my case, 2 of my publications were based on my DP only. DP is a good learning experience and shouldn’t have been removed.

Keeping in mind the steps the college administration has taken, can we say that we are moving backward instead of forward?

I won’t comment that hard but yes its moving in the wrong direction. People need to rethink their strategy. DP, the 4 point scale are some things which make us unique. Revoking them will make us similar to other run of the mill colleges.

Our new Director hasn’t been any of the promotional visits to the leading universities in the world, unlike his predecessor. What do you think about it?

This is indeed a serious problem. A lot of applications, despite good recommendations and GRE scores were rejected because the universities don’t know what DA-IICT actually is. The brand DA-IICT is still not established. In Florida, the situation is good because there DA-IICT is in the list of most favoured institutions; and all credit for this should go to Prof. Kutchedkar.

What do you have to say about the various faculty members leaving the college?

That’s very sad. Faculty and infrastructure are 2 things which we can boast of. When a faculty member quits, a lot of projects and research ideas go with him. This seriously hampers the growth of research.

How would you describe your experience as a Research Engineer?

It’s been fine. In the US, RE is meant for post-doc people. As a brand it’s very useful to have it on your CV. My work here basically involved checking new equipment, helping people with their projects and guiding interns. Basically it was to help in increasing the research potential of the students. However it could have been more challenging.

Which scientist/researcher do you admire the most?

Nash, John Nash! I came to know about him a lot before the movie. I really admire the way he talks about patterns and game theory. Even as a person he’s brave enough to face everything. Despite suffering form schizophrenia, he wins a Nobel Prize and that too for applied Mathematics! Whereas his colleagues involve themselves in derivative drivel, he looks for original research ideas. I would really like to follow his footsteps.

And what about our faculty? Whom do you think has inspired you the most?

Over the years I have worked with a lot of them. Prof. Shiv moulded me as a free thinking individual. And for research I guess, it has to be Prof. Prabhat Ranjan and Prof. Sanjay Srivastava.

Which sports do u practice?

Playing the guitar is the only sport that I know.

Which is your most prized technical possession?

My lappie! Even though it’s outdated I can’t live without it. He knows me and I know him!

Is research synonymous with happiness for you?

Hmm… well researching at 6 am in the morning in the lab with all the windows open and Beethoven playing in the background; it doesn’t get better than this.

What do you like to do in your leisure time?

I watch all kind of movies, especially the weird ones! I like listening to music and spending time with friends.

Your favourite movie?

Hmm that’s a difficult one! There are so many of those….Serendipity, A Beautiful Mind, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and all those Charles Coffman stuff.

How would you describe your stay at DA-IICT?

Time flies by so quickly! It feels like its been over in a flash. Looking back I would like to freeze the time at several places. I still remember those late night bashes! Its been a journey that has transformed me from a messed up adolescent to a free thinking person.

What has been your favourite hangout?

For the first 2 years it was the RC. For the better part of the 3^rd year in the night, it was the music room and after that it has been lab 202.

Something you couldn’t do in these past 4 ½ years?

(Thinks 4 a while and then says with a chuckle) so many people found life companions in college ;) and I…..

What tips would you like to give to students interested in research?

Although there’s nothing specific, there are some pointers that one can follow. Research is synonymous with thinking, thinking differently and uniquely. Feel passionate about what you are doing. Its should be more of a fun rather than a burden.

Linux or Windows?

Without doubt Linux! We customize everything, our clothes, our food, the way we behave. And if we can’t customize our OS, it’s a shame!

Your parting message?

4 years is a small time window! Time’s too less and there are a lot of things to do. We need to try everything and then identify what we are good at. Best if luck for it!

Handsome...

hmm....a few of my friends are doing their DP on a topic related to image processing....and well thorugh them i came across this cool site....well jus hav a luk n find out how much the celebrities resemble me...

Life....

We all live, we all have a life. Now this statement may sound very ridiculous to you for it was meant to be ridiculous! On a more serious note, we live our entire lives, grossly engrossed in our day to day activities. But have we ever wondered what life is? If I were to ask you all, "What life is?" how many of you would have been able to answer it without floundering in the oceans of uncertainty? Being honest with you, even I wasn't able to do it at some point in the past few days and that's what gave me the inspiration to write this piece.

I tried to find a word which would describe this beautiful gift from God in a manner befitting it. Unfathomable, a journey, a mystery were some of the words which crossed my mind when I tried to answer this query; but none of them brings out the "Essence of Life" in its truest sense. After having thought about it for a while, I feel that life can be best described as an ocean. Ocean yes, that's the word which I feel completely defines and describes the strange and yet, wonderful phenomenon, better known as life.

Life is deep like an ocean, beholding a lot of unknown, for explorers and adventure-seekers, its full share of treasures and for forgoers its simply a huge mass of water. Like an ocean, life is sometimes peaceful and sometimes full of storms. Sometimes it may seem beautiful, at others times, terrifying. As an ocean changes the maps, sometimes creating new lands and sometimes engulfing them, life too changes the fate of a person, making him or ruining him in its course.

I guess I have written enough crap to bore you all and drive you crazy, so I would stop now. Please feel free to write any alternate way of describing life ... After all many a philosophers have tried to describe this strange entity. But isn't Life just too complex to be comprehended in its entirety?

Fanaa Furore

It is universally acknowledged that every development project; be it a hydro-electric project or a steel plant or an atomic power station; is meant for the larger good of people. Independent India has witnessed myriad development projects in different parts of the country, but no project has stirred up such a controversy as the grandiose Sardar Sarovar project on the Narmada River.

There is no doubt that the huge hydro-electric project will benefit the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra but the governments and the community in large, must take due care of those in these four states who will lose their homes and means of livelihood when Narmada submerges their abode.

The Narmada Bachao Andolan led by Ms. Medha Patkar pinpointed that providing alternate means of livelihood along with houses is more than important than doling out money to the bereaved. It also exposed the corruption rampant at different stages of rehabilitation and underlined the rights of the displaced to a decent living.

Aamir Khan raised the issue just before the release of his movie Fanaa, and there was such a hue and cry. Where is the freedom of speech that the leaders are constantly harping about? Fanna was banned from being screened in Gujarat. And why? Is there anything wrong if a few, fired with the zeal to see that the poor, voiceless multitude should not be taken for a ride and denied justice and human rights, take up cudgels for the victims of the lopsided development? Will the powers that be continue to remain insensitive to the plight of several thousands who are uprooted from their homes? Will you turn a deaf ear to the cries of the dispossessed just because you are not afraid of peaceful agitations?

Sonia Succumbed....really???

Madan Mohan Shukla, till a few days back no one had heard of this politician from Kanpur. And now, suddenly he was on the center stage of Indian politics. When he set out to settle scores, with Samajwadi Party leader, Jaya Bachchan, he had no idea that his action was going to lead to a political imbroglio that would result in his own leader, Sonia Gandhi, resigning from the Lok Sabha.

After his candidature to the Rajya Sabha was cancelled, Madan Mohan Shukla petitioned the President to cancel Jaya's election as she held an office of profit by being a part of the UP Film Development Council. The President referred this application to the EC, which found Jaya guilty and cancelled her appointment.

It's always said that a wounded lion is a dangerous foe, and Samajwadi Party proved it to be true. It wasted no time in moving to the President seeking the disqualification of Sonia Gandhi, on the basis that she was holding an office of profit in her capacity as the Chairman of National Advisory Council. Several other MPs including LS speaker, Somnath Chatterjee were also accused.

Speculations were high when the Parliament was adjourned sine die on 22^nd March. The BJP sprang into action as soon as news broke out that the government was planning an ordinance between two sessions of Parliament, to help more than 40 MPs -- including Mrs. Gandhi and Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee. The BJP's shrill propaganda reached a climax when former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said if the government came out with such an ordinance, then 'the government will go'.

Without losing a moment, Leader of Opposition L K Advani and other BJP leaders revived fears of the June 1975 Allahabad high court judgment that was the catalyst that led to the imposition of Emergency. The BJP alleged that the government was planning an ordinance to change the law of disqualification, 1959, concerning parliamentarians in order to save Gandhi. Congress spokesman Rajiv Shukla on 22nd March denied the charge but no one believed him, so strong was the belief that the government was up to something.

Naturally, on the morning of March 23, the United Progressive Alliance government looked to be in a total mess. It faced a political fiasco after confidently believing hither-to that the National Advisory Council chairmanship held by Gandhi was not an office of profit.

The stupid thing about the whole episode is that the entire mess was of Congressmen's own making. None of the Congress' brigade of lawyers, H.R. Bharadwaj, Kapil Sibal, Rahul Anand etc. foresaw the consequences.

The result was that Sonia Gandhi had to resign from both the LS and NAC. However the question to be asked is did she lose anything by doing this? Her power and authority are not diminished because she has only resigned from the membership of Parliament (which she will contest again) and from an obscure outfit, the National Advisory Council. She could afford to resign because in the Congress ranks her resignation is immaterial. Resignation or no, her power within the party remains unchallenged, undiminished. She was and continues to be the chairperson of the all-powerful UPA, and that is all that matters.

2nd April 2006

My view: Israel v/s Lebanon

Israel's action against Lebanon is unjustified. Are you also among those that think so? Then stop! And think again after reading the following paragraphs.

On 12th July 2006 Hezbollah initiated a diversionary Katyusha rocket and mortar attack on Israeli military positions and on the towns of Even Menahem and Mattat, injuring 5 civilians. At the same time, a ground contingent of Hezbollah attacked two Israeli armored Humvees along the Israel-Lebanon border with anti-tank rockets, capturing two Israeli soldiers, and killing three. Five others were killed later on the Lebanese side of the border on 12 July during a mission to rescue the two captured soldiers. The Lebanese Police force in a statement said that the soldiers were captured on Lebanese land; however there is no doubt as to what reality is; all major international organizations such as the UN, the EU and the G8 along with the prominent news agencies had an opinion to the contrary.

Now lets move on to the question of whether the Israeli action against Lebanon was justified or not. Quoting the Israeli PM Ehud Olmert, 'The war started not only by killing eight Israeli soldiers and abducting two but by shooting Katyusha and other rockets on the northern cities of Israel on that same morning. Indiscriminately." I am of the opinion that each and every nation has the right to protect its citizens against any sort of threat. And even more so when an organization, which the UN has asked to be disarmed in a resolution adopted by its Security Council launches an offensive.

When the USA and England can attack Iraq on the false pretext of Iraq being a threat to the world then why cannot Israel respond to an attack against its citizens? Or is it that only the superpower has the right to protect its citizens. Oh just a minute'. against what? The false threat of weapons of mass destruction?

Many who are of a different view would say that Israel should not have retaliated in the way that it did. They would say that all disputes should have been resolved by talks and negotiations. I would like to point out to them the failure and futility of such acts. Let me quote the example of our own country, India. We have been trying to resolve our disputes through dialogue for the past half century, and what has been the result? Nothing!

I will also remind those of you who continue to bring up the fact that Israel is occupying Arab land that had Israel's Arab neighbours not continually invaded them, threatened to invade them and incited war, that land would never have been taken in the first place and held as a buffer for future attacks. It's hypocritical whining about Israel illegally hanging on to Arab land and holding terrorists in detention when organizations like Hezbollah have as a stated aim the destruction of Israel, and even before this war started have been firing rockets and sending suicide bombers into Israel to kill civilians.

Also one should not forget that it was not the Jews themselves who decided to leave their homes and migrate to the Middle East. It was not of their own choosing; rather it had been forced upon them by the circumstances, which I'm sure everyone is well aware of. And sooner or later the Arabs would have to learn to coexist with people following religions other than Islam. Where in the Islamic teachings is it said that Muslims cant live together with people following other religions. Hating Israel simply fore the fact that its non-Islamic is not justified at all. The sooner the Arab states learn, like Egypt and Jordan did, it would be better for them.

Israel is far from perfect and has done many reprehensible acts, but it would be fair to say that their neighbours, including organizations such as Hezbollah have done the same, if not much worse. Until their soldiers were taken Israel did not indiscriminately bomb civilian areas in Syria, Iran and Lebanon the way that these terrorist organizations indiscriminately kill civilians, be that Jewish, Arab or otherwise.

Besides, Israel LEFT Lebanon in 2000 after an agreement with the Lebanese government that Hezbollah would be disarmed and Israel's northern border would be safe. Six years later and Hezbollah is even better equipped than the Lebanese army itself. And now there are cries of merging Hezbollah with the Lebanese army. Under such circumstances only a fool could hope that Israel would give up the buffer zone.

The way many of us think it seems as if the Hezbollah and the Arabs and Muslims are totally innocent victims when we all know that this is not the case. Israel has inflicted a lot of collateral damage on Lebanese civilians which is unacceptable. But Hezbollah indiscriminately fires Katyusha rockets into Israel, and sends suicide bombers deliberately to kill civilians. Is this any more acceptable? And then several of us have the audacity to point out the sufferings of Lebanese people. Agreed they are suffering, but what else would you expect if you go on supporting Hezbollah; chocolates?

Most of us would not know that apart from in our own country, where the Muslims are fighting for Kashmir, there are several other regions where they are fighting for autonomy. For instance:

a) South of Thailand - Muslims living there want their own land carved out.

b) South of Philippines - Muslims fighting for a separate state in Mindanao.

c) West of China (Xingjian) - Muslims fighting for autonomy.

d) North of Spain - Muslims fighting for autonomy.


The point I'm trying to make is; if Muslims want people off their land, then they must be prepared to get rid of this mentality of " we're a majority in this city, so let's ask ( or not even ask - create terror ) so that the government of that country gives us autonomy'.


If the Muslims want the world to think that they are a peaceful community, then they should stop terror attacks in places that don't belong to them. The recent attacks in India highlight this point. What did India have to do with the invasion of Iraq, Afghanistan, and the current crisis in Lebanon? Nothing! But yet Muslims keep up their terror tactics. The above shows that even Muslims have a greed for land. And land that is not even theirs.

Again, I reiterate - if Muslims want Israelis off their soil - they have to be prepared to let their people in the world know that they cannot indiscriminately go around calling other people's land as their own.

The Matarese Circle

Hey ppl this is a review of Robert Ludlum's "The Matarese Circle".

The Matarese Circle is a classic thriller, a superb and fast paced prequel to The Matarese Countdown. Two rival spies; Brandon Scofield aka Beowulf Agate of CIA and Vasili Talaniekov of KGB. They both share a genius for espionage and a life of terror and violence. But more importantly, they both share something else! A desire to kill each other! But now they must become allies for only they possess the brutal skills and ice cold nerves that are necessary to destroy an international cabal of powerbrokers and assassins whose sole objective is to achieve worldwide economic domination, the Matarese.

Hmm isn't this plot a bit too familiar for the Ludlum lovers? Be it the Bourne series or the Janson Directive or The Apocalypse Watch, the plot was the same. But then if it's such a winning formula, who cares?

Brandon Scofield and Vasili Talaniekov have given their entire lives to their respective agencies, plotting strategies and counter strategies. Now suddenly they have become persona non grata and their own people are after their lives. In the midst of all this Aleksie Krupsky, an old time mentor of Talaniekov, warns him about the Matarese Circle, an organization that was formed about seventy years earlier in the hills of Corsica and asks him to work with Scofield, a sworn enemy.

As the duo of Scofield and Talaniekov unravel the layers of mystery, they find how deep the problem goes. With no one ready to talk about the Matarese, whom can they trust? With friends and foes dying alike, will they be able to survive?

The action shifts from the mountains of Corsica to Moscow to Rome to Paris to London and finally to Boston for a final showdown which is as fascinating as any of the Ludlum's best. The book proves why Ludlum is such a thriller rider! For all those who love roller coasters this is a must read!

Rating: 7/10