Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Monday, September 12, 2016

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Friday, March 4, 2016

Commentary on Mr Kanhayya Kumar's Speech

Given below are the highlights (as reported by NDTV) of speech of Mr Kanhayya Kumar delivered at JNU after getting bail. The text is taken from NDTV webste, My comments, I have given in Uppercase, wherever necessary, right next to quote from his speech. Since the source is NDTV, I am sure that they have ignored parts where he abuses Ex-Army men. Only the politically correct parts should be reported, aye? So I wont be commenting on those parts.

- I want to thank everyone who has stood with JNU (ME TOO, NOW WE GOT TO SEE SOME PEOPLE FOR WHAT THEY REALLY ARE)

- I want to thank the people sitting in Parliament deciding what is right and what is wrong (I WANT TO THANK PEOPLE SITTING IN PARTY HALLS DECIDING WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG. ESPECIALLY THOSE VERDICTS ON JUDICIAL KILLINGS AND ALL THAT)

- I want thank their police and some media channels (YOU WOULD, AYE?)
- I have no hatred towards anybody, especially towards ABVP (AMEN!)
- Because the ABVP we have on campus is more rational than the ABVP outside.

- There will be no witch hunt against them (IS THAT A THREAT?)
- We have no ill feelings towards ABVP because we truly believe in democracy and the Constitution (SAYS A COMMUNIST! IRONY!)

- We don't look at ABVP as the enemy, we look at them like the Opposition (I HOPE ALL OF YOUR PARTY MEMBERS ARE LIKE YOU!)

- The best thing about how JNU has stood up in one voice was that it was spontaneous (SO UMAR KHALID OBTAINED PRIOR PERMISSION FOR THE FUNCTION BY MISREPRESENTING 'SPONTANEOUSLY ' THE PURPOSE BEFORE UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS , THATS NEWS FOR ME)

- They had all of it planned but we were spontaneous (REFER COMMENT ABOVE)

- We stand up for all parts of Constitution - socialism, secularism and equality
- I don't want to comment on the case. It is sub judice (THATS SMART OF YOU!)

- I have many differences with the PM but I agree with his tweet - Satyameva Jayate - truth will triumph (I TOO AGREE)
- In railway stations you will find a guy who shows you magic tricks. We have some people like that in our country (REFER YOUR OWN COMMENT BELOW, IF YOU SEE ANY SIMILARITIES, I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE).

- They say black money will come back, sabka saath sabka vikas, equality and all that.
- Yes we Indians forget things too soon but this time the tamasha is too big. These jumlaswont be forgotten (BENGALIS REQUIRED 30+YEARS TO UNDERSTAND THAT. MALAYALIS DO THAT EVERY 5 YEARS)
- But what will happen if you speak up? (SAYS THE MOTHER OF SLAIN PARTY WORKER (NOT COMMUNIST) IN KANNUR)
- Their cyber-cell will release doctored videos and count condoms in your dustbins (THERE WAS A FAKE VIDEO IMPLICATING ABVP MEMBERS. I WONDER WHOSE BEHIND THAT!)
- This is a planned attack to delegitimise the UGC protests, to prevent justice to Rohith Vemula.
- But let me just say it is not easy to get admission in JNU neither it is easy to silence those in JNU.
- You cannot dilute our struggle.
- They say soldiers are dying on the borders - I salute them (I TOO SALUTE THEM)

- I want to ask the BJP lawmaker who said in Parliament that soldiers are dying on the border - is he your son or brother? (IS HE THE SON OF YOUR LEADERS? KERALA COMMUNIST PARTY HAS, FOR LONG, CAMPAIGNED AGAINST SELF FINANCING COLLEGES. CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY CHILDREN OF THEM LEADERS ARE ACTUALLY STUDYING IN SUCH INSTITUTIONS)
- He is the son or father of the farmer who is dying of drought (EXACTLY!)

- Do not create a false debate in this country (EXACTLY)
- Who is responsible for their deaths?
- We will not rest till everybody has an equal right to prosperity.

- We are not asking for freedom from India because India has not colonised anyone (YEAH, SINCE THATS SETTLED, YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE TIBETAN PROTESTS AND THE KASHMIRI PANDITS (THEY ALSO WANT FREEDOM IN INDIA) PROTESTS)

- The man fighting on the border, perhaps he wanted to study but he couldn't get to JNU (REFER COMMENT ABOUT SELF FINANCING COLLEGES)
- You want to silence one Rohith, today look how big that revolution has become.

- I realised one thing in jail. We people of JNU speak in civilised voices, but we use heavy terminologies (THESE INTELLECTUALS!!)

- Perhaps it doesn't reach the common man. We have to establish communication with the common people (OH IT REACHES THE COMMON MAN. THATS WHY 97% OF THEM VOTED YOU OUT!)

- We will bring Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas for real (REFER YOUR MAGICIAN COMMENT ABOVE AND IF YOU HAVE TIME, TALK TO PEOPLE IN BENGAL WHEN YOU GO FOR ELECTION CAMPAIGNING. FOR 30+ YEARS YOUR PARTY RULED THE STATE. TELL ME HOW THEY BROUGHT SABKA VIKAS!)

- Today the honourable PM was talking about Stalin, I say Modi ji speak about Hitler too sometimes. Or maybe Mussolini? (AND YOU CAN TALK ABOUT STALIN, MAO, CASTRO, NORTH KOREA, THE ETERNAL POLAND AND SO ON AND SO FORTH!)

- He speaks of Mann Ki Baat but doesn't listen.
- What is happening today in the country is very dangerous(I AGREE)
- It is not about one party, one news channel (YEAH, YOU ARE RIGHT. IT IS ABOUT JUST ONE PERSON)

- I have never told this to anybody but my family makes Rs3,000. Can you imagine somebody like me doing a PhD in any other college? (I HAVE BEEN HEARING THIS SINCE THE DAY OF YOUR ARREST. WONDER HOW THIS STORY GOT OUT THEN!POOR FELLOW AND ON THAT SUBJECT, HOW ARE YOU THEN DOING PHD IN JNU?)

- And they are calling anybody who stands up for this, traitor? (IF THIS IS THE KIND OF STANDING UP, PEOPLE MAY CALL YOU THAT)
- What kind of a self-proclaimed nationalism is this?

- I want to remind our government that 69 per cent voted against you (I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT 97% OF PEOPLE VOTED AGAINST YOUR PARTY IN THE ELECTIONS, AS PER ELECTION COMMISSION WEBSITE)
- Just 31 per cent voted for you and some of them were caught up in your jumlas (REFER PREVIOUS COMMENT)
- And today they are running a distraction campaign so that people don't ask them the real questions (MY POINT EXACTLY)

- RSS mouthpiece The Organiser did a cover story on JNU.
- If they can reason in a debate why JNU should be shut for four months, I will agree with them.
- They want to suppress the voice of dissent but I want to tell them, you will never be able to do that.

- Once again let's raise slogans for freedom - not from India, but within India (KASHMIRI PANDITS WILL JOIN THE CALL)
- Freedom from hunger, poverty, the caste system - all of that
(OF THE FIRST TWO, YOU CAN TALK TO BENGALIS, IF THERE ARE ANYONE LEFT (LAST TIME I CHECKED MOST OF THEM HAVE COME TO KERALA FOR JOBS) HOW THE PARTY OF COMMON MAN FREED THEM FROM POVERTY AND HUNGER. WHEN YOU MEET PB LEADERS, YOU CAN ASK THEM ABOUT CASTEISM AND IF YOU MEET ANY PB MEMBER FROM BACWARD COMMUNITY, HE WILL BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THE PARTY POSITION TOO. IF THATS NOT ENOUGH, YOU CAN READ THE FB POST OF YOUR ROLE MODEL ROHITH. CHECK HIS POST ON 28 NOV 2015. I WILL POST AN EXCERPT HERE:

" His Highness Mr.Yechury talking about Reservations in Private Sector at the constitution day session is funny, to say in politest way. When he was delivering a talk in HCU, he told that 'If his party finds eligible Dalit leaders, they would be sure taken into CPI(M) politburo', when questions were raised at the absence of Dalits in it for 51 years now..........There is still a 'search' of talent in Dalits according to him. And now he wants reservations in private sector. I am of this doubt that Yechury sees his party as a 'private' agency."

I REST MY CASE

#KanhayyaKumar #Kanhayya #JNU #CPIM

Monday, February 29, 2016

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Sunday, January 24, 2016

BookWeek - Post 1 : The Source

Off late, I have been spending more than normal time to reading books; particularly of Indian authors. Although there is a bunch of yet to be read Malayalam books gathering dust in our bookshelf, I chose English books to rekindle the old habit purely because of their availability in the electronic form and all the benefits that come with that medium. I re-purposed an old tablet (why spend on a Kindle when you have the power of Android?) specifically for e-reading and have successfully completed 4 books in the 4 weeks. So I thought of sharing my ventures into the unknown world of 'pixeletters' so that if there is anyone like me, who wants to pick up on the habit can benefit from my experiences. This is the first of 4 episodes and deals with the most important component for a e-Library setup: e-Books. Please note that I have written within the Indian Context and readers/residents of other regions may not find this post illuminating.

From where can we get e-Books, legally? If you had asked me that question couple of months back, I would have listed 4 sources. Since one of them has been closed down, here are the remaining three sources (In my order of preference)
  1. Amazon Kindle Store
  2. Kobo
  3. Google Play Books
If you are wondering where did Flipkart go, well, it's the one that has been closed down. Last month, Flipkart closed its e-books store and all the purchases were transferred to Kobo India Store. 

Amazon
As you can see, of the three, Amazon is my first preference purely because I have found amazon to be more economical of the three. Amazon offers a good selection of Indian and International Authors and you can find almost anything in their catalogue (from my experience).

Another reason to love Amazon is their new subscription plan:   Amazon Unlimited. For a monthly fee or annual fee, you can download and read books from their 'Unlimited' catalogue free of charge. A subscriber can retain a maximum of 10 books at a time and have to 'return' one book to add a new one, similar to the system followed by Libraries. I have to say that at this point of time, their 'Unlimited' catalogue is pretty limited and don't have much variety. But you will see many Indian authors in the mix. I have been reading some Indian Mythology inspired thrillers and 'Unlimited' offers a fair share of those for rental. I hope that Amazon will expand its Unlimited collection in the coming months.

Amazon offers apps for Android, iOS, Windows and Web for reading although I don't recommend Kindle apps, at least for Android (More on that in another episodes)

Kobo
Kobo has been around for some time and like Amazon, they also sell specialized e-readers along with e-books. From my experience, Kobo is much more expensive than Amazon. That being said, it’s always good to check in once in a while to see if they are running any promotional offers where you can get books from your wish list at a discounted price. I checked into Kobo only to move my Flipkart library and have not made a single purchase, yet.

Kobo also offers its reading and store app for all the major platforms and again, I use prefer another app over Kobo's.

Google Play Books
Google's store would have been the best of lot, lest for the price. Indians are a very cost conscious bunch unless you bring down the cost, not many people are going to use your service. It seems Google and Kobo have not yet realized that yet. I haven't made any purchases from Google store and like to keep it that way.

The above three are the legal sources for e-Books and hence the books they sell are DRM protected (encrypted). You can always find almost any book in DRM free Format (especially of international authors) in Torrent sites. Considering the cost, even of an e-book, you cannot blame people going for the Torrent option that an eBook store.

DRM and Other Stuff

Now to some corporate conspiracy stuff. When we buy a printed book, it becomes our property. But when we buy an eBook, we only get a right to read it. There is no transfer of ownership. We have to use a particular software or app provided by the eBook store to read the book because the eBook is their proprietary encrypted format. This means that Kindle App won't be able to read a Kobo book and vice versa. We have to install multiple apps if we have books from multiple catalogues in our possession. But in the e-World, there is a solution for every problem and more on the that in the next episode!