Allegation of Corruption is not Proof

Pranab Mukherjee said “Allegation of corruption is not proof”. Please read:
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/article40972.ece?homepage=true
What a Truism! Pranab said it in the context of CBI making some vague charges against the unknown! Making implicit charges against someone higher up? More so when A. Raja is following the same methodology as in the earlier instance? What do people and CBI expect? Not follow time-tested methods and be innovative every time? This is just ridiculous, to say the least.

Thankfully, we have judiciary to address such charges and declare the innocent as really innocent in due course. Justice always prevails. Our judiciary calls a Spade a Spade; never by any other name. If it is an intra-party matter, party high command is there to give a clean chit and close the issue. If it involves a judge, there is Parliament to abort the impeachment proceedings by mass absconding, under a party whip, thereby by proving the innocence of the judge who is facing the charges and prosecution by the media. One-step before that we have a collegium of eminent people who can remain indecisive to show some one of their ilk is innocent. Only weapon left to such innocent is to be silent.

The disturbing fact is that it took a spokes-person of Pranab’s caliber and eminence, albeit at the request of Raja, to teach the people of a simple truism. It is a pity that people do not even know such fundamental truths. No wonder census records say that India has maximum number of illiterates in the world.

People will never forgive CBI for harassing Ottavio Quattrocchi, an innocent man of impeccable character and contacts, for over two decades.

Perhaps the time is ripe to wind up CBI.

Recognising or Trumpeting?

Certain correlations found by chance arouse curiosity. Before we discuss further, look at the following details:

Hargobind Khorana Nobel (1968) Padma Vibhushan (1969) US-Citizen (1970)
Mother Teresa Nobel (1979) Bharat Ratna (1980) Padmashri (1962)
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar Nobel (1983) Padma Vibhushan (1968) US-Citizen (1953)
Satyajit Ray Hon. Oscar (1992) Bharat Ratna (1992, days after Oscar) Padma Vibhushan (1976) Padma Bhushan (1965) Padmashri (1958)
Amartya Sen Nobel (1998) Bharat Ratna (1999)
Rajendra Kumar Pachauri Nobel to IPCC (2007) Padma Vibhushan (2008), earlier received Padma Bhushan (2001)
S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan Abel (2007) Padma Bhushan (2008)
Look at these notable Indians. Except Dr. Chandrasekhar, their highest recognition by the Government of India has come soon after receiving an international award like Nobel Prize or Abel Prize or Honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement. Dr. Chandrasekhar’s case is somewhat atypical in the sense Nobel Prize awarding committee took several decades to honor him and it was highly belated.

From these facts, it looks like that the Government of India has no mechanism to understand the achievements of people to recognise and reward them at appropriate time. Probably some of these people are unknown entities to GOI until they got recognition from an international forum.

Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, Kolkata is doing commendable job all over the world and largely in India since 1950. Chandrasekhar Limit is there for over 75 years now! Amartya Sen is known to be a finest thinker of our times. Indians and GOI have no clue about what an Abel Prize means to any mathematician. Based on the historical reactions of GOI, Prof. Venktaraman Ramakrishnan, may expect Padma Vibhushan in the next list.

Is GOI recognizing the sons/daughters of the soil or just trumpeting after reading news? If it has an appropriate system in place and national awards are given on no consideration other than merit, how did many of them went unnoticed until they got a Nobel Prize or such similar recognition?

Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi, had he been alive, would have celebrated 140th birthday today. Perhaps, not! Guiness World Records would have recorded him as oldest living person on earth.

I always wonder, what would be the state of his body, mind and soul, if he were really alive. One possible scenario is like this:

Being a grand-old man of clean habits, must be having a very frail physique with healthy body. Must be having restless mind and troubled soul. Must be regretting having lead the Independence struggle. Must be feeling ashamed of our politicians. Must be shaking his head in shame at the conduct of our MPs in parliament and MLAs in Assembly. Must have been dismayed at the fact that India figures in as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Must have got disgusted with the figure of R. 70,00,000 crores stashed away in a Swiss Bank. Must be looking into dictionary for the meaning of Z-plus category security for politicians. Must have been uncomfortable at the fact that some of the cells in Beur and Tihar Jails are virtually refurbished to give 5-star comforts to some politicians with BMI over 60. Must be having difficulty in raising his head to get the glimpse of high new generation statues. Must be living in a very small but clean and neat room somewhere in the country as his ashram would habe been grabbed by landsharks by this time. A Tamrapatra must have been kept in a hidden corner and a pension book worth Rs. 1,000/- p.m. or so given to heroes of freedom struggle would have been stashed away somewhere. Must have stopped long walks and writing as some of his great-grand children would have sold away his worn out chappals and good old fountain pen by this time. Would he be regretting having born an Indian? It is difficult to say. Must have been worried why He had not given him deliverance so far and praying everyday for it. Must be introspecting whether he unknowingly committed any sins in His eyes.....

In His infinite wisdom, in less than six months after the independence, He deemed it fit to give Mahatma Gandhi moksha, lest it would have been intolerable for him to live in independent India any longer, after having received his last prayers, albeit in a shocking manner, through the hands of Godse.....