Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Right Not To Vote Anyone
Did you know that there is a system in our constitution, as per the 1969 act, in section “49-O” that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding election officer that he doesn’t want to vote anyone!
Yes such a feature is available, but obviously these seemingly notorious leaders have never disclosed it. This is called “49-O”.
Why should you go and say “I VOTE NOBODY”... because, in a ward, if a candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has received “49-O” votes more than 123, then that polling will be canceled and will have to be re-polled. Not only that, but the candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them. This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way, of our whole political system... it is seemingly surprising why the election commission has not revealed such a feature to the public....
Please spread this news to as many as you know... Seems to be a wonderful weapon against corrupt parties in India... show your power, expressing your desire not to vote for anybody, is even more powerful than voting... so don’t miss your chance. So either vote, or vote not to vote (vote 49-O) and pass this info on...
Girltalk: Life From the Female Perspective
Why don't you go get a job?
The most harrowing aspect of my childhood trips to India - other than learning how to squat on the "Indian-style" toilets in my grandfather's Old Delhi compound - was coming face to face with poverty. Riding around Delhi in the backseat of my uncle's Fiat, I would dread long stops at the crowded traffic lights, turning my face the other way and pretending not to hear the rap-tap-tap on the window or see the glistening brown eyes of that little girl with her hand outstretched. The adults never seemed to notice much, and the few persistent beggars that managed to incite a response would hear the familiar admonishing refrain of, "Chall, hatt yahan se. kuch kaam kyun nahi karta?" There's little sympathy for beggars in a family of hard-nosed baniyas who have toiled for generations to amass the wealth they enjoy today. It is difficult for them to understand why beggars don't get off the streets and find steady work instead. From our perspective, beggars seem like misguided, lazy people who haven't tried hard enough to make something of themselves. Science would, however, suggest otherwise.
Neuroscience research conducted on children who have been raised in poverty has shown that the stress of a poor childhood has permanent affects on the brain. More specifically, scientists are learning that the working memories of poorer children, especially those brought up in dense urban populations, have smaller capacities than those of their middle- and upper-class counterparts. What this means is that these children will have a harder time remembering things like long numbers or names of state capitals in school, be less equipped to "mug up" for the brutal exams and, as a result, fair poorer in job interviews, even if they are able to actually go to school and get job interviews in the first place.
The implications are obvious - there are explanations beyond laziness for why the poor stay poor for generations. It's perhaps not fair to blame them for their plight. So, next time you tell a young begger to go get a job, give him a rupee or two along with your advice to take the edge off the stress and make it a little more likely that the kid will have a chance to leave the slums.
Sincerely,
Prerna Gupta
