Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Will BJP replace Congress?) that was published in Newsband

Will BJP replace Congress?
Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement is a success. Previously the watchdogs would detect malpractices as they occurred and clean up the mess afterwards. But now they are asked to prevent malpractices: it reduces scope for the mess to be created in the first place.
There should be transparency in public procurement. It’s high time politicians became truly serious about curbing black money.
Team Anna also talked about electoral reforms. The political class would do well to take the initiative here, pushing for strict auditing of party finances, mandatory disclosure of poll funding and greater checks on entry of criminal elements into politics.
Team Anna demanded nothing less than the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill and the breakthrough came after Pranab Mukherjee took over as chief negotiator with a new team of interlocutors to reach out directly to Hazare.
No one can deny that the Anna Hazare Andolan (AHA) has raised awareness about the need to combat corruption in the political process. AHA is clear about what exactly corruption is. It is about financial wrongdoing and pilfering of public money. It involves misuse of power. If misuse of power is an issue then power flows from not only control of state institutions but also from social and economic inequalities. Who is benefiting most from corruption? Yes, the politically powerful, and also the economically powerful in industry, trade and business.
AHA's solutions to corruption are moral exhortations and legal enactments. Most of the people who thronged the streets against corruption are from the middle classes who support the campaign against corruption. Laws and institutions are clearly important to the fight against corruption. AHA made it clear that it is the people and not Parliament which is supreme. The campaign, in fact, questioned the sovereignty of Parliament. For sure, the AHA jolted the political system. With the political mishandling of the situation, the government had not only lost credibility but also the trust of the people who came out on the streets to vent their anger. A weakened government had no choice but to offer some concessions to get Hazare to call off his fast. The government realized the need of a balance between the need for strong anti-corruption measures and at the same time need to not allow Parliament's authority in legislation to be undermined.
In the previous anti-corruption campaigns - the JP movement in the mid-1970s and the anti- corruption "movement" of V P Singh in the late 1980s - the mood was not only against the political class but against the Congress government. The main objective of the earlier campaigns was regime change; both catapulted the BJP to the centre stage of national politics. The RSS claimed that its cadres formed at least 10% of the AHA's mass base. This time also the RSS was presumably hoping to remove an elected government. The question is will Anna’s movement lead to BJP replacing Congress in the next poll?

Dinesh Kamath's columns on 'Movie and TV World' that were published in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's column on 'Movie and TV World' that was published in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Globalization of anger) that was published in Newsband

Globalization of angerAcross the globe, 2011 has been a year to rattle rulers and authorities. We have seen the Arab spring, the street marches and battles in capitals from Athens to Madrid, the riots in London, the protests in Israel, and the demonstrations in Delhi. Popular protest on such a scale and to such extent has not been seen for years. Both the students and workers mobilized in these cases.
Protest is always local, but theories seek a global compass - a pattern of discontent across cases. What we are seeing today is `globalization of anger`. There is no doubt that from SMS to Facebook to Twitter, grassroots protest is more easily mobilized today than it has been in decades. The animating question should be: Is there in fact a common, unifying thread to these worldwide protests?
Take the London riots. London`s opinionators and theorists were in business last month as the streets of their city burned, filling TV channels with diagnoses of what was happening. They sniffed the reek of moral social decay. The root cause was widening inequality and social deprivation exacerbated by unregulated capitalism.
In India, the agitations have brought thousands to the Ramlila Ground in Delhi over the past weeks. The Indian protests may not be as pure as their instigators attest, but they`re peaceful, for a start, and much more purposeful in their aims than the London eruptions. What could be plainer and more explicit than supporting a hunger strike to eradicate corruption?
But there is at least one connection between Delhi and London and the other far-flung ruckuses of 2011 - Those taking to the streets are not typically `the masses` of certain historical precedents, but members of the middle class. It`s as true of Anna Hazare`s ragtag bands of supporters as of the college kids and techie professionals of the Arab Spring. By the material standards of India or Africa, the so-called deprived of London are also relatively privileged, with refrigerators and microwaves at home and Blackberries in their pockets.
These global agitations have taught us one thing and that is the group of people who have most reason to be angry are those who are most vulnerable to the effects of a corrupt society, those most wracked by the absence of government aid.

Dinesh Kamath's columns on 'Movie and TV World' that were published in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's column on 'Movie and TV World' that was published in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's column on 'Movie And TV World' that was published in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Anna should end his fast) that was published in Newsband

Anna should end his fast
Using his moral charisma, Anna Hazare has expressed his frustration over corruption. The Jan Lokpal campaign epitomised the vibrancy of the Indian public. Now since the movement has achieved a great success, if not total success, it's time for Anna to give the movement a break. One reason why Anna should end fast is that the resonance of the Jan Lokpal movement has made the government finally take heed of public desire.
Anna's movement now needs a breather. Every movement has its moments. For the first time in 64 years, a powerful, cohesive public movement has risen against corruption. Through it Anna made his point and it's been duly noted. Corruption will not be tackled in a day. We need crusaders like Anna to keep up a consistent fight against corruption. The government can demonstrate its sincerity to a doubting public by committing to convene a special session of Parliament where all versions of the Lokpal Bill would be discussed. And it's in the interest of all that Anna breaks his fast.
Anna's demand for passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill by August 30 was not a threat but only the exercise of his "fundamental right to express his opinions". To stop corruption we need the Jan Lokpal Bill and Anna is asking for it as his fundamental right. He has no political power or weapons to force the government into action, but he has the right to state his point of view.
Anna should now relax his stand and give the government enough time to look into his demands and consider them. Lokpal Bill debate had gone on in Parliament for 42 years. The Bill has been brought to the Parliament nine times already and a debate has been on for the past eight months.
Police presence has been sharply increased at the Ramlila Maidan, raising fears of the 74-year-old fasting Anna of being forcibly removed from the grounds. Government sources, too, admitted that that some "intervention" might become inevitable. But Anna is using typical Gandhian strategies. He said if the government wanted to pick him up, he would readily submit to the authorities. Any violence, he said, would defeat their movement. He told his followers to embark on a "jail bharo" agitation if he was arrested and peacefully picket government leaders and MPs.
The government has rejected Team Anna's demand that the Lokpal bill be passed within the next four days. The government representatives also brushed aside any concern for Anna's health while saying that was the headache of the civil society activists. The government has clarified that while Parliament was ready to consider the Jan Lokpal Bill, it would also consider other versions of the anti-graft bill. Government's tough posture came against the backdrop of hardening of mood in the face of Hazare's pressure tactics. So it would be wise on Anna's part to end his fast and offer the government reasonable period of time to consider his demands.

The place where Dinesh Kamath pursued his education

Dinesh Kamath did most of his college education at Parle College, Ville Parle, Mumbai. Now Parle College is referred to as Sathaye College.

Dinesh Kamath recalls the names of almost all his fellow-dancers

Dinesh Kamath had performed Japanese Dance along with some other students during the Annual Day Celebration of his school, St Theresa's High School, Mangor Hill, Goa, at Vasco Da Gama, Goa. From Left to Right are Eric and Sheila (I think 'Machado'), Amul Lad and Rekha, Kenneth and Anita, Tony (Mascarenhas) and I think Elaine or Elena (can't recall properly}, Dinesh Kamath and Linda, and Gavin and Gloria. The dance was taught to us by foreign Nuns.

The place where Dinesh Kamath pursued his education

Dinesh Kamath did his fifth and sixth standard at the above school which is St Theresa's Convent, Mangor Hill, Gao. Now this school is referred to as St Theresa's High School and is located at Mangor Hill, Goa

Dinesh Kamath and the place he pursued his education

Dinesh Kamath had done most of his primary education at the above school viz. St Theresa's Convent at Vasco Da Gama, Vaddem in Goa. Now the school is referred to as St Theresa's High School and is located at Mangor Hill, Goa.

Dinesh Kamath studied in St Theresa's High School, Bandra (West) (Below is the picture of the school)

Dinesh Kamath pursued most of his secondary education at St Theresa's High School, Bandra (West), Mumbai.

Dinesh Kamath's column on 'Movie and TV World' that was published in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's columns on 'Movie and TV World' that were published in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's Editorials that were published in Newsband

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Government has dug its own grave

Government’s high-handed way of dealing with Anna Hazare will only give boost to his movement. The government is suffering from bankruptcy of ideas, otherwise they would not deal with Anna in such a manner. This was no way to quell Anna’s campaign against corruption. The way government responded gives an indication as to how desperate it is. It is clear that the government is trying to reclaim all that it has lost but has absolutely no clue how to go about it. The method they adopted to tackle Anna has only resulted in Anna becoming an even larger than life persona. There is no doubt about the fact that even the fence sitters will move into Anna’s camp.

It’s true that some of Anna’s demands are not practical. But with proper discussions with right people, Anna can come up with a practical bill that can be presented to the parliament.

The thing is government is too cunning while Anna is just a simpleton. Hence Anna should be careful. One can’t trust the government when it promises that it will work together with the civil society on a credible Lokpal bill because the government has far too many people who stand to lose if Lokpal bill becomes a reality. The way the government has acted during past two days shows desperation is creeping in. Anna had rightly chosen the day after the Independence Day to go on fast. This day was bound to instill a feeling of extreme patriotism within the people and that would surely make them support Anna’s movement. Also people are shaken by the recent bomb blast and they realize that the country is living under constant terror threat. This is another factor that will make them join hands with Anna in raising the voice against corruption.

This is a mass protest and it is well planned. It was not suddenly decided. The date was announced months in advance. The government had enough time to give a thought to it. Its senseless attack on Anna will only fuel the angst against the government. The government should have realized that this was a golden opportunity to end the days of dirty tricks and control the cancer of corruption. They could have used Anna’s move as a means to give boost to nation-building process. But by crushing the movement and acting tyrannical the government has only succeeded in alienating themselves more and digging its own grave.

To excel in cricket, discipline your mind
To be an excellent cricketer you have to be a regular meditator. You should rise early in the morning and then meditate. This way you can cultivate mental clarity and focus. The practice provides not only the foundation of your personal and spiritual life, but also you achieve success as a batsman due to the concentration you have developed as a meditator. Success is a result of persistent application: sustained effort. Practice not only in the nets, but also in developing concentration.
Without mindfulness success just isn't possible. The greatest challenge is to understand that, when the game is in full swing, you must live for the moment, to concentrate on that ball. When the pressure is turned on, if you are to fulfil your potential then you must focus on the present. At that one moment in time, what has happened in the past does not really matter because it has already been, while what may happen in the future is yet to come.
As a batsman, you must be mentally alert right from the time when the bowler lets go of the ball. Your mind must be completely focused on that ball and nothing else. You must not be thinking about what your hands are doing, what your feet or shoulders are doing, what could happen in five deliveries time, what the media have been saying about you, your desire to score a century - nothing but that ball.'
This way you achieve a state where the mind is clear and concentration is at its peak. This is called 'tightening of the mind'. It is a state where all the energy of both body and mind is concentrated on one specific target or goal at a time.
This state of mind is important not only at moments of peak performance, but also in daily life. You have to work hard and only then you will be able to enjoy powerful and wide-ranging benefits of mindfulness practice. These include dramatically improved performance in innovation and creativity, a greater capacity for 'reading' people and understanding where they are coming from, and a vastly enriched appreciation of the here and now. These are abilities from which all of us can surely benefit. Mindfulness also helps to manage more effectively both stress and pain.
Mindfulness is so powerful because it gives us the ability to take charge of our thoughts and feelings. If we do not fully attend to these - if we live our lives in a state of constant distraction - we are condemned to keep experiencing whatever thoughts, interpretations and emotions habitually recur. So if you want to be a good cricketer you have to first and foremost discipline your mind.

Dinesh Kamath's cartoons on 'Alooramji and Mirchiramji' sketched and painted directly on computer

Dinesh Kamath thanks those people who are in charge of Blog and Googles

Dinesh Kamath, Acting Editor of Newsband, is to the extreme left. Next to him are Rucha Kamat, Reporter of Hindustan Times, and Indira Thakur, Reporter of Newsband. Behind them is Apurba Biswas, Reporter of City Plus. Rucha and Indira are the ones who introduced Dinesh to the Blog.

Hi,

I would like to thank those people who are in charge of Blog and Googles for letting me display my cartooning and writing talents to the whole world. If it was not for them I would remain a journalist who is just popular at local level. The people in charge of Blog and Googles have helped me to reach international level and hence I feel extremely grateful to them. I will also not forget the help rendered to me by two journalists who are Indira Thakur and Rucha Kamat. These were the two ladies who introduced me to Blog. After that there was no looking back for me and I went on to contribute more and more materials to Blog. I feel privileged and honoured for having been discovered by people who are in charge of Blog and these people then went on to bring me in Googles in a big way. I am extremely thankful to them for doing me this big favour. I will continue to contribute more and more of my stuffs to my Blog in the future too. Bye!

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Politically supported goons rule the roost) that was published in Newsband

Politically supported goons rule the roost

The people who had fought for our freedom had dreamt of a free society. But what we find today is corruption everywhere and restrictions on the freedom of thought and expression that could be damaging for the future of the country.

Women and men of letters and arts are scurrying for cover after being hounded by political parties, caste and communal outfits. The fate of Aarakshan, a film based on reservations, is a case in point.

The film has been cleared by the censor board and an examination committee, including dalits and OBC members, a horde of other politicians or groups, who now want to review the film before release.

Directors are at the mercy of too many self-styled vigilantes. They have to give in to senseless controversies which are growing longer by the day. The genuine artistes are loyal to their craft, not to the propagandist diktat of a party or a group.

These groups guard their vote banks by holding artists and freedom of thought hostage. For them it is become a fashion nowadays to run amok vandalising art, driving artists out of the country. It was such groups which forced M F Husain to breathe his last in exile, made Mumbai University drop Rohinton Mistry`s ‘Such a Long Journey’ from its syllabus and banned a book by Taslima Nasreen and drummed her out of the state .

Nobody has taught such groups to respect Freedom of Expression and they continue to hold to ransom artists whose duty it is to transgress boundaries. It is not the books and films that disrupt law and order. The people who actually violate the laws are the politically supported goons. When such mobs create havoc what we need is the help of the Indian army since the police force is not equipped enough to control them.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (India should not lose hope) that was published in Newsband

India should not lose hope
In cricket, India was trounced by England in two successive tests. If India has to maintain her image of number one cricket team then she will have to win the next two tests against England. India lost the first two tests owing to utter lack of planning and purpose and also due to cavalier approach displayed by the country's cricket establishment, administrators and also the players. India lost owing to lack of consistency, hard work, foresight and firm resolve.
India had reached the number one position in cricket somewhere in November 2009. She has been able to maintain that status so far. But what about the future? Why did the selectors choose players of suspect fitness. The players who were affected by breakdowns, injuries and illnesses cannot be expected to win matches. As if this was not enough, itinerary was poorly designed.
Our people didn't foresee the English threat. When India played England, nobody could believe that this was the team that had beaten Australia comprehensively earlier this year, and Sri Lanka just prior to this series. Another thing is the selected players had not even cared to spend enough time together. They were not even serious about preserving the number one ranking. Indians should learn from English team who played with flair, energy and dogged intent. This was the most hyped tour, as far as Indian team is concerned, but what was lacking was rigours of battle.
Some people blame excessive Twenty-20 cricket for this debacle. They also blame Indian Premier League. They have not spared even BCCI who has been clearly giving more priority to filling its coffers rather than improving the quality of cricket.
As far as Indian cricket is concerned, we find vested interests running amok, conflicts of interests abounding, players being overpaid and also grossly overworked and so on. How can you expect the players to retain their number one position under such circumstances?
It's true that in sport, nothing is impossible. India can still put on a heroic display and square the series and in the process retain her number one position. Proper planning, solid action and genuine pride, not misplaced arrogance, can do the trick for India. Indians should not lose hopes.