A few days ago in TOI, I read a article by Jag Suriya ( Second Opinion columnist) on Politically Correct (PC) words. There was a nice explanation given in the article, about how we are getting rid of all emotionally provoked words and words which can create racial discrimination among people in the Society.
The columnist has given some good examples, such as, the PC terms for blacks/negros/niggers ,Whites, Red Indians are African-American , Caucasians and Native Americans respectively. The columnist was very sarcastic in his approach to explain the usage of such PC terms. Language have a very strong influence on the society as a whole. It's the communication media through which everyone try to express themselves or the people/incident around themselves in a more effective way.
The evolution of PC words is of great importance as it holds the key to bridge the differences among the various sections of society based on religion, color, culture etc. People are very sensitive to the words they hear. That is the sole reason, why some people make a good impression of themselves through rhetorical and good oratorical skills.
The point here is that we should abandon all sensitive words and get hold of PC words as soon as possible. The careful usage of these words will help us a lot in more effective communication.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
A horrendous experience!!
"Salt Lake "- a place in Kolkata basically known for software service companies and many other govt offices.
This place is quite planned if we go by the housing layout and everything. The roads are clean and easily accessible from other places.
But I had a horrible experience today afternoon. I went from my office to send some documents by speed post. As I am new to Kolkata , I don't know much of the places. I asked someone on the road in Bengali :) mixed with Assamese and Hindi.... " Dada, aas paas Post Office kothai asse?"...
He thought that I know bengali quite well (I can understand it though), and showed me the route explaining every detail in Bengali. I boarded in to one Shared Auto which goes to Karunamoyee Island ...( Island- people here call every circle that connects 4 roads as island...quite funny..huh..)..aneways I started my jouney towards that Island and in some five to ten minutes I reached there...From there I started walking towards a market (someone showed me ofcourse) where the Post Office is...At first, I was quite ambivalent of finding a post office there as I have never heard of any post office inside an enclosed market.But the gentleman's confident reply compelled me to go there and somehow when I saw the Post Office, I sighed in relief. " Thank God !! I have found one"
But from here onwards , my sanguinity of finishing the simple task at hand proved to be totally wrong. It took me more than two hours to do that...
From one of the employee in the Post Office inside that market, I got to know that in Salt Lake , though there are umpteen post offiices scattred here and there, but there is only ONE Post Office from where one can do Registered/Speed Post..."Only ONE", I grumbled.
I had no other option than to send the document today as it was urgent. So started towards the next Post Office. I looked in to watch ..." It's 1.15pm", I said to myself. I thought like I will be back to office maximum by 1.45pm.
But when I reached the Post Office, the scene was totally different. There was only one counter from where we can do Speed Post!! and there was a long queue of people waiting annoyed at the process. I stood in the queue and counted my position from the 1st person and found out to be 15. I calculated in my mind " 15 *5 mins=75 mins and so i will be back to office by 2.15pm"..
But at last I reached near the counter 5 mins to 3pm and one lady is still before me. Someone in the queue was discussing that the counter would be closed from 3 pm to 3.30pm. I started countdown from that time onwards. I thought that i had to go back today without doing the Speed Post. That feeling depressed me and annoyed me a lot. I persuaded the SINGLE person working there to be fast and do my speed post, and at last I was the last person at 3 pm to have successfully done the speed post. My heart felt with a sense of accomplishment.
But while coming out of the counter, I could see faces of a lot of people still waiting to do a simple task like Speed Post from a long time.
The whole incident was more of a learning and a feeling of how in India - a supposed posh area in a metro Kolkata,Salt Lake, still working like the way I explained. There is only ONE Post Office from where we can do Speed Post and in that, there is only ONE person who is responsible for taking the speed post requests.
There must be a lot more offices in various places within India which are working like the Salt Lake Post Office. It compelled me to think " Is India really shining?". If a country/person/office don't know the value of time, then how can it grow towards prosperity? But for everything we can't blame on government. We, as the citizens of the greatest democracy of the world, must have a sense of our right and should use the power when needed. If we become active, then surely the society as a whole will become active. A serious matter to ponder on!!
This place is quite planned if we go by the housing layout and everything. The roads are clean and easily accessible from other places.
But I had a horrible experience today afternoon. I went from my office to send some documents by speed post. As I am new to Kolkata , I don't know much of the places. I asked someone on the road in Bengali :) mixed with Assamese and Hindi.... " Dada, aas paas Post Office kothai asse?"...
He thought that I know bengali quite well (I can understand it though), and showed me the route explaining every detail in Bengali. I boarded in to one Shared Auto which goes to Karunamoyee Island ...( Island- people here call every circle that connects 4 roads as island...quite funny..huh..)..aneways I started my jouney towards that Island and in some five to ten minutes I reached there...From there I started walking towards a market (someone showed me ofcourse) where the Post Office is...At first, I was quite ambivalent of finding a post office there as I have never heard of any post office inside an enclosed market.But the gentleman's confident reply compelled me to go there and somehow when I saw the Post Office, I sighed in relief. " Thank God !! I have found one"
But from here onwards , my sanguinity of finishing the simple task at hand proved to be totally wrong. It took me more than two hours to do that...
From one of the employee in the Post Office inside that market, I got to know that in Salt Lake , though there are umpteen post offiices scattred here and there, but there is only ONE Post Office from where one can do Registered/Speed Post..."Only ONE", I grumbled.
I had no other option than to send the document today as it was urgent. So started towards the next Post Office. I looked in to watch ..." It's 1.15pm", I said to myself. I thought like I will be back to office maximum by 1.45pm.
But when I reached the Post Office, the scene was totally different. There was only one counter from where we can do Speed Post!! and there was a long queue of people waiting annoyed at the process. I stood in the queue and counted my position from the 1st person and found out to be 15. I calculated in my mind " 15 *5 mins=75 mins and so i will be back to office by 2.15pm"..
But at last I reached near the counter 5 mins to 3pm and one lady is still before me. Someone in the queue was discussing that the counter would be closed from 3 pm to 3.30pm. I started countdown from that time onwards. I thought that i had to go back today without doing the Speed Post. That feeling depressed me and annoyed me a lot. I persuaded the SINGLE person working there to be fast and do my speed post, and at last I was the last person at 3 pm to have successfully done the speed post. My heart felt with a sense of accomplishment.
But while coming out of the counter, I could see faces of a lot of people still waiting to do a simple task like Speed Post from a long time.
The whole incident was more of a learning and a feeling of how in India - a supposed posh area in a metro Kolkata,Salt Lake, still working like the way I explained. There is only ONE Post Office from where we can do Speed Post and in that, there is only ONE person who is responsible for taking the speed post requests.
There must be a lot more offices in various places within India which are working like the Salt Lake Post Office. It compelled me to think " Is India really shining?". If a country/person/office don't know the value of time, then how can it grow towards prosperity? But for everything we can't blame on government. We, as the citizens of the greatest democracy of the world, must have a sense of our right and should use the power when needed. If we become active, then surely the society as a whole will become active. A serious matter to ponder on!!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Singur deadlock
The ongoing melodrama in Singur not only affected the common people but also it has come as a big question to the people of WB to take a rational decision. The adamenacy of Trinamul Congress Leader Mamata Bannerjee, the strikes in Singur and corresponding bandh in WB on last wednesday by CITU - all these accounts for the sensitiveness of Indian common people and the Political leaders taking the advantage of that.
If we browse through any news report or any analysis of the incident, it clearly shows that indeed WB will get benefits out of Tata's Nano Plant in Singur. The industrilization of a state depends how the state is flexible to a change for good.
Tata is helpless unless and untill the local people are cooperative to set up the plant. Already Tata has invested around 1500 crore for the project but they will never resist themselves to pull out of WB if situation becomes worse. Taking advantage of this political turmoil, other states are inviting Tata Motors to setup plant for Nano in their states.
What WB is getting out of all this farce? If they dont come out of all their grudges, they are sure to lose Tata Plant here in Singur. The consequence will be some other state will be benefited.Ratan Tata has already conveyed his decision to pull out if the situation remains same and he also made clear in his statement that even though they have invested a lot already, it would not come as a hurdle in the path of pulling out of WB.
That's true. If some industry set up a plant for some innovative idea, they always have a plan of action in their mind when to launch the product, at what condtions of the market. If they dont get proper response from local people around the plant , it will surely have doubt in their mind regarding the successful accomplishment of the whole project.
WB people, most importantly, Mamata Bannerjee who is heading the agitation must realise now the long term consequences of the Nano Plant in Singur. If they dont, some other state will surely take advantage of this situation.
I do agree the interest of the common people what Bannerjee is concerned about. But every problem has a solution, if it is not , then it is not a problem. Negotiation on some common ground must be reached sooner or else WB will lose Tata Plant.
If we browse through any news report or any analysis of the incident, it clearly shows that indeed WB will get benefits out of Tata's Nano Plant in Singur. The industrilization of a state depends how the state is flexible to a change for good.
Tata is helpless unless and untill the local people are cooperative to set up the plant. Already Tata has invested around 1500 crore for the project but they will never resist themselves to pull out of WB if situation becomes worse. Taking advantage of this political turmoil, other states are inviting Tata Motors to setup plant for Nano in their states.
What WB is getting out of all this farce? If they dont come out of all their grudges, they are sure to lose Tata Plant here in Singur. The consequence will be some other state will be benefited.Ratan Tata has already conveyed his decision to pull out if the situation remains same and he also made clear in his statement that even though they have invested a lot already, it would not come as a hurdle in the path of pulling out of WB.
That's true. If some industry set up a plant for some innovative idea, they always have a plan of action in their mind when to launch the product, at what condtions of the market. If they dont get proper response from local people around the plant , it will surely have doubt in their mind regarding the successful accomplishment of the whole project.
WB people, most importantly, Mamata Bannerjee who is heading the agitation must realise now the long term consequences of the Nano Plant in Singur. If they dont, some other state will surely take advantage of this situation.
I do agree the interest of the common people what Bannerjee is concerned about. But every problem has a solution, if it is not , then it is not a problem. Negotiation on some common ground must be reached sooner or else WB will lose Tata Plant.
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