Vivek Dutta Mishra - is one of my favorite faculty and he is an excellent tutor and his knowledge in .NET, C#, Java and related Microsoft technologies is real deep. He teaches like he's telling you a story and his knowledge in software engineering and design patterns is next to none.
I remember we have worked on one of the project of his thought called Story-Train (I ended up giving name to his project) during last semester which we built on ASP 3.0.
So today it's not about technical side of VDM (that's what we used to call him 
) but it's his another side. Yes, he has been sharing his thoughts on his blogs about various subjects and the Letter to Prime Minister of India is one of the post from his series of Letters to Dear Prime Minister of India.
I am sure all of us have same complains and pain about current situation of our Country and corruption where there is one Scams (Kand) being discovered almost every other day. There was Kalmadi, Radia, Raja and Adarsh-nagar mumbai.... well there is no full-stop to this. Now the time has come that it is being said that "our progress and growth is dependent on corruption..."
Read this letter from VDM to Dr Manmohan Singh which shares our pain and let's share this hoping that it will reach to our PM.
Respected Prime Minister Sir,
Sir, first of all let me assure you how proud I feel to have a Prime Minister with a magnificent qualification such as yours – Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Chairman of UGC and above all the finance minister who gave India its economic freedom. I am sure millions of others share my feeling.
I have heard the story of how a chairman of the UGC got a phone call from a person who was all set to become the next Prime Minister of India. Mr. P.V. Narshimha Rao invited you to become the finance minister in his government. And what you did? You put forward your condition that your will prevail in drafting India’s economic policy; the future of India. You refused to bow before the political compulsion. How many Indian politician were capable of doing so? In India political parties try their best to get such a post at whatever cost. But then you were no politician.
And what happened next? India won its second freedom. The economic freedom. Our transformation from a third world nation to a respectable nation standing at par with other developed nations had finally started. But the best part, you had assured that the process can not be reversed, no matter who governs India.
And then years later, you were again invited for yet higher responsibility. Once again you never asked for it; responsibility was just thrust up on you. Just imagine the excitement of those who have seen you playing your first inning as the finance minister. In the May of 2004, India appeared all set to see yet another height. Expectations were specifically high after the tenure of our former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is often considered as the best prime minister of India. I too, share their opinion. But then there is always a place vacant for the best. Isn’t it?
But then something seem quite different this time. You excepted the post without putting forward your doctrine of dominance. Was is the politician Manmohan Singh? But then perhaps you too felt it was your responsibility to ensure India gets a deserving and able Prime Minister. Other matters can be handled in due course. If you thought that way, you were right. We were sure you will handle this job with the same grace, efficiency and sincerity as you handled your previous assignments. You will keep India first. Isn’t Mr. Prime Minister?
But then wait this time appeared to be longer. Unlike the tough and innovative measures taken by the finance minister or Rao government, the primer minister Manmohan Singh appeared to be a silent and suffering man. Perhaps natural for a coalition government like the one your were heading. After all former primer minister Mr. I.K.Gujral shamelessly accepted that he is a helpless man. So why should you be blamed? Why should you be a depicted as a model of being obedient to Madam? Because Mr. Prime Minister, expectations were much higher from you. A way too high.
As I said expectations were just unreasonably high. People expected you to intervene in Australia when Indians were Targeted. People criticized you for your inaction in similar case in Malaysia. It appears so unreasonable. What can the Indian premier do in the internal matters of other country?
The expectation appears more unreasonable from you, Mr Prime Minster, who did nothing to stop such violence on his own soil. A small group of political terrorists attacked a segment of Indians for staying in the other part of the country. The constitution was violated, the very foundation stone of India’s unity and existence was shaken. Every body was shocked. And whom we were supposed to turn to? Tragically, the Prime Minister of India appeared as helpless as the poor labours who were brutally attacked on their own soil.
Another fanatic group attacked yet another set of your subject in the name of cultural guardianship. Once again no strong message appeared to seek a long term solution.
A people representative was attacked on the very same floor he was supposed to represent his constituency. He was found guilty of using Hindi – the official language (though not the national language). But it appears that this matter was not worthy of the P.M. interventions. Interestingly, the state is governed by your own party.
Recently, your home minister attended a apparently secular Ulema conference. The national song – Vandemataram, was disgraced and a fatwa was issued against it. Home minster remained a silent spectator. People considered it a silent endorsement. And once again, you Mr Prime Minister, remained a silent man.
Wake up Mr Prime Minister. The constitution violated, Indian citizens beaten on the streets for being in India, Official Indian language disgraced, National song insulted. Bhagat Singh said, it requires bang to let the def hear. Now what is needed to break your silence?
I will not tell you weather I voted for your party or not. It doesn’t matter. Because, say, even if I didn’t you are still my Prime Minister. Isn’t it? I remember late Mr Prmod Mahajan, correcting then speaker Mr Sangma that Mr Vajpayee is the Prime Minister of India and not just the Prime Minister of our Party. Mr Sangma both agreed and apologised. So Mr. Prime Minister, you are the Prime Minister of India, not just another member of Congress party. Its time you realize and act for the country.
In my subsequent letters I will keep raising the issues worth the the Prime Minister of India to notice. I hope you will have a competent set of I.T. Staffs to search the letter on the web and present to you. I sincerely hope you get to read the content of this letter. I am sure there is nothing new and nothing you don’t know. But still I feel this is my duty to let my Prime Minister know how we feel about the age we are living in and the premier we are depending on.
Regards,
(An Ordinary Citizen of India)
What do you think and what's your comments on our current condition as a country? How do we change it?
Source: http://dearmrpm.vnc.in/
Most of the communities in India (such as Bengali), are succumbed in ‘Culture of Poverty’(a theory introduced by an American anthropologist Oscar Lewis), irrespective of class or economic strata, lives in pavement or apartment. Nobody is at all ashamed of the deep-rooted corruption, decaying general quality of life, worst Politico-administrative system, weak mother language, continuous absorption of common space (mental as well as physical, both). We are becoming fathers & mothers only by self-procreation, mindlessly & blindfold. Simply depriving their(the children) fundamental rights of a decent, caring society, fearless & dignified living. Do not ever look for any other positive alternative behaviour (values) to perform human way of parenthood, i.e. deliberately co-parenting of those children those are born out of ignorance, real poverty. All of us are being driven only by the very animal instinct. If the Bengali people ever be able to bring that genuine freedom (from vicious cycle of ‘poverty’) in their own life/attitude, involve themselves in ‘Production of Space’(Henri Lefebvre), at least initiate a movement by heart, decent & dedicated Politics will definitely come up.
- Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, 16/4, Girish Banerjee Lane, Howrah-711101, India.