ATTACK ON THE VERY FOUNDATIONS OF INDIAN DEMOCRACY

Recently, there has been an attack on the very FOUNDATIONS of Indian Democracy.
Yeah, I am talking about the arrest of Dr. Partha Sarothi Roy and Prof. Ambikesh Mahapatra, for their alleged invovement in the defamatory attempts on West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.

Sarothi was arrested while participating in a rally opposing the eviction of slum dwellers while Mahapatra was detained for making a cartoon showing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

This is clearly an instance of the violation of the fundamental democratic right of freedom of expression, which is guaranteed to every Indian citizen according to the Indian Constitution.




A group of academicians, scientists and social activists, including National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy and professor Noam Chomsky, have written to the Prime Minister seeking his intervention against the West Bengal government’s high handedness in dealing with scientist Dr Partho Sarothi and Jadavpur university professor Ambikesh Mahapatra.

“This, in our opinion, constitutes a clear violation of freedom of speech and all conceivable rights of an individual due to illegal action by the state police. The state administration has issued public statements in both print and electronic media in support of this barbaric act,” said the letter written by Roy and signed by 55 academicians based out of India and abroad.

TITANIC - AN AURA OF MYSTICISM

Titanic, the world’s best-known cruise ship was launched in May 1911. The ship sank on its maiden voyage in April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg en route from Southampton, England to New York City. Titanic was carrying more than 2,200 passengers and more than 1,500 reportedly died. Today, the Titanic rests, disintegrating at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 12,405 feet below the water’s surface.Take a look at a collection of amazing underwater images of the ship

Two of Titanic’s engines lie exposed in a gaping cross section of the stern. Draped in “rusticles”—orange stalactites created by iron-eating bacteria—these massive structures, four stories tall, once powered the largest moving man-made object on Earth. COPYRIGHT© 2012 RMS TITANIC, INC; Produced by AVIL, Woods Hole 

A view of the bow of the RMS Titanic. Image copyright Emory Kristof/National Geographic.

A view of the steering motor on the bridge of the Titanic. Image copyright Emory Kristof/National Geographic.

A view of the bathtub in Capt. Smiths bathroom. Rusticles are observed growing over most of the pipes and fixtures in the room. Image courtesy of Lori Johnston, RMS Titanic Expedition 2003, NOAA-OE.

With her rudder cleaving the sand and two propeller blades peeking from the murk, Titanic’s mangled stern rests on the abyssal plain, 1,970 feet south of the more photographed bow. This optical mosaic combines 300 high-resolution images taken on a 2010 expedition. COPYRIGHT© 2012 RMS TITANIC, INC; Produced by AIVL, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. 

Rusticle hanging from the stern section of the RMS Titanic showing secondary growths during maturation. Image courtesy of Lori Johnston, RMS Titanic Expedition 2003, NOAA-OE.

Ethereal views of Titanic's bow (modeled) offer a comprehensiveness of detail never seen before. COPYRIGHT© 2012 RMS TITANIC, INC; Produced by AIVL, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Modeling by Stefan Fichtel.

Broken crockery found in the debris.

There is still an aura of mysticism that remains around that fateful ship.

All pictures are sourced from www.yahoo.co.in and are presented courtesy National Geographic.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME

Was there a beginning of time? Could time run backwards? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries? These are just some of the questions considered in the internationally acclaimed masterpiece "A Brief History Of Time" by Stephen Hawking which begins by reviewing the great theories of the cosmos from Newton to Einstein, before delving into the secrets which still lie at the heart of space and time



In my subsequent posts, I am going to simplify and discuss the various aspects discussed in this masterpiece.

Königsberg Bridge Problem

In the 17^th century, in the town of Königsberg in erstwhile Prussia (now Germany), there was a system of bridges on the river Pregel which divided into two branches, with two islands in between. There were seven bridges in all, as shown in the figure.

The townsfolk were fond of walking across the bridges, and soon it became apparent to them that it was impossible to take a walk in such a way that each bridge was crossed once and only once. This is known as the famous Königsberg Bridge problem.

Try and find out such a way to cross all the bridges once and only once, and if you think that it is impossible, then try to prove it. I will tell you the solution in one of my subsequent posts.

The Darkest Chapter In Indian History

Recently, on April10, 2012, I read in Hindustan Times, a leading Indian newspaper the following article.......

It's a huge relief to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) "…has found no evidence against any of the 62 accused named in the complaint of Zakia Jafri. The report has stated that no offence has been established against the accused," Ahmedabad metropolitan magistrate SM Bhatt said in court on Tuesday.

Jafri, wife of slain Congress leader Ehsan Jafri, had sought the criminal prosecution of Modi and over 50 others for their alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, which left more than 1,100 people dead.

The court will now have to decide whether to accept the report and close the case but for now, Modi, has got a clean chit from the SIT, which was entrusted the task of investigating nine Gujarat riot cases by the Supreme Court.

HT had reported on February 9 this year that the SIT had not found evidence to substantiate the allegation that Ehsan Jafri, former Congress parliamentarian killed in the massacre at Gulbarg society, had made phone calls to the chief minister's office for help when the housing complex was encircled by a frenzied mob on February 28, 2002, which killed 69 residents.

The court also ordered that Zakia Jafri be given copies of all the related documents and reports within 30 days.

"It is hereby ordered that as per the Supreme Court order, Zakia Jafri will be given copies of the investigation report, statements of witnesses and all related documents within 30 days of this order."

The Gujarat riots of 2002-03 was one of the darkest chapters of Indian history, which shook the very foundation of Indian democracy. But what exactly went on was very different from what was reported exaggeratedly by the media. In my subsequent post, I'm gonna discuss the various myths around these riots, and also my opinions on this matter.

So, keep following.

About This Blog......And Of Course, Myself..........

Hey Reader

I am Shady, a myth buster by profession. And this is my workplace, where I draw the curtains from some of the most prevalent myths of all time, along with my opinion of the matter. But that's not all. I would also be talking to you about a mix-bag of interesting tit-bits, related to Science, Politics, Music,Current-Affairs, Mythology, Mathematics...and the list goes on. So, stay connected, and surely I would get you hooked on.

And of course I would like to hear from you, in praise or criticism, everything is allowed here. So, don't hesitate to comment on my posts.

Till my next post then. Goodbye.