A friend said --- those who read it in the restroom purely do so to overcome digestive ailments. “Israel dropping a bomb on Gaza strip”, “Wife murders husband suspected to be gay”, “Stampede in a temple kills 23” Such news can give your body the jolt that it needs specially at those crucial hours of the day. ;)
Sorry to have started with a creepy example. But it was a thought that could not be missed.
I started reading the newspaper with half closed eyes and a big yawn.
First news related to the Ambani brothers feud. I wonder how money divides family in such a big way. The entire country suffers due to their ‘family’ tensions. Every time they fight (the supreme court is where the family drama with corporate undertones unfolds) and one wins and other loses, the shareholder of the latter loses big money. Even the Prime Minister is said to have conducted several peace keeping meetings to make happen a very unlikely “Bharat Milap”. But the 5% contributors to national GDP seem to lack the basic understanding of the impact their coming together will make to Indian economy, people of the country and last but not least their businesses.
The Bhopal Gas tragedy ordeal story has become stale news for newspaperwalas. So they gave Gillette Mach 3 and Shubh Jewellers preference on half of the first page. It is only fair on the part of the newspaper guys to do so as even the government is supposedly only going to make a “show” of how hard they tried to get Warren Anderson extradited. Apparently, the improving yet delicate Indo-US ties are at stake here.
IT IS SO FRUSTRATING to see industrial fascism and political impotence at its peak. What am I gonna do about it? I really don’t know. Does my confusion added to the confusion of a billion others goad industrial fascism and political impotence? Absolutely!!!
There is debate about women for combat roles in military.
Imagine you having a knocked knee or chest not broad enough as per military standards. If you are an aspirant to join the army, air force or navy, chances that you will get selected are zilch. These standards are not set as per whims of a high ranking colonel. These are medical standards which need to be complied with. With a women being chosen over a man, are we not compromising the medical standards to be just politically correct? Ofcourse, if a woman has a broader shoulder, she should definitely be chosen, but such women are a 2-3% minority. One may argue that standards change for applicants from East India. Why can’t such exceptions be implemented for women? Right, but, the army does consider the fact that these people cannot perform certain tasks where being tall is a pre-requisite. Likewise, there are a lot of areas where women officers will not be able to perform with equal efficiency only due to medical reasons.
Imagine yourself in a 26/11 like situation. You are injured and need to be carried elsewhere else you will be shot. An army officer shows up braving the odds at your rescue. Suddenly, you realize that the officer cannot lift you up on her shoulders. She tried, quite heroically, but unfortunately the power in her shoulders is simply not enough to lift you up. You curse yourself being so obese, for skipping those gym classes to have ‘chaat’ with friends. But nothing can be done now. The officer, valuing your life more than hers kept firing till her ammunitions lasted. Then…..the obvious happens.
This being said…I still feel women are capable of performing in combat roles, but may be not in the same ratio as men.
There are other theories that suggest that men would not prefer serving under a woman officer. That they will be ‘protective’ of the women officers and jeopardize their objectives. These are completely baseless arguments solely driven from male ego.
That’s all I can opine today. I think I have opined enough to get me in trouble already.
Sorry to have started with a creepy example. But it was a thought that could not be missed.
I started reading the newspaper with half closed eyes and a big yawn.
First news related to the Ambani brothers feud. I wonder how money divides family in such a big way. The entire country suffers due to their ‘family’ tensions. Every time they fight (the supreme court is where the family drama with corporate undertones unfolds) and one wins and other loses, the shareholder of the latter loses big money. Even the Prime Minister is said to have conducted several peace keeping meetings to make happen a very unlikely “Bharat Milap”. But the 5% contributors to national GDP seem to lack the basic understanding of the impact their coming together will make to Indian economy, people of the country and last but not least their businesses.
The Bhopal Gas tragedy ordeal story has become stale news for newspaperwalas. So they gave Gillette Mach 3 and Shubh Jewellers preference on half of the first page. It is only fair on the part of the newspaper guys to do so as even the government is supposedly only going to make a “show” of how hard they tried to get Warren Anderson extradited. Apparently, the improving yet delicate Indo-US ties are at stake here.
IT IS SO FRUSTRATING to see industrial fascism and political impotence at its peak. What am I gonna do about it? I really don’t know. Does my confusion added to the confusion of a billion others goad industrial fascism and political impotence? Absolutely!!!
There is debate about women for combat roles in military.
Imagine you having a knocked knee or chest not broad enough as per military standards. If you are an aspirant to join the army, air force or navy, chances that you will get selected are zilch. These standards are not set as per whims of a high ranking colonel. These are medical standards which need to be complied with. With a women being chosen over a man, are we not compromising the medical standards to be just politically correct? Ofcourse, if a woman has a broader shoulder, she should definitely be chosen, but such women are a 2-3% minority. One may argue that standards change for applicants from East India. Why can’t such exceptions be implemented for women? Right, but, the army does consider the fact that these people cannot perform certain tasks where being tall is a pre-requisite. Likewise, there are a lot of areas where women officers will not be able to perform with equal efficiency only due to medical reasons.
Imagine yourself in a 26/11 like situation. You are injured and need to be carried elsewhere else you will be shot. An army officer shows up braving the odds at your rescue. Suddenly, you realize that the officer cannot lift you up on her shoulders. She tried, quite heroically, but unfortunately the power in her shoulders is simply not enough to lift you up. You curse yourself being so obese, for skipping those gym classes to have ‘chaat’ with friends. But nothing can be done now. The officer, valuing your life more than hers kept firing till her ammunitions lasted. Then…..the obvious happens.
This being said…I still feel women are capable of performing in combat roles, but may be not in the same ratio as men.
There are other theories that suggest that men would not prefer serving under a woman officer. That they will be ‘protective’ of the women officers and jeopardize their objectives. These are completely baseless arguments solely driven from male ego.
That’s all I can opine today. I think I have opined enough to get me in trouble already.
I kinda regret having written this piece. I feel differently now.
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