Religion

All religions are based on trying to make sense of the unknown in our universe.  For people to remain convinced about a religion’s view, each religion has to dangle a pretty big carrot for everyone to follow.  I broadly can think of two categories – what each religion teaches and towards which goal.

Punishment vs. Reward:

Islam – penance – heavenly afterlife

Christianity – sacrifice – heavenly afterlife

Judaism – penance – heavenly afterlife

Emancipation:

Hinduism – contemplative meditation – inward understanding

Zen Buddhism – spontaneous simplicity – inner peace

The first group of religions was born out of strife, in adverse sociological conditions – the second through meditation and philosophical discourse.

As to which path is better of the two – only God can tell :-)

Upliftment

Root cause of unrest is lacuna or the feeling of it.

It is when basic necessities are lacking that the protests become violent.

Our economy is so often based on exploitation - our history of land acquisition is pathetic and much abused - there is no trust factor any more.

This is the time to empower the people - to regain thier trust

Cooperative villages - catering to the local or foreign market

Landowners and homeowners retain their status

Farmers can join hands to open lands for better machinery, technology and economy of scale training their farmers into research and management 

From potters to weavers to toy makers, each group can benefit by numbers - in terms of funds for equipment, QC, packaging and marketing resulting in competitive pricing and greater profits.

Venture Capital required to fund equipment and technology, set up a marketing team. Return plus interest will come once the cooperative starts earning.

World peace

Is conflict the only solution to settle differences or does compassion and compromise play a role?  We are all humans born with a heart the same as others, then what is it that takes hold of some minds towards inhuman deeds? Is it genetic defect and if so can this be modified.
But there is a flip side to genetic manipulation - the urge to produce superhumans.  The Defense departments will be the ones to get it first and produce a martial force that will first work for them and then may take over the world.

Population

If people believe that their will be severe economic hardships - more than the possible benefits from fathering more than 2 children - will they then stop?
If US can be a trillion dollar debtor, why cant India borrow some measly billions to take care of the shelter, food, water and health needs for its poorest citizens with voting rights?
It is the denial of basic rights that takes the fight out of Indians. Ensure that and then see the power of the educated masses - educated in skills and trade that can feed the world.  If India is truly a place where industriousness fetches just rewards, each person will be free to choose the type of life to live while respecting the others' rights.  Our core philosophy is strong - it needs to spread its wings for all to see. As of now, we as a nation can only be united in the face of war from outside or cricket matches. There's very little else to be proud about - but that can change

Planning for a better Kolkata

The first service providers for new residential colonies outside of the main city of Kolkata are shanties.  Because of political pressure, once they set up shop, they cannot be dislodged.   And it is also a fact of life that only shanties with their low capital cost will venture first in these untested waters.  Big commercial comes much later, when returns are assured in sufficient volume to cover their large overheads. Hence for the early birds in any new residential colony, these shanties and the morning market (haat) is god-sent.  

When the area is fully developed, however, there is often a hue and cry about the existence of these very shops and very often by the early patrons themselves.  Lack of hygiene and assault on aesthetic sensibilities are primarily cited as the overwhelming reasons for their removal. Depending on political inclination (a risk few leaders take), sometimes the vendors are forcefully evicted, leading to resentment.  It is obviously a genuine and sudden loss of livelihood for people who have very few opportunities for honest living in these times of overpopulation, and recession.

Basic principles of town planning and urban sociology dictate that this needs to be managed. As both sides of the issue have very valid and cogent arguments in their favor, a solution to address both will need to be implemented .  Land should be set aside on site-n-services or plug-n-play basis to accommodate a fixed no. of such service providers.  Selection should be by lottery (conducted by Govt. in presence of judiciary) and beyond the stipulated no. any further such ventures should be strictly prohibited. In case of Govt. projects, suitable area should be earmarked in the master plan,  For large housing projects, provisions may be incorporated in the by-laws, allowing such structures to be beyond FAR, while ensuring allotment of area within the premises. The same rules of allotment will apply for the spaces provided within private development as for Govt. allocations. Right to the area will remain with the Govt. as the Lessor.   

Army of the World

Who funds the US Army if USA is in trillion dollar debt.

It is the rest of the world who have invested in USA, put their money and faith in their system. US Army has the mandate to be the peacekeepers of the world.

But there's the catch - who will monitor he monitors?

Science of Magic

As we know all magic is science. But to me, all science is magic as well. It is a miracle that there are things called cells and that they join in so many strange and beautiful ways. We understand science as defined by these miracles - the creation came first, our understanding later.