info-activism camp, Bangalore 2009

I am excited to be a part of the Info-Activism camp 2009. The camp will be held 19-25th February, in Bangalore, India. Here is the list of participants:

And here is Inkspot's take on what Info-Activism is all about...

In places where there is oppression,
Where Haves enslave Have-nots' expression,
Digi-tech, information,
Unchains conversation -
Info-Activism? Well, that's my impression!

Will the real Dutt please stand up?

I.
Just who is that man flying high?
None other than our Munnabhai
The actor turns 'neta',
'Khalnayak' to 'Vijeta'--
By talking Gandhigiri -- what a guy!

The Hindu 18/01/09: LUCKNOW: Ending speculation about his entry into politics, film actor Sanjay Dutt was on Saturday presented to the people of Lucknow by the Samajwadi Party as its candidate for this year’s Lok Sabha elections.The actor responded saying that ‘Gandhigiri’ would be his election agenda and he would endeavour to carry forward the political legacy of his late father, Sunil Dutt. Get the story here

II.
Said Munna, "I swear on my life,
My sister just can't stand my wife.
Now my partner and me,
We're the true Dutts you see,
And that's what is causing the strife!"

TOI 19/01/09: No sister gets along with her brother's wife, say's Dutt. Get the story here

When Ahimsa failed

Said Gandhiji, "Sir, you should try
Ahimsa. If they gouge out your eye
Or tear off your arm,
Please do them no harm --
Make passive resistance your reply."

Said the great Dalai Lama, "Your views
I'm sorry to say are obtuse.
In the fight against terror,
Satyagraha would be error,
For these are 'closed minds' on the loose!"

MSN News 17/01/09: New Delhi: The Dalai Lama, a lifelong champion of non-violence today candidly stated that terrorism cannot be tackled by applying the principle of ahimsa as the minds of terrorists are closed. Get the story here

It pays to be drunk on the job

When his frustrated boss thundered, "Bob,
You're a lazy, inebriate slob!"
Bob slurred, "You may scoff,
But you can't lay me off --
I've a right to be drunk on the job!"

Yahoo News 14/01/09: Peru's top court has ruled that workers cannot be fired for being drunk on the job, a decision that was criticized by the government on Wednesday for setting a dangerous precedent. Get the story here

The Satyam saga

When the big boss of Satyam confessed,
That for years, the accounts had been dressed,
His shocking revelation,
Sent shivers through the nation,
For he'd stirred up a huge hornet's nest.

Said Raju, "Believe, I implore,
That I sincerely tried to restore
The accounts, put them right,
But by then, my sore plight,
Was like riding a beast carnivore."

"How I wish I had not tried the stunt
Of acquiring the name back to front**
Now the fear of being mangled,
Has me further entangled,
So I guess I must now bear the brunt!"

The Sunday Times 11/01/2009: India rocked by its own Enron - Ramalinga Raju, the founder of Satyam Computers has shocked corporate India by confessing to having cooked the books at Satyam for years. In a fraud already labelled as India’s Enron, Raju admitted to having inflated the reported cash and bank balances of the company by $1 billion (£660m), while overstating revenues and understating liabilities. As the company grew, the gap between fact and fiction widened.“It was like riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten,” the 54-year-old wrote in his resignation letter. This weekend he is being held in custody, leaving a trail of destruction and unanswered questions behind him. Get the rest of the story here

** Maytas = Satyam spelled backwards

India's fuel crisis ends as striking oil company workers return to work

As the strike crippled fuel supply
And petrol pumps started to dry,
The Center spoke tough,
Said, 'Enough is enough!
Get to work, or else your fat we'll fry!'

MSN News, 09/01/2009: New Delhi - Within hours of the Government cracking down on them, ordering arrests and calling in the Army, the oil PSU (Public Sector Unit) executives gave in this evening and called off their three-day-old strike, which had crippled fuel supplies and affected power generation."Everything will be normal by tomorrow," Oil Minister Murli Deora said giving relief to millions of commuters, who were starved of fuel due to a majority of petrol pumps and CNG fuelling stations going dry because of the agitation.The Army was called in to manage loading and dispatches to petrol pumps as the Government ordered arrests and dismissals of officers keeping off work. Get the full story here

To a warmer clime

A five, six and seven year old,
Set off on a voyage (how bold!)
Their destination?
A warm, sunny nation
Like Africa -- "Germany's cold!"

Yahoo News 5/1/09: BERLIN – Three German children aged five, six and seven said they were fed up with cold weather at home set off on a voyage to Africa ("because it's so nice and warm there"). However, they got only as far as the local train station before being stopped by the police. Get the story here