There goes another year !

How did it entered ?

How did it disappear ?

There goes another year

Here I am standing and wondering  ....... !

What did it bring ?

What did it take ?

What was the gain ?

What was the loss ?

Questions ..... Questions ....

Where are the answers ?

Who would know them ?

No change in greed

No change in selfishness

Man keeps walking

Earth keeps rotating

Politicians plan

Theoreticians prove

Mathematicians calculate

who executes ?

Warring West

Warring East

Warring North

Warring South

All for what ?

For a brief period of life

Like a water bubble

Do not know when it will burst 

Here we go into

Another year with

Full of hope and

full of expectations

What is lacking .....

Or the key word .............

The Compassion

Sakthi Sakthithasan

 

Cricket World loses A Star !

Tony Greig ! a name that was constantly reverberated in the world of cricket has come to an end. It is true that he will forever remain a constant reminder of excellence in cricket but his voice that we all became accustomed to during the years in the commentary box all around the world has come to an end.

Yes it is so sad that Tony Grieg has passed away at a considerably a young age of 66.

Born in South Africa to a Scottish parents he full filled his cricketing dreams in England. I came to England from Sri Lanka in 1975 . Since the time I have arrived in England to this date the name Tony Grieg has been associated with cricket in one form or the other. I have watched him playing for Sussex county with great admiration and saw him captaining England.

His flamboyant England career started with the infamous tour of West Indies in 1974 , and his controversial stumping of then hero Alvin Kallicharan under a extraordinary circumstances sparked a near enough riots at the Caribbean test grounds.

But in the same tour his talent with bat and ball excelled and he returned home with a high reputation as the best alrounder in the world.

The following year in 1975 when every English player was struggling against the mighty pace bowling of the Australian duo Thompson and Lillie Tony Grieg stood as a lone resilient figure gaining high reputation among the fans and the Australian players.

He prt took in the very best limited over world cup in 1975 during which England lost against Australia in the semifinals. The Ashes tour of 1975 demolished England and then Captain of the England team , Mike Dennis was replaced by young Tony Grieg.

A tall 6ft 6in cricketer set a batting average of 40.43 and a bowling average of 32.20 again embarked into controversy by getting himself involved in World Series Cricket which was organised by then so called cricket pirate Kerry Packer.

He then entered in the world of commentary and has been a constant voice in commentary boxes all around the world for the past 33 years. It is a treat to listen to him who brings the played match in front of our eyes by his brilliant commentary who most of the times partnered by the famous Geoffrey Boycott.

I am writing this with a heavy heart with the thought that I would never be able to listen to his experienced voice in the commentary boxes of the world.

It is a sad fact that few months ago he was diagnosed with lung cancer. But having had surgery to remedy that most of the ardent cricketing fans were hoping that he would overcome his illness with chemotherapy. But unfortunately in an unexpected twist he was succumbed to heart attack and left this world for good.

Let us all join his family and friends in preying for his soul to rest in peace.

Sakthi Sakthithasan

 

Spiritual Awakening

Constant thoughts , continuous questions like waves in a blue ocean . Yes so many unanswerable questions that is posed towards us by ourselves are the key to start the spiritual awakening.

there is a misconception among many people that when a person starts to talk about spiritual awakening that person must be at the summit of own frustration in his life and is ready to give up all his belongings and disappear into a wilderness.

In my view this perception is created because there is still a lot of misunderstanding about the meaning of spiritual awakening.

while accepting that you must have a certain level experience which consists of some kind of failure which would initially instigate the Thurst for spiritual awakening in an individual. But that is not only requirement or a cause for someone to search the true meaning of life.

It is quiet possible for someone to enjoy a healthy family life while trying find one`s true self.

A big question that will arise in everyone`s mind at one point in their life is what is provoking our thoughts. What is behind our thought process. This question though sound a very deep in reality has a very simple explanation.

Thoughts are like waves which has no ending the occurrence is continuous. Then how one would be able to control their thoughts ? How the great saints achieve the goal of self realisation ?

The question, who am I ? is the pivotal question that would take us in the path of self analyzing. If we are unable to find an answer to the question "who am I?" in one`s so called "life time" then what is the point of such eagerness ?

The search for the answer to this question helps us to cleanse our thoughts and question our every action on the moral grounds which in turn will provide some peace in our mind.

Am I someone who has succeeded in finding the answer to the above question ? No I am a simpleton who still has to put lot of things right in my life. 

Then what are you blabering about ? you may ask. This is merely speaking loud to myself with a hope that someone whose thoughts synchronise with me will accompany me in their thoughts towards self analysis.

Come let us continue our journey with the help of Love, Peace ,compassionate and equality.

Thank you

Sakthi Sakthithasan

If I know the answer ...............

Another stop !
yes , it is all .....
Is it the end ? or
Is it a turning

Mind is wondering
Brain is ticking
World is rotating  .....

Or

Could this be a begining ?
Why not ?
Replace hate with love
Replace greed with sacrifice
Anger with understanding

A golden age will Dawn
Are we ready to
Embarace this ?

Birth, Death a common occurance
Life is a cycle ....... Who , when and what
will break this cycle ?
who ...... has the answer ?

Questions ........ Questions .......
the mind is full of thurst to know.....Yes only to know ...
How wealthy and healthy we would be

who is eager to reveal
The world of love ?

If I know the answer ...............


Sakthi Sakthithasan

                                            What a shamble !

Here we are walking straight into a row over a racist issue . Is it really a racist issue ? is it justifiable once again for the lime light to focus  on the immigrants themselves ? are they the ones to be blamed for this latest row that we now find that we are in the middle of ?

What is he talking about ? I hear you exclaiming.

Yes it is the controversy surrounding the decision of Rotherham labour council to act against the foster parents claiming that they are supporting UKIP, in their view allegedly holding racist views.

What a shamble  ?

The important aspect of British Society is it,s important freedom to hold opinions however controversy they are. It is essential for every civilised society to rein in extreme views to curtail extremism but it is also equally harmful to curb personal opinions in the name of controlling extremism.

Immigration is a sore subject in all the developed nations. But in the current climate of globalisation it is virtually impossible to have zero immigration. On the other hand the downturn of the economy in the western world which constituted in the longest recession in  our living memory it will be impossible to advocate an open door immigration policy.

It is therefore essential to have parties like UKIP to lead discussions in the topic of immigration to have a healthy debate so everyone will have a chance to air their view.

It is very dangerous to brand every discussion on immigration as   racist , which only will encourage the growth of extremism.

I am sure that it is not merely the objections of any immigrants which has lead to a foolish decision by the concerned council but merely some people who could be branded as do gooders who are behind this sort of harsh actions.

I who is a immigrant myself who came to this country some 37 years ago cherish the freedom to hold opinion of our own can only view the events with sadness.

I sincerely hope that actions like this should only be taken after careful considerations with all the people concerned with proper justifiable reasons behind it.

Other ways this will not only curb peoples individual freedom but also will harm the welfare of the immigrants.

Sakthi Sakthithasan

Please let me go

Chain of thoughts 
Broken by events
quietness of the night
broken by the thunder

Sleepless nights
Shivering body
Reality strikes
Realism prevail

What a world ?
What a world ?
where is the truth ?
Why is it hiding ?

Not a soul wheeps
for the death of hope
Where are we heading ?
who will answer me ?

Please let me go
where there is peace
Let me see how
Real humanity survives 

Sakthi Sakthithasan

Land of Hope and Glory

Land of Hope and Glory

What a couple of months that we have seen in this beautiful land. Yes I am talking about  England . So many negative comments was raised in the media of our capability of holding the Olympics. But as a whole united country GB has shown that even in the face of adversity we as a country could bring pride and joy to this land of hope and glory.

Yes there are a lot of raised eye brows what is Asian immigrant talking about who is he trying to kid ! It is natural to think that I am talking a lot of rubbish.

The words that are coming from me are pureley born out of true feelings. GB has proved not only that they can hold a big event but they can also compete at the highest level and be counted by being third in the Medal Table.

Look who brought the Medals to our nation it is a combination of athletes who are cross section of our multi cultural society . They stood proud and got the national flag hoisted along  with the national anthem by being the number one at the front.

When it is said that Britain is multi cultural society there are lot of debates strats from every corner among different group of people. But the truth is whether we like it or not we are part of a multicultural society and our unity is proved by participating and being proud of the achivements of the nation that we live in.

When I say Britain is a land of hope and glory I am speaking of personal experience. Irrelevant of my background I have been given chances in life to become what I want, if I did not make good use of the opportunities given to me that is not the fault of the government or the country that I live in.

It is true at times you come across people with differing views in every side but that is nature not everyone is same and everyone would not have the same view. 

This is the country that we live in by choice and this is the country which gave us the opporunity to do so. When I say this please do not misunderstand me to be a person who has forgotten his roots and the country and land where he was born. I love my language but that does not mean I should not acknowledge the fact that Britain is the land which gave the life that I have today and I should consider that I am an adopted son of this land and be proud of it`s achievements.

We should show this unity that we showed through the Olympic competitions to overcome the difficult economic situation that we find our country is in. 

we may have differing political views and may not be supporting the parties in power but the fact is they are the democratically elected authority and who are currently in a position to steer us out of this stormy seas.

So let us all join our hands together and help to saw some positive seeds to grow a positive looking future for our future generation. Le us accept that facts as facts and keep hold of this united attitude and help each other to keep this country as a Land of hope Glory.

Sakthi Sakthithasan

You can ------ Oh no but you can`t !

Yes you can fight for our country ...... Oh no ! but you are not allowed to be my country man.......

Puzzling is it not ? what I am talking about ?

A man who spent 13 years of his life fighting the wars that declared by our country on our behalf is not good enough to be a British national ? why we nay ask .

a small brawl that lasted for approximately a minute when Mr.Isimeli Baleiwai who was a Lance Corporal until few months ago serving in Afghanistan has been declared as person who Britain would not like to have as it`s national , then a question who in fact are eligible to live in England ?


Mr.Abu Kattaada and Mr. Abu Haza and people like him who is quiet willingly spreading racial hatred around this country on the religious grounds and whom our law says cannot be deported because it may infringe their human rights ...... What a ridiculous situation. 


One famous Politician and a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in India said " law is dark room into which the light of common sense need to be directed by the people practising law " . Yes as it stands I do not think there has been any light shed into the dark room by anyone on this case.


All are equal in the eyes of Law , including the army personal . That is understood fairly well by every one . And the reason given by the "Border Agency" also in plain English for every one to see, but what astonishes fairly minded people is the logic adopted in this case.


Surely there should have been consultation done with higher officers on the plight of this young man before casting a decision . How can it be fair when family been given this harsh treatment provided the circumstances that prevail.

The decision to consider an unfortunate minor incident in this well behaved  young man`s career in the forces is laughable considering the crimes committed by some of the people who were allowed to carry on living here despite their immigration status.


I am an immigrant my self. And am very proud of the fairness shown towards me . And I also fully support the need to control the immigration to a manageable amount as other ways we as a country will not be able co-op.


But in this particular case I am sure that the government need to intervene to put the wrong decision right so that a person who was brave enough to fight for our country, who has a British wife and British children will have secured a permanent life in this country.


Let us hope and pray and common sense will prevail.


Sakthi Sakthithasan

OBE , MBE ..... Should it be ?

I was traveling in my car the other day and happen to hear a very interesting discussion .

What is it I hear you asking ?

It was said that there is discussion topic thrown open suggesting that the honor title bestowed on distinguished people by the queen such as OBE,CBE and MBE should be renamed .

Why ?  the question arise in peoples minds . The reason for this argument really astonished me. Apparantley the Term "British Empire" on these titles are offending some corner of the society !

Historical facts are there to remain whether any symbolic titles are changed or not. When an Empire called British Empire existed there was some practices existed which has marred the human race . Yes it happened !

But have we not moved away from that time ? the society that we live now is one based on understanding, tolerance and co-operation. If our future generation are to live in this society with equal footing then it is imperative that we pass the events which took place in the past.


We should not be responsible for making our children carry a burden which has no bearing in the present day Britain.


Please do not misunderstand my views as condoning any racial tones in the society all my concerns are we should not hold onto meaningless gestures that will polarise anddivide the society.


The culture of regognising great service of people by bestowing tittles is a long standing one and changing the name will take the shine of those titles.


We as members of the British society should rise above all historical grudges and acknowledge the tolerance and inclusion of British society.


I understand that there is currently some research going on on this subject "The select committee on public administration" is looking into this and has some alternative names suggested to replace the OBE,MBE and so forth

I am not quiet sure that a change is necessary even though understand the point that Britain is not an Empire anymore hence that term should be removed..


Let us hope things are not changed to be "politically correct" rather than necessity.

Sakthi Sakthithasan

.

 

I need to dream

Let me spread
 my
dreaming wings
Here 
I am flying
towards the stars


Le me crawl
 in
the beautiful blue carpet 
woven by the nature
Here I am
trying to touch the
Jewels of the night


The beautiful stars ......


Do not wake me up
let me not see 
this cruel world
Where people who hate each other
who do not enjoy the nature


In their mind
destiny of their life
depend on them
The feeling of "I"
hides the true image
of the beautiful
Human nature


Why ? Why ? Why?
this continuous war
Racing to take others life
which will fade away on it`s own .....


In this ocean of time
Our time in this world
Only a tiny blip
Why have we forgotten
who we are ?
we are all human beings
Brothers in fact ......


why do we fight ?
What are we gaining ?


Please let me sleep ......
I need to Dream ! ! !


Sakthi Sakthithasan

 

Mr.QATADA ...... What is going on ?

Mr. Qatada is going to released on bail soon .......

That is the prediction of lot of media today. But is it a joyful event ?

I am sure at least 90% of the British public irrelevant of their background are outraged of the fiasco surrounding Mr.Qatada.

Why are we so incensed about this deportation that failed ? Is it because,

Britain is a soft touch for this "kind" of people who fairly well know that they would get away with anything that they carry out in this country ?

or

Is it because he is who he is ?

If the answer is the first reason then we should really ask a deep question with in ourselves , are we really too soft ? if so who says that ?

we keep on hearing statements from different politicians and leading political observers that, I quote  " In France these sort of things are not tolerated they do not worry about Europeon Commision ruling and they will deport who ever they think lawfully should be deported" But is it true ?

If you ask the same people to quote an example of a person who was deported in France while his appeal was in the European Human Rights court , they would struggle and would not be able to give an answer.

Yes I agree , that it is not correct for Europe to intervene in individual countries due process of legal cases unless it is proven beyond doubt that country is  ignoring human rights.

Just because the interpretation of the law is being misused in few cases we should not undermine European Human Rights Commission which was established to stop situations arise that existed before the 2nd world war.

Government and the home secretary is quiet right when they say that they would not encourage any laws to be broken and it is unfair for us use this for our political advantage.

If we look at the 2nd reason Mr.Qutada is ticking all the boxes that every decent British subject loathes.

He is an Illegal Immigrant, Living on the benefit, preaching against the same government and people who gave refuge to him. Hence the feeling of outrage of the majority of the public is understandable.

But does it authorize our government to ignore the due process of law ? it is not only Mr.Qatada we are talking about here. If it was accepted at this instant it could happen to anyone and be justified on this basis.

I firmly deplore of Mr Qatada`s actions and fully support the argument that he should be deported.

I do not think that it is a time for us go after our home secretary forgetting that any mistake or oversight that occurred on her part is not the major issue here.

In other words it is not proper to do a witch hunt of Mrs.May as she is only trying to deport Mr.Qatada lawfully. Yes it is true there was a miscalculation of the statement made by her but that can be excused on the grounds of this tense time.

Remember it is not now that he  has been tried to be deported, it has been going on for nearly ten years. 

We should allow our government (never mind who is in power ) to follow through the due process of the legal procedures and deport him lawfully which will allow us to hold our head high and be proud to be British.

After all personal emotions can be allowed to cloud an ordinary persons judgement but that is the sole reason we elect representatives who see beyond the emotions and carry out the justice in full.

I am sure that you are all fully aware that our Prime Minister David Cameron has said if it was down to him he would personally put him in the next plane, after all he is also one of us but unfortunately when you are in high office you are bound by the just processes.

If for every fiasco we claim a minster`s post you would not see any good people coming forward to serve in the government.

By the way I am not a conservative supporter, but a person who is very proud to live in a just Britain. 

Sakthi Sakthithasa

What is in it for me ?

The usual question in an average person`s mind Ah !

Yes ! you may wonder what am I talking about.

I am talking about nothing other than our London Mayoral election of 2012 ...... What else ?

cannot believe how fast time has passed ! it is the fourth election ...... Yes ... Believe me it is the fourth election ...

Mr.Ken Livingston who had two eventful shots approximatley eight years as the London Mayor and then came the colourfull and controversial neverthless interesting Boris Johnston who has been our Mayor for the past four years .....

The question is who ? who is going to be our next mayor ?

Here is the interesting question pops out , what is in it for me ?

Is it right to pose such a question to elect an official representative. Well the answer is I do not know, but on what grounds one makes their choice ?

The policies of the political parties and the politicians who represent them are said to be formulated around the needs of the average person who they say that they intend to help.

If that is the true argument then the question "what is in it for me ?" also becomes a valid question. Perhaps that is the basic question helps a person to make their choice.

a society is a collection of people who as individuals have their own ambitions and needs. But often the ambition exceeds the needs and becomes normal expectation. When that happens the collective thought as a society takes a back seat and the question "what is in it for me?" becomes more important.

I until recently was an ardent Labour supporter but as time went on and I grew older , worked very hard to be where I am now slowly I started to feel that all my hard work has made me a target in the eyes of the so called "socialist" principle speaking people to be punished for what I have.

This opened my views to look wider in the political field for my choices and made me to look carefully into the small prints of what the politicians announce as their policies.

I am only speaking on personal terms as an example. That does not mean that I am a person with massive wealth. I am only a so called middle class person.What ever I have is earned through hard work and sensible living. It is possible for any average person to be where I am now.

What are we seeing today in the Mayoral battle field between the four candidates who are taken very serious and three of them who are serious contenders in which only two seem to have any chance of becoming the Mayor.

Policing, Housing, Transport, Education, Unemployment are few of the areas that candidates are throwing their pledges left , right and centre.

Ken, by default a leftist whose socialist leaning principles attract a lot of Londoners who are made up of large multicultural background.

As a person who is living in the Burrough of Croydon , which falls under the Greater London umbrella, one thing Ken said stuck in my mind.

He has given a pledge that if he becomes the Mayor he would give Croydon people an opportunity to vote in a referendum to leave Greater London and Join Surrey.

It really does not give any assurances for me how I would benefit out of this other than thinking that I might loose on the Freedom Pass that quiet a lot of Croydon fellow people enjoy now.

On the other hand Boris in his colourfull language reitrating his right leanings which embaraces the policies of the party he belongs. But one thing is sure Boris is not afraid to fight his corner for his beleife against his party which happen to be heading the national government.

It puts Brian Paddock in a difficult situation. His party does not enjoy the support of public as they are partners in the existing coalition government which carried through policies which were not supported by grass root Liberal Democrats supporters.

Yes this Mayoral election is being held in an unique situation. Never before a mayoral election held while nationally we were governed by a coalition government.

the parties which are sharing the power at the top are fielding opposing candidates in local elections and Mayoral election.

This may be an example of Democratical system at it`s best but it puts the concerned candidates in a difficult situation.

it may be more evident in Brian Paddock`s propaganda meetings than Boris Johnston.

There are two reasons for this .

Boris is the current mayor and that makes his position easier to campaign on the achievements of his term as the London Mayor secondly Conservative party has been the benefactor of the coalition agreement as they have not compromised heavily on their policies so far.

The only credible argument Brain has on his side is that he was the former Police Superintendent and as the London mayor he will be in charge of policing decisions affecting London, which would give him an advantage over the others.

What about the fourth candidate? The Green Party Leader. I cannot see any feasible policies they offer to London people other than basing their every argument on the Green policy basis.

Let us forget the argument "what is in it for me?" for a minute and look at collective issues facing London people as a whole.

• Lack of police officers which affects the law and order situation
• Housing issue ..... In light of the welfare changes that the national government is trying to bring about.
• Lack of educational support for young people
• Rising unemployment among younger generation
• Increasing transport cost in and around London

The above issues are some of the main issues facing the London people. London is the financial hub of the western world. We need to put London on a firm sound footing, for the future generation to build their future growth based, on London being the centre of finance. To do that we need a Mayor who would be courage enough to but his party interests aside and put London first.
Of course one need to toe party lines in the basic principles but they should not allow that to compromise the development of London.
We need some one who can have long term view which would benefit the present day younger generation to feel that they belong to this great city in the world.
To do this .......
1) Ken,
who already had eight year run as London Mayor. Did he really use his time usefully ? No one would doubt how passionate ken is towards London. He was brave enough to defy his party`s decision to compete for London Mayor when it was first conducted. Should Ken be given another chance coupled with his time out of the post and the previous experience in the post would benefit him to be more successfull

2) Boris ?

How did he do as the Mayor so far? was he bold enough to carry out his convictions? Was he brave enough to fight his own party`s government for the best interest of London? Should he be given another term to carry thorough some of the changes he brought about?

3) Brian ?

I am very doubtful that he would be considered seriously. It is so unfortunate that at the time of the election his party is also sharing the power at the national level and made itself very unpopular.

Well nationally at this very moment Labour party is enjoying a lead in the polls over conservative party. Would this make any difference in the Mayoral Election? Would the public be prepared to separate national issues from local issues ?

Whoever takes over is going to oversee the most prestigious sporting event in this great city. Yes the Olympics ! whether we like it or not in our generation this is the only chance we are seeing Olympics being held in our city.

Who it will be ? May 3rd will provide the answer ?

Once again the important question .......

Are we paying the importance that is deserved to this Mayoral election ?

"What is in it for me?"

Sakthi Sakthithasan
17.04.2012

Oh no ! not again !

When I was traveling to work yesterday afternoon I was listening to the radio. There was an interesting discussion going on.

I guess the presenter was discussing about the current teaching standards at our schools and asking a very serious question.

Why at present day a very few under graduates take up teaching as their career?

A very good question I thought. The next caller who called into the radio station to discuss this topic was a Police officer who like me was on his way to work.

When he started to put his pint across it started like any other average caller but soon the points he made grabbed my attention.

he was so critical about the constant barrage of criticism leveled at the teaching profession more or less every week by the media. He also suggested that because of this constant criticism the teachers are feeling themselves being under valued and due to this fact he also pointed out that new entrants to teaching profession are very hesitant.

he did not stop at that he went onto say that along with teachers the Police and the NHS staff are all under constant negative criticism which in turn are making the majority of them who are hard workers very despondent.

It made me thinking . The above three sections are unique sections of our society. The people who go for these profession are those who are driven by passion to some extend. These sections play a vital role in shaping our society.

Are we as responsible members of the society giving the respect due for these people? are we supporting these profession in unbiased way?

The answer I am ashamed to say is not favorable . In addition these sections are the ones getting constant political interference since these affect the day to day living of the voters in turn determines the future of the politicians.

So the next question is , is it wrong for the politicians to interfere ?

The paymasters of these group of workers are the public hence the interference of the people's representatives are unavoidable.

But is these interferences are the cause of genuine concerns or merely to carry the policies of the political parties through.

It is natural that Political parties will use anything to boost their support among the voters but as general public are we making the politicians to be over cautious and undermine these important workers in our society.

Teachers, Police officers , Doctors , Nurses and the fire officers are all people who change people's lives. The majority of them look after the public under difficult circumstances. Without them the smooth function of the society is not possible.

It is true there are bad teachers bad police officers and bad doctors who do not full filling their duties satisfactorily. This does not give us license to be a critic of everybody who work in these disciplines.

While accepting that it is our government of the day's responsibility to be prudent with the tax payers monies there should be certain degree of Independence given for them to work freely.

The workers in these profession should be given their due respect so that the younger people will be encouraged to get into these vital roles.

Positive criticism, due respect and a hope full expectations these should be the immediate response of us as general public.

Sakthi Sakthithasan

 

Shape up or ship out

Yes ! it is that time again .......
What time ? I hear you ask . What else the Budget time.

The Chancellor proudly coming out of his official residence with the traditional red leather brief case in his hand posing to the cameras !

It is the most important thing that affects each and individuals in different ways yet majority of us will just walk through as if we are sleep walking .

The budget day is the single most important day that make or break a country`s economy.

it is very important and interesting to watch the budget that is being proposed by a Conservative chancellor who happens to share a coalition government with Liberal Democrats.

The ironic thing is that each of the party has to cross the line that they set in their manifesto to be flexible in a government that they have to share it`s values with each other.

Liberal democrats who hardly had any experience of setting up Budgets in government in the recent history, who until last year was only airing their opposition to the party in power thinking that they would never be sitting in the hot seat themselves. In a swift turn around finding them selves in the very same hot seat.

We as a country facing a very bleak economic situation. Events that was the outcome of global economical overheat coupled with Banks acting over enthusiastic in risk taking has plunged most of the countries into a hole that they finding very difficult to get out of.

The strategy for the road to recovery is not far different according to the both main parties Conservative and Labour. The difference is how deep and how fast the cuts need to be. Conservative party along with Liberal democrats are taking a severe cut method while Labour in the opposition keep advicing the government to slow down.

The fruits of the policies will only be revealed in time but politically where will the Liberal Party be at the end of this current parliament.

All along Liberal Party has been seen as a party with genuine liberal views. But because of a rarer chance they had to be part of the government they had to change their approach .

Whether this is justified or not we have to settle for the good old statement that the " end will justify the means".

What will the forthcoming budget will hold? Will it reflect the fact that the conservative party are the major players in the coalition Government or will it show the influence Liberal Party has in this Government.

While Conservative party secretly wishing for the 50p tax rate to be abolished Liberals are forcing the introduction of a Mansion tax.

Involvement of our government in International affairs has to be minimised to get the economy to start to pick up. That is the only way local people`s frustrations will be relieved.

The theory of the Government that any people who lose their jobs in the public sector will be absorbed by growing private sector has failed to materialise.

There are little hopes of recovery appearing here and there but how stable is that? still a question mark.

It is a big opportunity for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to correct any offset that was caused by his last budget. It is evident that his forecast based on the last budget has not gone according to the predictions.

It is not fair to say the cause for that is the last budget. The instability of the economic recovery of the European countries has not helped British Economy to have a healthier growth. But having seen the difficulties now it is in Chancellor`s hands to do everything that he can to stimulate the British economy.

What are the difficulties for the average citizen ?

• Rising cost of living
• Specially ever rising energy costs
• Continuous rise of the fuel price which in turn pushing the cost of essentials
• Ever increasing unemployment among the youth

Whether we like it or not what ever the actions of the government , it will definitely cast a shadow in everyone`s life.

As they say the road to recovery is a long one with unexpected bends along the way hence our mindset need to be flexible to accept the sudden changes.

looking at the events it is evident the dent of this governments action is going to be more evident in Liberal Democrats support.

It is true that they have changed their positions in many manifesto pledges. None more significant than the college fees for the undergraduates. In addition to that the sweeping changes that are being proposed on the NHS is not going to be a easy one to be digested by Liberal Democrats.

the severe test for the concept of coalition is yet to come . There is another 3 more years to go in the life of this parliament and the hurdles that need to be jumped on the way are very high ones to come out it unscathed is very difficult.

Due to all these facts the forthcoming budget is a crucial one for the country and parties in the government none more than for the Liberals.

After all in the next election they have to justify their actions to the public while keeping the integrity of their individuality intact.

Let us see what the red box is going to reveal on the day. Will it help to shape up or ship out ?

Sakthi Sakthithasan
11.03.2012

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

Singing birds - yes
They are all around me
announcing the arrival
0f the spring delightfully
loudly in my ears
bear branches of the tree
Shirking with passion
Hoping that they will be
covered by young green leaves
Heads od daffodils are
Slowley peeking the world
Darling little buds
Eagerly awaiting the day
That they will unfold their petals
The edges of the green grass
Which were shrunk under the
Spell of the frost .... Finally
Standing straight in the
Silverly shine of the morning Sun
Yes .... It has come .... it is true
Spring is in the Air

Sakthi Sakthithasan

 

Who am I ?

Who am I ? 

This is a central question that will spring in the mind if we want to understand ourselves. Without understanding ourselves we cannot understand others.

If we are saying that we understand others it is merely words without meaning.

So what do we mean when we say that we understand ourselves ?

The famous saint of Arunachala Ramana Maharishi says,

“The mind is only a bundle of thoughts. The thoughts have their root in the I-thought. Whoever investigates the True "I" enjoys the stillness of bliss.”

Yes, the thought “i” controls most part of our life. That same thought ” I “ is behind every mans ego. If we can conquer the thought “i” then we have conquered the biggest obstacle to be free.

Here Ramana Maharishi says,

“See who is the doubter, who is the thinker. It is the ego. Hold it; the other thoughts will die away - the ego will be left pure. See the source from where the ego arises and abide in it. That is pure consciousness. “

Ego is the biggest hindrance to understand others. Ego does not allow to appreciate the greatness in others. We achieve real happiness when we are able to be happy by seeing other peoples happiness.

When my end of life comes I will be no more there. Only thing that exists after my demise will be my sole.

Quoting Ramana maharishi again,

“Turn the mind inward and cease thinking of yourself as the body; thereby you will come to know that the self is ever happy. Neither grief nor misery is experienced in this state.”

If you start to enquire in the word “i” , you will start think inwards towards the origin of your thoughts. Once you know the origin of thoughts then you can control the bad thoughts by the good thoughts.

According to Saint Ramana,

“The mind of one meditating on a single object becomes one-pointed. And one-pointedness of mind leads to abidance in the self.Realization is to get rid of the delusion that you have not realized.

Good thoughts keep off bad thoughts. They must themselves disappear before the state of realization.”

I at one point was quiet interested find the meaning to the statement that one needs to understand themselves. While searching through several information one thing came to light. Without realising you start to purify your thoughts and kindness and love take over your emotions which in turn presents you with clarity and peace.

I am not saying that I have achieved the goal. But it is a interesting journey, even if you do not reach the destination, the experience you get from the travel is worth the effort.

Sakthi Sakthithasan

A fish in the tank ......

I see a fish in the tank ......

It reminds me of the

Thoughts in my mind ....

Fish in the tank has

Limitations as to where

It can swim .... Hence

It is controlled

But my thoughts?

I can let my thoughts swim

Far and wide like a

Cloud in the sky

Forming it`s own shapes

I can try and understand

By reaching other ways of

Living by other people

In turn ......

It should make me to

Understand that we

All are same

Sakthi Sakthithasan

Different corner ....... Different view (1)

End of an year and a beginning of another one. What a welcome year 2012 had with mind blowing fireworks watched by millions of people with glittering hope.

But what has year 2012 in store for us ?

More questions than answers !

More puzzles than solutions !

More words than actions !

Gloom and doom predictions flowing from every part of the world.

So we embark into the New Year with a mind full of anxious thoughts. We all know that the coming year is going to be very tough one. But as citizens of this country what are we going to do?

Just moan and protest at every cuts that the government is making or try and be sensible to overcome this with great unity and bring this great country back to its former economic glory ?

It is true that world has changed.

It is true that the balance of economical power has shifted.

But the talent a country had cannot be vanished just like that. The younger generation of this country can turn around the situation.

Currently the minds of younger people are being diverted away from positive actions into very negative gloomy future. To reverse this situation greatest duty falls on the shoulder of the community leaders and the Media.

Who by working together can change the perception of the young people who this country needs very badly . 

We need a new kind of political co-operation emerge to suit the present difficult times. 

As a start we have a coalition government in power who no one ever thought would be possible.

It is only a start.

Why don`t we give a chance for this new political co-operationto see if it can succeed ?

We all are very quick to blame the government and the establishment for everything that happens around us. But who are the establishment? They are part of us, who emerged out of the society hence why we do not accept the things we can accept rather than rejecting everything out of hand.

I am a first generation immigrant with a positive storey to tell. There are good and bad people in every society. By choosing to live in this country we have become part of this society. That does not mean that we have to lose our identity, and I do not think no one expects us to do that.

But holding on to our identity does not necessarily make us to segregate ourselves. No one should impose their views on anyone else this is the basic human right. 

We should all feel proud to be part of this country and do whatever we can do get our country out of this mess by contribute to the economy . If there is will then there will be ways.

Race, religion, cast, language all should take second place. The only binding factor we have is that we live in this great country and we should lend our support to economy of this country and feel any wastage that we cause is a wastage that our future generation are going to be deprived of.

I think all political parties should look at the situation without bias this does not mean when there is something that is being done could be done differently for better results, then of course air your opposition, but let us not oppose anything for the sake of opposing.

Let us look at the realities in front of us. Let us work together to prove the only way is up.

My best wishes for all for a happy New Year

Sakthi Sakthithasan

Nothing lost : Nothing gained

A year has gone by

Like a wind passed by

Nothing lost ; Nothing gained

Not a single lesson is learned

Another year will pass by

Will I be anymore wiser ?

Would the world be at peace ?

Nothing lost : Nothing gained

Neither I am anymore wiser

Sakthi Sakthithasan

Learning is it an art ?

Learning !

What is the real meaning of it ? studying something in parrot fashion and repeating it in an answer in an exam and getting a qualification.

Is that it ?

Learning does not stop with the school, college or university. It continuous with us throughout our life. We are capable of learning something everyday but are we equipped for it ?

Yes all us are equipped to learn every day , all we have to do is open our heart. Treat everyone else as important as us. Every person has something that they can teach us whether it is something that we benefit from doing that ourselves or not doing it ourselves.

Somewhere in the corner of our mind we all think that we know more than the other person and this thought alone stops us from learning from others.

You may think oh ! it is easy for Sakthi tosay these things but does he adhere to what he is writing about. The simple answer is "no". But I have accepted the fact that I need to do that. I have realised that I have been a fool for long time.

For an example if a friend says something to me which is a new fact I never knew before I seldom accept to him that I have learnt something from him. I was behaving in such manner for a long time , but the events in my life has changed the way I look at things.

The difficulties I had in life had taught me that I am still a very immature student in the school of life. Which in turn encouraged me to learn from others.

Now I realized that by talking less and listening more I will learn more.

Yes learning is an art but not for students only for everyone ......

It is getting late I must go and learn ..................

Sakthi Sakthithasan
   

A Hindu's Christmas

A weird heading ! I see you pondering

A Hindu's Christmas how can it be ? all sorts of questioned spring in our minds . Yes I am a Hindu but I have no shame in claiming that I am a Hindu at the same tone I have no shame in admitting that I celebrate Christmas .

I came to this country when I was eighteen years old and now I am fifty five years old with a son who is 27 years of age. In my 37 years of living in this country I have seen 37 Christmas celebrations .

So what is wrong being a Hindu and celebrating Christmas. Oh ! then you are not a true Hindu ! I can imagine some people may say this. But as for my understanding the teachings of my religion is that I should be a good person with kind heart before being a Hindu.

What is Christmas ?

it is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ who advocated love before anything else which conforms with what I have learnt in my religion and I am very happy to celebrate the Christian belief that advocates love towards another human being.

life is beautiful when people tolerate each other. I am very happy to say that I learnt quiet a lot by the tolerant of British society. It is very important that everyone should seek the good bits of other religion and culture which would enhance feeling of togetherness .

Hinduism, Christianity Islam, Buddhism , Judaism all are different roads that lead to the same city. These beliefs were instilled in human beings to guide them towards a cultured life. None of the religion preaches hatred towards the other religion therefore we as followers of these religions should adhere the same mentality.

It is true during my younger days Christmas was Chance to enjoy life with drinks and food. But as you get older and gain more experience in life the true meaning of these celebrations come to light.
Yes it is correct. A Hindu too can celebrate Christmas !

Sakthi Sakthithasan