Comments posted on NY Times article by Thomas L. Friedman - Syria is Iraq

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/25/opinion/friedman-syria-is-iraq.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y Comments posted on NY Times article by Thomas L. Friedman - Syria is Iraq: Thank you for your submission. We'll notify you at gh***@gmail.com when your comment has been approved. Ghulam Muhammed Mumbai, India Thomas L. Friedman is a thinker and his out of box style of thinking and theorizing is widely treated as readable and interesting, though not always practical. Visionaries are poor activists. In his following article: Syria is Iraq - he completely overlooks, that both countries have their own people and if, as he himself wrote, the change from bad is not necessarily good, but could be worse. Here the change that is most important for the natives, is if the change means going under US bombardment and mass destruction of the country. Common Iraqi cares more about his own life, his own family and his prospect for future. US assumes that the native is prepared for war and bloodshed for a 'change'. In fact he is not prepared for the bloodshed. He is not given a choice between a dictator and a US controlled democratic nation. All he is supposed to do is to sing the paeans of US armed intervention in the cause of 'regime change', and mourn his dead. Thomas L. Friedman, who may not be equated with America's Jewish Neocon cabal's agenda for New American Century; but he is incapable of thinking or even attempting to think how the natives feel. His thinking is on a vastly different level than the thinking feeling of common people of the Middle East. One can say, America and Americans care a hoot. But in essence, America cannot flee from the consequences of the violence it is prepared to unleash around the world and hope that it will not suffer Aurora fate in its own home ground. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/25/opinion/friedman-syria-is-iraq.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y Op-Ed Columnist Syria Is Iraq By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN Published: July 24, 2012 5 Comments Facebook Twitter Google+ E-mail Share Josh Haner/The New York Times Thomas L. Friedman Go to Columnist Page » Related in Opinion Opinionator | Borderlines: A Syrian Stalemate? (July 24, 2012) Opinion: Life During Wartime (July 22, 2012) Times Topic: Middle East Connect With Us on Twitter For Op-Ed, follow @nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow @andyrNYT. Readers’ Comments Share your thoughts. Post a Comment » Read All Comments (5) » And Iraq was such a bitter experience for America that we prefer never to speak of it again. But Iraq is relevant here. The only reason Iraq has any chance for a decent outcome today is because America was on the ground with tens of thousands of troops to act as that well-armed midwife, reasonably trusted and certainly feared by all sides, to manage Iraq’s transition to more consensual politics. My gut tells me that Syria will require the same to have the same chance. But because I absolutely would not advocate U.S. intervention on the ground in Syria or anywhere in the Arab world again — and the U.S. public would not support it — I find myself hoping my analysis is wrong and that Syrians will surprise us by finding their own way, with just arms and diplomatic assistance, to a better political future. I know columnists are supposed to pound the table and declaim what is necessary. But when you believe that what is necessary, an outside midwife for Syria, is impossible, you need to say so. I think those who have been advocating a more activist U.S. intervention in Syria — and excoriating President Obama for not leading that — are not being realistic about what it would take to create a decent outcome. Why? In the Middle East, the alternative to bad is not always good. It can be worse. I am awed at the bravery of those Syrian rebels who started this uprising, peacefully, without any arms, against a regime that plays by what I call Hama Rules, which are no rules at all. The Assad regime deliberately killed demonstrators to turn this conflict into a sectarian struggle between the ruling minority Alawite sect, led by the Assad clan, and the country’s majority of Sunni Muslims. That’s why the opposite of the Assad dictatorship could be the breakup of Syria — as the Alawites retreat to their coastal redoubt — and a permanent civil war. There are two things that could divert us from that outcome. One is the Iraq alternative, where America went in and decapitated the Saddam regime, occupied the country and forcibly changed it from a minority Sunni-led dictatorship to a majority Shiite-led democracy. Because of both U.S. incompetence and the nature of Iraq, this U.S. intervention triggered a civil war in which all the parties in Iraq — Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds — tested the new balance of power, inflicting enormous casualties on each other and leading, tragically, to ethnic cleansing that rearranged the country into more homogeneous blocks of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. But the U.S. presence in Iraq contained that civil war and ethnic cleansing from spreading to neighboring states. And once that civil war burned itself out — and all sides were exhausted and more separated — the U.S. successfully brokered a new constitution and power-sharing deal in Iraq, with the Shiites enjoying majority rule, the Sunnis out of power but not powerless, and the Kurds securing semi-autonomy. The cost of this transition in lives and money was huge, and even today Iraq is not a stable or healthy democracy. But it has a chance, and it’s now up to Iraqis. Since it is highly unlikely that an armed, feared and trusted midwife will dare enter the fray in Syria, the rebels on the ground there will have to do it themselves. Given Syria’s fractured society, that will not be easy — unless there is a surprise. A surprise would be the disparate Syrian opposition groups congealing into a united political front — maybe with the help of U.S., Turkish and Saudi intelligence officers on the ground — and this new front reaching out to moderate Alawites and Christians who supported the Assads out of fear and agreeing to build a new order together that protects majority and minority rights. It would be wonderful to see the tyrannical Assad- Russia-Iran-Hezbollah axis replaced by a democratizing Syria, not a chaotic Syria. But color me dubious. The 20 percent of Syrians who are pro-Assad Alawites or Christians will be terrified of the new Sunni Muslim majority, with its Muslim Brotherhood component, and this Sunni Muslim majority has suffered such brutality from this regime that reconciliation will be difficult, especially with each passing day of bloodshed. Without an external midwife or a Syrian Mandela, the fires of conflict could burn for a long time. I hope I am surprised. A version of this op-ed appeared in print on July 25, 2012, on page A25 of the New York edition with the headline: Syria Is Iraq. --------------------

My comments posted on article: The root causes underlying Manesar plant riot and a lesson to learn

My comments posted on "

The root causes underlying Manesar plant riot and a lesson to learn"

Amaresh Misra, a historian and social scientist observes parallels of the incidents at Manesar and the 1857 uprising against British colonials. The management/labor relations at Maruti /Suzuki, do not necessarily abide by the dialectics of modern labor management in India unless the power of religious symbolism is given equal or even more weightage in any analysis. The benign neglect or even proactive degradation of religious and cultural sentiments by management may first appear to be merely triggers, but in fact that is the very background against which any foreign intrusion, benevolent or malevolent is judged from the very outset by the Indian society. Be that Japanese management or foreign trained Indian management, the reaction to the tradition-bound ethos, is continuously evaluated and judged by the community as well as the wider society. It is therefore incumbent on the Maruti-Suzuki management, not to interpret the outburst in purely modern capitalist/labor inter-relationship, but accommodate willingly and proactively the deeply entrenched religious, social and cultural ethos of the locals. That is not an impossible task. Mughals ruled for 300 years with those strategies.

Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai

<ghulammuhammmed3@gmail.com>

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http://www.cartrade.com/car-bike-news/the-root-causes-underlying-manesar-plant-riot-and-a-lesson-to-learn-117902.html

The root causes underlying Manesar plant riot and a lesson to learn

Browse:    Maruti Suzuki Car News    Maruti Suzuki Car Reviews    Maruti Suzuki Car Specs

July 24, 2012, 10:17 IST by CarTrade Editorial Team

Recently, the country's largest car maker, Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) received a jolt when the infuriated mob of workers at its Manesar plant attacked the officials and set the production line on fire. The incident claimed life of one of the Senior Managers, injured nine policemen and left 100 officials being hospitalised. The incident was a blot on the entire history of the car industry being one of the most violent, even though India is not new to such incidents and demonstrations. The mishap has left the plant at Manesar gasping with parts of the assembly line being burnt down and around 1,200 policemen have been called-in to avoid any kind of repercussion.

According to Maruti spokesperson, the conflict began after the Maruti Suzuki Worker's Union stood up for a worker who has been suspended for roughing up a company executive. The official who is being currently treated in a hospital stated that the attack from the worker was unprovoked. According to the executive, who suffered a broken elbow and received injuries in head, ribs and legs, “The workers grabbed whatever they could, split up in small groups and attacked us.” Police has arrested a number of workers of the Manesar plant under the charges of murder and attempted murder.

MSIL commented that the riots were not due to the friction between the white collared and blue collared workers over working conditions and wages. But than the question arrives, what actually triggered the whole conflict. True that there were low cohesion between the workers and management on the issue of the suspended employee; however, that is not enough to drive the incident to this level wherein a manager lost his life.

Then what drove the worker's mob to shun against the law and claim a life. The root cause of the whole incident is the underlying aggression and the anger of the workers. After the strikes in 2011, the then worker's union ceased to exist after its official submitted their papers being faced with severe penalties. Ever since then, there has been unrest among the workers regarding the working conditions and the wages.

Besides these, there has also been a lack of control and discipline at the Manesar plant. One could easily mistake the plant for a railway station with undisciplined workers voicing their grudges loudly and no senior official in sight. A Japanese manufacturing plant, even if it is located on the outskirts of Delhi, is expected to follow an unannounced code of discipline, which was not so in the case of Manesar plant. The incident at the MSIL plant is a perfect example for the others auto makers in the industry as to what can happen in the absence of a proper protocol and employee satisfaction.

Amaresh Misra - Times of India Blog + readers; comments

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/the-mainstream-maverick/entry/manesar-class-struggle-of-the-21st-century

                Manesar: Class Struggle of the 21^st Century

                                                        By Amaresh Misra

While right wing sections inside the media, fanatically anti-working class bloggers, vested interest in the Haryana establishment, and other sundry forces are baying for Trade Union/Communist blood in the unfortunate incidents that took place inside the Maruti-Suzuki plant at Manesar, sober assessment reveals a different picture.

1991, the year that inaugurated new economic policies and the liberalization drive, marked also the emergence of new ideas regarding the management of productive forces.  Large Public Sector sections were dismantled. Enormous human and domestic/foreign capital resources were placed in the hands of private corporate players. In the name of fiscal management, State expenditure was sought to be restricted. But perhaps, most importantly, production relations between labour and capital, workers and management, were altered.

Foreign Direct Investment in the manufacturing sector brought in foreigners in management as well. The new management structures—that included Indians and foreigners—were inculcated with a new work ethic that placed growth above workers welfare: but the crucial change rested in the way the new management culture downplayed the cultural sensitivities of the Indian worker.

In a famous case that took place last year in the Honda factory of Haryana’s industrial belt, foreign trained Indian managers refused to allow workers to celebrate Vishvakarma Pooja. In the Hindu pantheon, Vishvakarma is the lord of tools and workers—his birthday is normally a holiday, no less relevant than Ram Naumi, Buddha Jayanti or the birthday of Prophet Muhammad.

Workers worship their tools on Vishvakarma Diwas. In Honda, a worker was assaulted by the supervisor when, the latter tried applying a teeka on the former’s head. Indian workers have their own definition of what constitutes `hard work’. It includes whiling away time, bonding with fellow workers, and then putting in extra work at the right time. Also, the sense of impersonal hierarchy is alien to Indian workers. They can respect an angrez who mingles with them; but they will boycott Indian managers trying to put up foreign airs and indulging in unfamiliar hierarchical behaviour.    

Foreign—especially American, German and Japanese personals—were often found dumbfounded by these cultural practices. Because of historic factors—the traditional resistance of the Hindi-Urdu belt to British Imperialism, the  rugged-peasant masculinity and sense of honour—dubbed mistakenly, `pre-modern’ by social analysts—the management Vs worker clash was more severe in post-liberalization, North Indian factories.

In the 1990s and 2000s, India saw substantial creation of wealth. The culture of malls and new units in service sector and manufacturing, inducted a new working force emerging from Bihar, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The management culture in force looked more towards casual, contract labour.

Affiliated either to Communists, Congress, and BJP-Shiv Sena—or practicing Dutta Samant type syndicalism—the old Unions were unable to read the modern times. After failing miserably in creating space for casual/contract labour, they started losing their grip over old working class centres as well.   

Interestingly, the Gurgaon-NCR based factories flirted at first with CITU and AITUC, the Trade Unions respectively of the CPM and the CPI. The workers—most of them in their twenties—young, restless and ambitious—however, soon grew tired of old negotiating skills of traditional Unions. It is symptomatic that last year, the Manesar Maruti-Suzuki plant, saw the emergence of a new Union with a new, younger leadership. Sonu Gujjar, the erstwhile chief of the Union, typified the novel, 21^st century worker. By presenting the viewpoints of workers through con-calls and other modern techniques, Sonu Gujjar grabbed national headlines. His colleagues wanted their own voice, independent of the management, to be heard.

Indeed this contemporary worker, especially in North India/Hindi-Urdu heartland, was both more rooted and cosmopolitan. Unlike his counterpart of 1970s and 1980s, who hailed mainly from a landless labour, poor peasant or a pauperized proletariat background, the contemporary worker came from middle to upper-middle peasant backdrop. In Indian terms, he belonged to a khaata-peeta milieu—he was much more capable of acting on his own. He was part of the North Indian pattidari village community system that ensured both bonding and individuality. He had learned how to fight while growing up, without getting inflicted with the scars of the lumpen proletariat. Averse to slow paced, constitutional ways, he found the quick action recommended by radical Left activists—or `on their own’ marka angry young men—far more attractive.

This contemporary worker disliked both the detached persona of the foreign manager as well as the philistine, pseudo-personalized approach of Indian mangers. He was as impatient with the taalu-chaalu andaaz of the foreigners as with the baniagiri of Indian executives.

In March 2012, while the Manesar plant was facing wage negotiations between the new Union and the  management, two workers shocked the managers with their statistical knowledge. The workers knew exactly that between 2007 and 2011 while the Maruti Suzuki  workers’ yearly earnings increased by 5.5 percent, the consumer price index (for the Faridabad centre, Haryana), went up by over 50 per cent. Since 2001, profits for the Maruti Suzuki company increased by 2200 percent!

So in any case, the Maruti Suzuki management was throwing crumbs at the workers. The workers’ salary was in no way, by any yardstick, commensurate with the rise in Company’s profit.  Yet the Manesar plant management was not ready to grant even a miniscule wage increase. Here, while contract labor got Rs. 7000 a month, regular workers survived on a mere Rs. 17000. Manesar workers were demanding wage increase of Rs. 15-18000, which the management was resisting, even when Honda workers were getting similar pay scales.

In this period of global crisis, the Maruti section(Swift and Dzire cars) was contributing more to Maruti Suzuki’s super profits. There seems to be immense pressure on the management to reduce wages in the name of increasing productivity. But why should Indian workers always suffer during a downward spiral cycle of global capitalism?  

The problem is that post-liberalization India has no idea of 1857, India’s first war of Independence. The Bengal Army of the East India Company, which remained at the forefront of the war’s long and torturous course, comprised of soldiers from the Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar belt. They rebelled against what was seen as the insensitivity of a multinational company—the world’s largest that managed a huge country like India plus other colonial stations—towards the sense of dignity, pride and religion of both Hindus and Muslims.

It is imperative to note that the Manesar incident arose following an anti-Dalit, caste slur issued by a supervisor to Jiya Lal, a worker. Then Jat-Gujar-Tyagi-Dalit workers—belonging to the Haryana region—and UP-Bihar Poorabias—united to give a fitting reply to the miscreants belonging to the management. The management brought in hundreds of bouncers to beat workers to submission. In fact, the official statement of the Maruti Suzuki Workers’ Union, states that the bouncers started the fire that killed a senior manager.  

So class solidarity overcame caste divisions—a similar phenomenon occurred during 1857.   

Both 1857 and Manesar incidents arose out of cultural slights inflicted by an insensitive foreign/part-foreign management. At the other end of the spectrum, it can be seen that like the Manesar incident, the cultural aspect of 1857 carried a slew of wage related issues, and other socio-economic grievances, nursed by soldiers against the British East India Company.

It can be seen clearly that though India runs on the workforce of UP, Bihar, Delhi and Haryana, the people of these regions have historically resisted the homogeneity, uniformity and conformity demanded by global corporate culture. These workers demand their own indigenous-capitalist ethic, different from the west. They are in no mood to comply. Be it Gujarat or whatever take, Maruti Suzuki anywhere—Gujarat is not India. But UP, Bihar, Delhi and Haryana do constitute India. The country is finished without these states. As the author signs off this article, news about certain Jat sections of the Haryana establishment dividing Jats and Gujars and undermining workers’ solidarity is pouring in—massive police repression has been unleashed on workers. Without a proper enquiry, workers are being blamed for the Manesar violence. Such tactics however are not going to work—after twenty years of enormous  liberalization, India is on the threshold of a gigantic working class unrest. Indian people regard economic reform and the English speaking managerial elite with disdain. They have tasted wealth—but they also know that, foreigners and their lackeys have amassed riches a thousand times over. With people of North Indian origin—their culture of constructive violence and non-submission to power intact—leading this battle, the stage is set for new class struggles of the 21^st century. Like the Anna Hazare movement of August 2011, the Manesar incident has taken all political parties by surprise. Their political response system is simply, not attuned to the new, 21^st century Indian reality.         

Comments:
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Rajesh Upadhyay (Delhi) says:

July 23,2012 at 01:30 PM IST

While references to 'gujrat' may have been avoided in this article and so the 'glorification' of UP, Bihar, haryana... There is no doubt that the article raises the most relevant points that the mainstream media is trying to hide and avoid. Any body who claims to be on the side of justice cant agree that the workers be given only 5.5% raise when the price index goes up by 50% and company's profit goes up by 2200%. The Marutii management should take the responsiblity of creating the situation for such incidents. The labour deptt has been a silent spectator of the violation of rights of workers who had to for strikes for a minimum democratic right of getting their union registered. If the system thinks it can use the 'investment' illusion to convert the workers to mere slaves, the Indian society is not going to tolerate it. Support voices for workers have already started gaining ground. There was a demonstration at Haryana Bhawan in Delhi on 21st July for justice to workers. And this support process continues.

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Harsh (India) says:

July 23,2012 at 12:35 PM IST

There is some thing seriously wrong in management admission or in the training as very low HQ people get the job that bound to create problem. The human nature and behavior basically depend on the natural climatic conditions of that particular region and place. It is very much necessary the working conditions have to be managed according to that and global generalization of rules and regulation in human management is wrong. In most tropical country, the human output is low and it has natural reason. The management policies have to strike proper balance between the business demand, requirements and limitations posed by the natural constraints, then only the problems of unnecessary shut down can be minimized.

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KKK (India) says:

July 23,2012 at 12:22 PM IST

Mr Mishra's foreigner party president and her lackeys have also amassed huge wealth, while junior party workers remain less well off. So when is Mr Mishra going to lead a mob of Congress workers to do some constructive violence and break her legs?

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Sharma M C L (Bangalore) says:

July 23,2012 at 12:07 PM IST

Although the killing of a Maruti executive is not pardonable, the overall approach and demand of the Maruti workers are justified. The workers are right in demanding their religious culture to be practised. Managers cannot stop the workers from performing Vishwakarma worship. In reality, it is the aggression of North Indian Hindus that has saved Hinduism in India. If North Indians were weak then the British or Mughals would have wiped out Hinduism from India

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RCH (BNZ) says:

July 23,2012 at 12:58 PM IST

Absolutely right. I'm a Southern Hindu and is ashamed of the general cowardice of Southern Hindus and that is why Islaam and Christianity are making merry here. Thank God for the MARAD North Hindus.

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Class employee (Manesar) says:

July 23,2012 at 11:31 AM IST

The mainstream maverick sucks.... Our struggle as a class of Indians is to shut this stupid of writing blogs. He is just enticing hatred. The writer should be punished by breaking his legs, since that would be constructive violence.

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Vee (North India) says:

July 23,2012 at 11:28 AM IST

To, The editor and web site handler and the mainstream maniac Times of India Sirs Is this man who has wrote the above article sane? "Gujarat is not India" are his words. This writer is absurd in his thought process. He further wrote " united to give a fitting reply to the miscreants belonging to the management. People like him are the major reason that we the people of India are suffering from caste-ism and violence. The stage is not set for a class struggle but should be set to give this writer to suffer out of his north Indian constructive violence. If this writer is attuned to his own reality least he should do is reply to all the comments to this article and apologize to the Indians.

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C R Gauba (jaipur) says:

July 23,2012 at 11:14 AM IST

What a stupid analysis of a serious situation? Mr Mishra if Gujarat is not India, next you will say that only Patna is India. Actually you should be charged for inciting workers for violence, and jailed.

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Anonymous (Mumbai) says:

July 23,2012 at 11:12 AM IST

After reading this blog, I read the blogger's profile twice and, I am not at all surprised in what he has blogged. The comparison to the '1857 uprising', 'Gujurat is not India', 'constructive violence',etc.etc.(mercifully he did not drag Narendra Modi in to this. Perhaps, in his excitement he simply forgot!) , all fits into his 'dalit/minority/human right activist' profile. I have now come up with what I would to call as the 'ACTIVIST THEOREM' and I think it is time tested and proven true on several occasions. And, it runs like this: THE SUCCESS OF ANY ACTIVIST(HUMAN OR ANIMAL RIGHTS) IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO OUTRAGEOUS STATEMENT HE/SHE MAKES PUBLICLY OR POSITIONS HE/SHE TAKES.SUCCESS VANISHES WHEN THE ACTIVIST STOPS MAKING/TAKING OUTRAGEOUS STATEMENTS/POSITIONS. Here are some examples to support it: 1) An 'activist' says J & K should be part of Pakistan. This activist will be on on TV channels Prime time panel discussion and allowed to make even more ridiculous statements. 2) An 'animal activist' says that 'stray dogs and mad dogs which maim and bite people should be treated with love, affection and compassion.Actually, it is the human beings which drive these poor animals mad.

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P P Rajagopalan (Chennai) says:

July 23,2012 at 12:15 PM IST 4 Followers

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After replying to your earlier post, I once again read Amaresh Misra's article. Yes, there is a tinge of parochialism in it. I also agree with you that controversial positioning is a passport to get into limelight! But that does not alter the overall substance he presented. That the workers are denied and provoked are beyond doubt. Maruti Suzuki deserve to be blamed more than the workers - that is the bottom line.

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Sushant (Kuwait) says:

July 23,2012 at 12:32 PM IST

After reading this article - which is an insult to any intellectual's sensibilities- I have decided to refrain from reading further articles from this author. Statements made by him are definitely anti nationalistic and divisionary in nature. I agree with Anonymous one his views about the article and the author and certainly wish to know what sort of editor allows such statements like 'Gujrat is not India' to be a part of his newspaper. I am totally for the rights of the employees ( again, please refrain from using the word labourors) and it is the duty of the Maruti Suzuki management to adress their concerns. Each organization, while being responsible towards its employees, is also responsible towards its stakeholders and no matter which company it is, the stakeholders always want to see growth in profits and overall growth of the organization. What happened in the Manesar plant of Maruti Suzuki is not something that anyone wants - netiher the employess, nor the management and definitely not the stake holders. Instead of a post mortem of events form 1857 to current date, what is needed and what will benefit everyone involved is to give time and understand the concerns of all parties and come to a logical, win - win conclusion of this incident.

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S Mohandas (pune) says:

July 23,2012 at 11:11 AM IST

Misra ji , your great union leaders should build their own factory having already learnt whatever skills are required to build world class cars. They should employ only Biharis, Haryanvis UPites and ofcourse the great citizens of "Daly"and give them a minimum of Rs 50,000 per month with a mandatory 20% hike every year , 8 hours shift with suitable tea ,lunch , biological and socialising breaks.

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akumar (mumbai) says:

July 23,2012 at 11:00 AM IST

Such warped logic! The problem with people like Amaresh Mishra is pure jealousy. These frustrated columnists were left behind by their classmates in pursuit of success and now is the time of retribution. I can say with certainty that Mishra must have prepared for civil services during his student days where he picked up bits about 1857 movement. and now he will leave no chance to apply it anywhere to showcase his intellectual superiority. People like Mishra will leave no stone unturned to destroy the Indian growth just to satisfy their bloated misdirected egos. We Indians have seen time and again the menace of unionism which has served only to destroy job creating industries. Who can forget Datta Samant and his destruction of Bombay textile industries. Or for that matter jute industry of Bengal and absymally low productivity in public sector. Only one sector which has seen tremendous job creation is IT sector, and the only differentiating factor has been the non application of stringent labor laws in the sector. Now even that sector is coming under the gaze of revolution spewing comrades. God save India from these people.

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sughoshbansal Bansal (Delhi NCR) says:

July 23,2012 at 10:49 AM IST 3 Followers

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It is apparent that Amaresh Mishra is on this earth 155 years late. 2012 is not 1857 and should not be compared. Today the people are more enlightened, and knowledgeable about their rights and their duties. But alas they care only for their rights but not of their duties. It appears that this Amaresh Mishra was an eye witness to the episode, thenwhy is he not co-operating with the probe. Suzuki is not foreigner to this country and so is the case with many more foreign companies which are running their operations pretty successfully in the country in general and Gurgaon in particular. Labour unrest based upon wages, working environment and many other matters can be justified and there are set procedures to resolve them. And none of those procedures contain or can justify burning a human being alive. People of the like of Amaresh must bear in mind (1) Business is not run for charity; (2) No business is forcing the worker to join them. A worker joins an organisation for the worker’s own self needs and not for the businessmen; (3) The organisation is successful if it operates based upon laid down principles, norms and protocol and not to satisfy the whims of the workers; (4) In any organisation one has to give respect to the relationship between the supervisor and subordinate, elder and younger, experience and inexperience, productivity and inefficiency. If one does not respect these, he has no business to remain the part of that organisation. Amaresh’s dislike of Foreigners can be understood but then throw them out of the country. Once George Fernandes did throw out IBM and Pepsi but his successors brought them in and they are today far more stronger than ever. A worker may be frustrated in his life for various reasons other than Maruti Suzuki but he does not get a license to kill his supervisor. And a Contract worker is working in Maruti for Rs. 6,000 only because he is not able to earn even that out of Maruti.

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Mandar Karnik (Mumbai) says:

July 23,2012 at 10:38 AM IST 5 Followers

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Haha so Gujarat is not India but UP and Haryana with its caste cauldron and bad work ethic is India. Shows what a great view of India you have Mr Misra. I agree the workers most of them contract labourers werent given adequate compensation but in these modern times killing isnt the answer. Datta Samant destroyed the textile industry of Mumbai. Manesar is looking to go down that same path now

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Sangharshi (Bangalore) says:

July 23,2012 at 11:42 AM IST

I am surprised whether you have read the piece of Amaresh Misra carefully! It may not have conveyed what you wish to hear. But I can tell you that you have not understood the context of Amaresh telling that Gujarat is not India. What is meant is that in this context Gujarat is not typical of India. He is postulating a theory to understand the labour relation in the changed context, and particularly with reference to Delhi Capital Region. How many Gujarathis do you see there among the workers? Most of the workers come from these states whether it's Gujrat, Delhi or Maharashtra. People can have their own opinion. But that won’t change facts. Analysis of the ground realities matches with class of achievements the author has as an historian and novelist.

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Indian (US) says:

July 23,2012 at 10:31 AM IST

Mr Misra tends to blame everything on Hindus. What has rightwing sections of media got to do with this Mr Misra. The hollowness of your mind, in blaming rightwing and Hinduism, stands exposed. Haryana has been ruled by your favorite Sonia Gandhi's party, central govt from 2004 is your favorite Sonia Gandhi's- yet the blame on right wing for criticizing the violence without even issuing a statement against Sonia? You have been at the forefront in criticizing BJP governments for a non issue and yet when this scale of violence rocked Manesar, not a single journalist has questioned the stoic silence maintained by the state CONGRESS govt. You now try to turn the tables by saying fire was started by the management and not the workers - the destruction and damage caused, has many witness' who managed to save themselves, so stop trying your old tricks of fooling people. Finally though every true Indian believes in providing the hardworking workers their due, this kind of violence has to be stopped and guilty should be punished. Amareesh Misra your biased articles have eroded your credibility to provide honest viewpoints. You have been relegated to the trash can and no blogger considers your articles worthwhile (the ratings you receive are a reflection of it). Your answer is anticipated Right-wing Hindus giving you negative marks….??? Search for a new job sir..

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Arvind (India) says:

July 23,2012 at 09:27 AM IST

Nothing can justify the violence unleashed by the workers on their managers. An armchair critic like you should have been in the position of a manager to understand what industrial peace is about.

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S.Anand (Bangalore) says:

July 23,2012 at 10:05 AM IST

Someone should break this blogger 's both legs so that no orthopedic surgeon can re-construct it ever. Maybe then he will understand the full meaning of his 'constructive violence' theory.

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VIKAS (DELHI) says:

July 23,2012 at 10:32 AM IST

a class called worker class has more than often allways been oppressed by foreign trained managers + sympathised by IDIOTS like Mr Aravind if u r statistically unaware about the situation - u r insane!!! No doubt the loss of life is disregarded but how do u retaliate when again n again u r oppressed!!!!! the message is these MARUTI managers must reconcile their differences by undertaking welfare initiatives simply sending in police teams n bouncers will only aggravate the situation a lock -out 'LL LEAD TO DELAYS N I THINK WEN THEY SUFFER THE LOSSES THEY'LL GET THE HAMMER ON THEIR HEAD N THEN THE MANGMNT LL TAKE STEPS POSITIVE AFTERALL THIS WAS NOT XPECTED FROM A TRUSTED INDIAN giant MARUTI

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Pravin (Pune) says:

July 23,2012 at 10:39 AM IST

I am always amazed with the communist/Socialist writers. Right from pre-independence era, they have been the parasites/virus eating at the progress of India. There is no constructive violence. Dont have to go far in history, Gandhiji halted his agitation due to Chauri Chaura incident for the same reason. No agitation or struggle can justify use of violence. FULL-STOP.

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Ashwini (Bangalore) says:

July 23,2012 at 11:51 AM IST

I think it is you who should feel stupid for your lack of understanding even a simple article based on facts and ground realities. You cannot justify violence but at the sametime you cannot neglect the injustice and abuses which were the reason behind it. Most of the uprisings in the world have similar patterns. phrase. I am surprised whether you have read the piece of Amaresh Misra carefully! It may not have conveyed what you wish to hear. But I can tell you that you have not understood the context of Amaresh telling that Gujarat is not India. What is meant is that in this context Gujarat is not typical of India. He is postulating a theory to understand the labour relation in the changed context, and particularly with reference to Delhi Capital Region. How many Gujarathis do you see there among the workers? Most of the workers come from these states whether it's Gujrat, Delhi or Maharashtra. People can have their own opinion. But that won’t change facts. Analysis of the ground realities are eye-opening for the HR management and leadership of any manufacturing company in India. Excellent article!!

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Bhagwad Jal Park (Chennai) says:

July 23,2012 at 09:20 AM IST 7 Followers

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You're insane. "Construc

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RAMADAN EXCLUSIVE - CONNECTING THE GLOBE

As the earth rotates, all along its single longitude over the globe from north to south, second by second, string of Muslims keep their covenant with their faith and break their day-long fast either with a humble piece of date or a small sip of water. The moment of IFTAAR and the mass of humanity that are bound together in brotherhood symbolizes Islam's spiritual hold on humankind. It surpasses all experiences that the material world has unleashed on mankind. Praise be to Allah.

FROM: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.in/

Friday, July 20, 2012

Ramadan day 1 - Carrollton Mosque

DAY 1 - CARROLLTON MOSQUE, FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012 
URL: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2012/07/ramadan-day-1-carrollton-mosque.html

Experiencing Ramadan

This is an effort to document and record the Iftaar experience with every Muslim denomination, it is a journal of how each tradition within Islam, and a sub sect within each practices Ramadan. The biggest idea that jumps out is seeing the differences and understanding that they are cultural and not religious.

Much is written in this blog, but the focus will be today’s experience. Over the years, I have been visiting different Mosques for Friday prayers, and today, it was the Frisco Mosque (picture below), a temporary Mosque in down town Frisco, as the construction for the new Mosque is about to start.

First Iftaar of Ramadan at Carrollton Mosque

Carrollton Islamic Center, 1901 Kelly Blvd, Carrollton, TX 75006

Nearly 150 people attended the Iftaar, possibly because of the invitation to witness the ground breaking ceremony to expand the Mosque.  www.carrolltonmasjid.org 

Click the picture to enlarge

There is one thing that I have been missing in the mosques; fellowship.

However, it was a beautiful experience tonight at the Carrollton Mosque.  The weather was remarkably pleasant and the fellowship was perfect. Usually people dash in and out, but this evening all of us had an opportunity to sit down and socialize and wait for the sunset.

The Christian Church has a formal structure to encourage fellowship. Almost every Church I speak at, has a follow up gathering in the fellowship hall for visiting with each other. I had always longed for that environment in a Mosque, it is not common, nor is it conducive for Muslims now, as they  have to go back to work after the Friday congregational prayers. However, the original Mosques were  community centers for people to come together. My references is strictly the United States, and India, where I am from. I have no idea how they do in Muslim majority nations where Friday is a holiday for them. I hope someone shares that.

I really enjoyed the Iftaar, everyone got to sit down and chat up with each other, and one Sheikh was asked to give a short talk, he was good, and did give a short talk in the few minutes left to do the Iftaar.  Apparently he is from Morocco.

So when the sun’s last ray disappeared, the Amir  (by the way his name is Aamir, but pronounced differently) announced that it was time to break the fast. Traditionally it starts with a bite  of the Dates * and  in some traditions it is the water.   Can you imagine the consumption of  nearly 5 billion dates tonight across the world to break the fast? 

Each mosque has a little different tradition, for instance, in Madinah Masjid (Carrollton)  the Imam recites the Iftaar prayer, and the group repeats after him before they break the fast, however, it is little different in Shia tradition, and Ahmadiyya tradition is identical with the Sunni tradition. Insha Allah, I will document the differences to understand and respect them as cultural practices rather than religious ones. 

19 Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157630675003498/show/

Iftaar was followed by the Maghrib (dusk) prayers, there is very little difference in traditions, but there is some. Thank God, arrogance has no place in my heart to say which one is standard, it is what is in one's heart that matters. 

The next thing was the ground breaking ceremony, each one in the leadership got a shovel and a hard hat, and started filling the hole with the dugged out dirt. It should have been the other way around.  They even got a silver shovel for the Amir - the leader: Dr. Amir Shakil.  Glad to see the women taking their turn and even the kids got to throw up some dirt with excitement.

Dinner was healthy and good, the Arabic puffed up bread was fantastic, one of my favorites.  I just wanted to say to my wife that I ate only half the bread watching my cholesterol.  The beans were excellent! Good choice of food!

It was a pleasure to meet some of the friends after a long time.  I remembered 20+ names but there were several more I could not.  I just cannot get the names out, so I will not list any. I don’t want to hurt the feelings of those few whose name is blocked in my mind.  About ten years ago, I could call on every name in most gatherings, I just cannot do it it now, the mind blanks out.  Dear God, help me out the names!

It was a beautiful Iftaar and the evening.

Ramadan day 2 - Richardson MosqueSchedule: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-iftaar-schedule.html

Mosque in Frisco, one of the fastest growing cities in America.

Something to think about

Two years ago, I was intrigued by a tafseer/ exegesis that I read in this Mosque, the book was printed in Madinah, about what idolatry meant. It was a beautiful writing and I wanted to read that again and perhaps copy (iphone pic), but have not found the book again. It had the broadest meaning and would have been perfect to talk about in the interfaith gatherings. Indeed, I had a similar conversation with Michael Wolfe prior to release of his film "The message". I will have to go back and check again where this wonderful book is.

I was early, so I read Sura Baqra- the second chapter in Urdu, the translation was done by Dr. Tahir-ul Qadiri. The flow was much better than some of the other translations.  I did not get to read the whole chapter, but a few verses made me stop and think .

2:212, (Qadiri translation) starts with, "life for the Kafirs was set up for the worldly pleasures."  The word Kafir was used as though there is a community of people out there, who are called Kafirs. Kafir is a generic word for those who hide the truth, deny the truth or pretend the truth to be different, and it is an individual attribute rather than a group label. I will have to study and read Asad’s translation. Although it has the simplest meaning, it has acquired a derogatory status to ridicule other people.

2:222 (Qadiri Translation) - talks about avoiding intimacy with wife until she is pure or clean again. I have severe difficulty with that translation. It gives the impression that a woman is unclean or impure. Instead, if the translation had said, “avoid intimacy with wife until she is through with the menstruation,” it would have meant a natural process. Dr. Qadiris’s translation falls in the same pit as the other ones before.    I will have to check Dr. Laila Bakhtiar’s or Edip Yuskel's translation on that.  


Even the translation of 2:223 does not meet the civility prophet Muhammad taught. Please remember, Quraan is divine and God's word, and it is always about justice, fairness and for goodness of the humanity. The issues we are having are with translations, even the Arabic writers have mis-intepreted it. The burden of finding the truth falls squarely on us, after all, no one but us is responsible for our actions on the Day of Judgment. 

An individual asked me if will be back tomorrow,  and I said probably two weeks from now. As a reason, I explained to him that I visit a mosque a day of different denominations during Ramadan. He jumped the gun and asked if I went to the Shia Mosque, which is an yes. He was too eager to say they were wrong. He told me that the Prophet in his last sermon was clear; he was leaving his Sunna and the book to the people, but they add his family to it. I said, that is correct, those are the two different versions, he said, but they are wrong - I said, they are wrong to you, but not to them.  He was silently staring at me to understand that, which I appreciated.

I continued, "they think the Sunnis are wrong." He held back, and I am glad he did. The best thing is to accept the different interpretations, but not agree as a matter of principle. He countered it is the same Hadith, how can they say otherwise. It took me a while to keep his innocence intact, yet make the point.  I said I have no problem with what they believe; I don’t believe what they believe, and they don’t believe what I believe… I am not superior to them, nor they are superior to me. I am right in my way, as they are right in their ways....I asked him if he can guess where my analogy comes from? He guessed it right and I hope you do too. 

Mike Ghouse is committed to doing his individual share of building cohesive societies  and invites you to the 8th Annual Unity Day USA on Tuesday, September 11, 2012. Details at www.UnitydayUSA.com, its an event that builds bridges and uplifts every American.

Posted by Mike Ghouse at 4:09 PM No comments:

Labels: Carrollton Mosque, Day1Ramadan, Holy Month, Islam, Mike Ghouse, Muslim, Muslim Speaker, Muslim thinker, Muslims, Ramadan day1, Ramadan Exclusive, Ramdanexclusive.blogspot.com, ramzan

Mahesh Bhatt's article about Ramzan, Ramadan

Collective force By MAHESH BHATT

Note: I don’t have the source for this article, but written exceptionally well. Mr. Mahesh Bhatt is a renowned film maker from the Bollywood film industry, he had made some super hit movies. Wiki, “Mahesh Bhatt (born on 20 September 1948), is a prominent Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. Bhatt's early directional career consisted of acclaimed films, such as Arth, Saaransh, Janam, Naam,Sadak and Zakhm.

Mahesh Bhatt was born to Nanabhai Bhatt, a Hindu Brahmin and Shirin Mohammed Ali, a Muslim on 20 September 1948.^[1] Nanabhai Bhatt was a film director and producer of Hindi and Gujarati films. Mahesh Bhatt was raised by his mother alone as his parents were not married and his father also had another family. He has five siblings, four sisters and one brother Mukesh Bhatt, who is a film producer.

Collective Force.

Here is the article:

The Famous Film maker and Human Rights activist MAHESH BHATT
observes daily fast (roza) during Ramdan ? Why?

On the 14th day of Ramdan, as I drove back home to break my daily fast (Roza), a deep on my cell phone alerted me to an incoming message. This is what the message said: Hello, Mr. Bhatt, I understand through your utterances and writings that you are not a religious man and you do not believe in the efficacy of prayer. But I have now learned that you maintain Roza in the month of Ramdan. Your actions, Mr. Bhatt, bewilder the Hindus and shock the Muslims as well. May I ask why you keep Roza?

This question from a stranger made me smile but since the query was an innocent one I instinctively punched in my response, which was, Islam is a part of my heritage. I was born to a Brahmin Hindu father and a Shia Dawoodi Bohra Muslim mother.

When I was a child my mother would ensure that I fasted for at least one day in the month of Ramadan. I remember her telling me that during the month of Ramadan the Muslims say that the gates of heaven are open. This is the month when Muhammad received his first revelation. After my mother died six years ago I realized that the only way to keep her alive within me was to fast for every single day in the month of Ramadan.?

That evening when the distant Azaan was heard and the clock announced that the day's fast had come to an end, my parched body welcomed the first sip of water that I had taken in 14 hours like a desert  would welcome rain. As I bit into an overripe date I discovered that at this particular moment I was a part of this collective release which bound me together with millions of people in my country and all over the world with such unnatural force that I experienced a sense of exhilaration like I had never experienced before. And it was then that for the first time I realized what the spirit of Ramadan is really all about. When so many people together wholeheartedly share a common purpose, they are united in a way that one has to experience to truly comprehend. And the exhilaration comes from the fact that it's not about the individual alone but about all of us, together, doing something so completely. And it is perhaps this feeling of brotherhood that makes fasting in Ramadan such a unique and joyous experience.

(Mike’s Note - Two years ago, I wrote that in on any given Iftaar, i.e, breaking of fast at sunset,  at least 5 Billion dates (fruit) will be consumed, and for thirty days, 150 Billion dates - that is a lot of consumption of dates. You can also find some interesting stats. This is a conservative figure, as many a places dates are not available)

In this buy, consume and junk age where one's consciousness is being bombarded by all kinds of pleasure peddlers who market their mouth watering food and drink on the hour by the hour, it is such a relief to shut the door to them and their wares and protect your body from an over dose of pleasure. In the month of Ramadan one takes  a break from the hedonistic way of life. One gets off the treadmill of constant pleasure seeking and lives a life of austerity and simplicity. This rejuvenates the physical organism and fills one with unusual vigour. As days turn into weeks you being to realize that the human organism spends too much energy in trying to process excess food intake. The maxim that man is killed by too much food begins to make sense.

In the first few days of Ramadan, when the pangs of hunger gnaw at your insides leaving you to constantly stare at the clock, you suddenly feel as if there is an invisible umbilical cord connecting you to the sea of otherwise faceless people all over the world that often go for days without a square meal. Your apathy and indifference slowly begin to fade away and your heart begins to wake up to the all-pervasive suffering of your fellow human beings

Another thing that makes this Ramadan even more special for me is that my 13 year old daughter Alia has for some strange and unknown reason spontaneously decided to fast along with me. Like you fast for your mother, I fast for you, she said simply after I asked her what prompted this unexpected decision. No wonder a wise man once said, "What you teach you children, you also teach your grand-children." I wonder whether years ago while my mother was shaking me awake in the hush of the morning light and whispering, "Beta, time for Sehori", she knew she was also awakening her future grand-children. Isn't this at the end of it all what culture is all about?

Posted by Mike Ghouse at 3:33 PM No comments:

Labels: Bohra Muslim, fasting, HIndu, Mahesh Bhatt, Ramadan, RamadanExclusive, ramzan, Roza

Thursday, July 19, 2012

HAPPY RAMADAN - What does God really want?

URL: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2012/07/happy-ramadan-what-does-god-really-want.html

Welcome to Ramadan, this column is about the politics, traditions and the spirit of Ramadan.

Like a mother who wants her children to live well, like a teacher who wants his students to do well, and like a chef who wants his patrons to enjoy his food…. God wants every one of his creation to live in harmony and do well.  

No one is deprived of God’s love; he has reached every human through a peace maker, messenger, prophet, reformer or simply a wise man or a good friend that brings sense to living. The creator offers a variety of guidance to the mankind, no matter where you live, the guidance is there, the guidance that leads to live in peace, and without fear of the other.

Religion is one such instrument that God guides us through, and there are many of them, at least 250 traditions including a dozen major ones. Each tradition does well for the believer in bringing peace to oneself.

Today, the one tradition I am talking about is Islam, and one of its beautiful aspects that helps build cohesive societies. 

Ramadan Mubarak

Welcome to Ramadan, it begins on Friday the 20^th of July, 2012. It is the month of fasting, a month of learning about others, connecting with others, developing empathy with fellow beings and above all reaching new heights in piety and spirituality,  Taqwa as it is called. It is to become closer to God and emulate his qualities of unselfishness, forgiveness and love. It is a month of practicing service to fellow beings and developing self discipline to learn to live they way we want, and being conscious of every moment of the day for 30 days.  

I am working on an article on Ramadan, which I stopped, instead to write about Michelle Bachman and her tantrums which shall appear at Huffington post tomorrow.  Meanwhile here are a few things I have written.

The Politics of Ramadan at Washington Post

Politics plays a crucial role in our Temples, Synagogues or Churches, Mosques are no different. A few scientifically-inclined-Muslims have adopted NASA’s calculations believed to be precise. However, four different traditions are operating concurrently; i) Strictly Calendar, ii) NASA and iii) Sighting with bare eyes and iv) sighting by others in the community.

Muslims around the world will begin fasting from Friday, July 20, 2012 and for a whole month thereafter, however, for some of them it will begin (only) if the moon is sighted. The story is same with the Jewish and other traditions that follow lunar calendar. Rosh Hashanah like Ramadan comes 11 or 12 days earlier each successive year. Continued at http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/08/the_essence_of_ramadan_is_to_become_humble.html

The Spirit of Ramadan at Huffington Post

The spiritual masters have captured the human gravity towards rituals and have molded it with the art and science of self-discipline in their respective religions. The noble purpose of each one of them was to bring a balance in our lives and a balance with our environment.

Every faith is composed of a set of unique rituals to bring discipline and peace to human life. Fasting is one of the five key rituals that Muslims around the world observe. Rituals signify the milestones of our daily life. Every significant moment of the day is a ritual. It is an unwritten way of measuring our progression, a memory pattern to bring discipline to our actions. Continued http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/spirit-of-ramadan_b_939961.html

The Traditions of Ramadan at Ramadan Exclusive

its celebration time when Muslims around the world anxiously wait for the first moon of the ninth Lunar month to appear on the sky. The families gather in their backyards, or get on the nearest hillock or climb on the top of their homes and wait for the pencil thin moon to appear on the horizon, and when it does, jubilation begins. Continued at: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2010/09/traditions-of-ramadan.html

Welcome to Ramadan at Ramadan Exclusive

Insha’Allah, the first day of Ramadan will begin on Friday, July 20, 2012 and Eid al-Fitr on Sunday, August 19, 2012 per the announcement from ISNA. Continued at: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2012/06/welcome-to-ramadan-2012.html

Quraan says, had God willed, he would have made every one of us alike - then he says, he chose to make us into different tribes and nations from the same couple (or the same source). Then he goes on to challenge us to know each other - he knows that our conflicts stem from not knowing each other, and living with misinformation about others,  when we know each other,  conflicts fade and solutions will emerge.

Every religion means peace and Justice and that is acceptable to God. He says, you need not worry who you are, as long as you take care of your neighbor, I will recompense you. Each one of us is responsible for our Karma.

He concludes ( Quraan 49:13) that the best among us is the one who knows each other, learns about each other and respects each other. If we take the time, to learn, every religion is out there to bring goodness to humanity.  

Be good to yourselves and every one around you. Happy Ramadan.