Pune City Municipal Corporation Elections 2007 – Deccan Gymkhana

Pune Municipal Corporation elections last happened 5 years back, i.e in 2002. I have hardly any memory of that election, because I didn’t quite care back then.

Things have changed a lot in 5 years. I not only intend to vote but I also plan to first study the candidates contesting the election in 2007. I have repeatedly written about how Pune city is crumbling, primarily because of incompetent administration. So I guess now’s the chance for Pune citizens to have an impact on the future of Pune.

Should I keep rowing or should I abandon ship and swim for that glittering island?

A few days back, a friend told me about his plans to head for a foreign country because he has had enough of India. He isn’t one of the ‘crazy about US’ kinds who think that all things American are cool or who only talks about English music and Hollywood. He is as connected to India as most of us. Yet he is convinced that he has to move out of India.

That discussion has got me thinking about the topic of young Indians migrating from India. This article is my attempt to put down the various factors that are at work in this matter.

I will discuss the history of Indian migrations and then look at why people migrate and why they don’t. If you are expecting a yes or no answer about migrating, I unfortunately can’t provide that.

Although I am taking an Indian perspective, I think most points would be relevant to all developing nations.

Also please note that I am trying to take an objective view on the subject and not a patriotic or emotional one.

India’s first independent conference on Java technology – Pune – 1st & 2nd December 2006

Ever wondered why apart from a handful of open-source events, no learning-oriented technology conferences happen in India?

We are mostly stuck with conferences that are promotional events or marketing shows with free 5-star lunch, goodies and t-shirts in return for spending hours listening to why company X’s product Y is the best and how company X’s products are changing the world.

Is resignation to circumstances inherent to Indian culture?

One of the most striking things about Indian culture is that we rarely resist. For hundreds of years we have been ruled by the Mughals and the British, but apart from the independence struggle early in the last century and in 1857, there’s not much record of resistance from the masses. A few rulers did resist foreign rule but those weren’t people’s movements.

Pune Power Cuts

My letter published in the newspaper Sakal Herald dated 29th Sep 2006.
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“MSEB or whatever it is known as these days issues these expensive ads every week announcing that it will switch off power for several hours every Thursday for so called “maintenance activities”. Puneites also
seem to have accepted these Thursday cuts as a fact of life. No resistance either from the people or the people’s representatives.