Thought Shots

Mr. Prime Minister, Your party had promised to be a harbinger of hope. It had talked of bringing the 'achche din' that the people of this nation deserve. The proposed Land Acquisition Bill does nothing to serve either of your party's commitments. A simple comparison between the Land Acquisiton Act of 2013 and its 2014 Ordinance will reveal the same. Number 1: (Consent from affected people) In the 2013 Act, mandatory consent of the owners of the land- 70% for Private Public Participation (PPP) projects and 80% for private projects, which could be raised to 100% by State Governments was required. In contrast, the same consent is not required for defense, security, rural infrastructure and industrial corridors. In a country that prides itself on democratic principles, depriving the affected people of their right to consent is not exactly...well, democratic. Number 2: (Social Impact Assessment or SIA) In the 2013 Act, SIA was compulsory for every acquisi

There is a scene in the film, 'Dil Chahta Hai' where the three friends Aakash (Aamir Khan), Sameer (Saif Ali Khan) and Siddharth (Akshaye Khanna) are looking over at the beach from a fort. Aakash says to his friends that Goa is such a beautiful place. And that they should come here at least once in a year. Sameer seconds the view but Siddharth remains quiet and keeps looking in front of himself at the sea. Sameer asks what he is looking at. Siddharth responds, "I am looking at the boat right there which would disappear soon after some time. You know, the three of us are like that boat who will go looking for our dreams sooner or later. And maybe, our dreams are different from each other's.” At this point, Sameer says, “I don’t know why you are saying all this. We are friends Sid. Friends forever.” Sid responds, “Of course, we are. But who knows which way anyone’s life takes him.” Turning to Aakash, he adds, “Have you ever thought that leave alone every year,