How to beat the apathy of the Government on NFU and parity with civil services

The armed forces despite the most hazardous job are short of perks and promotion. The matter is pending for NFU with the HSC but here is a suggestion to beat the GOI at its own game. Before I write anything further I must state that I am unable to agree that a plethora of ranks will undermine discipline.  In my service career, I had observed that most officers will not mind losing a little pay to put on a higher rank. Pay alone cannot satisfy the lucre of wearing senior rank. So where do we go from here?

The proposal of doing away with a few middle-level ranks and facilitating the retirement of all officers at least as Major Generals is laudable. It takes care of so many things. The question that command and control will be affected is like a red herring as all are governed by various acts of the Air Force and army and a sense of loyalty exist among all men and officers to the nation and the parent arm. Modern war is also not what it was at the turn of the last century. Holding a coveted rank satisfies the ego and is a must. One can read that the first act of Adolf Hitler to bolster the confidence of the army was when in that famous ceremony( I think in 1936) he promoted nearly 6 field Marshals. As he handed the FM's baton to the men in a public ceremony the atmosphere was electrifying. This was to establish motivation in the army. He was a success. So saying that ranks should be denied and in lieu pay given will not serve the purpose.

I can quote so many examples to justify what I am saying. An Air Vice Marshal. a friend of mine in an informal chat with me said he would accept lesser pay but putting on a higher rank is the glory. What have the generals to say to this? I find the opposition to this proposal is mostly from the general rank officers who are aghast that so many Marshals will be around. Frankly, nothing is going to happen as at one stroke the question of parity with the Police and paramilitary forces and the IAS can be solved and morale upped.

There is also a need to similarly think of giving something for the men who constitute the force. 

The army in India has been unable to assert itself. One will have to study the reason for it.  Even in Burma a Buddhist country the army has 30% seats in parliament reserved for it as well as key ministries.  Thailand also the army calls the shots. In Pakistan, the people still respect the army despite it losing half the country in 1971. In any case, the COAS is a member of the all-powerful security committee that almost runs the government.

One can write reams and reams in a discussion. No two points will be the same, but the crux of everything in the military is the rank. Hitler and Stalin and Roosevelt realized it. It's about time the same was accepted here. Pay increase? Its ok but rank matters.

Green Grass, Donkey and elections

GREEN GRASS

*The Story of a Donkey who argued with a Tiger, saying - the grass is BLUE*

Read what happened next?

The donkey said to the tiger, 'The grass is blue.' Tiger said, 'No grass is green.'

Then the discussion between the two became intense.
Both of them are firm in their own words. To end this controversy, both went to Lion – King of Jungle.

In the middle of the animal kingdom, sitting on the throne was a lion.
The donkey started yelling before the tiger could say anything. “Your Highness, the grass is blue, isn’t it?” Lion said, 'Yes! The grass is blue. '

Donkey, 'This tiger does not believe. Annoys me He should be punished properly. '

The king declared, 'Tiger will be jailed for a year. King's verdict was heard by donkey and he was jumping in joy in entire jungle.
The tiger was sentenced to one-year jail. '

The Tiger went to the Lion and asked, 'Why Your Highness! Grass is green, isn’t it? '
Lion said, 'Yes! Grass is green.’ Tiger said, '... then why am I sentenced to jail? '

Lion said, “you did not get punished for the grass being blue Or green.
You have been punished for debating with that stupid donkey.
Brave and intelligent creatures like you have argued with a donkey and have come here to get a decision”

*Moral of the story*... 

In 2019 give your vote to the best candidate....just don’t debate with donkeys or you will be punished for the next 5 years._ 

Priya Prakash Varrier may be the new star girl after "ORU Adaar Love\

https://uk.blastingnews.com/entertainment/2019/02/wink-girl-priya-prakashs-first-film-oru-adaar-love-is-slated-for-release-on-valentines-002838689.html

The film is being advertised as a romantic love story. The music for the film is composed by Shaan Rahman. It is produced by Ousepachan Vaalakuzhy under his banner of Ousepachan Movie House. Initially, both the stars Priya and Roshan had smaller roles but after their video clips went viral the producer decided to extend their role in the film.

India Today has reported the latest promotion clip has surprised most people. In the latest clip, Priya and Roshan are seen in an intimate moment, locking their lips. The video has gone viral on social media and many comments are being posted.

Rajnikanth film Petta is aglobal hit

Rajinikanth is almost a legend and I am afraid the Mumbai stars and that includes the 3 khans is not a patch on him. here is a man who has given 6 hits in a row and all have grossed over 100 crores. That will require some effort to match.

His latest film "Petta" is a stupendous ht and heading towards 200 crores, He is a legend and a living one and my what a fan following, Nobody matches him at all.

Why no Military Coup in India

It is an enigma why the Indian army did not follow the path laid out by India's neighbors like Pakistan, Burma, and Thailand and continued to be a mute spectator even when India burned and its own privileges and perks were curtailed.

The political scenario around India's neighborhood is very different from what we see in India. Burma, Pakistan, and Thailand have an entrenched military presence in civil administration. In India, the civil administration from the days of Nehru has always sidelined the army and over the years whittled down its perks and privileges. They have been instrumental in reducing the army to a position of weakness vis a vis China and Pakistan and the stage is set that at the moment the Indian army cannot even sort out Pakistan which is one fifth the size of India. Combating China is more of a dream than reality. This, however, has not perturbed the civil administration which is happy as it merrily continues clipping the wings of the army.

The army itself accepted this p[osition and I for one can see no explanation for it.

It started with Pakistan when General Ayub Khan seized power in 1958. He dismissed the corrupt civil administration and ushered in his own form of governance called "basic democracy". Elections were held but not on the name of any political party.

The next step was the rise General Ne Win. He carried out a military coup and ushered in an era of military rule and now after 6 decades the army is the most important factor in Burma and has 30% seat reserved for it in parliament. Important ministries like home and law and order are the sole field of the army in Burma. Thailand also has a military rule as the civil administration has proved to be remarkably weak in ruling the country with corruption a byword.

In India, this has not happened and many are saying this is so because of the weak and pacifist ethos of the Hindu. After all, Frank Moraes wrote about the Hindu as being "meek and mild". This is, however, a half-truth as the Buddhist religion is even more pacifist than Hinduism and yet military coups have taken place in Buddhist countries like Burma and Thailand and a lot of blood is shed. Another Buddhist country Sri Lanka put down the terrorist group the LTTE by harsh action and massive killings.

The truth is somewhere else and probably lies in the lack of ambition by the Indian army top brass and the extinct for self-survival. Let me get my rank and continue to say three bags full so how am I concerned about anything, even the privileges of my men.

The political leadership has almost emasculated the army and one wonders why we can't have a coup here. Probably the composition of the army on the basis of caste and religion has something to do with it. Unlike Buddhism and Islam, Hinduism is not a composite religion and caste and clan is the dominating factors. The castes are almost antagonistic to each other and a coup well nigh an impossibility.

Is it a Good Idea to Buy a Villa as an investment in Dubai?

Introduction

cheaper villa

Dubai has diversified from a fishing village at the turn of the last century to the present day megacity. The city in a bid to attract the best and the richest has taken to the construction of villas as a fish to water. Luxury villas are the new mantra to attract the rich and well-heeled to Dubai. The idea is to give a grand lifestyle to the visitor or an expat worker. The charm of owning your own villa with a private swimming pool and a garage is greatly desired and Dubai caters to this in a big way.

Villas in Dubai

New age villa

The villas in Dubai can either be bought as an investment or hired during your holiday in Dubai. The latest architectural designs are formulated for these villas and owning one can definitely add an extra page to your lifestyle. They are also a good investment for your money. A lot of people prefer leasing the villas in case they are not sure about buying them.

As the rulers of Dubai have positioned it as a holiday getaway you could if you have the money rent a villa. There are many companies in Dubai who can help you find a villa for yourself during a planned holiday in Dubai. If you are coming with your family you will have the chance of all staying together than in different rooms as in hotels. With the present economic scenario you can work out a good deal and that may not be too expensive.

Prices

Luxury villa

Villas in Dubai cover a wide spectrum of costs.T he prices vary from their size to location. Dubai is dotted with Villas. Unlike apartments which are finding it difficult to sell themselves the villas are comparatively better off. Dubai boasts of posh villas at the Marina which is a statement of style and reasonably pricey. Similarly, villas at Jumeirah which are a few minutes from the Jumeirah beach from Sheikh Zayed Road are also quite costly and only the rich stay here. You can also rent or lease a villa at the exclusive Palm Island. This is the high end of the spectrum of social life and celebrities including film stars, sportspersons, and eminent persons could be your neighbors.
. Staying in a villa on the palm means that Atlantis Dubai one of the top end hotel resorts is nearby and you can always visit it for leisure activities. Villas in Dubai can be a statement of your life’s intent. In fact, with the downturn of real-estate in Dubai, some of the upmarket villas are available for less than the original price and can be a good investment.

Other Thoughts

Row Villas

However, there is a dark lining to the silver cloud. Dubai does not allow landlords or tenants to share their villas with another family. The general concept in Dubai is one family per villa and the authorities will not let you break that. In case you share your villa with another family then you are open to fine, that could go up to AED 50000 one $130000.Thus breaking this law is not advisable.
The matter may not end with a fine as Hussain Nasser Lootah, Dubai Municipality’s director general, in a statement is attributed to having said that a fine could also be followed by legal action as Dubai frowns on villa sharing. 

Solomon and Sheba - eternal love

How King Solomon Seduced the Queen of Sheba<script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

<script>
     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({
          google_ad_client: "ca-pub-3381676158270012",
          enable_page_level_ads: true
     });
</script>

This is one of the great loves of mythology and reading about it even now thrills young and old

A great seduction

ancient wall mural

The Tale of Solomon and Sheba and their love affair is mentioned in the Bible. This is not the only source and we have other corroborative tales as well. One tale from Ethiopia recounts how Solomon seduced the Queen of Sheba. When the queen reached the kingdom of Solomon, she agreed to stay in his palace, provided he did not touch her. Solomon readily agreed, but as he was a very intelligent man he added a condition. He said that his oath not to touch her would stand, but would not be valid in case the queen used any personal item or thing of his. there are many versions of this tale, but the central theme is the same, attraction and sex between the Queen of Sheba and the great king Solomon. In a way, it is a tale that has been replicated millions of times and each one of us has lived through a similar episode.

When the Queen came visiting Solomon she was given a bedroom adjacent to the great king. Solomon had seen the queen ad he longed for her. Can we call it, love at first sight? He made a devious plan to bed the queen and he resolved to possess her.

Keeping his promise to the queen in mind, Solomon got a large ornamental glass filled with water and took a big sip from it. He later placed the glass by the bedside of the queen. At night the queen felt thirsty and got up and drank from the glass. Solomon who was waiting in an adjoining chamber with an artificial partition was able to watch the Queen not only undress but reinforced his plan to enforce his part of the promise. Solomon entered at once and claimed that as the queen had drunk from his glass she was his. The queen who was in a state of undress had no choice but to acquiesce and she gave herself to Solomon. Perhaps she secretly desired him. It is reported that Solomon made ferocious love to her and soon the Queen after this bout became his consort. Solomon shifted to her bedroom. All the same, it’s an interesting tale and the union bore fruit as the queen conceived a child from Solomon.

This tale from the bible is wonderful to read and was very well presented on celluloid with Yul Brynner and Gina Lollobrigida in the movie " Solomon and Sheba".