The Vivekean Times

As you are all aware, India is home to one of the world's most diverse religious landscapes, where communities of various faiths have coexisted peacefully together for centuries. Most importantly, Christians constitute a relatively small minority, accounting for roughly about 2.3% of India's population, and yet they are known to operate thousands of schools, hospitals, social service entities, and charitable non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across the length and breadth of the country.  However, in recent times, multiple legal and policy developments have stirred up the conscientious among us and caused intense debate among policymakers, civil society groups, religious organizations, and human rights activists in India. This blog post looks at 3 issues that have become particularly significant for Christian communities in India, particularly in the state of Maharashtra: the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) amendments, anti-conversion legislation, and Maharashtra...

Watching the heavy rains and soccer world cup matches this year often reminded me of great soccer moments of my wonder years – some excellent goals and some near misses – especially a powerful header that hit a coconut tree less than a meter from the goal. But my favourite memories are from the Eight Standard Inter-Class Football Tournament in which I was lucky to have participated in, all thanks to my dear friend and a truly wonderful sportsperson, Rayboy Fernandes who left our world at a very young age. Rest in peace, dear friend. In fact, our batch must have been jinxed as we were unfortunate to have lost many of our classmates soon after we left school. RIP. St. Stanislaus High School, our Alma Mater, boasted of some of India’s greatest sportsmen including some Olympic greats in hockey. We were brilliant in soccer too and that’s why even interclass matches were highly competitive and fascinating. I was hoping to be a forward in the team, but Rayboy, our captain, insisted tha...

- Written by Yours Truly many years ago Juliet: (to herself) Which one of my boyfriends could it be knocking at my bedroom window at this unearthly hour? Oh, it’s Romeo!!! Juliet: (To Romeo) Romeo, you bledy bugger – What are you up to, men? Get down from the tree before you fall and break your b…...” Romeo: I climbest this tree to express my love for thou – a love that can survive tempests and tsunamis. Juliet: Romeo, dearest, dost thou havest – a car, a flat, or an ipad? Romeo: I haveth none of the above. Juliet: Then how dost thou dare to love? Thou livest in a fool’s paradise. I cannot love thee. Romeo: I just inherited a cool million from an uncle who passed away. He was quite a rich dude. The cash is in the bank. Juliet: I truly love thee now, my Romeo. Romeo: Why dost thou not respond to my SMSes, my darling? Thou knowest how much I love thee especially after thou went under the plastic surgeon’s scalpel. Juliet: A Daniel, still say I, a second Daniel! Ro...

The war on the Islamic State/D aesh has nearly ended. The ruthless terrorists have been decimated in Mosul , their erstwhile stronghold in Iraq . In Syria , the brave Kurdish Peshmerga units have surrounded Raqqa and defeat for the Daesh is almost certain. There was a tame surrender at Al Bab, and the rest of the Levant will soon be freed from their evil clutches. As Terrorists around the globe face the heat, an action-packed novel dissects the anatomy of this evil menace with awe-inspiring content. Indians in Pakistan is an exciting novel that will surely entertain and enlighten you, revealing bitter truths, warped perceptions and diabolical designs, which together make the Indian subcontinent one of the most dangerous regions of the world. Check out the amazing book trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mUcLD-pe9Y Enjoy your spring break by browsing through some of the best books of our times available only on smashwords.com and grab ...

Hey, now it's officially confirmed that India is a Banana Republic. The details of the  Essar Leaks scandal have finally blown the lid off the subterfuge. Our democracy is a joke! In fact, it is actually a THEM-OCRACY. Read in sync with the Radia tapes controversy and recent press reports, I declare that whichever government is at the helm, whether it is a BJP, Congress, Left, AAP or any other formation, India will still remain a Banana Republic, at least for a while. And here's why I say this: 1) The details of the Essar and Radia scandals reveal that even Union Budget decisions, ministry formations and important government policies are decided by big corporates . What's more? It shows that even the judgment of a supreme court judge was bought in the 2G corruption case (We already know that the CBI director had taken money from guilty parties in the case) and journalists are being paid to write news articles in favour of politicians and large bu...

Wow, this is cool! Here's free and instant access to the Initial 3 Chapters of Indians in Pakistan - This format is very easy on the eyes - Just click the Read First Chapter Free button below the book's image at http://www.shelfari.com/books/37956227/Indians-in-Pakistan Quotes from the book “All this simply shows us that communalism and terrorism are nothing but opposite sides of the same coin. They keep feeding on each other in a vicious cycle, resulting in a society full of violence, hatred, sorrow and intolerance. Every communal act is used as a justification for mindless acts of terrorism . Similarly , each act of terrorism is used as a justification for such horrible atrocities like genocide and ethnic cleansing. And, it is always the innocent who get killed. This is the sad truth.” Narrator (Zameer) “‘Now relax and enjoy as much as you can. After we reach the camp, there will be no time for relaxation and enjoyment.’” Lieutenant Ashraf “‘We love Kashm...

I smiled at the irony that while we, the trainees, were equipped with rocket launchers, AK47s and other sophisticated weaponry, the head of the mission confronted us with a measly pistol. I was still smiling as my fingers pulled the trigger. The short, bald leader collapsed in a heap. Our jeep sped away. We left the camp that night, leaving a trail of destruction in our wake. Scores of dismembered bloody bodies lay strewn all over the place. Almost every solid structure had been reduced to rubble. Small fires flared at various places. There were a couple of big fires that lit up the night sky. But what I remember most vividly was the ghastly silence just before we left the site. The above segment is a short extract from my novel ‘Indians in Pakistan’, an action thriller that will leave you spellbound. It will also immerse you into a totally different world in which different forces are at play as jihadis plot a rebellion against their evil masters. Firstly, love blossoms...

Devastated that my friend did not "like" my Facebook post (while reading it right in front of me) and now realising that he was in the right; I, as someone who analyses the impact of social networking on modern civilisation (i.e. a social networking reformer - if it's a term) hereby recommend the replacement of the (vague) Like button on Facebook with the following three specific, relevant and user-friendly buttons: 1) Like - Because I Know You 2) Like - Because I actually like your post 3) Like - Because I expect you to like my future posts in return Kindly share this so that the Facebook community is aware of this recommendation. BTW, I haven't thought about the Share button as yet! (As posted by me on Facebook)

I smiled at the irony that while we, the trainees, were equipped with rocket launchers, AK47s and other sophisticated weaponry, the head of the mission confronted us with a measly pistol. I was still smiling as my fingers pulled the trigger. The short, bald leader collapsed in a heap. Our jeep sped away. We left the camp that night, leaving a trail of destruction in our wake. Scores of dismembered bloody bodies lay strewn all over the place. Almost every solid structure had been reduced to rubble. Small fires flared at various places. There were a couple of big fires that lit up the night sky. But what I remember most vividly was the ghastly silence just before we left the site. The above segment is a short extract from my novel ‘Indians in Pakistan’, an action thriller that will leave you spellbound. It will also immerse you into a totally different world in which different forces are at play as jihadis plot a rebellion against their evil masters. Firstly, love blossoms...

Devastated that my friend did not "like" my Facebook post (while reading it right in front of me) and now realising that he was in the right; I, as someone who analyses the impact of social networking on modern civilisation (i.e. a social networking reformer - if it's a term) hereby recommend the replacement of the (vague) Like button on Facebook with the following three specific, relevant and user-friendly buttons: 1) Like - Because I Know You 2) Like - Because I actually like your post 3) Like - Because I expect you to like my future posts in return Kindly share this so that the Facebook community is aware of this recommendation. BTW, I haven't thought about the Share button as yet! (As posted by me on Facebook)

Dear Authors /Reviewers /Bloggers /Publishers /Readers /Bookstores /(Basically)AnybodyWithAWebsite or Blog, Here's your chance to earn 82% of my royalties per ebook copy of 'Indians in Pakistan' sold through your website/blog links. Well, it's 11% now and as high as 82% from 1st December 2014 onwards! It can't get more rewarding than this and at no cost at all. Read this link to learn more about the Smashwords Affiliate scheme: https://www.smashwords.com/about/smashwords_affiliate_documentation Of course, you can opt for many more books and your earnings will depend on the generosity of individual authors with a minimum of 11% on revenues guaranteed. You may need some time to breathe now. It's just too exciting for words. Congrats! Your website has now become a money-spinning machine!  Beware, all that money spinning could leave you feeling dizzy! ( You receive commissions on all purchases within a 48 hour period.) The richness of your content and marketi...

THE DREAM FUTURE OF INDIA (An Excerpt from my book, Rose Gardens and Minefields ) When all the world weeps in sorrow India can wake up to a new tomorrow She can rise steadily from the dumps Travelling to prosperity without any bumps. Her people can struggle to attain their goals All of them excelling in their specific roles Then from a period of almost certain doom Her economy will attain an everlasting bloom Unemployment and poverty will be forgotten terms Success will be familiar with her companies and firms Mechanisation and industry will scale new peaks Thus India shall begin her winning streaks Her army will be the most feared force Although it shall pursue a peaceful course The conceited nations she shall humble From their mighty pedestals they shall tumble Let us drink to that joyous day When Indian policies the world shall obey Her designs for humanity will then unfold Even mud will shine as bright as gold The earth shall represent a beaut...

I smiled at the irony that while we, the trainees, were equipped with rocket launchers, AK47s and other sophisticated weaponry, the head of the mission confronted us with a measly pistol. I was still smiling as my fingers pulled the trigger. The short, bald leader collapsed in a heap. Our jeep sped away. We left the camp that night, leaving a trail of destruction in our wake. Scores of dismembered bloody bodies lay strewn all over the place. Almost every solid structure had been reduced to rubble. Small fires flared at various places. There were a couple of big fires that lit up the night sky. But what I remember most vividly was the ghastly silence just before we left the site. The above segment is a short extract from my novel ‘Indians in Pakistan’, an action thriller that will leave you spellbound. It will also immerse you into a totally different world in which different forces are at play as jihadis plot a rebellion against their evil masters. Firstly, love bl...

Two baby pigeons were born on our balcony yesterday - We sheltered them from the ferocious crows, the blazing summer heat and the internal/external repair work going on in our building (including the use of chemicals) - Pigeons are very small - One of the workers had actually kept the nest with the unhatched eggs in our living room for the entire day as they had to work in the balcony. The frantic mother kept passing by our window a countless times in search of her eggs - In the end, all's well that ends well - if those darned crows don't succeed in their evil motives!!! Frankly, I've never been a bird lover like my friend Roozbeh and especially never been so fond of pigeons (even my grandfather used to shoot them to prepare pigeon soup for my asthmatic aunt)- but Mother nature always prevails!!!

Devastated that my friend did not "like" my Facebook post (while reading it right in front of me) and now realising that he was in the right; I, as someone who analyses the impact of social networking on modern civilisation (i.e. a social networking reformer - if it's a term) hereby recommend the replacement of the (vague) Like button on Facebook with the following three specific, relevant and user-friendly buttons: 1) Like - Because I Know You 2) Like - Because I actually like your post 3) Like - Because I expect you to like my future posts in return Kindly share this so that the Facebook community is aware of this recommendation. BTW, I haven't thought about the Share button as yet! (As posted by me on Facebook)