Pakistan’s Choice Re: # 190

Please stop taking idiots like Haroon seriously ;)

How green is their valley? Re: # 33
HUH?

Project Mumbai Makeover: Casualties of Development Re: # 87
On second thoughts, I take back my above post. To expect people to focus on actual solutions on chowk instead of whining and pointing fingers is useless. As a long time chowki, I should know ;)

Project Mumbai Makeover: Casualties of Development Dear mohar,
Where the hell do you see me even implying that `` keep poor in filth and get ``services`` from them`` anywhere in my post? My reply was specifically to trans warrior who seems to think that poor people who live in the slum are ``burden`` and they should ``either pay for the loss or get out and help their own state, that will help their own state.``. I merely pointed out that they are already paying - in more ways than one.

I am in no way supporting encroachments on public land - by anyone. However, people like Trans Warrior fail to differentiate between slums and slum dwellers. Beautifying mumbai etc is all fine and dandy. Get rid of all the slums if you can. However, don`t equate slums with people who live in slums. They don`t live in filth and squalor because they enjoy it. And they are not free-loaders. They have to work as much hard to earn a living as you. They have as much right to live with dignity as any other citizens of Mumbai.

There is another angle of this issue. Where will these people go once you get rid of the slums? Does mumbai have any affordable housing options for poor (or even middle class people)? In the absence of such options, these people will simply move to another location and erect their shanties there. GOvt. will keep repeating this whole cycle every few years and it will not solve the basic issue of affordable urban housing. So let me restate. Slums are bad.. and filthy. Agreed. We should get rid of slums. Couldn`t agree more. Now how about focusing on how to provide these poor people with a housing solution they can afford?

Commie bashing is very easy. It is also an old game. I myself have indulged in it often on this very site. But it has been 15 years since India rejected socialism and accepted free market. Isn`t it about time we stopped using socialists and communists as scapegoats?

On this board everyone is whining (including the author) but no one is discussing the main issue or any solutions to it.

Project Mumbai Makeover: Casualties of Development Re: # 75
The words socialist and secular were added to the consittution by Indira Gandhi in 1970s.

Project Mumbai Makeover: Casualties of Development Re: # 63
Jang, you actually understood the point I am trying to make. A lot of middle class people think that the slum-dwellers in Bombay/Pune are leechers, criminals or free-loaders. The reality can`t be farther from this misconception.

Project Mumbai Makeover: Casualties of Development Re: # 53
Let me tell you as a fellow maharashtrian and a sometimes Mumbaikar that the life-style of the middle class and the elites is largely supported by the poor who live in slums.

Where else do you think your maids, gardners, dubbawalas etc come from?

My Harvard Reunion Re: # 91
What an idiot !
So if they should not be called IITians then what else can you call them? And by the way, aren`t harvard graduates are called harvard graduates for rest of their lives? And aren`t yale graduates called yalies? So what is so elite about an IITian being called IITian?

My Harvard Reunion Re: # 87
You are learning quickly from Salim ;)

Who Created Pakistan? Re: # 248
And you are an flaming idiot. Your statement is laughable at so many level, that it is not even worthy of a rebuttal. In fact, as I have said before, YOU are not worthy of any debate, discussion or argument. You should only be laughed at and kicked out of the way when you start getting annoying. Ha! Ha!

My Harvard Reunion Re: # 76
If I remember correctly, percentage of middle class and poor students in IITs is much higher than the same in Harvard/Cambridge etc. (Please compare the tution fees of IITs with Harvard/Cambridge). Do you agree with this fact or not? If you do, then how do IITs become more elitist than Harvard?

Secondly, If YOU THINK that IIT educated students become elitist AFTER they graduate from that institute, that still does NOT make IITs THEMSELVES elitist or promoters of elitism. Please look up the definition of elitism. They may become elitist in their LATER lives, but in no way do you have to have an elite background to get into IITs. In fact, most of the students in IITs are from middle class. The rest are from poor classes. The rich elite kids attend Harvard and Cambridge because their daddies can afford it, whether the kids have brains or not.

Who Created Pakistan? Ranjit and Mike
You guys are chutias. Sanjay Gandhi`s solution seems best in dealing with people like you - you must be stopped from breeding at any cost!

Ajeya and antihypochrist,
Please ignore tahmad, he is batshit crazy. Please continue your debate with Jang and Bongdong.

Jang, Bongdong and Sridhar and other Indians,
This article has seen some excellent debate. Please continue in the same spirit and ignore the idiots.

My Harvard Reunion Re: # 63
Delhiwala, I am talking about non-brilliant, non-rich people. Not super rich dumasses. Keeping that in mind, can you elaborate more on your claim that IITs are more `elitist` than Harvard et al?

My Harvard Reunion Delhiwala,
How many non-brilliant non-rich students do you see in Harvard?

My Harvard Reunion Does anyone want to take up with delhiwala is assertion that IITs promote elitism while Harvard, Cambridge etc are oasis of egilatarism? If no one does it, I will.

My Harvard Reunion Is the author trying to say that IITs promote elitism while Harvard and MIT don`t?
This must be the statement of the century!