Railway Minister: It's not my fault the rails are unsafe. That is God's Job.

[scribble]

"India's railways minister has absolved himself of blame for accidents plaguing the world's largest train network, saying the fate of its 13 million daily passengers rested with the Hindu god of machines, Vishwakarma. 'Indian Railways is the responsibility of Lord Vishwakarma,' Laloo Prasad Yadav said, as quoted Friday by The Times of India newspaper. 'So is the safety of passengers. It is his duty (to ensure safety), not mine. I have been forced to don his mantle,' the mercurial minister said on a visit to his hometown of Patna in eastern India. Yadav's statement came less than a month after 20 people were killed and around 100 injured when a passenger train plunged off a bridge in western India after hitting a boulder."


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10045014%255E29677,00.html

Wonder what he gets paid for. They should employ the god directly.

Ah well, the god is probably busy with all the tech jobs moving to INdia. No time to cover the rails, too.

[Kopji]

Taking personal responsibility is job #1 with my religion.

(bumper stickers I'll never see)

[Yahweh]

"God is my co-pilot"...

[Keneke]

Originally posted by Yahweh
"God is my co-pilot"...

No, I'd say God's your pilot, and you're sitting in coach sipping tea.

[Radrook]

There was this Asian Indian fisherman who had the habit of holding a fish with his teeth by the head while untangling it from the net.

One fish got loose and dove down his throat, got stuck there and the man died from asphyxiation.

They were unable to dislodge the fish and the man had to be buried with it in his throat.

Not God.
Sometimes it's sheer stupidity.

[Zep]

Which is the Indian god for help while being strung up to the nearest telephone pole for gross incompetence by a very angry mob?

[RabbiSatan]

What...the........****?!

Great - lets just ignore personal and the responsibility that comes with the damn job and shift it all to Vishwakarma. This is just about as bad as "God is my co-pilot". What's next? Indian trains don't need actual rail lines to travel next?!

No wonder India has so many rail road train accidents.

[Doctor X]

Which is the Indian god for help while being strung up to the nearest telephone pole for gross incompetence by a very angry mob?


Bert.

Regarding the Fish Story:

Tuco: [Eli Wallach--Ed.] Sees approaching army. Quickly wakes sleeping Joe. Both are disguised as Confederates. Quick let's get out of this stuff!

Joe: [Clint Eastwood--Ed.] Languidly replies without looking up. They're grey.

T: Like us? Okay, let's say hello and get the hell out of here! Hurray! Hurray! For Dixie! Hurray for General . . . General?

J: Lee.

T: General Lee!

Joe begins to look up and horror begins to crawl across his face. . . .

T: God is on our side because God hates the Yankees!!!

J: God is not on our side because he also hates fools!

"Grey" General halts column, starts to his his arm with his glove . . . dust rises . . . reveals a blue uniform. . . .
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

--J.D.

[UndercoverElephant]

I'm not going to defend this government minister, but it may be worth putting this into some context. Most Indian Hindus would immediately relate to the ministers comments because they have precisely the same attitude to their own safety on the roads. Most Hindus believe that the date and circumstances of their own death is predestined. Because of this they have what westerners would consider a death-wish attitude to driving - for instance they will happily overtake on a blind bend, because they don't believe it makes any difference - if they are destined to die today then they will die today, and if they aren't, then they aren't. As a result, road saftey in India is about as bad as their rail safety record.

So maybe two conclusions can be drawn from this. The first is that Hinduism doesn't always lead people to make decisions that are best suited to their own safety, and the second is that the comments made by the minister may well be seen as less outrageous to the Indians themselves as they do to us.

:)

[zakur]

So why have a Railway Ministry in the first place? What's the Railway Minister's job - pray to Vishwakarma?

[Radrook]

Originally posted by zakur
So why have a Railway Ministry in the first place? What's the Railway Minister's job - pray to Vishwakarma?

That not it!
That not itatall!
Vishwakarma be the-- ummmm-- Railway ministers.

[Radrook]

Originally posted by Doctor X


Bert.

Regarding the Fish Story:

Tuco: [Eli Wallach--Ed.] Sees approaching army. Quickly wakes sleeping Joe. Both are disguised as Confederates. Quick let's get out of this stuff!

Joe: [Clint Eastwood--Ed.] Languidly replies without looking up. They're grey.

T: Like us? Okay, let's say hello and get the hell out of here! Hurray! Hurray! For Dixie! Hurray for General . . . General?

J: Lee.

T: General Lee!

Joe begins to look up and horror begins to crawl across his face. . . .

T: God is on our side because God hates the Yankees!!!

J: God is not on our side because he also hates fools!

"Grey" General halts column, starts to his his arm with his glove . . . dust rises . . . reveals a blue uniform. . . .
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

--J.D.

From what part of you sparse reperttoir did you pull that one out from?

[Gulliamo]

Originally posted by Radrook
From what part of you sparse reperttoir did you pull that one out from? I don't know but it is funny.
Actually I think it was in reference to the last line of your fish story Originally posted by Radrook
Not God.
Sometimes it's sheer stupidity.Originally posted by Doctor X
Joe: God is not on our side because he also hates fools!

[Navigator]

Originally posted by scribble


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10045014%255E29677,00.html

Wonder what he gets paid for. They should employ the god directly.

Ah well, the god is probably busy with all the tech jobs moving to INdia. No time to cover the rails, too.

Bait.

Go anywhere anytime and you will 'get your story' eh Scribbles?
Then post it with a bit of "childishz' blahs and the mate gush on in with their support and 'Hallelulia!' more predictable reactions!

Go figure!

(Even if you do donate to the JREF, how does this kinda bating help the cause?)

[Well you did azk]

[scribble]

I thought it was <a href=http://www.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&postid=1870539269#post1870539269> funny. </a>