Upgrading Zenfone 2 Laser ZE550KL to the latest firmware version - Error mount /asdf solved

I had bought my Zenfone 2 Laser in 2015. The phone is good enough if we use it inside the constraint of memory and internal storage space it is having. Definitely not good for gaming purposes. If you almost consume full capacity of the internal storage or memory, it starts misbehaving.

I was completely satisfied with the performance of the phone until recently. Started becoming unsatisfied when it suddenly started a problem of not able to update new firmwares getting released by ASUS over the air. The main drawback was that I was not able to apply the voLTE update which was required for Reliance JIO.

I tried updating new firmware manually by copying the firmware downloaded from ASUS website to the internal storage as per the directions given in the update manual available in the website. I got a mount error after trying to update. It looked like

error : mount /asdf

And then it would revert back to the previous firmware. I tried a lot of ways to overcome this. ASUS also didn't come up with a solution for this problem. With lots of check over the internet, I could find a real easy, less risky solution for my problem. I am mentioning it in this blog so that it would help fellow Zenfone 2 laser owners.

Disclaimer :- I myself have done these steps and overcame the problem mentioned. This might not work for all. Please do it at your own risk. I would not be responsible for any problems.

I have not faced failure for this procedure and I cannot help if you face any failure.

Prerequisites :-

1. Download latest software from the ASUS website

http://asus.com/in/ZenFone-2-Laser-ZE550KL/HelpDesk_Download/

Select OS --> Android

Do cross check your region(WW) and phone model(Z00L) as per the directions provided in this link. Cross check with your existing software version in your phone. Should look similar.

Store this software in your external SD card. (Not in internal storage). The zip file itself is the software file. Don't extract.

Please keep at least 2.5GB free space in your internal storage.

2. Download and extract the tools.zip from the below link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0aLSwTxUBYETFVvQU1ZUHNFaEE/view

(Link Courtesy - Gadget RIDER)

Keep this in your laptop

3) Please ensure more than 60% battery before doing this whole procedure.

Procedure :-

Carefully follow the below steps.

 

1) Enable USB debugging -

Go to Settings --> About --> Software Information

Tap 'Build Number' seven (7) times to enable 'Developer Options' in settings

Once you do it, you can see 'Developer options' under settings

Go into developer options and enable 'USB debugging'

2) Reboot in the fastboot mode

Power OFF your phone

Press the volume UP button and Power button together to start the phone in fastboot mode.

Once started in fastboot mode, the screen will show 'Fastboot Mode!!!' written on the top of the phone.

3) Once the phone is rebooted in the fastboot mode, connect the USB data cable from the mobile to the PC in which the tools folder is saved.

Open the tools folder and run the flash-all.bat file in administrator mode.

It will execute by itself and close. Ignore the errors which you see in the batch prompt.

Remove the data cable. Remove and re-insert the battery for power cycle.

4) After inserting back the battery, we should restart the phone in recovery mode pressing the volume DOWN button and Power button together.

5) Once the phone starts in recovery mode, select option 'Apply update from SD card' by using the volume button and use Power button to select it

Now select the firmware file stored in the SD card by scrolling using the volume button and press Power button to select the file

Some yellow color text will follow and the phone will get updated.

This will take some time (near to 10 mins)

You will get a success message after this and the recovery options will appear again.

6) Select 'Reboot system now' using the Power button

7) After reboot you will get the app optimizer message 'Android is updating'. Please let this finish. This may take another 10-15mins

8) Now you can look into the Settings --> About --> Software Information to confirm that the phone has got updated to the latest software version you downloaded.

9) To enable voLTE, please go to Settings --> More --> Mobile Networks and enable voLTE

Hope this helps. 

An eventful air travel

I was coming back from Mumbai to Goa booked in Air India flight AI683. The actual itinerary I received on booking had mentioned 1hr 20mins of travel which suggested the aircraft to be the small ATR type. But on the day before my travel I got a reschedule message from Air India. The departure time in the message seemed to be the same. When I cross checked once again it was the arrival time which got changed. 1hr 20mins of travel time was decreased to 1hr which suggested Air India changed the aircraft to Airbus 319/320/321. I actually became happy that I would be reaching Goa early and would be able to catch some good sleep.

Now lets come to the travel day. Reaching the boarding gate I understood why Air India changed the flight. It seems they got more passengers that day and I saw many foreigners to board this flight to Goa. Air India had recently got membership in the 'Star Alliance' and these passengers might be the code share passengers who are using Air India services via Star Alliance. The boarding was 10 minutes late. As expected the aircraft was Airbus A320.

On boarding the flight I understood the fact that it was very old. A bad smell caught my nose once I stepped into the flight. Something like entering a house which was not occupied for months. The crew courteously welcomed us. I didn't have to move much as my seat was in the front rows. Was sad to see that the seat was so stained and soiled. I didn't mind. But I was thinking about the impression it made on the foreign passengers about the Indian national airline. Moreover there were lots of mosquitoes in aircraft and many passengers were seen driving the mosquitoes away from their vicinity.

The safety briefing started.

'All exit signs can be easily identified by the exit signs and the floor path lighting'

When the air hostesses tried to show the fluorescent green floor path strips, they were not there. No floor path strips existed in the aircraft. The crew actually got embarrassed with that unexpected backfire. But soon regained their postures and continued the safety briefing.

'To fasten the seat belt, push the metallic end into the buckle. To adjust the belt the loose end can be pushed or pulled...'

I tried to fasten my seat belt. Buckled it. But was not able to adjust it. It was stuck. Later left it to the way it was. Pretty loose on my lap.

'In case of a fall in cabin pressure, individual oxygen mask will drop down automatically'

The demonstration unit they had was so dirty that the air hostess in front of me was hesitating to handle it properly.

Once the cabin was secured, the lights were dimmed for take-off. The passenger who was seated in front of me switched on the overhead light for reading. The lights behaved like ones in ghost movies. It blinked for sometime before slowly becoming on. Then after sometime it went off by itself. The crew couldn't answer the passengers questions on this matter.

The flight took off and was stable now. So the crew started serving dinner. My row was now getting served. All in the row opened the tray table and the passenger who seated next to me found one end of the tray table broken. For having dinner, he had to finally support the dinner box near the end of the tray table which was not broken. Other items included like tea cup and water bottle was accommodated in my tray table.

It should be remembered that the crew did their best to make the travel comfortable for passengers in spite of all the hardships and embarrassments they had to face during the flight course. Kudos to them.

An after-marriage life

Please read my earlier post 'After Friends Marry' to get an idea of my views on what happens after marriage.

http://rajeevdaniel.blogspot.com/2012/11/after-friends-marry.html

The post was written before I got married.  Now, I have more opinions which came from my own married life experience and from the continuous learning seeing many other lives in the society. My opinion has not changed from the ones I provided in the earlier blog post. I had let my wife keep all her contacts and best friends after marriage and I feel she is very much comfortable because of that. She being an understanding woman lets me also keep my friends and spend some time with them. We are able to bring good understanding between us without affecting majority of the other relationships. But I agree the truth that the time availability post marriage is lesser and we have to time multiplex between family and friends giving our immediate family a little more number of time slots.

One of my friend who was a software engineer got married to another software engineer a couple of years ago. He was a very active guy and was good in sports & games. Before marriage he used to play cricket after office times before coming back to room. He was very social and used to meet his friends in weekends, plan regular pleasure trips with his friends and occasionally used to have drinks at office parties or outside. He used to read a lot too. He was working in Hyderabad and she was working in Bangalore before marriage. After marriage she moved to Hyderabad resigning her job. The initial phase of their marriage was very happy as we normally hear in all cases. But gradually problems crept in. The main reason being his wife being away from her family and not having any friends or relatives in Hyderabad. She couldn't make good relation with her neighbours there. She started relying on TV serials for killing her time.

His cricket game post work time came to an end after some days as she was always eagerly waiting for his return. She used to call three to four times asking him where he reached. And he had to lie many many a times that he have work or he is stuck in traffic. Finally he stopped playing after work and directly started taking the way home. After reaching home too, he was not able to relax a bit and take a nap. She wanted him to sit near her when she was cooking. A die hard cricket fan like him was not even allowed to watch an India-Pak cricket match. She will ask - "The whole day you are outside. Why cant you spend some time to talk to me?". His weekend visits to friends also came to full stop. And if he drank he was supposed to sleep on the sofa.

He tried everything to keep her happy. The whole weekends were spent with her. Shopping or outings as per her wish were done. He tried to engage her in something like cooking. She did like cooking. But she cooked everything seeing the god-damn tv serials and there came a high risk of her forgetting things in kitchen like something kept on the burner or the cooking gas valve open. So that didn't bear any fruit and was abruptly stopped to avoid risk. He also tried to wake up many of her other interests. But that too didn't become fruitful. He also thought of having a baby so that she gets engaged. But she didn't want to get pregnant so soon after marriage and wanted to wait at least for a year. Thats when he decided to send her for a course. The course was related to the domain in which she had worked upon.

The training was a kind of internship where she had to work on a job which consumed most of her day time. She would go in the morning with him and get dropped at the centre. Evening she would come back little earlier than him. To his surprise, the evening calls stopped and he could see that once she s back from her work she got engaged in cooking and other activities. He just need to give her company for sometime. There were no complains anymore. She made friends at the training institute and made good relations with them. Her outing with them during weekends helped him to go back to his routines.

He understood the issue very late that once working lady like her when leaves her job and gets bound to household works alone, cannot kill time very easily. And that was the root cause of their problems. She wanted company, friends and attention which he could not provide all the time. Now as this training continued, she too could go back to her routines without depending much on him. So once the training finished, he found her a job which fitted her profile. This brought the balance back to their home.

So my suggestion to all is that let your spouse go for her professional aspirations, give him/her personal freedom for friends and acquaintances, don't impose any of your ideas on him/her, consider his/her family too when charting your time and over all make him/her feel loved whenever you are with him/her. Have a great family life ahead.

A horrible car service

It was august 14, 2014. Only two days more for my engagement. I wanted to clean my car interior and exterior to use it as grooms vehicle for the function. It was full of dirt following the recent heavy rains. So decided to take it to a newly opened car cleaning centre 'CAR ZONE' near NH bypass junction, Thondayad, Calicut who cleans car interior and exterior. They also have a cafe attached to the place for people to relax and wait until their cars are serviced. It's 400INR for a hatch back(I have a Renault Pulse hatch back) and more for a sedan. Cafe charges of course are extra as per the purchase made.

There was a huge queue when I reached there in the evening. Around 10 cars. The lady in reception told me that it won't be possible to clean my car that day. She also informed me that they were working on August 15 i.e Indian independence day. It didn't look good. But the requirement was mine. I again looked towards my car. It was dirty as a pig. I looked inside the service center towards the cleaning area. All were from the north and north-east. Majority Bengali speaking. No wonder they are working on independence day.

The next day I took my car there around 12 in the afternoon.  The queue was bigger than what I saw on the previous day. More than 15 cars already. People took privilege of cleaning their cars on the national holiday. I approached the lady at the reception with the car keys. Initially she refused to accept it for cleaning. But when I told her that I had come the day before and was asked to come that day she agreed. It seems there were less worker attendance due to the National holiday. I was asked to come in the evening around 6PM. I agreed. Anyway I had some work to do including a grooming session to prepare for the following day. My brother had followed me in his car, so we set out to complete those works in his car.

It was dark by the time we reached back to take the car. Around 6:30PM. It took me by surprise that none of the cars I noticed earlier in the afternoon was there at the time I reached back. How fast do they clean them? They were still cleaning cars in the dark. The lady at the reception was already gone. I enquired about my car with the guy sitting there now. He seemed to be the owner/manager of the service station. He checked the list and told that my car cleaning was completed already and ready for delivery. I paid INR400 and he handed over the keys to a guy there who lead me to my car.

The car was parked in front of the cafe. I unlocked the doors and switched on the lights to check the interiors. Interiors seemed fresh and awesome. The dashboard and seats are well cleaned. The floor also seemed clean. I happily shook hands with the guy there and got ready to leave. It was then under the light from the cafe I noticed a muddy patch left uncleaned on my back right door. They might have missed it as it was dark. I called back the guy and brought it to his notice who inturn called a worker to clean it up. I thought to examine the whole car for any more such patches left so that those can also be cleaned. There were a couple more such mud patches left on the car which they missed. But it came to me as a shock when I examined the bonnet. It was full of scratches. Please see the picture below.

BONNET

I called back the guy again and demanded an explanation. Initially he tried to retreat meanwhile I decided to do a thorough check-up all over the car. I could find one more clear scratch near one of the wheels and some minor scratches on the door and bumper. I caught him again demanded an explanation.

NEAR THE WHEEL

 ON THE DOORS

Now he started arguing with me that those are scratches which I already have on my car. My car is my daily pal and I exactly knew where all I bumped it and where all I have bruises on it. I took him to see some of those and told him that I am not talking about those. Even if I agree to his point that the scratches on the door/bumper/near-the-wheels came on the car without me knowing it, how the heck in the world do I agree to him that it came on the bonnet automatically.

Now I demanded the manager of the service station to give an explanation. I wanted to hear his perspective. Initially he tried to shrug off but I didn't leave. Gradually people in the cafe came out to check out what was happening. Some of them asked me what was the matter. The manager was yet not making any responsible statement. I started showing the scratches to them. They started talking between each other now. The manager went into an alarming state and wanted me out of the place.

It followed with heated argument between my cousin and the manager when the manager finally told the following statement - "It was not the responsibility of the service station to check whether any scratches are coming on the vehicle. The responsibility of the service station is just to clean the vehicle which is done". Then why the hell are we paying money? To get our car scratched? And that too 400 bucks. Isn't that amount enough for them to take good care of the car? And moreover the car was not completely cleaned too. It was left with mud patches. Okay. There is no point in arguing with the guy. We decided to leave. He finally told one more statement - "Please don't come back". Me, my brother and my cousin replied in a single voice - "Never again"

My Android Applications

Google

Both my personal and official google login are added in my android. Corresponding logins are used in specific google applications where it applies. Details are given in the below subheadings.

Google Calendar

The Calendar app displays events from each of your Google accounts configured to use with it. I have both my personal and official logins used in calendar. Calendar widget is added to one of my home screens. All my personal and official events gets added in the calendar which automatically comes up in the widget. Upto a limit it helps me to keep work-life balance. And you are familiar about the reminders possible using Calendar.

Google Drive

Easy to upload files directly from the phone to Google Drive now. I use my phone for both official and personal purposes. So there are occasions that I might need to view official files on the go or upload some personal photos during travel. All possible using Google Drive. A new feature supported in google drive is the SCAN feature for which i used CAMSCANNER application earlier. Now we can SCAN documents using the phone camera, crop, adjust and then upload to google drive. Fantastic feature.

Google Keep

I am somebody who forgets small small things and would like to note them down. Was using sticky notes earlier for this purpose and now Google has introduced keep. This also have alarm feature so that you can be reminded of something at exact time. 

Also during official meetings, now I don't take a note book. Note them down in Google keep. Even we can add pictures. Share of a note is also possible

Google Maps

Anybody need an introduction for Google maps? Improving day by day. As a frequent traveler I should admit that it helps me a lot. And recently Google has introduced to save a part of map so that we can avoid the requirement of data during use of maps. Only GPS will do (Not with phones where only A-GPS will work).

Google Mail

I require my personal email on the go. Having a good 3G connection no problem to have that in my mobile.

Splitwise

Are you sharing a rented house where you have shared expenses? Then splitwise is exactly what you need. It offers a perfect way to share your expenses and get it settled. In addition to splitting household bills with rand d mmates, it can also serve you for group vacations or individual spendings. Separate groups can be created for these. Month end splitwise will send you a summary of expenses and settlement report as email.

Expense Manager

A great application to track your income and expenses. You can have different accounts say personal and official. You need to enter your income/expenses immediately or on a daily basis so that you dont forget. Expense manager also has a reminder service to remind you of adding the expenses. You can divide the income and expenses into different categories and see individual category reports. Budgeting is possible for different  categories and you can compare in which category you have lost out in a particular month. Different kind of charts are also available so that we can have a graphical comparison of the same. Reccurring payments can be configured so that we dont need to add it every time it happens. Export of data to CSV format or upload to Google Drive/Dropbox is also supported.

NTES(National Train Enquiry System)

A must for Indians as we all use Indian Railways some or other way. The Indian Railways official app for train enquiry. The earlier version was a crap. But they improved well in the new app and its easy to use and helpful. The new version provides realtime information about trains and stations.

App features include :-

     Spot your train

     Live Station

     Train Schedule

     Trains Between Stations

     Cancelled Trains

     Rescheduled Trains

     Diverted Trains

Freecharge

Freecharge is one of the most convenient way to recharge your mobile, internet or DTH without visiting the retail shops directly. You can use your credit /debit card for making your payments. The application supports all major service providers. In addition, the application provides frequent offers above ones from the service providers; normally as cash back to freecharge credits which can be used later via freecharge.

Line

Line is a free messaging app very popular in many countries but in India. Here people use watsapp more so I use watsapp also. But I like line more. It supports voice calls and video calls in addition to messaging and at the same time remains a very light and fast application. Further to add, a PC version of the application is also available for people who want to use it in PC.

ES File Explorer

ES File Explorer is a free, full-featured file and application manager. It functions as all of these apps in one: file manager, application manager, task killer, download manager, cloud storage client (compatible with Dropbox, Google Drive etc.) and FTP client. It shows thumbnails and has built-in viewer. Its ultimate use comes for root users to manage the file-system.

My Days X

This application is helpful for both ladies and couples equally. Ladies can follow up their period and related information. Once you enter the current period dates, the application would provide you the estimated dates for periods in coming months. And as you enter the start and stop dates for a couple of months, it automatically adjusts the dates as per your cycle length and period length which is calculated by the application. 

You can see your high fertility days in order to get pregnant. This feature is very useful for couples for planning purpose. The calendar also provides you with opportunity to mark several details which would help you for proper planning.

1mg

This application gives information about the medicines prescribed to you and your loved ones. It gives details about the side effects of the prescribed medicine too. Equivalent medicines and approximate price of these medicines are also available in this app.

Automate It

Wanna get more out of your phone? Want to make your phone smarter? Automate It is exactly the application you need provided your phone is rooted. It helps to automate various tasks on your smartphone based on triggers and actions. We can define rules to do some actions based on some triggers in our smartphone. The application provides some basic rules by default and provides flexibility for us to define new rules. Also some rules which are popular can be downloaded from internet. Examples of some default rules available are low battery voice warning, quiet at night, normal in morning, enable data with GPS etc. We can enable or diable rules whichever are applicable for us. Please see the Automate It application description to see the list of available triggers and actions

Flashlight

A torch is required for everybody and you need not carry it separately if you have a smartphone with LED flash. This application will make your device a bright torch. It has evolved so much to have minimum memory footprint and battery consumption compared to other applications.

Memories

I used to write diary from my childhood times and from the time I started using smartphones I was looking for a good diary which offers good features and at the same time security. After trying out many applications I settled down with this application. Along with the text you write, you can also attach images and audio. A location can be added so that you can remember where exactly the event happened. There is password protection for the diary and as far as the review and comments of the app in Google Play are concerned the data seem to be safe. It has TAGS to organise and classify records. Another innovative thing from the developers is the introduction of 'Flow of Thoughts' which is a way to keep memories linked to each other and organised as continuous conversation. The whole diary can be backed up to google drive

A discussion on Aam Aadmy Party

Given below is the discussion happened on my facebook wall after my post on the spectacular victory of AAP in Delhi polls. Names are made unidentifiable. Links and photos removed for protecting privacy of people who commented.

Do put your opinions

RD

December 8

Big hands for AAP. This is how you make a point. Just complaining about the governance wont do. You have your options in democracy to involve in the process. I hope AAP can climb to power and let them show how they can perform.

• AR - You don’t need to be in power.
  Opposition plays as good a role in a democracy

  December 8 at 10:01am · Like
• 
  

  RD - AR - Agreed. But I am talking about governance. Opposition don't have any role there

  December 8 at 10:03am · Like · 2
• 
  

  MN - Copying the comment I made in another post..
  
  AAP -kye adhikam aayasundaakilla.. Ippo ithu just an 'akkarapacha'.. Once AAP recognize that they have power/presence, they will be equally like any other....

  December 8 at 10:11pm · Like · 1
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  RD  - MNl - My point was - "If u wanna make a difference, involve in the process."

  December 9 at 10:22pm · Like · 1
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  MN - It may not make the difference always.. I respect your point and oblige to it...How do you know that AAP will not make more 2G/Bofors/Tetra/Aadarsh etc ??

  December 10 at 10:29pm · Like
• 
  

  BLU - We can't predict what AAP(or any body for that matter) will do in future. But as of today, comparatively they seem far far better than the rest

  December 10 at 11:21pm · Like · 2
• 
  

  MN - But BLU, we have not get any chance to support your statement.. They have just started and still to prove. Only thing is that the hype they recvd from the media... Sometimes I felt they are not on practical lines, like striking against Electricity charges hike and holding it.. Then Women Security, Onion price hike etc... They raise the voice or strike, but I think even they are not clear about the solutions to these issues...We are behind AAP, as we get an option other than INC/BJP.. Kejriwal says AAP's ideology/stand is aam aadmi...What is it ? Is it socialism ?

  December 10 at 11:33pm · Like
• 
  

  RUP - It is unpredictable and thus debatable that how AAP wil be in the future. But one thing is sure that they have reached the masses without power and money politics.. This is really going to change the way the other political parties look at the common people and what they really bothered about.

  December 10 at 11:43pm · Like · 2
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  MN - hmm.. Lets wait and see.. But preserve some energy to go behind brain of some IIM-ian next time.. 

  December 10 at 11:58pm · Like
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  RD - So let them come to power. And do the needful for reducing onion price, reducing power price and the crimes against woman. Let them prove themselves.

  December 11 at 12:27am · Like
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  AJ -  MN in Delhi, people have proved that they will go for another option, if there is any. In kerala also people will do the same.. It is foolishness to stick with corrupted parties when there is a better option. At least, it will teach the existing parties a lesson and make them to rethink.

  December 11 at 6:49pm · Like · 1
• 
  

  AJ - MN //we have not get any chance to support your statement// better statement is - we have not given them any chance...

  December 11 at 6:52pm · Like
• 
  

  MN - @All: I'm happy to see such a situation and I will also support it. But I'm against this extra hype AAP recv.. Before Delhi Elections how many supporters were there for AAP outside Delhi ?? If Delhi elections were not there and APP contest for first time in Kerala, no fools would have vote for them...Do you agree ? Here media and social networks are trying to be in the driving seat of democracy.. Enthinu, media hype undaakkiyappol, mullaperiyaar daam pottumennu paranju petteem pack cheythu harthaal aagoshichu veettil irunnavar alle nammal... What happened to it ? Moral of the story: Before we go behind a hype, better evaluate from our side.. Can you answer me, what are the stands of AAP? How they are going to achieve it practically ? Is this a revolutionary movement ? What will be the structure of APP as an organization ? When I have convincing answers for these questions, I will decide to support or not, rather getting provoked on repeating gimics on news channels.. AJ, how do you confirm that APP is better. It's just our wish.. And frankly, still I have faith in Kejriwal as a person and APP as an organization led by him...

  December 11 at 11:40pm · Like · 2
• 
  

  BLU - MN - I don't know how relevant are your questions such as what is their stand, organization etc.. for commons? (if you ask these questions about other parties such as INC, BJP etc.. I doubt we still don't have answers or rather convincing answers. I also doubt if these conventional aspects about political party is really needed or if need a re-wamp. AAP was able to connect to people almost similar to the role of a good opposition, lets hope they continue the same even when in power

  December 12 at 8:50pm · Like
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  MN -  It's like buying a mobile phone with out checking it's spec, but believing that 'it' is the best...

  December 12 at 8:54pm · Like
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  BLU - What good if brochure is good, but after buying, proved none of the spec was true 

  December 12 at 8:58pm · Like · 1
• 
  

  MN - BLU, if you are talking abt INC/BJP, their brochure is very open and known to all(good or bad) and there is no chance of people getting fooled...But what you have mentioned is precisely applicable to AAP, as media is contributing to AAP in framing a very good brochure and finally the people might end up in a wrong, misled specification...
  Again clarifying my point, I do not support INC/BJP and I'm not against AAP..And who are commons ? Atleast that be clarified..When all problems of so-called-common's are solved, whether tribal issues like in Attapaadi will be covered ? Do you believe that all people can be satisfied ?

  December 12 at 9:11pm · Edited · Like
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  AJ - MN, Can you answer me, what are the stands of CPIM? How they are going to achieve it practically ?

  December 12 at 9:51pm · Like
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  MN - CPIM stands for socialism - implemented 1957 Bhoonaya bill. Anti-Gloabilisation -- Stood against GAAT, ASEAN agreements..Against Privatization, FDI, Secular, Stood for the working class, tribal people, dalits...etc..etc.. They have been in power and opposition forcing to implement some of these..Meanwhile AJ, you have not answered/clarified any of my questions with regard to AAP. I support you in contributing Rs.100 to AAP, but I'm against your belief that APP is the best option as of now.. One good thing AAP have done is that they used media and technology whereas BJP used Baabri Masjid demolition for their launch...

  December 13 at 10:22pm · Like · 1
• 
  

  VIN - Well Said MN; now AJ your turn to answer the stands of Kangress & AAP. 

  December 14 at 12:37am · Like · 1
• 
  

  BLU -  MN, just curious whats your view on that lady who shouted against TVM cliff house protesters. we(commons) empathize with her...is that incident an indication that popular parties not able to connect to common people and isn't it here where AAP was able to pitch in(the void created by popular parties by their own deeds)

  December 14 at 8:36am · Edited · Like
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  MN -  BLU, APP emerged as a political party by conducting huge rallies, blocking roads in Delhi on Women security issue, electricity price hike etc... You might have seen many of these on TV. The mass movt after gang rape were more violent than some of the LDF strikes, and even touched national security areas..At that time it might have affected some of the people(I believe, u'll consider them also as so-called commons) living in that locality.. There might have been many 'Sandhyas' during that strikes. So regarding 'Strikes', it is one of the simplest way of protest in a democratic country. Even AAP(staying on the side of so-called commons) did the same... So how your above statement makes AAP different from others? 
  Again, my debate is not for APP Vs CPM.. I am just trying to myself understand/learn more about AAP.. I thought you people will help me....'Common Man' (Aam Aadmi) is just a misnomer... it doesn't have a clear boundary... Many believe that I am a common man and hence AAP will solve my issues..

  23 hours ago · Like
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  STR -  MN, its time to look for some change rather than blindly believing in old ways of politics. Let us see how aap handles all these issues - even if they can improve 50% that would be a huge achievement considering their exp in the field

  14 hours ago via mobile · Like
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  BLU - MN, I am not against protests, but protest or governance or any other measure - if a movement fails to connect to majority of people then it needs rethinking. I hope AAP was able to achieve this in Delhi where as I doubt about other parties.

  14 hours ago · Edited · Like
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  AJ - MN/VIN, The AAP says that the promise of equality and justice that forms a part of the constitution of India and its preamble has not been fulfilled and that the independence of India has replaced enslavement to an oppressive foreign power with that to a political elite. The party claims that the common people of India remain unheard and unseen except when it suits the politicians to consider them. It wants to reverse the way that the accountability of government operates and has taken an interpretation of the Gandhian concept of swaraj as a tenet. It believes that through swaraj the government will be directly accountable to the people instead of higher officials. The swaraj model lays stress on self governance, community building and decentralization. 
  
  AAP is proposing to introduce four primary policies:
  
  Jan Lokpal legislation
  Right to Reject
  Right to Recall
  Political decentralisation

  10 hours ago · Like
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  RD - AJ, Right to recall is not a good thing to be included. That will make our governments vulnerable and unstable as the mood of a place can change due to any reason. For eg:- Telangana. This will result in economic slides and lack of stability.
  Right to Reject and lokpal is already almost in the agenda of the current government or EC and steps are taken to bring those things in. 
  Political Decentralisation can be allowed upto a limit. Mr.Kejriwal is asking to withdraw MLA fund and MP fund. He wants local bodies to do everything. See a street light, or water pump of a locality does not consist whole problem of the nation. We have problems in different levels. And it should be addressed in those levels. I anyway agree that funds for gram sabhas should be increased.

  35 minutes ago · Edited · Like
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  MN - RD have other views when u made policies clearer.. Also political decentralization was a failure in implementation when Thomas Isac tried it in the form of janakeeyaasoothranam during 1996-2001...
  Guys, I think now we shall conclude.. You people stay/promote for AAP.. I will watch from outside... I wish India be a nation free from manipulation of Politicians, West/other nations, corporates, bureaucrats, land/forest mafias, corrupted officers etc etc... It was good that there was no violence, as in other countries from the people, against the upset govts.. Wish APP not become another kaangress or Baajpa...Thanks for a good discussion...

  31 minutes ago · Like
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  RD - MN, Didnt you miss CPIM in the above list " Wish APP not become another kaangress or Baajpa...". Or deliberately avoided the name. Anyway I am adding. We dont want another CPIM also.

  19 minutes ago · Like
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  MN - 

  18 minutes ago · Like