My wish for India…

Was reading excerpts from ‘Imagining India: Ideas for a new centaury’ by Nandan Nilekani, Co- chairman of Infosys. It left me with a feeling of optimism and belief.

When he says “I still think that after a long and convoluted path, after many a stumble and wrong turn, a different kind of moments seem to be upon us. For the first time, there is a sense of hope across the country, which I believe is universal. There is a momentum for change, evident in the enthusiasm of our younger legislators, the mushrooming of civil society organizations, and activists fighting in the courts for reforms in governance and for the protection of fundamental rights.”

I want this to be true … I want it to sustain and I want it to materialize on a larger scale. It is high time that we look beyond divisive politics, vote-bank accumulation based on caste and reservations. It is also time to stop shying away from our responsibilities and duty towards our country. It is our responsibility to vote, question the government for flouting duties, revolt against bribery and promote literacy on whatever scale that we can afford.

Ours is a young country, that’s capable of capitalizing its resources. Today we are seeing a rise in interest in various fields – complex science and technology to entrepreneurial ideas with low capital. More and more youngsters are dreaming big and achieving it. However, there remains disparate growth with problems galore – illiteracy, malnutrition, superstitions and poverty.

But like Nilekani I believe that we can overcome these- slowly but surely. What’s needed is an undeterred faith in this dream. Dream of seeing India as a self-sustained & progressive nation as a whole. As we usher the New Year… I look forward with this dream in my heart and belief in our capabilities.

Straight out of a realty show- in the middle of a mundane office week!

Nowadays I take a bus home. As I ran and hopped into a bus yesterday, still congratulating myself to have managed to get it just in time, I realized, for some reason heavens were smiling down at me – a nearly vacant bus that too during peak office hours, is nothing short of a blessing!

I made myself comfortable in one of the seats and by the next two stops, the bus was full to its capacity. While I was staring out of the window listlessly, I suddenly hear a voice- a booming voice from one of the front seats. I thought to myself – must be one of those mobile quarrels and continued to amuse myself with the varied shaped that passed by my window.

Sadly, the voice was too loud for anybody to concentrate on anything other than the conversation. He was speaking in Kannada, with a voice modulation that imitated Rajkumar (the famous Karnataka actor) and the style of his talk and hand movements resembled that of Rajnikant! Now when such eminent actors are entertaining you, what else can be intriguing enough than eves dropping on that conversation – correction listening to the rendition. The voice was loud enough to be heard in the next bus on a busy Tuesday evening, so technically it cannot be eves dropping!

Well coming back to the conversation- I must say it was quite amusing, especially when the speaker is not sitting next to you. He started with claims of being as pure as a dove and was visibly hurt with someone calling him a thief! He also said when he could handle thousands with ease why would he bother with a few hundreds… and on and on.

First, I thought this whole rendition was directed to the passenger next to him, and hence I assumed that they must have been traveling together. After some more talk circling around this so-called ‘great Indian robbery’ he suddenly offered the passenger sitting next to him, coffee at ‘Café Coffee day’ that was located somewhere completely off the bus route! Do you realize the predicament of the guy, who as I realize now, was equally baffled as I was about the whole scenario.

His distant dream of having a short nap on the journey back home been cruelly crushed by some unknown passenger, who wanted him to listen to his sob story. By the time, his destination had come and he had prepped up to the idea of having some piping hot food and watch TV, the poor guy was being stopped and asked to alight the bus with some unknown person (obviously a drunkard) way off his house route.

The person finally lost his patience, got agitated and a little scared. He started shouting at the drunkard while calling the conductor. I expected this to be straight out of MTV bakra and inc. I expected a hidden camera to come out, the drunkard smiling and explaining the plot while removing his wig and everybody clapping and smiling…. Sadly none of this happened. The poor person, got down the bus shouting at the drunkard and ran for his life the moment he got hold of his belongings. The drunkard also being asked to alight, our bus moved on…

No lights, no camera and no Bakra – this was life, weirder than illusions!

The day India stood as ONE!

Yesterday was Bakri Id, but the local mosque near my place was sans the usual festivities that I would have witnessed otherwise. The reason - people were expressing solidarity with the victims, their families who were affected by the recent terrorist attacks. Today’s, newspaper too carried similar images where people stood with placards denouncing terrorism and sported black bands.

Even the places that I toured last week when in Maharashtra, had hoardings and banners, otherwise flanked by political leaders or parties being replaced by tributes to the policemen, army men and NSG commandoes.

It was heartening to see that the common man has risen above the fear, hate and doubt that would usually have featured after this gory event and had decided to stand up for something and voice his opinion. These acts proved that people in India can’t be divided in the name of religion or caste. We might have our differences or grievances, but when it is time to ACT we are Indian’s first; something that our political parties are yet to figure out.

With the immediate political drama that unfolded after the attacks, I dreaded if we were heading for another 1992. But it was the sensibility and sober attitude across the country that preferred to mourn the loss than avenge and increase the damage. When the perpetrators sprayed bullets or heralded grenades they weren’t against a particular religion or caste but against human life.

Many from different sections of the society lost their loved ones and felt a pain – a pain that’s universal; irrespective of your religion. Lets not allow somebody’s vested interest be fuelled by our fellow Indians distress. Let progress, literacy, brotherhood and peace usher the New Year in India.

The siege in South Mumbai continues….A tribute to the lesser known

I am sick of watching the television coverage and waiting for all that’s happening in Mumbai to get over. The number has increased to 125 dead and 327 injured. The seething anger of the common man was evident when late at night as the army chief came out to talk to the press he was welcomed to a loud applause, giving a clear message that Mumbai would not tolerate an attack on its freedom.

As the long haul continues... I can’t stop praying …for the safety of the innocent hostages; the army and security personnel who have been braving this situation; and for the families who are anxiously awaiting some information about their near and dear ones.

As this Mumbai mayhem continues it is heartening to see the human side…. The real stories… some brave, some miraculous and some thoughtful. Insignificant, unknown people who came to the rescue and will remain etched in the minds of many who went through the ordeal.

Lauding them and their spirit that makes Mumbai what it is, a vibrant, resilient city.

Sarita, the senior executive at Taj who after being held hostage for hours with other guests in the lounge was the last one to leave the place once the fire brigade reached them. The fire brigade put up a ladder and asked everyone to come down one by one, but this lady stood up to the occasion, organized the rescue and left the premises only after ensuring everyone else was safe… A brazen approach by an unknown face in the Mumbai crowd.

Even after many of their colleagues were killed in the initial hours the staff at Taj acted quick and clever. Acts that might have costed them their lives! Counselage Taj's staff immediately sent our SMS to their guests asking them not to return to the hotel. They closed the doors of rooms they could get access to and called all the rooms that had been occupied to latch themselves in to minimize damage.

The maid and home servant of the Rabbi at Nariman House who secured the rabbi’s child, locked themselves in the kitchen and braved an attempt to escape and alert the police about the hostage situation in Nariman house with the exact number of militants present.

A citizen journalist Sharma, a resident of Colaba appeals to the public at large

He requested people to remain indoors, to provide space and freedom for the army and commandoes to carry on their operations.

Keep the phone lines free for people to contact their near and dear ones in this time of distress.

Volunteer at hospitals; Donate blood

While sharing critical information act judiciously and responsibly as it might put many other lives in danger.

Finally let’s fight it out and show that Mumbai is resilient, by not letting this fear settle in our minds.

These people rose to the occasion and did their bit to support this ongoing crusade. It is people like these who instill faith in the fight against terrorism. Who make us realize that though it’s a long way to go… we can make it. It’s up to us to stand up against these lunatics who want to take charge of our lives and tell them firmly … We were born free and will remain so.

26/11- Another horrifying day in the life of Mumbai

The mundane life of a common Mumbaikar is disrupted yet again. 100 dead around 250 injured while two hotels are still under siege with people taken as hostages by some unknown, average looking youngsters. Some strangers just walk into the lives and hold them at ransom, making us feel agitated….. Helpless and leave us with a feeling of loss.

This time the militants (Deccan Mujahideen) have actually ventured out and shot at people, holding many at ransom even now. Is this because they are considering themselves so powerful that they are confident of getting away with this one? Or is it a wake up call to the security measures in place? It’s a war like situation in some parts of Mumbai… What is Mumbai heading to… How can anybody just pop-in and ruin our lives?

Whatever said and done, the only real sufferer in this is a common man. He is at a loss both in life and death! He doesn’t know what to believe in, whom to trust and if he would come back home alive the next day.

I don’t believe these terrorists have any religious sentiments or are avenging some cause or the other. They cannot be. These are just flimsy covers to their real motives. The 1992 Bombay bomb blast proved it, when finally it all boiled down to Mafia and the external power houses that were sponsoring these attacks. They know no religion or cause. The common man is at loss every single time.

And what is he suffering for? Cause he believed that once he has elected a government they would take care of his security and prosperity? Cause he believed that he has empowered the police and judicial system enough to take care of his fate?

After this is over the politicians will go back to mud slinging on each other, some officials would be suspended and some would be honored awards. They might book the nine people who have been caught on some x,y,z charges and the case would continue for years to come. The next generation… would remember sketchy details about the incident and when the verdict finally comes… if it ever comes would bring little solace to the families of the people dead! And till then… the common man might continue enduring some more blasts… Isn’t there anything that we can do?

You can’t be fine till you spend a bomb!

I had the misfortune of visiting a BIG hospital for a trivial thing. The fact is that as we don’t know many small clinics around my place we resort to the one that’s closest.
Well when we went there we just needed an appointment to come in later and meet the doc, however these multistory, multi-specialty hospitals don’t seem to work that way.

The moment we asked if there was an appointment available for today the lady at the enquiry desk promptly asked us to fill in a form! I thought she didn’t hear me and I said I would do all that however I am in a rush right now and it would be great if she could tell me if I could have an appointment. She said “ The doctor's in from 9 to 7.30pm”

Oh what the heck, a form might not take a long time, so I filled it and gave it to her. Cling goes the printer and I am asked to shell out Rs 400! I always thought I pay the doc after he’s checked me! Apparently this is another of those things that these BIG hospitals don’t seem to follow!

She said I could see the doc on the second floor. Well now that I had paid, I thought it wouldn’t do much harm if I visited him immediately. Check-up’s don’t take more than 10-15 min isn’t it! However the moment we reached the said place I realized this was A BIG mistake and before I could overcome the claustrophobic feeling and take to my heels I had been sucked into the whirlpool!

There were swarms of people waiting for a check-up. The waiting people, the harried receptionist and the nurses running in and out gave me an impression of a wedding! The receptionists looked like the frenzied parents of the girl who were not sure if they should be welcoming the guests, taking care of them, looking after their daughter, listening to the pundit or shouting at the caterer!

The patients seemed as clueless as me. I knew I still had time to run away when the receptionist asked me to hand over my file. I hadn’t spent 10 minutes in that hospital and I already had a file! My doctor for many years who has a clinic just down the road in Pune doesn’t seem to have a shred of paper with my name on it and yet knows my complete history which he magically seems to recall whenever I visit him! Well I gave the file and she obediently handed it over to some other person. Then someone came and asked me to enter a room on the right.

Oh fine, lets just get done with this. This isn’t much of an ordeal… Tch Tch… too much too soon...I was about to realize. There was a junior doc there, who fired me with rapid fire questions, with no option to think or ask questions. Hmm...and I always thought docs were there to resolve our queries and calm our fears! Then she asked me to go to the room on the left ‘we need to check your weight’. Obediently I entered and found nobody there, but a sad looking weighing scale as if in its last few days pleading that it can’t handle anymore weight! I assumed we were to weigh ourselves and inform the doctor but the weighing scale didn’t seem to be working.

Just them a nurse rushed in and did something to get it working and fired the next round of instructions! Had I been really sick, by now I would have fainted! But as might hearted as I am, I continued to undergo the ordeal while telling myself and trying to tell the docs that there is nothing so serious to be worrying about!

While we were awaiting in the corridor for the next round of instructions the harried receptionist asked a nurse in the next room ‘Could you jab quicker?’ there are many more to go! Weren’t hospitals supposed to be different than assembly line, especially if the tagline read ‘Inspired by Life’!

Finally I was asked to enter the room in the center where the elusive doctor existed. She saw (not checkup) me, my FILE and gave some vitamin tablet and off I go out! After about 2 hours of running around the doctors were finally convinced that it was nothing but a trivial allergic symptom. Oh well, wasn’t it that what I had been trying to tell from the moment I entered the damn hospital! Apparently it is not acceptable till it comes from the horse’s mouth!

Did we miss the bus?

It might sound like a U –turn to many, but I think I need to reconsider my strong stand against Raj Thakre's views. And don’t get me wrong here, in no way do I support the vandalism and hooliganism that’s become his norm. No city can be held at ransom because somebody wants his views to be heard.

However yesterday I was viewing the ‘Devils Advocate’ and Shobha De the guest, was being grilled for being sympathetic to Raj Thakre’s views. It was an eye-opener of sorts. Sadly I had no answer to the few questions that she raised in the interview. The questions that were innate yet had a great impact and made me introspect and think.

I know that Raj Thakre’s comments or stand is with political interests, however there is somewhere a discord in the city’s daily mayhem that was being conveniently ignored by us till Raj Thakre’s violent outbursts shook us and made us sit up and take notice.

When Shobha De says, I don’t hear Marathi in Mumbai now, isn’t it sad that the state capital is loosing its local flavour? Mumbai can be the next Shanghai, but should that happen at the cost of our local essence? Maharashtra is known for its intellectual forerunners, but where are they today? Where are the street plays, the responsible journalism, the revolutionary thinkers, the protestors…. Where are the likes of Vijay Tendulkar (Gokhales and Kale’s). This certainly made me sit up and take notice. Isn’t it true that today these words are mere text-book connotations ?

As an industry why is the Marathi theater and cinema suffering? Is it that people don’t enjoy them? That can’t be true, otherwise movies like Saade Maade Teen and De Dhakka, (both with borrowed concepts from Hindi and English movies) couldn’t have been a superhit. Is it that people now don’t want stories with strong message or thought provoking issues? This cant be true either or plays like ‘Kusum Manohar Lele’ or movies like 'Dombivali fast' couldn’t have been running full house. Then what is the issue?

We as Marathi speaking people need to introspect a few things. Is speaking in Marathi demeaning? Or is it that it doesn’t fit in the current definition of an upwardly mobile crowd? Do we need to hide or shy away from simple things like our language or culture so that we could fit in the current genre of hip n happening crowd? And this is same for all metro cities in varying degrees. We are a multi-lingual, multi-cultural, diverse nation. That is our identity. Why shy away from our own identity? Knowing two or three languages is no big deal in our country, then suddenly why have we turned into chauvinists who believe they can only speak in English? Is it necessary to settle in places like California or New York before you start becoming the flag bearers of Marathi and then make special efforts to join the Maharashtra Mandal etc?

The media who have been following this issue of non-marathis have just been fanning the news to sensationalize the issue and spread panic thereby aggrevating the situation. I have witnessed the flimy news covering tactics of these media channels. The Bangalore blasts where low intensity crude bombs exploded around 2 months back were presented in such an unruly manner that I had calls streaming in all day checking our safety when it did not demand such kind of blown up coverage.

I think its not an issue of outsiders settling in Mumbai or any other Metro city but it is upon us as individuals to realise and draw a line between thoughtful change and listless aping. It cant be the issue of outsiders as we have been migrating to different states for a long time, however then it was natural to follow the principal of ' When in Rome do as the Romans do'. I had many so called outsider friends, but when in Pune they all knew and spoke Marathi, respected others sentiments and participated in local festivals. Their culture and tradition was preserved in their homes and we inturn respected their sentiments and their festivals. I dont think there would be many Maharastrians who dont know 'Onam' or the Gujrathi 'Thepla' and 'Khandavi' or the 'Idli' & 'Dosa' and vice- versa.

The media for sensationalizing all news without having a barometer to check the intensity and present facts, the common man for trying to ape the West to the extent of losing their individuality, the politicians for politicizing every issue and the theater and entertainment industry for not doing its bit to create awareness and providing the viewers with thought provoking messages, we all have somewhere missed the bus and need to seriously reconsider our stands.

Its really sad when people make statements like, ‘We are happy to stay here as this area is populated by Maharashtrians (read Marathi speaking)’ while staying in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra!

Journey of India…. Where to?

The other day I was watching an episode of Story of India on Discovery. An engrossing, informative and very well researched series; it was also enlightening for me, in many aspects.

It attempted to answer questions like ‘How did the Harappan civilization end?’ What made the Indus change its course? And even some seemingly bizarre questions like ‘Did Mahabharata actually happen?’ or What do Rigvedas actually tell you? It was very well researched and logically presented hence engrossing. Though it’s a pity that with a million dollar media industry thriving in India, it took a foreign channel like Discovery to come up with this concept, I must applaud the effort and the novelty with which it was presented.

‘India’ usually brings up images of rustic life, holy rituals, pilgrimage centers, festivities, elephants, population, malnourished children, low per capita income and more recently BPO and IT sectors. Quite frankly, I was bored of seeing the same old concepts redundantly being packaged in a different cover and put forth as authentic Indian story.

Discovery has mastered the art of looking sideways at a seemingly redundant topic and that’s the beauty about this series. The presentation hardly varies with a foreign presenter taking the viewers across the streets of these places and divulging ancient stories while attempting to answer the many myths that surround them.

It traces the Journey of India… literally! The last episode had been on the Dravidian culture and this time it was the existence… peek and then extinction of Harappa and Mohenjodaro civilization. It was the largest civilization in existence then with flourishing business in trade, cattle rearing and agriculture. This was surely enlightening. Apart from the fact that they were very advanced and had many sophisticated mechanisms like drainage systems for the whole village in place what’s amazing is that even today in rural India, most of the blue-print is followed exactly the way it was then. They even traced the Aryans origin to Central Asia, near Turkmenistan. They even traced an archeological site with mostly similar layouts and civilization!

By the end of this series I realized one thing strongly. Our ancestors were more democratic and logical thinkers than we are today! I mean they exchanged culture and ideology or thinking easily, learned from each other and helped the other evolve in the process, they were seemingly more tolerant to settlers from far away country and ended up having a rich and vibrant tapestry dotted with amalgamated wisdom.

Today we are either ashamed of claiming the same knowledge that was the root of a prosperous India in the ancient times or are plain ignorant. What is worse is that people who do know a little about it have suddenly assumed the position of flag –bearers of Indian civilization and are vandalizing and resorting to hooliganism in the name of civilization and customs.

There is so much to learn and know in this country - the thought itself leaves me overwhelmed. However series like these restore a faith that probably these mark the beginning of an informed research of that lost knowledge.

Stardom at a cost

I kind of stumbled upon Amitabh Bacchan’s blog today. Well I was searching some stuff for my research and I ended up finding Amitabh’s blog. Now that I was on it, I decided to read a little and move on… However the Grand Opera’s image at the start of the post caught my eye. It was a grand and opulent theater..

You might say, what else would you expect in Paris but this place had an old world charm attached to it which instantly transported you to the world of ballets & musicals. An era when the affluent rich with long silk gowns and hand-held glasses donned the audience section!

Well, coming back to the blog as I read through, Amitji described the theater and all well. He also mentioned about a bunch of ladies who were chattering non-stop with pointed figures towards him. Obviously they recognized him and could not stop boasting about their knowledge of him. These are obviously not Amitabh’s words and if he reads them I am sure he wouldn’t approve of it. He is just too gracious and sophisticated for this.

But reading that made me think. We as audience take star’s privacy for granted. I mean he is an old man working non-stop with a hectic schedule. If he decides to take a short break, enjoy some time to himself or even pursue a hobby or watch a play, ballet or musical like any normal person, who are we to pounce on him and rob him off even that?

I mean imagine you sitting in a theater watching a movie and having a good time with your wife/husband and two rows away there is a person who knows you. That person doesn’t just stop at giving you a pleasant smile and acknowledging glace or sharing a few pleasantries but starts chatting non-stop with others about what an amazing person you are and how good your friendship is etc… Frankly wouldn’t you be irritated?

I agree that these people are in the glamour industry and almost everything they do is news, but is it right on our part to actually rob them off their meager privacy and family time too? After all we are all entitled to our short breaks, vacations with family, pursuing an hobby, taking off and watching a play/ concert that we wanted to see to badly… Why should they be treated any different?

Friends- the best part of life!

So many hands in 1 tiffin box.

So many friends on 1 bench

So many calls on 1 b’day night.

So many tears for 1little fight….

Friends are the best part of your life…

I got this message early morning and it innately brought a smile on my face! This was so true. School and college remain the best part of my life… and I guess for many this holds true. What makes them so memorable are our friends.

Even today while reading the message, end-number of images flashed before my eyes. Though I am not in touch with them on regular basis – except for the social networking sites, it doesn’t matter. They just seem so close.

I still remember the tiffin sharing days. The days when you invariably liked what your friend bought in his tiffin-box. The days when many hands in the tiffin box never bothered you. These small things were an involuntary part of our existence at some point of time.

Even today I can vividly remember the numerous hilarious incidents, our favourite pastimes, incessant chatter, the stupid fights and countless days that we spent together, while I can’t remember a single day from my so-called professional and fast-paced existence to save my life! (apart from promotions and salary hikes, ofcourse!)

School and college life has a fervor and effervescent tapestry that makes it so cherished. Where else could you participate in interschool/collage games & cultural events with your friends. Chatter and spend long hours with each other while doing nothing. Go to competitions, just to cheer your friends while you had no business hanging around there?

Or when else could you gate-crash at a friends place or call them all over to your place and have a blast. Mid-night calls on their b’days or just take off for trips and treks in the monsoon. Party in meager pocket money. When else could you plan things in a giffy and doing anything was no BIG DEAL as long as your friends were along.

Then our life did not revolve around, appraisals, promotions, salary hikes, office grapevine or things life maid’s not coming, husbands busy, kids not well, no money, no holiday etc. Now things are complicated (or we have made them to be) and with fewer friends coming along, its even more difficult to ease out.

All I can say is… “Thank God I collected some amazing and truly wonderful friends on the way. They really make your life much easier in this crazy maze of life”

Babbling away...

I have been feeling bottled up for some time, bored with no enthusiasm to do anything whatsoever. It is frustrating at times to be listlessly doing the routine stuff week after week. Nothing seems to affect you…and then suddenly, late Friday evening, I get a message that I have an off the next day! Imagine getting an off when you were just getting ready for another grueling day at work.

Oh boy, my joy knew no bounds! It was like finding money in your jean pocket when you were totally broke. It was like being invited for a banquet when you felt you would die of hunger! A little over exaggerated, but this very well summarizes my joy! I had no clue of what I would do, but was just blissful.

I still haven’t figured out, what exactly made me so joyous and what did I do with my sudden found time. But whatever it was, the fact that my rant is not about my maid’s sudden disappearance or about the dumb movie that I saw or about the water/electricity bills, costly veggies and groceries or any other general humdrum of managing a house, it sure worked.

The dosage of blissful mirth, untroubled lazing around and living without agenda sure worked for me, having pulled me out of the deep swirling shallows of boredom and plugged existence.

A tragedy long forgotten….

Yesterday I skimmed through a book based on the Bhopal gas tragedy. The images in the book were shot by Raghu Rai and the copy was written by a senior journalist who had covered the Bhopal gas tragedy extensively. Well I must attribute this as one of the perks of working under a famous photographer as otherwise I don’t think I would have been able to lay my hands on it.

The tag line read “ Portrait of a corporate crime”. What followed were tragic images , all black and white… all narrating a tale… a tale of disaster… a tale of never-ending suffering …a tale of annihilation. Leafing through the pages and reading the blurbs made blood churn towards the apathy shown by Union Carbide and the Indian government. Who was to be blamed? The corporate as they did not comply with the safety measures, illegally stored large quantities of highly volatile gases or the corrupt government that gave them the courage to flout all rules? Or our ‘chalta hai’ and fatalist attitude ?

The preface recounted the 1984 tragedy. How the leak was triggered during the routine maintenance check and how it complicated due to absence of safety measures and then quickly manifested due to the callous attitude of the corporate and their inefficiency in informing the police and local administration at the earliest. A dangerous monster was unleashed that night on a town of more than 2 lakh residents that engulfed the city, its people and left in its wake daunting memories. For the survivors this was the beginning of a long struggle. Struggle for compensation, struggle for survival, struggle for a dignified life all which remain elusive till date.

In Raghu Rai’s words "What I saw was to change my life. It was an unprecedented scene of chaos. What startled me most was the silence of death. Thousands of people had already died, thousands more than those who died in the 11 September attack on the World Trade Centre. I vowed then and there to continue my work, to do all I could to show the world what happens to people when corporations are not held liable for their operations, when they are allowed to cut costs and safety standards when they operate abroad."

To date, 20,000 have died from gas exposure and the effects are now extending into the next generation. 1,50,000 of the survivors are chronically ill and communities are drinking contaminated groundwater because Dow has still not cleaned up the dangerous chemicals Union Carbide left behind. After almost 24 years they are still living the nightmare that started on the night of 2/3 Dec 1984.

I could do nothing more than say a silent prayer with tearful eyes and hope they find peace and dignity atleast now.

Ganapati Bappa Morya…

The resounding chants of Ganapati Bappa Morya, the taal, dhol, pataka and the miravnuk… None of this during the Ganapati…

Before anybody launches a huge protest, I am talking about Bangalore. Well needless to say I miss the fun and the exuberance attached to this festival. The joy and the anticipation with which people await Ganapati’s arrival. Its more like welcoming a dear guest home and ensuring his stay is extremely comfortable and happy. When I was a part of all this, sometimes I felt it was too noisy and unnecessary, now devoid of it I cant imagine the festival!

Me and nik decided to celebrate ganapati at home this time. We didn’t actually go to the extent of getting the idol home, but did an elaborate ‘pooja’ complete with aartis and ‘Ganapati Bappa Morya, Mangalmurti morya’ chants. We actually went shopping for the pooja items after office.

Early morning, I realized I had to make the ‘Panchamruth’ and I forgot the ingredients. Well this called for quick action and the obvious was an SOS call to my mom, but she wouldn’t answer! I mean in time of need… what worse can you expect? After some more quick calls, it was my aunt who saved the day! After the elaborate pooja, modaks and lunch…we still felt there was something missing.

And then I realized it was not just the ritual but the joy, the bonding with which people celebrate this festival that made the difference. The 10 days are filled with fun. Small things like singing aarti at the neighbours house, coz they have the ganesha idol at home is looked forward to. Apart from relatives visiting each other, and mouth watering modaks, the bigger attraction is the ‘dekhave’. The various decorations and acts that are set-up by the Ganapati mandals. I vividly remember the excitement with which we awaited going out to see the decorations. Roaming on the streets far into the night, trying to catch a glimpse of all the mandal ganapatis and their acts on the way, with just a quick halt for some mid-night snacks that’s dished out relentlessly at every corner.

And then finally the ‘Visarjan’, when people finally bid adieu to their beloved god, followed by the chants of ‘Pudhchya varshi laukar ya’ i.e come again early, next year. The procession is equally zestful, with varied decorations, rangolis, flowers and mirthful atmosphere everywhere. Oh well, now you know how much I missed all the excitement.

Nevertheless, I am always at peace when this festival arrives. It could be blind-faith, it could be just the exuberance attached to the festival. Whatever it is, it truly heals me, helps me overcome my fears, my sorrows and almost always leaves me with a positive effect…all I can say is ‘Ganapati Bappa Morya, Mangal murti moray!’

Long time no post…

So here goes… Well this is more like a recap on all things that have been happening lately. Every issue could have a post of its own, but I think this is better! Basically there are so many things happening in India and at such fast pace.. Needless to say none to be cheerful about and almost all of them man –made! I guess we just can’t stand peace anymore.

Some of us create a ruckus, some others try to gain mileage out of that ruckus, some more sit and do the usual analysis-paralysis about the issue… If that’s not enough its blown out of proportions by a few others and the net result is that most of us suffer in this debacle that was created by a few. Well too many somebody’s and nobody’s but isn't this the fact of today?

To start with we have the J&K issue i.e the Amarnath land row, then we have the riot like situation in Orissa over killing of VHP leader and conversions. Then we have the Singur Tata Nano plant. We have MNS on other hand threatening to go on a rampage if the shops names are not changed to the regional language i.e Marathi. Then down south we had the bomb-blasts (so-called) and then the farmer’s agitation for want of fertilizers, the Ahmedabad blasts left a fresh scar, and then the random firing from across the border with Pakistan flouting the cease-fire. … I was tired listing the issues, I am surprised how come these people never take a break and think rationally… for heavens sake it’s yours and many others life that you are ruining for want of a new political pot-boiler! And then to top it all the nature played spoilt sport with the Bihar floods.

Isn’t the writing on the wall that apart from natural disaster all others are politically instigated issue to ruin peace in the country? Is it so hard to dream of peace, a happy secure life and a good upbringing for the children so that they could test their wings and follow their heart. Aren’t enough innocent lives lost already? Why go the same path again?

Food for thought...... some random lines

Was reading ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ by Al gore. There is an image in the book. On a black full spread sheet there is a tiny dot in the middle. The description reads “Earth as captured from space”

It made me think - Earth is such a tiny thing in this vast universe and we are a miniscule part of it, yet we have created and manifested so many problems for ourselves even in that tiny space! We have even been successful in wrecking the lives of many innocent animals and plants, who don’t even have a say or an option to retaliate against what we have been doing to this Earth.

Apart from this mess that we are already in, we fight between ourselves over borders, religion, caste, colour etc. Even on an individual front there is a daily battle – battle for survival. We are marred by competition, ego, self-pity, jealousy, greed, hatred etc. All this only to try and create supremacy in this minute space?

Now I am not on a spiritual or self-discovery trip. Nor am I making any attempt to say that I am devoid of all this! Yet some recent experiences just reinstated the feeling of life being unpredictable, unexpected and sometimes cruel. Hence I couldn’t help but laugh when I realized that we spend the whole life conquering something and at the end of if, when you see the big picture you realize it just doesn’t make a difference. Then why harness so much of ill-faith and hatred when at the next moment you could be gone without a trace!

By trying to make our and others life simple and spreading peace and compassion we would have atleast left behind some happy and cherished memories… This need not be at the world level, as an individual this can be practiced at least within family inturn creating a ripple effect!

Something to cheer about apart from cricket….Is Indian sports finally coming to age?

Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar, Vijendra Kumar... names unheard of by and large in India; are today the face of India in Beijing Olympics 2008. The media can’t get enough of them and the layman is aware about the achievements of these guys today.

It couldn’t have come at a better moment too, with injury ridden Indian cricket team finding it hard to get a stronghold in the on-going Sri-Lanka- India match. In a cricket crazy country like ours, its remarkable to see these young guns find an off-beat sport (atleast in India) and excel at it!

After our usual glamour stars poor or dismissive performance in the events, nobody would have expected such fantastic results from these unexpected quarters. Hopefully the Olympic results will infuse new life into the various sports that are played in India but are never promoted or never receive their due.

Many sporting achievements, including our national sport hockey have been pushed in the realms of obliviation and obscurity thanks to the efforts of some lobbyists and our ignorance. As public at large we fail to notice or applaud the efforts and achievements of our sporting heros who have represented India in sports other than cricket.

Cricket today has become a major cash cow for many. The sporting stars there, are earning exorbitant amounts. The brands that these stars endorse lobby in many ways than one to ensure that their star plays the game in turn ensuring better profits and brand associations for them. The sportsmanship and spirit of the game was further crippled by the betting and other associated scandals.

The paradoxical situation is the BCCI is touted to be the richest cricket association in the world while many other sporting federations can’t afford international standard equipments and support for their players so that they could compete with international players.

With the recent achievements of Abhinav, Sushil and Vijendra, the many state governments rushed forward to announce huge sums of money as awards in recognition to their efforts, some completely unrelated (eg: Maharashtra, Bihar). It is good; however I just hope that instead of just announcing cash prizes these state governments could do something better.

• Why not instate a cash award or scholarship to deserving amateurs in these heros name?
• 
  
• Why not offer them a regular contract of coaching or conducting workshops in the respective state sports academy or federation?
• 
  
• Why not create a fund for your respective sports association and ensure that the sport is given its due?

I am sure these efforts on part of the state government would go a long way in keeping the current momentum high. Finally some other sport apart from cricket is being recognized in India. The media is doing its due now it’s largely upto the public and state government to acknowledge and promote sports other than cricket (and their heroes.)

For want of better reporting – News, the next big flick?

Now this might seem the usual rant to many, but as a journalist I really don’t understand or can quite relate to some of the media clamor that we have come to witness day-in and day-out in the name of media coverage!

Gone are the days, when a formal but simply dressed man/woman read the news with nearly no human expressions and absolutely no emotions. Or when reading newspapers was passé as there was nothing in it apart from dry, plain stories that had unfolded a day before.

I agree that this was absolutely the other end of the spectrum and not something to boast about, however with media and news turning out to be a million dollar industry it certainly deserves better treatment than a B grade movie!

As this is a vast topic with many significant sections under its umbrella, I start with one of the most paradoxical of all, the print media.

The print media were popularized in India mainly for want of a view that challenges the government decisions in pre-independence era, where British managed and pro-colonial newspapers were in vogue. The newspapers and the journalists were looked upon as intellectual and objective people. The respect was tremendous though for a long time there was no dough in it.

Contrast to it is the state of current day newspapers. The Times of India supplement for eg: (i.e the city special, like Bangalore times, pune times etc) seem to find no news worth reporting that is happening in the city. The news there, starts with Bollywood, Hollywood, Kollywood, Sandalwood ( and the many other woods that exist) stars food, wardrobe, vacation or even their wedding plans and ends at some of the pubs, nightlife and party images.

It is sad that the most pressing issues for them that the citizens face is not poor infrastructure, corruption or portable water but non –existence of night life, pubs being closed early and drinks not being served late in the night! A society magazine too has something to give to its readers; I however can’t phantom the reason of this supplement apart from the fact that it provides ample space for advertisers.

I agree that advertisements are a major revenue source and the whole idea of a supplement was also aimed at getting maximum local advertisements. But compromising news and features for want of advertisements beats me!

Now, before I am branded as an anti-Times group let me clarify some points -

It is also true that some of the times supplements like education times, accent, property plus etc are extremely good and informative (they atleast have articles worth reading!) yet there is usually much left to be desired.

I must also mention and applaud their latest effort and initiative Teach India. Launched at the apt moment with brilliant ads and promotion, this one takes the cake. The very simplicity of getting people to sign up for just 2 hours in a week works out well for those who want to do more for the society yet are hard pressed for time to dedicate long hours. I just wish such bursts of brilliance occur regularly and not far in between. It’s only such initiatives that instill hope about this newspaper. You can be a volunteer by signing up here -

http://www.teach.timesofindia.com/login_join.aspx?strvalue=join

some unfulfilled ... and some beautiful dreams

Another wound.... another blow, that would take a long time to heal and even after that would leave some grotesque scars behind. The questions like why this happened? how this happened? Couldnt it have been avoided are all rendered meaningless. What is left behind is tearful eyes, helpless faces, broken hearts and mercy pleading hands! All directed to someone above us, who we call god!

Many dismiss such incidents as fate. Some lose hope and some lose belief. Whatever done and however we react, the basic feeling of loss is similar in all. They might be somebody for the world but for somebody they were the world, thou cliched is the only statement that resonates.

A sudden blow shatters your whole life and by the time you realize it, it is mocking at you reminding you that life is so fragile. It is unpredictable and unexplained. You could be a meticulous planner taking great care in everything you do but eventually it is just a card house that can be blown away at the slightest tremor.

Can there be a silver lining to this you ask, then you are happy that you spent time with them, collecting some beautiful and invaluable memories. Moments that then stay in your heart and pop - out whenever you seem to be missing them. Afterall memories are the only things left behind

A formidable leader under utilized in this politics of power

RESUME

EDUCATION /Qualification:

1950: Stood first in BA (Hons), Economics, Punjab University , Chandigarh ,
1952; Stood first in MA (Economics), Punjab University , Chandigarh ,
1954; Wright's Prize for distinguished performance at St John's College, Cambridge,
1955 and 1957; Wrenbury scholar, University of Cambridge ,
1957; DPhil ( Oxford ), DLitt (Honoris Causa); PhD thesis on India 's export competitiveness

Working Experience/ POSITIONS:

1971-72: Economic advisor, ministry of foreign trade
1972-76: Chief economic advisor, ministry of finance

1976-80: Director, Reserve Bank of India;
Director, Industrial Development Bank of India ;
Alternate governor for India , Board of governors, Asian Development Bank;
Alternate governor for India, Board of governors, IBRD

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Adam Smith Prize, University of Cambridge , 1956

Padma Vibhushan, 1987

Euro money Award, Finance Minister of the Year, 1993;

Asia money Award, Finance Minister of the Year for Asia , 1993 and 1994

PERSONAL DETAIL:

Name: Dr Manmohan Singh

Browsing through the numerous forwarded mails that I receive everyday, I found this resume. Excerpts of the mail are attached above.

Not going into lengths of verifying if every detail mentioned is true or not, overall I can certainly assume that Mr. Manmohan Singh has been one of the most qualified leaders that India has projected till date. A man unmatched in qualification and expertise in his elected field.

Yet it is a pity that our country’s political leaders cannot stand united and extend their full support to this leader in propelling our country to new heights. The vicious lust for power was brought to fore by the recent vote of confidence.

It was a shame that everybody was jostling to gain power in some way or the other while the common man was provided with lip-service. Some played their cards in the name of inflation, some poverty, some saying the nuclear deal was bad for the country while some even said they were betrayed while all the drama unfolded on the 24*7 news channels.

Parties opposed the deal by saying it was not in the national interests.

- I would certainly want to know how are these people/parties are qualified to make this statement when the nuclear research expert Abdul Kalam felt it was good for the country?

- What interests are they actually talking about as none of their claims were vetted by an expert in that field!

Some said they were betrayed and hence are opposing the deal!

- Since when did individual/parties ego become larger than the country?

- If you had problems with internal communications how can a country be held at ransom for that?

- If you opposed the deal on the basis of your ideology then what was the need to be a part of a coalition government in the first place. A coalition government certainly does not mean 5 individuals running in 5 different directions.

Some opposed plainly because they wanted to be in power (Atleast their intention was clear)

- These were the people with absolutely no educational qualification, no expertise/experience and absolutely no credibility even in India.

- It would be a sad day for India when it would project such kind of a person as its leader. An ambassador for India in front of the world!

Finally some opposed only because they were not offered required remuneration for their vote!

Why can’t the political parties and their leaders for once grow above individual interest and work in the interests of this country? Aren’t they the elected members who represent various states of this country first than any party/leader or self! Can’t they respect a man of that stature and instead of making baseless comments against him understand his rationale and fight based on intellect rather than irrational mud-slinging.

Do they not realize that even today nearly 25 percent of India’s population is below poverty line and 7.2% is unemployed? Even today we need to run campaigns against illiteracy and female infanticide. We have a long way to be a developed nation. This country needs highly qualified leaders who can fight India’s case in front of the world rather than be a mere follower of world leaders.

Our adventure hiking

Our latest trip was a hike, close to Bangalore. The area was close to Muthadi village and we were supposed to hike along the Cauvery river bank to Doddamakali fishing camp. This was going to be exciting as we were 11 people and all of us had come to know each other just recently.

After a discussion of 4-5 days all the details were fixed, a special mention to the efforts put in by some of the enthusiast who had chalked out every single detail that might be needed and done the necessary arrangements. Finally the D-day arrived and we were ready by 6 to leave. The vehicle after picking up all the members headed for Mutadi by 7. The journey was enjoyable as we started playing the usual antakshari and stuff. It vaporized the journey fatigue.

As we neared the forest base, a deer suddenly appeared and it crossed the road in just one swift leap as we were coming close by! The agileness with which the deer leaped, its beautiful skin, the long antelope, the slender legs… this is one incident I would never forget. Nature’s beauty in action

Once we reached the starting point our real adventure started. To start with, the forest official there said the area had been cordoned off and we could not go till the Doddamakali fishing camp. To top it, he dampened our spirits by saying there was a rough elephant on loose! Hearing this we were petrified- imagine encountering a wild elephant with just a stick to defend yourself!

However looking at the kind of discussions these officials were having between them, some of the people in the group decided to go ahead as it was evident they were expecting some bribe or trying to extort money under the name of guide charges!

All of us decided to go ahead with our plan, however stay parallel to the road as much as possible - so no venturing into the deep! The moment we made a dash into the forest, the first things that greeted us were huge thorny creepers. All of us were tangled in some branch or the other and by the time we freed ourselves all of us were left with small bruises or scratches! We did have a tangled entry into the forest!

Next task was identifying the river flow, this was not too difficult. We could actually hear the river from far off. As we reached close to the bank, we found the river bank dotted with ‘Jamun trees’ and being true to the Panchatantra story of ‘Jamun tree monkey and the crocodile’ the monkeys and the crocs were not too far off. Two crocs were sun bathing on a small island in the middle of the river. Our first experience with wild life while in the forest- unaided! The waters were shallow and after an encounter with crocs at such a close distance nobody dared to step in the water- well atleast for the next 1hr....... continued*

* Click on the title for the remaining post

Our adventure hiking... continued

As we continued along the bank we were moving upstream and hence the water was gushing at an increased pace. Using the scientific knowledge that crocs don’t dwell in running water, many of the members in the group decided to take a dip. However they kept a watchful eye and ensured to remain close to the bank.

We on the other hand had a hearty snack while others had a splash. I was not too keen to jump in the water and then complete the trek in those drenched clothes! As it is walking after getting wet is too tough – walking while donning the wet clothes was out of question for me! :D

After this short break we continued on our path for the next 1 hr. Again we encountered some men- two or three of them forest officials, having a hearty meal close to the river. Some of them had come in a coracle. Seeing us one of them came and said, the area beyond this point is cordoned off. There have been some poacher sightings and there could be blasts in some time.

We were quite puzzled by these statements. Blasts to catch a poacher? Didn’t make sense! What was even more suspicious was that when we went to the place where they had been having food we found some carcass of a wild animal. Wonder who the poachers were? However seeing the officials and this being the second warning we decided not to test our luck beyond this and decided to have a quick bite before planning the next course of action. Some enthusiast in the group decided to take a detour and trek the hillock close by while we had the ‘Bhel’!

Now we had the ingredients and it was just a matter of mixing the stuff. As we laid out our unusual meal we had some uninvited guests too- the monkeys! Lots of them. Left with just 6 people we had to fend for ourselves. Basically, eat and keep the monkeys at bay at the same time!

The monkeys on their part acted as if this was ‘WAR’. They actually had their group divided into two parts and tried to attack the food from both ends! We wielded our sticks at them, but it didn’t make a difference to them. The smallest of monkeys shrieked at us – as if to say, ‘You guys come on our turf and assume you could have all the food while we stared!’ But we were not to be bogged down by this. The war for food began and we were actually protecting our food like we were a bunch of tribals! :P

Finally, we were victorious and hence we decided to leave some food for the monkeys to feast on! As it is, it was unlikely that they had ‘Bhel’ before! Also while we were lunching we did hear two blasts. Poachers or no poachers the blasts were enough to rattle us up and we decided to take the safe trip back! Fighting with monkeys is one thing, but imagine having to thread some dynamite field- no way, this was not even some reality show that expects participants to do such dumb things!

As we walked back the cherry on the icing happened. It rained cats and dogs while we huddled three in an umbrella! The weather was beautiful and the forest was suddenly in its full bloom. It was a treat to watch… just being there at that moment!

Is it 'childhood lost' for them...

It’s rainy season in India. Though it has not been raining enough to suffice that it’s a rainy season, it feels good!

The other day as I got ready to leave from office it started raining heavily. The first reaction while looking out of the window was - the drive back home is going to be messy and wet… as I waited in the lobby for the rains to subdued, I could see small water streams forming around and nostalgia hit me.

At various ages in life the rains had been responsible for bringing joy in my life. As a child I loved creating paper boats and derived great joy in seeing them stay afloat. We waited eagerly for the first rains and when they came … we friends got wet, splashed water and enjoyed to our hearts content.

In school, we found ways to miss (forget) the raincoat, cycled in the rains, drove through the puddles, splashing water every time we did that, ate hot bhajis and played football… Nothing changed in college, only the cycles were replaced by bikes and snack became a little more elaborate. And rainy season picnics became the hot pick!

Still cuddling my good old days - I drove through the various residential areas and I was surprised to see not a single child enjoying the rains. No children frolicking in the rains- no paper boats, no bhajis, no football and no laughter!

Is it that the children today are so busy competing at every level that they have no time to relish these simple joys? Is it that the society has made it mandatory that everybody should belong to a cult that thinks complex, thinks prosperity and thinks knowledge… there is no place for such simple and naive feelings?

I am amazed to see small children well versed in computers but not able to remember when was the last time they got their hands dirty in the mud. Now this can be argued that soiling hands in the mud does not help them be more learned but computers would help them get an edge over other children. But come to think of it, if children start doing what we as elders do all the time- compete in this rat-race, when do they ever enjoy being children? ... the joy that most of us have had – naturally as a part of growing up.

Back after my short break!

After my short but hectic break I am back. This time it was more to do with family commitment than office. Now that I have resumed work and run around doing my chores I wonder am I too being mechanical or robotic?

There are so many things that I want to do, there are so many causes that I want to fight for… but where’s the time? Or is it just a convenient alibi? Thanks to blogging I try to accomplish a few of my ideas though partially or in a very small way. But there are so many things I wish I could do

In my student life I participated in social activities or causes and always felt once I start earning I would be able to further these causes in a bigger way, but the sad part is now apart from giving donations I hardly do anything much!

Same goes with my traveling! Either I am too busy or on a leave crunch! My father-in-law started going round the world since he was 30 and today after 3 decades he still has to cover almost half the world! When and how would I do that?

I would love to spend more time with my family. Share the joys and sorrow. But I can hardly make it to meet them once in a while!

Is it the modern life, career aspirations, MONEY that is pulling me away from fulfilling my desires or is it something else… something like I am too lazy to get going and do all this :P

I really envy an ex-colleague of mine who had the guts to actually get up one fine morning and call it all quits. She then went ahead on a long travel plan and followed her heart! How many of us in this modern world can actually muster the courage to do this?

I was tagged... I was tagged

Well this was a surprise for me and as I was out vacationing had no clue about anything till yesterday!

To start off with I need to mention 6 quirky things about myself!

1. Love to play my music and dance while I cook. you know using the spoons and the pans as my partner!

2. Make faces while standing in front of the mirror.

3. Enact some movie dialogues when least expected. Like someone says sorry and I respond wioth some dramatic dialogue - drives people nuts!

4. Use a straw to drink a cold drink and blow air into it rather than sip the drink.

5. Read any historic/ancient stories or myths associated with a place and try solving those mysteries when there :P

6. I can never end a story. My stories go in circles and hence 'short story' is not my cup of tea (writing I must say!)

This was fun and I need to thank Maria for it! :D

Is politics entering the blogging arena?

We had just about managed to get over the celebrity blog fanfare, when the media zeroed in on another blog… and this time it was Lalu Yadav. The blog too, on its part started on a fiery note. Commenting on the Gujjar agitation, where he squarely blamed Vasundhara Raje for the loss that railways suffered. The papers and all other news channel carried the story as if it was the biggest event in the world.

After the matter subsided, I was curious to see how Lalu’s blog was faring and hence I hit the road on mission ‘Lalu blog hunting’ –going obviously the google way! To start off with, it was a little difficult to hunt the blog. Next, when I hit the hyperlink to my dismay I was greeted with a ‘down for updation’ page. This had nothing to do with Lalu I believe. I think he should have picked a better platform for blogging or if getting Lalu to create a blog was a marketing gimmick on the part of www.popcorn.com, they should have atleast had some state of art technology that need not be updated in such a crude manner.

However I stumbled upon an article in the economic times with insights on the state of Lalus blog and I must say it was hilarious! People had actually turned his blog into a railway complaint box. Well, what can I say? Had he stuck to the topic he knows best, handling railways, probably his blog would have served a better purpose and would have been much more meaningful than ending up as a sloppy political tool used to strike back at opponents.

This made me realize the effects if all our politicians go the blogging way -


The politicians would publish individual videos or vlogs, that address the nation

The morning ‘Parliament session’ would be off air. Instead it would be converted into podcats and distributed across internet.

Their comments section would be filled with blame and retaliation against each other.

The common man on the other hand would be able to post complaints on the blogs.

These piling complaints would then be aired on the news channel that would make a story on how inefficient our politicians are even in this internet age.

The NSO rankings on search engine would be aired on channels the way stock prices are shown. This would determine the popularity of the politicians

In the election season, online polls would be run on individual blogs to gauge the politicians popularity and check what people want in terms of roti, kapada makan so that politicians can continue to podcast their address with those promises.

The public at large would still be at the same point – viewing the blog story on news channel and wondering how does it help them ! :)

The morning philosophy…

The moment I stepped out of the house, I was struck by the wonderful weather! Rushing off to office in my usual way I had no time to ponder about the lovely weather and as I drove and became a part of the maddening Bangalore prime time traffic I cursed myself for not stopping and enjoying the little joys bestowed by life!

Well if you are living in a city and have a boring routine of office- home-office, you would immediately second my thoughts about enjoying lovely weather! Coming back to the point, as I was busy cursing myself and veering myself away from taking off on a long drive, I was engulfed by swarming herds of people who were driving to office.

It stuck me as very strange - all dressed in almost similar attire, including me. I was reminded of Star wars- war of the clones or something similar. I am actually not a big fan of Star wars. We were all geared up in jackets with laptop bags or sacks, helmets and some of us even carried lunch boxes. Most of them were couples who went to office together.

All were busy thinking just one thing- ‘How can I overtake the guy before me?’ All were struggling to ensure that not even an inch of road remains empty. Many were even multi-tasking, talking on the mobile, while riding the two- wheeler and overtaking the one before- all at the same time. All of them were in a hurry and wanted to be the first to get out of this traffic bottleneck!

I found it ridiculous that people enjoyed doing this senseless thing day in and day out but didn’t have a moment to enjoy the lovely weather, be pleasant and have a peaceful ride to office. Everybody looked as if they were being driven by an invisible remote control that seemed to be efficiently managing their time.

All said and done, I can’t deny the fact that after brief rumination on this matter, I had no better alternative but to join the party! Be a part of this maddening traffic and fight to be the first one as I inch forward through the traffic maze!

It saddened me that I was being a part of this robotic world where pennies seem to shine brighter than the stars and stress seems to be synonymous with a happy life! Just awaiting my long break that would carry me away from all this- to a bliss that allowed me to experience the little things that create nature! Nature- a theater where magic is created every moment!

Xenophobic ‘junta’ the reason for Myanmar sorrow!

Yesterday the many military vessels and helicopters, loaded with relief material that had been camping close to Myanmar waters returned. The xenophobic Myanmar ‘junta’ refused to allow them entry and hence eventually, left them with no alternative but to return.

I fail to understand how a government can continue to be oblivious to the sufferings of its own people? The junta’s claim that this was part of US invasion plan and that US is eyeing Myanmar’s oil deposit doesn’t hold water. For heavens sake the UN is watching. All the counties understand the plight of Myanmar people and wanted to be of some help to them. Even if US did have such intentions I don’t understand the resistance Myanmar is showing to the help pouring in from other countries? Do they want to say that the whole world is conspiring against Myanmar?

It is unbelievable that even today oppressive governments can get off by setting some hoax alarm and unconvincing theories while their country men suffer! Why can’t UN, human rights agencies and other general bodies of the world take some stern actions against such oppressive governments? Something for us to ponder, I guess…

Oil price hike in India… a pinch impossible to skip

While the opposition party called it a ‘black day’ and ‘terror unleashed by the government’ and other fragments of the ruling party like the communist party calling it a suicidal move, the common man waited with bathed breath for the prices to rise!

The price rise that was enforced all over India was certainly not a happy decision for the government either but I think we as citizens of India need to look at the rise rationally rather than blindly following the political opportunists and take a shortsighted stand!

I applaud the PM’s unusual gesture of addressing the nation and explaining the price rise. It shows that our PM considers himself accountable for all the important decisions his government takes and he explained very clearly and precisely the reasons for the rise and the other steps taken by the government to soften the blow.

There were a few sections of media who said that the PM had not been aggressive enough in defending his decision! I don’t see a reason for him to be aggressive. This is an issue that is going to hit the common man directly and adversely, he believed he was accountable for this and hence presented his case to the public. I believe if he had been aggressive it would have given an impression of being defensive and trying to hide the real motive behind the move, which would have certainly not convinced many!

Lets face it, we have been hearing the oil prices skyrocketing in the world market over the last few years, it would be impossible for any government to share the entire burden while the consumer remained ignorant and enjoyed the bliss. Also with our booming economy we have been rather reckless in our fuel consumption. It is high time we become answerable to ourselves and share a fair share of blame.

A simple look at the monthly statistics of vehicle dealer would be enough to confirm that we have been responsible for higher oil imports over a prolonged period. Starting with simple ways of reducing fuel consumption would certainly go a long way.

Is it too little, too late for Aarushi?

After the Delhi double murder, also known as Aarushi and Hemraj murder case, Delhi police has been under the scanner and rightly so. The delay in discovering Hemraj’s dead body and the fact that the body was not even discovered by the police but by a well-wisher of the Talwar family and the numerous laps that happened during the investigation, raises some serious doubts on the efficiency of our country police.

The case was murky from the start, and the initial doubts were on the servant Hemraj. The police had nearly proved him the murderer when his dead body too was discovered. The fact that the parents slept in the adjacent room while two murders took place in their house also raises doubts. But what about the justice to the dead? As the days pass and police continue their haphazard investigation the killer is at large. It is evident that the police by trying to frame the father are trying to cover their faults hurriedly.

The police theory of father killing the servant and daughter because she was against his affair with his colleague doesn’t hold water as it was a well-educated upper middle class family. Even if that were the case how would it matter if his daughter was against the affair? His daughter can’t be such an obstacle for his affair to flourish that her elimination was the only alternative left for him! It is irrational. Now with CBI investigating the case, I hope that the dead finally get justice.

A similar case had taken place in Mumbai, in 2000. A girl was found dead at her residence- she had been hit by a hammer. The police reacted in a similar fashion and said that the father had an affair with the house maid to which the daughter objected to and hence father killed the daughter! It resulted in a fight for justice for 5 years before the court dismissed the grounds on which the father was booked and proclaimed that he was innocent.

The police were directed to reinvestigate the case. The case was then handed over to CBI for investigation, however in the meantime 5 precious years were lost and the killer is still at large. With such a huge time lapse in the case the CBI has very few clues to move ahead on the case.

Gladly, with so much media attention the case has been moving faster and has now been handed over to CBI for investigation. I hope atleast in this case it is not too little too late!

Another one on Myanmar

Read this article that describes the current situation in Myanmar on Reuters. Though the latest news is that the UN staffs pending visa applications have been approved. I just hope this is not 'too little too late'
For the many who have been suffering, this might be the ray of hope they were expecting! With the government there behaving high-handedly this might be a blessing for the thousands who have suffered and continue to suffer under gruesome conditions.

Visit- http://www.reuters.com/article/featuredCrisis/idUSSP172535 for complete report

Blogs that stormed the channels!

After the small hurricane that rocked the news channels for more than a week, now finally the channels seem to have found something else to mull about. The hurricane was Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bacchan’s blog!

First there was a hue and cry that celebrities write blogs and then the media cried foul that they are targeting a particular professional colleague, in this instance Sharukh Khan! Now I agree that transmitting news 24*7 gets a little boring but that doesn’t mean you keep track of somebody’s blog and cry foul at the smallest instance!

After the big story broke and was making rounds for some time, I decided to check the blogs myself! As it is thanks to Google and media glare the blog was anything but difficult to find! For that particular story that concerned Sharukh I had to rummage through Amithabh’s blog a little but then, when I went through it, it was a huge disappointment! No masala, yet so much hungama! Well, I don’t know how else to describe it!

I mean first of all Amitabh is known for his over chivalry. For gods sake he didn’t even snarl when his name was dragged in Bofors (I am not exactly sure which scam, but I think this is right, if not please excuse!) Yet I expected him to be offensive was an over expectation on my part.

Amitabh on his part just puts down his experiences, his thoughts and his views in HIS blog. Why should the media at large care if while making a statement about a particular matter he happens to refer somebody by name? Lets be honest, if he had mentioned my name instead of Sharukh had that been a news? No! then why care now? Why can’t Sharukh be treated as a normal human being? Just because both of them are famous their names in each other’s blog mean rivalry, jealousy and much more?

Aamir’s blog was a pleasant surprise, as far as I am concerned. I liked the writing and the casual approach. I even found the post very funny and liked his uncanny way of presentation, yet the news channel didn’t seem to find it in the same light!

I have seen people calling their pets by all sorts of names, and I really pity him if his watchman kept the dogs name Sharukh and unwisely became instrumental in triggering this hurricane! On the other hand if this was meant to downsize Sharukh, then by giving it such unnecessary publicity the media made a complete monkey of themselves and in the process created some embarrassing situations for Sharukh. Poor guy was asked to comment on this!

With the IPL happening, I am sure he wouldn’t have time to shave, when do you expect him to peep into someone else’s blog? And why did I bother to write about it after so long! I saw a news article asking people/celebrities opinions on this matter today! Rwanda genocide too must have not enjoyed such widespread discussions ever!