A dose on ethical behavior!

Ever received those calls from bank sales rep, trying to sell you some policy or the other? You might say, what’s new in that, they are all over the place. Yeah, they keep calling and persuading you about their latest policy which is supposed to give best returns. As long as they don’t get annoying, I maintain a standard answer of not interested currently, however if I do need anything will contact them.
One of these busy mornings I got a call from a similar sales rep from ICICI. She seemed polite and was trying to sell her unit- linked policy. She started off with, the usual niceties and before I could blurt out my standard answer, she went on to say ‘we can promise you double the returns’. Now that got me interested! I asked her a few questions and the plan name so I could check it online, but the lady insisted that I should meet her, coz then she could answer my questions in detail.
Well, that is their usual routine, so I just agreed. What harm could one meeting do? Of course if I don’t find the plan interesting I can always reject it, is what I thought to myself. The day was fixed and I got busy with my daily routine. On the scheduled day, the lady came in promptly, accompanying her, a senior manager. They quickly got down to business. At the start of the discussion the manager asked what was I looking for and I informed him that I was looking for a child plan , however the marketing rep’s talk got me interested in the current plan. He just mentioned they don’t have anything in terms of child plan and got about explaining me in detail their said plan. It was a unit linked plan and the minimum period was 5 years. After listening to their market talk, I just decided I needed more time to understand this plan and also had to do some market research about this. I conveyed the same to them and informed them, in case I need anything I will call the lady as I had her number. The manager asked for tentative time when I would be ready with my decision and I said in a week. He asked the lady to give me a reminder call then and that was the end of it. Two days later I got a call from another sales representative from ICICI asking if I was looking for a child plan. I just assumed the earlier guys had communicated my need to their concerned department and hence was getting this call. Even this sales rep wanted to meet in person and we agreed on a date.
Eventually I did my research and found the double return plan not so attractive, as compared to some other plans. Also the ‘double’ was just a statement based on past record. With market at a high there were no hopes of having double. So all said and done, I just dropped the plan. The earlier marketing rep called me after the said time was over and I informed my decision to her. When I informed her that I had got a call from their other team about child plan and might just go for that, I was in for a rude shock. The lady was suddenly aggressive. Said I should have followed some ethics and called her to confirm if she had asked anyone to contact me. She even made it a point to tell me, that she was in the kitchen cooking and because she remembered about me, she gave a call, how could I not call her, when I had said I would! It was my duty, was her contention. It reminded me of a school teacher scolding her pupil . I reasoned, that I never knew ICICI thought it best to have its own sales rep compete with each other, but in vain. I let the matter be as I thought maybe she was looking forward to this bonus amount and was upset that it was not working out. However I was in for another rude shock when after the call, in about half an hour I got a stinker message from the same person, who gave me more gyan on my behavior. “ You should not waste others time, money and energy. It is painful for some. Please act better next time and it just went on…”
So much for thinking before investing my hard earned money! I never knew I had no right to decide what is best for me! One thing is for sure, the next time I get a call I am not entertaining any of them. If I do need to invest I will just go to my investment portfolio manager. Lot less morally questioning and no hassles of unethical behavior, or worry of hurting someone’s sentiments :P and most importantly he does not expect me to invest in every plan he explains to me!

After a long time... and yes relations still are complicated!

I know, this title does'nt make sense! Well can't think of any right now, to be frank, this is the first time that I have written a title first and then the post, so if there seems a disconnect between the title and the post, you know from where that's coming.
Enough of the disclaimers... I have been away from the blog for so long, I was scared I might end up forgetting how to find it! Well, with a kid around, things are not easy, and whenever you do find some tiny bit of free time, you tend to sleep...this is the story of most new parents nowadays... sleep deprived parent... I must add ... It just makes me wonder how my mom took care of us when we were babies or toddlers for that matter... whew!
That brings me to another topic, Why are we so judgemental about everything, more so if there is a girl/woman involved. First of all, till things are not outright heroic, we tend to assume, that's simple .... everyone does it. I mean I never fully understood the complexities of being a mom and raising a kid, till I had one. I regret many of my outbursts targeted at my mom now... I mean most of the mom's are our punching bags... stressbusters. Dad's furious, boss is irritating, work pressure... study tension... you could take it all out on mom... But did we ever stop and think, how does she release her stress... and yes when she does try by getting irritating or edgy... we blame it on the age gap and tend to say ' Oh mom's are so nagging!'
If a wedding is called off, people so easily and quickly judge that it must be the girl's fault. I mean if the girl calls it off , then it is ; 'she must adjust' If the boy calls it off, then there must be some problem with the girl.
It could have been a mutual decision... or even if it was not, who are we to expect them to follow our belief's and thoughts. Are'nt they told enough to know what's good for them! Why this sudden outburst of soceital commitment and lessons in rightous behaviour?
The society was formed so that humans could live safely and lead a life free of chaos. Sadly, today society itself is one of the dangers. Be it honour killings, dowry deaths or plain mental torture of the 'log kya kahenge' phenomenon. If only we could ponder more before we talk and behave, things could be so different.

Something borrowed.... but amazingly true

This came as a forward to me. It is so hilarious and true that I wanted to share it with all. I guess this should prove as a wake up call for us to improve our driving and general civic sense :). However currently just enjoy the piece.

Driving in Bangalore / India
This hilarious article was written by a Dutchman who spent two years in Bangalore, India, as a visiting expert. A little long article but worth reading it!!!
Driving in Bangalore / India
For the benefit of every Tom, Dick and Harry visiting India and daring to drive on Indian roads, I am offering a few hints for survival. They are applicable to every place in India except Bihar, where life outside a vehicle is only marginally safer.
Indian road rules broadly operate within the domain of karma where you do your best, and leave the results to your insurance company. The hints are as follows: Do we drive on the left or right of the road?
The answer is "both". Basically you start on the left of the road, unless it is occupied. In that case, go to the right, unless that is also occupied. Then proceed by occupying the next available gap, as in chess. Just trust your instincts, ascertain the direction, and proceed. Adherence to road rules leads to much misery and occasional fatality. Most drivers don't drive, but just aim their vehicles in the generally intended direction.
Don't you get discouraged or underestimate yourself except for a belief in reincarnation; the other drivers are not in any better position. Don't stop at pedestrian crossings just because some fool wants to cross the road. You may do so only if you enjoy being bumped in the back.
Pedestrians have been strictly instructed to cross only when traffic is moving slowly or has come to a dead stop because some minister is in town. Still some idiot may try to wade across, but then, let us not talk ill of the dead.
Blowing your horn is not a sign of protest as in some countries. We horn to express joy, resentment, frustration, romance and bare lust (two brisk blasts),or just mobilize a dozing cow in the middle of the bazaar. Keep informative books in the glove compartment. You may read them during traffic jams, while awaiting the chief minister's motorcade, or waiting for the rainwater to recede when over ground traffic meets underground drainage.

Occasionally you might see what looks like a UFO with blinking colored lights and weird sounds emanating from within. This is an illuminated bus, full of happy pilgrims singing bhajans. These pilgrims go at breakneck speed, seeking contact with the Almighty, often meeting with success.
Auto Rickshaw (Baby Taxi): The result of a collision between a rickshaw and an automobile, this three-wheeled vehicle works on an external combustion engine that runs on a mixture of kerosene oil and creosote. This triangular vehicle carries iron rods, gas cylinders or passengers three times its weight and dimension, at an unspecified fare. After careful geometric calculations, children are folded and packed into these auto rickshaws until some children in the periphery are not in contact with the vehicle at all. Then their school bags are pushed into the microscopic gaps all round so those minor collisions with other vehicles on the road cause no permanent damage. Of course, the peripheral children are charged half the fare and also learn Newton's laws of motion en route to school. Auto-rickshaw drivers follow the road rules depicted in the film Ben Hur, and are licensed to irritate.
Mopeds: The moped looks like an oil tin on wheels and makes noise like an electric shaver. It runs 30 miles on a teaspoon of petrol and travels at break-bottom speed. As the sides of the road are too rough for a ride, the moped drivers tend to drive in the middle of the road; they would rather drive under heavier vehicles instead of around them and are often "mopped" off the tarmac.
Leaning Tower of Passes: Most bus passengers are given free passes and during rush hours, there is absolute mayhem. There are passengers hanging off other passengers, who in turn hang off the railings and the overloaded bus leans dangerously, defying laws of gravity but obeying laws of surface tension. As drivers get paid for overload (so many Rupees per kg of passenger), no questions are ever asked. Steer clear of these buses by a width of three passengers.
One-way Street: These boards are put up by traffic people to add jest in their otherwise drab lives. Don't stick to the literal meaning and proceed in one direction. In metaphysical terms, it means that you cannot proceed in two directions at once. So drive as you like, in reverse throughout, if you are the fussy type. Least I sound hypercritical, I must add a positive point also. Rash and fast driving in residential areas has been prevented by providing a "speed breaker"; two for each house. This mound, incidentally, covers the water and drainage pipes for that residence and is left untarred for easy identification by the corporation authorities, should they want to recover the pipe for year-end accounting.
Night driving on Indian roads can be an exhilarating experience for those with the mental make up of Genghis Khan. In a way, it is like playing Russian roulette, because you do not know who amongst the drivers is loaded. What looks like premature dawn on the horizon turns out to be a truck attempting a speed record. On encountering it, just pull partly into the field adjoining the road until the phenomenon passes.
Our roads do not have shoulders, but occasional boulders. Do not blink your lights expecting reciprocation. The only dim thing in the truck is the driver, and with the peg of illicit arrack (alcohol) he has had at the last stop, his total cerebral functions add up to little more than a naught. Truck drivers are the James Bonds of India, and are licensed to kill. Often you may encounter a single powerful beam of light about six feet above the ground. This is not a super motorbike, but a truck approaching you with a single light on, usually the left one. It could be the right one, but never get too close to investigate. You may prove your point posthumously.

What did you see in Avatar?

Did you watch Avatar? You would say, Is that a question! Who hasn’t? Well true, one of the biggest box office hits and Golden globe award winner, you have to be blind to miss it! Well that truly is worth a thought, can’t it be somehow made available to the blind! I mean those who are literally blind not those who choose to turn a blind eye. Oh! Well, but this is stirring away from the plot of this post, so we can give it a thought later.

Did you know that it has come under fire from various interest groups and nations! There is a whole bunch of them starting with the Church, who is against the movie because it is supposed to propagate ideas of worshipping nature. Now, since when do we have the liberty to decide what should aliens worship? It’s their choice, their land, they can pray anything they want. For that matter even on Earth we have various faiths that believe in worshipping some form of nature or the other. If the church is worried that suddenly people might start praying trees in their backyard. They can chill, for that’s not going to happen. Had we earthlings been that sensitive, the issue of global warming wouldn’t have aroused!

That brings me to the second group. A certain section believes that the film overdramatized the possibility of environmental catastrophe on earth. Well this statement itself is so guilt ridden. If environmental catastrophe hadn’t been real would we have been equally scared to see its visualization? We can easily digest a movie that is based on assumptions of doomsday theory but are reluctant to see that probably the doomsday (environmental catastrophe) is man- made.
Then there are loads of others like feminists, anti-smoking groups etc. Now even China has a problem with this movie. Chinese believe the imperialist themes of the movie that shows the natives, being forcefully evicted from their homes by industrialists, is a parable for Chinese people whose dwellings have been forcefully razed to make way for new constructions. I don’t get this one. Shouldn’t they be happy that even if that is the case their plight is being projected in front of the world. Well, who am I to say anything in this.

However, I left the theater on a sad note, because it made me realize how much forest cover we might have lost for want of industrialization. And was it warranted ? How many animals did we render homeless, how many plants have gone extinct. For once it was a movie that projected man as the evil and probably that is what has made many uncomfortable. We are ‘ok’ with movies that depict aliens as the evil who come in spaceships to take over our planet. We are the heroes, why should we have a problem. But the moment we see on screen what we have been doing to our planet. A dying planet, the only place where we can survive, we are all jittery. I hope for once we open our eyes and make a conscious effort to recycle, reuse, plant more trees and use resources judiciously. Stop pushing the issue under the carpet and raise to the occasion.

Changing face of India -Entrepreneurs at grass root level

Have you ever seen an ignited mind... Ignited with innovations, bursting with ideas. The spark in the eyes and the joy on the face is something beyond explanation. I witnessed it when my sis came in running full of energy to announce that they have a project to do. Their ideas, their effort. Funded by Deshpande Foundation these kids could give wings to their dreams and prove their credibility with results in 2 months. An organization dedicated to creating entrepreneurs at college levels.

I wouldn't have thought much of it had it not been for the fact that my sis hails from a small town in Karnataka. The foundations reach and wish to touch the rural and semi- urban students amazed me. We see a lot of organizations interested in cultivating new ideas with the help of younger generation but their reach almost always is limited to cities or big towns.

India has a young workforce and they are brimming with ideas. All they need is conviction and a conducive environment that can bring out the best in them.

The whole idea of forming groups and asking them to come up with various ideas is wonderful. They didn't expect the idea to generate revenue. They wanted it to bring about a change, however minimal it might be. The pilot project would get 2 months and if the idea was really good and the foundation believed in it then it would be promoted to a full scale partnership or organization.

This not only helped these kids to think out of the box, but it also made them aware of the surrounding infrastructure. It made them bold and mentored them to present their case with conviction. The salient points to be highlighted came around by way of intense discussion thus developing their inter-personnel skills.

The project gave them a lot more than what it expected. And most importantly it opened new avenues for a young enterprising India. Thumbs- up to Deshpande Foundation and their effort in bringing about a change in the country's youth and on a macro level creating self sustainable entrepreneurs with original ideas. You can reach them on http://www.deshpandefoundation.org/

Our bundle of joy :)

Our bundle of joy... One of her first pics after entering this world :)

She is keeping us on our toes for now..

Responsibility towards nature- something that we can learn from our ancestors

Have just started to read a book ' Indias Unending Journey' by Mark Tully. Among many other things that he discusses he also talks about Hinduism and its way of acknowledging nature.

It surely made me think. Most of our basic practices that were followed by our ancestors are now ignored or considered 'uncool' to follow. Yet it is those practices that have taught us to be humble and attribute some part of our existence to something beyond our control.

For instance, our ancestors never assumed nature to be just another resource available for consumption. They regarded it as a gift and believed it deserved respect and not irrational hording. They worshiped plants, animals even rivers and oceans. It was their way of acknowledging natures contribution in our existence and also a way of saying that these resources are precious, which need to be utilized ingeniously.

Now suddenly with issues of global warming coming to the fore, everybody seems to be giving their views and trying to device ways to conserve energy and resources. Yet we cant acknowledge the fact that in the name of modernization, we did commit a folly. While running the race of development we happily threw all the practices to the wind. It was suddenly uncool to follow those beliefs. Many even labelled it superstition. We conviniently forgot that there is a fine line between superstition & belief.

Accepting the presence of other factors in our success certainly does not attribute to superstition. Nor does it belittle our achievements if we respect the nature that is our only source to sustainance - something that we never created and might never be able to regenerate!

Elections - The great Indian Tamasha...

The elections in Bangalore are over and the speculations are rife about who would be the MP, who will get a landslide victory and who will loose their deposits!!

Nothing new you might say, however what is interesting is the low voter turnout even after much prodding done by the NGO's, non-political movements, political parties and the many other of similar types who had surfaced in the past few months; especially after the 26/11. The billion votes or the magical figures of 70-80 % turnout still seems to be a distant dream!

Is it that the prodding was not sufficient enough?

Is the so- called literate & thinking population of India grown immune to the governance of the country?

Or is it that the current state of affairs in the country has driven them to the depths of depression and any prodding about a better change is futile?

Come to think of it, election is nothing more than a colourful event for most of us. The political parties not too different from each other continue their brickbat without any remorse. The tax payers money is wasted in billions with petty or irresponsible irregularities while conducting the election process – most of them can be easily ironed out with better processes, however nobody seems to bother. Money, booze, irrational promises and irresponsible behaviour is at its peak during this time. And at the end of it a mere 50 % of the population votes, of which atleast 20 % have been paid to vote!

So practically 30% of the population exercises their franchise. And even if any political party wins with a 30% majority there is a clear possibility that only 15% of the population was in their favor. So who is responsible for these clowns at the center?

This time, the election process played the spoilsport. There was a possibility for change. The immune strata of our population had been jerked awake from their slumber and they had decided to act. Yet our cumbersome and age old election process ensured that the enthusiasm fizzled out or rather did not achieve its desired results.

The new enrolments never saw the light of the day. Many first time voters could not get their names registered as they were missing or the procedure was not completed. People with voter Id, suddenly found their names missing. Many even found that their names were enlisted in unrelated wards/booths making it impossible to trace on the election day. Address mistakes, spelling mistakes, wrong pincodes etc were most common. Yet the election commission went home congratulating each other of conducting yet another successful election.

However the common man still wonders – who is the king maker in this country? Why is it that my money is wasted in billions and I cant cry fowl? Why is it that after paying my due I cant expect better services/opportunities or even good governance? I really wish somebody can answer this!

Me back on the blogosphere…

This has been a long sabbatical. First it was the fact that there was nothing interesting, exciting happening in life that I could blog about. I know I can’t complain about this as my life is no sci-fi where things would suddenly change beyond imagination, yet come’ on I expected some flutter!

Then there was so much happening at such a fast pace that I hardly had time to catch up with life… forget about blogging it!

Well that’s me… when things happen they happen at lightening speed otherwise it seems like ages before I turn a new leaf! Not that today I have turned a new leaf or something, I guess finally I had all the ingredients right. (read time). So this is just a gibberish post about me being back. I am so happy about this fact alone that I can’t think of adding anything of value here. Hopefully now I will be more regular and logical in my postings...

I like to move it move it....

A lazy Sunday evening, well spent! Its bound to be a fun packed evening when you gang up with some of your close cousins have hearty laughs at all things stupid, top it up with stupendous amounts of pani-puri's and one of the best animated movies made ever... Madagascar - Escape to Africa!

Though this was like a long time ago, yet this movie brings back those fond memories and always leaves a smile on my face! This one's for Madagascar... I fall in love with it, every time I see it :)

Liberated and Free India… Is woman a part of it?

Is woman truly liberated? Is she truly free in a free India? The Mangalore pub incident left such haunting questions in my mind. After 60 years of independence, if some perpetrators can assault a girl in full public and media view and still get away do we still hold the right to call ourselves secular, liberal and a democratic country?

Democracy by definition means by the people, for the people and of the people and people includes women! Our constitution acknowledges freedom of speech, freedom of expression, right against exploitation among many more. These constitutional rights ideally should be applicable to the women in this country too; sadly, not many in this country consider it wise to know these details.

Who gave these self-proclaimed moral police the right to monitor and decide what’s good or bad for me – a woman? I have enough well-wishers on whom I can rely, while deciding what is best for me.

They hail the Hindu culture while justifying their acts; saying it does not allow pub culture. So do they mean that Hindu culture allows assaulting, hitting and abusing a woman? They call themselves Sri Rama Sene and don’t know the basics that Sri Ram never upheld disgracing a women let alone hitting her!

What I fail to understand and pity the most is the callous attitude of the government, police and the media. The media was invited to this mayhem and they did a great job by covering the whole thing religiously. After all they were witnessing the primetime news. It was going to be their first cut- breaking news.

But didn’t any of them consider the act audacious enough to inform the police immediately and get the culprits arrested on the crime scene? Well that wouldn’t have kicked up so much of dirt isn’t it? Or maybe getting the culprits arrested is not a part of their job description. Or maybe they realized if the culprits got arrested how would they be able to have special episodes for the next whole week. After all opinion polls, debates, exclusive interviews and stinging editorials wont hold any spark if the matter ended on the same day! TRP’s come only with burning issues – I should have known.

The police sleepwalked through the whole issue. Media was present there, yet police seemed to be the last one to know about it. With this apathy in their information and response system, I wonder how they would ever be able to nab any militants or curb any militant activities. Even now they have managed to arrest 27 out of 30 and have not been able to take any action against the top-brass of this Rama Sene. Politicians are busy mud slinging on each other. They are trying to rake in as much publicity as possible for themselves, how can we ever expect them to have the time to take any action!

Even today it is so easy and simple for a man to hit a woman, eve-tease her in public, rape her by just pulling her off the street, assault her, molest her and then just apologize and get away or use some loop-hole in the judicial system and continue to humiliate her for years to come. Do we have to wait for another revolution or beg these culprits to give us our rights? If any of this is a solution then I would never celebrate the birth of a girl. A life burdened with shackles and dictated by unknown bloodhounds is not much to celebrate about.

Something that I learnt today..

While waiting in a hospital today for a general checkup, a small girl of 7-8 years entered the corridor. She had a sweet smile and giggled at anything, just like a normal 7-8 year old girl would. On her way in, she acknowledged a nurse and had some small talk with the receptionist.

Her father, trying to catch up with her as she glided across the foyer, looked so happy playing her simple game. Everything was so normal and usual about her… except for the mask on her face.

She had a pale green mask on her face; as she entered the waiting room, she transformed into a mature girl who sat quietly in one of the empty chairs while her father fussed about her food. As a doctor passed, she jovially wished the doctor ‘Good morning madam… How have u been’. The doctor smiled back and they exchanged pleasantries. She looked so calm and serene, as the doctor said ‘Come let’s have your check-up done’ and took her to the Oncology department.

My heart ached to see her go in. Many thought crossed my mind. She is barely 8… she hardly even understands the gravity of the situation… It must have been so painful for her & her family. I do not know her, but unknowingly I said a silent prayer for her. The next minute I found cajoling myself to believe that she had been treated and is perfectly alright now.. she must be safe now… She must have just come for a post treatment checkup and everything must have returned to normalcy in her life… It must have been something really small…

I know she will be fine. Nowadays, cancer is not perceived as critically dangerous. Most of the patients can be and are treated everyday all over the world. If detected at an early stage, patients are cured fully and never have to bother about it ever again…

Yet, I don’t know why I felt like writing about her… A simple girl in a green uniform, who I will never know… yet who left a lasting impression on me. She taught me today, ‘everything can be overcome… its just the way you approach it that matters’!

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.