Monday, December 7, 2009

Freedom Struggle Revisited-Revolutionary Terrorists- An Intellectual Quest-Part 1

In a message from the death cell, Ramprasad Bismil had appealed to the youth to give up
" The Desire to keep revolvers and pistols, not to work in revolutionary conspiracies and to participate in the open movement"

A die-hard communist, a rebel, a revolutionary, appealing people not to emulate his own path, why?
Going through the pages of the most reverred factual acount of the Indian struggle for freedom, by noted Historian Bipin Chandra,I was dumbstruck when I came across these quotes from Ram Prasad Bismil.
How can heores of our past debate their own stance so easily, did they repent the path they choose for themselves?
As I continued to read further, I came across one of the tallest figures of Indian freedom struggle, a young lad named Bhagat Singh. I was amazed to discover that this fellow had quite an apetite for books, and even at the tender age of 20 years, he was a giant of an intellectual.
His political ideology was shaped significantly by three things:
  • The Jalian Wala Bagh incident, which showed him the naked nature of British Imperialism
  • The taking back of Non-Violence Movement by Gandhiji when the movement was in it's full swing, which demolished his hopes for a free India at the prime of his youth
  • In depth readings on Socialism, Communism, the Russian Revolution, Marxism and Capitalism

Before his arrest in 1929, Bhagat Singh had abondoned his belief in terrorism and individual heroic action. He had turned to Marxism and had come to believe that popular broad-based mass movements alone could lead to a successful revolution.

Prior to his execution, the great Indian rebel, wrote to his young political workers:

"The real revolutionary armies are in the villages and in factories.

Apparently, I have acted like a terrorist. But I am not a terrorist.Let me announce with all strength at my command, that I am not a terrorist and I never was, except perhaps in the beginning of my revolutionary career. And I am convinced that we cannot gain anything through these methods."

Few weeks before his death, he wrote an article, "Why I am an Atheist"

I would love to grab one copy.

And what did the word revolution meant for them:

The draft of the famous statement of revolutionary organisation HRSA, THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE BOMB, co-authored by Chandra Shekhar Azad, Yashpal, and Bhagwati Charan Vohra, defined a revolution as:
"Independence, social, political, economic, aimed at establishing a new new order of society in which political and economic exploitation will be an impossibility"

Are we anywhere near to this colossal definition?

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

5 Past Midnight in Bhopal

03.12.1984

Something happened 5 past Midnight in Bhopal, the capital of the Heart of India, Madhya Pradesh which left it's most bloody imprints on the face of mankind.
The Bhopal Gas Tragedy.

03.12.2007

I was in the final year of my engineering in NIT Bhopal, when I heard the name Warren Anderson, seriously, for the first time in my life.
Out on the streets of Bhopal, there were ghostly creatures, for they looked too special to be part of the same brethren of mankind to which I belonged. One fellow had joined limbs, another one had the face that would have given the Marsians a run for their money and what not.
Yet, they had that peculiar syndrome of mankind, pain, agony and disgust.
Anderson ko waapas lao, Anderson Hatyara Hai
Gas Peedeton ki Madad Karo
Bhopal awaits for Justice
It could have been you!!!
Slogans such as these could be heard across whole of Bhopal, be it MACT square, Mata Mandir, Topn Town, Railway Station, Lake.
Stirred by curiosity, I turned to the doors of the sacred British Library of Bhopal for help.
And then, Eureka, I found it!!
Five Past Midnight in Bhopal, by Dominique Lapierre.

After I finished reading the book, I wished it was fiction, I was not ready to accept that it was not a Ghost story of our childhood, but a glaring account of the genocide of about 5000 innocent Indians by a corporate, and of the millions of survivors by the petty system of our country.

03.12.2009

The memories of reading about the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, meeting it's survivors last year in Bhopal, and the pathetic state of the government authorities in dealing with the whole matter remind me of the fact, it could have been me too, it's just chance that I was not one of them.
But Yes, today, I can be one of them, stand with them, for them, for myself, for our common shared future.
As a responsible citizen of India, I will strive towards bringing justice to the victims and ensure that the lessons of Bhopal are well learnt and we should lobby in favour of stricter safety norms for our industrial as well as civic safety.

And as an informed and active citizen, I will strive towards exposing and filling the loop-holes in our system.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

That man needed help

Yesterday
10th November 2009.
It was around 9 30pm.
After a good class on International Relations and an enjoyable discussion with Kannan, the "spolied genius", as Himani( his better-half) says, I was breezing past the dark and cold streets of Noida.
And then, something caught the corner of my eye. It was the image of a crowd, some 15 of them, in a circle, and looking down at something, near the UFLEX main gate, opposite Shopprix Mall. I don't know what prompted me, that after almost speeding past that scene, I halted and turned back my bike towards the mob. By the time I reached there and parked my bike, the number of people had soared to almost 30 and there was definite panic in the air. The sight of a bike crushed as a gunny-bag, whose pieces were spread across the width of a road, was a good enough reason for that. And then I looked down, in horror, to see a man lying down in a pool of blood.
The people surrounding that man had recovered his mobile and tried giving calls to the last dialled no, but no one responded from the other side. We called for an ambulance but none came in the next 10 minutes. He was lying on the road, unconcious. In an effort to gauge the damage, I just lifted his chest by pulling his shirt, someone held his head from falling down. My worst fears were coming true. His head was almost crushed in the back side and leaking blood like our municipality pipelines. That man was in serious trouble.

I had to literally bully an autowala to help me take that man to a nearby hospital, Fortis.
I requested two young men to sit in that auto with that man, while I showed him the way to Fortis on my bike. The police had also bursted into the scene by that time, and took that fellow's mobile and wallet and told us to to continue to FORTIS and they will follow suit.

As soon as the Emergency Staff of FORTIS transferred our victim from the auto to the strecther, they told all three of us that this fellow was in extreme critical condition and that the case may get complicated.
I could see the same fear that was gripping me inside, in the eyes and faces of the other two fellows who had bravely brought that man to the hospital. I knew from my experiences in college, things may turn messy. I thanked both of them and told them to leave instantly. I also apologised to the autowala and thanked him for showing courage.
"You have done a good job by bringing him here, but you need to take a decision immediately.
His pulse rate is 20, his pupils have expanded and his eyes are not responding to light.
We would request you to either call his relatives or take him to some other hospital, for we need written permission to carry CT scan and decide on his survival chances. You are an educated person, please decide boss"
As soon as the doc on Emergency duty said this, meri phat gayee.
I was concerned for the man, but also worried about what responsibilities would come on me if I sign on his relatives behalf. Tense, confused, I tried calling my room mates, but the network could not get me through them. I called Kannan, his phone was switched off. I knew I was running out of time. I then called Ananya, desperate to decide what to do. I thought of calling my parents and di, but that would have brought them more anxiety, so I skipped that thought.
And then, I decided, what would have I done if I was still in college?
I would have tried my best to save a life, and I am still the same.
As soon as I arrived at my decision, I walked back into the emergency room, only to be relieved a bit to see his relatives talking to the doc. I gave a huge sigh of relief, for i was still worried about the condition of that man.
After about 15 mins of explaining the whole situation to them, I felt comforted by the fact, that the same UP Police, who had harassed me two days before, was applauding my efforts and speaking for me in front of his relatives.
That man works in Noida Authority, age around 35, and according to his wife, one who drives regularly while high on alcohol. His condition was fading with every passing moment, yet, his relatives, mostly of rural back ground, decided to shift him to another low-cost hospital at that crucial time, when he was struggling to live again. I could not control my anger and bursted at them for not realising the fact that their loved one is critical, severely critical.

I returned from FORTIS at 11pm, full of praises, accolades and thanks from the relatives of that man, staff of FORTIS, and on-lookers who never miss to comment:
"Aaj ke zamane main itna kaun karta hai"
I hope, that man survives, and will pray for him.
I have seen blood in my college-life, and maybe that did not allow me to panic.

His relatives arrived at the right moment.
What if they hadn't?
What if anything went wrong? Would I have been able to defend my stand as a sensible one?

I don't have the answers.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Angry Young Man

Chutiye
Saale tere jaise itna maar khate hain, bhaag yahan se, nikal saaleee, bc...........

Humiliated, that's how I felt.
Slowly, I turned my back, put back my papers in the bag, put on the helmet, and with misty eyes, started again for my class, on my stunner.
I don't know, whether it was the Smog around, or the feeling of being humiliated in public by the UP Police, my eyes were burning, and for once, the sound of my heart pounding against the walls of my rib cage, seemed to compete with the throttle of my Japanese Honda engine.

What I saw yesterday was rape in broad day light by goons in Khaki uniforms.
In the name of Traffic Month, these people were simply out there to harass the common man.
If you had a DL, where is your RC?
If you had a RC, where is the pollution control certificate?
When did you renewed it?
Even if someone had all the papers, the manner and tone in which these goons were talking was simply untolerable for anyone who respects self-identity.

They are pure extortionists, state-sponsored mafia, and I saw their bloody dirty face yesterday.
Inspite of all my best efforts to stay calm, I lost temper, and said:
" I have already shown all my documents. If I don't have my RC because it will take another week, I cannot help it yaar"

The moment I uttered the word yaar, I had committed the gravest crime in the world.
M****C**d
Bc
Hum tere yaar hain.


After 15-20 mins of teasing, they seemed to be getting bored, for more fools were in the queue.
Chutiye
Saale tere jaise itna maar khate hain, bhaag yahan se, nikal saaleee, bc.........

Angry, humiliated and disgusted, I had no option but to leave.
Is this my country?
Is this my police, whose duty is to protect me?
Why am I a Chuitya, because I respect the rule of law, I wear a helmet while riding my bike, or because I stand for what is just?

Bhadwe hain, dalaal saale, aur ismain galti us police waale ki utni nahi, jitni hamare system ki hai, kyunki use bhi uske political boss ne target diya hoga, jao aaj Noida se itna chanda lekar aao.

Is system main system follow karne waalon ki na koi aukaat hai aur na hi koi izzat.

I don't understand why don't these Khaki people realise that they are one of us, and if not for that Khaki, I would have really made them understand who the real Chutiya is.

One more thing, whenever a cop abuses, wo gaali lagti hai.



Friday, November 6, 2009

Shipra Underpass

Everyday when I perform the “circus trick” in getting my bike through the almost choked Shipra Underpass, a major hurdle on my way to office from home, I say to myself,” Why don’t they make the road broader? Why don’t they regulate traffic properly?”
Let me file an RTI application seeking information regarding the PWD works of this underpass
Till date, the thoughts get lost as soon as I pass through that underpass.
It’s my responsibility; though there are hundreds who share the same traffic trauma.
“Pathik Bhai, kahe itna sochte ho, apni gaadi nikaalo aur chalo, yeh India yai, kuch nahi hone waala”


The RTI act is a landmark achievement towards bringing in accountability in governance and enabling the citizens with a tool to fight the corrupt and inefficient government administrative setup.
The significance of Right to Information Act passed in 2005 can be highlighted with the amount of media attention the issue of appointment of the Chief Information Officer (CIC) of India is generating.

The current issue of the appointment of the new CIC in wake of the completion of term of the present CIC holds tremendous importance not only for social activists but for people like you and me.
To be honest, I have not filed a single RTI application till date.
I tried once, but then, lost the steam, in spite of the fact that it just costs Rupees 10.
I know I want to change the world; I want our government to fight corruption, yet I have not done the simplest thing possible: write a simple application seeking information from the government.

Looks like it’s high time I filed my first RTI application.
I would not have done it, but for the issue of CIC.
Aamir Khan, Rahul Bose, Arvind Kejriwal, Subhash Chandra, NR Narayanmurthy, Nandita Das, Anna Hazare and many more noted activists have put a strong recommendation to the govt to appoint Ms Kiran Bedi for the same, which is being termed as “lobbying” by bureaucrats who see this as a major check on their superfluous motives.

There are people who are doing it; there are people who are concerned, and there are people, who suffer because they retort to silence.
I am sure; I would be doing great justice to my passion, by breaking mine.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

King of Hope- Sachin

Post Match Presentation yesterday

Arun Lal-What motivates you?
Sachin- It's just playing for India. I care about playing for India. It has been a dream. It's my passion to play for my country.


17k runs, numerous records, immense glory and fame.
The greatest pleasure of watching Sachin play has been and will be his humbleness on and off the field, and the simple ingredient of passion towards cricket, for India.
The biggest fascination watching him play is the amount of hope he generates in the hearts of a country with over a billion people looking to win and celebrate in life.

And as is the irony with greatness, time and again the master will be reminded of the fact that inspite of his big knocks, India failed to win.

But then, Gods are worshipped, for they give hope to people.
So will be Sachin. Mate, may you be there, forever, as the symbol of Hope, in the hearts of all cricket lovers around the globe.
Today, I raise a toast to your passion, for cricket, for India.
Bravo!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Karwa Chauth



O Re Manwa Tu to Baavara Hai, …….
Goonja sa Hai koi Ektara Ektara, Goonja Sa hai koi Ektara……


Humming to the melody of this tune being aired on the radio, driving my Stunner through the well lit streets of Shipra Sun City, I was caught by a culture shock yesterday. The scene before my eyes was colorful yet bizarre, orthodox yet beautiful. It was the night before “Karva Chauth”, a Hindu cultural festival in which the ladies fast for the entire length of the day, without food and water, for the well-being and long life of their husbands. Interestingly enough, the fast is broken by worshipping the husband in basking moonlight, a tradition which has roots in the ancient paternal society of India.
Coming back to the scene, well, it was around 10 in the night, and to my utter surprise, the markets were still open, and the streets were crowded with scores of women dressed in the most vibrant and colorful outfits, rushing towards the sacred “Mehandi Waala”. They were everywhere, on the streets, at the shops, trying to make maximum profit.

Coming from the heart of India, i.e. from Madhya Pradesh, I had only heard of the custom of Karwa Chauth and yesterday was a blissful surprise for me. What surprised me the most, is the fact that maximum people of my locality are working professionals, and the so called modern Indians, following the age old traditions, whether as a fashion or belief, in the name of religion or romance, with tremendous enthusiasm.

A liberal will slam this festival as a symbol of the age old superiority of the male over the female, so much prevalent in the medieval Indian society, an educated woman may have reservations about the age old belief in this tradition and intellectuals across the globe may find it impossible to comprehend the idea of the lady worshipping his man in the space age.

The Indian women deserve reverence as well as credit for keeping this illogical custom alive and vibrant, for it is they who hold our family and society knit together in the bond of love.
As for travelers like me, instead of debating the relevance of this colorful tradition, we should mark it as a festival celebrating the institution of marriage as a whole, acknowledging the role of both the man and the wife, irrespective of who is fasting or not, the celebrations should be there.

India seems to be echoing this transition and hopefully, will find a way, through festivals like these, to celebrate the marriage of progress with tradition, the very essence of its culture.


Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Salary Day

YIppiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!
Rs 54,000/-!!!!!!!!!!!
Exactly on this day, the 30th of September 2008, my world had changed, forever.
For a boy whose monthly purse during college hovered around the 3k mark, I could not believe the text that was being displayed on my mobile:
"Your Ac xxxxxx544404 is credited Rs 54,000.oo 29 Sep."
My first salary, the feeling of earning, and being independent, well, it was just a wonderful feeling.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Healthy Terrorism!!

CASE I
I was going through an article on terrorism in Guardian, UK, and it stated that India loses more no of people to internal and external terrorist strikes than any other country in the world, roughly about 3000 civilians and soldiers.
The word terrorism figures as many times an intellectual drama is airing across tons of thousands of news channels, the new found delicacy of the aam aadmi.
The aam aadmi fears for his life, and the government promises to fight terrorism at every cost.

CASE II
Indian government spending on the country's defense and home security is a whooping figure, even by official figures, which make India the biggest international buyer of arms and military equipment.
Strategic experts have time and again pointed out the use of "third world" equipments by our armed forces. India has lost more than 100 pilots due to test-crashes, either because of failure or malfunctioning of the outdated Soviet flight equipments. It would be interesting to find out the total no of pilots or flights that have been crashed due to terror strikes across the world.
I wonder, given a choice, they would have loved to crash their planes on the enemy lines and glorify death.
The aam aadmi reads these headlines, and every tom, dick and Harry comments," Is Desh Ka kya ho Raha Hai", cribs at his government, yet we don't feel insecure by these accidents, neither do we feel at loss, until a dear one vanishes into the abyss of serving the nation.


CASE III
One article on Health Safety services in India caught my eye recently.The author, expressed languish over the fact that two people die every minute in India because of TB, that makes it 2880/day and nearly over a million deaths per year.
The combined toll of Malaria, Diarohea, Cholera, AIDS, is way over the total population of some countires of the world.
Surprisingly, the public expenditure on the health sector was merely 0.6 % of the GDP in 2005.
The NHRM, a central government health care mission, aims to raise this spending to 2% of GDP by 2012.
In a country of over a billion people, more than half live under one dollar a day, those who cannot, succumb.


But the aam aadmi is helpless, he is himself fighting corruption, inflation, joblessness and many more evils. A middle class family income generator spends his life trying to secure his/her family, forget the rest.
So what to do?
Blame the bloody government, the selfish petty politicians and sleep in peace.
What does the government do?
Announce awesome plans, allot funds, and make sure that everything never falls in place.
When every argument fails, both the government and the aam aadmi blame the involvement of a foreign hand:
Terrorism!!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Prem Patra

Koi Deewana Kehta Hai, Koi Pagal Samajhta Hai,
Magar Dharti Ki Bechaini ko Bas Badal Samajhta Hai.

Main tujhse door kaisa hoon, tu mujhse door kaisi hai,
Yeh Tera Dil Samajhta Hai, Ye Mera Dil Samajhta Hai.

Bawaa!!!
I don’t know what to write, where to begin from, and where to end. I even don’t know if you will read this or not, yet I write to you.
I still remember, pearls of tears rolling down your pretty face, and mine, for this was it, the moment had arrived, I had finished my graduation, and in spite of all my wishes, it was time for me to leave, to step out of the college, into a new world. I could see the pain burning in your eyes, those eyes which used to carry the happiness of the world for me, which made me laugh, which stood by me, almost every time and anytime.
To be honest, it was your eyes that did the trick and made an Aashiq out of me.
The first day I saw you, those lovely, playful, naughty, big eyes, I knew, I was gone. 5 years have passed since, and honestly, I haven’t seen a more beautiful sight in this entire period, but for your eyes.
I don’t know what love is, but many say it’s friendship, well, friends we have been, almost the shadow of each other, from the day I saw you first, at the college gate, till the day, I walked out of that same gate, forever. Four years of trust, fun, courage and friendship. I never realized, you became my habit, an awesome habit. Mata ki Chai, Drishtant ki meetings, events, Ed-Board, TPO, the evening walks outside 7 no, the corridors of 5 no, c-top, the cricket ground, almost everything, reminded me of you.
I was struggling with life, but you never gave up, as my strength, you stood by me, steered my ship across maelstroms right up to the shore, to safety.
Yet, I walked out, left you behind, in the pursuit of my dreams, at a moment when you needed me most. Neither did you complain. Just smiled at me through the wall of tears, hoping I will come back, some day or the other.
I know I am selfish, I have made mistakes, I chase my dreams, yet, I miss you. Over the past year or so, I feel as if a part of me has gone, forever, lost into the cosmos. Everything is just perfect, but for you. I never made any promises to come back, and I regret this fact today, for I don’t see myself in the mirror, but a body which has lost its soul.
I don’t know whether I will come back or not, whether you still like me or not, will you forgive me or not. But I do want to tell you something, whatever I breathe; it has a tinge of your fragrance, soft and warm.
Someday we shall meet, and I may live again…

Main tujhse door kaisa hoon, tu mujhse door kaisi hai,
Yeh Tera Dil Samajhta Hai, Ye Mera Dil Samajhta Hai.

Love
Pathik

Note:
The post is inspired by a love letter that I wrote in early 2008 for a letter writing contest in one of my college festivals. I choose to write a love letter to my college and the pretty girl in this story is my college MANIT Bhopal.
Mata ki Chai is a historical part of MANIT college life.
Drishtant is our literary society, TPO is our placement cell and I was a part of the Editorial Board as well.
This post is dedicated to MANIT, it's students and friends.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

A Good Human

Today, India lost one of it's most popular and respectable politician, Late Mr YSR Reddy.
Ironically, this is the only nation in the world which seems to loose the gen-next leaders in some weird and untraceable air-plane crashes.
In a country of a billion demands and tensions, few politicians command respect for their work and achievement, and I am sure, Mr Reddy, sitting pretty in the adobe of heavens above, will know, his work had just started. A charismatic leader, not by populist propaganda, but by the sheer strength of his socialist schemes and humble attitude, the people of Andhra Pradesh have definitely lost someone more than a politician.
It's a bigger irony that politicians are always looked in the dark shades, even after their deaths, and no matter what they do, controversies arise out of ashes.
I hope, he will get a better treatment, for above everything, he was a good human.
As far as politics goes, Congress has lost it's king of the south, TDP can regroup and target 2014.
But for now, pray for the man, his aides who died along with him, and their families.
May God Bless us all.
Amen!!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Accident!!!

I met with an accident today.
A small girl, around 8 years in age, came infront of my bike. I was driving at around 40-50 km/hr and inspite of applying the disc brakes, could not prevent the accident. My bike hit her and she rolled on the ground almost thrice. The girl got up at once and started crying. I immediately realised she needed a doctor and got down from the bike. I picked up in my arms but she told me to put her down. As soon as I did that, she started limping towards her slum dwellings. Guided by her neighbours, I somehow followed her to her house. She was bleeding from a wound on her elbow, and had a visible wound on her ab. I explained the situation to her parents and admitted my mistake, requesting them to kindly allow me to take her to the hospital. Although the on-lookers and her neighbours opined that she was at fault and blah blah, I knew, I was at fault. Finally I rode her to a nearby clinic, accompanied by her brother around 14 years in age. Although the setting of the clinic was in a village, yet the doctor had the warmth to welcome both me and the child. He inspected her from head to toe, dressed her wounds, gave her medics and injection, and told me, she is perfectly normal. Hearing this atleast three times from him, I got out of the clinic and bought biscuits, chips and toffees. I rode them back to their temporary canvas tent and handed over the medics to her mother. She quietly slipped into her mother's lap and gave a sigh of relief. I decided to stay there for some time, and offered my apologies to her family. They were landless laborers from MP, and the conditions in which they were camping, almost started choking me. They expressed gratitude for my help, and assured me of the child's condition as normal.
I had only thanks to offer to them, wishes for Pinki, the child, and gratitude towards the almighty, who always tries to prove to me the meaning of the term faith and belief.
But the guilt will stay, I could have injured that child.
When I think of the condition of her family, and her neighbours, the clouds of despair surround me.
Yet, the ray of hope shines through, and one of my friend says:
"Just touch someone's life, be a humble human, and do all thats in your control"
Hope saved me today, and hopefully, I will always be it's favorite son.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Birthday Boy!

Today 12th August 2009, I complete an year of corporate melodrama courtesy Reliance Infrastructure Limited or akka Reliance Energy.
From being one of the three GET's to be in HR department, to getting transferred into Systems and Procedures department, from handling TSSA with Black &Veatch to being the team member of the Head of Engineering, from forwarding mails which almost got me fired, a year full of adaptations.
Certainly not expected, not defined, but the cloud of corporate lust, has already started growing, thick and fast.
The rules of the game are simple:
"Keep changing the goal Posts"
Inspite of all the wisdom, money does make one feel good, if not better ;)

Monday, August 10, 2009

Hang them all......

TO be hanged by the neck untill death
I am not making news when I say that India is one of the most favored terrorist targets, neither do I claim to make a discovery when I say that the life of an average Indian is one of the most easiest to take among the different countries of the world.
But what definitely should have made news, was the appeal of Shiv Sena chief, akka Bal Tackerey, in his Sena mouthpiece, Samna, to hang Mr. Ajmal blah blah Kasab, publicaly, infront of Gateway of India, for the accused faces charges of killing innocent Indians, in the so called "Mumbai Under Seige" episode.
As an average citizen of India, I share the same angst and irony as Mr Thackrey shares, and for the first time ever in my life, I see reason in aggressive capital punishment. By his call of Hanging Kasab in public, He wants to show them, an eye for an eye. Enough is enough. We won't keep quiet forever. Hang him, bloody killer, let them know, India is no sissy.
Let me go a step further, and ask all of us, all we Indians:
  • Over 1000 fellow innocent Indians died in post Godhara riots in Gujarat, kids have been orphaned, mothers disgraced, men broken in shadow and spirit, the soul of the nation had been raped, but what did we do?
  • The riots of Bombay spread a new wave of communalism in India, what did we do?
  • Maximum number of rapes take place in India, what do we do?
  • A kid dies in this country every minute because of mal nutrition, what do we do?

The list will go on and on, but does it really matter to us, if innocent Indians are killed, or does it matter to us, it's we who hold the trigger or it's them?

If Kasab can be punished, why not these traitors?

What justice exists in a society, where girls are traded in the pursuit of money, where children are sold for survival, where murderers and rapists voice public opinion in the parliament, where a man spends all his life trying to justify his integrity to the nation, where to be just and true is a crime?

The only justice I see, is to hang them all, once for all, I am sick and tired of this rotten system, and I do want my children to live in a society where survival is not based on the roots of acceptance of the bloody system.

All Indians are my brothers and sisters, bloody joke of the century.

MANIT @ Crossroads Again

Finally some good news for all MANITIANS!!!
Heard Dr Pandey has been thrown out of the college by the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, and along with him, several other goons have been thrown out of their official administrative responsibilities.
Hope things turn in some positive direction, as the past seems to tell a different story.
If anyone has more updates on the matter, kindly post.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

The Agony of Harry Potter 6

PraanBhakshi
Garud Dwar
Bolti Topi
Chir Nidra Kadha

I have to write this one.

Yesterday, we saw The Half Blood Prince.
Sorry, Ms Rowling, this one was in Hindi.
Also, Ms. Rowling would be surprised to know her creation Mr Potter is no longer a child but a half grown man with quite an appetite for chicks and what more, even Saint Dumbledore has turned naughty.
I never knew Mr Weasley had such an intense and raunchy relationship within the pages of the novel, neither did i knew Ms Granger had harbored such an intense sense of desperateness for Mr Weasley(Although I would always keep loving Ms Emma Watson for whatever she does ;))
Our dear old Hagrid too has adopted the peculiar tone of Dharam Paji, and boy, I bet the whole hall would have cried seeing Hagrid offer prayers to Aragog, what an emotional scene that was...

Ahan, How can i forget Ms Weasley, that pretty, naughty girl, who throughout the film, is either hugging or kissing anyone that bumps into her, even our very own Miracle Boy, Mr. Potter.

The standout performance of the film was no doubt, but Mr Weasley, who seems to have grown far too big and broad, butterbeer they say, and who throughout the movie has taken the role of lead comedian, pretty much like the Chota Chatris or the Pappu Pagers of our Bollywood tales.
Bravo Mr Weasley !!!


The best scene of the movie, any guesses, well ladies and gentlemen, kindly hold your beats, here it is : A love sign, yeah a love sign, drawn on the forst ladden viewglass of the train compartment, yeah you guessed it right, for Mr Weasley, the forbidden love.........


I am sure, Ms Rowling, sorry, Ms Julia Roberts, is the original script writer for this movie.
What awesome emotions, what romance.
Even our own Nadiadwalas, the makers of Kambhakt Ishq, would not have been able to deliver a better crap romantic emotional drama than our beloved foreign partners, Warner Borthers!!

As Far as Mr Potter is concerned, i would love to see Ms Rowling's creation take the centrestage.
As it looks now, the agony is, it's our love-struck, melodramatic, technicolor bollywood hero, Dude Harry, appearing in the feature films.


In loving memory of the Half Blood Prince:
By Harry Potter Fan Club.

P.S.: I forgot to mention Mugglu, Jhaduwale, my companions, but, that's another story !!!


Monday, July 6, 2009

The Great Indian Curry

India...
Bharat..
Aam Aadmi..
Markets...

Sometimes, I feel, we Indians have got a habit of complaining and cribbing for almost everything that the government does.
Yesterday was no different, when the much hyped budgetary hoopla once again gained the center stage of the Indian psyche.Our Chief Chef, Pranabda, served the Great Indian Curry, the Union Budget, to the people of India, keeping in mind the tastes and preferences of almost everyone from the home servant Ramu, the Nukkad paanwala Raju, the office executive Rajesh and the corporate czar Reliance, and only time will tell, how good the curry is for the health of the Indian Economy.

A little enquiry into the backdrop of the scenario in which the budget has been prepared reveals the following important points:

  • The world is under the effect of the worst recession ever, bigger than the great depression, and markets around the world are tumbling.
  • Indian GDP growth rate has dipped to 6.8 % in 2009, still the second highest in the world, next after China.
  • Foreign funds have dried up in the Indian Markets and therefore there is a dier need for an increased fiscal spending to stimulate demand, which ultimatley links to having a higher fiscal deficit in the present scenario, to stimulate demand and consumption.
  • The UPA has won the general elections on the poll plank of Aam Aadmi and socially oriented schemes like NREGA, JNNURM etc.
  • The popular sentiment of the Indian masses has been majorly against the disinvestment regime of the government in the PSU's.
  • There is a growing need to increase internal as well as external security network and capabilities in view of the increased terrorist and criminal activities, that are threatening to take away the essence of democracy- peaceful coexistence.
  • India needs to build infrastructure at a rapid pace to enter into the next stage of economic growth and sustainability.
  • The global cilmatic change regime is a major challenge and needs to be tackled right now with utmost importance and sustainable measures.
Keeping all the above points in mind, my opinions about the budget 2009 are as under:

  • The budget has focused on social inclusion, or what we can say as inclusive growth, keeping in mind definite political gains as well as the challenge of putting the economy back on track.
  • The flagship schemes of the UPA like National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, and the Accelerated Power Development Programme have been given the top priority both in terms of fund allotments as well as in terms of action items, which basically target the rural population, roughly 70% of our total. This is a big paradigm shift from the earlier budgets, and the focus has been on spurring growth through rural empowerment and rural spending. This is a direct indication of the consumer market getting shifted to the vast, untouched rural markets of India.
  • The agricultural growth rate has been targeted at 4%, which is a very tough task to achieve in practical, and the major disappointment in this regard is that there is no major scheme announced which deals with implementation policies attached to this goal.
  • The government is betting big on rural spending and rual consumption, and the middle class consumer may feel a little unhappy with the fact that he has perhaps lesser items in his kitty.(Read Tax sops)
  • The government has certainly increased the spending for higher education, allocated more funds for IIT's and NIT's, but I feel disappointed with the lack of funding and focus in the primary education sector, the base of our society.
  • The widening of the standard deduction limit is a mere Rs 10000/-, is a big disappointment. The Middle Class was expecting something much bigger to cheer about, and it will certainly feel cheated, as it is the middle class which will be paying almost the same tax and paying the price of inflation too. Is national development or social development of the Aam Aadmi, something different from the problems of the middle class? Time and again, Middle class feels cheated in this neo-liberal, semi- socialist, semi-capitalist India, and to be honest, our governments have given every reason to them to feel so.
  • Some taxes like Fringe Benefit Tax, the CTT have been abolished, some more sops have been extended to IT industry, on the other hand, MAT has been increased from 10% to 15 %, and the smaller players in the IT industry will feel the pinch of MAT, but overall, a balanced menu for the Industry.
  • The government has finally focused on healthcare and related services, which is indeed a good sign for a healthy nation.
  • There are provisions for separate education schemes for female literacy and this is one single highlight of the budget in my opinion, that will turn into a much larger scheme like NREGA in times to come.
  • A great amount of funds have been announced for funding Infrastructure projects, and I think this is indeed a right step, and a much needed one.
  • Bharat Nirman, the flagship scheme of UPA, for buiding social infrastructure in rural areas, has been given a great impetus, and looks more of a populist measure coupled with increased employment generation.
  • I am sadly disappointed with the budget having no major initiative for skill development, as half of our population is in the agegroup 18-30, and this was the right oppurtunity to use this manpower for national development, an oppurtunity gone missed.
  • I am wary of the fact that our fiscal deficit has risen alarmingly to 6.8% of the GDP in this budget, but to be honest, any recession requires expansionary government policies(Read Keynesian Expansionary policy, a fundamental in economics) and at this juncture, I only hope we return to fiscal deficit minimisation as soon as possible, for a large fiscal deficit means we are burdening our future generations with debt, but pragmatically, this is more like a necessary evil than an outright idiocity.
  • The government has finally acknowledged the pressing threat of climate change and its good to see National Plan on Climate Change getting good funds to start with.
Overall, I will give it a rating of 7 out of 10.

By the way, can someone please define this Aam Aadmi?
I need a certificate for sure.................

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

LOC:Line of Control

Will you take dowry?
No, I won't.


A deafening wave of laughter submerged my response even before it could surface on the canvas of our discussion. Mocking won't be the right word to describe it, though irony may just be perfect.
Sitting in a class of aspiring civil servants, I expected this response to be accepted as quite natural, on the contrary, it generated a series of laughter and comments:

"Humain kuch nahi chayiye, lekin aap apni beti ko dena chahte hain to koi problem nahi"

"App cash mat do lekin ek badi gaadi hoti to"


No one pointed fingers at me, no allegations were made.
Yet, i felt the pinch.
The ladies laughed, the gentlemen smiled, as if I had cracked the greatest joke at that hour.
Maybe, what they were referring to was correct, the prevailing customs and prejudices in the society, but then, who is to blame and correct, if not but we?
I often get the advice of keeping idealism separate from realism, yesterday was no different, but again an eye opener of the brutal fact, that in reality, a whole lot of us is still a barbaric, selfish bunch of individuals, afraid of the society as a tradition.

The Line of Control between good and bad, between values and objectives, between opinions and beliefs, seems to be diminishing at the pace of nauts. Our education too is of little help, as it is but ultimatley the environment that one gets at home which dominates one's thought process and defines the freedom with which one percieves the blurred reality.

Time and again, society bombs my wall between idealism and practicality with heavy canons loaded with pounds of reality.
In the wake of yesterday's fresh attacks, I am mending the walls.

This line of control may not last forever, i can only hope, it does.






Wednesday, June 17, 2009

A Red Day

15th June 2009.
So?
Middle of the Year?
Very hot?

To be honest, one of the best days of my life.
By god’s grace, I finally bought a bike, a splendid machine, by the name of Honda Stunner CBF.
The Red beauty beamed towards me as a newly wedded bride beams to her groom, at the wedding ceremony, and boy, it felt awesome!!
Some men dream, few accomplish what they dream, and even fewer go beyond what they dreamt of. That evening, I felt, I belonged to that last category, maybe for an instant, but I was there, with a bang.
Like a gang of college friends going to attend a wedding, My colleagues Nitin , Bharat and Poornima, literally took me to the showroom as a groom is taken to the wedding Pandal, a little tense, and a lot more happy inside. By the time we reached to the showroom in Poornima’s car, excitement had taken over our office boredom. Then, we saw her, standing there, like a bride dressed in all red, ready to take the final step out of her house, into her new home.

After about an hour of chaotic documentation, after going through all those idiotic formalities, and the cash, came the moment all of us were waiting for.
Poornima, smiling like a fairy in dreams, handed over to me, the keys of my bike, and suddenly I realized, it’s done!
For a moment, I thought, I wasn’t there. I was seeing things, there was Bharat, beaming with joy, and also Nitin, acting his usual self, and everything was just perfect, but was it true?

Indeed it was, and the clouds of disbelief were soon drowned in the ecstasy of euphoria that followed. I touched my bike, gently, and put in the key. And then, away we went, my bike and me, out into the streets of Noida, as if, a Happy beginning…..

I had heard an old Indian saying, “Sabra Ka Phal Meetha Hota Hai”, and boy, it really is sweet, in fact, and it’s amorous.

As of now, life’s good !!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Ye Pirate!!!

15 men on a Dead Man's Chest,
yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.
Drink and devil had done for the rest,
yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.


Rum, drink, Devil , death.
Is that all?
Nah.

It's the song of Freedom, of free men, the ones civilizations have hated for centuries now, the one they call the Pirates.
Born from the marriage of crime and freedom, Piracy, never fails to attract young men, like an enigmatic lovely beauty, casting dark spells resulting in fatal attraction.
If I forget for a moment the wickedness, treachery and crime involved, I would love to be pirate, explore the open seas, be the king of my world, and cherish the feeling of adventure.
More than anything else, being a pirate, symbolically, would have released me from the countless notions and prejudices that the civilized society follows, and given me something I have almost lost now, the freedom of my thoughts, the freedom to break rules, the freedom to look beyond customs and traditions.

Someday, this world would have caught me, tried me for going out of the norms, and then choked my thoughts, unto death.

Yeah, A pirate!!!

But what if I am always ahead of them, and I escape somehow, every time as his holiness Captain Jack Sparrow does. Talking of Capt Jack, he says somewhere in the Pirates of Caribbean Trilogy, that it's all about the thought of being free, of freedom, that makes him a pirate. Aye sir!!

R.L. Stevenson gave me the most fantastic tale of my childhood in "Treasure Island", with Jim Hawkins, the 17 year old lad, capturing the imagination of my fantasies through his tale of adventure and bravery against the pirates on the Treasure Island.
I never knew that time, that I would like Long John Silver, the one-legged Pirate Captain, the lion of the seas. Pirates, the free men, sang this to celebrate their freedom:

15 men on a Dead Man's Chest,
yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.
Drink and devil had done for the rest,
yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Return of the Middle Path Approach

After a week or so of torturing introspection, as always, I have decided to opt for the middle path once again.
My getting into the endless list of Indian Civil Services aspirants was just a matter of time, and to be honest, this is my only option, as it seems, to be the change that i wish to see in the system.
Once again, I have a big dream, once again, I am caught between the past and the future.
Torn between the rebel and the responsible, my identity seems to be taking the path of the common man, powerful yet full of the fear of the unknown.
What is it that ignites my soul, the plight of the poor, the power of the post, the thought of getting into the system, the glory that surrounds a leader, the fame, the money or the passion to live forever through the pages of history?
The quest is on for the search of my identity, the route is shaping up, the approach is of the middle path.
What is it that I look for?
Am I afraid, yes somewhat..
But I am not giving up, not yet......

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Mother of All failures

It has been almost 5 years in continuation, where I haven't backed my ability to perform and compete at the highest level. Be it the IIT preparation, be it CAT, be it with IAS or be it with Economics, I always seem to fins some excuse or the other for my complacency and ill planning and hazardous execution.
In spite of showing promise, i always fail to perform as my motivation level and hardwork goes down after a month or so of any preparation I do.
I talk big, yet fail to deliver.
I am a total failure in life, and have almost come down to pity myself.
I wasn't this, i was a much better person in college, i had the courage to back my words, to say what i wanted.
Suddenly the world has grown dimmer, i don't see things clearly, and i have developed this bloody fear of the unknown.
What if I do this and it does not work syndrome has caught me like anything and I am almost nearing the peak of my identity crisis.
i want to do a lot, I know i have the potential to do a lot more than i can ever imagine, yet the quest for glory, glamor and destiny is stealing away the success map of present from me.
I am totally lost, and I am the one to blame, the problem is me and I have to find the solutions.
I am down, hopefully not out.
Not yet!!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

NITB is a mystery

It's story is as dark and engrossing as that of an actress who rose to become the sensation of her age, to be mislead into darkness, into the dark roads of prostitution and trafficking, only to suffer, until one day, she meets a young man, who knows no fear, no bounds, no future, who falls in love with her, to bring her out of darkness, back to the glory, to where she belonged to, the lights, the glamor, if only, he could,
but

Destiny had planned a different ball game for it.
This is no horror, yet will terrify you, send a chill through you spine, only to bring out the bitter truth.
NIT Bhopal is a mystery, one you have always waited for!