Every Dog has his day

Have you been in a horrific situation with a tinge of comedy, where reacting to the comic element might become disastrous for you? Here is one example I was told by a friend who stays in China.

A newly wed couple had shifted to Bejing, China. The husband was posted on a project and was to be on site for a couple of years. It was the guy’s third visit to the city and he had been staying there for a stretch that lasted more than six months at a time. The newly wedded wife was a staunch vegetarian, detesting the kind of food that was served in the Chinese restaurants. Oh! And I forgot to mention, she was a complete animal lover. Dogs specially.

Over a period of time she adjusted to the food and people, and the usual routine of life her husband was prone to. So, after a couple of months, the wife insisted on buying some stuff for the house. One weekend they decided to go shopping. They strolled the inner streets and looked for specialities they could buy and decorate their home. As they shopped, the wife saw a man with a wonderful dogs. A dog lover that she was, she immediately was attracted to them and rushed to pet them. One of the dogs she found extremely cute, and wanted to buy him at once. The husband was reluctant and argued that they would not be able to take him back to India when they left. The wife, however stood her ground not budging an inch. She was lonely, she said. A dog as a companion would keep her occupied when the husband was at work. The husband asked the man – How much. The man replied back in completely broken English $$$yuan. The husband took out his wallet and offered him the money. He said – again in fragmented English – One hour – here! He pointed to a shop. – If not here, ask there!

The wife was elated. She was completely thrilled. There was a bounce to her walk, a ring in her talk. The husband had never seen her so happy. They shopped around and returned to the place where the man had promised to be back in one hour. He was standing there. But there was no dog around. Both of them went to the man who was talking to another Chinese man.

Seeing the husband, his eyes lit up and put forth a plastic bag saying – here is your dog..

“2 Bucks"

Inspired by a true event and written with inputs from Col. Ramesh Sharma

Sarojini is just one year old. The last time I left from home, she would lovingly call me Dada. Her melodious voice that broke into a gibberish were the most beautiful moments i got back from home along with the warm kakras wrapped in a towel for the train journey. I would not have known that these moments would have been the last ones when i spent with them. Every time I came back home it would be scene of celebrations at home and every departure to the ‘front’ would be like a mourning. 

I remember the first time i had met my wife. She was young, hiding her shyness behind the bright yellow ghunghat. But her smile shone through her ghunghat into my heart. Soon we got married, and her shyness had disappeared like a fragrance in the wind. She would keep talking till her jaws ached and I would listen to her talks till my eyes fell asleep. We became best of friends but before we realised, time had disappeared like the fine sand between the tender fingers of life and it was time to part. Her silence on that day was the most unbearable. I could have borne a thousand bullets on my body, but this pan was of a different kind. Her tears were unstoppable. I knew then that my biggest strength was now my biggest weakness. During the train journey, I could not sleep a wink. Her smile would linger like an illusion in my eyes and if my eyes drooped into slight drifts of sleep, her mindless laughter would wake me up with a jolt. But my Country was to be guarded and protected, the enemy to be kept at bay, so that the vast land of hardworking people could make us the best nation in the world. It was my pledge to die for the country, my country men, die for the  honor of my regiment and its "izzat". 

Another bullet hit the glass window hard throwing it into splinters. Sandwiched between the wall and the truck, I had hardly any space to move. The terrorists had occupied the mosque and had held innocent people hostages. The encounter was long and bloody. I was out of ammunition. There was continuous firing from the upper tiers of the minaret. The entire nation was being divided. The war that was supposed to be kept at the borders had seeped into the country like cancer. The war now had to be fought from within. In every part of India, we are seen with hatred. Human rights activists clamor at our door step making noise of deaths during ambush as inhuman. I often wonder in agony, are our lives worth nothing? It is so easy for activists to stay behind closed doors in the security of their homes and point fingers at us calling our actions inhuman. Would they stand in front of these firing terrorists and get the hostages their freedom? A hand grenade blasted a little distance away from me and I was shaken from my thoughts. I saw Major Ahmed running towards me from behind a broken wall. The dust gave him cover. He took cover next to me. He was grinning from ear to ear.

 'I am out of ammunition, Ahmed.' I tell him. 'Give me some'

 Ahmed fires above the wall, still grinning like a jackass. 'Why should I give it to you?' he asks me.

 'Why not?' I ask him. 

'You haven't bothered to return me the 2 bucks you owe me from the teen pati  card game you lost a week ago!' 

'I will return it as soon as we get back' i promised him. 

'No I need it now. What if you get killed today? Then you will never give me back my 2 bucks!'

I search my pockets. Ahmed falls next to me. A bullet has pierced the skull on the upper eyebrow. Blood is gushing out. I hold him in my arms. His eyes mock me. I pick up his gun. I have to avenge his death…the death of a brave soldier, the death of my fallen brethren. I keep firing, the hostages must be rescued and the mosque has to be returned to its sanctity, for Ahmed, for Ahmed's wife, for Ahmed's children. He died in battle, a proud death. He gave his today for our tomorrow. It's now my turn to either victory or death. In war there is no second place. Win or die.

Autobiography of a flower

I am a flower. A flower that blooms and wilts. I live a life that lasts not more than a few days. Once I was a bud. A little bud in a vast flower garden. The gardener would come and look at me as he did with the other buds. He would water me and then talk to me. He would tell nice things, he would tell me that one day I would bloom and make some one smile. I wondered how.

In the days that I was a bud, I would wait, looking at other flowers that bloomed. They bloomed and the gardener would pluck them up and put them in a basket. I wondered, how I could make someone smile. Then one day when the sun rose, light blinded me for a while. I was in full bloom. I looked into the eyes of the sun and bathed in the warmth it shone on me. And then abruptly I was cut. My fate ended up to be the same as the other flowers I had seen bloom. I lied there in the basket. I was tossed and swirled as the gardener took me from basket to basket, and then to a pickup truck. I fell asleep, and then when I woke up, I was in a little shop. Around me were other flowers, they were all of a different kind, they were of different colors, probably a different race. They all looked beautiful. The florist had arranged so many of them together like a painting. People peeked in and picked up a bunch. Every time they did, they had a smile in their eyes.

Then, one day, the old florist picked me up. She softly touched me, and gently plucked out the wilted petals. She then handed me over to a young charming boy and tells him – I am sure she will love it. She then looks at me and tells me – Little flower, make his day.

The young boy clutched me with all his heart. His eyes nervous and his mouth chattering away in a nervous tone. We then reached a little park. The boy stops, hiding himself behind the bark of a huge oak tree. He then breathes deeply and turns back. With great courage, he approaches the girl. The girl, pretty that she is, is red with anger. They talk, she yells. The anger melts down into sobs, and she looks away. He gently goes behind her and brushes me on her cheeks. She turns around looking at him in his eyes. They kiss. He drops me on to the ground.

The sun rises, and lowers itself. It is almost evening. A little boy picks me up. I remember his face from the window at the florists shop. He looked at the flowers and then counted the pennies in his pocket. With depressed eyes, he left. He picks me up with great care and dusts me off. Happy to hold me, he runs and holds the hand of an old man. He holds on to me with care. He has got tears in her eyes. ‘Tears of happiness’ I think to myself.

We enter a huge building. A pretty lady lies in bed. She looks frail, but her anguish dissolves as she sees the boy. The boy runs and jumps on to the bed and hugs her. I see tears rolling from her eyes. She holds him tight and tells him ‘I love you’. The boy tells her – I love you too. He hands me over to her. Her eyes fill with tears and she kisses him on the forehead. He sits on her lap and they talk for hours. When the sun has hid behind the far away mountains, he kisses her goodnight and leaves.

The mother looks at me for a long time with fondness. She looks at me and tells me – I love you. I become the little boy. She then takes me and keeps me carefully in a big fat book that seems like a diary. I become her memory. I become a thought.

I become immortal.

Is India truly democratic?

To find a solution we need to find the problem first. And the problem would not be the politicians but a system that allows corrupt people into politics. The corrupt have raided and raped the system and the results of it are for everybody to be seen. So going back to where it all began, the drafting of the constitution, I did a Google search and this is what popped out- http://lawmin.nic.in/coi/coiason29july08.pdf It is a huge one and I plan to read it soon. Unless we do not know where the problem lies, how do we treat the sickness is what my mind is pondering.

Seeing the assembly elections and the fallout of the Maharashtra Government and appointment of the ministers, there was a fallacy that came across in my mind of the democratic set up of India. Further, this was also reiterated in a radio channel and I felt there might be many more who think alike. The fact that – Are we truly a democratic country?

Looking at the current set up, we have two elections, the Rajya Sabha (Assembly) elections and the Lok Sabha (Parliamentary) elections. At this level, the elections are democratic, where the people elect their representatives who would then head to the state assembly or to the parliament. But what happens after this is highly questionable. The fact that the politicians who are elected being clean and without criminal records is a completely different issue. But what is important to be noted is the process followed hence forth in the formation of the Cabinet, both in the Assembly and in the Parliament. Here the selection process starts. Witgh already many corrupt politicians going into both the houses, here there is a high chance of horse trading possible. The selection of the ministers become something very vulnerable to corruption. With party chiefs of the ruling party deciding who should be which minister, he becomes the most powerful person and buying and selling of posts could become the norm.

Thus we would get politicians and not leaders as the head of the state. Ministers who fail will step down and new ministers would come, but accountability will always be a question that will never be answered.

I can think of two approaches.

a) To make an election within the Assembly/ Parliament with candidates vying for the post. This would make the system a bit transparent, but horse-trading could become rampant on the flip side.

Or

b) The election mandate should include voting for three candidates at the same time. 1) The Prime Minister, 2) The Deputy Prime Minister and 3) Their local representative to the parliament and likewise for the Assembly elections 1) The Chief Minister, 2) The Deputy Chief Minister and 3) the MLA from the local constituency.

I would feel very positive if option b is exercised, since it would help us electing a leader based on the country consensus than the whims and fancies of a political party chief. It would also put on a huge responsibility on his shoulders and take accountability for the ministers appointed, else he face the wrath of his countrymen.

I have learnt... - revised

Ok. Here is a new set of revisions in the I have learnt... post

...that life is little, but it is the element of time that makes it a bit too long
...that life is not about being secure, but not feeling insecure
...that we can seek happiness, but can choose to be happy.
...that love is an illusion and life is full of magic
...that sorrow is just another feeling
...that we mistake to find happiness in relationships, when relationships are just a part of happiness.
...that we die, but our thought doesn’t.
...that we own only that much land where we stand on.

...That we need to love life, and life will love us

An uneasiness of the so-called 'Revolution'

Yesterday night, a disturbing thing crossed my mind. This revolution (if we can call it) that has taken such momentum, is this just a result of people’s anger over repeated anger or is there something more to it? Why did this not happen earlier? Ever since 1947, over 4100 terrorist attacks have taken place all over India. Why hav they never got so much importance as this attack is getting? In a way, I am glad that this revolution is taking place, but on the other hand, the underlying reasons that I see are also a bit disturbing.

If we look at the terrorist attacks in the past, blasts in trains, busses, in a taxi, at railway stations, these were places the common man visits every day. They are killed, many are left disabled and yet they resume the next day to their respective jobs. The glitterati and the industrialists called it resilience. I believe it is just that if they did not go to work, they would not know where they would pay their next month’s bills, the milkman, electricity, telephone bill, grocery bills, school fees, college fees, and so on… They had no choice. Yesterday, a radio station played an interview with an American who was amazed to see how the people of Mumbai were back on their jobs just three days after the siege ended. In New York after 9/11, people were scared to get out of their homes for a week. I would say, if the US citizens are paid a minimum wage by the government to the unemployed, they would rather sit secure in the houses than venture out. If it was the same case in India, people would have preferred the same. We are no different human beings, but we do know that our Government does nothing for us and hence we have to fend for ourselves. If we had the time and money to take care of our families we would have fought the government, stood up for our needs, but the daily necessity to feed our hunger makes us ignore all this and get back to work.

So what is different now from the past? Why will this revolution sustain, if it sustains?

This time the target was The Taj and The Oberoi. How many of the common man might have ever entered the Taj. The exterior photos are the only things a common man can relate to. They don’t have any reason to go to the Taj. The food is expensive. Only the high class (exponentially rich) can afford this kind of luxury. Why is the peace march around the Taj and Oberoi and not at CST or Vile Parle, which were also targets of the terrorists? The reasons are quite obvious. The rich and the powerful, don’t frequent busses or trains. They sit in the luxurious confines of their car to go wherever they have to go. Every time a calamity strikes the city, they are the least affected while the poor homeless person on the street is affected the most. Why is it that everyone is asking Raj Thackeray, where he is? Why didn’t the same people strike back when he and his goondas ran rampant the city? Again, the reason is quite simple. The affluent class were relatively unaffected. It was the poor and the average middle class who bore the brunt of the carnage, the blasts, and the attacks. This was happening when the affluent class were talking about the resilience of Mumbai sipping fine wine and dining at the Taj and the Oberoi. Now after these attacks, they know what the common man has felt for a long time. They now fear their own lives and thus they have come out in huge numbers.

But all said and done, as I have reiterated in my earlier posts of America coming together for one reason, I think India has a reason of its own now. For whatever reasons, it is time to stand for one common goal.

Independence.

Independence in the true sense. Independence from terror, from corruption, from poverty, from political leadership to true leadership. The midnight of August 15th 1947 bought in freedom of India from the British, but there is still a long way to go till each citizen of India gets his/her freedom.

The Gateway Peace March - Photoblog

©Photographs Copyrights with Prax

It is time...

Umpteen number of times have we been bombed, massacred, killed, we have lost our fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, wife, many have even lost their limbs. But the city still thrives. Self-proclained lovers of the city burn public property, hold the city to ransom. Yet we live on. A politician is made, a government is questioned, but in a few days everything is forgotten. The opposition blames it on the government, but I am sure, deep down, they must be relieved that they were not sitting on the throne, else they would have been the target of the opposition today.

LK Advani is already leveraging this event to gain the electoral seats in the Rajasthan Elections. RR Patil said this event as a small incident in the big city. The Congress states that atleast their ministers resigned while none of the ministers of the NDA government resigned following attack on the Parliament.

What a pathetic state of events in a democracy!

Politicians resign instead of being accountable of their lacunae. It is such an easy life for these politicians. They screw the life of the common people and when they are questioned, they resign. I feel there should be a bigger punishment to these politicians. They should be barred from politics forever.

India, for a long time has been the victim of lack of accountability. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s picture indicates him pointing, indicating the direction for growth, but we Indians take it as a sign of blaming the other one.

Why is it that the ministers don’t feel the need to spruce up the security system? Because they don’t think security is an issue. They feel secure under the cover of police security and NSG Commandos covering up their ass.


The ratio of police to people in India is the least in the world. We have 2.6 police officials per 1000 people. An average in any other country is 10-15 per 1000. How do we increase this? It is a difficult task, but one which needs tremendous insight and a passionate vigor to resolve it.

The police is known as the most corrupt in the state. The book Carnage by Angels by YP Singh states the shambles our police force is in. If we look into the cracks, there are many things that might shock us beyond our imagination.

A constable gets a paltry amount for his service, something around Rs. 7000/- per month. This, for putting his life on the line, working for more than 12 hours a day, to be cautious of the criminals with political connections, (you never know that the criminal you are arresting today might be the minister giving orders to you tomorrow) and also facing the flak for intelligence failure of the Governments divided security procedures and eventually facing the bullet of a terrorist. Is this amount enough to live a healthy life? Can he give the best education to his children? Will he be entitled for a loan to buy a house of his own? An eventual answer is No. So he has to get to corrupt methods and this has infinite repercussions on himself and the society on the whole.

What can we do?
Probably separate the police from the ministry to the Judiciary. This would ensure that the police would not need to please politicians or beware of the politics that happen at the highest levels. This ensures that the police would do their duty at the best. Increase the salaries to Industry standards so that kids today can consider it as a sound, clean and a patriotic profession.

This way might have its own negative implications, but then evolution of a concept would weed out the negativities and bring in a more positive approach to the security of the country and reduce corruption to a great extent.

As a common man, what can we do? We as individuals do not have any power. The power is only when we come together and stand against it unified. It takes a common cause to unify. And 26/11 has bought in the cause.

History has seen revolutions happen. As Hitler states in Mein Kampf - History has to be learnt not for the dates but to understand the reason and the forces behind such revolutions. We have our reason. And it is time for a revolution.

I will be standing at the Taj tomorrow. And I know I will not be alone.



Image Source: REUTERS. Photographs by: Arko Datta & Amit Dave

When arrogance subsides and humility returns

Since the economic recession in the US began and spread around the world, I had a strange feeling. I could not explain it then, but it represented that something in the world will now come back to order. When I told this to a friend who counter-argued, I couldnot explain it well, but over a period of time, now, I can.

For me, the last decade, post the era of Bill Clinton as the President, America stood out for arrogance. There were two major catastrophes that marked the era of Bush Junior. The WTC and the Economic recession. People in the US might deplore what I am saying. Prior to the WTC, the US was considered the unpenetrable. They condemned the terrorist acts in India, but did they ever feel what it meant to be living in the constant threat of terrorism? I guess not. But with WTC, things changed. They came to know what terror is. They felt it. They realized the pain of being violated with deaths of innocents. A new order came into being. A new jargon developed. War on Terror. However, the arrogance remained. They entered Iraq while the threat was holed up in Afghanistan.

They violated the UN call, not to invade Iraq as there were no weapons of mass destruction found. Another country succumbed to the arrogance of the United States. The US has always been involved in another country's war. But now the war has shifted into the country, Now the war is within. But the economic depression has a lot of positive impact. It brought Americans together, with each other as well as the world. The threat of personal security, emotional and financial is the biggest threat to all. And now the US of A, realized this, that they too can succumb, no one is invincible. Life is a great leveler. What can go up and come down and humility is the only way the world will keep up your honour. The election of Obama as a President is only the first step towards a better world order.

During the deluge in Mumbai, I had seen the entire city come together. The class difference did not matter. Everyone on the road was the same for the torrent of rain that swept Mumbai. Be it a man in a Merc, or a beggar in the corner. Everyone came together to help each other, for a common cause. To live, and to help others to live. An unknown bond of brotherhood had developed in an instant. That is what tough situations do to you. And I hope it does to the US too.

Yeh Jalwa!!

I was very skeptical to watch Fashion.

I like movies that are light, brings a smile on your face. I also likes the serious ones, those which end on a positive note, but those kind of movies are so few. Madhur’s films have always been inspired by true events. Chandni bar was a stark movie, but the end of the movie was not a good feeling I left with. Obviously, you have to see the film the director wants to show you. It is up to you to accept it or reject it. The more people accept it, the movie is a success. If they reject it, it is termed as flop. Many brilliant films have flopped and many trash movies have set the cash register ringing. The psychology of the Indian audience is hard to predict, or is it easy? Maybe there is a simple underlying thread that binds the audience in general.

India is a difficult country to live in. Everyday a man wakes up, he is prepared to go to war, mostly with himself, and it reflects in the world outside him. The conflicts that lie within and outside is quite stressful. And when someone goes to a movie hall, they just want to see something that will take them out of their briefly dull and intense life and transport them into a world of imagination. If it is a movie that is based on real life, it might not work. Because there is a very thin line where the film can seem like a documentary and entertainment. If you try to show the people what their life is, they would not want to see it. If they do make a realistic film, what might work is a real person living in the real world becoming an extraordinary person, and coming trumps in the dire situations he is thrown into. Madhur’s earlier films lacked this, but it dramatically or sometimes over-dramatically displayed the cockroaches beneath the carpet. But Fashion, there is a slight difference. The film potrays the fashion world as a very competitive world with immoral people around and some unique moral souls that are sprinkled in the otherwise fake world. But what I saw was not just the fashion world but how each individual rooted in their persona identify, survive, succumb and live in the profession. Its message doesnot just confine itself to the world of fashion, it probably can reach out to other worlds as well.

The potrayal of Meghna Mathur, Janet and Shonali depict three different strata of the society. Meghna, a wannabe, Janet, a regular model who has been in the industry long enough and Shonali who is a supermodel. Meghna aspires to be Shonali, Janet is contended where she is, while Shonali cannot handle success. If you cut this to a base psychological level, Meghna, represents the audience who wants to be an achiever, Shonali represents the people where success goes into the head and makes them think they are invincible and Janet, those people who are quite content with life the way it is and struts ahead in life no matter where she is, irrespective of success.

Also, the glamorous world of Fashion is something everyone wants to see, but only a few can aspire to be there. This unique combination of intrigue and base emotive connect to the audience makes the film work. Thankfully the film ends in hope. Where conviction and dedication brings out the best in the protagonist while one of them succumbs to the distaste of success.

Fashion is a well-made movie, the cinematographer Mahesh Limaye needs special mention. A short sequence where Meghna indulges in drugs and the psychedelic colors that is seen is brilliant in execution. The editing is top class. The acting is good, but I do think, the representation of gays is a bit over the top. This is what most of the directors do with representation of gays. They try to be gay-friendly but overtly make a mockery of them. Though one of them has shown as a straight-faced gay, who is just like a normal person, the rest turn out to sway too often as they talk. I wouldnt know if that was supposed to be the comic element in the film or just mere depiction.

But overall, it’s a good film to watch. The performances are credible and so is the music, the colors and the emotions.

What India needs is a reason!

I always wondered why the development of our country is so stirred with controversies, corruption, violent clashes, and religious insurgencies. Why are the politicians corrupt? Why are the roads dug up? Why are the rich super rich and the poor super poor? Why do the rich consider that they have the right of privileges over the poor Indian? Why is the crooked politician more powerful than a honest politician? The US of A is not one of my favorite countries, but I admire that country. There is a place where people can call their President a moron. They can make documentaries against him and hold rallies against his policies. If ever that happened in India, there would be carnage, destruction of public property and a few casualties, some dead, some injured and a bandh that would effect the economic prosperity of the country.

When the past episode happened with the corrupt traffic police constable, a casual discussion at home gave a great insight into what a common man thinks and why he keeps away from standing for the truth. Two old people who had visited started stating that how I was wrong, and that I had wasted 700 Rupees where else I could have just escaped the offence by just bribing a 100 Rupees. They stated they had seen this country since Independence and the state of the country is so bad, nothing can change its fortune. We were set to doom. Arguing with older people has always led to bitterness, besides, at the age of 70, it is hard for them to change their stand. They just become stubborn, like kids. So I let it go. But this was the hard truth that we have to face. If we have to change this country, each individual has to take up a stand and do their bit. If we don’t do it, we donot have the right to blame someone else for the mess our country is in. Not even the corrupt politicians. They are corrupt because of us.

America came together for a common cause. Republicans voted for a democrat and they changed ideologies because they knew if they did not the country will go down to the pits. They stood for one cause. Looking back, when do you see that India was united? It was for the freedom from the British. That was the only time we as a country were united, because everyone wanted one particular thing. Freedom. Everyone focused themselves completely to achieve that and achieved it. That is what India needs today, according to me. One reason, one singular reason for every person in this country to be united. Otherwise we will remain divided in hypocrisy of the so-called democracy.

McPain Vs Oh Bama!

While the entire world is waiting with bated breath, I wonder who will win over whom. The world believes that Obama will win. He is leading. But do not be surprised if McCain wins. It has happened before. He is surely better than Bush (anyone can be better than him, even a fifth grader) but the democracy that US boasts about is a little over-rated. The election and re-election of the moron is a testament to that or that majority of America is filled with idiots who don’t have their priorities right!

Jimmy Carter, ex-president of the US, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, is the founder of The Carter foundation which promotes and monitors the electoral processes in support of free and fair elections. They have already monitored 70 elections in more than 25 countries since its foundation. After Bush’s first regime, The Carter foundation was asked to monitor the elections in the US. Carter declined. He stated that the electoral process in the US is not free and fair and doesnot qualify for democratic elections in its present state.

So don’t be surprised if McCain wins.

But one thing is certain, whoever is elected has a tough task to undo a lot of things Mr. Bush has done. The downfall and the repercussions of a decade long rule by a moron has had its toll on the US.

So, I thought we should be pragmatic about the elections and wonder what the world might be if each of them got elected. It gives us a chance to see how good we are at our judgement. Five years down the line we can always compare what we expected and what actually happened. Here is my take. My analysis is based on the following points. There are many more, but i thought i will choose topics that are generic, and somethings I care about –
General personality, Taxation, Energy, War on terror, and India

McCain as President:
McCain is quite old, rather experienced. He has been a war hero and has the experience behind him as he has seen generations of Presidents come and go. Beeing from the military, he is ruled by orders, protocols and conventional methods of decision making. America is a country that has always been in a war – other people’s war. I always felt that the strategy was simple. Help other countries in their internal conflict, do them a favor and then modify their national policies in favor of the Americans. So that gives me a first indication that he should not be president. He will have a passion for war, not for peace, that take care for vested interests of the powerful weapon makers of the US and builds in roads into developing nations economy.

With regards to taxation, McCain wants to slash corporate taxes, and give breaks to middl-rich earners and cut capital gains tax. This statement I think should be seen under a microscope. Cutting corporate taxes is like a blade with a sharp edge on both the sides. In this dwindling economy, slashing corporate taxes can ease the pain on the companies and reduce the layoffs, but that thought is a hopeful one. The company owners will use it to their advantage. They will continue the layoffs and try to reduce their losses by exploiting the cuts on corporate taxes. With his stand on Capital Gains, I can see McCain preference is towards the middle-rich and the rich. So, another no for McCain.

McCain would continue Bush’s stand on his war on terror. This means more deployment of troops in Afghanistan and ha has stated that he has no preference to put up a timetable for retreating the troops. This validates my point earlier on his personality of a war veteran.

McCain also doesnot support subsidies on ethanol and other bio-fuels. Why doesn’t he support the alternative fuel industry? Is hurting the oil lobby going to be bad for his presidency? Again, is he becoming a president for the people of the country or for the powerful people of the country?

With reference to India, he would be the perfect president. The Nuclear deal will not change and the policies on outsourcing will not effect much to Indians who are now turning from smart engineers to dumb telephone receptionists… For the long run, I would like Indians to be self sufficient and not depend on outsourcing and shift their focus from service to manufacturing industry as the driver of the economy. Hence my preference to McCain would be another big no.

Well with the total no to McCain, I think the obvious choice becomes Obama, but without analysis it would be a disaster. What if his stand on the same topics were worse than that of McCain? Being an Indian, the meaning for democracy here is to choose the candidate that is going to create lesser problems for the people.

Obama is young and looks dynamic. His smile appeals and has a kind of positive aura. Young blood means taking risks, and treading unconventional paths. It might retaliate, but there are a lot of chances that the approach might bring out radical change. There is not much information I could gather about how Obama would take his decisions as a President, but I would like to take that chance and hope the Americans would too. Mostly his decision making would be a reflection of how he approaches the different topics and try to decipher his thinking methodology.

With regards to taxation, he wants to reduce income tax for middle classes and raise capital tax. I think with my earlier debate on McCain’s take on taxes, I am convinced, Obama is a President for the people. Less Income tax means more savings and higher Capital gain taxes means the wealthy have to fork out a bit more. Not a very painful approach.

On the war of terror, he is clearly put his stand strongly against terrorism, but what is more pleasing for the world is that he has charted out a sixteen month withdrawal of troop deployment from Iraq. He has also gone all out for stronger operations against the Taliban. His name rhyming to that of Osama, and the middle name of Hussein is also an interesting occurrence, which might also be of influence people on their views in the war on terror.

Obama heavily supports increase of subsidies on ethanol and biofuel subsidies. Again another point that he is the President for the people and not for ‘some’ powerful people.

India might not stand to benefit much if Obama is elected president. He would be opting for more internal jobs and would cut outsourcing, which will hugely affect the Indian economy. Also his stand on the Nuclear deal that supports India might be challenged by the democrats which can take the deal to troubled waters. Nevertheless India needs to know that they have to be self sufficient and not depend on another countries economy for its existence. So I would like to vote for Obama. But I am not on the electoral roll.

The world roots for Obama, and I would too, but it is up to the Americans. I hope they see what lies in the best interest of their people and also consider that there are other countries other than the US in this world!

Happy Diwali!!!!

Faux Pas

Now I know why I cannot be a man who can charm women. It is an art and I don’t possess that for sure. A conversation on the phone today underlined the entire fact. A recent acquaintance keeps calling. I would call her ‘She’ in this post to maintain her anonymity. She calls daily and keeps asking if I had food, and if I did, what did I have. Its kind of irritating. I always try to be nice and cringe myself away from the phone when she keeps yapping not knowing how to cut the phone without her knowing!!! I guess life has a way to get things done. The excerpts of the conversation -

Tring Tring… (5 times approx which I take to think wether I should pick it up or not)
Me: Hello
She: Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii….
Me: Hi
She: Where are you?
Me: Office
She: Jeeez! Why did you go to office? There is so much tension on the streets.
Me: Well, I came
She: Had food?
Me: No
She: Why do you do this? You never have food on time. It wouldn’t… (I go deaf…)
Me: (thinking) Did I marry her and then loose my memory when I hit my head out of sheer desperation?
She: Helloo… are you listening
Me: ya, I am here.. tell me..
She: I was telling you, this guy proposed to me.
Me: Wow! Good for you. Who is the guy?
She: This guy from office, bas****…
Me: Whay are you abusing him, just because he proposed to you?
She: No, he is married. And he thought I didn’t know.
Me: Hmmm.. interesting…
She: He came up to me in the canteen and said he wants to go out with me!
Me: Well, that doesn’t sound like proposing!
She: I asked him Why and he said he felt that I was hot!
Me: (a little loudly) What! He must be nuts!

A long silence

Beep Beep.

OUCH!!!

Jaago India Jaago

Whats the easiest way to display power? Well, switching on the tube-light is one way, but the other way that has always been around in Indian politics for a long time is Vandalism. Dare to the common office-goer, a vegetable seller, a shop owner, a carpenter, a rickshaw driver, taxi driver, mill worker, peon, CEO... dare everyone to go on the streets else they will hurt you, your belongings. They threaten to put fire on your public transport, pelt stones on your trains, shatter the windshields of your car, burn tyres and block the roads. They do everything that is against the law and try to keep proving that they are above the law.

What can we do? an average man thinks. It happened at my home too. A stone can give you a huge expense for your car, and headache too, a cousin pulled me over and asked me to go home. This is the sentiment of a common man in this city, and probably in our entire country. A stone can cost you thousands, he said, indicating at the windscreen of my car. The society, in terms of the law, is divided into two - The law fearing people and The law-breaking people. I always wonder why people are so afraid of the law-breakers. Probably because they are law-fearing and not law-loving people. If they loved the law, everyone would do their bit to uphold the law. Also, the law breakers wield the rods and stones while the law fearing people wield only fear.

Mostly, the people in any country get what they deserve. They elect the leaders they deserve. If people are afraid of the vandals and sit at home, the vandals rule the country. If the people go out to work, face them, come together and face the vandals, it would be the vandals who sit at home. I think the equation is quite simple.

At the Bandra flyover, the entire traffic, however little it was, chose to take a u turn and go back. Seeing the vehicles take a u-turn, i too took a u turn, went and parked my car aside. There were a bunch of policemen at the junction who were just looking. I asked them what was wrong? They did not know. I asked a person on the bike who slowed down. He said someone said they were throwing stones. I went and took a u-turn again and headed back to my destination. Some vehicles were still taking a u turn and some waiting at the signal. I rolled down the window and spoke to a person in the adjacent car. He too was angry at the vandals. Another biker came in abusing them. The signal turned green and we all hit the flyover. There was not a single vandal in sight. The perception of fear had made so many people go back. I reached my office without a scratch and I am sure the others did as well.

Isn't it time that we all stood for what is right? If a mob tries to disperse the crowd with their rods and stones. Can't the crowd themselves think that they are bigger in number than the vandals and face them. It only takes a fearless thought to stand together. But alas, many people don't do that. To the many people who faced the fear and went ahead to work, I salute you. For those who sat back at home because of fear and in a hope to get a holiday, think of what you did, and think that it is because of you and your fear that these vandals rule us. What is the use of calling ourselves a free nation if we are not allowed our own free will? Its a shame for all of us if this continues to happen. The police are little in number if counted by the numbers of vandals to be controlled. We too are responsible for our own safety and freedom. We cannot blame it on the police force or the Government if we ourselves don't take responsibility of our freedom.

Jaago India Jaago!!!

The Follow-up

After my initial anger and mail to the Joint Commissioner of Police, I was still agitated. I went over the receipt I had got from the constable. I was booked for three different sections. I remember that in the 'pauthi' I was only booked for two sections Section 239 and section 250. But in this receipt I was also booked for section 184. So i went online to check for the sections and what it meant.

Section 250 MVA - Jumping the signal
Section 239 MVA - Use of mobile while driving
Section 184 MVA - Reckless driving.

Now my anger had a new level. I went to the traffic control room at the _______ junction and demanded to see the Officer in charge. I thought there might be some resistance, but it was quite easy. I was led to the Inspector to whom i explained the series of events. He countered saying that the mobile phone should be switched off while driving and if caught Section 184 was automatically to be added. But I remember the constable who had charged with me for the Rs. 200 fine on two sections and had told me that they have not charged me for reckless driving! The argument and counter argument continued. I was infuriated. The constable who booked me two days ago was the best person to asses the offense. If he has charged me with two cases then how come a constable sitting here has charged me with another section and that too offers me a Rs. 100 back for not providing me with a receipt. The inspector was irritated.

Inspector: What do you want Mr. N_______?
Me: I was not charged for Section 184. That should be taken back and my 500 bucks returned.
Inspector: Sorry, that cannot be done. The receipt has been delivered. If you had a problem you should have spoken then. And we cant change the entry in the books. Sorry anything else?

Me: I need an apology at the least.

Inspector: Arrey Kadam la bolav re! (Call Kadam)

Well, he did give an apology after a lengthy discussion. I had become a moral police standing against corruption. Finally the Inspector who was mighty irritated, insisted on 5 'uthak bhaitaks' (sit-ups holding ears). My anti-corruption ego had calmed down. I got off the cabin shaking hands with the inspector and the constable. My chest had bloated up with pride and my ears felt warm with blood. As i stepped out of the cabin, i heard the inspector tell him in marathi - Dont try to mess with such guys. If he had got a reporter along with him, we would have had a tough time with the seniors.

As I stepped out of the cabin, the constable who booked me two days back stopped seeing me. 'N______ saab, got your license back?' I smiled back nodding a yes.

'Please be careful while you are driving' he said.

I was surprised that he remembered my surname. I left the place a little relieved. I also felt hurt being poorer by 700 bucks for a single moment of negligence!

A letter to the Joint Commissioner of Police - Traffic

Respected Sir,

Recently, I was booked at the ____________ Junction for jumping a signal and for use of mobile phone while driving.

I am fully aware of the offense i committed and i promptly agreed to pay for the penalty of the offenses. It bought out a very weird expression from the traffic police on duty.
They gave me a 'pauthi' and asked me to collect the license from the Bhandup Sonapur Cabin.

Today as I presented the 'pauthi', the officer on duty at the Collection counter, Mr. S charged me Rs. 700/-. I paid him and he returned my license. However, he was reluctant to give me a receipt for the same.
When I insisted, he told me that I am not supposed to collect it from the cabin, but from the Court. He liked me as a person and hence he was doing this 'favor'.

He returned me Rs. 100/-.

I insisted on the receipt and told him that if Rs. 100 mattered to me, I would have tried to bargain with him on the day I was caught.

I also told him to return the Rs. 700/- and offered to give him back the license and collect it from the 'Court'.

He promptly made a receipt and gave it to me.

I would like to know if such a statement is indeed true. If it is, then why was I not asked to take the license from the court itself? And why did he be so nice to me and give me a receipt promptly?

It is indeed sad to see the state of corruption in the force. I understand the limitations and the difficult circumstances your officers work, but when an honest person is ready to abide by the law, I hope they are treated with respect and given the least trouble for being a law-abiding citizen.

I truly hope that you can do some little steps in bettering the system and tearing out corruption from it.

Yours sincerely,
P............

English is a very funny language!

Amitabh's dialogue in Namakhalaal holds true if you travel into the interiors of India. It is indeed funny!














Com-fart-able!!!!














Any takers for a Chicken that 'sweat', and is sour?














GARL FRINDES - No GARL FRINDES No TENSAN!!!

Coffee with a War Hero

I usually hate wars. Everyone hates wars. In a war, there are no winners. But it is necessary to protect our own interest. People in the army have always amazed me. Their persona, their dedication, their sparkle in the eye. Their eyes show the immense amount of satisfaction that they get with their personal sacrifice for the good of the nation. Many of these men and women could opt for lucrative jobs in other vocations. They do not have to go to the border, stay away from the family, put their life at risk, earn lesser than their peers in other fields, but they do. These breed of men and women are of a different kind – I realized after meeting Col. Ramesh Sharma over a cup of coffee at Costa Coffee at Connaught Place, Delhi.

Col. Ramesh Sharma is retired from the army and is now in the corporate world. What does he do? He turns around failed companies. He says passionately about his days in the army. ‘I enjoyed every single minute of my life in the army. And what I do today is also the same. Turning around situations that hang on the brink of failure.’ Col. Ramesh Sharma, for people to have an easy connect was the real life character Amitabh Bachchan had depicted in the film Lakshya.

Speaking about those decisive days of the Kargil War, he says - When the first attack of the battalion failed, I was asked to take over a new battalion and recapture Tiger hill. I refused a new battalion. ‘If the failed battalion would have not got a second chance, they would have had to live in shame for the rest of their lives for their failure.’

He went out and asked the jawans, how many of them were ready to launch another attack on the infiltrates. Each one of them put their hands up. He went to his senior and told them, he would continue the attack with the same battalion. It didn’t mattered if he was court-martialed. 12 hours later, he was given the permission. He went back and faced his battalion. He gave up his gun and refused to wear the bullet-proof jacket. He told his men – I will be walking in front of you with nothing but a chadi (a thin bamboo stick). Save me if you can, from the bullets of the enemy.


Nevertheless to say, in the battle that followed, Tiger hill was re-captured, one of the key moments in the Kargil war. A war that was standing on the brink of failure had turned around. He now does the same with failed companies. It is not much different from war, he says. ‘Only here, your life is not threatened by a bullet.’

Colonel now also visits management colleges and shares his experience to teach young people in the art of leadership. We salute to you and to the men who lay their lives for the country expecting nothing but honor!

Homeless in Mumbai

Yesterday as i was returning home after running some errands, I heard a voice calling out from behind a parked taxi. I wasn't sure if they were calling out to me, but I paused to turn back and look. A middle-aged guy, probably in his fifties waved out to me as he walked closer. He had a 'Sundaram' notebook in his hands.

Man: Are you a Mallu Christian?
Me: No... not a chrstian...
Man: There are a lot of mallu christians in this area
Me: Really, I never bothered to count.
Man: Ha ha... you have a dry sense of humor.
Me: Was born like that

OK i must admit that i was apprehensive about this guy. He was clean shaven, dressed well in a white shirt and blue jeans but i was very uncomfortable by his smile.

Man: Can you help us?
Me: How do you want me to help me?
Man: You know we have been homeless... (He pointed to a couple who were sitting behind the taxi on the curb. All of them well dressed.) We are roaming like this since a week.
Me: Why?
Man: We were thrown out of our house, our own house.
Me: So how are you surviving since the last week.
Man: God has been taking care of us.
Me: Well, good for you.

Now i got ths sense that he was going to ask for money and if he did, I knew that this was another kind of a scam a colleague had told me long back. He was duped of a thousand bucks a couple of years back when a couple with a child, approached him and he out of sympathy gave it to them. They promised they will return it and took his address. They never got back and a couple of months later, there was a burglary in his house. They could never link the two, but that incident was tapping on my mind's shoulder.

Man: Can you help us by donating some money? We will return it to you.
Me: NO!
Man: Why such a loud No? People have contributed. I am taking their addresses and will repay them when I earn it back.
Me: there are a couple of reasons. One, Your smile. You look too happy that you have lost your home. Second, if you had lost your home, your friends would have bailed you out, if they have not, then you don't have any friends, and three, if you lost your own home to someone else and didnot know that it was coming, you sure are a fool.

Man: (a little angry) you are cruel.
Me: Cant help it. Have been like that since childhood.

I walked away. I dont know if I was right for not helping them. I dont know if they were really speaking the truth. Probably I might have one more curse on my head now!!

India Vs. Zimbabwe

Would you buy a loaf of bread for 1000$, 1000 Zimbabwean dollars? Well, that is what a loaf of bread costs in Zimbabwe. The country is supposed to have the worlds highest inflation rate - of 11.2 million%.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20080820/882/twl-zimbabwe-inflation-now-11-2-million.html

Gives a little heart to Indians where the annual rate of inflation has grown to 11%. I wonder how survival is possible where the Government does not take any measure to better the situation than keep printing higher currency notes. In such a case, wont printing those currency notes be costlier than the currency note itself? It might be like making a Gold coin of one Rupee denomination.

The Zimbabweans have now resorted to a better system in trading. Its a method which was adopted when trading was a new theory. The Barter system. Exchange commodities for commodities. This atleast ensures survival of the hardworking and denounces the Government currency, which thrives on usage of currency as means of renumeration for their misgivings.

Personally, i feel much relieved that we, the Citizens of India are relatively in a much better scenario than our counterparts in Zimbabwe, but we should take heed from the signs of what can go wrong, if the citizens of India dont check the Governments economic policies from time to time.

Creating the Big Bang!!!

Physicists at CERN are elated. Now that the proton beam has been successfully tested in clockwise direction, CERN plans to send it counterclockwise. Eventually the two beams will be fired in opposite directions with the aim of smashing together protons to see how they are made.

They say this is how the big bang had occurred and the planets and stars were formed out of nothing. The skeptics say that the result of the tests will create micro black holes in the universe that can suck in planets and stars. James Gilles, the official spokesperson of CERN rubbishes this theory.

Now going by the whole big bang theory that I had read in school, the entire universe was formed out of nothingness. Sanskrit texts claim nothing is everything and everything is nothing. I see a link between these two theories which in one line talks about similar concepts in different contexts. The secrets of the universe are far vast than we know, at least vast than what I know. But if the existence of the universe depended on the two theories that have been hammered into my head as a kid and if I believed it to be true, I would be a skeptic. For recreating a big bang would recreate the universe one more time.

Only this time it would be man made. What if huge planets are created, a new sun, new stars… What if everything the theories spoke about were really true? I guess that is why Stephen Hawkins wants the test to fail. It would humble human scientists by letting them know that they don’t know everything. The hunger for knowing all, will fuel them to continue living. It will stop them from being God. But what happens if the tests succeed and they are really able to create the Big Bang. Will it create planets stars etc, one more time? Will the earth explode? If none of these things happen and the physicists call the test as a success, then how would you define that they actually recreated the Big Bang? Would they be lying? Only time will tell… for I am curious to know how everything was formed at the risk of losing everything.

Because, nothing is everything and everything is nothing.

Of Babas and Babies and a Curse

I was waiting for my colleague near my new office in Bandra next to my car when a Mercedes S – Class car went past me and stopped. A man draped in saffron cloth stepped out and hurried towards me. I was a bit startled and then, a bit cautious. I had heard of these fake baba’s who hypnotise you and take all the money you have. But then, I realize I was not carrying much cash anyways, so I relaxed as he reached towards me. Obviously he was a chela of some bigger baba.

Chela: Baba wants to speak to you.
Me: What?
Chela: Baba Something (I don’t remember his name) saw you and felt you were of noble blood, and wants to speak to you.
Me: Me? Noble? What do you want?
Chela: He just wants to talk to you.

Hesitant, I walked to the car. The car had fine leather upholstery and a Baba with a flowing beard and sparkling eyes looked at me.

Me: Yes?
Baba: You are of noble blood son!
Me: I don’t know if the blood is noble, but I know it is B positive.
Baba: Don’t make fun of a holy man. My curse can ruin your life.
Me: Sorry.
Baba: You should do a yagna with milk blah blah blah blah (I did not understand a single word he spoke)

After a while of talking or rather babbling, he paused, and I looked at him with amazement. He must have thought I was amazed by his forecast which I hardly understood, but his smile made me realize he thought I agreed to what he said. I turned around to his chela.

Me: What was he saying? I did not understand a single thing.
Chela: He said your son will make you a proud father.
Me: I think I shall be proud if I become a father.

Baba (angrily): You are mocking a messenger of God.
Me: I am sorry if you are a messenger of God, but it doesn’t take a messenger to tell me that I shall be a proud father, and now if excuse me, I have other work to do.
Baba: (looking towards the other side) blah blah blah…

Chela: You don’t understand, Baba doesnot talk to everyone. He chose you.
Me: Well thanks for choosing me, but what does he want?

Baba: Its only some thing so that my disciples can eat something in the afternoon

Now this was some news to me. A man travelling in a Mercedes S-class car wanted money for lunch!

Chela: You will earn blessings from the Baba himself. Just give him whatever you can
Me: I have a five rupee coin, here it is (I handed it over to him)
Baba: How dare you insult us? Do you think we are beggars?
Me: Then what were you just asking? I thought that is what is called begging.

Well, to cut the story short, he cursed me and left.

Honesty is the best policy!

I was driving through the city right from dawn break. Personal commitments at home made me drive across the city from one corner to the other, making my way through potholed roads, unruly rickshaw drivers, and crazy truck drivers. The drive through a crowded city is enough for my back to cringe in pain. As I reached close to home, an immense urge to reach there made me skip a signal and from out of nowhere popped a man wearing a white shirt and khaki trousers and asked me to park my vehicle on the side of the road. The traffic police man walked towards me with a smile, knowing he had caught a catch.

Traffic police: Look at the signal behind. It is red. You jumped the signal.. Its your fault!
Me: You are right, I am sorry
TP: Show me your license and PUC
Me: (giving him the license) Its a new car…
TP: I will fine you, you can collect your license from the chowky
(At this point he expected me to plead and offer him a bribe)
Me: O.K. Just give me the address, I will collect it.
TP: (surprised) You mean I should fine you?
Me: Yes, I have done a mistake, I should be punished. Please fine me.
TP: You mean you want to pay the fine?
Me: I have done a mistake, so I should pay the fine, isn’t it?
TP: (with a smile) Go! Please give attention to the signal when you drive
Me: You mean you don’t want to fine?
TP: No, Its OK. I know I am doing the right thing!
Me: Thanks dada…

I went back to my car with a smile. I realized that being honest and righteous has its advantage. Now talking about honesty, here is the honest truth – I didn’t have cash in my pocket to bribe him!!!

Contact Established

If any of you have read The Alchemist, you would understand the nature of signs. They are supposed to mean something. A sign that came in front of me yesterday has put me into thinking about what it was trying to tell me.

I have a fixation for number plates. Yes, its a weird fixation, but its a fact. Unknowingly i always read a number-plate and then another weird action takes place in the head of mine which is making sense of the number. for eg. the number plate says MH-02-AY- 4215... My brain would isolate the number 4215 and then a formula is formed 4+2-1=5. If the formula worked, i would feel happy. If it didnt, my attention would go to the next vehicle and it would continued.

Then, I tried to search for a vehicle that would have my PIN number. The password to the ATM to withdraw cash. I kept looking for it for many days and months but it never surfaced. What were the chances of anyone seing the number plate of someone else's car which had the secret PIN number you were using. Looked improbable.... Slowly the fixation faded away and life became normal. Until Yesterday!

Yesterday as i drove to work, A White scorpio cut me and moved in ahead of my 'panther'. I was angry, for the guy was driving rashly. And I looked at its number plate! It was the PIN number i use!!! On its windshield was written 'Contact Established!'

I dont know what it meant, but what got me thinking was - Why did the owner of the car write that on his windshield? The usual writings on a windshield are names, sunsigns, rock band names and messages like - Done mess with me, you are following the leader, etc.... What does Contact Established mean? ??

Is this guy trying to get in touch with aliens and has established contact?
Beats me... but yes the sign works for me.. Contact has been established... but with whom, i wonder!!!!

Random Dreams!

Dreams come in many weird forms. I always wondered if we could see a movie in our dreams. It would be so cool. Imagine this! You catalog your most favorite movies in your brain and when you are in slumber you can replay it, fast forward it to your favorite section. If you wished you could also replace the actors with yourself or people you know! But the motives of dreams appear to be something else. Some people say it is a warning of some events that are about to come. Some say it represents your present state of mind.

My mother says if she sees a dream of something happening, it never happens. Once, she had seen me passing in Marathi in my fifth grade and I flunked. She saw me getting through an interview for a fantastic job, and I did not get it. So she is now scared of seeing me getting married in her dreams, because if she does, it probably will never happen. I am sure she wouldn’t tell me that even if she saw that dream and I sincerely wish she did. ;-)

Yesterday’s dream was such:

My dad and mom are boarding a plane. They are going to some place in Europe (I think that because of the architecture) My mom doesn’t have a passport. I ask her how she managed to get in the plane. She shows Dad’s passport and points out to a particular leaf in the passport. It has a ‘BPLWAP + 1’ written on it and a round stamp of an issuing authority.

The next was somewhere in Europe. There are a lot of oldies moving along with me, and one frustrated old man tells me – ‘This is the problem with Madhavan. Even if we are abroad, he will only take us to temples!!’

I then go into a house. There is a girl there. She is angry, I don’t know for what. She goes out of the door and then from the lawn throws a stone on the window. The fire alarm starts, and suddenly the house is in flames. I lie down on the bed and then there are people who are shouting. I move to the door, the flames surrounding me. The flames don’t hurt me. I open the door and walk out. The fire brigade douses the fire. I go in back into the house. There is not much damage because of the fire, just some scratches. I remember its time to leave. I take the name of a country (don’t remember which) I take a train to the airport. I disembark. I check in. They take my baggage. But I don’t remember any baggage that I had with me. But then, now there is. I get into the flight…

That’s the last memory of that dream. I wish if someone could interpret it for me!!

Deciphering Life - I

Are we happy when the world around us changes to our liking, or does our world change because we changed the way we think about the world around us, bringing happiness?

I always was seeking happiness. There were reasons why I was seeking it. I wanted to be free, free from worries, from financial instability, from emotional instability… I wanted to be accepted by the world as a person who has achieved something, which others could not. When I look back, at the past few years, it was never the same. Three years ago, I was happy with what I did, never cared for what people thought of me, and did not care where life was taking me. But I was not happy then. My heart was in an emotional turmoil, and the constant longing which made my heart wrench in pain. I did not know why life was so unfair. Probably I was ignorant about the ways of life. Ignorance brings pain, and pain makes us seek for wisdom, and probably the mission of living through life is about gaining wisdom through experiences.

When I am alone and try to decipher this entire concept of life, it becomes very intriguing. With around 6 billion people spread across the planet, each one of them is striving to live and love. To survive and to be accepted. Probably these are the two simple things that everyone in their basic DNA would define as their definition to live. But as they are put in the complex world of societal hierarchy, things get complicated and the meaning of life changes for each one and the concept of life takes up myriad forms.

The soul is the essence of every human being. Body - the matter. Matter can change forms but the soul always remains the same. Thus in a weird way, the body becomes the medium that connects the world within, i.e. the soul, with the world outside. The body is the medium, which educates the soul, though the experiences of life. The body teaches the soul and makes it wise, first by being a son or daughter, then a husband or wife, later a father or mother.

With the realms of this concept, Life can be divided into three parts. Childhood, Youth and Parenthood. Youth probably is the link between childhood and parenthood. Childhood gives you an experience of parenthood, by being loved. It gives you certain definitive points that define your existence in this society. Youth brings in the brief transformation, which makes you experience everything about love before you enter into the next phase of life of parenthood where you give unconditional love. The cycle thus gets completed. What you receive, you have to give it back. The world is in balance. The inner world with the external world.

Concept of life becomes even more interesting when you look at how symbolism and metaphors in ancient literature bridges science with mythology. Shiv and Shakti are two manifestations of one being. One idea. Male and Female. The male defines the soul because it has the capability of giving life outside itself while the feminine defines the ‘matter’ because it has the ability to give life within itself. This concept can completely break the hierarchical society rules, which have been prophesizing superiority of the male over the female. In actuality, no one can be termed superior. For, the existence of one is needed to validate the other.

Life within these confines of simplicity looks so beautiful, but the moment it is thrown into the present, with a lot of prerequisite rules that define the society, life becomes complicated. No other living being other than humans think before they act. They act when they feel like. They hunt and kill when they are hungry. They sleep when they are sleepy, they make love when they feel the urge to, and die when it is time. They do not play with nature and modify things around them to delay death. They accept what life offers them. They live in the present. But we humans plan for the future and dwell in the past.

We do everything possible under the sun to live according to our convenience, force ourselves against nature, to fulfill our desires. The desire to live, to control, to manipulate. In our desire to modify what should have been to what should be.

Probably that is what the difference is between humans and other living beings – Desire.

Desire might be the reason for everything. And nothing.

Is it?

Is it that I am happy.
And the world is jealous of me?

Is it that i am angry
And the world is laughing at me?

Is it that I am sad,
And the world is happy for me?

Is it that i am mad,
And the world pretends that i am not?

Is it that I am hungry,
And the world wants to devour me?

Is it???

A journey into heaven - prelude

Kashmir has been epitomized as heaven by many poets, artists, tourists, writers and politicians. Probably it is the quest for owning heaven that makes it like hell. For India as well as Pakistan.

It is so easy for us, who live in the safe confines of home to say that Kashmir is a part of India. It is easy for Pakistan to say that Kashmir should belong to them. But is the quest for land and ego bigger than the quest for peace, harmony and happiness?

This is the essence of the experimental film that i plan to undertake. But with the current scenario, i am in doubt if we would be able to make it to heaven. Currently, Srinagar is engulfed in flames and tear gas, with the Amarnath board being alloted forest land. With elections coming soon, this has spiraled into a very controversial issue. With access to Srinagar being cut off through the highway, my experimental film remains in the dark.

I have another day for the decision. I so badly want to do this. But it also depends on the group i am traveling with. They are the soul of the film. Their perceptions, inquisitiveness and questions and the interactions, is what will make this film true to itself.

Hope the situation calms down in the next 24 hours. Till then pray pray pray...

All laughing matter is not funny

Why do things pile up all of a sudden and then you get suffocated and find it difficult to breathe? Listing down certain events that happened in a single day, all of them kind of bought this huge pressure on my head with so much force that it really hit badly and kind of altered my thinking. A rough day is a bad, and a rough night is worse.

All i am saying to myself right now is -
This too shall pass

If I unknowingly hurt someone, acted nasty, i am at fault. Please forgive me. I am human. Mistakes happen.

Missing the tiger!

Its just 4 hours and I have begun to miss him already! Four years back a little yellow tiger came into my life. He growled, he pounced, he ran like he saw a prey every time he was on the road. He never looked back. He scratched himself, he bumped himself, hurt himself as he made his way through the crowded roads. He scowled at others who blocked his path.

He and I travelled many miles together, went to different parts of the country. We slept in the open fields on a dark moonless night when Tiger hurt his eye. We swung to the wind as we sipped wine at a vineyard. We looked into the horizon from the mountain top in lonavala. Together we gathered many memories. And today, the tiger has gone away, with another master. My tiger is mine, no more...

The News/ The Newsance(to be read as nuisance)

There was a time when everyone used to wait for the 8.30 News on Doordarshan. When Rini Khanna, and Usha Alberqueque used to be a household name, or the weekly wait for The World this week by Pronnoy Roy about the goings on in the world on every Friday. The news used to encapsulate the key moments across the world, news that moved the world, news that changed the course of the world, news that actually meant something, news that was of use.

Yesterday as i surfed through different channels, almost every news channel (except the international ones like CNN, BBC) had one thing in common. They reported about Amir Khans blog of naming his dog SRK, about Amitabh asking for forgiveness to Sharukh. Moreover, Zee Network was showcasing different snippets of Zee Cine Awards, and the worst of it was showing the Room where SRK stayed in London where the functions were held. Well, SRK is everywhere, and there can be another dedicated post on that.

But looking at the shallowness of the news channels, i wonder where the media in our country are heading. Tabloids were earlier a British thing. They would find out the meatiest scandals and relish on it and suck the scandalous victim off their dignity and honor. A very recent news that had flashed on Mumbai Mirror was that of Malaika Arora Khan getting a divorce from Arbaaz Khan. Who is Malaika Arora Khan? A plastic bimbette who hides her protruding teeth by showing a pout on her lips? Who is Arbaz Khan? The many times flopped brother of Salman Khan??? Why was it on the front page? What have they done to the country that they got so much importance? - a reader wrote. Pat came the reply from the editor - 'They are public figures and many of our readers are interested in knowing about them, that is the reason why they were featured.' The next day edition captured a news of Malaika and Arbaz using it as a gimmick as a publicity for one of their products and the newspaper cried foul on how they mislead the media! Isn't it obvious? With media eating out of the hands of the so-called celebrities, isn't it fair, that the media can be used as well?

This brings us to a never ending debate on the role of the media. The media is everywhere, they are carriers of knowledge, information and bridge us to the remaining part of the world. But the media is currently being used in a manner it should have never been. Media can be used to channelize progress, growth by showing relevant information, but unfortunately, it has gone beserk, plunging into its lowest standards where news can be bought and sold, where celebrities can be made and broke, where a star can be created and destroyed.

A journalist friend of mine had told me about an incident which made me realize that there were agencies who could make you a celebrity in a period of one year. They will plan the entire strategy for you and in a year, you would have reached Page 3. Once in page 3, a little bit of lobbying and then you come to Page 1. Just what the flop actor and the dumb bimbette did.

When will we say enough is enough? When will this stupidity stop? What can bring about a change in the media? When would constructive news get more importance over the commode Shah Rukh sat on in the plush hotel in London, before the Zee Cine awards? When would we know that there has been a fantastic development in curing of cancer using the Kanzius Machine ? When...

Well for the privileged, internet can save the day. For the not so privileged, living in a remote corner of India, they will have to live with the knowledge that Shahrukh Khan is bigger than the President and Prime Minister of India. Shahrukh would never approve of that, but the media would and they would love to believe that!

An open letter to Raj Thackeray

Dear Raj,
I feel greatly honoured to be living in 'your' city. I was born here and bought up here. I lived here and made friends with many who were born in this city. Little did i know, this was not my city. Little did I know, we were intruders. When you put your crusade against migrants, I was unsure of your identity. A carnage later and shutting down of industries in the Industrial belt of Nashik, you became a known political figure. Firstly, i would like to know if you are a descendant of the Thackeray family, of William Makepeace Thackeray! Well, a true maharashtrian name that sounds similar to your surname is that of Thakre. Thackeray is an English name, so I am unable to understand if you are British or Maharashtrian. I believe charity begins at home, and it would be nice if you could find, and then correct your roots before you talk about others.

I totally agree to you that people have to get jobs, sons of the soil have great strength within them to do the job. But who is stopping them from getting a job. I have lived in this city and have known that anyone willing to work hard does not ever go to sleep, hungry in this city. Everyone has a job. People who do not want a job, do not work. I have worked with many sons of the soil. They are great hospitable people. They do not need a Raj Thackeray to get them a job. They get it on their own merit. They get it because of their own hard work and determination. They are self made people, not made by someone else. You point fingers at Ambanis and Bachchans, and ask what they have done for this city. Well, what have you done? What has your party done? If anyone were to count of what you have done to the city, it would amount to losses of many crores, in terms of losses due to violent and insensitive carnage and huge production losses.

Your followers have shown great sensitivity and emotion to support your cause. They can kill, burn, destroy if their emotions are played with. We need people who build the country. What will we do with people who can destroy anything on their path? Threatening is easy, taking the responsibility on oneself is not easy. You threaten the police to arrest you, because you know the city's judiciary and security would like peace and any arrest warrant can mean destruction and production losses. It is indeed a very smart way of showing power, but is it? This is not power but a display of ego. A true leader is a person who shows the way to the people, not threaten them.

You are rich and have a flourishing real estate business. I am sure you have enough to start businesses that will prosper. At least start one industry and employ 'your' people and ensure that it is certified by ISO for best practices and brings in great financial results. You don't need any political clout to do that. Many of the millionaires including Kirloskar have done that. Just one Industry. Try it. I am very sure you can show the world that you are a man of your word. And when you do, we will then know that a 'son of the soil' is born, and we, the people all over the country would point at you and say - There stands the true son of the soil, a man who stood by his word and proved that it just needs one man to change the world!

Yours truly,
A stone in the soil

I am a proud friend of a proud couple who adopted a baby girl!

Birth is a phenomenon when a child is born into the world. Jenny was born twice. Once when she came into this world. When her tiny little hand reached out to touch the soul that had nurtured her for so many months, she found nothing but a sense of loneliness and despair. A couple of days back, she was born again, when a couple brought her into their world. And I am proud to be their friend.

Yes, I am ecstatic! I am happy! I feel elated! I feel that love is all around and I feel so proud, proud of being a friend of a couple who adopted a two year old girl into their life, even though they could have given birth to a new one. Why am I ecstatic? Because in a country with more than 1 billion people, with around 28.5 million orphans between the age of 0 - 12; In a country where a girl child is aborted if her identity is found before birth, this act by a friend has made me proud.

Adopting a child is by no means an easy task. It needs more than courage to adopt a child. I cannot comment on fatherhood or parenting as I have no experience in being one. Would have loved to write so much about it, but just cant get those words to pen down... the grammar seems completely out of place, the nouns, adjectives... everything! but one thing that is completely in place is my feelings for this family. Love you guys. You guys simply are the best in the world!!!