AN OPEN LETTER TO ME…

Dear Karthik -

Hope you are well?

It is a season of open letters; a concept where you pen your thoughts in the public domain – well the last time I did something like that, this was still called ‘blogging’. But in keeping with the times and in the rat race to grab more eyeballs, let’s call this one an Open Letter indeed.

Like in any other letter, open letters also are generally addressed to a second person; a person or people who you think deserves a pat on their back, a free dose of your unsolicited advice, an unconditional apology or even a public bashing for holding views contrary to your own. In the age of a bitterly hostile Internet, the last one definitely sounds more familiar. And as a result, it is much safer to address such an outpouring of thoughts directly to you than anyone or anything specific – lest I be judged.

It’s only been a few months since you left India on a short assignment abroad, but a lot has changed since then. For starters, Deepika has managed to turn the entire definition of feminism on its head and despite staying single, has managed to give birth to a whole new breed of feminists and its relevant antonyms, in equal measure. Her choice, of course! Trust me, the endless debates are fun. As I write, somebody somewhere is already judging which side I am on.

As I browse your dutifully uploaded FB photos of enjoying the London (phoren emphasized) rain and cold in those thick furry jackets, I can’t help but curse the dry and scorching heat of Indian summers. The drought has become worse this year. As a tradition, we have unitedly decided to blame it on our useless politicians and also on deforestation, concretization and the burgeoning population. I tend to feel relaxed when I am able to figure out the root causes and just name them.

By the way, beef and liquor consumption is slowly being banned in India, one state at a time. I hope I can lay my hands on those Scottish single malts (before the Customs do) that you plan to get for me by the time you return. Not to suggest, but bribing your way in will still be unofficially legal.

In matters of grave national concern (or as the Media would like us to believe), it has become extremely important in the past few months to align yourself to one of the few handful political ideologies or personalities floating around. Please do not gloat about the greatness of any foreign country as you risk falling in the category of anti-nationals. Do not praise the incumbent government or the general improvement in public delivery services as you will fall prey to being called a Bhakt. And for heaven’s sake, do not even consider supporting the opposition as they have been carefully classified into a brilliant cassata of Sickulars, presstitutes, Aaptards and Libtards. It is better you restrict yourself to movies and pubs, although beware, watching and appreciating a Khan movie has its own repercussions these days. All three have been already categorized, that’s why.

E-commerce is booming and the discounts are great. Start-up is the new IN thing. Some concepts are so brilliant that they just end up being good-looking websites or apps. Either you end up receiving a dish-wash bar instead of a slick smartphone or you receive nothing at all. Gone are the days when potential in-laws used to ask how much cash you earn, the VCs are asking these budding entrepreneurs how much cash they burn?

As far as rules of social network are concerned, I am sure you have artfully mastered it by now. It is ok to have an opinion, voicing it is the problem. The barrage of anti-opinions, abuses, ridicule, trolls from one-time friends and friends of friends of friends, will make you feel unloved, unpopular and a social outcast. Just try being nice and accommodative of all. And remember the keyword – RESEARCH. They all say you haven’t done enough of that when they intend to pin you down intellectually. Please quote quotes and cite citations every time you write something that borders on blabbering or unintended gyan. That’s a sure recipe for a long-lasting social networking health.

All in all, I wish you an enriching experience of staying abroad. Imbibe the best of that culture and come back to your motherland to drain it all down the gutters the moment you land. The cash-rich Olas and Ubers will be waiting at Bangalore airport in anticipation of your grand reception for a nominal peak-time surcharge of 4.7 times the metered fare to home destination. You are, of course, free to abuse the rowdy autowallah for charging wonandaaf (1.5 times) the original fare.

Upload more photos on FB and allow me to judge that you truly are an attention-seeker and a sucker for Likes.

Awaiting your reply,

Yours truly –

Karthik

P.S.: If possible, please get either Mallya or The Kohinoor along with you. The latter makes more sense as only that would truly settle the banks’ loans.

JAGRITI YATRA : A Yatra of the People, by the People, for the People

This was long overdue and for those of you who know me, I can’t help but apologize for not being able to share one of the highpoints of my life even after almost a month since it’s over. But therein lies the irony; it’s not over yet. Not for me and not for the 450 co-yatris either, with whom I travelled around this astounding country of ours.

For those still looking for clues at what I am talking about, I was a part of a group of approximately 450 young and energetic  candidates (henceforth ‘yatris’) from all over the country and from outside the country as well, selected for a 15-day enterprising tour of the country and the country-side from 24^th Dec 2012 to 8^th January 2013. It is difficult to see the beautiful country-side in this expansive nation of ours unless you are travelling by train. And the Jagriti Yatra’s mode of transport was a regular but ingeniously customized Indian Railways train, which we would call - the Jagriti Express. Yes, we welcomed the New Year singing, dancing, whistling and shouting at the top of our sore voices while travelling overnight from Brahmapur in Odisha to Patna, Bihar. And if you are already interested in applying for this year's yatra, please log on to www.jagritiyatra.com – But dare you stop reading my blog further ;)

It is as they say, a journey to awaken the entrepreneurial spirit among the youth. For me, entrepreneurial or not, it certainly awakened a sleeping spirit first. I am sure my fellow yatris appreciate that the journey meant different for different people. As a true urbanite Indian who lives one-half of his life in Mumbai and Bangalore and the other half in newspapers trying to figure out what the rest of the country means to him, the Yatra well and truly transformed me from a pseudo-Indian to simply Indian.

The most special gift from this yatra is the wealth of friends I made from every nook and corner of this country. We all brought a fresh perspective to the table. We came from different backgrounds and had different understandings of issues. We agreed to disagree. We spent extra time with people we took a liking to, and possibly ran for cover too when we came across someone weird. All in all, we grew on each other and eventually became a part of a strong social network that promises to continue this association for a long time to come. 

One of the major highlights of this Yatra was to stop at different destinations in the country where we would be introduced to some exemplary personalities and their standout contributions to the larger community through their business or social enterprises. The common thread across all these role model institutions was the magnitude of social impact they created without compromising on the basic tenets of a sound business plan to be truly effective and sustainable.

As I write, I realize that not only is it difficult to put the entire experience in words but also an emotionally draining activity trying to relive the moments I so badly miss today. What began in Mumbai in the peaceful environs of the TISS campus where the highly energetic and resourceful foot soldiers of the Jagriti Yatra Team welcomed us and handed us our new ID cards that would stick to us for the next 15 days, to the extent that we were forbidden from removing it even during nature calls. The advice for all the yatris was simple and crisp – ‘Keep an open mind and be ready to not just learn, but unlearn and relearn as well.’ Our sensibilities and conventional mind-sets were put to test quite immediately when our first role model Mr. Raghunath Medge, Founder President of the famous Mumbai Dabbawala Association almost single-handedly debunked the concept of formal education that has played a very limited role in the huge success of his six-sigma business enterprise that is running for almost a century in this city that never sleeps.

The time spent on the train was our only opportunity to reflect on the various ideas, ideals and idols being introduced to us. The best part was nobody was preaching to us what is wrong or what is right. No formulae for success being laid, no short-cuts to hardwork, no dumbwittery at all. It was a no-holds barred induction in the world of progressive, sustainable and socially responsible organizations that consider the systematic dismantling of socio-economic inequities in our society as one of the principle objectives behind their existence. From an Elango who traced his roots to transform his village Kuthambakkam in Tamil Nadu’s Chengalpattu district to Anshu Gupta’s Goonj which uses its strong roots in New Delhi to spread its branches far and wide in the country, from Nidan in Patna to Aravind Eye Care in Madurai, from Naandi Foundation in Vishakhapatnam to Barefoot College in Rajasthan’s Tiloniya, from Gram Vikas in Odisha to SEWA in Ahmedabad, from Infosys, Biocon, Redbus, Flipkart and Zivame in India’s Silicon Valley to a far-flung, off-the-map district called Deoria in Eastern UP where poverty is still a reality, govt-aided education a farce, employment a day-dream and the products that Zivame sells possibly a social taboo ; the yatra was a telling representation of an India hidden within the India I know, of a people snubbed amongst the people I know.

Access to opportunities for me once meant getting a job in a low-paying service company or a high-paying product company. When the tribals of Odisha do not have access to their own land, when the rural women-folk across India do not have access to safe and hygienic sanitation and when a kid has access to a school where the teacher is inaccessible, I couldn’t help but ridicule my own definitions of ‘access to opportunities’. As Anshu Gupta remarked in his thought-provoking speech in the numbing cold of New Delhi, “…Aapko gussa kyun nahi aata, aap sawaal kyun nahi puchte…?”

No doubt, the disparities are nerve-wracking, but the prevalent air of hope and optimism among our fellow countrymen despite this is equally jaw-dropping.  Although not enshrined in the Constitution as a fundamental right, the youth of India have a ‘Right to Dream’. We, the people will have to ensure that we help fulfill their dreams, not crush them.

A happy and content youth will lead India to greater glory and strive to redistribute the fruits of prosperity in order to achieve economic and social equity. A disheartened and cheated youth will take the path of immorality and dishonesty to forcefully grab the fruits of success that are reserved for the very few.

Entrepreneurship may not be the cure for all ills plaguing our society, but it certainly is a potent solution to rid the country from the Cancer of Poverty, Illiteracy and Unemployment. And as someone rightly said, you do not need the backing of either an Ambani or an MBA to become an ‘Entrepreneur’, all you will need is ‘Antar-Prerna’.

FRIENDSHIP

‘It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them’ 

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson’s quote does ring a bell. How often have we restrained ourselves from being our true outspoken self in front of people whom we meet only in an official environment for fear of appearing silly and juvenile? Isn’t that natural in a world where everyone is sitting to observe and judge you and label you with their judgments? Hasn’t our childish streak within been constantly strangled and suppressed in favour of appearing important to the outside world? The answers may vary of course. But who can deny that we are at our best and truest in the company of old friends.

The very friends we made over a game of ball, or in the noisy back-benches of our classrooms, over a cup of coffee, or over a personal tragedy we felt secure in sharing with a person who had little to offer in terms of solution but who had the ability to understand and eventually wipe our tears. To be fair to them, they are also the ones who would stand by you in public but reprimand you in private if they know you were at fault. The best part is we would never mind our best friends admonishing us as they are our living mirrors who would never lie.  In Oprah Winfrey’s words, ‘Everyone wants to ride with you in the limo but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down’.

Then there are those friends who do not have the comfort of staying few blocks away from each other but are separated by seven seas due to family, educational or professional compulsions. The same friend who you would meet every day in school, college or classes is now pursuing a different career in a different city surrounded by different friends. It might have broken your heart to see them happy and enjoying their new life of which you are no longer a part. But very soon do you realise that your special bond of friendship spanned across these geographical limitations and you continue to be an inseparable part of each other’s lives.

Last but certainly not the least, there are those bonds which have quivered to stand the test of time and allowed little fissures to develop in volcanoes. Friendship is not a monochromatic bond that can be forged only between two people having similar personality traits, habits, social qualities or intellect but a mixture of different hues of colours, shades of gray, warts and all. The very beauty of friendship lies in its variety and just as like-mindedness is a feature of some friendships, so is a drastic difference of opinions.  It is in nature’s law that ‘Opposites attract’ and there can only be man-made excuses that justify a broken friendship. For those who feel any of this is true surely have one good opportunity to bury the hatchet and reignite and relive the best times of the good ol’ days. All it takes is someone with the courage to break the ice first; the melting happens at a rate at which even real ice will be ashamed of.

An intelligent lady (this can be debated later) once said,

Do not save your loving speeches
For your friends till they are dead;
Do not write them on their tombstones,
Speak them rather now instead.

Happy Friendship Day/Week/Month/Year/Lifetime to all…

When the cowards had their Wednesday...!

For once, I found myself at a complete loss of words to describe my anguish at the loss of innocent lives in Wednesday's cowardly attacks in Mumbai. Wish the terror-mongers could atleast gather the guts to send fidayeens and shoot at us one-on-one like they did on 26/11. Atleast then we had the satisfaction of seeing nine dismembered terrorist bodies and the hollowness of their evil pursuit. Their mere brand of terror is not shameful, the terror directed at unaware and unarmed civilians is.

No amount of reassurances, loaded speeches or monetary compensation can ever bring back the dead. Its not just 21 people who have died but 21 families that have been emotionally and financially devastated forever. The injured may still live to tell their tales. Lets not even consider bringing the topics of Kasab's birthday, the corrupt Congress government or the failure of the Mumbai police and Intelligence departments into the picture. There are certains domains in public life that are beyond the understanding of laymen like us. And to become moral adjudicators or pure gossip-mongers - read Kasab's birthday - is sheer waste of time.

Well then who do we blame ? Whom do we criticize ? What do we say or write when we wish to make a serious statement ? Let's catch RR Patil. Or should we catch Prithviraj Chavan this time ? No, this guy seems smart. Just lets do what has become a national pastime - either fast-unto-death or breath down Manmohan's neck calling him a lameduck , weak-kneed, powerless Prime Minister India ever had. There starts, as well as ends, our vast understanding of the complex country we live in.

To call paapi-pet-ki-majboori as Mumbai's spirit is a topic I have discussed with my Mumbai friends endlessly. No one really agrees that there is anything praiseworthy when a Mumbaikar goes back to work as usual the very next day after the blasts. What is a mason, who lives on daily wages, expected to do? What is a govt. school teacher, who has to take a pay-cut, expected to do? What is a Software Engineer, who wags his tail as per the wishes of his firang client, expected to do? These basic economic realities, my friends, have got nothing to do with the spirit of any individual person, forget Mumbai as a whole.

Let us not ever forget that our enemy is not a person called Kasab, or a country called Pakistan. The real enemy is the school of thought that has turned hundreds of poor, innocent and unemployed youths like Kasab himself into live human bombs. The real enemies are the promoters of such thoughts who have single-handedly managed to turn a fine, peace-loving religion into a hotbed of fanaticism and intolerance. Give these vocal fundamentalists a real Kalashnikov and tell them to face our country's security forces with the same rage in their eyes and the desire to attain jannat that they inspire in their hapless cadres, and I bet they would have already died many times before their actual death.

Jannat-e-jaaneman mujhe bhi tere paas aane ka dil karta

Jannat-e-jaaneman mujhe bhi tere paas aane ka dil karta

Lekin agar mein jaan de nahi sakta, toh mein jaan le bhi nahi sakta...!!

I pray for the families of the victims and hope they gather the strength to deal with their immeasurable loss.

I also pray for the families of the terrorists who will soon need the same strength to see the rotting, dismembered dead bodies of their terrorist- sons gone astray.

Hope there is light at the end of this darkest tunnel.

Cricket, Cricket and Cricket !

India v/s Pakistan
Venue : Mohali, India
Date : March 30th, 2011

How earnestly have we waited for this grand 'semi-finale'? This is the most-awaited, over-hyped match of the World-Cup, a conquest between two equals just to be fair to Pakistan. Both cricketing nations' teams nurture a burning desire to attain glory by not just defeating the opponent convincingly but batter and maul them so bad that the cuts and bruises of those inflicted wounds stay fresh till their next encounter. As jingoistic as I might sound, I take full liberty in calling this encounter a clash of cricketing titans whose sole aim is to win and win at any cost.

An India-Pakistan encounter has never managed to be just about the respective game or respective fora where these two countries have faced each other. Their representatives bring with themselves the overwhelming pressure of expectations to outperform each other taking a cue from the embarrassing situations they have gone through when they had to be content with the bad end of the stick. As cricketing (and war) records show, Pakistan has had to bite the humble pie far too many times taking a toll on its dwindling self-respect. Yes , SELF-RESPECT is what it is about. To hell with the ignorant souls who call today's Indo-Pak match a simple game of bat and ball where one will win and one will lose. This match has the capacity to make or break careers. Remember the 2003 WC league-stage encounter where Pakistan lost? The likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, Saqlain Mushtaq and Rashid Latif - national heroes of those times - had to bid farewell to the game soon after their disgraceful loss to India. Such is the impact of this high-voltage game. A loss to Bangladesh is forgiven in this country, a shock defeat to Zimbabwe can be forgotten, a batting collapse against a weak West Indies is also normal BUT even a 'loss-like' situation against Pakistan is met with angry emotions and abusive rants against players irrespective of their past performances.

There is no doubt that India has done well to qualify for the semi-finals. But that in itself doesn't speak volumes of this hot-favorite side since Sri Lanka has already qualified for the finals with relative ease and Pakistan was not even expected to make the semi-final grade after a string of losses in bilateral ties and series of spot-fixing allegations on some of its top players. In all fairness, its Pakistan who deserves full credit for coming this far on the strength of sheer talent and strong leadership from skipper Shahid Afridi - the leading wicket-taker of the World Cup so far.

India, on the other hand, has relied too much on individual performances with Sachin and Yuvraj leading the batting charge and a lonely Zaheer Khan left to try all tricks with the ball. A miserable and clueless (but media-savvy) captain in Dhoni has further compounded India's worries. The league matches don't instill much confidence either, especially the drawn match with England and a characteristic batting collapse against South Africa - who are now already out of the World Cup courtesy New Zealand who in turn are heading home courtesy Sri Lanka. That gives me logical nightmares about a possible India-Sri Lanka clash in the finals but we will reserve that discussion for another day.

To add spice to the fun, the chhakka-panjaas (politicians) have decided to partake the glory and limelight of this encounter by making this match a bilateral political affair under the guise of cricket diplomacy or Cricketomacy. Never have I understood this irrational offer of friendship when the offending side continues to be an existential threat to us and has not even assured us of full co-operation in tackling terrorism; forget apologizing for the heinous acts (26/11) planned and financed from its soil. A weak-kneed, lameduck Prime Minister, for all his integrity and honesty summed together, still doesn't add up to the expectations of the young, vibrant and demanding population of his country. Cricket cannot and should not direct the national policies of our country against a rogue neighbour. A Shahid Afridi is welcome with open hearts but an Asif Ali Zardari or a Yousuf Raza Gilani deserve nothing less than chappals in crude Hindi. To have them over as state guests when families of those who died in the 26/11 carnage still await justice and co-operation from Pakistani courts in punishing the masterminds is a sad commentary on our foreign policy. I will rest my arguments on this restive issue for now.

Coming back to cricket, there is no doubt that people from both countries are already losing sleep thinking about this encounter and its aftermath. A brilliant display of sportsmanship, nerves of steel, strong and innovative leadership is what people expect to see in a span of 100 overs today. Hope its a match that raises the stakes for the finals, hope its a match that gifts the winning nation a day of festivities and celebration and the loser's a chance at introspection. And as much as I try to resist the die-hard fan inside me, hope it gives the God - Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar - his chance at making his 100th international century in style.

As the Master Blaster himself says and we all agree, "Beating Pakistan is always special because they are a tough team and we have a bit of a history regarding Pakistan."

Hope its a special day for India tomorrow.
Let the game begin!!

Spare a thought...

On this 63rd Independence Day, much as we hope for India's prosperity, let us spare a thought for that man guarding our nation's borders in the uninhabitable Siachen glacier; the man in Vidarbha who feeds us regularly but commits suicide out of fear of not being able to feed his own; the old and helpless who have been disowned by their children and left to the mercy of this evil world; the street urchin for whom Independence means struggling for a decent meal every single day; As the lucky few that we are, let us vow to give back something in return for what this country has given us and may Independence stand for freedom and liberty for all.

Siachen Glacier Anthem Video :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_RGzJzhLnE

Jai Hind !!

A warm, tight, final hug to Engineering...!!

The full text of my Convocation-cum-Farewell Speech today in the august presence of my batch-mates. A big thanks to Tanya Sarna for giving me this opportunity which I grabbed with both hands and an even bigger thanks to the lively audience who supported, clapped, rejoiced (probably hooted too) and makin this otherwise dull day come alive....


" It was 4th September 2006, technically the first day of college for our batch and I dunno how many of u remember but we had our Orientation seminar on that rainy day. unless u bunked on that day too… we were made to listen to the history and geography of this institute where today we complete 4 full years of our course that have enriched us on various levels, given us so many memories to cherish for a lifetime, given us amazing friends wid whom we have spent the best times in these years; these 4 yrs hav given us practically everythin except a slightest idea abt the logic behind our course syllabus..

We meet on this day where we are all decked up to accept our Graduation certificates from the very University that we hav unitedly hated irrespective of caste, creed or language barriers. For some of us, these 4 yrs may also remind us the emotional grind we went thru when we got unexpected KTs on one or more than one occasion. For some, these years may define the absolutely unadulterated fun we had spendin a whale of a time doing practically nothing but sitting and chattin in the college canteen.

For some, these years have been transformational too.. Such was the classroom experience here that even sincere, hard-working pets have transformed into habitual defaulters.. or even vice versa for that matter…

Irrespective of what we gathered individually, the one thing that will probably remain on top of my college memories will be the I.V. days in Shimla-Manali. I’m sure many of u share that view.

This last semester ensured that many of us have our future course charted out in the form of placements. Many among us here have enjoyed Engg so much that they hav opted for an MS. On the other hand, some have hated it so much that they wont mind sellin Dabur Amla Hair Oil and call themselves MBAs. Some of you will join ur family business, some will take the unconventional route and opt for totally different careers. For the undecided ones, I’m sure better things are coming your way too…. But wherever you go and whatever you do, Make Yourself Count ( ok that was cheap advertisement of my personal blog but sorry I cant help it )

Now that I suppose I am famous because of this speech, I hope to be invited to your engagements and weddings whenever they take place. There’s a brand new hall right here so I m sure discounts will be offered to ex-students.

As I conclude, I wud tell u to admire the institute you study in, especially ours. Very rarely will you get to see a defaulter deliverin a convocation-cum-farewell speech 2-months in advance when he has no 'beeping' idea what the next week holds for him.

THANK YOU & ALL THE BEST… and 3 cheers to all of us....!!! "

Incredible India !!

No, I am not launching a new series of commercials for the Ministry of Tourism, certainly not. I don't even think this is an appropriate title to what I wish to write. But still, Incredible India !!

How many times have we basked in the glory of our successes (or excesses) in varying fields only to stand witness to its equally glorious downfalls? How easily we have converted individuals from humans-to-paranormal achievers-to-demigods and then easily brought them down to the rank of frauds and criminals? The vice versa is equally true in my beloved country.

Naming a few will clear the clouds as to what & who am I talking about. Take for instance, Lalit Modi. Not too many days ago, this ugly little duckling was a sapphire in a coal-mine for all of us. He had achieved the impossible. He wrapped the same old popular game of Cricket in a nice little package and promised us an entertainment bonanza every year. Bonanza for you, overdose for me. This alpha-male showed us that nothing is insurmountable if you are driven; even kissing, hugging, hi-fiving beautiful bolly chicks and cheerleaders is possible inspite of being ugly, unkempt and soda-glassified...... STOP --> PLAY CURRENT TRACK and you find the same name Lalit Modi today also stands for kidnapper, drug peddler, fraud, misdirected genius and what not. A typical case of an otherwise irrelevant past coming back to haunt your present. Success is difficult to achieve, but even more difficult to digest. Modi is a victim of his own ingenuity. I will not mention what the media says about him because news-reporting has transformed itself into a beautiful showbiz providing prime-time entertainment like any other over-the-top reality show. Meanwhile, you and me are busy rooting for our favorite teams.

But politics beats it all. Here we have a sophisticated, 'proper'-English speaking, career diplomat and ex-MoS Shashi Tharoor who loses his job as well as an untarnished reputation for mentoring a commercially profitable consortium (a punishable but excusable misconduct even by the strictest standards) whereas on the other side we have career-scamsters who manage to orchestrate a humongous scam even in cattle fodder and still be ministers for full terms. Not just that, they also qualify themselves as chief guests at our top B-schools lecturing the young bright future entrepreneurs on..... MANAGEMENT, if you really get what I mean. How on earth was a person who did not spare animal food allowed to look after the largest rail network in Asia that employs millions and earns millions too? The answer is by Management, my dear, management.

The Satyam fiasco, the match-fixing scandal, the Indira Gandhi story, the Narendra Modi syndrome, the Rajiv Gandhi persona (from best PM to tainted ex-PM), the Naxal issue ; have all been examples of pendulum shifts in perception. The have cost the nation its image on the international front. Worst, they have challenged our ideals and work ethics and exposed our people, our governments whom we looked upon as our saviours, our heroes. We, as mute spectators, aren't left much far behind in our contribution to the chaos. We worship them at our convenience and we also go hammer and tongs when it suits us. 'Yeh public hain, sab jaanti hain' is the most clever sentence aimed at fooling the public itself. We think we matter even when we know we don't. India and Indians are incredibly incredible indeed.

As for the actual 'Incredible India' campaign carried out by our Tourism Ministry, you just need to google to find out the rapes per month of foreign nationals that take place on Goa's beaches and I bet you will hate that term for the rest of your lives. Btw, Goa is the smallest state of our Incredible India.

Pak Infiltrates, China threatens, Aus attacks : Welcome to India's Century

The 21st century belongs to India. It sure does. We're in the news all the time. And for all the wrong reasons. First things first , 14 months and we still haven't managed to get a single person convicted for the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. Gone are the days when Pranab Mukherjee (then Foreign Minister) sounded the war bugle on Pakistan in response to the cowardly attacks but ended up taking instructions from them on how to proceed legally to secure convictions for a crime that was documented LIVE on World Televisions. In UPA-2 some divine intervention told him about his advancing age so he conveniently shifted himself to the more cosy Finance Ministry leaving the Foreign Ministry charge to a docile SM Krishna 'ably' supported by his assistant Shashi 'Twitteroor'. I'm sure they both got to settle a lot of other differences first before they start taking their jobs seriously. Meanwhile, Pakistan has played its side of the game smartly. Rarely do we see a country come out unscathed after inflicting such macabre humiliation on its neighbor. Even the pea-sized Palestine bombed the mighty Israel when challenged.

China, on the other hand, badly cuts us down to our size, both physically and diplomatically. Physically; by claiming Arunachal Pradesh & Aksai Chin. Diplomatically; by vetoing crucial treaties and accords against us in International Bodies, investing money and manpower in mineral-rich Africa and oil-rich South America, gaining political clout in countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh which have traditionally been India's friends. The Chinese economic growth story is a result of their own hard efforts. The political arrogance is just an expected consequence. Unless we keep them in check and learn to expand our own base, we will be to China what Canada is to America. Living under fear is bad but living under denial of it is worse.

The newest hot-spot for Indians for education and tourism, Australia, is in the news too. What started as stray street attacks on brown people with the motives being robbery or sexual assault has transformed into full-fledged racist attacks with Indians being singled out for special treatment. Before we even discuss the reasons behind it, I strongly believe that the job of the Australian government is to protect its people (citizens, tourists alike) from such brutal attacks and not get philosophical about job losses and domestic unemployment being the reasons behind these acts of sheer cowardice. India, on the other hand, has taken 3 months just to request the Australian authorities to set up a committee to look into the matter. Parents have lost their young children, some have been lucky to settle with a permanently disabled young man in their house, some plan to return soon, many have cancelled their plans of going. If the govt had guts, it would have issued a strict travel advisory prohibiting Indians from touring Australia in the near future and banning any visits by Australian ministers or industry tycoons. But our policy of pliability prevents us from taking decisive steps. Instead, we had the Australian Foreign Min, Dy. PM and PM himself as state guests recently who either conveniently avoided intrusive questions on the racist attacks or gave textbook answers that would keep the diplomats happy. An Indian is probably running for his life or being beaten to death on the streets of Melbourne even as I post this blog.

Push has come to shove, and the shove to a Tombstone Piledriver, but we lay bare and naked knocked out without putting up a fight. Unless we stand up and be counted, the world will dismiss us as just another over-sized country that is too busy with its one-dimensional growth to care for the life & property of its citizens or diaspora. The way things are going, we must count ourselves lucky to even co-exist in this world amidst some fiercely self-respecting countries that will not give up an inch of land or let go a single drop of blood without making the aggressor pay heavily for it.

Maharashtra Elections : An Exercise in Futility or a Serious Chance for Change ?

Well we are welcoming another long weekend after the Pateti and Dussehra weeks. But this time, its slightly different. The 13th of October is election day and not just another festival. It is indeed a festival of democracy but I won't be wrong in assuming that very few people perceive it that way. The general public mood regarding elections was evident in the recent Lok Sabha elections where the voter turnout from a cosmopolitan city like Mumbai was a pathetic 43%. So I have decided that I won't waste anymore time in trying to inspire the disinterested souls to come out and vote. This is meant purely for those who are eagerly waiting to exercise their franchise and elect the candidate and government of their choice.

The marked difference in these elections compared to the 2004 elections is the rise of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena or the MNS. Etched out of its parent party Shiv Sena (SS), the MNS is a by-product of the sibling rivalry between cousins Uddhav Thackeray (Exec. President, SS) and Raj Thackeray (President, MNS). Helped by Raj's powerful oratory laced with sarcasm and satire, the MNS is a one-man army aiming to carve an independent identity for itself.

But this is not what bothers me. Simply put, I am totally confused whom to vote for. I am not someone who would vote for an individual. Its his party and its people policies that matter. In that regard, we have a ready reckoner of the incumbent Congress-NCP government's performance in the last 10 yrs that it has ruled Maharashtra. In my opinion, Maharashtra has seen little or no governance in the last decade. We have no idea who is in-charge. The state has seen 4 chief ministers in 10 years. The Union Agriculture Minister hails from Maharashtra but farmer suicides are the order of the day. Terrorists attacks, more prominently 26/11, have raised serious questions about the state of internal security. The snail-paced development in areas like infrastructure, education, e-governance and police reforms has cast a shadow on the very commitment of this government towards its people. The situation worsens when ambitious ministers are seen washing dirty linen in public. As a result internal squabbles for one-upmanship completely overshadows the business of governance. Yes there have been no major communal out-breaks but that alone can't be a reason to vote this government back to power. The proof of the pudding has to be in the eating.

The Shiv Sena-BJP saffron alliance have struggled to come to power since the last 2 elections. Their urban support base kept eroding due to their street-style politics. The sons-of-the-soil issue further alienated them from non-Maharashtrians who have been living here for a long time. Declaring unilateral bandhs, burning buses, causing immense damage to the social fabric of the city is what defined the Shiv Sena of the 1990s. Their long absence from power has not given us a chance to assess their renewed sense of commitment, if any. But it has to be noted that this alliance was keen to show its mettle in its 4 yrs in government. The completion of the Mumbai-Pune Express Highway, around 50 fly-overs all over the city's clogged arterial roads, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link are accomplishments that have largely proved beneficial to the city's populace. Quite a few ministers were known to be tough administrators and the alliance usually sheds its communal image (on which they seek votes) once they are voted in power. Yes we may have to make do with Chhatrapatization of old and new city landmarks but atleast it will be a welcome change from stumbling across everything that sounds even remotely Gandhi. For your information , the Bandra-Worli Sea Link is officially called 'Rajiv Gandhi Setu'.

Last but not the least, the newly-formed MNS is already a force to reckon with. The party fought the Lok Sabha elections just as a warm-up to the October Assembly election and to check its popularity among youth. But it surprised itself by coveting a major chunk of the urban votes thus seriously under-cutting Shiv Sena's might. Its candidates even came second in some important constituencies. The party has certainly appealed to the first-time voters as well as women and the elderly. It has successfully managed to raise issues of day-to-day concern. It has lambasted both the government and the opposition for failing to take up the cause of the Marathi manoos as well as in tackling civic issues. However, the party cadres resorted to violence and thrashing of North Indian students and workers who have a constitutional right to earn their livelihood anywhere in the country. Their blatant disregard towards law and order and inciting regionalist passion among Maharashtrians acts as a serious threat to civil society. That may still appeal to the psychopants or misdirected youths but it surely holds no good to the Maharashtra of the 21st century. But there is no denying that the party shows promise. Its leaders seem approachable. They are young and raring to go. They have the gumption to take on the spineless government in its own backyard. If they get enough numbers to dictate terms to a future government, they will surely use that opportunity to get things cracking. Never mind the sleepless nights for the government in power.

Again FYI, the other parties in the fray are Republican Daavi Lokshahi Samiti, Bahujan Samaj Party and Independents ofcourse. But then they barely stand a chance so why bother. I probably wrote this blog to clear my own notions about these parties. You may agree or disagree with them but I will be glad you will atleast develop an independent opinion. The scenario is interesting yet so confounding. The opinion polls have already forecast a hung Assembly. But thats not our headache. Our sole responsibility is to make intelligent decisions and cast our precious vote seeking change. Personally, its been a hell of a task to arrive at a decision and I may not necessarily select the lesser of the three evils, but select I will. Elections are the heartbeats of democracy and certainly a chance for change but when successive governments fail to deliver irrespective of their stated ideology, they do become an exercise in futility. The choice is yours. What is important is that you make one...

How I Met My F.R.I.E.N.D.S.!!

Seems like a sleazy two-title rip-off of the hugely popular TV series, doesn't it ? But rest assured, the intentions are noble. Nobler are thou friends for whom i write this. Although by God's grace I hav been gifted with a whole bunch of good friends from school , junior college and degree ; I would like to specifically talk about those whom I met in my Engg degree college and am still gung-ho about spending the remaining few months of my Final Year in their pristine company ;)

The first day of the first year in college was a lonely journey. None of my old friends from school, classes or jr. colg were with me. Nor anyone even remotely familiar through friends of friends of friends. Not that I used to sit in one corner of the classroom and interact with no one, that not possible for me. But I certainly was friendless. Striking friendships on the basis of mother tongue was the easy way out of perennial loneliness for many classmates but I didn't specifically wish to bracket myself in a lingual group. I just didn't want this thing to appear as 'thought or planned'. It just had to happen.

And so it did. Conversation is the art of the possible. It helps you know and understand people whom you perceived as strangers just moments ago. A free-flowing conversation with Rahul (the charming guy smack in the centre of the pic) on the most silliest and crappiest topics , bursts of laughter at the drop of a hat, and the slight nudge into knowing more about him personally set the stage for a gold-mine hunt that runs even today. Rahul had befriended a guy called Parashar (the one resting all his colossal weight on me) who was a silent witness to the mutual admiration club opened by myself and Rahul. The selective types, he was probably rubbing his hands in negative excitement at the prospect of being introduced to a challenger ;-)

The introduction was quick and easy. Though reserved, he made me feel more than welcome in the herd. Then Lalit (tall, skinny, red n black guy) was the next entrant. I hated to sit with him during lectures as the slightest accidental elbow nudge from him would cause enormous pain. And he used to sit on the bench like a cheese-spread without a care in the world for his partner. The only saving grace was he was 'straight'.

Soon it was boom time and thus the need for aggressive expansion. God, I'm kidding all along. I mean soon enough we were joined by Dattaram (black leather jacket) , Vinay (white something jacket) and Haris. The best part is that we all became close buddies sitting together for lunch in the college canteen. We used to discuss movies, songs, novels, careers and even politics (thanks to me). Personally I was glad to know that all my friends had very intelligent opinions on the state of affairs in the country. At the same time I also realized that I was a rank novice in matters of English songs, rock bands, movies and fiction novels. Parashar ensures that I keep listening to one new hit track every week and Rahul provides me with dvd-rips of latest as well as old must-watch movies. I switched over from non-fiction to reading fiction novels on their advice. Matter of factly , I am enjoying this exposure.

Vinay is the proverbial hen with the golden eggs. Ohh shitt!! Wat m I sayin...?? sorry vinay ;-) I mean what else do you call a person who introduces you to fantabulous games on PlayStation2 that too on 29" flat screen TV. Ohh shitt sorry again for droppin the secret. We all have enjoyed long, long non-stop hours of gaming at his place with yummy snacks and cold coffee for company. He's an all-nonsense , un-fussy, adorable grown-up KID. We call him the Maggi Kid.

Haris is the serious types. I dare you to call him Jalaal or Hari Sadu when he's around and I can vouch you will get an earful. Now Dattaram. Dattaram hates his name. He calls himself Aniket and wanted to establish himself by that name in college. Unfortunately, true to our wretched-ness, we didn't let him do that. Afterall how many times out of a million do you get a chance to tease a person with his own name?? Hahahahaha...!! Nahi yaar , achcha naam hain. Sab naam bhagwan ke naam hote hain. Lekin DATTARAAAAAAAM.... Muhuahahahahahahaaha....!!

Coming back to Parashar (still resting his colossal weight on me in the pic) , he is the transformational types. Ever reachable, great listener, sociable and rock-solid companionship are qualities that very few possess. He's there for me whenever I need him. He is special coz he makes us feel special. I still remember how one of our late night phone chats went right till 5 am and that realization dawned only when the milkman rang my door-bell. He's been there to share all my happy as well as sorrowful moments. The best part is, he can actually make me roll with laughter at my own past follies on which i cringed once upon a time. Rare species , hain naa ??

Everyone is. And this is How I Met My Friends in Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology, Andheri West. And its emotionally draining to even think of going our different ways once we graduate into engineers. Of course, we will always be there for each other but can anything really replace the college years ?? I hope so...

INDIA @ 62

India celebrates its 63rd Independence Day on the 15th of August 2009. A vibrant democracy that it is today , it still remains a 'perennially developing' country (a near-synonym for 'underdeveloped'). The Independence Day in itself has become an annual ritual for our leaders to make high decibel speeches and ensure that we remember the contribution of the late Mahatmas, Nehrus and Ambedkars. Remember we will , Gandhi for disintegrating India and showering crores towards Pakistan at our expense thus firmly proving his craze to attain immortality; Nehru for his tactless haste in seeking UN's intervention during India's first war with Pakistan where our army was so close to taste ultimate victory; Ambedkar - possibly the most hurting- for leaving behind an acerbic legacy of 'Reservation in Education' on which our politicians feed and continually add their own versions of Reservation to ensure their political longevity. The Indian Independence Struggle could well be defined as the struggle to achieve 'political independence' and nothing else. Deep within its system , India is still a casteist nation. Economic disparity of the extreme sense further fuels discontent in its people. To add to the poor people's woes, our law-makers spend precious time arguing over feuds among the delectable Ambanis than debating the Education Bill or a permanent solution to the Bihar floods.

Such is the importance attributed to non-issues at the highest level, a taxi-union strike forces the govt. to give in and increase freight charges within 2 days but at the same time it can afford to waste 31 days of indecision over increasing the salaries of teachers in govt. colleges. A former Home Minister is accused of abetting murder of his own former associate. Prosecution of a certain Mulayam (disproportionate assets case) or Mayawati (same yaar) depends on their political affiliations and not on the merit of the case. The good old days of a People's President have been laid to rest with the entry of Mrs. Pratibha Patil who clearly perceives Presidency as Sharad Pawar's rakhi gift to her, something she will enjoy till her tenure ends - or she ends, whichever. Terrorism continues to engulf our country from all sides. Our problems on this front have only multiplied inspite of scoring stunning military wins over Pakistan in the last 5 decades. To compare India's CBI or RAW agencies to US' FBI or Israel's Mossad will be the most nasty joke on the eve of Independence Day.

Information Technology has been India's claim to fame in the 21st century. We keep churning out s/w engineers, coders & now MBAs too; year after year. But is there one weather forecast software or an Agricultural Manager that will help our poor farmers out when the rains fail them every year? Can we really claim that the technology our Armed Forces uses is at par with the best in the world? Do we really have the best Intelligence procurement officials in our Security Agencies? Doesn't it sound dispiriting when 10 Pakis could so easily infiltrate in our country through the sea-route and force their way in some of our prestigious hotels making a mockery of homeland security? We were attacked , fine , but who stopped us from retaliating? What came in the way of employing precision or surgical strikes inside Pakistan where we suspect (we're dead sure) terrorists having set up training camps?

Lathi-armed policemen, scamster politicians, sluggish bureaucracy, self-centred citizenry and corrupt 'everyone'; are reasons enough to not celebrate this Independence Day but to sit and ponder whether we can regroup and revitalize our system and its people so that we work towards a much stronger, secular, competent and independent society. Only then will we be able to justify the colourful words thrown at us by Nehru in his first Independence Day speech :
'....At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.....'

Rains Rains Come Again , Go Away Another Day...!!

"Rains wreak havoc in city" , "Milan Subway submerged" , "Mithi river overflows" , "Highest rainfall recorded in city's history....."

Sounds familiar , doesn't it ?? That used to be the front page story of every newspaper since the historic 994 mm rainfall in Mumbai city on 26th July , 2005. The Milans and the Mithis of the city finally got their due attention.

The city witnessed unusually torrential rains lashing it left, right and centre since 2005. Yes we blamed the government and municipal authorities for their laissez-faire. Yes we wrote petitions to sue the authorities for their shoddy preparedness for the monsoons. Yes we got the Municipal Commissioner and Chief Minister to intervene and make Monsoon Management a priority. Yes we forced communal and disruptive political parties to raise issues of civic concern. So much for those rains. But it seems that wasn't enough.
They say nobody prays more devoutly for the rains than the poor farmers of our country. But if at all prayers have been answered, those were of the crooked lazy babus who feared for their jobs in case the rainfall caused a major infrastructural collapse.
We were already witness to one of the most scorching summers of this decade and if there was one reason why we patiently put up with it was the mere thought of the approaching monsoons that would bring a welcome relief. And lo behold ! look what a cruel joke Mother Nature has played with us. Those slight showers seem less as signs that indicate a normal monsoon but more so a reminder that this is all we will get , all that we deserve. Thats the cruel joke I am talking about.


For someone who remembers 26th July floods not for its devastation but for the sheer fun of walking 8 km from college to home totally drenched with friends for company, for seeing spirited young men helping the elderly & complete strangers trapped in difficult situations, for seeing a friend running to save a little kitten taking shelter under a kick-started auto-rickshaw caring less for the books and journals in his bag, for having hot pakodas and coffee after a hot-water bath ; memories that have nothing to do with the intellectual garbage like Disaster management , Brihan Mumbai Storm-water drainage system, Municipal negligence, self-aggrandizing govt. stats & figures on improvements and the lack of it etc.

All I ever want is to hear the thundering clouds in the coziness of my house and then seriously discussing with friends if college were to be closed the next day, we all could go for a movie instead. I still recollect my first heavy rainfall experience almost 10 yrs back when I was in the fourth grade and it was raining cats and dogs while I was already in school. The school authorities announced that school buses won't be able to ferry us back home due to water-logging and we were supposed to stay put till someone from our family came over to pick us up. These developments actually excited me. For some reason I was sure that parents and guardians would find it extremely difficult to find access and pick us up and would prefer letting the school authorities arrange for our one-night stay till the rains subside. I was pretty sure no one from my family would be able to turn up as it was only my mom , granny and grandpa who were present at home. My mom never ventured out much on her own and granny and grandpa were in their early-seventies. I certainly had no issues with that.

The mere thought of spending the remaining day (and night) enjoying with classmates in the security of our classroom and class teachers was enough to ward off any infantile fears that fourth graders are known for.
But that was not to be. Sooner than anyone expected, harried and anxious parents came along one by one to take my friends away from me unknowingly crushing my small little hopes of enjoying the day in a different way. Yes some offered to drop me home too but the teachers won't allow (neither would I). The desolate classroom acted as slow poison. I wished my dad was in the city. I still wasn't angry on my mom though. I understood her problem. Grandparents? Physically impossible!! I reconciled to the fact of staying with the remaining classmates with whom I never talked much. A boring hour or two passed and teachers kept calling names of students whose parents had come to pick them up. It was 5.30pm and I started feeling like an islander. At 6pm another name was called (as if I cared). But to my surprise , it was my name on which my teacher was straining her vocal chords. I sincerely wondered -- 'Who The Hell....?' ;)
Guess Who ???

---> My 73 year old grandpa

Not even in my wildest dreams did I expect him to come for me. To try and explain in words my feelings the moment I saw him would be sheer injustice on the innocence of a fourth grader. His presence felt so reassuring. From that day he was no longer my septuagenarian grand-father but my Superman. The dress wasn't exactly Superman-like but his guts were. It was only when he was walking me back home hand held firmly did I realize the enormity of the rainfall, the floods and the challenges he faced while coming to receive me. The flood water was waist-length for him but for me, at 3 feet 10 inches, it was imminent death due to drowning if not for his firm grip. His coolness about the entire journey made me fearless. I could even see other people trapped in the same situation admiring him for his nerve. My grandpa was a Rockstar. The rains gave me an opportunity to understand the meaning behind words like love, care, concern, guts, innocence, admiration and the futility behind the word Age. This Rockstar lived his last 10 years loving me to the fullest with minimum words and maximum doting actions.

And that is what these rains mean for me. That is why I so eagerly wait for them. That is why I can't tolerate news that says we will have poor rainfall this year. I can't even understand the basic logic behind the song 'Rains Rains Go Away , Come Again Another Day...'. Maybe it suits the land of the poet but not the land of Rockstars. Hence the liberty in conveniently changing it to 'Rains Rains Come Again , Go Away Another Day....!!'

My Grandpa wid my nephew

मी शिवाजीराजे भोसले बोलतोय... !!

Well couldn't have found a better topic for my last blog before exams. The picture and title say it all but I must concede one fact that reviewing a movie that is pretty regionalistic in its content but still all-inclusive in its essence is indeed tricky business. On the personal front, I went to watch this movie only to break the viva jinx that had set in for the past 2-3 weeks. And also to feel good that I finally took my mom out for a marathi movie and malvani dinner. Oh yes, a complete mother-son outing after a long time and I enjoyed it every single bit. And with no commercial bollywood movies releasing due to some producer-multiplex owner spat, this was the only watchable movie.

And back to reviewing :

The movie has overplayed and over-highlighted the plight of the marathi manoos. In a sense that the first quarter of the movie is full of self-demeaning scenes where a certain Dinkarrao Bhosle (played astutely by 'sachin khedekar') is humiliated by every Tom , Dick and Harry that crosses his way simply coz he is a 'ghaati' (read 'marathi manoos') and deserves to be treated like that. And Mr.Bhosle can do nothing but bear this mortification till he can bear no more. He literally becomes crazy and starts whining and ridiculing himself for being a marathi manoos. He curses his great ancestors and marathi legends and blames them for his present condition.

Its now that the story begins to unravel. This ridicule and self-pity reaches the ears of the great Maratha warrior and pride of Maharashtra Shivajiraje Bhosle (an imaginary role played well by Mahesh Manjrekar) who takes it upon himself to inspire and change Dinkarrao Bhosle and make a man out of this miserable soul. Dinkarrao is shown sharing the same old Marathi grouse of outsiders , non-maharashtrians setting up businesses-big and small- and taking away opportunities from the sons of the soil and how they should be taught a lesson etc etc. It is exactly at this point when I was wondering which way the story was going. And I must tell you, its a welcome change to see Shivajiraje vociferously admonishing his complaints and rather urging him to learn and strive to create an identity for himself than blame others for his indolence. And part of this inspiration is provided through trailers of his own historical successes in establishin a Maratha kingdom with an army that was not even quarter of the size of mughals, the amazing depiction of his bloody encounter wid afzalkhan... all this set the goose-bumps rolling. Yea hard to believe I know....!!

Dinkarrao has his share of downfalls. He puts his guard down when confronted with real-life goondas only to be persuaded by the warrior to not lose heart but continue his struggle. Its amazing to see his new-found yet earthy confidence. The story does go in high-flying mode later losing track of realism but then you also gotta cater to the ultra-emotional crowd who bring in their colony friends and relatives thus bringing business. For those who understand spoken Marathi, its a treat to listen to the hilarious one-liners. That is something that cannot be replaced by subtitles. The song 'O Raaje...' fits so perfectly to this story.

For all those pushovers out there , Marathi or not , this movie is for you. Its high time you learn to assert yourself and work towards carving out an identity for yourself. Don't take insult lying down for we may not be so lucky to come across His Majesty to show us the right path.

Vision 2020 : Gone for a Six

Our ex-president Dr. Abdul Kalam had a vision for India. He termed it the Vision 2020. He envisages a politically powerful, agriculturally self-reliant India by the year 2020. It is not a dream but a vision. And that involves a functioning plan in place to attain that vision. The vision was shared way back in 2002 when he became our President. Today its 2009 and it becomes very essential for each one of us to try and introspect if we are even a contributor to this process. If yes , how? And has India changed from what it was in 2002 to what it is today? Most important of all, do our leaders even share that vision in the first place? Or has petty politics ensured that we live on a 5-year contract stumbling ahead somehow with no goals in sight. Completely directionless , rudderless under the so-called leadership of our spineless politicians.
One must have a look at the President of India's Republic and Independence Day speeches for the past few years. The speech writers have this amazing quality of portraying the Indian State as a model of democracy , development and pluralism. Don't they watch TV ? Aren't we a flawed democracy where history-sheeters are eligible to stand for elections? Don't we see extreme poverty and farmer suicides in the same states that boast of cosmopolitan cities? Have we really seen the last of those gory communal riots in this country? I know I am painting a very sombre picture of our young nation. I may even balance it out by sprinkling some positive happenings in the country. But will that overshadow the dangerous shortcomings in our society? The country is nowhere near being a superpower or a developed country by the year 2020, a fact that we should humbly accept. It will take the combined might of the Indian polity, the Indian people & the Indian diaspora in other countries to help redeem ourselves on the world stage. A glorious past won't help us secure a glorious future.
As for those immersed in watching 20-20 cricket , there's some news... Your country's Vision 2020 has just been hit for a six...

APNA SAPNA MONEY MONEY...

Hey guys... I'm back
This time with an interesting political subject that has been doing the rounds lately. Hmmm yes... 'Black money stashed in foreign accounts belonging to those filthy-rich , tax-evading Indians...'
It was Advani first who raised the issue of reclaiming and bringing back home this enormous wealth which will solve India's (read BJP's) financial problems. Then came those claims from the BJP think-tank and indpendent surveys that the amount they are talking about could be well over 50 lakh crores.... how much exactly?? I'm sorry I wont try guessing the no. of zeroes after 5 but i suppose there are quite a few and too hot to handle. We could see how every other political party has now started promising that they will bring back the money if they are brought to power. I mean, Money is a great leveller. Look at the thrill and enthusiasm this issue has generated for every Gandhi, Yadav, Paswan, Karat and very soon Mayawati(she's got more).
Jokes apart , what is even more surprising is the timing of this issue. Did it really require the good sense of one Mr.Advani to remind the whole nation of this open secret? What were the others doing all this while? Weren't we serious about claiming such gargantuan amounts earlier? Or is the Indian Government a major stakeholder of sorts in this bounty? ohh its confounding.

One thing is certain , 'puri daal kaali hain'. None can claim innocence in this rot. I'm equally sure this long-drawn debate will meet its natural death shortly after elections are over. This is a mere ploy to keep the intelligent voter on his toes and force him to think. Its like a wild goose chase. You really dont know what to do if you caught it. (that was borrowed and conveniently modified to sound original... hehe)

Even if this issue is kept alive or even better, investigated by the next governement , the businessmen, gangsters, politicos will be given enough time to relocate accounts and the newspapers will read "Not 50 lakh crores , but Rs. 99,999/- (Re.1 service charges) belonging to some Bangaru Laxman traced to hawala account...' And the curtains will fall.
Afterall , who would want to come clean on his/her clandestine activities when the entire system is encouraging them to carry on.
which brings me to another hindi saying , 'iss hamaam mein sab nange hain...' (cheaply translated as 'Everyone's naked in the bathroom')
lols ;)

adios

Ready for Change ??

There are many leaders who arrived on the world stage and mesmerized the common man, the business world and the intelligentsia with their leadership. We could take names of right thinking men and moderates like Winston Churchill , Ronald Reagan , Jawaharlal Nehru , Lal Bahadur Shastri , Mikhail Gorbachev and many more as well as the not-so-right thinking ones (understatement) like Adolf Hitler , Joseph Stalin , Benito Mussolini , Indira Gandhi , Richard Nixon etc.

A common thread that binds them all is that these leaders came to the fore in times of hardship, in times of imminent war or a demand for radical change. Whether it be the World War II era , the Cold War or Indo-Pak war , these men led their people to what they thought was right. However , we really weren't a witness to those times and all we know about them is either through books or the History Channel.
Now look at the following names and tell me if you really ever considered them 'leaders' in the first place :
George W Bush , L K Advani , Asif Ali Zardari , Vladimir Putin , Ahmadinejad etc.
Common thread 1 : our generation leaders
Common thread 2 : HOPELESS MEDIOCRES

However , they say 'Change is the only constant in life'. The US of A was lucky to discover and then elect this 'change' in Barack Obama. A story of an inspiring journey to the top with humble beginnings but lots of determination. A second-rate citizen, to be precise, for the America of the pre-Martin Luther King era assuming the top government office is nothing short of a social phenomenon. The Americans braced themselves up to embrace this change. They grabbed this opportunity with both hands and in one voice. The results are there to see for one and all. The man talks of peace and not war. He talks of sound economics and not mindless politics. He talks of nuclear disarmament and not nuclear warheads. He talks of an increasing role for the developing countries in the new world order and not of preserving the ineffective and stifled G-8 in the scheme of things. Not an armchair theoritician , Obama promises to act and fulfil his promises in his new role as the world's president.

Coming back home, we get to see a completely opposite scenario. Our elections see the emergence of more and more criminals, mass murderers, scamsters, frauds, swindlers occupying the treasury benches in Parliament. Have we really stopped caring?
Today, its upto us if we are willing to follow the example set by the people of America and elect leaders of the stature and promise of Obama in our own elections. It is only then will we be able to say that India, too, is READY FOR CHANGE...

IGNORANCE..

Subhashchandra Bose once said to his fellow Indians, "Tum mujhe khoon do, aur mein tumhe aazaadi doonga..."("You give me your blood and I'll give you freedom...") . These words came during the extremely difficult and do-or-die situations of our Freedom Struggle. That was a time when all of India came together and fought for its independence from the British Rule. It was the sheer grit and determination of the average Indian who came out in large numbers to achieve a common goal ; Independence.
Subhashji's words may seem out-of-context and gory- or even laughable - to the average Indian of today who doesn't even care to cast his vote during elections. He doesn't realize that he's lucky to belong to a country that holds democratic elections to parliament every 5 years unlike most of our neighbours where bullet prevails over the ballot. To feign ignorance in most aspects of nation building is the only despicable commonality I notice in our men today. To celebrate a mere 55-60% voter turnout is akin to celebrating apathy. For a country that boasts of 70% of its population belonging to people aged under 35, there is a lot left to achieve.
A humble start to purge ourselves off this ignorance is to ensure that we all vote and also catalyse our neighbourhood by encouraging all eligible voters to step forward and vote intelligently. As a popular ad running on TV keeps saying "This time, lets not vote FOR .. but VOTE AGAINST.... " - against our IGNORANCE.