Friday 31 December 2004
Tuesday 28 December 2004
Insignificant.
That is what we are. We very often forget that and tend to consider ourselves above everything else in this world. We seek to conquer people, land, nature, God and, God only knows, what else!
Yet, there come times when we are sent a rude reminder that shakes us out of our fantasies and proves to us our insignificance to the Nature. That was so evident in yet another catastrophe that rocked India and some other countries yesterday.
All it took is some seconds and everything - including every pride and every prejudice - was levelled out. My heart goes out to all those who suffered. May God bless them.
Yet, there come times when we are sent a rude reminder that shakes us out of our fantasies and proves to us our insignificance to the Nature. That was so evident in yet another catastrophe that rocked India and some other countries yesterday.
All it took is some seconds and everything - including every pride and every prejudice - was levelled out. My heart goes out to all those who suffered. May God bless them.
Thursday 23 December 2004
The man in the aircraft.
Shailen's marriage over the last weekend has provided me with enough reasons to remember it for a looong time. For one, it was the first marriage of a friend that I attended. Secondly, the responsibilities that marriage brings with it and considering that I may probably opt to face one day scares the daylights out of me. Thirdly, I met Mr. and Mrs. Narendra together for the first time (I had not even seen their photograph taken together earlier), and most importantly, there was hardly any perceivable difference between the amount of fat that I carried and the fat that Nitin carried around his waist. Also, it was probably the only Gujarati marriage where there weren't enough girls; a reason good enough to put poor young lonely buggers like me, Shyam and Ashu into the depths of sorrows and disappointment. And last but not the least, I got to use my newly acquired digital camera a lot.
Anyway, the entire experience was good and enjoyable despite Nitin. :-)
While returning back to Bangalore the next day (this story is also interesting and merits its own entry in the blog), there sat a gentleman in the seat next to mine. I would have probably not noticed him ever if he had not taken out his laptop after we had taken off and started working on it. Desirous that I am of a laptop, the curiosity attached to the make of the laptop and the nature of his work drew my attention to him and with that a curious thought crept into my mind. Is work sometimes so indispensable that we cannot let go of it even for the few minutes that we get between the take-off and landing of an aircraft. The slice of time, in an otherwise casual environment, would be too insignificant to even cause us to feel guilty about letting it go without any creative effort invested into it? Is this phenomenon inevitable, especially in a field I am involved in where laptops or their likes are the only tools available with us?
Not venturing deep into the philosophical train of thoughts that flowed through my mind in that brief period when I was closer to heaven and God, I would like to mention here the prose that took seed in my mind then. With a generous help from Aldrin, I have been able to give it some semblance of a poem. It is as follows (as usual in a Romanized hindi script).
abhi subah ka aalam tha ki abhi shaam dhal gayi
jane kab nazar ke saamne se zindagi nikal gayi
kaamyaabi chhoone ki jwala jo dil mein jagayi thi
sholo mein uski apnon ki yaadein jal gayi
sajaye the maine bhi sapno ke kai shandar mahal
khuli palak to khwabo ki duniya pighal gayi
manzile-kaamyaabi ki oar bhaag raha tha 'aks'
ki pairon ke neeche se zameen hi fisal gayi
Sometimes, I wonder if what we think is important is really important in life!
Anyway, the entire experience was good and enjoyable despite Nitin. :-)
While returning back to Bangalore the next day (this story is also interesting and merits its own entry in the blog), there sat a gentleman in the seat next to mine. I would have probably not noticed him ever if he had not taken out his laptop after we had taken off and started working on it. Desirous that I am of a laptop, the curiosity attached to the make of the laptop and the nature of his work drew my attention to him and with that a curious thought crept into my mind. Is work sometimes so indispensable that we cannot let go of it even for the few minutes that we get between the take-off and landing of an aircraft. The slice of time, in an otherwise casual environment, would be too insignificant to even cause us to feel guilty about letting it go without any creative effort invested into it? Is this phenomenon inevitable, especially in a field I am involved in where laptops or their likes are the only tools available with us?
Not venturing deep into the philosophical train of thoughts that flowed through my mind in that brief period when I was closer to heaven and God, I would like to mention here the prose that took seed in my mind then. With a generous help from Aldrin, I have been able to give it some semblance of a poem. It is as follows (as usual in a Romanized hindi script).
abhi subah ka aalam tha ki abhi shaam dhal gayi
jane kab nazar ke saamne se zindagi nikal gayi
kaamyaabi chhoone ki jwala jo dil mein jagayi thi
sholo mein uski apnon ki yaadein jal gayi
sajaye the maine bhi sapno ke kai shandar mahal
khuli palak to khwabo ki duniya pighal gayi
manzile-kaamyaabi ki oar bhaag raha tha 'aks'
ki pairon ke neeche se zameen hi fisal gayi
Sometimes, I wonder if what we think is important is really important in life!
Friday 3 December 2004
Tuesday 16 November 2004
Shocking!
What are they going to do next to sully Hinduism?
- The most respected, venerable 'seer' attached to the most prestigious Hindu math in India is arrested in connection with a murder of an accountant!
- The arrest takes place in the most dramatic of all ways. And on the most auspicious day for all Hindus, Deepawali!
- After four days of arrest, there is still no case presented against him. The only other arrests in this case are the "killers" who allegedly carried out the murder.
- He is "alleged" to have planned an "escape" to Nepal. C'mon. How gullible can one assume us to be? If one had to escape, one would escape to Saudi, Portugal, Pakistan, or Bangladesh, at least. Why would one choose a country where there isn't even a need for a visa? And is there anything extra-ordinary for a Hindu seer to visit the "only Hindu country" in the whole world?
- He is not allowed to perform his Pujas in the jail (as if that is against law!), no special food to him (despite he suffering from Diabetes).
- And all that we (read all Hindus) would do is sit and be indifferent, or in some extreme case, express "shock" on an obscure blog that no one reads.
I wish we (read all Hindus) could do more! If this indifference continues, we might see other Shankaracharyas, Sants, and Pandits being subjected to similar treatment. If we continue this way, I seriously believe, we don't deserve a Shankaracharya!
- The most respected, venerable 'seer' attached to the most prestigious Hindu math in India is arrested in connection with a murder of an accountant!
- The arrest takes place in the most dramatic of all ways. And on the most auspicious day for all Hindus, Deepawali!
- After four days of arrest, there is still no case presented against him. The only other arrests in this case are the "killers" who allegedly carried out the murder.
- He is "alleged" to have planned an "escape" to Nepal. C'mon. How gullible can one assume us to be? If one had to escape, one would escape to Saudi, Portugal, Pakistan, or Bangladesh, at least. Why would one choose a country where there isn't even a need for a visa? And is there anything extra-ordinary for a Hindu seer to visit the "only Hindu country" in the whole world?
- He is not allowed to perform his Pujas in the jail (as if that is against law!), no special food to him (despite he suffering from Diabetes).
- And all that we (read all Hindus) would do is sit and be indifferent, or in some extreme case, express "shock" on an obscure blog that no one reads.
I wish we (read all Hindus) could do more! If this indifference continues, we might see other Shankaracharyas, Sants, and Pandits being subjected to similar treatment. If we continue this way, I seriously believe, we don't deserve a Shankaracharya!
Tuesday 9 November 2004
The highs and lows of Indian society.
One look at the subject, and probably every Indian worth his/her salt would have a fair idea of the topic being discussed in the following lines. Yes indeed, it is the caste system prevalent in the predominantly Hindu society, though I have come across numerous examples where this phenomenon pervades over other religious groups in the Indian society. There have been various arguments in favour or against this system, but nothing has been able to convince the other party entirely. I, in this piece, present no arguments either for or against this system and make no attempt to label this system either a "boon" or a "bane" for the society. I intend to explore the validity of this system in the current context and whether the society could live without such an outdated classification.
Before embarking upon this oft-trodden path, I would like to claim that classification of a group of humans by themselves can never be avoided. It is in nature of human beings to identify more and more reasons to divide his society in groups, more often to attain/maintain power than anything else. Every society, whether in the past or the present, has had a "class" system and it is only natural to expect more in the future. Therefore, the question pertinent to us here is whether we need to steadfastly stick to an outdated system of classification even though it (probably) holds no relevance in the existing society.
Let us, for the sake of an easy argument and for the sake of my personal opinion, assume that the answer to the above question is NO. The reasons for this are the following; 1. The classes are too few and we need more to accomodate many more professions like doctors, engineers, bus drivers, HR Managers, Stock broker, electrician, plumber etc.; 2. People from different castes are already performing jobs which are traditionally different from the ones defined by their caste profiles; 3. There can be no argument that justifies that a corrupt doctor is in any way superior to an honest sweeper.
Hindu Society probably could never been more divided on caste lines as it is today. The constant playing of the caste tune in the minds of people by media, politicians, blog writers like me etc. has made people more aware and fanatic about their caste status. This is detrimental to the Hindu society itself and probably a cause for greater concern in the overall religious context.
In most parts of Bihar, the caste-based clashes are so prevalent that people have dropped adding their surnames to their names. Surnames in our society, as we all know, perform the additional function of announcing one's caste to the addressee. The knowledge of one's surname directly purveys all information of one's status in the social structure to others. It is sometimes funny to see a Lieutenant Colonel in the armed forces carrying the surname of Sharma or Pandey even though the profession he is in is in no conformance with his caste status.
Why do we then still persist with the surnames? In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, there is this beautiful tradition of not attaching a surname of the name (I am, of course, an exception, and there are many more such exceptions!!). The name typically consists of one's father's name and optionally one's native place along with one's first name. Hence, no surnames, no castes. Though there are other ways of finding one's caste if one intends to do so, this method essentially eliminates entirely any bias that one may cultivate upon hearing one's name. This is useful when awarding jobs, during admissions in schools and colleges, during selection of cricket teams etc.
Gradually, the "Caste" would stop playing a role in one's mindset and gradually we may start looking at everyone as they are - human beings.
Well, there will be divide among the rich and the poor, the whites and the blacks, the communists and the capitalisits, but we can deal with them later. As of now, we must find a way to bridge the divide that plagues our society. Hinduism has been a religion of constant reforms, and I sincerely hope that this will only be yet another of those reforms that have enabled the relgion to sustain itself for centuries.
Before embarking upon this oft-trodden path, I would like to claim that classification of a group of humans by themselves can never be avoided. It is in nature of human beings to identify more and more reasons to divide his society in groups, more often to attain/maintain power than anything else. Every society, whether in the past or the present, has had a "class" system and it is only natural to expect more in the future. Therefore, the question pertinent to us here is whether we need to steadfastly stick to an outdated system of classification even though it (probably) holds no relevance in the existing society.
Let us, for the sake of an easy argument and for the sake of my personal opinion, assume that the answer to the above question is NO. The reasons for this are the following; 1. The classes are too few and we need more to accomodate many more professions like doctors, engineers, bus drivers, HR Managers, Stock broker, electrician, plumber etc.; 2. People from different castes are already performing jobs which are traditionally different from the ones defined by their caste profiles; 3. There can be no argument that justifies that a corrupt doctor is in any way superior to an honest sweeper.
Hindu Society probably could never been more divided on caste lines as it is today. The constant playing of the caste tune in the minds of people by media, politicians, blog writers like me etc. has made people more aware and fanatic about their caste status. This is detrimental to the Hindu society itself and probably a cause for greater concern in the overall religious context.
In most parts of Bihar, the caste-based clashes are so prevalent that people have dropped adding their surnames to their names. Surnames in our society, as we all know, perform the additional function of announcing one's caste to the addressee. The knowledge of one's surname directly purveys all information of one's status in the social structure to others. It is sometimes funny to see a Lieutenant Colonel in the armed forces carrying the surname of Sharma or Pandey even though the profession he is in is in no conformance with his caste status.
Why do we then still persist with the surnames? In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, there is this beautiful tradition of not attaching a surname of the name (I am, of course, an exception, and there are many more such exceptions!!). The name typically consists of one's father's name and optionally one's native place along with one's first name. Hence, no surnames, no castes. Though there are other ways of finding one's caste if one intends to do so, this method essentially eliminates entirely any bias that one may cultivate upon hearing one's name. This is useful when awarding jobs, during admissions in schools and colleges, during selection of cricket teams etc.
Gradually, the "Caste" would stop playing a role in one's mindset and gradually we may start looking at everyone as they are - human beings.
Well, there will be divide among the rich and the poor, the whites and the blacks, the communists and the capitalisits, but we can deal with them later. As of now, we must find a way to bridge the divide that plagues our society. Hinduism has been a religion of constant reforms, and I sincerely hope that this will only be yet another of those reforms that have enabled the relgion to sustain itself for centuries.
Sunday 7 November 2004
Why?
Well. I had almost made up my mind to write something that had bothered me for a long time. But, considering that it was too personal and probably of no consequence either, I decided to ditch the idea just as quickly.
Some questions that come to my mind as I am writing this.
1. Do people write blogs for others to come, read and comment on them? If so, are they not those desperate attention seekers who want attention and continue to remain in it?
2. Do people write blogs to let their feelings out? If so, why do they do it on a public forum like this?
Hmmm...
Some questions that come to my mind as I am writing this.
1. Do people write blogs for others to come, read and comment on them? If so, are they not those desperate attention seekers who want attention and continue to remain in it?
2. Do people write blogs to let their feelings out? If so, why do they do it on a public forum like this?
Hmmm...
Monday 25 October 2004
Some Shers....
Duniya badalne chale, hum akalmand nahi the
Humen sab pasand, hum sabki pasand nahi the
-----
Kya khoob teri adaayen thi, kya khoob tera bahana tha
tum keh gaye ki fir miloge jab laut ke nahi aana tha
-----
Ye na poocho humse, ki kis taraf ishara hai
vo ho jaye badnaam, ye na hume gawara hai
-----
ghum-e-dil ki ghazal hum yun gunguna lete hain
dil se nikali aahon ko shero mein suna dete hain
-----
beenam the, aaj shoharat ki unchaiyon tak utha diya
kabhi nazaon se gire the aapki, aaj palkon pe bitha diya!
-----
(c) Akshay Iyer MMIV
Humen sab pasand, hum sabki pasand nahi the
-----
Kya khoob teri adaayen thi, kya khoob tera bahana tha
tum keh gaye ki fir miloge jab laut ke nahi aana tha
-----
Ye na poocho humse, ki kis taraf ishara hai
vo ho jaye badnaam, ye na hume gawara hai
-----
ghum-e-dil ki ghazal hum yun gunguna lete hain
dil se nikali aahon ko shero mein suna dete hain
-----
beenam the, aaj shoharat ki unchaiyon tak utha diya
kabhi nazaon se gire the aapki, aaj palkon pe bitha diya!
-----
(c) Akshay Iyer MMIV
Wednesday 20 October 2004
The right to say NO!
Democracy is a great concept. It allows people to say what they want, and gives them a chance to get it. At least this is what the conventional models of democracy are based on.
Democracy is a funny thing. Funny because people often end up getting what they never wanted. Because they never get the chance to say what they do not want.
We have had numerous examples like this in our country ever since it embraced democracy. As an illustration, consider a legislative assembly constituency that has three candidates standing for elections. The mandate is distributed and the relative percentages of votes that each candidate (for our example, A, B and C) gets is 40%, 30%, and 30% respectively. Clearly, none of the candidates has found the support of the majority, and A wins simply because he or she has got more votes than the others.
Now, what if the other 60% (those who did not vote for A) never wanted A to represent them. We have a situation where people have found a leader whom the majority did not want! Ironic it is, right?
It is time that we "modified" the definition of democracy to cover this loophole. Every voter should be asked to select two candidates; one that he or she wants, and the other that he or she would never want. The end result (or worthiness) of a candidate can be measured by simply doing a subtraction between the number of "positive votes" and the number of "negative votes" that one got.
This way we may not get the leaders that we wanted, but we can certainly prevent the ones we did not want to lead us.
Democracy is a funny thing. Funny because people often end up getting what they never wanted. Because they never get the chance to say what they do not want.
We have had numerous examples like this in our country ever since it embraced democracy. As an illustration, consider a legislative assembly constituency that has three candidates standing for elections. The mandate is distributed and the relative percentages of votes that each candidate (for our example, A, B and C) gets is 40%, 30%, and 30% respectively. Clearly, none of the candidates has found the support of the majority, and A wins simply because he or she has got more votes than the others.
Now, what if the other 60% (those who did not vote for A) never wanted A to represent them. We have a situation where people have found a leader whom the majority did not want! Ironic it is, right?
It is time that we "modified" the definition of democracy to cover this loophole. Every voter should be asked to select two candidates; one that he or she wants, and the other that he or she would never want. The end result (or worthiness) of a candidate can be measured by simply doing a subtraction between the number of "positive votes" and the number of "negative votes" that one got.
This way we may not get the leaders that we wanted, but we can certainly prevent the ones we did not want to lead us.
Thursday 14 October 2004
Swades - Music Review
After reading the music review that my friend Aldrin posted on his blog , I was inspired to write my own music review for Swades
The soundtrack of Swades is a unique mix between the music of Taal and Lagaan. Well, that is a very vague statement to start a review, but believe me, you will feel the same when you hear the soundtrack.
The opening song "Yeh Tara Vo Tara" is a song with a social message that will remind you of the song "Mitwa" from Lagaan without the considerable energy that the latter carried. The song is good and the lyrics, though not of the best quality, are meaningful.
This is followed by a lullaby "Aahista Aahista" which is so good at its soporific job that if you are not careful enough, you might find yourself waking up from a deep slumber while the album is nearing its end.
The song "Ye jo Des hai tera" is a soothing song with a mild flowing quality about it. It definitely reminds one of another of Rahman's creations "Nahin Saamne" from Taal. And if you are tired of other NRI-directed patriotic songs, this one is for you. It will sure inspire you to some extent.
If "Radha Kaise na Jale" was the best song in Lagaan, Ashutosh Gowarikar tries again in Swades with a song dedicated Lord Rama this time - "Pal Pal hai Bhari". The song is composed on the context of Ramlila. It does not have the charm of its counterpart in Lagaan, but is good nevertheless. The lyrics, keeping with the trend so far, are good.
The song "Dekho na" is passable and "Sawariya" is plain bad. Rahman should be doing better than these.
But the best of the lot is "Tu hi chala chal". The song is beautifully sung and the music is catchy to keep your feet tapping throughout the song. No wonder, it is turning out to be the most popular song from this movie.
Overall, the album is a good buy and one would not be entirely disappointed with the offering. Certainly not the best of Rahman, but then, a mediocre Rahman is still better than all other Bollywood Music directors at their creative best with all numerological assistance. :-)
The soundtrack of Swades is a unique mix between the music of Taal and Lagaan. Well, that is a very vague statement to start a review, but believe me, you will feel the same when you hear the soundtrack.
The opening song "Yeh Tara Vo Tara" is a song with a social message that will remind you of the song "Mitwa" from Lagaan without the considerable energy that the latter carried. The song is good and the lyrics, though not of the best quality, are meaningful.
This is followed by a lullaby "Aahista Aahista" which is so good at its soporific job that if you are not careful enough, you might find yourself waking up from a deep slumber while the album is nearing its end.
The song "Ye jo Des hai tera" is a soothing song with a mild flowing quality about it. It definitely reminds one of another of Rahman's creations "Nahin Saamne" from Taal. And if you are tired of other NRI-directed patriotic songs, this one is for you. It will sure inspire you to some extent.
If "Radha Kaise na Jale" was the best song in Lagaan, Ashutosh Gowarikar tries again in Swades with a song dedicated Lord Rama this time - "Pal Pal hai Bhari". The song is composed on the context of Ramlila. It does not have the charm of its counterpart in Lagaan, but is good nevertheless. The lyrics, keeping with the trend so far, are good.
The song "Dekho na" is passable and "Sawariya" is plain bad. Rahman should be doing better than these.
But the best of the lot is "Tu hi chala chal". The song is beautifully sung and the music is catchy to keep your feet tapping throughout the song. No wonder, it is turning out to be the most popular song from this movie.
Overall, the album is a good buy and one would not be entirely disappointed with the offering. Certainly not the best of Rahman, but then, a mediocre Rahman is still better than all other Bollywood Music directors at their creative best with all numerological assistance. :-)
Friday 10 September 2004
Divided we fall...
The year of 1947 would be forever etched in the memories of Indians not only because they earned their liberation from the British but also because the year witnessed the largest human migration ever in its entire history. The "partition" as it is now famously recalled displaced lakhs from their houses, sowed the seeds of enmity between people who had until then lived as one. Till today, and probably forever, this event will cause heartache to many people.
Sadly, this phenomenon gave fuel to what is now known as a secessionist attitude. It added strength, rather unfortunately, to their belief that the only way to achieve prosperity was to form a state for them and people who belong to their clan. Since independence, we have seen numerous such demands - Dravidanadu, Khalistan, the North-east, Jharkhand, Uttaranchal, Chhatisgarh, Vidarbha and so on. The first three relate to demands of new countries and the latter pertain to states within India. The ideology behind all of them being the same - prosperity is only possible if their clan got their own independent state.
It is surprising how they do not see a further disastrous extrapolation of this phenomenon; that is, further secessionist demands cropping up in time within subgroups/subclans until it is no longer possible for the entities to sustain itself and finally be usurped by a larger entity. History has set numerous examples before us how this ideology has failed, and yet, somehow, people are forced to take this option.
So, where does the fault lie? Within the people, or the Government?
To me, human psychology is inherently inertial when it comes to change. We have never accepted changes easily if we are happy with the way things are going for us. As long as this condition is satisfied, human mind does not venture out to seek changes. So, putting the blame solely on the people is not appropriate. This is in no way an attempt to condone the secessionist's acts. It can be argued that its the greed that overpowers reason that makes people resort to a secessionist attitude.
But, we must not absolve Government of the blame either. The British may have had reasons to cause parition of India, but Government of India has no reason to create environment where such demands could get cultivated. Take the example of the north-eastern states, and it will not be hard to imagine why people of these states feel so neglected. Till today, the region can boast of only one National Highway and one Railway link! There is no industrial growth there, no employment opportunities for the educated youth, no infrastructure.
For any society, an increasing pool of unemployed youth is a sign of deterioration. "Idle minds are devil's workshop", they say, and combined with the aggression and energy of the youth, form a potent weapon for unscruipulous elements to use against the state and the country. This is the reason behind whats happening in Kashmir, the north-east, the Telangana and elsewhere.
The politicans, instead of attacking this problem, use the same problem to further their politicial careers even though they could do it by finding a solution to it.
The heart of the matter is that a sincere effort should be made to provide opportunities to the youth to pursue their dreams, be it acads, be it sports, be it industry.
The matter of the heart is that it is our motherland and it should pinch all of us every time a talk of dividing it is brought about. We are brothers and we have shared a long part of the history together. There is no reason why we must now go separate ways. Remember, "United we stand".
Sadly, this phenomenon gave fuel to what is now known as a secessionist attitude. It added strength, rather unfortunately, to their belief that the only way to achieve prosperity was to form a state for them and people who belong to their clan. Since independence, we have seen numerous such demands - Dravidanadu, Khalistan, the North-east, Jharkhand, Uttaranchal, Chhatisgarh, Vidarbha and so on. The first three relate to demands of new countries and the latter pertain to states within India. The ideology behind all of them being the same - prosperity is only possible if their clan got their own independent state.
It is surprising how they do not see a further disastrous extrapolation of this phenomenon; that is, further secessionist demands cropping up in time within subgroups/subclans until it is no longer possible for the entities to sustain itself and finally be usurped by a larger entity. History has set numerous examples before us how this ideology has failed, and yet, somehow, people are forced to take this option.
So, where does the fault lie? Within the people, or the Government?
To me, human psychology is inherently inertial when it comes to change. We have never accepted changes easily if we are happy with the way things are going for us. As long as this condition is satisfied, human mind does not venture out to seek changes. So, putting the blame solely on the people is not appropriate. This is in no way an attempt to condone the secessionist's acts. It can be argued that its the greed that overpowers reason that makes people resort to a secessionist attitude.
But, we must not absolve Government of the blame either. The British may have had reasons to cause parition of India, but Government of India has no reason to create environment where such demands could get cultivated. Take the example of the north-eastern states, and it will not be hard to imagine why people of these states feel so neglected. Till today, the region can boast of only one National Highway and one Railway link! There is no industrial growth there, no employment opportunities for the educated youth, no infrastructure.
For any society, an increasing pool of unemployed youth is a sign of deterioration. "Idle minds are devil's workshop", they say, and combined with the aggression and energy of the youth, form a potent weapon for unscruipulous elements to use against the state and the country. This is the reason behind whats happening in Kashmir, the north-east, the Telangana and elsewhere.
The politicans, instead of attacking this problem, use the same problem to further their politicial careers even though they could do it by finding a solution to it.
The heart of the matter is that a sincere effort should be made to provide opportunities to the youth to pursue their dreams, be it acads, be it sports, be it industry.
The matter of the heart is that it is our motherland and it should pinch all of us every time a talk of dividing it is brought about. We are brothers and we have shared a long part of the history together. There is no reason why we must now go separate ways. Remember, "United we stand".
Thursday 19 August 2004
Melody rules!
I was just listening to a beautiful song "hum tere pyar mein sara alam kho baithe" composed by Shankar Jaikishen.
Lata's voice exudes so much love that gives me goose pimples. God bestows only a few privileged ones with a voice as sweet as hers.
Long live melody!
Lata's voice exudes so much love that gives me goose pimples. God bestows only a few privileged ones with a voice as sweet as hers.
Long live melody!
Sunday 15 August 2004
Importance of a vision.
If one were to track the entire histories of all the successful enterprises, one would probably witness a single underlying theme among all of them - a vision. A vision toward which all the actions, policies, plans, ideas are directed. A vision that dictates everything that the enterprise thinks or does.
Why is a vision important? It is difficult for a human being to be motivated toward his/her work if he/she does not have a definite goal to reach. It is difficult to perform actions if their purpose, or more importantly, the goal is not defined. Actions without goal, without purpose, without vision, often end up creating chaos and more confusion in the minds of men. The enterprises duly realise this and often set up long-term, if not permanent, vision which guides their functioning and also acts as a guiding tool for the employees of the enterprise to base their actions on.
If vision is such an important integral part of an enterprise, it is indeed surprising that none of the governments of India, after Jawahar Lal Nehru's has bothered to come up with a vision for India's growth!
Most people agree that the development rate was the highest during Pandit Nehru's term and we have struggled to keep pace with it ever since. Even the non-Congress government that came to power have been unable to define a vision for India.
The vision could be something as simple as "Make India a developed Nation" to "Making India the most suitable place to live". Unfortunately, it has not happened.
However, in the recent past, the President, Dr. Abdul Kalam has often reiterated the need to have a vision for India. His vision is "Make India a developed Nation by 2020AD". It is very evident that all his thoughts and actions are guided by this thought and he pursues his vision with passion. It is also sad that successive governments haven't bothered to appreciate his vision, let alone make it part of their national agendas.
On this 57th Independence Day today, we must set for ourselves a common vision, a common goal, a common idea toward which we must all work relentlessly. It is only when the efforts of one billion people are directed toward one goal, that significant breakthroughs can be achieved and realization of goals will become reality.
Why is a vision important? It is difficult for a human being to be motivated toward his/her work if he/she does not have a definite goal to reach. It is difficult to perform actions if their purpose, or more importantly, the goal is not defined. Actions without goal, without purpose, without vision, often end up creating chaos and more confusion in the minds of men. The enterprises duly realise this and often set up long-term, if not permanent, vision which guides their functioning and also acts as a guiding tool for the employees of the enterprise to base their actions on.
If vision is such an important integral part of an enterprise, it is indeed surprising that none of the governments of India, after Jawahar Lal Nehru's has bothered to come up with a vision for India's growth!
Most people agree that the development rate was the highest during Pandit Nehru's term and we have struggled to keep pace with it ever since. Even the non-Congress government that came to power have been unable to define a vision for India.
The vision could be something as simple as "Make India a developed Nation" to "Making India the most suitable place to live". Unfortunately, it has not happened.
However, in the recent past, the President, Dr. Abdul Kalam has often reiterated the need to have a vision for India. His vision is "Make India a developed Nation by 2020AD". It is very evident that all his thoughts and actions are guided by this thought and he pursues his vision with passion. It is also sad that successive governments haven't bothered to appreciate his vision, let alone make it part of their national agendas.
On this 57th Independence Day today, we must set for ourselves a common vision, a common goal, a common idea toward which we must all work relentlessly. It is only when the efforts of one billion people are directed toward one goal, that significant breakthroughs can be achieved and realization of goals will become reality.
Happy Independence Day!
May India achieve more glory and greatness in future. May we all contribute to it in some way or the other.
Vande Mataram.
Jai Hind.
Vande Mataram.
Jai Hind.
Thursday 22 July 2004
Sunday 20 June 2004
The first day at Trilogy
was fun!!! :)
Trying to settle down in Bangalore.
Got a credit card,
got a phone connection,
got a house.
I am already a man in debt!!! :D
Trying to settle down in Bangalore.
Got a credit card,
got a phone connection,
got a house.
I am already a man in debt!!! :D
Thursday 10 June 2004
Story I wrote.
The Reward
“Yes Sir!”
…
“Ok Sir!”
…
“I will do it, Sir!”
The phone having been replaced, Inspector Shinde let out a sigh, threw himself into his chair and wiped the beads of perspiration on his forehead with the sleeve of his Khaki shirt.
The exercise had become a matter of routine within the four walls of Arya Nagar Police Station. It had always been like this; his predecessors did it too, and he had no courage to break away from this unsaid tradition.
The call had come from a high place – The Commissioner’s Office – and Sahib himself had been addressing him. It had startled him at first. The stern and forceful voice of Commissioner Sahib had jolted him out of his otherwise sedentary life and sent him into a state of trepidation.
There was work to do, and it seemed to matter much to the Commissioner. He decided to write down all that he was instructed to do before his memory failed him. This was his golden opportunity to get himself into Sahib’s good books. Sahib had promised him a big reward if everything went well.
A man had shot a businessman in broad daylight in the marketplace a short while ago. There had been some high-speed car chase, at the end of which the criminal was eventually apprehended. It was likely that he was to be brought to Arya Nagar Police Station later. The man, apparently, was related to the local Minister who happened to be a close friend of Commissioner Sahib. Needless to say, it was Commissioner Sahib’s turn to return favours, and he did not wish to disappoint the Minister.
Inspector Shinde’s job was to acquit the culprit immediately and indict another man instead for the crimes committed. The entire operation was to be carried out before the culprit was presented in front of the Magistrate and the Media. Therefore, it all had to be done quickly. It was not an easy job, nor correct, but the prospect of a “reward” had overwhelmed any such hesitation that he may have cultivated.
The replacement was not difficult to find. It was an unfortunate day for the local small-time pickpocket loitering outside a cinema hall. The job was done very efficiently and there had been no suspicions aroused. The media would be too agitated by the audacity of the crimes committed to listen to the poor pickpocket’s cries of innocence. In short, the operation was successful to say the least.
Almost as soon as he sat on his chair with the intention to grab a cup of tea did the telephone bell ring. He sat up with eager anticipation. Commissioner Sahib would surely be happy with his work. The time for his reward had come and not able to contain his eagerness anymore, he picked up the receiver.
“Hello!”
“Is that you Shekhar? I am Sunita here.”
Her voice betrayed her emotions. She was on the verge of breaking into tears.
“Sunita, what happened? Is everything alright?”
“Shekhar, Bunty is dead.”
He could not believe his ears. Surely, his wife was behaving insanely, he thought. Visibly shaken, he uttered somehow,
“How?”
“In the afternoon, while Bunty was coming out of the school, a man in a speeding car ran over our dear child. Apparently, he was running away from the Police. That devil of a man did not hesitate to kill the little soul. I had been trying to call you for the last half an hour, but the constables won’t let me through. They said you were busy and had ordered not to be disturbed…”
The receiver had already fallen off his hand. He was on the floor, dazed, shocked by the news. The constables rushed towards him. In the background, there arose from the receiver, a bellowing cry.
“Yes Sir!”
…
“Ok Sir!”
…
“I will do it, Sir!”
The phone having been replaced, Inspector Shinde let out a sigh, threw himself into his chair and wiped the beads of perspiration on his forehead with the sleeve of his Khaki shirt.
The exercise had become a matter of routine within the four walls of Arya Nagar Police Station. It had always been like this; his predecessors did it too, and he had no courage to break away from this unsaid tradition.
The call had come from a high place – The Commissioner’s Office – and Sahib himself had been addressing him. It had startled him at first. The stern and forceful voice of Commissioner Sahib had jolted him out of his otherwise sedentary life and sent him into a state of trepidation.
There was work to do, and it seemed to matter much to the Commissioner. He decided to write down all that he was instructed to do before his memory failed him. This was his golden opportunity to get himself into Sahib’s good books. Sahib had promised him a big reward if everything went well.
A man had shot a businessman in broad daylight in the marketplace a short while ago. There had been some high-speed car chase, at the end of which the criminal was eventually apprehended. It was likely that he was to be brought to Arya Nagar Police Station later. The man, apparently, was related to the local Minister who happened to be a close friend of Commissioner Sahib. Needless to say, it was Commissioner Sahib’s turn to return favours, and he did not wish to disappoint the Minister.
Inspector Shinde’s job was to acquit the culprit immediately and indict another man instead for the crimes committed. The entire operation was to be carried out before the culprit was presented in front of the Magistrate and the Media. Therefore, it all had to be done quickly. It was not an easy job, nor correct, but the prospect of a “reward” had overwhelmed any such hesitation that he may have cultivated.
The replacement was not difficult to find. It was an unfortunate day for the local small-time pickpocket loitering outside a cinema hall. The job was done very efficiently and there had been no suspicions aroused. The media would be too agitated by the audacity of the crimes committed to listen to the poor pickpocket’s cries of innocence. In short, the operation was successful to say the least.
Almost as soon as he sat on his chair with the intention to grab a cup of tea did the telephone bell ring. He sat up with eager anticipation. Commissioner Sahib would surely be happy with his work. The time for his reward had come and not able to contain his eagerness anymore, he picked up the receiver.
“Hello!”
“Is that you Shekhar? I am Sunita here.”
Her voice betrayed her emotions. She was on the verge of breaking into tears.
“Sunita, what happened? Is everything alright?”
“Shekhar, Bunty is dead.”
He could not believe his ears. Surely, his wife was behaving insanely, he thought. Visibly shaken, he uttered somehow,
“How?”
“In the afternoon, while Bunty was coming out of the school, a man in a speeding car ran over our dear child. Apparently, he was running away from the Police. That devil of a man did not hesitate to kill the little soul. I had been trying to call you for the last half an hour, but the constables won’t let me through. They said you were busy and had ordered not to be disturbed…”
The receiver had already fallen off his hand. He was on the floor, dazed, shocked by the news. The constables rushed towards him. In the background, there arose from the receiver, a bellowing cry.
Monday 7 June 2004
Thank You!
Thank You Chunni, Ashu, Manti, Aldrin, Shailen for the good time I had (not sure abt u guys!) in Pune.
Thank you Madz, Bhids, for the nice trip around Pune and the delicious home-made lunch.
Thank you Vamsi for taking me to FC Road and for the treat (visual too) that followed. ;-)
Thank you Madz, Bhids, for the nice trip around Pune and the delicious home-made lunch.
Thank you Vamsi for taking me to FC Road and for the treat (visual too) that followed. ;-)
Tuesday 27 January 2004
Interesting thought...
Injustice, if not questioned, has a tendency to feed on itself, and grow.
Well said, Mr. Panicker. Well said!
Well said, Mr. Panicker. Well said!
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