From past few days I have been re-discovering the new meaning of democracy. The old version of democracy " Of the people, by the people and for the people "would soon get replaced by "Of the politics, by the politics and for the politics ". Do we need proofs for this?
I take the liberty of presuming that people who have the habits of reading newspapers and watching news on TV would be well aware of the political situation in India. Nothing to boast about. The recent bedlam over Gujarat polls is enough to support my words. Election is the best season to witness the slandering phenomenon. After all if calumny of somebody else's character can make you appear lesser villain, why not do it? If presidential polls can sustain such gimmicks, we are just talking about politics at the state level. Politics is not standing on any moral grounds. At least this is what the people have been compelled to believe. The political bigwigs do not bat an eye lid while using any object or person as a pawn for elevating their position before the masses.
This time EC has been cleverly used by the two major parties in India to checker each other. To show that it is not polarized EC had to issue notice to certain speakers. This is just a small glimpse of what the politics is capable of doing in our land. Ah, also how can we forget the melodramatic episode of Taslima Nasrin? Very aptly someone has quoted that "One Man's food is another man's poison". While Taslima is on flee from one place to another to find abode for herself where she can dwell with peace, she couldn't refrain from being a part in the Gujarat polls, though not willingly. Modi seized the opportunity to act host for the troubled writer, in the hope that his anti-muslim image would get a make over. By default, voters are assumed to be fools, who cannot see thru things .Maybe they are right!
I am not a politically inclined person and I share zilch interest in who is going to throng the hot seat. My only concern is that why is so much of fuss being made over Taslima's stay in India? Is it all genuine or politically moved? They know the best. Religious fanatics say that she has offended the religion by writing some controversial things in her books. Don't the very same people keep the communal sentiments up on the high tides perennially? Don't they cause mental and physical harm to our nation by killing its secularity? Well, I guess they don't fall in such categories.
At least Taslima's books haven't incited any physical harm. Not until her book got politically tinted. Whenever a writer pens down her thoughts, it need not appeal to all. There would be certain segments in society which would raise objections to anything and everything written and painted. Haven't we heard that the other name for art is radical? Radical thoughts need not be treated as blasphemy always. And if incongruous zones are not explored by the writers then who would bring the common man for rendezvous with eclectic thoughts? This in no means should be taken as prerogative by the writers to craft dictum without head or tale. This also reminds me of the small frenzy which Mayawati created some time back over a song in Madhuri's come back movie "Aaja Nach Le". Now I am sure that like me, 99.9% of people wouldn't have taken the use of word "mochi" in the song, as derogatory. Only after the hue and cry by Mayawati, such a thing came into notice. So ultimately who is undermining certain castes in India, is it the art or the political mob? This creates a sense of deja-vu in me about jingoism, all but for wrong reasons.
Taslima has conveniently become a pawn in the game played by the politicians. But can we blame her? The journey through which Taslima is going definitely needs to wind up. If we don't intervene in politicization of the art then we would continue to lose many more Hussains and Taslimas.
It is not Lajja for Taslima who vocalized her thoughts via books, but Lajja for people who adopt jaundiced approach towards art and poison the nation in-toto. Anomaly in art is still a diminutive issue to focus on. Need of the hour is to palisade the nation from the jaws of political and religious dogmas.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
The new Indian Religion - Youthism
Faded jeans, half tucked shirt or a funky Tee, expensive mobile, gum chewing mouth churning Yankee English…..does this ring a bell in your mind?
The youth of Today's India
This however is just a lop-sided reflection of our youth.
Apart from living in Levis, keeping time with Cartier, and walking in Gucci, these youngsters also exude dynamism, confidence and the alacrity to beat the best in the world.
Indian youth, today, have transcended all boundaries and achieved the zenith in all major walks of life. They are the true and new face of our burgeoning economy. India is the new buzzword in the global dictionary with everybody from business to politics wanting to share the spot light with India. This success is unprecedented, in the history of India. The youth of this generation knows its mind and leaves no stone unturned to achieve what it dreams of. One could completely get bamboozled with the various facets to our young generation. Their aplomb and killer instinct can keep people, riveted forever.
The screening of recent film "Chak de India" also accentuated the spirit of juvenescence in India, and showcased that if grit, determination and focus form the cardinal pillars of any person, conquering zenith would not be too far. "Chak de…" was Indian youth personification to the fullest. The movie succeeded in instilling a mixed feeling of patriotism and unflinching zeal to actualize one's dream.
With globalization and advent of internet, information has become ubiquitous like god and air. There is nothing which can not be known by entering the world of "www". Our tech savvy youth have completely exploited this boon and polished themselves to compete with the finest brains of the world. While this remains a common scene in the cities of India, the rural side still remains aloof from the benedictions of such developments. India has beautifully transfigured into the "Wanna Be" countries of the world and little more effort from this exuberant generation can do wonders to our motherland. It is not a surprise when we hear about our IITians and IIM grads, being recruited by the "who's who" of the corporate world. This talent pool has earned huge laurels for Indian, everywhere. Such is the power of our youth that India is now being considered a major challenger to the world super power, U.S.A!!!
The youth of India, representing a third of our population, constitute a vital and vibrant human resource. They have not only proved their mettle in the field of work, but have also exhibited the humane aspect of their character. Today's youth doesn't shy away from shouldering the responsibility of lending helping hand to the needy people.
This rare combination of qualities makes them a class apart from their contemporaries across the globe. Hats off to our promising generation for their endeavors towards excelling in life, now and always!!
The youth of Today's India
This however is just a lop-sided reflection of our youth.
Apart from living in Levis, keeping time with Cartier, and walking in Gucci, these youngsters also exude dynamism, confidence and the alacrity to beat the best in the world.
Indian youth, today, have transcended all boundaries and achieved the zenith in all major walks of life. They are the true and new face of our burgeoning economy. India is the new buzzword in the global dictionary with everybody from business to politics wanting to share the spot light with India. This success is unprecedented, in the history of India. The youth of this generation knows its mind and leaves no stone unturned to achieve what it dreams of. One could completely get bamboozled with the various facets to our young generation. Their aplomb and killer instinct can keep people, riveted forever.
The screening of recent film "Chak de India" also accentuated the spirit of juvenescence in India, and showcased that if grit, determination and focus form the cardinal pillars of any person, conquering zenith would not be too far. "Chak de…" was Indian youth personification to the fullest. The movie succeeded in instilling a mixed feeling of patriotism and unflinching zeal to actualize one's dream.
With globalization and advent of internet, information has become ubiquitous like god and air. There is nothing which can not be known by entering the world of "www". Our tech savvy youth have completely exploited this boon and polished themselves to compete with the finest brains of the world. While this remains a common scene in the cities of India, the rural side still remains aloof from the benedictions of such developments. India has beautifully transfigured into the "Wanna Be" countries of the world and little more effort from this exuberant generation can do wonders to our motherland. It is not a surprise when we hear about our IITians and IIM grads, being recruited by the "who's who" of the corporate world. This talent pool has earned huge laurels for Indian, everywhere. Such is the power of our youth that India is now being considered a major challenger to the world super power, U.S.A!!!
The youth of India, representing a third of our population, constitute a vital and vibrant human resource. They have not only proved their mettle in the field of work, but have also exhibited the humane aspect of their character. Today's youth doesn't shy away from shouldering the responsibility of lending helping hand to the needy people.
This rare combination of qualities makes them a class apart from their contemporaries across the globe. Hats off to our promising generation for their endeavors towards excelling in life, now and always!!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Always Up....
Nope, this isn't anything about the Reliance MF advertisement which speaks about keeping your returns "Always up". Wanna know what is it actually?
Anybody who comes to India this season would be gripped by a fever called "Always up".
Well you wouldn't have to look into a medical dictionary for its definition, coz it's smeared all over the face of the country. (Almost) Every aspect of India is vocal about this fever. Be it the soaring sensex in the stock market, the ever appreciating rupee value, festive seasons of Sales or the bollywood productions…All seem to be promising a bright and peaking future for this country.
The stock market has bloomed wildly in the last couple of quarters scaling a journey of 14k to circa kissing 20k, further strengthening the beliefs of investor in the escalating economy of India. No wonder that the stock market, despite its uncertainty has attracted 20 million shareholders. That makes India the 3 rd largest investor base in the world after the USA and Japan. After all who wouldn't want to fill their kitty, when India is growing richer everyday. Animal instincts have become rampant in India with majority of investors feeling Bullish. It's a tug-of-war between bears and bulls which churns the market and drives the sentiments of the investors. For now the Bulls have undeniably taken a long lead.
Those of you, who aren't financial buffs, need not scratch your head. It's high time that you get yourself acquainted with the parlance of the stock market (at least the basic ones).
[Check out www.investopedia.com for updating your financial knowledge]
Alright, for the sake of those who are blissfully oblivious of the above mentioned subject, there are plenty of other reasons to feel "up". Ensuing the stock markets is our national currency "Rupee" aka INR. This also has been giving dollar a run for quite some time now. At 39.3 it is emblematic of the growing conviction of the domestic as well as the foreign investors. So what does this mean to the laymen? Simply putting you can buy more dollars now and become rich in US J. It would be wrong to say that Rupee appreciation has benefited our country on whole, because IT and ITeS companies have seen their profit margins plummeting on the behest of rupee appreciation. However a more conservative look says that we appear more strong and flourished to the outer world now.
If this still appears Greek and Latin to some of my fellow beings, then let me talk about some "ups" which are more related to our mundane activities. The onset of autumn season sees a line for festivities in India. Be it Dashehra, Karwa Chauth, Diwali or Bhai Dooj, we Indians get sufficient opportunities to loosen our pockets and live lavishly thru this season. All streets would be garbed differently but in a single mood of "Sale". Flat 50% off…Up to 50% off…Clearance Sale…Phew!!!
A new species mushrooms during such seasons, popularly known as "Shopoholics". They are found in the age group of 20-40 years, gender female (though I refute this…males are equally maniacs about shopping, but lack of choice makes them less conspicuous) and found in various kinds of shops, especially during sale time. They would be armed with packets and packets of shopping bags with them@ this point of time…
Ok, just to add some spice to our banality lets take a peek at some of the much talked about films of the year. This weekend was kick started by the release of No Smoking, featuring perennial hunk of the bollywood, John Abraham and his love interest Bipasha Basu doing what she does best….an Item number… also@ loggerheads is the movie Jab We Met featuring the newly split couple Shahid and Kareena (further highlighting the frivolous nature of film stars). The following week would witness the heat between the mega releases Saawariya and Om Shanti Om…While one has the star attraction of launching Ranveer Kapoor (Rishi Kapoor's son) and Sonam (Anil Kapoors' daughter), the other is hyped due to recently acquired six packs abs of SRK. There is enough entertainment on the screen to keep us peppy and cheerful till the season winds up.
...and the cherry on the cake would be the double victory in the 20-20 world cup once again by the young and effervescent team of Dhoni…
The spirits of Indians are definitely high considering above reasons and if you still haven't been convinced by the presence of "Always Up" fever, then check out with the best doctor in your town. You maybe plagued with "Always down" fever ;)
Anybody who comes to India this season would be gripped by a fever called "Always up".
Well you wouldn't have to look into a medical dictionary for its definition, coz it's smeared all over the face of the country. (Almost) Every aspect of India is vocal about this fever. Be it the soaring sensex in the stock market, the ever appreciating rupee value, festive seasons of Sales or the bollywood productions…All seem to be promising a bright and peaking future for this country.
The stock market has bloomed wildly in the last couple of quarters scaling a journey of 14k to circa kissing 20k, further strengthening the beliefs of investor in the escalating economy of India. No wonder that the stock market, despite its uncertainty has attracted 20 million shareholders. That makes India the 3 rd largest investor base in the world after the USA and Japan. After all who wouldn't want to fill their kitty, when India is growing richer everyday. Animal instincts have become rampant in India with majority of investors feeling Bullish. It's a tug-of-war between bears and bulls which churns the market and drives the sentiments of the investors. For now the Bulls have undeniably taken a long lead.
Those of you, who aren't financial buffs, need not scratch your head. It's high time that you get yourself acquainted with the parlance of the stock market (at least the basic ones).
[Check out www.investopedia.com for updating your financial knowledge]
Alright, for the sake of those who are blissfully oblivious of the above mentioned subject, there are plenty of other reasons to feel "up". Ensuing the stock markets is our national currency "Rupee" aka INR. This also has been giving dollar a run for quite some time now. At 39.3 it is emblematic of the growing conviction of the domestic as well as the foreign investors. So what does this mean to the laymen? Simply putting you can buy more dollars now and become rich in US J. It would be wrong to say that Rupee appreciation has benefited our country on whole, because IT and ITeS companies have seen their profit margins plummeting on the behest of rupee appreciation. However a more conservative look says that we appear more strong and flourished to the outer world now.
If this still appears Greek and Latin to some of my fellow beings, then let me talk about some "ups" which are more related to our mundane activities. The onset of autumn season sees a line for festivities in India. Be it Dashehra, Karwa Chauth, Diwali or Bhai Dooj, we Indians get sufficient opportunities to loosen our pockets and live lavishly thru this season. All streets would be garbed differently but in a single mood of "Sale". Flat 50% off…Up to 50% off…Clearance Sale…Phew!!!
A new species mushrooms during such seasons, popularly known as "Shopoholics". They are found in the age group of 20-40 years, gender female (though I refute this…males are equally maniacs about shopping, but lack of choice makes them less conspicuous) and found in various kinds of shops, especially during sale time. They would be armed with packets and packets of shopping bags with them@ this point of time…
Ok, just to add some spice to our banality lets take a peek at some of the much talked about films of the year. This weekend was kick started by the release of No Smoking, featuring perennial hunk of the bollywood, John Abraham and his love interest Bipasha Basu doing what she does best….an Item number… also@ loggerheads is the movie Jab We Met featuring the newly split couple Shahid and Kareena (further highlighting the frivolous nature of film stars). The following week would witness the heat between the mega releases Saawariya and Om Shanti Om…While one has the star attraction of launching Ranveer Kapoor (Rishi Kapoor's son) and Sonam (Anil Kapoors' daughter), the other is hyped due to recently acquired six packs abs of SRK. There is enough entertainment on the screen to keep us peppy and cheerful till the season winds up.
...and the cherry on the cake would be the double victory in the 20-20 world cup once again by the young and effervescent team of Dhoni…
The spirits of Indians are definitely high considering above reasons and if you still haven't been convinced by the presence of "Always Up" fever, then check out with the best doctor in your town. You maybe plagued with "Always down" fever ;)
Sunday, October 28, 2007
A lot can Happen over Coffee.....
I had a very wierd expereince in a coffee shop the other day. While i was busy sipping a steaming cup of Latte, I could not prevent overhearing the conversation between two friends, seated exactly at my back.
Though I could not track the entire converation, I was sure that it was some kind of woe, which one friend was effusing out to the other. Here's an excerpt of the same.....
What is that keeps me lingering on to it…Is it the righteousness of my decisions, that I m fearing obliviously? Or simply the uncertainty of my future is engulfing my jubilations?
I am a strong person, who could fight all odds in her life…or so I thought about myself.
Do I really know the self which abodes within me or am I just painting a rosy picture and endeavoring to fit myself in that frame?
Nothing seems to assuage the battle within my mind….an incessant turbulence has gripped it…I feel lost, while I have been making efforts to find myself. Why are there so many contradictions in life? My head is aching thinking about all these incongruities…I feel like running away from everything to get some solace…somewhere…do I not deserve at least some respite from the bedlam enveloping my aura, my being? Oh….how much I am trying to overcome this interrogation mode but all in vain. My mind is jostling to reach beyond this gruesome phase. It's tearing my heart apart and I just can't bear this excruciating pain anymore.
I just took a step towards my happiness; did that entitle me to suffer so much? Why am I being held responsible for the sorrows which somebody else is experiencing because of my decision?
Never have I seen my hopes getting belied, like this time. I am happy….I want to be happy but I feel so guilty. This duality in my mind should cease now, else it would drive me insane. At times I wonder if frivolity is my second name. Deep down my heart I know that I grow whimsical about my decisions after a while, but why was the "while" so long this time? It has left my life blatant with marks!!! I digressed because I was not happy...because I felt lost and suppressed…
I am happy now but something is impeding me from enjoying it…what is that?
I feel like the mariner in Samuel Taylor's "The rime of Ancient Mariner"…an invisible albatross is hanging heavy on my neck. Only if I could see it, I would have tried taking it off…alas!!!
These thoughts are choking my mind. Gawwwd…
I wish I could undo certain events from my life. I wish so many things, but I know they might never see the sun. Bequeathing them is the dismal option I am left with now. In that case would I have put enough fight against the odds in life? Do I have the audacity to indulge in any fracas with life now? I hear no voice coming from my mind or heart. They have become defunct. All this only because of this mammoth mayhem, which has swallowed me in its vortex. The pot of peace is empty like this room. My only companion here is my echo. Could life have been worse than this?
My salad days have gradually purged…with no sign of returning ever…
I can not stop tears rolling down my cheek….I wish these tears could wash away all the glooms from my life and bring back the olden times of warmth, love and security… I wish it could happen.
[This is just a miniscule part of what a friend has felt for another friend]
Though I could not track the entire converation, I was sure that it was some kind of woe, which one friend was effusing out to the other. Here's an excerpt of the same.....
What is that keeps me lingering on to it…Is it the righteousness of my decisions, that I m fearing obliviously? Or simply the uncertainty of my future is engulfing my jubilations?
I am a strong person, who could fight all odds in her life…or so I thought about myself.
Do I really know the self which abodes within me or am I just painting a rosy picture and endeavoring to fit myself in that frame?
Nothing seems to assuage the battle within my mind….an incessant turbulence has gripped it…I feel lost, while I have been making efforts to find myself. Why are there so many contradictions in life? My head is aching thinking about all these incongruities…I feel like running away from everything to get some solace…somewhere…do I not deserve at least some respite from the bedlam enveloping my aura, my being? Oh….how much I am trying to overcome this interrogation mode but all in vain. My mind is jostling to reach beyond this gruesome phase. It's tearing my heart apart and I just can't bear this excruciating pain anymore.
I just took a step towards my happiness; did that entitle me to suffer so much? Why am I being held responsible for the sorrows which somebody else is experiencing because of my decision?
Never have I seen my hopes getting belied, like this time. I am happy….I want to be happy but I feel so guilty. This duality in my mind should cease now, else it would drive me insane. At times I wonder if frivolity is my second name. Deep down my heart I know that I grow whimsical about my decisions after a while, but why was the "while" so long this time? It has left my life blatant with marks!!! I digressed because I was not happy...because I felt lost and suppressed…
I am happy now but something is impeding me from enjoying it…what is that?
I feel like the mariner in Samuel Taylor's "The rime of Ancient Mariner"…an invisible albatross is hanging heavy on my neck. Only if I could see it, I would have tried taking it off…alas!!!
These thoughts are choking my mind. Gawwwd…
I wish I could undo certain events from my life. I wish so many things, but I know they might never see the sun. Bequeathing them is the dismal option I am left with now. In that case would I have put enough fight against the odds in life? Do I have the audacity to indulge in any fracas with life now? I hear no voice coming from my mind or heart. They have become defunct. All this only because of this mammoth mayhem, which has swallowed me in its vortex. The pot of peace is empty like this room. My only companion here is my echo. Could life have been worse than this?
My salad days have gradually purged…with no sign of returning ever…
I can not stop tears rolling down my cheek….I wish these tears could wash away all the glooms from my life and bring back the olden times of warmth, love and security… I wish it could happen.
[This is just a miniscule part of what a friend has felt for another friend]
Monday, September 24, 2007
Indians aka Fanatics !!
Talk about being fanatics and Indians beat the entire world. Fanatic about what becomes a matter of secondary importance. Indians have always believed in displaying their affections for the public heroes. Be it cricketers, or movie stars, or some festivals our fanaticism knows no boundaries, and often becomes comparable to a mass hysteria.
The recent shows like Indian Idol and ongoing T20 cricket world cup to name a few have been driving the entire nation to a state of frenzy. Gluing to the television sets becomes a paradigm, ubiquitous across the length and breadth of the country. And mind you, gender and age permit no bars here. The Indian idol grand finale was showered with around seven crores of votes via sms over a fortnight. If this was less, people also thronged the websites to get glimpses of their favorites. Newspapers, TVs and hoardings were abundant with the posters and news about these young lots raring to make a mark on the nation of one billion and above. It takes no time for us to idolize "the rising star".
Running parallel to this is the cricket match. One match is sufficient to rush the adrenaline high in our mind and body. We have all the reasons to completely charge ourselves. As though some high voltage thriller plot would be getting unveiled. To get a taste of it just look around your self. People have rushed office a li'l early in the hope that they cud leave early as well and experience the ecstasy of watching their pets play and cheer our country to victory.
Here's a small excerpt from some e-mails in circulation in an IT firm as on 24th September 2007.
(C Savvy is a the Functional Manager for the project
Rahul is the functional lead
Starry is the functional lead
Jazzy is a team member)
All these mails were sent, by keeping the other three people in CC. So practically everyone knew who is penning down which excuse to escape from the boredom of office to the much exciting world of cricket.
Rahul,
I am out to attend a meeting from 5 PM onwards. I expect you people to stay back and put long hours of committed effort today..
No excuses please!
Warm Regards,
C. Savvy
Dear C. Savvy,
I'm expecting a sudden relapse of my food poisoning at around 5 today. Kindly grant me permission to go home early before you leave for "THE MEETING"
Thank You
Regards,
Jazzy
Hi All,
Since all you guys would be in meeting or at hospital (food poisoning or something else), I would stay back in office to work.
Please don't try and contact me as I would be busy. In order to have undisturbed work I would be in invisible mode.
Regards,
Starry
And this is the final one, breaking all levels of courtesy and patience…
Dear C Savvy,
I have to watch India Pakistan T20 Final today…
Will you allow me to go home early today or not???
Regards,
Rahul
The last one was in much bigger fonts; however it has been toned down for this blog purpose.
This is definitely a drop in the ocean. We Indians can go miles to follow such fanaticisms. One might wonder, what happens to millions to people who don't have access to media channels for following the suit of hysteria? Well, well my friend our fanaticism is not benign. It's malignant!
It's as contagious as common cold. It spread like a sneeze. When you get plagued with fanaticism, some visible symptoms would be laziness@work and hyper activity@home.
To prevent this hysteria from seeping deep in to the culture of the organizations, many IT companies also installed some TV sets in its office to allow its "fanatics" employees to enjoy their fever and also contribute to the company's bottom-line.
Such is our zest and fervor, that it becomes only too easy for these "heroes" to assume the status of god, at least demigods!! While these demigods get to bask in such ephemeral glory and mint money, we go gaga over their charm and adeptness. Time changes at the flip of the coin and these demigods are reduced to the stars of yore times. This however does not dilute our admiration, because a new star gets born and our madness follows that star incessantly…till it has fire!!
The recent shows like Indian Idol and ongoing T20 cricket world cup to name a few have been driving the entire nation to a state of frenzy. Gluing to the television sets becomes a paradigm, ubiquitous across the length and breadth of the country. And mind you, gender and age permit no bars here. The Indian idol grand finale was showered with around seven crores of votes via sms over a fortnight. If this was less, people also thronged the websites to get glimpses of their favorites. Newspapers, TVs and hoardings were abundant with the posters and news about these young lots raring to make a mark on the nation of one billion and above. It takes no time for us to idolize "the rising star".
Running parallel to this is the cricket match. One match is sufficient to rush the adrenaline high in our mind and body. We have all the reasons to completely charge ourselves. As though some high voltage thriller plot would be getting unveiled. To get a taste of it just look around your self. People have rushed office a li'l early in the hope that they cud leave early as well and experience the ecstasy of watching their pets play and cheer our country to victory.
Here's a small excerpt from some e-mails in circulation in an IT firm as on 24th September 2007.
(C Savvy is a the Functional Manager for the project
Rahul is the functional lead
Starry is the functional lead
Jazzy is a team member)
All these mails were sent, by keeping the other three people in CC. So practically everyone knew who is penning down which excuse to escape from the boredom of office to the much exciting world of cricket.
Rahul,
I am out to attend a meeting from 5 PM onwards. I expect you people to stay back and put long hours of committed effort today..
No excuses please!
Warm Regards,
C. Savvy
Dear C. Savvy,
I'm expecting a sudden relapse of my food poisoning at around 5 today. Kindly grant me permission to go home early before you leave for "THE MEETING"
Thank You
Regards,
Jazzy
Hi All,
Since all you guys would be in meeting or at hospital (food poisoning or something else), I would stay back in office to work.
Please don't try and contact me as I would be busy. In order to have undisturbed work I would be in invisible mode.
Regards,
Starry
And this is the final one, breaking all levels of courtesy and patience…
Dear C Savvy,
I have to watch India Pakistan T20 Final today…
Will you allow me to go home early today or not???
Regards,
Rahul
The last one was in much bigger fonts; however it has been toned down for this blog purpose.
This is definitely a drop in the ocean. We Indians can go miles to follow such fanaticisms. One might wonder, what happens to millions to people who don't have access to media channels for following the suit of hysteria? Well, well my friend our fanaticism is not benign. It's malignant!
It's as contagious as common cold. It spread like a sneeze. When you get plagued with fanaticism, some visible symptoms would be laziness@work and hyper activity@home.
To prevent this hysteria from seeping deep in to the culture of the organizations, many IT companies also installed some TV sets in its office to allow its "fanatics" employees to enjoy their fever and also contribute to the company's bottom-line.
Such is our zest and fervor, that it becomes only too easy for these "heroes" to assume the status of god, at least demigods!! While these demigods get to bask in such ephemeral glory and mint money, we go gaga over their charm and adeptness. Time changes at the flip of the coin and these demigods are reduced to the stars of yore times. This however does not dilute our admiration, because a new star gets born and our madness follows that star incessantly…till it has fire!!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
a Wild goose chase
And this year we all witnessed it again…..Bangalore as always, extemporaneous.
Two occasions and many days of suffering…
Bangalore, once a pensioner’s paradise is now marred by the maddening population, occasionally accused of infiltration by bunch of morons.
The then authorities did not have enough acumen to predict that Bangalore would be transmogrifying into the IT hub of India, and occupying a place on the global map, and so here we are jostling everyday to commute between work and home!!!!!
Nah, that’s not what’s actually bothering bangaloreans, but the perturbing point comes firstly, when it rains heavily in Bangalore and the drainage systems show their shallowness (pun) explicitly. Within minutes of rain, the entire city gets sloshed and we are left to the muse of Mother Nature….but wait the plight doesn’t end here. This raining spree doesn’t complete at a stretch, but happens in intervals. So while first fifteen minutes you are required to be collected under a bus-stop or any shop, the other fifteen minutes you can come out and move towards your destination!
You could be called lucky if you are able to traverse this distance in the dry spell, else you are one among those who get to witness the mood swings of Rain god.
To make things worse, the roads also get jammed due to the slow moving traffic and water puddles. Lady luck has to definitely smile upon you, if you are riding a two-wheeler, and still able to differentiate between the road and the divider clearly.
This entire scene on the road looks no less than any procession. Albeit it s a different matter that in Bangalore, the procession for good causes are less and more for trouble causing issues (Rajkumar’s death for instance. The town was painted dark in vandalism on this particular day!!!!)
Secondly, if there are any festive occasions (which by a matter of chance are negligible in Karnataka, as compared to the other parts of India) like Ganesh and Gauri Habba (Habba in Kannada means festival) then the traffic assumes a mammoth stature.
I was stunned on hearing the consequences of heavy traffic, the other day. Many of my colleagues had started from the office at 7pm and reached home only after 1200pm, when the distance from traffic point to their home was barely 1.5 km (the only group of people benefiting from such heavy traffic were, the road side restaurants and thele wale, who enjoyed serving food to the much harassed people). Such scandalous travel experiences can leave you completely drained, both physically and mentally. You have to be an expert to maneuver in such traffic.
However, amidst all the sufferings, one thing which caught my fancy was the tech-savvy city traffic department, of Bangalore.
While I was at home with my irritated flat mates (there was no light in our township, and everybody was upset about not being able to watch Indian Idol), my cell phone beeped, indicating receipt of a SMS. I was surprised to see that the message was from city traffic urging to the public not to come out on the roads and add to the traffic, until unless it was required. I was glad that they at least took some human step to reach out to people.
The traffic had already turned python. To add to the woe, entire city appeared to have come out on the roads, as it was Ganesh Habba, and most of the people, living in the vicinity of Bangalore were going home, for the celebrations. I even fear to think about a situation where an ambulance could have got caught in the traffic and…..!!!
A chill runs down my spine, on mere thought of such a predicament.
If rumors are to be believed, then a red alert has been issued in Bangalore instructing people to be at home to avoid any kind of stampede.
With so many adjourn, I wonder how people can still manage to feel happy about the festivals. Maybe this is the spirit of Bangalore.
None the less, the magnitude of Bangalore’s traffic cannot be over powered by anything else. The nuisance it creates is nerve-racking. It makes you tour the enitre city to reach your destination. (Now, did you find a relevance between the title of the blog and the blog itself).
To put an epilogue on this, “killing” would be a euphemism for Bangalore’s traffic, but who cares!!!!
Two occasions and many days of suffering…
Bangalore, once a pensioner’s paradise is now marred by the maddening population, occasionally accused of infiltration by bunch of morons.
The then authorities did not have enough acumen to predict that Bangalore would be transmogrifying into the IT hub of India, and occupying a place on the global map, and so here we are jostling everyday to commute between work and home!!!!!
Nah, that’s not what’s actually bothering bangaloreans, but the perturbing point comes firstly, when it rains heavily in Bangalore and the drainage systems show their shallowness (pun) explicitly. Within minutes of rain, the entire city gets sloshed and we are left to the muse of Mother Nature….but wait the plight doesn’t end here. This raining spree doesn’t complete at a stretch, but happens in intervals. So while first fifteen minutes you are required to be collected under a bus-stop or any shop, the other fifteen minutes you can come out and move towards your destination!
You could be called lucky if you are able to traverse this distance in the dry spell, else you are one among those who get to witness the mood swings of Rain god.
To make things worse, the roads also get jammed due to the slow moving traffic and water puddles. Lady luck has to definitely smile upon you, if you are riding a two-wheeler, and still able to differentiate between the road and the divider clearly.
This entire scene on the road looks no less than any procession. Albeit it s a different matter that in Bangalore, the procession for good causes are less and more for trouble causing issues (Rajkumar’s death for instance. The town was painted dark in vandalism on this particular day!!!!)
Secondly, if there are any festive occasions (which by a matter of chance are negligible in Karnataka, as compared to the other parts of India) like Ganesh and Gauri Habba (Habba in Kannada means festival) then the traffic assumes a mammoth stature.
I was stunned on hearing the consequences of heavy traffic, the other day. Many of my colleagues had started from the office at 7pm and reached home only after 1200pm, when the distance from traffic point to their home was barely 1.5 km (the only group of people benefiting from such heavy traffic were, the road side restaurants and thele wale, who enjoyed serving food to the much harassed people). Such scandalous travel experiences can leave you completely drained, both physically and mentally. You have to be an expert to maneuver in such traffic.
However, amidst all the sufferings, one thing which caught my fancy was the tech-savvy city traffic department, of Bangalore.
While I was at home with my irritated flat mates (there was no light in our township, and everybody was upset about not being able to watch Indian Idol), my cell phone beeped, indicating receipt of a SMS. I was surprised to see that the message was from city traffic urging to the public not to come out on the roads and add to the traffic, until unless it was required. I was glad that they at least took some human step to reach out to people.
The traffic had already turned python. To add to the woe, entire city appeared to have come out on the roads, as it was Ganesh Habba, and most of the people, living in the vicinity of Bangalore were going home, for the celebrations. I even fear to think about a situation where an ambulance could have got caught in the traffic and…..!!!
A chill runs down my spine, on mere thought of such a predicament.
If rumors are to be believed, then a red alert has been issued in Bangalore instructing people to be at home to avoid any kind of stampede.
With so many adjourn, I wonder how people can still manage to feel happy about the festivals. Maybe this is the spirit of Bangalore.
None the less, the magnitude of Bangalore’s traffic cannot be over powered by anything else. The nuisance it creates is nerve-racking. It makes you tour the enitre city to reach your destination. (Now, did you find a relevance between the title of the blog and the blog itself).
To put an epilogue on this, “killing” would be a euphemism for Bangalore’s traffic, but who cares!!!!
Life-On a Philosophical Note
Sometimes, it takes li'l too long to fathom life...and then you realise that you have missed out on some wonderful things in life....or maybe you realise that you have metamorphosed for better in life!
Whatever be the outcome, its aftermath would emphatically be phenomenal. Time never flies, without leaving its mark.... You cannot have a command over time, however what you do to fill this time can surely be kept tab on. Relish the moments, which you get to live, lest life gushes away. Catch each moment and fill it with yous spirit;let your soul blend in the flavor of life. Live life in its simplicity, because complexity was never its name.
" Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you."
-Richard Bach
Whatever be the outcome, its aftermath would emphatically be phenomenal. Time never flies, without leaving its mark.... You cannot have a command over time, however what you do to fill this time can surely be kept tab on. Relish the moments, which you get to live, lest life gushes away. Catch each moment and fill it with yous spirit;let your soul blend in the flavor of life. Live life in its simplicity, because complexity was never its name.
" Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you."
-Richard Bach
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