Is Sex Education a Necessary Evil of India?

…..Savita bhabhi represents blasphemy against our culture, Flying Machine’s ad is vulgar and Valentine’s Day corrupts our youth!

Such rhetoric has been mouthed time and again by those who have been voted in power by our junta to create a better future of us. The reality however is quite sad.

In India sex is prerogative of only married people and that too in the privacy of their homes. No I am not talking about the act per se, but about discussions, education and learning about it, which is so vital for every individual’s healthy existence.

Those who whine saying that Indian youth is getting corrupted with overdose of vulgarity and obscenity through movies and advertisements forget that such a phenomenon is the culmination of age old taboo associated with sex in our country. Right from the childhood our kids are tutored to turn blind and deaf to anything which is even remotely linked to this topic. We are brought up in an environment where we are expected to fathom this art automatically when we get married. Ask how and pat comes the reply “It’s natural”. They forget that we no longer live in the age of Ramayan and Mahabharat where magical touch and some blessings could impregnate a woman. Parents think it is not their responsibility and schools think it is not theirs. In such a situation it is but natural for a child to get titillated by the slightest exposure which he/she gets through the entertainment channels.

Even though we have moved into the 21st century we are still stuck with the rules, rituals and mentalities of the dinosaur’s era. A certain level of progression in the expression of love and acceptance of sex has to happen in a mature society. We cannot expect our nation to be free from clutches of prostitution, teenage pregnancies, child trafficking and sexually transmitted diseases when we refrain our youth from knowing anything about it. A land where even hand holding (yes! even by husband and wife) is frowned upon and looked down with suspicion needs to learn to be more tolerant and more receptive. Many argue that imparting sex education at the school level would make our kids promiscuous and encourage them to explore the unknown and in doing so the same people overlook the bigger picture of the entire scenario. Then there are also those who feel sex education is another aspect where we are trying to emulate the west.

In this age TVs and internet have mega influence on the way we think and behave and hence the need to channelize our learning is even more important. These mediums of entertainment provide lot of resources on such topics but most often these are half baked information as teenagers and kids choose to read what they like. If only they could be taught about the why, how and when about their bodies at the right age that they would transform into responsible people with sexual awareness.

If cultural pandits and political leaders shy away from understanding the role of sex education in trouncing sex related woes then our country would continue to be plagued by disasters. The idea is not to follow the western countries in how they are imparting the sex education but to take a leaf out of their book and understand their paradigm and develop a prototype suiting our ethos. Leaving our kids at the crossroads of adolescence, with no idea about sex, is quite dangerous as it can lead them towards the path of misadventures. This is where schools can play a pivotal role and provide a platform for sex education minus the hype surrounding it. Decisions taken by an informed mind are often more logical and sound than the ignorant and confused mind.

Just like Physics, Chemistry and History, sex education can also be tailored into a subject and introduced from certain grades into the schools. Of course being a new domain a lot of sensitivity and cooperation would be required from teachers and parents which would help in making this endeavor successful. However before we preach our kids we need to walk the talk ourselves and stop considering sex as the subject of condemnation and approach it more pragmatically. Let us empower our youth with education today for a salubrious tomorrow, after all “child is the father of the man”.

NEWS - Never Ending Worldly Saga

Twenty eleven began on a high note
When Shweta Tiwari received maximum vote,
She created history in Bigg Boss’s finale,
Defeated Khali to emerge first winning belle.
Rani and Vidya offered a double bonanza
And mesmerized people in No one killed Jessica,
They doled out high voltage performance,
Lashed Manu Sharma for his mindless insolence.

While Manu’s crime lived decade away from penalty
Little Aarushi still awaits her killer’s identity.
Fate sealed her life at tender fourteen,
Tearing apart her body and shattering her dreams.
Slackness of police agonizes our minds
Talwar or Hemraj, who slashed the bubbling life?
A story of shock, shame and revelation
Her murder filled our hearts with disgust for the criminal.

To beat the blues and queues of mobile number phones
Manmohan inaugurated the system of single number zone.
Now flirt with services of Vodafone, Airtel and Reliance
Swing between these with just one number’s exuberance.
Religion and status would become a thing of past
When each Indian would have identification with Aadhar.
Creating billion identities with dozen numbers combinations
UID would become a success in every Indian’s cognizance.

 Amidst so much of glory there were some shocks too
The legacy of Kirana gharana witnessed a misfortune.
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi left for his heavenly abode
Exemplifying how to love and travel on its testing roads.
Turning into a memory for his family, friends and admirers
He stood worthy of his stature accorded by the connoisseurs.
His renditions are immortal part of our music culture
Reminding us of excellence, perfection and dedicated gestures.

Mayhem in Kashmir and the hoopla over flag hoisting
Naturally occurring tragedies or politically driven scheming?
While onions and petrol have scored over in the race
Common man is beaten by the ruling party’s disgrace.
Yashwant Sonawane’s sincerity was mocked by inferno of petrol,
Fighting crime he was swallowed by underworld’s black hole.
Charred and unattended, his body was still and calm
Could this incite unrest into multimillion fuel scam?

 The magnanimity of events have overwhelmed my heart.
Feels like as era although it’s just the calendar start.
Nervousness, anxiety, happiness and confusion,
All dwell in my mind with equal determination.
Each moment is awaited with breath held within,
Hoping for TVs and newspapers to read fresh something.

Politicians and celebrities bequeath your power hunger,
Work in unison for a wonderful time of the future.
Such is a wish, a desire of a common man,
Created by R K Laxman, true reflection of our clan.

Gay and Happy? Think again.

Our country took a historic step last year, when the High Court legalized homosexuality by decriminalizing section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. It was a joyous occasion for a small section of people in our country, many of who celebrated their happiness by getting into wedlock with their same gender partner. For a while I thought finally India is moving closer to total liberation and coming out of age on issues like this, which were swept under the carpet till recently. I was wrong.

The age-old saying of “Gay and Happy” has become redundant in India, even though our system is trying to keep pace with the ever-changing ethos and cultures of the world.

Once again axe of an archaic and irrelevant stance has chopped off the pride of a middle-aged man of India, a common man. While what transpired with this man is not unique in any manner in a country, where social dogmas have almost always got the better in all kinds of circumstances, it is quite disheartening to see that orders of even the high seat of justice are not conformed to in our land. Dr Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, reader and chairman of Modern Indian Languages at Aligarh Muslim University, has been recently suspended for being gay.

What a way to honor a man who has served one of the most prestigious varsities of our country, especially while the professor was nearing his retirement.

My brain is still unable to comprehend the reason for his suspension. When the High Court of India has legalized homosexuality, I wonder what new logic or rule has AMU come out with, to justify its act. The professor’s suspension would have been logical had he been posing harm to the students of the university or elsewhere. However surprisingly, there is no such claim made by the AMU authorities, who have taken the legal baton in their hands.

The professor might be guilty in his personal life of cheating on his wife, but I have never come across any college or organization, which suspends its employee for practicing infidelity.

Is he being punished for being gay or for hiding his sexual preferences from the AMU authorities?

It is quite understandable that each university or organization has its own culture and legacy, which are lived and carried forward by the people associated with it. AMU is no different, except that its culture over powers the law of the country. How else can the AMU authorities explain the reason given by them for expelling the professor? If anybody should be feeling raw about the whole episode, it should be the professor. It was his privacy, which was breached by the students group and reduced to a mere piece of headline in newspapers. It was his fundamental right to choose and practice his sexual preference, which was awarded the status of a crime by the AMU authorities. Verdict is quite clear on who is the victim and who is the criminal here.

Eccentricity comes along with a price tag and this time it has costed Dr. Shrinivas his job laced with humiliation. The bunch of students who donned skin of a bull and breached into the privacy of their professor and took videos of the professor’s love making session with his partner, sure wanted to play Sherlock Holmes. Albeit this time their motive surpassed the sensibilities of a common man’s logic.

This issue goes beyond the case of Professor and AMU. This issue has again raised the question of sexual preferences, and the individual right to exercise it in India.

India might have passed a law on homosexuality just a year ago but the world history is replete with cases of people who have strayed away from the accepted norms of society and yet contributed heavily in the various fields of art, literature, sports, politics and so on. Elton John, George Michael, Martina Navratilova, Leonardo da Vinci, Michael Angelo, Alexander The Great are just a few names which have defined excellence in their respective fields. The list is long and strong enough to prove that sexual preferences do not bear any consequences on the talent of an individual in any manner in any field. Irony of this man's (professor) life is that while he was chairing the MODERN Indian Languages in one of the most prestigious universities, he has been thrashed by an ANCIENT belief.

AMU is punishing the professor for exercising his fundamental rights, which is a criminal act in itself. We, as a nation, have been fed so much on sensationalism that it has covered our emotions in incoherent apathy towards the mundane aspects of being a human being. With the professor having resigned to his fate, only time can unfurl the course of events in this case.

Its time when we realize that mincing progressive words and slogans is not going to put India on the pedestal of success and growth but aligning our thoughts with our words and metamorphosing them into actions is what our nation needs. A comprehensive walk towards more liberated and benevolent environment is a long pending and more pragmatic approach, which should be followed by our people who are frozen in time. Is AMU listening?

IPL - India Pakistan Ladaai?

While the whole world has been complaining about the change in climate due to global warming, it is hard for me to not notice the very obvious change in the seasons of India. In our country, we celebrate four main seasons with zest – winter, summer, rainy and spring. However, past two years, this festivity has embraced a new season. A season of cricket. A season of IPL. The India Premier League has caught many eyeballs since its days of inception and continues to drive the world of sports, into a historic frenzy each year. IPL gave birth to another star in the galaxy of cricket, albeit not on the field but off the field. Lalit Modi – The founder of Indian Premier League.

In its maiden year (2008), IPL embarked upon its journey with a debate on whether the 20-20 pattern is a flash in a pan or a long lasting phenomenon. In the ensuing year, it kicked off a row of arguments when its venue was shifted from India to South Africa. Despite public apprehensions, IPL managed to generate highest TRPs amongst all other sports at that time and catapulted the status of IPL ceremonies only second to Olympics. It continued to grow bigger and better each time. Glamour and fortune have surrendered themselves to the feet and fate of IPL. It wouldn’t be wrong to call IPL, a controversies’ child. No wonder, even amidst many controversies the popularity of IPL has not seen a dip. As they say, any publicity is a good publicity. And so the IPL enters into its third year. With this month seeing the auctioning of players, the controversies have again draped IPL 3 in it.

The latest news to rock the auctioning procedure of IPL is the total outcaste of Pakistani players. While all the eight IPL teams have lapped up the best players for themselves, none showed interest in bidding for a single Pak player. Media is abuzz with gamut of reasons behind this news. Be it straining Indo-Pak ties, an embargo by the Indian government or a mutual seclusion of Pak players by the IPL franchisees, speculations are rife.

With zillions of money and security of nation on stake, the Indian government and the IPL organizers appear in no mood to take risks, if there are any risks at all. There are too many arguments for and against this move, and it is almost a herculean task to justify any side with little or no information on it. The whole episode appears very tacky when one looks at the past attitude (initiation and tolerance) of India over Pakistan. However even the Indian government has very little options to choose from when Pakistan believes in non-cooperation tactics. With the recent terror attacks on India, the government has to be extra vigilant to ensure such tragedies do not hit the lives of millions of innocent people. The stance may be harsh this time, but sometimes harshness acts better than friendliness, especially when one’s own people are in danger.

I know.. I know.. common man of both these countries wants peace! But, hello! How would peace prevail when so much of hatred and fanaticism is blinding the visions of deciding powers? Anyway, before I digress into politics once again, let me focus back on the IPL.

If rumors are to be believed then the cable operators in Pakistan might boycott telecast of the IPL matches this year. An act of solidarity, fair enough! I am not even surprised at this rumor. Tit-for-tat has been their age-old technique. Grow up!

Had the Pakistani players being included in the IPL teams, no dramatic progress would have been achieved on the India-Pak relationship. When sixty years of efforts from our various governments couldn’t thaw the ice between the nations at loggerheads, I wonder what good this little inclusion would have done? Maybe, it might have not added more bitterness to the already dissolving ties. But who can guarantee that? I am not writing this blog to justify the acts of IPL bodies or the Indian government. I only intend to enjoy IPL 3. Right or wrong, good or bad, IPL still promises to enthrall its viewers like in the past. We all had thought, that shifting of IPL to South Africa would significantly reduce the viewership of IPL in India, but to everyone surprise, the enthusiasm was way beyond the IPL season 1. Haven’t we heard that everything is fair in love and war? This however is Cricket ;)

I am just being an optimist fan this time as well. Pak or no Pak, IPL season is bound to cause hysteria across the length and breadth of the nation. Like all other times, IPL 3 promises of more fun, more excitement, more glamour and more surprises in the months to come. So while the two nations indulge themselves in further ego clashes, being a cricket fan I am looking forward for a spectacular and undeniable adventure saga. Let the game begin roger err.. Modi :) 


...and yes!.. keep watching this space for more updates on the IPL 3 grapevines :D

26/11 - Just another Chapter?

Picture this –Two things… One is amongst country’s favourite monuments…. another is a group of brave uniformed men, amongst country’s esteemed soldiers.

You might wonder “So, what about them?”. Well, read on to understand their relationship.

What would you think of people, who drive nails into our national monument… hang their clothes on it, enjoy their supper sitting in the monument and stretch themselves while snoring away to glory under the most coveted landmark of aamchi Mumbai ??? Callous…. Annihilator… Anti-social….

Today, it is exactly one year after the fateful day of 26/11 last year, when the tragic attack on the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai took place…an attack which shook the spirit of the country and it’s defense mechanism and left many lives broken and shattered forever.

Indian police officers and jawans who are posted to protect the Taj Mahal hotel, a gracious landmark of the city of Mumbai, are offered no home, no shelter and no support to motivate them to risk their lives for the safety of the hotel and millions of thankless citizen of their own country. A monument, which has been the crown of the commercial capital of India for decades, is now serving as the home for these brave but homeless police officers – The Gateway of India. Now would you still call them Callous and Annihilator? Think again!

Our heart moves with wrenching pain when we see pictures of the carnage, which was driven, by Ajmal Kasab and his accomplices. But why are we not moved by the plights of those who are ensuring that history does not gets re-lived by their city, our city?

Nails driven in walls to hang clothes (Counrtesy: IBNLive)

No resting place for these cops (Courtesy: IBNLive)

Lunch Time (Courtesy: IBNLive)

Of course we are doing our part by tagging them as heroes, thanking them verbally, but what next? Is that sufficient to assuage the everyday discomfort, which is lived by these brave men of India? These are just few of the questions, which would haunt the humanity of this nation. Like it is said about our nation, India needs an attack, a blast to wake up… and it looks like we have become so heavily dependent on these attacks and blasts that we need few doses of violence and bloodshed each time to realize our own responsibilities!

Just yesterday, the television channels and newspapers in India were replete with the news headlines like “26/11 anniversary….”, “Pay your tribute to the martyrs…”, “Saluting Mumbai…” and what not. We have always lived in the glory of the past and the agonies gone by. Little do we think about those who live in present. A tribute to those, who laid their lives on that tragic day, is a way to show our homage and solidarity as a nation. However their souls would be happy only when they see that the cause, for which they died, is taken care of.

Nothing in our country stays untouched by politics and bureaucracy. While one lot of politicians is busy in mud slinging over the compensation payments to the martyrs of 26/11, the other lot has turned a deaf ear towards the needs of those who are alive and surviving in the lap of Gateway of India. What a shame!

Maybe, we need another blast to wake our government from its Rip Van Winkle slumber!

I hope it’s not too late by then…

Wake Up.....!

And yet another blow to the pride of our secular nation! …. while previous wounds have still not healed, the nation is bleeding and weeping, afresh. However, this time the pain is not over the wounds of the past, but over the hot-off-the fire debasement which has lacerated the soul of the nation yet again. This outrage came in wake of a recent statement made by Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, "Mumbai belongs to India. That is how I look at it. And I am a Maharashtrian and I am extremely proud of that but I am an Indian first". Mr. Thackeray saw this as an attempt to attenuate the image of Marathi “manoos”, which he had created some years ago to bulk up his vote bank. It sure has worked well for him, but in the bargain has created a rift between people of the same nation! A rift, created to satiate the false ego of a power hunger political sycophant.

Amitabh Bachchan to Sachin Tendulkar, all have borne the tongue-lashings of this man, who is a self-proclaimed protagonist of the interests of the Marathi “manoos”. Little does he realize that his whims and fancies are not only costing lives of hundreds of people but also creating bitterness amongst the various sections of people of this country.

Who on earth would interpret, that praises for India first and Maharashtra second would demean Maharashtra’s stature in the country? Only Bal Thackeray has such acumen and its quite unfortunate that he shares his acumen with the rest of the country garbed in his venomous speeches!

People of such mental make-up take undue liberty of being in a democratic country. Freedom of speech gets mocked at royally! With ageing body, Mr. Thackeray (Bal and Raj, both) seems to have forgotten that Maharashtra is a part of India and Indian citizens do not require a passport or a visa to live and work there. Contrary to the general sentiments of the Indians, the duo of Thackerays think that expression of love is ruining our culture; they believe that loyalty towards Maharashtra comes before loyalty towards India. Hold on! This isn’t it. They also firmly believe that every person in Maharashtra should carry out his/her business in Marathi language. Good Lord! Then why am I able to see his very own site (http://www.shivsena.org) displaying the usage of English language? May be, this is what is defined as “Hypocrisy” in the dictionaries.

It’s high time when such people put their head on shoulders and refrain from creating divide of any kind in India. Our country has had enough of hair-brained political games played on the behest of religion and caste. If we, the common man of India, do not rise and wake up to this call, then we would have no one to blame for the innumerable sufferings in the future. Of course media has to work hand-in-glove with the common man, by not giving extra mileage to inflammatory opinions of such people.

The time has come and the time is now! Either we shut our ears towards the strategic “divide and rule” sermons of such power hungry goondas (calling them politicians would be a misnomer) or we gear ourselves for ripping our country into 28 smaller pieces. The choice is ours.

..And the award goes to...

"Nationality is simply an accident of birth"

Before you even start to debate with me, let me inform you that these are not my words, for certain. These are the words of current Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Dr. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan.True doc! (Courtesy: IBNLive)

A child who is yet to be born has, in no way, the privilege of choosing his/her country of birth, just like he/she cannot choose his/her parents. But does that demean the relationship between the child and the parent? I can blindly vouch for the answer to be a big NO.

Innumerable (undesirable) phone calls, plethora of (impeding) e-mails, plenty of time (whiled away)! So much for a humble achievement of winning a Nobel Prize, not fair..right ?

We can categorically understand the predicament that you have been subjected to face Dr. Venkatraman, in terms of jammed mailboxes and hours of time being frittered away in clearing that jam. After all it was your hard work for twenty years, which has now been felicitated by the Nobel Prize. Time is money as they say.

The whole nation boogied together reveling in news of YOU winning a Nobel Prize, floating around all day. On the face of it, for this country's layman, you are an Indian; still! How silly of them to not have known that now you are a citizen of some other country and your relationship with India is merely by virtue of birth. After all you couldn't have controlled your country of birth. Right doc ?

The impulsive urge in the Indians to contact you, to wish you over this magnanimous accomplishment and to express their delight over it was definitely not a practical gesture. Ironically, not more than a handful of them would even be aware of the significance of your work. After all, what benefit could they reap in wishing someone who is geographically millions of miles separated from them and shares nothing but his country of birth with them (which incidentally is not a matter of choice but a matter of sheer accident) ? I am still trying to find an answer for it. Maybe, you could help me solving this maze, doc. The fact that the people of India are genuinly happy over your achievement and expect nothing, but to share it with you, is of little consequence, I guess.

Silly, emotional, Indians!

But, these emotions are costing you time doctor, and you certainly cannot afford to do with it. It was time and science that have aided you in this journey so what possible additional abet these emotions could be to you? Did you say None, doc?!?!? While you are right in pointing out that your achievement has nothing to do with nationalities, the coldness in your interview replies towards India might not go down well with the people of India.

We are as much proud of you doctor, as much we are of Dr. APJ Kalam or Sachin Tendulkar, or Rabindranath Tagore. Trust me when I say that we know that their success not was anything because of their countrymen's gestures but due to their individual perseverance.

Our tribute is not to share a space in your success, but to render the support of millions, who recognize you as one among them!

Though we as a nation are yet to learn “how much is too much” funda, but our enthusiasm should not be construed as encumbrance by you sir. Alternatively, a polite reply by you to such adulations would have served the purpose and helped in toning down the unquantifiable phone calls and e-mails. Maybe there is something for both of us to learn from this incident. As is known, it’s never too late to learn…both, you and we as a country could learn to appreciate small but cardinal things in life.

Nevertheless, you still deserve a big Congratulation, Dr. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan. Hope your endeavors transcend the boundaries of nations and benefit the entire human race.

Oh, by the way, wish a very Happy Diwali to you doctor and to all my wonderful wonderful people of this country. Dress up well, eat good and remember to keep your environment clean.. Do not light crackers :)

Knee Slapper : Glad that it wasn't a Nobel PEACE Prize...else there would have been thunderbolts over the PEACE prize...what say doc ;)

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!!

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 ;)

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!!

Richer India !!

The whole day one news which has been reverberating in my ears, is the news of Mr. Mukesh Ambani becoming the number one trillionaire in India….oops!! I mean the only trillionaire in India. So that means our country is heading towards regaining the title of “golden bird” all over again.

Well, not even remotely! Apparently, India is still at the same position where it was before the elder Ambani had climbed this distinct ladder. One must wonder then, why all this hoopla gets created on some Indian earning some crores of wealth?

This article in no means, intends to, demean the accolades of Mr. Mukesh Ambani, but I certainly fail to understand its benefit for the common man like me.
Technologically and economically India has achieved many feats and is being touted as the super power for the coming decades. But many of us would find it astounding to know that these benefits do not permeate to the poor people who essentially need them. With billions of people to support, our country needs citizens who can contribute in the upliftment of the underprivileged class.

Just yesterday I was reading news about our PM urging to the CII for putting a ceiling on the salaries of captains of industries. Some of us might argue saying that this is right as the disparity in society is getting steeper day by day, and this needs to be tamed. While the other counterparts may argue saying that salaries in industries are based on performance and hence must not be regulated, else the brain-drain scenario would soon resurface at the top levels. Right or wrong, the underlining point is the concern for fellow being in the society and the not the salary structure. Government has to play a certain part and as citizens of this nation we ought to aid this effort from government. Giving primary education to the children, creating awareness amongst the people and generating job opportunities for youth are the cardinal dwells for this country. A lot of work is going on in this field in the names of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), philanthropy, charity etc., but the real substance appears conspicuous by its absence. Who is to be blamed for all this mayhem? The answer is none!

Someone has rightly said that “everybody’s business is nobody’s business”. Each one of us think that it’s someone else’s responsibility to contribute to the society. Little do we realize that in this process, limitless time gets lost and countless opportunities disappear into the horizon. The time when we could have made a difference in someone’s life goes away with each passing second. So, does it mean that now nothing can be done? Well, not if we can still apprehend the power of helping somebody.

My conscious mocks at me for not doing my bit of work for the needy people. The choice is mine now- do I want to feel this way, the whole of my life or can I opt for the path lesser traveled ? Better late than never, people, come and take your decision!!

While this may appear a little plausible, let’s join Mr. Ambani, in celebrating his newly earned title!!