GrazingCow

As it is said : “Culture is roughly anything we do and the monkeys don't.”

2011-01-13T10:41:00.018+05:30

Recently Britain's national tourism agency issued guidelines to it's people on etiquettes of dealing with the thousands of foreign visitors who are expected to visit London for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
I do not know how true are these perceptions but they are funny and interesting. Here are some with my comments :
A smiling Japanese person is not necessarily happy. The Japanese tend to smile when angry, embarrassed, sad or disappointed. - When Heroshima & Nagasaki was bombed - the world saw a lot of smiling japanese...Wonder what do the Japanese do when they are actually happy?
When you meet an Arab man - never advice him . It's a great offense & it will appear you are trying to be bossy - MCPs indeed (err excuse me for this comment) anyways advices are not for free..charge them - you will earn petro dollars..!
Do not be alarmed if South Africans announce that they were held up by robots. To a South African the word robot means traffic lights. - let's take the South Africans to a robot museum!
Avoid saying "thank you" to a Chinese appreciation. Instead, politely deny an appreciation to show humility. - now I get it; why the Red Army is up in arms against the Thank you saying Americans, even if they do not mean it many times - thank you business is not welcomed!!
Donot wink at someone from Hongkong - control your eyes, your heart & actions can be freeflowing..
Donot mistake a Canadian for an American - Live & Breathe America, but we are a seperate nation - what's the difference, our French influence..
Lastly - do not hug an Indian, avoid personal touch in initial meetings - seems the world thinks that we Indians simply cann't think it straight when someone touches them. Anyways Dear fellow citizens: do not dishearten if you want to be hugged with your touch me not image; the warning is just for the initial meetings - they want us to meet the dear Brits again & again - afterall they ruled us for 200 years, they miss us a lot! :)

Sayonara 2010..

2010-12-18T20:50:00.012+05:30

Christmas is officially here, Christmas tree decorations are almost done ...Santa & his elves would be visiting us with their goodies..and in less than a fortnight it would be 2011. I am already in a holiday mood. Diwali can be working - but this time of the year is holiday season. It's a feeling that has been implanted in me from my school days - the Hindu radicals can blame it on my convent education.

It's been months since I have visited my own blog and that kind of explains how 2010 has been. Busy & preoccupying. For last some years, I have been in the US at this time of the year, many a times it has been an ideal white Christmas with snowflakes falling and Christmas carols being played in the radio as the story books often describe. Last year, at this time of the year - I was in the Sin City, a vacation that I did not enjoy at all - it reaffirmed that nature is the best place to rejuvenate than man made entertainment modes - though i liked the dancing waters at Bellagio.

The Santa @ Vegas heard me - 2010 professionally marked the end of a chaotic & poorly managed project of my career (that's just a mere 10 years to make a comment, not sure what the future holds for me). It's true I term it chaotic but I worked 2 & 1/2 yrs and cherished every moment of it. I met some wonderful people - more importantly the city and its people showed me a very different America - an America where people care for each other - where family does matter - an America where people stop for a minute & give you a smile. Utah may be one of the backward states of USA - but I will miss the scenic Salt Lake City, it's amazing people and my friends.

This year on a personal note too has been a decisive year - emotional battles were well fought and we as a family decided to say goodbye to my hometown - Allahabad - a difficult long pending decision but my mother made it easy. Now begins the bigger battle - the identity crisis. Given that I have been brought up in eight different places - it has always been tough to answer, people's inevitable introductory question - 'Where do you belong to?' If I actually give an honest answer - it would end up to be a long long answer and that would leave people with an impression - I talk too much. I am talkative - better not give that impression first go :). And as honesty is NOT always the best policy - my single word answer was 'Allahabad'. Many a times I have experimented saying - I belong to a cosmopolitan India, which is always on the move - trust me the looks that I have got back have not been a pleasant one. A look that tells me clearly - this woman has no home, no identity - for sure a very confused woman...Sadly cosmopolitan is not a well digested word among Indians who live in their own well. So 2011 will be a year, where I will try to find a home for me in an effort to avoid all those dirty looks.

Politically, 2010 has been a season of scam outbreaks in India, just like an epidemic outbreak after the heavy rains & flash floods - endless tax money that you & I pay through our nose - goes into the bank accounts of our politicians whom we elect every 5 years. The only new thing about has been that we know the lack of ethics and moral values among our politicians and businessmen but 2010 has been a year of the corrupt media (though I still have faith in Barkha Dutt). I recently read somewhere that "scams are intrinsic part of the Indian socioeconomic-political landscape...Every few years, we have an outbreak of them, almost as regularly as malaria mosquitoes resurface every monsoon" - we as public - we feel bad, are outraged - but then what?? Forget it as life has to go on - there is some serious soul searching that is required but do I care?

2010 saw the rise & rise of another man - Julian Assange - every politician from Hillary Clinton to Rahul Gandhi wants to hunt him down - but i must say what an impact. I love Wikileaks, simply because it annoys so many holier-than-thou politicians & diplomats all over the world. The G5 nations inability to capture the likes of Bin Laden & Assange proves how helpless the super-powers of the world have become. Let's see what this man and his team has to offer us in the coming year.

Well time to wrap up - 2010 will be remembered as the year of scams, a year when judiciary decided where God lived, a year where world recession continued to haunt us - 2011 will be just another year of some memorable events where we will continue to get angry & perturbed but still continue to live - as life has to go on but still I am looking forward to it with the hope that something may be different..Sayonara 2010! MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone.

Happy New Year !

2010-04-15T04:20:00.015+05:30

It's Poila Baishakh, being in the US, away from home - it's just another ordinary day with tons to do at work. But for a pseud Bengali like me, Poila Baisakh means a second take on new year. If I am behind on resolutions, this may be just another day to get a fresh start with resolutions that will be remembered again around 1st Jan 2011. So in essence it is New Year part deux. This day also means calls and wishes to and from all extended family and friends - people who touched my small world as a child, many with whom I would probably speak to or interact just twice a year (the other being in October during Bijoya time). If I would have been in India - I would have dropped the western attire to wear a new traditional Indian dress and ofcourse to keep my mom happy - made a made short trip to the temple. To sum up this day is not as eventful as it should be in eyes of a traditional "Bong".

But there is one new year celebration that I remember very distinctly - way back 15th April 1986, Dhaka - I was a part of the public new year celebrations at the Ramna Maidan, which starts from first rays of the new rising sun and continues till noon. There is a subtle difference between the way Bangladesh and West Bengal ring in New Year - Poila Baisakh is very much a part of the Hindu calendar, but this day is a national festival for the Islamic State of Bangladesh. But there is a much greater exuberance that marks the festivities in this part of Bengal on the 15th of April every year. The festival-goers were decked up predominantly in red and white, greetings of "Shubho Nobo Borsho" (Happy New Year) rang in the air. The ceremony starts with Tagore's musical invocation - Esho, he Boishakh, Esho Esho. It seemed like a day which marked the cultural unity without a distinction between class or religious affiliations. Today after so many years I can conclude that If you are in Ramna Maidan, on this day - you feel proud to be a Bengali - you forget whether you are a Hindu or a Muslim - you are a Benagli - it is an experience! I can still after so many years - the sweet fragrance of tuberose - the echo of Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul geeti...

Like aroma of a hidden Rajanigandha wafting in the dreams of night -

You filled my heart with your melody,

You did not know, you did not know, you did not know that.

(Tagore)

To all my friends a Subho Naboborsho...may the year be full of joy and prosperity....

My Cradle - Allahabad

2009-10-07T06:23:00.003+05:30

Today 7th Oct - the day when I was born into this world in midst of annual festivities that every Bengali house celebrates every year. My parents had lost their 10 year old daughter just a year and half back after fighting a long 5 years battle with leukemia - to hold me in their hands was a moment of joy and sadness.

Allahabad, the Sangam city - my birthplace - in my childhood days known for its broad avenues, picturesque British era bungalows, Gothic style churches, the overly congested Chowk area - and of course the colossal Allahabad fort at the banks of Sangam. Allahabad - "Abode of Allah", the name given by the illustrious Mogul Emperor Akbar, is situated at the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, is an important pilgrimage for devout Hindus. Also known as Prayag, it is the host to one of world's largest ablution event of the world - the Kumbh Mela, held once in 12 years. The reference point for Indian Standard time, Allahabad also boasts to have one of oldest High Court and the fourth oldest University in Republic of India. Great writers and poets of Hindi literature have lived here and have been inspired by this city. It is the home to India's first political family, given 7 out of 17 Prime Ministers to the country.

Today - this city is becoming a forgotten city with a glorious past. Colonial Allahabad, along with the intellectual energy that the city once generated, has quite disappeared. The bungalows have been going, all my acquaintances from my parents generation have moved out, my friends with whom I spent some wonderful days have migrated to different cities for greener pastures - 8A Hastings Road my birthplace, was a typical bungalow from the colonial era - today it still stands dilapidated waiting to be grazed to the ground soon to be replaced by apartments of the modern society - As I walk down memory lanes - I have just lost time to recall - nothing more than that.

Dad re-located to Jaipur 2 years after my birth, but we returned to the city when I was in Grade IXth. I lived in this city till I graduated from the university. I still keep going back to this city probably once a year, a city which I still call "my home". I have a strange feeling of nostalgia whenever I visit Allahabad. The Ganges attracts me, it gives a lot of calm and repose when I stand at its banks. Though I do not believe in taking a dip to wash my sins as commonly believed by a devout Hindu - but standing at the confluence, gives me a feeling of tranquility, it works as a sedate for me.

The last time I visited the city was in Oct 2006 - it is almost 3 years now - every time I am in the city - I go for a stroll down my favourite road - Thornhill Road, a road which always unleashes memories both sweet & bitter for me - brings back so many events, fun filled long summer days, dull winter evenings - plucking delicious guavas from roadside & of course some very special people - not to miss out that this was the road when I was first proposed on a Valentine's day - the teenage infatuation which had evaporated as fast as it had grown - I am also reminded of that unfortunate afternoon when we were returning home from school - one of my classmates was crushed to death (it was one of the saddest days of my life) - this is the road where I advanced from a bicycle to a scooter to a car - this road always serves as an instant reminder of those days which will never return but will always bring a smile on my face.

It is almost 13 years since I have left the city - the city has degenerated considerably over the years, it has lost touch with its rich past of glory. As I walk down the roads - poverty around me leaves me sad. India is a poor country, but after staying in rich states of Maharastra and Karnataka, we get a delusion that India is growing. The impact of globalization is perhaps positive..but it is a conclusion that many Indians make without going thru facts - when I see people in Allahabad, I feel miserable. A reasonably good pay package that I earn - stands meaningless when I see a homeless man enduring the variation of weather that mother nature offers in my hometown - a high of 48 degrees to a low of freezing temperature.

I wish I could do something - someday for my city where I was born, which I still call my home - i am not sure whether I would really be able to do something - but I wish I could..in memory of those beautiful days that this city offered when i was becoming a woman from a teenage girl.

Gandhi - is he still relevant?

2009-10-02T23:16:00.010+05:30

Around the world we associate "Gandhi" as the messiah of non-violence - who with a stick in his hand and a white cloth drapped around him - won India her freedom from imperialism. A man who believed and followed Ahimsa - met one of the most violent death of his times - still lives on in this world as one of the most influential figures of modern day politics. As we celebrate 140th birth anniversary of the Mahatma today - I wonder whether his ideals and principles are still relevant in today's world ?

Gandhi, the father of the nation - was a demi god in India. With the rise of fundamentalism in Indian politics and increasing hatred towards the fascist Muslim world - Gandhism has for sure taken a debacle. Also, today's India is becoming a consumer society - exacerbating differences in wealth between the middle classes and the rural poor - has forced people of my generation to distance themselves from Gandhi's principles. But more importantly in a society where we all believe in survival of the fittest - a world full of depravity, apathy, brutality, selfishness and self indulgence - are his ideals pertinent?

There are several answers to this debatable isssue - but somehow - I really feel that there is a lot of truth and substance what he stood for and who he is. May be we will not be able to do what he could do - show doors to the mighty British empire, standing undeterred and determined for India's Independence though being called "nauseating" "middle temple lawyer, now posing as a fakir" "striding half-naked" by Winston Churchill - bringing a radical change in way of life of every Indian at that time .

I agree that a non-violent response might be an anachronism in today’s violence ridden society, but that doesn’t make Gandhi irrelevant. I believe Gandhi will live in us - obviously it does not mean that we become a vegetarian overnite and become saint to things around us - but we can strive for a little more justice, a little more peace and most importantly a "little" more equality around us -

....Sab Hai Teri God Ke Paale, Koi Neech Na Koi Mahaan,...
Ishwar Allah Tere Naam, Sab Ko Sanmati De Bhagwaan.

2009-06-21T16:53:00.005+05:30

Source: Unknown

Hello? How far is Mall from here?”,I stopped my bike and asked these people on a national highway during my road journey to a remote town called Mall (nearly 80km from Hyderabad).The man in the pic said,”20miles…“, and they started to go away. And i don’t know why the idea of taking this pic happened..but me interrupted them and requested them to give me a pose for this pic. They obliged and so happened this pic!!

And then I asked them to give their postal address so that i could post the pic. (Mere innocence?)
“Errr..we’re moving out of this place tonight..probably to Nellore..And you know, we don’t have any permanent address..Where there’s a work,there’re we..If you see us anywhere in the future, you can give the photo…no problem..“, he said with a thankful tone and moved away.

These people, for better or for worse, are making their livelihood with an incessant journey in search of work??

India Vs. Bharat - as I see, feel & perceive...

2009-04-26T03:04:00.012+05:30

I am always interested in people's perceptions about my country. Americans, at large, still feel India is a land of snake charmers and elephants, or now a days of course Indians take their well established jobs away, by slogging their ass out. Brits & Europeans need no introduction to India - some are still in the Winston Churchill frame of mind and some of-course have admitted that India & Indians are a class different who make their own spicy & zesty living, wherever they go.

I have heard a lot of adjectives about India in my interactions with travellers from different parts of the world. But everyone admits - India is an "experience" - it is often described as the last stop in the global travelers itinerary. It is anarchic on surface, it is dustier on the first impression, it is overstocked with people - despite all this, a visitor always finds a coherent, consistent force of life, vibrant, incredibly beautiful. In short India is an universal nation with twenty-eight states, seven union territories, 30 different languages (18 of them officially recognized), 2000 dialects & ofcourse 1.12 billion people of innumerable races and creed.

But when you look into India more closely, you are struck by the duality of the country, the deep divide that painfully separates us - largely based on the dichotomy in our economy - India Vs. Bharat. India is a notional entity, largely anglicised and relatively better-off, thriving on the service economy; while Bharat is the rural, agricultural, poor and backward face of our country surviving on agrarian economy; our agricultural methods still remain archaic at large. Have you ever heard that the sensex of country, which is a home to the largest number of billionaires in Asia & Europe, reacting to monsoon predictions. Ask an Indian how many times he/she has seen a Merc and a bullock cart crawling in the traffic side by side. A large population of our country lives in villages, which are tucked away in remote corners, still living in the 16th century, very traditional and cut off from the rest of the world. It is painful to see the slum dwellers and the footpath occupants of large cities in India are infact refugees from Bharat who come in search of livelihood to India.
On the other hand I see another India - the vibrant, evolving, transforming and challenging nation with new dimensions as if it was born yesterday, despite having a history as old as 4,500 years back, at times questioning the archaic values and traditions, man made flimsy belief systems, and blind faiths that Indians tend to adopt.

There is also another view to this - India believes in the West, Bharat reposes its trust in the ancient culture of the land. The Indian outlook is materialistic, while the Bharathiya ethos view spirit as primary and believes in the spiritual approach. While India believes in individualism, Bharat believes in family values. As a Bharatiya, cows are indeed holy and worshipped while as an Indian - steak preparation is delicious and mouth watering. Indians would celebrate their birthday by cutting cake, blowing candles and opening champagne bottles, while Bharatiyas are awestruck about the concept of blowing off light on your birthday.

Whatever the view - there is a stark distinction in our society, there is a constant struggle between two distinct attitudes to life, but both co-exist together. Our political leaders can exploit both shades of India, make false promises in election speeches and manifestos of bridging this gap - between the rich & poor, between tradition & modernity, between agrarian and service economy - life for people from this land would go on. We all will die - burn, bury or cremate according to our religious beliefs - but we would be looking forward towards the pragmatic and straight-forward functioning - trying our best to bridge the gap, but we would never be able to.

As I relax this Saturday evening in the nice, cosy & friendly capital city of Utah - far away from my country - I often wonder about India’s individuality on the global front, its originality and its unique diversity, which is brimming all over - sustaining the continuous onslaughts of corruption, politics and bureaucracy.

Mr. Darcy & Rhett Butler

2009-04-11T01:30:00.010+05:30

Having done my schooling from Catholic schools and given the battering in many Indian families to prefer British classics over American literature, exposed me to 18th century novels at quite an young age. By the time, I was in Vth grade - David Copperfield, Great Expectations and Shakespeare were part of my regular studies.

The first time I read Pride & Prejudice was in 7th standard when my parents got me an abridged version of the novel. As I read on, I discovered a vast sea of human emotions first time expressed on paper in front of me. Besides Jane Eyre, Jane Austen's best written work of art was amongst my first few novels that I loved reading again and again. In tenth grade, I was smitten by Gone with the Wind. My mind and I could never put it down till I completed it. One set at the backdrop of a quiet serene English county of early 18th century, the other that scripted a civilization that was Gone With The Wind - the plantations, the American Civil War & the Reconstruction period - set almost a century later. Pride & Prejudice is a classic, which elaborately detailed the traditional 18th century British society with typical constrained romanticism - early Victorian approach. Gone with the Wind followed the typical American literary principals - personal, intense with overt display of emotion.

Fitzwilliam Darcy and Rhett K. Butler, the two male protagonists, one in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and the other in Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind - are among the top 10 romanticized characters of English literature. Two interesting, rude, unsocial characters set in completely different backdrops have a striking similarity. Pride & Prejudice opens with the famous line 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife' - the male protagonists of both the novels are handsome, self-absorbed, chesty aristocrats, dashing and attractive to women at first glance, become deemed as a men unworthy of marriage as there no positive qualities other than wealth. Like Mr. Darcy, the community has a negative impression of Rhett Butler and it sharpens into a particular resentment for both the characters as the plotline progresses. Despite the similarities, if closely analyszed there is a distinct difference. Butler is suave and debonair with his natural charm. He is not a gentleman in any way, shape of form. He is gifted with a certain ability to mock and insult in a very irritating manner. Darcy, despite being potrayed as arrogant and detached, struggles with his conscience, emotions and reason, and is in truth a kind and good natured man. In the end, despite his wealth, looks, and talents, Butler is left looking for something that still holds value in his life, whereas Darcy gets what he wants.

As I grew up, I often tried choosing between Mr. Darcy and Rhett Butler. I have met lot of friends across the globe, who have read, appreciated and fallen in love with both the characters, like me. But when asked to compare, friends have chosen bits and pieces of both characters, typical of human natue. We always want to choose the most adept, but in actuality never end up with anything close to our utopian world. As men and women become peacocks in their efforts to attract each other, flaunting their plumes and strut , we definitely somewhere in the back of our mind get influenced by these characters - they do form the first visual prototype from which we draw inspiration. Mr Darcy for sure is no longer 'relevant' to the modern female, but he continues to fascinate women despite being the potrayed as an image of male dominance. Rhett Butler gave modern society the epitomes of manly persona. Women see him as handsome and dashing, with an infusion of "bad boy", getting infatuated by the tall, dark and the handsome.

I, as every person on this earth, has her own theories. For sure Darcy and Butler are ficticious and are imaginary characters but we do adore and dream of. However these novels are adult versions of fairytale and in reality there is no fairy Godmother. What we end up in life is completely different from what we imagine. Whom we meet or whom we accept as the Rhett Butler or Mr. Darcy of our life, happiness in a relationship is entirely a matter of chance, which needs to kindled and cared for very carefully. We all look for morally upright devoted and faithful relationships. But finally what matters is accepting the way I am. No Darcy no Butler but the acceptance of the other, just the way he or she is..

As long as your going to be thinking anyway, think BIG

2009-03-28T07:47:00.006+05:30

Yesterday was another frustrating day at work in which I achieved nothing. Before I leave from work, I catch up with what I did for the day. For the last some or I guess - many days, I have not been able to find anything positive and resounding.

A constant feeling of waste of time and energy - with this thought process, I started switching off the lights in the office. I stepped into the office of the Big B of my current project , before I could switch off the lights, I read written in bold - As long as your going to be thinking anyway, think BIG.

Today morning as I stepped into the security clearance area (it was unusually crowded for SLC Airport) - I overheard some people talking among themselves about how easy and comfortable it was, till some years back to board a plane. The description reminded me of getting into a train in any Indian Railway station. As I started opening my shoes and pulling all the electronic gadgets apart for security inspection, I felt what an impact has 9/11 created all over the world. Incidents like 9/11 have been happening all over after that, the latest that got the media glare was the drama that unfolded in Taj, Mumbai. And now checking into a five star hotel in India would be extra documentation, grilling sessions and not to exclude the extra forms. Terrorists have been thinking BIG - so big that it has impacted our normal way of life. The grey matter that these "evil" minds have applied to radically change the definition of travel is credible. Extra security officers, extra scanning machines, extra documentation - in short extra harassment that travel process has brought in - is worth noting.

Step back and think last 30-40 years - has been there any BIG thinking? Anything that has radically changed our way of life in the positive manner. We have ended up going to the moon, sending missions across to find life in the solar system and beyond, made interesting inventions to make our life comfortable...the rich have become richer, the poorer sections of society are crawling in the ever detoriating economic conditions. Problems around the world are increasing - intolerant societies, decline of sense of community, constant desire for religious supremacy, fallout of concept of a family - increasing live in relationships resulting in rising illegitimacy hence destroying the core value of a mother, father and child relationship that has held the human race together for so many years.

What are we as human race doing? Perhaps thinking big to detoriate, thinking big to create panic and increase hatred and intolerance among oursleves, thinking big to attack other nations, thinking big to make the minuscule look negligible. What are we upto??

Capitalism Vs Socialism

2009-03-21T08:40:00.007+05:30

One of my favourite topics for debate, since I became matured to understand the scales of economies.

India, a country of social and economic inequalities. A large section of our society float in plenty - expensive cars, luxury apartments in cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and other metro cities - while 27% of our population lives below poverty line..there are islands of prosperity in India - while there is sea of poverty around. A country where our name and surname most of the time indicate our religion, caste and state we belong to - and in turn exploited by our politicians as we dance to the tune of democracy roughly every five years - spending crores and crores of rupees in election process. Our country's economic growth is based on service industry for last decade or two whereas 60% of our population still lives on agriculture.

Comes in the thought of Capitalism Vs. Socialism. There is no denial that India is becoming aggressively capitalist - increasing becoming a individualistic society - drifting away from our core values which we propagated to the world as thoughts of our philosophers. I represent the present generation of India, who works in the service industry, has a pretty good pay package to take back home at the end of the month, lives in comfortable apartments in big cities, least concerned about social obligations, oblivious of realities of people around - people of my parents generation call us individuals - least concerned of the society we live in. We are blamed as people propagating capitalism - labelled as "unsocial", "self centered" human beings. Yes may be shameful - but that's me, one of the many of the present generation of India.

But can I in a country like India afford a luxurious lifestyle? When I am in India, I try and contribute some time interacting with people who live in adversities. Personally a strong believer of girl child education - I have tried spending some time in volunteering efforts, trying to give some kids a better way of life. I have been involved for a while on a project working for a better life for vulnerable kids in red light area - Biana beach, Goa and another one - dedicated to children of unskilled labourers who come to cities for job, in Kolhapur, Maharastra. Whenever I visited these sites, I used to be quite deterred by their way of life, shaken by harsh realities. One small candy could bring a million dollar smile of their faces, one colourful story book could make them feel happier and cheerful, one pencil could generate an honest desire to scribble their name - small things...values of which I never realized till I met these kids.
But then, a small candy, a coloured pencil can only give momentary happiness...it cannot give them a guarantee of lifetime happiness. They need to struggle, fight the odds and think about self, to sustain. And they have to fight hard. A socialist bend of my mind cannot get them anywhere. I or anyone cannot adopt struggles - struggles is their own and the will to overcome is personal will power. It is self struggle, self determination - even if that means individualism - that is what it is...

Socialism provides the right to work, the right to free education, and to good health care - but doesn't it build complacency? Does n't it kill the motivation to sustain, to fight and achieve...it is a world where survival of the fittest matters...free / subidized world - will it lead people anywhere? Don't people of individualistic society strive hard for what they need. I know well, what I do to lead a decent life, trust me it is not a cakewalk for me and neither for anyone of us of our generation!

Our flawed neighbours

2009-03-14T22:01:00.008+05:30

Pakistan and Bangladesh - two neigbouring countries - we are so identical, we speak the same langauge, have the same culture, have the same social values, the same history (till 1947). Why then have these nations moved on such divergent arcs over the last six decades? Multi-religious, multi-ethnic, secular, democratic India of one billion people is an idea that belongs to the future; one dimensional, one religion follower Pakistan & Bangladesh, largely goverened by military and Islamic fundamentalists - is regressing back to medivial times.
1947, August 15 - India was declared an independent nation by the Queen - my parents family did not know whether they should be happy or sad. The Britishers did what they successfully have been doing all over the world - DIVIDE AND RULE - divided India into two nations on basis of religion - INDIA and PAKISTAN, resulting in world's largest and painful exodus. The religious fury and violence that it unleashed caused the deaths of some 2 million Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus. An estimated 12 to 15 million people were forcibly transferred between the two countries leaving them homeless, atleast 75,000 women were raped. The trauma incurred in the process has been profound - it impacted my parents and my family - they walked miles to cross the newly created borders by the Queen - transported from huge mansions to a refugee camp, from a life of plenty to an uncertain livelihood where one morsel was a question. The streets were filled with slaughtered bodies, vultures feasted, blood flowed freely down the drains - horrific tales of murder, loot and human tragedy that I hear from my parents and grandparents. A research stated that the partition of India ranks as one of the 10 greatest tragedies in human history... Afterall Britishers and the Queen granted India's most coveted prize - India's freedom and it came with a price - a divided shattered country.

The wheel of time does not stop for anyone - neither did it stop for Indians. India was reborn, the country recovered and so did my family. My grandparents moved from the refugee camp to one room house to large houses, though the mansion of unpartitioned India had to be forgotten..and after six decades, I live in a India which is flourishing with 8% GDP growth, twelfth largest economy in the world by market exchange rates and the fourth largest in the world by GDP, measured on a purchasing power parity. Yes - I agree that India is slowly drifting from an agriculturist - socialist economy to a more capitalistic economy, fast loosing our core values behind and adopting the Wild West. I also agree India has a long long way to go - 27% of us are below the poverty line. Lack of adequate infrastructure, Bureaucracy and corruption remain our challenges. Our forward growth is occasionally hampered by backward forces. But still there is a future for 1 billion of us..and the future is bright!

But where are our neighbours - Pakistan & Bangladesh heading to? For six decades, people in these nations have not been able to decide between military dictatorship and civilian rule.. Politics and policies conceding space to fundamentalist "mullahs" ..Islam became the ideology of the state but instead of accepting good things of Islam - the country turned towards adoption of "jihad" as state policy. Pakistan during Afgan war was funded by American and Saudi govts and soon became the breeding grounds of armed bands, And then comes in 9/11 and America wakes up from the slumber - they realize that there is a country called Afganistan and Pakistan and there is someone called Osama Bin Laden. They realize the Osama they funded and trained as a CIA agent to fight against the Soviets had now attacked their own land..American leadership promises its people - "we will capture Osama and likes"...But all in vain so far!

Today the instability and jihadi policies have become such a huge concern for India and Indians - we never know when these "eccentric" people enter our land through the "Queen's" created borders and in the name of jihad pump bullets into us. I was very close of one of the bomb explosions sites in Bombay some years back and I know how it feels - anxiety, anger, charged emotions - and though I donot want to but I end up saying DAMN PAKISTAN - though I know six decades back it was my land, my ancestors lived there...BUT.. Thankfully my ancestors crossed borders and came to India in 1947 - they struggled for us - to give us a better life...

A question that always crosses my mind - After 9/11: what is Pakistan's army fighting against fellow Muslims in the WAR AGAINST TERRORISM? Unconfirmed reports say Pakistan might have a much larger base for terrorists than Afghanistan. It may have got late - I hope another catastrophic tragedy like 9/11 is not repeated to wake up our world leaders! Afterall nothing happens to them - it is me, you - we the people on the road across the globe who are affected. WAKE UP before the world gets broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.

White Holi on the other side of the Globe!

2009-03-11T09:48:00.011+05:30

It's Holi today in India and I am in Salt Lake City - at the other side of globe, miles and miles away from my home. This is my first Holi outside India and I am missing it. It's not that I like playing Holi - this vibrant festival of colours can easily be termed as the most rowdiest festival celebrated in India by Indians irrespective of their religion and creed, though primarily being a Hindu festival! It is a spring celebration and the exuberant ritual of putting colour on each other crossing all the man-made barriers of caste, creed, language and religion. And as I am born in Uttar Pradesh and spent a good part of my life in Northern India - I have seen Holi being played and celebrated in its true essence. And till date every year I have tried locking myself in a room in a effort to hide myself - most of the years I have been successful but sometimes I have got dragged into the "HOLY MESS" by my friends!

But yeah - Holi is becoming dirtier and uglier as years go by - the true essence of love and binding is getting lost. It is becoming an opportunity for a good section of people to go wild..aromatic natural colours getting replaced by harsh chemical paints - the essence is getting lost somewhere!

But this year - its different...It's a White Holi day with temperature hovering around freezing. It snowed for the last two days - not a touch of colour anywhere! No RED, No YELLOW, No GREEN, No PINK - ONLY WHITE! I am missing those loud melodious songs, esp. the evergreen "Rang Barse" played in every household today, the mouth watering Ghujias painstakingly made by our Moms, the coloured faces throwing paints and water ballons at each other, children taking special delight in pouring coloured water onto people on the road - everything is coloured in India today!

As I sit and gaze out of my window to the greys and browns of the upcoming spring season in the US, the thought of my family and friends getting soaked in colours, enjoying the spring festival on the other side of the globe - brings a nice bit of colour, a ting of nostalgia, a gush of emotion to my day!!!

रंग दे मुझको !! बेंगनी, नीला, हरा, पीला, लाल !!! रंग बरसे, होली है !!

Marley and me

2009-02-07T09:39:00.008+05:30

I finished reading "Marley and Me" a couple of weeks back. Having grown up with a wild, misbehaved, adorable dog, I just loved reading the book. Being a dog lover, I could relate to every word in it.

"Marley and Me" is about a was a sweet, affectionate puppy who grew into a lovably naughty, loyal, hyperactive 90 pound Labrador, who did everything - from swallowing a golden chain to stealing women's undergarments to crashing thru screen doors, digging and scratching doors, destroying the garage....eating almost anything and everything that came his way. There was no way of taming down Marley, the obedience school expelled him, as Marley was turning out to be a distraction for fellow students and managed humiliating his instructor:) The best part of the book was how the family shares the grief and pain of Jenny's miscarriage, cling to Marley for comfort and reassurance.

As I read through the pages, I could feel the innocence that my dog had in his eyes after some mischief, knowing that he had not done things right. Though its many years that I have lost my dog, it brought back wonderful memeories of my childhood friend.

I don't have enough superlatives at my command to describe how much I adored this book. A must read for all dog lovers!

Raju's new year gift to Satyamites

2009-01-11T09:58:00.009+05:30

Well, what a week it has been, what to say, what to write, its still to sink in. On 7th Jan 2009, I completed a year in Satyam and 7th Jan 2009, Satyam fell like a pack of cards, India's 4th largest company, 53,000 employees, 2.6 billion revenues got a overnite fame of a fraudulant, tainted company for overstating profits to keep itself in business from 28% profitibility to actual figures of 3%.
A person of Narayan Murthy's fame makes a statement that he would not recruit Satyam employees as they are tainted. I wonder what did we employees do to earn such a reputation. Perhaps worked and contributed to the $ 2.6 billion revenue, which Mr. Raju used to buy lands all over Hyderabad/ Chennai/ Vizag / Bangalore. The irony is that the name "Satyam" which stood for truth is now Corporate India's biggest lie - "Mithyam".
I will admit there are some hiccups in our way of life, uncertainity/question marks, doubts do prevail. Gartner warns that Satyam may not survive the scandal and, even if it does, may not be able to retain staff or invest in customer engagements. I believe that "Satyam" name may dilute to oblivion but the company would emerge as a much stronger player, with greater involvment with its customer base and closer relationships and have a better professionally managed board which can take the company to the next level. Today when people talk about Accenture, do they think about Arthur Anderson. None do..

Welcome 2009

2009-01-05T00:48:00.011+05:30

A new year, I welcomed 2009 in Salt Lake City. As I looked out from the window, the moon light was reflecting on the snow, making it look glittering white. It was still dead city outside. Unlike other cities, it was a very quiet new year welcome, no one on the road, not a single fireworks in the sky, it seemed like any other night. Many a times I enjoy the quietness of Salt Lake City.
The window glass was as cold as stone, outside temperature was below freezing (being an Indian, below freezing always means -ve in centigrades) reminding me that I am a lucky one, who does not have to endure the adversities of harsh weather that Mother Earth often inflicts on us. Do I need to think of these adversities? I have almost everything that I want (though there is no end to want), a satisfied comfortable life.
My mind is transported back many years down memory lane, to a haggard looking man in tattered clothes, standing infront the gates of my house in Dhaka, Bangladesh and my "unbehaved" dog barking like crazy as if he had seen the most unwanted person on earth, making his master sense his earnest desire to chase him out of sight. I am reminded of the cold and wet late evening, the man asking for some food, murmuring he hadnot eaten a morsel for two days.
My phone rings and brings me back to the present, it was my brother calling me from India to wish me "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Welcome 2009 - people make resolutions, I ask God to remind me to thank him for giving me a bright day to which i look forward every morning, to thank Him when I offer myself a plateful of warm tempting food which helps me sustain, to thank Him when I walk in to the shelter of my home after an exhaustive day. Thank You God for giving me a life full of joy hope and mirth!

A Long Long Break from Blogs

2008-10-18T21:33:00.006+05:30

Well, quite a long break indeed. And what's worth noting, the last blog that I wrote after reaching SLC, ended writing "I do not expect much momentum in the work front..have to somehow get these days over and hit back home, if possible within two weeks!?!? "
And its only me and some around me who know what I did for the last 6-7 weeks before retuning to India. Its been the longest period extended hours of work in my professional career where I put in 20 hrs a day! I have worked like crazy earlier too, but for a period for 6-7 weeks has been quite taxing. I did not even dream of work as I have done in my earlier assignments, as I hardly slept. There were so many times when I had not slept for 40 hours at a stretch. I wish I had studied so hard...at least would have helped me with better grades :)
In SLC, I managed knowing my hotel room, 2 office buildings of O.C. Tanner and the Sugarhouse Park besides one 'half day' trip to downtown to catch a movie in iMAX. Despite having such a hectic and crazy schedule, a schedule that hardly gave me time for myself, this trip to the the "mecca of capatalism" has helped me to break a lot of perceptions, which I had developed in my last 6 visits to the country. I think it has more to do with the culture of the city and the State, Utah has been ranked among the top 10 places in the world worth living.
One of the biggest perceptions that took a U turn, I had never met or seen people in US who actually looked fwd to spend time with their family, taking care of old parents, I had never seen in US a grandchild and grandparents holding hands and walking down the pathway. In a world were we are loosing values of a family life, even in Asian families, its suprising to see such people. In a world, countries like India are becoming aggressively capitalist and people of our generation being called the "fatafat generation", who are alwys in a hurry, it is nice to see that family does form some part of their daily life.
Well for work I would be back to SLC soon, and I accept, I look fwd for my second visit to the city. But I hope I get to see more of SLC this time than the two offices and the hotel room.

SLC, Utah

2008-07-27T14:02:00.005+05:30

I am back to blogs after quite a gap, last some weeks have been busy. Well its the month of July and I am back to the "synthetic" or "mechanized" United States of America again..its for the 4th consecutive year that I am not feeling the pinch of the monsoons in India, the pleasant earth smell when the mother earth is drenced with rain water.
Well this time, it is not mid-west US, I am in the capital city of the State of Utah. Salt Lake City is a beautiful city, surrounded by the canyons..being close to nature has always been my love, the scenic beauties around keeps me glued. However it seems to be a laid back city, there seems to be no sense urgency in the people...the people of this state follow a different religion "Mormonism" , a religion which is said to have an uneasy calm with the traditional Christians (Roman Cathloics & Protestants) because of its departure from the central tenets and doctrines of traditional, historical Christianity.
I am said to be here for a period of 6 - 7 weeks, not very happy about it, US has never been exciting neither interesting to me, all the cities seem to be the same to me, the same retail chains, the same busy people who do smile and say a "big hello" without actually meaning it, nothing seems to be from the heart here, esp. being an Indian, I do miss the genuineness of a simple "NAMASTE" on the road side, but yeah we too are loosing it, becoming more artificial and too involved in our world! The focus is soon changing all over the world from "OUR WORLD" to "MY WORLD".

I donot expect much momentum in the work front..have to somehow get these days over and hit back home, if possible within two weeks!?!?

Intruders, trespassers..

2008-06-19T11:00:00.018+05:30

For last one week, I have been on a mission. Mission Impossible?!

I am trying to make my house "cockroach-free" This apt that I got for myself in Blr, is a brand new one, but already infested with many small-time cockroaches. Unfortunately, all my attempts have been futile till now. One Sunday evening after investing my whole weekend, I thought I have killed every damn creature, next day the manic monday morning, from one corner a tiny one appears, looks at me and waves its antenna as if to say a hello, crudely reminding me " cockroaches can survive nuclear explosions, who the hell am I?" ! In Pune, I had innumerable count of ants attacking anything edible that they came across, i thought they were only interested in sweets, but I guess they can suck glucose from a spicy morsel of Haldiram Bhujiya, afterall they are Indian pests! When we lived in Jaipur, houseflies used to plan strategies to ruin our lunches every summer afternoon, may be the armies of the world can pick up a trick or two. In Calcutta, I was attacked countless times by the mosquitoes, they successfully injected the malarial parasite three times into me, leaving me frail and weak..and my home in Allahabad, has been invaded a number of times with those "homely" rodents, as if some Piped Piper was playing and showing them the way in.

I wonder why these creatures want to live so close to the vicinity of human beings, we Indians feed them well, as we have a "good" habit of throwing waste anywhere, besides its designated place allocated by the municipality, on the roads, on the footpaths, in the parks, in the staircases of our shopping malls, infront of our next door neighbour's house, or in the current apartment system - throw everything out from the balcony and Newton's gravitational pull doing rest of the job. These living creatures have so many places to feed or overload their tiny stomach, why do they need to intrude our households and then getting themselves killed in the bargain for good food? Live happily by feeding on our wastes. Spare the already tired, exhuasted, overworked homo sapiens alone! Huh, are these creatures listening? Perhaps they never would! I read up somewhere, the wealthy neighbourhood of Beverly Hills saw some rodent attacks recently, then why will they exit from a household of a urban middle class family from the third world nation err..a developing nation.

Democratic India!

2008-06-12T10:47:00.007+05:30

The Bangalore weather has been the same for the last two weeks, no trace of rain, but cold moist wind sweeping the mother earth, the sky is covered with threatening clouds, as if the heavens will open the doors any time..a weather for which Bangalore is famous for. :) An ideal one to go out for a picnic or a trek!
The new chief minister of state of Karnataka has taken the oath, the first saffron rule in Southern India. And he is already facing the first crisis..farmers revolting for low stock of fertilizers. Like any other leader in the opposition party (Congress led UPA being at the centre), a stereo-typed political answer from a first time chief minister. He briefs the media and pacifies the farmers saying that the centre is not cooperating, it is not releasing fertilizer to the state of Karnataka. We listen, shake our heads and sit quiet.
Another state under saffron rule, Rajasthan..there is a deeper crisis going on there..gujjars want to be given a scheduled tribe status as promised during election campaigns..it has led to wide spread violence and bloodshed and not to forget the loss of national property and economic losses to the country. And opposition leaders of the state of likes of Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot sit in their chair with folded arms, describes it as an unfortunate incident and demand an High Court inquiry, and their job is done..again a stereo typed answer. We listen, shake our heads and sit quiet.
Now lets go to West Bengal, a state ruled for ages by the Left, an ally of the UPA @ centre. A bandh and "lal jhanda" has become a part of the integral culture there..A steep fuel price hike of Rs. 5/- had them go head over heals to declare a week long bandh in Left Ruled states, the flights and trains into Calcutta disrupted for two days, the city coming to a grinding halt for a day and half..people agitating..despite the whole world knowing that the crude oil prices are touching $138 a barrel, and the Left expects govt and PSUs to bear the burden, cut down sales taxes, the government empties the coffers. A very traditional answer from a Communist party, which believes that rich people are the immoral, despite Jyoti Basu's son being one the richest man in West Bengal. We listen, shake our heads and sit quiet.
Now lets come to the centre, the whole country is ruled by a lady residing at 10, Janpath...inabilities by her government is successfully covered up by putting the blame of the opposition. Left and congress hate each other, they are falling apart, but still they hold on to avoid elections, an election, which would have them voted out of power! Laloo Yadav is waiting to become the PM of India, afterall he has turned India's largest PSU into a profit centre. Sharad Pawar the baron from maharastra...one is unable to understand how he and Congress are seperate, same idealogies, same manifestos, but different parties! And the great art our honourable PM, Manmohanji (one of the most educted politician our country has got) and Soniaji have learnt of patting each other's back, the amazing way of befooling the mass..and then Rahul "baba" all of a sudden going to a Dalit house in UP and sits in a dharna there, to let the world know about his concerns for dalits in a state ruled by BSP, a dalit party..and the very next moment he takes a flight to see a match at Eden Gardens in company of Shahrukh Khan. And again, We listen, shake our head and sit quiet.
Five years go by...its election time, and we dance to the tune of democracy, oust the ones in power and get the opposition in power and blame it on incumbency! If there is no clear majority, buy MPs, split parties, house-arrest MPs in some secluded place, have them paraded before the President...people of opposite ideologies, who fought each other tooth and nail in the election, join hands to form one coalition ...and how it happens...Money, as its said money can buy "iman", do our politicians have "iman"?
The new rule begins with vows of change in policies, promise to undo everything done by the previous govt..some attractive policies are declared, some IAS and IPS officers are transferred, ...but then all cools down and netas become extremely busy thinking about comman man...you must be kidding....loading their pockets with hoards and hoards of money! This is democracy!
Isn't it all easy, so easy is the art of politics, so easy to make a fool of the man on streets of democratic India!? sujalaam sufalaam malayaj sheetalaam sasya shyaamalaam maataram...vande!

2008-06-08T23:19:00.004+05:30

Jonathan Cainer has an unique style of writing, he seems to be a mind reader, his words are so accurate, very well articulated..I wish I could meet the person who actually phrases those lines.
Since I have moved to Bangalore, there are many new things that make my emotions sail from a high tide to a low one..despite the rough sail of emotions, I feel my life has never been so monotonous, so slow paced, so dull and unenthusiatic. And resultant, I have too much time for myself..and as the famous saying goes "empty mind is devil's workshop", so readers....I AM THE DEVIL :D :D.
I will trust what Jonathan has predicted for me, hoping against hope that what he says comes true..
When our horse comes in - or our number comes up - we consider ourselves to have been blessed. When it rains on our parade or when our plan goes pear-shaped, we suspect we have been cursed. Where, though, is this divine dispenser of help or hindrance? According to what criteria are we punished or rewarded? Just in case you think the question is simple to answer, consider this. Some 'lucky breaks' turn out to have exceedingly unfortunate consequences. And vice versa. You may not consider yourself now to be exceptionally well taken care of. But you are... as you will soon discover.

State of Mind

2008-06-05T18:34:00.013+05:30

Beheta Hai Mann Kahin, Kahaan Jaante Nahin, Koyi Rok le Yahin
Bhaage Re Mann Kahin, Aage Re Mann Chala, Jaane Kidhar Jaanu na

There cannot be better expression than this of my restless state of mind..

It hovers from past, present and the future..takes me through a roller coaster ride of emotions...happiness, anger, sorrow. It takes me to my contended childhood days in Jaipur where every evening I used to wait for the clock to strike 4 and I could go out and play, it takes me to my home in Allahabad, which lies deserted and lonely without its occupants..it makes me travel to Dhaka, to that annual day celebrations when Sister Barbara hugged me tight for winning 10 awards for the year for my accomplishments in sports, debate, literature and drama....and then suddenly it flies to the day when I left Delhi for Pune, an unknown city, leaving behind loads of good and bitter memories...it races to the joyous day when I got my first salary cheque..and all of sudden when I bask in joy of that memory, my mind takes me back to that rainy day in Dhaka, my adorable pet's last loving gaze...my mind flies to those anxious days in Jaipur, when I used to eagerly wait for my brother to come home once a year for his vacations...from there it takes me to that garrulous Brazilian lady cab driver of Bentonville, who told me in every detail of her first love and her first date under moonlit night at Sao Paulo...it is then transcended to the day when I said goodbye to Pune, a city where I thought I will not be able to stay more than 6 months, and I spent 6 valuable years of my professional life under the able guidance of some intelligent souls, and then all of a sudden all my wandering halts at the ICU of the Hinduja Hospital Bombay, when I last spoke to my father.

But why I wonder, why is my mind so restless, why does it make me cry and smile at the same time? Why is my mind expecting from those who shall not look back, why does it give me a ray of hope about the coming days? Why does it give me consolation that to every cloud there is a silver lining?...perhaps Milton said it right...The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a heaven of Hell, a hell of Heaven.

Dhhundhhu main kahaan usko, batlaaye koyi mujhko; Ke haan haan haan re Bhaage re mann kahin..

Missing IPL

2008-06-03T20:16:00.006+05:30

I am a cricket buff, and after a month long dose of Twenty 20, I am missing the IPL. It was good to see that the two things that unite India - Bollywood and cricket merge to offer entertainement and serious sports and arise mass hysteria on cricketing grounds. I cannot comment on how Indian cricket esp. the young guns would actually gain, but IPL is an emphatic success. If we consider IPL as a product, this has been one of the most successful product launches in the marketing world of current time; would make Philip Kotler proud of it. I read teams like Mohali, Knight Riders, Dare Devils and Rajasthan Royals are breaking-even and registering profits in the first year itself, what a better business case study! The already rich BCCI is richer, the Sony Entertainement Channel is oozing with profits, kudoos to Lalit Modi and his men behind it.
But we need to note that some significant things have happened behind the scene. The most important: introduction of the corporate world into Indian cricket, and business tycoons of likes of Vijay Mallaya are silently trying to bring the hire and fire policy in the game of cricket, perform or you are kicked out. Charu Sharma was the first to be shown the doors. Rahul Dravid would have been the next, but somehow his skin was saved. There has been a constant talk of professionalism in Indian cricket, I guess this may be a new dawn.
Second, introduction of club culture, will bring together the cricketers of the world. With aggression and zeal to excel, friction between cricketers are at a rise, incidents of "Abbe maa ki" will still remain a part of international cricket. But, I feel cultural exchange will benefit the cricket community at a large. On a lighter note, may be the Australians learn tit bit Hindi, and also accept the fact that the people of third world nations also have balls!!
Third, cricket and Hollywood are religion in India. Noone can deny that IPL has merged the two unifying factors. It has given a common platform for Sachin Tendulkar and Shah Rukh Khan the biggest household names of all Indian homes across the globe. People may crib, fret, state that IPL is about cheer leaders, traditional followers of game may say its only entertainment..people can frame all the negative things..but what emerges is the craze of the people of India. The blend of bollywood peppy number with the cracking sound from the willow will leave its indelible impression on the hearts of the people of India. Incredible India!

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

2008-06-01T09:33:00.011+05:30

I just finished reading Kite Runner..the story was so enthralling, that after a long time I completed a book in two days..as I child, I have finished reading Enid Blytons, esp. the Famous Fives' in 10 -12 hours, I read my favourite book of all times "Gone with the Wind" within three days, that too just before my Xth pre-boards....during my worklife, I donot remember finishing books within such short spans...may be I have lot of time in hand these days to do things that I have always loved to..:) But yeah, its not the speed with which one can finish a book, how much one can grasp the thought put behind a book, is more important.
Kite Runner is a painful, honest story about raw emotions. It is a story of love, loyalty, loss of innocence, betrayal, repentance, a story of Amir "Jan" and Hassan, story of Baba, Ali and Rahim Khan, story of Shorab, set at a backdrop of a politically turmoiled Afganisthan - the downfall of the king, the attack of the Soviets, and the Taliban effect.
I have not read much about the Middle-East region or Afganistan and Pakistan, except a very few like "Not Without My Daugther" or "My Feaudal Lord". Somehow, I cannot make myself read much on the sufferings of people during war, or the cruelty that fanatics can inflict on comman man. It always leaves a bitter taste in my mouth and fills me with hatred, hence I keep myself away from stories scripted out of Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan.
A good friend of my brother, insisted that I should read it, and i am happy that I heeded to him. The book bares open one of the strongest relationships in the world – the relationship that is shared between two friends, one master the other a servant, one who is a legitimate child of Baba and other illegitimate, of two half brothers Amir and Hassan. The reader sails through a voyage of emotions...of disgust when Amir watches from behind a house Hassan being physically assaulted, of anger when Amir plots against Hassan of theft and compels him and Ali leave their house, of shame when Amir enjoys his success in the American world and Hassan struggles in Taliban Afganistan, of saddness when Shorab lies in the hospital and whispers "I am so kastha" I am so tired, of joy & triumph when Amir runs after the kite for Shorab under Fremont skies and utters " For you, a thousand times over"
I agree this book could have been better crafted, technical elements of style in literature may be missing, but it is not written with literary contibution in mind. It is a story told by a physcian, of human emotions, of Amir's contant struggle to triumph over his inability & cowardice.

Some Lines to Remember

2008-05-31T12:04:00.003+05:30

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. Love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't.
Never tell your problems to any one except the one who loves you , because 20% people don’t care and other 80% people are glad that you have problems!
Mistakes are embarrassing when they happen , But years later you have collection of mistakes called EXPERIENCE , which leads you SUCCESS.
Faith by David Whyth
I want to write about faith about the way the moon rises over cold snow,
night after night faithful even as it fades from fullness
slowly becoming that last curving
and impossible silver of light before the final darkness
but I have no faith myself
I refuse to give in the smallest entry
Let this then, my small poem, like a new moon, slender and barely open,
be the first prayer that opens me to faith
Meaning of Life by John Gardner:
Meaning is not something you stumble across like an answer to a riddle or the prize in a treasure hunt. Meaning is something that you build into your life. You build it out of your own past, out of your affections and loyalties, out of the experience of humankind as it is passed on to you, out of your own talent and understanding, out of things you believe in, out of the things and people you love, out of the values for which you are willing to sacrifice something. The ingredients are there. You are the only one who can put them together into that pattern that will be your life. Let it be a life that has dignity and meaning for you. If it does, then the particular balance of success and failure is of less account

Religion vs. Faith

2008-05-28T12:49:00.016+05:30

Religion is so keen to help educate the children of this world, they know that between the ages of five and fifteen, people develop the beliefs and philosophies that will accompany them all through life. And these influences that we come across under at this age will invariably shape our faith to "some extent". So in a way religion and faith go hand in hand. I have learnt to stop for a minute and remember the Almighty before anything that is painted orange or red under a tree, I may continue doing that till my last breath. I am in a habit of tying a sacred thread around my wrists, to ward off all evil spirits, I earnestly look to change that thread, whenever it is worn out. And I never question - why am I doing this? what is the essence of this? what will I gain from it? Is it religion or is it faith?
In one of my evening outings to know my infamous neighbourhood a little better, I walked into the lanes and bylanes of Jakasandra...it was largely dilapidated, there were small makeshift huts on both sides of the roads, half naked children playing at glee, the speeding two wheelers stopping diligently for the flock of hen to cross the lane, a herd of cows looked at me as if they had seen something strange, one of them was so displeased by my sight that it came running after me (thankfully it was tied-up)...it seemed to me that I was walking in some place which was a little better than a village, in no way could I make myself believe that I was in Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India. After 15 to 20 mins of my aimless but interesting stroll, I came across a big playground and I observed that there was a temple at one corner..my curiosity got the better of me, in addition my quest to know the Dravidian Gods, i decided to cross over.
I entered the temple from the backside, the courtyard was kind of neat and freshly painted, I glanced through the various shapes of deities carved on the temple wall. Soon I was at the entrance of the temple, which was quite crowded with people concentrating hard to make their prayers heard. I noticed a stone bench at some distance where I could pull out my sneakers. I approached the area, a pungent smell welcomed me. There was a concrete pedestal at the middle and there were some 4 -5 odd shapped rock slabs placed vertically above the pedestal. Each stone was garlanded and smeared with vermillion. People were offering a mixture of curd and rice to each of the rocks and bathing them with lemon juice & curd, the whole pedestal had become a slippery mess, people falling over it and a combination of that rice, curd & lemon juice emitted a foul smell that I could not even stand there for few minutes. I also noticed some dirty cows and oxen standing nearby. I pulled my sneakers and hurried into the temple..my escape from that stink.
Honestly, I could not make much sense of what was happening around, neither could I precisely understand, which God was this temple dedicated to (perhaps some form of Parvati), all the customs & rituals seemed completely alien to me. Each person folded his hands offering his reverence, then all of a sudden started vigourously slapping himself, and after this was done, he would rapidly circle around standing at that position. I must admit, I could not offer a word of prayer, I was so involved observing the people and the Gods...not happy with myself, I stepped out of the temple.
I had to walk towards that stinking place...but what I saw left me dumbfounded, I could not believe my eyes..the pedestal did not have a single two legged human being, it was occupied by four -legged creatures - cows, oxen, goats and stray dogs who merrily licked the stone slabs and the pedestal. And there were some roadside pigs also competing their way to the pedestal. "What on the earth was this?" I tried asking some people, who hardly understood what i said. All I could gather that this is what they believe in! I felt disgusted and seriously felt sorry for the Gods.

God or any scripture or any religion may not be able to explain what was happening there..as I briskly walked away, my mind was full of questions. Does religion preach us to do all this? Why is it that our blind faith gets the better of us and God becomes obscure? I am an ardent follower of the Vedanta way of life, Ramakrishna in his preachings has always mentioned, if you are not in alignment, never question about anything related to faith, but I could not stop myself..is this blind faith or is this religion..Isn't the place where you worship, a place of cleanliness? Did those people actually know what God stood for? Is God really pleased and happy in such a manner? Or is it blind faith that is imbibed in us as a child..do this and God will be happy?

Fresh Egoist Soul?

2008-05-23T08:56:00.019+05:30

HAH!!...how true is Dilbert most of the time, esp. his sardonic humour on consultants, people from management, and this time the IITias...innumberable times at work, I have heard this from fresh passouts "I am an young IITian and hence better than you"... infinite number of times I hear from recruiters, "oh, an IITian - an intelligent and matured soul"...I did have the "honour" of working with some "intelligent, matured souls of India" who took immense pride to be alma-mater of one of the IITs in India, even if they are a master's in Geology, and now sitting in IT industry and "pretending" to understand the different facets of business.

It is definitely a matter of pride to be a part of India's cream engineering institute, it does take a lot of pain to get there, esp. given the amount of reservations that our government has introduced into the Indian education system. Also as years pass-by, people appearing for this entrance exams are innumerable but the number of seats never increased proportionately. This year 3.2 lakh aspirant candidates competed for six thousand graduate engg. seats for 7 IITs...the competition is tough and if you crack it, the joy is unbound.

But why this superiority complex, why this audacity to prove that nothing can ever be better than them, why this intense pleasure in scorning down at everybody around, it is a puzzle for me. Seems some type of a self delusion! Does India's cream institute teach students to nurture this? Perhaps not, never! Education brings humbleness, the least education teaches you is tolerance!

After quite an introspection, after observing people, parents, peers, I feel it is the society to blame at large, the aura that we create in the mind of a small child, the expectation that we rise in an innocent heart to excel and reach the best..and after he qualifies, the adulation that is given to him by his family and friends by the mere mention "mera beta/beti IIT mei par raha hain", all of a sudden the child is treated with much more admiration, respect, and seated at a pedestal much above the rest. And if you are from a small town from Bihar or UP, the very mention can qualify you for a magnanimous sum of dowry....and perhaps the birth to this feeling of "supreme"!
It is not that I shun IITians, some of my closest friends are from IITs, people from my immediate and distant family members constitute a part of this alma-mater, my professional and personal mentors belong of this group. I have met many, who are oblivious of this supreme feeling, but here I write to bring out the general feeling among the pupils who are fresh products of IITs.
It pains me when I see them, such an im-matured pudding headed behaviour from a young turks of one of the cream institutes of India! IITians have succeeded, conquered the world, have reached to different heights, by really working hard, proving their merits and by the sweat of their brow. Hard work and right education can make a man successful! Rise, see beyond, life is self realization, a few certificates, donot make you a man! The society adulations are time being, there is much more to learn beyond the text books...be humane! AMEN!!!

Hilarious / objectionable?!

2008-05-22T13:23:00.009+05:30

Some quotes make you laugh to your heart's content..they go with a statutory warnings as on cigar cases...readers should be in a mood NOT to take them seriously! It largely depends on your mood, how you take them, but to some extent they are realities?!
Lovely female shapes are terrible complicators of the difficulties and dangers of this earthly life, especially for their owners ~ George du Maurier
If you think your boss is stupid, remember: you wouldn't have a job if he was any smarter ~ John Gotti
Wedding rings: the world’s smallest handcuffs. ~Unknown
Love at first sight that happenned to me, was Life's most delicious revenge on a self-opinionated fool.~Charles Boyer
Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. ~Unknown
In Order to get the handsome prince, you have to kiss a lot of toads. ~Unknown

The last quote reminds me of one of the most hilarious poems that I have read till now titled " A Stupid Village Girl" written by someone I do not know, it was a fwded to me in an email by a friend some years back and I preserved it:
The Stupid Village Girl
I sat on the rocks drying my body, When out of the secluded watery retreat, Came a creation of heavenly rhapsody Floating towards me on her soft lotus feet.
I had not known when she came Or where her garments should be;
All I knew was that a beauteous dame Had sprung a surprise on me.
I could not route an escape For I could find no path to flee.
So I sat there stoned in ugly, As naked as God made me.
Her beauty indeed was immense! This adorable coveted prize, Now, unaware of my presence Offered herself to my eyes.
But oh! Her glance fell on me And I could hear her skip a beat.
But then she waited thoughtfully, When I expected a hasty retreat.
God knows what spell was cast that night
Which could explain her tomfoolery
For she sprang at me as a wolf might
And kissed my mouth in a hurry.
Before I could fathom What had happened to me, I jumped in to the bosom Of the lake, most hastily.
I had left her in a swirl, I had left her looking agog, For she was a stupid village girl...
And I, an ugly croaking frog.

Blood is Red

2008-05-22T12:15:00.009+05:30

The moon had risen on the eastern sky, the sun had set for the day, twilight was making its presence felt. I looked up, pre-monsoon clouds were looming over the skyline of Bangalore. I had no intentions of getting drenched, I urgently looked for an auto rick to transport me home, which was hardly 3kms away. Finally after quite a "jatto-jehat", one of them agreed and suprising with no arguements. I thought for a minute, "what a good guy"! But that thought just lasted for a min, not a second more or a second less, the rick meter showed figures of 30 bucks (ideally it should show 14,)...my immediate reaction was to alert the auto rick driver, who cooly retorted, "madam double rate lagega". I was irritated by his coolness and more so he had manipulated the meter, which is not lawful. Within minutes, there was an altercation..and I threatened him to report to the traffic police..nothing affected him and to my shock he taunted back at me "Yeh karnataka hain, North India nahi hain", I was puzzled, how on the earth was Karnataka related to his meter rates. He continued in his usual notorious style, "you guys from North come here, earn loads of money, use of our facilities, our infrastructure, why can't you pay double the rate? This is land of Kannadas not North Indians". This was enough to piss me off beyond control, but I didnot know what to tell him..I was fuming, fretting, and there were fumes blowing out my ears. I am an obstinate soul, and I ensured that I payed only his legitimate, not even a single anna more...only to hear more foul language from him.
A couple of days back I read on IBNLIVE, about Raj Thackery and his men's "creative idea" of getting attention - "Buy mangoes only from Maharashtrian fruit vendors. The bhaiyyas have taken over the mango trade in the city, while our Marathi people are suffering". From taxis to vada pavs and now mangoes, (I think he wants to hold on to Alphonsos, knowing thats its "the Bhaiyas" who produce the largest quantities of mangoes in the world) Thackarey wants to claim himself to be a crusader of Maharastrain people and culture. A self-proclaimed protector, who wants the usurp the throne from his more dangerous fascist uncle...an idealogy that did bring fame to Bal Thackery, good fame or bad, who is bothered! I think his next creative idea would be "Alphonsos for Marathi Manush only, non maharastrians pay more!!!"

Perhaps the uncle and now the nephew desire to create ripples into a largely calm water body, a desire which can have dangerous consequences, and lead to a lot of bloodshed. And it did happen..an innocent worker of HAL in Nashik got killed by Thackery's party hooligans, and unfortunately for them he was a maharastrian...and it is the red blood that flows finally, the colour of blood is always red, whether it flows in a maharastrian or in a bhaiya, or whether it flows in a Hindu or a Muslim, or whether it flows in an Asian or an Anglo Saxon.
But, why blame these two Thackerys? Politicians all over the world have always believed in what the Britishers adopted as a policy, DIVIDE AND RULE! And we the comman man love to dance as puppets to rheoteric's of these so called leaders! And in a democratic set up elect them as our coveted members of Parliament. As it is called DANCE TO THE TUNE OF DEMOCRACY!
Lets stop for a while and think, is it justified? The auto wala was an uneducated man, but these uneducated men, exercise their franchise!

Calcutta - from Vir Sanghvi

2008-05-17T21:59:00.003+05:30

Calcutta, or Kolkata, the city that I have hardly known..it is called the "City of Joy" many times referred as the "dying city". For me, Kolkata is a place which is an "abode of of relatives" and obviously the lovely food, the amazing Mishti Doi and those mouth watering Rasogullas & Nalen Gurer Sandesh..a place where you can just shop to your heart's contents..it is India's cheapest metropolitan. And to talk about Kolkata and not talk about fish, that is unfair, the Elish from Buri Gonga, the Koi Mach, the pabdas, the chitols.
Kolkata means the bookfairs, the theatres. It means the never ending political rallies, the irritating bandhs. It means the traffic jams, the buses, the trams. It also means the Red Flag of Communist Party of India. Beyond all this Calcutta is the abode of one of the world's greatest philosopher, Tagore, the birthplace of Swami Vivekananda, the hometown of India's visionary writers and thinkers from Bankim Chandra to Raja Ram Mohon Roy, master story-tellers like Satyajit Ray, Bimal Roy, Mrinal Sen...Kolkata is unique....as I read somewhere.. "Kolkata remains a remarkable hot-pot – one which has instigated the philosophy of Rabindranath, inspired the imagination of Satyajit Ray and channeled the existential questionings of entire generations of poets and artists. And it continues to throw up a unique spectrum of literary talent even today – ranging from the regional activism of Mahashweta Devi to the very postcolonial Amitav Ghosh, and a diasporic Jhumpa Lahiri".
I must admit that I do not have a great loyalty for the city, but this article really makes me feel good, (not that I am a Bengali) cannot explain to my readers the reason for the same. Besides the literary contribution, this article does give a vivid picture of the great city and the emotional but passionate Bengalis..
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Most modern Indian cities strive to rise above ethnicity. Tell anybody who lives in Bombay that he lives in a Maharashtrian city and (unless of course, you are speaking to Bal Thackeray) he will take immediate offence. We are cosmopolitan, he will say indigenously. Tell a Delhiwalla that his is a Punjabi city (which, in many ways, it is) and he will respond with much self-righteous nonsense about being he nation's capital, about the international composition of the city's elite etc.
And tell a Bangalorean that he lives in a Kannadiga city and you'll get lots of techno-gaff about the internet revolution and about how Bangalore is even more cosmopolitan than Bombay.
But, the only way to understand what Calcutta is about is recognize that the city is essentially Bengali. What's more, no Bengali minds you saying that. Rather, he is proud of the fact. Calcutta's strengths and weaknesses mirror those of the Bengali character. It has the drawbacks: the sudden passions, the cheerful chaos, the utter contempt for mere commerce, the fiery response to the smallest provocation. And it has the strengths (actually, I think of the drawbacks as strengths in their own way).
Calcutta embodies the Bengali love of culture; the triumph of intellectualism over greed; the complete transparency of all emotions, the disdain with which hypocrisy and insincerity are treated; the warmth of genuine humanity; and the supremacy of emotion over all other aspects of human existence.
That's why Calcutta is not for everyone. You want your cities clean and green; stick to Delhi. You want your cities, rich and impersonal; go to Bombay. You want them high-tech and full of draught beer, Banglore's your place. But if you want a city with a soul: come to Calcutta.
When I look back on the years I've spent in Calcutta - and I comeback so many times each year that I often feel I've never been away I don't remember the things that people remember about cities. When I think of London, I think of the vast open spaces of Hyde Park. When I think of New York, I think of the frenzy of Times Square. When I think of Tokyo, I think of the bright lights of Shinjiku. And when I think of Paris, I think of the Champs Elysee. But when I think of Calcutta, I never think of any one place. I don't focus on the greenery of the maidan, the beauty of the Victoria Memorial, the bustle of Burra Bazar or the splendor of the new Howrah 'Bridge'. I think of people. Because, finally, a city is more than bricks and mortars, streetlights and tarred roads. A city is the sum of its people. And who can ever forget - or replicate - the people of Calcutta?
When I first came to live here, I was told that the city would grow on me. What nobody told me was that the city would change my life It was in Calcutta that I learnt about true warmth; about simple human decency; about love and friendship; about emotions and caring; about truth and honesty. I learnt other things too. Coming from Bombay as I did, it was a revelation to live in a city where people judged each other on the things that mattered; where they recognized that being rich did not make you a better person - in fact, it might have the opposite effect. I learnt also that if life is about more than just money, it is about the things that other cities ignore; about culture, about ideas, about art, and about passion. In Bombay, a man with a relatively low income will salt some of it away for the day when he gets a stock market tip. In Calcutta, a man with exactly the same income will not know the difference between a debenture and a dividend. But he will spend his money on the things that matter. Each morning, he will read at least two newspapers and develop sharply etched views on the state of the world. Each evening, there will be fresh (ideally, fresh-water or river) fish on his table. His children will be encouraged to learn to dance or sing. His family will appreciate the power of poetry. And for him, religion and culture will be in inextricably bound together. Ah religion! Tell outsiders about the importance of Puja in Calcutta and they'll scoff. Don't be silly, they'll say. Puja is a religious festival. And Bengal has voted for the CPM since 1977. How can godless Bengal be so hung up on a religions festival? In ever know how to explain them that to a Bengali, religion consists of much more than shouting Jai Shri Ram or pulling down somebody's mosque. It has little to do with meaningless ritual or sinister political activity. The essence of Puja is that all the passions of Bengal converge emotion, culture, the love of life, the warmth of being together, the joy of celebration, the pride in artistic expression and yes, the cult of the goddess. It may be about religion. But is about much more than just worship. In which other part of India would small, not particularly well off localities, vie with each other to produce the best pandals? Where else could puja pandals go beyond religion to draw inspiration from everything else? In the years I lived in Calcutta, the pandals featured Amitabh Bachchan, Princes Diana and even Saddam Hussain! Where else would children cry with the sheer emotional power of Dashimi, upset that the Goddess had left their homes? Where else would the whole city gooseflesh when the dhakis first begin to beat their drums? Which other Indian festival - in any part of the country - is so much about food, about going from one roadside stall to another, following your nose as it trails the smells of cooking? To understand Puja, you must understand Calcutta. And to understand Calcutta, you must understand the Bengali.
It's not easy. Certainly, you can't do it till you come and live here, till you let Calcutta suffuse your being, invade your bloodstream and steal your soul. But once you have, you'll love Calcutta forever. Wherever you go, a bit of Calcutta will go with you. I know, because it's happened to me. And every Puja, I am overcome by the magic of Bengal. It's a feeling that'll never go away.

"A moment lasts all for a second, but the memory lives on forever.”

2008-05-16T13:40:00.009+05:30

I met Vikas on Wednesday evening, we were meeting for the first time after college days..we have been in touch thru emails, SMS, chats..but I was meeting him after a gap of a year or two less than a decade..(to my readers, Vikas was a friend from college, we were part of an extended group of friends, though i hardly remember having one to one talk with him, ever in college, and ofcources some doses of pranks.)

As we talked about professional life, common friends, batchmates, our college...my memories drifted to those two amazing years of my life..1997 to 1999. I did my post graduation from Institite of Managment Studies, Ghaziabad and here I met some of the most wonderful people of my life...and I dedicate this blog to them...so rightly it is said.."God gave us memories that we might have roses in December".

My college and my hostel has to go hand in hand..KA -29, an address that is embedded as golden words...days spent there have been literally crazy if I think of it today..having a watermelon party at 2am with the blasting music to shake off the sleep, staying awake the whole night and making each other understand the various nuances of Adam Smith's Theory of Demand and Supply..scare of getting ragged by seniors and the fun of ragging the juniors the very next year, consuming plates of maggi garnished with "dhaniya patta" after a full palate of "Ustadji's" dinner, looking for all the edible liquids in various hostel rooms to make the birthday drink, evening walk for the C-block's chai and spring rolls, travelling every day for two weeks in Bus No. 602 all the way from Ghaziabad to BHEL, Asiad Village, South Delhi for a HR project, the intensive pillow fight, only to be given an evil look by that horrid owner of the hostel, making a quickest possible trip to Chanakyapuri with my room-mate to see "Kamasutra", and ending up seeing "My Best Friend's Wedding", smearing each other with the colours and dancing to the tunes of Chaiya-Chaiya, the night before the Holi vacation, or quietly talking heart to heart with a friend in some corner of the hostel terrace under the star studded sky, memories are innumerable..

Today, in 2008 as I look back, they seem as if college happened yesterday..all those wonderful people whom I met, are spread across the globe, some still continue to be my source of strength, that a friendship can offer, many who are lost in the crowd, some I may meet again, many I may never...I wish I could re-live every moment of those marvellous days!

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Purano Sei Diner Kotha Bhulbi Ki Re Hai, O Sei Chokher Dekha Praner Kotha Se Ki Bhola Jai..

Aay Ar Ekti Bar Aayre Shokha Praner Majhe Aay,Mora Shukher Dhuker Kotha Kobo Pran Jurabe Tai..

Mora Bhorer belaa Phul Tulechi Dulechi Dolai, Bajiye Basi Gaan Geyechi Bokuler Tolai..

Hai Majhe Holo Charachai Gelem Ke Kothai, Abar Dekha Jodi Holo Shokha Praner Majhe Aay..

Purano Sei Diner Kotha Bhulbi Ki Re Hai...

Tagore

One life to love!

2008-05-16T11:42:00.002+05:30

Jane Eyre

2008-05-13T19:58:00.007+05:30

I am back to blogger.com after a day's gap, yest was a busy day, also not a very good day..right now a little pepped up, its almost midnight, and Kolkata Knight Riders won a great match against Delhi DareDevils @ Saurav Dada's hometown, Eden! And what a spell from Shoaibh Akhtar, devastating 4-11 in 3 overs!!
I had completed downloading the movie Jane Eyre on Sunday from the Internet, saw the movie in bits and pieces spread across Sunday night and monday evening. I must admit that Jane Eyre is not my favourite classic novel of that era..I have always been a great fan of Charles Dickens, David Copperfield and Great Expectations are books that I simply adore.
The movie was good and it compelled me to read the book all over again..for these types of movies, I have always preferred the book over the movie..trust me it was an amazing read..
I read the abridged version of Jane Eyre first when I was in Class Vth as a part of my regular curriculum. I tried again reading the full version of Jane Eyre when I was in Class VIIIth. I didnot understand much, I again picked up the book when I graduated from school. This is the time that I got some essense of the wonderful literature, in bits and pieces. As I grew older..perhaps my thoughts matured, I started reading these classics and some shakespeares all over again. It made much more sense and seemed much more meaningful to me than reading them at school and gobbling down lines for passing exams.
I guess with age you learn to appreciate a lot of things, which in childhood are just passing topics. Also, I have often wondered how can I appreciate literature, when I need to mug it, to pass an exam and get grades..literature is realization of the author and I need to suck it deep within as a part of me.
I read some chapters of Jane Eyre again, yest and today...it was the same book but giving deeper realizations to me...how true, how well written, how well articulated...I wish, I could spend my life appreciating creations, be it of Mother Earth or be of earthly men and women...
I want to record all those lines that I loved reading, I hope to memorize them, all of them touch my heart deep within me, gives me a very strange feeling of joy and sorrow, relief and pain, longingness and solitude...
Chapter 14:
A memory without blot or contamination must be an exquisite treasure — an inexhaustible source of pure refreshment: is it not?
Chapter 20:
A wanderer's repose or a sinner's reformation should never depend on a fellow-creature. Men and women die; philosophers falter in their wisdom, and Christians in goodness: if any one you know has suffered and erred, let him look higher than his equals for strength to amend, and solace to heal.
Chapter 12:
Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex.
Chapter 37:
Sacrifice! What do I sacrifice? Famine for food, expectation for content. To be privileged to put my arms round what I value--to press my lips to what I love--to repose on what I trust: is that to make a sacrifice? If so, then certainly I delight in sacrifice
Charlotte Bronte

India's Diversity

2008-05-11T19:47:00.012+05:30

I was having lunch with some of my colleagues a few years back. I was working at that time for Extenprise and was based out of Pune, the cultural capital of the undoubtedly rich Maharastrian heritage. Group of people with whom I had lunch consisted of people from various states of India. It was the month of March most probably and a holiday fell in the middle of the week. It was GUDI PARWA - the maharastrian new year..my need to know about the people and its culture, I asked a maharastrian friend..what exactly do they do for the day!
She said, this day marks the homecoming of Rama from exile! I looked back at her, thinking there is something wrong...hello Lord Ram comes back from exile during Diwali and that falls in the month of Oct - Nov. She confidently replied..no Ram comes back in March! Other North Indians in the group went..why is Diwali celebrated..she goes it is because Krishna came back to dwaraka with sixteen thousand women, whom he freed after defeating the demon king Narakasur.
This was a shock, I didnot believe her or any of the maharastrian friends endorsing her statements. I had mugged up for my essay on "Deepawali" since I was Class I, "amavasya ke raat, bhagwaan ram ayodhya wapas aye the, unki wapas aane ki khushi mei ayodhya wasiyo ne ghee ke diye jalaye the etc etc" and I got full marks for that too. I checked on the net, and yeah some sites did endorse this statement!
If you are in Bombay or in any city in Maharastra during Diwali, get ready to be jolted out of your bed by the ear deafening crackers at 4 am in the mrng on the diwali day, yes diwali in traditional maharastrian families is celebrated bang in the mrng! I heard Chennai also celebrates it in the mrng! And on the same day, if you are in Delhi, rest assured you will get sleep only after 2am at night, as Diwali in Northern India is celebrated at night! Same in Kolkata, and irony is all Indians are celebrating the most important Hindu festival - Deepawali!!!

THIS IS INDIA...my land, my people, my country!...yes its MINE, though every 10 kms I go, there is a different culture, a different language, a different cusine, a different attire...Diversity thy name is India!
I have just moved to Bangalore, said to be a cosmopolitan, but moment you get out of those malls and big brand shops, come down to roads, you realize you do not know the language, the food is strangely different, the people look so different, their attire (esp. the half lungis as my mom says) makes you ask...are you in India? I felt the same, when I moved from Delhi to Pune some six years back...is this my country?
As our history says..life north of vindyachal and life south to vindyachal was never the same from times immemorial..there was and there is a distinct difference between the North and South of India..one of my keralite ex-colleagues used to decribe me as some one from the top floor (N.India :D).
Its very difficult to adjust to different cities in india, esp. when you are on the move after every three to four years, you are moving within the same country but still you feel you are a stranger...Every city in this world has its own character, but in India every city has its own history, own language, own food, own attire!
Perhaps North and South can never meet, they are poles apart..but still they together join hands to form my motherland INDIA!
But yeah I cannot omit change in accent in calling out my name, in Allahabad it was slow but insistent Ritu, in Delhi it was rude and curt Ritu, in Pune it drastically changed to Rutu and now in blr I am Ruthu! the "T" has to go with a "H" for proper nouns in Rajnikanth's land!! :))

Mother's Day Special

2008-05-11T17:47:00.009+05:30

When I was 13, my maternal grandmother (nani) came to stay with us. We were in Calcutta at that time, and my mashi brought her from my mama's house. Since then, there has been a constant discussion in our extended family, close friends and all concerned people about why is she with us, when she has two very very able sons? In an Indian family, esp. when I was young, it was a matter of concern of nanis coming and staying in her son-in-law's house. My young head didnot have much questions, though I was not sure what to talk to her, I had never much interacted with her..also I didnot follow her Bengali dialect (she spoke "bangal", and I knew only "kaam chalao" Bengali)
As I grew up and I understood the whole equation, I understood how tormented my nani was, how heart broken she was when she came to stay with us, how pathetically helpless she was to be ill-treated by the sons whom she loved the most! When later few years back, when I chatted with one of my mama's son, he says all that happened because of money constraints, i felt like giving him a wham on his face, but then I controlled myself, I donot know what I do and how I behave in the future, may be this wham that I want to give to him, destiny gives me one! Man is perhaps just a puppet!!!
Its sad, children desert their parents for greener pastuers, wanting to escape the liability, considering them as interference..forgeting that they are the biggest assets of a parent! I am not married as yet, I donot have a mother-in-law , but I have often wondered, how a new bride can create the differences and break a well settled everlasting mother-son relationship, never got a justifed answer to it as yet. Its obviosuly a different issue, if the MIL is a vampire, but those cases are rare, I guess :D
I lost my dad in 2004 and since then mom and me have come more closer, she has a great conribution to what I am today, more so she has stood behind me and believed in me, trusted me in what I did. She has stood rock solid for me till now and I hope she does for many more years! But I guess most mothers in the world are like that... they help us to grow, prosper, and reach great heights..
On the day of Mother's Day, I salute just not my mother, but all the mothers of this world and thank God that He gave a child such a wonderful gift! I am reminded of a famous song of Kenny Rogers, an amazing story of a mother...
............
When daddy left and destitution came upon our family
Not one neighbour volunteered to give a helpin' hand
So let 'em gossip all they want, she loved us and she raised us
The proof is standin' here, a full grown man

Last summer Mama passed away and left the ones who loved her
Each and every one was more than grateful for their birth
Each Sunday she receives a fresh bouquet of fourteen roses
And a card that says The greatest Mum on earth

Oh, the path was deep and wide from footsteps leading to our cabin
Above the door there burned a scarlet lamp
And late at night a hand would knock and there would stand a stranger
Yes, I'm the son of Hickory Holler's tramp!
...................

My First Blog

2008-05-11T12:26:00.014+05:30

This is my first blog, have been reading a lot of blogs recently, of friends, of people un-known, on various topics ranging politics and history to business, economics and travel (my fav subjects). I wanted to start blogging much earlier, the hesitation of what to write haunted me. Can I really write what I feel deep within me, will it be not too much of revelation abt myself in the public domain..all these have been in my mind from some time. Also not to forget these days I have a lot of time, for myself, doing practically nothing..work life is dull and no movement (i am not used to doing nothing at work), personal life is stagnant..so reading a lot, seeing a lot of movies on TV and online...so I do have ample time to spare..Today I gave up my faltering and decided to pen down, thinking that if I can create something called Diary of Myself...
I am reminded of the first chapter of David Copperfield, where he starts to write about his childhood, his memories abt himself, in my blogs I intend to write something abt myself, my childhood..from time to time, the various changes that I have gone thru...the different ups and downs..how beautiful life has been till now!
Well to begin with, who am I? A particle of energy as philosophy defines, trying to write my first blog? Perhaps yes, one particle from the billions of particles that are on this mother earth or Universe, doing million different things right now at this moment.
I was born in Allahabad, a nice small town in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Often sitting in bangalore I think about it, wish Allahabad was prosperous and had many opportunites as cities in Deccan Plateau have..I would have never left and come here to this alien land which is also a part of my country but culturally so very different. I spent a lot of my childhood in the holy town of Allahabad, but my schooling was geographically spread..Jaipur, Delhi, Dhaka, Calcutta and then 10th & 12th from Allahabad. I have studied in 8 different schools..i graduated from Allahabad university with Science, a subject that I have not at all pursued after my graduation, I did study topics like thermodynamics and theory of relativity and those complicated theroms of mathematics and those loathsome formulaes of chemical compounds...but ask me to prove a Pythagoras theorm right now I will draw a blank slate! I still donot now why is it taught in every Indian school at a young age of of 15 years how to make iron from iron ore and all various chemical reactions of coke, when only people working in blast furnace actually need to know.
Well, I am also a Bengali, a probashi Bong, a Baidya Bong (supposedly a matter of great pride), who knows how to manage talking in "kaam chalao" Bong...who has not read a Tagore or sarat chatterji in the bengali language, who somehow has not been able to tolerate those philosophical rabindra sangeet more than 5 mins..or those kazi nazruls or shyama sangeets have hardly made any sense..my best of friends say I am a Pseudo Bong, not that I am proud of it, but it hardly matters..I have met many bongs in my life, who are born & brought up in kolkata and have not read or appreciated a Tagore ever. And what shocks me - these guys turn around and laugh at me and scorn my knowledge...atleast I have read all the possible premchands in his language.
I have completed almost 8 and half years of work life, which I have enjoyed a lot, and loved them..its a different matter that right now for the last four months, I am hating it. I had wonderful colleagues, amazing bosses, and challenging projects, which made me go places and learn so many things..

Well need to go now, my stomach is grinding, reminding me that it needs some doses of carbohydrates and protiens..(chemistry again ?? aggghh in mumma bhai's language.."chemical locha hain sala")
Will get back again...