Sayonara 2010..

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.

My Cradle - Allahabad

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 12 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 many 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?

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.

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...

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.

Capitalism Vs Socialism

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

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!

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 !!

Democratic India!

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!

Missing IPL

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!

Blood is Red

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

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..
------
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.

India's Diversity

I was having lunch with some of my colleagues a a year back. I was working at that time for Persistent Systems 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 describe 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!! :))