LIFE IS A FREE CIRCUS

Happy independence day

2011-08-15T21:53:00.002+05:30

Guess no better day to start writing again than the day 65 years down the line my beloved country writhed out of the clutches of the British and started her march onwards in the wide unknown realm dreams in a million eyes..prayer on their lips... hope in their hearts... funnily 65 years down the line we still are pretty much along similar lines

Not in the least meaning to sound despondent..but deep down i somehow feel sad looking at the spate of things occurring. Tomorrow Anna Hazare starts a fast for get his way with the lokpal bill, though i admire his honest effort to do something for the corrupt ways existing here and applaud his intentions having a Lokpal will simply not cure the ills that ail our system

The malaise starts with us, me and you, us the giver.. as much guilty as the one who receives the bribe.. till the time we as a society are governed by the need to get our things at a jiffy with the least of work involved..to bend rules our way.. to suit things up the way we need albeit at a cost..we will continue to rot in this mess..Anna or Lokpal notwithstanding..

The more i think the more morose i looking outta the windows and watching the poorest of poor toil for their daily bread and get paid peanuts close to a parked BMW i am not sure my country's tryst with destiny is heading up the right alley!!

INDIA WINS THE WORLD CUP!!!

2011-04-03T01:54:00.003+05:30

thank you team India for the joy..incredible...part of history!!!

Sachin finally has a world cup..for 21 years as Kohli said he carried India...now something back for him...and cannot express how happy the nation of a billion is by your feat on the field..amazing...surreal!!!

City lights

2010-06-22T09:00:00.000+05:30

You illuminate my being. When the sun goes down and vapors of a hot and humid day hang low, you tiptoe along one by one across the skyline. Soft-footed. I lay back and marvel at how you engulf the velvet blue of the evening and add a surreal neon glow to the edges of the sky. You are the prelude to a wafer-thin moon floating like a forgotten kite; the precursor to tiny, mad hoppers appearing out of nowhere, flitting across the grass like Gulliver’s little world come alive. You come on and make a hushed shadow fall across the park and embolden me enough to grasp the dark lushness of grass with a certain fearlessness. You do not deter plump little fireflies -they still appear, not bedazzled by your light but a little lost in spite of their own. There is comfort in your impersonal, flickering fire. You are the beacon, the siren call, the true north that all dark thoughts seek.

Barcelona and Arsenal Champions league clash

2010-03-31T21:46:00.002+05:30

I am still a bit hurt to be enthralled by the footballing display on showcase for he day. United lost and lost in the worst possible fashion conceding two stupid goals...to be fair to Bayern they did play United off the park..completely overrunning them in the mid-field but all is not lost..there is still the second leg and we play it at home hence its not over!!!!

However to today's match should be an exciting fare. Both the teams play the best football in their respective league with Barcelona maybe just nicking it in quality. Add to it Lionel Messi and Barcelona look very strong, their defence is shaky but getting ball off them is a task. Andres Iniesta misses the clash but Xavi is still around to pull the strings in the midfield.

Arsene Wenger on the other side has assembled his squad filled with quality and kinda plays football similar to Barcelona. Similar to Barcelona Arsenal's defence is a bit shoddy at times and there is the evolving mentality that Arsenal players can be kicked into a defeat. The best part about Arsenal is their midfield, Diaby and Song have been immense for the team doing all the dirty work while the flair players can go about their work. They do lack in the striker department though. Nicklas Bendtner did get a hattrick the other day..but i still am not too sure..he missed too often. Arsenal misses the quality that Robin van Persie had to offer. Too bad he is injured cos he was wonderful as the lone striker.

Then there is the issue about the return of the prodigal sons. Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas. One at a legend at Highbury and now at Emirates the other rated to become so at Nou Camp. Thierry Henry has done it all achieved it all at Arsenal before Wenger shocked all by selling him to Barcelona. Should be a warm reception for him back at the Emirates and well deserved too. One of the best strikers to have graced the English premier League. Fabregas well he still has a long way to go before he reaches Henry but this should be a good test playing against probably the best team in the world at present.

Player for player Barca should nick this one with some exciting display on show however i do want Arsenal to win.. All the luck to Arsenal we shall find out soon

Khap Panchayat Killers-- death penalty correct

2010-03-30T16:23:00.004+05:30

The courts today sentenced the self-styled Khap panchayat members who were a part of the brutal murders of Manoj and Babli were sentenced to death.

Capital punishment should be reserved for the severest of crimes and I thinks this case merits it.
Murdering a young couple because they dared them is disturbing. Marriage between two consenting adults is their choice... let them do what they want.. its their lives.

Things go wrong when society tries to impose the rights and wrongs of the warped types on individuals. Stifling one's right to live is ludicrous and should be dealt in the harshest way possible.
Society does not make individuals hold good...it is the individuals who by virtue of their actions work the society around them.

In a stroke the Khap Panchayat, and they might have done some good work sometime, but will be known forever in future by their misdeeds in this case.

As a malaise in general this does permeates more than one community. Everyday news-reports in this regard make headway maybe not honour killings but kangaroo courts taking law into their hands and passing judgements.. Who are we to pass judgements on others when we too r susceptible to the same frailties.. and the way our courts function i am surprised that this case reached its logical end. I hope that the lacunae in our judicial system does not allow these convicts to escape what is a mightily deserved penalty.. a Manu Sharma roaming in a bar sometimes upsets me with what people with power can do to bend and work around rules according to their needs.

Lets hope that it does not happen in this case and these guys are executed. Some battle for he boy's mother to lead being ostracized socially and lead on fighting to get justice for the killers of her son. The heart of a mother, the will of her's.

The lawyer Lal Bahadur deserves a mention for claiming modestly at the end that he was just doing his duty in the face of immense pressure to bungle up!!.. kudos!!

One Hour to Madness and Joy- Walt Whitman

2010-03-20T21:01:00.001+05:30

O something unprov'd! something in a trance!
O madness amorous! O trembling!
O to escape utterly from others' anchors and holds!20
To drive free! to love free! to dash reckless and dangerous!
To court destruction with taunts--with invitations!
To ascend--to leap to the heavens of the love indicated to me!
To rise thither with my inebriate Soul!
To be lost, if it must be so!
To feed the remainder of life with one hour of fulness and freedom!
With one brief hour of madness and joy.

Cold cofee and Tea

2010-01-06T20:51:00.002+05:30

A visit to Thirupati is always illuminating. This time I had the pleasure of an 8 year old keeping me company throughout the journey.
And conversing with an eight year old can be very illuminating. One of our conversations went along following lines

She came up to me and goes," Why are you so dark?"

And I for my life was flummoxed as to how to explain the melanin physiology to her..fumbling how does one explain a pigment to an eight year old.

When like a divine angel she herself came up with her answer..

" That's because you have tea.. those who drink cold coffee are fair and those who drink tea are dark."

And now i know what to say the next time anyone asks me anything with too complicated an answer.. blame tea and get away!!!

SCHUMACHER RETURNS

2009-12-23T17:22:00.003+05:30

Talk about big news coming through the week. Finally after weeks of rumours..it has been confirmed Michael Schumacher is coming back to Formula 1. For the umpteen numbers of fans who followed him and his Benetton and Ferrari days it was heartbreak when Schumi almost came back after Massa's accident, but unfortunately things did not work out.

However this is big, though he does not come back in the famed prancing stallion.. dunno if its gonna be silver arrows either..but whichever team it is..i don't care.. the man who typified Formula 1 for me who got me hooked onto it like never before is returning..

I always felt after his last season where Alonso had him..there was a swansong left...when he left the scene..something was amiss..now that he returns the scene is pretty much set...Alonso, Hamilton and Button...in my opinion could not light up the circuit the same way he did with me pretty much losing my interest. Formula1 was just not the same without him

Yes he might have brought boredom upon the non-supporters with his consistency..pretty much like Pete Sampras did during his heydays but it just typified the man with his success for hunger after having won everything and pretty much owning all the records in Formula 1.

I hope he still is able to race the way he did and Mercedes provides with a great car.. Ahh fascinating battles lie ahead..and i hope he is able to chart one more illustrious chapter in his book and maybe go ahead further more.

WELCOME BACK MICHAEL SCHUMACHER!!!!

The Manchester Derby

2009-09-22T13:59:00.003+05:30

Sunday amply demonstrated why being a fan to a sport team can be amply rewarding or maybe so heartbreaking at times. Fortunately for me i support the red side of Manchester and they never stop rewarding with finishes that are just beyond words.

Starting with the improbable victory at Nou Camp.. to the last Champions League where John Terry managed to stop all the hearts before sending them into elation.

This Sunday was no different. When Bellamy scored at the stroke of full time..the world came crashing down after such an exciting fight in the second half, a stupid stupid mistake by Rio Ferdinand gifting the ball away which Bellamy aptly punished United for. The anguish on Rio's face mirrored the feelings of millions of fans worldwide.

Typical to what United stands for they did not give up. Aided by maybe what some would insist as "Fergie time" they came back to win the game in style. Scoring once again in extra time and it could not be more for Michael Owen to score the winning goal. Absolute raptures, cant even begin to describe the feeling when the ball went in. Times like this are what makes being a football fan so special

Fergie asked after the game said he would have preferred a 6-0 result to a 4-3 outcome that happened eventually. In my opinion at 4-3 victory anyday with the heart-stopping winner in the final minutes of the extra-time.. Red for life..

Saturday

2009-08-30T21:25:00.007+05:30

I don't do house-visits. Never have. Only one till last Saturday being 3 years in the profession. It ain't practical being a dentist doing house visits cos working away from clinic is impossible. Or blame our inflated egos. The first and last time I went was to a lady with a toothache and a fractured leg. One instantly feels the plight entering the home and the least one can do is provide a fix, albeit a temporary one. I gave her medicines. Never heard from her, which in my line of work is more often than not a good sign. That was six months back

Saturdays are usually the laziest days, not much work happening generally me alone in the clinic and my boss not around. This Saturday was different, my boss was around which means splitting the work load. He left around his usual time. I decided to stay on for 15 mins. A lady, his patient came and realised he had just left. I generally don't pay attention till the patient enters the operatory which was why i was stunned when the lady asked me if i could see her daughter at her house because she could not make it to the clinic .

The urge to say no was incredible. It was a Saturday. My day almost over. Hungry. Tired.
However, one look at the lady and very difficult to refuse. It was only 5 minutes away anyways.

Reached her place, the door ajar, her not being able to open it.. the Mother calling inside asking someone to move which after a few times bore result. What awaited me was something i will never forget. A small little girl about 7 maybe on the floor unable to move.

It was a just a room with a bed occupying one third the kitchen the other third and the girl on the ground. Paraplegic. Mentally retarded. That was my patient. And the only coherent word she could utter was 'aai'. Never have heard it being said so sweetly and never has it caused so much anguish.

We managed to get her on the bed and tricked her into letting me examine her. I was shocked to know she was 17. Throughout she kept grunting and kept calling for her mother. I cannot help but remember how fortunate I was to be able, physically and mentally.

It is also amazing how people at times with so little to offer can make one feel so special. A simple act of asking me 'chai' when this lady is surrounded by a Whirlpool was enough for me. In a room full of problems she made me feel big when i was juts doing my job. Compared to people with so much more and very little heart.

As I watch Bipasha Basu talk about her parent's love for her i wonder how do u place the mother's love for her child i just saw. The grit, the dignity with which she manages her affairs is amazing. Makes me question what the kid did to deserve a life as such. Or the parents loving their child so much. All the talk of karma and stuff fades when i saw them leading their lives. Fighting more for it.

We all do stuff for our parents. Being able to do something for my parents, give something back , is one of the biggest achievements for me. However whatever i do will never be a drop in the ocean for what they have done. I still wonder what keeps that mother going. I don't even know if she does get loved back in return. Ain't that what keeps us going. Being loved and cared for by the people around us.

Most of us are fortunate to be loved and know that we are being loved and more importantly give love back. At the same time families like Amruta's exist being less so fortunate and fighting the same battle as we do with much more grit and compassion. Selfless love.

As I walked away from her place the lump in my throat slowly disappeared with respect for them. Faith reposed. Teaching me that the fight is always on. Beaten to a pulp, battered not giving up. She is fighting her battles.

I have mine. Along the way. Will never lose the lesson.

JASWANT SINGH EXPELLED FROM BJP

2009-08-19T14:43:00.002+05:30

" From Hanuman to Ravan". The hurt apparent in his voice, Jaswant Singh fielded all the questions from the journalists. I must admit he was very dignified throughout the conference.
Inspite of being treated shoddily not a word against the party or his colleagues.. in this case former colleagues

What has happened though is ridiculous. I am not sure how the BJP thinks but expelling Jaswant Singh just because he wrote a book and expressed his book is a bit too much. He may have glorified Jinnah, but it is his book, although i have not read the book i am sure whatever is written is not ground for expelling from an Organisation he has been working for the past 30 years.

The way in which it was done too leaves a lot to be desired. First asking him not to attend the so called 'chintan baithak' and then calling him on the phone intimating him about his expulsion. The least one can do is show a bit of courtesy to such a senior leader.

I always thought generally before expulsion a show-cause notice was issued. Atleast an explanation is sought from the guilty party before taking any action. Though BJP really don't have no grounds to even ask that because what Jaswant Singh did was express his personal opinions. I am not sure what offended BJP so much. Writing a book about someone who is inconsequential now. They already did distance themselves from the opinions expressed. Its so funny that they expel Jaswant Singh. however turned Varun Gandhi into some kind of a "hotshot teen political star cum victim cum star campaigner cum vote puller".Absolutely unbelievable that it actually happened because he wrote a book. Grow up BJP, because I have the bat and the ball and you said something good about someone not from my team, I wont let you play.

I would love to know L.K Advani's role in the whole event. He was the pioneer of the Jinnah-speak. Also not in our land but go to Pakistan and praise him there. And BJP loved him so much.. Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Ministerial candidate. Would love what he has to say now. If he really meant any of the things he said about the dignified political life he lead or leads... at 81 .. I am pressed to ask why... why lead a political career when you should maybe step aside and give the younger leaders a chance... coming back to the point he should really quit, if Jaswant is guilty Advani does not fare any better.

Less said about Vasundhara the better. Openly defying the Party leadership she still head the unit. Ironically Rajnath has not moved a muscle in any direction. I can Rajnath Singh rubbing his hands in glee...kisi ko toh apna power dikhaya.."Vasundhaa nahi toh na sahi..hum toh Jaswant se kaam chala lenge"

Coming back to Jaswant Singh from the highs of the Strobe Talbott talks to the uncertain political future ahead, quite the ride politics take you, from dizzying heights to uncertain nowheres and quite true about life too. Once atop a perch and before one realizes the fall. Lessons to be learnt,not only for politicians and the common public in general. For me for you.

Manchester United 1 Birmingham City 0

2009-08-16T20:30:00.002+05:30

The defence of the league title begins. Playing in the league minus Ronaldo, United did show what a big loss it is to the team at times with the explosive runs missing. It is too early to judge performances based on this game but am just happy United did put one through against Birmingham. It was disappointing that the victory margin was not more considering United dictated whole of the game.

Birmingham made a decent start to their season not showing too much respect to their illustrious competitors. They provided the scare when Evra was forced to make a goal-line save and later in the game Ben Foster had to react quickly.

It was wonderful to see Michael Owen in United colours and I hope he is able to resurrect his career not only at Old Trafford but soon want him playing in England colours.
Overall we still are a bit lightweight in the midfield, the ability to open up defences lacking and dont have anyone in the squad who can stay on the ball and dictate play. Someone in the Pirlo, Deco or Xavi mould. Absence of Ronaldo from that mid-field also takes away the bit of flashiness that never was part of United and it was good flashiness btw, he scored many and created as many, big job to fill his boots,. Scholes and Giggs still are around but it is time to groom players who would take their places. Berbatov did work hard and was not his usual languid self. Rooney scored which is what he should be doing.

Overall a below satisfactory performance but 3 points in the bag and the quest for the title for the fourth time and more importantly go one more than Liverpool begins.

Dravid back in the squad

2009-08-16T19:38:00.002+05:30

Two years is a long time to be left out of the team. And if at 36 he earns a comeback it speaks volumes of the man of the man who still averages over 39 in the ODI's

Dravid has been the one to have been a pillar of the Indian team much through the times when batsmen around him were flailing and deserves to be spoken in the same light as Sachin Tendulkar for his sheer ability on the field. Unfortunately him being underrated and not to assertive has come in his way of him not getting his due credit.

Oft being criticised for being too defensive at times, he reinvented himself and was the backbone of the team for almost the entire time he was playing. Quite a feat when we realize that he holds the Indian record for the 2nd fastest 50. Even more surprising is the fact that the fastest %0 record for an Indian is held by... Ajit Agarkar..but that's a different matter.

I have always felt that his ODI career was aborted midway with him having a lot to offer. Much to do with the internal politics that governs the game than anything that he did on the field. With the selectors much vaunted youth policy stuttering a bit it is time that Dravid comes back and puts the records right and goes out on his terms ending a fabulous career.

Tryst With Destiny

2009-08-15T19:03:00.001+05:30

NDTV did me a favour by playing out Jawaharlal Nehru's speech made to the Indian Constituent Assembly. " At the stroke of the midnight hour...." it starts all so familiar and then ignorant me actually heard the whole speech... The speech is truly stirring..

"That future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we may fulfil the pledges we have so often taken and the one we shall take today. The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.

And so we have to labour and to work, and work hard, to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for any one of them to imagine that it can live apart Peace has been said to be indivisible; so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and so also is disaster in this One World that can no longer be split into isolated fragments."

As we celebrate our independence day Jawaharlal Nehru's speech remains as relevant as it was 62 years back. And therein lies the problem. 62 years and the number of millions of Indians who suffer remains staggeringly high. Poverty and ignorance rampant in our country. Yes we have prospered and have a booming economy but wiping a tear from every eye is a distant dream.

Right to Education bill got underway and soon enough the bill for Food security shall be introduced. Earnestly there has been no dearth of bills, never was. Where we have lacked is implementation of the bills. It truly would be a shame if a great initiative like the Food security is mismanaged and goes down the train. When we have statistics that claim 46% of children aged under 3 are malnourished it is a cause for concern. Ethiopia fares better than us on the index. No disrespect to Ethiopia but with a GDP like ours we surely can do much better for the kids in our country.

Going back to the speech again Nehru's word strike a cord deep within...

The future beckons to us. Whither do we go and what shall be our endeavour? To bring freedom and opportunity to the common man, to the peasants and workers of India; to fight and end poverty and ignorance and disease; to build up a prosperous, democratic and progressive nation, and to create social, economic and political institutions which will ensure justice and fullness of life to every man and woman.

We have hard work ahead. There is no resting for any one of us till we redeem our pledge in full, till we make all the people of India what destiny intended them to be. We are citizens of a great country on the verge of bold advance, and we have to live up to that high standard. All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children of India with equal rights, privileges and obligations.....

And to India, our much-loved motherland, the ancient, the eternal and the ever-new, we pay our reverent homage and we bind ourselves afresh to her service. "

Arm-twisted

2009-08-09T07:43:00.002+05:30

For 'teh' one who reads... yes ...u managed to twist my arm and make me post...

Pune and the Swine Flu

2009-08-09T07:27:00.004+05:30

As my city grapples with the pandemic disease a sense of panic has gripped it. In my 8 years of using a face mask i have never seen so many on the display. Ever third person on the street is using a face-mask protecting himself/herself from the virus.

The Government has acted without a doubt but there need to be clearer guidelines on what to do in a patient suspected with flu like symptoms. Asking for a preliminary examination to be done is hardy a guideline.

The media needs to be a bit more responsible while reporting the tragedy. I understand two lives have been lost and it is a crying shame that the doctors in the hospitals did not have the presence of mind to test them both for swine flu and then maybe could have saved their lives.

It is a disease that can transform into mammoth proportions unless the whole administration gets into a unified act of controlling the epidemic. Sensationalism by the news channels does not help anyone, if at all it makes the job of the health professionals all the more difficult, with people panicking everywhere. As i mentioned never ever seen departmental stores housing face masks and selling them for almost 4 times their price. And as if it helps. A disposable mask can stop droplet infections but Swine flu..not sure how much. It can be cured and more focus should be on curing the disease and isolating anyone who has it.

With the proposed closing down of malls and theatres a step in the right direction might be taken to prevent the disease from spreading. However a lot desires to be done by the government and the administration and us people in helping us control this epidemic and come out of it relatively unscathed.

The Mayawati Statue

2009-06-29T15:16:00.002+05:30

Oft raised the Mayawati issue finally had reached the Supreme Court with the highest court issuing a show cause notice to the UP government.

Saying anything against Mayawati is the quickest way to brand oneself as elitist ignoring the atrocities inflicted on the downtrodde. One cannot deny the fact that the downtrodden section of our country still is way in darkness and a lot needs to be done for them. Parading oneself as their messiah for one's own petty gains is not the way it is done

That's my grouse with Mayawati. She aint no messiah for the Dalits or for anyone. She is furthering her agenda by way of giving a voice to the Dalit cause. The statue issue is just one of the ways to put herself up using the Dalit cause.

2000 crores in these times to erect statues is horrific. When more than half of the kids under the age of 5 are malnourished, spending that amount of money for erecting statues is crazy. Height of sycophancy whereby she erects her own statues in the lofty company of Dr. Ambedkar. Misusing his legacy to achieve power and govern the state to further ruins.

I still cannot fathom why i have to pay from my pocket for erecting a Maywati statue. If she wants it so much let her have a million of them in her own house paying for them for her own pocket. Why use public money for erecting her own statue.

Offering limp excuses that Kanshi Ram always wanted her by his side wont do. Kanshi Ram's family would have a different story to tell. If his last days were anything to go by it would be difficult to believe what Mayawati often propogates.

Thank god the Supreme Court has intervened and ask the Government to respond. It would be interesting to see what defence the government mounts. It however wont change till the people who vote for her wake up and see whats happening.

It's statues today...something else tomorow. Mayawati will find a way to use and rouse the emotions. Her vote-bank hopefully realised this and asks for better governance than to turn a corner and have Mayawati in stone lookin back at them

2009-06-17T02:03:00.013+05:30

Amongst a flurry of emails there usually is one or two that beats the "send it to a million and you'd spawn a million " kinda mail, something that stands out. A mail that one is loathe to delete from the archives.

Just happen to view one such email. Katie Kirkpatrick. Never heard of ever before. Never will forget her ever after.

The ability of Human spirit to rise above pain and achieve what it wants for itself continues to fascinate me. Katie symbolizes the fight inherent in all of us to go beyond issues that stop us. Thats Katie when she was the homecoming queen at Lapeer East High School where she also was a co-valedictorian. the photograph sits on a table in her family's home living room in Metamora.

On Valentine's Day 2002, Katie Kirkpatrick, then a freshman at Rochester College a small Christian college in Rochester Hills, Michigan) was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Undaunted, Katie strove to keep up with her studies, but she suffered another setback in 2003 when she was diagnosed with "an inoperable lung tumor wrapped around her pulmonary artery.

However Katie did not allow that to stop her from celebrating one of the happiest days of her life. She was in love with Nick Godwin since 11th grade. The fact that is that we can rise above adverse circumstances. It always is about how much one gets and what one can make out of it. Katie got what she did but what she did further with it is what makes it all the more special

Katie strode ahead inspite of the severe pain taking morphine and numerous medications to help her. Inspite of suffering from terminal cancer with prolonged medications and multiple organ failures Katie took care of every detail of her wedding.The wedding dress though had to be adjusted a couple of times because of her constant weight loss. Inspite of everything Katie walked down the aisle to marry Nick Godwin, 23, at Church of Christ in Hazel Park on Saturday January 15, 2005.

Five days later, Katie died. She did not let her illness stop her getting what she wanted. She has a wonderful wedding the love of her life by her side. She did not stop living then. She did not stop living now. Incredible that the story has resurfaced again after about 5 years. Her father recently lost his battle against the same illness. However the human spirit or the tales of such live on. All of us have the same human spirit, to look an adverse situation in the eye and strive and attain what we want inspite of our situations. Katie Kirkpatrick is an embodiment of the same human spirit and lives on long after she has gone. I know she will last with me till the time I am. And that i believe is the way that an illness could not stop Katie from attaining love, happiness and share memories with people all over the world.

Cristiano Ronaldo to Madrid

2009-06-12T00:03:00.003+05:30

Florentino Perez has done what Ramon Calderon could not. Break the bank and bring not only Kaka but Cristiano Ronaldo the Bernabeu. For the watcher's it was waiting to happen. I did not expect Kaka to move to Madrid but credit to Perez he made it happen. And with David Villa and the Valencia saga that attacking line-up sure looks ominous.

For a United fan the saga was already a long drawn affair with almost all bored of it. Deep down everone knew Ronaldo was on his way with his sights set on Madrid. As a fan of both the teams i find the deal to be the best for Madrid . The two players can lend the strongest midfield that would eclipse the trinity at barcelona. The addition of David Villa would make it a fearsome stike-force at the front. Not sure how the talismanic Raul or RVN would figure in the final line-up however another striker of the same quality as either of the three would mean an extended time on the sidelines for the two. With reports of both sneijder and Robben on the move, the left of the mid-field hopefully will be bolstered by the addition of some new players. I'd be loathe to see Robben go and worse to Liverpool but his injury record is not the greatest.

As a United fan the loss of Ronaldo is big almost impossible to fill but the amount of money on offer was ludicrous. Ronaldo will never have a season of 42 goals ever. Made sense to let go of him when the price was the highest. For the same Price United can have 3 world class players and i am sure the gaffer would have thought of something before letting his star player go.
For me the typical United player is someone like Roy Keane who would absolutely kill himself for the team. Rooney somehow fits in the same act now, selflessly playing out of position and tracking back like hell defending. The present squad at Old trafford may not have the same combative spirit the team did under Keane, but sure have combative stars

I guess thats one of the reason Cristiano could never endear himself to the faithfuls. The fight when things go against the team the amount of effort put in him is what gets appreciated. Even Berbatov too is guilty of the same. On the other hand Carlos Tevez has becomes a darling of the faithfuls with an incredible display of heart even with his future uncertain. No wonder Old trafford crossed the manager with chants to keep him and Carlito was teary-eyed with the support.

I am not sure what reception Ronaldo would get when he returns to the 'Theatre of Dreams'. His loss is immense no doubt but it does not make me sad to see him go. The heart the fight that one associates with the United shirt is what matters.

United have recovered after losing bigger stars. Cantona, Stam, Schmeichel, Beckham, RVN... all legends in their own right and much more to the fans than Ronaldo could. United will come back again.

For his time at the Theatre of Dreams a big thank you to Cristiano and and wishing him lots of luck when he dons the white shirt of the los merengues. Real probably is the biggest club in the world and he hopefully dazzles the world with his skills further

Spring within

2009-04-29T09:16:00.009+05:30

And I know no sentence should begin with an 'and.' But that was a hiatus and this is a continuation that will end in an ellipsis. For it ebbs and flows with seasonal tides. Spring showers and buds bursting forth in pinks and whites and yellows. I know the pale leather wet from splashing in puddles will dry down soft and pliable and will lose its bite. A little more room to wiggle, room to breathe. Swine flu and a smell of death in the air but this season promises green leaves so tender they smell like a baby's scalp. You know you believe in regeneration. While Cohen quotes the Gita -'You will never untangle the circumstances that brought you to this moment. Embrace your fate,' you laugh silently and know in your heart that you wanted to be here.

2009-04-24T23:13:00.000+05:30

Sanjay Dutt barred from elections

2009-03-31T14:39:00.003+05:30

Munnabhai ain't gonna be an MP anytime soon. The Supreme Court has disallowed Sanjay Dutt from contesting the elections.

In my opinion the decision is absolutely correct. Criminalisation of politics needs to be regulated. The Parliament had expressed its resolve to stop the participation of nefarious elements in politics. Any other decision would have set a bad precedent as the Supreme Court itself mentioned

I know a lot of Sanjay Dutt fans would be disappointed that he cannot contest however the fact remains that he has been convicted under the Arms Act and unless and until his conviction is set aside he cannot contest. There never was any doubt to start with that his case would never be upheld. Once he was convicted he should have realised his limitations and should have thought better of contesting.

The judgement is landmark in itself considering it sends out the strongest message that people with criminal antecedents have no space in the public sphere. Sanjay Dutt and his exemplary record during the trial notwithstanding he has a criminal record to himself and an example needs to be set. The greater good of the nation should take precedence over the future of an individual candidate. Further more the right to contest is not a fundamental right, but a statutory right, so the Supreme Court cannot be accused of violating Sanjay's fundamental rights in any way.

The comparisons with Navjot Singh too ain't right. The two cases are entirely different. In one instance Sidhu voluntarily resigned after his conviction, vacated his seat and then approached the Supreme Court to stay his conviction which then allowed him to contest.
As of today Sanjay stands convicted as such cannot contest.

That the benchmark is now set further action needs to be taken in decriminalization of politics in a big way with the politicians present in the system needing to take the biggest part. As far as Sanjay is concerned he may get his wife to fight and get himself elected by proxy. Knowing our politics it is quite possible that Sanjay and the Samajwadi Party might resort to it.

However a person with a crime conviction should not be allowed to contest whoever it maybe. If and when the courts do stay his conviction he is welcome to represent me in the Parliament. Till then no can do.

Varun Gandhi Arrested

2009-03-28T13:04:00.002+05:30

Finally Varun Gandhi has surrendered and has been arrested and sentenced till Monday morning. The irony of the situation though is very peculiar. Someone who should be in the dock for his comments is slowly elevating himself to a cult status.

It has been played out into a drama to be very honest. For a day BJP was embarrassed about his comments and disassociated itself with his statements. And now they have turned back and realised that they have the golden hen and started planning for the eggs.

Quite ironical that Varun Gandhi whose party should have come out in force and corrected his ways have played out a gimmick for votes. They see an opportunity to polarize the electorate and gain votes by way of it.

The damage that they cause to our national fabric is so apparent. I wonder how the BJP leaders cant think of the Nation as a whole. Dividing the electorate on the basis of religion so that they can come to power is deplorable. What's more they have succeeded in winning pilibhit over maybe even Uttar Pradesh. How can we be so naive that we dont see these designs that the political parties create.

I mean Common does Varun Gandhi really care about nation building and uniting the nation. He talks about standing by his principles. I wonder what principles have been ingrained by him that he has to resort to such cheap measures to elect himself.

Appalling that the BJP has lent full support to Varun wanting to create another Narendra Modi or maybe even better a 'saffron Gandhi'.In political terms it has been shrewd manipulation by both BJP and Varun to turn the tables around on Congress.
Poor Congress must be wondering what have they got themselves into. They planned on doing something and the result simply is terrible.

Reports indicate that Varun Gandhi might go and campaign in other constituencies apart from Pilibhit sowing seeds of disharmony everywhere he goes or atleast an attempt to do so. It remains to be seen if the Indian electorate can see through this gimmick and then vote on issues that matter.

As far as Pilibhit goes i think Varun will succeed, I hope he never does outside Pilibhit

IPL Moved

2009-03-22T17:57:00.004+05:30

After a lot of dilly-dallying the IPL 2 matches have been finally shifted out of India. England and South Africa are apparently the front runners to bag the the second edition of the cricketing bonanza

It does not make too much of a difference to be very honest. However it just not sound Indian when they play it abroad. I can never imagine Manchester United playing at Eden gardens and calling them home.Old Trafford is the Theatre of Dreams and shall stay so. Similarly the atmosphere the passion at Eden gardens for Kolkata knight riders can never be replicated anywhere else in the world,

The shifting of the tournament can be seen as an attempt by the IPL organisers to send a message to the government. Then again maybe it have been a purely business decision. The franchisees have invested too much into the whole show. It is better that the tournament is atleast happening instead of none at all. For someone who would eventually follow the game on the television it would not be too different
What is shocking however has been views expressed somewhere about how the government should have given precedence to thew IPL over the Lok Sabha elections. It is totally ridiculous to think that a money spinning event with an added entertainment value could come anywhere close to an affair that would guide the where the country moves for the next five years.

It is a tragic shame that some people blame the government for the country losing out on the cricketing event. The elections are the most important national event looming large. The political class that exists may indeed not be the best of the crop, however their existence as a political class is failure on our part. They exist because we let them do so. Us not involved in the democratic setup and maybe giving more significance to the razzmatazz that would have occurred instead.

It is a sincere plea on my part to utilise one's vote in the most sensible way possible. Please do vote. IPL will happen and I am not sure how much of a bearing it shall have on the state of millions of malnourished kids in our country. IPL wont do any good to the economy figures posted day in day out. Disintegrating social fabric will not suddenly find itself in the course of 20 odd overs. A government true to the people however will influence all this. The guy on the street shall still sleep if IPL occurs on Mars, he may not if the farm loan confiscates his roof. So do VOTE and VOTE for someone who you think shall lead us forward.

A positive spin on the whole of the IPL being moved is that the cheer-leading gals can go about strutting their stuff uninhibited the neo-religious Sena's notwithstanding.

Varun Gandhi's Speech

2009-03-17T02:02:00.001+05:30

I wonder what Maneka Gandhi's reaction would be to the rabble-rousing her son has indulged in. She has won from pilibhit everytime, but once, and has moved away trying to ensure the her son has an easy entry to the Lok Sabha.

The Varun Gandhi comments though leave a not so good taste in the mouth. Especially in the situation they were made. Had he promised to cut off hands that attacked Hindu's in different times i would not have too much of a problem...even though Hindu's don't need Varun Gandhi to protect them, but then again his personal thoughts...saviour for the community or pretends to be.

What i have a problem with is how his religious messiah-ism was asleep all this while and suddenly woke up when votes are at stake. Making fools out of us voters by promising to help us in case the seeds of hatred the politicians sow take root makes me sick. First communalise the whole agenda..paint a community bad....and then protect us from a certain community.

If it is just a political gimmick ( i hope it is) or something with a deeper underlying thought, it still reveals an inherent weakness in our voting scenarios, where politicians like Varun Gandhi and his illustrious predecessors can fool gullible voters by raising rhetoric and espousing there credentials to protect a section of society from others. I find it deplorable that even the younger crop of our politicians ( who i presumed would be saner and work along issues that matter) indulge in such non-issues just because it suits them.

The focus is hardly on building a nation or even smaller...building the constituency he represents into a small harmonious place where everyone co-exists in peace and the representative can work to the further the development of the region as a whole...After posturing himself to be against a community i wonder how Varun will represent all sections of his society if he does win.

The Congress ain't any worse. They'd just use the comments made as a plank to stand upon and berate their opponents mistakes rather than set their house in order... Both the National parties asking for votes because the other is bad...not because they r good.The less said about the so-called Third Front the better.

The fact is that we r a multi-dimensional country with many issues in front of us. It is ironic that when tragedies lash us they never differentiate between us on the basis of languages or religions. Thinking again maybe i am wrong. They do. Tragedies = politicians of a certain ilk. On a serious not i have never seen rain that falls only in the Muslim areas in shifts and then reverts back to a Hindu area.

What he has done may indeed win him votes. Maybe the seat too (although i pray he does not)...along the way tho he too has just played a small bit in the deepening divide between communities in our country. A smallish contribution he could have avoided. I hope he comes to know that what we need is not a saviour from people in our land but problems that surround our people. Wonder if unemployment or poverty ever figures in his plans or he'd be always away with his cape trying to incite fights and then resolve by cutting hands.

I still am waiting for Maneka Gandhi to react.....Tho i maybe disappointed with her reaction..but still

PAKISTAN CRICKET ATTACKS

2009-03-03T14:53:00.002+05:30

The attacks in Pakistanare horrific. The logic of cricketers not being attacked by terrorism has been blown away by the attack.

The whole world will be watching the attack and for no fault of ours India too would be involved in the scrutiny that follows. I hope it does not have a major impact on IPL as well as the World Cup thats about to follow.

More importantly Pakistan will have look back at what has been happening. Years of supporting unlawful groups have raised a demon that is now biting the hand that fed it all the while.
The fire that rages on however consumes many in its wake.

As long as nothing is done to control these groups by the authorities who reared them innocents will continue to be attacked, lives lost.

Advani,Pranab Mukherjee and the Praise

2009-02-17T22:46:00.005+05:30

It was a sight to behold. L.K. Advani going out of his way to praise Pranab Mukherjee "Sometimes I think, had Pranab not been there what would happen to this government? Whenever there is a crisis, he is there. 25 years ago, he presented the budget and did so again on Monday as it was a crisis situation," remarked Advani.

The sight however was Pranab Mukherjee. A smile and a tinge of blush. I have never seen Mr. Mukherjee smile in recent times. Blame it to the relentless situations that we have been confounded with and somehow Mr. Mukherjee always finds him int centre of the storm trying to guide the ship of the government.

Whatever Advani ascribed to the erstwhile Finance Minister though is pretty correct. Mukherjee has been the primary fire fighter for the government whether it was the nuclear deal or the confidence vote. His acceptability across political parties must have come in quite handy for the part

However the type of politics in the current scenario Advani's remark could also be interpreted as a gentle dig. Though Pranab has been appointed the leader of the House in the Prime Ministers absence, people did not miss the fact that he was not appointed the Prime Minister for the period nor was anything mentioned oficially.

The snub could have had various reasons ranging from lack of confidence in the 10 Janpath circles to internal demographics in the alliance which may have prompted the action. i personally don't identify Pranab as leading the government. Of the present Congress leadership Manmohan Singh still remains the no.1 candidate. I would really love for someone like P. Chidambaram to have a go at the post which may not happen anytime soon or never at all.

Reasons whatever be the, credit to Advani for scoring a very smart point in a very subtle way. The way in which it was done was very admirable hardly rabble-rousing but point conveyed nonetheless. Maybe i am being overtly critical reading too much into a genuine appreciative comment by the Leader of the Opposition. I still would think however that Advani is too smart and astute a politician to let out a comment in the House without scoring a point.

AND HE SUCCEEDED

2009-02-12T19:16:00.002+05:30

The military strategist is born not made.
For example:
Two youngsters, one the possessor of a permit, were fishing on a certain estate when a gamekeeper suddenly darted from a thicket. The lad with the permit uttered a cry of fright, dropped his rod, and ran off at top speed.

The gamekeeper was led a swift chase. Then, worn out, the boy halted. The man seized him by the arm and said between pants: "Have you a permit to fish on this estate?"
"Yes, to be sure," said the boy quietly.
"You have? Then show it to me."
The boy drew the permit from his pocket. The man examined it and frowned in perplexity and anger.

"Why did you run when you had this permit?" he asked.
"To let the other boy get away," was the reply. "He didn't have any."

-BEST SHORT STORIES
Collected by THOMAS L. MASSON
Published by DOUBLEDAY, PAGE &COMPANY for REVIEW OF REVIEWS CO. 1922

Rafael Nadal wins...so did Verdasco

2009-01-30T19:40:00.004+05:30

" Rafael Nadal beat Fernando Verdasco in an epic semifinal which was the longest match in the Australian Open history"..The Australian Open Final again throws up a mouth-watering clash where the world No.2 goes up against the No.1. Federer is in prime form destroying everone in his wake, while Nadal will never surrender a quarter. Today amply demonstrated that. It should make up for some interesting time watching both guys test each other.

However today belonged to Fernando Verdasco. Anybody who thought Nadal would have it easy was mistaken...and mistaken by a long mile. Verdasco did not go away. He kept plugging back, saving every single break point. winning the tie breakers, chasing down every ball, hitting incredible winners.

He did it all. When the match ended it was 5 hrs 14 mins of absolutely gruelling tennis which left even the audience drained much less the players but Fernando refused to go away silently into the night. Quite an irony that he double faulted when it mattered the most inspite of playing the best match this Australian Open has seen.

He lost 7-6,4-6,7-6,6-7,4-6 but incredibly won many hearts along the way. The tennis they played was of supreme quality. The rally in the last game was played with as much intensity as the first game.No dips here. Both Nadal and Verdasco might have been on running on empty tanks but they sure were running hard.

Not to take any credit away from Nadal. However he did not bulldoze his opponent as he always does. Rather he was not allowed. Verdasco had Nadal under pressure matching him step for step, shot for shot from the first set. The relief on Nadal's face was amply evident. As also his graciousness in victory applauding Verdasco for a fine performance. Commendable. Kudos to Nadal, he fought his way through never letting Verdasco out of his sight.

The result of the final is difficult to predict. The form Fedex is in I'd probably have Federer a shade ahead but Nadal can as well overpower Federer. Tough to pick a winner.

As for today, had it been anyone else but Nadal half of Verdasco's balls would have been winners. Will Verdasco shape up to reach other Grand Slam finals and maybe win??? Only future shall tell but for today he played his part in an epic which was made all the more special becuase of his presence in it... Hero for the day. Respect.

Beckham and Milan

2009-01-29T20:33:00.003+05:30

It is incredible how David Beckham just stepped up and proved me right. And that too in style. What a phenomenal strike to score his second goal. That too with the England coach watching. Absolute stunner from a very tight angle.

No wonder Ancelotti wants him to stay. He ran the Milan mid-field till he was taken off. The goal was bloody brilliant. Stay in Milan beckham...

dAViD bECKhAM

2009-01-27T18:50:00.003+05:30

The Beckham story unravels..incredibly yet again when he scored his first goal in Serie A. The pedigree the guy has.. I mean he could not have played for any more bigger clubs.. Manchester United to start with, then he moved to arguably the biggest club in the world when he spent his time at Real Madrid.

Am i Beckham fan? Maybe a smallish kinda fan.. He'd never though make it into my team however. I am still too enamoured by Zizou who unfotunately dwarfs Beckham by his on-field prowess. Saying that I find the criticism heaped at Beckham very unfair. The guy has had an incredible career. Beckham's service at both United and Madrid are admirable. No United fan would ever forget the pin-point crosses that fed the strikers or his dead ball act. He may lack a few things on the field but whatever he was good at he was simply incredible at it. No wonder the reception he got at the 'Theatre of Dreams' when he came back. The criticism of his abilities is a bit ham-handed.

More so the reason I was gutted when Beckham opted for the Mickey Mouse league after his infamous spat with Capello at Madrid. He had his reasons at Madrid. Capello had absolutely freezed him out of the team. The way he fought his way back into the team was stupendous though. The second half of the season a Beckham inspired Madrid went on to win the title incredibly in the last two matches from nowhere. A fitting finale to his career at Madrid. Capello must have been ruing his decision to boot Beckham. Strange co-incidence though that Capello is again at the helm of affairs at England and is one of the prime guys asking Beckham to play in a competitive team.

I still think Beckham has enough to offer the footballing world. Beneath the glitz and glamour of the Beckham world, there is still a player who scored that incredible free- kick against Greecein the injury time to send his country to the world cup...imagine the pressure..The player who busted his butt playing at Old Trafford. The player who made eat Don Fabio eat his words.. It was phenomenal. The guy who was the most disliked player after the sending off, came back to be the darling of the masses.

His recent stint at AC Milan typifies the guy. He was good enough to make it to the starting lineup the moment he came in. Speaks volumes of what he can offer. Especially when Milan boasts of players like Kaka and Pirlo in the famed mid-field. What more can a guy prove to the world about his skills. Three of the biggest clubs in the world in three different leagues, incredible

Beckham is not getting any younger and might be in the twilight of his career, tho he still is brilliant at his place in the right side of the mid-field. For all the talk of successors to Beckham's place in the English squad both Lennon and Bentley are still miles away from inheriting his place. Beckham might not start in the squad anymore but i'd definitely say he would one of the most useful players to have in the squad. Everytime he comes on he fuels the anticipation that something special might just happen.. and more often than not it does.

I'd be definitely sad his if David Beckham wraps up his exploits at the San Siro and returns back to LA.. I hope he seals his loan to a permanent deal and enamours Italy as he has done where ever he has been. Beckham probably had a huge part in me being a Manchester United fan second only to maybe Keane and Cantona..but he definitely was a part of the reason that i loved and still love the team so much.

The Ashok Chakra

2009-01-26T10:15:00.002+05:30

Respect. Respect and heartbreaking. The sight of their loved ones conferred the awards their faces tell a story. I hope we are quite able to take care of the loved ones of the martyrs everyday at a later date. To ensure that their sacrifice does not go down into annals into time.

11 Ashok Chakras were conferred by the president. All posthumous. I know i would remember a few names for eternity. Every year though brave ones lay their lives only for us to forget them and move on. For their families however it is their worlds that they lose and for every single one of them every day that we leave them behind is the go into oblivion. Their families move so too.

Even amongst the heroes there are so many unheard names. A Jojan Thomas or a an R.P. Deingdoh would always remain unknown to the greater. I hardly knew of them till today. Such a crying shame that the have been awarded the highest gallantry award for their services and i cant find pictures of a few online. Is that the respect they deserve. If the faces of the ones who laid down their lives aint seen how would i ever know the ones whom they left behind.

It is for us to remember their supreme scarifices and ensure that their loved ones are taken care of properly. That the sacrifices are always command the respect they deserve.

On a second note the public broadcaster should have known better. Every one who has made a presentation knows that when a photograph is enlarged beyond a certain size it gets distorted and pixelated. They should have known better than displaying frayed images on national network

Mangalore Pub Assault

2009-01-25T15:37:00.002+05:30

Horrific. Lost for words.

The unheard Shri Ram Sena assaulted women in a pub because they were apparently behaving indecently. Such high standards of decency. I really wonder how these guys would really react if something that is indecent, if there is anything as such, occurs. Smacks of hypocrisy. These guys would be the first with roving eyeballs.

The visuals are disturbing. Absolutely revolting. Some of the attacked have been admitted to a hospital just ascertains the severity. Was it their fault that they were having a good time.
Or are they supposed to have a good time in accordance with whims and fancies of certain asinine folks.

A society is governed by a certain set of norms that evolve over a period of time. These do so because they are acceptable to the responsible majority. Stress on the word 'responsible'. A VIP who thinks that poor commoners wait along the side while his motorcade passes through does fall in the category. Every 3rd month a new group comes into existence imposing their own set of fixed values. I thought it was only here that the Shiv Sena suddenly woke up from its slumber and deciding bashing students for giving roses was a momentous achievement.

I simply dont get the motive of these people. Do they like wake up one day and realize that they owe their share to the society however unwanted it is. Or they hurt their head and their brains desecend down to their butts where they start thinking upside down. Or is a pathology of some other kind. Or they have been really hoodwinked to think they are supermen of some kind, knighted to protect poor us. Hitting women...some kind of supermen these sure are. Had it not for these brave people so benevolent with their violent hearts, working selflessly to protect me from being corrupted I could have never visualised our country achieving the great heights Taliban has.

Such brave people. Too bad Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Hemant Karkare thought laying their lives was the highest way to serve the society. Apparently not. Ironically the Ashok Chakra too have been announced this week. Stupid people with even a stupider sense of what moral standards are deserve to be paid back in the same coin.

What is worrisome is some twisted organizer of the whole act comes out defending the actions of his organization. Inspite of 40 odd involved only 3 people have been arrested. What's worse is Congress immediately would point out how the BJP misrule has brought this on the state. While BJP would surely find some stupid reason to blame the Congress for it. The perpetrators go scott-free.

It is the responsibility of these very parties to ensure that citizens are safe in every walk of their life especially women. We have a constitution that guides us. It ensures us certain rights with duties. As long as I take care of my duties I am free to enjoy my rights. We masquerade as liberals with aspirations to be the next super-power. We want our country to transcend economic boundaries and attain status comparable with the affluent west. Inspite of our aspiration we still have not been able to get rid of our cows from our streets. Wonder which keep us back- cows on the street or the men who still live in caves pretending to be savvy let loose on the same streets. Actually caves might get take an offence to house such people. Never been harmed by the harmless cows yet

As far as my society is concerned. It will take care of itself. It has till now without the valuable input of savages. It will further. Please spare me the agony. I am very happy with my own miserable society howsoever corrupted it is or will be. Better me merry in hell than sulk in heaven. Come to think of it..my heaven is where i get to do my own thing and let everybody do theirs without stepping on each other toes in the process.

Shri Ram must be squirming though. His name being used by the organization. And to think he waged the war for Sita. Even Ravana never inflicted bodily harm on her. Talk about moral standards... shameful..

IMPERSONAL

2009-01-24T22:26:00.000+05:30

A pretty girl at an evening party was bantering a genial bachelor on his reasons for remaining single.

"No−oo. I never was exactly disappointed in love," he said. "I was what you might call discouraged. You see,when I was very young I became very much enamored of a young lady of my acquaintance. I was mortally afraid to tell her of my feeling, but at length I screwed up my courage to the proposing point.

I said, 'Let's get married,' And she said, 'Why, who'd have us?'"

Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister

2009-01-16T18:02:00.003+05:30

It was debated quite a bit when Narendra Modi won the last Gujarat election, whether he'd be able to replicate the same model for the country. Some water has flown under the bridge and Anil Ambani and Sunil Mittal do think that the guy is ready to lead the nation

What happened back then was wrong, yes it might have been some time back, but scars that wounds leave always bear testimony to fact that the event did take place and no amount of restructuring on anyone's part can take the pain away. The memories stay.

All politicians do make mistakes, and maybe grow and learn from them. However there is a price to pay for every mistake whatever walk of life one may been. Fortunately for Mr. Modi I assume he has not been dealt with his dues. I am not privy to any of his personal details...so wont know if he indeed does regret what he did.

The price in my eyes that he would pay that inspite of being quite capable in his vision and a fantastic administrator and a leader in the sense of the word...he'd never lead the nation, which I am sure is an ambition he harbours.

The reasons are manifold. The way the laws of nature work are beyond my understanding, however they alone are not the only reason what would stop Modi from attaining his pedestal.

Let there be no doubt that L.K. Advani is still in the midst and whatever maybe the calls from the aisles, if the BJP come to power this time round it will be L.K. Advani who rules the roost and no other. Advani has waited too long in the shadows to see it being taken away right under his nose. Now he'd go an extra yard to cut Modi to size.

Another important factor is the way Modi could work his magic was to reach out to the masses and unify himself with them in Gujarart. People started identifying with what Modi said and that was an important factor.The language barrier would hinder him to quite a large extent. One can evoke emotions when one can speak the people's mind. Outside Gujarat Modi might be able to motivate the masses in the Hindi heartland to unify with him. Beyond which he might influence Maharashtra, though very doubtful since too many factor queer his pitch. Don't see the south of India voting for Modi just by way his persona. Neither the east nor the North. He'd have to run an incredibly polarised campaign to hoodwink one and all.

Considering he wont be able to work his magic in the rest of the hinterland, his allies become important. Its the NDA and not BJP alone that contests. With his autocratic style of running the show and ruthlessness, which needs to admired in measures, he wont have allies falling over themselves to supplicate themselves upto him as the clan of a section of industry.

Wherein lie my fears. If at all Modi does prove me wrong and indeed does rise to be the top dog I'd be more worried than ever. He is absolutely brilliant in running his campaigns and administrating effectively. However that is not enough to be a successful leader. A modest amount of humility in him would have helped him a lot. The lack of such -atleast that's the impression i get i maybe wrong but he has done nothing to repel the image- will eventually not hold him in good stead

It absolutely baffles when people start bending over their backs in the most brazen fashion to please him. Either it was a very calculated move on Modi's part to entice Ambani/ Mittal to mouth the words or the other way round. The sycophancy thus evident is no degrees worse than the one surrounding 10 Janpath. Ironic his campaigned centred itself the corridors of 10 Janpath while he himself is in the process of building his house in similar ways.

When someone like an Anil Ambani can do it, commoners following the trend is hardly surprising. However when a leader rises from the echelons of leadership and instills devotion into the minds of his people he runs a steady risk of being drunk on the power that it confers. When people start equating one with God they lose the ability to question his misdemeanours and overlook his errors, which is precisely i fear might happen.

If however Modi does prove me wrong and does rise to his ambitions and is able to lead my country to a new dawn minus his fallings, I'd be the happiest. Whatever i have seen leads me to believe otherwise. When someone with the blood of innocents rises upto Godliness condoned by the top honchos of the country it makes me squirm. Wonder if NaMo is close to God what pedestal does ADolf HiTler befriend. He did score a lot more than Modi ever would.

Lasantha Wickramatunga

2009-01-15T21:28:00.007+05:30

Lasantha Wickramatunge former editor-in-chief of the Sri Lankan newspaper " The Sunday Leader" was assasinated on 8th of january this year on his way to work. He was known for his principled stand against the violence perpetrated by the Sri Lankan Government against the ethnic Tamils. The LTTE brigade is one of the most violent organisation in the recent past. Some of their antics strking fear into the minds of the most resolute. The response of the Government however has been one to alienate the ethnic population. Wickramatunge dared to raise his voice against the Government for which he allegedly had to pay with his life. The Paper carried a posthumous editorial on Sunday the 11th of January... It is a strking article....excerpts from the same.

I have been in the business of journalism a good long time. Indeed, 2009 will be The Sunday Leader's 15th year. Many things have changed in Sri Lanka during that time, and it does not need me to tell you that the greater part of that change has been for the worse.Indeed, murder has become the primary tool whereby the state seeks to control the organs of liberty. Today it is the journalists, tomorrow it will be the judges. For neither group have the risks ever been higher or the stakes lower.

Why then do we do it? I often wonder that. After all, I too am a husband, and the father of three wonderful children. I too have responsibilities and obligations that transcend my profession, be it the law or journalism. Is it worth the risk? Many people tell me it is not.

But there is a calling that is yet above high office, fame, lucre and security. It is the call of conscience.

Every newspaper has its angle, and we do not hide the fact that we have ours. Our commitment is to see Sri Lanka as a transparent, secular, liberal democracy. ... well, if you need me to explain why that is important, you'd best stop buying this paper

Neither should our distaste for the war be interpreted to mean that we support the Tigers. The LTTE are among the most ruthless and bloodthirsty organisations ever to have infested the planet. There is no gainsaying that it must be eradicated. But to do so by violating the rights of Tamil citizens, bombing and shooting them mercilessly, is not only wrong but shames the Sinhalese, whose claim to be custodians of the dhamma is forever called into question by this savagery, much of which is unknown to the public because of censorship.

It is well known that I was on two occasions brutally assaulted, while on another my house was sprayed with machine-gun fire. Despite the government's sanctimonious assurances, there was never a serious police inquiry into the perpetrators of these attacks, and the attackers were never apprehended. In all these cases, I have reason to believe the attacks were inspired by the government. When finally I am killed, it will be the government that kills me

The irony in this is that, unknown to most of the public, Mahinda and I have been friends for more than a quarter century. Indeed, I suspect that I am one of the few people remaining who routinely addresses him by his first name and uses the familiar Sinhala address oya when talking to him.

Mahinda, when you finally fought your way to the SLFP presidential nomination in 2005, nowhere were you welcomed more warmly than in this column.You have told me yourself that you were not greedy for the presidency. You did not have to hanker after it: it fell into your lap. You have told me that your sons are your greatest joy, and that you love spending time with them, leaving your brothers to operate the machinery of state. Now, it is clear to all who will see that that machinery has operated so well that my sons and daughter do not themselves have a father.

As for me, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I walked tall and bowed to no man. And I have not travelled this journey alone. Others walk in the shadow of death that your Presidency has cast on the freedoms for which you once fought so hard. You will never be allowed to forget that my death took place under your watch.

As for the readers of The Sunday Leader, what can I say but Thank You for supporting our mission. We have espoused unpopular causes, stood up for those too feeble to stand up for themselves, locked horns with the high and mighty so swollen with power that they have forgotten their roots, exposed corruption and the waste of your hard-earned tax rupees, and made sure that whatever the propaganda of the day, you were allowed to hear a contrary view. For this I - and my family - have now paid the price that I have long known I will one day have to pay. I am - and have always been - ready for that. I have done nothing to prevent this outcome: no security, no precautions. I want my murderer to know that I am not a coward like he is, hiding behind human shields while condemning thousands of innocents to death. What am I among so many? It has long been written that my life would be taken, and by whom. All that remains to be written is when.

People often ask me why I take such risks and tell me it is a matter of time before I am bumped off. Of course I know that: it is inevitable. But if we do not speak out now, there will be no one left to speak for those who cannot, whether they be ethnic minorities, the disadvantaged or the persecuted. An example that has inspired me throughout my career in journalism has been that of the German theologian, Martin Niem”ller. In his youth he was an anti-Semite and an admirer of Hitler. As Nazism took hold in Germany, however, he saw Nazism for what it was: it was not just the Jews Hitler sought to extirpate, it was just about anyone with an alternate point of view. Niem”ller spoke out, and for his trouble was incarcerated in the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps from 1937 to 1945, and very nearly executed. While incarcerated, Niem”ller wrote a poem that, from the first time I read it in my teenage years, stuck hauntingly in my mind:

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

If you remember nothing else, remember this: The Leader is there for you, be you Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, low-caste, homosexual, dissident or disabled. Its staff will fight on, unbowed and unafraid, with the courage to which you have become accustomed. Do not take that commitment for granted. Let there be no doubt that whatever sacrifices we journalists make, they are not made for our own glory or enrichment: they are made for you. Whether you deserve their sacrifice is another matter. As for me, God knows I tried.

Shabarimala- Makara Villaku

2009-01-14T15:54:00.009+05:30

All bedtime stories, atleast for a mallu are incomplete without the story of Lord Ayyapa. The story is a fascinating tale of the Lord's journey from his abode to the earthly premises. It makes for a brilliant hearing and is so deeply entrenched atleast with me that I still am fascinated by it. The veracity of the story is something that i cannot ascertain.

Today is the day when the 'Makara Villaku' or the celestial star appears in the hills. If the story of Lord Ayyapa is fascinating the Makara Villaku is even more interesting. At a preordained time -6.30ish i think- on the day of Makara Sankranti a divine light appears in the summit of a hill opposite the temple lights up thrice. It has been happening for ages and continues to this day. Huge crowds to the tune of a million people gather to watch the celestial show. Television channels beam it across the world.

If the Lord Ayyapa story is debatable the truth of 'Makara Villaku' has been debated intensely by the rationalists and the likes. Reports of Devasvom Boards and the Electricity Board conspiring to ensure the light makes an appearanc are heard all the time. Its funny that even the 'atheist' CPM government has steadfastedly refused an investigation into the affair. Quite prudent of them.

My views too somehow concur with the government. Let it be. I do not believe that the light that exists has divine origins, neither do i not believe that it does not. . I am blissfully unaware of the reality of the situation and want to remain so. Faith is a very personal issue. There is the 'villakku' and for a day the lives of more than a million revolve around it. Maybe it is irrational. So be it. The truth is a mystery to the greater public. I aint no one to determine whether the truth needs be examined. Neither do i see any one around who would claim the moral right to do so. Hence let it be.

What i guess matters more is that the temple throws its open its doors to one and all. However the womenfolk between the ages of 10 and 50 are not allowed. And like a sheep i concur to that too. Yes it is very debatable. Both sides would have relevant points to make. Discriminating on the basis of sex maybe wrong, even worse in a temple that is so liberal. I would hope the wisdom of wiser people let decide what the outcome be. I simply concur because I am unaware of the rights and wrong of the situation, leave it without adding my bit...
"John 8: 7-8
...when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. "

.....and would rather think about the Lord. Relegion is not a bar to enter the temple. All of us for a period of 40 days become Swami's.

My name my age my creed my work.. irrelevant.. I am known as a Swami and so do the scores of other people on their sojourn.The significance of being called a Swami is apparent when one realises that Lord himself is called Swami. Swami Ayyapa. For the period i realise my oneness with the Lord that i am called as such by one and all. Not only me but i realise that everyone around too is a Swami.. a part of the larger celestial being and all of us in unity by small measures bring about the celestial being into existence.

The fact is more higlighted when one reaches the temple and reads the the inscribed words.....Tat Tvam Asi---- 'That Thou Art'

Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United

2009-01-13T09:29:00.002+05:30

So eventually Cristiano Ronaldo does bag the FIfa world player of the award. Does he deserve it. For sure. The season he had last years was incredible. Some purists may argue that Lionel Messi maybe more outstanding a candidate. I think that time shall tell what both players achieve. On the basis of last season however Ronaldo dwarfed every single competitor he had and there was no dispute if any that he'd be named the top dog for the last year.

However Ronaldo did himself no favours by the whole Real Madrid saga. Fergie was absolutely positive about not letting him go and Ronaldo behaved like a petulant child. Inspite of his heroics last year the drama that followed wil alienate him to the Old Trafford faithful. He maybe back.. he might score crucial goals.. he might indeed win himself and United scores of trophies but he'd never be the legend Roy Keane and Eric Cantona were or Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are.

The stakes are higher this Year with United having to defend the billing of being champions of England and Champions of Europe.. The World Club Championship was a Mickey Mouse kinda game type of joke.. We have not started well but are known to finish well and the signs look ominous...

Before last week we were 7 points off the Liverpool and 2 games in hand and now 5 points behind them with 2 games still in hand. The clash with the scousers at home. Systematic dismantling of Chelsea achieved.. How i wish jose was around. Would be wonderful the hear him talk.. And befor Liverpool play another game we play two and and can rightfully head the table..with the advantage of knowing that the return clash is back home. Beware Liverpool, the Champions are coming for you... and yeah congratulations Cristiano Ronaldo...

Call The Band

2009-01-07T23:19:00.002+05:30

My interest in the music Call plays was awakened recently. Call have not been unheard of on the Indian music scene. The first of their songs i have heard was 'Laree chooti' from the movie ' Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local'. ( which in my view was a decent movie and with a tighter script and some pruning would have done wonderfully well). Their next song was " sab bhula ke" which occupied decent airtime on the erstwhile Indian music channels. I was always under the impression that call was a bangladeshi band.

The other day listening to the radio- which i dont do much- the song Mahi Ve caught my attention. Try hard as i much i could not figure out the movie that this song came from. Internet as always came to my rescue. It actually is a song by pakistani artiste Fakhir...pretty cool song too.. However while exploring the pakistani music scene apart from the popular bands like Jal, Strings etc Call somehow caught my attention with their brand of music which maybe has a rock touch to it. I was also plesantly surprised to find one of their songs on the sound track of "Luck by Chance" a mainstream bollywood film. Though i like the remix version of ' Yeh pal' better.. One of their songs amongst quite a few notworthy.. The video below is of a song 'bichar ke bhi'

SATYAM FRAUD

2009-01-07T14:32:00.005+05:30

At a time when corporate governance atleast vis-a-vis Satyam was at its lowest, the quitting of its chairman in the wake of the fraud is an absolutely crashing blow. The Satyam shares have been tanking since the times news has come out almost crashing to 80% of its value. A fraud to the tune of 7100 crore would shake up the trust factor in the market which showed some signs of rallying back. After the disclosure BSE index have tanked almost 600 points. The impact it has on the further role the FII's and FDI's could be disastrous

In a letter addressed to the board members, Raju admitted his wrongdoings absolving everyone apart from the MD of any part in the fraudulent ways. It however seems very improbable that without the help of atleast certain quarters the whole fiasco could have been carried out.

Seemingly a 3% operating margin was inflated to almost 24 %. There also are reported bank balances with 5000 crores of cash that never exists. The balance sheet almost show no cash. Even worrisome could be the loss of clients and the payments assoviated with the work already done

What however seems a bit odd is that Satyam being one of the leaders in the IT league were operating at a mere 3% profit.Satyam if anything was the 4th biggest IT firm in India. If thats the margin the the 4th largest IT company operated at serious doubts can be raised regarding the profitability of IT ventures. Then again in the facade that Raju has pulled through the operating margins too could be cooked up. A thorough audit into the Satyam books would reveal the truths.

The role played by the auditors in this case is quite baffling. Either they were hoodwinked in a beautiful manner or they were complicit in the whole affair. How they missed 5000 crore cash that quite never existed is quite bizzare.

On a short-term basis the stakeholders, especially the smaller ones, would have taken quite a hit. There seems to be no way for them to recover their money. Suspending trading on the stock wont be the right way to go considering there still might be investors who want out of the stock. The 50000 strong workforce of Satyam would be worried and rightly so. Their futures are in a limbo for sometime to come.

One hopes the SEBI and the other concerned authorities take the stringest possible action to avoid the occurance of such a scandal again and restoring the confidence of the investors in the market. Is this the end of the road for Satyam..only time shall tell..

RTI in "larger public interest"

2009-01-06T19:43:00.003+05:30

Now with the Chief Information Commissioner(CIC) ruling that 'larger public interest' is not a ground for denying information under the Right to Information Act, it would be interesting to note what loopholes would authorities try and seek refuge to deny information.

The case in this regard was a student asking for details of the Medical Entrance exam held in the Benaras university, where the university took advantage of the previous CIC's order in which AIIMS question papers and keys were denied under the garb of 'larger public interest'.
It is difficult to understand what larger public interest is served in denying information about an examination or a students performance in the same. Lack of transperency at the highest quarters is something that is a frustrating.

Being part of a few entrance exams one does hear about answer papers being marked in pencils and student answers being corrected durin the course of being checked. Corruption regards filling of seats is something that occurs routinely, every single person who appears for the entrances knows how the system works. Sale of a seat is worse than what happens at a flea-market. Knowing the right people can tilt the scales and being related to anyone in the hierarchy would be God-sent. If lacking both it is amazing how many new relatives money can make. Chances of anything changing is absolutely impossible considerin the doyens of most universities are powerful politicians. It is done in such a brilliant manner that no ambiguity can be found later-on. Merit list being prepared before conducting an exam, however corroborating the results at the end of the exam. The system being manipulated bloody brilliantly.

It would be interesting to note what the AIIMS does about this order considering they have steadfastedly refused to let out information earlier, denying students even their ranks. Not to say that shady things happen in the upper echelons or maybe they do.. one always hears things.. but a little more transperency would be nice.

GAZA- Misfiring Hamas and Inhuman Israel

2009-01-05T01:38:00.006+05:30

I am too young to realize the full history of the Israeli- Gaza conflict, however whatever little I have read makes me believe that Gaza is ruled by pathetic fools who would rather scarifice their kids than let prudence prevail and work out with Israel for a solution. And across the Border Israel are led by even bigger fools who would oblige Hamas by retaliating.

The reason for aggression this time round has been firing of 60 rockets into the Israeli territory by Hamas activists which resulted in zero casualties. Praise be to the lord for zero casualties.. but what exactly was Hamas trying.. I mean surely they have better people incharge of these rockets.. or are they fired by nincompoops... who for their lives cant hit a target right..
It is absolutely crazy when they have fighters who aim for the gut and take one of their partners out, talk about destroying Israel.. For God's sake open your eyes. 60 bloody rockets and not one target. Maybe next summer Hamas can bring out their new bestseller " How not to hit a target in 6o tries" ... and ruin one's country in the process... Maybe Al-qaeda would turn to the book for to seek gyaan of the kind

As if fools and incompetent idiots in Gaza were not enough we have Israel retaliating.... with
F-16's and apache copters... apparently to take out Hamas infrastructure

Make no mistake i sympathise with Israel completely -long have- on account of the terrorist attacks it has faced...and am a rabid fan of Mossad for its ways..but this was just too much...

When an air-strike strikes none of the intended targets and kills three school going kids, playing, unaware, it is inhuman. Even more is inhuman is the blockade. As if stupid Hamas folk would realize something is amiss and start firing right. The losers in the equation are the people of the land. In the shadown of war, where every sun rises with the rays of a conflict, where UN distributed food feeds 80% of the population, where something like water to drink is to hanker over. To worry where one's next meal comes is one of the worst fears to have even worse is the when one does not know how to feed one's kids.I think Israel went too far. Sure they have a populace to keep happy back home but at what cost..

The USA for all the considerable influence it wields vetoed a ceasefire. I am dumbfounded to be honest.. still am tryin to comprehend how the US views the present crisis. Maybe G.B. Bush does like all the gifts that get thrown at him and is pining for more... Wake-up USA.. people lose lives everyday the conflict continues. Innocent women and children bystanders in the whole issue continue to get killed while US still figures ways to derail a peace process..

Surely good sense has to prevail. If the ground invasion intensifies it just will realise in more losses and alienating the palestine people such that a meaningful resolution to the conflict would be far from possible.

Tho i am not sure how long with their exemplary rocket-firing capabilities would Hamas last... somebody please train them... the next we'd know is the Hamas terrorists hitting their own homes in lieu of the war

The Value of a Rupee

2009-01-05T01:03:00.002+05:30

I find it very intriguing to figure out the value of money.

I remember the time I lost 20 bucks as kid.. the worst day of my life.. I sat fretting the whole evening wondering where I went wrong..miserable that I lost such a big amount. Today if I lost 20 bucks how much would I be worried..I might be abit..but not enought o spend my evening wondering about it... So what has changed... the Rs.20 note has not.. it still retains the same value if u discount the inflation... then what defines the value of a single rupee the 'ek rupaiyya'

For someone with 100 with him it may not mean much, for someone who has 10 it may indeed mean much. Try and imagine the scenario for someone who has only 1. It may mean all.

Even worse is the situation for someone who has none.The aspiration to attain a rupee at the end of a days labor cant amount to much ambition, sadly every kid that hankers after you on the road signal putting himself in between umpteen vehicles, hankering after you to a point of embarrassment; precisely wnats that for his labor..'ek rupaiyya'.. five wont hurt.. but 'ek' will make him happy.till he embarks on his travails again.

So does the value of a rupee depend on what we already have amassed.. or does it depend again on what we intend to amass.. and in the whole process the sum amount of a single rupee never changes..

Funny how a single rupee can exert such a varied influence over people and influence their lives for better for worse... what causes this difference. Tomorow if I disregard the power that money holds over me would i be able to survive. Or maybe it is the other way round.. maybe I have to turn around and exert my influence over the 'ek rupaiyya'. then maybe I might be able to go out and not worry.

Does it not mean then that the fact I own my ' ek rupaiyya'. does it not then become my resposibility that for every ' rupaiyya' I control I weaken its influence, its hold, over the life of a being. The sad fact is everytime I own a 'rupaiyya' far from controlling it or use it to liberate one, I enslaven myself numbing me to the hurtful calls that ring around me ..further try and conquer another one forgetting the true purpose in the pursuit.

Why do i paint such a grim scenario. The situation is grim. Or i comprehend it to be so. A man got murdered for Rs.40 in Guwahati. Is that the value of a rupee.. someone's life. I mean to kill someone for 40 bucks is outrageous.

Then again for some maybe Rs. 40 is all they have and maybe more than life in itself. Who am i judge. I myself lost Rs. 20 and countless other things along the way.. Hope fully my 20 bucks found the right way..

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-24T17:46:00.003+05:30

MAY YOU ALWAYS FEEL LOVED

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world
You may not always understand.

May the pain you have known and conflict you have experienced
Give you the strength to walk through life
Facing each new situation with courage and optimism.

Always know that there are those whose love and understanding
Will always be there, even when you feel most alone.

May you discover enough goodness in others
To believe in a world of peace.

May a kind word, a reassuring touch, a warm smile be yours
Every day of your life,
And may you give these gifts as well as receive them.

Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.

Teach love to those who know hate,
And let that love embrace you as you go into the world.

May the teaching of those you admire become part of you,
So that you may call upon them.
Remember, those whose lives you have touched
And who have touched yours are always a part of you,
Even if the encounters were less than you would have wished.
It is the content of the encounter that is more important than it's form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters,
But instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart.

Find time in each day to see the beauty and love in the world around you.

Realize that each person has limitless abilities,
But each of us is different in our own way.
What you may feel you lack in one regard
May be more than compensated for in another.
What you feel you lack in the present
May become one of your strengths in the future.

May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.
Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself,
And not be dependent on another's judgement of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.

UNRETURNED FAVOURS

2008-12-15T19:16:00.001+05:30

A Connecticut farmer was asked to assist at the funeral of his neighbor's third wife and, as he had attended the funerals of the two others, his wife was surprised when he declined the invitation.

On being pressed to give his reason he said, with some hesitation:

"You see, Mary, it makes a chap feel a bit awkward to be always accepting other folks's civilities when he never has anything of the same sort of his own to ask them back to."

WASN'T CALLING HER DEAR

2008-12-15T00:48:00.001+05:30

Desirous of buying a camera, a certain fair young woman inspected the stock of a local shopkeeper.
Is this a good one?" she asked, as she picked up a dainty little machine. "What is it called?"
That's the Belvedere," said the handsome young shopman politely.
There was a chilly silence. Then the young woman drew herself coldly erect, fixed him with an icy stare, and asked again:
Er−−and can you recommend the Belva?"
- courtesy ' best short stories"

ek lau is tarah

2008-12-13T20:45:00.005+05:30

I Somehow cant still move away from the terror attacks. Not sure if it is a good thing or otherwise. I however cannot forget. It is not just about the people who have left us. I was watching shashannk shinde and chitte's story on NDTV.
Each of them leaves behind two and three daughters respectively. The emotion i feel watching a young one amongst them tell the camera how proud she is of her father is beyond words.
There surely shall be a story attached to all of them who departed. One that should never be forgotten.
A clip from NDTV india paying homage to the brave heroes.

And just as disappointing is the fact today is the 7th anniversary and only a handful of MP's found time to pay their respect to the ones who laid down their life protecting the parliament. Breaks my heart if the same thing happens again and this too goes forgotten.

REAL MADRID and the manager saga

2008-12-09T19:49:00.003+05:30

Its official now .. Bernd Schuster has been sacked. Not without a reason this time. Disastrous run of results culminated in him receiving the sack. Juande Ramos hopefully is an able replacement. His time at the White Hart Lane notwithstanding.

There are few things that give as much pleasure as following one team through its highs and lows. I have been at football for the past 10 years now. I officially am a Manchester United fan. However if there is any team I love after United its Real Madrid. When I started following football they were the team in their prime and caught my fancy.I however evolved into a United fan but love Madrid no less. An absolute pain when United clashes against Real.

However the coaching policy at the Bernabeau leaves me astounded. The first incident I remember is Vincent del Bosque getting sacked. The del Bosque phase was the most successful phase I happened to see Madrid in. They boasted the best of the players. Shockingly they axed him immediately afte he won them the la liga again.

Then came the lean period for Madrid before 'Don Fabio' took them back to the dizzying heights of the la liga title in an incredible season last year. Anyone who followed the 2007-2008 season would have simply loved how Madrid came back to claw the title from Barca. And then.. Capello gets the sack. I simply could not fathom how the guy who brought them back from the pits suddenly was not good enough.

They brought in Schuster who's claim to fame in the managerial world was managing Getafe. Incredibly Madrid still dont have a settled coach yet. With Schuster getting the sack, i hope Ramos is able to deliver.

Add to this probably the greatest clash in the football world looms large. Real Madrid take on Barcelona this weekend. The 'El Clasico'. One of the finest rivalries that has lived up to its expectations always. The previous year Madrid got better both times.

This weekend however Madrid season is in turmoil while Barca has pulled away at the top by 9 points.The 'El Clasico' looks a bit daunting for us Real fans with current managerial crisis. Add to that several missing key players for Madrid.I admit not the best time to be Real fan.I stil howvever would be pining for the whites to win at the Nou Camp. What kind of a fan one is if one does stick with his team through its higs and as well as it lows

Section 49 -O and the Protest Vote

2008-12-08T23:04:00.007+05:30

One word that has been thrown up a lot in recent times has been " protest vote". What exactly is it??? A certain mail has again come into precedence considering the current political situation...I am sure most have at times received the following mail...sadly it is a hoax..

"Did you know that there is a system in our Constitution, as per the
1969 act, in section "49 O" that a person can go to the polling booth,
confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding
election officer that he doesn't want to vote anyone!

Yes such a feature is available, but obviously these seemingly
notorious leaders have never disclosed it. This is called Section"49
O".

Why should you go and say "I VOTE NOBODY"... because, in a ward, if a
candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has
received 49 "O" votes more than 123, then that polling will be
cancelled and will have to be re polled. Not only that, but the
candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest
the re polling, since people had already expressed their decision on
them. This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine
candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way
of our whole political system..."
The TRUTH

There is no section 49-O in the constitution or the 1969 act..it is a rule
in the The Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961.

"...if a
candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has
received 49 "O" votes more than 123, then that polling will be
cancelled and will have to be re polled. Not only that, but the
candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest
the re polling, since people had already expressed their decision on
them...." FALSE.

The actual text of section 49-O is

"Elector deciding not to vote.-If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark."

The result of the polls stand inspite of the no. of protest votes, no repolling nothing of that sort. and
Can we still register protest votes???. Yes we can. However with the emergence of EVM's protest votes violate a voter's right.

Earlier voting with ballot papers the ballot paper could simply be dropped in without voting...or voting for multiple candidates to ensure the vote is inavlid. Sadly the EVM's have no such facility. As such informing the presiding officer about the decision to not vote, violates the secrecy of voting.

The last i knew there was a petition in the supreme court about modification of the EVM's to have "none of the above" button. Till then protest vote means disclosing identity.

Merits of a protest vote are debatable.. If the results are gonna stand inspite of protest votes. The whole affair would be just a record in some babu's file in some dusty cupboard. We have shameless politicians who wuld not worry ab8 protest votes...kursi ka prem more than any moral conscience

So then is the protest vote the right way to go????

A TEST OF FRIENDSHIP

2008-12-08T18:29:00.001+05:30

Andy Foster, a well−known character in his native city, had recently shuffled off this mortal soil in destitute circumstances, although in his earlier days he enjoyed financial prosperity.

A prominent merchant, an old friend of the family, attended the funeral and was visibly affected as he gazed for the last time on his old friend and associate.

The mourners were conspicuously few in number and some attention was attracted by the sorrowing merchant. "The old gentleman was very dear to you?" ventured one of the bearers after the funeral was over.

"Indeed, he was," answered the mourner. "Andy was one true friend. He never asked me to lend him a cent, though I knew that he was practically starving to death."

The Movie Star

2008-12-04T20:00:00.003+05:30

The rally held at gateway had an outpuring of public sentiment. some expressed it through words. The others by way of placards. My favorite amongst the placards

V.S. Achuthanandan and the Dog

2008-12-02T22:34:00.004+05:30

As the shock over the attacks set in heads have begun to roll. In the aftermath of the attacks I had assumed not one politician would have lost his post. I have been plesantly surprised at the Home Minister's exit. It was long overdue. However both the Maharashtra Chief Minister and his deputy must be cursing bollywood for their own downfall. I thought both would escape the aftermath however both have been done in by their own foolishness.

Vilasrao looked like he was bloody taking a picnic in Taj with his entourage. I mean what the heck was he doing with his son and Ram Gopal Varma in tow.It was a place of carnage... not a freakin tourist spot that he carries his band of happy revellers. No wonder SMS's are doing rounds
"Ram Gopal Varma yahi kamaai ..do sarkar banai... ek giraai"

R.R. Patil's press conferences are a pain honestly.He is incoherent and difficult to comprehend. God only knows what he implied when he said, " aise hadse to Mumbai jaise bade shehron me to hote hi rahte hai"( these incidents happen in big cities like mumbai)..The less talked about it the better. He dug his own grave and has gone for good

The latest is the Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan throwing his hat in the ring. If anything V.S. was the farthest away from Mumbai. Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan laid down his life. The least VS could do was be sensitive to the family. I thought it was a mistake on his part to have none representing his government at the Major's funeral. Only the media pressure made him go to Bangalore.

Kudos to Sandeep's father for showing VS the door. Apparently VS had messaged sandeep's father a text offering his condolences. When asked about it when he reached B'lore by the martyr's father VS apparently could not even remember how the SMS started. Rightly turned out of his place by the father.

And then the masterstroke by VS.I dont know if it was his ego that could not bear it or was it plain stupidity that prompted him saying,"If it had not been (Major) Sandeep's house, not even a dog would have gone there". WTF..I am at a loss of words to describe what that means. A nation mourns the death of a braveheart and then we have absolutely ridiculous statements going about. For God's sake the family lost their only son. Spare a thought for the trauma they r undergoing and are yet to endure.

Not that i had too much respect for an 83 year old sticking to his chair still. Whatever little I had I am glad is not there anymore. His continual refusal to apologize is ridiculous. He apparently has done no wrong. I mean c'mon. have some shame.Look deep inside yourself. U ought to be ashamed. You are the face of kerala and are presenting such an awful front. Atleast Ifor sure am ashamed of you...period. I am sure the dogs around the country if they could express themselves will agree.

I dont what legacy VS will leave behind, if it can be called a legacy. In my eyes this is what u leave behind for me. I will always remember you as the guy who slighted a martyr's family at the worst possible time with scant respect for a nation pained by the loss.I am pained and outraged... and all you could was incense me further.

You may never be able to emulate the feats of Major Sandeep. Neither can i . The least one can do is acknowledge his supreme sacrifice and carry what he did in our heart and hope one day we can come in handy for our motherland in whatever way possible. Hope you do realize that you were indeed wrong opening your mouth. And may you be payed in the same coin.
Amen

MUMBAI

2008-11-29T13:56:00.002+05:30

why?? why is the only question that i can think of. why us. what did we do wrong.why do we have to endure attacks on our land.
why?? why is having a quiet simple evening with loved ones in a place of one's own choice so difficult.
why?? why did commoners on the street have to endure this trauma. why does my land have to endure this again and again.
why?? why do bravehearts of the land have to pay for inept politicians with their lives. why does lack of political will translate down to my kith and kin making sacrifices.
why?? why cant i do anything about the situation to help it in anyways. why does a feeling of helplessness engulf me that it numbs me thruout.
why?? why is mumbai still bleeding inspite of repeated assaults. why was nothing done to prevent.
i am sick. i am sick and tired. i am sick tired and angry. i am sick tired angry and despondent.
i am surrounded with why's that i have no answers to.
who is responsible for this. where did the failure occur. who is accountable for this. who do i ask for all these answers to my questions.
are we governed by wimps who get Z+ security by the crack commando units while the lives on the roads are so bloody cheap that we lose them dime a dozen.
add our genius of home minister, who gave away NSG plans on national television. will he ever own up that he simply failed.miserably

whom do i ask my questions..what am i supposed to do

is this a turning point in our history. this better be. i cannot take one more attack. enough. no more. i am numb with with a multitude of emotions.

peace be to those who lost their lives. their family members. the security people who made the sacrifices. my heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones

plz gimme some answers somebody. plz assure me that this wont happen again. plz tell me i wont have to go thru this again. plz..

Nathuram Godse

2008-11-20T12:18:00.003+05:30

Continuing from where i left off about the recent terror attacks, the fact that he people who indulged in it were truly convinced about the method they used is intriguing. Similarly in the 'jihad' against infidels, to give up one's life for a cause, imagine the degree of motivation these people must have.

I post excerpts of a speech made by Nathuram Godse in his defence of his act of murdering Mahatma Gandhi. The rights and wrongs of the act are for debate. Even the points he makes in the following speech can be argued upon. What amazes me tho is his conviction to what he did knowing what fate awaited him..

"Born in a devotional Brahmin family, I instinctively came to revere Hindu religion, Hindu history and Hindu culture. I had, therefore, been intensely proud of Hinduism as a whole. As I grew up I developed a tendency to free thinking unfettered by any superstitious allegiance to any isms, political or religious. That is why I worked actively for the eradication of untouchability and the caste system based on birth alone. I openly joined anti-caste movements and maintained that all Hindus were of equal status …

…All this reading and thinking led me to believe it was my first duty to serve Hindudom and Hindus both as a patriot and as a world citizen…... This conviction led me naturally to devote myself to the Hindu Sanghtanist ideology and programme, which alone, I came to believe, could win and preserve the national independence of Hindustan, my Motherland, and enable her to render true service to humanity as well.

Since the year 1920, that is, after the demise of Lokamanya Tilak, Gandhiji’s influence in the Congress first increased and then became supreme. His activities for public awakening were phenomenal in their intensity…... But it is nothing but a mere dream if you imagine that the bulk of mankind is, or can ever become, capable of scrupulous adherence to these lofty principles in its normal life from day to day. In fact, honour, duty and love of one’s own kith and kin and country might often compel us to disregard non-violence and to use force. I could never conceive that an armed resistance to an aggression is unjust. I would consider it a religious and moral duty to resist and, if possible, to overpower such an enemy by use of force. [In the Ramayana] Rama killed Ravana in a tumultuous fight and relieved Sita. [In the Mahabharata], Krishna killed Kansa to end his wickedness; and Arjuna had to fight and slay quite a number of his friends ….

…The accumulating provocation of thirty-two years, culminating in his last pro-Muslim fast, at last goaded me to the conclusion that the existence of Gandhi should be brought to an end immediately. …. If the country wanted his leadership, it had to accept his infallibility; if it did not, he would stand aloof from the Congress and carry on his own way. Against such an attitude there can be no halfway house. Either Congress had to surrender its will to his and had to be content with playing second fiddle to all his eccentricity, whimsicality, metaphysics and primitive vision, or it had to carry on without him. He alone was the Judge of everyone and everything; he was the master brain guiding the civil disobedience movement; no other could know the technique of that movement. He alone knew when to begin and when to withdraw it.…. ‘A Satyagrahi can never fail’ was his formula for declaring his own infallibility and nobody except himself knew what a Satyagrahi is.

Thus, the Mahatma became the judge and jury in his own cause. These childish insanities and obstinacies, coupled with a most severe austerity of life, ceaseless work and lofty character made Gandhi formidable and irresistible. ... In a position of such absolute irresponsibility Gandhi was guilty of blunder after blunder, failure after failure, disaster after disaster..…

…..From August 1946 onwards the private armies of the Muslim League began a massacre of the Hindus. The then Viceroy, Lord Wavell, though distressed at what was happening, would not use his powers under the Government of India Act of 1935 to prevent the rape, murder and arson. The Hindu blood began to flow from Bengal to Karachi with some retaliation by the Hindus….Lord Wavell had to resign as he could not bring about a settlement and he was succeeded by Lord Mountbatten. King Log was followed by King Stork.

The Congress, which had boasted of its nationalism and socialism, secretly accepted Pakistan literally at the point of the bayonet and abjectly surrendered to Jinnah. India was vivisected and one-third of the Indian territory became foreign land to us from August 15, 1947. … When top leaders of Congress, with the consent of Gandhi, divided and tore the country - which we consider a deity of worship - my mind was filled with direful anger.

One of the conditions imposed by Gandhi for his breaking of the fast unto death related to the mosques in Delhi occupied by the Hindu refugees. But when Hindus in Pakistan were subjected to violent attacks he did not so much as utter a single word to protest and censure the Pakistan Government or the Muslims concerned. Gandhi was shrewd enough to know that while undertaking a fast unto death, had he imposed for its break some condition on the Muslims in Pakistan, there would have been found hardly any Muslims who could have shown some grief if the fast had ended in his death….

….Briefly speaking, I thought to myself and foresaw I shall be totally ruined, and the only thing I could expect from the people would be nothing but hatred and that I shall have lost all my honour, even more valuable than my life, if I were to kill Gandhiji. But at the same time I felt that the Indian politics in the absence of Gandhiji would surely be proved practical, able to retaliate, and would be powerful with armed forces. No doubt, my own future would be totally ruined, but the nation would be saved from the inroads of Pakistan. People may even call me and dub me as devoid of any sense or foolish, but the nation would be free to follow the course founded on the reason which I consider to be necessary for sound nation-building. After having fully considered the question, I took the final decision in the matter, but I did not speak about it to anyone whatsoever. I took courage in both my hands and I did fire the shots at Gandhiji on 30th January 1948, on the prayer-grounds of Birla House.

I now stand before the court to accept the full share of my responsibility for what I have done and the judge would, of course, pass against me such orders of sentence as may be considered proper. But I would like to add that I do not desire any mercy to be shown to me, nor do I wish that anyone else should beg for mercy on my behalf. My confidence about the moral side of my action has not been shaken even by the criticism levelled against it on all sides. I have no doubt that honest writers of history will weigh my act and find the true value thereof some day in future. "
-NATHURAM GODSE

I dont agree with what he did though neither do I agree to M.K. Gandhi's policies. Murder is heinous no doubt, but what if the cause was just. I personally dont know if it was. Atleast Nathuram Godse was convinced of the justness of his cause...

Rahul Gandhi - 'bachcha'

2008-11-18T20:25:00.002+05:30

Rahul gandhi is 38. Rajnath Singh has been in politics for 35 years. matter-speak Rahul Gandhi is indeed a 'bachcha' to Rajnath Singh politically and otherwise.

"Compared to the likes of Rajnath Singh and other senior leaders, I am a 'bachcha'. It is a fact. I am a much younger person," said Rahul in response to media persons. Then took a step forward and made a sarcastic dig at the BJP president,"fortunately or unfortunately, 70 per cent of this country is 'bachcha'. "I think in a completely different way."

"He (Rajnath) would not have the desired impact as the country looks at things in a different manner. It is the way of looking things differently," Rahul said.

Maybe does mark rahul increasing his repertoire of words and ability to respond to his critics.

I happened to see the Rajnath Singh interview where the 'bachcha' comment was made. responding to shekar gupta's question, about the impact of rahul gandhi Rajnath responded,

" I would not like to comment on Rahul. I consider him a child and would not like to say anything about him" when probed further he said , " ... but as far as I am concerned he is like my child."

I aint no big fan of Rajnath Sing but to be fair to him he made the comment in a different context and the response maybe was in another.
Maybe there was no veiled attack leveled this time that Rahul responded.Wish he defended himself with the same fervour against Mayawati.

Hindu terror

2008-11-18T19:32:00.004+05:30

Oft in the frenzy of attracting viewers to their channels media goes overboard painting a news item in a certain hue. They decided to paint the blasts in Malegaon saffron and thus evolved Hindu terror. The painful fact today is that the media conducts its own trial pronounces the guilty and goes as far as to punish the accused. The Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) does its bit by systematic leaks occurring from its coterie to fuel these reports further.

Personally I find it absurd on their part to use the terminology. As also do I find the term Islamic terror equally absurd. A terrorist is a terrorist. The buck stops there. Giving terror religious hues makes it seem as if it is condoned by the particular relegion. If anything that hardly is the case.

The involvement of army in this particular case is another point that has been raised. I mean there were a select few involved, pointing fingers at the armed forces is hardly the way to go. These were a few misguided people who in the name for fighting their religion took a wrong recourse. Fuelling passions at this stage will further the divide already present with disastrous consequences. The way to go would be to educate the youth, not let them be blinded by rhetoric.

Sweeping statements like a Hindu can never be a terrorist are ridiculous. These people have killed ( subject to being proven), for Gods sakes just open your eyes and see it. A Hindu can never be a terrorist maybe in a utopian world. The BJP is back to its far right self by statements as such. It is akin to saying a Hindu might never steal, never commit a crime, the mere fact that he is a Hindu gives him impunity to every act he commits that might go against the prevailing land.

Every Hindu religious leaders finds refuge in the words of Gita and twist them to his own interpretation. To quote a small bit of it.

“svadharmam api cāvekṣya na vikampitum arhasi
dharmyād dhi yuddhāc chreyonyat kṣatriyasya na
vidyate”
(Considering also your duty as a warrior you should not waver like this. Because there is nothing more auspicious for a warrior than a righteous war.)

Notice the Lord says the righteous war. What leaves the door open is the definition of righteousness. To each I guess it means his own and hence most people do get away with what they say.
However the Lord also mentions ‘svadharmam’. Swadharma is One’s own dharma.
“Swadharma is one’s own prescribed duty in life according to the eternal law”
–Acharya Vinoba Bhave.
To quote Lord’s words further “Sreyaan svadharmo vigunah” One’s own dharma regardless of what it is the best for one.

Hence giving examples of Lord Krishna asking Arjuna to take up arms to justify reprehensible acts is lame. Then again I interpret the Gita in my own way, and I could be wrong.

The far right should maybe give things a ‘dekko’ and maybe come up with statements that don’t blind us to the wrong being committed. As for what I feel about Hindu terror. The term is wrong for me because in my eyes anybody who maims innocents for the Hindu cause ain’t a Hindu at all.

As and afterthought i'd hate to be in the ATS, pick up Muslims and they get whipped, pick Hindus up and dont get spared either. Poor guys.

U2- window in the sky

2008-11-13T21:05:00.003+05:30

just love the video

The Painless Dentist

2008-11-11T21:45:00.005+05:30

This is one picture that has remained with me from my books that i studied in my course. Anyone who has read Ingle has hopefully come across this picture before the acknowledgement part of it.

I find it difficult to talk about my work because looking at it objectively is difficult. Today was one of those days where sometimes i wonder if things could have been done differently. Where probably extractions could have been done painlessly. It is not the best feelings in the whole world when one knows beforehand that some amount of pain is involved.

It is quite a bummer when the first patient in the day turns out that ways. The day eventually did end on a brighter note considering the rest of the things happened very well.

Most journeys to dentists generally are marred with painful episodes along the way and the general majority do have horror stories to relate.What i realize now being on the other side is that more often it is unavoidable.The doctors might seem non-plussed about the events.. maybe seem a bit too cold about it. The patients never forget the episode but if at all neither do the doctors...they too never forget the episode. We may go on as if nothing out of normal has occurred ..the episode however remains forever.. Thats what i did learn from my short journey yet.

"Experience is never limited, and it is never complete; it is an immense sensibility, a kind of huge spider web of the finest silken threads suspended in the chamber of consciousness, and catching every airborne particle in its tissue." - Henry James

Happy B'day Shreya

2008-11-07T09:30:00.001+05:30

Somehow i have always missed the kiddo on her b'day parties..three years in a row now. Shreya btw is Rajish's niece and he does not miss a chance to remind me how i never have been around during her b'day.
She has come a long way from the smallie in the incubator the first i saw her. Wishing you a very happy birthday dear.

tho i did miss her party i am sure her 'uncle' will take care of it..

IS MAYAWATI THE INDIAN BARACK OBAMA??

2008-11-06T08:29:00.004+05:30

There are recent reports suggesting the fact that madam Mayawati could be the new Indian Obama. Something that maybe her PR guys are pursuing aggressively to fulfill her dreams of being the Indian prime minister.

Mayawati and Obama do share similar origins. Both of them do come from minorities which have a history of being significantly oppressed. They made it to the top inspite of various obstacles along the way is indeed commendable.

However the similarities if anything end there. For starters both of them have a completely different persona. I find it really difficult to see Mayawati in any way close to the style espoused by Obama. They r just too different in the way they carry themselves. Her autocratic functioning in a democratic setup bugs me. She runs her party as her own personal fiefdom.

The question of integrity too looms large. Barack Obama yet has a clean image about himself and to my knowledge has nothing against him which questions his integrity. Mayawati on the other hand has a string of corruption cases leveled against her for every term she has been in the office.

Another significant difference is the style of the campaigns pursued by both camps. The Obama campaign for the entirety of it was brilliantly managed. Where personal issues and smear campaign were kept out. The Uttar Pradesh campaigns are fraught with the politics of vendetta. With Mayawati indulging in the worst of it. The recent episode of her coming in the ways of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi trying to ruin their rallies was in utter bad taste. So have been her run-ins with Mulayam Singh Yadav, so intent at cutting each other’s stock that the state suffers at every step one decides to act against another.

The most important difference in my eyes however is the fact that Obama on his course to presidency has talked all the while about transcending race. He has never shied away from being a black, but it has always been going beyond it and presenting a united front. Mayawati however never has come down her high “dalit ki beti” horse ever. Till the day she wisens up to know that only that singular quality wont be enough to prop her up for the top dog’s job she will remain constricted to U.P. fortunately.

Yes circumstances did catapult her to national fame sometime back, yes she maybe a maverick of sorts in her own state coming for behind to lead her party to a huge win recently, but when it comes to the national stage she is at best a wannabe who I hope will always remain so.

Maybe I am looking through my narrow prism at the occurrence of events, but I don’t see India being led my Mayawati and I might go a step further and say I don’t want to see Mayawati lead India with her style of leading which divides people on the basis of caste to serve her ends.

DIVIDED WE STAND

2008-10-31T16:08:00.000+05:30

Painting a pessimistic picture is easy. But after the incidents that have occurred in the past two days it is difficult not to do so. Blasts ripped across Assam. A migrant labourer got lynched in a Mumbai train. Anyone who saw visuals of his one year old kid would have to be moved by the plight that surrounds that family

It is strange that in a span of two days two incidents that highlight the threats we face, have occurred. The fact that we r increasingly under attack from the outside is known. The blasts that took place in Assam is another feather in the cap of our central government’s fight against terror. I don’t see any fault with scores of people coming out and indulging in violence to protest the inability of the government to provide them with safety. The government for all its gains made sorely loses out when it comes to providing security for life

It is times like this when we all should be covering each other back and present a united front. What is even more worrying is that the terror now seems coming more from the inside than from the inside.

It is disgusting to see politicians try and play one up-manship such a situation. The statements coming from both sides make it virtually a battle pitting Maharashtra against Bihar. Erstwhile foes Lalu and Nitish come forward to take up the Bihari cause. I see no harm in them doing it but not at the risk of causing a conflict that divides the nation. Every statement that comes out of their camp further alienates the Bihari /’bhaiyya’ population living here.

I don’t see Raj Thackeray any different; he is majorly responsible for the current mess. The fact is that the local population does connect with what he says. It is not mindless rhetoric that he espouses. He has tapped into the Marathi sentiment very wisely, causing an intelligent divide to serve his own needs. What furthers his cause is the irresponsible statement that the politicians on the other side of the divide. Don’t they see that they r just playing into his hands, making him stronger furthering the divide.

These politicians don’t lose anything. It the one year old who lost. Who is responsible for her having to lead her life the way she will. The 50 dead in Assam lost. Their families are the ones who lost. How many lives shattered. More importantly, it is I who lost in the bargain. And everyday this continues I continue to lose. The idea of my India being divided this way disgusts me. We were not meant to go further like this were we? Was this that what we the freedom fighters laid their lives for. For their own kind to be oppressed again.

Then again maybe this is the time we stand up again and be counted. As I said to paint a pessimistic picture maybe easy but rising above to change what is happening maybe the real deal. Difficult it might be, not impossible; if all of us make sure our voices are heard again. Hopefully things will change and change for better. I can’t see my country being taken apart this way.

HAPPY DIWALI

2008-10-28T19:05:00.001+05:30

The phone rings.. 6 am already..I must be dreaming.. A voice screams.

“R u ready?”

No am not dreaming, it’s Rajish screaming his lungs out. I ready…not a chance…

“ I just woke up”

He seems frustrated. ” I told you to get ready.”

He did.. My head swarms “When?”

That lit him up “When I woke u up at 5 am, you idiot”

Then why don’t I remember a thing..

“ Stop fooling around” I tell him…

That sets him up nicely..And when Rajish trash talks…there is no way one can interject. I mumble my ok's and get up to get ready.

The phone rings again.. Its 6.15

“ R u ready” Maddy laughs into the phone…

Uh-oh I am supposed to get ready.. What happened…I somehow am still in bed… he laughs back

” I will drop by in 15 mins, get ready”

So eventually I do make out of my place by 6.30...we were supposed to reach the Lord’s abode by 6.00. Rajish is a fair bit ahead. He still is cross about both me and Maddy getting to sleep an hour longer.

The temple at Shrimant Dagdusheth Ganpati is bang in the centre of the city. I hardly expected people early morning, but then we exactly ain’t early in the morning anymore. It is fairly crowded. Maddy has parked his bike fairly away.. I wait... Some guards have picked up a fight outside the temple. Maddy comes along and we move into the temple, my darshan happens without an incident. The guards are still at it outside. Seems the morning conflicts ain’t gonna go away so soon.

We move away. Market yard is choc-a-bloc. I stick my hand out and catch someone below the chin. Both of them need flowers and some for stuff for the pooja. I wander with them. Rajish argues with the sugarcane fellow. They had fixed a deal and now he wants more. Rajish picks up his cane and walks away. The fellow follows. A scuffle ensues. Some Diwali cheer. Maddy steps in and separates the two. I give the fellow what he wants.. and a piece of my mind for his efforts. We walk away smelling of roses that somehow got scattered during the duel. Silence reigns heavy.

And then God-sent a pretty face. That’s enough to light Rajish up. The world is still fine with her maladies. What’s more Rajish coaxes a smile out of her. For all his tough bargaining skills... I lost my money..and to make it worse the chic dazzles him with her smile. Justice. That’s what I get for sleeping an hour more.

The morning ends at shivshambho upahaar gruha. There is poha and the spicy misal paav.. My eyebrows make the question mark.

Rajish smiles.. ”dono khayenge”

Over food Maddy regales us about his misfortunes of working with a Telugu crew. The poor chap understands none of it. I laugh my gut out when Rajish reveals his gal wants to go out shopping. She shops, he pays. She is cute I tell him.

Somehow amidst the laughter we keep running out of paavs. The boy taking our order is overjoyed by our appetites early morning. Eventually we run out of misal. Maddy has had his full, he backs out of poha. Rajish wants me to split a plate of poha with him... I smile... he realises what i mean and we order two plates. I might share his poha but not mine.
None of them however want ‘chai’. I do. I somehow always think cuttings are a bad deal. I get my whole glass. Off to wash my hands I come back to my chai to find that it does look like a cutting now. To their credit my friends have not finished it off.

As I gulp down my cuppa tea. Life seems just perfect at that moment. No worries no cares. My parents still asleep. My buddies laughing away to glory making fun of my appetite. I with my ‘chai’ fortunate to be in the midst. Don’t have a clue if it will happen the next Diwali. For now the picture is just perfect. Won’t change a thing. I whisper my happy Diwali to the kid who cleans up after us and walk off… wonder what memories he’d carry this Diwali… I have mine to treasure.. Forever

" The Wonder Years"

2008-10-24T19:55:00.012+05:30

I ain't one for much of television unless one of my teams is playing( then i turn into a television fanatic wishing and willing things from where i am). However i did catch a part of the "The Wonder Years" today, like how they explore issues, it was about choices today.

Every choice eventually comes with a risk of its own. It was interesting to observe a mutual fund manager for Reliance Capital observe “no disproportionate gains without disproportionate pains.” ( The markets tanked another 1000 points today) He used his common wisdom to the situation and put it very matter of factly the more you want the more you risk.

There however are no guarantees in life. Lord plays a funny guessing game with all, keeps us starving for the whole day, and to tickle his funny bone brings us vivid dreams of a sumptuous feast by night. Eventually I have realized that it’s all about waking up and realize that the whole day was just a bad dream.

Is it so easy? Frankly all of us are looking for a shining star to wish upon. For all the lofty talk it’s quite a bummer not to get what u want. Getting up everytime one falls, maybe necessary but not easy. The hurt lingers for ever and lasts a lifetime.

No point risking all for a mirage and then to reach it accidentally and realize that the desert was much better….and as for Kevin Arnold …he took his SAT's. And to quote the narration in the background....."We talked life. We made plans. And the next morning, at 8:00 AM, seventy-eight students gathered in the McKinley cafeteria to take what was supposed to be the most important test of their lives. Everyone had a different way of coping that day. Some were more effective than others. But for all the risks and choices, I was one step ahead of them. After all, I knew that this was just one test in thousands I'd be taking in my life. None of them final, none of them irrevocable. And the way I saw it, maybe life was a risk. But this time, I was ready."

Maybe life is indeed a risk and we do have to take our share of tests along the way and to twist it a little… maybe life we lead too is just one of the tests that we take.

Am I ready… I don’t know... will I get what I want…depends on the choices I make…

A Psalm of Life

2008-10-23T16:42:00.005+05:30

actually a part of it...

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,--act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;--

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
- Henry Longfellow

walking against the wind...

2008-10-23T08:25:00.005+05:30

...this evening. a day fractionated into little tasks and endless whirring of mind wheels. a forgotten phone-call remembered with a start. an invitation to come collect those fired pieces of earth. city lights lay a-twinkle below and afar. the fountain in the park trickled down to its final few goodbyes, steps retreating with the fading sun. feet to the pavement and a frosty wind greets me. the pull of what awaits me is stronger than that wall of wind. walking edge-ways and look ! the road divider has transformed itself into a marsh full of reed swaying in the mad wind! i hear the reed-fields sing, feel my knees push against the resistant marsh and cross over to hold the warm, just-out-of-kiln earth in my hands. returning along the same path, i feel a stillness within me that no howling wind can run the tiniest ripple through.

A Thank You

2008-10-22T21:04:00.006+05:30

“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” – William Shakespeare

Not getting into the nitty-gritty’s of what the bard meant to qualify u for the candle category, anything done without an end to achieve I guess makes you a candle.
I remember having a lesson in 10th grade about a man wanting to change the world by doing his small bit. Kind words were his weapon, gratitude was what he was propagated. His ways a were a bit extreme and would boil down to plain sucking up in today’s world.

It however did set me up on my way of saying a simple thank you to everyone who did a small turn for me. The best part of the whole deal is the reaction I get.
We live in a funny world where every deed is looked up with suspicion and frankly that’s the reaction I have copped most of the times. At times it is pure indifference which has invariably made me feel like a fool, smiling saying a thank you. However what makes it worth it is the smiles I get along, some stunned not knowing how to react and then they positively beam. The one particular incident to my was the lady at the post office, she was stunned for a total of ten seconds minimum, and the smile later was a smile to behold.

I have neither forgotten the face nor the smile and that’s what makes me stick to what I do inspite of the odd Mr. dumb moments that I do have and on the way. And today things came to head when one of my patients turned around and in the sweetest possible way thanked me. I am sure I must have beamed too… I'd end with something very beautiful i read a while back...
"I have seen you stalk the shops, walking the aisles, searching for that extra-special gift. Stashing away a few dollars a month to buy him a lizard-skin book, staring at a thousand rings to find her the best diamond; staying up all night the Christmas Eve assembling the new bicycle.
Why do you do it? so the eyes will pop, the jaws drop. To hear those words of disbelief.."You did it for me?"
And that's why God does it. Next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless, remain that way. Say nothing, and listen as heaven whispers," DO you like it? I did it just for you."

2008-10-21T22:33:00.003+05:30

SACHIN TENDULKAR

2008-10-17T17:56:00.003+05:30

Sachin Tendulkar today became the all the time leading run scorer when he overtook Brian Lara's 11953 runs and further went on to tread into uncharted territories when he was the first to reach 12000 runs capping off a fantastic career which has brought joy to innumerable people in a country where a cricket match can pretty much disrupt normal life.

RESPECT: To the guy who stood tall amidst ruins in the Indian batting line up before the trinity or the Fab Four middle order came into existence. I remember it being so bad that as soon as Sachin got out we used to put the TV off and take it for granted that India would lose.. 90% of the times they did lose.

It speaks volumes of the man that he is not just adored in our country but held in the highest esteem everywhere cricket is played, amply demonstrated by his innings in the controversial Sydney test or commendable words from Sir Don Bradman and Sir Viv Richards. It came as no surprise to me atleast when his one-time nemesis Shane Warne regarded Sachin as the greatest in his list.

Records are meant to be broken, someday someone might indeed break Sachin's record( infamy in my eyes..) but i don't think there will ever be anybody worthier than him for this one. Tendulkar maybe in the sunset of his career..but what a fantastic career it has been. In a country where cricket borders on religious frenzy a placard i saw somewhere has stayed with me forever....it read, " I have seen God.... he bats at no.4 for India"

JET AIRWAYS TAKES BACK SACKED EMPLOYEES

2008-10-17T15:38:00.000+05:30

Apparently tears of the sacked employees gave the Jet Airways chairman sleepless nights which is why he decided to scrap the layoffs and get all the employees on board. It seems his conscience also had a part to play in the whole act that took place.

On the other hand the Civil Aviation Minister came out with a statement that he pretty much ordered the airways to find a fix in 24 hours. This is the same minister who had washed-off his hands when the crisis came about. I wonder if he too did find his conscience somwhere along the 48 hours. Not to mention of our poor Labour Minister, who seemed lost in the whole deal. In keeping with the political theme of our country he came out with the most perfect statement...he needed to study the files.

Somehow I feel that the discovery of their individual consciences of these very eminent men has something to do with one Mr. Raj Thackeray. A little prodding from him might on account of not letting any flights out of Mumbai migth have just done the trick.

Now I am not sure nor knowledgable if the 'fire and hire' policy is gonna stand it in good stead, all I know is it turned out into quite a 'JE(s)T' fiasco with the head honchos appearing to take a tough stand ( which i assume maybe more common with the impending financial situation), then buckling down under some kind of pressure, conveniently bringing their conscience in to tide over most questions. For now atleast the employees have their jobs back. Nobody knows how the next laying-off crisis will pan out, cos the way things are there sure shall be some. Till then hope these eminent people do keep running into their consciences.

IRONY

2008-10-15T23:29:00.003+05:30

IRONY
One must appreciate life's little ironies, even at one's own expense.
Sol Luckman
i just happened to experience mine....tried paying my electricity bill at the state electricity bill counter...and could not do so...guess why....because they had no 'electricity'...

2008-10-14T22:00:00.001+05:30

On Almost Any Sunday Morning - Counting Crows

2008-08-22T00:49:00.011+05:30

You were so stupid
To believe in things you couldn't see
Then make them all you want
If you haven't got the reasons
Just make up any reasons
Then pick them 'til they're torn
Take it all away
You took your coat today
But they all go back in the morning
Make a time to find your way
I got a little further today

Parijatham

2008-07-25T23:01:00.001+05:30

simply love this song...

Manmohan Singh Wins- way to go MR. Prime minister

2008-07-22T20:59:00.007+05:30

The UPA wins the trust vote and with thats I simply love the way the Prime Minister has come to his own ...i kind of wanted the government to win and inspite of the petty political drama played inside the house...good sense prevailed.. i saw the whole drama enacted by the BJP as a frace played by the party about to lose and trying to distract the major issue by trying to hijack the house with an issue prodded on by them...at the end i'd post a few lines from the PM's speech that he was not allowed to make

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s reply to trust vote motion. Its copy was submitted to Speaker Somnath Chatterjee( excerpts from the same)

The Leader of Opposition, Shri L.K. Advani has chosen to use all manner of abusive objectives to describe my performance. He has described me as the weakest Prime Minister, a nikamma PM, and of having devalued the office of PM. To fulfill his ambitions, he has made at least three attempts to topple our government. But on each occasion his astrologers have misled him. This pattern, I am sure, will be repeated today. At his ripe old age, I do not expect Shri Advani to change his thinking. But for his sake and India’s sake, I urge him at least to change his astrologers so that he gets more accurate predictions of things to come ( the best line)

Can our nation forgive a Home Minister who slept when the terrorists were knocking at the doors of our Parliament? Can our nation forgive a person who single handedly provided the inspiration for the destruction of the Babri Masjid with all the terrible consequences that followed? To atone for his sins, he suddenly decided to visit Pakistan and there he discovered new virtues in Mr. Jinnah. Alas, his own party and his mentors in the RSS disowned him on this issue. Can our nation approve the conduct of a Home Minister who was sleeping while Gujarat was burning leading to the loss of thousands of innocent lives? Our friends in the Left Front should ponder over the company they are forced to keep because of miscalculations by their General Secretary.

All I had asked our Left colleagues was : please allow us to go through the negotiating process and I will come to Parliament before operationalising the nuclear agreement. This simple courtesy which is essential for orderly functioning of any Government worth the name, particularly with regard to the conduct of foreign policy, they were not willing to grant me. They wanted a veto over every single step of negotiations which is not acceptable. They wanted me to behave as their bonded slave.

I have often said that I am a politician by accident. I have held many diverse responsibilities. I have been a teacher, I have been an official of the Government of India, I have been a member of this greatest of Parliaments, but I have never forgotten my life as a young boy in a distant village.

Every day that I have been Prime Minister of India I have tried to remember that the first ten years of my life were spent in a village with no drinking water supply, no electricity, no hospital, no roads and nothing that we today associate with modern living. I had to walk miles to school, I had to study in the dim light of a kerosene oil lamp. This nation gave me the opportunity to ensure that such would not be the life of our children in the foreseeable future.

friends

2008-07-22T00:01:00.001+05:30

Somehow simply love this picture...:P

The Wild Geese- Mary Oliver

2008-07-20T23:59:00.001+05:30

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I'll tell you mine.
But meanwhile the world goes on...
Meanwhile the sun and the soft pebbles of rain
are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies,
and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile, the wild geese high in the
clean blue air are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh
and exciting over and over again,
announcing your place in the family of things.

2008-06-29T18:09:00.001+05:30

Four Things to Know

Hatim al-Asamm said, "I have chosen four things to know
and discarded all other things of knowledge.
"The first is this: I know that my daily bread is apportioned
to me and will neither be increased or decreased, so I have stopped
trying to add to it.
"Secondly, I know I owe to God a debt which no one else can
pay for me, so I am busy about paying it.
"Thirdly, I know that there is someone pursuing me ---
Death --- whom I cannot escape from, so I have prepared myself
to meet him.
"Fourth, I know that God is observing me, so I am ashamed
to do what I should not."

Farid ud Din Attar, translation by Andrew Harvey and Eryk Hanut - 'Perfume of the Desert'

2008-05-23T22:40:00.003+05:30

aarushi murder case

2008-05-23T22:40:00.002+05:30

The murder case in itself is shocking and the way the investigation was conducted is appalling to start with. Tragic in itself the way the police conducted itself just adds to the misery.

To add to it the father being arrested for the murder of his daughter is something one cannot dream of. I in particular have been disappointed with the coverage of the news by a section of the news channels.

I for one don't have a clue as to who committed the murders and am as sure that neither does the media.Yes the police have arrested her father and maybe he might have indeed committed the crime but he has not been proved guilty. I do not support her father nor have anything against him.

I am just horrified at the way the case has been sensationalised by a section of media with going as far calling the father " dongi papa" and shedding crocodile tears over his daughters death. The least u can expect of the media is responsible journalism with painting a fair picture give both sides of the story.

To be fair there are many loopholes to the version the police has given out. This also is the same police force that failed to discover servants body lying on the terrace and somebody from outside had to do it for them. The whole version is littered with fallacies and i for my life cant seem to comprehend the motive behind the murder.

I am just disappointed that a few news channels for the sake of trp's took the police version, painted a story around it and proclaimed the father guilty party even b4 he was afforded a trial.

And on top of it aarushi would have been 14 in an hour from now.. sad end to a future that was never to be...

R.I.P. aarushi

Character Of A Happy Life

2008-05-11T09:21:00.001+05:30

How happy is he born and taught
That serveth not another's will;
Whose armour is his honest thought,
And simple truth his utmost skill!
Whose passions not his masters are;
Whose soul is still prepared for death,
Untied unto the world by care
Of public fame or private breath;

Who envies none that chance doth raise,
Nor vice; who never understood
How deepest wounds are giv'n by praise;
Nor rules of state, but rules of good;

Who hath his life from rumours freed;
Whose conscience is his strong retreat;
Whose state can neither flatterers feed,
Nor ruin make oppressors great.

Who God doth late and early pray
More of His grace than gifts to lend;
And entertains the harmless day
With a religious book or friend.

This man is freed from servile bands
Of hope to rise, or fear to fall;
Lord of himself, though not of lands;
And having nothing, yet hath all.

by: Sir Henry Wotton(1568 - 1639)

Pictorial warnings on tobacco products

2008-05-06T21:16:00.000+05:30

The proposal to introduce pictorial warnings on tobacco products finally seems to be underway albeit in a modified way. The health ministry has decided to let go of their earlier concept of showing gory pictures and instead settle in for milder picture that would be more acceptable to the wider public. I wonder how much the pressure from the tobacco lobby had to do with the change in the proposal.

The ministry has approached the court to implement the proposal as early as possible. The effectivity of the pictorial warnings is something that I doubt. Most of consumers I believe indeed are aware of the harmful effects and consume tobacco inspite of it. Maybe the warnings might have some effect, where awareness might be a bit low, I still would be doubtful about the effectiveness of this measure.

The pictorial warnings are to occupy 40% of the packaging area is to be occupied by the warnings. The manufacturers would find some other way to lure the consumers to their products. I am of the opinion that the warnings wont have the amount of effect of the magnitude necessary to bring about a change.

The Fool Errant

2008-05-03T21:21:00.004+05:30

The Fool Errant sat by the highway of life
And his gaze wandered up and his gaze wandered down,
A vigorous youth, but with no wish to walk,
Yet his longing was great for the distant town.

He whistled a little frivolous tune
Which he felt to be pulsing with ecstasy,
For he thought that success always followed desire,
Such a very superlative fool was he

Then they clattered away in the dust and the wind,
And the fool slunk back to his lonely stone;
He began to see that the man who asks
Must likewise give and not ask alone.

Purple tree-shadows crept over the road,
The level sun flung an orange light,
And the fool laid his head on the hard, gray stone
And wept as he realized advancing night.

A great, round moon rose over a hill
And the steady wind blew yet more cool;
And crouched on a stone a wayfarer sobbed,
For at last he knew he was only a fool.
- Amy Lowell

Frost

2008-04-26T20:54:00.001+05:30

When the spent sun throws up its rays on cloud
And goes down burning into the gulf below,
No voice in nature is heard to cry aloud
At what has happened. Birds, at least must know
It is the change to darkness in the sky.
Murmuring something quiet in her breast,
One bird begins to close a faded eye;
Or overtaken too far from his nest,
Hurrying low above the grove, some waif
Swoops just in time to his remembered tree.
At most he thinks or twitters softly, 'Safe!
Now let the night be dark for all of me.
Let the night bee too dark for me to see
Into the future. Let what will be, be.

The Road goes ever on and on

2008-04-15T10:42:00.000+05:30

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then?
I cannot say.
--- J.R.R. Tolkien

happy vishu

2008-04-14T08:22:00.002+05:30

It couldn't be done

2008-03-19T03:02:00.001+05:30

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one we know has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.

With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.

But just buckle right in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That cannot be done, and you'll do it

-edgar guest

Character of the Happy Warrior

2008-03-13T01:10:00.002+05:30

It is the generous Spirit, who, when brought
Among the tasks of real life, hath wrought
Upon the plan that pleased his boyish thought:
Whose high endeavours are an inward light
That makes the path before him always bright:
Who, with a natural instinct to discern
What knowledge can perform, is diligent to learn;
Abides by this resolve, and stops not there,
But makes his moral being his prime care;
Who, doomed to go in company with Pain,
And Fear, and Bloodshed, miserable train!
Turns his necessity to glorious gain;
In face of these doth exercise a power
Which is our human nature's highest dower;
Controls them and subdues, transmutes, bereaves
Of their bad influence, and their good receives:
By objects, which might force the soul to abate
Her feeling, rendered more compassionate;
Is placable--because occasions rise
So often that demand such sacrifice;
More skilful in self-knowledge, even more pure,
As tempted more; more able to endure,
As more exposed to suffering and distress;
Thence, also, more alive to tenderness.
- William Wordsworth

hamlet's soliloquy

2008-03-09T01:40:00.000+05:30

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?—To die,—to sleep,—
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to,—’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die,—to sleep;—
To sleep: perchance to dream:—ay, there’s the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there’s the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The pangs of despis’d love, the law’s delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would these fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,—
The undiscover’d country, from whose bourn
No traveller returns,—puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought;
And enterprises of great pith and moment,
With this regard, their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action

ITHACA

2008-03-02T16:27:00.003+05:30

Pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many, when,
with such pleasure, with such joy
you will enter ports seen for the first time;
stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensual perfumes of all kinds,
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
visit many Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from scholars.

Always keep Ithaca in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would never have set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.

CONSTANTINE CAVAFY (1863–1933)
translated by Rae Dalven

Joy & Sorrow - khalil gibran

2008-02-23T00:40:00.001+05:30

Then a woman said, "Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow."
And he answered:
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that hold your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

Mee Mumbaikar

2008-02-12T21:59:00.000+05:30

With the news channels predicting the "imminent" arrest of Raj Thackeray, the whole of Maharasthra remains on tenterhooks, trouble sure to erupt if the imminent does occur.

At the heart of the situation the debate over who exactly a Mumbaikar is still rages. As a south Indian residin in pune i aint sure how qualified i am to comment on a sensitive as this so i wont.

I kinda like the younger Thackeray. He is young, capable of stirring his followers and is very intelligent as the current situation shows. He definitely is the brightest star for the future.
What more, he does have the support of majaority of the native state population for raking up this issue. Mr.Patil-a colleague in dad's office- going as far as wanting his arrest so that trouble does erupt. ...cant imagine how perverse can one get. It is common knowledge that Mumbai will burn if Raj is indeed docked.

The major grouse of his party has been the migrant population eating up into the jobs sector leaving none for the native population.
I feel the cheatin off jobs comment is kinda funny. Under this garb MNS has been attackin poor taxi drivers and migrant labourers. Is that the kind of jobs that they feel cheated off !!!!!. Why exactly did all the north indians or the bhaiyyas to be more specific land up with these jobs. The owners hire people depending on their ability. If the native population is indeed capable then why not compete in the same sector instead of driving the competition away. These jobs were there for the takin b4 the influx occured. Why is MNS creatin a ruckus about it now. Are they implyin that after drivin the north indians off they want maharashtrians to be the labourers and taxi drivers. I fail to understand.

The issue about the development of mumbai being adversely affected by the influx of migrants is definitely serious. I completely agree that the coming up of slums the way they are in mumbai does nothing in the city's quest to become the next shanghai. It is a probelm and needs lookin into. The solution suggested by Raj Thackeray sounds lame though. Banning the entry of people into the city would hardly solve the issue.If he is so concerned about the issue he might as well have taken up the issue with the state government, his being a cadre based party it would have worked wonders for the city. I was watching his press conference and loved the way he responded to the questions. He does have the charisma to lead maharshtra to a glorious path.Pity he resorted to these means. To add to the confusion we have Abu Azmi who responded with distribtuion of sticks to his workers, when he wuld have been wise to try and defuse the situation amicably. Finally he seems to have toned down his rhetoric...good sense prevailin at last.

Somewhere along the the majority who took the brunt of the attacks were people who struggle for their livelihood... thrashing defenceless taxidrivers serves no point...How many big or powerful north indians has the MNS taken on...apart from the occasional Amitabh Bachchan.. and what happened to bachchan, he still lives off his crores comfortably...while the poor suffer as his party activists wreak havoc.
Everybody has the right to live...in his chosen place...atleast in our country, that is what makes India so great.

Thackeray may have the best intentions for his city, unfortunately the method chosen to realize his intentions is not something that i agree with ( not that it matters to him). In an attempt to galvanize his party from political obscurity, he has raked up an issue which would only lead to further disquiet and chaos in the mumbai. In the midst of all this people who struggle day in- day out for their basic needs....suffer.

I like Raj Thackeray....he would definitely get my vote had he been contestin from where i am...i just hope good sense prevails...

WORDS-Ryan Adams

2008-02-12T20:19:00.000+05:30

If everything you want is something you couldn't have
Go outside a while, look up and count the clouds
Can you draw a picture of the backyard of the house
You grew up in, can you remember how it smelled?

Don't worry up your mind
People are sick and mean sometimes
They're only words
They're only words

If everybody is grateful, how come nobody's satisfied
If a tree falls in the woods and there ain't no one around
If you heard it you could go over and whittle out a wishing box
You could write her name on something and put it inside

Don't worry up your mind
People are sick and mean sometimes
Don't worry up your mind
They're only words
Its only words
Its only words

Hard Times - Eastmountainsouth

2008-02-07T22:23:00.000+05:30

simply love the lyrics of this song....

As we pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears
Let us all taste the hungers of the poor.
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears:
Hard times, come again no more.

It's a song and a sigh of the weary.
Hard times, hard times, come again no more.
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door.
Hard times, come again no more.

As we seek mirth, and beauty, and music light and gay
There are frail forms fainting at the door.
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say:
Hard times, come again no more.

It's a song and a sigh of the weary.
Hard times, hard times, come again no more.
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door.
Hard times, come again no more.

It's a song that the wind blows across the troubled wave.
It's a cry that is heard along the shore.
It's the words that are whispered beside the lowly grave
When hard times will come again no more.

It's a song and a sigh of the weary.
Hard times, hard times, come again no more.
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door.
Hard times, come again no more.

Will of Francisco Ferrer

2008-02-03T20:24:00.000+05:30

" I also wish my friends to speak ittle or not at all about me , because idols are created when men are praised , and this is very bad for the future of the human race. Acts alone , no matter by whom committed , ought to be studied , praised or blamed.Let them be praised in order that they may be imitated when thy seem to contribute to the commonweal.Let them be censured when they are regarded as injurious to the general

well being, so that they may not be repeated.

I desire that on no occasion whether near or remote , nor for any reason what so ever , shall demonstration of a political or religious character be made before my remains, as I consider the time devoted to the dead would be better employed in improving the conditons of the living most of whom stands in great need of this."

{ Will of Francisco Ferrer , Spanish educator

1859-1909 Executed after the Bacelona riots

by a plot of his clerical enemies.}

: 0 :

YOU CAN

2007-12-30T23:35:00.000+05:30

ABE LINCOLN

2007-12-20T19:41:00.000+05:30

"It comes with bittersweet agony . . .
I am anxious to afford some alleviation of your present distress
Perfect relief is not possible, except with time.
You cannot realize that you will ever feel better.
And yet it is a mistake.
You are sure to be happy again.
To know this, which is certainly true,
Will make you some less miserable now.
I have had experience enough to know what I say."
--- Abraham Lincoln

Do any hearts beat faster

2007-12-10T01:24:00.000+05:30

“Do any hearts beat faster,
Do any faces brighten,
To hear your footsteps on the stair,
To meet you, greet you, anywhere?
Are you so like you Master,
Dark shadows to enlighten?
Are any happier to-day
Through words they have heard you say?
Life were not worth the living
If no one were the better
For having met you on the way,
And known the sunshine of your stay.”

2007-12-07T20:24:00.000+05:30

No Enemies?
You have no enemies you say ?
Alas! my friend the boast is poor;
He who has mingled in the fray
of duty , that the brave endure,
Must have made foes! If you have none,
small is the work you have done.
You ‘ve hit no traitor on the hip,
You ‘ve dashed no cup from perjured lip,
You ‘ve never turned the wrong to right,
You ‘ve been a coward in the fight.

[ Charles Mackey 747 ] {ed. now cry for justice 493(1996)}

newyork nagaram

2007-12-05T15:31:00.000+05:30

one of my favorite songs...

The Noblest Fallen

2007-11-29T20:24:00.002+05:30

The Noblest have fallen , they were buried
Obscurely in a deserted place.
No tears fell over them
Strange hands carried them to the grave
No cross , no enclouser , and no tomb stone tell
Their glorious names.

Grass grows over them , a feeble blade
bending low keeps the secret,
The sole witness were the surging waves ,
which furiously beat against the shore
But even they the mighty waves could
Not carry farewell greetings to
The distant home.