Vijay Deenanath Chauhan POORANAAM

Cycleone

2010-07-05T23:23:00.001+05:30

Back to stone age as they say... the clock has started ticking in anti-clockwise for me! Quite literally as i have been smitten by the bicycle bug. Have become a proud owner of a Firefox Compac, a 6 gear graphite coloured style statement.

My mind played interesting games this Monday morning as i was getting ready for work. How do i manage to carry the laptop bag on my cycle? Its 7:05 and i have a call at 7:30, what if i take more time to pedal my way? Will i take too much time to find a 'safe' parking slot for my machine? How would people look at me wearing my sporty head gear, otherwise meant for the armstrongs? Should i just whisk away in my car and do this some other day? I had to fight all of this as i finally resolved to do whatever it takes to reach office just the way i had planned the previous day when i bought the cycle in an impulse! Yes, i love surprising myself by shopping like that.

It was very different from the last time(around 11-12 yrs ago) and i found myself gasping for breath as i strode along those not so tarred roads... with onlookers greeting me with amusement! The route had suddenly become longer and the terrain harder. As i puffed and panted my way, the only saving grace seemed to be the good weather.

It took me a little under 20 minutes to knock the gates of my office... where i managed to give the security guard his scare of the week with my 'alien' avatar! I had finally made it but no prizes for guessing as to what happened to my 'formal' attire that tried to deal with my overworked sweat glands.

As i settled down at my desk, it was realization and reflection time... i thought cycling was child's play and i was horribly underestimating the competencies required for the role, and yea that i needed to do some process re-engineering to further my odour management agenda! I must sign off with a hope to continue with this newly acquired hobby and write a better review of my biking experiences!!!

Salesman - Not today

2010-01-26T18:28:00.006+05:30

Funny that i post this after sharing my blues recently.... but i guess that shows the mind-fullness of the whole deal. Lazing on India's 60th Republic day, i have done nothing but sleep and listen to music... felt at peace with myself actually. Yes that's the difference between today and some of my earlier holidays in recent times.
One of the reasons is the realization that to achieve something in life you need to deserve so that if and when you get it, you know how to cherish the same. Without going into what triggered this trail of thought i'd only say that i am happy to be going through this process of self discovery of sorts, realizing certain things that I've always believed or portrayed differently maybe.
Peace if i try and define is the experience when i am neutral about my strengths and weaknesses, when right and wrong around is not what matters but there is a connection with a greater reality. Thoughts don't distract much when i realize that people around me know what i am and i for once don't need to fight or for that matter build perceptions. It is nice not being a salesman once in a while :)
Otherwise i see everyone of us is in this bid to sell - at office in front of your boss / superiors, to your colleagues, to your friends, your dear ones... the selling doesn't end. All this only adds to the mental mess because there is hardly any peace in the bargain. Even the best of the best fails and the baggage of failure is far more for those who fail occasionally! So should one stop selling and lose their competitiveness in this 'cruel' world out there?? Should one lose the zing in life by talking philosophy? Well i am no expert but it's definitely worthwhile to revisit strategies and hang the cloak (if not boots) when it's raining! I am feeling much lighter today to say the least :)

Blues

2010-01-12T20:28:00.001+05:30

Feeling blue... yes i am. it is one of those very painfully low state of mental affairs and i can't blame it on anyone. I am just feeling a little frustrated in life...! The idea of blogging is to recover from this indulgence in self-pity and a sense of abyssness' if ever there existed such a word.
I've been trying to pull myself out of this rut and i suddenly realize how crappy i'd feel if someone referred me to a self-help book or a 'gyan' session! Mind can be so funny and although it's yours it can put you to shame and make you feel the worst possible creation nah... the unluckiest of the lot to be precise...! But then i force myself to think of all those people who have made it big after going through weird, obnoxious, tough, much tough-er times? This thought has already made me feel a little more inferior about myself! but hey there is still this inspiration that i am trying to draw out and work my 'way up'.
My analytical mind also makes me break down the problem and try to analyze it step wise to arrive at a 'solution'... but the deal is that i am so not in the frame of 'mind'(again) to go through such a painful process. I want instant solution and the ones that i fancy... no wonder mind has been the biggest friend and foe of all!
Maybe the solution lies in looking at the 'problem' as an 'opportunity' and use the skills gained from my gujju neighbourhood and be a little more entrepreneurial about the whole deal! what say???
Well i don't know .... i really dont... but i am feeling better already that i have purged some of my mess on this blog .... i am loving this actually :)

Spring feet

2009-05-28T11:34:00.008+05:30

Just one of those days when you get out of the bed without a need to drag yourself out... just one of those days when vishnu sahasranamam plays around sun-rise, just one of those days you manage your chores and also a sumptuous hog! of puris and crispy dosa with chutney... !

Today happens to be that experience so far.... and i want to be sprinty for the rest of the day :)

Some of these small things can make so much of a difference to the way one conducts his/her daily routine. The devil in me retorts immediately though - 'When done once in a while, the difference is notable'! Well yeah maybe.... but the underlying thought here is that discipline in life and life style can make an impact; experienced or not in the shorter run.

I started to write about my sprite of today and have ended up doling enough and more gyan... no wonder i should restrict myself to writing about Big B

Have a pleasant day ahead :-)

India - A secular nation?

2008-09-27T20:34:00.003+05:30

This question has been troubling me for the last some years. When i researched i figured that India was not technically a secular nation till the word was impregnated in the constitution in the '70s(42nd Amendment, 1976) by Smt Indira Gandhi. Congress has never done anything for electoral gains.. so stop thinking in that direction right now.
It is understandable that the doyens of Indian governance were right in stamping us - a Hindu Majority a secular nation. Why? - i am not supposed to feel insulted as a hindu that we needed something in paper to assert the Hindu sensitivity towards other religions. And if this was not imperative during Independence(Blunders of partition - a subject for another occasion) why in 70s??? Congress... t'sup guys - did RSS and Bajrang dal create nuisance even then?

My inquisitive mind tried hard to argue - "There aren't too many nations that have seen a need to hard code such values in their constitution to quell the insecurities of the 'minorities'". A sample of some of the 'known' nations:
Germany - All laws are same for people from any religion. The main political parties are called Christian Democrats /Social Christians... Extremely RIGHT WING eh?
The USA - No reference of secularism in the constitution
England - The Monarch cannot be a Catholic!
Japan/China - Chuckles...
Pakistan - Im rolling now

Nobody seems to be unnecessarily worried about the status of minorities in these nations. So why is there a hue and cry in/about a country where formally secularism has been declared?

Let me now talk a little about my India....
All Hindu temples (atleast the significant ones) are governed by the state - the money flows into the gov't coffers. NO church/mosque owes any such obligation to the state.
TN govt announced a special reservation for minorities last year. The AP govenment in Feb 2008 announced subsidies to Christians in the state who wish to visit their holy sites in Israel. Haj Subsidy to the tune of crores is doled out each year.
I am not here to flare up emotions but to ask a question: Is India really Secular? Or in the name of secularism, the majority community is being driven up the wall?
Where is the Media that was sensationlizing a Godhra to cover the horror tales of Kerala Hindus?(Kashmir Pundits is a stale quote anyways) Where were the secularists while major tribal areas across the country were systematically being converted into Christian laboratories?
Oh by the way, i am not here to cover up for the wrong doings of the Sangh Parivar or whichever saffron brigade you'd know of.

Should i not sue the Indian government for not being secular and most of their practises??

I am a troubled Indian at the end of the day tired of the double standards of fellow Indians... afterall the SECULARISM stamp was passed in the Parliament that is voted in by a Hindu Majority!

A note to all my non-hindu friends... i don't think i am against your religion when i write this... i am just a little confused in the head about the secularism deal :)

Paradise

2008-05-27T19:47:00.004+05:30

Why is it so significant? Why does it oft hold our imagination? Why is it a distant dream and 'just in theory, not practical'.
What stops us from living there right now? Why do we hold ourselves ransom to our ideas of a 'sucess story'. Why is today not what it should be?
"Bhangi ke sapne mein Jhadu" as my friend quotes :)! Each one has his/her own ideas about paradise. Again restricted by our myopic thoughts about an ideal world.
Well the purists believe that only those who dream can achieve, which is true and that's where stems my disconnect. Is dreaming along enough or is it relevant to dream beyond 'usually dreamt of' things?
I guess it's not so easy, but it should be possible. Isn't the whole act of being in this world an instrument to enable this 'dreaming' business? Aren't we here to learn from people, things and events around us to 'dream' better? Am i then doing enough to capture from my environs to build that capability in me to dream good enough?
My mind seems to play games with me whenever i am not alert about it's activities. I guess a good starting point would be to challenge it whenever anything 'negative' comes to mind. The definition for that(-ve) would be anything that comes to mind that defies your basic character. Anything that raises an alarm on 'second thoughts' so to speak!
Well i'm not in a mood to spend more time justifying my definition and i just about figured that the title was 'Paradise' and not ' Dreams' !!!
Well i guess i'm in the process of building my paradise going about my business of writing whatever and whenever i feel like!

Incredible? India

2007-09-28T12:35:00.000+05:30

I am a proud indian alright! I get a hair-raising experience whenever the Anthem is played (in whatever form), am on a high whenever India crushes its opponents on the sports field, love when Indians(by hook or crook) win plaudits abroad.

I am a generation that doesn't know what freedom means though as it was never a new phenomenon. I don't know my duties as a citizen; don't care how people around me are as long as i am 'happy'. I don't have the Sardar Patels around me to show the world what the real India thinks about worldly matters. I as India do not stand up to problems around the world. I don't care if there is a struggle for democracy in a neighbouring country 60 years after my nation gained independence. I don't care how some nations bull-doze the rest as long as my relationship ascends ' historic heights' with these rogues.

I love the booming economy and the vulgar display of wealth and vanity, for tradition is a big NO-NO for me. What would people think if i start living the 'stone-age' way. I envision india becoming a super power in 2020... no 2015 no... next year! It would be a super(b) power that doesn't care for, neither stands up against the economic/socio-political blasphemy of the other super powers. Arey :) it doesn't stand up against blasphemy within.... !!!

Ofcourse, i am part of the making of an Incredible India.

Family Ka Bachcha

2007-09-23T20:02:00.001+05:30

Mithunda's Krishnan Iyer M.A fondly repeated these lines when he held Vijay Chauhan's Son aloft. This was the typical HUF(Hindu Undivided Family) in legal parlance.

People were strongly bonded with family ties, supporting each other though the rough and rains, sharing joys and sorrows alike. This was the Joint Family system that the Indian society boasted of. Things changed, people moved across different societies, started travelling more frequently to distant destinations, dollar started flowing.... people started secluding themselves, distancing themselves, 'frustrated' and 'choked' they sought 'solace' & 'Independence' & 'freedom'.

Every house boasts of a son and daughter in the US/UK/Canada/Aus/NZ/Singapore etal..
The generation of '80s worked their youth to ensure a safe and secure future for their children.
Now, they are alone, ailing; fighting bouts of rejection, grief and self pity. They are surprised at the pace in which the societies have 'grown'? leaving them behind in the race for SUCCESS!!!

I met a couple today, with both dotters settled in the US for good. The graceful lady, who happens to be a cousin of my mom; proudly declared her skills in traversing the globe across airports with 'confusing symbols'! The gentleman offered an interesting repartee - These are the glorified Servant Maids! And the locals think 'Wow! She has gone to the US'
He continued; 'We are not called to see the beauty of US. We go only for Child Birth'

Alas, so true were those words that still reverberate in my ears as i come to terms with the plight of a 'rich' yet 'poor' couple lost in the 21st century highway of life!

My intention of blogging this was not to label a superiority tag on joint family system but to sensitize myself to the issue as i hard code these sentences on the web. I am reminded of my wife's words while we were still seeing each other - "We should not keep them with us for getting our work done"

This article also highlights my inability to use the right punctuations in a direct speech format... but there are larger issues to care for tonite!

Right Vs 'Right'

2007-05-15T13:58:00.000+05:30

The media (print, electronic and however else) has had an uneasy time dealing with Gujarat ever since the riots in 2002, more so after the reelection of Narendra Modi to the chief minister's chair of Gujarat. Well, most indians are known to play the sane all knowing types and thus this tamasha. I think i need more lines to explain my thoughts...

We all take pride in upholding the spirit of the constitution and whatever else it stands for... namely secularism, democracy, freedom of expression blah ... blah ... etc. Why do we forget that these terms were introduced by people at different times to suit the conditions that prevailed. These are not stone coded terminologies that can't be ridden of. I am not an advocate of radicalism and terrorism of any kind, if that's what i am sounding to be.

My point is simple.... look at these terminologies in the true spirit and not definitive. Without wasting more time... look at what's going around the whole 'ARTY' affair. People are protesting against a 'fascist' regime out to snatch fundamental rights of people.... 'moral policing' should go some say.... Funnily enough one social activist almost sided with the BJP and the other 'Right' wing forces when she said.... this state seems to be separated from the rest of the country.... people can barely live here... outsiders are not welcome blah blah... and she has been camping there and deriving maximum mileage out of the affair for the last 4-5 days! How ironoic that she has been able to survive in such a horrible and obnoxious 'state' of affairs!!!

Why are our indian doyens of liberalism and free thinking forgetting that if free thought is their right, so it is for the rest. How cleverly they are by-passing the whole issue of religious faux-pas, when Shiva or Durga or for that matter Jesus or Allah are protrayed in a compromising pose. How relevant is an argument about ' how were outsiders allowed to enter the examination hall' and 'instead of supporting the students the VC is with these anti-social elements'; when there is a larger issue out there. Blood thirsty media and ofcourse our good ol' socialists are busy diverting attention towards the role of Gujarat government in their support for such 'right' wing organizations out to 'destroy' the balance in society.

Boss... give me a break... where were you when muslims were protesting and issuing fatwa against a Danish cartoonist for showing Allah in poor light??? Why were they burning effigies and destroying property in India??? It was 'right' when they did it.... but wrong when abvp activists do it! I think we need to sit back and evaluate our idea of what is "right". Whatever is politically correct and appealing for mass consumption may not always be 'RIGHT'.

I am appalled at the way Indians are degenrating themselves by propagating a concept of popilism and non-righteousness ironically while trying to project 'right'! Gujarat has been an example of intolerance to non-sense! Maybe there are lessons for everyone... so my dear rajdeep sardesais of the media world.... try something different. You can't get away by scoring personal brownies against Narendra Modi everytime just because your ego was crushed when BJP swept to power in gujarat

Infallible justice of Nature

2006-11-20T10:56:00.000+05:30

As soon as Saddam hussain was held culpable and awarded a sentence, papers all over the world started splashing accounts of the fairness/unfairness of the entire judicial affair behind the sentence.

We as humans, have this tendency of expecting instantaneous justice and that's often not what nature has in store for. Even the man-made judicial process takes its own course and time. Nature eventually catches up with everyone..... be it the accused who 'roams freely' as the case is being fought over or others who are sometimes hastily awarded false sentences for the better part of their lives. That brings me to the dilemma i often experience... do we get punished for whatever wrong we do.... and that too immediately? I can sense the argument in your mind about the measure/extent of wrong deed... well the counter argument is a corresponding measure of punishment.

We frown if we feel that we've got a raw deal and that the other person has gotten away with it... i've seen a lot of people caught by a traffic police pointing at others who they think should also be brought to book! I've done it myself :). So why do we think that if we are punished then the entire world is full of criminals and everyone should immediately be booked?

Coming back to Saddam's case.... what's the popular argument doing rounds...." it was a clear case of US high-handedness" So? does that mean Saddam was innocent this time? Someone else remarked " If Saddam hangs bush should also hang" Maybe,... but why relate the two at all? Bush din't ask saddam to commit those heinous crimes against fellow iraqis.

These protesters should've hit the streets when US decided to attack iraq in the pretext of unearthing WMD(wpns of mass destruction). What was dear India doing then? What did the government do to stop the war or take the case up in the United Nations as a clear violation and public repudiation/mockery of UN ethos!??

I think i am building a case for Destiny here... Saddam deserves what he got.... sooner or later Bush will! And yes, India will also pay for its muted reaction to the entire drama!

Leave those kids alone!

2006-11-17T10:38:00.000+05:30

Pink floyd scowled then, it's time to hum the chart-buster song again. Look at the way the media has blown this whole thing about those 2 kids breaking sachin-kambli record for the highest score ever at a domestic circuit match. Evidently, the boys had no clue till the innings ended. Wht did the media do... gheraoed the kids and made them look like super heroes. Comparisons of all kinds have started doing rounds... some say - the next super stars of indian cricket have arrived! Voila... nobody knew either Sachin or Kambli when they scripted the record partnership. With time, however they continued to prove their merit and earned a place and name for themselves. Why should there be such a big deal about these two kids. I am sure they are talented, but they aren't alone out there. By comparing them with legends, by exposing them to all this glossed up media attention, are we not trying to put unnecessary pressure on those young shoulders? Won't they now start looking at themselves differently from others and isn't there a possibility of they losing focus and running out of steam? Why don't we let seeds sprout and then publicize the glory and potential.... cheap trp ratings help you rake in the moolahs... atleast LEAVE THE KIDS ALONE ?!?!

Oo Aa Ouch India!

2006-10-31T14:57:00.000+05:30

The blue billion needs to adopt a slightly modified version of scowl now that india has been beaten black n blue in the ICC Champions trophy!

What a performance.... even boycott's now famous mother would've played better crikkit~! Almost everyone has been eyeing the developments in the indian team very closely ever since the ganguly-chappel spat became public. Indians can't resist the temptation of allowing a foreign coach to do his work. "Experts" who were otherwise in deep slumber suddenly woke up to voice their concerns on the state of 'mishandling in the name of experimentation'.

Now it's not the coach's fault if the Indian team doesn't know how to face strong opposition in the field. Tony greig, at the end of the day's play on sunday said, " There is only so much a coach can do for a player and a team. He cannot enter the player's head when he is out there playing!"

Lemme second Greggie here..... When india was beaten badly in Windies, Dravid in his press address blamed it on inexperience, absence of tendulkar and lack of form of Pathan. And he wasn't too worried as india had done well in the longer version of the game.

Come Malaysia and again we finished at the bottom of the table and rahul exclaimed " We have not played for a long time. Rain gods din't favour us, Sri Lankan tour was also washed away and blah and blah....

Then came the local challenger trophy played between the greens, the Reds and ofcourse the Blues. Another woeful performance saw the Indian team losing out to a bunch of aspirants. Wasn't that enough to show the sub-standards of the team?

Come Champions trophy, and india continued to lose to Windies. The apparently 'fought' hard against Aussies and kicked the bucket as far as the championship was concerned. Mr Dravid blames it again on Inexperience :). Our batting line-up has been touted as the most explosive in contemporary cricket on "our day". I can't but chuckle when i hear that.... And ofcourse the endless list of excuses roll on.

Pakistan i remember entered the tournament with two star performers out of the game. What happened.... they won their first outing !!! Now if the indian team is complaining of lack of exposure/experience at the highest level, then they need to do a soul searching on what they did to the erstwhile experienced ones. Why was youth suddenly promoted excessively despite the lack of wherewithal to perform at the highest level?

We are used to living hypocritically. We still think we are world beaters despite the fact that statistics goes against us. Optimism is good, but vanity and narcissism ain't.

India needs to acknowledge its weaknesses and accept that they aren't good enough currently. Only then will they allow themselves the scope to work towards the goal of winning the world-cup. The depth of character shows up in defeat. We need to hire a beautician for mental make-up. Chappel is a very strong character who can bring in the desired change in attitude, only if we stop resisting his style with quotes like..." Indians are culturally different ... blah blah...". He will walk away with a handsome salary at the end of the day and the blue billion woud continue to OO aa and Ouch .... !

Safe n' Secure

2006-10-30T10:08:00.000+05:30

Last weekend i was at the Bangalore airport, flying out to Mangalore. I was so thrilled with the security arrangements made by the airport authorities that words simply can't do justice while explaining!

It was such a safe and secure environment for any terrorist to pass through, leave alone a petty thief like me who got away without having to produce his wallet for scanning its contents. There was hardly anyone to guide the public through the exercise, with almost every person carrying his/her mobile upto the point of frisking and going back(if unlucky) to another point where the belongings had to be handed-over for scanning. It was total chaos at display and i was left wondering.... wouldn't that make life so simple for terrorists to roam around plotting bombs here and there.

At the risk of sounding impudent, with the amount of threats to Indian lives these days, we can't merely trust security personnel alone for public safety! Ironically, less than 50 hrs ago, 2 militants were captured for anti-india activities ( they were planning to bomb the Vidhana-soudha in bangalore to be precise). So why was it not natural for the airport authorities of bangalore airport to be extra vigilant? And guess what i saw in the waiting bay at the airport- an advertisement hoarding of Symantec Corp. that sells anti-viruses! I wondered aloud as to what form of anti-dote would help handle anti-socials ?!!

As a Martial artist, i know of the technique of foxing the opponent by giving out a perception of lack of alertness. But hey, this was a scene of misplaced arrogance.... or was i being very fussy as usual?

Conveniently Doped?

2006-10-17T08:56:00.000+05:30

Why do i think of conspiracy theories behind the ignominous exit of pakistani fast bowlers from the Champions trophy series? Why do i think of vendetta as the only reason behind their pull-out? I wish i had some evidence to support my hunch here... but continuing with the disucssion on Doping;

"Should a cricketer be banned for life for using a Dopant?", was a question on a famous poll conducted last night on IBN. Give me a break please but a thumping 72 % were in favour of throwing the cricketers out for their life from a cricket arena. Was it primarily because they were Pakistanis? Or is it the same old indian consciousness that seems to awaken when others commit mistakes. Fellow indians are included ofcourse in "others".

There is an ICC rule, which bans the cricketer for a couple of years for using performance enhancing drugs. It has never been implemented successfully in the past. Yes, many argue that this is the opportunity to make it clear to the rest of the world that cricket will not tolerate Doped Gentlemen?! ICC would love to score a brownie here to assert it's control over the proceedings. So, why din't the ICC insist on Shane Warne serving the term proposed in the rule book?

I have a question here- who lables the drug a performance enhancing one? Atleast i have serious doubts about cricketers benefitting from such drugs. After all, cricket doesn't require a player to display those super human characteristics demanded out of a mainstream athelete. So im curious as to how it would've helped or would help a Shoaib Akhtar with his cricketing performance. I am no way building an excuse for having consumed such a drug, so let me make that clear. I am just wondering at the shallowness of reasoning in the minds that are ready to hand out a life term for anything and everything. I might perhaps agree to ban a chess player for 7 lives for using brain stimulants :). But jokes apart, i feel it's unfortunate that we play with sportsmen's lives when we get the opportunity.

Let me continue devil's advocacy a li'l longer - Would a player actually always know that he is consuming something which might be illegal according to the rule books? So shouldn't the sampling and testing be carried out for a longer range of period and sufficient warnings be issued to the player before it becomes public that he has infact violated norms consistently thus deserving severe punishment?

Back to the current issue in Pakistan cricket, i feel they are being framed royally! Pakistan was never such a morally upright board to anticipate such eventualities. well maybe they've come of age.... but i still smell something!

A(u)nty Conversion

2006-09-14T10:14:00.000+05:30

It will be rather difficult for me to appear neutral in this post as the title smells of bias. In the realms of a true democracy, people have and should not be denied the opportunity to do what they like. A secular nation by definition is one that doesn't have a national religion, and all religions are treated alike. I am sure that there would be takers to my argument that both democracy and secularism have their weaknesses and yes as a society we have decided to accept those considering the overall well-being. This often brings about a friction between those who are blind believers of these tenets and the 'rebels' in the so-called sense. And the rebellion seems to be growing in terms of physical force; a case in point being the recent attempts at bringing legislative interventions to curb some practises. Someone who swears by the constitution and believes that india is what it is today because of these foundations will definitely see RED.

My contention here is that india could be better off without certain elements of the constitution, or with certain modifications. Anyone who has studied civilizations or history understands the relevance of preserving cultures. Any attempt at thwarting directly/indirectly some religions in favour of others should thus be viewed judiciously. Conversions have become rampant in india and the 'majority' community is the biggest loser in this game. Some may brush this off again by stating that it's a personal issue and thus people should be allowed to choose what they want to do with their religion. I have no arguments against that.... but should we not then enquire deeper and find out what are the designs of those who help these people convert. By help i mean encouragement/coaxing/enticement/coercion. I also mean the exploitation of the vulnerable mind of the highest order. I am not here to argue that every act of conversion is necessarily under this form or nature. But shouldn't there be a provision in the law books to prevent such cases of subjugation? I whole-heartedly support the measures taken by a couple of state governments at attempting to bring in such interventions to ensure equanimity in the society. The beam has to balance. Else it will fracture!

Reservations Reloaded

2006-08-22T09:22:00.000+05:30

This is an addendum to my previous post.

I have been a big fan of the proverb- Charity begins at home. I was often told as a child the virtue of leading from the front. At the b-school i learnt the concept of walk the talk. I thought of suggesting something to our dear khaki-vardis with nehru topis..... why not try and implement a quota system in your political parties. It sounds so much fun. Rather than targeting the educational institutions and according to me 'ruining' the nation, let's start the rot from the top! Forgive me if i give an impression that i underestimate the capabilities of anybody, but isn't this concept but trying to desperately achieve that. So my dear guardians and proponents of an egalitarian society, i request you to have a PM on a rotation basis. One term for each caste. And ya this way the opposition might finally end up disqualifying our current Super PM from contesting elections for i'm afraid she wouldn't have a caste certificate! :)

Reservations on reservation!

2006-08-22T08:57:00.000+05:30

Aah, the cabinet has passed the bill for reservation to the OBCs. So why did so much hungama happen over the issue? After all the 'elected' nominees of the people are deciding what's in the best interests of this 'great indian nation'. So what if merit will be further compromised and management quota will become dearer? We are all so proud of our democracy,the largest of its kind in the world :). Its another issue that more than 70 representatives to the Lok Sabha come from a single state!

The concerns of those involved in the pro-reservation lobby are very legitimate. They need to go back to their voters and proclaim their right over these junta as their truly only saviours! Ofcourse, weren't the seeds of divisive politics sown during the days when people like Baba 'Saheb' Ambedkar and Mohd Ali Jinnah wanted to 'get out' of the shackles of 'Hindu oppressors', both the words used synonymously here. We have witnessed pro-reservationists and ofcourse the LEFT cry hoarse that "upper classes'" have always crushed and exploited the other sections of society. My dear guardians of sanity in India, kindly prove to us how the reservations have helped Indians in the last 59 years? Isn't it true that the economically sound and the better connected 'lower classes' have ruled the roost and no real benefit has reached the needy? Is it also not true that time and again the caste card has been promptly used to divert attention away from incompetence? Aren't you, by handing out more reservations to more number of people, telling them indirectly that they belong to a 'LOWER CASTE'?

Coming to the dilemma of the anti-reservationists in the government- one tends to think if such people exist at all? They too cannot raise their voices against the pros' as that would go against them in some forthcoming elections in this great democracy. So what's wrong, after all democracy is the right of the majority ain't it? Well.... not really as the majority doesn't have a different civil code for itself :D... Me and my concepts on democracy !!! Mera bharat Mahan.... i hope i retain my secular credentials by calling it Bharat?

Bharat Ru(s)tna

2006-08-10T17:10:00.000+05:30

A couple of years ago i was studying the list of Bharat Ratna Awardees, well primarily because i was preparing for the General Awareness section in the Combined Defense Services examination. It was no surprise to find the names of all congress PMs of india who are no more in that list. The surprise element was the chronology of awardees. I was peeved to notice the name of a certain Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, who played a vital role in the freedom movement, coming in 1992. He was suddenly remembered after the award was given to a certain former pilot who then became the PM, no prizes for guessing - Rajiv Gandhi. The most eligible PM when india became independent(Sardar Patel) was presented with the 'Prestigious' award in the same year as Rajiv. I don't want to embarass myself with more examples.

But i seriously don't know whether to keep quiet and 'not read too much between the lines/dates' as the case may be, or sit up and question the relevance of such an award in today's times. It would be an interesting predicament for someone to feel embarassed sometime in future on receiving such an award. A classic case in point is flying Sikh-Milkha Singh rejecting a top Sporting award a few years ago.

Now as a commoner do i actually aspire for such an award that i would take so much pain and think through the agonies of having to receive an award which is supposed to recognize my contributions to my country?

The major chunk of responsibility/irresponsibility as the case may be, has to be shouldered by the monopoly called Congress which ruled the roost and even the left-overs! I don't blame them for what they have done. I think its perfectly human and fair for people to get corrupted by power. But what stopped the millions and millions of commoners like me who were and still are witnessing rampant misuse of position and power?

Does the Indian nation have a conscience of its own? Or has it been living with a rented pre-independence spirit for the last err 59 years? Are we all rusting as much as my capability to spell the title?

Ram Bharose

2006-08-04T12:09:00.000+05:30

Earlier it was the Bhajpa ki sarkar which had to depend on Ram to cling on to the kursi. After they got routed in the last Lok Sabha elections it was the turn of the congress as its fate became 'Ram bharose' as the left (still) keeps threatening to withdraw support on every other issue. But alas, will power mongering ever allow them to do what they threaten to? Unless ofcourse if the UP elections dominate their agenda and they decide to part ways !?!
Moving aside into the world of sport, its Saurav ganguly whose fate is 'Ram bharose'. Will the indian cricket team manage to win the world cup... err atleast the tri nation in Lanka? That unfortunately again is 'Ram bharose'.
What about indians at large. How are they leading their lives, drinking pesticides or colas... jeeyo 'Ram bharose'.
My friend from bihar whose name incidentally is 'Ram bharose' shudders to think that a billion odd indians depend on him.. so he too has left it 'Ram bharose'. Jai ram jee ki. My prakash school mates should remember Ramji!

Anthony Gonsalvez

2006-08-02T14:59:00.000+05:30

"Aisa to admi life mein doich time bhagta hai; olympic ka race ho ya pulis ka case ho".
Aiyn.... what a movie what a performance. This lanky lafanga created ripples in bollywood with his stellar performance in a late 1970's hindi movie. Bole to apun uska bada fan hai!
"Tum saala apun ko itna maara itna maara; apan tumso sirf do bar mara;pan, solid mara ki nai"! Can keep writing such dialogues all day, but the purpose of this post is.... err .... just to talk about Big B.

Yun hota to Kya hota

2006-08-01T12:31:00.000+05:30

A neat title for a debut venture by one of the most critically acclaimed actors of Indian Cinema. Makes me think of the no. of times i have ventured into such a self-consuming thought. "What if it had been this way"- the literal translation of the title in English for the linguistically challenged, according to me is a thought every individual should flirt with in order to give wings to his/her fantasies. Isn't conception the first step towards a possible action. So what are ideas and how do they occur to people? Why do certain people think the way they do? It may be urgently categorised as " thought patterns depend on the environment we are brought up / live in". But then hey, why do people with different backgrounds manage to think similar/alike. How i wish i knew answers to some of those quixotic questions !?! And the wishfool thinking continues....

Disclaimer: The author was in full senses when he penned down the lines that he did. Any thoughts ignoring this premise would amount to inviting nature's wrath! You cu'd be either: hit by a tsunami, floods, or encounter honest politicians.

Flowers and all

2006-02-14T00:36:00.000+05:30

This time that year... infact every year for the last several years there has been this amazing sense of enchantment in the air.... that something would change and lo behold! a girl would smile and accept a rose and "they lived happily ever after"; and im suddenly brought back to reality by Ek Machchar. Scores of articles have been doled out to equally love crazed eyes during this season of Love. So how do i tackle this sense of meaninglessness about the entire fanfare around? Suddenly it seems 'those were the best days of my life' and ofcourse these are better ;). I no longer have to buy a rose (spend 10/15 bucks) and pocket it myself and make my gullible friends believe i got it from someone... Man i started this post to sound different and guess what i do feel a lot different, infact i feel a lot older! Better get back to Tata Young... ahem! I mean tata i go back to feeling young-er.

Amitabh De-hospitalised

2005-12-18T11:57:00.000+05:30

Finally the star of stars has been allowed to go home. So what...??? Is it a big deal? It actually is, considering the fact that this tower of charm and poise called Big B has not only carried the torch of entertainment single-handedly for decades but also set a precedence for leading a life gracefully in the public glare.
Critics may argue.... big deal... ! Its one of the biggest deals considering the amount of interference and public scrutiny a bollywood legend would have to experience. Zillions of fans have atleast a zillion expectations( a conservative estimate) and this guy has not only lived upto those expectations but time and again redefined the nature and rules of the game.
Indians need inspirational public personalities which have almost ceased to crop from the erstwhile fertile grounds of politics(read gandhi, nehru, Sardar..). Bachchan-wood or bollywood has shouldered this responsibility for sometime and Shehenshah of bollywood has managed it with elan.
When this B-ig deal sneezes, the nation catches cold. Does that augur well for the nation is the ? As an a/c of Mr. Natwarlal i am only too happy to see the nation concerned for him but this larger ? worries me. What are we 'Intellectual' indians doing to fill the voids in public space that need to fill for the nation to steer itself clear of aunty-social elements who don't waste a single opportunity to brain-wash the population. I know there are the Narayan murtys and .... err dunno who else. Ok ok... i think i'm getting into this GYAN mode yet again... but umm i was just pondering about this and decided to go public with it :). God bless Jai Paaji.

Me Myself & My post

2005-11-02T14:52:00.000+05:30

Hey all.
Time to introduce myself :d. An ardent Amitabh a/c ( graduated from the fan days ). Attempting to sing praises about me as seen in the pik! Currently doing my Yum Bee Yea from Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai! Was an active chat Buff till about a couple of years ago ~!! New to writing in Blog Bhoomi. Saw a movie called GHAZNI in Tamil recently, my mother tongue. By the way the movie was sad-!
Brought up in Ahmedabad, i'm a semi gujju. Happen to have some Martial arts knowledge, Kick boxing being my favourite sport in the category. I am a friendly chap i should say who loves not just humming Kishore Kumar songs :D. I love biking around on my Bullet Electra. I come across as someone who plays by the rules and plays it fair.
I like mimicking people and enjoy doing role plays. This was probably a latent talent which has got some room for expression @ Great lakes. Ok enough about myself... i'l write again once i feel like it :O :P :Q :R :S :T... time to recall the Alphabet.

Restraint

2005-11-02T14:50:00.000+05:30

Hi.
This happens to be my first post and surprisingly i'm ready to ink on a topic even before introducing myself~!
Cutting the formailities short, Why are we all so ready to gun down something/someone so vehemently?
Agreed that IIPM was never pleasing to the eye in the full page advertisements. I am trying to understand the reason behind people starting this blog-chain. I believe it was to make people aware of certain aspects with this institute and the people behind it. Now, what are we all achieving by blogging left right and centre about this issue? I am reminded of the scene from Munna Bhai MBBS, where Sunil Dutt catches the thief red-handed and people start mauling him in rage. Sunil dutt then says," Look at these fellows. They have so many frustrations in life. They cannot vent out their anger and outrage elsewhere. You are the softest prey they could lay hands on!"
Isnt it what we are all trying to do now? Yes, certain revelations are striking and need to be raised at the appropriate channels. As a mature society shouldnt we exercise some restraint in criticising someone? Why are we all hell-bent on mudslinging. Is counter-critisism of this kind the only way out?
I wonder and wonder aloud about the future of those thousands of Indians who are and have studied from this Institute. Such negative publicity can create a lot of discomfort for those people. So we defeat the very purpose of this exercise. We wanted people not to fall into this trap and ruin their careers and in the process we ruin the careers of those who have been through this.
I dont want to sound moralistic here but i think its time we do a rethink on our stance!