Crystal

A child returns..

2010-12-14T22:33:00.004+05:30

I returned to the plains of Ganges, to the place I was born after a long time. It was a misty cold day.. and we left early in the morning. Yes, it was one of the hundreds of trip to Muzaffarpur, a sleepy small town in Bihar, from Patna - the capital of Bihar. Still, this one was very different as I was going through this route after a long long time and that too by a private bus.

The day started early with my mother, uncle and I getting ready for the small journey at day break. I expected us to go in uncle's car and only realized that we would rather be going on a bus when we crossed the garage, crossed the lane where I was staying and moved to the main road for taking an auto. I decided to enjoy the trip as it made me nostalgic about the times when we used public transport in lieu of our private vehicles many many years ago.

The weather was cold. Since I was a bit underprepared for the open bus and auto ride, I wrapped my shawl tightly around myself.. ready to face the cold winds. We reached 'Gai Ghaat', a place near the bank of ganges from where the buses for Muzaffarpur start. To my discomfort, while climbing down the auto I realized the floor of the auto was not less than 2.5 feet above the ground. Rather than finding a footing for myself while getting down, I found my feet falling towards greater depth and almost stumbled and bumped my head in the process as well. Well.. so much for the start of an amazing journey.

As soon as we climbed the stairs to the bridge across Ganga, we found a 'Video Coach' waiting to leave for our destination. But to our disappointment, the seats were all full and there was enough place for only one person to sit. We decided to wait for the next bus which was by the way no where in sight. While we were still mulling over us being late, the conductor yelled at us 'Aa jaiye, du tho seat aur hai.. bus tanik kasht hoga bench pe baithne mein' - translated as -'Come here, two seats are available, just that it will be a bit tough to sit on the bench'.

'Bench'?? My mind raced - how come a 'bhideo coach' had bench instead of normal seats. The conductor was perceptive enough to see my confusion and clarified -'We have put a bench in the aisle. Once the bus starts, it will only stop in Muzaffarpur. So, you two women can sit on the bench'. WHAT?? An almost 2 hour journey on a bench in a crammed space?? Heck - Why not??

My adventurous spirit was excited - wow - an experience of a lifetime is what you will get. Do not let this opportunity pass and I asked my mom and uncle to board the 'Bhideo coach' with a bench.

We were the last people to board the bus and to my horror and amazement, the bench occupied almost the whole width of the aisle. There was hardly any space to even put your legs. I decided to mount it by keeping my two legs at both sides where as my mom sat gingerly and uncomfortable with both the legs on the same side.

The bus started its journey from the 'Gai Ghat' bus stand on Mahatma Gandhi Setu. The bumps that we felt in next five minutes are worthy of hours on camels or horses or on even jeeps plying on roads with only potholes as the sole feature. And every time the bus jumped, our bench moved an extra inch in both sideways and upward direction. That was PAINFUL but exhilarating.

Seeing the plight of two women, a young and another one old, few generous men asked us to come to the comforts of back seats and took our places on that rickety bench. We initially refused but they insisted -'Ladhiej logon ko kasht ho raha hai, hum kaise aaram se baith sakte hain'. I was touched by their genuine concern. We exchanged seats and now my mom and I were seated in 5 seater with 7 people on it. But the cold made it bearable and we did not mind the crammed seatings.

We crossed the Ganges in the mean time. It is still as beautiful as I remember it from my childhood - Vast, serene, hazy in the distance, bending into beautiful curves like a belly dancer. I was mesmerized by the width of the Ganges. Its water was overflowing and the river looked like a part of horizon itself. No wonder, it is a revered river in India. The feelings it evokes can only be felt in the presence of something holy.

The MG bridge is one of the longest bridge in India. Infact it is the longest bridge in India on a river. Crossing the Ganges, we reached Hajipur - a place very famous for its banana. I am yet to taste a banana more filling and sweet as the 'petbharua kela' of hajipur or as tasty as 'Harichhal kela'.

While crossing Hajipur, I was my chattery self. I was amazed at the progress that has happened in the area in recent years. Nitish Kumar has surely brought a lot of changes in Bihar, and it was very apparent from the state of the road connecting Muzaffarpur and Patna that he has delivered on his promise to a great extent. I started talking to my mom about the way Nitish Kumar has earned respect from not only biharis in and out of bihar but also all over the country. Two people joined me in my talks and expressed their views on politics, bihar, Lalu, Nitish and the current state of things.

There was one thing clear to me - Politics evokes great emotions in the people of bihar and now they are ready to accept and vote for a leader who can work for them and not just uses them. All the men around me had huge respect for the current CM of Bihar and they were full of hope that they will see their motherland progress a great deal in years to come. I liked their energy, their passion and love for their land. I felt at home - with my own people. I only realized that I was as involved as the men sitting beside me, when the conductor informed we have reached Ramdayalu, the bus stop where we had to get down. It was hard to believe that a journey of one and a half hour was over and it seemed not even half an hour to me.

I bade farewell to the two gentlemen and thanked them for discussing their views with us. It was very refreshing to come back to my soil, my people. I was finally HOME.. a child with dreams and hope twinkling again in her eyes.

The Verdict

2010-09-28T22:51:00.002+05:30

Finally its declared that on 30th September, 2010, special bench of Lucknow High Court will finally give the verdict on Ayodhya dispute. Media channels are trying their best to sensationalize the news and people are lapping up the spicy details.

Some facts about the dispute:
1. Start: Supposedly it started the day Babar constructed a mosque at the site. There is no evidence of a dispute back then
2. Modern times : As early as the second half of 19th century, the dispute between two communities erupted again.
3. In 20th century, this issue was used to gain political edge by different parties and thousands of people were sacrificed at the altar of politics and none of the so called leaders had a tear to spare.

Few questions are there which have bothered me since I was a child and was quite ignorant of the politics involved and could only see the repercussion.

A. Are we so inhuman that for us a religious place is more important than thousand lives?
B. Are we such idiots who do not realize even after decades that this is not about religion at all but about some vested interests getting mileage out of of this issue? ( I still remember being proud of the fact that was taught to me in school - All religions are good, God is One and no religion encourages violence)
C. Isn't it all worth being ashamed of?

When communal peace is disturbed, I feel ashamed of both the parties involved... coz I feel insulted by the fact that we call ourselves intelligent and yet fall party to such violence. NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING justifies killing or hurting someone unless for self defense.

When the court is about to deliver a long pending judgment, I see signs of nervousness around me. People are suddenly talking in whispers and are having suspicious looks. No one wants a repeat of '92 riots or any other kind of clashes. We are suddenly so afraid of the verdict that somehow it feels ironic to me.. a verdict is supposed to bring justice, make people believe in a system which will give them a fair deal.. and we are afraid of that.. Really how far we have come along the path of self destruction.

I do not know how things will turn out after 2 days but as of this day, I am sad and hurt .. of the fact that today we have started distrusting the people we have lived all our lives with.

Marraiges made in heaven.. but lived on earth

2010-08-31T21:27:00.005+05:30

The subject for this post was brewing in my mind for quite sometime now and what I present here is followed after a discussion with many subjects, most of them are women.

Why do women marry? or for that matter men?

To just provide an objective picture, I would share some data as well.

I surveyed around 30+ people in the age group 25 to 55 and I asked them the same question - Why did you marry and in case you are still not married, why do you think you should marry?

I would also talk a bit about the demographics. Out of those 30 odd people almost 60% were women and 3 women were homemakers. Out of the men I have interviewed, all of them were below 40 and each one of them was earning. The men and women were all city dwellers and around 70% were married and 30% unmarried.

Now, something very interesting came up in my research.

Men usually said it in more or less the same terms - they needed someone to share their life with, to find support in a partner - physical as well as mental and in some cases it was to extend their family, continue their legacy as well.

In contrast to this, responses from women were much more interesting. Most of them married because they had to (60% of all women interviewed), some of them married because they were afraid they would grow old alone, some of them needed companionship and some needed an institution to legalize sex. Well, these responses are much more varied than the responses given by men which hovered around the romantic associations of a marriage.

Now, let us analyze these responses one by one. Men said they needed companionship - does this mean they value companionship above everything else including sex. I doubt (am a woman - this skepticism is acceptable ). Infact, one of the men responded merrily - I was having sex anyways. Why would I marry just for it? Does this mean men are more flirtatious and have casual sex than women? Probably yes or probably not. It might also be reflecting the way our social fabric is woven - A man even though might not be indulging in casual sex but it is more acceptable for him if he chooses to do so. Whereas, women more often than not needed commitment in the form of marriage from the person they have sex with. Exception exist but that is not the normal course of action a woman takes. Hence, it is important for woman to marry to have the PERMIT for sex with her husband.

Men romanticized the idea of marriage more than women. Does this mean they are softer in heart than they actually show? Might be.... But one thing is clear, lesser men marry because they had to. They were not under extreme pressure as were some women I interviewed to get married or rather in normal language 'SETTLED'. Many of the men did marry coz their friends got married and they couldn't find a person to go out with on weekends. It was loneliness which drove them rather than love or some kind of high, lofty ideas.

One thing I found common across both genders - they both were afraid of being lonely. Women more so but even men had insecurities. I can safely say that rather than some lofty, grand ideas of marriage, its practical necessity to have someone share your life with and getting social sanction while doing the same, was the main reason behind most of the people deciding to get married. Now, whether they have achieved what they expected from this new chapter in their lives, is a matter for another post. Keep looking out for more.

Agree to Disagree

2010-07-21T17:59:00.005+05:30

"We agree to disagree with each other." How many people do you find with this attitude? Atleast I am not lucky in this respect, I admit.

This is one thought am dwelling upon these days. I have observed people from different strata of society and found this as common - their unwillingness to experiment with disagreement. It is very easy to agree with someone but to disagree, you not only need conviction in your beliefs but also a healthy respect for every other beliefs, however diverging those can be from the ones u hold dear.

I have found myself disagreeing with people on the disagreement issue lately. Somehow, I find this limitation for our own intellectual growth and when I tell it to people, they get offended. We take everything so personally. If I tell someone I do not appreciate some part of a movie and am perfectly OK if someone else finds it awesomely awesome, I am considered as a person who has challenged some kind of collective wits. I really don't know what the fuss is all about. I very well am entitled to have my own opinions and am willing to agree for a disagreement. Then why do people consider it a case of treading out of the line.

They do accept your disagreement under two conditions : 1. U are in an authoritative position and they can not AFFORD to disagree with u (this is an assumption they have). 2. They just do not want to get on ur wrong side ( you are perceived as a fierce person). 3. They do not have the time or energy to pursue the disagreement ( I know this is the 3rd one even when I mentioned there are only two conditions. So what!! Live with it :) )

Belonging to a culture which is very adaptive, coming from Indian, this resistance is somewhat surprising for me. Well, I can attribute our innate sense to agree mostly to our non-conflicting attitude. But then what might be the reason for being so defensive or possessive against non-confirmation? Aren't we being the opposite of what we set out to achieve in the very first place? I find this a paradox which is so very evident yet, unchallenged. And yeah am getting a kick out of challenging it :) .. me the restless soul :).. me the rebel :).

Where Dream merges into reality - Inception personified

2010-07-18T21:12:00.002+05:30

Dreams and Reality are separated by a thin line of consciousness. The debate that goes on in everyone's mind is - Are we living our dreams or is it a reality. Our thoughts and actions if define us, then aren't all of us dreaming.. as its our dreams which are thoughts translated into tangible forms. Am i going obtruse? May be or may be not.. who knows other than my innermost thought and consciousness. The point is - can I or someone else can be consciously a part of my subconscious mind?

Christopher Nolan did a wonderful job in confirming one view of mine - he gave a canvas to something I found too weird to even express it to someone. I had so many deja-vu s in life that somehow I had no other choice but to attribute each one of those to some dream of mine. If answering honestly, yes - I do dream about some future event. I do not know how and why but it has happened more than once and I can no longer attribute it to my fancy. Dreams into dreams is a reality for me.. I have woken up in my dreams to find out that I need to wake up once again to be back to life. I do not remember most of the events that happen in those dreams - not even my immediate dream but I get this vague feeling that things are changed.

Seems like am repeating the concept of Inception - but no, this is my reality and it existed much before CN even came into movie making. I have solved numerous complex mathematics problems in my dream, learnt how to ride a bicycle and knew the solutions to more complex emotional issues after a dreamy sleep. Yes, even today I sleep over issues am not able to solve and I know I will know the answers when I get up. This is my subconscious working while am sleeping physically. I dream about a reality and it manifests itself into the real world. I do get inspired by my dreams.. I get pained by them..

Inception made me question one thing - are my dreams real or are they my subconscious response to all my perceptions. Do they move in a random order or is there some architect who has designed my dream for me? Is there an alternate reality within my dreams? Why do some of the times I know whats going to happen next because I have seen the action take part years or days ago in my dream? I do not have answers to these - I do not believe I have any kind of psychic power. I do not even know whether it happens to most of the people or am I one of the few.

Well... I think about it right now and the only thing I can conclude is : I do not understand it and I do not even want to. This weirdness is a part of me and that's it. No more conscious dwelling on the issue.. "Inception is for real or not" :)

Waka Waka - This time for Afrika

2010-06-12T19:58:00.008+05:30

Football Mania 2010 has gripped the whole world. In this times, when we all are busy sorting our own problems out, we have a gaming event which has untied us all in its passion, its action and its enchanting liveliness. Yes, world cup 2010 has perspectives as it never had before. Few of the reasons I feel this world cup is closer to me than any I have ever witnessed :
1. This is a trying time for all of us. We face terrorism, nuclear warheads, poverty, energy crisis, crime rates and what not. It seems that the end of the world is near and in such a time, we are witnessing an event which has brought us all closer to each other. We are here crying together over a missed goal, shrieking with joy over a head butt and groaning together each time there is a near miss. How beautiful it is to hug a stranger from a different continent sitting beside me without any prejudice or ill feeling.
2. This time for Afrika - Africa as a continent has been neglected for too long. Whoever went there, it was only for the continent's abundance. Aids, famine, poverty, lack of education, health issues...... these are few of the grim realities of this beautiful continent. World Cup 2010 has brought a pride to this land. They are hosting a world event and now getting the attention of everyone to their problems. One goal - eradiaction of poverty through education is a cause which is synonymous with this year game.
3. Players and History - It has been a long time since we have seen the likes of Maradona or Pele on football ground. The whole world is waiting for another legend and wishing that this world cup gives birth to one. I have my prayers too.. Amen. :)
4. Reach - This is the world cup with maximum reach ever. Internet and 3G networks along with satellite TVs have made it possible for everyone to follow this fever.. whatever be the time zone. And being in India where the match timings are usually past midnight, it has become very easy to watch the best moments without missing out on work.
5. The biggest reason of it all - I am missing any kinda action and nothing is better than Football to make my adrenaline rush :).

Mamta Banerjee - A new hope for West Bengal

2010-06-06T23:14:00.001+05:30

This post has been inspired by the recent debacle of left in Kolkata Muncipal elections. TMC has come out as a force to reckon and more importantly is the "People's choice". Personally, I interviewed atleast a dozen of people belonging to very low income group and found that they were unanimous in their decision. Why? And pat came the answer - "Mamta di amar kashto boojhbe"; "Didi amar sonkat door korte hobe".. all eyes are now on "Didi" to fix things up. Being a non-bengali I had to take some time out to analyze what goes beneath this trust. Is it for real and deserved or just a reaction to apathy of the left.. ?? I am here on an exploration trip and would try to do justice to my journey.

Mamta Banerjee - Iron lady of bengal, was born on 5th January, 1955 in a not so affluent family in erstwhile Calcutta. She joined politics as a youth leader for Congress in 1970s. She quickly rose to higher ranks and in 1984 became one of the youngest parliamentarians after beating Somnath Chatterjee. She has remained highly visible in the national political landscape since those times.

Now, a bit of analysis - She has time and again, vociferously protested against whatever she thinks is not ideologically correct. She is seen as a "Clean" and "Honest" politician, a feat achieved by very few present day leaders. She chooses to live simply and has gone against her own party (most of the cases it was Congress(I) or NDA ) to ask for what is right.

Will she be able to live upto the promises Mamta has made to the people of bengal and to India? Only time will tell, but people of kolkata have given out their verdict They want to give an eccentric, vocal but honest leader a chance to change their state. More than three decades is a long enough time for left to prove it could not help bengal much.. now its upto Didi to show what her true mettle is.

PS: The analysis is far from over. For more on politics in West Bengal, look out for posts soon.

Naxalbari - A home of cries which silenced many lives

2010-05-29T00:23:00.002+05:30

"75 people killed in the train accident: Sabotage from Naxalite suspected"; "75 Army personals killed in an ambush with Naxalites" ;

Are these the headlines which people of Naxalbari want to wake up daily to read? Or are there so many illiterates in the birthplace of the terror called Naxal movement that no one bothers reading these headlines?

As many as as 455 people have been killed in Naxal violence since 2009, more than half of which are innocent civilians. Isn't it right to compare it with terrorism in Kashmir which has resulted in loss of 377 lives in last one year?

Now the question comes - Who are these Naxalites? What is the thing that they want to achieve? How fair are they in their means? Shouldn't they be treated with same sense of disgust with which we treat any other terrorist group?

We as the people of India, and specially as those who are supporting this violent movement should introspect and find out the answers to these questions. No doubt the questions will only be answered when every concerned person can have a clear conscience.

Naxalite movement originated due to the absence of any other means of peaceful protest. But today it has become a means to show that guns are mightier than any respect for a human life. Naxalbari, the home of cries against oppression has become a synonym for deathly tragedies in many lives. Has the movement fulfilled what it had begun to achieve? Is violence the only solution to gain freedom from oppression of any kind - be it by the government or the wealthy, high class people?

How many more lives are to be thrown away before anyone could talk sense - be it an inept, insensitive government trying to handle the violence without success or naxal groups justifying killing of innocent people for the sake of ideologies? How long will the people have to live with the blood bath??

Shouldn't world be a better place for everyone to live in??

Wines and Tea - How similar yet different

2010-01-02T14:11:00.003+05:30

Lately I started having interest in all kinds of beverages.. alcoholic and non-alcoholic. My love is still pure and cool WATER but drinks fascinate me. Infact the entire gamut of food and drink is such an exploratory field.

I have started reading more about Tea- a drink I liked since a long time. The delicate taste, invigorating aroma and the difference minute details can make in the taste of tea is so subtle yet complex... it challenges me in a way... to explore. There is just another drink like that.. Wine.

Tea and Wine are two different drinks but with many similarities. Both are delicate drinks.. have more than a thousand variations and are complex to make. Both are sensually stimulating experience and when paired with the right food, provide an awesome sensory pleasure. And may be its just a coincidence that both have been proved to have a positive effect on health.

Tea as well as Wine are ceremonial drink. They make every occasion worth a celebration and attach a significance to it. In many parts of the world, there are elaborate customs woven around both the drinks.

Wine as everyone knows is an alcoholic drink, though the percentage of alcohol is quite less than a bottle of cough syrup. Tea on the other hand has caffeine and nicotine not to mention tannin. Tea can be soothing as well as stimulating. Wine on the other hand makes a person more relaxed and slightly inebriated.

In my previous post I had written few basic things about tea. I will be writing my next post about Wines most probably with a light cup of Earl Grey or Jasmine Tea in my hand.

Just Tea

2009-12-15T23:00:00.006+05:30

Just Tea - A small attempt to bring the delight of a great drink called Tea. It is my first entrepreneurial venture and hence holds a very special place. This was the first dream I saw when I landed up in IIM Lucknow.

For those who do not know the origins, here is the full story of "Just Tea" .

Like any other idea, it was formed during informal discussions with a friend of mine. We shared an interest in tea and soon we found that we can educate others about this widely consumed but hardly known drink. Thus came into being "CHaiBar", a small hangout for friends at my room - right ambiance, right music, right drink.. summed up to right experience. But this couldn't last long in the rigour of study and other commitments. I tried reviving this dream with the help of other friends but never could gain enough momentum.

Then came an idea to start with a small counter in another student run eatery inside the campus. This along with a search for an info regarding the NVP project, resulted in an encounter with the owner of a tea distribution company in Lucknow. He was willing to help us try out the idea on our own. He wanted to open a Tea Lounge in Lucknow and hence needed an initial working model to gauge the inclination of customers. In the mean time, we had formed a group which was enthusiastic about implementing the idea. And lo.. the engine started running.

Within a short span of a month, we were able to get all clearances and start a small tea kiosk. It sure is a humble beginning but definitely has the potential to grow big. I do not want to go into detail about what were the challenges we faced but yes, it was a great learning experience. Every minor detail had to be worked out. One has to be proactive throughout. It is a team work all in all. Just Tea can claim to have a set of loyal customers, even though the number is small right now. Through unique and fast service, we are expecting to grow this small base into a strong network of loyal customers.

It is just a start. Many hurdles are yet to be crossed, many milestones yet to be achieved. Wish us Luck. :)

Tea - A drink for all

2009-10-31T23:14:00.006+05:30

Why TEA ?? A question which can prop up in anyone's mind when I talk about it. My answer is simple - because I love to make people understand that even a cup of tea can bring exquisiteness in our lives. For me, Tea is a symbol of simplistic elegance. It is our claim to elitehood.

Now let us talk about tea. As Indians, it is surprising that we hardly know about tea. In layman's language tea is of two kinds - gol-daana (CTC) and leaves (Orthodox). CTC is the variety which we usually drink and is made by "crushing-tearing-curling", a 3-step process which is used to release the juices of tea leaves and oxidize them. The orthodox tea is manufactured with the help of orthodox roller in the process of rolling. While, most of the teas produced in Sri Lanka is of ‘orthodox’ variety, Kenya produces mainly CTC teas.

Main benefits of tea :
1. Health : Possible effectiveness against cardiovascular diseases and cancer; Dental health (presence of fluoride) and against high blood pressure ; High amount of antioxidants;
2. Social : Many cultures have revolved their social activities around tea. Japan, Arab, India, China etc. all have associated tea drinking with an elitist activity. (Though in India, tea is now so common that it has lost its exclusiveness).

Types of tea (based on processing techniques):

White tea: Unwilted and unoxidized
Yellow tea: Unwilted and unoxidized but allowed to yellow
Green tea: Wilted and unoxidized
Oolong: Wilted, bruised, and partially oxidized
Black tea: Wilted, sometimes crushed, and fully oxidized
Post-fermented tea: Green Tea that has been allowed to ferment/compost

Indian black tea are : Darjeeling, Assam and Nilgiri

Flavored tea can be made by adding different flavors to the tea leaves. Demand of flavored tea leaves is increasing everyday. Few famous flavored tea are: Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Masala Chai and Lemon.

Tea making is an art depending on the tea being served. The intricacies range from keeping the temperature of the hot water to just the right limit, to pouring it over leaves from a certain height, to the choice of tea pot, to the time allowed for brewing of tea leaves, to the amount of additives such as sugar and milk. Number of servings also determines the taste of the tea with the 3 rd pass giving the best flavor in case of black tea.

There are a number of dishes which go along very well with different varieties of tea. A hot steaming cup of masala chai with a parantha is enough to make people crave in norther india where as a cup cake with Assam tea is the cultivated delicacy of British raj.

All I am left to say here is that tea is a single drink which can be inherently modified into thousands of flavors without changing its essence and it is this art of serving a perfect cup of tea to go along with perfect company I want to learn and explore.

Some links for reference:

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/tea.htm
http://teaboard.gov.in/inner2.asp?param_link_id=310&mem_link_name=About%20Tea

Another idea of Interest - CHai

2009-05-10T10:36:00.001+05:30

I will write about the experiences I had when I went exploring the world of Tea.

Indian education system for an inspired student

2008-12-14T04:35:00.006+05:30

India has been known as a famous seat of learning for centuries. We have prided ourselves as a nation which offered universities like Nalanda, Takshila, Vikramshila etc. to the world. Even today, we have IITs, IIMs, NITs, ISB etc. which have proven as the centres of excellence in the field of education thoughout the world.

Having glorified the past and illuminating the present, I am still left with an ever nagging question in my mind. Do we as a nation produce enough inspired students? If yes, then where is the inspiration to the nation as a whole? and if no, then where lies the reason for it?

Let us analyze the current education system prevelant in India.

Literacy rate in India is still at 69% with females having a lower than average literacy rate. Pre-primary education in the country is not a fundamental right and hence has a very low enrollment figures. Primary education lags far behind the desired level and the dropout percentage below the age of 18 is quite high. As a society have we evolved enough to attach proper improtance to education as whole?

Having written about the state of affairs concerning education at all levels, I would like to talk about the quality of eductaion and the values being offered in Indian educational system. We all have gone through the same routine of reading the same text books, mugging up the same answers, passing the same exams and in turn learning the same things. Are we learning or just getting to touch the boundaries of something as vast as learning. Is it education or learning we aspire to have?

To be continued....

In the face of Terrorism...

2008-12-11T14:51:00.006+05:30

26/11 - In India one would read that as 26th November. A day marred by unfortunate chain of events. Terror attacks inside our courtyard rudely jerked us out from the state of slumber we so comfortably were in. Was it slumber or the unfailing belief of each one of us -"Nothing can happen to us... we are not so UNLUCKY!” I fail to envision a country of more than a billion people living their life hanging by the mercy of LUCK. What a progressive state of mind we have!

Simultaneous attacks in Taj, Cafe Leopold, Oberoi and many other places in Mumbai left all of us wondering - Who next?? Where next?? Why Us?? How Us?? And a thousand more questions... All unanswered till date. First question first - Do all of these questions have enough strength behind them to deserve answers? Or are we going to be back to our state of unquestioned living? In a sincere attempt to start the process - I try to answer these questions from my understanding and take on the whole issue. However much inertia we possess, it’s time we do something more than lapsing into the oblivion in due course of time. We have been ATTACKED... How long will this take to sink in?? It is no longer a matter of concern (read votes) to white kurta donning Netas or Security forces fighting for our security. Thousands have been killed since we started talking about terrorism in India.. Will it take one from each family to make us realise what has been done to us? Terrorism as we know it, knows no religion, region, language or creed. It is the most cowardly attempt to sabotage humanism and all in the name of COURAGE. How ironical! It’s time the so called terrorists are made answerable for all the injustice they are inflicting upon thousands of people not only in India but throughout the world. Before we start this fight, we have to realize that THE BATTLE HAS BEGUN and we have to take sides. We can no longer afford to be a silent observer on the sidelines.

Having questions in our heads doesn’t automatically ensure answers. We have to probe deeper to understand and to analyse the current state of terrorism in India, Its probable causes- its history, its possible solutions and the proactive measures that need to be taken to ensure that no Indian suffers the way we have till now.

Terrorism as we have known it in India:

Researches done on the history of terrorism reveal that ‘terrorist’ in the modern sense dates to 1947, especially in reference to Jewish tactics against the British in Palestine – while earlier it was used for extremist revolutionaries in Russia (1866). The tendency of one party’s terrorism said to be another’s guerrilla war or fight for freedom was noted in reference to the anti-British actions in India (1857), Cyprus (1956) and the war in Rhodesia (1973). The word terrorist was applied, at least retroactively, to the Marquis resistance in occupied France during the World War II. In India, the first major terror attacks were the result of militancy in the state of Punjab. During the 1970s, an age old fear in the Sikh community - that of being absorbed into the Hindu fold led to the rise of Sikh militants. The insurgency intensified during 1980s when the movement turned violent and the name Khalistan resurfaced and the state sought independence from the Indian Union. Led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who, though not in favour of the creation of Khalistan but also was not against it, began using militancy to stress the movement's demands. Soon things turned bloody with India alleging that neighbouring Pakistan supported these militants, who, by 1983-84, had begun to enjoy widespread support among Sikhs. This led to the infamous operation Blue Star followed by the assassination of Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Sikh Riots in northern India. The ending of overt Sikh militancy in 1993 led to a period of relative calm, punctuated by militant acts (i.e. the assassination of Punjab CM, Beant Singh in 1995) attributed to half a dozen or so operating Sikh militant organisations. These organisations include Babbar Khalsa International, Khalistan Commando Force, Khalistan Liberation Force and Khalistan Zindabad Force. Support for Khalistan is still supposed to be widespread among Sikh communities in Canada and the United Kingdom.

Apart from Punjab, the nation faced militancy in remote areas of North Eastern India. The first and perhaps most significant insurgency was in Nagaland during the 1950s up till 1980s. The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), demands an independent Nagaland and has carried out several attacks on Indian military installations in the region. According to government officials, 599 civilians, 235 security forces and 862 terrorists have lost their lives between 1992 and 2000. Assam with high presence of organizations such as ULFA and BODO faces almost same kind of separatist movement which border on terrorism. Assam remains the only state in the northeast where terrorism is still a major issue. The Indian Military was successful in dismantling terrorist outfits in other areas, but have been criticized by human rights groups for allegedly using harsh methods when dealing with terrorists.

Terrorism in Kashmir purported by Pakistan is no news to any Indian.

Other states like Bihar and Orissa face outfits like Naxalites and Ranvir Sena, which run a parallel government in the state based on terror. States of southern India face Naxalites supported by Nepalese Naxalite outfits and LTTE which is reportedly supported by Sri Lankan LTTE.

In recent times, states of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra have been hit by Islamic terrorism start of which can be traced to 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai which was followed by a serious rioting in 1992-93 in the city.

Now terrorism in an international issue and the most recent attack in Mumbai has shown not only our vulnerability but also the higher probability of occurrence of such kind of gruesome acts in future.

26/11 – What happened?

Innocent people were targeted right in the most happening places in the financial capital of the country. Hundreds of people were killed or injured and many security personnel lost their lives saving others. The failure of us as citizens, Government as a provider and guaranteer of security to the public, media as the responsible and mature voice of the intelligentsia and not to say the least- the whole system glared at us in its ugliest form.

Failures as I see it:

The failure of intelligence agencies in the form of adequate warning
The failure of costal guards and security services to identify and stop the militants from entering through sea
The failure of local security personals to identify suspicious behaviour of militants
The failure of state government to contain the situation with a quick response
The failure of central government in providing means to mitigate the danger in a quick and efficient manner
The failure of our politicians who in such time of distress could not rise beyond petty politics and for a change think about the nation undergoing a tragic moment
The failure of state and central government to identify the need to set up a separate group/service to counter terrorism in as crucial and vulnerable place as Mumbai
The failure of Media as a responsible and mature channel causing innumerable delays and probable loss of lives due to inconsiderate reporting to garner TRP ratings
The failure of the system which allows freedom of movement and scheming against the country by all miscreants, which as a responsible citizen of the nation we neither question nor try to improve upon
The failure of us as nation loving citizens. Thankfully this failure is something not incorrigible. With our grit and determination, we have lots of scope to change this failure into our strength forever.

What can we do:

· Probable root causes of increasing terrorism : Disillusionment with the system; Lack of proper education; Lack of respectable means of living; Vulnerability of being mind washed by perpetrators of crimes; Lack of strict measures to trace and identify trouble causing foreign elements; Lack of a tough stand by the central government towards total intolerance of any kind of terrorism; Lack of commitment from our own chosen politicians towards making the country more secure and letting every attack seem just another event to gain political mileage.... the list goes on.

· Need of the hour : Overhauling of the system by conscious decision of its citizens; Responsible voting; Greater transparency in the system; Education systems imbibing into students, not only wage earning techniques but also integrity and a passion for the country; Greater coherence between planned and real actions; greater accountability and responsibility not only by the government but also by all the committees, groups, communities as well as individual towards the fulfilment of the goal of a more secure nation.. the list goes on and has to be added upon by each individuals effort.

Last but not the least, we have to be more answerable to ourselves and our future generations. Are we prepared to look into their eyes and proudly claim that we did what we could to ensure the sanctity and security of our nation? Are we prepared to teach them that level of patriotism that requires self awareness and a burning desire to make a difference? Are we prepared to say ENOUGH to all those inhuman cowards??

I wish that time to come soon..... with hope and courage in my and fellow countrymen’s (countrywomen’s) hearts.

result postponed for IIMs.. AGAIN..

2008-04-12T01:53:00.003+05:30

I don't want to make this post dull by ranting about the delay and showing my frustration over it. I am actually not frustrated. Its not the case that the decision hardly affects me.. but i dnt mind waiting another week if i have already waited 3 months after the CAT 2007 exam result. I am not even angry over the state of affairs transpiring in Indian politics and how even SC is being mocked at by our honored legislatures. Its us who have brought this upon ourselves so why blame politicians who haven't even been graduates most of the time. We have chosen them, putting them in positions to govern us by either voting for them or passing on our right to choose them... They are our choice by intention or default... And we have to own upto this. We can no longer chose to stay inactive and crib abt whats done and whats not. Have we all forgotten our responsibilities when all we do is to remember our rights?

Why an MBA??

2008-04-03T17:09:00.003+05:30

Why an MBA..?? a hanging question which has stumped so many people in the B school interviews that the count is lost. For me though, it was not an interview question. It was one that i asked myself more than an yr ago. TCS had been a nice experience. The salary improved in second year, work was good,work culture was good, onsite was a probability, everything looked fine. Then , WHY MBA?? It was a question i took more than 6 months to answer. The approach to a problem is based on the learning one has acquired in through education and experience. I found that though i was quick to learn through experience, the underlying concepts of a problem provided a challenge. This learning could be gained through a B school. The insight, foresight and understanding of a problem and its probable and possible solutions , can be improved upon tremendously by undergoing a management study. I wished to be the best in the filed and role i choose, and hence decided to go for MBA to improve my chances of giving the best. In future, my both short and long term goals are one - to be the best consultant/ senior consultant / higher executive in the field i choose to be in. I enjoy the journey more than the destination and don't want to limit myself to just my goals. I love my job and want to continue loving my job in future. Thats the reason I chose an MBA.

Personal or public ..???

2008-04-03T16:30:00.002+05:30

I had created this blog with the sole purpose of putting across my own thoughts in words. Today, i feel that it needs role graduation.. from being a very personal blog to a personal-public blog. Reading and interacting makes huge difference. It also gives an additional nudge to our ever lethargic minds to THINK. The mobilization is also a key to make a difference to our opinions, our mental makeup and flexibility in adopting and acknowledging different views. Without much ado about nothing... lemme start BLOGGING... and this time i wont decide .. its personal or public :).

Do Hell With....

2008-04-02T00:11:00.002+05:30

"Do Hell With.. " What does this means?? I have been asked almost by everyone who reads this status on my gtalk.. and my reply invariably always is "Everything". Isn't it so much fun.. to be able to say GOTO HELL to ethng thats not important for you. People fail to say this most of the time and live their life by default.. I dare say this and I am the happiest person in this world... :) .. and I am not joking... I get agitated by the indifference of people.. their empathy... still i say "Do Hell With.." coz i care only for those who deserve this care of mine. I have started living in present and having hell of a time ... I absolutely love my job ( second reference to my job in my entire blogging history).... love my friends.. love my love affair with life... Rest everything can rest in Hell in peace... :)

A long break...

2008-01-15T03:19:00.000+05:30

It was a long break that i took.. to collect myself and move on. Past three months were one of the busiest phases of my life... Shifting home in Mumbai is not an easy job, specially if u have a very imp exam just round the corner. I am proud of the way i handled it all. Moving to three places in one month, searching for a new home, fighting hard for ur own convictions (along with someone else's too). Learnt a great deal in these months.
Will continue it later. My thoughts have suddenly gone dry.

2007-10-19T14:31:00.000+05:30

The man stood alone,
One with the serenity.
bronze figure with set eyes,
gazing in distance with certainty.

He stretched his palm
and held out the light.
The Sun spooled up
With vigour bright.

A man of fate,
of work and destiny.
A man stood there
Till Eternity.

The eternity stretched
into hours and days.
The figure still
In sun and in rain.

Deep blue eyes,
probing the horizon,
Unseeing the pain.

Shading across his tortured face,
A shadow fell.
The vision he had of himself
shifted back to hell.

contd...

2007-10-19T14:13:00.000+05:30

The Dawn arrived,
Alon came the sunshine.
The valleys opened up
and the fragrance floating up them was pristine.

The little girl shook the tree
and welcomed the sun.
The rays kissed her gently on mouth.
and joined her in the run.

There in the bushes,
a boy lay watching her.
Gazing intently at the beauty dancing to nature,
painting scenes of such innocent guile.
As the boy heaved a sigh -
All he could do was smile.

The girl looked at him
through the maze of beaming lighty,
and the eyes had stories untold.
Innocence with two hearts joined
and entwined in a singe soul.

--- contd

Back Again!!!

2007-09-07T02:00:00.000+05:30

Phew!! what a relief to be back to blogging... Office firewalls and filters keep ethng important outside my reach... Now again will be a regular contributor.... My Wishes, my dreams, my aspirations, my thoughts and my space.... Wow.. feeling great again...

Tolerance.. continuation

2007-05-22T16:42:00.000+05:30

In continuation to my last post.. i would add some more opinion.
Media in recent times has become a force that gives direction to many events. Be it the Dera controversy or the Danish cartoon, media had a great role to play.
One reason for increasing intolerance is also intolerance. I wud like to elaborate on that with an example.
I was reading a column about a Danish Muslim lady vowing to wear Hijab in offic. Now 48% of the people polled by media are against it and 48% are in favour of her decision.
Cant she have a right to wear what she wants to office?? If one can wear short skirt and hat to office, one can surely wear a headscarf. This intolerance of 48% of the people propell the rest 48% of the people to react strongly as they feel the objection to be on their fundamental right.
Its the responsibility of media to play the role of messenger of peace and tolerance and not provide undue provocationn to any sensibilities.

Tolerance... wherst art thou?

2007-05-22T15:50:00.000+05:30

I am here again to pen down my deepest thoughts. The whirwind of emotions is trying to get out. And its the tolerance thats making me intolerant.
DERA controversy is in news. People killing each in the name of religion. Where the hell is tolerance?
I have been observing the pattern in which each section in the world is evolving. It might be wrong to declare it a pattern but it sure is a glaring trend. The whole world is getting polarised and that to the extent of harming each other and self.
For example, the fanaticism in Islam has reached its height. Never in Islamic history, has been such a bloodbath as that has taken place in last 20-30 years. ISLAM means peace... where is it and how is it increasing by the people who claim to be the saviuor of ISLAM?? The outcome is that all of us have started becoming more polarized, resulting in a chain reaction. Every activity triggers the seclusion more and more.
The Sikhs are protesting against one someone who besmirched their religious sentiments and as a result, many are killed. Is this approach right??
VHP goons vandalise an artist's right to express and we still fight for religion.
US bombs Iraq inhumanly and we still think which religion Iraqis belong to. Where has our morality gone?
I am really going emotional with the issue but this is how i feel. I have thousands of questions and no answers.
Can i have peace??

आंखें

2007-04-30T16:44:00.000+05:30

आँखें खुली एक सुबह
सुबह जो सुनहरी थी
महकी थी जो
आशाओं से और कविताओं से

आँखें खुली ही
सपना ही सा तो था सब कुछ
कुछ धुंधला धुन्द्ला सापर शायद था तो सच्चा ही ।

आंखों में शायद कोई किर्ची थी पड़ी
achaanak से बंद हुईं वोखुली तो सब कुछ पानी था
बहता हुआ ढलता हुआ सा

देखा आंखों ने
सपनों को बहते हुए
कविताओं को रोते हुएखुशबु को कहीँ गुम होते हुए

आँखें बंद तो theen
पर अब भी था unmein एक junoon
beh jayein सब सपने
पर होंगे सब sach

एक anokhi chamak थी
un बंद palkon के पीछे
खुद से किये हुए vaade the
na haarne का था hausla

पानी तो baha
दर्द तो हुआ
पर
आँखें खुली तो unhein mili drishti.

Alone..

2007-04-30T11:37:00.000+05:30

The music drifts by
Sweet smell of pine envelopes me
The mist paints the lake hazy
And the rivulet gushes by.

The birds and the bees
Are all so busy..
They find no time
To stop by...

The chirping rises to a high tune
The humming grows all so loud
I am standing on the edge
All Alone..

The valley presents a song
And i sing along
My heart beats to the tune
But why it feels so Alone...??

वाह वाह अब मैं हिंदी में लिख सकती हूँ !!

2007-04-24T17:50:00.000+05:30

यह बहुत ही अच्छा काम किया है ब्लॉगर वालों ने ... अब मैं अपनी कवितायेँ हिंदी में लिख सकती हूँ अभी तो टेस्ट कर रही हूँ ॥ फिर कभी लिखूँगी आराम से ।

The phone rings again!!

2007-04-24T11:04:00.000+05:30

Today morning my phone rang and to my surprise the "GOOD GUY" was on the other side. He apologised for not sending my belongings to me and informed that he would be doing it by today itself. How was i astonished as well as happy. Not that i was much enthusiastic about my lost wallet, but the person's attempt to return it surely touched my heart. I dnt expect that i would get back the cash in the wallet, but even i never expected the person to call me up just to inform that he was late in sending it. WOW! Mumbai is sure a great place. All i can say -- SALAAM BOMBAY!! ( for its spirit that is totally mumbaiya)

A journey..

2007-04-23T18:34:00.000+05:30

Was going through my blog... one post at a time.. How i have evolved or rather have tried to see things through differently colored glasses.... The journey matters.. what i write now, how i write is not that important to me. The learning i had through my own words is something to cherish. It feels so good and strange at the same time. Myriads of emotions drift through... the kaleidoscope is invitingly put to display... Come Have a Look....

One Day to remember!!

2007-04-23T16:31:00.000+05:30

This is about the most "INTERESTING" day of my life.... As usual the start of the weekend was a bit lazy, with me BUNKING my swimming class and utilising the time for a good sleep in the morning. Lazed around for few hrs and decided to take a trip down the town. Who knew i had quite an evening in store for me. I went to a book shop, got only one book ( as the stock was over before i cud grab one) and took a shared auto for station. All was going so bland till now...
Had a humid and sweaty trip to the last stop and finally decided to have a treat for my tummy at the railway station.
So went rock hard idli, washed down with FROOTY, down my throat.
As soon as it was over , i realised to my utter shock that i had lost my WALLET... GODDAMN WALLET...
It took me few mnts to compose myself before i could even think abt what to do next.
First paid up my bills with all the CHILLARS i had and then called up a frnd and sought an advice. That calmed me enough to start trying the ever engaged Bank's customer care service.
By the time i reached home, almost all that cud be done on phone was done. My greatest thanks to the person who invented a CELLPHONE and who started phone banking.
Still had to lodge an FIR for the stolen wallet and license.
Another interesting experience was that.
Well by the evening had everything sorted out...... and lo my phone rang to let me know that a "GOOD GUY" got my wallet and called me up to return it to me( the call was from a private no. though). As it turned out, i had to ask him to courier my belonging at my office address and made some excuse about my ankle being fractured and hence my helplessness to meet him.

That was surely a fun filled, exciting, adventurous saturday i had. Next time.. lets see if i can have some more fun.. :)

MYSELF...

2007-04-09T17:42:00.000+05:30

For the first time in my blog, i am going to write about myself and not just my reflections. I was someone else for the larger part of my life and changed to someone else few years ago. I dont know how or when it happened. I felt trapped and inspite of wanting things to go differently, never did something to make it happen. I lost a part of me. I lost my free spirit, my humility, my confidence and most of all my innate nature to be myself. I can very well blame circumstances and get away with it, but i wont. Thats just not me.
Of all days, yesterday i suddenly realised what i was missing all these times. I was too bitter to let things go. THAT was the key... I needed to LET GO. My teacher and guide always told me to be a witness and let things go. It was me who agreed in theory but now i realise what it means to put it in practice. I can say its tough and easy at the same time. Tough because you have to work hard to realise it and easy coz once u have realised it, it takes an instant to follow it.
I hope and would definitely work to keep this understanding with me. I took a small step by letting things go which i had kept with me for years. I asked sorry from a person whom it was hardest to forgive and forget. Now i am free of my past and future. Only present remains with me and its a wonderful feeling.
Wish all of us could go through this experience once in life.

It has been a long time... Where was I?

2007-04-09T13:46:00.000+05:30

It has been a long time since i posted anything. Not that i was out of words or thoughts :). Simply i was too busy coping with lots of things in my life. And here i am celebrating my comeback ( I know, I know, it is not THAT long.. still ;) )
These days were one of the best and most fruitful days of my life. I found the part of me i felt i lost somewhere in the haste of life and yes i am happy.
One of the most active and busy days in my life, they helped me reconstruct my life the way i want to live it. The pride and the power i hold to change my own future is so amazing. It is just BEAUTIFUL.
God Bless All.

BLACK FRIDAY

2007-03-12T14:19:00.000+05:30

Yet another film about 1992-93 Mumbai bomb blast post mumbai riots and babri masjid demolition. BLACK FRIDAY. How black is it?? I am not a psychologist or phsychoanalyst, but it doesnt take much to see and lament over the state of US, people of India.... made by ourselves. Where is the trust gone? where is the respect gone for another? We might be on the brink of becoming a formidable forc in the world..... but havent we got hollowed somehow.

The Film deals with bomb blasts, innocents suffering and screaming for their life.... where is the true portrayal. No event in this world originates by itself. Why donte we have enough conscience to look into what we have become. An educated milieu with heart fulll of suspicion, hatred and anger, ready to pounce on any one who seems a bit different and films like Black Friday fanning it to the full.

I am so tired of asking questions.... why cant we get the peaceful and loving neighbourhood back?

Faithful hope

2007-03-11T23:26:00.000+05:30

My eyes blinked
Tears threatening to fall
Darkness loomed large
I wish i could stall..

Heart giving away
drifting away in the mist of despair
clenched fist...
Freezing cold air.

A hope all i need...
A faith to hold on
The love bringing me to shore
Urging me to go on

My heart grows warmer
just being full
Of faith and love
And a faithful hope

High courts should be last forum of appeal in most cases, says SC

2007-02-23T17:57:00.000+05:30

So here it is again....... the ever increasing woes of Supreme Court of India. Can anyone answer this - Is the justice granted to an individual lesser than a group? Is the justice granted to a wealthy is greater than given to one who is living just hand to mouth? Is the justice given to dead person more of importance than a living person? Is a crminal justice more important than a civil one? Underlining it all -- Does the importance of justice differ from case to case??

NO... the answer is NO and can never be Yes.

The judicial system in any state is set up for one purpose - to uphold the rights of an individual or a group of individuals. Then how can one question anyone's right not to seek highest justice?

The need of the hour is not to disallow certain kind of cases to be brought to Supreme court. The emphasis should be on speedy and just trials. We do not have clogs in the SC's register coz some UNNECESSARY cases are brought to it. But we have it coz nobody bothers to clear it. We do not have efficient and fair judiciary system right from lower level courts to SC. How do we even expect to escape the side effects of allowing an inefficient system to run? And Do we deserve to blame the no of case? No.. we are responsible for this mess collectively and will have to take some measures to improve it... And teh first step is to improve ourselves.

SAMJHAUTA EXPRESS..???

2007-02-23T17:16:00.000+05:30

Yet again... another blast that shook the believes of thousands, if not million. Isnt it an irony that the very vehicle of cordiality is now a bone of contention. Whatever Indian or Pakistani Government say, they are equally responsible for the hundreds of innocents losing their life when all they expected was a tearful union.. what a union it was.

I have lost my stomach to condemn any more blasts -- they have all the same gory ends. How much blood and tears will it take to drown these ulterior motives? I am so disillusioned now as to answer this - Not even the blood and tears of the whole world wud suffice. The people who fight in the name of region, religion or even atrocities upon them and their families( assuming all terrorists are made by circumstances- which is not true anyways) , have they gone blind? Cant they see that if a person suffer, its they who are wronged at the end.. not the ones who suffer. By causing misery to one person they are infact making hundreds others against them. Why cant we just be peaceful.... without turning against each other and in turn against our nature human inclination to love all?

At this moment, i am feeling all the grief that people all over the world have felt.. the terror they have hidden inside themselves .. of being dead any moment by any terrorist attack...

I am here saying to the insatiable urge of blood... inside the so called Terrorists.... U WIN.. LETS JUST GRANT US PEACE NOW...... Its not my defeat i am admitting.. its urs... If u think u can win by force... u have no right to think.. as u cant. U can kill people but how will u kill the indominable spirit of mankind... be it a Hindu, a muslim, a christian, a jew, a sikh.... just a single person alive who is a man of reason and justice.

Let us all LIVE.......

To Be or not to Be

2007-02-09T16:19:00.000+05:30

I came across this line in BOLD at the place i love most to be, my teacher's place. Batul Da's Place. It has somehow remained always with me after the moment i had set my eyes on the frowning expression of a cute baby... with the perennial question. I always asked myself.. to be or not to be.... a question that is fathomless. In times of doubts, when i am faced with a choice.. any kind of for that matter, i question my being. I is so important , we hardly ever realize.
Just sitting here and thinking about I.. an entity.. a soul.. a love.... a being.. One life.

Some more..... cant get enough

2007-02-05T19:31:00.000+05:30

A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit.
Richard Bach

An idea is never given to you without you being given the power to make it reality. You must, nevertheless, suffer for it.
Richard Bach

Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours.
Richard Bach

Ask yourself the secret of YOUR success. Listen to your answer, and practice it.
Richard Bach

Can miles truly separate you from friends... If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?
Richard Bach

Civilization... wrecks the planet from seafloor to stratosphere.
Richard Bach

Don't be dismayed by good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.
Richard Bach

Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you.
Richard Bach

Every problem has a gift for you in its hands.
Richard Bach

Evolution made civilization steward of this planet. A hundred thousand years later, the steward stood before evolution not helper but destroyer, not healer but parasite. So evolution withdrew its gift, passed civilization by, rescued the planet from intelligence and handed it to love.
Richard Bach

Happiness is the reward we get for living to the highest right we know.
Richard Bach

Here is a test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't.
Richard Bach

I don't want to do business with those who don't make a profit, because they can't give the best service.
Richard Bach

I gave my life to become the person I am right now. Was it worth it?
Richard Bach

If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they're yours; if they don't they never were.
Richard Bach

If you will practice being fictional for a while, you will understand that fictional characters are sometimes more real than people with bodies and heartbeats.
Richard Bach

If your happiness depends on what somebody else does, I guess you do have a problem. Richard Bach

In order to live free and happily you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice. Richard Bach

In order to win, you must expect to win.
Richard Bach

In the United States Christmas has become the rape of an idea.
Richard Bach

Jonathan is that brilliant little fire that burns within us all, that lives only for those moments when we reach perfection.
Richard Bach

Learning is finding out what you already know.
Richard Bach

Listen to what you know instead of what you fear.
Richard Bach

Live never to be ashamed if anything you say or do is published around the world, even if what is said is not true.
Richard Bach

Not being known doesn't stop the truth from being true.
Richard Bach

Rarely do members of the same family grow up under the same roof.
Richard Bach

Strong beliefs win strong men, and then make them stronger.
Richard Bach

The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.
Richard Bach

The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.
Richard Bach

The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly.
Richard Bach

The meaning I picked, the one that changed my life: Overcome fear, behold wonder.
Richard Bach

The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.
Richard Bach

The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change.
Richard Bach

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly.
Richard Bach

You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past. Richard Bach

You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however.
Richard Bach

You don't want a million answers as much as you want a few forever questions. The questions are diamonds you hold in the light. Study a lifetime and you see different colors from the same jewel.
Richard Bach

You teach best what you most need to learn.
Richard Bach

Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else or anything else is not only impossible, but the mark of a fake messiah.
Richard Bach

Richard Bach's Quotes

2007-02-05T19:27:00.000+05:30

I am reading Richard Bach again.... my love for flight since i was an adoloscent has brought me here to post few of my favourite quotes by my favourite author... for all to see and experience their own flight.

You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self.

Don't turn away from possible futures before you're certain
you don't have anything to learn from them.

You're always free to change your mind
and choose a different future, or a different past.

- from "Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah"

Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours.

- from "Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah"

Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself.
Being true to anyone else or anything else is not only impossible, but the mark of a false messiah.

- from "Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah"

The simplest questions are the most profound.

Where were you born?
Where is your home?
Where are you going?
What are you doing?

Think about these once in awhile, and watch your answers change.

- from "Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah"

You are never given a wish without being given
the power to make it true.

You may have to work for it, however.

- from "Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah"

Every person, all the events of your life, are there because you have drawn them there.

What you choose to do with them is up to you.

- from "Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah"

Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years.

- from "Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah"

A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and at such a speed, it feels an impulsion....this is the place to go now.

But the sky knows the reason and the patterns behind all clouds, and you will know, too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons..

- from "Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah"

The gulls who scorn perfection for the sake of travel go nowhere, slowly.
Those who put aside travel for the sake of perfection go anywhere, instantly.

- from "Jonathan Livingston Seagull"

For most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating.
For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight.

- from "Jonathan Livingston Seagull"

If our friendship depends on things like space and time, then when we finally overcome space and time, we've destroyed our own brotherhood! But overcome space, and all we have left is Here. Overcome time, and all we have left is Now. And in the middle of Here and Now, don't you think that we might see each other once or twice?

- from "Jonathan Livingston Seagull"

The gulls who scorn perfection for the sake of travel go nowhere, slowly. Those who put aside travel for the sake of perfection go anywhere, instantly.

- from "Jonathan Livingston Seagull"

That's what learning is, after all; not whether we lose the game, but how we lose and how we've changed because of it and what we take away from it that we never had before, to apply to other games. Losing, in a curious way, is winning.

- from "The Bridge Across Forever"

We're the bridge across forever, arching above the sea, adventuring for our pleasure, living mysteries for the fun of it, choosing disasters triumphs challenges impossible odds, testing ourselves over and again, learning love and love and LOVE!

- from "The Bridge Across Forever"

If it's never our fault, we can't take responsibility for it.
If we can't take responsibility for it, we'll always be its victim.

- from "Running From Safety"

Can miles truly separate us from friends?
If you want to be with Rae, aren't you already there?

- from "There' No Such Place As Far Away"

You have no birthday because you have always lived; you were never born, and never will die. You are not the child of the people you call mother and father, but their fellow-adventurer on a bright journey to understand the things that are.

- from "There' No Such Place As Far Away"

Fly free and happy beyond birthdays and across forever, and we'll meet now and then when we wish, in the midst of the one celebration that never can end.

- from "There' No Such Place As Far Away"

Nothing happens by chance, my friend... No such thing as luck. A meaning behind every little thing, and such a meaning behind this. Part for you, part for me, may not see it all real clear right now, but we will, before long.

- from "Nothing By Chance"

Another piece of artistry

2007-02-05T19:23:00.001+05:30

Yes, i call writing as artistry.... I am not a great artist neither have the capacity to judge one, but i surely recognize any kind of art...
Art in its all forms in nothing but an expression of a whole. When one paints, a part of him/her comes on canvas... when one writes, the unspoken words float and are no more destined to be unheard.
Cheers to the sublime....to us human for having the capability of expression...

wanted to test this

2007-01-25T20:40:00.001+05:30

Got this feature and wanted to use it

Ghazala Tabassum

Mr. Bush - Does he deserve to be spoken about?

2007-01-25T16:57:00.000+05:30

I would say Yes and NO to that. yes, because he has surpassed his predecessors in damaging the world. No, beacuse his actions are not worthy of being talked with any amount of reasoning and well intention. I read yet another editorial and couldnt agree with the author any more about the nature of the prsident of United States of America.

His intentions, by far, are but a cloud of contradictions. He had remained seemingly unaffected when 9/11 happened. The best he could muster to do was to launch a war against a soveriegn nation and bring its President to gallows with the excuse that he was a threat to the world. The judge appointed by Lord Almighty himself.

Thousands of americans and Iraqis could not move him or his decision. Nor could the victims of Katrina stimulate compassion in him, if its to be judged by delayed and not-so-sympathetic adress after the catastrophe. The number of hard core issues solved by him in a tenure of 8 years are not even worthy of being counted on fingers.

Yes to him for being an ageis for the oil majors, and hardly bothering to notice the incresing threat to environment. Yes to him, for bringing terrorism to a stage where it has now become a fashion. Yes to him, for ruining a nation and not even having his conscience challenged. Yes to him, for telling lies in public and supporting his whimsical ideas by going back on his own word.

And finally, NO to him for being the person most responsible for the chaos in a rapidly degenrating world.

Its just another day!

2007-01-25T16:40:00.000+05:30

Its just another day,
Daisies blooming over the hills,
Clouds gathering to hint a shade
And Sun playing hide and seek.

Its just another day,
Creek running down the stones,
Jingling and giggling ,
and here the birdie croans.

Its just another day,
Hopes splashing up the sky,
Wishes lasting longer
and sadness is left to die...

Dard

2007-01-23T18:35:00.001+05:30

yeh kaun tha
kaisa tha
kahan se aaya tha

kya tha yeh
jisne mann ko kulbulaya tha
aankhon ko rulaya tha
hriday ko machalne ke liye
uksaya tha

kaun tha yeh
kis rang ka tha
neela peela sabz ya laal
kala ya safed sab kuch to tha

dard tha yeh
jo aankhon se byaan hota tha
hoton ke kinaroon per jamaa hota tha
aur dil ki gahrayion mein ghar ker jaata tha.

Indian Economy - Where does it stand?

2007-01-23T17:46:00.000+05:30

Economy as described in the glossy papers - emphasis upon the continued bull run of the sensex, large foreign investment, booming job opportunities and ever expanding indian businesses. Reality - Less than suffient food for more than 30% of the population, No education for 40% of 102 crores of Indians, Bad road even for the tax payers, Swelling population eating away at all the efforts to maintain equilibrium between demand and supply. I agree that no nation can be developed in 5-10 years, but the root of our problem as Indians is very unique in itself. We crib about sanitation, road, governement aides or rather lack of them , but we hardly do anything from our own side. Nithari happened and all we could do was to gape at the horrible story and shake our heads in disgust. Blamed everything on Police and just said aloud that something should be done. But who will do that? WHO?
Be it USA, Japan or any other country, it was not built just by traders, businessmen or booming indices. They were made by people, their collective effort, their refusal to accept things as they come. Nation is build by the willingness of its citizens to build it , to shape it and to be proud of it.
Are u the one contributing to this joint effort? How can u face ur child when u r the one increasing the mess she is going to be in after few years? How can u just watch when ur hoem is wilting away? HOW?

Frivolous litigation by busybodies wastes time, says angry Supreme Court

2007-01-18T14:32:00.000+05:30

Yet another Editorial, TOI, Jan 17th. PIL - Public Interest Litigation is yet another tool designed to empower general public and now serves more as a means to gain cheap publicity or for political gain. No doubt PIL ensures that justice in public interest prevails but what can be said about all and sundry filing PIL just to get a paragraph in the day's newspaper. We have come across PILs that do nothing but clog the judiciary which is already burdened. PIL should not be scraped because even if 5 out of 100 PIL are genuine, the purpose is served and someone gets justice. To reduce the clogging of judicial machinary, seperate PIL hearings should take place. India is facing an acute shortage of judges and lawyers who can administer justice. This scenario needs rethinking and refromation in near fututre. PIL cannot be made an excuse to delay justice and neither should be stopped from being the sole voice of 'JANTA' .

Mumbai A Grope Fest - A Pride or Shame

2007-01-10T15:56:00.000+05:30

Read this article few minutes ago on 8th page of today's TOI(Times of India). By the time i reached the final sentences of the article, i found myself asking some questions. The men around, who find all kind of 'Innovative' ideas just to feel a woman's body for a fleeting instance, have they ever thought what it feels to be violated. Can they ever feel the agony a human goes if his or her body and space is invaded without his/her consent? Can they bear to be alert 24x7 while others claim that they are priviledged section ( yes, men do call women priviledged)? Can they ever understand what it feels to be always protecting oneself from touches, sights and pervasive comments? How will they manage their life if their dignity is threatened all the time? I sometimes feel ashamed to be born, simply because the ugliness of men's desire for a female body is so all consuming and obscene. Mumbai, which prides itself be the safest metro, should feel ashamed that it derogates a woman to an object of desire.. women of all ages, of all societies. Imagine ur own daughter being touched by a stranger... violating her body which is the most sacred thing she owns. Imagine men, being violated all the time.

IIT in Bihar... Dream or reality?

2007-01-08T18:30:00.000+05:30

Just finished reading the Editorial of today's TOI... the topic of view : HRD ministry proposes to set up IIT in Bihar.
The Times view advocating it and Mr. A. Srinivas having a counter view.
I dont know whether both have seen the issue from a 'BIHARI' perspective or not, here i am to put in my words to my thoughts.

IIT is a dream.... a dream that remained unfulfilled for some and realised for some... a dream of realising one's own potential though the gruelling discipline needed to clear through one of the toughest entrance examinations in the the world. Bihar being another dream.. unrealised.. struggling... a dream that bears the tag of being 'BIHAR' for decades. How many of us have stopped for a moment and thought about what makes BIHAR as we know it now.. the people?? may be Jayprakash Narayans and Rajinder Prasad or may be the maximum no of IITians from this single state actually belong to somewhere else.. how can they be from BIHAR.. a backward, culturally inferior, politically exploited and criminalised state.

IIT in Bihar will be a fresh start... I do say things will not turn out to be the best overnight for either for the Bihari IIT nor for the state.. whats wrong in being pragmatically hopeful? We all know that maximum no of IITians are from Bihar and Jharkhand and they are the ones who have been nurtured in the same land for more than 17 years. If the grim situation in Bihar can turn out so many talents, i dont think we should have any doubt about the fourishing of an institute in the state.

Also, IITs have never been aloof or in a vacuum. The example of IIT Kanpur is all i can say a poor choice as we can find out for ourselves that other premiere institutes opened up in UP beacuse IIT was there. IIT in itself is sufficient to start the rolling of the wheel of growth in the surrounding area. We can rake up evidenecs that would suggest that would IIT Kanpur be not there, many other economic and educational advances would not have been in the area around Kanpur.

No scince or technology institute is nor can be constitued with the single motive of improving the condition of the area in which it is opened. But it is always that the benefit of the area is an unavoidable byproduct. Isnt that reason enough for us to lend an arm to the effort?

I agree that the criminalisation of politics has resulted in the downtrend for whole of Bihar, but i have complete faith in the ability of a premiere institue like IIT to reverse the trend... well IITians have never followed a trend except that of high rising curves of learning and innovation and they have dared to dream impossible and realize it ...Havent they? Yes... they have and soon we will hear this affirmation from the people of Bihar itself.

Paper Name: Times of India; Date: 8/1/2007 ; Page No: 16 ;

Life in colors..

2006-12-13T16:48:00.000+05:30

Life has been a colorful affair for me.... shades of red, blue and yes black.... u can say gray...
I have had my shares of happiness, passion, anxiety and blues.. and i am proud of that.. to be able to see more hues than most of the people around me. Life has offered me so many canvasses to paint.. so many colors to play with.. mix and match them..
I have observed one great secret of life.. an open secret... the life itself offers u innumerable choices.. to hear or to be heard, to see or to be seen, to talk abt the difference or be the difference. and happy are those who dare to dream and speak out their dream. Who dare to be the difference... difference without being different. The beauty of the color lies in the fact that each time a color mixes with the other , it gives birth to another color... unique in its existence.. in its essence. I wish i could be as vibrant as that....

Steel

2006-12-11T19:31:00.000+05:30

The glistening of rays,
The stretch of honour,
The purpose of life
The strenght of will...

Standing tall,
Bilizzards held..
just with the truss of the beauty

The Steel all gray
and shining ...

Normal

2006-12-06T21:46:00.000+05:30

It has been a quite normal day at office. Entrance at early afternoon and the some stupis dull work. All of a sudden a crisis when i am about to leave a bit early than usual ( that is 8PM).. another couple of hours spent solving it and finally its the Normal time to return home (10:30PM). Will reach home and then a quick warm bath.. to shake off the office feel. Some newspaper, music and books.. lulling me into deep sleep again to wake up in the late morning. Another day at office.... the most abnormal thing now is to return early to home.... even if i reach office early morning ... software professionals have quite a normal life i must say :-)

Choices

2006-12-06T17:11:00.000+05:30

The path forks
And all i am left with is Choices
The sun goes down
And i choose to keep walking..

I choose not to get crushed
I choose not to cry
I choose not to give up
I choose to Live

I choose love over fear
I choose white over black
I choose to stand up and walk
I choose to forgive myself and learn

I choose to be a whole again..........
What i cant choose
Is to let my tears flow
in those dark lonely nights
Coz i choose to let them wash away my pain.

Maximum City

2006-12-05T20:27:00.000+05:30

I am almost to the last pages of 'Maximum City' by Suketu Mehta. The whole book is much more than pages and words. Its an insight into the Glittering Bombay or presently Mumbai. Having a first hand experience of the city all i can say that its a place where you are alone in a crowd. You live a life into yourself .. oblivious of the slums, chawls, bars, Bollywood and most mysterious of all, Underworld. The books speaks about the open secrets of the city... a city that is dirty and glamorous at the same time.. sexy and repulsive at the same time and crowded and lonely. The rent act that has made the lives of middle class non flat owners miserable, the politics that has sucked the cosmopolitan culture of Mumbai, the bars that have a never ending line of boys and old alike, with money to give them an ego boost, an identification in this city which doesnt recognize anyone except the Bollywood Badshahs and the Underworld with their connection running from a rickshawwala to the top most politician and beaureaucrat-- all with symbiotic relationships to share. All i can say is that I love this city and to warn everyone.. either u love it or hate it.. u cant have half of Mumbai to yourself.

Music of life

2006-12-05T15:54:00.000+05:30

Music... one thing that can keep me going even if i feel worst. The lovely tinkle of a bell, the bass of the guitar being played, the flow of expressions from a saxophone.. its all so lively. The world seems to be all within my heart , blocking the negatives and i remain untouched. How can i ever stop myself from tapping my feet to '18 till i die' or to 'where ever when ever'.... neither i can stop myself from drifting beside a raging ocean listening to the nature's beat. Everlasting love songs.. ahhh.. the pain and the sweetness is all prevailing. Not much of a rock or heavy metal fan, still i enjoy some Guns and roses :) thoroughly. How can i miss out on the beautiful remix by Instant Karma - Dil Kya kare. The poetry of yesteryears, the rapp of today and melody of the world.. this is what make me forget all my worries and relax, even while i am working . Thats the magic of music and life.

My Moments

2006-12-04T20:47:00.001+05:30

A light ....

The night was restless..
The storm blazed
The thunder was unheard
The lightening was blinding

The tower collapsed...
All i heard was the schreeching seagulls
The waves washed down
The last symbol disappeared

The empiness reigned
The lips tasted salty...
The cold... was freezing my soul.....

There i looked with my eyes open..
A light... a shimmering but strong one....
Growing , warming me deep within..
A light house in the abyss.......

I clutched it with my whole strenght..
Strenght i had but least....
The glow spread inside me
And i had found my Light.

A Small Start - Another new one

2006-12-04T19:16:00.000+05:30

I have always been inclined to write my thoughts down. But this was the longest i took to write them... write them in a form which is 'editable'. Frankly, the most important reason was that i never could nor can get over the romance of writing on a paper with a pen. Today i decided to take the leap... not because i am over and done with my 'Pen and Paper Romance'. Rather it is convenience that has convinced me to switch from my diary to a blog. All i am hoping is to travel with my thoughts far and wide....with all the anticipations in my heart. A voice for my views.