No cOZ for fear!

Hi Friends,

That is the news report in today's Pune Mirror, voicing out students' reactions who are in Sydney to the recent Aussie attacks. I had given a small email interview to this journalist and the report has finally made it to the print.

Just posting the link here. Please do put your comments so that we could make good use of this webspace for sharing viewpoints!

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=PMIR&showST=true&Enter=true&Skin=MIRRORNEW&GZ=T&AW=1243756423765

(Go to page 2: See inlay image for reference)

Cheers mate! No worries,
-Mihir

Does your vote really count?

41.24!!! That was the voter turnout in Mumbai for the 2009 Lok Sabha Elections. Shocking? Not really... What more can you expect when elections are mostly scheduled around a 4-day long weekend and soaring mercury? This has been a consistent trend, because it naturally and almost delusively keeps away the middle-class and the upper-middle class from the polling booths. I mean that tactic is just so obvious not to be noticed!

So we heard a lot of 'election-jargon' like 'anti-incumbency factor' and what not! Organizations undertook campaigns on a massive scale, creating 'more aware' voters (I take it with a pinch of salt!) and emphasizing the masses to 'jaago' (awaken) and vote! Though, this piece of writing would somehow hurt the sentiments of these campaigners, let me assure, this is not against the campaigns which are certainly run with a very good motive.

The question I am contemplating is whether the vote of the commons really makes any difference to the polls? Do we blindly follow the adage 'Your Vote Counts?' Ever wondered why 'anti-incumbency factor' fails to do anything else than embellish the statements of psephologists? And if I may go a step ahead and raise your eyebrow saying that it hardly matters whether you vote or not, would you call me a non-conformist?

Maybe to a great extent I am, but then again, I am proud of being one! But this topic is not about the helplessness experienced due to dirty politics and vote banks! The core of this blog concentrates on the rationality of a logical theory which underlines why voting of a common man doesn't count... Why majority doesn't play a decisive game as does minority!

The reason I say what I say can be made clear by taking a fictitious, yet trend-proven example of an election scenario. We know that there are countless parties in India, each 'following' its agenda. These numerous parties float their candidates which fill up a long page of the ballot paper. Suppose now that in a certain constituency, there are 20 candidates contesting elections. Take for example a population of 20000 of that constituency. Now, without deliberating on their patterns of voting, let’s simply assume for instance that each candidate gets equal number of votes, i.e. 1000 votes each. Or otherwise, if you want to assume a distribution of your choice, say, 1300, 700, 500, 1500, 300, 1400... etc. This is the voice of the 'common man', i.e., a majority of you reading this blog. Is it giving out any verdict? Certainly that would be wishful thinking!! Now let’s introduce a 'specific interest group' into this scene. This group maybe a business group, a social group or any group you can think of as long as it has a specific purpose for its formation and existence. Now for the time being, lets assume it is a group of local businesses in that area who need to acquire government lands in that constituency. Now, this group is searching for candidates who can fulfill their demands and in turn, candidates are always looking for such 'interest groups' who could leverage their count. Suppose out of a population of 20000, 1500 are aligned to this group, then it is anybody's guess that the candidate who assures the maximum benefits gets these 1500 votes... Now add these votes to our equiprobable vote count of 1000 per candidate. It becomes 2500 votes for that candidate. Compare 2500 with vote counts like 300, 700, 1000, 1200, 1500 or even 1700 (assume 1700 is the vote count of the most deserving candidate getting most votes by people). Still the margin is very high, and imagine if amplification factor is applied to this example, the margin amplifies more and more.

So at the end of it all, whose vote matters? Your vote (as you have been always told) as an individual? Or your vote ....... as a part of an interest group? The answer is obvious and not surprising at all. Hence, even if you religiously believe that your vote would help to elect the best candidate and bring in reforms, you certainly are in Utopia, because even if you go into a denial mode, the hard facts remain! And could be proved over and over again!

So what do I suggest? Well, the idea to contemplate is how you can make that difference and how your vote would 'really' count! There are various ways I believe this could be done, although I am not an authority to evaluate these options. What I believe is that to begin with, we need to streamline our efforts. I recommend we can start with being a part of an 'interest group'. This need not be always vested interests; sorry if the example cited offers you that bias. But then if you see in western countries, like-minded people follow a cause, however trivial it is and become one when it comes to electing the person who delivers what they stood for!

Even in countries where only 2 parties exist, this is observed. And moreover, when it comes to a multi-party setup as in India, this becomes a necessary step. Uniting votes and streamlining them for reforms is the issue at hand and maybe would pave a way ahead to make your vote 'count' and not just another increment in a vote count!

A tale of two cities

Having been Down Under for more than 2 months now, I can say I have experienced Sydney at least to a level where I can write about it. I avoid writing first impressions of the city, because they may not be always stay that way over a period of time.

Nevertheless, my first impression of Sydney was that of a city 'complicated and laid back' at the same time. I arrived at my temporary accommodation in Sydney in a shiny black taxi, the address being fed initially by the driver in the GPS navigator. Cabbies here have to be told the exact address at the beginning of the journey, complete with the house number and name! The navigator calculates the optimum path to your destination and the cabbie follows it.

Being used to a stochastic life, back home in Mumbai; the city that never sleeps, closing down of shops by 7 pm was quite queer. Everything followed a specific system, even in places where there is no such need. My initial days were spent adjusting to the new lifestyle, the city had to offer. I had nothing to do in the initial few days, except searching for a permanent accommodation. Google maps were the only source of moving around the city, since I didn't have a GPS navigator. There's no relying on the local residents of the area for the address, because people hardly have any know-how about the area other than important places, although street names are clearly visible everywhere.

Over a period of time, one thing has struck me that Sydney (or Australia) is overly reliant on systems. It may be true with all 1st world countries, but it definitely plays down human efforts or mind. People are used to follow only a set system and being guided for smallest instruction by it. Any change to that is not easily comprehensible by the person using that system. Even in the service sector, systems are followed which leaves very little scope for a challenging thinking or decision making on the part of the person delivering the service. In the event of system failure, I believe the functioning of the city would be drastically affected. The city lives by the dictum: 'We are for the system. The system is not for us'.

Things diametrically change in Mumbai which follows: 'The system is for us. We are not for the system'. The systems in Mumbai are not a set of rigid processes, but are more or less interpretative processes, which encourages lateral thinking and snap judgments. That is why, even if systems are not state-of-the-art in Mumbai, people 'know' how to react to divergence from normal behaviour of the systems.

At the end, life is smooth, with 'risk-averse' behaviour prominently seen amongst almost all citizens. People prefer to be guided by safe systems with little appetite for risk.

More thoughts to follow...

The Blogger Returns

Yes, I know its quite some time since I have posted anything up here. "Some time" could be an understatement, but nevertheless, I am making a re-entry into this web space.

Time flies and so do distances. I have been subjected to a new life and environment here in Sydney, away from home. Blogging was lost somewhere amidst this new beginning. Friends asked what happened, and I just used to tell them.. "yes, soon I will blog".

But now, I think enough is enough; I shouldn't act that busy and get to what I love the most: write, write and write...
Expect some new stuff on this blog, new experiences in new city, new people, family away from family and some reflections!
See you guys soon.. Thanks for sticking to this space!

Musings by the sea

An evening spent with 2 of my closest friends on the Marine Drive is enough to take away life's worries away for at least the moment. The sun setting behind the cloudy horizon casts a magic spell all over the place. The calm sea ahead of you and the bustling city of Mumbai behind you makes you smile an irony. Moments are cherished; photographs embellish them. Sitting on the facade of the rocks on the sea-face, sometimes words are lost. All of a sudden, there is nothing to speak about, but everything to experience. Even the fallen breeze makes you fresh and lively! That's nature! And that's us; an integral part of it; of the sea, of the tides, of the sun. A look at the horizon far away makes you feel a part of it. The horizon doesn't know how much more to tread on, where is the end, or for that matter, where should it begin... Illusion: thats what we live, and thats what is the horizon we see. But then if life is an illusion, we should enjoy every bit of it. Illusions can be conquered by human bonds, and that makes us special.

Chuckles of laughter stir the placid calmness and suddenly there is so much to say, so much to talk about. But the clock ticks away to glory; you can't bribe it... The twilight hour decks up the 'Queen's Necklace' as the place is called due to the literal resemblance. People throng to this captivating place to catch some much needed fresh air. Fresh air - a much sought after commodity in this concrete jungle. The worldly sense now takes over and wristwatches get a quick glance. Its time to return to our abodes and to life's frontiers.

What more can I ask on a Sunday evening?

Reply to an SMS

The terrorists attacks of 26/11 certainly invited the anguish and wrath of people of Mumbai. SMSs were doing rounds ranging from kudos to the armed forces to blindly attacking Raj Thackeray and MNS. Many of you must have come across this SMS:

"Where is Raj Thackeray and his brave sena? Tell him that 200 NSG commandos from Delhi (No Marathi manoos! All south & North Indians!) have been sent to Mumbai to fight the terrorists so that he can sleep peacefully. Please forward this so that it finally reaches the coward bully!"

And today I want to answer that SMS. First of all, let me tell you, Raj Thackeray and MNS has made me proud as a Marathi. I really don't expect this piece of news to be followed up by Hindi media channels because we are well aware of the convenient sidelining of issues by these biased channels. They have their own 'politics' of hiding the truth conveniently for their own vested interests. Nevertheless, for those who appreciated the message and also went ahead and pressed the forward button on their cell phones, this is what MNS was upto when news of the attack came in:

When he first heard of the attacks, Arvind Gawde, MNS ward president from South Mumbai and MNS workers pressed into action immediately. Their first priority was to arrange for blood. They contributed more than 1500 bottles for the injured. They made food arrangements for the cops and the NSG commandos, and distributed more than 2000 Bisleri bottles. They arranged for free medicines for needy patients and also provided medicines which were not available at hospitals. More than 2000 workers were helping victims at GT, JJ and St. George hospitals. Vaibhav Shinde, President of Students' Wing of MNS arranged 10 ambulances to take injured to hospitals. They also took 90 victims on their own to the hospitals.

The welcoming thing to appreciate is that Raj Thackeray didn't behave like any other politician. Even if he wasn't in any authoritative position unlike those in power, his party was not politicizing the issue but got down straight to be a part of the helping hand. And I sincerely feel that should be appreciated. Please rise above the petty politics played by the delusive media and look beyond. Infact Maharashtra CM should have been asked this question who had the entire state machinery at his disposal. Kudos to the MNS workers who were working behind the scenes, not caring for any sort of political brownies. Did Narendra Modi do anything fruitful for the Mumbaikars at that tragic moment? A press appearance is all that he gave us, and no one questions him what did you do than just expressing solidarity? But the name Raj Thackeray makes all guns to be diverted to him and pull the trigger without thought. Aren't we unconsciously biased? Do you want to be happy, being puppets in the hand of the media?

The second part of the SMS talks about NSG commandos (no Marathi manoos! All South and North Indians) being sent to Mumbai. Firstly the Mumbai police, essentially a Marathi force, did not just sit there waiting for someone else to take action. The very first heroes of the operations were none but 3 top Police officers from Mumbai, all Marathis. And NSG commandos also comprised of bravehearts like Rajendra Kore (a Marathi), who was injured in Nariman House operations.

Next time you make a statement like that, first get your facts together...

For those who need proof supporting what I just stated, do go through this picture. Its a report in "The Afternoon" dated 27th November 2008

http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/761/1afternoon281008wm7.jpg

"In India, life is cheap"

"In India, life is cheap."

Those were the words of a US citizen when asked about her reactions to the terrorist attack of 26/11. And I can't agree more. Being an Indian, I very well know that here, life has no pricetag. The events unfolding after 26/11 just go a step further in establishing this known fact. What have we lost? Nothing! What have we gained? Nothing. What remains is blood, anger and superficial bursts of patriotic euphoria... I was sceptical about writing this blog, but then I had to vent myself out. I know not many people are going to like this piece of thought. Criticize me, hate me; throw brickbats... but then this is what I feel about the entire situation...

You may think I am angry. But I am not. Am I shaken? Certainly. But the feeling that is coming out strong and clear in me today is that of being ashamed. I am ashamed of being an Indian today. By India, I mean to point out to the 'system' of which we all are a part. No, no fingers at politicians for heaven's sake. I know we Indians are very well trained and love to throw brickbats at our politicians, but something more larger is accountable than just politicians. So am I being a non-patriot? Think as you like, but thats certainly not the case. When your sibling does something that makes you hang your head in shame, does that mean you don't love him/her anymore? Then can't we digest the fact that being ashamed of one's nation is equally natural? More soever, over an incidence that exposes your incapabilities and lack of will in front of the whole world?

SHAMED

10 terrorists. Over 400 NSG commandos. 60+ hours of operations. 3 locations. 100s of army personnel. This equation would certainly make any crisis management team, red-faced. Around 10:45 pm on 26th November, the police had an inkling of what they were up against. With very little information about the whole scenario, the police initiated an action. The Mumbai police stepped in quickly and tried to initiate primary operations. That was very commendable and Mumbai police truly lived to their expectations. Sadly, with the loss of 3 top brass officers, the operation hit a major hurdle. Karkare, Salaskar & Kamte suffered multiple bullet injuries and died. An observation that has come up now, in one of the dailies is that the bullet-proof jackets worn by these bravehearts bore marks of bullets passing through the protective covering! Is that what we give our saviours to wear when they lead from the front without caring for their lives? When they don't think twice about sacrificing their lives for the nation, is it not our duty to protect them in any way we can? Compromising on quality of bullet-proof jackets can happen only in India, I am sure! This is also a good indicator of how our priorities on defence spending are grossly misdirected. We spend millions on producing indigenous missiles and long range nukes. But when it comes to a soldier on the ground, we cant even give him a proper state-of-the-art equipment to deal with the enemy face to face? Do our missiles deal with terrorists holed up in cities? Are we not aware of changing nature of conflicts and defence situations that we would be confronting in the future? As I said, life is cheap... jackets are costlier!

The decision to call in NSG commandos came in quickly, but the time span between decision and action seemed like light years. I was again reminded of the Indian Airlines hijacking at Kandahar. 9 hours for beginning a commando operation of highest priority is something to be ridiculed. What message do we give to the international community? Is that our face of commitment and will to fight terrorism? And when they finally came, I thought that it was now time for the terrorists to count their minutes. Minutes transformed to hours, hours to days. This wasn't looking to be quite a commando operation, considering the typical parameters of one. I wouldn't go in depth commenting on what was expected. But experts in this field would surely agree that the operation was ill-planned and lacked proper logistics. It certainly wasn't one of the commendable operations as per international experiences and standards of operations was considered. Clearly, some major shortcomings on the commando action is clearly pointed out. When NSG commandos are used to provide security to top-brass politicians, I better not comment on the quality compromise that stares us in the face. Another very disturbing piece of news that came up was that our commandos didn't have the basic floor plan of the hotels! Now thats something that is really not expected of intelligence inputs and logistics team. And don't we feel ashamed when the international media takes note of this? Was it really that difficult for this input not to reach the daredevils on ground zero? Again, I have no words. On one hand we speak of making Mumbai another Shanghai, and on the other, thats the crude system of information we have in place as of now! Making a mega city dwells much further than just building state-of-the-art highrises and flyovers. And logistics is a subject we fail repeatedly.


RESILIENCE

Even in the midst of operations, the resilience of Mumbaikars and the undying spirit of Mumbai was in newsroom discussions. Politicians too followed upon the same recurring statement which comes after every crisis Mumbai undergoes. The fact is that this has gone too far. We feel proud when someone flatters us about this 'resilience', whereas in reality this has become a popular way of dealing with people of Mumbai. Praise them, sugar-coat your words in tried and tested tastes of bravado and valiance.. and Mumbaikars feel proud and sky-high. Its high time we know how much we are taken for granted by the use of these words.

Ok, forget everything. Lets apply our mind into this word 'resilience' which is used over and over again. In fact, we should realize that not being resilient is a luxury for us. We do not bounce back because we unitedly decide to, but because, we 'have to'. We can't afford staying back in our homes after any calamity. The city has an incredible appetite, and if you dont work or carry out your tasks so as to satiate this ever-growing hunger, you yourself would be eaten. That is why, even if you want to stay at home, you are 'forced' to come out and start your day's work. The bottomline is: "You don't have a choice".

If that is what we call resilience, we are grossly mistaken. And the 'spirit of Mumbai' that is talked about is nothing but smilingly accepting this mistaken phenomenon. And that makes Mumbai special, because the city doesn't allow you to sit down and think!

POLITICIANS

As always, politicians are quick to respond to any situation; apart from the fact that the response is misdirected and rarely of any valuable help. And politicians certainly lived up to their 'expectations'. Our honourable PM and Sonia Gandhi made a quick dash to Mumbai a day after the operations started. And it was anyone's guess what a great deal of support they were going to provide. In fact the situation in the city was that policemen had already been deployed in large numbers since the whole city was a war zone. Now, a VIP coming to the city requires another large deployment for the security arrangements to cater to him. That certainly put an additional pressure on the police presence in the city. But then who cares? What difference does it make to us when politicians come to the city? Nothing! But then, do they spend a small thought for the policemen who bear the brunt of this indifference?

Narendra Modi made his presence felt. Supposedly he came to stand up and be one with the people of Mumbai in this hour of crisis. But what he did was nothing but to criticize the PM's speech and immaturely announce 1 crore to the families of the martyrs. Only he can talk business when the city is grappling with bullets.


ANGER & FRUSTRATION

Anger! Thats an integral part of us all. In this situation, we too were angry and frustrated. Our blood was boiling. We don't know what we were angry for.. Do we ever think about that? People get killed, so you are angry! They bomb our city so you are angry! They killed our soldiers, so you are angry! Ok, so be it. Our helplessness manifested into anger and frustration. But then what do we do when we are angry? NOTHING. We just wait till the anger cools down! Meanwhile, we can do what we do best when we are angry - lash out against Pakistan. Its a classic example of misdirected anger. We need to realize that Pakistan is equally helpless when it comes to crushing terrorism. As a state, Pakistan is in a bad shape today, almost on the verge of going bankrupt. Both Pakistan and India are victims of terrorism - and they have failed badly tackling it. Not that India has been very successful, but then the blame game is easy and rides on the rival sentiments of the people. And when we vent out anger against Pakistan, we are quite off the track. Even if its quite popular in India, that doesn't justify it in any way. One of my friends had put his display quote on Orkut: Kill all Pakis. That grossly demonstrates the traditional anger target. As Premshankar Jha pointed out in a TV discussion, "Anger in a civilized society is a luxury, unless channelized properly".

There could be another reason for anger. This reason could be a subconscious one and you may or may not accept it. Is it so that we are angry because somewhere in us we know that the terrorists achieved their objective - terrorizing people? We killed the terrorists, but we didn't defeat terrorism. We won the fight, but lost the battle. Today I am shaken. I am scared. Scared that me and my family are not safe anymore in this country. Whether indoors or outdoors, the fear factor prevails and thats what the objective of terrorists was. And I believe they successfully completed the mission.

Another thing I would like to point out. Do not take it in a wrong sense. But I need to appreciate what is well done. I sincerely believe that the terrorists should be appreciated because they finished the task at hand with determination and with professional skills. 10 terrorists fighting against 400+ NSG commandos, the most elite of India's military force; for 3 days is a praiseworthy achievement. I hope we take a lesson from them that dedication to one's task should not be compromised.

MARTYRS

Finally after 3 days of gunfire, its the time for counting. The brave sons of India who died fighting, got a tearful goodbye, with a promise that we will remember you always. A promise that is never kept. The euphoria and the mass reaction certainly are encouraging, but it dies out soon. In no more than 6 months, Karkare, Kamte, Salaskar, Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Gajendra Singh would be forgotten. And I am not saying this; our history stands as a testimonial. The valour of our martyrs soak in the wetness of our euphoric patriotism and dries out soon as the sun of getting back to life shines brightly and warmly. How many of us truly will remember them? You think you will? Ok, take this simple test..

Tell me, who won the 'Indian Idol 1' competition? The name 'Abhijeet Sawant' would come to your mind instantly. If not instantly, after racking your memory for a minute or two you would get the answer. In the worst case scenario, even if you don't know, ask your family members or the neighbours and you will certainly get this answer.

Now answer this: Who was the 1st martyr of the Kargil War? I know it wouldn't come to you instantly. Rack your brains, take an hour or two.. still no answer, right? Ask your family members or neighbours. Google '1st martyr of Kargil war', still you wouldn't get the answer. Thats because 'Lt. Saurabh Kalia' is a page lost in the history, almost a decade ago...

We remember 'Abhijeet Sawant' but not 'Lt. Saurabh Kalia'. Some of you may argue that its not his name but the sacrifice he made for the country that we remember. Fair enough. Now be honest to yourself and see whether you take Lt. Kalia's name in the same state of emotions and euphoria as you take Maj. Unnikrishnan's name... Certainly that wont be the case. Soon Maj. Unnikrishnan would be Lt. Kalia and the process will continue...

WHAT REMAINS

What remains is a shaken nation that would soon stabilize, even in the face of inaction. Lessons won't be learnt just as they have never been in the past because questions will go unanswered. A few measures here and there would be initiated and with no one to follow up and due to lack of political will and determination, it would go down the drain or some middle-man would reap its monetary benefits. Strong condemning would follow, eminent people would be showcased on newsroom talkshows, security would be momentarily tightened up, people would be vigilant till 26/11 is forgotten... What it takes to stir up the nation is only an attack of this magnitude, and till lessons are not learnt, we are going to face these attacks more frequently. Taking note of 9/11 for the US, there hasn't been a single terrorist incident after that, whereas in India, a bombing here and there is a routine practice. If a country like US, a country so vast in geography can keep a check on these activities, why can't we?

The bottomline is that your nation is not going to provide for your safety. A day may come when we have to burn candles every week; worse every day. Its every man for himself and that leaves us divided in the end. And still we will say, "I am proud to be an Indian".

Irresponsible hypocrites

I am breaking my silence on this blog after many months, and today I think I need to stand up and speak. Not only because I can, but because I should.

If there's anything that Indians should be most ashamed of, then I feel it should be the Indian news channels. I have never seen anyone so hypocritical and spineless as these news channels. If Raj Thackeray is to be blamed for being an extremist when it comes to the issue of anti-Bihari propaganda, news channels are lending a helping hand by instigating one state against another. And today, the Mumbai Police was made the scape goat by this irresponsible media.

This goes to all the media persons out there.

Do you think the Mumbai police is an irresponsible organization that is made up of people like you who can't even write proper subtitles for news. The police doesn't gun down people like Rahul Raj to gain a whole-day footage. They don't like to pull the trigger because they are trigger-happy, but because they are forced to. And you mud-slingers don't think even for a second to comment on a force because of whom you can comfortably sit in your offices and 'report' (pun intended!) national happenings. And you are no one to tell police how the situation needed to be handled. I don't think anyone of you cowards would be in a position to speak out a word on your cameras with someone threatening you with a gun. You better not tell the police when to pull the trigger. Bihar's CM Nitish Kumar talked 'expertise' when he said that the police could have shot Rahul in the leg. I sincerely believe that the police are rational enough to evaluate choices while facing a deranged youth with a threatening gun in his hand, having injured one of the passengers with a shot. Media persons highlighted the fact that this youth was saying that he had no enmity towards any passengers and that he didn't mean to hurt them. He was simply angry against Raj Thackeray. Imagine yourself in that scenario. Would you react to his actions or listen and evaluate options based on his statements? What if all your media houses' head honchos were in that bus and this youth would have threatened them? Would they have asked the police to exercise restraint and not to pull the trigger and instead engage in a conversation with him? When your life is endangered, the natural choice is to eliminate the threat.

And thats precisely the role the police was meant to play in that scenario and avoid further escalation of this situation. And you spineless jellyfish of Indian media blame the police anyways. You are blaming it now, and you would have blamed it later if it had exercised restraint. And meanwhile if Rahul Raj would have killed or injured any passenger, the driver or the conductor; you wouldn't search for 'carefully selected' words to spare the police. It would have still come naturally for you.

The bottomline is that you are forgetting your true role in the national context. You have been given freedom of speech and you don't think twice about using it even on those guardians of freedom. At the end of it, you have absolutely no right to point fingers, since you yourselves are directionless. If you can't be a part of the solution, we won't tolerate you being a part of the problem...

The Flagseller

Wrinkled, lifelessly she stands,
holding a wailing child in her arms,
Bearing the brunt of sun & rain,
Unflagged, selling the paper flags.

The woman stares at me with lifeless eyes
An abyss of India's growth story,
Holding a bundle of Tricolours;
The Indian flag made in China.

I wonder if those three colours mean
Anything to the colourless woman.
As India soars high to touch the sky,
Her feeble child welters in her soiled clothes.

As India celebrates the Independence day,
Achieving milestones of glory & pride,
The bed of stones awaits this flagseller
Retreating to a slumber of dreamless future.

Love thy college!

Recently, I happened to pick up a conversation with my best friend regarding our colleges. Having completed 4 years of engineering, this topic came up sometime before our farewell party. We were discussing our college days & how we enjoyed them in our own way. Then came the statement I have heard a thousand times before. In fact I was expecting it. "I just love my college", was the assertion. I laughed a little over the phone, the laughter sounding a little sarcastic. "Don't you love your college, Mihir?", she asked me. I replied in the negative.

The fact is, I can't relate 'love' to a 'commercial activity'. Love is something very pure & heartfelt. In my weirdest dreams I can't imagine love being related to 'college' - something which is a symbol of nothing but commercialization of education. I don't mean to say commercialization of any activity is bad; even education. But once the money factor comes into play, its just another buyer-seller relation. Introducing a factor so close to the heart as 'love' is just unthinkable on my part. Education is sold & we buy it as consumers. When you say "I love my college", are you really referring to the institutional aspect of college? You like your faculty, you like the infrastructure, your colleagues & friends - and that's what sums up into the word - 'college'. But for me, each of these things is a different entity altogether. I wouldn't equate faculty with college, because that's just not the fact. Faculty includes teachers who are individuals in themselves. That's not what a college is. A college is not even the structure of bricks and cement. A college is, plainly speaking, an institution managed by the administration. It includes policy, working for student welfare, cultivating a bond between the student & the institution. And if you are among those who love their college with this definition at hand, you are one of the very lucky people!!

I wasn't that lucky. Graduating has been a great experience for me. I loved every aspect of it, just leave the isolated word 'college' aside...

The Lost Contact

During one of my study breaks today, I got down to managing my mobile phone's phone book. I knew it stored a substantial number of 'contacts' who are never in contact. Nowadays, exchanging mobile numbers after being introduced to someone is almost like a customary "Nice meeting you". So I got down to deleting some of these 'not-so-contacted' contacts.

Suddenly I scrolled to a name & I felt uneasy. It was the contact number of the brother of my very good friend. Her brother had died in a motorcycle accident early this February. I hadn't met him personally, although I happened to speak with him a couple of times over the phone. Later, I had also taken his mobile number from my friend so that I could keep in touch with him. I don't remember I called him on his mobile phone more than once after that.

And today, my finger hesitated for a second before pressing the delete option in front of his name!

Horn not-OK Please

No, I am not stirring up a No-Honk Day in the least. Thats not on my mind as of now. My mind is thinking about some new-found fundamentals about honking! Actually they may appear quite banal to you if you are from Bom..(oops!) - Mumbai (now..now..I am not in a mood for political fencing. I might give it a thought some time later).

Yup, so back to where it started. Not very long ago, when we were children, we were taught & we observed that honking was meant to alert other drivers on the street or the pedestrians apart from 'other' applications like honking to call someone from their homes. A couple of honks here and there meant casual calling - take your own time. A continuous stream of audio signals from the steering wheel meant a real urgent call, without any luxury of extra time. We grew up with these horns, until we got fed up with them and resorted to a loud, silent cursing on those audio-maniac people at the wheel. Little did we imagine that the show was just getting started!!!

Change has been a constant for everyone & has always been the 'in' thing & no wonder "horns" was one huge domain left to be explored. The fundamentals, the basics of honking soon were to be changed. And while I thank God that a majority are still sane about their "high decibel sound equipment", many of the mavericks have their own say (read 'shout').

HORN TYPE: Scaring the Shit!!!
DESCRIPTION: This type of horn, is not meant to alert or signal, but is meant to scare you in such a way as to give your steadfast heart a little run for its own beats.
CHARACTERISTICS: Short, terse & never fails to scare!

HORN TYPE: Rookie DJs
DESCRIPTION: Here's the one which will give you maximum returns on your ears' hearing investment. All you Metallica, Iron Maiden lovers - this one's a 'treat' right from the amplifier. And for all the budding rockers, rappers and DJs.... ride that sound wave!!
CHARACTERISTICS: Upbeat rhythm, high decibel music stream.

HORN TYPE: Ring tone freaks
DESCRIPTION: Specially introduced for those who are so attached to their mobile phone's ring tones, that its now music to their ears. They just want it all the time, even on the road. These horns specially are a hit with the bikers. For them in a list of biking 'must haves', these horns are on #1 spot. And these horns change faster than fashion.
CHARACTERISTICS: Could be confused with a reverse horn.

HORN TYPE: The Classics
DESCRIPTION: These are the ones which are labelled 'conventional'. They are staunch followers of the purpose for which they are meant to exist. Yes, noise levels are still a downside with these, but they still tread along their ancestral lineage.
CHARACTERISTICS: Predicted to be on the 'endangered' list in the coming decade. The prestigious 'Horn OK Please' title has been conferred on them by GAFT-India (Graffiti Artists For Trucks).

P.S.: Do let me know you own horn types with their description and characteristics. Lets 'hear' it for the horns!!!

On a Suicidal Note...

The scrolling news bars on the news channels nowadays make interesting news. These news scrolls are terse & in most cases - out of context. A couple of days before, my eyes caught such a 'news on the move' on one of the regional channels. It said - Mobile phones for farmers would be made cheaper. Going by the face value, it turns out to be good news. Unwrap the words a little & it spells out a portent.

Farmers in Maharashtra (also read Vidarbha) are already crippling under the heavy financial debt. The 2008 budget promised to turn a new page on the farmers' plight by its announcements of loan waiver. And like all good consumer goodies, this too came with a 'conditions apply' tag tied to its tail. Land reforms which haven't taken place for quite some years now pose a major problem for the much-debated waiver. And for those farmers for whom the package was designed... I doubt (doubt is still an optimistic-sounding word) how much of the total waiver benefited them! The suicide numbers of farmers do not depend on the number of media coverages & there has been no substantial reduction on the suicide front.

So, coming back to this piece of news. Mobile phones cheaper for farmers. Wow! Get a nice handset at lower price, show them lucrative offers like a wolf wrapped in a sheep's cover. Hide the 'conditions apply' tag; after all the farmers can't figure it out themselves! Then, a new phenomena will hit the TV screens in a few months - farmers committing more suicides due to mobile phone bills than financial debt!

Mr. Chidambaram, did I hear you say a bill waiver?

Blood in Stones

The child weeps in a shackled village,
Naked tears fall to the ground,
The cry unheard, not responded & growing frail
The red soil with corpses around.

They were here, the brutal murderers,
Of the war-torn country in the Dark Continent,
They know only guns, blood & diamonds
Making sure the bloody tears remain persistent.

Amputated men, raped women, maimed children
The axed limbs and the scarred mind
The conflict turning households into ghastly abaddon,
Its the diamonds the enslaved hands would find.

The nascent teenagers brandishing Kalashnikovs,
Homicides being their indoctrinated play
Mining the 'roughs' in the bloody river basins
The black-veined hands under the trigger lay.

Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Congo
Nebulae of man's unquenchable thirst for 'the stone'
Uncut they occur but through the country's fabric they cut,
The helpless child's tears harden into love's material epitome...


(In memory of the thousands of innocent people massacred & crippled by the civil wars in Africa during 1990s which gave rise to the infamous trade of 'Blood Diamonds')

The World According to Americans!!

Click on the image to view the enlarged size

Colour Blind!

How can I play with colours,

When Red reminds me of the genocides & the Naxalites?
When Green reminds me of the fundamentalists & the vanishing greens?
When Blue reminds me of the cruel porn industry & Dalit politics?
When Orange reminds me of the flames of power & the saffron mask?
When Yellow reminds me of the Taj Mahal & the endangered tiger?
When Black reminds me of 100 $ a barrel & the dry gunpowder?

How can I not play with colours,

When Red reminds me of unadulterated love?
When Green reminds me of hope & life?
When Blue reminds me of the boundless sky?
When Orange reminds me of the rising sun?
When Yellow reminds me of brightness & energy?
When Black reminds me of the carbon that transforms into a diamond?

How can I, how can I not?

The Sea Inside

Movies - the man-made audio visual phenomena that enthralls, captures & motivates me. Just like books bring out the magic of the human mind & the creativity that goes in hand with its fertility; movies undoubtedly are instrumental in making a deeper impact on the audience. One such masterpiece among such beautiful works is a Spanish film 'Mar Adentro' (The Sea Inside). The 2005 Academy Awards & 2004 Golden Globe Awards winner for Best Foreign Film, this movie is certainly a treat for your heart & mind alike. Based on a real life story of Ramon Sampedro, a quadriplegic who became paralyzed after an unfortunate incident and struggled for 30 years to legally end his life with dignity, the movie deals with the myriad persona of a man requesting for his euthanasia. During his struggle to acquire legal right for euthanasia, he shares a beautiful relationship with two women - Julia and Rosa - whom he inspires.

Adjectives fall short for this movie - inspiring, thought-provoking, subtle, intricate, philosophical, emotional... the list continues. Writing a review for a movie of this calibre is certainly not my cup of tea. I feel like a pauper when it comes to words for this piece of work. I feel, putting down a review of this movie in words would be an injustice done on my part. The least I can do after seeing this movie is to tell more & more people about it & allow them to experience it for themselves.

Do visit this website for more on the movie: http://www.theseainside.com/

Equations & Inequalities

This thought passed my mind last Sunday during my CAT classes. We were solving numericals in the module of 'equations & special equations'. We all have solved numerical equations during our academic years. Some problems are given straightforward; the equation stares you in the eye. Others require you to 'form' equations from given statements. Analyze it properly, get the proper equation & then... solving it is just a skill of the procedure and methodology adopted. And thats the easy part. If we ponder a little upon the essence of equations, we unanimously would deduce that every equation in the world revolves around that simple mathematical sign we call the 'equal to' (=) sign.


The sign is all-encompassing; the crux of every equation. And till both sides of this sign are balanced, we keep trying; solving... sometimes in few seconds. Sometimes with many minutes, hours put together before arriving at the answer. And then? What do we do when we finally get that final answer? Just look at the solution key and tally your answer... and rejoice or introspect where you went wrong. Thats what we do with all maths equations, isn't it?


Now lets divert a little away from the world of numbers & get to the world where we live in. Although it has very little to do with numbers, the fact remains that nevertheless, we still deal with equations. The equations of situations, equations of people around you, of feelings, of decisions. Most of the times, life's equations don't appear as do their mathematical counterparts. You really have to ponder much just to get the equation in front of you. And even if it does, most of the times the 'equality' sign is blurred. It hardly appears & the inequality sign takes away all its glory. On what side of the expression that 'inequality' points to, determines a lot in your life's equations. The challenge before us is to convert that inequality sign to that of equality so that both sides balance. That challenge is daunting & how you tackle the challenge decides what you give to your life & what life gives to you. Success & happiness inevitably comes to those who understand the mathematical subtleties of life. These two abstract nouns eventually become the reference solutions for you to tally whether you got the right answer or not. The beauty of life is about getting 'qualitatively' measured solutions... not 'quantitatively' solved!

The Fading Green

You planted a sapling

Tender & Nascent

All set to gain roots

And eager to send out shoots

You thought it was

A task all complete

And waited for flowers to bloom

Alas! You didn't give it much room

To grip the soil

To anchor the roots

Being the soil, I always tried

To save the plant everytime it sighed

But I couldn't water it myself

For that I needed you

You hardly gave it a thought

And now the green fades away in drought

Save the little green

While some of it remains

Coz if you still can't find water

Maybe the soil won't be there later

Thank God.. He gave us only 2 ears!

Is this going to be the future of mobile phone consumers in India? The government is aiming for more than half a billion mobile phone subscribers by 2010. We are 'all ears' for the future, aren't we? Mr. Branson, are you listening?