chronicles through the ride

Why we like Romantic movies & love songs?

2011-05-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

And so I was watching this movie “Wicker Park” wherein this guy played by Josh Hartnett is chasing this girl throughout the 2 hour suspense romantic thriller because she’s the love of his life and he lost her somewhere in the transit of life. And it makes me wonder if people actually do things like that in real life. Oh I’m sure a lot of people do find true love in their real lives, while a lot of people also keep waiting with bated breath for that elusive and oh-so-coveted true love. And then I start to think in the words of Meg Ryan from “Kate & Leopold” if true Love is actually just the adult version of Santa Claus and atleast we devote one-third of our lives chasing it. Yet some of us lesser mortals still don’t find it. Now, in this quiet belief we continue to hope to find THE ONE, we watch movies like Wicker Park where after an endless chase poor Josh finds his lady luck and the climax scene is decorated from the immortal Coldplay Song “the Scientist” in the backdrop. And you can hear those classic Coldplay lines ....<< Come up to meet you, tell you I’m sorry, You don’t know how lovely you are. I had to find you, tell you I need you, tell you I set you apart >>.....and that one moment of reunion among the lead actors with those powerful and moving words humming in your head, your belief in love just gets reinforced. And So, we love watching romantic sagas because atleast we get to see a picturesque utopian world which we might otherwise not see in real life, but atleast it gives us some inspiration to hang in there and wait till it does come along.
So, here’s to all the romantic movie buffs.....it’s ok to continue to hope and dream.....coz atleast we can choose the visuals of our dreams, and the choice is over once we wake up.

Random Musings 2

2009-10-11T04:33:00.001-07:00

A desperately long wait for the phone to ring, apprehensive as I am for some news from the visa office, spinning of the head, Ana’s pics on slideshow mode taken at Oktoberfest in some exotic city that looks to me like Amsterdam, a Persian movie running on the TV and ‘iktara’ from a latest hindi flick playing in the backdrop, the inherent inclination to live life in the moment, yet the anxiety about the future, a cloudy mist that I long to see outside the window, so many things humming in the head.....just a day in the life of a flippant hearted soul. Now I know.....the mind is definitely a waterfall of indiscriminate thoughts. As of now, I’m waiting to get into my pink pyjamas.......the story behind it shall be narrated some other time.Lol.

The Spirit of Spirituality

2009-09-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

As I wait with bated breath for yet another didactic, informative lecture to get over, I wonder what kind of difference spirituality is going to make to a management trainee!? I know, I know....it’s the crux of a sound and well-balanced soul. The professor is throwing light on things like vaasna and swadharma, I wonder why an Electrical Engineer from an Ivy League University is throwing around jargon from Sanskrit Vedas. Maybe he has got all the answers of his life and is trying to help us find ours. Uh-Huh. All this spiritual gyaan sounds good, but it may not necessarily work in the real world. Not atleast for me. Like when the less deserving guy gets a Rs.6 lac p.a. job and u don’t get it, you are dejected, not coz you are greedy for the moolah, but coz that’s the only thing humming in your head when you have to repay a 25 lac loan and the deadline on your house mortgage rings like the death knell of your peace of mind. Can any spiritual guru relieve me of that stress when they talk about breathe-in and breathe-out techniques? I don’t think so! That doesn’t help destress here. Absolutely inapplicable! If it were indeed possible, I would’ve tried it for sure.
They say ‘sex and money is what makes the world go round’ and rightly so. I’ll tell you what spirituality is, in the real world. It’s a rat race and everyone is running to outdo the others, you run and run, but when you are just about to reach the finish line, you realize that it just got extended. You run some more to chase the finish line yet again, and as you near the winning post, it gets further extended. So, you keep chasing unforeseen goals until one day you reach the finale and with one call of collapse, your life ceases to exist. That’s modern day spirituality. Now that’s what I call ‘Welcome to the real world!’ You can’t learn driving unless you get behind the wheel. Likewise, strategic or contextual planning aint subjects that can be verbally taught, they come from the throbbing grind under the wheel of life.
I can’t take at face value the idea of the absence of luck that some spiritual guru is trying to put across when I’ve seen a woman burnt alive in the shanties behind my house for no fault of hers. Or I don’t know what else can explain a 5 year old kid losing his arms whilst playing near a blast site in suburban Mumbai. Did they deserve it? Whoa! I didn’t know it was his karma to be disabled at a tender age of five //speaking in spiritual terms//. It is never the rich kid’s karma to be born to a billionaire or the less fortunate underdog’s to be born to a menial labourer.
So, no matter how many art of living sessions we attend or how many times we flip through the Book of Answers, we can’t deny the fact that life revolves around what we pursue. For as long as we live, we know that once the goal achieved and the milestone accomplished, we’re gonna miss the journey that we trailed.

Random Musings

2009-08-31T01:45:00.000-07:00

As I get ready to wrap up yet another day of assignments, projects, test prep, words unsaid, time lost, friends not met, loved ones not called, good books not read, conversations not indulged in, I wonder if it’s really worth the pursuit. The pursuit reminds me of a conversation that I had with a male friend, whilst in the mood for some serious introspection. We pursue a job to sustain a life and family and then we give up the reason that was the very cornerstone of the primary activity.
So we run for a good college to find a good job. We run for a good job so we may find a good partner. Then we run for money to fulfill material desires. We run behind the kids that we reared with great delight. Then we run for our ambitious dreams like a visit to the Eiffel or a ride in a Mustang. Whilst we are busy chasing a string of these, we fail to see the world that passes us by, the simple joys and humble bliss that walked by.

That sets my head humming with Frost’s immortal line:

The woods are lovely dark and deep
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep

So whilst I follow my treasured trail
Of needs, wants and my holy grail
I shan’t forget what was ingrained
About life and bliss and karma incarnate

Who’s greater: the Politician or his agenda!?

2009-06-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

Now, this one thing really makes me wonder. A case in point would be the Marathi Manoos agenda of the Maratha bigwigs, namely the MNS and the Shiv Sena.
The Shiv Sena chooses to pay homage to the great Maratha warrior, Chattrapati Shivaji Raje, by naming the party after him. As the self-proclaimed Sena of Shivaji fights for the cause of the underdog Maharashtrians and goes about vandalizing property and terrorizing people whilst insisting on changing names of the venerated VT Station and the International Airport after the celebrated kingpin, it’s surprising to see that a life-size poster of Bal Thackerey, commanding chief of the Sena overtly overshadows a miniscule statue of Shri Raje Shivaji stationed below it at the Shiv Sena Bhavan, the Sena stronghold.
This really sets me thinking. Are they indeed paying respect to the cause that they’re fighting for?
Now, I would really like to know if the Shiv Sena and the MNS actually practice what they preach what with Raj Thackerey’s son enrolling for French as his 2nd language instead of Marathi for his State Board Exams. That’s either a case of complete disregard for one’s parent’s aspirations or it’s a clear exhibit of an agenda solely structured for populist terms without belief in the party’s convictions.
Whatever be the case, I don’t blame them. Indian Politics is hypocrisy personified.
The voters must practice discretion whilst making wise decisions keeping such things in mind.

Crystal maze indeed

2009-06-17T01:23:00.000-07:00

Mysterious as it has always been, it never fails to stump or surprise me. It’s perfect one particular day, and so flawed the very next day. You’re trying to set things right and suddenly another boulder comes and hits you totally off guard. And you’re trying to balance, trying not to get hit, but you’re so panicky under the oh-so-immense pressure and stress, that you lose control out of paranoia. Its not for nothing that they say: its easy to fall prey to it, but so much more difficult to stick through it.
Moral of the story: we fall in love with imperfection coz beauty lies in flaws and resurrection.
It’s like a good fuck that ain’t worth the pleasure without the pain.
Now, you know what I’m talking about. The sacrosanct feeling called Love!
Still haven’t figured out the mechanics but I’m not trying either.
P.S: Don’t read much into it. This ain’t my story. I’m just the narrator. :)

Service to man is service to God

2009-06-12T03:12:00.000-07:00

I only wish that G.J.Reddy, Karnataka’s tourism minister could discern the depth of the above words. If only he could understand that a diamond-studded gold crown worth Rs 42 crore offered to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala does not in itself qualify to serve as profound devotion to the almighty. I’m sure his piety would have been much highly appreciated by the deity had he made a more meaningful donation.A Rs.42 crore would have been well-spent in the glory of God had it given shelter to the homeless, food to the starving, medicines to the ailing, reparation to the disabled or tragedy-stricken or a better life to the impoverished. One can only hope that the Tirumala Temple trust acts in the interest of god’s will and ensures that such donations find their proper place in the homes of the less fortunate and underprivileged by way of charity trusts and NGOs. After all, God cannot be thanked for all his graciousness by adorning his idols by gold and emeralds, but by noble deeds done for allah ke bande.

Ever wondered why !?

2009-06-11T22:12:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered why the sun goes down, why the horizon looks pastel orange like the masterstroke of a maestro, why it’s always visible, yet unreachable. Ever thought of why you’re running short of time, why you’re chasing your dreams like they were always your own when the truth remains that most of them are just an illusive manifestation of what the world perceives utopian.
Do you know for sure that the person you’re in love with is really the ONE or if they’re just painting a surreal picture of the vision called the perfect companionship?
Have you gauged pre-hand with some magical tool, the success that the new job will bring to you, or the stairway you’re going to take to reach your coveted zenith.
Do you ask yourself why you’re taking up a particular roadmap in life, why you’re investing money in an SIP for a rainy day whilst consciously not spending a single penny on your aged parents who reared you to this day?
Have you asked yourself why you wish to spend half your life’s savings to buy a house by the sea front, when you don’t even have the time to bask in the glory of the expensive landscape that you bought?
Do you ever think about why you don’t have the time to give a call to that long-lost friend or visit your sister who lives barely 8 miles away unless its an occasion or an eventuality that really demands the effort.
Ever found why your colleague at work is behaving in a certain indifferent way or if you’re friends or family do not approve of a certain decision that you’ve made?
Ever thought why the greed becomes more at every subsequent stage, from junior to senior executive to deputy manager or creative head and higher up, whatever be your organizational or life pedestal hierarchy.
For these and more, I never sincerely contemplated or sought reasons for. They remain unanswered, like countless others never pondered, never asked.
We live an existence whose parameters of glorious goodness and the negation of that are defined by a worldly protocol.
All our lives, we pursue a fortune, that we find it at the doorstep to heaven is improbably opportune.
Like the scriptures say, it doesn’t matter why you did something or how you did it, but what you did that left behind the hallmark of goodwill that shall be carried forward centuries hence.
But hopeless as it may sound, I shall continue to be human like the rest of the species living up to the worldview that accompanied my upbringing.
As of now. shirking it off seems like a burden in itself.

Political premises

2009-04-09T05:07:00.000-07:00

The Indian Political tamasha is on display in all its color and splendor yet again. While, we the educated, self-proclaimed upmarket lot with the white collar jobs might take to cribbing and complaining about the ill-managed country with goons for politicians whose only claim to fame is raking up controversial issues to entice the minority or the slum-dwelling populace, it’s time to do a reality check. I do not wish to use the oft-repeated lines on television talk shows or democracy debates. My only intent is to introspect as part of the former lot as to why I did not, like the rest of my fraternity, cast a legitimate vote or raise a voice or to do the least, put a request for whatever grievance I had with my local councilor or MLA. If I am so sophistically educated in the best convent in the city or an engineer or a postgraduate from the oh-so-prestigious Bombay University, then why did I not put to civic as well as civil use my suffrage rights. Why did I not practice the woman suffrage rights that were fought for by American women in the 18^th century, that travelled around the globe in the form of women liberation movements. Why did I not bother to scribble on a small piece of paper at the polling booth instead of simply complaining about the bad roads, the loudspeakers used by the slum inhabitants in my area post 10 pm or the ill-structured traffic management system and delayed flyover constructions adding to the traffic woes. These questions are rhetorical questions meant for all the well-educated, sophisticated, middle-class or elite Indians like me who talk about taking up jobs in multinationals to shape the future of the country.

A little bit of psychoanalysis has helped me realize that we are shaken towards taking an initiative only when the need arises. The sudden surge in the upper-middle class and the elite voters (atleast by the count of registrations so far) is not solely due to campaigns like Jaago Re or Lead India ’09, but because 26/11 brought to the fore a need for security for us presumptuously secure urban Indians in the form of a rude shock. Why do you think politicians gamble in vote-bank politics while playing the card of religion and the unalloyed love for their matrubhoomi by fighting for privileges, reservations and jobs for the localites and the downtrodden? Simply because these people reciprocate with needs. The vote banks need the politicians and they in turn need the vote banks. The requirement is mutual and so is the relationship. They need the politicians for better sanitation facilities, for uninterrupted supply of water and electricity, for jobs in government undertakings, for labour rights and minimum wages. We never needed them since we have always been happily ensconced in our cosy shells with an incessant supply of water, electricity, basic municipal facilities and the other much-coveted luxuries that can be bought with the flash of money. We did not quite need a robust political and intelligence system devoid of bureaucracy, corruption and red tape until we saw a colleague at work who lost his arms in the train bomb blasts on 7/11 or a cousin who lost her husband at the age of 27 to the terrorist attacks at Taj, so much for blowing her hard-earned money for a birthday dinner at the Golden Dragon. So, the poor girl’s tragic loss has led me to rethink. It could be me. It could be you. It could be any one of us. It happened 16 years back. My parents were shaken when my mother’s friend lost 3 male family members, her father, brother and husband in the ’93 bomb blast at the Passport office. No consolation or compensation can ever reimburse her loss. We didn’t make an attempt to move out of the stupor then. But every now and then I see an action replay of the blood-stained gory death and destruction, of injustice to an individual or to a sect of people, to the widowed wife of a defense personnel or the defenseless mother of a riot victim or a prisoner of war, a Jessica Lall or a Nitish Katara, I feel the urge to inch forward, to do the needful, to do what is necessary, to protect the interest of every citizen of the country. Need incites action. We must not forget that we need efficient representatives at the Centre and the State. Because, if we don’t, then redundant reservations will continue to haunt us as a provision in the Constitution of India for another 60 years, another Tytler will walk away scot-free from the Court premises after having orphaned hundreds of children in distressed families in another state that might relive the nightmare of Punjab or Gujarat, another Banerjee might put at stake the means of livelihood of thousands of decrepit farmers and laborers by driving out an industrialist who came with the blueprint of financially empowering the state and its people.

I drew inspiration from a man from the Dharavi slums in Mumbai who educated the urban literate Indians about section 17-C in the voters discretion list on National Television while being interviewed by a reporter from NDTV. So, I must thank with complete humility this man, probably an unskilled laborer, for enlightening me and breaking my myth about being empowered just because I’m educated. So I learnt my first real lesson of democracy from him: education alone does not empower a people. For empowering themselves, citizens must cast the all-important vote and make rightful, sensible use of the civil rights conferred by the Union of India by electing the right representatives. I remember my Civics teacher in school giving us directives about the election process in the country. She went on to elaborate ‘The heads of state are merely our constitutional representatives. We elect them and they speak on behalf of us in the central and the state assembly. They are liable to answering us, implementing reforms for us and safeguarding us the citizens of the country. They are in a position of power because of us. We give them the power that they exercise.’ An afterword that I’d like to add: cast the vote irrespective of the need because you never know when the need shall arise.

Let’s implement in deeds the respect for the country that ‘Jai Hind!’ truly encompasses.

Rash governance in the name of religion, yet again.

2009-03-14T23:09:00.001-07:00

This is with reference to another incident based on communal bigotry which serves not much beyond being a sadist travesty and a practical joke in the name of religion as reported in the Sunday Times. For those not in the knowhow, read the article on the below link and navigate back to this page. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOIM/2009/03/15&PageLabel=1&EntityId=Ar00101&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T

It’s a fresh new controversy on the construction of a statue of the ‘Christian Charlie Chaplin’ by a film crew for shooting in the land owned by the Someshwara Temple, Bangalore. One of the reasons for objection is that the statue hurts the sentiments of the Hindu locals. This incident follows on the heels of an alleged ‘rave party’ that was busted a few days back by the Bangalore police, with the authorities and the government practicing the same sort of reckless governance in Karnataka yet again.

A vote of thanks to the Times for practicing prudent voicing of opinions in a subtle yet sensible manner in the section Times View which should accompany every such untoward insensible incident acted upon by thick-headed people. I only regret that they didn’t do the same while reporting the crackdown on the so-called Bangalore based ‘rave-party’. Nonetheless, Thank You. Thank You, the Times Group for practicing meaningful journalism this time around. We hope you continue in the same vein.

The only point I wish to make is the self-proclaimed Hindu chauvinists of the BJP need a reality check. The Bhagvad Gita explicitly says ‘Sarva Dharm Samaan.’ I think these so-called Hindu activists of the BJP need to re-read the sacred Gita before launching a charade in the form of their Hindutva campaign only to make a mockery of the holy text. The Gita believes in secularity and so does India. Why implement something that it doesn’t preach under the guise of protecting the Hindu religion. Now, that is what I call utter disregard and disrespect for the Hindu religion by the authorities of the Someshwara Temple and the BJP and not by the film-makers in question. I’m a secular Indian citizen, who despite being a Sikh, has read the Bhagvad Gita. If those leading the above-mentioned campaign are atleast Hindus, if not secular citizens of the country, please, please, please do read the text. That is my earnest request. Try putting into practice atleast half of what it says. Think about it. We are an educated lot. So do not try to mislead the Hindus.

An ode to my Alma-mater

2009-03-13T05:42:00.000-07:00

Self-made engineers. Ever heard of that? Not unless you’re an engineer thyself. Allow me to elaborate. As I sit in this classroom, for yet another long-drawn out and not-so-academically-fulfilling lecture, as I inch towards the last few days at VJTI, the laughter and light-hearted banter continues camouflaged under muffled voices and giggles lest the HOD in the adjacent cabin mistakes it for a brouhaha session than a genuine lecture. At this juncture, I can’t help but look back in retrospect at the journey through the making of us engineers. Contrary to popular perception, that VJTI is geek haven, lemme break some long-held myths about this place that is considered by the fellow fraternity the mecca for all engineering aspirants. This place ain’t no mecca if you’re looking for quality education, but it is in case you’re looking for some perpetually intense competition and pressure to perform from your elite peers coz everyone here is either as intelligent as you or slightly more. But, the funny part is that VJTI or for that matter any college in Mumbai University(MU) has no role to play, whatsoever, in the arduous task of shaping, structuring or molding that oh-so-potential candidate into an engineer.

For starters, the lectures don’t take place at all, even if they do by a remote chance, they are just dull and dreary sleep-inducing presentations in semi-understandable jargon by vernacular professors ( or vernies as they are popularly known throughout the university). The labs are not conducted with half the expertise and sincerity that is expected off the state-of-the-art facilities which are a preliminary condition for engineering colleges across the city. So, the financial aid sanctioned by the university to colleges is just rusting in the labs in the form of ill-used apparatus and professors ill-equipped with regards to teaching. So, now you’re wondering how Mumbai University manages to produce the largest in strength and in fact 45% of the country’s best engineers. Seems like an insuperable feat to most. And even if they do manage to pull it off, howcome these engineers are efficiently running the power, infrastructure, technology and manufacturing sectors?

Uh Huh!!! Well, the term stated in the beginning is your answer to the above question. So, we have a chunk of engineering undergrads who are mentally prepared for some tough overhaul of their pre-conceived notions, well equipped with the will to face this uphill task all by themselves. I can safely corroborate this coz through my 4 years of engineering, I haven’t attended a cumulative 4 weeks of legitimate lectures or 4 months of labs meant for application development (a must while one is training to be an engineer) and I still managed to maintain a 1^st class without a single KT through 8 semesters (for the equally intellectual but less privileged counterparts , I’d consider a leeway of 2-3 KT’s to account for MU’s absolutely unpredictable marking scheme & pattern of checking). Yet, I’m an engineer in the making, quite comfortably having completed 6 live projects with a mega final year project in Java, a language that wasn’t even formally taught in the curriculum. Every fellow-engineer in the fraternity has a similar story to tell. So, this story isn’t mine. It’s the proud flagship story of every engineering graduate. So, we appear for exams without having undergone formal training in the relevant course and yet manage against all odds the elusive 40-mark milestone. That’s an engineer cut out for you from Mumbai University, the academia-proclaimed, university conferred self-made engineer. Rightly so!

PS: I wonder if I could’ve acquired the degree without paying a tuition fee of 2 lacs with all the above paraphernalia, with equal panache and ease, but then I would’ve missed out on the joys of the oh-so-great-college-life that I’d kill for when I’m 35+. (Who told you techies don’t know how to have fun?). So, I’m glad I went to college. Thank you, my alma mater. Thank you the apparently-inefficient-MU. I still adore you and I shall always love you!

Getting rich to get richer

2009-03-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

I am writing this as I am reminded of a conversation with a friend wherein I said ‘What’s the point in buying an Ipod and shelling out some 10 grands on something that we barely even have time for, except for while travelling to and from work in the bus.’ So I spend almost a month’s salary on an mp3 player that I barely have time to use. The same holds true for a digicam. I never took a lot of pictures for around 10 years between 1995 & 2005 unless it was an occasional trip with the family to the North or a hill station or a family wedding and stuff like that. But since the time Orkut & Facebook have invaded my surfing zone with the in-your-face updates about which gang of friends is partying or dancing or drinking or visiting which new place in the country or abroad with pictures splashed across their photo albums, I wanna buy a digicam too coz I wanna do the same. Commercialization has lived much beyond its target shelf-life and encroached upon an un-thought of modus operadi. I’m sure the makers of Sony Cybershot never in the wildest of their wildest dreams thought about this form of cross-selling strategy that has been nothing more than a stupendously successful fallout.

Commercialization spelt another new craze for us mortals: assets and investments, be it property, real estate, equities or whatever else can possibly be traded. So, I earn some 10 lacs p.a and I’m willing to buy some property, forsake the joy of splurging my hard-earned money on something meaningful or atleast on something that means to me (like a trip to the Carribean). But hey no, I don’t do that, I go ahead and invest hoping with all my heart and soul for the prices to rise to make me more richer. And then when they do rise, I indulge in another bout of trading and buying and selling and reinvesting coz I wana get more outta this thing. So I forsake another dream (like buying myself a Lancer: I’m aware these are materialistic dreams too, but being human as we are, on an equitable scale though, the desire to get more affluent weighs more.)

I have found people who can come up with absolutely clear reasons in their defense. But fact remains, we are probably deluding ourselves into believing we want something that we don’t really need. So, to my friend who indulged in a conversation with me relevant to the aforementioned, all I can say is ‘Do not justify to me. It doesn’t matter. I’m probably a different version of you, myself. Reconsider and think clearly.’

I saw this movie once called Failure to Launch wherein the male protagonist is a dealer in boats. His friend expresses his desire to buy a boat and he tells him ‘Dude, lemme tell u since you’re my friend, u don’t wanna buy a boat, you just like the idea of buying a boat.’ So I presume, his business was to fool people into believing that they do wanna buy a boat. Fairly reasonable, I must say.

My point here is: I am no different from the rest of the species, like we have carnal desires no matter how sexually prudish we act, same way somewhere deep down we are hedonistic people nurturing dreams for material possessions. I’m not judging by saying if it’s right or wrong. The truth remains it’s all a matter of sating yourself. Your threshold of complacency can only be defined by you. We’re all aware of it, but yet we all like the idea of owning more than what we exactly need like Matthew McConaughey aptly put it. It’s about the perception, the mirage that we build for ourselves, coz if we look past the obscure, we shall be able to see clearly.

The Law as we know it

2009-03-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

I am compelled to write this as I read about yet another raid on a group of young revelers in this morning’s paper. The report as in the Times of India stated that a group of 110 youngsters partying at a farmhouse off Bangalore were caught in a raid. They were slapped with charges of obscenity at a public place (because they were shaking a leg or two on the dance floor) and illegal sale of liquor (which is a definite accompaniment to any party? Don’t they know that? If they do, then why didn’t they raid Abhishek Bacchhan’s wedding celebrations? What, was he serving? Virgin Pinacoladas at his wedding?) And these charges were forcefully slapped against them in a bid to sabotage because they didn’t find anyone in illegal possession of drugs. (Kya zabardasti hain yaar! I must say) The behest was a complaint from a neighbor about excessive noise post 1:00 a.m. Agreed! So, dude, press charges against that. Give them a warning. Why put behind bars a group of youngsters who believe in the maxim work hard party harder on a deserved weekend break.

A few things that make me wonder:

1. 1. Obscenity at public place (as reported). The poor guy who hosted the party/rented out the place for the party is in legal possession of the farmhouse in question! Goddammit! That ain’t no public property.

2. 2. Consumption of alcohol by anyone above the age of 21 is legal in any damn province within the Consolidated Union of India. What was so unlawful about having alcohol? The newspaper reported that most of the youngsters were from the ITes, so 21+ I guess with valid pan cards issued by the Govt. of India. Well, I’m aware that you need a liquor license of something in the range of Rs.5000+ for distribution of liquor at a party. But how many people actually do follow that? Besides, even if this harmless gang of youngsters did not acquire the said license, the incident was not worthy of being a source of cheap publicity of triumphant glory for the Bangalore police. They could have issued a warning or a fine or a punishment commensurate with the miniscule level of default committed.

3. 3. The newspaper reported that the cops seized Rs.1000, 35 four-wheelers and several 2-wheelers. What for? Is owning a four-wheeler or two-wheeler illegal in the country? (I mean, Holy Cow! what kind of charges are these?)

4. 4. ‘Rave party’ busted! was the tagline below the heading of the article. Harmless dancing and drinking with friends on a Saturday night does not by any means figure in the definition of a rave party especially when they were not doing drugs. Why report it as a rave party when it actually wasn’t? Why compel the young and hearty to overtly cover their faces whilst clicking them when the poor souls haven’t actually committed a grave crime.

I reckon, the newspapers should practice some kind of judicious discretion in the way they report. And I as a vigilant citizen of the country would have preferred reading something on the lines of what I’ve written here instead of the indiscrete report published by the Times.

Violation of law is taking place on an equally large scale by the law-makers and law-enforcers. Well, we always have been aware of that. But, oppressing those who ascertain their independence and liberty in this day and age has never taken place on a scale in which it is taking place now. We must not only stand up and take notice, but also stand up and raise a voice against it. We the youngsters of this country, the future of tomorrow, are cultured Indian citizens and we don’t need no moral brigade to drive home this point!

The Great Engineering Student dilemma

2009-03-05T12:39:00.000-08:00

Human expectations and desires, in a nutshell, can be summarized by the immortal Pink Floyd line “In a world of magnets and miracles…..we reached the dizzying heights of that dreamed of world." The species of engineering aspirants are victims to it too.

As I enter the final lap of my engineering, I can safely say tht I have learnt some of the grim realities of the business (that are a definite accompaniment while one is training to be an engineer.)

At the threshold of an important career decision, lies the age-old question where most engineering students falter. Most of us have asked our own selves at one point or the other, the crucial question of “MBA or MS?” The predicament remains the same, but the victims keep changing. There are exceptions to this majority though, the one’s who are determined and know exactly their roadmap in life. However, for the larger chunk of the fraternity, awaits a voyage that traverses confusion-stricken crossroads, brainwashing sessions with seniors and peers, the same discussion that repeats itself over and over again. And it doesn’t end at that, the by-products being, parental pressure and the drive to seek an avenue that will fetch lucrative job opportunities. Amidst all this, there are those who might suggest the confused souls to do a bit of introspection, to ask themselves what they really want from life, where exactly do their interests and aptitude lie. Some ring the bells of the process of elimination, which comes in handy when you are playing with your luck in the midst of a GRE or CAT exam. But personally, I’m not sure if it does help at this juncture in life. Different people with different perceptions definitely give varied opinions. Having gone through this myself, I’m aware that the oppressed underdog knows all of these and more. What he doesn’t know is the path to take through the maze.

The solution indeed is not easy to find. Atleast I haven’t found a single spirit who knows a fool-proof way out of it. However, after much hearsay and conjecture I have realized that there is no definite answer or modus-operandi. The question remains unanswered but what I did learn is…..You can go anywhere you want, the question is…..where do u want to go? That brings us to where we started from, the seed of all desires….the ultimate pedestal that one wants to reach in life and that zenith is different for every person. Once you know the goal, you know the path. And the only way to reach it is to resist the mob psychology and FOLLOW YOUR DREAM!!!

So, to all my fellow engineers, as I pass out of engineering, the only word of advice that I pass down to you in legacy is: Listen to your heart!

Terror strikes yet again....!

2008-11-29T04:15:00.000-08:00

In the wake of the recent unconventional terror attacks in Mumbai, I as a vigilant citizen have started to introspect as to whether our political fraternity is indeed capable of being at the helm of power that it is currently enjoying. Instead of firm action and a definite modus operandi to deal with the ongoing crisis in Mumbai, the political leaders of our country have indulged in a series of emergency meetings absolutely ill-structured to deal with the chaos and mayhem at hand. Although the incident will be etched in the history of terrorist attacks as an unprecedented one, the whole episode will soon shrink to oblivion as Mumbaikars get back on track with their busy lives until another terror attack strikes some other part of the country.

It is indeed disgraceful to see the lackadaisical approach of our political leaders towards the same. The indifference and apathetic attitude of the Maharashtra State Government was evident at the press conference presided over by CM Vilasrao Deshmukh and Deputy CM RR Patil considering they were’nt even aware of the exact death toll of the national calamity which was being played live for over 60 hours across all the news channels on National Televsion, a number against the surge of which every Indian was praying and keeping track of by the minute.

The Indian Government’s revelation that they have evidence regarding involvement of the Pakistan and ISI in the terrorist attack is not going to bear any fruit by a proposal for collaboration and co-operation against terrorism to the Pakistan Government. The Central Government’s proposal to Pakistan makes me wonder if India hasn’t learnt from the mistakes of her past. Tones of terrorist attacks later, orchestrated by the ISI with the complete backing of the Pakistani Government, does the Centre really think they would be willing to collaborate against terrorism, their own flower-child. Big talks of mutual co-operation and support with other countries against terrorism or verbal condemnation of the act is not going to serve the purpose. If India is really willing to take a tough stance this time around, it must release the evidence in the international media, to the international communities and the UN, as well as to the countries whose nationals have been victimized in this terror attack. Pakistan can crumble or take elementary steps against breeding terrorism in their country only if there is pressure from countries across the globe, which should be the case as a large number of foreign nationals apart from Indians have been targeted.

At this moment of grief, when our city has been massacred, I’d like to ask the so-called sons-of-the-soil, the MNS: where are you guys hiding now? C’mon out and save your ‘Aamchi Mumbai’. The 350 NSG commandos that saved Mumbai were North Indians. Why should they lay their lives for the sake of Mumbai or its people? Where are your MNS goondas now? Are they only capable of doing Dadagiri on the streets, pelting stones and hurling abuses and lathis on poor innocent laborers or are they real men?

As India stands testimony to this horrific encounter, we must stand strong and sturdy against the onslaught of terrorism and communal disharmony that these anti-social elements are trying to provoke. Let us remember the lesson of harmony, brotherhood and fraternity advocated by the Constitution of India as we the citizens put up a united front against the evil called terrorism.