Well, this is one of those blog journal entries that I make not because I have really put a thought into it, but because I don't have anything better to do...I have been wondering about what to write for a while - I have contemplated writing about homesickness - a feeling that I had largely over-comed few years back. Somehow, it has come back to haunt me and take my peace away. I thought about writing on bachelorhood minus KFC, Subway and similar food items. That largely turned out to be empty. And then, all of a sudden, my mind started digressed to think about the topic of this post.
The philosophical me often urges me to think about discontent and dissatisfaction that people, including myself, experience. All of us have pages full of sporadic cribbing and cursing when we blame life for turning out the way it did. On most instances, I realized that this feeling of despise and misery is due to the gap between our own expectations and the actual outcomes. Everyone can relate to that. A student who expected a higher score might score less and feel down. An employee who expects a promotion towards the end of the year might feel dejected in case things don't turn out his/her way. A son who expected a gift X may get a gift Y (where perceived value of X by kid < perceived value of Y by kid), et cetera.
What I have observed is that the sheer habit of expecting never dies down. In fact, with every passing stage in life, we learn to expect even more - expectations from job, expectations from career, expectations from family, expectations from relationships...and so on...Now, I won't be prophetic by saying that one should never expect things - on the contrary, expectations has its own benefits. It pushes people to stretch themselves to levels they never thought were possible. It leads to creation of new benchmarks and milestones. It is like kaizen - continuous improvement. But there is a pitfall. Seldom do people are realistic when they define their expectations. Irrational expectations when not backed by the desired results lead to the creation of the gap which throws a lot of things out of gears. I, for one, have personally undergone several such instances where my ill-founded expectations have only met the face of the bitter truth of disappointment. Every single time after these events, I have vowed not to fell prey to the trap set for me. Yet every single time, I have failed to do with-hold myself from this fatal attraction. There are lessons that people learn...and then there are some that aren't just your cup of tea.
On the flip side, there is nothing better than surpassing your expectations. Things sometimes turn more glorious and magnificent that you thought they would. Such occasions give you the immense delight and pleasure which your heart fails to engross. You feel on top of the world. Aahh! The sweet smell of such intoxication!
Well, I just hope that all of us get to taste the sweeter side of things, especially when we really need it.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The Feign
Let me just put things in perspective before I go on with my yapping and cribbing again.
30th Mar 2011 – Probably one of the most anticipated days in the history of Indian Cricket – or rather one of the most anticipated days in the history of Indo-Pak relations – the cricket teams from across the borders are all set to battle each other in the Semi Final of the ICC World Cup 2011 – the stakes are, as have always been, higher than the menial outcome of who is the winner – after all, there is no parallel for pride for the country men of these two nations , especially the one that comes after defeating the other in a round of a cricket match.
The anticipation and excitement generated by this encounter to be has been nothing short of a tequila shot. Indians and Pakistanis alike are all dying to be inside the PCA stadium on 30th Mar ’11. The cricket fever has probably reached its climax and may in fact, be an orgasmic feeling for several cricket followers in both the countries. The Indian Government has already played its cards by inviting top dignitaries from our north western neighbors. The game is all set to be a showdown – all things that sell in the country – Bollywood, Cricket & Gossip – have already occupied centre stage. Top ambassadors from the Indian Film Industry to be there, all news channels, radio stations going gaga over the match, people flying in from all corners of the globe to watch who delivers the knockout punch…The city of Chandigarh has already been fortified owing to security threats, I believe there are more policemen than citizens at present. The hotels are FULL…those which aren’t full yet are demanding highly escalated prices for four walls on the eve…tickets are being openly black marketed. Student tickets which were modestly priced at Rs. 250/- have exchanged hands for 50 notes of the green smiling Gandhis….
Now, I don’t intend to be a spoilsport and disrupt anyone’s reason for enjoying the game…on the contrary, I am all for fun. But the only thing that has tripped my circuits is the sheer act of feigning. All the country is high on the adrenaline today, with nationalistic fervor and patriotism flowing in full glory through most Indian’s veins. And this is the cause of my numbness towards the match. The reason why I am comparing our (Indians) attitudes to the act of feigning is the dual standards that we often display. We are at our nationalistic best on 15th of Aug, 26th of Jan and on days of a Indo-Pak clash; and yet, for the balance 362 days in the year, we don’t give a damn where our nation is headed. We act as if we are isolated and secluded from the daily happenings that are affecting our country. We bribe our way to glory, we remain apathetic to the needs of the have-nots, we continue to be a discriminating nation, and we lack civic sense…all hard but true facts…people are shelling out 100 times the price of the ticket…the same people would not have ever donated a single penny out of generosity from their big fat wallets. People are demanding half day at work, as if it’s their birth right, yet these same people will not have ever spent half a minute of their lives to understand the poor and stricken.
My earnest request to all my fellow Indians is simple – please be patriotic in spirit, please stop feigning. And as for the 30th of Mar ’11 – may the best team win!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The Rasmalai!!!
There are instances in everyone's life that his/her perspective on various matter goes around a 360 degree change. While he/she may be thinking at one end of a spectrum, there are others who look at this from an entirely different frame. This is a story of similar proportions that occured with me a couple of days back.
Sunday evening, I & my pal, Sunny, were just spending the time we usually do - lot of gaming, wasting time at CCD and just hustling one from end of market to the other. Sunny's usual titillating comments are always a pleasure to listen to...and add to it a discussion on the Global economy - you have a head stirring cocktail!! While we were strolling down the market, we came a book seller and I happened to stop just to browse through some books. Not that I am an avid reader (I prefer to write :) ), I happen to come across a novel titled "I too had a love story". For some unexplained reason, I decided to buy it for a read. Probably it was Sunny's make believe depression from his make beleive break up from his girlfriend that was playing on my head. But I bought the book.
Tuesday midnight, I was not particularly occupied with any work. And sleep was not anywhere close to my eyes. So, there I picked up this novel and started reading it...though the book is itself a magnificient piece to read , I was left with a heavy heart after a strenous 213 page readout. I knew that it would be a heart breaking ending. After all, the title mentioned "A heartbreaking true love tale" with the author dedicating the book to the girl he loved but couldn't marry. But, after three hours of reading the novel from its front to end, I some how felt like crying...and i mean literally, crying. The book was a fanstastic read taking the reader from a range of emotions - from initial excitment to the ultimate tragedy, but I couldn't sleep that night.
Wednesday morning, I could barely manage to drag myself to work, trying to wash away the dampness from last night's emotions. Anyhow, I made it to work, albeit late! Hours passed as I tried to concentrate on my work ambling through it. Soon, it was lunch. Sunny & I have this usual habit of going out for a sweet snack after our lunch...its not inspired by our love for sugar but by the fact that our office premise is an area which is a hub for a lot of eye candy. We entered our usual shop - its called Gopals (i think its some relative of Nathu's from Delhi :P ). While we were deciding what to order, Sunny noticed, as he put it, a "hot & beautiful" girl sitting in the corner of the restaurant. Its very unusual for guys to use both adjectives while describing a girl, so you can understand how "hot & beautiful" she really was. As usual, I was late and Sunny called dibs on her! Knowing that I had lot the first shot at her, I made my way to the billing counter an ordered two Rasmalai's. As soon as the tiller gave me a receipt, Sunny came to me with a panicky look on his face and asked me to cancel the order. Bemused, I shrugged him off asking him what the fuck was that all about. He, then literally, dragged me outside Gopal's. Fuming, I looked at his quizically...and I got the answers to my questions when I saw that girl making her way out of the restaurant with a friend of hers.
What happened next is something I promised I had not done ever in my life. We followed her like stalkers for about 10 minutes as she criss crossed through the entire complex. The entire situation felt so alien and funny to me. In fact I felt so ridiculous trying to haunt a female in such a manner. But the cherubic joy of doing things like this for the first time kept egging me on. Soon we realized that it was becoming a sort of an ordeal. If this wasn't enough, what Sunny asked me to do what even crazier. He asked me to follow both of them on my own as Sunny ran to the parking lot to fetch his car. It appeared to me that he was very experienced in such escapades and he had anticipated that we were in for a long ride that day. I did as he asked me to, relaying information to him as he sped and arrived at the junction of the traffic nights. Meanwhile, our herione here was on her way in a rickshaw, still accompanied by her friend. We followed her pacing like snails behind the rickshaw, occasionally passing her and then halting for her to pass - only so that Sunny could get to see her over and over again (I don't know why but Sunny felt high every time we did that). After 15 minutes of this play of shadows, she got down, probably somewhere close to her house (which now in hindsight was lightyears away from where we had started following her). Sunny was in a fix - asking me strange questions like what he ought to do next - whether he should go and try speaking to her or not, etc. etc...He looked at me and asked me for my advice!!! Fuck! Well, my head was telling me to ask Sunny to let go while my heart really wanted him to go for her...I did what my heart told me...and off he went. He walked briskly behind her to catch her but was slightly late as she entered her PG (we suppose). Sunny came back disappointed although the satisfaction of knowing where she resided was apparent on his face.
Sunny is not one of those guys who lets go of thing so easily. How could this occasion be any different? He quickly got back into the car. For once, I breathed a sigh of relief thinking that we were finally on our way back to office (as I was getting frantic calls from work). But that wasn't the case. He steered the car right towards her house and I was startled - when I asked him what he was upto, he said that he wanted to give it one more try. As we entered the lane where her PG was located, she was there again walking down towards us with her same friend. Fate too, it appeared, has a funny bone! We recommenced on our earlier unsuccessful tryst. Few blocks down, she entered another house. I was delighted thinking that all this stupidity was going to end...but I was too early to jump onto the conclusion. For the next 30 minutes, we just kept roaming round and round her place at 10kmph in Sunny's car - this is what Sunny later explained to me was the Chandigarh "Gerhi"!!! Guy's way of checking out girls and how even girls enjoyed that in the city beautiful. In my 3rd year in Chandigarh, I had finally learned and experienced the way of youth over here! After some desperate waiting, Sunny called another friend of ours for some "advise". And we all know that friends are so good at giving those....so it was decided. We would wait until she came out and Sunny would go and "try" speaking to her...in fact he even rehearsed for it...when he was rehearsing, I could not control laughter as the entire scheme of things was so funny. Nevertheless, out she came!
Tired of waiting, I kicked Sunny out of his own car and told him to go and speak to her (so that, as per my anticipation, after she had slapped some sense into him, both of us could head back to work). He then followed her...and out of desperation, tried to make some conversation with her...which as narrated by him later went as:
Sunny: Hi! Can I speak to you for 5 minutes?
She: No!
Sunny: Only 5 mins, please!
She: Noooooooooo!!! I don't want to talk to you!
Sunny: please...just 5 mins...5 minute mein kya jayeaga
She: Nahi na! (to her friend: yeh kya kar raha hai yaar)
Sunny: (giving up) Chalo, koi nahi!
And then he came back and sat next to me...I decided to drive on our way back...(thinking that he wouldn't be in the right frame of mind after this chit chat!!!). I thought that he would be really disappointed, but to my surprise, he was in high spirits. For a minute, he was so delighted as if he had won an Olympic gold! For reasons best known to him, he vowed that one way or the other, he would convince this girl!!! I was amused by the confidence in his voice and told him that I shall wait for the day it happens - and promised him to gift him an entire box of - you know what - Rasmalai's - when that day comes!
Now, as I am emptying my pockets, I found that unavailed reciept of Gopal's. And this entire story came back rushing to my head...more so how the dismay of reading that book and experiencing the author's pain vicariously was so easily transformed into a great joy and an indelible experience of my life.
Aah!!! Rasmalai's, I tell you!
Sunday evening, I & my pal, Sunny, were just spending the time we usually do - lot of gaming, wasting time at CCD and just hustling one from end of market to the other. Sunny's usual titillating comments are always a pleasure to listen to...and add to it a discussion on the Global economy - you have a head stirring cocktail!! While we were strolling down the market, we came a book seller and I happened to stop just to browse through some books. Not that I am an avid reader (I prefer to write :) ), I happen to come across a novel titled "I too had a love story". For some unexplained reason, I decided to buy it for a read. Probably it was Sunny's make believe depression from his make beleive break up from his girlfriend that was playing on my head. But I bought the book.
Tuesday midnight, I was not particularly occupied with any work. And sleep was not anywhere close to my eyes. So, there I picked up this novel and started reading it...though the book is itself a magnificient piece to read , I was left with a heavy heart after a strenous 213 page readout. I knew that it would be a heart breaking ending. After all, the title mentioned "A heartbreaking true love tale" with the author dedicating the book to the girl he loved but couldn't marry. But, after three hours of reading the novel from its front to end, I some how felt like crying...and i mean literally, crying. The book was a fanstastic read taking the reader from a range of emotions - from initial excitment to the ultimate tragedy, but I couldn't sleep that night.
Wednesday morning, I could barely manage to drag myself to work, trying to wash away the dampness from last night's emotions. Anyhow, I made it to work, albeit late! Hours passed as I tried to concentrate on my work ambling through it. Soon, it was lunch. Sunny & I have this usual habit of going out for a sweet snack after our lunch...its not inspired by our love for sugar but by the fact that our office premise is an area which is a hub for a lot of eye candy. We entered our usual shop - its called Gopals (i think its some relative of Nathu's from Delhi :P ). While we were deciding what to order, Sunny noticed, as he put it, a "hot & beautiful" girl sitting in the corner of the restaurant. Its very unusual for guys to use both adjectives while describing a girl, so you can understand how "hot & beautiful" she really was. As usual, I was late and Sunny called dibs on her! Knowing that I had lot the first shot at her, I made my way to the billing counter an ordered two Rasmalai's. As soon as the tiller gave me a receipt, Sunny came to me with a panicky look on his face and asked me to cancel the order. Bemused, I shrugged him off asking him what the fuck was that all about. He, then literally, dragged me outside Gopal's. Fuming, I looked at his quizically...and I got the answers to my questions when I saw that girl making her way out of the restaurant with a friend of hers.
What happened next is something I promised I had not done ever in my life. We followed her like stalkers for about 10 minutes as she criss crossed through the entire complex. The entire situation felt so alien and funny to me. In fact I felt so ridiculous trying to haunt a female in such a manner. But the cherubic joy of doing things like this for the first time kept egging me on. Soon we realized that it was becoming a sort of an ordeal. If this wasn't enough, what Sunny asked me to do what even crazier. He asked me to follow both of them on my own as Sunny ran to the parking lot to fetch his car. It appeared to me that he was very experienced in such escapades and he had anticipated that we were in for a long ride that day. I did as he asked me to, relaying information to him as he sped and arrived at the junction of the traffic nights. Meanwhile, our herione here was on her way in a rickshaw, still accompanied by her friend. We followed her pacing like snails behind the rickshaw, occasionally passing her and then halting for her to pass - only so that Sunny could get to see her over and over again (I don't know why but Sunny felt high every time we did that). After 15 minutes of this play of shadows, she got down, probably somewhere close to her house (which now in hindsight was lightyears away from where we had started following her). Sunny was in a fix - asking me strange questions like what he ought to do next - whether he should go and try speaking to her or not, etc. etc...He looked at me and asked me for my advice!!! Fuck! Well, my head was telling me to ask Sunny to let go while my heart really wanted him to go for her...I did what my heart told me...and off he went. He walked briskly behind her to catch her but was slightly late as she entered her PG (we suppose). Sunny came back disappointed although the satisfaction of knowing where she resided was apparent on his face.
Sunny is not one of those guys who lets go of thing so easily. How could this occasion be any different? He quickly got back into the car. For once, I breathed a sigh of relief thinking that we were finally on our way back to office (as I was getting frantic calls from work). But that wasn't the case. He steered the car right towards her house and I was startled - when I asked him what he was upto, he said that he wanted to give it one more try. As we entered the lane where her PG was located, she was there again walking down towards us with her same friend. Fate too, it appeared, has a funny bone! We recommenced on our earlier unsuccessful tryst. Few blocks down, she entered another house. I was delighted thinking that all this stupidity was going to end...but I was too early to jump onto the conclusion. For the next 30 minutes, we just kept roaming round and round her place at 10kmph in Sunny's car - this is what Sunny later explained to me was the Chandigarh "Gerhi"!!! Guy's way of checking out girls and how even girls enjoyed that in the city beautiful. In my 3rd year in Chandigarh, I had finally learned and experienced the way of youth over here! After some desperate waiting, Sunny called another friend of ours for some "advise". And we all know that friends are so good at giving those....so it was decided. We would wait until she came out and Sunny would go and "try" speaking to her...in fact he even rehearsed for it...when he was rehearsing, I could not control laughter as the entire scheme of things was so funny. Nevertheless, out she came!
Tired of waiting, I kicked Sunny out of his own car and told him to go and speak to her (so that, as per my anticipation, after she had slapped some sense into him, both of us could head back to work). He then followed her...and out of desperation, tried to make some conversation with her...which as narrated by him later went as:
Sunny: Hi! Can I speak to you for 5 minutes?
She: No!
Sunny: Only 5 mins, please!
She: Noooooooooo!!! I don't want to talk to you!
Sunny: please...just 5 mins...5 minute mein kya jayeaga
She: Nahi na! (to her friend: yeh kya kar raha hai yaar)
Sunny: (giving up) Chalo, koi nahi!
And then he came back and sat next to me...I decided to drive on our way back...(thinking that he wouldn't be in the right frame of mind after this chit chat!!!). I thought that he would be really disappointed, but to my surprise, he was in high spirits. For a minute, he was so delighted as if he had won an Olympic gold! For reasons best known to him, he vowed that one way or the other, he would convince this girl!!! I was amused by the confidence in his voice and told him that I shall wait for the day it happens - and promised him to gift him an entire box of - you know what - Rasmalai's - when that day comes!
Now, as I am emptying my pockets, I found that unavailed reciept of Gopal's. And this entire story came back rushing to my head...more so how the dismay of reading that book and experiencing the author's pain vicariously was so easily transformed into a great joy and an indelible experience of my life.
Aah!!! Rasmalai's, I tell you!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
A new beginning!
Not many people have the opportunity to decide what they want the world to remember them as...their sole remembrance - their obituaries are often crafted by eloquent writers who have no semblance of who the person in question is...this strange thought struck my head early morning - perhaps because since dawn, my phone has been buzzing and ringing today - friends and relatives, near and dear ones, from here and there, some known and some unknown - every body has been kind and warm enough to make my birthday special today. To all those who remembered, thank you so much - I am overwhelmed by your generosity. To all those who forgot - :)
I always remembered how eagerly I used to wait for my b'day - a day when you would go to school in fancy clothing - probably to indicate that you were the b'day boy/girl; distribute chocolates to your friends in class, come back home and get tons of gifts from your folks, have a party in the evening - it was an altogether different rush!
Apparently, I have turned 25 today (my folks tell me that and I take their word for it)...
The first thought was the song "18 till I die" playing in my head...come to think of it - I would not mind being 18 forever - but the inevitable process of aging takes over.
Most people reactions while wishing me was - "where's d party?".
Non-chalantly i replied to every one - "Wherever you wish"
This was often met by the remarks which labored around the point that your birthday is supposed to be a special day (and somehow it was related to the point that I ought to go out and party). Somehow, for me, this is like any other day - probably the fact that I tend to enjoy most days in my life make the "specialness", less special... :)
In ways more than words can convey, there are two things that have made my day special today.
Firstly, the sheer delight across my mom's face to see me grow so big (awww); my folks feelings (especially dad - as he sits across miles away and watches me cut the cake through the web - thank you yahoo!). There is nothing more rejuvanating and energizing than being in company of people who really care for you.
Secondly, the fact that I died today (no, no, its not that dramatic - in a literal sense).
Its like a layer of your persona has been shed to reveal another.
I feel like a new person altogether - ready to explore the world all over again.
This faintly reminded me of the four chakras in Hinduism or the seven stages of life as so elegantly penned down by Shakespeare.
But frankly speaking, I feel enthused by the things that await me...with a li'l apprehension and with a lot of spirit of adventure and discovery.
Only time will tell. Probably, the next 25 years.
- Shobhit Agrawal
7/12/2010
(turned 25 today)
P.S.: I thank whatever gods may be!
I always remembered how eagerly I used to wait for my b'day - a day when you would go to school in fancy clothing - probably to indicate that you were the b'day boy/girl; distribute chocolates to your friends in class, come back home and get tons of gifts from your folks, have a party in the evening - it was an altogether different rush!
Apparently, I have turned 25 today (my folks tell me that and I take their word for it)...
The first thought was the song "18 till I die" playing in my head...come to think of it - I would not mind being 18 forever - but the inevitable process of aging takes over.
Most people reactions while wishing me was - "where's d party?".
Non-chalantly i replied to every one - "Wherever you wish"
This was often met by the remarks which labored around the point that your birthday is supposed to be a special day (and somehow it was related to the point that I ought to go out and party). Somehow, for me, this is like any other day - probably the fact that I tend to enjoy most days in my life make the "specialness", less special... :)
In ways more than words can convey, there are two things that have made my day special today.
Firstly, the sheer delight across my mom's face to see me grow so big (awww); my folks feelings (especially dad - as he sits across miles away and watches me cut the cake through the web - thank you yahoo!). There is nothing more rejuvanating and energizing than being in company of people who really care for you.
Secondly, the fact that I died today (no, no, its not that dramatic - in a literal sense).
Its like a layer of your persona has been shed to reveal another.
I feel like a new person altogether - ready to explore the world all over again.
This faintly reminded me of the four chakras in Hinduism or the seven stages of life as so elegantly penned down by Shakespeare.
But frankly speaking, I feel enthused by the things that await me...with a li'l apprehension and with a lot of spirit of adventure and discovery.
Only time will tell. Probably, the next 25 years.
- Shobhit Agrawal
7/12/2010
(turned 25 today)
P.S.: I thank whatever gods may be!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
We - the People!!!
"At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new…India discovers herself again."
- Jawaharlal Nehru
(on Indian Independence Day, 1947)
Exactly 63 years ago, India had been emancipated from the 200 year old British rule. Thousands of hearts had rejoiced this new found freedom and the tricolor was hoisted lighting up candles of new hopes in the denizens of the world's largest democracy.
As I passed the Delhi Secretariat building aboard the Metro, I noticed that it was not the useful itself. Decorated and lit up, it was an astonishing sight over the Yamuna and the dark cloudy Delhi sky. Immediately, the thought of "whats so special today" sparked in my head and it only took a few neurons to figure that it was the eve of our Independence day. Ever since, I have been thinking hard and deep about what this day means for us - or rather what it was supposed to mean for us (pardon me in case I sound sarcastic - I have every intention of being so). Over the last couple of hours, I have troubled myself with the idea of what this Independence was intended to be by the martyrs and possibly, what it has turned out to be.
Honestly and sincerely speaking, I don't have a clue what the Mahatma and other saviors of our nation had envisaged the country to be after these many years. In every sense of imagination, I am incapable of knowing whether they would be satisfied with where India has been able to arrive at after this relatively decent stint of freedom. But what I do know is that we are an 'Independent' nation in one sense of the word and still a dependent one in many others. What I just said and what I am going to say next may appear to be cynical and very unpatriotic to you (I am sorry. No hard feelings. Some one's got to say the truth!!!).
We, the citizens of this potentially great nation, have strived very hard over the last several years to establish an identity of our own and of our country - well done!
At the same time, I can't help conjuring the fact that we could have been miles ahead in our journey.
I am going to play devil for a while (if I am not one already) and think of some of the reasons why I think we haven't done justice to our freedom and not taken India to greater heights.
1) Our priorities:
Truth be said, the priority order of an average Indian works in the following sequence
He/She (Self/Money/Career) --> Family --> State --> Country
Now I have absolutely no issue with your priorites. After all, each one of us has the right to pursue our dreams and ambitions. But the point that I want to make is that we are not a nationalistic population.
There are only 3 occassions in the entire calendar year when we really feel patriotic - 26th January, 15th of August and the day of a India-Pakistan cricket match. Ounces and ounces of blood oozes through every vein in your body for some moments on these days (though most of us still remember the first two days only as holidays more than anything). For the balance 362 days, we are a totally uninterested group of people thinking we are isolated from the country.
Rarely do we put the need of the country before our own...yet we feign patriotic fervor whenever our north-western neigbours are mentioned.
Hell, not even half of us turn to vote!
This is a point of great concern. A country as diverse as our own cannot progress until all of us move towards a common goal. We can no longer remain apathetic towards what is happening in other parts of the country. We need to be a more sensitive nation - towards our own problems at least and look for appropriate solutions.
Another relevant example would be the feeling of regionalism - we have not been able to overcome the petty differences of localism, religion, education, etc. and work together as a nation.
2) Our attitudes
Terms like insensitive and indifferent are too generous for us. We have somehow learnt to take our hard earned freedom for granted. Thats evident around us - in every sphere.
The following exemplify what I mean:
a) Rules are meant to be broken- "There is only 1 occassion when we stand in queues - the Rajiv Chowk Metro station - that too is contingent on the presence of a guard". You know what I mean - jumping lights, breaking traffic rules, the list is endless - so lets not get into it.
b) Civic sense - "my litter is not my problem - if its yours, clean it up". We blame the authorities for poor civic conditions, yet leave no opportunity to dirty it ourselves. We are not used to taking the pain of cleaning our own junk - throwing litter, plastic, etc. anywhere and everywhere, no etiquettes, no sense of responsibility towards elderly (pardon me ladies, but until you are 60 or physically challenged, you can also vacate your seats for the elderly, and I promise to continue offering you my seat), the lecherous male gender....phew...
c) Taking the easy way out - "each one of us is connected to the big shot in the area". We make mistakes and we don't accept them. Rather we justify them...if that doesn't work, we try to bribe our way out...and if that doesn't work...we take out our swanky phones to make a call to one of our connections...trust me...everyone's got one!
d) "Chalta hai" - we are so used to taking things the way they have been that we don't care a heck for what happens. Some of us are a fatalist lot who think that nothing ever is gonna happen in the country and that it will go to the dogs. I wonder if Gandhi ever thought that way.
e) Lack of foresightedness - we live in the present...thats ok...but with no regard to the future - all of us are only concerned about what you get...not a bit about what we are leaving behind for the next generation - we waste precious resources - water, electricity, fuel and yet we don't cease from complaining. If we don't mend our ways now, I am sure our kids will be cursing us one day.
If one starts to think about the wrongs that we have, we will possibly end up writing for several more days. But thats not what I want to leave behind.
Most of 1299,999,999 citizens of India are waiting for the miracle to happen when something dramatic is going to happen and we will be metamorphosed in to the superpower of the world. Trust me, such things happen only in Enid Blyton's works.
Its time that we get up and make the change happen by being that change.
Until that time, I think we still need to break from the shackles and fight for our freedom, again, this time in a different sense.
Vande Mataram!!!
Exactly 63 years ago, India had been emancipated from the 200 year old British rule. Thousands of hearts had rejoiced this new found freedom and the tricolor was hoisted lighting up candles of new hopes in the denizens of the world's largest democracy.
As I passed the Delhi Secretariat building aboard the Metro, I noticed that it was not the useful itself. Decorated and lit up, it was an astonishing sight over the Yamuna and the dark cloudy Delhi sky. Immediately, the thought of "whats so special today" sparked in my head and it only took a few neurons to figure that it was the eve of our Independence day. Ever since, I have been thinking hard and deep about what this day means for us - or rather what it was supposed to mean for us (pardon me in case I sound sarcastic - I have every intention of being so). Over the last couple of hours, I have troubled myself with the idea of what this Independence was intended to be by the martyrs and possibly, what it has turned out to be.
Honestly and sincerely speaking, I don't have a clue what the Mahatma and other saviors of our nation had envisaged the country to be after these many years. In every sense of imagination, I am incapable of knowing whether they would be satisfied with where India has been able to arrive at after this relatively decent stint of freedom. But what I do know is that we are an 'Independent' nation in one sense of the word and still a dependent one in many others. What I just said and what I am going to say next may appear to be cynical and very unpatriotic to you (I am sorry. No hard feelings. Some one's got to say the truth!!!).
We, the citizens of this potentially great nation, have strived very hard over the last several years to establish an identity of our own and of our country - well done!
At the same time, I can't help conjuring the fact that we could have been miles ahead in our journey.
I am going to play devil for a while (if I am not one already) and think of some of the reasons why I think we haven't done justice to our freedom and not taken India to greater heights.
1) Our priorities:
Truth be said, the priority order of an average Indian works in the following sequence
He/She (Self/Money/Career) --> Family --> State --> Country
Now I have absolutely no issue with your priorites. After all, each one of us has the right to pursue our dreams and ambitions. But the point that I want to make is that we are not a nationalistic population.
There are only 3 occassions in the entire calendar year when we really feel patriotic - 26th January, 15th of August and the day of a India-Pakistan cricket match. Ounces and ounces of blood oozes through every vein in your body for some moments on these days (though most of us still remember the first two days only as holidays more than anything). For the balance 362 days, we are a totally uninterested group of people thinking we are isolated from the country.
Rarely do we put the need of the country before our own...yet we feign patriotic fervor whenever our north-western neigbours are mentioned.
Hell, not even half of us turn to vote!
This is a point of great concern. A country as diverse as our own cannot progress until all of us move towards a common goal. We can no longer remain apathetic towards what is happening in other parts of the country. We need to be a more sensitive nation - towards our own problems at least and look for appropriate solutions.
Another relevant example would be the feeling of regionalism - we have not been able to overcome the petty differences of localism, religion, education, etc. and work together as a nation.
2) Our attitudes
Terms like insensitive and indifferent are too generous for us. We have somehow learnt to take our hard earned freedom for granted. Thats evident around us - in every sphere.
The following exemplify what I mean:
a) Rules are meant to be broken- "There is only 1 occassion when we stand in queues - the Rajiv Chowk Metro station - that too is contingent on the presence of a guard". You know what I mean - jumping lights, breaking traffic rules, the list is endless - so lets not get into it.
b) Civic sense - "my litter is not my problem - if its yours, clean it up". We blame the authorities for poor civic conditions, yet leave no opportunity to dirty it ourselves. We are not used to taking the pain of cleaning our own junk - throwing litter, plastic, etc. anywhere and everywhere, no etiquettes, no sense of responsibility towards elderly (pardon me ladies, but until you are 60 or physically challenged, you can also vacate your seats for the elderly, and I promise to continue offering you my seat), the lecherous male gender....phew...
c) Taking the easy way out - "each one of us is connected to the big shot in the area". We make mistakes and we don't accept them. Rather we justify them...if that doesn't work, we try to bribe our way out...and if that doesn't work...we take out our swanky phones to make a call to one of our connections...trust me...everyone's got one!
d) "Chalta hai" - we are so used to taking things the way they have been that we don't care a heck for what happens. Some of us are a fatalist lot who think that nothing ever is gonna happen in the country and that it will go to the dogs. I wonder if Gandhi ever thought that way.
e) Lack of foresightedness - we live in the present...thats ok...but with no regard to the future - all of us are only concerned about what you get...not a bit about what we are leaving behind for the next generation - we waste precious resources - water, electricity, fuel and yet we don't cease from complaining. If we don't mend our ways now, I am sure our kids will be cursing us one day.
If one starts to think about the wrongs that we have, we will possibly end up writing for several more days. But thats not what I want to leave behind.
Most of 1299,999,999 citizens of India are waiting for the miracle to happen when something dramatic is going to happen and we will be metamorphosed in to the superpower of the world. Trust me, such things happen only in Enid Blyton's works.
Its time that we get up and make the change happen by being that change.
Until that time, I think we still need to break from the shackles and fight for our freedom, again, this time in a different sense.
Vande Mataram!!!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Drunken thoughts - 1
I am writing to you after a long time...not that I have forgotten you but I have been preoccupied with a lot of other stuff that life as a human has to offer...
I have thought of publishing my next post on 15th Aug '10 since the motif of independence day had generated several new thoughts and introspection inside me. But nevertheless, the most comprehensible reason I could think of as to why I am writing again is probably the Black Label...I have had a great evening with a couple of friends...one a present colleague...sort of brother in arms and the other...an ex-colleague...more of a mentor...but I was more than fulfilled with the discussions that have entailed in the last 3 hours...
I can probably go on and on about the several revering thoughts arising in my head...the debate about the prosperity in India...the outlook for the Indian economy (more for the automobile industry)....the strategies of the big biz houses...etc...and yes...not to forget the wide dark empty roads of Chandigarh offering you zero visibility, along with the big humming of the Enfield...and that feeling of a free bird after you have had too much liquor...there is no end...In between there are the usual hot topics...life without a facebook account...vagaries of un-understandable lovers...blasphemy...etc...
My chain of thoughts may appear as erratic as the bubbles in a bottle of soda...but nevertheless its worthwhile punching some keys on your board...I am having a hard time keeping my eyes open...the whisky is having its effect...and the bus ain't gonna be waiting for me in the morning...but then there is always time for things you want to do...
I have thought of publishing my next post on 15th Aug '10 since the motif of independence day had generated several new thoughts and introspection inside me. But nevertheless, the most comprehensible reason I could think of as to why I am writing again is probably the Black Label...I have had a great evening with a couple of friends...one a present colleague...sort of brother in arms and the other...an ex-colleague...more of a mentor...but I was more than fulfilled with the discussions that have entailed in the last 3 hours...
I can probably go on and on about the several revering thoughts arising in my head...the debate about the prosperity in India...the outlook for the Indian economy (more for the automobile industry)....the strategies of the big biz houses...etc...and yes...not to forget the wide dark empty roads of Chandigarh offering you zero visibility, along with the big humming of the Enfield...and that feeling of a free bird after you have had too much liquor...there is no end...In between there are the usual hot topics...life without a facebook account...vagaries of un-understandable lovers...blasphemy...etc...
My chain of thoughts may appear as erratic as the bubbles in a bottle of soda...but nevertheless its worthwhile punching some keys on your board...I am having a hard time keeping my eyes open...the whisky is having its effect...and the bus ain't gonna be waiting for me in the morning...but then there is always time for things you want to do...
Monday, July 12, 2010
Of Divisions and Unisons
In the dead of night with no traces of civilization for a few kilometers, caught on an inundated national highway of sorts, the three of us summoned all our might as we tried to push the two ton monster over the stones with could remind you of the Grand Canyon. Already soaked up to the knees in the icy waters of Indus, I could barely feel my toes. After ten minutes of intense struggle, the rear wheel slipped and hurled what looked like a football at my shin. The strike sent electric currents to my brain reminding of a pain that was reminiscent of a lumber puncture. I ambled towards the car, eager to get in but realized that I had underestimated the blow. The magnificence of red pouring down the leg, I immediately tried to blot the entire wound with all that I could find around me.
After what seemed like ages, we reached Drass and I was on a lookout for anything that had a red cross over its face. Knowing that we had not booked our accommodation for the night and that we were running couple of hours late than we ought to, finding a hotel was our top priority. The first illumination across the windshield of the car made us heave a sigh of relief. My friends went inside that hotel and inquired about the availability. Disappointed with the quality of what they saw I believe, we decided to look for something more inhabitable. I asked them to stay back and look for it while I felt the exigency of getting the blood staunched. Overhearing our conversation, Salim jumped into the scene.
While any total stranger will leave you at your own mercy to find a way to the hospital, Salim did not hesitate even once as he got into the car and instructed the driver authoritatively to follow the directions he told him. Within no time, we gatecrashed the government hospital and Salim rushed to find the doctor on duty. A thin white man with the typical look of a kashmiri, very similar to what you would have seen on your TV set, he barely resembled a doctor, let alone be one. It seemed that Salim knew him well. I could make it out from the way they were talking in their kashmiri dialect. Salim finally managed to convince the doctor to treat me and the doctor asked me to walk a few metres to the emergency cabin.
On the short 2 minute walk, the doctor bombarded me questions that one has faced several times in their lives...the pain was so excruciating that I couldn't process anything and he realized that. After summoning the nurse on duty, both the medics examined my wound, discussed something amongst them and decided to stitch it...As she put the needle through my already torn flesh, I could not help grimace in pain and shrieked. All along, Salim had been watching me and he came over. He put his palms over my eyes so that I didn't see what was going on. I don't know why I felt comforted by the fact that he was present there and that I was not all alone amongst a group of strangers. After the gory mess was taken care of, I was feeling unconscious and they decided to give me a drip full of glucose. Meant was intra-venal intake, I didn't even think once and started gulping on the bottle orally as I continued to lay on the emergency table.
After all things were taken care of, it was time for the formalities. The doctor and the nurse enquired me about my name. That I told them and quizzically they asked me for my full name. I replied to their question and they appeared perplexed. I could make it from their faces that they realized that I had a Hindu name. They asked me for my father's name. And yet their faces remained white. I noticed a nervous smile across Salim's face. Ignoring the tenseness of the situation, he helped me off the bed and I hopped my way to the car.
After we reached our original drop off place (where I had met Salim near the hotel), I found my friends waiting there for me. It was apparent that they had found a suitable accommodation for the night. Salim got off the car and headed into the hotel. It was there that we realized that he owned the hotel we had inquired about earlier and decided not to stay in.
Before he made his way into the hotel, he asked me whether I needed anything else - food, water, anything. Thanking him, I refused his help and told him that he had already done enough for me. Just before we bid our goodbyes, I asked him his name - for one I needed to relate a name to the face that had been my savior. "Salim" is what he told me. "Shukriya Salim" is all I could tell him before we got going.
I ate my medicine and could feel the sedative taking over.
A strange thought ignited in my head.
The befuddled faces of the hospital staff that were taken aback by my name and more so by my religion. And then the ever so caring smile of Salim, who a moment ago was just another stranger. I closed my eyes thinking that for some, while your name and religion is a division, for others still, there is only a unison called humanity.
Peace.
After what seemed like ages, we reached Drass and I was on a lookout for anything that had a red cross over its face. Knowing that we had not booked our accommodation for the night and that we were running couple of hours late than we ought to, finding a hotel was our top priority. The first illumination across the windshield of the car made us heave a sigh of relief. My friends went inside that hotel and inquired about the availability. Disappointed with the quality of what they saw I believe, we decided to look for something more inhabitable. I asked them to stay back and look for it while I felt the exigency of getting the blood staunched. Overhearing our conversation, Salim jumped into the scene.
While any total stranger will leave you at your own mercy to find a way to the hospital, Salim did not hesitate even once as he got into the car and instructed the driver authoritatively to follow the directions he told him. Within no time, we gatecrashed the government hospital and Salim rushed to find the doctor on duty. A thin white man with the typical look of a kashmiri, very similar to what you would have seen on your TV set, he barely resembled a doctor, let alone be one. It seemed that Salim knew him well. I could make it out from the way they were talking in their kashmiri dialect. Salim finally managed to convince the doctor to treat me and the doctor asked me to walk a few metres to the emergency cabin.
On the short 2 minute walk, the doctor bombarded me questions that one has faced several times in their lives...the pain was so excruciating that I couldn't process anything and he realized that. After summoning the nurse on duty, both the medics examined my wound, discussed something amongst them and decided to stitch it...As she put the needle through my already torn flesh, I could not help grimace in pain and shrieked. All along, Salim had been watching me and he came over. He put his palms over my eyes so that I didn't see what was going on. I don't know why I felt comforted by the fact that he was present there and that I was not all alone amongst a group of strangers. After the gory mess was taken care of, I was feeling unconscious and they decided to give me a drip full of glucose. Meant was intra-venal intake, I didn't even think once and started gulping on the bottle orally as I continued to lay on the emergency table.
After all things were taken care of, it was time for the formalities. The doctor and the nurse enquired me about my name. That I told them and quizzically they asked me for my full name. I replied to their question and they appeared perplexed. I could make it from their faces that they realized that I had a Hindu name. They asked me for my father's name. And yet their faces remained white. I noticed a nervous smile across Salim's face. Ignoring the tenseness of the situation, he helped me off the bed and I hopped my way to the car.
After we reached our original drop off place (where I had met Salim near the hotel), I found my friends waiting there for me. It was apparent that they had found a suitable accommodation for the night. Salim got off the car and headed into the hotel. It was there that we realized that he owned the hotel we had inquired about earlier and decided not to stay in.
Before he made his way into the hotel, he asked me whether I needed anything else - food, water, anything. Thanking him, I refused his help and told him that he had already done enough for me. Just before we bid our goodbyes, I asked him his name - for one I needed to relate a name to the face that had been my savior. "Salim" is what he told me. "Shukriya Salim" is all I could tell him before we got going.
I ate my medicine and could feel the sedative taking over.
A strange thought ignited in my head.
The befuddled faces of the hospital staff that were taken aback by my name and more so by my religion. And then the ever so caring smile of Salim, who a moment ago was just another stranger. I closed my eyes thinking that for some, while your name and religion is a division, for others still, there is only a unison called humanity.
Peace.
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