Its been a long time that i have not written here. So what happened? had i stopped learning things? no. its just that there was little i could show in from what i was learning.
but from an absolutely unexpected corner came my learning.. FACEBOOK!! ( and you thought it was just time pass huh? )
statutory warning : the following might seem a little wierd.
I was taking a quiz on fb for the umpteenth time. and there was a question on the quiz-
WHAT IF YOU HAD A MILLION DOLLARS?
a)
b)
c)
d)
i do not know what you guys do when you come across such a question. i decided to give it real thinking. and you knwo what? i was BLANK!. POINT BLANK. Think! - told myself. and then i realized that if i were to have say- 4 or 5k i would probably think
of spending it on parties and movies and clothes and so on. but given a MILLION dollars. i would be very responsible with them . you see that is an amount which is inconcievable to a middle class girl like me. if you would ask my brother he would have man grand ideas about them. I am the kind of person who does not much even dream of lavishness.
i clicked an answer in fb. but that was not an important thing. the important thing was that my mind went racing. i realized that if i had so much money i would be living my life far more responsibly than if i did not have money. ( think this is wierd ? the wierd part has not even BEGUN people :P). i realized i would learn more about money. i would do things that would
basically make me a very competent person in life to deserve to haold that kind of money.
all this seemed higly contradictory to me.
and then i understood one more factor. ALL OUR LIVES I WAS GOING LIVE WAITING TO MAKE MORE MONEY THAN I ALREADY DO. when I can make my lives better RIGHT NOW. by living that life. living responsibly. investing in MYSELF( we are our graeatest assets you see .. :) )
i wanted to live like i already owned a million dollars! ( THIS is what i was talkin about)
but you know there is a book called THE SECRET. in that book basically what is written is that we attract what we expect to be true. so in the money chapter it is written. that if you keep thinking that ' i dont have any money. what to do? i wish i had more money."---- whatis going to happen is that your mind will keep registering that you dont have money and you will attract that from the universe around you. you will remain poor.i had left reading the book at this point. i did not know how i could tell myself i had a lot of money when i ACTUALLY didnt!
This little experience however gave me a whole new perspective to what that book said. you see it has often been said - that only people who think like millionaires become millionaires and remain so. if you want to be a millionaire you will have to take hi shoes and sit in them all the time. think like one. live the life of one. take risks like one.
perhaps you do not want to be a millionaire. and there is a difference between wanting and wishing here. if i may clarify. you might wish to be a millionaire. but do you WANT to be one? if you WANT something you are willing to go the extra mile for it. if you wish soemthing. you sit in a chair or lie in your bed .. fantasiize about it .. wake up next morning and do nothing about it the whole day until night comes again and you repeat your exercise.
so whatever you want to be. BE THAT NOW> and you will come closer to it.
Akio Morito - the co-founder of Sony said- if you want to play the king,you have to be a king at all times."
hope it now makes sense. :)
tc
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Men vs Women : Not much difference left
On a friend's suggestion, I started of writing about a very casual discussion of the reader-writer's favorite "Difference in a man's and a woman's attitude", but surfing d web for some useful extracts and annotations to strengthen my views, I came across a very raw and quite a hot topic of elaboration...The male female psychological differences..
Well I think the clique which appears here should be broken off soon, so here's d soother.. Studies and research say that men and women are same and gender biasing as a benchmark for difference in psychology between the two sexes, is just another hyper exaggerated myth like others in the ' Men vs Women' civilization..
According to it, men and women show similar traits when issues like leadership, aggressiveness and cognitive abilities are concerned...The further detailing of characters den , I guess are more a work of individual personalities den, so characterizing them into 'guys attitude' and 'girls nature' is of no accord..
The researchers( Dr. Janet Hyde and her team), further suggest that this nature generates gender differentiation and creates a feeling of assumed prejudice.
In her research, she found out that the difference visible in the behavior of a man and woman were more or less restricted to men being more physically aggressive than women, being more into a less committed relationship and having a higher sense of self-esteem when matters of family are concerned. Other than these men and women were found to react similarly and having almost the same perspective.
To a large extend, I comply to it..Now with the narrowing of the gap btw the two species, where they are increasingly accepting the role of each other in society and at homes, differences between them is for sure getting limited. Now a woman is expected to be as practical and logical in handling matters of her life as a man
used to be ,some decades ago..similarly a man is getting more and more involved in family care and hence emotionally more reliable. A woman is as good a leader as a man and so the dominance that circulated largely over d male shoulders, is soon fading away. Man and woman are gelling well their responsibilities and nature and making it more of a person to person variation, than the general 'man to woman' variation.
The theory is right now hard to digest.. If dis is accepted den what will happen to our great women defense..."tum sab ladke ek jaise hi hote ho" and the men one liner.."yeh ladkiyan bhi naa"...Not only this I guess half of d world's love issues would be settled.. half of the marriage counselors would be out of job and the great all time debate of 'men are from mars women from venus' will go deep down...It would be quite early to form any conclusion but ya dis really deserves some great piece of mind moulding even after being accepted, because that is the view with which populations have grown old.
Well I think the clique which appears here should be broken off soon, so here's d soother.. Studies and research say that men and women are same and gender biasing as a benchmark for difference in psychology between the two sexes, is just another hyper exaggerated myth like others in the ' Men vs Women' civilization..
According to it, men and women show similar traits when issues like leadership, aggressiveness and cognitive abilities are concerned...The further detailing of characters den , I guess are more a work of individual personalities den, so characterizing them into 'guys attitude' and 'girls nature' is of no accord..
The researchers( Dr. Janet Hyde and her team), further suggest that this nature generates gender differentiation and creates a feeling of assumed prejudice.
In her research, she found out that the difference visible in the behavior of a man and woman were more or less restricted to men being more physically aggressive than women, being more into a less committed relationship and having a higher sense of self-esteem when matters of family are concerned. Other than these men and women were found to react similarly and having almost the same perspective.
To a large extend, I comply to it..Now with the narrowing of the gap btw the two species, where they are increasingly accepting the role of each other in society and at homes, differences between them is for sure getting limited. Now a woman is expected to be as practical and logical in handling matters of her life as a man
used to be ,some decades ago..similarly a man is getting more and more involved in family care and hence emotionally more reliable. A woman is as good a leader as a man and so the dominance that circulated largely over d male shoulders, is soon fading away. Man and woman are gelling well their responsibilities and nature and making it more of a person to person variation, than the general 'man to woman' variation.
The theory is right now hard to digest.. If dis is accepted den what will happen to our great women defense..."tum sab ladke ek jaise hi hote ho" and the men one liner.."yeh ladkiyan bhi naa"...Not only this I guess half of d world's love issues would be settled.. half of the marriage counselors would be out of job and the great all time debate of 'men are from mars women from venus' will go deep down...It would be quite early to form any conclusion but ya dis really deserves some great piece of mind moulding even after being accepted, because that is the view with which populations have grown old.
The Legacy of Advani
Lal Krishna Advani, one of the most debated public figure in this country is surviving his last few months in active politics. After the 2009 General Election debacle and the recent turmoil in BJP it is imminent that Advani ji shall be retiring from active politics sooner than later. A question arises in the mind does this person deserve so much turbulence and criticism at the end of his political career. So I decided to look at some of the aspects for which Advani shall always be remembered.
Advani, a long time member of Jan Sangh laid the foundation of Bhartiya Janta Party along with his colleague and friend Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the early 1980’s. That was a time when only two members of this party Advani and Vajpayee used to be elected to the parliament. Gradually they attracted the masses and the famous Rath Yatra of Advani in 1989 made BJP a political force to reckon with. This Rath Yatra was the event which gave voice to the nationalists who were struggling to find some other political platform than the Congress. The mass appeal of Advani grew leaps and bounds and eventually took BJP to the pinnacle of power in the late 1990’s.
The biggest contribution by LK Advani to this country has been the formation of a dual political voice, an alternative to the monopolistic Congress party. No democracy can thrive without a strong and active opposition. Today in every city, every town of the country we have two separate voices arguing for the future of the country which is the basic rationale of democracy.
At the same time, Advani cannot be spared without criticism. His ambiguous political statements such as the Kandahar hijacking issue, the Jinnah statement drew a lot of criticism even from his own party members. His inability to stand honestly on issues such as the Gujarat riots and the Babri Masjid demolition case are also debatable.
Vajpayee and Advani were the two stalwarts of BJP and their comparison is inevitable. Advani termed as the ‘iron man’ lacked the charisma and the shrewdness of Vajpayee. Advani was an able manager of the leader Vajpayee but as it very often happens, a successful manager cannot always rise to become an able leader.
Though his persuasion to stay as the leader of opposition after the election defeat has tarnished Advani’s image, but as Sir Mark Tully puts in a NDTV talk show, we do hope that the history will remember Advani as the person who gave this country a strong national political party strengthening the Indian democracy and not his last few turbulent months in the active politics.
Advani, a long time member of Jan Sangh laid the foundation of Bhartiya Janta Party along with his colleague and friend Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the early 1980’s. That was a time when only two members of this party Advani and Vajpayee used to be elected to the parliament. Gradually they attracted the masses and the famous Rath Yatra of Advani in 1989 made BJP a political force to reckon with. This Rath Yatra was the event which gave voice to the nationalists who were struggling to find some other political platform than the Congress. The mass appeal of Advani grew leaps and bounds and eventually took BJP to the pinnacle of power in the late 1990’s.
The biggest contribution by LK Advani to this country has been the formation of a dual political voice, an alternative to the monopolistic Congress party. No democracy can thrive without a strong and active opposition. Today in every city, every town of the country we have two separate voices arguing for the future of the country which is the basic rationale of democracy.
At the same time, Advani cannot be spared without criticism. His ambiguous political statements such as the Kandahar hijacking issue, the Jinnah statement drew a lot of criticism even from his own party members. His inability to stand honestly on issues such as the Gujarat riots and the Babri Masjid demolition case are also debatable.
Vajpayee and Advani were the two stalwarts of BJP and their comparison is inevitable. Advani termed as the ‘iron man’ lacked the charisma and the shrewdness of Vajpayee. Advani was an able manager of the leader Vajpayee but as it very often happens, a successful manager cannot always rise to become an able leader.
Though his persuasion to stay as the leader of opposition after the election defeat has tarnished Advani’s image, but as Sir Mark Tully puts in a NDTV talk show, we do hope that the history will remember Advani as the person who gave this country a strong national political party strengthening the Indian democracy and not his last few turbulent months in the active politics.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Education Reforms
With the announcement of education reforms, Mr. Kapil Sibbal has tried to usher a new era in the education system of India just like the economic reforms by Mr. Manmohan Singh changed the economic perspective of the country. Though the education reforms comprise of many aspects such as primary school education, compulsory education, higher level education, examination reforms and proper regulatory bodies, Mr. Sibbal took the right step by proposing to bring changes in the school education which perhaps forms the crux of other problems as well.
The 10th board examinations conducted under the CBSE board shall be optional from the next year and the students shall be judged on a grading system. The question we all have been asking ourselves for so many years is that do the high school examinations serve any purpose apart from forcing children into mad race for marks, neglecting their health and creating a nervous atmosphere in the family. The answer doesn’t come in the affirmative. Yes, the exams do motivate and stir the students to work hard, but a 15 or 16 year old student can otherwise be instilled to study regularly with the imparting of good values and importance of education.
The other aspect which has its share of critics is the grading system which cannot differentiate between students acquiring 95% and 97% marks. This concern has been raised vociferously by parents, students and teachers. The fact however remains that the purpose of grading system is to remove this very inherent fallacy of our school education. Life is all about tough competition, but there is an age and time for it. Surely a 16 year old student should not be expected to imbibe the negative values of envy and unfair competition of stealing one or two marks by hook or crook. Another fact to ponder upon is, does the student who scores 97% marks always fares better in life than the student scoring little less. Well any rational person has the same answer, a big ‘NO’.
Now comes the very genuine concern of the implementation of this system. Due to lack of infrastructure, proper classes, laboratories, qualified teachers, this task seems difficult. But then should we adopt a wrong policy in principle just to cater to the implementation needs. Or should we adopt the right approach and then work upon the implementation details. The latter option seems to be more logical.
Another aspect on which I would like to shed some light is the mentality to resist change by people. Inspite of knowing the drawbacks of our education, the resistance to change shown by many parents is not very encouraging. Though their concern for children in a country with no social security and unprecedented competition is appreciable but unless we try to change this education system of ‘British Raj’ era how will the youngsters face the future challenges.
Before every class 10th and 12th examinations, we see many counselors and educationists advising students and parents to remain calm and not get nervous. But in a practical world these advices cannot be implemented unless we decide to alter our system to meet those ideal situations. We do hear a lot about corruption in our country, but it is not as if our countrymen have lower moral standards as compared to people of other countries, it the faulty and obsolete system which breeds this menace. To address all such fundamental problems it not the people whose characters can be changed but the system which over a period of time make the people adjust to it.
This is the first step towards education reforms and a welcome one. But to substantiate it and achieve the vision of a better education system further efforts are required in changing the examination patterns and higher education system of India.
The 10th board examinations conducted under the CBSE board shall be optional from the next year and the students shall be judged on a grading system. The question we all have been asking ourselves for so many years is that do the high school examinations serve any purpose apart from forcing children into mad race for marks, neglecting their health and creating a nervous atmosphere in the family. The answer doesn’t come in the affirmative. Yes, the exams do motivate and stir the students to work hard, but a 15 or 16 year old student can otherwise be instilled to study regularly with the imparting of good values and importance of education.
The other aspect which has its share of critics is the grading system which cannot differentiate between students acquiring 95% and 97% marks. This concern has been raised vociferously by parents, students and teachers. The fact however remains that the purpose of grading system is to remove this very inherent fallacy of our school education. Life is all about tough competition, but there is an age and time for it. Surely a 16 year old student should not be expected to imbibe the negative values of envy and unfair competition of stealing one or two marks by hook or crook. Another fact to ponder upon is, does the student who scores 97% marks always fares better in life than the student scoring little less. Well any rational person has the same answer, a big ‘NO’.
Now comes the very genuine concern of the implementation of this system. Due to lack of infrastructure, proper classes, laboratories, qualified teachers, this task seems difficult. But then should we adopt a wrong policy in principle just to cater to the implementation needs. Or should we adopt the right approach and then work upon the implementation details. The latter option seems to be more logical.
Another aspect on which I would like to shed some light is the mentality to resist change by people. Inspite of knowing the drawbacks of our education, the resistance to change shown by many parents is not very encouraging. Though their concern for children in a country with no social security and unprecedented competition is appreciable but unless we try to change this education system of ‘British Raj’ era how will the youngsters face the future challenges.
Before every class 10th and 12th examinations, we see many counselors and educationists advising students and parents to remain calm and not get nervous. But in a practical world these advices cannot be implemented unless we decide to alter our system to meet those ideal situations. We do hear a lot about corruption in our country, but it is not as if our countrymen have lower moral standards as compared to people of other countries, it the faulty and obsolete system which breeds this menace. To address all such fundamental problems it not the people whose characters can be changed but the system which over a period of time make the people adjust to it.
This is the first step towards education reforms and a welcome one. But to substantiate it and achieve the vision of a better education system further efforts are required in changing the examination patterns and higher education system of India.
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Oaths We Didnt Take
Today in the morning the editorial of The Times Of India threw on my head several bombardments of terms which not only I did not understand but which I could not even pretend to understand. The writer ( whom I found out was a very well known name in political philosophy) talked about the founders of our Country and how they wanted it to be a ‘nation state’.
Subsequently as I found out that this term is very different from what we are or even what they declared us as intending to become. I dug in more information about the terms inscribed in the Preamble to our constitution and came up with surprising information and conclusion.
“WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a _[SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC]..”
An oath which we certainly never took in our lifetimes and hence there is little wonder that we follow little or none of it in our lifestyles.
A friend once said to me about religions and I find it to be true even now when I write about my country – “The original intentions are often well forgotten in the multitude of years and people.”
Let me start from the beginning people.. Basically a nation state is a state which not only has a territorial integrity but also cultural integrity. In simpler words the people are bound by their culture or a philosophy along with their territorial boundaries. For eg –The Japanese- not only they are bound together as a country but their culture etc is unique to them and that also binds them as a people. A nation state does not have any major sized minorities. We as a nation are not really a nation state as we have many different cultures , languages etc. The founders (except for Mahatma Gandhi let me add because he did not identilfy with this concept) apparently thought that our national spirit would serve for that binding philosophy.
Anyways this theory led mo to dig deeper as why are e called a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic , Republic Nation.. and ARE WE IT?
We are a satisfactorily democratic and sovereign country . We have de-facto internal supremacy. And we are a representative democracy.
So in the same way we also are a satisfactory Republic- a country in which the head of the state is not a monarch. Although with our politics becoming a matter of son inheriting father’s throne we are still hung up in history somewhere. ( Actually we as a people are like that. Its not just the politics look at our film industry also. :P)
I chose those three terms first because those were the original terms for us.
The other two- socialist and secular were additions of Indira Gandhi in 1976. I do not know why she added them, but the way it seems to me – she wanted to belie the truth of our country. (She never defined the terms she added and moreover took to religious politics herself after loosing that 1978 elections.).In fact these terms are yet not clearly defined.
Socialism is actually an economic concept in contrast to capitalism, which it states spreads inequality by concentrating wealth in the hands of some people.It believes in equitable distribution of wealth. Notwithstanding the fact that there is a large gap between the rich and the poor in our country. More than that I believe that this concept has become highly obsolete as we are everyday turning our country into a more and more capitalist nation as there is where prosperity lies.
As far as secularism is concerned- telling ourselves that religion does not interfere in the matters of the state is a foolish lie. That we SHOULD be socialist is another thing but answer my question – where ARE we? The only reason that our country is not dominated by a single culture like Saudi Arabia is perhaps we have so many cultures if we were to adopt any one of them there will be too much blood shed and riots. Remember Gujrat riots? Our politics .. our entire psyche is ruled by our religion. Yes to a lesser extent in the kind that is writing this blog and that will be reading it. But even here we will find the non secularists.
Its high time we become aware of the oath we take implicitly by begin born in our country.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Competition laws
Competition laws or more famously known as the anti trust laws prohibit collusion between market participants for the purpose of protecting competitive markets and protecting consumer rights. These laws aim for the repression of cartels which restrict free trading, prevention of predatory pricing, restriction of practices such as refusal to deal with certain business entities and supervision of mergers and acquisitions to monitor for transparency. The rationale behind anti trust legislation is that though it curbs a monopoly house’s freedom, it also curbs sufficiently the monopoly house’s freedom to curb the consumer’s freedom.
In the early part of 20th century the large American corporations used trusts to conceal the nature of their businesses. Big trusts became synonymous with monopolies and were perceived to be a threat to democracy and free market mechanism. This initiated an aggressive anti trust campaign. After the World War 2 , this legislation was introduced in Europe and certain other countries like Japan. Whereas American law emphasizes strict competition, European laws emphasize competition with inter firm collaboration.
The anti trust laws are not without its critics. Under some schools of thoughts, many economists argue that it is unnecessary since competition is a long term dynamic process. Certain firms due to their efficient and innovative practices may acquire market dominance but when they decide to manipulate prices taking advantage of their monopoly position, it offers opportunity for other firms to compete, thus gradually leading to the erosion of the monopoly.
Shifting our focus to India, there used to be a Monopoly and Restrictive Trades Practices Act, 1969 (MRTP) to curb practices which violate the conditions for free market practices. But with the Indian economy in all kinds of restrictive shackles and government monopoly it was never regarded as a serious law. But after the economic reforms a new competition law was introduced in the year 2002, though it will still take some time to come into full practice.
Though the anti trust legislation is important for the functioning of free market mechanism, it is essential that that the focus of these laws should be on the protection of consumer welfare and competition rather than the competitors. It has often been observed that stringent anti trust practices lead to social and political aims that undermine economic efficiency.
In the early part of 20th century the large American corporations used trusts to conceal the nature of their businesses. Big trusts became synonymous with monopolies and were perceived to be a threat to democracy and free market mechanism. This initiated an aggressive anti trust campaign. After the World War 2 , this legislation was introduced in Europe and certain other countries like Japan. Whereas American law emphasizes strict competition, European laws emphasize competition with inter firm collaboration.
The anti trust laws are not without its critics. Under some schools of thoughts, many economists argue that it is unnecessary since competition is a long term dynamic process. Certain firms due to their efficient and innovative practices may acquire market dominance but when they decide to manipulate prices taking advantage of their monopoly position, it offers opportunity for other firms to compete, thus gradually leading to the erosion of the monopoly.
Shifting our focus to India, there used to be a Monopoly and Restrictive Trades Practices Act, 1969 (MRTP) to curb practices which violate the conditions for free market practices. But with the Indian economy in all kinds of restrictive shackles and government monopoly it was never regarded as a serious law. But after the economic reforms a new competition law was introduced in the year 2002, though it will still take some time to come into full practice.
Though the anti trust legislation is important for the functioning of free market mechanism, it is essential that that the focus of these laws should be on the protection of consumer welfare and competition rather than the competitors. It has often been observed that stringent anti trust practices lead to social and political aims that undermine economic efficiency.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Rain and drain...
Before the blog moves on with something more subtle and engrossing, digging deeper into The Partition or our own messed up life, I feel like going a bit to the lighter side. And before you feel after reading the title that it is but another description of our primary class' favorite essay topic, I want to tell you that it is not.
So, being in India and not feeling affected by rains is I guess a far fetched sense of 'I- give-a- damn!' attitude. And specially when you live in a not so high-tech, not so downtrodden place like ours ( I currently reside in lucknow ), your dilemma becomes all so acute. I dont know what to feel when I see some good gray clouds gathering around atop my house and locality. Will it be a cool respite or will it be (like almost always) another day when I will have to stay all closed and arrested inside my home...
And please dont form an impression that I am scared of getting drenched. I love rains and the romantic self satisfaction it brings along. All I hate is the after effect of it, and believe me I am really envy of those who dont have to go through the same ordeal.
Rain considers it its birth right to fill every small and big pit on the road and the streets and the tiny narrow ‘gully’ that it catches view of. I feel when it rains, the Rain God comes down riding over the dark clouds with a high resolution microscope ( don’t look with contempt, the heaven and gods have become very high tech, according to the movie- hanuman returns...those who have not watched it , please grab a copy and do it) and finely searches for each and every pothole and orders his transporter to shoot with all known precision . And I dont have to say much, The God almost always wins.
And then I am, so are rest of my locality neighbors, left hip hopping, crisscrossing and jumping to find a way to go around and be saved from stepping over to a God blessed creature( the mighty pit) and be subjected to a curse.
Well that is just a perception. My aim today was not to bring 'gods power in small things' to your notice but some very interesting theory came across today...
And that goes as.. The tiny and huge craters there on almost every road of my city (and most of others) are not bad things. They are playful little 'swimming pools', where the tired soul of the city and some mischievous children, can play around bungee jumping and other sorts of adventurous sports ( I guess that is the reason , lucknow is constantly becoming devoid of good swimming pools, they are available almost everywhere now only in a better shape).
That is not all. In some streets our dear respectable municipal corporations have built on nice bumpy 'speed breakers' (that is the name given to them). They are actually platforms from where if you have quite a good speed you can have a nice good launch and dive with greater force into the water, so that not only you , the other commuters nearby you can also enjoy it. When you come out of it, you will surely have some evidence all over you that you were engaged into some sports today, so that all those people who feel you are quite a lousy one can actually have some eye opener...
So next time you see these pits around anywhere, please do not despise them. They are but for your entertainment , so that the path of life does not become too straight and boring .
So, being in India and not feeling affected by rains is I guess a far fetched sense of 'I- give-a- damn!' attitude. And specially when you live in a not so high-tech, not so downtrodden place like ours ( I currently reside in lucknow ), your dilemma becomes all so acute. I dont know what to feel when I see some good gray clouds gathering around atop my house and locality. Will it be a cool respite or will it be (like almost always) another day when I will have to stay all closed and arrested inside my home...
And please dont form an impression that I am scared of getting drenched. I love rains and the romantic self satisfaction it brings along. All I hate is the after effect of it, and believe me I am really envy of those who dont have to go through the same ordeal.
Rain considers it its birth right to fill every small and big pit on the road and the streets and the tiny narrow ‘gully’ that it catches view of. I feel when it rains, the Rain God comes down riding over the dark clouds with a high resolution microscope ( don’t look with contempt, the heaven and gods have become very high tech, according to the movie- hanuman returns...those who have not watched it , please grab a copy and do it) and finely searches for each and every pothole and orders his transporter to shoot with all known precision . And I dont have to say much, The God almost always wins.
And then I am, so are rest of my locality neighbors, left hip hopping, crisscrossing and jumping to find a way to go around and be saved from stepping over to a God blessed creature( the mighty pit) and be subjected to a curse.
Well that is just a perception. My aim today was not to bring 'gods power in small things' to your notice but some very interesting theory came across today...
And that goes as.. The tiny and huge craters there on almost every road of my city (and most of others) are not bad things. They are playful little 'swimming pools', where the tired soul of the city and some mischievous children, can play around bungee jumping and other sorts of adventurous sports ( I guess that is the reason , lucknow is constantly becoming devoid of good swimming pools, they are available almost everywhere now only in a better shape).
That is not all. In some streets our dear respectable municipal corporations have built on nice bumpy 'speed breakers' (that is the name given to them). They are actually platforms from where if you have quite a good speed you can have a nice good launch and dive with greater force into the water, so that not only you , the other commuters nearby you can also enjoy it. When you come out of it, you will surely have some evidence all over you that you were engaged into some sports today, so that all those people who feel you are quite a lousy one can actually have some eye opener...
So next time you see these pits around anywhere, please do not despise them. They are but for your entertainment , so that the path of life does not become too straight and boring .
Monday, August 24, 2009
A nation haunted by its past...
On 15th August, 2009 it was 62 years since India achieved independence from the British Raj but the partition of this country is still a stain on the freedom and a scar on our memory as a nation. After the recent furore over Jaswant Singh’s portrayal of Jinnah as a nationalist, I decided to myself go through the works of some scholars and historians. Though I am no scholar or historian myself but as a concerned and rationally thinking citizen I decided to come up with some of my own interpretations and share it with the readers.
Many people might argue this after so many years the dust is finally settling over the dark and mysterious events of partition and it hardly makes any sense to revisit this catastrophe. In a way they are correct. With the older generations passing away, the partition of India might only remain a scholarly pursuit in the future decades but still it is important to understand the events which have forever changed the destiny of this nation.
It would be a folly and escaping the truth to blame one man or one event squarely for such a momentous event. It would be a myth to assume that India was a single entity under the imperialist rule. It was a confederation of various princely states and provinces each having different cultural and religious sentiments. In the global context 1930s and 40s were a turbulent era with the world war consuming the entire world. It was during this period or I should say after the end of it that voices such as democracy, advocating human rights and respect for minority groups gained voice. India was no different. It was evident by that time, that sooner or later India shall get complete freedom. But now the responsibility laid on the national leaders to devise a plan to constitute the republic where people of different castes, creed and races can live with freedom and honour. Since Congress had a majority of Hindu leaders, the Muslims in India felt unsecured and under the leadership of the then (friends please focus on my word ‘then’) secular and liberal minded Jinnah voiced the demand for a new Islamic state of Pakistan.
With the egoistic clashes of the two stalwarts Nehru and Jinnah, this demand grew more vociferous. With the global trend of conceding the right of regional self determination even other senior Congress leaders such as Dr. Ambedkar and Rajaji supported the idea if this could promote peace and harmony in the region. The point to be noted is also that the leaders knew that after independence there would be absolute powers which none of the towering personalities in the Indian politics wished to abjure.
The British unable to hold the powers after suffering badly in the World War 2 played the perfect communal card to divide the country and used certain leaders as the scapegoat. Though beyond doubt Jinnah was the man responsible for being the staunch supporter of the idea of Pakistan and shares a major part of the blame of partitioning, we must also be aware of his first speech in the constituent assembly in Pakistan which I quote “You may belong to any religion or caste or creed - that is nothing to do with the business of the state”. Now the complete failure of the execution of this idea by the Pakistan regime is another story which is often plagued by religious extremism.
Similarly Nehru cannot be absolved of the responsibility of the partition since he was the leader of Congress and one of the key policy makers. He is also to be blamed for the concept for majoritarianism in the Congress which continues unabated even today where there is least respect for differences in opinions and a tendency to see things in black and white. Though he can also be exonerated for all the services he later offered to the secular idea of the nation.
Under all possibilities these leaders dreamt of the two nations peacefully cooperating with each other and playing a significant role in the international affairs. But due to the inept, perhaps irresponsible and certainly idealistic visions the truth is far more bitter.
India is a nation trapped in its past and certainly and unfortunately even haunted by the past. A confident nation is one which accepts the events with time and move ahead to a prosperous future. As a matured nation we need to open ourselves to the cross examination of personalities who changed the destiny of millions of citizens and not try to project them as demigods. This analysis cannot be regarded as disrespect towards them but the cultivation of freely expressing ideas and visions for which these people stood all their lives.
Many people might argue this after so many years the dust is finally settling over the dark and mysterious events of partition and it hardly makes any sense to revisit this catastrophe. In a way they are correct. With the older generations passing away, the partition of India might only remain a scholarly pursuit in the future decades but still it is important to understand the events which have forever changed the destiny of this nation.
It would be a folly and escaping the truth to blame one man or one event squarely for such a momentous event. It would be a myth to assume that India was a single entity under the imperialist rule. It was a confederation of various princely states and provinces each having different cultural and religious sentiments. In the global context 1930s and 40s were a turbulent era with the world war consuming the entire world. It was during this period or I should say after the end of it that voices such as democracy, advocating human rights and respect for minority groups gained voice. India was no different. It was evident by that time, that sooner or later India shall get complete freedom. But now the responsibility laid on the national leaders to devise a plan to constitute the republic where people of different castes, creed and races can live with freedom and honour. Since Congress had a majority of Hindu leaders, the Muslims in India felt unsecured and under the leadership of the then (friends please focus on my word ‘then’) secular and liberal minded Jinnah voiced the demand for a new Islamic state of Pakistan.
With the egoistic clashes of the two stalwarts Nehru and Jinnah, this demand grew more vociferous. With the global trend of conceding the right of regional self determination even other senior Congress leaders such as Dr. Ambedkar and Rajaji supported the idea if this could promote peace and harmony in the region. The point to be noted is also that the leaders knew that after independence there would be absolute powers which none of the towering personalities in the Indian politics wished to abjure.
The British unable to hold the powers after suffering badly in the World War 2 played the perfect communal card to divide the country and used certain leaders as the scapegoat. Though beyond doubt Jinnah was the man responsible for being the staunch supporter of the idea of Pakistan and shares a major part of the blame of partitioning, we must also be aware of his first speech in the constituent assembly in Pakistan which I quote “You may belong to any religion or caste or creed - that is nothing to do with the business of the state”. Now the complete failure of the execution of this idea by the Pakistan regime is another story which is often plagued by religious extremism.
Similarly Nehru cannot be absolved of the responsibility of the partition since he was the leader of Congress and one of the key policy makers. He is also to be blamed for the concept for majoritarianism in the Congress which continues unabated even today where there is least respect for differences in opinions and a tendency to see things in black and white. Though he can also be exonerated for all the services he later offered to the secular idea of the nation.
Under all possibilities these leaders dreamt of the two nations peacefully cooperating with each other and playing a significant role in the international affairs. But due to the inept, perhaps irresponsible and certainly idealistic visions the truth is far more bitter.
India is a nation trapped in its past and certainly and unfortunately even haunted by the past. A confident nation is one which accepts the events with time and move ahead to a prosperous future. As a matured nation we need to open ourselves to the cross examination of personalities who changed the destiny of millions of citizens and not try to project them as demigods. This analysis cannot be regarded as disrespect towards them but the cultivation of freely expressing ideas and visions for which these people stood all their lives.
In Good Time
What i write is a lesson that often many people have learnt. Lots of movies have it.. I mean it has simply been done over and over again in different interpretations..
But well I learnt it Today and well i am th creator of this blog so... :P
The thing is that we feel so many things about those close to us.. friends , family , lovers everywhere.. And we really feel wonderful about them or even obnoxious . And we do not reflect that in our behaviour. Not only that we do not say it. Because sincerely speaking we have this habit - to not name things. For a reason we have never been told and we have never questioned.To not say things OUT LOUD!! Not even to feel things out loud.. you know how wonderful it feels! to completely let yourself be free to feel something.. And i am not talking about love only.. I am talking about anything. About friendship..ur parents. just let yourself be free and feel that feeling in all its entirety. Even anger you know. Sometimes it s just fine to feel angry completely. It clears your head after that .But take it from me.. dont go right ahead and say it to that person.. dsnt help i might tell you.. :)
So why dont we do it? You might ask.. And you also might say that- Hey! I dont do that. I feel! I am emotional Infact. Well sweety ..being an emotional person is not it. Have you ever stopped short of feeling love for someone because he/she may not be yours? Heck! just let yourself love that person completely. At least you will become aware of whether you really love that person or not.. You know if its just attraction it will come out. And if it is really love then you will know that it feels wonderful to feel it just like that - to just know that someone is THAT special in this world to be loved by YOU. Ever stopped short of loving a hobby of yours..going passionate about it ? yeah? afraid that you might want to pursue it as a career ?
If you dont feel it , say it- out of fear( you might not know it but if you ask yourself you will know that the reason is fear only) of some kind may be by the time you find yourself saying it.. it might not matter anymore. And that is an eventuality you dont want to face .. believe me.
So go ahead.. leave yourself free..loosen up. Be happy , sad watever .. Just be.And it will clear your head. No clouds in it.
As my bro says - Live It Up Baby!!
But well I learnt it Today and well i am th creator of this blog so... :P
The thing is that we feel so many things about those close to us.. friends , family , lovers everywhere.. And we really feel wonderful about them or even obnoxious . And we do not reflect that in our behaviour. Not only that we do not say it. Because sincerely speaking we have this habit - to not name things. For a reason we have never been told and we have never questioned.To not say things OUT LOUD!! Not even to feel things out loud.. you know how wonderful it feels! to completely let yourself be free to feel something.. And i am not talking about love only.. I am talking about anything. About friendship..ur parents. just let yourself be free and feel that feeling in all its entirety. Even anger you know. Sometimes it s just fine to feel angry completely. It clears your head after that .But take it from me.. dont go right ahead and say it to that person.. dsnt help i might tell you.. :)
So why dont we do it? You might ask.. And you also might say that- Hey! I dont do that. I feel! I am emotional Infact. Well sweety ..being an emotional person is not it. Have you ever stopped short of feeling love for someone because he/she may not be yours? Heck! just let yourself love that person completely. At least you will become aware of whether you really love that person or not.. You know if its just attraction it will come out. And if it is really love then you will know that it feels wonderful to feel it just like that - to just know that someone is THAT special in this world to be loved by YOU. Ever stopped short of loving a hobby of yours..going passionate about it ? yeah? afraid that you might want to pursue it as a career ?
If you dont feel it , say it- out of fear( you might not know it but if you ask yourself you will know that the reason is fear only) of some kind may be by the time you find yourself saying it.. it might not matter anymore. And that is an eventuality you dont want to face .. believe me.
So go ahead.. leave yourself free..loosen up. Be happy , sad watever .. Just be.And it will clear your head. No clouds in it.
As my bro says - Live It Up Baby!!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
You gotto do what you gotto do
I think that Being Someone wrote a very positive blog last night. After the high morning glory this one might take you into the depths of my mood. Because my lesson for today comes not from the good but it has somewhat gray shades lined into it. I am not even sure whether it is a lesson. I leave that for you- the Reader- to decide.
See have you ever been at a place in your life which you dont like.. infact dislike.. but have known that you deserved it? Because you didnt figure out how to save yourself from it or rather how to be at some other place. All our lives we yearn to be at a place we belong.. and most often it is we who take ourselves away from that place. Actions must be figured out. you know they MUST .. but cant figure out how. You wait for the next morning ,then the next..then the next
See have you ever been at a place in your life which you dont like.. infact dislike.. but have known that you deserved it? Because you didnt figure out how to save yourself from it or rather how to be at some other place. All our lives we yearn to be at a place we belong.. and most often it is we who take ourselves away from that place. Actions must be figured out. you know they MUST .. but cant figure out how. You wait for the next morning ,then the next..then the next
jo rang dhoondti hu khud me
jane wo hain bhi ki nahi
mann k kai tukde
alag alag ore kheechte hue
jane inme se kaun sachche
kaun se jhoothe
Baithe hue hain hare se
tukdo me jeete hue
Aaj teen din gye
Teen darr jeete maine
bas teen.sirf teen..bas teen
jane wo hain bhi ki nahi
mann k kai tukde
alag alag ore kheechte hue
jane inme se kaun sachche
kaun se jhoothe
Baithe hue hain hare se
tukdo me jeete hue
Aaj teen din gye
Teen darr jeete maine
bas teen.sirf teen..bas teen
The lesson .. the thing I want to say is that.. even though I feel lost .. i feel like i dont know whether tomorrow i will be able to raise myself to the standards i want to live upto... i am happy that I KNOIW where i am.And the fact that i realize this - is the only semblance of sanity in me. In order to raise myself from here I must ALWAYS know that i dont belong here. That i must do greater things. Because the moment i tell myself that its OK.. the battle will be lost. Forever.
This inner struggle that i have with myself everyday is bearable in comparison to that.
This inner struggle that i have with myself everyday is bearable in comparison to that.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The new things I saw today !!
Hey I consider myself quite a lucky one out here today, for I managed to see the mighty sun rise today. For those who smirk reading this, with a thought that its no big a deal..here's something further.. The sun rises at an approx. time of 5.30 in the morning ( and please dont cross check, because i am not in the met department) and I am not too much of a early to bed early to rise kinda person...
Its almost been some good years since I last had that chance of smelling the awesome morning aura. The trees welcoming the sun with a dance of life; the clouds teaming with the sun, trying there best to give a spectacular presentation, decorating themselves with silver linings; the birds and their brethren s providing the most pacifying and mellifluous music possible for yearning and aching human souls and some 'experienced'(aged) bodies walking around on the roads with their paraphernalia...
So ya back to point, that was not all in the list of new things...
I also happened to see a street dog sleeping, and again its quite a rare vision for me as I dont go out late on the streets at night to see that and all the time I am out, the dogs are at there energy's best, barking their heart out, enough for me to quickly give them a pass by.. And so today I took this opportunity to give that poor creature a big good stare and cross him/her with full tranquility..
And those who have been too indifferent reading this, there's more.. Not to keen a scene, but i came across a bull( and seriously my heart beat cheated me for sum seconds, as he was right behind my back and i was too engrossed in my Enrique tune that I hardly noticed him). Well I managed to escape but I dont know how far that creature would have gone with his frightening spree. As he walked on leaving me with a restless shudder behind, I noticed that creature was not trying to scare me , but was itself to scared for his life. There was quite a big wound on his heels ( am not fierce enough to describe more of it) and he stumbled across the street leaving his trails behind...
I am not too much of a PETA bhakt but i sincerely thank God, that at least am born a human, at least I have something called 'family', something called 'friends' and something called 'life'. I am thankful that I wake up every morning to see my people around me who will be there for me, caring and loving me, even if I fail them in every possible way.
I never knew that 'just a morning' will take me to such an important realization...Thank god i 'woke up' on time today...
Its almost been some good years since I last had that chance of smelling the awesome morning aura. The trees welcoming the sun with a dance of life; the clouds teaming with the sun, trying there best to give a spectacular presentation, decorating themselves with silver linings; the birds and their brethren s providing the most pacifying and mellifluous music possible for yearning and aching human souls and some 'experienced'(aged) bodies walking around on the roads with their paraphernalia...
So ya back to point, that was not all in the list of new things...
I also happened to see a street dog sleeping, and again its quite a rare vision for me as I dont go out late on the streets at night to see that and all the time I am out, the dogs are at there energy's best, barking their heart out, enough for me to quickly give them a pass by.. And so today I took this opportunity to give that poor creature a big good stare and cross him/her with full tranquility..
And those who have been too indifferent reading this, there's more.. Not to keen a scene, but i came across a bull( and seriously my heart beat cheated me for sum seconds, as he was right behind my back and i was too engrossed in my Enrique tune that I hardly noticed him). Well I managed to escape but I dont know how far that creature would have gone with his frightening spree. As he walked on leaving me with a restless shudder behind, I noticed that creature was not trying to scare me , but was itself to scared for his life. There was quite a big wound on his heels ( am not fierce enough to describe more of it) and he stumbled across the street leaving his trails behind...
I am not too much of a PETA bhakt but i sincerely thank God, that at least am born a human, at least I have something called 'family', something called 'friends' and something called 'life'. I am thankful that I wake up every morning to see my people around me who will be there for me, caring and loving me, even if I fail them in every possible way.
I never knew that 'just a morning' will take me to such an important realization...Thank god i 'woke up' on time today...
Friday, August 21, 2009
Obsolete system
Hello friends, today i was reading a national business magazine and came across a term 'octroi' which was at least new for me. So i decided to pen down and share my thoughts.
Octroi is a medieval age law introduced in the Roman Ages by which a merchant entering into a city or municipality for the purpose of selling goods has to pay the local bodies like municipality corporation certain taxes.
This law is currently applicable only in Ethiopia and the state of Maharashtra.
Our country expects to grow fast, develop all kinds of businesses, achieve a meritorious corporate level, but is our government providing them with the basic fundamental rights to perform any kind of trade? We often expect our sportsmen to excel at world sports, but do we ever care about the conditions in which they practice?
What iam trying to say, yes we should try to excel in every field but to realize the full potential of our people whether be in sports, businesses, education, we need to provide them with certain basic fundamental rights.
These archaic laws such as 'octroi' represent the obsolete thinking of our system
and makes us ponder upon the need for changes to be made if we want to realize the full potential of this country to roar and sprint like a tiger and not always be content with the pace of an elephant,
Octroi is a medieval age law introduced in the Roman Ages by which a merchant entering into a city or municipality for the purpose of selling goods has to pay the local bodies like municipality corporation certain taxes.
This law is currently applicable only in Ethiopia and the state of Maharashtra.
Our country expects to grow fast, develop all kinds of businesses, achieve a meritorious corporate level, but is our government providing them with the basic fundamental rights to perform any kind of trade? We often expect our sportsmen to excel at world sports, but do we ever care about the conditions in which they practice?
What iam trying to say, yes we should try to excel in every field but to realize the full potential of our people whether be in sports, businesses, education, we need to provide them with certain basic fundamental rights.
These archaic laws such as 'octroi' represent the obsolete thinking of our system
and makes us ponder upon the need for changes to be made if we want to realize the full potential of this country to roar and sprint like a tiger and not always be content with the pace of an elephant,
When less can be more
Technology in the past few decades has completely altered the face of human living. It has been pervasive in every sphere of life, mostly with better results. But a serious question comes to mind, has technology been able to serve its purpose of improving the basic living conditions of people or has it just been a medium to open new business ventures and markets.
No matter how big a critic we are of technology there is no denying in the fact that it has made people’s life much more convenient. But still can we say that we are more happy than our forefathers were? Is there more equality in the society? Is there more respect for women in the society? The answer would be an unfortunate ‘No’. But we need to realize that technology is only a medium, we the people have the imaginative minds to put it to use for more fruitful purposes.
Technology is gradually coming to a saturation point where it has achieved a respectable level of progress. Though further innovations shall always be needed, but the main focus of technology should shift from making thinner laptops, flashy gadgets to finding solutions to long time society problems.
We can draw a parallel with the basic sciences in the early 20th century when it reached a relatively matured level. The focus then shifted to the application of sciences such as building better infrastructures, better health care and other engineering applications. Though continuous innovations in sciences always occurred but the priorities did change.
Today with the technology being more secure and advanced than ever before, it should be intelligently put to achieving the goals of eradicating poverty and hunger, enhancing literacy, gender equality etc. We need to understand the fact unless these basic factors of human development change, yes our ways of life might change but the purpose and sense of life won’t.
No matter how big a critic we are of technology there is no denying in the fact that it has made people’s life much more convenient. But still can we say that we are more happy than our forefathers were? Is there more equality in the society? Is there more respect for women in the society? The answer would be an unfortunate ‘No’. But we need to realize that technology is only a medium, we the people have the imaginative minds to put it to use for more fruitful purposes.
Technology is gradually coming to a saturation point where it has achieved a respectable level of progress. Though further innovations shall always be needed, but the main focus of technology should shift from making thinner laptops, flashy gadgets to finding solutions to long time society problems.
We can draw a parallel with the basic sciences in the early 20th century when it reached a relatively matured level. The focus then shifted to the application of sciences such as building better infrastructures, better health care and other engineering applications. Though continuous innovations in sciences always occurred but the priorities did change.
Today with the technology being more secure and advanced than ever before, it should be intelligently put to achieving the goals of eradicating poverty and hunger, enhancing literacy, gender equality etc. We need to understand the fact unless these basic factors of human development change, yes our ways of life might change but the purpose and sense of life won’t.
What am i doing????
Sitting on my desk… gazing this wonderful invention called computer, with all the social networking sites opened… instant messages popping, yours truly is wondering what am I doing?? Am I doing something?? Am I supposed to do something??
In our schools, in our colleges we make such grandeur plans of doing this, doing that. But when life actually offers us to do anything we wish, and by anything I truly mean anything, we are so hopeless with not a single worthwhile idea crossing our brains.
We all have our dreams, but most of the times we fail to achieve them citing the lack of time. But when we do have time, we sit and discuss but come out blank. This raises in me a suspicion for my own honesty. Was I honest with myself when I used to chart out big dreams?? Did my dreams have any sense of purpose??
Well, the answers cannot be that simple, because if i had any sense of purpose i would be doing something substantial. And this dreamer is still not ready to accept that he was dishonest with himself, which rules out the other option.
That leads us to a precarious dilemma of what am i trying to convey. Well perhaps nothing. Yes exactly that’s how my mind is working, trying to move forward but slipping somewhere in the way. But then the famous saying goes ‘Only fools and fanatics are always sure of themselves, wiser people are full of doubts’.
This thought might be expressed by a single individual, but I am sure the similar story goes with the thousands others sitting at home and waiting for the good times.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Illiteracy
There used to come on DD a serial - Udan.. i dont know how many of you remember it. But that was my first impression of Kiran Bedi. My father used to tell me that -this is the woman you have to become!It is since then i have held her in high esteem.
Usually one cannot expect to find in Lucknow Times , anything worthwhile enough to mention in your - the new thing I learnt today - blog.. but Kiran Bedi was in our city and it turns out she grew flowers in desert!.. ( sry cliche quote.. but what can i say . so is my opinion about the picturesque Lucknow Times.. )
She pointed out how legally illiterate our young India is. The truth is that education has had nothing to do with our literacy in matters like Legal knowledge ( we also possess very less financial knowledge infact.) We - whether it be the rural India- which suffers from illiteracy in general, or even the so called modern India have little or no knowledge about Indian Law.
You see we have forgotten our own hindi/urdu months and celebrate the Western new year.. hope some days later we do not begin to celebrate the American Independence Day.. You see those people CARE to remain in theri culture . We Dont.
Today i bumped across a book on Indian Law and the first page i opened to browse through - it was written that in India - there are no laws to deal with sexual harassment! No wonder we have not had an amendment yet- we as a people , as the next generation - are so unaware!
People we have got to be more aware of our own laws than just knowing that 18 is the age you can marry and 21 is the age you can drink out of your own choice.
What is the big idea behind becoming adult - if you dont know what comes with it. Merely trusting other people's word for what is Right and Wrong ! ?
Usually one cannot expect to find in Lucknow Times , anything worthwhile enough to mention in your - the new thing I learnt today - blog.. but Kiran Bedi was in our city and it turns out she grew flowers in desert!.. ( sry cliche quote.. but what can i say . so is my opinion about the picturesque Lucknow Times.. )
She pointed out how legally illiterate our young India is. The truth is that education has had nothing to do with our literacy in matters like Legal knowledge ( we also possess very less financial knowledge infact.) We - whether it be the rural India- which suffers from illiteracy in general, or even the so called modern India have little or no knowledge about Indian Law.
You see we have forgotten our own hindi/urdu months and celebrate the Western new year.. hope some days later we do not begin to celebrate the American Independence Day.. You see those people CARE to remain in theri culture . We Dont.
Today i bumped across a book on Indian Law and the first page i opened to browse through - it was written that in India - there are no laws to deal with sexual harassment! No wonder we have not had an amendment yet- we as a people , as the next generation - are so unaware!
People we have got to be more aware of our own laws than just knowing that 18 is the age you can marry and 21 is the age you can drink out of your own choice.
What is the big idea behind becoming adult - if you dont know what comes with it. Merely trusting other people's word for what is Right and Wrong ! ?
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