This is an actual letter written by a common man to the Prime Minister of India post the Terrorist attacks in Mumbai on 29/11/08.
_____________________________________________________
Dear Mr. Prime ministerI am a typical mouse from Mumbai. In the local train compartment which has capacity of 100 persons, I travel with 500 more mouse. Mouse at least squeak but we don't even do that.
Today I heard your speech. In which you said 'NO BODY WOULD BE SPARED'. I would like to remind you that fourteen years has passed since serial bomb blast in Mumbai took place. Dawood was the main conspirator. Till today he is not caught. All our bolywood actors, our builders, our Gutka king meets him but your Government cannot catch him. Reason is simple; all your ministers are hand in glove with him.If any attempt is made to catch him everybody will be exposed. Your statement 'NOBODY WOULD BE SPARED' is nothing but a cruel joke on this unfortunate people of India.
Enough is enough. As such after seeing terrorist attack carried out by about a dozen young boys I realize that if same thing continues days are not away when terrorist will attack by air, destroy our nuclear reactor and there will be one more Hiroshima.
We the people are left with only one mantra. Womb to Bomb to Tomb. You promised Mumbaikar Shanghai what you have given us is Jalianwala Baug.
Today, your home minister resigned. What took you so long to kick out this joker? Only reason was that he was loyal to Gandhi family.Loyalty to Gandhi family is more important than blood of innocent people, isn't it?
I am born and bought up in Mumbai for last fifty eight years. Believe me corruption in Maharashtra is worse than that in Bihar. Look at all the politician, Sharad Pawar, Chagan Bhujbal, Narayan Rane, Bal Thackray , Gopinath Munde, Raj Thackray, Vilasrao Deshmukh all are rolling in money. Vilasrao Deshmukh is one of the worst Chief minister I have seen. His only business is to increase the FSI every other day, make money and send it to Delhi so Congress can fight next election. Now the clown has found new way and will increase FSI for fisherman so they can build concrete house right on sea shore. Next time terrorist can comfortably live in those house , enjoy the beauty of sea and then attack Mumbai at their will.
Recently I had to purchase house in Mumbai. I met about two dozen builders. Everybody wanted about 30% in black. A common person like me knows this and with all your intelligent agency & CBI you and your finance minister are not aware of it. Where all the black money goes?To the underworld isn't it? Our politicians take help of these goondas to vacate people by force. I myself was victim of it. If you have time please come to me, I will tell you everything.
If this has been land of fools, idiots then I would not have ever cared to write you this letter. Just see the tragedy, on one side we are reaching moon, people are so intelligent and on other side you politician has converted nectar into deadly poison. I am everything Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Schedule caste, OBC, Muslim OBC, Christian Schedule caste, Creamy Schedule caste only what I am not is INDIAN.You politician have raped every part of mother India by your policy of divide and rule.
Take example of former president Abdul Kalam. Such a intelligent person, such a fine human being. You politician didn't even spare him. Your party along with opposition joined the hands, because politician feels they are supreme and there is no place for good person.
Dear Mr Prime minister you are one of the most intelligent person, most learned person. Just wake up, be a real SARDAR. First and foremost expose all selfish politician. Ask Swiss bank to give name of all Indian account holder. Give reins of CBI to independent agency.Let them find wolf among us. There will be political upheaval but that will better than dance of death which we are witnessing every day.Just give us ambient where we can work honestly and without fear. Let there be rule of law. Everything else will be taken care of.
The choice is yours Mr. Prime Minister. Do you want to be lead by one person or you want to lead the nation of 100 Crore people?
Prakash B. Bajaj
Other Contact Details hidden due to security reasons.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
City of Dreams
Once, in early 2007, just a month after I had moved to Mumbai, in my rush to exit an overcrowded train pulling into CST, I fell hard on to the platform, scraping the skin from my hands and knees and tearing two holes in my trousers.
Lying there humiliated, limbs flailing in every direction, I felt like an outsider, a voyeur, one who didn't quite belong. Someone who'd never unlock the secret to South Asia's City of Dreams. But suddenly, before I could finish the thought 'I want to go home,' five helpful hands lifted me to my feet, dusted me off and assuaged me of my embarrassment. "All ok, baba?" a man asked tenderly, with genuine concern.
Unfortunately, I didn't have time to register the faces attached to those hands, because my unknown saviours were gone in seconds, disappeared into the immense throng of people coming and going, melted back into the crowd. I marvelled then at the strange amalgamation of anonymity and intimacy that defines this city.
Though I had originally come to India for the love of an Indian lady, that day -- when I toppled from the train and Mumbai didn't hesitate to pick me up -- I really and truly fell in love with India herself.
Now I wonder if any of those kind-hearted CST passengers were again passing through the station last Wednesday. I think of all those optimistic, hard-working folks just going about their daily lives. It pisses me off to no end that they were murdered in cold-blood. It could have been, should have been, prevented.
So, no, I'm not prepared to wax eloquent about any real or imagined 'indomitable Mumbaikar' spirit. In the wake of this enormous tragedy, that cliche should be damned to obscurity. Rather, I just want to mention the incredible individual and collective brilliance I've encountered during my 22 months here, to point out what makes this city such an extraordinary place to live, work, learn and love.
I reminisce on the wonderful friendships made, the unforgettable moments shared and the beautiful people met, from rickshaw wallahs to fashion designers and everyone in between: Gujarati housewives and their tasty pickles, Maharashtrians who warmly invited me to their partake in their Ganpati festivals, the Muslim cabbie from Bihar who returned a friend's Rs 30,000 mobile phone only by the compulsion of his own conscience.
I remember late night joyrides along Marine Drive, with the windows down, salty sea breeze heavy in my nostrils and the glinting lights of Malabar Hill off in the distance, bizarre but irresistible Indian pop music blaring from the speakers. Sunday afternoons in Bandra, shopping for books and eating heavenly Alphonso mangoes. Galoti kebabs on Mohammed Ali Road for a pittance and 5-star meals at the Taj. Cold Kingfisher beer at innumerable trendy nightclubs, seedy haunts and cosy cafes. Plays at NCPA, films in Andheri, live concerts in Parel.
But, most of all, I think of the people: Intelligent, motivated, warm-hearted, cosmopolitan, diverse, dynamic, from all major faiths, comprising all possible backgrounds and histories.
This to me is Mumbai. The Mumbai I witnessed in incredible acts of individual heroism and bravery last week: Distraught but duty-bound medical professionals at JJ Hospital and St George's Hospital working calmly and efficiently throughout the night without rest, self-sacrificing staff at the Taj who put the safety of guests before their own, blood donors flooding banks to ensure a healthy supply so that doctors could perform life-saving operations, angry but focused young Mumbaikars assembling to demand answers and accountability.
But, now that the crisis has passed, the jackals are out and they smell blood. They represent that other side of Mumbai, the side I've been warned about: Self-styled demagogues turning countrymen against one another in order to achieve their own selfish political motives, an unresponsive and corrupt bureaucracy, a citizenry either unwilling or incapable to provide proper public vigilance.
From here, there are just three ways to go about the recovery and grieving process: desperate pessimism, pathetic inactivity, or concentrated optimism.
A negative response would see a reprise of communal tensions from years past. Or a game of nuclear chicken with Pakistan. Or another military state-esque Emergency.
An inactive response would be to make cheesy Youtube videos about the 'indomitable spirit of Mumbai' without managing any substantive change. To thrash about like spoiled children for a couple of weeks before retreating into that comfortable cocoon of familiarity. I've read reports that multiple, specific intelligence warnings precipitated this attack, but were not acted upon. I've been told that Mumbai has no elite counter-terrorism encounter force to speak of, and that the city police were hopelessly outgunned by the attackers' modern, automatic weapons. If these concerns aren't addressed, such inactivity would indeed be pathetic, almost resigning ourselves to it happening again in the future.
Concentrated optimism alone will bring together all that individual talent, motivation and brilliance and channel it in the right direction, to ensure that Mumbai is no longer vulnerable. This city will prove its true greatness not by 'getting on with it'; but, rather, by holding accountable those who perpetrated this act and those who allowed it to happen.
So, yes, I'll stop for a beer next time I pass Leopold's, I'll catch a film at Metro Cinema, I'll window shop at the Oberoi (even if I don't have the money to buy a single item at many of the stores). Sure, I'll do all those things, like Suketu Mehta suggested, as a sign of solidarity.
But I will also organise with my fellow young Mumbaikars. I will write politicians. I will petition citizens. I will give something back, in addition to spending money, to this City of Opportunity, the heart of this brilliant, boisterous Democracy I now call home.
For, make no mistake, those who perpetrate these attacks do so because they hate India's freedoms, her successes, her strides forward. They hate her pluralism, her openness, her delicious and life-affirming ambiguity. The very things I hold near and dear, the lessons this country has taught me.
Three weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet a delegation of 20-somethings from MTV Pakistan. Over beers in Andheri, every last one of them expressed an almost child-like fascination with Mumbai, their conversation peppered with phrases like, "I love this city!" and "It's absolutely unbelievable!"
Turns out, since youth they had harboured an immense passion for Mumbai, for Bollywood, for the idea and the image of the Gateway of India, of the Taj Hotel's [Images] brilliant architecture and storied past, of Nariman Point's business-saturated towers, of Malabar Hill's swanky luxury apartments, of Juhu's celebrity hideaways, of suburban megamalls and South Mumbai cinema halls, of ancient mosques, temples and churches co-existing side-by-side.
"People in Pakistan dream about Mumbai," one of the guys told me. "To be honest, we're envious."
That night, I kept thinking inside my head, over and over, not vocalising it for fear of offending someone, "Look at these kids, the Indians and the Pakistanis -- ;same likes and dislikes, same fears and aspirations, same taste in clothes, in music."
When I see photos from CST of the lone surviving terrorist, 21-year-old Azam Amir Qasab, I shudder: he looks just like my Mumbai friends, just like the kids from MTV Pakistan.
The only discernable difference is in the eyes. When those young MTV Pakistanis spoke of Mumbai, their eyes grew wide with wonderment and enthusiasm. Azam Amir Qasab's eyes, on the other hand, glinting with determination and seething with hatred, tell an entirely different story.
So I ask now, because I have no answer: How does a 21-year-old grow to despise a City of Dreams?
Courtesy: Rediff
Lying there humiliated, limbs flailing in every direction, I felt like an outsider, a voyeur, one who didn't quite belong. Someone who'd never unlock the secret to South Asia's City of Dreams. But suddenly, before I could finish the thought 'I want to go home,' five helpful hands lifted me to my feet, dusted me off and assuaged me of my embarrassment. "All ok, baba?" a man asked tenderly, with genuine concern.
Unfortunately, I didn't have time to register the faces attached to those hands, because my unknown saviours were gone in seconds, disappeared into the immense throng of people coming and going, melted back into the crowd. I marvelled then at the strange amalgamation of anonymity and intimacy that defines this city.
Though I had originally come to India for the love of an Indian lady, that day -- when I toppled from the train and Mumbai didn't hesitate to pick me up -- I really and truly fell in love with India herself.
Now I wonder if any of those kind-hearted CST passengers were again passing through the station last Wednesday. I think of all those optimistic, hard-working folks just going about their daily lives. It pisses me off to no end that they were murdered in cold-blood. It could have been, should have been, prevented.
So, no, I'm not prepared to wax eloquent about any real or imagined 'indomitable Mumbaikar' spirit. In the wake of this enormous tragedy, that cliche should be damned to obscurity. Rather, I just want to mention the incredible individual and collective brilliance I've encountered during my 22 months here, to point out what makes this city such an extraordinary place to live, work, learn and love.
I reminisce on the wonderful friendships made, the unforgettable moments shared and the beautiful people met, from rickshaw wallahs to fashion designers and everyone in between: Gujarati housewives and their tasty pickles, Maharashtrians who warmly invited me to their partake in their Ganpati festivals, the Muslim cabbie from Bihar who returned a friend's Rs 30,000 mobile phone only by the compulsion of his own conscience.
I remember late night joyrides along Marine Drive, with the windows down, salty sea breeze heavy in my nostrils and the glinting lights of Malabar Hill off in the distance, bizarre but irresistible Indian pop music blaring from the speakers. Sunday afternoons in Bandra, shopping for books and eating heavenly Alphonso mangoes. Galoti kebabs on Mohammed Ali Road for a pittance and 5-star meals at the Taj. Cold Kingfisher beer at innumerable trendy nightclubs, seedy haunts and cosy cafes. Plays at NCPA, films in Andheri, live concerts in Parel.
But, most of all, I think of the people: Intelligent, motivated, warm-hearted, cosmopolitan, diverse, dynamic, from all major faiths, comprising all possible backgrounds and histories.
This to me is Mumbai. The Mumbai I witnessed in incredible acts of individual heroism and bravery last week: Distraught but duty-bound medical professionals at JJ Hospital and St George's Hospital working calmly and efficiently throughout the night without rest, self-sacrificing staff at the Taj who put the safety of guests before their own, blood donors flooding banks to ensure a healthy supply so that doctors could perform life-saving operations, angry but focused young Mumbaikars assembling to demand answers and accountability.
But, now that the crisis has passed, the jackals are out and they smell blood. They represent that other side of Mumbai, the side I've been warned about: Self-styled demagogues turning countrymen against one another in order to achieve their own selfish political motives, an unresponsive and corrupt bureaucracy, a citizenry either unwilling or incapable to provide proper public vigilance.
From here, there are just three ways to go about the recovery and grieving process: desperate pessimism, pathetic inactivity, or concentrated optimism.
A negative response would see a reprise of communal tensions from years past. Or a game of nuclear chicken with Pakistan. Or another military state-esque Emergency.
An inactive response would be to make cheesy Youtube videos about the 'indomitable spirit of Mumbai' without managing any substantive change. To thrash about like spoiled children for a couple of weeks before retreating into that comfortable cocoon of familiarity. I've read reports that multiple, specific intelligence warnings precipitated this attack, but were not acted upon. I've been told that Mumbai has no elite counter-terrorism encounter force to speak of, and that the city police were hopelessly outgunned by the attackers' modern, automatic weapons. If these concerns aren't addressed, such inactivity would indeed be pathetic, almost resigning ourselves to it happening again in the future.
Concentrated optimism alone will bring together all that individual talent, motivation and brilliance and channel it in the right direction, to ensure that Mumbai is no longer vulnerable. This city will prove its true greatness not by 'getting on with it'; but, rather, by holding accountable those who perpetrated this act and those who allowed it to happen.
So, yes, I'll stop for a beer next time I pass Leopold's, I'll catch a film at Metro Cinema, I'll window shop at the Oberoi (even if I don't have the money to buy a single item at many of the stores). Sure, I'll do all those things, like Suketu Mehta suggested, as a sign of solidarity.
But I will also organise with my fellow young Mumbaikars. I will write politicians. I will petition citizens. I will give something back, in addition to spending money, to this City of Opportunity, the heart of this brilliant, boisterous Democracy I now call home.
For, make no mistake, those who perpetrate these attacks do so because they hate India's freedoms, her successes, her strides forward. They hate her pluralism, her openness, her delicious and life-affirming ambiguity. The very things I hold near and dear, the lessons this country has taught me.
Three weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet a delegation of 20-somethings from MTV Pakistan. Over beers in Andheri, every last one of them expressed an almost child-like fascination with Mumbai, their conversation peppered with phrases like, "I love this city!" and "It's absolutely unbelievable!"
Turns out, since youth they had harboured an immense passion for Mumbai, for Bollywood, for the idea and the image of the Gateway of India, of the Taj Hotel's [Images] brilliant architecture and storied past, of Nariman Point's business-saturated towers, of Malabar Hill's swanky luxury apartments, of Juhu's celebrity hideaways, of suburban megamalls and South Mumbai cinema halls, of ancient mosques, temples and churches co-existing side-by-side.
"People in Pakistan dream about Mumbai," one of the guys told me. "To be honest, we're envious."
That night, I kept thinking inside my head, over and over, not vocalising it for fear of offending someone, "Look at these kids, the Indians and the Pakistanis -- ;same likes and dislikes, same fears and aspirations, same taste in clothes, in music."
When I see photos from CST of the lone surviving terrorist, 21-year-old Azam Amir Qasab, I shudder: he looks just like my Mumbai friends, just like the kids from MTV Pakistan.
The only discernable difference is in the eyes. When those young MTV Pakistanis spoke of Mumbai, their eyes grew wide with wonderment and enthusiasm. Azam Amir Qasab's eyes, on the other hand, glinting with determination and seething with hatred, tell an entirely different story.
So I ask now, because I have no answer: How does a 21-year-old grow to despise a City of Dreams?
Courtesy: Rediff
Monday, December 1, 2008
Politicians or Termites ?
The termites are a group of social insects feeding mostly on dead plant material, wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung BUT as pests that can cause serious structural damage to buildings, crops or plantation forests.
A politician is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of politics or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. This includes people who hold decision-making positions in government, and people who seek those positions, whether by means of election, coupe, appointment, electoral fraud, conquest, right of inheritance or other means. Politics are not limited to governance through public office.
After 61 years of freedom, we are still dreaming of clean drinking water, uninterrupted power supply, Security, protection from terrorsists and justice from the courts. We keep looking for leadership and good governanace from our elected representatives. We keep dreaming of a good life, which need not be wrapped in luxury, but one where one gets reasonably priced vegetables, pulses and others things that would go into a simple square meal. We dream of living in peace. We still dream of gender equality.
So many parliament and assembly elections have passed us by and we still are looking for clean politicians who want to take the country forward. That elected representatives even take money to ask questions in parliament leaves very little to be said. And we think we are a booming democracy.
But how can democracy succeed when half of India is illiterate and cannot figure out that it is not caste in an election that is most important but governance. But if you look at todays scenario - the politicians are doing what the Britishers did a century back - DIVIDE and RULE. As you can see, History repears itself - in one form or the other.
We try to romanticize everything to escape the hurt and the reality. We talk of how we are a great culture and how we are so diverse and still together. We take pride in telling everyone how Bombay is the city where the spirit of Bombay never dies. What spirit are we talking about here? Let us use our commonsense here, the people have a never say die attitude because they need to earn the daily bread and butter. They have no choice but to resume work no matter what - else they will be thrown out and someone else will take their place. In todays competetive and cut-throat competetion its difficult to survive if you do not add value to what you are doing.
Freedom has no meaning if it cannot improve our lives. It must add value to our lives and not let us slip into a degenerative state. Look at our power situation. Every city has a power cut. And, villages go without power for most part of the day. We waste power everyday. Most towns in India shamelessly have fixed hours where darkness descends daily. No one protests. We are slowly becoming a nation of impotent people led by wimps (politicians).
We want the Defence Minister to know the value of a jawaan. We want the Education Minister to know the power of literacy. We DO NOT want him to change the history books to suit his party’s line. We want our Home Minister to be strong enough to allow the law to proceed against a politician who has been found with millions of rupees stashed away in his bedroom. We want a
Law Minister who will not allow his judges be trampled by political pressure.
We misinterpreted freedom. We thought it was okay when a politician spent millions of rupees shopping for sarees, jewellery and slippers. We voted politicians into power who have criminal cases against them. We used our freedom to permit them to destroy our present and future.
We did not use freedom to improve our lives and to make India one of the greatest countries of the world. Inorder, to make India a secure and better place to live in we need to terminate the termites. We have given our valubale freedom in the hands of a few selfish, sel-centred, egoistic and political bitches - we need to take it back and we need to act on it now. Its now or never !!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Where is Raj thackrey ?
There is a major crisis going on in Mumbai and when people need the Super Manoos to save Mumbai he is no where to be seen and neither are his supporters or any of his spokesmen.
The Shiv Sena and the MNS are all missing during this crisis situation. Specifically the people who went rioting across Mumbai like there is no tomorrow. This clearly shows how helpless these politicians are and that they cannot be trusted during a real crisis scenario.They are extremely good at giving fiery speeches and making "commitments" about improvising peoples situation and conditions.All are gone into hiding - thats the least we can say as they are nowhere to be seen.
Sometimes I feel its a very esay job being a politician. You play with peoples hard-earned money. You destroy common mans property using the same money. You use the same money against the common man to instigate fear and differences. And you use the same money to eat the daily food and sleep on a comfortable secured couch. If you are a politician, you can get away with anything. You do all of the above things mentioned and there is no one to stop you. The least the police can do is beg in front of you and tell dont do and offer you protection too just incase..!!
DAMM !! I must say that the Indian judicial system has gone to the dogs. The political leaders sit in the comfort of their office spaces and say the famous words,"We condemn them..". Damm to your condmen statements. Why the ***k cant you just shoot the terrorists instead of giving them a secured place to stay (jail) and food to eat and make them live for another 20 years. By the time the judges change like a million times and then its too old to give a punishment to anyone.
The government is too lenient on the criminals - lazy is the correct word according to me and majority of them are just to make good money - again its the common man who suffers..!!!
Terror strikes Mumbai !
In yet another terrorist attack in Mumbai - this time being a hostage situation in South Mumbai. From what the news channels and the portals claim it seems to be an organised plot by Lashkar-e-Tayyabba (LeT).
And the target is the rich, affluent class of people specifically the foreigners holding USA and UK visa passports. It is very strange and difficult to understand what is the objective of the attack - apart from spreading panic, chaos and causing discomfort.The 5-star hotels at the Gateway of India Taj, Trident and Oberoi were the targets of the terrorists.
The attacks started at around late 9:30pm in Taj and it is suspected that the terrorists came in a boat and entered the Taj from the back route. There is not much clarity about the back route though.
The surprising part is that the Chief Minister of Maharashtra was nowhere in sight / available during the emergency. Infact no traces of the "Mr. fiery-speeches" MNS leader as well. There is very little difference between the terrorist attacks in Mumbai today and the MNS attacks on people, public transport and public places. And the difference is that the terrorists are getting killed but the MNS people are free to go.
We all are still waiting for the "saviour of Mumbai" to come out and do something. Infact, there is no news from the Sena team as well. All seem to quiet and playing a wait n watch game. They are all waiting to point finger as to how the situation was not handled properly and how it could have been managed well if they would have been there.
To be honest, when such terror strikes - people from all the religions and caste unite to fight against EXCEPT the politicians who try to gain political mileage by playing stupid games to come in power. End of the day the loser is the common man...!!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Weird Ambitions !!
THE small-statured warrior king Shivaji is credited with bringing about the downfall of India’s Mughal dynasty with nimble guerrilla tactics. Raj Thackeray, who rules Mumbai as the city’s unanointed prefect in the name of Shivaji, may not quite succeed in wrecking the present republic, but he may have succeeded to a large extent in undermining the idea of India.
Though the facts about Shivaji’s successes and failures are a matter of conjecture depending largely on the chronicler or historian you quote, there is little doubt that the Maratha armies his legend inspired did succeed in controlling vast swathes of India, becoming perhaps the only post-Mughal Indian group to attempt to ascend the throne of Delhi. Marathas are notionally a part of India’s middle castes that have become assertive in its largely caste-based contemporary politics.
The Thackeray family, headed by Raj’s estranged uncle Bal Thackeray, though technically of the Chaandrsenia Kayastha Prabhu caste a notch above the Marathas, but a bit below the Brahmins has sought to infuse militancy in the caste equation to neutralise the hold of other Maratha contenders in the fray. They include Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Home Minister Shivraj Patil who belong to different corners of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s delicately-balanced coalition. Raj Thackeray’s faction of the family is believed to be clandestinely shored up by the Singh government.
Bal Thackeray is aligned with the Hindu revivalist BJP.Bal Thackeray and his son Udhav run the Shiv Sena. Newphew Raj Thackeray has formed the breakaway Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS). The family has used muscle power to deal with its rivals. Their quarries have included leftist trade unions, South Indians, Muslims and now “north Indians”, euphemism for migrant workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The anti-Bihari campaign in an election year should spell disaster for both the BJP and the Congress who overtly or covertly support the Thackeray family’s antics. This is so because of the enormous number of votes they would lose in the populous states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
This potential loss could however be offset for the BJP because of a parallel campaign being run by Bal Thackeray to target Muslims. Last week he extended support to a woman preacher, a sadhvi, with links to the BJP, who has been picked up for questioning in the bizarre but palpably real terror links of Hindu extremists replete with successful bombings and blasts that misfired and killed their own. Bal Thackeray’s blessing of the sadhvi is of a piece with the kind of communalisation being carried out across India ahead of the make or break elections for the BJP.
The son-of-the-soil movement, upholding the virtues of Marathi manoos visa a vis the alleged intruders with their alien culture, has spared the Gujaratis, as often happens across India. Gujarati is the lingua franca of Indian bourses, including the main one in Mumbai. The selective targeting of communities on ethnic and religious grounds clearly shows that the Shiv Sena, and now the MNS, mostly attack the weak and the poor. In the absence of a political strategy to combat religious bigotry of the BJP and regional chauvinism of the Thackeray family, India is in a dangerous flux. As some would say the very idea of India as a bouquet of diverse cultures and nationalities is facing a severe test.
As so often happens in this kind of flux, given the political vacuum, people have themselves resorted to humour as the best medicine for symptomatic relief if not the cure. Just as the Ziaul Haq jokes circulated with impunity in his lifetime and they do their rounds against the current dispensation in Pakistan, there have been quite a few on the internet on the Raj Thackeray episode. One such is the lampooning of the future of India with him in charge of Maharashtra. It goes thus:
We all should support Raj Thackeray and take his initiative ahead by doing more...
1. We should teach our kids that if he is second in class, don’t study harder. Just beat up the student coming first and throw him out of the school.
2. Parliament should have only Delhiites as it is located in Delhi
3. Prime-minister, president and all other leaders should only be from Delhi
4. No Hindi movie should be made in Bombay. Only Marathi.
5. At every state border, buses, trains, flights should be stopped and staff changed to local staff.
6. All Maharashtrians working abroad or in other states should be sent back as they are SNATCHING employment from Locals
7. Visits to Taj Mahal should be restricted to people from Uttar Pradesh only
8. Relief for farmers in Maharashtra should not come from centre because that is the money collected as tax from whole of India, so why should it be given to someone in Maharashtra?
9. Let’s support Kashmiri militants because they are right in killing and injuring innocent people for the benefit of their state and community.
10. Let’s throw all MNCs out of Maharashtra, why should they earn from us? We will open our own Maharashtra Microsoft, MH Pepsi and MH Marutis of the world .
11. Let’s stop using cellphones, emails, TV, foreign movies and dramas. James Bond should speak Marathi
12. We should be ready to die hungry or buy food at 10 times higher price but should not accept imports from other states
13. We should not allow any industry to be set up in Maharashtra because all machinery comes from outside
14. We should STOP using local trains...Trains are not manufactured by Marathi manoos and Railway Minister is a Bihari
15. Ensure that all our children are born, grow, live and die without ever stepping out of Maharashtra, then they will become true Marathis.
Following a nationwide condemnation and an uproar in parliament, the Maharashtra state government finally arrested Raj Thackeray on Oct 21. He subsequently secured an interim bail. Said the editorial in an outraged leftist journal: “Such a chauvinistic campaign mounted by the MNS and the accompanied vandalism is simply not acceptable.
The Indian Constitution clearly gives the right to any of its citizens irrespective of their caste, creed or gender to reside and pursue occupations anywhere in the country. It is this fundamental feature of the Constitution that is being attacked with impunity. It is the duty of both the centre and the state governments, who are in office under the oath of this very Constitution, to take all measures, stringent if necessary, to protect, uphold and implement the provisions of our Constitution. Both the governments led by the Congress party have, so far, failed in this task.” Having said that, the Left Front itself has not been able to come up with an effective response to the rightwing upsurge. Shivaji led his people out of Maharashtra to dream of an India under their watch. The Thackeray family is using his name to take the people back to the narrow confines of a matching mindset.
Courtesy: Dawn.com
Though the facts about Shivaji’s successes and failures are a matter of conjecture depending largely on the chronicler or historian you quote, there is little doubt that the Maratha armies his legend inspired did succeed in controlling vast swathes of India, becoming perhaps the only post-Mughal Indian group to attempt to ascend the throne of Delhi. Marathas are notionally a part of India’s middle castes that have become assertive in its largely caste-based contemporary politics.
The Thackeray family, headed by Raj’s estranged uncle Bal Thackeray, though technically of the Chaandrsenia Kayastha Prabhu caste a notch above the Marathas, but a bit below the Brahmins has sought to infuse militancy in the caste equation to neutralise the hold of other Maratha contenders in the fray. They include Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Home Minister Shivraj Patil who belong to different corners of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s delicately-balanced coalition. Raj Thackeray’s faction of the family is believed to be clandestinely shored up by the Singh government.
Bal Thackeray is aligned with the Hindu revivalist BJP.Bal Thackeray and his son Udhav run the Shiv Sena. Newphew Raj Thackeray has formed the breakaway Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS). The family has used muscle power to deal with its rivals. Their quarries have included leftist trade unions, South Indians, Muslims and now “north Indians”, euphemism for migrant workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The anti-Bihari campaign in an election year should spell disaster for both the BJP and the Congress who overtly or covertly support the Thackeray family’s antics. This is so because of the enormous number of votes they would lose in the populous states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
This potential loss could however be offset for the BJP because of a parallel campaign being run by Bal Thackeray to target Muslims. Last week he extended support to a woman preacher, a sadhvi, with links to the BJP, who has been picked up for questioning in the bizarre but palpably real terror links of Hindu extremists replete with successful bombings and blasts that misfired and killed their own. Bal Thackeray’s blessing of the sadhvi is of a piece with the kind of communalisation being carried out across India ahead of the make or break elections for the BJP.
The son-of-the-soil movement, upholding the virtues of Marathi manoos visa a vis the alleged intruders with their alien culture, has spared the Gujaratis, as often happens across India. Gujarati is the lingua franca of Indian bourses, including the main one in Mumbai. The selective targeting of communities on ethnic and religious grounds clearly shows that the Shiv Sena, and now the MNS, mostly attack the weak and the poor. In the absence of a political strategy to combat religious bigotry of the BJP and regional chauvinism of the Thackeray family, India is in a dangerous flux. As some would say the very idea of India as a bouquet of diverse cultures and nationalities is facing a severe test.
As so often happens in this kind of flux, given the political vacuum, people have themselves resorted to humour as the best medicine for symptomatic relief if not the cure. Just as the Ziaul Haq jokes circulated with impunity in his lifetime and they do their rounds against the current dispensation in Pakistan, there have been quite a few on the internet on the Raj Thackeray episode. One such is the lampooning of the future of India with him in charge of Maharashtra. It goes thus:
We all should support Raj Thackeray and take his initiative ahead by doing more...
1. We should teach our kids that if he is second in class, don’t study harder. Just beat up the student coming first and throw him out of the school.
2. Parliament should have only Delhiites as it is located in Delhi
3. Prime-minister, president and all other leaders should only be from Delhi
4. No Hindi movie should be made in Bombay. Only Marathi.
5. At every state border, buses, trains, flights should be stopped and staff changed to local staff.
6. All Maharashtrians working abroad or in other states should be sent back as they are SNATCHING employment from Locals
7. Visits to Taj Mahal should be restricted to people from Uttar Pradesh only
8. Relief for farmers in Maharashtra should not come from centre because that is the money collected as tax from whole of India, so why should it be given to someone in Maharashtra?
9. Let’s support Kashmiri militants because they are right in killing and injuring innocent people for the benefit of their state and community.
10. Let’s throw all MNCs out of Maharashtra, why should they earn from us? We will open our own Maharashtra Microsoft, MH Pepsi and MH Marutis of the world .
11. Let’s stop using cellphones, emails, TV, foreign movies and dramas. James Bond should speak Marathi
12. We should be ready to die hungry or buy food at 10 times higher price but should not accept imports from other states
13. We should not allow any industry to be set up in Maharashtra because all machinery comes from outside
14. We should STOP using local trains...Trains are not manufactured by Marathi manoos and Railway Minister is a Bihari
15. Ensure that all our children are born, grow, live and die without ever stepping out of Maharashtra, then they will become true Marathis.
Following a nationwide condemnation and an uproar in parliament, the Maharashtra state government finally arrested Raj Thackeray on Oct 21. He subsequently secured an interim bail. Said the editorial in an outraged leftist journal: “Such a chauvinistic campaign mounted by the MNS and the accompanied vandalism is simply not acceptable.
The Indian Constitution clearly gives the right to any of its citizens irrespective of their caste, creed or gender to reside and pursue occupations anywhere in the country. It is this fundamental feature of the Constitution that is being attacked with impunity. It is the duty of both the centre and the state governments, who are in office under the oath of this very Constitution, to take all measures, stringent if necessary, to protect, uphold and implement the provisions of our Constitution. Both the governments led by the Congress party have, so far, failed in this task.” Having said that, the Left Front itself has not been able to come up with an effective response to the rightwing upsurge. Shivaji led his people out of Maharashtra to dream of an India under their watch. The Thackeray family is using his name to take the people back to the narrow confines of a matching mindset.
Courtesy: Dawn.com
Monday, November 3, 2008
Stale !!
The financial crisis in USA is a very sad story of how the management handled the entire operations. But nevertheless, its a good learning experience for the Indian finance institutions considering the skyrocketing price of the property rates.
It seems like we are very much on the same track as the US - the only difference being that the Indian people pay up the home loan money. Else, the banks dont waste time in sending the goons across to beat you up and torture you or your family :P
But, the property rates are still increasing, the interest rates are increasing, this eventually increases the prices of goods, the food, the daily essentials of life. This has a spiralling effect on the inflation index.And then the RBI increases the rate of interest for home loans to curb the inflation.
Lately, the government passed a rule to sell new projects only on carpet area, which is of very little use to anyone 'cos the builders only increase the selling rate of the property. For example: for a 1000sq feet house if the rate was 8000rs per sq feet - you would pay up 80Lacs (without the stamp duty and registration). After the rule has been passed, a new buyer will still pay 80lacs 'cos the price has now increased to approximately 11K per sq feet for a 700sq feet house (carpet area - considering 30% is utulised for the built up space). And this is a fact because why would the builders want to compromise on the money earned.
Now that the financial crisis has hit the US markets badly and with the FII (Foreign Instituional Investors) pulling as much money possible back from the Indian markets. Its really scary as to what is in store for the Indian economy considering that people has suffered heavy losses in the share market - but the property prices are still the same. Yes, they are stagnant, not increasing but defintely not decreasing.
I am wondering what the investors are holding on to and why. The property market has gone down but no one wants to bring down the prices. Infact, I can still see new projects coming up with the same crazy rates and the builders asking to pay some amounts in black and the rest in white.
So many projects have taken a hit, but still the project managers are hoping and waiting for a miracle to happen and the property prices to soar more.
Infact, I am waiting for the prices to go down atleast by a couple of 1000 so that I can buy a decent place for me and my family to stay.
The latest buzz in the market is that some builders in Mumbai are giving a 1BHK free with a 1BHK. In some areas like Delhi the builders are giving away a free Mercedes alongwith a flat worth Rs.3 crore and above. I have no clue when they can afford to give away such luxurious as freebies why cant they just reduce the price of the property so that everyone can buy and afford a good house. Makes things a hell lot easier for all, aint it !!
Cheers..!!
It seems like we are very much on the same track as the US - the only difference being that the Indian people pay up the home loan money. Else, the banks dont waste time in sending the goons across to beat you up and torture you or your family :P
But, the property rates are still increasing, the interest rates are increasing, this eventually increases the prices of goods, the food, the daily essentials of life. This has a spiralling effect on the inflation index.And then the RBI increases the rate of interest for home loans to curb the inflation.
Lately, the government passed a rule to sell new projects only on carpet area, which is of very little use to anyone 'cos the builders only increase the selling rate of the property. For example: for a 1000sq feet house if the rate was 8000rs per sq feet - you would pay up 80Lacs (without the stamp duty and registration). After the rule has been passed, a new buyer will still pay 80lacs 'cos the price has now increased to approximately 11K per sq feet for a 700sq feet house (carpet area - considering 30% is utulised for the built up space). And this is a fact because why would the builders want to compromise on the money earned.
Now that the financial crisis has hit the US markets badly and with the FII (Foreign Instituional Investors) pulling as much money possible back from the Indian markets. Its really scary as to what is in store for the Indian economy considering that people has suffered heavy losses in the share market - but the property prices are still the same. Yes, they are stagnant, not increasing but defintely not decreasing.
I am wondering what the investors are holding on to and why. The property market has gone down but no one wants to bring down the prices. Infact, I can still see new projects coming up with the same crazy rates and the builders asking to pay some amounts in black and the rest in white.
So many projects have taken a hit, but still the project managers are hoping and waiting for a miracle to happen and the property prices to soar more.
Infact, I am waiting for the prices to go down atleast by a couple of 1000 so that I can buy a decent place for me and my family to stay.
The latest buzz in the market is that some builders in Mumbai are giving a 1BHK free with a 1BHK. In some areas like Delhi the builders are giving away a free Mercedes alongwith a flat worth Rs.3 crore and above. I have no clue when they can afford to give away such luxurious as freebies why cant they just reduce the price of the property so that everyone can buy and afford a good house. Makes things a hell lot easier for all, aint it !!
Cheers..!!
Expats ask U.S. to put MNS on terror watch list !!
A group of non-resident Indians (NRI) has asked the U.S. to put Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on the "list of terrorist organisations which are out to hurt the humanity. "We requested the U.S. department of state to put Raj Thackeray and his group Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on the list of terrorist organisations which are out to hurt the humanity," said a letter to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice by the US-based NRI group called Humane Mumbai.
NRI Ravi Verma, who hails from Katihar in Bihar, formed the group Humane Mumbai. "There are several Indians of Marathi origin who were among the first to join the group Humane Mumbai," Verma told IANS over phone from California. After the hue and cry in India in the wake of the attacks on non-Maharashtrians, the Indian diaspora is also not taking this lightly, he said.
"The Indian diaspora prays that there is never an insane (person) like Raj Thackeray in the US or UK who starts a US or UK Navnirman Sena and instigates attacks on the Indians living there," Verma said.
Verma said Humane Mumbai initiated the process of putting Raj Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on the infamous terror watch list Thursday. Once Raj Thackeray is on the terror watch list, they will be under surveillance by the US for their activities, he said.
Verma, CEO of Telecommand Software and Services in the Silicon Valley, said there was widespread dismay among Indians throughout the world over the persecution of people of North Indian origin living in or visiting Maharashtra. Indians of Marathi origin are particularly embarrassed at the events back home, he said.
The protests continued in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh against the attacks on non-Maharashtrians. Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Steel Minister Ramvilas Paswan have demanded a judicial probe into the killing of Rahul Raj, a youth from Patna, in a Mumbai bus by police Monday and the lynching of Dharamdev Ramnarain Rai from Uttar Pradesh the next day.
Another youth, Pawan Kumar from Bihar's Nalanda district, was allegedly killed by MNS activists in Mumbai after he had gone there to take a railway recruitment exam.
Courtesy: SiliconIndia
Sunday, October 26, 2008
We must support the Supermanoos !!
Yes, we all should support Raj Thackeray and take his initiative ahead by doing more..
- We should teach our kids that if they fail in classroom, they don't need to study harder.. just beat up the student coming first and throw him out of the school.
- Parliament should have only Delhiites as it is located in Delhi.
- Prime-minister, President and all other dignitaries should only be from Delhi.
- No Hindi movie should be made in Bombay. Only Marathi movies and Bollywood should be henceforth referred as Marathi Chitrapat Nagar.
- At every state border, buses, trains and flights should be stopped and staff changed to local men.
- All Maharashtrians working abroad or in other states should be sent back as they are SNATCHING employment from locals.
- Lord Shiv, Ganesha and Parvati should not be worshiped in our state as they belong to the Himalayas, vsits to Taj Mahal should be restricted to people from Uttar Pradesh only.
- Relief for farmers in Maharashtra should not come from centre since that money is collected as Tax from whole of India, so why should it be given to someone in Maharashtra?
- Let's support Kashmiri Militants because they are right in killing and injuring innocent people for the benefit of their state and community..
- Let's throw all MNCs out of Maharashtra. Why should they earn from the soil of Maharashtras? We will open our own Maharashtra Microsoft, MH Pepsi and MH Marutis of the world.
- Let's stop using cellphones, emails, TV, foreign Movies and dramas. James Bond should speak only in Marathi.
- We should be ready to die hungry or buy food at 10 times higher price but should not accept imports from other states.
- We should not allow any industry to be setup in Maharashtra unless it uses machinery made only in Maharashtra.
- We should STOP using local trains. Trains are not manufactured by Marathi manoos and Railway Minister is a Bihari.
Courtesy: Onionuttapam
Friday, October 24, 2008
Me, Marathi
This is a write up by Shobha De. I have always been a fan of Miss De and the way she writes - a very practical and sensible lady with a simple approach to life.
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Correct me if I am wrong, Raj... but I consider myself an assal Marathi manoos. Born in Maharashtra to Maharashtrian parents. Proud to be Marathi (even though my language skills in my mother tongue are embarrassingly dodgy). I don't know how to make the perfect puran poli but I do love aamti..
This is clearly not enough anymore. Going by the checklist, I could be disqualified on several scores. I am married to a Bong, who has lived and worked in Mumbai for over 30 years (but alas, has not been appointed ambassador to the state of West Bengal yet !). He attends Durga Puja regularly and prefers maacher jhol to vangi bhaat.
Fortunately, we don't have a daughter-in-law to name a college after, either in Kolkata or Mumbai. And our children (like yours) did not attend Marathi-medium schools.. We employ people based on their competence, not caste or region. And I have never asked the vegetable
vendor, breadwalla, taxi driver, dhobi, sweeper, elevator attendant, security guard, pizza delivery boy or any of the other people who make my life easier, which part of Indiathey come from.
This is Mumbai, meri jaan! Who cares where anyone comes from? Dhanda is all that matters.. Mumbai is India 's most powerful magnet. Once you get here, you never leave. Don't believe me? Ask those innocent bhajjiwallas and doodhwallas who were beaten up and stoned by your
men last week. Even with blood-soaked bandages around their heads, and broken hearts, they are staying put. As they should.
Aaah, the naatak of your dramatised 'arrest' was not lost on anybody. Had Rakhi Sawant's slapping stunt not grabbed those eyeballs on Valentine's Day, viewers would still be stuck with the image of a nattily dressed you (mmmm...loved the styling), clambering in and out
of the police van. If Rakhi cleverly stage-managed the incident, what should one say about your brilliant coup? Overnight, Raj Thackeray was elevated from being the discarded Thackeray to a national figure.
In one well-orchestrated move, you went from being a neglected nephew of an ageing tiger, to a sharp-clawed, teeth-baring cub with an independent act of his own. The circus acquired a brand new star attraction — you!
It was never easy being a Thackeray. Ask Balasaheb. If he targeted south Indians in the '60s, you smartly headed north. Same agenda, diametrically different directions. By questioning the bonafides of those who have made Maharashtra their home, both of you tapped into the vulnerabilities of the average Marathi manoos. It is worth asking the very people whose interests you are protecting, whether they really want to do the dirty work currently being handled by the northies.
Will the Marathi manoos agree to put in 18 hours a day plying taxis, selling veggies, washing clothes and so on? Who's stopping them from turning into vendors of milk, food grains, and other commodities?
Perhaps, the Marathi manoos considers such occupations demeaning? The truth is, these jobs have always gone abegging, and there have been any number of hungry, unemployed people from other states ready and willing to grab them. Kick the 'outsiders' out at your own peril, and
see what happens. Why do farmers commit suicide in such numbers only in Maharashtra ?
The answer, dear Raj, may surprise you. In your defence, let me say you received the worst press — biased at best, and shrill to boot. Most of the semi-hysterical reporters from
prestigious news channels were embarrassingly ill-informed as they blabbered incoherently each time a leaf moved outside the magistrate's court!
Surely, you are not complaining? Everything seems to be going according to the master plan. You have 'made it' in one swift move. Great copy, great photo ops.
What more does a neta want? To keep Mayawati and Lalu out of Maharashtra ? Now, that's a tall order!!
---------------------------------------------------
Miss De has written nothing but the truth..no matter how much the MNS denies or give their own non-sensical justifications.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Correct me if I am wrong, Raj... but I consider myself an assal Marathi manoos. Born in Maharashtra to Maharashtrian parents. Proud to be Marathi (even though my language skills in my mother tongue are embarrassingly dodgy). I don't know how to make the perfect puran poli but I do love aamti..
This is clearly not enough anymore. Going by the checklist, I could be disqualified on several scores. I am married to a Bong, who has lived and worked in Mumbai for over 30 years (but alas, has not been appointed ambassador to the state of West Bengal yet !). He attends Durga Puja regularly and prefers maacher jhol to vangi bhaat.
Fortunately, we don't have a daughter-in-law to name a college after, either in Kolkata or Mumbai. And our children (like yours) did not attend Marathi-medium schools.. We employ people based on their competence, not caste or region. And I have never asked the vegetable
vendor, breadwalla, taxi driver, dhobi, sweeper, elevator attendant, security guard, pizza delivery boy or any of the other people who make my life easier, which part of Indiathey come from.
This is Mumbai, meri jaan! Who cares where anyone comes from? Dhanda is all that matters.. Mumbai is India 's most powerful magnet. Once you get here, you never leave. Don't believe me? Ask those innocent bhajjiwallas and doodhwallas who were beaten up and stoned by your
men last week. Even with blood-soaked bandages around their heads, and broken hearts, they are staying put. As they should.
Aaah, the naatak of your dramatised 'arrest' was not lost on anybody. Had Rakhi Sawant's slapping stunt not grabbed those eyeballs on Valentine's Day, viewers would still be stuck with the image of a nattily dressed you (mmmm...loved the styling), clambering in and out
of the police van. If Rakhi cleverly stage-managed the incident, what should one say about your brilliant coup? Overnight, Raj Thackeray was elevated from being the discarded Thackeray to a national figure.
In one well-orchestrated move, you went from being a neglected nephew of an ageing tiger, to a sharp-clawed, teeth-baring cub with an independent act of his own. The circus acquired a brand new star attraction — you!
It was never easy being a Thackeray. Ask Balasaheb. If he targeted south Indians in the '60s, you smartly headed north. Same agenda, diametrically different directions. By questioning the bonafides of those who have made Maharashtra their home, both of you tapped into the vulnerabilities of the average Marathi manoos. It is worth asking the very people whose interests you are protecting, whether they really want to do the dirty work currently being handled by the northies.
Will the Marathi manoos agree to put in 18 hours a day plying taxis, selling veggies, washing clothes and so on? Who's stopping them from turning into vendors of milk, food grains, and other commodities?
Perhaps, the Marathi manoos considers such occupations demeaning? The truth is, these jobs have always gone abegging, and there have been any number of hungry, unemployed people from other states ready and willing to grab them. Kick the 'outsiders' out at your own peril, and
see what happens. Why do farmers commit suicide in such numbers only in Maharashtra ?
The answer, dear Raj, may surprise you. In your defence, let me say you received the worst press — biased at best, and shrill to boot. Most of the semi-hysterical reporters from
prestigious news channels were embarrassingly ill-informed as they blabbered incoherently each time a leaf moved outside the magistrate's court!
Surely, you are not complaining? Everything seems to be going according to the master plan. You have 'made it' in one swift move. Great copy, great photo ops.
What more does a neta want? To keep Mayawati and Lalu out of Maharashtra ? Now, that's a tall order!!
---------------------------------------------------
Miss De has written nothing but the truth..no matter how much the MNS denies or give their own non-sensical justifications.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Freedom-Fighter ??
The "Freedom fighter" of the Marathi manoos has been released, he has been granted bail and he is now a free man to go and commit more crimes OPENLY. The political group now has the freedom to continue with the divide and rule policy and continue the atrocities on non-maharashtrians.
It is very shameful on the part of the government. This shows the incapability of the government to curb terrorism. When they cant curb people openly I am wondering how can they curb the actual terrorists who are bombing trains and public places. Somehow, I feel the entire arrest-scene was STAGED to gain political mileage - anyways the elections are nearing. I am wondering how much more lower they are gonna stoop to get things done.
The incapability of the government, the loopholes in the Indian laws, the silent treatment by the government and the handicapped policemen are just toys. Not sure if anyone has noticed, the vast majority of the supporters of this political team are uneducated and unemployed youths who just wants to have some fun at the expense of other peoples lives. And the people who are coaxing and guiding them are the educated politicians. Its a TOTALLY SORRY STATE OF AFFAIRS.
Its a wait and watch game - wondering which sector of the Indian community will his next target be ? And even if it happens, the governement will give it the silent treatment again and do nothing about it. Its just a very very sad situation...!! People who have the power are not doing anything and the sufferer is the common man.
Its easy for the politicians considering that they travel in AC cars with beefed up security, go back home and relax in their AC villas. And they come out only to give their provocative speeches and spread terrorism and hatred.
Welcome to the sadistic party..!!!
It is very shameful on the part of the government. This shows the incapability of the government to curb terrorism. When they cant curb people openly I am wondering how can they curb the actual terrorists who are bombing trains and public places. Somehow, I feel the entire arrest-scene was STAGED to gain political mileage - anyways the elections are nearing. I am wondering how much more lower they are gonna stoop to get things done.
The incapability of the government, the loopholes in the Indian laws, the silent treatment by the government and the handicapped policemen are just toys. Not sure if anyone has noticed, the vast majority of the supporters of this political team are uneducated and unemployed youths who just wants to have some fun at the expense of other peoples lives. And the people who are coaxing and guiding them are the educated politicians. Its a TOTALLY SORRY STATE OF AFFAIRS.
Its a wait and watch game - wondering which sector of the Indian community will his next target be ? And even if it happens, the governement will give it the silent treatment again and do nothing about it. Its just a very very sad situation...!! People who have the power are not doing anything and the sufferer is the common man.
Its easy for the politicians considering that they travel in AC cars with beefed up security, go back home and relax in their AC villas. And they come out only to give their provocative speeches and spread terrorism and hatred.
Welcome to the sadistic party..!!!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
I want to be a political leader too..!!
Everyone wants to be a leader. 99% want it for power and money and they use every dirty trick listed / not listed in the book to get that.
Well, the current situation in Maharashtra is nothing new. Its a pure game of Divide and Rule, like we had the infamous British rule where they strictly followed the Divide and Rule policy. The Indians who helped the Britishers during that phase did it for money, safety and security reasons.
We can say that History is repeating itself. The newly formed political group is least bothered about the bad conditions of the roads, the poverty line, the high inflation rate, economic crisis, overcrowded trains, rising infrastructure costs. They are more concerned about people who is talking marathi and who is not. I have no clue how will this help them and what will they achieve in doing this.
I dont see any achievement in vandalising peoples car, taxis, rickshaws, shops, malls. This is ultimatley a loss to the economy of Maharashtra.
But wait, there is a BIG catch here. People are getting negative publicity, they are getting political mileage. Now, that is the most important thing for you to be a successful politician. You need to have a record where in you have created a lot of public unrest, you must have the capability to vandalise local transports and shops. You must have the capability to speak ill about people in the open and coolly get away with it.
But all this cannot be achieved without the help from the law. The amazingly weak Indian laws and Police is a major support for upcoming politicians who want to terrorise the states.
If I would have been the CM (not for 1 day :P ) then I would have probably enforced Shoot-on-sight order for the urban terrorists for upsetting peoples lives just because they dont speak the local language. But unfortunately, people who have the powers to do something are not doing anything at all and are just watching the "fun".
Some tips that might help you in the future if you have an inclination towards politics.
7 easy steps to become a famous politicain:
1. Give fiery speeches which is supporting the local state language and opposing everyone else
2. Vandalise public places and property
3. Beat up people who are not talking the local language
4. Get Arrested
5. Get HUGE media coverage for all the "good" things you did for the local people
6. Request your followers to damage more property and shout supporting slogans for you.
7. Take a bail and get out of the Jail.
Note: The jail for the politicains and famous criminals is a place where you get treated like a King. So dont miss this chance.
Hope this helps the younger generation to become politicians who wants to do something "good" for the state. Everyone, now has a career alternative. If you feel you cant do anything in life, then you can become a politician - please make sure you have some good amount of money to sponsor the vandalism acts and give those "inspiring" speeches.
Cheers... !!!
Well, the current situation in Maharashtra is nothing new. Its a pure game of Divide and Rule, like we had the infamous British rule where they strictly followed the Divide and Rule policy. The Indians who helped the Britishers during that phase did it for money, safety and security reasons.
We can say that History is repeating itself. The newly formed political group is least bothered about the bad conditions of the roads, the poverty line, the high inflation rate, economic crisis, overcrowded trains, rising infrastructure costs. They are more concerned about people who is talking marathi and who is not. I have no clue how will this help them and what will they achieve in doing this.
I dont see any achievement in vandalising peoples car, taxis, rickshaws, shops, malls. This is ultimatley a loss to the economy of Maharashtra.
But wait, there is a BIG catch here. People are getting negative publicity, they are getting political mileage. Now, that is the most important thing for you to be a successful politician. You need to have a record where in you have created a lot of public unrest, you must have the capability to vandalise local transports and shops. You must have the capability to speak ill about people in the open and coolly get away with it.
But all this cannot be achieved without the help from the law. The amazingly weak Indian laws and Police is a major support for upcoming politicians who want to terrorise the states.
If I would have been the CM (not for 1 day :P ) then I would have probably enforced Shoot-on-sight order for the urban terrorists for upsetting peoples lives just because they dont speak the local language. But unfortunately, people who have the powers to do something are not doing anything at all and are just watching the "fun".
Some tips that might help you in the future if you have an inclination towards politics.
7 easy steps to become a famous politicain:
1. Give fiery speeches which is supporting the local state language and opposing everyone else
2. Vandalise public places and property
3. Beat up people who are not talking the local language
4. Get Arrested
5. Get HUGE media coverage for all the "good" things you did for the local people
6. Request your followers to damage more property and shout supporting slogans for you.
7. Take a bail and get out of the Jail.
Note: The jail for the politicains and famous criminals is a place where you get treated like a King. So dont miss this chance.
Hope this helps the younger generation to become politicians who wants to do something "good" for the state. Everyone, now has a career alternative. If you feel you cant do anything in life, then you can become a politician - please make sure you have some good amount of money to sponsor the vandalism acts and give those "inspiring" speeches.
Cheers... !!!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Choppy Realty..!!
The financial crisis in USA is a very sad story of how the management handled the entire operations. But nevertheless, its a good learning experience for the Indian finance institutions considering the skyrocketing price of the property rates.
It seems like we are very much on the same track as the US - the only difference being that the Indian people pay up the home loan money. Else, the banks dont waste time in sending the goons across to beat you up and torture you or your family :P
But, the property rates are still increasing, the interest rates are increasing, this eventually increases the prices of goods, the food, the daily essentials of life. This has a spiralling effect on the inflation index.And then the RBI increases the rate of interest for home loans to curb the inflation.
Lately, the government passed a rule to sell new projects only on carpet area, which is of very little use to anyone 'cos the builders only increase the selling rate of the property. For example: for a 1000sq feet house if the rate was 8000rs per sq feet - you would pay up 80Lacs (without the stamp duty and registration). After the rule has been passed, a new buyer will still pay 80lacs 'cos the price has now increased to approximately 11K per sq feet for a 700sq feet house (carpet area - considering 30% is utulised for the built up space). And this is a fact because why would the builders want to compromise on the money earned.
Now that the financial crisis has hit the US markets badly and with the FII (Foreign Instituional Investors) pulling as much money possible back from the Indian markets. Its really scary as to what is in store for the Indian economy considering that people has suffered heavy losses in the share market - but the property prices are still the same. Yes, they are stagnant, not increasing but defintely not decreasing.
I am wondering what the investors are holding on to and why. The property market has gone down but no one wants to bring down the prices. Infact, I can still see new projects coming up with the same crazy rates and the builders asking to pay some amounts in black and the rest in white.
so many projects have taken a hit, but still the project managers are hoping and waiting for a miracle to happen and the property prices to soar more.
Infact, I am waiting for the prices to go down atleast by a couple of 1000 so that I can buy a decent place for me and my family to stay.
Cheers..!!
It seems like we are very much on the same track as the US - the only difference being that the Indian people pay up the home loan money. Else, the banks dont waste time in sending the goons across to beat you up and torture you or your family :P
But, the property rates are still increasing, the interest rates are increasing, this eventually increases the prices of goods, the food, the daily essentials of life. This has a spiralling effect on the inflation index.And then the RBI increases the rate of interest for home loans to curb the inflation.
Lately, the government passed a rule to sell new projects only on carpet area, which is of very little use to anyone 'cos the builders only increase the selling rate of the property. For example: for a 1000sq feet house if the rate was 8000rs per sq feet - you would pay up 80Lacs (without the stamp duty and registration). After the rule has been passed, a new buyer will still pay 80lacs 'cos the price has now increased to approximately 11K per sq feet for a 700sq feet house (carpet area - considering 30% is utulised for the built up space). And this is a fact because why would the builders want to compromise on the money earned.
Now that the financial crisis has hit the US markets badly and with the FII (Foreign Instituional Investors) pulling as much money possible back from the Indian markets. Its really scary as to what is in store for the Indian economy considering that people has suffered heavy losses in the share market - but the property prices are still the same. Yes, they are stagnant, not increasing but defintely not decreasing.
I am wondering what the investors are holding on to and why. The property market has gone down but no one wants to bring down the prices. Infact, I can still see new projects coming up with the same crazy rates and the builders asking to pay some amounts in black and the rest in white.
so many projects have taken a hit, but still the project managers are hoping and waiting for a miracle to happen and the property prices to soar more.
Infact, I am waiting for the prices to go down atleast by a couple of 1000 so that I can buy a decent place for me and my family to stay.
Cheers..!!
Friday, September 19, 2008
When !!
Today, I met a guy in the local train in Bombay. He had a photo ID of one of the political parties with him, which he was proudly showing off to the entire group in the train.
Out of curiosity, I asked him if I could get a glimpse of it. And he asks me, hope you are not a bhaiyya !! I was like what difference did it make ? I just want to have a look at it. Anyways, I answered in negative and he coolly handed it over to me. He said he made the ID card for just Rs. 5/- I was amazed. And thats when I realised why it was so easy to vandalise property, beat up people and create a mess of a multi-cultural city.
I happened to overhear a conversation between this guy and one of his north-indian friends.
1st Guy: Dekha mera ID card. Ab koi merko kuch nahee kar sakta. Abhee akkha mumbai apna hai.
2nd Guy: hahahhaha... Arre ID card aaya bhee nahee aur tu abhee se udne laga
1st Guy: Abbe bhaiyye, jyaada bakwaas mat kar. Mee tumchya saathi lokaana sabak shikwayla hey ID card ghetle aahe.
2nd Guy: Chalna, bahut mastee ho gaya. Tu kya dara raha hai merko
1st Guy: Humlog se darke rehne ka. Varna maarke bhaga denge
I was overwhelmed by the cruelty of this conversation and what can a Rs.5/- ID card can do to people. And the people who own these ID cards (major population) are those section who are either uneducated / frustrated with life / dont have a sense of direction in life / people looking for some quick money / people looking to remove their frustration somewhere else.
Lord, save this city !! Bombay was once a beautiful place to live in. But some people just for some political favours / political gains and popularity is creating nuisance and chaos.
Every human being comes empty-handed and will go empty-handed when he /she dies. When will these people learn this.
Out of curiosity, I asked him if I could get a glimpse of it. And he asks me, hope you are not a bhaiyya !! I was like what difference did it make ? I just want to have a look at it. Anyways, I answered in negative and he coolly handed it over to me. He said he made the ID card for just Rs. 5/- I was amazed. And thats when I realised why it was so easy to vandalise property, beat up people and create a mess of a multi-cultural city.
I happened to overhear a conversation between this guy and one of his north-indian friends.
1st Guy: Dekha mera ID card. Ab koi merko kuch nahee kar sakta. Abhee akkha mumbai apna hai.
2nd Guy: hahahhaha... Arre ID card aaya bhee nahee aur tu abhee se udne laga
1st Guy: Abbe bhaiyye, jyaada bakwaas mat kar. Mee tumchya saathi lokaana sabak shikwayla hey ID card ghetle aahe.
2nd Guy: Chalna, bahut mastee ho gaya. Tu kya dara raha hai merko
1st Guy: Humlog se darke rehne ka. Varna maarke bhaga denge
I was overwhelmed by the cruelty of this conversation and what can a Rs.5/- ID card can do to people. And the people who own these ID cards (major population) are those section who are either uneducated / frustrated with life / dont have a sense of direction in life / people looking for some quick money / people looking to remove their frustration somewhere else.
Lord, save this city !! Bombay was once a beautiful place to live in. But some people just for some political favours / political gains and popularity is creating nuisance and chaos.
Every human being comes empty-handed and will go empty-handed when he /she dies. When will these people learn this.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Life on the Fast Track !!!
Todays fast paced life.. where one does not have time for the other. In such a short span of life one has so many things to do for the betterment of mankind. For the betterment of the country and improve your surroundings. But all we end up doing is create hatred, spread hatred and earn more money. But what one does not realise is that we came in to this world naked, with nothing in our hands. The day we die, we will go with nothing in our hands - but yes, people will remember us for what we were.
Infact, we never realise till we are bed-ridden and by that time its too late.
Today, we have so many technology options like e-mail, short message service, Wireless devices, search engines, Wi-fi, Multimedia cell phones, Digital cameras, high-end computing. This has made our lives a lot easier and changed the way we live, communicate, and think.
But somehow people create unwanted, meaningless and worthless issues which is a complete waste of Time and Money for the people - which effectively affects the city and then the state and then the country. I hope people realise the importance of integrity and value each others culture.
Would Bombay have been the economic capital of India without the TATAS, Rahejas, Amabnis, Bollywood and the major IT industries. NO. The people have excelled in their own areas and developed and made Bombay what it is today.
It is not the efforts of Maharashtrians only. We gain so much by staying with people from different backgrounds and I hope the people who are trying to break the nation realise the importance of the mix culture and value it.
Cheers
Infact, we never realise till we are bed-ridden and by that time its too late.
Today, we have so many technology options like e-mail, short message service, Wireless devices, search engines, Wi-fi, Multimedia cell phones, Digital cameras, high-end computing. This has made our lives a lot easier and changed the way we live, communicate, and think.
But somehow people create unwanted, meaningless and worthless issues which is a complete waste of Time and Money for the people - which effectively affects the city and then the state and then the country. I hope people realise the importance of integrity and value each others culture.
Would Bombay have been the economic capital of India without the TATAS, Rahejas, Amabnis, Bollywood and the major IT industries. NO. The people have excelled in their own areas and developed and made Bombay what it is today.
It is not the efforts of Maharashtrians only. We gain so much by staying with people from different backgrounds and I hope the people who are trying to break the nation realise the importance of the mix culture and value it.
Cheers
Signboards !!!
Its not always that we go through situations in life when you feel scared to step out of our home or to get into the crowded trains.
The latest political party to hit Bombay has shook up the people, their lives and their day to day activities. Specifically if you are a North Indian. I dont see the connection !!!
The negative publicity game started long back with the then political guys started driving out the South Indians from Bombay. And now the target is North Indians. Its a simple game of Divide and Rule. The people who support this kind of evil deeds are people who are probably non-educated or unemployed or just want to join some political group and have fun and make some quick money. The worst part is the existing government is NOT DOING ANYTHING about it. If the congress did a similar kind of stunt would these people have been quiet ?
I have seen the news channels where cab drivers have been pulled out of the cabs and been beaten up... Reason - B'cos they are North Indians. I have seen shops being shut or vandalised because they do not carry Marathi name boards... How ridiculous is that ?? These guys are not concerned about the sickening conditions of the roads and a sorry state of the Infrastructure.
Also, interestingly how can anyone prove if the name board is written in Marathi or Hindi.. as the scripture is the same. OH man... someone should hint this thing at the guys and am sure they will ask the President to force the way Hindi is written... HAHAHHA.... so damm funny !!!
For example: Shivshakti Stores - This would be pronounced and written in Hindi and Marathi the same way... no change at all. So how would anyone know if its hindi or Marathi. Maybe they should invent a new language for Mahrashtra and start using it and enforce people to start reading and writing it. :P
Cheers....
The latest political party to hit Bombay has shook up the people, their lives and their day to day activities. Specifically if you are a North Indian. I dont see the connection !!!
The negative publicity game started long back with the then political guys started driving out the South Indians from Bombay. And now the target is North Indians. Its a simple game of Divide and Rule. The people who support this kind of evil deeds are people who are probably non-educated or unemployed or just want to join some political group and have fun and make some quick money. The worst part is the existing government is NOT DOING ANYTHING about it. If the congress did a similar kind of stunt would these people have been quiet ?
I have seen the news channels where cab drivers have been pulled out of the cabs and been beaten up... Reason - B'cos they are North Indians. I have seen shops being shut or vandalised because they do not carry Marathi name boards... How ridiculous is that ?? These guys are not concerned about the sickening conditions of the roads and a sorry state of the Infrastructure.
Also, interestingly how can anyone prove if the name board is written in Marathi or Hindi.. as the scripture is the same. OH man... someone should hint this thing at the guys and am sure they will ask the President to force the way Hindi is written... HAHAHHA.... so damm funny !!!
For example: Shivshakti Stores - This would be pronounced and written in Hindi and Marathi the same way... no change at all. So how would anyone know if its hindi or Marathi. Maybe they should invent a new language for Mahrashtra and start using it and enforce people to start reading and writing it. :P
Cheers....
Yeh hai Bombay Meri Jaan...
Hi,
Its been quite sometime I penned down something. A lot of things are happening simultaneously.
Lately I have been noticing things happening in Mumbai and certain political parties creating nuisance and instability. Sometimes it made me feel that we do not need any terrorists or miscreants at all.
I happened to read the blog of Mr. Bachchan Sir. Mr Bachchan is someone for whom I have great respect and value.
http://blogs.bigadda.com/ab/2008/09/10/day-144/#more-426
His feelings on the recent issue is commendable. However, when we all know and agree to the fact that this was all a misunderstanding why are these people creating such a hue and cry. I believe all the fuss being created and all the vandalism been done is just for political reasons and to gain political mileage.
This new team who has come up to “save” maharashtra is creating more disturbance, chaos, and irritation amongst the people. There are a lot more issues to deal with in Mumbai than changing names and talking and reading in Marathi.. for example:
1. Pathetic condition of roads. 60% + roads are filled with potholes.
2. Water Problems in several parts of the city.
3. Traffic Congestion issues
4. Inflation crisis
5. The never ending spike in Realty rates
6. Infrastructure issues
7. Ever-increasing crowds in the Local trains
Why does this group not talk about these issues and try and solve them ? These are the critical issues that we should actually try to tackle out rather than renaming streets, renaming cities, giving speeches on language issues. What are we trying to prove here?? What is the objective ?
The family of this group study in high-end english schools and are learning foreign languages. Why are the vandalists not targeting them?? Why are people being such HYPOCRITES ??
Why is the Maharashtra government not doing anything about it ? Why are they acting handicapped ? Why are they neglecting the situation and being deaf, dumb and blind ??
The way things are going, I feel that going forward anyone can create his / her own political party and make the rules and enforce them on the people.
HELLO, I thought India was a democratic country.
I still dont understand what are we trying to gain by doing all this nonsense.
This city is getting crazier day by day..
When will someone listen to the common man. Guess, you have to be a big guy with loads of money and power to vandalise public property and create chaos.
May god grant him peace of mind and some commonsense.
AB Sir - best wishes with you. God bless.
Cheers
Its been quite sometime I penned down something. A lot of things are happening simultaneously.
Lately I have been noticing things happening in Mumbai and certain political parties creating nuisance and instability. Sometimes it made me feel that we do not need any terrorists or miscreants at all.
I happened to read the blog of Mr. Bachchan Sir. Mr Bachchan is someone for whom I have great respect and value.
http://blogs.bigadda.com/ab/2008/09/10/day-144/#more-426
His feelings on the recent issue is commendable. However, when we all know and agree to the fact that this was all a misunderstanding why are these people creating such a hue and cry. I believe all the fuss being created and all the vandalism been done is just for political reasons and to gain political mileage.
This new team who has come up to “save” maharashtra is creating more disturbance, chaos, and irritation amongst the people. There are a lot more issues to deal with in Mumbai than changing names and talking and reading in Marathi.. for example:
1. Pathetic condition of roads. 60% + roads are filled with potholes.
2. Water Problems in several parts of the city.
3. Traffic Congestion issues
4. Inflation crisis
5. The never ending spike in Realty rates
6. Infrastructure issues
7. Ever-increasing crowds in the Local trains
Why does this group not talk about these issues and try and solve them ? These are the critical issues that we should actually try to tackle out rather than renaming streets, renaming cities, giving speeches on language issues. What are we trying to prove here?? What is the objective ?
The family of this group study in high-end english schools and are learning foreign languages. Why are the vandalists not targeting them?? Why are people being such HYPOCRITES ??
Why is the Maharashtra government not doing anything about it ? Why are they acting handicapped ? Why are they neglecting the situation and being deaf, dumb and blind ??
The way things are going, I feel that going forward anyone can create his / her own political party and make the rules and enforce them on the people.
HELLO, I thought India was a democratic country.
I still dont understand what are we trying to gain by doing all this nonsense.
This city is getting crazier day by day..
When will someone listen to the common man. Guess, you have to be a big guy with loads of money and power to vandalise public property and create chaos.
May god grant him peace of mind and some commonsense.
AB Sir - best wishes with you. God bless.
Cheers
Thursday, July 10, 2008
College travel !!
Another new month, Another week, another day. New challenges to face, new issues to solve. New people to meet. But the same old city, same old buses, same old crowded trains !!!
The population of Bombay (I do not like it addressing it as Mumbai) is increasing by leaps and bounds.
I remember traveling to my college every single day. The routine was the same:
Wake up at 5:00am
@5:02am - Scratch my balls and then Take a leak
@5:10am - Brush my teeth
@5:15am - Clear my stomach
@5:25am - Take a nice cold water bath (Somehow I was not comfortable taking hot-water baths)
@5:35am - Dress-up for college
@5:45am - Eat my morning breakfast
@6:00am - wear my shoes
@6:05am - Leave from home
@6:10am - Reach my friends house. And he would be late as usual every single day.
The target was to catch the 6:14am Local but we eventually landed up catching the 6:25am train everyday. And then began the 3 hour travel to college. We would reach only by 9:15am approximately and if the trains are running late then we reached by 9:30am or latest by 9:45am only.
We always managed to catch the ire of the class professors for reaching late. But thats a different story.
We would move from college by around 3:00pm after attending the important lectures. Importance was strictly from an attendance point of view only. ;-)
Travelling back home, which is another 3 hours - which means we reach home only by 6:30pm.
Wheewww !!! Tiring, aint it ??
The worst part of the entire journey was the short travel from my house till Dadar station and back. You get to meet all kinds of dirty, sweaty and stinky people. People who not only stink but also fart ... EEEWWWW !!
People who chew paan or maybe some crazy tobacco. God it was AWFUL..!!
The only saving grace was the friends I had with whom the travelling became a piece of cake.
cheers to them ...!! Miss you all guys... !!!
The population of Bombay (I do not like it addressing it as Mumbai) is increasing by leaps and bounds.
I remember traveling to my college every single day. The routine was the same:
Wake up at 5:00am
@5:02am - Scratch my balls and then Take a leak
@5:10am - Brush my teeth
@5:15am - Clear my stomach
@5:25am - Take a nice cold water bath (Somehow I was not comfortable taking hot-water baths)
@5:35am - Dress-up for college
@5:45am - Eat my morning breakfast
@6:00am - wear my shoes
@6:05am - Leave from home
@6:10am - Reach my friends house. And he would be late as usual every single day.
The target was to catch the 6:14am Local but we eventually landed up catching the 6:25am train everyday. And then began the 3 hour travel to college. We would reach only by 9:15am approximately and if the trains are running late then we reached by 9:30am or latest by 9:45am only.
We always managed to catch the ire of the class professors for reaching late. But thats a different story.
We would move from college by around 3:00pm after attending the important lectures. Importance was strictly from an attendance point of view only. ;-)
Travelling back home, which is another 3 hours - which means we reach home only by 6:30pm.
Wheewww !!! Tiring, aint it ??
The worst part of the entire journey was the short travel from my house till Dadar station and back. You get to meet all kinds of dirty, sweaty and stinky people. People who not only stink but also fart ... EEEWWWW !!
People who chew paan or maybe some crazy tobacco. God it was AWFUL..!!
The only saving grace was the friends I had with whom the travelling became a piece of cake.
cheers to them ...!! Miss you all guys... !!!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Next !!!
We walked down, slowly and steadily towards the tea-shop where the seniors were smoking away to glory. 'Chimneys', I heard myself say in my mind.
We were scared but we tried to stay calm. Showing-off would be the greatest mistake in this situation, unless and until you have a big influence with some local guys or you are the son of some big guy. The objective was to stay calm, not look scared and not to show-off as well.
Anyways, we reached the spot. All the preparations of staying calm and not to show-off went down the drain as we just looked at the seniors straight in the eyes giving them a 'whats up guys' look. One of the guys retorted, 'Do not look into the eyes of your seniors. Look down towards your shoes.' We did as requested.
The next moment another guy asked,'Do you smoke?' We replied in unison,'No.'
Another senior said,'So you think we are fools to smoke?'
We replied in unison again,'No.'
The same guy asked,'So why dont you all smoke?'
I said, 'Because its injurious to health.' Damm I thought.. that was the most stupidest answer.
The senior growled back,'So you think we dont care about our health.'
I planned to stay quite. Silence is sometimes the best defence and it worked.
We were then asked a series of questions like where we stay and where do we actually hail from. What languages we speak. What is the name of our girlfriend and so on. We were allowed to go after about 25 mins. My neck had started paining looking at my shoes. I hated the feeling to look down like this. My friends cajoled me,'Dont worry buddy.. Next year we will be doing the same thing.'
Next Day in college:
We told about our ragging incident to some of our friends. I was flabbergasted on what I heard. One of my friends tried to resist the ragging and the seniors then asked him to strip and stand like a dog. The guy actually stripped to his undergarments and stood like a dog. When he tried resisting, he was slapped. He couldn't do much as the group of seniors was big.
Hearing this horrible incident, I went into a tristate for a minute. I was wondering what if I had been in that guys place !!!
We were scared but we tried to stay calm. Showing-off would be the greatest mistake in this situation, unless and until you have a big influence with some local guys or you are the son of some big guy. The objective was to stay calm, not look scared and not to show-off as well.
Anyways, we reached the spot. All the preparations of staying calm and not to show-off went down the drain as we just looked at the seniors straight in the eyes giving them a 'whats up guys' look. One of the guys retorted, 'Do not look into the eyes of your seniors. Look down towards your shoes.' We did as requested.
The next moment another guy asked,'Do you smoke?' We replied in unison,'No.'
Another senior said,'So you think we are fools to smoke?'
We replied in unison again,'No.'
The same guy asked,'So why dont you all smoke?'
I said, 'Because its injurious to health.' Damm I thought.. that was the most stupidest answer.
The senior growled back,'So you think we dont care about our health.'
I planned to stay quite. Silence is sometimes the best defence and it worked.
We were then asked a series of questions like where we stay and where do we actually hail from. What languages we speak. What is the name of our girlfriend and so on. We were allowed to go after about 25 mins. My neck had started paining looking at my shoes. I hated the feeling to look down like this. My friends cajoled me,'Dont worry buddy.. Next year we will be doing the same thing.'
Next Day in college:
We told about our ragging incident to some of our friends. I was flabbergasted on what I heard. One of my friends tried to resist the ragging and the seniors then asked him to strip and stand like a dog. The guy actually stripped to his undergarments and stood like a dog. When he tried resisting, he was slapped. He couldn't do much as the group of seniors was big.
Hearing this horrible incident, I went into a tristate for a minute. I was wondering what if I had been in that guys place !!!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Engineering days !!!
Engineering days were always fun. Infact, the first 6 months of my first year were the best days of my life. I dont think we (in all 4 guys) ever enjoyed so much. It was like we were set free after 18 years in prison.
We took a flat on rent and paid around 4000Rs a month for the place. It was a decent house with one door facing a non-stinky gutter and the other door facing a beautiful girls house. Yeah, it was kinda strange to leave the latter door open so we preferred the door facing the non-stinky gutter open always. Anyways, so we now had our own house and we could do whatever we want and felt like.
The typical boyish attitude and the typical freedom attitude started running through our veins. The starting days of the college was a pain. There was the fear of getting ragged by your seniors. And oh yes, it was pretty humiliating sometimes.
The first day of the college:
We somehow managed to drag ourselves from the bed. Everything was RUSH RUSH n RUSH post that. We ate, we prayed (so that no one catches us for the ragging session) and then we moved. We took some shortcuts as advised by the local people and reached the college in 10 mins, brisk walking was also a success factor. The first thing that I said when I saw the college was,' DAMM !! where the fuck have we landed?. Where is the freaking college?' We thought someone had cheated on us for the ragging session. What we saw was a row of 6 rooms excluding a room for the college principal. Out of the 6 rooms, one was occupied by 8 pigs and the other was occupied by approximately 7 goats who were merrily chewing on the green grass exclusively for them. Surprised !! Ask me about it.. hehe
Well, we missed our first class on the first day because of double-checks for the college address and 10-15 mins spent on the astonishing site of pigs and goats eating with students studying for engineering in the neighboring class. I have no clue what the government was upto !!
Anyways, returning back home wasnt very difficult as we bunked the last 2 lectures and came back home early before any of the seniors caught us. Actually, I was wondering where the seniors would be attending the lectures with the pigs and goats occupying 2 of the classrooms. I failed to understand the profit factor of the college here.
Caught and Ragged:
The second began smoothly. The incident happened while we were returning back from college. A group of third year engineering guys caught us trying to escape from our secret route. We were asked to come to a shop nearby. We had no choice but to walk down...
To be Continued....
We took a flat on rent and paid around 4000Rs a month for the place. It was a decent house with one door facing a non-stinky gutter and the other door facing a beautiful girls house. Yeah, it was kinda strange to leave the latter door open so we preferred the door facing the non-stinky gutter open always. Anyways, so we now had our own house and we could do whatever we want and felt like.
The typical boyish attitude and the typical freedom attitude started running through our veins. The starting days of the college was a pain. There was the fear of getting ragged by your seniors. And oh yes, it was pretty humiliating sometimes.
The first day of the college:
We somehow managed to drag ourselves from the bed. Everything was RUSH RUSH n RUSH post that. We ate, we prayed (so that no one catches us for the ragging session) and then we moved. We took some shortcuts as advised by the local people and reached the college in 10 mins, brisk walking was also a success factor. The first thing that I said when I saw the college was,' DAMM !! where the fuck have we landed?. Where is the freaking college?' We thought someone had cheated on us for the ragging session. What we saw was a row of 6 rooms excluding a room for the college principal. Out of the 6 rooms, one was occupied by 8 pigs and the other was occupied by approximately 7 goats who were merrily chewing on the green grass exclusively for them. Surprised !! Ask me about it.. hehe
Well, we missed our first class on the first day because of double-checks for the college address and 10-15 mins spent on the astonishing site of pigs and goats eating with students studying for engineering in the neighboring class. I have no clue what the government was upto !!
Anyways, returning back home wasnt very difficult as we bunked the last 2 lectures and came back home early before any of the seniors caught us. Actually, I was wondering where the seniors would be attending the lectures with the pigs and goats occupying 2 of the classrooms. I failed to understand the profit factor of the college here.
Caught and Ragged:
The second began smoothly. The incident happened while we were returning back from college. A group of third year engineering guys caught us trying to escape from our secret route. We were asked to come to a shop nearby. We had no choice but to walk down...
To be Continued....
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
First time !!!
I have always been a person who believed in himself. As a kid I was good in studies and managed to score a decent 70%-85% during my school days. But there were days when my mom used to pick up a cain and beat the hell out of me for not studying the way she wanted me too.
School days were never good as I was always treated as a nerd. People used to poke fun at me for being weak. But, I had good times too. I was in love with this pretty girl who used to always neatly partition her hair and never apply any make-up (actually some girls used to do that). She was very strong (mentally), smart, excellent communication skills and quite pretty. And for the strangest of reasons we became very good friends and developed a liking for each other. We used to spend a lot of time together during tuitions and after tuitions too.
Something went drastically wrong and my world fell apart. Suddenly I found her drifting away from me and from good friends we became hardly friends. It was particularly difficult for me to look into her eyes during our tuition hours. I was waiting for the day to get out of school. I never could tell her how much I loved her and wanted to be with her. And when I eventually told her (after 3 years of my school) I felt like a fool. She replied, ' i dont like boys.' And the most stupidest thought struck me,' Is she a freaking lesbian??'
But, I couldn't understand the true meaning of that statement which was she wanted me to be mature and not act like a small kid.
That was one of the most vulnerable moments of my life.... !!!
School days were never good as I was always treated as a nerd. People used to poke fun at me for being weak. But, I had good times too. I was in love with this pretty girl who used to always neatly partition her hair and never apply any make-up (actually some girls used to do that). She was very strong (mentally), smart, excellent communication skills and quite pretty. And for the strangest of reasons we became very good friends and developed a liking for each other. We used to spend a lot of time together during tuitions and after tuitions too.
Something went drastically wrong and my world fell apart. Suddenly I found her drifting away from me and from good friends we became hardly friends. It was particularly difficult for me to look into her eyes during our tuition hours. I was waiting for the day to get out of school. I never could tell her how much I loved her and wanted to be with her. And when I eventually told her (after 3 years of my school) I felt like a fool. She replied, ' i dont like boys.' And the most stupidest thought struck me,' Is she a freaking lesbian??'
But, I couldn't understand the true meaning of that statement which was she wanted me to be mature and not act like a small kid.
That was one of the most vulnerable moments of my life.... !!!
Sometimes !!!
Sometimes people act funny, sometimes I act funny. Sometimes we act as a jerk. Sometimes I feel that I am weak. Sometimes I feel that I am very strong. Sometimes I feel vulnerable and get scared. Sometimes its too dangerous out there. Sometimes the risk of losing everything makes us feel vulnerable, sometimes the risk of losing the person you love makes you vulnerable. Fear lies in the eye of the beholder, the fear makes everyone vulnerable to a variety of things.
I thought !!!
I have never felt this way in my life.
I thought I was strong, but I was wrong
I thought I cared, but I guess it wasnt enough
I thought I loved, but guess it suffocated you
I thought I can protect you in my arms, but I dont think I was strong enough
I thought I can give you happiness, but I hurt you
I thought I can bring a smile on your face, but I was the one who brought tears
I thought I was strong, but I was not strong enough
I thought I was strong, but I was wrong
I thought I cared, but I guess it wasnt enough
I thought I loved, but guess it suffocated you
I thought I can protect you in my arms, but I dont think I was strong enough
I thought I can give you happiness, but I hurt you
I thought I can bring a smile on your face, but I was the one who brought tears
I thought I was strong, but I was not strong enough
Thursday, June 5, 2008
The First cry !!!
This happens in every humans life. Everyone cries.
I cried too and it was right after the lady doctor slapped on my bum. :-)
But, this was not the last time... The journey had just begun. The journey began 28 years back.
This is my story. This is my space. This is about ME !!!
I cried too and it was right after the lady doctor slapped on my bum. :-)
But, this was not the last time... The journey had just begun. The journey began 28 years back.
This is my story. This is my space. This is about ME !!!
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