~ Reflections ~

I was never a 'podcast' person as I prefer reading to listening, if you know what I am saying. But off late, long hours of travel (and old age, which doesn't permit much reading in a moving car) has forced me to rely on my ears (than eyes). Much to my surprise, I discovered some delectable content in the likes of Youtube, Spotify and Gaana.com. One such podcast which I'd recommend to everyone is the podcast by ATS Studio on Spotify, called Mission ISRO  hosted by Harsha Bhogle . It is a beautifully narrated journey of the Indian scientists, on how they managed to make the Indian space mission work. considering it started post Independence, when the government had bigger fish to fry. You'd be surprised to note that Kalam only forms a small part of long list of scientists we need to thank including Vikram Sarabhai , Homi Jehangir Bhabha  and Satish Dhawan , to name a few. What made the podcast even more interesting were the numerous anecdotes through each episode. D...

The recent Dera incident has made one thing very clear. Irrespective of what the underlying issue, be it Rape or simply reservation for few people, our instant reaction is violence and uncontrollable outburst. I am still unable to comprehend how any follower of the "god" men can react in such a way to support a rapist.... I wonder if even one-tenth of them with stand in arms with the one who has been raped. We are just pathetic. But that's not the core issue.... why most of these people have such staunch die-hard followers is because in some other twisted ways, they have worked for the society... be it free hospitals or education or just basic meals.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely hate the guts of these people who claim to work for the society's betterment and behind curtains commit such sins....  But the point still remains... for someone who can't afford a square meal a day, if someone ensures clean food or proper medication or a roof to stay, t...

The whole idea of finding the ideal partner seems to be a lopsided affair, especially in India.  Though times have changed, and thankfully the judgement is not just based on whether the girl is pretty or can cook good food, or sing well.... different things like education, job, upbringing etc are all seen.... it still feels like an audition.... And the most basic aspect is rarely questioned... that the guy comes to see the girl... as if it will be a test for the girl based on her skill set, and the judgement on the boy an be simply based on his demeanor..... I am not saying all arranged marriages (and even love marriages in some cases) are decided like this... the girl IS given the freedom to decide... But I am yet to come across a case where the boy has had to prove his mettle to the girl and her family... I wonder when that will change.....  In these changing times when men and women compete in all spheres including the corporate world, I don't know how long it...

Though these lines were written ages ago, I am still waiting for a time when all of us truly imbibe these words, and are proud of the nation we are a part of. This is, actually, my anthem. Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high  Where knowledge is free  Where the world has not been broken up into fragments  By narrow domestic walls  Where words come out from the depth of truth  Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection  Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way  Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit  Where the mind is led forward by thee  Into ever-widening thought and action  Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake. ~ Rabindranath Tagore

I was suddenly reminded of an earlier post of mine when I read about the recent controversy Sonu Nigam got caught in. Loudspeakers at religious places have always been a pain, and suddenly now, media seems to have caught wind of the problem. I hope people like Babu Khan , who are fighting lone battles on the issue should be get more support from the public. Maybe that will set the right trend. As The Supreme Court rightly pronounced earlier, no religion prescribes that prayers should be performed by disturbing the peace of others nor does it preach that they should be through voice amplifiers or beating drums. Despite all the noise (literally) around this issue, The noise persists... I wonder if we can ever learn.

All of us talk about India being a progressive society. That we are catching up the "modern" world.  That women are now treated equally... or atleast will be. It is a good thought to pursue, since India is one of the few nations in the world where we have the existence of a matriarchal society, where the woman of the house has the right to property, money and business. Don't get me wrong, it is not about the money, but more a sense of power and rights, and the notional symbols attached to it by our society. Needless to say, in most cases, the woman is forced to fight for this right, despite being the care giver towards the later parts of life. And again, by woman, I don't necessarily mean daughter... it could well be the daughter-in-law who has been doing what it takes. But what good is all this power, when the same woman is beaten, raped in wide open streets, and then is told that she is at "fault" and is tainted... ironically due a crime committe...

Ever since BJP has come to power in the centre, there seems to be too much discussion by the paparazzi and the Fourth estate about how the decisions are swinging from the center to the right... progressively towards the extreme right. This recent article by Gurcharan Das in The Sunday Times on Patriotism versus Nationalism brings back the same thoughts.  Strangely, if you look at the dictionary meanings to the two words, they seem almost identical... both referring to a patriotic feeling. nationalism. [ˈnaʃ(ə)n(ə)lɪz(ə)m] NOUN 1.patriotic feeling, principles, or efforts. "an early consciousness of nationalism and pride" patriotism. [ˈpeɪtrɪətɪz(ə)m] NOUN 1.the quality of being patriotic; vigorous support for one's country. "a highly decorated officer of unquestionable integrity and patriotism" Then why is it that the media seems to be equating nationalism with jingoism, and patriotism with something more controlled. Both emotions are strong,...

Independence       noun in·de·pen·dence \ˌin-də-ˈpen-dən(t)s\ : freedom from outside control or support : the state of being independent Each of us have a different expectation from our country, and hence, our definition of Independence differs basis our circumstances and experiences. While a large chunk of the Indian population was striving for Independence from Britishers in 1947 (what eventually become the Indian Independence Day), a substantial group of people were striving for a corruption free nation in 2011-12. Though we are all born in the country, our choice of what we associate with the country's Independence varies. While my neighbour who has witnessed the freedom struggle against the British will cherish the sheer independence to do as she pleases, the current generation will cherish the independence to say as they please (something most of us take for granted nowadays).  All I am trying to say is our symbol for Independence provided by...

The recent speech given by Shashi Tharoor at Oxford is simply brilliant... not just because of the courage of putting it across, in interspersed with humour in the Queen's own country, but also for the various points he touched upon, but also the spontaneity with which he connected what he knew, with what the other participants said... even something as trivial as the wifi password was used to make a point. Having said that, it is also strange that even after 60 years of independence, we never miss a chance to blame the British for our current situation. What Tharoor did was oratory.  But if that's our excuse for things not working even now, I think we need to think again. Consider Japan, a nation which was partly wiped out around the same time we got our independence, which has managed to literally rise from the ashes, and done a brilliant job of it too.... Indians have got used to making excuses... first it was the invaders... then the britishers... now our own politi...

All of us have different views about the British influence on Indian culture.. whether it has done us good.. bad... made us more civilized... English... But whatever one might think, I don't think any of it is worthwhile, at the expense of our Independence.... Different people have come up with different perspectives to the issue, but Shashi Tharoor seems to have nailed the emotion... Below is what he said at a debate in UK on  Indian subcontinent benefited more than it lost from the experience of British colonialism . ------ Last week, on the very day that Scotland was deciding its future, six of us gathered in London to debate the past.  To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the British presence in India -- King James I's envoy, Sir Thomas Roe, arrived at the court of Emperor Jehangir in 1614 -- the Indo-British heritage Trust held a debate, in the chamber of the UK Supreme Court, on the motion "This House believes that the Indian subcontinent benefited mo...

India is a huge country, with varying tastes, traditions and beliefs. From the start, we interact with multiple thoughts and ideas be it faith, festivals or biases. But when these differences turn out to be beneficial for some, and not so for others... when these differences get documented in the constitution as quotas, financials aids, that's the start of the problem. Some might say that these quotas are justified.... If I am from a Brahmin family, where the last many generations are educated (even if it was the Vedas earlier, and English education now), the odds that I would get a fair education as against someone whose last few generations have been fighting for survival.... True... But there is no end to this... with all the differences we have as a society, we will alsways be able to identify some "difference" which will benefit us.... It is important that the government, instead of focusing on such quotas, should try and provide facilities for all.. Providi...

In today's world, we seem to take our freedom, our democracy for granted... Maybe it's because our generation hasn't fought for it.....  or maybe, we haven't seen the other side...  That's why, Polling day has just become another Holiday,when most of us just unwind, and don't bother to Cast the Vote.. the reason why we have been given a day off in the first place.... The other worrying part is the total ignorance on the part of the voter, as to what is happening all around us... We are ever-ready to crib about the corrupt politicians, misbehaving cops and pathetic civic amenities, but won't open our ears to be aware about what is happening, or lift a finger to vote... This combined ignorance and laziness will cost us our freedom someday. Please Vote !!! It is one of the few chances we get as citizens to express our opinion !

You and me... we talk.. discuss...  pen down our philosophies.. the challenges we face.... We are the Surplus educated.. And this is what the concern of (what he himself calls), a little educated man can result in... Kudos !!!

I am a patriot.  I am proud of what our country has achieved so far, and think we have great things going for us.  But if the biggest factor going for us is people... the biggest factor going against is also the people of the nation. If we have the likes of Ratan Tata & Dr Anji Reddy, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw & Verghese Kurien, to name a few, who have showcased the ability of what an Indian is capable of... we also have a flip-side.  Whether it is corruption, illiteracy, female infanticide or crime, India figures among the few countries on top.  We never seem to think twice before strutting with pride on the mention of Tata or Kurien at any international forum. Then why does it take us so long to accept that we are the ones responsible for the worst as well. That WE need to take the initiative to move things towards the better...  That WE take it on ourselves to stop paying bribes, to educate everyone in our circle of influence, to be brave enough...

With the General Elections due next year, one would have thought (or rather, hoped) that the political parties would be working in full swing, to prove their mettle, and show that they are worthy of making the next government. Unfortunately, most of them are spending their time pointing fingers at each other. Don't get me wrong, I am a strong believer of the fact that a strong democracy is only when we not only have a strong ruling party, but an equally strong opposition.... But the current scenario is such, where neither is ruling nor the opposition are worthy... as a result, a majority of their time is spent slinging mud at each other & proving themselves innocent & the opposition guilty... The irony is that, even in the most tragic events, be it the Uttarakhand flood or the Poisionous Mid Day meal in Bihar, all the parties are scrambling in the race of finger pointing... No one has used the opportunity for finding a solution/relief in the crisis.... As voters, t...

Living in a nation that loves cricket, and married in a household where everyone breathes cricket, I would've thought (or atleast hoped) that I'd come to love the game too. Instead, it has brought me to this ludicrous idea.  What if our the sport of cricket was banned in India for an year.... I know it is almost an impossible occurrence, but just humour me for a while... Besides bringing a smile on most teachers faces, who keep fuming over their class watching cricket matches and not studying, it might achieve much more.... It will definitely bring down the advertising cost on all channels at prime-time (since cricket has also become an almost daily source of prime-time entertainment). Other sports (which might provide similar excitement in smaller games), will finally see the light of the day or rather, will finally get a spot for telecast. With all the spot fixing and other controversies surrounding cricket, am hoping the black money in circulation through...

When we are 16, most of us are wondering what we want to do with our life (i mean careers here)...  Some of us find our calling by interest, some by force, and some just manage to dabble through different things and get there.... However, in India, one of the most "chosen" careers is that of an Engineer. Its almost a national hysteria - an admission in a good Engineering college. This phenomena has had a ripple effect.. The first being that now there a huge number of Engineering colleges (with little or no infrastructure whatsoever) which are full of students trying to soak in the practical aspects of science and technology... none of them realizing that they'll soon become a part of this ocean.. of Engineering graduates (i refuse to refer to the likes of us as Engineers!!! )... The second is the total ignorance towards the other lesser known career options, be it psychology, journalism, law, photography, medicine, architecture, design and the many others... A dire...

There is such a wide gap between the demand and supply of basic amenities like medical services... housing... good schools.... that getting into any of them, doesn't seem to be possible.. atleast not on pure merit... So even in places where you thought there was no possible corruption (and by that, i don't necessarily mean money)... it takes, what is called सिफरिश i.e. Recommendation... What is even more amazing is that most of these places state it very blatantly, that you are not welcome, even if you are eligible... When all of us, today's generation, discuss corruption, and talk about wanting a clean society, free of having to bribe anyone, we tend to forget... that discussing such issues from the comfort of our homes/offices is rather convenient... But when recommendation (which is just a more sophisticated form of corruption) is requested for, even for basic admissions... I wonder how we can plug such things from our society... And if a corruption...

India seems to have pulled off the Commonwealth Games just in time & quite successfully at that, despite all the criticism about the leaking bathrooms and the broken bridges. But the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that, we lacked not in organization skill. The flaw in the scheme of things is at 2 very basic levels. Firstly, for a developing country like India (ya ya, I know, we hate to hear it... but we definitely are still in the league of developing nations... we have miles to go before we can call ourselves developed !!!), to have  budgeted  INR 16.2 Billion for the event, and to have finally spent an obnoxious INR  115 Billion on sports facilities and related infrastructure. The intention is not to hurt the sentiments of any sports enthusiasts who finally have good tennis courts to play in.. But in a country where simple amenities like hospitals, schools are unavailable/too expensive for over 50% of the population; it is sheer ex...

I have a specific complaint with Indians (pardon my targeting citizens of just the subcontinent... but here is where I've witnessed it !) Whether it is a bhajan/kirtan session.. a puja to celebrate a festival.... or a call for that day's namaaz ... or a sermon being given by a famous priest.. we have learnt to use microphones to the most....  It's as if we want to tell everyone around us what we are upto...  I always thought connecting with god, or atleast attempting to, was a very personal intimate thing... which is why it amazes me when all of us attempt to advertise these dialogues with god... I understand, that in today's world, everything needs publicity... from a tiny chewing gum to a man's ego... But I am always left wondering if the communication would have been more effective the other way... Afterall, how will you get peace of mind, when you are disturbing the peace in other people's lives..... PS: I am sorry if I hurt anyone's sentime...