Looong gap

Its a long time since I've posted something here.

Was busy with the adventure that I've told in the last post. Another problem is that Kaggalipura- the new place where I am staying now, is a fantastic place to be, but only negative thing is the absence of an internet parlor. I have to come all the way Banashankari to browse.

And that means I have to get a broad band connection at home. For that I have to arrange a system. Now that needs some time....

And what did I do last 3 weeks? Started staying in the new house, bought stuff like a TV, mixer, DTH connection, beds, cots, utensils, cooking gas, sweaters- a whole lot of stuff. I am almost bankrupt now. PF money is almost finished, but in that 25000 is the advance paid. I will get at least some part of that. But things are great now.

Last week I went home and brought Amma here. It is a big relief- for me and for her. My concerns on food is done with.... There is nothing heavenly than home made food. She is also quite happy here.. I suppose! Main relief is that there is a Malayalee family as neighbors. She has already made friends with them and may not be feeling loneliness...

My vodafone friend

Yesterday afternoon I got a call....

'Hi! This is Mr. L from Vodaphone customer care, may I know your name?'

I recognized the voice, it was my friend staying with me at PG. He is a customer care executive hunting to convert people from postpaid to prepaid connection.... I was feeling this was a prank. So I just gave my name. Then he started canvasing me for changing my plan. I just went in with what he was telling, saying nothing.


He detailed the whole plan and finally asked me whether I am interested. I replied I am interested but I dont have an address proof as I am staying in a PG in JP Nagar. He suddenly asked my address. I gave the house number and then he started chuckling from other end. Then he told he will send an executive to my place the next day. I told him to send a beautiful girl colleague of his........

I didnt chatted much because as he is calling from his office it will be heard and recorded. Why to give him a trouble? Later on when I met him in evening he told he didnt knew it was me till I trold him address. I was really impressed with the way he handled the call after knowing it was me. He was as official as he was before but a slight warmth and recognition was laced in his voice... He is a good professional...

Making of an uncle....

I am on the way of becoming an uncle.....

Today my sister visited the doctor and the good news is confirmed...

A very happy moment... ! Its a wonderful responsibility...

I am looking forward to it because two persons who had been an evergreen inspiration for me are my two uncles...

Although poles apart, they had been there all through my life seeing me growing, giving me a hand, motivating when I am down...helping as possible by them without even being asked....

I dont know how much I will succeed, but my 'Uncledom' will be a tribute for both of them....

Bonus time

Life has always been kind to me....

It provides me with enough power and ammunition whenever I requires it most... and takes good care of my requirements at least most of the times. Yes, some times it was unfair, or at least I feel so, but who knows may be all that happens is for making way for better things....

I like my life....

Last day I received my PF settlement (the one that I mentioned in the post Anger management) , just in time to pay advance for my new room... A'int it so nice?

Now I am able to rent out the house without much worry and I can even do the necessary shopping too....

I called the guy to whom I had shouted and told him thanks..... It costs nothing to build some good will...

The Adventure Starts

Officially the adventure starts tomorrow....

I am paying token advance for my new home.....

A new start in a new place....

Last time the feeling dawned when three of us, Amma, sister and me entered our house in Kerala after two long years.... after releasing it from the clutches of the people who rented it and made a mess out of it.

When we entered our home we were empty handed, with virtually zero experience, with only the gut feeling that whatever bad that can happen is already done and there is nothing more...

And then three years of family building, that ended in a sweet note, when my sister tied the knot.

Its time to restart the biggest adventure of life time again- making a home, a family... this time with a little more experiance, with some more courage.....

New isms in India

Another forwarded mail.....

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy INFOSYSism You have a 1000 poor cows. You put them on a nice campus, & send them one at a time to the US for milking.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy PATNIism You have 10 cows. You make them work so that they give milk of 100 cows

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy WIPROism GE has a cow. You take 49% of the milk.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy DELLism Intel has a Goat. Samsung has a Camel. Buy milk from both & sell it as Cow's milk.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy IBMism You have old stubborn cows. You sell them as pet dogs to innocent small businessmen.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy MICROSOFTism You have a cow. Force the world to buy milk from you. Spend a million dollars to feed poorer cows.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy SUNism You have a bull. It doesn't give milk. You hate Microsoft.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy ORACLEism You have a cow. You don't know which side to milk, so you sell tools to help milk cows.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy SAPism You don't have a cow You sell milking solutions for cows implemented by milking consultants.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy APPLEism You have a cow. You sell iMilk.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy SONYism You have a cow. You spend $50 mn to develop the world's thinnest milk.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy CITIBANKism Welcome to Citibank. If you have a cow, press 1. If you have a bull, press 2...stay on line if you'd like our customer care to milk it for you.

	Some emerging "isms" of the new economy HPism You don't know if what you have is a cow. You sell complete milking solutions through authorised resellers only.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy GEism You have a donkey. People think you have a 100-year old cow. If someone finds out, that's his imagination at work.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy RELIANCEism You don't yet have a cow. You sell empty cans to people for Rs. 501, because Dhirubhai wanted everyone to have milk.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy TATAism You have a very old cow. You re-brand it as TATA Indicow.

Ant and grass hopper story retold

Got this as forwarded mail, really nice, so thought I will share it here...


*An Old Story:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer
building its house and
laying up supplies for the winter....

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs &
dances & plays the
summer away.

Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper
has no food or
shelter so he dies out in the cold..

*
Indian Version:*


The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer
building its house and
laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs
& dances & plays the
summer away.

Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press
conference and
demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm
and well fed
while others are cold and starving...
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering
Grasshopper
next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a
table filled
with food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be
that this poor
Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the
Ant's house.

Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers
demanding that
Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter

Mayawati states this as `injustice' done on Minorities.

Amnesty International and U.N. criticize the Indian
Government for
not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking
support to the
Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace
for prompt
support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance) .

Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for
'Bengal Bandh' in
West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial

*CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants
from working hard
in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among
Ants and
Grasshoppers.

Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all
Indian Railway
Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ' Prevention
of Terrorism
Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from
the beginning of the
winter.

Arjun Singh makes 'Special Reservation ' for
Grasshoppers in Educational
Institutions & in Government Services.


The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and
having nothing left
to pay his retroactive taxes,it's home is confiscated
by the Government
and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by
NDTV.


Arundhati Roy calls it ' A Triumph of Justice'
*

*Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice '.*


*CPM calls it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the
Downtrodden '*

*Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN
General Assembly.*


*
*Many years later...**


The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a
multi-billion dollar
company in Silicon Valley,


100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite
reservation somewhere
in India,


.
..AND




As a result of loosing lot of hard working Ants and feeding
the
grasshoppers,
.
.
.
.
.*
India is still a developing country…!!!*

*Aren't we are so predictable, its Time to Change!*

Home Sweet Home

So I selected my home in Bangalore today...

Actually it is out of Bangalore... on the way to Kanakpura...
Its a 2 BHK home, a decent bargain, for Rs 3000 rent...

Quite spacious and nicely made, only hitch is that it is at 2nd floor. Hope my mother has no problem with that... But best thing is that it has a good terrace, she can make a small garden there. And she wont face much boredom too as I found out today that our future neighbours are also Malayalees.... She wont face much language problem .

Most of my colleagues stay near by.... and I hope it is going to be great there...

A mocking bird

Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird...

Atticus Finch, a lawyer from Maycomb county Alabama, tells his kids Jem and Scout while handing them guns....

Atticus Finch who was the sharpest shot in the county, who had left guns long back, and touches them again only to defend his family from a mad dog, puts his life in stake to rescue a mocking bird from the clutches of racial prejudice.

Just finished reading To kill a mocking bird by Harper Lee....

A mesmerising read.....

From a place filled with racial prejudice comes a tale of a lone man's fight for justice, to rescue a black man, wrongly accused of rape of a white woman....

Finally a good book after a long wait....

My reader, I strongly recommend this humorous, touching and same time powerful gem of a book.....

Magical dilemma

"Haree... tumse kuch baat karna hein..."
I had just returned from office and heading to my room when our watch man called from behind.

He is a poor Muslim guy whom every one in the PG despises... even I too know he is an asshole.. but I also know that he cannot help being one.... any one in his position will eventually become one...

I was seeing him for the first time when I was searching for a paying guest (PG) accommodation some where near Banashankari. I had seen an advertisement and contacted a guy who offered me one for Rs 2000 per month in a very good locality. He told me that he will send the watch man to a spot... So I was waiting near the place when this short, shabby guy about 50 years appeared to pick me up.

He talked in crude Urdu, and took me to the place. The place was ok and I agreed to stay there giving some advance. Watchman offered to provide me with dinner for Rs 20 daily and he promised that quantity will be sufficient. I gave him advance for that too...

So I started living there from next day. He lives in a small portion with his family of a wife and a girl. It was a very noisy family, quarreling and making commotions daily. Food was fine at starting, but quality was getting worse by day and finally I left eating from there. He was disappointed because it was an extra income for him..

Then I came to know that he was marrying off the girl after Ramzan, quarrelling was getting frequent and even some times I could hear abusive words flung at each other from their home...
And last month marriage was over. I was also planning to leave the place and move near to the office by a month and I had mentioned it to him....

So yesterday when he called me personally I was wondering what may be the reason. He called me to a secluded place and asked whether I know any Malayalee guy who is good in doing any Mantric deeds....I remembered him saying some time back about malayalee mantrics are the best in business and they can do some real scary stuff with lemon... so I was in a fix and was wondering what to respond... It was about his girl. Seems she is refusing to talk to him and to his wife after marriage. He suspects her father in law has brainwashed her and made her to hate them. He desperately wants to inquire what went wrong and what to do with the help of some "Mantram".

Now how can I help him? I myself don't believe in such stuff, but the paternal feeling that was oozing from his words made me to take him seriously. I tried to calm him down as he was in the verge of tears. There is no use talking sense into him so I felt it better to comfort him and told to give the details of the girl so that I can show it to some astrologer when I go home.

He was even ready to bear the bus fare to my town but I told its not required and I am ready to help him any way possible by me.

I dont really know whether I will do some thing regarding this, but I would like to note it down here just to make myself remember later that it is difficult to know when or from where a distress call comes....

Tanking the obstacles

Today in company they were erecting a water tank, the huge black Sintex tank. It entered the bay royally on the back of a truck.....

One maintanence guy was looking at it and cursing, 'How the hell to place it?' It looked really huge and there was no way to attach it to a crane.

Then... the person who came with the truck got on to its back ang just with his hand easily pushed it out of truck. He alone tilted it a little bit and rolled it some 300 meters and finally placed it to its assigned position. Just a matter of minutes....!

Most of the obstacles that we encounter may be huge and look ugly... Dont get depressed and panic about them, there is a high chance that with a simple push you can put it to position.

Caller tune

Its the first time I went for putting a caller tune for my phone in 6 years...

I've added Bohemian Rhapsody by the band Queen...

Its written by Freddie mercury and featured in their 1975 album A Night at the Opera. Its a peculiar song, for a popular one, still it was a huge hit as a single and contributed in the popularity of the band. The music video they made for the single established the style of modern music videos. After its huge success it became the usual practice to make videos accompanying singles.

The song is very complex and is a mixture of capella, ballad, opera and hard rock parts fused in a very beautiful way. Although it got mixed reviews at its opening, the song went on to become a big success later and is regularly featured in top lists of greatest songs. Later it became the part of soundtrack of movie The Wayne's World.

Lyrics:

Is this the real life-
Is this just fantasy-
Caught in a landslide-
No escape from reality-
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see-
Im just a poor boy,i need no sympathy-
Because Im easy come,easy go,
A little high,little low,
Anyway the wind blows,doesnt really matter to me,
To me

Mama,just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head,
Pulled my trigger,now hes dead,
Mama,life had just begun,
But now Ive gone and thrown it all away-
Mama ooo,
Didnt mean to make you cry-
If Im not back again this time tomorrow-
Carry on,carry on,as if nothing really matters-

Too late,my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine-
Bodys aching all the time,
Goodbye everybody-Ive got to go-
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth-
Mama ooo- (any way the wind blows)
I dont want to die,
I sometimes wish Id never been born at all-

I see a little silhouetto of a man,
Scaramouche,scaramouche will you do the fandango-
Thunderbolt and lightning-very very frightening me-
Galileo,galileo,
Galileo galileo
Galileo figaro-magnifico-
But Im just a poor boy and nobody loves me-
Hes just a poor boy from a poor family-
Spare him his life from this monstrosity-
Easy come easy go-,will you let me go-
Bismillah! no-,we will not let you go-let him go-
Bismillah! we will not let you go-let him go
Bismillah! we will not let you go-let me go
Will not let you go-let me go
Will not let you go let me go
No,no,no,no,no,no,no-
Mama mia,mama mia,mama mia let me go-
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me,for me,for me-

So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye-
So you think you can love me and leave me to die-
Oh baby-cant do this to me baby-
Just gotta get out-just gotta get right outta here-

Nothing really matters,
Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters-,nothing really matters to me,

Any way the wind blows....


Video:

Crickety critics

One day I may become a movie critic!!!!

Not joking! Its a very good job, no investment, no need of technical knowledge, blabber what comes in your mind, dont give away whether the movie is good or bad, just use lot of jargon and be a pseudo intellect....

I am writing this after reading the review of some critics and after watching the movie they wrote about. I watched new Bond flick Quantam of Solace the last day.... The critics unanimously say that it lacks the Bond atmosphere- car, gadgets, one liners, Bond girls, and a cool Bond who never soils his Tux....

These same lot of critics had a couple of years back tore apart Die Another Day, for being too much artificial and for being formula ridden. They were feeling that Bond is getting more distant from the original novel version by Ian Fleming....

Now when Craig is giving them the raw, ruthless superspy, who gets bruised but kicks the real butt of villains as pictured by Fleming they all want the buttered Brosnan version.

I like Craig more than PB or even Connery. He makes Bond more humane and more believable.

The movie is also better than others may be second only to Casino Royale. And about story... Who cares...? James Bond is all about attitude!!!

Mechanical Forgery

My room mate was laughing when he saw my uniform on which company name was embroidered. My company name is ForgePro.

He is an advocate and the only forging that he knows about is forgery of documents and things. He asked me bewildered what exactly I am doing there. I had to explain him in detail that the mechanical forging is different and it involves totally different procedure. It is in no way illegal...

Fist of God

Finished Fist of God by Frederick Forsyth last day...

The thrills are good, fast paced and little more better than Afghan, its sequel. In this novel SAS man Mike Martin infiltrates Saddam's regime in Iraq while the annexation of Kuwait and subsequent drama is unfolding. Allies have a traiter in Iraq, someone from top of Saddam's circle who provides valuable military information for money. No one knows who he is, only that he operates under code name jericho. Martin's job is to enter Iraq posing as an Arab, and transfer information from Jericho. Special interest for Allies is Qubt Ul Allah or Fist of God suspected to be a WMD possibly nuclear that Saddam has made especially for Allied troops.

Forsyth writes novels based on historical novels with many real characters and some fictional elements and mostly succeeds in pulling out controversial entertainers. In Afghan Mike Martin enters Al Quaida camp posing as an Afghan. That book is also fine, except that action is less and mike doesnt do any thing much heroic as in Fist of God.

PN: I am tired of reading all these pageturners. I would really love to read some thing real and good, may be a biography or some kind of classic. Where can I get one?

Young Gun

I was watching Mad Max today evening.....

Ever watched the Aussie movie? The apocalyptic trilogy that catapulted Mel Gibson and Australian movies to international fame?

How different Mel Gibson looks. And acting? or I should say the lack of it?

The movie is set in future when anarchy sets in and a street war for gasoline is raging... Max is an interceptor of a what is left in a law enforcement agency. He loses his best pal and his family to a gang of bikers out on the road. And naturally he avenges the deaths brutally.

Watch the movie just to see a different Gibson. Gibson minus the desperate looks, numerous wrinkles and that ' I know all smile'. But there is absolutely nothing for him to perform. And the chases are also filmed superbly.

Legal Thrills

Last day I finished reading John Grisham's The Pelican Brief....

It is the first novel I read fully in digital format, as a Word file... and it is tiring... Your eyes feel exhausted and it is boring to read a novel in sitting position. May be I am reading one like that after years. But the novel is good.

This is my third novel by Grisham. First one was The Runaway Jury, which dealt with the dilemma of juries assigned to a tobacco litigation case. It was slow paced, but engrossing and had a superb climax... some thing that most popular novels lack... Many novels like Digital Fortress by Dan Brown, Ambler Warning and Sigma Protocol by Ludlum had a very lack lustre climax even though it progress in a very good way. Runaway Jury was good.

Next Grisham novel that I read was The Firm, that dealt with the dilemma of an advocate who gets trapped in a huge legal firm that serves bad guys. That was also a fine novel. But devoid of much details and information.

About Pelican Brief, it is a story about the murders of Supreme Court Judges in USA. Two high profile Judges are killed in same night by a pro who is suspected to be the most talented assassin in the world. White House puts the pressure on FBI and CIA to nab the culpirits. When they are making the list of suspects, a legal student researches and makes a brief about a leading pending case whoes outcome can be manipulated by the murders. The brief known as Pelican Brief when reaches White House puts President in real trouble as it can tarnish his image in the coming re-elections. Murder attempts are made on the student and her professer com lover is killed. A mob of killers are out on streets for the blood of any one who has seen the brief, and she has to expose the truth while saving herself from imminent death with the help of a news thirsty reporter who can go to any lengths for a scoop....

A friend indeed

I called one of my dearest friends yesterday...

After a long gap of 4 years...
Its my own fault... I dont care for keping up my contacts....
But the feeling when you contact some one after such a long time is awesome...
There will be a lot to say... long list of complaints, a lot of catching up.... nostalgia.. glimpses of all the time you spend together... its a great feeling altogether..

And what a time to call... next month he is getting married...
Got a sweet invitation....
A must attend wedding next month...

Anger Management

There is a dialogue in the Malayalam movie Adhipan told by a drunken Mohan Lal: " Wow, what a relief after calling some one a bastard."

I know it is true now because today I did it. The victim was HR executive of previous firm where I worked. I wanted to settle my old PF account, but due to a mistake from PF office, I recieved only a small amount as settlement. Thereafter it was a frantic running around for long 4 months now. I have to leave all my work and travel from Bangalore to Coimbatore and from there run around from PF office to HR dept of the company. A full day's work and a financial loss of around 1000 bucks.

Apart from that I calls PF office and HR office atleast once in 2 weeks. Each time a new guy attends the call and I have to explain him every thing from start. Ultimately last month I settled the things and was expecting the cash to come by this month at least. This week also nothing happened.... I called the HR officer today and he was asking me which PF amount I was talking about. Blood rushed into my head and I shouted to him what all came into my mind.....

After 10 minutes he called me back.... He started explaining to me and promised that he will personaly attend the case.

Moral of the story: "Only crying baby gets milk"

TT day...

Today I played Table tennis after a long gap....

The occasion was the sports day of the group of companies in which I am working.

The first time I played TT was when I was studying first year at NTTF... all my batchmates especially malayalees developed a sudden interest. We had TT board and some bats at hostel auditorium and we used to practice almost daily for some time....

After that I touched TT bat after a gap of 4 years when I was working at NTTF, for a very short while only....

Then its today again after a gap of 4 years... But a very disappointing experience. I was not able to do even a warm up before the match. Lack of practice clearly showed up... I was out in first match itself... first set 11-6, second 11-9. Luck was also too bad today.... there where guys who dont even know how to hold the bat, as I got last year's runner up as competitor.....

Later I played for some time after TT board was free... within just half an hour I was able to spin the ball and control its speed and pitching. And I can confidently say that if I get that guy again for a match I can finish him off... But gone is gone..... I will have to wait for another opportunity... may be next year...

Sensex for Dummies

Last sunday I watched this movie called Saas Bahu & Sensex. Interesting name? Directed by Shona Urvashi and produced by Warner Bros. it is a comedy about the most unlikely investors in Indian stock market. The soap watching, gossiping, nagging, kitty ladies in a colony gets interested in stock trading... and what follows is hilarious....

It is the kind of movie that draws people only in multiplexes and many people watches after it is aired in a cable channel- which will happen soon, and certified a flop in the first week of release. But the movie addresses a very important question arising every investor's mind in a bullish market- to keep or to sell. And the answer given is simple and the most accurate... When price is less buy, buy after studying the potential of the company.... always invest with a long term goal...

And at this time of turmoil in the market, this movie may put some sense in worried investor's minds. Because the falls are not here to stay, there will be a rise, stay sensible and reap the benefits....

PN: Watching Farroq Sheikh after a long hiatus is refreshing, after all, these days where do we see such natural comedians.... all overacting buffoonery...

The Class

Last day evening I was sitting with two gentlemen much senior to me. It was a very accidental meeting. I was in darkroom when they entered. There was no space for them and I was sitting alone. Waiter made them sit next to me. They were two aged guys talking in Kannada. When they asked me from where I was I responded that I am a Malayalee in Kannada. They were impressed and appreciated the fact that I learned the local language in so less a time. Then we started conversing. About life in general, career, their views about world and stuff like that. The kind of conversation that you will die for but seldom manage to do.

They were two senior advocates- contented advocates if I borrow their words. They earns what I earns in a month as just 3 hours consultation fee. Still they considered me as a mate. The elder person was speaking of the class. He told we belonged to a class, although we were different age, profession, earning or community. I could identify it immediately- it was the class of refined, content, emotionally matured people who are brought up with a cultured parentage.... That was the thing that connected us... We are a minority. But no one can miss us.

Lessons in Coexistence- Bollywood style

Today I happened to see a Hindi movie- Hulla directed by Jaideep Verma. Movie is not a big budget trash that Bollywood churns out regularly like Dhoom 2 or the more recent Drona, nor is it the serious crossover self centric cinema like The Last Lear or No Smoking. If you are familiar with Rajat Kapoor kind of film making you can identify the genre of this movie. Its not a cinematic masterpiece or not even a good entertainer. It drags in parts, there is lot of overacting and hamming.

But the best part of Hulla is that it portrays the importance of Coexisting in the modern society. It shows how a very simple situation if tackled with some amiability can turn nasty and out of control due to egoistic and self centered approach by the protagonists. In the movie every one connected with the incident loses much...

Another movie which deals with same theme in a more popular and entertaining style is Taxi No. 9-2-11, starring Nana and John Abraham.

TATA... bye bye...What next?

So after a long political drama and uncertainties TATA is pulling out of Singur. What next?

Many questions arise at this critical juncture...

• When will ultimately the common man's car roll out?
  

• Who benefits out of Tata's exit from Singur? ....Mamatha Banarjee- after a successful campaign against the plant? Other state govts who finally gets a chance too woo Tata to their place? Common farmers who may get their acquired land? Rivals of Tata who dreads an entry of Nano- other small car, two wheeler and three wheeler manufacturers, to whom Nano is a threat? or any real estate agencies who may be planning to grab the acquired land at a cheap cost?

• Who are the losers? ..... Tatas who have invested a fortune there? Ruling communist party who has lost their image? People of Bengal?

• What will happen to all the acquired land? Will it go back to farmers or will some one make it their own once the temperature comes down?
  

The Stranger.....

Mahendra Kapoor is no more....

His demise happened couple of days back. I am surprised I am late to mention it in this blog.... Because he is one of those singers who has sung such a gem of songs- especially sad and patriotic numbers, that I really love to hear repeatedly..

I am used to hearing hindi songs from a long time... I started watching Rangoli program in DD when I was around 10 years. But I started hearing them seriously from when I was 15, when I bought an audio cassette of Kishore Kumar songs sung by Abhijeet. I started collecting cassettes of Kishore, Rafi and Mukesh which where available in plenty. I was not aware of Mahendra Kapoor then. After 5 more years when I was working at Bangalore my room mate bought an old cassette of a collection of sad songs, of which many I had heard before. I thought they were sung by Rafi. My friend corrected me and explained about Mahendra Kapoor.

After repeatedly hearing them I really started loving those soulful, melodious numbers. Some of those songs were 'Andhere mein jo baithe hain', 'Mere desh ki dharti', 'Cahlo ek baar phirse', 'Tum agar satth dene ka' etc. He was the voice of Manoj Kumar as Mukesh was to Raj Kapoor.

After some more years I happened to read an article about poet Sahir Ludhiyaanvi who had written the lyrics of the song ' Chalo ek baar'. In it was the circumstances that led him to write the song. After reading that I started loving the song much more. I was more humbled by the singing of Mahendra Kapoor, because he was able to portray the true emotion that may be felt by Sahir while penning the poem.

'Chalo ek baar' Video

Gandhi Jayanthi thoughts

Its October 2nd today... The day in which nation celebrates the birthday of a father figure.... Of such a personality about whom much is told and written...

Last day I was chatting with a friend of mine when I casually remarked on Gandhiji... It seems he hates him, he told me Gandhi was responsible for deaths of thousands of Indians and for the partition of India into India and Pakistan. He told all he did was drive Indians towards the lathis and other weapons of soldiers and made them suffer torture... He himself never undergone any sufferings. And Gandhi was responsible for the hanging of Bhagat singh and his comrades. As per his opinion we gained independence due to the fear in the mind of Britishers of revolutionaries like Bose and Azad...

This I believe is the opinion of a whole generation. In Orkut and other forums there is lot of Gandhi bashing going on... making him responsible for all troubles India has now. Some even blames him for putting his family to suffer and not providing enough care for his children...

How much of this is true? Of course every mortal in this world are bound to make mistakes, every one will be in some sort of cross roads or dilemma in some point of their life time, where they are forced to take a decision, which may be painful or proved wrong in future... We dont know at that point whether the step that we take are right or a blunder but the strength of a person, I believe is in taking the decision. And if you have a set of strong fundamental principles that are evolved and tested with time, which is always a reference point while deciding, the chance of a wrong decision is minimal. Still if you made a wrong choice, there is no way but to bear the responsibility for that, do every corrective actions possible and amend your principles in order to prevent any future mishaps....

This I believe was Gandhiji's modus operandi... It is a hard way to follow, and that is precisely the reason why we have very less people following the path.. we have one Buddha, one Asoka, one Gandhi or one Jesus at any point in history...

I would like to paint a picture of Gandhi if he was like you and me or like those numerous barristers trained in England at that period...

After completing his studies he reaches back to Gujarat and starts a practice there, in due course of time he will attend many cases make a huge bank balance, provide a princely life for his children who will attend colleges abroad. Ba lives the life of a queen. Then Gandhiji realizes that money is not every thing and slowly turns into politics. Moment is ripe, nationalism is spreading its roots. With his enterprising skills reaching the positions of Congress will be a cakewalk for him. By pulling threads inside some how he reaches the positions of Congress President... Second world war is going on... Britain is slowly turning poor due to all war expenditure and heavy losses. They are bent, some negotiation will surely make them to break. Nation gets its independence, Gandhi is the first President. All powers to President... an autocratic rule follows, where every one against the power is oppressed and silenced. Following years of tyranny some other leader or common people or military decides to put an end to it. He is assassinated and some other autocrat or oppressor takes the role.

Sounds familiar? This is the story similar to many other countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America that gained freedom along with India... Ever thought why this has not happened in India?.... Due to the rigourus training course through which Indian common man was put through in four or five decades before gaining freedom.. A course designed by Gandhi and put into practise by other eminent leaders of the time. Even at the verge of attaining freedom Gandhiji knew that freedom was not ripe enough and Indians are not still prepared for it. The course was still not over... But the pressure from other leaders where enormous. British offered freedom but kept a choice of partition along with it. Power hungry leaders struck to it. History says Gandhi consented with partition. And whole world blames him for it. But any layman who has some ability to read between lines can find what is the truth..... It is that he was sidelined. Dirty politics had entered the arena.... Our first Prime Minister and Home Minister had stitched their new coats ready and they were impatient to wear it... Along with them the new Wazir-i-azam of our new brother country Pakistan....

Do you know the real story during partition?

Lord Mount Batten was expecting troubles and riots during partition... two regions prone for violence were Bengal and Punjab.... As per Mount Batten's analysis hot headed Bengal was more explosive and Punjab he was confident that he could manage. He devised a plan to contain violence by sorting the help from Gandhiji. He requested the presence of Gandhiji at Bengal after partition. The presence of Gandhiji made sure that after partition the violence in Bengal was minimal. But Punjab proved to be a failure. All of Mount Batten's force couldn't stop the loss of lives of a million people...

Instead of resigning to a life of luxuary and content this guy abandoned every thing and clad only in a single cloth with the help of a staff toured the villages in India mobilising people and making each of them desire freedom just like if not more than the elite in cities... He lived the life of a sanyasi practicing any thing that he preached on himself first. Most of his time he spent in British Jails.... He served the poor like one among them. And he was not power crazy, other wise with his kind of public support none could stop him from reching the top power centres...

Ever read any part of his literature? In it contains every planning, that too from root level of building up a strong nation, not military strong but one that is strong fundamentaly, one laid on the strong foundations of truth.... You can call him unpractical, you can disagree with him, but I feel accusing him of all the above said crime is an injustice...

The great attack...

Today I didn't go for jogging...

Actually I had started to jog only last week, with my room mate. It was going fine, but we didn't jog on Sunday telling that we will have a day off. Then we didn't go on Monday... We were not able to get up at our usual time ie 5:30 am. On Tuesday we went and today again we missed. I really love to jog but only problem is getting up from bed. If that is done half work is done....

I think the great attack of Laziness has started again... Last time it struck when I was going to gym.. I did it for around 6 months and then left it totally without any provocation. If I had continued it today I would have had some 6 or 8 pack.... But now i just have all of these pack rolled into one big air bag...

I wont let it strike again, I will continue jogging from the next day......

Malgudi...

Just finished reading Malgudi Days by R K Narayan.....

As Expected... too good, too simple, just like that old teleserial, directed by Shankar Nag.

Malgudi is an imaginary world created by R K Narayan. But you can find the inhabitants of Malgudi in any part of the world.... The people, their characters are so like our own world, in which we live in, that we feel one with them. The stories are very simple, some slightly tragic, but never exaggerated mostly humorous but never slapstick.... Narayan never tries to emotionally blackmail the readers by too colorful emotions. He shows the protagonists as they are, gives space for us to be one with them and identify them. He never takes parts or justifies, he just chronicles the life as a historian- yes that is what he is, Historian of Malgudi.....

Some job thoughts... Some flashbacks....

Back from job just now, Eight o clock in the evening...

Timings are becoming absurd these days. Its better to shift some where near the company. Morning seven thirty I have to leave from room, and usual come back time is 8:30. About two hour goes in travel alone. But its ok... at least I am happy now, things have started working out. Seems at last rays of hope is pouring to my life. Last eight months had been terrible.

Working for my last company was my biggest mistake in my life.. I should not have allowed to be taken for granted. Wherever I had worked before I had earned a respect and well wishes from all my associates. And from this place nothing other than many criticism and mud slinging....I dont over react like them, so they think that I dont react at all... When I reacted I made it extreme. Then I did the right thing, I left the place at the right time.

And with much better results, in a month I got a good job in a multi national firm. Now I am getting the consideration of a professional, great support from seniors and subordinates, a tension free work environment...

A Wednesday...... and many saturdays....

A bomb exploded in Delhi....

I mean another bomb exploded in Delhi...

Two weeks back it was a sereis of blasts where many lost lives, relations, senses.... every thing.

Political leaders were busy 'condemning' the act....

Three week back they released a movie called A Wednesday, which put forwards a disturbing question to all sensible citizens of India, 'if there are cockroaches in your home will you kill them or will you breed them?' It meant to say that the common man is losing their patience due to repeated terror strikes and inability of concerned authorities to even nab the responsible, let alone prevent them pre- blasts.....

I feel it is time for each of us to put forward the question to authorities.... will you do some thing or shall we take up the responsibility to clean our house?

If public takes charge of things it will be horrific... public dont look at faces.... it will be brutal.... a mob has no discipline nor it has any morality..... remember Godhra.... after effects of a retaliation will be severe.... and government with its silent and indirect patronising is provoking man to turn beasts.....

Wake up before things go out of hands.... Show us people that you can do something useful other than horse trading and shouting in parliment..l..

Make us feel safe... and please put an end to testing the patience....

For God's sake stop condemning terror strikes and put an end to them....

Umpteenth Personal Diary in Net.....

Dear friend who came this far to read this insignificant post,

Thank you.

I know there are umpteen number of people writing their personal diaries as blogs. What makes my jotters any different from them, or from your personal life... or from any normal average soul ever to walk on this planet earth?...

I am not an adventurer, nor am I a Casanova... I don't travel too far or wide.... I live my life, as any other mortal around me, savoring life as good or bad as it is, as sweet or bitter as it is, displaying my fixed set of emotions, whenever and wherever I feel they are appropriate.....

So think my dear reader, why should you take this trouble... come all the way through the cyber jungle and read this uttering....?

I will tell you why....

• Because although the emotions displayed by each soul in this universe are same and identical, the proportion of this unique mixture is varied.... and there fore each person has a unique mind set
• Because like architects who with a piece of rock with them goes on to make sculptures that are unique, we too molds our life according to our mind set as we wants....

Feeling bored.....

I promise to come up with some thing more better and worthy in next post....