Poor man’s fight

Not 5 mins back two people in my coach were having a shouting match. Topic “Whose space was it to put the luggage?” Let me call them passenger A and B.

B came and found luggage space under his seat occupied. He asked around and nobody claimed. The bags were exchanged and B settled down.

10 mins later A entered. His seat was couple of rows away. He flew into rage seeing his luggage on the ground. And the slinging match started. Clearly A was in wrong here but I don’t want to go into it.

Have you observed that chances of such fights are higher in trains than in planes; higher in sleeper coaches than in AC coaches; higher in city bus than in private AC bus; higher in hot places than in cooler climates. In fact they increase with decreasing money in the pocket.

Two relatively poor people are prone to fight over such things more than two relatively rich people.

Guess everything is a fight for survival for us poor strata of people.

Fart by Heart

I am travelling via train to my hometown. Given the upcoming extra long weekend, the trains are bulging with passengers. Just as I settled in my seat and started to take a nap, I woke up with a nauseating smell.

My fellow passenger introduced us to the lunch he took earlier in the day. It was a sickening smell which left us looking for cover in true sense.

My head became heavy and heart beat a notch higher. Just as I tried to acclimatise, the next attack. I lost all my senses and the will to live.

Since all I can think now is fart, I thought to put it to creative use. How does the below things smell now?

1. Flip-fart
2. Fart-tey raho
3. Fart bina chain kaha re
4. Fart-ti utaaroon main
5. My fart will go on…
6. Fart-tiya ilaaz hai bhaisaab.
7. Deepak Chourasia Fart Tak
8. Aisa com-fart aur kahan
9. Fart se maar do isey
10. I like Fartists.

Should Have Been

Should have been a fish,
Sometimes I do wish,
Swim across the ocean,
Splash aqua, lots of fun.

Should have been a bird,
If my voice was heard,
Fly front n back, low n high,
Mine would be whole sky.

Should have been a ‘roach,
But maker didn’t approach,
Nothing to care or to attend,
Be alive even if all else end.

Should have been a Sundae,
If they followed my fundae,
Chocolate fudge n Whipped cream,
Has been one of those dream.

Should have been a chicken,
Out of my wishful thinken’,
No fights, No shouts loud,
I could always chicken out.

Should have been a popcorn,
It’s what I want, why u scorn?
Poppin n Jumpin quite a lot,
Put in oven, my backside hot.

Should have been a turd,
Formed out of milk n curd,
Gave a fellow satisfaction,
As I came outta captivation.

Disgracing Journalism

As the number of news channels grew, the quality of journalism took a hit. Quality v/s quantity debate has been for long and journalism was not left untouched.

Media is considered one of the pillars of democracy and hence the concept of Free Media. Free in the sense that no pressure or censorship from outside. Media is expected to be self-regulated, just like judiciary. However vested interests among media are hell bent to destroy this.

Over the years reporters have put their life on the line. Hence it pains me to write this. Ever since Radia tapes came out and two senior journalists were named, it was sad to see that they were not shamed. They kept their jobs, were not shunned. They prospered even more.

The self-regulation of media was required. Alas! It was not to be. Modi was hounded by media persons for 12 years and rightly so. I applaud media to do so. But now that he is PM and on a foreign tour we should hold our horses. As long as he is abroad, debates should be on his foreign policy and relations with that country. There will be a lot of time to dissect his old doings when he comes back.

A senior media person, to get into fist fight with people in a foreign land, does not bide well for journalism as a whole. In Deepika v/s TimesOfIndia, where it was evident media house was in wrong, the reporters kept coming out with the sleaziest of POV’s that could be.

In this case also the senior reporter was the first to come out with a video, which turned out to be half-truth. When I first saw the video, I was supportive of him and angry at the un-civilized crowd. But after seeing the entire video, I am just speechless. I urge media once again to stand up and make self-regulation counted. But the only response I see from media is, “Mehhh…”.

Weekends: End of a Romance

There are days when Thursday feels like advent of weekend. Then there are days when Friday feels like a weekday still. I am sure most of us would have had this feeling one time or the other.

What leads to these emotions? Sometimes if the work is less on Thu, the mood remains jolly and we feel a fake Fri. Probably a Fri with lots of work makes us forget the charming Sat/Sun. Then there are long weekends (with Fri a holiday) and there are working Sat.

As I grow older, the boundaries are somewhat getting blurred. I am able to schedule my work better. Find time on weekdays if I want, work on weekends if so required. The charm of weekends seems to have watered down.

These days my activity level goes down on weekends, and I long to get back to work, just to get the kick. It would have sounded laughable to me few years ago, when all I lived was for weekends.

In fact the charm of month ends (read salary days), is also not so much now. EMI’s have probably killed the romance.

I might find some charm back of Weekends/Monthends once I have a family. At least I hope so!

पगली की याद

क्या तुमने मुझको याद किया,
जब तूने मुझसे पुछा उस दिन,
क्यों बोलूं झूठ, न याद किया,
पगली याद करूँ गर भूलूँ मैं।

बात कभी अब तुम न करते,
लगता है मुझसे ऊब गए हो,
ऊबने की बात है कहाँ से आई,
पगली दिलचस्पी पूरी ले तो लूँ।

मिलने को बुलाती, तुम न आते,
हर पल बस दूर ही भागे जाते,
अपनी दूरी कैसे बढ़ सकती है,
पगली पास तो पूरा आ जाऊं।

सुनते ही नहीं, मैं बड़-२ करती,
बिलकुल भी मुझपे ध्यान नहीं,
अरे सोचूँ मैं कुछ और तो तब,
पगली ध्यान से पहले हटे तो तू।

सजके सँवरके आई थी मैं,
एक स्वर भी प्रशंसा नहीं करी,
कितनी मैं करूँ तारीफ तेरी,
पगली हर रोज परी है लगती तू।

व्रत था तुम्हारे लिए रखना,
डांट के तुमने मना किया क्यों,
तू सुनती मेरी क्या डांट बिना,
पगली तुझे भूखा कैसे देख सकूँ।

क्या तुमने मुझको याद किया,
जब तूने मुझसे पुछा उस दिन,
क्यों बोलूं झूठ, न याद किया,
पगली याद करूँ गर भूलूँ मैं।।

Mars Orbiter and India

Mars Orbiter takes India to dizzying heights in Space research. You would have already read a lot about technical intricacies of the mission, so I would not elaborate on that. That’s the stuff for geniuses anyways.

I recall a conversation from decade back from college days. Topic of Mars exploration came up and we wondered when our country would achieve that. It was during college and quite few of us wanted to be part of this dream.

I remember a funny reply that one my friend gave in a drunken stupor. “Hey, I would move to US; become a citizen there. My Country would then have gone to Mars Man! Simple”. Not that he really meant what he said. Such characters who could play with words either ways used be in abundance.

Out of the nations ravaged by colonial rule, we are way ahead. Chaiwaala becoming a PM is one of the things that keep sanity in this country. We know that hard work pays here and there is no need to grab and dash. Mars Orbiter also showcases the exploits of that hard work.

Hope MOM gives impetus to next generation of Space Research in India.

Nehru v/s Gandhi: The evil of dynasty

Nehru was known to be the closest confidant of Gandhi. This perception was formalized when Gandhi blessed Nehru as India’s first PM.

I am no one to question to Gandhi’s judgment. In fact Nehru did quite a good job to keep the nation together. Other nations who got independence around the same time were withering away while India progressed. Backbone of India’s technological advancement could be attributed to Nehru’s forward thinking.

However Nehru gave India something much more evil, “The curse of dynastic politics”. Here Gandhi was different from Nehru. People accuse Gandhi of neglecting his children, but for me it was Gandhi’s yet another sacrifice for the nation.

He knew nothing good comes out of dynasty. Had Gandhi nurtured his own children, they would be heading congress rather than the Nehru clan.

Gandhi, the saint that he was, could not get himself to do that. He kept his children out of politics. For me he was an accidental father. In essence he was more like top national leaders of BJP, who either didn’t have children or never forwarded them into politics.

When Gandhi forwarded Nehru, he would not have anticipated what would become of his legacy. He would have wanted Nehru to do the same that he himself did. Making his daughter, his Chief of Staff, would be the last thing Gandhi would have wanted Nehru to do.

गोलू मेरे पास है

मुझे पढ़ते वक़्त कलम से कुछ भी लिखने/बनाने की आदत है। कोई चित्र, कोई शब्द, कुछ भी। यह मेरे ख्यालों से अपने आप निकलते हैं। “मैं गोलू के पास हूँ, गोलू मेरे पास है”, एक दिन पढ़ते वक़्त मैं यह लिख बैठा किताब पे। कुछ देर के पश्चात, मेरा एक मित्र मुझसे मिलने आया और उसकी नज़र इस लाइन पे पड़ गयी। वह हंस-२ के लोटपोट हो गया।

इस किस्से को करीब १० साल हो गए, पर मेरा मित्र इसे भूल नहीं पाया। न ही उसने मुझे भूलने दिया। जबतब वह मेरी टांग खींचता रहता है, इस बात पर।

मित्रों ऐसे कितने ही किस्से हो जाते हैं जीवन में। कुछ हम संजोह पाते हैं, कुछ धुंधले हो जाते हैं। दोस्त भी ऐसे ही एक किस्से की तरह होते हैं। कुछ से हम संपर्क में रहते हैं, कुछ अतीत का हिस्सा बनकर रह जाते हैं। कितना अच्छा हो अगर हम ऐसी हर याद को अपने पास रख पाएं, जब तब अनुभव कर पाएं उस एहसास का।

एक अंग्रेजी चित्रपट में दिखाया गया था की कैसे हम अपने मष्तिष्क में अपनी हर याद को संझोह के रख सकते हैं। हम एक ऐसी दुनिया बसा सकते हैं जिसमें हमें अपने सारे मित्र, परिवार, एक साथ रहने का आभास दें। बस आँखें बंद करें और डूब जाएँ अपनी यादों के समुन्दर में।

गोलू भी वही दर्शाता है। मैं गोलू के करीब उतना ही हूँ, जितना गोलू मेरे करीब रहना चाहता है। यह एक दुराही मार्ग है। कोई याद अगर कड़वी है, तो उसे हम कहीं गहराई में दफना देते हैं। गोलू और मैं दूरी बना लेते हैं।

जिन लोगों से हम संपर्क में रहते हैं, वह लोग हमसे संपर्क में रहना चाहते हैं। वह हमारे लिए गोलू होते हैं, हम उनके लिए गोलू होते हैं। अत: मैं गोलू के पास हूँ, गोलू मेरे पास है।

Vrindavan Widows: The Helpless Old Ladies

My hometown, Agra is next to Vrindavan. A drive to the temple and back used to be our once in month getaway, growing up. The place is divine in the true sense. You will have to visit once to get the feel of it

Recently the female MP, who is an actor by profession, made a comment on the widows that stay in the city. They were called unwelcome beggars among other things.

I am not really sure since when these ladies started coming here. But it has been quite some time. “Going by your deeds, I don’t expect you will take care of me. If your father goes before me, I will got to Vrindavan and live there”, mothers chastise their sons in this side of the world, albeit in jest.

I won’t take a theoretical approach here. I will admit, as per my first hand knowledge, what the MP said is true to some extent. They do beg for money and a lot of people who visit the city are more than willing to help the old ladies in whites. But this is where the truth of her statement ends.

I agree that most of the ladies come from across the country. But they come here when they have nowhere else to go. When the husband dies, the house and the money is gobbled up by the relatives in remote villages even today and these ladies are left with nothing.

Just because there exists a place called Vrindavan, a large number of them are alive. Or else they would have been dead by now. It needs to be celebrated and not looked down upon. Virndavan has become synonymous with LIFE for such ladies across the country.

The MP was recently mocked for not spending time in her constituency where ideally she should permanently stay. Given this background, such a statement reeks of desperation to rake up some local emotions and make her presence count.

Being a lady herself, she should have used this as a divine opportunity to serve and take care of vulnerable and helpless ladies. Small scale industries can be set up here, utilizing this ready made labor. This would not only give them a dignified life, but also take care of the issues that the MP has mentioned.

But Alas! That would require her devoting time and energy here. It’s more convenient to visit for a day; make some disparaging remark; go back to Mumbai and sleep in peace.

Nicknames

Laal naak, Lambardaar, Kholu, Dhakkan, Steel.

Before you think I am babbling like a mad man, let me clarify. These are few nicknames I remember of my college mates. I have forgotten real names of lot of them, still remember them by nicknames.

If you try and think, nicknames are not just random, they depict a personal trait. “Real names are by birth, nicknames are based on sh** you do in life”.

There was a Laal Naak with nose as red as anything you will see. When he asked a question in class, it went even redder. Kholu was the highest rank guy in our batch. Dhakkan was the closing rank. Steel had such elasticity when it came to arguments. Even if you said earth go round the sun, he would have a nonsensical counter ready to throw back at you. There were more of such names that I can’t discuss here sadly. They were based on various body parts down south, if you know what I mean.

What these nicknames do is create new friendships. We are all new to college; A bunch of strangers thrown together. Nicknames give us a sense of family. Just like parents give us a name at birth, nicknames represent a new phase of life, with a new set of people.

When you go home and your parents call you by some silly pet name, it means something special. No one else in the world calls you by that name. Same is the case with college nickname. You get a new name at work. Another by your life partner.

Each one represents a new phase, a new life, a new birth, new experiences and new memories.

बेचैन दिल

दिल रहता है बेचैनी में,
जाने क्यों मेरा कबसे,
हर आहट से है लगता ये,
कि आई वो मेरी चौखट।

आँखें मेरी तरस गयीं,
न हुआ पर दीदार मुझे,
मर्ज़ जो है मुझे लगा,
कोई इलाज़ पता तुझे।

रातों को करता हूँ गिनती,
तारे तो अनगिनत ठहरे,
झींगुर की झन-झन भी अब,
मुझको लगने लगी लोरी।

हवा के हर एक झौंके से,
मन तड़पा मेरा जाता है,
स्पर्श नहीं कुछ सुगंध सही,
क्यों लाता अपने साथ नहीं।

कोई कोयल कूकी डाली पे,
लगा कि संदेशा है लायी,
न तू लायी कोई बात नहीं,
एक मेरा संदेशा पहुंचा दे।

चांदनी में भीगा हर कण,
मुझे अपना सा लगता है,
इसी चांदनी को यार मेरा,
ओढ़ रहा होगा इस पल।

कहते हैं घूमती धरती है,
धुरी पे अपनी हर एक पल,
थम जाऊं गर मैं इस क्षण,
क्या धरती मुझे मिला देगी॥

BJP: Three in a row. ‘sup Bro?

Elections have proven to be a great leveler once again. Political pundits were left scrambling for the reasons behind by-election debacle of BJP. That it has happened three times in a row makes it all too noteworthy.

What can be the reason? Well I can think of few.

First is the ever thinning patience of the voters which I mentioned few days ago. People want corruption free, polarization free, appeasement free development. When General elections were fought on these principles, it paid. When assembly by-elections were fought otherwise, the party had to pay the price.

Next is the Modi wave or lack of? Modi didn’t campaign. Second rung firebrand leaders were at the center of it all. Had he campaigned, things would have been different. Also his silence on his party’s not so subtle forays of late, seem to have irked junta. Nobody wants another Manmohan. Hope these results instill some sense and for good.

Loss could also be attributed to the dearth of local stars. We haven’t had anyone of Rajnath’s stature in UP politics ever since he moved to Centre. It did hurt this time.

To put it in one word, it’s Arrogance. They started speaking the language of the ousted Government soon after taking power. Following the footsteps of the previous Govt in Governor issue, Less than honest means for Govt formation in Delhi and sting thereof, flaring communal tensions in UP, hiding behind norms and institutions, were few of such things.

If they need to survive, they must gain back public confidence. It can’t be earned by acting smart and by being arrogant. People see through it. Next time you try and hoodwink public, know this, we ain’t no fool no more.

अच्छे दिन आने वाले हैं

अलग-२ दल लगाएं अलग-२ नारे,
सब दौड़ें हितैषी बनने को हमारे,
टर्राने लगे हैं जैसे मेंढक बरसात में,
कुछ दिन तो गुजारिये गुजरात में।

कोई फेंके है रोटी, ललचाये है पैसा,
निकाले हैं आंसू, नाटक कैसा कैसा,
वादे झूठे सुनाकर, करे सीट पक्की,
हर हाथ शक्ति, हर हाथ तरक्की।

अभी की नहीं, रीत है ये पुरानी,
राजा की बेटी, हुई मुल्क की रानी,
सालों तक रखा, सबको हक़ से दूर,
एक शेरनी सौ लंगूर, चिकमंगलूर।

रुक रुक के बोले, बड़े हौले हौले,
विरोध मेरा, ये अच्छी बात नहीं है,
सबका होगा भला, नर हो या नारी,
चुनो अबकी बारी अटल बिहारी।

बाप और बेटा, साईकल पे डोलें,
सद्भावना फ़ैलाने की बात बोलें,
फूल को मसलें, रोकें हाथी का दम,
यूपी में है दम, जुर्म हैं यहाँ कम।

सरपट मैं दौड़ा, हो रेस का घोडा,
दर-२ पे भटका, भूका औ प्यासा,
जीतते ही हम भर पेट खाना वाले हैं,
क्योंकि अच्छे दिन आने वाले हैं।।

What Times are Now?

An unfortunate controversy erupted when a leading English Newsgroup published a not so subtle article about a leading actress. Without getting into the details of the write up, silence of the associated news channel amuses me. On all other issues, this TV channel is always here and Now.

Had it been a politician who would have made some unsavory speech; had it been a police head who would have issued a demeaning guideline; had it been some actor who would have made some politically incorrect observation, the channel would have raised hue and cry on primetime and rightly so. The primetime which it boasts have garnered highest TRP’s in the last 5 years.

But today all silence. It’s not an isolated incident. If you go to their website, you would see more of such obnoxious articles. Skimpy clad images of female models collated from across the globe. Explicit stuff posted at the very top, just to grab eyeballs.

Some of the headings with equally raunchy pics one finds there are, “Babes flaunt assets online”, “Bollywood babes unbuttoned”, “Hotties’ peek-a-boo moments”, “Celebs caught pantyless” and “Celebs’ oops moment!” I feel ashamed even typing them, but not the newsgroup which can do anything for money.

What I am afraid is that such acts leave the fourth pillar vulnerable to attack. In their lust for readership to plunder advertising revenue, they are ready to sell the very essence of news. I agree that these pics are collated from public domain but why plaster them on the news website?

I urge Press Council of India to take suo moto cognizance and issue appropriate guidelines. Now is the Time to put an end.

दाढ़ी वाले बाबा

कुछ बचपन की यादें ताजा,
करता हूँ तो उठते कुछ सवाल,
सुना बहुत, पर होता क्या है?
टिंडे की जड़ औ बाल की खाल।

बाजार से जा दो टिंडे लाया,
सुबह से शाम किया उन्हें हलाल,
लेकिन फिर भी ढूंढ न पाया,
टिंडे की जड़ औ बाल की खाल।

सुबह मैं तड़के नाई के पहुंचा,
औ सफा कराया एक एक बाल,
घिर गयी रात पर हाथ न आई,
टिंडे की जड़ औ बाल की खाल।

जब कभी मचाया था ऊधम,
जोर से मरोड़ा गया था कान,
एक बार जो तू हाथ में आएगा,
चूहे की कोठरी में डाला जाएगा।

पूरे दो दिन से जगा हुआ हूँ,
चूहों के पीछे ही लगा हुआ हूँ,
हर संभव मैंने कोशिश की,
पर न मिली कोठरी चूहे की।

एक और किस्सा याद आता है,
डराया करती थी जब माँ मुझको,
बेटा अगर तू खाना नहीं खायेगा,
दाढ़ी वाला बाबा उठा ले जाएगा।

एक दिन सोचा कि व्रत मैं करूँ,
औ दिन भर कुछ न खाऊँ पियूं,
चौखट पर बैठा टकटकी लगाये,
पर दाढ़ी वाले बाबा नहीं आये।।

Apology Tourism

One of my friends visited a WW2 Extermination Camp, Majdanek in Poland. He was all oohs and aahs about the atrocities committed and what he learnt of them. Hitler this and Hitler that! I agree that people endured some unspeakable atrocities there, but does that give us a right to turn it into a tourist place?

One major argument for turning such structures into tourist places is that future generations can learn from the mistakes. “Once you see it for yourself, the horror of it, you will become a better person”, is what we are fed. But does it really happen? Apart from adding to tourism revenue and serving some political agenda, they serve little purpose.

How are we better than Hitler? Do we not stand and let people get killed en masse all around the globe; by mighty and crippled economies alike? Some kill there own people, some kill abroad. Point being, tour of such places does not help reduce the horror. Attracting opulent patrons to such places, I call “Apology Tourism”.

The truth is we just want to sit in our cozy little houses, oblivious of the current. We wait for our present to turn into past so that our children can tour the upcoming horror houses. Thus keeping the Apology Tourism alive.

Lets not be hypocrites. We just need tourist places to go and spend our holidays. And since we have lots of weekends to kill, we have gone a step ahead and converted tales of human miseries to our convenience.

Hardly any tourist would have sobbed at Majdanek. One thing he/she would have done for sure is to click pictures to put online. We should stop hiding and admit that we just go there to enjoy. Learning from history is a sob story and a bad one at that. If any tourist ends up making a difference, I would be proven wrong. But I seriously doubt.

Given the inaction of people like us who sneeze when it breeze, such tourist destinations will keep presenting themselves around the world. Our weekends stand booked.

भक् साला

जब दिखी कोई सुन्दर कन्या,
मन मचला सा क्यों जाता है,
जैसे बिन चाबी का ताला,
दिल करे कि बोलूं भक् साला।

उस दिन तो यारों हद हो गयी,
घर का रास्ता ही भटक गया,
कोई वशी-इत्र उसने डाला,
दिल करे कि बोलूं भक् साला।

सब्जी लेने को गया था मैं,
वहां किलो-२ भर तोल रही,
धनिया भी मुफ्त में न डाला,
दिल करे कि बोलूं भक् साला।

सोचा चलो जांच मैं करवा लूँ,
आँखें हैं ठीक, बोली डॉक्टर,
पर चरित्र है तेरा कुछ काला,
दिल करे कि बोलूं भक् साला।

फूलों की टोकरी, रख सर पर,
बेच रही वो, लगा पुकार,
मेरे मन ने बना ली वरमाला,
दिल करे कि बोलूं भक् साला।

सोचा कई बार, त्याग दूँ सब,
आखिर कब तक करूंगा मैं,
मस्ती तफरी, और मधुशाला,
चल हट दिल नौटंकी साला।।

कश्मीर त्रासदी: माँ के आंसू

न देखा कभी सैलाब ऐसा,
क्या ऐसी भूल मुझसे हुई,
चहुंओर नीर तांडव पसरा,
लगा रात रोई है माँ मेरी।

प्रकृति कहर था सुना बहुत,
दिखा तो मेरी रूह काँपी,
जल-थल आपस में समा गए,
लगा रात रोई है माँ मेरी।

धन-धान सबकुछ तबाह हुआ,
मुह मोड़ तूने न सुनी दुआ,
हिम्मत भी मेरी डगा गयी,
लगा रात रोई है माँ मेरी।

बन्दूक से दुश्मन करता वार,
सह जाता वो भी एक बार,
पन-हमले से ऐसा लाचार,
लगा रात रोई है माँ मेरी।

हूँ दाने-दाने को मोहताज,
अपनों से भी मैं बिछड़ गया,
है नदी जहाँ था भरा बाजार,
लगा रात रोई है माँ मेरी।

मानव, जंतु सब बहे निढाल,
मेरा घर क्यों तूने छीन लिया,
अमृत ही है विष बन बैठा ,
लगा रात रोई है माँ मेरी।

डर लगता मुझको सन्नाटा,
दुआ आज मैं बस यही करूँ,
हिम्मत मुझको देना दाता,
माँ के आंसू मैं पौंछ सकूँ।।

Necessities v/s Luxuries

Recently I received a forwarded email. Author put forward the popular view about Necessities v/s wasteful Luxuries. I didn’t agree with him. Below are the excerpts followed by my reply.

Original Post

1. Author was habitual buyer of wasteful luxuries items. He owned an iPod unused for 6 months; a Handy Cam unused for 2 years; a DVD player unused for last 1 month.
2. He said that people are not happy with what they have. They always strive for bigger car, house, TV, laptop etc. He questions if these things are actually required.
3. I have a LCD TV and a smart phone. “My old man was happier with just a BPL TV and a modest cell phone”, he said.
4. If we strive for things that make life easier rather than so called luxuries, we will be happier.
5. “Our predecessors treated Necessities as Luxuries; we are looking at Luxuries as Necessities”, he concluded.

My Reply

1. The reason of not using a lot of old things is that we get bored after certain time. Simple.
2. Need is a subjective term. Helicopter might be necessity for Narendra Modi but is a luxury for layman like me.
3. Lets stretch authors argument a little. Why even a modest phone when we can post a letter? Why even a BPL TV when we can have newspapers, magazines and kathputali shows?
4. Today I check email on my smart phone, do video conference, relish 3D TV. It’s called technological advancement.
5. Our predecessors had a set of Luxuries and so do we. Flight travel, a luxury earlier is a necessity today. My Dad avoids it still. Does it make me any wrong or him any right?

My God, Your God

It was waiting to snap any moment. Whether a prominent Fakir is God or not, has been debated for some time. However the level of discourse seems to have come down of late. With self-proclaimed representatives on either sides uttering choicest of expletives on prime-time, it has become an embarrassment for the followers.

My parents are practicing Hindus and heed to every temple under the sun. They also go to Baba’s shrine to pay respects. I am agnostic to idol worship and have never given too much thought into.

More than faith, the issue seems to be the struggle for power. With the rise of the followers of Baba, a new religious authority has come up with equally fat belly and equally fat purse. So who takes the cake?

Whether Baba can be considered a Hindu God and can be placed in Hindu temples is the contention here. The body that guides the temples says NO with the other side lobbying for it. There are allegations of power play, money changing hands and what not.

As if it was not bad enough that successive generations have become disillusioned with idol worships, these fights have made it worse.

Pro-Baba lobby says, “Our sentiments are hurt; when you say remove him from temples”. The other side says, “Our sentiments are hurt; when you force his idol in our temples”.

I say, my brain hurts. Help me God!

What has become of Media?

“Ma’am, any comments on the young actress nabbed for prostitution? Ma’am any comments?” “This was the star actress ladies and gentlemen, who is seen dodging our questions. Bollywood it seems does not want to speak.”

A leading English news channel that talks of one-upmanship aired this. Why in the hell should the actress have commented? Because her movie on this sensitive issue is running in theaters? Because media could connect these two and chalk out a 30 min segment? Kudos!

No one should have aired her identity in the first place. Media has crucified the young lady for the sake of a story. I agree it’s a grey area legally. But given that media regularly question people on propriety, they doing such things is a huge low. What if she was the family member of one of the media honchos? Would things have been the same?

TV media were at least sensitive to blur out her face, but print and online media were the worst. No point naming individuals. Everyone at large was the culprit. Also Naming and Shaming don’t work nowadays as there is no longer any shame; only a race to an attention grabbing news segment.

It’s very sad. Even if she is pronounced guilty (which by the way she has not been yet), no one has the right to parade her story publicly. I know most media people would agree but are helpless given the deteriorating editorial freedom. Money has completely taken over.

Friends, Just so you know, what you have done is beyond repair.

iPhone 6, Apple Watch and us

iPhone 6, Apple Watch. These two names have been trending since morning.

A number of people remain lined up 24X7 outside Apple Stores since last week. Places in those lines are being traded for serious dough. What is it that makes us so crazy?

We can find analogy in the cinematic world. Salman’s movie releases in the North or Rajnikant’s movie releases in the South. People tend to go one over other. They rejoice, enjoy and try to outshine the ever opulent neighbor. Why?

There are two sides to it. One is the devotion to the brand and the personality. People believe in Apple. They want to celebrate it. They want to rejoice. It’s a festival as I have stated sometime before.

Next aspect is jealousy. With the ever expanding world and ever spreading wealth, there is a certain desire to better the other person. People like me follow the set trends and gloat in the possession of the marquee. Why people in a country like India would save money for months to get their hands on the Holy Grail, is not that difficult to understand.

I guess what lies underneath is the satisfaction it provides. I don’t agree that iPhone 6 will provide substantially better services than other market leaders. Then again it has never been about real performance. Why would we love to dine in a 5 star regardless of the taste? It’s about feeling special.

Splashing money is considered an age old reflection of social status. That’s why one goes beyond means to buy an Audi. That’s why one despises Nano. It’s about getting societal acknowledgment. I remember a colleague who looked crestfallen when no one acknowledged his new iPad that he so obviously was trying to flaunt.

For those who disagree, Have you ever seen someone spending beyond his/her means and not flashing the iPhone in front of his peers and not gloating in self glory?

वो रात

बहुत दिनों चली आंखों-२ में बात,
आज हो गयी सच में मुलाक़ात,
बहाने मिले, न ढूँढने पड़े,
तभी थे आमने सामने खड़े।

वो आई कपड़े पहनकर गुलाबी,
उसके कजरारे नैन लग रहे शराबी,
बड़ी मासूमियत से मुखवाणी निकाली,
है उसकी जुल्फें या घटा काली-काली।

आज लग रही वो सम्पूर्ण नारी,
पांडू के बाद हाय मेरी मती हारी,
कामदेव का बाण चल ही गया,
सारा संसार लगने लगा नया।

होने लगी पुष्प की वर्षा,
बजने लगी प्रेम की त्रिवेणी,
इतने दिनों का इंतज़ार,
कर रहा था हमें जार-जार।

लगा था जैसे बीती हों सदियाँ,
बहने दो आज स्नेह की नदियाँ
बंधे सारे तार, झुके सारे नैन,
दिल को करार औ हृदय को चैन।

दो जिस्म एक हो ही गए,
दोनों के नयन भी एक हुए,
उसके गाल पर काला तिल,
बन ही गया हमारा दिल।।

Best Hindi News Anchor

In this era of 24×7 media, the number of news channels is increasing day by day. Most look clones of each other though. For those who doubt, here are some names, India News, News India, India TV, News Nation, News 24 and News Express.

The fight is on for the prime-time with each channel lining up its own set of debate moderators. I claim to be one of the avid viewers of these debates. Even then if you ask me who the best Hindi debate anchor is, I will struggle.

Each one has his/her own style. There are likes of Gentle Shweta Singh Aajtak, Probing Neha Pant Abp News, On the money Saurav Sharma India TV, No nonsense Abhigyan Prakash NDTV, Luxuriously lazy Deepak Chaurasia India News among others.

But one Gentleman that stands out for me is Ravish Kumar NDTV. Hailing from the Hindi heartland, Mr. Kumar is one person who holds debates in the true sense. He eases the participants into such a comfort zone where there are no high pitch voices, no headaches. He passes such canny silent remarks which rattle even the toughest. He gives everyone so much time that the real nuances of the debate come to the fore.

He take no side, lose no temper and raise no voice; still is able to bring out the story. He laughs; he seems lazy; he jokes; he uses vintage proverbs and brings in a mystic touch. He proves that to make your voice heard, you need not be loud. He believes that all views need to be heard, however absurd they may be.

He speaks the least, still is able to steer the debate with his wit and wisdom. He shows that true value of a smile is not lost as yet.

Well done Mr. Ravish Kumar.

The Air

Remember that moment; when you were alone with a beautiful girl in an elevator. Ah! That ever rising elevator with a stranger. You tucked in your tummy; took out your new Smartphone; swiped your hairs; a curious peak; the most charming smile. Just when you were about to hit pay dirt, a whiff of that air, breaking the silence, causing her to cover her nose and leaving you embarrassed.

Has happened to the best of us. One wonders that air can be this critical. Timing is important too. I had a friend who felt disgusted when someone did it in his presence. His solution was you should go out of the room in case you feel the itch. I reckon what his solution would have been for the elevator.

Another scenario. You are giving an interview. Things are going hunky dory. Then come the air. In a panel interview you can probably deflect the blame. But in a 1-0-1, what can you do? One might even lose the rhythm. No pun intended.

Similar thing could occur during the first date, first day at job, during a presentation. The list is endless. Can we do anything? Well I for one have not been able to. I guess some things are beyond our control. One can either let it pass, or twist in agony till it pass.

BJP goes the Cong way

What is happening in Delhi today saddens me. Horse-trading has been a cruel reality of Indian politics but expectations from Modi era was different.

The anger among youth was the reason for ouster of Cong at the Centre. This anger was largely due to corrupt practices and policies of quid pro quo. BJP seems to have failed the very first test.

“L-G will take his decision. Let us be invited by L-G first”. Such hiding behind the LG/Governors/Presidents back was what Congress did for last 10 years. It was good for TV debates, but the common man was not fooled; given all above constitutional posts toe the Home Ministry.

What BJP has to realize is youth of today is not as patient. We see through the deception. The arrogance that I see today from BJP spokespersons is like a slap on my face. Congress was voted out due to this very arrogance. Sad to see BJP repeating it.

Today’s sting operation was just a formality. Everyone was aware what was happening behind the doors.

We all lapped up to each and every Modi-vachan through elections and beyond. There was a Modi speech on the TV today. I changed the channel.

Déjà vu

Don’t the below logo seems similar. I am sure it’s just a coincidence. Some are a bit far fetched. Interesting though.

1. Google Chrome v/s Doordarshan

 

2. Bluetooth v/s Bajaj

3. Katrina v/s Nirma

4. Twitter v/s Ek Chidiya (Children Song)

 

5. Google Drive v/s Superman

 

6. Drona v/s Dettol

 

अगले जनम

झटक हाथ तेरा चल दिया,
अकेला तुझे छोड़ कर,
जीता हूँ अब इसी भरम,
अगले जनम हो पूरी कसम।

गलती नहीं की मैंने कोई,
शायद ईश्वर की थी मर्जी,
इस जीवन रहा अधूरा करम,
अगले जनम हो पूरी कसम।

समय से न कोई जीत सका,
मैं भी ठहरा बस हाड मांस,
न बदले सच, कर-२ परिश्रम,
अगले जनम हो पूरी कसम।

बेगाना तुझे बनाकर रोता हूँ,
दिन रात आंसू पी पीकर,
तुझे अपना कहा बिना शरम,
अगले जनम हो पूरी कसम।

कुछ ज्यादा ही मजबूर हूँ मैं,
अपने फंदों में फंसा हुआ,
जो मैंने किया वो मेरा धरम,
अगले जनम हो पूरी कसम।

रात ढली कुछ काली ये,
आगे कुछ न दिख रहा अभी,
कठिन डगर, न पड़ तू नरम,
अगले जनम हो पूरी कसम।

बस दुआ यही मैं करता हूँ,
खुशहाल रहे तेरा जीवन,
रह गयी अधूरी जो इस जनम,
अगले जनम हो पूरी कसम।।

Predatory pricing of Airlines

Almost all Indian airlines are running into huge losses. This begs a question, “Why do they operate at all? Why not shut down altogether?” The answer lies in getting funding and tapping potential future market.

With absurdly low fares (less than even bus/train fare) how can the airlines survive? Should they keep living the life of attrition till they go bankrupt and eventually shut down? This ridiculous pricing is one of the major reasons for their current state.

I feel the Time for airlines has not yet arrived in India. The current crop of airlines will keep on bleeding till the air traffic increases leaps and bounds and the fares stabilize. When this will happen in a country like India is a question to answer.

When customers regale in 500/- pricing, what they don’t realize is the hidden cost. Such pricing aims to give the common man a taste of air travel, and hopes that he gets addicted to it. So when the fares become higher eventually, he will have no option but to choose air travel.

Given the bleeding Air India, Defunct Kingfisher Airlines, Struggling Jet-Airway and On ventilator SpiceJet, I strongly believe it is not the right way. Airlines eventually default on bank loans/government help, burden of which indirectly falls on the same traveler.

I think DGCA should come up with minimum airfare policy which the airlines need to follow. This minimum airfare should compensate the cost to the airline for a single trip. The fuel cost, airport charges, salaries and aircraft maintenance charges among others. This will result in the real foot-fall and not the created surge. Airlines will grow according to this real market.

The predatory pricing has to go if air industry needs to survive.

Analyzing Rahul Gandhi

When Rahul Gandhi visited our college back in 2004, I remember him getting mobbed by students. His popularity was sky high with huge eyeballs to each of his appearances. It’s not very hard to guess what the reception would be if he visited the same campus today.

What went wrong?

For me first 5 years were quite good. Youth appreciated him for putting his weight behind the nuclear deal. During 2009 General Elections he was still a phenomenon. Those were the days when Kejriwal was not known and Modi was still a despised figure. Then began the down-slide.

I would not blame the man himself. He went through the assassinations of Grandma and Dad; I can’t even begin to feel his pain. I think he had his own aspirations which he sacrificed to keep his family legacy alive. He did exactly what reluctant heirs do; surrounded him by a coterie of trusted men and let them call the shots.

Later, his inaction in 2G, CWG and Jijaji scams coupled with the slowdown shattered the mirage completely.

He tried his hands at politics, not to serve his personal ambitions or to serve the nation (the two major forces to get one going) but to honor his family name. This, though a noble deed in itself was the real reason for his political undoing.