The Ruch Zone

2009-06-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

RIP MJ

They called him a child molester, weirdo (whacko jacko, ha!), abnormal, monkey face, a complete lunatic. And now, after he is dead and gone, they only want him to be remembered as the greatest musician of all times. What they forget though is that he was and always be the greatest musician of all times. A legend. The one and only Michael Jackson.

I am saddened by his death. Infact i feel it more as the time goes by. There are too many memories of my teenage years attached to his music. Infact i can safely say that he was the reason I got into english music and stayed in it. And I like zillions of his other fans was looking forward to his comeback tour with loads of excitement and a bit of nervousness given it was after ages he was going to be performing. Alas, it wasnt meant to be and now we can only wonder how it would have been.

I still remember buying every album of his on the day of its launch, watching each and every video of his and trying to remember the lyrics of all his songs (must confess, couldn’t get all of it but what the heck...he sounded awesome), fighting with my friends over all the allegations he faced and defending him like a professional lawyer. I still remember trying to do the moonwalk and failing miserably every single time, having teary eyes while listening to 'Will u be there" or getting goose bumps while watching him perform on "Billy Jean". And of course who can forget "The Thriller? It scared the shit out of all of us but man, did that ever stop us from watching? Singing "bad" completely out of tune, dancing to "the way you make me feel", going crazy over "black or white", always regretting not watching his mumbai concert, getting a bit disappointed after listening to "the invincible" but knowing he would come back bigger and better.

He is gone now and what we are left with are those memories and the wonderful music he created. While the media scrutinizes him even further in his death, we can only remember him for his greatness, his rare genius and loads of talent. He touched the lives of zillions. Of those who knew his music and even those who didn’t. He was the last of his kinds.

He spent the last few years in great pain and eventually died a sad, cruel death. Let’s all now spare a moment and pray for his soul to finally rest in peace. The man deserves every bit of it. RIP MJ.

2009-05-31T04:14:00.000-07:00

Take a bow Susan Boyle

You may have heard/read/seen and been enamored by the phenomenal success of Susan Boyle who eventually won the 2nd spot at the Britians got talent show. But for me, it reinstates once again how fickle the human mind is and how quickly we jump to conclusions without actually giving a chance to the other person. Ordinarily dressed, aged years beyond her good looking, energetic competitors, she walked onto the stage amidst boos, jibes and laughs from the ten odd thousand crowd. To put it simply, she looked unpolished. Even the three judge’s expressions were quite dismissive towards this woman, who surprisingly didn’t seem too perturbed. It was as though she had kind of anticipated it already. She announced to the audience that she wanted to become a professional singer and she was there to sing “I dreamed a dream”.

What followed afterwards was simply out of this world. Within a few seconds, the same dismissive crowd was stunned in silence as she sang with such extraordinary poise and grace. After she was done, every single person in that stadium was on their feet and gave applause only mega celebrities can ever dream off. One thing was clear…Susan Boyle had truly arrived onto the world stage. Even though she couldn’t win the finals but she had already won the hearts of millions of people who only live on hope.

While I may choose to live in my own superficially created world thinking and believing that everybody around is inferior but reality is completely different. People may have very average personalities/appearances but what lies underneath that is something I can’t even possibly dream off. And that’s the ability to make the most of what you have and not let anyone shatter what you truly believe in. She made me feel extremely ordinary.

Take a bow Susan Boyle. You flew so high with your dream and you put me back on my feet.

2008-07-04T11:19:00.000-07:00

LIFE'S SMALL LITTLE DETAILS

I am a tired soul today. My head hurts, my eyes are drousy, my legs ache. I havent had the best of days as far as work is concerned and to top it all, I had the misfortune of watching Himesh Reshamiyan sporting a deadly gay look with an absolutely psychotic hair style while baring his insanely waxed chest on Z TV. This was just the perfect setting for me to whine about my life and what a drag it is and how work sucks and I am sure I would have got enough sympathetic looks starting with my mom who actually thinks I am suffering. Instead I have chosen to sit down and write about the simple pleasures of life. Things that make me smile, things that are absolutely indispensable for me. So, here it comes....

1. Sleeping on a hot humid nite and waking up to an absolutely cloudy morning (oh, i love it).

2. Spending a saturday doing nothing

3. Rolling down the car window to smell jasmine and knowing winters are just round the corner.

4. Watching back to back episodes of SATC and F.R.I.E.N.D.S after having watched them a zillion times already.

5. Reading Calvin & Hobbes over and over again

6. Meeting friends at a CAFE and that too not for a cup of coffee.

7. Remembering a song/name/place/incident which a few seconds ago I had gone completely blank on.

8. Laughing out so loud that my eyes start to water.

9. Managing to reach the loo when I am almost about to pee in my pants

10. Knowing how amazing my friends are and being sure that they will always be a part of me.

There are a zillion other things that I love doing but I wont go on. The point is that we get so absorbed by the wrongs around us that we forget to see the rights. So lets try and remember the small but important details that make us happy even if life gets really hectic because the truth is that nobody has ever been able to better their life hating it.

2008-04-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

Mind of a 31 year old

I recently turned 31 and hell yeah I didnt like it. Not because it changes anything for me physically or mentally. I still think, live, laugh and breathe the same way as I used to even when i was a 29 year old. But turning 31 or for that matter turning 30 changes a lot for people around you if and only if you are single. Its like you have been diagnosed with a terminal disease which cannot be cured . And when you turn 31 in the same state, then you've really had it.

It really doesnt matter, how well you are doing workwise, or what a great set of friends you have or how great you feel as a person, you still have a lot to feel bad for, actually a BIG lot to feel bad for. The relatives look at you with contempt (because you are setting a bad example for your younger cousins to follow especially if they look upto you in one way or the other), and they look at your parents with sympathetic eyes. Its the look of hopelessness. Its a scene straight out of a hindi film, where a surgeon comes out of an operation theater and tells the family that he tried his best and then he looks up at the ceiling and just shakes his head and walks off. Reasons I should marry vary from the fact that I wont find anybody good if I keep delaying to the biological clock ticking to the fact that my relatives really want to dance and party. HA. I cant say for sure what my mom feels when it happens to her but I can bet it cant be a good feeling. Poor woman, what all she has to put through for having a 31 year old single, just not ready to mingle kind of a daughter.

And for me the only reason for my single status is that I havent really found anyone who I think I can spend the rest of my life with. Now when you try and explain this to people around you, they give you a look of absolute disgust. The look of "Surely this cant be the reason".

I know, there are many people who would think that I am just being a brat and in my old age, when i would look at this blog (if I am still single), I would curse myself for being so difficult. But I can bet that there will be a few who would empathise with me for reasons only I and they are aware of. My advice to all my fellow sufferers is "life is too short so damn what the world says and live the way you want to. And lastly, when life hands you Lemons, ask for tequila and salt and call me over (this one I copy pasted from a forwarded mail but its so damn true)!

2008-01-08T04:48:00.000-08:00

Aussies go down-under

I am sure all of you must have been affected by the recent India-Australia controversy in some way or the other, even if you are not a big cricket fan. I for one am extremely angry about the entire thing and am in fact running out of vocabulary to express my anger.

What happened two days ago was certainly not cricket. I was a very bad loser even when I used to play with friends. And honestly speaking, who likes to lose. But to degrade yourself to that level despite being world champions is not only shameful but also a bad sign for the game. I don’t blame them for the umpiring errors and neither do I blame them for wanting to win the game badly. This is the way they play the game. But when the creators of sledging, racism, abusive language start to get all sensitive about being called a monkey (by the way, the umpires didn’t hear it, neither did Tendulkar but the entire Australian team seems to have heard it), then you know its a desperate situation. And Hogg calling Kumble a bastard is no big deal since its coming from an Australian player.

The batsmen not walking despite knowing they are out is again no big deal. Everybody does it all the time. But not taking a clean catch and being dishonest about it is a different ball game altogether. And umpires’ not using technology and instead checking with Ponting is even better. Not that the technology would help considering the third umpire had a temporary blindness attack as well when he was asked to make a decision.

The ICC again reprimanding an Asian player is not shocking at all. We all know how that organization works and who are they reporting into. But unlike the other times, our board didn’t take this lying down and thankfully took a stand for the team.

Whatever is the final decision on the tour remains to be seen. But this should give enough fodder to our team, who till now has played quite ordinary cricket. Yes, we could have saved the last match if it wasn’t for all that bullshit that happened but comeon guys, we have gone there to win and not draw matches. So to all the passionate Indian cricket lovers, lets save some of our prayers for our countrymen, who have in a way hurt the Australians mentally. What remains to be seen is how bad they are going to hurt them on the field. I for one is hoping that its going to be really really bad.

2007-12-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

A license to kill

Hello people. am back after almost 4 months. Reason could be that nothing inspired me enough till today to write a blog and now that today I have had such a fabulous experience, I wouldn’t miss sharing it with you all.

I am going on a month long vacation to Australia next week (ya ya, I am lucky). To make my life easier there, I applied for an international driving license. The first thought was that it wasn’t going to be an easy task considering the fact that it’s for Australia, where unlike India, traffic rules are strict and people tend to respect them. The RTI website had mentioned the required forms, which needed to be filled and submitted. What it obviously didn’t mention was the fact that I needed to get my medical test done. So I was kind of taken aback when the guy behind the counter asked me for it. I was like, with just 4 days away from going, this is probably the last thing I needed as this would mean getting my tests done from a clinic and submitting report. But I was in for a surprise. The guy told me that I could get one done downstairs and that too right away. Relived and a bit confused, I came downstairs to see where this could happen and I kind of felt lost. So I asked a guy standing outside a shop if he knew and he told me to follow him (was he waiting for me there? I mean he looked really enthu). He took me to a room where he asked me to fill up a form, which had questions like do i suffer from epilepsy, do I wear glasses, do I have a disease, which could be contagious in nature). I was told to just fill up my contact details and leave the rest to the doctor.

Then I was taken to another room, where a so not doctor kind of a guy was sitting behind a desk and was calling out everybody's name one by one. On my turn, I went ahead with anticipation that this guy would have the usual doctor equipment to do my check up. But it seems this doctor was a genius. As though all he needed was a heart to heart conversation and he would be able to diagnose the disease. He looked at my form and asked me If I suffered from epilepsy? Now, with god's grace, I haven’t ever experienced that but what I found amusing was this Q&A session. It was like I was on oath and it was given that I was going to be honest to the core. For all you know, I could have been getting fits every 30 seconds but this man saw truth in my eyes and proceeded to the next question. Do you wear glasses or lenses? I again said no. The third question was if I was suffering from a communicable disease. I really felt like saying that yes, I was suffering from a fatal disease and anybody who comes within 5 feet distance (after measuring the distance between us in my head) catches it instantly. But again I said no. So he very happily signed my papers and after a few minutes I had my license in my hand....

My first reaction was WOW, I have got the permit to drive in Australia. But after recovering from the jubilation, reality struck me and I was like what the hell was that? I mean, how could I get it so easy? Well, we all know how easy it is to get a license to drive in India and everyday accidents on the roads kind of shows what damage that process is doing but to get a license to drive in a foreign land and that too this easily actually was a shocker.
But then, nothing shocks me anymore about my beloved country and its systems. It amuses me and it also leaves a very disappointing feeling in my head thinking where are we headed to? Is there a hope or things would just go downhill from here? Whatever may be the outcome, I am hoping I and those who have got the license to drive in a foreign land are able to do what is required as far as those countries rules are concerned. As for the rules of our country, I don’t really know.....

2007-08-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

SWEET 60

Today, our country has turned 60 years old. I know, I know. A lot of you would say that we are more than many thousand years old but the fact is that we are a 60 year old independent nation and when I look back at how we have progressed and digressed as a nation, I get a feeling of mixed emotions. Nevertheless, I would start off by saying that I am a proud Indian and for me being free is not something I take for granted. Really, if you see what’s happening around you (dont have to look too far....Pakistan is a great example), you tend to feel lucky to be born in a country, which not only happens to be the largest democracy in the world but also has survived many a crisis and yet can set an example for the world to follow.

Many great writers have written a lot about what makes India so special (Infact, the latest book I read was India, inspite of the Gods by Edward Luce.. a must read) so I wont even attempt to write anything more but I just want to say that we must feel proud of what we have because what we have is something really special. The question is how we can contribute in little and big ways and make this the best place to live in…

For whatever its worth, I for one strongly feel that if we can start off with the below, we can make a difference:

Lets start treating our country like our home and not spit, litter, urinate, fight and kill each other on the road with gay abandon.. And this is for the so called educated class.
We can start looking at our fellow citizens as humans rather than as Muslims, Sikhs, Baniyas, Bengali, Punjabi etc.
We can also try and shell out a few rupees every month from our salary and help educate an under privileged kid. Because nothing works better for a nation than having its citizens well educated.
We can also stop whining about India being corrupt and stop bribing traffic policemen, MTNL Linesmen, MCD officials and other such important figures.
The list can go on but let me sign off by saying that most importantly; we must exercise our right to vote. Because that small effort alone can bring about an educated, crime-less, coalition-less breed of politicians, which will give our nation the right kind of ammunition to become the best in the world.

JAI HIND

2007-07-07T01:11:00.000-07:00

How do you know that you love your job?

I have been meaning to write a blog for a long time but just couldnt think of anything interesting. Not that the current state of politics when our esteemed politicians have made a mockery of the presidential elections hasnt bothered me. But there is something, something more personal which has been bothering me. And I am trying to seek answers. May be writing this will help me to do that.

Question is: How do you know that you love your job?

Well, some would simply say that when every morning when you get up, you just cant wait to be in your office.. thats when u know that u love your job. So does that mean that when you dont feel this way, it means that u dont really love your job. Ay, without confusing you any further.... let me tell you how I look at my job and what role does it play in my life...

I remember rejecting jobs (well paid and that too in the beginning of my career) because I knew I just didnt want a job, which was boring and routined. I dont know how I got into advertising. May be purely by accident but its been 5 years and some months and I know that I belong here. So does that mean I love my job? Do I wake up in the morning with a feeling that Oh My God, I just cant wait to be at work? An honest answer would be... NO. I dont feel like that and I havent felt like that in a long time. AndI am trying to figure the reason. And the fact is that I am not even looking for a change or even contemplating it. But the passion and the love I should feel or may be the peace that I should feel with my job is missing. Is it because I am over-worked or is it because I have been working non-stop for the last 2 and a half years without a proper holiday? Really cant figure.

So I asked myself, why am I working? Is it for the money? May be yes but cant be the only reason. Is it because I dont want to be a burden on my parents. Most definitely yes... I cannot deal with a situation like especially when I am as old as I am. but is that the reason? Nope. So, is it because I love being busy, in the thick of action. Yes, ofcourse I have always been like that. And trust me my job provides me with enough of it. So here is situation, where I am working for a company, which is probably the best in the business, get paid reasonably well, have a great set of people to work with but still feel a huge need to question what I am doing and why am I doing it?

So while I was in the middle of this huge conflict in my head, I told myself that no matter what I would go to work smiling and try and stay that way. Its been 5 days and I can tell u that it has helped. If the solution was as simple as quitting and working somewhere else, trust me I would have done that by now. But the fact that I dont want to quit and still not feel sure, its good to work it out within my own head. Not that its a permanent solution because who knows... I would start feeling off a few days later...

So the question I pose to you guys is... what would you do if u were in my situation? Infact I think most of us are in a similar situation and I think its sad. Because when you spend most part of the day working, its important to enjoy what you do else you will perish...

I dont know if what I have just rattled off makes any sense but as I said, I am still seeking answers and may be you could help me with them....

2007-04-28T02:35:00.000-07:00

THINK ABOUT IT

I love my country and I love it despite all its shortcomings because this is where I belong. And that’s precisely the reason everything about it affects me.

Lately I have been thinking as to why we have taken ages to progress, when other countries have reached development of a different level. Yes we have many things to blame. Politicians, corruption, bureaucracy, population, illiteracy etc. But is that all? Aren’t we to be blamed for it as well? Try and answer the following questions in true and false and I think you will get all your answers:

1. I have never bribed a traffic policeman, a MTNL linesman, the policeman who comes to verify for the passport, the guy who sits at the license office, the electrician to manipulate the wiring so that the bill is bare minimum and so many other such people because life is easier that way.

2. I find out ways to protest when I feel strongly against a government policy. I know the entire process of RTI and things like PIL so that I can utilize them in the best possible way. After all, it’s a matter of my country.

3. I never ever litter on the road. I have never rolled the window of my car down and thrown garbage out. It’s my home guys. I want to keep it clean.

4. I never break any traffic rules, never jumped the light, and never ever missed wearing the seat belt. And talking on the phone while driving. Are you kidding me?

5. I pay my electricity, water bills regularly as well as taxes with utmost honesty year after year without trying to fudge them.

6. I treat my fellow human beings with respect. I don’t look away when a beggar comes knocking on the window of my car. Yes I can’t change the life of everybody but I try and do my bit every now and then.

7. Doing charity which includes providing education to the poor is as much fun to me as going out for a drink every weekend. It gives me a high.

8. It upsets me when I look at broken pavements/roads/garbage lying around/bad traffic management and I seriously think of ways and means to improve it. I never shy away from voicing my opinion.

9. I always run to help somebody who has been hit/injured on the road. To hell with what I will face later, the life of a human being is far more important.

10. No matter how busy I am, I make sure that I cast my vote. This is one right I just love to exercise.

I am sure all of us would have valid reasons for our answers but the point is not to play the blame game but to look within ourselves and see what we have done to contribute towards the betterment of our country. The truth is that unless things do not affect us directly, we just sit and crib and wait for others to do their bit. No country can ever progress if they solely depend on their politicians. It’s the citizens of that country who make all the difference. So, think about it and see what you can do to make India a force to reckon with. Trust me, it will take just these 10 easy steps.

2007-04-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Why?

I remember watching TV late on Monday nite when the news read….30 students killed at the Virginia Tech Campus by one of their fellow students. For starters, I didn’t register what I was reading. But it didn’t take me much to realize the gravity of a tragedy, which I think will haunt me for a long long time.

You would wonder why it is affecting me so much. Even I never thought that an incident, which has taken place thousands of miles away from me, would affect me the way it has? But I just can’t seem to shrug this off just because it didn’t happen to anybody I knew. Just the mere thought of it sends shivers down my spine. And I ask myself… why?

May be because it involved young kids dying, kids with dreams and aspirations like any one of us. May be because, this tragedy had no basis to it.

May be because when incidents like these happen, I start to wonder if there is God. And if there is, does he feel the same amount of pain the families of these victims would be feeling? And if the answer is yes, then how come he let it happen? He for sure wouldn’t have thought that these young kids deserved to die. Then, what lesson was he trying to teach? What good is going to come out of it? Or may be I am being too hard on him because he doesn’t teach us to be violent. He doesn’t tell us to take lives of other human beings. He doesn’t spread hatred in our heads. So then, why do incidents like these happen?

Questions, questions and more questions. Unfortunately, these will not find too many answers. Because in my head, there is no justification for something like this. Those kids are gone………….forever. The pain their loved ones are going through will remain forever, just like the questions that are stuck in my head.

All we can do is to pray to God for these kids for their souls to rest in peace and give their families the strength to cope with a tragedy like this…but I am still thinking why?????

2007-03-24T02:00:00.000-07:00

After all, its just a game

Isnt this what many of us would be saying to ourselves after the humiliating exit from the World Cup 2007?

Because if you dont look at it objectively, then all you would feel is anger and frustration towards these 15 players, who had all the support not only financially but from a nation of over 1 billion people. Despite all the ordinary peformances over the last one year, we actually thought that our team had a chance to win it after 24 years. But alas, it wasnt to be.

So what actually went wrong? Was it that this team never had it in them to do it and we just got carried away or they actually had a chance and blew it away because they lacked the basic understanding of the game and the mental toughness to actually go all the way...... I have been trying to look for answers since the time Bangladesh beat us hollow around a week back and I think there are many reasons for our dismal performace.

1. Superstars and not a superteam: For once, we need to understand that this is a team of individuals.... We have some really world class performers who can win a game on their own on any given day but complete failures when it comes to playing as a unit. I can actually count the number of matches we have won as a team. Strange as it may sound, but the hallmark of any great team lies in the team as a whole and that is the reason Australia is where it is today. They have great players who can win a match on their own but they work even better as a team...

2. Lack of application: We get the basics wrong and we tend to overlook really glaring mistakes hoping they wont happen again. The way Sehwag got out against Bangladesh is the best example of absolute disregard towards basic discipline, which is essential to succeed at any level, in any field. Here is a guy, who has been under-performing for more than a year and has been given chances after chances hoping he would come good. So he walks out, gets out playing a distratrous shot against B'desh, then goes on to make a century against minnow of the minnows and all his follies are forgiven once again. So what does he do next. He comes out to play in a do or die match, makes around 40,tries to play a stupid shot, gets a life and instead of making full use of it, gets out just a few balls later...

3. End of Tendulkar: Sorry if I sound really critical but Tendulkar's glorious days are over. I am no judge of calibre but if anybody who has seen him play in the last few years will be able to easily make out that he is finished.... more mentally than anything else. Its a sad end to an absolutely amazing career, which unfortunately will always have question marks around it. I think what happens after this to him is something only he can answer but we must admit to the fact that he will never ever be what he use to be...

4. A cricket board that SUCKS: With the kind of money our board earns, we should be churning out superstars every month. No other cricketing body in the world can boast of the kind of financial backing ours has but what has it resulted in? Shabby infrastructure, poor quality of pitches, no investment in improving domestic cricket, big time regional lobbying while selecting the team, brainless cricket schedules and absolute disregard towards any long term planning.

5. Lack of pride: Now I could be wrong but I seriously believe that our players do not take pride in the fact that they are representing their nation at a global level, that for them, winning is more important than anything else. That endorsing products is a small part of their career but what really matters is how they perform in every match. Infact I really doubt if they feel as much anguish and frustration as we as crazy fans do. Somehow their body language doesnt ever show any kind of disappointment at every loss. Is it because they have gotten use to it or it doesnt really matter?

Whatever the reasons may be but it definitely is a sad state of affairs and as a sportsperson, it hurts me even more when my fellow countrymen bring shame to the nation... Winning or losing is a part of the game but whats matters is how you give it your best shot, how u put in all that you have to try and win the game. Even if it results in a loss, you can always look back and say that we did try. I am not too sure any of the indian cricketers will have the guts to say it even to themselves.

What happens to the team after this is anybody's guess. There may be some sackings, over-hauling, big time criticism but what we really need to think now is how do we take this humiliation in our stride and learn from it. We have the experts at our disposal to carve out the team's future but its about taking small steps right to ensure that once we are ready to take the big step, we dont get the footing wrong....

2006-12-31T14:42:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU PEOPLE

Its 4.13 a.m. on the 1st of January 2007 and I have just come back from one of the most amazing New Years eves ever. No, we were not pub hopping and neither did we go to any private party. Infact, it was just the 12 of us friends and cousins sitting together and having a great time. Tonite is probably the coldest nite of the season with heavy fog and wind blowing and sitting on the roof top gave us the feeling of being in a hill station. But what made it a truly memorable nite was the fact that all of us were sitting totally unguarded by our fears and insecurities and spoke about life the way we look at it.

And what it made me realise is that its not money, success, fame, which make your life worth living. Its people. People, who matter to you, who care for u with no pretence, who can abuse you on your face and hug you the next moment, who can accept your eccentricities and still love u the way you are, who can give you a warm hug during good and bad times, whose few words can lift your spirits like nothing else in this world.

No, I am not the one to say that I don t need money and success. I work hard because I have a dream. That I will become somebody big one day, that I will make a name for myself. But all of that would be of no consequence if I will not have people around me to celebrate it with.

So I just want to thank everyone who has been a part of my life. People, who have come and gone. People who have stayed with me throughout, people who have loved me and people who have hated me. People, who look upto me and people who detest me. Without you all, my life would have been a drag. U guys have kept me going. Because of u all, I have tried everyday to be a better person.

All of u have evoked different emotions in me (good and bad) and made me the person I am today. And if at any point of time, I hurt anybody with my insenstivity or ignorance, I am truly sorry about it. Cant say it was always unintentional but it was human for sure.

So, cheers to all of you. U have made 29 years of my life truly worth living and I hope the best is yet to come.

2006-11-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

Death Sentence for Santosh Singh: Is it really fair?

Media has been hailed in the past few days for playing a vital role in getting Santosh Singh the death sentence. A verdict, which was based purely on circumstantial evidence and at the outset looks more like a sentence given to please the popular sentiment. I don't deny for a second that If he has committed the crime he deserves to be punished for killing Mattoo. But, ask yourself this question that has the crime been attributed to him positively. From my own understanding, the entire case has been based on circumstantial evidence that leaves room for speculation and certainly doubt to his guilt. So, does this “unproven” crime really fall under the rarest of rare category of criminal incidents? Ask yourself again, does Santosh Singh really deserve to be hanged??

It is ironical that just a few days ago, the same bench of judges, who have given Santosh the death sentence, gave gift of life to a man who brutally raped and murdered his 3 year old daughter. It cringes me to even think why a man would even think of committing a crime so brutal and repulsive in nature and that too without any provocation. The judges felt that though whatever he did was not right, yet the case was not considered to be “rarest of rare”! REALLY? What do they mean – it is more common in India for fathers to rape their baby-girls? Strange isnt it that a man who can rape this own 3 year old daughter is not a threat to the society against a man, who barring the Mattoo chapter in his life has been a law abiding citizen, a practising lawyer and who throughout the trial period has been extremely co-operative to say the least. I still can’t fathom the double standards being used by the court of law.

As I see it a one-time suspect on basis of "circumstantial" evidence is getting the death sentence .. highest punishment given in any country. While we have countless politicians and terrorists – repeat offenders to say the least, who are let loose and continue to be a menace to society.

My heart does go out to the family of the victim but at the same time I think a person deserves to die only and only if there is concrete evidence of guilt and the criminal is beyond any scope of reform. Does Santosh really fall in that category, I wonder ? Has he gone so far from society to bring only hatred and loath to one’s mind at his mention, I do not think so. There appears to be more than meets the eye here. He has been caught in a situation where the media has painted him and his background so badly that even if he tries really hard, he may not be able to prove his innocence. It is pertinent to note that the Judges while sentencing Santosh categorically said that death sentence has been awarded because he is a lawyer and is a danger to the society. Then how come in the past ten years no complaints were made about him when he struggled hard to settle back in society. His humane face was not considered when he was taking time out to help poor inmates who were lodged with him during his jail term.

Interestingly, media has been reporting only one side of the story. Shouldn’t media be neutral? We also have human rights activists who have been crying hoarse demanding clemency for the likes of proven terrorists. However, not even a squeak has been heard for Santosh ! Are they also media biased and follow double standards in advocating human rights?

All this is not to glorify the sentence given to him but to really think long and hard about the turn of events in the last few days. Being a democracy, every citizen has the right to voice his or her opinion and its incredible how the Indian society has taken it upon themselves to fight for the cause they believe in but is this the way to persuade the judiciary? The judiciary is the protector of the common man and therefore, their judgement should solely be based on what is right and not what may seem like the right thing to do. Because at the end of the day, each citizen deserves to be treated equally and in the same vein free from any bias and prejudice.

Do you think Santosh Singh deserves to be “HANGED TILL DEATH”?

2006-08-31T02:20:00.000-07:00

THE DEATH OF DEMOCRACY

Have u seen what’s happening in our country lately or have u just closed your eyes to it because it doesn’t effect you anymore. Well, since my eyes and ears are wide open, I just can’t help but feel a deep sense of shame, disgust and anger. A few days ago, a professor was beaten to death by students aided by BJP or Congress (who cares??? Aren’t they all pieces of *&^%) in broad daylight, while the entire police force stood there watching the proceedings as though it was an event which just needed their presence but no action.

What is happening to us? We let Gujarat riots happen, we let politicians decide which movies will be shot or released in this country, we let them decide what women will wear to college, which national song will be played in schools and now we have let them kill an innocent man just because he postponed university elections? And we then shamelessly call ourselves a open, secular culture, which accepts almost everything that comes its way.

Those, who have taken the pain to read this think about it for a moment. Do you want to be a part of a country, where democracy only exists in books? Do you want to be a part of a society, which kills people basis their cast, religion? Do you want to let these goons in the disguise of politicians ruin our country like this and then just keep mum because it hasn’t affected your lives so far?

I am sure, majority of you will say no but it’s not just about realizing it and forgetting about it. Next time when you step out to vote, think about these things, because whether we like it or not, we are in a way responsible for this menace. We voted for these guys and gave them the power they possess today. Let’s not make voting a chore we have to perform every few years.

This country was not built overnight. We are one of the oldest civilizations in the world, with thousands of years of history and culture which taught us to forgive and forget, to be humble and caring in every respect and to be civil to one and all. No political party, individual can ruin all that was built all these years with such ghastly acts.

Let’s teach them a lesson which will not be forgotten for ages to come. Lets for once make our VOTE count....

2006-07-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

When a city gets bombed..

What is common between Srinagar, New York, New Delhi, Mumbai, London? All these cities have been bombed or attacked by terrorists at some or the other point of time. Now, whats uncommon between these places? The response given by their government after these attacks. A few days after the 9/11 attack, the US attacked Afganistan and almost rooted Taliban out of that country. Within 7 minutes of the bombings at London, the entire city was taken over by their armed forces and one year post that, there has been no let up in the security measures.

Now we come to the cities which were attacked in India. What was the immediate and long term response post all these attacks? Each political party came up with inane statements. Some parties went to the extent of defending islamic forces behind that in order to keep their vote bank safe, some other blamed some unknown foreign forces, opposition blamed the ruling party and the ruling party blamed Pakistan and gave them a really stren warning without taking any stern action. After all, we have offered them our friendship and we just cant afford to offend a friend who for years has back stabbed us by sponsoring terrorists and sending them over to our country to kill innocent people.

And the long term effect is that everybody has forgotten about it and moved on. Our government may remember the Parliament attack but they wouldnt want to remember the 1993 blasts in Mumbai or the blasts, which happened in Delhi last year or the everyday killings in Kashmir. Even the recent Mumbai blasts will be forgotten soon. Thats because it didnt involve a politician or a big guy. It resulted in common, middle or lower class people dying.

I guess, in a country where more than 1 billion people live, a mere 200-250 deaths dont mean much. We sit here and condemn US policies but fail to realise that in the US or Europe, or for that matter a lot of Asian countries, life of a common man is valued. They may react really strongly at times but all of that happens in the best interest of their people. Every small or big attack is taken seriously and action is taken to try and ensure that such an incident doesnt happen again.

Then, what is it about Indians that makes us behave like such nice guys, who at the most will warn and then sit back and relax till the next attack happens? Why cant we take a stern action which will give the right kind of message to all terrorist outfits that we cant be taken so lightly and that we are capable enough to handle any god damn force? Have we become immune to iy? Or is their a political game in all of this, which makes us easy targets? Since no party wants to stand up and make the first move as it may effect their political scenario or is it too much of an effort for them to make especially when they are so used to leading a comfortable life.

It angers me when terrorists kill innocent people. Whether in India or anywhere else. But what angers me even more is the way my government reacts to such a ghastly act. I may salute the spirit of mumbai but I feel so disappointed to be a part of a government, which just doesnt give a damn...

2006-06-12T04:43:00.000-07:00

BREAKING NEWS!!!!

I think Indian media has come off age. Otherwise what else could explain the way they have redefined the terminology 'BREAKING NEWS". Till a year ago may be, this meant something big, something really big. Like America attacked by Bin Laden or Princess Diana dying in a car crash or India and Pakistan battling it out at Kargil.

But the new dimension given to it by the likes of Aaj Tak, Sahara, Star News, Channel 7 is certainly note worthy. Now, Rakhi Sawant(yes, a third rate wanna be model, singer and I dont know what else, who has been turned into a celebrity) getting kissed(read molested) by Mika, Anu Malik singing for Dawood Abrahim (this went on for weeks), Rahul Mahajan(somebody who didnt exist for anyone of us till 2-3 weeks back) getting admitted to Apollo and subsequently sent to jail have become so important and so relevant to all of us, that all the channels forget about everything else and flash this across day, day out so that we know the minutest of details of each of these incidents.

If you dont believe me, then read the following.

Rakhi Sawant has accused Mika of biting her lower lip twice. Pls watch Aaj Tak for a closer look.
No friend of Rahul Mahajan has come to meet him at the prison.He has spent sleepless nites in the prison and has made friends with his cell mates.
Some girl called Sonal has suddenly come into the scene as she may be having a relationship with Sahil. Sahil who?? That guy who apparently got Cocaine or Heroin to Rahul Mahanjan's house.

Forgive me if I have missed out on any details because honestly I was not paying any attention to any of this. I just happened to know a bit because I was flipping channels to see if I could find something worth watching. And since all the channels were shamlessly showing this as part of their exclusive package, I couldnt help but gather some info(trust me, all this happened while flipping through).

And if all of this wasnt enough, my fav newspaper TOI decided to publish all of this on the front page. Infact, they deserve a special mention for publishing about Raveen Tandon's lost dog eventually found by a TOI correspondent. Man, that guy deserves an award.

But what I really want to understand is that are we being fair to the media by blaming them for all this or is there another angle to it? The fact that despite such low standards of news telling, these channels are doing extremely well, which may mean that people actually enjoy watching all this. After all, the world is not just made of you and me.

And if thats true, then who are these people? I have been a part of this discussion with many people at work or outside. With friends and family and the verdict has been unanimous. The standard of news has gone down so bad, that people have actually stopped watching news channels.

I guess, despite being a part of a country where more than 1 billion people live, one tends to forget that we are a part of a small group. In this case, I am a part of a minority group. People who are looking for some quality news. May be its too much to ask considering our request doesnt have a mass appeal or may be there is a real shortage of quality journalists such as Vir Sanghvi, Prannoy Roy, Rajdeep Sardesai etc etc.

Since no solution was coming through, I have decided to stick to the net. Till date, that has not been polluted....Woops. did I say it too soon??

2006-05-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

A TRUTH THAT HURTS

I feel like laughing really hard today. I am frustrated and I want to laugh out in extreme frustration. Just as I am trying to control the rage and anger I feel on the reservation policy, I get to hear news of a different kind. But both of them tell the same tale about my country and its politics.

The second story is on BJP, the party that ruled our country for 5 years and let Gujarat riots happen. I happen to read a piece of news on rediff which says BJP has banned the release of 'Fannah' in Gujarat. And this doesn’t stop here... Now, they have asked the government to ban the film altogether.

And all this for what reason??? Well, in a country, where freedom of speech is one of the fundamental rights, Aamir Khan is being reprimanded for voicing out his support for the Narmada Bachao Andolan team.

U know what frustrates me the most.... that we pride ourselves for being a secular, open society where all people are treated equally. And in the same vein, we do things which are not only anti openness and anti secular but also make a sheer mockery of the entire system. There are so many instances I can quote which have left me angry, frustrated, upset and bewildered but thought this was it, things will get better.

But each passing day, my belief in my government (not that I had much) is fading. So much so, that I am almost at the point of no return.

This may be a small issue considering the fact that we are facing such a huge challenge but think about it. Isn’t it ironic that we choose our government to make out lives better, to remove poverty, to provide good education to all and instead of focusing on that, our esteemed politicians use the precious parliament time in debating issues which can only be termed as 'INANE'

But then, they don’t care. When they don’t care a damn about our doctors staying hungry for days, when they don’t care about the future of this country, when they don’t care that they are dividing the country into pieces, I am certain they don’t give a damn to Aamir Khan, Deepa Mehta, Dan Brown, Salman Rushdie, the Danish Cartoonist, you, me etc, etc.

The list just goes on and on…

2006-05-13T00:44:00.000-07:00

RANG DE BASANTI.......

When I saw this picture in today's newspaper, it disturbed me a bit to see my fellow citizens facing such a stiff reaction from policemen but at the same time I felt proud of being in something together and fighting for something which we feel so passionate about.

As our politicians get ready to divide our country into pieces, we the youth of this country are getting together to ensure that this greedy bunch doesn’t succeed. Chances are, they still might, in the name of democracy and even though I dread the day, this ruling will get implemented, somewhere I feel united with all the Indians who are slowly but surely getting together to fight this menace called politics.

When politicians talk about equal rights and opportunities for all, I really want to ask each one of them and that includes Mr. Arjun Singh as to how many times have they stepped out of their comfort zone and tried to understand the problems we feel(Barring their campaign visits in their respective constituencies).

I want to ask Mr. Arjun Singh, how much effort has he made to understand the education system, where it is headed to and where all he needs to work upon. I want to ask him what all steps have been taken to ensure quality primary education for all of the Indians. I want to ask him how he thinks quota will help when, majority of the minority community finds it tough to even get through their first few years in school? I also want to ask how India has so far benefited from the previous quotas that were implemented.

If he is able to answer even 50% of my questions, I might be able to(might) understand the decision he has taken but I doubt he or even our PM, Mr. Manmohan Singh will have any answers. Right now, they are too busy to find ways to stay in power for as long as they can. For them, the welfare of the common man means nothing. They came to power to ensure that they stay there, make millions and ensure a comfortable life for their next 3-4 generations.

And by the looks of it, they are on the road to success. But that won’t stop me or those who feel disappointed in the entire system fighting for our rights because we don’t want to get used to a more mediocre life than what we already have.

We deserve better because we are slated to become an economic superpower. And when that day arrives, we want to see the progress on road, in villages, in each and every home and not just on paper.

As Prasoon Joshi penned it so beautifully...... kee aag hai mujhmein kaheen....

2006-05-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

Dream a little dream....

Since I have got lots of hate mails for writing whiny stuff ever so often, I have decided to write about stuff which is not so whiny. And the funniest part is that I don’t even drink wine(bad one)...

So, I decided to write about dreams. Why dreams?? That’s because they are an integral part of my life. They make me laugh, sometimes smile, sometimes scared and most of the times they do nothing to me.

The scary dreams have nothing to do with the recent movies made by Ram Gopal Verma. Infact there are 4 kinds of dreams which scare the shit out of me. First, that I am falling off a huge building, second that I am stuck in a cave and I cant find my way out, third, where I am trying to run and my legs are just not moving. and 4th and the scariest of the lot, that I have an exam tomorrow and I don’t even know the syllabus. Does it sound familiar or is it just me who wakes up with sweat on my forehead and then gets so relived to know that it was just a dream.

May be it has to do with my years in School and college where I used to be in a similar situation (never this bad but bad enough) quite often and then would manage to somehow get decent enough marks. May be it had to do with the fact that I am really talented and a true genius.

But during the exam days, when I really wanted to just play cricket the whole day long have left a scar on my psyche. So much so that now at times when I get depressed about getting old, the one thing that charges me up is the fact that I dont have to study anymore.

Strange but true how people find little joys out of nothing....

2006-05-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Bijlee aur paani, humaree dilii key yahee kahani.

I am back with some more cribbing, some more whining because thats what I enjoy doing the most. Just kidding, but only about the enjoyment bit.

Why I do it is easy to explain. More so, when every nite, just as I am ready to hit the bed, electricity starts to play games with me. It teases me, irritates me and ensures that by the end of it, I get so tired of the rage and anger I feel, that I just fall off to sleep.

After being restless all nite, I wake up in the morning and I am told to take a bath with whatever water is available. This basically means ‘one bucket’. At least the concept of taking a shower doesn’t exist in my house.

Its 8 and I am still at work. Called home and got to know there is no electricity. At least, there is at work. I have been trying to figure out ways and means to deal with these problems. May be I should wear shorts to sleep. Then what do I do about the mosquitoes?? May be I should open all the windows of the house and sleep? But then what do I do about the daily dust storm?? May be I shouldn’t sleep at all but then that’s what happens anyway.

Dealing with the water problem doesn’t have any solution. I need to have a bath everyday. Not for anybody else but myself. May be I shouldn’t drink 8 glasses of it everyday even though its supposed to be good for my health. May be I should not vote next time when there are elections.

May be I should stop cribbing now because I am not getting anywhere with it. May be you guys can help me by sending some suggestion. I am sure u guys face a similar situation since all of us stay in the CAPITAL of this country.

Hai kuch idea????

2006-04-22T02:14:00.000-07:00

How disciplined are we????

I am one of those whiney characters, who dont miss out on an opportunity to crib about corruption, under development, indiscipline at the slightest of provocation. I guess it comes from the fact that I do the small things right.

What are these small things, which if not done right end up making big issues.

As citizens of this country, what do we do to make this place worth living. I see people spitting on the road and it gives me such a disgusting feeling. Earlier I used to think that such a practise was restricted to only the uncivilized, illiterate population but the more I see it happening, the more sure i get that this is done by the so called well educated, well to do people who dont think twice before opening their mouth and letting the crap fall on the ground.

And its not restricted to just that. Its about insane driving, changing lanes like there is no tomorrow, jumping the red light as if it's the 'in' thing, peeing on the roads, Littering while driving/walking, et cetra et cetra.

What is it that makes people do it? Are we so consumed in our own world that we dont realise what we are doin or we just dont give a damn??????

Whatever the reason may be, it does ensure that Delhi will never be what our ancestors intended it to be ( actually I dont even know what their intentions were). But we really need to dig deep and understand that the reason western countries look beautiful and clean because their people take pride in the place they live. Whatever their government may do or say, whether they agree with their policies or not, they ensure that none of their frustrations should be taken out on the roads or any of the public places. In other words, they dont look for excuses to mess up their own country.

The question is, can we also start following their example? As we set out to become a global power, can we start doing the basics right? Can we feel a sense of pride for our country? Can we also try and set examples for other countries to follow? Can we stop using our culture as our best weapon(isnt that what we do when somebody asks us about India. Oh, we have an amazing culture) and start to look like a country which is on its way to super stardom.

Because, if we start to do all this, we will be the final beneficiaries. The point is are we all ready to start? Well, I am....