Some times it is better to just 'Shut up'!

I understand, Silence has a sound. And sometimes it is deafening. When the former prime minister kept mum on so many things, I hoped he came out and talked. I really wished he was more communicative. May be that cost him and his party the elections. His silence was indeed deafening and some times was irritating too.

And the present is the eternal loud mouth. He had a way with words, and everybody seemed to like it. Personally though I wished he talked less, I also appreciated his ability to attract the masses. They all loved him and his ability to talk.

When the present HRD minister kept mum on one of the biggest controversies to have affected Indian higher education system, I thought she was being foolish! I wanted her to open out. Then the unassuming law minister kept his mouth shut when the storm over the appointment of the supreme court Judge was raging. Again, my mind said "Talk please!" That is why we voted for you.

And then, the health minister decided to talk. On anything and everything, including sex education (Is it taboo to even write about it?) and yoga. Only after he started to talk I realize the value of being silent. Being mum! or as the famous American TV series 'To shut up and sit down'!

I mean, why on hell do one has to talk so much on things which he has no idea on? Like Alia Bhatt talking on FIFA? Or my gynecologist mom talking about steel manufacturing? Baba Ramdev talking about good governance? I mean, why can't we just keep quite and watch the world? Just watching the world is an art! Believe me.

Silence definitely had an irritation attached to it! But, some times, No! Most of the times, I am increasingly beginning to realize that silence is indeed golden. Much better than the noisy rubbish which comes from the loud mouths. I only hope the people who has the micro phones understand. The less said, the better. And nothing said, is the best.

Am I audible?

P.S : That is why I blog! It does not produce a sound.

The breaking news!

Priety Zinta has just landed in the international airport, said the "breaking news" in one of the well known news channel. I am serious! She did land in the airport. It is not an important news, it is a "Breaking news". It is supposed to break you; if you have not broken the TV by then.

"Annnddddd........ Priety is heading straight to home!" yells the TV anchor, with the camera zoning in on a car leaving the airport. So breaking it is, I decided by then to take a break! To have my sanity in tact, else I would have surely broken the TV and I'm already broke!

Alright, I understand! It is boring and confusing and totally useless reading me. That is exactly how I feel watching these news channels. Absolutely useless! I mean, what if Priety lands in the airport? I don't even care if she lands directly at her home and lands head first.

This is the quality of intellect thrown at us by the media, the so called fourth pillar of democracy! Not that the other three are strong enough but that is for another day.

I know most of the media is paid and run by the corporates; I understand they are meant to give NEWS the way their bosses want and not what happened in reality. Yes, TRP ratings are important for the survival of the channels. Yet, Preity landing in the airport can't be breaking news in this country.

There are more important stuffs happening. A new government has taken over. A new political party is trying things differently. There are 40 Indians abducted in another country. The world's largest sporting event is happening. IIT results have just come out and there are thousand other better things happening all over the place.

For sanity's sake let not the Preity's home comings become the "Breaking news"; Else, there will soon be a generation, which will only know the SRK's and the Zinta's.

And I doubt that time is not very far!

It is a complex world!

Well, I have an exam tomorrow and I don't really know what I'm doing here. Anyways that is how I'm wired. To do stupid things! at the stupidest of places

So because there was this exam I was reading when that call came; A very close friend 'M' called and said another friend 'J' cleared the civil services exams and has got a top ten rank in the country. Now, that is an insanely insane good news for me. For a friend to become an IAS, that too with a single digit rank is so good a news, I ve not heard such good news in a looooong time.

And then immediately I called one of my best friends, my ex-roomie 'N', whom I was very sure of getting a rank and the answer was in the negative. I called my dad next and he informed me that mom has to be taken to the hospital tomorrow, for obvious reasons.

Now,It is a complex world! It wants me to concentrate on my exam, celebrate the humongous success of a friend or share the grief of a sad failure of a close friend and be with my sick mom, all at the same time!

Is it not complex enough?

Growing older! one year at a time.

So it is been 28 years; and never in my memory had the birthday a start like this. The close friend I stayed with for the night, forgot my birthday and played old (pre illayaraja) songs through the night, the 12:00' clock calls and the messages from the girl friends of yesteryear's reduced to one solitary call from my old aunt, an exam which I didn't want to write in the morning, an one hour bike travel in the heart of chennai traffic at 42'c, and a lonely lunch of sambhar rice! And of course, the mind occupied by the painful process of mom having to go through chemo. Of course her's was the first call in the morning, and muchly like her, broke down.

The entire last year had not been anything special either; A big failure and of course the sickness of mom and all the family changes which happened with that.

But then, birthdays are supposed to be happy days, is n't it? So will I be!

The family was there as usual! Every single one called me today, just to remind that they will be there forever, as they had been through the tough last year. And the close friends who called me; Today was no different as most of them call me daily! And the many many friends who whatsApped. Thank you.

So looking forward to a long year ahead! May be the 'M' thing might happen this year. I remember telling my dad 4 years ago, that year will be the last bachelor birthday. God! It is been 4 years of absolute bliss. Good on me that the word to dad just remained a word. Who knows, may be I will come back to this place again the same:)

So I'm looking forward to the wedding of two other friends and the travel! The challenge of the considered toughest exam on earth again; and many tours planned this year. Many many hours of ARR, the solemn quiet times I enjoy, lots and lots of reading I so love, and the seriously serious business of writing blogs! All of them, within that tiny year of 365 more days? Phew!

 Bring it on, I'm ready and waiting!

There is something wrong Mr. Prime minister!

I know it is too early sir. I understand it will take time just for the feeling of being the prime minister with such a majority to sink in. And I'm truly not naive to believe that you have a magic wand to shoo away the problems we have. Yet, I say this with a fair amount of conviction. There is something wrong after your victory sir.Horribly wrong!

The good thing about alarms is that they always ring on time; though we may not like it. And the alarm bells have started ringing sir. And if you don't put your foot down and act, life in this country will not be what you and me dream of!

As you would have known by now,Pune faced communal violence. Some buses were torched and of course one young techie from a minority community was killed because he wore a "skull cap". You know that, right? I'm sure you know who did that as well. And in that very same Pune, some people were threatened because they did not spell out your name with a "Jai" to it!

In the IT hub of Bangalore some people were threatened because they posted FB posts which criticized you sir. And in the capital city of Delhi, some lower class people who were protesting were bundled out by the police.

I hope you know all these happened sir! Most of us who watch television don't, as news channels don't cover them anymore. Of course, I think they are biased sir! Biased towards you. 'Paid', will be a better word.

And I'm afraid very soon there will not be allowed any criticism in this country. That day sir,with the rate at which things are happening, is not very far.

I want you to come out of your silence and speak out. But, I would prefer acting strong sir. Against those who torched those buses, the gang who killed the youngster, against the policemen who evicted the protesters and of course against the paid media!

I know you want development and is working hard on that front. But you just can't wish away criticism sir, and those who don't follow your ideologies.

Believe me sir, you try to muzzle criticism and those who criticize and not follow your ideologies, It will turn on you very soon. And history is replete with examples of that.

Sir, if you don't get up when the alarm rings, you always end up going late to the class! Always!

What you want them to do, you do!

So when you have lovely cousins, you end up having nice luncheons. That is why I love my cousins. Only for Food!

It was one such day. I was in the library when my cousin 'L' called. "Sam, where are you" was the question, and immediately I knew she was around in Chennai. And half an hour later we were together looking for a place to eat. She had brought another cousin of her 'R' with her two children. So the five of us, three adults and 2 kids in their pre teens decided we will go to Liu Waldorf.

As soon as we took the left to enter the parking lot, we found out a Merc has blocked our way. So I got down and asked the hotel guy to help us with our parking. He came out, saw the merc and said, "please park the car outside sir". Now, bang outside the hotel's parking lot the police have put a big "NO PARKING" sign; and here he is, asking us to park there, right beneath the sign. I asked him again whether there won't be any problem. He said he will take care if the police comes.

Now, my wisdom said the peak of chennai's summer afternoon will keep the policemen inside their offices and they won't come visiting us. So I signalled the cousin who is driving, to park there; right under the sign. But she was reluctant. After some discussions, we decided that we will not park the car there, and parked the vehicle in the neighboring road where there was some decent parking available.

"Mam, you could have parked the vehicle here itself! We would have taken care", said the man in the hotel. "We teach our children to obey traffic rules and signs, and how will they obey if we don't?" bang, came the reply from the mom 'R'.

That sentence struck me hard. What a lesson to learn! A lesson for life. The children follow you, every moment of your life. And what you want them to do, you do!

Now you know the other reason why I love my cousins? They teach me life's lessons too!