Happy new year people!

One more year in life? It was just like yesterday I sat in a church thinking the year 2000 will bring in more joy and it is already 15 years since. Life!

It has taken turns and twists! Brought me immense joy and of course the many many unfortunate incidents. More people and more people came in; And of course they came in and went out. Life changed from being dependent to periods of immence independence and then slowly back to dependence again. There were turbulent periods and of course the insanely sane and calm periods. Life!

Has life been the same it was supposed to be? Did it follow the drousy dream I had on that 31st december night in 1999?

Surely not! Life had to take paths different from the dreams, I presume. And if not, may be it would not have been interesting after all.

I swear I have no idea why I am writting this blog! Yet, December 31, 2016 brought back memories of that day and thankfully I have people like you reading this:)

Happy new year people! May this year bring in many more surpises and happiness just like it has brought in over the years.

Going deep into Indian Villages!

How is it travelling deep in to an Indian village in interior Madhya Pradesh?

So you board the typical mission hospital Jeep! And 8 of you and a big tyre are squeezed into that Jeep and off we go on the pot holed national highway. Then inevitably you turn into one of those roads/mudpaths and go further. And there you are, after a few kilometers of riding/rafting you enter one of those villages

Typical poor Indian Village! the buffaloes, the poorest of huts built of mud, the dirty pond where people wash their clothes, the broken panchayat building, the empty school, children playing without dresses. All of them it had. All of them straight from the class 2 social book I studied.

Class 2? And that is a looong time. 20 years! Phew, I'm that old! 20 years and nothing has changed? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! 

Of course, The one I went to was one of the posher villages. They have television sets now! Saw a few bikes. And yes, an odd car too! But is that all the change we can bring about in a village which is 3 hours travel from two of the bigger cities called Bhopal and Nagpur? 

Ah, the reality of it all had to be brought before me all over again! 

India, the India of the IT, the multiplexes, the Audi's and of course the Ache Dhin! But there is another face, the real one. If you want to see that, go in to one of those deep Indian villages.

The real India lives there.

                                                                   The bike and the dish! modern Indian village

The national highways connecting Bhopal and Nagpur

The road leading to the village

  

Stay proud, stay angry chennai!

It feels terrible when you are not in the middle of the activity that is going on in Chennai! No,not the floods. But the relief that is happening around in chennai.

The day it rained and when the News of floods were coming in, it felt even worse when the city you loved and had been part of is being devastated. Just that, the business of life was taking its toll. The human being inside me which wanted to be part of this mamoth tragedy just lost to the everyday monotonies of life!

And then the beauty of Chennai and its people unfolded. Twitter and Facebook were so full of people waiting to help and everybody I know (Both real and virtual) were extending helping hands. An army man quoted this, "For the first time I'm seeing more volunteers than victims", and I felt proud.

The Chennai of our dreams had stood up in times of crisis and held hands together and I could feel the pride!

Then, there was a tinge of anger in it! Anger at the political apathy, anger at people like me who just sat back in comfy homes and watched without lending a helping hand, anger at themselves for this situation which they had brought upon themselves to a certain extent and anger towards God!

Hold on to that anger Chennai! The next time when the politician comes to you asking for votes stay angry. When the real estate advertisers encroach another of the water bodies stay angry. Next time when the 'God men' blesses you for money, stay angry!

I'm proud of you chennai! Lest we forget, if we lose our anger, like we lose it everytime, Our pride is a useless virtue.

Stay proud Chennai! Stay angry too!

The computer emotion! Artificial and bland!

Ting Ting Ting! The train from Chennai to Bangalore has been delayed by an hour! The inconvenience caused is deeply regretted came the recorded message for the umpteenth time.

The incessant rain, the terrible traffic, a bad auto driver is enough material to handle for the nerves. And when you have not had breakfast and your hunger pangs start to scratch the surface, you have a wild guy at hand. And then this delay.

What with railways and delays? I don't know! Do they even care? I was cursing every politician around (My favourite passtime anyways), when this message came.Arghhh!

My mind becomes very philosophical when it gets irritable! And so happened today.

How does the computer know my pain to regret for the inconvenience it has caused? Can't the railways just tell us that the train is late and keep its mouth shut? Why should we get to hear from a computer that it regrets for the inconvenience caused?

My mind! My mind! It was angry and filled with questions. As usual!

Do artificial emotions have a role in this society moving towards artificial intelligence? What will be its implications? How will it be if the next generation will have the iPhone as their best friend? So, by the end of the day, what if there is a prerecorded message at home which says, 'how you?' 'how was your day?' What if in 10 years time I share my happiness and sadness with a toy? Celebrate my success by taking a robot to the resort? Have an electronic shoulder to cry on?

I dread such a day! And I dread we are going towards that sadly!

Keep the cow aside for sometime plz!

I can almost imagine cows standing in a queue to vote in the upcoming Bihar elections!

That is how much importance cows have been given off late by our stupid media and the developmental BJP and the annoying opposition parties.

It all started off with the now famous 'cow urine' which was supposed to be the cure for cancer, jaundice, and every other disease you know off. Then came the cow dung and now the cow meat (I meant the beef). Holy cow! I spelt the word; Do they lynch even for this? And ya, I'm now even wondering, the term 'holy cow' had a sanghi influence.

The last I saw the cow, it was lazily lying in the middle of the road. Very soon, the way it is going, we may be naming roads after the cows. Who knows, we may even have reservations for cows.

Politics over beef found a new address today as the Kerala House in Delhi took buffalo meat off its menu after a "raid" by policman who had received a complaint from a fringe group. So the Chief Minister of Kerala wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of the country saying the Kerala house does not serve cow meat! Don't those two guys have better works than that, other than playing hide and seek with a bloody animal?

Keep the cow aside for sometime I say ! We have enough and more important jobs to do!

P.S : Should I write to the PM about the dog meat I had next time? Or dogs not as important as cows?

Thank you shewag! Thank you Fab Five!

I never liked him bat. He gave me too many nervous moments. And I am from the Rahul Dravid school of batting. The feet never moved to the pitch of the ball. The ball missed the outside edge too many times.

There were many days when I had scolded him badly for just throwing away his wicket. The air of nonchalance surrounding him was hardly bearable for an intense cricket fan like me,

Yet, to be honest there were very few batsmen of his ilk; No no no! Not very few. I can't name one. And that makes him the genius. He was a genius indeed. How do you describe scoring a boundary of the first ball of five consecutive world cup games? What else can be said about the man who inevitably hits a six to reach the hundred?

And when the genius in Shewag called in quits yesterday, my mind wavered off to 2000's. The decade of the "Fab Five". What a time it was to watch and talk cricket? Shewag's brilliance, Dravid's purity, Sachin's genius, laxman's beauty and Ganguly's off side strokes and every one of them gave times of happiness.

Thank you Shewag for all those days of sheer joy you gave us! And thank you "Fab Five"! We grew up watching you bat. In the annals of Indian cricket, Shewag and Fab five will forever be etched. 

I have enough sir! Thank you!

This man I met today was a beggar! He did not have any money. He slept on the streets. And ate out of whatever good hearts gave him.

One of my better friends in my new found environment and I met him; and the noble heart my friend was, offered him money. And came a reply, which I have not seen before in my 28 years on this earth, which is almost life's most important lesson.

He said and I quote, "I have twenty rupees, sir! Enough! Will get it if I need it! Thank you! And my friend had not given him our usual one rupee coin which we dish out to the beggars. It was a hundred rupee note! And not that we will meet him tomorrow and give him. Tomo, my friend is not in office and I don't use the way where he usually sits. And this man knows that too!

How do I say a 'NO' to the attraction of free money three times your entire wealth put together? Sorry, my math is wrong. It is five times! Or whatever! He was happy. He was contented.

Something in him makes him contented. What is that? I really don't know. I wish I can say the 'No' when it comes to the attractions of money and do what my innermost heart says. I wish the compulsions of life does not make me run after money rather than being contented.

And Today I wish I have that beggar's heart!

Not in the very far future son!

If you have seen these two images and are not heartbroken, you must be of the Indira Mukerjee ilk. Indira Mukerjee? Yes, the one who became media friendly because she murdered her daughter.

Two images! And they keep flashing in my mind again and again. That look on the father, who has given his everything, yet lost his son, to the brazen arrogance of mankind. And that image of the little child, lying along the sea shore. Motionless and still! Dead!

A small family who just wanted to live a simple, happy life wherever they are allowed to, could not survive a tragedy that has been enforced upon his country men.

How do we even start to explain the tragedy? Where do we start? Are boundaries drawn for the sake of convenience more important than lives? The imaginary lines we have drawn between countries, should they at all exist, if they are gonna kill lives?

The question marks which clog my mind! I know there are no answers. I understand the boundaries do exist, and will continue to do so. And I'm sure that these boundaries are going to be the lines which will bring the earth to its death.

Child! This is a bad bad world. It does not deserve you. Sleep in peace son. For, you live in a better place now; We, your fathers have messed this place up! We have made this place unlivable by drawing imaginary lines.

And we surely will bring this place to a horrible closure. Not in the very far future son. Not in the very far future!

The farce called independence!

So every year after the frenzied Aug 15th, we go back to our daily routine on the next day! The August 16th. My FIL's birthday!

The proud Indians we are, who never had forgotten to wear the tri-colour close to the chest on the day of independence , go back to our usual 'hell with rules' mode! So every traffic signal without the cop is violated; Every queue is broken; And sadly, every other Indian who does not share the same views is abused.

To hell with Independence day celebrations, I say! Why this facade? Why do a public stunt of patriotism on two days a year? and forget what it means the very next day? 

Or even on that very same day, what does independence really mean? 

The PM's rhetoric on how he is a saviour! Children carrying (Or made to carry) a chief minister's name! A Trisha and Vijay movie! and of course the mandatory heroine interview. Is that all Independence means to us?

Neither freedom, nor its celebrations mean anything to me; I don't really know how some white men ruling over me would have changed the way I live now. 

Can't they do something about teaching my generation and its thoughtless citizens like me about the advantages of the so called 'Independence?' Or at least have some meaningful celebrations on the day of the Independence? May be show a movie on Gandhi? Or have a reality show or a debate on how the white men throttled our growth? Can somebody please teach me, why and how I can be a better citizen in this independent country? Or at least how I can use my independence in propagating my ideas? 

Can the PM from his podium, please explain why abusing my view point on social media is not freedom? Can he publicly announce that I have the freedom to agitate peacefully, without being stopped by the police? Can the Chief Ministers stop making children wait under a hot sun, and instead teach them that 'Independence' necessarily mean, 'Doing what they want, within the boundaries of law'; And that includes refusing to stand in the sun waiting for them too!

Ah! The farce called independence day! I can see my children celebrating 'August 15th' as the day before their grandfather's birthday!

Appie frensip day ppl!

It is 5:00 am, and Bangalore is cold outside! Yet, I'm made to remember my friends now. And as usual, I'm blogging. Remembering the plethora of friends who have crossed my life, the vast variety they are, the fun and the laughter, the seriously serious debates, the so many hours of 'non sense', the long hours under sun playing cricket or some other game, the many stupid debates, the forward messages, the orkut 'testimonials', the FB likes and of course the whatsapp chats!

Some have moved on in life. Do I miss them? I have moved on to; Some have added their spouses to the friends list; Some have become part of my family. Is there any difference between family and best friends by the way? Some do call me once a week even now. Some don't answer calls. Yet, they all cross my mind now.

Life in the fast lane is cruel! Especially when you are married to a doctor. And when suddenly you realize this may even be the longest stretch you have not spoken to some of the best friends ever. Some times days goes on without even thinking about them;

But then, deep inside you know. There are these creatures, who has absolutely nothing in common with me, except the simple fact that they took the same path I took for a small period in this marathon called 'life', who will be there with you always. Every time. Every day. And not once will they say 'no', except of course if you ask for a 10,00,000 loan.

Happy friendship day guys! I can't think of a better way than writing a stupid blog, to thank you all for all the suffocating love and the happy memories you have given me. 

My last night with my mom!

When a colleague and a well wisher came to me and said, 'hold on' sam, It hit me hard! It has been a year to this day, that I spent one last night with my mom.

Oh! How many days had we, 'mom and me', after Dad and Dan had slept, enjoyed our silent conversations going deep in to the night. And the early next day morning inevitably she will be defending me against being woken up because I slept late; yet, she always was there in the kitchen and then at work, bang on time!

We discussed everything; everything under planet earth, like best friends do! From how my class mate had a love failure, to how beautiful the girl next door looked, to how Nehemiah built Israel, to how India as a country could be salvaged.

Yes, we did plan my wedding, long long back! when I was still in college. We made a list of all the people who should be gifted sarees. And believe me, that list went on and on!She was particularly afraid of being the 'MIL(Maamiyar)', and yes, on many occasions the topic had been the 'Ideal MIL' which she wanted to be, yet thought it was impossible for her to be one.

Oh yes, we spoke on family issues. On umpiring in cricket. On Church politics. On the petty fights between her staff. On the sick patient which made her nervous.

And invariably, every night, just before we dozed off, she said 'how kind had God been to her', though she had not lived up to His standards.

Well, though we slept in the same room on her last night, she could not recognize me and I did not know it would be the last! Had I known that, may be  I would have whispered to her, "You have set the standards too high ma", for finally God thought enough!.

Lot more stories to tell ma; So much more. We will meet one day on the other side. Till then, I'm gathering stories for you. Life's stories!

I'm sick and I'm married!

Well, so finally when a stupid bug bit me y'day, and I felt a little sick, I suddenly realized I'm married!

For the wifey suddenly behaves very differently!

Did you take the tablet? Eat something! Eat this, eat that! Drink water. And in my case, the wifey being the doctor, there were certain technical terms thrown as well. "Gatric juice", and "Bacterial and viral" Infections were often used! My already heavy head started to spin as well.

And so she continued! "You don't expect me to behave the way your bachelor friends behave when you are sick!". Suddenly my mind went to those days of unbridled freedom. Of bachelorhood and its bliss.

The best of friends always reacted best when you are sick. "Vaa parotta saapiduvom, yellaam sariyaagidum", was the usual remark. My great dad, never even asked "Had I taken tablets?". He Just left us to be. And mothers, well they are made to pamper, right? And mine, though she had very little time, always pampered! and sisters, yes, they whined and advised!

So, the greatest of wives, like mine (Shhhh! I'm paid to tell this) take on the wives role suddenly from the brilliant friend she had been.

Though, I love the dad's and friend's way of caring, in the innermost hearts, I secretly believe without the womanly, wifeish pampering, falling sick is not worth it!

You have no hope dear country!

So Madame Jayalalitha was not corrupt. She bought all those 30 Kilograms of gold and the insane number of saree's and the chappal's and the big tracts of land from her salary. She really did. Believe me!

Salman Khan killed one and injured some after driving when he was drunk. So he was granted bail and let off scott free because he could pay 30,000 Rs. He was made to pay a looooot of money. And he was a good man! After all, he beats up all the bad guys every other day. He can't be a bad man!

Vijay Mallaya, got loans and could not repay and did not pay salary to many thousands of employees! So what? Is that his problem? It was the employees mistake to have joined his company. IPL is going on and how can it happen without the self proclaimed "King of good times".

Maya kodnani, just killed around 100 people. She can't be put in jail when she is having fever and cough and cold. Granting bail to a sick convict is how humanity can be saved. And in that she being a doctor. And punishing a doctor is just not the way to do.

Story after story after story of how the rich and the powerful manipulate the system; which unashamedly keeps many thousands in prison before conviction for want of paying bail money.

Dearest country, I feel like shaking the dust off my feet on you.You are a shame.I regret being the eternal optimist and wanting to be the change agent

You have no hope dear country! Not in the near future.

The slap I badly needed!

There are people who give you that slap on your face and wake you up from that wrong idea of yourself you have! He was one such man!

He wore the same shirt for the third day. His pants had that big black stain; His hair last saw a comb a week ago. And inevitably he came from Bihar. The Bihar of poverty and snake charmers; Of filth and dirt; Of disease and corruption. He did not speak any English of course. The language, which makes me so proud of!

And then came that slap! What a man he turned out to be. He has single handedly abolished Tuberculosis from his village and is aiming at doing the same for the neighboring ten villages. And to put things in persepective, nearly 2,40,000 people die of TB every year in our very own country. Especially in the Biharian villages due to lack of knowledge and hygiene.

And no, he is not a medical doctor. In fact he is not even a graduate. He works on his own interest with the government; takes people suspicious of TB to docs; help those who can't go to the hospital receive their dose of medicines and also spreads awareness about the disease to all and sundry. And all this, apart from his work, without getting a paisa for it.

Life throws up people like them often enough, to give that tight slap, and to put you on to your place! 

Shit happens!!!

So, early morning, the most read article trending on twitter was about the present transport minister and the former BJP president Nithin Gadkari. Hell No!!! He sure was not talking about developing the transport system of the country, nor was he talking about developing the biggest party in the world.

He was talking about 'urine'. You read it right; It was about man's 'URINE'. Rather, his own! The article quoted him saying, he never wastes urine and always collects them daily in a 50 litre can. Yes, he never wastes urine! He uses them to water his plants. I just said to myself; "paavam(Pity) those plants!

Why is there so much discussion happening on urine, I don't know! The other day, another MP was saying cow's urine cures cancer.In parliament! Then there was Maneka Gandhi, another esteemed MP, who said she is using the urine as a 'disinfectant'. And suddenly there is news that they are going to start a urine refinary in Rajasthan! So you will soon be getting 'Refined urine'! Don't know whose will be refined!

Before last year, it was a word spoken of as whispers! Thanks to the development agenda of the new government, they are being spoken off in blogs. The next step is to develop engines that run on urine. Why not? We will be the most energy efficient country in the world if that happens! Imagine 50 litre can's of urine! I mean energy! Now you get the transport minister and urine connect?

Shit happens! or should it be 'urine happens?'!

Time we think of the farmers also.

I understand we don't have the time. Me and my wife hardly get time to even talk properly. Leave alone talk, we some times don't even meet. By the time the wife comes back from her night duty, I'm off to work, and by the time I come back, she is off to work. Life in the fast lane is cruel. Absolutely cruel!

And when the umpteenth farmer committed suicide yesterday, and when the politicians and the shameless media were politicizing the entire issue, for me it was news flipped through. For my wife, well, the last she ever had heard that word 'farmer' was in class 6. And then we motored on, on the very same life we had taken upon ourselves.

Not that we don't think of food! We eat out often enough. And the ever gracious MIL, makes us think of all the variety of food there is. And our reaction to the beef ban in Maharashtra was eating beef biriyani.

Just that we don't think of the people who make it possible for me to have my food. We have not been taught to think of them. I mean, nobody ever taught me to be think about the man who breaks his backs to give me food. In fact, the society which taught me to remember god before eating, did not even try to teach me how the food reached my table.

The society taught me it is better to be an engineer than a farmer! In fact, the vocation of 'farming' is looked down upon. It is so very skewed that the man who gives me food does not even get 1/10th of the income I do. And most of us just don't care. At least we pretend to. Or just that we don't have the time.

Okay; Let this not be just another emotional rant. I promised myself that every time I think of my food, I will also think of the farmer. I will teach my children that farming is as good a profession as mine is; Next time I buy vegetables, I will buy from the farmers mandi, at the price he says, without bargaining.

And that I won't waste food, the food which involves the hard labour of men, who are committing suicides because they could not afford food on their table.

It is time we think of the farmers also!

Power corrupts!

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely was Lord Acton's famous Dictum! And Aam Aadmi party, the party with the so called difference, is proving Acton right.

Let me confess this first. I was a firm believer in the party. I sensed hope when a lot of friends around me were cynical. I thought when the good people come together, they can change the way political activity is being conducted in this country. And when the good people came together to fight the morons of politics last year, I was happy. I saw light at the end of the tunnel.

But then, power, that word 'power' does stupid things to a lot of people. And AK and other partymen do not look like exceptions.

I really don't know the inner happenings of the party. Even now I hope that sense prevails in the end and everybody who joined together in creating the party will come together again in changing a rotten system. But things does not look rosy. There is too much secrecy for comfort. Too much mud slinging in public view. And the future looks hazy.

Sirs, you were all brave in taking on a system. You had fought the corrupt and corruption even before the party was created, each in your own sphere. Many of you were hero's in your own right. You had all defeated the urge to be corrupt for a long time.But sadly when it came to fighting the lust of power you were all defeated. Each one of you. Power has won again, and that sadly is the curse of this nation.

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Reflecting on a life that deserved more!

I saw her on TV laughing away her sorrows.Graceful her face was and quite rightly she was called Grace!

I somehow found her number out and called her and the voice on the other side was cheerful and friendly. "Sam, buy me some 'oorugaai' from Delhi" she said. Only when I asked her to come to our youth group to give a speech, she said she is on chemo. She came after her chemo, and made us all cry listening to her, though she smiled through that hour.

She had been cheated at every step of life. By everybody. Dare I say even God was not kind to her. The parents left her, the dad pretty early and the mom later. The family was broke from day one. The orphanage could only give her schooling and refused a college education. And finally when things were falling in place, life played the cruel game of cancer on her. Oh, I forgot the hospital which cheated her in the end.There was even a man who called her to lie down with her to pay her medical bills. Life!

Of course, There were the good souls which helped her pay the medical bills. The blind man who travelled a lot to give her blood. The friends who paid her household bills. But they were few and far between.

Yet, through it all she smiled. Helped everybody around. Everybody!. Called me so many times to check on my mom. Drove a bike two days after her chemo to help another friend of mine in the hospital. And shared the little pittance the good people gave her with another orphan who stayed with her.

Reflecting on that life the world was not worthy of, makes me thankful for mine; for she always was thankful for every crumb of bread life threw at her.

Where do we get such parliamentarians?

"Believe me, the cow's urine cures cancer", says a ruling party MP in the parliament nonchalantly; And here am I, having to see the dear mother suffer immeasurably for almost a year in one of the leading medical college hospitals in the country and then die because of that dreaded disease.

I should have just given her cow's urine, and 'bimbo' she is cured of cancer! how easy, isn't it?

Where were you sir, the whole of last year? Where were you? Why did you not give us this simple solution before? Had you told this last year, I would not have lost her. We do not even need hospitals for cancer patients sir. Such a waste of money.  And of course absolutely no need of the doctors. Oh! that explains why the budget for health care has been reduced this year.

What next sir? Say something like, "The 'cow dung' can cure malaria or Jaundice". No, no sir! Looks way too simple. Why not AIDS? That should get the whole world interested as well. Like, the entire world will be in India waiting for cow dung. That can make the world look at us with envy. With cow slaughter ban applicable only in India, all other countries has to come here to get 'cow dung' sooner than later.

Already with the latest announcement the cow's urine will be in great demand. Why waste cow's dung?

And by the way sir, why were you discussing the cow's urine in the parliament? Or were you discussing the cure for cancer there? So why do we even have research center's? I mean, if you can find the cure for such a disease in the parliament itself, why waste so much money in stupid things called research.

So much for the parliament, and its discussions. Ah country! Where do you get such parliamentarians?

The lost romance!

I sure was looking forward to 2015. Of course, marriage and the wife were attractions; Even otherwise 2015 was special. It is the world cup year! and we are the reigning world champs.

All the excitement apart, the major disappointment of this world cup is the absence of the little man, "Sachin Tendulkar". For us, growing up Sachin defined cricket. And who else can define world cups?

India won and lost with Sachin those days; The 1996 world cup, my first, showed the reality of our generation. The stumping of  Mark waugh when he was lighting up the Mumbai sky, and the hundred in Delhi against Sri lanka going in vain are fresh in our minds. And who can forget that fateful day when a sachin misjudged run led us to the catastrophe in the world cup semifinal. We cried too!

1999, England was a lost cause just because Sachin did not play one day after the loss of his father. The century against Kenya and showing his raised arms to the dead dad, were embedded in our memories.

2003 world cup! how can we forget what happened then? Those ten days were scintillating. The majestic six of Andrew Caddick, that sparkling cover drive of Wasim Akram of the first ball of the chase and that huge six of Shoaib Akthar. And then the disastrous pull shot of Mcgrath! Life was cruel I said.

The less said the better of 2007. And then came 2011. The Dhoni era had started by then! Yet, it was Sachin for us. A hundred in Bangalore, a hundred in Nagpur, that heart wrenching fifty where we suffered palpitations in Mohali and then the eruption in Mumbai. Virat Kohli reflecting what we thought. Of course, it was the Sachin Tendulkar world cup. Wasn't it?

So, 2015 here. The kohli's, Devilliers and the Sangakkara's have taken over. Cricket has increased by leaps and bounds. The big bats, and the hugely improved fielding has added attraction. Yet, it is not the same anymore. Not that romantic. It cannot be!

The romance which the bride in Sachin Tendulkar and the groom in the 90's Indian cricket fan is lost forever!

Underestimating our stupidity!

I know I sound snobbish. I am here to tell you exactly what the title says. Our society often ends up surprising me with the level of its stupidity. I really do mean it.

What do you say when a bride in UP walk out of the marriage podium because the groom answered "15+7 as 17";Oh! she did it. Believe me, I did my math perfectly. And I'm married!

Or you wake up in the morning to the news that a lady Member of the Legislative Assembly bit her colleague in Kerala ?Hope it was not as bad as a dog bite! Women's bites should be included in the medical books soon. Yes, men's as well

And what do you say when a member of parliament asks a community to dig up dead bodies of the women of another community and rape them? or when the government decides that killing a buffalo is better than killing a cow; or when the censor board suddenly decides using the word "Bombay" is derogatory? You call 'Bombay', 'Bombay' you are gonna be censored. It is 'Mumbai' you see!

So what if the prime minister once had said that the reason for malnourished children in Gujarat is because they are beauty conscious? Oh yes, beauty conscious children are malnourished and both are related; or what about a society which considers loving somebody from a different caste deserves death? honour killing they call it. Yes, killing is honourable!

Yes, many times I have been stupid myself. Been called useless umpteen times. I have often made the stupidest of mistakes and have a lot of times been the butt of jokes.

I'm a product of this stupid society after all. How else will I be!

Bowing down before her genius!

Yesterday, me and the wife got down talking about her duty and the timings. It is becoming difficult for her with long workdays and the once a week night duties. I really did pity the doctors yesterday, with their hectic workload!

That got us talking about the mother, and suddenly we realized her genius. I mean, we always knew her greatness, but yesterday, she looked taller. Familiarity does that to you, no?

What was her greatness?

She used to get up early in the morning, and cook breakfast and lunch for both me and the brother. And after we flew the nest, for the cousins who stayed at home. And also she cooked for all the old people, the guests who stayed with us all along. After that was done, she went for her morning rounds and OPD by 9:00 am. And her usual OPD would have averaged around 75-100 people per day. By the time she finished her work it would be around 3:00 Pm. She would have also completed some C-Sections and conducted some normal deliveries in between.(During her peak, she was delivering 10 babies a day). Then after having lunch at 4:00 Pm, she got the dinner and the evening snacks for everybody around ready and went back for her work at 6:00 Pm. By the time she finished her work and came back for dinner, it would be 9:30-10:00 Pm.

And guess what? She was the only night call doctor on all days. That is, she would have to go if called in the night on all 365 days. And calls came in plenty every night!

Through it all, she had time for everybody. Me, my brother, dad (she always called him her youngest son), her sisters and brother, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles and the inlaws too! Everybody! And with that infectious smile!

Phew! Just to think of 16 hour long work hours with night calls every day! And for 25 years!

Wasn't she something? Genius, is the word. I bow down! 

The conversion - anti conversion debate

In this democratic country I'm entitled to follow any religion. The constitution(Article 25) in fact allows me to practice and propagate any religion. "Propagate" here according to my knowledge includes preaching my religion as well.

In this entire debate, 'conversion' denotes, converting a person from one religion to another religion. My point here is, If a person wants to convert from religion 'x' to religion 'y' he is entitled to do so. And government should not be interfering in to such a private decision.

The problem comes only when there are forced conversions. Now, forced conversions according to me are misnomers. You cannot forcibly convert a person (i.e) You cannot threaten to kill a person and ask him to convert to any religion. He may act outside, but in the innermost heart he might still be the same person. So government can intervene and stop any threatened conversion not for the sake of conversion, but because any human being threatening any other human being ought to be punished.

So I wholeheartedly support the much maligned "Gharwapsi" also; Yes, anybody can preach to me about the beauties of Hinduism and help me see the light in that. So also I support Muslims preaching Islam. My only point is, I cannot be and should not be threatened to follow any religion. And yes, that includes Christianity also. Anybody threatening others to follow Christ should be put behind bars. No, two ways about it!

I understand, others will have different opinions on this. And I defend to death their right to say it. We can debate this with all civility and without abuse.

My other worry is, we are fighting the wrong battle. There are bigger battles to be fought and I also just hope in the name of fighting this battle, we will not stop a lot of good works done in the name of religion like the "Mother Teresa's orphanages", "Sai Baba's hospitals" and the "Islamic educational institutions".

Letter to Shri.Arwind Kejriwal!

Dear Sir congrats.

What you have done is bolywoodish. Taking on the mightiest of the mighty head on, and bringing them to their knees is really really impressive stuff. This indeed is a historic moment for the country. A time to celebrate. A time which will restructure history of this country for the next 50 years!

When you defied all odds and got public donations through legal banking means, I knew you meant business! And when you came out openly apologizing gracefully for the mistake of resigning last time, I prayed you get one more chance. 

Sir let us get straight to business. Let us be graceful in victory. Let there not be a public showing of humility. Let there not be many dharnas, though I defend your right to sit on a dharna. Let us govern this time. Let us show the world, what can be done when good people enter politics.

I hope you know the victory is just the first step. Not many political parties in this country have done good for this country. Not many politicians have kept to their word. Not many, no, not any, have stuck to all of their promises. Let us focus on that. Focus on the manifesto. Focus on the promised government schools and hospitals. Focus on reducing corruption. Proper governance will make sure you win next time. Not mere promises.Not mere words. 

Sir, let me not lecture you on governance. But I will just close with Lord Acton's dictum

         "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" 

and so please be on your toes. Anything untoward, crush them mercilessly. And of course those people will have other parties. Never mind sending out people who you think are even slightly misbehaving. AAP without them is better. We have seen it happen in Shazia Ilmi and Kiran Bedi.

And of course, congratulations to the selfless volunteers; the backbone behind the movement.

Godspeed

On marriage and the aftermath!

Yes, aftermath is a word used to define the after effects of a disaster! Yet, I'm using it here. I might end up using my apologizing skills on the woman I presume. Ah! what is life without the banter.

Yes, for those of you who were asking about my blog on the wedding, I had decided not to write as it was an experience beyond words! See, I am learning the art of diplomacy here.

It surely was a sureal day. The holy communion service, the family get together, the fun, the laughter, that harried feeling, the suffocating love, and of course the grand wedding ceremony and the fabulous reception which followed. The day was too little to have so much happening. Yet, it all happened.

The wedding had the exhilarating wait for the woman, with two of India's greatest violinists playing "The arrival of the queen of sheba". It had the grandest feeling of tying the "mangalsuthra" on the wife. It had the 'everybody's eyes on us' feeling. It had the sense of unmatched excitement. It had the 'cameras flashing on you' thrill. It had almost everything; except of course the mother with whom I had dreamt my wedding day so much. Ah, how I wish she had been there. She would have taken that day to different heights.

I will have to bring gratefulness here! The friends and the family. You made that day happen. Thank you all, for the love, for the prayers, for the blessings and for your presence on that day.

So, life after marriage is different! I am learning dependence. Accountability. The "I do what I want" feeling is slowly being taken away. The fiercely independent person in me is being destroyed.

I made a 'commitment', 'a tryst' with a woman in His presence that day; and that was the day all about.

Kiran Bedi - Childhood hero's fall from grace

That lady Kiran Bedi was a childhood hero. She was seen as the brave lady taking on the baddie's single handedly, in a very Telugu cinema style. And when she stood on the Ramlila platform waving the India flag, shouting "Inquilab Zindabad", fighting the so called corrupt system, I have to admit I had goose bumps.

She was the perfect Indian middle class super hero. An IIT alumnus. A P.hD holder. Asian tennis champion. And of course the IPS officer. A Magsaysay awardee. An United nations advisor. You name it, she had it. She had everything I asked for in a super hero, till yesterday.

And yesterday happened. It was in the anvil for some time, yet I hoped against all hope that it does n't. When she shook hands with the crime tainted BJP leader and said she is joining the party, my hero fell from grace. Her image in my mind took a beating.

No it is not wrong to enter politics. But she had shouted from roof tops against this very own party. She said, the party is corrupt. She tweeted that the then PM candidate has blood stained hands. She cried that the party stinks of corruption.

And suddenly this flip flop. Suddenly, the PM looks like a savior. Suddenly the party does not look corrupt. Suddenly everything about the party is rosy.

Why mam why? Why did you let me down? Is it the sudden liking of money and the power a chief minister's post brings? Or was I just a fool in believing you all this while?

May be I was a fool mam to have believed you all this while! But not now. Not anymore. And you can never regain the spot you had in my heart.