New year and the resolutions!

New year days are special days. Surely you are going to live with the same wife; go to the same job; And see the very same faces. Yet, the tradition says it, and so we celebrate. And celebrate we do, with New year resolutions. What is life without the resolutions? I mean, I make 250 everyday, breaking every one of them. But New year resolutions are special. The difference being they are not broken on the same day.

So what are your resolutions for this year people? I'm thinking of mine!

Should I consider reading more? Do I give learning music one more chance? Music is something that has just not gone the way it should have! I agree, I'm pathetic at that. Yet, the heart says, 'give it a shot'! Or should I join a gym again? Am I even capable of losing weight? Target 70:)

What about spending more time with the paavam wifey? More visits to Sivakasi and dad? May be start thinking about starting a family. May be I should also start looking at what next, after the wifey finishes her MD.

What about work? Should I work as hard as I did this year? Take more responsibilities? Make the project I'm handling more responsive to the needs and wants of this country?

Travel? Sleep? Oh how I love them both! Where next? May be a trip abroad? Or the long pending trip to Arunachal?

More time for myself? The favourite quiet times! More time for ARR and his ilk; More blogs; Less of twitter and tennis matches on you tube? May be another shot at regularly playing a sport. Either basketball or cricket or shuttle badminton.

Should I give more? Or save more! Start investing. Buy a car? Or even a house!

Time for church? Time for potters clay? Time for friends? Should I join back the whatsapp groups? And start discussing the depressing Indian politics again?

Oh so many, so many thoughts! I'm pretty sure, most of the resolutions will just go off the head, but if you are all sorted, you'd be hung on a wall as a piece of art.

So, throw me your suggestions people; And let me hear yours!

There is something about sisterhood!

She kept her head on his shoulders! The tears kept rolling off her cheeks. His hands on her shoulders. His head touching hers. There was not a word mouthed.

Their mother was in an ICU. On life support. The doctors had given up hope. (By the time I'm writing this she is already gone). There were not many relatives to hug them. Just the two of them there.

After a few minutes of eerie silence, 'Saapidu ma', he said! And she looked up once, and then cuddled in to his shoulders again.

There was something pure and pristine there. I dared not disturb them. I sat there quietly looking at them. I felt sad for their mother, for she was not old enough to die. Sad for them, to have to lose a loving, doting mother pretty early in life. Yet I have to agree I felt envious. I wished I had that sister on whose arms I could have cuddled when I went through the similar 'losing mother' tragedy!

Oh yes, I have an irreplaceable brother. With whom I chat almost daily (Believe it or not)! I have a few cousin sisters who have been nothing short of wonderful. One whom I consider a sister not born to my mom stood by me as a pillar. Yet, I felt envious! Bad me.

She got up again! Ate a few spoons of curd rice. Enough! I am done. Cannot eat anything she said. They both got up. His hand on her shoulder. They both walked away.

I'm writing a blog on this I told myself! My crooked mind. Thinking of blogging in the most sensitive of places. Oh yes! The blog had to be on sisterhood. And how I miss having one myself.

This day 75 years ago!

The attack was brilliantly planned by Admiral Yamamoto! There was no declaration of war. 353 Japanese planes arrived undetected at the pearl harbour, and in two hours destroyed 350 aircrafts and 15 warships; 3700 men were killed. It was December 7, 1941.

Japan, was not intending to hit America. They were doing well in the world war - 2 and did not want the USA to enter war. But the economic embargo place on the oil supplies by the USA with the condition of quitting China against whom Japan was fighting, instigated the pearl harbour attack.

The pearl harbour attack by Japan, led to the nastiest ever bombs thrown on mankind ever. By the United States of America; On Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Atom bombs which were unheard of before were used. 

Where did it all start? Do we have economic problems behind the massacre? Can't we live without wars? Without hurting people? My mind wrestled with such weird questions.

Well, yes, Economic sanctions were behind the wars. What if the Japanese were not going through an economic depression? And What if the Japanese had not wanted more and more and more? What if America had not placed an embargo on oil supplies? 

The 'What if's' are too many. But they all have a common underline. The love of 'Money' and 'power'! And without that underlying greed to have more money and more power that day would never have happened. The day when man spilled more blood than ever before. 

The love of more money happened! And then December 7th 1941 happened. Yes, Hiroshima and Nagasaki followed it. Always in that order. Roosevelt called 7 December  'a date which will live in infamy'! Well, 75 years later aren't we doing the same things?

Those who fail to learn from history are forced to repeat its mistakes!

Rest in Peace CM!

It is a mixed feeling! Of emotion, of a certain sense of self pity may be; A feeling of helplessness also.

No, I din't cry! No real or even fake tears. I was never a fan. I could never call her Amma. I had one amma and I bid her good bye a good two years ago. I never could like the authoritarian style of leadership. I never liked people falling at her feet.

As a small boy growing up, she among one other were the only two politicians we knew. And as a middle class boy from a simple background growing up, hating politicians was the norm and I was no exception. Hated every politician. And especially after the corruption cases on her, and the death of the three college girls, my hatred on the politicians only increased

Yet, through it all, I have to accept that there is a charisma she carried which was almost unparalleled. In a patriarchal society, which does not mind killing girl children, here she was ruling a state with aplomb. For all its problems Tamil Nadu became one of the best states across the country, and as the leader for almost 30 years, she has to be credited for that.

As a woman heading a state, as a leader whom the masses adored for many years, as a politician who has always bounced back, as a chief minister leading a state for more than 25 years, she was beyond my words. And I bow my head for that.

Some plans like the Amma Canteens and many other socialist endeavours catered to the masses and were in fact a trend setters in Indian politics. She invented and perfected the art of freebies. Though sometimes I had to disagree with a few policies, I bow my head for setting the trend in Indian politics.

One of the only two tamil big ticket politicians my generation knew has left us. An end of an era, it sure is.

RIP CM. Death after all, can never be won!

The souls which can feel the inner turbulence!

Have you ever had that person in your life? Whose voice you had waited for; Who had been there, through out your life; Every time when you failed; Every time when you felt down; When there was some thing wrong; When you are figuring out the maze of life, confused!

No no, I'm not talking about the constants. The mom who always knew you. The dad who was there at every step. The wifey who can read you upside down. The sibling who can read your mind. They are always there. Right beside you. Not them.

But this is different. This is the friend who calls you after a month and say, 'There is something wrong with you'? This is the soul who just comes at the right time, every time you need them and then boom, gone. The words which not really console you, but knows exactly what you want!

Do you have such people in your lives? They are very close to you. Knows you well. But not always beside you. They just appear off and on. But appear every time at the exact moment you need them. They are the well you draw your strength from. They are the fall back option. They are not the opening bowlers who inevitably give you wickets, but the person you turn to, when the going gets tough. Not the sachin's who is the fulcrum, but the Dhoni's who tighten the screws and steady the ship when the wickets are tumbling.

They sometime know more about your life than you do! They can smell problem. They sense trouble.

When that voice in my life I heard; I immediately knew peace. The peace which cools off the inner turbulence. Just those few words and life seems normal.

How will life be without them? Those beautiful souls who fill your valleys of life. And pulls you through.

They don't know you India! And Don't care!

The Govt calls it Demonetisation. The opposition calls it Demonisation. Whatever it is called, in the hungama over the last ten days, one thing kept repeating in my mind. And that is this.

" The politicians don't know you, and they don't care"!

So, over the counter exchange of money started off with Rs.4000/- and then became Rs. 4500/- and then Rs. 2000/- and even the bankers are confused how much can be given everyday over the counter. The rest of the money can only be deposited in the banks! 

The only problem here is, out of the 100 crores of people in India, around 40 crores don't know what a bank is! And of the other 60 crores, around 30 crores have not operated the banks once. Oh ya, the politician does not know the statistic. Even if he does, he does not care! 

And the stark reality is, there are 33% of the 67% of people living in the villages (Approx 20 crores people) don't have electricity to be running a bank. Does the politician know this? Who cares!

Well, there were 17 changes of rules in the last 12 days. Every time the politician finds a new thing about you, a new rule is made. So when he knew that you get married, marriage was given a concession in withdrawing money! And when he realized about the Rabi crops and the seeds and the fertilizer money, a new rule was formed. Hell NO! He has never heard the word Rabi crops before. Does he care? Heavens answer!

Oh yes, they realized that you use petrol to travel, pay toll fee, get admitted in hospitals and for sure the new rules came about then and there. 

So, after 12 days, 10% of the money taken out had been replaced! There is no smell of the Rs.500/- and the Rs. 1000/- notes which were promised. The ink has run out of the printing press and since it was kept secret, there is no back up of printing ink. 

70 people have died! Do they know you die? If patients are not admitted on time, If children are not given food on time, if we stand in a long queue for hours, if the bankers are stressed! Oh yes, you die! The politician does not know death happens. Even if he does, so what?

Dear India! Your rulers didn't know you then! And they don't know you now! They never will know you, ever. For they don't care!

Abuse and the post modern world!

So I get abused on twitter day in and day out. For being frank about what I think is right. I have been called by names which cannot be said here. Oh ya, my mom has been called names too. One guy even told me that I killed my mom by not giving her cow's urine which could have cured her.

No I don't abuse back. I'm taught to be nice and gentle. To use the words 'Sorry' and 'Thanks'. To give respect by calling others sir and Madame;

No I don't block people. For I'm taught to respect the other irrespective of their clan, colour and class. Irrespective of their view points. Irrespective of the abuse. And to be democratic.

I always thought abuse is prevalent only in twitter and FB, the social media. And it did not bother me much, though I understand the family will be a little worried after reading this. They don't get to see me on twitter:)

Suddenly, after yesterday's election results, it hit me hard. Abuse is being institutionalised! Suddenly the leaders are abusing. Not that they were not abusing before, but something in me snapped only yesterday.

The four letter word is used completely in and out of context from the podiums. The media is called by names. Throwing abusive hatred is becoming the fashion. The talk show hosts and the comedy artists use abusive words for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Is it going to be the new normal? Are we going to be teaching our children that it is okay to abuse somebody? Okay to call a girl a slut? To shout and yell at differing view points? Is shouting others down ALA Arnab going to be the way forward? Is this the new survival of the fittest?

I wish I'm wrong!

Are we the country that shoots undertrials?

So I'll make it very clear at the beginning. I'm touching a very sensitive subject. I presume I'm raising a lot of valid questions! I will leave the answering part to you.

This group of 8 young men were held up and put in prisons. Some for more than 3 years. A few caught recently.The prisoners were facing trial for terror incidents, sedition and robbery. The prisoners 'WERE FACING' trials. And by that it means, the court has not convicted them guilty of any crime yet. So we will use the word 'suspected terrorists' from now on!

These 'suspected terrorists', all supposedly did a jail break! Killed a police officer! And ran away for 15 Kms and were staying in a village. Police apparently catches these 'suspected terrorists' and shoots them. These 'suspected terrorists', were not carrying any arms, according to the statement of IG Bhopal and home minister themselves and were fighting with 'plates and spoons'.

So, where do we start? Are we going to be that country who will catch people on suspicion, give them a chance to run and shoot them?

I don't deny that them trying to run away from jails is wrong! So is keeping them in prison for 3 years without conviction!

I don't deny that killing that police officer is wrong! So is shooting them! Those who were fighting with plates and spoons.

So they are terrorists! What if they are not? So they escaped! What if they din't? Were helped? Yes, they fought back! Are the police not taught to catch unarmed people without shooting them?

And finally, are we going to be the country that will celebrate a human being's death?

Random bickering about India

So the last week had been packed news.

Two olympic medals is enough to keep us happy for four more years. We spoke of how the girl child should not be killed; apparently because they will win you medals! No, no, not because they are humans.

And then we celebrated how Shewag made Piers Morgan looks ridiculously stupid! Oh ya, the joke is on the British Media man.  The same Britain Morgan represents, came second behind us, four years ago in the commonwealth, that had made so much progress and had even over taken the mighty chinese in this olympics.

Oh yes, we did celebrate by calling Pakistan hell; and by making sedition charges on the person who opposed equating Pakistan to hell! Most who celebrated don't believe that hell exists. But, who cares! And by the way, meeting the prime minister of Pakistan on a surprise visit is Nationalism. Comparing Pakistan to hell is sedition! Plain and simple.

Then there was news that the movie Kabali by Rajnikanth was a failure and all the distributors of the movie had to face loss! Oh Yes, we fought on how had it been a 'Non dalit' director the movie would have got better reviews, and hence would have made more money.

And we joyously celebrated how the 56' chested Prime minster masterfully brought in the issue of Balochistan on his independence day speech and put Pakistan on the backfoot! Sure, it was a great move by the PM; Just that Kashmir at that time was burning. Doesn't matter!

And the reality dawned. When this man had to carry his wife's dead body on his shoulder for twelve Kilometers, while his daughter walked beside him crying all the way. The Ambulance was denied because he could not pay. The people on the road watched him go! Till he was helped by the Journalist, not before he video taped it and sent it around.

The reality called India is painful! More so, when we pack news with things unreal and fake!

When India stood still for one young girl!

Some cricketers gathered around one idiot box! Twitter was being bombarded by #ComeonIndia hastags.  The whatsapp groups were full of scores. The world around stood still. There was tension in the air.

Nope! It is not MSD batting with India needed 20 runs to win from 2 overs. Something else is happening in Indian sport. A young girl, all of 21, is changing how we have viewed Indian sport all these years

PV Sindhu, the only gold medal contender of this year's olympics for this huge hero starved country is changing the dynamics of the sports watchers.

This is new to us. We are only used to cheering our Indian cricket team. Only men have we cheered!Rarely hockey. Yes, we have rarely cheered a Sania Mirza. Four years before we cheered widely for the badminton queen Saina Nehwal. But never have we seen such frenzy before. Never have we seen India praying and rooting together for one girl like this before!

Let this girl lead you in to the sunshine India! Let this girl change the way we have all watched Indian sport before. Let this be the start of following shuttle badminton and various other sports round the year like the way we do with cricket. Let this be the start of the many more medals at the world level in various other sports.

The moment you lost I switched off the TV! Much like we have done for a long time for the MSD wicket or much earlier the Sachin wicket.

More power to you girl! Lead us on to more victories and make India a better sporting nation. 

Independence day rant!

So the day start with me hopping on from one meeting to another! Taxi hopping. In a new land. Meeting new people. On working new partnerships. Thinking about new ways of improving health care and education delivery systems in the country. 

Suddenly the next signal a bunch of ruggedly dressed people turn up! Selling national flags. That reminded me that it is Independence day; We should be wearing the tiranga on our chest! The other day they were begging!

Independence day!

On the same day a group of people, who we have always considered lesser mortals, or dalits as we call them; who had not been allowed entry in to churches and temples, treated as second class citizens even in market places were beaten up by a mob for carrying out a protest march! Freedom to protest!

Few days ago, a magazine's editor in chief, one of the popular one at that, was sacked, just because it ran an article against child trafficking by a particular organisation! Freedom of press!

Few weeks ago, young men, our own, were shot at by pellet guns; some became blind; Some dead! Just because they thought the government is not doing the right thing and protested! Freedom of speech!

A Politically elected government had been stopped at many fronts; To do what they think is better suited for the city that had elected them! Freedom of governance!

A world renowned NGO was blocked and threatened arrest because they were organizing protest against the misdeeds by the govt. Freedom of Expression!

I repeatedly ask myself the question, what does independence mean to me as an individual?

For all the myraid problems facing this country, If it is still better for us to be ruled by the present rulers than having some foreigner ruling it for his benefit then yes, may be independence day may have some meaning to it.

But we are really far from being truly independent! 

Do we deserve an olympic medal India?

My brother was disappointed that day! The Indian Archery team had just lost by a whisker in quarters. Abhinav Bindra has come 4th he said. Looks like we won't win a medal this time said he. He was not happy. Neither was I!

So, the last time we won 6 medals it seems. He was not very sure, neither was I! Boxing, shooting and shuttle badminton said he! I thought weight lifting was also there. Then we moved on to our regular discourse, on how India picked up the wrong team in the cricket test series happening in West Indies. He was very sure that the selection of Rohit Sharma was a mistake. So was I! When there are many other young people waiting in the wings, we have given him too many opportunities said he. I agreed!

So, two sports maniacs, who did not know who were the sporting icons who brought us the olympic medals, but knew which youngster is ready to get in to the Indian cricket team.

Do we deserve to complain that India does not win Olympic medals? Do we (my brother and I) who last saw the archery girls team 4 years ago, whose names we hardly knew deserve an olympic medal? Do we as parents who have often asked our children to stop playing and concentrate on studies deserve to complain about an olympic medal?

Do we as teachers, who borrow the games periods to finish our lectures, deserve to see an Indian on the podium? Do we as politicians, who have not done a dime except, to suck off all the money in all the sporting bodies, deserve to complain about a medal? Do we as sports buffs who follow Indian cricket team and Manchester United passionately day after day, and not know what tournaments other than olympics our boxers, the shooters, the archers, the swimmers play, deserve to see an Indian on the podium?

The PM spoke passionately about how every district in the country should send a sportsman to the next olympics! And I'm sure, if he is around for the next time, he will repeat the same damn thing.

Just because, we don't care; and so we don't deserve!

Two years on, life is still rolling on ma!

It is still sinking in ma, that you are in a place where even your voice could not reach us, for I can still hear that "Chellam, chinna kada vellam" you start every telephone conversation with often!

It has been two years! Phew! Two years without you? That bizzare emotion could never be explained in words.

As somebody who does not believe in reincarnations, and believe in life ever lasting, I hope I see you again ma. Want to see that smile again; that smile can melt hearts.

The house, you left could never be the same ma! We all try. Honestly! To replace you. And has failed. Failed miserably.

Daddy has struggled on! Valiantly; The brave man he is, he looked to have moved on. Me and Dan, the very reason you lived for, have tried being brave as well. In our busy lives. With the wives. But in our innermost hearts we know that there is this place, which could never be filled.

The extended family you left! Wow, is the word for all the hard work they have put in, to be in your place. To play your role. But can it ever be perfect without you ma?

The hospital has huffed and puffed. Without its star player. The rock star, you were, i understand how difficult for it to run without the captain.

But ma, through it all! We have not stopped. Not once. We don't and won't! For if we stop, you fail ma! And we, who had lived under your glory for all this while will roll on. Slowly!

When we sit down tomorrow to celebrate your life, and remember your life, I hope it just does not end up being a time of just praising you. But a time to learn life's lessons from you and apply it in our own, for you have showed us the way.

For we want to live it like you did!


A few pics from the family tour a month before she was diagnozed with that dreaded disease! May be the last few of her photographs!

The basketball dribble! Sweet Music!

As I walked across the basketball court, a small tear fell down. Even as the world around me was getting ready to watch the match, I went down memory lane!

My school life and sports were inseparable. And basketball was the major sport I played. Yes, I played cricket for school and the district, shuttle badminton at quite a high level, basketball was the first love.

Though small and plumpy I was, this sport known to help big tall people, gave me a spot in my school team for 7 years and the college team afterwards. And through all the 7 years in school and the 4 years in college, this sport had always treated me well

My mind took me to the first victory when we defeated the renowned home team as a school boy of 10; then to the accolades which followed when we conquered the entire district. Oh what fun we had! A small group of 5 people passionate about playing ball, going around the district playing every day.

The day, when in front of the whole school, as favourites when we lost the match! Felt so bad that night, I could feel the embarrassment now. Then as a crown, when we won the senior district tournament and when all five got in to representing the district, what joy it brought.

The mind fickle as it is, brought to me the beautiful memories of playing in the Chennai, Kilpauk indoor basketball stadium where we played under packed audience, also brought me to the bad loss which happened on a sad morning in paramakudi, a day which I could recollect like yesterday. The day, when a win could have made us play in the enviable school states, brought us crashing down when the captain clutching his calf sat out.

Victories, defeats, accolades, embarrassments, fighting spirit, working together as a team, the fun, the laughter, the shoulders to cry, the ice creams, treats and more importantly beautiful memories Basketball gave me.

As I left, I could hear the ball dribbling in the distant court. And it sounded like music! Sweet music!

There we are with the district trophy!

My father! My hero!

Sam, should I take him to the hospital? Or shall we leave him here to be at his home during his final stages? His confused look said it all.

Here is a great man, 'V', one of the best doctors the country has seen, asking me, what he should be doing about a patient?

The patient lying near him was his Dad. That says it all. As the father lying there taking deep breaths, surely in his last few hours, the son, the great man, held his hand and with his other hand ran his fingers over his head. Time stood still. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke.

That moment took me down memory lane. My father was the only thing I ever wanted for a very long time in my life. He was my ultimate hero. The earliest memory of my hero was him sitting with a book in a chair in our balcony, legs crossed. I walk upto him, he keeps his book aside and take me onto his lap. And that was it. That was all I wanted. To be in his lap. To be touching his paunch:)

And then I grew up. The hero worship though never really went away. The times we have walked around the town with hands on shoulders like best friends do are some of my best memories for life.

Times have changed. The mother, who had been his fulcrum is no longer there. He is gradually getting old. The logician in him has almost vanished. The emotional man very often appears. The childishness in him is long lost; gone! The love is more often shown outwardly. Life!

Yet, he is the man who I always wanted to be. My hero forever!

As the great man wiped the occasional tear I saw a pride in his eyes. The same pride I have when I see my father.

Happy father's day people!

Three Decades of Craziness, failures, crashed dreams and bliss!

It is finally on! No running away from it. Officially I’m entering the fourth decade of my life! Phew, I feel really old.

So how has the last decade been? Of craziness, failures, crashed dreams and bliss! I know those words contradict. But that is how my life has been. 

A decade where my dreams made me do crazy things. Where the childhood dream of working hard supposedly for the betterment of this country in a interior jungle happened. Where the crazy idea of quitting a highly respected, highly paid job in the glitzy Chennai's IT suburb happened. Of course, the agonisingly close failure when another of those crazy dreams came crashing down, when I came tantalisingly close to clearing the IAS exams. And yes, this decade had the saddest demise of the mother, someone whom I loved and miss so much.

It did have the wedding, the usual brilliant family, lot of 'In law' love - sometimes embarrassing, sometimes overwhelming, the beautiful friends, the best dad, a brother to whom I owe so much, the sister who has just poured out love, and of course the wifey for whom I cannot thank enough. 

So what do I do in the next decade and after? Should I keep following the crazy dreams? And do whatever my mind and the inner heart tells me to do? Or just settle down peacefully? 

Is thirty considered too old to be trying out things? Following your heart? Should I by now decide what I am going to do in life and start thinking of settling down in a place? Should I still be the strong, 'I do what I do' individual or should I mellow down, and start listening to the wise folks? or can't I be both?

So folks, bring it on! My life the last decade had been a roller coaster. What will and should the coming ones be?

The precious family times!

When out of no where this photo cropped up, I went down memory lane! Oh what times those.

That was an yearly routine. Every year, we went out at least once. For 3-4 days. Away from the mad rush called life. Away from the 24*7 doctor life my mom lived. Away from the patients. Away from the phone calls. Away from everything. It was just us. Year after year after year. This was a routine.From Kodaikanal to Ooty to mahabs to Rameshwaram to munaar to the interior jungles of Jharkand, we have done it all.

We pulled each other's legs. Laughed out loud. Walked miles with hands over shoulders in to the distant night. Gossiped. Fought about the changes the country needs. Fought on various other issues. Spoke about boy friends/ girl friends like best friends do. Tried different kinds of Ice creams. Took crazy drives. Slept on each other. Played pranks. smelt rain. Built sand dunes. Drenched in rain. And did every crazy thing we could do, together!

So, during the night family prayers we would laugh and we laughed. Pulled out half way through. Pointed fingers at each other. And the laughing often went till midnight. Much to the "Early to bed - Early from bed" Dad's irritation. And that added to the fun. To let him sleep and then to wake him up.

Often the long drives would be debates. Sometimes the usual Dad sermons. But most times pulling his legs. And we would start laughing again. The last of it was Rameshwaram. And as usual we laughed over the family prayer. Laughed so much that I puked. And then laughed all over again.

Is there any better this world can give than quality family time? Ah! the innocence and purity of love those times had

The Farce called 'Development'!

So, we had this dinner meeting in the GRT star hotels; We all met to discuss the cancer screening project which is being piloted by us along with another department in some interior villages of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh.

And with a beer in his hand, the sponsor who had funded this project, hailing from a western country asks this question; "What do you think about the modern developed India?"

Modern Developed India? I looked at him. An old man! Should be in his 60s. A nice man. He means good for the country of India; He means good for the human race;

Am I not used to this word by now? Still, coming from a foreigner it took me by surprise.

So, sir, how do we define development, I shot back? So all these big IT companies, the big industrial estates, the bridges in the cities, and the roads in the towns are all the development we are talking about! Isn't it sir? I asked. Ya, I know, there is poverty but still....he lingered on. I know, what he was driving unto.

I am suddenly realising how a farce image of this development is being throttled in to our throats. Any country for it to be developed, should give education(Atleast till the school level) and health care to every single citizen of it, without any money or with money which is affordable to every single one of them. And India, has not even started that process. Without, giving health care and education, every other development for me is farce!

Tax me all you can. Every where you can. But give me good quality, honest, education and health care, at affordable cost without any delay, I consider that development.

And for all of you who rave about Indian development in the modern era, twenty years from now, we cannot trust any private health care professional in this country for the simple reason, we won't know where did he do his degree. And ten years from now, we will be paying our blood for our children's education just because, our government's educational machinery has failed and the private players are going to rip you to the barest bone.

I don't mind driving along a bad road to drop my kid to a good quality government school or to take my parents to a hospital whom I can trust and whom I can afford; I would prefer that any day than to drive in a four lane expressway to a school who will fleece me, or to a hospital whom I cannot trust.

Don't get me wrong. Not that I don't want the economic development and the good roads and the newly developed cities. Just that I would prefer we also think of the educational and the health sector when it comes to development.

I know my voice is shrill and frail in this constant bombardment of the word development by the newly elected government. I understand the world looks at development very differently than how I look at it. But still, this is my idea of development. And I truly believe without this, we have no hope for development.

And after this discussion, we went back to our goal of preventing cancer in the interior villages of MP and Chattisgarh. And that is the irony of our development.

Genius, takes your breath away!

How many of you played a sport in school? I did; Every single day of my school life. In fact that was my solace. Most of my present day memory revolves around the ground. Either the cricket field or the basketball ground.

And always, there was this boy who made playing sport look ridiculously easy. When the most talented among us, huffed and puffed through an inning, he would walk straight in and hit that remarkable cover drive, which made us all look pedestrian. There were many many days when I had opened batting with one such guy, and you have to keep telling yourself that you cannot do what he is doing. 

That is what separates the men from the boys! The most talented from the genius. And watching the genius perform his art, is among the greatest joys of sport. 

And what if at the same time, two genius perform their art together!They take your breath apart. They are too much to fathom. A sight which happens once in a blue moon. Imagine Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan playing on the same team? When Sachin at his peak is partnered by Viv Richards at the crease? What if, Roger Federer and Pete Sampras play each other? Or Serena play alongside Steffi Graf? 

That was what we witnessed when the unbelievable Virat Kohli plays alongside the irresistible De Villiers. Whoh! What stroke play. They made Dwayne Bravo, the greatest exponent of death bowling in the modern generation look ridiculously stupid.  

For all I abhor IPL, its greatest achievement for me is making these two bat together. And when they are in the mood. Make way and have fun! For genius, should stand alone. And when two of them stand together. We better watch out.

The day that defined cricket for our generation!

What a six! What a six! Waaaayyyyy in to the stands! Sachhhhin Tendulkaaaar! Whadaplayya!Whadaplayya! What a wonderful player! I could hear Tony Greig shouting in the microphone now! 18 loooong years after the day that happened.

As a little boy of 12, sitting there in front of the TV, those words defined cricket for me. For a generation of young Indians, it was that day that defined cricket.

India was down and out. Needed a miracle from somebody to enter the finals. And, there was only one man then, capable of any miracle. It was the God of cricket himself. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar!

They were dancing in the aisles of Sharjah, said Tony and we sure were dancing at home. Me and my little younger brother. Every single run was cheered. Every stroke was copied. Every small movement of this body was noted down. It was an aspiring cricket generation taking notes from the Master himself. For the next week and the month and for years after that, that inning was played and replayed again and again and again. Of course in the Idiot box! More so, in our hearts.

The Previous generation was built upon the 1983 world cup win! The next generation had that Dhoni world cup winning inning. But for us, the starved of victory generation, that was the day! That day, I decided I will play cricket. All my life. Every day.


Sachin went berserk that day. In my mind still the greatest inning ever played. The straight six over the head of Kasprovicks, is still for the me, the best cricketing shot ever played.  The generation which thinks that Kohli and Dhoni redefines running between the wickets, should have seen Sachin run on that day. Oh! he was something else.

If cricket was the religion for my generation and Sachin its God, that day was Christmas - when the God reincarnated in human form.

Thank you Sachin for that vivid memory. For that day. And for that Inning. For making our small cricketing Journeys. For whatever it was worth, all started that day.

How I wish Life is that easy Chetan!

Have you guys read Chetan Bhagat? The man who made it big in life? I mean, he is an IIT, IIM A product, who worked in a big investment firm in Hong kong before deciding to become a writer! How cool is that? His first fiction novel gave him another contract and the next one and the next one sold a billion copies. And both were made in to movies. Are n't they stuff made of dreams? How many of us dreamt of this life, during our boring geography classes?

And then the newspapers' offers started to pour in, and wow! Suddenly Bhagat, the IITian engineer, the IIMian investment banker, became the social thinker, the conscience of the youth. Suddenly he was giving ideas for the youth, solutions to solve poverty, famine, the problems of the petty youth and now even the Kashmiri issue.

But life Mr. Bhagat,  Sadly is too complex than simple mathematical solutions. When you borrow from bank 'A', the bank 'A' is supposed to get a profit! But, in reality 'A' might go off to the UK. And there is a 'B' helping him do that, with the help of the govt 'C' which prodded the bank to give off loans to 'A' in the first place.

And worse if it is a Kashmir Issue; Every death is accounted for. Had to be! There is no such thing as collateral damage! You can't wile away atrocities done by anybody on any one's  'body'. Be it the army, or the terrorists or whomsoever it may be. It may seem stupid for somebody not to think of simple monetary benefits and let go off lives for the sake of their passions; But, that is how it is Mr. Bhagat. That is what we call life!

I wish there is a solution for every problem in the world Chetan. I wish they are as easy as you make them out to be. The way you solved problems in the IIT's. But this is life chetan! And it is complex.

Just another small bit of advice Chetan. Now that, you are the father of advices, I presume you also accept some coming your way.

"There are enough sociologists, political scholars, hardworking social thinkers and other good minded people trying to solve complex life issues" They are far better in this trade than you are. Your life as a fiction writer, writing about love, and passion is cool in itself. Please stop giving solutions to complex social issues. We have enough nonsense already!

Driving like crazy!

So, the much awaited trip to the Hindi heartland is on! As the, 'recent best friend' and I, started on this sojourn, memories came haunting by for me. Memories of the last trip to the same place which was one of those "once in a life time" trip. We drove down from New Delhi to Sivakasi then.

Drove? From New Delhi to Sivakasi? Yes, we did. The year was 1997. Phew! That was 19 loooong years ago. Just to think we did such a crazy thing so many years ago gives me goose bumps now.
Crazy thing, coz now with the advanced communications, and the modern cars, if I embark on a 7-8 hour car journey, people are up in arms. My mom would have been on her knees those seven days, I presume!

And so we started off from New Delhi; And reached Sivakasi. In a Maruthi 800 car. Four of us! Two of us just ten years old. Just a map guiding us, without knowing any route. One man learning driving; The other known for his bad driving.

What fun that trip was! Fun, pure and pristine! Any long trip with the dad is fun; But when Benny, the best friend and the ever present in your life 'chithapa' is there, it can't get better. But do you really need, people to enjoy loooonnnnngg crrrrraaaaazzzzzyyyy drives?

It took us 7 days. We drove in the morning and slept off during the nights. No, not in five star hotels on the way. That is not my dad. In remote mission hospitals; In ashrams; where they just give us some thing called food and a place to lay your head. We ate everything given to us along the way. The roads were bad. Not the modern 6 and 8 lane highways. Not the 160 Km/hr modern engines. It surely was blazing hot. Would have even touched 50'c. But who cares?

I'm getting ready for another of those long crazy drives. Who is in?

"Bharath Mata Ki Jai", syndrome!

Bharath Mata Ki Jai! There I'm. No longer Anti National. I have done what is the most needed thing in the country and more importantly I can now live in this country in peace.

The latest diktat by the nationalism party is that you don't have any right to live in this country if you don't shout "Bharath Mata Ki Jai"! None lesser than the Chief Minister of Maharashtra said this. So, please all of you reading this, start chanting this slogan to be a part of this great nation.

Now comes the question, when should we chant this? Morning before brushing the teeth? Or at the end of every day? Or after the end of the national anthem; Why not like Inzamam Ul Haq, saying "Inshallah, we played good cricket"; We should be like, "Bharat Mata Ki Jai, "Virat Kohli played a great knock"!

Aiyo, I forgot! what will happen to the dumb? And the deaf? Can they get this country's citizenship without reciting this mantra? By the way, what if I shout, "Bharath pita ki Jai"? Why should this country be feminine? And what if you are a tamilian who has no idea of what hindi is? Is saying,    "பாரத தாய் வணக்கம்" allowed

Ssssshhhhhh!!!! Says a friend; Be quiet!  Why can't we just say whatever the hell they ask us to say. That will help us be at peace. And after all "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", is a patriotic statement. Nothing wrong in saying that, said he;

Hear this people! Hear it well. No man, can stop you from being a part of this very great, beloved nation except for the following reasons.

                    1) By voluntarily renouncing Indian citizenship or acquiring another citizenship
                    2) If you have got the citizenship by fraud in the first place,  or been disloyal to the                                    constitution or have given away a secret to another country

So next time some idiot tells you to go to some other country, ask him to book tickets for you and your kith and kin to the United States of America! For it is better to live outside the country than to live under morons.

Talking your way through life! Smriti Irani style!

Everybody close to me knows that I'm a loud mouth! I simply talk too much. And talking is an integral part of life especially in the Indian context. In India especially, if you can talk, you will be considered great.

BJP, the ruling party has clearly understood that I presume! Clearly they have some of the most efficient public speakers. The prime minister won the whole country single handedly by his sheer ability to talk his way through anything. And now the education minister, has learnt what it is to talk your way through problems.

And speak she did! What a speech that was. And if you can emote a little. nothing like it; The actress in her brought forward the emotion quotient and the orator she is, no doubt floored the nation.

No, no! The speech had absolutely no content. She did not talk about a master design on how the education system of this country could be changed. She did not talk about the curriculum being designed and redefined for the children of this country. She just spoke! Plain and simple.

It had nothing to do with truth! I mean, the entire speech had so many lies, but who cares? Do we even need truth to give brilliant scintillating talks? Hell, who cares about truth and honesty anyways!

So, you don't need to have content, neither do you need truth, to become successful public personalities. You just have to be a loud mouth and you can talk your way through life! And with the way things are going, you just have to be a loudmouth to be a politician!

I'm pretty sure I have it in me! To talk my way through life! Politics is waiting for me, I presume!

Looking out of the window!

During her last days, she was not at her cheerful best. The long late night chats and the laughter all faded away. She was just not herself!

But one day as she was looking out of the window right across the room where we were staying in the Christian Medical College Hospital, She made a comment muchly like her. Across the window, was what looked like then a conference hall/ luncheon  meeting place, where all the big shots meet over lunch.

"Yellaarum periya aalunga (All are big shots)", said my mom! I know what her simple mind was thinking. I know her all too well. She wished, her children could be seen having the luncheon's in that place. That is all she was! Such a simple human being.

And yesterday suddenly it dawned on me I'm having lunch there for the umpteenth time in the last two weeks.

Now, the conference room/luncheon/big people meeting place, which my mom thought it was, actually is, an ordinary place where anybody meet for lunch. It is just an extension of the canteen. How the reality changes when you are on the other side?

How true is the quote, 'the grass looks greener on the other side'; More so if you are looking out of the window.

Ma, I'm having lunch in that VIP hall! If you can see, I'm an VIP now too:) 

The madness called educating our children!

I almost choked when I heard what she said! "Mam, can you please give only the certificates where he has won some competitions; Don't give the participation certificates" said the lady sitting in the reception of this school to which I had gone along with my friend, for her children's admission. And one of the two children is in class 1.

This friend's son is now awaiting an entrance exam followed by an interview to get in to class 1! An interview? And to think that I had my first interview when I joined Cognizant!

And yesterday a friend whose daughter is 4 months old, told me she has started the research on which CBSE school they should enroll her child into!

Are we panicking? Do we feel a shudder in the spine when we think of our children's future?

Relax people! I did not study the 'states and the capitals' at least till class 6, which my friend's son is preparing for his impending interview. And most of what I studied in school has nothing to do with where and what I do now. So calm down and relax! We all are doing well in life and most of us did not set the stage ablaze in school. The children will do well in life too. Better than us, for sure!

And please, let us not get in to the mad rush to teach the children every other thing in the world. It is okay if the children do not understand Japanese; It is okay if the neighbour sends his children for music classes and yours just do not go!It is okay if your child does not talk proper grammatical english. When spoken english is how you evaluate your children, you are actually demeaning them!

This schooling is becoming a farce. Let them not be limited by the two covers of a school book. Let us not restrict them by marks and eloquent languages. Let them not be limited by the neighbourhood or the father's dream. Throw all CBSE, ICSE, and all other alphabets to dogs!

Show them the world. A world waiting to be conquered.

Let them be; Let them dream and live it too!

Ma, Dan is getting married!

I really don't think people will be reading blogs in heaven ma! And I'm pretty sure, you are there. If you had not gone there for the person you were, surely I won't be allowed there either. Anyways, that is for another day!

Ma, your younger son, the young innocent boy we all know him to be, is suddenly getting engaged! Phew, am I getting that old?

It is still sinking in ma; How I wish you were there when we went to see his girl! You would have seen him blush ma; He did! He looked confused, but still he blushed. Chithi was there around ma and so was athai and of course Jessie, to handle the womanly things which should be done when we go to see a girl; Yet, your absence was palpable. You were the calming presence which is very much absent in our men only house now.

Do you know ma, that a year from now, Dan will be guiding a girl around a city? Just last week he got down from a bus in the wrong place ma, and as usual called me to tell he had made the mistake; Now, another girl will be getting down in the wrong bus stop along with him ma!

Ma, the innocent young boy, the boy whom you always said was nothing more than a child, is a man now! You remember the times, you said, 'Dan paavam, avanukku yethuvume theriyaathu'! That very same boy is a man now ma.

As I sit alone typing this, tears flow down ma. Tears of happiness and yet of sadness. Happy for Dan to have whole heartedly taken the next major step in life;  Sad, that you will miss the next wedding season of the family also.

I hope people watch weddings from heaven ma! If so, you will see no longer see the young boy you begot ma! Look for a man! For Dan, is going to be a man now.

Christianity and caste system - Oxymoron

Rohith Vemula, a young Dalit(hate using the word here) research scholar and student activist of the University of Hyderabad, would certainly not have wanted to die. No one with dreams does, after all. Yet he killed himself! He was in fact killed by the phantom limb of caste system on which this pretentious democratic credentials are superimposed.

This gutter called caste system! Is it all worth it? Worth the life of a brilliant young mind? 

When I read this news I was at the same time fighting against this within a community which considers itself morally superior to others, yet follows this sham called caste system. Yes, the christian community, one which I am part of for a pretty long time, shamefully still follows caste system.

Why do I talk only about this community? I know them well enough and I'm pretty sure that the holy book which this community adheres to absolutely does not support this

Sadly, almost everybody I talk to, know that its origins should have nothing to do with the so called christian principles which they claim to follow; Yet, in the inner most hearts, they desire their children marry within the same caste! They want reservation for their children and the grand children!

Dear christian community, Casteism is plain wrong. The Holy Bible does not prescribe to marrying your children within the same caste. The christian religion does not support anybody belonging to any caste. The church should not be based on casteism, and if they are it is a sham (For want of a harsher word). Please respect every single human being, as a soul wanting to live a happy life. In the name of a stupid, baseless, discrimination called casteism, if you continue to divide people, woe unto you! You do not deserve to be called the followers of the Jehovah God. Period.

PS: Sorry for the harsh rant; I vent out anger on blogs you see!