We talk a lot!!!! don’t we????

If you are an avid follower of the latest happenings in the world of Indian politics or current affairs and are in the category of following them in the internet, then you will not be spared of one temptation, The temptation to comment on each news, to write your own thoughts on the happenings and to answer the question why that had happened at that time.

We can see a south Indian commenting on the status of politics in Bihar( when the only place he has seen Bihar is in the Idiot box), We can see a politician commenting that the business is not properly run by the Ambani brothers, We can see men commenting on the quality on the fairness creams and old women commenting on the fitness on Yuvraj Singh. We can listen to people commenting on getting recommendations to educational institutions and proudly taking their son to an MP for a medical college seat, and funniest of all we talk all sorts of non sense to explain why God is Holy.

Of course, living in the world’s largest democracy and still believing that our democracy is going to save us, we have the right to fall in to that temptation. As, Democracy is meant to be and as it is in India, we have the right to express our views in every matter, however vague it is to us.

But!!! The question is, are we depending more on our mouth than our souls??? Does our speeches match our deeds, in any way??? When we say, that politician is corrupt and the Government mechanism is poor, have we stopped giving bribe??? When we comment that the government has not taken steps to alleviate poverty, have we taken any steps??? When we say there is too much violence in the country, have we stopped our fight with the neighbour??? When we say Indian sports is ruined by recommendations, have we stopped recommending our children to educational institutions???

It is nice to listen to the news and react to it. Actually it is great to get involved in the happenings of the world. But!!! If we stopped only at the point of talking and forget to implement that, It is actually better had we stopped talking in the first place.

It is so easy to ask people to stop talking and to write in a big essay why talking is not good!!!!!

P.S:- The author has given bribes to escape the police and to get the passport and has decided to have his next essay on why corruption is sin!!!

Please parliamentarians.......

The building shook, and as usual everybody walked out......Everybody spoke, Everybody shouted, Everybody banged and finally everybody walked out. Welcome to the Indian Parliament, the place where Intellectuals bang their heads, people's representative defend their wealth, dramas enacted live, and sadly millions of money wasted......

Common Wealth Games was the issue being discussed.........Need not study rocket science to tell that corruption had a part to play(Oops!!!! sorry the main part). Two months to go for the finish of the Common Wealth Games, which for sure will be the worst games ever (Did I get that wrong, Mr. Suresh Kalmadi????) and even the games village is not ready yet. Like all Indian weddings, last minute preparations will be inevitable in this country.

Yet!!! in all these tragedies is this the time for a debate on conducting the games???? Is this the time to discuss corruption???? Please, Let the games go on!!!! The country's pride is at stake, (As if it is still there). People from world over will be visiting your country, Great sportsmen of the world will be vying for glory, The world will be watching...........Please, at least now concentrate on the games, Concentrate on our sportsmen, Give them practice kits, Give them money, the environment to practice, Concentrate on finishing the unfinished roads, Concentrate on the leaking roofs........

Punish the corrupt......Hang them in front of the red fort........ Debate whether conducting the games did us any good........If you still think it is worth it, then bid for the Olympics.......Analyse, where everything went wrong in conducting the CWG..........But, please wait till the games get over. Attend the games......support our countrymen......Be good hosts to the guests........and please stop debating in the parliament till the games get over........

And when you debate, please let the other person speak!!!! I know you cannot stand corruption..........But, Please for world's sake, Don't just shout and walk out!!!! there are two sides of a debate.........We all know that you are masters of the first one. Try the other side also, it is quite easy.........You have to just shut up and sit down!!!!

MISSIONARIES, YES!!!! BUT CHRISTIANS??????

Missionary is a word which denotes the person “Following a mission”. Before the christian perspective of the mission came in to existence it would just have been another word in the old oxford dictionary. Christ's Mission was so profound and so wonderful that the entire word missionary now resonates the christian perspective of missions.

When Christ said, “ Go ye in to all the world and preach the Gospel”, he gave us the direction for our mission. The Gospel, is so wonderful that it loses its essence if we preach it without fully understanding and living it..........This brings us to mind the great missionaries of yesteryears, from the father of it all “Paul” to the modern day “Stains”.

They had Christ radiating in them, HIS love overflowing from them, that it is difficult to separate them from Christ. Missionary is what they are …....... Christianity is what they lived out. It was difficult to separate those two words, “Christianity” and “Missionary” in their lives. They lived what they preached and preached what they lived........But, are the modern day missionaries different??? or are they missionaries after all??? or has the definition of christian mission has changed???

It is very true that the modern day, computer man has lost the love...... but as modern day missionaries have we lost that love as well??? or has the mission work is so much that we forgot what love is??? When Christ went on HIS mission trip people were won over by HIS love......People thronged HIM not just because He healed them but also because they saw HIS love. Do we(supposed to be modern day missionaries) show the same love which Paul showed, which Moody showed, which Ida showed or is mission work becoming more important than that love.......The LOVE which he showed us on the cross......

I don't consider myself a missionary and I am not......I don't consider myself worthy to comment on any missionary and hope I don't.......but I have a nagging feeling that tells me that modern day missionary is trying to replace, mission commitment and success in missions for Love and that cannot work........Since you have to be a Christian first to be a missionary......You cannot be a christian if you don't have or show that love.........or else, we can be hard working missionaries working towards a mission.........but that is not Christ's mission.

Still we might be able to prove what the old oxford dictionary tells.......

An Insipid emotion - Independence

God!!! it was a Sunday, I proclaimed......This year Independence day has come on a sunday........I felt bad missing out on another holiday. I called my dad up and informed this sad news.......Oh!!! Independence day has come so fast!!! came the reply.........I thought what would have been my brother's reaction and it could not have been any better and for my mother the fact that tomorrow is an independence day in itself will be an information.

The reaction of an ordinary Indian family about “Independence” does not invoke any emotion..........It does not even invoke any reaction, leave alone an emotion. Yes, it has been 63 long years since we got independence. All four of the family were not even born when we got independence. Yes, We as a family does not care much for the country, We are ordinary citizens thinking only of personal stuffs and forgot the country as a whole.........But!!!! even then, aren't those reactions too ordinary for a word so big as “ Independence”????

Is this all the architects of this “Independence” had in mind when they won that??? or have we lost the sanctity of that emotion along the way??? Is that emotion, so narrow to be brought about by the film stars and the cricketers giving interviews on their sacrifices??? Is that emotion, so shallow to be brought about our own saintly politicians??? Does this mean anything at all to me, an ordinary citizen of this vast country (The much talked about aam aadmi)???

When Mahatma Gandhi and his colleagues fought hammer and tooth with the arrogant British and won us the “ Independence” , it was everything for them.......It was their passion, It was their life, It was their breath.......They believed that the country is a part of them and somebody ruling over it is like snatching their heart from them......The very fact that we live in our own country ruled by ourselves gave them goosebumps.......It was their life and they gave everything for it.........

Yes!!! it is not possible to generate the same emotion 63 years later.....and that, by ordinary citizens is humanely impossible said my logical mind!!!!! But, I really do believe as a country we have kept our priorities horribly wrong and that has been one of the strong reasons for an emotionally insipid independence........

Debating in the parliament about the worth of conducting the Common Wealth Games just before the games itself, says it all!!!!!

THIS IS INDIA MAN!!!

The most used word by an average Indian in the entire last week was IPL. Even those who has never heard about a man called Sir. Donald Bradman, knew who Lalit Modi is. Suddenly he was in the front pages of all news papers, covering all the editorials and the news channels.......Of course with that “Heaven knows what” smile. IPL suddenly meant Indian Public League with almost everyone having a opinion on it........Of course we have opinions on even rockets sent by the US to the sun!!!

What made it all that interesting??? Of course the third edition of the league had everything going its way.......Jam packed stadiums, (Of course it is in India!!!) The great man stamping his class and becoming the best batsmen and the highest run getter (as if both are different!!!), For the first time an Indian was lifting the trophy as a captain and that too our talisman, The much talked about future Tendulkar reinventing himself after a long hiatus, and definetly yes!!! The Bolywood, the glamour and the after match parties were there..........But!!! is that all enough to make Lalit Modi headlines???

When the IT raids happened in the BCCI office for the first time in history ( Sad, the purest had been contaminated), we came to know that there was something wrong in the BCCI or was it in the IPL ??? (There has to come an IPL to tell us that). We came to know that BCCI was a non tax paying, non profitable organization. We came to know that BCCI deals with crores and crores of money which are spent entirely on the development of sports in the country (That is the reason why BCCI is surrounded by politicians, just their interest in the game, Nothing else) and of course we came to know that Lalit Modi has brought disrepute to the game which was till now run by saints.

Yes, Like everyone of you, I am very much interested in the future of Indian cricket and the future of IPL. That, is what had made Modi headlines........As it is a must in a democratic country, I have my opinion on its future........Next year, IPL will go on, of course with more money.......There will be another person running the show, for whom the difference between cricket and “T” ball is the “Tea” being served.........Saintly politicians will run the non profitable BCCI......Court cases pitted against the findings of the IT raids will go on........The Shah Rukhs, the Shilpas and the Zintas will dance to every tune....The step daughter and the step brother in law of modi will continue to have a chance in IPL ( The “step” denotes our cultural, family values).........and the disgraced, corrupt and the black horse of IPL will stand in elections 5 years from now and talk about developing the nuclear physics in the country.

YES!!!! Of course Sachin will be scoring runs and Dhoni will be leading India to Successes and the Rayudu's will come of age...... Cricket will still be my passion and IPL will go on just because of its cricket and nothing else........But, I really do hope none of my prophecies in the previous para come true and at least some sense prevail in this country...........They say faith move mountains, let us believe hope moves hillocks........BUT!!! you know what, “ This is INDIA man”.........and in our country everything moves very fast only in headlines and news channels........

WHY THIS HATRED

We were both born of the same women, Of course at the same time. Lived together for thousands of years. Fought our enemies together. Built monuments together. Held up traditions together….. In fact, did whatever, for almost two thousand years together. Then, that happened. In the name of religion we were separated. When the twins were separated it bled…… It bled profusely that even after 60 long years the marks of the separation remain. Yes!!! The marks of the greatest migration that ever took place after Moses led Israel out of Egypt, still remain in the face of the twins. INDIA and PAKISTAN were separated and bear the marks of separation.

But, Why the separation….. Can’t we live together??? After all we were born from the same womb…. We learnt to walk holding each other……Can’t we dine together again??? After all we drank the same milk. Can’t we celebrate the same team again….After all we represented the same team not long back……Some where down the line we decided to part ways, ways which never met after that, even for brief moments. India and Pakistan went on their own ways stating reasons, which remarkably were never logical and never reasonable even for the tiniest of brains like mine.

Then one day this happened……For once the paths met….For once India and Pakistan were made to support one team. One cricket team. India’s further progress in that tournament depended on the victory of Pakistan. India’s Cricket captain asked the Indian public to support Pakistan. The whole country watched with bated breath as Pakistanis went down in a nerve wrecking thriller to the Australians. For once, Both Indians and Pakistanis were waving the same flag and held hands together for the same team. For the first time, (really the first time) in my 15 years of watching cricket my hands trembled because Pakistan as a team is losing.

Is this a big issue??? After all we celebrated a Pakistan team playing cricket and never really wanted the country of Pakistan. Cricket is just a game, and it should be kept as one. Celebrating a Pakistan cricket team is very different from celebrating the country of Pakistan said my mind. But the truth is Cricket as a game is our only unifier and for the first time after the separation people from both the countries have come out openly and supported the same team.

My Innermost heart said, it was very selfish on the part of the Indians to support a Pakistan team. After all we supported them because we wanted our team to take further part in the tournament. I also have a doubt in the sincerity of the Pakistanis in the efforts put in that match against the Australians. I had a feeling that they wanted to keep India out and did not give their everything. Both the Pakistanis and the Indians never wanted the other team to win, Even if it is cricket, we only celebrated together for selfish reasons.

Why this hatred??? Deep down I know we are off the same blood. They are my brothers. When I hear about an explosion killing hundreds of people in the fast bankrupt state of Pakistan, My heart misses a beat. When an Australian umpire called the Pakistanis cheats my blood boils and when the terrorists hit the already bruised Pakistan time and again I cry for them….I am sure that there are people in Pakistan who has the same feeling for us….. All these hatred are developed by the terrorists of the world. We are one country, one people, and one blood and though all these can be mere words, we are for sure, close neighbors. If we fight for all the petty things of this world, we will not survive long. We are to join hands to fight the terrorism of the world, not to fight each other. The world needs both of us, and it need us to be together.

Who are you, after all???

I was walking down a lonely road. It was dark, so dark that the next step is a step in faith. You could almost hear the silence......I looked above to see the night sky. What a fabulous sight!!!! Like a black crown decorated with diamond studs all over it. The moon was at its brightest......Shining like a silver sun.

Even as I was walking I thought of the words, GOD tells JOB in HIS famous defense.......

What is the way to the abode of light?

And Where does darkness reside?

Can you take them to their places?

Do you know the paths to their dwelling?

What words!!!! Words so pointed, Words so sharp.......As if, asking man, Who are you, after all??? Or is that what he really meant??? That question kept haunting me......Who are you after all???

Living in a village, which even the GOOGLE does not bother to put it in its map, You sometimes think like a ruler.......Aren't you??? You sometimes mock at the happenings of the world.......You sometimes, think the world is not properly run.........You sometimes, think that the world would have been a better place had you been doing that.........Who are you, after all??? GOD laughs at our thoughtlessness, or rather at our thoughts.

There had been greater people in this world and there will be still greater ones. There were many who conquered the world, or at least tried doing it. There were people, who made the entire world stand up and applaud. Some of them left marks which even the might of time could not wipe out and some of them sacrificed their lives for greater causes......Greater people had lived in tougher conditions. YET!!! still you sometimes say, “GOD I have done the greatest sacrifice in this world, and some times you don't even consider mine”.........Who are you, after all??? God's words are sometimes pungent.......

You know how big the world is??? The sun powerful enough to turn white skin bronze and to coax oxygen from every plant on earth, ranks fairly low by galactic standards. If the giant star Antares were positioned where our sun is – 93 million miles away – the earth would be inside it! And our sun and Antares represent only 2 of the 500 billion stars that swim around in the vast, forlorn space in the Milky way. From our hemisphere only one other galaxy, Andromeda is large enough and close enough (a mere 2 million light years away) to see with the naked eye, twice the size of the milky way and home to half a trillion stars......and these two are only 2 of the 100 billion galaxies likewise swarming with stars.......and yet you sometimes feel like, if you stop, universe will collapse........Who are you, after all??? God repeats the question, again.

Probably, yes!!The world is so big, that GOD has many other duties to do, other than looking at me......Probably, yes!! There are so many in the world who have done much greater deeds than me!!! But, Why should GOD, come down if I am a nobody, my mind still struggles.........And that is not because you are an anybody, but because HE, The maker of the big, perfect world is.........