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. 

Can't we have better debates Mr. Prime minister?

So what if I'm a christian? or a Hindu? or a muslim? I mean, how does my religion matter to you Mr.Prime minister?

With the latest conversion - anticonversion debate, I lost all respect for your government. Not that I had any in the first place. But whatever small hope I had on you, I lost!

Sir, there are millions of people starving; Farmers suicides continue; The educational system has hit rock bottom; The health care in this country is abysmal and you know that. And yet, there is not one debate on all these. Not one of your ministers talks about all this. Not one person talks sense for that matter.

Sir, you were all over the place talking about development. That word "development" was shouted off from roof tops. Is that all the development you were talking about? You meant the development of religious disharmony? 

What is your problem if I'm belong to some 'X' religion? Even if I'm forcibly converted for that matter? Wherever I get more money or better education or more peace I go. Do you have a problem with that sir? 

The only problem I see with forcible conversions is threatened conversions! And I sincerely think there is not much threatened conversions going around. 

Sir, you got a mandate with which you could do wonders. Don't waste them in debating useless stuff. Ask your ministers to shut up and start working. 

Debate these useless things for five more years and the people will send you back to Gujarat.