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!