Sunday, October 09, 2011

Revolution 2020


It has been like ages that I am scribbling here, again! Feels like a visitor myself on my own blog! Even now, this visit will be like a run and fly type...

Anyways, had been to the Crossword store today! I simply keep visiting this store without any particular book in mind to be purchased. It just feels nice to walk around book racks. Reading and writing have almost become an integral part of my system by now!

Today as i entered the store, the first book I noticed was that of Chetan Bhagat's Revolution 2020 placed right on the rack in front of the door. I knew it instantly that I have to pick it! Having read 2 States lately and in the middle of reading The 3 Mistakes Of My Life now, I am already in love with his writing style! He has a peculiar style of adding humour in his writing while even mentioning the saddest or the ugliest moments revolving around the characters or just about life in general.

His writings somehow leave me with a smile, a relaxed feeling, relieved and puzzled at the same time to the fact that how come this guy can exactly replicate the thoughts, feelings and reactions of a reader like me to certain situations or people! Chetan Bhagat catches the reader's nerve for sure!

Well, back to my visit to the Crossword store.... As i picked his book - Revolution 2020 today, i noticed 4 more people picking the same book. And the smile on their faces... i could simply relate to them as if in unison that 'I am so glad to buy another Chetan Bhagat book...' And somehow i had an inner feeling of happiness as if i were Chetan Bhagat myself and feeling happy to see people pick my book to read :)

Can't help, I love reading his books... Moreover, i feel happy to have had a good read at the end of the day :)

I was aware that a new Chetan Bhagat book is awaited this Diwali, but didn't expect to get it so soon. Feeling as I got one of my Diwali gifts' already ;) Thanks CB :) Waiting to finish reading The 3 Mistakes Of My Life to go for the Revolution :)

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

ye Shobha-a nahi deta

Shobhaa De in the introductory lines of a new post on her blog:

I am giving myself (and you!) a much needed 'Anna Break.' But this much i can't resist adding: bring media into the Bill, as well. If the P.M. is to be included, why not the media? Media must be accountable, too.......

... and then, her post follows.

My comment:

Even before reading this post any further... With due respect to you ma'am, what do you mean by saying an 'Anna Break'??? It is okay to talk about hundred other topics amid the ongoing movement... but you cannot ridicule it (at least it sounds so when you say 'Anna Break') because maybe you feel YOU need it! People have risen from the deep sleep and have realized the power of their voice, risen from the guilt of having been part of some wrong-doings in their life, risen to be heard, and risen for and to be a change! Today we see the tri-colour in every Indian's hand and heart! A Anna Hazare banner in their hands, on their vehicles, as a wallpaper, profile picture.. slogans that are born with the onset of his protest, or to better mention it as a 'satyagraha'! The ongoing protest is like another freedom movement! The ease with which you mention of taking an 'Anna Break' is testimony enough that people like you or me can no-where stand close to him with the amount of dedication, determination and will power that he holds, because he needs no break and no one can break him either! So, if you do / do not support him or his methods, it is your choice. At least do not come up with such absurd and untimely terminologies like an 'Anna Break'! For me, it is going to be a Shobhaa De 'break' for now! 'Coz this break will matter neither to you nor me; but the 'break' you feel you want and even felt that it is much needed for others, will definitely affect this Now Or Never sentiment!

And, a series of irony that coincides with her post:
1. The title of her post is: 'Bol' - Open your mouth... and Speak Up! Well ma'am, your 'Anna Break' contradicts this, especially when the time has actually come to Speak Up!
2. She thinks of an 'Anna Break' just when the government starts reacting proactively and 'break' the ice by hinting toward talks.
3. The whole Anna movement or the anti-corruption movement is to clean India from the mess she is in, and ma'am feels that you and me need an 'Anna Break' and read her praises for the Pakistani Film Industry in her post that follows.

Period

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Ab Hamare Hawale Watan Saathiyon


It is time, again, to fight for a righteous Independence of our nation! Yes, there is a stir, a wave among billions of us Indians who have come together for this movement - the second fight for a Free India... a corruption-free India!

Anna Hazare, the crusader who has raised this issue and has invoked a strong feeling among all of us to dream and achieve the goal to eradicate corruption from our country, has been a source of inspiration and motivation. The tremendous amount of support that the Jan Lokpal Bill has gained, as a sea of people echoing his message only proves how deep this government has stooped in to corruption!

Government has been trying desperate measures to refrain Anna from undertaking a 'peaceful' protest against corruption. Anna is arrested on the very morning when the protest was to begin, under no charges that the police could clarify. Preventive Detention, they say, which in effect seems to be a defensive act on the government's part. There are even parallels drawn between the British regime and the present government!

Today we are witnessing another freedom movement, which will see no less sacrifices, agitation, protests and support. Every Indian today feels him/herself as another Anna who wants a clean nation. The government is trying to take away the right to protest, right to descent by taking in to custody, Team Anna. The government sure is panicked and has over-reacted! Is the government walking toward another state of Emergency? And how many more Annas will be arrested? Can they stop the protest like this? Can the government, a trustee of the nation, dictate its terms on the citizens?

Anna nahi ye aandhi hai, Aaj ka ye Gandhi hai!
... and, there is no stopping! As a youth of this nation, I condemn this act of the government! Today we see a new wave of Non-cooperation and Non-violence! Anna Hazare is another Father of the Nation, a corrupt-free Nation!

It is our onus now to carry forward the torch of this belief - a corruption free India!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Will money buy HER a life?


And.... yet again the sadist approach toward the welfare of a girl child uncovers as the Pimpri-Chinhwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)announces a 'lucrative' scheme for couples, which secretly begs the damn attitude towards the fairer sex to 'change'. And how? The PCMC will start a scheme in September, of allotting Rs 25,000 worth fixed deposit in the name of the baby girl if the couple stops at one child. The child will then get Rs 1,25,000 by the time she turns 18. In the case of the next girl, the amount will be Rs 10,000; which will rise to Rs 50,000 when she turns major. The scheme will not extend beyond two girls.

Ridiculous, I say! What time and era are we living in today? Is this air of women liberisation, revolution, empowerment; all for the namesake??? Doesn't it sound little funny and absurd that people need to be bribed now to let the girl child live and exist? And, this scheme is looked up as probably the country's strongest move to protect the girl child!

I, being a woman, strongly condemn this! If at all this schemes fairs well to improve the sex ratio, it is only the quantity that will rise, I believe. But what about the quality of life that every girl wishes to live with? Will she grow with the fact that she breathes today for some mere thousands of rupees that were allotted in her name at the time of birth? And when she grows up, she only lives to tell the tales of how she has been discouraged or disallowed to fulfill her own little wishes and expectations of her life, in the name of the widespread gossip-mongers in society!

Even as there is this continuous chirping going on about the sad state of what the statistics portray, why shouldn't there be any measures to kill the sick attitude toward the fairer sex? Why can't there be strict measures like some sort of rigorous imprisonment or punitive action against people who even dare to look down upon this gender instead? These measures should be so stringent, that even the thought of female feoticide or even the acts of gender discrimination of any sort should result in to a nightmare for such people. The most logical move, I think, is to exercise punitive measures there and then against any wrong-doer or even thinker toward this sex.

And I don't see any hallmark achievement for letting a girl child to be born by any such couple who will accept the money allotted through this scheme. If people really wish to raise a girl child, who is as human as as her male counterparts, they should do so with their heart - scheme or no scheme!

The dropping number of girl child sure is alarming. But, hopefully some jerks who exist, soon make a correction in their attitude for her. Let Her live, and let Her live life to the fullest as anyone else would wish to!

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Caste No Bar


Right from filling out the forms for a birth certificate, education at various levels, domicile, nationality, marriage certificate to the death certificate - we all have been filling the column that asks us to mention our caste. The caste system has been a stronghold of our social system, which defines the various traditions, rituals and lifestyles in our country. This is even nurtured as a key political concern, especially in the rural areas, which attracts vote-banks.

There have been many cases where parts of public staged protests against the reservation policies based on castes in the fields of education and the job market, which was considered positive discrimination. The caste system has always been a 'talking point' for everyone at various points in their personal, professional and social lives.

This is now not limited to only this! Until now we have grown with the fact that the caste system is politicised time and again, but it will now be economically driven as well. Thanks to BSNL that it will soon be banking on this very caste-ism and converting it in to a 'talking point', literally! It plans to launch the special OBC scheme that will 'enable' those belonging to this caste to have a free 'OBC to OBC' talktime, special SIM cards, and other facilities. The rat race among the mobile giants is not new to us. Number of schemes like group chatting, family plans, this plan and that plan have been hammered upon us by posing emotional drama through all possible marketing gimmicks.

And now, BSNL seems to strive and move ahead of all by striking a chord with one of the most sensitive issues' of our country, literally enterprising the 'Caste No Bar' campaign when it comes to making business out of it! We have long enough accepted the need to raise the social and economic status of those belonging to the lower castes, to help them desire and deserve things in life that others have not had to struggle as much as them due to the negative impacts of the caste system that prevailed.

Yet, the case in point here is that, is it judicious or progressive to society that the system itself will now be used as a means for monetary gains? Will this not harm the very people belonging to such castes and hinder their growth graph? Is it not like offering them a handicap in the name of their caste? Won't this give rise to various debates from other castes or religions? Doesn't this smell like the birth of yet another negative discrimination?

For common people like us, 'Caste No Bar' in its literal terms means that we see caste as no bar in anything related to education or job or lifestyle. These are too trivial issues to even think of, for us. But this very 'Caste No Bar' term for politics or business means - caste is no bar to fulfill our selfish desires. For the janta living in the 21st century, such organisations seem to be implanting such schemes and policies as slow poison in society which is so dying to break free from such nonsense!

Or do we have more to come in the name of caste and in the name of business? Does BSNL's 'Connecting India' theme seem to be Dis-connecting India somewhere?


http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/obcs-getcallbsnl/441556/
The link above talks about the OBC scheme.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Show Time

Making a last minute movie plan and watching it with friends has been part of an exciting, entertaining and fun schedules' followed like a ritual at least twice a month on my list. Most often, keeping in mind the daily schedules, a night show was always preferred. In no time, the last shows proved to be convenient and more-so, more fun to ride back home on the quiet and chilly roads.

However, until recently, watching a movie was synonyms to pure entertainment! But lately, management has become the core for making movie plans! And how? In the course of time I have lately bumped in to couple of friends (read 14-15 of us each time) who are movie buffs too, or simply stated - like minded people who love to get together and have fun whichever way (movies, rides, hanging out at the beautiful hills in Pune, dinners or brunches or just chai)

The entertainment quotient in the whole planning, especially for movies, has raised its bar and I end up being 'The Planner' for all of us :) After all, it is quite a task to match up with the timings that will suit all along with the show timings, which should also have reasonable rates and of course, the ticket availability for this huge group with all the available multiplexes in the city! And, sometimes, the vicinity for couple of friends in the group also needs to be taken in to consideration. Hmmm.... Lotta permutations and combinations to be done to accommodate all (yes, we keep changing even our final plans if even one or two of us can't make it).

And, the whole process of informing everyone and getting feedback and replies makes me go mad with frustration at times and a laugh riot at the same time. In the end, we need to make all the ends meet until we make sure that an entire row at the screen belongs to us :) The fun quotient does not depend on how the movie was, but the fact that we could all come together yet again to have a nice time out :)

The latest planning mission that we accomplished was for Cars2 and now, back to the process for Delly Belly :)

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

De Ghuma Ke



A boy riding his bicycle over a bridge.. suddenly loses balance and falls down..I apply the brakes for a sudden stop.. and there arrived a few men growling without knowing the head or tail of this episode, just because it was a female driver... guess what.. the car did not even touch that boy.. HATE SUCH CHEAP mentality people...

This is a narrative of my sister's experience couple of days ago, in her own words. Such incidences bring to fore, again and again, the male chauvinist attitude that few of them live with and exhibit it too! Alas, such instant reactions from them only depict their choked sense of acceptance towards their female counterparts who no more live under any shadow!

I was in the car at that time and so have seen what happened actually. The boy who was riding the bicycle just at the start of the Neelayam bridge, suddenly raised his ass and started riding faster in the middle of the traffic. He fumbled over the small speed breaker there and fell ON HIS OWN under his bicycle. We were just behind him and had to apply sudden brakes to avoid any further mishap. That is when an asshole appeared and started arguing with us saying, "What are you riding? If you can't drive properly then why do you?".. and all that rubbish... That was it! I was not going to take shit for nothing from anyone, unless it was really a mistake on our part.

I gave him a good piece of my mind and that is wen they all went back to their roadside adda. The boy who had fallen down, ultimately was walking back with his bicycle all alone on the bridge! The point here is, the roadside assholes came barking just because it was a female driver! And they thought that whatever they were swearing in the name of female drivers, would be listened to, expecting some sort of guilty-feeling expressions on our faces!

This is just one incident that I am sharing where the male bashing rushes and surrounds females, epitomising any and every act of theirs as if a god-sent virtue! Every time anything of this sort happens, the feeling of 'De Ghumake' with the help of some really pricking words or even hitting, urges through the mind!

I do not wish to generalise this for the entire 'male breed', but it is just for males who live with this cheap mentality. Those who read this and mind my language, please take note that there is nothing to mind unless you think you belong to such category of men.

And, for all the women reading this - it is okay to accept your mistakes, but it is a sin to keep mum when you are clean! So chill and stay bindaas and happy :)
Have a Happy Women's Day, today and always!

Thursday, March 03, 2011

I Can... :-)

Husshh... what a morning! Just as I was sipping my beloved chai :) dad called me out in the parking and said that we need to change the punctured tyre of the car. Usually I enjoy sipping my morning tea while reading the newspaper, but today I gave it up and finished it in a hurry. I thought I was to assist dad by just being there if he needs anything as he changed the tyre.

As I got near the car, dad was just standing there and he handed me the task! I gladly accepted it. Not that I have any experience in changing car tyres, rather it was my first attempt today. But as I got my hands on the tools, I was through with my job quite easily! Right from positioning the jack, to removing the studs and then replacing the punctured tyre with another one...

It wasn't as tedious a task as it normally appears to be. And I was happy that I did it, especially as I had no know-hows of it except for enjoying the drives ;)

And, I always hated to watch it in movies where they show a helpless female protagonist in a similar situation especially in a no-man's-land, not knowing what to do; and that is just when her male counterpart appears from nowhere and does the job as if doing some kind of magic that only his breed can perform!

Well, now this task is added to my 'I can do...' list :)

Friday, February 04, 2011

Marathi Cinema - Dawn Of A New Beginning

A movie buff that I am, cinema has always been one of the major sources’ of entertainment for me, Bollywood being my favourite. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I haven’t seen much Marathi movies and can only name few Marathi actors correctly. I won’t say I have been consciously avoiding films of my own mother tongue, but it is true that they never caught as much interest (barring a few exceptionals).

Pinjra, Maaficha Sakshidar, Chaukat Raja, Mumbaicha Faujdar, and a few otehrs have been classics. While in the recent past, films like Shwaas, Mi Shivaji Raje Bhosale Boltoye, Dombivali Fast, Vihir, Valu, Gabhricha Paaus, Natarang, Jogwa, Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai, Pak Pak Pakaak, Lalbaug Paral, Mee Shindutai Sapkal, Jatra, Haapus, and many more (these are the ones that came to my mind instantly as I was writing this) are not only worth watching, but they have brought about a complete renaissance in the industry! My mistaken point of view towards Marathi films has been completely erased and now I enjoy them like never before, I even prefer watching them on the big screen! Marathi cinema has been as rich and entertaining for that matter, but the new blood in the industry is definitely carrying forward the legacy in a polished manner (of course, under the guidance of their seniors).

Criticizing and complaining about the lack of freshness, new ideas, risks and a realistic theme seems to have become bygones with a completely new approach and talent that Marathi cinema has been blessed with in the past half a decade.

The age-old standard techniques used in our films and cringing about the woeful lack of good films made by directors with potential seems to have fading and paving new ways for those who are ready to challenge or face their critics on the front foot. If you believe in quality films then it might be a good idea to catch a few Marathi films that have released in the last five years and have infused fresh blood in a sagging industry.

So much so, that even Bollywood stars are now appreciating Marathi cinema and its quality. Many Marathi films have tasted the sweet box office success and have even treaded their paths through some of the national and international film festivals. Bollywood movies that were reining in the multiplex success now see Marathi movies standing next to them in the race.

Those who feared the risk of investing in this league of routine Marathi films, now seem to have been more than pleased to be associated with today’s revolutionary phase that the industry is undergoing. Marathi Film Industry, yes! Now looked at with respect and a new avenue to venture in to, Marathi films are now mushrooming with quality, ideas, techniques and talents to make it a full fledged and an organized industry.

It had a glorious past that has strived to showcase the face of Maharashtra, especially relative to a major audience in the rural and outskirt areas and imaginary for those who lead an urbane life. This had created a vacuum that restricted an interest level among an audience that needed a break from the clichéd style and themes. The much needed breakthrough has arrived in the Marathi film industry and it has caught attention of even the non-Marathi audience.

This boom in the industry has proved to be a boon for producers of Marathi cinema who vouch to carry a smile with the success of these movies and overall appreciation. The industry is now flourishing with 100-125 releases per year, yet needs to arrive a decent number of hits that it provides. A complete makeover that this industry is witnessing, it definitely promises to open doors of opportunities for fresh talent in all aspects – be it acting, directing, or even the technical departments.

The Marathi film industry is blessed with the Midas touch of people like Mahesh Manjrekar, Ajay-Atul, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Smita Talwalkar, and the likes. This industry now also boasts of making a style statement with the dressing and make-up that matches standards with its Hindi counterpart. For producers, this industry is like a platter to unleash the undiscovered path and bask in the glory of new heights that it promises to behold. The industry is now graduating in its post-production stages like marketing, promotion, premiers, etc. which were known terms but now are being executed – which if polished, shall work wonders with the money matters in terms of returns.

To watch the kind of approval for the film discussed by those who watch Marathi films on the big screen, is a delight and encouragement for a producer’s hard work! A large number of audiences still need to be attracted to the theatres to start churning the returns on investments and see Marathi films for longer durations on the multiplex screens.

Judging by the changing trend of the last five years, it might not be an exaggeration to say that these small progressive films might just bring back the golden era of the sixties when the likes of V Shantaram and Dadasaheb Phalke changed the face of not just Marathi cinema, but scripted a new chapter of Indian cinema. The recent past in the industry is testimony enough that even small budget films click if they are well planned throughout the pre-production stages. Marathi cinema has proved that with an entry in to the Oscars!

One thing that I like the most about this industry is that it is sans any typical grapevine that its counterpart is engulfed with. It boasts of a much cleaner and friendly atmosphere even among costars (a healthy competition is what can be sensed among them, unlike most of their counterparts) and is far from being westernized, as yet!

Marathi Paaul Padate Pudhe....!!!!

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Anil Sonawane to Yashwant Sonawane

Few days back we heard and read of the ruthless murder of Additional DC of Nashik, Yashwant Sonawane. Everyday we get to read various news, stories, profiles in newspapers; that leave us thinking for a while. As I was running through today's newspaper while sipping my morning tea, Manjusha Sonawane's story came in as a shocker!

This was a story of an ordinary woman who earns her bread and butter by working as a domestic help in few families in Pune, but it spoke of her extraordinary (bold and fearless) statement and thoughts. Today she lives hand to mouth because she became a victim of this spineless sarkar one and a half years back. Barely four years in to her married life, Manjusha was living a better life with her husband and in-laws in a small village in Ahmednagar. Her husband, Anil Sonawane, was working as a kotwal at the sand dealers' and was the only bread winner for the family.

He knew of the misconducts going on in this business and also feared threat to his life at some point. After a few days, in July 2009 he died under a tractor carrying sand; which was registered as an accidental death in the police records. However, Sonawane's family and even the villagers believe that he was murdered by the sand mafai. Manjusha lost her husband to some people's selfish gains and cruel acts. This, when she was carrying her second child, soon to be delivered!

She was quoted saying that it came thousands of times to her mind to end her life, but how could a mother leave her children alone in this ruthless world? Her children would be orphaned had she given up on her own life, but she gathered the courage to live on for her children. Lot of efforts have been taken to follow-up her husband's case for justice and compensation for her family, but to no avail.

Manjusha had no option but to leave the village and come to Pune to live with her parents and earn through these means, which wouldn't have been possible in the village. She dreams of educating her children and herself (she has studied until the 9th grade) so that she could earn a decent sum for her children's future.

She reiterates that there is no value for a kotwal's life in the eyes of the government. The poor are orphaned by the inefficient and heartless government. She therefore did not give in to her thoughts of ending her life, looking at her children. Else what difference would remain between the government and me, is what she fearlessly stated! This is definitely a big blow to this sarkar by an ordinary woman, as to what people think about it. She is still waiting and hoping for justice to be done!

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

127 Hours!

A beautiful movie indeed, as though crafted especially for the adventure lovers, yet for everyone at the same time! The movie quite aptly depicted the craze that an adventure enthusiast lives with, rather for! They worship nature's beauty and keep treading in pursuit of their religion, Adventure!

Aron Ralston's story in this movie is one which every fellow adventure lover will identify with. Though the movie revolved around a single person stuck in a sure death situation for 127 hours, it kept the audience engaged on the edges of their seats as though experiencing themselves in the same situation! It personified the very survival instinct that mankind is all about. As the film progressed, Aron's desperate measures to free himself from the trap amazes us.

An Engineer by profession, an adventure enthusiast at heart! A very well informed guy about the geography and topography, his mind filled with all sorts of preparation plans and escape routes for every planned adventure to be unfolded, power-packs him with the zeal and guts to conquer it.

While he is trapped in there, all that he runs through his mind are his past mistakes that he should have not committed. He is left lonely in there, and that is the time when he becomes closer to his conscience. All this while as I was almost feeling Aron's experience, I was also flowing in to retrospect of the special adventures that I have done in my life. Be it the Everest Base camp, Kedarkanth trek in Uttaranchal, the Enduro3 Adventure race, treks with Wanderers, biking, cycling... everything was just flashing back in front of me.

These adventures not only take you high on the adrenaline rush, they also take you closer to your own self. Every time you are out and one with nature, it brings you closer to yourself. You talk to yourself, you push yourself, you encourage yourself, you be yourself! This is the time when you look back on your good and bad deeds and thoughts. And as you go further ahead, your mind becomes clearer.

As Aron is shown basking in the luxury of soothing his cold feet in the sun for 15minutes, every drop of water becomes precious; it reminded me of similar experiences on the various adventures I had been to, where we ought not take anything for granted.

The most nerve cracking moment shot in the movie was the one when Aron frees himself from the trap and is limping out of it, at the expense of cutting his own arm! And then, he turns back and says, "Thank you"! A bitter-sweet feeling expressed there by a man who lost his arm, yet came out alive from the sure death situation. The best part is, Aron still continued to pursue his love for adventure after that. That is what exactly replicates an adventure lover's poise! A never say never spirit! They never curse any unfortunate event on their path, but they only seek divine pleasure and positivity. That is what drives them again and again back in to nature's lap. Of course, like Aron did, every new venture omits previous mistakes and gains new learnings and experiences.

Mere words won't do any justice to any such experience or journey! One ought do it to feel it! Loved the movie, love the spirit, love adventures! I thank all my fellow mates with whom I have had opportunities to tread through the beauties of nature. Looking forward for more!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Ridiculously Casual

I was watching TV one evening to kill my boredom. While surfing through the channels, I stopped to watch ZOOM to catch up with some Bollywood 'News', so they call it! But there wasn't any interesting grapevine here that could keep me from boredom, yet I stuck to this channel as I was further getting bored of surfing through the remaining!

Not listening to it quite intently though, I was also trying to score some points in the game on my phone. Suddenly one 'news' snapped my attention, not for wanting to know more but because I was startled to hear this utter nonsense! The 'news' was thus: "Hum sab Emraan Hashmi ko ek on-screen serial kisser ke roop me jaante hain...." followed by a 'detailed' history of his lip-locking scenes in his movies so far and his views too, about them. The news furthered then by adding, "Ab Emraan ko promotion mil gayi hai. Apni agli film me wo ab rape bhi karenge...."!!!!!!!


That was it! I was fuming with disgust that is this what the channel had to make news out of? That he will be promoted from only being a kisser to a rapist in his next film??? Whatever his role maybe in his next flick, whatever the story be.... But this channel 'reported' it so damn casually, it kept me wondering that has this disgusting act like 'rape' become so damn casual in today's conversations? To top it, it was a team of girls who reported this, gave a voice-over for and one who hosted this damn episode for the show!

The same day I happened to watch a News Channel where they were showing about a historic decision of the Supreme Court to accept and hear the petition of Aruna Shanbaug's lawyer for Euthanasia / Mercy Killing . This very lady was a rape victim in 1973 at the KEM Hospital in Mumbai, by its staffer. She was even strangled and till date she lies in the hospital bed in vegetative state, declared brain dead! She has to be forcefully fed by the nurses twice a day, she has lost her sight, cannot hear, can't take any decision, has not been visited by any of her relatives' or friends' for the past 36 years!

This is what the heinous act such as this can do to a victim!!!! And ironically, it was a damn casual 'Bollywood News' for this channel.

Democracy Ridiculed!

It was a shocking news to watch sometime back about Additional DC Yashwant Sonawane's brutal murder! The First Additional DC of the Malegaon District in Nashik was burnt alive by the oil mafai while he was on duty.

Something is terribly going wrong with the mindsets and attitude of people, and especially with the law and order situation of not only any state but the entire nation. Cities which were known as the faces of their cultural, economic, traditional heritage and progress; are gradually losing their identity and are now gaining a status for all the wrong reasons. Nashik is now a city popularly known as home for the oil and kerosene mafai of the state!

Yashwant Sonawane, who was on his way for a meeting to some other place, sensed some fishy goings-on at a place somewhere 10kms away from Manmad. He immediately went to check at the spot and saw the oil marketeers involved in adulterating. The magnitude of this racket seems to be so strengthened and their conscience so dead, that they burnt alive this officer!

An officer of such stature, when is on his way to perform his duties, was brutally murdered in broad daylight! And, it is a shame that such an incident should occur just a day before when we are all set to celebrate the biggest day of our democracy - our 61st Republic Day!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Yes Minister, It Is A Cosmetic Surgery!!!


I may not be very well-informed or may not possess the right knowledge of the know-hows of the political affairs, yet as a common citizen of this nation I try to put my common sense to its best possible analysis. And why am I digging my nose in this whole political scenario? Well, all of us should! These 'ministers' (babus) who enjoy their berths in the cabinet, take decisions that directly affect our living.

The great Indian Political Tamasha played yet another innings of fooling the aam aadmi. The much awaited and now, the much debated political reshuffle took place yesterday. Reshuffle, did you and me think is what happened? Well, if you draw parallels between this tamasha and that of scuffling the playing cards, then reshuffle is what took place in every sense of the word. You scuffle the playing cards to play a fair game before distributing them. The point is, the cards that you ultimately play with, remain the same. Similar is the case of this very political reshuffling, where very carefully ministers have been made to agree the change of berths.

Prafull Patel is now burdened with the heavy industries portfolio while his 'wings' are chopped. The best bet here could be that the new face in the aviation ministry can now assure no alleged relationships with airline companies. Sharad Pawar retains agriculture and foord processing industries, while losing consumer affairs and food & public distribution (Mr Pawar wanted lesser responsibilities now, as what he had been urging). During the times of food prices inflation, the Pawar power managed to conveniently nail the crisis that he would have to face, had he still retained the ministries that he no longer holds. He would have face the music of criticism from the janta directly, which now the new face for these ministries will have to face.

Murali Deora, shifted from the petroleum ministry! When oil prices are touching the skies, this minister is 'reshuffled' elsewhere to save him the public brunt. Many more examples can be similarly highlighted, which will repeat this saga. Those who are accused of corruptions, inefficiencies; will still rule the roost under some or the other ministry. Just when the government realised that their powerful ministers will be shacked by public anger, it conveniently replaced them with new faces, who will have been 'trained' to answer any question guilt free - "I am new to this ministry. I do not know or have nothing to do about any allegations you are talking about" (?!)

As my common sense prompts me, these changes (which made me compare them also with the musical chair), have been made either because the government lacks effective leadership, cannot afford to make their ministers unhappy, have to play their cards keeping in mind the forthcoming polls, or whatever their reasons be.

For me, this reshuffling had nothing to do with the aam aadmi's plights or concerns. If there is someone who gained anything, it is the government itself, who has been successful in retaining a mix of confidence and support of its ministers and allies. Government is indeed a master surgeon who could alone bring about such cosmetic changes!!! Thanks to the spineless government that seems to be afraid of making some stern decisions.

The janta is yet again left to mull over the same issues that it has been sentenced to, and it seems that we will continue to be haunted by them. As always, these ministers will have the last laugh. It seems to be like a chameleon that changes its colours as the circumstances demand, of course to its own benefit.