Wandering thoughts

The Sign

2011-01-16T13:42:00.002+05:30

She loved him. More than she had ever loved anything thing or anybody in her entire life. Her universe centered all around him. So much, that she could have give up her life if that's what it took. She had even given up her job and joined his company just to be around him. Sadly, he didn't feel the same.

For years she had been pinning on him. Hoping that some day he will realize how much he means to her. Messaging him uselessly, knowing he won't bother to reply. Sending him emails, just to keep in contact. God knows, if he ever read them. He had never felt for her, he had made this clear right from the start.

But a die hard romantic that she was, she kept clinging to the idea, that maybe she could make him fall in love with her. All the mushy movies and fairy tales that she read didn't help to clear her thick head of all her false hopes.

Yesterday, she was feeling very low.This game had been going on for too long, She was tired of chasing her hopes which were now just a mere flicker after all these years. She was finally realizing that he was not comming back, that she meant nothing to him. No matter what she said or did, he could never love her. Her family had found a good match for her and wanted her to meet this guy. She had no more reasons left to refuse.

Sitting alone, dejected in her office canteen, she said a little prayer, "God, I have lost all hope. I love him but I know he will not be mine. I have tried my best but I have reached the end of my patience. Please show me the way."

She slowly opened her eyes to find him standing at the opposite counter, ordering a sandwitch for lunch.

Hoping against hope

2010-12-17T11:57:00.000+05:30

Hope is the most dangerous drug of all known to mankind. It can make you a very serious addict. It can also delude you into thinking that no matter what; things will turn out to be fine. You will meet the people whom you know are up to no good to you, and one dose of hope will make you think they are the very angels of God.

You will get up every morning and need one heavy dose of hope to forget all that had happened yesterday and start the day fresh. Every time you feel low, you will want to have a dose of hope to make you feel better. In the worst of situations, hope puts a blindfold on your eyes so that you do not see the bad. It shows you rosy pictures of your future that only cocaine and other addictive substances can induce.

Hope is the death of logic and reason. It can make you take decisions and risks, which no sane person in his right mind would. The person under the influence of hope cannot take sound decisions as he/she will take into consideration only the better or positive outcomes and think accordingly. It affects you perception of events and you end up seeing only the good part of things and ignore the rest. Overdose of hope can have very serious consequences in the long run and will affect the decision taking ability of the individual.

It starts as a light enjoyment, a relief to stress in the beginning and soon turns into an in disposable addiction. The worst part is, there are rehabilitation centres for all other kind of addicts, but hope is yet to be recognised as a life impairing drug. You will not find any help to get you out of your hope addiction; in fact, you might be mistaken for a very happy jovial healthy individual.

The truth of course is otherwise, and nothing turns out right in the end. You are left with nothing but emptiness. The effect of hope can last from hours to years depending on the level of addiction of the individual. But when the effect is gone, the person faces the dark grim realities of the world and at times may not be able to cope with it. In extreme conditions, people have shown complete rejection of truth and plunged deeper into their addictions, believing that things will eventually turn out alright in the end. The only place for such people is a mental asylum as they are incapable of coping with the realities of life and thus unfit for living in normal human society. In the interest of the society, use of hope should be banned.

Please be advised that hope can have negative effects on your mind. In case you are already addicted, I hope you will recover soon.

A Reflection

2010-11-18T12:15:00.003+05:30

I met her a long time ago. She was slim, smart and stylish; looking much older than her years. She had leopard print goggles and airs of a diva.

I knew her for some time; she came across to me and everybody else as arrogant and defiant. She was very outspoken, didn’t mince her words (a little too much for her own good) and she couldn’t care less. She obviously had a troubled past and was disturbed, especially during the initial days that I knew her. She gradually managed to pick up the pieces but her bitterness never left her. It was my first time to hear a girl swearing at somebody (those were the sweet days, when daily language was still decent). And in all the time that I knew her, she was always bitter and resented everyone. It seemed like she just needed to hate everybody.

I used to wonder sometimes, how can somebody openly swear at others and be such a bitch? Why would somebody go out of their way to make others dislike them? Why did she push people away so? I just kept raising questions to myself, never tried to dig deeper though.

After she went away, I gladly forgot all about her went back to my dog’s life. Worked hard and worried harder. I had a few horrid experiences that made me loose my trust in everyone I knew. I can no longer be myself. Every motive, every eye that I meet is tainted. There is no humanity in my world.

But now I know why she was so. Because now, I am just like her.

Is she a prude?

2010-11-01T20:54:00.000+05:30

A few off-colored conversations made my friend see red and send a guy packing. His reply, she over-reacts. This incident set me thinking ... Is she a prude?

It also raised another question. How are the morals defined in today's society?

A few years back, a girl coming back at home at 11 or 12 in the night would have raised such a hue and cry in the neighborhood, but today, the work and work hours have made it a norm as most females in the IT and BPO industry would know. Today, women work late, face extreme stress levels and give their male colleagues a run for their money. With change in lifestyle, there are a lot of social changes too. Drinking and smoking among the women population do not raise as many eyebrows as they used to in yesteryears. Open relationships are no longer a taboo. But yes, such women are still treated as a sort of social outcasts. They are looked upon as the kind of girl you'll take to a motel, but not to meet your parents.

This is where I beg to differ. If a girl is in a relationship, that does NOT mean she is "available" and NO, it is not an invitation for guys to hit on her.
If a girl smokes or drinks, that does NOT mean that she sleeps around with the first guy she lays her eyes on, and it is NOT a license for guys to flirt with her and talk cheap. While for most guys Fridays cannot end without their customary beer rounds with friends, they will not think twice before burning a girl at the stake for lack of morals if they as much as spy her in a pub with a drink in hand.

Most guys have the idea, "If she has no problem smoking or drinking, why should she object to sleeping around", "Maybe, we'll get lucky too". Such people just make me sick. They just make me want to curl up and vomit. Just because somebody does not buy the "conventional" rules set by the so-called "society" does not mean that the person is immoral. And this goes not only for the girls but also the guys. The liberal minded are easily misunderstood as immoral.

I think it is wrong to judge and make assumptions about a person, just because they are different or "non-conformist", as some might prefer. What's worse? Go ahead and harass them for it! I am not trying to justify or even address the issue whether it's right or wrong for a girl to smoke or drink or have a relationship. All I want to say is, she is entitled to her choices without being subjected to crude remarks, dirty jokes, and the likes.

The so-called puritans make a judge out of themselves and to what purpose? To play the tyrant to those who have guts enough to live a free life, have a free mind? These questions burn within me; perplexed, with no answers and nothing more to say, I leave you with the words from the Holy Bible,

He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.

It rained last night....

2010-10-28T11:47:00.000+05:30

The birds are chirping,

the sky is blue.

The earth smells sweet,

It rained last night.

I turn to hear the sound of your step.

The drops on the leaves

fall to the ground and say to me,

It rained last night.

I walk to the woods

where we had first met.

the trees are still damp,

It rained last night.

You are so far and yet so near,

I close my eyes and see you smile.

And the last thing I remember...

It rained last night.

And the winner is..... ANT

2010-10-27T23:14:00.000+05:30

After spending 2 whole days trying to figure out how to configure Cobertura in Maven, I learnt a few things.

First, ANT is better than Maven. Second, I am in love with ANT. OK, so my first conclusion is probably the result the second one, but seriously, Maven is a clear disappointment.

Most people argue that Maven is more structured and standardized than ANT. But then, there lies the beauty of ANT. You can configure your project the way you want. You can design your own build process and customize it according to your project.

Maven gets you started quickly, but then starts the long, slow and painful precess of setting up the pom.xml and the configurations can go on endlessly making you wonder if your pom will make Homer’s Odyssey look like a limerick.

And did I mention that the documentation sucks? For a first timer, Maven comes as a rude shock. It’s totally frustrating trying to find a way in the Maven maze. The site itself contains the bare minimum information. I am not anti-Maven, but darling, you need to clean up your act. If nothing, at least the documentation can be improved. Most of the help you can expect is from other benign techno-bloggers around, who have taken the pains to note down the configurations to make life simpler for the likes of us.

If you are debating on which build tool to use, you can get a lot of technically correct comparisons on the net on all the tools. My opinion is ANT is beats Maven, any day. Whatever ANT lacks, it makes up in the performance. I mean, how many hours can you waste just waiting for the build to finish? I don’t know how long I’ll have to put up with this Maven stuff; I got tired of it in just two days! I really liked ANT better, I didn’t have to spend hours trying to build my project, it is way faster then Maven can ever be.

Oh ANT! How much miss I you! If I ever write a project myself, you will be my only build tool, dear.

Hopelessly in love

2010-10-25T22:12:00.000+05:30

Nervousness, loss of words, stammering ... these are the symptoms generally associated with a person having communication problems; someone who has low confidence and has difficulty in social interactions.

But, these are not the only people who face this problem. Ask anybody who's ever been in love.

Talking to the person you like, scares the hell out of most of us. No, I am not talking about the oh-I-am-so-cool, Shahrukh khan wannabes, who think that the female population has nothing better to do than droll over them. I am talking about the normal people whom you meet in the bus, train, college, office, or maybe even you yourself!!

Its quite a task to walk up the object of your interest (or affection, or love) and chat away with the nonchalance of Rhett Butler, especially, if your object is indifferent to you, and you are unsure of their feelings for you. You never know how the person will react, or worse still, the dread of being shooed away. It might have been a lot easier if you had not fallen for them in the first place. Think of the time when you had first met and you felt nothing for them and talked away incessantly. If only you could talk like that now!! But no, come back to reality, You are a few feet away from the most beautiful person who ever walked this planet, and your heart is in your throat, beating so hard that your eardrums humm. Your heart is literally burning, your knees are weak, throat dry, you cannot speak a word, you want to run away, but your eyes are fixed on the person standing before you, who’s smiling, absolutely clueless of the tremendous effort that you have to put in, just to stand there, let alone speak.

My heart goes out to all those, who have known this feeling of being helplessly in love, being tongue- tied. If ever I find an antidote to this, I will surely share it with you. But till then, God help you.

Till the end of Eternity...

2010-08-15T19:59:00.000+05:30

For almost 2 weeks now, I have been absorbed pondering, marveling, and being enthralled by a new world. The one of Vampires and werewolves where these mythical creatues are so real that you almost fall In love with them. I have been reading Twilight and have been so crazy about it. To be frank, I caught myself in a surprise that a fiction can capture my heart where the most celebrated of classics could not. It’s so much like going around the world watching exceptional beauties and coming home to fall in love with a plain Jane much like the Edward Rochester of Jane Eyre.

The theme of the book revolves around the Vampires, their life, myths, and a new concept, Vegetarian vampires! Now, of all the vampire fictions that I have read (which is not much though), this is certainly new. Makes me wonder, how it would be like if I could be a vampire? Then comes their life span which extends to eternity.

What would it be like if I could life for the whole of eternity? The first thought that comes to my mind is boredom. I find it difficult to wait for the morning and then stretch my faculties the whole day in anticipation of the night, only to find myself longing for the morning when the night comes. How could I possibly endure my existence till eternity when I cannot bear a few decades of human life?

I once read that the best way to live life and face its difficulties was to think of what is important to you in the long run. For a human that would mean 80 to 100 years. So any problem that will not have THAT long lasting effects should be ignored. Helps to keep your anger in check. This means when the rickshaw driver makes you run for change in the dead of the night to all the neighboring stores, just smile and think to yourself, “Oh, this doesn’t deserve my getting worked up, does it?”

But just imagine, if you were to live till the end of the world, or possibly beyond that, what would be the parameters? How would you judge what matters and what not? The Chinese president was once asked “What do you think were there effects of the world war?” And his answer was, “It is too early to tell.” I think I am grasping his meaning now.

Living to eternity will make sense only when you have the love of your life by your side, else it will be an endless torture to writhe in pain over your grieving heart. Your personal living hell. Not all the gold in Solomon’s mines can cheer you up, nor will the entire Sultan’s harem. On the other hand, think of the bliss that eternity with your love can give you. Priceless.

So I take your leave planting the seeds of imagination in your mind, how would you like to spend the rest of eternity if it were yours?

Clueless

2010-07-25T13:02:00.000+05:30

It's always difficult to decide what to write on. Most of the times I try to set my writing cap and pen down something; I am gripped by this irresistible urge to delete all my previous post and say goodbye to blogging for good. But thankfully, the better part of me wins, and here I am trying to make some sensible grammatical statements out of my utterly chaotic thoughts.

Why is it that I find myself blank? Has it ever happened to you?

When there is so much to write about, so much to think, you sit to jot it all down, your pain, your longings or maybe your ideas on love and life and the poof! You go blank! The white screen staring you in the face erased all that you were going to pour out. Rather than you writing on it, it engulfs you.

Happens to me all the time!!
But there's got to be some way of not being mesmerized or rather overwhelmed by this strange emptiness. I still haven't found it out yet.

For me, in writing a blog, one has to pour his heart out, else not write at all! What is the sense to put just words together when there is no soul in it? Maybe that is the reason why I find it so difficult to write. Matters of the heart are the hardest to express.

Talkative otherwise, I am tongue tied when it comes to talking about things that really matter. You can go and on about who's going to win the next elections or tomorrow's cricket match, bet on the world cup, and swear your boss out (behind his back, of course!) But there are very few who can answer a simple (read abstract) question with the same zest and eloquence and not be embarrassed.

Well that’s everyday life. Coming back to my blog, if you guys have any suggestions and ideas about something that I can or should be writing, let me know.

Love is not love...

2010-03-16T15:10:00.000+05:30

...Love is not love
Which alters when alteration finds.
Or Bends with the remover to remove.
O, no! It is an ever- fixed mark.
That looks on tempests and is never shaken.
It is the star to every wandering bark, whose worth's unknown,
although his height be taken.

-- William Shakesphere .

Open Letter

2008-02-19T16:50:00.000+05:30

Hi,

Rather than mailing all you guys and describing my stay here, I decided to post it on my blog, so that I won’t feel bad if you just shft+del my long mails. You can read it only if you want to and at your leisure. Hence the name open letters, you will find quite many of them in the days to come.

I am in Denmark right now, Odense, to be sure; and loving every minute of it. So let me give you a detailed description of my long journey from Mumbai to Odense.

The tale started at least a week back, when all of you guys were so helpful in giving me tips of the do’s and don’ts , what to carry and what not to carry, for my very first onsite assignment (paid vacation, as a friend calls it). Scary stories of very overweight luggage having to be thrown and other tales, made me reach the airport at 8 pm (Saturday night) for my flight of 1:20 am (Sunday morning), weird timings, I know.

The only time I had seen an airport was in the commercials and the movies. So, I expected that my family could come to see me till the airplane (don’t laugh). I was taken aback when the security guard told me that my folks would have to see me off at the gate itself. A hasty goodbye, for the fear of being late, and I was in through the gate, only to know that the check in would start only after 9:30 pm. So, I came out again, spend the next hour and a half looking around and giving a running commentary of the people around, to my mom. And no, my mom doesn’t get bored of listening to my gibberish, maybe because she talks on endlessly; with me listening to her: she returns me the favor sometimes.

At 10 pm, I was in again, this time for good. My luggage was a little over the allowed limit, but smart as I am, I managed to whisk it from under their noses. Sounds boastful, doesn’t it? The truth is, an airport guard helped me clear my luggage for 100 bucks.

After I got through the immigration check (gosh, I didn’t know about these thing), I spotted my colleagues, who were to travel with me. All four of us sat waiting for our plane. I happened to be seated next to a very well fed NRI lady from UK, who (I don’t know why) was interested in talking to me. So a chatted with her for a few minutes, and luckily, our flight was announced. Lucky, not because she was boring, but because I find it very painful to talk to strangers, it’s my shyness, maybe.

I got a window seat !!!!!!!

My first time in an airplane, dear, I was excited. My first take off reminded me of Esselworld. Thereafter I could think nothing but food. I just remembered that I hadn’t eaten anything since Saturday afternoon, and by now, pet mein chuhe daud rahe the.
Finally, the airhostess got me something to eat. Main to tut hi padi khane pe.

A sound sleep later I was flying over Hungary, at 3:00 am (Austrian Time). Just peeped out of the window, and was glad to have woken up. For the sight I saw was very beautiful. I saw a clear black sky, dotted with the Aquarius. To the north, was a brightly shining moon, illuminating the whole scene like some faraway placed table lamp. Yes, I distinctly remember, it was no brighter than your ordinary table lamp, yet it had a special glow to it, its light was intense. The whole sight was splenid.

I reached Vienna at around 4:00 am (Austrian Time). My next flight to Copenhagen was at 7:15 in the morning so me and my colleagues were roaming around the airport shops. I did take a few snaps, guys, you can see it on the net, I’ll upload them and let you know.

Vienna to Copenhagen was more interesting, party because I was not hungry and could think about things other than food, and partly because, it being a day, I could see the view outside. When I could behold Denmark from the flight, I instantly knew that I was going to like it here. Not a fan of the hot Indian weather, the cloudy sky suits me well. Do I see a few eyebrows raised? Not surprising, because most of you prefer sunshine. But then, I am a solitaire.

A colleague form Copenhagen had come to receive us at the Copenhagen airport. He boarded us in the train form Copenhagen to Odense with instruction of how to spot the Odense station. This 2 hours train ride was a new experience, for till date, I was never ever woken up by a dog’s wagging tail beating me knees. I was surprised to know that dogs were allowed in the public transport. I couldn’t help being reminded of our very own Mumbai locals when people piled up their luggage at the door and squatting on it, waiting to get down. The only difference was, the people in question were well mannered and well dressed, mostly babes. And this was not the luggage compartment, so I couldn’t even bark obscenities to them for blocking the passage.

Yet, I managed to reach Odense safely, thanks to my colleague, who is with me here in Odense. My two other colleagues had come to receive us at the Odense train station, and they took us the motel, where I am currently staying. By now you might be wondering, are there only “colleagues” around me? No names? I am avoiding names for these are open letters, remember? My motel is another subject of decription that I intend to take up next time.

Toh is tarah main aapni manzil tak pohoch hi gayee, magar safar aabhi jari hai…………

Till next time, ciao.

All in the name of Ram…

2007-09-17T12:16:00.000+05:30

Yes, this is about the Ramasetu. The Ramasetu, as most of you would be aware, is supposedly built by Lord Ram and his followers to bridge the gap between Lanka and India, to rescue his wife Sita. Proof or not, one thing is sure, the Ramasetu bridge has a lot of impact on the minds of us Indians. It is an integral part of our culture. Its being broken does come as a shock to most of us, whether we believe in the mythology or not!

The present government wants to cut through this 30km piece of beach and shallow waters to make way for small ships and boats by linking the Palk Bay with the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by dredging a canal through the shallow sea. This scheme is supposed to reduce the trip time around the Indian waters by around 650km (400 miles). No wonder, the opposition had to, well, oppose.

Being an observer of the political scene for quite a few years now, it rather amuses me, then anything else to see vote bank politics being dragged into this. I do accept that it does hurt quite many religious sentiments to see the bridge being broken, but how long are we going to forego our national interest in the name of religion? High time we let go of our sentiments for the betterment of our nation. After all, isn’t this what we mean by democracy, to work for the people, to see the larger picture for the nation’s good.

If the proposed canal gets completed , India will have a continuous navigational route all along its coastline, which can be a great boon from the national security point of view. Also, the fishermen and business will get profited by it. Isn’t this reason enough to let this canal be made?

This bridge was made by the Maryada Purushottam Lord Ram; the one gave up his most beloved wife for the whims of his people. Can we not as his followers let go of a bridge for the betterment of our people?

Devils in disguise....

2007-09-03T11:48:00.000+05:30

For all those of you who wondered at my absence from the blogging scene, let me tell you, that I was on a long mental vacation. This means that no thinking on anything more serious than why my head is itching for more than 3 seconds!

So, after a vacation I am back. But frankly speaking, even during my holidays, I could not help wondering at what all is shown on T.V these days. Well, I won't be cribbing about those saas-bahu serials for the nth time; it's the news channels that worry me.

Every time you switch on to some news channel, all you can find is either bloodshed, or a tragic story of some desperate couple, or some baba or other related news.

Gone are the beautiful days when you could get to hear the news within 10 mins and get back to work. Now even after sitting for hours, all you get is gossip with no idea of what is happening, At the end of it all, I am completely clueless about what the news was, and mind you , it is not because I am stupid. The reporters give you nothing but high sounding words that can catch your interest but not give any information. It's not completely their fault; it's not an easy job to run a channel 24x7. You need news.

And to get that news they go to any extent. The TRP's play a very important role. To get those coveted TRP's they stop at nothing. Gory pictures and video clips have become a norm of the day. Dead bodies strewn around, the bloody site of a bomb-blast, anything sensational, and you find it on the T.V.

Do these channels ever think that there are young children who watch these channels with their families? For that matter, even people with sensitive constitution are hurt by such violent scenes. Some of the channels have even stopped giving a warning that viewer discretion is required to watch the next few scenes. All of a sudden, at some inappropriate moment, you find yourself watching somebody’s limbs covered with blood and the head missing or the unbearable laments of a family over the dead body of their only son.

Why is it that the censor board turns a blind eye to these things? The people, who at the drop of the hat, will file public interest litigation at the sight of any skirt measuring 3 inches above the knees, are silent now. To me, it is more disturbing to see violence than some sexy girl pouting at my screen. It makes me wonder what kind of public service they are doing by playing a havoc on peoples sensibilities.

I am not saying that the news channels be banned or anything of the sort. All I ask is , Is there any need to show such graphic scenes in the name of news? You can very well listen to what the reporters say , non-stop, that too. The news channels should have some discretion before showing such content on T.V.

VAT - A boon or a curse?

2007-05-16T11:58:00.001+05:30

Last week a group of people gathered outside the Reliance Fresh store in Kolkatta and created havoc. They broke into the shop and destroyed goods worth thousands. The police had to lathi charge to bring them under control. A number of arrests were also made.

These people did not belong to any political party, or any other political organization, these were simple people whom we call hawkers, who earn their living selling their wares and goods on the pavements and go from door to door.

What grudge can they hold against a shop that has recently been opened, whose owner probably isn’t even aware of their existence? They accuse the shop of stealing their livlihood. Strange. How can a stranger harm you, when he's got nothing to gain out of it?

This problem hasn’t come up just yesterday, the root of the problem can be traced to the last years financial policies by our (ahem) honorable finance minister P.Chidambaram decision to go ahead with VAT against public opnion, rather the business lobby.

The VAT system is far from satisfactory. It definitely does not work as promised. The prices of commodities have gone up. True the consumer has got the right to question on the prices and we can also bargain on the MRPs. But do we need such (un)merciful favors. Dosen’t the common man has worries enough that now he has the extra burden of haggleing with the
hawkers and the shop keepers. Besides , not everybody has the knack of bargaining . The not–so-wordly wise or very diplomatic stand to loose. It would have been better if they would have kept standard prices of commodities.

Comming to the main point ,it has brought in the culture of mega malls that sell things at lower rates. The MRP are flashed brightly to you and then the reduced rates are announced to make you feel better and entice you to buy their goods.

I have no problems with them , but then such a policy is having very bad effects on small businesses.For it is not profitable(or possible, maybe) for them to buy goods in bulk and and sell them at lower rates. It affects them badly as proved by their recent outbursts.

At present, not much can be done for them , accept analyzing and debating on their state, for every reform or policy has its own merits and demerits. The demerits of this policy is that the smaller business men should suffer. But we do have to find a way out of it fast or else it might spell a doom for these people.

My take on life

2007-04-20T11:57:00.001+05:30

Most of us want to be important in life, to do something. Same’s the case with me. But of late, I have started to wonder, what would it be to lead in insignificant life? To be a nobody, to be unknown. Maybe, because this is what I am in today’s world.

Still, it causes a ripple in my mind to know that there are people, who live and die in utter ignorance of this world. They don’t have ambitions, no will, no dreams to reach the sky.

This is a very beautiful way of life. Really. For just one day, let go of all your worries. Don’t think of future. And the hardest of all, Forgive everyone. Don’t think of all the words you had wanted to say, or the ones you hadn’t wanted to say, but did sputter out, that too in front of all the wrong fellas. Forget the people around you who have any sort of trouble in their lives. Difficult, but works. You might think that its selfish, and no doubt, it is. But the results are worth all the efforts you put in. What I am thinking right now is nothing new. It has been in use ever since we know. People know it by the name of “Sanyas”.

I am not talking of packing your bags and running off to the Himalayas, to find your much needed seclusion. Rather, it’s a way of creating your own separate space in this buzzing, stressful world.

Life is very much like a magical mirror. It shows you the picture that you want to see. If you think your life is difficult, then lo! You have your choicest difficulties in an unending sequences smiling back at you. Alternatively, you can pick up your set of rosy glasses, and have a blast. It’s also called “your attitude toward life”. And the one that I am talking about is the “detached version”.

When you want to run away somewhere from life and cannot, try this. But don’t try too hard, or else you’ll end up with an unwashed beard in the Himalayas.

Save our future

2007-04-16T11:57:00.001+05:30

Today’s news reports of over 900 hundred abductions in Bihar, many of them children. The Nithari case exposes the crimes committed against the innocent children.
Child labour is another problem that our children face. This makes me think, aren’t our children the most oppressed of the lot. With the increasing no. of crimes being committed against them, and so little that the government does to protect them, no wonder if they feel insecure. What a world are we building for them, if they are not safe? Our nation’s progress is no good, if we cannot take care of our nations future, our children.

A child who has a violent or a dark past, grows up to be an imbalanced personality, only with a good care can the damage be undone. But given the present scenario, very little is being done to take care of their mental or physical well being. There need to be stronger laws against the crime committed against children, considering the trauma caused to the child.

According to the 2001 census, there are 12666377 child laborers in India, between the age group of 5 to 14 years. Child labour though a punishable offence is not taken seriously by our society. The offenders are let off after paying a petty penalty.
Even the new laws are not working. A month or two, that’s all the effect of the new laws last, then back to the old ways, there are children still working in inhuman and dangerous conditions in Dharavi and Shivakshi.

Sexual abuse is another problem that is very serious in our nation. We need better and more stringent laws to fight against these crimes. Sexual abuse destroys the victims life, personality and confidence, more so of little children because they are incapable of handling the situation, sometimes, even to understand the gravity of it.

Bottom-line is crimes against children are not taken seriously by our society. Our judiciary and government are not doing enough to help the cause of our children. If we want a bright future, we need to safeguard it at the present, that is, right now.

Tiger Festival

2007-03-28T15:03:00.000+05:30

Tiger, the nation animal of our country, is a beautiful animal. Even in its ferocity its grace is unparalled. Those of you, who watch the animal planet, can easily understand what I am saying. Ever since I remember, I have been told that the Tiger is an endangered species. We are striving to protect it. We keep them in sanctuaries and do what not to save them from extinction.
You would be glad to know that there’s a festival celebrated in the honor of our national animal. It’s the “Tiger festival”. Only that, the so-called festival is another example of our not-so-humane rituals. So your joy is going to be short lived.
This tiger festival is celebrated in Meghalaya in War Jaintia village of Nongtalang close to the Bangladesh border. It’s called the Rongkhli ('rong' meaning festival and 'khli' tiger). The details of the festival are not for the faint-hearted. The people first kill the tiger followed by the tribal dance of sword-welding men. The sight of which can strike terror in the stoutest hearts. This celebration of cruelty ends with the consumption of the tiger’s roasted flesh. All this is followed by some more barbaric rituals.
"God is to be worshipped and the tiger given a grand farewell amidst pomp and gaiety," says Birom Lyngdoh Talang, a farmer and a musician, who performs in almost all such ceremonies.
With ideas like this rooted within the peoples mind, this nonsensical stuff dosen't show any signs of stopping.
The government must do something to stop such killings. What were the forest officers doing?
I hope this wakes up the animal right activists who take to the streets for the stray dog’s cause. Surely, the killing of an animal belonging to the endangered species means something. Those who will not bear the sterilization of dogs in the name of kindness are our only hopes now.

An Alien's Journal

2007-03-13T10:56:00.000+05:30

Destination : Earth, Mumbai

Observation :
The earth is inhabited mainly by creatures that call themselves "humans".
These earthlings like to live in groups . Their main occuption seems to create trouble for themselves and fretting about it.To achieve this end, they invented somethings that are generalized as machines which cause trouble, sterss and hardships to the earthlings. Some of these machines are :

Machine 1 : The vehicles

This machine is most widely used. Humans sit in them (sometimes, on them), when they have to travel. They have fixed timings, when the whole city bring their vehicles out and cause traffic jam, which is a situation where none of the vehicles can move. They shout on top of their voices and create a havoc in the streets. After sometime , the situation improves and the vehicle s start moving and the humans end their commotion for the time being untill they reach some other road where they can create a similar picture.
This seems to be the favorite past time of the people living in the city called Mumbai. They
create chaos every evening fuss over it and then go home.

Machine 2 : Noise makers
A large group of the earthling plug their ears with a noise making machine that impairs their hearing and some of them, especially the younger ones act like someone possessed.
The noise makers also allow the earthlings to communicate with each others. This is another trouble maker, beacuse they have to keep lying about where they actually are right now, and the noise maker starts producing a very sharp, disturbing sound whenever some earthling are busy in some important discussions.

There are more of these trouble making machines which are very dear to the earthlings, but more about them some other day.

Hi guys !!!

2007-03-12T11:58:00.000+05:30

Hi everyone! This is my new means to bore you guys. You are heartily welcome to my blog.