Ramblings of an Artistic Mind

My New Band- The Blue Job

2011-08-08T20:51:00.000+05:30

My Music

2011-05-14T22:52:00.001+05:30

2010-11-07T09:30:00.001+05:30

On Being an Indian

2010-08-15T11:33:00.002+05:30

Today is supposed to be the grand day when my country achieved it's Independence from the British Rule. Everywhere around there are celebrations big and small. The common people are probably unaffected by this day after they pass out from schools and colleges. Politicians are perhaps thanking God for making them Indian because perhaps no where else can one gobble down large sums of the country's money and still be able to have a free run. Thanks to the ever-forgiving Congress. I often imagine the 'Congressis' holding on tightly to each others' underwear. The deal is that, 'you try to pull down mine and I will pull down yours too'! So no one is threatening or questioning anyone else.
And of course, the country is so screwed by the politics of religion, mis-placed feelings of patriotism and Indian-ness. Where else in the entire World can a former Italian waitress enjoy the status of the 'daughter-in-law' of a Holy Land called 'Hindustan', who is silently running the show behind a puppet of a Cabinet. We are still ruled by white-skin in a way.
No other nation in the world humiliates and mocks at the culture, religion and spirituality of the people who form the majority. How does the humiliation happen? Very simple and subtle. By simply denying privileges that are handed over to the minorities. There are heavy subsidies for Haj travellers, for instance. But when a riot ensued when the majority asked for a subsidy for the annual Amarnath Yatra. In the North-East, Hindus...whatever are now left, are converted at gun-point to Christianity. Hindus are a minority there. So it's logical that the minorities would get special subsidies, right? Wrong. Hindus do not enjoy any such 'privileges'.
Well, my grouse is only that if the Congress proclaims itself to be "SECULAR", why not at least be religiously neutral??? This is definitely not secular.
I would rather have my country to be called 'Hindu-Land'. Because for me, being Indian equates to being Hindu. And being Hindu means taking pride in India's true riches: Yoga, Philosophy, Ayurveda, Culture, Tradition and Teachings. This land is the cradle of my religion: Hindu. And how can I separate the two.
Also, being Hindu for me means being one of the most knowledgeable, yet tolerant, all-accommodating people. And Hinduism is not only a religion of peace for namesake, we practise it as well! To test it, simply send a Christian missionary to carry out conversions in a purely Muslim mohalla by telling them how great Christ was and that if you are not Christian, you are going to go to hell. And if Hindus were not peaceful, we would have had a riot every day for the way Hindus are being torn apart from all sides.
The tragedy of our minds is that we take pride in Hinduism only after we discover how 'cool' it is. And it is far more than just 'cool'. It's not without a reason that it is one of the greatest and oldest religions of the world! What is needed is just a bit of an effort to understand it's depth. So, the next time you are tempted to rubbish a particular idea, ritual, concept or philosophy that is essentially Hindu, think twice. Our Rishis and Sages were some of the wisest people to have descended on the planet. And if they have exhorted something, it's with a good reason. Look deeper with openness in the mind and you will see!

Jai Hind!

Forming Intentions

2010-07-04T22:29:00.000+05:30

Forming Intentions

Our Chance to fight Corruption

2010-06-13T18:29:00.000+05:30

Dear One,

Jai Gurudev !

My dear, If you are an Indian national, I invite you to fill up the nation-wide Survey on Combating Corruption which will eventually be presented to the policy makers of our country. It may take you about 20 minutes to complete and it would be good learning and great awareness as well. Its ideal to send this to a few of your friends or colleagues or get it filled up by your mom and/or dad and if possible, your maid. This is 'cos we need representative samples from various sections of society. The survey is available online till 15th June midnight, but may I request you to fill it up before it becomes Urgent and Important, which is basically NOW :-) ! Kudos for being proactive and being a part of the solution to the problems of our people!

For the Survey on Combating Corruption, please click on the following link...

http://bit.ly/bYeVAl

Warm Regards,

Dinesh Ghodke
Director, WAYE
World Alliance for Youth Empowerment
The Art of Living Foundation
Blog - www.bawandinesh.name

Questioning the Questions

2010-06-11T12:05:00.004+05:30

Churning is good. Churning of the ocean had brought forth the Divine Nectar. Churning of the mind brings forth insights, I feel. The entire drama created by the "literary terrorist" Mrs. Shobhaa De and her minions has got me thinking a lot about whether we are abusing our right to 'freedom of expression'. Does freedom of expression mean: open mouth, shoot words? Or is there some kind of code of conduct that one must observe on one's own?
We give far too much importance to our opinions. Being highly opinionated is supposed to be intelligent! And I feel it's really silly to have an opinion about any and everything and regard that as the ultimate truth. Shobhaa expressed her opinions about Sri Sri from a handful of second-hand experiences which, for her have negated all the rest of the life-transforming first-hand experiences that more than 20 million people have. And that, I think is truly silly. Very myopic and impulsive.

There are these four ways of answering questions. Which four? There are questions that should be answered categorically [straightforwardly yes, no, this, that]. There are questions that should be answered with an analytical (qualified) answer [defining or redefining the terms]. There are questions that should be answered with a counter-question. There are questions that should be put aside. These are the four ways of answering questions ~ Budhha

The journalists of today think that the fact that they ask questions is almost like doing service to humanity. But what's the point in asking questions when one is not even interested in knowing the answers! Isn't the process incomplete?
And many people on Shobhaa's blog also have asked a lot of questions like "why does AOL charge money for courses?" or "why does Sri Sri need new utensils for the food to be cooked?"(yes, someone has also asked THAT!) or "why are spiritual retreats held in Zurich?" or Shobhaa herself asked Guruji in one interview, "How can singing and dancing at Satsangs solve problems in one's life?". Well, it's like this: Imagine a kid going to a rocket scientist and asking him/her questions. "Why is the fuel tank on the outside of the craft?" or "Why does the acceleration have to be more than 9.8m/s2?" or "why do you people wear only white lab coats?" or "why do you travel in a Toyota Corolla when you are already wasting so much fuel?" and such other questions. Now the first two questions are still warranted. But even if the scientist were to offer a superb explanation for the same, will the kid understand anything at all?! To receive an answer too, one must have a certain cerebral capacity, some basic development. The latter two questions are the typical Shobhaa De kind of questions. She asked Guruji about his hair, his clothes, his lifestyle, money etc. And THAT is supposed to be intelligent. HOW?! It's like you are with the rocket scientist and asking him/her why they wear white coats instead of some other colour! How is that NOT silly?

“You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.” ~Naguib Mahfouz

So questions can be endless. And even after receiving an answer, the mind does not stop questioning.
What should be encouraged in genuine enquiry. It is at least honest in the sense that it begins with an urge for knowing something and not with an assumption that 'I already have an opinion about this which I know is true, so whatever answer you give it doesn't make a difference'. So, in turn, if one already has a firm opinion, why ask?!
On a parting note, I did find the question about 'why are retreats held in Zurich?' question quite amusing! Where else will people from Zurich go for the retreat if not IN Zurich?! To Jhumritalaiya?! But spiritual retreats would also happen in Jhumritalaiya if there were such a place to begin with. And why not? Because it also happens in places like Botswana, Jammu, Patna, Faridabad, Phaltan, Kolkata, Sydney, Siberia, Baghdad, Jerusalem, Kazakhstan, Durgapur, Rio de Janeiro, Vidharbha, Latur, Tokyo, Pakistan, Kosovo, Osaka...well you get the picture! Not JUST in Zurich.

Jai Guru Dev!

Seeing the Good out of the ugly

2010-06-08T11:19:00.008+05:30

I have been very surprised and at the same time disappointed at a certain article which Shobhaa De had written about His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji. Not only was it in very bad taste but it seemed to stem out of some kind of venomous hatred against this great man of wisdom and peace. I wonder HOW she could have penned those words!
I personally have witnessed the enormity of Guruji's work not only in India but even abroad. And one of the most important things that attracted me to Art of Living was that it does not speak of religion, rituals and rites. It speaks of Indian-ness. There are no "shoulds" and "should-nots" whether one is male/female, Indian/Pakistani, Hindu/Muslim/Christian/Jew/Parsi/Atheist. In fact one of my course teachers is Parsi! And he chants our mantras, does Pooja, meditates, teaches this Great Knowledge and is yet Parsi- has not "converted"! There is NO need to convert.
Guruji in all his talks and discourses highlights the greatness of every religion. He speaks of Buddha, Jesus, the Holy Quran and of course the great wealth of Knowledge that our country holds.
His "lifestyle" is something that a mere mortal cannot live upto! He travels incessantly around the world talking to people, resolving conflicts, giving discourses, teaching breathing techniques and meditation and visiting troubled areas be it in cities or rural areas. He has visited Kashmir,
Kosovo, Bihar, Nagapattinam, Vidharbha, Iraq, Pakistan, Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Dharavi, Gujrat...the list is endless. So, what do the skeptics think He does with "so much money"? And look at Him; He wears a white Kurta and Veshti and Angavastram- not brands like Armani, Satya Paul, D&G, Boss etc. What WILL He do with the money???? He is the Master. Money means only a means to an end. And the end for Him is the upliftment of all sections of society. That's all! Does Shobhaa De really think that walking for 3 km in Bihar flood waters(see pic) is a part of glamorous lifestyle?
I hear people often complain about why Art of Living charges fess for their courses. Well, firstly charity never happens with an empty bowl. The money that's left after course expenses(hall rent, food, sound system etc.) is then used for service projects. Art of Living is fully dedicated to serving society. In India itself, it has completely adopted more than 10, 000 villages till now and numbers are increasing. How is it possible to serve without money? Secondly, NO education is ever free. Don't colleges, schools, institutions charge fees? Then why should the Highest Knowledge about the secret of the breath be free? And the tradition of Dakshina has been prevalent since ancient times so that there is value for Knowledge received. But still in Prisons, rural areas etc., courses are conducted without charging a single rupee. And who conducts the courses? Our Volunteers. Isn't it fair that they get paid some travel expenses AT THE LEAST? It's funny how people would pay more than a 1000 rupees for grand Pizza dinner but when it comes to acquiring spiritual knowledge about their own self 1000 rupees seem like a lot of money. I think we REALLY need to re-prioritize things!! :)
One simple question for all the people who think that Guruji should not be treated like God: Don't you respect your own teachers? Either from school, college, or teachers who have taught you some form of art, dance, music or spirituality... The answer would be hopefully "yes". And if such a respected teacher were to visit you, would you offer them a normal chair that every tom, dick or harry sit on or would you offer them the best possible seating? Wouldn't you offer them food in your best crockery? Wouldn't you want them to be as comfortable as possible? Perhaps switch on your air conditioner, offer them a cooling drink if they are tired...you get the idea? Well for around 20 million of us who have been touched by Guruji's wisdom and love feel the same way about Him. He is our teacher. Our beloved Guru. And a Guru's place in our hearts is inexplicable! And therefore WE do the best possible for Him. He never demands it. He gracefully accepts a drive in a BMW of one of His devotees just as happily as He accepts a flower or even a chocolate from poor farmers from Siberia. And I have witnessed it. There is NO difference in His love for everyone.
The painful part is that such a great Master is not respected in our own country. The media does not even want to call Him Ravi Shankar "ji". It's too hard for them to accept that an enlightened Master walks on earth today. So they do everything possible in their capacity to not show Him in positive light. And so I think in that sense Kaliyug has set in for sure in India at least. Whereas in places like Iraq too He is revered and welcomed as a Master should be!

But it's understandable I guess. When even someone like Jesus could be crucified, this is not any different! And even when Jesus spoke, there were people who did not believe Him. But whose loss was it? Jesus'? No way! Same is the case here.
But I have total faith in one thing: Satyameva Jayate- "Truth always prevails".
Let the media and the Shobhaas of India do what they do best: Barking like rabid dogs. While the Master and us-His grateful devotees from all over the Globe have a lot of work to do. People are waiting for this Knowledge, for Sudarshan Kriya.
Jai Guru Dev!

Pseudo-Secularism-a curse in disguise

2009-04-11T11:35:00.000+05:30

Let's first look at what the dictionary tells us about the word "secularism":
sec·u·lar·ism (sěk'yə-lə-rĭz'əm) Pronunciation Key
n.

1. Religious skepticism or indifference.
2. The view that religious considerations should be excluded from civil affairs or public education.

sec'u·lar·ist n., sec'u·lar·is'tic adj.

Is this what is really happening in the country then? Different laws for different religions, different standards of education for certain religions? Is this secularism at all? The answer is a RESOUNDING "NO"!!

The Congress wants reservations in the private sector for Muslims. Is this secularism?

Dalit Catholics want reservations too! And why not? Muslims get it, so must Christians. Isn't this religion based division? Is this secularism?

Madarrsas getting CBSE certification. Is THAT secular at all?

The Government has been shouting "Minorities! Minority must get RIGHTS!". Fine. Let's talk about minorities.
What about the minorities in J&K?
What about the Hindu minority in Nagaland, Tripura? Are there any special rights or reservations for minorities there??? The answer is NO! There isn't and there never will be.
That's because the Government is anti-Hindu. It's not pro-Muslim or pro-christian either. It's very anti-Hindu for sure.
One Babri-Masjid is demolished and the Media and the Nandita Das', Barkha Dutts, Nafisa Alis of the country come out in solidarity.
Has anyone talked about the 28000 temples destroyed in Andhra Pradesh?
When will the media be interested in covering the innumerable temples destroyed in Kashmir? This is not fair that when the Hindu sentiment is hurt, it is quickly dubbed as "communal" and something close to hatred. Muslims can have sentiments, Christians and Sikhs can have sentiments. Hindus cannot?
I dare these fashionable secularists to come out and talk about, make films about the plight of Kashmiri Pandits in the Kashmir valley! I dare them!
I want to ask what would happen if MF Hussain were Hindu and he would have portrayed an "artistic" but NUDE Prophet Muhammad or a Jesus. Suddenly there would have been shocked eyeballs popping in disbelief over the blasphemy! And so by that principle why is it wrong that Hindus feel extremely offended by a nude portrayal of Goddess Saraswati?
This is aimed at all the people out there to look within once if indeed you march around feeling glad about yourself for being "secular".

The Hindus will wake up. They are already waking up. I have for sure and gladly enough I know many others who have. They are all young and restless but grounded firmly in the Ancient Knowledge which India has gifted to the rest of the world. We are unbelievably tolerant and peaceful. But we are not sleeping. And one day Truth will prevail. Satyameva Jayate!
What we have today in India is not secularism but "religious inequality"! Please stop deluding yourself. And others too.
There are Indian Muslims and unfortunately even Hindus in the country today who hesitate uttering the words "Islamic Terrorism" when the whole world is talking about it. Why? Because Muslims sentiments could get hurt. Why? Don't Hindus have sentiments when the obnoxious NDTV shows the holy symbol "OM" when it is talking about "Saffron Terror"??? Such blatant disparity!!
And even about the alleged Church attacks in Orissa: A big hue and cry is being made by Christian organisations! An 80 year old Hindu saint died because of a brutal attack by Christian Maoists! No one talks about that. Why? Is a Hindu's life cheaper than that of Christians?? And I would like to ask the "peace-loving" Muslims: If the Christians had even tried to convert a Muslim by telling ill about your great Prophet Muhammad, what would you do? Give lessons on Secularism? Really?

By being soft on terrorism with the fear that Muslim sentiment are going to get hurt, the Congress in putting ALL our lives at stake. A terrorist strikes at PEOPLE. An Islamic Terrorist will also kill Muslims, Christians, Jews, Sikhs. Look at the sorry state of Pakistan! Taliban is in Islamabad and it is killing everybody- most Muslims since there are mostly Muslims in Pakistan. Had Pakistan been tough on terror, it may have averted this situation. Terrorism must be dealt with sternly! There is no question of appeasing any religion. And if a Government is unable to provide security to its citizens, it need to be given rest. By propounding sick and distorted ideas about secularism, it poses a threat to the cultural, spiritual and peaceful heritage of India. If terrorism is not dealt with strongly, it will kill us and our loved ones. I implore all to think hard and vote for a change in Governance.
Voting for the same government AGAIN is akin to saying: I am ok if the Muslims are "appeased", I am ok with religious discrimination, I am ok with a government who "talks" to Pakistan after every terror attack, I am ok with the 51000 crore rupees that have vanished from the government treasury, I am ok with a form of secularism which does not acknowledge the needs and emotions of the majority-that's Hindus, I am ok if my children die in a terror attack- atleast the Muslims are not getting hurt, I am ok with Pakistani flags are hoisted in Assam, I am ok if Taliban takes over Kashmir, I am ok if my country's soldiers are dying at the borders because of a Government that REFUSES to take any action!!!
The country has become like SWAMP! And that's why it gives rise to a hope inside me: A Lotus always blooms in a Swamp :) :)
Satyameva Jayate!
Jai Hind and Jai Guru Dev!

Raul Vinci or Rahul Gandhi?

2009-04-06T23:43:00.000+05:30

Who is Sonia Gandhi???

2009-04-06T23:37:00.000+05:30

Why you should not believe the Media...

2009-04-04T13:53:00.000+05:30

Allow ME to share BREAKING NEWS with you today...
A certain Political Party has allocated 1000 crore for election propaganda and advertisements in print and televised media. The effect thereof is that to ensure that such a big sum of money comes to their coffers, media will never speak or publish a word that goes against this political party. No marks for guessing which party! This way the hand may crush the lotus.
One cannot help but notice the one-sided negative propaganda against Varun Gandhi. It boils my blood to see the Government hesitating to initiate the implementing of NSA against clear perpetrators of bombings in the country, but hastily putting Varun Gandhi behind bars! What did he say anyway? That he won't tolerate anything injustice against Hindus? That's it? Compare it with planting bombs in trains and marketplaces and killing hundreds of innocent victims. In reality, these two acts are not even comparable! And of course the pseudo-secular media will laud the swift and "secular" action of the Government.
Do you know how much GOOD is happening in Gujarat? Of course you won't! No one from the Media is interested in reporting it.
Do you know how much work Art of Living is doing in remote villages in India( WITHOUT CONVERTING THEM TO HINDUISM- I should add here ) by empowering farmers? No way! Who wants inspirational stories about farmers?!
Do you know that a certain Dr. Pol is contesting elections from the same constituency as Sharad Pawar's? Dr. Pol has been working tirelessly from the last 7-8 years for the upliftment and self-sufficiency of villages around Kapshi, Maharashtra. Which newspaper or channel has mentioned this?
How many of us know that a ridiculous amount of OUR money amounting to more than 51000 crore has disappeared from the Government treasury?
How many of us know that in the last 5 years more than 5.5 crore Indians have slipped below the poverty line?
Do you know that absolutely NOTHING has changed in Maharashtra and Mumbai after 26/11? The Police have got DISCARDED SLR rifles from the army. The police themselves personally admit that should 26/11 happen again, the situation would just be the same. So in effect you and I STILL have danger lurking around the corner.
Do you know that on every 14th of August Pakistani flags are hoisted in Kashmir? And on every 15th August Indian flags are burnt there.
Do you know that a few months ago, Pakistani flags were unfurled in 6 districts of Assam?

The Media which claims to be fair and secular reports only THAT truth which it wants. It's too busy otherwise bringing out exaggerated one-sided stories convenient to the Congress.
The Media nor the Government cares about the country or the people. But it's time we open our minds and our eyes and SEE THROUGH just the projected truth.
I say, let's boycott newspapers and newschannels! It's time we started a revolution which makes it clear that we are not in slumber. It's time we DEMAND for the truth. The truth which IS.
Jai Hind!!

I will tell you what SECULARISM is NOT!!!

2009-04-04T13:51:00.000+05:30

Secularism is not a new concept for Indians. I know it. You know it. We all follow it in our daily lives. Hindus have Muslim friends, Muslims have Christian or Buddhist friends. In fact many of us wish each other on Christmas, Id, Diwali, Dassera, Hannukah, whatever else! And the best living example of TRUE Secularism lies in the Art of Living Family. "One World Family"- that's what Guruji has taught each one of us.
But the UPA, our current government has devised a totally perverse version of Secularism-it should aptly be named "Sickularism"
Secularism means " sarva dharma samabhava Equality of all religions/beliefs/faiths. But it certainly does not and should not mean unreasonable and unjustified preference to JUST one religion!
Secularism certainly does not mean this:
1. Appeasement of only and only ONE religion in the country. That's Islam. As though no one else exists!
2. Giving Madarsa graduates certificates equating it to CBSE certificates enabling them to get government jobs! Why can't the government encourage them to have secular education like we all do? As against this, Pakistan has taken a move to close down 6000 madarsas in their country.
3. Reservations for Muslims in the private sector. What about a deserving Hindu candidate from a really poor family?
4. "Conversions" are the most non-secular thing happening around and the Government thinks it's Constitutional! Belittling another religion to emphasize the importance of your own is NOT Secularism!!!! I would like to ask evangelists what exactly they tell innocent tribals, poor people, villagers when they convert them just to increase the herd.
5. Talking about the greatness of Hindu culture or Hinduism is not COMMUNAL! Hindus are treated like step-children in their own country.
6. Some years back when Dr. Murali Manohar Joshi had proposed that "Astrology" or "Jyotish Shastra" be introduced as a subject formally in Universities, there was a huge hue and cry about how "regressive" it is and about how "blind faith" has taken over the BJP! Hahahah! Has anyone watched some "progressive" TV channels like "God TV"? You will know what I am talking about. People getting miraculously healed, People falling down while praying because they were touched by Jesus is somehow more acceptable as "miracle of Jesus" but we Hindus are ridiculed as being regressive?!

Why such disparity? Why so much discrimination? If there is anyone more dangerous and potentially poisonous to the country's secular fabric it is the Congress.
This country has gracefully accommodated and assimilated numerous cultures, religions and sects from thousands of years. We don't need this perverse version of secularism at all. For the UPA, secularism is "HINDU BASHING".
But by favouring Muslims blindly like this, it is alienating them even more from the mainstream. For being truly secular one needs an open mind. One needs to accept and respect all cultures and religions and acknowledge the good in all and not fight for religious supremacy! "Mine is the only right religion and the rest of you are god damned idiots"- this attitude is not going to help anyone. But for that children should be introduced to various cultures and influences right from childhood and taught to repect all. We all proclaim that "God is One". But how many truly follow that?
Think hard.
Speak up.
Vote Definitely.
Jai Hind!!

And sending pink underwear is a way to tackle a problem?

2009-02-10T14:19:00.002+05:30

We Indians have a disease of reacting in the extremes. Or a variation could be acting in extremes. Right now it was this "pub-culture" issue. Now it's the glorification of an inane campaign which involves collecting and sending pink coloured underwear to the offending party.
The truth is that everyone of us wants to be a part of a movement which takes on some tyrannical establishment/party/association head-on. Somewhere we all want to fight against some system gone wrong. Essentially it's a good sign that the people of India are awake and have the will to be a part of some Movement. But Pink Chaddis? Come on!
Yes, Sri Ram Sena is SAD. I am a very glad and proud Hindu. I feel lucky to be a part of Hindu Culture. Now by "Hindu Culture" I mean not just traditions but our ancient sciences of Yoga, Pranayam, Ayurveda and our reasons for doing a lot of things which till sometime ago were rubbished as being too archaic or even superstitious. I love the reason for putting chandan( sandalwood paste ) on the forehead or even the reason why we take blessings of elders by touching their feet! And this is Indian/Hindu culture for me. And adhering to that, I regard my body as a temple in which the living-breathing God resides. So, I do NOT drink or smoke or dope. Nor do I think of being ABLE to drink, smoke or dope as a sign of "freedom". But I still maintain that Sri Ram Sena is a very sad chapter and I feel disheartened to see "Hindus" or right-wing candidates being blamed as a whole for the dastardly acts of a handful of people. SRS is wrong, un-democratic, un-constitutional AND un-HINDU.
But on the other hand I don't think I can support some random chaddi campaign too. I would like to see the campaigners fighting for a true cause like the issues of farmers for example. Are we so cut of from the rest of our country that we are fighting for a "right" to be able to booze at a pub whenever we want rather than standing up for another countrymen who are losing lands, water, crops and harvest and most importantly LIVES? The gusto with which pink chaddis are being sought out from cupboards and bought in dozens is appalling. If only we could have that zeal in sending help in whatever form to truly needy people of the country.
We all dream of an ideal India. But treating only one insignificant part of an entirely diseased body is not going to restore health complete health.
We expect tolerance. But can we tolerate intolerance? We react to intolerance with our intolerance.
Can we be tolerant? The answer is absolutely "YES". We will be peaceful and tolerant when we are peaceful from deep inside...when both our bodies and minds are in harmony.
India has been a land of wise and spiritual people and that's exactly why despite numerous attacks and invasions, the lifeline of spirituality still beats strong in the country's heart. This is the only Golden Path to peace within us and without. Demanding a right to celebrate some day or right to drink is hardly a movement! It's surely not a campaign!
There has to be an upsurge of Human values. A wave of spirituality. A wave of Yoga-the science of uniting with the source-uniting the body and mind. A wave of recognising India's true spiritual wealth.
That's a Movement.

Pub Culture-Vulture Hai Rabba!

2009-02-03T09:47:00.003+05:30

There's an extremely interesting controversy-cum-debate raging in urban India today: Whether or not pub culture should be encouraged...whether it goes against the Indian values of what culture should be and so on....
As expected the Media is twisting facts, putting words in mouths and basically fanning the fire to see to it that people of India have a completely deluded picture of what "freedom" means, what exactly is "responsibility" and what "moral" or "immoral" constitute.

And now, my two cents...

As far as my memory goes, I don't remember anybody being lauded or hailed as a hero or even someone to look up to if he or she visits a pub, exercises his/her so called "freedom" by drinking and splurging moolah by going regularly to pubs/discs/whatever. What freedom are we fighting for over here? Freedom to get drunk? Freedom to put oneself in smokey bars and pubs to inhale carbon monoxide( and God knows what else)? Freedom to be out "partying" with inebriated men and women? Is this the freedom that young Indians are fighting for? Ridiculous. And this is apparently a "choice". But these very bunch of "freedom fighters" do not realise that after they become parents, their kids are going to be out "partying" too. I cannot somehow imagine a parent not being concerned or in fact mighty worried about his/her kid out in a pub, exercising "freedom" and making a "choice" by going and drinking at a pub/bar/disc! Is this generation THAT myopic??
Now one might argue that one has complete "freedom" to spoil one's own health by drinking. What has the moral police got to do with individual choices. But in any case the "I, me, myself and mine" syndrome has swung now to the extreme end! One does not stop to think that every action and inaction has an effect on the society as a whole. No matter how much we disscociate ourselves from society, the fact remains that all individuals are a part of society and we are interdependent. Just one person alone without assistance and encouragement from others can't do nothing! So, it's only sensible that one is aware of the choices that one makes. And I fail to understand how health is not an issue in the mind when one chooses to indulge in pursuits which are clearly harmful! Healthy individuals make a healthy nation. It's so simple. And a healthy nation means a prosperous nation.
It's really not about Indian culture against western culture. It's just about beind sensible. Atleast little sensible to start with.
Yoga, Pranayam, Secularism, Hospitality, seeing Omnipresent Divinity, Respect for elders, Ayurveda, regarding the body as a temple...these are a part of the amazing Indian culture. How about starting with atleast the first two in the list as a primer to our ancient culture?
Personally I don't even regard going to a pub as "culture" of any sort. But maybe it's time for Urban India to experience Indian culture too. That way they can make a more "informed" choice.

Maharashtra and the Educated Idiot

2008-10-31T08:24:00.004+05:30

This article is about my beloved home state, Maharashtra. So if you think I am going to please your mind by talking ill about the "Marathi Manoos" cause, then do turn away this moment.

Now that we have that "pressure" out of the way, we can begin talking...

Gone are the days when people of India could safely distance themselves from anything that was political or nationalist in nature. The bigger issues of today are staring into our faces and sometimes breathing down our necks. Let's accept it: Whether we want it or not, we ARE all involved in the happenings around our country.

Take the issue of Maharashtra for instance. It indeed should not have become an "issue" to begin with! To insist that Marathi be spoken in the whole of Maharashtra( including Mumbai...some people refuse to accept that for reasons largely vague) is quite beyond my understanding. Is Tamil spoken in Tamilnadu? Is Kannada splashed all over in Karnataka( including Bangalore...it's better to make it clear that the capital of the state is not an exception to the rule)? Is Bengali spoken in West Bengal? Shouldn't Marathi be spoken in Maharashtra? The answers are a big "YES". It's so simple. I fail to know why it is undemocratic, unconstitutional and unfair.

Let's ignore Raj Thakre and the other Thakres for a moment. The Marathi banners in shops should have been made compulsory by the B.M.C. and the State Government. It is their responsibility. But that they have been sleeping on the issue, a Raj Thakre had to rise and threaten to implement it. Funny how hastily people termed it undemocratic. Mumbai is not independent of Maharashtra. How can it be? Intellectually impotent people who revel in blatant displays of "sophistication" want Mumbai to be given an autonomous status. Ok. Then let Maharashtra stop supplying power, water to Mumbai. Let Mumbai produce it's own power. Is it possible? I am not even beginning to talk about Samyukta Maharashtra movement! Was it for nothing?

Now let's turn towards the "educated idiot". There are lots of them around in the guise of our own friends. I know one such 29 year old woman. She is an Engineer and has been working for a VERY reputed software firm from many many years...has lived in the USA( that somehow gives her the prerogative of growing horns on the head) and her mother tongue is not Marathi. Just yesterday we had an argument about this entire issue. Needless to say that she is dead against Raj Thakre...so much so that she wants him dead.

Well but as far as the next national hero "shaheed" Rahul Raj is concerned, she had some very interesting arguments. For example:

1] "He just had a gun. He at least didn't kill anybody. Had he wanted to kill, he would have...but he didn't. He just shot someone in the leg. So why did the Police have to kill him?"

Rahul Raj was an infuriated young man WITH A GUN who COULD have easily killed somebody. Nobody in with a sane mind would trust someone with a gun who is shouting like a mad man, "phone lagao! Main Raj Thakre ko maarna chaahta hoon!", and has hijacked a BEST bus, has grievously injured a passenger(am sure there are people out there who would argue about what exactly amounts to being "grievously injured" ) and had the potential( owing to the gun) to injure many others! And the Police did talk to him asking him to surrenderbut of no avail. So the Police should have captured him alive. Even I would have liked that. After all he was a young man of 23 with a life ahead of him and much more potential than just wielding a gun. But the Police have done their job. And if that hurts "sentiments", well nothing should be done about it. Rahul Raj was no freedom fighter, nor a soldier. At least don't doubt the integrity of Police each time who actually run the risk of losing their lives...and they regularly do. But if anyone thinks they can come to Mumbai and threaten the citizens here with life-threatening tactics like these, they should be and they will be shot down.

2] "Even Guru Nanak had a weapon. So did Rahul Raj. But they didn't hurt anyone."

Honestly, I am at a loss of words. My "educated" engineer friend said this. Hating Raj Thakre is one thing. But putting Guru Nanak Dev and Rahul Raj on a similar platform is an utter lack respect for life, spirituality and goodness. And somehow posthumously everybody acquires a halo of sorts. Rahul Raj has suddenly become the new-age "martyr". I feel ashamed of people who defend Rahul Raj's actions. Or may be he should have killed 5-6 people on the roads of Mumbai for giving the Police enough reason to kill him. What a shame is this kind of thinking!

3] "Lalu Prasad Yadav is not at fault if he gives advertisements for the Central Railway Board Exams only in regional dailies of U.P. and Bihar. If candidates from Maharashtra, Karnataka or elsewhere want to appear for it, it is THEIR responsibility to find out if exams are happening or where and when they are happening. It's not Lalu's responsibility to play it fair."

At exactly this point my brain and all the other faculties had practically gone numb. Somehow there is a perception that people in Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra are rolling in luxury! How poor is public memory about the dire straits of farmers from Vidharbha. We are not living luxuriously. The past CMs of Maharashtra have worked towards making Maharashtra what it is today. Maharashtrians have a legacy of culture, language, music, history and art which we are extremely grateful for and proud of. Maharashtrians are hard-working and honest people which has taken Maharashtra to the position that it is today. But my point is that because I love Maharashtra, I don't hate other states! Obviously not! If all of us start thinking a little more about "how can I help my home state some more?" and start objectively looking at whether my Chief Minister is really doing his job well, then won't we all progress as a Nation? Shouldn't people from Bihar question the CM: Why don't you ever talk about supporting the dying farmers of Bihar instead of encouraging us to "attack" Mumbai in scores for Chhat Puja!Where are our jobs in Bihar? Why are there no jobs in Bihar? Where are reforms? Where is the infrastructure? Where are the basic necessities of life?

If we all start looking towards our home states and start asking these questions, it will have an effect. The only solution to unemployment in other states does not lie in coming to Maharashtra. And it's not fair on the local people here. In fact it is a funny sight to see "bhaiyas" selling fish instead of the local Koli women.

Really, if I get a transfer to Coorg or some Tea or Coffee plantation area, I will not bring thousands of Maharashtrians one by one and start working as "tea pickers" and "snatch" the livelihood of the local Kannadigas! It's not right.

This is not called "drawing borders". This is not regionalism. Everyone is welcome here and everywhere else. We are not dividing. Come here, buy yourself a home( but surely not a shanty on the footpaths of Mumbai!), work here( earn your job), enjoy the culture and diversity with your own culture, adapt, contribute, respect( the language and customs) and we can all live happily ever after!

What is the Solution???

2008-10-15T08:11:00.006+05:30

If only people would choose to call a spade a spade...things would look quite different in India today. All the muffled voices of the diminishing sanity...it's about time that they are heard.

Can we turn to the Media to get an untainted glimpse of reality? Not any more!

We are all waiting for the next news of another bomb exploding somewhere. Then our pretty little Home Minister will come out in his pretty suit and denounce the bombing(s) in the "sternest" words and also reiterate that it does not mean that Intelligence had failed. Then the Police will start the search operations and when the alleged terrorists are finally apprehended or shot down; sometimes at the cost of their own lives like in the case of Late MC Sharma, some university or some Minister or some newspaper will stand up in support of the deceased "innocent civilians" and also fund their lawsuits! And the infamous bastard of India Arjun Singh, called this a step in national interest! These people should be put behind bars for siding with those who support terrorism in India. But WHO will bring them to book? Unless one more person from the Gandhi monarchical family dies in a hideous terrorist attack, their eyes won't open. The Congress gets an unnatural surge of sympathy for the alleged terrorists but never for people like you and I who die like dogs on the street!

I am sick of the Media, the spineless Government and the so-called "oppressed minority" who doubts the integrity of the Police Force but are totally convinced about the innocence of the guilty. Why?? Just because they belong to a particular community? What kind of governance is this? Till date in all the terrorist-attacks around the country, maybe by some weird kind of coincidence if we may assume, names of only people from a certain community come up. The entire rest of the world including the USA, UK and parts of Europe and Australia has denounced "Islamic fundamentalism" which now has assumed the proportion of "Islamic Terrorism". Why does the Muslim community in India has to be angered by that? Are they the only Muslims in the world? No other Muslim in another country takes an objection to that. And of course the Congress fans this controversy even further with help from the pseudo-secular media. Isn't the onus on shoulders of the Muslims in India too to ensure that their children don't become fundamentalists? Again the age-old allegation of Muslims not being integrated into mainstream India...well, send your kids to cosmopolitan schools, teach them to appreciate other religions and cultures, imbibe in them "Indian-ness" before "Muslim-ness". If Muslims under an imaginary threat from the extremely "ruthless blood-hungry Hindus" want to huddle close only to one another, how the heck are they going to be assimilated in the mainstream. And interesting point here is that Urdu is recognised as one of our National Languages. In which other country in the world will a language of "minorities" be made a National Language except in India? Haj subsidy is given to Haj Pilgrims from India EVERY SINGLE YEAR. But when even Amarnath pilgrims don't have access to subsidies and resources even till date! They had to fight for that RIGHT! And Hindus have no Godfather sitting at the Centre. There is infact no hope for Hindus in this country. What an irony!

By putting up a farce of "protecting" the minorities by not allowing Police to "exploit" Muslim youth under the name of Investigations, the Congress government is putting everyone's lives at stake. The simple fact is that when a bomb explodes, everyone dies including Muslims. If the Congress keeps delaying introducing stricter and harsher laws to deal with terrorism, more people will die. And it will not help anybody! Is this kind of appeasement right? I urge ALL of you to think. Is appeasement warranted? What is anyone gaining by not introducing a bill against terror-activities? The Congress has been fooling people-especially the Muslim community- by acting as if they are the saviours of the community.

We need a change in governance. Desperately.

Being Hindu

2008-10-13T09:35:00.008+05:30

I have been wondering lately about things happening around in the country. How at regular intervals religions are made to assume center-stage and then invariably one religion is made to look down in shame by the English Media and Politicians. Want to take a guess? Yes, it's Hinduism. But today Hindus are step-children in their own country. The intelligentsia gladens itself and thinks of it as a great act of secularism to come down heavily on Hinduism and Hindus every time: either a Masjid falls, "benevolent" missionaries are attacked or talks of dealing with terrorism in a stern way is talked about.

I was telling a "secular" friend of mine:

Talking about victimisation of Hindus somehow equals to being communal or "anti-nonHindus". And that is sad. I am not against Muslim citizens but I AM against terrorists being portrayed as heroes. The Jamia Milia University has decided to fund lawsuits for the alleged muslim students; apparently they are innocent. Then perhaps Inspector MC Sharma must have shot himself. You know Parth, this mentality is like these new age child psychologists where suppose a child makes a mistake, throws a horrible tantrum or demands for something unreasonable, or is utterly rude, these pyschologists REFUSE to reprimand the child out of the fear that it may hurt the child's psyche! Even the parents are not allowed to rap the child for its obvious mistake. Suddenly for the child now the friendly Psychologist Aunty is dearer and nicer than it's own Mother. Because Aunty (like Smt. Sonia Gandhi) spoils and Mommy scolds. It's the same here. A mistake is not seen as a mistake. All terrorists are innocent/Pakistani/Bangladeshi/and now Students?? Why was POTA revoked? Because the Congress wants to play it safe. No one wants to hurt the minorities. Is no other law ever misused? I say, if Bajrang Dal is proven to be involved in raping, arsoning, burning and sabotaging national property and nationals themselves, they should be given the strictest punishment in law books. But I wonder why not a single terrorist has been ever brought to book?

And let's not be hypocritical. If there is no "Islamic Terrorism" there cannot ever be a "Hindu Extremism". Same logic: terrorists are only a handful, not the entire community therefore extremists are also a handful and not the entire Hindu community. They are just youth misled by communal forces. They cannot be called HINDU. This is where the bias and the ulterior agenda of Media kicks in. "HINDUS ATTACK CHURCHES IN ORISSA". It's splashed all over newspapers and TVCs. Really? Have "Hindus" attacked? Come on! One has to be blind to not see the hypocrisy. And then all the intelligentsia indulges in self-blame and how disgraceful it is for Hindus to do such dastardly acts and then we begin questioning "Is my religion really the greatest?" Have we stopped to consider how many Muslim youth live in poverty and how perhaps Islam in India is not really doing a great job. Is it not a discredit then? Is it not time to consider whether Muslims should send kids to schools or Madarsaas?

But I will tell you what. We have no guts to ask OR to answer these kind of questions because it requires one to introspect.

And the reason for this is quite clear. NO other international community is ever going to criticize the Goverment for attacks happening on Hindus. Which other country spoke against what happened on Godhra station? No one. A couple of Christians die and then France, Italy and the Pope and of course the USA condemn it. And then our spineless Prime Minister apologises! He doesn't have the guts to ask them to shut the hell up because it's a matter within the boundaries of India and no other country has a reason to poke their nose in our matters. So it all just boils down to appeasement.

And by this I don't mean that all Hindus are saints...just to make it clear.

Coming to conversions...let me narrate a very curious incident. I was studying at XIC, Xavier's Institute of Communications, Mumbai. It's one of the premier Institutes in the country. There was a fellow in my class of Advertising and Marketing-ultra-cool (or so he thought-he took pride in eating beef. Seriously!), drummer, funny and co-incidentally, Catholic. One day he told me that he would not eat the prasad that I had got from Siddhivinayak Temple because he was forbidden by Church. This occurred in MUMBAI in the year 2005. Quite disturbed, I narrated this to another Catholic friend of mine. His name was Luke and was fairly open-minded than the one with I-am-so-cool-because-I-eat-beef attitude. Luke told me that in some Churches, it was openly told that Hindu Gods and Goddesses were demons/Satananic. The Pooja that Hindus do is form of Satanic worship and therefore the Prasad is from Satan himself! So, ABSTAIN!!! Why go far in the interiors of India to know what methods missionaries could be employing to increase the "herd". If an educated Mumbai resident can be brain-washed into believing that Hindu Gods are demons, what can one say of innocent, hapless villagers. Is voicing an opinion against such methods of fraudulent conversions anti-secular? And conversely, is calling another religion names, secular?

No one will ask these questions. Because it requires one to introspect. And that needs courage. And no Shashi Tharoors or Anil Dharkers or Times of Indias or NDTVs or any pseudosecularists will provide the answers.

The answers lie within all of us...only if we choose to delve inside.

Gone to soon

2008-10-04T12:38:00.003+05:30

There are people in my life I know

Of some I have managed to let go

But some linger on in blood and sinew

Ever crisp like the morning dew

Time is the best healer they say

And all the memories will turn gray

I don't know if it's a bane or a boon?

What we had is gone to soon

Lights, Camera, Action!!

2008-10-02T10:33:00.004+05:30

Sometimes I think that in my head, my teenage is not yet past me! Yes really. I would teenagers as thinking of their lives or a particular situation to unfold like a movie scene...with all the slow motion and wind blowing through the hair and dialogues...the works!

I still do that!

Many times I find myself thinking of a situation in the most un-realistic, movie-like, melodramatic, dramatic way! I plan and rehearse my dialogues. Imagine that this particular person to whom I wish to deliver my killer lines is going to "co-incidentally" meet me in a Mall for example and then time would stop and the camera would zoom in on both of us, all the OTHER 'insignificant' people will go in slow motion and out of focus, electric guitars or violins will play in the background...and I will deliver my lines in an orchestrated confident fashion and walk away in style while putting on my Ray-Ban sunglasses!

It's funny when I catch myself doing that! But at the back of my teenage mind, there's still a little hope somewhere that the situation will exactly unfold in the way I have imagined it.

Does it happen to any of you? Sometimes? At least occasionally?

Do we?

2008-09-28T10:06:00.002+05:30

Do we ever become what we always wanted to be?

And then what do we do thereafter...if we become what we always wanted to be?

Poor little Indian

2008-07-20T10:02:00.004+05:30

Let's just accept it honestly. Indians DO have a fascination for white skin or so I discovered a few days back. Even in a cultural melting pot like Mumbai it happens. And I am not talking about middle-class, white-collared Indians. Here we have the so-called suave and cool folks from Gen-X. What happened was a series of instances happening with amazing predictability! Ok, here is a short background:
I work with the Max Mueller Bhavan, Mumbai which is the branch of the "Goethe Institut" of Germany. I work here as a Project Officer and my job entails in short handling activities related to Music Germany and Mumbai. And I got this job because of my previous experience as Musician in Mumbai and now because I also can speak fairly fluent German.

Now, we had a guest in the form of an extremely genial German gentleman called Ralph Christoph. Ralph is an electronic music expert from Cologne, Germany and he heads an annual international music festival called C/o Pop. He was here for researching the electronic music scene in India. I was here called on the job of helping him network with the right people from the Bollywood side and from an otherwise underground independent music world. Usually Ralph, I and Anja would travel together for these appointments. Anja was the Intern with Max Mueller Bhavan at the time. Here comes the funny part.
Whenever we would meet these other Music directors, Music label heads or anyone, they would greet only Ralph and Anja. And of course I was the poor little Indian. Then after 5 mins when I would have faded into oblivion, Ralph would feel really embarrassed that nobody was taking me into the discussion! Then while leaving, Ralph would normally turn to me and ask me something very vital, or my opinion about something or then I would stand up during a discussion and motion to Ralph to end the meeting because we would have some other appointment lined up further and then he would jokingly say, "I have to listen to her."! :-)) And it was THEN that the "poor little Indian" was noticed. Then they would ask me my name and tell me theirs. The truth is I knew not just their names but their entire musical biography which was exactly why I brought Ralph there in the first place!
Yes I felt very angry in the first few meetings. But later the awkwardness on their faces when they realised that the person whom they dutifully ignored was the one with whom they were going to have to deal, was what I started enjoying! I thought, "Oh! Poor little Indians!". :-))

गुरु पूर्णिमा !

2008-07-18T11:17:00.003+05:30

तेरे नाम के सिवा मुझे कुछ भी याद नही!

B flat or C sharp!

2008-05-11T10:44:00.005+05:30

It is said that when society undergoes a major cultural change, Music is the last frontier to be affected by that change.
But looking at the state of Music today, I shudder to think what it must be like in other aspects of culture!
Look at the picture alongside. It's so amazing that this picture manages very well to boil my blood. I perceive these ten figures here as BUFFOONS of the first order. It's a "musical" show. Or so they wish it could have been one. None of them are musicians or singers or have anything to do with music. Not even the judges. One of the judges is a film-director and the other one's profession is not yet clear to me. My guess is that she owns a laundry or something. And the joke is that the 8 participants "sing" and the judges judge them.
Music is in such BAD hands I tell you!
Where else would such a nasty thing be allowed to take place?
It's akin to asking Akshay Kumar to judge a Bharatnatyam performance! Or even worse asking Kishan Kumar ( I hope you remember him! ) to judge a theatre act!
What do the 2 judges on this above-mentioned reality show( Aaaaarrrgh. That's a topic for another day... ) have to do with music? Who gave them the right to be the judge at all!
It has become a joke. There are Musicians who have toiled for years and decades to understand and assimilate the nuances and secrets of music. They have practised their instruments every single day religiously...sometimes even till their fingers bled. Nobody asks them for a performance. I know musicians who are dying of hunger inspite of being A-grade musicians.
It's such a tragedy and even more so because it happens in India. We are the hosts of one of the greatest Classical music traditions in the world. Of course I am not saying that a bunch of idiots from reality shows pose a danger to the tradition of good music itself. But all I am hoping for is an aware audience who can discern between bull-shit and Music. Because only if WE as people refuse to have our ears stuffed with nonsense, will this atrocity stop.
Amen!!

Feeling Thorny!

2008-05-10T20:01:00.006+05:30

I have been attempting to get over a past relationship since an absurdly long time now. I call it "absurd" because I feel embarrassed telling people close to me that I am still not over it. Apart from that it is not all that absurd.
But from my long stretched out experience of "moving on" from an old flame, I have realized that getting "closure" is most vital. I avoided telling my Ex that I was still in love for reasons mostly unknown to me. Maybe I felt I would be in a vulnerable position by doing that. Whatever. But just yesterday I did that. I confessed that yes it has been more than one year and I hadn't still moved on and that I was still in love. Obviously the reply was not unexpected!

I was told, "I don't want to be with you".
I cannot possibly describe what I felt at that time.

Do you remember the feeling of having a thorn embedded in your foot for an annoyingly long time? You can see the thorn, it is undoubtedly hurting you and yet you can't pull it out. And then! One day, it looks like you could pull the thorn out...and then you do...
That moment. One moment it's paining and the next, it doesn't anymore! That's exactly how I felt when I was told that things couldn't work out between us. Within one second the pricky thorn was pulled out of my system. Whew....!!
I feel freeer. I have freed myself from the past and freed my past from myself.
The credit goes to my AMAZING Guru : His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji :)

2008-05-07T20:27:00.005+05:30

Can you see it's 5 o' clock
The Sun will be gone again
The Moon will climb the Beanstalk
Can you see what's happening?

Everything in this Universe
Follows a time-table
It was our time to fall in love
Now it's time to let go again...

It's time to make a new start
You've got to keep an open mind
And anyway you've got no choice
But time is not always unkind

But everything in this Universe
Goes through an upheavel
And when you think you can't go on
It's time to start again!

Why?

2008-05-07T20:22:00.004+05:30

THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG
SOMETHING SO WRONG WITH YOU
THAT YOU DONT WANT TO SEE
WHAT YOUR HEART KNOWS AS TRUE

IT WAS NEVER SO BAD
THAT YOU HAD TO MOVE ON
THERE WERE TOO MANY GOOD THINGS
WHICH WE SHOULD'VE HELD ON

IF I CAN'T TRUST IN YOU
I CAN'T TRUST ANYTHING ELSE
BE IT GOD, MUSIC OR COLOURS
AND IN LOVE EVEN LESS

WHY
A PERFECT THING LIKE OURS
WOULD FALL APART
WHY
SONGS I WROTE FOR YOU
WON'T TOUCH YOUR HEART

Nothing much except Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrgggh!

2008-04-21T22:19:00.005+05:30

I truly have come to wonder how many people really understand the value of "TIME": their own and more importantly of others! I am appalled and numbed.
This has prompted to vacuum-clean my life of all the time and space-suckers! Yes, I am going to do it. People call up on the cell. I cut the call. After 3 minutes they call up again. I tell them, "I will call you later. I am busy". Do you think they get the message? Wrong. They don't. They call me back AGAIN. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhh! And all they want to know is, "What's up?". Is that even a question?
Is it afterall THAT difficult to understand? Am I asking for too much? Do I have to fight for my own privacy? What do the "time-suckers" want?
These are haunting questions of a daunting task!
Thank the Good Lord for caller identification.
Thank the Great Lord for creating blogs. Where else would I vent out all this?
Whew!

If I were....

2008-03-23T14:24:00.005+05:30

If I were a beginning, I would be: the end too

If I were a tree, I would be: Banyan

If I were a musical instrument, I would be: a Flute

If I were an animal, I would be: a Dog( Labrador-they get pampered sick!)

If I were a sound, I would be: Silence

If I were a scent, I would be: of a baby's hair

If I were a religion, I would be: Humanity

If I were a facial expression, I would be: on Guruji's face

If I were a subject in college, I would be: Philosophy

If I were a color, I would be: White

If I were a thing, I would be: a Mirror

If I were a book, I would be: in someone's hands

If I were a monument, I would be: Conserved

If I were an artist, I would be: a Guitarist

If I were a collection of poems, I would be: moving people

If I were an element, I would be: Space

If I were a Word, I would be: "Dude"

If I were a watch, I would be: dictating lives of millions

If I were a theory, I would be: Relativity

If I were a cartoon, I would be: Calvin

IF I were a technology, I would be: making myself extinct every second

If I were a super hero, I would be : What does this mean? I AM one already!

If I were a Shakespearean Character, I would be: deciding to be or not be

If I were alone, I would be: even Stronger

First Time

2008-03-21T11:28:00.001+05:30

First love
First Rain
First Kiss
First Pain
First Rose
First touch
They say there's always a first time
First smile
First tear
First dream
First fear
First gift
First ring
They say there's always a first time
First day
First night
First blush
First fight
First dance
First song
They say there's always a first time
First yearning
First thirst
First morning
First dusk
First movie
First show
They say there's always a first time
First shock
First heartbreak
First blow
First heartache
First life
First death
They say there's always a first time

Don't know how to let you go...

2008-03-01T22:05:00.002+05:30

I know you and I know me
I know there are how many stars
I know the depths of the deepest seas
I know how to make dreams alive
I know what treasures the oceans hold
I know the mysteries of the blue skies
But I don't know how to let you go

I know all the secrets of your heart
I know the profundities of your soul
I know when to set you free
I know when to pull you close
I know when you want to reach out
I know when you are feeling low
I know when you want to be alone
But I don't know how to let you go

I know when you want to spread your wings
I know when you need to fly
I know when you will need me
I know when you want to cry
I know when you want to hear those words
I know when you want me to show
I know when to hold you tight
But I don't know how to let you go

2008-02-12T21:53:00.000+05:30

The Sun. What is his job really? Rise everyday…punctually.

He never falters.

Laziness doesn’t overcome his determination of rising every single day!

Even when it’s raining cats and dogs here, he still rises!

He rises even when on a given day nobody thanks him for having risen!

He rises even when no one acknowledges him…he doesn’t feel ignored.

He rises even when no praise comes his way…he doesn’t feel insecure.

Not just that. He does his job even when he gets blamed for making everything around too hot!

The Sun is a part of Nature. Everything in Nature is perfect. It never misses a beat.

We are a part of this very same Nature. But just look at the number of pre-conditions we have before we begin to do anything. We must get acknowledgement after we finish doing our work, we need awards and recognition, we need money, we need something….anything in return. Why?!

But what confounds me the most is this question: What exactly is our job?

Aham

2007-12-01T18:29:00.000+05:30

I just happened to meet the most important person in my life. My Inspiration. My reason to BE. That person happens to be Me.

How I have been ignoring Me for others who mean lot less anyway.

It’s such a strange belief that all that all that is the best lies outside Me. And that I, just a passive spectator, can do nothing but Watch.

But now I feel elated. To have found solace in Me. I am also freeing others around me of the Responsibility of keeping Me happy by altering a little bit of who They are. There is place for everyone. They can be They.

And I know, I’d still be happy.

Indian Rain in Munich

2007-10-03T23:15:00.000+05:30

Concert in Munich

2007-10-01T22:49:00.000+05:30

Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Chewing Gum

2007-08-12T09:56:00.000+05:30

I have been observing my mind lately. And I am totally amazed at the kind of thoughts it thinks! That in turn has kind of given me an insight into what this entire game of relationships is like. Yes, the news is that it's a "game".
If one goes to see, relationships are more like chewing gum. It's great to have it in the beginning...nice and tasty, makes you look cool and all, feels like you could keep chewing all life long! But wait! What's happened after a while? You can't wait to spit it out. It's lost all the taste. Not just that, but now it's leaving a bad taste in your mouth! Try to get rid of it...take it in your fingers and try to hurl it away...but it sticks to whatever part of your body you touch it with. Eeeeks! Wake up to the truth my friend. You can't get rid of chewing gum just so easily.
Doesn't it sound more like most of our relationships? It does. And scarily so.
Normally there are these phases even after a break-up. The "letting go" and the "moving on". I think it's all a myth. What the *bleep* does "letting go of someone" mean anyway?! Physically letting go? Stopping to hound them with calls or any sort of communication? Is "letting go" for the sake of the EX or your own? Is it stopping to expect a reconciliation? Is it letting go of "hope"? Letting go of WHOM or WHAT???
The second part is even more confusing. "Moving on". Just one query, "how?".
Technically I think "moving on" is just a myth. Unless you end up with Amnesia, I don't think you can really move on.
Think about it. Have you completely forgotten your past love? All the things? Events? Words? Expressions? Especially the times when you had most fun? Can you erase all that? Do you want to erase all that? The answer is "no". Then how have you moved on?
People are stickier than chewing gum! It's not so easy to spit them away...

2007-07-13T12:52:00.001+05:30

Where everything would be laughed off in squeals of laughter

Where complaints about each other would be narrated in poetry

Where there would be an underlying urge to only be with each other at nightfall

Where the journey to self-discovery would begin by holding each other’s hand

Where satisfaction and completion would stem from just being in each other’s lives

Where we would live in a cute little white house

Where friends would come to have a comforting cuppa tea

Where weekends would be reserved for each other, with each other

Where these dreams would see the light of day

Road (chain)Rage

2007-07-13T12:41:00.000+05:30

When I am driving, I complain about Autorickshaws
When I am riding, I complain about Pedestrians
When I am in a Autorickshaw, I complain about Bikers
And when I am walking, I complain about Cars

Hello World!

2007-05-08T20:51:00.000+05:30

Once one decides to see the funny side of things around, EVERYTHING starts seeming really funny! And I mean EVERYTHING. I thought laughing at one's own self might be a darned difficult thing to do. But it isn't. Eventually we all learn to laugh at us and also what happens/happened with/to us.
I have become newly single. Newly meaning it's been a good 4-5 months but I feel liberated from all kind of 'post heart-break' emotions only NOW. I say that with conviction, because I can now laugh at it and actually enjoy it!
A funny phenomenon has started happening off late. All the people in my life know now that I am out of a relationship. Suddenly these very people have been asking me for my advice for their relationships! Doesn't it seem utterly illogical that when I could not save my own relationship, how the hell am I going to save theirs?!
But no. The fact remains that they yet want my advice. I could think of only one reason.
Perhaps, for them being in a relationship is anyways dumb. I am out of one and therefore they perceive me as WISE. Yes, WISE. And they seek my advice...
Alright, got to go...there's a friend waiting on the phone...he wants to know the secret of my never-dying smile...am going to tell him it's because of 'singlehood' :))

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2007-05-04T11:12:00.000+05:30

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
I just saw the movie. I think everyone has got to watch it once in their lifetime. There are so many thoughts that have taken birth in my head after watching the movie that I don't know which one to write about first.
Would we really be able to love our beloveds better if we erase all the previous memories of them? As if it were a new start? Is that even the solution?
It's fictional in the movie, that a non-surgical memory erasing method has been developed. But in real life too we try to achieve the same effect of "getting over" or "getting past" our previous relationship by perhaps jumping into a new one without thought, thinking "oh this one seems better than the previous one".
But Nature doesn't have a provision like that! "selectively erasing the memories of a person we want to get over!"
It's our own quest. Our own journey.
The key to a real 'spotless mind' is perhaps to make it work. Anyhow...
If there is Love, anything can work! There's got to be Listening. Giving. Accepting. And of course a will to give it the best shot. Because nobody is perfect. People are like children. They make mistakes. Some BIG. Some real small. There has to be a certain degree of informality in the relationship, where one is allowed to make mistakes.
That's what I learnt from the movie. It's an invaluable lesson.
I also believe, from my own experience now, that if there is still a little love in the heart, you cannot really 'get over' in the real sense...You take the person WITH you, wherever you may go.
And if you HAVE moved on, then the love is over too!

2006-09-26T14:08:00.000+05:30

Just when I was thinking about the next thing to write, Arunima tagged me, so here i am continuing her "Me, Me, Me Meme"

I am thinking about...
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
I said...
Insanity when contained inside an artist is called 'Genius'

I want to...
Stop wanting.

I wish...
I could be more self-assured

I hear…
My inner voice...sweeter than any piece of music :-)

I wonder...
Why a 'Singer' also HAS to be a dancer, carrier of X-factor and son of Adonis! Why Why why?? Can't he be just a great singer?

I regret...
Not having tried to understand my father as a person. I have lost that opportunity forever now.

I am...
That. But there's a certain difference between what I know from experience and what my faith tells me but am yet to experience it...

I dance...
When I am extremely happy. That's many times in a week :-))

I sing...
Everyday

I cry...
when I am touched by kindness

I am not always...
Reasonable

I make with my hands...
Deeds and Music.

I write...
Only with my heart

I confuse...
myself with what I want to do and what I should be doing. Always.

I need...
A float

And finally...
Confuzzled
Jes
Rathish
You are Taaaaaaagged!

2006-09-16T21:48:00.000+05:30

Have you felt stirred by a particular song on a particular day?
Have you felt so much love that you don't know what to do?
Have you appreciated truly how fortunate we are to have had a glimpse of love?
Have you smiled without a reason?
Have you cried tears of bliss thereafter?

I am doing all this right now :-)
I have no complaints...not with myself nor with the world!

Everyone is going to die!

2006-09-08T14:24:00.000+05:30

"Everyone is going to die!"

It's such a weird thought when one reads it out first. But what makes it even more weird is the fact that it's true. We all over here...the REAL people, walking, talking, listening, conspiring, gloating, thinking, writing and reading this...we are all going to vanish from the face of the planet one day. Death will come to us and ask "Are you ready to come with me RIGHT NOW?" What will our answer be? Most of us will say "NO!" even before blinking. There's SO much to do! So much to sort out...
"My bank balance is still not how I'd like it to be..."
"I still have to show him what I can do...Hmmpff"
"Once I have her in my life, I will be happy...but till then..."
"Tomorrow is my big day..."
Sometimes it looks like we take life too seriously and that's why we don't have time to smile. It's ironic that a simple action of smiling to oneself has become something to plan about. "I will smile when I get that promotion..." we seem to be saying. Aren't we all waiting for that perfect situation which lies far ahead in the hands of our elusive future? But will THAT future ever come our way? We don't know. It may not. It may. We may not even be alive to see that day!
How many of us have lost our loved ones too suddenly? Most of us have because death always seems sudden. It never comes with a 15-day warning period. If that were the case, we humans would have taken undue advantage of that knowledge of our own death and used it as a means for escape the 'misery' of life.
What's the solution?
Well, what seems to be a really simple and immediate relief is to not take life too seriously!
Ultimately we are all going to die!
We will learn our lessons here in this magnificient opportunity that we have got through this birth. And as humans, as spirited beings, it befits us to put in our 100% in all that we undertake be it relationships or anything else.
Just let go! Chill! Remember? Everyone is going to die!

Commitment

2006-06-20T21:42:00.000+05:30

Sometimes I begin to believe that this entire world...infact, the Universe in its entirety runs on just ONE thing- COMMITMENT.
If the Sun weren't committed to rising everyday, we can't even imagine what kind of chaos it would unleash! The milkman is committed to his job...our day begins smoothly because of his commitment to his job. Journalists are committed so we get news on time. Our homemakers are committed, breadwinners are
committed, students are committed, soldiers are committed, sweepers are committed,water is committed and so is air, singers are committed, dancers are committed, Mother Nature is committed.
It's amazing!!!
Just imagine what a pathetic situation it would be if all these above mentioned roles faltered from their commitment! Each one of us is committed to atleast one role...out of choice. Happily.
Commitment is beautiful.

2005-09-04T21:25:00.000+05:30

What does one do when one falls in love with someone REAL hard *thud* ....?
What does one do when the other person is ALSO maybe having feelings for you...?
What does one do when the other person is in a relationship with someone else but is not happy there...?
What do I do...?

On our way to becoming Shanghai

2005-05-27T11:12:00.000+05:30

Location: Western Express Highway, Jogeshwari, Mumbai.
Time : 2:00 P.M.

It has become the MMRDA digging ground. A group of 10-15 dhoti-clad workers were sweating it out. I was in my car at a signal. I was watching one really thin man in his early thirties amongst these ‘diggers’. He was pounding the earth below with a long heavy iron rod. He had almost acquired a rhythm in his digging and I followed the beat in my mind and I was singing songs in my head….(thump)I walk this (thump) street (thump) boule(thump) of broken (thump) Where the (thump) sleeps…And suddenly he stops pounding; straightens his bent back…and…he puts a cell phone to his ear!!!

“Aama Saar. Parva ille saar”

The signal turned green.
I grinned in amusement and drove away.

2005-05-23T21:56:00.000+05:30

The toilet is a very strange place indeed! Some of the best creative ideas strike in the loo when one is doing one of the most mechanical jobs one can imagine.
When I was in the loo I was transported in the past this time…precisely 7 years ago. I was in Ruparel College in the first year, science stream. My subjects were Physics, Stats and Maths. But looking at those please don’t jump to the conclusion that I was good at studies. I was basically crazy about Einstein and his theory of relativity and I loved astronomy in general. That’s why I followed Physics into Degree College too. Well, but by this time even the Guitar had entered my life and I was totally in love with it and the twist in the story is that I had begun hating my science-student life from the bottom of my heart! That’s because my whole day was spent in completing journals and in the dark physics lab! I hated it because it kept me away from my guitar. BINGO! It finally struck me that I am an artist and not a science freak! When I used to read my science texts and see that the current flows from Point A to Point B or when it proclaimed that the earth goes around and the oceans are held on the earth’s surface because of a certain Centrifugal and Centripetal force, I thought,

“How does that matter to me and my guitar?! The only force that keeps the
guitar stuck on me is Love!”

I changed my stream. I took up Arts; Psychology, Philosophy and History. !
I had joined a guitar class by then. But it would not suffice for my hunger for guitar knowledge. I wanted more. So, one day I left from home for college. But instead of reaching college, at 8 A.M. I reached my guitar tutor’s home and told him, “I want to be a musician. Please help me.” He sent me to a more serious tutor called Mr. Rodriguez. I travelled to his home and told him that I wanted to learn more. He gave me a guitar and asked me to play. He was a stout old gentleman with really big stern eyes. He told me that if I kept playing like that, he would slap me! Then he told me a big list of things that I SHOULD learn…while two other guys with guitars looked meekly at me. Perhaps they too were at this stage in the recent past. From there I went straight to the Mumbai University to find out about music courses offered there. It was lunch time there so I was sent somewhere else…ultimately I did not find what I wanted.
But the point is that at that time, there was no ‘fear’, no inhibitions or hesitations! The mind was so full of innocence that I could just go out and search for what I wanted. It was so easy to change paths, try something new or do something which the heart desires.
*sigh* I so love those days…

The real thing...?

2005-05-19T17:30:00.000+05:30

What is ‘real’?

Something tangible? But that tangible, can turn intangible anytime! Is the person beside you ‘real’? But people can just vanish…and then what is left? Memories, sounds and pictures in the head. Can you show them to your best friend? You can only ‘tell it’ as it was. It can never come back. All the ‘reality’ that we see around us, how much is ‘real’ for sure? Transient is everything. Everybody.

We say something is painful because we have experienced pleasure, we know something is cold because we have experienced heat. As with all dualities, so with this. If all this is ‘unreal’, what/ where is ‘real’? There has to be something which is NOT transient, something that is time-proof, something that does not decay…

What is real?

2005-05-11T21:07:00.000+05:30

If you notice, so many of us are worried about our ‘image’ more than anything else. We are all busy sticking to our images of who we think we are. Of course, it also means this is with regard to ‘other’ people’s perception of our image. Confusing? It’s not really that complicated!
A husband and wife have been married for five years now and the wife’s mother always taught her to respect her husband and his family. Now, five years down the line, this woman discovers that her husband and her in-laws are not all that ‘respectable’ and being the humans that we all are, we commit some really stupid mistakes. Because this woman has squeezed herself into this ‘image’ of the ‘ideal’ wife/ daughter-in-law, she refuses to depart from it by not speaking up at all! Ok, now we all might not identify with a situation like this. Let’s take another example.
There is this young man in his early twenties who’s just got his degree and has begun working in a very reputed firm with a handsome salary, perks etc. His family, his friends, his neighbours…everyone is happy about him. He’s enjoying his job too…even his odd hours and overtime. After about four months in the job, he realises that he’s not all that happy. He feels this kind of heavy feeling in his head when he wakes up and thinks about going to work. It becomes a burden. He gets this job because his qualification matches his job profile. But his heart lies in theatre. He knows it. It won’t pay well, the working hours would be odd but still he would love going for rehearsals anyway. The lights, the stage, the energy, the script…he is dreaming about it when he goes for his job too. What would this man do? Normally, he would stick to his job because, suddenly he would lose all the ‘status’ associated with the job. Perhaps he doesn’t want people around to think that he is a ‘struggler’ in the theatre business. So, even though his heart yearns for something else, he doesn’t do anything about it. Reason? IMAGE!
Unfortunately, this the way mind works.
What is Life about after all? Being happy, right? So of what consequence is living something we don’t enjoy?
On a lighter note, one of teachers used to call this state of mind, ‘toilet-seat mentality’!

2005-04-27T21:17:00.000+05:30

“SUCCESS”

How is it measured?
How does one know if one is successful or not?
What lengths will one go to, to achieve it?
What kinds of compromises are involved?

Really, how is success generally measured? We usually measure it in terms of money. If the occupation we are in returns money enough just for sustenance, it’s not really a great success. But if we earn enough to buy a car, shop extensively on weekends and pamper the taste-buds with ‘Fresh Pizza’…it may be called ‘SUCCESS’.

Everybody wants to be successful at the end of any given endeavour. Nobody willingly embraces failure. People forget hunger, thirst, sleep, leisure, family, lovers, friends, duties, countrymen, compassion, entertainment, movies, music, passions, hobbies, sport, health, life, breath, holidays, travel, meditation, parents, God…everything! Most importantly, they forget who they themselves are! This is too big a price to pay for ‘success’. To become happy in the FUTURE, we become unhappy in the present!

What I am arriving at is that, ‘Success’ has to be redefined. There are thousands of ‘successful’ people in the world outside…but how many of them are really ‘happy’???

For me, success means being happy in the present. What does it mean for you?

Slow down, You move too fast...

2005-04-15T18:54:00.000+05:30

Why are we all running?
Do we know that we ARE running?
Is running important at all?

I just happened to get this flash of thought the other day.
Our life is like driving from point ‘a’ to destination ‘b’. We all have our own chosen destinations. Usually we start from the highway at full throttle speed! Why at such great speed, do you ask? I don’t know. Nobody does. We can overtake other vehicles on the highway, cut lanes. But when we reach a red signal, all the vehicles stop. They must. Else they will be fined. Big, small, new, old, indigenous, foreign-made, diesel or petrol…everyone must stop and then start the journey again together.
Then what was the purpose of shooting from the highway at break-neck speed, draw the wrath and bad-will of vehicles we have dangerously overtaken or honked endlessly at? Ultimately, even we had to obey the rules by stopping at a red signal; and red signals are predestined! Then could we have taken it a little easy on ourselves and on other vehicles? Could we have enjoyed the journey by going slow? It’s not just important that we reached the destination. It’s ‘HOW’ we reached there which matters! Are we smiling at the end of it?

Don't blame me if you die laughing...

2005-04-15T10:19:00.000+05:30

Do this when u go online
Google home page
Language tools ka button (to the right)
Type “my mom is nice and cool”
Translate from English to Spanish
Then copy this translated sentence in to box again
Say translate from Spanish to English this time
See what happens

Leave a comment if you are alive.

The SCARIEST sight in Mumbai...

2005-04-09T13:06:00.000+05:30

Do you know what it is?

A group of 3-4 BMC workers preparing to dig ONE more strip of land which looks relatively 'flat'.

This reminds me of a very funny SMS I'd received:

Idhar khuda hai

Udhar khuda hai

Jahaan dekho khuda hi khuda hai

Jahaan aaj khuda nahin hai

...wahaan kal khudega

2005-04-06T14:20:00.000+05:30

Exactly 9 years ago, I picked up the guitar for the first time! This snap is from Smt. Lata Mangeshkar's show in Mumbai in 2001. You can see me in the farthest left side of the snap :))
Posted by Hello

2005-04-06T14:16:00.000+05:30

Isn't the sculpture very unique? This is Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad.
Posted by Hello

2005-04-06T13:47:00.000+05:30

Mommy, look WHAT I found!!

These make me cry...

2005-04-06T13:33:00.000+05:30

Soldiers
The National Anthem
Hariharan’s voice
Innocence
Love stories
Black- the film
Truth and sincerity
Onions
Remixes
Meditation
Mallika Sherawat
“I love you”-the three golden words
Violins
Live chamber orchestra playing in sync
Love
Longing
Surrender
Letting go
Knowledge

Not necessarily in that order…

2005-04-04T16:47:00.000+05:30

Un-holi hai!!!

On a beautiful Holi morning, I and my mother were walking towards our car in the building premises itself. Suddenly a bucket of water splashed on my mother's head which was hurled from the fourth floor of our building (she is 61 years of age)! She was furious. I dashed a letter off to the secretary. I have always been protesting against such kind of celebrations where a celebration for one could become a punishment for life for someone else!
I am only 24 years of age and I am not really counted among the mature people of the colony! :) Still, the letter was read out in the committee meeting and action has been taken. There is a notice put up on the notice board saying that as a rule, nobody can be dragged into a festival without consent!
Two days of my life were utterly wasted in frustration witnessing the stupidity of people around me. My mother kept telling me to give up my protests and accept the situation. But my persistence paid off. And I am glad.
So, people, even if you are fighting for a really really small cause, don't give up if you strongly believe in it. Eventually justice prevails! Yayyyy!

Modern, eh?

2005-04-04T11:29:00.000+05:30

I simply HATE (Aaaarrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhh) the sight of movie posters which have people (usually a man and a woman...or two!) making out like sexually deprived animals. Tongue in another's mouth, hand on cleavage (on one's own or someone else's), half-naked woman draped in white sheet etc. It's all over the street walls and hoardings of Mumbai. Am sure it's all over the country as well. The point is that all of a sudden our 'socially responsible' and 'sexually liberated' film-makers and their loyal actresses have decided to 'educate' stupid Indians like us about 'sex'. Boom!! It's everywhere. On T.V. serials, in talk shows (ever seen Pooja Bedi interviewing people on Zoom? Watch it.) and in movies. Kids ranging from 3 years of age till 15...young adults from 16 to 21...old uncles above 55...everybody are taking in the SAME kind of 'education'! The kids are wondering, "Why attend some boring sex-education seminar in school, when I can get a CD of 'Julie' or 'Fun'?" It's scary.
There is this whole bunch of models that think showing off the 'six-pack' and the perfect chest is sexy and cool. Where are the 'actors'?? Om Puri, Ajay Devgan, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjiv Kapur, Rani Mukherji, SRK, Kajol, Madhuri Dixit, Shabana Azmi hardly have bodies to die for! But that's the point. If you can act well, you don’t need a great worked-out body...if you still have it, great! But but but if you have an amazing body and you can't act to save your life, then it's not working for me!
There's more to come.
Now, replicas of Mallika Sherawat walk openly on the road too. Jeans which begin below the navel and tops which end above it. I never knew showing off one's underwear was so cool!
Where are these people heading for? Is this exercising freedom? Is this being Modern?
'Modern'.
The synonyms of the word are: 'Contemporary', 'Recent', 'Current', and 'New', 'Fresh'.
Is Mallika Sherawat 'Modern'?
Is Imran Hashmi 'Modern'?
What about Celina Jaitley, Isha Koppikar, Amrita Arora, Neha Dhupia, Meghana Naidu, Udita Goswami, Aryan Vaid et al?
Does it involve being modern in the head or being dressed in the least of clothes?
With every 'freedom' comes a 'responsibility'. Who is taking the responsibility of the young minds? Is looking great everything? Is sex the ultimate goal of life? Can there be no entertainment without anything being sexually suggestive?
Our ancestors started out their life without clothes. They used to be naked. But hey, they had fur on their body. Then as evolution took its toll, the fur reduced and then people had to at least cover their 'privates' for fear of injury and protection from the climatic conditions. Then as they became more 'Modern' and 'civilized' they started wearing more clothes which were very basic in nature but it used to protect the 'furless' skin very well. Then clothing became more utilitarian and it was used by everybody except tribes (no, not Mallika Sherawat). Then the fashion designers came. Then 'another kind' of fashion designers came. And they ruined everything. I suspect we are going to grow fur again. Going by the rate at which people are shedding their clothes without any inhibitions, we are not 'modern'; in fact we are going back to our primitive roots.
Somebody stop this bullshit!!!
Disclaimer: These are my personal views. I don't wish to educate anybody nor get into any kind of debate! :))

My days in Jail---Daisy

2005-03-31T13:36:00.000+05:30

There was a white girl in the lot. Daisy was her name. She stood out from the rest not only because she was white, but also because she was very beautiful. Neatly dressed in a jumper, track pants and pleated hair, she was always one of the early birds for the morning exercise sessions. I and Vandana were totally taken in by her beauty and her intelligence. She said she knew most of the asanas and it was apparent. One day, we decided to ask the jailer about Daisy. The jailer said she has been in the jail from the past 3 years! And now her age in about twenty...that means she came in when she was seventeen...we thought, "What kind of crime would anybody like Daisy; that too at a tender age of seventeen, commit?" She came in with 20 kg of brown sugar, it seems. Daisy??? I couldn't believe it! She and many foreigners like her are under trial for the same crime. But foreign nationals don't have any sort of bail plea in courts. For the next two days that we went there, we were still reeling from the shocking reality about Daisy.
She was British. Grey eyes, amazing figure and a very captivating smile. Looking in her eyes one could not imagine she could do anything like she did. Finally after the meditation one day, we mustered the courage to ask her why she had come in here. She said that she had been framed by some Israeli friend of hers. It was not her fault. Our minds anyway didn't want to believe what the jailer had been telling us.

250 female undertrials
50 kids below ten years of age
2 barracks
1 woman/ 18sq.ft area
6 toilets
7:30AM breakfast
9:00AM lunch
5:00PM gates close no movement outside
200sq.ft patch of sky
365 days a year
1 dream

Continued: Next week-> Ashwini

2005-03-09T13:40:00.000+05:30

Location: Pavement in front of Furtado’s Music, Opp. Metro Cinema, South Mumbai.
Time: 11:30 A.M.
Weather: Really hot

A mixed group of around 12-15 people comprising of young and old of various socio-economic backgrounds, stand surrounding a young man in his 20's who is lying unconscious on the ground. He is experiencing an epileptic seizure with hands and legs flying out randomly without any control or co-ordination. None knew what to do. But then an old Parsi lady came out and told the people, "He's having a fit. He'll need to be hospitalized. I am a nurse...I know he will have to be taken to the hospital!" Nobody moved. Nobody had an idea about what exactly should be done. And then, a man in his late 30's stepped ahead and he said, "Place a bunch of keys in his palm." He was exactly what the dabbawallahs of Mumbai look like...a 'ghaati'. The nurse mocked at him angrily saying, "How do you think THAT is going to work?!" A shopkeeper from the adjacent Bombay Sports shop ran inside and emerged with a dumbbell and a huge bunch of keys and gave them to the 'ghaati'. He knelt down and then placed the keys in one palm and the dumbbell in the other. And the seizure stopped there and then. Immediately. And the crowd dispersed. The nurse went away, perhaps wondering about what she learnt about medicine all these years...they never taught her anything like this! I walked in complete awe, humbled by the 'ghaati' man's presence of mind and strong faith in simple remedies.

Can we really feel 'intelligent' and smart just because we have education?

2005-02-23T14:42:00.000+05:30

The one thing that haunts people after they are 25...
That one thing that becomes a nightmare for actors and models...
The theme of ALL 'Santoor soap' commercials...
The 'irreversible'...
That is AGING :)

We are ALWAYS aging no matter what age we are. And along with wrinkles, age brings with it a lot of other unwanted and unnecessary baggage. Haven't we noticed that as people start growing up, they become less spontaneous, less enthusiastic and the biggest of them being that they smile a lot less. I can notice the change that I am going through. Today I have many more insecurities in my head than what I had two years ago! And someone said that age brings wisdom with it! The more we experience in life, the more cautious we become...rather we become over-cautious. And that’s how we lose our spontaneity. As we grow up, we also begin relying on our intellect more than on a gut feeling. We tend to meticulously calculate everything before making the smallest of decisions.
Somehow we begin to need reasons for everything! "Why this?" "Why not that?" etc.
So, do we actually become more vulnerable with age? It is something to seriously think about.

"Age is a matter of the mind...so if you don’t mind, it does not matter!"

MY quotes!

2005-02-19T14:15:00.000+05:30

"Insanity when contained in an Artist is called Genius".

"I am Unique...just like everyone else!"

Corny Lines ;)

2005-02-19T10:10:00.000+05:30

For Cordless Phones:

"Can also be used for making calls"

For Chocolate Bars:

"Can also be eaten directly from the wrapper"

For Satin Scarves:

"Can also be used as an accessory by putting around the shoulders"

2005-02-18T20:06:00.001+05:30

These two lines are the most beautiful I have ever come across:

"Who will take care of this world
Asked the setting sun
I will try my Best
Said the earthern lamp"

~Rabindranath Tagore

2005-02-14T12:57:00.000+05:30

'Depression' is a pretty depressing state to be in. And at some point in time, all of us have visited it...or more precisely, IT has visited us. Unfortunately, many of us don't even know when we go into depression, leave alone fighting it off. There was a patch in my life where I was in acute depression for more than six months. I was alright in the morning, used to start crying suddenly at noon. Shopping used to boost my spirits for evening and by night time I was suicidal. This cycle continued without an exception of a day for six long months. It reached its peak one day when I wanted to end my life...full and final. I just did not want to breathe anymore. My family decided to take me to a psychologist for counselling. But I knew how 'dry' psychologists normally are. For them, it would've been just another 'case'.
At that time, a friend of mine suggested that I do an 'Art of Living' basic course. Somehow I knew from within that this was my rescue call. And it turned out to be more than what I imagined. It put a smile on my face again...forever. The key lies in the right way to breathe and a different attitude towards life and its events.
So, readers, if you are depressed yourself or if you know someone who is depressed, make them do the course! Use force, blackmail, cajoling, threats...whatever it takes!! And enjoy life.

Breaking News!!!

2005-02-14T10:23:00.000+05:30

New mountains are coming up in the middle of Mumbai city! The growth of these 'mountains' is quite apparent along patches of the Western Express Highway, and rail-tracks along Mahim and Andheri.

The mountains are unique in their formation because they are not made up of any kind of rock or stone. And this may be the very first time in the history of our planet that such mountains are coming up in the heart of a metropolis.

Also, these mountains are entirely man-made...they are formed of Human Shit.

2005-02-07T12:42:00.000+05:30

It is said that when society undergoes change, music is affected the last. And music literally reflects the culture of a society.
Remixes.
Firstly, I refuse to call it music! But in its raw form, it was music sometime. I also refuse to call ‘remixers’ as artists/composers/musicians. An artist is a communicator. She/he expresses what is close to her/his heart, in a creative way. A composer is a person who writes songs which are HIS OWN. So, where do REMIXERS fit in these categories?
Some years back Shankar Mahadevan, Ranjit Barot and Taufiq Qureshi presented a different version of S.D. Burman’s “Teri Bindiya Re” from the film ‘Abhimaan’. It was simply beautiful. Now a few points to be noted here:
· He does not mint money by using his own version of the song
· He always gives due credit to the original composer
· He does not sell the song using Deepal/Shefali in the video
· He composes brilliant stuff himself
· He is a great musician
· He is a true artist

What is the big deal in remixing ‘Kaanta Laga’? Did the REMIXER think of the original tune himself? Did he tell the original singer the nuances of the song?
Composing a brilliant song out of NOTHING is creative. Borrowing/stealing an already well-liked song and adding preset rhythm patterns to it is NOT creative!

Fortunately, industry say that remixes will go away as fast as they came. J

Thank God!

2005-02-01T13:13:00.000+05:30

There’s a story in Indian mythology which goes like this: One day, one of the Pandavas, the Great Yudhishthir arrived in Yama’s court (Yama is the God of Death). On his arrival, Yama asked him, “Tell me, what’s the most astonishing thing that you saw on Earth?” Yudhishthir said, “The most astonishing thing I noticed on Earth was that people are surrounded by instances of death…their own kinsmen or strangers…but they always think that they themselves will never die! Death is always thought of something that will happen to someone else.”

Have WE given a thought to our own death? It will come for sure. Somewhere, sometime, someway…it will come.

2005-01-28T10:53:00.000+05:30

Exactly half of Mumbai is riddled with pot-holes. The other half isn’t. Why?? We’ll come to that later. I stay in that half of Mumbai where even ½ a km. of road stretch has at least six major ‘craters’ and 4 bumps. It is not shocking anymore. When I go on my bike I step out with the spirit of a cross-country biker! Auto-rickshaws are hopeless means of transport in this part of Mumbai because travelling in one of these is sure to give one backache to last for an entire day. When I come across these teeth-shattering craters, I feel extremely angry and STUPID!! I feel like I, as a citizen, am being cheated, being mocked at by the BMC, the government, the local corporators…everyone involved in running the city. I don’t want to be jolted up and down and in an out feeling like a complete idiot…I don’t want my entire system bashed mercilessly by the numerous bumps and pits when I travel!! I am very angry.
The ‘other’ half of Mumbai is called ‘town’. Where the suburbs end, the boundary where auto-rickshaws stop…the yellow-black cabs rule…where Pajeros and Lancers are common sights. Here, is the picture of the ‘ideal’ metropolis. Smooth roads. I still have not been able to figure out why there is such blatant disparity between the suburbs and town. The reason becomes obvious after giving it a minute of thought. Money, power, politics, politicians, celebrities…everything is a reason.
This is the condition of the commercial capital of India. I shudder to think what it must be like in smaller towns. This is the picture of ‘India Shining’? The smartest way out of this whole misery seems to be ‘going abroad’. I have myself wanted to run away from here for numerous reasons. One of them being apathy and the other is being tired of feeling stupid. But at the same time I know that for a better lifestyle and standard of life, there is really no point going anywhere ‘outside’. Because in exchange for smoother, wider roads, I might have to compromise on my freedom of expression…or maybe freedom of wearing any kind of clothes I want to wear. Now I think that it’s a very big price to pay. So, at the end of the day, I am an artist. And the one thing that an artist needs is FREEDOM. I can write whatever song that comes to mind, wear any outfit I want at shows, sing in any language I want to and most of all, I CAN SING!!!
There’s a friend of mine in the US of A. She ALWAYS wanted to go there. She is not happy. Why? Because the whole of her neighbourhood is SO quiet and dead that she feels happy even to spot a dog who’s aimlessly barking away. So, when she comes down here, her source of happiness becomes pigeons making mating sounds, dogs growling while mating, dogs growling otherwise, kids shouting, mom shouting, bhelwallahs yelling and the like. Humans are very weird!

Driving Test

2005-01-27T21:58:00.000+05:30

Not that this was my first experience. I have been there before and done that for my two-wheeler license.

Andheri, R.T.O. 12:00 noon.

I was a little spaced out because I had travelled from Pune to Mumbai at night and hadn’t slept. At the same time I was a little tensed too because I had not practised driving for ten odd days and I did not know what to expect. We found our ‘Nirala driving school’ guy.

It was a small barren ground with 7-8 policemen sitting beneath a canopy in a corner. There were a couple of Maruti 800s and Santros making purposeless rounds on the ground. Meanwhile the policemen seemed to be engrossed in a conversation centring on the best brand of tobacco in the market. Then, at random someone would approach any one of the police guys and put forward a bunch of papers, it would promptly get signed in utterly illegible handwriting.

And before long it was my turn to strut my stuff on an ancient Maruti 800. I sat at the wheel…my heart was beating fast…I put my left foot on the clutch and as I was just about to put the car in gear…the man sitting beside me in the car (who was apparently from the driving school) muttered to me, “The car is in gear.” Wwwwwwhhhhhaaaat?! What happened after this was magical! I just pushed the accelerator and presto! The car was in motion! I just made a semicircle…without putting the car in gear…and I passed the test. Yes. THAT was my driving test and I want to say nothing more.

Stinks of team spirit!

2005-01-24T12:43:00.000+05:30

This is what I have been wondering about for a really long time…Cricket! I really hate the game. Yes, even if it is an India-Pakistan match. Actually, I am still confused whether I hate the game or I hate the Indian Cricket team. Ummm…I think I hate the Indian team.
I haven’t come across a more unreliable team in any sport of any country. The cricket ‘heroes’ of our country are almost demigods here. Why? Because they sometimes manage to win a match. Sometimes. I know that I am perhaps stirring up a controversy here by being so blasphemous! There was an entire segment on T.V. showcasing Parthiv Patel’s dropped catches. Other players are either not in form or they are injured. Sometimes I seriously wonder if Sehwag, Kaif, Yuvraj and even Tendulkar are visually impaired. I can understand ‘bad performance’. Even consistent bad performance. But getting showered with money, flashbulbs and ad-contracts even after a totally ‘un-manly’ performance? Nah nah!! Not done.
What I am arriving at is something that I feel very strongly about! Our so-called heroes are not respectable people off the field too! Sachin Tendulkar gets tax waived for his Ferrari. When ‘Shwaas was nominated for an Oscar, he chose to ‘contribute’ by auctioning his bat instead of hard cash! This kind of miserly behaviour does not suit public figures of such stature.
The media is an equal culprit for giving attention to the most undeserving of the lot. Yuvraj Singh is no longer going around with Kim Sharma…SO WHAT?!!! Who cares?! Saurav Ganguly injures his little finger…Now he is getting better…but still not fit enough to play…So is the country expected to observe silence for two minutes?! They are pampered beyond belief! The pinnacle of the ridiculous business was reached just a few days back when for ‘Tsunami Relief’ they offered to play a charity match for Asia XI against World XI. And as expected they lost this match too! Heh heh…
I think our cricketers are extremely benevolent individuals who believe in making others happy. Like the other day they made the Bangladeshi Cricket team extremely happy by losing to them! Australia has many records to their credit because of whom? The Indian Cricket team, of course.

Nursery Rhyme

2005-01-19T13:30:00.000+05:30

This is one of the most hilarious rhymes I have EVER come across!!! Here it is:

Upar pankha chalta hai
Niche baby soti hai
Sote Sote bhook lagi
Khaalo beta mungfali
Mungfali mein daana nahin
Hum tumhare mama nahin(?!)
Mama gaye dilli
Dilli se laye billi
Billi ne maara panja
Mama ho gaye ganja

!!!!! WHAT????
And I learnt this when I was in K.G.

My Days in Jail- Part 1

2005-01-18T14:22:00.000+05:30

Thursday, 13th January, 2005. The first day of my life I EVER saw a jail from so close a distance…and I was going inside it! Being an ‘Art of Living’ volunteer, I was accompanying my teacher for a ‘Prison Smart’ course. Both I and my teacher, Vandana, didn’t know what to expect inside. She told me just 12 hours before we had to go there, and at night, I told myself that it must be a course meant for the Police guys and NOT the convicts. It somehow made me feel comfortable. Before long I was told that it was indeed for the ‘jailed’ and not the ‘jailers’! I was wrong.

Well, it was the same huge iron-gate they show in movies…the only difference being that there was no arch declaring, ‘Central Jail’ above. We knocked and were greeted by loud thundering sounds of the gate being opened and then shut behind us as we entered. After a quick entry in the register, our cell phones were taken away. I felt MORE nervous. And then I saw a real ‘kaidi’, a convict, in uniform…white striped shirt, white shorts and a white Gandhi-cap. The door from where we just stepped inside held a completely different world inside it. In the morning it almost looked surreal…strange smells, stranger sights…

We were led to the women’s section. The course was for them. Carved in a tall wall was a modest door which we were asked to knock on. As the door swung open, a Policewoman greeted us with a warm smile coupled with a quick frown. We introduced ourselves and were welcomed in. Another door, another world. It was breakfast time. There were around 100 women, in shapes, colours and sizes I had never imagined, in a queue where two male ‘kaidi’s were serving them tea, milk and something which resembled ‘rotis’. Half of the women had infants clinging on their waist. Vandana and I were taking in this entire sight without uttering a single word. In the meantime, the policewomen were hurling umpteen ‘gaalis’(curses) at them asking them to hurry up and come out in the courtyard because we had come.

Soon, we were in the courtyard perched on two chairs confronting some 25 women. Some didn’t have teeth. And then I saw a white-skinned woman in her early-twenties too amidst these Indian women. They all looked nonchalant about our presence. After everyone was seated on the ground before us, Vandana began to speak

I believe...

2005-01-18T14:18:00.000+05:30

...that a sunset looks more stunning than a sunrise

...that a baby is a very powerful human being

...that Amitabh Bachchan will advertise for Rupa underwear, someday

...that Meenakshi Seshadri was still a better actress than Mallika Sherawat

...Irshad Hashmi will and can make love to a female goat if given a chance

...that great poetry still works wonders :)

...that people should smile more often

Choose or Lose!!!

2005-01-18T13:19:00.000+05:30

Choose or Lose!Do we really have a 'choice' in every situation of life? The answer is fortunately 'yes'. When onesays, "I did it because I did not have any other choice!" is a lie. It's a BIG lie! One always hasa choice.There are situations when it is a little difficult to make a direct choice. So just cut out the junk and you'll be left with options to choose from. But then what about situations where we are not responsible for what happened? Even in such cases I believe we have a choice. Students don'tget desired marks in examinations...does everyone commit suicide? Only a handful do because theychoose to do it. And the others choose to live. There's nothing right or wrong about it. It's anindividuals choice.And what about times when someone breaks your heart for no fault of yours? You are crestfallen,sad, feel like it's the end of the world, that you'll never be happy again...WHY did it happen???There are a lot of things involved. So, does one have a choice here? Yes! It's obvious that no matterhow hard one tries, some things cannot be avoided...like feeling sad or bitter after a heartbreak...but one can always CHOOSE to come out of it after a while and not let go of life. After a whileone realises that no one and NOTHING losing one's life for. So, let's always remember that we havea choice in even the most seemingly impossible situations of life. We have a choice to be happy or sad we can choose life over death and we can choose who's more important in our lives. Go ahead! Choose!Cause, if you don't choose, you'll lose!

Dreams and Reality

2005-01-18T13:17:00.000+05:30

There is a strange connection between 'dreams' and 'reality'. Like for instance, Love is a dreamand a relationship is reality. And like an unwritten law, dreams are always shattered when they comein contact with reality. I think that falling in love is a wonderful thing...one imagines things,sometimes they do happen to be true, you get that 'butterflies in the tummy' kind of feeling whenyou see that special someone...there you are in love. But where do problems begin? When you both get into a 'relationship'. This is the reality of love. It is almost like a material manifestation of your 'dream love'. When we are only in love and not in a relationship, there are no expectations,no desires, no possessiveness, there is just this pure feeling of bliss. And talk about relationships?No no! We don't even want to get into that!Why just love? Think about any dream of ours. Ummmm...like you want to be the next youth icon of India.Nice dream. We can go over it, live it in our minds as many times as we want. Cool. Now begin thinkingabout HOW the hell you are going to reach there...and it all comes crashing down.But that's not the only kind of relation between dreams and reality. Sometimes, we dream of somethingso hard that it actually becomes real. Yes, it happens. When you keep 'living' a certain dream inyour mind, it comes true. It has happened to me a lot of times. So, I believe it's a great thing to be a dreamer! It's a gift. It's a tool. I can't explain how it works. I don't know how dreams 'become'real. But they do. So, people, dream. And dream big. Keep on dreaming till it becomes real. It maybe like this: A painter has a certain imagination in his mind. He keeps imagining it in all its details...on and on and one fine day, he takes his brush, his palette and paints his dream on the canvas and there it is. Imagination to reality. And we are all painters of our own lives. There is a greatcanvas called Life in front of us. We have all the colours and all the brushes we want. And yet wedo not paint anything so many times. Why? Why? Because, we don't dream. Because we don't nourish thatdream enough so that it comes to life as a beautiful painting. There is no reality without a dream. A dream is a mother and reality is its child. Start dreamingTODAY.

2005-01-18T13:13:00.000+05:30

‘Love’…perhaps the most over-rated emotion of all times. Wars have been fought, kingdoms have vanished and history has been made because of Love. And this is precisely why I am definitely not interested in talking AGAIN about it. Like in a Pink Floyd forum, the introduction declared, ‘Every aspect and story about Pink Floyd and their songs have been discussed here and there is nothing anyone can possibly add to it.’ It’s the same with ‘Love’.
I was in love too, once upon a time. Yes, it felt very good to be in it. But after I was kicked out of it one fine day, I realized that I felt like a fool and I’d been even behaving like one when I was in it! I don’t understand! Even perfectly normal and level-headed people start losing their heads when cupid attacks. In fact, I think that such kinds of love are harmful for the healthy growth of society. And these very lovers who show their middle finger to the whole world just to be with their beloved forever, become ‘perfect husbands and wives’ once they are married. Then the nagging begins, everything becomes a routine and then suddenly there is no charm left! What is the point of the whole big exercise then??
Maybe, the whole problem is not with ‘love’ but with human relationships. Somebody has wisely said that ‘Love is a journey and not a destination’. Usually what happens is that when two people become committed to each other, they also start taking each other for granted. And this is almost like a very natural way of treating each other. Both these people become a certain ‘image’ in each other’s mind and then it becomes difficult to move away from that image. Therefore I think there are a few golden rules that people in love (and in relationships) must follow. Here they are:

• Avoid arguing when in a bad mood
• DON’T compare your partner with ANYBODY else…if you like that someone else better than your partner, please leave!!
• Nobody is perfect. Imperfection is our Beauty. Respect and accept that.
• Loyalty and steadfastness are not obsolete and one does not have to feel stupid about it. And it pays rich dividends
• Actions are more important than mere words. Saying ‘I love you’ to your lover 25 times in a day is futile if it is not complemented by actions. You have to make your lover feel like he/she’s the greatest and the most beautiful thing that’s happened to planet Earth!!
• Remember to praise (genuinely) every little action and effort taken by him/her to give you happiness in whatever measure. Don’t take it for granted that it is anyways his/her duty to do it!
• Last but not the least, you have chosen to stay with this wonderful individual. So, why not make every moment spent together a little worth its while by believing we’re lucky to have him/her. Enjoy!