A different perspective

The Dumb electorate.

2012-01-26T22:08:00.000-08:00

Our politicians, if given a chance could be the best explosive experts. They are good at diffusing bombs. For almost a year, the entire nation talked about the Jan Lokpal and how corruption affects every common man. There was a spurt in the RTI requests being filed by the civil society. Scams were unearthed on a regular basis and some very big names, who thought they were beyond the law of land, tasted jail food. Doesn’t matter if you are a supporter of Anna and Kejriwal or not, you have to give it to them for making corruption a serious issue for the people.

The government scrambled. It was a new situation for every party. What followed was lathi-charge, ban on SMSes and online censorship. For once, even the diehard “Iss desh ka kuch nahi ho sakta(Nothing’s going to change)” brigade sat down and listened.

image source:http://www.cartoonistsandeep.com/

Then came the U.P elections. One announcement from one leader and the entire equation changed. Forget Lokpal,forget CWG scam, forget Bhatta Parsaul,forget even the lawlessness in UP, the only thing that seems to matter for the parties and the people is the minority quota in the OBC category.

I am not a supporter of blind reservation given in our country. It’s a sham until it’s complimented with robust education and employment opportunities. This is the reason why almost 49% reservation in India hasn’t been able to produce the desired effect.

The politicians have a point in keeping us illiterate, unemployed and divided on caste and communal lines. It makes their task easier. They can get votes en bloc. It’s easy to make a hungry man follow you blindly by showing him bread. The hungry man will not ask you why you can’t assure a constant supply of food for him. He won’t even ask why you can’t teach him to make bread. He is hungry, and he needs that loaf. Our netas know this too well. They know that no matter what wrong they do to us and this country, by the time they reach our doorsteps for votes, we will be hungry, thanks to their flawed policies since Independence. They throw us the bread, and we grab it, without realizing that it’s made from our own sweat and blood.

Coming to the UP polls. The Sacchar committee report had suggested that Muslims in India do not have adequate representation in government jobs. To an outsider, this might seem strange. How can the second largest Muslim population in the world be marginalized in its own country? This is the exact question the Muslims need to ask themselves and their leaders. They must ask why the government hasn’t tried to make them a part of the mainstream. They must ask why the same government that is over-zealous in granting funds for Madrasas has refrained from opening CBSE affiliated schools in their areas. They must ask why the government always plays to the gallery for the hardliners in their community and not the common Muslim whose daily concern is same as mine-a decent life. And at last, they must ask themselves, why do they vote and follow such leaders.

The Hindus need to get their house straight too. Do we realize we’re turning into a bunch of over sensitive sissies? When did Hinduism become weak enough to be offended by a mere painting of some old man or the words of TV commentator in the U.S? When did we start getting polarized in the name of saving our religion? The Ghajnis and Ghoris killed millions of Hindus, but not Hinduism. If we become just like them, they will have finally won.

We are not supposed to be like this. We are supposed to think sanely. Reservations might get us jobs. But knowledge will empower us. If the Dalits and the Muslims are properly educated, they won’t need the crutches of reservation. I won’t talk about the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb and the stories of friendship between Hindus-Muslims. I won’t even talk about that Ram in Ramzan and Ali in Diwali. I don’t think we are kids to be swayed by stories. I will just say that unless we do away with this mutual disrespect and hatred for each other due to religion or caste, we will be taken for ride by any and every corrupt politician. They don’t respect us because they know we can be easily fooled and made to bay for each other’s blood. They know we will fight for our Gods instead for our hungry kids. They know we don’t realize its God protecting us and not the other way round.

It’s time we refuse to be their pets. Let’s not run after every bread thrown at us. We want serious development in all spheres. We mean business. Do not look at our freedom fighters for inspiration. They were against a formidable enemy. The one we face today can be cut to size by a wise choice we make on that voting machine.

-Kunal Anand

What does democracy mean to me?

2012-01-22T09:43:00.000-08:00

I was tempted to start this post with the Gettysburg address by Abraham Lincoln. “Of the people, by the people, for the people.” is an interesting idea taught in the junior school civics books. But as we grow up,we learn that many things that we believed as kids are not true. For me,it started with knowing that Santa isn’t real.The thought made me sad.But soon,I realized that even though there wasn’t any jolly,old man living at the North Pole, the idea of Santa was very real.Why do kids love Santa?Gifts,right? And gifts they get,year after year,from their parents and neighbours.

As I grew up and observed the world's largest democracy,I was in for a heartbreak(again). The Lincoln definition didn’t hold true. Few governments were formed by the people.Elections were mostly about money and muscles.Few governments were of or cared for the people.It was all about making money, and securing a seat for relatives and sons.

I was disillusioned. But,like in case of Santa,I realized that it’s not about corrupt politicians and bureaucrats, it’s about the idea of democracy. And that idea is alive in form of Rights,Freedom and Responsibilities.

Rights and Freedom(citizens):Human rights and freedom are fundamental to a democracy.In India and in U.S,the major reason behind a vibrant democracy is the rights granted to the citizens by the constitution. Democracy is about the right to choose my own God,call Him by a name I like and pray to Him the way I deem fit. It’s also about the right not to choose a God. Democracy is about the right to live with dignity.A society wherein no one is targeted because of his/her race,gender,ethnicity or religion.

A government might try to curtail these rights. The recent debate on online censorship being a case in point. The beauty of a functioning democracy is the right to protest against such initiatives. Those sitting in the higher echelons of power might miss the cries of a few individuals. But when the entire nation shouts,they mean business. My idea of democracy gives its citizens a right to shout,to be heard and respected.Ppeople might be wrong at times.But in a democracy,that’s no reason to shut anyone’s voice. Democracy is freedom.

Rights and Freedom(Government): A strong government is integral to a strong democracy. Government has to be free from undue international and political pressures. If it’s vulnerable to arm-twisting by fringe elements,it can never deliver good governance.

A strong opposition is essential to keep the government from turning in an autocracy. They work as conscience-keepers of the government. It’s their right to protest when they feel the government is wrong.Its the responsibility of the government to negotiate in such situations instead of acting haughty.

Responsibilities(Citizens): Unbridled rights without responsibility is of no use. My freedom of speech doesn’t mean I can shower abuses at others. My freedom of religion doesn’t mean I can deride the followers of other faiths. As Spiderman’s(I was sad when I realized he too isn’t real and his closest substitute is Barack Obama) uncle said-“With great powers,come great responsibilities”.

Democracy gives us great powers.If you think I am exaggerating,turn your eyes(and nose) to Egypt,Libya, and other Middle East regimes. Smell jasmine? The monarchs,who had subdued every legitimate aspiration of their countrymen,are tumbling down. Thousands have laid their lives fighting for the same basic civil rights that we take for granted.

The rights we get have to be complimented with certain responsibilities to make a democracy tick. Be it the responsible use of public services like transport,water,electricity or choosing our words wisely so as not to hurt other. So how do we know whether we are being responsible or not? Just make sure that our actions and words aren’t infringing upon someone else’s rights.

Responsibilities(Government): This one’s the favourite part of many of us. We all want an honest and responsible government. In large and diverse countries like India and the U.S,a responsible government is necessary to keep the nation united and on the right track. A few wrong moves and what you get is a massive civil society agitation or a dark Wikipedia page making it very difficult to complete your child’s homework. The best way to live happily ever after is to stick to the books(constitution) and provide Justice,Liberty,Equality,Fraternity to the people.

My description of democracy might not be complete.But these are the things I feel are crucial to the idea of a vibrant democracy. There are nations that have failed to sustain this form of governance as they missed on one or the other of these points. And how does India fair on the democratic scale? Fairly good. We have never had a coup,and since independence,there has been just one incident of breakdown of the democratic machinery at the centre. But there’s a long way to go. We still need to address the grievances of fellow Indians who have turned to armed struggles. We still need to control the spate of farmers suicides and feed our malnourished kids. We have to assure the common man that it’s safe to venture out of home and that the police and the intelligence will protect him from getting blown up in a terror attack. He needs to be assured that a water or electricity connection is his basic right and no bribe is necessary for the same. His daughter must not be deprived of a seat in the medical college because of her caste or lack of capitation fee. He needs his basic rights and freedom. But the catch is,the common man must understand that the state can’t be overthrown by pelting stones or raising an army of tribal insurgents.He needs to channelize his anger.He needs to vote ,and vote wisely. He is as accountable for electing the right government representative as the government is for addressing his aspirations.

The idea called democracy is enchantingly beautiful. With a little intelligent work by each one of us, we can make it a perfect reality.

Honesty of convenience.

2012-01-13T08:19:00.000-08:00

Our flat in Delhi wasn’t having a dedicated water connection. The owner had applied for it and after getting the necessary approval from the Delhi Jal Board (who were very co-operative), today, the process of making the connection was started. When the workers started to dig a small stretch of the road to make the connection, a policeman on his Royal Enfield arrived. He demanded to see the necessary papers. Our papers were still with a man who was responsible to get it from the Jal Board. I called up the guy and he said it would take him an hour to come with the papers. The policeman started getting restless. My neighbors talked to him and suggested me and my friend to give him some ‘Chai-paani’ and get the work done. But we didn’t. I said that since we had the proper documents, we would prefer to wait for an hour than to grease the palms of a government employee. The policeman used his time to eat a few oranges (without paying of course) from a roadside vendor. My resolve not to bribe him strengthened. My neighbours said that he might ask us to visit the police station if we didn’t pay him. We were game for it as we had done nothing wrong.

Finally, the papers arrived after 45 minutes and the policeman left. We felt good and proud for having resisted the temptation to get the work done the easy way by bribing. But one question that disturbs me is, what would I have done in case I didn’t have the proper papers? There have been instances in the past when I have paid the ticket-checker in the train to get a berth in case I didn’t have a confirmed seat. Even for my driver’s license, I paid an agent as I wanted it quick. Isn’t my honesty and uprightness all about convenience? I guess most of us do the same. It’s difficult to resist the temptation. After all, if spending a few extra bucks saves us all the headaches of standing in a queue or waiting for months for an LPG connection, then so be it.

The bigger question is, if we do so, then what right do we have to call a government corrupt or a policeman greedy? From where I see it, if they are the ones asking for bribes, it’s we, standing at the other hand,ever-eager to oblige them.

Poonam Pandey to declare her assets in support of Lokpal.

2011-12-31T22:37:00.000-08:00

(This post is a work of fiction, and the writer doesn't intend to hurt anyone’s feelings or sentiments. So don’t give too much of serious thought to it. Happy reading !)

In a not-so shocking development, Twitter-model Poonam Pandey has promised to declare her assets in support of a strong Lokpal. In her first tweet of 2012, she said-“Gm tweeple! Am gonna declare my “assets” soon to support Nana’s version of Lokpal.Keep watching ths space!” Times of India,the official sponsor of Poonam pandey was quick to cash on this news. They put up a slideshow of Poonam’s self-shot photos even before the tweet went live. Reporter Chatur Chintu met the pretty lass in her bathtub while she was self-shooting her next movie. Here’s what Poonam had to say about her latest patriotic move-

Chatur: Hello Poonam. Your tweet has raised a storm. What’s with this “Nana’s version of Lokpal”? Nana Patekar has denied preparing any lokpal draft!

Poonam(PP): Nana patekar! I meant Nana Anna Hazare! You see,I am from a very cultured society. In our family,we never address our elders by their names. Since Anna ji is of my grandfather’s age,I refer to him as nana.

Chatur: How do you think that the declaration of your wealth and property can help in passage of a strong Lokpal bill?

PP: Listen. I am a middle class Indian girl. The only wealth I have is my “Izzat”. Haven’t you heard that “Sharam toh aurat ka gehna hai”? Just like I used this wealth to inspire Dhoni and co. to win the world cup in 2011, I hope to inspire Sibbal and co. to pass a strong Lokpal bill in 2012.

Chatur: But don’t you think you have declared every bit of whatever little wealth you had?

PP: LOL! What I have already declared is like what Sharad Pawar declared as his wealth last year. I am the Sharad Pawar of glamour world.There’s a lot more to me than you have seen kid.

Chatur: Our readers will agree with your last observation. You and Pawar arouse the same emotions in their hearts and hands. One suggestion,never meet Harvinder Singh. Anyways, what exactly are you planning to do?

Poonam with the 'India' tattoo,soon to be replaced by the 'ISO' logo.

PP: My team has planned a photo-shoot where I will declare all my “assets”. We are in talks with the International Organization for Standardization to use their logo on my arm.

Chatur: What? You want your photo to be ISO certified?

PP: If that fake model Veena from Pakistan can get Indian Statistical Institute(ISI) to tattoo her arm and certify her ugly pictures, why can’t I get an international certification for a good cause? That will be all.Thank you.

Meanwhile,Arvind Kejriwal has denied reports that his team has approached Poonam to lend her support to the cause. He suggested that it was former member Swami Agnivesh’s trick.”He was the only one from our team to have a personal rapport with Poonam “.

Kapil Sibbal has said that such antics will have no bearing on Congress MPs as they are so loyal to the High Command,they never think kinky even about their own wives. However,he was apprehensive about what effect Poonam’s assets will have on MPs from RJD and SP . Rahul Gandhi refused to comment citing the adult content of the question. Digvijay Singh has suggested that Poonam should tattoo ‘RSS’ on her arms and take the phrase ‘RSS ka haath hai’ to an entirely new level.

P.S: While the political class,the people and Poonam Pandeys scheme about how to get a Lokpal of their choice and convenience, Anna Hazare,the man who made ‘Lokpal’ a dream of every Indian has been hospitalised due to poor health.

-Kunal Anand

Pawar’s daughter slaps Harvinder Singh on Facebook !

2011-11-25T22:09:00.000-08:00

(This post is a work of fiction, and the writer doesn't intend to hurt anyone’s feelings or sentiments. So don’t give too much of serious thought to it. Happy reading !)

Harvinder Singh, the man who slapped hon’ble Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar was paid back in his own coin by Pawar’s daughter and M.P Supriya Sule. She slapped him 72 times on Facebook using Slapster. “One slap for every year of my papa’s entire life”, said Sule, clearing the rumours that the number ‘72’ had anything to do with the 72 virgins promised to jihadists in heaven.

De Ghuma Ke!

Supriya hosted a press conference in Mumbai after her endeavour. “This was necessary. A lesson had to be taught to anti-nationals and anti-Marathis. You just can’t go around slapping the leaders of our country. After all that they have done for our nation, this is the way you pay them?” She asked with tears in her eyes. When asked how she found Harvinder on Facebook, Supriya replied with her trademark “I am so intelligent” smile,” It wasn’t that difficult. I searched his name, and the first profile to come up had the status message-“ Slapped another corrupt *** today.Chun-Chun ke maarunga!Bhagat Singh ki Jai !” . Anna Hazare and 462 others like this. “I sent him a friend request from a dummy profile named-“Sharad Pawar ko aur maar”. The fool fell for it. After that, it was my hand and his cheek.”

Meanwhile, the protests by NCP cadres have now shifted from the streets of Maharashtra to walls of Facebook. Many people with surname “Singh” have reported receiving anonymous friend requests with semi-nude profile pictures. When some people accepted such friend request in lure of viewing entire photo albums, they were bombarded with “Jai Maharashtra” and “Sharad Pawar Jindabad” posts. Many of them were victims of Slapster too. Things took an ugly turn when one activist going by the name “Miss Minority” slapped Digvijay Singh by mistake. Digvijay was quick to brand her an RSSian.

Sharad Pawar has appealed to Supriya and NCP activists to refrain from any retaliatory action. He has forgiven Harvinder Singh too. When Chatur Chintu, who is lodged in Tihar for defaming KRK in his last article(http://www.fakingnews.com/2011/10/krk-refuses-to-play-g-one-in-bhojpuri-remake-of-ra-one/) talked to Harvinder , the man said,” When the families of 200,000 farmers who have committed suicide in the last 10 years haven’t forgiven him., who is Pawar to forgive me? I will slap him again if given a chance. Even A.Raja and Kalmadi have lent their support to me because Pawar never supported them.”

Asked about Supriya Sule’s Slapster exploits,Harvinder smiled and said,”72 Pawar ki,Ek Sardar ki”. J

Kunal Anand

Narendra Modi joins Congress!!!

2011-11-14T08:12:00.000-08:00

(This post is a work of fiction, and the writer doesn't intend to hurt anyone’s feelings or sentiments. So don’t give too much of serious thought to it. Happy reading ! J . )

In a secular turn of events, Gujarat CM and the Congress certified communal leader Narendra Modi has decided to join the Congress party. This development has shocked political pundits and maulvis alike. In the recent months, Modi has refused to eat on various occasions out of sheer frustration of being the only communal leader in the country. These hunger strikes were marketed by the BJP as Sadbhavna Missions. Modi has tried everything, even development of Gujarat to earn the “Secular certificate” from Congress, but, despite making Gujarat the fastest growing state, his efforts have found few takers in the Secular Core Committee of Congress party headed by Digvijay Singh and Jagdish Tytler. His own party has done little to help him. BJP is too happy to have many candidates who are fit to be the PM (the only problem is they don’t have the majority).

Stung by the secularists and spurned by his own party, Modi today announced his decision to join Congress. “I am a Con(gressi) and I am not a communalist” is what Narendrabhai said after meeting the goddess of secularism, Sonia Gandhi. His new look of wearing the skull cap, the holy cross and red tika has found instant takers among the Muslims, Christians and Middle class Hindus who are going gaga over his change of heart.

“Today is a great day. Insha’Allah, we will change the heart of every kafir with our goodwill”, said the separatist leader Ahmed Shah Geelani, who was in Delhi for his monthly dialysis.

Modi addressed a press conference outside the most famous shrine of secularism-10, Janpath. When Chatur Chintu asked him why he chose only Congress, Modi said-“When it comes to secularism, Congress is Teflon. No charges of communalism or rioting sticks to them. Be it the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the Bhagalpur riots, the Babri demolition under Narsimha’s regime, dozens of tiny disturbances in Mau,Merrut or the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley, Congress comes clean every time. Their unshaken faith in the Gandhi family, who, by virtue of their surname are the most secular human beings, keeps the Congressis from turning communal. As a BJP member, I have been run down for the last 9 years as a fascist, while the Congress leaders accused of participating in Gujarat riots still enjoy secular credentials. By joining the only party authorized to declare people secular, I have earned VISA rights to USA.”

Meanwhile, the congress party is overwhelmed at having snatched the last leader BJP had. Manish Tiwari declared that Modi is drenched in secularism from head to toe. Kapil Sibbal has promised to come up with a zero loss theory that will prove that not a single life was lost during Gujarat riots. Rahul Gandhi told reporters to ask Wikileaks about his opinion. Digvijay Singh claimed that it was a plot of RSS and the Nazis. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he had no knowledge about any such development. Sonia Gandhi just smiled and flashed the victory sign. J

(I hope this imaginary satire doesn’t hurt the sentiments of anyone. )

Bharat and India

2011-05-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

The recent farmer agitation in Noida brought back the memories of Singur. It was an agitation of poor hapless farmers who are expected to sell their land (which has been in their family for generations) in exchange for cash and sometimes, a job. We might have varied opinion on land acquisition policies of our governments. Some of us accept it as a necessary evil to make way for the new modern India that needs roads, factories and high-rises for her latest tryst with destiny to become a superpower.

Yet there are those of us who find it unjustifiable to take away land from their owners all in the garb of development. Add to this the political games played on such sensitive spots. Singur became a battlefield between the CPI (M) and Trinmool Congress cadres. Most of the dead were common villagers. Similar struggles in Chattisgarh,Orissa and Jharkhand has helped the Maoists to expand their base among poor tribals who are being uprooted from their centuries old homes to make way for mines and steel plants.

Instead of forming a fair land acquisition policy (the current policy is cumbersome and vague and Governments can manipulate it to suit the interests of their corporate partners), our politicians use every agitation to fulfill their own designs. Riding on the Singur wave, Trinmool Congress has overthrown 34 years of communist rule in Bengal. But the ultimate losers have been the people of Singur. When Trinmool picked up the issue, the TATA Nano plant had already been constructed. Instead of working for an amicable compromise, the stubbornness of Mamta Banerjee forced the TATA’s to leave Singur. What’s left behind is a large swathe of concrete covered land that is now unfit for cultivation. At the same time, people have been deprived of jobs that they had got in the TATA plant.

In Noida, C.M Mayawati ordered the police to arrest the leader of the farmers. There were also reports of police lathi charge on the protesters. So much for a leader who claims to be the messiah of the Dalit and downtrodden. Enter the poster boy of Indian polity, Rahul Gandhi. He sat with the farmers and declared that he is ashamed to call himself an Indian. Considering that his family and his party has ruled this country for most of the time since independence, a more accurate confession would have been that he is ashamed to belong to a party and family whose policies have made him ashamed of being an Indian. A strange thing about Rahul’s support to such causes is that he always comes to the forefront when the issue pertains to non-congress governments. He will weep for the tribals of Chhattisgarh and Noida, but keeps mum over lakhs of farmer’s suicides in Vidarbha,Maharashtra. He will call Mayawati a tyrant but his party will go hand in glove with BSP to stall the report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G scam.

This kind of double standard pervades all the parties. The problem is the opportunistic mentality of politicians and businessmen. Instead of giving the owners of land their due, they try to shortchange them. Just cash won’t be enough when you are taking away a man’s only source of income. He must be given a proper job too. If he doesn’t have the required education, he must be trained instead of being made a watchman on the gates of factories. We also need to control our greed for useless urban expansion. Few years ago, a study showed that more than half the malls in Gurgaon are suffering losses due to lack of consumers. This is bound to happen when you have a shopping mall at every intersection.

"The soul of India lives in its villages", declared M. K. Gandhi at the beginning of 20th century. According to the 2011 Indian census, 70% of Indians still live in villages. It’s possible that our ivory tower existence in the cities, coupled with round the clock display of urban India in the media might make us think that this country is all about big cities and towering glass buildings. But the truth is that we make a small minority of the real India. The real India works overtime to grow food grains while we “LOL” on Facebook. It gives this country the much needed green cover in these times of global warming. Without this real India, we will be forced to believe that real mango means a bottle of Maaza. Even if we can’t appreciate these facts, the truth remains that those people whose land is taken away forcefully are no less Indians than any one of us. They too have the same rights. They too deserve the same dignity. It’s time the government, corporate world and the urban Indians develop a sympathetic attitude towards the sensitive issue of farmland acquisition.

-Kunal Anand

Alvida Chennai…

2011-05-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

Four years isn’t a long period in a man’s life. But if those four years are your college life, they ought to be special and memorable. As my college life ends and in all probability, I leave Chennai for some other place; I can’t stop myself from saying a final goodbye to this beautiful city that has given me the best four years of my life.

My first brush with Chennai wasn’t very pleasant (and is not talking about the summer heat. That’s the only thing I wish Chennai could get rid of). As I got down at Chennai central station for my first trip to SRM to attend the counseling session, my uncle realized he needed to replace his wrist watch battery. The roadside vendor charged us Rs 100 for a 20 bucks Chinese stuff. When I tried to reason with him, he said that the battery was big. This made me blurt the most ridiculous argument ever. I asked him, “By that logic, you will charge Rs1000 for a pencil battery! “. He gave me a nasty look and that very moment, I decided this wasn’t the city I wanted to spend my next four years in. As fate would have it, I wasn’t left with many choices. I joined my college a few months later and thus began my love-hate relationship with this city.

Like most people from north, I too was prejudiced. The sambar smell, the flowers in in every other women’s hairs, the undecipherable Tamil billboards, the life size cutouts of Capt.Vijaykanth with Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda(I swear I am not making this up!) were a few of the things we used to joke about in the hostel. Add to this the horrible mess food and not so friendly college administration, and the hatred for Chennai, Tamil Nadu and anything remotely associated with Chennai was complete.

Then the classes started. Slowly, I realized that my Tamil and Telugu friends are way cooler than me. They give a dime about LTTE (contrary to the belief that Tamilians sympathize with prabhakaran). They know Hindi! Unlike the rich spoilt brats we see in Delhi and other major cities, the rich guys here are down to earth, although they love to splurge on luxuries too. They do drive Audi, but don’t run over the lesser mortals. They don’t kill Jessica Lals for not serving liquor. And money is the last thing that decides their friend circle.

The city, many people still refer to it as Madras, is as colorful and diverse as the Tamil movies. You can see 1950 Premier Padmini waiting on traffic signals alongside Lamborghini Gallardo. The Victorian structure Ripon building can still give a run for the money to the newly built Express Avenue in terms of grandeur. This city has given us India’s most sophisticated sci-fi movie-The Robot, but it still comes to standstill when India’s biggest superstar-Rajnikanth makes an appearance in his trademark black shirt and dhoti, sans make-up and wig.

The beauty of Chennaites lies in their simplicity. Their matinee idols don’t need to look young and ravishing either on-screen or in real life. They know how to love their stars the way they are. This is why a bus conductor can become a worldwide phenomenon and actresses with waist size double to that of Deepika padukone can give her a run for her money. Inspite of mushrooming of KFCs and Mc Donald’s, there’s still no match for the idlis from Ratna café. The chennaite is deeply rooted in his culture while embracing modernity. He is as comfortable eating at the Taj with French cutleries as he is in the traditional banana leaf. If there’s one city where the old and new India isn’t two different localities but are one single entity coexisting in perfect harmony, it’s Chennai.

In Chennai, it’s impossible not to notice the omnipresent political graffiti’s. They are everywhere-on walls, flyovers, subways, vehicles. Karunanidhi is almost as famous as Rajinikanth in this part of the world. When you distribute free color TVs and rice at Rs1/kg, you are bound to be idolized.

This city is unique. You can sit in the local train with your friends and talk loudly in the not so decent version of “engineering Hindi” without the fear of being scolded by some elderly uncle. This city is relatively safe for girls and working women even at late nights. This is one aspect in which Chennai is totally different from the national rape capital of India. Unlike other metros, people here are busy amongst themselves, too busy to think about teaching “lessons” to girls who venture out at nights for work or even discos.

Spencer’s plaza was my favorite destination for the first two years. Even now, if you visit the mall on weekends, it will resemble a mini SRM buzzing with students from our college. It’s still one of those few places where the biggest brands share space with cheap fake goods. With the opening of Express Avenue (EA), Spencer’s might have lost a lot of its admirers, but the old lady still lures us once in a while.

Watching Chak De! India on the main screen of Sathyam cinemas with a packed crowd was amazing. That was the day I became a fan of Sathyam cinemas like every other guy who has visited this multiplex at least once. You can’t escape its charm. Oh wait! You can escape to ESCAPE!

The sweltering heat can make anyone hate Chennai. But you need to know Chennai to love her. And once you do that, there’s no escaping her charm. Who can forget this city after driving on ECR, watching the sunset at Besant nagar beach, and exploring the chariot temples of Mahab? This city is like a shell. To know her worth, you have to look in to see the shining pearl-pure and immaculate, she holds inside her heart.

I was lucky to experience the joy called Chennai. Contrary to what I had thought four years back, I will leave Chennai with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. I will forever miss this city and the friends I made here.
But the memories will always lighten my heart whenever I will be sad.

P.S: This might well be my last post from Chennai. I hope I get a chance to be back soon. God knows how many times I have dreamt of buying one of those beach villas on ECR and spending my life watching the waves crash against the shores. J

-Kunal Anand

This Revolution might not be useless after all

2011-04-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

My English teacher taught me that when choosing sides in a debate competition, always take the tougher stand. This makes the judges sympathetic as they know you are taking up a lost cause. The recent spate of doubts and apprehensions being cast on Anna Hazare and his movement shows that many people have learnt the same thing in their schooldays.

The world cup hangover was yet to subside when suddenly; Indians were confronted with two new terms-Anna Hazare and Jan Lokpal Bill. I won’t get into the intricacies of the man and the bill. Let’s assume, as predicted by the educated activists of the new media,that like most youngsters, I am naïve about what the bill means and am yet supporting the movement by being nothing more than a Facebook crusader. In my humble capacity as just another guy with a computer(laptop in my case) who has nothing better to do than talk, I will try to answer the apprehensions of the more intelligent group of the detractors(most of whom themselves do nothing more than acting smart on social networking sites.)

Suspicion 1: No revolution has been won through Facebook. Online activism might make us feel good about ourselves but offers nothing concrete.

A: Those who think so need a time machine to return to the 21^st century from the period of American Revolution. A few months back, an employee of Google in Egypt made people aware of the atrocities of their ruler. What began as a discussion on an online forum culminated in mass protests at Tahrir Square in Cairo and other parts of the country? The tyrant is now gone, thanks to Facebook. The news of people’s revolt spread across the globe, again thanks to online forums. What followed was Tunisia,Yemen,Libya,Qatar. Till a few decades ago, these rulers could have easily suppressed any such mutiny at the very start. But the harmless looking Facebook makes sure that news travels at the speed of light (Einstein, you listening mate?)

Nobody can deny that any change requires people to come out on street. But without online media and its hyper activism, dozens of Indian cities wouldn’t have witnessed thousands of people gathering simultaneously in support of Lokpal bill.

Suspicion 2: Revolution requires blood (source:Prasoon Joshi-the Jingle maker and lyricist)

A: Mr. Prasoon,you think your netas care for your blood and pain? This isn’t your Rang De Basanti where the protagonist kills the minister. The only thing our netas care about is our votes. They can rig a few seats in the elections. But they can’t rig the entire process anymore. They don’t care for our blood, just like they give a dime about poor tribals who are dying in the crossfire between the state and the naxals. Why do you think even after a decade of “Red revolution”, the tribal belts of India are yet underdeveloped with no roads, electricity or education while just four days of angry city dwellers marching with candles leads to the formation of a Lokpal bill drafting committee? It’s because vote outweighs blood. The government can afford to lose us, not our votes. The point is to make them understand we won’t vote for them if they don’t listen to us. And the 24-hour government monitored social media does this in a better way than your “Khooni Kranti”.

Suspicion 3: The ongoing agitation is saffronised and partial towards a particular religion

A: Really? Does the picture of Bharat Maa and chanting of Vande Matram and devotional songs make this movement a Hindu agitation? Does that mean the songs using words like”Khuda, Allah” are just for the Muslims? What about the commonly used term “Insha Allah” ? Why don’t most of us feel that these terms are pro-Muslim? It’s because they are not! It’s because be it Vande Matram or Insha’Allah, they both are part of India’s composite culture and not the patent of any religion. Will we term thousands of our freedom fighters who sang Vande Matram before laying down their lives as communalists? Why does secularism mean demeaning and doubting the majority? Why can’t it be about respecting and celebrating every religion? What makes our secular media open to talks with Geelanis and Lashkars while saffron clad Baba Ramdev is projected as a Hindu fundamentalist? Why is it okay to distribute Jihadi CDs in Kashmir and shout “Hindustan Murdabad” while the lectures of Ramdev are forbidden from being telecast live? Agreed, he is partial in his tirade and targets just the ruling party. But that doesn’t change the truth that all his allegations are mostly true.

Suspicion 4: Anna Hazare is over-hyped, genNext is doing all this for fun, the movement will die soon, the proposed Lokpal bill is draconian, etc etc.

A: He was instrumental in forcing Maharashtra Govt to bring the Right to Information act. His previous fast unto death led to ouster of four tainted ministers of Maharashtra govt. His sudden rise at the national stage might be the result of people’s overzealousness. But let’s remember, it’s not about the man, but the movement.

GenNext might be doing this for fun. But isn’t this fun better than watching cricket? Hasn’t the candle light marches led to at least some kind of serious investigations in cases like Jessica and Aarushi murder cases? Wouldn’t Ruchika Girhotra suicide case go unnoticed? It was the overzealousness of the youth that led to disgracing of Ruchika’s tormentor SPS Rathode. Most of these convicts might ultimately walk free, but if not for the “immature” youngsters, they would have never been caught in the first place.

The proposed lokpal bill is a tad too tight. It’s like a super government over the elected government. But it’s not the final draft. The newly constituted panel will surely make it more practical. There’s no harm in giving them a chance till August 15.Haven’t we waited for 40 years for this bill?

A healthy analysis of any movement is welcome. It helps in keeping the movement close to its goals. It prevents the leaders of the masses from turning despots. But terming it a passing phenomenon without giving the movement a chance is immature. People like Hazare,Arvind Kejriwal,Kiran Bedi and Shanti Bhushan have an impeccable career record(better than our clean PM).Many of them have left lucrative opportunities to join hands against corruption. If we fail in exams, we are given a chance to write a make-up test. These guys haven’t failed us yet. So why are we being so negative now itself? If we don’t like this movement, at least let’s wait and watch. If they fail us, I would like to see the likes of Prasoon Joshi come forward and usher the change they are preaching. If the Facebook generation can’t bring in revolution; surely your jingles and Bollywood songs stand no chance Mr.Joshi.

-Kunal Anand

Satyamev jayate (Truth alone triumphs)

2011-03-03T23:09:00.000-08:00

I am not a pessimist, but the never ending chain of scams and corruption charges against ministers and bureaucrats had turned me cynic. I got disillusioned and a dark corner of my heart began to believe that maybe, the democracy and freedom that I so vehemently support no more exists in this fabled motherland of mine.

Thursday, March 3, 2011 changed it all.Millions of Indians must have tuned in their TV sets and logged in their e-newspapers for another dose of crime and corruption. But all of us were pleasantly surprised to hear that the Supreme Court of India had quashed the appointment of the tainted Chief Vigilance commissioner (CVC) P J Thomas. It felt like standing on verge of a cliff and being pulled back just before the fatal jump.

When a high powered committee (HPC) comprising of the likes of PM Manmohan Singh (the self-proclaimed Caesar’s wife) and HM Chidambaram appoints someone, not many people can dare mess with such a decision. After all, the duo had disregarded the reservations of the Leader of the Opposition, Sushma swaraj and bulldozed their will with a 2-1 majority. But not everyone takes a beating without questioning. A PIL filed by JM Lyngdoh brought forth the blatant irregularities in this high profile appointment. The nation was shocked to know that PJ Thomas had a pending charge sheet against him that accused him of causing Rs 2.32cr loss when he was Kerala food secy by allowing import of palm oil at an inflated price.

The govt, on its part was amused. They thought if they could bully a weak opposition in the parliament, a bench comprising of 3 judges would be a cakewalk. Only this time, the bench had the Chief Justice of India, Justice SH Kapadia, and a man of impeccable integrity. Inspite of all the excuses given by the govt, Justice Kapadia and his team refused to budge. The bench said-“Selection to the post of CVC can’t be on the basis of a bio-data. It has to be an informed decision….Recommendation of the high powered committee to appoint PJ Thomas as CVC is non-est(non-existent) in law”.

The opposition might take this decision as another arrow to aim at the govt, but the real victors have been the people of India and the real hero is our Supreme Court. In recent times, whenever the mighty and the corrupt have looked invincible, the highest seat of Indian Judiciary has reminded them that no one is above the law. Be it the ouster of A raja or Kalmadi,the detention of the high profile money launderer Hasan Ali(who is supposed to have close connections with high profile politicians) or the current ruling against PJ Thomas, the Supreme Court has done more than its share to uphold the dignity of constitution and instill faith in people.

While the tenure of former Chief justice KG Balakrishnan was marred with controversies like disproportionate assets of a few judges, the current CJI is doing everything to reaffirm that only people with impeccable credentials sit on the chairs of justice.

The good news is that our courts aren’t afraid to twist the ears of erring governments. The bad news is, the court is being forced to police our elected representatives. PJ Thomas shouldn’t have been appointed in the first place. A Raja’s files should not have been cleared by the PM. Kalmadi and Bhanot should have been kicked out long back. But instead, the govt waits till it runs out options. No amount of public outcry falls on their ears. Action is taken only after our courts take the matter in their hands and chide the govt representatives like a primary school kid. The corruption charges that reach the Supreme Court are only a tip of the ice berg that is threatening to sink our democratic setup. The lower courts even now run on money and threats. The lynching of a RTI activist in Daltonganj on the same day as this verdict sums up the darkness that encircles the light. For now, people like me will renew their faith, but a collective effort on the part of govt, judiciary and police right from the block level to the parliament is required to keep the light of hope burning.

Kunal Anand.

Rahul Gandhi’s article on black money adjudged best essay by Champak magazine.

2011-02-01T05:09:00.000-08:00

In what is being seen as a major image booster for beleaguered Congress and its heir-apparent Rahul Gandhi, his recent essay on bringing back black money from the Swiss bank has been chosen as the best essay in under-14 category by Champak magazine. Our readers must be familiar with Champak

which is one the most widely circulated child

magazine in India.

Rahul Baba had been trying real hard for a long time to get this award. His previous essays titled “Mumbai for Indians,India for Gandhis”, “ India v/s Bharat”, “You are a Hindu, so You are a terrorist”, ”How I met that beggar”, “If tribals win it’s because of me, If they get killed don’t look at me” had failed to generate much interest outside the Congress party. PM Manmohan Singh had personally signed all his previous essays before forwarding it to the Champak editor. But every time, success eluded India’s PM in waiting. Some congress insiders (read Digvijay Singh) blamed the PM for Rahul Baba’s consistent failures.” How can you expect the editor of Champak to take seriously something that has been signed by our PM? Of course he has far bigger things to look after.” Taking a cue, Rahul Gandhi left no stone unturned this time. He chose a topic that’s close to the heart of every Indian kid. Corruption and Swiss bank accounts have always fascinated India’s future generation.therefore; he wrote an emotional essay on the need to bring back all the black money stashed in Swiss bank and use it for the welfare of the poor (remember “How I met that beggar”?). But the fact that turned the tables for him was the signature of Manmohan Singh replaced by that of Sonia Gandhi. “Ignore something forwarded by the high command at your own peril”.

Our child correspondent, Chatur Chintu met Rahul Baba at the sidelines of the award function. “It’s like a dream come true. Right from my kindergarten days, I have been an avid reader of Champak. Getting my essay selected is something that gives me more pleasure than being called the next PM.” When asked about why he only writes essays instead of suggesting concrete measures or taking corrective steps to realize what he professes, Rahul Baba had this to offer-“My essays are aimed at kids. My great Grandfather loved kids and in his honour, I write essays that touch the heart of India’s budding future. I believe that by suggesting remedial measures for the issues I raise, I will be only confusing the kids who, I believe are too young to understand the intricacies of how an autocracy runs within a democracy”.

Feeding the seperatists.

2010-10-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

Delhi witnessed a bizarre event on October 21^st. A seminar titled “Azadi: the only way” organized by Committee for Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP) had Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and the anti-India activist (she ceased to be a novelist long back) Arundhati Roy amongst its list of “distinguished” speakers. Amid tight security, the seminar gave a platform to these two “proponents” of Azadi to do what they do the best-Spew venom against India. Only this time they forgot that it was not some pro azadi rally in Kashmir or a Pakistani city where people revel in such fantasies. As soon as they started abusing India, a group of activists rushed to the podium and almost came to blows with the organizers. They fittingly waved the tri colour to give Geelani a taste of India’s mood.

Before you conclude about who these protesters were and zero down on RSS or some other favorite whipping boys of the media, it must be known that these people were a group of Kashmiris who have been displaced from their homeland due to militancy (and not due to Indian Security Forces as Geelani would like you to believe). After the opposition questioned the motive behind allowing such secessionist events in the heart of India, Home Minister has assured that proper actions would be taken after analyzing the recording tapes.

Geelani's Indian passport

Geelani and Roy boast themselves to be the champions of the “Kashmiri Cause”. Yet, neither of them extended any kind of help to the victims of the disastrous Leh floods. I can understand Geelani’s mindset. He is a Pakistani agent who long ago lost any kind of influence on the Kashmiris and is now ready to stoop low to any extent to get that back. So, it’s quite understandable that a “Buddhist Leh” and a “Hindu Jammu” doesn’t fit in his Kashmir portrait. But what about Arundhati Roy? What started with some anti-national columns in a few magazines has now spiraled into a full blown anti India rhetoric! She says her only demand is justice for the poor tribal but she doesn’t want to be a mediator between the Maoists and the government. She says Kashmiris have the right to choose whom they want to stay with but she turns a deaf ear to the millions of Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims whose heart and soul is entwined to India just like any one of ours. I read some of her vitriolic articles in Pakistani newspapers (they are usually applauded there first before a few pseudo-activists publish them in India). But I have never ever read an article from her depicting the plight of poor Balochs massacred by the Pakistani army in Balochistan. Aren’t they human enough to have human rights? She can lambast India in Delhi and Lahore. Why does not she talk about the attack on the peaceful Ahmadiya community in pakistan, the Shia-Sunni strife in Karachi and the poor tribals of North Waziristan who are being prosecuted at the hands of the government and the Talibs? A lion roars whether in a jungle or a cage. Those who whimper at the prospect of being challenged about their legitimacy and the prospect of being kicked are dogs. Roy knows that one statement about the rights violation in Pakistan or China can make her a fugitive in these countries.

But there’s no point in blaming these people. They are just utilizing the weaknesses of our system. Does the largest democracy in the world need to prove its legitimacy by turning a blind eye to such anti national forums and people? When Geelani was dying of kidney failure, the J&K government paid for his treatment at a private hospital in Delhi. It would be foolish to think that such poisonous minds can be cleansed by such tokens of generosity. What is needed is a zero tolerance approach to any activity that threatens the integrity of India, be it “Azadi” seminars or “Temple” agitation. We have come a long way as an independent country in the last 63 years. We can’t let it all go because a dying 80 year old Pakistani agent or a dysfunctional Booker prize winner parasite who thrive on our leniency thinks that the idea of Indian federation is a hoax.

P.S: S.M Sahai (IG Kashmir) has an official page on Facebook. He interacts with people and also answers their questions. I too joined it and was appalled to see people calling him kaafir and questioning his religious beliefs. I posted a comment on his wall supporting him on his endeavor of bringing normalcy in the valley. A guy by the alias name”Aayat Resurrected” replied: “@kunal- Hind kuta, Hindu kuta, Bharat kuta and tumhari Bharat Maa kuti.”(http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=122791084441105&id=131455413567934 ). I read it and smiled and didn’t reply. A person who doesn’t have guts to use his real name while putting forth his ideas doesn’t deserve attention. “Aayat resurrected” is not the guy representing Kashmir or Muslims of India. He is a part of that miniscule minority that refuses to understand that India and Indians have moved on and refuse to indulge in anything that will make them look remotely similar to their failed neighbor Pakistan. Kudos to Mr. Sahai for not deleting a single hate comment. I request the readers to join his page. Let him know that he isn’t alone in his Himalayan task.

Kunal Anand

And with that cable, my patience snapped…

2010-09-22T06:46:00.001-07:00

Finally, my worst fears regarding the commonwealth games have started coming true. Right from the day when the first report on how Kalmadi and Co. have taken the country for a ride started pouring in, I kept praying for the success of these games. I wanted it to succeed, not to hide our corruption and incapability (thanks to our netas and bureaucrats, nobody expects us to be outstandingly honest), but for those poor athletes who toil for years to make their mark on the world stage. I wanted it to succeed for the people of Delhi who have suffered numerous terrorist attacks in the past and this Game could have been their healing balm. I won’t lie; there was a part of me telling that if we could pull this off, it would be a great image booster for the largest democracy in the world. With all the negative hype surrounding the preparations, I still thought that at the end, we would make it. After all, if South Africa, with fewer resources and a lot more problems could make FIFA World Cup memorable, why couldn’t we do it with the CWG?

And then, the newly built foot-over bridge leading to the main stadium came down like a pack of cards. The official reason given was that a few cables holding the structure snapped, leading to the collapse of the structure. Sheila Dikshit again came up with an inhuman excuse (remember her rhetoric about how female journos shouldn’t move out in early hours of day to avoid rape and murder?) telling that there was nothing to worry as the bridge was meant for the commoners and not the athletes! As if the lives of common Delhites means nothing! I don’t remember what kalmadi said. That guy has lost it totally and if not for the “High Command”, he would be sharing space with Abu Salem in Jail. Public Works department passed the buck to the contractors, and as always, nothing changed. Participating countries are threatening to boycott the event due to inhabitable living conditions in the games village. An Australian T.V crew walked in the main venue with a detonator suitcase. In an ironic turn of events, China has finished all work and handed o0ver the athlete’s village to the Asian Games federation for the Asiad that will start only in November.

India’s moment of Shame has finally arrived. Thanks to a group of thieves, the whole nation stands humiliated. Adding salt to the wound, everyone who should have been punished for this mess is walking around without a bit of remorse. I guess we have had enough. It’s time we distance ourselves from this sham. It’s time Delhites keep away from an event whose organizers think it’s ok if a few of them die walking on those over bridges.

THIS IS NOT INDIA’S COMMONWEALTH GAMES. THIS IS NOT HOW WE DO THINGS. We are the people who make high-end processors and softwares. We design Aston Martins. We power NASA missions to the moon. We are in no way incapable of making a few buildings and bridges. It’s just that we chose the wrong people for the job this time. We do not deserve to be disgraced at the hands of a few dysfunctional administrators. So what if they all have colluded together to hide each other’s crimes? Let’s show them that our coalition is far stronger than their “group of thieves”. Let’s not be a part of this mockery. Let this Commonwealth Games FAIL. We won’t lose any respect. These games have brought none anyways. They have failed us forever. LET’S FAIL THEM FOR ONCE. It won’t guarantee any change of guard or heart at the higher level, but at least it will send a message to the world loud and clear that INDIANS ARE NOT A PARTY TO THIS MESS.

On a personal level, I secretly wish that another of those shabbily built structures collapse and this time the only Delhites under it are Kalmadi and Sheila Dikshit. I also wish they survive the fall (which they will, considering they have come out scratch free of their fall from grace). It will be interesting to hear their next excuse.

-Kunal Anand

Saffron terrorism and white corruption.

2010-08-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

Home minister P.Chidambram’s recent statement about “saffron terrorism” has evoked the response he and his government would have expected. The opposition is up in arms calling it an affront to the majority community. Congress spokespersons were quick to call it the opinion of an individual and distanced the party from this controversy. They say Sonia or Manmohan Singh had nothing to do with P.C’s remarks. It’s like saying that the U.S President had nothing to do with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the entire blame lay on the pilots who dropped the bomb! Let’s get it straight and clear-“Terrorism has no colour” and if our home minister is adamant to give a colour to it, then the best he could do was calling it “black terrorism”. After all, hasn’t terrorism blackened our lives and times?

I am not going to waste time discussing the merits of Chidambram’s statement, because I sense a bigger and sinister agenda hidden behind it. Till last week, the whole country (including our opposition parties and media) couldn’t get enough of the mammoth corruption in the Commonwealth Games organizing committee. What should have been a final stamp on the growing prowess of India has turned out to be a shameless specter of money laundering and loot. Right from the beginning, both the Delhi Government and Kalmadi and co. were busy telling us that CWG will be a watershed event. Heavens have shed more than enough water on their plans and they themselves are busy shedding crocodile tears. The UPA government’s response was predictable. Tough statements from Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh about how the guilty won’t be spared and feeble action involving sacking of few scapegoats. They did the same during the IPL controversy by diverting all the heat on Tharoor-Lalit Modi and letting the BCCI bosses walk away scot free. This time, it’s Suresh Kalmadi who was paid for his loyalty to the grand old party.

There’s also a huge resentment about the shameless way in which the salaries of the MP’s was increased threefold while the country is reeling under double digit inflation. Kashmir, Naxals, fake encounters, so many failures in such a short period for the “Common Man’s Government”.

Enter the man who saved government’s face when their home minister Shivraj Patil was facing the music post 26/11. He saved the day by donning the mantle of Home Minister then. He is saving them now by diverting our entire attention now. What was the point in giving colour to a menace that doesn’t choose its victims based upon religion? And what message has the opposition given by supporting the MP salary hike bill and shouting about the colour of terrorism? How do I trust a government that lets off the culprits of one of the biggest scams in independent India and whose investigating agency(CBI) is being accused by a respected IAS officer(Geeta Jowhri) of coercion to implicate their political opponents? As an Indian, I will rejoice the hanging of ever Kasab or Purohit, provided their crime is proved beyond doubt. But our system gives me very few opportunities to do so. It takes less than 5 years to hang the assassinators of Indira Gandhi while the mastermind of the attack on our Parliament in 2001 still eats biryani at the taxpayer’s expense. It takes the suicide of over lakh farmers to bring their miseries in the eyes of the media and politicians while it takes just a few cheap speeches by Lalu Yadav to increase the salary of our MP’s.

At times I feel we all are amnesic. We tend to forget our problems, miseries and the wrongs done to us quickly. We forgive the culprits easily and embrace for the next slap on the face of our democracy without batting an eyelid. We debate the colours of terrorism instead of fighting it. We support our corrupt governments in making CWG a success on the name of “national pride” forgetting the poor who have been displaced and the mammoth amount of money that has been siphoned by those who were supposed to account for every penny.

The ease with which our politicians and bureaucrats fool us every time makes one thing very clear. No matter what colour terrorism is, Corruption is surely WHITE in colour. It doesn’t hurt our eyes, can be easily concealed behind the white colour of our netaji’s kurta and like the white colour in our national flag, it’s deeply engraved in our day to day life. More people die at the hand of this corruption than at the hands of Hindu and Islamic extremists. We can win the war against terrorism of every colour Mr. Home minister. But what about the white corruption rampant in the country whom you call home?

-Kunal Anand

Beggars from the Parliament

2010-08-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

The recent turmoil in the parliament for the hike in our “hardworking, honest MPs” salary presents an interesting picture of our current politics. A country reeling under double digit inflation with many of her major states reeling under severe drought would expect a little bit of shame and mercy from her representatives. As always, our netas are indifferent to our plight.

The Commonwealth Games shall henceforth be referred to as Common Games, now that all the wealth has gone missing without a trace. Kalmadi and Co. still walk scot free. No CRPF battalion has been butchered in the last one month, so Naxal problem is a thing of distant past now. The Nuclear liability bill is once again on the backburner and Kashmir’s turmoil has become a part of our lives just like the Swine Flu-It’s there, and we don’t care. For heaven’s sake, don’t even talk about rising prices! We are still the cheapest telecom market in the world! These and other such issues suddenly seem worthless in front of the “sorry plight “of our “poor” Member of Parliament. The other day, our desi cowboy Lalu Yadav wore the mantle of Messiah of the voiceless MPs and told the House that his poor colleagues’ salary is lower than that of a cabinet secretary. He did forget to mention the various perks and allowances they receive (seesheaded text below). He told that those who oppose this hike in MPs salaries are rich people who live in farmhouses and sleep and kiss their dogs!

Basic pay hiked three times from 16K to 50K (demand for 80,001 so salaries higher than govt secys)

Office expenses hiked from 20Kto 40K/month

Constituency allowance doubled to 40K/month

Limit for interest-free loan for buying cars hiked four-fold to 4 lakh

Road mileage rate for vehicles used by MPs raised from 13/km to 16/km

MP’s spouse can travel any number of times in first class in railways. Can also claim road mileage

Pension increased from 8K to 20K/month

Mr. Member of Parliament, the truth is, those opposing this obscene mockery of our democracy are common masses that have never even been to a farmhouse. These are the poor people from Bihar and Jharkhand who are facing the worst droughts in decades. These are the beggars from the streets of Mumbai who do sleep beside dogs on footpath. These are the people who have lost faith in you and everything that your post stands for- Freedom, honesty, Integrity and above all, a conscience. They expect nothing from you as they know you are incapable to hear or help them unless it’s election time. The least they expect is silence on your part, a minute of break from your empty rhetoric while they mourn their soldiers and sons gunned down by the militia. They don’t want your compensation package to save them from the drought because they know it won’t reach to them. Your thirst for money surpasses their need for water. They know you have been a bad leader, a worse representative and the worst role-model. Don’t fool them with your funny antics, they are hardly amused. You might get the hike that you want, but the nosedive of your acceptability will continue at renewed pace. Result? What happened to the “Fodder Thief” of Bihar in the last election may happen to you in the next.
For now, the following lines by a Hindi poet seem apt:
बस एक उल्लू काफी है
बर्बाद गुलिस्तान करने को
हर शाख पे उल्लू बैठा है
अंजाम-ए-गुलिस्तान क्या होगा |

Kunal Anand

Will they lose us?

2010-07-31T08:49:00.000-07:00

Kashmir is on the boil, and there seems to be no end to it. What started off as a mass protest against the alleged killings of two teenagers has now spiraled into an uncontrollable flame that has claimed over a dozen civilian lives in the last few weeks. The separatist factions have only added fuel to this fire. They not only incite people to attack the police and government buildings, but have also come up with a weekly calendar which shows Friday as a holiday instead of Sunday and has a schedule of protest rallies for the week.

A state with one of the highest rate of unemployment and insurgency couldn’t have asked for something worse. Youngsters are being made into professional stone-pelters by the separatists and poor teenagers are also being paid for this. The agony and frustration of these wounded souls couldn’t have found a worse outlet. The CRPF is on backfoot after numerous allegations of firing at innocent people and the police as always is inept in dealing with any crisis. First time Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is facing a crisis that many seasoned politicians would have found impossible to deal with.

Naysayers predict this as the beginning of the end of India’s hold over Kashmir. Or is it the beginning of the end of Kashmir’s hold over India? For decades, Indians, irrespective of their statehood and religion have accepted Kashmir as India’s crown. India has pumped in billions to protect Kashmir from the fangs of terrorism. The mountains have been painted red by the blood of our soldiers fighting for nothing but Kashmir. An entire community (Kashmiri Pandits) that had lived in the valley for centuries was evicted just to satisfy the separatists who view anything non-Islamic as anti-Kashmir.Violence has charred the psyche of the poor masses to such an extent that they refuse to realize that “Azaadi” or an accession to Pakistan won’t make them any better. How can a country that is unable to stop bombs going off daily in its major cities offer respite to the Kashmiris? How can a country that is globally acknowledged as a failed state make Kashmir a success? How can the militants that don’t spare Muslims of Islamic nations like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq leave Kashmiris on their own if it’s declared a sovereign nation?

I do not justify the killing of innocents, be it at the hand of terrorists or Indian security forces. I have not lost anyone close to me in a terrorist attack and so, I do not claim to understand fully the grief of the mothers who have lost their sons at the altar of this ongoing madness. But I know one thing- Hatred is never an answer.

Dr.Shah Faesal, a Kashmiri topped this year’s Civil services exam. The untimely death of his father in 2002 at the hands of unidentified militants days before his Pre-Medical Test did not deter Dr. Faesal from clearing the examination or becoming the first candidate from Kashmir in several years to be selected to the IAS through open merit. If this champ could rise against all that is bad in Kashmir today, then so can the disillusioned youths of the valley. They need to understand that the best way to promote Kashmir is to be a part of the system. If this flawed system of ours is good enough for Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Bihar, then there’s no reason why it won’t be for Kashmir. The only thing is, Kashmir has to give itself one more chance. Kashmir has to understand that India and Indians love them and care for them. Contrary to what the separatists will say, we don’t call Kashmir the “Heaven on Earth” for no reason. Kashmir is a testimony to our dreams of a nation where people aren’t judged on the basis of their religion. We don’t discriminate against Kashmir. Let’s hope Kashmir doesn’t discriminate itself.

If Kashmir is lost, India will lose a battle against treachery, bigotism and fundamentalism. But the biggest loss will be of Kashmiris because Kashmiriyat will be lost forever. At the Oscars, A.R Rehman , in his acceptance speech said-“ All my life I've had a choice between hate and love, and I chose love, and now I'm here”. Kashmir, I pray you choose the same...

Meet the real Santa

2010-07-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

What are the chances that someone reading this article hasn’t heard and laughed on at least one of the zillions of Santa Banta jokes doing rounds in SMSes and Internet? The chances are nil. It’s practically impossible to miss on India’s favourite “jokers”.

Every rib tickling slapstick about how dumb a husband, a customer or for that matter, a human being can be, is almost sure to have Santa as the protagonist. Some people are braver; they prefer to use the word “Sardar” instead of Santa. We all laugh and revel at these jokes, we forward them to our friends (me being no exception). In the end, it’s all about spreading joy right?

I don’t think so. I don’t find any proper explanation as to why we should have so many “Sardar” jokes and so few of “Bihari, Bengali, Marathi, Pathan and Christian” jokes. Why do we all try to be politically correct when talking about every community but the Punjabis? If Santa Banta jokes are all about laughing at how foolish this particular community is, then, trust me, we can safely conclude ourselves to be the most ignorant people on earth. I bet none of us knows a Sardar who goes nuts at 12 noon. The reason-there is none! Similarly, all those dumb jokes about how Santa, who had come to a hospital for urine check-up started crying after he heard from Banta that they had cut his finger for blood test are stupid to say the least. In America, they portray blondes as dumb heads for no apparent reason, in India; we do the same to Sardars.

A community which has given the Indian Army the maximum number of Chief of Staffs and martyrs. A state which has fed the entire nation for decades by yielding bumper harvests year after year. A religious minority which, unlike every other caste and faith has never demanded any kind of reservations and a group of people who are respected all over for their honesty, hard work and entrepreneurship, surely deserve better from their own countrymen. It’s not that they want us to change; they hardly have time for this. They are too busy shaping our economy and saving our frontiers. They are too happy breaking into a Bhangra whenever India wins in Hockey and Cricket. They are too busy celebrating LIFE to give a thought to what we think of them. That’s why they never take out protests or cut off arms on the pretext of blasphemy. For all those Santa Banta joke lovers, try replacing the word Sardar with Bihari, Marathi or Pathan and get ready to be branded as communalists and regional bigots.

Punjab suffered the most during partition. Later, the entire Sikh community bore the brunt of the madness of two Sikh bodyguards who shot down Indira Gandhi. But they never let that scar their psyche. Compare this to how the entire valley boils for months over “alleged” killings of civilians and how we all vouch for each other’s blood on the name of language and statehood. A few Punjabis tried similar things at the behest of ISI in 1980s. Another Punjabi (K.P.S Gill) nipped them in the bud. Today, Punjabis form one of the richest and most influential communities in not only India but also Canada, US and UK. They have proved their mettle in every sphere of life.

A Sardar revolutionised our economy when it was on the verge of collapse, the same guy is now India’s Prime Minister. 90,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered before a Sardar (Lt General Jagjit Singh Aurora). Bhagat Singh gave an entirely new life to India’s freedom struggle when he walked down the gallows on 23rd March, 1931. A motley bunch of 90 Punjab regiment soldiers dared an entire Pakistani regiment of 600 in the Battle of Longewala, 1971 and won! These are a few things, which, believe me, only the Sardar can do. But there’s one thing they will never do-asking us to stop the derogatory jokes we crack about them. Why? Maybe because they don’t care, or maybe they care too much to stop us from stealing those few moments of laughter in our otherwise boring and mundane lives. Under any circumstance, such community specific jokes cannot be acceptable in any responsible society and it’s time we start valuing the Sardar, because, this country could never be what it is today without our beloved Santa.

Can we talk please?

2010-07-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

Last week our legendary foreign minister (he is older than many a legends), Mr. S.M Krishna went to Pakistan for laying the foundation of peace talks that have been stalled since the 26/11 attacks.

No one expected much from this visit as the Indian side believed that it would take more than one meeting to thaw the icy relationship. Enter the obnoxious Pakistani counterpart of Krishna. They call him some Quereshi and believe me; I really haven’t bothered to get his name right. This man, being from a non-military background will surely land in jail or exile the day he starts acting sane and so there’s no point in rattling our brains over a nobody’s nomenclature.

The Pakistani foreign minister caught the Indian state unawares when he compared our Home Secretary to Hafiz saeed, a wanted terrorist. He also alleged that S.M.Krishna came to Pakistan without a mandate and was constantly on phone taking orders from Delhi. I will not get into why our foreign minister couldn’t defend our home secretary neither will I waste space talking about the counter allegations made by India because ultimately, the truth is that Pakistan once again has proved the Indian peace mongers wrong!

There’s a poem in Hindi in which Dinkar says-

क्षमा शोभती उस भुजंग को
जिसके पास गरल है
उसका क्या जो दंतहीन
विषरहित विनीत सरल है

Which means- forgiveness suits the snake that has the venom. The one who is toothless, meek and simple cannot claim to forgive his enemy.

Pakistan, and more aptly their rulers-Pakistani army believes India is a venomless snake that can be taken for granted and we can hardly blame them for this school of thought. After all, haven’t we always let our guards down only to cry foul after another terrorist attack? Haven’t we let them go easily even after they enterd our land and killed our men in Kargil? Pakistan and professional hookers have a few things in common. They both live on someone else’s money (USA in this case), have a pimp to protect them (enter the Dragon!) and they both know how to deal with an agitated customer. Look at how Pakistan turns a blind eye to the burning of NATO supplies passing through its territory and forces America to pump billions of dollars to secure food for their marines in Afghanistan.

In our case, they believe we are too engrossed in our economic success to bother about a few hundred lives lost in bomb blasts. The Pakistani army also thinks we won’t risk a direct confrontation with them for fear of international backlash. In this process they forget the humiliation of 1971 but you can’t blame the poor chaps for loss of memory after all the beating they received in East Pakistan. The dynamics have changed now that we are at the receiving end of the ever increasing Pakistani apathy and arrogance towards the genuine concerns of India regarding her security. And so, it’s time we make it clear to Pakistan that it’s high time they stop acting like monkeys during peace summits. How do we do this? Simple! To make Pakistan talk, we got to do to them what they do to themselves when negotiating to the Americans- Hold a Gun at their head n even their ghosts will start singing songs of peace.

Kunal Anand

The God of wrong things.

2010-07-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, Booker prize winner Arundhati Roy came up with a 20,000 words essay in leading newspapers and magazines of India and Pakistan. The essay generously praised the Maoists for taking up the cause of poor tribals and protecting them from the “Satanic” system called the Indian Democracy. She explained with great graphical details how the tribals, who have been exploited by the Indian state for decades, have found their Robin hood in the Naxals and how in the naxal controlled areas the police move in plain clothes while the naxals roam in uniforms! The article created a lot of public interest and our Home Minister was hardly pleased. Desperate Maoists got their much needed positive publicity and suddenly Indian government and security forces began to remind us of the Nazis. Tales of agony flowing from the pen of a Booker awardee were hard not to believe and a lot many people started cursing the government for not developing the tribal areas.
So far so good. The Maoists proposed to make Roy a mediator between them and the government. Arundhati Roy backed off. Reason: She thinks she isn’t “fit” for the job. Amazingly, she found herself fit to run down the entire democratic setup of a country which gives her the right to speak her mind! Then came the Dantewada massacre in which 76 CRPF personnel were killed. Roy remained silent. Maybe she silently celebrated the butchering of the “Demons”. This was followed by the Gyaneshwari Express derailment in which common civilians were killed. Roy, the messiah of the poor and weak was expected to speak up now. After all, hasn’t she given her voice to civilians who suffered during Gujarat riots? Roy did speak this time.” I support the Maoists’ fight against the state, but I don’t support their method.”
The recent killings of 27 CRPF jawans and other incidents of civilian causalities has failed to garner any response from the diehard activist. Naxal violence has claimed more civilian lives this year alone than what was lost during the last 5 years in terrorist attacks in Kashmir. Our jawans are routinely butchered by these fanatics. But maybe they are not humans for Ms Roy. For that matter, anyone who is not in the business of bringing down the Indian State (e.g.: Sabarmati Express carnage victims, Sikh victims of 1984 riots, Kashmiri pandits) is not worthy of mention in the itinerary of Roy’s literary sojourn. She keeps mum at the atrocities meted out to our brave, innocent soldiers who are just doing their job but rips through them if they kill the “innocent” Naxalite. Down with the Human Rights violating Zionist Indian forces! Even the heart wrenching footages of mangled bodies of babies being pulled out of Gyaneshwari Express did not move our great writer. “Revolution” demands blood and it doesn’t matter to Ms Roy unless the blood is of the “revolutionary”.
Arundhati Roy represents a large group of Pseudo intellectuals who derive aesthetic pleasure in criticizing the system which is liberal enough to allow any kind of discussion. It’s time people come out against such “intellectuals” who use the journalistic freedom given by our constitution to defile the constitution itself. If Arundhati Roy finds herself incompetent to broker peace between the warring forces(I completely agree with your personal assessment Ms Roy),the least she can do is stop hurting the feelings of the families who have lost their kins in this bloody violence by glorifying the Maoists.

Kunal Anand

A fantasy called Indian Democracy

2010-06-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

In the west, India is mostly regarded as a country full of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. A country where nothing can be done without greasing the palms of officials and netas. This image has affected the image of the common Indian too. Try asking an American shopkeeper to show you that pretty necklace in the display and chances are that he might ask you to first pay for it unless you had got down from a luxury car. But we Indians are the most innocent creatures ever to grace this planet. How else do you explain the election of successive governments which have always taken this country for a ride? We are too innocent to look into their conspiracy.

Let’s start with Congress. This grand old party tells people that it’s the most secular party on the shelf. Here’s a list of their secular activities:

1. They engineered the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

2. Changed the demography of Assam and Bengal by allowing illegal influx of Bangladeshis for their electoral gains.

3. Opened the locks of the Babri Masjid for worship which eventually led to its demolition.

4. Have failed to bring back the ethnic minorities of Kashmir (kashmiri pandits) to their homeland.

5. They do not field a single Muslim candidate from Gujarat although the despise BJP for being anti-Muslim.

Congress also wins lections by saying that it’s the common man’s party. Here’s a small list of their pro-people activities:

1. Bhopal gas tragedy and the subsequent failure of congress governments to indict the culprits and offer proper compensation.

2. Inflation and food prices have more than doubled in the last 5 years.

3. Over 5 lac farmers have committed suicide during the last 5 years.

They also claim to promote youths in politics. I guess Rahul Gandhi is the only person qualified to call himself young because we don’t see the likes of Sachin pilot and navin jindal being given any substantial say in the policies of the government. I won’t comment on their loyalty to the Gandhi clan(it reminds me of my faithful dog) for fear of being hounded like Xavier Moro(author of “The Red Sari”,a fact cum fiction based on Sonia Gandhi). So much for artistic freedom from the party that decried attack on M.F Husain’s nude painting of mother India.

The main opposition party, BJP isn’t any different. This party rose from a mere 2 seats to over 180 seats with the promise of building a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya! As expected, the only thing they build was large billboards claiming that India was shinning while Gujarat burnt. They still make the same promise and manage to harvest a decent number of seats in elections.

The ruling DMK party in Tamil Nadu has decided to rename all the roads in Chennai with Tamil names. Tamil undoubtebly is one of the richest languages in the world but only DMK can explain how renaming roads will enrich this language. I wonder if CM Karunanidhi will rename his son too whose name is Stalin(which surely isn’t a Tamil name!)

CPI(Marxist),which loves to form trade unions in every state has reduced West Bengal to a dysfunctional entity in the last 30 years and the party which is all set to overthrow them has leaders who dine with the Maoists( Chattradhar Sahu,the leader of PCoPA which had hijacked Rajdhani express is a former confidant of Mamata Banerjee).

Mayawati justifies her ultra lavish birthday parties saying that they instill pride in Dalits! Lalu yadav finds it insulting that a “yadav” (his son) had to carry drinks for Delhi daredevils as their twelfth man! Raj Thackeray made a thunderous debut by protecting Marathi interests by beating up poor biharis. His uncle had ruled Mumbai for decades doing the same.

The list is endless and writing or reading about it will only increase our frustration. So, instead of blaming the politicians or the voters for this disaster called Indian Democracy, let’s believe that we Indians are too innocent to read between the lines. Let’s keep fantasizing that we are great and soon we will be a superpower and rule the world…

Kunal Anand

IPL and the Hangover

2010-05-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

Indian team’s T20 world cup sojourn has ended quite prematurely. Blame it on the late night IPL parties; our players didn’t get enough rest. Poor chaps, for two months, they played non-stop cricketing drama on the sidelines of the cheerleaders and were forced (?) to gyrate their aching hips in the post-match parties. Too much of dance and mujra had to catch up with our Men (??) In Blue, a and alas! They dozed off in the World cup matches.

In a country where people are so burdened with their work, they hardly find time to party(and those who manage to squeeze that time, spend it watching IPL matches!), our cricketers are the only bunch of people who are so overburdened with partying that they hardly find time to play! It’s understandable Mr. Dhoni and Mr. Sehwag (this clever guy didn’t even turn up for the world cup and is now poised to lead the Indian team!). We middle class fools will never understand how difficult it is to resist those damsels ready to shake a leg with you and then accompany your young Turks to their rooms where they sing them lullabies and put them to sleep after a hard day of work. We stupid people will always expect you to win more matches than Bangladesh. Our medieval media will always put your defeats on the front page while Vishwanathan Anand’s World championship will always be page 13 news. Agreed, we have made you super rich, but that doesn’t mean that we own you. You will happily win money in IPL and lose respect in world cup. We are supposed to sympathies with your sorry plight which is worse than the farmers committing suicide in vidarbha. After all, they are not cricketers and therefore they don’t deserve sympathy or publicity.

But here lies the problem-your entire fan following, all the luxuries you have is fuelled by this foolish media and middle class society. These people will never understand your trouble. They will always think that since you represent India, you owe some responsibility towards her people and the tricolor. Sooner than later, they will start forgetting that you are God and will stop bothering about your victories and losses. That day, the glass ceiling will shatter over your lofty heads. Maybe that day, you will stop dancing and start playing.

Refugee in my own country.

2010-04-30T22:17:00.000-07:00

The recent blockbuster, My Name Is Khan aptly depicts the plight of Asian Muslims who are treated rather shabbily in the western countries. Other movies like Kurbaan, Shaurya, Dev and a dozen more movies with similar social message have been churned out by the great Hindi film industry. Folks, Thank you for taking up the cause of the hapless innocent Muslims.

But one thing that surprises me is that why have our films been so reluctant to portray the plight of Kashmiri Pandits who were driven out of their homes in the 90’s and the government is yet to do anything to bring them back to their home-their Kashmir? Unofficial estimates (which are usually inflated) put the number of minorities killed in Gujarat riots at a maximum of a few thousands. Official estimates (which are always subdued) put the number of displaced pandits at around a few lacs. The people who were the flag bearers of kashmiri culture and traditions for centuries are now living in relief camps in different parts of the country. The most disturbing thing is that this is happening to the citizens of an independent country in their own nation and not in some far away American society.

Barring one movie(Sheen),which incidentally was directed by a kashmiri pandit,the johars and chopras of our film industry have stayed away from this pricky topic. Maybe documenting the pundits will brand them as anti muslim or anti dalit(hail mayawati!), maybe just like most of us, they are ignorant of the plight of this community. But the most probable cause for this “intellectual apathy” might well be MONEY. New York or MNIK get a robust opening in Middle east and neighbouring countries. A movie on pundits might not be allowed to release in most of such places as it can harm the ideology of “Azaad Kashmir” and the ongoing “freedom struggle” there.

The johars and chopras care a dime about the persecution of Muslims or pundits. Money matters big time in tinsel town. Gods change name and people change religion at a glimpse of dollars and dinars. Fashion and trends always change. Someday, Kashmir pundits will become the eye candy of U.N, Amnesty, and the corporate. That day Karan Johar will surely make “My name is Pandit and I am a REFUGEE”.

Kunal anand

STUDENT-TEACHER RELATIONSHIP : INTERFERENCE ACCEPTED OR TO BE LEFT TO ONE’S OWN DEVICES ?

2010-04-25T05:08:00.000-07:00

By Ruparna Dutta.

A question that keeps on going at the back of the mind , with rehashed versions everytime – the big why of teachers taking a queer interest in our personal lives and leaving behind hints that can be closely translated as “ I am watching you”. Rumours and gossips do the rounds which invariably ends up in their ears and judge us accordingly . In this process , many a times hapless victims of these rumour mills end up on a sticky wicket where they don’t even know that why their faculty , all of a sudden ,become vindictive and malicious to whatever they do and making it a point to belittle them on every other occasion . This leads to antipathy towards oneself unknowingly , self remorse and can lead onto depression specially in those kinds of students who believe in the concept that a squeaky clean image can work your way through anything . Being in college means a lot to many in different ways – like a sudden surge of independence , shouldering responsibility all by yourself or just letting yourself loose after being in a strict regimen for so long and in most of the cases it happens be the last option . Due to which , we end up doing things which we do happen to realize but just can’t help it so we try to redress . But by the time we do it , its already dirty linen in public and people especially faculty members have already formed a questionable image about it . Henceforth , any attempts made in that direction goes in vain , totally futile as the damage has already been done . But what they fail to realize that at the end of the day , we are in the process of becoming mature and responsible individuals with thousands of distractions dancing in front of us , making the vision blurred and path negotiable and that we are always having a hard time making things work . So what we ask for is sensitivity and not animosity to make us realize that we need to make informed choices and not foolish decisions . Concentrating keenly on a student’s life and dissecting it under a microscope , rather a gentle push in the right direction can work wonders . But some feel in a way they are keeping a tab on what’s going on and that they can stop them if anything goes awry . But their perception doesn’t always seem to get along the way the students tend to think . So what we need is a more informal atmosphere where they are more approachable and accessible in our times of need and understanding to accept us with our flaws because that is what makes us more human . Because to err is human but to forgive is divine and we don’t expect them to be all forgiving but can be more sensitive to our issues .

Who gives them the guns?

2010-04-23T21:12:00.001-07:00

The recent offensive of the government,and the counter-offensive by the maoists that has led to the loss of scores of innocent lives puts a grave question before us which no one seems to be bothered to ask or answer-Who gives the guns to the maoists?
Sure they kill policemen and after every ambush,run(?) away with the weapons of the slain.But the number of weapons,or for that matter,their quality,isn’t good enough to wage a war against the whole system. Consider the recent Dantewada massacre.The large amount of IEDs and ammunition that finished off an entire platoon of CRPF(75 brave men) in a matter of an hour must have come from somewhere. I don’t think the maoists have built gun factories and Improvised Explosive Devices labs in areas where the government hasn’t built a school or health center in the last 60 years. They are getting it all from somewhere outside those long-forgotten jungles.
The government can squeeze the supplies of the tribals and let them die in poverty,but it can’t cut off the supplies of the maoists. Maybe the government is clueless about their elaborate weapons procurement procedure.Maybe the government is colluding with them. In both cases,the losers are-“WE THE PEOPLE...”.

KUNAL ANAND

हो गई है पीर पर्वत-सी पिघलनी चाहिए

2010-04-09T10:04:00.001-07:00

Disclaimer:These are the works of world renowned poets and writers of Hindi language. The works are copyrighted © to them. Art works have been taken from various sites like deviantart.com, flickr.com and caedes.com. They are copyrighted © to their creators.

हो गई है पीर पर्वत-सी पिघलनी चाहिए,
इस हिमालय से कोई गंगा निकलनी चाहिए।

आज यह दीवार, परदों की तरह हिलने लगी,
शर्त लेकिन थी कि ये बुनियाद हिलनी चाहिए।

हर सड़क पर, हर गली में, हर नगर, हर गाँव में,
हाथ लहराते हुए हर लाश चलनी चाहिए।

सिर्फ हंगामा खड़ा करना मेरा मकसद नहीं,
सारी कोशिश है कि ये सूरत बदलनी चाहिए।

मेरे सीने में नहीं तो तेरे सीने में सही,
हो कहीं भी आग, लेकिन आग जलनी चाहिए।

- दुष्यन्त कुमार

Convocation robes or “colonial relics”?

2010-04-03T08:38:00.001-07:00

Union minister Jairam Ramesh has finally said what most of the students have felt for long. At the seventh convocation of Indian Institute of Forest Management(IIFM), the minister publicly slammed the practice of wearing convocation robes and hats in unbearably hot climate calling them “barbaric colonial relics” . He went on to the extent of removing his own robe on the stage itself and attended the function in his white kurta pyajama. Its a well known fact that even after the departure of the Britishers, we cling to many of their practices which are okay in the cool enviorns of London but are torturous in a hot and humid country like ours. I still remember the way i kept adjusting my tie knot during my school days while sweating profusely. Maybe our educationists feel that wearing a tie or the convocation robe will make us smart like the foreigners. Or,maybe they just want to hide the inadequacy and mediocrity that has become a way of life in most colleges and schools. Einstein never wore a convocation robe, Kalam didn’t have a proper suit when he was summoned by Indira Gandhi after the Pokharan Tests. It didn’t make them small or unworthy.Most of the graduates in our universities have a robe, a suit and tie. But most of them aren’t Einstein or Kalam.
Our education system has always been averse to new ideas. An example being the syllabus followed in our universities.Most Indian Universities have identical curriculum even though they claim to be “Deemed” so as to formulate their own syllabus based on “International trends”!
Even after the minister’s outburst,we can rest assured that nothing’s going to change . Forcing students to wear a robe that literally boils them in summer is our way to say that although we can’t help you excel like your American or British counterparts, we can at least make you look like a colonial caricature.

बौड़म जी बस में

2010-03-13T22:41:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer:These are the works of world renowned poets and writers of Hindi language. The works are copyrighted © to them. Art works have been taken from various sites like deviantart.com, flickr.com and caedes.com. They are copyrighted © to their creators.

बस में थी भीड़
और धक्के ही धक्के,
यात्री थे अनुभवी,
और पक्के ।

पर अपने बौड़म जी तो
अंग्रेज़ी में
सफ़र कर रहे थे,
धक्कों में विचर रहे थे ।
भीड़ कभी आगे ठेले,
कभी पीछे धकेले ।
इस रेलमपेल
और ठेलमठेल में,
आगे आ गए
धकापेल में ।

और जैसे ही स्टाप पर
उतरने लगे
कण्डक्टर बोला-
ओ मेरे सगे !
टिकिट तो ले जा !

बौड़म जी बोले-
चाट मत भेजा !
मैं बिना टिकिट के
भला हूँ,
सारे रास्ते तो
पैदल ही चला हूँ ।

- अशोक चक्रधर

Promises lost…

2010-03-03T04:12:00.001-08:00

“Youth do not make 100% of a country’s population,
but they do make 100% of her future.”

The picture of a student immolating himself during a pro-Telangana rally and the horrific end of the students killed in the recent Pune blast are tragic enough to melt the strongest hearts. These are just a few instances where promising careers and young lives have ended abruptly. While the victims in Pune blasts could have been anyone and not just students, nevertheless the cases of suicides in youngsters has been on a rise. The reasons are many. It can be a politically inflamed environment driving the student to immolation as in case of Telangana and anti-reservation issues. It can be extreme apathy and torture at the hands of the authorities as in case of Ruchika Girhotra. The poor girl was molested by a cop and her family harassed until she could no longer take it and committed suicide. But in most cases, it’s the inability to cope up with peer pressure and family expectations that forces young boys and girls to take the harsh and immature decision of ending their lives. The desire to make a doctor or engineer out of a gifted painter or poet has ruined many a lives. By the time parents and authorities realize their folly, it’s usually too late.
The youth today is well informed and equipped to face the upheavals of life. With proper guidance and support from the family and society, they can do wonders. Instead of wasting future leaders of the country at the hands of people like SPS Rathore ( Ruchika’s tormentor) and political agitations , its time the students are left free to do what they like and become what they want to be.

Paradox.

2010-02-22T05:56:00.000-08:00

There are two news items in Times of India today that make me write this post. The first is 'Sikh terror outfits seeking volunteers from US, India' (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sikh-terror-outfits-seeking-volunteers-from-US-India-Report/articleshow/5603397.cms) and “Pak Sikh leaders condemn beheading of Sikhs”( http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-Sikh-leaders-condemn-beheading-of-Sikhs/articleshow/5603723.cms).
The first one is about an intelligence report regarding the attempt to revive khalistan movement in Punjab(India) and the second is about kidnapping and beheading of Sikh traders in Pakistan by the Taliban. Both the news items are disappointing. But what startles me is that why do the khalistani terrorists try to take on the Indian state with the help of the same Pakistanis who are killing their fellow Sikh brethren in Pakistan? There can be two reasons: the first is that they find us to be too soft a target and the second is they are terrified like hell of the talibs and dare not go against their mentors. A third possibility is that they simply are clueless about what they want to achieve. If upliftment of Sikhs is their concern, then let me tell you that Sikhs, or for that matter Muslims are way better off in “Hindu” India than in “Islamic” Pakistan(if this is how they refer to us).
Khalistan and autonomy of Kashmir are two obsolete issues which are fanned by the ISI for its existence. The issues have no merit considering how India has bled herself to secure the two states and help the people there. Barring a few protests by the separatists in the valley, India has managed to maintain the calm at the cost of making Kashmiri pundits a refugee in their own country. The separatists are too blind to understand this. The best we can do is securing our home turf and give a crushing defeat to khalistani and Islamic terrorism whenever they try to raise their poisonous fangs.
Kunal anand

What does it take to make China jump?? NOTHING!!!

2010-02-12T04:57:00.001-08:00

It’s time yesteryears actor Jeetendra gives his “Jumping jack” tag to China. The Chinese have mastered the art of jumping and thumping their chests anytime and anywhere.
The Americans increase import duties and the Chinese jump. The Obamas decide to host Dalai Lama and Chinese jump again! The Indians test AGNI-III and even before we brief the media, our “Chubby Chinese” neighbours start blabbering in mandarin that they don’t care about it. Well, then why were you dancing in front of media as if your a**es were on AGNI (fire)!!
You give them a chance to host Olympics and they make the opening ceremony look like a trailer of “Chai Chung Chuck Lee” movies. You tell them they are a rising power and they start stripping to flaunt their newfound economic and military muscles. Mate, give us a break! Enough of monkeying around. You remind us of the horse who pulled a king’s chariot and mistook the flowers thrown for the king as a reverence to himself. Get it straight and get it right-YOU, ARE THE HORSE OF THE WORLD ! We will use you for cheap labour and cheap manufacturing, destroy your farms with industrial waste, choke your rivers, let your people die of pollution, and when you get old and useless for us, we shall do to you what was done to the old horse-ABANDON. Times change, they surely will for you too. So, stop making enemies all round. When you get old and tattered, you won’t be able to jump and thump. That day, India might be one of the few helping hands that will help you walk a few steps..

Illegal downloads,national security and patriotism.

2010-02-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

I received an sms asking me not to download songs from songs.pk as its run by a pakistani firm that uses the money to fund terrorists. Piracy is illegal,and when mixed with terrorism..its lethal. I will not download anything from this website and so will many of my friends.
But what about the rest of the people? How many souls will pay heed to this call? Not many,and i don't blame them considering the exorbitant price of useless music churned out by our industry.
If songs.pk is such a serious threat(which i believe it is),then why doesn't the government ban it?Is it a govt. of India undertaking or does any Indian company hold majority stakes in it considering our much hyped "global" presence!
Internet censorship is something China is too obsessed with and we are to lax at. Also,how do these "terrorists" manage to get advertisements from our "patriotic" companies?? Songs.pk or for that matter any such site doesn't charge for downloads.Their major source of income is advertisements. Does that mean our government and industry indirectly funds our own destruction?
If such websites stop getting ads,they will stop operating.It's easier to ask a few industrialists to stop flashing their ads on songs.pk than to ask millions to stop downloading stuff from it. Songs.pk isn't a charity organization.They will stop operating if you stop funding them.

At least they spoke !

2010-02-02T04:57:00.000-08:00

The ongoing battle between the self proclaimed protectors of "marathi manoos" and RSS is a treat to watch. Its fun watching the old time allies swearing at each other.
But what is most disturbing is the silence of Congress,the ruling party in Delhi as well as Bombay. I don't expect Manmohan Singh to do anything.He is yet to win an election for himself and i have utmost disregard for his leadership skills.
But what about the home minister and the CM of Mahrashtra? Why has their response been so muted? Are they frightened of a bunch of jobless thugs who are fit enough to be harvested for their kidneys? And if they really are,then SHAME ON THEM!
The same bandwagon of "secular" parties who miss no opportunity to scorn at RSS seem to be out of touch and fire when dealing with MNS type of dirty politics.
Why is it that the loudest voice coming from Congress against this atrocity is that of Rahul Gandhi who is not even a minister of states! Agreed,he is our future PM.Does that mean Manmohan is giving him some sort of net practice on how to run this country?
And what about the most powerful person in India(and that's not you Manmohan ji)?
I am yet to hear anything from the holy mouth of Mrs.Sonia Gandhi who has mastered the art of retaining all powers and yet stay politically correct always.
Abou L.K Advani,give the old man a break.He may end up praising Raj Thackrey just like Jinnah.

I am not a staunch RSS supporter.I don't hate them either because they have done tremendous work in field of education and empowerment of tribals in MP,UP,Chattisgarh and other states. But with all the allegations of fomenting riots and enmity towards minorities,AT LEAST THEY STOOD UP AND SPOKE!
They might have their own vested interests as pointed out by media.But doesn't every political party has its own trumpet to blow? The point is,RSS has risked losing a major chunk of followers in Maharashtra to support a National cause and the Swayamsevaks deserve some praise for roaring at the barking dogs.

Kunal Anand

The Great Indian bargain power cowers in the malls.

2010-02-01T04:55:00.000-08:00

How many times have you bargained with the auto driver for charging you Rs 40 instead of 35? How many times have you asked for a free 1 rupee water packet with dinner at the local dhaba? In fact,how many times have you asked for a discount on the pirated dvd at the roadside stall? The chances are, most of us have done this most of the times. We marvel at our smartness. We are glad at having paid 5 rupees less to the auto guy or the local vendor. We, are the best bargainers in the world and I completely agree to this.

Now,how many of you cared to collect the 1 rupee change after purchasing the Rs1599 Levi's? How many times did you ask the Pantaloons guy to charge Rs2900 for a bill of Rs2920? How many times did you ask for a free water bottle at some posh restaurant? The chances are, NEVER.

Malls and expensive eateries tend to disrobe us of our great bargaining talents. We become a completely different person-suave,sophisticated,insanely rich yet modest at such places. The same me who can take the concept of thriftiness to abysmal lows when dealing with a poor soul who lives on daily wages, can become extremely generous when interacting with billion dollar companies for whom a few rupees of discount won't matter.

This is us..charming outside..chameleon inside..and liars inside out. :)

INDIA...STOP BIHAR'S RISE!!

2010-01-26T06:11:00.000-08:00

You read it right.Bihar needs to stay at the bottom to fuel India’s growth.
It’s the same way as India needed to stay a slave to keep afloat the British Empire.
Implications of Bihar’s development can be disastrous .
If Nitish Kumar isn’t ousted,he might keep Bihar’s growth over 11% for the next few years.And that will spell doom for the other “far superior” states of india.
Once the education system in Bihar resurrects,No one will come to TN,Karnataka,Maharsahtra(apologies for not spelling “Maharashtra” in marathi) etc to become an engineer.lot of money,business and donations lost.a loss of 1000s of crores for India.
Increasing employment opportunities will keep the bihari in bihar.Who will till the land of the NRIs in Punjab then?Who will supply milk and drive taxis in Bombay(sue me for using Bombay instead of Mumbai)?Who will salute you at the entrance of 5 star hotels?Who will sell chaats and golgappas?Who will pay the bribe?Loss of black money for the entire nation.

When bihar becomes Gujarat or Maharashtra(in terms of development), Raj thackrey will loose his job..whom will he beat up then? Infact whom will the entire nation blame for all that is wrong? Ahh..we are the whipping boys,the "BIHARI"..The nation needs us to lie low to satisfy it’s ego. If bihari rises,a lot many glass houses will shatter breaking the myth of false chauvinism and regional hatred.
So Bihar,for the greater good of your fellow Indian states..PLEASE STOP YOUR MARCH TO SUCCESS..MOTHER INDIA NEEDS YOU TO BE THE EKLAVYA SO THAT NO ONE DARE CHALLENGE HER ARJUNS.

Mr.Sibbal..Sir,I have a few questions.

2010-01-22T07:03:00.001-08:00

Sir,
Congratulations for mustering the courage to bell the cat.By setting in motion the wheel for derecognising 44 "deemed universities" you have done a great service to prospective students who would eventually get trapped by any "admission agent" and bleed their parents financially.These self-proclaimed "temples of learning" are nothing more than cheap gambling spots where poor parents send their wards in hope that some day their son or daughter will be an engineer or doctor.Usually the students passing out are unemployable and misguided.
But i have a few questions :
1.)Even though these students will be allowed to complete their studies,don't you think the bad name earned by their colleges will spoil their career prospects?
2.)Will the ministers and officials who had given affiliation to these colleges be questioned and punished?After all,they are equally responsible for this mayhem.
3.)When can i expect an ordinance treating donations for admission as a criminal offence like ragging and dowry?
4.)So many consultancy firms are running admission rackets behind their legal license.Is this a news to you sir?If not,then why no curbs on them?
5.)Why is it that our country was denied a minister of your caliber and intellect for so long?Is it that tough for honest people to rise in echelons of power?

yours faithfully...

It's time for an Indo-Pak tango

2010-01-17T00:28:00.000-08:00

The taliban menace in pakistan is bound to spillover Indian soil sooner than later.
By the time it reaches our borders,pakistan will be a leftover carcass.The military brass there might think that since talibanis are their own creation,they won't harm the army.Forget it mate!look what they are doing to your soldiers in swat and balochistan.
Want to survive?
It's time you understand We are not the ones scheming to annihilate you.we have far better things to do than thinking of a defunct economy,hapless government and a fanatic army.
But we feel for the innocents on the other side of the fence.We want our separated brothers to live peacefully.
Before it's too late,let's join hands.Nobody knows better how to fight terrorists than our soldiers.Nobody knows better where the terrorists are than your soldiers.
Let's finish them once and for all before they finish you.

kunal anand

Why not make My Name is Kalam?

2010-01-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

A community wronged,a religion misunderstood. “Islam “and “jihad” are two terms most frequently used in any article related to terrorism. Post 9/11,there’s been a sharp rise in films depicting the plight of innocent muslims caught in the backlash of terrorist attacks.Most of these films(fanna,Qurbaan,New York,Dev,Fiza,Mission kashmir) also show how muslim youths are driven towards terrorism in wake of torture meted to their community.
Most of the film makers say that they make such movies to remove the prejudice against this community.
I DISAGREE.
You can’t break this stereotyping by sympathising with a train bomber on the grounds that he had lost his family in a riot.Hindus,muslims,jews or Christians, every community has lost thousands of people in riots and terrorist attacks.But not everyone has turned to arms and bombings.
If the filmmakers really want to help the innocents who have been branded terrorists because of the crime of a few zealots(i seriously doubt this logic..basically it’s all about box office revenue), they would make movies like My name is KALAM or Rehman instead of My name is Khan.
Suppose i am one of those misguided souls who doubt every man with a beard and cap then the best way to change my heart is by showing how talented this community is in science,music and other constructive fields.If you think that showing train bombings,hijacking and other such gory incidents and justifying it on the basis of crimes some other hindu had commited in gujarat will make me shed tears and change my attitude then trust me,its only going to radicalise the radicals even more.
Believe me,stories of love and compassion will better serve the cause of muslims than “love stories that have blood on them”(qurbaan).

Kunal anand

Some people..they just don't give up..

2010-01-13T07:07:00.000-08:00

I was sitting in the local train on my journey back to college.A women of around 35 entered the compartment,a toddler tied to her bck and a small girl of around 10 following her.The girl then started dancing on a tamil song while the women played a small "dholki".The small girl,with tiny bright eyes,dried face and empty stomach bent her body like a professional gymnast and passed herself through an iron ring bending her body in a circle.In Russia,she could have been an olympic gymnast.In India,thanks to our long cherished blindness to anything that's extraordinarily talented,she is a famished poor.
A few stations passed.Two people climbed in,a man selling sweet candies and a lady selling pencils.So what's so special about this?Well,both of them were visually impaired.
Some people,they just don't give up.They might be poor,they might be blind.They might have every reason to loose hope,to cry,to run away from life,to beg...But,they won't.The human spirit sometimes becomes too strong and lofty to fall on its knees and beg for mercy.The world gets tired trying their patience and honesty.They don't get tired proving their mettle.
The next time You feel it's all over,remember that spirit in you..IT WON'T GIVE UP UNTIL YOU DO.

Age Of Innocence Is Lost..is Gone...

2010-01-11T05:20:00.001-08:00

The birds still sing,
The sun still rises and sets in,
The oceans still wash the shores,
People still work, complete their chores.
But something has gone terribly wrong,
The age of innocence is lost,is gone..

The trains still ply,the planes still fly.
People still commute,
They take the same bus,travel the same route.
But whenever they see an abandoned suitcase on the ground,
They begin to wonder if they will reach home this time around.
Then suddenly someone picks it and moves on,
Nothing happens, but the age of innocence is lost,is gone..

No place is safe,No,not even the abode of God,
He has been battered and bruised in temples,mosques and synagogues.
People still pray, they still bow to the Almighty thee,
They still offer namaz and worship the pipal tree.
But something keeps reminding them that
even with God on their side,they ar all alone,
The age of innocence is lost,is gone..

We do have an army and a police force,
They do kill the terrorists, but i ask-
How will we settle the score?
When we kill, it’s a terrorist that dies,
When they kill, it’s a family that cries.
How do we console a mother,a wife?
What do we say to a kid forced to be an orphan all his life?
With people all around,that child is all alone,
The age of innocence is lost,is gone..

How long will this continue?
How long will we cry?
Let’s stand up for our lives atleast,
Let’s fight the battle,let’s give it a try.
Even a spineless snake bites when attacked,
Are we worse still to retreat and get packed?
A fistful of fanatics will crumble under our retaliation,
Forget your religion,let’s stand as a nation.
Enough of mourninig,enough of moan,
LET’S FIGHT....
THE LIGHT OF HOPE ISN’T LOST,ISN’T GONE....

Kunal Anand

Surviving in The RATHORISTAN

2010-01-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

We all know that Ruchika's case,although unbearable isn't uncommon.All of us have at some point in our lives experienced the high handedness of people in higher echelons of power.
Power is intoxicating.But in our country it comes with a license to escape with wrong doings.SPS Rathore exploited 1 child.But there are thousand like him out there taking bribes,switchin FIRs,working hand-in-gloves with the rich and the powerful.
the common man feels lonely.He might be the majority of this population,but his is not the voice that rings the bells of the temple of justice.
Ruchika might well get justice 20 years after her ordeal and 17 years after her death.
But who will account for those tortured,oppressed,exploited but forgotten?
It's no more survival of the fittest ..its survival of the meekest in rathoristan..

kunal anand

AMAN KI ASHA...Lest we forget...

2010-01-06T03:26:00.000-08:00

Recently Times of India and Jung group of pakistan launched a new initiative called "AMAN KI ASHA".
It's supposed to bring both the countries closer by giving impetus to people to people contact and revisting the cultural ties that both the nations share by virtue of a common history.
Although both these publishing houses are known for their not so friendly reporting of their newfound "partner's" country,yet many people would like to believe that a miracle that succesive regimes and military deterrence of India couldn't perform will be achieved by the new "doves".

well,peace is never a bad idea..but in all the hoopla surrounding this venture...
बस इतना याद रहे
एक साथी और भी था

kunal anand

खूनी हस्ताक्षर

2009-12-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

वह ख़ून कहो किस मतलब का,
जिसमें उबाल का नाम नहीं
वह ख़ून कहो किस मतलब का,
आ सके देश के काम नहीं

वह ख़ून कहो किस मतलब का,
जिसमें जीवन न रवानी है
जो परवश होकर बहता है,
वह ख़ून नहीं है, पानी है

उस दिन लोगों ने सही-सही,
ख़ूँ की क़ीमत पहचानी थी
जिस दिन सुभाष ने बर्मा में,
मांगी उनसे क़ुर्बानी थी

बोले स्वतन्त्रता की ख़ातिर,
बलिदान तुम्हें करना होगा
तुम बहुत जी चुके हो जग में,
लेकिन आगे मरना होगा

आज़ादी के चरणों में,
जो जयमाल चढ़ाई जाएगी
वह सुनो! तुम्हारे शीषों के,
फूलों से गूँथी जाएगी

आज़ादी का संग्राम कहीं,
पैसे पर खेला जाता है
यह शीश कटाने का सौदा,
नंगे सर झेला जाता है

आज़ादी का इतिहास कहीं,
काली स्याही लिख पाती है
इसको लिखने के लिए,
ख़ून की नदी बहाई जाती है

यूँ कहते-कहते वक्ता की,
आँखों में ख़ून उतर आया
मुख रक्तवर्ण हो दमक उठा,
दमकी उनकी रक्तिम काया

आजानु बाँहु ऊँची करके,
वे बोले रक्त मुझे देना
उसके बदले में भारत की,
आज़ादी तुम मुझसे लेना

हो गई सभा में उथल-पुथल,
सीने में दिल न समाते थे
स्वर इंक़लाब के नारों के,
कोसों तक छाए जाते थे

‘हम देंगे-देंगे ख़ून’
शब्द बस यही सुनाई देते थे
रण में जाने को युवक
खड़े तैयार दिखाई देते थे

बोले सुभाष- इस तरह नहीं
बातों से मतलब सरता है
लो यह काग़ज़, है कौन यहाँ
आकर हस्ताक्षर करता है

इसको भरने वाले जन को,
सर्वस्व समर्पण करना है
अपना तन-मन-धन-जन-जीवन,
माता को अर्पण करना है

पर यह साधारण पत्र नहीं,
आज़ादी का परवाना है
इस पर तुमको अपने तन का,
कुछ उज्ज्वल रक्त गिराना है

वह आगे आए, जिसके तन में
ख़ून भारतीय बहता हो
वह आगे आए, जो अपने को
हिन्दुस्तानी कहता हो

वह आगे आए, जो इस पर
ख़ूनी हस्ताक्षर देता हो
मैं क़फ़न बढ़ाता हूँ वह आए
जो इसको हँसकर लेता हो

सारी जनता हुंकार उठी
‘हम आते हैं, हम आते हैं’
माता के चरणों में यह लो,
हम अपना रक्त चढ़ाते हैं

साहस से बढ़े युवक उस दिन,
देखा बढ़ते ही आते थे
और चाकू, छुरी, कटारों से,
वे अपना रक्त गिराते थे

फिर उसी रक्त की स्याही में,
वे अपनी क़लम डुबोते थे
आज़ादी के परवाने पर,
हस्ताक्षर करते जाते थे

उस दिन तारों ने देखा था,
हिन्दुस्तानी विश्वास नया
जब लिखा था रणवीरों ने,
ख़ूँ से अपना इतिहास नया

- गोपाल प्रसाद व्यास

Disclaimer:These are the works of world renowned poets and writers of Hindi language. The works are copyrighted © to them. Art works have been taken from various sites like deviantart.com, flickr.com and caedes.com. They are copyrighted © to their creators.

WE NEVER HAVE THE ANSWERS (by pallavi )

2009-12-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

After a strenuously long month of exams I returned home to a rather unpleasant news. The TelanganaRashtraSamiti head, Dr.k chandrashekar rao goes on a fast unto death until the telangana region became a state of its own.
Well, he eventually was moved to a hospital but never called off his fast. In the meantime, people who seemed to be quite OK with a united andhra pradesh out of nowhere get completely agitated and decide to go on a massive protest demanding the government to grant their wish.. which is ofcourse a seperate telangana state.
So how do they do it? Simple, they start breaking and tearing down whatever seems to be the easiest to destroy.. and boy! How do they never miss a train or a bus?! Anyhow, this causes mayhem in the city of hyderabad as well as the whole of andhra pradesh.
It obviously doesnt stop till the central government finally agrees on seperating a.p.. are we happy now? no! why should we be happy if our state is getting split.. so a whole new bunch of people who are anti this movement step in and what do they do? oh simple, go on another strike.. which is now apparently easier than sticking a fork in an apple.
This leaves a.p with a set of people celebrating, a set of people who are truly unhappy, about 150 mla s who have resigned their jobs and yes, the common men who dont want to step out of their homes scared they might get hurt amidst all the tension.
When I sit down to think about all this, nothing makes sense . I mean, India got divided into states based on language right?
Then why cant people be happy with it? Is it alright to throw a state into jeopardy?
Come up with more specific budget plans, better policies that can concentrate on areas that are actually getting neglected but dont be selfish enough to ask for a separate state and put it through situations far more worse than they already are.
We all know what happened in jharkhand and chhattisgarh and uttarakhand.. why do the same to andhra pradesh?
why seperate a region which has no industry or economy whatsoever to run it? is it always for personal gain? is there nothing I can do? is there nothing we can do?
I know I may never get satisfying answers to any of these questions so I am just going back to hoping that everything will be alright.
Because this is what we are left with.. hope.

Pallavi

Don't let TELANGANA be the next JHARKHAND.

2009-12-12T22:51:00.000-08:00

When my state bihar was divided and we became the lucky ones to be part of jharkhand,everyone thought that our miseries were over.
Free from the clutches of lalu and his goons,a new dawn was set to usher a new morning on jharkhand.
With 40% of India's natural resources,jharkhand should have been a model state.
9 years down the lane..it is in shambles.
Our ex-CM is convicted in the biggest scam ever in india.
Roads,electricity are in a poor state.farmers are dying of hunger.
Corruption is at an all time high.I know personally that no contract can be passed without bribing and seats for government teachers are sold openly in lacs.

For around two years we have been under president's rule.But nothing seems to be right including the naxalite menace.

With all the hope and resources,politicians and babus made jharkhand a model state of failure

Chattisgarh and uttarakhand are no different story.
if telangana is formed,it will spell disaster for one of the most promising states of India.
Save Andhra before its too late..and the onus lies mainly on andhra people(including telangana region)...

रश्मिरथी (कृष्ण की चेतावनी)

2009-12-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

यह कविता मेरी प्रिय रचनाओ में से एक है..आशा है दिनकर जी की यह कालजयी रचना आप सबो को पसंद आएगी |

वर्षों तक वन में घूम-घूम, बाधा-विघ्नों को चूम-चूम,
सह धूप-घाम, पानी-पत्थर, पांडव आये कुछ और निखर।
सौभाग्य न सब दिन सोता है,
देखें, आगे क्या होता है।

मैत्री की राह बताने को, सबको सुमार्ग पर लाने को,
दुर्योधन को समझाने को, भीषण विध्वंस बचाने को,
भगवान् हस्तिनापुर आये,
पांडव का संदेशा लाये।

'दो न्याय अगर तो आधा दो, पर, इसमें भी यदि बाधा हो,
तो दे दो केवल पाँच ग्राम, रक्खो अपनी धरती तमाम।
हम वहीं खुशी से खायेंगे,
परिजन पर असि न उठायेंगे!

दुर्योधन वह भी दे ना सका, आशिष समाज की ले न सका,
उलटे, हरि को बाँधने चला, जो था असाध्य, साधने चला।
जन नाश मनुज पर छाता है,
पहले विवेक मर जाता है।

हरि ने भीषण हुंकार किया, अपना स्वरूप-विस्तार किया,
डगमग-डगमग दिग्गज डोले, भगवान् कुपित होकर बोले-
'जंजीर बढ़ा कर साध मुझे,
हाँ, हाँ दुर्योधन! बाँध मुझे।

यह देख, गगन मुझमें लय है, यह देख, पवन मुझमें लय है,
मुझमें विलीन झंकार सकल, मुझमें लय है संसार सकल।
अमरत्व फूलता है मुझमें,
संहार झूलता है मुझमें।

'उदयाचल मेरा दीप्त भाल, भूमंडल वक्षस्थल विशाल,
भुज परिधि-बन्ध को घेरे हैं, मैनाक-मेरु पग मेरे हैं।
दिपते जो ग्रह नक्षत्र निकर,
सब हैं मेरे मुख के अन्दर।

'दृग हों तो दृश्य अकाण्ड देख, मुझमें सारा ब्रह्माण्ड देख,
चर-अचर जीव, जग, क्षर-अक्षर, नश्वर मनुष्य सुरजाति अमर।
शत कोटि सूर्य, शत कोटि चन्द्र,
शत कोटि सरित, सर, सिन्धु मन्द्र।

'शत कोटि विष्णु, ब्रह्मा, महेश, शत कोटि विष्णु जलपति, धनेश,
शत कोटि रुद्र, शत कोटि काल, शत कोटि दण्डधर लोकपाल।
जञ्जीर बढ़ाकर साध इन्हें,
हाँ-हाँ दुर्योधन! बाँध इन्हें।

'भूलोक, अतल, पाताल देख, गत और अनागत काल देख,
यह देख जगत का आदि-सृजन, यह देख, महाभारत का रण,
मृतकों से पटी हुई भू है,
पहचान, इसमें कहाँ तू है।

'अम्बर में कुन्तल-जाल देख, पद के नीचे पाताल देख,
मुट्ठी में तीनों काल देख, मेरा स्वरूप विकराल देख।
सब जन्म मुझी से पाते हैं,
फिर लौट मुझी में आते हैं।

'जिह्वा से कढ़ती ज्वाल सघन, साँसों में पाता जन्म पवन,
पड़ जाती मेरी दृष्टि जिधर, हँसने लगती है सृष्टि उधर!
मैं जभी मूँदता हूँ लोचन,
छा जाता चारों ओर मरण।

'बाँधने मुझे तो आया है, जंजीर बड़ी क्या लाया है?
यदि मुझे बाँधना चाहे मन, पहले तो बाँध अनन्त गगन।
सूने को साध न सकता है,
वह मुझे बाँध कब सकता है?

'हित-वचन नहीं तूने माना, मैत्री का मूल्य न पहचाना,
तो ले, मैं भी अब जाता हूँ, अन्तिम संकल्प सुनाता हूँ।
याचना नहीं, अब रण होगा,
जीवन-जय या कि मरण होगा।

'टकरायेंगे नक्षत्र-निकर, बरसेगी भू पर वह्नि प्रखर,
फण शेषनाग का डोलेगा, विकराल काल मुँह खोलेगा।
दुर्योधन! रण ऐसा होगा।
फिर कभी नहीं जैसा होगा।

'भाई पर भाई टूटेंगे, विष-बाण बूँद-से छूटेंगे,
वायस-श्रृगाल सुख लूटेंगे, सौभाग्य मनुज के फूटेंगे।
आखिर तू भूशायी होगा,
हिंसा का पर, दायी होगा।'

थी सभा सन्न, सब लोग डरे, चुप थे या थे बेहोश पड़े।
केवल दो नर ना अघाते थे, धृतराष्ट्र-विदुर सुख पाते थे।
कर जोड़ खड़े प्रमुदित, निर्भय,
दोनों पुकारते थे 'जय-जय'!

-रामधारी सिंह "दिनकर"

क्या बहनजी अपने जीवनकाल में कभी शरमाई होगी ?

2009-12-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

ये प्रश्न अत्यंत पेचीदा और गहन अध्ययन योग्य है .अपितु मेरे हिसाब से तोह यह phd करने के लिए एकदम उपयुक्त विषय है.
लोगो से बेशर्मी से वोट माँगना और सत्ता में आके सारा माल गबन कर जाना लालू और कोड़ा जैसे बच्चे करते है.
बहनजी तो खुलेआम ग़रीबो के पैसो की नुमाईश करती है.
जन्मदिन के नाम पे मध्यवर्ग से चंदा उगाहना,जो न दे उसे "सबक" सिखाना,जो दे उसे केक भी न खिलाना..
इतने बड़े दिलवाला काम किसने किया??
बहनजी ने!!!
दलितों का उत्थान अंबेडकर,बहनजी और हाथी के बुतों से होता है..भारतीय राजनीती का यह सबसे नया और विस्मयकारी अविष्कार किसने किया??
बहनजी ने!!!
"तिलक तराजू और तलवार,
इनको मारो जूते चार"
यह अमर नारा किसने दिया??
बहनजी ने!!!
ब्राह्मणों को मनु की औलाद कहने वाली (मानो कोई गाली हो ) कौन व्यक्ति अपने स्वार्थ के लिए एक ब्राह्मण को अपना सेक्रेटरी बना सकती है??
बहनजी!!!
गुंडों क टिकेट न देने का दंभ भरने वाली कौन सी महान हस्ती अपने MLA द्वारा पुलिस को पीटने पे चुप्पी साध सकती है??
बहनजी!!!
किसके शासन में ग़रीब तोह छोड़ो, डॉक्टर इंजिनियर तक सरे आम मारे गए??
बहनजी!!

इन सब के बावजूद कौन खुद को बड़ी बेशर्मी से,बिना झिझक के दलितों की देवी,ग़रीबो की आशा की किरण कह सकता है??
कौन राज्यभर में अपने पुतले लगवाने के लिए Supreme court तक से लड़ सकता है?
कौन ??कौन??
कौन???
बहनजी !!बहनजी!!बहनजी!!!

DOWN Goes Dubious dubai

2009-11-30T08:20:00.000-08:00

The sun has finally set on the emirate..Dubai world(whose website proudly proclaims that the sun never sets on dubai) is on verge of defaulting on its debts.
The country that till recently was the epitome of development and luxury,stands exposed-stark naked,bared till the toes.
Development without human & social values cannot be sustained.Dubai,without any natural resources,tried to create a mirage in the deserts by importing everything that it didn't have(actually it had NOTHING).
The inhuman treatment of labourers (mostly from south asia) and the tendency to sweep every wrongdoing under the velvety carpets of Burj-al-arab and palm island has finally come back to haunt the sheikhs who rule this desert with an iron fist and deal in the business of selling dreams manufactured on a heavy dose of human and environmental exploitation.

कारवाँ गुज़र गया

2009-11-28T06:30:00.000-08:00

कारवाँ गुज़र गया
स्वप्न झरे फूल से,
मीत चुभे शूल से,
लुट गये सिंगार सभी बाग़ के बबूल से,
और हम खड़ेखड़े बहार देखते रहे।
कारवाँ गुज़र गया, गुबार देखते रहे!

नींद भी खुली न थी कि हाय धूप ढल गई,
पाँव जब तलक उठे कि ज़िन्दगी फिसल गई,
पातपात झर गये कि शाख़शाख़ जल गई,
चाह तो निकल सकी न, पर उमर निकल गई,
गीत अश्क बन गए,
छंद हो दफन गए,
साथ के सभी दिऐ धुआँधुआँ पहन गये,
और हम झुकेझुके,
मोड़ पर रुकेरुके
उम्र के चढ़ाव का उतार देखते रहे।
कारवाँ गुज़र गया, गुबार देखते रहे।

क्या शबाब था कि फूलफूल प्यार कर उठा,
क्या सुरूप था कि देख आइना मचल उठा
थाम कर जिगर उठा कि जो मिला नज़र उठा,
एक दिन मगर यहाँ,
ऐसी कुछ हवा चली,
लुट गयी कलीकली कि घुट गयी गलीगली,
और हम लुटेलुटे,
वक्त से पिटेपिटे,
साँस की शराब का खुमार देखते रहे।
कारवाँ गुज़र गया, गुबार देखते रहे।

हाथ थे मिले कि जुल्फ चाँद की सँवार दूँ,
होठ थे खुले कि हर बहार को पुकार दूँ,
दर्द था दिया गया कि हर दुखी को प्यार दूँ,
और साँस यूँ कि स्वर्ग भूमी पर उतार दूँ,
हो सका न कुछ मगर,
शाम बन गई सहर,
वह उठी लहर कि दह गये किले बिखरबिखर,
और हम डरेडरे,
नीर नयन में भरे,
ओढ़कर कफ़न, पड़े मज़ार देखते रहे।
कारवाँ गुज़र गया, गुबार देखते रहे!

माँग भर चली कि एक, जब नई नई किरन,
ढोलकें धुमुक उठीं, ठुमक उठे चरनचरन,
शोर मच गया कि लो चली दुल्हन, चली दुल्हन,
गाँव सब उमड़ पड़ा, बहक उठे नयननयन,
पर तभी ज़हर भरी,
गाज एक वह गिरी,
पुँछ गया सिंदूर तारतार हुई चूनरी,
और हम अजानसे,
दूर के मकान से,
पालकी लिये हुए कहार देखते रहे।
कारवाँ गुज़र गया, गुबार देखते रहे।

- गोपालदास नीरज

CLUSTERS OF HOPE...

2009-04-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

I see two worlds afront.A world in my college and a world beyond.The world outside is in chaos.Kinda perpetual anarchy.

That world is infested with politicians who claim to be secularists

but indulge in vote bank politics.People who swear by our

constitution but don't miss a chance of fanning communal and

regional passions.

That world beyond my campus has Indians torching their own

trains full of their own brethren just because those charred

inside invoked God by a different name.

In that world of grown ups,in that "civilised" society,fanaticism

outsmarts reasoning and compassion by a great margin.Most

of that world offers not even a quantum of solace to the

bleeding humanity.

And then i see my college.And here,i see hope.I see guys and

girls of different caste,colour,religion and language from all over

India.But i fail to see even an iota of hatred in their eyes.We are

all too busy eating out from each other's plates,playing pranks,chasing girls,studying all night before exams,bunking

classes,watching movies.

Those outside shout about secularism,then murder it themselves.

Inside here,anyone hardly gives a damn about politics but everyone

follows the ethos of our constitution.

WE do crack jokes on communities and their habits.But we never

scorn them,never burn homes,nor kill people.We do fight with

each other,but aleast not for religion or statehood.

This world inside my college is one of those "Clusters of hope" that is shaping India,s young minds so that they can change what is wrong and stand for what is right.

And to all those spineless secularists vitiating the world out there,I say,"If you think we are good only at gadgets,come learn from us a few lessons in HUMANITY.We are leaders in this too."

Kunal Anand

Wots Secularism???

2008-06-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

The government hardly bothers abt the plight of kashmiri pandits...they r nt a big vote bank...But its hell bent ongiving reservations 2 minorities n obc's...

Is secularism all about the numerical strenghth n not the real pklight of the masse???

Should a person like Narendra Modi b left jst bcos he can mobilise Hindu votes???

Should India not renovate Ankor Vat temples jst bcos it might not go down well wid anothr comunity????