FacebookWhy is it that I see only Heros and Villains around me?
Reservation in the Indian Cricket Team
5 out of the 11 players who represented the country today play for Delhi in the Ranji trophy. And apart from Dinesh Karthik(who plays for Delhi in IPL) all the other players are either from North Indian Teams or Mumbai!
O Mighty politicians who voucheth'for reservation for the downtrodden.. open your eyes and see what's happening in this country.
i minus me
Well, it has been a fairly long time, especially by my standards, since I've posted here. Was busy learning new things and, amongst other things, working on the new look of this site.
Now it is ready.. an all-new avatar.. everything other than the content has changed. Hows the new look? Feedback/Comments on the new design are welcome!
Now it is ready.. an all-new avatar.. everything other than the content has changed. Hows the new look? Feedback/Comments on the new design are welcome!
The Swine Flu Joke
A family friend recently contracted a flu. He went for the Swine Flu examination. While he waited for the reports he took medication for normal flu and was soon fully fit. So he started attending college.
When the reports came out it turned out that he had suffered Swine Flu! The media somehow came to know about this and are now after his parents and him as to why he wasn't admitted to a hospital - that they might be responsible for spreading the flu and all that crap. And these idiots refuse to understand that he is perfectly fit now.
I read a statistic somewhere - that everyday 594 people die in India due to common flu whereas the total number of deaths due to Swine Flu till then had just reached double digits. Now, that says it all - the unnecessary panic, the attached wastage of time and resources, duping of common public by the hospitals and black-marketeers and of course, the misappropriation of funds meant for Swine Flu relief by you know whom...
And yeah for those people who are still wearing those surgical masks - a) That mask is ineffective for protection from Swine Flu - the size of the virus is so small that even the specially designed Swine flu masks used in the US are not effective, b) The mask is good for protection from dust and pollution, but if you are wearing it for protection from a virus and stuff you must know that those masks have expiry times in minutes - around 15-20 minutes or so, so you need to buy a new bag for carrying those masks -- any entrepreneurs reading this have a business opportunity to exploit ;)
When Bankers start reading hands...
I was having a conversation with my boss(actually my Boss's boss) about an important matter - a decision taken by me about my career. Somewhere in the middle of the conversation this happened:
"Show me your hand", he said.
"Are you a palmist too?" (He's a banker by profession)
"Your are not going to have a great career." (I looked at him in disbelief, after all I'm a pass-out from one of the top B-Schools of the country and have been a fairly good all-rounder.)
"k"
"But you are going to be rich... you'll have lots of cash" (Who wants to have a career if he can have the cash? After all, that would allow me to indulge in the various hobbies that I have - things that I like to do but I'm bad at(or well, not good enough) because of which I can't do them professionally - stuff like Art, Photography, Shayari(Style of Poetry somewhat similar to Haiku), Writing, Designing, Learning languages and musical instruments and so on...)
A smile had only begun to surface on my face when he said:
"It's going to be inherited."
******* didn't read my resume thoroughly enough.
Kaatey Bhaiyya
"Haan pehchana na... Kaatey Bhaiyya hain. Inhone kaate kehna start kiya tha phir poore mohalle mein riwaj shuru ho gaya!"
Seated, facing me, was a 18 year old boy. He was around 10 the last time we had met. A neighbour of one of my relatives who live in one of the 'airtight' colonies of Old Delhi!
I was in my mid-teens then. Used to visit their home a lot during the months of June, July and August. The period preceding Independence Day. Kite flying was something I was totally hooked to, and there was hardly any competition(and, therefore, hardly any fun) for me where I live(d). So I used to spend some of the hot-hot-hot and sunny Delhi afternoons on the terrace of my relative's home. And the children of my second cousins, three-four of them, used to accompany me to the terrace along with their friends from the neighbourhood. He was one of them.
"Patang udani toh chod di hogi ab aapne?", he inquired.
"Patang mil jaaye aur chhat mil jaaye to udaa lete hain."
So there in the streets of Old Delhi from the precarious rooftops we used to fly kites. And participate in 'Kite Wars'. I wasn't the master of Kite Flying, there were people who had been flying kites for a period equivalent to three times my age back then. But I wasn't a noob either. And the sounds of Kaatey, which was the expression of joy and pride upon winning the battles and a war cry for what lay in front, could be heard after brief pauses. Somehow, it was soon picked up by everyone around and became a standard expression. Probably the 'k' factor played its role. And I earned another monicker for myself.
There were fun moments too... once for some reason, that I can't recall, the skies were empty. So just to have a bit of fun, and more importantly make the kids around me happy-happy, I started tying all kinds of stuff with the string and have them go airborne with the kite. We started with balloons. And moved on to other random stuff that was lying on the terrace. Thankfully, it was quite windy that day so the kite could carry the weight. It was fun, the kids were all smiles and there was no freaky accident.
I haven't flown a kite in a long time. But I am in Delhi and chances are that on the 15th of August, if not sooner, I would end up on the terrace doing something that I love to do.
Some of you may have Scorpion Children, so... :)
Well, primarily meant for believers in horoscopes/Zodiacs etc. Am I one? Not really. Though, don't mind reading stuff where nice words have been used for me ;)
Scorpios get a lot of bad press. They are vindictive, mean, and obsessed with sex. That’s not really fair. Scorpio rules the house of sharing. They are the stewards of sharing money, resources, love, and yes sharing each other’s bodies. It is their deepest most spiritual need to be completely connected, loved, and sharing from the depth of their soul. It is from this place that they are so easily hurt. Wounded Scorpios are a force to be reckoned with and yes, they are famously ruthless and cruel. How do you keep your own Scorpio child from becoming obsessive and mean?
Love them. Yes, all children need to be loved, but Scorpio children need to be loved at such a deep personal connected level. The worse thing you can do to a Scorpio child is to ignore them. They feel emotionally abandoned and never really learn to trust anyone again. You absolutely must make sure that your Scorpio child knows that you love them. Touch them with purpose. They need parents that are fully present paying attention to them. They are high maintenance children until they are convinced that they are loved unconditionally, then they become extremely self-reliant. They need to hear you tell them that you recognize them as the incredible souls that they are. They need to be taken seriously. Do not laugh off the dreams of a Scorpio child. You will crush their spirits and once they are crushed, they are cursed. Hug them with strength. Love them with your entire being. Really listen to them when they talk to you. They are incredibly wise old souls from the day they are born. They probably know you better then you know yourself. Acknowledge them and their incredible minds.
Share with them. They must believe at the very deepest core of their being that it is safe to share their hearts. They feel abandoned if you only offer them superficial conversation and light fluffy family dynamics. They need the meat and potatoes kind of parenting. Talk to them openly. Tell them your thoughts. Role model open communications and how beneficial it is when trying to deeply connect with another. Scorpios only become sneaking and secretive as a way of self-protection. Show them that by openly sharing one’s thoughts, feelings, and love that real connection is achieved. They hunger for that deep connection. Show them positive ways to get it.
Discipline them. Scorpios are extremely strong willed and powerful by nature. They know exactly who they are and that most people do not have the strength, knowledge, nor stamina to match their own. They have a tendency to believe that they were born with a crown on their heads and that they do not have to follow the rules that other people follow. They will laugh and mock you as you lay down the rules. You have to be strong and firm while teaching Scorpios that yes, the rules do apply to them too. If you are a dictator in your parenting style, they will imitate you and become dictator-like also. If you cave in to their charm and their constant attempts at persuasion then they will use charm and persuasion to get their way in life. If you beat them into submission, they will do the same. They have to be disciplined in a way that is strong, meaningful, and firm. They have to know without a doubt that you love them with all your heart and that they still have to follow the rules. They have to learn the basic lesson that there are repercussions for making bad choices. If you do not teach them, they will believe that they are above the law.
Scorpios are known for having problems with drugs and alcohol. They often need to escape the cruel realities of life. The real world seldom meets their deep spiritual needs for true sharing and connection. Teach them as children how to get these needs met and you will have an adult with more willpower and focus then most people can comprehend. Raise your Scorpio in violence, anger, negativity, and loneliness and you will create an adult capable of being selfish, manipulative, and extremely revengeful.
Adult Scorpios raised to use their gifts and powers in a positive constructive manner are among some of the most amazing people. They give so much back to the world once they know that they are deeply connected to it. They will give their last dollar to a stranger in need because sharing is what they do best. Healthy happy Scorpios are the most passionate and loyal spouses, employees, and members of society. Raise your Scorpio well and you will give an incredible leader to the planet. They have the brilliance, compassion, and stamina to create anything they set their minds to. Scorpios can change the world.
Driving Wrong Way?
Originally posted on October 7, 2008 somewhere else. As a part of the restructuring of my online activities that blog has also been deleted. So the first and only post there(this one) has been moved here:
Researchers have been administering placebos to the persons suffering from Alcohol Dependence. They prevent the pleasure that is derived from alcohol by stimulating the pleasurable effects of alcohol by blocking the opioid receptors in the brain. Therefore, the motivation for drinking alcohol decreases resulting in a fall in consumption.
So, in effect the drug ensures that the pleasurable effects of alcohol are not felt by the patient thus, eliminating the benefit that he/she derives from drinking it.
Now, I was just wondering whether there is a better solution to it. The reason why I feel that this is not the best solution is because once the person stops taking the drug, he would again be able to feel the benefits and a single incidence of alcohol consumption might trigger addiction.
What could be a better solution?
Driving Wrong Way! Or well, if the current way is wrong, then the right way.It is well known that the same chemical in the brain can be produced as a result of various activities or substance and perform various functions. Now suppose we replace alcohol with some activity or substance which might have a similar effect on the person but to a reduced degree and is not harmful to him. What happens in this case is that we are able to help the person to get over alcohol addiction which is not good for the patient's body. instead of eliminating the pleasurable effect, we might be able to get the person to perform an activity that is beneficial to him and to the society as well.
Sounds Crazy?
Endorphin is a chemical released by the body in response to pain. While it reduces pain, it also enhances the positive body sensations. Simply stating a person gets pleasure from pain! Reminds you of something?
The biggest advantage of doing this will be that the person is already addicted to something that gives him a pleasure of a particular variety(related to the chemicals being released) so the chances if getting back to alcohol to stimulate that particular part of the mind is as good as eliminated. Anyway, if he is addicted to the positive activity he may not even get the time to drink alcohol!
2 Autowallahs..
Originally posted on October 27, 2008 somewhere else. As a part of the restructuring of my online activities that blog has been deleted. So the first and only post there(this one) has been moved here:
Ah... finally, the first post on this blog, months after I created it. The blog is about people around me, those who have knowingly, unknowingly made me whatever I am. And the people whom you know are not the only ones who make you what you are, an equal or possibly a more important role is played by strangers. And so I begin this blog with an account about a stranger.
The festive season has begun, with the advent of Diwali. And so has the week-long vacation period. I started from Mumbai yesterday evening to reach Delhi today afternoon in Sampark Kranti(Connection + Revolution). The train was about 15 minutes late, Indian railways has indeed improved. To reach home from the railway station I usually take an auto. Sometimes pre-paid, other times bargained. Indian autowallahs and cab drivers are considered to be some of the most notorious in the world, with the success rate in fleecing in some parts of the country as high as 98.3%. The cab drivers internationally, if the various travelogues that I have read be taken into account, are not very different. Some more, some less, but sab ek hi thalli ke chate batte hain.Ofcourse, there are exceptions. The japanese cab drivers and the japanese people in general are considered to be some of the most honest in the world.
Anyway, the Delhi auto drivers are a class apart, they are experts in fleecing the most experienced travellers. The image is so strong that they are considered to be the worst in the country. But then those people who say so haven't travelled a lot in this country. As far as my experience goes bangalore autowallahs are the worst, followed by Delhi. Bangalore auto-wallahs not only fleece you, they are extremely rude. I have heard innumerable accounts of their misbehavior especially with girls.
Delhi auto wallahs lie to you, cheat you, and fleece you, but they are rude very rarely. Remember the term 'rude' is relative. Being a Delhiite I am quite used to the level of rudeness prevelant here, if you're from some first world country you might be in for a shocker. Bangalore was a shocker for me.
Last time(about a month back) I had bargained, I had sensed that there was a rise in the pre-paid prices so I settled for an amount which was about 34% more than what I paid last to last time. Because I was not sure about the pricing I chose to take a pre-paid slip(If you're a first time traveller, this is the best option that you've got). Since, it was high rush time, and auto-wallahs could find easy killings the pre-paid stand was empty. I went to the Traffic police constable, who stopped an auto for me. I put my luggage in, did not thank the hawaldaar(I was not happy with his reaction, and sensed the auto-wallah might play foul) and got into the auto.
The moment the autowallah moved out of the station I had a feeling that he was not taking the right route. With so much construction going on around the city, and with the trust that the religious leaders exhort us to repose in our fellow human beings, I chose to be ignorant. Anyhow, I wasn't going to pay him a penny extra, all I had was a piece of paper from him(the pre-paid voucher).
After about 5 minutes -
The auto stops all of a sudden, "Bhaisahib, the wire has broken. It will take me 10 minutes to set it right". I knew he was fooling around. I braced myself to the situation and prepared to do something that I am bad at, probably because I hate it, to 'screw' him. He moved towards an auto coming in our direction, I heard him asking for a wire. Then he asked the auto-wallah to take me to my destination.
"I will take 60 rupees."
"There is a prepaid slip, take that. Keep all of the money, don't give anything to me."
He agreed. I transferred my luggage. After about 10 minutes on the road, the second auto-wallah said "he was bringing you from the wrong route. He should have brought you from Lodhi Road. You would have been home by now."
"I know." I knew he was right. But these auto-wallahs are all almost the same, bitching about each other, about how wrong the other person is and how right they are, is one of their passtimes. I just looked at him in the rear-view mirror and smiled.
Then, when we were near the AIIMS flyover, this incident happened. There was this cycle-rickshaw puller, with about 10-15 heavy mattresses on his cycle rickshaw, pulling his rickshaw over the flyover. He was on his feet, that's all that I could see of him, applying whatever strength he had to pull the load to the top of the hill. The auto-wallah saw what was happening, moved the auto to the left(toward the rickshaw-wallah). He took out his left foot and put in on the rickshaw frame from behind and put his hand on the gas full throttle(the accelerator 'pedal' in an auto is in the handle). In a few seconds both the ricks were on the top of the flyover. I saw the hand of the cycle rickshaw puller coming out of the mattresses on the right, gesticulating that's good enough. The auto-wallah pulled back his leg. We moved ahead, the cycle rickshaw puller looked at the auto-driver and smiled. That said it all. Sometimes words are just not required.
I felt like tipping the auto-wallah, yeah a scrooge like me decided to tip. This chap deserved it.
Five minutes on and I reached my home. Actually, usually I get down at the Arya Samaj Temple and from there walk home. So that's where I got down, the Arya Samaj Mandir.
I gave him the chit. While I waited for him to open and check it, I asked:
"What's your name?"
"Jagdish"
"Where are you from?"
"Sarita Vihar"
"I meant where do you belong to, Delhi?"
"Ji Sahib. I am a Dilliwallah.". I suspected it.
He looked at the chit and said, "Sahib the chit says 55, after the Service Charges I'll get only Rs 50. I said 60, give me atleast Rs 5 more."
I looked at him and smiled, "I don't think I have the change. But if I do its all yours." I suspected I only had a Rs 2 Coin. I managed to find a Rs 5 coin.
I gave him the coin. He looked at me and smiled. Then he folded his hands, smiled and said "Agar koi bhool chook hui ho to maaf karna sahib, dhanyavaad".
I smiled back.
Conversation with a Delhi Traffic Cop!
Disclaimer: This is merely a narration of an incident that happened. Therefore, the language is colloquial and the author's views are not reflected in this. He is NOT a sexist(At least not any more) :)
"Hamaare Laayak koi sewa ho to bataiye"(If there is some service that I can perform for you then please tell me.)
"Pata Nahi. Spark Plug mein current nahi aa raha."(Don't Know. There is no current in the Spark Plug.)
We were headed home when the engine of the scooter died down all of a sudden. It's a trusted Bajaj Chetak(remember Hamara Bajaj, that mellifluous song?). Not a single problem in the past two years, my father was to tell me later.
I was standing guard next to it. That's when I saw two motorcycles headed towards me. They stopped just next to 'Hamara Bajaj'. The Traffic Cop was challan-ing the men because the pillion rider wasn't wearing a helmet. It took him around 7 minutes to complete the process - checking licence, vehicle documents etc and then making the challan slip.
And then... "Hamaare..." he asked me. It is rare to find a Traffic Cop in Delhi who is pleasant and nice to talk to, most are grumpy. And this guy seemed fit as well, no protruding belly. And, most importantly, I didn't see him pocketing money without a receipt!
"Helmet ka challan tha?(The challan was for the helmet?)", I asked him.
"Haan(Yes)".
"Wo nikli bina helmet ke...(That woman who just passed wasn't wearing a helmet)", I looked at him, as I asked him.
"Ladies hai na(It's a lady)".
He further went on to help improve my GK. Women don't need helmets-their heads are accident proof. Well, seriously, he told me that a couple of years back the ruling had been modified so it wasn't mandatory for women to wear helmets now. It is sad that in this country even courts go for populist decisions. That's what it was - a populist decision, I see no logical reason why women around the world can wear helmets but Indian women can't. Are Parachute Oil and Dabur Vatika repulsive to helmets?
"Wo gayee ek lady bina seat belt ke.(There went a lady without a seat belt)", he said.
OK. Now, I was facing the traffic, he was looking in the opposite direction, and he still noticed this with the traffic moving at at least 40kph. He was damn good at the job. The girl seemed to be in her early twenties and from an upper-middle class family.
"Toh challan nahi karenge?(Wouldn't you challan her?)", I asked.
"Nahi yaar bahut dangerous maamla hai ladies ka.(No, my friend, it is very dangerous to challan the ladies)".
"Kyun(Why)?", I was curious.
"Ro deti hain yaar(They start crying).", he said. I nodded. "Kuch to m*** bhi deti hain(Some even wet their clothing)", he continued.
"Hmmm"
So all my female friends who boast about never getting challaned - well, this may well be the reason why :P The Traffic Cops are scared of you!
On a serious note, we all know that Delhi Police and Delhi Traffic Police or for that matter police in any state of this country are quite famous for harassment so it is quite easy for clever and mean female offenders to cry foul and get away. And the poor cop (assuming he is innocent) ends up jeopardising his job. So, the Traffic Police Dept to please take note - it is high time you increase the number of female cops in the force so that gender equity may be restored!
"Wo gaye Sardaarji bina belt ke(There goes a Sikh man without a seat belt)", again I had missed and he had seen. He was on his bike even before he had completed the statement and off he went.
This small conversation isn't enough for me to judge the character of that person or his competence-level in the job. But, considering that our interaction with policemen or any other public servant(on the road) is not more than a few minutes, I strongly believe that if we had more such people in the police and other departments, their image would dramatically improve.
Indi-Paki Bhai-Bhai
Today I uploaded the final batch of the designing work that I had done in college to DA(http://visualcerebration.blogspot.com) . And some of them were fav'd by people. While going through the comments I came across this man who is a Paki and had fav'd one of my works. Now, what is the problem with a Pakistani fav'ing an Indian's work, that's what you are thinking right? Ask the fundamentalists. They will tell you.
Anyhow, the big deal is not that. The point is that the particular piece was patriotic in nature. The event for which I had designed the stuff had the theme 'Iceberg India'. So, I'm feeling great, because one of my works which was mildly patriotic in nature has been liked by someone belonging to our neighbouring country with whom we have not been on good terms, and that person openly expressed it. The person must be appreciated for being objective enough to appreciate the Art.
These are signs(I know I'm extrapolating, and, a lot) that changes in technology and new communication media in the future may improve the relationship between the two countries. So we may have a day when we can say Indi-Paki Bhai-Bhai :)
One of my friends recently told me, "Man, you really do live in a world of fiction." I hope that is not the case at least as far as this is concerned.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ironically, today itself, in a similar fashion, I had a conversation with another Pakistani. A teenaged girl who is a brilliant photographer and aspiring to be a novelist. She's from Karachi, a city far from the Talibanised areas of Pakistan. I asked her about the situation there. "everyone's alive!", she wrote, followed by a Big Grin emoticon. I wonder whether that grin represented a sigh of relief or sarcasm!
Age Unlimited
I started working full-time when I was 17. The average age of the people around was 26. So, I never thought I'd ever feel odd working with people elder to me. But, today when I went to the office to complete the formalities I had that feeling. People at the same level as me around 15 years elder. The feeling surfaced probably because I'm returning to working with older people after a long time.
Wonder how my peers who don't have similar experience feel. And most of all I wonder how the older people will feel about the newbies joining them!
Love of the Rat Race
Being someone who isn't quite interested in the rat race that everyone around seems to be deeply engorged in can be difficult. The major problem being that most people refuse to understand your stand. "It sounds philosophical, sounds good, sounds interesting.", they say, "But is not practical." I've often tried to explain to them that I don't advocate living a wastrel's life. That would be straight against the tenets of Sikhism. The point is lead a life where you work for just enough materialistic comfort to meet whatever your needs and desires are and not for the desire of earning money! Enjoy life, be good to others as much as you can be, and be good to yourself :)
Anyway, this post is about the problem that I may face if I choose to stay out of the rat race. And I'm not in a mood to talk serious right now... the problem is that I've spent the past 5-6 years with people having high aspirations, both at office and in college. Most of the people I met during the past two years are a part of what is called the rat race. And all this while I've been a person sitting on the footpath watching the people in cars and bikes rush by. I've enjoyed the show and am missing the feeling. It's like that feeling of standing on the terrace in a crowded place like Chandni Chowk and looking down at the activity that is on in the market and on the roads. I'm missing that feeling in just 20 days... time to get back inside the rat race. For the best view is there. Should I run the race, not for that elusive victory, but for the fun of the race and that close-up view?
Congress (R)
Elections are a historical event. Whatever be the level, the time, the people involved. Though, their importance varies. This year's elections came at a point when the country was starting to show the ill-effect that the global recession has had on it. The UPA government, even under such an able person as Dr. Manmohan Singh, was unable to take any consequential steps in any direction. Most of its time went in appeasing its allies, specially, the left. That's over. The results are out.
India is back in the hands of the Nehru-Gandhi family, or well, we can use the word Dynasty.
Did you just sit up straight and start to say, "But Manmohan Singh is the PM..."?
If that is the case, think again. The electorate has not voted for Manmohan Singh. As much as the educated class may want to believe, that is not the case. It has also not voted for governance. Was that even discussed during the pre-poll rallies in earnest? The mandate is quite clearly to the Congress because of two main factors.
The first factor is pro-incumbency. Which, at the scale at which it has happened, is a surprise. Except probably in the case of Bihar and Gujarat, good governance cannot be single out as a reason for this pro-incumbency, and Congress(or UPA) is not in power in either of the two! The reason probably is that the non-incumbent leaders were not up to the mark. Like Advani vs. Manmohan Singh(or, should one say Sonia Gandhi).
The second factor which is clearly coming to the fore is Rahul Gandhi. Even though a lot of us believe and publicly state that he is not competent enough, that is probably not what the electorate, in general, thinks. Indians wanted a demi-god. And who is better to be accorded that status than someone who belongs to a family of demi-gods! His age and 'charm'(and that of Mrs Vadra) also helped him to win the youth over, at least that's what the political punditry has to say, that he won over the youth vote for the Congress.
Sonia Gandhi is going to hold her promise and we'll have Manmohan Singh as the PM. But for how long? It won't be a surprise if somewhere in the middle of the term Manmohan Singh, directed by 10 Janpath, takes retirement citing something like health(he'll be an octogenarian in about 2 years) and clears the way for Rahul Gandhi. And it won't be surprising if soon after we have the Congress(I) renamed to Congress(R). My suggestion to Rahul would be to take some time and learn the tricks of the trade. He has some brilliant people around to learn from. If he has the patience, he may end up doing something good not only for himself, but also for the country. The country which has put it's faith in him.
If only the Gandhis, who are any how in power and everyone knows that, decide to be generous and let able men take the official designations(at least), one and one is sure a lot of his friends also would be quite grateful to them. And this brings us to P Chidambaram. He almost lost his MP status thanks to wrong counting. It was hilarious to know that he had lost, it was worse to know that the counting went wrong even with the EVMs. If this could happen to political stalwarts like Maneka Gandhi and P Chidambaram, one can only wonder at how many other places the same has happened and the mistake remains uncorrected.
Hail the Gandhis! They are back in power, and in style.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apart from the return of the Gandhis there are other reasons which make these elections and the results historical.
The first and the foremost is the use of EVMs all over. This is the first major step taken by the election commission towards bringing technological advancement into the elections process. Though, at the same time, it is quite disheartening to know that even with EVMs there were mistakes in the counting process. One is not a conspiracy theorist but this is clearly a sign of something wrong somewhere.
Second is the participation of the youth. Both as candidates and as voters. It is encouraging to know that the youth of the country is finally becoming actively involved in the matters of the country.
Third would be the unprecedented defeat suffered by the left. They have virtually been routed in West Bengal. This was a shocker for everyone. Something that no one had predicted. Though this is good for the country in the sense that the UPA does not need them anymore. This may actually turn out to be quite bad because, as one of the panelists in some discussion on some news channel pointed out, the left is probably the only party which seriously discusses Economy.
Fourth would be the defeat suffered by Laloo, Paswan, and others of the 'prime-ministerial aspirants' category.
Then, the UPA getting 260 odd votes. A single figure is not being quoted because even now different channels are showing different figures. What this means that no one would be in a position to blackmail the UPA. After a long time we have a government with such a strong mandate. And that being the case the expectations are also pretty high. The market is already Circuited out for the day showing the emphatic reaction of the traders. And if the news channels are to be believed that Montek Singh Ahluwalia is being appointed the Finance Minister and that Laloo has been refused a ministry than these are steps in the right direction by the PM, and indicates the occurrence of some serious governance in the years to come. This is what the country needs and, hopefully, will get.
And, of course, Manmohan Singh becomes the first Prime Minister after Jawahar Lal Nehru to serve successive terms. Hopefully, he will complete his term.
In the end we can just hope that the UPA uses this opportunity to do some good to the country and not fall prey to sycophants. Something that the Congress led governments have been particularly prone to.
ASI: Destroying in the name of restoration
Went to the Old Fort today to attend a 'Heritage Walk' organised by ASI with support from an NGO (INTACH, if I remember correctly). The idea of the walk was wonderful. And even though the person because of whom I went somehow didn't turn up, I decided to stick with the group.
I wasn't interested in the historical stuff too much... having visited the place a number of times I already know enough about it. The intention was just to refresh the memories.
The experience as such was good, and the initiative is also appreciable.
But, there is one issue. A major one. Not related to the walk but to the restoration of monuments. The ASI is not restoring but reconstructing monuments. And that too using cheap material. The issue has been raised in the press but not enough has been written. And, because this is not an issue of much importance to anyone (though it should be) the matter dies down.
Every morning that I go for a walk to Deer Park and from there to the District Park of SJE I see monuments being destroyed by the 'restoration' work being carried out by the ASI. The material is not only low quality but is also totally different, even in colour and texture, from the material which the original monuments are made of.
And the 'restoration' work or should I use 'reconstruction' work is being done using plans which have been prepared by the incompetent ASI officials. So I wouldn't be surprised to find the mosque at Old Fort with bells some time from now. The idea is that under the influence of RSS this is probably going to be the next thing that they are going to do - turning a mosque into a temple. Even today a serious chunk of the discussion was dedicated to Indraprastha and Hastinapur, instead of Humayun and Akbar. The ASI officials were particularly gung-ho about an excavation that is going on, and speculations are rife that they have found the remains of what was once Hastinapur.
Unfortunately, there are two major problems with what ASI is doing. And these problems are even bigger than the issue of ASI's incompetent methods.
First, is the restoration work which is a step towards destroying the monuments, rather than preservation. Thanks mostly to the way in which it is being carried out. And this because there is a lot of money involved in the contracts being doled out. To give you an idea of the scale of 'restoration' work that is on. There is construction on in my neighbourhood. The construction material that they are using is one-third of the construction material that I saw at the Old Fort today. And that was only for a small section of the boundary wall of the fort.
Second, is the mutilation of the Indian culture and history that is on due to undue influences on the ASI. Pakistan is an example of a country where the majority of the population has been brainwashed when it comes to history. I hope and pray that, that is not repeated in India.
About the walk. These walks often have celebrated personalities as guides. So if you are lucky you might just bump into a celebrity!
What has happened to our Indian-ness?
Due to situational contingencies I somehow ended up travelling in the Delhi Metro today. And to my surprise I found it as spick as it was a year ago, or well, when it started. It is hard to spot any scratches, spots, cracks, marks or the like that are hard to miss in any other form of state controlled public transport. On top of it, the security measures on the Metro are as tight as they've ever been. Physical frisking of every passenger. And this when the last major terrorist attack was more than five months back. The stations are as clean as they were back then. The only difference that is visible is on the floor of the trains which isn't as shiny thanks to the heavy passenger load. What has happened to our Indian-ness?
For those who haven't travelled in Delhi Metro, this is how it looked, looks and, hopefully, will continue to look.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Indian-ness that we are habitually inclined to rant about/criticize day-in day-out. All those reasons why a lot of us hate this country- Insensibility towards everything public, and taking these things for granted, tendency of spoiling them by spitting, littering, leaving marks on walls, stealing whatever can be stolen, and other issues such as general lack of hygiene, red-tapism, bureaucracy, criminal politicians, roads, climate, pollution, corrupt traffic hawaldaars and stupid bylaws and even not using Deos and many many other reasons. And, of course, the lackadaisical attitude and apathy of the authorities towards everything.
But considering today's experience I wonder what happened to the Games Indians Play? Prof Raghunathan attempted to explain the above behavioural characteristics of Indians using Game Theory. Are his postulations all useless now? Or, is there a change in the proportion of payoffs for Temptation and Punishment that has caused this behavioural shift? And, if so is the case, can this change be brought about in other places so that what Delhi Metro is today, India may become tomorrow?
And then, I found myself in front of Uphaar. Those stories - some of horror* others of bravery**. That place is almost a Bhoot-Bungalow now. In limbo the case will apparently remain till the perpetrators die their natural deaths, after which the files will be disposed off. And the same will happen with several cases pertaining to the pocketing of tax-payers' money by politicians and bureaucrats, or of the riot cases whether it be '84 or Godhra or any other.
As the oft-repeated cliche goes, "India is a diverse country." Diversity exists even in the extent of Indian-ness.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*His wife, two daughters, sister, two nieces and a nephew died because they went to see Border. When smoke started filling the hall, Raman's wife, Sonika, had the presence of mind to call him and tell him exactly what happened. For several minutes she spoke to him describing the pitch blackness, the smoke, the milling, terrified crowds, the fact that they were holding on to each other.... lost. Then she began to tell him of those who were dying. Before she died herself she said, 'They're all dead.' (From: Uphaar's Villains by Tavleen Singh //Published in India Today and Political and Incorrect: The Real India, Warts and All)
**There were a number of people who first got their families to safety, and then helped others. Some of these brave people survived. Others didn't.
Daal diya? Daal diya :)
In case you haven't guessed already, elections is what this is about. Today is May 7th 2009 and the Delhi phase of Lok Sabha elections is on. A whopping 40 candidates from the South Delhi constituency to which one belongs. Only three major parties: Congress, BJP, BSP... the rest belong to small parties, social groups(NGOs, Women Empowerment Groups etc) or are independent.
The kind of enthusiasm that was there in the voters was amazing. Educated people from well-to-do families seem to have realised the importance of their vote as they turned out in droves at the polling booths. The kind of enthusiasm about the elections that is there amongst one's peers, most of whom are young professionals(MBAs, Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers), is also quite amazing. People are using FaceBook, Orkut and other such sites to convey to their friends that they have voted and are proud of it! One has voted too and is proud of it :)
And the new trend of casting negative votes has also begun. Though the usefulness of that option in the present day scenario is debatable, it is still good to know that people are freely voicing the fact that none of the candidates in their constituency is deserving enough to be voted for.
Post Deleted
*** POST DELETED ***
All the best to you for your career and life, may the effects of recession wear off from your career path ASAP :)
*** POST DELETED ***
Firangistan
This word was coined sometime back by yours truly. It means - "Land of the different coloured."
Etymology:
The origins of the word lie in the Pepsi Ad Campaign - Youngistan - "Land of the young." It is made up of two words Firangi and Sthan. Firangi is a Urdu word that means "One with a different colour". Sthan is a Hindi word that means "Place".
How exactly was the word coined? I don't remember now. But it was a few months back in reference to one of my friends going to a foreign country.
Today, this word has become an inseparable part of my vocabulary. Considering how beautiful it is I hope one day it becomes a part of the Oxford(or whichever one is the best then) English dictionary :P
The Ethical Joke
Well, let's start with the title, it is a misnomer. The post is not about any joke that is ethical. It is about the joke that is ethics. People(most, not all) don't even get a conscience call, so to say, telling them that they are doing something unethical.
The posts on this blog are a result of something that the author has observed in the days prior to posting. But, almost never has the focus of the author been specifically on the event. The point made through the posts is almost always generic in nature, the event(if mentioned) is used just to exemplify the situation. But this time, this post will only talk about the event. Because the author is feeling ashamed. Truly ashamed.
This post is about a man, let's say S, who is on the author's friend's list on various socialisation sites, GTalk etc. S has just completed his MBA from one of the good, if not premier, B-Schools of India. And as such was probably looking for some good business opportunity. And these days our mailboxes are full of emails from random people asking you to do online jobs or earn money online using various methods. Probably that is how he got this idea of starting a blog and earning money through the Google AdSense program and through referrals to other programs. What's wrong? Everyone blogs these days... how can there be something wrong with it... that's what you are thinking. Right?
In India piracy is an accepted phenomenon. Something that we all participate in, though passively. The minimum that we can do is not participate in it actively. That is precisely what Mr S has done. His blog is not about his experiences, photographs, knowledge sharing or something else. The blog is a collection of popular stuff - the pirated copies of which have been uploaded onto free web space and the links provided for download. It contains everything movies, TV shows, books, advertisements, songs, even articles that S could lay his hands on.
The latest count of visitors on the blog is 113. The blog was launched on 27-03-09 and today is 03-04-09. The number of followers - 21. The author is also there - one of the first people to add himself. Why?
Because when he added himself there was no content on the blog. It seemed that the site was to be a review site for all the stuff, or a general gossip site. Adding yourself as a follower to a friend's blog is a way of encouraging the person. There are several people out there who are poets, artists, singers, or good writers in general. Most of them are never going to be known for that, and they know it. But still they are putting an effort, they are trying. Encouraging them may one day result in some of them becoming successful and achieving their dreams. And so the author has subscribed to 100s of blogs. And even reads them on and off and leaves encouraging comments, if deserved.
Ironically, the headquarters of Satyam are in the same city as his B-School. He may have drawn some inspiration from there!
The current generation talks about having educated people in politics so that something good may happen to this country. But, if such be the educated people of the country, than it is a matter of shame for all of us.
prodded to use the VIP pass
Using VIP status to get special treatment at public places is one of the most famous ways of flaunting it. And so is done by the ostentatious Indians aplenty. As and when there is an opportunity we would go right ahead and move around flaunting our 'status'.
There are different categories of VVIPs. And there are as many or probably more different ways of flaunting that 'status' of theirs.
To make it simple they have been classified below in a heirarchy similar to that of Cricket teams in India.
We have the Indian Cricket Team. The VVIPs who reside in Lutyen's Delhi and their kind. Their most effective way of showing off is to have you wait for ages for them to pass. In extreme situations the wait could be as long as an hour. You'd understand what that means if you're a Delhiite and have to pass through that area and have had to wait for something like 10-15 minutes on a bike when the temperature is over 40 degrees.
The IPL teams. The film stars. I don't even need to get started, the mention of a certain character named 'Rakhi Sawant' is enough. Thanks to people like her, so many people have stopped watching TV. While there are others who have started...
Then we have the Zonal Teams. The people who have contacts with the aforementioned(ICT). Their most effective way of flaunting their status is by getting free passes to the Cricket matches being held at Ferozeshah Kotla. It is common knowledge that after the free passes have been distributed the only places remaining for the crowd to watch the game from are the trees and thankfully Delhi has plenty of them.
Next we come to the State Level Teams. The Sarkari babus. Go to any public body and you'll know how they flaunt their status. Want a hint? Here it is: Don't wear a watch when you go to the MCD office.
Then there are the University, College and School Teams: These are the ones who all of us have to deal with at some stage or the other.
These are the people around you who have, more or less, a celebrity status on a microcosmic level. This category also includes the people around you in school, college, university who move about flaunting their badges and designations. The Prefects, Presidents, members of the Student Body etc.
Remember that teacher in school who used to give marks frugally to have you begging for more.
Or those special guests who arrive at least an hour late in gatherings of friends and families.
Then the committees managing your institute/dorm etc, who excel in implementing all kinds of ridiculous illogical rules.
The Traffic Police constable who talks to you rather condescendingly even if you are not at fault.
Or that clerk in your university who would talk to you in only one manner - condescendingly. He wouldn't consider you important enough to even raise his eyes from the file that he just picked up while talking to you.
Broadly speaking these are the various categorisations of 'celebrities' that we come across. Or did I miss out someone? Anyway, the fact is that most of these celebrities are not even celebrated except for the honours doled out to them by a select group of maniacs.
One is through with all the gassing, time to come to the point. Somehow, one landed up in the last category of celebrities, the student body... And by virtue of the work that the student body performs it has some special perks. The one that I've used the most out of all the perks is the small office that we have with a couple of PCs and printers. Imagine, a campus with no space to keep your foot... and you have a fair sized office to yourself and your friends. And in addition a LAN connection, access to intercom. And... the list continues.
The other advantages include:
- Entry to all fests organised by all colleges of the university free of cost(includes Mithibai ;). The visiting card does the job. This is not a written down rule, just mutual respect. I've used this just once and that too just to have a look at how the team went about organising their event. Never really had time for more.
- Option to get clicked with the celebrities backstage. Done that once, didn't even care to get the pics.
- Invitation to all events of college - again mutual respect within college. Of course, the event should be in a well known 5 star(JW Mariott, Grand Hyatt and the likes) and lunch/dinner should be there.
- General information about what's happening in the college. Policy decisions and all.
... the list continues.
One such minor perk is that entry into/exit from any college event is not restricted. That's primarily because in most cases we are the ones organising the event. Never in the two years have I stood in a queue(for college related stuff). Now, just recently we had our Fresher's party, organised by Juniors at JWM. When I reached there, there was a queue. I was in no hurry so I joined the queue, it feels good when it's just for a change. (Prof. V Raghunathan to note) Seconds later a group of girls came and stood right behind me. Already half drunk and constantly chattering. I could not bear the noise and the queue was moving rather slowly. So, I stepped out, went straight to the gate and stood there. The plan was to enter after the guy behind whom I was standing in the queue entered. So there I was chatting with someone - can't recall who it was. I guess, the liquor from the girls had already got to me.
Then it happened. One Mr. being his usual over smart self passed a rather snide remark about my intention of jumping the queue surreptitiously. I ignored. The person with whom I was chatting had, by now, entered. A second remark, followed by a third.
OK dude. You stand in the queue. I'll enter and, do so openly. Do what you can. I asked one of the juniors to arrange my coupon and enter, I did. Ego!
Life and Death
Place: Madh-Malve Road, Outside Sea-Shells Bungalow
Date: 28-02-09 - 1-03-09
Time: Around 1 AM
There is a small shop outside the bungalow. There were a couple of steps coming down from the shop which ended at the road. That is where I was sitting. A beach-house party was on in the Bungalow. The students of one of India's top B-Schools enjoying there last night out together. But, as always, I just could not enjoy the party. Singing, dancing, drinking - nah, not my taste. I just like talking and listening, that's it. And, of course, I do derive voyeuristic pleasure seeing people do ludicrous stuff in their inebriated states. This is something that I've got hooked to since the first party that I went to. In any case, even these things are not able to hold my attention for long, uneasiness surfaces. Inevitably, I feel some kind of an emptiness and venture out searching for goodness knows what! That's what I've done in almost every party that I've attended till date - make a lot of noise, then disappear and come back later, towards the end, and again make a lot of noise. So there I was, outside another party.
Vehicles of all sizes buzzed by, every few seconds or so. Then I noticed them - a bitch roaming about with her pups. They were across the road at an angle of about 40 degrees from 'straight'. I tried to count them. The light wasn't very good and the fact they were hopping about made the task quite difficult - 5 or 6, 5or 6. Five, finally I was sure. All of them following their mother, trying to suckle as she kept moving here and there so as to be able to give herself a rest.
Then she went inside the bungalow across the road from a small hole in the bushes. The pups remained outside, playing, feinting, smelling stuff thrown along the roadside, enjoying life in short! The road was empty. There was a long pause - no vehicle on the road for about two minutes.
Two adventurous pups came to this side of the road, about 3-4 metres from me. They were having the time of their lives. The other three pups were having fun on the other side. Then, all of a sudden there were a number of vehicles which came simultaneously, making loud sounds - horns and all. Amazingly, the pups were not bothered by the sounds. They didn't even look up. All dogs that I had seen till date were either scared of the cars or hated them, at least they were all cautious when they heard the sound of one. These pups just didn't take notice. There was another long silent patch.
Then a Tata Safari came from my left, the pups looked up and began chasing - hooray! that's it - act like a dog. Then a Wagon R came from the right, they shifted their attention.A Scorpio from the left, they were in the middle of the road, waiting for it. A truck from the right. The Scorpio reached them and so did the truck. One pup managed to get under the truck. The other one - the rear tyre of the truck went over it. Death.
The road was empty again, the pup wailed in pain, it had been critically injured, unable to move. It was still alive. The bitch came out followed by the other pups. As she kept her first step on the road, a vehicle whizzed by, and another and another. Helpless, she went in. Then a Black Santro went by. It stopped some distance away. The road was silent again. The back door opened and a man in his late twenties stepped out. The other doors opened. Two men- same age group as above. They rushed to the pup. "Get some water", one of them said. One of them picked it up and took him to the roadside while another got some water. They poured some water on the wounds of the pup, it wailed even louder with pain. They attended it for about 5-7 minutes, then the bitch came and took it away. The men left. There was no more wailing.
All this time, I was sitting there, voyeuristically enjoying the game of Life and Death. While there was a party going on inside the bungalow - quite ironically, a celebration of life!
Misinterpreting is fun
Misinterpreting is fun. It is profitable. And it is hugely popular. And that's till the game becomes serious. People, in general, assume that Finance is maths. And they are wrong, 100% wrong. This is true only for accounting, and that too only theoretically. The first thing that they teach anyone is that Finance is both an art and a science. The science part deals with the models, formulae, and other 'scientific' stuff. The art part deals with the interpretation and application of this scientific part. And that's where all the science goes to hell, as people construe every damn thing in the way they want to, and forget every damned assumption that was taken into consideration when the formula or theory was originally conceptualised. The science part from thereon plays only one role - to make the sayings of these 'soothsayers' erudite enough for the 'vernacular folk' to treat them as demigods, if not gods.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Faceboo-king
Where did this thought come from? Well, from Facebook-ing. For the past some time I've been observing how the 'Compare People' application and some of the other applications work. And, well they are intentionally misinterpreting the inputs of the people to cook up stuff that would seem nice to people. Or, well, at least Genuine. So what do they do? Well, quite simple. Here's an example from Compare People. They ask you to do a bipartite comparison. And based on the number of wins that you have, in comparison to the number of wins that your friends have, you are assigned a rank on each parameter. But where's the catch? Well, here are some points:
First, it takes the number of wins and not the percentage. So suppose all of the friends who have compared you on some parameter have voted for you, say intelligence. All your friends think that you are intelligent. You've got 100% of the votes but only 7. On the other hand we have someone who has got 50% of the votes, but 10. That person will get a higher ranking. It is as stupid as it sounds.
Second, the sample size is just too small in most of the cases. Just 1 vote is enough for you to be ranked. That's it. Yes, one friend says that you are good or bad at some parameter and you get a rank. The lowest rank that I have is 140th on some parameter, that's with a friend list around 350. I've got a 100% negative (1 vote) on that parameter, yet I am better than more than 200 of my friends.
Third, the comparisons we are asked to make in some of the cases are ridiculously insane. For ex: I was once asked to compare a rather handsome male friend of mine with a less than average looking female friend. The question was : "Whom would you prefer to sleep with?"(This isn't verbatim). Under no conditions am I going to sleep with the male friend. Well, actually, there is one condition - if I convert to the third gender sometime in the future. So the answer is obvious. And that female friend would jump with joy for receiving that vote. I click on Skip most of the time.
There are many more points but I'll end this list with this one. The most insane part is that you have to compare your friends with people whom you don't know(usually advertisements of other applications). Now, what you have is a sexy looking model, whom you don't know, and a normal Girl Next Door, who is your friend, and you are asked to compare them on, usually, beauty or sexiness. I guess, I don't need to explain any further what happens.
So, ultimately, if you have a certain ranking. It does not depend on what you are at all. It depends more on how many of your friends are highly active on Facebook than anything else.
And this happens all the time. On every site, almost every quiz that you take. MISINTERPRETING IS that POPULAR.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was during my graduation when I studied marketing research for the first time. And that was the same time when newspapers like HT city used to carry all kinds of surveys about lifestyle - all sensational stuff. The kind that adds to the coffers of the publication.
There was one I remember distinctly. It was about Sex and Teens- Changing Sexual preferences, Sexual habits etc. The headline, the font size of which was much bigger than usual, announced that x percentage of girls in India lose their virginity by the time they cross their teens.
It did not mention anything about where the survey was conducted and stuff- important information to analyse the validity of the results. It mentioned the sample size - 139. That number is less than the number of cities in India, well I should be saying a miniscule fraction of the number of cities in India. And knowing the way journalists, in general, work these days I am sure of a few things. One, the intention was not to get to what the situation is but to get sensational results, even the questions I'm pretty sure would have been framed in a manner which would increase the probability of getting sensational results. That survey was conducted in 1 or at most 2 of the high-end private schools in the National Capital Region - well, let me put it as Central/South Delhi. And add to that it wouldn't be surprising if they had actually surveyed around 250 odd students and kept only the 'interesting' ones.
Nevertheless, the entire article was fun to read. I am in love with sensational stuff. So are so many people around me. And that is why the newspaper sells and that why MISINTERPRETING IS PROFITABLE.
During graduation one of my friends was doing a project on the public awareness of something. He conducted a survey. The results that he was getting were not good enough for him to reach any 'interesting' conclusion. So, he asked for my help. And the kind-hearted soul that I am, how could I refuse. "What result would you like to show?", I asked him. "It would be ideal if...", he replied, Based on his response, I told him 3 different ways of getting to that result. The easiest and safest one was the last thing that I quoted above - keep only those questionnaires which justify your stand, and some in-the-middle ones, and a very small percentage of the 'negative' ones.
It's that easy... its fun. What is even more fun is to read those surveys and all that are printed in the newspapers and analyse them and 'not find a mistake'. Trust me, its challenging. And I am just someone with a little bit of interest in Researching. The experts, I am sure, would find it impossible to 'not find a mistake.' And that is why MISINTERPRETING IS FUN.
Misinterpretation is done by almost everyone and almost all the time. The above was just one aspect of that. One can write tomes and tomes on misinterpretation, given the time and resources. But this is enough for now!
PS:
- I am not someone who hates Facebook or the applications that it has. I enjoy them so much, how can I.
- I am not trying to say that even a single girl more than the percentage quoted are in fact virgins.
- The project was only for academic purposes. It was boring and useless. It deserved to be fudged. I have no clue why my friend worked so hard on it.
Female Psyche!
This post has been lying in my Laptop for some time now. I've even forgotten what the thought was in its entirety. All this thanks to the Placements! Anyway, here's whatever I had written down:
'Girls think like this, girls think like that'... You, I'm sure, just like me, have been hearing this since ever. The reasons often quoted are biological/genetic in nature. The most important reasons for the development of a human's psyche - male/female, white/black, king/beggar is the Environment which is almost always ignored. Why's that? Well, pretty simple. If you'd say that a person around you is bad and the reason why he's bad is the environment - you'd be pointing a finger at yourself, well that is because you are a part of the environment. And would you want to point a finger at yourself? The answer is NOOOOOOOOOO.....
It's quite simple - if there is a person around you who has developed a certain mindset, mentality, perspective... whatever word you want to use for it... (even though all these words are technically different - very different, for a layman they are all the same) then, it has a lot to do with the way you behave with that person, and all the other people around that person behave with him/her.
Ignorance: The Greatest Virtue
"Ignorance - The lack of knowledge or education." That is how WordWeb Dictionary puts it. Its a noun according to the dictionary. I feel its a verb. Something that people do. While the word may be refering to not doing something, I strongly feel that this is actually doing something.
What
Well, ignoring!
"Ye Dekho SRF ke log, yahan bache kaam kar rahe hain aur ye baith ke khaana kha rahe hain. Kuch karte kyun nahi?", I asked.
SRF stand for Social Responsibility Forum, the community service cell of our B-School. One of its members(AS), a fellow hostelite, was having dinner. There are a lot of kids working in Mumbai who are underage. Those working in the hostel mess look like they belong to this category.(Though its difficult to guess what the age of a person is by just looking at him/her.)
"Wo 14 saal se upar ka hai. Ye bahut chotte chotte lagte hain, par 16-17 saal ke hote hain", VT said.
"Bula ke pooch to kitne saal ka hai", I said.
"Accha abhi bulate hain", AS said.
They called the kid and asked him his age. "Satrah", he said. Seventeen!
A few years back the court had passed some ruling, after which there was this ho-hallah by the media and the government bodies against child labour. A movement is what it was called. But that movement like most other movements lost momentum and everyone got back to some new issue or the other and forgot about this cause. The glamour wasn't there anymore, it wasn't the 'in thing' for the media anymore.
Anyway, during those days, one of the houses in my neighbourhood was raided. The police asked the children what their age was. They replied 14, 15, 16,.... The chap who complained, his obligation towards the society had been completed. The job of the police, to react to the complaint, was done. The children, who everyone could clearly see were no older than 13, got back to their lives as domestic helps. The owner of the house got back to his life, the 500 odd bucks that he had given to the police could always be recovered by getting the children to do overtime.
If you are not aware of the scenario that exists in the Indian society, you must be wondering why the children said their age was above 14. Well, figure out the answer to this question - What would they do if they told their real ages and, thus, lost their jobs?
"Accha ek baat bata mujhe bhai. Maan le ki wo chote hain umar mein. Agar un logon ko yahaan se kaam se hatva doon toh kahan jayenge woh, socha hai kabhi?", AS asked me. The same question that I've asked you.
I could see that he had his mind closed, he was in a mood only to score some points in the conversation. I decided to end the conversation with a smile, a wry one.
That child might have been above 14, it is possible. However, that is not the point over here.
The biggest problem that I can see with most of the NGOs etc is that they are run by people who are working for their satisfaction and not to eradicate poverty, or AIDS, or Polio, or Malaria or whatever it is that they are working against or for. The people there are not working towards the goal to be achieved. they are working for their satisfaction.
I see people giving money to beggars everyday. You can see the satisfaction that they get. Many of them have asked me why I don't give money to them. I almost never give the honest reply. Because my honest reply is a question, "Have you ever thought what would happen if you stop giving money to beggars and everyone else also follows suit?"
I've never got an answer from their mouths, it is their faces which reply, "No". They've never thought about it.
The fact is people are ignorant, they are ignorant about the consequences of their actions. They don't think what is right. They just do what they've been programmed to believe is right by the society, the environment around them.
In this particular case of child labour, if the NGOs start spending money and other resources on the problem area which is not the child labour but instead poverty and lack of education, it would be much better for the society. The NGOs are working to heal the wounds that have been inflicted upon the society, not trying to prevent the society from getting hurt. That is the same as what the government is doing. They just sit and analyse what has happened and after that do what they want to. There are floods every year. Why don't the NGOs and the government get together and analyse what are the flood prone areas, analyse the causes for damage, then relocate people accordingly? Or even better why not employ people(1) to develop canals to route the water to drought prone areas(2) and in the process avoiding floods (3). The above sentence comprises the solution to three major problems - it requires just one act, but the people concerned are not willing to do the same.
Why don't the NGOs sit and think what is the cause of child labour(you already know it, don't even need to think) and work on that aspect? Why don't people look at the root cause of the problem and eradicate it?
The answer is simple - Ignorance. It is a virtue for people. They would sit and think only about those aspects which affect them.
Why don't we have as many NGOs working for the welfare of the tribals (not the ones who come in direct contact with the 'civilised society' but the ones who are living in the jungles totally cut off from civilisation? Because helping them would not help them in minting money, or because it wouldn't give them satisfaction since they don't quite come in direct contact with the society or because of some other reason. Actually, in this case the problem is quite opposite - since they are able to get all these and much more - all the fame internationally- they are 'helping out' the tribals, yes, they are. What they don't realise is that they are not the ones who require help. The way they are living is their 'lifestyle', their culture, their society. They are only disrupting the normal lives of the tribals by trying to help them. Again, they are simple being ignorant of the facts!
Who has the time to think about those problems which don't affect them? So, everyone chooses to ignore.
Ignorance is, thus, the greatest virtue.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
Twitter