Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhaata.. Chala Gaya..

.. अरे कोई अंदाजा है ये देव आनंद की उम्र कितनी होगी?
पता नहीं यार कबसे तो देख रहे हैं, हमारे बाबा कहते हैं उनसे भी पुराने हैं ..
.. तो शायद अल्लाह मियाँ से दो -चार साल छोटे होंगे और क्या!

I have a sense of personal apology. The reason, this not being "a better day".


88, quite a ripe and digestible age for demise. But certainly not for someone whom the world knew as Dev Anand. D-E-V A-N-A-N-D countless adjectives have been conferred upon him. But the greatness emerged when the name itself was adopted as an adjective. "अहा .. मेरे देव आनंद!" Even I, (born '91) heard it at occassions. Such is the legend, such his magnamity.

December 4, I woke up to the news that Dev Saab is no more with us. An instantaneous feeling of sadness poured in. The day passed, the feeling did not. I do not doubt that this feeling might just transform into a nostalgia eventually. Its quite obvious with someone like myself to whom bollywood is an obsession. Infact, its not just about bollywood or global cinema, it is all about greatness. Greatness in the form of Dev Anand.

We all see old people around us but hardly few (especially octagenarians)
so active as Dev Saab was. I do not know other celebs high on age so ignited in minds and passion (besides, Khushwant Singh) for work. To him age was just a number and he romanced that too!
So the news of his leaving for heavenly abode was more a kind of shock. He celebrated life. He personified life and living. Death, is like cheating on life and he was too honest to do that. Life's biggest asset and objective, to him, was life itself. So it was basically not in the nature of Dev Saab to die. People around him till that fateful ( read fateless) day never attributed death to him. Presumably
even they had immortalized him. No wonder why the world refers to him as "Evergreen"!

Shammi Kapoor, Feroz Khan, Jagjeet Singh, Dev Anand.. my Immortals!


P.S. Do see his movie Guide, if you have not.
(two lines have been quoted from an article in the Times of India)

DEMO(n)CRACY!

Violence is never good, though it may seem appropriate at certain situation.

Sharad Pawar, union minister for agriculture in India, was bewildered with
a slap which was perceived by the civilised intelligentsia as an "assault" on
democracy.

Now what really wonders me is that there are two perceptions of democracy
we breathe in. There are two constitutions, one for the ordinary citizens also
resented as "the common man" and the other for their elected representatives.
The citizens' constitution begins..
"WE, THE PEOPLE.."
and the other opens..
"WHO THE PEOPLE?"

Todays' incident followed wave of reactions. Some condemned it, some believed its a
publicity stunt, some (posing intellect) remarked it as the outburst of the affliction on the common-man. Nevertheless, bottomline -everyone enjoyed.

Drifting a bit, the winter session of the parliament has begun. With all the chaos and non-agreements, all three days (as yet) have been wasted. No discussions, no bills, no work.
Being responsible, have the members of parliament given a thought to the
fact that an hour of session costs Rs. 25 lakhs and a day Rs. 2.25 crore and the whole session would cost Rs.52 crores.. I doubt. Talking about all the 8 sessions of the present 15th Lok Sabha, it should have worked 897 hours but it turned out to have worked only 372 hours!
Outside the parliament they talk about justice to tax-payers' hard-earned money and
taking up issues of public interest but when in house what are they upto is anybody's guess.

But, that does not disappoint, because recently a culture has evolved in which discussions are not held in official places instead issues are discussed in news channels with a pannel of few guests (a couple of rival politicians, an economic expert, a social worker, etc) and a journalist cum host, which often concludes with the line ..और समय की कमी के चलते इस बहस यहीं समाप्त करते हैं। नमस्कार। Let us see, where it takes us.

And just for information, foreign direct investment (FDI) has been approved in Indian retail
market. Walmart et al to soon be seen, shine in Indian cities. On the other hand, UN says, India has 40 percent of its population living below poverty line. Indian officials deny, they say ONLY 37 percent!


On a better day.

Have Fun!
Take Care! :)

SPLIT- personality!

After more than half a century of Independence, large area and population now hinders the growth and development. Once the PROs now the CONs.

With a total land area of 294,500 sq. kms and inhibited by a phenomenal popluation
of about 19.95 crore individuals, Uttar Pradesh is all set to get split into four parts-
Pashchim/Harit Pradesh, Awadh Pradesh, Purvanchal and Bundelkhand.

Now here is something to "Whop!"..
Uttar Pradesh is not only the most populous state in India but also the most
populous substantial entity in the whole world! Only five countries (China, India, USA, Indonesia and Brazil) have a population more than Uttar Pradesh.
Uttar Pradesh is half the size of France, double the size of Portugal, it can fit in seven Switzerlands and ten Belgiums. And guess what.. It's slightly bigger than England, our masters for two centuries!
Findings say that every 3rd guy in the world is Chinese, 4th an Indian and 36th औ का- अपने यूपी का!

And to criticise(righteously) if its not population, area and birth rates (not the crude birth rates)
Uttar Pradesh ranks among the lowest in almost every index of economical and social development be it health, litercay, employment.

Then, there is certainly much more to this split than just the "whops" mentioned above.
Uttar Pradesh resides 16 percent of total Indian population. Reserves the highest number
of chairs in Lok Sabha (माई-बाप की हवेली), unambiguosly has a strong political presence at
the centre. Besides, it is seen as a trump card by BSP(Bahujan Samaj Party- Mayawati wali) for the forthcoming state elcetions in Uttar Pradesh. History records it, A Trump either Makes it or Breaks it!

Here is the apparent crux of the split:

• Mayawati gains politically as her core constituency - Dalits - are evenly spread throughout the state.
• Samajwadi Party's 8.7 per cent core Yadav vote is not uniform. One chunk is in Eastern UP and another in Etawah, Mainpuri and Etah belt.
• RLD has been campaigning for Harit Pradesh in Western UP region. It is bound to gain there because of the dominant Jats.
• The Congress like the BSP has influence in all regions, but it's far too thin, so no visible gain.
• The BJP has influence in Eastern UP because of caste equation of Rajputs and Brahmins.

वैसे अगर हमारी मानें मुख्यमंत्री मायावती जी तो उत्तर प्रदेश को एक अलग देश ही बनवा लें और स्वयं प्रधानमंत्री बन जायें!




P.S. The Split resolution has been passed by the State Assembly, it is yet to get a final nod of agreement from the Central Government.


On a better tomorrow.

Have fun!
Take Care! :)

Formula- "Won"

Been quite some time. Doesn't make much of a difference.
What brought you here? My text message/ call/ fb notification?
Whatever be it, I appreciate you are here. Thank you.

So, it was morning, today itself, when the news flashed that
the world has crossed 7 billion mark population. Surely debates and discussions
are to follow and like always "who cares?" and why not as all these "discussions and
debates" lead to the one and same objective- the TRP (television rating points).
But nevertheless, With the birth of every child I realize that God has still not lost hope in Human Race.

Now onto "bigger", much hyped and talked issue - Formula-One!!
Fans had an overwhelming response and excitement. On the other hand rather other pole
the critics and the "socially-concerned" intelligentsia have their own arguments, well
supported but not accepted. Poor fellas! They'll die concerned but unconsidered!
But the biggest of inference, the whole event was a herculian task carried out well in time
(except for Metallica performing in Gurgaon) and apparently no malpractices.
The reason lies in its sole private organisation and management. Had it been a government
organised- managed event.. (ha ha ha)

बाकी सब सही है। भ्रष्टाचार तो चल ही रहा है India Against Corruption भी चल रहा है। वैसे ठीक ही है क्योंकि ये सब ख़तम हो जाएगा तो ये लोग करेंगे क्या??


On a better day.
take care :)

India vs Indians

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

Anna hazaare, as a force, has pounded the door of political authorities with the aim
to slam down the corrupt practices. Gathering a mass support Anna and his team have
made their motives clear. But..(I so frenzy this word, it changes the whole equation) it is
almost next to impossible to get over the UPA II's team of hardcore professionals.
Citing the UPA's rule it is a state of desparity that it lacks a leader. A mass leader.
What it has got is a team full of professionals ranging from legal consultants to taxation expert
to Media managers and Lobbyists. However shrewed these " elected representatives" be, nevertheless I have faith in Anna "the silver lining" Hazaare.

Now, into the sixty-five year of our Independence. A lot many things have changed. The supposed and proposed base lost in thick air. India, an agrarian country, shifted its attention from the villages to the Metropolis. अब दिल्ली में बैठा बाबू ये तय करेगा की फलां फलां गाँव में या जिले में क्या और कैसे होगा! The "decentralised outlook of our good governance"!

Freedom of Speech. The least said, the best said.
P.S. The above written statement does not imply to General Secrataries of Indian national congress.

And sometimes I really go awestruck the way electronic media has emerged.
Since recent, with the debate over good governance a point has been raised and reiterated
countless times and that is "The Parliament is Supreme." Should i laugh at it or scorn it off. Pathetic knowledge. BREAKING NEWS "The Indian
Constitution is Supreme!" nothing/no one parallels, not even the Parliament.
The media is a flock of cattles. One drowns they all shall drown.

Gandhi wanted SYSTEM IN POLITICS. Gandhi(s) brought POLITICS IN SYSTEM.

A stoic war of ideologies has always prevailed in my country. A war between bad and worse.
An unproclaimed, undeclared war between the ruling and the ruled.

Lets participate, await and see whether this mass movement turns into a revolution with the expected consequences.


On a better tomorrow.

Have Fun!
Take care!

Jai Jai Mumbai Maazha

July 13 2011. Mumbai faced another violent attack. A serial bomb explosions. Three in specific.
Killing several and several more were left injured. Investigations Allegations Suspicions clarification its all on..
Politicians, activists, social workers all condemned the incident. Summing up, they, praise the non stopping Mumbai and its Resilience! Some are resilient by choice and some, on the other hand, by force. And as I see, Mumbai (or for that matter
India) falls in the latter category.

Fundamentally, the resilience we talk about is the power of emerging back strong after a devastation. But in this case, it is the repeated nature of attacks that has made us adept to be resilient. In simplified terms, if there has been a destruction, lives have been lost, people injured, So the injured one would get a treatment and try to get back to work at the earliest despite having the greatest sentiment and empathy to the lost souls. A Middle class, working, responsible man cannot afford to be impracticly sentimental!

Later while investigating the NIA quits on grounds of non co-operation by the local authorities and agencies.
Well it couldnt have been a greater of an irony that the NIA quits the task which was solely formed to investigate the terror attacks such as this one.

But, on a personal level I dont want the agencies to come out with any specific results and accuse any terror organisation.
Maybe thats because I have lost (not exactly) my faith in the trials and execution procedures of the judiciary system.
26/11 Kasab.. December 13 2002 Afzal Guru..

(and I had a raised eye brow when I found that Rs.8.5 lac is the daily cost of keeping Kasab safe and secure for a "fair trial")

And then we have our "elected represenatatives" speak their wisdom.
कोई बात नहीं नेता जी पहले गैर जिम्मेदाराना बयान दे दो फिर लोकतंत्र की दुहाई दे देना, सीट तो आपकी पक्की ही है!

Anyways, there is another quickie to follow that amazed me.

The mess canteen at the Parliament of India does not have coldrinks on its menu!
Take a moment to guess why.. the Pesticide thing! Remember that. It was true.
The coldrinks have been found strikingly high on pesticide contents in it.
Wise, the lot of people who serve as our representative. Safety First Scams Second!

Interesting breed, Politicians!

Enough of my unproductive patriotsim for now.
On a better day.

Have fun!
Take care!

REVOLUTION ???

SHRI RAM JAI RAM JAIRAM RAMESH!

Sounds familiar? Recently there has been a stir over Mr. JaiRam Ramesh's statement, involving IITs and IIMs, much to our awareness.
A page full of facts, both in favour and as opposed, could be presented in response to his statement. But, my take is certainly on a happy note. There are politicians, that too a cabinet minister, who has a concern over such a matter oblivion to common eye and he is responsibly outspoken about it.


Moving to another issue. Perhaps mammoth of an issue. Baba Ramdev agitating the nation on matters of corruption and huge amounts of black money. He has started his 'Satyagraha' along with thousands he is spearheading. We have seen him being well opposed by the ruling government. The latter's motive quite understandably unclear.


Later, on the protests' first night itself, the whole organisation had been demolished. It was 2 am when Lathicharge and Tear Gas was set open. I am really awestruck and appalled by the actions taken. I wonder why such kind of actions were not taken to curb the Gurjars claiming for a
pity motive as reservation! The gurjar Movement had reportedly caused a loss on hundreds of crores and loss of lives. Crores can be regained. But lives lost cannot be replenished. And the government has been so quick in curbing this non-violent movement. Similar to the Gurjars was the Jats' movement. Resulting in loss of lives as well as money.


To Debate over the matter, the government has accused him of connections with the RSS, the VHP and the BJP. I say, even if he is connected, THEN WHAT? Baba, as I have known his agenda, has a transparency, clarity and Vision unlike his counterparts who always end up saying "the matter shall be discussed and thought over... " when questioned. Its been more than 60 years of freedom, and the political parties still have FOOD on their manifestos. "60 SAAL SE ROTI ME HI PHASA RAKHA HAI.. VIKAS KISE CHAHIYE"


In Hope for rational outcome.


On a Better day.
Have Fun. Take Care. :)

Incredible India!

He is able who thinks he is able.

Have you heard about Julian Assange? Wikileaks? Black Money? Assange is the Editor-in-Chief of the novelty Wikileaks website. But, thats not the concern, instead what concerns me more is his latest statement(s) over the black-money issue in regard to India.
Until now, I knew that India has about 400 Lac Crore black money deposited in the swiss banks. But, Mr. Assange iterated the amount to be $1500 billion! Isn't that flabbergasting? I feel it is! Some quickies in connection to this pretext:

• India is the biggest depositor of the black money in the world.

• The net black money generated in India is more than that of Germany, Russia, United Kingdom, Italy, China, Brazil and Ukraine all combined.

• The total amount of black money India has supercedes the national foreign debt and that too by 13 times.

In case, if we get the money back, then what we CAN do with it:

• 30 years of tax free nation.
• 100 crores to each village all across the country.
• 50,000 crores each district.
• or 2.5 lac to each family (no stats available for bachelors!)
• 4 lane roads from all villages to Dilli.
• No electricity shortage for upto 2100 AD

Facts keep building with passage of every single second! I am not really sure if we will get back our money and that too soon, but certainly I want it back. In the coming days wikileaks might reveal the names of Indians holding thier foreign accounts brimmed with black money. I wont be shocked if Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh, Mr. Sharad Pawar or Mr. Ahmed Patel make it to that list.
Sometimes I really feel that we have a comlex and complicated constitution, laws and legislature.
Aristotle marked Democracy as a perversion. O Aristotle! I get u now!

कलमाड़ी साहब पटियाला हाउस में पेशी के लिए जा रहे थे । अचानक ही उनपर किसी शख्स ने चप्पल बरसा दी। 1977 ki यादें ताज़ा हो गयी होंगी! चप्पल चप्पल पे लिखा है खाने वाले का नाम!




Some better day. Some better thoughts.
Take Care!

Aaj Ki Baat..

So, after a gap of generations, we have done it again. We are the champions, the best in the entire cricketing world! This victory does not get barred to cricket alone. Had we not won it, a nation in agitation would have lost few seldom moments of pride and smiles. Blessings, we did it!

Meanwhile, just got to know, the big packet of a bread now costs rs.35! Anyways, thats not my take now! Jab 50 ka hoga tab is baare me chinta vyakt karenge! ;)

In the news, Anna Hazare has initiated his fast-unto-death from april 5. He has gathered a whole lot of support from the entire country. The JAN LOKPAL BILL the cause, the reason. I got to know that prior only Gandhi and JP Narayan had gathered a mass support to such degree. But, it might just be too early to put him in that league. Nonetheless, the valour needs to be commended. Sitting about half a thousand miles away from him, in my comfort, this is the best I can do.

The government is in a stir over this issue. They dont reply to Hazare's letters to consider his request. But in digitalised form "they are ready to discuss the matter and are open to suggestions!" The PM has already constituted a GoM(group of ministers) to take stock of the matter and the litigations. And the greatest of the ironies that emerges is Sharad Pawar is the chairman of this GoM! Are we living in a funny nation?

Courage is great, greater the thought and greatest the ideology!

At 72, Anna surely has what it takes to be that great. Recalling his past, reformations as an environmentalist, RTI torch-bearer, fundamentalist and social activism greatness is definitely not what drives him and that in itself is great! Nonetheless, not all protests succeed.. Darshan Singh Pherumann died after 74 days of fast whereas Mamta Banerjee succeeded after days 25! Politics mere yaar cheez alag hai!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Lokpal_Bill

Please check out this link and atleast know what the cause is!
Hume pata hai "isse kya hoga? kaun sa desh badla ja raha hai" Par kya ye behtar nahi hoga ki hum kam se kam ye to jaane ki aakhir baat hai kya!

अति सक्षम और अति बुद्धिमान लोगों से बदलाव की आकांक्षा नहीं करनी चाहिए !
Do give it a thought!!

On a better tomorrow!
Take Care! : )

Being Naive..

Back.. Back after Recession.. A Recession of thoughts, thought- provoking thoughts!
Apologies to 'the few' who might have given a recall.. "o yes, he started writing blog, what happened now?" and to others, I like u as well, but, your life didn't take a pause with this pause and neither did mine! (plz tolerate my PJs)


All this while, there have been issues.. Issues at individual level and at rather comprehensive, collective level. December -Januray, the mercury dropped down to levels that even 'global warming' had frozen! Come summers, and electronic media will have a 24*7 ready 'issue' to be presented.


Quite a time ago, there had been voices over coldrinks containing pesticide! A little later it shuddered down, though. But recently, I found out that coldrinks sale had risen even better than anticipated. And it was interesting to know that the reason was, Farmers using coldrink as pesticide, 'cause it cost them cheaper than the government subsidised pest-controls!


There's definitely a lot more to come.. I've lots of time.. If I can't find time for myself, then its better, I'm off myself!


आज सुबह खबर में पढ़ा के कलमाड़ी साहब फरार हो गए हैं! हमे लगता है की इतना रुपया बनाया है तो सकता है दुनिया की सैर पे निकल गए होंगे!


-Shall get you more, on a better tomorrow! :)
take care!