Disturbing Trend in Civilization -3

I was trying to complete this series in the draft form long ago. Roshmi bombarded me with comments in 2nd part of the series and I became busy in reading history of Pakistan. While 3rd part of this trend comes to my notice during debate with my sister. There was talk about equality, merit and anti casteism without seeing the ground level discrimination's practised in the society. I recall only rough details of our conversation :

- She was clearly seeing the 'quota' as a toy given to each section of society who makes fuss about it. She was holding very strong points over implementation of the anti discriminatory laws and strict punishment to law breakers.

It is not about the implication of laws but raising of consciousness over these issue. Upper caste Hindus how much they shout will never take action against one of their own over dalit issues. It is that their conscience is not a public conscience but a caste conscience, imbued with values derived from caste.

- Quotacracy is indeed harming our Democratic model but this newly emerged middle class simply don't want to accept wrong doing of the past generations. She treat everyone without any caste and religion prejudice.

This is a nice ethical values emergence in our pro west oriented youths. But, simply you can't escape the right or wrong doings of the past. It is indeed endurance needed by the guys championing the merit case until everybody is bought to level field.

- The heavy argument against any reservation per se is that it compromises with the quality and merit. bring them at par with the privileged sections.

Those who enjoy subsidised public education catches the flight of private sector on first sight on high pay packages. Its right decision only. I am in support of it. But asking government to give them subsidized education and merit based job without reservation is wrong attitude. Such group never argues hard for the abolition of management quota in the private colleges despite of its non merit selection.

*-------------*

Don't take sides in this arguments. The aim of our argument is to understand and reach the root cause of caste based discrimination. What I observe today an emerging middle class, resistant to a democratization that might jeopardize the social and economic privileges they enjoy in an undemocratic system. Even to this day, upper and lower caste do not eat in the same plate or drink from the same glass. And blindly accepted as a matter-of-fact social norm by majority. A few youth with equality crusaders are indeed needed if they just maintain their view after coming out of their ivory towers. Have a brief Look on the India Untouched ---



It is not just become a matter a religion now. This whole society is more of Caste-obsessed in India. Check : Caste system in Sikhism , Caste system in Christianity & Caste system in Islam . While the readers interested in more academic dissection of the topic, go through the article of Namit Arora : The Blight of Hindustan.

The story of Dalit oppression is not just about the occasional horrific incidents of lynching, rape and mass murder, but also about the everyday slights, the subtle and not-so-subtle process by which human beings were systematically reduced to an under-class, a sub-species that did not merit full human consideration. This prejudice cannot get reversed by a stroke of the pen, or the success of a single generation- it runs deep and howls wild. When someone like Shashi Tharoor gets himself weighed in money, we shrug it off as a quaint electoral practice. When Mayawati does so, we are offended. But then, she does not tweet. [SOURCE]

Disturbing Trend in Civilization -2

While I write about 2nd phase of article inquiring about disturbing trend in the civilization, I will emphasis on the countries governed by Islamic law. Personally, I don't see liberty, equality and a place for minority in the Islamic Law. This article is more based on the study of Pakistan that resembles us most in culture and traditions.

People who are ignorant to history can perish easily. That's why false notion of history creates a generation believing in conspiracy theories than scientic inquiry about religion. That what is happening to the generation of Muslim countries. And this excessive religious education corrodes the youth minds making them unaware of the worldly affairs. The tendency to see every act through the eye of religion tarnishes the viewpoint and starts the pointless debate to determine ‘true Islam’.

Romanticised version of Islam’s early history is constructed purely on memorised accounts. 'Glorious age of religious faith' is the imaginative concept of extremist. It baffles all rationality and history. Land of pure and one provides no space to diversity. This catalyzes the elimination of minority by extremist element in majority.

Meanwhile, Muslim countries continue to lag behind the rest of the world in almost every measure of human rights, scientific achievement, economic vitality, and standard of living. Take oil out of Arab countries and they would be the most corrupt and failed states. We all know about the reports of human rights violation in the countries governed by Sharia laws.

Tendency of feudal violence and gun culture is more seen in Islamic countries. The chance of fair discussion and democracy seems less feasible. Courts are overburdened with cases, land reforms pending, an Army that doesn't care about civilians and democratic leader chosen are either highly corrupt or elite. So majority of uneducated population has been left with no choice over all.

Propaganda of any religious group of the single correct path is a totalitarian act and that leads to the violent suppression of opposition camp. The competition in opposite camps is no longer a consensus-building exercise, but rather a zero-sum game. There is so much insecurity and mistrust that anyone criticizing with reason is consider as Zionist agent or atheist. The pursuit of only one religious view fuelled with elimination of other views lead by small faction of self righteous religious parties catalyzes the downfall of peaceful Islamic countries into chaos. There is a need to end the violent, psychopathic and totalitarian version of the faith.

There is a difference between getting people to think for themselves and telling them what to think. you can’t force people to acquire an opinion, they have to form their own opinion about issues. As in most conflicts, solutions can only come from within. There is lack of rational education in all Islamic countries governed under Sharia. And there is no distinction between teachings of the Quran and the anachronistic 7th century Arabian tribal customs. The solution to the turmoil gripping Muslim society today may be found in reintroducing ijtihad.

Ijtihad is a technical term of Islamic law that describes the process of making a legal decision by independent interpretation of the legal sources, the Qur'an and the Sunnah. It is not practiced in Sunni Islam anymore and notion that the "gates of ijtihad" were "closed" in the 10th century.

The ultimate clash is between the politicised Islam of a radical element which has turned to violence as a means of expressing itself, and the mainstream majority which remains largely silent defending Islam as religion of peace. Muslims as humans and individuals are obviously capable of changing their minds but no the Islamic Mullahs. We need to educate people about human rights, rational thinking and secular society for peaceful co existence.

Let me end the topic with talks of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Dutch intellectual & feminist activist Must Read Interview : Unlike other religions that allowed for criticism, Islam brooks no questioning, Ali said. "In Islam you submit your will to a force outside yourself, to a collective will," she said. Describing the Koran as a book written within a certain cultural context in the 6th century, she said many values are outdated. For instance, she said, in Islam, men and women are not equal, homosexual relations are not tolerated, women found guilty of adultery are required to be stoned to death, and the list of obligations under Islam have led to an environment of bigotry where believers are obliged to distance themselves from non-Muslims...

Disturbing Trend in Civilization -1

I am disturbed by trends happened in past or happening presently around me in the name of religion, race and caste. The trend of one's religion based on faith and love while another on irrationality and superstition is growing abruptly. Before starting this discussion, remember the warning: Civilization is an intellectual pursuit of leisure class.

1- I was watching a movie 'Before the Rain'. The movie shows the unending cycle of love and violence in the Macedonian region. There is a bitter division of orthodox christian and Albanians and it gives the hint of civil war like situation. I started thinking about root causes of this hate. West stick to the theory of "Clash of civilization". This clash is bound to happen due to rapid globalization that brings people together. Prejudice of superiority and purity are shattered by scholars. Extremists taking in the refuge of nationalism return into cocoon with mythical glorious past theories of the region.European nation are taken aback Islamophobia. In Switzerland, it’s minarets. In France, it’s the veil, the burqa and the beard. As they fear that the population explosion of Muslims will disturb the social fabric of their society. What we are witnessing today is a shift from a Muslim to an Islamist identity. The religious self for individual Muslims is being shifted from the private to the public realm. Christopher Caldwell, a journalist who has been reporting on Muslims in Europe for over a decade goes on to voice a fundamental European concern: "It was not just that young Muslims were assimilating too slowly into European culture as the generations passed, it was that they were dis-assimilating."

Separation of religion from state is a distinct symbol of European enlightenment and culture, while Islam stands for joint duo politics and religion. Secularism is not the same as atheism. Secularism means respect for all faiths. While the fear is genuine due to history of Muslim population showing more loyalty to Islam than their nation in the secular state. At the same time, however, large numbers of Europeans even in the most secular countries still identify themselves as "Christian," pointing to an implicit, diffused, and submerged Christian cultural identity.

Islam is falling in the hands of pseudo theological mullahs who opposes any form of free speech as heresy. And, with Danish Cartoon controversy and Murder of Theodoor "Theo" van Gogh had given hardliners enough material to speak against Islam.

Oliver Ray examined in his essay about Islam in Europe: "It is a mistake to think that religious and political radicalism among European Muslims is a mere import from the cultures and conflicts of the Middle East. It is above all a consequence of the globalization and Westernization of Islam."

Free speech is a fundamental human right and a central tenet to any form of government. With the latest in a series of incidents in Europe, involving the clash of the idea of freedom of expression with the idea of blasphemy of Islam, I vouch for the expression 'Free speech' irrespective of religion and state principles.

Read a genuine line that impresses me: To Credit Islam with Algebra, Hinduism with Shoonya, Christianity with the Copernican revolution, is like crediting the Czar with the Bolshevik revolution.

Ab meri zindagi suru hue hai

Usually things improve after they touch a low point. The same is true for life. I was extreme optimistic till 19 years of my age. I was infatuated in an one sided love in the teenage life. Sad ending puts a break on it. Qualifying IIT was a goal and it was achieved after 2 years of preparation. Then, there was a big gap in the personal life. I stopped getting involved in the mainstream lifestyle of college and started wandering for unknown. Suddenly, a zeal to attain seriousness and scholastic pursuit captures me for a long time. It was like walking on wrong path for Self discovery...

I was obsessed in the love of cinema and then books. And, collection of knowledge was my only motto. I had completely forgotten that life is about emotions and ideas, not robotically taking the information that express them.

I had came to Hyderabad 15 months back with entrance to corporate life. There was flip flop of depression and moments of recovery frequently. I was utterly depressed and was feeling that sense of joy is vanishing from my life. Past was haunting and future appeared dark in this period. Whole idea of belief in 'purpose of life' was merely an escape from the monotonous, stupid and cruel present. Suddenly, a moment shines in my life. I realized that its not knowledge but love that is missing in the life.

Be – don't try to become. Then, I meet a person for whom I changed. I look on myself and find that there is nothing lovable in me. I am dead as a tombstone carrying dead weight of knowledge. Rather than enjoying the music of life, I am involved in search of its composer. What a pity of a sublime period of life !

I was afraid of change and didn't talk to others about my problems. Silence and philosophy were hiding the pains in the life and they were not providing any solution. I realized that all these theories of transition period are trash. Its self deceiving for escape into false memories and lethargy. You change in a moment and it happened for me. Life appears different and beautiful. I stopped complaining about world and its daily problem. Just become relaxed and started to love others...

Idea Sharing: I had an assumption, just want to share with you. Each culture is pushed by counter culture current in a moder nation. The nation which has foots deep sowed in the has reformation currents with loner timeline. This circular process of creation and annihilation goes in every part of world. This circular loop is unending and depends heavily on basic behaviour and nature of humans. I termed it as pendulum clock arrangement. That was buzzing in mind about perspective of changing times.

Reading is a good time pass and writing gives beautiful freedom of self expression. If you subscribed to Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection as I do, blogger with content will prevail over voyeurs and stylist eventually at least in exposing truth naked. In the end, juggling of words will fail over emotional outburst of heart...

FYI, Build a site you (and your readers) will love is a lovely article about writing and blogging. Have a look and enjoy life, it will end soon :)

Life is calling, Where are you ?

I share a different me with each relationship. Sometimes friendly, intimate, affectionate, diplomatic, cold and even harsh behaviour can be observed. It appears as I have many parallel lives running inside me. Its very hard to behave and enjoy the life simultaneously. The consequence of this split personality is unhappiness and constant struggle inside consciousness.

Merging all personality into one. I am taking the risk of becoming one and may be alone in life. Reasoning can never transforms anybody but only love or hate ! As, we are dominated by the unconscious, not by the conscious. Loving everybody without duality of kin or stranger is producing harmony inside me.

Seriousness and possessiveness is a sickness created by ego. Let the life flow and live in present. Mind lives in future and past but only heart knows the beauty of each passing moment. Laugh, dance, sing and make joy...

Be aware of the moment. Don't try to concentrate on the narrow point. Be attentive without any frontiers. Mediation is not Yoga, its just being existence without any thoughts. Nothingness is the route of inner peace. Devoid of desires...

Life is beautiful because its insecure and fragile. Death awaits us next moment and all of our plans will sublime with us. No trace will be left anywhere. The way to love and live is to realize that all will end next moment....

"Falling in love you remain a child; rising in love you mature. By and by love becomes not a relationship, it becomes a state of your being. Not that you are in love - now you are love. " -Osho.

If you can’t dance, why join the revolution?

Bamboo flowers grow in span of 45-50 years and a famine struck the place with their flowering. Turbulent times produce turbulent lives. Centralization to decentralization happens in cyclic way, Indian or International level. So this circular needs keep the organization going, otherwise extreme of any path leads but to the decay. Mediocre to merit is next push. Rise of middle class is there through economic reforms. Next phase of reforms needed in pushing benefits to labour class. Those who are capable will be able to endure the hard times and visualize the better future.

Rural Management notion is still on in my heart. The problem of rural India is not unemployment but its unemployable individuals. Run NGO like business but with non profit motive. I don't hate technology, just not so efficient and pro active in this field. The intuition for change or new step is quite low. Columbus "discovered" America because apparently 25 million Native Americans don't count. I don't want me or anyone to discover this with rural India. I just want to experience myself on a pathless path in love of my country. And they say also, " Who travels for love finds a thousand miles not longer than one ". I am ready to wander this path for seeking myself.

"There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, There is rapture on the onely shore, There is society, where none intrudes, By the deep sea, and music in lits roar: I love not man the less, but Nature more." ~Lord Byron, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. 

I have wings not the roots. Hence, preparing for Rural management this year again. To each his/her own life. Enjoy the revolution with joy and fun !!!

Check : Why IRMA? & IRMA Alumni Association
Also check the video was shot during the GD-PI process of PRM 30. It was presented during Abhivyakti by PRM 29. Quite asking the statement of purpose of preparation:

Tum ko dekha to ek khayal aaya

Lust is easy. Love is hard. Like is most important. ~Carl Reiner

I see myself in the mirror each day and fall for my reflection there. Rarely, I feel that there is an ego reflecting in the image. It shows my vanity clearly. The importance of being there for impressing others overtake the real me in public life.

True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is around you. This had been, has been and will be only truth about love. To accept the world as it is. Desire to capture, possess or change others is self defeating in love. Life, love and understanding are qualities to be admired and incorporated in yourself for enjoying the life.

Any relationship lasts that is rooted in friendship. Atleast we can speak our hearts out to them. Some persons are complete strangers or acquaintance for us. You can't express about yours feeling to them for the fear of losing that illusion of closeness.

One day, I look at the person and I feel something more than I did the second before. The decay in relationship starts there. Now, the person who was just a face a moment ago is now turned suddenly the only person I can ever imagine myself with. And there is an one side affection that makes me feel like the whole world is complete. This act happens unconsciously. I take it as dilemma whether mind surrenders or it creates an illusion. Every time I look that unknown, it makes me to want it even more. Is it a desire for achieving something or an invisible bond between us.

All plans and pre preparation goes waste at the time of expression. Fear of being ignored, ridiculed or even broken comes in front of the eyes. And how I will react on dejection clouds the mind. Its impossible to tell yourself to stop wanting someone when the something inside rebel against it!

All rational thoughts end at that point of time. Even dreams are manipulated through mind or object of desire. Can you love same person all your life at each moment ? I will say no. Still, How is it possible that I feel nostalgia for a person I never knew so closely ? Why I desire for a person that can't come with me in the life ? Why do we let someone become priority in our life when we aren't even an option for considering to them ?

This is a purely fictional post and not related to me by any means... Don't sit on my head for originality or piracy !

Anbe Sivam

Love is god, that's meaning of Tamil title written here. I exist within me only. Others exist because one imagine others do. Otherwise, other is not here. No past and future, only present exist. And, there is nothing to give and take in the world. Only to share with the others. All relations, friends, acquaintance and strangers are just a small part of your life. Don't take any talks of culture, religion and civilization sincerely. They are decaying with each moment of time. Death is most lovable part of life. It can come in conscious or unconscious state of mind. Love is only truth everywhere. Just be spontaneous and devoid of mind in relationships to God or others. Mind is manipulative and will peel love like onions infinitely. There is enough room for everyone in the heart if you love. Spirituality is not a separate way or field, its just life when our stomachs are filled. We are alone deep down and can feel it naturally. So be natural, free of ambition, past, future, comparison, beliefs. Just exist :)[I smiled first time on the blog today ] Ciao !

Baavra mann dekhne chala ek sapnaa

What mind divides through analysis, the heart unites through compassion. Now, there is a peace inside heart as the mind is working on my will. No more nostalgia, desires or ambition. The present will take all sorrows of past and worries of future. The calmness will lead towards silence. The awareness will increase and concentration efforts will reduce. Such is the statehood of awareness. The words coming out will not be manipulative by mind and all lines written before will loose its radiance. The struggle of writer inside you will vanish and only love will be in the air. You have to just stop observation and learn the art of watching, watching without any judgment. The ego raised by sexuality, greed and anger will dissolve. You will rise against repression and feel the joy of expression. You will laugh like mad even when no one else is around. And you will really mean it...

Let's make life interesting !!!

I don't know what to write today. The blank spaces between mine words have more meanings than this whole blog. Now, few words for world around me. When we win a match against Pak in Hockey World cup, certainly times appear good if we look at confident India. Then, three continuous defeats expose our inability to change and do vocal politics.

After acute crisis majority of people returns to sense, and then again going numb with time. The “His troubles, his miseries & his problems will fall on my head if I support him” is part of our whole system in the country. In a talk the famous historian Antony Beevor gave at the Galle Literary Festival recently,he made an interesting point. While bemoaning the lack of historical accuracy in much of the media, he said we had entered a “post-literate phase”. By this he meant that images had superseded the printed word as the vehicle for disseminating history. Consequently, TV and movies now determine which historical narrative is believed.

Personal Life: 'Let's make life interesting' and be more social in interaction with others. That was my motto of change. I had written in my diary one months ago that "Its so tough to push yourself for something you have never done. Preaching others about discipline and simplicity is much easier task but following it much tougher. I am trying to tame myself in discipline and a minimum level of presentableness. I am trying to change and each moment of transition is pain ." I failed somewhere in the transition and caught between my desires and goals like Trishanku. I was lacking will power but not motivation. Still, its consequences are devastating.

I want to return to old life of loneliness. I don't want to continue this life of extrovert and express my feelings completely. I tried to change and people misunderstood me. When you believe in open society, it reflects in your nature. People listen less, understand minimum and assume more. I am again back against wall alone. I want to drink Vodka and kill my consciousness some time. One person trusted me and believed that I can change. I changed but it is appearing futile now. I will again go back in my cave of silence and solitude. The world didn't need me, its better for me to keep mouth shut and die. I create myself in the mirror of others and now annihilating same personality. The death of the heart is the saddest thing that can happen to you. And, I died yesterday...

Thought of the Day :One of the first signs of the beginning of understanding is the wish to die. -Franz Kafka

Read few links for knowledge:

1- How an artist was shorn : Husain sees through an idol, giving it a form that may outrage some, but is not inconsistent with India’s aesthetic explain Salil Tripathi.

2- A university's tryst with rural health: The story of an anti-HIV/AIDS programme in Tamil Nadu's Namakkal district may hold many lessons for the health professional and policy-planner.

3- Allah’s Left The Building: Meant for Muslim welfare, Wakf lands are being sold for a song by its trustees.

4- Mr Chidambaram’s War: Arundhuti Roy opposes military action in Maoist affected areas.

5- Of all the voices that opposed the introduction of Bt brinjal, one was most significant — that of 84-year old T V Jagadisan, the former MD of Monsanto India. Interview with Tehelka reveal his view point.

Understanding Economics

General Theory of Reflexivity: Lecture


Open Society Institute chairman and founder George Soros shares his latest thinking on economics and politics in a five-part lecture series recorded at Central European University, October 26-30, 2009. The lectures are the culmination of a lifetime of practical and philosophical reflection.

Soros discusses his general theory of reflexivity and its application to financial markets, providing insights into the recent financial crisis. The third and fourth lectures examine the concept of open society, which has guided Soros’s global philanthropy, as well as the potential for conflict between capitalism and open society. The closing lecture focuses on the way ahead, examining the increasingly important economic and political role that China will play in the future. [Source]

What I like in enormous winnings of George Soros, it is his push for emerging nations to become 'open societies,' open not only in the sense of freedom of commerce but—more important—tolerant of new ideas and different modes of thinking and behavior.

My amateur learning in Economics : Economics is too mathematical model done by technological student and neglecting risk and chaos. Neither any economic policy can ensure economic stability indefinitely nor any complex mathematical formulae could tame uncertainty. The probelm lies in an intellectual default within economics, but they seem oblivious of the role of ideology in producing this default. I assume that economics is insulated from the world not only by its narrow explanatory methodology but also because it rewards the mathematical modelling that resuls to bind the economics as a game of numbers & statistics.

The wind of freedom blows

1- What a country needs for development in a very long term ? Vigorous debate and absolute freedom of speech. And this makes America a great nation. The source lies in its first Amendment:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Atanu Dey puts his perspective very clear on comparison between America and India on free speech. The first amendment article and comments by readers form a very interesting read on this topic.

2- The Strange case of China and Russia: There is a denialism when an entire segment of society, often struggling with the trauma of change, turns away from reality in favor of a more comfortable lie. It has created a society where institutions are brazenly politicized, where violence has been legitimised, where the socialist state has been reduced to a narrow-visioned envy-filled individual whose dominant mindset is reverence of dead heroes and contempt for all contemporary success.

3- Pseudo Islamic countries like Pakistan falls to move towards the concept of democracy. Bernard Lewis states Islamic authorities have always had great difficulty in accommodating post-Islamic monotheistic religions such as the Bahá'í Faith, since the followers of such religions cannot be dismissed. Moreover, their very existence presents a challenge to the Islamic doctrine of the perfection and finality of Muhammad's revelation. What else can one expect from a society living in a curiously delusional state of denial, gleefully mistaking it as ‘patriotism’ and ‘concern.’ The problem with these countries is that they have people like Asma Jahangir is – they are hundreds of years ahead of their national consciousness.

Nadeem F Paracha put it as : Well, this is exactly what happens to a society that responds so enthusiastically to all the major symptoms of fascist thought. Symptoms such as powerful and continuing nationalism; disdain for the recognition of human rights; identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause; supremacy of the military; obsession with national security; the intertwining of religion and government; disdain for intellectuals and the arts; an obsession with crime and punishment, etc.

4- When a person migrates to the western countries, a new social riddle comes in the front of him. Either to be adopt in the melting pot society type structure or keep his motherland's intact with him. The 2nd generation dilemma of being dual nationality makes them to search for identity. Few acts of terrorism in the name of self righteousness also happen. This can be explained :

Generally coming from deeply conservative backgrounds, they are shocked with the free and easy lifestyle they encounter.Rather than encouraging their children to integrate, they seek to insulate them from Western values, thus causing a state of mild schizophrenia in second- generation immigrants.

Some of these young people become quickly radicalised, and seek clarity in the black-and-white world of religious extremism. Unfortunately, too many of them lack the education to realise that ultimately, no set of beliefs or values is inherently inferior or superior to another.

Morality, as we have seen, is not the monopoly of any faith: an atheist can be more ethical than a religious person. At the end of the day, what matters is that humans behave with consideration and decency, and avoid imposing their beliefs on others.

Irrational Faith -3

Note: [You can read my view points about religion hereto get the grasp of my thinking. ]

There is a film named 'The White Ribbon' directed by Michale Haneke. He expressed his views on the themes of the film: " I was interested in presenting a group of children who are taught absolutist values, and the way they internalize this absolutism. My point was to show the consequences – that is, all sorts of terrorism. If absolutism is applied to an ideal, then that ideal, either political or religious, becomes inhuman. I had considered calling the film "The Right Hand of God." These children believe they are the right hand of God: they have understood the laws, and follow it to the letter. This makes them become the punishers of the others, who do not obey the same ideals. This is how the terrorism originates. The film should not be considered as a comment on fascism alone." [Source]

These lines cane be source of brilliant debates for any society ready for introspection. Still unconsciously, I put this line in real life analysis in the case of 'Islam' only. One line discussed about this movie will make my point clear. 'The seeds of deadliest emotions are there in a society that allows for nothing except goodness.'

This tendency of looking to absolute and abolish all badness through strict punishment exist in Islamic countries. Any liberal act in art, dance , woman rights and minority rights is highly condemned by priestly clan in the power. Middle class in any Islamic countries are not strong enough to adopt the modern political ideologies of west like democracy, secularism, religious diversity and liberalism at a national level. Hence, the Islamic state has lost its authority to challenge the semi-literate & close minded maulvis who do more harm than good.

Excessive importance to religion and its principles is a hindrance in the expansion liberalism and tolerance, where individuals do not give undue importance to religion. It is not easy for any nation to contend with religious bigots and fundamentalists who are forcing on imposing the socio-religious ideology of middle ages on the society in 21st century.

Let us take few countries in analysis. Iran is a more democratic in all Islamic countries at grass root level with power held by clerics. Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey have military backed secular state model. Saudi Arabia is feudal state divided between tribes which does not hold any respect to human rights. And, such Islamic countries are way ahead in corruption index despite of imposition of laws based roughly on Sharia laws.

Ataturk tried to change his country through dictatorship but it shows wrong signals across other countries. Military approach can't solve the civil society problem. The days of revolution are gone. Unless you know how to govern a country, you cannot bring about peace in a country. The failure of Islamic countries on free voice is the major cause of their degradation in cultural and scientific fields. The failure to learn from our past mistakes and “blame India, Israel, America or West” mindset deny them from doing something constructive. And they fall as a pawn in the world politics.

The lack of progress in science and democratic values depicts the mentality of ruling class. Force, however strong, cannot and should not have the last word on any general consensus of the people. For the empowerment of democratic forces in any nation clear cut demarcation between religion and politics is necessary.

To give up power to majority is not easy task, it requires moral courage. Other countries with Christian, Jewish and Hindu population were able to do that because there leaders choose liberal values and democratic reforms for masses. I always admire J.L. Nehru despite of all controversies surrounding him. It was his autocratic rule without becoming Cesearian type that makes India what it is today. He saved us from becoming Hindu Pakistan.

One joy scatters a hundred griefs

I always believe in trusting our own instinct. My mistakes might as well be mine own, instead of someone else's. And sometimes too much patience is not suited in the life. Just because, I don't care what people talk behind my back, it does not mean that I don't understand. So, the silence has its own merits and demerits. The wall of formal behaviour, wisdom and introvert should fall as new world is out there. Now,You could have easily guess that I was upset till yesterday.

The situation I know best in life are those in which people talk. When you speak your heart clearly, the clouds of assumptions fades away. The mood changes, the worries sublime and life appears to be worth living. And it was not Sachin inning that sets up my mood. It was just a flow of words without getting conscience that opened the heart. It is not respect but acceptance one look in other person. Once accepted as a friend to trust and not infatuated by gossips, ah life seems complete. This tiny moment of joy scatters a hundred griefs and worries. And I smile and keep on humming line: "Kai dinon se shikayat nahin zamane se..."

Bye Bye Cruel World

I am addicted to Movies, Facebook, Blog and Gtalk. I am quitting them this time and leave these obsessions for normal life. There is denialism around me when an entire segment of people, often surprised with the change in me, turns away from reality in favor of a more comfortable lie. They take what they want to hear. I am loosing my mind each day.

Relationships-of all kinds-are like sand held in your hand. Held loosely, with an open hand, the sand remains where it is. The minute you close your hand and squeeze tightly to hold on, the sand trickles through your fingers. You may hold onto some of it, but most will be spilled. A relationship is like that. Held loosely, with respect and freedom for the other person, it is likely to remain intact. But hold too tightly, too possessively, and the relationship slips away and is lost.

My stance is here and the personal crisis has made me enough crazy. I don't care if people don't like me, I wasn't born to make them happy. I will return one day...

Mar khap jayegi yeh zindagi samajhne mai, kisko khatil kahaen aur Kisko maseeha janen.

Mein pal do pal ka writer hoon

Love. Fall in love and stay in love. Write only what you love, and love what you write. The key word is love. You have to get up in the morning and write something you love, something to live for.

I am not in love but has an obsession with the writing. I had chosen writing as a hobby or parallel life because it enabled me not to be beholden to anybody. I write and also know that no way anyone will be going to put his neck on the line for implementing my ideas. Sometime, I behave like some young fool who did no know when to stop. The real purpose of my writing is not to please or make the audience comfortable. It is about rebelling and make them uncomfortable for a short period of time. My anger on world and myself have been diluted with time still passion remains same.I can be thief, plagiarist, adaptive and original in writing for the message but will never do this for money. A vow of never charging a single paise for unoriginal writing had been taken by me. But, still miles to write before can publish any of my work.

A writer draws inspiration for his writing from the world around him/her. But it fades away with the mood. Truthful opinion can't be compromised. I learned this lesson in the history books. India was a food begging nation and US supplies wheat to hungry Indian. Still, India opposes USA in Vietnam war time causing constraint in the Indo-US relations. That is rare case of integrity and not bowing to unjust demand even US was your food provider. I take this as an ideal and never write on demand as it makes me biased. The natural opinion or inadequate knowledge about writing subject makes me feel guilty. So, I write what I want. Pretty selfish nature...

I read a lot but never likes dark sarcasm. Yesterday, I read a political article which was focusing on the Seven Assholes of the World. The first nation is well guessed - USA. Evert Cilliers (aka Adam Ash) ask - There Are Seven Big Bad Countries In The World -- Is America The Worst Of Them?

America, Britain, France, Germany, China, Japan and Israel all have one thing in common: they're the only countries on earth who think they're better than anyone else.

America thinks its Constitution and economy and military make it better than anyone else. Britain thinks its Shakespeare and erstwhile empire and Beatles and sense of humor make it better than anyone else. France thinks its food and fashion and culture and Revolution make it better than anyone else. Germany thinks its Beethoven and philosophers and engineering and efficiency make it better than anyone else. Japan thinks its honor and work ethic and tech smarts and kawaii make it better than anyone else. Israel thinks its Jewish suffering make it better than anyone else. China thinks its size and growth make it better than anyone else.

Call them countries who suffer from a superiority complex.

You can read full article and have a fun on USA. And then think, can someone write this article with India in the center stage without getting in any controversy ?

India Unreported

There is one incredible India and one untouchable India. - Manjula Pradeep;







Tradition are poured inside the child through their parents first. All of the parents teach their children about ethics and values. Still, parents themselves practice some form of caste and religious discrimination. The rituals of marriage and eating's give children first hand knowledge and practice of discrimination. Our education system gives very little information about caste atrocities. There should be complete restructuring of society which openly commits caste discrimination and it is not told as a crime for normal routine.

The Governments in the past have viewed the communal riots or caste atrocities as a matter of law and order, and hence they have failed to evolve a just society. There is a rise of an individual and followed by a group in opportunist way on the name of caste. The badlands of India in its small villages, have their own on-going caste wars, con-men and utter lawlessness. The lesson of history is that suppressive and discrimination practices against social equality movements don't work. In the short term they can disrupt and demoralise, but if the movement is socially rooted, the success will come one day. Moderation and tolerance are essential prerequisites of development in the majority-minority relations.

Fee Hike at IIT

Let’s be clear and honest to ourselves. Any thing that fails to change its philosophy with time, disappears soon. That holds pretty true for any educational institute also. Any organisation should be ready to accept change and should change accordingly.

There was an article by Atanu Dey stating - "The full cost of a decent 4-year technical education today is around Rs 20 lakhs (or around US$ 45,000.) That’s a conservative estimate. So in today’s nominal rupees, the full cost of educating 300,000 engineers is Rs 6,000,000 lakhs (or US$ 13.5 billion.) The IITs do charge some fees but those fees have been a small fraction of the true cost of education. It is reasonable to peg the total subsidy to be of the order of the estimated Rs 6 million lakhs. The objective of this exercise is to get a feel for the total transfer of resources from the general public to reasonably well-to-do upper segment of society.

That subsidy is a pure transfer or a grant, not a loan. The beneficiary is not required to return, either directly or indirectly, the money spent. There’s only an expectation that the return will be indirect. Moreover, not everyone has an equal chance of getting the subsidy. To get into an IIT, you have to have an excellent school education, for otherwise you fail in the intense competition for admission. Therefore you must be from a family with means much above average. Therefore the subsidy is targeted at the already fortunate. ."

And the content of the article was on the fringes of mine memories. It was rejunevated when IITs plan to increase their fees in coming years. Every person who has benefited from the subsidy given by government has the moral duty to pay back to the society. We have no rights to take benefits of subsidy or reservations if we are unable to pay back. IITs are going to increase their fees from Rs 50,000 per year as fee. Currently, it is on hold but I think it will be implemented soon. The proposal suggested increasing the fee to Rs 4 lakh per annum over a period of 10 years. This is done to remove the dependence of premier institutes on government for funding and becoming more autonomous.

I think that Atanu dey has got the point when he take his stand : On IITs, PanIIT, and the Funding of 50 New IITs .

My Opinion: My seniors inspired through their actions me that the students of ITBHU had an obligation to serve the institute & country, and I knew that I must one day use my education to serve India and my college. I don't have idea over the stance of IT-BHU administration and transition of college in to IIT status is still in pending state. There is no such debate in my college that how much a college should depend on government for monetary help ? The contribution has been fine from alumni but not even worth comparable to IITs. Their is vision missing in the administration about the future of ITBHU, not the vision documents (2006). I think its not the case of missing spirit of contribution, but the proper process and vision plan.

English and ITBHU

The campus is completely alien to the freshers both in terms of the place and its people. All freshers can experience a very different and real world and hence have the opportunity to learn about everything once again from its beginning in its true nature.

The first and foremost problem faced by students is to get the grasp the good English needed for communication and writing skills. 3 out of 60 people have given JEE in Hindi but almost the majority used to struggle to cope with the professional use of language. General exceptions are always there (Varun Murali, Kapil & Kunal in my batch) who helped the rest a lot in their pursuit of improvement. I observed that the ones who did cope happened to come from ICSE or CBSE schools whereas students with the state board school background had to push lot more harder than their fellow batch mates. Most of the students coming from state board schools are worst affected as boards provide specialist in field (PCM) but the versatility was lacking. Here in the college, the reading is not taken for the pleasure or learning new language but for acquiring the crux of GD and interviews with minimum work on grammar.

We started regular newspaper reading in the first year of college, out of compulsion to improve my English and vocabulary. It was more of a burden rather a hobby or interest for anybody. Few took the flight to financial times for the sake of improving his understanding of finance. TOI is suggested for primary level of & The Hindu for the next level. My interest in sports particularly cricket given a good reason to go through the each word printed in the sports section of the paper, but the road to editorial column remains at-least 1 year ahead in TOI section. We are enamored by news column writing and develop their views as our own for GD sessions.

The magazines and novels are the next target of masses for continual improvement program. Outlook, India Today and a hell lot of Business magazines are circulated in the whole college. Novels are highly popular with Dan Brown & Chetan Bhagat as the popular authors. This is the first time when most of students read for pleasure of it.

With the internet sources are considered new information and the books as old information, Library is not used by students despite of few brave reforms by IT administration. The Curriculum for learning English is most frustrating part in the academic help for raising the threshold level of English in the campus. The Professional Communication course is taught in the 1st semester and then there is sudden gap of six semesters for next course. Seminar and Group Discussion came in the 8th semester when people had already got the job and enthusiasm for learning has been at minimum level. This curriculum completely baffles me as the major problems faced by students are inability to express themselves in writing, public speaking and even listening to prolonged lectures.

Don't get me started over the language programme offered for learning 'English' by University. It was good for other foreign languages but the experience of my friends in their futile attempt to learn English from academia is horrible. One good thing is that event like JAM in college has really helped lot of people.

I will just say that we should encourage reading and application learning to our friends & juniors. We have to make them understand why reading the prescribed course isn't enough, why did they have to read 10 other books, blogs and several reading materials to make an informed opinion. The more we grow in the life, the bonding with technology is lessened and networking with the people increases.

*I may be seeing only minor part of a process but readers will give their discrete view on this topic.

Vichaar Shoonya + 5

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face in marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. [Part of Speech by Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910.]

1- Delhi's Commonwealth Games slave labour shame : CHILDREN are slaving away at work on building sites in New Delhi as the Indian capital struggles to get ready for this year's Commonwealth Games.

2- The Song That Is Irresistible: How the State Leads People to Their Own Destruction : Robert Higgs's Schlarbaum Award Acceptance Speech, delivered on October 12, 2007, at the Mises Institute's 25th Anniversary Celebration.

3- The Grandmaster Experiment : The queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard. Yet in the ultra-elite ranks of chess, a woman who can hold her own is the rarest of creatures. How, then, did one family produce three of the most successful female chess champions ever?

4- Vanishing Wisdom : A report on water management in Uttarakhand where traditional systems do the disappearing act.

5- Microfinanace in Macro Mess : Corporate entry threatens the very idea on which microfinance institutions were set up. How will the dispossessed be affected.

6- Lilavati's Daughters: The Women Scientists of India

7- Deterring Internet Piracy : A burning debated between Cinephiles

8- How Harvard Gets its Best and Brightest : Sure, students work hard to get into this elite college. But so does the admissions committee.

9- Burma : The political Black Hole (pdf format)

10- The structure and silence of the cognitariat: Only a small "creative class" achieves the creativity and freedom attributed by stereotype to all knowledge workers, writes Christopher Newfield. Below this elite exist far more numerous "perma-temps", who are highly qualified yet interchangeable.

11- How to Create Ideas that Evolve.

Mutation

I had more lived in solitude and silence within myself and only this blog was a creative act in itself in my short life. Cinephilia or writing is just a passion with rarely requiring extraordinary force of will. Beneath the riches of the creative life and observation, there was still one ordinary & pointless life, to be lived each second.

Everything under the sun and above the earth comes in my observation. The fact is that no matter where in history we are, all of those bad things exist. The point of our existence is to show even in a world filled with hate and evil, if we stop for a minute and just look around we can find the good. There is a purity in my isolation from the world, saving the last traces of innocence or whatever unconscious motives. I had gone through several long phases of depressions in 2 years with only 1 or 2 persons knowing about it. Now, I feel no joy or sharing heart's burden kinda of stuff in sharing my feelings with everyone. I will now focus on persons close to me who were emotionally supporting me when I was on crusades to save the world or doing social welfare.

Through history of my life, habits or oaths have been junked if they become inconvenient. The ever changing habits allows sovereign persons like me to scrap any prior resolution. Now, I am trying to break a prolonged phases of silence and formalities between relations. I am stranger to many persons in many aspects who are close to me. Have to sort out lot of personal life...

This week has been turned out good and I am quite happy with my performance. Just like anyone in the early 20s, I am still trying to figure out mine place in the world and work out who I am. I am still learning and need more time to do the things. Instead of what all people are doing in the life and various fields, I need more time and space to prove myself.

I was living life in reckless way after joining college from summer of 2004. Suddenly, mutation happens. Don't ask how ? Nobody knows, not even me about this tipping point.

I am changing... (Few examples)
I am bathing daily from last 7 days.
(Previously, 10 times in month)
I am combing my hair with comb daily.
(Previously, 7 times a month, that too with hands)
I am taking breakfast daily at right time.
(Previously, never taken)
I am shaving in each 4 days
(Previously, once in 45 days)
I am putting clothes pressed and in Hangers
(Previously never done that)
I am changing...*

*The above changes are done without any external pressure. Those who know me personally knows my disgust for taking bath...

Slow Down Now

I am a person good with words but bad in dealing emotional tussle in relationship coming daily in the life.

Life appears fast now days. Time to see back and observe becomes short each moment. I now understand why Ghazals, photographs and family history become common discussion topic with old age. They provoke the slow resurrection of the emotions deeply embedded in the memories and heart.

This blog is dedicated to those living life more slowly. Its aimed, but not limited to, those of us grinding along daily in India. I make no claims to be a blogger extrordinaire. These are simply my thoughts regarding this new and exciting movement and how we can apply its principles in our every day lives.

Most of my friends don't talk about caste, religion, war, life and universe because they consider it as irrelevant to their life. Good for them. But, I refuse to see only these topics as events, Root cause analysis can only give me more understanding about myself, these topics and human nature.

Human nature is so unchanging that we are designed to do same mistakes again and again. The same circle of violence, discrimination, war and greed has hunted down each generation. I feel that deep down consciousness, there is nothingness only. There is no future and there was no past, only our notion of unchanging present. My life means nothing and conscience is an animal instinct...

Slow Down Now, fast forward does not make life new. Its hollowness of our mask of perfection, or holiness, to cover up for sinful human nature. Death is only last end in this circular design of life. I am a creature full of desire, aversion and ignorance and that is bounded by subtle sufferings that occur in day to day life.

A wise man had said that all of us had an unspeakable secret, an irreversible regret, an unreachable dream and an unforgettable love in the life.They say that age gives us wisdom and slowness but actually have ever seen as old donkey? Wisdom never comes with age, only nostalgia we got in the end...

Mile Sur Mera Tumhara

New Mile Sur Mera Tumhara



Old Mile Sur Mera Tumhara

Vichaar Shoonya - 4

A republic is a form of government in which the head of state is not a monarch and the people (or at least a part of its people) have an impact on its government.Today on 26th Jan, Salute to the heroes who had given us idea and base of republic nation ...
1- Indian Higher Education Reform: From Half- Baked Socialism to Half-Baked Capitalism : - Devesh Kapur, University of Pennsylvania and Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Centre for Policy Research

2-The meaning of network culture: - by Kazys Varnelis, is director of Network Architecture Lab at Columbia University and editorial board member of Kulturos barai.

3- The Bread And Butter Papers: Tehelka survey finds that Indians read books not for pleasure but for self-advancement. Given our writers, can we blame them, asks Gaurav Jain.

4- A commitment to modernity is one of the distinguishing features of the Internet generation: - by Vir Sanghvi, Indian print and television journalist .

5- I share Chidambaram’s contempt for those who seek to profit from education: - by Vir Sanghvi, Indian print and television journalist.

6- New class of civil servants: - by, S. Narayan, former finance secretary and economic adviser to the prime minister.

Food for thought: The triumph of heroes is that they rise above everything, even our cynical destruction of the very ideal that sustains them. We are more comfortable today with celebrities than with heroes for they are patently the product of the attention we have chosen, sometimes, inexplicably to shower on them. Fall of heroism to celebrity culture and rise of business tycoons without any ethics are dark side of our post economic liberation era. Really, are we becoming less idealistic and more practical day by day ?

Thought on the republic day: "To work for people you don’t need to have a position but if you have a position it is easier for the people to access you”.

Caste and Education

Caste is so complex matter that it is constantly changing and adjusting to new circumstances. This poses a great challenge for all of us because it is deeply embedded in the mind of India and caste attitudes are not fading away even after so much education. Today, Indian society still retains part of the age old caste system and that Dalits still face social stigma even in urban circles. The manners and food habits of those from the lower section of the social ladder are still laughed at by the so-called upper class who are unwilling to let them enter their world unless it is for their benefit.

1- 26th January is approaching near, still a question arises in my mind. Why eminent persons like Dr. Ambedkar, Sardar Patel and Ram Manohar Lohia are reduced and viewed as caste representative leaders in political circles ? 'Blowin' in the Hind' is an article exploring about Dr. Ambedkar on the eve of the Great Indian Republic day.

2- A special report from the 2nd day of Jaipur Literature Festival :

The session on Dalit literature, titled, Outcaste: The Search for Public Conscience was the most provocative of the festival so far, with the panel of Dalit writers, Kancha Illaiah, OP Valmiki and P Sivakami making a passionate case for why the caste system will not go unless Hinduism goes.

“The reason most Hindus don't get worked up enough about atrocities against Dalits is that their conscience is not a public conscience but a caste conscience, imbued with values derived from caste,” said P Sivakami, the Tamil novelist.

Kancha Illaiah, author of Why I am Not A Hindu, turned up the heat further, by stating, “Hinduism is spiritual fascism.”

3- I love my Alma mater very much. But, often it comes in negative light unconsciously.
Now , Banaras Hindu University has picked K.P. Singh as director of its engineering wing. He is accused by the Uttar Pradesh government in a 2007 state medical examination scam , which is set to become India’s newest IIT. As this archival news item show:

Bahujan Samaj Party Government on Thursday recommended the dismissal of the Vice Chancellor of Vir Bahadur Singh Poorvanchal University, Jaunpur, K.P. Singh. The examinations were conducted by Poorvanchal University and Prof. Singh was the Chairman of UPCPMT, 2007.

The Government’s decision to sack Prof. Singh was based on the findings of the nine-member high-power committee. The panel was constituted by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati, on June 15 following large-scale violence by students in the aftermath of the results announced on June 14.

Few days ago, The Telegraph breaks out the news that caste is given priority over merit in the picking of the director of IT-BHU.

BHU vice-chancellor D.P. Singh insisted that all norms had been followed in the selection. He told The Telegraph: “The executive council has picked K.P. Singh on my recommendation because he presents us with the best balance between seniority and time left before retirement. I don’t pick people on the basis of their caste.”

Traditionally, BHU picks the senior-most available faculty member to head its institutes. Critics of K.P. Singh’s selection say civil engineer and dean Virendra Singh, senior-most after outgoing IT-BHU director Upadhyay, was ignored.

K.P. Singh and D.P. Singh are both Thakurs, as are six of the 10 BHU executive council members, the critics said. Upadhyay, who has a year before retirement, is a Brahmin.

Still, I have doubt on Mayawati's honest stance of sacking K. P. Singh in 2007 due to her sheer corruption prone nature and dictator style governance. Charu Sudan Kasturi has covered this story in an honest way. But, we are at the peak moment of conversion of ITBHU to IIT. I don't know the truth but caste, corruption and education are intermingled with each other to deepest fathom in our Indian society.

Footnotes: Subhas Chandra Bose, only leader hailed as 'Netaji' (no other leader was called with respect by this title in our Indian history) born today on 23rd Jan; was a leader in the Indian independence movement. Its sad but ours has great history of forgotten heroes...

IT Yeah hai IT - Vish Nite 1992

Info provided by User: This is the "IT Yeh hai IT" song..wrote and composed in 1989 ..but only sang first time to bunch of classmates in 1991..it became " IT anthem" in no time..and this is the last time we sang it together ...with last stanza written a few minutes before the VishNite ..sitting at Mochu's ...I hope junta at IT still know this song :)..if not here it is with a old recording...Have fun!!! Always!!! classmates in 1991..it became " IT anthem" in no time..and this is the last time we sang it together...

3 Idiots and ITBHU Days

The success of 3 idiots lies in reflecting its unusual and strong under layer of moral anger against educational system. I have so much anger or affection for ITBHU that it flows in my several writeups. 3 Idiots bring some fine memories back in my mind. No one in mech08 batch would ever forget the opening lecture given by B.N. Diwedi 'on IT-BHU' in one of the first sessions of Applied Physics Lab. Sripati Sah, Ankit Gopal Pandey, Vikramraj Naidu, Abhishek Khanna, Suryakant Gupta, Abhishek Arora, Shashank Jain are just few names of persons who were similar to character Rancho. The bondage of friends like Hathi, Srikant Bhaiya, Agp, Chandan, Bond, Chandu, Shukla & Chammo boosting each other even at the darkest hours is unforgettable. I missed my college days most in all of them...

Like other good Engineering College in India, I was surrounded by guys discussing Playboy, Deboniar and even Mallu cinema in classroom. Illegal download has flooded pornography, movies, documentaries, TV serials, cartoons, LAN games, software and even study material. That the world of college and sharing, basically was ours utopia.

Our Bakchodi starts through lengthy discussions on pending state of ITBHU conversion to IIT. Add to that the amazing series of sessions, we went through about Share Market, Cinema and Cricket with ripping apart both fiction and non fiction literature. Swades, Matrix Triology, change in Indian Cricket under Ganguly leadership,etc. Few even know about the foreign language movies, and lots of it.

The campus did give me a tremendous dose of education in each and every aspect of my life in every conceivable way. It taught me to respect, to fear, to understand, to empathize, to look up to not only to great but also too good students, alumnus and teachers. Few times, I feel guilty about me not being one of them.

I was a bad student in academics. Somewhat, I doubt that I did not deserve to be a part of that campus as I failed to grab spirit of engineering in me. I ended up in IT company with mechanical background and interest in development issues.

I began to wonder now on the laws designed by me years back for college days. Much has changed since college to corporate and I have to revise all of them to settle in corporate environment. Probably this is what they call change, the laws that were so instrumental years back then are obsolete now. Still, I have kept my passion alive for out of course studies and get me driven...

I hereby declare in full awareness that I detest my job from bottom of the heart. So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life. (rip off from a movie, but true !!!)

I am still in the process of figuring out what I want to do with career/ life etc. I always think on the humiliations of living a life you don’t want, regret for the unlived life, and the empowering potency of being shown you can choose otherwise. I guess that my friends who are in different parts of the world and each of them in a different phase of life can understand my feelings. I always assume that once you realise that it’s your job and happiness inherent is unleashed. If, it is your dream to be an actor, you automatically start performing with the best of your abilities, not really worrying about who you are working with. Currently, I am happy with my present transient state as I am also an Idiot; 'Idiot' really means 'I did it on my own terms'. Cheers for 3 Idiots!!!

Whisper from the past

I bewilder between fantasy and mundane,
I forsake the love left behind by me,
Realizing what the true love was.

Today, a word never to be spoken is heard,
Tinge of innocence is lost in making love,
A bond is forged by warmth of her bosom.

A beat that my heart skipped in love,
A moment of life is lost in the void,
I hear murmur of the heart.

Vichaar Shoonya +4

Everywhere in the country and in the world, people left their beloved homelands to try their luck in this cold, faraway place where all one had to do, was be willing to work. Mumbai is the prime example of city of migrants in India. And America is an example of a modern country found by immigrants only. In times of economic downturn, we forget the values on which the place was built and developed. The sociopolitical climate becomes increasingly destructive towards immigrants in these times as scapegoats are used to help alleviate frustration. We are all citizens of the world–there is no place in the world that we can go and not touch something created in another land, no place where there are not immigrants. In my views, history is made by wandering humans from one place to another for trade, war or to become part of greater civilization. Human is indeed yayaver by nature and settler by culture.

Few web links in mumbo-jumbo post for reading....

Copenhagen Diary : A report on Climate change by Sunita Narain.

A Celebration of Difference: Science and Democracy in India by Shiv Visvanathan

It's The Comedy, Idiots by Shiv Visvanathan

Every child learns differently by Hyderabad-based educator James Tooley

Internet Growth - Key Learning's in India

Internet rules and laws: the top 10, from Godwin to Poe

The Joy of Science and Excitement of Discovery (in the history of modern quantum mechanics)

Jihad against Caste Discrimination

I am always in the favor of inclusive development of backward caste and tribe with general caste. Equality, dignity and merit to GE, OBC & SC, ST irrespective of their caste backgrounds. I always think that government gives equal ground through regulations and reservation in theory only. I don't know that our higher caste Hindu is now accepting lower caste as their equals or not. I always ask elders that has society became more feudal, caste oriented and communal than 60 years ago ? No clear cut answers. People still ask surname with smile to map out the caste and ancestry in their minds. I hope one day caste discrimination will fade away and it will remind us of our ethnicity only.

1- An interview of Shahid Siddiqui, Editor of Urdu daily Nai Duniya about caste politics.

2- Call for first caste census in India.

Officials said the ministry had asked for caste to be included as one of the criteria in the 2011 census, and recommended a differential headcount of the Other Backward Classes and reassessment of their conditions that could lead to changes in the OBC list.

3-Untouchables in Indian polity, 1956-2000: A review from a mainstream political angle. This review is from the book The Untouchables: Subordination, Poverty And The State In Modern India by Oliver Mendelsohn & Marika Vicziany

4- MacArthur Foundation "genius" Esther Duflo, PhD '99, field-tests aid programs to find out which ones work-and why.

5- Indian cinema and caste. A well balanced look.

"If you ask a Bollywood filmmaker whether this is actually what he is defending, he will be surprised. He believes that the values he is defending in his film are universal — love, family, country, religion... The word ‘caste’ would never cross his mind. Then how do we say that Bollywood films defend caste society?

The arranged marriage or marriage with parental sanction is an institution that supports, that takes the load of caste society through absolute parental authority when it comes to marriage or any other kind of relationship with the opposite sex. This parental authority is taken for granted in Bollywood films. There is no need to even explain it. The world of Bollywood cinema is so cleansed of caste and religion that one is almost tempted to believe that one is dealing with a bunch of ultra-liberals for whom caste and religion do not define the human personality. But the real reason for this absence is that women must not make the wrong sexual choice that could lead to the collapse of society as we know it. So, the world of Bollywood cinema is shown to be a ‘natural’ world, where upper caste Punjabi men are linked up with upper caste Punjabi women without the problematic obstacle of caste ever coming in the way of their union. Whereas, in reality, especially for the middle-class, caste is an overriding factor in marriage in particular and sexual relations in general."

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I remembered a good quote against racism to finish this article. That would be of a 19-year old single mother from McKeesport, quoted by the Democratic Party chairman for Pittsburgh's 22nd Ward, Khari Mosley, in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, on November 2nd.

Rosa sat so Martin could walk, Martin walked so Barack could run, Barack ran so we all can fly.

Controversy over 3 idiots

There was controversy over 3 idiots over credit with Chetan Bhagat and producers of this film. There is no mention of opening credit in the contract. Only the mention of rolling credits. The whole contract can be seen here. But chetan is miffed that his name appears quite late.

I am producing here stand of my friend who want to remain anonymous. I am in still dilemma that what is right or wrong in this case. One clue about him, he is an IITian. Take a look on his views and spare few thoughts :

The Problem: See this is not about a respectable person or reputable person as such. As an IITIAN, he should maintain the standards, 'arey yaar credit gaya toh gaya', I don't understand why he is making so many media appearances for this, film people like to come in front of the cameras, that is their job anyways, let them do that.

A suggestion: Next time, sell your stories to people, who'll respect your inspirations.

A short comment: Well at this moment, I would also like to comment that if we see the movie Sarkar, the credit has been given properly to 'THE GODFATHER', well theur are some instances which were made different to indianize the story but well still it shows a great respect for Mario Puzo and the filmamkers of THE GODFATHER. Hence proved, two things

1) We as Indians, dont give respect to Indian ppl for their work or we just like so called 'foreign' things to be awarded, remember this is not a question of merit. 5 point someone and THE GODFATHER are masterpieces and liked by mass. So is true for their movie adaptations.

2) Inspirations should come even before the starcast, I believe, whatever you did, you tweaked, did it 99.9% different but still somewhere at the grassroot level you gained something from the base story.

Independent Conclusion
3) I know Chetan Bhagat has gone to IIT (which is actually great and the country still holds its debts for many technological revolutions at IIT, many of them remain hidden or you see some ISRO director speaking about them, never mentioning the institutes, a plight) but IIM (seriously I tell you, most of the management institutions in India, dont provide with a) Mathematical Ability b) Use your engg. skills to tackle any financial problem at hand. They just go for publicity. So, This is a clear indication which shows what IIM education has done to a prominent writer and a technologist, a give-me-publicity personna.

One funny video on youtube about Chetan Bhagat controversy. People who can't see subtitles: Turn on the captions.At the bottom right of the player is the button with a upward pointing triangle on it. Click on it, and then click on CC button to turn on the captions. Those unable to see subtitles, watch it on youtube.

Everybody loves an entertaining news !!!

Hours of crisis at both national and international level. Naxalite, artificial food scarcity, communalism, border problem with aggressive china and disintegrating Pakistan; It would be far better for India if its government gets off those commanding heights of the economy, and addresses basic problem like health care, illiteracy etc. How to make accountability of the corrupt, self-serving political and bureaucratic elite to ensure social and economic justice for those it had claimed ? Cut the services provided to officers and make them managers. Its time for Inclusive and Integrated development.

I had faith in the people. They had good wishes for upheaval of everyone but the path design requires merit not popular support. Hence, I fear populist democracy as sometimes behave like celebrity culture.

Looking for guidance towards west is hopeless. The uniqueness is in individual not in the society. A group is diverse with its unit having own characteristic. Hence westernized concept of One language, people custom and religion does not hold true in India. For the west, democracy means believing in exactly the same things that they believe. Is that really democracy?

Our mass media is far away from the mass realities. It seems like a conspiracy of silence and a conspiracy of denial. Common people angst can be against such corrupt system as all of us remain angry against a system, in which we work because we find injustice is done to deserving people. And voice is raised when wrong is done to people with money by people with power.

Reputed Journalist, P Sainath puts that responsibility if media is - 'to signal the weakness in society. That remains a minimum duty of a decent press. A society that does not itself, cannot cope. The focus is on the spectacular. The long term trends that spell chaos does not make good copy. '

In his insightful book, 'Everybody loves a good drought', he proclaimed - "But at the best of times, press has viewed drought and scarcity as 'events', not 'process' behind it. And belief that only events make news, not processes, distorts understanding. Some of the best reports on poverty suffer from trying to dramatise it as a event. The real drama is in the processes. In the causes. Deforestation has much to with drought. But being a process it becomes a 'feature'. And then disappears int newspaper ghetto called 'ecology'- presumes to be off interest only to rabid 'Greens'.

It is ridiculous to expect the press to transform reality, but it can contribute a great deal by deepening public understanding of problems. Doing that requires some analytical rigour."

Short Sightedness is not dishonesty. And people blame leaders for it. Leaders are chosen in democracy by people only. Hence wrong decision taken by leaders reflect their own wrong vote in choosing representative. The change is going to happen and You have to swim with the tide. You have to be patient and wise enough to choose the right path. It requires a long term vision and fluidity to go towards optimum solution irrespective of showing loyalty towards any school of thought. This requires media of high integrity and better coverage.

But, this is more idealistic talk appear to me. It requires money to run the newspaper or news channel. TV-18 fired 200 reporters but it didn't become the news. In such market condition, the real news is hiding beneath the financial liabilities. Here is the small article by a journalist on our decaying state of journalism. But people love entertainment more than news, then what is the need of crying out loud here.... I always fail to understand why media has marginalised itself more to elites and have no link to what all hundred of millions of Indian are thinking.

PS: I had compiled + composed this post in the anger our media which fail to highlight the causes of problems. Vikram with his more analytical article shed more light in this case.

Movies on big Screen

As RGV jas said - " People often confuse ostentatiousness and excessive materialism as Luxury .Two are different things . Real joy of luxury is self sufficient and very personal. As Howard Roark said in The Fountainhead " Luxury is a limited endeavor. What they want is ostentation. to show , to stun, to impress. They are second handers". Cinema has become more than luxury or ostentatiousness for me. "

I am documenting my life here at my blog. The list presented here is of movies experienced by me on big screen with year of watching and place. It is in the chronological way so that I can study my cinematic development (you don't bother to study). This list is correct and lot of effort has been given in recalling memories. My date of birth is 21st August 1985. Hence, I am unable to recall the movies seen by me on big screen of first 4 years. This post is all for those who enjoy and all those who didn't ~~~

Maine Pyar Kiya -Salempur-1989
Haathi Mere Saathi -Salempur-1989

Kishen Kanhaiya -Salempur-1990
Swarg -Salempur-1990
Dil -Salempur-1990
Baaghi -Salempur-1990
Thanedaar -Salempur-1990

Sanam Bewafa -Salempur-1991
Hum -Mirzapur-1991
Henna -Salempur-1991
Bhabhi -Salempur-1991
Saajan -Salempur-1991
Phool Aur Kaante -Salempur-1991
Do Raaste -Salempur-1991

Vishwatma -Salempur-1992
Zindagi Ek Juaa -Salempur-1992
Beta -Salempur-1992
Deewana -Salempur-1992
Bol Radha Bol -Salempur-1992
Khuda Gawah -Salempur-1992
Bewaffa Se Waffa -Salempur-1992

Naukar Biwi Ka -Mirzapur-1993

Jurassic Park -Kanpur-1994
Hum Aapke Hain Koun...! -Kanpur-1994

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge -Kanpur-1995

Jumanji -Kanpur-1996

Mrityudaata -Kanpur-1997
The Lost World -Kanpur-1997
Border -Kanpur-1997

Titanic -Kanpur-1998
Godzilla -Kanpur-1998
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai -Kanpur-1998

Sarfarosh -Kanpur-1999

Dr. Dolittle 2 -Kanpur-2001
Lagaan -Kanpur-2001
Jurassic Park III -Kanpur-2001

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone -Kanpur-2002
16 December -Kanpur-2002

Terminator 3 -Kanpur-2003

Van Helsing -Kanpur-2004
Dhoom -Varanasi-2004
Anacondas II-Varanasi-2004
Aitraaz-Varanasi-2004

Page 3 -Varanasi-2005
Black -Varanasi-2005
Waqt -Varanasi-2005
Bunty Aur Babli -Kanpur-2005
Star Wars III -Kanpur-2005
Sarkar -Kanpur-2005
Salaam Namaste -Varanasi-2005
Garam Masala -Varanasi-2005

Æon Flux -Mumbai-2006
Rang De Basanti -Varanasi-2006
Anniyan -Ghaziabad-2006
The Da Vinci Code -Ghaziabad-2006
Omkara -Varanasi-2006
Kabul Express -Bangalore-2006
Dhoom:2 -Mumbai-2006
Night at the Museum -Varanasi-2006

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix -Varanasi-2007
Bhool Bhulaiyaa -Varanasi-2007
Taare Zameen Par -Varanasi-2007

Indiana Jones IV -Kanpur-2008
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian -Kanpur-2008
The Dark Knight -Lucknow-2008
The Dark Knight -Lucknow-2008
Quantum of Solace -Gurgaon-2008

Dev.D -Hyderabad-2009
Gulaal -Bangalore-2009
Aloo Chaat -Hyderabad-2009
Billu -Hyderabad-2009
New York -Hyderabad-2009
99 -Hyderabad-2009
Night at the Museum II -Hyderabad-2009
Transformers II -Hyderabad-2009
Life Partner -Hyderabad-2009
Kaminey -Hyderabad-2009
Wanted -Hyderabad-2009
Wake Up Sid -Hyderabad-2009
All the Best -Hyderabad-2009
Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani -Hyderabad-2009
Avatar -Noida-2009
3 Idiots -Hyderabad-2009