Happy Children's Day

So we have Children's day today .. Great!! a day for the kids to enjoy .. as if on other days they are not supposed to!!!
But just look up the children around you.. and you will realize that even a dedicated day also fails to force the kids let loose and enjoy, forgetting all the mundane chores. You ask what's keeping them from the fun and the answer is screaming right in your face - STUDIES!
I read an article today in our cherished TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3707932.cms) citing the same issue. Little kids of age eight and ten making statements like “My parents tell me that to be a step ahead of my contemporaries as far as academics are concerned, I must read the encyclopedia, or “There is hardly any time to play, there are many exams, and I have to do well.” really makes one to think what has been done to the childhood of these kids and so many like them.
As the peer pressure grows and the expectation of parents looms over their heads like some dagger, children struggle to keep up with the pace. I myself have been part of this rat race which is never ending so cant say its not needed. But to what extent.. to what extent can we push them is a question each parent will have to ask himself/herself.
I so wish that this rat race ends and the children are able to go back to ..as the paper say..paper boats and fairy tales but I know it ain't gonna happen anytime soon. So good luck to all those who are part of this mad race.
May All Win!

Obama gets 2 cr as compensation...

So the United States has a new President and there is huge furor in the press about the first colored President of the United States. There is huge interest in the world over as each country/business is keenly looking forward to the "change" in policies that the new President may bring in - a mix of fear and anticipation.
Talking to my dad, I got to know the immense interest in the Indian politics and market about the same. In the same vein I read an interesting article comparing the compensation of Obama and our President, stating a factor of ten between the two. Apparently Obama is being paid 2 cr i.e. 16 lakhs per month and our poor President one tenth of the same. I couldn't help but laugh at the sheer prospect of comparing the two figures. Its utterly stupid on two counts - economical and value-added work. I wont argue much on the later as it is quite self evident but to do a direct multiplication by a factor of 50 is insane. One needs to compare a lot of factors before comparing the real value of the money whether in $s or Rs. Money parity is an important factor which people particularly Indians forget before comparing the dollar value of anything. Its essential to take into account the living costs, taxes, insurance etc before a sensible comparison can be made.
I am not denying that $400k is a decent sum by any means but, I think the leader does deserve this paltry sum to maintain a standard in line with the job he needs to carry out. I just wish that he makes good use of the power, money at his disposal to pull out the economy out of the recession it is heading into.

just like that!

So I am visiting my blog after a long time.. it does feel lonely .. no new posts or comments... it seems like lost in the plethora of information being added to the net each and every day ...
I am just wondering how the life of a blog page is like ..its genesis ... the middle age and finally the demise...

Well.. the birth can be attributed to someone's thoughtful creativity .. or a reason to vent out one's emotions.. or a creation just like that...
With the stroke of a pen....errrr.. click of a button .. it is added to this whole world of blogs... The Blogosphere....

What happens next... does any body read it .. does any body understand it ... or try to relate to what this guy's story is .. may be or may be not ... but the page is there to stay .. for a long long time..
As time passes .. the page moves from place to place .. lets say from server to server.... in search of readers .. or companions .. trying to establish relations....
Yes blogs do have relations.. didn't you notice small colored, glittering links in one page introducing you to the other.. tailoring a unique intricate social fabric... With each new link added.. the page redefines its role in this fraternity..trying to establish its value to the siblings and children.. A broken link on the other hand could be a lost friend...one who had stayed during the tougher times but gave way to the stress in this demanding society....

In this survival of the fittest contest ... wear and tear is inevitable... What happens towards the fag end ..Oblivion. I imagine being detained in the limbo of "lost forevers" is not a painless process... rather a slow agonizing one, by which it loses friends, foes and finally the ownership.. with the belief that it has fulfilled its destiny...

I am intrigued how a life less object carries the power to define its rules .. set its own standards .. navigate through an unexplored territory and develop a complete domain for itself... In the hope that sooner than later somebody will stumble upon this page and touch its life or be touched by it..I leave this page to traverse its own course in this amazing world of blogs....

Republic Day or Alert Day...

Today is our Republic Day .. 59th .. 58 yrs have passed since India became a 'Republic' which in essence means we have established 'A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them'. As whole of India and clusters of Indians all over the world gear up to celebrate I wondered I should check what google has to turn up on this day for India. And I was not surprised when the first result said 'India on high alert for Republic Day celebrations'. Is'nt it a familiar head line ...every time we look forward to celebrate one of our National festival or any major festival for that matter. Instead of the festivities, instead of the lightning, instead of sweets .. the primary preparation is fa arming ourselves against the ubiquitous danger of being blown up by some known/unknown terrorist organisation. Most of the Indians prefer keeping away from regions of celebration .. just in case... smthin sinister hits them.. The security offcials surely take a sigh of relief if the day passes by with minor incidents..

I evn noticed an article in TOI calling it ...An Unnecessary Ritual .. that too by an officer of the Indian Navy..I wasnt surprised again...Its not the first time that such a thing has come up perhaps for a different reason...

But all these things add up giving a negative overtone to the day which should have been a day when each Indian feel secure enough and enthused to come out of their bunker and stand at Vijay Chowk to shout Vande Mataram along with thousands others....

The threats, the indifference or just plain logic against celebration of these National Festivals seems blasphemous but I feel that its just a matter of time when ppl ll forgt wht these symbols stand for .. whn they will start taking their rights and freedoms .. not duties off course.. for granted ..

And no I am not here to start a revolution which in todays terms is a chain spam mail .. blastin each and everyone ... and askin to fwd fa the sake of so n so .. I am part of the confused or concerned lot .. who does nt kno wht to do ..or may be knows but is too busy with their own lives.. But I will surely try to contribute towards the prosperity of the nation ...thru my little efforts...who has given me my identity..

Vande Mataram!!!

Gandhiji... in demand...

I was reading this article on Christie's decision not to bring Gandhiji's letter under the hammer and went through a debate by a group people on the essence and righteousness of Gandhiji's policies, ideologies, practices etc. ( http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jul/02gandhi.htm )

Gandhi, a phenomenon in himself has drawn a huge following both of fans and critics. I had discussed Gandhi with many of my friends and found that either people idolize him or completely berate him. There are extremeties in their perception of Gandhi and his policies.

Who is Gandhi? Why so much of emotional aggressiveness when people talk of him? Why any issue associated with him stir up whole of the nation drawing cries from all quarters?

Well I will try to reflect upon these questions here based on my perceptions and my understanding.

For me Gandhi was just another man fighting for the cause of his countrymen and I respect him for the same. He did what he felt as correct and what he learnt from his life and experiences. His thinking was different from the league, preached and practiced a new way of fighting which may sound absurd in the present world (though Munnabhai tried to change this perception). Its possible that the way he preached was not the fastest way for gaining independence but sure it was the safest and least destructive.

Coming to Why so much of emotion stirring in the name of Gandhi. The answer lies in the fact that Gandhi touched the life of almost all Indians one way or the other. In a time when India was reeling under the British Raj, he gave the people a ray of hope, a small window of options.

For some it was a Hobson's choice (in Hindi as they say.. Majboori ka naam Mahatma Gandhi) while others were impressed by his stauch belief in non-violence and satyagraha.

Also the repercussions of his actions, rather initiatives were widespread and overwhelming. Guiding a huge country like India with immense diversities is in itself a Herculean task. The contradictions embedded in our social structure was bound to have not so favorable results. A strand pulled here would surely effect the social fabric on the other side. Its practically impossible to appease all the sections in one go which results in resentment for some or may be many. Being the face of the Indian struggle for freedom, I guess Bapu has to bear the slandering of the uncontented.

Though enough has been written and re-written about him, showering a mix of accolades and aspersions, yet the perception each forms about him is an individial's decision. How one perceives his works and ideology depends a lot the course he/she has tread so far. But one thing is for sure the demand for Gandhi (or his works) has remained as fervent as ever and there is no sign of its diminishing in the near future.

Back frm Korea!!!

Well .. I am back into d bloggin world.... after long long time...
Been on one of the frst international travels I hav many stories to tell ...which i hope to compile as n whn m free.. like I am right now..
To begin with ... I went to Suwon, a suburb of Seoul... a nice .. neat and clean place .. with a culture quite different frm wht I had witnessed so far .... I was at Samsung Korea, which is the most trusted brand thr and the most widely used... :D
It is quite surprisin ..how a war ravaged country with an ongoin conflict with its other half cn develop innto such a wondrful place... havin one of the bst facilities world ovr ....
The answer i guess lies in the hard workin .. mind it not hardly workin.. junta thr ...
ppl r enthusiastic abt thr work ... eager to respect d facilities....nd maintain d place...
No doubts govt provides facilities.. bt its d ppl who maintain thmm ..they hav respect for the national property and culture ...
tht reminded me of smthin i read ...way bk .... Shakti Bodh and Saundarya Bodh ... to kno of ur powers and to be aware of ur beauty ....
If a country smaller thn d size of our most of the states ... cn develop into such a technologically advaced country .. ynot us... its wholely upto us ...how we utilise our resources and develop .. into a world class country....we hav d man power... nd the .. brain power... to beat d world...
Guess i strayed frm d topic :D...... bt it comes naturally .. as I try to compare India vis-a-vis Korea....
So back to KOREA... I was thr fa sm project wrk .. kind a sucked the work schedule... bt i was always able to steal sm time out of the hectic weeks .. to visit some gr8 places...
One of the best being the Seoul Tower .. it does nt boast of one of the tallest in d wrld .. standin at sm 200 mts... bt it gives a spendid view of the vicinity .... the whole city ...enshrouded with .hills... formed an splendid view to cherish....
The road leadin to it .. an awesm piece of beauty .... inviting u to an enthrallin experince ...
nd as the night dwelled .. moon spelled its magic ... intensified by the colorful lights painting the tower in various hues.... Man beats the moon... a hundred times ovr...
It ws a chillin night .. nd d splendour unfoldin in front of my eyes ...was mesmerising....
We werent thr .. till late .... but i wud luv to spend a night under the shadow of the tower....
Fa those who werent thr ... I hav sm cool videos....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfHhO9OuaWU
Njoy ....
rest ll follow soon .. keep watchin :)

Job life..it is..

So I left the realms of my college and entered the so called professional life ....sure it is professional..
The changes are stark and at times threatening....Though the ppl are good and supporting but the perceptions have changed. No more you remain a kid whose ignorance is inncocence...Every word you speak ..every question you ask .. every answer you give..becomes an instrument of your appraisal.. No longer you can make a silly error and escape..the accountability is too high and so is the mechanism for judging...
But as the saying goes .. a silver lining accompanies every thunderstorm .. so is the case here ..
The responsibilities endowed upon you gives a new meaning to life..The sheer pressure of working upto the expectations and to supersede them is enthralling. I seem to gain a new sense of respect for my capabilities. The power to create unique stuff from scratch .. to make things work .. to change things....contributing in my own special way to the functioning of the world is really amazing. Being a part of an organisation and working in unison to achieve the larger objectives simply makes you feel proud..
The job gives you an opportunity to create a niche for yourself in this vast dynamic world. This provides the kick to get going. I look forward to gain from this vast institution i.e. life...