Modi - The Prime Time Indian Tamasha

Secular state is meant to be a state where the government does not recognise the existence of any religion. Is BJP moving towards it? After the failed Hindutva shield, now we are witnessing a grave wave of Modi-ising BJP. Hinduism is not a word I get to hear in news anymore, and Modi promises to be the face of Indian democratic (read authoritarian democracy).

People feel that if you will get elected, you will replicate the Gujarat model to India. I foresee that you are going to be the Indian Prime Time Tamasha for some time now till we zero-on on the Prime Minister for 2014-2019. I wish to know will you be able to manage inflation better? and how will you do that? Will there be more opportunities for me to grow professionally? Will there be more jobs? Will I be able to travel safe at night or even during the day time? How much of my salary will be exempted from taxes? Will there be no power cuts?

But besides these typical questions, I wish to discuss something with Mr Modi. I do not care if he is a challenge to the congress party, whether he will adorn the throne of the Indian Prime Minister, whether his right-wing policies will help India shine or sparkle, but I have an ideological disconnect with him...

Disconnect 1 - Inflicting terror in the name of Religion. Does the burning of a train by allegedly a sect of society justify a civil war? I remember when I was in some conference and a Star News anchor shared his experience while covering Gujarat during the riots - He said ambulances were parked, police personnel stationed at the riot site, but no one was ready to help the injured. Ultimately we used the Star News van to take the injured man to the hospital. How will you ensure that you will not hide in your shell if you are the national ruler and some riots break somewhere?

Disconnect 2 - Choking the freedom of speech. When Indian Media, BBC, CNN extensively covered the riots, why was Al Jazeera, Arab based news channel, not permitted to cover, or for that matter even enter India? Tell me will you let me write my blog or will you be causing turmoil on my tweets? (much like Mr. Sibal has been doing lately)

I am wondering that why is Mr Modi not addressing people like me? Mr Modi, can we talk across the table and discuss our concerns, rather than trying to put across justifications to outsiders and being in news about Whartons of the world.

Author's Note: Once I was crossing North Campus, saw a poster, I tried to click the picture but it did not come out well. I thought I will click the next day.. But the next day there was no poster. The only thing I read on the posted that Modi is trying to unite the nation, and was paying a visit to my city. Political rivalry you see.

P.S.: Those who think that they are an appointed spokesperson for Mr Modi are more than welcome to comment and try hard to change my mind.

P.P.S.: To my friends, if you find me in jail once this post goes live, do come to pay me a visit or two.

Salvation

It shouts for peace when there is pin drop silence.
It wants to be lonely when I am alone.
It wishes to break free when I am not bound.
Something holds me back and I fail to understand who.

It is a challenge to know what is it that can free me from the inverted acclivities of life. It often makes me slide to the bottom, shattering the palace where I felt safe and sound.

It is like still waters, which refuse to move.
It is fuller and content in itself but doesn't roar.
It seems like a giant mass but is of no use.
It just waits, for the unknown and the uninvited.

When struck with such a stagnation, waiting is the only option for many. Waiting for something undefined.

It kills, for me to know there is no getting away.
It suffocates, for me to know that I am still. 
But it is a false statement that there is no getting away.

The cage that you limit yourself to is never locked! You don't get to choose what you eat inside a cage, it is only when you are out in the open. Unless you take the step ahead, your view is blocked. Take one mini step and you will see that a door to salvation.

Author's Note: Philosophical mode, and the thoughts are on my blog!

Kill the crime

It was while listening to the FM in morning that I got to know Ram Singh, the prime accused of Delhi/Nirbhaya Rape Case, has committed suicide. He used his shirt to hang himself and to bid a good bye to this world. I do not know if it is something to be happy about. There have been innumerable protests, social media campaigns and media crusades against the heinous crime.We have made all the hue and cry about the need for justice for Nirbhaya. But, I have a question running in my mind, is it justice delivered? Was it meant to end like this?

My apologies to those who might find it outrageous that I am comparing him with the legends. But may be in his mind, Ram Singh might have tried to be a Chandra Shekhar Azaad of the present times. If you can't win, don't let other's decide your fate - shoot yourself with the weapon. He had a shirt and may be a place to hook it up, and even a chair or a stool. Pheww now that's a lot of maybe's.

(Angel for one devil for the other - For us Azaad was a patriot, but if you see it from the perspective of Britishers, Azaad, Bhagat Singh and other revolutionists were labelled as criminals. That is for me to discuss later ) 

Ram Singh led the crime and now the leader is dead leaving his 5 accomplice (including a minor) in a soup. He was the leader for the day, but he succumbed to whatever... I doubt he would have felt ashamed, even for a moment, for his deed.

Although some doubt that two of his inmates, who were also present in his cell, might have killed him, making it appear as a suicide. Some even think that the authorities at Tihar could have planned to kill him like this. And for those spiritual lot, Nirbhaya's spirit might have driven him to commit this act.

Author's Note: There were varied opinions, many were happy. What I noticed that people have been indicating on FM and public platforms that if the culprits of Nirbhaya rape case do not get a stiff punishment, killing them will be a cause in the hands of a common man. When a common man wants to get up and kill the culprits, would not it be a proliferation of crime - at the mass level?

Point to Ponder: Who will take the responsibility for the crime of killing the criminals? It is important to kill the crime, and criminals will vanish!

Broken yet intact

We cry
We break
We lose hope
We lock ourselves
We wish that time stops

This could be the time when all you thought of in life isn't falling in place, you lost a near one, you failed in your ultimate aim, you don't have anyone to confide, and innumerable situations forcing you to stay aloof.

But ultimately, we get back to our normal lives. The getting back phase may be long or too long. In the end we come out intact, with scars and surely with a lesson.

Who said that life was meant to be a pre-set passage. If you have felt that life has failed you. Get up and change your strategy to reach your goal rather than changing (read ignoring) your dreams.

Author's Note: The rule of the nature is that the fittest survives, others are either scavengers or are left to die.

Love and acceptance

Despite having someone willing to accept you for the way you are, why do you not love? What is it that stops you to fall in love?

It could stem from your fear to allow someone enter a space that has been reserved or is it because you fear the consequences of falling in love, investing emotions and fearing what if it falls apart. The sooner you get attached to someone, the greater and hard hitting would be the falling apart phase. That is to think beyond the looks and the package a person brings, you need time to know that person.

The moment you get attached to a person, for whatever qualities, consider to question yourself - Is it an intrinsic quality or a fancy package? And for a fancy package you will not know until you unpack it. Does that intrinsic quality that this person bring gel well with my ideologies? or will you have to compromise on your identity? There are red flag situations - a fancy package and the compromise!

The biggest turn off is when a person starts to indicate that you will have to compromise being yourself in order to be with the other. If s/he wants to you change now, then it will be no surprise if s/he will have you as a puppet for life - telling you what to wear, what to speak and what to eat. There is nothing wrong about having a set of expectations for that someone special, but it is better to have those expectations inbuilt in a person than to customize an already existing person into someone you want.

P.S.: Love counts amongst the things that are as important as being alive. Stop giving into societal considerations to fit in someone as an ideal partner - fat, dark, traditional or whatever.... Society is a set of herd - sick, stinking and pathetic. The day you accept the person, stop directing your actions based on set conventions, will be the day when society will focus its attention elsewhere!

Author's note: And if someone is telling you, from one's experience, that there is not a single thing good about being in love or being married, here's something to focus your thoughts on: We sing more loudly when the person we love is far away and whisper poems when he is near. In a nutshell, critics exist everywhere to talk ill about anything under the sun but good things are kept hidden for the evil eyes of the world.

As I think of you

As I think of love, I think of you!
For all the beautiful things in the world,
I reckon it was your style.
For all the best feelings in the world,
I reckon it was when you were around.
For all the meaningful words in the world,
I reckon were the ones when you said them.

For the years that we parted, I have realized!

It was never you who was special,

But I was the way you made me feel.

It was not you who I fell in love with,

But your charm did the magic.

It was never you who I missed,

But your voice just went amiss.

Author's Note: Going back in time! This one comes from the old files. 

Passion Parade

There is a creative Maven in each of us, who can either be nurtured or be suffocated. 

Here is a reference from my favourite movie, Jab We Met. When the male protagonist, Shahid Kapur tells Kareena that there was a time when he use to sing, and now it has fizzled away. 

This fizzling away of your talent, totally depends on your intent to follow it. If you are really passionate about something, you will chase it until you have it like your breath. This is very much my relationship with my blog, at times I feel that my schedule does not allow me to take up my passion. But a guilt keeps poking me!

My passion is writing. While I write the flow of my thoughts gives me a sense of life. The flair that I have managed to gather, tells me, as words get crafted on the screen, there is a moment with each of them. Like breathing.. Like the tick tock of a clock!

Discover that passion, find it if you have lost it somewhere in the past and work towards strengthening it. In this journey, you are likely to keep discovering newer aspects about you. You will never know if you can cook round chapati's untill you starve for a home cooked roti.

I remember that long ago, it was someone who wanted to be a photographer. And she became one! One of her masterpieces is lifted in this post. To view some of her other pics, Click here>>

P.S.: A motivational element always helps who will tell you that the pessimism of  some people is not worthy to suck your passion. This post is dedicated to Anupriya Karmakar, who often captures my pictures, which you get to see on my facebook profile. She has been motivating me to help me get in shape with my blog. And I am hopeful that she will get visible with her passion soon.

Author's Note: There are more critics in the world than those who appreciate. So never get conked off with those who let you down.