C for Campus

“Life is like an ice cream, taste it before it melts” read an sms from a friend, which made me animated to think of the ingredients that had gone into its making. Intrigue, mystery and then I realized that I am enjoying the most delicious flavor of it – my campus life. Its lifetime might be just 4 years but these years are one for a lifetime. Yes, it is one of those short and sweet experiences, the images of which shall remain enshrined for ever.

Adjust, Babble, Celebrate are its essential ABC’s. Because here it is not just about studying and the menacing numbers( marks and grades). Here we go beyond the boundaries of books. Its about preparing ourselves for the real life scenarios. In fact, a dress rehearsal for the future events. And it is here that we tend to open up to more vibrant thoughts.

My lovely Batchmates

Here are some of the very typical campus stuffs- mysterious, cacophonous yet so beautiful. These moments are just priceless.
·  The hustle and bustle of the first year with the fear of     coming in the seniors’ ragging radar
·    Bums filled birthday nights; first time in our lives, we  regret that a particular day happens to be our birthday. And the treat just adds to the agony 
·    Its campus and how can it be without girls. Yes, one sided affairs, day dreams, mere crushes, couples, crushed up relations are some of the best selling campus gossips
·      Soaring mobile charges, call boosters, message boosters, night calls and prank  calls; everything makes it a smooth sailing for the mobile operators
·  the devilish pranksters showcasing their talents in a bizarre manner; done in good humour normally and fun until the devil just gets on top of the prankster
·   mad rush for the bathrooms in the bustling hours of morning are the perfect postcard pictures of a hostel
·   the ‘power-cut’ howls in the order of many decibels during the nights is an exhilarating scene
·  submission deadlines, surprise quizzes and next day presentations all play a pivotal role in ensuring that we go amok; and the atmosphere during the exam season is nothing short of frenzy
·      the central idea of a campus life is socializing and how better have we mastered that art; facebook,twitter,hi5,google+ have all left an imprint of their own
·  the fun-filled picnic or excursion or study tour or industrial visit or whatever you call it, are never short of excitements. It eventually becomes the trip of a lifetime
·    glancing the fashion magazines frequently for the latest trends; the glitz and glamour are the ones to watch out, be it the freaky Tees, dazzling kurthis, low-waist jeans and the list goes on. The more freaky you turn out, more masti follows, so too the girls

The Tale of a Campus Classroom

Macho!!!!!

These are just a sample of what a campus life is. There are few more enchanting, aesthetic, alluring and imposing moments which are very hard to describe. These are the moments which have to be lived and felt. I know I will be missing something  precious after passing out; it is too big a miss but for moment, I want to live every moment of it………..

Dedicated to my batchmates and buddies………………………….

India:Twenty Eleven: Part one

They say the ‘sun never sets’ in the rainbow nation of South Africa and after having crossed the half way mark of 2011 and after having witnessed so many high profile events, we can say with utmost substantiation that the ‘sun never sets’ in India too. Be it Mahendra Singh dhoni’s gigantic strike that sailed over, to eventually seal the fate of Sri Lankans in the world cup final or be it the Tihar jail which houses the poshest in the country or be it the meteoric rise to fame of a septuagenarian who has literally taken the government for a ride, we have all been treated to action-packed mornings and gossipy evenings.

It wasn’t always like this, wasn’t it. India wasn’t always this country of frenetic activity. There were times when even the Kiwis thronged here for Peace, for stillness. But none can argue the fact that certain things are subject to change; they falter in the test of time. And so India has also moved on or rather been forced to.

The other day, I read a column by ‘Barkha Dutt’ where she mentions ‘Alice in Blunderland’ as India’s current story. Thoughts in spades struck me. India in the last six months has been more or less like a T20 cricket match; no space for a breather. There was non-stop action. Powerplay(er)s in the form of 2G-spectrum heroes, free(bie)hits of politicians, scams resembled the sixes and there were cheer leaders too in the form of Yogic Gurus. The match-referee(Sonia G) and umpire(MMS)  had no say in it. Yes, India sorely missed a  ringmaster in its circus. It missed a leader, a comrade, a guiding light and more importantly a Lok(h)’s Pal. But still India has moved on. As they say whatever happens, the show in the circus must go on.

So, UPA didn’t have the best of its times as the scams after scams were exposed and the guilty were sent behind the bars. The integrity of our netas were questioned and the corrupt were smelling trouble. Ironically, even the opposition failed to capitalize on this as the BJP had Yeddyurappa as its reply to the Kalmadis and the Rajas. And India was very much in doldrums. This was enough for the Gandhian, a real patriot- Anna Hazare to emerge as a superhero for millions in shortest possible time history has seen. He was old but bulk of his fan club were teenagers and campuses. And could you believe the fact that he outscored Katrina Kaif in the number of Google Images search made on him for almost a week!!! Oh, it happens. And it won’t be a surprise if he features in Time’s Most Influential people next year. There was more to come. Baba Ramdev…. Digvijaya Singh……

Let us move on. Politics sucks big time everywhere…

Six months!!! Do you expect nature to remain mum? Absolutely no. The nature had its influence on the people and in what splendid manner-the monsoons. The monsoons came in as a relief. In India, it is normally associated with rejuvenation of life and joy. It just mesmerized everyone. It brought with it magic, moments of madness, romance, longing and more importantly life. When we talk of monsoons, how can we forget the ‘God’s Own Country’ ??? Tourists from across the world flocked to Kerala and south-western part of the country to get a clear picture of monsoons- images of the scenic beaches, of the coconut palms swaying , of dark clouds, of the countryside, of the backwaters. I’m pretty sure that they would have gone back with all these postcard images saying,” Wow!! That was life”. 

            So, does the sun ever set in this country?????

a day for daddy

June 19^th is an important date in the calendar as it turned out this year too not only for me but for all the ‘daddy-lovers’ in the world.  This special day for the special person strikes a joyous chord among  everyone irrespective of their ages. As we witnessed on June 19^th , newspapers carried special columns covering  segmented  experiences and Twitter too resembled ‘Aladdin’s cave’. Yet, my toiling hard to get an answer to ‘why only this day’ did not reap any fruits.

                I’ve always amazed at the roles taken up moms and dads in the upbringing of their kids. Well, fathers are not known to be emotional and sentimental but at times do expect mass catharsis.  While mom clears the web of confusion regarding what is good and what is bad from our minds, their counterparts have a specific role to play. They don’t teach you what is good or what is bad but they teach you how to make your life beautiful by being yourselves. Dads are not just fathers, not just dour machines but  are mentors, role models, heroes, icons and what not. They add special flavours  to our lives and give that extra element of freedom to be ourselves, to express ourselves. They back us up in crucial times by being assertive.

                As I ink this piece mentioning volumes about these wonderful creations of god, how can I forget about my dad who is my prime source of inspiration to write it.  Motion of every nerve in my body has his influence. One of the early lessons vouchsafed to me was Austerity. This was long before Ranbir Kapoor ‘s “Keep it simple silly” rocked the advertising world. Yes,” Never complicate stuffs, stay abrasive to unwanted luxuries” is his motto. He is my lighthouse that keeps my life ship away from rocks. He is the Oasis in my desert. He is my odd-sixer  in a Rahul Dravid scripted test innings. He is my superhero. Yes, he is.

And Whenever my dad starts a telephone conversation with “do u remember me”, all I do is giggle at first and then silently whisper,” Oh, c’mon dad! my very own existence reminds me of you.” Both of us then step into our own illusive world of laughter.

“Love you Daddy and let us hope against hope that we exchange our roles in our next births so that you will have the taste of your own medicine”

iPL-as simple as it is...

          Having just  witnessed the #IPL extravaganza, I will be not be doing myself any world of good by not penning on this. And also having an ardour for twitter, I ve decided to use #trends in this blog.

          It just had everything. It was like an #AlfredHitchcock’s movie as Navjot Singh Sidhu quoted. It had resonance. It had #Rajnikanth- scripted fortunes that kept fluctuating. And as it turned out, 8:00pm became the appointment slots for nearly fifty days. But somehow it has found a perennial attraction to one colour and as a token of acknowledgement, it pressed the #Yellow button yet again. Yeah, needless to say, the #Chennai #Super #Kings have been the emperors of IPL.

          This season of IPL was never expected to be like this. Especially after the setting(aftermath of India’s world cup triumph)  in which it commenced. And in less than a week, two of India’s world cup final Super heroes- #Gauti and #Mahi were seen doning black and yellow jerseys respectively rather than #BleedBlue. All the ‘#DeGhumakhe’ and ‘#ChakDe’ had to give way  for ‘#KorboLorbo’ and ‘#WhistlePodu’. But What India was good at was that it was slowly  getting acclimatized to it.

          The chips were certainly down in the initial stages. Some off color shows, pitch controversies and off the field events. But one man-the giant looking-the tornado-the demolisher from #Jamaica-#ChrisGayle had some other ideas and reassured that it is cricket that should take center stage. He just kept on bludgeoning ,showing no respite for the opposition bowlers.

           If it is a #Gayle, there was a #blizzard too that shook up. There was also this unfolding mystery of #Slinga-#Malinga with his Yorkers. Eveyone had their time out. The resonating oldies- #Sachin and #ShaneWarne proved yet again that they are still the ring masters in the cricket field. And then there was this short and sweet story of #dada, the scriptwriters of which would have taken their cues from anyone except #AshutoshGowarikar. And not to forget the inconsistent yet impressive debuts of #kochi and #pune franchises.

          So this is what the #IPL is made of :#chokers( #Mumbai #Indians),#jokers (#Delhi team owners),#whistlers,#kings and #tuskers and what not. This will top the trends in #twitter next season too. Because  this gives some reasons to cheer for the media, who get bored covering all those wonderful scams of our netas. And finally, IPL  is and will be India’s #festivalOfJoy.

          Before I end, many congratulations to the Chennai Super Kings for getting crowned as the champions yet again. Even though my heart never said #CSK, my head always said Good Cricket and that’s what Chennai have displayed!!!!

ethics v/s profession-a toss up

       “The curious case of Ram Jeth Malani’s cases”  is a much debated topic among the Indian public: in fact a topic that would send vibes across and eventually involves the emotions and sentiments running high. Having that unfortunate little tag of being a “Devil’s Advocate” for defending the likes of Manu Sharma( Convicted in Jessica Lal Murder), Satwant Singh (Indira Gandhi’s assassinator) , of late of Kanimozhi, Ram Jeth Malani has drawn vivid criticisms , very much on the expected lines. And this curious case of his generates a big question-should ethics and human values dictate a profession or shouldn’t it be the other way around? Will it mean betrayal if inclination is shown to one?

       Well, these are probably the questions that might top the chart in the list of expected questions for civil service examination or any high profile journalistic interview. But for general public, the answers to these are much sought after ones.

       Take the case of a journalist reporting a murder case. Going by the ethics of his profession and not by the general ethics, his job is to just accentuate the case by considering it just as another news. And quite expectedly  he ends up drafting a holistic news report satisfying his boss. On the other hand, there is a colleague of his who does the same thing but puts in the human values to his profession. He believes that his job is not only in reporting the news but also in ensuring that justice is done: and in the process he too joins the fight for justice. Now, the later will of course be a figure high on demand in the society. After all a profession is not just a way to earn breads and pennies but also a way  how we preach our lives, how we extend its contours to real life practices.

       And coming to Jeth Malani’s example, he has proved to be a chief destroyer of his own principles and thereafter has blown away all ethics and morality. He justifies his stance by avowing that as a judge, he is well within his rights to take up case as per whims and fancies. Yes, he is right but again if he is to rewind back some years of his life, one of the first lessons that he would have been taught is to ensure that ‘truth should triumph’ .

       It is not just the journalists and lawyers, be it any profession, the roles of virtues and ethics should be conveniently assigned. Even in business, emotions and sentiments should be given its due importance. After all it is the human values that makes a human and not profession.

India's intimidating media

      Last one month was full of climax, anticlimax, fluctuating fortunes and what not to keep that buzz in the media going. We’ve witnessed everything. From the Nirvana of  a spiritual guru to the end of the Osama era, from the “better late than never” arrests of scandal-filled politicians to a septuagenarian’s fight for a clean India, from the glitz and glamour of the IPL to ‘Go Green’ campaigns. And media has done what it is best in doing- it has hyped, sensationalized and packaged every news to attract people’s attention.

      In a country like ours which relies too much on the media because our system probably has one of the world’s most diverse elements running the industry, a closer insight on it might give us exciting results. India leads the pack in the number of dailies, weeklies and monthlies that are getting published in more than 20 languages.

      The media is often accused of sensationalizing a news. Celebrity gossips and scandals are covered in the most dramatic ways as one would imagine. More spice is added on to these issues. But still nothing should take away the job the media is doing. Many felt that it is the media that  was putting in a lot of effort than even the CBI officials in the CWG scam and 2G spectrum scam.

      The media can be quite tricky too. It might pour praises in volumes but it doesn’t hesitate to take on someone when he/she has an off day. And no one knows this notion better than our cricket players   And when Duncan Fletcher was appointed the coach of the Indian Cricket team by the BCCI, many felt that the major challenge for the Zimbabwean is not just to emulate Gary Kirsten but also to handle the Indian media which is as tough as the former.

      So it becomes fairly imperative that media clearly defines its roles. Should it be just a vehicle to convey information to  millions   or in an extended dimension, shouldn’t it promote itself to have a major say in some of the burning issues? Should a journalist view a murder case just as another news or shouldn’t he do enough to arouse people’s consciousness and join the fight for the victim’s justice? Well, these are the million dollar questions that definitely needs affirmative replies.

The 'Freebie' Phenomenon

       Come Election time and here comes the time for freebies to rock the party. I am just amazed at how a small change leads to a big revolution, just like what the advent of T-20 did to Indian cricket, just like what MMS’s 1991 economic policy did to Indian economy or just like what Winston Churchill’s speech did to the English troops. And Indian politics is full of changes like these. For “aam aadmi” it is a very tricky concept to understand and that has probably paved the way for all those bad boys- the Rajas, the Kalmadis to dominate the proceedings. Different times throw up different faces of politics. Dynasty politics, Caste politics, politics of linguistic chauvinists are one among the prominent political genre that exists in the world’s largest democracy and the latest entry into this illustrious system is the freebie politics.

       Cambridge’s dictionary defines freebies as  ”something which is given to you without you having to pay for it, especially as a way of attracting your support for or interest in something.”

       The Indian public was quite unaware of this term with the awareness being limited to just the scholars, journalists and English professors. But over the last 5 to 6 years, freebies have stole the show with their impacts largely visible in Tamil Nadu. It was Television sets in 2006 and this time its even bigger with laptops for students, mixis and grinders for house wives. The impact of freebies are such that the political parties instead of fighting for votes seem to fight in offering freebies. Well, surely these are not good signs of a good democracy.

       Now the term ‘freebies’ has become a part and parcel of affairs. Our politicians implement this concept as a cover up for all the controversies that surround them. It is a medium in which they can silence their critics. DMK which was voted to power in 2006 thanks largely to the freebies that they promised as part of their election manifesto went on to become home to the biggest scam in the Indian history-the 2G spectrum scam.  This is where general awareness of public should come into play. They should be educated enough for them to understand that these freebies are provided by our Netas but by dwarfing their own scam-filled and controversy-fuelled political career.

       It doesn’t mean that we should dethrone the usual freebies. Of course who would say NO to something that is offered and that too free of cost. So accept freebies but not freebie politics. For many first time voters which includes me, this is something that ought to be a matter of consideration before pressing on the voting button because a freebie worth of thousands results in an abhorrent loot of thousands of crores.

      

the curious case of JAPAN

       In a span of less than a decade, two worlds- with different geography, ethics, culture and attitudes of people witnessed calamities of magnitudes akin to each other. So in this dreadful situation of having struck by a devastating disaster, the extent and mileage of its aftermath becomes an issue that needs to be addressed appropriately. This will be viewed as a direct consequence of people’s attitude. In this article I compare the attitudes of people of two of these worlds- India(in 2004) and Japan(in 2011) when they became victims to nature’s fury in the form of Tsunami and earthquakes.

       The land of the rising sun, Japan is not new to facing calamities of this magnitude. Dreadful nuclear bomb drops in two of its premier cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, frequent earthquakes, severe floods and what not, have had massive tolls on its people. In fact Japan witnesses the maximum earthquakes in a year than any other region in the world. So in spite of all this, what makes Japan ,the one it is now? What makes it the epicenter of major electronic summits? What makes some of its brands- SONY, PANASONIC, SUZUKI and NISSAN to unleash themselves? And how does the city of Hiroshima after being blown up to nothing in the second world war has bounced back to host a sporting spectacle- the Asian Games in 1994?

       There are two typically Japanese and exceptional factors that leaves millions in the world spellbound. First, the mentally tough and strong nature makes them the overwhelming favorites when it comes to handling disaster management lessons for people across the world. Japanese people preach calm evacuation techniques and ‘be cool’ approach once a disaster strikes. And quietly they try to come back to normal again with their strong resolves. The word ‘panic’ is literally out of their dictionaries. Right from very early in their childhood, the qualities of facing the inevitable boldly and sensibly are deeply imprinted in their minds. A catastrophe might  wreck parts of Japan but not the Japanese resolve.

       Second, people in this beautiful country have never allowed situations to get on top of them. They never give room for any compromises in their characters. A news agency movingly quoted,” One small shop can serve as a good example of what is going on in the city. The shop has all its windows and its glass door broken. There is an ATM and shelves with food products inside and no one is guarding it. However, nothing has been looted”. It is this character of theirs, the integrity of theirs that makes everyone to stand up and salute. Its people always preached the 3-D’s – discipline, decorum and dignity  combined with a burning desire to make things happen. In testing times, selflessness becomes their motto. This virtue of helping others first in troubled times have brought them to where they are now especially after the vacuum that developed due to the ‘Little boy’ and ‘Fat man’ effects. And the entire world knows the Japanese will bounce back  this time too.

       And its worth highlighting the Japanese hospitality too. Even when the chips are down, they treat their guests like one among them. In fact many restaurants were offering meals to its guests absolutely free. Who knows there might be an Indian influencing them with the concept of ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’.

       Having really moved by the way the Japanese responded to crises, I  thought it would be worth comparing the much hyped Indian attitudes as well. We somehow represent the other end of the spectrum when it comes to crisis handling and also in the progress that we make after it. Nagapattinam, the city that was one of the worst affected by the Tsunami is still trying hard to come to terms. We panic all too sooner. The days , if not hours after a disaster are nothing but chaos.  There will be all sorts of breakdowns - of rules and what not. Some cash in on it big time. There will be irregularities in the financial and material aids that come in. We probably will go down as the only country where there are cases pending in its courts for misuse of funds that come as relief for a disaster.  

       So its high time that we take a leaf out of a book called ‘JAPAN’ because if a country with a population of around 1 crore is able to rise like a sun from the debris, why not a country with its manpower 100 times the former?                                    

what's in just a name

       The parliament’s recent nod for the name alteration of Orissa to Odisha triggers interesting questions. What’s in just a name? what is its political implications and ramifications? Does it really bring about a sea of change in which certain factors like the ‘name’ are perceived in the society?

       Well the so called ‘name-alteration’ is not something that we are unfamiliar with. We have witnessed numerous name changes in our country in the form of states and cities. Bombay was christened as Mumbai, Madras as Chennai, Calcutta as Kolkata ,Bangalore as Bengaluru, Benaras as Varanasi and the list goes on. So what actually prompts the bosses of these cities to juggle the names? The entire scenario should be seen as nothing but a political tool used by the politicians to  bowl their people over and force them to be under their spin.

        What really makes me nonplussed is the fact that they not only pip for new names but also ensure that the older counterpart is tarnished and destroyed and same treatment is meted out to those who prefer it. It was evident a year back when Raj Thackerey’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena( MNS) lashed on the makers of the bollywood film ‘Paa’ alleging them of using ‘Bombay’ instead of ‘Mumbai’ and in a way affecting the sentiments of its people. My Goodness!!how will the old name affect the sentiments of a section of people when they are already ripped apart by the linguistic chauvinists.

       It is quite difficult to replace the name of a city with a newer one when the older had become a part of brands like the IIT-Bombay, IIT-Madras, Benaras Hindu University(BHU),  Madras Rubber Factory(MRF), Madras Talkies. In all these brands, settling with the original version is a wiser idea because of the fame in its name. Its absurd having the Chennai Rubber Factory(CRF) when MRF is dictating terms in the global rubber business. Of course many in the world don’t like the cooked up and crooked up ones and always prefer something raw. Be it names, food or even girl friends!!!!!!!!!

       So finally, I have run out of ideas thinking of what is actually there in just a name. Hopefully the readers might get some. But one thing is sure. These are just products of politics played by the linguistic chauvinists and the regional dictators to capture lakhs of votes.

India's cup of joy and pride

     Yes!! It’s the world cup mania-the most riveting and happening spectacle in this cricket-crazy nation. The Gala tournament featuring a fair mix of heavyweights and minnows is  definitely not short of any fun, energy or excitement and the fact that it is being staged in India adds more color and spice to it. And no doubt that it is the most followed world sporting event  in the country, pushing behind the likes of Olympics and FIFA world cup.

      

       So what makes this game so popular in this country? Why is it that it is considered a religion? And why is that the cricketers turn national heroes when they triumph at the world cup stage? Why?

      Always when you are on the right side of a wrong thing(an accident), it just makes you feel excited and prompts you to propel your inclinations towards it. The accident that took place was of course the world cup in 1983. From underdogs to world champions, their success story has already been talked about umpteen number of times. It was this accident that turned the world’s view over India and since then its been kind of a curve. The world cup brings the best out of a team and there is no better feeling  for an Indian cricketer than donning India colors and performing with expectations of millions. Playing in front of their home crowds with the numbers easily exceeding 50000 is what every Indian cricketer dreams of and considers it a once in a life time experience. So one can imagine the sort of excitement and electrifying atmosphere in Eden gardens, Kolkata and that too on the day when India is doing well.

      Interesting thing about Indian cricket is that we tend to smell victory too early, we rate our cricketers highly, we take cricket not just as a game. That is probably why we find it difficult to digest the defeats and hence represent the other end of spectrum by targeting the cricketer’s houses, throwing stones and burning their posters. Year 2007 was the best example showcasing the two extremities of cricket following in India. The early exit from the world cup in the West Indies resulted in widespread anguish and hate from the Indian public but that mood took a drastic U-turn when the  ‘unexpected’ actually happened; from underachievers to world champions in five months. The cricketers once again became the apple of everyone’s eye and were the toast of the entire nation. 

     

      When we talk about Indian cricket and world cups, its not complete without including the  money factor. Lump sum of cash is involved in the management of cricket in the country. Its quite heartening to see the transformation the country has undergone. It is not the old India of sluggishness, dust, beggars and snake charmers. Now it is the power house of world cricket; the BCCI is the richest cricketing governing body in the world. The bulk of the revenues come from here and its big bosses dominate the proceedings in the decision making sessions of the ICC. Yes, its all happening here. Indian cricket has unleashed its power to scales which were undreamt of a couple of decades ago. The huge fan base,  inflow of corporate into the game, broadcasting rights have all contributed to this stature. There have been criticism too with the people lashing on some of the cricketers for their increased Ad appearances and they go on to say that sometimes the number of endorsements he does is perhaps exceeding the number of runs he scores.But that is the bitter reality of cricket in this country.

      Finally imagine the situation when India go on to lift the world cup in front of their home crowds. The people simply go cock-a-hoop, the game’s fame just takes an elevation. and what happens to the cricketers ? Well, they turn national figures, images of worship. A string of lucrative endorsements, high profile alliances, hot bollywood offers, cash awards, the fame…it goes on…..and the finally the cricketers say,” well, its not that bad, isn’t it!!!!” Let us hope this dream comes true.