Writer’s Block!

Was thinking i was the only one facing it. But no ! Even these people are in the same boat !

These are the blogs which i more or less visit frequently.

http://allirekha.wordpress.com/

http://moregyan4u.wordpress.com/

And thats not all, this guy who used to blog everyday is thinking of deletion.

Whats wrong with ppl ?

http://mirrorcracked.wordpress.com/

Any suggestion to come out of this block ?

Happy Birthday Blog!

This blog was started on this day exactly a year ago!

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLOG! It had been a wonderful experience here. You opened me up to a totally different world. You gave me company when i was bored. You gave me info on varied subjects. You ROCK!

Harbhajan caught on wrong foot, again !

 

 

Harbhajan Singh has embarrassed me again. This time not on the field, but with his off field antics. After embarrassing the whole nation with the slapping episode, Bhajji seems to have learnt no lesson. I guess some people never learn. The reason for my angst? The reality show “Ek Khiladi, Ek Hasina”, where Harbhajan was seen dancing enacting Ravan with Mona Singh representing Sita. And the song? ‘Jane ja you are my love’ from the movie Partner. Ravan and Sita dancing together! WTH ?

 

What a disgusting concept. This shows religious obliviousness. And sorry, this can’t be tolerated on the name of creativity. I know Bhajji didn’t come up with the concept, but he should at least have thought once before doing it. The Sikh community is rightly upset with him and is demanding an apology.

 

Dear Bhajji, try to respect people and religion! In India people worship cricket. That doesn’t mean you are God and whatever you do is acceptable. Remember that you are only making a fool out of yourself by involving in such controversies. At least learn something now!

 

Photo courtesy : www.ndtv.com

Indian woman.. Changes and Challenges!

 

Disclaimer : This article is written by one of my friends, who wishes to remain anonymous.

 

The  word  ‘prayer’  is what  sums  up  a  life  lead  well  and  truthfully,  is  what  I  feel.  Just  let  it  be  one  of  silent  and  humble  devotion. The  only true  way  that my  religion  requires  for   salvation,  freedom,  nirvana  or  mukti  or  whatever  you  may  call  it, is  to  free   oneself  of  desires  and  possessions.

 

  When  you  pray  and  you  truly  pray,  not  the  usual  standing  before  god  and  begging  for  all   material  things  instead  of  worshipping,  will  you  find  that  freedom.

 

I  look  upon  a  true  Hindu  woman  and   her  life  as  a  personification  of  the  word  prayer  or   a  better ‘Aradhana’ ,  as  in  Sanskrit.  She  literally  gives  her  entire  life  in  all   of  hers, as  a  mother, sister,  daughter  and  beloved  wife  for  the  happiness  and  comforts  of  the  ones  she  loves.  not  a  single  demand  for  herself,  even  when  she  is  selfish,  it  is  for  someone  who  she  loves  and  not  for  her  own.  That  is  the  the  ideal  of  Hinduism  in  all its   hidden   glory,  giving  up  our  egos  and  comforts  for  others.  

 

And  yet  these  hundreds  of  years  of  selfless  sacrifice  have  brought  our  race  to  nothing  but  to  look   upon  women  as  something  of   a  commodity,  a  possession.  She  is  a  thing  and  not  a  sentient  being,  who  is  to  work  ceaselessly  for  the  comfort  of  man.  she  is  not to  have  a say  in  her  life,  all of  her  life.

 

Most  males  and  Indians  are  no  exception,  rather  more  aggressive  in  this  respect,  suffer  from  a  false  sense  of  mastership.  they  have  over  generations  come  to  believe  that  women  are  created  to  serve  and  please  them  only.  We  comfortably  forget  that  our  mothers, sister,  wives  and  daughters  do  not  obey  or  follow  us  only  because  of  our  ‘Manliness’  alone.  They  do  it  more  so  because  of  the  love  they  possess,  for  which  they  are  ready  to  vanquish  their  egos  and  themselves  too.  May be  it  is  selfless  or  selfish,  but  that  is  the   case  in  most  instances.

 

However  these   long  times   of  servile  love  has  imbued  both  men  and  women  with  decadence. Much  as  men  can’t  handle  strong  and  independent  women,  the  fairer  sex  has  also  learnt  to  forgo  correct  and  right  things  for  the  sake  of  ‘Family’ as  well  as  their  own  selfish  nature;  the  latter  being  a  by-product  of   sense  of  self  preservation.  And  each  successive  generation  of  parents  and  teachers  have  only  reinforced  these  beliefs  in  the  coming  ones  with  their  skewed  visions  and  teachings.

 

The result?  We  have  a  society  where  men  are  considered  inferior  to  each  other  and  women,  to all  men; for  ‘the  hand  that   rocks  the  cradle, rules  the  world’. And  when  those  hands  themselves  are  weak,  what  do  we  expect  them  to  raise  other  than  a  race  of  bigots  and  maniacs.  Those  who  are  never  given  a  choice  in  their  lives,  what  education  and  culture  will  they  give  to  their  offspring  save  fear  and  hidden  malice  and  distrust.

And  this  has  created  a  paradox  in  recent  times  and  more  so  with  our  generation.  the   older  ones,  our  mothers  and  all   are  still   rooted  to  the  old  and  orthodox  ideas  of their  inherent  inferior  position  in  family in  family  and  society.  The  newer  generations however  fare  no  better  and  are  caught  in  a  doldrums  as  if.  Most  of  them  coming  from  ’strict’  and  middle  class  families  when  living,  reading  and  working  in  the  home  towns  are  typically  the ‘Good  girls’.  And  these  same  women  when  away  from  families  are  easy  preys  to  a  hundred  temptations,  waiting   to  beguile  and   destroy  them.

 

  And  famished   as  they  are,  for  the  simple  wants  of  freedom  to  think  and  choose,  many  cross  over  the  lines  just  trying  to  experiment  or  have  fun.  the   simplest   evidence  to  illustrate  these   are  the  demographical  data  which  clearly  show  the  rise  of  smoking  and  drinking  among  women,  not  only  in  big  metros  but  all  over  the  nation.  These  two  vices  earlier  considered   the  supreme  taboo  are  now  termed  as  casual  and  cool.  And   these   are  eating  into  the  very  roots  of  our  culture  and  civilization  as  Hindus  and  Indians   as   well.  Various  social   magazines  proudly   carry   out    sex   surveys  that  celebrate  ‘the  coming  of  age   of  the  Indian  women’  .  Replete  with  lurid   articles   on  the  ever  increasing  promiscuity  in  our   country  and  new  ‘brave’  concepts  as ‘Live-in  relations’ ,  where  both  men  and  women  are  reduced  to  the  state  of  mere  concubines  or   as  in  Hindi  the  word ‘Rakhail’  I  do   not  know  what   they  are   trying  to  prove. The  popular  modes  of  entertainment  viz.  television  and  cinema  seem  to  harp  on  the  axes  premarital  and  post marital  relationships  and  other  such  misguided  openness. And  the  phenomenon  are  no  longer  confined  to  large  cities  and  metros,  but  also common in  the  smaller  towns.

 

A  question however  arises. Are women only to be blamed for this condition? To   a   large  extent  we  may  use  the  doctrine  of  self responsibility  and  other  such  things  but  everyone  knows  the  adage  “You  need  two  hands  to  clap.” So  the  society  must  accept  the  other  half  of  the  responsibility.  A  horse  if  kept  in  confinement   for  long,  will  naturally  hesitate  to  walk   into  a  open  space  even  if  left  free. Yet  after  a  few  half  hearted  canters, it  will  run  in  every  direction  without  knowing  where  to  go. Too  thirsty  a  man  drinks  water  in  large   gulps  not  caring  about  the  taste  and  quality. Therefore,  it  is  quite  natural that  our  womenfolk  the  modern, educated  and  self  reliant,  but  away  from  the  family  are  prone  to  practises  which  are  physically  and  emotionally  destructive.

 

All   of   this  raises  a  need   for  a  solution  if  there  is  one.  Is  it ?   I  think  there  is.  however  it  will  take  some  time.  When   a   river  breaks  a  dam,  the  first  rush  always  brings  the  filth  and  silt  which  has   been  collecting  against  the  wall  for  so  many  years.  Similarily,  this  ongoing  upheaval   and  change  in  the  women  around  us  is  but  normal  sign  of  the  process  in  motion.  This  eruption  of  so  called  ‘repressed   sexuality’  and  other  forms  of  femine  transformations,  both  good  and  bad.  However  as  the  flow  come  to  a  normal  level  in  due  course  of  time,  the  river  will  become  life   giving  once  more.

 

It  is  our  collective  responsibility  to  understand  and  assimilate  the  good  things  that  have  come  from  these transformation.  All  of  us  the  parents,  teachers,  friends, colleagues  and  most  of  all, each  individual  especially  the  modern  Indian  women  must  understand  their  rights  and  roles.  Theirs  is  a  delicate  and  very  important  role  in  our  culture.  they  must  learn  to  get  their  rights  as  responsible  adults  and  do  their  rightful  duties.

 

We  want  to  go  back  to  the  days   of  Savitri   the  ever  pure  and  ever  free,  who  chose  her  own  husband  fully  knowing  the  consequences. Let  the  daughter  of  Modern  India  be  once  more Rani ahalya bai, Jhansi Rani  Laxmibai  and  virago  chennama  of  Kittur.  The  age  old  gender  bias  and  the  religious  narrow-mindedness  are  sending  us  back  to  the  medival  ages.  We  need  to  turn  back  and  move  ahead.

 

the  only   thing  neede  is  to   provide  right  example  before  our  children  and  everyone  else  and  believing  in  the  choices  they  make.

 

We  need   to  be   their  guides  and  not  their  masters.And  then  only  once  more   the  pious  motherland  of  ours  reverberate  with  the  chants  of

 

"Yatra  naari  pujyante,  ramanti  tatra  deavata"

 

Verily  the  gods  reside,  where  the  women  are  worshipped..

 

Amen…

Thanks  for  your  time  and  patience           

Why do u kill the already dead?

 

I want to ask the above question to the newspaper and television media. The recent episode of death of Padmapriya, the wife of udupi MLA Raghupati Bhat is depicted by the media in a very poor light. First it was announced that she is kidnapped. Then they told that the police tracked her in Kolar, which God knows whether was true. Later she was found dead in an apartment in Delhi. She was also shown having relationship with Atul, a childhood friend of Raghupati Bhat. The media sells a new story everyday and the issue is blown out of proportion. I really doubt whether all the news related to the incident has any proof.  

Similar was the case of Arushi’s murder. Initially servant Hemraj was the suspect who was found dead the next day. There were even reports that the 14 year old girl had relationship with the 35+ year old servant, which I believe is utter nonsense. Next day, her father was arrested, with charges of dual murder. I again don’t understand how a father can kill his own daughter.

 

Our police dept. has done a splendid job in the above two cases. They were clueless since day one, and are acting as if culprits themselves should come and surrender. If any dept. is in need of training, then our police dept. stands first. They are always known for their heroic acts of punishing the innocent and let go of the criminals. Just like shown in movies, they always reach the crime spot at the end.

 

Our beloved Ekta kapoor is not far behind. To add fuel to the fire, she has brought in Arushi’s case in her daily soaps. This is something totally unacceptable. Please don’t promote the mockery of the deceased. I want to ask these people, ‘Why do u kill the already dead?’

 

(Photo courtesy: rediff.com, cbsnews.com)

An Inconvenient Truth

     We are now in the 21^st century. We have computers at our desk, which perform complex tasks in milliseconds. We have cell phones which enables us to communicate with our dear ones thousand miles away. We have internet which has virtually shrunk the whole world into a single entity. We have fast cars, latest gadgets, and what not to make our lives comfortable. We have technically advanced!

 

     Everyday, each of us work in a direction to make human life more comfortable. Every new invention is targeted to reduce the human effort in some way or other. Just imagine the days, when there were no computers, no radio/televisions, no electricity, and no automobiles. We just wonder how people would be living then.

 

     The industrial revolution has brought in drastic changes in the lifestyle of people. But wait! In the process of making life comfortable, are we neglecting something? Yes. We have ignored our environment. We have ignored our world. The same world where we are living. The very same world which provided us with the resources such as water, air, climate for our survival. All our technological advancements have adversely impacted our nature. And when the nature cant take it anymore, none of us can face its wrath.

 

     This post is inspired by the documentary film ‘An Inconvenient Truth ’ which addresses the issues of global warming. The film highlights the major contributors to Global warming and its effects which can be found here . The film ends with a positive note, giving a few simple but effective steps to check global warming which can be found here .

 

     I believe that we can save our world if each of us contributes. But what stops us from following these simple steps? The below phrase explains it very well.    

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his non understanding it"  – Upton Sinclair.

Shah Rukh, Shah Rukh Everywhere!

Have you tried counting how many times you have a glimpse of Shah Rukh Khan everyday? Start your day reading newspaper – he is there promoting his band KKR or spreading the smile with Sunfeast! If somehow he gets missed there, Bollywood section is sure to bring him in. On your way to work/study, you can’t avoid seeing him on hoardings of Nokia / Airtel. And these make sure you don’t miss them – at the traffic signals, the underways and alike. Off you go to shop and lo! He’s there on the wrappers as one of a brand’s ambassador.

 

Then you decide to catch up with a program on the TV in the evening, It’s no wonder that he appears in every second commercial these days. Here is a list of commercials Shah Rukh can be currently seen in, with his quotes.

 

1. Nokia – Dus saal se mera sathi (?!), Hamaara Nokia.
2. Sunfeast – He can be seen in the ad cooking biscuits.
3. Airtel – Garv se bolo, Hello !
4. HP Compaq Presario - Yeh Hui Na Baat
5. Belmonte – Welcome to the Belmonte academy of style.
6. Dish TV – Thoda aur wish Karo ! Dish Karo !
7. Hyundai i10 – Don’t just follow, Catch the i.
8. Pepsi – He is portraying a dumb and funny character here being the brother of Deepika Padukone. This one is my favourites among the lot :-) .
9. Videocon – Match On, toh Videocon .
10. Emami Fair and Handsome – He is shown helping a guy, to look handsome.
11. Navratna Cool Talc – Duniya Ka Sabse Chhota AC.

 

And now you take up for some cricket action in IPL, then our King Khan can be seen there too cheering for his team Kolkata Knight Riders. And by chance if u decided to watch a reality show, our SRK is anchoring on Star Plus for “Kya Aap Panchvi Paas se Tez Hain”! But this time, the IPL ruins the show’s TRP. Now Shah Rukh is in a fix. Will he want people to watch his ‘Paanchvi Paas’ or IPL ? Shah Rukh vs Shah Rukh, mind it!. May be he wants people to choose IPL over ‘Paanchvi Paas’ since his money is invested there.

 

By the way I haven’t mentioned his movie presence anywhere in this post. So willingly or not, having to see Shah Rukh so many times in a day, aren’t we taking slightly an extra dose of Shah Rukh everyday ?

Cast your vote !

“Mujhe vote karne ke liye type kijiye XX aur bhej dijiye 58XXX. Reliance users dial kare XXXXX, BSNL users dial kare XXXXX ………….” , these are the common words uttered by every contestant in most of the reality shows. With the increasing popularity of reality shows, every channel is airing atleast 2-3 such shows. Singing takes the prime spot here with most of the channels in the hunt for the golden voice (eg- Indian Idol, Voice of India, Fame Gurukul, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Chote Ustaad, Little Champs). Then comes dancing and acting (eg- Nach Baliye, Jhalak Dhiklaja, Yeh hai jalwa). Then there are shows which test one’s ability to make someone laugh (eg- Champion chalbaz, Laughter challenge). Shows like Big Boss, Roadies ……. On one’s strategies, how well one can play politics, survival techniques etc. Also there are shows such as Lead India which is a platform for people with leadership, vision and passion to serve for public.

 

The popularity of reality shows is increasing day by day with more number of such shows with different themes being aired. These shows provide relief from the conventional saas-bahu soaps, some of which have completed even 5 years! One more positive aspect is that they provide opportunity for a common man to showcase his talent, along with entertaining the public.

 

Voting forms an integral part of many reality shows. “Please, please, please mujhe vote kijiye”, “Mujhe dhed saare vote bhejiye”, with such words, contestants can be seen pleading for votes. Each of these votes (generally in the form of a SMS or a call) costs anywhere between Rs. 3 to Rs. 6. This is not a small amount and anybody will think twice before voting. To add to it, you are expected to vote every week, otherwise your favourite contestant will be in the danger zone. The host of the show will then come to rescue and say “Ye abh danger zone me aa gaye hain, aur sirf aapka vote hi inhe baccha sakta hain”. Even though voting is kept with an aim to increase the viewer’s participation, charging for votes is not a good idea. I would suggest, if you can’t make them free, atleast reduce the cost. Instead of charging Rs.3 to Rs. 6, charge a nominal amount, say Rs. 0.5 or Rs. 1. That will definitely result in more people voting and fulfill the aim of more viewer participation, by at least ten fold.

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