EK CUP CHAI

Why is it wrong to have Gods represented in Nude? If gods were accepted as facts, then why cant it be seen that nudity is a fact. Or is nudity so strongly associated with SEX? And is sex such a heinous crime, that you want to do it, and yet hate it? Or is human being such a ghastly picture that God cannot be shown as naked human?

It is hard to decipher what is so wrong with the people who complained against Chandramohan who is supposed to have drawn obscene pictures of God at a University? Though the complaint has been lodged with the police, it would be interesting to know which kind of rules did the police use to arrest him? Interesting that  this happens in Baroda!

Did anyone forget that there are gonna be elections in Gujarat this year end! What a coincidence!

But if someone wants to discuss, throw in your comments…not just about nudity, but also about the the incident at Maharaja Sayajirao University!

Though I do not want to poke at where we stand, India stands in another worst list! Apart from population, AIDS patients and number of uneducated people, India is now amongst the world’s top polluters list! But this time around it has got some great friends like USA, Russia, China and Japan (this small country should start working so many hours – bad joke!).

However, the per capita pollution in India is by any means far … far from that of USA’s or Russia’s. That is the only saving part. One can understand why USA is polluted (domestic emissions including car pollution) or why Japan, Russia & China are polluted (industrial emissions). It is something of a surprise that India should accompany them in that list.

But thanks to the IT revolution and the kind of life style changes it has brought in India, pollution in India is still a factor that we need to understand fully (sorry no blaming IT revolution..but it did revolutionize the way we live). While metros and the bigger cities are obviously polluted, we need to understand why there areas that are far from these cities also polluted. (Eg: Sunderbans, Hill Stations, Beaches)

Another bigger problem for India is distributing the development of places throughout the country so as to reduce too much pollution at few places. But that means deforestation, which in itself a reason for more pollution! In order to contain deforestation, the government will need to contain population growth, which is almost impossible.

Not to forget, India along with its neighbors, by the virtue of its geographic location, has to pay for turmoil brought about by sea pollution carried out unhindered by Western countries.

But the joke is that after all the ‘development’ carried out by the various countries, suddenly a ‘developing’ country like India is asked to ‘check’ its emission. Though the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) appointed by UN wanted the world to be a better place, the timing of such a statement could be detrimental for Indian’s growth, if India has the same kind of policies.

In the end what kind of measures will India need to take to check pollution under control is going to be a huuuuge factor. Is the Indian leadership good enough to tackle such issues while most politicians are facing charges in the courts of laws?

God help India. But then in the mean time it is the common man who suffers the diseases, the farmer who suffers the losses, for whom it seems that the government is working for.

I didn’t want to write on this. But our courts have been coming with some stunning judgments of late that I can only keep wondering more and more. The Jaipur High Court has issued arrest warrants against Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty for doing a Public Kiss as an act of obscenity.The court was legally correct. However, this decision falls into Obscenity category. Let me try and understand what Obscenity is defined as according to Supreme Court…hmm…hmm…hmm…after loads of research I found this, Supreme Court lawyer, Alpana Podda says that Indian Law doesn’t have any clear cut definition on this. Oh great this Supreme Court must be ignorant or is speaking the truth. Assuming that, what the lawyer says is the truth, then on what basis did Jaipur Court issue warrants against Shilpa Shetty and Richard Gere.

And if it was an act of obscenity, then why aren’t the organizers of the show not issued any warrants? Just because it was unplanned, or because their names have been excluded have been missing in the complaint. Also, if it was obscene, whether the complaint define what exact sentiments did the act hurt?

If it were an obscene act, why isn’t media also issued arrest warrant for shamelessly promoting the ‘kiss’. Also why was there no arrest warrant against those who enjoyed and saw the kiss…like the lorry drivers who encourage Richard Gere when he kissed Shilpa Shetty?

No, there will be no answers. But these are the questions that will be asked, because otherwise people might wonder what is a peck, what is a kiss, what is an act of obscenity or what is grabbing attention.

Call it a real estate boom, or call it economic development or simply call it common sense gone awry, the villages in India, especially those on the National Highways, and 3 or 4 hours away from the cities, are seeing a not so strange phenomenon - Selling agricultural lands.

May be the rains wouldn’t come, or they would come at wrong time; may be necessary government help wouldn’t come or it came at wrong times; may be a farmer never thought to improve his knowledge of land or may be he simply wouldn’t learn, his land wouldn’t give him enough money. Add to this family, births, marriages, and deaths, and what not. In the end it looks like circumstances laugh at farmers because his land, which gave him food, shelter and respect, is the only reason why he is still poor.

So what does a farmer do? Hope that all would go well through out the year, which include timely rains, fruitful seeds, loans from the government, health of family and what not. Well instead, if I were a farmer, I would sell the land. Exactly thats what is happening now.
And if I don’t do it now, the ever developing economy would make the it necessary for the government to ‘acquire’ acres of lands at prices, which wouldn’t buy a thola of gold.

So in the end, the farmers run to the cities - they become the masons, the watchmen, the rag picks, the whatever. Has life changed. Yes. But somewhere, a farming land will have a factory built over it that produces canned food, or a house is built on it, which serves those eating canned food. Well, would you call this industrial revolution. Nope…this is a cumulative result of serious inefficiency. And who does it affect?

None as of now…or children of our children. Is there a way to stop this economic development…there is…but as long as we are concerned about our pay packages and not ‘enjoying work’ well…there is no stopping to economic development…even at the cost of a future somebody’s life.

Well what might sound like “Ashwathama hataha… Kunjaraha” Supreme Court (funnily the keeper of ‘Dharma’) has given a ruling - That no matter what, the Government cannot force OBC reservations in this academic year.

For Manmohan Singh, this will be a big blow, because he was the one who was talking about the thin line between Judiciary and Legislature. And for all the parties, ruling and opposing, this will be another chance to create nuisance.

But for many of the students who are waiting for admissions in their colleges, this will be a huge relief. True this is going to be an issue next year, but atleast for now, the elephant has been calmed down. Whether it will be dead or not, can be found out only after the great tussle between judiciary and legislature ends.

What ever the fight is about, let commonsense win!

Sometimes I wonder how the death of a 80 year old family member affects us. I’m not sure. Yes everybody has memories, but sometimes, it is truly funny when all of a sudden it is seen as a huge blow. Even though the life taking disease is talked about since 2 years, even though ’serving’ family members really hated to serve the old person, even though inside their dark thoughts some wanted that person to be dead, and none actually hoped that this person would ever get up. These people become, as stale as any other ‘thing ‘ in the home, I’m not sure suddenly how their death becomes a huge blow to the family.

‘Friends’, who never called to check how that family member was when he/she was alive, come to your home, to be with the family, in the mourning. There are rituals, and there are people crying for the dead. In one occasion in my family, I saw a lady, crying out so loudly, and so dramatically, as if her young son died. And later that day she asked , how much the ‘dead one’ had actually left, and if this person had got a will?

You began to wonder if the crying was really honest, or was it just an indication of whats coming next? You just know them, by their names those people, and their attitudes, but they are all after one thing - following rituals. There are too many rituals to follow, too many songs to be sung, too many cries, and at the end of it, too many condolences, too many questions and too many fights.

In one such occasion, I had asked a person why so much ‘noise’ when a person, expecting to be died dies. He told me in brief - there are only three great occasions in life - birth, marriage, death. And you have to celebrate. I didn’t quite understand. If these were all so equally important, why are people crying on the third one. Why don’t they ‘distribute’ sweets? (Well, this I didn’t ask him)

But I know what he said was true. That’s why in India, whether we celebrate marriage, or birth or death, we celebrate it the same way - a party to all, dinner to celebrate/feel bad, and lot of ‘bitching about’ most unnecessary things in life.

Sometimes, I wonder if any of these occasions need so much of unnecessary showoff. I think I will never understand it, as these things remind of me ‘Sati’. Sati was a ritual, and so is marriage, and so are birthday parties or our deathday get-togethers. Or I wonder, if all these things are done with real feelings?

But then there are too many things I don’t understand. Why bother?

Congress – Indian Partition, Emergency, Babri Issue and what not scams

BJP & others – Babri issue, Gujarat Massacre and what not scams.

There is not much of difference in the political parties that have led the nation, or states. They are all alike. The scams are as much balanced as much as the murders.

But a public rape of constitution is almost unprecedented. If anyone remembers Professor HC Sabarwal, the same professor who has been murdered in front of 100 people has no witness now. BJP workers have allegedly killed the professor. And then ofcourse you have the CD case! Sorry I’m not talking about a case in which CDs can be put, but a legal case against the BJP for their alleged communal propaganda through a CD.

And what has happened until now. Nothing. Neither the Sabarwal killers are caught. The CD case is yet to be decided. What’s going to happen? Nothing. The CD will be taken off the propaganda. The elections will be run, and so will other things.

And even if somebody is found guilty, only one or two person will be affected directly by the decision taken. Ofcourse there will be chaos created by few great party men, and may be there will be another Sabharwal, murdered in front of 100s and yet not one comes as witness.

It is easy to predict what happens in India, isn’t it?

I happened to watch three movies of late. Each had a unique style of its own, each was called Great, Excellent and what not. However, there is this feeling about each of them, which you know will happen, which you know that this is how it ends, and that in this knowing there lies a not so great term - ‘Formula’.

Those movies - Rang De Basanti, Dor, The Namesake.

Each movie has a special place in my heart - Rang De Basanti for a kind of feeling it raked in youth (if atleast for a moment), Dor brought out constructive selfishness, or objectivity for a person, that has been missing in Hindi movies and The Namesake brings out the nostalgia called Family, that you hated and you still lived with.

But all said and done - Rang De Basanti falls short dramatically, when the boys are killed by ‘clever’ politicians. A good plot, with intelligent intermix of past and present psychologies, goes down to prove a point that could have been proved otherwise.

In Dor, one of my favorites, Nagesh Kukonoor, who is known for his excellent approach towards dealing with reality, disappointed me no ends. The dialogues, like khud ke liyo jiyo (live for yourself) are used to make bold statements and only to change a person, rather than inflict awareness in the character. Suddenly a wonderful story, becomes a preachy stuff that is generally seen at the end of children stories.

And The Namesake it just keeps telling a tale, without bringing why the characters behave the way they behave. It remains true to the theme of book, but fails the characters by not defining them well, in a hurry to tell the story. It looks like the present tense which Jhumpa Lahiri used in her novel, caught up with the screenplay. The story of coming of age of various characters is seen as an undeniable eventuality, as if no body controlled them.

And if Mira Nair wanted her audience to ponder about this “undeniable eventuality” then she has succeeded. But somewhere, may be all great stories aim at fighting ‘this eventuality’, and Mira Nair’s ‘The Namesake’ shows the American born Indian boy slowly accepting their ‘destiny or fate’ as an excuse to comeback to India, and that Indians, no matter where they go, will remain Indians, not people who can mold into situations and people who can change as the situation demands. Sticking to sentiments is shown as sticking to values. Somewhere I believe that is an Imaginary India, not the India of Vedas, of Yagas, of a Lord Krishna who talks of detachment.

But then you can always disagree. I would like to see why probably I’m finding fault in these movies, that have been a phenomenon, atleast for a period of time.

It is funny what is going into Judiciary these days, but for some reason, the Courts have been taking decisions that will be seen as sensible by Intellects of India.

But Read this bit: A Historical Judgement
What this will mean is Violence. Just violence. The Apex Court stay on OBC reservation has already created enough ripples. And in its wake, this judgment will be another reason for Religion Fundamentalists to take to the streets with brainless people and equally brainless arms.

If anybody had notice the final part of the news item…it will be interesting to see, what the Supreme Court will say in it. And I think I can already guess what the Supreme Court will decide. Keep informed yourself about this judgment. It is going to be a phenomenon in India.

Villages are the back bone of India – Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

A typical village in India is just a macrocosm of this great nation called India. Read some strange things that happen here:

Indian cricketers’ stint has disappointed many, but this central west village of Haryana has shown their disappointment in a unique fashion. Uchana village panchayat has decided to ban the game, and received support of more than 25 other panchayats.

Mubarakpur, a town of Azamgarh District in Uttar Pradesh has another kind of support. Most of the residents are muslims, who can barely make their meets end with a salary drawn from their weaving. Now they support someone else… a man called Abu Salem. For some he is a God, no matter what his criminal records say.

Another village, Shakkar Nagar, named after “Shakkar” Sugar made at the erstwhile one of Asia’s biggest Sugar Factories – Nizam Sugar Factories Limited. I still remember playing here, with excellent Sugar Cane Juice to have. No amount of Sugar Cane produced in the region near was enough to save the Sugar Factory. The Andhra Pradesh government sold the factory off, because it couldn’t find enough sugar cane.

Today the great factory stands, stripped off its cult status, naked. I had been there a few years ago, only to find brought down houses, dried wells, and SC Colonies. Interestingly, in another village, on a road to a developing city, but in the same district, another Sugar Factory had come up, and it is able to find enough Sugar Cane.

I hear to the great development that India is making all the time. Al the speeches of the Finance Minister’s and others all rotates around IT, around taxes, around shares, around infrastructure, around electronics…only few times do you hear Villages, Development together.

The only other reason we hear about villages is when there is a child marriage and a news agency has nothing ’special’ to cover. Or when a woman is raped, or maoists kill someone or when there is an election.

So much for the backbone of India… I wonder when was the last time many of us had visited a village, not just on our way to some destination… but with the village as a destination!

Far from being the backbone of India, villages have become “Unwanted Hair” of India. Someday, the World Bank will offer us some cream that will finish them off! I love my India.