EK CUP CHAI

The Hindus call him the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Chinese call him the re-birth of Lao Tze. And some more followers call him one of the many Buddhas. Buddha - the Enlightened One.

There have been people who have contested things about Christ, there are those who said Mohammed’s verses of God were somehow valid in Desert Gulf. There are people who cry foul against Krishna, and Rama. And yet for some reason, most of these critics wouldn’t say a thing against Gautama Buddha.

This is either they don’t know too much about Gautama, or they know nothing about Gautama. Or may be most people believe that whatever they know of this ‘guy’, it made sense. Lot of sense. In his teaching there is no talking of Believers and Non believers, and there is no talk of God or Devil.

All there is common sense. Gautama Buddha, as he is called today, still surprises me. He is said to have invited the ire of Brahmins and Tribals for his teachings of equality of men. He left behind a kingdom of teachings and lessons. There were plots to have him killed, and attempts to slander. And yet, after 2000 years Buddha and his followers remain the peaceful lot. I wonder what he might have done and taught. Somethings that religions and followers of the world today should ponder upon.

Looks like Central India is having a ball of a time. If not all the people of Central India, then atleast those sitting in the Power are. Few weeks ago, there was this incident where a muslim boy eloped with his girl friend. And then suddenly VHP activists went beserk. For some reason this a muslim boy taking away the girl hurt the sentiments of Hindus, it was said. Result, a the muslim boy’s brother is missing.

Not so long ago, the Chief Minister of  Narendra Modi was about to be assassinated. But then there were the great police officers who killed the about to be killer in an encounter. Result the killer is dead. His wife was killed and burnt (no body knows what the ‘Police’ did with her before killing her). Now only the officers involved are in custody. Not the politicians who had ordered such a Farce.

Yesterday, it was in Jaipur. A mob (supposedly VHP/Bajrang Dal) attacked a person trying to open a missionary. What more, the CNN-IBN also showed recored versions of how the person was attacked. Whether they ‘got’ the VIDEO from ’someone’ or whether the media knew of it and recorded it without police complaint and whether the police simply choose not to react - no one knows.

Everyone knows that in  all these three states, BJP Government’s rule. Hmm…interesting twists these…is BJP trying to make a come back…well…you and I know what happened after Babri, after Godhra… No wonder…it is not just the West Central…it is entire BJP having a ball

Ian Chappel (or may be it was Allan Border) recently said, that one fine day Australian’s felt that not everything is right with Australian Cricket. So they started developing it. And then, what do you have. A team that is far beyond the reach of other teams, and a team that finds replacements to greats as if nothing had actually happened to the team. Result: It is the number one team in the world. Yes South Africa beat them once to the top slot, but only for few weeks.

And then there is this other side. A side that belongs to a country that was attacked by Nature (Tsunami in 2004 December) and that is still being attacked by LTTE. The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has had its share of selection problems administration problems. And yet Sri Lanka, had struggled hard. The beat whoever they could, and when they lost, they lost fighting…except of course Australia.

The winning Sri Lankan team has brought in a great UNITY in the people back home. LTTE had declared on Tuesday (April 24th 2007) there will be no attacks because Sri Lanka were playing the Semi Final!

Yes, it will be a wonderful finish if they can pull it off. It will be heroic.

But just north to Sri Lanka, a country that produces more money, and populace ( who call themselves fans) than any other cricket board is caught with up lack of  Talent. And then the person in charge, Sharad Power, the head of Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) makes a revelation. The revelation is shocking, because it is not only the truth but is also STUPID.

“Team Selection is influenced by the BRANDS that use the players to  advertise their products”.

The time I think is correct. Final between a country that made necessary changes accepting failures and the country  had only HEROISM to fall back upon. And then there is this country…with too much ‘easy’ money.

Well enjoy the match brethren. India never belonged to league actually!

A few years ago, I heard a politician, probably Mr. Rajahshekhara Reddy or Mr. Chandrababu Naidu or may be someone else in an inaugural meeting. He talked in length about how Hyderabad has developed over the past few years, and how the land of Andhra Pradesh and especially Hyderabad was giving great development. The word land was so often repeated, yet placed extremely delicately that in the next few years the price of the land has more than tripled in that area. Not much of development is seen around it; but the land owners there are crorepathis (millionares) now!

And then recently there was this talk about Reservation. The words were (are being) phrased so nicely that if any ‘innocent’ person would listen, he will automatically fall for it. The words were “… we will take our right of reservation…” “…why should we not allow reservations when constitution itself allows us the right…” “… having only forward castes to represent country is wrong…” “…we will take care of the oppressed…” and so on.

These make lot of sense ideally. But when it comes to reality, no body talks how have reservations helped the country so far.

Now recently take the example of Amitabh Bachchan. He is a star, and has an image. And also he has not been in very good eyes of Gandhi family (who were once his friends and now in ruling). So the politician’s have great say in whatever Mr.Bachchan does. He gets a Rolls Royce, politician’s talk how some celebrities evade taxes. He gets a special permission to visit Lord Venkateshwar at Thirupathi, ‘people strike’ and an Inquiry is ordered. There are people who ’strike’ all the time. No inquiry is ordered into those strikes. And that’s enough to say who these people who are able to get an inquiry places.

Yes the media, is there. But all the media says is this is how so and so the Politician reacted.

But funny things is how the Politician’s say, “We will see…”. What they mean is there is no point in doing it?

Great! And how many times have we heard those speeches before elections. “We will see to it…”

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.

Truth, they say, is like fire. It burns. Well it almost burnt the Pentagon. Suffering from unnecessarily being called a ‘hero’, this girl realized that she couldn’t carry the load of a lie; that she couldn’t take what the story woven around her was intended to point.

19 year old Jessica Lynch, as a clerk in 507th Maintenance company was supposed to have fought bravely, before being abducted by Iraqi soldiers in 2003. She was supposed to have been abducted as a prisoner of war. She was supposed to have been raped anally and borne all kinds of tortures (that tells how cruel Iraqis are/were). She was supposed to have been rescued. She was supposed to have been a Hero. She was supposed to have lost all memory of torture.

All the suppositions were backed by the great leadership at the Pentagon. Books were written on her, and people who were supposed to have helped in rescued wrote the books and became prominent figures.

Unfortunately, she choose to be a different kind of Hero. The hero, who tells the truth. And when her truth came that showed an ugly side behind a war, the theory behind a war, the theory behind the highest form of conceit - “asking people feel great morality in the act of killing people”

Jessica Lynch, gave a congressional testimony, in the USA, that Pentagon had lied about her bravery and bravery of all those who rescued her.

All she knew was she didn’t fight anybody because her gun was jammed even before she opened fire. She went down praying. That she was taken care of well in Iraq. That a nurse even sang to her to help her sleep.

There were also stories going around that a sympathizer put her in vehicle and drove towards Americans to give her away, only to be welcomed with gunfire (the sympathizer had to run back to the hospital).

But as Jessica Lynch said to the Congress,  “The truth of war is not always easy to hear but it is always more heroic than the hype “. True. It is still heroic, that people in Iraq still want to live after what has happened to them. It is even more heroic, that people of America still want to believe their Pentagon.

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!

Seung Cho, a loner, a shy person and now a 32 person killer was a playwright. His teacher, Lucinda Roy is said to have picked the boy for having shown great violence in his two small plays. She tried to complain about the boy to the police.

Here are the links to the plays and his class mates’ description: http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/04/17/cho-seung-huis-plays/

Having read both the plays, I should say, this guy is disturbed. But honestly there are more Hollywood stories that are far more violent than these small plays. And not all story writers suffer the kind of insecurity that they go on a killing spree. And that is exactly why the Police had let the boy off, because there was nothing wrong in it.

But fact is the plays are disturbing, and that is exactly why his teacher had told him to get some therapy. If she is to be believed, she did try taking him to the police rather than taking to her to a therapist. (I’m not sure of this). But looks like Seung Cho has left lot of things to be taken care of.

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?