A legend lives on - Uttam Kumar

This is a tribute to my screen hero, the ever green Uttam Kumar - the first and only true Superstar that Bengal cinema has ever seen. He had expired on 24th of July' 1980. I share with you some of the very best on-screen melodies that this screen god had featured in. Transcending boundaries of culture, language, region and religion, these songs are said to touch the hearts of millions. Let me know if they touched a soft corner of your heart as well.

1.
Song: Ei poth jodi na sesh hoy
Movie: Saptapadi
Singers: Hemanta Mukherjee, Sandhya Mukherjee


2.
Song: Ami je jolshaghore
Movie: Antony Firingi
Singer: Manna Dey


3.
Song: Saono raate jodi
Movie: Devdaas
Singer: Manna Dey


4.
Song: Boro eka laagey
Movie: Chowringhee
Singer: Manna De


5.
Song: Surer akashe
Movie: Saap mochon
Singer: Hemanta Mukherjee


6.
Song: Gaane bhubon bhoriye debe
Movie: Deya neya
Singer: Shyamal Mitra


7.

Song: Jhor uthechhe baaul batas
Movie: Saap mochon
Singer: Hemanta Mukherjee


8.

Song: Dole dodul dole jhulona
Movie: Deya neya
Singer: Shyamal Mitra, Manabendra Mukhopadhyay


9.

Song: Jibon khatar proti patai
Movie: Deya neya
Singer: Shyamal Mitra


10.

Song: Amar sopne dekha rajkonya thaake
Movie: Sagarika
Singer: Shyamal Mitra


11.

Song: Nir chhoto khoti nei
Movie: Indrani
Singer: Hemanta Mukherjee, Sandhya Mukherjee



12.

Song: E ki holo keno holo
Movie: Rajkumari
Singer: Kishore Kumar



13.

Song: Champa chameli golaper i baage
Movie: Antony firingi
Singer: Manna Dey, Sandhya Mukherjee


14.

Song: Surjo dobaar pala
Movie: Indrani
Singer: Hemanta Mukheree



15.

Song: Jai chole jaai (Adieu!)
Movie: Kal tumi aaleya
Singer: Hemanta Mukheree
Music: Uttam Kumar



Friends, there are hundreds of other tracks featuring him, but these are the selected best based on popularity as well as availability. Enjoy the tracks! Never mind if you do not happen to know bengali. I hope the tunes will catch your fancy.

Image source: http://nphoto-media-1.cdn.mobshare.in

Missions to the moon - then and now

The moon has fascinated us since ages. From being regarded as some sort of a God to being a mere natural satellite revolving around the earth, mankind has come a long way in his perceptions concerning the moon. There have already been multiple expeditions to the moon. And here is something that I found out while going through Yahoo news this morning. It is about the first successful expedition - the Apollo 11 mission. Suddenly out of the blue, a lot of secrets are being revealed. It is debatable as to how much is really true and how much is not. Nevertheless, all of these make for an interesting read. Here is the excerpt:

So, 40 years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, here are some of the facts that you probably didn't know about the historic event:

1. Aldrin took secret communion: Before leaving the Apollo 11 moon-landing module, US astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin took a Christian Communion, including a wafer and a thimbleful of wine from a kit prepared by his pastor.
Neil Armstrong "watched respectfully, but made no comment to me at the time," Aldrin recalled.

Atheism advocate Madelyn Murray O'Hair, who objected to government employees praying publicly, was suing NASA at the time, so Aldrin kept the act private.

2. Mementos left on Moon: Along with their backpacks, an American flag, and half the Apollo 11 moon-landing module, Armstrong and Aldrin left some sentimental mementos on the surface of the moon, including, a patch from the never-launched Apollo 1 mission, which ended prematurely when flames engulfed the command module during a 1967 training exercise, killing three US astronauts.

The mementos also included medals commemorating pioneering Soviet cosmonauts Vladimir Komarov and Yuri Gagarin, who had died in flight in 1967 and 1968, respectively; goodwill messages from 73 world leaders; and a small gold pin shaped like an olive branch, a symbol of peace.

3. US President had speech ready in case of disaster: President Richard Nixon's speechwriter William Safire wrote a speech in case the Apollo 11 moonwalkers missed the rendezvous with the orbiting command module to return to Earth.

Among the sentiments: "These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But, they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice."

4. Between homecoming and oblivion may have stood a pen: While on the moon, one of the astronauts knocked loose the circuit breaker responsible for igniting the engine that would propel the Apollo 11 astronauts back to the orbiting command module-their only ride home. The interesting fact bout the incident is that Aldrin used a felt tip pen to push the breaker back into place.

5. American flag bit the dust: As the Apollo 11 astronauts blasted off from the moon, flying dust and debris toppled the first American flag planted on the moon. (ANI)

With respect to expeditions to the Moon, not too long back, India's very own formidable mission Chandrayan-1 suffered a terrific setback when one of its key sensors stopped functioning. Although, the ISRO scientists claimed that this would not abort the mission as of now, it could potentially do so in the future. But, it has been claimed that 90 percent of the mission objectives have already been achieved over a period of the last 8 months.

Here is a slideshow, courtesy Sanjana, featuring this very interesting but lifeless natural satellite which you will probably like. If the slideshow does not run automatically, click on the thumbnails on the right hand for a view of some of the most historic pictures concerning the Moon.







Image source: http://static.howstuffworks.com

Alphabetical Tagging

I have been tagged by Pawan! And this one seems rather interesting to me... based on alphabets. These are the rules:

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share the ABCs of you.
4. Tag 3 people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let the 3 tagged people know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so that there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag!

ABC of my life:
1. A – Available/Single?

Ans: Single
2. B – Best friend?

Ans: Many good friends. Impossible to pinpoint a single one/two.
3. C – Cake or Pie?

Ans: Enough of both.
4. D – Drink of choice?

Ans: Well boiled milk with malai.
5. E – Essential item you use every day?

Ans: Cell phone, Go-gear.
6. F – Favorite color?

Ans: Blue
7. G – Gummy Bears Or Worms?

Ans: None
8. H – Hometown?

Ans: Kolkata
9. I – Indulgence?

Ans: Blogging at the moment. It varies over an extended period of time.
10. J – January or February?

Ans: February - this month has been quite lucky for me.
11. K – Kids & their names?

Ans: Haven't thought of marriage yet. Forget kids and their names.
12. L – Life is incomplete without?

Ans: Laughter and fun.
13. M – Marriage date?

Ans: No plans.
14. N – Number of siblings?

Ans: None.
15. O – Oranges or Apples?

Ans: Not very fond of either. But Apples hold a slight edge.
16. P – Phobias/Fears?

Ans: Fear darkness (and spirits).
17. Q – Quote for today?

Ans: "Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today"
18. R – Reason to smile?

Ans: I thought who penned this question. Laughing gas would be an appropriate answer.
19. S – Season?

Ans: Winter.
20. T – Tag 3 People?

Ans: I shall do this at the end.
21. U – Unknown fact about me?

Ans: Unknown to me.
22. V – Vegetable you don't like?

Ans: Banana curries.
23. W – Worst habit?

Ans: Pointing out others' flaws and distributing wisdom to all and sundry.
24. X – X-rays you've had?

Ans: 3 teeth X-rays, 2 finger X-rays.
25. Y – Your favorite food?

Ans: Many. Includes Muri Ghonto, Pizza, Alu dam, Chaat, Rabri, Misti doi, Rasa Malai... the list is endless...
26. Z – Zodiac sign?

Ans: Libra.

Now as per the rules, I am supposed to tag three bloggers. This time I am tagging three girls whom I have never tagged before. Here they are:

• Piu
• Preposterous Girl
• Ashwathy

Image source: http://www.missscott.co.uk

Reborn

Hi friends
I thought a lot and lot and lot. About what? About my blog - how to improve. Somehow the old template had started looking congested and too much in-your-face. So, thanks to all of your suggestions, Blah blah blah... is reborn into Dreams and Realizations.
Finally I have a new theme for my blog. Let me know if you like it.

I still require all of your support and encouragement to keep this going. By God's grace, I have still not suffered from the typical Blogger's block. So, I continue with my ramblings...

Oh one thing.. I had lost my blogroll (blame it on my intuitions) and now, although I have one in place, not sure if I have all my erstwhile friends there. Hence, request you to check my Blogroll in my menu bar. Do comment if you do not find yourself there.

Until next time...

Synthetic sperms: Future for men?

According to recent developments, scientists have claimed that synthetic sperms can be created out of male stem cells which could revolutionize the way infertility is treated nowadays.

"This is an important development as it will allow researchers to study in detail how sperm forms and lead to a better understanding of infertility in men -- why it happens and what is causing it," said professor Karim Nayernia, who spearheaded the research.

You can read the full article here. A very good breakthrough and would help people cope with male infertility much better in years to come.
But, on a different note, that just made me think, will males really be necessary 'that much'? With the landmark Delhi High Court ruling on same sex relationships and now with this new breakthrough, one just wonders, what is coming up next!

These are a few scenarios which we may see in years to come:

A female only country:
It is said that in some primitive civilizations in remote islands, there used to be only females, no male species whatsoever and those primitive women had no other way out other than satisfying their primitive needs in weird ways. In case they had access to a single male, he would be subjected to lust and greed of the extreme order.
In today's scenario, this could apply to lesbians, who can very well have the children of their dreams through this 'synthetic' technique, although they would require a male for the donation.
In future, due to some unknown reason, if a political heavy weight woman leader demands a separate country only for women, she could actually have it. The women there need not worry, as there would be men employed in the service, who would just work in huge scientific labs just for creating synthetic sperms and facilitating in offspring generation without the need for mating, without the need of any kind of relationship. With more and more women making a choice of being single throughout their lives, this could just be what they ever wanted. A baby without a father. Freedom from all sorts of male oppression and rule, women can finally be free.

Relevance for men?
There could be a huge question mark over the relevance of men. The way people prepare their CVs to get into top organizations, similar CVs would be created to have access to the exotic females. Mass 'campusing' would be organized and the men with the most attractive features stand to win there. The Government would be allotting special budget for 'unmarried' males, on similar lines of 'unemployed' youths. The male child would be hated in families and cases of male foeticide may occur secretly. Special rights groups would hold protests against the inhuman treatment of males and there would be classes for families on why the male child should not be ignored. In some countries, this scientific procedure would be banned and there would be threats issued against nations who go for this. In the new light of threats, the United Nations would hold special all-men sessions to try and find out how these can be handled in the best manner.

Speculations galore. But I just hope that the scientists find out something good for the men as well. I mean why are they so intent on abolishing (or rather diminishing the importance of) most of the male species from this world! LOL

Strikes - Keep them coming?

I was watching Rang de Basanti for the 5th time the other day. It was being aired on UTV. The film gives me something new to think about each time I watch it. Even this time, I thought, is India in safe hands? No, I am not campaigning for a political party here. Rather, I am trying to give an overview of what the scenario is before I move to the main topic of discussion. As per news figures, 150 of the newly elected MPs have criminal cases pending against them. Of them, 73 MPs face serious charges. And, lets say, there are quite a few who have been involved in criminal activities, but were never caught. So that enhances the figures even more!

Now, the main topic of discussion: Bengal is having a 12 hour strike yet again! The issue? Political rivalry leading to blood stains. The sufferers? The common men. Time and again, I have hinted that strikes do not solve problems, rather they paralyse the nervous system of the city. But I am nobody. So nobody listens to me. And since nobody listens to me, everybody thinks he or she can call a strike and get away with it. And wait, do you want to know what happened the day before the strike would take place? Have a look at this article. I was watching live video clips of the incidents. The people were smashing the window panes of vehicles with whatever they had in their hands, ultimately setting the vehicles on fire. I was wondering if the 'non-living' buses had any idea what it was all about and what had been their fault! I could derive only one possible benefit. For quite some time now, the government had been trying to take aged buses (more than 15 years old) off the road, but the drive has been facing serious protests from the bus syndicate owners as well as various groups. Today, the number of such vehicles got reduced - thanks to their mass cremation! But apart from this 'derived' benefit, I could really not see any other gains. As is expected, one ambulance was staggered in the traffic jam created because of this on the Howrah bridge. The patient had a tough time and the relatives were anxious (to say the least).

There will be eternal debates on the fact that strike is an weapon of non-violence used to educate the mass and gain support and also as a tool to create pressure. But one is compelled to think, what is it that we are gaining out of it? If you ask me, I gained just one thing. Guess what!

THIS BLOG POST! What else!

Cheers to strikes! Keep them coming! *sarcastic eh!*

High traffic on my blog - tips anyone?

HIGH TRAFFIC. This is an aim every blogger has - whether or not he really agrees to it. Only the ones with a private blog are exceptions). In order to achieve this, there are many different tips and tricks and I tried many of these in these 3 years of blogging. Let me recount what all did I try to do:

1. Write quality articles:
I tried doing it. There were aberrations depending on mood swings and others, however, overall I did try doing it. I also tried emphasizing on current affairs and those which will catch the attention of readers.

2. Be regular:
Every month, I wrote articles. Though it was not possible to post each day, yet, the counts were substantial.

3. Focus on a specific topic:
I did not do this, simply because as a person, I have varied interests and that persona got reflected onto my blog as well. So, one would find topics that are very close to my heart, very personal and also those which have been written mainly to drive awareness among the masses.

4. Have a blogroll:
I have one of the longest blogrolls in the blogosphere - which boasts of some of the most exciting writers.

5. You comment, I reply:
I always do that. There are hardly any posts which have not been replied to. If your post belongs to that category, I am sincerely sorry. Let me know, I shall surely reply.

6. Read others' blogs and comment regularly:
I do that regularly. That is why my blogroll has blogs sorted by 'most recently updated'! I support constructive and healthy commenting.

7. Got my blog listed in directories and submitted to search engines:
You would find Blah blah blah... listed in many blog directories all over the world surpassing regional and ethnic boundaries.

8. Have an attractive look and feel:
I think mine is not bad. What do you think?

9. Have Google index my pages:
I have done this as well.

10. Have a high page rank:

Frankly, I had managed to have a maximum of 1 (only! :( ) at one point of time. Today, it is zero! My Alexa rank is not too attractive either, but since Alexa counts visits from only those nodes where Alexa toolbar is installed, it may not be a very accurate measure of a blog's popularity.

And in spite of all of these, I am unhappy with my visitors' count. I am unhappy with the amount of distinct hits that I receive. I am sad because my efforts are not really bearing fruits.

Now, readers, question for you: Why is it so? Suggest me what can be done to increase my blog appeal, its attractiveness, its visitor count. Be specific. Mention, where there is scope for improvement. I am really looking forward to some constructive criticism.

Image reference: My blog stats from June 14 - July 14' 2009. (Google Analytics)

Bloggers Unite for Human Rights

Did your find yourself alone the other day? Did a toughie rough you up? Were you insulted at the office by a man? Did your boss pass lewd remarks for the low cut dress that you wore to office the other day? Do you feel insecure? And finally, DO YOU KNOW YOUR RIGHTS?
If you have any doubts, visit the wikipedia link here. It has an exhaustive account of what human rights are all about. The pity is: Only a very few people know their rights well, as a result of which, a vast majority is often taken for granted and exploited to the fullest.

I am not sure about the world, but if India is considered, the following are our fundamental rights [ I am sure, this applies to the world as well] Click on the individual links to have a full description.

1. Right to Equality
2. Right to Particular Freedom
3. Cultural and Educational Rights
4. Right to Freedom of Religion
5. Right Against Exploitation and
6. Right to Constitutional Remedies

All of these sound so rosy on paper, if only they had been administered strictly! Day in and day out, I see numerous incidents in the media crying out for justice, and yet, no one answers the call. The human rights organizations try their level best, but it seems they are cops without arms! Though there are few cases where they have been able to accomplish remedies to problems, there are critical ones involving big guns and then many-a-time, the activists are forced to play in their hands. Is there a way out of this? Difficult to say... The problem lies in the root, so the only way out is to make more and more people aware of it.

Finally, my message to all you people out there: Know your rights well. If necessary, fight for your rights. Do not discriminate based on any factors. Let talent and capability be the only criterion. Let there be no prejudices, no pre-conceived notions, no dearth of brotherhood!

Let us all work together hand in hand towards better earth, a better environment and a brighter future! May humanity be our only identity! May there be light!

Do you have views? Share wih me. You can also write for bloggersunite.

Life is strange!

I was in a hurry the other day. I had to catch the bus. It is irritable as daily, there are hundreds of people travelling through Kolkata in the local buses, which are mere corpses of what they had been in their younger days. Most of them bear resemblances to corrugated tin boxes on wheels, with the minimum wooden benches for support. 80% of the people stand while travelling. There is virtually no space as people huddle together. Unscrupulous elements try to take advantage of the 'pilchards in a tin can' factor by getting closer to women. Some unfortunate ones even get slapped in the process. The more fortunate ones have their way into their sleazy dreams of sweat and intimacy.



I am a mere journalist trying to make a mark in a famous Bengali daily. And when it should have been my objective to keep my mind fresh in these early hours, I was thinking about this and that. Shoo shoo... freshen up man! freshen up!

So, as I was waiting for the bus at the stand, I saw this old man come up to me. The man had wrinkled features and was quite lean and thin. He just came up and asked me, "Apnar kachhe ek takar coin hobe? amar kachhe change nei, please ektu dekhun na..." ("Do you have a one rupee coin with you? I do not have and need it urgently. Please..."). I took pity on the man and checked my wallet to find out exactly what he wanted and handed it over to him. Yes, there had been so many occasions when I had been deprived of these coins when I had needed them so much. In any case, it felt nice to have been able to help a needy man. I forgot the incident and went on with life.



After a few days...

One fine morning as I was going to catch the morning bus again, I saw the same old man. I tried to smile at him and thought he would recognize me, but he did not show any signs. I moved on. From a distance I tried to figure out what exactly he was up to. And again, he was there asking an elderly gentleman, "Sir, do you have a one rupee change? I am in dire need of it!" I decided that I would find out what he really did with these coins every day and decided to follow him secretly. As he started moving, I was at his heels. He finally stopped at a small pan shop and declared gallantly, "Hey, give me a cigar!" The shopkeeper obliged.

I thought, nice way to keep up with addictions (with others' money)!

LG says, "Life is beautiful". I said, "Life is strange" and moved away.

An idea gone wrong!

Did you see the recent Idea walk and talk ad? If not, have a look. Here it is on YouTube.



The ad basically features AB junior and insists on the fact that if we walk while talking on the cell phone, we would be able to burn our calories, since it would involve exercise!

But, I felt, this could well be a big blunder, precisely because now, if really people start following it, more and more people would actually use their mobiles and cell phones while on the go, on the street, in the market, in the highways and where not! I remember about a directive which said:
DO NOT USE YOUR MOBILE PHONES WHILE CROSSING THE ROAD and why only while crossing? If you ask me, cell phones and mobiles should not be used when you are on the road, simply because they detract you from probable alert symptoms. What if, there is a speeding truck at your back while you are busy strolling and talking with your sweet heart over the phone! Naturally, your ears would be deaf from the probable horn that the truck driver would blow at the last moment! Do you know what you are doing then? ...in the name of walking while talking? You are putting your life to a grave risk.

I have followed each of Idea's previous ads and have loved their concept and execution! But, I think they have got the latest one featuring Abhishek horribly wrong! What do you think readers?

Strawberry - come a little closer

The last few days were terrible. I can bet there were a very few people who were busier than what I was. What with all those trainings and seminars and preparations for a fun-league in office and of course the most important of all: work!

So, an amalgamation of all of these conspired ferociously to keep me out of the Blogosphere and nearly succeeded - only if the weekend had not been round the corner! :)

And therefore, I wish to make amends for all those posts which were never really written, but had been thought about, in those spare moments - which were so hard to get!

By now, you are confused, right? What with the picture of a ....? of a ...? yes, STRAWBERRY!!!

No, I am not a chef - nor do I intend to become one, until and unless I am really compelled to! This is not even a post intended to tell you about some delicious recipe or to let you know how strawberry is really beneficial (or otherwise) for our health! Rather this post is linked to the 'league' (remember, I mentioned it at the start? - 'fun-league in office').

So, in that league - there was the first round held yesterday! And it had dumb charades and pictionary events! Dumb charades went 'okay'. There were two guessers from each team and one enacted. My team did not do too well, but nevertheless we managed to get 2 out of 5 correct. [I wasn't playing in that round by the way]. Now, in the pictionary event, there was one sketcher and two guessers from each team. In our team, I was the sketcher and had to pick up a chit. Guess what! My chit contained 'STRAWBERRY'! Believe it or not, this is one fruit I am not very well accustomed to. I have had flavours of it on numerous occasions - be it chocolates or ice-creams, but never really, I felt the urge to know this fruit better! As a result of which I could not figure out how to draw it! :(

As I was left stranded thinking on the stage in front of that huge canvas with my team members waiting with a bated breath (and my opponents wishing for the worst), I suddenly remembered a faint snap where Penelope Cruz was biting into a strawberry with her eyes suggesting a thousand words! [This fruit denotes passion, for sure!] Now, I remembered the color and the texture! What about the shape! Was it oval or slightly conical or heart shaped - I could not figure! The time was running away - we had only one minute to complete this! I drew. No colors were allowed, so the color 'red' (so characteristic of the fruit) could not be depicted! And the guesses ranged from coconut to wafers to biscuits to grapes! Even when a chocolate was drawn beside it, people remembered chocolate [but not the 'strawberry' flavoured ones! :( ]. Finally the time was up and we had managed to score a big zero!

I was disappointed. I came back to my desk after the event and googled out the images of strawberry to see where I exactly lacked. *sigh*

One thing for sure: I am not forgetting strawberries for the rest of my life!

Image courtesy: http://www.saynotocrack.com/

Yey!!! Award!

Hey people
I have been awarded once more, this time by preposterous girl. Here it is:

It says, "International Bloggers Community". Ah yes, I am a part of it. And I am very thankful to Miss Preposterous for formally acknowledging that! :)

Every award comes with its rules and here they are:

• => Link the person who tagged you
• => Copy the image above, the rules and the questionnaire in this post(the easiest part) ;)
• => Post this in one or all of your blogs
• => Answer the four questions following these Rules
• => Recruit at least seven (7) friends on your Blog Roll by sharing this with them
• => Come back to BLoGGiSTa iNFo CoRNeR (PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS LINK) at http://bloggistame.blogspot.com/ and leave the URL of your Post in order for you/your Blog to be added to the Master List
• => Have Fun! (this one is a necessity! )
  
  Here are the replies:

# The person who tagged you: Preposterous Girl

# His/her site's title and url: some info on stuff you might like... @ http://preposterousgirl.blogspot.com/

# Date when you were tagged: July 9, 2009

# Persons you tagged: Here are my fab 8 this time... Please accept this, guys and gals! This is a small token of appreciation from my end to acknowledge how you have enlightened the blogosphere!

• Oorja
• Vimmu
• Indyeah
• Varun
• Verbal Fiend
• Hope
• Alice
• Nikhil
  

So, that's it and all! Thanks preposterous girl! Thanks for sharing!

New York - The movie

I saw the movie "New York" today. Yes, this is one movie worth seeing. The story line is engaging and the director Kabir Khan has been able to extract power-packed performances from all the actors. Irrfan Khan is very good, as usual. But I liked the performance of John Abraham. Katrina is gorgeous on screen and adapted to the role pretty well. Neil Nitin Mukesh is also very good - this guy would go a long way!

The most important reason why I liked the movie is: The vicious circle has been depicted really well. The plight of the South Asians in the States post 9/11 was miserable. And everyone was viewed with suspicion, whether or not he/she was really involved. And once you got inside, there was no escape at all. Terrorism cannot ever be supported under any circumstances. But while dealing with it, it is important to see that innocent people are not dragged into the muddle. But to the dismay of many, exactly that was done. Probably, as Irrfan's character (the FBI cop) said at one point of time, "Everyone was right in his positions". But, this created a mass dissatisfaction and disappointment - and probably ruined the lives of many.

The movie has depicted all of these really well. The emotion, the drama, the action - all have been a treat to the eye. Looks like this would be another Box Office hit. Go catch it in a theater near you and get back with the feedback!

Are you gay?

ALERT: *** MATURE CONTENT AHEAD***

Are you gay?
...I am not. If you are, then probably you are celebrating the recent Delhi High Court ruling in favor of you. But the verdict did not go down well with the religious leaders who have openly criticized the move and have issued statements banning the same and also referring to homosexuality as 'against the laws of nature'. Ah well, this had to happen.

The purpose of this post is not to support or not support the ruling, but to instigate a thought process among the readers regarding this. My question is: Is there a limit somewhere? Freedom of thought and expression is the order of the day. But does it never clash with the 'laws of nature'. My question is: How much is really permissible? Yes, one advantage of this ruling is: Definitely, there would be more awareness about AIDS. People who did not come out in the open for fear of stigma (or otherwise) would feel less deterred to come out now and speak about it. But, imagine the impact on the young toddlers. Take a look at the following conversation 10 years down the line among two kids aged 10 in school:

Ravi: Hi Dinesh. Did you fill up your parents names?
Dinesh: Yes, I did.
Ravi: Let me see. [After taking a look] Oh! wow.. Mr and Mr Saxena? Well, don't you have a mom? Both are dads?
Dinesh: Yes. They are married and are gay. See, I don't have a problem there. What's the issue!
Ravi: Oh come on! But Dinesh, is it really possible? Then we could be married as well! But I had heard, children come out only from women. So how did you take birth?
Dinesh:[thinking] I never thought about that. Okay, I shall ask them.

Well, this is going to happen, I tell you. Not so bad. Isn't it? What's wrong there? With artificial insemination and surrogate mothers, Dinesh had to arrive and he did. Now the impact on Ravi. See what he asks his dad after returning home.

Ravi's dad: Good evening Ravi.
Ravi: Good evening Dad.
Ravi's dad: So, how was you day in the school?
Ravi: It was good. Received chocolates from Chatterjee madam. And you know, I batted really well in the cricket game today, scoring 40 off just 25 balls.
Ravi's dad: That's great, son!
Ravi: [after a pause] Do you know Dinesh, dad?
Ravi's dad: Yes. That boy, who sits beside you? Tell me what's with him.
Ravi: [excited] You know both his parents are male!
Ravi's dad: [serious] How did you come to know about that?
Ravi: Dad, he was filling up a form today. Actually we all had to do. There I saw, he was writing Mr in both columns for parent names. I thought he had made a mistake and pointed it out. But he confirmed that his parents were gay.
Ravi's dad: Well.. son.. I don't think, you should sit with him. I would have a talk with your class teacher, if required.
Ravi: [sad expression] But why dad? He is the best friend of mine. And so helpful! The other day, he told me that he loves me.
Ravi's dad: [very angry] Shut up! If you talk about him again, I would give you a punch on your face! Do you understand me?
Ravi: [crying, leaves the room immediately]

My question to you, readers: Is Dinesh gay? Is Ravi gay?
Let me answer these myself. Probably not! But could be! Who knows!

Psychologists say, the gay behavior is implanted right from birth and cannot be implanted or influenced. The way a normal man sees (or thinks about) a woman, a gay man sees (and thinks about) another man in the same light. So, if Dinesh and Ravi are not inherently gay, you can expect them to lead a normal life.

But my point is: They are only 10 years old. A child is like a mould of clay. He/she takes the shape and size as per their surroundings, their environment. They have a very impressionable mind. So, if Dinesh notices 'everything' since his birth, it is quite possible that he may try to emulate his parents, although, inherently he may not have the qualities. About Ravi, well, he would probably be guided by his parents and would lead a normal life, until and unless, he has it in him inherently.

The situation is already complex. Think about it!