Dial 182 for RPF - will it work?

I came across a news article about dialing 182 for RPF. While I have no idea if this will actually work, I do appreciate the initiative.

In India, unfortunately, I have had bitter experience with RPF (Railway Protection Force) in the year 2000. The nightmares just were refreshed once I read about this news. I recall writing to a prominent daily about the incident as well, but it was not published. Not that I care, as I have this wonderful platform to reach out to the world.

So, it was 16 years back when this incident happened. My parents and I were traveling in Kanchenjunga Express traveling from Sealdah to Farakka. We were traveling in a chair car, reserved seats. The travel started well and we boarded on time. The journey was eventless till the train reached the Bardhaman station.

At the Bardhaman station, there was a sudden rush and many people entered our compartment. It was suddenly too crowded around us. Once the crowd thinned, we suddenly noticed that our main suitcase was gone from the overhead bin! Gone! Disappeared, without a trace! The moment we noticed it, my father and I ran frantically towards the exit trying to see who took it. The people around us did not even care. No one had noticed anything! (Of course!) I even saw few people smiling at our tragedy, which shocked me. One of them was a junior guy from the school where I studied. (I hope he has developed some sense of empathy in all these years. If he is still a moron, all the best to him.)

Anyway, we descended from the train and went to register a complaint with the RPF posted there.

When my father politely narrated the incident to them, their first question was - "Are you making this up?" We said - "No". Then we requested to have the complaint registered, to which they said, "There are no pages left in the complaint book. You have to bring a page and write it down." We got a page and then I asked for a pen. None of the officers had any pen. Would you believe that?

At this point, I am not sure how my father felt, but I was filled with a mix of myriad emotions ranging from anger, disbelief, sadness and anxiety! We understood pretty well that it would not work out as the people we were dealing with were potentially hands in gloves with the criminals.

Our thoughts transcended to the fact that my mother was sitting alone in the train crying her hearts out and the train could get started any moment. We decided to leave the matter and get back in the compartment.

I suddenly remembered the incident thinking if RPF has really changed. I am still filled with disbelief. I have seen the system. I did not like it. Have India progressed in 16 years? Really? Can someone confirm?

Well, 16 years on, dial 182 in case if you face any issues in an Indian train. Consider yourself lucky if someone responds.

Jai ho!

India... for the uninitiated - Part 1

Not that there is a dearth in number of articles on or around India and yet, sometimes it appears, the general population is not much aware of India as they are about some of the other prominent nations in the world. This article is a humble attempt at uncovering some of the mysteries surrounding India by someone like me, who has seen some of the best (and some of the worst) of both worlds!

This is the first part of a series of articles on India and her people.

So, are you some time planning to visit India and not sure what to expect? Let me start with some bullet points on what exactly you should not miss if you are travelling to India.


1. Architecture 

Do not miss the ancient architecture in various states. Some prominent ones are provided below:

Taj Mahal, Agra

Taj Mahal was built in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the remains of his cherished wife, the Taj Mahal stands on the southern bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, India. It remains one of the major wonders in the world and has inspired generations throughout history.

Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata

On the death of Queen Victoria in January 1901, Lord Curzon, who was then Viceroy of India, placed before the public the question of setting up a fitting memorial to the Queen. He suggested that the most suitable memorial would be a "stately", spacious, monumental and grand building surrounded by an exquisite garden.

The memorial houses a wonderful historical museum and visited by hundreds of people every day. Kolkata, as a city, is well known as the place where the Victoria Memorial is situated.

Konark Sun Temple

Sun Temple of Konark, built in the middle of 13th century, is a massive conception of artistic magnificence and engineering dexterity. King Narasimhadeva I, the great ruler of the Ganga dynasty had built this temple, with the help of 1200 artisans within a period of 12 years (1243-1255 A.D.). Since the ruler used to worship the Sun, the temple was considered as a chariot for the Sun God. Konark Temple was designed in the form of a gorgeously decorated chariot mounted on 24 wheels , each about 10 feet in diameter, and drawn by 7 mighty horses.

The temple at Khajuraho

The temple of Khajuraho is well known for the architectural marvel as well as for many figures inscribed throughtout the architecture - with exquisite details.

Most Khajuraho temples were built between 950 and 1050 CE by the Chandela dynasty.

Mahabodhi Temple

Quoting UNESCO:

The Mahabodhi Temple Complex is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha, and particularly to the attainment of Enlightenment. The first temple was built by Emperor Asoka in the 3rd century B.C., and the present temple dates from the 5th or 6th centuries. It is one of the earliest Buddhist temples built entirely in brick, still standing in India, from the late Gupta period.

While there are hundreds of other architectural marvels to look forward to, this article is merely a first part of a series on India and the others will be covered in due course of time.

2. Culture of India

India is a land as diverse as you can imagine. Here are a few facts for your reference:

As per this Reuters article, India speaks 780 languages, although 220 were lost in the last 50 years!

Here are some details:

Official languages: Hindi, English as per Official Languages Act, 1963.

Other prominent regional languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Maithili, Bhilli, Santali, Kashmiri, Nepali, Gondi, Sindhi, Konkani, Dogri, Khandesi, Kurukh, Tulu, Manipuri, Bodo, Khasi, Mundari, Ho

Although with westernization majority of India (in cities) can be seen in casual wear much like the West, traditional wear is very popular as well. Have a look at some of the regional costumes in India.

Bengali:

Punjabi 

Telugu

Gujarati

Kashmiri

Manipuri

Marathi

Tamil

Rajasthani

A kid dancing in traditional attire during a festival in Mewar

There are many many other costumes based on regional identities but since this is just the first part, I shall move on.

3. Food

Indian food is popular throughout the world and each region produces some of the best cuisines you can think of. While it is not possible to include every food here in this article. I shall try to place some of my favorites here and hopefully you get a chance to taste each one. Do not forget to let me know how you liked them.

Snacks / Starters

Samosa - Samosa is a triangular kind of snack that can be either veg or non-veg. It is stuffed inside with tasty spicy fillings while the crust is hardened through deep fry.

Vegetable chop / Egg cutlet: I am covering both with one picture as they both might look similar, but tastes different. Vegetable chop is created mainly with a filling of carrot cooked in spices with a crust created with bread crumbs, flour etc. and fried. Egg cutlet contains an egg filling along with filling of vegetables.

Medu vada: This is a traditional south Indian snack.

Pakoda: Pakoda can be of several kinds and I cannot pick one. They are all delicious. Can be created out of onion, paneer, chicken, mutton, bread, potato, chillies, tomatoes, spinach - well literally anything you can think of! 

Main course

Fried Rice: Various ways of preparing it, can be veg as well as non-veg but delicious always

Alu paratha: Delcious to the core. Stuffed with potatoes ('alu' in hindu) fried with a soft crust of flour. Sorry I do not know how to prepare this, only know how to eat. :P

Masala dosa: A south Indian dish - very tasty. It may look like 'paratha' but it is not. It is what it is: delicious dosa!

Biryani: My favorite is the Hyderabadi dum biryani. Based on regions in India flavors and ingredients vary. For example in Kolkata you will also find potato in Biryani (which I like a lot)

Side dishes

Mutton kosha: This is more of a Bengali delicacy, prepared with goat meat. Those who eat this will be ready to forego any other dishes on that day! Thats how popular it is!

Bhapa ilish: If you love fish and know that ilish (also hilsha; scientific name: Tenualosa ilisha ) is the queen of fishes. Found mainly in the fresh water rivers. This is again a bengali delicacy and if someone can challenge mutton kosha above as the most preferred Bengali dish then this is it ! If you are interested here is the recipe. But remember this fish even after cooked has a million micro-bones. Bengalees have somehow learnt to eat fish from cats (joking) so they don't mind!

Paneer butter masala: Tasty Indian cheese curry prepared with butter. This can be mouth-watering!

...TO BE CONTINUED

Well, there are a million other dishes and a milion other stuff to discuss about India and her people, but you will have to wait for part 2 of "India... for the uninitiated". Till then, adieu !

List of references and sources used in this article:

• http://www-tc.pbs.org/thestoryofindia/images/gallery/taj_mahal_main.jpg
• http://www.history.com/topics/taj-mahal
• http://www.itchotels.in/Hotels/images/victoria-memoria-2.jpg
• http://www.victoriamemorial-cal.org/history.html
• http://www.easydestination.net/Konark.jpg
• http://www.thekonark.in
• http://nirvanadmc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/The-world-famous-temple-of-Khajuraho-India.jpg
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khajuraho_Group_of_Monuments
• http://www.walkthroughindia.com/attraction/10-most-famous-historical-monuments-of-india/
• http://www.7wonders.org/images/asia/india/mahabodhi-temple/mahabodhi-temple.jpg
• https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/47/b2/54/47b254581ec339ba083b08dd0dd463af.jpg
• http://im.hunt.in/cg/Andhra/About/Profile/Culture/Telugu-Attire.jpg
• http://i0.wp.com/www.thelovelyplanet.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/A_Kashmiri_couple.jpg
• http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01765/DE22_PAGE_3_C_G_DE_1765234f.jpg
• http://www.indianetzone.com/photos_gallery/49/Costumes_of_Tamil_Nadu.jpg
• http://www.corbisimages.com/images/Corbis-42-23995147.jpg?size=67&uid=d10a7ccd-ec56-483c-ba66-c926dd312f2e
• http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iIVJN0Yz1Y0/maxresdefault.jpg
• https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ba/b8/f6/bab8f6309e6a0499821461364253e169.jpg
• http://www.tejifoods.com/teji/images/stories/biryani1.jpg
• www.google.com

DISCLAIMER: NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENTS INTENDED. SOURCES HAVE BEEN SPECIFIED. THE CURRENT WORK HAS BEEN CREATED FOR NON-COMMERCIAL PURPOSES WITH AN INTENT TO ONLY ENLIGHTEN THE READERS.  IN CASE OF ANY CONCERN, KINDLY CONTACT THE BLOG AUTHOR ON THE 'ABOUT ME' PAGE OF THIS BLOG.

Education - the past and the present

Hello everyone, I am here with yet another blog post and this time the topic is rather vast and difficult, if I may say.

So, let me start with this famous quote from Swami Vivekananda - "Education is the manifestation for perfection already in man."

The great philosopher from India assumes that perfection is inherent to mankind and just remains to be realized. This realization is brought about by proper education.

Now, one would think - How different this is from the education an average Indian receives today. Is it just about degrees and diplomas and placements? Where did knowledge go? Without knowledge how self-realization is even possible, let alone perfection.

No, the intent of this article is not to impart philosophical gyan to my esteemed readers. I am aware that most, if not all, of you are immensely knowledgeable, so my humble article does not intend to influence you in any manner.

However, my observation has been - the mode of education is changing thick and fast. I shall try to focus a little bit about education in pre-historic India and then gradually move to modern times.

Prehistoric education [Vedic age - 1500 BC – 500 BC]

We learn from Brittanica that in those days education mainly aimed to "guide children to becoming good members of their tribe or band."

The Brittanica article is immensely informative, so readers are advised to certainly take a look. I shall focus a bit on India here. Well, owing to caste system and division of labor in ancient India, only the brahmins were allowed to study as per Gurukul pratha. [I shall not discuss caste system in this article which has been long abolished in India.]

Gurukul System

Per Brittanica -

The boy would leave his father’s house and enter his preceptor’s ashrama, a home situated amid sylvan surroundings. The acarya would treat him as his own child, give him free education, and not charge anything for his boarding and lodging. The pupil had to tend the sacrificial fires, do the household work of his preceptor, and look after his cattle.
The study at this stage consisted of the recitation of the Vedic mantras (“hymns”) and the auxiliary sciences—phonetics, the rules for the performance of the sacrifices, grammar, astronomy, prosody, and etymology. The character of education, however, differed according to the needs of the caste. For a child of the priestly class, there was a definite syllabus of studies. The trayi-vidya, or the knowledge of the three Vedas—the most ancient of Hindu scriptures—was obligatory for him. During the whole course at school, as at college, the student had to observe brahmacharya—that is, wearing simple dress, living on plain food, using a hard bed, and leading a celibate life.
The period of studentship normally extended to 12 years. For those who wanted to continue their studies, there was no age limit. After finishing their education at an ashrama, they would join a higher centre of learning or a university presided over by a kulapati (a founder of a school of thought). Advanced students would also improve their knowledge by taking part in philosophical discussions at a parisad, or “academy.” Education was not denied to women, but normally girls were instructed at home.
The method of instruction differed according to the nature of the subject. The first duty of the student was to memorize the particular Veda of his school, with special emphasis placed on correct pronunciation. In the study of such literary subjects as law, logic, rituals, and prosody, comprehension played a very important role. A third method was the use of parables, which were employed in the personal spiritual teaching relating to the Upanishads, or conclusion of the Vedas. In higher learning, such as in the teaching of Dharma-shastra (“Righteousness Science”), the most popular and useful method was catechism—the pupil asking questions and the teacher discoursing at length on the topics referred to him. Memorization, however, played the greatest role.

Classical period [4th Century CE - 8th Century CE]

Per Brittanica -

The 500 years from the 4th century ce to the close of the 8th, under the Guptas and Harsha and their successors, is a remarkable period in Indian history. It was the age of the universities of Nalanda and Valabhi and of the rise of Indian sciences, mathematics, and astronomy. The university at Nalanda housed a population of several thousand teachers and students, who were maintained out of the revenues from more than 100 villages. Because of its fame, Nalanda attracted students from abroad, but the admission test was so strict that only two or three out of 10 attained admission. More than 1,500 teachers discussed more than 100 different dissertations every day. These covered the Vedas, logic, grammar, Buddhist and Hindu philosophy (Sankhya, Nyaya, and so on), astronomy, and medicine. Other great centres of Buddhist learning of the post-Gupta era were Vikramashila, Odantapuri, and Jagaddala. The achievements in science were no less significant. Aryabhata in the late 5th century was the greatest mathematician of his age. He introduced the concepts of zero and decimals. Varahamihira of the Gupta age was a profound scholar of all the sciences and arts, from botany to astronomy and from military science to civil engineering. There was also considerable development of the medical sciences. According to contemporaries, more than eight branches of medical science, including surgery and pediatrics, were practiced by the physicians.
These were the main developments in education prior to the Muslim invasions, beginning in the 10th century. Nearly every village had its schoolmaster, who was supported from local contributions. The Hindu schools of learning, known as pathasalas in western India and tol in Bengal, were conducted by Brahman acaryas at their residence. Each imparted instruction in an advanced branch of learning and had a student enrollment of not more than 30. Larger or smaller establishments, specially endowed by rajas and other donors for the promotion of learning, also grew in number. The usual centres of learning were either the king’s capital, such as Kanauj, Dhar, Mithila, or Ujjayini, or a holy place, such as Varanasi, Ayodhya, Kanchi, or Nasik. In addition to Buddhist viharas (monasteries), there sprang up Hindu mathas (monks’ residences) and temple colleges in different parts of the country. There were also agrahara villages, which were given in charity to the colonies of learned Brahmans in order to enable them to discharge their scriptural duties, including teaching. Girls were usually educated at home, and vocational education was imparted through a system of apprenticeship.

Ruins of Nalanda University

*** Please note that the world famous centre of learning Nalanda university was demolished by Bakhtiyar Khilji, a Turkic chieftain around 1200 CE, but thankfully has been re-opened in 2012 with help from international bodies. ***

Now, let me skip the middle portion. Assume that I ride a time machine, have a long journey, a real comfortable sleep and land directly in 2015.

Education today

As per 2012-2013 statistics,
There are 700 degree granting institutions and 35,500 affiliate colleges in India which provide full-time, part-time as well as distance education.

The new trend

Now the trend that I have been noticing is - with the advent of internet, gradually online education is becoming popular. Welcome to virtual education, they say. Now, these do not offer degrees or diplomas. They may or may not even provide certificates. But some salient points about these options are -

• You study at your own pace, unless there is a homework to submit
• You receive world-class education from renowned universities from the confines of your home.
• The credibility of some of these facilitators like EDX, Coursera, Khan Academy, Udemy, Codecademy etc. etc. is gradually being recognized even by various organizations. 
• Many of the top-notch universities are also providing these programmes directly.
• You have to go through the drill. The focus is not on memorizing sentences but on grasping concepts and applying them to real-world situations. The knowledge quotient is high.

So, now, dear readers - Did you ever take such a course? Would like to know your experiences and how it helped you in your career.

Conclusion

Education has evolved a lot over the years - specially, the focus and the importance of subjects of study. One thing, that however has remained unchanged is the importance of knowledge and the way students can apply it in real world situations. The evaluation techniques are also evolving with many courses allowing open book tests. The main focus seem to be on skill building and application of skills acquired. The mode is immaterial, more informal and should I say, smart. Even grading techniques have changed a lot. It remains to be seen how this can evolve further. Hopefully, the purpose of education will continue to stay the same - "...to drive the manifestation for perfection already in man. "


PS. The views expressed in this article are my own and may not reflect the thoughts of the organization I work for. All feedback appreciated.




Image sources - 
http://comps.canstockphoto.com/can-stock-photo_csp19320315.jpg
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/class-room-under-banyan-tree-3478088.jpg
https://nalandauniversity.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/nalanda_university.jpg

India - Media reporting and repercussions

There are two distinct parts of India as we see today -

one that dreams of becoming a superpower some day, one where the daughter of an auto rickshaw driver secures first rank in one of the most coveted exams, that of the CA, one where we proudly see some sort of slow and staggered development, one where analysts still maintain that we have a chance of surpassing many of the biggest economies of the world by 2050....

And there is another part of India that consists of separatists, losers, sex maniacs who are hellbent on deriving the pleasures of the moment with no regard whatsoever for the dignity of individuals or unity and integrity of the nation. UNFORTUNATELY, not many people know the name of the girl who topped the CA exams, but ask anyone - "Who raped the girl in Delhi?"... everyone knows!

THIS IS THE PROBLEM we have! We are making our villains famous and forgetting our heroes! When the US gun fire incidents occurred recently, Morgan Freeman had an interesting take. He said that we are making a sad nobody famous by flashing his names everywhere. Not many people know the name of the teacher who hid her students and saved them from the gunman! But everyone knows that gunman! Same with our media. They are hellbent on sensationalizing news and deriving more viewership. A news on rape probably grabs eyeballs right away, but a news on a patented invention by a certain IITian may be ignored by an average reader. At least that's what our media houses think!

That is something that even APJ Abdul Kalam mentioned in one of his speeches. This is what he said -

Why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why? We are the first in milk production. We are number one in Remote sensing satellites. We are the second largest producer of wheat. We are the second largest producer of rice. Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.

And we are also falling into the same trap someway or the other. Negativity has its own blunt force, a ripple effect. It brings out more negativity. The Delhi rape and all repurcussions after it - candle light vigils, protests unfortunately did nothing to stop the brutal acts. WHY? Because, people who actually did it felt immortalized! People who have no potential of becoming heroes would rather become villains and be famous nationwide than live their whole lives like a loser and die like a sad "no body"! I do not say that is what they think before committing crimes, but that, definitely is one of the driving factors.

How about this?

Let our media report all incidents, but not flash the name of the criminal. Let the victim only be immortalized and the names of the criminals as well as all details about them be hidden, made classified information. If a Times of India article prints 3 bad news articles on the front page, let it also print 5 good news articles on the front page itself and not move to page 5 or 6. 

We do need positive vibes!

And friends... lets not feel ashamed of being an Indian due to all of these saddistic incidents.

We do have a collective responsibilty to rectify the situation! 

Let me become an audiophile for a moment and do some filtering on the "sound"... amplify the "purest of notes" and minimize the "noise." Keep doing it, till the "noise" causing elements feel demotivated and stop creating "noise" altogether! 

No, we do need all criminals to be punished, but lets not give them any sort of limelight and media attention. Trust me, they do not deserve it!

Life here and the life there...

Life goes on...

I just wonder why everything is reverse out here.

List of things that are reverse (ultaa):

1. The chauffeur's seat is on the left side in a car.

2. The zip of jackets are attached to the right.

3. The switches get turned on in the reverse direction.

4. The plug sockets and pins are of a different kind altogether which ensures that gadgets bought here have to have a converter for them to work properly there.

5. These people need to save day light and all, which means that the difference between IST (Indian Standard Time) and EST(Eastern Standard Time) which was 9.5 hours till November mid, is now 10.5 hours. This will continue till around March next year.

However, I am really happy with the courtesy sense of people in general. Whoever, you meet, never mind you know or not, will greet you with a smiling face and say "Hi", "Hello". This really leaves you with a happy state of mind and you never feel that you are an alien.

Onsite life isn't easy by any stretch of imagination. You are in charge of your own life and be assured, your sense of responsibility will be thoroughly tested. If you have a tendency to be lethargic, all I can say is "Best of luck", coz., then only luck can save you.

I came to know after coming here, why USA is considered to be a developed nation while India (in spite of being a nation to watch out for) still has miles to go.

Let me jot down few of the points:

1. Work Ethics - People are not really bothered by what you wear. You do not need a costly suit to show that you work. But what matters is - how efficiently you work and how dedicated you are. No one knows the definition of a strike. Work needs to be done and that's it. Full stop. Time management is vital.

I wonder in India, when will people understand the importance of this. We still hear - strikes being called - no one knows why! Does it really make an impact? Ambulances are still being smashed. Office windows are being broken. Doctors are taken out of their vehicles and beaten up only because they wished to attend the need of an ailing patient on the day of strike!

Our so called 'leaders' - excuse me, I call them 'dealers'... most of them are pure illiterates, with scant regard for the common mass.

logon ko burbak banaye rakhne mein hi bhalayi hai -- their motto! And man power available for cheap. Throw cash, hire goons, buy power. Simple, eh?

2. Discipline - Law is a law - not meant to be broken. But, when breaking law is fashion, who can help! Burning buses, mob lynching, burning the national flag... we do have a long way to go. People respect law and order here, and there are far fewer mishaps and vandalism. Police is feared. I do not say, there is no corruption. Everywhere, there is.... But the extent of corruption is far lesser, which is why the whole system is far more organized. The only catch is -- too much system dependency sometimes come in the way of common sense.

3. Population - This should have been the first point. Hum do, humare do... is still not working for a humongous part of the population. The result - geometric growth of population. Add to that - the growth of illegal immigrants. Whatever be the GDP growth, every penny is being eaten up. USA does have stringent immigrant rules and they DO implement them properly. Not so in India. Bangladesh, Nepal especially have extremely porous borders - not to mention Pakistan and China.

4. Education - Let me give a simple example. If you go to a Big Bazaar or City Center in India, or any of the shopping malls, go to any section and start looking for items. In no time, you would see a sales 'associate' appearing from nowhere. Even if you don't ask for help, he or she will continue to notice your every movement. Come on, are we all kleptomaniacs? Besides, this is so disrespectful. However, it happens only in India. The reason.... mishaps happen, things are stolen. Remember? ...breaking law is the fashion. So, normal people bear the brunt of a few miscreants. Not so in the US. You are left alone. Do whatever shopping you want. They do have technology (read spy cams) to take care of the monitoring part. But at least, it is not disrespectful. The trust is very much there. Now, why did I write all of these under Education... because education alone instills moral values. When you have moral values, when you know - snatching and stealing things is immoral, everything has a value and needs to be paid, these things do not occur. I don't care - how many million graduates pass out every year. What I wish to see is - those disrespectful glances should not hinder me, when I am trying to decide which shirt would fit me better. Way to go.......

Back to onsite life. The good part is - I can cook confidently now! So, you won't understand how happy that makes me feel. I always felt handicapped, when my friends used to boast of their culinary abilities. I can confidently match them now. :P

However, all said.... do I miss my country? Oh yes, I definitely do...

Give India !!

When was the last time you provided food to an orphan?
When was the last time you gave clothes to a beggar?
When was the last time you fed ailing babies on the streets?

Well, the volley of questions above was not to baffle you, neither is in a bid to write something off-beat! Rather, the aim is to turn the attention towards something we forget while running through our daily chores - CHARITY! We forget that we, indeed, are more fortunate than many others. At least, we do not need to think about two square meals a day, a shelter over our heads, pieces of clothes to keep us warm in times of chilling winter. But believe me, there are people in this world who struggle for these BASIC necessities. Pity, we cruise through our fashionable clothes donning sunglasses ad what not! We feel overawed by a guy who just bought a brand new car, wishing, "Oh! I could not achieve that!". It is really good when we look up, strive for betterment, strive to achieve bigger goals. But, in a bid to do all of these, we often forget those people, who also had a dream - who dreamt for a shelter, a bowl of rice... those children, we couldn't care less about, still work in the roadside dhabas - to hell with the child labor laws and all - who cares! Yet, we never protest! Even, myself, the self proclaimed blogger and writer - I write, yet do not have enough capability to drag that child out of that damned dhaba and give him some food and water.

The question is - how much can we really do! Readers may argue - "We are busy with our jobs" "Careers take away most of the precious times" "But how can we help?"
Exactly so - I was indeed waiting for that last question. How can you help! Well, I just received a mailer from Indiblogger to write blogs for the cause of charity and I thought - why not!

Here is what needs to be done.
1. Visit the Give India page. What is Give India?

"What is GiveIndia?

GiveIndia is a NGO that raises funds for the poorest of the poor in India by helping you donate money to 200+ trustworthy charities. All NGOs on GiveIndia have been screened for transparency and credibility."


Please go to this page. Here is the url in case the click does not work.
http://www.giveindia.org/default.aspx
2. Register to the site. Go through the links. You would find plenty of Indian NGOs associated.
3. Login and find the links to donate. Options include getting an amount deducted from the payroll every month through your company payroll. Several companies are listed there which could be found in the drop down menu.
Last but not the least, this donation for charity comes under the purview of Income Tax benefits under section 80G (50% tax benefit). Yes, you would receive receipts.

Friends, let us come together! Say YES to charity! We would earn lots, but donation towards needy ones would really go a long way in putting a smile on some of these faces.

The Fat regime!

I was browsing my Igoogle page for the daily updates this morning and decided to add a new frame - guess what! The Fat Loss window! However, I am pissed off on seeing the tips! Whatever I love to gorge on are a strict NO NO! It's something like window shopping that I am doing right now - seeing the tips, appreciating it wholeheartedly, however I am apprehensive about trying them out.
Indian cuisine as such is very spicy and when we consider the subset Bengali cuisine which I am so fond of, things get hotter and spicier. Take the instance of the simply 'machher jhol' or fish curry in English. My mom is an artist when she cooks it for me. But take my word, it is spicy! Indian restaurants worldwide are a favorite destination for people from almost every nationality. However, many of them are either run by a Pakistani or SriLankan. Of course, food, in this part of the world is almost the same. Yet the name is in favor of "Indian" cuisine.
In a bid not to divert from the topic, today's tip in Igoogle tells me:
"No carbs after 9 p.m. Eat no bread, cereal, or pasta until morning. Extra carbs eaten at night often convert to fat."
Ironically, we follow sort of a reverse order. Our breakfast is the most light and this is the order.
BreakfastLunch>Dinner
We should have a heavy breakfast, then the body is able to burn out the calories gained during the entire day of movement. When we have a heavy dinner, and go to sleep immediately or sometime later, our body hardly gets the chance of burning down the calories, instead they get absorbed into the body and turn into fat.
With an work culture, such as mine, I hardly ever get a chance to exercise apart from the regular 20 minutes of walk that I do daily while getting back to home. Ahh.. I should not give an excuse, but really, that's the way things stand at the moment.

Calcutta mood - Winter!

Finally, it is that time of the year - the Christmas, the New Year... festival time! Holidays!
Yeah, I know, many of you are gearing up for this season. Even Kolkata is getting ready for the "silent night, holy night...". Cakes and pastries are already out - luring people like me! :P (just in case you did not know, I love cakes).

In addition to these, there are Christmas trees, decorative lights, stars. Kolkata is an emotional city. People were mad with excitement when Maradona (with the 'hand of God' fame) arrived in the city. They cried when celebs like Princess Diana or the Pop Superstar Michael Jackson left this world. The same city did not care to have a single look at the badly injured guy who was left to his fate at night near the VIP Road. They embraced the kindness of Mother Terresa (she was an angel, really!). But they also burnt the Eden Gardens stadium when India lost a test cricket match against Pakistan. Every emotion, every mood is on display. People show what they love and they show what they hate! Strong display... nothing hush hush..

But then, no city is perfect! Kolkata is not! And yet... it is the city of hope, city of dreams.. or the "city of Joy" (as is more popularly known). I even loved the name Calcutta. Kolkata is bong, but Calcutta sounded smart! :P [But guys, please don't say Kolkotta/Kolkatta, that is nether here, nor there]... oops I don't want to sound like that authoritarian guy.. what's his name! Oh I forgot! He is not in the news nowadays! [till he decides to create a new controversy]... Forget it friends, as Shakespeare said, "What's in a name!"

So, the celebrations have begun! Although there is a strong indication that the weather would betray the mood! With temperatures hovering on and around 19-25 degree Celsius, it sometimes seems tough to believe that the season is "winter"! In any case, people would still wear jackets, well, even with the chances of perspiration! Farmville fields would still be covered with snow, even for the users from Kolkata! Hey it's winter, man!! (at least going by the calendar).. So, time for celebrations!!!

And also another year almost comes to an end. 2009 was significant for me, for us, for India and also for the world in many ways. 2010 should be interesting as well! I would shortly come up with the pros and cons of the year 2009 and new resolutions for the new year! New hopes... new expectations... new dreams... new realizations...

Until next time......................



Image source: http://video.ilovekolkata.in/seyretfiles/uploads/thumbnails/user_62/santa_3612.jpg

Are we heading towards the dark ages?

My office was attacked by hooligans of the Bloody Jammers' Party today during the 12 hour strike!
Do we have any hope of a secure future?
Read the article here. You decide!
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Politics/Nation/BJPs-Bengal-strike-gets-partial-response-activists-run-amok/articleshow/5284933.cms

You are lucky you are only reading it. My friends faced it!

Sample these:
1) A doctor going to a hospital was not spared the agony. His car was badly damaged and he was verbally abused with the choicest of slang.
2) The DLF building (which houses my office) was attacked by bloody hooligans! Employees were not allowed to get in, even when they stressed the importance of the kind of work we do.. involving 24*7 support. Never before had the IT industry come under such an attack! Think about the kind of impression it gives to our prospective clients!
3) Patients being taken to the hospital were checked thoroughly. They almost had a 'pre-health' checkup in the hands of uneducated, brute, 'lathi' wielding 'doctors', prior to the actual medical checkup.
4) School buses were emptied of children and burnt.

At the end of the day, one of the leaders proudly announced on TV..."Ah... it was a successful strike.." So true. Isn't it?

Are we heading towards the dark ages? I am tired of criticizing politicians... Come on, someone give me a break!

A strike is supposed to be a tool to gauge voluntary people support on a particular issue. But here we saw petty hooliganism by criminals and musclemen, with no regard whatsoever for anyone. In a democratic country like ours, this sort of force and display of muscle power cannot and should not be supported.

Jago India, jago...
Rise India, rise...

Where is Peace?

One year on... remember?
Of course you remember, on this day, one year back, Mumbai was torn apart with violence, hatred, bloodshed. Today Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist captured alive is still grinning inside his cell of his, toggling between a volley of statements and enjoying the loopholes of law and order. As per unofficial estimates, an amount in excess of 31 crore Indian rupees have already been wasted on his trial!! If you ask me Ajmal will face one of the following:
1) A death after 30 years owing to old age and natural causes.
2) An escape to Pakistan, like the way Maulana Masud Azhar escaped after the Kandahar hijack!
...worst, by that time, we would have lost many more crores while facilitating his survival!

Everyone is preparing evidences against everyone. And once one set is published, another set is prepared. Years lost in preparing evidences. What about the sufferers?

None is really bothered. Innocent lives are being lost in a hurry.

Babri - Mumbai (1992) - Godhra - Gujarat - Kandahar - Kargil - Parliament - 26/11 Mumbai(2008)

...not in chronological order

Were any of these really required?

What did we gain out of these? Satisfied our bloody egos? My religion is bigger than you or vice versa? - oh really?

Pakistan and India - these two nations badly need money in order to uplift the economically backward classes and see, what we are indulging in! More and more money invested in military, in arms and ammunition...

Friends, I am an Indian. But I strongly believe there can be a solution to the historical 'problem', but somewhere the ego should be left aside! We have seen enough blood, enough dead bodies... please... we do not want to see more...

I do not understand politics. It is something that I have not specialized in. But I dislike violence. Probably, I can handle the computer games like Quake3 Arena, but only till that! Never ever in reality.

Think... why do people kill each other? What is the ulterior motive? The day we die, our souls will part our bodies. No gold, no riches, no money, no relationships will ever stay except our deeds. Our deeds will indeed stay.

Friends, never ever be remembered for a bad reason. A terrorist will not be remembered for the "fidayen".... though wrongly motivated people may think so. He will be remembered as a killer... a person who took away a baby from a wailing mother, a wife from a loving husband, a mother from a 8 year old daughter.....

And why did he do it? From a terrorists' perspective? For revenge? An eye for an eye... leaving the world blind? Blind, we are... blind are the politicians... blind is our ego... So what is the difference of a savage animal with a human being! Why do we educate ourselves? Why do we read religious scriptures? Do they teach us to ill-treat our fellow human beings? Do they teach us to beat them up?

No... I am not supporting any religion here. But yes, I do have a religion. Everyone does. But the point is we should be adaptable to others. A sin committed by a group of individuals should not be taken as that committed by the community. Am I making sense?

Temples, Mosques, Churches, Gurdwaras are all holy places. We should respect each of them. All are paths to the God - the almighty. We as children, were always taught the same as per Indian customs. But there are bloody politicians who ruined these holy thoughts.

See the result. We fight and nations who produce ammunition are laughing their way to their bank balances. Naturally... who are their customers? We... India and Pakistan!!

Kasab - a mere pawn in the whole game! The sad part is, he still has no remorse for what he did.

And finally, the personnel who laid down their lives in the service of their motherland, performing their duty... my salutes to them.. or else the attack could have taken the lives of many more!

But... is 26/11/2009 much different from 26/11/2008?

Before I end this post, listen to this song from the Colonial Cousins album, sung by Hariharan and Leslie Lewis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0gDqUvceCY





Here is the lyrics:

Krishna Ni Bhe Gha-Ni, Baroo !
Krishna Ni Bhe Gha-Ni, Baroo !

Darkness coming around,
And every body fight with the brother
Every body wants control,
Don't hesitate to kill one-another

So come back as Jesus
Come back and save the world
Bless all the future of every boy and girl
Come back as Rama,
Forgive us for what we've done
Come back as Allah,
Come back as anyone


Religion is the reason,
The world is breaking up into pieces
Colour of the people,
Keeps us locked in hate please release us

So Come down and help us,
Save all the little ones
They need a teacher,
And you are the only one
We can't rely on,
To build a better world
A world that's for children,
A world that's for everyone



Time is healer, and time moves on
Time don't wait for any one
So, Tell me you'll be back
But that will take some time
I m waiting aaa I m waiting ,wating
I m waiting

I'm waiting, yeah yeah

Come back as Jesus
Come back and save the world
We need a teacher,
and You are the only one
Come back as Rama
Forgive us for what we've done
Come back as Allah
Come back for every one

Krishna Ni Bhe Gha-Ni, Baroo
Krishna Ni Bhe Gha-Ni, Baroo

Come back as Jesus
Come back and save the world
Bless all the future
OF every boy and gal

Come back as Rama
Forgive us for what we've done
Come back as Allah
Come back for every one

Govinda bolo hari Gopala bolo
Govinda bolo hari Gopala bolo
Govinda bolo hari Gopala bolo

AMAZING... ISN'T IT?


Image source: http://naturaloilcandles.com
Reference: http://www.lyricsmasti.com

The silence before...

Have a look at the article below:
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091124/jsp/sports/story_11778161.jsp

I am sad... very sad... why?

Am I sad because the iconic Sachin Tendulkar did not get any support from BCCI?
Am I sad because the separatist elements are looming large in this country?
Am I sad because the way the fundamental rights of freedom of expression, the right to free speech is being curtailed???

Come on... we are living in free India!!

UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL!!

My question to you Indians, how can a group of men rule over millions? Voice your disgust!! Show your discomfort!

The last day I spoke to a friend of mine and she did not take the name as well. As if Lord Voldemort of Harry Potter fame (he who must not be named!!!).... so invincible?

I ask you people: When? When will this end?

I urge you Indians: Defeat the separatists!! These are more dangerous than the terrorists!! They can cause irreparable damage to our motherland!!

Mumbaikars: I understand many of you may be secret admirers of the "God", but take my word, all of these are for petty political gains. The day his ambitions are met, you will all bear the brunt. Believe in yourself, in your abilities, in your talents. No talent goes unrecognized. Compete and show everyone what you can do! Regional political parties have no hope of making a mark in this country until and unless they play the 'region' card. Our forefathers made a gross mistake by allowing infinite number of political parties to be floated. If you have Rs 500, you are eligible to stand in elections!!

And thus, these formed.

But friends, think about it! All of these can change! The power of the people is infinite, boundless! Show your power. Voice your opinions! In every blog, in every newspaper, in every nook and corner of this country, let the opinions flow freely.

Show the tricolor of India - the country of unity in diversity, the country which is home to people of every nationality, the largest English speaking nation.

Friends and fellow Indians - We can do it! Can't we?



PS. These are my personal views and by the universal Human Right of Freedom of Expression, I have every right to voice my opinions. If you have other views, feel free to share.

Image source: http://www.cricfield.com

Subho Bijoya - belated

Hi friends

It was a period of silence. But then, what is light without darkness! What is success without failures! What is vibrancy without silence! Never mind, even if the words seem a bit out of place, the meaning is clear - isn't it?

I had a good time by the way. The 4 days of Durga Puja in Kolkata just came and went by. The days, henceforth referred to me as Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dasami were the most enjoyable for me. Lots of pandal hopping, so many prayers to the divine Mother, lots of junk food, adda, hanging out with friends, with family. It was pure fun.

People who have never seen Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata, I invite you to my city during the Pujas. I assure you guys - Fun and frolic cannot be any better than during this time of the year. If you are the type, who would rather have a few pegs of Vodka, feel free to do so, with so many bars open. However, mind it - you would be truly mesmerized with your senses on. I clicked some photos with my family. Here they are. Check them out guys (slide show on the right hand pane). I am sure, you would love every bit, as much as I did while capturing the moments. In case you thought, "Oh, I missed out on the fun!", mark next year's calender for a short trip to Kolkata during the Pujas....

Before I sign off, a very Subho Bijoya to each one of you! God bless you!

Rejoicing our freedom...

At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom - said Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru (1947)

A billion population

A billion ideas

A thousand languages

A hundred religions

A hundred rivers

ONE NATION

ONE DREAM

INDIA !!!

kar chalein hum fida jan o tan saathiyon

ab tumhare hawale watan saathiyon

- sang the soldier in his death bed...

His wish translated in english -"We leave this land forever after giving our everything, now this motherland is yours" (...respect her the way you respect your mother!)

True - there are differences, there are conflicts, there are challenges, there are diversities, but the reason we stand together to this day is our unity in integrity.

Friends - Let us not compromise the dignity of our motherland on any pretext. You cannot see you mom bleed. Can you? So, we should not let anyone hurt our motherland!

Indians should strive to respect every guest in this country on the lines of "atithi devo bhava..."(Guests are as good as God). But given a challenge, where our unity, integrity, sovereignty and freedom is threatened, we should be powerful enough to retaliate strongly!
Terrorism in all forms, in all names, in all pretexts should never be let to grow. We are a free nation and we have every right to lead our lives in our own ways.

No nation is perfect. India is also not. But, we have the onus on us to make it perfect. We fail to understand the meaning of freedom simply because we were fortunate enough not to experience what slavery meant.

India is a land of great men and women!

Stop! Think! Ask yourself - are you carrying the legacy forward? Are we upholding our values and principles?

All is well! Partying, catching movies, playing pranks, working like work horses - all come and go! At the end of the day, what is it that we are giving back to our motherland?

I loved Gandhiji's talisman.

It reads - “I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny ? In other words, will it lead to Swaraj (i.e. self-rule) for the hungry and spiritually starving millions ?
Then you will find your doubts and your self melting away.”

Please try to follow this, so wonderful that this can be applicable for everyone, irrespective of nationality!

Finally, today is 15th August! Happy Independence Day, India! May the flag keep fluttering for thousands and thousands of years! Amen!

Image source: Google image search