Entry and exit..

"Why get into something that'll be difficult to get out of, and you know it won't go anywhere?"

It was the end of a long day at a wedding, a friend was standing, looking worn out and tired, while I was slumping in one of the many sofas at the reception garden. I asked her to take a seat, she refused, saying she'll get too sleepy if she lied on the sofa for once and then it would be difficult to get up.

I gave a puzzled look and she made this statement!

Both of us instantly smiled! Gyan of the world in a sleepy tired state.

I don't know if I'd refuse to enter something that doesn't have an easy exit? Would I bother about the exit at the time of the entry? I don't know. Does it have to get somewhere? Can't I just wander around?


Wanderer

Lessons from the Mahabharat I

Humility of a Lion doesn't mean he would consider grass for food..

Of Public Moralities

Thinking of moral police, the first sight coming to mind would probably that be of some bhagwa clad hooligans blackening the faces of young couples on the marine lines or perhaps breaking the glass panes of gift shops on a valentine's day.

Immediate impulsive response from any modernized Gen Y youth would be sheer revulsion. We instantly revoke our fundamental right to freedom of expression, to do and behave as we please. We remind that we are mature adults and we know what's good and what's bad for us. And the self appointed burghers of social morality have no business telling us what to do and what not to do in our public and private life. Ours is a generation that was born free, having internalized our rights to freedom of all possible kinds and there’s no chance we would accept any attempts at curbing these rights.

Much of the blame for having brought the bad name and a rather negative connotation to moral influencing - to the extent of calling it a disciplinarian act of moral policing- lies with the fanatic defenders of the social morals who do not think twice before transcending all limits of decency in their own ways of protesting. Given that they have the right to freedom of expression too, they are very well allowed to voice their concerns with whatever they call as indecent. But well, let have them do it within the ambit of law and social courtesy. Becoming violent in their protests, they only display their own helplessness in saving a virtuous culture and their desperation to gain control with a whip on a free generation. They leave us with no option but to dismiss them as power mongers who’re just seeking a way to establish their identity.

Moral policing of public behavior or commercialization of feelings is not so much about the offended sensibilities than it is about some other kind of grievance at the heart of the moral cops. They can’t stand the overwhelming and allegedly negative influence of the western lifestyle and culture on our youth. This would include the MTV and Coca Cola culture and at a more general level, the consumerism and hedonism that are becoming ingrained in our traditionally austere and satvik culture. However, they forget to draw the distinction between the evolution of a fast moving society and blind copying of western life. As the global media converges, and the access to information from cultures and lifestyles across the world spreads, we have to be open to cross cultural influence that would flow both ways.

There’ll be people in America practicing Yoga and there’ll be people in India kissing on the streets. This is a cultural amalgamation process which is a natural component to the evolution of the human civilization itself. To try and put artificial barriers in this process of evolution is nothing but a folly. Another aspect of it is also the convergence of the world as a marketplace. If Archies wants to sell Valentines’ day greetings in India, and people want to buy it, what’s the problem? Indians have traditionally not objectified feelings and emotions with material gifts but if it makes someone feel good, there's no reason why someone should object. Or are they finding it difficult to digest that a foreign company is making money out of selling emotions to us? Why don’t these cops try and popularize Karwa Chouth in America. I’m sure it would sell.

A culture has its inherent strengths which sustain it in course of evolution. It’s the voice of the masses, which has consciously or unconsciously transferred it generation by generation and there is no need to be so insecure about Indian culture and tradition suffering a blow due to the juggernauts of western imperial culture. If the culture can’t stand it’s ground in its own right, it will become extinct anyway and it doesn’t need to be protected. The roots of our culture are sufficiently strong for it to take care of itself.

Another recent dimension to moral policing came about with the havoc wreck by the moral cops at an art exhibition, where a student artist, in his own dreamy eyed works had in some ways transcended limits of decency. Now obviously, going all over to destroy the place and manhandle the artist is no way of registering a protest. However, careful handling of such situations would need judgment on the part of neutral parties as to what is reasonable and what’s not. Going too far with the right to freedom of expression, might actually end up offending even some neutral sensibilities and invite trouble. A nude depiction of Bharat Mata, which by all social mores is a motherhood figure is something that ruffled more feathers than just the moral brigade.

As a civil society, we do allow our parents to guide their children when they see us going wrong somewhere and that’s the role these sainiks seem to be usurping. And well, despite the claims about being adults and knowing what's good for oneself, it's only us who have indulged in drug addiction, drunken driving, promiscuous lives that have left behind hurts and emotional baggage. On a broader level, a moralizing influence of culture could've been a welcome one, but the independence freaks that we are, any impositions and restrictions on what we want to do, is not going to be taken lightly.

It does remain to note however, that it is for us, the young people to decide whether we apply our sensibility while adopting certain western ways of dressing, behavior, music and other things. We are to be responsible for our own behavior so we don’t give a chance to the moral brigades to raise fingers at us, accusing us of irresponsible actions.

So while I would not paint nudes of Indian Godesses, be intentionally blasphemous and disrespect the sentiments of the public, If I have to give someone a rose on valentines’ day, if I have to kiss someone good night when dropping home, I will fight tooth and nail for my right to freedom.

wanderer

From cattle rearing to IIT; a dream come true

An article, mailed across on the IIT community,

From cattle rearing to IIT; a dream come true

Hyderabad, June 16: The journey from agriculture fields and cattle rearing to IIT and institutions equivalent to it is arduous. But three students coming from remote villages in AP have made it.

During vacation of the college - AP Social Welfare Junior College in Nagole here - T Venkateshwarlu and M Raju Naik used to work as farm labourers to help their parents. Rama Dasu, however, used to take care of cattle.

For them, their college was a temple of learning. They were among the 32 students, who took the examination.

Venkateshwarlu got selected in IIST (Pune) and IISER (Kolkata) and Ramadasu secured 132nd rank and is expecting a seat in any one of the seven IITs and IISTs.

Raju Naik who got 251st rank in IIT is interested in Electronic and Communication Engineering. Apart from this, Raju Naik and Venkateshwarlu secured ranks in the AIEEE (B.Tech) exam, while Rama Dasu got rank in AIEEE (B.Arch ) test.

Venkateshwarlu, the eldest son in his family says: "There is no engineering student in my native village Paluru near Nellore. I wanted to become one. I know IIT would change my life for ever. I studied hard, spending 16 hours a day on studies. The college staff helped me in my studies", he recalls.

Rama Dasu, elder son of Ramakrishna and Chittamma, had to travel by bus and train to reach Nagole institution from remote G Pangidigudem village in West Godavari. He was the first person from his village to enter a engineering course. "Now I want to encourage my younger brother and two sisters to
study", he said.

M Raju Naik, is a wonder boy, according to the college staff. He comes from a remote tribal hamlet Muthyalapadu Tanda in Kurnool. To reach the nearest bus stop, Raju Naik had to walk 3 km. He is the only son to his parents and has three elder sisters, who discontinued studies at an early stage.

"After coming to know about IIT, I decided that it should be my life's goal", he says. Perceiving his zeal, teachers gave all the support he needed. "Raju is without books only when he sleeps. He is a promising kid", a college teacher says.

Hoping it would be the Genesis and not the Nemesis of the dream.. I'd only like to say, All the best.

Wanderer

What about the other little 'Princes'?

Anyone who is even slightly connected with the world, via any channels of communication would know of the heroic rescue of six year old 'Prince' from a pit. An episode which made thousands of people stick to their TV screens.. and praying to their respective gods!

The PMO issued a statement.. regarding the PM's blessings to 'prince'

Sonia Gandhi blessed him.

Wishes and prayers flowed from across the world.. (thanks to the outreach of media.. via TV and internet)

TV channels found a full time TRP gainer in this prince..

Zee news, in a sudden spur of philanthrophy, declared that they'd sponsor his entire education

some Sobha foundation chose its moment to rise to fame.. gave the child one lakh rupees

and lots of other things ensued!

I have nothing against this prince.. myself prayed for his safety.. but thinking of all the other 'princes' who miss out on this attention from the media.. or from anyone else.. i guess they would all be praying that they fall into a well.. coz otherwise.. their deaths.. due to malaria.... dengue.. malnutrition.. starvation have become too commonplace to draw any media attention or to win them as much as a two time meal.. let alone a life time scholarship!

Who do we expect.. will bring a change?

The Media.. by bringing more serious issues to light.. and growing beyond sensationalism?

The PM... leave him.. he's too busy listening to the thousand people he needs to obey!

Sonia Gandhi.. ? as if she doesn't know all of this already..

The kind donors.. asking them to consider donating to larger causes as well?

I hope all of those ghar ke chiraag.. jo bachpan mein hi bujh jaate hain... will find their own ways to draw attention.. and become saleable to the world.. and boost TRPs.. so they'll be on prime time national television.. and finally get their due!

wanderer

In Defense of Love !

To an urban reader belonging from the 21st century, the familial opposition to inter-community love marriages might seem anachronistic, but to a vast majority of young eligible bachelors and spinsters, it’s a reality, a rather cruel one in some cases!

As a young man today, I do not have much of an idea about the period when the caste system was created, however, the purpose of its creation seems to have been lost in the changing times! With the societal evolution, call it the influence of the west or the natural evolution process, things have become different from what they were before. The need for individualism and personal satisfaction are on a rise. There’s a tendency of selfish hedonism mixed with a keen sense of social responsibility. We commonly nurse the ambition to achieve all that's possible in one single life in all dimensions. Moreover, the times are changing must faster than they did before. The previous generation did not see the amount of change in the world in its entire lifetime than our generation has seen in its 20 years of age!

In this situation, how fair is it of parents to stay obsessed with age old systems of in-caste marriages which have mostly lost their relevance and cause anguish in the hearts of love birds who’re too afraid to carry their relationship forward because they fear their parents’ reaction! The debate has two dimensions to itself, one is the love vs. the arranged marriage debate and the other, an interlinked one, is the in-caste vs. the inter-caste marriages. I’d say, the ones who fall in love with people from their own caste, and then have their marriages arranged by their families, are the luckiest beings on earth.

Trying to explore the parental psychology that goes behind the pressure for an arranged marriage, a few things come to mind. First and foremost seems to be the persistent and scary thought about ‘log kya kahenge.’ Second, a more logical one that is most commonly used against love marriages is the apparent immaturity of the young individuals which renders them incapable of taking a good decision about something as important as marriage. Parents fear that their sons/daughters might end up getting infatuated with someone and choosing to marry them, in which case, very soon the things become bitter and they break apart. Every parent, who is for an arranged marriage would be very quick to cite examples of failed love marriages! Oh yes, there are girls who’d elope with a guy they’ve been infatuated with for a while now, and not too much time later, break apart.. only to bring infamy to herself, her family and at large, to love marriages!

However, is that reason enough for someone to abandon his deeply felt love for someone and marry elsewhere because his parents wish that way? They say one can’t think on his feet if he’s madly in love with someone! I wouldn’t know whether to agree to this reasoning or not!

Looking at the rising issues of individual choices and intolerance in natures, it becomes extremely important to ascertain the mutual compatibility of the two people who’re to get married. However, the conventional proponents of arranged marriages would only like to give the chance of a few meetings, which hardly give any chance for a real understanding of each others’ nature and thus the compatibility. The sacred institution of marriage which is beyond a union of two individuals, considered to be a union of two families, will end up losing its sanctity if parents persistently impose their choices and decisions on their capable of thinking next generation.

A psychological dimension to this comparison can be taken as the expectations of the marrying partners in the two cases of love and arranged marriages. An arranged marriage is based on a compromise. The guy and the girl both are mentally prepared to have some possible mismatch in expectations and thus they’re more accommodating to each others weaknesses, which helps mutual acceptance of each other and ensures a long term bond which is formed in the period of changing for each other and accepting the other person for what they are! On the contrary, a love marriage is completely full of expectations of all kinds. The picture seems all rosy and everything about the other person seems so perfect. However, when the girlfriend turns wife, or the boyfriend husband, the things become altogether different. What seemed trivial enough to be overlooked earlier, assumes a high significance and now unmet expectations from the person or their family cause immense distress and subsequently there are clashes which shatter the so called bond that was once established when the boy and girl thought that they were madly in love with each other!

This seems to suggest that the lovers think with their hearts and not minds. The young people seem to have a bad track record with its choices and there are several love marriages which started off as a grand solemnization of a relationship of several births but ended up a few months later in a bitter state which left behind only tears, hurts and scars of anguish!

So, in the light of a large history of love marriages, it’s not entirely illogical of parents to detest the idea of frivolous love marriages. However, this opposition seems to have degraded and lost its sense of reason and is dominated more by the fear of, as I said earlier, ‘log kya kahenge’ than a natural and genuine concern about their son/daughter’s happiness. Somehow, the fear of the social consequences entirely eclipse the cause of the son’s happiness and his reasonability. More so in the case of girls, when they’re made to compromise in the name of family honor and different other forms of emotional blackmail till they finally give up all their dreams and marry an almost stranger whom her parents chose for her. Then gradually, she comes to terms with the situation, somehow manages or forces herself to face the reality, to care for her husband as a 'pativrata' and leaves her past behind. Then there are kids, which altogether change her entire perception of what's happiness and what's life!

What is required is that the parents don't give a knee jerk reaction to the possible marital plans of their children and at least lend them a patient hearing, substantiated by logic and reasoning! High time we left behind the issues of 'log kya kahenge' and focused on the more important thing that is the genuine happiness of the two people who are to be together!

There's a lot more to this debate, however, as a start, this would suffice!

The politics of 'quota'

(developed over the month of may)

I’m now in Udaipur and can see more protests happening round the clock across the entire nation. Different items of shocking news are being floated from different directions. Supposedly, 94 medical students have collapsed after a hunger strike in Delhi. Word is being spread that one AIIMS student has died due to the same reasons. There have been clashes between the pro and anti reservation youth. Violence seems imminent at times but has so far been under control.

Looking for Arjun Singh’s purpose beyond vote banks, the last thing I read gave me new ideas. It’s being said that 300 of the LS MPs are from the OBC and Arjun Singh wants to please them in order to pave his own way to become the prime minister. This does seem somewhat far fetched. But then, whatever it might be, Arjun Singh is not doing it to uplift the backward classes. This man has no idea about how well or ill represented these classes are. Amusingly, in spite of being the HRD minister, he is not sufficiently knowledgeable or informed about any statistics on the status of OBCs in India.

What’s altogether scary about this issue is it’s creating rifts in the society between the reserved and the unreserved categories. Intentionally or otherwise, there’s been apparent ridicule of the reserved categories, repeatedly pointing to the lack of meritorious students among those categories. So, though as a normal student, I have nothing against any caste or class, when I feel injustice is happening, and I end up having hard feelings for the people who’re getting it easy and when I stand up in protest to say anything against reservations, they’d take it to mean that I’m taking a stand against them. So in all misinterpretation and perceptions, a sense of antagonism starts to prevail between the people on the two sides of the reservation line. Now, if this antagonism manifests itself in the form of violent conflicts of the youth with the youth, who stands to lose and who stands to win?

The politicians are not going to do anything better than adding more fuel to the fire and they would very well gain from the situation by appeasing their vote banks. After all, had there been no protests, the OBCs themselves wouldn’t have considered the reservations as such a massive gift. Now that the UPA has had to face such an opposition from all fronts, they can happily claim their adherence to the misconstrued goal of uplifting the weaker sections of the society.

Some people asked me why the IITians didn’t come out so strongly against the reservations as the medicos did. Exploring this answer, I came to know that the medicos suffer at every stage because of the reserved category students having it easy! Be it the entry level or the examinations (when their godfathers in the higher echelons of power bail them out by intimidating their professors) or the post graduate or the specialization courses. An ex professor was hardly sympathetic for these so called weaker sections. They’re known to form gangs of their own and wield power in and outside the classrooms. Now, if they’ve been having it easy all this while, how would they let it slip out of their hands so easily!

It was delighting to see CNBC hosting a special on The Reservation Riddle inviting IIM professors to debate the issue and seek alternative solutions! Obviously, not much can come out when you have six points of view coming out in one single show, but it was at least a spectacle of a democratic process where diverse opinions are possible and respected. Though it was largely an Anti-Reservation group, the JNU and IIM Kolkata people did mark their stand for reservations. The debate however completely excluded the point of view of medical students and the pertinent point that the reservations should be allowed repeatedly to the same person at different stages.

Someone presented the idea that the OBCs already form over 20% in educational institutes, then why this reservation? Amusing, conflicting pieces of information! I’ll probably end up losing my head over it if I continue thinking about it! Guess more will come out if I sit down in discussion with diverse people and then try to work out an opinion of my own!

Anyway, looking at the newspapers and the TV it appears that the mandal redux generated a lot of heat at its peak, but apparently the temperatures are cooling down and the life’s going to get back to normal! People will learn to live with it! The strikes have been called off, the supreme court intervened, the doctors went back to work, the media has been busy with covering Rahul Mahajan’s cocaine escapades! The revolution seems to be getting lost in the middle of several vested interests. Rightly said, public memory is too short to carry forward a revolution of a large scale with sufficient momentum!

Does anyone really care? And even if someone does care, is he capable of doing something?

I hear the supreme court is yet to give its ideas to the bill and it would be tabled again in the parliament in the monsoon session. Lots of people across the country are doing ‘sadbuddhi yajnas’ hoping that some sense would prevail and Arjun Singh would rise beyond his partisan politics and do justice to the merit of the several thousands of capable young people who do deserve to get into the so called prestigious institutes but are left out, in the process of so called advancement of the weaker sections of the society!

wanderer

Everyone's really good at heart??

'Kam padega to maang ke khaa lenge.. par gaddari nahin karenge'

Some morals that would probably be difficult to find in the most well bred and well brought up people.. were to be seen in an auto rikshaw driver.. who took a shortcut to save us time.... harming his own income in the process.

We tend to believe that man is corrupt by nature.. but I get reminded of Anne Frank.. whose personal thoughts were that 'inspite of everything, I still believe that everyone's really good at heart.' Intuitively, I like to believe in the goodness of human beings... in their inner honest nature! Now, they tell me that this illusion shall be destroyed once I leave the cosy confines of my college and step out into the real harsh world.. somehow.. the mind supports it.. but the heart refuses to believe! Guess, some lessons are meant to be learnt the hard way!

My experiences so far.. have somewhat tended to prove otherwise.. when i've closely interacted with the people in question.. there was Mahesh.. a sweeper with PHO.. who'd refused to accept a bakshish for a timely service.. because his service hours were going on.. and he really didn't need to ask for anything extry beyond his salary.. to perform his duty!

Now.. it's amusing to note the ideals of people so low in the so called socio-economic strata.. it would be difficult to be found in high caliber and high status people anywhere..

If only our politicians possessed a small bit of this integrity.. we'd be living in a different place by now!

Chers!

wanderer

'Food Fighters'

No, I’m not gonna ramble about the poverty and disaster striken people fighting over food.

It’s not about the children in village schools who have to fight for their mid day meals.

It’s not about the ngos fighting for providing food to the incapacitated or the others that are fighting against genetic modification of food items!

and I'm not gonna brood that mess mein khaana fight hai!

I suddenly realize that food has always been a matter of fights!

Somehow, our English teacher missed a preposition which can be placed between fight and food!

I know you can’t guess it. It’s so innovative after all!

Fight ‘with’ food !

How about I splash your face with a katori of dal and you revert back with twice the quantity of Rajma and in the process we intentionally attack some uninitiated bystanders.. who, wallowing in this new found amusement.. escalate it to a full fledged food fight, much as we originally desired!

Doesn’t that sound like great fun? I can already imagine the picture.. loads of rice, rajma, and whatever be the menu, splattered all over the mess and all over people as well.

Done.. tonight at dinner table.

But _______________________

Don’t you remind me of the ‘sanskruti’ that we should respect food and all that!

And the stories of the children dying of hunger in some sick village in UP? It’s all crap!

Come on yaar.. how can you be such a spoilsport?

Ok the first person narrative ends here!


Sould I expect a better response while trying to deter the protagonists of this war from their devious ideas of fun?

Should we enact POTA in the hostel?

In times as these.. is this thought criminal enough?

Should I give the deterrence a thought?

Can I?

I don’t know! I don’t know anything. Am not sure if it’s gonna amuse me. I don’t think I’d like to be an eyewitness either!

Comfortably numb ?

Not yet :-(

Wanderer

New age mantras

Was listening to radio after ages..

The RJ announced in between two songs..

'To agar aapne ghar se bhaag ke shaadi ki hai, ya phir chori chhupe shaadi ki hai.. to just give me a call and I will give you a gift hamper'

and they say zamaana mohabbat ka dushman hai!!

Cheers! to Mohabbat and to this zamaana!

Some parents might like to sue this VJ for teaching their all so innocent sons and daughters this perverted New Age Mantra!!

Cheers!

anks

The Baap ka paisa gone further

Hey,

Much to my suprise.. the response to that attempt at deducting 25 bucks from ppl's mess accounts created more furor than just an aspersion on the notice board!

There was vehement opposition from several section on the process resorted to! Donation is a voluntary process and this is like an imposition!!

Ppl relented.. and now they've put a guy at the mess door, asking everyone to sign their names against the list.. putting down the amount they would like to donate!

I did debate from the side of the collectors saying that the default 25 bucks counted in the complacent don't cares who wouldn't mind giving 25 bucks... but probably won't take hte pain of coming forth and giving it!

anyway.. hopefully they would be able to collect as much!

I signed for 50 bucks!

anks

Apne ko Cricket khelne ka hai!

I finally made my debut at the 'Teach-Me' programme held by the guys at RSS at IITB.

I could possibly never imagine how difficult it might be to try teaching 'hindi' to a a 12 year old student of 8th class!
As a consolation, I was supposed to go by the text book. What do you teach in language anyway? The questions are more of fact based.. a rather simpler form of our Reading comprehension lessons at CAT classes. I actually laughed at myself.. when I made 'Amit' read the first para, and then turned a few pages to look at the questions. I told him he could answer the first question on the basis of the first para itself!

Then I reminded myself.. the purpose is not just to answer the questions.. but also get the lesson.. and know the personality that 'Maharishi Shahu Maharaj' was. So somehow tried to explain to him the things mentioned in the chapter.. which included the origins of casteism.... the transition from work oriented to birth oriented caste, the sacrosanct distinction etc!

Mind this, all of this in regular day to day hindi!

I knew myself well enough to guess that I won't stick to hindi lessons for too long. I checked his reading skills and pronunciations and tried to chamkaofy that he needs to work on that a lot. Then I got into how he'd introduce himself when he can't even speak four lines clearly.. (Basics of communication skills ) and eventually.. my talk (as i expected it ) drifted to asking him what he wanted do in life! did he feel like studying or he absolutely hated it. Did he think all the elders were nuts to force him to study even when he didn't like it?

An initial shock for me, but in retrospect (after I read -The Week finds Sachin to be the most popular youth icon) it was kinda normal that he wanted to play cricket!

12 years old, 8th class, lives in Phulenagar, has to go everyday to fetch water from Hanuman nagar. And he wants to be a CRICKETER!

I made several attempts at chamkaofying him the importance of securing a source of income first and then thinking about other things.. but i doubt that i made any sense to him.. it was probably a great challenge to get to his level ! I felt stupid at talking about the thousands of aspirants for cricket.. and how only a handful could make it.. how jack and check played a role ( I was honestly feeling guilty while telling this kid.. that industry too in order to be rewarded has to be 'recommended'. ) Where did he expect to get his 'roti' till he made it to the team? Did he know how much the bats and other paraphernalia cost...........................

(Another pang of guilt.. trying to talk a kid out of his dreams)

I failed completely at my self proclaimed capability of putting myself in the other person's shoes and give him the right advice! What can you tell this kid when he says, ' Aaj kal saare cricketer paise ke liye khelte hain, desh ke liye koi nahin khelta.. main desh ke liye khelunga'

Time was probably not enough, and neither was my preparation to handle him.

Lessons time over, play time!

And there I was, dressed in my Provogue cotra trousers and a formal shirt.. jogging in a train with a dozen odd kids and the other RSS guys. One game had me jumping like crazy from one foot to another.. another one made me play a horse!

Picture this!
I have a 10-11 year old.. (at least 40 kgs!) clinging on to my neck.. and with his legs around my waist.. and I'm supposed to run around! I'm the horse amidst a lot of other horses.. and my rider... the Knight is supposed to unmount his counterparts (other kids riding their own 'horses')
The horses and knights that survive till the end win! In other cases... it was the tiny knights that got tired.. but in my case, the horse was close to falling dead! Much to save the honor of my horsey lineage, I stayed on till they called the game off.

After this one, and a few games later.. I was more exhausted physically than I would've been in the whole of past one year!

The watch said I should move! And so said a few bbies and left!

The panting stopped gradually, the heat beat normalized too.. but the mind hadn't stopped wondering yet!

Would I have any new ways to counsel Amit, when I meet him the next time?

What do you tell a twelve year old who wants to be a cricketer?

wanderer

Wanna be APJ?? Nah.. he doesn't have a life yaar!

One of my CAT classes.. some lessons in English!

Some fundaes from this teacher of ours..a 30 or so guy.. who seems to be a rather regular smoker and was visibly (intentionally at times ) naughty.. (or i should say kinky)

NO! I wouldn't want to judge him.. as I might be accused of having a prejudice.

One of his friends was a part of the DRDO.. and he started off with telling us about the guys at DRDO! (who incidentally are the leading defence scientists of the country)

APJ... This guy didn't marry.. he doesn't drink.. he doesn't watch movies... all the dinners and parties he went to were full of ppl only like him! No fun!

These people dont' have a life yaar! (This was almost with a gleam in his eyes)

Then he was back to the present, 'So guys, I'm warning you! Write your CAT well.. or you shall have to go to DRDO'

(making it almost seem like it's the cellular jail in the Andamans)

That's a nightmare yaar.. DRDO's way too scary.

I'd rather write the CAT well!

wanderer

Tere Baap ka Paisa hai kya!

One of these days, after consulting the warden, our endeavoring GSec put up a notice which read something like:

.....A lot of doctors are willing to distribute free medicines in several flood affected regions to prevent the spread of epidemics in these regions........ To make our contribution, we have decided to deduct 25 rupees from the mess bill of each student. If anyone has any objection, he can have his name removed from the list with the Mess manager.

-GSec.

On the same notice, there was a hand written remark.. probably the product of the creativity of our hostel's several masterminds:

'Tere baap ka paisa hai kya'

I questioned myself if I should be amused or feel bad!

Nah.. feeling bad is not appropriate.. I should just laugh it off!

wanderer

Sharing this load!

Tiffin time at mess.

I'd gotten to the table with a plate of something that's something like a sabudaane ki khichdi... at least that's what the mess workers have named it for all official purposes.

Its not one of the things I like a lot.. and more so .. with the way it was made.. anybody who even loved it.. would leave the thoughts of eating it ever again.

A friend sitting on the same table as me.. was finding it difficult to eat a third spoon from the plateful that he'd brought of the thing for himself.

The guy next to him had somehow just managed to finish what he'd brought.

Now this friend of mine had an earnest request!

'Oye, aadha tu fenk, aadha main fekta hoon'

and he poured half of his plate's contents (which was almost as much as he'd brought) into the other guy's plate.

Both of them conveniently went on to discard the meal!

I found it difficult to figure out what the reason for this shared wastage was?

An attempt to rid oneself of the guilt of throwing a whole lot of food away or making sure you're not causing any eyebrows being raised??

At over twenty years of age, we can't seem to figure out how hungry we are.
Over a couple of years eating at the mess, we still don't know how good or bad which dish is...

We're THE brightest heads of the nation!

The IITians!

A standing ovation!

wanderer

9 bucks??

Had gone to Thane to get the forms for CAT. Reached at 4:30.. only to see that the bank closes at 4! Couldn't have made a completely pointless trip, so got together with a friend.. to go walking near the lake.

Was indulging in my usual philosophies when a kid came up, his hand outstretched in front.. gesturing to indicate that he was hungry and wanted to eat!

I candidly asked him,
'kya chahiye?' (not an angry tone)
he didn't respond, just gestured!
I asked, 'kuchh khaane ka hai?' He nodded in agreement!
There wasn't anything except a Bhuttawala around! so,
'Bhutta Khayega?'
another polite nod!
'kaisa diya bhaiya??'
the bhuttawala responded-- 4 ka hai, 5 ka hai, 6 ka hai!
The kid ought to make this choice..so I asked him.. and he plainly pointed at the 4 rupee thing!
'kya naam hai tera'
first time i hear him speak!-'krishna'
'kal koi khilaane wala nahi milega to kya karega?'
no response
'zindagi bhar bheek hi maangta rahega?'
I suddenly realized, he was too young to probably even understand what he was doing!
Didn't bug him anymore.. he walked away with his bhutta... and me with the wanderings of my mind!

some time later.. another little girl came up.. i thought it unfair to spare this one! so asked her if a bhutta would be okay.. only a nod! I asked the bhuttawala to give her whichever she wanted! and almost instantly..her partner.. another little one.. who had earlier crossed over.. seeing her with me... came over and looked at me quizzically! as if asking what's this happening... why this injustice to me!

and almost naturally.. without me saying anything.. the bhuttawala smiled.. handed a piece each to these two! and they happily walked away! i paid him.. 5 bucks.

the calculative mind was at this moment doing a cost benefit analysis.. 30 bucks spent on a chocolate milkshake.. compared to 9 bucks spent here!

my wanderings and seemingly overt benevolence irritated my friend.. and we made a move.. so i wouldn't end up feeding half of Thane!

On the way back, some thoughts from the thane lakeside lingered on..

those three kids..right from birth.. they'd probably never had an introduction with our favorite uncle.. the concepts of dignity or feeling ashamed in begging... while living on the same planet.. not so far away, we are buried rather deeply in our self inflated egos and glorified self respects seem to be driving us crazy.. including often seeking revenges for so called moral offences!

wanderer