Life and an Ice cream !

As the penultimate month of the year 2013 fast approaches its end, it was a time for me to start taking stock of how things have been this year. Though a final flashback post for the year is scheduled for next month, for me personally and generally, the year seems to have had more downs than ups.

Loss of people near and dear to me have been galore this year and also many a dream has been shattered; but then as wise men say, “Life Must Go on”.

I came across a wonderful similarity between life and an ice cream which a very dear friend has on his watsapp status. It says we should enjoy life and ice cream to the fullest before they melt away though I have a caveat for it. It is a certainty that the ice cream will definitely melt fast when you start enjoying it, but the case is reverse for life. The rate at which a person’s life might melt is inversely proportional to how much the person is enjoying life. The more you enjoy life, the less life melts away.

A person in his lifetime lives many lives. His entire journey of life is a summation of many different roles (lives) he enacts in the theater that begins with his birth. Everyone goes through incidents, day in and day out, that have more action, comedy, romance, tragedy and suspense than the greatest of blockbuster movies  and as a person evolves through his life journey soaking in these experiences, he becomes a wiser person, ready to embark upon a new life.

Probably the time has come for me to get a new life as well….but to embark or not to embark, that seems to be the question, my friend…..                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

The Legend- 5 things to learn from "The God"

74 attractive vintage  runs, rolling back the years, in the last innings of his career was not a bad ending for a fairy tale that Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar's entire cricketing career has been, starting as a bubbly 16 year old, nearly a quarter of a century ago.  Sachin, who finally bowed out in style from international cricket, with the distinction of being a part of a winning team in each of his last matches, in every form of the game that he so dearly loved and actually breathed for the last 24 years. As promised in my last post, this post is dedicated to the master batsman who for millions in this cricket crazy country of India was nothing short of  "The God".

Top 5 things to imbibe from Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar - 

1) Sacrifice and dedication because there is no short cut to success-  Sachin was one among the millions of youths who aspired to break into the Indian cricket team and played the game in the cricket mad metropolis of Mumbai. Though his talent for the game was evident, there were many more budding cricketers of his era, who had similar talents, if not more. No youth likes to lead a life of discipline and sacrifices, but Sachin, guided by members of his family especially his elder brother Ajit, saw discipline and sacrifices as a small foregoing in the larger incentive to be a player to reckon with. He led a regimented life and also stayed away from his family at his uncle's place which was closer to the grounds where he practised cricket.  The result, ohers fell by the way side but Sachin remained and transformed into a teen age sensation and then into a cricketing legend.

2) Continuously hone your skills, there is no age to learn- From the time he dreamed of playing for his country till the day he last played for the country, Sachin remained a learner for the game. When he used to play club cricket in his initial days, his coach Ramakant Achrekar would make him play as many matches he could play, ever day, because in his opinion, the best way to learn and hone one's cricketing skills was to play actual matches. After he made his debut and made his name as a cricketing genius, Sachin would often get back to basics and fine tune his batting techniques, so that he could continue to evolve as a cricketer, every day, each day. This probably was one of the reasons of the amazing longevity that he had as a professional cricketer.

3) It is only you and your attitude that makes or breaks you- It is not that Sachin has always got accolades, he has had to face his fair share of brickbats as well during the course of his cricketing career. To bear the burden of a billion cricket crazy public is not an easy task but Sachin came out unscathed in virtually all the situations that seemed to suggest sure doom for him. His stint as the Indian captain, for one, was probably a chapter best forgotten. His batting form dipped and the results nosed dived as well for Team India. One could be adamant and could have seen stepping aside as a captain as a step backward in life, but not Sachin. He stepped down as the skipper and channelized any disappointments that he had into demolishing opposition bowlers, marking the start of a golden period for him and Team India under the next captain Sourav Ganguly.

4) Be humble as even a large tree cannot survive without its roots- The name, fame, wealth and the iconic status that Sachin amassed in his career is unsurpassed in the annuls of Indian cricket. The fact that this did not get into his head, is a credit that must be showered on to him and his family, especially as he became an icon very early in life. A glaring example of a career and life destroyed by adulation and attention is that of Sachin's childhood buddy and a partner in school cricket records, Vinod Kambli. Kambli was an exciting talent and actually started off his career in a flamboyant manner even eclipsing Sachin. But arrogance and recklessness crept into him and his game and he soon faded into oblivion as fast as he had burst onto the scene. 

5) Be helpful and face life courageously because actual winners in life are never whiners- Many successful people like to keep the tricks of their trade kept to themselves only as they are afraid that divulging them might give rise to more competition. Sachin has never been short of giving advise to batsmen how to cope with their inadequacies, even while playing against them which is a hallmark of a person par excellence. During a particular phase in his career, he was out quite a number of times to dubious umpiring decisions and also had to undergo a few surgeries on his arm, but he never complained about them and bounced back from the set backs and continued playing the way only he can, as a winner.        

That he could decide the time of his retirement even after being on the wrong side of 40 years is a tribute to the legend.. But then wise men have said "Legends Never Retire"...... 

The Sachin Swan Song-The Change of Guard!

The "unthinkable" but inevitable thing is finally happening in Indian Cricket. Sachin "The God" Tendulkar is finally retiring from all forms of cricket after serving the game and his country for more than 24 years. An entertainer, a crowd puller, the world over and a wonderful ambassador of Cricket in general and Indian cricket in particular, the master batsman would play his 200th and final Test at his home ground of Wankhede in Mumbai against the visiting West Indian side beginning the 14th of November 2013.

Sachin "The God" Tendulkar

Team India has been in a transitional phase and with the retirement of Tendulkar, it would have players who would have played less than 20 odd tests, barring the Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. I intend to dedicate my next post on Sachin, so today, the post would be about the gradual change of guard that is taking place within the Indian cricket team.

Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami

The first test played between India and West Indies at the historical Eden Gardens in Kolkata generated immense "Sachin-mania" but Tendulkar's final swan song in the City of Joy was overshadowed by the performances by two Indian debutants, Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami backed by a power packed all round performance by Ravichandran Ashwin. The cases of the two men who made their debuts for India, could not have been more different.

The winning blow

The pedigree and talent of the stylish Rohit Sharma was never in doubt, though his temperament was,  and his debut was long over due as he was picked for the Indian cricket test squad as far as the year 2008 but could not play because of an unfortunate pre-match injury. The new designated Sultan of Swing, fast bowler Mohammed Shami, on the other hand was more of a surprise selection, although he was picked in the test squad after a decent showing against the Aussies in the preceding 7 match ODI series, he was not an automatic choice for the Kolkata test. The fact that he plays for Bengal and the Eden Gardens is his home ground could have been the clincher. The rest as they say is history. Rohit slammed a wonderful 177 and Shami picked up 9 wickets including 5 in the second innings to lit up Sachin's 199th test and condemned the West Indies to an innings defeat with in 3 days.

Sachin-The bowler

Though the Eden crowd would have been disappointed by their "God" not scoring runs (the fact that he got his 46th test wicket while bowling might have acted as a bit of a sweetener) they would have gone home reassured that the future of Indian cricket is in safe hands with the enigmatic captain cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the helm, overseeing a change of guard and young players stepping in to fill the shoes of the greats like Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. But the shoes of the greatest among them all, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, would be too big to fill...

The last hurrah??

In the mean time let us all wish that the little maestro entertains all for the final time in his last hurrah at the place where it all started........Cometh 14th November2013! Cometh The Final Sachin Swan Song!        

Diwali-The Festival of Lights

In  two days time, the Hindu festival of Diwali, also known as the "Festival of Lights", would be celebrated (3rd Nov) with religious fervor and gaiety among Indians all across the world. The festival has a very interesting origin as it is believed that it was on this day that Lord Rama, the revered Hindu deity returned from exile along with his wife Sita and brother Laxman to his kingdom of Ayodhya and to celebrate his return, the citizens of the city lit ghee lamps. And the tradition still continues...

The significance of Diwali is in the fact that the night sky is illuminated by firecrackers and houses and streets bask in the warm glow of lamps and candles. The symbolic Darkness is thus overcome by Light and as the festivities go on till late night, the death of the night is replaced by liveliness and a zest for life.

This Diwali lets all try to illuminate ourselves and eradicate "darkness" from our lives. Let us all search out for newer opportunities and open our minds to newer ideas and dispel the darkness of a closed mind because as the wise men have said there is nothing more expensive and wasteful than a closed mind and a lost opportunity.

Let us all move ahead in life and prosper and live a happy, peaceful life!
Happy Diwali to all in advance!!!  

The Ship and the Sea!

Journey on a ship gives you a very old worldish charm. Though the modern day luxury ships are more like luxurious resorts in themselves, the choppiness of the sea in unpleasant weather conditions, still give you a thrill and the fear of the unknown that many a sea-faring traveler might have encountered, from time immemorial.

The reference to a ship and the sea is on account of the fascinating trip to the Andaman islands that some relatives of mine undertook. The relatives had come to pay us a visit in Udaipur and during our "adda" sessions, they recollected their tryst with a turbulent sea en route to Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal, off mainland India.

The capacity of our forefathers to tame the furies of Nature and harness it for the overall good of Mankind, also resulted in the "invention" and fortification of the boat and the ships emerged as the preferred mode of transportation as newer and newer areas were discovered across the world and commerce between far off places prospered.

Ships weather the might of the seas and despite the vagaries of the weather, keep on sailing towards their destinations. The whole of the sea can't sink a ship, if water does not enter it. It is only when,water gushes into the ship that it capsizes. Similarly, a person will face hurdles galore in pursuit of his goals but if he is steadfast in his approach and diligent and dedicated with a positive frame of mind, he will more often than not, achieve his desired result. Like a ship, he will not sink.

But on the other hand, if negativity enters his mind as water enters a ship, he is sure to capsize as a ship does.

Ah! The similarity is so uncanny but how many would actually understand it, I wonder??   

The Treasure Hunt!

One of my favorite childhood books has to be the classic by Robert Louis Stevenson, "The Treasure Island". The pirates especially the affable and at the next moment sinister one legged Captain Long John Silver and the virtual transformation of the innocent Jim Hawkins from a gullible country boy to a man hardened by experiences of loyalty, bravery and honor, have been etched in my mind forever from this book on a fascinating treasure hunt.

There is something that attracts one and all to a treasure hunt from time immemorial; El Dorado and Atlantis are names that come to mind immediately. In the present day, a treasure hunt that has grabbed eye-balls all across India, has been the digging that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has embarked upon in a small nondescript village Daundia Khera in the Unnao district of the central Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

This unusual "Gold" digging expedition has been undertaken by the ASI after the central government gave a go ahead on the basis of a dream that a seer of the region had. The holy man, Shobhan Sarkar dreamed that buried beneath the ruins of an old palace at Daundia Khera lie the fabulous treasure of Raja Rao Ram Baksh Singh, the king of Buxar, who was hanged by the British for participating in the great Mutiny of 1857 also referred to as India's First War of Independence.

The treasure in the dream, claimed the saint was a mind boggling 1000 tonnes (1 tonne = 1000 Kgs) of Gold that translates to roughly 35274000000 ounces. The price (as of today) of 1 ounce of gold is 1330 $, so calculated at the present value, the treasure's value would be in trillions of USD or in Indian rupees (assuming 1$=60 INR) it would come to an astronomical figure, enough to give the more than 1.2 billion Indians at least INR 2500 per person . However flimsy the basis, the amount was enough to spur every concerned party into action. The digging, which has been on for the last 4 days, has been slow but till date barring some 19th century relics nothing much has come up. But the interest in the treasure hunt has not waned and in fact even international media too has started covering it.

Most people dream of digging up great treasures and commence upon long illusory treasure hunts. They keep on living a dream and run all their lives in the quest of the "El Dorado" that they believe will change their lives. But the point they miss, as they rush through their lives, is that the greatest treasure that a person might find in the world actually lies within that person himself and his immediate surroundings.
  "It is ONLY Me and My Attitude, which is responsible for My Success". 

Peace, happiness and a contended personal life are probably the greatest treasures on earth, which most people in the present give a miss in their never ending Treasure Hunt for a better future....

The Durga Puja 2013!

The Durga Puja was celebrated with great religious fervor by people of all communities especially the Bengalis all across the country. The Pujas in my hometown of Udaipur, Rajasthan too were full of festivities and the days from "Shasthi" or the 6th day (10th October) to the Bijoy Dashami or the 10th day (14th October)  went off in a flash with an array of cultural programs and religious ceremonies dotting all these 5 days. The Durga Puja culminated with the "Bishorjon" or the immersion of the idol of the deity, Goddess Durga and her family consisting of Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswati, Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartik in various water bodies, for them to visit the mortal world again, next year.

Bindu Bhawan, Durga Puja

Along with all the fun and festivities, there were some gloomy news as well during the Pujas. At the oldest Durga Puja in Udaipur at the Bindu Bhawan, the house of the Bhattacharya family, this year the puja was held in spite the loss of the head of the family, Mr Apurva Bhattacharya, at a relatively young age of 61 years due to cardiac arrest. The puja at the venue naturally had an air of gloom and the warmth of Opu Kaku as I called Mr Bhattacharya, was thoroughly missed.

The evening Aarti was almost divine at Bindu Bhawan

On 13th of October, the Mitters lost their matriarch, Mrs Leena Mitter, at a sprightly young age of 95 years. She was a lady who lived her life to the fullest and more importantly on her own terms.
Boroma didu, as I called her, would be missed by one and all, for her love for life and the zest with which she lived it.

Below are some more images from the Durga Puja in Udaipur, this October 2013....

Banga Samaj, Durga Puja

  

Town Hall, Durga Puja

The Theater of the Absurd!

As the penultimate quarter of the year 2013 comes to an end, the magnitude of absurdness encompassing us all seems to be compounding. Every sphere you look around, incidents bordering on absurdity keep popping up. The latest in the list is an incident which was narrated to me by my colleagues where a person from the hospitality was seen arguing with a "Taped Message" on an answering machine, leaving me to ponder whether to laugh or to cry.

Moving on to serious cases of absurdity, the case of a "Village Woman" seems to be hogging the media in India and neighboring Pakistan. The supposedly strategic meeting between the Prime Ministers of the two countries, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting, was hijacked by a quote attributed to the Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif about how a village woman always goes on complaining to village elders which was perceived to be in reference to the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's talks with the American president, Barack Obama. This "rumored" reference created furor in India while at the same time the Pakistani media played to the galleries and took satisfaction from "India-bashing". Any progress on easing of tensions between the 2 neighbors took a back seat with this "breaking news" hogging the limelight.


Based on this, even the national level Indian political leaders started a blame game in which the much maligned "silent" prime minister again was the favorite "punching bag". This comes in the wake of another bout of absurdity in which again the poor prime minister came out second best. The Supreme Court of India in a landmark judgement advocated debarring of convicted legislatures. The Parliament, cutting across party lines, fought tooth and nail against it and a resolution was passed in the Parliament wherein it was decided to dilute the judgement. The Government thought of bringing in an Ordinance countering the judgement and sent it to the President of India for signing. The President, not a rubber stamp authority as his predecessor, did not sign it readily but asked further questions about it. The opposition took this opportunity to belittle the government and the ruling party seeing that it was cornered, turned against its own prime minister, led by the heir apparent of the ruling party. Spoke person who were advocating and propagating the benefits of the Ordinance, virtually immediately backtracked and now saw flaws in it.  

While the Theater of the Absurd continues unrelentingly, the masses are reeling under rising prices, falling economy and unabated corruption. That a democracy has to endure absurdity day in and day out without any resemblance of respite at least for the next two quarters, are a sad state of affairs.
Absurd, Absurd, Absurd!  

Development or Destruction?

At the cost of being branded "biased", I have no hesitation in proclaiming Udaipur-The City of Lakes, my hometown, a paradise on earth. The reason is simple. From being a quaint sleepy tourist town, the city is fast becoming a buzzing tourist destination, a city that was proclaimed as one of the best cities to live in by the prestigious travel magazine Travel & Leisure. So, now I have big malls along with the local stores, wider roads and express highways. Multi-storied buildings that were once just the prerogative of the bigger cities have now started dotting the landscape of the lake city.

All around the talk is about "Growth" and people and policymakers alike seem to be only concerned about development and growth. To cater to the housing needs of the ever expanding population, the hills adjoining the city are being flattened. To provide people with better roads, the Aravali ranges are being blasted off and tunnels are being bored through them. Trees and the greenery are the primary victims of the "Development " of the city and the lush greenery within the city is eroding fast.

 What is more alarming is that the local authorities in cahoots with the big real estate developers, have over the years, allowed constructions in areas which are fragile in nature. Innumerous, hotels and guest houses have come up near the lakes and many residential projects have been sanctioned, which has in turn resulted in the lakes getting polluted in the absence of proper sewerage disposal.

Udaipur's USP (Unique Selling Proposition) has always been its natural beauty and its lakes, if in the name of development, we create havoc with these two very distinct things, then the question whether we are actually on course for development or destruction, begs an answer, using the business lingo, ASAP!!   

Adversity shows true character- A top 5 of great characters

I once saw a presentation by eminent motivational speaker, Sharu Rangnekar in which he beautifully described a situation when a person is under pressure. He said that from time immemorial, it has been in the human psyche that when faced with an adverse conditions, one has only two options : Fight or Flight! 
Thus, an adverse condition honestly speaking is a necessity that shows the true character of a person.

There have been examples galore that showcase the greatness of people from all spheres of society because of their resilience and strength of character that helped them in withstanding the brutal onslaught of adversity.
Presenting a top 5 of great characters from a bouquet of spheres:

1) Mythological- The Hindu mythology is very vivid and colorful and is dotted with many characters who faced adverse situations admirably. Lord Ram, the prince of Ayodhya for one, did not bat an eyelid and went about doing what was required of him, even if it meant that he had to leave aside his royal luxurious lifestyle and lead a life of a forest wanderer. Another great example is the eldest living son of the Kuru King Shantanu, Devabrat, popularly known as Bhishma or 'the one who has taken a terrible oath". The most righteous, able and rightful heir of the throne of Kuru, Bhishma abdicated in the favor of this half brothers and vowed never to ascend the throne of the kingdom of Hastinapur. He even put his duty before preferences during the battle of Kurukshtera as per Mahabharata, the Hindu epic and sided with the Kauravas though he personally felt that the Pandavas represented the righteous path. He fought heroically and killed many of the Pandava soldiers but never killed any of the Pandavas themselves. He could have broken his promises made or he could have even retired but he put his duty before anything else.

2) Historical- The princely kingdom of Mewar has had many rulers but none as famous and revered as the might Maharana Pratap. Pratap become the king when most of the Rajputana was ravaged by the Mughal forces of Emperor Akbar and most of the other Rajput kings had become vassals of the Mughal emperor. Maharana Pratap could have chosen the easier way out and accept the suzerainty of the Mughals and retained his kingdom but he chose a far difficult path. He fought tooth and nail against the vastly superior Mughal army despite suffering numerous debacles. His fierce desire to free his beloved motherland from the marauding Mughals, saw him gradually inflict crushing defeats on them and virtually freeing his whole kingdom by the time of his untimely death.

3) Contemporary- Kisan Baburao Hazare is diminutive old man who galvanized the entire country on a single plank, that of better governance and anti-corruption. The social activist from rural Maharashtra in India popularly known as Anna Hazare nearly brought the policymakers and the political power of the country, to virtually its knees after his call and subsequent fast to enact a stringent anti-corruption law, the Jan Lokpal bill. The resultant fast tracked enactment of an anti corruption law (though a much diluted from the one envisaged in the Jan Lokpal bill) was a semblance of victory for Anna Hazare, who like most in the country could have accepted corruption as a way of life but decided otherwise.          

4) Political- One of the great characters from the political sphere from round the world has to be Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America. Though born in a poor family in Kentucky, the self educated Lincoln guided his country through great turmoils, though none more than the American Civil War. His life was a constant struggle but he never backed down from his beliefs and was instrumental in preserving the continuance of the United States as an union and also led to the abolishing slavery in the USA.

5) Sports- Though there are many from the sporting arena who have inspired millions around the world including Indian boxing sensation Mary Kom popularly known as Magnificent Mary and cancer surviving cricket star Yuvraj Singh, the story of Arunima Sinha is truly awe inspiring. A national level Indian volleyball player, Arunima was mugged on a running train in 2011 (when she was just 23 years old) and thrown from it. It resulted in one of her legs being amputated below the knee. This devastating incident would have sucked the "life" from any person but not Arunima. She started her life anew and with tremendous will power and nerves of steel she embarked upon a new journey. While recuperating in the hospital, Arunima wished to conquer Mount Everest, the highest mountain peak in the world. This gave a new definition to her life and she diverted all her energies in achieving this seemingly impossible goal that too for an amputee. She fought on and on 21st May 2013, just 2 years after her life shattering accident, Arunima became the first woman amputee in the world to have scaled the highest peak in the world.

There are many stories of resilience that pop up everyday in each one of our lives, stories that motivate us to fight on with a vengeance at the unfavorable surroundings and situations, but more often than none we tend to find the easier way out and "flight" rather than "fight" but we need to always remember that
"Life isn't meant to be easy but meant to be lived. Somtimes happy, other times rough.With every up & down we learn lessons that make us strong".

The Social Media!

Even a decade and a half back for most, Social and Media use to imply 2 different entities. Social was something that related to society and media was a medium through which information was dispersed. But with the advent and proliferation of the internet and mobile technologies, Social Media has a new definition now. WTF. Watsapp, Twitter and Facebook has encompassed us from all sides and as is the case with virtually everything in life, they have had an effect which is "Great Good" as well as "Great Evil".

Social networking sites like Facebook have helped people get closer and stay in touch, destroying physical and geographical boundaries. Long lost friends have been united as have been families all across the world because of Facebook. For many, sites like Orkut and Facebook have been platforms through which they have been able to connect with people they love and "To Share is To Care" has gained completely new dimensions in the social media lingo.

Social Media is also instrumental in "Changes" beyond imagination. The genesis of the Arab Spring Revolution was in the Social Media. Millions of anonymous users of social networking sites united, initially virtually and then physically, to oust despotic regimes across countries like Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. The social media gave a vent to the suppressed aspirations of billions of youth, depressed by large scale corruption of the ruling elite. Even in India, the Anna movement and the tragic Braveheart rape case of New Delhi showed us glimpses of the constructive power of this new media.

But social media has also brought forward some very disturbing developments. The same media which is hailed as a connector has become a catalyst in the breaking of actual old world emotional bonds. People living under the same roof, now brag about how much they love each other on the social network in a false display of public display of affection. Private life has become much too public and everything is gradually becoming artificial, with a view to garner more likes on the Social Media. Real people are spending more time on the virtual sphere neglecting more pressing things in hand like job, duty and most importantly family. The children are aping their parents and what we are increasingly finding today, are picture perfect families with little emotional bonds within them. A real irony. The urge to check periodically (could be within hours, minutes and sometimes even seconds) whether one has been liked online has become so immense that the likes and dislikes of the loved ones at home, has become secondary.

The ease with which a lie can be propagated as a truth on the social media is also a very upsetting trend. It has become a potent tool for the destruction of harmony amongst communities world wide. The Muzzafarnagar riots and the mass panic movement of the people of the North East India are the recent examples of the destructive power of the social media. Character assassinations are done with aplomb, day in and day out on social networking sites and the tragedy is that the gullible youth is easily targeted by religious zealots and corrupt politicians, who in their quest for ultimate nefarious objectives, find the social network a very handy ally.          

Reading through Amish's Shiva trilogy, a fact of life kept on staring back at me, everything in this world is based on balance and if the balance is tilted in anyway, destruction awaits. So, too much good will always give rise to too much evil as Good and Evil always co-exist. It is for us to take a pick so that our evils are balanced out by our good.........

The Social Network is no doubt a wonderful tool and it is very difficult opting out of it, but we need to be aware of the evils that are lurking by; because today,  The Social Media has indeed become a necessary evil!

The Silence of the Lambs!

Yesterday I again watched the Oscar winning movie "The Silence of the Lambs", starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in the lead roles. The spine chilling movie was as always, a treat to watch. Ironically, yesterday was also a day when the much maligned Prime Minister of India, Mr Manmohan Singh, popular in the social media as MMS, spoke strongly in the parliament on the depressing economic scenario in the country as well as launched a scathing attack on the opposition, which for long has been baying for his blood.

Sir Anthony Hopkins

Now how is my watching a movie and the prime minister's speech, ironic?? It is because of the fact that our prime minister is famous (or should I say notorious) for his silence. He has become a butt of jokes because of his silence on all major issues facing the country, be it scams of gigantic proportions, lethargic foreign policies or economic doldrums. His silence was as silent as the silence of the lambs and that he decided to break prolonged silence on the day I watched "Silence of the Lambs", was the irony.

MMS with his impeccable credentials as a top notch economist and a person with the highest integrity has probably led a government that has been embroiled in scams and controversies of scales, which have been unprecedented in the Indian political history. Again an irony, as MMS himself has never been even suggestively targeted as being dishonest by anybody.

But as a leader of his pack, he has the moral responsibility for the doings and undoings of his team. He should have led by his own example and should have set examples of those who were corrupt. But alas, he has failed by not acting boldly and affirmatively. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, "To sin by silence when they should protest (and act) makes cowards of men", and it is again an irony that history might evaluate MMS on the basis of these very lines, inspite of the many qualities that he has, that makes him very different from the majority of the greedy and corrupt politicians that are eating into the resources of the country like termites.

Janmashtami Special- Shri Krishna and his continued relevance and popularity!

Lord Krishna, one of the most loved Hindu deities, is said to be the 8th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the world as per Hindu beliefs. Shri Krishna was born on Janmashtami (28th of August this year) which is celebrated with religious fervor by Hindus all over the world.

It is said that Lord Vishnu comes to the mortal world in the form of incarnations when Mother Earth is ravaged by evil. In case of Shri Krishna as well, the reason was the same. During his life time, Lord Krishna delivered the world from many evil men like Kamsa, the King of Mathura, and was instrumental as the chief strategist for the Pandayas winning the battle of Kurukshetra of the Mahabharata fame.

Over centuries, times have changed but the relevance and importance of Shri Krishna in the Indian society has not diminished, in fact his charismatic influence has actually increased over time. So, what might be the reasons for this, I wondered, and in search for an answer, I had a very interesting chat with my father and the following points cropped up during our discussions.

Glimpses of the life and times of Shri Krishna

1) Shri Krishna was a "Doer"- Shri Krishna throughout his life has been depicted as somebody who is a doer, a man of action. In his childhood he was known as a "butter thief" as he used to steal home made butter and eat it. In his adolescence, he was notorious for his lover boy image and the fact that he used to tease girls in his village. In his youth he became famous for standing up to what he felt was right and was revered for it. India today has a very young population and the youth can easily identify with the different stages of Lord Krishna which embodies naughtiness of childhood and adolescence and level headed maturity and determination of youth.

2) Shri Krishna was "Practical"- Though he always followed the righteous path, Lord Krishna was also very practical in nature. In my opinion, he felt that the End always justifies the means.
A little deception in life is not wrong, especially if the deception could lead to more welfare for the general masses at large.As the chief adviser to the Pandavas, Sri Krishna was instrumental in advising the use of deceit during the course of the battle of Kurukshetra which resulted in the annihilation of many of the stronger Kaurava generals like Dronacharya and also Karna.

3) Shri Krishna was a "Motivator", par excellence- In today's fast paced materialistic life, when constant pressures both professional as well as personal take a heavy toll on individuals, the teachings of Lord Krishna, especially the discourse that he gave to the Pandava prince Arjuna prior to the start of the battle of Kurukshetra, all documented in the sacred book of the Hindus, the "Bhagwat Gita", are a great motivator and stress buster and enhance the popularity of Krishna amongst the youth.  

4) Shri Krishna was "Unorthodox"- The life of Shri Krishna is full of paradoxes. On one hand he used to tease the womenfolk of his village in his adolescence and on the other he was the person who saved the honor of Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas from the Kauravas. He is believed to have wedded 16000 women in his life time but is the same person who is known for his devoted love towards "Radha", his consort. He was righteous but at the same time not averse to occasional aberrations for the general good. All in all, he was not what one would call "perfect" and this very reason makes him endearing in the eyes and hearts of the Hindus.

These are just a few reasons I could fathom out, which in my opinion are the reasons for the continued relevance and popularity of Shri Krishna, even today among Hindus not only in India but the world over.

Wishing all a very Happy Janmashtami! Jai Shree Krishna!!!

Apple and Newton's Theory!

It is famously asserted that when the great English Physicist and Mathematician, Sir Isaac Newton was once sitting under an apple tree, an apple fell on him. Falling of apples is not an uncommon thing and many people might have encountered this "accident" over centuries. But this particular incident spurred Sir Isaac into action and he discovered the forces of Gravity.

He quoted : "Anything that goes up, must come down"and this quotation of his has become a Universal Truth, quite literarily. In all the spheres of life, be it Social, Technological, Economic or Political, this quotation is correct to the "T".

1) Social- Social upheavals have been a common phenomenon from time immemorial. The Incas, the Mayans and the other American Indian tribes, the undisputed overlords of the Americas, are now limited to certain reservations and pockets in their own homeland. Closer home, the once unconceivable obsolescence of the caste system is in progress. In many Indian states, the supposedly upper castes are now being governed and lead by leaders from the lower castes. In the mad melee for job reservations and quotas, the upper castes have also upped the ante demanding reservations for their own.

2) Technological- Kodak was once the undisputed "king" of the photography landscape. It was synonymous with a camera. Come 2013, it has been a year since it filed for bankruptcy. In the age of digital cameras, the photo pioneer got spectacularly left behind.

3) Economic- Economies have risen and fallen like pins in a bowling alley throughout history. First the greatest economies in the world like India and China crumbled under the onslaught of the colonial powers and the British empire emerged as the beacon of economic light for the entire world. Then the British empire gave way to the Superpowers like USA and USSR and now the world is again looking towards India and China, a perfect complete circle this.. 

4) Political- Corrupt regimes have been overthrown in places like Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. The autocrats who ruled these countries with an iron fist, saw their autocracies come crashing down like a pack of cards in the wake of massive public outcry and mass movements.

All fellow members of Blue Caramel should bear a fact in mind that "There is nothing stronger than Time" and if you go up in life the only things that can keep you up there from the various spheres of life are Tolerance for others (Social), Innovativeness (Technology), Managerial skills (Economic) and Honesty and truthfulness in dealings (Political). 

A poem on Indian Independence Day!

With the 67th Indian Independence Day in just about a week's time, my wife who is a teacher was frantically searching for a poem which she would make her students recite on 15th of August. She searched the net but could not come across any which would be ideal for her students who are in kindergarten. As a last resort she asked her father-in-law, if he knew of any poems that were ideal for the students. And lo, in less than 10 minutes she had a poem that was to her liking. From where did father get the poem, he made his own creation. A tribute to the genius that my father Udayan Mitter is, presenting the poem (though it is in Hindi).

आज़ादी  के  इस  पावन  दिन  पर, शीश  सभी  झुकाए  | 
On this auspicious day of independence, lets all bow our heads.

वीरों  के  बलिदान  को  आज , याद  करें  और  गुण  गाएँ   ||      
Lets recall the supreme sacrifices made by the freedom fighters and sing praises in their honor.

लहराते' इस  झंडे  को', सब  करें  सम्मान  |||                
The tri-colored flag that is fluttering let us all always honor it.

आओ  मिल  कर  गाएँ  , जन  गन  मन  का  गान  ||||             
 Lets all together sing, the Indian National anthem.

Salute!!!

Little things in life!

The month of July had an enjoyable end. My wife's cousins and my brother-in-law had come and we decided to be with nature most of the time during their stay in Udaipur. One of the trips we took was to the magnificent Jain temples of Ranakpur about 80 kms from Udaipur.

Road to Ranakpur

The kings of the road

The clouds descending on the valley

Company en route

The magnificent Jain Temples of Ranakpur

During the trip we realized that simple things in life actually give us all the greatest happiness.

Being with family, spending quality time with them, away from the tentacles of technology (read connectivity, the internet and its services WTF -Wattsapp, Twitter and Facebook) and work, in the lap of Mother Nature, admiring architectural prowess of an era gone by tempered with a religious flavor made this trip memorable and surreal. 

With the batteries all recharged, its time now to welcome August with full vigor.