On Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary today, I'm reminded of a powerful message that used to play on TV a few years back. For effect, it was preceded by a quick sketch-squiggle that people could easily identify as the man most credited with handing India its independence from British rule. The message read: "The greatness of this man was his simplicity. Let's discover Gandhi in ourselves."
I had read Gandhi's autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, in my teen years and was greatly influenced by its honesty and power (not the power that corrupts but one that uplifts and strengthens).
Then more recently a few years back, I watched Lage Raho Munnabhai and, despite all the criticism of trivialization and other shortcomings of the movie, really appreciated the passion and skill of those who made the film (it was produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and directed by Rajkumar Hirani). It really got Gandhi's messages of non-violence and truth across to today's youth, most of whom are now engaged in the blind pursuit of money, sex and power.
Today morning I read a small report in Hindustan Times that talks about a village in Orissa called Panimora. It says that once the village was a birthplace of freedom fighters and has been a follower of Gandhi's tenets. But its model of autonomous development is now giving way to squabbling over funds and petty politics (aggravated by the death of most Gandhians).
All the same, politicians are busy as usual in highjacking the Mahatma's name for political mileage through lavish ads.
Unfortunately, we either dismiss Gandhi's ideas and ideals as anachronistic or put them just on a pedestal, with no intention of using them or really discovering what they mean.
I just feel like telling all those who even remotely want to identify with Gandhi or truly remember him on his jayanti (birthday): Don't bother too much about wearing Gandhian caps - just make do with the heads thinking Gandhian thoughts. Hopefully, springing forth from those thoughts, actions that benefit the masses and not just the classes will follow...
Happy Gandhi Jayanti.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Twittering out the Social Media Thingy
Okay, I won't begin with how Twitter-beat-Facebook-beat-Internet-beat-TV...quicker and quicker in terms of popularity or user base -- we are now beyond that stage.
I'll begin instead with how everyone is perplexed about this "social media thing". As I write this, new social media agencies are being set up, articles are being written about this *phenomenon* (including this one, if you can call this post an article), and the marketing pros are figuring out whether to suck at the Vampire widget or indulge in a Mob War to reach their target group.
The point is, the buzz around social media (btw, did we have anti- or un-social media before that?) is growing.
At the same time, some are even beginning to wonder if we could indeed be outgrowing Facebook. Lane Wallace of The Atlantic magazine says, for instance, that we might be at a stage where our initial, teenager-like fancy to FB may give way to fatigue or boredom. Still she admits that sites like FB and Twitter are growing and becoming increasingly popular with 30-plus folks and not just teeny-boppers.
Something doesn't gel, isn't it?
I think if we look close enough -- at human behavior, not websites or widgets -- we'll discover that the process of social evolution takes a long time (Darwin already told us that anatomical evolution takes even longer). In contrast, the breakneck technological evolution of the past decade or so has thrown up numerous tools and twitgets (note that!) for humans to play around.
So it's a playground out there, all right. But unlike earlier, when people played in more segregated age groups, in the virtual world we now have a whole smorgasbord of pre-teens, teens and umpteens 'behaving' in unprecedented ways. Combine this with the fact that this interplay goes on in several handshakes of connected gadgets, irrespective of where the players move across the globe. (We even have extreme cases in which people are being de-addicted for being too connected!)
Personally, I feel that the new tools of staying connected and sharing have brought out the kids in adults and allowed younger people to acquire wisdom or knowledge at an accelerated pace. If anything, the contours of our age-tied and time-bound behaviors are being pummeled into newer and more possibilities -- of what communication and sharing in this or the next digital world (Web x.0) will be really like.
So it's only natural that there's so much complexity and perplexity. I guess it'll be a progressive case of profusion - confusion - infusion (until more things come up and the cycle repeats).
Keep your fingers clicking...
I'll begin instead with how everyone is perplexed about this "social media thing". As I write this, new social media agencies are being set up, articles are being written about this *phenomenon* (including this one, if you can call this post an article), and the marketing pros are figuring out whether to suck at the Vampire widget or indulge in a Mob War to reach their target group.
The point is, the buzz around social media (btw, did we have anti- or un-social media before that?) is growing.
At the same time, some are even beginning to wonder if we could indeed be outgrowing Facebook. Lane Wallace of The Atlantic magazine says, for instance, that we might be at a stage where our initial, teenager-like fancy to FB may give way to fatigue or boredom. Still she admits that sites like FB and Twitter are growing and becoming increasingly popular with 30-plus folks and not just teeny-boppers.
Something doesn't gel, isn't it?
I think if we look close enough -- at human behavior, not websites or widgets -- we'll discover that the process of social evolution takes a long time (Darwin already told us that anatomical evolution takes even longer). In contrast, the breakneck technological evolution of the past decade or so has thrown up numerous tools and twitgets (note that!) for humans to play around.
So it's a playground out there, all right. But unlike earlier, when people played in more segregated age groups, in the virtual world we now have a whole smorgasbord of pre-teens, teens and umpteens 'behaving' in unprecedented ways. Combine this with the fact that this interplay goes on in several handshakes of connected gadgets, irrespective of where the players move across the globe. (We even have extreme cases in which people are being de-addicted for being too connected!)
Personally, I feel that the new tools of staying connected and sharing have brought out the kids in adults and allowed younger people to acquire wisdom or knowledge at an accelerated pace. If anything, the contours of our age-tied and time-bound behaviors are being pummeled into newer and more possibilities -- of what communication and sharing in this or the next digital world (Web x.0) will be really like.
So it's only natural that there's so much complexity and perplexity. I guess it'll be a progressive case of profusion - confusion - infusion (until more things come up and the cycle repeats).
Keep your fingers clicking...
Friday, August 28, 2009
Writers of Passage
Can you learn your way to writing a book?
This question wouldn’t perhaps arise in the more mature markets of the West. But for a developing country like India, most aspiring writers are unaware of, or unexposed to, the lessons and master-classes that can catapult them into the league of a J(h)umpa Lahiri or a Chetan Bhagat. In the US, for instance, there are oodles of creative writing courses and workshops and retreats and many more, where budding authors can see their writer’s block unfold into textual bloom. But in India, there are few such options and devices, though things are beginning to change I must say.
So when I happened to be present during a fiction-writing interaction at Delhi’s Oxford Book Store, I lent my ear to lecturing by guest author Jaishree Misra even as my eyes continued to browse the bookshelves. Despite this double act of dual-tasking, I was able to gather some pertinent points shared by Jaishree. What follows is a recollection (and remixing with my own two bits) of some of those tips and traps…
The best thing I liked about Jaishree’s advice was that she urged the audience – most of them young women, a couple of lads and even a few old curmudgeons – to stick to their day jobs (or night ones if they work in a call center). Why, she herself continues to hold her job as a classifier of films in Britain (admission of envy: I want a job like hers) and still come up with a book or two. I couldn’t agree more: writing becomes a full-time *profession* only when you’ve already published a bestseller (unless you’ve inherited ample dough and can indulge in timelessly baking your writerly ambitions).
Another tip the author of Secrets & Lies shared was that aspiring writers must try and live the life of the characters they are going to create in their books. This would enable them to breathe realism into the characters which, needless to say, can have an impact on the readers as well as the number of books sold.
Jaishree also advised the audience to carefully pick a genre that best suits an individual, read up as many books in that genre as possible and reach an understanding of the nuances of writing for that genre.
She also shared some helpful tricks of the trade when it comes to dealing with publishers and agents (their role in the publishing process, how to deal with them, et al) –– in the smiling presence of HarperCollins India’s publisher and chief editor, VK Karthika.
Don't you think we need more of such learning-the-art-of-writing events, especially extensive ones at that?
This question wouldn’t perhaps arise in the more mature markets of the West. But for a developing country like India, most aspiring writers are unaware of, or unexposed to, the lessons and master-classes that can catapult them into the league of a J(h)umpa Lahiri or a Chetan Bhagat. In the US, for instance, there are oodles of creative writing courses and workshops and retreats and many more, where budding authors can see their writer’s block unfold into textual bloom. But in India, there are few such options and devices, though things are beginning to change I must say.
So when I happened to be present during a fiction-writing interaction at Delhi’s Oxford Book Store, I lent my ear to lecturing by guest author Jaishree Misra even as my eyes continued to browse the bookshelves. Despite this double act of dual-tasking, I was able to gather some pertinent points shared by Jaishree. What follows is a recollection (and remixing with my own two bits) of some of those tips and traps…
The best thing I liked about Jaishree’s advice was that she urged the audience – most of them young women, a couple of lads and even a few old curmudgeons – to stick to their day jobs (or night ones if they work in a call center). Why, she herself continues to hold her job as a classifier of films in Britain (admission of envy: I want a job like hers) and still come up with a book or two. I couldn’t agree more: writing becomes a full-time *profession* only when you’ve already published a bestseller (unless you’ve inherited ample dough and can indulge in timelessly baking your writerly ambitions).
Another tip the author of Secrets & Lies shared was that aspiring writers must try and live the life of the characters they are going to create in their books. This would enable them to breathe realism into the characters which, needless to say, can have an impact on the readers as well as the number of books sold.
Jaishree also advised the audience to carefully pick a genre that best suits an individual, read up as many books in that genre as possible and reach an understanding of the nuances of writing for that genre.
She also shared some helpful tricks of the trade when it comes to dealing with publishers and agents (their role in the publishing process, how to deal with them, et al) –– in the smiling presence of HarperCollins India’s publisher and chief editor, VK Karthika.
Don't you think we need more of such learning-the-art-of-writing events, especially extensive ones at that?
Monday, August 24, 2009
Writer Kelby Offers to Make it Up to SRK
I am pleasantly surprised that the writer NM Kelby (see previous post) has picked up my blog entry about the Shah Rukh Khan airport controversy and put out a very generous post. Her post (read it here) does reaffirm the fact that one should never paint all people (Americans in this context) with the same brush.
Not all Americans are rude or offensive or uncaring, of course. Citizens of all nations are truly bound by a collective humanity with the same set of emotions. Unfortunately, our world is so complex and rife with the threats of violence and intolerance that uncalled-for incidents do happen from time to time. But we must not give in to the temptation of fomenting further unrest and, instead, move on with better understanding of each other. Do read Kelby's post to learn a lesson of humility and to know how to take things with a hint of sugar...
Not all Americans are rude or offensive or uncaring, of course. Citizens of all nations are truly bound by a collective humanity with the same set of emotions. Unfortunately, our world is so complex and rife with the threats of violence and intolerance that uncalled-for incidents do happen from time to time. But we must not give in to the temptation of fomenting further unrest and, instead, move on with better understanding of each other. Do read Kelby's post to learn a lesson of humility and to know how to take things with a hint of sugar...
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
My Name Is...KKCan't (Remember)!
How famous is Shah Rukh Khan really in America (or anywhere, for that matter)? And why all the brouhaha about his prolonged, uncomfortable (for King Khan) questioning at the Newark airport in the US recently?
Even though the so-called "controversy" is assuming sickening proportions, what with multiple media mud-slings, I happened to come across an interesting blog post from - surprise, surprise - a famous (that tricky word, again!) US author (I almost wrote authoress (sic) to highlight the fact that it's a woman and an SRK fan). Her name is NM Kelby. Doesn't ring a bell, I know - at least none rang with me. All the more reason perhaps why you should read her blog entry (to entice you some, it's got some similar, unbelievable who-are-you stuff about Bob Dylan).
Didn't they say it's all relative?
Even though the so-called "controversy" is assuming sickening proportions, what with multiple media mud-slings, I happened to come across an interesting blog post from - surprise, surprise - a famous (that tricky word, again!) US author (I almost wrote authoress (sic) to highlight the fact that it's a woman and an SRK fan). Her name is NM Kelby. Doesn't ring a bell, I know - at least none rang with me. All the more reason perhaps why you should read her blog entry (to entice you some, it's got some similar, unbelievable who-are-you stuff about Bob Dylan).
Didn't they say it's all relative?
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Mixing up Drunks and Driving
Sanjeev BMW-hit-and-run Nanda is likely to be out in a few months, news reports say. For a change, I'm not dwelling on how justified or unjustified the quantum of punishment will be for him (the rich lad ran over and killed six in Delhi in a post-drinks rampage and spent a little under 2 years in jail since the incident in 1999). Instead, I'm amused at how media writes about someone who drives after drinking (drinking alcohol, that is, and not juice or lassi).
The majority of reporters or subeditors call such acts "drunk driving" or "drunken driving" (the latter sounds like taking drunk driving to sunken depths). But some papers also write it as "drink driving" (Imagine, DRINK driving! As if you can hand over the steering wheel to your favorite bottle of vodka).
Actually, I'm just thinking, why not add "drunkard driving" to the list as well. With this appellation, whenever we see a Merc or Beemer swerving and speeding toward some unlucky chaps, we can at least shout out: "Hey, look! Drunkard driving!"
The majority of reporters or subeditors call such acts "drunk driving" or "drunken driving" (the latter sounds like taking drunk driving to sunken depths). But some papers also write it as "drink driving" (Imagine, DRINK driving! As if you can hand over the steering wheel to your favorite bottle of vodka).
Actually, I'm just thinking, why not add "drunkard driving" to the list as well. With this appellation, whenever we see a Merc or Beemer swerving and speeding toward some unlucky chaps, we can at least shout out: "Hey, look! Drunkard driving!"
Monday, July 13, 2009
A Matter of Sexual Freedom
Over the past few days I have seen a lot of excitement, rage, disappointment, disgust and several other feelings poured over the historic Delhi Hight Court ruling that decriminalizes same sex among consenting adults in the city. Now with Baba Ramdev publicly coming out against homosexuality, the debate is only going to get intense...
Even though I have taken potshots at how the new public display of affection among gay men (not women, curiously) turns me off, this post is not about my sex preferences or about Baba Ramdev's supposed powers to "cure homosexuality".
This post is simply about being progressive, rights-oriented and, in the spirit of the current buzzword, "inclusive". The new world order that we now see is one in which more people than ever before in history can make choices -- about how they live, whom they vote, what they wear or eat, among other things. And it's essential that this order include more and more people (still stuck in repressed regimes or who otherwise live on the fringes of fear and deprivation) for our continued physical, emotional and spiritual evolution. As a free citizen of a democratic country (however pathetic the democracy currently is, I still prize it) I believe that each individual has the right to choose his or her sexual inclination -- so long as he or she is not enticing minors or forcing others against their wishes. The government's job is -- should be -- to protect people from cutting each other's throat, not from cutting ice in what can be a mutually agreed and meaningful relationship.
At the same time, if Baba Ramdev wants people to approach him or his ashram and be cured of their "wayward sexual leanings" -- and if there are indeed people who do that or are willing to do that -- then we must also respect their choices and opinions. As long as we all get to exercise our choices with dignity and impartiality, it should be fine.
I only hope the courts all over the country (and the big daddy Supreme Court) do not get entangled in political opportunism of various groups -- but instead make further rules that facilitate adult informed choice while continuing to protect children and punish criminals (the real ones).
Even though I have taken potshots at how the new public display of affection among gay men (not women, curiously) turns me off, this post is not about my sex preferences or about Baba Ramdev's supposed powers to "cure homosexuality".
This post is simply about being progressive, rights-oriented and, in the spirit of the current buzzword, "inclusive". The new world order that we now see is one in which more people than ever before in history can make choices -- about how they live, whom they vote, what they wear or eat, among other things. And it's essential that this order include more and more people (still stuck in repressed regimes or who otherwise live on the fringes of fear and deprivation) for our continued physical, emotional and spiritual evolution. As a free citizen of a democratic country (however pathetic the democracy currently is, I still prize it) I believe that each individual has the right to choose his or her sexual inclination -- so long as he or she is not enticing minors or forcing others against their wishes. The government's job is -- should be -- to protect people from cutting each other's throat, not from cutting ice in what can be a mutually agreed and meaningful relationship.
At the same time, if Baba Ramdev wants people to approach him or his ashram and be cured of their "wayward sexual leanings" -- and if there are indeed people who do that or are willing to do that -- then we must also respect their choices and opinions. As long as we all get to exercise our choices with dignity and impartiality, it should be fine.
I only hope the courts all over the country (and the big daddy Supreme Court) do not get entangled in political opportunism of various groups -- but instead make further rules that facilitate adult informed choice while continuing to protect children and punish criminals (the real ones).
Friday, July 10, 2009
Rain...
Rain for my soul
For the parched dust and dry wind and heated minds
For replenishing life-giving water
For rejuvenating the hope that lives on...
Rain for everyone
For those who know not its real significance
And for those who pretend to know
For all who love to get soaked in its fullness, its true bounty
As well as for those who cringe at the drippy disturbance...
Rain for recession
Not only of the economy but of the completeness of life around us
Rain for the restoration of bits and pieces of nature
That must coalesce together to give humans more cause for celebration...
For the parched dust and dry wind and heated minds
For replenishing life-giving water
For rejuvenating the hope that lives on...
Rain for everyone
For those who know not its real significance
And for those who pretend to know
For all who love to get soaked in its fullness, its true bounty
As well as for those who cringe at the drippy disturbance...
Rain for recession
Not only of the economy but of the completeness of life around us
Rain for the restoration of bits and pieces of nature
That must coalesce together to give humans more cause for celebration...
Friday, June 5, 2009
Did You Switch Off Your Lights Today?
Ever since the year 1972, the world has been 'marking' June 5 as the World Environment Day (as declared by the United Nations). One wonders why it took such a long time to reach a general consensus on the criticality of global warming and environmental degradation - and get the skeptics to at least acknowledge that global warming exists.
It's been over 30 years since the setting aside of a day for the environment - but it's only very recently, less than five years, that some serious concerted effort is beginning to happen (energy-saving bulbs, for instance). In all those years we missed, it's possible that we already reached a point-of-no-return from where the ill-effects of greenhouse gas emissions WHILE continuing to pursue a globalized growth model espoused by the US of A (imitating might be a better word here than pursuing) cannot be reversed. Still, we must keep trying...
As a consumer in a developing nation, I try to switch off the lights when possible, avoid polythene bags and do other little tricks to reduce my carbon footprint - but listening to politicians or celebs mouthing green promises without any backing of policy decisions makes me go sick in the stomach. To cite an example, it's one thing to ask people to "say no to polythene carrybags" - and quite another for the politicos to resist the lobby (and quite possibly, palm-greasing) of those who stand to gain from making and selling these toxic things. (Regarding the question of rehabilitating those whose livelihoods depend on the polythene business, it must be the government's responsibility - aided by tax money from you and me - to wean them away to some alternative businesses or work.)
Left to their own devices, consumers will not compromise the convenience that a lazy non-green lifestyle entails.
It's been over 30 years since the setting aside of a day for the environment - but it's only very recently, less than five years, that some serious concerted effort is beginning to happen (energy-saving bulbs, for instance). In all those years we missed, it's possible that we already reached a point-of-no-return from where the ill-effects of greenhouse gas emissions WHILE continuing to pursue a globalized growth model espoused by the US of A (imitating might be a better word here than pursuing) cannot be reversed. Still, we must keep trying...
As a consumer in a developing nation, I try to switch off the lights when possible, avoid polythene bags and do other little tricks to reduce my carbon footprint - but listening to politicians or celebs mouthing green promises without any backing of policy decisions makes me go sick in the stomach. To cite an example, it's one thing to ask people to "say no to polythene carrybags" - and quite another for the politicos to resist the lobby (and quite possibly, palm-greasing) of those who stand to gain from making and selling these toxic things. (Regarding the question of rehabilitating those whose livelihoods depend on the polythene business, it must be the government's responsibility - aided by tax money from you and me - to wean them away to some alternative businesses or work.)
Left to their own devices, consumers will not compromise the convenience that a lazy non-green lifestyle entails.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away!
Unlike the poem most of us read in the childhood, in which little Johnny asks Rain to go away because he wants to play, I wish that rain would rather stay a bit longer - and splash us all with cool droplets. At least for the parched denizens of Delhi, that would seem to be a pretty desirable thing in the middle of May. Besides, each time it rains, it reminds me of my daughter Saundhi (the name means 'the sweet smell the earth gives off when touched by the first few drops of rain').
But then, it hardly rains in Delhi now. I remember how 10 or 12 years back (another age?), Delhi used to get a decent drenching every monsoon. But for the past few years, the rainy season is just touch-and-go -- it teases more than it eases (the heat). Fortunately, there was some intermittent rain last summer, which made it more bearable than most years.
How I wish for those long spells of rain, when you could enjoy and appreciate the lush green beauty of the city! Just sitting in the balcony and seeing nature's regenerative wet miracle all around you was so refreshing...made even better by an endless supply of pakoras (spicy fried snacks).
Alas...Who stole our rain?
But then, it hardly rains in Delhi now. I remember how 10 or 12 years back (another age?), Delhi used to get a decent drenching every monsoon. But for the past few years, the rainy season is just touch-and-go -- it teases more than it eases (the heat). Fortunately, there was some intermittent rain last summer, which made it more bearable than most years.
How I wish for those long spells of rain, when you could enjoy and appreciate the lush green beauty of the city! Just sitting in the balcony and seeing nature's regenerative wet miracle all around you was so refreshing...made even better by an endless supply of pakoras (spicy fried snacks).
Alas...Who stole our rain?
Monday, May 18, 2009
Nano? Na, No!
More than 2 lakh bookings and counting: Tata Motors’ cheapest car, Nano, which will ‘hit’ Indian roads in July, is being awaited alarmingly eagerly by an ever-increasing and impatient breed of wannabe motorists. As an owner and driver of a Santro car, why should I get worked up?
Simply because, my dear fellow-motorist, with more and more cars fighting for scarcer and scarcer road space, I’ll get to wait longer in my car as I drive around the city (Tip for carmakers: instead of offering free fuel or service, give a few kilometers of unclogged road space to each new buyer). And as I wait longer inside the car, I’ll consume more fuel, cooling myself and warming the planet in the bargain.
But then, it’s better to be inside an AC car than venture outside in this heat. The other day I happened to pass by a largish car and got a shock from the heated fumes emanating from its body. No wonder I cursed under my breath and vowed to return to the cool confines of my own fuel-guzzler!
Sitting inside, I peer out at the fellow car-toons trying to honk their cars ahead in a sea of automobiles (looking at their faces, you can tell how desperately they want their honks to yield an extra inch of road space ahead – especially at toll gates and busy intersections). Some of them frown at me for not sharing their honking traits or urgency tactics.
My thoughts invariably turn to the Metro rail network. When fully operational, will it reduce the number of cars on the road at any time? I doubt it. Rather, it might add more commuters in Delhi – with thousands and thousands more flooding the trains from within the city as well as the neighboring regions. What Metro might do is mitigate the impact of more Nanos on the road – even if only to a nano extent!
As I pointed out in an earlier post, I’m eager to either get rid of my car or use it less frequently (that’s why Nano-like developments get me in knots). But in addition to the Metro, Delhiites would also need a better bus and taxi network to fill the gaps not served by train. The government has already made a mess of BRT (bus rapid transport, in which buses ply in demarcated lanes). With Commonwealth Games fast approaching and the election process in the country over, one can only hope that better sense will prevail – both among the government and the car-owning public.
Simply because, my dear fellow-motorist, with more and more cars fighting for scarcer and scarcer road space, I’ll get to wait longer in my car as I drive around the city (Tip for carmakers: instead of offering free fuel or service, give a few kilometers of unclogged road space to each new buyer). And as I wait longer inside the car, I’ll consume more fuel, cooling myself and warming the planet in the bargain.
But then, it’s better to be inside an AC car than venture outside in this heat. The other day I happened to pass by a largish car and got a shock from the heated fumes emanating from its body. No wonder I cursed under my breath and vowed to return to the cool confines of my own fuel-guzzler!
Sitting inside, I peer out at the fellow car-toons trying to honk their cars ahead in a sea of automobiles (looking at their faces, you can tell how desperately they want their honks to yield an extra inch of road space ahead – especially at toll gates and busy intersections). Some of them frown at me for not sharing their honking traits or urgency tactics.
My thoughts invariably turn to the Metro rail network. When fully operational, will it reduce the number of cars on the road at any time? I doubt it. Rather, it might add more commuters in Delhi – with thousands and thousands more flooding the trains from within the city as well as the neighboring regions. What Metro might do is mitigate the impact of more Nanos on the road – even if only to a nano extent!
As I pointed out in an earlier post, I’m eager to either get rid of my car or use it less frequently (that’s why Nano-like developments get me in knots). But in addition to the Metro, Delhiites would also need a better bus and taxi network to fill the gaps not served by train. The government has already made a mess of BRT (bus rapid transport, in which buses ply in demarcated lanes). With Commonwealth Games fast approaching and the election process in the country over, one can only hope that better sense will prevail – both among the government and the car-owning public.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Elec-shun? Please Don’t!
Now that a lot more people in the intelligentsia and youth communities (isn’t it fascinating that the two are years apart?) know that they must vote – courtesy kyunki agar aap vote nahi kar rahe ho to aap so rahe ho (if you don’t vote, you are sleeping) and sundry other campaigns initiated by corporates and media alike – I don’t need to repeat the same spiel.
So, what have I got to say? I want to talk about the dilemma that most voters in India, especially the youth, face. Should it be the party or the particular candidate in their constituency that we should vote for? Even if our chosen candidate comes to power, his actions are likely to be dictated by the party he belongs to (and we may not like the party per se), so there’ll be little good he’ll be able to do on his own. And if we vote for a party, the person from our constituency may turn out to be a shlook (I don’t know if that’s a word, but you get the idea). In any case, there are more chances of a coalition government or a hung parliament, so all the policies of a party that look good on their manifesto may not materialize in reality.
Unfortunately, most of the people who have clean records, a cleaner conscience and are youthful and intelligent as well never ‘run’ for elections – they’d rather run away from it. So we end up wracking our brains about choosing the lesser of several evils.
I wish it were possible for the people of India to vote in a ballot asking them whom they want to elect for certain roles (prime ministership, key ministries, national security adviser, etc.)…
So, what have I got to say? I want to talk about the dilemma that most voters in India, especially the youth, face. Should it be the party or the particular candidate in their constituency that we should vote for? Even if our chosen candidate comes to power, his actions are likely to be dictated by the party he belongs to (and we may not like the party per se), so there’ll be little good he’ll be able to do on his own. And if we vote for a party, the person from our constituency may turn out to be a shlook (I don’t know if that’s a word, but you get the idea). In any case, there are more chances of a coalition government or a hung parliament, so all the policies of a party that look good on their manifesto may not materialize in reality.
Unfortunately, most of the people who have clean records, a cleaner conscience and are youthful and intelligent as well never ‘run’ for elections – they’d rather run away from it. So we end up wracking our brains about choosing the lesser of several evils.
I wish it were possible for the people of India to vote in a ballot asking them whom they want to elect for certain roles (prime ministership, key ministries, national security adviser, etc.)…
Friday, February 27, 2009
So, What If We ARE Slumdogs?
Why should I write about Slumdog now, when the whole world has already known about it, debated the movie, sang songs of victory for India and the cast, and what not?
Because there are some things I felt strongly about and must get out of my mind.
No doubt the movie is an excellent cinematic achievement – with superb direction, great acting, amazing sound and other aspects of movie-making.
But…
For one, I strongly believe that Rahman should have got an Oscar long back and am glad that he got it for Slumdog. But it grates a little somewhere in my mind to know that Jai Ho is by no measure Rahman’s best composition. So the question: isn’t it like doing the right thing for the wrong reason (song)? Rahman has given much, much better music for so many films, including (in no particular order) Gentleman, Roja, Bombay, Lagaan, Swades, Taal, Saathiya…all in all, a long list with many, many Oscar worthies than Jai Ho. Okay, Jai Ho is good, very good in fact. But not that good. Not Oscar good.
As for the raging debate about how India has been ‘projected’ in the movie, I’ll say, Why create so much fuss about India’s image just on the basis of a movie? India’s image is not something that’s anyone’s fiefdom. Nor can it be ‘damaged’ by showing realistic scenes – however ‘shitful’ they might be – on the silver screen.
Let’s get it straight: Danny Boyle and team have done a commendable job in showing many of the ills plaguing ‘third-world’ India through an amazing (even if pretty contrived) narrative.
But, again…
Neither is Danny Boyle the first one to be enchanted by the crazy place that India is, nor will he be the last one. But multiple awards and the West’s growing interest in India (because of our vast, increasingly consumerist population that can keep their companies growing, and not out of any fatherly love – make no mishtake!) have meant that the contradictions and agonies depicted in the movie will be discussed for a long time.
So? So, how should a typical Indian feel about the whole thing, you know? To become a part of the ‘it’ crowd – which goes to multiplexes munching mountains of popcorn and guzzling gallons of carbonated sugar drinks.
Well, well, well…my suggestion is, dear, why do you want to be a part of this crowd in the first place?
If the movie has really shaken you up by showing a mirror to the kind of place you live in, why don’t you do something about it? From refusing to pay bribes to demanding your rights (from the political mafia) to helping out street and slum children, I’m sure you’ll find a whole lot of ideas. Why leave everything to the NGOs?
Boyle has done his job as a film-maker and gotten acclaim. But what about you? What about me? What about us Indians?
Because there are some things I felt strongly about and must get out of my mind.
No doubt the movie is an excellent cinematic achievement – with superb direction, great acting, amazing sound and other aspects of movie-making.
But…
For one, I strongly believe that Rahman should have got an Oscar long back and am glad that he got it for Slumdog. But it grates a little somewhere in my mind to know that Jai Ho is by no measure Rahman’s best composition. So the question: isn’t it like doing the right thing for the wrong reason (song)? Rahman has given much, much better music for so many films, including (in no particular order) Gentleman, Roja, Bombay, Lagaan, Swades, Taal, Saathiya…all in all, a long list with many, many Oscar worthies than Jai Ho. Okay, Jai Ho is good, very good in fact. But not that good. Not Oscar good.
As for the raging debate about how India has been ‘projected’ in the movie, I’ll say, Why create so much fuss about India’s image just on the basis of a movie? India’s image is not something that’s anyone’s fiefdom. Nor can it be ‘damaged’ by showing realistic scenes – however ‘shitful’ they might be – on the silver screen.
Let’s get it straight: Danny Boyle and team have done a commendable job in showing many of the ills plaguing ‘third-world’ India through an amazing (even if pretty contrived) narrative.
But, again…
Neither is Danny Boyle the first one to be enchanted by the crazy place that India is, nor will he be the last one. But multiple awards and the West’s growing interest in India (because of our vast, increasingly consumerist population that can keep their companies growing, and not out of any fatherly love – make no mishtake!) have meant that the contradictions and agonies depicted in the movie will be discussed for a long time.
So? So, how should a typical Indian feel about the whole thing, you know? To become a part of the ‘it’ crowd – which goes to multiplexes munching mountains of popcorn and guzzling gallons of carbonated sugar drinks.
Well, well, well…my suggestion is, dear, why do you want to be a part of this crowd in the first place?
If the movie has really shaken you up by showing a mirror to the kind of place you live in, why don’t you do something about it? From refusing to pay bribes to demanding your rights (from the political mafia) to helping out street and slum children, I’m sure you’ll find a whole lot of ideas. Why leave everything to the NGOs?
Boyle has done his job as a film-maker and gotten acclaim. But what about you? What about me? What about us Indians?
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Hollow Scope
Why does the world go bonkers over vacuous fortune telling?
I used to think that writing horoscopes is serious business, what with millions around the world spending so much time and money on a varied bunch of fortune tellers – palmists, numerologists, tarot readers, and other folks who use all sorts of animals from parrots to Pomeranians. But sometime back, when I read through what some of the so-called celebrity star-gazers had written in their popular columns, I realized how mistaken I was. To my horror-scope, I found that too much ink had been spilt praising the non-existent virtues of people and telling them how great they are and how the times are set to change for the better and how, just by wearing a certain color or betting on a particular lucky number, they can beat the holy sh*t out of any possible stumbling block to a great fortune that awaits them round the corner. Blah, blah, blah…
Now, if I were a self-preening narcissistic type I might’ve approved of all their goody-goody, schmaltzy stuff. So instead, I felt rather compelled to take you, dear reader, through some of the really over-the-top gems of prognostication that I found. I bet you might end up, like me, rolling on the floor with laughter or pulling your hair out trying to make sense of the whole shebang.
Sample this prophecy from a reputed site: “Your curiosity is running on high, and you just won’t stand for anything less than the entire truth, no matter what question you happen to ask. Your antennae will tell you whether it’s an honest answer.”
Well, my antennae tell me that the person who wrote this is really smart enough to know that the best thing to keep people from pointing fingers at your predictions is to write something entirely vague or utterly common sense. Now, tell me, how many people will admit that they’ll “stand for less than the entire truth”? And, won’t our keen observation (antennae) tell us if we are getting an honest answer or not?
Here’s another one from the Sunday edition of a paper: “You suffer a great deal because of others’ wrongdoing. Maybe it’s time you stopped others from taking you for granted. Just be more assertive and you’ll find all the happiness you deserve.”
Wow! Reading these lines, our bleary-eyed reader is sure to scream with self-pitying joy: “I told you so! See, it’s all their fault!” Merely reading this may not turn our meek fella into a bold brat, but it sure will make the person feel quite worthy of all the happiness in the world he or she ain’t going to get anyway.
Wait, there’s more stuff coming up. This one was buried inside an old stack of newspapers but fortunately caught my eye when I was looking for something else (isn’t that how you find anything in the first place these days?).
Here it goes: “Your stars are shining bright and mighty. Just the perfect time to make that critical move you have been waiting for all your life. Lucky numbers 1, 3 and 7; favorable colors Blue and Orange.”
Oh, really? You mean, if I wear a blue shirt to office today, I can tell my boss to take a walk? Or if I pick a lottery ticket with these three digits in it, I’ll become an instant millionaire? Aw, com’on, you must be kidding me.
Never mind what I feel, there are millions out there who lap up the fortune tellers’ words with inexplicable zeal and sincerity.
All right, there be might be some – maybe one in a thousand – fortune tellers whose predictions aren’t as ridiculous or vague or inaccurate. But at least I haven’t found them--yet.
Why such mumbo jumbo continues to get so much attention often baffles me – and I can only hazard a guess. Maybe it’s simply because people like hearing nice things about themselves. Or maybe they are already so weary and burdened with their unspectacular lives that they’ll latch onto anything that keeps their hopes of a radical positive change alive.
How many people would still read their horoscopes if the lines they read did not go down well with them or did not portray them as superb human beings? For instance, would they continue their patronage of the forecast column if it says: “You have a really crappy day ahead today?” Or if it proclaims: “Whatever you do, you are going to get laid off from this thankless job of yours – so just stick on to it while you can, you schmuck.”?
Fat chance they would!
So the fortune farce keeps going.
And the world keeps getting sucked into the slush that a daily dose of divination delivers.
I used to think that writing horoscopes is serious business, what with millions around the world spending so much time and money on a varied bunch of fortune tellers – palmists, numerologists, tarot readers, and other folks who use all sorts of animals from parrots to Pomeranians. But sometime back, when I read through what some of the so-called celebrity star-gazers had written in their popular columns, I realized how mistaken I was. To my horror-scope, I found that too much ink had been spilt praising the non-existent virtues of people and telling them how great they are and how the times are set to change for the better and how, just by wearing a certain color or betting on a particular lucky number, they can beat the holy sh*t out of any possible stumbling block to a great fortune that awaits them round the corner. Blah, blah, blah…
Now, if I were a self-preening narcissistic type I might’ve approved of all their goody-goody, schmaltzy stuff. So instead, I felt rather compelled to take you, dear reader, through some of the really over-the-top gems of prognostication that I found. I bet you might end up, like me, rolling on the floor with laughter or pulling your hair out trying to make sense of the whole shebang.
Sample this prophecy from a reputed site: “Your curiosity is running on high, and you just won’t stand for anything less than the entire truth, no matter what question you happen to ask. Your antennae will tell you whether it’s an honest answer.”
Well, my antennae tell me that the person who wrote this is really smart enough to know that the best thing to keep people from pointing fingers at your predictions is to write something entirely vague or utterly common sense. Now, tell me, how many people will admit that they’ll “stand for less than the entire truth”? And, won’t our keen observation (antennae) tell us if we are getting an honest answer or not?
Here’s another one from the Sunday edition of a paper: “You suffer a great deal because of others’ wrongdoing. Maybe it’s time you stopped others from taking you for granted. Just be more assertive and you’ll find all the happiness you deserve.”
Wow! Reading these lines, our bleary-eyed reader is sure to scream with self-pitying joy: “I told you so! See, it’s all their fault!” Merely reading this may not turn our meek fella into a bold brat, but it sure will make the person feel quite worthy of all the happiness in the world he or she ain’t going to get anyway.
Wait, there’s more stuff coming up. This one was buried inside an old stack of newspapers but fortunately caught my eye when I was looking for something else (isn’t that how you find anything in the first place these days?).
Here it goes: “Your stars are shining bright and mighty. Just the perfect time to make that critical move you have been waiting for all your life. Lucky numbers 1, 3 and 7; favorable colors Blue and Orange.”
Oh, really? You mean, if I wear a blue shirt to office today, I can tell my boss to take a walk? Or if I pick a lottery ticket with these three digits in it, I’ll become an instant millionaire? Aw, com’on, you must be kidding me.
Never mind what I feel, there are millions out there who lap up the fortune tellers’ words with inexplicable zeal and sincerity.
All right, there be might be some – maybe one in a thousand – fortune tellers whose predictions aren’t as ridiculous or vague or inaccurate. But at least I haven’t found them--yet.
Why such mumbo jumbo continues to get so much attention often baffles me – and I can only hazard a guess. Maybe it’s simply because people like hearing nice things about themselves. Or maybe they are already so weary and burdened with their unspectacular lives that they’ll latch onto anything that keeps their hopes of a radical positive change alive.
How many people would still read their horoscopes if the lines they read did not go down well with them or did not portray them as superb human beings? For instance, would they continue their patronage of the forecast column if it says: “You have a really crappy day ahead today?” Or if it proclaims: “Whatever you do, you are going to get laid off from this thankless job of yours – so just stick on to it while you can, you schmuck.”?
Fat chance they would!
So the fortune farce keeps going.
And the world keeps getting sucked into the slush that a daily dose of divination delivers.
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