My Recent Sketches !!

Try Again

When you feel tierd and lost,

Not getting the way at any cost.

The path is hard and a bit rough,

And every step so very tough.

The end of it is not in sight,

And you have lost the urge to fight.

Life is worth living and fighting for,

Not to defeat and leaving for.

It easy to give up and accept defeat,

But the brave will willingly repeat.

Will and dedications are steps to the top,

Journey is hard, but you cannot stop.

Don't give up but try again and again,

A different life you may regain.

Sri Ram Sene

In 21st century when we Indians are celebrating our 60th Republic day, we get to hear the horrific incident in Mangalore by the self-appointed cultural cops calling themselves Sri Ram Sene. The chaos unleashed by the so-called samaaj ke rakhwaale has outraged in the coastal city acting as catalyst in some other parts of the nation. The lethargic response of the police in this matter is the best example of our incompetence and rise of Jungle Raj. Sometime back in one of my posts, I mentioned how we Indians take extreme pride in our culture and go beyond our ways to protect it and pass on to the next generations; but I didn’t thought my article will jagaao all the wrong kinds of people. LOL Jokes apart, violent attacks by hoodlums inspired by extreme ideologies — be it regional chauvinism, religious prejudice or a twisted sense of our Indian tradition and ethos — are becoming an alarmingly frequent feature of our times. The incident sometime back in Mangalore, in which women were physically assaulted by a bunch of goons bearing allegiance to the Sri Ram Sene — simply because they chose to visit a pub is further evidence of this phenomenon. Like those associated with other extremist right-wing groups, members of the Sri Ram Sene are self-appointed custodians of ‘Bharatiya Sanskriti’. Is beating up women also part of this culture? Our culture and traditions have never been static. Through the centuries, they have been shaped and reshaped by historic events and interactions with other cultures. Today, there could be more than a billion ways of being Indian in the Indian Silicon Valley. It’s worrying that small groups of people can hold the public to ransom and assault our collective liberties with such perceptible ease. Aren’t we part of a democratic country where we have the freedom to our actions? Today some group thinks pubs are not a part of culture, agreed. What if other group feels that we should stop talking in foreign languages (English included) and stick only to our local languages? What if some other group starts harassing people saying that t-shirts and jeans are not part of our culture and we should only wear dhoti/lungi and kurta? On that note I remember reading in the paper where 2 girls were beaten up for wearing jeans in Bangalore. Where do you draw a line to such ideologies? Such groups act like an anchor stopping the nations progress. The most troubling fact is that our state home minister has not helped in this matter at all. He told that the pub owners must “augment security to prevent this kind of incident in future”. What is the minister suggesting? That we privatize the enforcement of law and order? Isn’t it the government’s job to ensure public security? What are we paying the taxes for? Be it against Raj Thackeray in Mumbai or similar troublemakers elsewhere, administrations move too slowly and feebly, undermining citizens’ faith in their ability to secure law and order. Couple of dozen men involved in the pub attacks have been taken into custody but immediately released without any action. The state government’s condemnations of the incident and stated resolves to suitably punish the guilty have evaporated long back. People say times have changed. What are we referring to when we say that? Is it India winning gold medal at the Olympics? A black becoming President of USA? India bagging an Oscar? Or is it John kissing Abhishek? Is this what we call change? Is it what we are referring to progress? Nothing has changed for the common man. Common man still struggles to meet his basic needs. Its time that we rise to the calls of time and use the grey matter, for country’s progress and self in real terms.

Jay Ho

India has arrived finally with Slumdog sweeping all major awards at Oscars and becoming the Slumgod. Log onto any website, check out any newspaper or tune into any radio channel this is what you would read, see and hear. But I wonder what is that makes us so proud about the 81st Oscars? Yeah I got it... the 8 Oscars right? Well let’s not forget that it’s not an Indian film that got an Oscar. It’s a British-American film about Indian slum with some Indian collaboration. It reminds me that pre-Independence they use to take raw cotton from here and process there which made us proud. If you look carefully this may be an extension of similar kind of imperialism. The hype and ecstasy that I saw on news channels seems absolute crazy for one western recognition. Now that I have pointed out a counter view to the 81st Oscars, that doesn’t make me unpatriotic at all. However, I feel that slumdog was very much similar to any bollywood entertainer and had all the required bollywood masala. I felt it had more bark than bite. I have seen the movie and no doubt it’s a good movie but was it worth an Oscar??? Well I personally don’t think so. I wonder if we would have entered the movie in the foreign film category would it have sweeped the Oscars? But yes inspite of all the not so obvious views I totally agree to the fact that it feels great to know that AR Rehman's soulful music and Gulzar's passionate lyrics have floored everyone at the Oscars. From Brad Pitt to Kate Winslet, Steven Spielberg to Meryl Streep everyone was moving to the beats of “Jay Ho". What continued was goras in traditional dhotis and mems in dazzling pink Indian outfits dancing to the tunes of Rehman. The world is still giving the standing ovation to the men who have got 3 Oscars overnight while the country was waiting for one since the days of Satyajit Ray.

Finally it seems Bollywood magic has charmed the first world. Its time they realize there is no dearth of talent back home. Hopefully this opens the floodgates of offers with more fusion of east and west coming up with FINE cinema for the audience. Jay Ho!!

AAJ TAK...

Hydrabadi Dum Biryaani and home are synonymous, at least for me they are. Finally I am at home, behaving like a refugee from Somalia let loose in Mc Donald’s with free meal coupons. I was starving for ghar ka khana from 7 long months, since my last visit to my home. My taste buds have refused to acknowledge tasting the office canteen food, which I am sure; I’ll be able to scratch off by biryaani accompanied by some chicken curry. Here at home things are not all that rosy and no real "aish" is materializing as my friends back in office would think. I am as free and jobless as the marketing manager of Sourav Ganguly. TV is boring as ever and with the eyes which are used to watching un-censored stuff, detest HBO and Star-Movies where nowadays "Basic Instinct" is as holy as “Jai Santoshi Maa”. When the dialogues cease and a boy and girl come closer, in the very next scene two tota-mainaas are shown pecking each other (?) with there beaks. Pathetic!! The commercial channels like Star Plus, Sony etc air only the K-series saas-bahu sagas where everyone is plotting against each other. I remember some serials as old as my granny (100 and not out) but all the characters are as young as me. I wonder how someone can watch such bullshit, which shows the same old crap for decades with different camera angels. The news channels are no less. I’ve got this confidential news that Amitabh Bachchan ko thand lag gayi. Just have a look at an instance of the prime time news bulletin on Aaj tak.

Sanjay: "Aaiye hum aap ko le chalte hai Amitabh Bachchan ke resort pe jaha humaare samvaad daata deepak chaurasia maujood hai" "haan Deepak kya aap hamey sun sakte hai" (Deepak is on screen and he is as blank as Laloo's 10th board answer sheet) "Deepak aapko humaari awaaz aa rahee hai...Deepak" Deepak: "haan Sanjay boliye" (People behind Deepak desperate to come on TV are waving as if stranded on an island for ten years and trying to signal a far off ship in sight) "Deepak Is wakt wahan Amitabh Bachchan ki tabiyat kaisi hai? kya mahaul hai iss waqt wahaa par?" Deepak: Abhi hum Manali mein Amitabh Bachchan ke resort ke saamne khade hain aur aapko bataa den ki Aaj Tak pehla channel jo ye khabar aap tak la raha hai. Sanjay jaisa ki hum sab ko pataa hai aaj subah hindustan ke Shehenshah Amitabh Bachchan ko Thand lag gayi. Subah se hi yahaa diggaj logon kaa taanta lagaa huaa hai…” Sanjay: Ye batayiye ki Amitabh ko kitni thand lagi hai? Kya wo bahut chheenk rahe hain? Kya unhone sweater bhi pahen rakha hai thand se bachne ke liye? Deepak: Haan Sanjay Amitabhji ne sweater pehen rakha hai… par aashcharya ki baat ye hai ki Jaya bachchan is gambhir sthiti mein unke paas nahi hain. Isse ye pataa chalta hai bachchan pariwar mein kucch uthal puthal ho rahi hai. Ye kayi saare sawal khade karti hai? Then suddenly the camera shifts to Sanjay in the studio when he comes to know of the fact that he is on-air and he has nothing to speak and Deepak on the other side is dictating the list of medicines prescribed by doctors. Sanjay is speechless and his face is like as if he has pissed in his pants. Sanjay: Hum aapko Amitabh ke tabiyat ki har pal khabar dete rahenge… kahin jayiyega mat… milte hain fir, break ke baad!!! Break ke baad… Amitabh Comes out his resort and Deepak rushes to him to get some exclusive footage. There's already a battery of media persons mobbing him wid "Ab aapko kaisa lag raha hai?" type questions.. Deepak: “Amitabh ji. Bataaiye aapko Thand kaise lag gayi? kaisaa mehsus kar rahe hain aap abhi??” Deepak trying to shove the microphone up his nostrils. "Amitabh ji …Amitabh ji bataaiye….” Deepak struggling. Big B looks up to his bodyguard… And immediately the telecast is switched to the studio cameras and Sanjay sitting there says in a hurried tone. “Chaliye ab chalte hai Raakhi Saawant ke paas jo ye maang kar rahee hai ki item numbers ka bhi Oscar nomination honaa chahiye.” In the meantime Deepak while trying to get some exclusive footage got some real exclusive “Foot”age on his ass from Big B’s bodyguards. As if all this is not enough what follows is a SMS poll : Aap sabhi se humara sawal hai Amitabh Bachchan ko thand kyon lagi? 1. Kyonki unhone sweater nahi pahna tha 2. Kyonki unhone DABUR ka chavanpraash nahi khaya tha 3. Unka jacket chhota ho gayaa tha 4. Manali wasiyon ki galti hai kyunki unhone Amitabh ke liye heater ka intezaam nahi kiya. Apna jawab SMS kariye XXX par aur inme se 10 lucky vijetaoon ka meilga Ek Sony Camera. kahin jaayiyega nahi kyonki aage hai:

- Aishwarya ne khaya achar… Kya poora hoga abhishek aur ash ka parivar??? - Kya wajah thi ki na hit ho pai “Sarkar Raj” Aur kitne hits ya flops dega “Bachaan Parivaar”??? Janne ke lie dekhiye AAJ TAK ... And it continued and by the time I complete this post I am sure Deepak comes to office with an ice pack stuck to his ass while I happily munch on some more homemade delicacies.

Mere Desh Mein...

India a country of more than 1 billion people has stood over centuries against all odds and has contributed a lot more than zero to the world. When we talk about India, the first thing that comes to ones mind is its rich culture and values apart from our contribution to the worlds population and corruption. Ever wondered why is it that one takes so much pride in his/her culture and values? What is that makes us go beyond our ways to pass on these values to upcoming generations. We want our children to be as modern, competent and broadminded as any Tom Dick and Harry from any other country but at core we want them to be aware of our culture our roots above all our Identity. Identity as an Indian; Identity as a Singh or maybe a Rao. I’m not really sure why exactly is it important, but it definitely does a huge deal of good to a country of more than one billion people where losing your identity is as easy as losing another cell-phone. I remember when my friends go abroad their parents would be worried. Not only coz they will be alone saat sumandar paar and will not get the ghar ka khana but also what if the firang culture and free lifestyle influences them? What if they get back with a firang bahu/damad? How will they manage and how their lives would go topsy-turvy. Even today in India Love marriages outside ones religion and caste is a taboo and is not accepted whole-heartedly, because of the fear of the next generation losing their identity. Well, it does make sense; doesn’t it? A very close Muslim friend of mine wanted to settle down with a Hindu girl against all odds in filmy ishtyle. I always wondered what would their children be- a Hindu or a Muslim? Will they go to a Temple or a Mosque? When they would meet me, how will they greet -say salaam or namaste? There is always a possibility that in midst of two very different religions, cultures, customs and languages, one religion, one culture, one custom might die away. So, if parents do fear that what’s wrong in that? Before you pounce on me saying I am narrow minded and put me in the league of likes Raj Thackeray or Shiv Sena, let me clarify I am not against love marriages or inter-caste marriages. But again that doesn’t change the fact that if every one goes for inter-caste or inter-religion marriages, we would end up diluting our cultures and customs. There will be no more Hindus, Muslims or Christians. There will be no more Bengalis, Tamilians or Punjabis. Imagine a kid introducing his/her ethnicity as part Punjabi, part Tamilian, part Bengali and may be a part Gujrati or may be with names such as Tulsidas Khan, Mumtaz Iyer; which sounds more like India Pakistan Border. Cosmopolitan Kid in true sense, Isn’t it? It would be a khichdi where everyone would be as confused as Marilyn Monroe would be if asked to dance to the tunes of beedi jalayle. I’ve come across so many people till now and almost 9 out of 10 want to marry a person who they think will be able to pass on the right values to their children. DDLJ, whose core was based on such values, had dragged people to theaters continuously for over 10 years. Sooraj Barjatya was able to make people realize the importance of a joint family with super-hit movies like Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Vivaah, Hum Saath Saath Hain, which, not only made the audience shed a tear but also swept away with critical acclaim and national awards. Movies like Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Namsate London has shown how parents were frantic, trying to instill these values in their children. All these movies have been biggest blockbusters, which do tell us that maybe the concept of promoting ones aadarsh and sanskaar is the mantra. TV ads like Asian Paints, and the latest one by ING corporate have managed to strike the right chord simply because it has captured the essence of our country just perfectly. Even the smallest of things like a Bengali chele’s dislike to fish or a Punjabi kudi’s aversion to lassi matter to people here. We attach a lot of emotion to everything we do. We hold our values very close to our hearts and also strive hard to keep them alive and pass them on to our future generations. I guess this is what has held this country of 28 states, 22 official languages, and more than 2000 cultures as one country. Irrespective of diverse cultures, religions, and castes we are one and reinforce the idea of Vasudaiva Kutumbukam. One might wonder if it is really important to know your roots, only to realize later how well it differentiates you from other people. But at the same time, what we can definitely not doubt is the fact that it’s our consciousness of our respective cultures, which gives us this immense sense of belonging to our land and the strength to fight for or right to a safe and peaceful life here. It is this very emotional attachment to all little things we do that tells us- this land is our home and not just another house.

The D-Day

As dusk falls gently over the by lanes of Kharagpur (my home), the chaos of traffic mingles with the shouts of little children who have just bought their share of firecrackers for Diwali. Its that time of year which sets people to get, set and shop. After all, there are clothes to be bought, mithais and dry fruits to be stocked, decor items needed to spiff up the home, diyas, rangoli colors… Phew! The festival of lights opens up the floodgates to the Indian shopping season. The sparkling crystal and shining silverware will be polished to gleam on every dining table. Diwali, that was originally the celebration of King Ram’s return to his home after a long exile, today is a festival of fireworks and feasting. It’s a festival of food, calorie-laden meals served out with the sole aim of indulging friends and family. And with all those treats on offer, there can be a battle between indulging and abstaining from the array of sweetmeats. This time I was at home for Diwali after almost a decade. “Has Diwali changed over the last quarter century of my existence?” I thought. The best approach would be to walk down the memory lane to find an answer to this perennial question. I remember when as kids we used to get a fixed budget of 100/- per head to get fireworks for all 3 brothers. If revolted and asked for more, My dad would get back saying - how can you be satisfied by burning up the money to ashes? Moreover I think 300 for you guys is a lot. There you go. We used to simply slip out of the room as sand slips from the fist, so that the allowance does not get deducted any further. Come diwali and we were loaded with all different kinds of firecrackers and rockets that would make the loudest possible sound. This time when I was home for diwali the experience was totally different. I was at home, attended the complete puja like a Raja beta. I was not very enthusiastic on getting the crackers like my younger brothers. After the puja, I went out to find children enjoying the fireworks. However, the loud noise was intolerable. Even Tommy the friendly and playful three-year-old was not happy with the noise. The loud cracker noise two days ahead of Diwali is enough to drive the normally docile German Shepherd to become aggressive, stop eating and ceaselessly bark all over the house, looking for places to hide. Suddenly I remembered one article I read the other day, which was talking about the high decibel levels in Mumbai during Ganesh Puja. The article said that during Ganesh Puja somewhere in Mumbai on the main street some group of people had put up a banner, which pointedly asked in Marathi, “Dev Behra Aahe Ka?” (Is god deaf?). The banner, of course, created more noise. In the midst of this noise this thought put a smile on my face. However, there is other facet of this D-day also. The most oppressive aspect of Diwali this year? Without a doubt, that slot has to be taken by the barrage of unsigned SMSes. While we all love to be greeted on a good occasion, after a while, the constant ping-ping of shubhkaamnaye from strangers who refuse to identify themselves is reduced to nothing more than nuisance value. One spends valuable time scrolling down an endless SMS, packed with highly Sanskritised words and complex images of diyas and devis. Decoding that is tough enough. What follows is worse. You go nuts trying to SMS a polite ‘thank you.’ And, of course, the message doesn’t go and ends up in the ‘Unsent’ box. ‘Network busy,’ your own screen keeps flashing as every Indian in the remotest corner of the world gets going with the Deepavali messages. I don’t know about you, but I received quite a few in a lingo I didn’t understand completely, besides, of course, greetings in English, Hindi and Telugu. I know at least two people who’ll be beaming at the all-time record usage of this modern-day scourge (SMS) – Mukesh Ambani and Ashim Ghosh. In terms of billing, it has been a great season for our leading cellphone services.

Despite of all the noise and cell phone barrage it was a great Diwali being with Family- the support of ones system. The happiness my mom and dad felt with every member at home after so long was invaluable. These are the moments, which make the D-day also a Diwali-Full of lights and bliss.