lifetimes.....

Rained & Ruined...

2009-07-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday would always be a memorable day for me.I started with my swimming lessons from yesterday.But I'd remember the day more so for the other reason - I lost my wallet.What makes the incident even more memorable and excruciating was the manner in which I lost it.Let me narrate to you the incidents that led me to this point -

I got off from my swimming lesson at 8.My buddy dropped me off at the phase-10 lights.I stood there waiting for an auto when it starts drizzling slightly.I get the auto before the downpour starts.All of a sudden,it starts raining ferociously.It's so bad that my back gets completely drenched even in the auto.I somehow manage to keep my phone dry.

The trouble began when Grewal called and asked if I wanted to play soccer.The idea was damn stupid to begin with - it was dark and I was pretty sure that the street lights wouldn't be working.But,I told him that I'd check up at home and let him know in a few minutes . The auto drops me at my destination and I sprint to my house where I see Grewal on his bike all wet waiting for me . I kept the phone inside the house but don't take out my wallet - I was sure that his bike wouldn't have enough petrol and I'd have to pay for the fuel . So,not wanting to be a spoilsport I hop onto the bike and proceed to Bunti's place.We make it to his place but Bunti isn't there and the place his parents said he was too was empty.So,we go to the STD and try calling him on his cell.(It is here that I think I lost my wallet)His phone was witched off and so we headed back home .At the phase-7 lights,as expected the bike gave signs of running out of petrol and we headed to the petrol pump.I dig my hand inside my pocket and Voila ! it's empty. So,we hurried back to the STD and find it closed . So,we go to Bunti's friends' place and ask him for money.On our way back,we ran out of fuel and dragged the bike to the nearest pump .

So,now I've lost my wallet,my driving license and all my saved money.So all I can do now is just wonder ' What if... ' - What if I'd stayed at home ? What if I had left the wallet at the house ? What if...

Bollocks !

2009-06-14T04:33:00.000-07:00

I've just come back from the college. I had the RDBMS exam today and I must admit the exam was the easiest possible. But , this exam went down as the most disappointing one for me . For one,I had five days to prepare for it which were more than enough. I spent almost three days trying to get my system fixed , the fourth day was spent collecting notes and sample papers.It was on the fifth day that I started studying and by late evening I had managed to complete almost the entire course except for the first unit which was more of a recollection and introduction unit.So,I went as a fairly confident man to college today even though I had missed out on revision.So,I get the question paper in my hand and I browse through Section-A (Short Answer) and I knew almost every question.I turn the question paper around and get the rudest shock ,the whole Section-B and a good deal of Section-C was made up of questions from the first unit - the only thing I hadn't done.So,while everybody would have had the best paper of this semester I came home with a mediocre performance(bordering pathetic) .Bollocks !

Indians....

2009-06-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

The T-20 World Cup has started in England and the country is again gripped in cricket frenzy after IPL.Well,nothing surprising about that,India is cricket mad.Cricket may have been invented by the English but the Indians have truly made it their own in a distinctly Indian way (jugaadi way) -

Thaapi Cricket - We have all played this version in the backyard with a 'thaapi' and a plastic ball;dreamt it was WC Final and single handedly won the match .

French - I have no idea how it got the name.This version involves a guy standing with his feet close to each other,another guy aims for the feet.If he hits the feet,the batsman is out.You score runs by hitting the ball and revolving the bat around in a circle around yourself.

Fatta cricket - Don't have a bat in school,no problem.Just take a bench and break the wooden board for a make shift fatta.Sneak in a ball in your bag and come recess time you can play your very own version of the ICC Champion's Trophy.

Hand cricket - Got caught with the fatta ? So what,just smack the ball with the hand.Obviously,'one-tip' is out in this version.Books are also popularly used for this version.

Book cricket - This has got to be the greatest invention of school children after pen fight.This version involves opening the book randomly.The last digit of the page number is your score.You open to a zero and you're out.There are no extras here.It's very popular with the 'padhaku' types....

Big ball cricket - Cricket is also played with football,basketball or even a volleyball.You roll the ball and you kick the ball with your foot.Allegedly,the name comes from the popular commentators' phrase for an in-form batsman - 'He must be seeing the ball as big as a football'.

Hockey Cricket - I believe this form was played only in my class.We rolled the ball and used a hockey stick to hit it.

One-tip cricket - Wonder how Dravid plays the ball so softly ? This is how.In this version,the batsman is surrounded by close-in firelders and he has to play the ball such that none of the fielders are able to catch it even after a bounce.Usually,the player who survives more balls wins.So,now you also know why Dravid takes an eterniy to get off the mark.

Tricky Business.

2009-06-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

A couple of days back a court in Lahore,Pakistan freed Mohammad Saeed.It's been almost 6 months since 26/11.Governments have changed,the results haven't.The sports minister MS Gill has even gone on to say that India will resume sports ties with Pakistan.Elections,Economy,IPL have made the people forget 26/11.There's not much I want to say about this lethargy and apathy in oour system and our society at large.Instead,I will try to disect the options on the table for India,if the Govt chooses to exercise any.

The Problem : The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is dominated in every sense by the Punjabis - army ,politics,bureaucracy and society.Punjab si the most powerful province of Pakistan.The other three provinces are envious and in many cases down right resentful of the Punjabis.There is insurgency in Balochistan,the NWFP is being overrun by the Taliban(believe me it is) and the Sindhis have their own gang war going on against Mohajirs in Karachi.So,we have a deeply fractured country kept together solely by religion.The Punjabis are deeply resentful of India and hate us with a passion.In a way,they still haven't overcome the Partition.So,what seems like a multitude of power centres of Pakistan have their epicenter in Punjab.India had the right approach to the problem - fuel insurgencies in Balochistan and NWFP and let Pakistan wither away.But Punjabis managed to rally everybody around by going to war against India.And we've had too many of those.This along with the 'lamb like' Indian leadership has severely compromised India's range of responses - For e.g. I.K Gujral had instructed RAW to cease all intelligence operations in Pakistan.With the U.S pitted in a war in the region India has no way to rekindle the old fires in Balochistan and NWFP.So,other than pleading at the UN India has no other option at it's disposal.With the US consistently and compulsively backing Pakistan time and again that option too is unlikely to yield results.

India needs a man at the top(strictly in the metaphorical sense.It was said of Indira Gandhi that she was the only man in the cabinet) -Not a pencil pusher,not a boy and certainly not the 'Lau Purush'.We need a leader who is willing to give an eye for both of the enemies' and a tooth for the enemy's jaw,someone who wants it ! India is facing odds - The US supports Pakistan but US supported Pakistan even back in 1971.Back then,India was a soviet ally at the peak of the cold war,now we have somewhat better relations.
In the aftermath of every terrorist attack,we'll have numerous calls for war.We can go to war.But we'll bleed.Pakistani army is not a pushover.Indian Army will have to dig it's heels,exchange blows and then march forward.And I have no doubt they can .
But,that's the easy part.Once after the war,India would have to deal with numerous militias spread across Pakistan.This is what the biggest problem would be,we'll have a war to fight in every city,village and town.This is what is making US bleed in Afghanistan.That's why we need a leader who wants it and is willing to pay for it.However,this scenario is extremely unlikely as the posession of nuclear warheads has acted as a deterrent and probably will in the future.Pakistan has pointed it's entire nuclear arsenal straight atIndia and have clearly stated the option of preliminary strikes.India needs to shed it's own 'No forst use policy' and make it clear to pakistan that it won't shy away from a full fledge confrontation even if it means repurcussions from the rest of the world.
What is Pakistan's strength can be it's undoing.This highly armed and weaponised society will make it tougher for the Pakistani establishment to fight insurgencies.This is what India needs to capitalise on.We have faced far tougher odds before.This isn't one of them.

At the height of war with Pakistan in 1965,China claimed parts of Arunachal Pradesh and threatened military action.Shastri's reply at apress conference was 'If it's yours,come and take it'......

Hell yeah....

2009-06-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

India became the first and only nation in the South Asian region to have 'Eyes in the Sky'.Indian Air Force acquired the AWACS (Airborne Early Warning and Control System) with the Israeli made Phalcon arriving at the Jamnagar airbase.This is a major strategic boost fot the Air Force.The system is the first of three to be inducted in the Air Force.The remaining two AWACS are expected to be delivered by the year end.AWACS would help detect incoming flying weapons and alsolisten into aerial communications.With its ability to detect aircrafts, cruise missiles and other flying objects at ranges far greater than is possible through existing systems, the AWACS can also collate surface information about troop movements and missile launches even while "listening-in" to highly confidential communications .AWACS has a range of approximately 800 kms.This renders the entire Pakistan and forward parts of China in it's range

The bottom line : India will know whenever anything larger than a kite flies over a house anywhere in Pakistan !

Intention - Action

2009-06-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a classic example of what bad punctuation can do -

Intention :

Dear John,
I want a man who knows what love is all about.You are generous,kind,thoughtful.People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior.You have ruined me for other men.I yearn for you.I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart.I can be forever happy.Will you let me be yours ?
Gloria

Action :

Dear John,
I want a man who knows what love is.All about you are generous,kind,thoughtful people,who are not like you.Admit to being useless and inferior.You have ruined me.For other men,I yearn.For you,I have no feelings whatsoever.When we're apart,I can be forever happy.Will you let me be ?
Yours Gloria

Don't expect any party .....

2009-06-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

Well,it might seem premature but I won't be giving any birthday party this time around.The reason being that I want to buy a punching bag and as pair of gloves.I have pleaded before my parents,but the way they burst into laughter tells me that they aren't very enthusiastic about it.So,come July 10 I will collect whatever money I can get hold of and buy it myself.

Advisory : Don't ask me for the party any day after either because I would have had sufficient practice to give you a solid ass-whooping !

Best jobs in the world.....

2009-06-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

Island caretaker - Tourism Queensland recently claimed that they had the best job in the world.It got a phenomenal response.The post was for an island caretaker.It involved working only 12 hours a month,beachcombing a tropical island,swimming,snorkelling,living in magnificent beach house ,maintaining a photo blog and diary and it paid $100,000.

Bikini Shoot photo reflector holder - You might have seen plenty of behind the scenes making of swimsuit calenders on F channel.Did you ever notice the guy holding a huge mirror-like thing.Well,that's his job.Though,it doesn't pay that well but there are somethings money can't buy - an ear to ear grin is one of them !

Body Painter - Do I need to explain anything ? You get to paint the bodies of exquisite babes.Remember,there are no erasers so you will just have to wipe with your hands.It pays about $ 600 a day.Too bad,we didn't take up Fine Arts in college !

Director of Sleep - Leigh McCarron is paid to take a night's rest at a travel lodge three or four times a week to ensure that the beds are up to standards.And here's the 'kick me in the groin' part - he gets paid $ 90,000 a year !!!

Phew....

2009-06-01T20:16:00.000-07:00

For most of us,the first thing that comes to the mind when talking about China is crazy kung-fu movies.They have truly made this martial art world famous.It's difficult not be overawed by their prowess.The Shaolin monks are the glamour boys of this martial form.They're the best at it.

Well,here's a piece of history I came across.This 'kung-fu' was brought to the lands of China by a Indian Buddhist monk from Kerala.His name was 'Bodhidharma'.According to legend,this ascetic left China after nine years of meditation.He left behind an iron chest .When the monks opened this chest they found two books: the “Marrow Cleansing Classic,”and the “Muscle Tendon Change Classic”within. The first book was taken by Bodhidharma's disciple Huike, and disappeared; as for the second, the monks selfishly coveted it, practicing the skills . Some believe that this martial art was the ferocious ancient Indian martial arts form -'Shastar Vidya'.Shastar Vidya was banned by the British in Punjab.In it's place a watered down and ceremonial version - Gatka was encouraged.

Awesome !

Football diaries...

2009-06-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

I love football.It's one of those rare things that I'm good at.Football is special for me.I remember those days when the park would swell up with kids playing cricket and I'd be running alone with my ball.You wouldn't believe the times at which I've played - 1:30,2 am.Nowadays,I usually play one on one with my kid brother.So yesterday,after having spent the day idling away,I recalled my days of glory.
My earliest football memory in school was playing with my seniors, running from the halfway line - dodging and dribbling,kicking the ball onto the post and then into the goal.The second memory is getting savagely tackled by a pissed defender and limping throughout the rest of the day.Those were the days,I was a maverick,a swash buckling striker - the hot shot !
Another memory is being the top scorer in our inter house tournament.It is a big deal because my school didn't have a team and it was the only time that we actually had a tournament in school.
I think my style of football reflected the way my life turned out.By Class 9,I was asked to concentrate on studies.The striker turned into the playmaker.By Class 10,the playmaker was the central midfielder.After that,it was a lull for two years on the footballing front.I played rarely in college.Whenever,I did I found myself in a peculiar role - striker,attacker,defender or whatever was necessary to win. I think it is part responsibility and part leadership.
But,I realised that I need to reclaim the old me,the me that got lost somewhere.The me that jumped neighbours'walls,the me that took on everything and everyone,the maverick me,the devil me !

Watch it !

2009-06-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

These racist attacks on Indians in Australia have been going on for a while now.A lot of noise is being created here.Rightly so.Racism is probably the worst kind of hatred for the least valid reasons.Australia hs a chequered history on issues of race,more so than US or UK. Suddenly,racism has become a fashionable word in India.
What about domestic racism ? Like it or not ,but Indians are probably one of the most racist.We treat caucasians as demigods and scorn the Africans.This manifests itself in the preference of fair skin and the stigma that gets attached to dark skin.Even in sports,it's supposedly okay if we lose to whites.People find it impossible to believe that an Indian soldier might be as good as any American or British troop.Many a proud Indian would browbeat their superiority over other Indians but simply give in without a fight against Whites.Other than colour,we've stereotypes - Punjabis are duffers,South Indians are Madrasis,North-Easterners are 'Chinkas' and there are the Bhaiyas and so on.May be we're just still stuck up on the inferiority complex from the colonial days.
The funny thing is the whites suffer from Superiority Complex,the browns suffer from Inferiority Complex. We fit just like a hand in glove !

Inspiration....

2009-05-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

Junior-welterweight Mickey Ward doesn’t own any big-time world title belts. He doesn’t live in a 40-room mansion, own a fleet of Jaguars or get invited to all the best parties. He’s never guest-starred on Frasier or stood on the middle rope and screamed to the world that he was the greatest.
Because he knows he’s not.
He doesn’t have blinding speed, quieting power or Sugar Ray moves. He’s just an ordinary guy working a blue-collar job in a blue-collar life, a part-time fighter who sometimes works in the down-and-dirty business of the fight game.
Mickey’s the guy who flips you the keys to his 1987 Ford pickup when your car breaks down and you’ve got the date of a lifetime. He’s the guy you have a beer with when you’re hot and tired and you’ve put in a long, hard, eight hours and, damn, you want to stop for a cold one.
Mickey Ward is the friend you look for when you’re out-numbered four-to-one and there’s a gorilla blocking the way out.
You won’t confuse him with the great fighters of our time. He’s not one of them. He’s just a tough guy with a heart the size of North Dakota, a fighter brought up with the simple understanding that losing isn’t so bad as long as they have to carry you out of the ring......

' Why Bhagat Singh was an Atheist '

2009-05-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

Today,I shall share with you a document that has enormously contributed to my spiritual beliefs or lack of them.It was written by Bhagat Singh,himself an atheist.I hope you'll gain a new perspective on 'GOD' and 'Religion' after reading this.So,here it is -

WHY I AM AN ATHEIST .

A new question has cropped up. Is it due to vanity that I do not believe in the existence of an omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient God? I had never imagined that I would ever have to confront such a question. But conversation with some friends has given me, a hint that certain of my friends, if I am not claiming too much in thinking them to be so-are inclined to conclude from the brief contact they have had with me, that it was too much on my part to deny the existence of God and that there was a certain amount of vanity that actuated my disbelief. Well, the problem is a serious one. I do not boast to be quite above these human traits. I am a man and nothing more. None can claim to be more. I also have this weakness in me. Vanity does form a part of my nature. Amongst my comrades I was called an autocrat. Even my friend Mr. B.K. Dutt sometimes called me so. On certain occasions I was decried as a despot. Some friends do complain and very seriously too that I involuntarily thrust my opinions upon others and get my proposals accepted. That this is true up to a certain extent, I do not deny. This may amount to egotism. There is vanity in me in as much as our cult as opposed to other popular creeds is concerned. But that is not personal. It may be, it is only legitimate pride in our cult and does not amount to vanity. Vanity or to be more precise "Ahankar" is the excess of undue pride in one's self. Whether it is such an undue pride that has led me to atheism or whether it is after very careful study of the subject and after much consideration that I have come to disbelieve in God, is a question that I, intend to discuss here. Let me first make it clear that egotism and vanity are two different things.

In the first place, I have altogether failed to comprehend as to how undue pride or vain-gloriousness could ever stand in the way of a man in believing in God. I can refuse to recognize the greatness of a really great man provided I have also achieved a certain amount of popularity without deserving it or without having possessed the qualities really essential or indispensable for the same purpose. That much is conceivable. But in what way can a man believing in God cease believing due to his personal vanity? There are only two Ways. The man should either begin to think himself a rival of God or he may begin to believe himself to be God. In neither case can he become a genuine atheist. In the first case he does not even deny the existence of his rival. In the second case as well he admits the existence of a conscious being behind the screen guiding all the movements of nature. It is of no importance to us whether he thinks himself to be that supreme being or whether he thinks the supreme conscious being to be somebody apart from himself. The fundamental is there. His belief is there. He is by no means an atheist. Well, here I am I neither belong to the first category nor to the second.

I deny the very existence of that Almighty Supreme being. Why I deny it shall be dealt with later on. Here I want to clear one thing, that it is not vanity that has actuated me to adopt the doctrines of atheism. I am neither a rival nor an incarnation nor the Supreme Being Himself. One point is decided, that it is not vanity that has led me to this mode of thinking. Let me examine the facts to disprove this allegation. According to these friends of mine I have grown vain-glorious perhaps due to the undue popularity gained during the trials-both Delhi Bomb and Lahore conspiracy cases. Well, let us see if their premises are correct. My atheism is not of so recent origin. I had stopped believing in God when I was an obscure young man, of whose existence my above mentioned friends were not even aware. At least a college student cannot cherish any short of undue pride which may lead him to atheism. Though a favorite with some professors and disliked by certain others, I was never an industrious or a studious boy. I could not get any chance of indulging in such feelings as vanity. I was rather a boy with a very shy nature, who had certain pessimistic dispositions about the future career. And in those days, I was not a perfect atheist. My grand-father under whose influence I was brought up is an orthodox Arya Samajist. An Arya Samajist is anything but an atheist. After finishing my primary education I joined the DAV. School of Lahore and stayed in its Boarding House for full one year. There, apart from morning and evening prayers, I used to recite "Gayatri Mantra" for hours and hours. I was a perfect devotee in those days. Later on I began to live with my father. He is a liberal in as much as the orthodoxy of religions is concerned. It was through his teachings that I aspired to devote my life to the cause of freedom. But he is not an atheist. He is a firm believer. He used to encourage me for offering prayers daily. So, this is how I was brought up. In the Non-Co-operation days I joined the National College. it was there that I began to think liberally and discuss and criticize all the religious problems, even about God. But still I was a devout believer. By that time I had begun to preserve the unshorn and unclipped long hair but I could never believe in the mythology and doctrines of Sikhism or, any other religion. But I had a firm faith in God's existence.

Later on I joined the revolutionary party. The first leader with whom I came in contact, though not convinced, could not dare to deny the existence of God. On my persistent inquiries about God, he used to say, "Pray whenever you want to". Now this is atheism less courage required for the adoption of that creed. The second leader with whom I came in contact was a firm believer. Let me mention his name-respected comrade Sachindra Nath Sanyal, now undergoing life transportation in connexion with the Karachi conspiracy case. From the every first page of his famous and only book, "Bandi Jivan" (or Incarcerated Life), the Glory of God is sung vehemently. In the last page of the second part of that beautiful book his mystic-because of Vedantism – praises showered upon God form a very conspicuous part of his thoughts.

"The Revolutionary leaflet" distributed- throughout India on January 28th, 1925, was according to the prosecution story the result of his intellectual labor, Now, as is inevitable in the secret work the prominent leader expresses his own views, which are very dear to his person and the rest of the workers have to acquiesce in them-in spite of differences, which they might have. In that leaflet one full paragraph was devoted to praise the Almighty and His rejoicings and doing. That is all mysticism. What I wanted to point out was that the idea of disbelief had not even germinated in the revolutionary party. The famous Kakori martyrs –all four of them-passed their last day in prayers. Ram Prasad Bismil was an orthodox Arya Samajist. Despite his wide studies in the field of Socialism and Communism, Rajen Lahiri could not suppress his desire, of reciting hymns of the Upanishads and the Gita. I saw only one man amongst them, who never prayed and used to say, "Philosophy is the outcome of human weakness or limitation of knowledge". He is also undergoing a sentence of transportation for life. But he also never dared to deny the existence of God.

UP to that period I was only a romantic idealist revolutionary. Uptil then we were to follow. Now came the time to shoulder the whole responsibility. Due to the inevitable reaction for some time the very existence of the Party seemed impossible. Enthusiastic comrades – nay leaders – began to jeer at us. For some time I was afraid that some day I also might not be convinced of the futility of our own program. That was a turning point in my revolutionary career. "Study" was the cry that reverberated in the corridors of my mind. Study to enable yourself to face the arguments advanced by opposition. Study to arm yourself with arguments in favor of your cult. I began to study. My previous faith and convictions underwent a remarkable modification. The Romance of the violent methods alone which was so prominent amongst our predecessors, was replaced by serious ideas. No more mysticism, no more blind faith. Realism became our cult. Use of force justifiable when resorted to as a matter of terrible necessity: non-violence as policy indispensable for all mass movements. So much about methods.

The most important thing was the clear conception of the ideal for which we were to fight, As there were no important activities in the field of action I got ample opportunity to study various ideals of the world revolution. I studied Bakunin, the Anarchist leader, something of Marx the father of Communism and much of Lenin, Trotsky and others the men who had successfully carried out a revolution in their country. They were all atheists. Bakunin's "God and State", though only fragmentary, is an interesting study of the subject. Later still I came across a book entitled 'Common Sense' by Nirlamba Swami. It was only a sort of mystic atheism. This subject became of utmost interest to me. By the end of 1926 I had been convinced as to the baselessness of the theory of existence of an almighty supreme being who created, guided and controlled the universe. I had given out this disbelief of mine. I began discussion on the subjects with my friends. I had become a pronounced atheist. But, what it meant will presently be discussed.

In May 1927 I was arrested at Lahore. The arrest was a surprise. I was quite unaware of (he fact that the police wanted me. All of a sudden while passing through a garden I found myself surrounded by police. To my own surprise, I was very calm at that time. I did not feel any sensation, neither did I experience any excitement. I was taken into police custody. Next day I was taken to the Railway Police lock-up where I was to pass full one month. After many day's conversation with the Police officials I guessed that they had some information regarding my connexion with the Kakori Party and my other activities in connexion with the revolutionary movement. They told me that I had been to Lucknow while the trial was going on there, that I had negotiated a certain scheme about their rescue, that after obtaining their approval, we had procured some bombs, that by way of test one of the bombs was thrown in the crowd on the occasion of Dussehra 1926. They further informed me, in my interest, that if I could give any statement throwing some light on the activities of the revolutionary party, I was not to be imprisoned but on the contrary set free and rewarded even without being produced as an approver in the Court. I laughed at the proposal. It was all humbug.

People holding ideas like ours do not throw bombs on their own innocent people. One fine morning Mr. Newman, the then Senior Superintendent of CID., came to me. And after much sympathetic talk with me imparted-to him-the extremely sad news that if I did not give any statement as demanded by them, they would be forced to send me up for trial for conspiracy to wage war in connexion with Kakori Case and for brutal murders in connexion with Dussehra Bomb outrage. And he further informed me that they had evidence enough to get me convicted and hanged.

In those days I believed – though I was quite innocent – the police could do it if they desired. That very day certain police officials began to persuade me to offer my prayers to God regularly both the times. Now I was an atheist. I wanted to settle for myself whether it was in the days of peace and enjoyment alone that I could boast of being an atheist or whether during such hard times as well I could stick to those principles of mine. After great consideration I decided that I could not lead myself to believe in and pray to God. No, I never did. That was the real test and I came, out successful. Never for a moment did I desire to save my neck at the cost of certain other things. So I was a staunch disbeliever : and have ever since been. It was not an easy job to stand that test.

'Belief' softens the hardships, even can make them pleasant. In God man can find very strong consolation and support. Without Him, the man has to depend upon himself. To stand upon one's own legs amid storms and hurricanes is not a child's play. At such testing moments, vanity, if any, evaporates, and man cannot dare to defy the general beliefs, if he does, then we must conclude that he has got certain other strength than mere vanity. This is exactly the situation now. Judgment is already too well known. Within a week it is to be pronounced. What is the consolation with the exception of the idea that I am going to sacrifice my life for a cause ? A God-believing Hindu might be expecting to be reborn as a king, a Muslim or a Christian might dream of the luxuries to be- enjoyed in paradise and the reward he is to get for his sufferings and sacrifices. But what am I to expect? I know the moment the rope is fitted round my neck and rafters removed, from under my feet. That will be the final moment, that will be the last moment. I, or to be more precise, my soul, as interpreted in the metaphysical terminology, shall all be finished there. Nothing further.

A short life of struggle with no such magnificent end, shall in itself be the reward if I have the courage to take it in that light. That is all. With no selfish motive, or desire to be awarded here or hereafter, quite disinterestedly have I devoted my life to the cause of independence, because I could not do otherwise. The day we find a great number of men and women with this psychology who cannot devote themselves to anything else than the service of mankind and emancipation of the suffering humanity; that day shall inaugurate the era of liberty.

Not to become a king, nor to gain any other rewards here, or in the next birth or after death in paradise, shall they be inspired to challenge the oppressors, exploiters, and tyrants, but to cast off the yoke of serfdom from the neck of humanity and to establish liberty and peace shall they tread this-to their individual selves perilous and to their noble selves the only glorious imaginable-path. Is the pride in their noble cause to be – misinterpreted as vanity? Who dares to utter such an abominable epithet? To him, I say either he is a fool or a knave. Let us forgive him for he can not realize the depth, the emotion, the sentiment and the noble feelings that surge in that heart. His heart is dead as a mere lump of flesh, his eyes are-weak, the evils of other interests having been cast over them. Self-reliance is always liable to be interpreted as vanity. It is sad and miserable but there is no help.

You go and oppose the prevailing faith, you go and criticize a hero, a great man, who is generally believed to be above criticism because he is thought to be infallible, the strength of your argument shall force the multitude to decry you as vainglorious. This is due to the mental stagnation, Criticism and independent thinking are the two indispensable qualities of a revolutionary. Because Mahatamaji is great, therefore none should criticize him. Because he has risen above, therefore everything he says-may be in the field of Politics or Religion, Economics or Ethics-is right. Whether you are convinced or not you must say, "Yes, that's true". This mentality does not lead towards progress. It is rather too obviously, reactionary.

Because our forefathers had set up a faith in some supreme, being – the Almighty God – therefore any man who dares to challenge the validity of that faith, or the very existence of that supreme being, he shall have to be called an apostate, a renegade. If his arguments are too sound to be refuted by counter-arguments and spirit too strong to be cowed down by the threat of misfortunes that may befall him by the wrath of the Almighty, he shall be decried as vainglorious, his spirit to be denominated as vanity. Then why to waste time in this vain discussion? Why try to argue out the whole thing? This question is coming before the public for the first time, and is being handled in this matter of fact way for the first time, hence this lengthy discussion.

As for the first question, I think I have cleared that it is not vanity that has led me to atheism. My way of argument has proved to be convincing or not, that is to be judged by my readers, not me. I know in the present, circumstances my faith in God would have made my life easier, my burden lighter and my disbelief in Him has turned all the circumstances too dry and the situation may assume too harsh a shape. A little bit of mysticism can make it poetical. But I, do not want the help of any intoxication to meet my fate. I am a realist. I have been trying to overpower the instinct in me by the help of reason. I have not always been successful in achieving this end. But man's duty is to try and endeavor, success depends upon chance and environments.

As for the second question that if it was not vanity, then there ought to be some reason to disbelieve the old and still prevailing faith of the existence of God. Yes; I come to that now Reason there is. According to. me, any man who has got some reasoning power at his command always tries to reason out his environments. Where direct proofs are lacking philosophy occupies the important place. As I have already stated, a certain revolutionary friend used to say that Philosophy is the outcome of human weakness. When our ancestors had leisure enough to try to solve out the mystery of this world, its past, present and the future, its whys and wherefores, they having been terribly short of direct proofs, everybody tried to solve the problem in his own way. Hence we find the wide differences in the fundamentals of various religious creeds, which some times assume very antagonistic and conflicting shapes. Not only the Oriental and Occidental philosophies differ, there are differences even amongst various schools of thoughts in each hemisphere. Amongst Oriental religions, the Moslem faith is not at all compatible with Hindu faith. In India alone Buddhism and Jainism are sometimes quite separate from Brahmanism, in which there are again conflicting faiths as Arya Samaj and Sanatan Dharma. Charwak is still another independent thinker of the past ages. He challenged the authority of God in the old times. All these creeds differ from each other on the fundamental question., and everybody considers himself to be on the right. There lies the misfortune. Instead of using the experiments and expressions of the ancient Savants and thinkers as a basis for our future struggle against ignorance and to try to find out a solution to this mysterious problem, we – lethargical as we have proved to be – raise the hue and cry of faith, unflinching and unwavering faith to their versions and thus are guilty of stagnation in human progress.

Any man who stands for progress has to criticize, disbelieve and challenge every item of the old faith. Item by item he has to reason out every nook and corner of the prevailing faith. If after considerable reasoning one is led to believe in any theory or philosophy, his faith is welcomed. His reasoning can be mistaken, wrong, misled and sometimes fallacious. But he is liable to correction because reason is the guiding star of his life. But mere faith and blind faith is dangerous: it dulls the brain, and makes a man reactionary.

A man who claims to be a realist has to challenge the whole of the ancient faith. If it does not stand the onslaught of reason it crumbles down. Then the first thing for him is to shatter the whole down and clear a space for the erection of a new philosophy. This is the negative side. After it begins the positive work in which sometimes some material of the old faith may be used for the purpose of reconstruction. As far as I am concerned, let me admit at the very outset that I have not been able to study much on this point. I had a great desire to study the Oriental Philosophy but I could not get any chance or opportunity to do the same. But so far as the negative study is under discussion, I think I am convinced to the extent of questioning the soundness of the old faith. I have been convinced as to non-existence of a conscious supreme being who is guiding and directing the movements of nature. We believe in nature and the whole progressive movement aims at the domination of man over nature for his service. There is no conscious power behind it to direct. This is what our philosophy is.

As for the negative side. we ask a few questions from the 'believers'.

If, as you believe, there is an almighty, omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent God-who created the earth or world, please let me know why did he create it ? This world of woes and miseries, a veritable, eternal combination of numberless tragedies: Not a single soul being perfectly satisfied.

Pray, don't say that it is His Law: If he is bound by any law, he is not omnipotent. He is another slave like ourselves. Please don't say that it is his enjoyment. Nero burnt one Rome. He killed a very limited number of people. He created very few tragedies, all to his perfect enjoyment. And what is his place in History? By what names do the historians mention him? All the venomous epithets are showered upon him. Pages are blackened with invective diatribes condemning Nero, the tyrant, the heartless, the wicked.

One Changezkhan sacrificed a few thousand lives to seek pleasure in it and we hate the very name. Then how are you going to justify your almighty, eternal Nero, who has been, and is still causing numberless tragedies every day, every hour and every minute? How do you think to support his misdoings which surpass those of Changez every single moment? I say why did he create this world – a veritable hell, a place of constant and bitter unrest? Why did the Almighty create man when he had the power not to do it? What is the justification for all this ? Do you say to award the innocent sufferers hereafter and to punish the wrong-doers as well? Well, well: How far shall you justify a man who may dare to inflict wounds upon your body to apply a very soft and soothing liniment upon it afterwards? How far the supporters and organizers of the Gladiator Institution were justified in throwing men before the half starved furious lions to be cared for and well looked after if they could survive and could manage to escape death by the wild beasts? That is why I ask, 'Why did the conscious supreme being created this world and man in it? To seek pleasure? Where then is the difference between him and Nero'?

You Mohammadens and Christians : Hindu Philosophy shall still linger on to offer another argument. I ask you what is your answer to the above-mentioned question? You don't believe in previous birth. Like Hindus you cannot advance the argument of previous misdoings of the apparently quite innocent sufferers? I ask you why did the omnipotent labor for six days to create the world through word and each day to say that all was well. Call him today. Show him the past history. Make him study the present situation. Let us see if he dares to say, "All is well".

From the dungeons of prisons, from the stores of starvation consuming millions upon millions of human beings in slums and huts, from the exploited laborers, patiently or say apathetically watching the procedure of their blood being sucked by the Capitalist vampires, and the wastage of human energy that will make a man with the least common sense shiver with horror, and from the preference of throwing the surplus of production in oceans rather than to distribute amongst the needy producers…to the palaces of kings built upon the foundation laid with human bones.... let him see all this and let him say "All is well".

Why and wherefore? That is my question. You are silent.

All right then, I proceed. Well, you Hindus, you say all the present sufferers belong to the class of sinners of the previous births. Good. You say the present oppressors were saintly people in their previous births, hence they enjoy power. Let me admit that your ancestors were very shrewd people, they tried to find out theories strong enough to hammer down all the efforts of reason and disbelief. But let us analyze how far this argument can really stand.

From the point of view of the most famous jurists punishment can be justified only from three or four ends to meet which it is inflicted upon the wrongdoer. They are retributive, reformative and deterrent. The retributive theory is now being condemned by all the advanced thinkers. Deterrent theory is also following the same fate. Reformative theory is the only one which is essential, and indispensable for human progress. It aims at returning the offender as a most competent and a peace-loving citizen to the society. But what is the nature of punishment inflicted by God upon men even if we suppose them to be offenders. You say he sends them to be born as a cow, a cat, a tree, a herb or a best. You enumerate these punishments to be 84 lakhs. I ask you what is its reformative effect upon man? How many men have met you who say that they were born as a donkey in previous birth for having committed any sin? None. Don't quote your Puranas. I have no scope to touch your mythologies. Moreover do you know that the greatest sin in this world is to be poor. Poverty is a sin, it is a punishment.

I ask you how far would you appreciate a criminologist, a jurist or a legislator who proposes such measures of punishment which shall inevitably force man to commit more offences? Had not your God thought of this or he also had to learn these things by experience, but at the cost of untold sufferings to be borne by humanity? What do you think shall be the fate of a man who has been born in a poor and illiterate family of say a chamar or a sweeper. He is poor, hence he cannot study. He is hated and shunned by his fellow human beings who think themselves to be his superiors having been born in say a higher caste. His ignorance, his poverty and the treatment meted out to him shall harden his heart towards society. Suppose he commits a sin, who shall bear the consequences? God, he or the learned ones of, the society? What about the punishment of those people who were deliberately kept ignorant by the haughty and egotist Brahmans and who had to pay the penalty by bearing the stream of being led (not lead) in their ears for having heard a few sentences of your Sacred Books of learning-the Vedas? If they committed any offence-who was to be responsible for them and who was to bear the brunt? My dear friends: These theories are the inventions of the privileged ones: They justify their usurped power, riches and superiority by the help of these theories. Yes: It was perhaps Upton Sinclair, that wrote at some place, that just make a man a believer in immortality and then rob him of all his riches, and possessions. He shall help you even in that ungrudgingly. The coalition amongst the religious preachers and possessors of power brought forth jails, gallows, knouts and these theories.

I ask why your omnipotent God, does not stop every man when he is committing any sin or offence? He can do it quite easily. Why did he not kill war lords or kill the fury of war in them and thus avoid the catastrophe hurled down on the head of humanity by the Great War? Why does he not just produce a certain sentiment in the mind of the British people to liberate India? Why does he not infuse the altruistic enthusiasm in the hearts of all capitalists to forgo their rights of personal possessions of means of production and thus redeem the whole laboring community – nay the whole human society from the bondage of Capitalism. You want to reason out the practicability of socialist theory, I leave it for your almighty to enforce it.

People recognize the merits of socialism in as much as the general welfare is concerned. They oppose it under the pretext of its being impracticable. Let the Almighty step in and arrange everything in an orderly fashion. Now don't try to advance round about arguments, they are out of order. Let me tell you, British rule is here not because God wills it but because they possess power and we do not dare to oppose them. Not that it is with the help of God that they are keeping us under their subjection but it is with the help of guns and rifles, bomb and bullets, police and millitia and our apathy that they are successfully committing the most deplorable sin against society- the outrageous exploitation of one nation by another. Where is God ? What is he doing? Is he enjoying all I these woes of human race ? A Nero; A Changez : Down with him.

Do you ask me how I explain the origin of this world and origin of man? Alright I tell you. Charles Darwin has tried to throw some light on the subject. Study him. Read Soham Swami's "Commonsense". It shall answer your question to some extent. This is a phenomenon of nature. The accidental mixture of different substances in the shape of nebulae produced this earth. When? Consult history. The same process produced animals and in the long run man. Read Darwin's 'Origin of Species'. And all the later progress is due to man's constant conflict with nature and his efforts to override it. This is the briefest possible explanation of this phenomenon.

Your other argument may be just to ask why a child is born blind or lame if not due to his deeds committed in the previous birth? This problem has been explained away by biologists as a more biological phenomenon. According to them the whole burden rests upon the shoulders of the parents who may be conscious or ignorant of their own deeds led to mutilation of the child previous to its birth.

Naturally you may ask another question though it is quite childish in essence. If no God existed, how did the people come to believe in him? My answer is clear and brief. As they came to believe in ghosts, and evil spirits; the only difference is that belief in God is almost universal and the philosophy well developed. Unlike certain of the radicals I would not attribute its origin to the ingenuity of the exploiters who wanted to keep the people under their subjection by preaching the existence of a supreme being and then claiming an authority and sanction from him for their privileged positions. Though I do not differ with them on the essential point that all faiths, religions, creeds and such other institutions became in turn the mere supporters of the tyrannical and exploiting institutions, men and classes. Rebellion against king is always a sin according to every religion.

As regards the origin of God my own idea is that having realized the limitations of man, his weaknesses and shortcoming having been taken into consideration, God was brought into imaginary existence to encourage man to face boldly all the trying circumstances, to meet all dangers manfully and to check and restrain his outbursts in prosperity and affluence. God both with his private laws and parental generosity was imagined and painted in greater details. He was to serve as a deterrent factor when his fury and private laws were discussed so that man may not become a danger to society. He was to serve as a father, mother, sister and brother, friend and helpers when his parental qualifications were to be explained. So that when man be in great distress having been betrayed and deserted by all friends he may find consolation in the idea that an ever true friend was still there to help him, to support him and that He was almighty and could do anything. Really that was useful to the society in the primitive age.

The idea of God is helpful to man in distress.

Society has to fight out this belief as well as was fought the idol worship and the narrow conception of religion. Similarly, when man tries to stand on his own legs, and become a realist he shall have to throw the faith aside, and to face manfully all the distress, trouble, in which the circumstances may throw him. That is exactly my state of affairs. It is not my vanity, my friends. It is my mode of thinking that has made me an atheist. I don't know whether in my case belief in God and offering of daily prayers which I consider to be most selfish and degraded act on the part of man, whether these prayers can prove to be helpful or they shall make my case worse still. I have read of atheists facing all troubles quite boldly, so am I trying to stand like a man with an erect head to the last; even on the gallows.

Let us see how I carry on : one friend asked me to pray. When informed of my atheism, he said, "During your last days you will begin to believe". I said, No, dear Sir, it shall not be. I will think that to be an act of degradation and demoralization on my part. For selfish motives I am not going to pray. Readers and friends, "Is this vanity"? If it is, I stand for it.

– Bhagat Singh (1930

Elephant jokes.....

2009-05-23T22:36:00.001-07:00

Q: How can you tell that an elephant is in the bathtub with you?

A: By the smell of peanuts on its breath.

Q: How can you tell that an elephant has been in your refrigerator?

A: By the footprints in the butter.

Q: What did the Dallas chief of police say when the elephant walked into the police station?

A: Nothing! He didn't notice.

And

Q: How do you shoot a blue elephant?

A: With a blue elephant gun.

Q: How do you shoot a yellow elephant?

A: Have you ever seen a yellow elephant?

Q: How do you shoot a red elephant?

A: Hold his trunk shut until he turns blue, and then shoot him with the blue elephant gun.

I always get this one wrong....

Q: How many elephants will fit into a Mini?

A: Four: Two in the front, two in the back.

Q: How many giraffes will fit into a Mini?

A: None. It's full of elephants.

Q: How do you know there are two elephants in your refrigerator?

A: You can hear giggling when the light goes out.

Q: How do you know there are three elephants in your refrigerator?

A: You can't close the door.

Q: How do you know there are four elephants in your refrigerator?

A: The Mini is parked outside.

Q: What do elephants have that nothing else has?

A: Baby elephants.

Q: What is gray, has four legs, and a trunk?

A: A mouse going on vacation.

Q: What is brown, has four legs, and a trunk?

A: A mouse coming back from vacation.

Q: What has eight legs, two trunks, four eyes, and two tails?

A: Two elephants.

The power behind the throne.

2009-05-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

Manmohan Singh is the new PM of India.Throughout,the election campaign he was targetted as the weakest PM.It's true that he derived his power not from the people but from the patronage of the Gandhis.But,is it such a bad idea that the Gandhi household is once more a centre of power ? I think it's been a blessing in disguise.Sonia Gandhi,born in Italy might be more immune to the vices of Indian polity.She might just be more upright than our average 'white-cap'.Her evolution into this astute political force is phenomenal.I don't recall any politician who has worked as hard as her - learning the language,the culture and the ins and outs of Indian polity.Rahul and Priyanka too were born to parents who were less political, Sonia and Rajiv were extremely reluctant to enter politics.May be they're just sincere and honest people in this muck of politics.May be it's a good thing that this family controls the power....

Truth is stranger.....

2009-05-22T19:52:00.001-07:00

Last evening I was watching the swearing-in ceremony (and yes I had nothing better to do).I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of ministers who were atheists or agnostics.I could tell by their manner of takiing oath.While the majority of the ministers swore 'I,.......swear in the name of God...'; there were a few who swore as 'I,.....do affirm..' ,these were the non-believers - Sharad Pawar,Mamata Banerjee,AK Antony.There was the curious case of Sushil Kumar Shinde,a religious man who also took oath without invoking God.On being inquired,he stated that God was a pious and sacred thing and he always swore without invoking God .I wonder what kind of unholy actions he's planning on,atleast he's open about his intentions !!!
Anyways,Manmohan Singh is all set to make history.If he completes the 5 year term,he'll be only the second PM to complete two consecutive 5-year terms after Nehru.Manmohan's elevation is nothing short of spectacular.No script writer could have possibly written such a story.Well,again Truth is stranger than Fiction.......

The ignored art...

2009-05-21T00:08:00.001-07:00

I love movies.Mostly considered a source of entertainment alone,they have the ability to alter perspectives,take you on a dreamy ride.Movies are probably the best method of free expression in today’s world.So,if we consider movies from a more serious perspective,it is not that difficult to see that they are a treasure trove of wisdom and knowledge,well some of them.We must realise that movie makers – directors,actors and script writers are artists in their own right.Their art is more identifiable in the world today.You can live a lifetime in a movie.It takes great inspiration,skill and imagination to come up with those one-liners,it takes amazing clarity of mind and passion to put your thoughts into visual.While the numerous shoddy novels don’t make writing a shoddy activity,movies aren’t considered worthy enough.While writing,painting and even music is mostly a monotonous affair,movies comparatively are a combination of many artforms.So,how about a Nobel for movies ? We,Indians have a better chance of winning a Nobel than an Oscar……

USMC

2009-05-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

WE STOLE THE EAGLE FROM THE AIR FORCE, THE ANCHOR FROM THE NAVY AND THE ROPE FROM THE ARMY.

ON THE SEVENTH DAY WHILE GOD RESTED, WE OVERRAN HIS PERIMETER, STOLE THE GLOBE AND WE'VE BEEN RUNNING THE WHOLE SHOW EVER SINCE.

WE LIVE LIKE SOLDIERS, TALK LIKE SAILORS, AND SLAP THE HELL OUT OF BOTH OF THEM.

WARRIORS BY DAY, LOVERS BY NIGHT, PROFESSIONALS BY CHOICE, AND MARINES BY THE GRACE OF GOD.

HOORAH !!!

The record season !

2009-05-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

Well,it's United this season as well.After the Carling Cup,Community Shield,Cup Winner's Cup and the World Club Championship,they've added the premier league title as well.And there's still that little matter of the Champion's League.I must admit that at the start of the season I wasn't too optimistic about their chances at the title but I am only too happy to be proved wrong.It's been a sort of a record season -

1. United equals Liverpool's record of 18 English titles.
2. United become the only club in English history to win the title three times in a row twice.
3. They've also become the most successful club in the post-EPL era in England,having won 11 titles.
4. United can become the only club to retain the champion's League title (keeping my fingers crossed)....

How BJP lost the plot and the elections...

2009-05-16T03:45:00.000-07:00

The results are out and as expected the BJP has lost.During this campaign,they never looked like winning.Here are a few mistakes that I think BJP made that cost them the elections -

1. The BJP campaign strategy was all wrong.LK Advani isn't like Vajpayee, who was a one man show.So,rather than running a campaign centred around their leader ,they should have tackled the Congress on issues.While Vajpayee exuded political wisdom and statesmanship,Advani was all abouthis anked ambition to become the PM.Advani lost the plot when the BJP went against the nuclear deal while the whole country supported it.Also his open support to Narendra Modi only showed his desperation to be PM.

2. The cornerstone of the BJP campaign was to project Manmohan Singh as a weak PM.By targeting the PM,they unsuspectingly brought into attention his qualities-sincerity,integrity,honesty and his political innocence.

3. The BJP at this point of time is a confused party.It's a lost aprty.The BJP has failed to evolve into a nationalist party.Instead,it is still stuck in a Hindutva shell.It is unclear about it's ideology.Under Vajpayee,it was viewed as a nationalist party.Under Vajpayee,the BJP lost it's fundamentalist image.With his reluctance to condemn Varun Gandhi and Modi,Advani severely dented the party's 'centrist' image and pushed it towards a rightist polity.So,rather than adding new voters,BJP eroded it's middle class votebank to an extent.The icing on the cake was the 'Obama-inspired' campaign.

4. Throughout the campaign,the BJP didn't project any vision they had for the nation.Instead,it was all about 'weak PM' and their own 'strong leader'.It is quite astonishing as to how the Congress managed to retain power even after The Ram Setu fiasco,Mumbai terror attacks and the steepest price rise in the last forty years.The whole campaign was hostage to Advani's own ambition.

The party's future appears grim.Advani staked his future on this campaign.With his retirement from politics almost certain,the party is clueless about the leadership issue.The only leader who can command some sort of mass support is Modi,who can win Gujarat but will surely lose the rest of India.however,it is also an opportunity for the BJP to get it's act together - to rebuild,to reinvent itself.....

4.

Gentleman's game ?

2009-05-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Sledging is an eternal part of cricket.It has been,is and will be.Some might scorn it's presence,others might say it's what makes cricket spicy.I've put together some of the best sledging incidents from cricket history -

James Ormond and Mark Waugh
James Ormond had just come out to bat on an ashes tour and was greeted by MarkWaugh........
Mark : "F*ck me, look who it is. Mate, what are you doing out here, there's no way you're good enough to play for England "
James: " Maybe not, but at least i'm the best player in my family"

Rod Marsh and Ian Botham:
When Botham took guard in a Ashes match, Marsh welcomed him to the wicket with the immortal words: " So how's your wife and my kids?"Botham replied "Wife's good but your kids are retards".

Viv Richards to Gavaskar:
Gavaskar had decided to relinquish his opening position and come in at no 4 for that test. But, Malcolm Marshall fired out Anshuman Gaekwad and Dilip Vengsarkar for ducks, setting the stage for Gavaskar to walk in at 0/2.And he thought there would be less pressure! Viv Richards says, "Man, it don't matter where you come in to bat, the score is still zero."

Team mates Sledging :
England were playing Pakistan and, at what turned out to be a crucial moment later on, Frank Tyson managed to get an outside edge off a Pakistani batsman after the batsman had been frustrating them on a hot sweaty day. The ball went right through the hands of Raman Subba Rao who was standing in first slip and through his legs. After the over Raman heads over to the bowler and says, "Sorry Frank, I should've closed my legs."
Frank Tyson, who didn't find any of this amusing, quipped back, " No, you bastard, your mother should have ."

Merv Hughes Vs Cronje

Merv Hughes was one of the greatest exponents of the fine "art" of sledging. Once during a tour game in South Africa Hughes was bowling to Hansie Cronje . It was an especially flat wicket and Cronje was hitting Hughes for fours and sixes all over the place.
After the umpteenth boundary, Hughes headed down the pitch, stood near Cronje, let out a fart and said: "Try hitting that for six." It was five minutes before the guffawing stopped and play could resume.

McGrath to Ramnaresh Sarwan:
Sarwan, the West Indies vice-captain, and McGrath went toe-to-toe in an ugly shouting match in Antigua in May 2003, The incident was sparked after Sarwan, on his way to a match-winning second-innings century, reportedly reacted to lurid taunts from McGrath

McGrath: "So what does Brian Lara's d*ck taste like?"

Sarwan: " I don't know. Ask your wife. "

Viv Richards v Greg Thomas
This incident took place during a county championship match between Glamorgan and Somerset.
Glamorgan quickie Greg Thomas had beaten Viv Richards' bat a couple of times and informed the legendary West Indian ace: " It's red, round and weighs about five ounces, in case you were wondering ."

The very next ball was given the King Viv treament and smashed out of the ground, into a river - at which point Richards piped up: " Greg, you know what it looks like. Now go and find it ."

McGrath Vs Brandes (

In a showdown of best pacers of two countries, Brandes made up for his complete absence of batting skills by some displaying some great sense of humor and presence of mind.
Aussie paceman Glenn McGrath was bowling to Zimbabwe number 11 Eddo Brandes - who was unable to get his bat anywhere near the ball. McGrath, frustrated that Brandes was still at the crease, wandered up during one particular over and inquired: " Why are you so fat?"
Quick as a flash, Brandes replied: "Because every time I make love to your wife, she gives me a biscuit ."

Bill Lawry & Richie Benaud
While commentating during a match in which Pakistan was faring badly in all departments of the game, Bill Lawry, offering a solution said "I think Pakistan's problem is they've got to relax", to which
Benaud replies nonchalantly, "I don't agree. I think Pakistan have got to learn how to bat, bowl and field. It's a simple game."

Robin Smith & Merv Hughes
During 1989 Lords Test, Smith plays and misses a few, at which Hughes comments: "Robin, you can't f**king bat". As luck would have it, Smith dispatches the next ball to the boundary and replies "Hey Merv, we make a fine pair. I can't f**king bat & you can't f**king bowl."

Steve Waugh & Parthiv Patel
This happened during India's tour of Australia in 2001. The series was level at 1-1. It was the 5th and final test at Sydney and India was 4 wickets away from a historic series victory on Aussie soil. However, the aussie Captain, Steve Waugh was proving a thorn in India's back. Playing in his last test match (as he had announced retirement), he mounted a rear-guard action and was fighting for a draw, and was the only one who stood between India and victory. In an attempt to induce him to do something foolish, the 16 year old Indian wicket keeper chirps " Hey Steve, how about one of those famous slog sweep of yours before you leave forever?". Waugh, a veteran of such tactics replied " Sonny! You better show some respect! You were pooping in your diapers when I made my debut"

Sunil Gavaskar
Once, during the tour of West Indies, a young bowler was trying to get under Gavaskar's skin by sledging. Gavaskar, a senior player retorted "Son, don't waste time sledging at me. I have been sledged at more often than you have taken a piss".

My vote ....

2009-05-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

Aaah Democracy ! Today,I voted for the parliament for the first time.It was a strange feeling- empowerment and freedom.Deciding on the party to vote for was far tougher than I first thought.I went through a serious and lengthy thought process to decide on the party to vote for.There were only three options on the table for me - SAD-BJP,Congress and Communists Party.
The reason I voted against the SAD-BJP was their abysmal governance record in Punjab.Long power cuts and water shortage are the norm.We pay more for electricity and receive even lesser than before.It might appear that I voted keeping in mind the local record.True,but it's not entirely correct.The PM candidate - LK Advani seems only interested in the 'kursi'.I couldn't recall his vision for the nation,nothing significant anyways.He's been unabashedly trying to win the post right from the Jinnah controversy.His has been the longest campaign for the PM job.
Voting in a communist almost ensures an honest and spirited person on the job.However the comunists are stuck in the past,their politics is stagnant,they refuse to evolve witht time.Voting for the Communists would have been a wate of my vote for the simple reason that they are incapable of forming a government at the centre on their own and the third front coalition is an extremely unstable prospect.
So,it was left to the Congress.Now.I am not a Congress supporter by any stretch.Infact,I am opposed to some of their core policies - Dynasticism and their pseudo-secularism .Manmohan Singh,an honest and well meaning gentleman appears nothing more than a front man for the Gandhis.So,it was not due to any of their apparent merits did I vote for the Congress ,it was more the case of a lesser evil....

Special....

2009-05-11T21:54:00.001-07:00

There's an aura that surrounds the special forces .These are the soldier's soldier.They are the mavericks,the game changers.They are the most lethal,the most aggressive and the most competent men.It's a fact that the SAS almost single handedly won Africa for the allied forces.They are characterized by a disdain for convention,compulsion for daredevilry and a stubborn resistance to fear.It's said about the special forces that they - 'Live by chance,love by choice and Kill by profession'.However,it's not all gung-ho machismo,the special forces train harder than any other troops.Some of the most renowned special forces are -Special Air Service,Spetsnaz,Special Boat Service,Seals,Green Berets,Delta Force.The Indian Navy's marine commandos are also some of the very best.What makes them so deadly is that they have a unique distinction of operating from every terrain-sea,air and land.The MARCOS are excellent swimmers and trained paratroopers.The typical operations for the special forces are reconnaisance,infiltrations behind enemy lines,counter terrorism etc.Here's a Natgeo documentary on the Green Berets in Afghanistan -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc1iExd8tIU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6WvWT3_Rlw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3_qP0nzs28&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sKv_5P4YnU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0Rc6BZ3FQk&feature=related

The No-Asshole Rule

2009-05-11T03:58:00.000-07:00

I came across this article about a rule.It's supposed to be about corporate management.It's called 'The No Asshole Rule'.Its theme is that bullying behaviour in the workplace worsens morale and productivity A rule is suggested to screen out the toxic staff - the no asshole rule.The rule is named such because the author felt that words like 'jerk' and 'bully' don't have the same impact.Damn right !

Two tests are specified for recognition of the asshole:

After encountering the person, do people feel oppressed, humiliated or otherwise worse about themselves?
Does the person target people who are less powerful than themselves ?

This rule is in the company of other illustrious rules like -

1. Murphy's Law - "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."
2. Finagle's Law - "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way."
3. Segal's Law - "A man with a watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure".
4. Student syndrome refers to the phenomenon that many people(esp students) will start to fully apply themselves to a task just at the last possible moment before a deadline.
5. Sturgeon's revelation - "90 percent of everything is crap."
6. Sayre's Law-"In any dispute the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the stakes at issue."
7. Dilbert's Principle- It proposes that the most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage: management.

Wedding Tamasha

2009-05-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

I was attending a wedding a few days back.I was getting bored and restless but had no choice other than staying there.So,I started looking around and soon enough got rid of my misery.Weddings specially Punjabi weddings are almost similar.You are sure to see some things,some people in every wedding.....
Well,every wedding has it's stars-

1. There's always a really attractive girl(or more) dancing on the dance floor.Every guy is gawking at her-from the hormonal teenager to the balding uncles and the bald tau's.She dances very enthusiastically and very well too.Even the groom steals a few glances .....

2. There's a group of guys usually the groom's friends or brothers who've had some drinks and think they're the main lead in the punjabi version of Step Up. Each one of them is also eying the broads on the floor....

3. There's also a group of men who are searching for some elusive space to open their 'bisky' or 'skaach'.

4. There's a gang of 'aunties' with their flashy suits and make up,usually on the heavier side.This tribe spends the evening gossiping,commenting and criticizing and munching on snacks.Their girth aside,they're swiftest movers to the dinner tables.

5. There's 'the drunk' who's completely wasted,stumbles all around,makes friends with the Band players,throws up and finally goes to sleep on the ground....

It's these players that make the Punjabi wedding scene memorable.They also make the punjabi weddings similar.So,if you missed your uncle's cousin's sister's son's wedding,don't worry you can always go to the aunt's brother's son's wedding ...

Monday,Tuesday.......Sameday

2009-04-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Every day of the week is the same.The day starts with me waking up,going through the paper,checking my Facebook and Orkut accounts,breakfast and then off to college.At the college,we usually attend the first couple of lectures.Then,I usually accompany my mates to the hostel where they spend an hour or too playing cards.We then use the money from the bets to buy a grand lunch.After lunch,we usually sat in the park during winters but now we just move out of the college.In the evening,if we aren'tstrapped for money we usually go for Hookah else just laze around the house.....I have been following this routine for about a year now with minor alterations occasionally.I feel it's time to change !!!

The Red Spark...

2009-04-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

Paash (Avtar Singh Sandhu) was probably the greatest revolutionary after the iconic Bhagat Singh.He was the complete anti-thesis to another phenomenal poet of his time,the more famous Batalvi.However,very little is known about the man.The following is a translated version of his most famous poem :

The Most Dangerous

Most treacherous is not the robbery

of hard earned wages

Most horrible is not the torture by the police.

Most dangerous is not the graft for the treason and greed.

To be caught while asleep is surely bad

surely bad is to be buried in silence

But it is not most dangerous.

To remain dumb and silent in the face of trickery

Even when just, is definitely bad

Surely bad is reading in the light of a firefly

But it is not most dangerous

Most dangerous is

To be filled with dead peace

Not to feel agony and bear it all,

Leaving home for work

And from work return home

Most dangerous is the death of our dreams.

Most dangerous is that watch

Which run on your wrist

But stands still for your eyes.

Most dangerous is that eye

Which sees all but remains frostlike,

The eye that forgets to kiss the world with love,

The eye lost in the blinding mist of the material world.

That sinks the simple meaning of visible things

And is lost in the meaning return of useless games.

Fool's Day continued....

2009-04-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

Just after I had posted the previous post,I went for pizza with Bunti and the 'April Fool'.Kimi joined us a few minutes later.After pizza,we decided to go to a shisha bar.Before each one of us had inhaled the first puffs,we decided that Sunnel needed company in the 'Hall of Shame'.So,we rang Varun Dod and Sarish Chawla to invite them for dinner.Both of them were quite hesitant at first.After a few minutes of persuasion,both of them gave in.We invited them to a diner.Once this was done,we got back to our Hookah.For close to an hour they kept calling us and we kept telling them that we'd be there in 5 minutes.Chawla and Dod spent close to an hour and a half outside the diner while we were enjoying the hookah a miles away.Eventually,we decided to put an end to their misery after two hours.I sent them the sms -
"April Fool banaya,kya tum ko gussa aaya ? Is mein mera nahin kasoor,zamaane ka kasoor jis ne dastoor banaya ".....

So this is how I spent the first of April this year.At the end of the day,my Fool's day count is 3.This one rates right at the top with the one 'when I distributed washing-soap candies to the entire neighbourhood' and 'the one when I hid flyers for a 'Sale' the newspaper'...

Fool's Day !

2009-04-01T03:45:00.000-07:00

It's Fool's Day today.The tradition demands that a hapless bloke be made the butt of jokes.I left home in the morning with this spirit of upholding the time honored tradition.Before reaching Bunti's place,I had devised the plan and selected a suitable victim.But once there,I found Bunti's pop stalking me and Kimi.Immediately,we fled the spot.A couple of minutes later,we received a call from Bunti assuring us that it was safe for us to head back.Bunti alleged to have taken his pop to task but there's a good chance of Bunti pleading......
Once at the college,we got to business.We got a fake notice printed with the college logoand the H.O.D's signature.The notice read as folows :
The following students have been suspended from college with immediate effect owing to their short attendance and indiscipline.They are also restricted from giving their sessional examinations.These students are required to bring their parents within two days failing which ven more stringent action will be taken.....

Inside the college,we asked a peon to stick the notice on the notice board but he never showed up.So we took it upon ourselves and stuck the notice on the notice board.As planned,Ravinder informed Sunnel of his name on the notice.Sunnel suddenly turned pale on hearing this.Though visibly 'devastated' he was still a little bit apprehensive.The prank played out to perfection when one of his 'female-friends' confirmed it.His face became a kaleidoscope of emotions-tension,shock,anger,jealousy and haplessness.He rushed outside and checked out the notice himself.Then,he made his way to every teacher to plead his 'case'.Not content with this,he made it to the Class Councillor's office and perplexed her with this 'mysterious notice'.Meanwhile,Kimi had torn the notice. So,we had a completely shell shocked Sunnel knocking on everybody's door,writing applications to get 'reinstated',even though he was never suspended.....After everybody had laughed their asses off,we finally told him that he'd been the April Fool.Bemused and releived,Sunnel got hit by a thunderbolt when an hour later he got suspended for 'roaming around the college and harassing teachers',this time for real !!!

The Weekenders...

2009-03-28T04:12:00.000-07:00

This week was a tough one by any stretch of the imagination.Every day brought with itself new troubles.It was a week of many 'Firsts & Lasts' - first time attending the whole college and the last time teasing 'them',first time suspensions and last time apologies.So,this weekend was eagerly awaited .I was really looking forward to the break, to relax and lay low for a while.The 'break' started on Friday itself and I slept at 7 pm itself.I woke up today really fresh and 'hungry'.After some naivities throughout the morning and upto noon,I went for a haircut.
On the way,a large gathering and loud music attracted my attention.On closing in on the area,I find myself right in the middle of a 'dangal'.Now,for the uninitiated a dangal is an open air wrestling tournament.If you think that it'd be full of large men in their undies,smeared in mud,dholis all around and their 'ustaads' chearing them on,you aren't far away from the truth.The atmosphere was electric.The spectators were dwarfed by these pehalwans,not an easy feat in Punjab.Imagine,you are standing in the middle of the crowd,little nudges from here and there.The dhol is full on volume,there is chit-chat all around .Two huge men make their way on to the mat,you wonder how come they get so big.Suddenly,there is pin drop silence and the bout begins.One move after other,they seemed entangled.After a few moments,a sudden burst of energy from one guy,a supple movement of the limbs and the other man is pinned.The crowd erupts and so do you !!!
It's a wonderful sport,and the people who make it truly amazing are the ones who dedicate their entire lives to the sport - the 'pehalwans' and their 'ustaads'.These are truly iconic people !

Chetawni !

2009-03-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

I heard a wonderful stanza in Gulaal,searched for it and found this entire poem...

varsho tak van me ghom ghoom
badha vighno ko chum chum
sah dhoop gham pani patthar
pandav aaye kuchh or nikhar
soubhagya na sab din hota he
dekhe aage kya hota he
maitri ki raah dikhane ko
sab ko sumarg pe laane ko
duryodhan ko samjhane ko
bheeshan vidhwans bachane ko
bhagwan hastinapur aaye
panddav ka sandesha laaye
do nyay agar to adha do
par isme bhi yadi badha ho
to dedo kewal paach gram
rakho apni dharti tamam
hum vahi khushi se khayenge
parijan pe asi na uthayenge (asi = hathiyaar)
duryodhan woh bhi de na saka
ashish samaj ki le na saka
ulte hari ko bandhne chala
jo tha asadhya sadhne chala
jab naash manuj par chhata he
pehle vivek mar jata he
hari ne bheeshan hunkar kiya
apna swaroop vistar kiya
dagmag dagmag diggaj dole
bhagwan kupit hokar bole
janjeer badha ab saadh mujhe
haa haa duryodhan baandh mujhe
yeh dekh gagan mujhme lay hai
yeh dekh pawan mujhme lay hai
mujhme wilin jhankaar sakal
mujhme lay hai sansaar sakal
amaratva phhoolta hai mujhme
sanhaar jhoolta hai mujhme
udayachal mere dipt bhaal
bhu-mandal vaksh-sthal vishaal
bhuj paridhi bandh ko ghere hain
mainaak meru pag mere hain
dipte jo grah nakshatra nikar
sab hain mere mukh ke andar
drig ho to drishya akaand dekh
mujhme saara brahmaand dekh
char-achar jeev, jag kshar akshar
nashwar manushya, surjati amar
sat koti surya, sat koti chandra
sat koti sarit sar sindhu mandra
sat koti brahma vishnu mahesh
sat koti jalpati jishnu dhanesh
sat koti rudra, sat koti kaal
sat koti dand dhar lokpaal
janjeer badha kar saadh inhe
haan haan duryodhan baandh inhe
bhutal atal paatal dekhgat aur anagat kaal dekh
yeh dekh jagat ka aadi srijan
yeh dekh mahabhaarat ka run
mritako se pati hui bhu hai
pahchaan kahan isme tu hai?
ambar ka kuntal jaal dekh
pad ke niche paatal dekh
mutthi mein tino kaal dekh
mera swaroop vikraal dekh
sab janm mujhi se paate hain
phir laut mujhi mein aate hain
jihwa se kadhti jwaal saghan
saanso se paata janm pawan
par jati meri drishti jidhar
hansne lagti hai srishti udhar
main jabhi moondta hoon lochan
chha jata charo aur maran
baandhne mujhe to aaya hai
janjeer badi kya laaya hai?
yadi mujhe baandhna chahe mann
pahle tu baandh anant gagan
sune ko saadh na sakta hai
wo mujhe baandh kab sakta hai?
hit wachan nahi tune maana
maitri ka moolya na pahchana
to le ab main bhi jata hoon
antim sankalp sunaata hoon
yaachna nahi ab rann hoga
jivan jai ya ki maran hoga
takrayenge nakshatra nikar
barsegi bhoo par wahni prakhar
phan sheshnaag ka dolega
wikraal kaal munh kholega
duryodhan rann aisa hoga
phir kabhi nahi jaisa hoga
bhai par bhai tootenge
vish-baan boond-se chutenge
saubhagya manuj ke phootenge
vaayas shrigaal sukh lootenge
aakhir tu bhushayi hoga
himsa ka pardayi hoga
thi sabha sann, sab log dare
chup the ya the behosh pade
kewal do nar na aghate the
dhrishtrashtra-vidur sukh paate the
kar jod khare pramudit nirbhay
dono pukaarte the jai-jai....

The week that was....2

2009-03-20T10:15:00.001-07:00

Day 3 :Next morning,we checked out of the resort and made our way to the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve.We arrived there in the afternoon.Our resort was situated right at the edge of the forest.I was assigned a cottage.The place was quite spectacular.I spent the afternoon playing football and table tennis.In the evening,we made way to stream nearby.It was a pleasant place.Everybody jumped in for a swim.I was busy soaking in the beauty,allegedly.After the bathing,we made our way to the resort.While everybody else went by the tracks,five of us found ourselves in the thick forest,all very deliberately.After enacting our very own 'Men vs Wild',we finally emerged back at the hotel .The evening was spent outdoors with drinks followed by a little karaoke session .The night was made even more fun by the shananigans of a drunk ....Day 4 : After hardly a couple of hours of sleep,we were woken up for the early morning safari through the Tiger reserve.After a cold shower,I managed to get myself on a jeep.My companions were all unknown to me,except one(again allegedly).We were driven to the reserve at a brisk pace.Once inside,I found myself another jeep,one with some known faces.We were driven by two wonderful staffers-a guide and a driver deep inside the reserve.We managed to 'catch' a tiger and gleefully observed it for half an hour .The mission accomplished,we made our way out the reserve.Once out,the we were driven at breakneck speed to the resort.The feeling of flying down the empty road surrounded by pines on both sides in an open jeep is unfathomable.This was to be the last day of the trip.After another trip to the stream,we made our way back home.......It was the most wonderful week,every bit of it.

The trip that was....

2009-03-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

Last week i.e. Mar9-15,I was enjoying a college trip to Nainital and Jim Corbett Reserve.I was quite apprehensive at first but I am glad that i was wrong.The trip was a 'riot'.Everyday was better than the last.It was the best trip I have been to.There are so many memories to share. Day1 : After a tumultuous journey,dusty towns,hot weather and the bumpy roads,we finally made it to Nainital in the afternoon.The resort was a delight.Barely had we checked in that everybody headed to the pool,even novices like me couldn't resist a dip.After frolicking in ice cold water for a while,it was a sumptuous lunch.In the evening,it was time to head out to visit the town.The town was brimming with quaint activity.We immersed ourselves in games of Air-Hockey at the local games arcade.After a thoroughly enjoyable session there,we headed back to the resort.Back at the resort,my room was turned into a pub-everybody stopped by for a peg or two.After helping ourselves to a couple of bottles , we headed to the disc.Within a few minutes of our arrival,we had managed to clear out the area for our own dispensation.I managed a little 'striptease' of my own.After working out myself sweaty 'undie',I rested for a while and woke up at 0100 hrs to catch the Champion's League match.It was then that I also got to see the mayhem my friend's caused during my two hour siesta.Slept at 0400 hrs,only to wake up a couple of hours later.... Day 2 : I was wide awake at 0630 in the morning,relieved myself of a shit-load the first thing in the morning.It was Holi.Everybody woke up a couple of hours later and we headed to the resort's gardens.Once there,all hell broke loose.We got our hands on some gulaal and proceeded to make everybody look like a crayon box.If this wasn't enough,the resort provided us with more colors ,wet and dry.A few minutes later,buckets were flying all around,people were being 'air lifted' and 'para-dropped;' into muck.Nobody was spared and some were treated with special care - Sunnel and Dod.The colour-riot was followed by a game of 'tug of war' between us and the rest.We lost the first round but managed to win the series thanks to two back to back wins.The afternoon was spent scanning the resort's scenic beauty in our colourful spleandour.After another hearty lunch,we made our way to the table tennis table.Soon enough,testosterone took over and we managed to play till 2 in the night ,stopping for a trip to a lake and dancing in the disc.the night was made even livelier by Grewal's antics-he switched off the electricity upstairs and proceeded to make life hell for the IT people throughout the night..... to be continued......

Three Misses and a Homerun

2009-03-14T01:57:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from Jim Corbett National Reserve today and returned ecstatic.My experience there was unforgettable.I set out on a jeep with the guides to track a tiger.After only 5 odd kilometres,we witnessed several other jeeps in a group.On enquiring,we got to know that there was a tiger hiding in the thick bushes a few metres away.Even with the most eager eyes binoculars and cameras,nobody could spot it.After spending half an hour or so there we decided to move on.We had only managed to move baout a kilometre when there was another clutter of jeeps,there we were told that we had just missed another tiger by only 5 seconds.We decided to drive further along and heard a roar from the north direction,we drove a few hundred meters ahead and parked the jeep.We started to scan the bushes for another half an hour or so but to no avail.At that point,I seriously thought that the guide was playing us fools.We were standing at a spot all alone and there were no jeeps closeby.There was a clutter of jeeps and one of my friends suggested we move there.But the guide was adamant.I felt that the safari was over there and then.But just then,I heard the words 'Woh dekho tiger !'. Instinctively,I stared in the direction and my eyes simply got stuck at that magnificent beast.We drove to about 20 metres from it.The camouflage was simply spectacular.I managed to get hold of it again after few seconds.We managed to stay there for about 30 minutes in the company of the tiger.The guide made sure that we were fully satiated and left the park without remorse,so he extended the time duration till the tiger was there.The tiger vanished after into the woods and we decide to move back.The ride back was very quiet,I think we were all overwhelmed.We bid farewell to the guide and proceeded to move back to the resort.The ride was exhilirating,nothing like driving full throttle in an open jeep on an empty road surrounded by pines.Back at the resort,I decided to get myself a momento to remind me of the place.But I soon realised that I didn't need any, that experience would remain with me always.....

Sunday Afternoons

2009-03-08T03:06:00.000-07:00

It's a Sunday afternoon and I am feeling hopelessly lazy.I have always found almost all my Sunday afternoons almost identical.Saturday and Sunday is combined into onle long weekend.The Saturday is unusually hectic in which I try to squeeze in all the stuff missed throughout the week.I find it the liveliest day of the week.After a late Saturday night,Sunday brings with itself an inate tendency from within to 'rise late,to read at length the newspapers and to enjoy a game of football'.Sunday afternoons are probably the laziest of all days,the whole town wears a look of desertion(not desolation).Evenings are best spent with friends over coffee,going through the happenings of the week,just enjoying the quiteness .....

Lest we forget

2009-02-28T21:34:00.000-08:00

The recent election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of USA has created a great euphoria in that country.Somehow,the people of that country feel that by electing Obama all of their previous criminal policies would be forgotten and forgiven.I am not just talking about the "War on Terror" but centuries of evil.The whole history of the USA reeks with the unsatiable greed and complete disregard for anything that might jeapordise their 'interests'.The land known as USA today was taken forcibly from the native race called 'Red Indians'.The original inhabitants' whole culture was systematically and ruthlessly destroyed.Africans were kidnapped and turned into slaves to work the 'American Dream'.The USA remains the only nation to have used the Nuclear bomb in war -Hiroshima and Nagasaki.These were not military installations but cities ,their destruction didn't serve any strategic military purpose other than takinf thousands of lives.The USA is a greater evil than the Nazis.It supports Israel by arming it with the latest weapons and military 'aid', it counts Saudi Arabia(the most extremist Islamic nation in the world) as a friend,it supported the Saddam regime against it's former ally Iran,it instigates mutinies in other nations -Cuba,it plunders nations - Vietnam,Iraq.The USA is responsible for every terrorist attack it has faced - it armed Saddam Hussein while he was killing thousands of people,it supported the Mujahideen in Afghanistan,it supports Pakistan,the premier Terrorist state.
This Obamania which seems to have swept great parts of India.There is a section in India which appeared to be 'moved' or 'changed' by Obama's victory,it is a bunch of wannabe elitist racists,often called 'liberals'.So before anyone of you declares USA as 'the home of freedom,the citadel of change,the land of opportunity'I would hope you remind yourself that the American Dream was built on countless dead bodies,I do.

Esse Quam Videri

2009-02-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

'To be,rather than to seem' - A couple of years back I had the great opportunity to be part of the Indian Army.I had cleared the NDA exam and was all set to appear for the SSB (Services Selection Board) interview in Bangalore.I must admit that I was not too keen to join the Army before that and it was only on a friend's request that I took the exam.However,when the opportunity presented itself,I was most surprised to see the great prestige the Army commands.So,I decided to give it a shot.I was dragged to meet a retired Colonel to ascertain my abilities.After a candid and brief conversation,the verdict was favourable.It was the Col who suggested that I travel to Bangalore on my own.To assuage my father's concerns,he assured him that 'these rascals' can handle almost anything.The next day,I was the new guy at 'The Cavalier'.There,I was told a few things to improve my chances -
1. Whatever you are asked , make sure you mention the Army.
2.Get yourself acquainted with the weapons and ranks of the Army
3.Always pretend to be ready for any challenge,EVEN IT IS AGAINST YOUR JUDGMENT.
BUT WHY ?
Before I could find out the D-Day had come and I was on a train to Bangalore.Throughout the journey,I went through turbulent attacks of homesickness so much so that I got off the train determined to do everything against what I had been advised.At the station,I was greeted by an indifferent group of people,all of whom seemed to be in love with the Army !
Instantly,I retreated into my cocoon.I was taken in a bus to the SSB centre.There,we were greeted by some officers and given instructions for our stay.The barracks were spartan.After the initial introductions,we were off to the mess for dinner.The spread was lavish but the food was tasteless-no salt,no sugar,nothing at all.After dinner,we moved back to the barracks.I met some rather interesting people and realised soon enough that most of them had no chance of clearing that interview but I had a feeling that they were counting more on luck than anything else.We all chatted late into the night.I was woken by the alarm at about 0430 am and frantically made through the showers and breakfast.at 0600 am we were at the conference hall.We were given a few tests and true to my intentions I did everything that could get me kicked out.This surprised my peers and I was hounded by a group of 30 strong who wanted to know what was I upto ? The results came out after an hour and as expected I barely managed to fail.But to my surprise,most of my mates did too ! I saw men cry like kids.After the results,an officer addressed us he told us " This is not the end of the world.The fact that you came for the interview proves that you are all patriots without doubt.The country will be safe in your hands.The Army now knows that it will always have good men to fall back on if the need arose.Don't take this as a failure but a lesson.Don't think that there is a closed door but imagine the number of doors which are open.Please,come again. Don't leave without having your lunch,we don't want your families to think that Army didn't feed you.And mark my words gentlemen, now that you have tasted our salt,you are part of the Army and vice versa."

These words have stayed with me till date.I now realise why I was given those suggestions at the training school.We must realize that the military purpose transcends all.There is zero scope for failure.The soldier must be be committed to the duty,there must not be even an iota of doubt in his mind.One must really want to be part of the Army,be in love with the institution.At this juncture,I see myself a transformed man - eager and ready.

2009-02-22T21:47:00.000-08:00

What to do , Where to go ?

The consistent wailing of Bunti and Rajbir's facebook updates got me thinking.What does a 'vehla' guy do around here ? Where does an average fun-seeking bloke go in his free time to chill ? Chandigarh is a great place to live but I am afraid it doesn't provide many avenues for having a good time.Yes,we have malls to watch movies but there is hardly a decent movie nowadays and even if there is it's just a couple of hours of respite.What else ? Shisha andPool is all there is.However,the best way to kill time is still Sports.Get a bunch of guys together and set up matches with other vehla folks.But,there is a downside to it too.One can end up like our team which has lost about 4-5 grands till date.Where the hell are the crazy-ass places like Kart Racing,Adventure parks with Watergun fights,Air Hockey,Bungee jumping etc.Oh yes,in our dreams !!!!

2009-02-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

Drink up !!!

How many religions in the world tell their followers to please God ?
Every religion.
How many religions ask their followers to 'get high on marijuana and party the night away' ?
Only one.
Today is 'Maha Shiv Ratri' and everybody is encouraged to drink a few glasses of Bhang and party all day and night.It is a tribute to Shiva,they say.Dope,which is illegal everywhere in the world is openly consumed and distributed in Kashi,and that too on the banks of Ganga.I doubt there is a place on earth where there are more 'wasted' people than Kashi today.Venture into the oldest city of the world today and you will find doctors,scientists,bureaucrats,politicians,students and 'naked sadhus smeared with ash' all dancing to please Shiva getting high on dope (yeah right ?) ....

I have often wondered why an enthusiastic atheist like me is so fond of Shiva.I have not yet found the answer.Shiva,to me represents a friend,a teacher an inspiration and much more.....

2009-02-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

Watch out !
I just saw the trailer of 'Gulaal'-the upcoming movie by Anurag Kashyap,the maker of Dev D and Black Friday.But,he is also the one responsible for the 'No Smoking' .That makes me wonder if Gulaal will also be lame ? Kashyap made Black Friday,then No Smoking , then came Dev D and now it's Gulaal, Kashyap has history against him as he seeks to give two sucessive hits.
The film tracks the story of a group of individuals out to create Rajputana- the old region prior to Independence which has historically been ruled by Rajputs.It appears there is ample violence,abuse and politics in the story.The trailers look interesting - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj8nLtdpxos

The movie releases on March 13;looking forward to it,hope it's worth it !

2009-02-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

This post was preceded by an uneventful day.The last few days have been such a terrible bore.I have done nothing but laze around the house or college under the glorious winter sun.All the sleep has started to make me tired.However,my mind has been up and about.Lately,I have found myself getting attracted to the desert of Rajputana(it just sounds more thrilling than Rajasthan),the culture,the history.This was compounded by the prospect of a college trip to the region.But,I just don't see any fun in going around in A.C buses singing songs like the 'Touristy' types,I'd rather backpack across the region with a few friends.I proposed the same to some of my buddies but turns they prefer to be pampered.So,now I have decided to make the trip alone before the year's end;an enormous undertaking by my standards....
I will make tomorrow a more active day.I will start exercising - running,gyming etc; may be go smoke a hookah with my buddies or play pool.In short,I will fall asleep from being tired rather than being bored.
I find this writing a rather relaxing activity.

The Boredom starts

2008-07-02T01:09:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Started the day at 6:00 am.read the papers till 7:30 and then headed off to the gym.After goofin around for an hour there,came back home......took the shower and had some pretty awful breakfast(cereal)..dozed off,just woken up.......lets see what the evening has in store...shopping probably ?