The Short story series...

Hello guys, for those who will be following my writing and those who wish to, I am starting a new short story segment. This is for those who really have nothing to do and are all ears for praises and/or critical complaints. Please make yourself at home at my blog, i dont disappoint anybody.
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Now, i know you all may feel shy and the lot, but i also know you are antsy to type out stuff which may catch the attention of budding writers and avid readers. So, being the owner of this blog, i start first. PLEASE follow the bandwagon, i want to see a million short stories here (if thats ever gonna happen?!!!) and be my guest/host/dost/whatever....


LUCKY LANDING


A sunny day came to its usual end. As the seething sun finally started its dip downwards, the climate started cooling off. And as we all know, a pleasant day with just the right amount of sunlight and shade brings forth the children, the youth, adults and the aged out into the fresh air, to bask in all of natures glory. The boys in a society are bound to come together and start playing various games, be it Soccer, Cricket, caroom, chess, etc. But one thing is for sure, they are going to exhaust themselves by the time the sun is completely out of vision.

One such fine evening, a group of boys in a typical middle-class locality gathered together to play their favourite game of cricket. Sixers were hit, the stumps took cart-wheels, stunning catches were taken and a little bit of cheating included, the boys had a fun time together. As the sun steadily moved out of sight, they realised it was no longer possible to play due to the difficulties in sighting the ball. Packing up, everyone moved towards their houses. Amongst the lot was a young boy of 15 named Surej, who was sapped out of energy. He was stumbling home-wards until his foot got caught in a stone and he was thrown off-balance.

Alerted and alarmed, helpless Surej didnt know what would happen with him next. As he flew through the air, he fell into an open pothole. It must have been atleast 29 feet deep, but he fell on some dirty, garbage-filled sacks. As he lay pondering what to do in this dark sewer, Surej's eyes caught the glint of a shining coin amidst the rubbish sacks. He picked it up, and examined it and was surprised to find it glinting of gold! Boy oh boy, Surej really was going to go home happy. Wait, go home happy? It struck him then that he was going to need help getting out of here. He wanted to go home. His mother must have made Poha and tea and must be eagerly waiting for him. This thought made him hasten his frantic efforts to climb out.

'Help! Help me....Mummy i'm stuck here! HELP!' cried Surej. Nobody could here him, and panic struck him. He had no cell phone with him - he left it home lest it falls and breaks while playing. But now, he was in dire need of help. If only he could think of some way to move out! 'Darn, i have to search for something here, or else i wont be having dinner tonight!' As these thoughts went through his mind, he heard the squeak of a rat and that did it. He was really scared of rats and he was determined to find his way out of here. He searched his pockets for something and found his trusted flash light. Heaving a sigh of relief, he flicked it on and pointed it right out of the pothole.

Luckily, that did the trick. His elder brother was coming back from work and as he passed the manhole, he saw the flashing patterns of light coming from the dark depths. He peeped in to find his young brother in it. He called the nearby shopkeepers to help him pull Surej out. They not only got Surej out, but also a lot of dirt and the putrid smell of rotten garbage. He got scolded by him, and was warned to 'keep his eyes open' the next time around. But everyone was happy, and so was Surej. He thanked God for keeping him safe even though he was phenomenally scared of the dark and rats. The experience helped him overcome his fears and he was instantly rewarded with the Gold coin. He hungrily gobbled down his mommy's 'ghar ka khana' and slept peacefully.


What say, not bad for a start right? ;)

The Confusion, the nonsense - The Babri Masjid Problem

The Liberhan Commission report has named L.K. Advani and Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the ones behind the mosque’s demolition. As soon as the Indian Express stated these claims in its paper, a great uproar ran through the country’s news channels. Numerous talk shows were hosted and reputed political figures laid their arses on leather seats and gave out big talks on the issue. But has any one of these political personalities ever given any solution to the problem of the Babri Masjid demolition? They may have but only in their dreams…

The fact of this matter is the ghost of the Babri Masjid has came back to haunt us all again. The religious rift that rocked the nation after the destruction of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on 6^th December, 1992 can never be forgotten. The tension which ran through both Hindus and Muslims is back again. Only this time, after 17 years we people don’t care much. It’s the sheer politics and the struggle for the Muslim Vote-bank that is getting on our nerves. What a waste is Politics!

Atal ji and Advani ji have kept mum on this issue but a reputed news channel had released a video of Shri Atal standing on the podium in Ayodhya addressing the crowd, subtly hinting at the necessity to demolish the structure that stood on the land of the God-like forefathers of us Hindus and the association to Lord Ram. It wasn’t much by a common man’s standards but a thorough retrospection indicates an ulterior motive of the Bharatiya Janta Party. But the demolition of such a big structure of religious importance made a mockery of the jurisdiction in the area. The Police could not stop the demolition is something really hard to believe. Which makes us think – isn’t it so obvious that the Police were happy to comply with the demands of such men? ‘Bribery’ and ‘Corruption’ aren’t mere words in India, we breath within these evils!

Personally, the upheaval in the Rajya Sabha was similar to a clown’s act in a Circus, where the jokers were doing their job of creating a stir amongst the foolish crowd present in the House. There was bound to be bodily harm caused because of it. This makes t\it all the more clear that a synonym of the word ‘Indian Politics’ is ‘Foolish!’ Well, those were my views, and that is totally personal. I have no intentions of offending any person related directly or indirectly to any Political or Religious group.

On 23^rd December, 1949 The Faizabad District Magistrate sent a radio message to the Chief Minister Govind Ballabh Pant and other senior officials, stating that, "A few Hindus entered Babri Masjid at night when the Masjid was deserted and installed a deity there. Police picket of 15 persons was on duty at night but did not apparently act." Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru dragged the controversy further by saying that an amicable and peaceful solution to the problem was possible but he himself never gave any answer to the problem. Why just our first Prime Minister? Our latest Prime Minister too has no solution in mind!

But I take the pain of asking you all – is there really any solution to the Babri Masjid? Will Hindus allow the Muslims to rebuild the mosque? Will the Muslims allow the Hindus to build a temple in its place? Will both groups allow formation of both a Temple and a Mosque on the disputed site? These are almost rhetorical questions and its pretty much a straightforward, two-letter answer. NO.

The obdurate ministers and political figures that are single-handedly responsible for the malfunctioning of the State have to be pulled out into the view of the public and have to supply us with a worthwhile explanation of this hodge-podge they call ‘The Indian Government’. Plus, the Babri Masjid issue along with several others must be thoroughly pursued, or else these shameless louts are bound to save their arses from such issues and get back to the Pocket-filling, money making Politics business. They must be staved, those who are found guilty and are known to be so.

Babri Masjid problem – back with a bang, no-nonsense issue.

A year after terror strikes, we stand tall

Today, 26/11 of the year 2009 is witness of the solid grit and never-say-die attitude of Mumbai. Last year on this date, Aamchi Mumbai was put under siege by a group of Pakistani terrorists and for over 48 hours the city was blanketed by the deathly hand of terror. So many people killed, hundreds injured and the city's self-esteem smashed - three days of terror left behind these remains for us people to clean up. But still, we citizens stood above it all and showed the tyranists what mettle each Mumbaikar is made of!

In all this mess, blood and gore many heroes emerged out of the ashes to rise like the phoenix. Hemant Karkare, Ombale, Salaskar were among many others who laid down their lives to keep us safe. But now, after their death their families suffer silently, with no help or support they fight a battle each day. The Government merely sanctioned awards and monetary help to them but the loss of the bread-earners of the house can possibly never be filled by these materialistic baits.

I remember, i sat in disbelief glues to my Television set. I just could not come to terms with the fact that my very own city's walls rang with the terrorists gunshots, shrieks of the dying and the wails of the injured and helpless. The poor children of Mumbai must be horrified to see so much aggression and violence presented by the terrorists. The busy city-lights of Mumbai for once were dimmed. All because of a bunch of state-sponsored terrorists who had the nerve to drive a stake through Mumbai's heart - yes, the infamous attack on The Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus and the Taj Hotel.
The C.S.T station was attacked by these terrorists and left a huge wake of fear and agony behind. Terror, panic and chaos was followed by wails and cries of the injured and those in their dying moments. The Taj hotel was like the city's nose, and these terrorists had the guts to cut it off. The structure which once stood proud overlooking the Arabian Sea, will now forever bear the scars of those blood-ridden attacks. The fire which raged through the hotel burnt our hearts along with the artistique walls and expensive interiors of this massive building. The Trident hotel suffered the most, as the terrorists had literally demolished the reputation along with the entire framework of the hotel. Nariman Point will forever point out to the millions of Jews all over the world that its citizens were slaughtered like chicken on the 26th of November, 2009. This date is forever etched in every Mumbaikar's heart, and will stay with him till his dying day.

Hats off to all the martyrs who safeguarded our city from further exploitation. But the attack was also a slap right across the face of out city's security measures. A handful of louts, armed with arms, ammunition and a brief knowledge of the city's overall working barged in through the water ways, attacked the C.S.T station, drove off to The Taj and Trident hotels as well as Nariman House, and were finally eradicated at these points. NSGs, Black Cat Commandos and the Mumbai Police went through hell, at certains situations even worse than hell. But at the end of it all, they emerged victorious. A Royal Salute to all our brave officers and soldiers.

The Paramedics and Doctors' services can never be forgotten. They worked overtime, took in more injured people than they ever did before and they managed to save a number of wounded people. But chaos prevailed and many who ran out of luck died on the fringe of medical help. But no matter what, our hospitals did a fine job. THe story of Moshe, the baby boy who lost both his parents in the Nariman House attacks may get the best surrogate parents, lots of love and luxuries but one can never forget his cries during the mourning ceremony in the house held by the Rabbi, where he cried for his Mommy and Daddy to come to him. It brought tears to a million people's eyes to see his helplessness.

Once again, i conclude that no matter what happens to the city, we citizens always bounce back no matter what. And that undying spirit and love for the city cannot be broken by attacks by terrorists. They may kill a thousand people and scar millions but these attacks remain weak in comparison to our love for Mumbai and our solid determination to fight it back. We citizens are the strongest bricks in the monumental structure of Mumbai City.

Jai Hind,
Jai Maharastra,
Jai Mumbai.

Has karate lost itself in Mumbai?

I glanced at my watch for the umpteenth time now. It read 6:23 pm, which meant my Sensei was 23 minutes late to class - make that 24 as the minute hand moves further. Still no sign of him, while i sit on the watchman's stool, waiting for my Master to come and teach me KARATE.

While i wait, a fleeting thought crosses my mind - Karate has become a commercialized sport now, the ideals and attitude lost in the show-shine of the big city. Mumbai does that to many people, but i never new that it could actually influence karatekas who vow to follow the virtuous path of a disciplined life. I dont know about disciplined life but boy, my sir has no value for time...punctuality went out of the window when it comes to him.

Then i remembered one of my friends telling me his woes regarding the partiality in his Karate class, where his Sensei favoured a select batch of students while the lesser favoured ones were not payed much attention to. They only got forms for various camps, competitions and training classes regardless of whether they were trained or not. He also told me his Sensei had increased the examination fees tremendously and had to leave the thoughts of giving his Black Belt examination. Too much of a fee-hike wasted his talents and qualitities because i know he was a hard working guy.

At that point of time, training under Sensei Iqbal in the Shorin Ryu Seibukan style of Karate, i had really high regards for my master. I modelled every other karate instructor as he was, and obviously it was hard to believe my friends quake claims. But now, after 3 long years i have finally realised and understood that in India, karate was to play subordinate to Cricket, just like all the other sports in India do. No wonder the life of Hockey, Kabbadi and Football players is nothing more than a mere hickey. The Sport Federation of India will never 'SUDRO-FY'.

Coming back to the point, i have started practicing the 'Shotokan' style of karate - a rather popular and well spread style atleast in Mumbai. My hunger for knowledge and thurst for results drives me to perfection in every basic movement and 'Kata' form structure...so much so that i now suffer from the 'Jumper's knee'. Yet, my efforts have paid off and in the coming month of December i will appear for the State level Kumite competition that is approaching me at a steady pace but my Sensei rarely trains me in the basic roundhouse kicks and swift punches that is essential for me to even stand a chance to proceed to the next round. Sensei has a knack off diplomatically avoiding tasks, and being his student i cannot disrespectfully ask of him to 'Do as i say'. But i am reaching my limits now...

Soon my mother will pay him a visit and make him talking. She wasn't in the physical sondition recently to be able to pay him a visit but soon, very soon he wil see my mother and will have to answer her questions. So much for the karate way of life. I have given up on him and i find myslef the best teacher in the world. The mirror on the wall talks to me and shows me the errors that creep into my Karate, and watching myself practice the Art leads me to perfection. I am my own boss, friend and guide when it comes to reaching higher levels of immavulate perfection in Karate.

I have no intentions of disowning myself from this beautiful Martial Art form and i shall positively pursue it even till i am a middle aged man with less stamina and even lesser hair on my head! ;)
Ah! Finally my Sensei comes, riding on hir brand new Yamaha FZ-S bike. He has a rather disoriented look on his face, and i knoe for sure that today i shall have a tough training session. But i am ready to puch my body to the limits, my brain to the test and my soul to the deeper confines of the human existence. I will grow like the Banyan and reach the greater humanity, all i need is the water of knowledge and the divine sun to grow from a tender sapling to a great-rooted tree. I shall fight the bales and gales that cross my path.

I SHALL RISE!

Sayonara
Oyasumi Nasai...

WHAT A DOG-MA!

This is with reference to the Mumbai Mirror report 'DOGGONE IT!' on Oct 27. The story was nothing less than an Eye - opener. My family's first reaction was inexplicable. My younger sister cried reading this report. The condition of the dogs is something that i personally couldn't have imagined. Stray dogs or not, they do not deserve this type of treatment by any measure of imagination. The four college students deserve a pat on the back for taking the initiative and exposing the ridiculous treatment meted out to the strays. Being a teenager myself, these lads inspire me to do something similar for my society. Well done!

The authorities at KDMC may have carried out an inquiry into this matter, but do we know how many other stray camps have dogs in similar conditions? Plus, does this matter need an expose' for a simple Inquiry to be carried out? The condition at the stray camp, what with just one dog-catcher turned attendant that too ill-equipped, has to be in such bad shape if the running of the KDMC is this bad. In my opinion, the people living the area near the camp must storm the office of Dr. Nirmal Patil and mentally harass the fellow, until and unless the camp gets a makeover and the other surviving dogs must be relieved from their suffering, as soon as possible.

The report has caught the attention of lakhs of people, and i am pretty sure that your Mumbai Mirror Office will be flooded with letters filled with sympathy and rage. Once again, a job well done by the boys, and Mumbai Mirror.

There's more to what meets the eye....

Imagine this scenario - you are stuck in a snow storm in a remote mountain. No help is in sight, no place to provide warmth. You are in a very vulnerable situation. You sit under a snow-clad fir tree. Icicles stick to your nose, ears and mouth. You blood is chilling, and your mind is constantly in a state of sub-consciousness. You cling to yourself for warmth, but to no avail. Continuous shivering of your body does nothing more than trouble you. Your teeth chatter making no musical frenzy, but a continuous array of irritating sounds. Your voice breaks up, great difficulty arises while speaking normal, audible human words. You long for the heat, the warmth. Hallucinations of a wooden lodge with a lovely fire burning in the fireplace. 

Chilly, right? Well, thats exactly how a man feels when he is deserted by his very friends. No one to help, no one to look at. This man is the most dangerous person in this world. Tethered between the good and the bad, his mind has stopped working. The bad follows soon......

Incidents such as these are well known, and have given rise to many controversial incidences. We woke up one day and found early morning in the newspaper that a 13 year-old boy in America shot is class-mates in school. The reason - he was battered by his so called "friends." In the shoot-out two boys died and the teacher was injured. The boy was handed the death sentenced, and was poisoned to death. 

Some things happen because they are destined to be so. Others, well they all falls in our hands. Our decisions mark the outcome of every single step that we choose. So be it shooting your school mate or presenting a bouquet to a wonderful friend, our actions, our choices make us what we are. I myself am no scholar in this matter, but all i can advise you is this - 

Life is made to be enjoyed. But stay with in the limits marked by society, the law and humanity. Do what you want, be what you want, think what you want, but your actions in no possible way should cause harm to anyone, including your very own self. Have faith in what you do, what happens to you. Know that God is always watching you and has a record of every grievance you have, every injustice you bear. He, in turn, will shower you with love. Enjoy life to the fullest, aim for the stars, make your mark in life, and be good to one and all. keep no enemy, make all your friends.

Have a happy life!!!!!!!!!  

Valentine's Day... on low profile this year

Valentine's day - the thought product of one St. Valentine. This prophet of love had a very broad outlook towards the word 'Love.' But today, the world has narrowed down on this beautiful word to give it a dull, narrow-minded meaning. Love no longer is seen as love shared between siblings, mother - child love or the sweet love shared between friends. Now, the word no longer has the same feelings in them. People now treat the word in a shoddy aspect,as if it is a sin to love somebody. Sri Ram Sena might want to tell us all - No love, only marriage allowed!

Sri Ram Sena no longer seems to be a Political party for the people of Mangalore. What with beating and harassing girls and their male friends, they have instilled fear in people's hearts. They themselves do not understand the true meaning of love, let alone know the actual meaning of Valentine's day. Beating up girls in a pub, harassing and troubling a girl and her 'Muslim' male friend has pushed Sri Ram Sena and their activists name in the limelight. Id say they got the recognition they wanted, but for completely negative reasons!

Our elders, adults and parents nag us about the dirty activities that go on around Feb 14th. Once they start off with it, im sure you all have your fingers in your ear canals, trying to block the bitter truth. No matter in whichever 'uninteresting' way these adults tell us the truth, the truth is constant and unchanging. 'Girlfriend' and 'Boyfriend' parties hang around in public places indulging in lewd activities. They'd say they're doing it for love, some might say its none of our business. Well, in fact it is totally our business because such gruesome acts are not only disturbing the peace and sanctity of a public place, but they are also egging on other young and tender minds to follow this stupid 'culture.'

No doubt what Sri Ram Sena did was wrong, but the ideology they were fighting for was correct to a certain extent. Teens roaming around parks and gardens openly showcasing their 'love' is not what any decent person would want to watch. (Note 'decent' because half the parks are filled with loafers waiting to watch such couples go about their dirty business.) India never had such culture before, but neither was it such a developed country. Following the developed countries and their way of life has lead in the change of outlook towards 'love' today. It is hard to change the way teens see love as, but the least we could do is to stop them from going about openly flirting, kissing, and in some cases intercourse. We need to show them the right path and bring them on track.

According to me, love is a divine feeling that has to be respected and revered. Love has got to be the special feelings that a person shares. It could be just tender sibling love, or it could be true love shared by two individuals. In both cases the love is the same, it is the emotions that accompany this feeling of love that separate the two. I am in complete support for those who share this magical feeling of love, but the maniacal shows in public places get me in a rage. Love is not a simple emotion, it is a complex one, that has a beautiful meaning to it. Those who experience it only know the power in it.

To sum it all up, i would first like to forewarn youngsters of this generation to stay within their limits. no doubt, share your love and share it well. But do not get physical - at least not before you are of elligible age and absolutely not in public. Stay together, enjoy life together and if your love is true - you might end up from being 'me - me' to 'us and we'. Commitment comes when you come of age and blossom out completely. Marriage is the ultimate stage. Do not go by the means of what elders tell you of love, but give a ear to their intention behind telling you about 'modern-day love.' They care for us, share a close bond with us. They do not want to see us in a spot of bother and tell us for our own good. 

Sri Ram Dal and people sharing similar ideologies themselves are clueless about love and its power. They only want to see 'love' happening the way they want it to be. Narrow-minded outlook never got anybody anywhere. Their so-called 'Indian culture' has actually nothing to do with it. They like to dominate others and have nothing but political intentions behind such troublesome acts. They have to be curbed, as they are not the law and nobody has given them the authority to make their own law. Let this Valentine's day be a lesson to one and all, to understand the true meaning of love. Let this Valentine's day bring a feeling of guilt within those who have taken part in the assault on girls in the pub. Let this Valentine's day be the guiding light for all the other Valentine's day to follow.

Happy Valentine's day!!!!!

Wanna help clean the Environment???

Well, first of all id like to congratulate NDTV for receiving an overwhelming response - 2 crore pledges for the Greenathon. Many people, young and old, came out and helped clean the river Yamuna (finally!!!) and one saw Milind Soman run 60 kms which took him 24 hours to complete. All this for the sake of our precious Environment. Plus, the first 24 hour long Telethon that was hosted by Cyrus Barocha and was a complete entertaining package. Stars like Madhuri Dixit, Govinda, Sunidhi Chauhan are just a few names amongst the long list of Show guests.

A special mention here about Cyrus - he got all the stars in splits with his idiotic but largely comical activities. Govinda was trying so hard not to guffaw, but it couldnt stay within him for long! Poor Chi Chi! He also got us into stomach-pricking laughter with his stupidest version of a 'Half-Marathon' - A marathon for the half-man-half-woman-people!!!! Cyrus, when will you grow up!

Well, all jokes apart, one simple yet teasing question - Do you keep the environment clean? Well if you do or you dont, it doesnt matter, because this world is our world. It only has us to care for it. But all we have helped in doing is litter it. Its time to clean it all now, and you can start with small steps. First, learn to keep the verandah outside your house clean. If you get into the mood, do a little more. I am damn sure your jealous neighbours for once might feel their conscience prick them. You never know, many might come and help you too!

Those who have visited European countries or the Untited States of America for once atleast may have been awe-struck by the amount of cleanliness, right from the roads to the footpaths till the very shops themselves! I say instead of looking starry-eyed at the cleanliness level one should feel a little ashamed that a country foreign to us is kept spick and span, and we do not go there and spoil its beauty. But when it comes to our own country... I have seen Indians come out of the airport and spit on the road, while rattling all along to relatives about the cleanliness abroad! (Typically Indian)

Mine is a one-off blog post, this one as i am not here telling you why we should keep the environment clean, but tell you what can be done to make this world the worst place to live in. In fact, id like to take you all 250 years ahead in time. To start of, we go to the Wonder of the World - The Taj Mahal. The epitome of eternal love, has lost its beauty. The walls of the Taj Mahal are yellow with a mix of brown. Not at all the lovely white marble we knew of! The beauty has been lost. The trees are a rarity in the vicinity, and the lovely stretch of pool has mucky water. Imagine, the Taj Mahal has lost its splendour. No more tourists, no more people. No more pigeons, no more monkeys around to keep the place lively. The Taj is nothing but a huge mass of dirt and dust.

Many other monuments in India are nothing but polluted pile of crap. Your house is filled with gutter water, old rubbish, and dead, decaying matter. You see your grandchildren dying of Malaria, Aids, Cancer and many other disease unknown to you. The roads are in a pitiful state, there is so much pollution that visibility levels drop drastically. You choke on the foul stench of garbage, dirty water and dead bodies. The world is dying an ugly death, yet all we can do is put one hand on top of the other and curse our fate. It is tethered to us, pinned upon us to save this world by whatever means that come up to us. But all you can do as weep bitterly due to helplessness.

Lets come back to the present now. Did you enjoy the trip ahead in time? Was it fun seeing so much pollution? Had fun seeing your own generation die of various pollutants? It is time now to take keen steps towards the betterment of this planet. It is our one and only home, and we have no where else to go. So please, keep your surroundings clean, urge others to follow your lead. let there be cleanliness in our country and if we all come together through systematic means, we will feel proud to say that yes, India is one of the cleanest counrties in the world. The world will see India as an example for one and all. And if by God's grace, we do succeed in our campaign, we may just have extended Earth's lifespan by - lemme guess, another 1000 years???

Keep the city clean, keep the country clean, keep the world clean. Instead of you being awestruck by the cleanliness in other developed countries, let the foreign ers' jaw drop in wonder. Let them be fascinated by the cleanliness in our country. It is only then can we proudly say that India has arrived at the stage!

Hail ho! Its Republic Day

Today, this twenty-sixth day of January, we celebrate our Republic Day. A significant day in our lives, this day marks 2 important beginnings in this country's fight against British power. This day was supposedly selected to be the Independence day of India after our great leaders negotiation process and the Ahimsa movement by Gandhiji. But dates kept delaying and thus, our Independence was finally granted on - you guessed it right - 15th August, 1947. 

The other important beginning this day marks is shown in the Preamble of our constitution. As written in it, " In our Constituent Assembly, this twenty-sixth day of November 1949, do hereby adopt enact and give to ourselves this Constitution." So its clearly stated here that the Constituent Assembly of India was adopted on the 26th of November, 1949. yet, it was only properly accepted on 26th January, 1950. You know, due to important paper-work and sorts.... (seems the habit of delaying Government work has been in practice since the early years of our Independence!)

Today, the Republic day parade was broadcasted live from Janpath Road, overlooking the wondrous marvel of architecture, the India Gate. Defence minister A.K. Anthony was escorted to India Gate where the martyrs were paid homage by playing the Bugle. The great torch was lit, and a wreath place on the Black Marble-stone. A. K. Anthony was then handed the visitors book, in which he penned his thoughts and emotions he experienced after paying homage to the martyrs at the India Gate. His views are now one amongst the views of many great leaders and personalities.

It was then time for the ministers holding important portfolios to arrive at Janpath Road for the proceedings to begin. Smt. Pratibha Patil arrived with the chief guest of the occasion, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan. Ministers like Lalu Prasad Yadav, L.K. Advani, P. Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee were among the VIPs that arrived.

Then the events started with the various Awards like Ashoka Chakra, ParamVeer Chakra, etc. In lieu of the recent Mumbai terror attacks, brave Police men like Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar and two other Police men were awarded the Ashoka Chakra. Their awards were accepted by their wives. 

The march was an exciting one. In the beginning, the various award winners saluted the President of India on Jeeps. Then the various regiments followed. Their perfect synchronized movements were a wonder in their own. The regiments that particularly caught my eye were the Maratha regiment, 61st regiment(their bright coloured turbans), Rajput regiment( on camel-back) and the Jatt regiment. Their valour and courage are an example to the world. Then the various missiles, tanks, aircrafts and helicopters exhibited their talent. (Not the missiles, no! They would have created havoc and wide-spread destruction!) 

Then there were moving exhibitions of the various States. Their bright and vibrant display caught the attention of one and all, even a few foreigners who looked on in awe though bogged down by the merciless heat! Then there were exhibitions on India's research and excellence in a wide variety of fields. The DRDO and ISRO exhibitions were eye-catching stalls that clearly stated the amount of pains the respective organizations for this one-day event. 

Finally, the march ended with a display by the human pyramid formations on bike and a stunning display put up by the Air Force. All this while, the main attention was on Smt. Pratibha Patil, the President of India. She was saluted by all the participants that walked the long road. This day might be one of the unforgettable days of her life!

All in all, a fine show put up by all the organizers and the men and women involved in it to make the morning a memorable one. This show was a display to one and all, featuring to many the perfectionist outlook of the country and the various accomplishments of it. The very citizens of this country were awe-struck at the superb display. The army and the air force's display was an encouragement to hundreds of young children possessing a fresh mind and heart. It might have, for certain, put an ambition in the children to grow up to be an army officer or an airforce pilot. After all, as Gandhiji said, " The children of the country are the greatest treasures in its possession."

We hope that the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan was and is highly impressed with India and the varied culture, heritage, power, arms and ammunitions and the ambitions of this country!

I would like to end this post with a strong slogan - Bharat mata ki Jai!!! 

Death penalty - right or wrong?

The death penalty, commonly termed as 'Capital Punishment' has been under fire for several years. This punishment is meted out to severe criminals like murderers, rapists and the like. Putting an end to the convict's life is a punishment that many claim to be wrong, while quite a few justify to be right.

Capital punishment is served in 64 countries, including India. India has seen a fall in death penalties during the last decade or so, compared to other countries. But Human Rights Commission asks of its complete abolition. This may not be accepted by quite a few. I myself am in favour of sentencing brutal murderers and rapists the death penalty. I justify my claims with a suitable explanation, as follows:

There are two purposes of giving Punishments. One is to right the wrong done by the member of the society. Capital Punishment does not do justice to this. But the other purpose of punishments is to give an example to other members of the society so that no other person commits such a crime. Capital Punishment is a big example to people in the society, putting fear in people's hearts. This is a certain category that is undecided.

The other purpose of the Death Penalty is that the guilty may not commit the same crime again, ever! But many Humanitarian associations are against this judgement, saying that the guilty should be handed out some other alternative punishment so that he may be rehabilitated and may be of some good use to the society.  But then there are certain cases where the convict has grown stone-cold and he will commit the same crimes again and again! So in such cases, there is no other but death service. 

If the death penalty is not meted out in a country, its citizen might feel that "Hah! If i commit this crime, they cant hang me, can they?" and they wont think twice before committing crimes. Death Penalty is a glaring thought-blocker in such situations. The fear of the death penalty makes a person think twice before committing a crime, and possibly stop a person from turning into a criminal from a responsible citizen.

All in all, the point remains, it is virtually impossible to remove death penalty from a country until and unless the law and order enforcement within it is regulated and checked. There should be better Police back-up so that criminals may not get away unscathed. Plus, there should be more job opportunities in a country so that unemployement can be reduced. This will help people earn their daily bread and butter without resorting to unlawful activities. 

So, on this note i take leave from you. But before i leave, id like to ask you a few questions so that you could ponder over it: How responsible a citizen are you? Are you ready to help others in their pitiful situations? Can you, for sure, say that you help make the society a safer place to live in? Do you FOLLOW THE LAWS???

Goo bye, take care, and please - be a Responsible Citizen!

Why don't Indian movies win Oscars???

The 81st Oscar Awards will be hosted by the end of this month. But this time, the oscars may well be dominated by one movie - 'SlumDog Millionaire.' The movie directed by Danny Boyle has stirred deep interest within very-many people. For the first time, an Indian movie is extremely anticipated to win an Oscar. But the question arises: Since the times of Dadasaheb Phalke Bollywod has made an amazing amount of movies. Then why hasnt bollywood won one Oscar?!!! 

SlumDog Millionaire has been vested with the hopes of 'millions' of Indians. Atleast this film should win! A R Rahman is the mastermind behind SlumDog's music. His brilliance is well exhibited in the movies' score. 'Ringa-Ringa' and 'Jay ho' are on the lips of many fans! So Mr. Rahman is leading the race for an Oscar.

But all these things aside, the question still remains: Why havent we brought home one damned Oscar??? The answer can be split into two. Firstly, the west has a negative impression about India. They want to see the 'real India' - poor people - hungry people. They want to see the famished Indians, unemployed youth, helpless men, women and children. But they fail to realise that India is one of the quickest rising Economies in the world. Mumbai is the capital hub! India is Booming!! Its a happening country!!! So its quite natural for them to want movies like SlumDog. But im sorry to say, the west has seen nothing but the tip of the iceberg. Movies like Lagaan and Eklavya were in the race for the Oscars for quite sometime. But Taare Zameen Par didnt make it! (Frankly, i dont get the logic behind this.)

The second reason is: So many movies, and quality movies only few! 'Bahut Naa-insaafi hai yeh!' Movies like 'Style' and 'Xcuze Me' are typical examples of the extent to which these directors and film producers can fall to. There needs to be an eye-opening event for these people. Thats when the common Indian will be in for a treat, and maybe Bollywood's status and style quotient may rise a few notches.

So, with this frank and honest note, i take leave from all you movie-enthusiasts out there. See ya later, then !!!!!!!!!! Adios.

PS: (pray that SlumDog Millionaire makes India proud, its really worth an Oscar. Please pray for it!) 

 

Obama: A man with the key to America's success...

Barack Hussein Obama.....a man with a mission. This Afro-american personality has today been officially designated as the 44th president of the United States of America. He is now the first man to the white house who is from African descent. This man is on a mission to pull out his great country out of the economic crisis, something that Bush left the office as a puzzle for Obama to solve

This man, with great poise and superb leadership skills, has shown the bleak yet possible frontiers America can scale. USA may well be the first country to pull its head out of the global recession. Iraq may slowly yet surely be handed back the reigns of its country, thereby re-instilling sovereignty back. Obama may clean out the mess George Bush left in his office during his eight years in power.

His grand swearing-in ceremony was filled with pomp and show, but world issues were of more importance to him. According to reports, he already has made calls to leaders in the middle-east. A prayer service was attended by him. These are signs that show us all that America might well be in the right hands.  The White house is really going to look forward to a sound four years of American rise to success and glory.

India, among the several countries, is really looking forward to Obama taking office, as he brings to us many exciting thoughts that may help strengthen ties between India and the US. A symbiotic relationship is in the making now that Obama is the man behind matters.

All in all, we wish Obama all the best for the future. May his heart-warming smile spread across the globe, bring people closer, strengthen bonds, weaken terrorism and may we have a peace-filled world.