How Clean am I???

The Central Vigilance commission is the apex vigilance institution of the country and naturally is trying its best to demonstrate the necessity of vigilance for the country's good, to curb corruption. The vigilance awareness week will be celebrated this year from 26th to 31st October under the theme, "Preventive Vigilance as a tool of Good Governance." There is a joke that runs in the streets of Lutyens Delhi that the Prime Minister's Office even knows the amount of ink left in a cabinet minister's pen! But Mahati knows that the common man is no different when it comes to vigilance. She told her friend, "Even Facebook, a website that began as an alternative to the conventional slambook, now monitors the authenticity of the names of its users. Such is the heights to which vigilance on even common public rose to. Jeez, so much for chatting and sharing general information."

"Ofcourse, we cannot blame Facebook, can we?" wondered Mahati. "Do we not see every other day in the news about ISIS or Al Qaeda recruiting terrorists by posting provoking stuff on Facebook? It has become a platform for terrorist recruitment. How many times a week we hear about guys with fake profiles luring and cheating girls(vice  versa too), fake companies, fake tenders, fake organisations, events, pages. Cheating. Cheating everywhere. How, then can we blame Facebook for being careful about people misusing social networking? It is all about how clean we are! Before criticising others or even supporting or justifying the action of others, we should think that one thing. How clean am I?"

Mahati and her friend are students in a central university. She started by pondering on what possible scams that an average university graduate might be capable of. She should then begin with herself. Though she graduated and no longer is a student of the university, she is staying "on the campus" until she finds for herself an internship and subsequently accommodation. She then wondered, a bit shamefully, how many hundreds of more students possibly might be staying illegally for years, on the campus! In the class, there are hardly ten students whereas the register mentions atleast twenty five!
But hey, when there are teachers who bore the students and take loads of extra hour classes, what else can one expect
? How clean am I? In the mess, for every meal, there are double the number of students, no, people eating than the number that is supposed to be eating. She again, is one of them. "Well, should I justify my wrong doings by arguing that the mess secretary by the end of his one month tenure earns enough dirty money to buy a laptop and a motorbike? Of course not, its all about how clean am I. In the library, the computer center, printing, scanning, in the laboratories and everywhere. Not forgetting the examination hall. HOW CLEAN AM I?? Only once I check myself, does my blood attain the qualities required to boil looking at wrongdoings in the society."

As a government sponsored student, Mahati felt that one must realise that close to a million rupees are spent on them per annum, only to give quality education! How clean am I?

Finally, to be clean is just not enough. Keeping oneself in check and being clean is when responsibility comes into picture. We cannot individually stay clean and not bother about others. That would be selfishness. It is equally important to speak up against those doing wrong things. Feeling this as a duty and being responsible for ourselves and the society is the meaning of vigilance. For more information about the Central Vigilance commission, see this http://cvc.nic.in/

Zak of all trades!

Nothing is more annoying right now in Indian cricket than the shoulder of Zaheer Khan. Well, except for the Indian team itself, nothing is more annoying. Clearly, the performance of team India in the recent past shows how much we need Zaheer. Now that he announced his retirement, we know we are doomed. We should start our SESI (Search for Eternal Seamer in India).

The generation I belong to would have started watching cricket feverishly from the 2003 one day cricket world cup. Of course, that is the tournament which set stage for the introduction of this mighty bowler. That match versus New Zealand at the Supersport park in Centurion, when the might of Astle, McMillan and McCullum fell like dried leaves, clueless to Zaheer's seam. His unending injuries did not stop him from being the prime bowler for India whenever he played. As Akash Chopra writes, the period between 2007-2012 has been his best, when he picked all his 'man of match' and 'man of the tournament' awards in test cricket.
Even though Yuvraj played his part and picked a lot of man of the match awards and eventually the player of the tournament award in the 2011 one day world cup, there is little doubt in who played the crucial part with the ball. The match India played against England in Bengaluru in the tournament is the best example. He came back in his second spell only to turn around the entire match. Even though the match ended as a tie, the fact that India managed to not lose is because of him. Of course, his great role in the world cup final, probably the most important match for any player is inordinate.

That ZAHEER'S celebration!!

The reason behind the title of the article is definitely his batting. The Indian tail is never strong. For eons, the average Indian fan switched off the television once the sixth wicket fell. It was in that match, against New Zealand in early 2003 that Zaheer proved that even when eight wickets are down, tail enders can win matches, that too with neat, big hits. Zak as been there, supporting Sachin, as the batting legend made his highest test score. Zaheer's monumental 75 helped Sachin achieve this feat. The present Indian bowlers should probably go to Zak for tips in batting too maybe.

There is no doubt about the huge influence Zaheer has, on Indian cricket. Sadly, it has been hazy, thanks to his body, his injuries. He definitely deserves a better farewell, but everyone knows that had he been healthy, he will always be the prime bowler for India, ever. His farewell suggestion to young bowlers to bowl as fast as they can when they are young needs to be pondered upon. Indian cricket can use this 'engineer's' services to cricket somehow or the other in future too.

Its time for Viru now
!

Kaaka Muttai brothers and co

For the last few decades, Tamil cinema has risen to its zenith. There have been a lot of creative movies, good directors, good actors, nice music directors and powerful producers. Already, south India is recognised as Tamil with the popular politics and that strengthened with creative cinema. It might take quite some time for Telugu to be recognised better, especially because of the dearth of movies like Kaaka Muttai in telugu.

Kaaka Muttai is a lovely film in which two young, poor siblings realise their dream of eating a pizza. Every part of the movie was a beauty, there was little exaggeration which we generally see in any tamil movie. The movie is crisp and to the point always. But what is the most intriguing is the entrepreneurial qualities of the two youngsters. They have a goal: getting their pizza. They work towards it severely, not realising the number of entrepreneurial ideas that they have created in the process. One more nice thing is that, in the process, they never lie or resort to wrong doings. Thanks to their mother and grandmother.

First, making friends at the right place. They never play cricket with other kids. They do their regular hunt and go for their coal picking. Here, they make friends with the 'power house.' Of course, for such pickers, who is more powerful than a gangman? They also make good friends with a kid from a richer background. For their rich dreams to be realised, who else should they make friends with? A boy jealous of them because they get to eat a cadbury chocolate once a week? They get valuable inputs from this richer kid and use them in their hunt for a pizza. This is one of the most important things for an entrepreneur or any body in fact. Interacting with people powerful than oneself is necessary to rise in the ranks in any field.

Secondly, they try all methods to get money to buy their pizza. They work extra hours to get coal. They only take the coal from the wastage area only when they are shown it. They don't go looking for illegal ways to get money. They carry drunk people home, a great idea, because you are sure of so many customers. Pamphlet distribution and what not, including Pani Puri exchange, a brilliant execution of business plan on customers who are ignorant. None of them wrong doing. Great fund raising. Another very important aspect for any business to survive. They are excellent at these two things. Well, you get stupid sometimes while you are fundraising, like trying to sell a street dog for 25,000 rupees. But that was innocence.

Most importantly, they are honest and outspoken. They know what they know and how NOT to reach their target which is much more important than just knowing how to reach the target. Their honesty is clear when they don't resort to stealing phones from trains like the other kids do. And oh! they all acted superbly. After its is a movie.

Safe From What!?

Mahati got bored of peace and started browsing youtube for some Arnab Goswami videos. She found one debate from 2009 about the failure of the Indian government in protecting the Indian students in Australia. The host asked if the Indo-Aussie relations would be skewed for which the guest replied that whatever the Indian government could do, they did. 'The Indian government is doing all it can, through diplomatic talks and assurances to make sure Indian students and citizens feel safe to go to Australia,' he said! Mahati wondered, 'Has the government ever done that in India??' She searched for related videos and got nothing. She finally lost her peace!!

She thought, ' Why is that there is no assurance of safety for people in their own country when those going away from the country get a lot of importance. Are they special or would it mean that those who stay back are not special!? Looking at the rate at which people are flocking abroad, definitely those who stay back will be treated specially one day,' she thought. We talk of safety abroad! How safe is our own country for us? The newspapers seem to have reserved one full section to report about the road mishaps which are killing many, especially students. We are still hurting and killing ourselves on the basis of gender, race, caste, region and religion. All this can be attributed to a single phenomenon: over population. But one thing really bothered Mahati. The killing of critical thinkers!

'Where is the society headed to? Are we progressing or going back? This has been the trend in the entire sub continent. Every now and then, a rationalist is brutally murdered by some nut case fundamentalist who fancies a pistol or a knife. In fact, a teacher is supposed to think critically and pass on the same kind of attitude to the students. If critical thinking is suppressed this way and if narrow mindedness prevails through force, only two things might happen in future. Either there is no creativity, rationality and criticism or there will be a counter force, much like what Prabir Ghosh tells all rationalists to do, carry arms. A rationalist and a teacher, Prof. Kalburgi was shot dead in Karnataka. The murder might be committed by anyone, but in the end, a fine teacher got murdered. There is no replacement. Is this murder just for the fact that he opposed stupid superstitions? Rationalists are not going and killing babas, fakirs and saints!! The one time that happened, we are still weeping for the aftermaths, in Kandhamal!! Why is that no Arnab Goswami is holding a debate with the government which is not assuring of safety for thinkers in the country? What is the difference between our neighbours who we brand as religious fundamentalists and us, Indians? Can't we tolerate a little criticism?' thought Mahati.

'The west had done the same brutal things. Those who questioned were executed and those who supported them were jailed. Those who listened to them were banished. A Socrates was forced to consume poison, a Galileo house arrested and a Copernicus outcasted. Though this continued for centuries, the thinkers did not stay lumpen. They inspired a larger number of people to raise questions, think and search for meaningful answers and they succeeded. The surge in those seeking truth led to a renaissance and it still continues in the west. Probably that is the reason why attacking a student there is taken so seriously abroad whereas in India, even killing a rationalist teacher is not cared about. Actually, historically and even mythologically, we have had critical thinkers who were treated with a lot of respect. Probably if the Telugu poet, Srinath belonged to this century, he would have been chopped to pieces! There is an eminent need for a renaissance in the sub continent, else conservationist and fundamentalist ideas will bring progress to a standstill or much worse, regress! Those who kill should keep in mind that thousand other voices would raise by silencing one.' thought Mahati hoping that no body will hurt her for thinking! Mahati believes that a true ode to Prof. Kalburgi would be to pass the "Anti-superstition" bill sitting in one far corner in the Vidhan Soudha. 

For All the Wrong Reasons!

It took a Narendra Modi some twelve years to become as famous as he is now. It took a Bin Laden or a Mandela quite a lot of struggle to attain popularity. But they have all gotten fame for good or bad after a lot of struggle in their respective fields. Not only these, it might be a Red cross or a Kalam or a Honey Singh, all had some hard work behind them. They have all become famous for a reason. There are however few people and organisations who have become famous for all the wrong reasons. A few examples.

1. Hardik Patel
Another U-turn candidate. What he began was confusing, what he asked for is confusing and what he is trying to do is even more confusing because one different idea pops up from him everyday. A section of people might have been happy when he demanded to provide reservations to everybody or remove reservations altogether. A U-turn later, now he demands reservations only for the patel community. Coming southwards, the Jats, the Gujjars and now the Patels, all the rich and powerful communities in their respective states demanding for reservations is a disastrous thing for the progress of the society. Yet, this 25-year old got all the attention an average politician would crave for in just over a week! Sad thing is, political parties including the Aam Admi Party have come out in his support

2. Revanth Reddy
This Telugu Desam Party leader in the state of Telangana is the ever smiling one. When the media went to him with questions about his alleged role in the note-for-vote issue during the MLC elections, he was only smiling. Even when he went to cast his vote while in police custody, he put a brave, all-smiling face all the while. He was taken to jail later! After he was granted a bail, he rallied like Julius Ceaser after his victorious conquests. That is how he is as famous as he is. Not many knew who he was before this event. He is famous now!

Twirling mustache proudly!

3. UBER

Atleast in India, there is serious doubt about the number of people familiar with this app based cab service before that unfortunate event in Delhi. At least eight of every ten people in the country never knew what Uber was until it was cracked down in Delhi because of misbehavior towards a woman by an Uber driver. After that incident, a short span of ban later, the company came back to the Indian market only stronger. Now it IS everyone's private driver!

4. Radhe Maa

Love doesn't expect anything in return!

Now a superstar, there is little suspicion on whether this godwoman's name has gone out of Mumbai before her shopping mall stint. Apparently, she has now gotten a chance to enter the Big Boss programme!! Currently under scanner for several criminal charges, including alleged offences under the Dowry Act, indecency, leading farmers to commit suicide and fooling people for money, Sukhvinder Kaur a.k.a Radhe Maa is probably the one who has become extremely famous for the most wrong reasons. Some people are so obsessed with her godliness leaving many to wonder..."How??"

There are others in this non-exhaustive list, ever trying to attain popularity some how. Film industries are the most common grounds for this! Examples are Santhosh pandit in Malayalam and Sampoornesh Babu in Telugu...many more to follow

Hanging between Life and Death

'We have no right to take away somebody's life as much as he/she does not have the right to take the lives of other people.' Mahati was telling her friend sipping her coffee in the Barista Lavazza opposite Shivaji Park. 'I do not support capital punishment because one, no one has the right to take away somebody's life, whatever the crime they committed. Two, because its not punishment enough, for there are things worse than death, like starvation for example. You give the man only one meal a day or bind him in a dark room with no one to talk to. Three, because hanging for me is government telling me it is not working for them. Hanging is just a way to retaliate terrorism. Neither does it stop, nor can it stop!'

They finished their coffee and took a walk along the Dadar beach. Her friend said, ' The concept of capital punishment is definitely debatable, but not in this matter. This death penalty has been given to a terrorist who was behind nearly 300 deaths. This is not merely a punishment given to the individual but is a sentiment of the masses who were severely affected by the havoc created by the first and the bloodiest bombings the country has ever seen. What will the government achieve by torturing this man? Also, is torturing not worse than death? But what really worries me is that instead of debating capital punishment, people are giving this terrorist a hero's farewell. When they acknowledged him as a terrorist for 21 years, how can they all of a sudden idolise him just because he was hanged?'

They took bus no. 86 to home. As they passed Century Bazaar, Mahati's friend told her,' 22 years ago, a bomb planted in this very 86 number bus went off here, killing some 150 people. 150 common people of different background and injuring more than 250. My uncle who got deafened was among those who were injured badly while his brother died. Terrorism has no religion. Neither life nor death has any religion. It is only in between them that religion appears and in most cases brings death faster!' But, Mahati said, 'stopping such madness can happen only with vigilance, not vengeance. This fight by religious groups can be ended not by retaliation. Do you think terrorism can be stopped by linking it to religion and hanging people?'

'No, this is not vengeance or retaliation,' said her friend. 'This is a way to console the grieving families. Look at what happened in America. A mad man opened fire on a peaceful movie watching crowd. What wrong did they do to him? He will now not be hanged. Will the kin of the dead feel vindicated this way? Hanging such mad men is only a way to assure the affected that justice prevails and that they might be in safe hands. It is just an attempt to bring a smile into the devastated lives of those affected by the heinous act of the terrorist!! There is no justification in telling that the man surrendered himself because he was responsible for bringing in terrorists, accommodating them, storing the weaponry and arranging for scooters and cars to blast off! The death sentence is only a symbolism for assuring the people, no religion involved at all. Definitely no religion.' her friend explained as they walked along the bustling jewelry markets of Zaveri Bazaar.

They reached home. Her friend's uncle just returned from his Isha Salat and sat down in an arm chair and was reading the day's news in the evening paper. He finished reading the paper on the table, folded it with his single hand and looked at his brother's pictured framed on the wall, a tear rolling down his only eye.  

Making a Live-able Planet!

The eligibility criteria for awarding a BharatRatna is still not properly defined and is ambiguous. Existing rules are being bent to give this award. But if we really want to assign a set of qualities one should possess for being awarded BharatRatna, with very less doubt a bodily shape can be given to those characters. His Excellence Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam might not be possessing the flesh part but the body form of his is eternal and is filled only with good words and deeds making him the most precious BharatRatna. What better can people like me ask for than us growing up on his stories and interacting with him!

The thing he most loved..what a smile!

That was a proud day for the entire nation. October 22, 2008 was the day when Chandrayaan-I was launched. It is so far the best day ever in my life. I watched the launch and interacted with Dr.Kalam both and I dream to become a space scientist. The funny but proud thing is that I explained about rockets to this wonderful rocket scientist. He listened carefully. Then he asked, "What is your aim?" I replied. "Abhishek sir." He laughed and said, "Not name, your aim" rising his fist firmly like he always did. I said shyly, "I want to be a space scientist." He left, appreciating me. I decided there and then that I would utter out my dream than my name. That is his influence. Not just a sentence but an impression. A clear one. 'You must think of nothing else. Only your dream!'

Any talk he gave, any place he went, he never forget to remember his teachers. He gave everyone his/her due credit. What an influence he is for the world. How difficult is it going to be to replace him! Difficult, yes but not impossible.Who ever said he cannot be replaced? He laid a path. Strong with concrete. All we need to do is traverse along that path, lay new roads and strengthen the route! But he will be remembered forever for having first laid that road. He can be replaced. Any one can step in his shoes. It is a responsibility only another person of that will power can take. We all shall take up the responsibility and carry his legacy forward. That would be enough. He has done enough things for him to be remembered till birds stop flying! Now no body need to name roads and buildings after him.

The people he most loved!...I was a kid when I met him too!!

The ever sincere, ever simple and ever smiling Abdul Kalam is probably the only man in centuries to have won so many hearts and so very less haters. How can the "missile man" be called the "People's president??" That too he was part of the nuclear programme of the nation. There is only one explanation. He loved his duty. As a scientist, as an Indian, as a human being. That is all. He has one unfinished lecture..."Making a Live-able Planet." Let us take inspiration from him and put into action the lecture he just started!

P.S: Dear Kalam sir, we promise to fulfill your vision and need your continued blessings which we already have. Thank you for, well everything sir.