Good riddance 2008

Good riddance,
How can I say that to a year that gave me so much?
Turbulence and turmoil,
Re and re and more re thinking everyday,
That I would need more patience and more perseverance the year next,

Old bonds turned into bondages,
The bindings turned into shackles,
Iron they were not and melted with a little heat,

The year that gave me new old friends,
The strings which were unseen were quite strong,

Sleeps and reasons to sleep,
Dreams of flowers and new faces,

Children’s smiles and joy’s
To have seen them grow and learn,

New faces and friends
Facebook and books of faces old

More grey hair all around,
More resolutions to keep fit
Learning to say no
Listening to yes,

To have a thicker skin,
New technology
More wings,
Longer chain on my anklets.

The coming year promises more,
More resolve,
More of everything absolute,
Sure there will be more demanding situations,
This year has taught me enough to handle the next better.

All that was of the year that was,
Better than the last and bitter than the arriving,

We have eyes in front and not back of our heads,
Looking forward to the year ahead
As if we have a choice.

Good riddance though.

Bait In Bailout

In 2004 while I was at the peak of my Farming escapade.
I took a crop loan for large scale cultivation of Baby corn.
That Year I was the largest single grower of the crop in this country, daily supplies went up to 700 kgs daily.
I was supplying to almost all the major processors of in this country.
The loan exposure from the bank was around 13 Lakhs.
I had to provide a fixed asset collateral of approximate Rs. 80 lakhs and Fixed deposit of Rs. 1.5 lakhs
When in 2005 we setup our own processing unit, I repaid all outstanding, leaving around 1.8 lakhs to be adjusted against my Fixed deposits.

I was a busy man for last few years and never got the time to get a " No dues" from the bankers.
But for last week, when I inquired for the same I was told my out standing was 3.22 lakhs and I still owe the bank as much.
After a short stress, I realized what the banks had done.
they had kept the loan going, without liquidating my deposits and adjusting to the outstanding.
It was a gross banking Sin and I could have them taken to task.
I get 4.25% on Fixed deposits and get charged 9.25 % on my loan amount.
I knew I had a booty in waiting here.

First things first.
"sir, that means my deposits are still intact with you?"- I asked the manager,
"yes of course"
"Considering you have enough collateral as security can I have the deposits back?"
after a little contemplation "yes! of course, its your money, we only need 150% of loan amount as collateral"
So the first thing I do is withdraw the basic sum of Rs. 1.5 lakhs.
The interests are still to be calculated and they will do so in spare time and credit my account.

one might feel, that I was a fool to have taken the bait, where the bankers were screwing my trip.

Well, there was a Farmers bailout package early this year, all farm loans, without any exceptions were to be pardoned. My loan amount was due on the day of the notification. So, I do not have to pay this amount anyway. even if banks have not forwarded my case, they will have to bear the brunt.
My immediate benefit is limited to my FD and the interests thereof.

Well my scrutiny for IT returns for the same year is on, and farmers and food processing units are exempted from Income tax, and we were in losses of 16 lakhs that year anyway.

I have been told that I might be penalized up to 1 lakh for inducting too much cash unexplained in my firm.
How well are farmers supposed to equip themselves for any integration or growth?

Garbage in garbage out.

Have you done your bit?

Dear Citizen,
You are blaming the politician for your failures.
You chose them to be there,
You pay them for their audacity,
You ignite your passions and let them burn you,
You disguise your guilt in form of anger,
You will abdicate one and throne another,

They are seeking opportunity in your name,
They will breed their intentions on your anguish,


But you will not participate,
You will not question the conventional,
You will behave like a true pseudo nationalist,

Blame it on them,
Politician, police, administration, system, Pakistan.

Look inside yourself,
How far do you think?
When you choose a career,
When you start an enterprise,
When you take every small and big decision in your life.

Do you include your neighborhood?
Your society, city or your nation?
Do you know who represents you where?
Do you know why they tax you?

The rogue terrorists have done something for what they feel passionately about,
Their means and ends are surely not justified,
If they can kill for what they believe in,
Can’t you live for what you believe in?

Every time you ridicule the only organized setup you have,
Remember, you are responsible for it,
Some times wishes do get granted,
And you will be very scared if they do,

Politicians are only reflections of the organized majority,
If you want more laws,
They will be more than happy to grant them,
They will seek more of your money as you can’t spare time,

No system will erase the erratic,
But you might have a peaceful end,
If you have done your bit,
More in action and less in reaction.

Anniversary of Mr. Hunter's arrival on this planet

Well It was this day of popular earthly calendar, that Mr. Hunter arrived in the same form as any earthly being.

weak and frail he must have been,
many a worlds he must have seen,
he must have possessed that quirk,
that led many of the girls falling for that smirk,

he wanted a gun at the age of four,
A woman at five, he was a man of yore,

life happened to him,
and it still keeps happening,
he looks for extra terrestrial,
normal is boring,
anything that anyone does is silly,

I bet he was born premature,
did his MBA in less than an year
matrimony bliss he attained in six years,
he has reached beyond without the banyan tree.

Happy Birthday Oh the great one.

Bombay – “Sarkar Bharat Chodo”

Its time for Non co-operation,
I and you are no Herds,
We are thinking humans,
We need not react,
Mobs do that,
But Act, we must,
think what is good for us,
Firstly as an individual,
As a responsible family member,
A member of the society, country and the global community.

Government through the hogwash of democratic processes,
Will cease this opportunity to lay down another 5% for National security,
And the nationalist in us will believe as if mahatma was on the cash register,

Don’t you haggle at Fashion Street, don’t you utilize your resources to the best, save every penny at the grocery, and then why do you close your eyes and pay taxes?
You think they are building roads with your money, saving siachen by spending 100 crores a day or providing bread and butter to the rest of Indian poor.

Bombay you know your money well, you know you percentages and fractions to the nth digit.
But then Delhi knows your weakest point better.
You all love to pay taxes.
They will form another agency, more costs, and you will pay for their ineffectiveness.
And if you must, pay hafta to Bin Laden, as a lot of Bombay pays to Dawood.
You will be safer.

This is the time,
Do some more calculations; tell them you will vote only for the ones who will remove direct taxes. Meaning “No Income Tax”
Sack 73000 employees of this most corrupt setup.
One city Bombay, if does not pay income tax meaning 60% of India’s direct tax revenue is cut.
Smaller government, fewer norms, more of civil society, less of Khadi clad.
They get enough from indirect taxes anyway, consumption based. Anyway, why should one be taxed for excelling in whatever he is good at?
Direct taxes are only a way of asking people not to earn well.

Well there could be many rational views of why not.
And we all know this is not going to happen overnight,
But if you do not question the conventional now,
Never might it be,

The intelligentsia was not interested in independence of this country as well for a long time before 1947.
Let them try taxing the farmers,
And you will see how we get this political class out of any system they are getting good at.
Revolutions happen at the farms and factories and their economics comes out of your pockets.
Wake up guys; hit them where it hurts them the most.
Don’t you shout out at the provider of your annual maintenance contract, maybe refuse to pay him if his services are unsatisfactory?
Well, this and any government is unable to provide a satisfactory service, unable to honor their contract.
Is it not logical to seek for the basic “Right to Life”?
Is it not logical to keep your money to your self just to seek that?
Is it not logical to ask them to leave us alone?

Bounty Hunter will be back......shortly

Dear Readers,

Some of you may know me and immodest though I may sound, I presume you may have enjoyed reading my comments, as much as you enjoy I-Me-Rajesh's musings.....

After a hiatus of almost 2 months....I would like to let you all know....

that just as the cliched saying goes...that Bombay always bounces back......so will this commenter.......

In a time of grave national reckoning......hmmm


Is this the

End of the Beginning

or just the

Beginning of the End

for this mish-mash we call India.....hmmmm

Signed,
Yours truly

Bounty Hunter

Bombay – Next is what

Candles lit on Gateway,
On Nariman Point and at Hemant’s doorway,
Resilient soul of Bombay,

Candles of different colors,
Size and shapes,
Hues and aroma,

Should they not hoard them till ever?
For they will need these wax sticks forever,

For next is a nuclear detonation,
Right there at your gates,
India gate or gateway,
Next will come,
Sooner than you think,

Bombay you will need those candles then,
Not just for your show of deadness,
But to seek your way out of darkness,

Or will you make next of what you must,
Seek for those taxes you have paid,
Build some other characters for your city,
Is it not time to search your resilient soul?
Or just wait for what is next.

Bombay Key Sholey

48 hours of media coverage, in action through out the world, is something even WTC 9/11 did not get.
This group of 26 people has done more for terrorism than any war could do.

Spineless politicians all over will find a way to gain out of this crisis, out of miseries of others, trust them for it.
And India will forget, Bombay will be resilient and will be used as doormat.
Raj Thackeray would want passport for all outsiders, as if these 26 guys came in with visas.
Terror is here to stay, like bad roads and crowded stations.
We have to find a way to secure our lives.
When the ones who seek more than a third of your income to provide you the basic, and they don’t, you ask them a couple of times to improve and eventually retain that hard earned to find an alternate provider.
Gabbar used to seek a handful of grains to save the people of Ramgarh from his won wrath.
That’s what this government is doing.
Let us find or become Viru and Jai.





What will you do?
Would you be the same?
Every trip you take,
Every friend you make,
Every hotel you check,
Every dinner you partake.
Will life be the same?

Or will you resolve,
To have the same motivation
To live in peace
To fight for that piece,
To ask and to seek.

Bombay Burning

I plan to write a cheque for Rs. 600 for the staff of Taj Group of hotels, Bombay. The amount being a token amount similar to my first ever stipend or salary I received in the year 1990, as an apprentice steward.
Of course they do not need this money. It is just a gesture of solidarity from an ordinary citizen who thinks he owes at least the gesture to the men who served till the last.

Till the last news came 9 of hotels staff had lost their lives trying to save guests, including the GM and his family.

What happened In Bombay and not Mumbai I insist can not find blame anywhere.
If it can happen in New York and London, it can happen here. Any amount of intelligence and preparedness can not eliminate these incidents.

One thing is sure, these things will occur and reoccur, and the best that we can do is get used to it, do what we will be doing tomorrow anyway.

I think it will take much more than these to wreck the nerves of Bombay. Incidents like this unite India; they make Raj Thackeray look irrelevant. Who usually are doing more damage than all the terror strikes?

I have virtually grown on the streets that faced the onslaught last night. Right from the Taj where I had the best job of my life. Bar tending at 1900’s the then Disco, I have room serviced to The JRD in person, and my appointment had come after a personal interview from the then GM Kerkar himself. I was in first year at college and tips in dollars were not the only thing that I was seeking.
Not every one could afford a pint of London pilsner at the bar, at least some of our college mates for sure. And any one who has a little knowledge of bar tending would know how easy it was to make one extra beer out of three beers.

The staff of the hotel was where the city of Bombay gets its soul from. Though from the roots themselves, Marathi as an unofficial language, Bandra English as filler, but courteous and professional to the core.
3 minutes for the morning tea from order to the door bell and 7 minutes for break fast. We had to report back and all timing was noted.
Peeled potatoes, folded napkins, learnt to walk with a dozen beer glasses on top of your palm amidst the dancing drunks, froze the glasses before serving champagne.
Served topless ladies every Sunday by the pool.
I learnt more of life in one year than a decade elsewhere.

This is the least I can do.

Happy Birthday ( Without words)

Happy Birthday
Before I forget,
the day you were born and the day we met,
wishing you a great day,
today and always.

I know I have had more words for people who live in my mind,
and less or none for the ones whom I live for,

Irony it is,
circumstancial much of it,

words dont come easy,
as they loose their meaning when not used in thrift,

I have learnt lately,
hard it is to have it in your heart and not speak,

I promise I will make it up soon.

Of Chath, American President and King Of Bhutan

6th of November, Was indeed an auspicious day.

Millions Of Bihari's stand in chest deep cold waters of Ganga, awaiting for the sun god to appear. They would break their 3 day fast with the rising sun, offer him token from their new crop, deep Ghee fried wheat cakes, milk etc. All elements of life, Water, air, fire, earth and sun are present here, and the soul the sixth is cleansed.

One of the purest of religious obidience, is visible here. The festival is restricted to Bihar and parts of eastern UP. Like all of Hindu festivals, this also revolves around the agricultural lifestyles.

All the utilities for the rituals are mailny crops that are just about ready for an early harvest. Ginger, Large cirtus lime, raddish, coconut, banana, turmeric, sugarcane and Thakua, a kind of Baked/fried wheat biscuits.
The sale of new crops just for the sake of this festiva, brings in money to the farmers, so that they can get along with the sowing season. Thekua in hordes, provides them with lunch in the fields in one place and uses all the old stock of wheat.
Another uniqueness is that no priest is required for this pooja.

Chath used to be such a pure ritual that only a few could endure it and abide by all its cleanliness rituals. But now if you see the popularity, it is sure to become a big festival in the coming days.
Bihar, virtually closes down right after diwlai to seven days from it.
Now we have political bouts and it is a matter of time that, Archies starts printing Cards for it.

American president.
The world has a black American President.
It prooves US is racist, after all.
My friend Sauvik puts it really well in his blog "sauvik-antidote.blogspot.com"
Democracy the least of the evils, has chosen to call it a day in American history, why is mentioning the color so important? it is like all of south asia has had democracy and a women head of state, US is still not there, on those parameters.

Does this make us a better democracy?


Bhutan Has a new king.

Well the coronation of the new king was a fanfare, definatley more known than when it turned into a democracy.
Gross National Happiness and 98% seats to one party.

The world is living a farce.

Forgive me this day.

Its like sharing your world within with the a few who are interested,
I have been forcing my jumble of words thru peoples throats, like it or not, well not a good practice, and I would discontinue it after this post.

I sit here in Bangalore, alone among known,
away from wife and kids on a Diwali day,
its a miserable feeling,
as I sit thru lunch at the golf course,
vikram,Venita and lovely kids,
its a family affair and I miss mine,

Festival of lights,
Parents dressed with their tots,
sweets,crackers and dresses.

I must be one moron,
sitting alone,
I am sorry,
this better be a change in plan.

Just forgive me,
when ever you can understand what I mean.

Lessons from (for) the market.

It was a panel discussion on financial turmoil, on an apt day when the stock market crashed a 1000 points. an event organised by Liberty Insitute and FNF.

Lessons that I learnt:
1) Food tastes good when shared from the same plate.
2) Fish fry and ice cream do not go well.
3) No one wants to sit in the front row.
4) The Moderator can not have an opinion, so what if he is the most suited.
5) Political fall out and comments are avoidable.

Lessons that I did not learn:

1) I am not convinced that inflation is not a problem.
2) That trade deficit is also not a problem.
3) That printing fiat money is also not a problem.
4) That only liqudity is a problem?
5) How will it affect me, if I do not get loans anyway, do not invest in stocks- basically if I live in a village, like rest of India?

Maha-Raj Thakrey

The prince has come of an age and is ready for the crowning to be Maharaj,
instead of just Raj.
As Soli puts it he is a thakrey and not thackrey.

Its a pity, how in their sane minds would Congress do such a thing. But then given their history they don't really care. They have a plan only for tomorrow, and insist on believing that chaos will always be good for them.

"Best thing I did for my country was to leave it as soon as possible" not verbatim, by George Bernard Shaw.

Raj's ploy is understandable. He is doing best that he has learnt.

why would my fellow Bihari's burn train in their cities and waste time on getting violent on the streets, get beaten up and maybe shot.
Is it to pressurise the government to arrest him, giving their own powers to the same government who is creating this Frankenstein.

All they have to do is keep getting loaded on trains and keep going there, and every where.
Mumbai has most lifts, so that is where they get to become lift men.

11 trains were cancelled yesterday to Patna. Fellow men you are making a Maharaj out this Raj.
You need opportunities, and no one can stop you from getting that, as long as you see the goal and reach there.
All Raj's will have to keep shut when they will have no choice to do without you.
You are 10% of India's populace, who can hold you back!
Punjabi's and Gujarati's made a silent revolution of migration over the years to all corners of the world. Legally or illegally.
who could stop them.
Its only when you seek the government to intervene, that Idi amin appears.

Believe in yourself, and get those trains back on the rail.

Looser

Rule 1
Never write when not in your senses.

Flout when drunk,

I am a fuckin looser,
By the standards of living mortals,

In last ten years of our association,
I convinced you to be satisfied on the cheapest air conditioner,
That too in winters,
That convection model of an oven was for westerners,
Those gold prices would fall,
A house is London was better than a simpleton in Patna,
Things had improved and it will so in future,
Two drinks is healthy,
I was traveling because it was important,
You had no idea of the stress,
I was in control,

Watching Hancock,
I realize, what a looser I have been trying to find myself,
There is no I-Me without U,
Just a note of thank U,
For just believing.

I am not a lost after all.

Eye of the beholder.

If you are a piece of art,
Which you are,
Carefully moulded and crafted,
Every bit worth observation,
Little more deeper then the depths,
A lot more than the most,

And if the masters work is actually alive,
Like you are,

What is that you would seek the most?
Which you do,
Eyes of the looker,
The smiles of the seer,
One moment of connectivity,


The looker is of course not a piece of art,
Which you are,
He is just as all are,
He does not deserve a reciprocating ecstasy,
He has but one quality,
To have recognised yours,

He is what makes you alive,
He would perhaps get scared if Mona Lisa was to actually smile,
If all of Picasso’s horses were to neigh and all of Vincent’s sunflowers moved with the sun.

My eyes, that lay in the sockets of my deformed skull,
This covered with dead skin,
Stands on a body shapeless,
But still, I have the eyes to admire your beauty, innate and ulterior.

I do not deserve similar feelings or observations,
But still my eyes are the purpose of your existence.
Just look deep, deeper than the similar depth I sought and found.
You see, Mona lisa did smile at me,
The master did recognise me.

Begging is big business, Bankruptcy Better.

"The country, a frontline ally in the US-led campaign against al-Qaida and Taliban militants, has been forced to seek $10bn from western backers to stave of the threat of going bankrupt as early as February 2009." - TOI news report

"Pakistan, which is struggling to control an escalating militant threat amid US missile strikes on its northwestern frontier with Afghanistan, requires an immediate commitment of at least $2 billion to restore confidence in the country.

China has so far not yet given any firm commitments on loans, though there were uncorroborated media reports that Mr Zardari asked China for close to $3 billion." - the telegraph, London.

"It's a crisis of the money economy, and that is very serious," says economist Qaiser Bengali.


"If we are unable to meet our debt repayment, if we're unable to pay for imports, then the wheels of agriculture and industry will certainly come to a stop. Given that Pakistan imports its oil, our aircraft and lorries will not be running without oil." -BBC

And Pakistan Spends near about Rs. 50 crores daily on Military expenses just in siachen glacier.

Now who would in normal senses do that?
or is it becasue to buy arms from china and US they would need money from the same people.
Like in india, general people in pakistan do not really care for govrnment doles in thier day to day lives. Even basic infrastructure is absent. so even if the country does go bankrupt it does not affect the poor.
However, on the other side only people who gain from beging are the benefieciaries of the government schemes, and military spendings.

You see, it business sense to beg, borrow, steal (go bankrupt)

Lord of the land.

“Land does not belong to the peasants; land belongs to either God or the king.
And in this case the government is the king” or I would add, God as well.

Subhash Chakraborty, West Bengal’s minister for transport, declares this at a rally in Calcutta and to a private news channel later. He is a politburo member.
The comrade was speaking in reference to the Singur crisis.

A debate settled in the 15th century,more so ever revisited by Marx and now forgotten by the comrade.

Right wing and left wing merge here, I am not aware of the technical jargon. I am sure even Mr. Chakraborty is not aware of what he wants to say. But this time his mouth is where his heart is.
This is the heart of the leftist. Did we hear anything about the left being closer to the peasants?
The whole idea is to concentrate authority to act King or God.
They have nothing to offer to the masses, capitalize on the hatred for the capitalist.
Let the masses know that all ills and misfortune that they are lamenting against is because of capital that does lay with the rich and few.
How can each of the poor get rich is not a solution, but how to get all the rich to get poorer is the answer.
Well that’s on the face of it,
The larger plan is to threaten the capitalist to the extent of filling their own coffers.
Use capitalist greed to grant favors.
Use poor man desperation and ignorance to gather them in a collective silence or dumbness I should say, which they call a Voice

Venus the guiding star.

Those who assume hypotheses as first principles,
Of their speculations……. may form an ingenious romance,
But a romance it will still be.

-Roger Cotes,
Preface to Sir Isaac Newton’s
Principia Mathematica
Second edition, 1713

On a dark night, among the hills of the Himalayan Kingdom, when I look at the sky, I see a bright star, brightest among them all. My knowledge tells me it is not a star but a mere planet, as if derogatory.
Today it is not about knowledge; it’s about, believing in that one single bright spot on a canvass of absolute darkness.
Life at times looks like what I see this moment. Looking for a guiding star, hypnotizing to the effect of giving you a reason to carry on.
Fickle human mind at times needs a romance that is perhaps a hypothesis.
To tide over the storms in our minds, insecurities and apprehensions.
When the weather is conducive I will look for my pole star.
More poised and constant, maybe not so bright.

To my mind, the brightness is just for me,
That is the romance, for I have no way to confirm that,
And if there was a possibility to touch and see,
Perhaps, this would not have been as romantic.

Look down oh! Venus,
You have many, whom you are guiding as well.

Enjoy the trampling.

The fourth Dimension has got people trampling over my aching body.
Time, that is, makes you enjoy pain.
There is a smirk every time my eyes go wet.

For those who have not followed my earlier posts. especially a few old friends in Washington spending hours reading my humble writings.

The Story unfolds like this.

My Father is the keeper of the Family assets handed over for centuries.
His sons feel proud to an extent of being egoistical for something that is there merely to be handedover.
There is a tug o war between the younger son and father.
Elder son, takes initiative to settle his younger brother, considering matrimony a solution.
Being denied identity by his own, the younger son and father get into a tiff, a fight that gets the son shot in his foot.
Now the son wishes to walk out of the committed matrimony.

What do I do?
For an initiative taken, I should have known of the consequences,
And if it was a responsibility that had to be accomplished, without prejudice, it was done so.
And if the situation that is today, was already forseen, then so must have been the pain.
What other way to feel the pain that one had invited.

Your Body must have been aching, so what if some bones will crackle,
Enjoy the trampling.

Happy Birthday Natty

Well This is after many years.
I remember When I first Met you at Your Sher -e-Punjab house.
Smiling faces, all three of you, clinging to each other on that cane couch.
Your Mom, Sister and You.
We had rented your house only for three months, but an acquaintance that would go so far as today, was unthinkable then.
Living in hostels, getting home cooked food, a few drinks with your dad and most of all in the company of pretty girls, was a mark of success for any hosteler.

There was an air of envy when guys knew of my Miss India Connections.
Yep, I am Sure You remember that, Pink dress material we took to that sissy designer, who marked that you would look like a candy floss.

I remember meeting chikloo at his residence somewhere around Eros cinema, you had forgotten your sunglasses and we were there to pick it up. As you sat on the Arm of the sofa he sat on, and was touching you on your bare knees. I did tell you not to take me to such sojourns.
How would have I known that he would be that father of your child one day.

All the movies we saw together, with your various crushes.
That your dad felt you were safe with me, and you took advantage.

Your poems had a different you,
your bitten nails,
had another hue,

times have changed,
so have You?

Law Of The Land

Around 7 years back, when I got back to Bihar to get my farm land in order.
I thought it would be a cake walk for a relatively educated guy like me.
I tried all that I had learnt from the text books, crop rotation, newer implements and crops.
All the effort proved futile, as we didn't have enough silos and no roads to reach the market.
We moved on to adding value to our crops by processing them, initially by renting out units.
At this point it was realized that it is better for us to have our own unit as we grew.

When we approached the bankers for a loan, which after much persuasion they agreed to some paltry amount, they wanted collateral security in form of land.

Besides the land ceiling act being quite a pain, my Father has managed to save a substantial amount of land from the goons at the government.

But the Banks can not take Agricultural land for a loan of Industrial Use. so what if it was a food processing industry. so what if the raw material came from the same fields.

We had to sell Agri land to buy urban land and then place it for collateral to secure a paltry loan which is 50% of the value of the urban land.

We are ready for exponential growth now and cant do without the banks. So we need to sell more land to get more loan.
At some point all will not be enough, and my industry will be affected, because if you are not growing you are dying.
More over, the reason this industry was setup was to add value to the farm land.

Now there will be no farm land.

The law of the land assures that,
Farmers can not be industrialist.
Farmers will not get a loan to buy a Lexus.
Farmers can only buy tractors.
Farmers should not think Big.

Of Liberal Naxals

My earlier note on Liberal Symposium and my disappointment with the fellow liberals, was not unfounded.

Sauvik mentions in his Blog, Antidote, that JP is leading a rally to close all illegal bars in Andhra.
I do not have to be more vindictive, Sauvik puts it very well and in very simple words,Very unlike FB Prize winner, that liberals are not used to understanding. The are used to jargon.
JP saab, people drink because they want to drink, smoke or gamble. Your adherence and siting of Rule of law, jargon is unfounded, as this is a mere trade, that is happening.
If anything is illegal about it, it is the law itself.
Yes, if a drunkard goes and beats up his wife, it is still a personal matter, and if she lodges a complaint, then it becomes a matter of legality.
Government and not the state entering at any point before they are sought for is illegal.

Gurucharan Das, has actually endorsed 70% - 30% for not so absolute property rights.
Today's Sunday times.

Deepak Mishra has a brilliant article on the fact file of Naxal Menace, specific to Bihar.
How the politicians have spawned and bred this ism, so that sufferers usually the poor include the politicians to take decisions for them. they are used as private armies and missionaries to settle personal scores and win elections.
inculcated to find a buyer for police arms.
It is a well known fact that Lalo had one to one relation with all the naxal / Maoist leaders.
There is more to it, then Mr. Chakravarti can sensationalize.

Sudeep Chakravarti, gave a very sensitized version of story on Naxal problem. His Latest Book, Red Sun, is on shelves, a story that goes well with the times when people want to find contradictory stories on "India Shining".
Audience, like a general populace stirs emotions on issues of police brutality.
Just get us one figure Sudeep, Who has killed more...police killed more Naxals or Naxals killed more police.
You will be surprised at the disparity.
I can write a similar story, with a human sensitized side to the police side. maybe it wont go well with the pseudo liberals.
But it will be an aspect to ponder.

Appropriate Gesture

In my ears,
I heard a loud whisper,
After many years,

The thought was kind,
thus words were well spoken,
for a good heart, there was a sober mind.

Anatomy for hearing is involuntary,
ears cant be shut,
seldom do all words find their meaning,
who decides what to keep and what to shun?

I know now,
The moment those well meaning decibels,
find a way through your body,
its feels like honey.
pure sweetness tingles you to the last cell,
soul lights up,
face brights up,
you feel free of all your worries,
eyes relent to drops of joy.

It happened to me lately,
words written for words spoken,
is it an appropriate gesture?

My World Today

Eid Mubarak!
Happy Birthday Mahatma!
Congrats Rajesh for having completed a century of posts on this Blog.

Hmmm.

terrorism has got boring, sorry to sound cold, but lately I have been delaing with a lot of cold people.
Anyway, staying alive these days is tougher than dying.

After feeling miserable and let down, again by a family,
retail therepy was the best ilaz
there was no point livng in depravity, when the people you seem to be caring for dont really care.
Neha and I, Started at 11 AM..feasted on an expensive chineese lunch, binged at stuff that we had been denying our self for a long time.
Evening, it was my daughters turn, so both of us shopped again for her daughters day present and hogged on a 18 inch pizza and a lot of chocolate.

Point on the 100th post.

These posts on this blog are about me.
They are not about a political philosphy, a business, a geography or a certain time frame.
As none are frozen, there is no such thing as an absolute,
I do not write in isolation.
There are events in my life, of past and present that determine my thoughts and action.
I rarely read back what I post,
when I sit to write I do not have an agenda,
My fingers find their way through my mind.

I am writing to myslef.
Invite people I wish to be a part of my life, in all tenses.
My aspirations, weakness, convictions and errs.

Walk Along.

Bi-Harry Poetter

If god was a potter,
who would shape his beings with his bare hands,
dancing his fingers over every line,
raising some and caving some,
signatures on the body,
that make you different.
moles, flesh, color and curves
wonder what he would be wondering when doing so,

when he would be giving you the finesse.
wonder what he would have thought when giving you a soul,
wonder what would have gone in his mind,
when he would plant you in womb,
writing on your palms the many lines,
must he remember those
which he must have drawn with same passion,
that lines of a few would intersect the ones on your hand.

does that crossing lead to another destiny,
or does he leaves us with our own choices,

is that why he leaves us a soul.
a body shaped, a mind ignited and our souls to guide us through.

Liberal Symposium

It was cold inside the FICCI auditorium,
Like the people sitting inside.

It was 40th birthday of FNSt in India, and I was here for the cake, which didn't find me.
Besides all the good job they unknowingly do, there partners and beneficiaries let them down. there were 65 people for the symposium, in the national Capital of Delhi, on a holiday weekend. some walking in during lunch and leaving right after.

Besides a few good notes, usually from the observers, particularly Zainab. The Speakers were quite a disappointment.

List Of Dis-appointees:

Sharad Joshi: He circulated a note on his stand on US Government Bail package to the recent financial crisis. His adamant stand against the help or rather the US, to me he was rhetoric like the Sitaram Yuchery.
Later in a private discussion, I did get an opportunity to discuss this with fellow liberals, who were also singing the same tune.
My point was, the investors who would have probably lost money if the bail out would not have happened had invested in Insurance, and not stocks. There is a huge difference.
The companies filing for bankruptcy would have known and so would have the finacial decison makers months ago. still the laws will not stop them from continuing rolling their finest Champagnes and carving beluga caviar.
Yes, us liberals expect the marginal investor who has bought a life jacket in form of insurance, to start drowning, as he or she should have been more knowledgeable in investing his hard earned money.
I draw parallels to another man made catastrophe, the Kosi floods, if The liberal logic was to be taken, well the people being affected by floods are to be blamed themselves, as why do they live in a flood prone area.
No ism and ist can be practiced in isolation.
Mr. Joshi is willing to ask for a separate Vidarbaha and is ready to crown Advani the Prime minister.
But in a lobby of pseudo liberals he becomes a radical liberal.
You disappoint me Mr. Joshi.

Mr. Jaypraksh Narain- either one has property rights or does not, what is not so absolute property rights? oh yes, you have a political party and so the industrial house need a neo coined term to keep their funding. But I would not buy your manifesto.
You disappoint me.

Mr. Gurucharan Das - You forget how well you convinced us that India was a capitalist and liberal society even before the mughals and British. "India Unbound" and thanks to zainab you consider your self naive then.
And now you propagate "school Vouchers" who will pay for the effectiveness of the socialistic control of education. Trust me you will call yourself Naive then.
You Disappoint me as well.

Barun - Another round table after a symposium, is not a way to go, issues are laid, you just need some one to start hammering the nail. to rage a war you need to raise an enemy first. please call a spade a spade. which you do, it is just that, for every ten meets you need to have at least one action.
Sorry, but I am Disappointed

There are others who disappoint, but i have already conveyed it to them personally.

Thanks for the Wine anyway.

Happy Daughters Day

My Dear Little Daughters,

You are my sun.
Full of glow,energy and life.

You are my moon,
Calm at night,
still Bright.

You are my star,
Keep me guiding,
when drifting afar.

You are the sky,
who make me soar,
like the birds who fly.

the deep blue ocean,
you give me depth,
to know the unknown.

I only hope to live upto to your expectations,
provide you what you must,
keep you like a pearl in a shell,
help your wings get stronger,
to use the gails to take you higher.

Happy Daughters Day.
(for my two sweet little angels)

Rock On...

Half a dozen glasses of wine and a pitcher of beer paid out of german tax payers money, kept my tears rolling thru out the movie.
I just dont know why....OK flick.
It was good to see Two Known faces debuting on the tinsel town.
Purab Kohli, surely was the heart of the film, maybe because i watched him too carefully. Luke Kenny, who used to be a jerk MakaPao at xaviers with his stupid long hair, acting silly, Farhan was better than expected and good that arjun didnt speak much.
Bani the TV girl, did a decent breaking of mould.

Good to see a film based on rock thru out, no hero villian shit.
One thing that did not rock, was the liberal symposium.
Guess nothing much should be expected out of these posh Meets.
Time to learn.

Yeh Kya KIA

KIA- Knowledge initiative on agriculture.

Indo US Agriculture deal has a technical term KIA.
The deal has largely been kept out of mainstream media, and there are reasons to believe that not a lot of effort must have gone into it.
Congress has a knack for hiding the real issues; BJP has nothing to do with the farmers so this is no plank. Rests of them don’t matter.
There was too much of brouhaha over the nuclear deal, power being the main issue, of utility on to media clients living in the cities, who also do not give a damn about the farm issue. Who think, that singur farmers are stupid to oppose industrialization.

The corporatisation of farm sector is happening in the backdrop of these events.
And look who is on the board? Monsanto, Wal-Mart, Archer Daniels Midland, FICCI, CII and our own ITC. They are deciding the nature of the treaty and would advice on the bills to be placed.

As the issue does not rake up public rage, like there are few vested interest groups to promote the idea, there are fewer vested opposing groups and individuals.

Where the promoting group would insist on tougher IPR laws, ushering of GM food and transgenic.
The opposed are usually egotist, myopic who is yelling only to be heard. No facts to figures, just shouting. Once heard they would be the first ones to roll the dice.
It’s an old trick, to have some naysayer who would turn the tables when push comes to shove.
Like for the Congress to come back in power, they desperately need the BJP to sing the hardliner Hindu tune. Why else would the minority consolidate?
That is the case with the policy on Indian agriculture. Woven in deep socialist conspiracy, the stage for the multinationals to play unscrupulous games is set.

The point is there is no this side or that side to support. Indian Agriculture and Farmers are consumers and suppliers like any other business. They are no fools who cant fend for themselves, they will grow what the market demands, and use only those components in their production which is best suited to their interest.
Any interference from any law will obviously be of no benefit to the industry, farmer or consumer.

A normal demand- supply should rule the industry and all consumers no what is best for them.
Monsanto or any other company can not sell, GM Seeds if the farmers wish to grow Organic, and that will be the case only if the consumers want to consume only organic.

Yes, if the corporates make the touts of democracy agreeable that, the consumer or the farmer is incapable of taking this decision, let their be law that only a certain type of Maize seed be allowed to be sold in the market. So a few companies can rake big money. and the rest will have to take the black market.
India is already consuming, tons of GM seeds, smuggled from china. All pop corn kernels coming into India are from the US and need no certification for GM or anything else.
Only, thing that an organized body like the Government can do is to disseminate information, allow free movement of goods, trade, people, ideas and information.

ammoral explosion

I carefully took out the bomb from the pockets of my shorts,
standing, I let the fuse loose, then with utmost care removed the upper paper and powder layer off to more than 2 inches of the length. keeping only one inch of the fuse to ignite the bomb.
This would take at least 5 mins for the bomb to go after I would have lit the fuse.

I Placed the bomb on the floor, put the tin container on top of it, leaving enough space so that the fuse would diffuse. Enclosed in a Container would increase the magnitude of the damage.

Match-box was placed on the partition wall of the toilet a day earlier, taking it in my hand, I slowly lit the match, placed it on the the tip of the fuse, as my heart pounded, I opened the door of the toilet, closed it from out side, walked briskly out in the field, Ran towards the ongoing football game. realizing i was still holding the match-box, threw it in a nearby bush and joined the game.

Massive explosion happened just as i was dribbling the ball.
The whole school came to a grinding halt..for a few minutes, prefects were seen running to the toilets, all the players in the field stood for a while, as I moved towards the post, hit the ball hard.. I do not really remember whether I scored or missed.
Meticulous planning, heart of a lion, and coolness.
No one suspected me, and it was the first bomb of the season that year.
There was a feeling of triumph, and I could not hide it, I had to show off.

So later after the school, when the explosion was discussed in the bus, I claimed it to some close friends. they did not believe it initially, so later I had the match box in the bush to prove it.
That day onwards my status soared and caliber recognized. all next explosions were attributed to me, by default, though that was the only explosion that I ever did, even the Padre's frisked me after every explosion in the school.
I was famous.

Few things to note after every explosion that happens on the streets.

1)Some one wants to get Famous.
2)The sane, like me do it only once and take the credit for all the next.
3)The School, appoints more prefects and gives them more powers, and they are all my friends.
4)Later during the year I did win a student election.
5)All individuals need recognition, weak take the insane route.

Dear Mr. Sharad Joshi,

This time sing us a song,
Loud enough to be heard in the columns of Delhi.
Music so blaring that even deaf would hear.
To the un-tuned frequencies.
Make right to property an issue for all.
Let us tell them, that farmers are not anti industry,
Let the industry know that, there are better ways to keep their interests.
Let the media know what misdeed has been done to the constitution.
That job does not mean industry and industry does not mean jobs.
That the fabric of the civil society needs to be rewoven.
That liberty and an individual are paramount.
Let us reclaim the word, reclaim our right.

You have done your bit standing for liberalism in India.
We have followed you, while you at times walked alone.
We have had differences of opinion at times, but liberals in this country, were always proud of you.
Now is the time to lead this docile pack to a silent revolution.
You have walked alone to Singur and sung on property rights.
Only the ones tuned to the frequency, did get to hear the rhyme.

Lets us walk back to Singur,
To all the Singur’s
Felicitate the farmers,
Let them know that they have ignited the latent fire, needed for our movement.
Let them know, how this country would remember them in times to come,
That they will be equated to heroes of 1857 and singur will be what Meerut was then.

Let the farmers of this country; know what they are against,
Let them know, who stands with them.
Let them know they are not alone.

This journey would be as important as the march to Dandi,
We will walk along, a few steps behind.

Con-CERN

The world is going to end.
Wow! that was my 8 1/2 yr. old daughter's exclamation.
Neha did not share the enthusiasm, but she was concerned, like she is concerned about the Soap characters on TV.

I had to take 20 mins of their TV time to explain the big bang and black hole and creation of universe, equipped with my bible "history of time" i felt like hawkins himself.

Till some time back CERN was only a fictional place for me after reading the escapades of Robert Langdon.

CERN, black hole, big bang and god particle became a part of the vocabulury in normal household over last fortnight.
Discusions, all sorts, in all forms of media, public transport, places surely managed to give some thought to this Shani Bhagwan ka Prakop.

Science became a fact yesterday. common man was all ears to this experiment, effects, he was responding to it.
Stephen hawkins did not expect much out of this experiment. But this was a victory for science, Bad publicity is better than no publicity.
this hype would change a lot of things, for the way people look at physics.
I saw that in the eyes of my Daughter.

Another, Good thing i read yesterday, was from our Minsiter for science and technology, Kapil Sibal's statement, that nuclear power generation will be open to private investment.
Now that gives us some hope for electricity in 20 years.

Phhhu

It’s quite a pretty sight as one takes a dip in the water,

Dim lit side row bulbs, a dark sky with half bright moon.

Smooth laps take the misery out of your mind and body.

Last few days that I have been swimming, usually I am alone, and I like it that way,

But yesterday, I had a visitor,

Young stout guy, fair, looked like software or a techie guy,

The moment I got into the shower he smiled,

So I smiled back and greeted (in Patna, one usually stays bland to such niceties)

Then he forwarded his hand for a shake, while I was in the shower,

Strange, he could have waited for me to come out, as he was dressed, and I was dressed for a shower.

“No instructor” he said.

I frowned with a raised shoulder, “so”

I jumped in the pool,

Mid-way, I heard some one shouting, when I put my head out, I saw this guy, running the parallels of the pool with tube in his hand, he was about to throw at me, and shouting, “here, here”

“I can swim” I smiled back at him.

I finished my first four laps, and all this while, he was walking the length with my strokes.

I was in no mood to talk, but his strange behavior, made me stop and chat with this creature.

“You swim very well” he said even before I could start a conversation.

“Thanks, but I am no Phelps”

“You have a good body, were you in the army?”

I choked, looked at my protruding paunch,

“Police- would have been closer”

A compliment is a compliment, I felt good.

Oh No!..dont tell me. He must be gay.

First thing in my mind, that went through.

But his insistence, even if he was gay, left me no choice but to talk to him,

Software guy, he was, working with ABB, just quit and was on a holiday with his parents, would be joining Oracle soon, wanted to do something in Bihar, but realized that he would be wasted here.

Like me I thought.

“What will happen to all the people who have lost their property in floods?” he enquired.

“Well I am sure ABB will place some of them”, I was trying to be funny.

“Rest will find placements at the sidewalks of NCR and Mumbai.”

As I was changing again in the men’s room, he came along talking and watching my Army body.

“Will you be coming tomorrow?”

“No”

I felt bad being so curt.

Hooopphh.

Despite Mamta?....hmm Mr. TATA

She does not have a good Photogenic Face, and perhaps, that is the reason media showed her in poor light.
Anti Industry, Illiberal she has been tagged- unfortunately by a liberal Paper, like the Mint.
Well she has done more for liberalism than all the liberals put together.

She has fought for Property rights, tooth and nail, with the smallest of beneficiaries, the poor farmers of India.
Liberals were not even able to have whispered in her ears...to speak the word "property rights".
She perhaps has taken the fight so locally that, the macro effects are invisble.
Liberals should have atleast bought her a garland.

TATA' s on the other hand have been quite generous to the liberal cause from the days of JRD,
but like all business houses surviving in this socialist structure, try to gain atleast somewhere.

It does not matter what the industry thinks and what they make media think about her.
Mint does not change Mamta's image in singur.
Singur, shows the way for all state led land acquisitions.
Mamta will be a hero, in the days to come.

some one whisper that word, into her ear...

and Mr. TATA, for better effects of Nano, change the name to "MAMTA".






s

Temples Of Modern India -Part II

I do not have words for this…
But then words are all I have…

The socialist government has taken this big initiative of providing electricity to the people of India.
They have been doing so for last 60 years,
Just that this time they have a new technology called nuclear technology to try their hands on.
So for next twenty years, the coming governments know where the moolah is.
Nehruvian socialism, had ways to fool the electorates and fund their coffers.
Big projects like this is most suited,
There is no private competition,
The fool that the people are, would not know what the hell is going on,
Like all that the Egyptians used to do was to build grand graves called the pyramids for the Pharos’s.
Which actually used to be the graves of all who used to die working there.

We will have modern temples of even modern India, in Nehru’s words.
And the people would feel happy just with the knowledge that we have Nuclear power.
Like we have the power plants and employees but no power.

Like there is a damn on Kosi and embanked like the Thames in London.
But it has been breaching for last sixty years and there have been floods every year,
It gets repaired every year and every year the situation gets worse.

It is like the situation in Kashmir,
Sons of Socialism need problems that can not be solved,
So that huge chunks of tax payers money evaporates in thin air,
Thus Kashmir will never be solved, Kosi will never be tamed and we will never have uninterrupted electricity.

That is till we have the children on Nehru there.

Behind that smile.

It’s always better to know the true essence of what profession one is into.
Money is obviously the biggest driver, but not the only one.
At a stage in life, your individuality remains not on your wealth, but how have you gotten that wealth.

A close lady friend of mine works for a foundation for promotion of liberal political ideology.
She wakes up at 5, after self induced interruptions in her sleep.
Rushes her kid to school, transports her maid to her ailing mother’s house,
Fixes her husbands breakfast and accessories, and rushes to work.
At work she finds her emancipation perhaps, and thus lands up doing most of the work.
If you do more you get more -more work that is.

During and little beyond the lunch hour, she takes her mom for chronic treatment, manages to reach office again, finish work, pick up her son, go home, read all the nouns, gerunds, trigonometry and prepare for dinner.

In all this time, her smile finds many a takers.
She is asked for favors, thinking she is more than willing to help.
And the saga continues.
More smiles lead to more effort to keep that smile.

However, what she needs to do to retain that smile forever.
Is to know the essence of what profession is she into and how does it change the course of how humans are going to live and think tomorrow.
How instrumental she has been in changing so many lives and their destiny.
How her smile has brought so many others to smile similarly.
How she becomes an inspiration, even without her knowing about it.
She stands for liberty for herself and for others.

She might seem, like a usual office girl,
A story as usual as anyone’s,
Even she seems unaware, like all other,
To retain that smile she needs to feel like,
The towering lady holding high the torch of liberty.

A Teacher is one who is understood..well, influnences and inspires life.
Happy teachers day.

Teej -Fast unto life.

Undoubtedly, one of the most difficult of fasting festivals in India.
From sunrise of one day to sunrise of another, without a morsel and without a drop of water.
On a hot summer day, with all festivities cooking to be carried on as usual.
Managing the kids,
Our women fast for the long lives of their husbands.
Neha looked fabulous, in that pink, leharaiya with all that golden hand worked border, and small golden flowerlike beads on the streams of those patterns.
The fabric fell so well on her contours; a sari can do wonders in concealing and leaving a little to imagination of the feminine form.
Draped in whole none yards, with the glitter of the precious metal.
This was her day.

And my day.
To be frank, I don’t think, any husband deserves that kind of fasting, except for respecting your feelings. I don’t think it’s worth it.Men have their own starvations to take care of in spite your thirsts and hungers

fruitsofindia.com

It starts tomorrow.
last all week, we have been thinking and talking about it.
We have been waiting for approval and gut feels from friends, family and industry.
Officially, now, we can post our plans and get a final approval from you.

It will be a new company.
As the name says, it will all about fruits of India,
Mango, litchi, bananas, pineapple, guava, strawberries, grapes etc.
The portal will have information on all the aspects of the above.
availability, geographical mapping, technical data, land and farmers growing the same, varieties, seasons etc.
It will be B2B portal, initially, with time it would also become a consumer portal.
it will have a database of traders, processors, brands, retailers, and anyone associated with the trade.
not for free, obviously.
A farmer, will have access to all who are in need of the fruit. Vice-versa.
all the stake holders will be provided on choice services like, logistical support, certification, lab reports, weather reports, geographical mapping, financial services, products and more.

Besides all the humility, It is a revolution of sorts.
This is something, that even the biggest corporates and govts. have not envisioned.
It is a herculean task, and only one pure intention can achieve it...profits.

in fact, on second thoughts..two..a humble house in central London.

We are at War

We don't even know about it,
ours borders have been breached, the enemy forces are flooding our lands, killing thousands and destroying property.
is that not what a war does?
and that is exactly what is happening at the Nepal border,
this flood is not a natural calamity, it is indeed man made,
not doing enough is as bad as doing it wrong.

India shares its borders with Nepal and the Bheemnagar Barrage is the Border,
possibly the ownership is dual, and thus no ones.

No harnessing of resources, neither repairing the embankments.

Rest of India sleeps, kosi water will not reach Delhi or anywhere beyond the south of ganga.

But something will reach,
poverty, delusion, hunger and depravity.
they will come in hordes, to your cities, Madam Dixit and Mr. Thackeray,
for the war that you do not recognise as yours,
like in Kashmir for which they bomb, Jaipur and Mumbai,
you pay heavy taxes to keep Kashmir going,
you are also paying for the calamity, but you will not act.
the immigrants will spread all over, get their voter cards and put you in minority.

we are at War,
open your eyes,
question your government,
do something, before all you will have is regret.

Drambuie and Guilt

I sip my Drambuie's and Black label's.
Read about the havoc that Kosi is creating,
bigger havoc's that the touts of democracy are forging.
millions stranded and starving and thousands dying.

What else could I do other than enjoy my drink?
there is an immense feeling of guilt here,
but denying myself a drink wont help.


A city person would feel, if floods are an usual problem, why cant the people living there, simply get out of there.
Well, because a bird in hand is better than two in the bush.
subsistence, property and identity are just one thing.
without their land, they would all be lesser country men.
State is not to be trusted, and yes, over last sixty years, the organised nexus of the state has made a huge dent in cooperation level of the inhabitants.
they all look up to the government to do something about it.
disbelieving, their own hands and creativity.
and even if state did get effective in controlling floods or any other catastrophe, they would not hesitate in selling their property to the TAT A's of this world, like in singur.

To tackle a catastrophe, one needs a huge machinery and funds.
I did not wish to become an electoral politician, living of others money.
there were other ways of combating the state, and emancipating human souls.

Free enterprise.

when we made a conscious decision to get back to Bihar 7 years back,
there were issues on my mind,
which i thought i would be able to help resolve,
personal, family and for a society at large.

I had my own processes to find the problem first and then contribute to the solving of the same.
Farm and land being the center of the universe here, we called our venture "farm solutions".
it had to be a profit making venture, and not an NGO.
without getting into the principals of liberal doings.
This is how close, we have got to, solving the problem.

Men and women own land, they grow produce and sell it for other material gains.
it is human endeavour to keep getting better.
but how does one know?
is there is no information?
or misinformation by vested interests, Naxals or the state.

bring in technology and enterprise, and the human efforts will soar.

so now we have "Fruits of India" and information gate way for farms and farmers.
so that they could produce the best, have the information on their fingertips.
minus the state, find ways of mutual cooperation.
Make the state accountable for every penny they tax.

Its a long way ahead, but nothing better than knowledge.

till then cheers!

Ratman Returns

I had to pay for my Chivas.
By being a Rat Buster at Mr. Hmms house.
Being tormented by the rodent, for over a few a days, guess, he had the game prepared for me, sticks, batons and slippers in hand, with occasional sips of the American potent, we cornered the guy ( we found his penis) after much sweat and toil, battle lines carefully drawn at the tick of the midnight. Lord Gaanesha's Vehicle was run down, packed in a poly bag and into the dustbin.

Mr. Hmmm must have thought that, that the Man from Bihar, is a proven rodent Buster as BBC did a story on a Rat eating community in Bihar, and thus that label by default applies to all of Bihari's.
I at least proved a point till catching it, serving it on a platter, was surely not expected.

Batman- just got better-the dark knight-must see movie -underlying story-
"You know the thing about chaos? It's fair."
-"believe…whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you…stranger."
-"When the chips are down, these, uh…civilized people, they'll eat each other.
-"The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you…the dawn is coming."

Enjoy..till I savour my Chivas.

I told You So

PPPHHUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAPH
Did you hear the conch?
Shankh Naad?

Bihar CM says “this is parlay (end of the world)”
Nothing like this has ever been seen before.
Every one wants to go meet the PM,
He must be a really good swimmer, to save millions from drowning, guess they saw him sailing thru just some time back.
Hey get Mulayam and Amar, they serve as good rafts.

Laloo ji boley,
Array, if it won’t flood now, when it will flood,
Anyway, this is Ganga water, it will purify everyone.

Media has finally woken up,
International agencies will get to use their funds now.
Blow your guts out.

I am blowing mine.
I told you so.

Bachnaa Aye Hasino

Not so Bad...the best looking face in the movie was, Ranbir Kapoor's. Bips was fit and hot, dips was girl next door and minisha whoever was just out of the air-hostess academy.
The movie does break some molds.
One does not have to get married to be in love, infact -mairrage only screws up things, as far as love is concerned. It might be a solution to other commitments in life.

But Love is Love...
its different..like the sauces we make..
like a sleepy blue ocean,
like a storm in a dessert,
like a mountain in spring time,
like a night in a forest.

its all about giving, your self,
mairrage on the contrary is about ownerships,
atleast percieved to be, just the opposite of love.

But is it ok to have a life without Romance,
lack of it makes life so mundane and miserable,
lacking human essence, smile, will to go an extra mile,
a little deffect or rather a deviance in the mind is essential,
to make you a man from a monkey.

Home Ward Bound

I am standing at the railway station, waiting for my destination…
Home ward bound…yes I am…home ward bound.

I am at the Hashimara Railway station,
A small Kasbah, a military base, around 15 kms from the Bhutan border.
Sprawling tea gardens all around, mountains in the backdrop.
Close by there is Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary, famous for Rhino’s.
Though quite amusing, but the Toorsa’s subsidiary river beds are completely dry.
I think they are storing all the water for the new hydel project at Bhutan.
It’s a nice place.

It has been quite a day, yesterday.
After spending last day at the mercy of Indian Railways and Commmies of India,
I had to spend the night at NJP, all night being pestered with “sir ladki chahiya kya”
I took a bus to Jaigaon, border town to Bhutan.

Initially I wanted to take a cab, but it was costing me a fortune, knowing it would be wasted trip in business terms, I avoided it.
The best part was the bus trip.
Small bus, 40 seater, out of which 32 were lady passengers.
11 Bhutanese, modern in dress sense to the core,
6 Indian hard working Bengali women,
Rest family types.
I took the last middle seat, as my knees were rubbing on the front seat of all other seats.
2 Bhutanese on the left and 2 on the right, four on the seats right ahead of me,
The Bengali women ahead, with sacks full of probably beetle nut, lay on the floor.

Eastern Indian Societies are women centric,
Kali worshippers, as Churchill said,
Dusky Indian women with firm heaving breast and lashing tongue,
But unlike thagi, here was pure business and human effort at par.

Like in Bengal, in Bhutan too women do all the work and men just drink or disrupt work.
Bhutanese though do have hangover of ethnicity, but in attire they would shame a similar Indian.
Wearing, light low jeans and t-shirt,
Usually commercial and ethnic proximity to china has molded them.

They are pretty, and all assets are firm, unlike their Indian counterparts,
Holter bras and Hilfiger jeans, digging into their torsos,
English is bad, but can speak Hindi, Bengali and Nepalese,
Chinese i-pods and gum chewing women, who don’t care if you are leching at their curves,.

Indians are sweating their guts off, pulling on the sacks and still managing to save their cleavages from prying eyes.
32 women, probable odds that more than one of them is having periods,
Smell mixed with that of sweat is a turnoff.

My ass is grass, sitting on the near rock surface for 5 hours.
Only solace was a continuous squeeze between two separate thighs, and some occasional brush of breast and bare arms on my shoulders.
I am a dog.

About Work.

I had somehow known about it,
But did not have much of a choice,
I had to make this trip,
This state of the art Factory was closed,
Directors were sitting in Thimphu,
Their spare parts from Sweden were awaited, and due to massive land slide, the roads were closed.
So this relay race one leg gets over here, and I have to come back next month.

One thing that will change me from yesterday’s experience will be my planning of life.

I checked into a hotel, usually they do not ask for the deposit from me, as they all know me. This time there was a new staff, and so he asked for it. I checked into my wallet and handed over some cash, It was a little short, so I walked to to the nearby ATM, to withdraw cash.
To my astonishment, I was not carrying any card or extra cash,
I just could not help laughing on myself,
There was absolutely no chance that I could get any help here.

Nearest help was in NJP, 5 hrs away,
I called up my supplier, who managed to find someone who would send me some cash.
Later at the hotel, the guys were really helpful as they heard my conversation over the phone.
They discounted the room rent by 40% and returned the money.
Took me on a motor bike to get to my source for money.

Initially I thought it would be a wasted trip, if I was unable to go to Chimee Wangmo’s Bar,
But then I did,
And the evening was good,
She recognizes me after all these days,
Knows what I drink and changed the music for me,
Highland whiskey and pork fry.
Listening to Bryan Adams and Eagles.
Come democracy and booze is expensive, roads are bad, and official certificates on the wall.
Indian border town does not serve alcohol and Bhutan does not serve chicken, bird flu is not over as yet.

All’s well that ends well.
Now I am Home ward bound.

Blow your Conch

“Bheem Barrage Toot Gaya”

Its like the conch shell bugle for the beginning of Mahabharata, all the great warriors had one.
This one is for the beginning of floods in Bihar.
Nepal has opened the gates of all its barrages, water flowing from the great Himalayas, after satisfying the needs of Prachanda’s democracy, will come swiftly thru whole of north Bihar and would make haste approach to the Bay of Bengal.
Taking away enroute thousands of human lives and another couple of thousand lives of cattle’s, millions worth of human efforts will be washed away, like their sins, from a holy dip in the Ganga.
All water will assemble at the Farakka, waiting for government’s bureaucratic machinery to start taking permission from the Bangladesh government to release water. Till then North of Bihar will face a deluge. For next three months that will be.

As I travel from Katihar to Khagaria,
The sight out of the train window is beautiful.

Water spread over all of paddy greens,
Crimson sun setting at the horizon,
Its ambience reflecting on the waters,
Spread over all what your eyes can see,
Clouds in the pure blue sky, streaked in red,
As if an Indian beau spreading her red chiffon over the sky,
In the clouds, thru you can see her curves.

Wish you were here….

On ground what you can see is cattle and humans herding together on the bunds and raised ground.
Cattle will shortly loose fodder and will have to reach along with the waters at the doorsteps of Bangladesh for slaughter.
All railway platforms will be home to a few millions for next few months.

Nitish Kumar will shout, like all other soon,
“We need funds – this is a national calamity, like never before”
Few days back he had said, “We are prepared for floods”
Yep, damn right, I have cleared my cupboards, to stack all the moolah.
Here it is Mr. Kumar.
Blow your conch. (Watch out, it might give you hernia)

Platform

Travel teaches tolerance.
An Indian railway teaches intolerance, perpetuates depression and invigorates frustration.

On way to the Himalayan Kingdom, I am stranded at Katihar station, for 6 hours now and will be perhaps another 6 hours before this iron horse budges.
Bengal is on strike and all trains enroute are stranded.

No train official in site, toilets are in bad shape, coaches are cockroach infested, vendors, beggars, rag pickers, pickpockets and snatchers congested.

Berths have become smaller.
But the railway’s Balance sheet is getting bigger.
Laloo knows what media buys and their intellectual bankcruptcy
He is making most of the India shining,
People ignore what they see with their naked eye.
They believe in what media has to show.
In what the politicians propose.

There has been so much of noise about the Indian railways doing great.
Just travel once to anywhere and you will know the truth.
But then you might be a super optimistic or a blind to say that, this is just one situation, others might be fine.
Balance sheets are fudged, and more over governments figures.
Anyway a socialist government is not supposed to make a profit that is what they say in their manifestos.

No competition. Will obviously lead to people being satisfied with what they get. Railways know it well.
People who make news or effect policies either do not travel by train or get a first class treatment in the trains.

For the rest of us, we just wait at the Platform.

Men Are Dogs

Yep. I agree, to the core.

Dear lady, there is just one way out, if you have to live with them.
Either be Masters or become Bitches.

Taking last evening’s conversation ahead…

Men are dogs, some less some more.
But then concentrate on the solution and not the problem.
What are you going to do about it?

Like most women, are you going to snoop, nag, avoid his and yours socializing, restrict his movements, call him umpteen times while he is away, smell his collars, check his phone, wallet, PC.
Make your mind a dustbin and your life garbage!

Here is a suggestion, from a first hand experience holder.
And, most of all a Dog.

If you have the ability and your man is a little less man or dog, become a master.
Make him do tricks, like buying jewelry, expensive clothes, holidays, parties etc.
And then reward him, with bones, flesh or even a cuddle in the neck is good enough for him to keep his tail wagging.

Or if your man is a little more dog, then become a bitch.

Get other dogs to wag their tales for you, socialize, get friends- male, on social networks, over phone, parties, and colleagues, travel whatever.
As long as you will have men other than your man, in your life trust me your man’s libido will stay high with you.
You have to be difficult to get, not impossible for him.
Jealousy and keeping him on his toes, always works.
Dogs want to work their way up; they want to prove themselves for every possession they hold.

With time, wives tend to get, taken for granted.
And no competition leads to no challenge, hence he wants to prove himself else where.

There is one glitch, men often turn violent in these situations, how you handle that depended entirely on your ability of carrots and stick.

Value your freedom, space, career and ambitions....and slowly, not immediately..he will thank you for this.



There is absolutely no harm in some flirtations elsewhere, as long as it is mutual and within emotional limitaions.
Effectively all men are dogs, so if you think grass is greener on the other side, you will prove yourself wrong.
To keep one at home stay put, and ready all nights, you would need a threat perception for him elsewhere, not one but a fewMany. This is also good for your confidence.

World and social behaviors change constantly, but the basic instincts remain there for a long time. Rather than blaming him for his genetic behavior.

Women should look for their own.
Striving for the best seed for themselves, constantly.

Now, that does not mean, one goes bed hopping with every hunk.
Not that every Man gets what he wishes.

Get your self a life and some dogs.

Not Now

If anything can go wrong, it will.

Well I am in the middle of a crisis, completely uncalled for.
My mind must have been out somewhere else, on the 6th day of the cycle, as per my calculations it was a safe day.
Well my partner thinks I f&@#ed up, literally.

Now dear reader, please enlighten me how exactly does one calculate the safe days.
This is what I know.

14 days from the day of the beginning of the cycle, ova is produced. Plus minus 24 hours.
Male sperm has a life of 48 hrs, I will add another 24 to be on the safer side.
So 14-3=11, logically that should be the max. limit of safe days.
This was only the 6th day, and even if did stay for another 96 hrs. Or 4 days, I would still reach only the 10th day.
Am I safe?

I wished a friend happy Rakhi today,
His laughter in response was heartfelt.
He is in the middle of a Ekta kapoor’s soap like situation at his place.
He thought I was rubbing on his wounds, and considered it a good sense of humor.
What has the world come to?
Only Rakhi worth talking about has a surname Sawant,
Anyway, only those strings are visible in her attire,
She is not fake, or is she?

Dont feel like it.

I don’t feel like writing.

About, one in a billion Indian capable of human excellence.
It is ironically the same probability as one sperm cell in a billion capable of fertility.
Point is we are still not impotent.
Abhinav Bindra has proven that point.

Olympics were about human excellence within the realms of societal norms.
It was never about countries.
India anyway is not a country. Some say it’s a continent, I say it is a rather large village.

Indians are either above human Endeavour’s or haven’t reached the ladder of evolution as yet.
Performance at Olympics should not be taken too seriously.

I also do not feel like writing about India’s 61st birthday.
Mr. Singh, sucking up to the Madam from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
Shame on you and us is including me, for keeping you there.

Not even about Georgia, braving the Russians.

Even more I do not feel like writing about me,
As I am stuck in a giant swirl,
I can feel being slowly making rounds around the whole, going an inch lower after every round.

It is one of these moments when everything seems going wrong.
I am dying to see a different me tomorrow morning.
I am trying to escape this situation in my mind, knowing that in the morning I again to start fighting the same odds again.

This is a loser’s game, anyway you play it.
But then I do not feel like this or that.

All I feel like is,
Keeping my eyes closed, head resting on a soft cushion, hazy dreams, some in control and many let loose.
Face resting on a lap, hair being caressed, hands probing.
That this night would come some day and it would never have a morning.

Well at least I still feel something.

Not Enough

Some times, problems of people around you are more important than the situations you are going through. In a way, empathy is an advantage as your immediate botheration is actually fictitious as it does not really mean much to you.
But it is quite strange; there are two events that I am being bothered about these days.

First, my brothers, wound dressing. Every third day, cleaning and dressing some nine major wounds and another 8 smaller injuries. I can’t stand the site of hospital or the smell. The site of an open wound makes everything in my stomach start churning and reaches my esophagus.
I think I know the scientific reason, primarily being that the body starts to believe that it is going under the same stress as the site it is witnessing and thus tries to switch it self off, before the pain gets unbearable. It is like crying while watching a movie.

Second is a stress that a friend is going through. Her mother has been diagnosed stage IIIB of Cervical cancer. She lost her father a few years back and not all is well at other personal level. It is difficult for women, especially in India, to face such situations. This is a stage where she is cutoff from the rest of her past. As in shoulders she can call her own, related by blood will be too a few. She is now left with an uncertain today and tomorrow. People though are her own, but prejudiced in these modern times. Who are only waiting to prove a point?
It is so easy to drift away in a smoky oblivion, with such a situation. All creativity and skills will be lost. Some, including me will loose a friend and many will loose a professional help.

There are no scientific explanations for this. My mind can’t switch off itself from this deluge. Neither I am capable of doing much about it.
Some times enough is not enough.

08.08.08

For the torch they would have lit today.
There were million candles lit yesterday.
The light of the magnificent torch would be faint this time,
Reason being the tiny flame of the frail candle.
The torch would be a symbol of human efforts.
The candle, a symbol of human soul.

Achievement and empathy, both are human nature, and need not have conflict.
Tibet should be free and for Tibetans, the world says so, the human soul lit candles for it.
Olympics from time known have lived with many controversies. States have used it for what they feel is good for their country.
To prove a point, to have told the world that they have reached there.

China is selling itself aggressively, Tibet turns out to be an added sell out, of all its efforts.
Path of commerce will teach china the utility of having Tibet as an autonomous state.
His holiness would not be there to see the day, but it will happen, very soon.
The candle will surely light up many a human souls.

“And it seems to me you lived your lifelike a candle in the windnever knowing who to cling towhen the rain set in”
-Sir Elton john- for Norma jean- marlyn Monroe and Princess Diana.

Story For Your Grief

A friend is going through a bad phase.
On an earlier similar occasion, I had said “don’t worry, thank your luck, it could have been worse.” Not a very good thing to say at troubled times. But here is a story, maybe this will help.

A king like all other kings had a wise man accompanying him in all his endeavors.
Once the king lost his finger in a battle, and the wise man said “what ever happens for the best”.
The king got angry, how could loosing my finger be good.
Promptly the man was chained and sent to the prison.
Few days later the king went for a hunt, got lost and was captured by some tribal cannibals.
While they were offering him to the gods, they noticed his cut Finger and left him loose as he was physically unfit for the gods.

Happy to get his life back, he remembered the wise mans words, immediately went to him, freed him and apologized to him.

Wise man said again “what ever happens for the best”.
Yeah1 damn right, the king jubilantly said.

I go with you everywhere, all the time, if you would not have imprisoned me, even I would have got caught with you, and the tribal’s would have though left you, they would have surely sacrificed me. The wise man said.

(I know it doesn’t help much, but there is always a parallel world and a series of events that could have happened if not this, maybe, this will be some solace)

With you in your grief.

Choice Of Life

Ones own or Own ones.

The judiciary had to be used before this too becomes vestigial.
Nikita and Haresh Mehta’s used it well.
And as expected the judge equated MTP with Mercy killing.

This is a point of serious debate.

Mercy Killing is entirely a Medical Issue.
MTP however is not entirely a medical issue, Medical Science is only used for termination.

First is about the utility of law.
Does every thing under the sun have to have a law?
This might not be some trivial issue, but it is bigger than the courts to decide.
Ambit of courts can only be felt to things visible to a society. Physically.

Food unconsumed is fresh, consumed is digested and extract is excreta.
Forms change with stages and processes.
Chemical inside your mouth is Saliva and outside is Spit.

There can’t be a single law for all stages of this process.
There could be food department, health department and finally the local municipality.

Life still inside you is your life; the reason why it is inside you has been your choice. Till it is not visible physically to the society, the choice of its destiny lies with the individual solely.

Process of bringing life is copulation, the organic matter produced is semen or ova, and life’s first stage is at the synthesis. There are a million terminations every day at this stage.
Do we need a law at this stage?

The choice of terminating a life is not an easy one, especially when you are the creator.
A lot has to be left up to the individual and his Dharma to decide on this big issue. Society or its tools are incapable of knowing the intensity of the situation.

Government goes on to decide how many kids you should have, that are by itself an intervention in personal space.
Making individuals incapable of making decisions on their own.
Tools of your elected society members we see in parliament take decisions, as if they have the divine right to do so.

Show them their place.
Mr. Mehta go to the Supreme Court and then to the local quack.

Maybe Vincent

I think I know why do I write this blog?
Maybe because I cant think straight,
Maybe I am trying to give words to my thought, or maybe I am trying to limit my thoughts by giving those words.
Or maybe coz no one is listening so I write to the World Wide Web.
Maybe I do not wish anyone to listen so I write on a screen.

With people around you,
Full of insecurity,
Does not give you the opportunity to feel the same.
It is so easy to blame everyone else other than your self for every thing around you.
The government, your husband, your in-laws, God, the corporate, the neighbor, whole world.
Even after that blame game, why do you cry if the mistake is not yours?

The Debts are high, business is low, and too many ideas too less time, people you cant trust, people who don’t trust you.
Family split wide open, wounds for you to heal.
New relations to tread carefully.
Friends, who are in trouble.
My detachment makes you angry.

I have too many stresses to remember one.
I do not even remember that I have a stress.

Writing to the world, makes me feel free.
Of worries, of hypocrisy, of lies that I have to live day in and out.
I write half truths, the other half is not a lie though.
Its yin of the yang.
Darkness, of the light.

Not many read it, not today at least.
I have labeled the IP Addresses, and I have me and Mr. Hunter keeping the stat counter ticking.
56 in 70 days not a bad score.
And I am not filling pages.
I am writing to myself.
Some day, I can read back, all of them with a sigh.

Now I understandWhat you tried to say, to meAnd how you suffered for your sanityAnd how you tried to set them free:They would not listen; they did not know how --Perhaps they'll listen now.

But I could've told you, Vincent:This world was never meantFor one as beautiful as you.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

I see the Moon and the Moon sees me,
Moon sees that someone I want to see.

God bless Me and God bless the Moon,
God bless that someone I want to see.







Space

Key to making friends and staying friends.

Happy Friendship Day.

Bovine Intervention

I am just back from my village.
This was my first visit after last week’s shootout.
I am alive and unhurt, Neha is glad for that. My insurance premiums were not paid.

As a strategy, or maybe because of my nature to avoid confrontation as long as possible.
I did not speak much to the sheriff at home and even avoided all his initiatives to start a dialog. I did not want the situation to be normal. Normal is boring.

Though, one thing did get my attention.
It was a matter of 12 lives.
They were all starving and I had to get involved to save them from starvation death.

Having a bovine strength for landlords in our part of the world is matter of pride. Ones social status reflects on the number of cows you have tied in your back yard. We have 12 as on today. I counted them after a long gap today. Collective milk that is produced is 9 lts a day and money spent of food and labour per day is 900 a day. Milk for Rs. 100 a lt.

My father must have realized this long time back and conveniently left it to others in the family to deal with. He wanted his pride to be retained without taking any costs. Younger brother, Rohan, thought of proving himself worthy and took up to the daunting task. In last two years he must have lost atleast Rs. 5 lakhs in supporting these animals, retaining my dads pride and building false ego for himself.

Much of trouble he is in today, one of the reasons could be this.

As I reached home last night, I was told that there is no fodder for the cattle. As I am trying to keep my brother away from making these mistakes no more. I asked the keepers to ask my dad what he plans to do about it. I was told he does not care.
So today I packed them off to our farm where greens are abundant. They will get their food but my dad would not have the pride to show anymore. More over in a few months time at least 10 of them would be sold off and a bare minimum kept for some fresh milk and some for left over pride.

The point is, this is not just my families’ story. It’s every land owner’s story, who is trapped in this false social warp.
Not every bullet fired misses the target.