Someone to Cry...

People die, people cry.

One dies making others cry.

Sometimes ayes, sometimes nay.

xxx

If one of them dies,

Having nobody to cry...

xxx 

Let's pause gently,

Beside the sapling 

that we are planting for him,

& murmur in silence,

Bro, we all are here to cry...

Today, tomorrow & here after....

__ my thoughts for the souls lost in the tunnel due to the calamity at Tapovan in the state of Uttarakhand on 7th February 2021.

On getting used to new normal...

After the pandemic…

May be, we’ll refrain from shaking our hands

May sanitize our hands more often

May not sneeze or cough like a free bird,

Start measuringsocial distance

While going to theatre, saloon, spa or pub,

Some of us may be better cooks

While others may bein quest of their basics;

Work from home may be the new norm

Govt will focus on health sector

We will not be cribbing for trivial things

May be we’ll be little better human beings

Or may be business will be as usual

Greed may soon overtake the need

We may not get irritated being in queue

With or without a mask!!

(Wrote on the backdrop of 1st National Lockdown - March 2020)

On Luck

If the public transport you are in faces a massive road rage and you come out unhurt, that is what  I call Luck. If the poor parents have to run helter-skelter to save their new-born from some unheard-of disease and ultimately the toddler gets a new lease of life out of some divine grace is what I call Luck. If the son of a rickshaw-puller shines bright and makes it to an IIT, I call it Luck. If the fellow vagabond gets a call from KBC and makes it to the Crorepati Club, I too call it Luck. If your pre-marital discourse of searching a bride ends up in second coming of your teen-age crush into your life, that I can count as Luck. If your mother tells you that she's having intense pain and radiology conducted on her comes out with a much-less serious problem than anticipated, I too can call it Luck. If you intrude into a marriage party and have a free gala dinner and leave the place without any hassle, that also I call Luck. When you take a chance and enjoy AC ride on a long-distance superfast train despite not having a confirmed birth, that also I consider as Luck.

Similarly, when one of my friends in the same profession posted at a project site rings me up to share his emotions on the eve of boarding the flight to Greece (read on official tour) while very few keep planning and only the fortunate lot make it, albeit with a big hole in their pocket, I too call it Luck.  

I still remember the one-liner from Samuel Becket's Waiting for Godot : "Nothing happens, Nobody comes, nobody goes,  it's awfull!"

But friend, ultimately, something happens. Godot, here, makes a move!!!

Tail Piece : उठ जा अपनी राख से,  तू उड़ जा अब तलाश में; परवाज़ देख परवाने की, अासमां भी सर उठाएगा
आएगा, अपना time आएगा...

Why I didn't know Kailash Satyarthi ?

Why did the media ignore Kailash Satyarthi ? It was barely hours after the news broke that I stumbled upon this post by none other than Mr Kingshuk Nag, TOI's Hyderabad editor', on a popular social media portal. Nag goes on to explain it further in his blog which was carried prominently by TimesofIndia.com. “I have a confession to make. I have not heard of Kailash Satyarthi till the news broke about him...,” the first line explains it all about our media, more so our elite English media of this country. Irony is you hardly expect such a story under the banner of TOI. Thanks to Nag, it created quite a flutter on the day.

Interestingly, there were many such voices on social media who were quite vocal about their ignorance. As reads one of them, “I too had not heard or read about him. Isn't it sad how our media spend all their time discussing politicians and completely ignore the good things people are doing!.” As sums of another observer, “ We are late-lateef: Gandhi first got recognition in South Africa, Vivekananda in the US...so the Govt of India's turn to do a serious think about it!!!.”

A quick glance of news channels would tell you how our media fraternity is good at making up. Series of stories on Kailash Satyarthi and there was no end to it. As if, all of a sudden, the reporting on child rights became so fashionable on Indian soil except for Times Now which was still discovering the mystery behind Sunanda Pushkar's death. Coming to the story, while most of the reports be it print or electronic were passing the news, there was hardly any story explaining why media had shut the door on the matter of Kailash Satyarthi earlier or it was just a coincidence ?

The following update from a little bird on Facebook suggests an exclusive yet to come. “I had tried to help his media person a friend of mine about ten years back..very few journalist wrote on NGOs.. however I was very politely told as Satyatri had broken from Swami Agnivesh who had lots of friends in media...he may not be covered......this may answer many ???

Prominent Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar though mentioned that Kailash Satyarthi used to write for the newspaper. Incidentally, the newspaper also repeated the editorial of 10^th October 2006 on Child Rights issue the same day. Social media, like any other day, had quite a few interesting updates on the person. The man was recognized by the US State Department in 2007 as a "Hero Acting to End Modern Day Slavery", said one post by Ch Sushil Rao, a media professional based in Hyderabad while another on sharing stage with Jairam Ramesh and the likes for a programme in the same city a couple of years back.

A common check with an IT engineer sharing the home town and the school with the person would give a better perspective on the entire episode. “He was one of us doing his job caring little for any tangible and quick benefits including media coverage,” that's how sums up Vijaya Shrivastava, an IT engineer at NTPC Korba, who hails from Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh.

So it was truly ironical that Kailash won it without most of us knowing him, forget the media and then international media. It was ironical he shared it with a Pakistani when firing was on along the LoC of both the countries. It was ironical even that Malala's rise to fame put her in a context opposed to Kailash's journey so far.

For many, Malala has been western media's blue-eyed girl whose story fits well into the western narrative of the oriental oppression, in which the context underlying the creation of the oppression is left out. “The Western world can feel good about itself as they save the native woman from the savage men of her home nation. It is a historic racist narrative that has been institutionalised,” comments Assed Baig, the Pakistan-origin journalist based in the UK, adding “the actions of the West, the bombings, the occupations the wars all seem justified now. See, we told you, this is why we intervene to save the natives.”

Elaborates a fellow thinker, Another reality is the story of Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi, 14-year-old Iraqi girl, who was gang raped by five U.S. Army soldiers and killed in her house in Yusufiyah (Iraq) in 2006. She was raped and murdered after her parents and six-year-old sister Hadeel Qasim Hamza were killed. Also not irrelevant to mention is that Abeer was going to school before the US invasion but had to stop going because of her father’s concerns for her safety. And while the West applauds Malala (as they should), I am afraid it might be for the wrong reasons, or with a wrong perspective. It feels like the West wants to gain an agenda that suits them or the policies they want. That is also why Malala’s views on Islam are rarely presented. She uses her faith as a framework to argue for the importance of education rather than making Islam a justification for oppression, but that is rarely mentioned.

xxxx

All of us are habituated with a free and fair media that asks question to almost everybody with an objective to uphold the basic principles of democracy. We are often used to extensive coverage on certain issues in the media, at times trivialisation of news. Media points fingure at many things since it is its job. But who is out there to point fingure at media when media itself is caught on wrong foot, or misses something to cover, or jumps the gun ?

In the end, my question largely remains as it is. Why I didn't know Kailash Satyarthi ? Why I knew it from Reuters the other day, not from TOI or HT or Bhaskar or Rediff.com before ?

Swachchh Bharat

For the beginners, Rat was to spearhead the Swachchh Bharat drive in the absence of Cat and was thus reporting directly to Wolf these days. Though Rat wanted to give it a miss like previous occasions citing his presence before a Commission of Inquiry, he had reasons to stay back so that he could well utilise the absence of Cat and give Wolf a new hope which had been missing for quite some time.

My goodness, this 2^nd October, it was a bad day. I started at 6 am and it took me till 1.30 pm to take a breath. That's precisely one and half hours late as the deadline to upload the video on Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan onto You-Tube was fixed at 12.30 pm sharp. In between, the Rat had superimposed a confusion called the preponing of the live broadcast of the PM's speech, thus putting my PR-skills at toss. As employees of a Govt Undertaking, we had to watch it live and the recorded footage of the same was to be sent to our Corporate counterparts so that the same could be made available to the minister concerned by 4 pm of the day. In between, we had organised good number of programmes, such as shram dan for cleaning at public places and awareness campaigns. Despite it was Maha-Astami day of Goddess Durga, I had to be on my toes. Out of say 1500 people, may be 50-60 participated in all these programmes and were free once they are over. But, my job was extended till my Corporate counterpart received the email, till the newspaper fellow opened my press release, till the edited footage reached its destination, till some additional banners were done with the new logo in the twelfth hour.

But before I could complete my breath and start preparing my breakfast-cum-lunch, it was Rat on the other side of the phone. This time, Rat wanted eight more banners as the name of the schools under Swachh Vidyalay (read Toilet) Aviyan were changed by our Corporate Mahanuvabs. For a second, I could not understand how somebody sitting in heaven could decide in which schools at Korba the toilets should come up ? When the symbolic foundation laying had been done in two schools and the reports/photographs had been sent to the higher-ups, where was the need for this hurry ? Even if you work on a marathon speed, the banners could be at your disposal only after 2-3 hours, which means by 5 pm. After that, if you start visiting all the eight schools, you can complete the symbolic foundation laying puja by 8 pm. Then if you send the photographs, who's going to open it in the first place? But Rat has an answer. It was not him, the Wolf wanted this. At this, I politely conveyed my inability to carry out at this juncture citing my points-men were all on holiday and are not available for this service. Neither had I any assistant to get this job done, thus pointing him to explore other options. However, I assured him that the official photographer would accompany to capture the visuals.

Because I knew from my past experience, it was not Wolf. It was Rat himself. Rat's unprecedented Thanks Giving to Wolf after the morning pledge-taking was an eye opener that day. Mrs Wolf and her clan were there in the august gathering. Anyway, Rat again remembered me at 8.30 pm as photographs were obtained from all the eight as per his commitment to Wolf and I quickly logged on to email all of them, knowing well why Rat was doing it, and why I was doing it.

Tail Piece : Finding Fanny was easier than finding a right photograph of our Ladies Club's Swachchh Bharat Aviyan. All they were doing was gigling, grabbing a jhadu, posing with their fancy sarees, to the camera fellow. What's their to clean when you chose a place having no garbage ? But I had a bigger problem. Which photo should I send to the media so that it should not contradict that they were the better-halves ? As always, here also, Rat can have an idea to throw!!

Being a 'Laggard'

When some of my fellow-beings ask me, or rather pinch me, these days to change the long-time Nokia handset to a brand new smart phone, I return them with a well-extended smile and with the usual tagline "m a poor fellow". In some occasions though I had to elaborate.

My present job profile, to my understanding, does not need a smart phone at this stage since the job can be well done without having a facebook, a twitter or a watsapp on the go!!  You cannot adopt smartness by purchasing a high-end gadzet. Or else if you think that you can, it no way helps in my work in the present context. To elaborate it further, when you can't expect a reply from your higher-ups through email, when you have to take print-out of 12-15 pages to get approval of many tiny things on daily basis, I don't find any logic of using a smart phone resulting in any help to my work. The fellow who has experience of working in PSU or Govt sector can well imagine the fate of  rhetorics like paper-less office or to that extent, digital India!!

The point I would like to draw here is all I need is to call a person or send sms. That's well done through the handset I have.I don't need an Android phone for that.

Despite my take on social media, I do visit facebooks to get a glimpse of what's happening around. I do it occasionally, when I have time and have nothing creative to do, which is again a rare occurance thesedays. I would love to be the father and husband in me, then being with any virtual  'other'.

xxx

Alas, comments like "nice pik" on the wall (of others) spoil my mood. The average updates on the Wall will be like somebody uploads a selfie while brushing his/her teeth and 97 others like him/her line up to like it within a hour.

I can't do that and that's why I only navigate to update myself, sometimes get to read good stories and nice quotes which is easily accessible on the same platform. At times, I think that people opt for facebooks as it provides them with an alternative to their love, relationship, infedility. It's titillating to that sense and that's why they love to spend most of the time regardless of what they are doing, what they are eating, talking and where they are standing.

xxx

In the long turn, this trend may cause a sure setback to our culture by creating a population of loners. The social loners!!!

Tail Piece : Incidentally, I got to read the story of the Washington Post. It was like what I wanted to convey long back. Thanks again to Facebook, courtesy one my old pal of Times Days. Read on.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2014/10/03/back-up-husbands-emotional-affairs-and-the-rise-of-digital-infidelity/?tid=sm_fb

aap@2014

aap@2014, that's precisely the password I generated post Dec 8 2013 to carry out my operations on the official portal at NTPC. Today, with (Arvind Kejriwal) AK-led Aam Admi Party accepting the challenge to run the show from the Capital after a de-facto referrendum, there seems to have a complete change in the grammer of politics in this country.

That you can garner support from your arch rival (a la Congress) on the basis of a people-oriented manifesto, read 18-point agenda of AAP, to run a minority government and yet prove to be honest.

That ministers can travel in public transport

That their every step must create a panic button among the opponents and in turn, motivate smart, young, educated Indians to genuinely think about the nation and contest elections.

Hope all these should reach its climax in the next couple of months, making a clear-cut impact in the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for 2014.

To me, AK-led AAP was the true gift of the year 2013. And like someone said, the show must go on, the year 2014 must reap a better harvest like never before.

View from Kashid

 

Had a brief interaction with its beautiful sea and sand on this hilly beach at Kashid, 130-km from Mumbai. Had I knew earlier, I would have shifted my honeymoon to this island. You can make the beach your home with its soothing sand and solitude. If early morning is fantastic, so is the sunset hours. Captured here is a photograph to tell the story... quite unaware of the fact that the same would be selected as one of the Most Memorable Summer Pic by rediff.com & India Abroad, three months later.

 

 

http://www.rediff.com/getahead/slide-show/slide-show-1-travel-indian-landscapes-from-kumarakom-to-kashid/20130618.htm#9

 

 

Tail Piece : Fellow NTPCians advise to carry it in the inhouse magazine. But my inner-self do not.

 

Kahani of a spoiled brat

The TV coverage of Sanjay Dutt PC (read press conference) today was probably the height of news-channel crap in the recent times. Had I been in the newsroom affairs, I would have given it a slip, much to the amusement of some silent sensitive audience.

Sanju cries....as some news anchor goes on reminds me that of  the Tiger Woods's unfamous sleeping paranoia 2-3 years back. Nothing more, nothing less. Katju  was like the Comedy of Errors in this whole tamasa, well-orchestrated by Dutt & Co.

In my naughtiest but passionate moments, I assume the former justice comes very close to someone like  Mahesh Bhatt in the Bombay Film Industry.

In 1993, I was in school, that too in Oriya medium, far away in a village in Odisha. So naturally I didn't develop my news sense or love for what's happening around at that point of time. But today at this stage of life, when I revisit the incident and the defence of Sanjay Dutt, I do have thousand question marks on his integrity at the first place.  How can you believe that in a civilised society and that too a star son keeping such a quantum of ammunitions to protect himself ?

To top it all, he is repeating his love for the country in the same PC. Nothing wrong. He is willing to surrender and revisit the jail.

My humble submission would be if you truly love your country, better you please reenter the scene where you had left. The Sanju-worshippers must learn that the Nation is watching them all and there are a more than billion people who love their country more than the spoiled brat.

On Saying No

16th Jan 2013. I was called to my boss' chamber just after half-an-hour in the office. I was asked to carry the baton of a special assignment in addition to my responsibilities, with a note that I have been considered so special to handle this additional part. The job ? To be the Nodal Officer for OBC &  Physically Challenged employees in the power station of NTPC Korba. I agreed, apparently assuming that I too had become an important part like the other important parts of the same office. A sense of entering into a Hall of Fame suddenly engulfed my subconscious? I agreed albeit with a note, that somebody belonging to the community could be a better option anyday. There was no need to explain further the mileage of the belongingness. The ball had a perfect return shot by then.

18th Jan 2013. The lady reporting officer who had been part of the earlier 'Assignment Fixing' was this time sweetly cribbing before the boss that I should also represent the department in super-boss' (Project Head) darbar (deptt. review meeting) since I was good at Saying No. By that time I had already denied to dispose my assistant to get a book gift-rapped from the nearby market which was to be presented to one outgoing senior executive on the pretext that both of my assistants were busy in more important official stuff.

By then, I had also expressed my dislike for the book, which was something like 10 commandments to be a best CEO. I had offered my logic why we won't think of giving a book on how to be a great subordinate? Because anyday, he can't be a CEO in this company.  Instead of giving a book on Positive Thinking, which for me a West-fixated culture imported to India, we should rather give him a book on Saying No to people around as this should help the fellow from Finance department run his show better.

When the lady was bent on getting the things done, I had an idea on the table that mementos like books should not be rapped as they create a better impact without the shadow. The idea was accepted amid laughter of all present there.


Tail Piece : Yet to finish the book, The Antidote by British journalist Oliver Burkeman. The subtitle _ Happiness for people who can't stand positive thinking _ should help in some soul searching. Insecurity is the result of trying to be secure, that's how it begins.

CSR sans Sound

A 23-year-old visually challenged Karan, a native of Dipka mines area in the tribal belt of Korba in Chhattisgarh, cracks this years CAT exams with over 97 per cent and bags interview calls from IIMs irrespective of their suffixes. How often do you get to see such a lead when you wake up to your morning newspaper? That way, it was a kind of refreshing for me yesterday.

Once in office, I casually asked one of our fellow colleagues, also a visually challenged, if he also read the story. To my surprise, he not only read it, but he had nurtured partly the story to happen.

Mukesh Jain, an assistant in our legal section of HR Department in NTPC's Korba Super Thermal Power Station, has been the eye-witness to the story of Karan since the latter was in his high school at Dipka.

"It was almost 7-8 years back that he met me while in his mission to gain some technological assistance to perform better in his study. The nearby computer shop in Jamnipali that he landed up to obtain some software had apparently tipped him to meet me as I was known to be having regular updation on technological innovations such as Jaws, scanning software etc which are quite helpful for the visually challenged," adds Mukesh.

Subsequently, Karan learned to use technology and dumped the earlier method, when his mother used to read his study material aloud and record everything for her son to follow. On meeting the NTPCian, the recording on tape became redundant, thus helping the school-goer to come out as a topper in 10th Board. He was so happy with the result that one fine day he landed up to thank his mentor with a branded pair of apparel, inviting some words of wisdom from the otherwise shy and reticent Mukesh.

"I told him not to feel the baggage and rather move on with lots of positive feelings and keep on sharing the knowledge in future,"  sumps up Mukesh with a sense of satisfaction.

Today, when I revisit the entire episode, I too feel some sense of belongingness. There are opportunities when we can help our society in small small ways, which may in the long run translate into Karan-like success stories. Corporates should also follow the same sense of belongingness in order to translate their much-hyped CSR briefs into some success stories, even in bits and pieces.

Sadly, according to a recent survey by Charities Aid Foundation and market research agency IMRB (as reported in Business Standard), we Indians believe in giving, when it matters to the cause of Religion than anything else. Giving for the sake of giving is a big No, even today.

The thinking must change. There is no confusion in me that we all must take care well of ourselves, our families, our parents, spouses, sons and daughters, brother and sisters, our neighbours, then our extended neighbours. If I am not sensitive to the sorrows of my neighbour, shame on me, my profession, my organisation, my education....!!!

If we all at our individual level take care of such little little things, the company, the society and the nation can do wonders, in CSR, collectively.

Tail piece : Always remember, "Thy need is more," said my schoolteacher in one occasion.

Between the Lines - II

First someone said, almost in a filmy style, that it happens only in India, and not in Bharat. But over a week or so after the Delhi gang rape incident, one can shamelessly measure the quantum of our collective duskarma which has much deeper roots in many pockets of this Bharat.

For example, Kanker, a place in the state of Chhattisgarh where I presently inhabit as part of my 30-year-license of Bharat Darshan, has got the attention of national media for all the wrong reasons. Girls in a tribal hostel being raped by warden and security staff for two long years and some local daily broke the story for the entire nation to talk.

To top it all, the state Home minister blames the rise in duskarma to some planetary positions.

Obviously, it happens only in India!!..

In a lighter vain, if there was no Delhi on that sad evening, it was a complete bore. Paypal's obsession in building a city in Mars, that to only for vegeterians, was something that offered a good read throughtout the fortnight, if I remember correctly.

To one of my favourite writers, bores may put you to sleep but they are necessary as they make our universe a safe place to inhabit. After reading his piece earlier this week, respect for bores has got such a jump in me that I would no more consider myself a bore anymore!!

So what if I could not sing a song, I could not mingle, I could not giggle, I could not love, I could not mimic. So what if I was not even considered an excellent rating in my profession.

Life is simply a distance of a few years travelled between a womb and a funeral spot.

Between the Lines - I

Good that the world at our feet didn't come to an end as predicted by some believers in the US. Those who had spent on buying bunkers to retaliate the "calamity" as reported in some international media could have done a better investment in an otherwise challenging financial times!!

Apparently, there was a big sigh of relief, allover the West. They had taken terrorism to a somehow logical conclusion, then the return of Obama had some solace to offer. Those non-believers of Democracy and  Human Values, be it Egypt or Miyanmar, are gradually being uprooted to pave the way for democratic way of life.

The one story that stands out in the whole of 2012 is what started in Cairo and ultimately reached the streets of Delhi. The snatching of the voice by the youth armed by social media. That could be the reason why newspapers are floating stories on finding their next partner,  in the Fifth Estate.

But we had a sad end. All our efforts from Safdurjung to Elizabeth went in vain. We all should mourn in our own way. I did switched off my cell phone for almost the entire day in a symbolic protest and to pay homage to the departed soul.

Things have reached such an extent that writing poems, sitting quiet or even marching with candle lights won't  do much in this country. To bring in change, we need to be the agents of the same change. In a recent article in Outlook, the celebrated author Arundhati Roy pokes fun of the civil society groups, a la Aam Admi Party, saying those trying to bring in change in the political rut have ultimately become part of the rut. Theoretically right. But, may be that's why, some do sympathise with Kejriwal & co instead of being critical about them.

Or if they prove terribly wrong and end up getting elected to either of the Houses somehow, we can then have a live case study on how to be an MP in a scheduled duration. Fooder for our B-school grads!! A sort of self- help guide patented by the Fifth Estate and for the facebook-loving India to follow!!!

Return of the Latecomer

A young mother points finger at her husband for raping her 4-year-old daughter in Bangalore, A ward boy performs surgery in an UP hospital and the CMO defends this on national media, a celebrated Bollywood director/writer talks about changing black money into white during a sting operation, a school girl belonging to Tagore's Viswabharati is made to swallow her urine and then a much-hyped Swamy, a la Agnivesh, finds a desi-therapy in it, and to the worst of all, a mob literally rapes a 11th standard girl on the busy streets of Gouhati...Is this the end of the road!!!!! Or should we say "Bade bade desh main chhote chhote aeise ghatnaen hote hain"....

xxxx

A  heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter,  the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water.  Only
There is shadow under this red rock...
xxxx
I could not Speak, and my eyes failed,
I was neither Living nor dead, and I knew nothing,
Looking into the heart of light, the silence...
xxxx
Writing should come, you should feel writing, much like you feel hungry, you feel angry, you feel toilet, & you feel masterbation...& you write like a free bird...without taking a pause to think that you had such a vacuum to fill!!!
xxxx

"Dream is not something that you see in sleep, it is the thing which does not let you sleep," said APJ.

 

All for the Cup

Incidentally, I have seen only three matches in the run up to this World Cup. Against Australia, Pakistan and finally the sher, Sinhalis. Beilieve me, I could not stop my eyes rolling down a few drops. What I liked the most was Dhoni proved himself at the right moment, and more so by not sticking onto the cup for a historic photoshoot on the stadium itself. It was a national relief after a national disaster a la a series of scams making the headlines. And no matter if I bunked three half-days in office for that common cause of Youngistan.

I could well recall how I had almost sacrifised my +2 career for a World Cup in '96. I started watching the match the day Sachin entered the arena of cricket in Karachi. Then I used to emulate Azhar's fielding style, but would love watching Sachin and reading every newspaper piece on his cricketing acumen. I had even memorised one such brilliant piece published in TOI in case I had to write on any person close to my heart on any competition__a typically smart childhood syndrome!!

Now as a the madness comes to its climax, will Poonam Pandey, the one who had declared in broad-daylight to nude herself if India wins the Cup, do the needful for the Team India, as well as the cricket lovers at large?

Femme Fatale

A good read from one of my favourite tabloids, Daily Mail, after a long long time.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1352053/Run-marriage-Spousonomics-A-new-book-says-applying-economic-rules-transform-relationship.html

Marriage is much like a business enterprise. Like you address your business issues in the most practical manner and often think from economics point of view, a similar approach must be adopted with adequate intelligence and emotion to get the maximum of marital bliss, says the article.

You rarely stumble upon such stories that takes you to heaven for some time. They make our newspapers look really silly, talking 24x7 about onion, Arushi and Baba Ramdev and doing little justice to "swiss-leaks" or for Maoist mediators!!

I still remember how I had an Archimedes' pleasure when I got to read about "Babe Theory" (courtesy http://www.willisms.com/archives/2005/03/more_on_the_bab_1.html), thanks to my natural instinct for such stories which was a life-time gift of my Times Days.

Since then, I have realised no movement can succeed without a female gender on the top!! Be it Lebanon, India, Pakistan, US or even Egypt. They are there anywhere and everywhere.

The essence of Babe Theory of political movement says, where and when there are hot babes, an exponential number of men will show up. If 100 cute girls with voluptuous bodies are protesting for freedom, you can count on a thousand men being there as well.

Probably, this has many takers amongst the many upcoming aspiring byline seekers of our media fraternity than anybody else.

But I am yet to find someone whom should I give the credit for Tahirr Square!!

More so, are there enough of them to come to the streets of our next destination, Bahrain??

‘Cool’ Factor: A defining moment for prime-time TV

This article which had been expecting some brush-up before being sent to Hoot two years back is just discovered in a folder and suddenly found to be fine read!! Read on...

“After IPL what…” was the great Indian dilemma across the media when the limited-over cricket carnival came to an end in June. Analysts, more than the readers and the viewers, had almost written off the future of prime time TV in the context of mass-hysteria created over T20. They had TRP data of various TV soaps vis-à-vis the IPL viewership to do all the talking.
Surprisingly, a few weeks later, it is a completely different scenario in the world of Television Entertainment. There is even new channel such as Colors (and the one soon-to-be launched by Balaji Telefilms, as reported by newspapers) with a lot of fresh air, making both the viewers as well as the news channels literally go crazy after its new-found 8-year-old ‘bohu’ Anandi.
The latest Television Rating Points (TRPs) of the show Balika Vaadhu released by TAM reveal that it has notched up an average rating of 4.60 for channel Colors and is all set to win the viewers away from Bidaai of Star Plus, while three-weeks-old Indian Idol of Sony Entertainment TV is in the league of Top Four.
A closer look at the recent/ongoing prime time serials/soaps/talk-shows by various entertainment channels must enlighten us with the fact that there is a paradigm shift in their packaging to get noticed by the increasingly ‘cool’ viewer of the Emerging India. There seems to be a lot of experimentation and constant communication to woo the young, employed, not-so-regular, ‘cool’ (women) viewer by providing them with some sort of solution to the stereotype.
From Chitrahar in early 90s to the Salman Khan-hosted Dus Ka Dum, there seems to be a complete evolution of our culture of TV viewing. Then, a hot number of Anil Kapur and Madhuri Dikhit could raise the decibel to such a level that some ‘conservative’ parents would often prohibit their children to watch such shows. Two decades later, the same family members giggle together when a macho Salman starts almost every question with “a highly pun-intended” Kitne pratisat mahilayen…!!
Much to the delight of the new-age viewer, nobody is having any problem when a Hriteish Deshmukh is confronted with a query on his sexual preference, “Are you a gay?”, in Sajid’s Super Star on Colors, thanks to the rise in comfort level among the hitherto morally-focussed Indian middleclass. The changing nature of economically comfortable Indians to celebrate the spirit of life despite everything has much to do with the changing culture even in the area of watching Television. Hence, the new age viewer has no qualms in hearing something which used to be a ‘taboo’ to his ears till recently.
This phenomenon is an offshoot of the corporatisation of media which is again a contribution of globalization. In addition to the economic globalization, this corporatization of media seems to have a profound impact on the audience, thereby redefining the new-age viewer from its traditional counterpart.
The trend that received de-facto certification from Laughter Challenge and the likes has now reached a point of no return. The situation is such that anybody and everybody is being subjected to ‘fun’ to make a mark in the race for TRP. Reel-life link-ups such as Rahul Mahajan with either Monica (Bedi) or Payal in Big Boss2 or SriSanth with Surbin in Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena in Colors is even making news on news channels. To top it all, news portals like IBN-LIVE, www.moneycontrol.com have provided links for BigBoss2 and Hindi news channels like Star News, News24 etc have become the ultimate platform for comedy serials, in their bid to cash in on this gossips-driven TRP.
Thirteen beauties line up in Khatron Ka Khiladi with a new-found thrill to prove themselves in an area which traditionally does not belong to them and finally someone walks away with a yellow band much like the Orange Cap in IPL tournament. This has some larger social implication. The courage or thrill factor is a demonstration of much polished feminism in the changing scenario. The same could be a strategy to strike a chord with the evolving woman viewer who rules the TV remote in the family unlike her previous generation.
In tune with the mindset, there has been a metamorphosis of TV content to establish a bond with the viewer’s thinking process. If Anandi is hot among all onscreen ‘bahu’s, it is because she provides a larger section of the audience an occasion to experience the ‘taboo’ (read child marriage) on screen which was hitherto a chapter in their history text books or at best a feature story in some local magazine or in a weekly supplement of a newspaper. It is in fact ‘cool’ to visualize something which is confined to anecdotes and that’s why Balika Vadhu has provided an instant gratification for the viewers who were almost sick of K-soaps.
Similarly, Anu Mallik paints a ‘cool’ picture for Indian Idol by changing the portrait of a judge to assess the voice in a serial with all his human emotions displayed in public unlike the one having mastery in art of consolation for the participants.

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(The article is based on the writer’s personal views. He can be contacted at nayak.ashutosh@gmail.com)

Being Faazil

Expectedly, the most common teaser from my friends these days is how's my life post Marriage, assuming I would repeat those overtly secret oneliners. But I love to react the way it is, "Married Bachelors". That's the way we live today.

I get up at 8.30 and leaves for office by 8.45 in the morning. I take bath if I feel like, and rarely conmsumes breakfast. But a tight hug and some quick passionate kisses, ensuring that I would be back in a few hours, between me and my lovely wife have become a creative addition to my morning menu. Yes, I have started loving formal wears in place of my ususal zeans, T-shirt. It is rather a thoughtful exercise to give an equal opportunity to the long kept formal wears see some light of the day before vanishing into oblivion, no matter if some people in the surrounding act to not have recognised me with formal attire.

Even as I join my job she slips into her leftover dream on the bed. She lies there till she loves to be there. But she would be all ready by 1 pm when I reach home for lunch.

I would always be there with all necessary non-sense ("faazil", that's the word she uses for my sweet non-sense) and she with her many untiring special skills including posing before the mirror at regular intervals, talking at length about face care and singing and dancing to every possibility.

We eat together, cook together, dance together, and still love to be together when nobody is around. We see our love, smell our love and eat our love while walking, driving, cutting vegetable or watching TV. As the clock ticks 3 pm I jump onto the bath room. I want to leave soon and she tries to experiment some new outfit on me. Both of us play with the Deodorant and I leave for office much like in the morning.

I believe during the second half of the day she does some reading apart from other stuff. Our evening starts with two glasses of glucose-water, then driving, gym, juice centre, gupchupwala and many more only to return home by 9.30 pm. Then she would be on to the Tv and I onto my lappy. After a while, I too join her on the same sofa. It would be 11.30 and we head for the kitchen. Suddenly, I get reenergised to try out some new dish and she does the final touch. By 12 we are again at our love bed. She grabs her Olive bottle and I love watching her as always.

For her, we both have become more "faazil" at this hour of the day.

For Those Who Can't Sing

Then I was probably in Class V and we had a song competition in our school. Those days, I used to top in debate, recitation, GK etc. The frequency of success in curricular activities was so regular that I thought why not have a try in singing...it could only be a matter of making an attempt. The competition had already begun. In stead of seating idle like an audience I drove into my classroom, opened my Oriya book and started practising one of the poems having lyrical component to qualify in the competition. After a 15-minute rehearsal, I went back to the common hall where the event was on its way. Mid-way I got my name entered and soon came my number. I started like an ever-confident school boy, aspiring to add another feather in his cap. There was huge appalause and I was on cloud nine. With more appalause, I accelerated my tempo, the tone and tenor got a push which was a little beyond accuracy. Adding one more feather was reverberating in my mind. I am a school-teacher's son and the son can't be defeated in presence of his father, no matter how cruel the gathering might be. There was more appalause and I had raised my tone to such an extent that it was sounding more of a debate than a song. But I was committed to finish. Every school-teacher's son bears that huge responsibility in that phase of life that you have to win despite everything. As good luck would have it, I had finally finished the poem and returned to sit amid huge huge appalause. Then, I had taken a vow not to participate in any song competition ever.


Today, after so many years, I was watching karaoke singing competition. With me was my beautiful wife. It was rather she dragged me to be part of that occasion. We were there till the end, even to hear who was taking the trophy home. But during the competition, I found someone singing much like my fifth class experience. Backbenchers were shouting once more, once more. But I could sympathise with the engineer singer for the fact that he made an attempt. He was at his ease for the sake of being ease with himself. There is a pleasure of being not perfect at all. There is a pleasure of throwing out that "what others will think" complexity from ourself once and for all. There is a pleasure in doing small small things that you used to think undoable and take excuse for time's sake.

If I can learn swimming at the age of 30 why can't I sing, dance and do all such stuff that I could not do at the true stage of life because of either my past context or complexity I used to have.

A Photograph & A Passenger

I was deep into this photograph posted in the Orkut profile of my dear pal of +2 days. There was nothing awesome in it. Nor was it a treat to watch for a common viewer. But this photograph of the recently built house in his village had enough to strike my stream of consciousness, resulting in a brief comment in his Orkut profile and subsequently share those thoughts with one of my fellow colleagues.

For me, the newly built house painted white having a Tulsi chaura and a Hero Honda motor bike in the front and the old mud-house in the side, has a story close to many of our hearts. It makes me a thinking man's picture. How a man (read his retired school-teacher father) toils all his life to bring up his kids, his family, runs breathlessly for a lease of life and then gradutes (by fortune) to build a house at a time when he has little to cherish...most of our families have a similar story to tell...it pains me...because we are, as if, destined to take all difficulties in our stride, we are designed not to be different and not take up and pursue challenges at the right stage of life. But one thing satisfies me despite the gloom all around. That this is honest money. And that's why the honest always stands alone. Standing Along is not that easy.

The photograph attracts me because I also share a similar dream, the DNA of which has been transmitted from our parents for whom it has remained a life-time desire. Our oriental culture never allows us to think about money at a time when we decide our career. You take up your career before you tend to know what you like and what not. (May be things are changing gradually.) Material pleasure is a bad connotation even today. But we forget one thing that religion is never practised in an empty stomach.

Alas, we still live in a world of hegemony.

I still remember the words of an Army officer who advised me to read Rich Dad, Poor Dad and thus understand the legitimacy of wealth creation as in the Western society and know the importance of finding a career ensuring a life full of wealth. He was my copassenger in train in which I was travelling to Hyderabad to study Communication. Later, I purchased that book from Koti Market in Hyderabad but I had never read it once, quite in sync with the symbolic relation between me and wealth creation.

At times, in forlorn, I try to remember the interaction between me and the Army officer.