In Loving Memory of my 'Raju Bhaiya'....
When i was 3 , i was d lone child n d festival of rakhi was d last thing on earth to be enjoyed ... but then there was this person who lived near my house n was my mom's fren's son....i fondly called him raju bhaiya....a brother who cared for me like one and made me feel as special as his other two sisters even in the absence of any blood relation between us....every year during the festival of rakhi i used 2 wish for his long life...in return he'd gift me cadbury celebrations......n if not dat...then loads of money...one day i asked him...bhaiya why do sisters have to pray for a long life for their brothers n why do brothers promise to protect them in return...isnt that just obvious....being a sister ill always wish for ur better.....he smiled back n handed a dairy milk as an answer....wat more i did not ask anything more...his wedding was one of the special days of my life...the day when my brother got married....i was overwhelmed by the fact that ill hav sum1 to call "bhabhi" now....he was very happy too...i was too...for him...eventually after his wedding he shifted to noida....i hav never been 2 his place in noida in 2 years....25 may was the day i came back to delhi from mumbai .....n durin d way back home dad told me that raju bhaiya had committed suicide in his office a week ago..the news was shocking...depressing...devastating...unbelievable...tears flew unstoppably from my eyes....for the next few days i planted myself in a cocoon...not talkin 2 anyone....just sitting...standing...crying... remembering the days i spent with him...why he took such a huge step....n how he must have suffered...its depressing that ill never be able 2 c u again....not on rakhi...not ever ...the last words if i can recall that he told me a long tym ago was to cum to the house that he had bought wid his own money...not a penny from his parents....unfortunately....his last wish from me has still remained a wish...i did not visit his place ....and i do not intend to......his suicide note said he committed suicide due to financial trouble...perhaps the house cost him his home...his family...his life.As tears still flow by....i can only say ill miss u...n u didnt have to do this....
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Monday, May 26, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
The un-known Religion
just another discussion with a friend one day turned out 2 b a 'weird' one.....i always thought India is still not free...still not secular.... but listening to the fear from a friend was disturbing.....The discussion re-affirmed my thoughts about GOD.......even though he might exist....i t is improbable that he is cloned into...the prophet....jesus....ram....waheguru...and so on....(only today i came 2 know there are about 33 crore god and goddesses in India....phew maan!!!....)
well back 2 d issue...a cousin of hers who is studying at IIT Kharakpur was not granted the visa for a trip to the US because he was a Muslim n his name matched 2 d one of some terrorist.....the officer told him..."if ur a Muslim why don't u live in Pakistan???"...hell man...wtf is he to tell him whr he shd b livin??.......what right does he hav 2 say that????
We are all such big racists.....the whole world.....bloody religionists....i cannot in any way imagine the state of mind she is in....coz i cannot understand the fear...the fear of being a Muslim.....my religion never affected me although im not even a firm believer in it....i never thot religion could form barriers around you dat it wud limit ur physical movements....its sad...its tragic....its hideous...this country is as much hers as mine...then why shud she b scared ????.....the fear is not limited to her ....its actually because of all of us....each one of us.....
such an attitude is above all disgusting....we talk of racism and claim Indians can never b one coz we are secular....!!!!.....cum on.... up people....why shud one's religion be his/her identity???....isnt there anythn else on earth that we have started makin religion such an issue?? .....why??...why???
well back 2 d issue...a cousin of hers who is studying at IIT Kharakpur was not granted the visa for a trip to the US because he was a Muslim n his name matched 2 d one of some terrorist.....the officer told him..."if ur a Muslim why don't u live in Pakistan???"...hell man...wtf is he to tell him whr he shd b livin??.......what right does he hav 2 say that????
We are all such big racists.....the whole world.....bloody religionists....i cannot in any way imagine the state of mind she is in....coz i cannot understand the fear...the fear of being a Muslim.....my religion never affected me although im not even a firm believer in it....i never thot religion could form barriers around you dat it wud limit ur physical movements....its sad...its tragic....its hideous...this country is as much hers as mine...then why shud she b scared ????.....the fear is not limited to her ....its actually because of all of us....each one of us.....
such an attitude is above all disgusting....we talk of racism and claim Indians can never b one coz we are secular....!!!!.....cum on.... up people....why shud one's religion be his/her identity???....isnt there anythn else on earth that we have started makin religion such an issue?? .....why??...why???
Friday, February 15, 2008
WE-DAY
it came....it stayed....it rocked everyone's pockets.....and finally it went.....and HOW....
Every year....14 February comes in India with a hullabaloo ....on one hand are the 'lovers' and on the other are the so called "anti social elements"...with so much moral policing around....freedom is hunting for a meaning....
those who are against it call it a western phenomenon which is --------- the indian society. And for whom the day has a 'meaning' call THEM the anti social elements....amidst all this the meaning of love and relationships is folded, molded and bettered to its worst....
A daily newspaper Metro Now celebrated Valentines day in a hatke style...what i loved about their way of celebrating this day was that...they handed roses to all those people who -through their artistic styles- were trying to make the city a better (read:stinkier...dirtier...actually...worse) place to live in. Through their style of 'Gandhigiri' they caught all those who were peeing in public and handed them a rose. They even took their pictures which were published in their newspaper.But it was not only those who were peeing in public were celebrating the 'special' day....there were more....the autowala bhaiyas who always refuse to go by the meter(or dont go at all!!) .... jaywalkers etc etc....
In all ...a commendable attempt by Metro Now....and also a very nice way to celebrate valentines day....
It needs to be understood (and accepted...) that valentines is not only for those who have those 'special someones' in their lives....its just another way of expressing love....to anyone, with anyone...be it your friends....family....or your city....
Every year....14 February comes in India with a hullabaloo ....on one hand are the 'lovers' and on the other are the so called "anti social elements"...with so much moral policing around....freedom is hunting for a meaning....
those who are against it call it a western phenomenon which is --------- the indian society. And for whom the day has a 'meaning' call THEM the anti social elements....amidst all this the meaning of love and relationships is folded, molded and bettered to its worst....
A daily newspaper Metro Now celebrated Valentines day in a hatke style...what i loved about their way of celebrating this day was that...they handed roses to all those people who -through their artistic styles- were trying to make the city a better (read:stinkier...dirtier...actually...worse) place to live in. Through their style of 'Gandhigiri' they caught all those who were peeing in public and handed them a rose. They even took their pictures which were published in their newspaper.But it was not only those who were peeing in public were celebrating the 'special' day....there were more....the autowala bhaiyas who always refuse to go by the meter(or dont go at all!!) .... jaywalkers etc etc....
In all ...a commendable attempt by Metro Now....and also a very nice way to celebrate valentines day....
It needs to be understood (and accepted...) that valentines is not only for those who have those 'special someones' in their lives....its just another way of expressing love....to anyone, with anyone...be it your friends....family....or your city....
Sunday, January 20, 2008
phir bhi dil hai hindustani....
"hum sab ek hain!!" i guess only in movies....and even if its true its an old one. we have a new version ost developing india...."ek main aur ek tu!!"
Off late certain issues have been disturbing me so much so that i always ended up fighting with people...since 'fighting' or raising our voices is something that we are such experts at...we call ouselves a free economy but take less time in overreacting to issues that in many cases are not even 'issues'...
Be it the Danish cartoon or the banning of AXN for two months in India or the controversies surrounding M.F. Hussain and Salman Rushdie or many others like them… . Just today NDTV’s office in Ahmedabad was vandalized by goons claiming to be a part of some political outfits (who clearly disowned them…). The larger question is … Where is the India which was an example of peace brotherhood and “aadmi hoon aadmi se pyar karta hun” feeling?? Which society are we heading towards??
In a country where a politician calls the opposition leaders ‘hijras’ at a public rally and everyone plays a mute spectator and on the other hand a news channel conducts a poll and its office is vandalized and employees injured…just because they were offended to one of the nominees in the poll. Where is the freedom of expression now??
Come valentines day and our dear Shiv Sena and VHP workers venture out and attack all couples in their vicinity, vandalize restraunts, card shops etc etc….calling it a western phenomenon and more…when a leadng actress from south India when asked in an interview presents her views on pre-marital sex she is attacked several times…. when Richard Gere kisses Shilpa Shetty, his effigies are burnt and there are widespread protests . But when a girl is harassed and molested in broad daylight at a public place we turn a blind eye and a deaf ear... noone tries to help her. Because we all are so scared.…
But why??
How can we denied of our rights so easily and the best part is that we don't raise our voices against it. We really don’t care whom we are voting for or how our country is being governed?? The truth is that when we vote (well, this is for those who vote because for most of us it is that perfect holiday when we dine out and watch movies) . so for those of us who vote its almost like a family tradition where we vote for those candidates to whom our elders have been voting for... We need to keep the tradition alive you see!! But wait I guess in a country like India we will have those who shall prove this wrong...and those are the ones who care for the future of their country
Where are today’s Subhash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh ?? can we only promise to put our lives at stake or is a fake pledge we take in front of the cameras when we are auditioning for MTV Roadies???
But when i read the newspaper today i got some answers...it was muharram yesterday and members of a hindu family in Uttar Pradesh sent out a special message, "we fast for muharram and ramzan just as we do for navratras.For us both Hinduism and Islam are equal" .... So hence proved ....Is it true that we haven't changed much ...just a little?? ...But that doesn't mean that whatever i said is not true!! considering what's at stake (my whole article) ill try to give the only example dribbling inside my head...its just like whenever our mother cooks kheer for us ...even if its does not have that perfect taste we dont mind....at the end of it , its cooked by our mother (and yah because its kheer)....
Similarly, i guess we shall remain what we were just a little change here and there....some less sugar but after all "phir bhi dil hai hindustani"....
Well i cant find a proper conclusion so i guess ill leave it to you ....does it all even matter to you?? when was the last time you tried to listen to your heart and make an effort to help someone or to set an example ?? to change for the good...for your country..your people...and you!!!
Off late certain issues have been disturbing me so much so that i always ended up fighting with people...since 'fighting' or raising our voices is something that we are such experts at...we call ouselves a free economy but take less time in overreacting to issues that in many cases are not even 'issues'...
Be it the Danish cartoon or the banning of AXN for two months in India or the controversies surrounding M.F. Hussain and Salman Rushdie or many others like them… . Just today NDTV’s office in Ahmedabad was vandalized by goons claiming to be a part of some political outfits (who clearly disowned them…). The larger question is … Where is the India which was an example of peace brotherhood and “aadmi hoon aadmi se pyar karta hun” feeling?? Which society are we heading towards??
In a country where a politician calls the opposition leaders ‘hijras’ at a public rally and everyone plays a mute spectator and on the other hand a news channel conducts a poll and its office is vandalized and employees injured…just because they were offended to one of the nominees in the poll. Where is the freedom of expression now??
Come valentines day and our dear Shiv Sena and VHP workers venture out and attack all couples in their vicinity, vandalize restraunts, card shops etc etc….calling it a western phenomenon and more…when a leadng actress from south India when asked in an interview presents her views on pre-marital sex she is attacked several times…. when Richard Gere kisses Shilpa Shetty, his effigies are burnt and there are widespread protests . But when a girl is harassed and molested in broad daylight at a public place we turn a blind eye and a deaf ear... noone tries to help her. Because we all are so scared.…
But why??
How can we denied of our rights so easily and the best part is that we don't raise our voices against it. We really don’t care whom we are voting for or how our country is being governed?? The truth is that when we vote (well, this is for those who vote because for most of us it is that perfect holiday when we dine out and watch movies) . so for those of us who vote its almost like a family tradition where we vote for those candidates to whom our elders have been voting for... We need to keep the tradition alive you see!! But wait I guess in a country like India we will have those who shall prove this wrong...and those are the ones who care for the future of their country
Where are today’s Subhash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh ?? can we only promise to put our lives at stake or is a fake pledge we take in front of the cameras when we are auditioning for MTV Roadies???
But when i read the newspaper today i got some answers...it was muharram yesterday and members of a hindu family in Uttar Pradesh sent out a special message, "we fast for muharram and ramzan just as we do for navratras.For us both Hinduism and Islam are equal" .... So hence proved ....Is it true that we haven't changed much ...just a little?? ...But that doesn't mean that whatever i said is not true!! considering what's at stake (my whole article) ill try to give the only example dribbling inside my head...its just like whenever our mother cooks kheer for us ...even if its does not have that perfect taste we dont mind....at the end of it , its cooked by our mother (and yah because its kheer)....
Similarly, i guess we shall remain what we were just a little change here and there....some less sugar but after all "phir bhi dil hai hindustani"....
Well i cant find a proper conclusion so i guess ill leave it to you ....does it all even matter to you?? when was the last time you tried to listen to your heart and make an effort to help someone or to set an example ?? to change for the good...for your country..your people...and you!!!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
....not me, WE
Killing in the name of….
Mahatma Gandhi said , “ I have nothing new to teach the world truth and non-violence are as old as the hills…”. I, a lesser known (actually an unknown) soul would rather quote “hatred and communal violence are as old as truth and non-violence…” . so much so that it has become a world of convenience.We have come in terms of accepting them in our day to day lives and yes.....we have no qualms about it. I remember my younger brother in his nursery class....one day he came up to my parents and said, "mom i want shoes with spikes in them like the ones cricketers and footballers use"....my mom amazed, enquired of the reason. he then replied that he had a scuffle with some other classmates and so he wanted to 'smash them up'..... of course we didn't buy them for him ....
In today’s world as we long for peace and happiness it is sometimes so strange to see some spreading fear and terror. Be it Bush uncle, Osama uncle, Pervez uncle or their ancestors like Hitler ….all of them are being named together in the paradigm of fear, terror and hatred that they have created.
Terrorist attacks, communal violence, “invasions”, war, “jihad” ….are some words with which we are so familiar that if now we hear of some bomb blast, we don’t bother to care much about it since it has become such a common phenomenon. And its scary….what knowledge are we imparting to our future generations? What is going to be the future? And will there be a future at all?? Who are we killing each other for? In whose name? The ONE who created us?? I wonder what he must be thinking…probably himself trying to find the answers…
It’s so sad that forget humans rather every living being is fighting for their basic right to survive in this age. It’s become a rat race …a lion race ….a survival race. And it is startling how one can so easily snatch away another’s right to survive. How can we be so merciless??? How can we let this happen??? Why are we quiet?? When are we going to speak out and say , that we don't need terror rather peace...and a better world for everyone…. Why don’t we exercise this power….the power of oneness….the power of unity…the power of ‘we’……
Mahatma Gandhi said , “ I have nothing new to teach the world truth and non-violence are as old as the hills…”. I, a lesser known (actually an unknown) soul would rather quote “hatred and communal violence are as old as truth and non-violence…” . so much so that it has become a world of convenience.We have come in terms of accepting them in our day to day lives and yes.....we have no qualms about it. I remember my younger brother in his nursery class....one day he came up to my parents and said, "mom i want shoes with spikes in them like the ones cricketers and footballers use"....my mom amazed, enquired of the reason. he then replied that he had a scuffle with some other classmates and so he wanted to 'smash them up'..... of course we didn't buy them for him ....
In today’s world as we long for peace and happiness it is sometimes so strange to see some spreading fear and terror. Be it Bush uncle, Osama uncle, Pervez uncle or their ancestors like Hitler ….all of them are being named together in the paradigm of fear, terror and hatred that they have created.
Terrorist attacks, communal violence, “invasions”, war, “jihad” ….are some words with which we are so familiar that if now we hear of some bomb blast, we don’t bother to care much about it since it has become such a common phenomenon. And its scary….what knowledge are we imparting to our future generations? What is going to be the future? And will there be a future at all?? Who are we killing each other for? In whose name? The ONE who created us?? I wonder what he must be thinking…probably himself trying to find the answers…
It’s so sad that forget humans rather every living being is fighting for their basic right to survive in this age. It’s become a rat race …a lion race ….a survival race. And it is startling how one can so easily snatch away another’s right to survive. How can we be so merciless??? How can we let this happen??? Why are we quiet?? When are we going to speak out and say , that we don't need terror rather peace...and a better world for everyone…. Why don’t we exercise this power….the power of oneness….the power of unity…the power of ‘we’……
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
... so i write
That same old story…
Hey hey!! Please don’t close the tab already since now u have read the heading. These headings sometime kill the whole fun of the story , they make the whole story so predictable at times…whatever ill not go on and on now and stick to my ‘heading’ ,now that I m not writing this story to prove that they do kill the whole fun…well this is not just any other same old story ,it is a collection of my experiences with the city…
lately Hindustan Times’ ‘I love Delhi campaign ’ has been an eye opener…the newspaper highlighted all the nice things about Delhi and what was mote interesting was the overwhelming response that they received from their readers …it was a commendable thought now that we love to hate everything around us…the horrible transport system ,always nagging auntys, cheap men, irritating autowallahs , dirty roads and people that litter and have converted the whole city into a BIG toilet and yes not to forget the government (it is always so convenient to blame the government whenever we cant find anyone else to blame!).
A radio channel RED FM also attempted to make Delhi a better place for those residing and those visiting…the campaign “dilli ke chamakte sitare” was a funny and sarcastic take on those ‘’ shining stars of the city such as seeti bhaiya the ‘eve teaser’ whose aim is to stare and ogle at every girl…the susu uncle due to whom the walls of the city are not alone covered in paint…and many other ‘stars’ whose contribution to the city is ‘inevitable’ …the campaign was so carried out in such a spirit that the message was also delivered and the entertainment quotient was also maintained…so much so that I once called my mother “kachra aunty” when once she threw something from the car window… in the light of all this I try to recount some of my experiences with the city…
And living in delhi who can forget the very popular and (now) very unpopular ‘killer’ blueline buses ….and everyday I experience something new including some near to death experiences (apart from those men staring at you) ...and you cursing environmentalists for discouraging the use of deo sprays…dumb men yelling their vocal cords out...and budhdhi aunties giving those glances for wearing that sleeveless top...for the sake of timepass..... I attempt to try my hand at ‘face reading’ those around me .....it is such a ‘joyful ’ ride at times…it teaches you so much at times that you hate traveling in them yet you do… faces expressing worry(oh no I’m late to work again and probably ill be fired today!!), anger(I hate my boss….i hate my boss!!), happiness(now that’s a difficult one to spot!), irritation(trust me when you leave home all ‘fresh’ the least you expect is to be covered in sweat and smell like hell when you reach your destination ) etc etc…children selling pen torches, and beggars singing for money…all this I guess prepares you for the life ahead…and at the end of it you realize that India has a long way to go before it becomes a superpower ,the competition is not the U.S. but the society itself …we first need to accept how we are to move ahead and ensure that everyone has a say and feels a part of the so called ‘mainstream’ …transsexuals, gays , lesbians , people with disabilities etc should enjoy the same amount of liberties and freedom as you and I do…it is so sad to see people deprived of their basic right to live when we exercise such rights so liberally…and so I hope for a better tomorrow for the country ....
PS. Cudnt find an appropriate conclusion....*sob sob*
Hey hey!! Please don’t close the tab already since now u have read the heading. These headings sometime kill the whole fun of the story , they make the whole story so predictable at times…whatever ill not go on and on now and stick to my ‘heading’ ,now that I m not writing this story to prove that they do kill the whole fun…well this is not just any other same old story ,it is a collection of my experiences with the city…
lately Hindustan Times’ ‘I love Delhi campaign ’ has been an eye opener…the newspaper highlighted all the nice things about Delhi and what was mote interesting was the overwhelming response that they received from their readers …it was a commendable thought now that we love to hate everything around us…the horrible transport system ,always nagging auntys, cheap men, irritating autowallahs , dirty roads and people that litter and have converted the whole city into a BIG toilet and yes not to forget the government (it is always so convenient to blame the government whenever we cant find anyone else to blame!).
A radio channel RED FM also attempted to make Delhi a better place for those residing and those visiting…the campaign “dilli ke chamakte sitare” was a funny and sarcastic take on those ‘’ shining stars of the city such as seeti bhaiya the ‘eve teaser’ whose aim is to stare and ogle at every girl…the susu uncle due to whom the walls of the city are not alone covered in paint…and many other ‘stars’ whose contribution to the city is ‘inevitable’ …the campaign was so carried out in such a spirit that the message was also delivered and the entertainment quotient was also maintained…so much so that I once called my mother “kachra aunty” when once she threw something from the car window… in the light of all this I try to recount some of my experiences with the city…
And living in delhi who can forget the very popular and (now) very unpopular ‘killer’ blueline buses ….and everyday I experience something new including some near to death experiences (apart from those men staring at you) ...and you cursing environmentalists for discouraging the use of deo sprays…dumb men yelling their vocal cords out...and budhdhi aunties giving those glances for wearing that sleeveless top...for the sake of timepass..... I attempt to try my hand at ‘face reading’ those around me .....it is such a ‘joyful ’ ride at times…it teaches you so much at times that you hate traveling in them yet you do… faces expressing worry(oh no I’m late to work again and probably ill be fired today!!), anger(I hate my boss….i hate my boss!!), happiness(now that’s a difficult one to spot!), irritation(trust me when you leave home all ‘fresh’ the least you expect is to be covered in sweat and smell like hell when you reach your destination ) etc etc…children selling pen torches, and beggars singing for money…all this I guess prepares you for the life ahead…and at the end of it you realize that India has a long way to go before it becomes a superpower ,the competition is not the U.S. but the society itself …we first need to accept how we are to move ahead and ensure that everyone has a say and feels a part of the so called ‘mainstream’ …transsexuals, gays , lesbians , people with disabilities etc should enjoy the same amount of liberties and freedom as you and I do…it is so sad to see people deprived of their basic right to live when we exercise such rights so liberally…and so I hope for a better tomorrow for the country ....
PS. Cudnt find an appropriate conclusion....*sob sob*
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