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???

just exploring.....

the faith of religion....

if it comes to define myself i cant...its just something next to impossible...so wen a few days ago a fren asked me asked wat my religion was, i said...i had no religion but wen he askd again i said technically i shd be a hindu....he was obviously laughing his guts out at my wierdness n also said "everythn u say evokes another question"...well iv just accepted d fact dat im wierd.....n i dun wanna du nethn about it....i just dont care....

at least i dunt blindly go to d temple n ask for "gud marks n money n more money n more money...." well folks cant i jst believe in myself???.....i might sound like an atheist but im not exactly one....im not anti god....just individualistic...cant i jst be....jst an individual..... ..undictated......undisturbed....why is it so difficult in dis world to do what u want 2 do....to say what u want to say....to be what u want 2 b........n not analyzed n interpreted n misinterpreted.....

why is it essential to go to d temple n pray??.....even if one does believe in god why cant he just pray anywhere......or is god's address fixed??....well in that case he must b a terribly busy soul...soo many places 2 b at d same time....phewww!!!......well its not that i don't visit places of worship....d only difference is dat i only go to seek some solace n peace of mind...be it any place....a temple...a church...a gurudwara (plus langar...heehee) or a mosque....i do not disrespect those who are god-loving people...perhaps its my shortcoming that i could not understand His importance....His presence....

FILM REVIEWS

MORALITY TV AND THE LOVING JEHAD

DUR:29 MIN
DIR: PAROMITA VOHRA

The film is largely a mockery of the concept of Breaking News on India’s news channels.Set against the very popular "Operation laila-majnu" in meerut in 2004.The 'event' in which 'lovers' were attacked and beat up by the police and tv crews shamelessly recording it, was overplayed by the media.The film tries to explain how it was nothing but a mere set-up by the Meerut police. It also records the so-called-operation's take by various people.A local channel which was a joke in the name of a news channel.The editor proudly explained how all the 'news stories' are "edited", although no editing ever happens, its just lots of visuals compiled with a maximum of 2 bytes.The take by locals some of them who pictured it in a communal way.Although a counter argument of the same was absent.Laso various media persons take who played a huge role in converting a "systematically sponsored" set-up into an issue of national debate...



OCCAM'S RAZOR-ISHRAT JAHAN'S VERY EASY DEATH

DUR:24 MIN
DIR:PRITI CHANDRIANI

A very well made film it raises questions about the manner in which encounter killings are carried out in India.Ishrat Jahan Raza who was 'murdered' be the Ahmadabad police along with three others for allegedly plotting the murder of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.The film questions the way in which the so-called-encounter was carried out.Considering that the "terrorists" were traveling in a car with an original number plate,had i-cards which were not found to be fake, and the gun about which the Gujarat police claimed that the terrorists first open fired (there were no bullet marks on the police vehicle and no policeman was injured) for which they had to counter attack, was still locked.After this whole operation there was no explanation by the 'brave' Gujarat police and it ais a possibility that Ishrat was innocent and had no knowledge as to what was awaiting her on that ill fated day.19 year old Ishrat was killed in a cold blooded murder by the Ahmadabad police which time and again has been regularly continuing this practice each time in the name if assassination of Narendra Modi...

SOLD...

"WHEN I WAS TOLD I WILL BE SOLD
I THOUGHT MY BODY PARTS WILL BE CUT OFF AND SOLD....
I WAS WRONG.....
WHEN 'IT' HAPPENED TO ME EVERYDAY EVERY TIME I THOUGHT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER HAD MY BODY PARTS SOLD OFF...."

Identity: prostitute
Age: 14

when she was told that she is being sold she thought that her body parts will be cut and sold off....little did the innocent mind of a child realize that what would happen to her would be worse....
her parents could not afford her anymore so they 'sold' her like she was some vegetable... had that been the case it wold not have such an effect on her... she was made to sleep with six 'men' at one time....
men- wondering why i highlighted the word??.....well because those don't even deserve to be called men nor animals because even animals are not so heartless....i wonder what could be the psyche of the 'man' who would do it to a child the same age as his own children....
child prostitution is a billion dollar industry in India with child trafficking being easily possible from different states and no laws to control them... India's child sex industry is the second largest in the world next to Phillipenes...and nothing is being done to save those trapped....even if laws are there..implementation is absent...there is enough evidence to prove that even those claiming to 'save' and 'protect' us are a part of it....

My Elysium

Well finally I am pulling all thoughts (read: memories of a lifetime….) together to write about the love of my life….zack. Well this one is for you zack.

16 October 2006 is the best day of my life….well I am consciously using ‘is’ instead of ‘was’ because it isn’t past already for me…all thanks to you…

you changed and irritated, mindless ,short tempered, not-caring-for-emotions , feeling-less, insensitive ,pessimist into…a well…instead of acting narcissist I’d rather say…a better person…..(only if the readers who know me agree to it…discretion not advised…I am trying to be serious and emotional….)

Its been one and a half years since we first met and I held you in my hand…my hands trembled….you must have been barely a week old…I couldn’t spot your ears or your tail…u hadn’t opened your eyes by then…that moment….most special in my life….happens again everyday every hour…even though you’re big now (and have bitten me twice…)….

Thank you for all those times you growled at my friends who playfully tried to raise their hand on me. And also those two days when I didn’t eat food and you also didn’t eat because of me. Thank you for making home….a magnetic field ….

Even though I know you love mom more than me ….i love you

Even though you pull my hair….i love you

even when you bark like hell on passing motorists every time I take you out…I love you

and you still eat chapatis like chewing gums (and eventually spit them out)…I love you

you (sometimes…) intentionally pee on my Almira and run away the next moment (indicating how naughty you are that out of all the others you only pee in my room… )…I love you…

you get into dogfights with Browny and Suzie (I know how much you hate them..)… I love you

Even though you are still pulling my pants so that I take you to the terrace and play football….i love you

Before I close…a few words for you…straight from my heart…(and eric claptons too..)

Would you know my name, if I saw u in heaven

Would it be the same, if I saw u in heaven

And since we still have a long way to go … thank you for choosing me out instead of all the other ‘needy’ people who are still deprived of this special feeling….love you more than anything else…

your ‘didi’

a human by birth..a hijra by choice...

guess the above line says it all...
the other day i was on a bus and at one particular stop a 'hijra' entered the bus....she said one hijra from their community had died and they needed money for the last rites...i kept looking at her....i couldn't get my eyes off her....i was trying to face read...'is she lying or does she really need the money?'...i asked myself...she went to every seat begged every passenger....i kept on thinking...should i or should i not...is she lying or not...she came to me too...i had a few coins in my hand which i held tighter...but why?? i kept on thinking about her for days....some days later i saw a documentary on eunuchs in mumbai who had resorted to prostitution to earn a living.... they had no qualms about it...they were 'happy' or so?
they narrated how they reached here and what all problems they have to face being an eunuch....
how they ran away from their homes and reached here....how their families disowned them....one of them narrated what all she had faced...i was shocked...fascinated and intrigued all at the same time...she narrated how she was castrated....her penis removed without any medical aid...no anesthesia....nothing sterile...she stood there naked while her gurus surrounded her the room occupied to the fullest...the others were preparing for a 'celebration'...she looked around her...the walls full of pictures of their gurus and various other gods and goddesses...she was scared,excited,nervous...and happy all at the same time...she would now be a complete woman...she didn't care about the unsterile environment or because she might get infected...such thoughts didn't bother her....and suddenly...her guru slit her 'male organs'....that night there was a celebration....she was a woman now....a few weeks later she went back to her village... somewhere in south India...her parents were 'happy'...their boy was now a girl....the word spread like fire amongst the villagers and they visited in hoards to see how ramesh was no longer ramesh but rani...

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....

Build a bridge-results may vary

The religion of politics….

….The politics of religion

Off late both traditions have been widely observed world over .Be it India or any other country…politics has been widely dominated by divide. However it may be based….communal…caste…gender…regional…and the list is endless. the recent uproar by Raj Thakrey’s comments on non-maharashtrians in Maharashtra has again speculated the debate that has been existing since the birth of the first dinosaur. What is surprising is Shiv sena’s stand on the whole issue….and more surprising that they have no stand at all…considering the fact that the whole Maharashtrians vs. Non maharashtrians issue was given birth by the shiv sena itself….and that Raj thakrey although doesn’t anymore belong to shiv sena but shall carry on the legacy….Or even the US presidential elections…Race vs. Gender…..apart fron all the adjectives that can be used to describe this , what I find most appropriate right now is HOW LAME!! Have all the issues in the world ended that we have to resort to divisions like this?? And why...Please comment....come as you are...

DIVIDE AND RULE( 1947-you decide)

Looks like we are still not 'free'....It has been 60 years to our independence.....but the word itself is still trying to find a place for itself in a country governed by cheap vote-bank politics and communal dialogues....it seems that we have inherited a bit too much from the 'goras' (except from the railways --thank you 'goras' and way to go Mr. Lalu)
The recent 'incident' in Maharashtra has again speculated the whole debate of how the divide and rule policy has such deep roots in the indian politics....
the constitution says that indians can reside and travel in any part of the country....but looks like there are some who are willing to change it.
When Raj Thakrey had saperated from the shiv sena and had started his his own outfit Maharashtra Navnirman Sena his first speech was all about 'secularism' ,'unity' and all that jazz.... but he seems to have diverted from the song....the lyrics have created a wide uproar....the music is worse than any d-grade movie, and everyone sings as bad as Himesh Reshammiya....
And the worse part is that in the process of attack-counter attack between the MNS and the samajwadi party ....its the the layman who is suffering....
Be it the taxiwallahs or the roadside vendors.....all were attacked...their vehicles and articles damaged to the core....was it written on their faces if the were maharashtrians or non-maharashtrians???? who will pay for their damages??? a poor man leaves home in the morning with the intention that he will earn for his family and offer them a better life....what does he have to do with votebank politics?? what kind of a democracy is this??? Is this what the state has to offer.....and yet the 'culprit' is walkin lose....
Raj Thakrey asks what Amitabh Bachchan has done for maharashtra.....does he not pay taxes or does he have to be the "brand ambassador" of Maharashtra for not to be qualifies enough to appear in speeches of 'great politicians' like Mr. Raj Thakrey....
Wonder why Mr. Thakrey has so much time that he has no other person in the world to include in his speeches to woo the voters....Did he not have anything else in the world to say and so he had to resort to such measures to attract attention??? (too many Rakhi Sawant followers i suppose....)


so the moral of the story is........ nuthin actally.....i dont think we will ever learn this way...so we better leave morals for kindergarten students....

Au-to(w)-ing along... a tale of an auto traveller

After a very inspiring lecture a few days ago in class my friends and i have really taken it seriously and are doing our bit to what we call "exercising for our rights"....

since the past few days the delhi police's PCR service has been getting regular calls from us as we complain of auto rickshaw drivers who either refuse to go to the destination or refuse to go by the meter...even though it doesnt take us time dialing 1oo and complaining(toll free!!) i've been pondering over it ....something disturbs me....even though we all are being so vocal (aise kaise nahi chaloge meter se bhaiya??) i get a mixed feeling whenever i do it.... 'mixed' as in....i dont understand the whole purpose....the whole aim of getting one challaned....how do we know if he is in need....if he is poor...do we understand his point of view??...

the other day my mom and i had to come back fom south ex...when i asked an auto to take us to saket he demanded 60 rupees and so did his other accomplices... and what was strange was that all of them were doing so....everyone!!!! "kis kis ka registration number bataun??". i yelled.....but no use...they just simply dont care.... i went further and stopped one ..... he was no different...." bhaiya sone ka auto hai kya aapka??".....i immidiately ....without thinking dialed 100 and complained about him....."you wont get an auto if you keep complaining like this....will u?? its of no use...they dont care.If not us he'll have many others to pay according to his demand...whereas we cannot afford to stand like this fo hours.... its getting late we have no time for your' natak' ...lets take ANY auto now that we have no choice "...she yelled...i HAD to agree....(you cannot disagree with your parents specially when they scream at you in public places and when they are amost correct...i couldnt either) all through the journey i thought about it..."she's right" i repeated to myself....i could not get an auto by complaining about them to the police ....they would anyway 'reject' my plea and i'd hace to settle in....but why?? what is the meter for then(in cases when it is there in the first place...since most of the times it is 'not working') ??? and even when they are there they are easily tamperable....yaah we indians are experts in this department....i can recall my brother when he was in kindergarten and every time we used to visit the nearest marketplace he would cry and wail in front of the toy shop so that mom and dad buy him those car toys and as soon as we would reach home he would proudly show us different parts of it...."mom this is the engine and this is the...." ....i think we all are like that.....im not being narcissistic ....its true...we have the brains....(except some...) and it only depends on how we utilise it.....
...so after all this....i guess some things are left better to be decided by oneself...