To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven
A time to build up,a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together
To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing
To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time for peace, I swear its not too late
--The Byrds
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
The Logical Song
These are the lyrics to the song "The Logical Song" by Supertramp. We played it at home after a really long time and since I could not think of anything else to post here, I thought this should suffice for the time being.
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,
a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.
And all the birds in the trees, well they'd be singing so happily,
joyfully, playfully watching me.
But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible,
logical, responsible, practical.
And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable,
clinical, intellectual, cynical.
There are times when all the world's asleep,
the questions run too deep
for such a simple man.
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
but please tell me who I am.
Now watch what you say or they'll be calling you a radical,
liberal, fanatical, criminal.
Won't you sign up your name, we'd like to feel you're
acceptable, respecable, presentable, a vegetable!
At night, when all the world's asleep,
the questions run so deep
for such a simple man.
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
but please tell me who I am.
--Supertramp
Mera Bharat Mahaan
The last two weeks has been a roller-coaster ride for "the world's largest democracy".
You might have caught glimpses of the 'debate', which had all the makings of a prime-time soap opera series; with friends turning foes, men going hysterical with rage, a grand old man trying to maintain peace and women enthusiastically beating down on the desks (instead of their chests as portrayed in serials being churned out by the dozen by the Ekta Kapoor production house).
One could easily focus primarily on the negative aspect of our democracy that was brought to light during the course of the show. I would much rather choose to dwell on the positive aspects that I took from the experience. Somewhere in the middle of all the chaos, I felt that all hope was not lost and that the future of Indian politics may not be as bleak as I had earlier thought it to be. There were a few 'leaders' who stood out based on the content of their respective speeches.
I have to admit I did not understand Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav's speech entirely at first. It was simply amazing to watch the entire house listening to his every word and laughing along with him instead of interrupting his every word. A glance at the newspapers the next morning showed me that even though his speech was quite humorous, he managed to counter-attack every single point that had been brought up by the Opposition. For an Opposition who seems extremely eager to oppose a motion for the sake of opposing it, it was a pleasure to see them actually listening to someone else's point of view for a change!
The Prime Minister showed that he was a man of his word. He seems to have proved yet again why I have always thought of him as a politician with a difference. He isn't getting any younger but he sure is getting bolder with his speeches! I don't think that the Opposition realized it at the time but they were only making it easier for the man to make a much bigger impact on the nation with his speech by not allowing him to speak.
However I think the highlight of the proceedings were the speeches of Omar Abdullah and Rahul Gandhi. They both seemed extremely sincere, passionate about the issue at hand and the choice of words in both cases was almost impeccable. Some people likened Mr.Gandhi's speech to that of a school head-boy. I think his point about it being "time for India to start thinking like an emerging super-power by taking into consideration how we may impact the world and now how the world may impact us" may be slightly premature but definitely the attitude for the future. But if he hoped for the speech to be inspiring and thought-provoking, I have to say he did a pretty good job out of it :D
And after all this drama had unfolded, terrorists decided to strike in both Bangalore and Ahmedabad. As if we needed any more excitement in our lives. These people have sick minds. It shakes you up especially when they strike close to home. But life goes on. The Indian spirit has proved that it can take a lot of beating time and time again, only to spring back with renewed vigour. We've seen it with Mumbai and Udaipur. Life goes back to normal eventually because you can't really put your life on hold just because of these trouble-makers. You can only hope that the next time they strike, not many innocent lives are lost in the process.
You might have caught glimpses of the 'debate', which had all the makings of a prime-time soap opera series; with friends turning foes, men going hysterical with rage, a grand old man trying to maintain peace and women enthusiastically beating down on the desks (instead of their chests as portrayed in serials being churned out by the dozen by the Ekta Kapoor production house).
One could easily focus primarily on the negative aspect of our democracy that was brought to light during the course of the show. I would much rather choose to dwell on the positive aspects that I took from the experience. Somewhere in the middle of all the chaos, I felt that all hope was not lost and that the future of Indian politics may not be as bleak as I had earlier thought it to be. There were a few 'leaders' who stood out based on the content of their respective speeches.
I have to admit I did not understand Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav's speech entirely at first. It was simply amazing to watch the entire house listening to his every word and laughing along with him instead of interrupting his every word. A glance at the newspapers the next morning showed me that even though his speech was quite humorous, he managed to counter-attack every single point that had been brought up by the Opposition. For an Opposition who seems extremely eager to oppose a motion for the sake of opposing it, it was a pleasure to see them actually listening to someone else's point of view for a change!
The Prime Minister showed that he was a man of his word. He seems to have proved yet again why I have always thought of him as a politician with a difference. He isn't getting any younger but he sure is getting bolder with his speeches! I don't think that the Opposition realized it at the time but they were only making it easier for the man to make a much bigger impact on the nation with his speech by not allowing him to speak.
However I think the highlight of the proceedings were the speeches of Omar Abdullah and Rahul Gandhi. They both seemed extremely sincere, passionate about the issue at hand and the choice of words in both cases was almost impeccable. Some people likened Mr.Gandhi's speech to that of a school head-boy. I think his point about it being "time for India to start thinking like an emerging super-power by taking into consideration how we may impact the world and now how the world may impact us" may be slightly premature but definitely the attitude for the future. But if he hoped for the speech to be inspiring and thought-provoking, I have to say he did a pretty good job out of it :D
And after all this drama had unfolded, terrorists decided to strike in both Bangalore and Ahmedabad. As if we needed any more excitement in our lives. These people have sick minds. It shakes you up especially when they strike close to home. But life goes on. The Indian spirit has proved that it can take a lot of beating time and time again, only to spring back with renewed vigour. We've seen it with Mumbai and Udaipur. Life goes back to normal eventually because you can't really put your life on hold just because of these trouble-makers. You can only hope that the next time they strike, not many innocent lives are lost in the process.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Learn to be Still
I've been at home for over 2 months now. For a person like me, who is so used to having something to do or some deadline to meet, it has felt like torture at times. Unless I make a conscious effort, the only people I meet are those in my family and that's when they come back from school or work.
I woke up this morning and realized that a whole year has passed since I passed out of college and there is just about a month left before I fly away. A house has been fixed up for me, clothes have been bought. A new chapter is about to begin. I've done a million things things in the last year. I managed to live in a totally different city on my own. I learned how to bargain in flea markets (maybe not entirely, but it's a start!). I learned that nothing can beat the feeling of meeting old friends and being able to share the same magic that we once shared. I thought about growing up. I miss the days running around the neighbourhood, kids on cycles and dogs faithfully wagging their tails behind us. I miss sleepovers. Those long conversations about issues that seemed so life-threatening at the time. I miss it all.
There is always something calling to me to travel more, to get out there and experience new environments. In the world we live in today, there seems to be very little time to stop what you are doing and appreciate 'now'. Being still requires practise, taking stock of yourself, your actions, thoughts and feelings.
I can be still in the literal sense but have an inability to relax. I'm always thinking. But I'm tired of thinking. I'm ready to sit down and learn to be still.
I woke up this morning and realized that a whole year has passed since I passed out of college and there is just about a month left before I fly away. A house has been fixed up for me, clothes have been bought. A new chapter is about to begin. I've done a million things things in the last year. I managed to live in a totally different city on my own. I learned how to bargain in flea markets (maybe not entirely, but it's a start!). I learned that nothing can beat the feeling of meeting old friends and being able to share the same magic that we once shared. I thought about growing up. I miss the days running around the neighbourhood, kids on cycles and dogs faithfully wagging their tails behind us. I miss sleepovers. Those long conversations about issues that seemed so life-threatening at the time. I miss it all.
There is always something calling to me to travel more, to get out there and experience new environments. In the world we live in today, there seems to be very little time to stop what you are doing and appreciate 'now'. Being still requires practise, taking stock of yourself, your actions, thoughts and feelings.
I can be still in the literal sense but have an inability to relax. I'm always thinking. But I'm tired of thinking. I'm ready to sit down and learn to be still.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Wisdom
I have always been slightly amused when people quote books or people in a normal conversation. It reminds me of my school days when we were encouraged to include quotes from famous people in our essays as it would fetch us more marks. I've never really been able to function like that. This is why I burst out laughing when I read the following paragraph in Kahlil Gibran's "The Voice of the Master" about wisdom -
"Learn the words of wisdom uttered by the wise and apply them in your own life. Live them-but do not make a show of reciting them, for he who repeats what he does not understand is no better than an ass that is loaded with books."
"Learn the words of wisdom uttered by the wise and apply them in your own life. Live them-but do not make a show of reciting them, for he who repeats what he does not understand is no better than an ass that is loaded with books."
Friday, July 11, 2008
Trust
If you were asked to fall backward into the arms of a stranger, would you trust the other person to catch you?
Such a situation may be a bit extreme. But almost everyday, we place some degree of trust in individuals that we do not know. We tend to spend a great deal of time around unfamiliar people as compared to other mammals. We tend to rely on gut feeling ; deciding to avoid certain individuals but at the same time feeling secure enough to think that others will give you accurate directions to a destination if you happen to be lost.
Why?
Such a situation may be a bit extreme. But almost everyday, we place some degree of trust in individuals that we do not know. We tend to spend a great deal of time around unfamiliar people as compared to other mammals. We tend to rely on gut feeling ; deciding to avoid certain individuals but at the same time feeling secure enough to think that others will give you accurate directions to a destination if you happen to be lost.
Why?
Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
Watching news these days can prove to be quite a trying exercise. There are a vast variety of 24/7 news channels and they seem as confused as everyone else is about the role they have to play in society. They seem to be caught up in a dilemma; to cover cases that need to addressed in a public forum or to cover the sensational news items which are bound to result in a rise in the TRPs.
The handling of the Aarushi Talwar murder case has only made matters worse. Within hours of the body being removed from the crime scene, there were reporters crawling all over the place. Vital information essential to the crime investigation would have been lost. You had news reporters hounding the family, re-enacting the crime and attempting to take the role of a detective. In the last month and a half, police insinuations complicated by the media's interpretations have lead to a classic case of mismanagement. The distraught father has been languishing in jail for over a month, only to be released today on bail because the CBI claims that they have not been able to find any evidence against him.
The whole episode has brought several issues to the forefront. If Aarushi must be answerable in death about her character, the policemen need to be answerable to theirs. They are supposed to be responsible for the security of the general public. Does that give them the right to judge a victim's character? Why have they taken on the role of the moral police? Transferring of these wayward policemen isn't going to do much to solve the issue at hand. Doesn't this kind of behaviour call for a public apology to the Talwar family? Nothing will be able to make up for the child that they have lost, the total disregard for their privacy and the harrowing experience of a father being thrown in jail at the time of a family crisis.
This is not one of those stories which has a happily-ever-after ending. One can just hope that this serves as a lesson to the people watching the news. It could be you or me on TV next.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Stop
The issue of patriotism seems to crop up every once in a while when the government looks like it is on its last legs or during the course of campaigning. On the surface, defining patriotism appears to be simple. It is love and devotion to one's country. The questions are why people love it and how they express their devotion. That's where the arguments begin.
Conservatives generally want to conserve and that requires a reverence for the past. They are allergic to change. If it was entirely left to them, being born into a nation would be similar to being born into a religion or family. It's like your family : it doesn't matter whether it's objectively better than someone else's. You love it because it's yours.You may be called to reaffirm the commitment as you reach adulthood - but it is impressed upon you early on, by those who have come before.
On inspection, both liberal and conservative brands of patriotism have their defects. Yet both sides need each other because love of country requires both affirmation and criticism.
Democracy seems to be the worst form of government at times when there is a conflict of opinion. The opposition doesn't seem to think twice before staging protests, imposing 'bandhs' and promising that they will undo all wrong carried out by the ruling party if they are elected to power. I'm not quite sure what point people are trying to prove by staging such riots and enforcing such bandhs. The people who they are protesting against (the government and various political leaders) get away scot-free. Their security personnel ensure that nothing untoward happens to them. And it's only the general public that suffers. Those are the people that these groups are supposed to be trying to 'help' in the first place. Ironic, isn't it?
Conservatives generally want to conserve and that requires a reverence for the past. They are allergic to change. If it was entirely left to them, being born into a nation would be similar to being born into a religion or family. It's like your family : it doesn't matter whether it's objectively better than someone else's. You love it because it's yours.You may be called to reaffirm the commitment as you reach adulthood - but it is impressed upon you early on, by those who have come before.
On inspection, both liberal and conservative brands of patriotism have their defects. Yet both sides need each other because love of country requires both affirmation and criticism.
Democracy seems to be the worst form of government at times when there is a conflict of opinion. The opposition doesn't seem to think twice before staging protests, imposing 'bandhs' and promising that they will undo all wrong carried out by the ruling party if they are elected to power. I'm not quite sure what point people are trying to prove by staging such riots and enforcing such bandhs. The people who they are protesting against (the government and various political leaders) get away scot-free. Their security personnel ensure that nothing untoward happens to them. And it's only the general public that suffers. Those are the people that these groups are supposed to be trying to 'help' in the first place. Ironic, isn't it?
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