TRIBUTE TO INQUISITIVENESS

New Blog!

2009-06-13T12:59:00.003+05:30

I am back again after a long hiatus. Evidently laziness and procrastination aren't desirable traits for a blogger. I have briefly overcome these two evils to start a new blog. Do check it out. Hopefully I can vanquish my afore mentioned foes and post more regularly!

Indian of the year

2009-02-02T23:25:00.005+05:30

At the cnn ibn 'Indian of the year' awards ceremony, Pornob Mukherjee, all in one minister, on being questioned about his status now that he was discharging the PM'S duties stated that "Simply I am discharging duties, neither I am officiating nor acting, neither de-jure nor de-facto".(translated into english from bonglish).Of course he is spot on. After all we already have a defacto PM in Sonia Gandhi, so there is no need for another one!In a related development Pornob was recently voted 'Bong of the year' for spreading 'Bonglish' bhithout any hesitaeshun on nashunal telebhishion! Rumor has it that very soon LTTE supremo Prabhakaran will be declared the 'Tamilian of the year'.

Coming back to our topic, Madhavan nair and his team were adjudged the 'Indian(s) of the year' for the success of chandrayaan. In my opinion the award should have gone to the worthy and deserving Ramalinga Raju. However there was some consolation as he was adjudged the best chef in the country for his unique skill of cooking up books!

Aamir was adjudged the best entertainer of the year. Although I feel Arnab(not to be confused with Pornab) Goswami deserved it a tad bit more. With great skill he has made a travesty of serious journalism, and to his credit, made it appear hilarious too.

Abhinav Bindra was adjudged the best sportsman of the year, although I believe that title should go to Pakistan Foriegn Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, for being such a good sport. But wait, he's not even Indian? Right? Perhaps but the fact of the matter is that we have no evidence to the contrary.Even if we do have evidence it is not credible evidence. Even if it may be credible, it certainly isn't actionable evidence. Nor is it tangible evidence. Basically whatever evidence we have is incomplete. It is not admissable in a court of law. Get the point??

That's about it for now, but I shall post updates about other prestigious awards like these. Anyway this is my first post of the new year! Alas, it hasn't been as rewarding, but there is always time to turn things around. Things are turning round rather. Saarang was good, and winning was special. Results were not so great, but then again it's Anna university: God may not play dice with the universe but the university certainly does so with our results!College has been boring as usual. Now that we have a welcome break from the monotony of college, I gues there is light at the end of the tunnel. Then again one realizes life is full of tunnels, one reaches the light at the end of one tunnel only to be sucked in by the darkness at the opening of another!

On sems, dawood and the kindergarten cop

2008-12-18T19:19:00.005+05:30

I am FINALLY done with my exams. To think our pracs began in the middle of october! Another visit to hell an back . . .sigh.

Moving on to more important things, I was really bored yesterday and ended up watching the debate on terrorism in our parliament in one of the news channels. It had the desired effect and I took a nap shortly thereafter.

However I was impressed by Somnath Chatterjee's conduct as speaker. In fact I have decided to honor him with the title of "The best kindergarten teacher". Being the speaker of the Lok Sabha is a lot like being in charge of a Pre KG class.(No offense meant kids!!). It's almost impossible to get kids to do what you want them to do, and they keep jumping about or interrupting the class.

Well guess what? The kids fare a lot better than the chaps in our parliament. Most of the morons kept interrupting the proceedings of the house, talking without being given permission to talk, refusing to sit down even after repeated requests by the speaker and generally behaving in a manner unbecoming of a sane person with an average IQ, much less the representatives of a nation's citizens. It reminds me of what Churchill said on the eve of Independence,"Power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues and freebooters. All Indian leaders will be of low calibre and men of straw. " Prophetic words indeed!

The speaker had to resort to various methods, ranging from gentle chides to stern rebukes to ensure the proceedings of the house weren't disrupted. Unfortunately/fortunately all this was captured on live television! Any foreigner who watched the telecast would have come to the conclusion that Indian democracy is a joke.

Talking about democracy being a joke reminds me of Pakistan, that haven for islamic fundamentalists, narco mafia members led by dawood ibrahim, random suicide bombers and other such NON STATE ACTORS. The ISI help these non state actors with/without the government's knowledge. LOL. GOVERNMENT? IN PAKISTAN? Yenna kodumai sir idhu!

It is basically a militant state. I am not instigating the random people who read my blog to unleash a war Pakistan. I have a better solution. Send a contingent of our MP'S to Pakistan and tell the Pakistani authorities sternly that we shall not take them back unless they dismantle the terror setup and hand over the wanted terrorist chaps to India.

If the non state actors kill these MP'S, send in another contingent. And another. If we run out of MP'S send the MLA'S. Soon enough the non state actors will realize killing Indian politicians is just a waste of ammo and their time and energy. Plus they are inadvertently doing a service to India. And when they realize this they will blow themselves up along with the last contingent of Indian politicians. Thus a golden era of peace and prosperity in the subcontinent will be ushered in.

PS: I am an occasional Gandhian and once in awhile I firmly believe in stuff like" violence is not a solution to any problem". Evidently this wasn't one of those times :)

Terror strikes yet again

2008-12-02T17:42:00.004+05:30

It's a pity that we were unable to prevent what happened last week in Bombay. It is futile to blame are politicians because we knew all along that they were inept and incompetent. As individual citizens there isn't much that we could have done . . . .but collectively, as a nation could we have made a difference??

Anyway there is no use crying over spilt milk. What irritates me the most are the armchair critics who question why the operation took so long or whether the crisis was handled as well as it would have been by, say, the American security agencies. The fact of the matter is that if it weren't for the hostages, the situation could have been resolved in a few hours.(For eg a viable option would have been playing himesh reshamiyya's music non stop over the intercom. Unfortunately that would have killed not only the terrorists but the hostages as well!!). On a more serious note, in the given circumstances, the security forces did the best they could have done and let's leave it at that.

I will not demean my blog's status by commenting on politicians, their resignations or their opinions on places dogs would like to visit. Nor will I demean the brave men who made the supreme sacrifice for their country, for anything that I write about their valor and courage will only be an understatement. For those of you wondering why our terrorists buddies didn't target any politicians, the reason is simple: They are here to destroy our country, not aid in it's development!

ps: This is my 50th post! It's taken awhile but I guess better late than never. When I started out I made a promise to dole out unadulterated gibberish, with a dash of humor and the odd witty remark added in for good measure. If my posts bear any semblance of intellectualism, it is purely unintentional!I have exceeded all my expectations as far as the gibberish is concerned, but regarding the humor and wit I reserve my judgment. Anyway, all of you who have had the misfortune of coming across my blog have my sympathies.
Do visit again though :)
Adios!

The benevolent rain gods

2008-11-26T17:23:00.002+05:30

Heavy rains coupled with the possibility of a cyclone crossing the tamil nadu coast forced Anna University to postpone the semester exams that were to be conducted today. Which means I shall be writing my DE paper only on the 17th of december! So it's holiday time now!!!
Unfortunately this also means that I will not be "done with my exams" until the 17th. These exams have been stretching on far too long, and the past one and a half months have been grueling and torturous. By a special corollary of the theory of relativity(gerimox variation),"Let t be an arbitrarily defined quantity of time. As the period of semester examination approaches,t becomes larger and larger until for all practical purposes it can be approximated as tending to infinity. In other words time comes to a standstill."
Sigh. Such is university education.
Anyway now that holidays are here exams are but a distant memory. For now. . . .

TROUBLED TIMES

2008-10-31T20:13:00.002+05:30

"A boy of class 3 used to always bring chicken rolls in his tiffin. He was very plump and always bragged about how his mom made the best chicken rolls. Yesterday morning, his mom was shopping in Pan Bazaar. It was a spot death. This afternoon, his maternal uncle and other relatives came to get the boy, saying they had come to pay his school fees so he might as well just come home with them. The boy had been playing games outside and happily went with them. He didn't know until he got home."-excerpt from an article on the recent Assam blasts.
As I read through the article, with a lump in my throat, an old saying flashed through my mind:"One death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic". Unfortunately it is not too far from the truth. When we read about bomb blasts or other such unfortunate events in the papers, or watch it on the news, we seldom grasp the significance of what has actually transpired. We often fail to realize the true impact these events have on the lives of the victims. I am not suggesting that we are heartless and lack empathy, I am merely saying that we are often misled by statistics, and fail to grasp the enormity of the tragedy. In fact when I first read about the Assam blasts, although I felt sad, I wasn't really taken aback or surprised. Unfortunately bomb blast have become common in India in the recent past and in this year alone there have been 10 fatal blasts. One can never tell where the next blasts will occur, for no city seems to be safe. In these troubled times it is not a question of where but when the next bomb blasts will occur. But in the midst of all this uncertainty and insecurity, human suffering often goes unnoticed. How often, if ever, do we think about the real consequences such events can have on the victims? How many of us spare a thought for all those children who have been orphaned, the parents who have lost their children,and all those people who have lost their spouses, siblings, friends or close relatives? Most of us(I include myself) just accept the hard reality and move on, without spending too much time thinking about it. We may be accused of a callous ineptitude, for at the end of the day we merely dismiss the matter as just another statistic. These are troubled times we live in. The fact of the matter is that our nation is burning. Thousands of innocent people have lost their lives, many more have been scarred for life, physically, mentally and emotionally. The least we can do is to spare a thought for them, empathize with them and express our solidarity by helping them overcome their tribulations.JAI HIND!

Vedanta and it's relevance in modern times

2008-10-27T21:56:00.000+05:30

Vedanta can be broadly described as an ancient system of philosophy based on the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of India. It is composed of two words, 'Veda' (Sanskrit for knowledge) and 'Anta'(Sanskrit for end). Thus, Vedanta can be literally translated as "the end of knowledge" or the "goal of knowledge". The knowledge referred to is not merely the intellectual or material knowledge that we are accustomed to. On the contrary it refers to the highest knowledge, the knowledge about god and our self(or soul). The great German indologist Max Muller once said,"The Upanishads are the ... sources of ... the Vedanta philosophy, a system in which human speculation seems to me to have reached its very acme."Before we undertake a detailed study of the Vedanta, it is imperative that we realize why the study of Vedanta is still relevant in modern times.

The main priority in life, for most if not all people, is the pursuit of happiness. All of us want to be happy, satisfied and content. All our thoughts and actions are,directly or indirectly, centered on achieving this goal. And therein lies Vedanta's greatest strength. A sincere study of the Vedanta enables a seeker to attain an elevated state of happiness and contentment. A study of Vedanta is not limited to people who aim to attain enlightenment, nirvana and other such lofty goals. Vedanta is also relevant to ordinary people who have more modest goals, namely an increased level of happiness and a greater sense of contentment and satisfaction. Essentially, it will make you a better person. As a great Indian philosopher once said," A study of Vedanta will make a doctor a better doctor, an engineer a better engineer and YOU a better YOU". Thus on this auspicious day of Diwali, the festival of lights which symbolizes the victory of good over evil, let us undertake a sincere study of Vedanta, and may the light of knowledge dispel the darkness of ignorance and enable us to become better human beings!

FREE DOWNLOAD OF BOLLYWOOD SONGS!

2008-10-25T18:19:00.002+05:30

There is this lovely site which i thought I might share with all of you. It's got songs from all the latest bollywood movies and they allow free downloads!They also have a very good archive of songs from older movies as well. And it doesn't stop there. They also have albums of artists like Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh and even Sonu Nigam. Plus they have indi pop albums, including those of Adnan sami and Kailash kher.They have songs that cater to the tastes of a wide variety of listeners, ranging from ghazals to the latest remixes! All in all it's an awesome site and as far as free hindi music download are concerned, I believe this is as good as it gets!

GOD SAVE THE MALLU

2008-10-20T21:12:00.002+05:30

This is the imperial mallu national anthem:"God save the mallu", inspired partly by the british national anthem
God save our loquacious mallu,
Long live the noble mallu,
God save the mallu:
Send him victorious,
well fed and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save the mallu.

O Lord, our God, arise,
Scatter the coconuts,
And make them fall.
kappa,curry and sambar wid drumsticks,
please teach us all culinary tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
God save us all.

Thy choicest payasam in store,
On him be pleased to pour;
Long may he reign:
May he defend our flaws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and noise
God save the Mallu.

Looking back:Third semester at college

2008-10-19T18:43:00.003+05:30

Time flies. It really does. My third semester at college has almost come to an end, with only my theory exams remaining. Nevertheless, it has been a rather eventful one. To start with, I joined a gym during the first week of the semester, and even managed to go regularly(read:five days a week) for a couple of months! Gradually it became increasingly difficult to go regularly and the frequency of my gym visits dwindled to about 2 or 3 per week. Anyway, now that I have study hols I shall set that right!In the beginning of the semester I attended a workshop on "Brain modelling and supercomputing" conducted by WARFT. The food was good and the keynote addresses were brilliant! Good fun all in all.Apart from that I presented a few papers this semester. I started with a paper on "Wireless power transfer" which I presented at SA Engineering college(and came second :D). I followed that with one on "Nanocomputing" at SRM Valiammai college(and came third :)). And finally I presented a paper on "Quantum Computing" at St Josephs college(read jail) of Engineering. I also won a couple of biz quizzes,one of which was at IIT(conducted as part of the open house by the humanities dept). I also came first in a mock interview held at crescent college of engineering as part of "Literapture". I had a great time at crescent, especially on stage during the "Whose line is it anyway" event. As far as classes went, college was real boring. We had finally "entered the department", as one of our professors put it, and unfortunately we realized that meant very few(read negligible) free periods and hours of boring lectures. However, we had a great time during our symposium and our subsequent Industrial Visit(IV). In fact, that period was the most laid back and enjoyable part of the semester. It all started the Friday before the symposium, when all classes were suspended so that we could do 'sympo work'. We had the weekend off and monday was our symposium(which I bunked to take part in a quiz at crescent). Tuesday was a holiday as well as we were departing that evening for our IV(I shall devote an entire post to it shortly). We returned after our IV on Saturday. The following Monday I bunked college, attended class on Tuesday, Wednesday was again a holiday and then I bunked college on thursday and friday(actually I went on OD for paper presentation). And we had the following weekend off. Basically in the span of 15 days I went to college only once! But all good things come to an end and it was no different. Soon the end of the semester neared and we were all scrambling to get all our observations and records corrected and writing re-tests to boost our internals. Subsequently we had our models, our time table was announced and before we even realized it, our semester came to an end. Apparently our next semester is even shorter,what with all the holidays and various college events(cultural fest,sports day and college day). I am looking forward to fourth semester already.But I shall have to be done with my theory papers first!My exams begin on the 8th of next month and end on the 26th. The following weeks are gonna be exceedingly tough and excruciatingly slow. Like the bard said, now is the winter of our discontent.Hopefully spring shall not be far behind . . . .

THE LITTLE MASTER

2008-10-18T18:30:00.002+05:30

Sachin Tendulkar crossed yet another milestone in Bangalore yesterday when he broke Brian Lara's record of highest runs in tests ,in the process becoming the first batsman to score over 12,000 runs in tests. His remarkable feat has made millions of his fans across the nation ecstatic and there were celebrations in almost every part of the country. As Sambit Bal of cricinfo once wrote ,"Sachin Tendulkar has been the most wholesome batsman of his time, and arguably the biggest cricket icon as well. His batting is based on the purest principles: perfect balance, economy of movement, precision in stroke-making, and that intangible quality given only to geniuses, anticipation." For the past 19 years he has been India's batting mainstay, and in his long career he has single handedly scripted several memorable wins for India. He has also broken many records, but more than the records that he broke, what sachin will be remembered for will be the feeling of pride and joy that he instilled in every Indian's heart whenever he played up to his potential. Sachin at his best is a treat to watch, a truly delightful and mesmerizing player, who has stamped his class against quality bowlers, both pace and spin, in some of the world's greatest cricketing arena's, ranging from Lords to Perth. He has provided us with so many memorable innings, and he instilled in a generation a sense of pride and belief that we can beat the best,whenever he took on the world's best bowlers, and dismissed their deliveries to the fence with consummate ease and a great deal of panache. They don't call him the "Little Master" for nothing. And in spite of all this he remains a humble and simple man. Although critics may say that he has failed the team whenever it needed him the most and that he is incapable of scoring the really big scores(like Lara), one must realize that for the past 19 years he has carried the burden of being India's batting mainstay on his shoulders. Perhaps if he had played for a team like Australia, he would have scored a lot more runs and broken a lot more records. But at the end of the day, one mustn't judge Sachin merely by his statistics. What's more important is the impact he has had, not just on the game of cricket, but on an entire nation. And by that yardstick, Sachin definitely is one of the greatest players to have ever graced the cricketing field. . . . .

Back without a bang!

2008-10-11T21:01:00.003+05:30

I have finally resumed blogging after a very long hiatus owing to, amongst other things, my taxing schedule and my inherent penchant for procrastination.My third semester at college has almost come to an end, with only my exams remaining. It has been a rather eventful semester and I shall write in detail about it in the near future(read after exams). Now the time has come to meet an old foe in battle, the university regime, which spares no effort in dumbing down students with an emphasis on rote learning!Preparing for the university exam involves a lot of intense studying but very little learning.As some wise man(mallu perhaps :P) said,"If you can't beat em, join em!".This is also the basic philosophy behind coalition politics! Unfortunately, the IT boom has ensured that the engineering fundamentals of most Indian engineers aren't tested,but given the present scenario of volatile global markets and the possibility of an impending depression, the status quo is about to undergo a paradigm shift. Before I digress further a word of caution:the scenario isn't as bleak as I have painted it(regarding the university of course, as far as the global markets are concerned it's even bleaker!). Anyway, now that I have study holidays, I will be blogging regularly(hopefully).More importantly, I hope to learn something useful, as opposed to merely studying for the exams and taking out my anger and frustration on the university subsequently!As Eleanor Roosevelt once said,"It is better to light one small candle than curse the darkness". . . .

The magic of Malgudi

2008-06-25T21:57:00.008+05:30

A sense of nostalgia overwhelms me as I watch the episodes of R K Narayan's Malgudi days( directed by shankar nag) on youtube. It takes me back to the time when I was a young schoolboy fascinated by the 'magic of Malgudi'. I was enchanted by the rustic ambiance of Malgudi, a place, where, in the words of Graham Greene (from the introduction to The Financial Expert), you could go "into those loved and shabby streets and see with excitement and a certainty of pleasure a stranger approaching past the bank, the cinema, the haircutting saloon, a stranger who will greet us, we know, with some unexpected and revealing phrase that will open the door to yet another human existence."

I came to realize that the fascination for the 'magic of Malgudi' that I had as a schoolboy had not waned. As I watched the episodes on my laptop, I could sense the same excitement that I had sensed years ago, the excitement of looking at a distant but intriguing old-fashioned world, very different from the one we live in and yet tantalizingly real, so much so that one could relate to it with ease. Mahatma Gandhi once said that "India is not to be found in its few cities but in the 700,000 villages". And Narayan, through his malgudi gave us a rare glimpse of village life in India. Malgudi had a quaint old worldly charm about it, that immediately endeared it to all his readers.

Of course credit must be given to Shankar Nag and the entire cast of 'Malgudi days', for they have gifted us with what is perhaps one of the finest serials in Indian television. For 'Malgudi days' brought alive the world of one of the greatest writers of the Indian English novel, R.K.Narayan. Although he passed away in 2001, his malgudi lives on, in the hearts and minds of his fans. In fact if one were to walk past No 1 Vellala street in purasawakkom(chennai), Narayan's birthplace(incidentally the location of a saravana bhavan outlet), one can sense a rustic old worldly charm about the place, epitomized by the magic of Malgudi . . . . . . .

Literary Lapses-1

2008-06-21T22:10:00.004+05:30

India has always been a land of diversity. India's spectacular diversity is visible in its languages, cultures, castes, and religions. The years of foreign rule, religious movements, and spiritual discoveries in the ancient land of India have given way to a rich potpourri of social habits, festivals, and customs. However, for all her diversity, the people of India can be broadly classified into two groups:cultured Indians and culture less Indians. Although the former are a majority (thankfully!), the latter are still substantial enough to ruin our nation's reputation, both in the eyes of our countrymen as well as foreigners. Amongst the culture less kind too there is stunning diversity, though the most famous amongst them would be the 'spitters' and 'defecators'. The former are people who spit in public places while the latter defecate. There are also those who shamelessly indulge in both the afore mentioned activities. Their history can be traced to the hordes of invaders who invaded our nation. While they were on their long journeys, they had no other option than to spit or defecate along the way. Unfortunately, bad habits die hard, and they continued to do so even after they had settled down in India. The succeeding generations apparently inherited these traits, and later they evolved into the ethnic group of culture less Indians. So technically speaking culture less Indians aren't really Indians in the first place: they are just culture less, that's all! Therefore it's high time people stopped characterizing Indians as belonging to a culture less and backward race just because a few culture less 'Indians' indulge in these disgusting activities. These people do not deserve the privilege of being a part of this great nation. In fact they must have their citizenship canceled and be deported to some of the many culture less nations in the world. JAI HIND!!

THE HAPPENING

2008-06-20T14:11:00.004+05:30

The happening is one of the funniest movies that I have seen in a long time. Shyamalan (aka Shammy) has finally managed to make a light hearted film that is sure to leave the audience in splits. The movie's strength lies in it's refreshingly original storyline: plants release chemicals that compel humans to kill themselves, and very soon the entire human population in north eastern coastal America is wiped out(except the hero and his companions of course). Oops! I just leaked out the entire story!! That's all there is to the movie folks, and here is where Shammy's skill and talent comes to the fore. From a simple one sentence storyline, Shammy weaves an engrossing masterpiece that is sure to win him an Oscar nomination. It might even win him the Nobel peace prize for the movie can help stop global warming, because Shammy has given us a glimpse of what EVIL plants and trees can do to us if threatened. In fact rumor has it that George W Bush is contemplating a new environment protection act that will make watching 'The Happening' mandatory for all citizens! The movie may even help Shammy be the president of the US someday,although that may sound rather far fetched right now. But as Shammy would like us to believe,the distinction between fact and fantasy is only a matter of perspective . . . . . . . .

IPL!!

2008-05-31T14:26:00.005+05:30

The IPL(Indian Premier League for the initiated) has come to be regarded as a landmark tournament of sorts. Cricket will never be the same again, claim the pundits. The IPL has been an unprecedented success, and may well go down in the annals of cricket history as the tournament that changed the way cricket was played, forever. Tall claims perhaps but the purpose of this post is not to eulogize the IPL. On the contrary, I am going to write about the worst thing that could possibly happen to the IPL. Imagine if the politicians took over the IPL!!!But come to think of it, it's not such a bad idea:

Firstly we will have reservation in the stadium!!Reservation for SC/ST'S, OBC'S, BC'S not to forget reservation for women and religious minorities.Of course the rest of the seats would be reserved for the politicians, celebrities, their wives, kids, nephews, neices etc etc. Bottom line is:stay at home and catch the matches on television.

If the congress is in control, all singing and dancing will be banned. Instead there would be a puppet show by sonia gandhi for entertainment (she is extremely skilled people, just look a the way she handles manmohan!). Of course all the best seats would be reserved for loyalists of the Gandhi family. And the stadium would resonate with chants of "Rahul baba ki jai!!".

Moving on, if the BJP is in control, things will be even more fun. First of all a bunch of sangh parivar chaps would throw bottles etc at the Muslim spectators and try to incite communal riots. Of course there will be a temple in every stadium. The entertianment would consist of speeches by the top leaders of the parivar on the degeneration of hindu culture etc etc. Moreover there will be no security forces or policemen present at the venues. They will be replaced by the 'moral police', comprising members of the parivar and the shiv sena!Bottom line: Young couples beware! Don't even think about sitting and watching the match together in the stadium!

If mayawati is in control the first thing she will do is erect a few statues of herself and kanshi ram at every stadium. Portraits of great former players would be replaced by her portraits.Obviosly a majority of the seats will be reserved for the dalits. Entertainment would comprise her favorite game of "mulayam bashing" which is quite a treat to watch.Bottom line: All upper caste people, brahmins especially would do well to stay away!

If the communists are in control there will be no IPL. They will dismiss it as "a symbol of the conspicuous consumption and indulgence in luxury thereby conforming to the capitalist propaganda of the upwardly elite bourgeoisie blah blah blah". Its hard to make out what they are trying to say!

Lastly, coming to our Dravidian friends, if the DMK is in control , all the scorecards etc would be in thamizh. Commentary would be in thamizh. The presentation would be in thamizh . . .you get the picture right? Of course there would be a huge reservation for minorities, and the rest of the seats can be occupied by everyone except supporters of AMMA.

I almost forgot to mention. Every now and then our friendly gujjars will come and dig up the pitches as a sign of protest. The naxals may drop in to watch a couple of matches. Our friendly neighborhood Islamic terrorists may also drop in and show their skills with rdx and other plastic explosives. The list is endless, but one thing is for certain:Although there may not be too much of cricket, there will definitively be no compromise on entertainment!Jai Hind!!

College!

2008-05-29T21:15:00.002+05:30

It seems almost like yesterday, when i first walked through the portals of SSN. I still remember the first day of college vividly. There I was, heading towards the auditorium for the orientation, filled with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Excitement because it was the first day of college, and apprehension? . . .well they say life is all about the choices that you make, and at that time i was apprehensive about whether I had made the right choice in joining SSN. For I had a lot of equally viable options open, but in the end I opted for SSN, after a long and tedious process of weighing the pros and cons of each institute that involved taking into into consideration various diverse factors along with the time tested method of tossing coins! I must admit that initially, I did think I had made a mistake. The first few days of college were not so great, especially with those long bus rides to and from college. Besides classes were boring and I hadn't yet realized that Anna University was the temple of rote learning. But as time passed by, the situation improved. Our college was very liberal, so we could walk out any time we wanted. Plus we did not have a dress code and there was no ban on cell phones. And the best part was tat we all had to take laptops to classes, and our whole campus was wi-fi! And of course if classes got boring one could always go to the ground and play basketball or football! Slowly I started liking college and once I started taking part in cultural s and symposiums I came to realize the advantages of studying in a college like SSN. Now I don't really mind going to college five days a week, perhaps six. Its not so bad.Although I must admit that no college is perfect and mine is no exception. There are a lot of things that one can crib about, and to be frank it hasn't really lived up to some of my expectations. But at that same time it has also exceeded some of my expectations, and at the end of the day I would rather focus on the positives rather than worry over the negatives. After all, if we always look on the bright side of life, we will end up leading a bright and joy filled life. What say??

TO HELL AN BACK!!

2008-05-28T15:03:00.003+05:30

I am back after a long hiatus, owing to my participation in the APL, ie, the Anna university Premier League. 240 colleges, 8 papers, 13 days . . . .things just can't get any worse! Thanks to Anna univ being the temple of rote learning, i was forced to undergo extreme sleep deprivation in order to cram all the ridiculous stuff that constitutes our syllabus. The university does not bother itself with issues like comprehension and understanding. They are content with merely testing our memory. But then again education in India has always been memory oriented, ever since Macaulay, with his minute on Indian education, ensured that we Indians would still remain slaves even decades after the British left. For the present education system takes away from us our greatest freedom, our freedom to choose between what we want to learn and what we don't.For example I choose to do electronics engineering, but the university thrusts upon me subjects like chemistry and engineering drawing, not to forget engineering practices and physics and chemistry labs., although they have no relevance to my core subjects. There are many more such examples in just about every course of study. But as long as society values marks more than knowledge, there can be no hope for change. Little do people realize that it's very easy to get high grades, but extremely difficult to gain knowledge and understanding . . . .And in life it's the latter that is going to be of more use to us than the former. . . .

MALABAR MATRIX!!

2008-04-29T14:05:00.002+05:30

The Malabar version of the Matrix. To call it hilarious would be an understatement.

The Burden of Entrance Examinations

2008-04-17T21:36:00.003+05:30

It's that time of the year again when students across the country are breaking their heads, frantically preparing for various entrance examinations. For those people who think that the completion of board exams marks the beginning of a long celebration and holiday, think again. The boards are just the beginning. 'Board exam fever' gives way to 'Entrance exam fever'. Students across the country, especially in
the science stream, attempt several entrance examinations in order to
gain admission to the premier institutes of our country.

Unfortunately writing all these examinations is by no means an easy task. They require considerable effort by means of preparation on the part of the students and create quite a big hole in the pockets of their parents. Writing examinations is an expensive affair as the exam fee for just about every college/university's entrance exam costs in upwards of rs 500. There are lots of people who attempt 10 or more exams so you can add up the costs. Add to this the cost of travelling to and from the
centre of the exam, plus the cost of staying at some hotel(if the centre is some other city) and then you begin to realize how expensive writing exams can get.

Its not just the cost, but the mental strain on the students who have to study for various examinations, not all of which conform to the same syllabus. For those who wonder why students should be writing so many exams in the first place, the answer is simple. The cut throat competition these days coupled with the fact that most of the entrance papers are of mcq type mean that clearing any exam cannot be taken for granted, as even a momentary lapse in concentration may result in one losing out on a seat.Hence the need to write as many as possible just in case one is unable to clear the others. It's just conforming to the adage of not putting all our eggs
in one basket.

The story does not end their. Once the students are done with their exams, the endless wait for the results begin.This is a period of intense turmoil and anxiety. And once the results are announced the counseling begins. Once counseling starts all hell breaks loose. Various institutes have different dates of counseling, and if one has done reasonably well in all exams one faces the dilemma of which course to opt for in which institute? For once you take a particular course in an institute, it is highly unlikely that your counseling fee will be refunded, in case you leave for greener pastures. At the same time you cannot risk giving up your seat as one can never be sure about whether we will get a seat in any other institute. Thus ounseling time is a really difficult and traumatic experience for both parents and students alike.

All in all, it is imperative that measures be taken to streamline the admission process in order to make it more student friendly. A common examination along the lines of the SAT is the need of the hour. This will save students the trouble of writing several entrance exams and furthermore will add transparency to the admission procedure. Unless such measures are implemented, students will be forced to bear the burden of entrance
examinations . . . .

I've been tagged?!!

2008-04-11T18:22:00.003+05:30

1. LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN A THEATER?
Jodha Akbar . . .engrossing movie but a tad too long.
2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
The world is flat-thomas friedman
3. FAVOURITE BOARD GAME?
Chess :P
4. FAVOURITE MAGAZINE?
cricinfo
5. FAVOURITE SMELLS?
baked bread,wet earth after a spring rain, the smell of sandalwood, basil and incense!
6. FAVOURITE SOUND?
the live and delicate sound of thunder :P
7. WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
when you realize that life is too short and you have wasted too much time on trivial and insignificant things.
8. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE UP?
do i have college today?:P
9. FAVOURITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
the place wer u get frankies :)
10. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME?
eh?im contemplating bramhacharya :P
11. FINISH THIS STATEMENT. "IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I'D...?
start a company.more like a mega corporation!
12. DO YOU DRIVE FAST?
I hardly drive. And when i try to drive fast the darn traffic intervenes.sigh.
13. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
lol . . .tat was a looong time ago.not anymore.
14. STORMS - COOL OR SCARY?
totally coool!
15. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
i don own one yet :(
16. FAVORITE DRINK?
lassi. watermelon juice. frappe.
17. FINISH THIS STATEMENT, "IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD
work on my masterpiece, an epic novel on the lines of Lord of the Rings!
18. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?
i hate broccoli!
19. IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?
hmmm . . .i like it the way it is!
20. NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS YOU HAVE LIVED IN.
nagpur,bangalore,thrissur,trivandrum,delhi,bombay and chennai.
21. FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
cricket,football and basketball.oh an f1 too!
22. ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU
swati-she is funny in a crangee spiritual way :P
23. WHATS UNDER YOUR BED?
I don even look under my bed :P
24. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN?
oh yes! that would be a privilege!
25. MORNING PERSON, OR NIGHT OWL?
night owl :P
26. OVER EASY, OR SUNNY SIDE UP?
sunny side up
27. FAVOURITE PLACE TO RELAX?
college of course!!
28. FAVOURITE PIE?
apple.
29. FAVOURITE ICE-CREAM FLAVOUR?
chocolate!
30. OF ALL THE PEOPLE YOU TAGGED THIS TO, WHO'S MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?
hmmm . . .gues der's only one way to find out :P
i tag rada an ananth

THE BANE OF QUOTAS

2008-04-11T09:25:00.003+05:30

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld 27 per cent reservations for the OBCs in central educational institutions while declaring that creamy layer (among OBCs) should be excluded from the quota. The Court also said that reservations should not be in perpetuity but should be revised in periods. It decided that the Central Government was legally right to provide OBC quotas in higher educational institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS). Although it may be legally right, I don't think it is such a good idea. For a Quota essentially means a COMPROMISE ON QUALITY. A lot of students, who under normal circumstances may never clear exams like the JEE and the CAT, get an opportunity to do so merely because of quotas. Which is why we have quotas in the first place, to enable these students to achieve their dream of studying in our country's premier institutions. Evidently, this implies that they are not of the same caliber as their peers who clear these exams through the general quota. I have nothing against the backward classes, in fact I am a staunch supporter of the idea of leveling the playing field to enable inclusive development. But that does not mean that we should take the easy way out. If the government is really concerned about the welfare of the backward classes, then it must provide them with access to quality education right from the primary level. That is the right way to level the playing field. Ideally, they should provide the backward classes with sufficient resources to enable them to clear the above mentioned exams on merit rather than reserving seats for them. Of course such a thing is next to impossible considering the present scenario, which is why the Supreme court has resorted to such a drastic measure. The court did mention that "reservations should not be in perpetuity but should be revised in periods". I hope all the politicians take note of that line. It is high time they revamped the whole education system in order to enable people from the backward classes get access to quality education right from the primary level. This would automatically remove the need for any quotas in institutions of higher learning. Unfortunately, until this happens, quotas are here to stay. India being the dysfunctional democracy that it is, this implies that the quotas shall remain for an indefinite period of time. The only solution out of this problem would be to increase the number of seats in the general category so that meritorious students do not miss out on quality education. Indeed it would be ironic if meritorious students miss out on quality education merely because of the fact that they do not belong to any backward class! Perhaps life does come in a full circle. The backward classes had been opressed for centuries and maybe the time has come to turn the tables. Call it karma or call it vote bank poilitics, quotas are here to stay . . . . .

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

2008-03-29T19:56:00.003+05:30

All the news channels are abuzz with reports on the accelerating inflation rate. The inflation rates have reached a 13 month peak of 6.68 per cent(as of 8 march) and could possibly go higher. All day i have watched news bulletins featuring people complaining about rising prices and how badly it has hit them. But what i noticed was that most of them belonged to the middle, or upper middle class. This set me wondering about how badly the inflation would have hit those who were not well off to begin with. That's when i came across this disturbing article on child hunger. According to the article,in India about 2 million children die of hunger every year. That equates to about 6000 DEATHS per DAY!Ironically the rest of India(at least those who can afford it) are literally feasting on the best of global cuisines, thanks to all the MNC fast food chains.More than a decade after they set foot in India, all the major MNC fast food chains such as McDonald’s, Yum! (which owns the KFC and Pizza Hut brands), and Domino’s are fast changing their stripes and business models in India to the extent they wouldn’t have even imagined in their early days. All those who have benefited from the booming Indian economy(not so much of it now though) have taken to fine dining in a big way. Unfortunately,in India inclusive development is an imaginary concept used by politicians an economists alike to describe some Utopian future. Consequently the less fortunate people to whom the benefits of our surging economy haven't reached are literally starving to death. India has always been a diverse nation but I am sure this is one form of diversity we can do without. I am not proposing a boycott of fast food chains or anything of that sort. All I am saying is that it is high time we sit back and think about what we can do to ensure that none of our fellow countrymen die of hunger and poverty. It is easier said than done, but nevertheless it is our duty as citizens of this great nation to help our fellow brothers and sisters. It would be futile to rely on the bureaucracy or the politicians for they have been at the helm of affairs for over 60 years yet hunger still prevails in our country. Most importantly we must realize that a nation's greatness is not a measure of how wealthy its citizens are, its a measure of how happy they are. Let us come together and make our nation great. JAI HIND!

SIDDHUISMS!!

2008-03-27T21:25:00.002+05:30

Navjot Singh Sidhu . . .Ah!The very name brings a smile to one's face!Probably the most hilarious person on television, Sidhu redefined the fine art of cricket commentary with his wit, humour and his ability to make a fool of himself on national television! A highly talented person, he played cricket for his country, made a fool of himself as a commentator, dabbled in politics, spend some time in jail for culpable homicide and again returned to make a fool of himself on television!! Of course I am not anti sidhu by any means . . .in fact I admire his sense of humour(notwithstanding the fact that he keeps making a fool of himself). Sample these sidhuisms:
1.I lean on statistics like a drunken man leans on a lamppost, only for support, not illumination!
2.The Only Thing You Get In Life Without Trying is dandruff!
3.regarding a shot Tendulker played off his toes... he played that like a dwarf at a urinal!(hilarious is an understatement!)
4.He has a backlift like an octopus falling out of a tree, all over the place.(wow!tree climbing octopus)
5.Harbhajan's spiners are like introducing some atoms of pulvarised tobacco into nostrils of the batsmen who get out of sneezing!
ROTFL.For all his flaws, one thing cannot be denied and that is the fact that he is a true entertainer! Listening to him is an enjoyable and entertaining experience. Cudos to you Sidhu! Keep tickling our funny bones!!

Caribbean Calypso in Chennai

2008-03-22T21:54:00.004+05:30

The West Indian cricket first toured India in 1948/9 under the captaincy of John Goddard. The team was formidable with two of the 3 Ws – Weekes and Walcott- in the team. The Indians led by Lala Amarnath battled the Caribbean to draws in the first 3 tests at Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta.The fourth test was held at Chepauk from Jan 27th to 31st, 1949.
I was fortunate to get a first hand account of this match from my grandfather Rama Varma Kochunny. Grandpa had given his SSLC exam at Cochin in September, 1949 and was awaiting the start of the pre-university course when the cricket bug got to him and he decided to travel to Chennai (then Madras) to see this match. It was the first time he was going to watch a test match live apart from being his first trip to Chennai.
He had arranged with a cousin in Chennai to buy him a season ticket for the princely amount of Rs 50/-. He was also able to stay with his cousin, at Cochin House (now the site of the Asan Memorial School at Gream Road), who used to drop him in the mornings to the ground. Not wanting to experiment with the snacks available at the ground, grandpa used to take the precaution of having a full meal in the morning before starting off.
The season ticket which Grandpa had bought got him a chair seat at the pavilion end. But the match itself proved to be a disappointment for grandpa and the Indian fans. Winning the toss, the Caribbeans elected to bat and put up a formidable score of 582 with centuries from both openers Rae and Stollmeyer. Walcott scored a modest 43 while Weekes was run out for 90.
The Indians with a batting line-up that included Mushtaq Ali, Hazare, Amarnath, Adhikari and the two allrounders Phadkar and Mankad were dismissed for 243 in the first innings and, following on, for 144 in the second. The match ended on the 4th day ( 5th if one were to count the rest day) and enabled the West Indian to take a 1-0 lead going into the final match at Bombay.
Grandpa said he remembered some attacking strokes from Mushtaq Ali but considering the Indians had just one half-century in each innings there could not have been much to cheer about. An even more telling illustration of Caribbean dominance is the statistic that the Indian could score just 1 (yes, that is right) boundary over their two innings which lasted 162 overs. And that boundary came from the number ten batsman Ghulam Ahmed in the second innings.
Grandpa left for Cochin immediately after the match. He was not able to see much of Chennai but did marvel at the trams and traffic on Mount Road and the impressive buildings he could see on the way to Chepauk.
Although disappointed at India’ s performance, he still has fond memories of Caribbean strokeplay and his first visit to Chepauk.

GEORGE GALLOWAY

2008-03-14T17:44:00.004+05:30

Not so long ago, i chanced upon a couple of videos of George Galloway on youtube. And my first reaction was...LOL!To say they were entertaining would be an understatement!But soon i realized that apart from being an entertaining chap, Galloway was also very well informed and his arguements made a lot of sense. For those of you who are wondering who he is, Galloway is a Scottish politician, author and talkshow host noted for his left-wing views, confrontational style, and rhetorical skill. You can read more about him here. The video of him lambasting the US senate is the best of the lot. The US senate falsely accuses him of taking bribes from Saddam Hussain. In response, Galloway tears apart the senate single handedly by questioning their invasion of Iraq and their subsequent failure to achieve even a semblance of law and order in that country. He also questions the motive behind the invasion and accuses them of taking away the wealth of not just the Iraqi people, but also that of the American taxpayers. He asks them to account for the 8.8 billion dollars of Iraq's wealth that went missing under their watch. He says that he had warned them against invading Iraq but no one took him seriously. Unfortunately for Iraq and the international community at large, the words of anti war activists like Galloway, were never taken seriously and consequently we are faced with the present fiasco. All in all , this is a must watch video for all those people who are of the opinion that the invasion of Iraq was one big mistake which will be a source of embarrassment for the US government for years to come.(you can watch the video here.)

CRICKET-THE UNIFYING FACTOR

2008-03-04T20:09:00.005+05:30

Cricket fever is here again! The victory of the Indian cricket team in the recently concluded CB series has ensured that cricket hogs the limelight, at least for the next couple of days. Not that there is anything to complain about. After all, in a diverse country such as India, cricket is one of the few unifying factors. Cricket has the ability to cut across all barriers of caste, creed, gender, religion and social status. In fact my personal experiences have vindicated this fact. Travelling by trains and buses, I have, on numerous occasions had lively discussions with fellow passengers, who though usually reticent, do not hesitate to wax eloquently when the topic of conversation is cricket. A seemingly innocuous question like "What's the score?" can , and invariably does,start an animated and lively discussion with a total stranger. When it comes to cricket, everyone is an expert, and they do not hesitate to share their gyan with their fellow passengers(although this may not always be good!). And on one of those rare occasions when the Indian cricket team wins some important tournament, everyone comes together to celebrate, irrespective of their caste, creed, religion etc. Cricket indeed is India's most popular religion! Of course, when the team loses, even then everyone is united in admonishing the players and giving vent to their anger. Cricket indeed is a unifying factor!Lastly and most importantly, what seals cricket's claim to be the nation's unifying factor, in my opinion, would be the reaction of the chennai auto(read oh!toe! in mallu lingo!) drivers!Those men of impeccable manners, who take pride in their culture of overcharging and taking the passenger for a ride(literally!), seem to be cricket fanatics too! Whenever there is a cricket match going on, and one chances to converse with the driver on the topic of cricket, one would realize that at the end of the ride he would, in all probability, be all smiles and would charge the exact fare(at least close to the exact fare) and accept it without the usual grumbles regarding rising oil prices and cost of living! This I have personally experienced many times, and I am sure many of you would have to.Like they say, i guess this 'happens only in India'!JAI HIND!

THE FORGOTTEN MUTINY

2008-02-27T21:29:00.005+05:30

When one talks about a Mutiny in India one is immediately reminded of the Revolt of
1857 or as it is now called “The First War of Indian Independence”. However another mutiny that took place just before our independence is largely ignored.This was the Naval Mutiny that started on February 18, 1946 in Bombay.Like most revolts the Naval Mutiny too had a rather innocuous beginning. About a thousand ratings of HMIS TALWAR, the signal Training ship of the Royal Indian Navy in Bombay went on a hartal (striking work) and a hunger strike. The incident which precipitated this unusual action was the alleged insult to an Indian rating by a British officer when the rating drew the officer’s attention to some of the problems they were facing.
This hartal was ignored by the Britishers and before they knew it they had a full fledged mutiny on their hands. Moreover unlike earlier this was a mutiny that received unprecedented public support. That the British chose to ignore this hartal by a 1000 naval ratings was a bit surprising because just twelve days earlier 600 members, including officers of the Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) camp situated close by on Marine Drive went on a hunger strike as a protest against an insult by the Camp Commander. This hunger strike was supported by the RIAF men at Delhi, Lahore and Karachi forcing the British to take remedial measures. The strike by the Naval ratings soon took serious proportions. Hundreds of strikers from the sloops, minesweepers and shore establishments in Bombay demonstrated for 2 hours along Hornby Road near VT (now the very busy D.N. Road near CST). British personne of the Defence forces were singled out for attacks by the strikers who were armed only with hammers, crowbars and hockey sticks. The Union Jack was lowered from the ships and Congress and Muslim League flags were hoisted. A reign of terror prevailed in Flora Fountain for an hour. Vehicles carrying mail were stopped and the mail burnt. British men and women going in cars and victorias were made to get down and shout “Jai Hind”. Guns were trained on the Taj Mahal hotel, the Yacht Club and other buildings from morning till evening. Absolute chaos prevailed for the next few days. 2000 men of HMIS AKBAR joined the strike. There was firing on the naval ratings in Castle Barracks. 1000 RIAF men from the Marine Drive and Andheri Camps also joined in sympathy.
The strike soon spread to other parts of India. The ratings in Calcutta, Madras, Karachi and Vizag also went on strike shouting slogans “Strike for Bombay” “Release 11,000 INA prisoners” and “Jai Hind”.
Four days later, on the 22nd February, there was complete break down of law and order
in Bombay. There was unprecedented arson and looting. The most significant factor was that Hindus and Muslims combined to fight the British. And remember this was just before independence at the height of the movement for Pakistan. Even the burhkaclad
women of Bhendi Bazaar, which was the worst affected area, joined in the agitation throwing pots and pans, from the roof tops, at the British soldiers who were called out to patrol the streets. Shockingly this Mutiny in the armed forces got no support from the national leaders and like all mutinies before it was largely leaderless. Mahatma Gandhi, in fact, condemned the riots and the ratings’ mutiny. He said, “A combination between Hindus and Muslims for the purpose of violent actions is unholy and will lead to and would probably be a precursor to mutual violence – bad for India and the world.” Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was in Bombay, appealed to the agitators to give up violence and agreed to intervene only if they did so. The British Government on the other hand clearly saw the writing on the wall. They ealised that if the men of the Defence forces could not be relied upon then their hold on India would be very shaky. Also a hostile Navy would mean that the links with Britain would be severed. On the 19th February, a day after the naval mutiny broke out, the British Government announced that a Cabinet Mission would come to India to work out details of Independence of the country from foreign rule. Sadly, this has been reduced to yet another instance of the contributions of our valiant defence forces being ignored.

CAPTAIN M N MULLA

2008-02-23T20:36:00.004+05:30

It's been 38 years since Captain Mahendra Nath Mullah lit his last cigarette and settled on the deck of his ship INS Khukri during the 1971 war. The Khukri was torpedoed by a Pakistani submarine and became the only Indian ship to sink. M.N. Mulla, the Captain of the ship, INS Khukri, has remained so far the only Indian captain to go down with a vessel to his watery grave. A squadron comprising INS Khukri, INS Kuthar and INS Kirpan were posted near Karachi port.The bursting of the broiler of INS Kuthar resulted in the squadron being ordered back from near Karachi port just when the war was about to break. While escorting in Kuthar to the Mumbai dock, Khukri detected a disturbance on its sonar and fired at it. It had reported this to the headquarters.There was a Pakistani submarine (PNS Hangor) hiding somewhere close to Bombay port, and a fleeing Pakistani naval officer posted at INS Hangor, who hailed from Bangladesh, confirmed that Khukri had indeed hit it.It then needed repairs and was waiting for orders from Pakistan to return to Karachi.But on that fateful night, when the helicopters guarding Khukri were not replaced even after two hours, it was too good an opportunity for Hangor to give up.Meanwhile, Hangor rose up and shot two torpedoes, which caused extensive damage to the khukri.When Captain Mullah realized that the ship could not be saved, he gave orders to abandon ship and then directed his second in command, Lt.Cmdr Suri to cast life boats, rafts and buoys into the sea. The Captain himself pushed them into safe waters, directing them to swim away. When one of them offered the Captain a lifejacket, he brushed him away with the words, “Go on, save yourself, do not worry about me." There was no confusion and no panic due to the Captain's calm transmitting itself to his men. Captain Mulla has given his life in the highest traditions of the Navy.Keeping him company was Lt.Cmdr Joginder Krishen Suri."After I swam a bit, I looked at the ship, its bow was pointing upwards and was slowly sinking. As the light of the fires illuminated it, I had a glimpse of Captain Mulla sitting on his chair and hanging on to the railing. He was smoking a cigarette," relates Commander Manu Sharma, the only senior officer to last the tragedy. Captain Mahendra Nath Mullah, aged 45,in the highest tradition of the Navy, preferred to stand by his 18 officers and 176 sailors who went down with the Khukri. That was the last anyone ever saw of the valiant Captain Mulla . . .

SEEKING THE TRUTH

2008-02-22T19:02:00.005+05:30

What is the purpose of life? . . .How often do we ask ourselves this question?Most of us are so preoccupied with our lives, that we rarely pause to think about the very purpose of it all. Consequently most of us end up just going through life, rarely living, merely existing. It reminds me of the scene in Forrest Gump, which suggests that we are all like feathers in the breeze, going where the wind takes us. Most of us just drift through life, allowing events and circumstances to dictate terms to us. But it need not be so. We can seize control of our destiny.WE MUST. We are not at the mercy of the cruel hands of fate. We are responsible for our actions, and their consequences. It is easy to blame our failures on factors which are beyond our control, but this is not true. We are the masters of our destiny. Which brings us back to the question . . .What exactly is the purpose of our life?? The answer, according to the vedanta, is to live life to the fullest, making the most of the our inherent talents and skills. All of us are blessed with some talent or the other. The only difference is that some of us are aware of our talents while most of us remain in the dark regarding this. Only a fortunate few get opportunities to showcase their talents and even fewer make use of these opportunities. But this need not be so. We are after all the master of our destiny. The Vedanta states that we have WITHIN US all the resources, ability, energy and power for building up a supremely successful life for ourselves and for others in the world. The purpose of life, therefore, is the realization of our true potential. A life dedicated to the discovery of our latent talents and skills and the realization of our true potential is a life well spent.So we MUST endeavor to make the most of our lives and do something worthwhile. We must make haste, for life is short, and time is not on our side. The challenges we face will be many and our failures will be disheartening, but we must move on, seeking for that something which will add meaning and purpose to our life. It may so happen that we may never find it during the course of our lifetime, but worry not. It would still be a life well spent. For it is the journey that matters, not the destination!

Appu Ghar!

2008-02-19T22:48:00.004+05:30

Recently i read in the papers that Appu Ghar, the amusement park located in Delhi, was closing down. The news item evoked reminiscences of my carefree childhood days, when i used to visit the park with my cousins every time I visited Delhi. My aunt and cousin used to stay in Delhi, and every year, during the summer holidays,we used to visit them. The journey would start with my mom and I going to thrissur,my mother's hometown, from where we would leave for Delhi, accompanied by my grandparents and cousins(the ones staying in Thrissur). The train journeys were great fun, and I still cherish those fond memories. I was fascinated by the whole concept of long distance travel in trains and I used to love every moment of the journey. There was never a dull moment, what with all those card games,board games,video games and general discussions with my cousins and family and not to forget eating all the junk food that you got in trains!Sigh!At times i wished i could spend my entire life travelling around the country in trains!Anyway coming back to Appu Ghar, as far as i can remember this was the first amusement park that i visited. Although i don't remember most of the rides, the haunted house still remains etched in my memory! I remember it being my favorite attraction, although i can't recollect what exactly was inside. It's been such a long time since i visited it last, which was perhaps a decade ago!
Ah!If only i could be a child again,carefree and joyful, with no pending work or assignments to worry about and a host of people around to pamper you!Those really were the best days of my life . . . .

Random crappy cultural

2008-02-16T23:29:00.007+05:30

Random crappy cultural was one of the most badly organized culturals i have been to. Frankly even schools have better organized culturals. To start with, the events were not according to schedule. They changed the date for english debate from 15 to 14 without any prior intimation. The JAM and DUMBC events took place simultaneously, much to the chagrin of people who wanted to take part in both. In fact the JAM event was a total disaster. They couldn't find a competant moderator so one of the participants had to volunteer and don the moderator's role. The quizzes(there were 5), notwithstanding the standard of the questions, left a lot to be desired. There were allegations of fixing/cheating as there were many teams from the host college that qualified for the finals and even won(some of them) the quizzes.It does not end there. The help desk was anything but helpful. They had no idea bout what was goin on. The organizers and co ordinaters were clueless about event timings and general rules regarding registration etc. Most of the events were delayed by an hour or so. Participation too was very low in most of the events. In fact in one of the events(movie making or so) there was only one participant. The solitary competitor, lucky chap that he was, walked away with 1500k for nothing! On a positive note, the cash incentives were pretty high(15k for team events like quizzes and 1.5k to 3k for individual events). I guess the prizes were the sole reason why a few unfortunate people decided to take part in this random crappy cultural . . . . .But then again it sure beats going to college and taking silly tests!! Of course there are 2 sides to every story . . .and as far as the pro shows and concerts went,random crappy cultural definitely rocked!!(click here for more details).

GRAHAM HILL

2008-02-08T22:02:00.002+05:30

Graham Hill was a British racing driver and is considered to be one of the greatest drivers in motorsports history. He was a two time Formula One world champion. Apart from that he is the only driver to win the triple crown of motorsports which is alternatively defined as winning either:
1)The Indianapolis 500 (won by Hill in 1966), the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1972) and the Monaco Grand Prix (1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969)[2][3], or
2)The Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Formula One World Championship (1962, 1968).
Using either definition, Hill is still the only person ever to have accomplished this feat. The Monaco Grand Prix, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Indianapolis 500 are considered to be the most important and prestigious automobile races in the world.In fact Graham Hill was known as 'Mr Monaco' for his five wins there.After failing to qualify for the 1975 Monaco Grand Prix, Hill retired to concentrate on running his own team. With sponsorship from Embassy (a tobacco company), Hill had set up his own racing team in 1973: Embassy Hill. The team used chassis from Shadow and Lola before introducing its own design in 1975.In November 1975, Graham was killed when his Piper Aztec aeroplane (which he was piloting at the time) crashed in foggy conditions over Arkley Golf Course in North London. The crash resulted in not only the death of Hill but team manager Ray Brimble, mechanics Tony Alcock and Terry Richards, up-and-coming driver Tony Brise and designer Andy Smallman; all from the Embassy Hill team.As Hill was uninsured his wife was prosecuted by the families of the other victims. Settling the claims wiped out Hill's estate. Graham Hill's son Damon Hill, followed in his footsteps and was the 1996 Formula One world champion. This makes them the only father-son pair to have won the Formula One world championship.

JAPANESE WHALING:SHOCKING PICS RELEASED

2008-02-08T18:30:00.001+05:30

Australia has stepped up its campaign against Japanese whaling by publishing "shocking" photographs of a slaughtered minke female and a calf. The pictures, which have been splashed across Australian newspaper front pages, were taken from an Australian customs ship tracking Japan's Antarctic whaling fleet. It hopes to gather evidence for possible legal action to stop the annual hunt.The carcases can be seen being dragged up a ramp onto a Japanese whaling vessel.A gaping wound visible on the calf's side was apparently caused by an explosive-packed harpoon.The Australian environment minister, Peter Garrett, said: "I guess when I saw the photos I just felt a bit of a sick feeling as well as a sense of sadness."
"It's very disappointing. It's distressing when you think that it can take up to 15 minutes after a harpoon actually hits a whale for the whale to die.
"It's even sadder when you consider there's a calf involved."
Japanese whaling authorities said the photos were misleading and insisted that the whales were not related.They are not a mother and her calf as claimed by the media," said Minoru Morimoto, director general of the Institute of Cetacean Research.Our research programme requires random sampling of the Antarctic population, and therefore there will be a range of sizes [killed]."
Japan said it will complain to Australia after the government released graphic pictures of bloody whaling operations, accusing Canberra of stirring up emotions.
Unfortunately nearly two thirds of japanese support the whaling expedition. It is a pity that they can be so insensitive and inhumane and lend their support to such a gruesome expedition. This only proves that they have little regard for other forms of life. How would the Japs feel if we went on a hunting expedition to kill Japanese people for research purposes?? We could always claim that it's for scientific puposes, to enable us to study the dark side of human nature. Would the international community tolerate this??Why is it that other forms of life do not have the right to live which we humans enjoy?? Are we really superior to animals?? Does being human give us the right to dispose of them as and when we please?? The answers to the above questions are an emphatic NO. There is no use blaming the Japanese for what they are doing. The international community is to blame for allowing such a ridiculous expedition in the first place. But then again we really shouldn't be complaining. For we humans treat our fellow humans with the same contempt and insensitivity which we have for animals. So ironically, we do promote equality in some strange way!

CAREER LAUNCHER TYCOONS 08

2008-02-02T22:48:00.002+05:30

Tycoons 08 is a nation wide, personality centric event to select the future business barons of the country. It is a one of the kind initiative of career launcher, in association with the Jaago india(of TATA tea fame). I had qualified in the college rounds held a couple of weeks ago. Today was the city final. It consisted of 3 rounds.The first round consisted of a written business quiz. We had to answer 103 questions in just 30 minutes. The questions were generally of a high standard, although there were quite a few straightforward ones. 12 people were selected from this round for the next, which consisted of an oral business quiz. 3 of us from SSN qualified(including me) for this round. 2 professionals were there two, one from wipro and the other from tcs. Then the fun began. The first round was a general business round and the questions were pretty straightforward. After the end of the round, when the scores were announced, there was utter confusion. A brief investigation revealed that the scorer had awarded 5 points to everyone who PASSED a question!!Imagine!You don't know the answer to a question, and you pass it and you get 5 POINTS!wow! Unfortunately the blunders did not end there. We had a buzzer round but unfortunately there were no buzzers! So we had to do with a normal round with negative points. To add to the chaos, one of the participants(name witheld coz i dont know it!), argued with the organizers with the rules. He wanted to give multiple answers for a question, his argument being that the big B did the same in KBC! And finally, when there was a tie between two contestants, the quiz master was unsure bout wat to do(the problem was resolved with some help from the audience).All in all, the second round was marred by controversy and organizational blunders. But the audience weren't complaining due to generous amount of chocolates given to them as prizes!The top 5 contestants from the oral quiz were selected for the extempore round and i failed to make the cut. Finally the guy from IIT and the professional(lady btw ...name amreeta or so!) from wipro qualified as city champions. It was definitely a wonderful experience and would have been even more better if only they had paid more attention to organization. Nevertheless the career launcher team was helpful and courteous ,correcting all their flaws immediately, and at the end of the day we all left with smiles on our faces! :)

HOTEL RWANDA

2008-01-29T21:59:00.002+05:30

I watched the movie 'Hotel Rwanda' today. It is a brilliant film that tells the tale of the 1994 Rwandan genocide through the eyes of Paul Rusesabagina(played by Don Cheadle). The film is based on true events that took place during the genocidal violence that erupted in Rwanda between the Hutu and Tutsi groups in 1994 when the Hutu military and Interahamwe militias killed almost 1,000,000 Rwandans in a 100 day period.Paul Rusesabagina, is like a modern day Oscar Schindler. As hotel manager of the Belgian Hôtel des Mille Collines, he provides shelter to around 1200 refugees(both Hutu and Tutsi) and helps evacuate them to the Tutsi rebel controlled area and to safety. Don Cheadle has come up with an outstanding performance in his role as Rusesabagina. The movie is deeply moving and also highly inspirational. In fact it is one of the most inspirational movies I have watched in recent times. Moreover it helps shed light on the events that lead to the genocide as well as the apathy and insensitivity of the international community.The international community must be ashamed of their non interference in 1994,and its chilling consequences which are depicted in this movie. Had they intervened, thousands of lives could have been saved. Unfotunately, as stated in the film, the Europeans thought the Rwandans were like dirt and that they did not deserve to be helped.Despite specific warnings and requests from UNAMIR's(United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda) commanding officers in Rwanda, before and during the genocide, the UN Security Council refused to send additional support, declined UNAMIR's request for authorization to intervene, and even scaled back UNAMIR's forces and authority. Despite international news coverage of the violence as it unfolded, most countries, including France, Belgium, and the United States, declined to prevent or stop the massacres. If Rwanda had substancial oil reserves the US and the UK would definitely intervened . . .but unfortunately they didn't have any. It is a stark reminder of the shameful times we live in, where econonomic and political considerations are worth more than thousands of innocent lives. Alas! This is the terrible consequence of our excessive greed and materialism and we shall have to pay the price for it sooner or later. . . . .

THE IIT CONNECTION!

2008-01-28T17:55:00.001+05:30

Recently, I was in IIT MADRAS for SAARANG. As i was coming out of the Central Lecture Theater, after participating in the SPENT(sports and entertainment) quiz, i noticed a rock with a plaque on it, exactly opposite the entrance to CLT. It stated IIT MADRAS was formally inaugrated by professor Humayun Kabir, union minister for Scientific and Cultural Affairs on 31 JULY 1959. The date caught my eye. For 31 JULY happens to be my birthday!Ah! Now I can take pride in having some connection with IITM . . . .although it may be a rather obscure one at that. Nevertheless, on a lighter note, now i can brag about sharing my birthday with IIT MADRAS!

AMRITANANDAMAYI: THE HUGGING SAINT

2008-01-28T10:01:00.003+05:30

Earlier this week i made a hat trick of sorts, as i headed towards the avachi school in virgumbakkam, to meet MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI, the hugging saint. As always, there was a sizeable crowd at the venue and a large number of AMMA'S followers(many of them foriegners), clad in white, were trying their best to make sure everything went smoothly. Ironically, in that crowd with people jostling each other, there was a sense of peace and tranquility. There were some devotees singing bhajans on the stage, behind AMMA, and this coupled with the heavenly fragrance(don't know the source) lent the hall a spiritual ambience. As we made our way towards AMMA, the cleansing ritual began, with the white clad devotees wiping our faces with tissues. As we were nearing AMMA, one devotee asked me if i was a malayalee and I replied in the affirmative. The next few seconds seemed a blur in my memory, as one devotee pushed me towards AMMA, another pushed down my upper torso towards her as she reached out to hug me. She mumbled something in malayalam into my ears, gave me the prasad and soon i found myself being pulled away from her. All these events took place in the span of a couple of seconds. Although I have been sceptical of how such a brief encounter could possibly do any good, i have never regretted it. To be frank, in that brief moment when AMMA hugs you, one experiences a feeling of complete peace. For that brief moment, time seems to stop and you can sense this wonderful feeling within you, which is really hard to describe. But unfortunately it is all over in a flash. There is some inherent goodness in AMMA, which can be sensed by anyone who meets her. In fact she is truly indefatigable, spending upto 20 hours some days, hugging people and giving darshan. In India, she sometimes hugs more than 50,000 people in a single day, and often she sleeps for only 4 hrs everyday. Unlike certain other god men, like our dear friend OSHO, of the Rolls Royce fleet fame(more about our great man OSHO in one of my previous posts),AMMA does not live a life of opulence or luxury. She spends her time traveling the world, hugging people and bringing peace and solace to millions of people sacrificing her sleep and personal comforts. She truly is a saint, a hugging saint at that!

SAARANG 08

2008-01-27T14:10:00.001+05:30

The past couple of days have been great fun, what with me bunking college to take part in SAARANG and KURUKSHETRA(techfest of CEG guindy). SAARANG of course needs no introduction. Although this was my first time at SAARANG, going by the accounts of my friends and seniors this one was even better than last year's . There were a lot of new events(like queen of sheeba, freestyle solo dance) and this time around there was something called the SAARANG vilage, which according to their website "is a mini-village that serves as a museum of things culturally and traditionally Indian". All the regular events were there too, and even as i write the finals of many events(crossie, scrabble, biz quiz, pot pourrie to name a few) are going on. The SAARANG experience was definitely very special. I took part in creative writing, extempore and the sports and entertainment quiz(of course i failed to clear the prelims!). The creative writing event, true to its name, had a very creative question! Participants had to choose between one list of writing types(letter, fiction, short story etc) and another list of constraints(for eg writing without using the letter 'e' could fetch you 50 pts). It was a four hour writing marathon!The SPENT quiz(as the sports and entertainment quiz is popularly known)was of a very high standard. The questions were really interesting and challenging and cudos to the team resonsible for setting the questions. The atmosphere at SAARANG was literally electric. The informal events didn't fail to amuse and entertain. The food stalls were good and there was always a sizeable crowd in front of them!The organizing committee have done a great job and everything went off smoothly.The co ords and volunteers were helpful and polite and it is pretty evident how much this festival means to them. It is during occasions like SAARANG that you really wish you were an IITian.I mean the campus, the ambience, the hostel culture and just about everything else at IIT is truly awesome and amazing.Siting on the lawns opposite the central lecture theatre, jus lazing around with friends, the only thing on our mind was how wonderful it would be if we could spend our college days in such a wonderful campus and be a part of this great institution.If only we had taken our JEE preparation seriously! Anyway i seem to have digressed quite a bit and shall pursue this line of thought in some other post perhaps. As far as the pro shows went, choreo nite was really entertaining but a little too long drawn out.The Lucky Ali concert was sold out before i could get a chance to buy tickets!Decibels, the contest for the best performing rock band, did not live up to expectations with a string of lack lustre performances(there were exceptions though). Today is the last day of SAARANG and it is going to culminate with a rock show by the bands firebrands and prestorika(no tickets for me as usual!). All in all its been a wonderful experience and as yet another memorable SAARANG draws to a close, all of us who took part are left with just one unfulfilled desire . . . .if only this could last forever!sigh!

NICE ONE!

2008-01-20T15:25:00.001+05:30

INDIANS PULL OFF A MEMORABLE VICTORY

2008-01-19T18:47:00.000+05:30

After the unfortunate series of events at Sydney, few would have put money on the Indians to make a comeback with a victory at Perth. But they did just that, achieving a victory in remarkable fashion by beating australia by 72 runs in just four days. What was significant about this victory was that it was a complete team effort, with everybody chipping in. It isn't often that you see the world champions being beaten in such a comprehensive manner, especially at home. The records vindicate this fact. This was the first time that Australia was beaten at home in a test in the past five years. The defeat also ended their winning streak of 16 consecutive test wins.They also became the first team from the subcontinent to win a test at the WACA. But the records don't tell the whole story. Taking into consideration the circumstances that almost lead to the Indian team returning home, no one would have expected them to stage comeback in such a spectacular manner. Of course the Australian team had to do without the services of key players like Mathew Hayden,Bradd Hogg, Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson!Nevertheless all credit goes to the captain and his men for putting the events of the past week behind and concentrating on playing good competitive cricket. The Australians, to their credit, did not give up without a fight and there were stages in the match when they could have taken the game away from us.On a more sentimental note, the Indian victory brought immense joy and delight to thousands of Indian supporters all over the world. When bhajji came on the field with the tricolour in hand, all our desi hearts swelled with pride and the whole nation seemed to come together in celebration.Cricket seems to unite us all in some strange, subtle way.All in all, it was a great test match and one that would be remembered for years to come, irrespective of the result at Adelaide.

MAKARAVILAKU

2008-01-18T21:53:00.002+05:30

The Makarajyothi or the Makaravilaku is a bizzare annual phenomenon that takes place on the hill adjacent to the SABARIMALA TEMPLE, on the day of makar sankranthi(January 14). In the evening, when the sreekovil opens after Deeparadhana, in the distant hilly horizon a 'divine' light or 'jyothi' appears, briefly, for a few seconds.Sometimes it appears again once or twice, giving a blinking efect.This event brings untold joy and delight to the numerous devotees who witness it either directly or on television.There is a lot of controversy surrounding the event and there is conclusive evidence that the whole thing is a hoax. And yet year after year thousands of devotees gather at the temple to bear witness to the 'divine' spectacle. Although skeptics may dismiss them as being naive and ignorant, the fact of the matter is that most of the devotees do know that it is a hoax. Yet somewhere down the line they take a decision to put their faith ahead of reason for it seems to be a more fruitful endeavor.What skeptics don't understand is that it is not merely the spectacle that draws crowds but rather what it symbolizes. For the Makarajyothi is an embodiment of the fact that there are certain things which are beyond our comprehension and that there is definitely some higher power or phenomenon that we have not clearly understood yet. For most of the devotees the sighting of the Makarajyothi vindicates their faith and belief in god and gives them hope that their prayers will be answered, by some benevolent being who is watching over them all the time and will pull them out of trouble if need be.It is this faith, this hope that eventually helps them to 'miraculously' solve their problems and overcome their difficulties. It may not be a miracle of god or some supernatural phenomenon.But a miracle it definitely is for it represents the triumph of hope over despair. hope is something that we all desperately need in the troubled times that we live in, for when all is lost only hope can sustain us . . . . .

MY FIRST BIZ QUIZ!

2008-01-18T19:00:00.001+05:30

Recently a business quiz was held at IIT MADRAS as part of SAMANVAY 08, the DOMS culturals. My partner and i decided to give it a shot notwithstanding the fact that we were rookies as far as biz quizzes were concerned.The prelims were pretty easy thanks to all those quiz blogs id read!Although we could answer only bout 10 of 25 questions we surprised ourselves by qualifying for the finals! That was least expected . . .in fact my partner had intended to leave soon after lunch.And all of a sudden we were finalists!(yippie!!).Five teams had qualified for the finals with us being the fifth. Sharing the stage with rohit nair(most of the teams on stage(including us) regularly read his quiz blogs!) was a pleasant surprise. The quizmaster was Ananthkrishnan from TCS(no wonder the questions related to the TATA group!), who did a good job. There were a few general questions too and he struck a fine balance between challenging questions and those that were relatively easier.The team from IIT MADRAS walked away with the first prize of 25k with ANNA UNIVERSITY(CEG) getting 15k for being runners up. As for us . . .AH!We had the satisfaction of qualifying in our very first biz quiz . . . . . .not to forget the free t shirt :P

WHY MALLU IS THE FUNNY??

2007-12-23T22:21:00.001+05:30

Certain questions have been pondered upon for centuries by the greatest of intellectuals and yet they haven't arrived at conclusive answers. like how was the universe creted?what happened before the big bang?is there life after death . . .etc etc. there are certain other questions, though not in the same league, but nevertheless equally intriguing and i am attempting to answer one of them. WHY THE MALLU IS FUNNY? the famed mallu sense of humour(:)im not jus sayin tat coz im one) has been at the centre of various 'intelegtual' discussions!but what is the secret behind the funny?? its simble . . . .based upon my research at MIT i have arrived at 10 plausible explanations:
1.it is jenetic: the funny is in our dna. very simble!
2.inductive yeffect: the more the merrier. the funny is actually a contagious disease which most mallus are susceptible to!this explains the widespread epidemic of funny in kerala and its allied states(uae, kuwait, and other gelf countries!).
3.perspective:mallus get the funny from their perspective(usually lack of it!) of life.
4.illusion:mallus don have the funny. it is merely an illushun. the world is full of crazy peoples who laugh simbly at d mallu jokes.there is no funny!:(
5.misinterpretation of speeking skills:peoples laugh at mallu english. they say it is the funny. they wrong. long ago mallu went to england(and start first tea stall in england!)and taught savages there english!savages corrupted it.mallu eng true blue. so misinterpration brings funny.
6.diet:mallus eat food with lots of coconut ingredients. seafood also. all these contain calcium. gud for bones. especially for funny bone!
7.darwin's theory: mallus live in hostile conditions. therefore evolution an natural selection.funny mallu is healthy mallu!(laughter gud for health). survival of funniest!(the others were wiped out :()
8.energy cosiderations: according to thermodynamics, most stable correspond to least energy. funny state has least energy. therefore mallu funny!(yeah!we even save on energy :P)
9.blabber:mallus blabber. they speak from the void in their mind, while the others speak from the matter in their mind.wat others don know:funny is in the void!
10.philosophy:as stated before a mallu's mind is like space: it is vast and empty!but just as space contains everything(including the known universe) so too the mallu knows it all(humor included)!yay!(no pts for modesty i gues :()
11.joke:mallus are not funny, neither am i, i never went to MIT and all this research is just a big joke!
mebbe it is, considering that MIT is the Mallu Institute of Technology!!
(for the uninitiated the exclamation marks are the cues that tell you when its time to laugh!! . . .i know i know . . .at times i do have to stoop so low . . .)
(dislaimer:i know im crazy. you don have to point it out!:P)

OSHO RAJNEESH

2007-12-22T11:39:00.002+05:30

after watchin some of the 'osho' videos on you tube,which left me in splits, the first thought that struck me was how gullible humans can be. hailed by his followers as the greatest saint since the buddha(LMAO), or even greater still ,at his peak osho commanded a large following not just in india but also america and europe(germany specially).From his lofty pedestal, he suffered a fall of unimaginable proportions, which culminated in him being jailed like just another common criminal.in retrospect, what corrupted him and ultimately resulted in his fall from grace was the undue attention and adulation that he recieved from his followers. to begin with, initially rajneesh was an 'enlightened' soul, going by the accounts of fellow yogis, philosophers and some of his earliest disciples. but he was still very human, and had all the weaknesses of human character. he was capable of achieveing a state of expanded consciousness with ease('enlightened' in other wrds) but could not sustain it for long. as his fame grew, so too did his desires which further weakened the flaws in his character. he started spending lesser time in the state of expanded consciousness and pretty soon ended up becoming a megalomaniac with an insatiable appetite for sex. his teachings became more and more ridiculous and if it weren't for his naive, gullible and innocent followers, he would have been denounced as a dim witted jabbering ignoramus by society at large before he could have done any considerable damage. sample this, an extract from an article by ex disciple christopher calder "Rajneesh was an advocate of the ancient Hindu myths of "Tantra," and in a lecture he defended the ancient Tantric practice of parents having sex with their own children. At his Oregon commune, Rajneesh allowed middle aged men to have sex with prepubescent girls. Rajneesh used the myths of Tantra to rationalize all of his dishonest and illegal behavior, as well as his own exorbitant drug use. If he walked out on a hotel bill, cheated a real estate agent out of a commission, or conned you out of your home, it was not theft, it was "Tantra!"
In the early days Rajneesh handed out bad advice on "Tantric sex," such as having intercourse with zero movement and concentrating on the "third eye" (Ajana chakra). When he started having sex himself, he realized his errors and stopped giving out this advice. Rajneesh failed to understand that he had a responsibility to know what he was talking about before teaching others. He also did not appreciate that it is unethical for teachers to have sex with their own students, and he used his young female disciples as his own personal harem. By most accounts, Rajneesh was no great Tantric lover. One eighteen year old girl told me that Rajneesh lasted for fifteen minutes, while most other reports claim he lasted two minutes or less, and that the experience was basic missionary position with little or no foreplay. Despite Rajneesh's irrational public statements about AIDS, it is reported that he never used a condom."
and he adds " Ask yourself this question. What does the average Mafia crime boss or corrupt dictator want most? The answer is millions of dollars, absolute power, a harem of women, and a daily supply of booze or drugs. Now ask yourself what did Rajneesh want and get? The answer is millions of dollars, absolute power, a harem of women, and a daily supply of drugs. Rajneesh used myths of the occult and his natural ability to influence people to achieve the same goals. He could look you directly in the eye and lie without flinching, and that helped him become a financially successful guru. Lies and fantasy sell better than telling the simple truth, so Rajneesh decided to sell spiritual consumers what they wanted to hear.
Rajneesh's own words and life history prove that he had no great wisdom, and that he was subnormal in his understanding of science, mathematics, ethics, simple logic, and common sense. What Rajneesh did have was a tremendous power of presence and the gift of hypnotic oratory. He fooled himself into equating his own raw consciousness with intelligence and wisdom. Intelligence and consciousness are not the same thing, and those with the most consciousness are not necessarily the most honest and wise. Even common street drugs like LSD can induce a kind of distorted state of superconsciousness, and hallucinogenic drug users are not known for great wisdom, balance, and virtue."
so all said and done, rajneesh was in the end just another normal human being, who though he did have some obvious talents, misused them and ended up being the most controversial and ridiculed 'saint' of our times.(disclaimer:a lot of people have benefitted from osho's teachings and a lot more have suffered and even killed themselves owing to his teachings and methods of meditation etc. use your discrimination, take what is good from his teachings and discard the rest).

THE 1 RUPEE RIDE!!

2007-12-20T14:40:00.001+05:30

scene one: we are speeding down ecr, in a rickety old bus(with a crazy maniac in the guise of a driver to boot).all of a sudden a car brakes ahead, the driver swerves to avoid a collission and all hell breaks loose. "daiiiiiiiiiiii . . . .im faaaaaaaaallin!!" screams one of my seniors, who had the misfortune of taking the seat adjacent to the door(the cushion isn't properly fastened to the seat!). the girls ahead let out a volley of shrieks, while my friends and i(who have the honour of sitting in the last seat!) are thrown up into the air, bags and all.after a brief sojourn in the air, we are back on our seats(butts bruised!), the girls have stopped shrieking and the unfortunate senior is on the floor, having narrowly missed being thrown out of the bus!he lets out a volley of abuse in chaste tamil, and some of the other seniors join in. the driver turns back, gives a sheepish grin and den steps on the gas!we are speedin again! . . . . . . . .this is jus a normal day in route no 1(ecr).the dabba vandi aka the naayee vandi has the distinction of being the fastest bus in ssn's fleet.it is also the oldest bus, having been bought when the college was started. one gets the feeling that it hasn't been serviced ever since!the rickety bus is full of sliding seats and squeaking joints that threaten to give way any minute! it also has the dubious distinction of having the most reckless driver, who though highly skilled, pays no heed to any traffic rules.( it has been dubbed the one rupee ride owing to the fact tat a rupee is collected from all passengers to pay for ecr toll.)it goes without saying that travelling by route no 1 is indeed a most entertaining and enjoyable ordeal. in fact college life at ssn would be incomplete without having experienced the joy of travelling by the nayeee vandi!!

THE WIDENING GULF

2007-11-07T12:02:00.001+05:30

I recently came across an article on the rising income and wealth disparity in India. Although this is a global phenomenon, of late such inequalities are rising alarmingly in India. Unfortunately they barely figure in public discourse and the people in general are either unaware or unconcerned. Some of the statistics were really dismaying. a report of the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector showed that a frightening 77 pr cent of our population lived on a paltry sum of Rs 20 a day(source:national sample survey data). To put things in perspective, that is the amount an ‘average middle class’ Indian would spend on a small snack or a drink!! (we are not even talking bout the elite). It is indeed a matter of great shame that while the ‘urban elite’ are sinking their teeth into the best of global cuisines at swanky restaurants, nearly half of india’s children are either malnourished or underweight(source:global hunger index). Although the statistics may be slightly skewed, they can’t be too far from the truth. And the truth is that we have a real problem on our hands. Among the most revealing – and disturbing – recent analyses of India’s disparities scenario is “Patterns of Wealth Disparities in India during the Liberalisation Era” (Economic and Political Weekly, September 22). This shows, on the basis of National Sample Survey data, that there was a perceptible (and probably underestimated) increase in inter-personal wealth inequality in India between 1991 and 2002.
The top 10 per cent of the population increased its share of total national wealth to 52 per cent, while the share of the bottom 10 fell to just 0.21 per cent. Such a stark contrast between obscene opulence on the one hand and extreme mass poverty on the other is indeed shocking and disheartening. It has always been said that India is a land of contrasts but income disparity is one contrast which our nation could do without. It is hard to imagine that within the same nation you can have two distinct segments of people that are separated by an enormous economic barrier: The one segment has homes with large swimming pools while the other has to walk miles just for access to good, clean water. The one that gorges on the best of global cuisine while the other has to struggle to get a square meal a day. The one that dresses up in Armani’s and Gucci’s while the other cover themselves in ragged clothes of cheap yarn. The one that has numerous residences and villas in cities across the country while the other has to be content with ramshackle huts and slum tenements.The one that drives around in Bentleys, bmw’s and other imported sports cars, while the other has to rely on paidal power.. . . . And so on and so forth. It is high time that something is done about the widening gulf between these two segments. It would take a lot more than increasing gdp’s and a surging stock market to level the playing field. The people have lost their faith in the government and their decision making apparatus and the judiciary. It is up to the citizens of the nation to find a lasting solution to this problem. It is not impossible for the genius of india’s people to set up a nationwide program to provide the hungry with food, the homeless with homes and the unemployed with jobs. The onus is on the youth of the nation to be proactive and address the issue of inequality with sincerity of purpose and clarity of mind. Measures need to be taken to empower the ‘voiceless millions’ for at stake are the founding principles of our democracy: justice, liberty and equality.

BEYOND THE GOAL:AGAINST ALL ODDS

2007-11-07T10:15:00.001+05:30

In the sporting world there are stars, icons and legends. But every now and then there comes a person who is all that and more. A person who transcends all limitations and soars high above the rest of the pack. Wilma Rudolph was one such person.
Winning an Olympic gold medal is no easy task. Wilma Rudolph won three gold’s in the 1960 Rome Olympics. Although a stupendous achievement by itself, it is not quite the reason behind her having a very special place reserved in the annals of sporting history. ( for others have emulated and even surpassed her feat). What made her so special was that she achieved all this in spite of being afflicted by polio. Wilma Rudolph's life is a story of achieving against the odds.
She was born into a large family -- she was the 20th of 22 children! Her parents, Ed and Blanche Rudolph, were honest, hardworking people, but were very poor. Wilma was born prematurely and weighed only 4.5 pounds. Again, because of racial segregation, she and her mother were not permitted to be cared for at the local hospital. There was only one black doctor in Clarksville, and the Rudolph's budget was tight, so Wilma's mother spent the next several years nursing Wilma through one illness after another: measles, mumps, scarlet fever, chicken pox and double pneumonia. But, she had to be taken to the doctor when it was discovered that her left leg and foot were becoming weak and deformed. She was told she had polio, a crippling disease that had no cure. After losing the use of her left leg, she was fitted with metal leg braces when she was 6. The doctor told Mrs. Rudolph that Wilma would never walk. But Mrs. Rudolph would not give up on Wilma. She found out that she could be treated at Meharry Hospital, the black medical college of Fisk University in Nashville. Even though it was 50 miles away, Wilma's mother took her there twice a week for two years, until she was able to walk with the aid of a metal leg brace. "I spent most of my time trying to figure out how to get them off," said Wilma. "But when you come from a large, wonderful family, there's always a way to achieve your goals.” Finally, by age 12, she could walk normally, without the crutches, brace, or corrective shoes. It was then that she decided to become an athlete.
While attending Burt High School, Rudolph became a basketball star, setting state records for scoring and leading her team to the state championship. She was playing for the basketball team of her junior high school, when the track and field coach spotted her. He encouraged her to take part in races. She lost many of her early races. But undeterred by her failures she persevered. It is said in the tirukkural that “when failure occurs, challenge it with cheerful attitude”. Failures are after all stepping-stones to success. And Wilma did exactly that. Slowly she went from last, to second from last, to first in all her races. The rest as they say is history . . . .
She competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics at the age of 16 where she won a bronze medal in the 4x100 m relay. At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome she won three Olympic titles; in the 100 m, 200 m and the 4 x 100 m relay. This achievement led her to become one of the most celebrated female athletes of all time. In addition, her celebrity caused gender barriers to be broken in previously all-male track and field events. She had reached the pinnacle of sporting achievement, against all the odds, overcoming segregation, racism and bigotry. Never again has the sporting fraternity borne witness to such grit, courage and determination.

LANCE ARMSTRONG:ITS NOT ABOUT THE BIKE

2007-11-07T10:13:00.002+05:30

The tour de France is a 2,290-mile long road race that’s considered the single most grueling sporting event on the face of the earth. The tour has seen a lot of great riders, legends in their own right, riders of the caliber of Greg le Mond, Eddy Merkx and Miguel Indurain. Lance Armstrong is right up there with the best, jostling for space with the very idols he tried to emulate. What’s remarkable about Armstrong is not just the fact that he has won the tour de France a record 7 times. What’s remarkable is that he achieved this feat after having been successfully treated for testicular cancer.
At the age of 24, lance Armstrong was well on his way to becoming a sporting legend. Then, in October 1996, he was diagnosed with stage four testicular cancers. Doctors gave him a 40% chance of survival. As far as cycling was concerned, it literally spelt the end of his career as doctors gave him no chance of making a comeback to competitive cyclng.all the odds were stacked up against him. Armstrong battled against cancer, undergoing grueling sessions of chemotherapy that threatened to sap his soul. But Armstrong, drawing support from his friends and family, never gave up and after being discharged from the hospital focused on his training like never before. He returned to competitive cycling in 1998.then, in 1999, just sixteen months after he was discharged from hospital, he entered the tour de France. At that time nobody expected him to even finish the tour and a victory was considered virtually impossible. But Armstrong, riding with courage and fortitude, silenced all his critics and detractors by winning the tour in spectacular fashion, with the fastest time ever. He went on to win the tour a record seven times. It’s not about the bike is the story of one man’s inspirational battle against the odds, charting his progress through triumph, tragedy and transformation. It is an awe-inspiring tale of immense courage and will. For the tour de France is not about the bike. It’s a metaphor for life. It is not only the longest race in the world but the most exalting, heartbreaking and potentially tragic. During our lives we experience so many setbacks, and fight such a hand-to-hand battle with failure, head down in the rain, just trying to stay upright and to have a little hope. The tour is not a bike race. It is a test. It tests you physically, mentally and morally.

THE MAGIC OF MALGUDI

2007-11-07T10:10:00.002+05:30

No 1, Vellala Street in purasawakkom is one of the city’s lesser-known landmarks. Of course everyone in the neighborhood knows the Saravana Bhavan located there. But the location’s claim to fame has got nothing to do with the food served or the ambience (which leaves a lot left to be desired). On the contrary, it happens to be the birthplace of one of India’s greatest writers of the modern era. It is a little known fact that the above-mentioned address is the birthplace of Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Narayan, the pioneer of the Indian novel in English.

In almost all the tributes paid to R.K.Narayan, the focus has been on the Malgudi that he created and the Mysore he lived in. little attention has been paid to the 15 formative years he spent in Madras, from his birth in 1906 till 1921 when he left for Mysore. No 1, Vellala Street was the home of his maternal grandfather R.Narayanaswami Iyer and it was here that he was brought up by his grandmother Parvathi on a diet of tuition, ragas, storytelling and slokas. A little to the east of his maternal grandfather’s home and across the road is the E.L.M.Fabricius school where Narayan studied along with his friends Kapali, the class monitor, and Samuel, the ‘pattani’. They along with his headmaster Vedanayagam were to figure in his first novel ‘Swami and friends’.

Incidentally, Narayan also spent the last 15 years of his life in Madras, writing and developing storylines. Even in his last days Narayan was thinking of plots for his next story, which would have been his 16th novel. Truly Narayan was indefatigable, forever telling stories to himself and the world. If we lived in a more heritage conscious state or country, there would have at least been a plaque at No 1, Vellala street, proclaiming it to be the birthplace of one of the greatest writers of the Indian English novel, R.K.Narayan.
Even now, on a quiet Sunday afternoon (which is pretty rare), one can sense a quaint, rustic, old worldly charm about the place, epitomized by the magic of Malgudi . . . . .

THE WRATH OF THE TSUNAMI

2007-05-17T16:14:00.001+05:30

As the waves rose higher and higher,
The onlookers' eyes filled with fear
And they scattered and tried to flee
Only to be followed by the wrathful Tsunami.

It wreaked havoc on the coast,
Demolishing all that lay in its path.
It gushed onwards like a vengeful ghost
Battered remains bore witness to its aftermath.

The scent of death hung in the air,
Cries of sorrow followed
That of people in despair,
Amidst ruins of land once hallowed.

Thousands dead, many more displaced
Buildings destroyed, whole settlements obliterated
As millions watched the scene dazed,
The wrath of the Tsunami abated.

It did not end there, the grief was far from over
For property could be accounted for, but lives? Never;
The atmosphere was laden with a sense of bereavement
As millions mourned, their hearts torn apart by torment.

But the proverbial silver lining in the sky
Brought some solace, but not much joy.
As millions of the people, heart rendered by the calamity
Rushed to provide aid, extending their generosity
To survivors and casualties, destitute and needy
Who were unfortunate to face the wrath of the Tsunami.

Not to be forgotten, the brave unsung heroes
Who risked their lives to ensure others' safety
Confronted with life or death, death they chose
Thereby transcending the highest realms of nobility.

Ordinary men as we cannot but admire
Their grit and courage in the face of adversity
For only a few would risk their lives to save others from jeopardy
And fewer still would do so during a Tsunami.

TRIBUTE TO INQUISITIVENESS

2007-05-15T17:44:00.000+05:30

HOW WAS THE UNIVERSE CREATED? HOW DID WE GET HERE? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE? THESE AND A THOUSAND MORE QUESTIONS HAVE PREOCCUPIED SOME OF THE GREATEST HUMAN MINDS, INTELLECTUALS, PHILOSOPHERS, POETS, MEN OF SCIENCE AND RELIGION. AND IT WAS THEIR SPIRIT OF INQUISITIVENESS THAT LEAD THEM TO DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF OUR UNIVERSE. ALL THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED, ALL OF MODERN CIVILIZATION CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THIS SINGLE DRIVING FORCE, THE URGE TO COMPREHEND EVERYTHING. IT IS SAID THAT HE WHO ASKS SHALL BE GIVEN AND HE WHO SEEKS SHALL FIND. SO LET US ALL ENDEAVOUR TO KEEP THE SPIRIT OF INQUISITIVENESS ALIVE, INSPITE OF THE BEST EFFORTS OF THE IGNORANT PSEUDO INTELLECTUALS OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WHO INTEND TO QUASH IT BY THRUSTING UPON CHILDREN A WHOLE LOT OF USELESS FACTS. MAY THE SPIRIT OF INQUISITIVENESS ENDURE!

WHY LEARN?

2007-05-12T15:37:00.000+05:30

THE PURSUIT FOR KNOWLEDGE IS PERHAPS THE NOBLEST OF ALL ENDEAVOURS THE HUMAN MIND HAS ENGAGED IN. ALTHOUGH IGNORANCE MAY BE BLISS, THIS BLISS IS SHORTLIVED. ESSENTIALLY ALL OUR LIVES ARE A TRANSITION FROM A LOWER STATE OF EXISTENCE TO A HIGHER ONE. BUT IN ORDER TO EVOLVE AND PROGRESS TO A HIGHER STATE IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE ARE AWARE OF THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH A STATE. AND SUCH AWARENESS CAN ONLY COME THROUGH KNOWLEDGE. KNOWLEDGE IS A PREREQUISITE FOR ANY SORT OF DEVELOPMENT, BE IT MATERIAL OR SPIRITUAL. ALL THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE GAIN IS THROUGH EXPERIENCE, EITHER DIRECT OR INDIRECT.AND IT IS THIS LEARNING PROCESS THAT CAN HELP US IN OUR TRANSITION TO A HIGHER STATE OF BEING.THEREFORE IT BECOMES IMPERATIVE THAT WE LEARN, SO THAT WE MAY ENHANCE OUR SKILLS, EVOLVE INTO BETTER PERSONS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY UNLOCK OUR TRUE POTENTIAL. FOR LIFE IS ALL ABOUT DISCOVERING YOUR TRUE CAPABILITIES, ITS ABOUT THE JOY OF PUSHING YOURSELF TO YOUR LIMITS, ONLY TO REALIZE THERE ARE NONE!