Philosophical Rambling

Moving to Wordpress

2009-07-23T15:36:00.001+05:30

Guys, I am moving this blog to Wordpress.

Please go to this link from now on:

http://blessongregory.wordpress.com/

To vote or not to vote

2009-05-05T22:02:00.009+05:30

That is the question! And most youngsters in this country have been answering in the negative. At least the statistics on the percentage of youngsters who cast their votes, say so.

Bollywood has been trying to convince the youngsters to vote, but I am not sure if it will work.

The majority of us probably think that it is useless to vote for any of the @%$%#$ politicians who are contesting. Of the rest, I guess some are too lazy to stand in long queues in the summer heat to cast their vote, some just don't care and the others don't know what an election is.

The 'question' in question was one that I pondered over as well before I cast my first vote for the last Kerala Assembly Elections. After thinking long and hard, I realized that not voting was not even an option. It is true that most of the candidates in the fray are not worthy of representing the people of their constituency. But that does not mean that we choose to avoid our fundamental right and duty, because by voting we are keeping our end of the bargain; doing what we are supposed to do as responsible citizens.

It is not as if we have no choice while casting our vote. We could vote for an independent candidate who we think could do some good for our constituency. Or vote to keep certain ideologies/parties out of power (choose the lesser devil in a sense). If even that does not work, we could choose to cast a "NO VOTE".

Casting a "NO VOTE" (Section 49-O)

Section 49-O of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 gives the option to an elector to register a NO VOTE. Following is the official extract from CER 1961:

49-O. Elector deciding not to vote.-If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.

This can also be seen as a way to register a "protest vote", if an elector doesn't like any of the candidates. However, the only practical utility of exercising the right of NO VOTE is that it allows one to ensure that his / her vote is not misused by anybody else. Under no circumstances is a re-polling ordered, irrespective of how small or large the number of NO VOTES is.

Source: Jaago Re! campaign website

We might not be able to stop a candidate from being elected, but we can still protest. Let us all do at least that as the first step towards changing the way our system works. Like the Jaago Re! campaign slogan goes - Jaago, aur Jagaao!

So much to be thankful for!

2009-04-29T06:22:00.005+05:30

It has almost been a year since my last post! A lot of things have changed since then - I used to live in Thrissur then, but in Kochi now; I used to be an engineering student then, but a working professional now. What hasn't changed is that I am still just as lazy as I was then to post something here. :) But I am back. ;)

I just thought I would start off the new season of this blog with a nice thought. We keep complaining about so many things in our life - the summer heat, the economic slowdown, the corruption in politics, the boring work schedule.....

We seem to have complaints about anything and everything! But we just need to take a look around us to realize just how fortunate we are, just how much we all have to be thankful for. I have only recently realized how much happier you can be by just counting all the reasons why you are more fortunate than most people in this world.

I am still not back to my eloquent best and since pictures speak a thousand words, I will just let them do all the talking.

I am sure I don't need to say anything more!

Kick the CO2 Habit

2008-06-05T20:45:00.005+05:30

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on how to "Kick the CO2 Habit"

Perhaps the only subject of importance that I studied in my four year engineering course was 'Environmental Studies'. No, I am not being sarcastic. On World Environment Day, I cannot but be worried about the attitude most people have towards the environment and its conservation.

The environment will not disappear and the rising sea levels will not drown coastal regions in our life time. But that does not mean we turn a blind eye to impending danger. We should not be shamelessly contributing to potential disaster.

I am not going to go into the details of what we need to do to preserve our environment. I am also not going to give out figures on global warming or the carbon footprint. We are being bombarded with that kind of information - on TV, in the newspapers and even in our curriculum. But most people don't care, and some even make a joke out of it.

The real danger that the world faces is not environmental degradation or unsustainable growth, but the apathy of the people towards these issues. Please, let us all show some more concern for our environment.

The often heard refrain is - what difference can one person make? As individuals, we don't need to change the world, the environment or the society. We only need to change ourselves.

Perhaps, more than doing anything, we need to realize the need to do something. It is time to "Kick the CO2 Habit".

Thrissur Pooram = air & noise pollution + animal torture

2008-04-17T20:16:00.009+05:30

I guess the title of the post says it all. When I changed my Orkut display name to this title yesterday, I was bombarded with responses from a lot of people. Most people were genuinely upset (I even received a good natured death threat), while a few were surprised. Hardly anyone supported my view.

Quite clearly, I have a problem with the Pooram because it pollutes the environment and involves the mistreatment of elephants. The people who responded to me (all the responses have been added at the very end of this post) were trying to justify the pollution and the mistreatment with culture, tradition and history (and in one ingenious case, even foreign exchange through tourism).

I believe nothing can justify polluting the environment or mistreating animals. We are already living in a world that is developing unsustainably. Do we need to destabilize it further in the name of culture and tradition?

The people are standing in the sun on their own free will. What about the policemen? ;)

The Thrissur Pooram flouts every single known emission norm and sound decibel level restriction. Every year, exceptions are made by the government for the sake of culture and tradition. The Supreme Court says such exceptions can be made in order to not upset 'religious and cultural sentiments'.

My grouse is not with the Pooram alone. I have a problem with every despicable act that is justified with culture and religion. People in this country are too proud of their culture, even using it at times to cover up our lack of development. I am talking of the so-what-if-the-western-world-is-more-developed-we-have-a-superior-culture rhetoric. But that must be the topic of another post.

Let me remind everyone that our culture entailed even practices like the Sati and Untouchability. Not everything that has been done over many years need be right. When will we ever learn to objectively and unemotionally judge issues? Ours is a nation with too many 'sentiments' that need protection and comforting. Sad!

Thrissur Pooram must be one of the most overrated events in the whole world! I don’t understand what the brouhaha is all about. Why are people so excited about Pooram? Are they celebrating the fact that the Pooram fireworks have made our atmosphere that much more polluted? Or maybe they are happy to have the resistance of their ear drums tested from such close quarters. Or perhaps they are enjoying the fact that thirty helpless elephants were forced to endure the April heat for many hours.

The poor elephants have no choice but to bear the heat!

What kind of sadistic pleasure do people get by forcing poor elephants to stand for hours on end in the scorching summer heat? Some of these people actually claim to be elephant lovers! If you really love elephants, you would want them to be returned to the safety and protection that their natural habit has to offer them.

The Pooram also often becomes a public nuisance. The pandals constructed right in the middle of the busiest roads in the centre of Thrissur don't help at all. Why don't they set up these in the vast open spaces surrounding the Vadakkunathan temple? Why disrupt public life when you have the choice not to? And if you live in the town areas, be prepared to go without electricity for a few weeks in the run up to the D-Day. (Ask any of the shop owners in Thrissur town and they will tell you). But these are just minor grievances. I may still put up with them in the name of culture and tradition.

But not everything about Pooram is bad. The traditional music and the visual splendor on offer (the umbrellas and all the other decorative items) are quite splendid. I am personally not really a fan of either of this, though. I don't understand why people would want to wilt in the heat - however enticing the music and alluring the sight may be! But that is just my personal opinion.

The Thrissur Pooram fireworks. Just have a look at the smoke filling up the sky! And the noise is pretty much unbearable!

These are the responses that filled up my Orkut scrapbook in the last 24 hours (in the order that I received them):

Anoop Arunkumar: "way to be optimistic abt the only thing thrissur is known for...noise, air pollution and animal torture..geez!!!!!"

Arjun T C: "poda koppe!!!..americans have deir rock concerts and crap..we have pooram..ur so called air pollution is beautiful music..its a culture we are celebrating..in true pagan hindu style"

Arjun T C (again, after some thought): “dude..u know how much tourism and freaking revenue the damn pooram brings in”

Ashwin V: "daaa....its our culture man, its in blood of each and every thrissurkaaran.....its celebration"

Anto Thomas: "samskaarathinteetyum paarambaryatinteeyum peeril oottum kollunnu jada thendikalude netti chulipikunna caption!"

Gokul V: " the pollution and animal torture things.... i hate the latter part.... but love the former....I love fire crackers..... You see they are the only pollutants i endorse...."

Sreekanth Sasi: "wat a caption dude!! u meant it seriously??? "

Roopesh M B: "Animal torture...pollution… Nine njan kollum...."

Anoop Bhatt: "What a noble thought!!!! (considering you are from thrissur)"

The end of a search

2008-04-17T00:07:00.002+05:30

This is a short story I had written in school (12th standard) for a short story competition. I obviously didn't remember everything I had written then. This is a recreation of that story - the basic plot and characters remain the same though I have tweaked it a little here and there.

Short Story No.4

I walked into my flat despondent. It was yet another day at office, another day of endless files, unsatisfied clients and pestering bosses. I was thankful that it was over. But I had to start all over again tomorrow. It was as if there was no escape from this mediocre and mundane life.

As I walked into my flat, I picked up the post lying next to the door. All letters were addressed to Anoop Chandy, but none were from people I knew. All were from business acquaintances. I wondered when I would ever receive a personal mail from someone. Even an email would do. But there was nothing but business correspondence in my email inbox as well.

I threw my car keys onto the table and went into the bathroom. As I threw the cold water running from the tap on my face, I realized just how lonely I was. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. The hairline had started to recede prematurely. Too many hours in the office, and too stressful a life had left me looking older than my 28 years. My eyes were still the same though, but perhaps, they had lost their twinkle. A stubble was growing on my face. I had lost interest in taking care of my appearance a long time ago.

I had a car, a neatly furnished flat and a hefty pay packet to take home at the end of the month. Successful, people say. I had everything, but I felt as if I had nothing. I was still searching - for success, for a meaning to my life. A search that will perhaps never end.

A few years back, when I left college, I was doing what I thought would make me successful. I wanted to build my career, climb the corporate ladder. Nothing else seemed to be important then. I didn't want to even understand or experience anything else. I had shut everything else from my mind. I now realized that I had been wasting all these years chasing a mirage.

I flicked on the television and flipped through the channels. The evening news was on. Even the news was humdrum. I looked at my living room. The paintings on the wall had begun to fade. The windows were beginning to get dusty.

The news anchor was rambling on about the latest political fall outs of the Indo-US nuclear deal. I reflected on how different I could have made my life, only if I had made different choices. That was when I heard the voice. I knew it was familiar. I turned around to look at the TV screen and my heart skipped a beat.

I could never forget that face - bright, beady eyes, small pointed nose and soft full lips. Her long dark hair framed her oval face. Her captivating smile made her face all the more beautiful. Her intense eyes were hidden behind spectacles. I remembered that she didn't wear glasses in college. But she hadn't changed much at all from those days. She was now reporting news for a national news channel.

I kept watching her. She was evidently a little nervous. Maybe this was her first live report. She kept pushing her glasses up her nose as she delivered a report on the new proposals for education reforms.

Seeing her on TV brought back memories from college. My life was not so mundane and meaningless then. I leant back in my chair and closed my eyes. I could see my college again. I could see my old classrooms, the ground, the canteen…. And her. She was sitting in the gallery, waiting.

It was the Annual Sports Day, I remembered. I walked over to the ground. I could see my younger self doing warm ups. Anoop Chandy was pretty fit in those days, I thought. She was in the stands, to cheer Anoop when the race would begin.

I looked around and could only manage to see blurred images of everyone else. I wondered why. When Anoop finished first in the race, she punched the air, apparently very excited. He waved to her. I knew exactly what he was thinking. He was attributing her excitement to the fact that she belonged to the same house team as he did. Looking at her eyes brimming with elation, I knew better now.

I opened my eyes and sat up in my chair again. The news report was just coming to an end. "Rashmi Nambiar, reporting from Chennai." She wound up the report. She was in my city right now! I could hardly believe it. I made up my mind to meet her the next day.

Maybe life wasn't so mundane after all. Amidst all the strange faces that I see daily, it was wonderful to have a familiar one too. I wondered how surprised she might be on seeing me.

Reclining in my chair, I closed my eyes once again. I was back in college, amidst all the blurred images. On stage, the debate competition was going on. Anoop was up against her. When she eventually won, she didn't seem very happy. Anoop hadn't even noticed it, perhaps. But I noticed it now.

I knew he was the better speaker, but somehow he didn't win this time. He just didn't want to beat her. He had never understood why he did that. But I understood now.

I came back to my senses again. I had to meet her tomorrow. Especially now that I knew why all the other images in my memory were blurred.

I woke up early the next day. It was raining heavily. Many more memories from college had come back to me overnight, making me even more determined to meet her that day. I called in sick at work and set out to the news channel's studio in Chennai.

When I arrived at the studio, I was almost drenched in the rain. I walked up to the reception desk and asked, "Can I meet Ms. Rashmi Nambiar? Is she here right now?"

It was my lucky day. She was in the studio right then. "Who should I say is waiting?"

"An old friend from college." I hoped that when someone asked me the next time, I would be able to give a different answer.

I sat down in one of the sofas in the reception lounge. What would be her reaction when she sees me? What will she ask me? How have you been? Where have you been? Maybe she will ask me why I hadn't called her all this while. But I knew I just had one question to ask her.

She walked into the reception area a moment later. When her eyes fell on me, she was stunned. She just kept staring for a few moments, not being able to say anything. I tried to read the emotion in her eyes – there was joy, but I felt there was some pain and anguish too. Her eyes were almost chastising me for having taken so long.

I was at a loss for words myself too. She was more beautiful than I had ever remembered her. I felt all the dreariness in my life disappearing. I was finally finding success. My mundane life was becoming meaningful.

I looked out of the window. The rain had stopped now. The clouds had cleared up and the sun was shining in through the windows.

She tucked her hair behind her ears and gave me a nervous smile. She still hadn’t said anything. She probably didn't know what to say. But her blush was unmistakable.

I didn't need her to say much. I just needed an answer to my question.

When I looked into her eyes again, I knew what the answer was going to be, even before I had asked the question. My search had ended.

The painting

2008-03-23T19:19:00.005+05:30

Short Story No.3

The auction would begin in less than ten minutes and Ramakrishnan was stuck in the morning traffic. Being an art aficionado, Ramakrishnan (better known as RK) made it a point to attend most of the painting auctions and exhibitions. He didn't always buy, but there would time and again be some painting which he thought would be a good value addition to his collection. At 52, he was a successful businessman, and had made enough money to spend lavishly on art.

But there was a special reason why he was attending this particular auction. He was after a painting by a young promising artist, Sanjay Motwani. His trusted sources had tipped him that Sanjay Motwani could be the next big thing in the world of art, and in a few years his paintings could cost a fortune. RK could buy the painting pretty cheap now, and make a lot of money out of it. For a businessman, even appreciation of art is often a money making process.

By the time RK finally managed to weave his way through the traffic and reach the hall in which the auction was being held, he was already late. The auction was well underway. He walked down the aisle and sat down in a chair a few rows from the front. The man conducting the auction was standing on a raised podium and ranting on about a painting by an artist RK didn't recognize.

He looked around and spotted Sameer sitting in the same row. He had run into Sameer at a few auctions and art exhibitions. Sameer's knowledge of art had always impressed him. Sameer worked for a company of a friend of his, so he knew him as more than just an art enthusiast. Being 15 years younger, Sameer at times made RK conscious of his thinning hair and bulging waistline.

Sameer spotted him and smiled. RK moved over and sat next to him.

"Hey, we run into each other again. But aren’t you supposed to be attending a conference in Jamaica?" Sameer inquired.

Sameer's boss, who was also his friend, was also attending the conference. That must be how he knows, thought RK. "Yes. My flight takes off in two hours. By the way, has Sanjay Motwani's painting gone on auction yet?" That was all RK wanted to know right then.

"Oh! So you are after that painting, eh? Unfortunately, you are a little late. Sanjay's painting was the one first up for auction."

RK couldn't have been more disappointed. Why did they have to auction his painting first?

"Who bought it?"

Sameer pointed to a man sitting in the front row. "Mr. Akhilendra Mishra. Bought the painting for 4,50,000 rupees."

RK looked at the man in the front row. Mr. Mishra was about the same age as him and looked distinctly uncomfortable, fidgeting around in his chair.

RK was surprised by the price that the painting had been bought for. It was pretty high for a new artist. Maybe word was getting around that Sanjay Motwani had a lot of potential.

"I really wanted to get hold of that painting." RK lamented.

"Maybe I can help you still get that painting."

RK looked at Sameer. "Are you serious? How?"

"I know Mr. Mishra. He is not much of an art collector. It is more of a business for him. Offer him a better deal, and he might just want to sell that painting to you. Do you want me to speak to him?"

"Yes, please." RK's hopes were beginning to rise.

Sameer got up from his chair, walked to the front row and sat down next to Mr. Mishra. RK watched him talk with Mr. Mishra. Sameer seemed to know the man quite well.

After about ten minutes, Sameer returned.

"Just as I thought. He is looking to make some fast money from that painting. He is ready to sell that painting to you for 5 lakhs. You will have to pay 50,000 more than the price that he had bought it for. He was asking for more, but I convinced him that you wouldn't buy it for anything higher."

RK was delighted. "Thanks, Sameer. That is a really good deal."

Mr. Mishra must not have very good sources, RK thought. In a few years, the cost of the painting would increase many folds. He obviously didn't know about it. Why would he sell the painting for just a profit of 50,000 rupees otherwise?

"There is just one problem. He wants to be paid in cash. He was recently given a bounced cheque by someone. He has been very wary of strangers since then."

RK didn't have any cash with him. He was planning to pay for the painting by cheque. "That is okay. I am willing to pay in cash. Will have to pick up the money from home though. I hope he doesn't mind waiting till this evening."

"I am sure we can work something out. Shall we close the deal then?"

"I would like to speak to him myself."

"Sure. We will meet him outside the hall." Sameer was already walking towards the front row again.

RK walked out of the hall and waited. Soon Sameer and Mr. Mishra walked up to him. RK shook hands with Mr. Mishra. "Glad to meet you. And happy to make the deal with you."

"Yes, me too. All thanks to Sameer." Mr. Mishra responded.

"For 50,000, it is a pretty good deal for both of you." Sameer added.

"Sure." RK was only too happy to pay 50,000 rupees more for that painting. Mr. Mishra probably didn't realize that he would have paid even more if necessary.

"I have to leave for a conference in Jamaica this afternoon. I will send the money to you through Sameer and you can hand over the painting to him." With that, RK closed the deal and left the hall.

He had to catch a flight in a couple of hours. He didn't have the time to meet Mishra later in the day. But he knew he could trust Sameer. Not because he was impressed by Sameer's morals, principles or ethics. But he knew where he worked, he knew his boss at work. In fact, he knew too much about Sameer and was too influential in the business circles for Sameer to even try pulling a fast one on him. RK knew he could hand over the 5 lakhs to Sameer and expect to have the painting at his home the next day.

*********

Sameer went to Mishra's house in the evening with the money from RK. RK had had just about enough time to hand over the money to Sameer before rushing to the airport to catch his Jamaica bound flight.

Mishra greeted him at the door. "Thanks for getting this deal for me! There was no way anyone would have bought that painting for that much money."

"You can always depend on me, Mr. Mishra." Sameer smiled.

"I was bidding for the painting only to make life difficult for my business rival who was also bidding for it. I thought I would just keep pushing the price up. I didn't expect that bastard to give up bidding. I had absolutely no intention of buying it myself."

"I could make out as much at the auction. Which was why I came to you with the offer."

"Why wife would have thrown me out of the house if she had gotten to know about this. I have not bought a painting my whole life. In fact, I hardly know a thing about art. Spending so much money on that damn piece of canvas would have been a huge loss. I am really glad that you managed to get such a good deal for me."

Mishra went into his study and brought the painting out. "Okay, there is your painting."

Sameer took the painting from Mishra and handed over the suitcase with the money in it. "Just as we had discussed - 4 lakhs. Just a loss of 50,000 for you."

Sameer walked out of the house with 1 lakh rupees to show for his day’s efforts.

A hospital visit

2008-03-11T01:39:00.003+05:30

My second attempt at writing a story. This one is a lot shorter, so I wouldn't be boring you for too long. :)

I dreaded hospitals. I have never had pleasant memories related to hospitals. I have always associated hospitals with pain, death and blood. I have always tried to avoid going to hospitals.

But strange are the ways of life. Often it forces you to do the thing that you dread the most. Often it takes you closer to the thing that you have the greatest aversion to. I, Rohan Srivastav, 32, was about to find out exactly how strange and painful the ways of life can be.

When I walked into the hospital that day, I knew it was a matter of life and death. My worst fear would, in all probability, be confirmed today. I clutched the reports of the tests that had been taken last week tighter in my hand. A positive result means only one thing - blood cancer. And a countdown to a certain death.

I took a look at the people all around me. The hospital staff went about their normal duties. There were others, either patients, or the dear ones of the patients, waiting patiently for their turn to consult the different specialist doctors. I wondered if any of them ever had to face the prospect of death.

I looked at my father walking alongside me. He was his normal self. Calm, composed, unmoved. I wondered how he managed to stay so calm in such a situation.

The last visit to the doctor was hardly pleasant. Dr. Swamy, the balding, bespectacled man, had told me that it could possibly be blood cancer. And that at this stage, it was going to be difficult to cure. The tests were done, the counseling sessions were held. Today, I would have the final confirmation.

We sat down in two of the chairs outside the doctor's room. I knew it was going to be a long, agonizing wait. I was waiting for the final verdict on the state of the cancer. I was waiting to find out if there was any possibility that a death could be averted.

I looked around myself again. There was a middle aged woman with slightly graying hair in a cotton sari with her little daughter. I wondered what malfunction of her bodily functions had brought her here. The little girl was playing with her mother's mobile phone. She must be only around 8 years old, I thought.

There was an old man sitting to my right. He kept fiddling with something in his shirt pocket. He was somehow not prepared to take it out. He possibly wants to smoke and is trying to decide whether he should go out and burn a cigarette, I guessed.

I wondered if any of them had to face the prospect of death. I hoped not. I stared blankly at the white walls of the room. It reminded me of the cloth that is used to wrap dead bodies. I desperately wanted to get my mind off death, and I didn't know how.

Thankfully, the door of the doctor's room opened right then, and a voice called out, "Mr. Srivastav!" The wait hadn't been long this time. It was only a matter of minutes before I would find out whether my family would have to suffer bereavement.

I walked into the doctor's room, and sat down. My father sat down next to me. Dr. Swamy smiled. Perhaps it was the smile that a doctor gave a dying man.

"So, you have the reports?" the doctor asked in his soft voice.

I handed over the reports without saying a word.

The doctor placed the reports on his table and studied them for a long time. I waited with bated breath. After what seemed like ages, he finally turned towards me and said with a tinge of sadness in his voice, "Just as we feared. It is blood cancer, at a pretty advanced stage."

The words hit me like a sledgehammer. When I had walked into the hospital, I knew I would probably have to hear this. But then there was some hope. A slim chance of survival. But now it was all gone. There was no hope left. There was nothing more that anyone could do.

I turned to look at my father. He seemed to have taken the news well.

I was still in a state of shock when the doctor moved into an inner room and beckoned me to join him.

As I entered the room, he turned towards me and said, "I am sorry to tell you this, Rohan. But your father has only about a week left in this world."

Vijay @ InterZone

2008-02-11T18:11:00.000+05:30

InterZone: The cultural/art fest held by the Calicut University; includes all professional and arts colleges affiliated to the university. More details here: www.interzone2008.com

Our very own Vijay B. Menon, has won the first prize in the group dance event at the InterZone, which recently concluded in our college. Congratulations, Vijay! His team had earlier won first place for the same event at DZone (district-level version of InterZone) which is what qualified him to participate.

Scan from Malayala Manorama. He is the one on the right extreme!

I managed to get a few snaps of him and his friends before the event. Have a look at these exclusive, behind-the-scene shots!

When will he ever have a real mustache like that? ;)

If you have trouble spotting Vijay, he is right at the centre!

And now for the icing on the cake. Vijay and his friends were running through their routine a few hours before the competition; in half make-up and half costume. I was around, so I got them on video. (Since it was only a trial run, they weren't exerting themselves, but you still get an idea of how the dance routine went).

Once again, Vijay, congratulations!

Reminiscences from school days

2008-01-24T03:24:00.000+05:30

This is actually an entry I made in the autograph book of a friend, almost four years back. I am posting it here now, because I feel it is one of the more ingenious pieces that I have written. But, more importantly, it brings back some wonderful memories.

N.B. This post will not make ANY sense to those who haven't learned the ISC Poetry textbook of the year 2004. To those who don't know, and more specifically to the ones who have forgotten, we had 15 poems to learn that year. The reason why I like this piece so much (even though I say so myself :) ), is because I managed to incorporate all 15 poem titles, and at the same time made some sense of the whole thing. (It was an entry made in the autograph book of a friend at the end of 14 years of school life, so it was basically the parting good bye!)

ISC 2004 Poetry

Sing To a Skylark and write an Ode to a Nightingale as you take a Walk by the Moonlight with your Last Duchess, many many years after 1^st September 1939.

Sing the Song of Myself along with the Prelude like Tithonous till your Home Burial.

And when like an Express you present the Tulips to the Blessed Damozel, singing the Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, spare some Small-Scale Reflections on how you and I used to listen to what the King Speaks to the Scribe in Jaya Miss' poetry class.

Coincidence

2008-01-04T13:57:00.001+05:30

This is my first genuine attempt at writing a short story. I am not sure how good or bad it is, but would most definitely like to hear your honest comments on the story.

January 2, 2008
10:45 PM
The sleek black Honda City careened through the deserted Mumbai street at breakneck speed. 23-year-old Aryan sat in the passenger seat of his car and clenched his fist on the dashboard. He checked the rearview mirror on the passenger side - the blue Scorpio was still on their tail. The next instant, the image of the Scorpio disappeared as a bullet smashed the rearview mirror.

Aryan looked over at the driver's seat - Pooja was squinting into the night, visibly shaken by the bullets raining down on them from the vehicle that was following them. He thought it was a miracle that none had hit the tyres, yet.

Earlier on January 2, 2008
6:23 PM
Aryan stood outside the shopping mall gazing at the passers-by. He pushed his wavy hair out of his face and looked at his watch again. Damn! He had been waiting for over fifteen minutes now for his friend Rohan to appear, and there was still no sign of him.

Just then he saw her at the entrance to the mall. He had noticed her at the mall a few times before - 5'4" tall, petite, with shoulder length straight hair, brown eyes and dimples when she smiled. Just about the same age as him. Quite a few heads turned in her direction as she made her way through the crowded entrance into the mall.

At 5'9", Aryan was the conventional tall, dark and handsome guy. He wished Rohan would hurry up, so that he would have a chance to catch up with her, before he lost her in the crowd at the mall.

Just then the Nokia N73 in his pocket started blaring out Dard-e-Disco. He made a mental note to change his ringtone at the first opportunity, and answered Rohan's call.

"Where the hell are you?"

"Sorry, yaar. My car has broken down, won't be able to make it." Rohan's distraught voice came over the line.

"But yours is brand new!"

"I know, wait till I get my hands on the damn sales manager!"

6:45 PM
Aryan was wandering aimlessly through the mall. What a waste of a day! He went into McDonald's and ordered a burger. There were hardly any free tables available; he sat down at one of the few still vacant. As he started munching into his burger, he saw her again. She was holding a coke and a sandwich and was headed straight to his table.

"Do you mind if I sit down? There are hardly any tables available", she asked.

"Sure!" Aryan almost choked on his burger. Maybe this day wouldn't be a waste after all.

7:02 PM
Aryan had managed to get a nice conversation going with her. Her name was Pooja and she was a final year medical student. She had been waiting for friends too, who could not make it for some reason. What a coincidence!

He had told her that his father had a huge business of his own, and wanted his son to join him, now that Aryan had completed his MBA.

As they got up to leave, Aryan decided to take his chance, "Since you have nothing to do, how about a movie?"

"OK."

This day was definitely not a waste, thought Aryan.

7:10 PM
As they walked out of the mall, Aryan got the impression that Pooja was constantly looking behind her; almost as if expecting someone to be following them. He thought of asking her about it, but then decided against it.

He drove them to the nearest multiplex in his black Honda City. Having a rich father had its advantages. He managed to get tickets for only Jab We Met. The new releases were all sold out.

Once inside the theatre, Pooja kept looking around at the crowd. Aryan decided to ask her about it during the intermission.

8:55 PM
"What are you looking around for?" Aryan finally asked her after they had sat through half of the film.

She looked surprised initially. "No, nothing."

Aryan persisted.

"Just a precaution", she finally relented.

"Precaution?"

"Yes, my parents are worried that someone might try and kidnap me. My parents are pretty rich, you see. Last week, someone rang up our house, and threatened to kidnap me. They have been pretty freaked out since then."

Aryan couldn't say anything for a moment. "And you really think someone is trying to kidnap you?"

"No. That phone call must have been some practical joke or something. But I might as well check to be sure that I am not being followed. "

"Well, if the kidnapping is going to be for money, I am a good candidate too", joked Aryan.

Pooja smiled. "Well, I hope they don't kidnap both of us together!"

They were laughing when the second half of the film began.

10:05 PM
"Do you mind if I drive?" Aryan was a little surprised to hear Pooja ask him this. The film was over, and they were back at the parking lot. "Sure", he replied.

"I have always loved to drive, never had too many chances before."

"Hope you have a license!" Aryan was only half serious.

Since Aryan had offered to drop Pooja home, she drove to the outskirts of Mumbai, which was where her house was.

10:16 PM
Today was a day of coincidences, thought Aryan. First, Rohan's brand new car breaks down. Pooja's friends don't make it to the mall on the same day. And he and Pooja end up eating in the same restaurant. He couldn't help thinking that he must be pretty charming to have a girl go out on a date with him on their very first meeting.

10:27 PM
They were now on the outskirts of Mumbai. The street was almost deserted. Aryan noticed Pooja glancing in the rearview mirror repeatedly. "Still checking for kidnappers?" Aryan teased.

"Actually, I think we are being followed. That blue Scorpio has been on our tail for quite some time."

Aryan looked back immediately. Sure enough, there was a blue Scorpio behind them.

A few unnecessary, but intentional turns later, the vehicle was still following them, and their worst fears were confirmed. He asked Pooja to accelerate and get the hell out of there.

10:40 PM
When the first bullet hit the car, Aryan wished he had been driving. After all, he was more familiar with the car, and he was a man, of course.

But he was soon thankful that Pooja was at the wheel. She maneuvered the vehicle with skill and confidence, maintaining her calm under pressure. He knew he couldn't have done half as well. And it was a coincidence that she was driving and not him. Another one for the day!

"So, that was no practical joke, after all! Looks like someone is really trying to kidnap me", Pooja hissed through clenched teeth, desperately trying to keep the car on the road.

"Who do you think it is?" Aryan asked. Not that it mattered much now.

"God knows!"

10:55 PM
Finally, the inevitable happened. One of the bullets hit the left back tyre, and the car skidded out of control, and crashed into a nearby tree. Aryan was only surprised that the gunman had taken that long to hit the tyres.

His first thought was to get out of the firing range, and duck under some cover. He scanned the region and saw a row of old rundown warehouses on the left side of the road. He started running towards the warehouse straight ahead, but Pooja grabbed his hand and said, "This way", dragging him to the one on the right. Aryan wondered how she expected the warehouse on the right to be any better than the one straight ahead.

11:03 PM
They waited with bated breath for the sound of footsteps. They had managed to enter the warehouse through the creaking old door. In the darkness of the warehouse, they were crouching in a corner, hoping that their pursuers will not succeed in finding them in the large warehouse.

The Scorpio had stopped a few blocks back. They hadn't seen anyone getting out of it.

The warehouse was dead silent. And then without warning, the lights were turned on. Aryan and Pooja stood facing three men, and they didn't look like they were there to help out.

**********

Aryan weighed his chances against the three men. They weren't armed, so maybe he did have a chance.

"Do you think the two of us together could take those three down? They are not armed", he whispered to Pooja staring straight ahead at the three men. A girl who could drive like the way she did could do anything. He hoped that she had some martial arts training.

"Firstly, it is not three, but four kidnappers that you have to take down. And secondly, they are armed." Aryan turned to look at Pooja, confused.

She had a smirk on her face and stood with a revolver in her right hand pointing straight at his chest.

*********

It didn't take Aryan very long to realize what had happened. It never was his charm that made her go out with him. In fact, her charm had led him straight into a trap. Their meeting was never a chance encounter. It was all very well planned, cleverly orchestrated.

Rohan's brand new car hadn't broken down on its own. It was not by chance that Pooja had walked into the same restaurant that he had chosen. She was never looking around her to spot kidnappers. She was just checking to see if her accomplice was on their tail or not.

It was not for love of driving that Pooja had asked to drive his car. She wanted to drive him straight to this warehouse.

The gunman was missing the tyres intentionally, till they got to this warehouse. The shooting was just meant to freak him out, and he realized that it had. He hadn't even thought of calling someone on his mobile for help.

Aryan remembered how she had dragged him to this warehouse, while he was going to run to the one straight ahead. He couldn't believe that he had let a woman hoodwink him so easily.

"I am sorry to let you know", Pooja said, the smirk still firmly planted on her face, "that you have been kidnapped. And by the way, there is no such thing as coincidence."

Tearing up the Indian National Flag

2007-11-26T16:36:00.000+05:30

Religious fanaticism or laughable ridiculousness?

Before I say anything, please have a look at this video:

What was your first reaction? I almost fell off my chair laughing! But I was also disturbed by what I heard. Giving a religious interpretation to a national symbol is not tolerable - especially for someone who believes that religions should not exist in public spaces. But the initial emotion was laughter perhaps because of the sheer level of absurdity of the statements being made. I doubt if anyone in his right senses would give those ideas a second thought.

But was it just comic, or did Mr. White (for want of a better name) cross his boundaries of free speech and indulge in anti-nationalist preachings? And what was the response of Mr. White's audience to his comments? Are there really people who are ready to believe that the appearance of the Ashoka Chakra on the white, central strip of the Indian National Flag is the divine conspiracy of a Christian God? For the sake of this nation, I hope not!

What was Mr. White's inspiration behind saying what he did? Did he genuinely think that his audience would accept his ideas? If so, what dominates the thought process of his listeners? Religious fanaticism? Did he believe that by providing an alternate - and highly religiously motivated - meaning of the Indian National Flag he could convince people to realign their religious inclinations?

When I threw up this video for discussion in an Orkut group, the responses were interesting. Most have taken an objection to what Mr.White had to say. He doesn't seem to be accruing a lot of fans, going by the responses on the Orkut community, and on YouTube, where this video was originally posted.

I have always been amused when religious fanatics try and search for divine meanings in the most mundane of things. (Can't you see His Holiness, The Flying Spaghetti Monster's imprint in your DNA strands?) Mr. White has taken this obsession to unprecedented heights!

Once the initial amusement disappeared, and more serious considerations revolving around religious extremism in this country started dominating my thought process, I was actually offended by Mr. White. His interpretation still remains laughable, but the intentions behind that interpretation are despicable. In a frenzied attempt to propagate his sacred religion, and his holy god, Mr. White has torn up the Indian National Flag!

Kal Ho Na Ho

2007-11-21T05:27:00.000+05:30

No, I am not discussing the movie; when I make my return to blogging after almost 7 months, it has to be with a 'philosophical' post. :) Not everything that you will read here are my own ideas. I am sure you would have heard people state many of these; I have just tried to put together all the best that I have heard.

Living in the present

How often do we plan ahead, think about the future, and in the process forget to live in the present? How many times have we willingly dragged ourselves through drudgery because we have 'a lot to achieve'?

Irrespective of how many peaks we climb in a lifetime, there will be many more staring down at us, waiting to be conquered. Life is, perhaps, not about conquering peaks, but the climb involved. When we set out to achieve something, it is not about the achievement in itself, but the processes that we go through.

Where does Kal Ho Na Ho come into all this? I will get to that in a minute. This must be my favourite song - it has soulful music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, has been brilliantly sung by Sonu Nigam, and above all, Javed Akhtar has penned some meaningful lyrics. Javed saab, being the brilliant poet that he is, has managed to capture the essence of life in a few simple words:

Har khadi badal rahi hai roop zindagi
Chaav hai kabhi, khabhi hai dhoop zindagi
Har pal yaha jee bhar jiyo
Jo hai sama, kal ho na ho!

Yes, live every moment of your life to the fullest, because you never know if you will even have another moment to live in!

But doesn't that mean we just go and have a blast and don't think about the future at all? No, it doesn't. It means that we need to start enjoying what we are doing. If you are not savouring the course that leads up to an accomplishment, it is just not worth it.

Quite often, it is only a change of perception that is required. We need to quit worrying about the peak that we have to reach, and start relishing the adventure involved in climbing.

Keeping the Devil away

2007-03-09T17:56:00.000+05:30

It has been sometime since I last made my appearance. But when you have a bunch of jokers passing off as the administrators of a university, your fortitude and reserves of patience are both at a premium. And that is not exactly conducive for a blogger to blog.

www.blessongregory.on.to

Boredom breeds an inclination to engage in trivial pursuits. And the inactive state that it leaves your brain in, makes it susceptible to the manipulations of you-know-who. Not wanting to hire out my idle brain to the Devil to set up his garage, I decided to engage it in a less dangerous but equally indulgent pass-time. Design a website!

When the first version of the site went online in August 2004, I was impressed. The excitement turned into embarrassment in the matter of a few days as the enormity of my naivety sank in. The site was immediately refurbished to grant it a relatively mature look. But it still looked amateurish.

Not that it looks much better now. But at least, it is not gaudy and loud anymore. Placing a firm faith in the splendour of simplicity, a design heavily 'inspired' from cricinfo.com was adopted. The site looks sleeker and more professional than it had ever looked before. But that is not saying much.

Designing a site and uploading inconsequential information is no big deal. But I did manage to keep the Devil away for the while I was working on my own static web space!

Lalettan at Pulimoottil Silks

2007-01-19T20:47:00.000+05:30

When the biggest superstar in Mollywood and - if some surveys are to be believed - the most popular Malayalee makes a public appearance in your neighbourhood, you can ill-afford to miss out on the opportunity to glimpse the man. More so when you are a die-hard fan.

Lalettan arrived at the inauguration of the Pulimoottil Silks showroom in Palace Road, Thrissur, a few days ago. Thanks to an ABVP sponsored vidyabhasa bandh, what ought to have been a working day, ended up being a holiday. Which meant I could go and watch Lalettan cut the ribbon!

Yes, that is indeed a picture that I snapped on my mobile camera. You can't see Mohanlal in that (why the hell did I buy a Nokia 6020 which only has a useless VGA camera?), but at least you get an idea of how popular he is in this part of the world!!

Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM)

2007-01-06T17:42:00.000+05:30

The quest for a true religion ends!

I have always asked disturbing questions alluding to the meaning of life and the ultimate purpose of human existence. I have always been fascinated by the fact that there is just one true religion in this world (Christianity, Islam and all other religions claim to be the only true one). In my quest to find the truest religion and the real God - and thereby find the answers to all the doubts and concerns that have troubled me over many years - I stumbled onto Pastafarianism!

I have always been worried about one thing - what if I am following the wrong religion? The religion that I was born into tells me that I would be condemned to Hell if I follow any other religion. Since all other religions also say the same thing (more or less), I have been desperately searching for the 'real' religion that would lead me to Heaven and save me from His wrath! After all, just being born into one religion did not mean that it was the religion.

But at 8:46PM on the 5th of January, 2006, the Flying Spaghetti Monster revealed Himself to me over the Internet. My search has ended, and I am blessed! In this modern age, how fitting is it that He choose to reveal Himself through the medium of the Internet. While most other religions and Gods still depend on books and other outdated mediums of communication, the Flying Spaghetti Monster uses state-of-the-art technology - He even leaves his imprint in our DNA strands - and clearly establishes Himself as the only True God!

The image of the Flying Spaghetti Monster - a careful look reveals how our DNA structure is so very similar to His spaghetti-shaped body!

Seeing the intellectual and moral anarchy of this world, the Flying Spaghetti Monster chose Prophet Bobby Henderson to spread His message in this world of heathens, and thus take Pastafarianism to every corner of this wide world. The Prophet, being well-versed in the latest Internet technology, set up the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster in early 2005.

The Pastafarians are a small community, and still searching for legal recognition. This would mean reservation in educational institutions and other government organizations, and special minority rights. Religious discrimination against the Pastafarians - one student was not allowed to wear the religious symbol of Pastafarians, an eye-patch, to school - is a serious issue which has to be dealt with.

I am sure the Flying Spaghetti Monster has ways of His own, which we mere mortals seldom understand. Only He knows why He made men as rich and poor and black and white, and would reveal His true meaning to us in our life with him in Heaven. He would spread His message to every corner of the world, and those who don't believe Him, will obviously be condemned to Hell. Praying 10 times a day (not more, not less), will elevate a believer to His Heaven - complete with beer volcanoes and a stripper factory.

I no longer worry about the identity of the 'real' God or the 'true' religion! RAmen!!

PS: If you can't make anything of this post, take the help of this article on the FSM in Wikipedia.

AGM of Ashvattham - Dec 24, 2006

2007-01-05T22:14:00.000+05:30

Orkut is the preferred platform for the Hari Sri alumni to keep in touch, but I cannot upload more than 12 photos on my Orkut album. That hardly left me with any choice, but to upload the rest of the snaps from my digicam here. Once the 'official photographer' comes up with the proper photos, I will upload them all on the Ashvattham forum. Here, I am adding the ones that you may not have seen on my Orkut album.

The boring part of the function gets underway; Abhi and Praveen are chatting away merrily

Don't go by the number of vacant seats, most of them got filled up later on

The teachers, students and some empty chairs

The B-gang: Paachu is desperately trying to keep NB's hands off him!!

I refuse to comment on any photo that features me :-)

Preethi thinks she is smart, but Johnny[the owner of the hand in the white shirt] is quite obviously smarter

Vishnu decides to borrow a shirt from Govinda

We all know that it is Vivek on the right-hand side. But if you manage to identify the long-haired stranger on the left, I will give you the samosa on Anand's plate in the photo below. :-)

Anand, don't worry! You can have that samosa for yourself, because no one has managed to guess that it is Rammohan's brother Raj with Vivek in the photo above.

Noufel, you are actually supposed to fill up that form and return it at the registration desk, not stuff it in your pocket and take it home! Manu is looking tired after his all-India 'study tour'. He has conducted exclusive research in Shimla on the melting point of ice, and in Agra on the degrading effect of polluted air on marble.

Anand doing what he does best

Abhi is receiving an important phone call, while most of the others are either turning back or chatting amongst themselves, while the function is still going on. :-)

A careful look will reveal my head in the crowd, and hence I refuse to comment on this photo as well.

Too bad that it had to end, but then that is what all good things do!

Back after a hiatus

2007-01-02T18:45:00.000+05:30

It has been a long three months since my last post here and I am not even sure why I haven't been posting all this while! Let us just say that I needed a longish break so that I could come back fresher and better. Let me get started all over again in this brand new year!

New-look blog

If you have been here before, it will be hard to miss the change. Thanks to the upgrade from Blogger beta to the new version of Blogger, this blog now has a few more useful features. On the right panel, you can see the Archives (all the old posts sorted out in reverse chronological order). Click on the little arrow to see the complete list for each year and month.

You can also find Labels, which sort the posts into different categories, so that it is easier to locate posts on a specific topic. (Surprisingly, a blog that claims to blabber on philosophical issues, has the highest number of entries under Cricket!) At the bottom of the page, you can find a link to the older and newer posts. And yes, green is out and blue is in!

A blurring computer screen

No, there is no hardware malfunction! The title is just a hyperbole to suggest that computing is happening at lightning speed these days. There are a couple of reasons - the recent computer upgrade and the broadband bandwidth rise.

I finally decided to dump my grandfather CPU (Intel P-III) and the SDRAM and the PATA hard disk that came along with it. Instead, I got a brand new configuration:
Processor: AMD, Athlon 64 X2 3800+ (Dual-core)
Motherboard: ASUS, M2N-MX
RAM: Corsair, DDR2 (533Hz), 1GB
DVD Writer: LG, super-multi
HDD: Seagate, 160GB SATA

At the same time, BSNL Dataone has upgraded all existing users from 256kbps to 2Mbps connections, which is nothing short of a dream come true! As if that was not enough, the free data transfer limits have gone up from 1GB to 2.5GB (for the Home500 plan). Download speeds of over 200KBps, no more waiting for videos to download on YouTube, and less waking up in the early morning to utilize the free download time! As BSNL says, truly, 2007 is the Year of Broadband.

But not everything is perfect in this world, is it? My OS shows a registry error at times (which I am trying to fix now) and the Dataone bandwidth does fluctuate (bandwidth is pretty poor in the peak hours). Nevertheless, this is the best start to a new year that I could possibly have dreamt of.

Bradman, Lara and me

2006-09-09T02:33:00.000+05:30

What do I have in common with the Great Don and the Calypso King? Before I get into that, I need to explain a certain idiosyncrasy of mine.

My close friends know about this - I am the only person in the world who has managed to reduce cricket from a team game into a game played by an individual! It is not all that complicated - I just face a wall, with a bat and ball in my hand. I throw the ball onto the wall, and then hit it on the rebound. I get to play all my shots, and the wall is my virtual bowling machine.

I use my creativity very effectively. The plants and trees in the region become fielders of the opposing team, and I have the arduous task of stroking the ball through the 'gaps in the field' to score my runs. There used to be a particularly troublesome tree placed in the backward short-leg region, that has 'caught' me out on numerous occasions.

When I play real cricket, there is always the danger of getting out, but here, I can continue batting for as long as I want to. I can set targets for myself, and simulate a real life cricket match, or just go out there and have a net session!

For the last few years, I had been under the impression that I was the only 'mad' guy on earth. But I was startled to realise that there are at least two more 'mad' men on earth. I am sure you have guessed the names by now - yes, Bradman and Lara!

Bradman had an old tank at the back of his home, onto which he would throw golf balls, and hit them on the rebound. Lara used his porch to good effect, and the flower pots in his garden were his fielders. I don't need to tell you what these two cricket greats managed to achieve in their future, after all their 'practice'.

What does all this mean? I would have loved to say that it means I am the next big thing that will take Indian cricket by storm. But the reality is that, it means nothing. I just happen to share an idiosyncrasy with two legends in the cricket world - purely coincidental!

Oh! Khuda, lautta de Kashmir dobaara!

2006-08-18T09:22:00.000+05:30

I had made this post elsewhere, but after having watched KEERTHI CHAKRA, I feel it is appropriate to post on Kashmir here as well. (The song Khuda Se Mannath, sung by Kailash Kher was very impressive.)

I must admit I hardly know anything about what happened during Partition (it is pretty useless to read up on it, because you will only get a biased view), so I will base my post only on logic/common sense and nothing else.

Patriotism vis-a-vis Kashmir

I have never believed in equating patriotism to political boundaries. Patriotism is not a feeling towards the political boundary of a country, it is a feeling towards the people living in a country. I don't understand why we are more worried about the inches of Kashmiri soil that will be a part of the Indian Union, and less worried about the Kashmiris who have lost their homes, and have been displaced because of the tension between the two neighbouring countries.

I am less worried about whether Kashmir will be a part of India or Pakistan. I am more worried about the number of Indian soldiers who have lost/will lose their lives because of the Kashmir issue; about the current situation of a beautiful state that has been ripped apart by terrorism.

Why don't we allow the people of Kashmir to chose their own destiny? Are we worried that they will choose to be a part of Pakistan? If we are convinced that the people in Kashmir are happy and satisfied, then why don't we conduct a plebiscite and settle the matter once and for all? (It was something that ought to have happened in the '50s, but better late than never.)

Having said that, I also don't understand why the Pakistanis are so worried about Kashmir. Does it really matter whether Kashmir is a part of India or Pakistan? If they have ever considered Kashmir to be a part of Pakistan, and Kashmiris to be Pakistanis, they should be worried about the Kashmiris' plight. They should be worried about the difficulties that the Kashmiris have to go through because we are fighting over Kashmir.

Peace comes at a price - it might be Kashmir. One of the two sides has to make a compromise, and decide to let go. Sixty years of hatred cannot be buried if we don't decide to forget our history and look ahead. Will that ever happen? Will we ever learn what patriotism is all about? Will we ever learn to appreciate the virtues of ahimsa and peace, that are the founding principles of our nation?

After six decades of enmity, all that India and Pakistan have to show for themselves is a devastated state, demoralised people, death and destruction. As Kailash Kher sings - Oh! Khuda, lautta de Kashmir dobaara!

A tearful adieu

2006-08-16T11:58:00.000+05:30

My exams are over now, and it is time for this blog to come out of hibernation.

Chasing a ghost

26th of July, 2006; 12:15 PM - When I walked out of the examination hall, I knew it was the last Mathematics exam that I would ever write in my student life. Though I would never say goodbye to Maths - it is an integral part of an engineering course - I would never write an exam exclusively for Maths again. But what worried me more was the fact that I could not grant Maths the farewell that it deserved.

Maths and Physics are two subjects that I have fallen in love with. I will not claim deep knowledge about either of these, but few others appreciate their beauty as much as I do. I bid adieu to Physics last year, and this time it is Maths. But, of course, I will keep in touch with both of them through my course in Mechanical Engineering. The only regret that remains is that I haven't understood these subjects as well as I would liked to have.

The end was very much Zidane-esque. While Zizou hung his head and walked past a World Cup that was his for the taking, I have been forced to step down from the high echelon of 90s - my track record in University and Board examinations read a near perfect 94, 98, 90, 100, 91 - to the more pedestrian 70s.

Throughout life I have been reminded repeatedly, and perhaps even cruelly, that perfectionism is only an illusion. That there is nothing in this world that is perfect. That all along I have been chasing a ghost. But these truths of nature hardly deter a perfectionist. My hopes of redemption (an Improvement Exam) are still alive!

Time for hibernation

2006-07-07T13:38:00.000+05:30

Probably for the first time in its history, Calicut University has decided to conduct an exam on time! The fourth semester B.Tech exams are slated to begin on the 26th of this month, and needless to say, the declaration has caught me slightly off-guard.

Which is why it is time for this blog to go into hibernation - which is a pity, because I had so many interesting topics lined up for this month.

If I do win the race against time, and finish off most of my work soon, I might come in and post here. But that is a distant possibility. So, it is goodbye till the middle of August.

The Indian Superhero

2006-06-24T10:53:00.000+05:30

I have really not been in a philosophical mood of late, which is why you find another movie review in here. Before you read the review, I would like to make it clear that I am not going to compare KRRISH with any of the Hollywood superhero films. (SUPERMAN RETURNS, which releases next week, has a budget that is 20-30 times larger than KRRISH.) If I had made a comparison, then the review and the rating may have been different. I might also have been influenced by my strong inclination for fantasy movies (kiddie movies as some call it ), and the review is not necessarily a very objective one.

Hrithik's sincerity is Krrish's strength

A producer-director obsessed with numerology and the letter K; his son who - in spite of competent performances – has delivered box-office hits only with his father; a beauty pageant winner seeking to establish herself in Bollywood and foreign professionals well known for their mastery over executing action sequences and special effects. What happens when all of them come together to make an ambitious, mega-budget, over-hyped film which is the sequel to a Bollywood blockbuster? Few movies live up to the pre-release hype; few movies have been better products than their prequels. But Rakesh Roshan’s Krrish is a definite exception.

Billed as India’s first superhero, Krrish promises to show you what you have never seen before in Bollywood – and succeeds! Krrish is all about Hollywood-esque action sequences backed by a strong screenplay and powerful performances.

The movie begins slowly and gives us a glimpse of Krishna’s (Hrithik) supernatural powers. He runs faster than a horse, climbs mountains in the blink of an eye and jumps from tree to tree with the ease of an orangutan. Sheltered from the prying eyes of the big, bad world by his grandmother in a remote and picturesque village, Krishna grows into an innocent and naïve young man. Though the first half is slow-paced, with some of the intended-to-be-comic scenes falling flat, Krishna’s innocent charm and the wonderful cinematography capturing the beauty and serenity of the village, keeps the movie alive.

When Krishna leaves his village and travels to Singapore in search of his lady love, he also begins his transition from Krishna into Krrish. He begins to understand himself and his powers, and his exposure to the ways of the world make him smarter. A fire at a circus completes his transition from a naïve, innocent and vulnerable Krishna into the confident, suave and powerful Krrish.

The twist in the plot, half-way through the second half, hits you like a ton of bricks. There is no looking back from then on, and the rest of the movie has action-packed, edge-of-the-seat drama.

A few lackluster scenes in the first half, and a could-have-been-better climax are probably the only blemishes, but you hardly notice any of it. Rajesh Roshan’s music is also perhaps a bit of a letdown. Those who are not into fantasy and superhero movies may not like Krrish.

Priyanka Chopra gets to play a pivotal role, and provides more than just the glamour quotient. Naseeruddin Shah and Rekha come up with the kind of performances you expect from seasoned campaigners like them.

But the movie belongs entirely to Hrithik Roshan. The commitment and dedication of the actor leaves an indelible imprint on the entire movie. The training and hard work that had gone into his preparation for this role, pays rich dividends – especially in the sequence in which he displays his martial arts skills on a Singapore street to help someone in need. You will love his dancing in Dil Na Diya, and he looks very handsome in his new hairstyle - especially in the song Koi Tumsa Nahi.

Marc Kolbe and Craig Mumma have come up with realistic special effects. The professionalism of Tony Ching Siu Tung is clearly evident in all the action sequences. The fire at the circus and the pre-climax sequence - in which Hrithik chases a helicopter through the heart of Singapore city - stand out for the sheer brilliance of execution. The action sequences may not match Hollywood standards, but it is a first on Indian screen.

Krrish may not be path-breaking cinema, but it is a must-watch movie for every Bollywood fan.

Rating: ****1/2

Samsonesque hair-loss

2006-06-07T19:16:00.000+05:30

They boarded the flight to the Caribbeans hoping to whitewash the West Indies in the ODIs and win a Test series in that country for the first time in thirty odd years. But a 4-1 drubbing in the ODIs and a drawn Test match later, the Indian cricket team is looking a far cry from the confident group of youngsters that had left India. The Chappell-Dravid combination faces their biggest and toughest challenge yet - to regroup a young team on alien soil.

The cricketing reasons for the defeat may be many. But the strange phenomenon that struck the Indian squad deserves special analysis. Scientific knowledge and pure logic indicates that this phenomenon had nothing to do with the fate of the Indian side on the field. But it is too good an opportunity to pass up without actually blogging on the issue. What phenomenon am I talking about? The loss of hair of course!

A lot of Indian players chose to significantly reduce the amount of black strands adorning their skull. The list is long - Sreesanth, Pathan, Dhoni, Raina, Jaffer and Sehwag. Sreesanth was the trendsetter. While he shed his hair for religious reasons, the others cut their tresses blaming the heat. The 'phenomenon' must have been a nightmare for the corporate world, whom these players represent in the capacity of brand ambassadors. (Sehwag's new hair-style gave him a strong resemblance of Mogambo - the immortal villain played by Amrish Puri in the classic late 80's Bollywood flick Mr. India.)

What followed the hair-loss phenomenon was a series of defeats. It reminds one of the Biblical story of Samson who lost his hair, and his strength with it. Perhaps the Indian team will return to its previous glory once the biological processes re-grow whatever has been lost. The resurgence on the last three days of the first Test might even be an indicator of what is to come. The whole of India is waiting - for the runs to flow, the wickets to fall, and of course, for the hair to grow.

Fanaa

2006-05-30T01:54:00.000+05:30

Just watched Fanaa today, and I must say, I was really impressed. I haven't seen a good Bollywood movie for ages, but Fanaa is compelling, engaging and entertaining. Kudos to Kunal Kohli for handling a delicate subject effectively, and to Aamir and Kajol for infusing life into their characters, like only they can.

The first half showcases the chemistry between the lead pair, with some light moments. If you are poetically inclined, like I am, Aamir will blow you away with his shayaris (beautifully penned by Kohli himself).

The second half is more dramatic and dark. The plot has a few surprises, and the sequences are engaging. It all builds up to an exhilarating climax, and the face off at gunpoint elevates the movie to a different level. (If you are a believer in fairy-tale endings, Fanaa is strictly not for you.)

Aamir and Kajol are both brilliant, and without them, Fanaa would not have had a life. Rishi Kapoor is extremely likeable as the affectionate father, so are Kirron Kher and the child artist in the second half. The music is melodious, and for a change, the songs are appropriately placed in the narrative. Some of the tunes appear in the background score as well, and set the mood of the film.

Fanaa is not without faults. The movie runs for half an hour too long, and is ridden with a certain amount of Bollywood cliches, cinematic co-incidences and melodramatic sequences. Aamir's character looks a bit confused, and goes from flirt to I-don't-believe-in-love pragmatist to single-minded terrorist to doe-eyed lover boy. But Aamir lends credibility to Rehan Qadri, and makes the character believable.

The portrayal of terrorism and related activities lack authenticity (you might find it difficult to believe that a terrorist organisation can actually steal components from India, Pakistan and Russia to put together a Nuclear Missile).

But then, Fanaa does not make a statement about terrorism. Nor does it make an attempt to explain terror. Kohli has used terrorism to put two lovers into situations that explore their feelings for each other; situations where they are forced to make choices which would define their lives.

Fanaa even manages to throw some philosophy at you - To choose between right or wrong is easy, but what defines one's life is the decision between the greater of two goods or the lesser of two evils.

Rating: ***1/2

Edge-of-the-seat thrillers

2006-05-24T23:32:00.000+05:30

Three matches, three last-over finishes. And add to it the fact that the underdog leads 2-1 at the end of it. ODI cricket doesn't get much better than this. The first three matches of the India-West Indies ODI series reasserted that cricket was 'a game of glorious uncertainties'.

The Indians began the series as hot-favourites, with most cricket pundits willing to debate only the scoreline and not the outcome. Considering the recent exploits of the Indian ODI side (18 wins in 24 games, and 16 consecutive victories while chasing), a 5-0 series whitewash was a distinct possibility.

In Jamaica, when Kaif smashed a Bravo half-volley through the covers to stretch the streak of successful chases to 17, many felt that the West Indians had blown their best chance to beat the rampaging Indians. But Bravo had other ideas in the second game, two days later. With only 2 runs required for victory, Yuvraj who had been playing majestically, was foxed by a slower ball. Even as Yuvraj's furniture was being rearranged, Bravo and Sabina Park erupted in joy.

It was only the beginning; more was to come in St Kitts. In what was an almost action-replay of the first match (with the roles reversed), Sarwan slammed the penultimate ball of the Sreesanth over between cover and long-off to clinch the second victory for the Windies. All roads in the Caribbean islands now lead to Trinidad, where the last two ODIs will be played this weekend.

Of late, ODI cricket had been reduced to bowler-slaughter by ordinary batsmen on featherbeds. It was just as refreshing to see low-scoring thrillers, as it was to see the Windies winning games. Having missed the first couple of games (I really did not feel motivated enough to stay up till 3 'o clock in the morning), I forced my eyes to remain open till the end of the third game. It was worth the effort, but I would rather have seen an Indian win.

What should we censor?

2006-05-20T07:12:00.000+05:30

I have already talked about religion twice before on this blog (What is my religion? and Chance or choice?). I am dealing with religion once again, and the effect that religion has on everything around it.

Why are Indians so conscious about their religion?

Most Indians claim to be true patriots, but they always choose their religion over their nation, and piety over patriotism. Most people in this country are Hindus, Muslims or Christians first and Indians later. A classic example of the religious hyper-sensitivity of this nation was the recent controversy over the release of Da Vinci Code in India.

The moment a movie that talks about Christ in an unconventional fashion is made, Christian organisations are up in arms against it. They need disclaimers, 'A' certificates, cuts and some even call for banning the movie altogether. Why? Perhaps Dan Brown has sold Christ quite cleverly, but the Church has been doing the same for a much longer period, at a much higher cost. So what is the whinging all about?

Religion is a deeply personal issue. Why do people get upset so easily, when something is perceived as being derogatory to their religion? Why does the opinion of others about your religion matter so much?

Will Christ lose his sanctity if a movie (and a fictional one at that) indicates that he married Mary Magdalene and that he had a child? Why does it even matter whether Christ was married or not? Isn't it more important to practice what he has preached? To lead a good life, to forgive and forget, to not think ill of others, to be honest and just.......

Many people, quite unfortunately, equate religion to praying in temples, mosques and churches. (When examinations loom, prayers are offered in places of worship. As if praying ensures a better performance!) The essence of religion is to facilitate an austere and simple life. A life in which social responsibilities are recognised and fulfilled. A life that leads to the cleansing of the self, and one that is devoted to the cleansing of society as a whole.

I hope to live in a world where people are not divided along the lines of religion, caste or creed. Religion has been used cleverly before by the Britishers to divide this country. Now politicians help in carrying forward the legacy of religion acting as the great divider. But the people have nothing to complain about, because they have allowed themselves to be divided by unscrupulous people at various times in the history of this nation.

It is not the Da Vinci Code that needs censorship. The unhealthy religious sentiments in this country deserve the cut.

For 1/4-engineers in Calicut University

2006-05-18T13:16:00.000+05:30

B.Tech students studying in the Calicut University must be busy preparing for their Combined Ist and IInd Semester University exams. Just like I was, this time, last year. This post is aimed at helping all of you out, though I must warn, it is not much.

Master Plan to crack I & II Sem Exams

If you have not been bored to death already by your parents telling you this, I must reiterate that I & II Sem Exams are always important for a student in CU. It is your first taste of a university exam, and whether you like it or not, you have to taste it six more times before you are labeled as a full-engineer. Students who have problems like indigestion, upset stomach or vomiting after tasting the exam, can always have another go later (supplementary exams, affectionately called suppli).

It is too late to advice you on long-term strategies to counter the menace. But there are a few things that you can get done even in the eleventh hour. For CU students, the eleventh hour is longer than 60 minutes - the exams keep getting postponed for various different reasons - so you can relax. (Let us spend one minute in silence, thanking The Almighty for the hartals, protest marches and the general inefficiency of CU.)

Maths (both I & II) should not be a problem, if you have prepared well. Engg. Graphics is a high scoring subject, but be careful about Engg. Mechanics (the baap of all exams in your B.Tech course). I don't have anything valuable to tell you on any of the other exams except Chemistry and Humanities.

Chemistry was a subject that I always detested. I have never been able to understand why it is necessary for an engineer to be knowledgeable in Chemistry. But there is an exam to be cleared, so you might as well study. I had collected some material dealing with certain portions of the Chemistry syllabus, which I found difficult to locate in books. You can access all of them here. It is ideal for bluffing - pumping gas, as we Mech guys call it - and you can successfully lead your examiner on a wild goose chase, at the end of which he would (hopefully) give you some marks in desperation.

Now let me move on to Humanities. I would advice all of you to limit your preparation to only the bare essentials (the format for reports, life history of some scientists et al). Enter the examination hall with a creatively activated brain and let your imagination run wild while writing the exam. Innovative ideas and good, grammatically correct English should be enough to get you through this exam. Those who have a flair for the language should be careful not to go overboard - the person reading your answer script might be unable to comprehend your poetic disposition.

So, all the best to all of you!

In loving memory

2006-05-01T10:30:00.001+05:30

Last month, I lost a friend of mine - Prakash Chandrashekhar. He was my classmate, and a dear friend too. He had been in the hospital since November last year, and unfortunately the doctors could not identify the virus that had infected him, and later snatched his life away.

His death was a shock for us, and we could not believe that Prakash was no more. He was an intelligent student and had a bright future ahead of him.

We hope his parents and younger brother will be able to get over this bereavement. Prakash will always stay alive in our memories.

Drawn by Anoop Bhat, my classmate.

Capturing moments

2006-05-01T01:56:00.000+05:30

These days there is less of philosophy and more of banter. Sorry!

Clicking away!

When you flip through that old album of yours, how does it feel? Those images return you to a world that you have always cherished. It brings back memories and of course, a smile on your lips.

Lately I was lucky enough to get hold of a digicam - Canon Powershot A410, to capture moments that I would relish forever. I have been clicking away enthusiastically for sometime now, and my hard disk is filling up with a lot of 'moments'. This also means that I will now be competing with Hrishi in terms of the quantity of photos posted on our blogs. But I cannot match his talent of getting pictures of people in awkward situations.

I even managed to snap some of my own pictures, which for a change, don't look like that of someone else. There used to be a time when my photos would look like that of an Interpol criminal (the accurate description courtesy Ashin). But I have always believed that my own description was miles ahead in terms of accuracy - those pictures looked as if someone had fixed spectacles on a pumkin!

But the photos are a lot better now, but that is not saying much. Have a look yourself.

Disappointing!

2006-04-16T03:09:00.000+05:30

The meeting of Ashvattham was held today(15th April, 2006), but I was disappointed to see the turn out. Our seniors Sreejith T.R. and Lijo Jose were felicitated for which Mohana Miss and Satish Sir were invited.

Only Praveen (Satyanarayanan), Madhav and John had attended the meeting from my batch. I was expecting a lot more than that, even though some of the guys had already informed me that they would not be able to come.

Thanks to Panji, NB and Johnny for coming!

Ashvattham

2006-04-12T23:29:00.000+05:30

I am back again after a break!

The Hari Sri Alumni

The Hari Sri Vidya Nidhi Alumni Association finally has a name - Ashvattham. Before I go into the details of the name, I believe I have to mention a few other things. Ever since the first Alumni meeting on 24th December, 2005 the Executive Committee has been meeting on a regular basis (once every month). I have the privilege of representing the ISC 2004 Batch on the Committee (in case you didn't know already).

I will not go into details of what we have been doing in the last three and a half months, but the most important piece of information is that the next Alumni meeting will be held on the 15th of April, Saturday, at 10:00 AM in the School Auditorium. Try and make it if you can!

One of the things that the Committee has done is set up an internet forum where all Harisri-ites could meet and talk to each other. Log onto the Hari Sri Website - www.harisri.org - and check up the Alumni page. You will find the link to the Ashvattham Forum.

More on the Alumni after the meeting on the 15th. See you in school!

Rang De Basanti

2006-03-03T20:57:00.000+05:30

This time it is a movie review. And I am not entering any of the alleys either. This post is not about the movie alone, but a host of other issues as well.

Yet another Bollywood debacle

There were so many good reviews coming through about Rang De Basanti, that I was really expecting a wonderful movie. But by the time I had finished watching it, I had to ask myself whether this was the very same movie that everyone was raving about.

The positives first. Top notch performances from Atul Kulkarni and Sharmaan Joshi. Aamir underplayed himself and blended in beautifully as one of the gang, rather than stand out as the hero. All the others too turned in competent performances.

The relationship between Atul Kulkarni and Kunal Kapoor was wonderfully depicted. The melting away of age old prejudices was captured on screen with finesse. But that is just about as good as it gets.

Just when I had thought Indian moviemakers were finally getting the meaning of patriotism right with movies like Dhoop, Swades and to a certain extent the Tamil movie Anniyan, they decide to return to clichés with Rang De Basanti.

I could not identify myself with either the 'cool' dudes in the first half, or the gun wielding 'patriots' in the second. RDB just did not evoke any of the emotions that patriotic movies normally do. And the reasons are many.

RDB hardly conveys any message. Even if it does, it gets lost in the booming of the guns. In a democratic country, with a powerful media, youngsters had to opt for the gun to begin a revolution. How justifiable is that?

And to draw a parallel between the great revolutionaries of our freedom struggle is an insult to the memory of those fearless patriots. They were forced to take up the gun in an era where there was no democracy and no freedom of expression. The same cannot be said about the youngsters in the movie.

And those revolutionaries did not need the death of a friend to jolt them out of their reverie and make them realize what patriotism is, and what the country and its people mean to them. It appeared to me that those guys were avenging the death of a friend rather that fighting corruption, by killing the Defence Minister.

There were so many different ways for them to fight corruption. But they chose the gun. How ironical were some of the answers that Siddharth gave in the radio station?

Q: Congratulations, all politicians must be murdered in a similar fashion!
A: Politicians do not drop from heaven. We have chosen them. If they are corrupt, it means that we are also corrupt. We need to change ourselves first.

Q: This is India mate, nothing will change however hard you try.
A: No country is perfect. We need to make it perfect. Join the military, gain an IAS or IPS, join politics and serve the nation.

The youngsters would have done well to try and eliminate corruption, rather than a corrupt individual. Maniratnam had got it right in Yuva. The youngsters in that movie did not go about shooting people. Instead, they spread awareness among the villagers, and contested the elections to serve their country.

Ours is a democratic country. No politician can rule over us like the Britishers, if we don’t want them to. We have the freedom of speech, the freedom of expression, the freedom of choosing our leaders. It is not the politicians who are ruling us at the moment, but our acceptance of corruption and corrupt politicians and our lack of willingness to fight these menaces.

I have always maintained that in a democracy, people get what they deserve. At the moment, we are getting what we deserve. RDB fails to identify the root cause of corruption, leave alone tell us how to fight it. Perhaps it did give a message when Siddharth answered a few questions in the radio station, but as I said, all of that was lost in the booming of the guns. Disappointing!

University Examination

2006-03-01T13:56:00.000+05:30

Exams - an inevitability as far as a student is concerned

Till the day you remain a student, you have to keep facing those dreaded exams. Students in the 10th and 12th are going through their Boards at the moment - something that they have prepared for more than a year, and have been waiting for with a lot of apprehension.

The semester exams in a university is a lot more pressure free, but no less taxing. In between all the cultural festivals, hartals, bunking of classes and whinging about poor quality teaching, precious little is taught and even less is learnt. Realisation dawns on the eve of the exams that nothing much remains in your information centre to take you through the exams.

This is not the situation with me normally, but this time around, it was. Under these circumstances, it is a miracle that I managed to scrape through the exams without injuring myself too heavily. Minor bruises have been sustained, but given the fact that I was expecting to be hospitalised, it was indeed a happy ending.

By now you would also have understood why I haven't posted much here for more than a month. I am back, and more posts are going to follow. So fasten your seat belts, the journey is going to get more exciting!

TOUR DIARY of Pathan - I

2006-01-11T06:20:00.000+05:30

About TOUR DIARY

IRFAN PATHAN
India’s Tour to Pakistan, after the Tour Opener at Lahore

So, finally we are here and our tour is underway. The tour opener wasn’t a very good one for me. Got a lot of tap from the batsmen, and I didn’t enjoy it one bit. They better prepare green pitches for the Test series. Even if our batsmen get out cheaply, at least I will get a few wickets. Not to forget that I will have better chances of scoring than Viru and Gautam. That will establish me as an all-rounder.

I must say Pakistan is a strange country. Wherever I look, I find armed men. You would think half of this country is enrolled in the army. And it was pretty much the same the last time I was here as well. Sourav and Greg are in the same team and it is extremely dangerous to have so many guns close by. When will the administration realize the danger involved? And the Pakistani government says they are providing us security. I hope I can meet Wasim bhai during this tour.

I somehow can’t swing the ball back into the right-handers anymore and I desperately need some help from him. Some people have already spotted this and I just hope Bob and Inzy haven’t as yet. The more the left-handers in the Pakistani batting lineup, the happier I will be.

When I was about to come to Pakistan the last time, I was told that there is one Irfan Pathan in every street of Pakistan. I kept a look out, but never found my hamshakal. This time around, my greatest desire is to meet these identical twins of mine, who for some strange reasons have opted not to play for the Pakistan team.

The Pakistani team is dangerous - especially their archeologist. I really hope I don’t have much bowling to do to him, or better still, I hope he is suspended again for carrying out excavations on the pitch.

Before leaving for Pakistan, Papa advised me to pray as much as possible. And now Greg is asking me to practice as much as possible. How will I manage both these things together? Actually I can. These days I am praying while practicing. Praying that Bob doesn’t walk by and see that I have no swing. Praying that Wasim bhai will turn up sooner than later. Praying that half of the Pakistani batsmen get injured facing Shoaib in the nets.

But the best part of this tour has been that I am not receiving those stupid love letters anymore. Yeah, I get about 10 letters every day from the same girl. I have been able to find out that she is a student of Political Science from the Delhi University, but nothing more than that. In one letter she actually asked me to grow a moustache so that I would look like someone else she knew, who in turn looks like Sarfaraz Nawaz. These days the first thing I do in the morning is have a shave. Maybe if I persist, she will get tired of me and go after that other person. And I think I started receiving these letters immediately after Rahul bhai got married. Wonder if the two things are connected in any way?

Finally, I hope Juhi Chawla comes over to watch me play (only in the matches that I do well, please), or at least watches from back home in India. Got to go now, Sania's match is coming up on TV.

Also posted on ESPNStar Forums.

XML content feed for this blog

2006-01-01T13:22:00.000+05:30

From now on, an XML content feed will be available for this blog. Just click the button at the bottom of the sidebar on the right. You have the option of adding this feed to any web-based readers like My Yahoo!, Google Reader or NewGator or to any other reader of your choice.

Now get all the updates from this blog right in your newsreader along with all the other feeds from different websites that you have subscribed to. Enjoy reading!

Happy New Year!

Ganguly-Chappell Showdown

2005-12-31T12:43:00.000+05:30

The year 2005 draws to a close later today, and as I look back at the year that has passed, I cannot afford not to write on one issue that had rocked the nation in 2005.

The biggest controversy since the match-fixing scandal

When the former captain and the current coach decided to have a mud-slinging war in public, the biggest controversy in Indian cricket since the match-fixing scandal ensued. The issue was blown out of proportion by the media which was desperate for ‘breaking’ news and the reactions of the capricious Indian cricket fans. So much so that it became not just the top cricket story of the year, but perhaps the top national news story of the year.

The ‘war’ between coach and captain had all the ingredients of a Bollywood masala movie - drama, action, suspense and even a bizarre form of romance (between Ganguly and his fans). The story starts with Ganguly leaking dressing room secrets to the media after a painstaking century against a hapless Zimbabwe attack. Chappell retaliated with a confidential email that was sent to every Tom, Dick and Harry in the BCCI.

Chappell might have been the only person surprised to see his email in all the national dailies the next day. Kolkata erupted. Protests marches were held, effigies were burnt and Chappell became a villain. The Turbanator accused Chappell of instilling ‘fear and insecurity’ in the team, and some unnamed players came out in support of the captain. The BCCI responded quickly by issuing a gag order on players.

But the damage had been done. Accusations were made by Durgapur that the Dalmiya camp had leaked the email to help Ganguly gather public support. Another theory had it that Dalmiya had laid out a trap which Ganguly had inadvertently walked into! The BCCI review committee meeting dismissed the controversy as a ‘miscommunication’ and cleared Ganguly of the charges leveled against him by Chappell. The committee returned all the six copies of the rebuttal Ganguly had prepared, which left the media very disappointed.

Ganguly was eventually ruled out of the Srilanka series with an elbow injury and was subsequently not picked in the side as the selectors did not want to disturb a winning combination. What happened since was a wonderful example of the dirty politics played in the BCCI. Ganguly was first reinstated in the side for the Chennai Test, dropped after the Ahmedabad Test and recalled again for the Pakistan series – three politically inspired decisions which reconfirmed Mohinder Amarnath’s observation years ago that the selection committee was a ‘bunch of jokers’.

Neither of the two men are angels. Chappell confirmed this by his famous gesticulation at angry Kolkatta fans, and Ganguly by not playing for Bengal in a Ranji match before the Pakistan series. No one is ready to believe the statements of ‘we have a professional relationship with each other’ by both Ganguly and Chappell, least of all the two men themselves. The irony of it all is that Ganguly was instrumental in Chappell’s appointment as coach ahead of fellow Australian Tom Moody.

Ganguly is on his final trial in Pakistan that could make or break his career. And Kolkata remains volatile, ready to erupt in joy or anger, depending on whether Ganguly is selected or dropped from the side. Though the climax was rather insipid, the movie has certainly been a blockbuster!

Also posted on ESPNStar Forum.

TOUR DIARY of Sehwag - I

2005-12-21T06:28:00.000+05:30

About TOUR DIARY

VIRENDER SEHWAG
India vs Srilanka, 3rd Test at Ahmedabad, Day -3

Got up late in the morning, as usual. Damn! Greg and Ian made me go through all those stupid routines that they have come up with. When will they realize that a player who is as talented as I am does not have to go through all these? I will be doing well irrespective of whether I practice or not. I am confident about my abilities.

There was no dew on the ground today! I had to hurry out to the ground and in the process I could only spend only half an hour on my breakfast, whereas I normally spend one hour over it.

Bhajji and Anil were bowling well, and I didn’t even have to bowl myself. I am sure if Bhajji hadn’t got all those wickets I would have got them myself, and that would have convinced Greg and the rest of the team that I am the premiere spinner in the side. I still have my chance tomorrow, though.

I never thought captaining a side was so easy. Just about every move that I made worked for me. Now the selectors will be forced to rethink their decision of appointing Rahul as captain for the Pakistan and England tours. I feel I am more proactive, and will certainly make a better captain than him.

We wrapped up things quickly. But when we went out to bat the Srilankans used dishonorable means to get me out. They have never used a third-man for me before, and today they slipped in one. Marvan did not show even the basic courtesy to inform me about it. And I lost my wicket through deceit. I think I need to write to the ICC about it.

Aarti sent me my lunch as usual. But getting it into my room under the watchful eyes of our coach was the difficult part. In the Delhi test he had seen me carrying a packet. I told him that it contained hate mails that Sourav had received which he had asked me to dispose off. Greg looked very pleased. While the rest of the poor fellows in the team were eating boiled vegetables and dried fruits, I was feasting on Chicken 420.

Towards the end of the day Ajith and later Anil were playing some irresponsible shots. I sent word asking them to bat till the end of the day. Why don’t they realize how tired I was? After captaining the side, taking two spectacular catches and batting for a long period at the crease, I did not want to go out and field again.

I have recently come to know that some idiots in the ESPNStar Sports Forums are calling me an off-spinner who cannot bat. Criticism is fine, but I will certainly not tolerate such ridicule and vilification. If ESPNStar does not exercise better control over their members, I will be forced to take legal action.

Anil and Bhajji better wrap things up quickly tomorrow. I am not inclined to either bowl myself or stay on the ground for too long.

Also posted on ESPNStar Forums.

TOUR DIARY of Cricketers

2005-12-20T16:26:00.000+05:30

More of cricket. The rate at which I am going, it looks like cricket is the highway, and philosophy is the alley. But I am sure that the discerning readers will pick up the philosophy camouflaged in my cricket posts. Happy reading!

What is TOUR DIARY?

Most of us have wanted to know a little bit more about our favourite cricketers - things that these cricketers have been hiding from the public, their inner thoughts and deep desires.

I am sure all of them maintain a Tour Diary, which they don't intent anybody else to read. This is the place where I will dig up their Tour Diary which will tell us a lot more about them - some startling truths and stunning revelations.

Keep tuned in to this space to know the latest about your favourite players, brought to you exclusively by this special spy reporter.

Also available on ESPNStar Forums.

PS: Some of the things I mention in the Tour Diary may not make sense. But that is only because I am referring to the members on ESPNStar Forums, or to something that happened there.

Finally a request - once you discern the philosophy in my cricket posts, please let me know what it is through mail, because I haven't been able to discern it myself.

Christmas is in the air!

2005-12-17T17:08:00.000+05:30

It is that time of the year again. The days recede into the nights quickly and the gentle breeze keeps your spirits high. There is no other time in the year like Christmas; a season of hope, love and expectations. There is no snow in this part of the world, but the balmy air of the season brings warmth in the heart.

This is undoubtedly my favourite part of the year. While I was in school, this was the time for the ‘Art & Craft Exhibition’ and the fun and frolic associated with it. This year I will be back at school reliving some of those wonderful memories.

Let me remind everyone about this year’s ‘Art & Craft Exhibition’ on the 23rd of December and more importantly the first ever meeting of the Hari Sri Alumni Association on Saturday, the 24th of December, 2005 at 10:30 A.M. at the school Auditorium. For details contact Jaya Narayanan Miss at the following e-mail id: jaya_narayanan02@hotmail.com.

Merry Christmas!

UPDATE: My sister tells me that Nalini Miss will be felicitated on the 23rd. The function is expected to begin at 8:15 AM and is expected to finish at 9:30, when the 'Art & Craft Exhibition' will be inaugurated.

Do we deserve heros?

2005-12-15T18:56:00.000+05:30

I had wanted to write something more philosophical today, but recent events force me to change my plans. But I think everyone can detect a hint of philosophy in this post as well. You might also want to read this article by Sambit Bal on Cricinfo which pertains to the topic of my post.

Sourav Ganguly's treatment by the BCCI has been disgusting

Nothing else generates as much passion among Indian cricket fans as Sourav Ganguly does. Those who profess allegiance to him have been crying foul ever since Greg Chappell sent his famous email to the BCCI. Whether Sourav deserves a place or not in the Indian Team might be debatable but the treatment that was meted out to him does not have any justification.

First, he was dropped unceremoniously from the ODI side, with the selectors saying that they did not want to disturb a winning combination. But the same argument was somehow overlooked when Sourav was dropped from the Test team immediately after the team having won the Delhi Test.

It is not hard to miss the dirty politics that is being played in the corridors of the BCCI. Sourav has clearly been victimized in a personal vendetta between Dalmiya and the new group of Pawar, Bindra and Durgapur. If the Kolkattan fans come out in protest now, they can certainly not be blamed.

Former Indian cricketers have all expressed shock at this decision (report on Cricinfo). We are talking about a man who has 15,000 international runs and 34 international centuries to his credit and has been the most successful and outstanding captain that Indian cricket has ever had. He certainly deserved better after having served Indian cricket for 10 years.

The Indian cricket fans are as much to be blamed as the BCCI selectors. Renowned for their knee-jerk reactions, the cricket crazy public had left no stone unturned in ridiculing Sourav when his performances had plummeted. Internet hate campaigns were launched and Sourav’s name was dragged into every joke that was made. Criticism might have been due as he was indeed underperforming, but the Indian fans made sure that they took it to an unacceptable and deplorable level.

Is this how we treat our heros? The fans (barring the ones in Kolkatta) and the administrators are equally to blame for the position that Sourav now finds himself in. He might not have been perfect, but he certainly didn’t deserve to be vilified the way he was. We are a nation starved of sporting heros, and deservedly so, because we don’t know how to respect and treat the few that we have.

Sourav has always been a hero for me, and will remain one forever.

The charm of the boy wizard

2005-12-13T08:18:00.000+05:30

This is an article that I had contributed to my college magazine (TEC VOICE '05). I am still not sure whether or not it will face the editors cut. I was asked to change the title, and add a paragraph on the Half-Blood Prince. I did the former (as the article was initially tentatively titled 'Potter Mania'), while I didn't do the latter (for the article that you are about to read here).

Why is Harry Potter such a craze?

The flapping of owl wings, the whizzing of broomsticks, the intrigue of a magical castle and the irresistible charm of a teenage boy; Harry Potter books have become a phenomenon, catapulting itself into the league of the all-time best selling children’s literature. When Harry Potter walked into J K Rowling’s creative mind almost 15 years ago, she would never have imagined that her boy wizard would reach dizzy heights of popularity and make her the richest woman in Britain. Why has Harry Potter been able to generate as much interest as it has?

Rowling’s writing reveals her profound understanding of the child psyche. Children all over the world find it easy to identify with the character of Harry Potter – his frustrations, his elation, his fury and his fears. A feeling of déjà vu inevitably haunts you as Harry’s experiences in Hogwarts unfold. This sense of identification is the driving force that has propelled the novel’s fame.

Rowling has successfully created an unconventional hero who is just as ordinary as anyone else. Harry is neither a handsome hunk nor an exceptionally brilliant student and has to toil through his studies quite often. The hero in most novels and films is the person we all want to be, but in Rowling’s book, the hero is the person we all are.

Rowling never makes an attempt to glorify Harry’s character by attributing incredulous feats to his name. Harry escaped Voldermort as a baby because of his mother’s sacrifice. In his battle with the Basilisk, the phoenix helps him out. He is able to win the Triwizard Tournament only because Mad-eye-Moody wants him to. He is lured into a deadly trap, like any other teenager, leading to the death of his godfather. However he always shows immeasurable courage in the face of disaster and an unflinching resolve to fight evil. And that is what makes him a hero, not feats defying his age and knowledge. This gives the books - magical though they might be - a measure of authenticity and makes Harry’s character convincing.

And to all that add the fact that Rowling creates an enthralling world with the power of her imagination and constantly surprises the reader with the twists and turns in her plot. She makes optimum use of the imaginary world that she herself has created by crafting situations - impossible to conceive in normal fiction – which are accelerating, beguiling, captivating and more. The gulf between the powers of Harry and Voldermort, and the grave danger to Harry during their duels, has no real life equal.

But the masterstroke from Rowling is the ingenuity with which she has woven together the wizard world with the real. The depiction of the oblivious existence of the wizard world within the real has a credibility, which portrayal of the disengaged existence of the wizard world would have lacked. Because at least once you wonder, is it true? And more importantly, you wish it were. Therein lies the charisma of Harry Potter.

Has Team India turned a corner?

2005-12-11T22:33:00.000+05:30

This is an article of mine which has been published on the www.abcofcricket.com website. This is now the fifth article of mine on the net, and I can proudly say that every time I have written an article with an intention of getting it published, it has come up on some site or the other. Here is the full list. And the latest article:

Chappell getting results in India

The appointment of a new coach, the sacking of the captain following a squabble with the coach under the glare of media spotlights and an unprecedented series win – the past few months have been eventful to say the least, in Indian cricket.

The sullied fumes of the Ganguly-Chappell showdown which threatened to engulf Indian cricket has been blown away by the revitalising breeze of the resounding 6-1 victory against Sri Lanka and the hard-fought 2-2 draw against the Proteas. A new wave of elation and sanguinity has swept across cricket fans in India who were not long ago, smarting from the lackluster performances of their team.

But is the victory over Sri Lanka, in the light of the draw against the Africans, the watershed heralding India’s elevation to a consistently winning side? Has India turned a corner? It might be true that a victory of this magnitude can hardly be found in the annals of Indian cricket, and that the last victory in a bilateral series is a memory that has faded into oblivion. But it would be premature to think that India has unraveled the answers to all those probing problems which have been pegging back its ODI form for the last couple of seasons.

Chappell and his support staff – men like Ian Frazer – have introduced an amount of professionalism in the side. It was apparent in the commitment on the field and the discipline in batting and bowling. Team India has moved from a captain-centred framework during the Ganguly-Wright reign to a coach-centred one under Dravid and Chappell. It should only help the team’s cause because with Chappell clearly in charge and calling all the shots, the pressure would be off Dravid. But the flexibility that Chappell aims to achieve through experimentation – or strategy in his own words – might misfire at times and it is important not to turn a blind eye to the present demands in a quest for future excellence.

The most heartening aspect of these matches has been the stupendous performance of the youngsters in the crucible of international cricket – be it Raina at Pune, RP Singh at Rajkot or Pathan and Dhoni throughout the matches. Dhoni might have captured the imagination of the nation, but the arduous encounters ahead of him with more intimidating bowlers will test both his technique and temperament. His technique might be relatively uncertain but his temperament is extremely sound, which should also enable him to avoid being ensnared by stardom.

The Supersub, a new feature of one day cricket has been India’s greatest ally, as the balance that was lost when Dravid removed his wicket-keeping gloves has returned. The fifth bowler – part-timers like Sehwag and Yuvraj – were inaffective in Sri Lanka a few months back, but were replaced by the Supersub in the recent matches, and is the principal reason for the reversal of fortunes. The Supersub has masked the absence of an all-rounder – the vital cog of every ODI team.

But there are areas of concern for India. Sehwag’s ODI form has been erratic and Tendulkar’s much hyped return has petered out and lost steam. His attitude though, has been refreshing – more so in the first few games of the Sri Lankan series – as he is inclined to break free from the shackles of his defensive mindset that has curtailed his flight in the recent past.

The Indians slaughtered the Sri Lankans who were perhaps ‘softened’ by their series against West Indies and Bangladesh and a loss in the practice game, but found the going a lot tougher against a battle-hardened South Africa, fresh from a thumping win over New Zealand and on a 19 match unbeaten streak. The top order displayed its vulnerability against some hostile and accurate pace bowling by the South Africans under helpful conditions.

The camaraderie and solidarity of a team is often wrecked by the tumultuous wind of demoralizing losses. The unrest in the team in Zimbabwe and Harbhajan’s accusation of ‘fear and insecurity’ being spread by the coach have been overlooked in the aftermath of convincing victories. The healthy competition that Chappell aims to create in the team might escalate into this ‘fear and insecurity’ or worse selfish performances, if the team starts losing. The true appraisal of the Chappell-Dravid team would be the way in which they inspire the team to return to their winning ways if – and when – their performances plummet.

The Indians have certainly taken a few significant steps towards redemption. But the challenges are many and the path to greatness is as protracted as it is intricate. The matches against Sri Lanka might indeed have been a precursor of things to come but Indian cricket fans would do well to not read too much into it. In truth, the Indians are not even in sight of that elusive corner, let alone turning it.

Also posted on ESPNStar Forums.

Chance or choice?

2005-12-05T07:49:00.000+05:30

This post must be read in the light of my earlier post on religion. I must also add that this is a transferred entry from my older blog to this new one.

Did we choose our religion?

I am a Hindu, I am a Muslim, I am a Christian - all of us proudly proclaim at different times in our lives. All of us are convinced of the superiority of our own religion and would never hear a word against it. But, wait a second; let us all just answer a question before moving on.

Why am I a Hindu/Muslim/Christian? The answer is simple, because we were born one. Yes, let us face it! We are a Hindu, Muslim or Christian only because we are born to parents who also believe in the same religion. Just think, what if you had been born into a family which believes in a different religion? What would have been your religion then?

Are you at the moment ready to accept another religion because you feel it is better than yours? No. And the explanation would be: 'my religion is the best, I don't have to accept another'. Fine. But another question; if you had been born in a different religion, would you then have relinquished that and accepted your current religion?

Don't jump into the answer. Just put yourself into the position of a kid who is born and brought up in a different religion, and give a truthful answer to yourself! What we have to realize is that our belonging to a particular religion is only a matter of chance. And why are we so proud about that? We could so easily have belonged to another religion.

What is my religion?

2005-11-20T21:56:00.000+05:30

After going off-track the last time, I am back to the 'real' thing. Those who have read my older blog will know that this is just a thought that is being transferred from there to this new blog. For those who haven't, it can either be a thought-provoking essay or a heap of nonsense, depending on how much you like philosophy.

Religion might mean different things to different people

I have one basic principle in life. Be a good person. I always try and make sure that I do all the right things, and that I behave in a manner befitting a good human being. It is a constant effort to be good.

Now, what is good? It is being honest, straightforward, frank, kind, helpful, understanding, forgiving, hardworking and amiable. It also includes avoiding being proud, haughty, short-tempered, sadistic and hypocratic.

At the end of every day, I try to analyze my day to see how good a person I have been. And my attempt is to make sure that everyday in the morning when I get up from bed, I am a little better than the person who got up from bed the previous day.

This is my religion. This is my faith. I have often wondered... what does the Almighty want man to do? Does he want man to pray to him all the time, or would he rather prefer man to be just a good person?

I think I know my answer. After all the purpose of all religions is to make man a better person. What is the point of just going to the temple or church or mosque if you are not essentially a good person?

Virender Sehwag needs to be congratulated!

2005-11-14T15:32:00.000+05:30

Quite opposed to the title, the first entry is not even remotely associated with philosophy. In many ways this is a good idea, as I don't need to scare away my readers with the very first attempt. So, lets take a detour along one of the alleys I had promised to take you along.

Virender Sehwag has to be specially congratulated for his splendid performances for India in recent ODI matches.

For the last few matches, Sehwag has been locked in a fierce dwell with the opposition fielders and bowlers. He has been very determined to get out as soon as possible. And the opposition has been even more determined to make him bat as long as possible. It has been an enthralling contest.

Sehwag has been a master at troubling opposition bowlers by getting out as quickly as he can. He contributes greatly to the Indian cause by returning quickly to the dressing room, where his presence acts as a great morale booster to the youngsters in the side.

Sehwag’s methods of getting out are many and varied. On most occasions, he smacks the ball hard at the fielders so that they have to catch the ball in self-defense. When the bowlers bowl wide in order to force him to score more runs, he drags the ball onto his stumps.

His commitment to the team is clearly reflected by the fact that he worked hard to put on a few kilos during the off-season. The idea is to ensure that he is slower between the wickets, thus forcing the opposition to run him out.

Sehwag has also discovered ways of getting mentally disturbed before a game. Recently in Srilanka, he forced the team management to threaten him with disciplinary action, so that he could go into the match mentally distraught. This helps him in finding out new ways to get out during a match.

Sehwag has worked hard at the nets to remove the pull from his repertoire. He is currently working on removing the drive as well, and hopes that one day he will be able to play only the cut shot. His efforts have paid rich dividends, as can be seen from his performances of late.

Sehwag has a brilliant average of 27.15 in his last 20 matches as opener. He has been so successful that he has been forced to score only one fifty in his last 24 matches. However he has been unable to repeat his success in the Test arena where he averages a dismal 55.

His performance in the match at Pune, deserves special mention. For the first time in a few matches, Sehwag was troubled. He made two brilliant efforts to put the ball into the hands of the fieldsmen, but was thwarted on both occasions by the valiant effort of the fielders.

But Sehwag’s brilliance was clearly evident in the way he guided a Muralitharan doosra straight into the hands of the fielder at slip, and the poor guy had no choice, but to take the catch.

Kudos to Sehwag for being so successful in his endeavours. He is the pride of our nation.

Also posted on ESPNStar Forums.