Greed for Needs

Once I moved out of the comfort of high school, problems concerning the society started to become visible. Economic, social and political problems were suddenly everywhere. People are in a constant fight to live, to earn a living and maintain a family. This constitutes to a majority of the population in India. There is the creamy elite and the rich middle-class of India who are in a whole different world of smartphones and German cars!
I got to travel a lot of Southern India, thanks to the research project I was assisting. This opened up my mind to the disparity of wealth that exists in the country. All the reports, articles and books I had read about wealth disparity, started to come to life!
The greatest luxury we have is that we are confident about our next meal!
As the thought process on how to solve the disparity in wealth, when one is staying in a capitalistic market, lead me to this idea.
Its known that when the people at the bottom of the pyramid are working for their living, the rich are haunting the luxuries. What happens when the rich get greedy about human needs? By human needs I mean Air, Water, Food, Shelter and Clothing. The rich are greedy for better air- they can buy hybrids, reduce carbon emission etc. The rich are greedy for food- help the farmer grow better. They are greedy for better clothing- finance the thousands of garment workers. So with their greed of needs increasing the whole society is developing, and to an extent disparity is reduced.

But this is Utopian. How can we draw a line for human greed? If there is anything as infinite as the human imagination, its his greed. Even in the wildest futures, the above thought materializes, will the farmer/garment worker be satisfied with what he has?

I feel the concept of "Greed for Needs" is a step which can at least lead the consumerist society in spending for the betterment of the society. What can be the solution? Marx's vision is impossible now. This time when we have fallen, tangled, knotted deep in the abyss of Capitalism.  

Hell ride in God's own country.

A couple of days ago I realized that I have an affinity to board ridiculously strange buses. I also realized it was never out of choice , but pure chance. Here is my latest one.

This bus was supposed to take me from Mannadavady (a small town in Kerala) to Kalpetta (a small town in Kerala, where 2:1 is the ratio of gold jewellery shops to number of people).
Let me provide a formalist view of the bus first. A 30 seater bus, of an unknown make. The paint job was a vibrant pink and purple over off-white. The interior was heavily chromed (the railings, supports etc). The upholstery seemed heavier than the chrome. Maroon velvet seat covers covered with dark blue diamonds, and shining off-white head rests. With the shiny poles and cushioned seats, the bus resembled a strip-club, with the obvious elements missing!

The wind shield of the bus had a board which said that it was a 'Fast Passenger'. What was thought to be a good thing, was actually not! There are two possibilities I inferred, either the bus was one of those raerest-of-rare artifacts where the brake is an extra throttle, or the driver has a firm belief that the horn itself is the brake. The bus did not slow down to anything. Sharp curves, head-on traffic, cows, Lungi clad road crossers , come what may the bus did not slow down. If the people at CERN had traveled in this bus before, they would not have wasted so much money on a particle accelerator. At about this time , I threw my bucket list out of the window, as I clearly did not see the point of having one.

I looked around to see if anything in the bus would give me comfort. There was a 'No Smoking' board. Obviously, anyone who tries to smoke at this speed is risking a burnt face ( Like one of those road runner cartoons). Next to it was the Complaint Box and as expected there was no box. It understood that once you have seen "The Light" there is no use complaining. Plus if you survived, you should be happy to be alive, so No Complaints!

Next my eyes moved to the First aid box. That was certainly a relief. I was confident that at the moment of adversity, there would surely be help to nurse the cut on my little toe finger. Although I would have to wait for the medics to tend to my cracked skull, broken neck, collapsed lungs, ruptured intestines, displaced spine and not to mention a couple of bruises here and there. Then I realized that even the first-aid kit was missing. I need to appreciate the owners of this bus for their impressive thinking. They had replaced the kit with the music system! Ah! What better thing than music to heal the petrified soul! I then paid attention to the music. One of the most popular Bollywood song of the 90's"Dil to pagal hai" (the heart is mad) was playing. Quite an apt song for one has to be mad to get into this ride!

Fortunately Kalpetta arrived. I was still breathing, my "pagal heart" was still beating and I used all the adrenalin in my body to jump out on to terra firma! As the bus zoomed, I saw Emergency Exit written on the back of the bus. It was not an exit for the bus, but in case you wanted an "emergency exit" from the beautiful life in Kerala, you had to take this Hell ride in God's Own Country!

Party time!!!

Parties. the "life" for some youth, the bane for some "elders". I have attended quite a few parties and most of them have a lot in common. Only a few parties really stand out! Let me tell you what I did this Friday night. This was not one of the usual 9-12 parties!

The club and the dance floor was a overused SETC bus. There are posters of parties which claim that they will take you places, this one was taking me from Ooty to Coimbotore for sure! The crowd was cosmopolitan, but also had a weird mix of grandmothers, tiny tots and grey headed grand-dad hipsters. As the party started, the music from the speakers (which seemed right out of 80's rock show) began to engulf the bus. Foot-thumping Tamil numbers set the right tempo to the party.

The crowed swayed its hips to the music spun by our DJ (they had no option as Physics forced them to). The way he spun his wheel, everyone swayed in unison, almost in sync with the beat. Unlike Tiesto's all white apparel (Wikipedia, if you were not born between 1980-2000), our DJ was in all brown. He changed gears like discs, spinning the wheel constantly!

This party, unlike any other had its usual elements. The "bores" who felt the party wasn't good and the usual bunch who come with a lot of baggage (pun intended). The party had a lot of dangerous curves which made it really exciting. Other clubs (read: vehicles) passed us by like faces which pass by on the dance floor.

The crowd was intoxicated with the beauty outside, the full moon acting like a disco ball, making the forest below shine! The party which started off cold in ooty, was pretty hot as it neared Coimbotore. As people got off the club, there was that familiar look on faces of everyone, the look which showed desperation to get back home and crash (party jargon intended).

I being a club hopper, continued my party scene. The welcome that I got in the next club was almost homely. The girls voice was very familiar. By the time I tried to figure out who that was, she screamed in my ear " Welcome to Indian Railways, Train number 61234.... "

Paper Priorities

6:00 PM, Newspaper Bureau.
Editor: "Get me the front page! we cant be late today, it has to go to print by 7"
Sub-ed 1: (Shouts from his cubicle) " I got all the stories sir, call a meeting we will start off the design"
Editor: (Screams) Advertisement Dept! send the template!
Random guy from the Ad Dept: "Sir 20 by 30 ad in the bottom, and one on the name of our paper"
Editor: " Arrey!!! Send the template! I dont care if there is no news on the front page also.. send the template!"

6:45 PM, Newspaper Bureau. (After a short break of tea, biscuits,  cigarettes and interesting conversation)
Editor: "Send the Template! "
Sub-ed 2: " Sir! I got the template! call a meeting we will start off the design"
Editor: (Shouts): "MEETING"!

6:50 PM, Newspaper Bureau.
Editor: "yes, what stories do we have for the front page?"
Reporter 1: "Sir, a peaceful protest in the capital turned violent after police used tear gas and lathi charge. We live in a democracy sir, the rights have been curtailed"
Reporter 2: "Sir an update on the gang-rape victim. She gave a statement!"
Reporter 3: (Crime beat) "couple of suicides and some kidnapping, No front page stuff sir"
Reporter 4: " Facebook has new application sir"
Reporter 5: " Report on Nuclear power plant, and the Russian Presidents Visit"
Reporter 6: " Cricketer retired sir"
Editor: "Oh! its already 7, We have some good stories today, nothing much to be discussed, we will put the most important three on the front page"
Sub-eds/ Reporters" "yes sir"

7:05 PM , Newspaper Bureau
Paper is sent for printing.

7:05 AM,  Some random house in the neighborhood, Coffee accompanied by Newspaper
FRONT PAGE- Top Story: "Cricketer Bids adieu" (in bold red letters, along with photos and stats)
                         Second Story: "Protest turn violent" (a small 3 column story)
                         Bottom Story: "Facebook gets a new app" (in Colour, with graphics)

Dilemma..

With the recent incidents of rape in New Delhi and other places, the internet and the media has seen an outrage of protests, debates and rallies to urge the government to do something, something drastic about this problem.

It is a good thing to see that people are engaging themselves, and are using all the media possible to curtail this evil. it is high time the government takes action to make our streets safer.
I support these protests with all my heart. I always think of a state where citizens (men, women or others) have the liberty to walk on the streets at any time of the day/night, without any fear. That is the responsibility of the Government to make sure that the citizens are safe. If I want to enjoy a casual walk in the pristine starry night, I would want to do it. The police (the government) needs to make sure I am safe, not questioned and harassed. I would not hold the police responsible if a snake bites me, or if a dog chases me. Robbers, rapists, drunken drivers, and eve teasers are what I want to be protected from.

The Government might argue, that if one needs protection from all those things, they better stay indoors. This is  a curtailment of a fundamental right to move. Do keep in mind they might suggest the same if someone is mugged in broad day light.

The protests which followed these incidents (and which follow every other incident also) , address the punishment for the crimes committed. The people feel  as the punishment is not severe enough, these incidents continue to happen. I do agree that the punishment delivered, is so late that it hardly creates an impact. The government needs to buck up on this.
But what about the kind of punishment? Capital punishment seems to be in the minds of many people. Is this really right?

I being a man, will never know the agony, pain, embarrassment or any emotion that a woman feels when she is teased, groped or raped. From the instances i have read, from the millions of instances that my friends have narrated, getting back to normal after such incidents is very tough and most of the times impossible. It permanently scars the life of a woman.

The intention behind punishing someone, is to make him realize his/her mistake. When one is sentenced to death, it might show the society what lies in store if they commit a crime. But for the culprit it might be a relief. Killing of a human is the most heinous of acts. When the law awards death penalty, aren't we stooping to the same level as the criminals? One cant differentiate "killing". If an individual does it its Murder, if a country does it its War and if "killing" is done legally its Capital Punishment.

This is an extremely delicate issue. The culprit cannot go unpunished. Personally I feel, capital punishment is not the answer. I might not even know the alternatives, as torture seems equally inhuman. Guilt, is something the law can play on. Guilt has the ability to punish a human physically and mentally. Wish it was that easy. What if the culprits have grown over guilt? which is true in many cases. As I finish this blog, my mind is still unclear. I cannot support capital punishment, but I know criminals cannot be let free..
May be, as I have been thinking about this for a long time, one day I shall write again... hopefully without a dilemma.

Third Eye goes Mythological

Karna of Kaliyuga.

Third eye looks at the rebellious Banglore!

Bangloreans Rebel without a cause! and in all the wrong places! in all the wrong ways! I am saying this not as an outsider but as a Mysorean (Mysoreans and B'loreans share a very convoluted Love-hate relationship)

Stereotyping on the front page

During my masters, I had studied stereotyping in  society and how it has spread to the media as well. In this patriarchal society that we live, stereotypes about women are  most common. Normal stereotypes are that they are emotional, weak, etc etc and not to forget the colour pink!

Although i kept an open eye to spot such stereotyping in the media, I got quite a shock a couple of days back.

The Deccan Herald, a popular newspaper, reported on October 19, about a situation in the Tiruvanathpuram airport. The headlines (front page , second story) read as below:

  "PANICKY WOMAN PILOT SCRIPTS HIJACK DRAMA"

I am sure that most of the readers just read the headline and went on to do their daily chores. But this headline has been troubling me for a while.

I raise the following questions. Was it necessary to mention that it was a woman? Would a "male" pilot be "panic free" in a hijack situation? Do the men receive special training?  Did the noun 'Pilot' require those two adjectives? If a male pilot had done the same would the headline read "Panicky Male pilot scripts hijack drama"? Who is creating the drama here, the newspaper itself?

This is how stereotyping gets stronger. I feel there was no need of both the adjectives in the headline.  Readers will seldom see the item as a situation faced by a pilot, but see it as a situation which occurred because the pilot was a woman! Headlines and reports of this kind provide validation for stereotypes and make them stronger pushing people to take decisions based on the same. This is detrimental to the society!

So please be aware of stereotyping, and the next time your about to board the plane, do check if the pilots are male, female or transgenders!!

When Logic takes on the Hulk!

Fortunately or unfortunately one more movie has come under my fire! The Incredible Hulk (2008) is  movie about the scientist Bruce Banner, who, thanks to a gamma ray experiment gone horribly wrong, transforms into a big green super human, whenever his pulse rate goes above a certain limit. In this part, Banner battles a soldier who tries to employ the same "accident" to become a super soldier, but ends up becoming a monster. A fine entertainer staring Edward Norton and Liv Tyler.
While watching this movie a couple of days back (watching it the nth number of time), logic suddenly struck my head. Now, while watching a Hollywood entertainer like this  one, it is advised to keep the brain aside and enjoy the movie. I did managed to do this for the first couple of times. But this nth time, my brain came alive like the Hulk himself.
Just before one of the most gripping parts of the movie, where Banner transforms into the hulk for the first time, he (when is still human) swallows a pen-drive, to protect it from getting into the wrong hands (read as the US Army, how ironic). After the transformation and a whole lot of action, banner regurgitates the pen-drive in the same solid state. This is where logic attacked my brain.
Firstly, the swallowing of the device happens sometime in the early evening and the regurgitation sometime in the late afternoon/early evening the next day. So the time elapsed is roughly 24 to 25 hours. In a normal human being, the complete process of digestion, from ingestion to excretion takes anywhere between 24 to 40 hours (approximate from what i remember of the science text books). So when Bruce Banner, pukes out the device after 24hours , it remains the same. No difference from when it had been swallowed. Now comes my favorite part, lets list the logical explanations for this.

1. The pen-drive cannot possibly be in the same state. The human digestive system has a lot of gasrtic juices and acids being produced continuously. We need to remember that Banner transforms into the hulk, and so does his digestive system. The strength of the gastric juices would also increase. So could the pen-drive be immune to such strong acids?

2. In the time lapsed, considering the amount of jumping, running and a whole lot of action, digestion wouldn't have stopped (not that it would if you sat still). Nor would the movement in the digestive tract. So in 24 hours Banner could not possibly regurgitated it but , on the contrary the device would be easier to extract from the opposite orifice.

3. A possible explanation would be, when Banner transforms into the Hulk, his digestive system might transform into one like the Ruminants. So the pen-drive would be safe in his rumen, and can be retrieved (pun intended) any time he wants.

4. the pen-drive was made up of Adementium (material of Wolverine's bones) (Yes this is logical)

5.  How did the data inside survive? are pen-drives water/gastric juice proof? It must contain some very complex data about materials and chemicals (again..pun intended)

So there it is. The things which came to my head when, i would like to put it as, "logic" hit my brain. The flip side to this line of thought was the thought which succeeded all of this. "My doltish brain did not find a man surviving huge amounts of radiation and running around illogical, but found the above piece  clashing with logic!"
Sad but true!

A paradox called language!

What is language? If one tries to search for the definition, it would be  'A body of words and the system for their use common to the people of the same community or nation, same geographical area or cultural tradition".
So language, is a system, bound by the obdurate rules of grammar. From the earliest of our schooling days, we are taught how to be within the boundaries of grammar, so that we become "good" speakers and writers of the same. But language is not static. It keeps on changing. So does the boundaries.Paradox.
The primary purpose of language is to communicate. So even if differences lie in between a sender of a message and a receiver of the same, if the message is correctly conveyed then the purpose is served. But these differences , when unleashed may lead to complete chaos as one cannot understand another person. Thus language remains quintessential. Paradox.
We as children are taught language, for it to be precise and so on. Then the same teacher takes the students into the world of poetry and talks about "poetic licence" and how the language is twisted, turned and modified. But when we see a board like the one posted above, its bad language! Paradox.
To conclude language is a dynamic system of contradictions and paradoxes, every one is forced to learn and unlearn, as dynamically as the language itself.
Of the three languages i know, i forgot to mention one paradox. English. 

Third Eye..blinks..

Ladder inspired by the Moon walk
" Three small steps to mankind...one gaint leap for life"

Third Eye...

Producing "Knock out" Pugilists since 1935! 

Road to the future

The year is 2050. The city of Bangalore is no where close to what was once called as the garden city. Although there has been considerable loss of greenery in this city, in the past five decades, it still has pockets of vegetation left. All the gardens have now moved on to the terraces.
The roads of Bangalore , infamous as always for the rash unpredictable traffic, has also multiplied for the worse. Road accidents are more common than tree felling which is a daily affair here. Hospitals, which once had Trauma and emergency now have a separate department right in the front of their buildings, dedicated only for road accidents. The situation looks bleak. The mentality of the motorists of the city has not changed.
They want to go, and go fast. Take the turn first. Overtake whatever, whenever and however! Roads are optional, footpaths are speedways. the honk is more important than the brake. Adding to this mentality is the ever increasing number of people taking to the roads everyday, with machines which have potential atom bombs as their engines!
At such a time, Gopal Ram, a zoology major in college, IAS topper and efficient administrator took charge of the Road transport ministry. His first task on the agenda was to reduce the road accidents. Using his zoology background he put forth an idea. He proposed that every vehicle in the city would be fitted with a detection system like bats, which would stop the vehicles before collision. An ultra sensitive radar which would avoid accidents in most cases. The idea was revolutionary and was passed as a bill. In-foe-sys , a company owned by the then chief minister's brother in law, came forward to produce the radar system. And with a little help from the Germans, they devised a exceptionally accurate and powerful device with the ability to stop the vehicle if it came "extremely" close to another. A massive drive exercised by the ministry made sure all the vehicles were fitted with these devices by August 15 2050. And they did it.
Today, August 15 2050, the road got its independence.
ALL 7 million vehicles of Bangalore are stalled on the roads, unable to move.
I am on what was once called Hosur road... and I know I got miles to walk before i sleep, miles to walk before i sleep...

The Beauty of the Future

As my exams have concluded, I have a lot of time (not that i don't otherwise). When there is a lot of free time the TV does take up some share of the 'free time' cake! Once a great man said, "An idle mind in not a Devils workshop, but is in front of the TV". During my television viewing marathon, i saw an advertisement that showed a special deo which actually makes your under arms whiter/ fairer! It hard to believe but its true. Now correct me if im wrong but aren't deo's supposed to just cut off the smell?
Apparently not. So the new formula of a hybrid, unbelievable underarm fairness cream+ good fragrance+ aerosol = Deo of 2012!
With my experience with marketing, whatever i studied of it, tells me product innovation and foresight are quintessential for the success of a business. Theodore Levitt has already warned us about Marketing Myopia. So I thought of some of the products for the future that P&G, Unilever or Body Shop can use to make mad moolah! (Any such product, if introduced into the market , must remit 3% of the sales to me!hope this disclaimer helps)
Here goes - A list of beauty products of the future!

1. Shampoo de hypertrichosis :(for men only) This amazing shampoo with 3 quarters moisturizer and soya proteins enriches and protects your "ear hair" from root to tip, giving it a shine and strength it always required! Say bye-bye to ugly, unruly ear hair and say Hello to smooth silky ear locks!!!

2. Creme de white toes : (Unisex) A revolutionary product right out of the P***ds lab, to make sure you will never face the awkward moment of someone seeing the skin between your toes! This cream whitens the area using silver extracts and Ginger oil to make those neglected parts of your body pearly white.

3. Hair de Nose dye: (unisex) Yes we have seen funky hair colour, funky hair styles and funkier hair cuts! Why not funky nose hair!? Stop trimming them and start colouring them. Extracted from flowers of amazon , try out the Tangy Blue, Orchid red, or the most common Mushy mucus!!

4. Brylcream Brow risers: (aimed at men...)For years brylcream has quenched the thirst of the hair needs of men. Now it goes one step lower! A perfect mix of coconut oil and milk cream, this gel can not only style your eyebrows (not to mention Unibrows) but nourish them too!

5. Underarm wash : yes there is facewash, handwash...why not underarm wash!! This is a multi purpose wash which exfoliates(ouch!), cleanses, removes ingrown hair, prevents germ build, prevents odor, makes them fair, attractive and last but not the least causes skin cancer. People would be ready to take a chance!! This soap is made from natural extracts from pumice stones and salts from the pure sweat of yaks in the Himalayas! Indulge in an underarm fantasy!!


So there it is, a glimpse of the future. Beautiful isn't it?
( I have nothing against the French, but Paris being the fashion capital i thought the brand names would sound real )

5 things a Post-modernist cannot do!!

Philosophy is as interesting as it can get boring. But what if we see philosophy with a touch of comedy and laugh. It might not be the same. So here is my attempt to plant the seed of thought through some really unconventional means.
So what are the five things that a post modernist cannot do? (here goes one more list!!)
1. A post modernist can never play Truth or dare. Or he can but he will always choose the dare, as there is no one truth in his view! it might get boring without the juicy truths.

2. Never participate in money making game shows like 'The moment of truth' or 'Sachh Ka Samna'. The criteria for the show itself bans these people because of the multiple truths they believe in, and they sure will win! And Sony corp is not so rich to just give every post modernist a million dollars.

3. Be a Rotarian. No, that is not happening in a post-modernist's life, as the first guideline for a Rotarian is ' Is it the truth?'. With that question our post modernist friend will be stumped!

4. Under go a narco analysis . If there is no single objective truth, is there any use of the whole procedure?!

5. Pinocchio's nose in the post modernist world would not grow( how boring is that ). If there is no single objective truth, Pinocchio never lies. Which implies that there will be no growing noses. which equates to a boring story(damn this philosophy!)
There you go, What i have given is what a post modernist cannot do. My next post will be the things he CAN do. You can then decide whether post modernism is your cup of tea or not! Till then keep drinking coffee.

Third eye - Forever

Rebel without a cause!

Third eye - returns

I dont think the anti dust coating this guy endorses is of any good.the car below the board needs some dusting! Any one ready for TAPLON coat??

Perception of the powerful patriarch

It is a common thing that one hears about the society being patriarchal, men pulling the strings and parading their dominance. However this feeling of being the more dominant and more powerful sex is not a superficial force. This has been etched in the minds of men and women alike due to centuries of domination.
In our society (by 'our' society, I mean a society which is supposedly 'modern') we do not see this domination or the effect of it directly. it is subtle and subverted but equally powerful. One recent incident, which gave me quite a shocker, made me realise how powerful the image of a "powerful patriarch" the all providing demi-god is in the minds of commoners.
It was just another summer night in Manipal. We were tying banners around the town for an upcoming event of our college. Our laughs (which sounded more like monstrous howls) was eclipsed by a shrill voice of pain and fear. What we saw was a woman fallen on the road and a man throwing punches and slaps at her. Without second thoughts we ran towards the rumble. The man, shouting that he was her husband ran as soon as he saw five boys running towards him. We did catch him and took him to the police station which was hardly a furlong away. Some threats and a couple of swings from the lathi, they were let go. They were construction workers, both husband and wife. On the way back we kept a close look on them as they crossed the road.
What happened next was unbelievable! The husband picked up a wooden club (some remnant in a construction site) ready to give his wife a royal showdown. This time we ran , shouting violently (this is the nearest I had got to a war cry). My friends started a verbal rant which is impossible to publish (but he deserved it). While this showdown was going on , one guy slightly taller than the husband entered the scene with a helpless look. we had seen him during the couples fight on the road. He looked like a body builder right out of the garadi . One punch from this guy to your stomach would solve all your problems, as you wouldnt be alive to face them. The real shocker was when we came to know this guy was the couples son, who was a mute spectator till now, as he feared his dad who, in front of him looked like a puny animal!!
Need i have to say more, that is the perception of the powerful patriarch!

Asimov at his best!!

I prefer rationalism to atheism. The question of God and other objects-of-faith are outside reason and play no part in rationalism, thus you don’t have to waste your time in either attacking or defending
Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

Quote

"Television is the hardware to introduce the software of Capitalism"
K V Akshara


K V Akshara, the present head of Ninasam, a theatre group in Heggodu, Karnataka, is a playwright/writer.

Sports as Art

Ever since our beloved cave man, decorated his caves with paintings, people started to have a debate as to what art was. They gave different definitions, artists tried to explain this abstract yet very real phenomenon called art in their own way. Centuries have passed but we still are not sure. We, humans are sure that we can go to the moon, but aren't sure of what art is!
Some of the common definitions include art being a form of expression. The piece of art actually takes second place while expression is primary. For some, art is about the form, the shape, colour, structure of the piece. I wont write much about these, because all the answers you need are just a tab(Ctrl T)
Taking all these definitions into consideration, Can sports( all included..even golf!!!) be considered art?
I believe it is, every sport is art and every sportsman an artist. Taking the view of an expressionist, sports is an expression of strength, agility,speed, flexibility of ones body.For a formalist, sports is poetry in motion. The body is the canvas and the game is the paint.
Like any other fine art, a good sports man has intrinsic talent and developed skill. It needs a lot of practice.
Art has no boundaries. It crosses the barriers of language, races, religions and age. So does sports. Put a football (To all the ignorant Americans, its a soccer ball)in middle of a group of strangers, and within seconds the game is on. it bring people together, just like art.
Our sports commentators already consider it an art( not commenting, but sports).The adjectives used to describe sport moves are the same one you would hear in an art gallery , a concert or a dance performance. Graceful, strokes, tempo, consistency etc etc
We have seen artists, musicians and poets turning to intoxicants to get their muse or create a magnum opus. Sports is no different Ben Jhonson and Marion Jones turned to intoxicants to "increase their expression".
Sports thus is an art form. it is a form which the public can involve easily. So i end, as i need to put my artist cap and go shoot some hoops.

About the other side..

A one handed shot on equality
Photo courtesy: Supreet J Bargi


There are the ones who speak, and then there are the one who actually experience. Most of the times the one who voices out is stronger. Or so it is believed. One requires immense strength to experience and still keep everything in. Living in oppression, for a eras together, women have always experienced, and not until recently, the men always spoke. But can the "stronger" sex actually help the "weaker" ones?
From time immemorial, crime, justice, conquests, money have always been spoken and documented. These documents were recorded by people who not necessarily experienced or had any direct relation to them. So we build our history on information not from the people who lived, but from people who saw.
And they say, history repeats, so has the second hand documentation. newspaper reports, TV exclusives, special debates on problems of women and the inequality among sexes, fills our media space. A space no different from our patriarchal society. So a man discusses problems of women, he sometimes voices out for them (thought the trend has changed a little, it is very minimal).
How useful is this effort by a person who is in his comfort zone, "understands" the problem of the second sex? Is it really an effort to strike a balance? Should the ladies take the helping hand meted out to them? from the oppressors themselves? Is it just a one handed effort? How near/far are we to equality?

Want directions??

India has been a place of spirituality for many westerners. They travel to this land to find peace and direction in their lives. Whether they find peace or not is secondary, but directions they will find many! For a traveller who has roamed around the sub continent would tell, you would seldom lose your way, as your never far away from a living, air breathing GPS.
We Indians have unlimited enthusiasm for giving directions. All we need is for a place name and a question to fall into our ears, and we will become cartographers the next instant. The beauty of our directions is that we do not tell the travellers just the route, but also the places he will see while taking that route, sign boards, buildings, circles and traffic signals. We overload the traveller already heavy backpack with so much info that he is almost hypnotised to take the orders. But do we stop there? No, we won’t. We might be Indians but we are Humans before that, so curiosity does take over us and in the myriad of directions we give, we manage to drop a question or two on where the traveller is coming from or where he is heading next. Sometimes when we our enthusiasm sky rockets we also tend to be city guides or travel agents, suggesting places for the wanderers next step.
Personally i feel a sense of pride in this quality. We don’t want people to lose ways and spend their travel in gyrating alleys and by lanes! From whatever little of India I have seen, language is never a barrier. The directions, though mostly vocal, are adorned with hand movements, gestures and sometimes even sounds. As I said before we are never far from a helping hand.
The thought does cross my mind, where I feel whether this quality is Indian or is it Human? Is it the same in the sign-board filled streets of the “developed” west? For now let it be Indian, once I travel the world I will tell you whether it is an intrinsic human quality or not!

Gauntlet for Knights on Steel Steeds

The state of Rajastan has the pink city as its capital. The city of Jaipur is adorned with magnificent buildings having a history of centuries. From the literally "breath" taking Hawa Mahal to the sublime Amer Fort. Jaipur is one of the must see places in this country.
Adding to the heritage of the city are the brave Knights on steel steeds, commonly found on the streets of this historic city. Born into royalty these knights are found on a variety of stallions. Namely
1. A sturdy two wheeler
2. A quadracep driven, three wheel chariot
3. A smoke bellowing three wheel war horse
4. Four wheel enclosed chariots
5. Finally Actual horses/ donkeys/ cows/ camels/ elephants.
Let me make it clear these things are not part of you "city tour" attractions. These are real. As the roads of jaipur are not mere roads. They are a video gamers' dream and disciplinarians' nightmare!
Looking at the traffic of the city, through the lenses of a sportsman, there are two rules. Just two!
1. Wear a helmet (pillion included) if you are on a 2 wheeler
2. Seat belts are a must for a car driver.
If you satisfy these two conditions, you are ready to take on the tarmac of jaipur. That is if you dare to! Let me return to my expertise of making a list, Here are the 5 things you wont( probably shouldn't ) do on the roads of Jaipur.
1. Ride your vehicle.
2. Ride your vehicle following traffic rules.
3. Cross the road.
4. Try crossing the road
5. Use the phrase "lets hit the road"!
If not for gravity, motorists of jaipur would have taken their mean machines over buildings, pillars, palaces and even people. It is the most synchronized chaos you will ever see.Vehicles move in from all directions and move out of all the remaining directions. Red need not mean 'Stop', it can connote a) Accelerate with all power, b)Turn without any indication c) Keep your normal pace and cross the junction. The traffic system is so specialized that they have special lanes for overtaking. Yes Germany take notes , these are called footpaths!
The roads of Jaipur are not for the faint hearted. With all due respects, this is one city where even if Ray Charles drove a limo , it wouldn't make any difference nor would it cause any accidents!
So buckle up and hold those reins tight! There is a lot to see in Jaipur, if you survive the streets! ** Ends with War Cry **

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I got miles to go before I sleep
and Miles to go before I sleep.
Robert Frost (1874-1963)

For a moment he was larger than the superstar who was in his mind.

Krishna
Its not his real name, but he matched the character perfectly! A cowherd from Mathura, dark in complexion (Im not being a racist, its just what The book says).

Now that is what i call a "Million Dollar Smile"!

A job well done!

The graveyard in Mathura

WRT

WRT- previous post, for those who did not use short forms in class notes its With Reference to. ( I could have written the full form itself instead of such a long explanation)
Any way, in the graveyard where we were, in the photographers lingo, shooting around, few kids, obviously excited looking at what we were doing, gave us company for a while. I have to say they were not only fun but were not at all shy of the camera! check out the photos you will know.

Rajdhani Express 3

Weekend one
The morning alarm was an awaited one. A 200km journey on the cards. Where to? To one of the wonders of the world. One of the most famous grave sites. The Pyramids of Giza and Aztecs might come in your head. It is because I have not mentioned the purpose behind this grave. Love. This marble edifice has found its place in every Indian’s heart. Form some its an inspiration for some it is the poster on the Barbers door. But they know the Taj Mahal.
Blame the harmones or how our civilization has progressed; the thumping of a 350cc motorbike is always music to a boy’s ear. We ride on meticulously laid out roads. Stopping for the occasional tea. But the civilized roads, like civilization itself, met its end. An incomplete expressway. We continue on mud. Much slower. More dirtier. Manuvering on the muddy “motorable” service road is like our country’s state. We have tasted the fruits of development. But we are on a slow track now. Bumpy and dusty. On One side is the lure of the lush green fields of prosperity, while on the other is the grey dry development. We have so far moved on enjoying both the sides. Each separately. But will these three paths meet somewhere in the future. Not in the near future. May be the distant one.
The aim was to visit one of the most Islamic grave site. We ended up in an Islamic graveyard alright. But it was nowhere close to Agra. We were in a graveyard for the worshippers of Mecca, in one of the holiest places for the Hindus. Mathura. It was here , these very grounds , where lord Krishna took birth. Like most religious centers, Mathura is also dirty. The roads are filled with dust ,dung and devotion. It is one of those places which has an identity crisis whether it is a village, a town or a city.
We were there, deciding whether to head to Taj or take a U-turn and find a road, a proper road back to Delhi. Our thoughts were like a pendulum, until we saw the temple with around 200 people, lined up in front of the temple and countless more inside, to have one look at the idol. Devotion and belief acted as force fields to the people who were waiting outside. The dry afternoon sun, the dust from the roads, the smoke from the vehicles, cow dung filled streets , nothing mattered. Their souls needed no cleansing, it was their feet and faces that needed some.
From that sight the bike had a mind of its own and decided to take the highway. Stopping occasionally at dhabhas and tea stalls we reached back with a lot of memories and a lot more road sense!!

Every citizen, trying to make a kingdom out of his own world

...Run for time. Sometimes against it..

'Benched' in Jantar Mantar. Photo dedicated to my sister Shruthi Rao.

Mammoth concrete structures juxtaposed against historical buildings

Rajdhani Express 2

THE CITY
A week into the fast paced life of the rajdhani. This city has a soul of its own. Wide arteries and veins, with fast moving people , who are the blood of this control room of civilization. It is wired mixture. Fast paced life, impatient people, with a lot of places of civilized relaxation. Mammoth concrete structures juxtaposed against historical buildings, imperial mansions and religious houses. People run. Run across roads. Run for work. Run for trains. Buses. Run from each other. Run for time. Sometimes against it. Every citizen trying to make a kingdom out of his own world, in a city of plenty and a city of constraints. Petrol bunks, Gas stations fuel the busses and autos. Chole bature , parota push carts fuel the people and rickshaw wallas. Did the city conquer the state? Or did the state devour the city? Or do the kingdoms of all citizen merge in unison? Delhi is something to be experienced.

Rajdhani Express 1

And all of the sights of the hill and the plain
Fly as thick as driving rain…..
The unforgettable words of R L Stevenson fill my head , as my hair is styled by the wind and my eyes survey the fast moving sights of far away hills, plains brown green and yellow. The fragrance of the earth is abruptly interrupted by the smell of the engines smoke. Rhythmic beats of the metal wheels and rails and long solos by the rail horn. Rexin seats, the comfort of being uncomfortable. This is truly a sensuous experience.
14 hours have passed since the experience started. 16 more to go. The journey from the south of India to the capital is an enriching experience. The sights are sounds of the journey provide the background score for the nostalgic stories of co passengers. “I ran and caught a train once”, “..one of the cleanest stations..”, “…it was the time of emergency..”. Mundane stories fuelled by enthusiasm act a catalysts to conversations. No topic is left untouched. Opinions, analysis, criticisms, facts and even gossip.
Three people from three completely different areas of work, interests amd origin share the journey. One a businessman, frequent on trains, thanks to all the trade fairs. Two , an army man, travelling to report to duty after a break. Three, its I. travelling with a purpose, a purpose of change.
There might be some thoughts which people get when they travel by rail. How did they lay the tracks? How did they plan it? To name a few. One question I got in my mind, for which the answer is not measurable. How much can we learn from co passengers? By learn, I want to stress that this is education not by syllabus but by lived experience. This education has no theorems nor ant formulae, no thesis or anti thesis, no assignments nor exams, but this interaction, teaches. With the small amount of time I have spent with my co passengers I have learnt History, geography, politics, anthropology and even cooking. If I ever become a citizen capable of influencing policy making, or if I ever get the power itself , I would certainly make 30 hour train journeys in Second class a mandatory assignment for college students. They need not write any reports of the journey nor give colourful power point presentations, they just have to make the journey.
The train moves from one state to the other. As I write this previous statement, two things come into my mind. Imagine a train which could move from one state of matter to another? I bet Ms Rowling did not get this idea! The other thought is that our mind is like a train on a long journey. Our mind, working constantly trying to reach reason, trying to reach destinations, chugs along. Our minds move from one state to the other too, more frequently than our travelling counterpart.

Rajdhani Express

For once you wont find the usual 1 to 10 list on my blog, but i will be posting a series of posts which I write after being inspired by our capital New Delhi ( That should explain the Rajdhani part of the title ). I am expressing my thought/experiences/opinions so I found it apt to put an 'express' in the title. So here goes all about 'Dilli'!

Cycle

Yes! Everything, they say (those really old Chinese men), happens in a cycle! Life, History, seasons etc etc etc.
But sometimes you see that it might be true. let me give you an example.
India is known for its oral tradition. the Vedas and Upanishads were taught by gurus to their disciples orally. There was no written text nor was their anything to be written ( not to forget no bad handwriting or class notes). Thus the great work of the early eras were all voiced out!literally!
Then came writing and the script. In the early stages scholars still spoke while a scribe/student/elephant headed boy wrote and documented what he spoke. Thus in that era came the epic Mahabharata.
Once writing became popular it had no road blocks.It got boost with Gutenberg's invention and writing took the speedway. until, the emergence of the Typewriter. The dark days of the pen had begun. it was not mightier than the sword anymore.
Consequently the typewriter gave in for the computer which revolutionized writing (even though typed it is still called so ). It overtook the typewriter and the pen so much that educational institutions had them for the assignments to be written. Well I think we have reached the present or almost reaching it. During this time, one good man named Steve Jobs came up with a device called the iphone 4S. It had a special feature called 'Siri'. Siri could hear you speak and had the ability to type the same.(Now we are in the present)
Continuing the journey, the same software will be inculcated in computers and laptops and people (Will get lazy for sure ) will just need to talk and the words appear on their own. The fingers are going on a holiday! So in the near future the next best book will be written, no, will be talked and written by the machine. Thus the next great epic will be replaced by a white gadget with a mouse (I am not being a racists but just giving credit to the inventors of siri) instead of a jumbo-headed boy!
Now do you think 'things' go around in cycle? Pedal your thought on that.

Political Fitness

Enough of all the serious stuff! In this day of cut-throat competition, it is quintessential to have an edge over your enemy. And politics is no different. It includes a race which can be run by the meanest and the strongest.
it is not easy. its hard work. To extract political mileage , you have to be fit and strong. In the busy schedule of a politician devoting time for fitness is difficult. So what do you do? Enter the new age politicians who mix not only pleasure and money with their work, they mix fitness too making them unstoppable!A list (ah!finally) of some routines.
1. Political walks: Padayatra, peoples walk, call it what you want its the perfect mix of cardio and "looking good in the eyes of the people".
2. Fast: Chuck the atkins diet, throw the protein diet out of the window, the fasting is here. Fast for any issue, fast, no food no water, indefinite , a lot of options to choose from. It gives you a lot of media attention too. What more do you want?
3. The village meal: chuck your usual meal, go to the countryside, eat at a layman's house. its low fat and gets you all the votes from the village.
4.Attend yoga camps: Its simple choose a hairy man in saffron and attend his camp, come on your using the indian way! Votes flowing in!

So get ready for the new age multi tasking politicians who are fit! So its time to sweat it out! on the political battlefield!

A few addresses everyone should know-Part 3

The last speaker (Thank god, this blog looks like a civics lesson otherwise) was an ex army man.
There is a difference between torture and violence. Torture is by a person in a position of power toward a person at a lower position for a purpose. So even untouchability is torture.
In a democracy dissent is most essential. You cannot call it democracy if there is no argument. But our govt cannot take dissent. The police is asking google not to publish certain articles. why? Democracy is becoming a police state, there is an undeclared emergency. it will resemble the Pinochet regime of Chile. The influence of the economic system is very high. So be prepared to face a state run by corporates, police controlled by corporates. Stay alert and voice out and save democracy brfore you lose it to money guzzling corporates.

A few addresses everyone should know -Part 2

The second speaker was an advocate and a human rights activist.
The constitution gives us the citizens some fundamental rights and duties. One such duty is to cherish and continue the ideology and noble cause behind the freedom struggle. All the extremists during the struggle used violence to go against the system. Back to the future, in 2011 when a naxalite uses violence to go against the system is it not a fundamental duty? ( the speaker and I are completely against violence) One more duty is to promote harmony, save trees, water and environment and to show compassion to all living creation.
Now lets see what violence is? The Govt drives out peaceful tribes to build 5 star hotels in the name of development. ( fundamental duty? mental duty?). Govt silencing people who go against the system. problems sorted by encounter killings? using one issue to dilute the other. So we have a very violent govt. The extent of violence has gone beyond comprehension. the system is trying to shut all issues up. Its a complex system which sues social workers and doctors, threatens the society to watch the drama of the govt without raising a whisper! In case you talk against encounter killings you will be termed an extremist. be careful!

A few addresses everyone should know..

I recently attended a meet observed as part of the International Anti-corruption day. it had three spokespersons who gave very informative and thought provoking lectures. I will try to reproduce the same , concise but will try to bring the same impact.I will write it in three parts.

The first speaker was an eminent legal expert, who has seen and read law from the time the Indian constitution was drafted. Here goes.
There is no act or bill in the Indian constitution to counter atrocities or torture.what is the legality of torture in the constitution? Lets start with some facts. The constitution is the highest law of the country. Torture includes both physical and mental torture. According to the Indian Penal Code, section 319 defines Hurt as whoever causes injury to body, mind or reputation. But the code never mentions anything about torture. So is torture legal? the answer is obvious. No, torture is an inhuman activity.
How is it illegal? Let us step back in time. the year 1899. The first Hague Peace convention bans the use of 'Dum Dum' bullets. Why? Dum Dum bullets were no ordinary bullets, once shot they would pierce the victim and using the body heat explode ripping the body beyond recognition. The bullet was banned as it was inhuman killing ( KK input: oh there is humane killing too??Well according to the warring nations a soldier killed during the battle with a normal bullet is humane..anyway back to the speech). Year 1907. The second Hague Peace convention bans poison gas for the same reasons ( it was generously used in the world wars but come on respect the convention) Year: back to 2011. All countries agreed to these two.
So Indian constitution like many around the world is completely against, hurting , injuring or harming people. So torture inturn becomes illegal. END
I have not given the examples give by the expert so just read these cases during your free time. One Khadhar Nassir Shah case, two Mcnaaught question and answers; and the IPC by Macalay. Peace
** Due apologies for the sarcastic additions.

Flowing thoughts of the Utopian world. Part 1

The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir. MUST READ!!
"One is not born, but rather becomes a woman"

Imagine a world without Sex. I am not talking about the biological difference of male, female. Neither am i talking about the "act" of sex (the world would be really boring!). Imagine a world where there was not 'Sex', no male no female. A world where everyone is seen as just human beings.
When we see a dog (Canis lupus familiaris), it is common that we brand it "loyal". But do you see whether it is a bitch or a dog. Do you label the qualities according to sex the particular specimen belongs to?
Now when you see a human (Homo sapien), you brand the specimen strong, aggressive, impulsive etc if its a male, and weak, caring, emotional if its a female!
Imagine a world where humans are labeled/branded according to their abilities, their strengths, and not according to their sexes!( the female DNA just lacks a Y chromosome)
Imagine. Imagine a world where there are no boys, girls, guy, gal, dude duddett or man woman! Imagine a world where there are no choices in any application form asking whether your M, F or other!A world without reservations for the other sex. A world where we dont see children of one sex playing with Barbies while the other with muscular GI Joes! Imagine a world where equality and rights of a woman is not decided by a man!!
Imagine.
Imagine UTOPIA!!

Three breakfasts at 3:00 am

The clock shows 2:30, am. I bite into the crunchy crust of the bread with the taste of the omelette hitting my taste buds late. No! I am not insane to wake up so early and have tea and toast!I was on a roadside eatery! This was an experiment!
what you do determines the person you are, or at least the person other people want you to be. Yes I bet everyone has gone through times when you do something and you get this expression from people " YOU! are doing this!!". why not? A person will be doing the things he does for two reasons. one he would want to do it, two circumstances would make him do it. People find it hard to take surprises such as these. when we know the strength and power of the human mind, feebleness of decision , its weakness for influences, we will still be surprised!
One thing I discovered from this experiment is the beauty of the human mind. How it connects, how it wants to know, how it reacts!
For the past four days i did things which had no routine, no limits but millions of thoughts, just to realize one simple thing! Let me prevent you (the readers) from going through the same to learn such a trivial truth!
THE HUMAN BRAIN IS BEAUTIFUL!

No Smoking!

Ad by Kailash Koushik and Supreet Bargi
MARCH 15 2011

check this out!

MAN is not a natural species, he is a historical idea!

10 things you want to KNOW before you go to KAMBLA!

Kambla is a traditional sport of the canara. Its a race between two teams, each having a pair of buffaloes and a running jockey! the track is filled with slush! Check out the photos, you will know..!
10 things you got to know before you go to one of these events.
1. Buffaloes can RUN! and they can run fast!
2. Slush and white clothes dont mix!
3. Man+ buffalo+ race = Adrenalin rush.
4. Racing is always interesting when you bet!( old school knowledge)
5. You dont need to burn rubber in this drag race!!
6. PETA/ Maneka etc not allowed on Kambla grounds.
7. Please dont expect racing suits and aerodynamics.
8. Buffaloes are horny (they have horns). be careful!
9. Dont sing "Buffalo soldier". Cliche!
10. You are going to be enthralled!

Buffalo Dragsters

Two buffaloes, one runner, 24hrs of non stop action!! The slush, the trumpets and the adrenalin!!