I@50 - The Lost Generation?

Take a moment to watch this video - no graphics, no animation - simple text with a simple message:





This video was created by Jonathan Reed as part of a 'U@50' Contest organized by the American Association of Retired Persons. With the ever-increasing debate on generational transformations, especially at a tipping point in history (do I feel it is indeed such a time because I still am part of the make-or-break generation?), I wonder:

a. Is this yet another brilliantly portrayed campaign ad and nothing beyond?

b. What direction am I truly headed - the first way or the reverse?

c. Will I actually succeed in the reverse?

d. Or will 'I@50' be the Lost Generation?

Text as follows:

I am part of a lost generation,
and I refuse to believe that
I can change the world
I realize this may be a shock but
"Happiness comes from within."
is a lie and
"Money will make me happy"
So in 30 years, I will tell my children
they are not the most important thing in my life;
My employer will know that
I have my priorities straight because
work
is more important than
family
I tell you this
Once upon a time;
Families stayed together
but this will not be true in my era.
This is a quick fix society
Experts tell me
30 years from now, I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce;
I do not concede that
I will live in a country of my own making.
In the future
Environmental destruction will be a norm;
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this Earth;
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic.
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope.


And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it.

- The Lost Generation, Jonathan Reed

Glory of Love?

My colleague asked me today about Ashit and my plans for Valentine’s day so while I had not really thought about the plans and considering it being the long weekend, all the more reason for us to have decided on some rendez-vous. But then, my colleague and I got into talking about how things seem different now that we are no longer in School and that we have passed the ‘age’ to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Having said that, it made me wonder whether I had really overcome that phase. On the contrary, I think that gnawing sense of expression still exists and frankly I do look forward to it. Not in a manner that can boost our existing economy or by having to shower/being showered by, my husband with flowers but in a way that it becomes a day filled with fun and laughter – aside from the routine existence of being. While it is true that we do not really need such a day to make us realize and value relationships (would not even want to dwell into the history of this day as theories galore on this one), on the other hand, it infact reinforces those pangs of love, happiness and color on moments and times not only shared with our husbands/wives but also siblings, friends, parents. I remember my sister and I would give each other Valentine’s Day cards or wish each other over phone…sounds cheesy? Actually it was cute. On the contrary, when we would do the same to our brother, that poor bugger would have his own sweet way of rubbing off such sentimental gestures aside (not anymore, thanks to his wifey!). At the same time, I do remember those days of endless crushes and the likelihood of receiving 'surprises' from 'annonymous' admirers!

Fast forward to current times and I realize that Valentine’s Day is great if you are newly in love/puppy love or then the most popular kid in School. For the rest of us, we are by now programmed to plan this day with our beloved ones, go out, dance to the concept of gifting, and basically do something that might not be done on any other day for that matter. Now that is something that, in hindsight, I hope to have already overcome – programmed! Sounds like a matrix indeed! Surf the internet and there are countless pop-ups on ‘How to Celebrate Valentine’s Day’, ‘How to top the previous year’s Valentine’s Day’, ‘What is IN and What is NOT this Valentine’s Day’, ‘Top 10 Valentine’s Day Gifts of the Year’ and the list is limitless! Restaurants provide a special Valentine menu on this day so the chances of a-la-carte are minimal unless it is the never-disappointing chipotle. Flowers are triply priced! There are even ‘Valentine Resolutions’ somewhere out there! I would not want to revolt the way this day has been marketed and considered a money-minting gimmick. Infact, that holds true for so many other days - Friendship Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, even Doctor's Day and there is also something called Best Friends' Day - no that's different from Friendship's Day. So why blame poor Hallmark that went back in time to dig out who St. Valentines was? Infact, considering the recent times, I found the 'macroeconomic' analysis of this day by NY Times extremely intriguing!

To me, this day is simply a few seconds of making near and dear ones feel special - if not all days atleast one? - and indulging in the fact that despite it all, Love truly exists in us and around us! This is my theory...what would be yours?

Lakadi Ki Kaathi - Childhood Anthem!

The part 'Tak Bak Tak Bak Tak Bak Tak Bak' was a revolutionary verse to me as a child and getting it right was the toughest part, being a six year old! The song 'Lakadi ki Kaathi' is a tune I grew up with, close to my heart, and still tend to hop to the tune of '...dauda dauda dauda....dum utha ke dauda'.

In my memory, this song had become an anthem of sorts that we as children ought to know and now my nieces and nephew jingle to this tune.

I had a hearty laugh when I read the below comic strip by Fly, You Fools along with a rush of nostalgic memories for this song. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did in adding yet another long-lost memory to my blog:

Fly You Fools - Indian Comics about Life.

Perfect 10!

Best Director - Danny Boyle
Achievement in Cinematography - Anthony Dod
Best Motion Picture - Christian Colson
Best Sound Editing - Tom Sayers
Sound Mixing - Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty
Best Screenplay - Simon Beaufoy
Film Editing - Chris Dickens

And finally, three nominations for A R RAHMAN for:
Original Music Score
Original Song: Jai Ho and O Saya (two nominations)

Slumdog Millionaire deserves the above nominations - Cheers to that!

And while this may not be Rahman's best (we all agree), he puts it well:

"There is a wealth of music and rhythm in India. People outside have noticed it a bit late. But they have noticed it"

Kudos to you Mr. Rahman!

Contrary to the recent uproar in India over banning Slumdog Millionaire/Slumdog Crorepati as the Hindi version (ban where? globally?? Try hard), the movie is infact not just about the slums of Mumbai or poverty-stricken India but rather echoes the grandeour and power of story-telling that makes issues of poverty, child abuse and gang wars a happy and heart-rendering experience. Visual richness, splendor in the simplicity of settings and the earnestness in the music score make the movie real than ever. So those trying to make this movie an issue to fight, kindly take a break, a back-seat and go enjoy this flick for its pure innocence.

Inauguration Day - Simply Worth Remembering!

I am not sure if yesterday was a culmination of a long-drawn campaign or indeed a beginning of something we are all eagerly looking forward to. Whatever it may, it was a day indeed!

Bone tired coupled with a severe jet-lag, the effort to be at the Mall was worth each ache and every chill that the body faced. To me, this day epitomized the unshaken spirit of common men and women (and children) who were braving the cold at the National Mall to witness an event filled with hope, renewal, belief and responsibility.


Waiting through the rush metros to get into the trains, the wait in-between metros, the walk to the Mall and over four more hours before the ceremony began - all to just hear one man talk to a sea of people!






One could see him in all - watches, hats, flags, pins, books, blankets and many more - truly amazing to see how much of a role model Barack Obama (or should I say, Mr. POTUS) has become to the world.





While I could barely see the ceremony, thanks to large screens around the Hill, the site was indescribable. With the start of the ceremony around 11.00 am, several dignitaries began to enter the steps of the Hill - Senators, Cabinet Members, Hollywood stars, former-future second and first members poured in too with roars of applaud for the first lady, future Secretary of State and Vice-President elect although many booed to the now-former President. All around, people were sharing blankets, warmers, greeting each other with humility and there was an overall feeling of excitement and pure joy - in Hindi I would use the phrase "Total Dhamaal".


Snipers were at their best, atop the Natural History Museum.






The day itself felt great. While the chill factor increased by the hour and there were times when several among the crowd wanted to get done with, there was a sudden uproar when Barack Obama made his presence at the Hill. Chants of "Yes We Can" and "GOBAMA" were heard in abounds at the time of swearing-in.




And then came his speech when a sudden surge of silence ran through the crowd. His words - "...stand here today humbled" - must have resonated among us all. His speech overall offered encouragement and a sense of optimism combined with immense responsibility, setting a precedent not only in the US but also globally.

While the task of returning home post the ceremony was daunting and thanks to Holiday Inn, 100s of us were kept warm, January 20, 2009 was not simply a day but an experience I do not want to forget.

To Ponder....and Happy Holidays!

With the on-going discussions about Mumbai attacks, I had a rather interesting conversation with a colleague who wanted to know more about India and why I wanted to go back. While the latter was pretty easy, what took me aback was the fact that I was not able to succinctly describe what my own country is all about. For a moment there, I was embarrassed (and quite ashamed) of not being able to talk with eloquence of the nation I am so attached to, whose roots have been nurtured for long and the one I deeply care for. Of course, we did babble about stuff like Unity in Diversity, Vedas, Religion, Culture, Family and Cricket. And then there was Gandhi too. But really, those were not my first flashes of India during the chat. I frankly do not know why I was unable to articulate what India is really all about but then again, the concept of India itself is nebulous enough that cannot be justified in one obvious answer. One may call that an excuse for me to not describe this entity, but how else could I lucidly substantiate a country with one-billion people of varying regions, practices, languages and even modes of communication among varied others? So this reminded me of a long list of contributions that India have, till date, made towards global development since ancient times.

We all have our own interpretations and definitions that permeate the other. One of my favourites though is the way Rabindranath Tagore describes India in 'Mind Without Fear' from Gitanjali:

Where the Mind is without Fear and the Head is Held High;
Where Knowledge is Free;
Where the World has not been Broken up into Fragments by Narrow Domestic Walls;
Where Words come out from the Depth of Truth;
Where tireless striving Stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action -
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake!

If you have any of your own, do share the same. As I get set to revisit my roots, and seek more answers to the same, I wish you all Happy Holidays - one with peace, love and hope.

Here's to the year that has gone by....
and to the one we would all wake up to!

Bilqis - Our Unsung Heroes?

I used to hum to the tune of Rabbi Shergill’s latest song Bilqis everytime it would play on my Itunes. Like most of his previous songs (remember Bulla?), it takes a keen ear to comprehend the lyrics and when I would hear Bilqis, the only lines I could understand clearly are:

Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par, Who Kahan The (Where were those who are proud of India?)

Just a while ago, I heard this song, yet again and somehow, got totally haunted by it. That’s because I only realized it now that this is not a song per se but an account of sorts, to pay tribute to four heroes of our country! Isn’t it a remarkable concept to narrate injustice in a way that it actually hits us? And while Rabbi is popular with his Sufi songs, this one goes to a different a level altogether. In a melodious yet inspiring note, Rabbi sings out emotions of four of our unsung heroes in the quest for what they truly believed in (and died for).

Mera Naam Bilqis Yakub Rasul (My name is Bilqis Yakub Rasul)
Mujhse Hui Bas Ek Hi Bhul (Only one mistake did I make)
Ki Jab Dhundte The Vo Ram Ko (that when they were looking for Rama)
To Main Kharhi Thi Raah Mein (I was right there)
Pehle Ek Ne Puchha Na Mujhe Kuch Pata Tha (First, one asked me but I knew nothing)
Duje Ko Bhi Mera Yehi Javab Tha (my answer was the same to another)
Itno Ne Puchha Ki Mera Abb Saval Hai Ki (So many asked me and now I ask)
Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par Vo Kahan The Jinhe Naaz Hai Vo Kaha

Muslim woman from Gujarat, five-months pregnant and mother to a three-year-old son, Bilqis Yakoob Rasool is one of the victims (and how!) of the Godhra massacre of February 2002. Fourteen members of her family were killed during this attack. Bilqis reported it all to police, but the case was closed in January 2003. The police said that those responsible could not be found. In spite of the risks in taking the unusual step of speaking out, Bilqis continued to pursue justice for herself and her family. The case was closed due to lack of strong evidence but has reopened for further investigation and is still ongoing.

Mera Naam Shriman Satyendra Dubey (My name Mr. Satyendra Dubey)
Jo Kehna Thha Vo Keh Chukey (I have already said what I wanted to)
Ab Parhey Hain Rah Mein (Now I lie on the road)
Dil Mein Liye Ik Goli (with a bullet in my heart)
Bas Itna Kasur Ki Hamne Likha Thha (My only fault was that I wrote)
Vo Sach Jo Har Kisi Ki Zuban Thha (the truth which was known to everyone)
Par Sach Yahan Ho Jatey Hain Zahriley (But the truth here is poisonous)
Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par Vo Kahan The Jinhe Naaz Hai Vo Kahan Hain

Satyendra Kumar Dubey was assassinated in November 2003 in Bihar due to his fight against corruption in the Golden Quadrilateral Highway Construction. A Foundation has been created in his name to fight corruption in India.

Mujhe Kehte Hain Anna Manjunath (I am Manjunath, brother)
Maine Dekhi Bhatakti Ek Laash (I saw a corpse)
Zamir Ki Beech Sarhak Lakhimpur Kherhi (in the middle of a road in Lakhimpur Kherhi)
Adarsh Phasan Jahan Naaron Mein (where ideals are attached to campaigns)
Aur Chor Bhare Darbaaron Mein (and courts are filled with thieves)
Vahan Maut Akhlaq Ki Hai Ik Khabar Baasi (there is stale news in death)
Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par Vo Kahan Hain Jinhe Naaz Hai Vo Kahan Hain

Manjunath, an employee at the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) was murdered for closing down two petrol stations in Lakhimpur Kheri for selling contaminated fuel. This issue stirred an uprising among students at various Institutes including IIM and IIT and has led to setting up of the Manjunath Shanmugam Trust to fight this case as well as focus on governance in the public sector in India.

Maza Nau Aahe Navleen Kumar (My name is Navleen Kumar)
Unnees June Unnees Bar (June 19th, 19 times)
Unnees Unnees Unnees Unnees Unnees Baar Unnees Unnees Unnees Unnees Unnees Unnees Unnees Unnees Unnees Unnees Unnees Unnees Unnees Baar (19 times chanted ‘19’ times)
Looto Dehaat Kholo Bazaar (steal open markets)
Nallasopara Aur Virar (Nalasopara and Virar)
Chheeno Zameen Hamse Hamein (take away our land from us)
Bhejo Pataal (send us to hell)
Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par Vo Kahan Hain Jinhe Naaz Hai Vo Kahan Hain

Navleen Kumar was stabbed 19 times to death on June 19, 2002 as a response to her activist work for the land rights of tribals in Nalasopara, suburb in the outskirts of Mumbai. Her fight was mainly against various builders who had seized land of the tribals through fraud and terror.

Now, as I write this blog, it raises a question in my mind, “Am I proud of my country?” The answer to that is evident in who I am today, and what my country is , defines me in more ways than one. I hope you like this video - note, especially the strumming of the National Anthem in between the verses:

Life Persists...a Tribute

Words fail me as I see this video - with sadness, tears fill my eyes but with hope, love abounds.


A Tribute to Mumbai
Karsh Kale
for November 26, 2008

In the midst of death,
Life persists;
In the midst of untruth,
Truth persists;
In the midst of darkness,
Light persists.
Hence I gather that
God is Life, Truth, Light.
He is Love
He is Supreme Good.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
October 20, 1931

I Vote Nobody?

There is an email doing the rounds recently, in light of elections in India (and also the current attacks in Mumbai):

Did you know that there is a system in our Constitution, as per the 1969 act, in section '49-O' that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey to the presiding election officer that he does not want to vote anyone! Yes, such a feature is available, but obviously, these seemingly notorious leaders have never disclosed it.
This is called 49-O.
Why should you go and say, 'I VOTE NOBODY' because, in a ward, if a candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has received 49-O votes more than 123, then that polling will be cancelled and will have to be re-polled. Not only that, but the candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them. This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way of our whole political system. It is seemingly surprising why the election commission has not revealed such a feature to the public. Please spread this news to as many as you know.Seems to be a wonderful weapon against corrupt parties in India. Show your power, expressing your desire not to vote for anybody, is even more powerful than voting. So don’t miss your chance. So either vote, or vote not to vote (49-O) and pass this info on.
Use your voting rights for a better INDIA.

My fellow Indians, this is a total hoax created by some dimwits out there. There is no such Section in the Indian Constitution or even a 1969 Act. Here is the factual information on 49-O from The Conduct of Elections Rules, 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."

So as it states above, the rule is mainly an administrative guideline created by the Electoral office especially with reference to voters who simply decide not to vote. Hence, in such situations, the office may want to keep a record of voters’ negative votes used to tally the total voting ballots gathered. It just does not take into account a vote in favor/against that particular candidate. So it has no bearing on the overall results of the elections! And in no manner can it really cancel ‘polling’ if the candidate’s majority is less than the 49-O votes.

In fact, in the proposed electoral reforms by the Election Commission of India, which was forwarded to the Prime Minister of India in 2004, the following was suggested:

The Commission has received proposals from a very large number of individuals and organizations that there should be a provision enabling a voter to reject all the candidates in the constituency if he does not find them suitable. In the voting using the conventional ballot paper and ballot boxes, an elector can drop the ballot paper without marking his vote against any of the candidates, if he chooses so. However, in the voting using the Electronic Voting Machines, such a facility is not available to the voter. Although, Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 provides that an elector may refuse to vote after he has been identified and necessary entries made in the Register of Electors and the marked copy of the electoral roll, the secrecy of voting is not protected here in as much as the polling officials and the polling agents in the polling station get to know about the decision of such a voter. The Commission recommends that the law should be amended to specifically provide for negative / neutral voting. For this purpose, Rules 22 and 49B of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 may be suitably amended adding a proviso that in the ballot paper and the particulars on the ballot unit, in the column relating to names of candidates, after the entry relating to the last candidate, there shall be a column to enable a voter to reject all the candidates, if he chooses so. Such a proposal was earlier made by the Commission in 2001 (vide letter dated 10.12.2001). (A petition by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties seeking such a provision filed at the time of the recent general elections is pending before the Hon’ble Supreme Court)

[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/49-o which may not be the most official source, nevertheless a reference of sorts for those wanting to do further reading and enlighten those spreading false statements]

Democracy does not merely mean freedom of speech and expression but really the responsibility to adhere to those very words. Election is the life-line of a democratic nation so let that be a responsibility we carry and not merely shun it with the hope of better India.

In light of the voting issues, we as the voters of our country need to be enlightened, alert and conscientious in ensuring that the right candidate is infact elected. So in order to pursue this, it becomes critical in ensuring that we the voters are educated and informed of these candidates and not merely finding such useless statements and basing decisions on them. It is time we come out of such blame-game situations and indeed take concrete actions and responsibilities. Instead of criticizing and condemning, we the voters actually ought to cast the vote and choose a candidate most appropriate to lead our country. I thought this is realistically not possible till I witnessed the way in which America elected Barack Obama as the President after twice choosing Bush. If that is possible and when the entire country can chant to YES WE CAN, can we the Indians not follow suit? Can we not spare some moments of our lives in ensuring that we the voters take extra steps in the state of our nation that invariably affects all of us?

Should We Sleep?

My family friend's 17-year old daughter pens down an ode and raises a question that requires a justified answer. Are we prepared to give an answer to the coming generation who looks up to us for direction, advise and leadership or are we also termed as the 'spineless' creatures just like our predecessors?

Can You Sleep?

You hear gunshots in places you had dinner last week,

From a window, you see blood leak.

You hear live gunshots, explosions and screams.

Outside your window, you see commandos and army trucks pass by.

You feel like its a movie,

but what you are seeing is reality.

Can You Sleep?

You see 'fresh blood stains' on TV,

And you are thinking, "It could have been me"

You see babies being rescued,

You see eye-witnesses breaking down,

and then you see politicians do nothing but frown.

Can You Sleep?

While you are listening to the sound of an innocent cry,

"many more will die",

are the healing words of a terrorist.

I ask you,

Can You Sleep?

While you hear of the coming hurricane in the next year or two,

you hear a new born baby coo,

and you are wondering why he was ever born,

will he ever see the brightest morn?

Can You Sleep?

While people are killed, with joy, some hearts are filled.

The Earth cracks,

The Earth is famished,

The Earth is parched,

Bombs explode, animosity grows,

The blame flies around,

Bodies fall to the ground,

Can You Sleep?

In the midst of this reality, you see politicians asking for votes,

trying to win you with their flowery quotes.

I do not ask you if you can sleep,

I now ask you:

SHOULD YOU SLEEP?

Niharika Vazirani, 17

Mumbai