Keep Going Sachin.....

About half an hour ago, all of us came back from the tv room above our mess hall, with a feeling of immense disappointment. India lost to Australia by 4 runs, just 4 runs. It was a thriller, went down to the last tense over. India had to chase down 351 to win & we came so close. Sachin had unleashed his masterclass at Hyderabad today, playing one of his best innings ever. He made 175 in 139 balls, a sublime effort, almost guiding our beloved team to victory. It was a great contest, one of the best ODIs in recent history.

Deepak was down in the dumps, holding his head in his hands as we walked back, forlorn & distraught. As we went to our rooms he said " Yaar Sai, Sachin aaj kya khela..."

Those words transported me to the past, to 1996 to be precise, to the Coca Cola trophy at Sharjah. I was about 10, living at Air Force station Jamnagar, where Dad had been stationed. I watched Sachin play the innings that later came to be known as the Desert Storm. He battered the mighty Aussies into submission then, with an onslaught that won us the trophy. I remember the shouting & the celebration that night. That night I witnessed the ability of a single man to make a nation rejoice. I became a fan.

I have watched him play for the last 12-13 years of my life. He has been on my room's walls, as my mobile's wallpaper, as part of my journey of life. More than that, he has been a rising nation's icon, a legend. Today he passed 17000 runs in ODI cricket, a landmark probably none will ever cross. Tomorrow morning, the papers will be awash with it.
My heart burns with pride.

I dread the day when my champion will lay his bat down. It will be the end of an era.
But for now, I want the little guy to keep going, as do millions of his fans. I want more runs from that bat, more centuries, more records & more joy to our cricket crazy nation.

I was smiling as I turned around, looked at Deepak & said "Haan yaar.... Sachin aaj kya khela...."

My Tryst with the Legend - ARR Live in Concert

As I wrote the last word in my economics paper at Planet E on the 10th, my heart was already off on the journey home to my quaint little French colonial town of Pondicherry.

This was going to be special, a dream come true. 2 days before when my friends called me & told me they had the passes in hand, I just couldn’t contain my excitement. It was true, I was going to watch A R Rahman, live in concert at Marg Swarnabhoomi on the East Coast Road between Chennai & Pondicherry. I said bye to Planet E in a hurry, caught the bus & headed home, happy & full of anticipation, looking forward to a childhood dream being fulfilled.

Me & my friends were there at the concert grounds & in our seats at least an hour before scheduled start. (Ahem... I’ve skipped the part where I reach home to a fine reception from Mom for not getting satisfactory grades in the mid sems, & more importantly, not getting a haircut. She doesn’t understand our predicament with the campus barber & thinks I’m lying as usual to grow my hair long...!) Anyway, there we were, all ready for a memorable night. And boy, was I right about that!

The stage was a beautiful sight & all eyes were on it as suddenly, at about 7, all lights went out & the small, humble voice that we know so well broke the night.

“When music makes you think, when music makes you cry, when music melts your heart, it means that the music works, it means the music wins.”

70000 people roared as the lights came on & there he was, the legend himself, resplendent in a black sherwani. “Good evening”, he wished us & launched into the tune of Khalbali , as we went crazy along with the crowd. Then came Dil se and Taal.

There were several big screens around the grounds in which we could see the stage up close. He sang with the passion & fire which is almost a trademark now. The crowd responded with so much noise & energy it was deafening. I was crying myself hoarse and & watched amazed as 50-60 year old people launched into back breaking dance steps with the music.

By this time, the audience was in their element & that included me & my friends, all of them my classmates from engineering at Pondicherry University. We grooved & moved to the beats as our bodies gyrated involuntarily to Sivamani’s drums. Hariharan walked out next with Chitra. Roja jaanemann, Nenjinile and Kehna hi kya followed as the crowd swayed with the melody. The popular Taxi number came next with Jiya se Jiya.

It seems the Maestro sensed the need for some romantic songs now as he went into a heart wrenching rendition of Kahin to hogi woh, backed up by Kabhi Kabhi Aditi.

But the most enjoyable part of the concert was the final segment in which the performances touched an unbelievable crescendo. ARR came back on with Mustufa Mustufa & Hamma. Blaaze kept the crowd alive with his inimitable rap. The crowd response to these 2 songs was the best as people let the music take over them as they cried & hugged each other. It is so endearing to me that even though there are so many technically & musically superior songs of his, the songs still loved most are his simplest & oldest.

At last came the song we were all waiting for- Jai Ho exploded on stage with fireworks in the night sky. The evening ended with 70000 people waving the tricolour as ARR sang Vande Mataram as the culmination of a beautiful evening of music underneath the stars.

The ride back was a blur as the guys talked incessantly about the experience, sharing thoughts & debating as to which part was the best. I was mostly silent, not because I didn’t wanna talk or I didn’t have anything to share, but in the sheer wild happiness of a dream realised, a tick on the list of things to do before I die.

Mera Bharat Mahaan

India celebrated her 62^nd birthday this year. As an Indian it was a moment of pride for me. And although away from my homeland I still felt an innate sense of patriotism and joy. But sadly it was also a day of introspection and skepticism. As I went through the Prime Minister’s address to the nation on I- day that skepticism deepened.

“We are proud of our freedom. We are proud of our democracy”- said the PM. Yes we are proud but is just pride enough? It has been more than six decades since we gained this freedom and we will always be proud of our struggle. We’ll always remember those millions of brave men and women who fought till their last breath to make their dream of a free India come true. But the question remains… Will they be proud of the India that lives now? Will they feel that their sacrifice has been worth it? I doubt it.

Sixty two years after independence India is still developing. Why? Smaller nations have accomplished so much in shorter time frames. Forgive me for comparing but it is hard not to do so. Singapore is one of the smallest nations of the world. She recently celebrated her 44^th birthday. With a population a fraction of that of India, very little natural resources and manpower she has achieved so much. Just 20 years after securing her independence Singapore was a fully developed nation. Then why is India with so much more resources, so much more manpower and talent still developing? It bothers me as a citizen. Will our dream of complete development remain just that- a dream?

India demands change- for the good. And by this I don’t just mean a political change or an economic change. I mean a change in ideology. A change in leadership. A change in attitude. We require a stronger, younger and less corrupt leadership. Someone who can lead India to her goals. Around every election we declare we need younger leaders but nothing happens. The same old bunch of people come to power. The only difference is in the portfolios they handle. Old is gold but not always. All around the world we can see younger faces in politics but not in our nation.

We need a corruption free nation. This is one of the biggest problems that our nation needs to tackle. But when the people who should help curb corruption themselves are corrupt you know there is very little hope. The amount of red tape one has to get through to get even the smallest of things accomplished like getting a birth or a death certificate is frustrating. We say companies don’t invest in our country much. We say Indian entrepreneurs are investing abroad. We criticize them for not being patriotic. But when such problems exist who would want to?

India is a land of paradoxes. Where else can you find the disgustingly rich and the frighteningly poor existing side by side. We have been trying for the past six decades to bridge this gap. We are still unsuccessful. Our dream to provide quality education and food to all children still remains unfulfilled. Millions in our nation go hungry every day. Amartya Sen was right when he said that famine is man made. We produce the necessary food grains but we don’t have the mechanism to ensure that they reach the hungry millions around the country. We have made advancements in so many areas but we are still dependent on the monsoons for a good agricultural output. We speak of good health and promoting health tourism but millions die every year due to lack of basic medical facilities. We talk about hygiene but cannot ensure good drainage or sanitation facilities and this is true even for the metros. We talk about developing physical infrastructure but we cannot maintain what exists now. We talk about conservation and saving nature but poaching and deforestation abound. We talk about being secular but discrimination exists in every form. We talk about making our cities safe but no one is safe even in broad daylight and even in the presence of the so- called law enforcers.

Sorry for the tirade but all this is true. In spite of many many people like me who feel this way and who do want to do everything they can for the country nothing ever happens. The so called policy makers blame the government. The government blames the policy makers or just point fingers at each other. And in the midst of all this mud- slinging the country suffers. It is up to us citizens to take corrective and collective action now. Instead of blaming the government or buying the ideas politicians feed us before every election if we change our approach and our ideology I’m sure something good can be done.

Like the Father of our nation said- “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”. Jai Hind!!!

I wish.. For the Wisdom

I wish to have the wisdom to know that what matters today, will not, tomorrow.
I want the wisdom to know that superiority and inferiority are manifestations of the human mind, and in reality are non-existent. How can one be superior or inferior when performance itself is defined by a state of being?
I want the wisdom to know that the ones you hurt are usually the ones that’s closest to you: And that is the law of nature because they are the only ones to whom you matter. And vice-versa.

I wish to have the wisdom to know that more than what you believe in, it is in how you act on that belief that defines the person you turn into.
I wish to realize that the only thing that is fixed each day is our effort, and that the rest of it is transient. We too, are transient. Our desire manifests in ways we cannot tell. It is better to have more beliefs than desires.
I wish to always know that the only meaningful barometer to live by is yourself, and to use external measures is like using a measuring tape to judge your health.
I wish to know that shackles are in the mind, and only in the mind.
I wish to realize that the only strength is Faith, and that God alone is the strength of the strong. All other strength emanates from this, and the weakest of them all is physical strength.
I wish to always know that to deny kindness to a loved one, is like starving the soul for a week; for each kindness carries a message with it- of love, and forgiveness.
I wish to know that what I prophesy for tomorrow, is as simple what I believe in today. :) Each thought is powerful. Each thought is a creation. Each thought will manifest itself. Slowly. But surely.
So watch your thoughts! They are the true index of your Person. :)
I wish to always know that Life itself is..so fragile... And love and kindness, are perhaps the only things that do justice to it.

Almost there... not just yet!

This is that feeling of being almost there… You know… when you think that you are just a second away from where you want to be and then something terribly horrible happens… and then you aren’t quite where you ought to have been.

You have been planning and strategizing and making your moves carefully all for just being there. You gave up things on the way, made sacrifices... big and small, had sleepless nights, you did everything that you didn’t have to… all for this one future moment which you want to hold in memory forever… the moment when you will be the happiest…

Take a simple example… you plan a special birthday gift for a close friend. You go around for a whole month, getting the perfect gift, pre-booking the perfect dinner joint, getting all close friends together, planning the whole day, maybe a trip to one of the close by resorts… or a long drive… and when you reach the restaurant, you realize they haven’t made your reservation and you’ll have to wait a long time… that is just one factor… the other factors could go for a toss as well.

Another home example: You’ve been dying to watch a movie for the last one year... a friend tells you in passing that the movie is on the TV this weekend. You are very excited, work more hours on Friday, cancel your lunch appointment with friends, have a brunch on Saturday morning so you wouldn’t have to get up in between the movie for lunch, make you kids take an afternoon nap or pretend that you are letting them stay over at a friend’s place so you can see the movie in peace, make sure your generator is working ok, why take a chance with the power supply? Finally, everything is perfect... you can now see that movie in peace on Saturday afternoon. As you turn the TV on and sit with the remote control in your hands, the advertisements are on and you can barely wait… and then as the titles of the movie begin to scroll, the cable connection’s gone. Simply gone. If you are in Kerala, you’d understand what I’m saying. Frantically, you call the operator and he tells you... please hold on madam… and you know exactly what that means… you hold till you are sure the movie must have reached interval and you finally give up. Then when you switch it off, you realize the kids are sleeping, your friends aren’t there for lunch, there’s no office work left to do… so just kind of sit around…!

Life has it’s funny ways… there are so many instances… some as unimportant (or important, as the case may be) as this and some of very grave consequences… and all this effort suddenly gets flushed down the drain… and you feel so pained and there is nothing you can do about it. No, it definitely wasn’t because you didn’t take precaution… you did. And it wasn’t because of others... what vendetta would the cable operator, for example, have against you?

So I guess that is why they say… what has to happen, will happen. You can go only so far to ensure all might be well. If it is meant to be, it will. What is our take home then? Do your bit. That is all! :) Leave no room for regret. There is probably something better waiting for you just around the corner!

The Anti-Indian At the Oscars!

On International television, at the premier Oscar Awards Ceremony:

 

Interviewer: “I will give you thirty seconds… What message do you have for the Indians? What do you have to say to the audience back home?”

 

Anil Kapoor: “We love you all, we love Mumbai, we love Maharashtra!”

 

My response: What the heck?!

 

Amidst the pride that Rahman and Pookutty have brought upon India, there we have Our Hero, from Amchi Mumbai- proclaiming his undying love for Mumbai residents and those in Maharashtra!!

 

America brought to the tables a brand new term… ROW- Rest Of the World. Anil Kapoor has clearly indicated his contribution to this new phenomena- ROI - Rest of India! As a representative of 1.3 Billion strong population, Our Hero goes on to say He loves Maharashtra! What does India mean to him?

 

Next question for a Million Dollars: Amongst all the categories of people who divide the Nation, who is the most dangerous?

1. Politicians
2. Ram Sena/Shiv Sena
3. Forefathers, when they divided the States, in 1947
4. Terrorists

 

Answer: None of the above!  The most dangerous are the insensitive idiots vested with the power of changing minds of others, like Our Hero, Anil Kapoor, and the other is the Common Man err.. Not to antagonise any group.. Common Man/Woman.

 

Are we one hundred percent sure of the answer? Oh yes!

 

Here is why: I was standing there, watching television, all goose-bumpy having heard Rahman bagged two Oscars and Pookutty bagged one, when Our Hero, Anil Kapoor came up with that brilliant message for “Indians”!! Er… I wonder if that message was incomplete… It talked about Indians in Mumbai first, then mentioned Indians in Maharashtra. What happened to ROI?!

 

That was Our Hero. Now I will address the Common Man/Woman.

 

When the awards were announced, I was overwhelmed and immensely proud… Two Indians finally bagged the much coveted and perennially evasive Oscar Statuettes. It took a couple of minutes to register… Indians at the Oscar… not as audience, not just as Nominees, as the Winners! Wow, that is making History. India witnessed History being made. And just when I was beaming with joy and pride seeing Rahman and Pookutty being aired on every channel, my Mera Bharat Mahan dream comes crashing with a comment one of my colleagues makes.

 

“Pookutty is a Mallu. He’s from Kerala! In fact, he is from Kollam!” Er… what?! So, he’s a Keralite, now what? Has Rahman ever been looked at as a Tamilian? He is the face of brilliant music. He is the Guru of Bollywood, Tollywood, you name it. He took India to the the World. He took India to the Oscars. To many, he simply stands for India! Pookutty has done us equally proud. He brought glory to India. A glory of the kind that has never been seen. India’s first Oscar this season. First Oscar for background mixing. Pookutty has made as much history as Rahman has, atleast in terms of Oscar, for honestly, I don’t know him that well. But what shattered my dream is not that he is little known (Not many knew him till Slumdog Millionaire happened). What broke my dream was the regionalism that came with that comment. Ok, he’s from some place. So what?! It has come to a low ebb now. What I imagined were two Indians winning 3 Oscars has turned out to be A Malayali winning one Oscar and a Half Tamil-Half Malayali winning two Oscars! How sad can it get?!

 

And here we are thinking that it is our politicians and the Government and miscreants and Shiv Sena and God knows who else who are creating the unseen divide in the Nation. It is disheartening to see that it is the highly respected, reputed and popular figures like Our Hero Anil Kapoor, and the well read, experienced, soon-to-be-Global Managers  who create the dividing lines.

 

I really think it is time we stop cribbing. It is time we changed. Not as far as how India should grow and change; let us begin at home- let us begin with us.

Jai Hind!

First post

I have been visiting this blog on and off, but never finding anything to write on. I kept watch over anything that' was added, very much like an eagle hovers over a prey from above. Even now I have nothing on my mind as I type. Maybe its the music, Tommy Emmanuel- he should be heard, or its the sleeplessness that drove me into it at this hour. I really have no clue about companies and shares and markets and whatnot, so anyone who intends to read my posts, please do not look for anything monetary. Its for people who like to keep it simple, though I'll have to warn you, sometimes you will find absolutely no connection between the things I write. But then that's the fun, you should try it. Write what you want, without pausing to give it the literary comprehensiveness.

That was some sort of an introduction I would say.

And I think that's all for now.

I will leave you with a thought that i have.

War is the true nature of man.