Posts

Showing posts from 2014

THE BATTLES OF LIFE

Another soldier martyred another father, son and husband lost to terrorism, while the rest of the country goes about its daily routine and sleeps, blissfully unaware of what soldiers have to go through each day to keep this country in a secure and peaceful state. It has been reported that it was unusual for the second-in-command of an infantry battalion to lead a Quick Reaction Team (QRT) responding to a militant attack but Lt Col Sankalp Kumar rushed first to the spot when first reports of the terrorist strike came early on Friday. For those who knew him well say that he was known for his "never back down" attitude. Fighting militants is of course not something anyone actually prays for but the army has been trained and is being trained to do it each day. We as outsiders or as the defence personnel call us “civilians” can’t even begin to fathom the rigours of their daily routine; a process which ensures that they are always fit and ready to fight a battle with wh

Swachh Mann Swachh Bharat

Image
And at last it seems we have a leader who people want to listen to and follow. As nations like China and the US stand up and take notice of us and our new charismatic leader, Indians have begun to believe that Modi will bring about change as promised. As Modi carried with him the hopes, expectations and aspirations of billions of Indians the excitement is palpable. Indians back home thrilled with the reception the US accorded to their Prime Minister, some calling it a “rock star reception”, were glued to their television screens; this kind of viewership I believe only bestowed upon Bollywood stars and cricket. Seen as India’s saviour, by the citizens of India and Indians abroad, The Washington Post suggested: “Modi will arrive in Washington Monday a hero to a majority of the region’s large and successful Indian American community.” As someone the other day commented, “ love him or hate him but you can’t ignore him.” Many Indians see Modi as India’s saviour: a s

RAPE OF HUMANITY

Image
Every time I close my eyes the nightmares come, they attack me over and over and over again until dawn. Flashbacks, nightmares, he is back again he takes control, I’m like a puppet, he has all the strings. He is strong, I am weak, he has all the power, I have none. He caused pain. I got hurt, I am tortured because of him! Vickie Bell "Two men drank, watched porn and then lured a five year old from her play area using a chocolate as bait. They kept her in captivity in a rented room in the same building where she lives with her parents and systematically raped her, in turn, f or three day s. Her cries led neighbours to find her locked in the room, bruised and bleeding. By then, the two men had fled, thinking they had left the child for dead." An innocent child, oblivious to the ways of this world goes about his daily life in his own playful naïve manner. Blissfully ignorant, children are full of carefree laughter and play, unmarred by dark adult r

BEING MYSELF

Image
I am an individual who loves life; the smallest of things make me happy. A kind word, a loving gesture, a hug, a naughty quip from my kids, a good day at work, a smile, a fun evening with my family or friends…keeps me brimming with joy. I love to laugh (loudly), talk loudly (without realising it), giggle at the silliest of things, talk nineteen to the dozen, chattering away as if everyone’s life depended on it, saying sometimes the most foolish things to sometimes the wittiest (if I can say so myself). I like to be friends with everyone who crosses my path, investing in them, doing my best to learn more about them and what makes them who they are. I do not differentiate and I do not judge (at least in my mind), it doesn’t bother me if you are a guy or a gal, young or old, rich or poor, educated or not educated, for me you are an individual I can connect with no matter what. All I need is that wee bit of warmth and that expression of acceptance from the other person an

MY BUCKET LIST

Image
Mid life crisis has hit me hard. It’s a complicated, uncomfortable time which has me questioning myself a lot. Thoroughly confused about who I am, what I want to do and where I want to go, I am in a perpetual state of emotional turbulence. The experience of a mid life crisis they say is a combination of feelings, events and physical changes that indicate a transformation is at hand. Well, I see it this way it could be the best thing that ever happened to me or it could be the one thing that destroys the life I have been living for ever. Eventually, mid-life crisis is about managing change of one kind or another, and the positive spin on midlife crisis is that there lies a fresh perspective and much more contentment on the other side of the transition. It’s how you look at it and experience it that matters. I read somewhere that midlife crisis is about shifting life to better fit where the person’s spirit yearns to be . I like that. It makes sense. Psychologists think

OUR HARSH AND BRUTAL WORLD

The utter helplessness I feel sometimes when faced with life’s situations has made me realise that we live in a brutal and harsh world. What kind of a world are we actually leaving for our children…a world full of cruelty, struggle, failure, doubts and sorrow, a world so hard, you wonder what the point of it all is. Every day that I drop off my son at the school bus stop, I question the wisdom of sending him off all alone into this world I sometimes am petrified of myself.  Today when I saw an older child lashing out at my little baby in the bus, all I could do was watch helplessly as the bus drove away. My little one is all of 4 years and he has already been pushed by the world and his family into a path of hardships and pain. Life is tough and full of risks. There is always that person around the bend, who is judging you, trying to pull you down, gossip about you, deride your achievements, cheat you, make you feel worthless and scare you into believing that you are all

"A leader is a dealer in hope." - Napoleon Bonaparte

The excitement is palpable. “Acchhe Din Aane Waale Hain” (Good days will soon be here) and I see people all around me filled with enthusiasm and anticipation. There is a festive mood in India and no one, I repeat no one, is going to let anyone spoil this moment for those who brought the Modi led BJP to power. There is at last something to look forward to, a better country, a better sense of security, a better life. While I do agree that no miracle will occur in the coming months, I am hopeful that things will change for the better in the coming years. The despondency in the minds and hearts of millions of Indians who had given up on the so-called leaders of this country has transformed into cheer and hope. But then, as I found out on FB and in the newspapers, that this is not the case with everyone in our beloved Bharat! Friends are fighting over politics and Modi, getting very personal and ‘unfriending’ each other because of strongly divergent views. “ I don't min

A NEW RAY OF HOPE

Image
With BJP having swept the elections, I observe a spring in the steps of most Indians. Hope springs eternal and I with most of my fellow countrymen at last see a light at the end of the dark tunnel. “India has Won” said Narendra Modi as results of the elections came pouring in and it was obvious that the BJP had secured outright majority. The country tired of and fed up with the dynastic, corruption ridden politics that Congress was very proud of, has voted for a government which will hopefully be efficient and corrupt free.   Narendra Modi has always presented a comprehensive, development oriented, inclusive and futuristic vision for India. With good governance being the buzzword, it is time for all of us to see some concrete action towards a secure and stable government which has only the good of the people in its mind. I am hoping and so I believe are many others that the new government led by Modi will change the face of the country and bring about positive

A LITTLE BIT OF THE UNIVERSE IN EACH OF US

Bhumika my friend and writer shares an interesting reality...something that most of us so conveniently forget...that humans are not superior to all other life forms on earth. Believing we are better than any other species that are surviving is egoistic and very narcissistic .  Our dominant status at the top of the food chain has lulled us into a false sense of security. Its up to us now to ensure that we leave behind a better earth for our children and their children.  "The dog, the cat, the whale, the sparrow, the wolf, the lion, the tree, the crops and US; WE ALL SHARE SOMETHING COMMON IN OUR DNA!!!. The same thread of life runs through all life on earth. For instance, the process of sugar breaking down to glucose is common in all living things-plants, animals and us. That a basic survival feature as minute as that can be something absolutely common for every living specie is such an amazing thing! " - COSMOS. A SPACETIME ODYSSEY. A beautiful piece of reality put

A WALK DOWN THE STREETS AND ROADS OF INDIA

Image
Life is never as interesting and fascinating as it is when you walk down the noisy, smelly and crowded streets or roads of India.  The colours, some good, some bad; the smells, some good, many bad; the noise, some soft, many loud; the crowds, some mild, some overwhelming are just a tiny part of what Indian streets are all about. The good, the bad and the ugly is a fitting description of the roads and streets of India. I love the feeling of walking down those streets and hate them at the same time. The colours, the aromas, the people, enchant and captivate you, while the stench, the filth, the loud noise, and the lack of personal space and privacy, disgust and repel you at the same time. I am an Indian at heart and I know that no other country or its people will ever bewitch me as does my own. But then there are things about this place that are either just too revolting on the one end or absolutely comical and fascinating on the other. There are people rushing into you

The Different Shades of Life

As a child I learnt to view the world in two colours, either completely black or white, perhaps because I took literally the ideals and values my parents wanted me to grow up with and imbibe. It is only now, on reflecting on the past nearly forty years of my life that I have realised that life is made up of many shades of grey which have the strength to hurt, shatter and confuse. Being accustomed to seeing everything as black or white can be very comforting indeed as it all falls into clear cut categories, no confusion there but that is so unreal!   Not only are people sometimes good and often not so virtuous, events too stubbornly fail to fall into clearly demarcated classifications! Oh what a travesty of life, it just refuses to throw up cut-and-dried answers to all the inevitable questions that almost continuously bombard my mind! The why’s and how’s just refuse to resolve themselves and others don’t just seem to understand, leave alone help me find my way through the tortuo