'Sach' is life...

Source: NDTV

1030 hrs, 15^th November 2013

On any other day, I can be seen checking mails in Outlook in the office at this time. But today was different. Sachin was still at the crease, playing in what has turned out to be his swansong. I missed watching him in his final moments as a Master Batsman and will for the rest of my life.  I sounded so banal, right? You might have already heard many others like me saying ‘Cricket will never be the same again’. But then isn’t that the fact? Well, some might differ with the likes of Virat and Rohit making their mark in a spectacular fashion. Yes, they are remarkably talented. But it remains to be seen how well they perform in the bouncier pitches of South Africa. God, I digressed again!

I am 26. Sachin started his international career on this day, 24 years ago. Fair to assume that I and many others of my generation have literally grown up watching him play his trademark straight drives and leg glances – two strokes you know run away to the boundary when Sachin plays them. Such was his impeccable timing. Of course, I know two other Indian players who had a divine sense of timing like him. They were his contemporaries – Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly. Rahul almost always pulled the short ball with disdain and yet managed to keep it to the ground – a shot I tried to replicate in the matches I played and failed miserably. And of course Sourav is the ‘God of off side’. I especially enjoyed the long partnerships Sachin shared with Rahul in tests and with Sourav in the ODIs.

Reminiscing those glorious days, when I used to sit glued to the television sets watching ODI cricket played by players who were real gentlemen, I can understand why my maternal grandfather keeps harping on how 20-20 cricket has killed the fun of watching test cricket. My generation of cricketers – the likes of Sachin, Rahul, Sourav, Anil and VVS were aggressive on the field and yet played ‘nicely’. They were players who would keep their emotions in check (Sourav’s extravagance and Anil’s temper? Okay. But we all crave for a little spice, don’t we?). But if tomorrow, my kid cousin brother comes up to me and asks which cricketer he should emulate, would I say Virat or Rohit? NO! Sorry Virat and Rohit. But dudes, beep your expletives please! I am no one to comment on your skills for you both are well on the way to be legends in your own right.

We Indians are jingoist. Offended? Oh, come on! Truth is bitter. But when it comes to Sachin, have we been so? You would say that all the immense adulation, respect and love that his contemporaries, cricket experts, the common man, politicians and Bollywood stars alike have showered on him is what he fully deserves. Yes, he does! Unequivocally yes! Otherwise, what would explain the fascination of Media and Brands with Sachin that has reached the pinnacle today? But this ‘Sachin mania’, a phenomenon of an unprecedented scale has happened because quite a few elements of the universe have come together at the right moments to conspire and lead to the phenomenon we Indians are witnessing today.

• 1983 – India wins the World Cup: And if cynics then dismissed this off as a flash in the pan, then winning the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1985 proved them wrong. This period coincided with the spectacular fall of Indian Hockey. People found solace in the fact that India was beginning to do well in Cricket. The win in 1983 and 1985 only served to popularise the sport we are so obsessed with now. Cricket stars like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev were soon endorsing brands and BCCI shifted its focus to organising more and more ODIs to mint money. And even as Cricket started undergoing what many would call ‘glamorization’, a certain Sachin Tendulkar was already creating a buzz in the domestic circuit.  

• 1991 - Liberalization of the Indian Economy: Sachin’s genius by then was already being talked about and as a child prodigy, he was touted as the next big thing. And then our economy opened the doors to the likes of Coke, Pepsi, Nike and Adidas. Realising the immense marketing potential Cricket as a sport offered, they lost no time in making Sachin the poster boy of Cricket. With his endearing boyish looks and yet an adult like maturity in batsmanship, Sachin’s brilliance was soon the talk of the town. The fact that Sachin, a boy from a middle class family, never let success get to him made him a darling of mothers who wanted their sons to emulate him. And sons like me are still trying to. Why? I won’t bother to answer you! But his demeanour on and off the field speak for themselves. And I am not even talking about his feats in numbers and statistical parameters.

• 1996 – Mark Mascarenhas signs a long term contract with Sachin making him one of the richest sportspersons globally. That to me was the moment Sports marketing became synonymous with Cricket. The likes of Virat, Rohit and other youngsters minting so much money now through IPL should thank Sachin for it.

• Sachin and the Indian Demographic profile – An estimated 150 million Indians today are in the age bracket 18-23. And over 450 million Indians today are in the age bracket 5-24. What does this mean? Simple. An entire generation (40-45% of the country’s population) has grown up watching this man play. Add to this the fact that Sachin’s textbook technique and boyish charm has even impressed the likes of my Grandfather – a generation that has grown up watching test matches (Of course back in the 60s and the 70s, people in India had all the time in the world to sit and listen to Radio commentary all day). His humility despite absurdly insurmountable levels of success he has achieved, longevity and endurance has ensured that he waved his magical wand over youngsters and elders alike. Isn’t that enough reason why we all should miss him?

What does Sachin mean to me?

He’s a demigod to many Indians. Someone, guys like me can look up to for lessons in humility and achieving excellence. But for me, Sachin is much more. Sachin was the answer to that one question which I believe led to IIM A opening its hallowed portals to welcome me in. In retrospect, I did answer many tricky questions well but this question about Sachin will be something that I will always remember and cherish. Aah! I can see you are keen to know how. So here goes the story. 

I was the first candidate to be called in for the interview by the panel. 15 minutes into the interview, I hadn’t stumbled at any point, though I took my time to answer their tricky questions. But the panel had other thoughts. They were yet to throw their best salvo at me. And then one of the professors asked me which sport I followed the most. I said ‘Cricket’. They grimaced as if to suggest ‘Oh God! Cricket? Not again’. Then they asked me who my favourite cricketer was? Yes, you know what I answered. And then they asked me to plot his ‘Popularity curve’ with time on the x-axis and popularity on the y-axis. That caught me off-guard. There was no right answer to it. But then I had to be logical and explain why I drew a classical ‘S-curve’ - a Sigmoid function that saturated towards the end.

‘Why do you think the curve should saturate to a straight line?’ asked one of the professors.

‘Sir, to be honest, Sachin’s reflexes are already slowing down and with the young crop taking over, his popularity might dwindle a bit. So I think it would saturate towards the end’, I replied. They nodded.

Three months later, I was elated. I was in IIMA and was living my dream. And the two years that I spent learning the nuances of management also coincided with that period when against all odds, Sachin once again peaked to the best form of his life. His 200 in the ODI in Gwalior against a very good South African bowling attack and then his last test century against the same opposition in the bouncier pitches of South Africa – both of them in 2010 stand out. He seemed timeless. And then in Diwali 2010, I saw him bat for the first time in the test match in Motera against New Zealand. He missed out on a half century. But watching him bat in front of my eyes, I realised he was human after all. I saw him in flesh and had goose bumps all over. That day, when he walked back to the pavilion visually disappointed, it struck me that I was wrong to surmise that Sachin’s popularity would dwindle. Leave alone his popularity. He had set newer benchmarks and broken records in 2010-11 with the final jewel on his crown – A world cup medal. Damn! He cried, I cried and like me a million others. Trash that S-curve! It didn’t straighten after all.

God has powers. A superhuman is a human who with sheer talent, perseverance and humility achieves the status of a demigod. So, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar isn’t god. He’s a superhuman. And now he’s a Bharat Ratna. But for me, Sachin would remain an enigma, a name, a memory associated with those moments when I had given it all to fulfill a dream. I was wrong about this man, and I don’t regret one bit about it.

Yes, I had tears watching him touch the cricket pitch one final time in reverence and make that final farewell speech with an immaculate control over his emotions. Amidst tributes galore to this great man, I couldn’t resist the urge to jot down what I feel for SRT.

If ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, a biopic on Milkha Singh has grossed over 100 Crores globally, then I am pretty sure a blockbuster of a movie is coming its way with a biopic on Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar!

P.S: Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly deserved a similar farewell. But then I am not missing them much. In their new avatars as a commentator and a cricket analyst, they are as classical and extravagant as they both were while batting.

signing off,

taureansandy 

Friday, the 13th!

Hi folks,

Friday, the 13th day of September in the year 2013. Rarely has been a day as eventful as this one. Dear Sreesanth, thanks for your histrionics. But we have had enough of you. Thanks BCCI. One of those few decisions you have got bang on target!

And then there was the conviction of the four insensate youngsters. If I were to use any English word from my vocabulary to describe the nature of the crime committed, then that word would be ‘Heinous’. And if there is any other word or phrase that you can think of other than the one I just mentioned, then consider my vocabulary weak!

Anyways, the point is this - how many times have you seen a court in India deliver a verdict within 8 months of a heinous crime being committed? I bet even the convicts would have never imagined that such deathly fate would befall them so quickly. Had it not been for the public uproar and open protests that were amplified by the social media to a degree, never seen before in the history of Independent India, this conviction wouldn’t have been so swift and effective. Now, it’s time to address our dear friend Nirbhaya.

Hi Nirbhaya,

I am pretty sure you were watching the drama unfold in the court proceedings, sitting somewhere up in heaven. And I guess the fact that the swiftness with which Delhi Police completed the investigation to nail the offenders must have come as a surprise to you. I don’t know what you must have felt when the verdict was announced. I guess, I can never know. After all, I am a guy who thought he could afford to roam the streets at night without a care in the world. How wrong, I was!

What I do know is that you must have felt – why me? As someone who could have gone on to become a brilliant doctor, whatever happened to you is indescribable. So heinous, that thousands of people like me were outraged. Every day, you fought bravely against odds heavily stacked against you - we hoped against hope. And that eventful day, our hearts sank. When that small glitter of hope was extinguished, we seethed with anger and gritted our teeth. A chill ran down my spine though, for I have always had a soft corner for Delhi – a city where I grew up as a kid and have many sweet memories to cherish.

I wished that nothing less but the ‘noose’ be tied around the offenders. And there were many like me, vocal enough that the lawmakers had to sit up and take notice. ‘Swift action or otherwise its doom’, they must have thought. And when the desired verdict was announced, people who crowded in huge numbers at the Saket Complex applauded. I will admit this to you, Nirbhaya. After the verdict, I heard myself cursing the ‘four *****rds’ with the choicest of swear words that I know of. But then the next instant, I was completely engulfed with ghoulish thoughts. Yes Nirbhaya. Ghoulish thoughts indeed!

If not for their deeds, those four convicts possibly could have gone on to become future leaders of this country. If only the government had provided the right kind of resources to disillusioned youngsters like them. Friday, the 13^th of September 2013, was a sad day, because we publicly killed the ambitions of four youngsters who could have been virtuous instead of the ghastly abhorrent monsters they turned out to be. Of course, let the four of them be damned for what they did. They deserved every bit of what they have got. No one will shed tears the day they are hanged until the tightening noose sucks every bit of life out of them. 

But do we really need to applaud and celebrate their death? Are we so morbid, Nirbhaya? Doesn’t that tell you something about ‘we the people’? The verdict ‘Death to all’ that was labelled as ‘historic’ by some newspapers doesn’t matter now, but for the small glitter of hope that it serves as an effective deterrent to ‘Rape’ – a term that has been so trivialized now that every time I hear someone utter it, I am disappointed by the lows to which ‘we the people’ can stoop to.

Before I end this letter Nirbhaya, I would like you to ask something. Nothing much, though. Please pray that we get better in treating women, irrespective of age, caste and religion and of course, the power to introspect and learn basic civility. If you are reborn as the ‘second woman Prime Minister’ of India, then nothing like it!

Yours friendly,

And that brings me back to the point I had earlier raised. I mean how morbid can we be. No point taking to twitter or Facebook and blaming the Congress for the current state of affairs. No point blaming a Prime Minister who remains mum, even when our soldiers are beheaded in a brazen act by the Pakistani Army that can only be termed as cowardly. Yes, I mince no words when I say so. I have never been a great fan of ‘Aman ki Asha’. Does that make me jingoistic? Or is it because I am the son of a soldier, taught to place the country’s interest above anything and everything else?

One of my dear friend and a fellow batch-mate from IIMA had once remarked – ‘Jab tak hum nahi sudhrenge, yeh desh bhi nahi sudhrega’. So true, I say.

Friday, the 13^th day of September 2013 is also eventful because ‘NaMo’ as he is lovingly referred to, was announced as the official PM candidate. This is so reminiscent of the presidential ballot that happens in USA. Rahul Vs NaMo should be an exciting contest. More so, because this is probably the first election in which an entire generation of tech savvy youngsters aware of the in and out of what’s happening politically (thanks to Social Media and a certain foolish politician ‘DS’ who keeps on uttering ridiculous bullshit), will turn up to vote in large numbers. With young India overwhelmingly in support of NaMo, things look bright for this charismatic leader.

Winds of change are blowing. Given the pathetic state of affairs in our country, it comes as no surprise that people desperately seek change. I have never been a great admirer of NaMo. He’s a polarizing figure - a leader who has the ability to intimidate, whenever required and inspire whenever necessary. Godhra has been a blot on his otherwise stain-free tenure as the CM of Gujarat.

Of course, while doing projects in IIMA, I did observe that in some parts of the hinterlands of Gujarat, funds still don’t trickle down to the grass-root level. Caste based discrimination is rampant. In Ahmedabad, the manhole workers, most of who belong to a community called ‘Valmiki’, are treated with disdain. There’s an entire slum in the outskirts of Ahmedabad, where people survive inhumane conditions without electricity and basic sanitation. I happened to visit this slum and somehow managed to not puke after spending over two hours with the residents who described their living conditions in excruciating detail. Of course it was all there, explicit visuals some of which I managed to capture in my camera as well. The irony - it was August 15^th in the year 2010. More details on http://taureansandy.blogspot.in/search/label/IIM%20A

I mince no words when I say I am not a great fan of NaMo. A leader like him ought to be intolerant of such discrimination happening right in the midst of a major city in a state he’s governing. But then, thousands of such slums lie unattended to in various cities of our country. And there are other issues like Primary education, basic sanitation, food security etc. that haven’t been addressed properly despite 66 years of being a sovereign country. So, it is unfair to expect so much from a leader like NaMo who is relatively a better performer than many other useless administrators the country has seen. Despite all his failings, he is assertive and decisive – in many ways like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, although NaMo needs to bolster his secular credentials. I would rather prefer a decisive leader than a mum one!

NaMo is the beacon of hope of a better tomorrow. And if BJP indeed wants to return to power, then it has to do certain things right.

• Acknowledge the fact that being a ‘Gandhi’ does matter and carries immense brand value. Go to a village and ask an old lady and you would realise that she’s more likely to recall who a certain Gandhi is as compared to NaMo. Dear BJP. Please realise that the literate working class is tired of being taken for a ride by the incumbent government. So, most votes in urban constituencies are likely to be polled in your party’s favour. Instead, you would do better to take the fight to the rural bastions where the real political drama is set to unfold in 2014. Clearly, Congress is better equipped than you are. Why? Simple. They are still in power
• Magic figure of 190 – It would be foolhardy to assume that you can form a coalition government even if you manage even a tad less than this figure. BJP, are you listening? AP and UP together combine to form 122 seats. But alas, BJP’s presence in these two critical states is not much to cheer for. It becomes that much trickier with potential kingmakers like Jagan and Mayawati/Mulayam who are shrewd players
• Avoid indulging in a slandering duel with Rahul. It would be like playing into the hands of Congress which just wants that. Instead, the better strategy would be to convince people how BJP can make a difference to people’s lives. Focus on your election manifesto and make it so intent heavy that it by itself wins you the election. Of course, easier said than done!

It is after 22 years that Indian economy has hit such a rough patch again. And if the appointment of Mr Raghuram Rajan (proud to be a fellow alumnus) and its immediate impact on Rupee and Sensex is anything to go by, I can’t help but be optimistic. Of course there were external factors like Fed’s announcement of tapering of the amount spent on QE, better than expected GDP figures for US and Eurozone that helped, but his firm intent evident in his speech, did give a boost to the sentiments that turned bullish again. And that’s what might just happen next year if things go NaMo’s way. It’s time for the phoenix to rise from the ashes. And it’s also the time for youngsters like me to participate and at least vote to make a difference. Isn’t it time already, for young India to isolate those who don’t treat their daughters and mothers with respect and dignity? Why do we marginalise the downtrodden and desolate when the right thing to do is marginalise the monsters created within the system or create the right infrastructure to reform them? 

Nirbhaya, if you are listening. You can still be reborn as the PM of India – possibly the youngest ever, and create wonders for this country. That would be just perfect! Ain’t it? 

signing off,

taureansandy

THE GREAT HYDERABADI DREAM

Hii folks,

One fine day in the sunny month of May 1998, my maternal uncle came up to me and asked me to get ready for a short trip to Hyderabad. I was told that we were to attend a marriage. It was my first visit to Hyderabad and I had heard a lot about the city that it was. Till then, I had known Hyderabad to be the city famous for its pearls, Biryani, Haleem and Golconda amongst others. And boy, how excited I was when I finally boarded the bus from Warangal to Hyderabad!

Gorging on authentic Hyderabadi Biryani, my love-love relationship with this dish began with gusto. Continues till date! Watching the magnificent Buddha Statue standing tall on a platform in the Hussain Sagar lake, surrounded by Necklace Road that dazzles at night (as the name suggests); I wondered at the city that Hyderabad was. My father had by then dropped enough subtle hints that this was the city we were to later settle in. And after years of living a nomadic life at various IAF bases in India, I was elated that we would be settling for good in a city that held a lot of promises for me.

As an 11 year old kid, I was enamoured by the spirit that Hyderabad as a city embodied. Its laid-back charm coupled with the tehzeeb with which its residents welcomed people from all parts of India was endearing, if not anything else. Located almost centrally in the Indian subcontinent, it is easily accessible from all the four directions. And it is probably the only South Indian city that can still boast of a population consisting of varied ethnic and linguistic groups. Relatively speaking, Hyderabad was and continues to be women-friendly compared to other metro cities in India.

Home to a multitude of research, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and financial institutions, it is sometimes also referred to as ‘India’s Pharmaceutical Capital’. DMRL, BHEL, NGRI, CCMB, NMDC, NIN and I can go on and on with this list. But the game changer for Hyderabad was probably the emergence of Cyberabad as an IT hub. And later, the state of the art Airport that is now the ‘Best Airport in India’ as per Skytrax for the year 2013. Hyderabad is now home to the Indian headquarters of IT giants like Google, Microsoft and Amazon and is still the first-choice destination for budding IT start-ups.

2001 - It was the year that my family finally settled in Hyderabad. A year had passed by when the erstwhile US president Bill Clinton addressed IT leaders in this city. Hyderabad was vying with Bangalore to be the top IT exporter in India. As a city, Hyderabad was bustling with unbridled energy and investments were pouring in from all parts of the world. The so called IT boom had a domino effect on other sectors like Energy, Pharma and Real Estate that soon rose to prominence. And five years later in 2006, even the then US president George Bush made it a point to visit Hyderabad. The fact that apart from New Delhi, Hyderabad was the only city to be host to two successive US presidents speaks volumes of the potential and promises of a great future this city had then.

But for Hyderabad, the downhill ride had begun with the infamous ‘Satyam Scandal’ in 2009. By then, even the movement demanding statehood for Telangana had gathered steam and residents like me had begun to feel the heat of dissent brooding over Hyderabad, in the form of frequent call for bandhs and strikes by Labour Unions tacitly supported by TRS activists. The Telangana movement as the media refers to, was till then an exercise in restraint. But thanks to the retracting statements by the then Home minister, the movement soon turned violent.

November 2009 onwards

I was to catch a late night flight to Ahmedabad. I was on the Airport Shuttle bus when the driver announced that we were stuck in a traffic jam at the Tarnaka – Osmania University campus junction. Minutes later, we were surrounded by an unruly mob. Armed with hockey sticks, placards and possibly sacks full of stones, they staged a Rasta roko. The driver announced that there was no way this melee was going to end anytime soon and we should probably make our way out through it. But with the arrival of the Police force, things turned messier. And when the window pane of our bus was cracked open by the stone pelting mob, we just had to escape our way out. No casualties, not much damage done with the exception of a few activists injured in the ensuing lathi charge and arrests - This was what the local media had reported in the next day’s newspapers. But the damage was done. I missed my flight. The perception of this city had received a dent, a deep gash resulting in a wound that was not to heal anytime soon.

From then on, Hyderabad has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. And as a lad, who considered himself a proud ‘Hyderabadi’, I found myself in the midst of all intellectual discussions on the Telangana movement and it’s repercussions on the IT industry in Hyderabad. Most of my friends either lost their jobs or settled in other cities that are more financially stable and are not clouded by the kind of political uncertainty that has enveloped Hyderabad now. Hyderabad was once the second largest IT exporter but is now relegated to the fourth position. Real estate prices have touched rock bottom. Frequent bandhs led to all academic schedules in major universities like OU, JNTU going haywire and putting the careers of thousands of aspiring engineer/doctors in jeopardy.

But this period coincided with my MBA stint at Ahmedabad. So, I didn’t exactly find myself in the thick of action. But to see the city I lived in, go into a deep state of chaos hurt me no end. And when my peers disapproved of the state of affairs in Hyderabad, I could only nod in agreement. My city was bleeding and the two terror strikes that happened (one in 2007 and the other earlier this year) only aggravated it further. So what went wrong? A city that was once expected to be the ‘IT’ capital of India now finds itself in the news for all the wrong reasons.

For me, the inevitability of Telangana as a state was never in doubt. And I won’t comment on an issue that is sensitive and is close to the hearts of over 30 million people who reside in this region. How can I? When I have never really had an emotional connect with this movement. But it is a known fact that blood has been shed in the process. So the fact that Telangana is going to be the 29^th state of the Union of India is indeed good news. And I can only hope that things go smoothly from now on, that real development at the grass-root level happens in the new state and creates avenues for employment to the many lying there unemployed and disillusioned with the establishment.

But the announcement that Hyderabad will be the shared capital for 10 years has come as a shocker. As a professional, I am not the only one planning to eventually settle down with my family in Hyderabad. There are thousand others who share the same thoughts I have. But when leaders like KCR openly make provocative statements asking employees from Andhra to leave the state, then I shudder to think of the events that would unfold once the process of allocation of assets and resources begins after the formation of Telangana. It’s certainly unbecoming of a leader like him, who is widely perceived to be the next CM of this new state.

The allocation process is going to be long and painful, rife with disputes over what is mine and what is yours. The fact that this process hasn’t been completed in states like Jharkhand and Uttarakhand (Thousands of petitions by disgruntled government employees waiting to be heard out) should be a harbinger of things to come for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. I just hope that the disputes are not over who should live and who should be out. That would be extremely disappointing. And for once, even the staunchest supporter of the Telangana movement should agree with me that leaders like KCR set a good example in tolerance and harmony for the millions of youngsters who look up to him and not be provocative like he was recently.   

Given the current state of affairs, Hyderabad appears to be a lucrative piece of meat waiting to be torn apart. And this can certainly be avoided if Hyderabad is declared a Union Territory. But it is no Chandigarh. Hyderabad is geographically encompassed by Telangana and that is one of the many factors that put Srikrishna Committee into a state of dilemma. Even an elite panel of jurists in the committee had to come up with three narrowed options to appease all stakeholders and avoid the volatile law and order scenario in Hyderabad to flare up further. Isn’t this a classical case of Catch 22? Do you declare it as a Union Territory and deny what the people of Telangana think is rightfully theirs or declare it as a shared capital and create a logistical nightmare for the state of Andhra Pradesh? And what is going to happen to the great Hyderabadi Dream that professionals like me and many others harbor?

Needless to say, we the people have the answers to these questions. Irrespective of the decisions made by the lawmakers, if people of Telangana stay true to their instincts and follow the ‘live and let live’ principle, then things look bright in the times to come. The people of Telangana have sacrificed a lot, shed blood and have eventually been victorious. Good times are to come. But patience is the need of the hour. This is not the time to be unduly jingoistic and make the phrase ‘Jai Telangana’ a tool to gain further political mileage. Much of the damage has already been done. Telangana can’t afford to risk giving rise to another party akin to the one in Maharashtra, so  intolerant of the migrant population in Mumbai. That would be fatal to Hyderabad.

When you are ‘down in the dumps’, you can only rise from there on. The same holds true for Hyderabad. I for one remain optimistic about my prospects in this city that I have come to love so much. Do I really have an option other than to remain positive? Yes, I do. But I simply don’t see myself settling in any other city but Hyderabad. For starters, no other city offers me authentic Biryani on their menu to titillate my olfactory and gustatory senses. And the fun of watching a Mahesh Babu or a Pawan Kalyan starrer in Hyderabad is unmatched anywhere else. Why should I miss all of these seemingly insignificant but priceless moments? 

signing off,

taureansandy

Life of a Soldier...

Some people are destined for greatness (Actually they inherit superhuman genes from their progenitors!!). Others write their own destiny. He is one such soldier and this is his story.

Once upon a time in the sunny month of May, God decided to send him to walk the path called life in a sleepy town somewhere in a state called Andhra Pradesh in India. That was the time when India was having a tough time dealing with China on the East and Pakistan on the West. That was also the time when Jawaharlal Nehru was criticised and banged by the media and people in general for his failure to properly deal with the arrogance and might of the Chinese. (A little digression I guess!!). 

Anyways, he grew up amidst people who were mostly illiterate and probably were of the opinion that Black Pigs are more loyal to humans than Dogs. You can’t really blame them for their ignorance as the whole town was and is still infested with lots and lots of Pigs. (I don’t know why some people still find Pigs cute!!). His father earned just enough to afford spending on his education. Mind you, at that time in India, studying in a school was a luxury only a few could afford. Spending most of his time playing in the streets, he soon grew up to an age where most of us now ask ourselves ‘What am I going to do with my life? Will I become an Engineer or a Doctor?’ After struggling to clear his Intermediate studies, he plunged into the identity crisis mode. That’s when one of his dear friends advised him to join the Indian Air Force. Despite resistance from his parents, he decided to participate in the fair – a fair where youngsters try their luck to make it into the Armed Forces as a Non Commissioned Officer.  

Now the story of how he qualified to be stamped as ‘Fit for Induction in IAF’ is by itself an interesting one. The minimum weight one ought to have to qualify was around 48. But he was only 45 then. Alarmed by the fact that he would soon be rejected, he secretly gobbled up enough Bananas (luckily available at the fair then!!) to increase his body weight to 48 and scraped through the final medical round. (If gaining weight is so easy then why am I working out so hard in the Gym??) Thus, he began his career in the IAF at the tender age of 19. His parents were unhappy with his decision, but he stuck to his guns. Now whether it was his desire to experience the real world outside, the passion to make a difference by serving his country or to land up a government job is something that is unknown. Nevertheless, he flew off. 

At the training institute, he had a tough time adopting his frail body to the physical and mental rigours that one is made to go through. So much so that he tried to escape and return back home. But life had other plans for him. He finally made it through the rigorous training period, learning to shoot with a ~3Kg 303 rifle and running around the huge dusty grounds holding the heavy rifle ‘Shoulder up’. (Reminds me of Karan in the movie Lakshya).

The transition from civil society to a life in the Military Barracks was never going to be easy, for he was gullible and trusted people easily. His first posting was in Srinagar where he was welcomed by a gang of thieves. They posed as Inspectors of the CID and on the pretext of checking his luggage, stole cash and other valuables kept in his suitcase. That was life’s way of telling him ‘Welcome to the real world dude!!’ Soon enough he married the love of his life. She was his childhood sweetheart and they first met when her family started living as tenants in his house. Soon, they began to love the time spent with each other, chatting all the way whenever they had free time after school and college. There were no mobile phones then, so they had to physically meet to catch up and enjoy sweet nothings (That is why I hate Mark Zuckerberg!!). Sweet friendship then blossomed into love and when he finally declared his love for her at home, he was chided for reasons best known to him and his parents. Nevertheless, he managed to convince them and eventually exchanged marital vows with her - the woman he knew he couldn’t live without.  

With his soul partner supporting him all the way, life in the armed forces became a smooth journey he traversed effortlessly. Hopping around places every four to five years, he became an Indian in the true sense working with dedication for his country as well as his family. Along the way, he also became a father to a son and a daughter and that made him complete. But all wasn't hunky dory yet. His dedication to his country was something his immediate family back in his hometown couldn't fathom at all. And that probably isolated him from all things and affairs happening in his hometown. It hurt him. A farmer and soldier are two people who are experts in expectation management for they are in a very thankless profession. He moved on for he was a soldier. Along the way he saw his colleagues die in air crashes and in freak inexplicable accidents for the Armed Forces were still not modernized to international standards. Working overtime to ready the majestic SU-30 MKI's, MIG-29's and Jaguar's for wartime, he witnessed the death of his seniors and colleagues from close quarters during Operation Vijay. But he also made some friends who later went on to become his ‘Friends for Life’. He educated his children in the best possible way, giving them whatever they asked for and not compromising on their education and attire. And yet also managed to save enough to later buy a flat and become a proud owner of a home. His wife went on to become the reason he managed the finances within an income that is now ‘measly’ if not anything else. 

Living life by his rules, he happily chose to retire after 20 glorious years of service to the country; because he wanted to provide his son and daughter the best possible avenues for higher education. It has been ten years since he left the armed forces. But one can still feel the discomfort with which he is constantly trying to adapt to the whims and fancies of the civil society. Transition back to the civil society was much tougher for him for he had a wife and two children to take care of as well. But he managed everything with gusto. Guess everything else is a child’s play for a soldier who has spent 20 years of his life amidst guns, bullets, jet engines and roaring fighter jets!!

In a few days from now, he is all set to complete 30 years of service which includes 20 years as a non-commissioned officer in the IAF. And whenever I have admired him for his patience, will and dedication to his work, his humility has made me realise I am being a sissy when I whine about work in a corporate setup (I am a chronic complainer nevertheless!! By the way, I am going to retire right after cutting my 45th Birthday cake). Post retirement from IAF, his life has been a relatively smoother ride compared to many other thousands of Ex-Servicemen who are still struggling to earn a little respect and dignity from the civil society. If I tell you I am lucky enough to have seen how soldiers literally work their asses off, come no matter what; then that’s an understatement!! 

This post is dedicated to him – A truly obedient son, a lover who fought for his love, a loving and loyal husband, a father who became a living hero in the eyes of his children and above all a Soldier who with the utmost sincerity dedicated 20 years of his life serving his country. This post is dedicated to all such soldiers who sing along ‘Ab toh humein, aagey badtey hi rehna....’ 

“May God bless all the Soldiers”

signing off,

taureansandy

of Passports, Chaos and Choices!!

Hii folks,

     I come from a city where every second boy is forced to become an Engineer. I am one of those engineers who is expected to make it big in the United States of America. Forget our country where unless I complete my Master's, I will not be able to make it big in life. The problem is that I am from a social background where my so called 'relatives' wouldn't consider me fit enough to be labelled as 'Successful', if I don't clear GRE or TOEFL and fly to the US of A!! 

    So here I was standing in a queue beside the Regional Passport Office - Secunderabad at 4.30 am. By then there were already thirty odd people in front of me eagerly waiting to resolve their passport related issues and get their damn passport as early as possible. One of them wanted to go to Dubai where he was promised a very good 'package'; big enough for someone who only knows how to build walls. The other was facing problems in getting her passport renewed just because she didn't have a 'marriage certificate'. 'How am I supposed to get this marriage certificate now?', I heard her complain to her husband on the phone. My guess was they were married for more than 20 years now. And even as the Sun's first rays broke out, the queue was swelling exponentially. 

   Today was an unusually cold day and my fingers were already numb. I was finding it tough to type up 'Love you' and 'Missing you' messages to my girlfriend. Yes, I am supposed to have a girlfriend as well, just like many guys of my age have these days. She woke up rather early today; just to keep me motivated. Standing in a queue for more than an hour can be tiring especially when you don't know whether you will be able to accomplish the task or not. It was very sweet of her to have chatted with me till I bid her bye and wished her luck for the lab practical exam she had. She is my junior and I would like to believe that our love story is going great guns. You never know though!! Anyways thanks to her, I somehow managed to stay calm throughout. 

Finally, by the time the Police constable there signaled the gate-keeper to let us inside the passport office complex, there were more than 300 people in the line. And along with the agents who roamed like Vultures waiting to pick up their prey (read gullible people coming from the rural hinterlands of AP), the people in the queue made a perfect setting for Chaos and Mayhem to kick in. As we started moving in slowly, I thought this to be the end of everything horrible I had imagined a moment before. The queue was moving smoothly and we entered inside the complex where there were seats arranged. We settled on the seats and there was a momentary pause of complete silence. Just then, a haughty lady arrived and asked us to get up and move towards the entrance to the 'Enquiry counters'. Was it a trigger? I don't know but the queue suddenly broke up and people started running towards the hallway to the counters. It was a stampede like situation and I didn't lose a moment to realise that I had to run to escape the unruly crowd's wrath. 

There was hardly anyone to control the mob and people started hitting each other; hurling abuses at will to hold on to their positions in the new queue that emerged in front of the entrance to the 'Enquiry Counters'. I was shocked beyond belief. Was I waiting in the queue for more than 5 hours now just to feel like shit amidst an unruly and uncivilized group of people? Half of them were as educated as you and me are. Leave the Visa, I then realised that earning a passport itself wasn't going to be easy as it seemed a few days back. 

I am proud of this city; a city where I spent the decisive moments of my life. But would I like to spend the rest of my life in a city where Corruption and Lawlessness have become the norm? I have my doubts. Anyways, thankfully the next one hour that I spent there was not difficult though. After I got my token, I sat beside a guy who held a black leather file with the title 'Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad' on it. I immediately felt a strong urge to talk to this guy and find out why he chose to stay rather than search for greener pastures in USA, UK or Australia. And after the usual intro-talk, when I did finally ask him the question lingering on my mind, his reply was in jest. 

'Dude, I liked the movie 'Swades' so much that I chose to do an MBA from the toughest B-School to get into rather than do what you are yearning to do now'. He laughed like a half-dead motor, then looked at me seriously and said,' I had no choice buddy. I was brought up amidst jet-fighters and guns. I was brought up in an environment where 'Nation' as a concept was given the utmost priority. So even the thought of going to 'Uncle Sam's' country was not an option for me. Yes, I still have to answer questions like 'Why didn't you go to the US of A? You could have earned so much more there!!' But I always had a choice and so do you. It is up to you as to what choice you make.'

I had never seen a guy so expressive. It was rather the question I asked him that seemed to have struck his emotional chords. But he never imposed his views on me, which I thought was very prudent of him. We then had a rather lengthy discussion on why things are so wrong in this whole messed up system of issuing passports. Thanks to this particular MBA guy, I suddenly felt so much more important and enlightened. More so because I also had my chances to share some interesting snippets and insights about Hyderabad, with a guy who I thought asked a lot of questions given his qualifications.

By the time I was finished, the clock was ticking half past eleven. I had now spent 420 minutes in what I would like to call as the 'Mess-hole of Andhra Pradesh'. If you want to experience mayhem and see how the face of corruption looks like - Visit RPO Secunderabad. If you want to see frustrated faces all around - Stand in front of RPO Secunderabad. And what more!! If you want to get robbed in broad daylight, it is again the best place for the same. Yes, there are pickpocket's lurking around as well!!

I have made my choice. Once I get my Visa stamped, I will think twice before returning back to India again. That MBA graduate did say one thing correctly - 'Listen to what your heart says and stick to the decision you make. Life is all about making choices. There is no such thing as a 'Right choice' and a 'Wrong choice'. It is when you are not true to yourself that your choice ends up as a 'Wrong choice'!!

Signing off,

An Engineer

India and its colors

Hii folks,

With its rich cultural heritage and diversity in terms of people, language, flora and fauna; India ought to have been one of the biggest superpowers by now. But toxins like corruption, greed and an unending desire to quench the thirst for power have rendered it and its people handicapped, not physically but with the "Chalta Hai" attitude. But all is not bad with my country. The fact that it is the largest democracy in the world amply proves that we still have the time and the wherewithal to burnish our country and make it the next political and economic superpower in the world. It is with this optimism that I present to you - INDIA, and its various shades through my eyes.

Past Present and the Future

Hell: One of the most heart-wrenching moments I have ever faced in my life

Is the Himalayan fresh water actually pure? We found it to be otherwise

Serene Ganges: I now know what 'Serenity' is

Majestic Himalayas: Go on a trip to the Himalayas and get your ego busted for free!! You will feel so small in front of the mountains that it will do you more good than otherwise

Illuminated Helix: Louis Kahn couldn't have been more symmetrical!!

Diwali 2010 @ Dorm 13 - IIM AHMEDABAD: Though we were the joint runner-ups, but as usual there was no dearth of creativity and innovation in our presentation. Some couldn't understand, but that's ok!!

Misty Paapi Kondalu: We were cruising on the Godavari and it was very difficult holding the camera still for that perfect shot especially with the misty and chilly weather conditions around

Bhadrachalam Temple Complex: Specially decorated for the festival popularly known as "Vaikuntha Ekadashi"; a day when the gate to Lord Vishnu's inner sanctum is opened

Golden Jubilee @ IIM AHMEDABAD: Doesn't IIMA deserve those stars?

Cynicism personified

Jai ramji ki readers,

I would like to first thank Mr Taureansandy for allowing me to express my views on the current state of problems being faced by farmers like me. I am a small farmer in the hinterlands of what you all know as one of the most corrupt states in India. I won't reveal which state I am from. How should that matter anyway when you have humongous scams in the two most prominent G's I have known this year(CW'G' and 2'G')? To begin with, I would first congratulate all those who achieved what they had set out for this year. I am sure the feeling of achieving your goals must be extremely satisfying; a feeling I have never known as I never get the price that I deserve for my crop in the market. There is exploitation everywhere and when it comes to the same, I don't know how different this country, as we know now was different from the nation before Independence.

I live in a small village where we never had access to Television till a few months back when our village landlord got one. I was happy that I could be aware of what's happening elsewhere. But that happiness was short lived when I realized I could only watch the details of how a celebrity's dog was being treated, in a channel ironically named INDIA TV. I congratulate those brains that pass out from the so called institutes of higher excellence and have dreams of doing something meaningful for the country. But then, Greed is such a powerful and pervasive force that I can't help but pity those brains that stoop down to extremely abhorrent levels for money and fame.

I am 'cynicism personified' and I don't have any qualms in admitting that. I was once an optimist but the conditions in which I have had to struggle have made me lose trust in people. This year, the unlikely rains destroyed my crops and so has been the case with many of my other farmer friends in other states. I recently learned that my dear farmer friend who later settled in the Andhra region and with whom I had spent the best days of my childhood, had committed suicide because his rice crop was totally destroyed just when he was getting ready to harvest it. He was already under a huge debt trap and was beaming about a good crop when the thunder struck a few days back. There are only two types of people who actually know what uncertainty is, one a soldier and then the farmer. The other day someone from an NGO came to our village and started lecturing me on why I should allow my child to study in a school. Why should I when teachers there spit on walls and read newspapers while the students sleep? Why should I when the only thing my child learns is how to use expletives and speak rudely? I would rather teach him how to plow the fields and earn some money for the family than allow him to go to the school where even Maa Saraswati would hate to exist!!

People don't touch me and neither am I allowed to touch them. The collector the other day came to our village and washed his hands after getting to know that he shook hands with me. The same day I attended the funeral of my friend's daughter who committed suicide shortly after delivering a cup of Tea to the room where the collector was staying put. Her father didn't raise a hue and cry as he received the due payment. Disgusting right. But I would prefer to be blunt than be diplomatic or politically correct. Grandmothers here are experts in killing off female infants. Luckily I don't have a daughter and I profusely thank God for saving me the wrath of the society around me, though I would have loved to have a daughter which I had always dreamt of. I still remember the day when Kiran Bedi had once come to our village, delivered an excellent inspiring speech and had shown us how to live amidst despair. Though short lived it was, she is one heck of a gritty woman. My wife has to sometime beg for potable water. We bathe not more than 6 times in a month. Monsoon is the only season when we manage to drink lots of water and bathe daily.

Bollywood is a luxury for us and we don't encourage our children watching romance and love in movies. Love is taboo for us and those who dare to venture in that territory meet nothing but death. The only thing that is efficient in our village is the 'Khap' that delivers the death sentence for lovers so efficiently that it could easily put all the legal courts in our country to shame. Cricket is the only game that children manage to play in my village.

'Ok, Ok bhai, I am just winding off!!'. The problems me and my community are facing are so many that I have already reached the word limit that Mr Taureansandy had set for me. So before I go back into oblivion, I sincerely thank the blogger for giving me this chance to put forth what I thought was best for all of you to know. Over these years, I have mastered the art of appealing and begging for it has helped me survive. So, its nothing new when I again appeal to all the bright minds of this country to not be sympathetic to our problems but instead show some empathy towards us. We don't expect any financial assistance from you all for we know EMPATHY is a force that would drive you to ACTION. On this parting note, I leave for my wife would be worried about my whereabouts. Well, we do have a cell phone at home but she doesn't know how to operate it :)

Regards,

'aam aadmi'

Disclaimer: The views stated above are that of the author's and there is no intention whatsoever of hurting any sentiments.

Oxygen Trading....

May o5, 2047

Hyderabad

Dear Mother Nature,

I won't ask you how you are for I know that you have run out of patience and are now adamant on unleashing your 'wrath' on mankind. You have already swallowed Mumbai and New York and now I am beginning to test my knowledge of probability and statistics betting on which city is next. Its most unfortunate that two of the greatest cities on Earth are now no more even as I am trying to celebrate my 60th birthday and my country mourning the loss of Mumbai in the centennial anniversary of its freedom. I admire the sense of timing with which you struck fear in us, and can't stop remembering the time when a certain Al Gore was scorned and laughed at while he was trying to educate us about the perils of Greenhouse Effect.

My kids don't know how a Tiger looks like because for them it is what Dodo was for us. When they see movies where the female lead actor dances around trees in the bright sunshine, they often ask me whether the Sun was really as bright as it is displayed or is it the 'magic' created by VFX. I have to spend half of my savings now on buying Oxygen because it is a scarce commodity in the commodity exchange where it is being traded at obscenely high prices. I haven't seen a bright Sun since days thanks to the Holocaust. After living all these years in sweltering heats when temperatures were usually 50-60 degrees, its been very difficult adapting to sub 20 temperatures.

Why am I describing all this to you when you know what's been happening with me and my family? Let me be frank. My intention is to convince you that there are other ways of punishing me and mankind for all the wounds that we have inflicted on you. Why are you being so cruel and inhumane? I assure you that people are already suffering from pangs of guilt and have been never so remorseful for the unimaginable ways in which they all tortured you. I plead you to stop this mayhem for if this continues to happen, the Earth will cease to exist. Don't you think mankind deserves another chance to undo what it did and once again reconstruct Earth to what it was 100 years back. I am sure you will oblige us and help restore the lost glory and prosperity of Earth.

Yours truly,

Taureansandy

Mother Nature's Reply

Dear Taureansandy (I hate your name!!),

I have never been cruel and inhumane as you have described me to be in your letter nor do I have a sense of timing for time is nobody's servant. I would have stopped time the very moment you humans started inflicting wounds on me. When my dear friend whom you all refer to as 'God' said to me once that mankind is ungrateful, I laughed at him and defended you all. But now I regret those moments for you don't seem to empathise with me even when you were writing that letter pleading me to be kind and considerate.

You sure know about a gentleman called Isaac Newton who once said that 'Every action has an equal and opposite reaction'. That is the fundamental law of nature. So to now expect that I be kind and considerate is foolhardy because I am simply doing my job abiding by what you all call as the fundamental law. My dear friend has empowered you with 'Brains' which you have all used to lead a comfortable life so far. I expect you to use that again and escape my 'wrath'. However cruel and inhumane I may sound now, but there is something known as 'repercussions' which you all have to face. But I will consider your plea under one condition. If you can completely stop the trading of Oxygen in the commodity exchanges, then I will help mankind in reconstructing Earth back to its old glorious days.

Yours,

Mother Nature

P.S: After reading Mother Nature's reply, he simply tore it for he knew that the task assigned to him can't be accomplished.

The usual disclaimer applies...

Delhi - Dilwalon ki Dilli

Hii folks,

I recently went on a trip to Delhi for about four days and returned back with mixed feelings. Delhi has just transformed totally, from a city which was reeling with floods and frequent traffic jams just before CWG to a city brightly lit with road signs promptly put in place and the Metro looking just awesome. Why does it take a CWG to transform a city from shambles to a world class city is a question only the policymakers can answer.

But the welcome I got was never friendly and pleasant, to say the least. First of all I arrive at Ajmeri Gate at precisely 8am. That is the time when almost all the metro stations in Delhi are crowded and bustling with activity. After taking the token, I have to walk in a queue which is almost 200 metres long and on top of that you get to see scenes like the kid in front of you giving you a long stare, as if he knew that I wasn't a Delhite. Then suddenly the security personnel out there ask you to put your luggage through the X-Ray scanner. He was pointing his machine gun straight to my head. I was already scared enough and on top of this, a student busy with his girlfriend (she was definitely not his sister!!) hits me with his bag trying to overtake me even when I was pondering on how to walk past the narrow queue which was moving at a painfully slow pace.

The crowd there was so scary that for once I thought I would never be able to reach the hotel. I was already calculating how much would I have to spend for the auto, when suddenly I was simply pushed into the metro. Fortunately, the doors opened that very moment or otherwise I would have crashed into the closed door. The huge backpack that I carried didn't help either. People were staring at me and just when I thought that I would survive this ordeal without being a part of any verbal duel, I was rudely proved wrong by a gentleman who generously mouthed some of the choicest expletives to me. I was chewing a spearmint Orbit gum and so probably couldn't indulge in a duel (was so dumb there!!). Or was I so shocked at the welcome I just received that I went numb? Only the almighty knows!! Nevertheless, I ignored that guy and that's the best thing you can ever do when faced with such situations in Delhi.

How can I forget the autowallahs of Delhi? Despite acting like a Delhite, showing off my Hindi speaking abilities which is decent enough for a Hyderabadi like me, the autowallahs somehow sniffed the real 'me' out and charged accordingly. I was in no mood to argue with them over the prices they were charging but nevertheless attempted a bargain sometimes. Some of them were again rude to me, but I remember my dad saying that its always wise to ignore rather than pay them back in the same coin. I might be sounding very critical of Delhi's autowallahs but my experiences weren't nice at all. So pardon me for being so judgmental!!

But when you ask me to rate Delhi as a city to live in, I would rate it as one of the best cities to live in India alongside other good cities like Jamshedpur and Ahmedabad. Roads in Delhi were always world class, but this time New Delhi was looking looking spick and span. The air quality has improved with Metro and CNG coming in. Delhites are some of the most helpful people I have ever seen. I was craving for genuine Andhra meals and I knew that Andhra Bhawan was the place to be for having it, but I was looking out for it in a wrong locality. Desperate to reach the restaurant, I casually asked a traffic constable about the same. I wasn't expecting any help from him either, but just took a chance. Just as I had thought, he didn't have any clue about the restaurant. I was just about walking back in disgust, when he asked me to wait for a moment. He went to his colleague, mumbled something over the walkie talkie, came back and gave me the instructions. I was pleasantly surprised. No wonder I dedicated the wholesome dinner I had that night to the nameless traffic constable and to the spirit of Delhi and its people.

On the last day, I visited the Akshardham Temple which is unlike all other temples I have been to. It looked more like a stellar display of the wealth that the Swaminarayan community members have earned over the years. The temple is a treat to your eyes with greenery all around and the moment you enter the 'Sanctum Sanctorum', the only thing that you notice is Gold and nothing else. Here all that glitters is indeed Gold!! But I couldn't help wondering about the absence of beggars, something which is always associated with Hindu temples in India. An interesting incident happened when I alighted at the Akshardham metro station. I just came out of the terminus and was as usual looking for an auto when to my pleasant surprise I saw a fleet of cycle rickshaws out there waiting for patrons. Two men approached me suddenly and one of them was pushing me to board his auto, whereas the other just said. "Dus rupaiye sahab". I stared at him in surprise and that is when he said, "Auto nahi sahab, rickshaw hai". I heard myself saying, "So what, its been almost 15 years since I travelled in a cycle rickshaw way back in my home town." I wanted to relive those memories and moreover a cycle rickshaw gives you the time to observe whatever is all around whereas you can't do that sitting in an auto. So, I followed that guy and in the process seemed to have pissed the autowallah who started staring at me. By that time I had had enough of this staring **it and so promptly stared back at him. "Sahab, achcha kiya aap auto nahi liye. Aajkal hamara dhandhe ka koi mol nahi, sab jaldi jaana chahte hain" His words were profound because we have indeed become so fast paced that we have even forgotten how to relax. Do we now have the time to spend on ourselves? He charged me 10 bucks which I was more than happy to spend.

I am not wrong when I say that Delhi is one of the best places to live in India. You will find the best food to eat in places like Chandni Chowk, best bargains at Palika bazar and the best roads to travel on. Delhi is one of those cities where the entire country resides. So even if you are alone, you are not because you will always meet someone from your community, just as I experienced when I went to Andhra Bhawan. For a fleeting moment, I felt as if I was back in Hyderabad and it felt good. And on top of it, Delhites are always there to help and take care of you.

Delhi - Dilwalon ki Dilli

Regards,

taureansandy

Nikon Speaks out..

DISCLAIMER: This post is a crude and an actual description of the Valmiki community's lifestyle. Nikon doesn't intend to hurt any reader sentiments and emotions.

Hii readers,

People call me Nikon D3000. I was lying inside a sealed box for about 20 days in a well known electronics retail store in Ahmedabad and was sleeping happily. One fine evening, I was dreaming about being in the hands of Atul Kasbekar in his brightly lit studio with .... and the grumpy salesman rudely woke me up from my glitzy and flashy dream . And the first thing I saw after I woke up were two guys who were staring at me as if ...Whatever!!..They were comparing me with my fierce competitor and checking which one of us was better in terms of the grip and weight. I was seething with anger. How dare these guys compare me with "***on"?? Don't they know that I am the best!!

Thankfully my owner ultimately chose me, for he had already made up his mind. In short, it was a planned purchase. My first day on the field went about helping him click some fantastic and some not so good clicks of the T-nite proceedings in his campus. It was quite a boring proposition compared to the dream I was having before I was woken up. Anyways, I never imagined that my owner would introduce me to an altogether different world on the day this country called India got its independence. From now on the use of the word "we" shall refer to both me and my Lord together!!

We reached a filthy and pungent settlement located on the outskirts of this city, apparently to study the lifestyle of manhole workers belonging to a community called "Valmiki". I could observe that my lord was visibly upset and wanted to desperately cover his nose and ensure his olfactory senses don't malfunction in the future. The scene there was acrid and nauseating to say the least. Thankfully I only have eyes to see, so I was least bothered about the smell. My lord had a firm grip on me, even as he was carefully watching his steps to avoid dung and the dirty drain water while carefully crossing the muddy and slippery paths totally disoriented by the rains that had lashed this city previously.

Even while we were crossing another huge "dungy" obstacle, I overheard a woman mumbling something in their local language. Apparently she had mistook my lord to be a media reporter and was begging him to do something to uplift their present situation. My lord had already understood what she was saying, but could only nod his head to ensure she at least deserves some attention. Pangs of guilt and the realisation that he could do nothing tangible and effective for their welfare at that point of time, were the thoughts playing out loud in my lord's mind. But I was totally disoriented. The journey, in my dreams from the glitzy and flashy world of hot and pretty models posing for the fashion photographer to this isolated hell, totally cut off from the outside world was something that made me realise that I would be more useful clicking the anguish and the pain in their eyes and thus help my lord spread the awareness that India is still not independent. Ironically, no one within the settlement was aware that their country was celebrating its independence that day.

After a brief discussion with the community elders and knowing about the squalid conditions in which they were living since 40+ years, we bid goodbye to them. I was wondering why people out there were particularly enthusiastic about getting their pictures clicked. Malnourished children were following us and my lord was kind enough to oblige them by taking their pics. He was led into a lane that was extraordinarily squalid and where he took around 5 minutes to traverse about 50 feet inside that lane. Finally he reached a spot where he tried hard not to vomit. I was shocked to see a family of 6 people living out there, besides a hut which belonged to a manhole worker. "Saheb, hamari photo bhi keencho naa saheb", and that is where I clicked this photograph displayed above of a girl child who surprisingly wasn't scared of me. I am a simple DSLR camera and I only know how to click good photographs, but there at that moment I was disliking the very idea of capturing those gory inhumane living conditions. My lord was kind enough not to put me further through that horrible experience. I could see my lord walking very fast while returning back and that was understood. But on the way back, even the baby calf out there and the big huge fat goats seem to block our way, as if shouting at us and saying "Kai log aap jaise aaye aur chale bhi gaye, par hamaari kisko padi hai!!"

India's GDP is now worth more than $1trillion and is accelerating rapidly in terms of industrial and economic development. But, is internal development happening? I was manufactured in Tokyo, where I have never seen or experienced things like the caste system, exploitation and no access to primary education. So, when I describe this visit and the overall experience as heart wrenching don't say that this is nothing new in this country for because I am simply not used to all this goriness!! The huts in this settlement don't have toilets, no water supply and no power supply. People didn't dare sleep during the floods for the fear of getting washed out. Doesn't all this make this settlement a living hell??

On our journey back, I was sitting comfortably in the darkness of the camera case that protects me. I knew my lord had become totally silent after that experience; evidently he was deeply anguished. But I never expected him to scare off the auto driver when he suddenly shouted out "How can those people live in such disgusting conditions!!" even while his friend was calming him down. I then thought that even a lifeless thing like me enjoys the protection of a camera case, whereas people out there in that settlement are living a hopeless life without any protection of sorts. What an Irony!!

Regards,
taureansandy's Nikon D3000

1984

"What do you think are the three most important turning points in the history of post independent India?". I took a long pause, even as I was thinking of mentioning the three most important events in the 63 years of India's existence as a sovereign nation. The interviewer's question was a tricky one, which you always expect in a premier B-school interview. After ten seconds or so, I listed down the three events:

• 1974: India became an atomic power(Smiling Buddha)
• 1984: Indira Gandhi's assasination
• 2008: 26/11 Mumbai Attacks

There are many other events which have been as tragic and historic as the above, but I don't know why I mentioned those three. As was obvious, they asked for my justification and I suitably came up with my arguments.

But now I feel, the second event which I mentioned as the Assassination of Indira Gandhi holds a special place. As in, it led to a chain of events that changed the course of Indian politics. Till that time, Congress was a virtual monopoly. Post 1984 saw the emergence of the BJP and other Hindutva oriented fundamentalist parties.

Indira Gandhi was a visionary and a true leader, popular amongst the masses with her "Garibi Hatao" movement. We are now almost self-sufficient when it comes to food production and the credit must be given to her. But people do forget that she was above all a human being, with shades of egoism quite evident from the way she toyed with the democracy during the emergency. Her tactical mistakes cost India, a large part of Kashmir. And the antipathy she shared with the then US President Richard Nixon amply proves that sparks fly when two giants clash!! But regardless of the blunders which she did, she was a towering personality, one who engulfed thousands of people even after her death.

Yes, I am talking about the Delhi 1984 riots. One of the worst ever organized government sponsored homicidal killings of all times, comparable to the holocaust under the Nazi Regime, not in terms of scale but definitely in terms of the intent. Official records cite a figure of 3000 sikhs killed, but thousands went missing and so the effective casualty figure almost doubles. Even, Osama bin Laden would have had a tough time motivating his cadre to kill that many people in the 9/11 attacks (Pun Intended). I distinctly remember not being taught enough about the 1984 riots in my history textbooks and I now know why. Mental trauma and agony are two things which hurt you more than anything else. That is what precisely happened with thousands of families who have lost their dear ones in those riots. Justice has been denied, and the the ones who conducted the pogrom are still drinking their cup of tea with glee. Names can't be mentioned out here, because the "matter is subjudice"!! An alibi most politicians involved in crimes use to escape the media.

Does the Indian Government have the right to morally preach the Uzbek Government for the genocidal killings in Uzbekistan?? No, unless and until its hands aren't stain free, it has no right to do so except allowing the foreign secretary to release an official statement condemning the killings and then keep quite. India desperately needs a Handbook on "How to protect its citizens" and I guess Israel would be the fitting author for such a handbook if ever, it was published. I am not justifying Israel's actions, some of which are equally if not more ghastly.

Point to ponder is that the government hasn't learnt its lessons well as was evident from the Godhra Riots in 2002. So, are we different from any other nation that has and still indulges in ethnic cleansing? Yes and No. Yes, because we are still a democratic nation and uphold the values as written down in our constitution. No, because the government and the whole system wouldn't hesitate to "discreetly" support the rioters and the arsonists when the need arises (read vote bank politics).

P.S: Watch the movies "Amu" and "Parzania".

Regards,
taureansandy

"Raju in Bengaluru"

hii folks,

The summer this year has been a great experience for me, for I have traveled to newer places and met different people from various backgrounds. And in the process, realised that I am lucky. In plain simple terms, just lucky enough to be what I am now.

It was 4'o'clock in my watch, weather cloudy and with a soft breeze blowing through me, I was feeling very good about myself. I was doing things which I never thought would be able to do. I was going to conduct focus group interviews with two groups of people whom I have never met. And the thought of meeting new people and talking to them, asking questions and seeking answers was leading to a little bit of anxiousness and nervousness!!

I was waiting at the Nagarsandra circle, wondering why Bengaluru is full of places named with "Hallis", "Sandras", "Gudis" etc. I was utterly confused when I heard the guy on the phone saying "Nagasandra" while he was actually referring to "Nagarsandra". Incidentally both are different places, something which I realised after visiting "Nagasandra" only to find that this wasn't where I was supposed to be that evening. Finally I was at the right place, waiting for a guy who was according to what the guy on the phone described was, supposed to ride an Activa in a blue T-shirt, and coming to pick me up from the circle.

I instantly recognised that guy, and he also recognised me too. I don't know whether its your instinct or something else, but once you have a description of the one you want to meet, its amazing how you can recognise them, though you have never met each other before.

He was a tall frail looking guy, but almost scared the hell out of me with his ridiculous driving skills manoeuvering the Activa through small corners and streets. It was like the Activa was obediently following his instructions!! I heaved a sigh of relief once I reached the destination. Well the initial apprehensions I had about my ability to communicate with newbies were uncalled for as the objectives I set for myself were met. Participants were telling me more than I had asked for. After a spate of emotional outbursts and jokes apart, I was ready to leave when "Raju", the guy who had dropped me asked me where I was from.

Minutes later I was at ease talking with Raju because he was also from AP, the state where I am from. It always feels good to have someone with whom you can speak in your mother tongue in a "foreign" land. You can always learn something in life by meeting new people, and that is what precisely happened with me.

"Raju's" life has been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride. Born in the sleepy town of Anantapur in a peasant family, he was only expected to earn for his family as early in life as possible. As has been the case in most of the rural India, he too was a school dropout but was quite aware of the happenings around him. "Experience is the best teacher". He came to Bengaluru three years back, with dreams in his eyes, carrying his families expectations and burdens on his shoulders. Fortunately for him, the city didn't fail him. His ever smiling face had masked various emotions of pain and struggle that he and his family had to endure in his childhood, getting oppressed and exploited by the princely Zamindaars of Rayalaseema. After working as a mechanic for an year, he now is working as a Video operator recording focus group interviews and earning a decent 3000 bucks each month. His employer has been kind enough to provide him his daily share of meals and shelter to sleep. He narrated me his entire story during the 20 minute ride on the Activa, back to Basavanagudi bus stop. Though Bengaluru's traffic was noisy enough to act as an hindrance, but still I managed to hear him throughout, even as he was evading Trucks and jumping Traffic signals with ease!!

While I was wishing him all the best for his future endeavours, he pulled out his cell phone from the pocket and asked for my number. I was shocked, but then realised that the Telecom boom had already empowered the masses. I realised that at such a young age, "Raju " has seen and experienced much more in life than I have and so here was a guy whom I admired for his courage and conviction. His family is now somewhat in a better condition because he sends half of his monthly salary back home.

The "thousand watt" smile that he had while he bid me farewell left a strong and indelible impression on me. Something which will always remain memorable for a long time to come.

Regards,

taureansandy