No Country For Women!!

Been watching the Indian visual media cover the most recent incident of rape in Delhi over the last day or so, discuss the public outrage, response of the government machinery and what not.

It is past 9.00 in the night, I've got my bourbon on and maybe that's why I'm being so cynical, but I just don't see anything changing any time soon. A few days would go by and the media would find the next juicy story to carry and grab TRP. And the countless people and celebrities displaying their anger on social media by tweeting, liking Facebook pages, supporting causes/campaigns etc. would find a new distraction.

Why wait a few days, only one day, just one day after the women MPs made some moving remarks in the parliament regarding the issue, our elected representatives were back to their callous ways. On the floor of the house one of the members snatched a bill from another MP and within minutes a melee ensued. Only one day after such a heinous incident was talked about in the parliament, the MPs couldn't maintain decorum, couldn't maintain a more somber disposition. They had to cause a ruckus. 

This is the attitude of our 'elected' representatives. We like to blame the politicians, the police, the system for everything but where the hell have these people come from!! These lawmakers are people that we elected. Those in the police were at some point part of the general populace. They are not a lot different from us as much as we'd like to believe otherwise. I'm paraphrasing George Carlin when I say, "Selfish ignorant people will have selfish ignorant representatives. That's how the system works. Garbage in, garbage out !!".

This is not the first time I've seen these candlelit vigils, not the first time I've seen these campaigns for women's safety. And something tells me that this isn't the last time I'd see these. And I don't blame the politicians, the police or anyone in particular. I squarely blame all of us. 

We say that the perpetrators of these crimes have no fear of the law. But do WE fear the law? We don't think twice before we break a traffic rule or bribe a cop/government official to find a way around the system. Men who rape women feel the same. They feel that they'd either bribe their way out of it, or someone high and mighty would come to their rescue, or the incident would go unreported, or even if the case goes to trial it would be take forever to get a verdict. 

We say that these criminals don't respect women but do WE? What they do is not a lot different from the 'innocuous' playful teasing that is a common occurrence anywhere in any of our cities. I don't think we're showing women respect when we stare at them on the roads while they're driving. Not showing any respect when we depict them as merely pieces of meat in our movies. Yeah it is crass but true. Almost 99% of our movies are men oriented. When a movie like Matrubhoomi is made its considered non-mainstream. Way to show respect!!

Others say that these criminals consider women inferior to them and hence think they are right in subjugating and abusing them. How different are we when we prefer the boy child to the girl child? The way we raise them. The way we discriminate against the girl child. And I'm also including the educated lot in this. Of course exceptions are there but largely this is what is prevalent. 

Folks are saying that women should be taught self-defense and that is a potential solution. Well in our own country, in our own cities, in our own neighborhoods if a woman has to learn self-defense to go out then what a shame it is. We've completely failed them. The politicians, the police, the justice system, the celebrated Indian cinema, the parents. Everyone! You and me!! 

'Anna'tomy Of A Disaster 2 !!

A government acting under extreme pressure and stern time constraints. All political parties acting against their natural disinclination to formulate a law that would act as a deterrent to their debauched ways. A 'civil society' movement that lost the plot a long time back. A popular leader who got distracted from his pithy message on corruption by talking about 'flogging' and 'slapping'. And an apathetic populace who was too busy holiday shopping. It was the recipe for a disaster. And that's exactly what the Indian parliament hurtled to in the last week of 2011. A disaster !!

I had mentioned in my previous post, "Haste if of the devil". That's where I'd like to start this time. The Anna movement generated unprecedented support in it's crusade against corruption at the beginning of 2011. They did a stupendous job of it. But once they had flagged the issue they should have been a little more patient. Threatening the government every few weeks with fasts and rallies was never going to help. 

The government rather reluctantly introduced it's version. They hoped to jam it through by the stipulated deadline. The idea I believe was to put anything out there that they could term the 'Lokpal Bill'. It didn't matter how weak or ineffectual it'd be. 

They were able to jam the bill through in the lower house as they had the numbers. But the sailing was not to be so smooth in RS. Congress knew they wouldn't be able to muster the votes in the RS. So they decided to filibuster. What completely beats me is why did they shy away from a vote? In a democracy it's not uncommon for a bill to be defeated in the parliament/congress. It simply means that the bill doesn't have the confidence of the house in it's current form. It should be deliberated further and could be passed with some concessions/amendments. I fail to understand why the Congress considered this vote as a referendum on their governance. I guess after the FDI debacle Congress didn't want to lose another one. 

The opposition led by the BJP insisted on sitting through the night and deliberating the 180+ amendements to the bill. But their brouhaha the following day made clear their sole intention. And that was to defeat the bill in RS, claim that the government didn't have the support of the House and the confidence of the people and demand fresh elections. The Congress is definitely culpable. There is no doubt about that. But the BJP cannot be exonerated in any way either. The Indian electorate is stuck between a rock and a very very hard place. 

This was a defeat for everyone. The government, the opposition, Team Anna and the People of India. An opportunity that had arrived after many decades was squandered.

I once read a cynical journalist write, "Politicians everywhere are the same. To believe that they'd think about the people before they'd think about their own good is hopelessly naive". Unfortunately our politicians vindicated his remarks.

'Anna'tomy Of A Disaster !!

Dear Anna,

Hope you're well! As well as someone who's not eaten for 10 days can be !! I write to you with a purpose so let me get straight to it.

Granted that the current government and the prior governments have been infested with the fungus of corruption. Granted that their moral fabric is steeped in malfeasance. And granted that their profiteering ways and complete disdain for the law is an utter abomination. And I know that people, myself included, are fed up of this mess. It's high time we act. But we should be cautious lest we commit a blunder. As they say, 'Haste is of the Devil'.

Now I don't know how big a fan are you of our constitution. But I'm sure you'd know that the Indian constitution was chalked out over a period of close to 3 years by a Constituent Assembly that comprised of people from a multitude of backgrounds, regions, religions and communities. The idea was to have a constitution that would consider the aspirations of each and every Indian, no matter their community, no matter their religion and no matter their gender. I wrote about it a little more here if you wish to read.

Now during this period there were many points of contention amongst the members of the Constituent Assembly. Disagreements about the Gandhian idea of village panchayats, affirmative actions and the status of Indian languages especially the idea of an 'official' language. The CA spent days and weeks and months deliberating these points. Spent a lot of time understanding every one's point of view and their concerns. Only then they came to a decision.

Now even though these are very important facets of our constitution they are still not as important and as far-reaching as the one that you are proposing. If these were debated and deliberated for months on end, don't you think the law that you're proposing needs a little more discussion? More and more people should read and discuss it. In my occupation we have a dictum that says 'the more the number of eyes that look at a piece of code, the more robust and less buggy it is'.

You've mobilized the entire populace of the nation. To spur into action so many people, people across age groups and people across social stratas, is no mean feat . And to do so in this age is just stupendous. The bumbling government is definitely on the back foot. They are now cognizant of the power of democracy. I'm sure they wouldn't dare go back to their state of lumber and lethargy. Negotiate with them. To get the bill passed in such a short duration and without due deliberation would be unwise. The repercussions of a bill jammed through like this could be severe.

Even if you feel that your version of the bill is 'the perfect one' I implore you to not let the 'perfect' be the enemy of the 'good'. Negotiate with the government.

And before that please have some juice !!!

Regards,

Vk Singh

For You, A Thousand Times Over !!

Over the last few days I've had many matters vying for my attention. Moving apartments, parents visiting among many other things. But the issues that have taken the maximum toll are the ones pertaining Amir, Hassan, Ali & Baba. 'The Kite Runner' is an engaging tale. An engrossing one really. Amir's guilt, Baba's pride and Hassan's goodness & unflinching loyalty. The story thralls you and makes you feel all these in your gut.

'There is a way to be good again', this phrase from Rahim Khan is the perfect embodiment of the book's theme. That of sin and redemption. Amir gets a chance to atone not just himself but do penance for his father's sin too.

The story's about a lot of other things too. Love, friendship, betrayal, loyalty, shame, remorse & courage.

Baba says 'A boy who can't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up for anything'. Amir doesn't stand up for his friend once and rues it for many many years. He stands by the side while Hassan is scarred for life. His cowardice prevents him from helping his friend and his guilt forces him to drive Hassan & Ali away. He tries to move on but he cannot. Like a bad penny his past keeps turning up.

Baba's character is also an interesting one. On one hand he tells Amir that 'the biggest sin of all is theft. When you lie you steal someone's right to the truth...' and on the other hand never divulges to Hassan & Amir the biggest truth of their lives. As Oscar Wilde said, 'Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he'd tell you the truth'. Still Baba's character comes out as a strong one. Most of all when he risks his life to defend the honor of a woman when fleeing Kabul. His guilt engenders good.

The thing that struck me the most about the story was Amir's guilt and remorse. At one point he says 'I understood the nature of my new curse. I was going to get away with it' And that's perhaps a curse of the worst kind. Your guilt gnawing at you and nobody knowing about it. I guess that's the reason he wanted Hassan to hit him when they were at the hill. He had wronged Hassan but didn't get the comeuppance. No one reproached him ever. No one confronted him but his own self. When he's in a hospital bed in Pakistan and Farid tells him 'For you a thousand times over', he breaks down and cries uncontrollably. He remembers what he did to the last person who uttered those words to him.

The story ends with hope. Hope that Amir is able to build a bond with Hassan's son. Hope that one day he'd be able to forgive himself. Hope that one day he'd be able to sleep again!! I have the same hope for myself !!!

Viva La Raza !!!

Generally I don't write this often. Roughly once a month. I just published a post a few days back but what happened in Egypt recently spurred me into writing another post.

"There are decades where nothing happens; and then there are weeks where decades happen" - these words are quite apropos in describing what transpired in Egypt. A popular uprising usurped the 30 year rule of Hosni Mubarak. In a matter of days the political landscape of the country changed completely.

Scenes in the news showed huge crowds in the streets. Air pregnant with emotion. Joy, tears, ecstasy, euphoria. Nehru said in his famous speech in 1947, "A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance". No other words could be truer in Egypt's context.

Democracy is something the Egyptians would have to wait for. But they've made a start. Democratic institutions take time to be set up and there is a possibility that it may all go awry if the wrong people get the reins of power. But the fear of the unknown cannot stop you from doing what is right.

The Egyptians had a dream, the dream of freedom, the dream of democracy. And they believed in that dream. And when someone believes in something, get excited by an idea then they can achieve it. And that's what the Egyptians did.

What we saw was the triumph of human spirit. The thing that in my opinion makes our species special. The spiritual and mental part of our humanity. Our ability to come together for a purpose and transcend the individual.

Long live this human spirit. And long live freedom.

Viva la razzza !!!

India After Gandhi !!

I always tell my friends that I don't read as much as I'd like to. I attribute it mainly to the fact that I'm an out-and-about kinda guy. Every single day (even a work day) is packed with so many outdoor activities and there are so many things that I need to follow (like sports, politics, movies, economics, technology etc) that whatever leisure time I get I tend to spend it on these activities.

But over the last month or so I've managed to find the time to read 2 books. The first one was 'Too Big To Fail' which I read en-route to my brother's place in Arkansas (there's not much else you can do on a plane that's not much bigger than a bus !!). That book was just too good to put down. A true page-turner. Its a behind-the-scenes account of the financial meltdown. Awesome awesome read!! I highly recommend it to anyone with even a scintilla of interest in finance & economics.

But this post is for the second book. It's titled 'India After Gandhi'. And if the title didn't make it amply clear it's the story of India after the demise of Gandhi. In the foreword the author rightly points out that all history books in India seem to climax with the independence of India in 1947. We are 60 years past that point. But we don't have a book that chronicles the issues and challenges India has faced since.

This book describes the affair between India and it's destiny after their famous tryst on the 15th Aug 1947. India's problems did not end that day with the attainment of liberty. As the leaders of that time were to find out, they had just started.

The book talks abouts how independence came not to "one" but to "two nations". The anguish that was caused by the partition. Countless people died, countless became refugees, lives changed forever. It details the plight of refugees from both East & West Pakistan. I came to know so many things I had absolutely no idea about.

Then there was the onerous task of including the various "princely states" to the Indian union. It was as the author puts it "the hottest of all the hot potatoes of the time". Also the herculean task of drafting a new constitution. A constitution that had to take into consideration the aspirations of a multitude of communities, religions, classes & regions and had to allay the fears of minorities in a Hindu dominant nation.

In 1952 the first general elections were held. This was a formidable challenge to say the least. The issue of Kashmir was still unsettled in the 50s (remains unsettled till date). The book also talks about how the Congress leaders had always professed the formation of states based on language but how after independence they thought it wouldn't be wise to divide the nation, already marred by a bloody partition, any further . And how they eventually had to give in to the numerous protests in favor of linguistic states. How the leaders of the time handled the Naga rebellion, the Hindu Civil Code and India's foreign policy.

I've been through just one portion of the book up till now. I must say reading it drains you. It's not one of those books you can read for pleasure but a book that you should read nonetheless. I look forward to reading the rest of it !!

If you do too then we should talk afterwards.

For Frodo !!!

For many months now we've seen the unemployment rate at an all-time high. For more than 2 years now the rate of home foreclosures has been hitting the ceiling. These are tough times for America. Made tougher by a Congress which is broken. At least that's what a majority of the Americans feel.

Most feel that 'politics' is winning over 'policy' when it comes to any issue in Washington. Both political parties seem to be suffering from an acute case of myopia and seem incapable of thinking beyond the 2012 election. What they don't seem to understand is that if they don't work together at this time, if they don't display bipartisanship in solving the plethora of problems facing the country at this time, no matter which party wins in 2012 it would find itself in a much deeper abyss and under tremendous pressure.

To say that the situation is complex would be a big understatement. Some congressmen are fixated on cutting the spending as they don't like the idea of America living beyond its means and owing large amounts of debt to foreign countries. Well it makes sense if you think about it! But others feel that this is not the time for austerity. The economy is in recession, the businesses are not spending and they are not going to as the domestic consumption has fallen. If the govt also tightens its purse strings at this time then the economy would go into a downward spiral in no time. A stalemate ensues.

Its common sense to extend the unemployment benefits to the almost 10% unemployed. When some argue against this by saying that this adds to the govt's spending, that's when you start to lose it. This is one spending the govt must do IMHO!!

Extending the 'Bush Tax Cuts' for the richest 2% Americans is yet another debate raging on in the Congress. Add to all this the numerous problems on the foreign policy front.

Now lets face it. We know that the Republicans and the Democrats have fundamentally different ideologies. That's why they are labelled 'conservatives' and 'liberals'. They cannot completely come together since they follow essentially 2 disparate doctrines about governance. But coming together and reaching some middle ground shouldn't be that hard. After all they've done it in the past right?! They surely can do it again. The country needs it more than ever now!!

Millions of Americans would hope they do come together for the sake of the country's future. So would I !!

For some inspiration the folks in Washington could read the following lines and act with valor. Take some tough decisions even though they may not be the best decisions politically. We need an Aragorn! And a Gandalf. And a Frodo and a Sam!!!

"A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! " - Aragorn

Lets fight !!

Half a Billion Friends but How Many Really LIKE you ?!

I'm gonna write this post, tiny the url and post it on my Facebook wall. I might tweet it as well. Linked-In perhaps not but I'm certain the link would be my gtalk status for a few days. And what would I be doing when I do all or any of the above. I'd be 'Social Networking'. Well actually..I'd be 'promoting myself' using social networking !! Not that I need any promotion :D

Now one thing we HAVE to mention when we mention social networking is Facebook. Its the only behemoth when it comes to social networking websites.

We've heard & read countless stories about Facebook over the years. Some credible, some incredible. Some inspiring & some downright silly. 'The Social Network' brings us the story behind all these stories. That of Facebook. It's inception and it's combative aftermath. It describes the stunner of an invention that Facebook is.

A little about the movie now. It comes from one of my favorite directors David Fincher. In the past he's given us Se7en, Fight Club and the like. The movie is fast and engaging and in a dimly lit theater it captivates the audience like a deft ballet dancer. It doesn't pull any punches. As a matter of fact it gets the maximum effect for it's jabs through some intelligent & unapologetic dialogs. It's hard to separate fact from fiction in this telling tale but you'd find yourself not caring so much about what is fact and what is not. You can call it a story of pure inspiration or of a jilted lover or of a socially awkward genius or of the pernicious effects of money. It doesn't matter. You'd end up loving it any which way. And yes you'd love the soundtrack too.

Here's my favorite quote from the movie:

Attorney: Okay - no. You don't think I deserve your (full) attention.

Mark Zuckerberg: I think if your clients want to sit on my shoulders and call themselves tall, they have the right to give it a try - but there's no requirement that I enjoy sitting here listening to people lie. You have part of my attention - you have the minimum amount. The rest of my attention is back at the offices of Facebook, where my colleagues and I are doing things that no one in this room, including and especially your clients, are intellectually or creatively capable of doing. [pauses] Did I adequately answer your condescending question?

And then there's the last scene. I'm not gonna spoil it for you. See it and love it!!

A movie like this comes along once in many years. Great drama, great acting and unremitting pace. It's got it all..Don't miss it !!!

And yes needless to say..you don't LIKE this post till you LIKE it on Facebook...LOL

Duniya GOAL Hai !!!

"Some people think that football is a matter of life and death. I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much more important than that." - Bill Shankly

Football encompasses life, death and all that is in between. Its not merely a game. Its a lot more. A whole lot more. At the time it brings unbridled joy to a few it leaves another few misty eyed.


It teaches you how to lose and still not be a loser. Just look at the Ghanaian team. Even after losing the quarter-finals to Uruguay they were the brightest stars of this World Cup. Had their talismanic player Essien been in the fray who knows how far they would have gone!!


120+minute of the match. No time left for another roll of the dice. That penalty kick was IT !! Had Gyan converted that penalty it would have been curtains for Uruguay. But he didn’t. And breathed new life into the crestfallen Uruguayan players & fans. Uruguay went on to win the match in the penalty shoot-out. Shows that life always gives you a second chance. And I’m sure that Gyan more than anyone else would agree with this. He’d be back in 4 years to take his second chance.

Germans beating the Argentinians showed how important team work is. The world was raving about Messi and how he'd run amok this WC. But a bunch of boys (who had collectively not scored as many goals as Messi alone did last season) had other ideas! A great player and his even greater mentor were humbled by a group of boys as well-knit as my mom's sweaters !!

Ask Cardozo of Paraguay and he’d talk about a different lesson. One to the transient nature of life and everything in it. From being on the top of the world one day he went to hiding his face on another. He scored the winning penalty to eliminate Japan but then missed one against Spain. I’m sure his coach would have told him ‘Don't sweat it boy !! This too shall pass’. The good times don't last forever and neither do the bad times.

Ask Brazil and they'd have something else to tell you. 'Your anger is your worst own enemy'. A match they had in their pockets against the Dutch went all awry just because the 'Samba Boys' lost their rhythm and their cool.

And then Puyol showed us in the semi-finals that nothing is impossible (in life) if you put your 'head' to it ;) You see what I did there :D

What a game this football is!! What passion! What emotion!! Someone has rightly said "Ignorance of football is ignorance of life itself " !!

India Burning !!

I sit in a far-off place, look at the plight of my country and shake my head in disbelief.

Another 100 people died in an incident last week. Some say that it was the work of the Maoists. Some say otherwise. The needle of suspicion has still not settled. Unsurprisingly politics is acting as the spring.

I read about the twin sisters, Shirin and Sharmin, who died in the accident. They were going to visit Mumbai for the first time and were mighty excited. Sadly they took the journey of no return. Anyone who outcries for the human rights of the Maoists or tries to romanticize their rebellion should have had one look at the girls' cherubic faces. Smashed by metal and smeared with blood they lay there in the wreckage.

What is this? What's wrong with these people ?!

Be it the "fake democracy" that Ms. Roy has been carping about. Or be it the excesses committed by the govt in the past. No reason is reason enough to do this. No cause is good enough for expiation.

Now we have to understand that we are a relatively 'young' nation. We are bound to have some problems. Every nation does. The US even after 150 years of its independence had problems of segregation and racial discrimination. I mention this since their situation then was quite akin to our situation now. The blacks were left to struggle in the dungeons of poverty & segregation while the whites enjoyed the fruits of the nation's progress. Similar reasons have been cited by the Maoists for their struggle.

What we need to see though is how they came out of it. Not by killing policemen & sabotaging trains. Not by burning bridges either. But through acts of non-violent protests and civil disobedience. Their acts engendered crisis situations which highlighted the inequities between the two races and entailed immediate action by the govt.

There were protests like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Greensboro sit-ins. The whole movement was largely non-violent. And they did it in the face of severe oppression and violence from the whites.

Call me naive but I think that Gandhi guy had the idea right. So did King Jr.

An eye for an eye would leave the whole world blind !!

But who's gonna tell the Maoists ?! Ms. Roy ?!

Hazaaron Khwaahishein Aisi..

"Hazaaron khwahishen aisi ki har khwahish pe dum nikle...

bahut nikle mere armaan lekin fir bhi kam nikle"....

"A thousand desires/ambitions I have and each could consume my entire life,

A single lifetime would not suffice for the desires I have in my heart"...

I hope Mirza Ghalib is not turning in his grave after reading my translation/interpretation of his most famous couplet. I'm merely trying to help those who don't know his language very well !

No. I am not re-assessing or re-setting the goals of my life. That phase of life hasn't come yet. I think its still a few months away :p

But every time I read/hear these lines I think of all the things I want to do/be in life.

It's not that I've been all over hell's half acre and haven't figured out what I want to do. It's just that I want to do a myriad of things. I want to continue doing what I'm doing but I want do a lot more. Time or rather the lack of it would be the only dampener on my plans.

I am not one to brag but I am pretty well read now. I have completed two degrees but I think there is place to hang one more on my wall. An MBA from a reputed b-school might fit the bill.

I also want to go for the Indian Civil Services. I want to be a part of the solution and not the problem. I want to be the change that I want to see. I want to cut the red long tape of bureaucracy. "I want to be the idealistic civil servant" is what I'm getting at.

But here's the tricky part. If I do any of the above would I be able to put to good use my polemical skills which I can do if I go for a Juris Doctor. Not sure.

Anyways. Enough about professions I want to be a crackerjack at :D

There are other non-professional things on my wish list too.

First is to start a kick-ass 'Fight Club' with Tyler. Another is to get captured as a POW, escape to Tibet and meet the Dalai Lama.

Get my hands on a time machine and hurtle away to the Wild West at 88 miles/hr. Rechristen myself as 'Mr. Eastwood' once there and settle the unfinished business I have with 'Mad Dog' Tannen :O

I'd also want to meet Kate Winslet on a ship somewhere along the way. Oh yeah..and I wish to run the length and breadth of the US ala Mr. Gump as and when time permits.

Too much too ask for ?! I sure think so..

But we've got only one life. This is the only chance. Got to do it ALL in this one itself !!

The Homecoming !!

"It's a funny thing about comin' home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You'll realize what's changed is you" - Benjamin Button, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Home indeed has not changed. I've come back after almost 2 years but it's just as warm as before. My bed seems to have shrunk though. Or perhaps I have grown a little.

Parents as well are very much the same. Mom is as nostalgic as ever and Dad is as equable as ever.

Mom's food is as flavorful as before if not more. I don't miss all the meat I had grown fond of. Starbucks 'Chai Latte' has nothing on her Chai. I've gone from 1 cup a day to 4 cups a day. Surely she has a secret ingredient that has me hooked. The 'Chole Bhathore' at the local shop are just as greasy and I enjoy them just as much :D

The city too seems very much the same. The weather's way more hospitable than the frigid cold of NY. The roads are a little more dusty than before but I'm told they would get better by October. October is when the city holds the Commonwealth Games.

The malls and markets are just as packed. Just as colorful. The movie ticket prices have surely gone up. Refreshingly so has the level of cinema.

My buddies are as delightful as ever. Though some have now become the lesser half from being the only half :D

Sachin's game is as sublime as ever. He packs a punch just like before :D

Everything seems so much the same. This is my comfort zone. Still only in a single week I'm ready to go back.

Do I miss NY? I guess I do.

Would I miss home as soon as I'm back there? I guess I would.

Letter To The Prime Minister

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

Hope you are having a pleasant 2010.

It’s that time of the year again. IPL is coming and seems like the only thing our country (its people, its celebrities, its bloggers, its media-men) can talk about is that. Feels just like yesterday when all we could talk of was whether to provide security for the IPL matches or for the country’s general elections. We decided to go for the latter. I think that was a good choice.

Now the tomfoolery returns. This time it transcends the border. Pak players were invited for the bidding @IPL. Then snubbed. You know the deal.

It has caused a lot of umbrage across the border. Our nation is in a frenzy too. It's all we can talk about. Some of us are expiatory. Some are not. SRK comes out and claims that it was shameful that no Pak player was bid for. Mind you that he himself c0-owns one of the teams and could have bid for them if he so wanted to. The Home Minister says that he wants to see some Pak players play in IPL3. That guy Modi says that it was the teams’ decision and there was no pressure from the government. Now that's what gets my goat. Why was there no pressure from the Indian government?!

Why can't we present a united front on this issue to Pak and the ICC. Why can’t we (the government, the people, any private franchise like the IPL) stand together and say that its just not done. We are not going to play Pak in any sport or host their players unless the terror stops and stern actions are taken against the culprits. Any sporting ties with Pakistan should be severed for some time. Have we forgotten the pain of 26/11? When they killed those 200 odd people they didn't just kill them. They killed their families too. Their dreams, their aspirations too. Just ask someone who lost a loved one.

Just to be clear I have no hatred whatsoever against the people/players of Pakistan. Contrarily I have always believed that any Indian who hates anyone across the border should realize that these are the people closest to us in terms of their race, color, culture and so many other things. We both are very much the same. They do not hate us. Neither should we. Just because some loony terror groups cause us pain doesn't mean we condemn their whole nation.

But we can’t have their people kill our people and then have their players come in and make money hand over fist by playing in our country (esp the cricketers). We have to push their government (if there is one) every which way possible to act against the terror groups. Hitting them financially is one way. Any thing they utter about the IPL episode hindering the peace talks is a load of bull crap. The government establishment in Pak (if there is one) wants no peace. They've never wanted peace. All they want and have ever wanted is a diversion that takes the focus off their incompetence and ineptitude to do anything for their people.

The same goes for Australia. Till the time the Australian govt doesn't take action against the perpetrators of violence against Indians we should not play them or have their sportsmen play in India. They cant keep denying that the attacks are not racist. They have to redress the rogue nature of their people.

We should issue a strong statement to both the countries. For once BCCI's clout can be put to some good use.

Anyways I was a little busy over the last month or so. But work is better now. Give me a call if you feel like. Btw who are you rooting for this time?

Regards

Vk Singh

War And Peace

“Only the dead have seen the end of war”.

As the world debates Obama’s decision on the Afghanistan War and anticipates the result of the troop surge there, I cannot help but acknowledge the veracity of these words.

The Iraq War has ended. The war in Afghanistan is very much on. One in Iran looms.

People dying virtually every day in Pakistan. Radical religious monomaniacs wrapping themselves in dynamite and blowing up innocent people. Maoist violence in India. Thousands vanquishing as a result. LTTE insurgency in SL that lasted decades, killing thousands. Genocides in Tibet. Israel-Palestine conflict. Iran-Iraq War. World War I, World War II. The list is endless. The casualties uncountable. The destruction unfathomable.

US may come back blaring the victory trumpet from Afghanistan but they’d forever remain leery of the Islamic nations. Who knows where the next threat could come up from? Iran for one surely hates the American guts. On the other hand Taliban could win the war but what can they possibly do that would make their people's lives better in the face of sanctions and isolation from the rest of the world. They'd then look for a new target to vent out their anger/frustration. Either way the war won't end.

If the Maoists’ secessionist tactics work and they get autonomy would they be able to prosper severed from mainland India? What would Pakistan gain by accquiring control of Kashmir when they can't do anything for the well-being of its people. No one is going to budge and only a few more million are going to die.

Obama posited in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, "For make no mistake, Evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force may sometimes be necessary is not a call to cynicism -- it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason."

This is perhaps a Commander-In-Chief justifying his war with glib speech or perhaps this is an erudite man making a very profound statement. Take your pick. I think it is the latter.

What a conundrum we are in. War is necessary for the upkeep of Peace.

New generations living in fear. Children struggling in refugee camps when they should be in schools building their future. Fathers burying their young sons. Ailing kids. Mothers with nothing to feed them. Houses razed to the ground in the calm of the night. Nothing but mere rubble on the streets. Nothing but mere pain in the heart. We better get used to this.

Oh and btw, a Happy New Year to All !!

Sachiiiiin....Sachin !!

A billion prayers go up to the heavens whenever he walks into bat. A billion heads come down in dejection whenever his wicket falls. They dance deliriously when he flicks one past square leg. They chant cumulatively when he puts one past point. And the opposition watches wistfully when he plays the trademark drive.

Sachin’s 17000 ODI runs couldn't’ have come at a better time. I had been itching to write for the last few days but nothing fired my imagination till his innings of 175 this morning. I knew a post on Sachin would come sooner or later on my blog as he is one of the very few men who I admire and idolize. Today it is then.

I am going to eulogize him unabashedly in this post. So if you are not a complete Sachin fanatic like I am, this post is not for you :P I'd probably not say anything that has not already been said but this post is my 'two cents'.

From the day he was hit by a Younis bouncer and batted on with a blood stained shirt to the day he mauled the Aussies in Sharjah. From the day he smacked Akhtar all over the park to the day he gave cricket its most poignant moment (when he scored a century against Kenya coming back from his father's funeral). The 'Little Master' has gathered accolades unparalleled by any one else in the cricketing world.

Barry Richards has called him ‘Cricket’s God’. And God he is indeed.

The highest number of runs in both Tests and ODIs. The highest number of 100s in both Tests and ODIs. It doesn’t get any better than that. He is the absolute BEST. He IS the GOD of cricket. Period.

What’s remarkable about the man and the thing that I personally admire the most is that in spite of these histrionics he is still as humble as a child. Never has he got embroiled in any unpleasant incident on or off the field. Even as far less cricketers have instigated him time and again he has maintained his calm. Be it the overly-aggressive/abusive Aussies or the extra-zealous Pakistanis. They have all tried to disconcert him on the field with unkind words and gestures. But he has never stooped to their level. I think this comes from the fact that deep within he knows that he is far better than anyone else on the field. Far far better. So much better that no one even comes within sniffing distance. He sure knows it. He doesn't show it though. And that's what's great about the man.

The same bowlers’ appreciation off the field is testimony to this. Have a look here.

Needless to say young cricketers can learn a lot from him. His impeccable technique, unshakable concentration and unquestionable dedication. But more than anything else they can learn humility and dignity from him. They can learn how not to let success get to their heads.

I could go on and on till the time hell freezes over. I guess even beyond that. Such is his stature.

The world would applaud adoringly when he finally decides to leave international cricket. That is if ever it happens. I along with a billion others would wish that day never comes !!

I'm gonna shout till my throat goes hoarse "Sachiiin...Sachin" !!!

P.S. I know I have used a lot of superlatives/exaggerations/timeworn-cliches here. But then whats love if it's not corny ;) And we all love Sachin. Don't we ?!

Streets of Philadelphia !!

So this weekend I saw the movie ‘Philadelphia’ for like the tenth time. I loved it for like the tenth time. Having seen it numerous times already, I don't really know why I decided to watch it again. Maybe I was caught up in a little nostalgia. Maybe I was missing Philly too much !!

Some of you may have seen the movie. Others may have not. To those of you who have not, I’d suggest you watch it at the first opportunity. To those of you who have, you’d know what I am talking about.

Tom Hanks is remarkable in the movie. I think he gives his best performance here. He plays the role of an AIDS afflicted patient with the sangfroid of a Sachin Tendulkar batting on 99. His portrayal of the battered Andrew Beckett is exceptional. If God himself were to come down and play the role I don’t think he’d be able to a much better job. Hanks makes you feel his pain vicariously. He makes you believe that the pain is real, the anguish, the desperation is real. To put it in broad strokes, he's done a tremendous job and I can’t think of anyone who would have done it better. Watch the clip above and you’d know.

A little about the movie now. Hanks works for a law firm and is one of their most promising attorneys. But he’s sabotaged by his employers when they find out that he's carrying AIDS and is a homosexual. More than the infection it's his sexual orientation that his employers can't handle. From there on, it’s a tale of Hanks’ struggle against this discrimination. Also about the change of heart that Denzel Washington (Hanks’ attorney) goes through during the case. How he goes from being a homophobe to pulling all stops out to win the case for Hanks.

The movie was ground-breaking when it came out. AIDS and homosexuality were things that were not talked about overtly. Making a mainstream Hollywood movie on those issues was a gamble. But it paid-off. And since then many directors have followed suit.

A slight digression. Well, not really !! I was in Canada some time back and witnessed a gay parade in Toronto. Thousands thronged the streets cheering those who were part of the procession. The crowd was celebrating and rejoicing with them. Some of the crowd was there to merely look at the cavalcade of oddly & scantily clad men /women. But I'm sure there were many who were in attendance to support 'Gay Rights'.

When I think about it I feel that the gathering there was a perfect microcosm of our society. Through the years some have come to accept homosexuality while others have not. And they won't. Some go to the extent of labeling homosexuals as 'criminals' (like many of my countrymen). Not too long ago I read about the furore in India over a High Court ruling that decriminalized homosexuality.

We as a society, you an me have certain ethos, at times certain religious beliefs that preclude us from accepting the behavior and lifestyle of homosexuals. They are different from us in their sexual preferences. Perhaps its not possible for us to respect/accept that. But there is one other thing that we can inculcate. Tolerance. We don't have to embrace them or champion their cause. But we don't need to cringe at them either. We don't need to ostracize them. Just as we tolerate people from different religions (or do we?), can't we tolerate people with sexual orientation different than ours? Think about it. Imo they HAVE to be given the same respect as anyone else in the society but tolerating/accepting them as part of the social milieu would be a start.

"Respect" and "Tolerance" are the keywords here. And the good thing is that the latter can occur without the former. Don't approve/respect their behavior if you can't. But don't loathe them too.

At a time when we have countless other problems like poverty, nuclear armament, pollution & climate change in the world, should homosexuality be our biggest concern ?! Lets take on the other issues first and then worry about a guy/girl who sways the other way.

I end with the most eloquent defense of tolerance and freedom that I have ever read.

"I disapprove of what you say but I'd defend to death your right to say it" - Evelyn Beatrice Hall

Lets try to do that !!

P.S. Two dedications this time ;)

First one is for my 'Big Bro'. Its his birthday on the 6th. Funny thing with him. He doesn't seem to get older, he just gets wiser :) Have a great day broda !!

Second dedication is for a my good friend from Pakistan, Aatir, who recently informed me that he's getting married come February. His temporary insanity of love is definitely curable by marriage ;-) Dude, just hang in there till then :p

24 Till I Die !!

Yes, I want to be 24 till I die. 18 worked alright for Mr. Adams, but I'd prefer to be a good 6 years older. He had his reasons, I have mine.

When I was 18, I was in the second year of my college. Even though my parents have always been of the 'unstinting' and ‘he’s the youngest, let him spend as he wishes’ kind, I was still cash-strapped on most occasions. Now money is not the most important thing in life. I know that. People say it's Love. And I agree. The unfortunate thing was that I was in love with money...too many things to buy, too little money at hand. Now, that I am 24. And working. Well, yeah you infidels ! I am ;) And doing decently well at that. Staying in one of the costliest cities of the world, the money is still not enough for all the things that one could want, but its way better than what it was when I was 18. Whole another thing that I don’t desire a lot of things now. At least not the ones that money can buy. Refer 'Dad, I’m a Socialist'. So, there we go.

TwentyFour 1 – Eighteen 0.

Having broached the topic of ‘love’ in the very beginning let me take it a little further. Love of the lucre has been right up there on my list. Not far behind is, yes you’ve guessed it right, Girls. And mostly girls older than me ;) I still remember the time when I went absolutely crazy for a girl, only to find out that I was 18 and she was 21. I also remember that damsel-in-distress who I wanted to be the rescuer of. Sadly I was 20, she was 23. If I had a dime (even a cent) for every time this has happened, I would easily beat Warren Buffet to be the richest man around. Sigh... So as I was saying, due to this age barrier I couldn't hit on these swans. Well now that I am 24, I don’t have that problem any more. 24 is the perfect age. Anyone more than 24, I don’t want to hit on them anyways. Anyone less than 24 is now fair game !!

My four elder sisters are going to come after me with large steak-knives if they read this, so if this is the last post you see from me for a long time to come, please be the good samaritan and inform my parents. They’d appreciate it.

TwentyFour 2 – Eighteen 0

Another thing that I love about life at 24 is the freedom that I have. This partly stems from the fact that I am staying alone now. Since I'm away from my family I can be my own master. Stay out till late in the night, sometimes till early morning. Have a few beers here, there..everywhere!! The party just doesn’t stop. Needless to say I couldn’t drink when I was 18. Plus staying with my parents didn’t help. I remember cutting short many an outings with friends after getting a call from Dad demanding that I come home immediately.

TwentyFour 3 – Eighteen 0

3-0

Now that’s a margin comfortable enough to win a soccer match. And if it's good enough for my deities then it's good enough for me !! I have a few more reasons but they'd all come out in good time. Till then, Keep it real!!

P.S. This post is dedicated to my sister whose birthday it is today. Happy Birthday Sistah ;)

The Smile Train

A ‘Smile’ is a small word but a it has big impact. In spite of knowing its importance, how seldom do we use it !! Frugal as we are with it, imagine the plight of those who cannot afford one.

Imagine not being able to smile at that special girl you see in the hallway each day. Imagine not being able to express your happiness at the gift your boyfriend just gave you. Imagine not cracking up at the funny antics of 'Laurel n Hardy' or 'Tom n Jerry'. Imagine not being able to smile ever in your life. Scary, eh? Maybe now you’d not be so stingy with those smiles.

Still there are countless kids across the world who live through this all their life. And the cause of their affliction are 'clefts'. Clefts are pandemic in many developing countries of the world. Millions are suffering with unrepaired clefts. As a consequence of these clefts they cannot speak properly. They're not allowed in schools and lead a life of isolation, humiliation and abject misery.

Yi Yun, a small girl in China lived through 11 years of this. Abandoned by her parents, unable to communicate and tormented by the society, she led a life of neglect and despondence. For 11 years she had no friends, for 11 years she was alone. Really alone !! But her life changed. The Smile Train arranged a cleft surgery for the girl, after which she was able to go to school. With training she also started to speak coherently. Some of her first words were a ‘Thank You" to her sugeon.

This is one of the numerous stories that I have received in emails since last summer, the time I had made a small contribution to the organization. The surgery didn't just put a smile on her face, but it puts a smile on my face ever so often.

I got an apartment recently and would probably get a car sometime soon too. As have most of you. These things make us happy and that's what they are meant to do. But its something that’s a given every day of our lives. Every time I’d get into the car, I know it’d give me pleasure to drive it around. The leather upholstery, the mean speed it gets to in 6 seconds, the awesome stereo system and what not.

But the kind of smile that the The Smile Train gives me is so much better. In fact it’s the best because it catches me off-guard. There I am going through the motions of my perfunctory life, oblivious to the fact that there is life outside work and in comes this email with a picture of a kid whose life The Smile Train changed. Sometimes it’s the only sunshine I see during the day. Never discount the element of surprise :)

Friends, if any of you would like to make a contribution please check out this website. You can make a one time contribution or a monthly one. That's my ulterior motive of writing this piece anyways. Also, it would be great if you could share the website's link with your friends.

The Smile Train

info@smiletrain.org

You can contact me too if you'd like any other information about the same :

vk.singhh@gmail.com

I exhort you to make this investment. The ROI is great. I can bear testimony to that ;)

Iran, Tiananmen 2.0

This video of a young woman dying on the street has become the defining symbol of the rebellion in Iran. It's a rebellion where a government has turned on it's own citizens and is killing them without a scintilla of guilt or remorse. A rebellion where young innocent students are being killed unconscionably by the government's forces. A rebellion where opposition leaders are being house arrested to prevent them from stoking the protests any more. A rebellion where numerous journalists have been apprehended and harassed in order to choke the flow of news and information from the country.

Perhaps the last time the world witnessed such high-handed treatment meted out by a government to it's own people was in 1989 at the Tiananmen Square in China. Many parallels have been drawn between the two rebellions over the last few weeks.

Over the last week or so, the protests in Iran have died down. The government's crackdown on the protesters seems to have worked. The demonstration rallies have been few and not as massive as the earlier ones. Perhaps the rebellion is over too. But I'm sure it is going to change the situation in Iran in not so distant future.

Down the years the rebellion in Iran would be remembered for two main reasons.

For one it would be remembered for the brazen way in which the government stole it's own people's election. How a candidate who was immensely popular and the favorite to win (even was reported to be winning by 2/3rd majority votes at a time) suddenly lost by almost 11 million votes is beyond comprehension.

Second and more importantly the rebellion would be remembered for the role that 'Social Media' has played in it. As the Iranian govt blocked all news agencies to prevent them from reporting what was going on in the country and restricted the movement of reporters (even deported some foreign reporters to their home countries), the people of Iran found a novel way of letting the world know of the atrocities they were being subjected to. They found a new way to plan protests and discuss strategies. They used social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Youtube extensively to make the world aware of their cause.

Iranian Twitterers, many writing in English, posted photos of huge demonstrations and bloodied protesters, detailing crackdowns on students at Tehran University. At one moment in time, it had become such a movement that Twitter postponed maintenance scheduled for early morning, California time, which was midday in Iran.

Just look at this link and you'd realize the extent to which Twitter was and is still being used for the protests. Give it a minute and see the number of new posts that it shows you at the top of the page. You'd find some spine chilling stories of the venom spewn by the riot police and militia in Tehran and other cities.

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23iranelection

You can also look here to view some images from the protests.

This rebellion has shown us what Social networking websites can achieve for us. They're not merely a way to share pics of your latest trip or a way to tell your friends what phone you bought recently. They are a great platform to come together for a cause. Surely this would go down in history as one of the biggest achievements of 'Social Media'.

People all across the globe have shown their solidarity for the rebellion in Iran. Players of the Iranian national soccer team wore arm bands to show their support and concern for their people when they played a WC qualifier match in South Korea a few weeks back. They were dismissed from the national team a consequence. U2 recently performed in Barcelona and showed their support to the dissidents' cause. Have a look here. Outside Iran numerous people are in constant touch with Iranians and helping them send information out to the rest of the world. They are going beyond the typical shows of support by setting up proxy IPs and trying to confuse the Iranian security services. Leaders all over the world have condemned the actions of the Iranian government.

Come to think of it. All this would not have been possible if it were not for these social networking sites. People outside Iran would have remained oblivious to the happenings there.

Hopefully the Iranian government takes notice of its people after this revolution and takes steps to improve their living conditions just the way the Chinese government did after the Tiananmen Square incident in '89. It did not spell the end of Communism in China but it definitely resulted in an improvement in the living conditions of its people. Here's demanding an encore.