7 RCR, anyone?!

I find it really funny! No seriously. The place where I live can not be termed as dangerous (in spite of me) but we have a security guard anyway who during his night ‘duty’ sleeps like there is no tomorrow.. cant blame him! This act of his, almost made him lose this prestigious job, that of guarding seemingly less important people of the entire population. Strict action was taken, a court martial like treatment!

That’s 1st main rd, pai layout! Very much unlike or even remotely close to 7 RCR, Prime Minister’s residence( whatever said and done or not done, he is a VVIP) A part on India’s political map which is supposed to be guarded by personnel that call themselves SPGs ( Special Protection Guards) very special indeed! Enter the Sonata! No its not a sequel of the Bruce lee flick, its just a privileged car. “ I want to meet the Prime Minister”. Sure ma’am! Yeah like the PM is uska padosi, guzar rahe the socha mil lete hai! They almost managed, mind you. Media reports claimed it was a serious security breach, and the PMO did what it is best at, issued statement “ no breach of security”. Another interesting point of the whole deal, the news channels very cleverly got the reaction of the BJP, the opposition party more like it, ekdum exclusive on every channel! The ruling party was in a cabinet meeting, too busy amending RTI bills and the like, you see.. If it was not a security breach why were those kids sent to jail?( two of them working for Air Sahara, grounded a month back, now sacked, no sahara from anyone, just hanging in mid air)

Why were they booked under section 447? Impersonation and trespassing?? They never prosecuted trespassers, oh those are infiltrators, those dudes who sneak in, everything has crossed the Line Of Control.. When our PM himself is not in safe hands, what Nuke-deal are we signing with the statue of liberty that has the power of defending the whole nation? Its so funny.. There is a mole, no two of them in the already very ‘white’ governing body of ours!! You have no idea how exciting politics can get!! Narmada ko bacha na sake, farmers aaj bhi mar rahe hai, khud ko bacha nahi sakte, desh ko kya bachayenge? Its so bloody funny. Jokes apart, its been a long time since i went out with friends, 7 RCR anyone?

Enga Di 'A' ?

The following conversation took place in three languages, broken english, chinese like tamil but dominated by hindi.. In other words I was in one of my talkative modes. My grandmother…hmmm granny, no dadi..I shall just stick to Paatima, was too lazy to go to school when she was young, they used to run away to the fields and play with the boys( now I know where I got that from!) So cool! I used to think until…

Shift to Comp room.. I am sitting with the orkut home page cursing everyone who is not online and some buggers who are. Answering new age questions like “ Will you do the friendship with me? I am working in MNC, read your very nice profile, sadhana what is your good name?” Now that’s some (S) crap!! Who the hell gave him naukri in a MNC? Wonder if he even knows the full form.. Sometimes I am so tempted to say…never mind I digress.. As soon as I drag the mouse to delete, I see a wrinkled hand going towards the key board, from the corner of my eye.. “Enga di A? ( where is A) I want to write A B C D”.. I look at her ageing but ever so beautiful face and say with an air of authority “ Not now”.. Cos I am monitoring the launch of Discovery you see! She gives me an expression which says “ How rude”…

Me: Sorry ek minute..I disconnect the internet and open Word..
P: Enga di A?
Me: yahan oru daram click pannu.. ( just click once)
P: (Obediently) Hmmm..
She is about to click on S thinking its B, I demonstrate disapproval.. She plays around the keyboard and presses B.. murmuring why these people cant arrange letters in order..
Me: Ah! Good..C enga?
P: I know C..Click
Me: ok D? takes time but gets it right.. This tuition continues successfully till she reaches R which looks like K.. A quizzical frown takes over her lined forehead. As she does ini meanie mina moe.. and gives the benefit of doubt to K..Presses without waiting for a signal..
P: Enaku ellam teriyum! ( I know everything)
Me: Nahi vo galat hai.. one more chance
P: Hmmm…ok.. forces down on R.. rest all till Z correct under my supervision..
Me: Very good. Now phir se ezhudu (write again)
P: ( gazing at me with a shocked look, the triumphant one doing the vanishing act!) “Not Now” she giggles her heart out and walks out..

Like a graduate..satisfied with a sense of achievement…A feeling she managed to manifest in five minutes…It took me several years in school and three years in college to call myself one in the black cloak.. Enga di A?

..And Terror Alone Triumphs..

“Har musalmaan aathankvadi nahi hota, par har athaankvadi musalmaan kyon hota hai? Jaago Hindustan Jaago.. think about this and spread the message. Hindu Yuvasena Bangalore.” I got this message on my mobile from one of my brother’s friends. I was agitated to an extent I cant explain. I replied “ Stop it. Those who died were not Hindus or Muslims but people of a nation. INDIANS, If u do call yourself educated, behave like one” ..But anger doesn’t help.

Hundreds dead, scores injured, and counting. A week after Mumbai bomb blast, the city is living in fear. Fear of being blown into pieces, fear of losing someone, fear of death, fear of life itself! “Jinko jaana tha vo tho chale gaye, ab hume kisi tarah guzaara karna hoga “says a hapless relative of a victim. Acceptance of brutality of fate or approval of bereavement as a way of life? Be it the floods, the blasts or the maximum city being termed as the rudest, Mumbai has heard and seen all and continues to do so, a la Srinagar..

Butchered and scarred, the city of dreams is turning into a nightmare. Mumbaikars have taken everything in their stride and braved it all. But for how long? Our prime minister addresses the nation and says “we will not kneel down to this terrorist outrage” Kneel down? We are dead and lying. The international community( influence of which is visible in the nomenclature of the tragedy, 7/11 it seems) by way of the G-8 summit condemns the attacks. What else can they do? The elected representatives (well some of them were pseudo-elected, others self-elected), group of 8 of so-called developed and developing countries in an air conditioned room deciding the providence of billions around the world is impotent to say the least.

Seven bombs and countless deaths, yet no questions asked no answers given. Debates after debates, thousand discussions but no conclusion. Blame it on intelligence failure (?) or terrible governance or corrupt bureaucrats there is and never will be any accountability for anything. “war against terror” coined by Bush sounds like just another word game. Country has gone to the dogs, who are biting away the very foundation of civilization. Unfortunately, no vaccine available, other than hoping against hope…

Minority Report

India is a country with; no sorry, India is a 'developing' country with enormous resources.Her ever- growing economy is proof enough of the vital role she plays in the era of globalization. Sounds like the introductory paragraph of some economics book? Not quite. India is also a country that proudly exhibits the phrase Unity in Diversity, just the phrase.

Malini Das, lecturer in Kolkata, gave birth to a hermaphrodite last week( Times Life!) The eunuchs community wants to take charge of the kid and raise it as one among them...Why? Because in this developing country of ours and a progressing society that we are a part of, the child will not get the respect meted out to a 'normal' person. The question that comes to my mind is who is this normal person? One who is born with appropriate reproductive organs? The appropriate reproductive organs being that of a male? Who decides what is normal? Those whose numbers are infinite, the mighty majority!! And if this majority has a heavy purse with 'any time money' written all over it then thats a catastrophe of sorts!

Mother gives birth to child which is a natural process, the child because of chromosomal play ups, develops both organs that belong to the category of male and female. Now in this whole natural process, what is not right? They are born that way. Like we all are. They breathe the same filthy air, filled with the toxins of a race that is selfish and hypocritical.

While I was reading the article this sunday, I realized how all of us, my immediate family and friends, joke about this category of people. The fact that we have created and marked boundaries in our mind's map of a phenomenon called the Us and Them is shameful to say the least. I have myself played a part in laughing at their expense. The very reason they behave the way they do in trains and weddings and all those ceremonies is because we have ostracized them. They got nothing but a stare that is intimidating and condescending not because of our high intellectual, spiritual or psychological capability, but because of the vanity of belonging to a community that is far superior when it comes to mere numbers.

The whole battle over reservation-SC, ST, OBC, categories that are ironically the majority vs. what is printed in all our application forms as OTHERS is uncalled for. This pseudo-majority(the 'us') eats pizzas instead of sukhi roti and dal chawal(needless to say, 'them') Unity in Diversity or Divide and Rule?

The point is whatever said and done and written, nothing is gonna change. Year after year more children with socially "unacceptable" biological traits are born and will be born, they will again be termed and treated as outcasts, finding their names in the Minority Report. Like someone rightly said " The majority consists of fools!!"