Hangman

The Death penalty has always been a topic of debate around the world. Is it the right way to punish a human being, who we think does not even have the minimum eligibility to coexist with us in the society on this planet? Scores have asked this question and I might have posed this question to a lot of my friends too.

Do you remember the day when India stood in shame, helplessly releasing a bunch of hard core militants over a hijacked plane in Kandahar? I like many of you asked the question, why did we not kill the terrorists immediately after nabbing them? Why do we have to let them live, to free them later? Why do we have to feed them, guard them. Why do we have to spend the tax payer’s money on these cruel bas*****, who intended to kill my people and take over my country? I was so cross and angry that I advocated death penalty and more stringent laws whenever we had a debate. I would easily win as most of my friends shared my views. But now, I question my thoughts.

Who defined, an offense and its equivalent punishment? If it is the law, how come for an offense like teasing a girl, you could get lucky in the U.S, you could rarely get punished in India and in other countries, you could be pelted with stones? If I were to write the law, I would take things; I saw and felt into consideration. It doesn’t mean it is right. I think a rape crime requires a severe penalty. I mean the victim’s life has been tarnished for life and so has the family the victim belonged to. The culprit not only abused her at that fateful minute, but also has discolored her entire life. I would advocate the severest of punishments for that heinous crime. But our law recommends a nominal fine and a meager 3 years imprisonment, with parole opportunity. Is this right? Why isn’t my thought a law? Is it because I do not have a loud enough voice?

Saudi Arabia and a few other countries are amongst those nations who have the stringiest of laws, to curb corruption and other evils of the society. Their law as simple as punish the wrongdoer so cruelly, that others never even think of doing the same again. Cutting off hands for robbery, flogging for public usage of obscenities, beheading for attempting to catch a glimpse of a girl in her traditional cover-all-but-eyes dress are but a few examples of their crude way of dealing with offenders. Do you support all these?

I empathize with your feelings when you loudly question why the man who killed hundreds of people should be allowed to live. I understand your angst; I understand your sorrow and fear. But if life isn’t in our hands, how can you entrust death into the hands of mere mortals? Please do not get me wrong, I do firmly believe in punishment, in fact rigorous punishment, where the man repents each and every minute of his life for the crime he had committed. But killing this man is not the solace, the victim’s families. It is just not right, because we are not sure if it is right. The man might have been wrongly motivated, maybe pressurized, maybe he is plain cruel. We just don’t know and we can’t do something we can’t take back, is my argument.

Please friends, voice your feelings. It would really be great to know your thoughts.

Fastest Fast

Potti Sriramulu garu, strived for a free Andhra Pradesh and died while fasting. While being quite sure these leaders are not that sincere, I fell off my chair when I read this illogical statement by our minister. I shall wirte my views on Telangana in my next blog. Been a long time since I wrote !!

Why we can never find him

A 'sokh' am

Had a great time with friends waiting for 'the box' to come, in classic indian style. Finally it arrived on a flight in american style. But what a movie, what a waste of time and energy.

American Weight

Dedicated to all those who came to the U.S. and gained weight. Cheer Up friends.

7/11

Cruiiiizzzzzing

Drink and vote

Drink and vote, otherwise u never will want to elect these leaders.

Watched a new movie yesterday

Hey I don't want to post any disclaimer, because this is to warn my friends... but why do I have a feeling, all of you will still watch it and feel the same way as I am, right now.

Who want such leaders

A lady looking for a seat in the local body elections was not given one, since she was poor. The 'strong' lady who wanted to rule her constituency, was so taken aback that she she immediately attempted suicide.

My second attempt. Thanks friends for all your support and commetns.

Courts are Supreme

Friends this is my first attempt at drawing a cartoon. Please leave me a comment.

Reserved for the Deserved

I dislike any kind of reservations. If we go in for any kind of reservations on communal and caste basis, we will swamp the bright and able people and remain second-rate or third-rate. The moment we encourage the second-rate, we are lost. This way lies not only folly, but also disaster. - Jawaharlal Nehru

I don't admire the person I quote unlike the Minister for Human Resource Development, Arjun Singh. I sure do see our first prime minister's logic during the early days of republic India. This ideology of Nehru promptly changed when he saw how big a potential this issue has, as a vote grabber. The times this issue has helped politicians grab positions like our minister in question are innumerable.

I didn’t know the exact numbers of how many people will be helped, till I read the interview rightly named, the Devil’s Advocate, but I sure hoped at least the minister knew them since time and again he claims this bill had been cautiously, carefully and meticulously discussed in Parliament and a decision taken. Alas, I was so taken aback after reading the article, that I felt nauseated and sick.

The question, of whether or not reservations are required has been asked a million times and the issue debated for a long time. I personally don’t believe reservations are the right way to help the backward and I wish to explore a few possibilities, which I think might work. Friends you are welcome to debate and put forward more ideas. I present you my first philosophy.

The government already has a policy on free elementary education and all of us know the plight of government schools. Sent to school by parents for free food and taught by teachers under trees in the hot scorching sun the kid grows out his childhood in a so called school. We cannot expect students taught at that level to compete with students trained in a posh ‘convent’ with more than required facilities. I totally agree. So to help the poor kid what needs to be done? Give them a seat free of cost, for his higher studies? What about our standards?

Let’s say we are helping a few in this manner forgetting the future of India. What about the rest of the backward community, who couldn’t even afford to compete? Are we justifying anything? Let’s say we are building a skyscraper and instead of laying the foundation right, we go on building the tower and as and when it looks precarious, we start using bamboo sticks to support the tower. And we go on building floor after floor following the same manner. The building is bound to collapse. What we are doing is the same. Instead of building the system right and tight we are trying to find ways to cover up our mistakes.

Once we have a good foundation laid, a well funded, quality education system created make not only the elementary education free, but also till their tenth or plus two grades. Rich parents will still get their kids educated in posh schools, but poor will not be deprived of quality education. More and middle class people will swing towards getting their kids educated in government schools and colleges helping the institutions to fund this movement. This may sound too optimistic or utopian but we never tried did we? (We sure did clap and whistle for Shankar’s Gentleman. Didn’t we?)

All I say is instead of spending millions of rupees on increasing facilities for undeserving students pursuing their higher studies, lets spend it on less fortunate children and on the ‘about to break’ school system of India. If we could better the facilities, spend more money in schools, we could bring all the students to a common level, a common pedestal to compete with one another. This will remove the need for reservations. And this was the real aim of the father of reservations, Dr. Ambedkar.

We would not only be walking in the right way in building a better India but also a more secular India. May all our dreams come true nad lets all promise we will work hard for it.

Jaihind

Bluffmaster

Planning to go to India, great news yaar. Shopping ho gayi? Kya Kya Khareeda? Remember to have a twenty dollar bill with you to bribe the Customs officer or just buy him a black label bottle yaar, chod dega. Why don't you tell him my Uncle's name, he is also a customs officer. Familiar? I heard these numerous times from many of my well wishers and friends.

One of my friends very wisely was carrying only a ten dollar bill. His idea was to express his inability to bribe the customs officer as he didn't have enough funds. The customs officer smiled viciously and took him to the nearby duty free store and got himself a black label scotch whisky bottle. My poor friend silently obliged.

It is so embarrassing that it is the first thing we do after reaching our home land. What a pity. It has come to the stage where this has become a custom to bribe the customs officer. They expect it and we oblige. You can see our parents waiting and waving just a few meters away from us, but we need to cross this slimy, corrupt barrier first to reach them. I just hate it.

Before blaming the customs officer lets blame ourselves first. How many of us know how much we are allowed to carry home? Did you even try to find that out? We just are sure the customs officer will let us through even if we smuggle a few laptops and few ipods.

Please research on the Indian Customs baggage rules. Their website very very sadly has rules as per 1998. According to another popular website, the maximum limit for you to carry home and leave it there is approximately $584. Remember never to exceed the limit. If possible carry receipts of your purchase, that proves you are within limits. If you exceed limits, be ready to pay your taxes. If the customs officer demands a bribe, please fight them, not with blows or cursing but with honor and confidence. Put your voice or video equipped cell phones to use and record the conversation with the customs officer. Forward it to TV9 or eenadu. Be a sleuth. Lend your hand in cleaning the system. A few news relays and hopefully a few suspensions shall at the least decrease the number of times your wallet is shaved by the customs officer.

Friends we should change first before we ask for a change in the system or society. We make the system and we break it too.

Jai Hind

Sky High

I look at the sky and am in awe at how God can be such a great artist. I imagine him painting the sky, his canvas. It is amazing how it never looks the same but is always wonderful, be it cloudy, sunny or studded with stars. Neither do I know what lies beyond, nor I care. I am just happy to see, feel and enjoy his creative genius, whatever and wherever it is.

I walked looking at my possession with pride. Holding it carefully not to drop it and destroy it, I walked slowly. It was the first time in my eight years life was I doing this and couldn't hide my excitement and was smiling with anticipation.

It was white with two red circular patches, waiting in my hands to start its journey. It took me more than two hours for me to make it, but I was not tired. I was the proud owner of the prized possession and other kids looked at me with envious eyes. It was an opportunity to bask in the moment of personal glory

I called on my friend to help me launch it. He clung to it and walked while I stood holding the thread. I gently pulled when he let go of it. My kite soared into the sky as if it had been waiting. It rose high and high while I was gleaming with joy. All my friends cheered as it rose higher than other kites around. It just kept on going.

A few minutes passed, and slowly the other kids started loosing interest and got busy playing other games. But I still held on to the thread, pulling it occasionally. I lied on the grass looking at my kite shining bright in the evening sun, in an amazing blue background studded with white clouds. It was breathtaking. I gazed at the scene astonished and amazed. The wind would gently brush my hair and also give the clouds a gentle push. As if for my sake, the birds started returning home, in their perfect alignment, chirping.

My kite had lost all its glamour and charisma in my heart. It may be the first time I realized the beauty of nature. The simple colors and the grand patterns of nature. It has been seventeen years since that day, but I never waste a chance to be out in the sun looking at the sky and its ever changing, ever enchanting patterns.

Bhagat Singh

Today is the day, Bhagat Singh, Raj guru and Sukhdev sacrificed their lives for our country and all of us.

Jai hind

Cruise Control

Just was another busy, tiresome day at work. Was getting back from work listening to Mukesh melodiously sing jeena yahan marna yahan. I smiled at myself and how fittingly the song described my monotonous routine.

Squeezing through the bumper to bumper traffic, I wished I was in my couch watching TV. But immediately I corrected myself, no not TV may be in a good restaurant? Having thought of another hundred possibilities, I looked at the lady in the car next to me. What must she be thinking? Where does she want to be right now? Then the analogy struck.

Road defines life so wholesomely. We might be driving in a Ferrari, while a guy in an old Cadillac may overtake you just because at that moment he is in the right lane. The Ferrari can be looked at, in two ways, you may be having potential but not a chance to prove yourself or Ferrari just describes your ego, stopping you from realizing the old car's potential. Both are bad.

We should also realize that cruising ahead is not the soul goal. Reaching home safe is the foremost goal. Its a long road, life with twists and turns, smooth and rough, angry and friendly drivers, all with the soul goal of cruising ahead faster than everybody else.

Sometimes when everything is fine and you are cruising ahead, you may have a flat tyre. And definitely with life we will have a few flat tyres. God creates an occasional speed braker just to make us realize how fast we are going and that we should slow down or look at the more meaner side, may be to slow down other cruisers and put you in the same league again. Remember one thing. Delay is not defeat.

Now the real mess, your co passengers. Some asking you to step on the accelerator, some pleading you to slow down, and some who don't care, some at their irritating best, some longing for your attention and some wanting to stay away from it. Now you really want to go home fast don't you? But be in control my friends. You are the driver, not them.

My Dad says this all the time, stop - look and then proceed. Its one line that can define one's life. But I also want to add, never look back and feel bad at what you did already, just think before you proceed.

I love writing blogs, just because these are all things I want to remember all my life. This is just my way of waging a war against the overwhelming life ahead. Some of you were concerned what's happening with me and if I was alright. Friends I am doing fine, to be frank just great. These blogs are just a medium of realizing myself and in the process expressing the same to you.

I like to thank you all for taking a ride in my car.

The egotistic me

Ever felt you were unlucky when someone of your friends is very lucky? I did. And am sure you did too. Why is this - is this because of our karma? Or just that you are unlucky? Or because he is plain lucky? Or is it because you are jealous? I think I have an answer, but unfortunately it is an amalgam of many complex feelings, I believe.

Firstly, I think it is EGO. We expect a lot from ourselves. If we did good, we expect a lot more the next time and think we are capable of whatever we achieved. If we didn't, we just curse our rotten luck and call ourselves unlucky. Isn't this egotistic? What do we consider ourselves to be?

I remember an interesting story during my Engineering days. I had a class mate who, I know for sure, never on a single given day studied, except for on the day before the exam. He would look at old papers, mug a few questions and because he was intelligent, would do good at exams. Once due to his ILL FATE none of the questions he studied showed up on the exam, and of course he flunked. He cursed the guy who set the paper and blamed his ill luck. Isn't this egotistic? I did this too, I got a bad score in EAMCET and remember blaming God for it, but thinking of that day, I feel I should have worked hard, and instead of blaming myself, I blamed the silent, all-seeing almighty.

Part of the EGO problem is the complexes involved with it. When you expect a lot from yourself, we tend to consider ourselves so superior to others, that we often overlook other's superiority, and end up suffering from the inferiority complex or losing friends in this pandemonium. You think the other person doesn't deserve whatever he has achieved and think it is plain luck. Stop doing that! Everyone deserves anything. Just because you didn't get it doesn't mean no one should get it.

Does this mean you shouldn't be confident? This will lead to my real world blog I wrote a few days ago. And I don't want to go there now.

The next reason I see is, not you problem but the person's whom you think is lucky. If he keeps blaberring about his work when you know he never did or keeps boasting, it might effect us. We are not all Swami Vivekanandas' are we? But please remember that some people do it to stop you from thinking its just luck or because of their own complex problems.

Do I sound very preachy? These are just my observations. Please post in some comments or add to this discussion. I will continue this blog, next time.

The pride of being an Indian

Since my childhood there have been two things in common,Never ending love from my family and friends and a tragedy. But this year was special and I thank God for that.

I must be in my fourth grade, the year must be 1991 if I remember right. It was my birthday. After a happy day at school I came to know of a burglary in my Dad's shop. I felt bad about it, but to this day never discussed with my parents about it. This was the beginning, I remember numerous such incidents the most prominent of them being the assassination of Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Minister A Madhav Reddy. And this year again the bomb blasts at the Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi on the same fateful day March 7th, a day before my birthday. The streak continued.

'Sankat Mochan', which if my sanskrit is right, means a place where you can get rid of dangers, perils and fears. People went there to get rid of perils and became victims of one. My heart ached and cried for the lives lost. What have you done you inhuman creatures? What did you achieve? What's your point? You sick bas*****. Don't you think of innocent lives you are killing? And as always political leaders swarmed the place, scolded each other, shrugged of the responsibility and called for a state wide strike that can and will trigger cultural riots. I started losing hope.

But as I mentioned earlier this birthday was special, and I came to know of that only a day after my birthday. The wise people of Varanasi raised hope and respect in my heart. People from different religions came together with placards urging everyone to mourn for the dead and abstain from violence, with candles in their hands marched around the city. What a sight. It was amazing. If it were not you people numerous others would have lost their lives and limbs. You are heroes and I bow my head to you.

I heard someone describe India as a nuclear bomb ready to explode. He assumed people will fight over religion and bring this nation down, he called it our weakness. To him I say, my country, my mother has embraced innumerable religions and beliefs for centuries. My country is not an atom bomb its a miracle the whole world should learn from. Wrongly motivated men who haven't understood the real pride and responsibility of being an Indian might have tarnished its image over time, but they can never blemish the soul of this great nation.

We will be united in our struggle for the well being of our nation and for the matter each and every nation on earth. We will. You people will continue to try to terrorize us but you will never win. United we stay.

Jai Hind

Birthday

Love to all my friends who remebered me on my birthday. I can't explain it to you in words how much it meant to me. I am blessed to have met you all. Thank you.

Life is complicated with all the amazing twists and turns you will never even imagine, but sometimes it is just dumb, brutal and blunt. Its a difficult route full of thorns, studded with an occassional rose - beautiful, endearing and lovely. You my friends are those roses, those trophies which I have picked up in my quest, a journey called life. None of you roses will wither. I will treasure you, protect you till the end of my day. And I pray to God to help me succeed.

Religion and You

I believe in God, the almighty; but not in religion.

Needless issues, controversies rock the world all the time but nothing was this huge, widespread and violent. It is amazing how a cartoon, which is supposed to be funny, witty, creative and thoughtful, could brew up something which is uncontrollable now.

I am concerned for all the people who have lost their lives, of all their families who lost their loved ones. My anguish knows no bounds for all those who tried to escalate the situation for their personal triumphs. An Italian minister, just to prove his mettle wore a tee shirt with the cartoons on it. One of our own ministers from U.P. set a bounty of 50 million rupees for the man who gets the head of the cartoonist. Well done you all, I am proud of the leaders we have chosen to lead us into the future.

Every religion preaches tolerance, where did that go? May be it’s the first for Islam, but things like these happen all the time. A German company printed Lord Rama on tissue paper, Goddess Kali’s pictures with whisky bottles, in each of her eight hands are still being used by a popular liquor brand for advertising, ‘The Simsons’ makes fun of every religion and every walk of life, Madonna wears a Krishna clad tee shirt and sings obscenities, M.F. Hussain keeps painting all Hindu goddesses in the nude… the list continues.

We protested, we submitted a plea, we fought but as long as we show our dissent these things will keep coming into the lime light. And that is all these offenders want. It is enough publicity for the Danish newspaper and the cartoonist, who is now in hiding by the way. People are so evil that they try to use these delicate issues for their own good, for money, for power, for publicity. People like these must be flayed, I agree. But that does not mean you can riot, break public property, hurt others just to show how religious and pious you are.

You have so many responsibilities to fulfill, victories to achieve… miles to go before you sleep. Think about it, religion is secondary, humanity is primary. Be tolerant friends, it has a much better impact. Scores have lost their lives because of religion and millions will. It is the biggest mass murderer man has ever seen.

I blame not God for all this sorrow, but us all who have chosen to be stupid enough to kill one another for the sake of the almighty we pray to, and how we do that.

I can hear their desperate cries; let those be alarms, for all of us. Let’s wake up, from this deep slumber. Let’s understand how insignificant religion is before humanity and love. Let us all rise.

What we lack - II

Thanks friends for all the support.

This week I was discussing with one of my dearest friends regarding the virtue of sincerity and how all of us badly need it. He agreed and pointed out towards an often encountered direction - 'The System' - for not scaring the masses off corruption and bribery. He reminded me that very few American cops are corrupt while most Indian cops are. The reason he inferred was because Indian cops do not fear the system.

I am not asking everyone to go the Paritrana way or bharatudaymission way. I am not. It is not possible for everyone of us. We have our own lives, our own responsibilities, our own goals and our own victories. All I am asking is to be sincere to your own self, just don't expect everyone around you to be the same. You will feel left out and stupid but you know you are doing the right thing. You will set an example, to somebody else. PAY IT FORWARD. That somebody will do the same. More and more shall join the movement. This is just a silent movement but trust me, it will have an effect. We will cleanse the soceity form the roots. Let us be good bricks, as Rajaji put it. Lets strive to make our country strong and developed.

Be sincere in whatever you do. You are at work - give in your best just don't do it for what you get out of it, put in your heart. You will expect the same from employees you hire for your own company. You are preparing for an exam - just don't study to get through the exam, master it, love it and embrace it.

Now after all this tell me, do we really have to fear the system? Yes. But there is something which is the ultimate court. Your conscience. And the worst part is, you are the judge. There is no other God more powerful than your own conscience. If you feel doing something is wrong, don't do it, even though it may look lucrative or appealing. Do not hesitate to help and do what is right, if you think it is proper even though it is demanding and effortful. It is your prerogative. Use it with your heart.

All my friends, just be answerable to your own selves. Think good, be good, do good and you will feel good. Good day everybody.

What we lack

I guess it was in my ninth class when we discussed this - What is the main problem which is pulling India back from its path towards becoming a developed nation. We came up with a list, a small vicious cycle, each effecting the other. Here it goes - Poverty, Illiteracy, Caste System and population.

We were prety young and discussing a big bad topic, and I feel we did a god job don't you think? But do you know what's missing in that list? We only came to know about it after our stepping into the brutal real world. 'LACK OF SINCERITY'.

You think this is an anti climax? Let me explain. Think about this incident, which might have happened in everyone of your lives. A teacher helping a student to cheat in an exam... If only the student was sincere enough he would have never asked the teacher's help. But if the teacher was sincere enough to teach the student properly, this wouldn't have haappende in the first place. All the student wants is to get through the exam and the teacher just wants to keep his job. But do they put any effort in? No they are pretty much sure things will work out in the end.

This is just a scenario but as you might have observed by now, the problem is really grave. Put a little thought into this - a student who doesn't work hard, a teacher who wastes time in a class, a peon who is ever searching to get some bribe, a dad advising his son to bribe the TC for a berth, an elder brother who educates his sibling on how to cheat in an exam, an employee just trying to ward off work and spend the day... We are all culprits shame on us. But you know what, surprisingly in our society we thugs are called smart people.

I know it is difficult to stay sincere and argue with everybody, that is stupid. But all I ask is don't just blatantly be insincere. Don't just always try to squeeze in, put some effort. There will always be people who will put in zero effort and get the same results as you do. They are smart people. But even now, after seeing so many people of that kind, I have firm faith in the fact that hard work never gets wasted and we shall reap the sweeter fruit. (May be I am being too optimistic and didn't lose faith, correct me if I am wrong!)

I shall write more later. Let me sleep now. After all I need to go work sincerely at my office tomorrow.

An unforgettable Day

I miss you all in India a lot. I find myself getting nostalgic all the time. I got reminded of one such wonderful day in my life and wanted to share it with u all.

Now this happened when I was seven. It was a sunny winter morning, and as usual I was getting ready for school. Just then somebody from the other side of the wall called out loud, that dad got a phone call. Nobody nearby had a phone during those days, and I don't know how somebody called for us at the nearby post office and how the news of the mysterious phone call reached us.

My dad left immediately to get the message. He came back in a few minutes and told me the sweetest thing ever. "Neeku thammudu puttadu". Now I was so happy and excited, I immediately saw me and by brother playing cricket and all, I never realized he was seven years younger to me, and it could be some time before this could happen. I did go to school that day and told my friends and was on cloud nine all the time.

We reached Kothagudem, that weekend and went to the hospital where my mom was. I can never forget this day in my life. I walked slowly towards the bed, where I saw the most beautiful thing in the entire world, My Brother. So pink and small, sleeping peacefully and calmly with a smile on is face. Only when I saw him did I realize that he was a very small thing. I placed my finger in his palm and he instantly clung to it.

I remember somany things about you my brother. You were so small that you slipped and was about to fall in a small water tank. You were so fragile that you hit you head to the window and I cried as if I got hit. You were such a cunning rogue that you had a reason for everything. I remember the day when I stood crying in the bus stand when mom was taking you off to KGM. I remember when I used to dress you up when mom was in Vizag. I remember how you squealed your speech on independence day, in Sr.Kg. I remember how you used to ride to school on my bike. I remember how you used to fall asleep listening to stories lieing on me. I remember how you started crying when I scared you.

I miss you ra.

Cruel Inentions III

I was may be ten when this happened. We had a huge compound, with many coconut trees, a big mango tree and a small There were rows of beautiful flower plants on the two sides of the pavement to our house. Those were delicate plants bearing small cute flowers in many colors.

One evening I was all by myself in my house strollin in our compound enjoying the breeze. I had a long stick which I was swinging and playing happily. I happened to hit one of the flower plants. I decapitated it in one blow, the plant just fell down at that unexpected move. I wasn't even thinking about it, I was just thrilled with it. How powerful am I, I just killed something in one blow. Wow. Wicked. I continued, no one to stop me. Finally after the devilish fury, I looked back at the sorry sight. It was nothing short of a blood soaken battle ground after war. I stood and gazed at those plants helpless, some with broken branches some completely swept of the ground. They were demanding an explanation... Enquiring why I was so cruel. I stood there, with tears in my eyes thinking about what I did. I stood there ashamed at my action. I stood there as a murderer.

I can never forget that day. Never. I promised myself never to be cruel again. I feel bad everything we humans are cruel. I cannot understand so many things in this world. I cannot understand, how people can die to kill 30 others in a suicide bombing, how you can drive an aircraft straight into a building killing thousands. Who gave you the right to do that? Which religion asked you to do that? Iam not backing the U.S., I know it is suffering for what it did earlier. But why should innocent people suffer? Why should somebody jump out of a 100 storey building, because he couldn't bear the pain of burns. The picture is one of those which will remain ever, in my nightmares.

We should do something. We have a moral responsibility. We should stop these people. We should change things around. We should change our attitudes. We should at the least make this world livable for our future generations.

Its high time people.

amma & nanna

Its been three days since i updated my blog. I miss writing already. It is a foggy and wet sunday morning here in Chicago. All my friends are cozy in their comforters but here iam, unable to sleep, thinking about innumerable things. It may be because of, my talk with my father yesterday or my conversation with my mom. Kept thinking all night, how lucky I am to be their son. Just wanted to thank them for everything. I am blessed to be your son. I will try all my life to make you proud.

The Real World

Sometimes it seems as if we always live in virtual reality, assuming things and hoping for something to happen or waiting for something to happen. Wait is always not bad, but it sure becomes the worst when the wait only ends up as a big failure.

It gets interesting how different people console you, but I was really surprised on how many people use the age old, most used saying - "Everything happens for your own good." Sometimes it gets so annoying that I feel like hitting the consoler, but I know he wishes the best for me.

To be frank I was a pretty big believer in that saying and started looking at things differently, and true enough things turned out good. I was delighted and used the same saying to console others. But now when I sit and think about it, I realize everything happens as it should. We compromise saying to ourselves, everything happens for our own good. Something good happens and you say to yourself only because that bad happened earlier I am in this position, Aha, the saying is true. But after a few days bad repeats itself and the whole cycle repeats itself.

Will the cycle change if you stop thinking positive? May be... But I don't' get the point. Lets not think positive, lets think confident. Bad happened and it is definitely bad, so feel bad. Good happened, feel good. Enjoy it. There is nothing that defines positive nature. Do you think people who boast about their positive nature don't even have a pinch of doubt and anxiety, they sure do.

Sometimes it also seems being negative is better. If you are never confident of success, you always hope for the worst and even if it turns a little good you are happy. Its better than bragging about your positive nature and confidence and finally losing miserably and becoming the laughing stock.

I made many a mistake in haste or in pride, I only wish I don't make many more. Zero more mistakes is an impossible ask, None can ever achieve it, but high goals can help.

Cruel Intentions - II

Thank you friends for your valuable inputs. I will try to follow all your suggestions.

Coming back to how cruel we are. Today is a sad day. Do you know why? We executed a seventy seven year old, wheel chair ridden, blind old man for a crime he committed some 25 years ago. Is it human to do that? He was a bad man I agree, but how is killing him now, make the world a better place? It is actaully setting a bad example, to our younger generation and making them more harsh and cruel.

Don't you think the old man learnt a lesson living in the penitentiary for 25 years always thinking about what he did and always lving in fear of execution? How cruel are we?

Just think about all the movie we are watching these days. A popular hero kills a hundred people in a gore fest and what do we do? We cheer him. We adore him. And the movie is a sensational block buster. Movies which are sick and violent are the top grossing movies in the U.S.. We use graphics to enhance the effect of violence. Do we need to watch Jesus being nailed so exaggeratedly in order to believe in him or empathize his 'Passion'? Wha a shame. What have we come to.

Scores call out to stop the war. How many of those scattered voices are heard? I dont' remember the name of the great man who qouted this, I guess it is Sri Sri, but it is one of my favorites, it suffices to - 'What else is there in human history other than war and hatred?'. Just think about the current war. Laden master minded the 911 attacks. We killed everybody around him, we didn't care if they were innocent or not, we just terminated them. Later we waged a war on Iraq, killed thousands and we continue to kill more.

The whole logic is synonymous to this scenario - We know there is a rat in a house. What do we do? We kill all life in the house, because we are intelligent enough to know that a rat is a living thing. We are forgetting the actual reason to kill the mouse. We also bomb a neighbouring country, Pakistan just because somebody hinted some terrorist might be hiding there. We don't care if any innocent people die or if we are already making enemies for our future generations.

And Pakistan led by Musharaff, learn a lesson don't support evil as you will also fall under its wrath and struggle.

I can go on and on this. I will. May be sometime later. Please voice you comments too.

Cruel Intentions

Writing has never been my cup of tea, but always wanted to improve it. The very idea of voicing your opinions for your friends or anybody to read is a fascinating one. So, here I go writing my first blog after just returning from a long day, working. Now lets come to reality, here I am writing....But about what? Million Dollar Question.

Should I write my first essay about the amazing partnership between Sehwag and Dravid? Or about my trip to Pittsburgh? Or my amazing new camera? Or the movie I watched yesterday? naah.. too superficial. Let me think.

I shall write about something that moved my heart so much that I couldn't help thinking about it.

'Death'. Millions of people die everyday. Reasons are so many. You open your newspaper and you find nothing but tragedy and death all over it. In the recent past I have read about thousands dead due to war, suicide bombers, stampede in Haj, Katrina, Tsunami, air accidents.... The list is long. But this certain story is very disturbing atleast for me and I bet it is for many others.

An eighth grader shot dead by a policeman because he was supposedly carrying a gun to school. I certainly believe carrying a gun to school is bad and we also read about stories where kids and even teacher were killed and we certainly don't want anybody hurt. But by anybody, we mean everybody not even the culprit.

The culprit here was a teenager a mentally disturbed one. God knows what he has gone through at home, who knows what was on his mind? May be he was just trying to show off his 'PELLET GUN' painted black to his friends. May be he wanted to scare everybody. Nobody knows and nobody will ever know. We didn't send those kids, who really shot their peers at school, to the electric chair. Why does this kid deserve to die? Why? Why did the police man or whoever shoot him? Where was everybody? What were they thinking?

We are not living in a safe world. Infact we are all living so dangerously. Remember the day when a mentally unstable man was shot dead in an airplane because he claimed he had a bomb? Or do you remember the Egyptian man who was shot dead in London after the blasts, because he was brown, Muslim and a suspect? Or the thousands who died on 9/11. Why is the only question I have. Why?

We are all so cruel. So cruel that wild animals will pity us. How many terrorist lions exist and how many religious maniac bears exist? Animals are far better than we cruel and wild human beings.

I don't even think God can help us or forgive us.