Here we go again...Democracy..blah, blah, blah!!

So yet again we prove to ourselves what a bunch of hypocrites our country is really filled with; The SC actually went ahead and banned screening any adult films on TV, additionally any movies with smoking scenes cannot be screened as well. I dont think the day is very far when we are a second China in ourselves, where there isnt any democracy, instead the governement tells us what to watch, listen, eat, whom to worship and of course what to wear. There is no denying we have been making steady progress towards this anyways, couples holding hands on the street are arrested, women who wear minis or shorts are looked down on, what else is left.

I see no reason why we should pride ourselves in being the world's largest democracy, instead we should be declared the World's Largest Hypocricy!!! At the end of the day that's what we are!!

Of course the PM doesnt seem to be doing anything about any of this, sure he has done a good job so far, but is it good enough?? Only time will tell......

A close shave.......

A rather eventful weekend came to an end this Monday morning; drinking and pub hopping from the Cooper Hewitt to the Village Lantern until 5 in the morning, despite a flu attack, a rather sober Saturday since it followed my hyper friday night partying binge and then Sunday was my first close shave in my car.......

The backdrop was the ramp leading onto the Queensboro bridge from Astoria into Manhattan. The ramp is a snaky little thing with a concrete road, narrow lanes and tight turns. After the slight drizzle, driving on it was nothing short of skating on ice. Before I knew it, the car had spun 180 degrees and was facing oncoming traffic. Luckily, the traffic was light and not too close. Strangely, people saw I had skid, but honked as though I had done it on purpose. My girlfriend and I were a little shaken, but we collected our thoughts and of course a broken headlight, only to find out it wasn't mine, probably belonged to some poor soul who might have fallen victim to the treachery of the same venue, and then made our way into the city and shopped as though nothing happened!

In hindsight, I guess my gaming skills with Need for Speed definitely helped as I think I controlled the skid pretty well :) However, the whole thing feels surreal, and I guess its just one of those things that absolutely has to happen at least once to someone who drives a car!

No bones broken, car isn't damaged too bad, had a fabulous night out...so, all's well, that ends well!

False Glory....

"Desis are rocking on globocorps' boards"

Quite a glorious headline, but somehow, I was unmoved by it. Offlate, the Times has carried several articles about how well Indians are doing abroad, often glorifying them to the extent where it seems as though these people were actually heroes of sorts. Don't get me wrong, I think achievements by these individuals are commendable, but how does piggy-backing on their success help our country in any way??? Agreed, these people may serve as great mentors, but then unless our country eliminates problems which exist at the grassroot, glorifying ourselves as a developing nation based on an individual's success just seems lame.

I see this as a growing trend, where we seem to take the success of an NRI and attribute that to signs of a country on its way to becoming a super-power. We couldn't be more wrong. These people are who they are today not because they come from India, but because they worked hard and they worked hard in a place where they felt their success would be rewarded. Instead of basking in someone else's glory, its high time we try to see why people like them were more successful elsehwere and not their own country.

India has a lot of potential, we seem to have the highest number of educated people, but despite that, the people on the top are ones who are in complete contrast to this statistic. Most politicians are uneducated and most certainly have a criminal record. For a nation to grow it is imperative to have someone on top who is not only sympathetic to his people but is also foresighted, creative and has a thirst for a holistic success, not his individual upliftment. Sadly, most politicians today work more for themselves than their people, and unless this changes, all we can do is falsely glorify ourselves as a nation.

I really hope our country can see what's really happening and make ammends before its too late.

Mangal Pandey - The Rising! Half patriotism, full Bollywood!

At 50 crores, this movie stands tall as the most expensive movie of the year, I even read somewhere that its the most expensive movie ever made in Bollywood. Apart from the finance shim-sham, the movie definitely focusses on the first martyr of the independence struggle, which was then to ensue for another 90 years before India was to gain her painful independence at the cost of losing Pakistan.

The movie definitely invokes an underlying passion and feeling of patriotism amongst its viewers, especially if you are overseas and away from home. This was very obvious amongst a theatre crowd that did not hesitate to give a standing ovation at the end of the film. Some were teary eyed, some were fired up and some were actually unmoved, but overall the movie was received well amongst the audience.

Personally, I was very moved by certain scenes and especially the end of the film. I left with all kinds of thoughts in my mind, not just about how hard it had been for us to gain freedom, but I felt I had gained a lesson in life. How often, when we throw trash on the streets, or in so many other scenarios, do we say, "What difference does it make, its just one wrapper!"......etc. etc.........Well, after this movie, I learnt, that's all it takes, One person! This is a very valuable lesson that the film teaches you, never get discouraged because you are singled out, or are in a minority, if you want to make a change, you can do it single handedly.

Mangal Pandey shows us how it’s done, and more than anything else, this is the lesson and value I will take away from this film.

Of course, other than the depth of the film, superficially, it is a bollywood flick designed to reach the masses; personally I don’t think it does a great job at that. The film definitely has its flaws as I found the music to be abrupt in certain parts and Amisha's character to be completely useless. She added no value to the film on the whole; I guess she was there purely for the "masala" factor of an English officer falling in love with an Indian woman.

At the end of the day, I got my $10 worth, and a valuable lesson, so I am nothing short of being a "Happy Camper!"

Interesting Article in the TImes

So, the headline read "Are we going to see just cartoons on TV?", and that was all I needed, I was elated to see someone finally saying something about the current state of affairs as far as the I&B Ministry is concerned.

The information & Broadcast Ministry, as Pritish Nandy says, has truly overstayed its welcome and requirement, I couldn't agree more with what he has to say. Censorship is no longer a beneficiary act, but more of an ego boosting mechanism for the bored politicians who have nothing better to do than deciding what I should watch on TV.... MY TV! The TV I paid for, the cable service I paid for! How sincere is this censorship anyways, and are we really considered that immature a nation who cannot decide what's best for our own family? Its one thing to suggest what may be better, but to actually go to the length of implementing the opinion of an ignorant few on a whole nation is nothing else but plain old naziism. Hitler would be nothing short of proud of how close to dictatorship our so called democracy actually runs.

The recent events in Bombay, which involved the death of more than a 1000 people because of the rains, was nothing less than ghastly and shocking. The fact that a "World City" such as Bombay should be mortal to mere rainfall, speaks volumes for the leaks and holes in our so called infrastructure. Not only was there a complete absence of concern and responsiblity on behalf of the government after these events, but now they are ensuring that all this sham of being a responsible government is never exposed to the people through news and media. In addition to this, its pitiful that as a nation and as a public we never seem to be raising our voice against any of these atrocities. We may have rid ourselves of the British, but we never managed to shed our subdued shell which compels us to just take things as they come. Remember, even freedom was possible only because a handful felt that whatever was happening wasn't right. Most were content with whatever came their way.

The problem seems to lie in our lack of foresight and the ability to prioritize. In the big picture we as a nation always seem to ignore whatever may be harder to accomplish, and always choose whatever may be easier....this is exactly how our government operates as well. And this, they seem to have accomplished with tremendous success, because of the sheer indifference that the people have towards the government. We are just too used to fending for ourselves in crisis, and the goverment is just too happy to let us do just that.

In the face of the rain crisis, the government that didnt lift a finger to help its people, a week later decides what is suitable and not suitable for us to see on TV....who the hell do they think they are???

It just seems as though, every step forward is followed by two steps backward for us. When the Naraimha Rao government made those changes which revolutionized trade and insustry, one could not help but ask how long all this "change" will last, well it all seems to be coming to a slow down......God help us!

Raise your voices Mumbai!

Its heartening to have read what the people of Mumbai endured while nature was its worst. Each and every person had stories to tell of how they battled the odds with no help whatsoever from the people who are supposedly minding the State. Even now after all that has happened, rest assured, the whole political system will forget about this in a month or two and life will go on as though nothing happened. But who is really responsible for rendering this government so useless, irresponsible and insensitive? Its us, the people of Mumbai. Why are we not raising our voices, dont we willingly give away a chunk of our hard earned money to the welfare of our state and our city? Where is all this welfare then??
Until we raise our voices, these politicians will sit in their cushy chairs being minimalistic in their so called welfare ventures for the city. Day after day I keep my eyes peeled for news of any ground breaking developments that the states will announce in order to alleviate the pain and suffering the people have gone through, I keep hoping that they will do soemthing to make sure the people have to never go through something like this again, but tragedy followed by negligence has just become too commonplace. Its as though the politicians know that the dust WILL settle and they can get away with anything and sadly this is the truth.
Ever heard of the Asashi Kaikyo bridge in Japan? Its the world's longest suspension bridge, but no, it wasnt built for this reason, the government of Japan built this bridge for all the right reasons. A boat carrying school children to the mainland sank killing all children on board. Saddened by this calamity and moved by the outrage of the people the government decided to take on this almost impossible task just to make sure something like this never happened again. Can our politicians learn nothing from this?? Let alone a bridge, why cant we at least have some urban planning to ensure that the city doesnt get bitten in situations like this? These are all the reasons why a state needs educated and intelligent people to administer it. But we are a land so drenched in the waters of bureaucracy, that all the wrong people are always up there. People who dont give a damn, but are there only for the power and money.
I love Mumbai, as much as I hate it for how despite having all the education and knowledge we are still third world. And this will not change unless we the people make a concious effort to bring the right people to office and make sure they do their jobs. If not, not even God can't save us.

Is Mumbai still a third world city!

Living in NYC for the past three years, after spending the previous 25 years in Mumbai, I have come to believe I know almost everything there is to being urbane. Mumbai runs through my veins and I feel deeply connected to the city even though I am so far away, but its times like these that invoke feelings which are all too overwhelming, and it becomes almost impossible to not shed a tear even while you sit at work and read the news about what is happening in Mumbai.

So we were faced with a natural calamity, but what ever happened to Disaster Management and Recovery?? This question has never been more pronounced than how much it is today in my head, especially after hearing the news that someone I knew, actually perished in the rains! Before today, I never even considered this a possibility in Mumbai. With all the talks of how the Sensex has seen record highs and the way India is on the right track to becoming a superpower, it is an event like this that actually presents itself as a reality check. Thousands of people, one of them being my father were stranded on the streets of Mumbai for 12 hours or more, battling the rains and trying to survive without food and water, and no one out there to help them, but each other. Where were all the officials, the policemen who are otherwise omnipresent to collect their bribe when they see you running a light? To me, it seems as though the average Mumbaikar has learnt to live on his own, without any expectations of the government going out of its way to help him in a situation like this, a government that runs because of his tax money, a government which is present only because he chose them to help him, but chooses to stay away and do nothing when he needs them the most.

Crores and crores of rupees are spent on roads and sewage systems, but year after year it’s the same story, roads covered with potholes only paralleled by the craters on the moon and sewage flowing out from the clogged gutters. Every monsoon Mumbai turns into the biggest toilet in India.....and no one cares. Where is all the tax money going??? I dont care if the politicians pocket what we pay but give us something in return, but someone who is plain greedy certainly does not deserve any kind of office in the state.

These past three days have been plain trauma for the Mumbaikar, all I have read about is how people have died and how everyone out there is battling it out, but not one article about any efforts made by the police or any other rescue officials to help these people. I mean, it just doesn’t make sense!!!!!!! How could there be no one, why didn’t the navy come in and have any kind of air rescue in areas that were worst inflicted?? Where are the politicians who are otherwise rallying around the city, why did these people not even make any statements or give us updates on rescue efforts (if any) that were underway to help these people??

These rains have truly shown us how third world we are, and how the average Indian is deluded by the farce of his country being on the way to becoming a superpower. Of all the places, I would have expected a more sophisticated disaster warning and management system in Mumbai, which is after all the hub for pretty much everything.

Sitting this far, I feel helpless, but I feel it is about time the people started realising how weak the city really is and how much needs to be done, if ever Mumbai is to truly become a world city. Rising Sensex points, GDP and trade alone does not symbolize development, true development lies in the heart of every citizen in the country and every citizen of Mumbai, who will do whatever it takes to make this city and the country the best. Sadly, we are all just too caught up to see where we are heading. So invloved with our own personal lives that we fail to see the big picture. Its true, the Mumbaikar has a spirit like no other, but why does it take events like this to bring it out, why not be this person everyday and truly make a difference?

I salute Mumbai for the city she is, but I will not hesitate to condemn the actions of the people who run the city. The city has become their playground, and as Mumbaikars, it is up to each and every person living in this city to ensure that this doesn’t happen. It is about time; Mumbai came out of the 20th century and truly entered the 21st century. And no, glitzy clubs and high budget glamour doesn’t cut it, its sophistication at the grass root level which will truly make a difference. I love you Mumbai, and I hope the souls of all those who lost their lives rest in peace. But we need to do something, raise a voice and make sure something like this NEVER happens again.

Sitting in traffic....

So, as usual I have my blogging pangs, which seem to surface every couple of months or so.
Not because I have something important to say, or there are people sitting there relying on the information I give out, but it's more like this paranoia of being left out that drives me to do this. I have always been the kind of a guy who does things because I think this is something I must do, I dont waste too much time evaluating the practicality or viability of actions, if its being done, and I am not doing it, I have to do it!

I realised something this weekend, there is so much you can get done in your head when you are sitting in a traffic jam...no, no, no......not if you are a passenger, you have got to be the driver! You see, its strange but true, but the driver always has his own space in a car full of people. The driver has his own private universe, where none of the passengers are allowed, in fact they can't actually get in 'cause they arent drivers......I know, this may sound crazy, but offlate I have experienced this, and now when I think about it, I feel this isn't just limited to a driver-passenger scenario. the concept of maintaining seclusion amidst a crowd or even an audience is no more alien to me, in fact I feel all you have to do in order to build this universe around you, is do something everyone else isnt doing. Its controversial, I agree, some may argue that this would in fact attract attention, but somehow I feel the human psyche is to always keep a distance from anything that isnt orthodox. This may not apply to everyone, but its widespread enough to qualify as generic in my opinion.

My 2 cents for now, just a little cosmic spit from the depths of my ambiguous mind!

Baida Curry Italiano!

Well, that's what I decided to call it, for what started out as a simple curry became something more exaggerated and turned into a dish which could more appropriately be categorized into what's fashionably called "Fusion Cuisine".
The idea was to whip up something quick for dinner, and what better than eggs, but then I really wanted to eat something nice and spicy, so I decided to make baida curry. The dish is very simple, except the sundried tomatoes, basil and oregano would be the spices that put the "Italiano" in the name. Apart from the fact that the dish tasted surprisingly good (especially with basmati rice), it also turned out to be quite a looker! So, without any further adieu, I proudly present Baida Curry Italiano!

Feel free to contact me for recipies :)

Been a while (Deja Vu....)

Yes just like what I said a few months ago, it's been a while! Life's been inadvertently crazy, and there hasn't been much I could do to control it, felt good in a way though, to be just swept away in the breeze of whatever is to come. Life's been good the past few months, and I finally graduated in Dec. 2004. Strangely, it didn't feel like a great accomplishment. Nevertheless, I gave myself a pat on the back, I did spend a lot of money for this! The real battle has just begun, I am out in the wild looking for employment. At times I am like a man eater on the prowl, and sometimes I just feel like Homer Simpson....lazy....and waiting for something to fall in my lap!

Anyways, Cristo was in town a couple of weeks back, although I am a "geek" I do incline towards art at times, and this was something I just didn't want to miss (I am told this is how I feel, by my girlfriend!), so we went to Central Park and walked all those miles through endless gates with orange curtains. I must say I haven't seen so many orange pieces of cloth in my whole life! The installation cost was $25 million and when I saw this, all I could think was "Damn, Bal thackeray is missing the campaign of his life!!". Jokes apart, it was a nice day for a walk, and I did manage to get some nice pictures, so I thought about sharing one of them with you. Hope you guys like it! (I really don't know who I am talking to here, coz I am sure as hell no one reads this space anymore:) )

Cristo's Gates (Central Park, NY)