I've been thinking

A friend has been posting updates about her trip to some place beautiful on a social networking site... seems an amazing place from comments like its snowing, beautiful color of the clouds... a mountain goat... it was all soo nice and I wished that I was there too. The only disturbing thing was the fact that all these details were shared before the trip was over. Yeah technology... you can tell the whole world about something the moment you want. You can tell that you saw a rainbow, and that you smell rain in the air and that you are upset over Rakhi Sawant having to handle a baby!!!

Twitter, facebook, orkut are they fulfilling our need to connect? Is there any void in our lives, a life devoid of real caring friends that we fill by having online "fans" ? Do we need to tell people about how great or how hopeless we feel .... that we exist? We have to "tweet" about every thing that we are doing, believing that people do care, and strangely they do. They care because its a game of give and take... you have to be interested in knowing whether a person 700 miles away slept after a nightmare or not, so that he can ask you what you cooked for breakfast. All the time, people closer home might be buried deep down in depression and loneliness.

Sometimes I wonder, have we become dependent on technology? I need to check my emails first thing in the morning and last thing in the night. I feel restless if I cannot access my gmail account or office mailbox, as if the whole world is waiting for me to take a decision on ending the nuclear war. I have to check my orkut account, although I know that there wont be any new scrap. I just have to do it to know if some friend of friend of friend has posted some good picture or news. I need to check facebook, although I hate the UI, just to know about friends. My parents get tensed if I donot pick up their call or my phone is not reachable. Its hard for them to believe that nobody is after my multi billion dollar company. My friends and I cannot coordinate to meet if there is no cellphone, even if its a pre-decided spot at a precise time. Yes I believe technology has become an indispensable part of our daily lives.

Are we trying to escape from reality in all those chat rooms or online games or watching the most eligible bachelor, Rahul Mahajan pick his bride? As a popular ad says "Real life is boring", so we replace it with drama, even if the drama is someone else's spiced up life.

Undoubtedly, technology has advantages... well that was the reason someone invented internet or TV or mobile phones!!! I can talk to people close to me any time of the day, even if we are miles apart. I have met some friends I lost touch with through social networking sites. You get to meet people from different parts of the world, talk to them, understand their culture and differences, without ever meeting them.. thanks to the internet. People have used the network to spread awareness about some cause and motivate people. There is no denying the fact that you can reach much more people, much more faster and much more easily, if you know which links to click.

However, like all other things, there has to be a limit. You have to decide what is information and what is spam. How much is too much. Whether you are living in a real world or fiction. Noone else can make the decision for you. The point where line is drawn might be different, but the fact that there has to be a line is still valid.

Imagine there's no country

Hindus in Pakistan are apparently not having a gala time. As per latest reports Hindus in Pakistan are a sad minority, often subjected to inhuman tortures and quite many times forced conversion. Though I have never been to Pakistan, but considering the state of affairs that the supposed democracy is having, it won't be surprising. With the strong Taliban presence in Swat valley and its growing influence everywhere in Pakistan any other religion except inhumanity cannot stay there, not even liberal Islam. Distressed Hindus slip to India at any given opportunity and stay here, extending their visas and hoping to get merged and eventually lost in the billion Indian population. Often people are aware that there are some sad Pakistanis staying in India... people at the immigration centre at railway station can make out from the amount of luggage they have that these people do not intend to return ... but no body forces them back to Pakistani.... its way to inhuman to do so... they don't seem to be a security threat anyways...

This is also the case with Bangladeshi citizens in India. They don't have horrid stories of terrorism, but of famine, flood and poverty. Thousands of Bangladeshi's flee to India in search of food and shelter... hoping to get what should be unquestionable right of every human... and often we are supportive... there are thousands of Bangladeshi citizens staying in Assam, Delhi or Mumbai... working as house maids, farmers, construction workers... and prostitutes. Nothing major has been done on concrete scale to force them back to Bangladesh, despite the court saying Bangladeshi's are a threat to India's security. Perhaps our considerate and soft side cannot see the plight of any suffering individual... and we tend to ignore the notice to send them back when we see them crying...

This might be inhuman to force any individual back to some place they have been forced to leave due to circumstances... to in some cases knowingly order human slaughter. But, I believe that India has enough population and problems of its own to solve Pakistan or Bangladesh's. We are sad and moved by your condition but that doesn't imply its okay to move in your people here. Any country has a fixed amount of resources and its simple maths that as the number of people sharing that increase, per person share or per capita income reduces. We can not afford to teach kids from other countries on Indian taxpayers money or to provide other amenities or to let them compete with locals for the meagre resources that India has.

There have been upsurge in Assam urging people not to hire migrants and threatening Bangladeshis, forcing them to flee back. People claim that "The local people in Assam have lost jobs, their cultural heritage and their national identity because of these illegal immigrants." And strangely I don't find it wrong. Yes we do loose a lot when we let our already burdened economy take the weight of extra migrants, not to mention the security threats that it poses.

We need to someday realise that we have to take a tough stand, even though it seems difficult. We have to understand what we can do and what we cannot. We cannot solve other countries' problem this way, this will only harm us. I would rather have Pakistan send all Hindu's that it cannot take care of to India in one go, instead of their penetrating our boundary everyday. And for Bangladesh, only a strict stand can save us. We as individuals have to stop hiring migrants as cheap labours.

Blowing in the wind

Three random news were in the newspaper recently:

Shahrukh "Khan" stopped for "security" check at Newark airport. Apparently they don't like "Khan" surname. Whole media and politicians and friends and foes of anybody giving their piece of mind on the matter. Ambika Soni, minister in GOI, says we need to give "tit for tat". A few days earlier, our former president A P J Abdul Kalam was frisked by continental airlines, which is a breach of protocol. But thats okay. He did not raise a fuss over it. Afterall!!!


A minister in India went inside a tiger's cage in nagpur zoo and petted and fondled a visibly terrified cub. All this right in front of the zoo officials and all the media people. He was accompanied by Nagpur Congress chief Jaiprakash Gupta and several others including zoo controller M M Damke and officer-incharge of the zoo Dr S S Bawaskar. Thorat had a glimpse of deer and peacock enclosures and then headed to see the tiger cubs. Though initially hesitant, Thorat was encouraged by the zoo officials to take a closer look and opened the gates for him. Guess, the zoo oficials were there to protect and please minister instead of animals.


Rock legend, Bob Dylan, stopped and questioned by officers unaware of his identity. He was asked for his ID proof, which he didnt have handy. The officers asked Dylan, 68, to accompany them back to the Ocean Place Resort and Spa, where the other performers were staying. Once there, tour staff vouched for Dylan.


I wonder if we have too used to being "above law". If the celebrities and politicians with one bit fame or power and not even worth two penny start thinking themselves as VVIP, for whom the world should have a garland ready for every occasion. Whether it be security rules or general courtesy or any other fundamental road rule it becomes inapplicable for those with power. Why.. even the Gods wait for them... they can get special back entry to Tirupati balaji while common men wait in long queues to get one glimpse.


Probably, our system, where corruption and power play is evident at every step is to blame. Broke traffic signal... 100 bucks for the traffic policeman, no ticket in railway ... but your uncle is the local MLA... need to get your kid admitted to the posh public school... see if you can arrange the donation for the "maintenance funds". And then our fixation with idolizing people and an attitude of mix and match. Everything is allowed to influence everything else... politicians bail filmstars out of troubled drug deal or "unfriendly US cop". Filmstars dance at their private parties and add the glamour.


I wonder if some day we will realise that not everything is okay... that not everything is fixable.... that you are not above all laws or rules... that no matter who you are .... you still are a homo sapiens sharing the planet. I guess... the answer is blowing in the wind....

Black or White

The question that I am wondering today is about moral policing. Yeah its bad ... who the hell is anyone else to tell me what I am supposed to do with my life, what is morally correct and what is not. Their ethics their principles... well let them take care of it. Don't force them on me. This is against people who try to say that girls should not wear provocative clothes or should not go to discs and bars or those Taaliban people telling that girls are not supposed to get educated.. well... thats correct I did not agree with them all... I read it some where : Values are the tape that we play in the walkman of our minds, any tune is fine as long as it does not disturb others.... someone said it rather well...

But should you never stop anyone from doing anything on moral grounds? I believe that I have too many redundant and outdated ethical values. I do not like it when people use office property for personal use too much. When you make unnecessary personal calls from office. I do not like it when you bribe the police man or the passport agent. I do not like when someone lies to others in order to get some kind of favour. Its not that I have never been tempted to do these. But somehow I could never do something that did not seem correct. I am sure that things that lie in morally grey area for me must be grossly wrong for some others. All of us have some sense of right and wrong, whether we listen to that voice or not is a question. But are you not supposed to stop anyone from doing anything?

If you know that someone is cheating on his wife or her husband are you supposed to stay mum? If you know that someone has sent fake resumes for job or has been lying about his income to the tax officers should you just watch that in silence? Or when you see someone not taking bus ticket or not working in the office or throwing wastes on streets? I know that things often disturb my peace and I have to consciously stop myself from speaking and I don't like it a bit.

If I am allowed to comment on these issues, do I give others a right to comment on my attire as well. There is no defined limit probably, except that use of physical force is not a valid rule of the game. Well guess that means for the time being people can use office phones for personal calls, not buy ticket or yell in public places.. I will not stop them. But I am sure someday my patience will give up and I will wear that moral police uniform!!!!

Too late to apologise

Swine flu.. a new type of flu said to be more dangerous than bird flu.

Isn't it hilarious ( or sad?) that whenever humans conquer one trouble, nature throws another one. It feels like a game between humans and nature, rather "nature khila raha hai insaan ko"... kinda when you play with a kid, when the child clears one hurdle, you set a level slightly tougher for him. Sometimes you let the child win, but you always know that the plot and rules are yours and whether the child will win or lose depends on whether you want him to win or lose. You conquered cholera, I'll give you different forms of cancer... Ok.. You have cure for TB... here play with AIDS.. ok what about this and that flu or hey have fun with lifestyle diseases and pollution related ones. You should never feel bored... I'll be there for you :)

We have reduced our immune system to a level that a person sneezing in Mexico scares us out. Some wise man once said "The fear of life is the favorite disease of the 20th century." ( William Lyon Phelps.. whoever he is :)). Was certainly wise to notice that. We are so scared of everything and everyone that we live half lives. But thats another story.

At the same time, those bloody virus have had ages of mutation to fight against all our antibiotics. They are spineless... literally and figuratively. I wonder that in the long run these brainless characters are going to win against man, who sits at the top of pyramid.

We forget that when the end comes, its going to be the end of humans not the end of nature or earth. It may be a temporary pause for nature, not the end. We will ruin everything and then die ourselves. And then from a tiny sprout somewhere, a tree will grow... somewhere a lost bird will sing again. But there wont be any human being ruining that.

The nature just watches man play with everything... his immune system, other species, his environment. Probably thinking how long it should let the kid play and then pack up the game.

And it really doesn't matter at all

Kill one man, and you are a murderer. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill them all, and you are a God.

Another blast in Delhi, one killed, 18 injured.... and many more to follow. My reaction, I just call up those I care for in Delhi , tell them about the blasts, ask them to stay in and watch the news. I wish that people who I know and I can't connect to are safe. I am not bothered too much about all those I don't know.

Its not that I am unsympathetic towards the blast victims. I am sure if I see someone or hear about someone I am going to feel sad. But other than that its just numbers. And numbers baffle me. X number of blasts in one Indian city. Y number of such cities. Z number of casualties in each of the blasts. After some time, its going to fade from my memory, precedence taken by some piece of crap. May be new MTV Roadies or may be office work or may be some good shopping offer. Yeah life moves on... It always does.

Have we accepted terror, violence ,death and injury as a part of life. Do we now think that insanity and irrationality will always be there. We just hope, wish or rather BELIEVE that its not gonna happen to us. That my near ones and I are always going to be lucky enough never to get caught in the chaos. And rest is all fine. Its fine as long as its not happening to you. Is it indifference, callousness, helplessness or inhumanity. I have seen some animal species gather and fight against a more powerful enemy to save each other. Yeah we ain't animals any more.

Its not that i can do anything about it. Its not that I can do anything about anything in general. I can just wish, hope and do the utterly trivial things. Things that are good, but of such small size that they do not matter. Its like clearing the way for an ant to carry sugar in the midst of riots or an approaching cyclone. Does saving power mean anything when we can't save lives. What difference does it make if city streets are clean or not, when the minds are not? But then... keep up the good work ;)

Its not so bad

I attended AID delhi meeting recently. If I think why I went there, probably the reason closest would be curiosity " I have never attended AID meeting" and just wanted to see what they do (if they happen to do anything!!!). I also wanted to see the faces behind all those mails coming in my mailbox. "Yeh kis type ke logon main itna time aur patience hota hai ki woh itna kaam bhi karein and usko website pe upload bhi karein... and earn their livelihood as well !!!" Well, so my primary reasons for being there were fulfilled :)

But the meeting did have side effects as well. I was surprised to see so many people from Gurgaon, Delhi and Noida, meeting at IITD at 10 (or nearly so) on a Sunday morning !!! There must be something behind this and the reason was self-evident in just a few moments... passion..All individuals passionately believing in and working for their cause, inspite of the difficulties that they faced. No project was easy, no location conventional and nobody thriving on external support. Yet... they made that happen... somehow.

The dedication that they had was amazing. Its not easy teaching slum kids, convincing their parents or working for women empowerment in a society that had difficulty relating the word women with power. All of them can have an easier life; a life oblivious to suffering of others. But they chose the road less travelled, the harder way and that made the difference. Certainly, there is a difference between a life without a purpose and a life dedicated to a cause and that I could notice there.

I liked the word "Gyanodaya" a lot. Probably the first step of gyanodaya is within you. Unless there is gyan or knowledge within, you can't enlighten others. I returned inspired for sure from there. If there are people like them working for India's development, probably the situation is not as gloomy as I thought it is. One positive change that it had on me is that my faith in humans as a race is restored. Thanks for that!!!!

Makes me wonder...

Second Law of Thermodynamics: Entropy of the universe always increases.

Entropy, a measure of chaos or disorder of a system will always increase, no matter what the process is.

I sometimes feel that the laws of physics are universal laws , laws which are applicable to society as well. That the disorder or chaos in the society will always increase.That the world is and will always go downhill no matter what you do.

In order to say that we have progressed, we need to define the parameters. Yes, per capita income has increased, so has the average life expectancy. Yes, we can communicate and move anywhere on the planet and claim to be living a more comfortable life. But does it also mean a more fulfilling life? Isn't it so that more people commit suicide then earlier.Inspite of having a great "connectivity" isn't it so that people know much less about people who were once close to them? There are more drug addicts than before. Is there some void in our lives that we try to fill with momentary pleasures?

Supposedly, with the growth in technology, moral growth should have also taken place. If the size of brain increased and so did his capabilty to think logically, why hasn't man realised a few basic facts for so long? Why is it so that still people do not take responsibilty of their actions. People give bribe to every person possible from policeman to passport agent and still wonder why is India amongst the most corrupt countries of the world. You litter on streets and blame the Govt. or the classic statement "Sab aisa hi karte hai" and still say "Cleanliness is next to Godliness".

Some people bear children without knowing whether they can nurture and take care of them, whether they have the time, energy and money to raise a kid. Some others pass on their values (or lack of them) to their children and others around them, who further add their own mess. Everybody takes away more from the society than what one can ever pay... And that is how the entropy increases!!!

Give me a reason

Its one of those days... well...those means those when I can't avoid thinking.

I have been wondering for some time now, what differentiates one person from another. Certainly, their intelligence, hard work, capabilities, attitude does. And being a great Ayn Rand fan, I do want to believe that you get to make your destiny... that you are not bound by circumstances... that except for what is within you, nothing else matters. But now I am forced to think if it is actually so?

I watched "Slumdog Millionaire" recently and saw the ground reality. Not that I was unaware totally, but somehow I could close my eyes... everytime. It hurt initially when I saw Mumbai slums, but two years of stay at M'bai and I could deal with it. I went to a poor area in Delhi (call it slum) recently and the cocoon that I had built around myself was shattered. There were kids running around, laughing, giggling, playing in mud.. unaware and careless. There were parents also laughing and giggling... unaware and careless, that they have kids somewhere. That there are humans struggling for scarce resources of planet.. food and compassion, humans who are here because they brought them to life, humans they should be accountable for... their kids. And yet no body cares.

I am sure that among these kids there would be hundreds who are far more intelligent and sharp than me and all of them are certainly much more hard working. Yet, I work in an air conditioned office while they beg on streets. Why? I don't think it can be solely due to attitude. Is it possible for someone who has 5 siblings, a drunkard father and hapless mother to see life as we see it? If you have always seen violence and cruelty as a way to resolve things, does there remain a way for you to see things otherwise? If you have never been told importance of education, can you just pick this up one fine day and get degrees? If you have to wonder whether you are getting the next meal or not, can you worry about books and pen? I guess not. Its just luck by chance. Where you are born decides quite a lot of things on earth.

We crib that the meal was not good, missed a movie, shoe of my size is not available. While there are kids there, who do not know if they are eating tonight or not. Or if they would be beaten again. Doesn't our cause of worry seem really trivial. But this is how life on earth is designed. Not fair. Not fair at all!!!