October 30, 2008

Raj Thackeray and his bloody speech

We all have heard what chaos and violence caused due to the sedition and stirring up of strife on regionalism by Raj Thackeray's venemous speeches and comments.. I just came across this piece of news on The Times of India, and then I recollected a chain mail that went about which is given below the piece of news.. Just sharing something that had to come a lot long back..

SMSes lampoon Raj & MNS stand (From Times of India (Delhi) 29 Nov, 08)
Politicians and their tall promises of bringing the guilty to book have been flogged on the SMS network. But we bring you one SMS that stood out from the rest. It read: ‘Where is Raj Thackeray and his “brave’’ Sena? Tell him that 200 NSG commandos from Delhi (no Marathi manoos, all south and north Indians) have been sent to Mumbai to fight the terrorists so that he can sleep peacefully tonight at Shivaji Park. Please forward this so that it finally reaches the coward bully.’


We should support Raj Thackeray.. (Chain Mail)
Yes, we all should support Raj Thackeray and take his initiative ahead by doing more...

  1. We should teach our kids that if he is second in class, don't study harder.. just beat up the student coming first and throw him out of the school
  2. Parliament should have only Delhiites as it is located in Delhi
  3. Prime-minister, president and all other leaders should only be from Delhi
  4. No Hindi movie should be made in Bombay. Only Marathi.
  5. At every state border, buses, trains, flights should be stopped and staff changed to local men
  6. All Maharashtrians working abroad or in other states should be sent back as they are SNATCHING employment from Locals
  7. Lord Shiv, Ganesha and Parvati should not be worshiped in our state as they belong to north (Himalayas)
  8. Visits to Taj Mahal should be restricted to people from UP only
  9. Relief for farmers in Maharashtra should not come from center because that is the money collected as Tax from whole of India, so why should it be given to someone in Maharashtra?
  10. Let's support Kashmiri Militants because they are right in killing and injuring innocent people for the benefit of their state and community..
  11. Let's throw all MNCs out of Maharashtra, why should they earn from us? We will open our own Maharashtra Microsoft, MH Pepsi and MH Marutis of the world
  12. Let's stop using cellphones, emails, TV, foreign Movies and dramas. James Bond should speak Marathi
  13. We should be ready to die hungry or buy food at 10 times higher price but should not accept imports from other states
  14. We should not allow any industry to be setup in Maharashtra because all machinery comes from outside
  15. We should STOP using local trains... Trains are not manufactured by Marathi manoos and Railway Minister is a Bihari
  16. Ensure that all our children are born, grow, live and die without ever stepping out of Maharasthra, then they will become true Marathis
But all these are only for Marathi peoples.
RAJ THACKERAY is excluded from this…

His children are going English medium school but any other Marathi children must go to Marathi schools…..

Jai Maharashtra …………… Jai Shivaji………………

I feel global, thank you FeedJIT

I use Feedburner to keep a track of people visiting my blog, and to have a pulse of what's being read mostly. Though it's good, I've stumbled upon this even better gadget for blogs called FeedJIT. Since I'd put it up on my website, boy I'm glad to see I have visitors from various parts of the world, US, Australia, Dubai, Malaysia, Italy, Britain, Iran, Canada, and a few from India too ;-)

Boy, feels global isn't it...

Well, I would request visitors to please leave comments and also your suggestions as to if you've found what you're looking for, or you may request content.. I'd be glad to provide it out if I can. Maybe I should look for a gadget 'Request / Suggest Topic / Content'. Should do that certainly! Well, for now, this feels great! :)

October 27, 2008

Do we need restrictions on Diwali?

Environment friendliness is the last thing one can think of on Diwali night, barring the few exceptions, of course. The next day, we have all the brilliant news channels giving their analysis of how much better or worse the air was polluted this year as against the previous years.

Even with so much emphasis on global-warming and the environmental hazards, many would simply not take heed.. Here's some details on what problems the chemicals used in the fire-crackers can cause--
  • Copper: Irritation of respiratory tract
  • Cadmuim: Anemia and damage to kidney
  • Lead: Affects the nervous system
  • Magnesium: Dust and fumes cause metal fume fever
  • Sodium: Reacts violently with moisture and can attack the skin.
  • Zinc: Leads to vomiting
  • Nitrate: Could lead to mental impairment
  • Nitrite: Could lead to coma
In the US and European countries, I hear they have strict laws on usage of Fire-Crackers. People are allowed to use fire-crackers only on Independence days. 'We're actually lucky to be Indians', we get to use fire crackers for the smallest of celebrations if we want to.. Guess the authorities need to give this a fair bit of thought about restrictions on Diwali... no religion here.. only scientific reasons!

Friends who're reading this... Go Green! Say no to explosives this Diwali.. Happy Diwali!

Look what I'd found...

While on a jog last evening, I found this trampled piece of paper which I picked... I guess it was from some school news magazine, here are two couplets / poems in there...

Poem 1: No Title (the title got torn)
A light appeared like a dot
But it was there in deep rich sky
It was growing bigger slowly,
After a struggle of years,
After shedding blood and tears
There came a time
When hope was its prime
The little glow was no-where to be seen
Because the whole sky was white and clean!

Poem 2: Honesty
Learn to be honest,
Never tell a lie
For honesty is a virtue
That asks 'why'
So if for the truth you care,
Peace of mind would always be there...

The above poems seem to be have been contributed by some Gaganpreet Kohli, IX-C..

October 25, 2008

Where have all the experts gone?

Who had ever dreamed that the worlds leading banks and corporations like Citibank, Lehman, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley among many others would hold a begging bowl and go to the federal for loans? And look what the have!

These companies have the best of talent.. And all the toppers from the best of B-Schools are hired by these giants first, and many would do a great deal to earn a job in these companies.. But.. what happened? Couldn't all the experts, the cream of talent not predict what they (their companies) were heading to?

October 22, 2008

Coming up...

I've happened to finally find my notes (and Amit Paul Kerketta's) of UESI's 1999 CMTC camp at Kotagiri, and want to soon publish the best of them, especially on Relationships, Finding God's will apart from the DIY of Quiet Time, Personal & Group Bible study.. and yes.. with all the attacks happening on Christians in India, there was also a session on 'Christian response to persecution' which I'd like to share.. All of them coming up on http://youngpeopleinchrist.blogspot.com

Plague of insects on Delhi

Since over 5 days Delhi NCR is plagued with those tiny insects.. in such large numbers.. guess this is the first time so many insects are flying around, and everyone I know is complaining about them...

I got a real feel of them while I was on riding my bike at about 23:30 hrs yesterday and everytime I passed under a street light, there was a shower of those insects, and yucks!!! But, it just made me recall the great plague of locusts (of the ten plagues) that was sent on Egypt when he was persecuting God's chosen ones.. Those locusts didn't just fly around.. they just consumed everything on their way... I think I have some realistic estimate of what that would've been like!

October 19, 2008

To sell in the secular world.. Cosmic Ordering!

'Twas sometime in 2006, I was approached by a classmate from my MBA times to write for his client who was publishing a paperback on 'Cosmic Ordering' for the American audience. At that time I was looking for some freelancing assignment for writing, and I was glad this had come up.. that too from a class mate. When I said 'Yes', I had no clue what Cosmic ordering was all about.. Thanks to Google, I had found, perhaps the only few links that exist on the subject.. (Today, Google the word 'Cosmic Ordering', and you'll find a whole lotta links, though).

I had taken an ambitious deadline (of 21 days for 25000 words content) for submission as the client was in a hurry... What surprised me as I explored was that Cosmic Ordering is no new concept. It was a very religiously applied practice across many world religions.. It was a simple concept of 'Prayer', being creatively crafted (rather fudged) to sell in the secular world. I had an understanding of the very concept in the Christian way.

Here's the Christian version of Cosmic Ordering:
The Bible says "All things work for good for they that love the Lord". Also, Jesus said "Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you."

Cosmic Ordering
, in my personal interpretation broadly says, "You make a wish and the whole cosmos (all things) will work towards making your wish come true." Well, get into details of Cosmic ordering, and you'll see it's just not about making a wish, but there's more to it..

Having realized that, I was divided in my mind, if or not I should be going ahead with writing for the paperback, cos I'd be writing in something I didn't believe in. I'd sold my soul to the devil for just a opportunity as I went ahead to write a draft for paperback with 7 chapters and some 25,000 words which got rejected due to some reasons of adaptation to the American market. God, I was glad it did get rejected.. Cos, I was divided within myself about it. And it meant manipulation, and diverting people from the truth to an illusion that doesn't exist.

Cosmos is created and controlled. There's no nature's law. It's just God's law that nature obeys. Why to order the cosmos when you have access to make a request with one who controls the cosmos? Forget Cosmic Ordering, get Praying! Pray to the true God, and you'll see the way.. I'm glad that I (my draft) was not sold in the secular world, just for the sake of it! This is just another new-age doctrine, and deviation from the truth.. deceiving others and deceiving themselves..

October 18, 2008

Do we grow to be more insensitive?

"I couldn't agree more with you!"a online friend without face exclaimed as soon I asked him that question. Not that many don't see what I see, and it's also not that all see what I see..

How many of us have made a very good friend or have a great relationship like the ones we've made during out school times or college times. Surely after we've crossed the age of 23 plus minus a year, we don't have that great a relationship to talk about.. Even when people fall in love, only a few end up marrying and the rest break-up.. again, a not-so-long-lasting relationship. Leaving a few exceptions aside, look at the reasons for the broken relationships, and you'll find the reasons would be more to do with some personal needs of ours or the others in the relation.

Growing old, we start thinking about objectives, we try to find a reason in every action / relation of ours sooner or later and end in some cases by breaking up as objectives are not met mutually or others continue for some ends to meet.. In the process may be some feelings grow and we become sensitive towards each other, but.. in principle, we all become more objective oriented and grow insensitive even as we grow older. Thoughts anyone?

October 16, 2008

Talent wars, no more... for now only

Gone are the days when the recruitment teams would relentlessly make calls to lure candidates from the market with their offers, and when the HR team would try hard to retain employees... With the whole global financial crisis, the recruitment teams are taking a bit of rest from this, but HR seems to have a reversed problem now...

The HR team really isn't spending much time on talking to people who are resigning voluntarily unless required. It's just a easy go for whoever wants to. Apparently, given the talent wars, it looks like companies have hired buffer staff to face the onslaught of attrition. However, with the latest market trends it's the same buffer talent which is first on the firing line now. We've all heard the big news of Jet Airways sacking 1900 even as they say more is in pipeline. What we have not heard so loud in the media is about the many other companies which are on the same act in small proportions, and some even more.

Well, even the employees who used to throw their weight around demanding for all benefits, this and that with all their tantrums are also kinda getting silent, cos they've analyzed the market situation and know there's no jobs readily available for them to give a good bargain. In effect, the talent wars right now has taken a setback.

As they say, the economy will discipline the industry, and it's perhaps times of crisis like this which will get back the gung-ho markets and even the high-headed to some discipline, and back to basics... But, yes, the talent wars are no more... for now only!

October 14, 2008

Did we love at all?

It’s a great feeling when people fall in love... whether or not they know it’s love or just infatuation, one thing is for sure... the expressions they make and the thoughts they verbalize... sure they feel that nothing like this has happened before, and that this is the best thing that has ever occurred to them.. Also that this is what they want the most, ever more than anything, and this is the best time of their lives..Well, it's not just people, but even me ditto..

People in love.. come a break-off, and hear us out.. there is no one worse than the loved person, and there’s no one more hated than their erstwhile lovers, and this is when the question arises, “Did we love at all?”

Love, as I’ve learnt it from experiences, and scriptures, is something way beyond what we actually practise and profess it to be.. and by that yardstick (Love is?), we did not love at all. All that emotion that we have had and felt, and so passionately reciprocated do not matter at all..

The ensuing emotion of repulsion an hatred after a break-off, as understood is a impulse emotion, but, yes, if someone did love at all... just let your love endure.. That’s when you can really say: Yes, I did love! And it did endure!

A measure of Love

¶Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

¶Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

¶Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part...

...and now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is Love.

October 10, 2008

What calamities can occur to us?

I came across this quote by Ambrose Bierce, which says:
"Calamities are of two kinds: misfortune to ourselves; good fortune to others"
Jealousy is a dangerous emotion. It is very detrimental, and also self-destructive. Applying this to a workplace setup, where I've actually come across this quote when a colleague was flashing the message to everyone, it shows a problematic attitude of an employee. Surely everyone has at least once had someone getting jealous towards them because of something good happening to them, by way of salary hike, promotions, sponsorship to training, or a performance reward among many others...

It's all about the way you see things.. but, as long as the focus is on anything outside of yourselves, I'm sure one is destined to disappointment. Focus on yourself, and you'll at least find something to work on and improve; keep looking at others, and you'll only find disappointment. The calamity is surely set to trigger more emotional misery in life.

How do we conduct ourselves?

It is common to have temptations, and more so for a believer who's chosen the narrow road. I did raise a question when I was first saved, how do we overcome temptations, and here's what I'd got back from my spiritual elders...
Do nothing you would not do if Jesus were coming
Say nothing you would not say if Jesus were coming
Think nothing you would not think if Jesus were coming
It's harder than said, but that's when our obedience is put to test. Say a prayer in the face of temptation, it will surely help!

Love is all around us, yet the dearth..

Listen to the music, the evergreen old, vintage classics, the contemporary.. love oozes from the lyrics and the videos... The movies, especially Bollywood, which is full of 'love' masala.. The great tales we cherish, Romeo & Juliet for the whole world, Devdas in India, start counting and there will be umpteen with a handful for each culture.. Listen to the speeches of leaders, great men and women, they all talk of tolerance, peace and love among brothers.. Read the scriptures, and they teach love.. Love is all around us!

Despite so much of 'talks of love', why is there so much dearth of love... Why is there the loneliness in everybody's life that they have to cry when no one sees them? Why do people flock to internet chatrooms trying to find love and end up finding anything but love?

October 6, 2008

When my heart's not right within me!

So typical of what I am...

I'm going through so much of mixed emotions these days, and am questioning every aspect
of my long held strong beliefs... I need His wisdom and direction so much more than ever..


I'm an angel, I'm a devil,
I am sometimes in between.
I'm as bad as it can get,
just as good as it can be.
Sometimes I'm a million colours,
sometimes I'm black & white.
I'm all extremes.
Try to figure me out?
You never can.
There's so many things I am.

I'm special, I'm beautiful.
I'm wonderful and powerful.
Unstoppable.
Sometimes I'm miserable,
sometimes I'm pitiful.
But that's so typical of all the things I am.

I'm someone filled with self-belief and haunted by self-doubt,
I got all the answers, I've got nothing figured out,
I like to be by myself, I hate to be alone,
I'm up and I'm down, but that's part of the thrill,
Part of the plan...
Part of all the things I am..

I'm a million contradictions.
Sometimes I make no sense
Sometimes I'm perfect
Sometimes I'm a mess
Sometimes I'm not sure who I am

But that's so typical of all the things I am..

The courage to love

Over a small discussion over tea, I just had a question to my parents who were watching a typical Indian masala movie with love story, and the family drama and all.. That we all love to watch movies based on love stories, and a few even cry watching those movies.. But I know of at least 3-4 families, and I'm sure they represent a majority of Indian families which dread such situation in their own homes.

One of many India's paradoxes I would say... A lot of admiration for love, but a question on the courage to love, isn't it?

Quotes from 'The Family' by Mario Puzo

The Family, by Mario Puzo was his last of novels, and it gives some insights into human behavior and a lot about the pattern of those times.. here's a few quotable quotes shared below..

  • So it was, as God fell to earth as man and the rigid religious doctrine of the Middle Ages lost its power and was replaced by the study of great ancient civilizations of Rome, Greece & Egypt… man pitted his mind against the heart of God and Reason reigned.
  • Enough money could buy churches, priests, pardon and even the forgiveness of God.
  • If a man can sell his soul to one devil, can he not to another?
  • Without free will, he is a mere puppet of his own need, a beast of burden yielding to the snap of another man’s whip.
  • True love imperils a man, and empowers a woman.
  • Love can steal free will using no weapon but itself
  • Is a man’s destiny not always a gift and a burden? For who of us must not struggle with his own free will when praying “Thy will be done dear Lord, not mine?”
  • I do not wish to engage myself in disagreements, and the way to do that is never to begin
  • Human Nature goes against itself for lofty principles
  • The minds of the humanists can twist the truth and make sense out of nonsense
  • Live with your sins, confess them or not, but never lose your faith, for there is nothing else
  • By claiming his will as her own, she had shifted the balance of power and so without a weapon she effectively disarmed him
  • Freedom is not a right, but a privilege
  • Power for itself proves nothing; it is an empty exercise of one man’s will over another.
  • Without love power places man closer to the animals than to the angels.

October 3, 2008

Once upon 'A Wednesday'

I just happened to watch Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher starrer ‘A Wednesday’. It was just couple of weeks ago serial blasts took off in New Delhi, and given the pattern of the blasts in various cities and the terror in the air… the movie leaves everyone with a zeal and does trigger a thought to get sensible. Especially, the part when the actor chooses not to give a name to the ‘common man’ in the movie, it registers the impact.

I would not rate the movie very good or good nor satisfactory. I’d just say what my friend had said while sharing it with me: It’s a must see. Not for its entertainment value, but for the idea it presents, and the thought it leaves behind.

At the same time, I’m reminded of one ‘Cow Theory’ of Arindam Chaudhuri published in his book ‘Count your chicken before they hatch’. Indians, he goes about to compare with the cows which are found much in abundance across India especially on the roads blocking our ways. Constrained by his experiences, he shares the metro experience where a cow is resistant in moving an inch even if a bus is heading towards it in full speed. You hit the cow and then, lethargically, it gets up, goes a little ahead and down it goes to rest once again!

Relating this Cow Theory to human beings, these days of our lives when terror shadows every hour, we ought not to be so ignorant like the cow which doesn’t understand the reason why it’s being pushed by various attacks, nor so lethargic and complacent to not take appropriate action. Though the movie takes a violence-based solution, what’s to be captured and retained is the spirit of it rather than the way it was act upon.

October 2, 2008

Gandhi the weakest?

In the wake of recent blasts across various locations in India, all the opposition party politicians and even a few Government allies’ leaders have called the Home Minister of India Shivraj Patil a weak person for the role, and the media has raised the question ‘Is Shivraj Patil’ the weakest home minister India has seen?

Talking of who others the same people have called weak, I recall how L K Advani (leader of opposition) attacked and made it a mandate to in any which way declare the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh the weakest Prime Minister of India till date. That is despite the many achievements the person may claim to himself personally and towards the nation as a ruler, he’s declared the weakest!

Let’s see who’s contesting for strongest of the ministers these days:

  1. LK Advani, the Hindutva advocate, the leader of judging panel of 'Who's the weakest?'who himself had been a Home Minister and even held the office of Deputy Prime Minister, during BJP rule in India. Advani, who's believed to have a criminal case against him, is also responsible for the great riots which took place in India due to the demolition of Babri Masjid, thanks to his strong roots in RSS. This man, who evokes terror within the country by stirring religious sentiments also aims to be the next prime minister. His favorite past time is to make yatras, and go about sowing seeds of dissension and enjoy sitting on the chaos following his actions.
  2. Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, who’s a hero-like figure these days. He who failed to protect the minorities while in power in Gujarat was attacked for not just failing to provide adequate protection to the attacked, but also instigating the masses by sowing seeds of hatred among religious communities which had accentuated the riots and the consequences of it. He has successfully contested and won elections twice after the incident and rules the state. Well, the latest Nanavati report has further encouraged him as a messiah by giving him a clean chit in the Godhra case..
  3. Naveen Patnaik, Orissa Chief Minister is the most (dismally) strongest of all the current chief ministers. In the face of increasing attacks on minorities, mainly Christians which have been persistent over a decade from the ghastly act of the burning of Graham Staines’ to the current situation of the fire spreading across many burning districts, he has been successful in not inviting much criticism toward himself. Well, he’s not weak, what a ignominy to the many lives lost in the tragedy! Everyone knows Naveen can’t speak Oriya for nuts, nor has he lived in Orissa long to neither know nor to understand what ails the land.

Looking at the way in which things are defined, I guess, MK Gandhi, the declared Mahatma was the weakest of all Indian leaders. Given the rod by which judgment is delivered by the people who call the Prime Minister and Home minister the weakest, I can promise by their standards Mahatma Gandhi was the weakest of all! Perhaps, that’s why Nathuram Godse shot him down! Guess he’s to be given an equal prize against the Nobel for being the weakest leader of a nation. Alongside ignoble prizes for the judges of ‘Who’s the weakest’!!!