The Night Raiders

Sonu and Nishant waited with bated breath, crouching behind the thick clump of bushes, wishing fervently that the clouds wrap the moon and give them the cover of darkness. Ahead of them was a mound, on top of which ran railway trdacks which shone in the moonlight. The two of them shifted uneasily as they waited with increasing impatience for the Guwahati express to pass by.

Wearing full sleeved banians - it was winter - Sonu and Nishant heaved a collective sigh of relief when the clouds did cover the moon and give them the dark blanket that they so desperately needed for their operation. Sonu looked at Nishant and smiled, revealing his single gold tooth.

Behind them is a small pond and behind it is a clump of trees. The Guwahati express made a stop at this point everyday and invariably a passenger or two gets down to answer nature's call. What better place to relieve oneself than in an open field in the middle of the night, and under the watchful eyes of the moon! This temptation overcomes the restrictions that the cops in the train impose on the passengers - barring them from opening the train doors or, worse still, getting down from the train.

Sonu and Nishant are from the nearby village and have been planning this loot for over a month now. After tedious and careful research, they have decided upon this night to go for the kill.

"Let us go over the plan again," whispered Sonu, the elder of the two.

"Yeah, let us do that. First we advance slowly.." Nishant was only too eager to say the right things and impress his brother.

"Shhhh... The ground rules first," growled Sonu clenching his teeth.

"Ok sorry. Do not go if more than two passengers alight.
Do not shout or create unnecessary noise and most importantly, don't charge at the passengers."

"Good. And then?"

"And then advance nonchalantly towards the passenger and catch him off guard." Nishant beamed, confident that he hadn't missed a single point.

"Right," said Sonu, confirming Nishants belief, "And now the actual plan of action?"

Nishant took in a deep breath like how a runner does just before his sprint, in a it-is-now-or-never manner. "Once the passenger gets down and loiters about, we go to him innocuously. I raise my weapon and thrust it against him threateningly and when he stands frozen, you relieve him of all his valuables , and then we make a run for it. And just to be safe, we also jump into the pond and swim across. That will leave the passenger left with no other choice, but to get back onto the train, as he will never want to get into those dark clump of trees," he finished with a flourish, licking his lips satisfactorily.

"You are a gem. But now tell me what we would do if someone rushes at us threatening to attack us?" queried Sonu as if he were a teacher asking a student seemingly innocent questions and waiting to pounce on him the minute he makes a mistake.

"Then we point our weapons against them all and shout that we shoot if they move, just like in the movies". Sonu is thoroughly impressed and gives Nishant an audible thump of appreciation on his back.

The distant whistle of the train pierces the frigid air softly, and Sonu shudders as he crosses his arms around his shoulders. The whistling stops, the clacking sound of the wheels on the tracks grow louder, and the train rolls into view. The robbers slowly turn back and see the waters of the pond shimmering due to the vibration. Turning their gazes forward, they catch sight of the headlight tearing its way through the night and brightening the way ahead. The monster groans to a stop slowly in front of them, and they smile at each other, albeit with a lot of nervousness. The first robbery of their lives and how well they have it all sorted out.

The couple sit on their haunches with bated breath, unmindful of how tightly they are gripping their weapons. After a minute or two, an errant passenger opens the door, glances to his left and right, and then decides to get down.

"Bhai Saab, don't go out in the night. Dacoits will be waiting for a kill," calls out a passenger. "Arrey, who believes in all that in this age. The police is everywhere, and even if there comes along a dacoit, he is bound to get caught and I can claim to have contributed to that, " says the fat man throwing his head back in laughter.

As he gets down the train, the robbers clutch their pendants, chant a silent prayer, get up, and start walking coolly towards the fat man. Their calm exterior does not betray their turbulent heart beats. Fighting the urge to run to wards their prey, they stiffen their bodies against a chill draft and advance towards the man with their hands behind their backs. The passenger is by this time, letting out a fountain of piss, which wavers from its natural trajectory due to the strong wind.

Just a few more paces and they would be all over the man, their only worries being that their loud heart beats would bring the man to attention. They bring their hands forward, another 3 steps and they can go in for the kill...

"Sonu...Nishant...Is that you? What are you guys doing here? Rascals, come back here" comes a raspy voice. In the still of the night, this is the last voice that the robbers wanted to hear. They freeze, the fat man looks ahead, catches sight of them, zips his pants in a hurry, and runs towards the train. A look of horror crosses the faces of the robbers, as they realise what has happened. They slowly hide their hands behind their backs again and turn around. The clouds part ways and the moonlight shines brilliantly from above, illuminating the grandma's face. She has shaded her hand on her forehead and her eyes are straining to catch sight of the culprits.

"You both are a spoilt lot. I have told your father so many times not to take you to gangster movies. But he himself is a rotten apple. What is that you have behind your backs?"

The robbers look at each other and bring out their hands.

"Bamboo sticks! How foolish you are. You would have been caught, thrashed soundly, and jailed," she chides them, grabs them by their ears and drags them away.

The fat man watches from the train as it pulls away. Though old, he has a sharp ear and can hear the voice still shouting.

"Hardly fourteen years old and you want to commit dacoity? Wait till your old man hears of this..." the granny's voice drifts into the distance as the whistle of the train takes over. With a slight shudder, the fat man slams the train door shut and retires to his seat.

On-Site opportunities!!!!!!!!

Watch for this space for a write up on the various pulls that a software professional experiences when (s)he goes to the land of dreams....the U S of A! Am writing this just to remind myself that this is a long pending write up and I should not put this forward for long...

An Ode to my Beloved

Long are the days, and longer still are the nights
Hotter is the fever, And the wound, It pains all the more
Gone are those laughters, those hugs and those fights
Living life? Oh! That seems part of some old lore

I wanna dance with you, dance with you in the rain
I wanna sing and on my knees serenade
I wanna spin you round n round till 'pop' goes your vein
I wanna lie you down, and make you merry, fair maid!

You will come back, come back to me soon
But till then I'll be in deep slumber
You know what people call me? "Hey you lazy loon!"
But little do they know, that will only be till November!

Of Dogs and Pigeons...

“Be careful…be very very careful,” growled Sara in a low voice, as she crouched low to the ground, and pulled at her three-month old son Tinu’s ear by her teeth. The two of them were in a hunting expedition, trying, as they often did, to catch, what Tinu’s father Raina would frustratingly refer to as ‘those irritating pigeon lot which thinks itself a superior race to dogkind’. Eight year old Sara and the hirsute almost a decade-old Raina formed one ferocious pair and their rule over the fifty odd dogs that roamed the busy dusty streets of Marol, was imperious. They were deferentially referred to as THE DOG and THE BITCH by all.

Thus starts my latest attempt at a story. Await, and might be a long timel, the entire version.

That was the crime that was (continued)

Overheard yet again – A mini conversation between the private secretary of Rangudu and the minister himself

Secretary: “Sir, there is an e-mail from the bank. It says that some money has been credited to your account. Should I go through the details?”

Rangudu: “You know better than to do that sweety…am sure it is not that big an amount that you should bother yourself with. So why don’t you come here (sweeping her off the floor and carrying her as if she were a kid) and lie down there (dropping her onto the cot with a grunt) and….”

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General Public reaction

Milk man to customer: “What Saar!!! Heard the news? Ramasamy is going to be on TV tonight. It is going to be one hell of a show. These TV people have asked to sms our queries so that Ramasamy can nicely give it back to that guy Rammohan. What Saar? What have you sms ed? This is a nice opportunity to show the world how unjust that trial was and how that Rammohan took 25 lakhs to put Ramasamy behind bars.”

Customer: “25 lakhs? Who gave you that number?”

Milk man: “What saar? You are so educated. Can’t you work out the numbers yourself? Its elementary math saar. Anyway, will you let me sms from your phone? I will show these people what I think of this entire thing.”

The door slams shut.

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The time arrives, there has been so much hoopla around this entire show that the whole nation, not to mention lots of people abroad, is eagerly awaiting it. In the setting, RPS himself has come to supervise the events. After all, this is a show in a lifetime and he can’t afford to miss it for anything in the world. Marketers had been working over time in trying to cash in on the opportunity. “SeeItAll” screens hired the premier cricket stadium in the country to screen the one-hour show. At an average entry charge of Rs 200, with the stands full (a total of a lakh people), that’s a lot of money to make in just the one hour. People huddle around TV shops in every city, First Sight, for the first time in TV history around the world, is expecting a viewer base of more than 95%, the most that has ever been for a single program. The venue, a garden on the local university campus, does not betray the significance of the event that is about to happen. The setting is as conventional as a quiz show, only that in this show, the two hundred invitees who are attending, are the top two hundred in the country, in that order, with no exceptions.

The kids do not know what is happening and are more concerned with the free juices being served. Suddenly one of them shouts out “Hey daddy, the lights are dimming. Look! Look!”

The lights did dim; the swivel camera zooms in from the top on to the two people hogging the only limelight in that area; a hush fell over the stands…The most watched show on the planet was on…

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Ramasamy: “I’d like to thank all those who gave me an opportunity to address the nation and have an hour’s chat with Mr. Rammohan. This kind of treatment does affirm the peoples’ belief in our principles of democracy and free speech. I’m sure Mr. Rammohan would agree”

(Questions about the meaning of democracy by some children, are quickly snuffed out by their irritated fathers.)

Rammohan: (Wiping his brow; the lights in the stage are too hot for comfort)”Yes, that’s true. We should have more shows like this”

(By the sidelines, without anyone noticing, RPS moves his head ever so slightly and that is received by an errand boy, who smiles in return.)

Ramasamy: “No! No! That would mean more prisoners going to jail unnecessarily right? Am sure you don’t mean that”

Rammohan: “Yes..I mean.. Of course not! I did not mean that.”

Ramasamy: “Now lets get straight to the topic. We have just one hour. What do you think about the present court acquitting me?”

Rammohan: (Looks nervously at the front row, straining his eyes, willing his sight to pierce through the incoming light, so that he could sight the incumbent head of the Madras high court) Giving up soon, he answers “Its nice. The court went by what evidence they had and they obviously saw some which I did not see, in the sense, they saw some which I did not have fourteen years back, and so acquitted you. That’s good!”

Ramasamy: “Good? Good for who Mr Rammohan?”

Rammohan: “Good for the justice system in our country, any country, and primarily, good for you! After all, it saved you a lot of trouble didn’t it?”

(Wipes his brow again. This time, the nod from RPS evokes response and how! To Rammohan’s embarrassment, the errand boy runs to his side and offers him a tissue, bringing forth stifled laughter from parts of the crowd)

Ramasamy: “Uncomfortable?”

(This emboldens the sections of the crowd, and the laughter is now very well heard, and covered by the camera. RPS is happy, and countless limbs across India relax, as people realize that they have been gripping on to whatever they could for a long while now)

Ramasamy: “Where were we? Ah yes! It did save me a lot of trouble. But what did you think happened that night? Do you have any idea as to what happened that night?”

Rammohan: “As far as the evidence that was presented before me, you, working as per instructions given to you by an insidious gang of people, ran your lorry over two members of the then opposition people, and hence I had to convict you.”

Ramasamy: “And what happened now? Why do you think these people acquitted me?”

Rammohan: “As far as the evidence presented towards them goes, you did not do that crime, and are hence to be relieved of all blame and the consequent trials that had been suffered by you, as required by law, based on the earlier conviction.”

Ramasamy: “Will you please speak normally and spare me that technical shit?”

(Gasps from the immediate audience, but the people at large are loving it!)


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RPS and Rangudu, on phone

Rangudu (He is one angry man): “Hey, didn’t we agree that this guy would behave? Words like ‘shit’ and all? What is happening? Are you people not deferring the telecast of the show by a few minutes?”

RPS: “Of course we are Sir! I think there is some snag, maybe the editor considered ‘shit’ acceptable. The problem is that he is sitting at Delhi and his phone is not reachable. Will somehow tell him about the inclusion immediately Sir.”

Rangudu: “You are increasing my blood pressure now. Do you realize that I can simply throw your money back at your face and ask you to cancel the show right away?”

RPS: “Yes Sir! But I’ll make sure that no more untoward event happens. You please sit back and enjoy the rest of….”

(And with that, with a crackle, the connection gets cut)

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Ramasamy: “Ok! Now that we are at the end of the story, tell me why on earth these guys would exonerate me without asking me about it?”

Rammohan(Laughs out loud): “Now that’s the strangest question ever posed to me in all my years of service! What is your problem? Why can’t you just leave, go home, and be a happy man, now that you are free?”

Ramasamy: “I’ll tell you why! That is the very reason I am here. To tell the whole world of the biggest mistake that has happened! Of the way you people have been treating me! And of the …”

(The murmurs in the crowd grow to a crescendo, the milkman is besides himself with joy and nudges people, advertising the 25 lakhs which Rammohan had obtained; the minister frantically dials RPS’s number only to be greeted by a “This phone is temporarily not reachable” message)

Rammohan: “Look, I do not know what you are aiming at, but I think…”

Ramasamy: “Oh we have all heard your thoughts till now. Let India hear mine for a change. What do you say people (He stood up to squarely face the camera and questioned the entire nation)”

(There was one resounding “YES”, coming so as it did from about 300 different dialects, and from more than a billion people. Scientists later calculated that the sound would have been audible from Mars!!!)

Ramasamy: “I am going to, in this stage, reveal who was exactly responsible for that crime. Its ME! None other than me!”

(Scientists later concluded that in the silence that ensued across the nation, a person in Kashmir, could have heard a pin drop in Kanyakumari, some argued maybe a brick, but definitely not a pin!)

Rammohan: “What the….Are you out of your mind? Do you realize what you have just now done?” Rammohan was shocked and relieved at the same time.

Ramasamy: “You keep your mouth shut! You haven’t been in jail for fourteen years have you? When finally I resign to fate and adjust to that tortuous way of life, these politicos, when I am stuck up in a hospital bed, because of some disease that you lot foisted on me, get me released so that they can make a sensation out of it and get votes in the upcoming election. I do not want this situation for anyone else. Now its me, tomorrow it will be someone else who actually did not commit a murder, who will go to jail. To stop all this once and forever…”

Saying so, he thrusts his hand deep inside his pocket and pulls out a nasty looking…

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THE HINDU

May 16, 2003
Chennai

…so violent was the reaction in various parts of the country that a person no less than the Prime Minister of India has ordered a complete enquiry into the issue. It is widely believed by political and judicial experts that at least a few top heads would roll. Since no journalist was allowed into the university and since the Prime Minister himself, who was present at the show, ordered closure of the camera, at that precise moment Ramasamy withdrew the object, no one in the country barring the 200 public servants (read ‘politicians’)is privy to the object he withdrew or what ensued in the commotion that prevailed. Last heard from sources is that Ramasamy is back in police custody and the case will be up for hearing very soon.

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THE INDIAN EXPRESS

June 1, 2003
Editorial

...such a deep impact has this incident left on the total political conscience of the nation that talks of a complete overhaul of the judicial system and the people running the jurisprudence, are rife. What the judges have to understand is that unless there is solid evidence, no person should be put in jail. Fourteen years in jail is a long time; accepted that Ramasamy had committed the crime, but one has to appreciate the man’s want to create justice and expose a worn out judicial system which has umpteen numbers of loopholes which politicians are only too willing to expose for personal gain.

At the end of it all, it is all one big sordid story, where the people who wanted to become heroes, had egg on their faces, ironically by their own actions, and the only guy who is laughing right now, and that too all the way to the Swiss banks, is RPS. God save the country!

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P S : This story was inspired by the tale of a person released in India after a prison term of more than 10 years, as the people concerned, found him not-guilty!

For want of a cake....

I, ten-year old Subramaniam Viswanathan, am a Brahmin in the strictest sense. Why, my parents even made me attend a patashaala in the evenings while the other kids in the street would play cricket. Oh! That was too much to bear. You will never understand unless you are in such a muddled situation. To top it all, I had to shave my head completely save a lock of hair. This caused me to become the center of attraction of all the boys (and girls) in the street, and not for favorable reasons. Several times I had argued with my father but to no avail. He is a strict man my father and wouldn’t stand any nonsense. And any suggestion of mine which went against our “customs” was nonsense to him.

Now I had this voracious liking for cakes. Ever since I was introduced to those spongy, creamy sweetmeats by Rahul, my schoolmate (I was strictly forbidden from eating outside food) I never missed an opportunity to secretly buy one from the neighbouring bakery. And till now I had managed escape.

Things changed on Independence Day, 2000.

It was a full five minutes before I even licked the cake. All that time I was thinking of the warm cream filling my mouth and tickling my taste buds. I turned over the cake, as my distended greedy eyes admired the work that had gone into it, ran my hands through the smooth contours of the cream, put my nose near its top and took in the heavenly smell of the chocolate (my personal favorite). I did not want that moment in time to pass. I was so naïve at that age that I even thought “Oh! I would have given even my remaining strands of hair to be able to pause this moment and relive it whenever I want to.”When the tension finally became too much to bear, I broke the cake into half through its middle so that it had a top half and a bottom one. I ran a long index finger over the cream that is usually smeared on the top part of the bottom portion, scooped the black chocolate fluid, extended my tongue, and slowly greased my tongue with the cream. Retracting my tongue inside I painted the insides of my mouth with the cream and vicariously enjoyed the sweet sensations that my taste buds were going through. The bottom portion was all cake and virtually no cream. So I gobbled it up in a hurry. Left with only the top portion - the best of them all - I plucked the cherry off leaving a mini crater on the cream. I opened my mouth and clamped down on the cake and the cream. Slowly, but surely!


“Thirudaa* Thirudaa*” The screams filled the shop as I spun around sharply. I froze like a deer in the line of headlights. As the shopkeeper’s blows rained on my bare back, I could faintly hear peals of laughter as I vainly tried to defend myself from the physical assaults. I had no doubts Rahul’s laughter was among them. As Kandan, the bakery owner (who had had a change of mind and decided to open shop today) pulled me through the street by the locks of my hair, voices rang in my head. They were of my friends telling me about Kandan “who will definitely not open his bakery today as it was Independence Day” and how “you would not get a better opportunity especially since the window is damaged today” and how it “will take a long time before Kandan repairs it.” I do not know whether they really wanted me to get into trouble (in which case they better hide from me for the next two weeks) or it was just an accident. As of now, my only concern was this man standing in front me, his eyes turning a deep crimson as Kandan spewed out all the details of my “robbery.” The man was my father…and he did not like what he heard. Pray for me!

* - Tamil for “Thief”

TFTTOMH II (The Devil called "AIDS")

Back in office, with nothing to do! So I thought I'll tell you about how increasingly important it is becoming for Indian companies (and in fact firms all over the world) to sit up and take notice of the fact that many of their employees are exposed to the risk of AIDS! And if they dont act now (as is the attitude of most Indian firms), and continue to keep their eyes shut stubbornly refusing to appreciate the seriousness of the epidemic and its potential devastating effects it can have on not only its employees, but in turn on its own bottomlines also, they will suffer in the long run. Based on an article I recently read, it is much more cheaper for companies to provide treatment to affected employees on a regular basis - basically covering the costs of the Anti-retrovirals (ARVs) - than to lay them off the minute their infection is discovered. Not surprisingly, the main category of people infected with this deadly disease is Truck Drivers. Seven in 100 truck drivers are inflicted with this disease in India. And that pecentage is increasing by the day. As far as the industry segment is concerned, the call centers, with their huge population of youngsters, working away from their homes, and loaded with surplus cash, are a soft target. Just the other my partner and I were talking about how talking to a person of the opposite sex at night is so so different from talking during the day. The night imposes a certain magic in young hearts, and where passion goes out of control, Mr. AIDS has the last laugh.

So if you are working in a firm and in a position to suggest some measures to the management to take notice of the situation, spread some awareness among the employees, frame some policies within the company addressed specifically to tackle this problem, DO IT! Do not wait for the inevitable. For If you can help it, it is not inevitable any more. Its difficult taking note of all these things- right from this issue to problems like Global warming, rising petroleum prices et al- as long as they dont hit you. But make no mistake, these are for real! And one day or the other, when we are affected, directly or otherwise, we dont want to be told, "You had a chance to set things right, you preferred to overlook it".

So long then...

P S : And in case you are wondering what TFTTOMH is, it stands for Thoughts From The Top My Head!!!

Thoughts from the top of my head - I

I'm at office and its 11 15 pm. I want to write, but dont know what. So I'm going to write random thoughts from my mind. Here goes...

• Did you know that in the whole of Greece, there is not a single proper mosque? Surprising innit? More so when you consider that the Muslim population of the country is almost 0.2 million.

• For people wanting a change from the television, I'd suggest radio as a very good alternative. And please...Radio is not only about our FM channels that belt out music 24 hours everyday... In case you have a Broadband internet connection at home, check out the BBC website (For a host of channels catering to all genres of taste like Drama, Speech, News, Sports, and the ubuiquitous Music) and NPR (National Public Radio) - for some entertaining programs like 'Wait..Wait..Dont tell me' and 'All Things Considered'.

• In my office, there is a catering service which gives paper coupons in exchange for money and which you exchange for food (confusing innit?? Dont be...Theres more ahead). Every time you give the person who collects the paper coupons and supplies food, your paper coupons, he tears them away and gives you the food. At the end of the day there is such a big pile up of paper coupons, that I wonder if it is a good idea wasting so much paper????? And if it wouldnt be more (environmentally) sensible to use an alternate source of food distribution...like plastic tokens for example, which could be used over and over again. But oh...Here comes the Anti-plastic group hurling stones at me...I better rush...And ... in case you have a solution, please mail me....

• Phew! That was some running....I had to literally sprint to escape those save-the-environment crusaders. Talking of running...I cant help boast that I ran the Mumbai marathon in 2006 and in fact, with very little practice, was able to complete 21 kms. That day (January 15th) was memorable to be in more than one way (A very few people would understand this), but the running was great. In fact, let me let you in on a little secret of mine. One thing which kept me going in the terrible heat of the January Mumbai sun, taking on the challenge of trudging along for the entire 21 kms, was the zillions of glasses of free lemon juices that I got along the entire length of the run. Sounds zany doesnt it? Well...Zany, but true!

• Here comes the cleaner asking me to move so that he could mop the floor beneath me. Its mind boggling the number of auxilary services required to run a huge organisation. Catering, House-keeping, and Travel are just a few...

Well now! I have been rambling for quite some time now, and its getting very very fisscult typaing it thisa faulsyt keyboardf, if oyu seat whjat i mean!@! So i'llasr take leave noe an make asuret that the nestzx time i type somethngd I hav a prope ketbsfogfg..oops...keybppard!@

Hurl your brickbats at IBMs keyboat servicews...and senf your bouqutes to varun21482@gmail.com....

When all the world….

It’s a complex life
When you wanna do what you wanna do
When all the world’s watching every step of you
Ready to pounce on a mistake
Loudly exclaiming ‘Pooh Pooh’.

It’s a difficult life
When you wanna act how you wanna be
Though its difficult to maintain sanity
When all the world’s saying you are wrong
But your mind gives the go ahead with a resounding gong.

Complex and Difficult
That’s how life’s gonna be
Don’t you ever think of jumping into the sea
Take things in your stride
Leave all the world aside
Do what you wanna do, but don’t you ever flee!

Good4All and the eradication of religion

Religion- I sometimes wonder how good this cult entity is and also if it has not done more harm than good in this world. Hindu-Muslim riots, the mass killing of Jews, and on a micro level, the suicidal deaths many a rustic Indian couple commit, on experiencing their parents’ staunch disapproval of their (inter-religious) marriage – all these are reminders of how religion causes the very events that it is supposed to foreclose.

Now, for the rest of this article, let us just assume the absence of religion as we now know it and the presence, instead, of one all pervading set of truths and principles, or guidelines for good-living (as I prefer calling it), in the world. Let us assume there are no Hindus or Muslims or Christians; no Iyers* and Iyengars*; no Shias or Sunnis or no Catholics or Protestants. Let us assume that all are one and there is just one catholic religion called the Good4All (the name won’t be unseemly in today’s sms world).

Under such placid circumstances, in the Indian context, Mr. Advani would not have had the chance to grudge the presence of a mosque at the RamJanmaBhoomi as a result of which thousands of lives could have been saved directly and indirectly (the Mumbai bomb blasts of 1993 are strongly linked to the demolition of the mosque). In a more International context, a certain (in)famous man called Adolf had a certain passion towards practicing militant Anti-Semitism which cost the lives of about six million Jews (that’s slightly less than the current population of Austria, Adolf’s birth place). Can anyone dispute the thought that these events could have been prevented in the absence of multiple religions and the consequent multiple egos?

Not only on a universal scale, even on a micro level wherein you and I are affected, inter-religious or inter-caste marriages bring grief and in some cases, even death, upon many of the parties involved in the marriage, including either the couple itself or in some cases, even the parents. There have been numerous reported (and unreported) instances in India where a couple (owing their genesis to varying castes/religions), have committed suicide unable to withstand the pulls and pressures of their constantly nagging and objurgating communities and succumbing to the frustrations of not being able to lead their lives with a person of their choice. And more incredible is the fact that there are groups in Nigeria in which the parents of children who do the ‘heathenish’ by marrying people of a differing community, thereby casting a forever indelible shadow on the purity of their own communities, take away their own lives.

Apart from obliterating all vestiges of peace, assuming such fundamentalist mental postures only leads to slowing down the rate of human development and more dangerously, reversing what progress has been tortuously made. The human mind cannot be blamed if it loses faith in all humanity when it experiences such frightful vicissitudes in its already short life-span.

Now wouldn’t using the Men-In-Black forget-all device on the citizens of our world and installing this Good4all religion in their minds, lead to avoiding such a condition and restoring faith in humanity and all that are God’s creations? Wouldn’t the absence of superior feelings in peoples’ minds lead to tranquility in the world?

Accepted, different religions preach their own ways for good-living and teach us wonderful practices and principles, and ways of living life. From tolerance to equality of rights, to the virtues of honesty and compassion, the list is endless. But if these are the only reasons for religion, why shouldn’t Good4All encompass all these spirits and replace every religion in the world, if that means no further disputes or killings in the name of religion? Why should not Good4All act as the ideal emancipator of us all from this evil called religion?

It does not come as a surprise to me that the two illuminating personalities of the 19th century, Swami Vivekananda and Karl Marx held similar views on religion (though the former never out rightly espoused the abolition of the same). Marx held views such as ‘Religion is the opiate of people’ and that ‘exploitation of human ignorance and credulity are made possible through the presence of religion’. Swami Vivekananda, though not as blunt, said that ‘…although social customs had been formed in the past with religious sanction, it was not now the business of religion to interfere with matters such as marriage, inheritance and so on’ and also that ‘Mankind ought to be taught that religions are but the varied expressions of THE RELIGION, which is Oneness, so that each may choose the path that suits him best.’

In conclusion, though I am not against religion per se (and if anything, am all for the vibrancies of the assorted paths to reach God (As Swami Vivekananda quotes)), taking into consideration the gruesome events that have been narrated in the third paragraph, I am not able to remove the idea of Good4All out of my mind. Let all paths suggested by this religion lead to the God of Good4All who will at least not be disturbed by the loud anger of the Hindutvas or the Nazis who forever would continue to charge with their hackles up!

*Iyers and Iyengars: Sub castes of Brahmins, who are in turn, Hindus

P S: The thoughts expressed are from a neutral mind and anything in this passage hurting the sentiments of any religious community, is purely unintentional.

'AMLA'

  

That was the crime that was... (Part I)

THE HINDU

March 28, 2003
Tamil Nadu

In a landmark judgment, the Madras high court today exonerated Ramasamy and made the state responsible for his unjust conviction. Ramasamy, a lorry driver, was convicted way back in 1985 for allegedly killing two members of the then opposition party by driving his lorry over them and subsequently denying the fact that he was even at the scene of the accident. Today, 18 years and several PILs later, the court decided that there was not enough evidence against the man to convict him and that he ought to be freed immediately. Ramasamy is 65 and has a wife and two children, the whereabouts of whom remain a mystery.

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‘But why do you people want to release me now? At this age where will I go? And How will I survive? Ramasamy shrugged off the strong hands that were gripping him and scowled like an angry hyena.

‘See! This is the trouble with these oldies. They want all the comforts in the world. Just releasing them is not enough, they demand pension also’ said one prison guard to another and both of them guffawed, the echoes of their voices running up and down the length of the dank prison corridors.

One of them shoved a pair of trousers and a torn shirt into Ramasamy’s hands and ordered ‘Change into those. The chief warden wants to see you in ten minutes.’

Ramasamy collected the clothes feebly and shrank back into his cell as the guards slammed the 3-inch thick iron door which made its customary bang.

‘From today you are a free man. The high court has decided that there is not enough evidence against you, so you can go now,’ the chief warden Muthukumar said with a grimace. Muthu was a huge man with thick forearms and a paunch that would make an elephant jealous. There had been several occasions in these 20 years of his stay in this infamous HSP (as it is commonly abbreviated as in these parts) or the High Security Prison, an exclusive clink for the so called ‘dangerous criminals’, when Muthu’s lashes had given birth to scarlet lines all over Ramasamy’s body.

‘These are your wages for all these years of work. Sign here and try and be a good man outside,’ barked the warden as he thrust a wad of crumpled notes into Ramasamy’s hands.

‘After this age, even if I want to do something bad, my body wont allow it,’ came the reply, sarcastic, though feeble.

‘Ha! I know about you guys. I have been in this post for 20 years now. TWENTY LONG YEARS! And even from the way the mustache of a person is twitching, I can find out if he is lying or not. And I goddamn well know it that you are a liar and that you DID run the lorry over that poor man that night. Anyway, don’t waste my time now. Get out before I let the dogs on you.’

Ramasamy was one tired man. He lugged along the solitary box which contained his belongings, all the way up to the prison gate, where two guards wearing zebra striped uniforms opened the door. Till this point, the tall walls and the roofs of the prison had shielded him from the sun, but as he stepped out of the prison compound, the harsh rays of the sun blinded him and he had to cover his eyes by covering them with the crook of his left arm. The last he had shaved was a month back and his snow white beard flowed freely like a river. He sat down heavily on the nearby platform, his arm still covering his eyes. That’s when he heard the clicking and whirring noises and slowly removed his hand only to face an army of reporters looking at him with hungry eyes(Yes...Hungry!). Not many bothered when he was arrested, but now, after 18 tortuous years, when he is released, he was national news!

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The Indian Express

2nd April 2003
Chennai

Ramasamy on tête-à-tête with Rammohan on TV?

Stranger things have scarcely happened on TV. Ramasamy, who was recently released from the HSP on account of his innocence in a 1985 murder case, was quoted saying he wanted to have a public chat with the man who put him behind bars, Mr. Rammohan. As public outcry rose to a frenzy over the bad judgment, members of the opposition party today demanded that Rammohan be questioned by the CID in connection with the unfair conviction and that he be brought to the books. There were ungainly scenes in the assembly today, as party members not only lashed at each with their tongues, some even resorted to hurling chairs on the ground, to express their displeasure soundly.

If Ramasamy has his way, which, gauging by the initial reaction of the home ministry-that of a steadfast silence- he will, very soon, we might actually witness him having a tete-a-tete with his tormentor live – on TV!

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Transcript of a conversation between State minister for the entertainment industry Mr. Rangudu and CEO of the foremost television news channel in India, ‘First Sight (FS)’, Mr. RP Singh

RPS: But do you realize how much money the government can make? I have worked with news channels all over the world and this is an event which has never happened in the history of television. We can bring in the multinationals to pour in the cash in advertising their products. It will be a smash hit! And you, can become an overnight millionaire.

Rangudu: You do not understand RPS. Rammohan would never agree to this. What if that crook comes up with uncomfortable questions? And anyway, are you even for a minute suggesting that I should do some underhand deals to gain monetary advantage of this situation?

RPS: (Laughs sheepishly) Of course not Mr. Rangudu! When I was referring to you, I was alluding to the government. It is time that the television channels in this country started doing something out of the ordinary to capture the public’s attention and earn some money. And we would be more then happy to share the profits with you, err, the government I mean.

Rangudu: (Under his breath) Of course you mean the government. I’ll think about it. How much did you say will I, err, the government, stand to earn in this?

RPS: Ten crores. Nothing less! I can rope in the ad agency, ‘Creative services’ the world leader in advertising, to popularise the show so that when it goes on air next month…

Rangudu: Ok Ok! Cut out the specifics. I’ll call you in a couple of days. I need some time to think.

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Rangudu’s office, minutes after the previous conversation

‘Hello! RPS? I think the government does indeed stand a chance of making good profit here and you are right, TV channels do have to do different things. Let me know the entire plan and I’ll take care of what it takes to air the show.

….What? Yes, yes! Including talking to Rammohan. I’m sure he will agree. After all, who does not want to be on TV!

…..Of course not. The sun may rise in the west, but Rangudu will never go back on his word!

…..Yes, please carry on with your arrangements.’

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The Indian Express

15th April 2003
Chennai

‘First Sight’ bags rights for telecasting Ramasamy interview

The leading television news channel in the country, ‘First Sight’, today bagged rights to telecast live the interview between recently released Ramasamy and the man who unjustly put him behind bars for 20 years, Rammohan. Talking to the press after making the landmark decision, the Ministry of State for entertainment, Mr. Rangudu said that ‘This deal is not with a view of earning money, as some people think. If anything, it will give Mr. Rammohan a chance to defend his decision and shut out any misconceptions against his judgment.’ The face-to-face will be aired in a prime time slot on the 15th of May and is said to be the first of its kind in the world. Rumors that the government stands to earn as much as ten crores in this deal, are rife, though Mr. Rangudu staunchly denies that that is the motive behind the show.

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Over heard: A telephonic conversation between Rangudu and RPS

Rangudu: You spoke about five crores. You better make sure that money comes to me on time. Else this show is going off air.

RPS: Sure, but I hope that includes the amount that should go to Rammohan too.

Rangudu: Yes of course. He gets one fifth of that. Greedy bastard wont settle for anything less.

RPS: Ok. I’ll make sure the money is transferred to your account on the 10th of April, no later than that!

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Continued here

Laptop! Finally!

This is amazing! I cannot believe this beauty is mine! After about 6 months of waiting, i have got a laptop, and a stunning one at that! Expect more posts from now on in this blogspot! ;-)

Feast on the arresting looks of the HPdv4000



















To read good reviews about my dv, visit http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2345

Democracy fails! From Meerut to Malaysia!

Two incidents that took place recently set me wondering. One was the sorry state of affairs in Meerut where couples were yanked out of their seats from parks, and ignominiously thrashed in public view ostensibly to crackdown on obscene behaviour in public, and the other was an incident in Malaysia on New Year’s eve, when about 400 rock music fans were arrested by the tough Malaysian police on the grounds that they were practicing ‘devil worship’. In a world where democracy is a key word and is widely believed to be the answer to harmony among and within nations, this kind of behaviour, especially from a strong democracy like India, is something to be worried of.

When questioned by mainstream media about its actions, the government responds akin to a parent who firmly pulls away a candy bar from the child because she feels it is not good for his health. The reasoning that sharing private moments in public or listening to rock music is a bad influence on the youth of today and that such acts have to be forcefully curbed, are undermining the very essence of democracy – that people are free to choose what they want to do, as long as it does not affect those around them.

Assuming that the youth are getting spoilt because of rock music, or that prostitution prevails on the streets of a city in the garb of ‘love couples’, is insane. These are classic cases where the elected representatives of a country throw the baby out with the bathwater. What happened in Malaysia is anyone’s guess, but if one goes by what attendees of the concert told the BBC, the cops were not even willing to listen to the audience about the nature of the show. They blindly cracked down on the fans, assuming heavily that satanic views were being embedded in the brains of the public, when in fact the show was all about pure Rock music. This shows that more often than not, the authorities act not out of any reasoning, but because of the cause to create flutter among the public, remind the people of who is in charge, and in cases, even to gain media coverage, as possibly done during “Operation Majnu” when the cops were called to witness the purging of the streets of Meerut.

It is indeed a surprise that the people entrusted with ensuring a proper state of affairs in a city’s public life don’t realise that coercing the public through detestable means would only create more pigheaded youth wearing a ‘who-are-you-tell-me-what-I am-to-do’ attitude and who would either flout rules publicly daring the government to take action against them, or practice what they want clandestinely, such secrecy often being the genesis for immoral habits leading to disastrous results affecting the entire society. One does not require a degree in psychology; even the basics of diplomacy make it clear that it is better to make people understand the consequences of their actions rather than to rudely confiscate their rights to act. The latter way of trying to achieve ones ambitions enrages the public and the media leading them to oppose whatever the government does on similar lines. This leads to an undesirable situation where any action by the government, even if justified and necessary, would be viewed with microscopic vision by the media. This is not what the government of a nation would want. So either way, the people in charge of making such decisions stand to lose, if they resort to unpopular tactics like those employed in both these countries.

It is high time that governments set their egos aside and understand that the youth are mature enough to know what is right and what is not. More importantly, even if there are areas where the youth flounders, forcibly trying to change them is not the way to do it. It will create adverse consequences, and add to the existing problems.

The loneliness of being Indira

INDIRA – An eponymous movie that I have relished watching time and again over the years – the sounds and scenes of which would remain etched in my memory for long. With a powerful cast and the best people in the film industry carving out this relevant-to-our-times, but sadly unsuccessful movie, I cannot help but appreciate the gumption of such film makers who go with their instincts, resolve to show the world the gory happenings in India mindless of how successful the movie would be in the box office.

This is the story of Indira, the village girl who is educated in the city and who comes back only to find her village (which consists of ‘lower-caste’ people) and the neighbouring village (consisting of ‘upper-caste’ people), embroiled in internecine quarrels. She is not surprised to find out from her father, Sethupathy-the village headman- that the provenance of this animosity went back to decades. Though she already has a match in Arvindsamy, who was her natural groom, her father, in an instinctive decision, promises to give Indira away to the son of Kotamarayar (headman of the neighbouring village’s) – a womanizer (Luckily his womanizing habits become known to all and the engagement does not happen) With a powerful cast breathing life into all these characters, right from the genial person that Indira’s father is, to the incendiary Kotamarayar– a character who is central to the theme and who instills and aggravates caste differences in his people.

Kotamarayar

The turning point in the film happens when Sethupathy is killed and when Indira, unable to look away from the innocent lives that are at stake, decides to wade through the air surcharged with the murderous breath of people of both sides. One reality that the director points out here is that, it is not only the upper caste people that create trouble, but even the other castes don’t take things lightly. They too, albeit forced to to establish their might in their own land, take up to killing or maiming-as deemed appropriate-people of the upper castes found encroaching on their property.

It came as a surprise to me that the movie flopped at the box office. This, sadly so, reveals the taste of the people in the country. Agreed that the audience goes to the movies to escape the realities of life and cocoon themselves in a web of fantasy for the two hours they spend in the theatre, but movies like Indira are not made often, and once in a while when someone has the guts to film such a strong, telling tale, it has to be supported. Else it can only be perceived that we are a nation of people who wish to turn our faces away from the harsh difficulties of our brethren. What is even more incredulous is that despite the lighting, camerawork, screenplay, and the music being above average, the film did not gain much mileage.

Indira, with full support from Thiyagu, her fiancé, embarks on a journey that defies age old customes - like allowing kids in her village to bathe in a river set aside for the upper castes alone - and in doing so, estranges Kotamarayar. Things start simmering when Indira wins an election.

Suhasini - The Director

This enrages Kotamarayar who promptly ambushes her with thugs. Undeterred, Indira floats and wins a tender thereby obtaining fishing rights in a portion of the river that runs through both the villages. The scene that is thence depicted – that of the neighbouring villagers not allowing the lower castes to proceed into the river, arguing jejunely that the waters are theirs, the refusal of Indira and her lot to obey, and the subsequent carnage that the higher castes unleash on the poor lower castes, clearly depicts

the deep roots that this business of caste has taken in the minds of people and also shows the homicidal extent to which humans would go to to uphold the pride of position of their castes. This is precisely on what politicians like one Mr. Laloo Yadav bank on, to stay in power – keep ‘caste talk’ going forever, restrict the progress of the peoples and paint a good self-portrait – that of a saviour.

The final scene is when the banks of a river in the high caste village give due to torrential rains. Thiyagu crosses over to the other village, desperately explains the seriousness of the situation to the villagers, and implores them to take shelter in his village till the flood water recedes. But Kotamarayar is adamant that the situation is under control and that under no circumstance will

anyone from his village want shelter in a place infested with the low castes and, most shockingly, that all of them would die rather than do that. Till t

hen I had thought that all Kotamarayar wanted was to wield power over his peoples and keep them under his thumb and also that, when the

Sethupathy
time came, he would shun this caste talk and run away. But this was not to be. His was a character who strongly believed in what he thought, said, and did. Kotamarayar really thought that his lot of people were superior to the people in the

neighbouring village, that the very touch of the low castes would really desanctify the waters of their river, and that every means, no matter how shameless and inhuman, he used to maintain this status quo between the two castes was completely justified.

As the village walls break down, the people have no option but to follow Thiyagu to his village. As this happens, a deluge of water breaks a wall and submerges Kotamarayar, and hopefully, as the director seems to say, his caste politics.

Indira is a movie of woman power. Indira is a movie depicting how caste politics is for real. Indira is a movie to be seen and supported. There should be no second thoughts on this. If you still do have any, don’t sit back and carp… Watch it! Now!

Santosh Sivan - Brilliant camera work and lighting!