To the Unsung, with Love

* Please see End-of-Post for Disclaimer

Its the moral duty of every Indian in this country to suddenly have an overwhelming sense of patriotism and pride when Independence Day or Republic Day is round the corner. Wouldn't you agree ? Can't really blame him though. After all, it isn't Independence Day everyday,is it?

I, just like the rest of the faithful population of this country, have never failed to feel specially patriotic on these two days. Suddenly thinking of our country's reach heritage, discussing topics of national importance in the living room while parents glare incredulously, watching Mera-BhArat-mahAn- movies on the telly and clapping at the end-scene, sporting the tri-colour flag on self (and fervently searching for it the very evening) ......yep, thats (y)our typical day of national pride.
Typical for me, till Republic Day this year.

This 26th, it dawned on me that patriotism in our country was just a farce. It was merely another reason to celebrate, to commemorate, to felicitate. At the end of the day, National-Day for the mass juntha and mass media was just celebration of the popular, commemoration of the powerful and felicitation of the glamorous.

National Awards, Felicitations, Indian-of-the-Year titles...all of them. I'm not condemning them(like someone would care a hoot if I did). Its just the spirit with which they're conducted, the people, the frivolity, the unserisouness.

A few points that really disturbed me the more I thought about them.

1. The Indian-of-the-Year Award given away by a popular-news-channel sounded like a major deal to me. You were after all, the 'Indian-of-the-year' if you were awarded this big chunk of metal and you probably did deserve it if you were chosen amongst thousands of people who have put the nation ahead of their personal lives and contributed to this country's well-being unconditionally. You were our example and we, the youth would look up to you.

But no. It wasn't about all that. Its never about all that.

What I don't understand is why every important political/national function in our country is made to look like a Cultural (read Filmfare) festival. Tell me, amidst dignitaries like Manmohan Singh and Dr. A P J Abdul Khalam (whom I think is God's gift to a country that doesn't appreciate a blessing when it sees one) , do we really need a Shilpa Shetty, a mother of Shilpa Shetty and a Karan Johar in the same hall ? When there are men/gods like Ratan Tata whose keep a promise of delivering the 1 lakh-rupee car only because a promise is a promise, do we need a Shah Rukh Khan or a Rajnikanth to bag an Indian-of-the-year award for some insignificant category?

Why is everything in our country about movies? Cant we honour our country and its men even once without the presence of the movie folks? Do they always have to be the star of the show? Cant we do without frivolity at least once?

Tragic.

2. Captain Harshan like the rest of our brave soldiers receives the Param Vir Chakra award this year. After he'd dead.

Call me dumb, but what was the point again? Who are we honouring by the way? Dead people? Dead soldiers? While actors and actresses get Padma-Shrees one after the other by singing tra-la-la, louder with each time, the country hesitates so much in honouring our soldiers while they live. Am I the only one failing to see some sense in this? If soldiers are appreciated for their heroism and bravery after they die, I'm sure the same rule can hold good for the rest of our country's population whom they guard and protect till their very last breadth. Lets all get awards after we die. Sounds like fun na?

Tragic. Very.

Right. I really don't think I have the right to say anything more considering that I'm a part of the majority of this nation that just criticizes but doesn't do anything about it. Criticize I shall 'cos I do have a point and this is my blog but I don't disagree that I'm culpable in some way or the other. Sometimes you have the urge to to something for the country, and that burning desire dies down without a trace the next second you confront your daily-problems.

But I'm sure all of us do ask ourselves the same question sometimes if not all the time. What can we really do for this nation?

What, pray, what?

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*DISCLAIMER: The contents of this blog are purely my personal views. I don't impose my thoughts on anyone. Please don't scold me. :D

Janma sAbalyam

26.01.2008

Befuddled and Not-so-Bemused.

Excepting for senti-dialogues thrown at me unexpectedly and my mom's impeccable timing for an argument, there are a very few things in this planet that leave me flustered or make me succumb to inarticulate-fumblings during a conversation.

However, much to my dismay, I've recently come to realise that Yours Loquaciously isn't invincible after all (sob!) and is astonishingly incapable of handling certain critical questions posed at her wherein which she is forced to go parch on words.

Questions that leave me frightfully befuddled:



1. "Whats up? "

The worst one of them all. This one leaves me super-stumped without fail.
Try as I might, I just cannot think of a suitable reply for this question. Period.

All of its amusing varieties- the rhetoric version of 'whats up' or the cool-slurry 'ssup girlie', leave me equally tongue tied, wondering whether to give my cliched 'Oh..err..nothing really' reply or just a sheepish grin. Or do I really tell them whats up? Do they really want to know?
I don't know.
I really don't know.
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2. "So...what else? "

Kitchens run out of butter, houses run out of soap (pardon my ingenious exmaples that scream pathetic all over). If a conversation runs out of topics to sustain its existence, its only decent to bail out.
'So..what else?' is NOT the ideal way to protract this conversation. Not with me.
This one SO puts me off that I just want to flee at that very instant, let alone rattle my head for a witty comeback.

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3. "What plans for future?"

Invasion of Cambodia. Thats my future plan. Interested any further?

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4. " So, (sly grin) when are you getting married?"

Now really, does it honestly matter to you when I'm getting married? Actually, do you really think I wouldn't let you know if and when I knew?

I mean, for the eternal loud-mouth I am, I'd probably be screaming at the top of my lungs from roof tops once I was getting hitched. Trust me, I'm no Saif Ali Khan on this one. So, why don't we just save me from becoming all squeamish when we're were doing just fine so far?



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There!
Except for the above mentioned, I really am delightful company if I do say so myself and you may very well invite me for high-tea whenever you want, and I shall gladly do the honours of indulging in professional small-talk. Not to mention, the weather and everybody's health. (Courtesy: Henry Higgins)



I really do have problems, don't I?

Its a CAT's Life

Tell me you didn't know that the CAT results are out and I will look at you like you were the scum of the Earth. Not that I care a tad about CAT results (never cared for 'em even when I wrote them but wait, I didn't have to tell you that did I? ) ...its just that its 'implications' are so remarkably relevant.

You see, Oh-Patient-Reader-of-Blog, its a highly title based society we live in.
This ideal society is so full of camouflaged pretence that would even make British High Society look humble.
No really, I'm not being cynical about this, really, I've observed with due course of time, what examination-results do in this painstakingly pretentious society of ours.

One admit into the 'reputed institutes' and your image in society undergoes a total makeover. So, all of a sudden that weird freak you'd never noticed in college or that reserved teammate at work who'd never turn up for social gatherings, is now our long-lost hero, that close friend we never 'had the opportunity' to talk to but now desperately crave to socialise with.

hmm...am I making sense? Or is it just my head?
Never mind, lets just not answer that thank you very much.

You know, there was a time when I thought of doing a decent MBA, you know, accomplish something in life, make daddy proud of his li'l girl 'n all that jazz. Of course, that thought dissipated into thin air before I could even say Eye-Eye-Yum-Ay.

So now what am I doing ?
Well what do all Once-Upon-A-Time-CAT-Aspirants do best?
Tell our comrades to work hard the next time. Give CAT gyaan over GTALK and be their source of motivation. Tell them that if they can't do it, no one can and that you need to see that IIM glory you never saw, through them.
So, you see, when they actually do go somewhere and you...well..don't, you can at least tap their shoulders and say 'See, I told you. Now where's my candy?'

After all, like I always say, ' If you cant beat them... kick 'em.'

Here endeth thy lesson. Now, let the games begin.



PS: I'm just kidding Sahil/Bhaumik. I really do hope that you guys get into that insti in Ahemadabad.

:D