JAAGO RE INDIA..!!!!

Salaam India

I assume everyone is aware of the political crisis that has become the talk of the nation and those who are'nt aware...well this blog is just not for you...you can continue with your "drawing room gossips"!!

To begin with  I believe , we all should be well versed with what  exactly Jan Lokpal Bill is all about. It is a proposed Anti corruption Law that aims at bringing transparency in the entire system  and cleaning this corrupt system( a very diffficult job, I must say). The history of this bill dates back to year 1968, when it was first introduced by Shri Shanti Bhushan, but due to the "obvious" reasons it lacked the parliamentary support.  In subsequent years, it was raised and dealt in the same way as the Government deals with trivial issues of country like Corruption, Growth, Employment.......huh who cares about these things...!!!
In 2011, Shri Anna Hazare, a Gandhian Activist  sparked the movement once again and demand for passing of the bill was raised in the parliament. Before moving ahead, here is a brief gist of what exactlt this bill ius and how it will work once it is enacted.

http://youtu.be/3RvDI03YTww

Having gone through  that video, I assume there isnt any doubt over this bill. Now if you compare this version to the version that Government wants to bring in, every Indian will feel cheated. The Government's version is totally "Government Controlled" that nulls the basic idea of a LokPal bill. There may be certain features that may lessen Government's powers, I agree and that probably is the biggest fear of Sibbals,Tiwaris,Soni's. but my question is "TILL DATE  WHAT HAS THIS GOVERNMENT DONE ,WITHIN THE AMBIT OF ITS POWERS, TO MITIGATE CORRUPTION FROM THE SOCIETY?". Today the need of Jan Lokpal Bill has arisen because the Government has failed in its duty to serve the nation. The Government itself is neck deep in corruption and scandalism, why would they ever let a Anti corruption bill pass in parliament?

The most defining moment came when a 74 year old man took a stand,came forward,began his Satyagraha in a non-violent manner,starved himself and these top shots gets him detained for violation of section 144 under Crpc. Is this what we call democracy? Aint we entitled to our opinion and free to express it in non violent and peaceful manner? Are we left with any other option but to resort to Satyagraha, under such circumstances when our voices go unheard? Was it fair to put a activist behind same bars where people like Kalmadi were put? What kind of democracy we are boasting about........this where people like Kiran Bedi,Anna Hazare,Shanti Bhushan are detained for raising their voices in peaceful manner ? If yes, 16 August 2011 will be remembered a s black Tuesday.

They say Shri Anna Hazare has resorted to a unethical way to protest and has hurt " SANSAD KI GARIMA"? What the hell do you mean by it. Where was "SANSAD KI GARIMA" when  tables and chairs were thrown and politicians were hitting their fellow MP's with slippers.

But in someway I am proud of the Indians the way they have stood by Anna this time. Its not about supporting a man, but about a ideology. The crowd that gathered in support of Anna wasnt "planned", "choreographed", or brought in trucks like in political rallies. That was the voice of the nation that was always suppressed . This revolution is not going to end now. Across the globe, people are high on spirits, and firm in their support. Here in Seattle too we raised our voice on behalf of Seattle Indians which was aired on Times Now.

http://youtu.be/RN7rZa5STIw

I know for many of you this will be regular junk mail or just a gossip material, but just spare few minutes and rethink. We always want someone to take the initiative and now that it has been taken, shud'nt we lead it and go ahead. I want a Corruption free India  and that day it will be "INCREDIBLE INDIA", in real sense.

JAI HIND...JAI ANNA   !!!!!!

"SHE" is having a baby...!!!

BREAKING NEWS-  Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is expecting....!!!!!!!!!!

There cant be anything bigger and miraculous than this, it seems.OMG, Ash is pregnant...how come...Oh really.....awwwww....wowwww.!!!! This is what i see in all the newspapers and news channels nowadays and i am sure of having a slice of it for the next 9 months.LOL!!...Rocket science it seems.

The media frenzy suggests to me that it is some kind of miracle on this earth that Big B is going to be a grandpa and Aby Baby is going to have a baby..nahi. I doubt if this was the case when someone  like Baba Ramdev had to go into oblivion and media was equally active...irony indeed. Well , finally bachchans have proved once again that they are pro at making it to the national headlines be it Abhi -Ash marriage or Amitji's jaw dropping look at filmfare seeing Rekha perform on Salaam -e- Ishk and to go a mile further here we have the future junior bacchan who is hitting on it even before giving his "darshan to this mayanagri...simply 'bachchan-tastic'.! And when 'THE' bahu of this country is going to deliver a miracle we have a bunch of astrologers predicting( or hogging for limelight actually) the details of it as if it was their hard work( sorry Abhi darling) . I mean isnt it a bit wierd to decide on the baby's gender and looks as if there is nothing more important in their own family( i wonder if these people are aware of their kids grades .....!!)

Hmmmmmm....on a  lighter note i have looked out for a suitable match for their kids( going by the predictions,they are to have twins...OMG someone please stop these astrologers they will come out tomorrow with something as wierd as normal or c-section delivery...) . Well, hws Aryan Khan for their baby girl.......charismatic, handsome, rich, intelligent( he has to be all this considering he has SRK's genes). For the luckiest boy on  this earth,  i have some choices as well...Nyasa Devgan,Samaira Kapoor....ab dont gimme the shit of age difference after all Abhi Ash are happily married...;)
 Aaahhh i should try matchmaking..LOL...wat say?????

A lot said and lot written, but to end it my heartiest congos to the Bachchan family.....and have you heard the latest bit. Bachchans have invited tenders from reputed hospitals  and the winner will get to have the privilege of bringing the miraculous and heavenly baby in this world.....well thats straight from my lappy to bring that smile on your face...

CHEERS....!!!!!!

Life,love and FB...

And am back after a short  break.It has been a long and hectic week of moving and shuffling here and  there but finally have settled down in our new home. It was such a relief to get rid of the hotel accomodation................PRISON BREAK!!!!!!! And now the best part begins ; coloring up your home in your shades, after all  "Har ghar kuch kehta hai, ki usme kaun rehta hai"!!!!!

One week with no television,no blogging and rare access to internet........well quite unbelieveable for someone whose day begins with a logging into facebook and and clicking onto those "appealing" and "enticing" red digits on the left and having a sneak peak into others life and having a slice of it...( and sharing mine too). Thanx Mark Zuckerberg had it not been for facebook my life would have been a  blank canvas without any colors of "status updates", "notifications","wall posts", "comments" and "news feed".     !!!!! Having said that, I came to realize one thing that    how strong are our "tech" ties and it has become a inseparable and THE most important thing in our lives .Its almost impossible to imagine a day without our gadgets and actually feel the real feel of life. Okay i might sound complicated but yeah....in the absence or should rather say paucity of time to access the virtual world , i could actually connect with the real world,the beauty around and got the piece of sunshine early in the morning( earlier it used to be the blue beam when windows start) and trust me it was more soothing to have a cup of cup of masala tea  in balcony rather than browsing you tube.

And in no way it means that my love for facebook is over.....no it cant be i am a die hard FB lover and completely in awe of this most enchanting and mesmerizing creation that has made my virtual life all the more beuatiful and worth switching on my lappy every morning  and every time i log onto  you my heart skips a beat and i croone " tujhe dekha to yeh jaana FB, notifications and status hote hain kitne lovely, ab yahan se kahan jaye hum, twitter and orkut me bhi wo baat nahi ".  But one thing for sure I will get more time off the virtual world  and look around and explore this beautiful master creation by God. Its important sometimes to connect with your inner self too.Just trying to strike a balance between social networking and self networking.

CHEERS...!!!

Action Replay...!!

Sometimes ( especially when i see old photo albums or surf for "dekh bhai dekh" or Shrimaan Shrimati" on you tube) , how I wish  there was a rewind button in the cassette of my life and i can relive those moments i cherish the most. But then life isn't so easy . Was watching this movie called"Action Replay" the other day and found it so amusing ( also gotta know why it flopped!!). The actor goes into his past to rectify his mistakes. 
( On a serious note i think now the director should try going into his past and deleting this movie from his filmography...phew!!)

But what if that was possible in real life too( as in reel life). It would have been so easy to for me to go back and start it all over again....nahi!!!!

If I compare, life then was so simple yet so beautiful without any complexities and hassles. There was'nt X-BOX or velocity but we were at our happiest playing "pakdam pakdai", "vish amrit","chain chor" and "gitti phod"( wow i still remember them so vividly). There were'nt so many choices then as we have today but I was happy in "Gold Spot" and "kishmey bar" that my papa used to buy me.The ride on Priya scooter was more exciting than one on limo today. I never needed cell phones then coz i had actual friends then who used to whistle when they had to call me and not SMS occasionally. Every sunday used to be so special with Rangoli ( 7.00 am...right) followed by Mowgli, Shri Krishna and how can I forget ....Chandrakanta...yakuuuu...Kroor Singh..!!!!

 Par tab sunday...'sunday" tha.....weekend nahi..!!!!!

 I dont find the same pristine and coyish look when i look into mirror now.The journey till date has  been satisfying but somewhere it robbed me of very essence of me......my innocence. There are'nt any regrets but the child in me sometimes wonder what if i could alwayz remain a "raja beta". Life sometimes is so cruel it bestows you with all the wordly pleasures but one thing you treasure the most is no longer there. I still want to hang around on my papa's shoulders,relish Maa ke haath ka khana ( and not Mc D ka burger), play with ma kitchen set( and not the actual kitchen....irony!!) and croone " jungle jungle baat chali hai pata chala hai......."...I wish......!!!!!

Band Baaja and "Bazaar"..!!!

There are two things am extremely fond of; SRK and Weddings and both because of the same reasons. Both are grand,wonderful,magical,,full of life and not to forget....comes at a huge price..!!! No matter what it is...a failing economy, increased divorce rates,live-in trend but charm and craze of wedding can never fade out.Especially in west  "THEORY OF CONTINUITY" too adds on to it. It is a theory which explains that  rate of increase in marriage is equally proportional to rate of increase in divorces which means marriage and divorces are not to be studied separately but in unison. You get married and then you move on and get divorced and marry someone else and marriages keeps on happening ( and shattering..) on and on and happen to be the most going-crazy-over and a grand thing. And its just not the family and the individuals that it effects but the socio-economic effect is something that i am more keen to get into.

Right now if there's something thats all over the newspapers across the globe is "THE"  wedding.....the Royal wedding of Prince William and his long time love Kate Middleton.Everything is planned and ready, the music, the guests of honor,the royal carriage,the Buckingham Palace but if there's something thats not yet prepared...it is the fragile economy of United Kingdom. The economy is going through a rough patch with increasing inflation,unemployment and a credit crunch .There are critics who oppose the "not called for" public expenditure and there are people who are crooning to the beats of the royal palace and its preparations.Will this Royal wedding worsen this economic crisis by adding on to the public expense or actually prove to be a boon in times of financial austerity is something for the coming times to tell but as of now I can definitely say one thing that the "Feel Good" factor spread across by this Gala affair is a positive sign.And then who knows History repeats itself as it happened 30 years back When Prince Charles married Rev.Diana Spencer.Economic conditions if not so similar weren't so different either.So why not hope positive and get going with the celebrations of the wedding of the century and bless the Royal couple and witness the fairy tale wedding....( if not live, then at least through electronic or print media...!!)

P.S. Theory of Continuity is my figment of imagination (and observation)...:)

Much ado over "SKIRT"...!!!

While going through TOI, two days back i came across a very interesting piece of news which said that Badminton World Federation has made it mandatory for the female shuttlers to wear skirts on court.This was definetely a shock for me. Whoa.....i mean how crass is that!!!!!!!! Imagine Sania Nehwal paying more attention on her flying -here-and -there skirt rather than her shots. ( thats obvious if the rule comes into play..). And the reason given is that they wanna glamourise the game and make it more attractive.....Aaaahh I see!!. Glamourise and attractive...is it a ramp where you go bare or a sport u dare????

C'mmon man...there's nothing wrong in doning a skirt or shorts for that matter ( on second thoughts, two piece is not a bad option; will add to glam quotient...BWF listening!!), but the point is that what are they trying to promote, the game or the glam?? If you want to promote the sport, go ahead and organize camps,increase awareness, advertize, get sponsors. What a player puts on is for her to decide as per her comfort level.If you want them to wear skirts fine.....i say great but who gives you the right to make it mandatory.Wat if someone is good at her game but is'nt comfy doning a skirt, will BWF oust the shuttler??.

 National Commission for Women has raised its objection and the rule has been put on hold as of now but can we really put this reactionary and discriminating mindset to an end? If Sania Mirza puts on a short skirt , a fatwa is raised against her. Somewhere in Bhopal , dress code is made mandatory for school teachers . In Co-ed's salwar kameez is made mandatory for girls while guys roam around in denim..!!!Is it more important to subject the female population to such self-convenient and discriminating rules everytime or to evaluate the situation and frame guidelines according to it. I mean imagine  if u wear skirt on tennis ground you will be subjected to fatwa and if on the other hand if you dont want to, its mandatory.We respect the decision of Regulating bodies and understand its for the benefit of the sport itself but the approach needs to be more player friendly so that they are at complete ease while playing. Hope all's well that ends well.....

CHEERS...!!!!!

Ek "Lokpal Bill" to banta hai...!!!!

There is a old saying in hindi that " har yug me jab ataank aur paap badh jata hai tab ek maseeha aata hai", which means someone has to come into the scene when there is terrorism and corruption  at its height. This is so relevant in today's scenario. Its not that there was'nt corruption in India earlier ( to be honest history of corruption is as old as Indian politics in our nation) but offlate it  started to seem to me as something very normal and obvious.  I mean dont tell me that u hav'nt heard such slangs in daily life:

" bina chai paani kaun file aage karta hai "
" chalta hai na sahab"
" kaam to karwa dunga bas khayal rakhna hamara"

and if u hav'nt , either you need to get your  eyes and ears checked or u are an alien ( Seriously!!!) .A peon asking for "ek 100 ki patti " is as normal as having a morning masala tea in our country!!!

And u know what,CORRUPTION is the most talked, discussed and debated over topic in our country but the least taken care of.( giving a speech on corruption free nation and India Shining is not enough..).

In such a scenario when politicians and bureaucrats are busy greasing their palms and planning holidays for their relatives on public funds, ( sad but thats true...!!), someone like Anna Hazare had to take a stand and become the voice of nation.After several rejections of the bill, it is this time that it has been said and promised to be taken up in the monsoon session of Parliament. The decision was expected keeping in view the rage it created throughout the nation and abroad. This time People were not mere spectators but communicators. Entire nation suppurted Anna Hazare in hhis hunger strike for eradication of corruption.

C'mmon you big shots sitting there in plush seats in cabinet and centre, how long can you befool the "aam janta" yaar. I wont get get into the intricacies of the bill because it is yet to be passed in parliament . There can be slight variation here and  there in the bill but the basic aim of the bill should not be done away with. It talks of speedy justice and a clean society with democracy at its head and we deserve it now.....hai ki nahi???

We need a Anti corruption body and not just a anti corruption law ( that ultimately becomes the part of the LLB curriculum.!!). And  more than that we need to change our "chalta hai" attitude....".kab tak chalaoge"..phew!!.  This common man can do anything...we just need to fight out the monster within us.!!!

CHEERS...!!!

Home away from Home

During my courtship period ( BTW i got married on 10 Dec 2010 and went to cyprus immediately after that) i often used to discuss with Pulkit ( my would be hubby then) howz life away from our country in a new place and among new people. It seemed to be a life changing thing then  and i was lyk am gonna miss India sooooo much. i mean the warmth, the sense of belongingness and cultural ties that one has in one's own country its difficult to have it anywhere else.But there was one thing Pulkit always used to say back then " jahan rehte ho wahan apna sa lagne lagta agar apne paas hote hain". I did'nt realize it untill I came to Cyprus. Yeah Cyprus was very different from India..........a typical European feel with beaches, traverns and ofcourse  no Amul Butter, Maggi, fruity and lot many yummy-but-bad-for-tummy things, but it had a strong cultural history dating back to ancient times which somehow gave a very "apna sa feeling"( considering our cultural roots).
And then I gotta attend Maha Shivratri fest there and believe me......it was truly amazing!!!!!
I mean just IMAGINE being away from our Country and attending a Indian fest in a Indian Temple......man that feeling was just beyond expression. And the look in Pulkit's eyes said it all...." chahoge to jahan hoge wahan accha lagne lagega".There were so many Indians there and u wont believe there was a proper "langar" with bhajans in background........................jitna proud i felt that tym hearing those melodious lyrics i have never felt in my entire life.......seriously

                      Shivratri fest @Cyprus

Wen u r away from home and meet your people there it is sheer pleasure.........a sense of belongingness!!!!!

And more than that I experienced a sense of pride here in Seattle two weeks ago when Indian community took a stand in support of Shri Anna Hazare in his fight against corruption. There was a halla bol in India and people were coming out to support him. But the Indian Community in United States was also there ...in full support,  taking a stand and lending its suppot in watever way possible. We had a candle lit up in Seattle and people followed in numbers....................I just loved this INDIANISM..:):)

The Gandhi statue, Indian flag and our people attending it in numbers and fasting to support the initiative............simply incredible. I can say now wherever you live if you have it in your heart, u will never lose your roots.

                         "hum akele chale the, manzil ko talashne
                          andheri galiyon se guzre, tang raston se nibte,
                          sirf ujaale ko paane;
                          hausle jo past hue hamare to palat kar dekha
                         ek poora karvaan sang ho chala tha
                         humen sambhalne;
                         aur hum fir chal diye............."

CHEERS..............