Barrack Obama vs Rahul Gandhi

Today morning i got a chance to hear Obama live @ the Democratic convention. I found a striking similarity between his speech and Rahul Gandhi's speech during the vote of confidence.

To start with, both were above the petty talk, giving directions to larger issues & hopes in life. While R Gandhi was definitely much less confident & not as artful a speaker as Obama, both were conveying the same message.

I guess its due to the reason that both are young politicians, bent on looking @ the issues of the changing world, as Obama rightly said " We cant solve 21st century issues with 20th century politics" (something to that effect).

So what is the point im trying to make? WHile R Gandhi is still stuck in the archaic party administration where hopes of getting top post come late in life, Obama has surged ahead to stand for post of president.

The difference definitely lies in our cultures. The American culture, while giving token respect to the elderly does not hold them sacrosanct, and even the young are considered talented enough to run for top posts. Compare that to India, where age is the prime criteria for heirarchy in politics. Some like R Gandhi are lucky enough (im using these words very carefully, lucky is the right-most word) to reach near the top very easily, although not attain the topmost post, others definitely languish at the lower ends till they become old'er'.

While i respect the fact that we pay much respect to our elders, our culture also teaches us to fight for righteousness (Krishna's sermon to Arjun to shoot arrows at Bhisma pita). Hence, we cannot take a narrow minded view of our own culture, and should fight for our rights, even if it means taking a cross view of the elders.

I also give the difference of opinion to the fact that U S of A is a 300 year old democracy compared to our 60 years young one. Im not saying that just because im an Indian. Ever watched an old western movie? It was the same lawlessness as Bihar, in fact maybe worse, that is shown in a much civilized manner. Do not forget that US has gone through many wars on its home ground, slavery, a civil war & much more. We haven't got an experience of any of that. And while we are young to learn from US'es experience, we choose not to do so. So maybe the only thing that will save us here is to get our own experiences. And hence, the present generation must bear the trouble and go through the experience. That my friends, is the only way out to be young & challenge the elderly.
"expeirence teacheth...."

Mumbai meri jaan

The movie moves ahead as promised & as the critics have said about it.. I'm hardly going to describe the movie so please switch to another site if you are interested in the story..

The theme of the movie is not about the blasts (thankfully).. and it is not even about people (Aaamir was good but slow & painful)...
its a movie about mindsets & more importantly a commentry on the current state of affairs...

i love the way the narrative can compare with ease india & the usa...despite obvious differences of lifestyle. As is rightly said, fear is completely unbiased of race, creed, colour or wealth.

The movie talks about how fear and social psychosis affects a layman, and how a common person becomes the fearful one, the tormentor, the victim and the attacker at the same time. I dont know if the director had visualized all this, but i think i found much to learn from the movie.

Most of all what i like is its portrayal of different communities, and Paresh Rawal's utmost sensitively given sermon on the state of affairs and clashes between community, the ways of seeing the world and the urge to make a difference.
The movie ends with a beautiful touch of hope, which i don't think could have been portrayed in a more artistic manner. I still havent got the chance to see who the director was, but its a very good job!!!

So do make a point to watch it while its playing in the theatres. I promise you better & more sensible entertainment than mindless masala....

Power Walking

Iv been power walking very irregularly since few months. I can walk comfortably 4km every alternate day & 6km every 3rd day. Both to be completed within the hour, and ending by climbing 9 floors upto my house. The last part is most heart-wrenching (literally). Although I end up dead tired, the feeling is actually that of freshness and almost as if I’m high!!! I know exercise can do wonders, and what I’m describing is nothing new, but done at the end of the day, it gives a good night’s sleep and enough vigour next morning (inspite of aching feet and thighs) to lead an energetic day. Iv also increasingly found that since on most days I have a desk job, the days when im in office all day & don’t walk in the evenings, I, infact feel tired and almost depressed. After the walk I’m ready to do 10 more things, while the days when I don’t, I just want to fall asleep. What a difference. I’v had a more or less healthy physical exercise most of my life: be it cricket or cycling 20 km to & fro for school, or jogging a couple kilometres everyday during college. Also, trekking is the thing I look most forward to, though I get very few chances. Iv found myself ready to walk kilometres when travelling in any new area. It really invigorates me from daily work pressure & activities. So, all in all, to anybody who cares to catch some inspiration for daily exercise, I completely support you! Go ahead and get that daily dose! What’s more, its completely free and also keeps your waist under control!!!!

An ode to a power walker

A stray dog in the dark alley looks at me ferociously, waiting
For some stranger like me, not to bite
But scare and assert its right over territory, & yet
I walk on…

A car honks behind me
Almost scraping past me, furious that
Someone actually wants to walk
When one can just ride an automobile, and yet
I walk on…

Few chattering loafers sneer at me, commenting that
Why waste time walking, when
One can just burn it on a game of cricket, and yet
I walk on…

Little girls look at me in amusement, thinking that
One actually goes for walks in the night, sweating it out all the way
For some unknown reason, and yet
I walk on…

A neighbour lesiuring away his time on a streetside bench looks at me, so that
He may start a conversation to pass his time,
And is surprised that I hardly stop while returning his greeting, and yet
I walk on…

Some PYTs pass by and taunt me, feeling that
How uncool it is to walk alone on the street when
One can do it with some interesting company in a gym, and yet
I walk on…

For all those who feel walking outside is no fun…
With all due respect, have you ever:

Felt the sun on your face…
Been ahead in a dog-chase…

Seen the leaves closing for the night…
And birds on their returning flight…

An occasional owl in a dark corner…
A labourer’s family having their supper…

Leisure to observe passing people…
Quietude to hear the water ripple...

When you discover these smaller joys…
I will not have to explain the whys…
That your mind asks of me.

Yuganta (Irawati Karve)

A very unique commentary on the Mahabharata. It speaks of the PEOPLE, SOCIETY and the lifestyle during the age of the Mahabharata. Since, it is the end of an era just before the Kalayuga, its aptly titled Yuganta. As I read through the book, I started to realize, true or not, it did seem to be like the end of an age. The society than was so dissimilar to ours and yet so similar. However, the Kalayuga brought in blind beliefs that are so not original, that are so not ours. It reflects the true COMING OF THE ARYANS and their society before the onset of the CASTE SYSTEM. The varna system did exist, but it was more flexibile and free of corruptions found today.

Cat O’ Nine Tales (Jeffery Archer)

A truly remarkable collection, especially for buffs like me who like crime (fiction or otherwise) short stories. The stories weave a web and bring us to the ending in no time at all. I finished the entire collection in a day. But I was left longing for more such stories. Maybe I’ll pick up his prison diaries if they are any good.

NON-ZERO (Robert Wright)

I almost goofed up the book in one session, mind you it’s 400 pages of mind boggling stuff.. but towards the last 100 pages the book started losing its focus. It impressively covered the rise of human society from a primitive species to the modern society, but in the end it goes back to even more historical views, the formation of life & genes and all that. I hardly believe the arrangement seems right. I have still not been able to complete the rest of it. I’m no fan of neat ordering and arrangement, as long as its logical I can digest it. But this book seems to go into details that could have been saved to the reader. Plus, it goes into narratives of other books and authors, and completely loses itself in them. I would have liked it to just continue the commentary. We all know that authors draw from various sources, but to write a commentary on the sources themselves, and set up into a detailed argument into why a particular source was chosen over the other; frankly that should be pushed to the appendices and not into the main book, especially not into the closing chapters. I am keeping myself from throwing it away for good. Next I plan to read Jared Diamond’s Germs, War and Steel and for that I think this book serves a good read. Hence, I’m bent on continuing it.