Apologies, please

Apologies are maybe the best way to wash your hands off an affair- a sticky situation- if you are not so foolish as to bring in ego in between.

So it seems to be nowadays with every announcement in alternate metro stations asking for forgiveness in silken voice for yet another technical snag. And thus the Haryanvis and the Delhiites and the UP-ites recall your sister, say them a thing or two, but are placated. We don't complain, crib in front of the ones managing the train and even if we do, we won't get back the lost time.

On the other hand, a railway accident or an air disaster or a bomb explosion is immediately followed by apolo

gies in excess by the Mamata Banerjees and the Praful Patels and the Chidambarams. I am sorry that you lost your husband or your child in the blast. The family of the ones killed will be awarded Rs 1,00,000; the family of the ones seriously injured Rs 50,000 and the families of the ones with cuts and bruises, but in mental agony (sic) Rs 25,000. And that's the end of the chapter? No, of course not! We even have a Bravery award for the 'martyr', who laid down his life, trying to save a fellow passenger, and a promise that this kind of an event won't be repeated again (not in the next one month, at least) And we are left bereaving for our loved ones for the rest of our lives with the Rs 70,000 (The 1 lakh does not reach the family, I am sure, as it gets channelized in the way) tucked away in a corner. Because the candle-light vigils and the dharnas won't guarantee a stop to the disasters.

Gone are those days when you used to pour your heart out in an apology. A sorry, nowadays, is barfed only to save yourself of an affair, gone awry. An apology, sadly, does not mean that I will look into the matter and bring out a solution and try my best so that it does not happen further. The dwindling relevance of a heartfelt apology in today's social and moral construct is omnipresent.

And if you think I am sermonizing or being very cynical, well...what can I say...I apologize!

Bengalimbo?

For all the predictions and prophecy of the debacle of the Left rule in the state you may know, Bengal could be staring at a bleak future. Primarily because the proponent party which is apparently blowing the bugle of "revolution" and "change" might be equally disastrous or even worse, possibly the latter of the two.

The Trinamool opposition in West Bengal might be unparalleled in recent years and the rabble-happy chief might have found admirers in the Bangla heartland, with her fiery slogans and nev

er-say-die attitude and open resistance to the CPI(M) rule besides her apparent simplicity of living and straightforward approach to questions, but the TMC clout in the state would never have been possible if not for the blunders creat

ed by the overconfident, rash, hasty, unaccommodative, backward, cynical and torturous approach of the now-ruling-CPI(M) in the state.

Experts say Ex-CM Jyoti Basu made fewer mistakes than the current minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who is a tad more overactive than the bound parameters which a Leftist dwells in and is expected to be constrained in by the chief party agenda and whip. If it was not the forcible acquisition of land of the farmers in Singur and Nandigram, if it was not for the indiscriminate firing on the local protesters by the Police which led to deaths, if it was not for crossing of "Laxman Rekha" of the party principle of anti-capitalism by attracting investments in the state in lieu of poor compensation- the resistance put up by TMC would not have found a popular backing. Bhattacharjee, maybe, had his own obligations of ushering in development in the state but the way it was done didn't let his intentions gain much sympathy and thus, startingly, a bunch of Leftists in West Bengal left the fabric to join hands with Mamata's party, fresh and resistant in its approach.

Apart from these factors, of course, the notorious history of the tyrannical rule of the Left in Bengal petted a caustic response in the hearts of the sufferers in the state and it gushed out when they found an outlet of anti-incumbency in the TMC .

Having said that, the TMC, when it comes to power after the 2011 Assembly elections in Bengal, where people believe the Left would be routed, it would be facing an uphill task to deliver the promises made to the people in the state. Firstly, the party has very few prominent faces (barring the intelligensia which would never plunge head over heels in politics and even if they do, they have little chances of survival) apart from, of course, our lady herself. A Partho Chatterjee and a Mukul Roy is nowhere in comparison with Mamata, at least yet. It needs backup leaders to begin with. Secondly, TMC's alliance with Congress is crucial to sustain the victory in the state. If the Congress, somehow, pulls the plug out of the ruling government if Mamata disagrees to a coalition in the state or flouts the coalition agenda, then the TMC will find it tough to battle it on its own. Mamata's next term as the Union Railway minister is very dicey. A friction with the Congress in the National level would, no doubt, make the job of Mamata harder to sustain in the National arena too. A position which would contribute to a loss of image of the leader and the loss of stance of the party, which now, still in its nascent stage, would need the crutch of backing by the ruling power to emerge wholly and successfully. Thirdly, Mamata will have a tough time appeasing the Maoists, for whose cause she is fighting so ardently now. If the affection towards them are not continued, it won't take a second for the guerrillas to train their guns at teh leader. Fourthly, the Left won't be an easy task to trounce if they oppose vehemently in support with their muscle power and longer years of "understanding", once the TMC comes to power . For example, CPI(M) would take recourse to the same set of arguments and resistance if tomorrow, Mamata attracts a Salim in the state, as the TMC did when CPI(M) were the caller. A looming threat is the activism of the student unions and workers of both the party.

What is baffling is- if the TMC messes its rule in the state, will the people again vote the CPI(M) back to power? So, is it a vicious circle of fruitless dependence and less choice that we are in today, or will be facing in the future? Is it the double existence of dwelling in a limbo and breaking into violence and calling strikes, that we, the people of Bengal, are staring at?

Ayodhya and all that

Last week a prominent face of a TV news channel told me how Ayodhya was a revelation for him. His visit to the holy and currently-contentious shrine city unfolded a world of harmonious co-existence between Hindus and Muslims there. He said that it was delightful to witness instances when Hindus would attend Iftaar parties with full gusto and the Muslims would leave no stone unturned to prepare for a grand Diwali for his Hindu neighbor. Yes, it does seem unreal, if you go by the jingoism and war-mongering between the two communities, aggravated maybe by the constant ranting in our media.

But as it’s Ayodhya, we have to delve deeper. And voila, I would not censure you if you side by the same media after this. The fact is, as far as the very sensitive issues of Ram Janmabhoomi and the Babri Masjid demolition is concerned, the people of both the communities cannot keep their emotions bottled up. Both want their side to win the impending title suit and emerge victorious morally and communally. It’s emotion for them, it’s passion unbound. It’s anger and frustration seething in them for the last 50 years or so. They dismiss senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani’s version that there should be a secular hospital or educational institution on the spot which held the Babri Masjid once, as crap. Yes, it’s Utopian. How can you ever think of satisfying the age old thirst (for ‘justice’) of the Hindus and Muslims with a mere social charity? You can’t. Ayodhya is far beyond such compensation. A bereaved mother is offered monetary compensation in India and is expected to not come complaining to the government about her son’s death in an encounter. But I doubt whether you can do the same with a Ayodhya fanatic.

Yes, it’s a good thing that the level of fanaticism and jingoism has depreciated down the years. So, today’s youth have left the issue behind and want a closure of the case. A reflection of today’s youth. The Youth Congress president, who is currently on a virtual Bharat Yatra, says he does not think the Ayodhya issue as a burning or raging or even a topical one. they know there are a number of issues left to be addressed in today’s India. Be it the debate over the food security bill or the Kashmir crisis or the danger we face internally from the Naxals or our Bilateral ties with Pakistan. They have moved on. It would not be wrong in saying that even the ones who have witnessed the demolition of the babri masjid, want the case to be closed. Some say they just want the verdict to be out, whatever it may be. It’s been a long nightmare which they want to end.

But sadly, our Judicial system is not independent, contrary to its textbook definition. The same person I was talking to also confided that he had talked to many Supreme and High court Judges and they have said that almost 98% of the Indian legal personalities are corrupt and not independent. The recent deferment of the Ayodhya verdict is politically motivated, I infer. With the mess Delhi is in currently, with the CWG fiasco (worsened by the flood situation), the Centre sure does not want the situation to worsen further. And thus, the deferment. A post-verdict clash or communal tensions can ruin the entire preparation to the Games (if we can call them preparations, that is) and can also lead to further mistrust of the UPA by the people. Who can say that the independent petitioner of the deferment of the verdict Tripathi is not a congress man? The verdict on the 28^th might be postponed too. On September 30^th, one of the judges of the bench which will give the verdict, will retire. Thus the men in power will be looking forward to postpone the verdict even beyond the 28^th, to bring in the results after the completion of the CWG.

Politics has breached the independent and democratic fabric of our country. And it’s sad that such a verdict that holds so much importance to people affected gravely by the incident, is on hold. But sadly, in India, this is how the legal system works. My friend agreed with me and I am sure you would too.

Charulata- Focusing on the husband

Charulata might be one of the classiest and widely emphatized characters in Bengali literature, but spare some thought her husband (I forget his screen name). A passionate newsman whose life is entirely dedicated to his newspaper, but he is equally aware of the neglect his wife faces from him. He knows that and in the movie, we do see glimpses of him trying to compensate in the best way he can (while he still ran his business) which includes asking his brother to nurture her talent for literature. But after he gets cheated and his business comes to a halt, he realizes that now its destiny that he has to provide more time to his wife. And he does that and takes her to a holiday along the beaches. It turns out to be a boon for him as Charu lends him an idea of setting up the business again. Our man is over the moon and his love knows no bound. All this while, he is entirely unsuspecting of Charu developing a natural affinity towards his brother, played exquisitely by Soumitra, which is 'conventionally' wrong, maybe, but a natural course of action for the hapless and bored housewife. And that is exactly why the husband is crestfallen to discover the truth at the end of the movie. But he has nowhere to go. The tough and principled man on the exterior has a heart which pines for love and has a great amount of care and dependence on Charu. Moreover, his business associates have left him. He must be harbouring a hidden mistrust towards his brother. And he loves Charu too much. And thus, inspite of the tremendous pain, the tears, the agony and the shock he accepts Charu's hand at the end frame of the movie- a step which showcases his vulnerability, his dependence on Charu, his love and his helplessness. It' a classic character sketch.

Note: My observations are based on the movie 'Charulata', not the novel ' Noshthoneer'

Aisha Avoidable

It would not strike at the very beginning but Sonam kapoor fit the bill for the title role of 'Aisha' perfectly. The rich and immatured 'brat' who thinks random matchmaking is something more than a timepass. We do find such people around us who are very honest and serious about a thought which is socially unconventional and may lead them to trouble. In that way Jane Austen's character sketch stood out and at the same time was very common. Not only that it preserved the character till posterity.

Even the current and artificial Delhi life houses such characters, I am sure.

Yes, it's a 'girly' movie, I agree. With all the hankering after branded clothes (most of the girls would be drooling over the attire range, I am sure), and the pedicures and fashionable Hauz Khas village, fancy rafting, a hot bod dude (an abnormally-meaty Dhruv), cool poster beds, pyjama parties, perfect daddies, money you dont get tired of spending and a cool and rich guy proposing to you for marriage by climbing to your balcony using a ladder. It has all the ingredients to pull in females in scores at theatres.

Err...did i say 'scores'? i did. Because, The cinema is largely boring, not only as an experience, but also in terms of plot and pace. there are moments in the first half, which makes you think why the hell did you spend 250 bucks and watch this film? You could have gone for a 'Peepli Live' instead.Sequences like trying to groom the desi girl to a chic urban delite is all style, no substance. The water rafting and the beach sequence is highly non-arresting and a put-down. The Hollywood feel of the movie is marred by poor dialogue, a shoddy screenplay and a loose script and of course...no plot at all. Ir meanders aimlessly till 2 and a half hours and leaves you dry and wanting for something better to make it a fruitful day. Except for Aisha, character development is not present in other actors. Most of them are flat and show no change. Even the artificial and superficial lifestyle of Delhi could have been brought out in a more effective way.

Having said that, credit should be given to certain aspects which make you sit at the theatre and not leave the movie half-seen. Performances. Sonam Kapoor is good. She is slowly proving her mark as a promised actor. And it would not be exaggerating to say that it's her finest performance till date. cyrus Sahukar, Ira Dubey and the actor who played the desi girl are first-rate. Abhay deol's role is half-baked, could have been explored a bit more. Scenes like the wedding faux-pas and the one where Aisha and her father steal a quick chat late at night are studs in the movie. Music. Amit Trivedi's compositions are good. 'Gal mitthi mitthi' and the title track stand out. Sadly, these are the only saving graces of the otherwise poor and a worthless fare.

You should watch the movie for the performances, high class delhi life and of course, the fashion brands which are displayed themselves in the movie, every two minutes or so.

If that's not tempting enough, catch a vintage sweet 'Socha na tha' anyday.

Rating: **

To coffee or not

The office canteen coffee was initially quite an attraction as I had only heard of automatic (and free) vending machines spewing chocolaty liquid which is to be had either as a refuel agent, or as a weak and harmful substitute for food, or a gossip booster, or just to kill time. But soon, I began to lose interest in the mechanical procedure which extended to the flavor, somewhat, too. The acidic taste in my tongue was ruining the taste buds of a Bengali and I soon walked away, without any bitterness in my mind, although a fair amount somewhere else.

But nowadays, I feel drawn towards the familiar quarters of the newsroom pantry again. I am not sure for what reason. Maybe, I began missing the bitterness I was used to. Maybe I was missing a butt of ridicule. Maybe I have become busier and thus enjoy lesser breaks and thus an alternative. Or simply, maybe because I am becoming an addict.

I shall think…over a cup of coffee, maybe.

Confessions of a sinner

I can be quite obnoxious. Well, thanks to my one-track, one-dimensional, obsessed mind, many of my friends and not-quites may have such an impression. I wont accuse them. There are many things that i like in life, but there is a fewer lot that i love. And i am quite possessive about them, to the extent of being an animal. There have been so many times when my near and dear ones have said that I need psychiatric help. Yes, I do. Maybe, I do to fit the bill of the conventional guy. I am quite conventional, you see but a rare deviati0on from it spells trouble and leads to such a conclusion. It brands me. Yeah, I am impractical, unreasonable, quite selfish, jealous, possessive as earlier mentioned, immatured, uncouth, short-tempered. But that's because i love. Weird? Well that's how it is. These are infrequent occurances but as i said they are of such a degree and such is my luck that they brand me. The other aspects of me are most of the times, overlooked. I complain and then when i find there are no listeners, I gulp it in. I fail to explain to the world that I am unreasonable, impractical and the other adjectives mentioned above, only and ONLY because I love. That's a honest reason. Look, I am not justifying it nor trying to gain a consolation. Just stating facts. yes, people would write it off as a lame one. But i just cant seem to explain people. I can teach kids but cant explain people properly. A phenomenon which has been happening to me from my childhood days. A thing which used to drain me completely, initially but nowadays i am quite used to it when i see that i am not able to explain people what i intend to. Or falling short of my intentions. Partho Mukherjee once said that between your passion and performance falls a shadow, between your dreams and destiny falls a shadow. i am used to this spectre now but it still haunts me. But in conclusion, socially and conventionally speaking, I am a sinner who fails to understand and quite a bit of an immatured prick, maybe. But that is because i love. If you feel you are not able to understand this discourse, I have my reasons for it as stated a few lines above. And if you do, well, God bless poor you.

Adolf Maradona?

A gasping, gawking, charged-up Diego Maradona charging up and down the sidelines and blowing kisses to Messi, is surely a contagious sight, more so for Argentine fans. But will his extreme pride, or should I say, haughtiness, prove to be the doom for him?

Maradonaisms

"Pele should be put in a museum; I don't care about Platini"

"I have Messi. Do you?"

This, apart from cursing at scribes and making the winning side in a practice game shower footballs on the losing side, as a punishment.

Are we playing football or dodgeball?

A (really) long drive

I detested long drives and thought what kind of creatures have so much fixation for it, earlier. Then a few years back, I initiated myself along the same lines, which I loathed. Now, it was all too sweet for me. But, by the time the desire sunk in, I found odd companions during the almost 50 km ride from my place of stay to my work place in the place where I dwell (Did anybody say home? Tch tch!)

Here are some common conceptions of long drives and my take on it

Long drives and your love by your side

Well, I can't say i have too much affinity for the rash drivers and their pan-stained blabber, as an accompaniment while I cross 3 states, technically. The only love I show is when I have to reach my destination early and the driver honours my plea.

Miles after miles, some hugging some smiles

Well of course, I don't defend the 'miles' part of it. And you possibly can't hug a female colleague sitting beside you. Well, not me, at the least (Though I now seem to know a lot of people who would). And males are distasteful to hug. The scanty smiles are confined to the (sometimes fake) cordiality which i have to display in order to prove me as senile during a 1-hour of uneventful and conversation-less trip.

You stop the car and advance at her

Ah! This has happened many times. 1.30 at the night. The car breaks down. Alone, deserted on NH-4, cursing and spitting. Feel like advancing at the clueless driver and thwacking him hard

The winds, the kiss and the beautiful moonlight

The air around DND expressway emits the foulest of smell you can experience in the whole of Delhi. The stink stings you even in the apparently most beautiful of night with a distant haze(which you realise, soon, to be nothing but the over-polluted skyline of Noida)

And finally the desire to go on a drive again

No options here. You are a daily labourer in a mercenary firm

Thank you...A miracle!

Bari aaye!
eki! kano? ei to elaam
na na aaj taratari aaste hobe...aar na
kano? erom korona...aar kichhukhhon thaakte dao
na
aare! shondeo to hoyni
na baari esho
aare? aami korlaam ta ki? aamar dosh ki?
khub beyaddop hoecho aajkal
aar je aami tomaar kotha shuni
na baari esho bolechi esho bass!
but shonde to hote daao...koto khyala baaki...koto plans nie eshechilam
na na ki hochhe tor theke?
kano?
aka akai to khelchish...koi tor bondhura?
o ora! ora lukieche!aami khujchi
mitthe kotha?
na na...shotti
na onek hoeche...aaye to ebaar.dekhbi bhaalo laagbe ekhaane
bhaalo laagbe hoyto. but aamar ekhaaneo bhaalo laagce
kano?
aare! koto kichu bhebe aachi. koto ki plans
arakdin korbi. akhon aaye
please
na
please please
NA
erom korona please. Thaakte dao...pls
...
ektu doya koro
...
please...aami kotha shunbo...
thik?
Thik thik thik please ektu thaaki
Hm ok
Thank you...

Suddenly...

I have known long enough that life is arbitrary. A moment before I entered the newsroom yesterday at 5 in the morning, little did I realize what was the piece of news that would greet me in the giant 72 inches plasma screen installed a few days back. A train disaster had taken place near Jhargram, possibly triggered by the maoists rampant in the area. A most unfortunate event, where more than 70 were dead. But as I stared blankly at the screen, my mind pondered upon the most literal question- how many more such?- and also something more profound- about the reason behind it all. why would a person sitting or sleeping comfortably on his berth, maybe expecting a business meeting or a family reunion when he reaches Mumbai, be all of a sudden, greeted by an accident, which will take away his life, which will shatter his dreams, which will leave a void in his family, which will bring in a crisis wherein everybody will shake their heads and sympathize and say that whatever happened was too bad...The chill went down my spine. I mean you, the reader, have dreams. I have dreams. We all have dreams. It can be a short term one-like doing a task in a few days time or a long term one-like buying a house or settling my debts or just simply, be happy. So why are these dreams snatched away, all of a sudden? I have always loved to think that i would want to die in my sleep. And that there should be a premonition. It used to hammer me when I heard tales of physical sufferers who died gradually. But now, i guess, they are the lucky ones. Death is not a shock to them. Its a process. But what about the unaware fellow, on whom a rolling stone falls and cracks open his skull, or he meets with an accident, or he slips and fall down a cliff...all of these sudden instances... arbitrary. Why so? And I find no answer. Is life a dream? Are we all in a dream? Are we to 'wake up' and find that the 'real' life exists in death?
I would have accepted the theory but for the engagements, propositions, ideas, plans and love in this world, which are tucked away in a corner of the room filled with grief, misery and helplessness.
Maybe the answer is waiting for us. We shall know it all. In sweet time.

Of private tuitions

I always dreaded mathematics. I still do. So much, that I still have nightmares that I am sitting clueless over a paper of calculus, staring into the blank ceiling, while others scribble away to glory. Yes, numbers and I never went hand in hand. When I think of the possible reason, i conclude that it was more to do with a fear rather than inability. Guidance also matters and on that regards, my base was quite weak.

So, as far as i remember, Maths was the cause that I got my first private tutor. Rakhi miss. I was in standard 6. PCB was introduced and it all seemed greek to me (Sometimes, I feel quite near to Darsheel Safary in TZP :) So that was my first stint. Intially reluctant to be under someone's supervision, I found my teacher very cooperative and friendly. And she exuded solace. The thing I like about females. Soon I began to get interested and performed decently in exams. All thanks to this tutor of mine. But the relation ceased after a year or so as she got married and I lost a tutor whom I fancied close as a sister-in-the-making.

Mithu didi is still incomparable. The love, care, affection and the occasional scoldings that she used to display moulded me into a more matured pupil of economics. I began to love the subject and solved numericals in a snap of a finger. I used to love her handwriting. Wonderful-a reflection of her personality. She used to be very close to our family. Mithu didi gorged on the dishes prepared by Mum when she used to come and teach me. When i used to go to her place, her family offered me love. I enjoyed it a lot. Well, my reluctance was perennial but even then, now when I look back I seem to miss those days. I also seem to think that I should have changed or modified myself in such a manner which would have got me interested in subjects which i disliked. My problem was that I spent hours after hours (not literally...for me 10 minutes equalled to an hour sometimes) reading the subject of my choice, which was mainly restricted to english and hindi literature and business studies and economics, and never used to turn an eye towards the subjects I disliked (like maths, PCB, geography)Now when I look back and that I am in such a stage where bookish education is no longer a part of my life, i fancy myself to believe that I have developed a zest in me that would help me cope with maths much better, understand PCB and develop a liking for geography (geo seems so interesting to me now. Godammit! what kind of a person I was!) Coming back to Mithu didi she too got married after 4 to 5 years and is now in the States and has been blessed with a baby boy. God bless her! The years i spent under her guidance tempered me into a better learned individual. I miss her.

Then comes Suvankar da. There are few people in my life whom I have lost due to no fault of circumstances. Santanu (my old school buddy) and Suvankar da are the ones i can remember now. Exceptionally sensitive and very affectionate. Yes he was effeminate and I used to find him very wierd and also used to laugh behind his back and crack jokes at his 'infirmity'. But seldom did i realize consciously that I had found a great friend in him. Such was his heart, such his genuineness and such was his loneliness that I soon became fond of him but was never able to realize it consciously. Now that he has gone and I dont even know where he is, I feel a pang of meeting him and bringing him back to my very limited friend circle that i am left with now. People have come people have spread joy in my life and then they have left, leaving me spent and hollow. Suvankar da is one such person. i remember that he took me to a movie, a book fair and also treated me to hilsa in his house. He used to share his joys sorrow and loneliness to me. I could feel the pain in each of his words. He used to work a lot and said that he loves teaching. My grades improved and soon he left after a clash of tuition timings.

Anindita ma'am was my tutor She used to teach me hindi for 2 years. A passionate lover of hindi literature, she was very motherly towards me. She used to scold me, care about me be indifferent and bitch about others in front of me. And I liked it all. I was the best student in her class. and everytime i got an 80 in my exams she used to be very happy. Her two sons were very nice to me. chotu was my friend and subho da was an inspiration. That episode too came to an ed after my class 12 exams. I took up english and hindi went off my radar. Now I am not in touch with her.

Two other tutors very significant in my life were nishat jethu and bimal uncle. Great people. Bimal uncle has been a family friend. He used to teach me maths and ocassionally ohysics and chemistry. needless to say, I hated the subjects like anything. So naturally I avoided his classes. But he was so very learned and good in maths (he spent his entire life working for LIC) that my grades improved. I attempted 70 marks of maths in class 10 and got 60-my greatest achievement in maths till date. Afternoon classes were very tedious and i hated the classes even the more for that. Sleep-deprived and reluctant and disinterested, i loathed going to his classes but he was a great friend of ours and still is.

Nishat jethu was a cranky but funny old man. A freedom fighter in his youth, he had lovely tales to narrate to us. i still suspect him to be an undercover maoist or something. i hated going to his classes in the evenings. my friends used to play in the field and I used to give it a last sight and hop onto my bicycle.

Of course, no body was so special like Partho Mukherjee. What do i say about him. First time in my life, I died to attend his classes just to listen to him in rapt attention. Every word was a sermon for me-many of which i still consider as a guiding light in my life. The lesser said about him, the purer the essence would be.

Barring the gayatris, poornas and the sandips, I had been quite lucky to experience the rest of my private tutors. Experiences which still makes me miss them.

The brand new Paathshaala

You reach a time in your life when you begin to go beyond noticing personal and inter-personal changes and begin noticing social changes.
Last night while attending a dinner party one of the discussions veered towards the education of the host's kids. Sure the Indian education system has changed a lot specially in the metros. And well let me be clear that I am talking about those schools which have adopted the European and the American curriculum of teaching its students. And that I am mentioning about the 'Upmarket' ones for valid reasons. Let me point out three broad developments which has appealed to me the most.

Firstly, the way of imparting education has altered. It's not about bookish knowledge anymore.It's not about sticking to your textbooks and answering questions at the end of every chapter nowadays. It has gone beyond that. The psychological angle has crept in. It's more analytical now. With deeper thought behind the formation of each question and the ideation of the ability to make the student 'think' and answer, not just simply answering mechanically. Monthly exams have been replaced by weekly tests and daily quizzes. Grades have come in. The concept of awarding a topper with 'star' has been devised too. The sense of competition has increased with classes having lesser and lesser number of 'poor' students. Everyone notches up a minimum of 60 percent nowadays. CBSE is thinking of doing away with the tradition of failing a student till a particular standard. Boardroom education has replaced classroom teaching. Blackboards have given way to digital boards where you can log on to a website and teach the class. Gone are the days of the dusters. One swish of hand and the data is wiped out (with a possible memory to back it up) from the screen. Its 'cool' for the new breed of kids. and its western. we all are suckers for it. Just that its western and its better. Also, another newer technique has emerged whereby students are given IDs with which if they log on to their school's website they will have a detailed account of hat has been happening in the class that particular day and what were the minutes of it, how has been the child's performance etc.

Secondly, a huge differrence has come about through the employmeny of co-curricular activities in schools. Its not just books and books and exams anymore. Young people are getting exposed to public speaking and a host of other innovative indoor and outdoor exercises. My nephew has soemthing called 'cobblers day' coming up in his school which is reportedly about how to maintain the cleanliness of your shoes, which sounds exciting to him. A big reason for this kind of a holistic education in schools is because of the fact that with work pressure and the rat race in various industries in the work field, parents are getting little time to intract and 'train' their children. So the school takes care of them all. Of course in lieu of a hefty fee (which nowadays most of the parents can afford to, or comply to or well..compromise to. They clearly dont have a choice) So as I was saying, newer self defence techniques are coming in. The very popular Karate is getting replaced by kick boxing and taekwondo. Pottery, claying, arts and crafts, creative writing, gardening, fine dining, toilet training, hygiene and other extra curricular things have been incorporated in the syllabi.This is in addition to the outdoor events like annual sports or cricket, football, basketball being played.

Thirdly, the pressure has shifted from the students to the teachers. I hear that their compensation has been multiplied in private schools but the kind of work they do in training the kids has been exemplary and much more from what our teachers used to do. Not that they like it too much but the new system of eduaction has sure revealed who is to take all the worries. The teachers have to take charge of being with the kids, making assessments, reports, meeting with parents, bringing in innovation in class and so on. Even another path breaking achievement has been the removal, and I would say banishment, of corporal punishment from schools as such.

There are of course a host of other changes and addition like better transport facilities, air conditioned campuses, better uniforms, foreign exchange programmes, community service drives, added recognitions, improved tolerance to students etc which are present in the list of developments.

The sad and unfortunate part is that Government schools don't have the resources to carry out such functions and that education in rural areas have a long way to go. But the good part is that even the not so rich and famous private ones are trying to emulate their richer counterparts. I am sure the nest generation will be amazed to listen to our education tales.
Here's to a better India.

Jhor bole aami saathe
mon er saathe brishti kaande
ki korbo bhebe na paai
jhorer saathe miliye jaai?

(the storm says with you friend
a tear or two, rains lend
I know not what to do
storm take me along too)

Modinama

Modi modi kahan modi kahan (main) modi modi ittefaaq se...says a seductive song from a recent hit movie. Oh heck! not quite. Maybe it was mudi and not modi. But what the hell! Nowadays that's the only bit of repetition you can encounter when you switch on your TV screens and when you leaf through the cripsp newspaper of the day. And Goddamn it, it sure isnt any ittefaq that our bronzed villain with his price posessions make it to the front page everyday and hog the centrestage at every practically every discussion in the 9 o clock slots in TV channels, for more than a month (it certainly seems so...we TV chaps have a habit of exaggerating, you know!)...so move over Sexbabas, sania, shoaib, amina, fatima, fatso-ma(whatshername)..we have the new man whose shady dealings can guarantee you entertainment more than when you watch a ball soar past the boundary for a six or when the rattling of stumps seems music to your ears in the ongoing IPL. Mr Modi is the essential powerman who has been allegedly corrupted by power, money and a little more power. You ca almost picturise him as a cheroot-smoking villain sitting cozy in his chair (shun the suit ala sanjay dutt in that 'not-quite-wow-but-jao' commercial) with arm candies like priyanka chopra, shilpa shetty, preity zinta or celina jaitley or some firang babe by his side, practising modisatva. He is the quintessential wily fox who can turn tables with his clever calculations and manipulations. The I-T raids have opened a pandora's box to be sure but the main treasure chest is still hidden away somewhere in some swiss suite perhaps guarded by brawny bodyguards and ofcourse, brainpower and money.
SO who spoiled it all? Enters our suave smart 'I taak in englees, I waak in englees' mr tharoor, who hates travelling in cattle class and misquotes saudi arabia (in lieu of women or dates?). But still the henchman creates a goof up costs modi dear. Power crazy, he is too. and tries to influence modi in disclosing details about a new team in the next IPL, with a will to 'mentor' the team. But whenever there is a women involved, case twisted hai boss(I can hear miss pushkar crying aloud that she has to face the ordeal only because she is a woman...well I sympathize with you but nevertheless, clean dealings are scanty miss pushkar...proofs are apparently nowhere, sweat equity or whatever) SO Mr Tahroor and miss pushkar(God bless them...private souls) enter into a jugalbandi and despite Mr modi's efforts to let aapno amdavad buy a team in IPL, Kerala with its chartbusting literacy rate, dupes modi's intentions and Kochi is born. And Modi is fuming. But reports suggest that there can be another little character in our story. The man who has head in clouds, Mr Praful patel. Patel saab is alleged to have played the role of a messenger between tharoor and the IPL. and another list of shango-pangos like patel's sweet lass daughter, or his not-so-sweet-lass-secretary etc etc who might have transpired in the dealings. Then again another newspaper claims that the funds disclosed by patel might have been spiked and intentionally so, at the behest of modi, to make tharoor lose his track. Ho hum! Now isnt that a bit too much now? I-T steps in meanwhile, with stepbrother ED and conduct raids and raise allegations that can be 1 out of the existing million. come on guys, so many twists in the tale is bittering the suspense and thrill. The viewers are getting confused. And soon you think that such things are commonplace, trite. It happens in every business or the other. So what if it is IPL? So what if guru Ezekiel or Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi or Boria Majumdar does not get tired discussing about cheap thrillers every evening?
So before a Khan may be held responsible for fudging accounts or a Zinta be accused of fixing matches or Modi be sacked or Tharoor be deported to America or Patel be let scot free or Manohar takes charge of the IPL mess and makes more money than modi, you will inevitable switch off your TV and pick up and read an Agatha Christie and mutter 'Kitna filmi hai saala'. Here dies another saga after Shoaib-Sania, a natural death...

How's that?

Whenever i look at the Sports team in my newsroom, I feel a distant longing and an incisive disappointment. Not because of the content that they contribute. But for a different reason. I look at the members and think I could have also been one of them. And I wander to the exciting alleys of my childhood days.

Yes, exciting. I used to be a cricket crazy individual, innocent and adventurous, unassuming and emotional. I loved cricket. But, only cricket. The over hype of the game in our country had roped me as a victim too. So the other sports were completely ignored by the seeds of passions fresh in my mind during those days. And that is a prime reason- my lack of knowledge regarding other sports like football, hockey, the olympics, tennis, badminton etc.- why i am not in their shoes.

But passion and knowledge are different. You can be passionate about something but know well-informed. Yes of course I was well informed but not a cricket buff ( like the way I can say-now- I am a bollywood buff) Records, achievements, career, statistics used to escape my notice. I only used to be mesmerized and thrilled by the very soul of cricket. Whenever the Indian team walked on to the field, whenever I used to look at a photograph of a favourite cricketer on a card which used to come free with a chewing gum once. So the passion did not seep into research and by the time the evening tuitions took away my freedom to go to the field and play the game unchained, and by the time the pressure of studies and other attractions guiled me, the passion towards the game was going afar.

Now i am left with the memories, layman knowledge and the same old lack of remembrance or interest in statistics- the first step that can make you a successful journalist or more so a cricket historian. But, never mind!

Distant Surmises

Ya so its my 100th post! Way to go! (umm...a little long way perhaps...as far as I can recollect I started blogging around 3 to 4 yrs back....ha ha so that would mean 25 blog posts per year ....or to put it simply, 2 blogs per month. well, a snail's pace has finally got me to the century mark. But then again...

Its a landmark event. Thank you very much. Much accentuated by the Calcutta trip I am about to undergo in a short period of time from now. Ya i still dream to ramble on those romantic wide stretches of red road in South calcutta amidst a drizzle, with the maidan on my left; and to drive through em by pass with the wind caressing my hair and blocking my audibility, I so wish to pass those golden hours simply by looking down to the roads and the playground where children (or lack of them) play to their heart's content and also the roads from my balcony where cars zoom past and I try to identify the make of each of them; how I wish to roam those salt lake alleys clutching your palms tightly and taking each step and making a vow, how I wish I pass through those dingy roads of north kolkata, charmed by the sights, smells and sounds, in a taxi and smile surreptitiously. Oh Calcutta, you will always be with me. No matter wherever I go, no matter wherever destiny takes me, the affinity towards you will grow manifold each time i get an opportunity to visit you.

I was recently stumped by a question asked by one of my colleagues about what kind of a person I am by nature. I was zapped thoroughly. What kind of a person i am? Never thought of it. Or maybe I did and every time i have wandered off to a nearby topic failing to gather moorings into the earlier issue of discourse in melancholy. It was a very deadly question. i failed to answer. I groaned, I whizzed but no words cam out of my mouth. Strange but I still remember I used to consider analysing one's character (that of a friend) na favourite pastime of mine while in college. But now, There have been so many instances that i have been proved otherwise that before venturing out to be judgemental about an individual's disposition, I correct myself and take the road most treaded by people. I cease to dedicate myself. I choose not to. Including mine. Scary, yes, but true, i guess.

When I was returning home today, I recalled that somebody had passed on his thoughhtful and invaluable advice to me sometimes when I was in dire need of it during the junction when i was to decide, whether I will step towards the field of media (television) or not. That gentleman, whom (fortunately) i fail to recall, said with utmost confidence and zeal that there is no such work as production work in tv. And I detest myself for not scrutinising the advice properly or not re checking it (although it did not turn a sore for me) I am finding scope in production work and the words of the particular gentleman that you HAVE to be a reporter to be in TV news is a myth, I discover now. Also a few months back when a very well known reporter from a leading TV channel asked me to become a reporter for her channel, I understood that under the veil of whatever solemnity and grandeur she attached to reporting, the plain deal was that her channel was in dire need of reporters and if it comes witha cheap price tag, then why not? Cheap labour, I see so many around me in the newsroom everyday. I feel sad but unable.

Last but not the least, there was a time when I was astonishingly unable to find faults with me, major ones I mean. But nowadays i do. Such is life. Such are revelations. Amen.

Unload the freight

Mamata Banerjee is, perhaps, the second most entertaining politician in Indian history (after Laloo Prasad)
A treat to watch her presenting the railway budget'10
I give a thumbs up to the budget.

Her antics made the Lok Sabha come alive today (in a different way) The highly enjoying Sonia Gandhi and a visibly amused L K Advani drove home the point.

Golden moments:

1. Reads out the list of 130 new trains in one breath, interjected by comical apologies for mis-pron(o)uncing the names of most of them.

2. Her constant jibes at detractors in a very evil way (she even at one point of time replied to somebody in Bengali)

3. While announcing the Ankura-Agartala rail link, somebody quips up and our didi says with a mock smile "You theenk thees eez olso phor Bengol. eet eez awar nebaaring kaantry" Amazing!

4. Classic: While facing stiff opposition and ruckus mamata says: "Okay shaaut! Aai veel kaat awl"(referring to the 'cut' of the new services announced.

5. The way she flopped back into the chair after an almost 2 hour long marathon speech. Hilarious!

Truly Didi tera viewers deewana (only during the budget speech, that is!)

'Defending' an 'insane'

You might call Utsav Sharma a psychotic patient. i will call him too. but what exactly must have been going through his mind while attacking Rathore, the alleged molestor of Ruchika Girhotra? Well like every individual who has a heart and detests such an action on young, unsuspecting girls, he too must have been infuriated by the whole turn of events. The only difference between him and other 'sane' individuals is that Utsav had translated his thoughts into action, which other people would have not dared to, fearing the impetus of law on them But he didnt. I know for a fact that there are many who silently support his act and thinks that Rathore got an iota of what he desreved(keeping constant the allegation that he is guilty) Many would call him the torchbearer of people's mass movements and protests towards the case. An 'insane' person did wht the other 'sane' people had only conceived. His bravery wont go unnoticed like his laurels and achievements in the education sphere.

Out with it!

A popular news channel was airing exclusively the narco test videos of the suspects arrested in the Aarushi murder case, accessed by the channel. Narco tests, as per my knowledge, employs a truth serum which prompts you to reveal the hidden facts stored in your sub-conscious. It was painful to watch as the suspects were talking in a semi-conscious state and repeatedly denying the chances of their involvement in murdering Aarushi. but what was shocking was the way the interrogators tried to force out an admission from them and even went to the extent of prompting them the lines that they should speak out. Hazard this...Interrogators: "Speak out that you killed Aarushi. Say it. Say it that you have killed Aarushi" Pathtic. It was a good thing that nobody gave in to their demands. No I am not defending the criminal of the perpetrators but simply trying to lend some humanity to the whole process. yes of course You can argue that criminals or suspects of such nature must be handled in a dexterous way. True but watching it on the screen was painful indeed. At the end nobody owned up and thus the process is delayed. Note that tests have confirmed that Narco tests are not fool-proof(I recollect reading it somewhere). I dont remember distinctly whether Dr Talwar also underwent such tests or not. But impartially he should also have been conducted the test upon.

Pothi da

Pathikrit da will be sorely missed in the newsroom from tonight onwards. It had been a little time that I had known him and I was quite comfortable speaking to him, the way I wanted (which happens very rarely with me) Professionally, he was extremely proficient in the english language and skilful in his area of activity. But I would wholeheartedly support his decision to move out in lieu of a plumper post and a fatter pay. but of course, the chances of his reverting to the channel cannot be ruled out at all. Last night I discussed feluda, tintin and topics of my interest with him and he gave me a patient hearing. The last time somebody gave me a patient audience and I too enjoyed conversing with somebody on these matters(which most of the people would find boring and juvenile) was with Arka and Arunava, two of my closest pals. Looking forward to his columns in mid-day(Delhi).
He said he's too sane for the society. Interesting.

Unpublished

I am a private person. I dont know why am I blogging. Bloggers are popularly known to share their thoughts with the world. Well yes I am doing so but lurking above me is a self-imposed censor for the sake of my peace, my comfort and to an extent, propreity, conduct, protocol and appeasement. Mentioned here some unpublished blog entries and also unfinished. Why unfinished? because I was lazy. As far the 2nd entry is concerned I had thought to make some of my inner demons public butstopped midway for truth is left best unsaid. What shall i achieve by making such a sensitive issue public? a few sympathies and maybe an appreciatin of hatred and indifference from some readers. So I stopped midway and censored my thought process. I had to colse the lid of the treasure chest snugly edged into my heart which holds a plethora of pains and a multitude of merriment. As I said, some things are better left unsaid. (For everything else there's mastercard :) he he
1. Why I Buzz?

I have joined buzz only because one, it pinged me voluntarily and somewhat caught my attention with its seeming simplicity and two, because its a google product. I am traditional at heart and suspect myself to be quite conservative apprehensive to try anything new, modern and popular, in a way to perhaps not dislike but of course to view it shadily.
So buzz is good but yet unattractive and lacks the one-dimensional ness of twitter and the multifarious (yet simple) feature of orkut...
2. Archive

The corridors are empty...

The heath has lost its warmth

The echoes are but distant dreams

The gates have been shut again

There was a time life was at BNC

There was a time a boy spread cheer

There was a time, there was Yash...


Delhi is far away...far far from my home in Kolkata. And 200 m away from my home stands a colossal building...not as regards its size but more due to the abundance of dreams and memories it treasures in its empty hallways. It is empty for me. There are students, there are professors but the gang is no more. And no more is a boy fresh out of school called Yash. He is far away today. He is, probably, even far from the hearts of his company in college. Far away he is all busy with his work but his heart does slip and take a time travel to those wonderful days that he would forever cherish in his life...

3. By-poll surgery

Now that TMC has routed the left bastion from the 9 out of 10 seats in the recent by-polls in west bengal, CPM has little to make amends to...

Acclaiming 'VEER'

Everytime somebody tries to taint his father's image, Salman Khan growls and its expected to draw cheers from the front rows and his hardcore fans. The actor has done tjings differently in this movie. Never before have people seen Salman Khan as a warrior before( Sooryavanshi was a pathetic rendition) The might and strength of the warriors in the early 19th sentury has been rightly essayed by Salman Khan with his bulging biceps and impressive torso. So much so that he doesnt spare any chance to take off his armour and display his chiseled build. His eyes talk. with anger, with vengeance, with love, with a fervour. Its unmistakable to notice his performance in the movie. and it doesnt go overboard (well, the sword-breaking scene was a little, i agree) But on the whole he performs with all his heart and it is apparent in the movie. He amazes in the action sequences. The hostel scene where he single-handedly finishes off the people who come to hurt his brother, the gladiator scene and the final duel with his father stand out from the rest.

For me, the fact that Salman khan wrote the script for 20 long years has paid off. He has a large canvas of mind which he successfully prtrays in the movie. The vastness of sets, the lavish designs, breathtaking cinematography, the elaborateness of emotions, the largeness of songs etc prove so. The character of 'Veer' is heroic. The final sacrifice which he makes for his motherland, leaving the one day old bride widow, drives home the point. In subtle ways Salman has also tried to showcase the misunderstandings which he had with his girlfriends earlier, in the movie. The heroism is very very apparent.

As for the film, its a little long-winded but for an epic saga as such the length is fair enough. The story, even though has been derived from a number of films, is fast and pacy. Performances from the actors are remarkable. Songs are really melodious. excellent is the cinematography and the action sequences. on the whole, the film is lavish and i loved it. The patriotic fervour is not jingoistic and poetic justice occurs at the end of the movie. The amazing relationship between the father and the son is one of the strong points of the movie.

The critics who have slammed the movie have seen it as a melodramatic piece of amalgamation from different genres. but what they have failed to notice is the sincerity of the story, the performances and the movie. I feel sorry for them and the thousands of people who will be misled by the critiques.

Whatever it is, Salman Khan is too big for such wimps of reviews.

Poor Brothers!

Delhi is a weird place. People say its warm. well its too premature for me to explore it interestingly, delhiites, almost all of them-the middle class singhjis, the next door neighbour, your office colleagues, the top sorporate-almost everybody have a strange fixation to incestuousness. and tries to thrust it on others. Almost everybody here use a commonplace expletive which accuses you of sharing bed with...your sister! irrespective of sex, position, level, friend or not.

So when you drive rashly, when you fail to impress others, when you fail to do something which anybody expects you to do, when you hit somebody, when you poke fun at somebody...and even when you do nothing...you can expect people to label you as an incest.its normal, natural, commonplace and fair.

whats funny is that females are also addressed by the gaali behind their back, thus either doubting their sexual preference or its just a mindless piece of terminology. and well, when they get tired of the sisters, they bring in the mothers which is worse. and apart from sisters or mothers they dont go beyond. variety is missing, deliberately so. they have taken the essence out of the expletive. it has become very common now. so much so that a day might arrive when it will be used in occasions also...so Mr Sharma can turn up at the republic day function and address Mr aggarwal as "arey sggarwal saab, aap to kal se zyada behen ch*d lag rahe hain! kya baat hain?"

When I was in chennai, the gaali from my colleagues used to disillusion me. Now I am used to listening to it from all quarters. its natural now.

But I feel bad about all the sisters of this world. its an accusation which all of the sisters (if not...) would find highly offensive. But I feel more bad about the menfolk who take such a charge so lightly and never raise a word. Maybe the fact that some of them are said in jest dont bother them. Yes delhiites are so warm that even an expletive doesnt draw any kind of foul reaction from the listener.

Yeh Dilli hain mere yaar...

So it's a new year

Ya so its the new year. a new decade is about to start. so whatever happened in the previous decade or the previous year? well lots of stuff. joy, pain, anguish, resurrection, revelation, tragedy and magic. well yes lots of it. what emerged out of the ashes of the left behind burnt days, but alive, are some introspections, worries, some burdens, some responsibilities and of course some more magic. Why do i constantly harp upon magic is because i consider life so. Its arbitrary and occassionally logical but its quite interesting and experiences enrich it. There are times when certain events have pained me, sometimes intolerable, sometimes impossible, but nevertheless when i look back i learn and carry those learnings to the future in a constant endeavour to smooth the rough edges that could be lying ahead of me, waiting to devour me with those sharp teeth of its. I look back just to clench my jaw(trying to avoid a TM-joint) forget the ashes and move ahead. I still dream on...


Year 2009
...Has been a testing year. away from my friends and extended family, my Love. ACj had been fun(in retrospection) and very teaching. My first job is still an event i will cherish throughout. Delhi has been amazing, inspite of all the complains. I visited Kolkata inly twice in 09 and my soul has become emptier, thus. I struggle to live on and create some substantial tangible matter a few steps ahead. In relationship, I have learnt things, found a plethora of faults of my own and have loved more. I have become tremendously unsocial, due to the lack of social society and of course, due to work pressure. I have aged too. Not in years, but through hours and experiences. I dont like looking at the mirror anymore and seldom worry about my attire and hairstyle. i am watching lesser movies in theatres and watching more soaps in television. sleep comes in inches and travelling has increased like never before. I have regained company again in my parents and its a secure feeling. I am happy about it. But there are a lot of things I have missed in 2009. I have seen a different culture exist parallelly and at most of the times been shocked by it. My temper has worsened, i have become cranky, lazy, impatient but I guess i am still lovable. My regrets in 2009 are the fact that I could not be present amidst my parents in their 25th marriage anniversary; my temper; and of course, the fact that I miss my folks in Kolkata, my life in Kolkata. Achievements- well, I am a journalist now; I have become more responsible and the fact that I think that there are a host of things which are still left to be achieved. Resolutions- well, magic!

Adios, till then...