27 November 2008

India is a hostage under impotent politicians, incomepetent intelligence agencies

What is happening in Mumbai is a National Shame. The country is already a hostage to shameless politicians, and now.... we have our cities being awarded to terrorists.... like never before.
The buildings are being bombarded, lives being run thru, national pride shattered.
The 'real' terrorists have won the Gateway of India, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Surat, Azhamgarh, Delhi and all the places that make India!! What else are we left with? It is better to die in a battle with those terror mongers than to live in a shameful state.
I pray in God for Peace, not only to the souls that left us today in that holocaust, but also to those who are living in shame today.
Instead of keeping such enemies away, Indian Govt is busy torturing the local religious heads calling them terrorists and framing them in all the way possible. So, I say that the country is a hostage to the politicians.
We need not less than a ruthless youth movement that can erase this shameful chapter from our histories for ever.
I sometimes hold back when I call our police 'brave', but in the case of Mumbai, and too today, I have no option but to say Go 'brave men', kill the terrorists, rescue our cities (and if possible, please dont give it back to the politicians)!

Thought For the week - 3

"Keep your friends close. Your enemies, closer!"
- The Godfather.


Enemies are the ones whom you have to recognize and keep an eye on, earlier for better. So, keeping them with one always makes him aware of their moves and motives. Friends are close to one, and they are there to be trusted, and the enemies.... deserve a closer look! I feel there cant be a better statement depicting the chillness of a revange, as it seeks.

@The Godfather was a path defining novel that caught the imagination of a whole generation, in the US and elsewhere too. Written by Mario Puzo, this gripping novel was made into a motion picture in 1972 and proved a huge success. The story depicted the plight and imagery of Italian immigrants living in the USA, in a place known as a Little Italy. The lowly people indulging in mafia activities to make a living....and the story continues with a chilling tale of goodness, badness and revange. Reading it is a remarkable novel experience in deed. The Godfather, Vito Corleone advices his son, Michael these lines to shine in the family 'business'.

24 November 2008

Mondays' Mirage - 3

A Rock, the solidity,
A Rock, the cradle of life!
A Rock, a stagnation,
a timeless movement!

A Rock reflects the human spirits when going strong, reflects human mind that looks ahead.

Guys and gals, have a Solid week ahead!

@in pic: A rock, as seen cradling life on the hills of Parvathamalai.

19 November 2008

Thought For the week - 2

ಮಾಡಿ ಮಾಡಿ ಕೆಟ್ಟರು ಮನವಿಲ್ಲದೆ I
ನೀಡಿ ನೀಡಿ ಕೆಟ್ಟರು ನಿಜವಿಲ್ಲದೆ II
ಮಾಡುವ ನೀಡುವ ನಿಜಗುಣವುಳ್ಳರ
ಕೂಡಿಕೊಂಡಿರ್ಪ I ನಮ್ಮ

ಕೂಡಲಸಂಗಮ ದೇವ II

- Jagajjyoti Basaveshwara


People indulge in a lot of things; some to gain popularity; some to please others; some to make a living; some to show to the world that they are capable. But amidst all the things they do, if they with conviction, commitment and commandment, from deep within the heart, those are near to the God.

It could just be simply put as "Whatever you do, do it with your heart, mind and body in unison with it"!



@Basavanna was a 12th century revolutionary who defied all the barriers of caste and system inside the Hinduism. He lit a flame that spread as a fire across Karantaka to unite people against the horrendous caste system. He said all Gods are one, and so are all people. He also brought the literature out of the royal courts, to the common people. He wrote philosophical poems known as "VachanagaLu", which were easy to read, simple to understand, and full of philosophical teaching. What more, they were written for the common mass, unlike any celebrated poets. He lived to prophet the existence of God in all of us. It is sad and inevitable, that he is also been reduced to 'another God' by our people (us) today!

17 November 2008

Global Crash....implications?

Purely from a point of view of a small person in this huge monetary game..... read on.

I received this supposed 'joke' as a forward. I guess it is more of reflective types of this economic slump. Decide yourself!!

2007: Raju: Chacha kaise ho ???
Chacha: ab kya batau....
Bada beta share broker hai...
doosara beta Jet Airways mein hai
teesara software mein aur

sabse chhota ruk gaya PAN WALA banke...

2008:
Raju: Chacha kaise ho ???
Chacha: Ab kya bolu...
bus ab chhota hi ghar chala raha hai,
uske vajeh se toh hum zinda hai.... :)
Raju: @#$!#$#$@$$

Well.. It is not uncommon now a days. Isn’t it? This 'joke' reflects what we see in papers everyday.



Now read this 'real' story:


Sharath (name changed), is a young achiever. He joined an MNC straight after the college. He had set himself few tough targets in life, and he achieved one by one of them in style. His high paying job was also going great.

Once he 'settled' in his job, he took his parents to live with him in the city, deserting their village home. All was well, and his brother too joined them in city for higher education.


He shifted jobs to make sure that his ever growing economic expectations were met, just like any of his classmates. And he did good in every place he went. People were envy of him, and why not!

One fine day he was offered a trip to the client place in USA, which he agreed to handle. He had a US dream since a long time, and that was fulfilled.

Three full months he stayed there before coming back to India. He was awe struck at the way westerners lived their lives. He started complaining about India, crib about almost every thing here, just like any other young man. He was itching to go back there, and make more money.

The dollar dreams were too much to bear. His parents, satisfied with his position in life, found a suitable bride for him, and he got married to a beautiful young lady in no time. It all happened as if in a dream, and it was fabulous.


He was just back from a satisfyingly wonderful honeymoon at Bangkok, when he heard of a consultant who would help him find a job in the US. He was thrilled at his luck.


The consultant processed his Visa, and supported him to land in California. He told his wife to wait for a month or two before he found his job and 'settle' down there.


Initially it was tough for him since there was no satisfying offer he was getting. After some three months, and just when his savings were wearing out, he got an offer of job from his college time dream firm! His joy found no bounds.


Four months down the line, he took his wife to live with him. His earning of the first few months was spent to show his wife the country. He bought a car on EMI and roamed around the dream country in it. The couple had their second honeymoon with pomp in this great country.


In the meanwhile he was getting awards every quarter for being a superior performer in the company. His talents were widely appreciated; the way he handled a difficult project and lead the team to perfection in delivering it on time was hailed even by the CEO. He was a happy man.


One fine day his manager calls him and says that he felt sorry to be informing Sharath that the company needed him no more! Sharath was shocked. Manager also said that the company was proud of Sharath's achievements, but since the company was thru a rough patch in terms of its economic holdings, he had to take this extreme step. He also stated that the company in last two weeks lost two of its mega budget banking projects, and he had no other option but to down size its strength.


He was immediately relieved, Sharath was given no option but to leave. He had ignored a few clauses in his employment offer, which was used against him now. He was not to be given any notice to terminate and he would not be entitled for any company benefits, what so ever! He was not even given a relieving letter, since he continued to be a consultant!


Shattered Sharath comes home and looks depressed. His unsuspecting wife tries to soothe him, which doesn’t help. Sharath is a worried man, he hides the emotions from wife, until it becomes unbearable. His wife joins the worried wagon now.


The families back home are unaware of what is happening there, and they are satisfied with their usual online chats and occasional calls with these NRIs. But back there, Sharath and Sumalini think a lot about what is in future for them.


The consultant offers to pay him for another month and he was encouraged to find another job in that time, or return home with whatever he had earned. Wherever he went, his belief of an economic turn over was slumped. He failed to get a good job, and his Western Dreams are almost but over!


One fine day, after a couple of months, families back home were treated with switched off cell phones, and full memory answering machines. Worried them, logged in to gtalk to see them off line.

A week later, the families got together and lodged a complaint at the police out there. When the Police barged in to their apartment, they recovered two decayed dead bodies, which had consumed poison, a week before!

The shocked parents, demanded justice, and the police were helpless too. The parents could not get hold of the dead bodies too since the un-American couple had commited suicide, and their EMIs and loans were unpaid for a long time then!

Parents could not accomodate such an astronomical sum of money to get the bodies. Their hopes of at least a respectable creamtion for the bodies was shattered; and they were left in a state of depression.

The bulging EMIs, overflowing credit card limits and eroding financial resources forced the couple to take this extreme step. A jobless punter couldnt return to India thinking of the shame he had to undergo at a crunch time in the global market. He was not sure of getting a job back home as well, for the same reasons. Meaning, all the doors were closed for him, and he had to take this extreme step.

Forget about money, think about the social implications of a 'loser' in such circumstances. Quiet depressing. What Sharath did, seems to be the only way for thousands of immigrants out there, in the midst of such a huge economic recession.

Every day we get news of Stock markets crashing, banks shutting down, insurance companies announsing bankruptcy, software companies reducing head counts.... what not!

And the implication of all these things on the tender minds of deleted employees is irrevocable. No one is safe now a days, and like Sharath, no one can bear a straight humiliation. Where is a way to escape from that? And how long would that stay?! How many more Sharaths be martyred in the game of a few rich investors and some directionless banks.

I think we will get an answer in a short time to come, and till then we need to be patient enough and remember that "Huttisida devaru hullu meyisodilla" (God will always be with us and he would not leave us hungry)!

Mondays' Mirage - 2

A river rushing down with renewed spirit in her quest to reach the sea sooner.
In her effort to reach the Annwn, she goes places and fertiles the land and souls she flows by.

Thanking that huge energy and blessing, lets move ahead in our quest to realise that Utopian dream hidden in us!

Have a blessed week people :)

@in the pic: Cauvery energises herself as and when required to accelerate her journey towards the Bay of Bengal. This is a show of her selfless joy in working for others! As seen at Shivanasamudra during monsoon.

13 November 2008

Thought For the week - 1

Another series here.... starting today.
I share with you the pearls from my quotation treasury, one every week, every Thursday.

" The greatest way to live with honour in this world is to be what we pretend to be."
- Socrates




We get to meet a lot of preachers, and what they preach, seldom they carry to their lives. Its a human tendency to give free advices to people, and move on. When one wants to see others lead perfect lives, he forgets to be a perfect man himself. Socrates' quote can be interpretted as "Do What you say and Say What you do"
@Socrates was a classical Greek Philosopher known to be one of the founders of the western thought process. He is believed to have lived in pre-Christ era and known to mankind only thru the works of other people, mainly thru his devout students Plato, Xenophon, Aristotle and Aristophanes. He is known by his most popular saying "I know that I know nothing". What a genious he was! He was tried to be a gadfly, and misleading and corrupting the Athenian youth. He was forced to drink to death hemlock, a poisonous mixture.

11 November 2008

Adieu Jumbo, Dada!

Two legends of our times chose to end their illustrious cricketing careers this month, Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly.

Anil Kumble, older of the two and the most hardworking chap the Indian cricketing field has ever produced, bid adieu in a dramatic way on November 2nd. His passion for the game was awe inspiring, and a motivation for the whole of a generation. He would be remembered always for his Commitment, Grit, Passion, never-give-up kind of attitude. Personally he was a soft and gentle person, but on field, a “Jumbo”, a terror! I share a special bond with this fellow, yes; I went to the same college as Anil Kumble, though much later in times. That way, I will be very much proud of him, my senior in college!

His performances for the country….just tremendous! He is arguably the best bowler India has every produced. He has won more test matches than any other bowler in our times. When I started watching cricket, he had started his career. And went on inspiring the nation even to today… Today, he has ended his career as one of the games’ legends, the only one who shared the stage with the legendary likes of Shane Warne and Muralidharan! He spearheaded the Indian bowling attack for over 16 years, invented new ways to bowl, delivered occasional quicker flickers, the googlies, feasting the opposition batsmen for lunch tea and dinner. He was insatiable throughout. The fact that he once ran over all the ten batsmen of Pakistan stands as a testimony to that statement.

Sourav Ganguly, aggression personified; a brilliant off-side player, and a gritty captain, has called his day today. He was a champion, named fondly and rightly by fans as the Prince of Kolkata! He had that royal spine which crafted the Indian team to be a superpower in the sport. His constant encouragement saw the advent of younger players into the team, and his aggression on field saw records being fumbled and created for India on home turf, and foreign land alike. He took the Indian team from a mediocre 7th position on ODI charts to too close to the world cup in 2003. For being the most favourite and most successful Indian captain, he was fondly called “Dada” (Elder Brother) of Indian cricket.

I’d tribute with my “Hats off” to these legends at our most depressive cricketing moment; Depressive because, we wanted them for more time, but as they say… all good things come to an end, and Yes.

To see both going away from International arena at the same time is something cricket lovers of India can not digest easily. Yet, it is our duty to thank them for every single joy they gave us, for every moment they made us proud, for every smile they created on all the faces of this lovely country.

We say Good Bye with our utmost heartfelt contention. Wish you luck and glory in your life after cricket. Thanks for all the glorious moments; those were enough for this lifetime!

Great quotes on these two legends:

"To become another Anil Kumble one will have to work really, really hard," - Sachin Tendulkar
“On the off side, first there is God and then Saurav Ganguly." - Rahul Dravid.

@To be aired shortly: Wait for a series of articles, writeups on my favourite test and one day moments from the era gone by, here on the backbencher's page!

10 November 2008

Mondays' Mirage - 1


This is a new series that is on air from today on this backbencher's page.

Come Monday, here would be a post card with a promise of an adventurous week ahead.

A Monday represents a horizon, a dawn.
A Monday brings with it a new Hope, new energy.
A Monday assures a new beginning, kind benevolence!
A Monday opens up an avenue of possibilities, an avenue of opportunities.
Well Always.... there is a tomorrow. And Monday brings that tomorrow to life, to today!

Monday shows a Mirage.... that comes alive on the Backbencher's page, from today.

People, Have a Thunderous week ahead!

@in the pic: A new attempt of recreating life on a gory land of Dhanushkoti. Dhanushkoti represents an end, as well as a new beginning. Lets start the Monday with an iota of captivation and dreams unlimited! Get on to it!