The tricolour waving defiantly,
It is the rebirth of a nation,
A few suddenly become national heroes,
And fading memories of some,
Flowers and laurels who never chose,
They were the true martyrs,
And this was their dream,
No trumpets blew for them,
No flowers showered over them,
But their efforts were not forgone,
And gave us the freedom, the much needed,
They nourished it with their blood,
And spent their lives in its wake,
I bow my head to them,
For they are the unsung heroes.
(Wrote in Lucknow, late 1996)
Friday, January 26, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Why Cry Over a Silly Show
So finally Britain's Big Brother show has managed to draw the attention of people from outside Britain. I guess Shilpa being the lone non-brit added to the media attention and the storm that followed. I've seen a reality show where a white guy refused to say sorry to a black guy even when he was at fault. He preferred the fine. It's another matter that the community service he did made him realise his mistakes.
But, didn't Jade too say sorry after the show and that too publicly!
Perhaps that's the Indian way of approaching things. For the North Indians, the image of a guy from South is well established now - a man in lungi eating his food with his fingers, which are all soaked in the food. But that's ok if you are showing it on TV in a lighter mood. You are making fun and everybody is laughing. Recall the Sardar jokes and the way our Indian cinema treats the Sardars. And the Sardars too are taking it all in good spirits. It's all in good humour you could say. But isn't that rascist! Maybe for us Indians even rascism in good spirits is acceptable.
And that wasn't the case with the Big Brother show, so the controversy. But, what we tend to overlook are three things: a) Shilpa was told about the rules of the show well in advance, b) She was paid handsomely in return for taking all that crap, c) She could have left in the middle if she wanted. Agreed that all this doesn't justify Jade's and others' remarks but it was just a TV show with a set format, and things like these are expected.
We need to chill out now. It wasn't a world stage where an Indian was mocked - just a silly reality show.
But, didn't Jade too say sorry after the show and that too publicly!
Perhaps that's the Indian way of approaching things. For the North Indians, the image of a guy from South is well established now - a man in lungi eating his food with his fingers, which are all soaked in the food. But that's ok if you are showing it on TV in a lighter mood. You are making fun and everybody is laughing. Recall the Sardar jokes and the way our Indian cinema treats the Sardars. And the Sardars too are taking it all in good spirits. It's all in good humour you could say. But isn't that rascist! Maybe for us Indians even rascism in good spirits is acceptable.
And that wasn't the case with the Big Brother show, so the controversy. But, what we tend to overlook are three things: a) Shilpa was told about the rules of the show well in advance, b) She was paid handsomely in return for taking all that crap, c) She could have left in the middle if she wanted. Agreed that all this doesn't justify Jade's and others' remarks but it was just a TV show with a set format, and things like these are expected.
We need to chill out now. It wasn't a world stage where an Indian was mocked - just a silly reality show.
Reflections
The sky is a brilliant red,
A group of birds fly back home,
I look up to them and reflect,
Does everything returns to where it belongs?
Memories buried deep down surface again,
Taking me back few steps in time,
The day I discovered a friend in him,
A moment I cherish to this very day.
His words inspiring, his concerns real,
His sharing simple, his praises true,
An assuring presence, a bewitching smile,
He brought a new zeal to my life.
Those moments of silence,
That period of rejoicing,
Our hearts got closer, our friendship deeper,
And our worlds changed for the better.
But fate had something else to offer,
Without any reason without dissent,
He left me alone as smell a rose,
The joy of living was not there anymore.
Still the hope of human heart,
Drives us all to carry on,
A quest for happiness, a quest for peace,
For one day we will find what we need.
(Wrote in Lucknow, 16th Aug 1998)
A group of birds fly back home,
I look up to them and reflect,
Does everything returns to where it belongs?
Memories buried deep down surface again,
Taking me back few steps in time,
The day I discovered a friend in him,
A moment I cherish to this very day.
His words inspiring, his concerns real,
His sharing simple, his praises true,
An assuring presence, a bewitching smile,
He brought a new zeal to my life.
Those moments of silence,
That period of rejoicing,
Our hearts got closer, our friendship deeper,
And our worlds changed for the better.
But fate had something else to offer,
Without any reason without dissent,
He left me alone as smell a rose,
The joy of living was not there anymore.
Still the hope of human heart,
Drives us all to carry on,
A quest for happiness, a quest for peace,
For one day we will find what we need.
(Wrote in Lucknow, 16th Aug 1998)
Monday, January 22, 2007
Rocky Revisited
I watched Rocky Balboa a week back. And I'm happy I did it. It's a story of not one individual but the fighter in all of us. Some of us tend to listen to our inner selves but most don't have the courage. Rocky speaks for all those who follow their heart and believe in themselves.
The fairytale that started in 1976 (Best Picture Oscar and 2 nominations for Stallone - Best Screenplay and Best Actor) probably came to an end in 2006. I've growned up watching Rocky series, but I must say that this one is Stallone's best effort since the first one (althought Rocky IV made more money than the rest). The inherent theme remains the same, "It's all about chasing your dreams against odds." So if Rocky was about a young boxer aiming for boxing ultimate prize this new one is about an old legendary boxer who wants to prove that it's all about who you are and how far can you go. Rocky loses this one last fight but he showed the courage to fight a boxer young enough to be his son. He started as a Hero and he walked off the ring a hero.
Rocky Balboa has inspired people of all ages to dream and he would continue to do so. Whether he makes another return or not, the streets of philadelphia will always remind us of him and what he stood for.
Stallone comes up with another solid performance after 'Copland.' The dialogues are quite well written. And I like the father-son confrontations, specially the scene in which Sly talks about his son's childhood, and the son's finally understanding his dad.
The fairytale that started in 1976 (Best Picture Oscar and 2 nominations for Stallone - Best Screenplay and Best Actor) probably came to an end in 2006. I've growned up watching Rocky series, but I must say that this one is Stallone's best effort since the first one (althought Rocky IV made more money than the rest). The inherent theme remains the same, "It's all about chasing your dreams against odds." So if Rocky was about a young boxer aiming for boxing ultimate prize this new one is about an old legendary boxer who wants to prove that it's all about who you are and how far can you go. Rocky loses this one last fight but he showed the courage to fight a boxer young enough to be his son. He started as a Hero and he walked off the ring a hero.
Rocky Balboa has inspired people of all ages to dream and he would continue to do so. Whether he makes another return or not, the streets of philadelphia will always remind us of him and what he stood for.
Stallone comes up with another solid performance after 'Copland.' The dialogues are quite well written. And I like the father-son confrontations, specially the scene in which Sly talks about his son's childhood, and the son's finally understanding his dad.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
A Lover's Plight
He sits gloomily on a wall,
Gazing into the night,
Thinking what wrong he did,
To deserve such a fate.
With tears in his eyes,
And a lump in the throat,
Longing under the moonlit sky,
And waiting, and waiting, and waiting.
His feelings unacknowledged,
His prayers unanswered,
The night for him is darker,
The dawn even farther.
But he still carries hope,
That his beloved will realise,
The answer to love,
Is nothing but love.
(Wrote in Lucknow, 7th July 1998)
Gazing into the night,
Thinking what wrong he did,
To deserve such a fate.
With tears in his eyes,
And a lump in the throat,
Longing under the moonlit sky,
And waiting, and waiting, and waiting.
His feelings unacknowledged,
His prayers unanswered,
The night for him is darker,
The dawn even farther.
But he still carries hope,
That his beloved will realise,
The answer to love,
Is nothing but love.
(Wrote in Lucknow, 7th July 1998)
The New Middle-East!
Strange though it may seems but less people died under the reign of Saddam Hussein than in the few years after his removal. Iraq is in a mess and the bloodshed will only spill out to other regions should this continue.
US has its own interests in the Middle-East - first, the charm of petrol and now a threat in the form of Iran. Supporting kurds against Saddam made sense as bulk of the oil wealth lie in the Kurd dominated areas. With Saddam gone and Kurd on US side, oil too is within reach. But, the sectarian conflict took its toll both on Iraq and the US government.
The Americans today are caught between the devil and deep blue sea. So one side is the issue 'security for homeland' (with renewed stronger opposition by the democrats) and on the other side is the growing Iranian influence in the region.
Saudi Arabia is confused as to how to approach the situation. Iran, in the past, was its sole opponent in the fight for economic superiority in the region but now its a question of dominating the Middle-East politics. Iran can stand up against US and Israel but any issues with Saudi at this juncture would make matters only worse. Lebanon too is torned between the US backed Siniora government and the increasingly popular and powerfull Hezbollah lobby. And, Syria still has painful memories of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and the subsequent loss of 'Shebaa Farms' to Israel. So, Syria supporting an anti-Israel group in Lebanon makes lot of sense. For Egypt the main worry is not the Americans but the idea of a Shia Crescent. Bahrain is finally seeing the rise of the always sidelined Shia community. Who knows this could again be the fallout of the Iraq conflict!
To top it all, the hanging of Saddam hussein has further deepen the age old rift between Muslims themselves. So much that Kuwait is even thinking of severing ties with sympathisers of Saddam Hussein.
This is the current state of affairs in the Middle-East. Surely the signs are not very encouraging. And so I pray for peace, and am not alone!
US has its own interests in the Middle-East - first, the charm of petrol and now a threat in the form of Iran. Supporting kurds against Saddam made sense as bulk of the oil wealth lie in the Kurd dominated areas. With Saddam gone and Kurd on US side, oil too is within reach. But, the sectarian conflict took its toll both on Iraq and the US government.
The Americans today are caught between the devil and deep blue sea. So one side is the issue 'security for homeland' (with renewed stronger opposition by the democrats) and on the other side is the growing Iranian influence in the region.
Saudi Arabia is confused as to how to approach the situation. Iran, in the past, was its sole opponent in the fight for economic superiority in the region but now its a question of dominating the Middle-East politics. Iran can stand up against US and Israel but any issues with Saudi at this juncture would make matters only worse. Lebanon too is torned between the US backed Siniora government and the increasingly popular and powerfull Hezbollah lobby. And, Syria still has painful memories of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and the subsequent loss of 'Shebaa Farms' to Israel. So, Syria supporting an anti-Israel group in Lebanon makes lot of sense. For Egypt the main worry is not the Americans but the idea of a Shia Crescent. Bahrain is finally seeing the rise of the always sidelined Shia community. Who knows this could again be the fallout of the Iraq conflict!
To top it all, the hanging of Saddam hussein has further deepen the age old rift between Muslims themselves. So much that Kuwait is even thinking of severing ties with sympathisers of Saddam Hussein.
This is the current state of affairs in the Middle-East. Surely the signs are not very encouraging. And so I pray for peace, and am not alone!
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Tears
There is a pain in the heart,
The eyes start blinking,
A sea of emotions overswells,
Breaking the bonds that harnessed it for long,
Small pearls roll down the cheek,
Leaving a trail as they grace the ground,
A few others follow suit,
The beautiful face is full of sorrow,
Whose fault is it anyway?
The answer to it maybe none,
For the mystery of human heart,
We fail to understand,
Agony and ecstasy go hand in hand,
It's tears now, smile next.
(Wrote in Lucknow, 27th Jun 1998)
The eyes start blinking,
A sea of emotions overswells,
Breaking the bonds that harnessed it for long,
Small pearls roll down the cheek,
Leaving a trail as they grace the ground,
A few others follow suit,
The beautiful face is full of sorrow,
Whose fault is it anyway?
The answer to it maybe none,
For the mystery of human heart,
We fail to understand,
Agony and ecstasy go hand in hand,
It's tears now, smile next.
(Wrote in Lucknow, 27th Jun 1998)
Indian Cricket at Crossroads
Inspite of having probably the most talented bunch of players ever the way our cricket team is playing is sad. Never before we had such good pace bowlers but still we seem to be lacking something. Mr Chappel has experimented a lot but the result is the same. And with the world cup round the corner I don't have much hope.
One thing is clear though our cricket is dominated by personalities and players' past records. So a Sehwag or a Jaffer can continue because they score a century after every 15 tests or so. It's time we become more professionals (like the Australians) and go for players who are consistent. There has to be some accountability else how can we justify that these are the best cricketers India has at present.
Also, we need to regulate the amount of advertising that a player is involved in. When you've a full stomach you tend to relax. A place in the team today is a definite first step towards getting some good brands to flaunt.
Unfortunately that's the grim picture of our cricket today!
One thing is clear though our cricket is dominated by personalities and players' past records. So a Sehwag or a Jaffer can continue because they score a century after every 15 tests or so. It's time we become more professionals (like the Australians) and go for players who are consistent. There has to be some accountability else how can we justify that these are the best cricketers India has at present.
Also, we need to regulate the amount of advertising that a player is involved in. When you've a full stomach you tend to relax. A place in the team today is a definite first step towards getting some good brands to flaunt.
Unfortunately that's the grim picture of our cricket today!
Sunday, January 07, 2007
She
Like the boundless blue sky,
Or the endless green stream,
Shrouded in mystery,
My sleeping beauty,
A breath of fresh air,
A wave of her hair,
Unaware of the breeze,
That caresses her pink feet,
She lay in eternal peace.
I wait for her day and night,
For one day she will rise,
And reward me for my perseverance,
Till then it is a mere hope,
She will rise, she will rise.
(Wrote in Lucknow, 11th May 1998)
Or the endless green stream,
Shrouded in mystery,
My sleeping beauty,
A breath of fresh air,
A wave of her hair,
Unaware of the breeze,
That caresses her pink feet,
She lay in eternal peace.
I wait for her day and night,
For one day she will rise,
And reward me for my perseverance,
Till then it is a mere hope,
She will rise, she will rise.
(Wrote in Lucknow, 11th May 1998)
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Rain
The light suddenly grows dim,
Dark clouds cover the blue heavens,
A bolt of lightening, sound of thunder,
You can behold it all in the air,
Millions of droplets appear in the sky,
Racing down to grace the ground,
A gift of God to mankind,
A bird dances, a farmer ecstatic,
Never before the earth so green,
Renascence of the barren land,
Solace to the heat oppressed man,
But mere rain to a few!
(Wrote in Lucknow on a rainy day, 9th Dec 1997)
Dark clouds cover the blue heavens,
A bolt of lightening, sound of thunder,
You can behold it all in the air,
Millions of droplets appear in the sky,
Racing down to grace the ground,
A gift of God to mankind,
A bird dances, a farmer ecstatic,
Never before the earth so green,
Renascence of the barren land,
Solace to the heat oppressed man,
But mere rain to a few!
(Wrote in Lucknow on a rainy day, 9th Dec 1997)
Saddam Hussein - A Life Less Ordinary!
First of all I don't agree with the broadcasting of the death video of Saddam Hussein and the timing of his hanging (Eid Al-Azha). I thought he already received a token of the same treatment he meted to his countrymen, friends, household and his neigbours. Even if he was not hanged he got all his punishment. He was humiliated (like he humiliated some Islamic scholars in his own country), his sons were killed while he was alive (recall Dujail and Halabja massacre, and the killing of his son-in-laws), he was a fugitive in his own country and his family had to flee Iraq (like those who opposed him during his reign of terror), and finally his own people deserted him in time of his crisis (that's how he was caught).
The sad truth
* Shortly after assuming presidency Saddam Hussein convened an assembly of Ba'ath party leaders on July 22, 1979. During the assembly, which he ordered videotaped, Saddam claimed to have found spies and conspirators within the Ba'ath Party and read out the names of 68 members that he alleged to be such fifth columnists. These members were forcibly removed from the room one by one and taken into custody. They were later put on trial, and 22 were sentenced to execution for treason.
* He created a Western-style legal system, making Iraq the only country in the Persian Gulf region not ruled according to traditional Islamic law (Sharia). Saddam abolished the Sharia law courts, except for personal injury claims.
* Iraq invaded Iran on September 22, 1980. A war that saw some 1.7 million Muslims die on both sides. By 1982, Iraq was on the defensive and looking for ways to end the war. At this point, Saddam asked his ministers for candid advice. Health Minister Riyadh Ibrahim suggested that Saddam temporarily step down to promote peace negotiations. Ibrahim’s chopped up body was delivered to his wife the next day.
* He was involved in the 1982 killings of 148 Shia Muslims in the northern Iraqi town of Dujail following an assassination attempt on him the same year.
* Hussein married Samira Shahbandar (rumored to have been his favourite) in 1986 after forcing her husband to divorce her, and Nidal al-Hamdani, the general manager of the Solar Energy Research Center in the Council of Scientific Research, whose husband was apparently also persuaded to divorce his wife.
* On March 16, 1988, the Kurdish town of Halabja was attacked with a mix of mustard gas and nerve agents, killing 5,000 civilians, and maiming, disfiguring, or seriously debilitating 10,000 more.
* Saddam borrowed a tremendous amount of money from other Arab states during the 1980s to fight Iran and was stuck with a war debt of roughly $75 billion. The $30 billion he owed to Kuwait saw Saddam invading his wealthy neighbour in 1990. Billions were lost in those blazing oil infernos - The loss was all Kuwait!
* In August 1995, Rana (Saddam's daughter) and her husband Hussein Kamel al-Majid and Raghad (Saddam's daughter) and her husband, Saddam Kamel al-Majid, defected to Jordan, taking their children with them. They returned to Iraq when they received assurances that Saddam would pardon them. Within three days of their return in February 1996, both of the Majid brothers were attacked and killed in a gunfight with other clan members who considered them traitors. Saddam had made it clear that although pardoned, they would lose all status and would not receive any protection.
He had more blood on his hand than any other leader in the Muslim world in recent memory.
Surely God knows best!
The sad truth
* Shortly after assuming presidency Saddam Hussein convened an assembly of Ba'ath party leaders on July 22, 1979. During the assembly, which he ordered videotaped, Saddam claimed to have found spies and conspirators within the Ba'ath Party and read out the names of 68 members that he alleged to be such fifth columnists. These members were forcibly removed from the room one by one and taken into custody. They were later put on trial, and 22 were sentenced to execution for treason.
* He created a Western-style legal system, making Iraq the only country in the Persian Gulf region not ruled according to traditional Islamic law (Sharia). Saddam abolished the Sharia law courts, except for personal injury claims.
* Iraq invaded Iran on September 22, 1980. A war that saw some 1.7 million Muslims die on both sides. By 1982, Iraq was on the defensive and looking for ways to end the war. At this point, Saddam asked his ministers for candid advice. Health Minister Riyadh Ibrahim suggested that Saddam temporarily step down to promote peace negotiations. Ibrahim’s chopped up body was delivered to his wife the next day.
* He was involved in the 1982 killings of 148 Shia Muslims in the northern Iraqi town of Dujail following an assassination attempt on him the same year.
* Hussein married Samira Shahbandar (rumored to have been his favourite) in 1986 after forcing her husband to divorce her, and Nidal al-Hamdani, the general manager of the Solar Energy Research Center in the Council of Scientific Research, whose husband was apparently also persuaded to divorce his wife.
* On March 16, 1988, the Kurdish town of Halabja was attacked with a mix of mustard gas and nerve agents, killing 5,000 civilians, and maiming, disfiguring, or seriously debilitating 10,000 more.
* Saddam borrowed a tremendous amount of money from other Arab states during the 1980s to fight Iran and was stuck with a war debt of roughly $75 billion. The $30 billion he owed to Kuwait saw Saddam invading his wealthy neighbour in 1990. Billions were lost in those blazing oil infernos - The loss was all Kuwait!
* In August 1995, Rana (Saddam's daughter) and her husband Hussein Kamel al-Majid and Raghad (Saddam's daughter) and her husband, Saddam Kamel al-Majid, defected to Jordan, taking their children with them. They returned to Iraq when they received assurances that Saddam would pardon them. Within three days of their return in February 1996, both of the Majid brothers were attacked and killed in a gunfight with other clan members who considered them traitors. Saddam had made it clear that although pardoned, they would lose all status and would not receive any protection.
He had more blood on his hand than any other leader in the Muslim world in recent memory.
"We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people."
-------------------------------------------Surah Al-Maeda (Chapter 5), Verse 32
Surely God knows best!
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