Maoist insurgency and the apathy of the government

Yesterday some Maoists had taken a Delhi-bound train hostage. The full train!! They took only the drivers as hostages and demanded that one of their top leaders be released. However, as it turns out, they let go the drivers unhurt after sometime.

Going by the current policy that the UPA has been advocating that in case of a hostage situation, they will not meet the demands of the terrorists/maoists etc., the future for a lot of citizens look bleak. UPA criticized what the Vajpayye govt did at Kandahar. Released dreaded criminals in lieu of the passengers. My point here is, if you have a policy like that, what are you doing about the safety of your citizens? You will not release terrorists or meet the demands of their captors, even if they kill people. And you have done absolutely nothing to do to protect those citizens. So basically the value of the citizen's life is zero in the eyes of the government. No, I am not advocating that prisoners should be let free or their inane demands be met. However, it is the responsibility of the state to look after its citizens. To put together a machinery so that nothing untowardly happens. If the state fails so miserably, who does the citizen go to?

That is precisely the reason why we have these 'goondas' becoming so powerful. They settle disputes which the state takes ages to. Thats why we have these tribals turning into foot soldiers/maoists because they had no taste of the development that the country is experiencing elsewhere. Its very easy to get people to get on the wrong side of the law when they are gullible. I do not believe that it is so difficult to weed out these maoists. Given our military strength, and intelligence support, they are a very small problem. But I do not see an approach from the government that would directly address this problem and aim to solve it, whatever decisions need to be taken notwithstanding. And if this problem lurks long, I see that more such groups will crop up. So its time the government takes a firm decision and makes a plan as to how they plan to end this maoist menace. Otherwise, who knows, next time you or I are traveling, we are the hostages!

Calcutta Chronicles

Thank God. And thank Chetan Bhagat. In the last three years, I have traveled quite a bit and fair bit involving air travel. And I have never had so many air-hostesses talk to me so much before, in one single journey. But today was different, thanks to Chetan Bhagat.

I was carrying a copy of “2 States”, Bhagat’s latest offering. As soon as I stepped inside the aircraft, the lady welcoming me said “That’s a nice book” and that was the start of it. She kept walking past me, nudging me and telling, “oh you are so engrossed”, “I hope you are enjoying it” and such. The head of the herd, the one who makes all the announcements, was the attention seeking types, with tonnes of make up on her face. While announcing the name of the captains, instead of saying anil gupta and rahul kapoor, she said Anil Kapoor and believe me, she made such a huge fuss about it that every passenger noticed her. She hung up the phone mid-way, acted very embarrassed, walked out to the stairs leading up, walked in, covered her face, went inside the cockpit (wonder why they call it cockpit), went to the other hostess, and what not. Then finally when she did start her announcement again, she hung up once again as if to convey her embarrassment from the previous misfortune. Anyways, like I said, she was the attention seeking types. So when she walked past me, she chatted me up. Once again, thanks to the book. And it was a long conversation by any standards. Seems she doesn’t like to read Chetan Bhagat, his English is not great. Ahem. Miss Bagchi, my English teacher in school would have been proud of her reason I must say!

Anyways, so then the flight started its descent and I saw the city of Calcutta. It is so strikingly different from any other city that I have seen. There are old buildings and older buildings. Many of them look like ruins from some architectural times. And this time when I came outside the airport, I saw what I have never seen in Calcutta before. A special AC bus service from the airport. Man, I tell you. That was some sight. Something other than the old yellow and black ambassadors, or those rickety buses. And the sight inside the bus was so Calcutta! The songs, the people clicking pictures, the conversations and all of that. It was so much fun. I love this city.

Advertising Pundits

Advertising seems to be a lucrative business. That is why we probably have tons of sundry agencies opening up everyday each promising to re-energize/restructure/rejuvenate the brand that they go pitching for. And that is why we have companies with taglines like "electronics and more", "luxury/fine dining/fun/enetrtainement/etc redefined", "the blah/blah/blah/ people" and so on. I wonder when they would stop doing it!!! Feel free to add to this list of overused taglines.

Next is what?

I read a story in TOI today which said Anil Kumble has been appointed Vice-chairman of the Karnataka state wildlife board with minister of state rank. Which means kumble will be entitled to a car, salary, assistants, office and residence. Apparently, he is crazy about wildlife and ventures into a forest whenever he can. So do half the tribal population of the jungle. To defecate.

I have two issues with this kind of ad-hoc decisions made by any government, be it local or national. One, on what basis has he been selected the VC of the board? Just because he is a celebrity and he supposedly loves wildlife. Isn't there a qualification, an understanding of the functioning of the board required to become such an integral part of it? Second, do these celebrities even have time to perform their duties as VC's of the numerous boards that they are serving? If there argument for it is that there is not so much work attached to it then I want to understand why are there so many perks attached to it. And if there is work to be done, when do these guys find the time? Look at kumble itself. He is now a commentator, a player in IPL, a player in the Champions league and a would be indian bowling/mental strength/spin/gow-knows-what coach. Plus he has his brands that he endorses. And he might have a business or something to take care of... So amidst all these, he is also a VC now.

This is sheer wastage of public resources. This is similar to actors still very much pursuing their careers also being in active politics. Some of these actors have the lowest attendance in the parliament. Govinda for one has hardly attended the parliament. So why are these guys even there in the ministry. Eye-candy?

Next is what? SRK for PM?

scary flyovers

Is it just me or has anyone else also experienced that whenever you stop atop any of the flyovers in Bangalore, the car keeps shaking. Haven't noticed? Next time you are on a flyover, specially the richmond road flyover, make sure you notice. Bizarre. I feel as if someone is slowly pushing the car. Anyone has a clue why does this happen?

Wtf!

I wonder what our judicial system is doing. How is this guy still at large. And how come he has the audacity to say something like this in public! I am talking about Raj Thackrey, today comparing north indians to swine flu, and how they keep spreading. Watch it. here -

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/index.php?option=com_magazine&opt=section&sectionid=86&ptype=video&secid=42&videoid=56271

What a shame!

The effect of advertisements

Have you all seen the Pepsi my-can advertisements? When they had first launched that thin pepsi can, they had Shahrukh and John abraham with some random guy calling them uncle and John smirking on shahrukh and so on... Then there was this Ranbir and deepika ads also. If you notice, the ads show a different way of holding these thin cans. You can check out that ad here

http://www.afaqs.com/perl/advertising/creative_showcase/index.html?id=13845&media=TV

Actually I did not like any of those ads. Specially the Ranbir Kapoor one. And I had thought that the style of holding the can was not just strange but also inconvenient. However, from what I saw couple of days back, I stand corrected.

I was traveling on a private bus and we had stopped for a quick Chai. I decided to grab an ice-cream. The Orange candy! Sadly, they did not have orange candy in stock so I picked up a choco bar. And after I picked up the ice cream, a lot of people did. I saw the bus driver also come that side and pick up an ice cream. And after that I saw him taking out a pepsi can from the fridge. I haven't seen bus drivers drinking pepsi cans so my eyes followed what he was doing. And then I saw him open the can and then hold the can in exactly the same fashion as those pepsi my-can ads. I was amazed.

The point of advertising is to create a certain wow-factor around the brand and then get customers to try it. One of the basic tenets of advertising is to create a want where none exists. And if its a very homogenous product category then create the distinction between various brands. When I saw the bus driver holding the can the way he did, I thought the pepsi my-can ad had achieved its purpose. If I were the brand manager and if I had seen this, I would be proud of my effort! :)

the 5 km run

Its not often that I get up early in the morning. I think I get the best sleep early in the morning. And being an ardent follower of the 5-minute syndrome (let me sleep for just 5 more minutes and I will be up) which stretches to half an hour or more, its all the more difficult for me to wake up early. I wasn't always like this. I used to be an early riser, used to be fit and used to exercise. Those were the days!

Now I think I am so unfit that I cant run for 500 metres without panting as if I have got a cricket ball stuck in my throat! And over the years, thanks to some good home food off late, I have accumulated so much fat that if I donated half of my body fat, most BPL families in Bangalore would survive on it for a month!

So I decided it is high time. I must do something. So I decided to try the latest fad. Running! Yeah, I can still run. It may be from the car to the office or from the car to the house door or from the car to the theatre entrance... So I decided I will stretch it a little and go for a run. So I tagged along with this enthusiastic group which runs 4 times in a week. Today being saturday, they had identified a running trail somewhere in the outskirts of the city, reaching where was a treasure hunt in itself. So I get up at 5:45 in the morning. Can I write that again? I got up at 5:45 in the morning! Wow, it feels so nice writing it, you can imagine how I would have felt getting up. And I drive to this location and meet fellow enthusiasts, if I can call myself one! I was told by my friend that we would run for about 2 kms, which will include walking and jogging. Turned out, today they were running for 5 km and you were on your own if you don't catch up with the group. I had an immediate enthusiasm to run. Run towards home! But then I decided what the heck, its all about the attitude. I can do it.

So I started. And so I completed too. Thanks to the surreal Bangalore weather. It was breezy, slightly drizzling and not sunny at all. I have attached a picture that I took when I was just about to finish the run. It was beautiful. Anyways, finished the run and to my pleasure I wasn't too far behind the guys who had already reached. Did some stretching exercises and then got back home. All the while I kept thinking, wow! I ran 5 kms and I don't feel anything. I guess somewhere the body said - Yeah right!

Came back home and sat for a while to relax and when I stretched my hand to get the glass of milk, the hand would straighten only! You know what, the legs are still used to walking but the hands were not used to being in the running position for so long!!! Gosh. Bro said you cant walk a mile and you went and ran 5 kms. On the first day! Now suffer. I felt like running again. This time towards him and then ram straight into him like a big oil cantor. Anyways, massaged my left hand with the right and then vice versa and then vowed to teach the body a lesson. I will not be held hostage to this mass of lump. I am getting back into shape. Very soon!!

Lights, camera, action!

Some actors never fail to amaze. Uday Chopra is one such actor, if I can actually call him that. I think he got stuck in the evolution cycle at the neanderthal human being stage. Really. Only god knows why he is in this field and who offers him movies. Actually if you look at it, no one does. He only gets to "act" in his dad's movies. Thank god! And now I read that he has written a film - supposedly named Pyaar impossible. To be directed by Jugal Hansraj. Impossible, I tell you!!  Yeah time to hide somewhere. As if Uday Chopra's acting wasn't torture enough, he has got into writing. And look who he has found to direct the movie - Jugal Hansraj. I don't even remember the last time I heard of a worse combination than this! I think the last good film produced under this banner was.. ummm... mmm.... ummm.. Never mind!! 

Ignorance is bliss

India lives in villages. Or at least it used to. Life in villages is actually quite peaceful. For my part, I have stayed in a few small towns and I have seen a life which is far different from the urban metropolis. The best part in a small-town life is that it is uncomplicated. There are no jams, no big malls, no multiplexes, no show-offs and best of all, no traffic rules. Its so much fun. 

However, there is a sudden and rapid growth in lot of small towns. And sometimes when small towns grow very fast, the original residents don't know how to cope with the change. Our depot manager, Mr Murthy is one such person. Most of his life he has stayed in Bangalore. Before the software revolution happened and The Forum mall happened, Bangalore used to be a quiet place. Peaceful, laid-back and pretty much like a small town. The best part was, there were no traffic rules like now. This is what hurts Murthy most. The damn traffic rules. Thank god its not one person who makes these or he would have got a piece of mind from Murthy.

Yeah, so Mr Murthy still rides a bajaj scooter. For the ones who think it used to be in a different era, it is there. Very much there. And he rides it as if he still lives in the times when he bought it. The other day I was riding pillion on his Bajaj chetak. I think he takes the name "chetak" too seriously. He rides like that. Actually he flies. So every time I sit with him, I hold my breath and get ready for the joyride. Coming back to the point, I was riding pillion and we were going office hunting. So we reach this place which has cars parked in the official parking spot and no parking on either side of the road. I am wondering where would he park his 'chetak' and suddenly I see our man go and park it right in the portico of the next house. For a moment I was zapped and then I did not know where to hide. I was looking at him walking towards me with a smile and I asked how did you park there, and he just said "parwah nahin"! Amazing, isn't it? This was quite a while back but it left a lasting impression on me. 

Today we went out on his chopper once again. We reached our destination and I was expecting some more parking heroics from him, considering there was not much parking space. Expectedly, he stopped right in front of a no-parking board. I was about to jump off and claim that I don't know him when he stopped and asked the small 'chai' shop fellow just across the street "when did this no parking board come here".. I was wondering if Mr Murthy will break that no parking signage. Thankfully, he just parked his chopper couple of feet away from the no-parking sign. Thats his ode to the new city culture. Ride on!! 

Birthday bumble

I am really good at making a poo-poo of myself. Not once, twice I have done this!! Earlier, I had forgotten one of my closest friends birthdays. No its not just that. She had come over from another city, met me in Bangalore on her birthday and even then I forgot it. We dined together, we went out together and I still did not remember. Aray I did not remember it even after she left! And he husband was party to all of this. He never told me. He was there. He could have told me. But no, he din. Yeah I know, next i will blame global warming for my memory slip. Ok, I own it. I forgot. And I apologised. And since then, I have remember it. like they say, if you want to remember a women's birthday, forget it once! 

However, today I forgot another one. Now this case is even more peculiar. Till yesterday I remembered that I have to wish her. Today when I met her, I straight started off with some work that I had. I launched right into my monologue... This, that and all of that.. Not even a mention of her birthday. And then she politely said, harish, can you please wish me first. If I were in calcutta, the next thing that I would have done is jump into the ganges. I felt like Sita maiya, wanting the dharti mata to open up so that I can peacefully dive inside. I swear I even offered to go jump in chullu bhar paani. But the sweetheart that she is, she said I forgive you. Phew! The world doesn't know that it came so close to losing a genius! 

Thankfully, at least in this case, I can say there is always a next time. 

Third front or third-class front!

A motley bunch of fools - a woman so obsessed with money that she would sell the Taj Mahal if she could, a man who can sleep while standing and who slept through most of the parliament sessions, a bunch of jokers who think US is our enemy and China is our chaddi-buddy and a woman who has more shoes in her closet than she has attended parliament sessions. Thats the rough composition of the so called third-front floated last week with much pomp and show in Karnataka. Look at the tragedy of our times when the choice that we have for the people who claim that they can run a country is such! 

Yesterday I read that India has the highest amount of deposits in the swiss banks, larger than 4 other countries put together. No prizes for guessing whose money lies there unaccounted. 

I am all for the campaign Jaago Re. Let us make a choice this time and show these fools that we can think, that we can judge right and wrong and that we will not vote for these idiots, come what may. I shudder when I think of Mayawati as the Prime Minister of India!! God help us if this ever comes true. 

small problem big headache

The other day I needed to send a document out, so I gave a print command and called out for my office boy to get me the print. He said the print has not come out well, please give another one. I gave another print command, he came back with the copy of the print and said sir this time too, there is a problem with the print. The centre portion of the page is blurred. Just then, another employee walked in with her set of prints saying, mine didn't come out well either and she showed me the prints that she had taken the same morning... Blurred. The office manager saw the prints and declared, cartridge over! So we decided to order new cartridge. Calls were made, order placed and we decided for the cartridge guy to come and fix it. 

While this was happening, I thought why not check out if there was something else amiss. Most prints were blurred in the centre and the other areas were just fine. So I started to dismantle the printer - something which the printer guys had shown me. First stage, everything was alright. Second stage, everything seemed ok. The moment I took the cartridge panel out, I discover a cockroach resting right in the centre of the cartridge panel. Summer's here and he had found his cool location! The moment I tried getting him out, our man ran in some corner and became invisible. Till here, it was technical. So everyone around me was quiet. The moment they realized the cockroach was the problem, every one jumped in. "Sir, you leave it, we will take care of this". "yes, I am sure you would". And they did. I was handed the cartridge panel back and the printer came back to life once again. An hour of nonsensical hassle and the reason - ek cockroach!!  

Before

After

Holi hai!!!!

What a holi this was!! I have never played colors like this. Complete riot. From an initial gang of 15, it grew up to a gang of 30 and each new comer went through the induction process ;) Even while in calcutta, I had stopped playing holi because my skin is allergic to colors. So to celebrate holi in this fashion specially in Bangalore, was an awesome experience. The colors, the mithai, the food, the people, the pool that we created by blocking the water outlet, the bhaaaang and the music! Total masti. I will probably post a before and after pic very soon. Happy Holi to all of you :)

the 30's syndrome

Its that time of the year again when we wish all and sundry Happy New year. So hey, Happy New year! I hope you have made your resolutions and have broken them too :) I have!

Well, its been an eventful year so far. I will spare you the details. But I must admit there is one thing about this year thats bothering me. I will turn 29 this year! Its just a year lesser than 30. 30!! I have always been very wary of that number. I have never wanted to turn 30. I mean I have always teased my friends who are 30 or above. In a year, they would be able to tease me too. I am already hating it. I would be soon on the other-side of 30's. Sounds appalling actually. You know, just today I was having a conversation with a friend who I have recently come to know and she thought I was 25. I took it as a compliment. Fact remains though that I am not 25. And 30 sounds old. Really old. At least to a 28 year old. I have always told myself I can experiment with everything because I am not 30 yet. Guess I won't be able to say that to myself,in about a year. Worse still, I am no more "young and rising". Old and rising sounds horrible!!! I wonder how it is to be in your 30's. What changes in one's life. A few things that I can think of - may be the calendar would show more visits to a doc, growing belly?, even lesser sports, worry to settle down sooner, you can now safely tell the college kid - dude I have been there and I have done that and lastly you cant use the word dude anymore.

Anyways, the upside is, I am NOT turning 30. I still have a year to do all the things that I can't supposedly do in my 30's (eeeeks). So I just have one thing to say - I am turning 29. So what!! I say bring it on boy!!