Some Powerful Memories that has INSPIRED ME, and WILL Always Remain So..

Barack Obama: a life in pictures

His mother, Ann Dunham, hailed from Wichita, Kansas
Picture: AP

His parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced
Picture: REUTERS

His father, Barack Obama, Sr, came from Nyangoma-Kogelo, Kenya
Picture: AP

His mother remarried, and the family moved to Indonesia in 1967
Picture: AP

His mother remarried, and the family moved to Indonesia in 1967 Picture: AP

Barack Obama attended schools in Jakarta until he was ten years old
Picture: AP

Barack returned to Hawaii with his grandparents
Picture: AP

A photograph taken in 1987 of Barack Obama and his grandmother Sarah Hussein Obama hangs in her home in the village of Nyagoma-Kogelo, western Kenya
Picture: AP

He studied at Columbia University in New York, where he majored in political science Picture: AP

He then studied law at Harvard, and graduated in 1991
Picture: AP

After Harvard Law School, Obama returned to Chicago, joined a small civil rights firm, ran a voter registration drive, and lectured on constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School
Picture: AP

He married Michelle Robinson in October 1992
Picture: AP

Their daughters, Malia Ann and Natasha, were born in 1998 and 2001,Picture: AP

He delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Picture: REUTERS

He entered the US Senate on January 4 2005, Picture: REUTERS

He announced his intention to run for the 2008 in February 2007. After a lengthy battle with Hillary Clinton, he seized the Democratic nomination in June 2008
Picture: REUTERS

He formally accepted his party's nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, on August 23,Picture: AP

I BELIEVE NOW THAT NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE IN THIS LAND!! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT..THEN JUST DO IT..ALL YOU NEED IS CONVICTION, PERSISTENCE, AND DEDICATION..I WILL BE IN THIS JET LAG FOR A WHILE..AS I WANT TO :), GONE ARE THE DAYS OF ALEX HALEY !!

A reply to Wife Bashing -

I almost blogged my thoughts on above topic at the following post 'How much are we valued'

My reply was more than just a comment. Hence I just posted it here, as well.

Nina, I think THIS IS A VERY SENSITIVE issue. That's why I commented on Anna's blog not to ignore the things(torture) that happens inside the four walls of many houses. You would be surprised to realise that WIFE BASHING is a very common thing, and it IS common because women don't protest. And it is this wife bashing, which leads to bashing any women who does not listen to you!

There is a long historical and social reason behind all this. NO POINT just asking men to change. Women need to change and grow up as well, and realise that they deserve a dignified life. Earlier it was different. Most women used to live a life of a slut because they had children whom they had to take care (and most of these children eventually grow up to bash their mom'!) and they were not financially independent. Until and unless a women is resepected right from her childhood and encouraged to feel and be independent these things won't change. This world in A MAN-DOMINATED world. You cannot just ask them to give up their power and regime. The only way to deal with it, according to me is to encourage every girl/women to be independent and dignified. It's a common human attitude and a game of power, which has its roots in behavorial ecology (how the animal world functions). Male/Female does not matter. A subject will do things to dominate you, until you show them their limits.

And a person who has got the courage to beat up somebody once, will do it again. It is the same courage that we have to tell some men to F off! In the same way, the idea that 'O' HE WILL CHANGE, IS bull Shit. A man who hits ONCE will always have excuses, justification and reasoning to hit again.

In nutshell, I believe these are the basic principles and philosophy of life that are seeded in you, by your parents and family as you grow up. And it is the same philosopy that governs how you bring up your children and family. Some people are born lucky. You cannot choose the enviornment and situation you are born in, but if you don't agree to certain things you can choose to be different. No point cribbing about it.

This again leads to my favourite quote - 'Be the change you wish to see in the world - M.K. Gandhi'

INDIA RISING

An interesting 7 min capsule about India that aired on ABC recently. My best line from the caspsule 'India is a miracale' things work even within a 'Chaos' HOW ! GOD KNOWS...Am yet to figure that out!

Click the following link India Rising

Cheer's !!

EVE TEASING....

Came across a post on EVE TEASING or demonstration against Eve-Teasing I should say. It reminded me of my college days when I had to discover ways to keep off FRUSTATED MEN (old - young, didn't matter). I had to take the city bus to college everyday. Was lucky if I got a seat. If not then the day starts with shouting at these jerk. I am glad that I never succumbed to such stress and gave any chance of pleasure to such jerks! I used to carry a safety pin and I always had boots. I have used the pins couple of times very nicely, with full liberrty on people who have tried to take advantage of being in a crowded bus. I bet never have those men ever touched another girl. Because they would just scream in middle of the bus, and people will ask 'Why what happened'! They won't have any reply, and I would just look into their eyes, with a satanic smile. Am sure they would have been reminded of it even while sleeping with their wife!! I am glad that I could do this. Many of classmates could not. I had to be their care-taker. I never disliked the role but failed to encourage them to fight for themselves. Some eventually did in couple of occassions. It's not only the city buses. I have faced such incidents growing up while traveling by train. On one ocassion I grabbed the guy sleeping in the middle berth by his collar and trashed him nicely. I had the advantage of height being on the upper bunk! Kicked him nicely. Woke up everybody in the train. I still remember these incidents. Honestly speaking after I did, this I could not sleep that night. I was little worried and scared. What if these guys follow me back home etc etc. I used to live alone then in Calcutta (Kolkata). Anyway, later when I told about this to my parents, they just told me never to be scared of such situations and never let anybody take advantage of you of being a women. My dad also told, 'look whenever you are in situatoin like this, always remember that the person who is doing it also is scared within. But he knows you are weak so that gives him the confidence and courage to trouble you/' BUT once you disprove his assumption, that YOU ARE NOT WEAK and can beat the hell out of him, he would not dare to do that again.

Thanks to my parents for their upbringing, that I never feared to show my middle finger to such jerks and trash them in public if need be. My experience and independence eventually helped me in my research (and life) while in India, which needed me to travel to all sorts of places, with unkown people, through unknown means..(Bus, train, boat, tracter, Van...etc etc..) and awkward hours. Anyways, back to present. Why all of a sudden talk about all this?

Well I had a sudden adrenaline rush as I read the following post. I am glad that women are more openly encouraged to voice their discomfort. Here follows the link to the incidents of 'Eve Teasing'.

Join the march to say or encourage somebody to say 'NO' to EVE TEASING!

RDB vs Swades

a deep hmmmm....is the what I had!!

I think it has almost become a routine for me. Every week, whenever I get time...even for few minutes I watch 'Swades', specially the scene where Shahrukh and Gayatri are arguing about how good and bad is India, !! and "Where a prospective Groom, comes to see 'Gayatri'. "..the later was too close to reality atleast in my life!

I just love the above mentioned parts. But interestingly as I saw this movie today I unconsiously compared it with RDB, lot of things did become more apparent. Both seemed unrealistic and impossible (not to me but too most. I believe anything and everything is possible!). After all who would give up job with NASA and come and work for ISRO! Who would finish a degree and stay in a village to teach children.!! Too unrealistic but positive. But then there are some stray examples where people have done something or other in their own way. Similarly there are many unrealistic things in RDB but mostly negative traits- like a job less character DJ, the AIR telecast, why was the muslim guy always painting in the wall, example of bunch of frustated youngsters without any goal in life. Except for Madhavan who had some credentials others were all confused and frustated with life.

Although both the movies were unrealistic they ended on different notes - depressing and optimistic. And I think it is the end which has created the hype. Thats why it is said depending on which hormone (adrenaline or non-adreanline) is released in your blood you will have different experience. Swades has a happy and positive ending, which makes it a more acceptable and soothing movie , unlike RDB. It IS the ending which has made everybody talk about it, remember it, argue about it, or critic it! Here come's the addiction and response of human brain to happiness and saddness. Happiness is a drug which calms people down. But a negative ending makes u feel sad, regret, be guilty and hurts you somewhere. I think in life in general, we easily forget the best moments in our life. And conc. most on what we don't have, complaining, cribbing, crying over it. That seems like the normal human psychology (not for me again!).

I feel it is this 'pain' tonic in RDB which has created the after affect unlike Swades! The sad ending of RDB I feel creates a sense of pain and guilt. Specially for those whose children and family members are included within the '78' pilots that Indian Airforce has lost.

Last year when I watched Swades in India, I clearly remember people coming out of the theater with smiles, some saying 'Bakwaas movie' while others saying 'Good one'. Thats it. Nobody went home and thought about it. 3hrs in the hall you go for entertainment, get entertained, come back and forget about it. The next day starts as any other day. But here lies the diff with RDB. It has made people think. Look into ourselves. Stop complaining. Be responsible. I am not voluntering for the path suggested. It's not important to argue what the movie potrayed was right or wrong. But to conc. on the main message. The movie does give a notion of well things should be and has to be 'CHANGED'. I don't see it as a movie where the end is the only conlusion. I like to conc. on positive aspects of everything - and that led to my last blog. A change in our attitude!

The other most controversial subject in RDB was the comparision with our freedom fighters with college dudes! To me it was just a symbology. After all who were the freedom fighter? Were they god? Did they come from different planet? NO, they were normal, simple human beings, who choose to take responsibility in their own way. They were all educated and came from average, normal families. We are forgetting that they were someone among us, but with a courage, passion, and responsibility to choose to live and fight for their country. And that's where lies the difference among us (this includes everybody not only the present generation) and them. Changing the system today would need the same passion, courage and strenght that they had to kill Gen. Dyer! Do we have that?

Can we make everybody lead and choose a honest life? Can we impose this rule that you cannot cheat anybody? Who makes these rules? And who checks on them? Nobody. And nobody should. These are the basic principles of life, philosiphy that one believes. And I have no idea how one can change that! That's why I felt that RDB creates an awakening of the basic philosophy of life. And then only will movies like 'Swades' become a very common example and won't appear unrealistic or idealistic.

Finally, Ram Prasad Bismil's 'Sarforsh ki taman' gushes non-adrenaline, while 'Yeh jo desh hai tera...bandhan toot nahi sakta...'gushes 'adrenaline' in our blood!

Sarfaroshi ki tamana

I was listening to the songs of 'rang de basanti'.. till the following lines "sarfaroshi ki tamana ab hamare dil main hai, dekhna hai zor kitna bazu-e-qatil main hai.."recited by our martyrs like Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaq Ullah Khan and Bhagat Singh on their way to embracing death made me go back to the 'realisation' that how we have ruined their sacrifices!! This is not the first time. I think every Indian has contemplated on this at some point in their life!

I saw this movie last week with skeptical 'Climax' - 'Anti-Climax' mind set!! Did not get time to write (blog) about it. I guess I have nothing to blog. With all the feedbacks on the movie I was expecting certain things, which I guess took away the sudden 'shockers' that many people got!

I felt that Omprakash Mehra (dir) is conveying a message to the new generation, to the youth, to us, to awaken the mass. He is possibly conveying a hidden message through every comical act. It was easy to laugh at the person trying to sing a 'POP or RAAP' when asked to say 'Bande Ma Taram' or 'Jai Hind' ! And unfortunately it,was not so far fethched from reality either! Neither was the attitude of youths, my generation, us! That's the reality. Lets face it!

It has been ages that I have said these words, myself. But everytime I have said these words I feel a cold shiver passing through my spine, a lump in my throat. 9 years, these words were the start lines of my day. Thanks to my 'KV background'. I used to feel so proud and charged with energy as I gave these commands to the whole school as the house captain for that week. The whole ground will be resonnating with these words. I can still feel the adrenaline influenced flow in my capillaries. Such powerful words! Phew!!

Science, philosophy, humanities all at some point have suggested that with time we should update our ability to address every problem or question to get successful results. And I feel that the movies produced by 'bollywood' currently are possibly a new way of rasing or awakening the mass, uniting people, bring everybody to that one platform 'WE WANT CHANGE'. A way to awaken many 'Gandhi's, Bhagat Singh's, Netaji's...' because this time the war is not against just ONE enemy (British Government) but towards each and every person who facilitates, practices and contributes to corruption. In other words it could be a war against ourseleves. Against our attitude. Against our belief that 'nothing will change in India'.

I don't know if the release of 'Rang De Basanti' and news about 'Paritrana' was a coincidence! While digging for Paritrana I came across Bharat Uday Mission (BM), and may more such groups. All with an agenda of 'CHANGE' to remove 'CORRUPTION'!

As I heard the following lines again and again, I could feel the pulse, the spirit, the energy, the strength in each and every word, and my conviction that a huge wave of change is on its way!

The final note - Atul agnihotri recitation of 'Sarforishi ki tamana' was outstandhing.

sarfaroshi ki tamana ab hamare dil main hai
dekhna hai zor kitna bazu-e-qatil main hai

karta nahi kyon dusara kuch bat-chit
dekhata hun main jise vo chup teri mahfil main hai

ai shahid-e-mulk-o-millat main tere upar nisar
ab teri himat ka charcha gair ki mahfil main hai

vaqt ane de bata denge tujhe ai asman
ham abhi se kya batayen kya hamare dil main hai

khinch kar lai hain sab ko qatl hone ki ummid
ashiqon ka aj jamghat kucha-e-qatil main hai

sarfaroshi ki tamana ab hamare dil main hai
dekhna hai zor kitna bazu-e-qatil main hai

Be the change you wish see in the world - M.K.Gandhi
Jai hind

Rang De Basanti....''Climax ya Anticlimax" !!

Yup, I am going to watch this movie today!!
Little did I know, when I blogged about it last week that I will be able to 'view and review' the movie so soon. Anyways knowing myself...am quite skeptical about the hype! It can pretty well be an 'Anticlimax' for me...anyway...will wait to comment on it.

But something is proved true again - 'When you desire something the whole universe conspires for it' Alchemist, Paulo Coelho (MY BEST BOOK).

after affect 'Rang De Basanti '

Yup thats the movie! I have been hearing a lot of rumors and excitement about this movie. Some of my freinds here felt for 30 mins after the movie that they should go back to India, some think its just a movie...some lost there speech and were silent for next half day !!! Some said its going to create a wave !! Come on, give me a break...!!

Have we really become so serious that we have started taking bollywood movies literally? And I don't understand what's wrong with bollywood? Why have they changed their agenda of making movies with people running around trees or in the streets to such high voltage movies?

It all started with Lagaan, followed by "Swadesh" and "YUVA", last year. And this year 'RDB' !! Has our film industry finally become revolutionized and evolutionized? Have they finally realized how much they can influence the mass ? No, I don't think so....I have known some movies which had direct influence on me and my life, both personally and professionally For e.g., City of Joy, Born Free, Forest Gump etc etc..But can it really create a social change, change in how people think, change in what they think!

May be, May be not! Who knows, time will say! I am just being a skeptic as usual ! After all change is the other name of 'growth' ! And India IS growing exponentially, geometrically and progressively in technology, science, economically...(and offcourse - population!!). May be it is true, when the whole plant starts growing, along with it grows each of its leaves and stems till it becomes a huge tree, and so would the country!

Opps, I forgot to mention about Bhagat Singh...That was another classic of the recent time...No to mention 'Gandhi'...but that was Hollywood! With the intellectual and passionate director's that we have today atleast we have some examples of hitting a balance between 'Box office hits' and 'Profits'! Anyways, so going back to the movie....here is a link to an after affect of Rang De Basanti!

Be the Change you want to see in the society - M.K.Gandhi

THIS HAS BEEN MY FAVOURITE QUOTE FOR YEARS NOW...

Why do I say so ..because I believe in it...read the following link ..if you want to believe in same. Cheer's for changed India...Thanks to Movies like Swadesh and Yuva, which seemed unreal yet possible :), if only we choose to believe in it!

Enjoy
I have deiced to put all the links to Changing India here ....(6th Feb)
Momentous week in Economic History, 12th Feb 2006
Indian Economy 6th Feb 2006
India's Anti-poverty plan 2nd Feb 2006
IITians join politics "Paritrana"24th Jan 2006

Prior to blogging
Globalization
Narmada Issue