Pleasure of reading a newspaper

Children were encouraged to read news paper to improve their knowledge, and importantly 'Engleesh' ( coloniel mindset) . India always had a tradition of publishing good set of English news papers , of them few can be rated among the best in the world. We had to pull our socks to read 'Hindu' which was very classy and unchewable at times. We could alaways find a new enthusiast to start in the morning and finish it only at the night. Such was the bulk and fineness of the matter in side.

Then came "Indian Express '" with a bang into my house. With quick snippets, Peter Vidal, catchy headlines, thought provoking editorials, became a hot favourite among youth. You can finish it in either half an hour or immerse in it for not less than 4 hours. Sensation with touch of class was it's flavour. Classic example of it's brand of journalism was the day emergency was clamped it left, it's editorial column blank. I think it unravels more, than publishing some thing.

Now we don't need wait till morning to know what is happening around the world. Minute to minute details are given with visuals on T.V. Things are talked over and over again to the extent that you become weary. Things are sensationalised. Certainly we have more scope, and access to the news. We get to listen to the expert opinion, discussions, undeniable video coverage. Stock markets, weather reports, international news, entertainment , what not ? . World looks like a big village.

Yet I think no body misses his news paper. You have the pleasure of going through it at your leisure. We like to gaze at what our favourite writer has penned. Minute details are covered. we have enough time to ponder. we don't have to glue to the idiot box to even to listen some thing worth while. Every thing at peace.

Every body says Television has taken off reading habit from the people. But news paper has it's own charm. We still see paper boys delivering the news papers at the dwan on a creeky bicycle. The gush of cool breeze wraps you with enexplicable heavenly pleasure when the door is opened.I wipe my eyes to look into the blue sky with birds flying and chirping while I pick up my news paper from the ground.

Barrow the concept. Leave the spirit behind. This exactly we see in our reality shows. We barrow the concept of reality show from America or some where. But we refuse to obey the rules of the game.

"KARZ"remains to be "khurch". Every thing looked so superficial. Himesh stretched himself, after all there is limit upto which any body can stretch. Expressions looked very stoic. Jumping ,very typical of a rock star, looked like his dose of morning excercise. By no stretch of imagination he could have danced.

Few changes in the story line distorted than helping the plot. The horrowing discovery of the heroine regarding reincarnation in the end of of original 'Karz' went totally missing. Sister, who looked modern in mini skirts , ( must be knowing some English) no body knows why she chose to be a dish washer in the very nieghbour hood. Heroine doesn't seem to bother about the where abouts of her arch rivals like her sister-in-law, and mother-in- law, except telling lies that they were dead.

Urmila did a splendid job. Poor thing, she does not seem to indulge in any thing seriously, except gambling. I do not understand why she needed to kill her husband, as she could have enjoyed all these things by beeing his wife.

Music appeared to be very noisy and clumsy except "Hari Uuuuum" ( is it Hari Om ?) . Two and half decades old " Ek Hasina Thee" was the only haunting number which was well duplicated by Reshamiya.

I think it is the time Himesh to give re thinking about his acting career. His one plus one offers already might have bagged him few films, but his long teme aspirations might be at stake. Take a look at Anuradha Podwal who is eventually confined to Bhajans, and Bhagya Sree (Mine Pyar Kiya fame) who always wanted to appear with her boy friend on the screen . After all no body is indespensable in this world. People want to hear sintillating Reshamiya for long sans conditions.

Inelectual Property

The term "intellectual" is loosing it's sheen and relevence. Learning was an ordeal job. You run for information, take piece of paper to scribble , memorize, store the tales by cutting and preserving them, listen to aired programmes with rapt attention so that you dont loose out a piece of talk on mind matters, run to the libraries to grab much circulated popular books, buy a telugu magazine to look for translated versions of classics, quotes , sometimes biographies .Great learning had it's value. People were respected, held in high esteem.

Now, learning is only a button away. Gates are opened to whole new world, sometimes wanted, at times un wanted. You do not have to toil to know a thing. Should the people of bygone era envy the generation which is learning without shedding a a drop of sweat ? Or dismiss it as instant and epheremeral as there is always a hard disc to store it. Should any body truely committed to memorise it?

The rise of intellectuality is truely prolific. Every where you find a brainy, who really can speak for himself. It is no more a property of some. Intelligence is redefined. quality is more valued than quantity. Knowledge is singularly is respected when it is aptly pronounced.With what intensity you can delve into things matters most.

There is also extension of this truth. Every segment, community, has a pool of brains, who can vociferously defend their interests. Even the terrorists have a think tank. Very convincing arguments can be put forward to camouflage crude intention. Reasons can be contrieved. Beware of this intellectual aggression. Let the sense of natural justice prevail. . Bravo ! Never let yourself off !!

I...Me...Myself

Importantly my team consists of three members. I, me, and myself !!

It is a general belief that only deserving reach to the top. Innocently we believe that one does not venture to enter into any field unless he is amply talented. Many desert their artistic flings under misconstrued belief that they are too immature. Many illustrated personalities went into oblivion as they had no one to carry their mantle.Many breathed their last in abject poverty as they remained as forgotten heroes.Some departed from their offsprings with ideological differences. On the whole many remained in the annals history as lone fighters.

It is perplexing that why in olden days not many thought of pushing their children into the forfront.I question their wisdom.Gandhi could have thought of making Kantilal as prime minister.Why Mukhesh failed to make his son a renouned singer? I have to verify the film archieves to know whether Shanker Jaikishan had any children. No body ever knew that Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao's son could sing. '

An entirely new generation has emerged in public life. Whether politics , cinema or business any field, where there is a chance to make huge money , should never be left to an outsider.Who bothers whether somebody is deserving or not. Let us thrust our children on the people. Initially they desist. Gradually they accept. But it is my empire. My son will inherit my throne.Talent or no talent, what difference does it make ? "yahah sub kutch chalta hai yar". I use my good offices to make him popular. It is I..me..and myself..nobody else.(I becomes 'my' too)

Heriditary politics, heriditary cinema, hereditary business,heriditary profession. Oh! God !Why am I born to a common man ?. He has no empire to pass on to me !!

Saga of compensations.

Do a wrong thing. Compensate it generously. You can do away with the trouble.Way back in seventies people were compensated with mere rupees 5000 for loss of life due to system failure . Now India has become rich. It compensates a death with rupees 10 to 15 lakhs also..Many Indians are not worth even a lakh of rupees in their life time., It is good that they are fetching handsome amount after their death. Stregthnening the security system, or preventing railway accidents, building dams to control rivers, reviving a dying community in the society, preserving a fading art ,all these things cost a fortune to the government.Is it not cheaper way of dealing with national issues ?


A dusty village which bore a deserted look with few living skeletons moving around, is suddenly comes alive with exuberence . Roads are repaired overnight to make way for a convoy. A coconut seller slowly pulls his cart to the main road. Some body puts up a pendal for selling unsold stocks of petty coats and bedsheets.Children gleefully play never to bother to take a bath. Uncared old pull them selves to the to main doors to watch the days happenings, any way they have nothing to do. Women neatly comb their hair profusely oiling, hoping to talk to 'big people'.


Convoy arrives with with siren much similar to fire engine or ambulance. Many cars enter into village in a row. Somebody gets down, many for that matter, arousing enthusiasm in all the faces surrounding .Few, abundently cautioned before, not to talk anything against the administration were allowed to speak . Few carefully worded appeals were heard. Hours passed. Now it is time to go. Big people left. All the villeagers were extremely happy .


Another fortnight passed. Then came a news of another weaver's death . He hung himself to the tree. His death was more talked than mourned . There was only one question on every body's lips. How much do you think he'll get?



Yet another story begins, somewhere in some corner of India. Many artisans who survived thousands of years in India , find increasingly difficult to survive during 60 years of independence. The ones who dare not to die, turn into daily wage earners or rikshaw pullers.

I do not know why my eyes are wet.

Tendulkar! The torch bearer

Oh! Much avaited world record has been achieved. Three cheers to him

Lara might have done it in fewer tests.World might have produced Broadman,Gary Sobers, Vivian Richards etc. etc. But Sachin is very special to India .

There were the days when youth greeted each other ,with "Gavaskaram" instead of "namaskaram"After Gavaskar, many came and gone giving giggles that did not last long. Then came a little boy by the name Tendulkar . He was the fresh breather to the Indian cricket, though with world cup on hand , often failed to make a mark in the international cricket leaving many to wonder whether cup was a fluke.

He went on to make a history.He not only carried himself but also a back breaking burden of the entire team which toppled like pack of card fallowing his dismissals. He brought fame, money, glamour into the world of cricket. while every other sport failed to flourish due to desastrous politics, cricket stayed though not devoid of politics.

We see many politicians but not many statesmen, we see many intelligent pople but not many intellectuals.We see many players but few sporting legends. Sachin Tendulkar is a legend. Despite his stupendous success, he kept it at a safer distance from getting to his head.Boys who take a flight to unknown zones on cloud nine only to be found with inflated egoes after couple of international appearence got to take lessons from him.

Legends too bow their heads in trying times. He too was not spared from'senor' junior' wrangles.

No body can say adieu to him. Like "Bhishma" he has to pronounce it.

Masses of India

Poor of Inidia has a kind of dignity.You may see them begging, You may see them starving, but you never see them resorting to violence.Thanks to the guiding principle of Dharma which controls their psyche.Even a theief had a set of principles in earlier days.Recall the story of a thief who promoses to share his booty with a stranger who helps to break open into king's palace leaving a precious diamond since it could not shared equally (the stranger happens to be the king himself)

we keep changing the servents for all the resons of their impunctuality, freaquent bunking, for not delivering clean service etc. etc..But how many of us are afraid of them? Never.Not even in a dream.We engage a servent to look after our children leaving them alone at home. Very rarely we watch them very closely while moving in our house , cleaning our house, cooking ourfood, handling so many other jobs. Rarely we loose a penny or two. Very rarely we loose a gold chain. Very very rarely we loose our children .

We never question a trader with a plush shopping outlet for charging ten times the value for a small vallet, bangle or anklet than a petty street vendor. We smilingly oblize a big hotlier for charging exhorbitantly than giving two bucks to a street hawker who fans his small coal burner pulling all his energy from his weak hands to make our maize hot and tasty.We knowingly strew lot of money in big malls for a thing not worth it. We allow ourselves to be looted ,cheated,demured by the aggressive marketing.We can conveniently call them as theives who pilfer our pockets.

Who are more trust worthy out of the above two?It is the former who renders service and still pray for our mercy feebly asking for a rise in the salary.

Thanks to the rural India which nourished the values of integrity, truth and rightful earning. We have to ignore the few instances of cheating and breach of trust. We take the general mood into cognizance. They had a moral code.They had a fear of committing a crime. They feared God than law.

Cultural invasion, consumerism, televison, films giving more insights into the modus opernandi of crimes, are making inroads into the conscience of young minds making them prototypes of criminals in many parts of the world.Some reported crimes in the recent past send us shock waves.

Whom do people look for to be their role models? There is no Gandhi, no Nehru, noVinoba Bhave, no Veeresalingamm Panthulu, no EshwaraChandra Vidya Sagar, noRaja Ram Mohan Roy, no Tilak, no Ranade , no Gokhale, no Mother Theresa. Who will inspire them? In a country which produced illustrious personalities in every age, there is dearth of virtue in the public life as of now

Money! Money! It is a rich man's word

There were days when a tooth paste or soap used to be classified as luxuries. It looked as though taxes were levied on people who eat twice a day.You wear a white ironed shirt? Then you are a rich man.You are arrogant, heartless, plunderer. You are not eligible for any concessions from the government. You are treated with contempt.Your car should never splash mud on a pedestrian even in torrential rains.People know that you will never sleep in peace.You lack in morals. You hardly value a relation.

Poverty had been glorified to an extent that if you lack in money you certainly join the bandvagon of angels. Hut is essentially a better place than a palace.You always have a better perception of human values.

Now it is exactly the reverse of what has been felt over decades in the recent past. Display of wealth is the order of the day. Pamper your children with every thing under the sun.Build a grand house paying huge EMIs. Own a big car though you can rarely afford to take out.Decorate you house with rare art pieces which you can never understand. Socialize in the name of parties only to get late to the office. Perform your daughter's marriage if possible in Buckingham palace.

Government too has become lenient. They don't tax big car excessively. Airconditioners become very cheap.You can own two houses officially..Many imported things are available in the market. They too are committed to good living!!

R.K.Laxman's common man stands in the cross roads wondering whether over emphasised simplicity is good for India or this mad goldrush.

No body thought it is going to be a hit. No casting worth the name. No fight,dance, or no vulgar romance.Hey guys !Do you believe in formula for success ?Healthy humour flavoured with nativity, youthfulness, good screen play. Kudos to good directorial debut(I suppose) of Indraganti. Awakeup call for the steriotypes. Much water has flown under the bridge. Recall your childhood lesson " life is dynamic"!

Yo!! China

Indeed we missed many busses. While our giant neighbour made their hey day, we lived in our fool's paradis.Olympics 2008 is not only displayed China's sporting ability, but also it's muscle power. Despite it's huge population every thing in it's place.Shangai is like a dream city. Our prosperity is not achieved consciously .It is the sweat of few talented people , and impressive performance of few private companies who prospered despite the system not because of the system.We believe in miracles. Somehow we can achieve .Somehow we can survive from all the odds.Somehow we will be rich one day.Am I sounding too optimistic?

Hate culture

The whole world is reeling under hate.Some body hates some one for not eating the same like him. Some body hates someone for not praying the same god. Somebody hates some one for not wearing the same dress. Somebody hates some one for not living like him. Some body hates some one for not speaking the same language. Some body hates some one for living in the same planet!Precisely what is hate? Intolerance towards something which is new, intolerance to something which looks bizzare, intolerance to some thing which looks steriotype, intolerance to some thing which looks uncomfortable, intolerance to some thing which looks strange, intolerance to some thing which looks dogmatic. Top of it, intolerance to some thing which looks better!!