Government has won the confidence vote and we can now see the nuclear deal pass but in probably the most utterly forgettable fashion. The cabinet’s ambivalence was clearly evident and the goings on in the Lok Sabha were not exactly cheerful. But has the government managed to secure the more important asset than even the nuclear deal, the people’s faith? Nuclear deal or no nuclear deal, current government will go in history as being very opaque even notorious on various occasions as regards safeguards agreement. Why did the ministry decline to release the contents of the safeguard’s agreement to the public when IAEA itself did not pose any restrictions whatsoever, giving an impression that they are just somehow muddling through?
Opposition’s double-standards were quintessential BJP – making every possible allegation to quash the deal. One comment was, “UPA is doing injustice to the Muslim vote-bank by supporting US (and thereby Bush) who has been a cause of misery to Iraq – a Muslim country – and to the innocent Saddam Hussain. This deal is inherently evil”. Why did then Jaswant Singh remark that “This deal is our [NDA’s] baby. Why should UPA act in such urgency vis-à-vis the safeguards agreement”? This smacks of power mongering with utter disregard to nation’s goodwill.
Left had good intentions, they rightfully backed-off. I like this politics in which our leaders are putting country first. They drew our attention to the particularly hazardous outcomes of the nuclear deal and the fact that several nations including US, Germany are loathe to having new nuclear power plants for civilian energy purposes. But their fears for the country, becoming a US henchman with this strategic alliance thereby compromising national sovereignty, are unfounded. The most obvious outcome, they argue, could be a terrorist backlash against India due to its wholehearted support to Bush’s regime.
Terrorism is the most potent challenge world over, but this bull has to be taken by its horns. No country can afford a strategy of avoidance over prevention against terrorism. By not going along with US we are not sure to be spared by the terrorist organizations simply because India has been a perpetual target way before even the 9/11. Post 9/11 the terrorist organizations have found a more pressing agenda but India has never been outside their radar. Hence, India cannot afford not to enter this alliance simply because it might prick the terrorist fraternity.
Overall, I am not exactly unhappy that India has managed to take the nuclear deal to the next level, which is a very progressive mindset to meet our energy requirements in the long run (the next 50 years). But our governance has major challenges:
1. Policy making is easy, implementation is tough. Nuclear fuel is potential hazardous if not dealt with high standards of security. A country of billion people cannot afford a Chernobyl in the making here.
2. We are very close to the terrorist warheads; the archetypical enemies of the world are next door to us. I leave the potential disasters of nuclear fuel finding their hands to everybody’s imagination.
3. India’s strategic alliance with US does not and must not mean that we support US for the terrible war crimes in Afghanistan or their wholehearted support to Israel against Iran, which has brought these countries on the brink of a war. And this should be clearly spelled out to the international community.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Nuclear deal - a failed success?
Saturday, July 19, 2008
In the deep recess of my mind, I find that I have really struggled for the past few years in identifying with myself. It has been a perpetual conflict pervading my life all along. I know that I want something, and precisely how I can get it but another very potent force which is much more subtle but clearly overpowering all other forces seizes any constructive efforts towards my goals.
A good start is very important, most important in fact. But it’s the start which is most likely to go bad. You can survive few initial years with good start but it cannot ensure sustenance of well being. As a human, you will tend to loose enthusiasm and subsequently focus in your work. It is very important to learn from your mistakes from very early stages of your life because you don’t want to be making unpardonable errors at crucial stages.
Anything which lasts long and healthy gives a sense of success and achievement, one which justifies all the pains and suffering you incurred. You tend to feel that you could hold onto your cause through the thick and thin.
An even better scheme of things is when you constantly reposition your aspirations. As an individual this will give you a sense of adventure all your life. This leads to another very important conflict. Is it important to change your goals and never being satisfied with anything in your life? I sense that this is a notion which I have forced upon myself very solemnly – meaning I must not aspire to keep changing my priorities all my life and must have a point of saturation somewhere. This will help me ponder over my life after I have lived most of it. This will also bring cutting edge perfection into my work just like a painter or musician who becomes a master of his art and sensibilities. I will not want to keep going back to my past and always feel ashamed of myself for all the “acts of childishness”. On the other hand, I will not want to achieve finality, which will kill all my endeavours to achieve more and higher. This is a very difficult exercise one which demands absolute honesty on my part. How much I succeed depends directly on how honest I am in my self-evaluation.
A good start is very important, most important in fact. But it’s the start which is most likely to go bad. You can survive few initial years with good start but it cannot ensure sustenance of well being. As a human, you will tend to loose enthusiasm and subsequently focus in your work. It is very important to learn from your mistakes from very early stages of your life because you don’t want to be making unpardonable errors at crucial stages.
Anything which lasts long and healthy gives a sense of success and achievement, one which justifies all the pains and suffering you incurred. You tend to feel that you could hold onto your cause through the thick and thin.
An even better scheme of things is when you constantly reposition your aspirations. As an individual this will give you a sense of adventure all your life. This leads to another very important conflict. Is it important to change your goals and never being satisfied with anything in your life? I sense that this is a notion which I have forced upon myself very solemnly – meaning I must not aspire to keep changing my priorities all my life and must have a point of saturation somewhere. This will help me ponder over my life after I have lived most of it. This will also bring cutting edge perfection into my work just like a painter or musician who becomes a master of his art and sensibilities. I will not want to keep going back to my past and always feel ashamed of myself for all the “acts of childishness”. On the other hand, I will not want to achieve finality, which will kill all my endeavours to achieve more and higher. This is a very difficult exercise one which demands absolute honesty on my part. How much I succeed depends directly on how honest I am in my self-evaluation.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Explosive culture
My first impressions of New Delhi, the capital city of India, have been mixed. They have ranged from mildly fulfilling to absolutely gut wrenching. Now what can I say about that? Doesn't sound very palatable to me. I like Delhi for what it can offer to me, and I hate Delhi for its people. It is not an instinctive serial-killer-syndrome, but I despise them, knowing that in doing that I despise myself as well. I am ready to take that self character assassination so long it enables me to spew out my angst, euphemistically "Negative Energies".
I hate their overly eager, irate and hurried attitude, their non-chalance towards queues, their too fat bellies, their disregard towards have-nots, or worse their pity towards have-nots. When I read signs on roads, saying, "Please mind the steps" or "Please take diversion carefully" etc, I feel why has anyone cared for being so nice with such nasty brats. Like they really care.
For Delhi, it's people are the real let down. When I portray India to others, I say there is love, caring for others, even strangers, but thats really not my country. May be it once was, but certainly not now. Look at TV channels for example, why are we seeing so many useless soaps, songs, movies and not to forget news day in and day out. What do they think about us? Are we as mindless as that! Why are radio channels replete with useless noise. "Because, some dumbfuck takes interest in them and we have to serve our client in whatever way we can", they might argue. If India was a country of 1 billion sheep, we would have been more civilized, atleast we would be safe from anti-evolution.
I think desire is the evil root of all.
I hate their overly eager, irate and hurried attitude, their non-chalance towards queues, their too fat bellies, their disregard towards have-nots, or worse their pity towards have-nots. When I read signs on roads, saying, "Please mind the steps" or "Please take diversion carefully" etc, I feel why has anyone cared for being so nice with such nasty brats. Like they really care.
For Delhi, it's people are the real let down. When I portray India to others, I say there is love, caring for others, even strangers, but thats really not my country. May be it once was, but certainly not now. Look at TV channels for example, why are we seeing so many useless soaps, songs, movies and not to forget news day in and day out. What do they think about us? Are we as mindless as that! Why are radio channels replete with useless noise. "Because, some dumbfuck takes interest in them and we have to serve our client in whatever way we can", they might argue. If India was a country of 1 billion sheep, we would have been more civilized, atleast we would be safe from anti-evolution.
I think desire is the evil root of all.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
10 Minutes
My watch is 10 minutes advance. People fail to grasp the necessity of this habit. But it keeps me ticking, giving me a sense of being ahead with the rest of the world by 10 minutes. Although I am fully aware of this fact, somewhere my subconscious has registered it in a unique, mysterious way. Every action, intuition and move is enchanted by this deceptively trivial fact. How?
I would force - unknowingly - my mind to act now which it could have waited 10 more minutes for. I can plan for future unwavered by the fear of being too late to commit because I have 10 minutes lead to the rest of the world anyway.
I would force - unknowingly - my mind to act now which it could have waited 10 more minutes for. I can plan for future unwavered by the fear of being too late to commit because I have 10 minutes lead to the rest of the world anyway.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
आ चलें धूप की खोज में...
A film must touch you; it must sit within your soul and have conversation with it. A film must portray reality; a film must inspire us without being pedantic. It must teach us not preach us. The characters in the film must look into your eyes and share their agony and pleasure with you and when they do that they must not look merely the characters of a show. They must be as real as the person sitting next to you.
If you think that this is an impossible task and there are more possibilities of eggs falling on the floor and not breaking than making such a film, then you should watch "Taare Zameen Pe". You might change your opinion about the life you lead and people you like (or dislike). On one hand we have a miraculously simple story, one which might trick you to believe that not more than a 1 hr documentary could pretty much summarize the idea, on the other hand we have the creative genius of TZP writers and director to come up with so many layers in the story that you will end up relating with it in the most unique and peculiar way. You will feel that it is inspiring you in a way which only you could understand. I ended up feeling that life after all goes on and one's biggest inspiration is within oneself. I realized that when the laughter cannot contain pleasure one often has to resort to tears lest your heart might explode with triumph. Triumph of a boy who steals one day from the school to learn about life what no modern education system could impart in a lifetime. Or the triumph of a teacher against the common notions of society, where intelligence quotient is measured in numbers, where no less than extra-ordinary scores are given the due recognition; everything else is conveniently ignored with a justifiable need-of-the-hour argument. The policy of elimination than selection, you see.
I would rather not delve much on the technical aspects of TZP; needless to say that film has lived most of its life in being the most supreme work of an accomplished artist. The dialogues are apt in most of the situations, although with a slight whiff of over projection on certain occasions but these are pardonable mistakes given that the film has so boldly questioned the very essence of bollywoodism. We have to ask ourselves these questions, how long are we going to continue to make films serving as junk food for the masses? How long are our films going to act like song-churning vending machines? You put a coin and get a song.
TZP is also peculiarly noticed about its music, the sacred cow of Indian cinema. It takes the film to another dimension where the lyrics are vintage Prasoon Joshi, blissfully unconventional in portraying the essence of youth in modern India. A few animation spots in the films are very creatively used, especially when you see the musical notes complementing the "play of colors" in the child's beautiful mind. The film is a creative marriage of all cinematic brilliance and a deceptively simple art of story-telling.
And of course the holy grail of TZP is the much concerned, often misunderstood even discounted despair and agony of a dyslexic child. The films’ biggest achievement is the inconspicuous manner of bringing to forefront the issue and not for one second preaching about it. I hope it strikes the right chord with the parents who constantly push their children beyond reasonable limits. It might sound wishful to expect that the film might be the stepping stone for our educationists to shape up the future education system and that the film might turn a few tables in this bureaucratic quagmire called India. The film teaches us the real meaning of cinema and life and many things can be changed with that knowledge.
If you think that this is an impossible task and there are more possibilities of eggs falling on the floor and not breaking than making such a film, then you should watch "Taare Zameen Pe". You might change your opinion about the life you lead and people you like (or dislike). On one hand we have a miraculously simple story, one which might trick you to believe that not more than a 1 hr documentary could pretty much summarize the idea, on the other hand we have the creative genius of TZP writers and director to come up with so many layers in the story that you will end up relating with it in the most unique and peculiar way. You will feel that it is inspiring you in a way which only you could understand. I ended up feeling that life after all goes on and one's biggest inspiration is within oneself. I realized that when the laughter cannot contain pleasure one often has to resort to tears lest your heart might explode with triumph. Triumph of a boy who steals one day from the school to learn about life what no modern education system could impart in a lifetime. Or the triumph of a teacher against the common notions of society, where intelligence quotient is measured in numbers, where no less than extra-ordinary scores are given the due recognition; everything else is conveniently ignored with a justifiable need-of-the-hour argument. The policy of elimination than selection, you see.
I would rather not delve much on the technical aspects of TZP; needless to say that film has lived most of its life in being the most supreme work of an accomplished artist. The dialogues are apt in most of the situations, although with a slight whiff of over projection on certain occasions but these are pardonable mistakes given that the film has so boldly questioned the very essence of bollywoodism. We have to ask ourselves these questions, how long are we going to continue to make films serving as junk food for the masses? How long are our films going to act like song-churning vending machines? You put a coin and get a song.
TZP is also peculiarly noticed about its music, the sacred cow of Indian cinema. It takes the film to another dimension where the lyrics are vintage Prasoon Joshi, blissfully unconventional in portraying the essence of youth in modern India. A few animation spots in the films are very creatively used, especially when you see the musical notes complementing the "play of colors" in the child's beautiful mind. The film is a creative marriage of all cinematic brilliance and a deceptively simple art of story-telling.
And of course the holy grail of TZP is the much concerned, often misunderstood even discounted despair and agony of a dyslexic child. The films’ biggest achievement is the inconspicuous manner of bringing to forefront the issue and not for one second preaching about it. I hope it strikes the right chord with the parents who constantly push their children beyond reasonable limits. It might sound wishful to expect that the film might be the stepping stone for our educationists to shape up the future education system and that the film might turn a few tables in this bureaucratic quagmire called India. The film teaches us the real meaning of cinema and life and many things can be changed with that knowledge.
A short stint
Have you ever wondered that the formation of a baby in mother's womb is a not merely a physical process. It is almost mysterious even miraculous that a life is is formed out of a very scientific beginning. A life which has psychology, emotions, spirituality and a complete sense of wholeness. We all learn mostly from our surroundings, relationships, all of which adds a dimension to our personality but whenever we look within ourselves we learn that there is something in us which is truly ours, which was not inspired by anyone else. It belongs to us, and us only.
In most difficult times we usually come to terms with this inner beauty of ours. When I speak to someone who is in despair and wants my succour I try to connect to him through this inner feeling of mine. Once, when I was very small, a visitor came to my place for a glass of water. It was a hot summer day. I could feel the heat in his dark skin made even darker by the fiery sun. A drop of sweat rose from his petals. When he asked for water, I looked at him and realised the urgency within a matter of micro-seconds. There was a real connection established between the two of us for that brief moment.
In most difficult times we usually come to terms with this inner beauty of ours. When I speak to someone who is in despair and wants my succour I try to connect to him through this inner feeling of mine. Once, when I was very small, a visitor came to my place for a glass of water. It was a hot summer day. I could feel the heat in his dark skin made even darker by the fiery sun. A drop of sweat rose from his petals. When he asked for water, I looked at him and realised the urgency within a matter of micro-seconds. There was a real connection established between the two of us for that brief moment.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
No-holds-barred
Just an idea which struck my mind. My writtings and words are tame compared to the no-holds-barred forcefulness of my self-generated vision. Is it a syndrome which every amateur writer suffers from?
I really don't know...
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