The Martyrs and contemporary issues

Shaheedo ki chitaon pe lagenge har baras mele
Watan par mitne walo ka baaki yahi nishaan hoga

(A few years back, probably when I was in school, these lines seem so true.
Today, not even that. We send zillions of text messages on Valentine's Day, Friendship Day, Best Friends Day, Boy's Day, Girl's Day, Doggy day, Hippo Day, Parrot day, Ostrich Day, this day, that day. But few greetings are exchanged on even Independence Day or Republic Day, let alone the Martyrdom Day of the 3 great sons of our Mother Nation. It is not that days like Valentine's should not be observed. I also celebrate it. But forgetting or ignoring days of National Importance is a cardinal sin.)

Oh Great Martyrs of India! I bow before your heavenly souls, for you sacrificed yourselves so that I can write this post in the airconditioned comfort of my house. I bow before you, and before all those who fought to get our Mother unshackled.
Bhagat Singh (1907-1931), Rajguru (1908-1931) and Sukhdev (1907-1931). The trinity that so gracefully represent patriotism, bravery, fearlessness, determination and vision, is still around us. We need to realise their presence.

They were the real people, who did not believe in killing innocents. How many times did any of them attack people sleeping outside their houses? I am bringing this question because there are people, even universities that draw equations between Bhagat Singh and the so called Maoists. ( I think the terms Maoists, Naxalists should NOT be used anymore. They are plain terrorists.) The trio gave up their lives for an independent India, where every person is free, be it a peasant, or a landlord. But this freedom can NOT be attained by unfurling Red Flag at the Lal Quila. Yes, oppressed do attack when oppression becomes unbearable. But their pain should not be used as a shield to draw selfish interests by the top brass of Red Terrorists.
And PLEASE, terrorists in J&K are terrorists. PERIOD. Sorry Ms Glam Doll of those who won't shave because they think they can think better like that. You were wrong Mam. Crime against women is prevalent in Delhi too. And I condemn it, supporting capital punishment for those who assault the dignity of a woman. But then should we say that Delhi needs freedom from India?
We must realise that our freedom fighters fought because our Nation was enslaved by foreigners. J&K, Jharkhand, Bengal, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, AP, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Manipur. They all are India. Again, PERIOD.

But yes, we must develop a sense of understanding, a sense of compassion. We must realise that we are getting CUISINES, while our brothers and sisters in drought hit areas are getting malnourishment every passing day. We must realise that we are spending big money on trendy clothes, but some of our own people ONLY wish they had something to cover their bodies in winter. Here, WE means all of us, who are priviliged. Be it I, who is writing something on a blog (in his New Delhi house) concerning extremely underprivilged people. Be it the World Renowned Economists, who decide what Poveryt Line is, in our 'Esteemed' universities. Be it YOU. Be it anyone.
I am NOT asking anyone to stop enjoying what we can. Even I won't. But we must know that the Real India is still enslaved.

Jai Hind!!!!!!

Greetings on Makar Sankrant

Wish Everyone a Happy Makar Sankrant.

On this second festival of the New year, here in Maharashtra we fly kites, give til gul to each other, saying Til gul ghya god god bola. I am keen to knw the way it is celebrated in North.

Kunal, will u please tell? :)

A warm-cold Sunday

I could never imagine that reading a book under the blanket could be so fun. And that too, on a Sunday. Yes friends, I spent almost the whole day in my room. And with the heating blower on and JEFFEREY ARCHER'S short stories in my hand, I coverd myself in blanket the whole day.
We had planned to head off for The Hot water Well in Sohna, a night before. The time was fixed at around 6 a.m. Mom told us that she would prepare rice, daal, pooris and salad for the trip, as I had convinced everyone for a picnic. After Sohna, it would have been Damdama Lake.
But getting up at quarter past seven, I knew that the fog will not allow us. Upset, I lazed around, reading the book, having a shower, then breakfast. I spent some minutes in the park, hoping to see the Sun God. But the weather forced me in.

It was around noon that I discovered the joy in lazing around on a cold winter holiday.
Those who know me know that I do not like laying in bed for long. But I must admit that the warmth of my room and quality of the stories kept me engaged for good.

Greetings for 2010

Dear Reader
As we take final steps into the new year
I wish A very Happy, Prosperous, Healthy and Wealthy 2010
To YOU and Everyone, who is to you,Near and Dear

HAPPY NEW YEAR
:)

Introduction

Hi Everyone,
I am Swati Bansod. I came to know about this blog by Kunal.
I work in IDBI BANK.
I like this blog because of the good and different articles. I like people who do something different from normal routine. This is something creative and i like creative people.
Even I wanted to do something creative. Hope to contribute.
:)

Tanhai to mehfil

Kya likhu raat ki is tanhai mein?
Kya sochu raat ki is tanhai mein?
Kyun kuchh karne ka dil nahi karta ,
Raat ki is tanhai mein?
Kyun mehfilo mein jane ki jageh,
Kho jata hu raat ki is tanhai mein?

Okay, before any of you start penning pep-talk, I must make it clear that the lines above came out my of lone-alone-depressed mind way back in September. (I feel fortunate to have so many friends, apart from my family, who care so much for me). No need to repeat that those were, perhaps, the toughest days of life.
The time is, for sure, a great healer.
Now, I am again doing what I do best. Being my own self. Not tanha anymore, Loving the mehfils, again.

Thanks to all those who supported me.

The new age Maratha Wars

For the past week, as the whole world celebrated Sachin’s magnificent two decades of cricket, there were whispers of disappointment from some who felt that despite his stature and credibility, Sachin never really took a stand on social issues. This was felt particularly at times like ‘Godhra’. One knew that even a few words on peace and harmony, coming from the Master, would have gone a long way in spreading the message of stopping mindless killings at the behest of selfish political hoodlums. So last week, Sachin gave us another reason to cheer, when he unequivocally clarified his allegiance to the nation. At a time when even the so called stalwarts from the Bollywood allowed themselves to be held at ransom by the Sena, Sachin’s fearless reply at the press conference came as a breather. The Master lived up to our expectations and showed “Raj the boundary” in his simple yet inimitable style. There was no drama or rhetoric patriotic jingoism but he cut right across to the point. And the barb did get through, giving the senior Mr. Thakeray another ray of hope of drawing further political mileage by getting back at Sachin. But the Master is hardly going to allow himself to be dictated by the arbitrary mandates of the Sena.

One wonders as to what and who the two Senas really stand for. Intolerance at its worst is only what they really seem to represent. And now, after the split, it has also become a rat race of outdoing each other at the game of misplaced regionalism. Essentially all are annoying rebels without a cause. Infact, are any of these Senas really qualified to represent the Maratha pride? Are they more Maharashtrian than those like Tendulkar, who makes the entire nation proud even as he remains unfalteringly loyal to his Maharashtrian roots? These are some of the questions that the people of Maharashtra should start asking themselves as well as the two Senas.

Now that the Master has stood up for his belief, it remains to be seen whether the Bombaywallaas…oops….the ‘Mumbaikars’ take a stand, come in support of their very own ‘Marathi Manoos’ and finally show all the Sena Thakerays (senior, junior, who ever ) ‘the boundary’. Infact reactions from the cricket fraternity itself left a lot to be desired. One expected a better show of solidarity at this point.

Sanjay Manjrekar in an interview with CNN IBN said that “Mumbai is about free spirited confident people”. It is time to come out in the open with all such spirit and confidence, as the nation watches.