Dancing To The Western Tunes?

India fought for independence to negate the western aroma from getting into its respiratory system. We burnt the western outfits, raised slogans, got incarcerated, and marched to every nook and corner of the country possible just to get rid of the white skin supremacy. We succeeded, we became an independent nation in a ray of optimism that we be self-sufficient and eat what's bred and fed here. Through sheer cultural ethics and right education we became a nation whose growth in terms of technology was on par with any super power existing today. As a result, started selling our intellectual capabilities in the form of services. There is no denying the fact that it has benefited the country in leaps and bounds but what we failed to notice is the slow poisoning effect it has had on our culture and traditional values. Educated and liberals may deem it to be preposterous and superstitious but the wise cannot be blind folded and silent. One can have an open market for globalization but should not be influenced by the cultural propaganda offered in the free market exchange. We are a country revered for our culture and traditions and we have every right to feel proud about it. The availability of cultural exchange as result of globalization should not tilt our mind towards western life style which is just a myth of social well-being. India is land where culture and traditions are well thought out and laid. One may argue about its factual evidence but the coincidence it has with today's science and technology is undeniable.

As the famous quote goes "Whether you have a Maruti or a BMW, the road remains the same. Whether you travel economy class or business, your destination doesn't change. Whether you have a Titan or a Rolex, the time is the same. There is nothing wrong in dreaming a luxurious life. What needs to be taken care of is not let need become greed. Because needs can always be met, but greed can never be fulfilled"

The bottom line is that, as an Indian who has huge respect for our forefathers and torch bearers of Indian culture and ethics, I urge the readers to take what is healthy and not just what is tasty from the platter. Instead of completely censuring our existing ethos to accommodate western art of living, realize the disparity and make the right judgments. Remember that at the end of the day a leopard can never change its spots and hence we are what we are no matter where we are. Respect other traditions and cultures with equal reverence to our roots as well.Sell thy knowledge not thyself.

Jai Hind !

Stuck in a virtual world ?

Human race is believed to be the best creation of mother nature/God(whichever one connects to) simply because we have different emotions and we are an intellectual species. Our evolution has been remarkable over the ages. We have groomed ourselves from being uncouth to civilized corporeal or living beings. Most of our development can be attributed to the advancement in technology paved by globalization and liberalization. Today, information is available at our finger tips which is fast and accurate. With the innovation of internet, all information is available in our pockets. Facebook and whatsapp help us in connecting with the world in no time. Science and technology has become so advanced that everything is available at an eye's blink with very little investment. The next gen robotics and artificial intelligence will no doubt take our life to a new dimension.

 

But, the real question is, are we getting too comfortable that we have ended up living in a fictitious world ? Has the focus shifted from advancement in science to advancement in technology although both are blood and skin.The reason why I ask one to ponder is that, today we are connected through facebook and whatsapp and other social networks which once did not exist, but one can not deny the fact that we were totally disconnected without them. Yes, due credit must go to technology for getting us connected across the globe but, has it made us too indolent that we have started pinging people though whatsapp and facebook messengers who jut sit across the table ?Too add to the woes, all our information is available online and is accessible by anyone leading to invasion of our privacy and security which otherwise would have been secluded. Yes, technology has helped man take a small step which in time has become a giant leap for man kind, but does anyone really know where this small step is leading us to? Technology was invented and developed to make progress in life easier and simpler. But because of our naivety to completely understand the marvel it has created, life for everyone is slowly changing into a Frankenstein movie wherein the creation is behind the creator’s life.

 

Today in schools we have smart classes and now these apps and gadgets have taken over almost every part of our lives. Children these days have access to tabs and other advanced gadgets at very early stages of their lives and hence end up over using it without realizing the ill effects. A lot of the children these days do not go out to play instead end up playing in virtual world and thus end up becoming 'couch potatoes'. Lack of physical activities could be detrimental but the society as always shuns it. Tracing a child with an ipad or tab in its hand is not an unusual sight these days. Though development in technology is an achievement in itself, what happens when it begins to replace humans in your life? What to do when a 3-year-old depends on its tablet go sleep? as a child I wouldn't sleep until my mother would sing me a lullaby. My mother too was brought up this way. But what we see today is simply unbelievable. At times when a mother is too busy with her games such as Temple Run, Candy Crush and apps such as Whatsapp and Facebook, what can we expect from children? There are a lot of applications that cater to specific age groups and are a great hit too. Today everything that a mother could possibly teach a child is easily available on Internet. In fact many even say they do depend on the Internet for parenting tips. One can easily find information regarding the best applications for toddlers to keep them busy. What I don't understand is, What has happened to real toys and home learning? Another issue being the increase in cancer detected individuals , it has increased in huge numbers when compared to yester-years. The reason being the increased exposure to radiations from microwaves , cell phones and a whole host of other technology driven devices. Progression in technology has led to regression in life span with very few realizing it.

 

In conclusion, inevitably, we are technologically advanced but we fail to acknowledge the fact that we have been morally and spiritually weakened as a result. We are heading towards cultural decadence ever since technology has become a part of our lives. It seems as if we have sunk into an ocean of nothingness. There is a compromise on human intellect because everything is available online and is up for grabs for all shades of people without people having to wear their own thinking caps. Technology has paved way for on-slaughter of human values and has tarnished human demeanor. Shackles need to be broken before one accepts the fate of virtual reality.

Lastly, as the Nobel Laureate had once quoted "I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have generation of idiots"

It is not "The End" of the world

It's been quite some years since i last wrote a blog and again it was a personal choice to stay dormant, for I did not find it to be a tool that would cause a drastic change to an "aggressive" society. The reason why I term our society to be "aggressive" is because there is far too many delinquencies happening not for the reasons they generally happen but for reasons rising out of pure emotional malfunctioning. There is a new trend that is slowly spreading and is intoxicating our otherwise resilient and hush society.Hope you would have figured what has disturbed me so much that i start penning an article thinking it would extinguish the wrath within me.Yes,i am very much angered by a recent incident which not just shook me but the entire country as a whole, where a girl was murdered using a sickle in-front of daily office going public in early hours.This is not the only case that raised my tempo but this definitely forced me to take my pen and vent my anger through words for sure.What infuriates me is not the lack of security, not the lack of cameras but the lack of humanity.Not one soul dared to stop the tiff between two naive souls.A loss of life,a lot of  drama and all the finger pointing could have been averted.Has the country become so unsafe that a goon could just walk out anywhere at any time and could just brandish a weapon and kill them and just walkaway unscathed.Shame on us !
 

why are such incidents becoming so mundane and who are the one's contributing to such abhorrent mishaps ? Why are we not having an emotional control on ourselves and why do people take such drastic decisions ?

Firstly,a lot of youngsters these days have exposure to a lot of stuffs than what their predecessors had at their same age,the media is only keen on showing negativity in the society which has an early effect on a child's thought process.

Secondly,we are more focused on technical education than personal education.We always think people mature on their own as they grow up and fail to counsel the children at their young age.We are too shy to bring up such topics in open that too in front of our own kith and kin.Really can't understand why teachers and professors fail to teach their pupil things apart from syllabus.There are certain matters that are to be taught for free and it is just a moral responsibility of any Guru i feel.Guru Sishya parampara of olden days needs to be envisioned here.

Thirdly,the day when moral education becomes a subject of credit and institution educate their students on how to comport themselves in various failures in life, only then, would we become citizens with good demeanor.

Fourthly,as parents, it is their duty to shower wisdom in their children and should set an example by leading a life in utmost dignity and honor.Do not ask your children not to fail, instead teach them how to handle failure and to bounce back from it.

Fifthly, print media and social media should develop an ethic such that the society gets to see what is required and not everything and anything duly considering the age of all its viewers and the impact it has on the fragile society.

Last coming to subject of discussion as to how to handle failure in a relation.Not everyone is successful in a relation and we must understand that it is alright to be rejected by someone

even if you end up liking them.It is a matter of personal choice and people have all the right in the world to reject/accept a proposal.One should not be affronted by such incidents and should

not take it personal.Love and friendship are just part of life and not life itself.There are things one needs to focus on in life such as making one's life fruitful by achieving things in life for which one is born for.Try to decipher the reason for your birth and what your responsibilities are instead of putting yourself in predicaments which you do not have control on.Now a question arises, what should people who were in a good relation do when one of the partner cheats or ditches for reasons that are beyond comprehension.Isn't it our right to punish/humiliate such people for having spent so much for the relation? The question i would pose here to such people would be "What do we gain by resorting to violence?" We end up ruining our life and life of others around us.Well,understand and convince yourself that everything in life happens for a reason and for your good.If the reason of failure is genuine, work on correcting it and prove your worth.Do or achieve things in life that would make people regret for having rejected you.Do not resort to vengeance and vendetta as you are not gaining anything out of it.By working hard and going heights in life, you are not only doing things that would shape your life for better but also proving your critics what you are capable of.Every successful person has failed in something or the other in life and failure is the driving force for success and hence, one has to take it in a positive spirit.Understand that life is never constant and change is the only thing that is constant.The only way people get this maturity is when we pass our wisdom and share our experiences with them.

So I request all those readers of this blog, young and old to talk to people who are close to you and share your feelings,be it good or bad, by this way we will end up being emotionally stable.I have

personally experienced failures in relation and in life in general and it is because of some well wishers and benevolent souls that i have been able to come out of it strongly instead brooding over it.

If I can do it so can you or anyone for that matter.It is a question of belief.It is not wrong being  depressed but make efforts to come out of it without taking aggressive or evasive actions.Do not

try forgetting things as it is impractical and will put you under extreme discomfort.All you could do is to give it less space to occupy in your memory. Acceptance is the best method to overcome it.Help yourself by helping each other.Stay positive and believe that there is a beautiful life ahead.Live and let live because an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

                                                       God bless ya all !!!

Forgot to say "Thank you"?? Today is yours !!!

Today as i am freed up of my mundane work and so called busy life schedule, i was just taking a stroll down the memory lane and what suddenly struck my mind was the failure to recognize the contribution of so many near and dear ones in shaping one's life.Everybody whom we have met have contributed their bit in moulding our life.Some may have come as blessings and some have come in as lessons.Never the less what becomes the subject of discussion is "Have we thanked them enough?". I sometimes feel that a lot of us have failed to acknowledge people owing to paucity of time or have failed to realize that they deserved our appreciation as mark of courtesy.This can not be attributed to selfishness or arrogance but can simply be quoted as "ignorance".Not that we dont want to thank them but we do not realise the importance of expressing our gratitude.Be it the maid who packed our lunch or our rickshaw puller who drops us at our schools on time or our teacher who showered wisodom on us or our subordinates who helped us in achieving our goals,none of them have been the recepients of our gratitude.Not that they expect it from us but it is a moral demeanor that determins the character in us.The worst of them, we fail to thank our parents who have spent all their life only for our well being and success.We have not only thanked them less but have failed to appreciate their contribution in bringing us up.I see a lot of people disrespecting/scorning for what they could have become instead of appreciating for what they have been made to become.As they say in order of precedence Mother,Father,Teacher and God, the pillars of our life for what we are today have always been an epitome of selflesness and love and it is our moral responsibility that we show them our respect and gratitude.How much would a "thank you" cost us?? not even a penny, but do we realise the value of it for the person receiving it?? its priceless and most importantly it makes the person expressing it happy and not only that it does a world of good for the person receiving it,for he/she feels his/her contribution has been duly recognized and well appreciated.When there is mutual happiness why is it the subject of least importance in one's life in today's world? So folks, why wait?? Rewind the pages of your life, recognize the contribution of loved ones, today is yours, feel free to say "thank you" and feel the differece in life.Don't wait for the perfect moment, take every momet and make it perfect.

 

Giggs- Tearing you apart since 1991

If there is a guy who truly deserves a blog to be written about him, it is definitely got to be "Ryan Giggs".A true red devil legend who has been tearing the footballing world ever since 1991 is one the most gifted players on Earth.What amazes me is that, at the age of 41, he is still playing the same class of football as he used to 20 years back and is still competing against the likes of Messis and Ronaldos giving them a run for their money."Giggsy" as he is affectionately called by his fans, has been an instrumental player behind Manchester United glory over the years. Giggs is known for his tireless running, ball possession and ability to create goal scoring opportunities for those around him.

Giggs is the most decorated player in
English football history. He also holds the club record for most competitive appearances. During his time at United, he has won 13 Premier League winner's medals, four FA Cup winner's medals, three League Cup winner's medals and two Champions League winner's medals. He has two runner-up medals from the Champions League, three FA Cup finals and two League Cup finals, as well as being part of the team five times when it finished second in the Premier League. In recent years, Giggs has captained the team on numerous occasions, particularly in the 2007–08 season when regular captain Gary Neville was ruled out with various injuries. Giggs has a number of personal achievements. He was the first player in history to win two consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards (1992 and 1993). He is the only player to have played and scored in every season of the Premier League, He was elected into the PFA Team of the Century in 2007, the Premier League Team of the Decade in 2003, as well as the FA Cup Team of the Century. Giggs holds the record for the most assists in Premier League history, with 271.

                At international level, Giggs played for the Welsh national team prior to his retirement from international football in 2007, and was once the youngest player to ever represent his country. Giggs was named one of the three over aged players for the Great Britain team to compete at 2012 Summer Olympics, and was subsequently named as the team's captain.Although Giggs played in an era where manchester united had some of the greats like Paul Scholes,David Beckham,Gary Neville,Van Nistle rooy,Roy Keane,Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney,Giggs was always the most celebrated player.To carve an image for himself in an era which saw the likes of Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo,Beckham,Raul who are legends themselves was a commendable achievement.

                Although Giggs was involved in a lot of off-field controversies, on field he was one of the most respected Players for his sheer class and pure skills.Some of his other notable achievements include- has won a record 13 top division English league titles as a player, and only Manchester United player to have winner's medals from all 13 Premier League title wins,Most Premier League appearances for a player,Most starts by a Manchester United player, started in 781 games,First player to score 100 Premier League goals for Manchester United,Second midfielder to have scored 100 goals in the Premier League for a single club,One of four Manchester United players to win two Champions League Medals (others are Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Wes Brown),Oldest (37 years, 289 days) player to score in the Champions League,One of two Manchester United Players to win at least 10 Top division medals.

             Giggs has been a loyal servant to Manchester United and to the footballing world in general.In a sport which has been dominated by money, Giggs chose loyalty to cash and has been associated with a single club for more than 2 decades.He was always the 'Go to man' for Fergie and his side.A man who always gave more than 100% on field has always been adored by footballing community for his commitment and sportsmen-ship  What made me respect him was when i read the following quote that Giggs had once made "At 14,I was being offered money to sign with the other clubs.I was amazed at the incentives bandied about to tempt me to sign.All United offered was two years on associate schoolboy forms.It didn't matter.It was enough for me"

              Last but not the least, to have watched and lived in an era where Giggs played football in itself is a great honour.Long live the legend and may he continue playing football till his end and as Mancunians we are really proud of our "Giggsy" .##Respects

Happiness, happiness where have you been?

It’s been a depressing day for me, no it’s not love failure nor have I lost any near or dear one. I just drove back home and that long journey made me ponder a lot ,as a result left me with plethora of questions unanswered. What have I been doing all these days in my life? What have I achieved in life? How useful have i been to mankind? Am I leading a fruitful and a happy life? Well, apparently none of the questions had an answer. Later as I drove further back home, I tried asking myself as to what does happiness mean to me? To my own sudden disbelief, from the back of my mind came an answer “Happiness is what you define it to be, you fool”, oh yes! I said to myself turning my smirk into a beautiful little smile "and there you go" I said to myself. I was wondering where did I get this sudden euphoria from? Am I a special one? And again this hidden soul in me rose and a whisper came from deep within “Nah! You jerk, you are still a mortal”. Now my smile turned into laughter. Then with full sense I told myself, being happy is a conscious choice. You can define happiness and choose to be happy wherever and whenever you want.

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                            Now as I write I get this sense of pride that my body is full of wisdom. Happiness is a conscious choice indeed. You can be happy for whatever you want and whenever you want. Like for me playing soccer or reading about sourav ganguly or Ryan Giggs drives me crazy and gives me goose bumps. I feel really excited, as a result I am happy. Likewise you can also be happy, the reason could be trivial and silly like eating chocolates or ice creams or flirting with a girl. Anything could lighten your day. Do not be afraid to do what you feel and do what you feel like doing , no matter how insane or infantile it is as long as it is not offensive. Never care what others say, it’s your life and it’s your prerogative to run it the way you want it to.A lot of people have this misconception that with more money comes more happiness. But according to me that’s utter crap. Ambanis, Tatas , Rajinikanths or the Bachchans can have more money than  you or me, but it does not guarantee that they are much happier than us. Happiness cannot be bought, it is free and priceless. One must also know that not many people with wealth are greatly blessed with an equal amount health. So if you are healthy, consider yourself lucky and do not crib or brood over the past or worry about the future, today is yours live like never before. Share your joys and sorrows. Be generous and simple, happiness will come searching for you. Do not let others define your happiness, be your own master. Take chances, make mistakes, enjoy every bit of life, forget the misdeeds and cherish the goodness.

                

                                          As they say “Smile until it hurts, laugh until you cry, love like you never have been broken, Sing like no one's listening, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth, pray with faith, live in the moment, remember the good times, let go of the bad”. Do not waste your time trying to search happiness elsewhere, it is within you; just realize it and life will always be fruit full. Every life has a meaning and so does ours, be happy for what you are and who you are.

                                 

                       

Don’t turn a deaf ear!!!

Democracy, constitution, freedom of speech and expression are just merely restricted to civics and economics text books these days. A nation which brags itself to be an epitome of democracy has put its citizens to shame.Yes, indeed I am talking about our beloved India which hypocritically calls itself the largest existing democracy in the world with lot of freedom. A Nation which has seen the likes of Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar, the sons of this land who worked day in and day out for the very freedom that we breathe would have choked themselves to death had they been existent now. A country run by dynasty and vendetta politics has put itself in the “wall of shame”. Glory days are long gone.

                     Wondering what went wrong with our nation and its people over the years?? Are we resilient by choice or by force?? The kind of political system that is running the country is going to shatter the dreams of developed India. A nation which boasts of Ambanis , Tatas ,Birlas also have the poorest people on earth.Such is the diversity of the land we live in. As they say rich get richer and the poor get poorer and with the kind political gimmick that is existing in our country, forget the dream of seeing ourselves developed. Let alone the right to live but where has the freedom gone?? The only freedom that we had was the freedom of speech and expression, but off late even that seems to have been curtailed or rather restricted and well moderated . Why do I say curtailed and moderated at same time?? Wondering?? Well, it depends on who you are in society. If you are a politician or a cricketer or rich bureaucrat, no matter what you talk, you always sound intelligent and reasonable. For eg: if you are head of some hypocritical religious party and you call your denizens as national heroes and rest of the country as bunch of goons, you don’t sound offensive nor do you hurt the sentiments of people across the nation where as if I was a common man with rational brains and if I was to post a message on a religious leader death being mourned and equated to a Martyr's death there by causing hindrance to daily life, I would be convicted and put behind the bars. Why?? The reason is simple; you have money, power and influence you can get away with anything and say whatever you want ,where as I, a common man has nothing but truth as wealth will have to run for my life solely because i am not a big fish. Now if such kind of ridiculous system is allowed to bud, how will this nation progress???

                           If a country calls itself a Nation moving forward and if the government calls itself as being Just and rational, it would allow it’s citizens the freedom to express and would take their aspersions as positivly to improve itself and there by bettering it’s chances of cementing the trust of it’s people. Now, if country does not bother about its citizens, where is the question of freedom of speech and expression? We are a democratic country not an autocratic(Hilter type) nation. We should listen to the voices of the people and should respect their thoughts and not brand them as being trivial or offensive. We should proudly tell all those demagogues who believe in factional politics loud that “WE HEAR COS WE CARE” 

Let us be a nation that’s listens to the hues and cries of its people and not be a nation that turns a deaf ear. Remember that synonym of democracy is always for the people, by the people and of the people and you ought to listen to us(citizens).It's our nation and we care for it.