Adieu !! Dada of Cricket ....

There are many players in the International Cricket who can time the ball,Hit through the line,Come down the Track,Play elegantly.But when it comes to Off-side there is no one to Superimpose Saurav Ganguly (The Prince of Calcutta or DADA).Dada made his Test Debut against England at “The Grandiloquent LORD’S” the English Batsman batted first and Scored a Mammoth 344 and in that innings it all Happened that Nasser Hussain became Ganguly’s first Test Victim and then Jack Russel(The wicketkeeper during that time) of England Played a Brilliant and superlative Knock to make England reach that Score of 344..Then Came the Men in Blue in White Uniforms->It was a early setback for the Indians when Rathour went cheaply of Cork’s Bowling and this Brought the Legend to the Crease remember this was his Debut and he was Confident and Strong at the Crease like a Sergeant in the Beat House and he was Comfortable with Mullaly and Cork ->The Wicket Machines Of England during that era..And He Drove the Ball with ease through the Off-Side and Timed the Ball well Straight down the Ground and was never looking tensile ..And then one of the Closest Friend and his Team mate Rahul Dravid Joined him and they Both had an 100 Partnership in which Ganguly’s heroics were exposed and after some years Rahul Dravid told in one of the Interviews “On the off-side, first there is God, then there is Ganguly“..Who can forget his Timely Knock at the Dhaka in the Finals against Pakistan (The Hrishikesh Kanitkar’s Last Ball Boundary) and his Innings Against Sri Lanka at Taunton which made him the First Indian to cross 180+ Score in World Cup Matches/International ODI..

And then the man was honored with the Captaincy of INDIAN Cricket on 10th Nov 2000 and there also this man of guts was bold enough to go for unusual experimentation. Who can forget his aggressiveness on field, his rotation policy of bowlers, opportunity on offering for new talent be it Sehwag or Yuvraj. Even his records speak a ton for him, he has been the "Best Indian Captain" so far. Truely speaking, dada was the magic wand which taught Men in Blue to believe in themselves and see what he did, India which rarely won any series outside went on to Tie series with Kangaroos and defeated England, South Africa, west-Indies, Pakistan in their own soil.

And as they say "Always there will be people to pull your legs when you are riding those staircases to top". Same had to happen with dada also, the man whom he always trusted went against him (Greg Chappel) and since then dada had his falls.
But how long a tiger like him can be caged, he was back that too with a bang and it was also dubbed as one of the finest comeback and here is the man retiring gracefully with a series of contribution to Indian Cricket.

Dada you may gone out of field but Your classic shots, those huge sixes, that Chest-baring show @Lords and many more heroics that you crafted during your carrer will be their in our heart forever. So here I'm bidding my own course of adieu to this Real Legend !!

It happens only in India !!

An old story:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed.The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

Indian version:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.
The world is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.
Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that the Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.

Amnesty International and Kofi Annan criticize the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support for the Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance).

Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for 'Bengal Bandh' in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a judicial enquiry.
CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and Grasshoppers.
Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the 'Prevention of Terrorism against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter.
Arjun Singh makes 'Special Reservation' for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions and in Government Services.

Arundhati Roy calls it 'a Triumph of Justice'.
Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice'.
CPM calls it the 'Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden'.
Kofi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later...

The Ant has since migrated to another country and set up a multi-billion dollar company,1000s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India,
And
As a result of losing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the grasshoppers,
India is still a developing country…!!!

Now the Big Question ....?

Can we change the system? India is making good progress in spite of the grasshoppers and their sympathizers with a few ants that remain but we can accelerate it’s growth tremendously if we weed out the grasshopper sympathizers and their grasshoppers from among us.

What we do when we acheive our dream ... ??.

You may say dream n again dream .. partially true !! But they aren't shaped overnight right ....
This is the moment which all of us maybe once or numbers that one keeps counting occurs in our life ... so what we do then ??


In initial months you enjoy da sweet success with your loved ones, thanking god repetitively but then all this becomes a past and as the world's theory, you run after another one !!

means you never stop but do we ever think about them who missed on these opportunity or who are crying somewhere when we were celebrating, rarely........ right !! In this so called globalized world, day by day we are loosing the words like sympathy,help,care from our regular dictionary. With the success we are so obsessed that we never care how world is being tretaed around us.

Dunn u feel this is the biggest or most important dream that every individual should nurture n inculcate. Why we are so ugly and show apathy to the poor or so called mass of suffering class??
There are hundred's of such question to be asked. A single crisis and we are no more in our comfort zone, for us its like the end of world. Perhaps, patience has ran out of our life.
We look at all ills around us and they keep happening and when we are questioned about our ignorant attitude about this then most of us (that includes me also) go asking what was i supposed to do ??

Duh ... What are you supposed to do.....when the ones with all the power are hurting those with none?. Well, for starters, you stand up.You stand up and face the truth. You stand up and tell the truth....for your people. You stand up......even when you're all alone.

If we want to leave back a world where everybody can feel happy n safe then we gotta change ourselves else these dreams of ours are meaningless and crappy and overshadowed by the gloom of people around us.

SO if you really wanna dream and feel the taste of loving it, dream for people, dream for your country. Stop asking questions and do what you can and above all persuade people to do the same.

You know what ...

"Our life is a speeding train and no body is sure where it's headed. But one thing is certain that we all have second chance to make it right. Touched by god, we've to believe that he has a purpose for our life. It's matter of time that we realise his and our purpose and make it the ditto."

Project Bihar Part 1 : Awakening

This is something i came across a discussion about "Situation in Bihar" from a bihari.
This will touch your nerve for sure especially if you are a Bihari ( Resident of a state called Bihar in India).

भाइयो बुरा लगता है हमको भी बुरा लगता है लेकिन हम अब मानने लगे हैं कि बिहार के दुर्दशा के लिए बिहारी ही दोषी है. बिहार में जो ये भीषण प्रलय आया है ये कोई प्राकृतिक आपदा नहीं है. ये एक ऐसे घोर अपराध का सीन है जिसमे 35 लाख लोग बरबाद हो गए. किसी ने तो ये अपराध किया. ये कहना कि देश ने बिहार को क्या दिया अनुचित है. बिहारी पहले ये पूछे कि बिहारियों ने बिहार को अब तक क्या दिया. दुनिया ने फलिस्तीन क्रिसिस का क्लिप देखा, इराक क्रिसिस का क्लिप देखा, अफगानिस्तान क्रिसिस का क्लिप देखा, दार्फुर क्रिसिस का क्लिप देखा लेकिन गरीबी का जो नजारा बिहार में बाढ़ से भागते लोगों में देखा वो कहीं नहीं देखा. अधनंगे, भूखे, चिथड़ों में लिपटे लोग जिनके आंखों में सिर्फ़ आंसू था. लोगों ने पूछा सभी बिहारी तो ऐसे नही होते, कोई तो होगा जिसके तन पर ढंग का एक कपड़ा हो? कहाँ है वो? कहाँ गया वो बिहारी जो इन गरीबों के लिए कुछ कर सकता था?
सच तो ये है कि ऐसा बिहारी, बिहार छोड़ कर भाग गया है. बिहार में आज पुरे तन पर कपड़े वाला बिहारी है ही नहीं. कपड़े वाला बिहारी दिल्ली, मुंबई, हैदराबाद और न जाने कहाँ कहाँ है लेकिन बिहार में नही है. जब राज ठाकरे गरीब बिहारियों को पिटवाता है तो ये अपने को आश्वस्त करते है कि गरीब बिहारी का पिटाई हुआ इनका नहीं. फ़िर ये कहते हैं बिहारी मुंबई में दूध बेचने, नौकर आदि का काम करते हैं इसलिए ये सब हो रहा है और इनका भी नाम ख़राब हो रहा है. समस्या ये है कि राज ठाकरे अपने आन्दोलन के प्रति इमानदार नही है. अगर वो इमानदार होता तो सबसे पहले इन कपडेवाले बिहारियों को मुंबई से खदेड़ता नहीं तो कम से कम हाथ जोड़ के इनसे विनती ही करता कि अब आप बिहार लौट जाइए क्योकि आपकी जरूरत बिहार को है. सच्चाई ये है कि जब तक ये कपड़े वाले बिहारी लाखों कि संख्या में ट्रेन और प्लेन भर-भर के बिहार नहीं लौटते बिहार ऐसे ही दरिद्र रहेगा. बिहार में आज स्किल वाले लोग हैं ही नही. लौटो लोगो लौटो, बिहार लौट जाओ. देखो उन गरीब लोगों को जिनका इस बाढ़ में सब कुछ ख़तम हो गया, सोचो तुम भी उन्हीं में से एक हो. आओ बिहार एक नया जिन्दगी जियो. एक दिन सुबह उठो और चुप-चाप बिहार का ट्रेन पकड़ लो और जैसे कड़े संघर्ष से बाहर में एक मुकाम बनाये वैसे ही यहां बिहार में अपने लोगों के बीच एक मुकाम बनाओ. वरना ऐसे ही frustrate की तरह बोलोगे देश ने क्या दिया है.

अरे हम ही भारत देश हैं तो फ़िर ये सवाल का क्या मायना. देखो कैसे अपना भारतीय सशत्र सेना अपने जान की परवाह किए बिना गरीबों में भी गरीब बिहारी के जान और माल को बचा रहे हैं. सोचो अपने भारतीय सेना के बहादुरी के बिना कितने लाख लोग मरते. देश पर सवाल उठाना जायज नहीं हैं क्योकि देश अपने माँ और बाबूजी के समान है. ये एक सीमा तक ही सहयोग कर सकते हैं आगे तो हमे ख़ुद ही करना हैं.

बड़ा द्वंद का सवाल है कि क्या बिहार लौटना व्यावहारिक है? नौकरी, कॉलेज, अमरीका का सपना? कैसे सम्भव होगा बिहार लौटना? शायद जब विप्रो, इन्फोसिस बंगलोर छोड़ के बिहार के सेवा में लग जाए तब. शायद जब फतुहा में इंटेल अपने नए आईसी बनाने का फैक्ट्री लगायेगा तब या फ़िर शायद जब बोइंग खगरिया में अपने नये प्लेन असेम्बली का यूनिट डालेगा तब. कैसा व्यावहारिक सोच है ये? मजबूरी है ये मजबूरी. और मजबूरी से ही आता है कमजोरी. एक मजबूर आदमी व्यावहारिक नहीं सोच सकता है. भाइयो कम से कम हम तो ऐसे व्यवहारिक सोच पे सवाल खड़ा कर ही देंगे. हाँ लेकिन जब कोई महाराणा प्रताप के तरह घास का रोटी खाने पर उतर आए तो वो न तो मजबूर है न कमजोर. सुपौल में कुछ लोग सीसम के पेड़ का पत्ता चबा के दस दिन जिन्दा रहे ऐसे लोगों को मैं ना तो मजबूर, ना ही कमजोर कहूँगा. हम कहते हैं कि क्या बिहारी आज के तारीख में सिर्फ़ पत्थर तोड़ने के ही लायक है? मुझे पता है कि आप अपने को शिल्पकार कहते है. लेकिन ऐसा भी कैसा शिल्पकार जिसे अपने ही शिल्पकारी पे भरोसा नहीं. शिल्पकार तो आप तब कहलाते जब आप अपने शिल्पकारी का भाव पता होता और ख़ुद आप उसको सीधे बाजार में बेचते. किसी दूसरे के लिए पत्थर तोड़ने को शिल्पकारी नहीं कहते हैं. उसको आप मजदूरी कह सकते हैं और चाहे तो मजबूरी भी कह सकते हैं. क्योंकि मजदूरी और मजबूरी में कोई ज्यादा फरक नहीं होता है. शाम के नौ बजे के बाद जितना मौज मना लीजिये लेकिन सुबह आठ बजे के बाद कंपनी में अगले शुक्रवार तक माफिया कानून ही चलता है.

जी हाँ हम उद्यमशीलता की बात कर रहे हैं. अभी एक भाई साहेब आई आई एम, अहमदाबाद से आए और पटना में सब्जी बेचकर पैसा पीटने लगे. जी हाँ हम ऐसे ही उद्यमशीलता की बात कर रहे हैं. अमरीका में एक कहावत है, "जब तुमको जानकारी है तो फ़िर तुम गरीब क्यों हो." सीखे न जी एतना दिन दूसरे के कंपनी में अब अपना कंपनी बिहार में काहे नै शुरू करते हो. जी हाँ एक आदमी वाला कंपनी जिसके नेता आप, मजदूर आप. हो सकता है कुछ दिन घास का रोटी खाना पड़े लेकिन कसम से ई रोटी का मज़ा बंगलोर के बटर नान से ज्यादा है. जो आप अब भी एतना नै कर सकते हैं तो हम यही कहेंगे कि ना तो आपको जानकारी(टेक्नोलॉजी) है, ना ही आपको पता(कस्टमर) है, ना ही आप में इन्नोवेशन(उद्यमशीलता) का ललक है, आप सिर्फ़ पत्थरतोड़ मजदूर बनने के लायक हैं. और यदि आप ने हिम्मत कर लिया तो आगे चल कर आपको स्किल्ल्ड लोगों के सहयोग का जरूरत होगा. तब आपको पता चलेगा बिहार कैसे विसिअस साइकल में फंसा है. आपको एक भी स्किल्ड आदमी नहीं मिलेगा और यदि आपने कुछ एक को अपने छमता अनुसार ट्रेन किया भी तो वो ट्रेंड होने के बाद पहला गाड़ी दिल्ली, मुंबई, पुणे, बंगलोर आदि के लिए पकडेगा. भले ही वो आपका भतीजा हो या भांजा वो आपको बेरहमी से धोका देकर भाग जाएगा. ऐसा इसलिए होगा क्योंकि वो दबाब में है. उसके सारे दोस्त बड़े बड़े शहरों के बड़े बड़े कॉल सेंटर और आईटी सेंटर में काम करते है. लगता तो ऐसे है जैसे नासा का कंट्रोल सेंटर हो. ऊंचा पगार मिलता है. कहाँ वो बंगलोर का पोश कंपनी, वो गले में कुत्ते का पट्टा, कहाँ ई पटना में बिना साइनबोर्ड वाला कंपनी. पिछला दो महिना से पगार भी नहीं मिला. लेकिन चिंता का कौनो बात नहीं है. कुछ तो घास के रोटी का असर, कुछ समय का अनुभव, सफलता मिलेगा. लोग भी मिलेंगे.

देखिये बाल ठाकरे बोला एक बिहारी सौ बीमारी और हम कहते हैं एक बिहारी सौ पे भारी. लेकिन हम तभी सही होंगे जब हम अपने हिम्मत, हुनर और जुगाड़ से ये साबित करे कि हम सौ लोगों में से एक हैं. का लगता है ई चीनी लोग सब R&D करके आगे बढ़ा क्या, या फ़िर आपका बंगलोर वाला कंपनी कौनो रॉकेट बना रहा है? अरे चोरा लेता है तकनीकी से लेके कस्टमर बेस तक और तुम हो कि एतना दिन से कंपनी में काम कर रहे हो न कस्टमर बेस हाथ लगा न तकनिकी जबकि सच्चाई ये है कि तुम्हारा कंपनी ये तकनिकी और कस्टमर दोनो तुम्हारे ही पत्थरतोड़ मेहनत से ही हासिल करता है. अगर सौ दो सौ बिहारी भी घास का रोटी खाने का फ़ैसला कर ले तो बिहार का मुक्कदर बदला जाएगा. फ़िर कोई बाहर नहीं जायेगा और एक ऐसा शमा बंधेगा कि जो पत्थरतोड़ मजदूर होगा उसको भी यहीं पत्थर तोड़ने मिल जाएगा. इसलिए एगो सदा कागज लीजिए और उसपर लिख डालिए " Project Return To Bihar". फ़िर क्या है बिना किसी कोई ढिंढोरा पीटे तकनीकी से लेके, प्रोडक्ट तक, भावी कस्टमर से लेके कैश फ्लो तक सब लिख डालिए और जब दिखने लगे की आख़िर में ये सम्भव है तो एक दिन सुबह चुप-चाप बिहार का ट्रेन पकड़ लीजिये. अब आपको क्या व्यावहारिक लगता है या क्या नहीं ये तो आपको सोचना है जी, हमने तो ऐसा ही किया. घास का रोटी खा रहे हैं. है अपने ऊपर विश्वास हमको, हम होंगे कामयाब. किसी को एडुकेट नही करना है. अपने आपके हिम्मत को जगाना है. मेरे बिहार के हिम्मतबाज भाइयो,दिखा दो अपने हिम्मत, हुनर और जुगाड़ का कमाल. कूद पडो बिहार के enterprenureship के जंग में. ठीक है माना कि तुम्हारा दो टकइए का नौकरी जाएगा लेकिन सोचो यदि बिहार में सफल हुए तो क्या धमाल मचेगा.

सोचो प्लान करो - बस बहुत हो गया "आ अब लौट चलें". याद रखो बिहार हमी से है. हम हैं तो बिहार है. बिहार के यदि हम न हुए तो कोई नहीं होगा. अपना बिहार, आओ काम करें अकेले में घुटकर नहीं बल्कि अपने लोगों के बीच. हम उदहारण बने लोगों के बीच. लोगों को नेतृत्व दें. हम रोजगार ढूंढें नहीं बल्कि रोजगार का अवसर पैदा करें. बिहार के वर्तमान क्रिमिनल-माफिया और नेतृत्व को दिखाएँ कि थोड़ा सा हुनर, थोड़ा सा जुगाड़ से कैसे revenue generate किया जा सकता है. लेकिन एक दो घास खाने वाले से काम नहीं चलेगा. और भी घास खाने वाले लोग चाहिए. तो सोचना क्या है शुरू कीजिये "Project Return To Bihar". इसके लिए आपको न मेरी न किसी और की बल्कि अपने आपको तैयार करना है. दवाई बनाओ, टेबल कुर्सी बनाओ, चटाई बनाओ, टोकरी बनाओ, स्टील का काम करो, एल्यूमिनियम का काम करो, खाना बनाओ या ट्रक बनाओ, बिजली बनाओ या पल्स्टिक, सॉफ्टवेर या हार्डवेयर, टूथ पेस्ट बनाओ या तेल ....लेकिन अब बिहार में ही ई सब का काम करो. इस निर्णय के लिए किसी नेट्वर्किंग का जरूरत नही हैं. जरूरत है तो बस आपके हुनर, हिम्मत और विश्वास की. हम आगे यहाँ कमेन्ट नहीं करेंगे. हमारा मकसद सिर्फ़ ये था बिहार के समस्या का समाधान हम ख़ुद ही हैं, आप हैं. एक चुटकी में हल सम्भव है लेकिन आपको हिम्मत तो दिखाना पड़ेगा. बांकी आप होशियार लोग हैं और निर्णय आपका ही होगा.

नोट: आशुतोष जी, हम और हमारे कंपनी के लोग, कंपनी के ओर से अपने छमता के अनुसार एक चेक मुख्यमंत्री राहत कोष में जमा करवा आए हैं. आगे भी जो सिचुएशन होगा उसके अनुसार फ़िर से आपस में कुछ पैसा जमा करके मुख्यमंत्री राहत कोष में जमा करवाएंगे. क्या करे ऊँट के मुंह में जीरा होगा ये सब फ़िर भी अगले 6 माह तक कुछ गरीब को जो बाढ़ में सब कुछ खो दिए उनको यहीं पर जीने का दूसरा राह, यानी की इलेक्ट्रॉनिक असेम्बली का ट्रेनिंग, PCB layout का ट्रेनिंग देने का फ़ैसला है. अगर कुछ लोग अच्छा रहा तो जॉब पर रख भी लेंगे बांकी को स्वरोजगार का राह दिखायेंगे. ईंजिनीअरबा ना कामचोर और ट्रेनिंग लेके भाग जाता है बांकी बिहार का लोग बहूत अच्छा और मेहनतकश होता है.

Now I know whaT a toUgh day is ??

This was just another morning, news were floating around about Operating System marks to be shown today .. so long wait was about to be over !!
I had my dailies and was getting ready for the climax, at times i thought this is the last chance i got "It's now or never", i knew i had worked hard this semester and was even reaping the fruits in other subjects and this was one which is going to be my area of Interest and a good grade will do me the favour.
So with all those hopes in my kitty i reached da destination. Crowd was all ga-ga... things have been delayed by 30 mins (no worries that's usual scene in India, at times i think we must be waisting atleast 20-30 % of our life waiting".
So for passing the boring hour (with tensions gripping da minds) we started with chit chats, dunno how that half n hour passed !!

Roll no were being called and if you look at faces around you get to know how tough the going was, as usual my wait was longer finally got the marks ... ohh not bad !!

atleast i recovered the loss of first test through it. but what next wa in store nobody expected, somebody was caught red handed ... no worries this has been happening for years !!

There are two ways you score talent talent & talent ... naah this is just a phrase !!

realiTy is cheat cheat & cheat, when it comes to blaming everybody takes the lead and i'm no exception but when it gets to you, you tend to forgot all that !!
any way some day or other this was expected so no shocker !!

But next come the shock of life.... i got my end sem marks and god i never expected it to turn up this way...m in Last 10 , god how can this happen that too after i did my paper so well.
any way my only hope was seeing the paper for correction still 3 gruelling hours for that.

And these were the 3 hours that changed my perception a bit towards life, there are people who claims to be your friends but these are the testing time that gets you know the truth !!

I can't name them here but during those 3hours when i was crying bukets alone in my room, i needed someone who could believe me and assure me that i cant get this marks. But this is a competative world and there is nothing like emotions or feelings here, i was left alone as if discarded as if they were more than happy hearing my failure.
This is the time when i realize this world is a pond of selfish fishes, they will be with you but given a chance they won't hesitate making you a prey in their way to move ahead.

Anyway thank god that i have been in hostel for almost 11-12 yrs so have seen a lot of this breed so know how to cope with them.
Finally it was 4'o clock , i had my answer sheet with me and as expected 15 marks turned out to be 50 and am safely placed in B grade, not bad.
Thank god atleast you are alwayz there for me.

Anyway if you people are reading this, then this is my word to all those friends( and they know whom am talking about), please dont be hypocrites if you hate me say it on my face i will surely love to walk out of your life.

So that is another story of mine but that is how i'm.

‘INDIA IS LIKE A CEREBRAL COURTESAN’

There is a general belief that India is in the throes of a sexual revolution. And that young Indians are experimenting like never before. I wonder how much of that is really true. One thing, however, that cannot be disputed is that women have finally discovered autonomy over their own bodies. Especially young urban women, who seem to be very active sexually. Far more so than my generation, and far more openly so than the in-between generation. Talking to liberal, articulate girls into their second decade, it’s easy to believe that they are totally relaxed about their sexuality. But are they really? Or is it just a Delhi/Mumbai niche phenomenon that one uses to make a bigger statement about the country’s attitude....
How much have things really changed? Even a casual viewing of popular soap operas reveals the desired attributes of ‘traditional’ Indian women. Matrimonial ads continue to specify the virginal requirements of brides. And even an iconic movie star like Amitabh Bachchan is not embarrassed to state he approves of actress Aishwarya Rai (his daughterin-law) because she is ‘homely and domesticated’ (read: not a sexual adventuress). While young Indian men have relaxed the double standards a little, when it comes to choosing a partner they still reserve their respect for the ‘well-brought-up’ girl (read: conservative and untouched). Words like ‘slut’, ‘whore’, ‘pimpette’, ‘bitch’ continue to be hurled at any woman who society believes sleeps around or indulges in sexual escapades. Men? Oh, they have an entirely
separate set of rules. ‘Mard toh mard hai,’ everybody agrees....The thing is, Indians deep down believe sex is ‘dirty’. It is referred to as ‘gandi baat’. Nobody wants to discuss the subject in an open, natural way. There is far too much guilt involved. And too much revulsion, too. Bodily fluids are considered distasteful — which could explain why kissing itself is thought of by many as being ‘un-Indian’. Adults plant chummas on children. And there it ends. No wonder kissing on screen is still seen as a big issue, worthy of extensive media attention.
The colour of money is no longer an issue — you’ve got it, flaunt it. Dirhams, dollars, euros or yen. No problem. Besides, everybody has money these days — God knows where it’s coming from. And nobody cares about all these annoying statistics. Poverty line? Ooh...is that what Sabya’s latest collect at Fashion Week is called? Kewl. Farmers dying in Vidarbha? Come on, girls, let’s host a Charity Auction. Call that Princess of Kadkaland as patron. Champagne on the house. Dress code, minimal. Must do something for these poor guys, yaar. Poverty no longer registers. In fact, poverty angers most Indians. We are upset when we are reminded of an old blight. It’s really a nuisance to be told the India story isn’t all that rosy, after all. In the present rah-rah scenario, we want rainbows and butterflies on our mental screensavers. Not begging bowls and emaciated bodies. We’re done with that image. Done, done, done. Take it away. Banish it. Oh please...not that ghisa-pita rubbish again. Young India is going great guns...nobody can spoil the party. One can sense the euphoria, feel the excitement. India is on a roll, brother. Don’t be a bloody spoilsport and talk about farmers’ deaths and stuff like that. People die, man...people die. But the point is: you can get a life.
Sure.
Sigmund Freud spent a lifetime wondering what women want, and came up with a blank. Most sociologists feel ditto when it comes to providing an answer to another zillion-dollar question: What do Indians really want? The obvious answers are ‘Freedom’, ‘Democracy’, ‘Money’, ‘Education’. All these sound boring as hell, plus, I wonder if those are really what today’s Indian wants. ‘Money’ is by far the unchallenged numero uno requirement, but the other three have little meaning, since they’re a given. An old friend raising a twenty-year-old daughter came to see me the other day. He mentioned how our generation were told we’d have to wait patiently for rewards...whatever those would turn out to be. Work hard for the exams. Slog away, swot, swot, swot. Compete like crazy. Await results. Phew! First class in hand, work some more. Swot some more. Apply for a ‘decent’ job. Keep your fingers crossed. Land the job. Continue slaving. Wait for promotion. Keep slogging. Spend fifteen years or more in the same job. Get bored. Get restless. Marry sometime in between. Produce children. Hang in there. Grow middle-aged. Grow a paunch. Lose hair. Lose patience. Lose temper. Give up! End of story. End of life. But that’s not how it works today. Kids want it all. And they want it now. And they don’t all want to work that hard, either. It’s about having ‘chill time’, ‘personal time’, a ‘life plan’ that includes frequent holidays. Kids want to ‘hang’. And they want to ‘connect’. Mainly over the Net. No personal contact — or very little. No emotional investment. Or very little. Just lots of stimulation and virtual relationships that include virtual gifts ($1 for a pair of sexy thongs) on Facebook. Thrilling, or wot?
Mangta hai, kya...yeh bolo...I dared to ask this potentially explosive question of a twentyone-year-old. She didn’t miss a beat before answering, ‘Money’. Was I surprised, disappointed, shocked? Not at all. I’d met an honest person. A global thinker! Isn’t that what the young really, really want, no matter where they come from?
If India indeed has a ‘Mayawati honeymoon’ on the cards, it may not be such a bad thing. A fire-breathing dragon lady entirely in touch with the aam janata may come as a welcome change from the sabjanta World Bankwallahs, who, some fear, have sold Indian interests to American cronies — cleverly camouflaged, of course. Besides, if Mayawati’s reign turns out to be short and far-fromsweet, it will pave the way for the emperor-in-waiting, Rahul Gandhi. That Rahul is being groomed for the family business is obvious enough. Regardless of his ability or reluctance, Rahul is the anointed one. Indians believe that the fourth generation is the tricky one. Decline sets in by the third, while the fourth finishes off the job! Tracking Rahul will be a fascinating exercise for political analysts. As of now, Rahul looks all set to glide into history books — a dimpled prince with a penchant for faux pas. But seriously cute, nevertheless!
Everything but everything in India can be traced back to that tiny two-letter word ‘Ma’! The great mother figure is the one single constant that has not been thrown out in the current cultural revolution. Nearly everything else has. The matriarch possesses such a terrifying hold over us that to deny her rightful position is to invite the wrath of the gods.Will the next generation be equally attached? Equally sensitive? Doubtful. From the ‘Ma’ generation to the ‘Me’ generation — one tiny letter of the alphabet, but what a sea change has taken place in under twenty years.




Excerpted from Shobhaa De’s ‘Superstar India: From Incredible to Unstoppable’, to be launched on April 29 by Penguin India

Race BegIns NOw !!

Now let me ask you this....wats the tOughest part u feel abt lyf......for me its nothing other than "EXPECTATIONS " (may b of your family , neighbours , teachers , country , friends or nyone who cares 4 u) and know wat these dayz this is da thing eating my mind !!

Microsoft results r out, i know i dunn appeared so i shudn't b worried but still sumwhere in my heart it pinches me !! I was quite gud in this RACE 3 yrs bck....... i hve spent these 3 yrs enjoing in my own LALA land n now i dont even have time to repent !!

tatS why for me This is anOther inning , a chance given by me to change or make my destiny !!
they say "Success is forever .. but failure doesn't means that you wont succeed tommorow" , so this is da quote m banking on right now !!

Every morning i wake up n tell myself....things will b rite ...i will again recover that pride of mine n know what there may be hundreds or thousands of people around you , but 99% of them are selfish once you start loosing they try n push you bck furthur as if you are a piece of crap !! n its ur wits n pride that fights against all those odds (Thanks 2 my alma meter for making me strong enough to stand all the tides ).

I know i have it in me to b BIG !! the need is to follow it along the right path........n i assure all of you ... this is My oath for all those who cares for me or even for those who want me to be doomed !!

I will come bck...........and will show you what i'm made off !!

way To go before i sleep !!

heh if u read this srry this wasn't for you i just felt like needing some motivation so thot of putting it here !!

The Power of DreaMs

Dreams are the pathways to our inner souls and come from our subconscious mind. While we are sleeping, our body tries to send messages about the wants and needs our body. A person's dreams can give a sense of direction in life. Even though we cannot remember, a majority of our dreams when we wake up still have an impact on the way we think and function. Sigmund Freud believed that dreams are expressions of unfulfilled wishes and desires.

Dreaming plays an important role in our lives. Studies have shown that people who are repeatedly awakened at the beginning of dream periods for several nights become irritable and have difficulty concentrating. If your bodies' natural sleep cycle has been interrupted and has been deprived of dream sleep, your body will compensate by providing proportionately more dream sleep at the next dream sleep opportunity. Research shows that a healthy sleep is needed for a person's body to restore itself. Some scientists believe that adequate dream sleep is equally important because it enables the brain to recharge.

Medical research has not proven this testimony. Usually, when a person is awake, their brain waves will show a regular rhythym. When a person first falls asleep, the brain waves become slower and less regular. They call this sleep state non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.

NREM sleep consists of stages. There are four stages and each stage is a progressively deeper stage. The deeper the sleep, the more your body restores itself. Stage one sleep is the transition from wakefulness to sleep. Restoration begins in stage two, but is more significant in stages three and four, sometimes called delta sleep.

After an hour and a half of NREM sleep, the brain waves begin to show a more active pattern again, though the individual is in a deep sleep. These sleep states are called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, is when dreaming occurs. A person typically experiences a brief arousal from sleep and returns to stage two sleep after dreaming. This sleep cycle has begun again. The length of time in each of these stages differs throughout the night, with most REM sleep occurring during the later sleep cycle.

Dreaming and fantasizing give you a feeling of serenity and inner peace. Fantasizing has a positive impact on you and your body. When you fantasize, you put yourse

lf in a state of consciousness that lies between reality and the world of dreams. The imagination roams freely, although usually guided by mostly unconscious urges, concerns and memories. Fantasies help us find out what type of ambition we have and the people we want to become in life; it takes us into another world where we can do and become anything we want. It allows us to relax and joyfully think about the various scenarios that would make us happy.

While growing up, I always enjoyed sitting and closing my eyes and fantasizing about something relaxing. It seemed when I understood my body and mind, I was able to make them function as one and then release all negative thoughts and feelings that were putting unnecessary stress on me. My stress level decreased and so did the total amount of epileptic seizures I was having monthly.

During this time of dreaming and fantasizing, you can focus on anything you want, including making goals for yourself on how you are going to live your whole life. It is important that you always dreamed about positive things. Do not think negatively or feel sorry for yourself. Look at yourself as a fighter and an achiever. Do not let anything get in your way.


Dreams can stay in your mind, no one has to know about them, and you can record them, in your daily diary, where you write down your significant dreams and fantasies. These dreams and fantasies can be used as motivators to help you work on loving yourself. Your dreams and fantasies can help you plan your life five or even ten years from now and you can use your dreams to strengthen your inner self. When life seems too stressful to handle; close your eyes and let your mind take you somewhere you can relax and fantasize.

Dreams are the pathways to your inner soul, it is your soul that knows what your mind and body needs. Reach out and get in contact with your soul because it is necessity that you take the time out to understand what your mind and body crave.

So waKe up let your soul fly in the world of Dreams !!