Hi All,
Inequality has been a phenomenon that has been plaguing mankind time immemorial. It has crystallized into violent revolutions in the past and is threatening civil society in many countries today. India seems to be no exception to this trend. Our politicians seem to be hell bent on abolishing inequality, at least on paper. Great thinkers rue the fact that it still exist in our society and keep warning us on the continuance of inequality in civil society.
Though i couldnt agree more with the above mentioned people for the need of eliminating inequality, i ponder what a “inequality-less” society will be like. Why would our house maids work for us if they had the same amount of resources, opportunities as us. Why would we be working for our present employers if we have what they already possess. As you probably would agree with me, it is the inequality,in a perverse way, that keeps society ticking.
Combine that with human desire for continual improvement, we have a human populace that works for each other makes us all interdependent and paving the way for a more unified society. All well and good unless you are at the receiving end of the inequality you would say. Again i couldnt agree more.
But what if even at the receiving end, people had reasonable access to education, employment, affordable housing and nutrition. Would that kind of inequality be such a bad thing after all? So what if a small minority among us are filthily rich and probably having earnings multiple times as the rest of the population as long as the majority can survive and sustain better modest lifestyles.
Instead of viewing inequality as an evil, we should probably have fresher perspectives on this issue.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Religion
Hi all,
Religion has been an issue that has evoked eternal debate and it is this issue that i wish to talk about. There have numerous discussions on religious extremism, communalism etc in this space and elsewhere. But what i wish to discuss is something different and distanced from the above mentioned.
Something about religion has irked me quite a bit. It is our brazen display of our religious affiliations that leave me perturbed. Be it the kumkum on Hindu women or the white cap on Muslim men or the turbans of Sikhs, we seem to have no qualms about wearing our religion up our sleeves and other hand we seem to be proud of displaying these religious articles.
Before you pounce on me and accuse me of being an atheist, i must say that i am in fact far from one. It is just that, i feel, displaying our affiliations in the open doesn't augur well for a harmonious society. We keep harping that religion should not pervade our society but keep doing the exact opposite. Why cant we just restrict our religious practices to the confines of our four walls? Is it necessary to openly display our religious faith to be counted among the faithful? Even if there is a minuscule chance that stopping these practices would in fact augment our chances of a more harmonious society, wouldn't it be worth a try?
Religion has been an issue that has evoked eternal debate and it is this issue that i wish to talk about. There have numerous discussions on religious extremism, communalism etc in this space and elsewhere. But what i wish to discuss is something different and distanced from the above mentioned.
Something about religion has irked me quite a bit. It is our brazen display of our religious affiliations that leave me perturbed. Be it the kumkum on Hindu women or the white cap on Muslim men or the turbans of Sikhs, we seem to have no qualms about wearing our religion up our sleeves and other hand we seem to be proud of displaying these religious articles.
Before you pounce on me and accuse me of being an atheist, i must say that i am in fact far from one. It is just that, i feel, displaying our affiliations in the open doesn't augur well for a harmonious society. We keep harping that religion should not pervade our society but keep doing the exact opposite. Why cant we just restrict our religious practices to the confines of our four walls? Is it necessary to openly display our religious faith to be counted among the faithful? Even if there is a minuscule chance that stopping these practices would in fact augment our chances of a more harmonious society, wouldn't it be worth a try?
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Trip to Kanchipuram
Hi All,
I am back and i have a good reason for not posting for such a long interval. The waiting period for a posting location just seems to get loooonger and looonger every passing day and it seems like my training got completed ages back. Its not just the depression from the waiting but also a rather excruciating throat condition that has prevented me from doing what i want do.
Anyways, i paid a visit to my sister’s place during the extended Good Friday weekend and we went to Kanchipuram to buy some silk sarees for the women folk. As you would have guessed, i tried to sneak away by providing some lame reason but as fate would have it i was not even given a choice.
So off we went…. me, my mother, my sis her two kids and my bro-in-law. It was quite a journey taking almost an hour and half and the bad roads not making the situation any better. Once we had reached there it was hospitality at its best. Greetings flew thick and fast and within minutes we had a salesman allocated to us and the onerous task of choosing the best sarees started.(That was approximately the time i opened the HINDU which i had brought along anticipating a long session)
As my mother and sister (terror duo )started sifting through the seemingly endless collection, i was deeply engrossed in the political happenings which were extensively covered in the news paper. I occasionally sighed a heave of relief when the duo finalised a saree.
The sales man, i must admit, was an epitome of patience. He displayed every saree that was requested by the terror duo and gave some additional “tid bit” information about each saree. When the duo rejected a saree after examining it for what seemed like an eternity, he folded it back and displayed a new one. WOW! Hats off to this man and thousands like him who suffer at the hands of women every day.
After two complete readings of the HINDU and fetching my nephew to the toilet a number of times, it was all over. It had taken just over 3 hours to choose 7 sarees and the bill read close to 30K. When i had lamented to my mother about the delay, she chided me and added that she was much better comparatively!
I am back and i have a good reason for not posting for such a long interval. The waiting period for a posting location just seems to get loooonger and looonger every passing day and it seems like my training got completed ages back. Its not just the depression from the waiting but also a rather excruciating throat condition that has prevented me from doing what i want do.
Anyways, i paid a visit to my sister’s place during the extended Good Friday weekend and we went to Kanchipuram to buy some silk sarees for the women folk. As you would have guessed, i tried to sneak away by providing some lame reason but as fate would have it i was not even given a choice.
So off we went…. me, my mother, my sis her two kids and my bro-in-law. It was quite a journey taking almost an hour and half and the bad roads not making the situation any better. Once we had reached there it was hospitality at its best. Greetings flew thick and fast and within minutes we had a salesman allocated to us and the onerous task of choosing the best sarees started.(That was approximately the time i opened the HINDU which i had brought along anticipating a long session)
As my mother and sister (terror duo )started sifting through the seemingly endless collection, i was deeply engrossed in the political happenings which were extensively covered in the news paper. I occasionally sighed a heave of relief when the duo finalised a saree.
The sales man, i must admit, was an epitome of patience. He displayed every saree that was requested by the terror duo and gave some additional “tid bit” information about each saree. When the duo rejected a saree after examining it for what seemed like an eternity, he folded it back and displayed a new one. WOW! Hats off to this man and thousands like him who suffer at the hands of women every day.
After two complete readings of the HINDU and fetching my nephew to the toilet a number of times, it was all over. It had taken just over 3 hours to choose 7 sarees and the bill read close to 30K. When i had lamented to my mother about the delay, she chided me and added that she was much better comparatively!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Ayan -Watchable(No spoilers!)
Hi All,
I watched the Surya starer Ayan this weekend with my cousins and it made for a good watch. Initially, me being the lazy bum i am, i refused to go to the movie. But my cousin's persuasive skills and the fact Surya has a lot of female fans(who would surely be present in the theatre) compelled me to change my mind...:)
Deva(Surya) is a college going student who works for Doss(Prabhu) in his "ship works" company which is actually a cover for his assorted criminal business. With Vijay TV fame "Nandu" and comedian Karunas as his accomplices, Deva works rather faithfully for Doss and finishes his tasks with commitment.
The problem arises when Doss's competitor's son gets a little too greedy and wants to rule the roost. Things get a little too personal as the movie moves along and how Deva tackles villain constitutes the rest of the story.
Surya has been working out as his six pac abs would tell you and he seems to be maturing as a actor. It was heartening to see that he did not indulge in heroism that much and moral policing was absent as opposed to his earlier movies like Aaru, Vel etc. Surya has attempted at creating comedy which is a welcome change from the fare we get from typical comedian's like Vadivelu. The stunts were awesome and kudos to Surya if he did not use a double to perform them.
Vijay TV "Nandu"(don't know his real name) plays a significant role in the movie and has done a commendable job. His screen presence is second only to the villain and he has justified every minute of it. Tammana is ok for a heroine but, as with most lady leads these days, must work her on lip sync. Karunas, surprisingly, plays second fiddle to the newbie "Nandu" and makes you wonder why he was not roped in to the up the laughter factor.
The songs , save one, have been a great let down. None of the songs are actually hummable and the lyrics gets drowned in the background music. The picturisation of the songs was good though and in fact the director attempts to show you the corners of the world in every song. Some of the songs have been ill timed and should have been slotted at a more opportune time in the story line.
Apart from all the fun and frolic, the movie tries to convey a message by portraying the dark underbelly of the drug smuggling world. It shows to what great extent people would go to smuggle drugs across borders and how they would put themselves in harm's way just to earn some quick money.
Overall, Ayan is a movie that you can watch with your family and friends and when it is all over make you feel that it was worth every rupee you spent for it.
I watched the Surya starer Ayan this weekend with my cousins and it made for a good watch. Initially, me being the lazy bum i am, i refused to go to the movie. But my cousin's persuasive skills and the fact Surya has a lot of female fans(who would surely be present in the theatre) compelled me to change my mind...:)
Deva(Surya) is a college going student who works for Doss(Prabhu) in his "ship works" company which is actually a cover for his assorted criminal business. With Vijay TV fame "Nandu" and comedian Karunas as his accomplices, Deva works rather faithfully for Doss and finishes his tasks with commitment.
The problem arises when Doss's competitor's son gets a little too greedy and wants to rule the roost. Things get a little too personal as the movie moves along and how Deva tackles villain constitutes the rest of the story.
Surya has been working out as his six pac abs would tell you and he seems to be maturing as a actor. It was heartening to see that he did not indulge in heroism that much and moral policing was absent as opposed to his earlier movies like Aaru, Vel etc. Surya has attempted at creating comedy which is a welcome change from the fare we get from typical comedian's like Vadivelu. The stunts were awesome and kudos to Surya if he did not use a double to perform them.
Vijay TV "Nandu"(don't know his real name) plays a significant role in the movie and has done a commendable job. His screen presence is second only to the villain and he has justified every minute of it. Tammana is ok for a heroine but, as with most lady leads these days, must work her on lip sync. Karunas, surprisingly, plays second fiddle to the newbie "Nandu" and makes you wonder why he was not roped in to the up the laughter factor.
The songs , save one, have been a great let down. None of the songs are actually hummable and the lyrics gets drowned in the background music. The picturisation of the songs was good though and in fact the director attempts to show you the corners of the world in every song. Some of the songs have been ill timed and should have been slotted at a more opportune time in the story line.
Apart from all the fun and frolic, the movie tries to convey a message by portraying the dark underbelly of the drug smuggling world. It shows to what great extent people would go to smuggle drugs across borders and how they would put themselves in harm's way just to earn some quick money.
Overall, Ayan is a movie that you can watch with your family and friends and when it is all over make you feel that it was worth every rupee you spent for it.
Ayan- Watchable
Hi All,
I watched the Surya starer Ayan this weekend with my cousins and it made for a good watch. Initially, me being the lazy bum i am, i refused to go to the movie. But my cousin's persuasive skills and the fact Surya has a lot of female fans(who would surely be present in the theatre) compelled me to change my mind...:)
Deva(Surya) is a college going student who works for Doss(Prabhu) in his "ship works" company which is actually a cover for his assorted criminal business. With Vijay TV fame "Nandu" and comedian Karunas as his accomplices, Deva works rather faithfully for Doss and finishes his tasks with commitment.
The problem arises when Doss's competitor's son gets a little too greedy and wants to rule the roost. Things get a little too personal as the movie moves along and how Deva tackles villain constitutes the rest of the story.
Surya has been working out as his six pac abs would tell you and he seems to be maturing as a actor. It was heartening to see that he did not indulge in heroism that much and moral policing was absent as opposed to his earlier movies like Aaru, Vel etc. Surya has attempted at creating comedy which is a welcome change from the fare we get from typical comedian's like Vadivelu.
"Nandu"(dont know his real name) plays a significant role in the movie and has done a commendable job. His screen presence is second only to the villain and he has justified every minute of it. Tammana is ok for a heroine but, as with most lady leads these days, must work her on lip sync. Karunas, suprisingly, plays second fiddle to the newbie "Nandu" and makes you wonder why he was not roped in to the up the laughter factor.
The songs , save one, have been a great let down. None of the songs are actually hymmable and the lyrics gets drowned in the background music. The picturisation of the songs was good though and infact the director attempts to show you the corners of the world in every song. Some of the songs have been ill timed and should have been slotted at a more opportune time in the story line.
Ayan takes you to the dark underbelly of the drug trafficking world and the perils of being involved in one, which i believe was the message the director ulitmately wanted to convey to the audience. Overall Ayan is a movie that you can watch with your family and friends.
I watched the Surya starer Ayan this weekend with my cousins and it made for a good watch. Initially, me being the lazy bum i am, i refused to go to the movie. But my cousin's persuasive skills and the fact Surya has a lot of female fans(who would surely be present in the theatre) compelled me to change my mind...:)
Deva(Surya) is a college going student who works for Doss(Prabhu) in his "ship works" company which is actually a cover for his assorted criminal business. With Vijay TV fame "Nandu" and comedian Karunas as his accomplices, Deva works rather faithfully for Doss and finishes his tasks with commitment.
The problem arises when Doss's competitor's son gets a little too greedy and wants to rule the roost. Things get a little too personal as the movie moves along and how Deva tackles villain constitutes the rest of the story.
Surya has been working out as his six pac abs would tell you and he seems to be maturing as a actor. It was heartening to see that he did not indulge in heroism that much and moral policing was absent as opposed to his earlier movies like Aaru, Vel etc. Surya has attempted at creating comedy which is a welcome change from the fare we get from typical comedian's like Vadivelu.
"Nandu"(dont know his real name) plays a significant role in the movie and has done a commendable job. His screen presence is second only to the villain and he has justified every minute of it. Tammana is ok for a heroine but, as with most lady leads these days, must work her on lip sync. Karunas, suprisingly, plays second fiddle to the newbie "Nandu" and makes you wonder why he was not roped in to the up the laughter factor.
The songs , save one, have been a great let down. None of the songs are actually hymmable and the lyrics gets drowned in the background music. The picturisation of the songs was good though and infact the director attempts to show you the corners of the world in every song. Some of the songs have been ill timed and should have been slotted at a more opportune time in the story line.
Ayan takes you to the dark underbelly of the drug trafficking world and the perils of being involved in one, which i believe was the message the director ulitmately wanted to convey to the audience. Overall Ayan is a movie that you can watch with your family and friends.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Space Exploration
Hi all,
I am back at home for the extended weekend and it feels great. Before i carry on, a happy Ugadi to one and all!
I always wanted to discuss this topic…space exploration(SE).Is it really necessary?. So i thought it would be good if i could raise this topic in this space and elicit views of the Wiproites.
The case FOR SE is pretty simple and straight forward. SE(unfortunately) represents a country’s prowess in scientific advancement. It has, over the years, come to indicate a country’s clout in the international arena. Moreover, proponents of SE, claim that many aerospace technologies are spin offs from the research time and money spent on SE.
The case AGAINST SE is as follows. We all know how much countries around the world spend on SE. The expenses of preparing the basic infrastructure for SE is humongous to say the least. Then there is the cost of the space vehicle and not to mention to the high tech gadgetry inside it that transmits back data to the ground centre, the fat pay cheques for the scientist and technical staff working there.
The other thing about SE is that it tends to be impractical. We all know that other than the earth there is no planet that is hospitable for human existence. No planet has the right set of “ingriedients” for humans to reside in it. So what the probes we sent to mars managed to find water in it. Mars’s atmosphere still doesnt have the right composition for humans to live in. Then how about the soil..who is going to make it cultivatible.
Last but not least, the planet that we are all living in can accomodate all of us. I read somewhere that we can fit into a texas in groups(read families) of 4 with a dwelling and a garden for each group. So there is enough space for everyone and there can be(with proper policies) enough food and opportunities for each and everyone of us.
I have intentionally not stated my position in detail here so that it will not influence you people. I hope to have a debate on this issue. Waiting for your comments and replies
I am back at home for the extended weekend and it feels great. Before i carry on, a happy Ugadi to one and all!
I always wanted to discuss this topic…space exploration(SE).Is it really necessary?. So i thought it would be good if i could raise this topic in this space and elicit views of the Wiproites.
The case FOR SE is pretty simple and straight forward. SE(unfortunately) represents a country’s prowess in scientific advancement. It has, over the years, come to indicate a country’s clout in the international arena. Moreover, proponents of SE, claim that many aerospace technologies are spin offs from the research time and money spent on SE.
The case AGAINST SE is as follows. We all know how much countries around the world spend on SE. The expenses of preparing the basic infrastructure for SE is humongous to say the least. Then there is the cost of the space vehicle and not to mention to the high tech gadgetry inside it that transmits back data to the ground centre, the fat pay cheques for the scientist and technical staff working there.
The other thing about SE is that it tends to be impractical. We all know that other than the earth there is no planet that is hospitable for human existence. No planet has the right set of “ingriedients” for humans to reside in it. So what the probes we sent to mars managed to find water in it. Mars’s atmosphere still doesnt have the right composition for humans to live in. Then how about the soil..who is going to make it cultivatible.
Last but not least, the planet that we are all living in can accomodate all of us. I read somewhere that we can fit into a texas in groups(read families) of 4 with a dwelling and a garden for each group. So there is enough space for everyone and there can be(with proper policies) enough food and opportunities for each and everyone of us.
I have intentionally not stated my position in detail here so that it will not influence you people. I hope to have a debate on this issue. Waiting for your comments and replies
Monday, March 16, 2009
Catch 22 Situation
Hi bloggers,
Is child labour really being tackled in our country…is there a concious effort to eradicate that scourge from this land…i doubt it…let me narrate my experiences….
I am currently staying in a paying guest accomodation just opposite to Electronic City phase 2. There is a popular hotel in the main road(i don’t wish to name this hotel…ppl from blore must have at least seen it, if not gone into it) which employs child labour in the form of cleaners. I was appalled at this sight and one of my friends even asked the boy how old he was and the reply was a big big lie….”i am 18“….we only could laught it away…but that incident lingered in my mind long enough for me to write about it today…
One of my friend justified the boy working there saying that if he didnt work there, probably he would die of hunger…then what about schooling i asked and as u would have guessed all i got was giggles…the boy was too poor to go to school or even if he could afford it there were some other compelling domestic reasons to abandon school and start working at this rather tender age.
This is not the only place where i have witnessed child labour…and i am sure there have been other places you would have bore witness to the same…why is it that even after 6 decades of independence, we are not able to put our kids into schools….why is that we tend to turn a blind eye to work places that employ children…why is our noon meal scheme not working…what happened to the free textbooks schemes, free uniform and the list goes on and on….
I am sure as an individual i cant make much of a change…may be i could stop frequenting that hotel…and if a number of us decide to do the same then the boy will probably get fired as a result of the hotel closing[bcos the place is surviving bcos of ppl like me…:(]…a perfect catch 22 situation….
Is child labour really being tackled in our country…is there a concious effort to eradicate that scourge from this land…i doubt it…let me narrate my experiences….
I am currently staying in a paying guest accomodation just opposite to Electronic City phase 2. There is a popular hotel in the main road(i don’t wish to name this hotel…ppl from blore must have at least seen it, if not gone into it) which employs child labour in the form of cleaners. I was appalled at this sight and one of my friends even asked the boy how old he was and the reply was a big big lie….”i am 18“….we only could laught it away…but that incident lingered in my mind long enough for me to write about it today…
One of my friend justified the boy working there saying that if he didnt work there, probably he would die of hunger…then what about schooling i asked and as u would have guessed all i got was giggles…the boy was too poor to go to school or even if he could afford it there were some other compelling domestic reasons to abandon school and start working at this rather tender age.
This is not the only place where i have witnessed child labour…and i am sure there have been other places you would have bore witness to the same…why is it that even after 6 decades of independence, we are not able to put our kids into schools….why is that we tend to turn a blind eye to work places that employ children…why is our noon meal scheme not working…what happened to the free textbooks schemes, free uniform and the list goes on and on….
I am sure as an individual i cant make much of a change…may be i could stop frequenting that hotel…and if a number of us decide to do the same then the boy will probably get fired as a result of the hotel closing[bcos the place is surviving bcos of ppl like me…:(]…a perfect catch 22 situation….
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