The Indian Moral Victory

To kill someone can never be demeaned as civil, but this statement stands in stark contradiction to what India has done. India has killed someone and yet she has managed to remain morally clean and ideologically pristine. The hanging of Kasab can be considered nothing less than a clean  example of the prevailing sense of justice in India. India has showcased to the world its adherence to justice and its ability to provide a fair trial to all alike.

Before we start off on our analysis of what had happened its better we know a little background of the things. The Kasab we talk about here is the lone terrorist who has been captured alive after the 26/11 attack on Mumbai. The one terrorist strike that has made the whole nation stand on its toes for over a couple of days. Such was the magnanimity of the attacks that the nation was never the same again. After four years of intense judicial procedures he was sent to the gallows yesterday, signalling the end of one India's most awaited trials.

The fact that he was send to the gallows is not what matters, any nation would have did the same may be even sooner. But India did something very few of the nations would ever ensure, India did that what can only be provided by a superior nation. India gave its supreme criminal, the one that deserved no mercy a chance to defend himself and plead innocence. India gave Kazab a lawyer and open for him all the avenues of its legal system. India made no haste and spared no expense, it did no mock trials and it made no hasty judgements. It let the case go as any other case of the same would go on this soil. It preserved the interest of the defaulter, treated him as a human and hence ensured that after its all over it shall rise high and mighty. 

As a citizen of India, I ma well aware of the feelings of its people, I have at first hand understood and empathised with there anger and angst. They wanted it over fast, they wanted him hanged and were tired of waiting. They were desperate for justice and this is easier to understand. The fact that the nation showed much will power in ensuring that justice shall take its turn is praise worthy especially considering that the other option was for many a reason far more attractive and hassle free. But then again a nation has to stand for its ideals, A nation is not the barb wires that separate it, but it is the ideas , ideals and the morality its determined to uphold.

Mile Sur Mera Thumara

One for the sake of the old times, when all we had was Doordarshan and its occasionally broadcasted patriotic songs. This one was a jewel among the many that would pop up occasionally and that never fails to ignite in us the feeling of brotherhood.

How simpler can it ever be to say that we are one and our voice is one. Mile Sur Mera Thumara was a concept developed by the Lok Seva Sanchar Parishad in 1988, But this particular song was composed by Ashok Patki and written by Piyush Pandey. The video managed to highlight the rich diversity and linguistic differences and the integrity that prevailed in spite of that in our nation of unity and diversity. 

The newer version is nothing but a shadow the original, its such a shame that in spite of all the rich talent we have we are unable to reiterate the spirit of this song again. Somewhere along the line they lost track of  what the purpose of the song was and what it stood for and what it means to the billion people of this nation.

The Lyrics for all who wants to just sing along

[hi] milē sur merā tumhārā, tō sur banē hamārā

sur kī nadiyān̐ har diśā sē, bahte sāgar men̐ milē

bādalōn̐ kā rūp lēkar, barse halkē halkē

milē sur merā tumhārā, tō sur banē hamārā

milē sur merā tumhārā

[ks] Chaain taraz tai myain taraz, ik watt baniye saayen taraz

[pa] tērā sur milē mērē sur dē nāl, milkē baṇē ikk navān̐ sur tāl

[hi] milē sur merā tumhārā, tō sur banē hamārā

[sn] mun̐hin̐jō sur tun̐hin̐jē sān̐ piyārā milē jad̤ahin̐, gīt asān̐jō madhur tarānō baṇē tad̤ahin̐

[ur] sur ka darya bahte sagar men mile

[pa] bādalān̐ dā rūp laikē, barsan haulē haulē

[ta] Isaindhal namm iruvarin suramum namadhagum

Dhisai veru aanalum aazhi ser aarugal Mugilai

mazhaiyai pozhivadu pol isai

Nam isai

[kn] nanna dhvanige ninna dhvaniya, sēridante namma dhvaniya

[te] nā svaramu nī svaramu sangamamai, mana svaranḡa avatarinchē

[ml] eṉṯe svaravum niṅṅkaḷoṭe svaravum, ottucērnnu namoṭe svaramāy

[bn] tōmār śūr mōdēr śūr, sriṣṭi kōruk ōikōśūr

[as] sriṣṭi hauk aikyatān

[or] tuma āmara svarara miḷana, sriṣṭi kari chālu ekā tāna

[gu] maḷē sur jō tārō mārō, banē āpṇō sur nirāḷō

[mr] mājhyā tumchyā juḷtā tārā, madhur surānchyā barastī dhārā

[hi] sur kī nadiyān̐ har diśā sē, bahte sāgar men̐ milē

bādalōn̐ kā rūp lēkar, barse halkē halkē

milē sur merā tumhārā, tō sur banē hamārā

The Crap They Sell Us at Schools

What is India heading to? It must be total anarchy or may be something worse. When confronted with the question of what I would like to change in the society if I could, I went over an awful lot of possibilities. I considered personal stuffs like changing my hairstyle to my stop biting my nails and universal stuffs like a world without boundaries (we ought to talk about that some time sooner). But then it struck me very of handedly that the one thing that must be changed in India is its Victorian ‘tailor made for slaves’ education system by our huge hearted well-wisher Lord Macaulay. But with all the crap that we are being fed in our schools now one has to ask themselves is it still called ‘education’ anymore.

I must be unfair in placing the blame on Lord Macaulay; in fact I am wrong in doing so. His intension was not to create the entrepreneurs scientists and thinkers who would one day propel the nation to unprecedented heights but his was an even harder job. His job was to create an educational system that would create enough donkeys who would work on the largely underpaid and ‘sub-standard‘ jobs that they could just not watch an English man do. And he was fair in churning out our matriculation system that we still proudly uphold today. One cannot call them schools they must be called cattle farms. He was a complete success in what he did, but we were the real idiots who bought their sinister plot with not a thought going into it.  

But, now our educational system which, I was once a part of a few years back was indeed not all that bad. There were some good things in it too like raisins in a cake. But now it’s just like a nightmare gone horribly wrong. Each person adding his whims and fancies into it doesn’t really give us a comprehensive and informed educational system. When todays educationalist go on to the extent of defining a forest vaguely as ‘a group of tree’ , the doubt starts arising in one’s mind whether they really are educated enough to be called educationalist. I think they get some kind of sadistic pleasure by ruining the life and dreams of today’s bright ones.

We need to revolutionize and revitalize our educational system or at the very least make our ‘antique’ system catch up with the today. What the nation now needs are brilliant entrepreneurs, stratergicians and researchers who would become the corner stone of its continued success. When a nation such as ours finds itself in the middle of a fast evolving world it need to put up its best face to be part of that world and to continue being there we need educated and capable people’.

Simply copying any educational system from the west may not be a very good alternative. Though highly successful in generating quality research and enriching potential, the cultural aspect and the mindset of the prevalent society play a significant role in its success too. What we need is not a ditto copy, but of possible inclusion of its best practices to our educational system and make the exaggerant focus on marks must go dim. It’s true we need more quality people but that doesn’t mean more people with maximum marks but we need more people who understand what they do.

If one thing must change about the mindset of the people then it must be this, the parents should stop pursuing the career of their children. They should realize that they can’t live their child’s life too. They should give their children a chance to live out their dream. Children may not be best judges of things but they know their hearts and their odds, if they believe they can succeed, shouldn’t they be given a chance to try. If this one factor about our society does change, there will be a reciprocating change in our educational system and a transformation in it for the best. The only thing that drives entrepreneurship and research is passion and its severe shortage is what the nation is suffering from, and why is that? The simple answer is the overwhelming focus on a ‘safe career’ forced upon today’s children.

Indeed our educational setup is plagued by a hoard of problems; the only reason for it can be the lack of timely changes that never happened. Now we are faced with a problem, whether to radically alter our system or slowly change it such that it can play catch up at the cost of valuable time. I incline towards a radical transformation, I believe a couple of unrest in the department will be all the resultant problems from such an action but it will produce the desired results in time. But I need not be the final say in that matter. It is a complicated and sensitive issue and requires an equally though-about and subtle solution. But one thing is sure, we have already reached the precipice now all we have is total oblivion or a resurrection and the choice is ours to act about.

Nuclear Years

An animation by the artist Isao Hashimoto which depicts every nuclear bomb explosion from the year  1945 to 1998 that ever took place. the video though very succinct is an eye opener, often rather profound.

After all 2053 is a very large number when it comes to nuclear explosions. The video depicts the worlds deadliest 7 nations and their arsenals of doom.

Celebrating Independence ...

"At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. "

                                 Sixty four years back on this day , A simple man called Nehru said these immortal words, Not just any random set of words . He said those words that from then on was the symbol of the nations freedom. He gave his fellow men the words the yearned for over a century. sixty four years from then , we stand today celebrating our freedom , our hard earned freedom. Today I walk free , because great men of great courage and values has shed their blood for me. Because men stood with open chest and adamant gaze as bullets rammed into their hearts.

child with tricolor

                                 Today, I owe them this tribute, It is but the bare minimum that I could be doing to honor their great sacrifices. What if they were not courageous enough, what if they did not care and went on with their lives. I may not be living in a free world, I may not have the rights that i gleefully enjoy today. There is  a price and they did not wait to pay it. The seized the day and they laid their lives in the line. They new that they had to do it , not just for their freedom but also for a nations . The set examples and laid glorious paths to take, They looked death in the eye and smiled their way.

                                 When in this world men cant live without arms and ammunition , I am proud to say we won our freedom with prayers and silent protests. My country men did not shoot, they sacrificed , they defeated their enemies not with hatred , but with care and love. They earned for their right to live and be free, but not by taking away other right to live but by sacrificing ones it the altar of righteousness. They fought and fought hard, they were no less a soldier than any of today's armed to the teeth ones. They carried no gun , and they did not count their bullets , but still they won a war , not just any war they war for their freedom, but the freedom of their countrymen as well.

                                 I may be praising and praising them a lot, but they deserve every bit they get. in fact they deserve even more. These praises they may not desire , they will not desire , they seek not rose petals on their paths. They never there would be thorns and they wanted thorns. The freedom got easily would not have been of any value. What is hard one is what that is most valued.

A Tribute to our national heroes.

                                 This my nation and this is her sixty fifth birthday , I shall celebrate it and celebrate it with the same spirit that my fellow men celebrated it sixty four years back. I shall close my eyes and savour the spirit, I shall pray and I shall remember the numerous men and women who gave me this freedom. Our's is a great nation , has always been a great nation and It shall always remain a great nation. On this day we celebrate what is that we have earned, Our Freedom.

Happy Independence Day Folks !