I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Being the grand-daughter of a political leader, politics has been a fairly discussed word at home. However, after grandpa, no one in the family turned to politics.

While growing up, I never had any political ambitions and I detested the way politics has been in India and anywhere else in the world for that matter.

The never-ending corruption of the political leaders, their false promises, incomplete knowledge and open disregard for the constitution and law has always been abominable for me.

So much so, that even 3 years after turing 18, I still have to cast a vote….

In the wake of recent Mumbai terrorist attack, I however, feel very ashamed.

What right do I have to critisize the leaders when I myself have failed to perform my duty as the citizen of India.

In failing to vote, incompetent leadres have been gaining ground.

While my one single vote is very insignificant, it still can make a difference if combined with several other “single” votes.

How come none of us thought about it???

I think its high time to wake up and watch where we are heading to.

All of us are special and can certainly make a significant difference.

I, YOU and WE.

I recently registered on the website Jaagore. It is a really cool one, explaining about voting myths and registering Indians as electoral candidates.Its easy and essential.

Imagine, our ONE vote turning things over…..

All of us are so cynical.

We want things to change but don’t want to do anything about it.

Its easy to say, India is in dumps, there is nothing left in this country and fly away abroad. But no one wants to do something about it. No one wants to dirty their hands in picking up this garbage.

Are we a good citizen of India???

I know, I am NOT.

But I know one more thing. And that is, I CAN CHANGE. I WILL CHANGE.

Because I have realized, you first need to change yourself to change others.

Once I modify my outlook, I can modify that of others too. They  in turn can alter the outlook of million others.

Once you accept the reality, it automatically becomes easy to adapt to it….learn from it……grow from it….

Who knows, there are competent leaders hidden within us. Together we can make sure that this country gets its due. India has the capability to become a super-power and we can help it to reach that pinnacle.

When are YOU going to change?

When are YOU going to make a difference?

When are YOU really going to be an Indian?

APOLOGIES

For nearly two months my blog has been inactive. This mostly due to my consistent ill-health and on-going project related work at college. I will be free within 10 days and then can devote my time and energy for continuing my writing.

My sincere apologies to all my fans and all those people who love to read what I write. I promise, I will take care of my pending work and get well soon enough to entertain you with my creative skills.

Have patience.

Sincerely,

Sonu

SELLING FAITH AND GLORY

For all die-hard cricket fans like me, the beginning of the Indian Premier League twenty20 (IPL) was a treat to the eyes. Two months of non-stop entertainment. While watching twenty20 matches every single day up to June with the heroics of some of the world’s best cricketers is an exciting idea; however, too much of cricket can be enough to put us off the game for some time.

In a world of instant food, instant communication, instant upbringing; “instant cricket” is nowhere out-of-place. No one has time to sit and think. Everyone wants to just get over with it. People want to do something different every moment. No one wants to stick with a particular thing. We want quick answers and faster decisions.

Cricket has evolved from a test game to a one day international to this more recent twenty20 format. Many people love the age-old 5 day test game, slow and steady. It takes a lot of strategic planning and sheer patience to win that one. Much more, later, started liking the ODI format; one single day and the game gets over. Its easy, its enjoyable and most importantly, you don’t have to wait until next day for the results.

Now, comes the time of twenty20; it doesn’t even last half a day. A super-quick ~4 hours and the game gets over! Its so instant! You are enthralled by the mettle the batsmen exhibit, the shrewdness of the bowlers, the constant fear of the fielders that springs from the fact that even a single unsaved run carries the fate of the game.

And, COMMERCIALIZATION! Cricket has become so business-like. There are scantily-clad cheerleaders (heck, we didn’t even know them, in this part of the world). There are musicians for entertainment purposes. There are actors, politicians, business tycoons, all ready to spill money as easily as water.

Cricketers are being bought and sold! Its kind of funny and extremely sad too. How can you judge the worth of a player in terms of monetary values??? Before the start of IPL, there was the huge market of buy & sell, where players were sold for huge amount of money.

I remember watching over the TV; a news channel was questioning the family of a teenage cricketer, they were asking his mother, “How does it feel that your son was sold for Rs.—?”

No amount of diplomacy can ever mask the absurdity of that question. Is it a matter of pride, that your son has been put up for sale???

European football clubs are no new to this kind of transaction. Every now and then, you see famous players getting transfered to other clubs and obtaining a lot of money for that. However, here in India, where, for years, values, traditions, customs have been given prime importance, where we have considered the character of an individual the highest and not his wealth, it feels strange to deal with such a situation.

No one is complaining, though. Who will, when there is so much of fun. Its not every day that you get to see all the famous cricketers in India alone and playing their best against each other. Its a fever that has gripped the nation. Every evening, you have a new match to watch. A new treat to look forward to.

Cricket has become this commercialized religion, where one God is superior to other in terms of wealth. Its overwhelming. You are torn between the love for the game and the business environment that has been created. Or do you even understand, what kind of love you have for the game?

There is money, there are players, there are a string of games….. If there isn’t a cricket game coming up for a few days, ever felt the restlessness and craving for one? And now, there are too much to bother.

Every day you see, brilliant plays, disappointments, ridicule of some of the finest men and rising of the unexpected ones. The ones you thought will reach the top, are the ones who are sweeping bottoms AND the one you thought will do no good, are the ones climbing mountains!

Its like selling yourself, selling your faith and glory, selling your love and marketing your own emotions. Its no longer synonymous with pure fun. Its contaminated with the desire for more, of greed and ruthless passion.

BUT then, am I being practical? It is making the Indian cricket board richer. It is making the face of cricket known internationally. It is bringing money and tourism for the country. It is bringing fame and recognition for the players. It is like living a dangerous dream.

Well, sooner or later, when we all have to deal with personal devils, I don’t know, what we will be happy with? The pure pleasure we once felt for the game or the sheer commercialization that turned us into money-earning and power-hungry machines!!!

TAKING SIDES

Normally, in any argument that doesn’t involve you directly, whose side do you take???

It’s quite natural for us to support our relatives, our friends, our community and our country as whole.

We might have a hell lot of internal conflicts within us, but when our loyalty towards what is our own, is tested, we certainly “back” our near and dear ones.

For example, take the very recent controversy of the second test match between India and Australia. I conversed with few Australian people. And, as an Indian, I know the views of my people.

There a vast difference in the way of thinking. But, I doubt, whether anyone really thinks in such matters.

It is but obvious, that we as Indians will support our country and they as Australians, will support theirs.

BUT, what is the real truth?

How many people know that?

In this case , since most of the world has condemned the Australian cricket team, for their unsporting behavior, we can make some judgments.

But, is it right on our parts to condemn those Australians that are supporting their team? I know, perhaps, we would have done the same thing. What happened was wrong……but it happens that our sense of understanding and reasoning does take a back seat in matters concerning the integrity on a global scale.

What confuses us is the fact that whose side do we take? It wouldn’t be wrong if we support our country or our people.

On the other hand, what about personal ethics?

Is patriotism or love for one’s people great? Or are your values and principles as a human being are great?

It becomes increasingly difficult to take sides. By supporting one and ignoring the other, you cannot do justice to either of them. Any decision you make, is going to make you regret at a certain point.

So tell me, TWO sides, ONE supportive decision……

What is important?

The sense of what is right OR immense love for something belonging to you???

BEGINNING…

Hey people,

Wishing you all A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

May God shower his choicest blessings on you and may all your wishes come true.

But, Sorrows are also a part of life. They will come and continue coming. But, I sincerely hope you get the strength to overcome any obstacle you face.

Begin with new vigor and determination.

All the best.

Love,

Sonu

RESOLUTIONS OR REVOLUTIONS!!!

Well, all of us, in fact, the entire world begins the new year with a LONG list of resolutions. And, the most common one, lose weight, lose weight and lose weight.

Dieting has become an instant fad, not only among youngsters but also among the older group too. I sometimes don’t understand, whether it is “DIETING” or “DIE-EATING”.

Come on, new year is a time to chill out. Eat heartily. What’s the use of placing all sorts of restrictions on your eating habits?

Some other people go one step ahead in making resolutions. They are the ones, who pledge to quit or minimize smoking / drinking. January 1st……it’s such a convenient time of the year. A year, that they spend on countless cigarette packets and hell lot of alcohol bottles. And, as soon as the year seems to be ending, “I am going to quit smoking” and “I won’t drink more than 2 pegs”……such dialogues begin. The first month of the year is followed very religiously and then slowly, the devil takes over….

Work-ridden people are starved for more holidays and more quality time with family. Their resolutions last for a long time. I mean, enough for one nice holiday. The kids are happy, the wife is happy, until……the cell-phone starts ringing. 😀

Waking up early, is a big pain in the neck for half the population in the world and so is going to bed early, a huge problem to solve. No doubt, they make sweet and simple resolutions. But few days in to it and you realize, that habits are hard to break. Breaking alarm clocks is just so simple…

Messy people wish to get organized. They spend hours in cleaning stuff and getting everything in order. And finally, when they are done, they don’t remember where they put the things. A dis-organized place seemed so accessible in getting what you wanted! Now, have to litter the room again!

Short-tempered people like me make wonderful poetic resolutions, that we’ll never lose our temper on silly matters. We’ll count up to 100 when we are enraged, so that our anger cools down. Well, even before we reach 10, we are boiling up. We control our anger till that time and suddenly it dawns upon us that letting it out will make us feel much better than now.

Sulky, pessimistic people opt for a resolution that they will stay positive in life, enjoy it to the fullest. They go on amazingly well for quite a bit of time. But, suddenly start wondering whether something is wrong with their life! And ofcourse, no life can be perfect, so why even try to make it so???

Students want to perform well  in school/college, teachers want to be more cooler, parents want to be friends to their children, children want to be big very soon, teenagers want more freedom, youngsters want new boyfriends/girlfriends, some want to fall in love, some want to get married, others want to break marriages, some more others want extra-marital affairs, most of them want money, a considerable amount of people want fame, some want beautiful face, others want a sexy body…….there are millions and millions of resolutions.

The funny part is, everyone wants to be a part of the normal tradition and make resolutions. But they seem more like revolutions to everyone. Getting out of the comfort zone and wanting something that you wish to have but will have to slog for it.

I have never known anyone actually making and keeping the resolution throughout the year. There might be such “weird” people living in this world. But, thats alright. It’s normal.

OK. Get-Set, you all get ready too. Here comes the new year. Make resolutions. Break resolutions. Whatever you do, just enjoy this life to the fullest. You live only once! Who knows, there might never be a next time….

HAPPY NEW YEAR. MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.

UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE

Understanding people is perhaps the most complex of all arts, being well aware of the fact that sometimes we are not able to understand our own selves.

Many people and most Aquarians may be well-acquainted to this acclamation as any person falling within the limits of the Aquarian sun-sign is as unpredictable as the Indian Weather Bureau, which seems to predict the weather for other countries rather than India for their every forecast seems to be unreliable as any Indian Prime minister’s mind, who has a tough time deciding whether Pakistan is a friend or foe!

Among many such unreliable issues is that of any Indian batsmen batting, which seems to go on fine (in fact, exceptionally fantastic) when batting against strong teams but ridiculously falters against weak ones. As if Tiger Woods is taking his first practice lessons with the bat (instead of the golf club), painfully crashing the hopes of millions of Indian cricket team fans who love to watch the ball being hit, ‘high and far’, instead of ‘low and near’. (Maybe, that’s why Indians have never been able to understand golf!!!)

So, don’t you think it is difficult to understand oneself and others when such unreliability is corrupting  this entire country. These days even I go on interpreting people’s words in the exact opposite way and am surprised as to how I succeed, as, people do tend to change or rationalize their thoughts so often and begin to curse exactly those ideas which once, they themselves regarded as epitomes of truth and maturity.

Ironically, I may be wrong to some extent accusing Aquarians of being unpredictable when, we Taureans nurse our obstinacy as carefully as an injured body part; faithfully stating that ‘stubbornness’  is the most essential virtue conferred by God on mankind and it’s a privilege to have it running through your veins!

But then, we can never have a Caparicornian diplomacy, or a Cancerian smoothness or not even a Piscean confusion…

Our lives have become just like everyday newspapers. As is the 365 days (sometimes 366) of the year repeat themselves over and over again. Just as a sizzling news, situations remain the same; only people involved and the time and place differ. History, does repeat itself!!!

Making way through all these current problems, ‘humor’ may be the only solution to them, now that even ‘prestigious’ people like ‘us’ try to take things as lightly as possible ultimately realizing that, it doesn’t matter whether world changes or not, but there is always going to remain an element of HOPE which will faithfully support our imagination and careless attitude.

Now that I know, surely Life isn’t a bed of roses but then, it isn’t a sea of thorns, either!!!!

POETRY

HI, if you are a poetry buff like me, and if you are not, you’ll like the site,

http://oldpoetry.com

It has all the good classical poems of great poets like T.S Eliot, Khalil Gibran, Rabindranath Tagore, Rudyard Kipling, William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth etc…

It’s an interesting site, where you can submit your poems and read poems of other budding poets too.

Other good poetry sites that are worth mentioning,

http://www.poetry.com

(My one poem is published here)

http://www.voicesnet.org

(Two of my poems are published here)

So, happy reading all that stuff.

-Sonu

Hey All…

I wrote such a beautiful post today and just before I could publish it, there was this stupid power-cut. I am too tired to write it again. I don’t even have saved it elsewhere (except my brain).

I’ll try to write it tomorrow and will try my best to remember it as beautifully as it is supposed to be.

 

Drat! I doubt whether India will win this match. Even Sachin got out early.

I think I should better look forward for tests.

 

Have a nice day everyone.

Adios… 

 

A NEW START

Hey People,

I had been under-ground for quite some time and had to delete my earlier blog due to “confidential” reason. BUT, now I am BACK!!!!

So, tune into this thing to get frequent updates about lots of things.

Love,

Sonu