Ayodhya..

We Indians are a emotional lot. We give so much importance to our emotions and beliefs that sometimes we do fail to tackle things on an intellectual level. The Ayodhya issue proves this...

Firstly let me make my stand clear. I liked for the fact that the court has found time to finally take steps towards resolving the issue but to me the judgement is flawed.

After 60 long years and a really bad patch of Dec'92 and Jan'93, the judgement is finally delivered.But at what cost?

I happened to hear a debate on the very day on some prime time channels and they seem to be making a point of reconciliation.... For what? Call me pessimist but after the vibes the politicians of the different sects were sharing on the National Television, I don't see a reconciliation happening. Now since the vote bank politics has gone with the bang, the political parties are trying to persuade each other in the name of magnanimity to give up their share and build a huge mandir or masjid...

Will that help National Integration?... I don't think so... And it is in this respect that I believe the decision is flawed. Not only is there is a clear cut consensus... the decision has paved way for further conflicts.... Imagine the situation if both the worship places are in use and a communal riot breaks out in other part of the country.

The security services would be wasting their ample resources just for the sake of it... And I don't believe we'll have a peace of mind while visiting either the Mandir or the Masjid.

The decision is flawed also in the respect that the central dome ... the Mihrab... most sacred to the Muslims... will be handed over to the Hindus... Why would they do that?

And what about the young India? Does it make sense to waste crores of money on building a temple or mosque when what we need are better education facilities and food to eat? Grains are rotting in Punjab, can't that money be used for its distribution? Isn't that seva to Ram/Rahim instead of just commemorating his presence?

And wouldn't it be better if a Ram-Rahim Hospital/Infirmary or even a Eco-conservation park be built on the huge 67 acres?

Isn't it time that India should take an intellectual decision and not be binded by emotions and beliefs?

memories.........

Here comes Friendship day.... and I spend a warm and cherishing evening with memories lasting forever..... which again brings back those charming days back in my mind..

The names have been withheld...... cause I dont want to take pains in editing my post later on..... but mostly... I want my friends to remember those days as well......

So presenting a list of craziest and loveliest moments I had ... as far as I can remember.....

1. Me and my frens have been to the city and are returning back to hostel.... Its a typical monsoon.... so we are carrying windcheaters and umbrellas..... but halfway through it... an idea pops up... and we break our ride back to the hostel.... we get down at geeta bhavan(Thats one of the prominent bus stops in Indore) and head towards 56 dukaan.. for those who dont know... it a array of 56 food stalls.... with a variety only Indore can produce..... It starts raining before we can reach 56 dukaan and we being the smartest ladies..... hitch up our jeans.... wrap the windcheaters around our waist and start walking in the maddening rain.... 6 young gals are sure making a sight to the bystanders..... and it is in this rain we enjoy a steaming hot cup of coffee... and a piping hot "Egg Benjo".... gals.... for making that day memorable...... love u....

2. Its a rocking evening for us... for we have got free passes to the IIM Indore fest wherein we are to enjoy Parikrama and Silk Route... We hike a tripply to IIM at 10 in night.. all the way singing songs and me dying to see... mohit chauhan.... well his another band member is someone I am crazy after the show..... the show rocks as expected .... and we head back to the city..... this time to the rajwada to have garma garam poha-jalebi.... indori style... at 2 in the night....

3. Its mostly the three of us who hang around at Nirmal Lifestyle... and thanks to my dashing and still single friends... we mostly ogle around at guys and gals.... while having our share of fun.... this time a really cool n sexy gal is standing near us... and we are contemplating who would suit her best... my taller friend or the shorter one.. we are so engrossed in our conversation that we do not realise that she maybe hearing our comments after all.... she turns and we are quickly mortified for we realise that she has actually heard us.... but maybe because we are too innocent looking .... we are left off...... it doesnt take us another second though to save our backs and run along......

4. He is one of my best friends in college.. and another die hard fan of rossogullas as me.... there is a piece which has fallen on the ground and one which we have scooped up... sadly my poor fellow doesnt know this.... but I am put on a bet to have him eat that..... he comes in the class..... and immediately sees the rossogullas..... wihtout giving a thought as to why I am offering that to him instead of eating it myself..... he dutifully accepts the piece offered by me.... I obviously win the bet..... but then have to make by giving him a treat in our favorite rossogulla shop.....

5. He is a really shy guy but the most intelligent in our class and she .... sorry to say but GOD wasnt so liberal while giving brains to her.... it happens one day that both of them are sitting on the last bench.... its the summer sessions of our coaching classes.... Titanic has just released and people are going crazy after it.... Funnily when the class breaks for the next period.... onlt those two are standing at their positions..... with the famous titanic pose broadly shining out... I turn to say something to my neighbour and I turn back again.... for I cannot stop laughing.... the snigger from our bench soon develops into a wide spread laughter among the rest of the group.... while those two are blissfully unaware of the situation they are causing...... It is then he realises us looking at him and well... enjoying us.... he takes a look at her and sits back so crest fallen that her doesnt even utter a word the rest of the day.... and we.. well... we always tese her later how good she looked in that t shirt..... :)

Dashavatar, Darwin and Dan Brown

Our world is full of all sorts of people. People who have different beliefs, different mindsets and consequently different religions. However, every religion is same at the core. Every religion asks us to live life with compassion and love, understanding and tolerance. Yet we fight with each other in the name of it.... Is mine greater or yours.... No, I don't think we can number them so.

Firstly, I am not a atheist. Yes, I do believe in GOD. But in a sense that there exists a power above everything else, which we are yet to decipher. Maybe in future, when we can decode that, then perhaps religions will cease to exist.

When I believe in super power; I imagine it to be the trigger that Einstein proposes in e=mc^2. Since, energy cannot be created that original spark which led to the mass surrounding us, is to me a representation of GOD. And that is the creator, protector and destroyer. All through the book "The Lost Symbol", Dan Brown says that all religions asserts that you can attain "atonement" just by believing in yourself. All of the religious books are filled with great knowledge only if we can learn to use it wisely. All these ancient beliefs that we very quickly disregard. All of our ancestors, be it anywhere in world were so blessed with this knowledge that after so many advancements we are finally returning back to them.

Just for an example..... everybody knows the Theory of Evolution proposed by the famous Charles Darwin. And everybody also knows the dashavtars of Lord Vishnu. Only that we do not draw a parellel in them. Because if you do.... you will realise that the order of the Dashavtars is exactly as postulated by Darwin....

There are lot more such examples.... So the next time you meet an old belief.... just think about it logically ..... before you quickly shun it!!!!

Avatar!!!

" If Grace is with you and if you can look back into her memories, look at our ancestors and see what have we done to our green... we have destroyed our Mother"..
- Jake Sully to Eyma tree in Avatar...

- Saw Avatar today...
- In 3D...
- Awesome Experience!!!!

But the above statement stuck with me long after the subtitles ended... long after I had moved out of the IMAX Dome...

James Cameron is a master in his work.. He has proved that already... but Avatar was more hyped for the time it took in making... for its animation, effects and the humanoid blue creatures...

But I don't think that was the director's only point of view when he started to make it...

- Avatar is not about the $320 million pumped in..
- Avatar is not about the 1000 or so CGI effects and graphics and a "cast" of around 800 animators...
- Avatar is not about the alien world..
- Avatar is about our Earth!!!!!
- Avatar is about a few money and power hungry assholes who think they can conquer anybody and anyhow.
- Avatar is an "Awakening"...
Most people are viewing it as an awakening in terms of technology, effects, animation etc.

But what about the subtle yet strong message that is lurking in behind?

- Avatar is about an indigenous civilisation who are deeply and truly connected to their roots... and not just metaphorically...
- Avatar is about a few good men and women who see through what a skewed viewpoint we have thanks to our technological advancements...
- Avatar is about what our future may look like if we don't stop cutting the trees and wasting our natural resources...

Sadly no body has woken up to this fact. We have been talking about climate change, green hour etc... but we have been doing just that ... only talking...

Its time we should wake up to what Avatar has been telling us...

Its time we should be more responsible and stop waiting for some "Kalki" to come up and fight for us...

Its time we should take the Avatar!!!!!!!

Cosmopolitan "Me"

The title reads "Cosmopolitan".... so before you girls get any idea about the shiny, glossy stuff and you guys imagine it to be something you sneak out of your mom's drawers .... it also has a me...

I use the word Cosmopolitan because in 26 years of my life I have been associated with 5 different cities, not minding the numerous others I have visited... I can start of with "Thavvades" and "Tussis" while speaking to friends from the capital as quickly as I can shift to the accented hindi of the south. I can understand the bundelkhandi and brijbhasha... as also the twang of malvani and konkani... I have been taught some "khalis urdu" words just to help in showing off.... Sadly though I don't have any encounters with the southern languages... And I boast of retaining my mother tongue as pure as possible..

I am proud that I know far more about Jainism than other non-jainis... thanks to my roommates... I have been taught about the five zakats of Islam by a dear friend... Apart from the fact that I love the absolute intricacies of my own religion..

My social network is filled with people from various states of India. Sometimes while conversing I switch to a different language all very subconsciously. And that too after being capable of only 3 languages. I love literature and music in all the three... All in all, I have no problem whatsoever regarding linguistics and conversations...

But where does that leave me??

A lot of times in my life have I encountered this feeling where I don't have a sense of belonging. That sense of belonging what people say is associated with the "Mitti ki Khushboo". I do have that ..... but then is that of Nagpur, Mumbai, Delhi, Indore or Bhopal. The peculiar expression that can be seen on somebody's face when he/she reminisces about a particular childhood destination. That belonging when at random third city I meet a person who has been to one of mine. Yes, I feel attached to that person all at once... But again what about me?

I am like a nomad, bitten by wanderlust where I don't know what my next destination will be. Even though I manage to survive dexterously, I still don't know what to make out of my identity...

My identity where.... I was born in a different city and brought up in another... graduated in another and matured in yet another... I have friends who also face the same problem. Friends who have been living in different cities rather than their own ... How do we survive then... by learning their language and trying to get assimilated or to shift to the language we all take pride in knowing... English...

However, English doesn't help me when I try to explain a non-marathi person what a particular verse in that extra ordinary poem means... English doesn't help in bridging the gap between a friend and his girlfriend. English can't satisfy the urge for mother tongue. English can help me in talking but not in conversations....

Sometimes I truly feel jealous of the people who are born and brought up and still living in the same city...

At the end of all this blabbering...

Where does that leave me???

Am I a maharashtrian only because I am born in one?

Am I a hindi speaking person because I can converse deftly in chaste hindi?

Or am I a cosmopolitan in the sense that I don't belong anywhere but everywhere!!!!