The wandering mind

AAP vs BJP vs Congress

2014-03-28T04:42:00.001-07:00

Great news! Arvind Kejriwal just agreed to our demand and said this:
“I fully support this petition and agree to participate in a debate with Mr. Modi (BJP) and Mr. Rahul Gandhi (Congress). I hope that they too, through this petition, respect the demand of the people of India and agree to having a debate.”
Niraj, this happened because of you.
We now have to get Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi to come forward as well. We only have the next few days to make this happen.
Every signature on this petition will increase the pressure on them to respond. Here is what you can do next -
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If more people report and talk about this, we will be able to get their attention.
Niraj, let’s make this happen!

Ask Narendra Modi, Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi to agree to a national debate before the elections.

By Shamoly Khera

Sign the Petition

I am a proud Indian. In a few days, I am going to be casting my vote for the right party. But like many of you, I am still not sure which party to vote for and why.
This is because the campaign in the run up to the polls has been hijacked by ideological battles and shouting matches on television.
As an Indian citizen, it is my right to know exactly what policies various parties will pursue if voted to power.
This petition is a call for Narendra Modi of the BJP, Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Admi Party and Rahul Gandhi of the Congress to agree to a debate at a public and a neutral platform by 5 April 2014.
1. The BJP’s campaign has revolved around Narendra Modi’s ‘Gujarat model of development’ and his rousing speeches. But he has not yet explained how such a model can be replicated in states that need different solution sets.
2. The Congress campaign, led by Rahul Gandhi, has promised change, especially in combating corruption. However, he has not told us in detail how his government will be different from the current government.
3. Under Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership the Aam Aadmi Party has captured the nation’s imagination by exposing links between politics and big business. However, I am not sure what policies Mr Kejriwal and his team will introduce if voted.
While all parties say they have a manifesto, none of them have made their economic, social, developmental and strategic policies clear. But what good is a manifesto if the voters are unaware about it and if its contents cannot be debated?
As much as I love India, I shamefully admit that the real agenda of political parties has been lost in the shrill shouting matches, clever manipulation of facts and outright lies which cannot immediately be fact-checked.
This is why I am calling on all of you to support this campaign to have a debate on national television. If they wish, the format could allow for each of the three leaders to bring a team of their choosing.
Let us give them a platform to question each other and answer our questions in an organised and controlled environment.
Never before has such a debate been held in India, though worldwide it is an accepted norm by which contestants are filtered to perfection - This format is tested with successful results in democracies like the U.S. (since 1987) where a special Commission of Presidential Debates has been established to let the two Presidential candidates come forward and defend their party's policies and reforms.

So, this is possible.
I am asking you to sign this petition, so that we collect one million signatures by 1 April 2014. Surely our political parties will listen to a million Indians who are only asking that a few critical questions be answered about the country we love dearly?
P.S - We have only 10 days to go and time's running out to get to our target. Let's sign this petition and share it so that we achieve what India deserves.
Jai Hind.
Shamoly Khera

Sign the Petition

Renaming Pune : PART I

2013-10-22T00:36:00.000-07:00

It took me quite efforts when I googled few famous places of Pune to know after whom they are actually named?

First I tried the famous ABC. For those unaware it doesn’t stand for Anybody Can blah blah blah… In Pune it stands for book hub and Dagdusheth Temple, Prabhat Theatre etc. the full form being Appa Balwant Chowk. When I googled ‘Appa Balwant’, it didn’t show anybody named Appa Balwant but just the famous book stores at this location. Even ‘history of appa balwant / chowk’ could not fetch me the desired results. As a lazy citizen wanting to know the history of Pune places, atleast I couldn’t succeed. In one of the blogs however I could fetch that ABC was actually named after Appa Balwant Mehendale. Did you know that?? Yup, next time you actually visit there do take efforts to see yourself the actual full form and the next best you can do (if you are interested) is to know about that person. Of course a location of such prime importance has to be named after an important person and the least you can do is to find out about that eminent person.

The least I did (lazily) was to google about Appa Balwant Mehendale. Nothing much came up since not many have uploaded any details about him directly but in one of the blogs I read that Sardar Appa Balwant Mehendale fought bravely in the Panipat war between Marathas and Rohilas. Sardar Mehendale had built this big mansion, which, since it belonged to the Mehendale family was known as Mehendalewada. The road junction (called a Chowk in Marathi) near is known in his memory as Appa Balwant Chowk. So that is the short story-cum-update of ABC!

So is the case of Z Bridge. Somebody rightly observed the pattern of the bridge being similar to alphabect ‘Z’ so thus the new name came up. I bet not even one of you reading this blog may be knowing the real name of ‘Z bridge’ as allotted by PMC. Neither did I till this date. So what I did?? I googled again :p :P . Finally and luckily on the first page itself I could find the bridge named after one Kakasaheb Gadgil. Now next question immediately popped, Kakasaheb Gadgil who? His full name was Narhar Vishnu Gadgil affectionately called as Kakasaheb Gadgil who graduated from Fergusson College in Pune in 1918, and obtained a degree in Law two years later. Gadgil was a pioneer in social reform movements in Maharashtra in the 1930s. During 1947-52 period, Gadgil served as a minister in the first central cabinet of independent India. He held the portfolios of Public Works, Commerce, and Mines and Power. Gadgil served as the governor of Punjab from 1958 to 1962 and as the vice-chancellor of Poona University 1964 onwards until his death less than two years later. (Thank you Wiki!).

But it wasn’t much to educate you about ABC or Z bridge I wrote this blog. I wrote to highlight and if at all you share the pain of one of recent shocking incident on one of bridges in one morning of Pune. Death of Dabholkar. The bridge he was killed on is actually not named after Balgandharva, but popularly it is known as Balgandharva Bridge (Balgandharva was a famous theatre personality). And just like Z bridge the name of this so called Balgandarva bridge was adopted from nearby situated Balgandharva Rangmandir (Theatre). This bridge was actually named after Maharshi Shinde the famous social reformist contributing in eradicating untouchability, a true free-thinker. Ironically a modern free-thinker Dabholkar was shot dead on this very bridge!! Now the moot point. Should this bridge be still known as (I’m sorry , not known as but called as) Balgandharva bridge. I’m sure his fans, historians and Puneities wont mind taking up this cause of keeping the name Balgandharva to the Theatre itself. For the sake of convenience we people start calling a location what suits us easy and best. But the horrific incident that leaves a dent on our very being of a Puneite calls for a thinking. To call spade a spade or not. To give the ones who deserved to be remembered the due remembrance. Can we call Maharshi Shinde bridge as actually Maharshi Bridge just like we call Karve road as Karve road?? Or atleast Dabholkar bridge in remembrance of a recent sacrifice. I need not glorify here his contributions to reform our society, you are very well aware of it. I am not sure whether PMC will erect a statue in his respect on the bridge ( I sincerely hope it does without any requests from citizens) but then why wait for the officials to take up this task. Can’t we simply call it Dabholkar bridge?? Or even Shinde bridge after whom it was actually named; but not Balgandharva bridge. It is too much to ask? Is it even a biased request you may ask. All I can say is it is kind of injustice not to realize and remember what they stood for. It was for a reason the officials named a place after a person.

Some may say what difference it shall make or whats in the name??!! I believe name is everything. Atleast names of these reformers needs to be remembered and cherished by us all or else there would had been no need for us to learn all those n number of names in our history syllabus.

I urge you Puneites (Ofcourse the choice is yours) to henceforth call this bridge as Dabholkar / Shinde bridge so as a mark of respect. If you second this thought , pass it on.

And FYI, MG Road is actually Moledina Grant Road :P

Astrology in INDIA: A Headache

2013-09-01T01:10:00.002-07:00

Introduction:

Most of the people who believe in astrology do not have any knowledge about how astrology originated or on what basis the astrological predictions are made. Many of them might have found that some sort of predictions made by astrologers did come true in either their own case or in the case of their acquaintances. That is usually the main reason why they believe in it. Unquestioning belief in age-old traditions is also an important reason. The funny part of this belief is that the predictions that went wrong are ignored or easily forgotten by them.

The excuses put up for wrong predictions are commonplace. Pro-astrology people argue that astrologers who have full knowledge of astrology are very rare. The average astrologers who do not have enough knowledge of it can make wrong predictions. And moreover, the time of birth provided to them is often incorrect, which makes their predictions go wrong; but that is no fault of astrology itself! It is obvious that nobody can eliminate such vague factors, and consequently, real assessment of astrology becomes an impossible task.

Presumptions:

It’s a sad reflection on the frailty of the human condition that people still believe in the power of divination and foretelling. Because, shorn of all its arcane mumbo-jumbo, astrology is no more than flying a kite into the future. Its tenets are disarmingly simple, though: a person’s character and destiny can be understood from the positions and patterns of the solar system, including the Sun, Moon, and planets, in the zodiac at the moment of birth. Interpreting the location of these bodies using a chart called horoscope, astrologers then claim to predict and explain the course of life and help people, companies and nations with decisions of great import. Ridiculous as such claims may sound to anyone who knows how far the Sun, Moon, and planets really are, millions of people around the world base crucial medical, professional, and personal decisions on advice received from astrologers, astrological publications and zodiac signs.

People believe in astrology because of uncertainty in life. It is never been proved on statistical and scientific level. The methodology as adopted by a very large number of astrologers for interpreting a horoscope is based on a large number of presumptions, against which common sense revolts. Astrologers either flatly deny their existence, or try to explain them away with pseudo-scientific arguments. The following presumptions are generally made by astrologers:

All planets send out astrological radiations. Rahu and Ketu are imaginary points, but they too send out similar radiations. These radiations reach every part of the globe simultaneously. In order to do so they travel through the mass of Earth wherever necessary.
The radiations coming from the planets contain twelve components. Each component is responsible for giving the phal (effect) of each house of the horoscope. Before reaching the Earth the planetary radiations undergo diffraction and their components are separated from each other.
The planets have several eyesights. They cast their sights on specified houses in the horoscopes and affect the destiny of man. For performing this feat they are endowed with knowledge of rules of astrology and have divine power to act according to them.

When astrologers invoke divine dispensation for astrology, they shut the doors upon scientific inquiry. The ‘hits’ and failures of astrologers cancel each other and so to a rational mind astrology remains a mumbo-jumbo.

Harmful nature of Astrology:

Primarily, it is against the Directive Principles of the Constitution, which insists on inculcating scientific temper among the people, since astrology is just a bundle of superstitions, which will lead us back to the days of cavemen. Horoscope, the outcome of astrology is supposed to be the text detailing the destiny of a man which is mainly based on the Hindu scriptures. Secondly, Vedic astrology includes non-existing Rahu and Ketu as two of the nine planets brought out by the wide imagination of the Hindu Vedic Pandits. If that is so, it is against another basic principle of the secular Indian constitution in dividing Indians into Hindus and Non Hindus. Not only have numerous studies failed to support astrology, but the techniques used by astrologers are also very dubious. In fact ANS insists that astrologers' business should be brought under Consumers Protection Act. Consumers should be allowed to sue astrologers if they fail in their predictions.

MANS (Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti) / CEBF (Committee for Eradication of Blind Faith) Challenges Astrology:

MANS always questions astrology on every possible level i.e. challenge level, education level and experimental level.

MANS challenges the whole concept of astrology and invites astrologers to participate in the scientific tests devised by ANS. ANS is even ready to pay an award if astrologers pass the tests.Media has given wide publicity to this challenge from time to time. But still nobody has accepted it. However, this challenge has made people to start thinking and questioning.

Educational level is a process to educate people giving details of failed predictions;to let people think regarding counter part of astrology which is generally not available for them,to show internal contradictions of astrology in Siddhanta level or postulate level.

Experimental level is to let the people get the experience of predictions to check possible claims of astrology. For instance:. A horoscope of a newly born baby but dead within hours of birth was shown to an astrologer. Doctor even queried whether there is a possibility of short life? Astrologer emphatically predicted that the baby was going to live a healthy and long life when actually the baby had died. This is the wisdom of the astrology!

SOURCE: http://antisuperstition.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=58

Wake me up when SEPTEMBER ends!

2013-03-30T08:14:00.003-07:00

If you happen to see few people roaming regularly on streets at 3 or 4 in the morning in the months of September dressed in formals don’t think it’s a new dress code of dacoits to fool you. Those might be poor CA students returning home after a tough day (read night as well) at work. Yes this malnourished breed is known officially as Article assistants. They can be easily identified specially during the months of September; you can identify them with the ‘I-dont-care look’ they wear always during the year. That’s coz they have already many things to bother about.

So your half day actually begins with the evening snacks, your family has rarely seen you and remember your one month old face. Your home has been renamed as ‘Free Lodging and Boarding’ as you visit this place only for 5-6 hours of sleep during ‘the month’. Sleep? Forget about it when it’s about a week to go for the month end. You eat in office, sleep in office, do possibly all the things in office, you become RNOR of office and NOR at home!

The office chair literally becomes a ‘hot-seat’ as people hatch on it for at least 12-14 hours daily! Not that you can’t fall ill in this month, but you just can’t fall ill for the season. Ok, casual approved leave? Ha ha ha, it’s a wrong question. Forget about casual, approved, planned leaves. They just don’t exist in the September season. Only Ganpati bappa helps for two days depending when HE wants to celebrate his arrival and departure.

You haven’t chit-chatted with your so called friends since a month, you cannot and absolutely cannot assure where you gonna be at so and so date and at so and so time. Because you never really know at first place whether you’ll be in city or at some outstation client place.

It is like becoming stranger to the whole of the world. That one month you feel all of the things had to happen all together now only. So you are ill but can’t rest at home coz you can’t handover your half-done work. It’s your friend’s wedding or birthday but cant visit and so you get good ‘remarks’ (read bad words) from your friends.

Its one crazy month where everyone is counting each and every single day by hours and minutes to get over. As the days approach towards the due date; the pressure, excitement, tension build up exponentially. In the last week of September the situation is like you have been gifted with 2 brains and extra 2 hands. So there is no guarantee what you’ll eat in office for lunch, dinner, snacks or even you gotta be lucky to have your food in time and at peace.

I remember being in Mumbai for 4 days to go for the Due date. I posted on Facebook “In Mumbai for since 3 days :| “ .. Another CA-victim-friend of mine based in Mumbai commented “How dare you not call me or meet?” I had to reply.. “Bhai, have seen nothing of Mumbai except the Office premises and my Hotel Room!! “which fetched many likes. So it is the ping-pong game played from office to home, home to office during the Season.

This is really the phase where you find yourself, discover yourself. It happens so; that you never knew you had it in you. You are squeezed and squeezed and the juice is extracted. The working capacity increases like magic trick, the patience level enhances and so does the maturity level. With everyday you learn, you learn to say yes, you learn to say No (I don’t know yet how to do that), you learn to ask and you learn to teach. One very noticeable aspect is the communication network. The coordination amongst colleagues, the sharing and caring and lending the helping hand is inexplicable. The team sharing and caring cannot be put in words.

And since you become stranger to the whole world you are bound to become close to the people you spend so much time with. The office politics, the work pressure, the back bitching and you have it all.

The pressure cooker tension till midnight of 30^th September/November (thanks to amendment) is hell like. The client is shouting, your team mates are shouting, your Boss is shouting and possibly everyone is shouting. The chaos is not realized because you are already a part of it. And as soon as you have filed that last Return on 30^th September close to midnight you feel like you have climbed the Everest. The feeling, the joy, the relived and escaped soul soothes you to no extent. And you suddenly feel it was all worth it.

An experience is an experience! Handling the daily work pressure, the due dates staring in your face, you have it all in the month of September. No wonder why so many students sing ‘Wake me up when September ends’ to boost their morale. Let me sign off saying ‘have fun’ this Season, coz if you don’t enjoy the work, the season; then you’ve not realized your true potential, the true ‘You’.

T: https://twitter.com/nirajdmahajan

E: nirajdmahajan@gmail.com

It happened in 13: Those 12 hours..

2013-02-14T01:00:00.001-08:00

IT HAPPENED IN 13 : MY STORY

The day before the result. Unexpectedly I was calm, was with friends..had fun with them and saw a nice movie in cinema hall.. came night, and the butterflies started waking up.. telling me how can you possibly sleep?
Still, somehow passing time on whatsapp and FB, somehow convinced my eyes to droop.. friends were nervous, I was trying not to be .. but somewhere deep down, I was not stable.. the D day was about 12 hours away..
I without worrying much , having low mood , slept.. that was one morning I wished never dawned.. I couldn’t summon the sun to go back.. I couldn’t summon time to go back.. to go 2-3 months back.. couldn’t summon my past to study bit harder, to not to leave few pages, chapters for option.. I couldn’t do anything about anything.

I had to wake up.. lazily, I go up at 9 in dull morning.. that morning was different.. that morning was definitely low, dull and cheerless, and being January, more damp .. it was as if morning was mourning about its own death.. I wished I was dead instead..
The feeling you have before results is like; that you know you are going to die for sure, its just you don’t know exactly when and how.. Its like opening the internet browser to welcome Yamraj! “Aa Yamraj, mujhe maar!’

And I sipped my tea on bed lazily.. even the tea could not lift my mood.. yes, yes and yes.. for sure all the people in the world who know you kinda well and know the results are about to come, will definitely message or call you! Yes, these are the same people who’ll not wish you or remember your birthday but will remember your exam dates and result date!

The series of calls started and messages and whatsapp started to glow.. Few who called were also in similar situation like me..even it was their result day.. the fear, tension, nervousness was clear in both of our voices.. but we were laughing it off and motivating to gather enough courage to face it.. the code was set, ‘I’ll call you if the result is positive.. if I don’t , samaj lena nahi hua’ .

Another cartoon friend called and wished good luck and I wished him the same. He said the result will be declared at noon but I won’t check it by night! He said he doesn’t wanna be pressurized or too curious about the results.. what could I say? I wished him good luck and said bye. He was the same person who used to message me around 2 or 3 in the night! The message used to read ‘ Hey Niraj, wassup?’ or on some situations at 4am, ‘Niraj, hows studies going on?’ or ‘How much portion covered?’.. Yes, he wanted to show-off, he wanted to declare he studies late at night, whole night and blah blah.. I managed to be unperturbed and ignore it fully.

Those memories of his trying to harass or compete with me got disturbed when another friend called. He was jigri friend, already cleared a group and was very hopeful to be a Chartered Accountant in next few hours. His excitement mixed with nervousness could tell me everything. How much can a result mean to a person. How much does it impact one’s life? I truly prayed for him in heart. His parents had also come down in Pune just for his results. To be with him, eitherways. Just in case he passes, to be with him at his happiest moment. And to be with him as a support in case he doesn’t make it through.

I was alone. No one in my flat. Neither did I tell my parents or brother that today it is my result. In my number of attempts, I never told them about my result dates. I always felt, these studies, this career, these pain and all curiosity and nervousness belongs to me and only I own it. Thus, I as usual didn’t speak about exact date of results.

The day was moving slow. You can actually feel it is moving slow, or somehow you wish it goes slow. After thinking about the results date for months, right from the day it is declared on Institute’s website, then to few weeks thinking next Monday by this time the results and our fates will be out. Then to the last day i.e. tomorrow and then you are actually breathing on the D day.. months grew into weeks, weeks grew into days and now day was growing tick-tock tick-tock into hours.
Around 10am another jigri friend messaged on whatsapp..

“How can you not be bothered, my heartbeat toh upar neeche” .. She said. I was nervous I had to accept but not curious or too excited about the result. I was like, leave it, I’m gonna flunk atleast one group. I was hoping atleast one group should get cleared or atleast an exemption or so.
“I am hoping but I’m not expecting” I replied.

This was the biggest truth which had dawned upon me. NEVER TO EXPECT. Expectations hurt. In careerwise or personally too. Hope on the other hand is like the silver lining. Hope can make you happy and optimistic. Expectations carries its weight around, it bogs you down unnecessarily.

“I don’t know to be nervous or be excited, but definitely not at peace” she worriedly said.
That was the condition of thousands at that time and I was not an exception. Knowing the death will strike in few hours was not so easy to bear with. I somehow trying to cheer her and thus self-motivate me too said .. “ Think of it this way.. nahi hua the one is prepared for it.. but agar ho gaya then it’s the biggest surprise of the world, biggest unexpected khushi!”
“Agar pata hai pass honge toh surprise thodi hai? Ussme kuch maja nahi.. Passing should be like sacred gift from God”

She felt nice I guess and tried to crack few jokes just to feel at ease.

After the chat, just to distract myself started watching movie on laptop. An hour passed and another jigri –cum-cartoon friend messaged me on whatsapp “Its come..” . It was around 11am. The result was supposed to be declared at noon. But we all were aware and habituated about timeliness of result declaration. To be frank, after reading his message, meri toh lag gayi :P
I said “ok.. “ . I was in no hurry to check the results. That jigri-cum-cartoon friend called me in 2 minutes. He said “Sorry yaar, that result declared was of last attempt! I thought it is of your current attempt!”
I had no words to say but smile and pronounce him as “Kutryaa, phukat ka tension diya na.. will tell you result when it is actually out..”

Pheww.. that was close I thought.. its gonna be same feeling in an hour I thought. It was kinda mock test of “aapko iss waqt kaisa mehsus ho raha hai ?” ; anyways I tried to concentrate on the movie.
At the stroke on mid-day, when the whole world is awake, I shall sleep to martyrdom I thought. It was precisely 11:58am when the jigri messaged “Its come..” . She wouldn’t be lying I knew. It was almost noon I knew. This is what I cant escape, I knew that too..

Dhak – dhak – dhak – dhak – dhak – dhak…. And the first phone rang..

“Niraaaaajjjj!! I cleared!! I’m CA!!” … I couldn’t believe it.. I was so happy for my jigri friend. He had cleared and ofcourse he had his parents around him to celebrate. I congratulated him and promised to meet in few hours to celebrate.
I could only reply “I haven’t checked it yet re.. will check in some time and will let you know definitely whatever it is..”

Another friend called who had already cleared CA Final.. “Kya hua?” he asked.. “I haven’t checked it yet yaar.. Will message you soon..”
Junior articles from office called up.. “Kya hua?” .. as if they are asking about some delivery of ladka hua ya ladki.. I said “Not checked man, will let you know in some time”. The whole world wanted to know about my result even before myself. I just wanted to breathe. I couldn’t login on that site. That site which was going to scare me to death in some time.

My jigri friend messaged , she didn’t clear.. DHAK –DHAK – DHAK – DHAK… The pace and beats and noise grew louder in my heart I guess. One jigri passed and other didn’t. What will be my fate? I wished that very moment I shouldn’t have even existed to be in such place. The messages and phones grew and I couldn’t gather courage to visit that site.

Over a period of years and lots of happenings there are chances of you being superstitious. I remember during PE-1 exams I used to brush with same toothpaste when there were 2 toothpastes around. During PE-2 exams, my friend wore the same yellow T-shirt for all 8 papers! I guess his first paper had gone great wearing that yellow tee and thus the following. And my superstition grew strong when all of my positive results were told to me by my friends Over Phone! During PE-1 result when results were checked on netcafes since personal internet connection was rare and costly, one of my friend’s friend was in net café and was checking result for everyone. This was accidental that I was amongst my friends and that guy in net café conveyed us my positive result.

Same with PE-2 .. both groups differently by different people on phone accidentally!!!!! That was because both these friends in separate attempts were sitting close to me in exam halls and knew my roll number. They had themselves called to let me know about my positive result.
Also, in May 2012 attempt when the result wouldn’t open normally on the website but some alteration on the URL needed to be done, one of my friend called. I gave him my roll number and doing some magic trick with the URL he said I got and exemption in one of the subjects! That was accidental too!

There was going to be no accident this time. I had to conduct some accident myself. So, the earlier night I messaged my roll number to one of the friend Abhijeet who also happened to be same person who had phoned me about clearing one group in PE2. My chances were strong as it was the same person and similar situation. Even Abhi was awaiting his CA Final results.

I messaged him on whatsapp immediately at noon.. “Its come.. check it..” he didn’t reply for 5 minutes. I grew impatient. I saw that the message wasn’t delivered. I called him up. He asked “Kya hua?".. “Arre lag gaya result !” I said.. “Haa kya.. I was watching movie too re.. now on climax, will get over in 10 minutes.. will check the result then..” We both started laughing like anything. We were the most coolest and carefree when the whole world outside was burning. I said fine, no problem.. Call me when you check it.

And during those longest 10 minutes I was occupying myself with my some movie and phone which was keeping me busy too. I had only one answer. I haven’t checked it yet! Will let you know once I do.
People were passing and failing and I was getting updated and interrogated too during those 10 minutes. I was on stake or on bet I don’t know. I was wondering if my result would ever be betted upon. None would bet on me clearing both groups I thought.

Abhi called at 12:20 pm if I remember correctly. That name flashing on my mobile screen. That call , that moment is indescribable. Till the time I could receive his call few other jigris had flunked. The status didn’t seem good I thought. They all were waiting for my result. I picked up his call to let it strike me. And he said………………………………………”pin code saang na?” (Tell me the pin code). My breath grew heavy and told him the code.. he was inputting it.. my heart, my brain, my body were all concentrating listening his typing on the keyboard. My ears were the only alive part in my body I felt. It was on those ears the news would fall. He said some dialogue box has come… something about placements.. I was quizzed and didn’t know what to respond.. and then he said, “Nirjyaaa you passed!! Both groups together… aaila marks are awesome.. Mafa 62 and Isca 70!!!”

Those were the most magical, touching and life changing words I had ever heard in my life. In excitement and choked voice I shouted rather in disbelief I asked him thrice whether its actually true; that please don’t joke and that its impossible. He understood the joy which filled me and consoled me assuring yes that its true! I was indebted to him at that very moment and always will be. Unfortunately he didn’t clear and that was not so soothing for either of us. But to give away the news of my passing must have made his day as well. I told him I still don’t believe him and that I’ll check myself on that site.

I was never so happy and still bit skeptical to put my roll number on site. And yes, it was true!. I cleared CA Final and I screamed happily with rush of tears in my eyes. The calls were flowing and I could only say “Yes. I’m CA”. For continuous 2 hours I was attending phone calls. I had to sit next to electric socket charging the phone. As if the electricity was giving life to my mobile and the phone calls were giving me; life. My life literally transformed without even warning me. Yes, it was a sacred gift. I felt truly liberated. My soul was free. It took me a week’s time believing it had actually happened. I looked at those books and smiled.

Is it really over? Are you kidding me? It is actually over? It can be over? my mind kept on asking me this I could only smile and think yes, it is finally over. Finally, through all the twists and turns and highs and lows, IT IS OVER.. The Vetaal of Vikram-Vetaal has freed me I felt. My shoulders were suddenly strong and I wasn’t bogging down anymore. It was almost a week’s celebration and feeling which took time to sink in. I had the feeling what now?. The feeling you have when you finish a beautiful book, or you read/watch all harry potter or F.r.i.e.n.d.s series. It’s hard to believe that it is over.

So many relatives and so many people called and were truly happy for the long due success. It was after clearing that I realized this was so huge. Yes, I had come out of it finally. Happily I changed my details on Twitter and LinkedIn from CA Final to just CA! It gave me a sense of pride and power.

My many jigris cleared and few couldn’t. That is the other part of success. You can’t completely enjoy it. Rather you don’t wanna enjoy it as you are thrown ahead and away from your jigris. You wish that had it been about passing, all from the friend circle should have passed. Sadly that doesn’t happen always and that’s the bitter truth of CA examinations.

They say ‘13’ is not lucky in some cases. It turns out that 13 will be most special year in my life. Ironically, it happened in 13!!

I’m not ashamed to disclose that it took me almost 8 years to finish off these studies, because even had it been 18 years, IT IS STILL WORTH IT ! Everything makes sense then. All the trouble, pain, hardship and patience make sense the day you are CA! So my friends who are close to clearing Final or stuck anywhere, please never ever give up. Only thing tested in this race is your patience. Just keep faith in yourself and time one day will give you your deserved success.

CA Niraj Mahajan

Pune.
Twitter : https://twitter.com/nirajdmahajan
E: nirajdmahajan@gmail.com
LinkedIn: http://in.linkedin.com/pub/niraj-mahajan/22/65/607

Me and my Red zero-bulb

2012-10-02T10:29:00.002-07:00

Me and my red zero-bulb,
we hardly talk..
I sleep when he's awake
and he sleeps when I'm awake..

Its like we are there for each other,
Saying " You Sleep, I'm there"

Only sometimes, during deeps thoughts,
we talk to each other..
Looking at each other and telling him
about the whole day

And he tells me not to worry..
"the day has gone, gone is gone.."

"Tomorrow will be brighter, happier and luckier"

And I sleep well happily,
Waking up smiling to the bright Sun
and wishing my friend a very good night,
promising him "I'll surely have a great day!"

The Wounded Tiger

2012-07-05T11:34:00.002-07:00

Behind every successful man,

There are many unsuccessful years...

I'm stuck to the chair,

Books dont like me, I feel Red

Tears have dried,

my true friends all have died

No degree, no money

no girl, life is no fun

I got nothing to do

Just stare at the meaningless sun

Cant step outta the house,

Everyone asks what do you still do??

"Please excuse me, I've caught flu"

I stare my palm, I've married bad luck

Frustration tells me, it all sucks!

My friends gone ahead, some engineer,

some doctors and ofcourse many CA's

I'm still trying my different ways,

Different ways to still be happy, to be free..

Different ways to face the already succeeded

There lies the door ahead, which bleakly I can see

There's only hope and that's

what keeps me going..

I see myself green, yellow and blue,

there was horizon, beyond which I flew..

The time is what I'm waiting for,

The door to be unlocked I'm waiting for,

Future beyond the door is I'm waiting for

I can smell the finish line, all I know

I'm not that too far..

The Shoe licker

2012-07-05T10:59:00.003-07:00

DEDICATED TO ALL THE SHOE-LICKERS!

I'm the rebel , dont take no for an answer,
I'm not just fast, I've always been faster..

Like me, hate me, I dont really care
Coz I'm always give a "Whatever...!"

You beg, you steal
you cry, you're helpless..
You try licking shoes
You try always being
in everyone's Good Books!

I'll pee on your shoes
And you'll lick that too!!

Get some life dude! awaken your self-respect
No one's gonna give you,
You dont ask, you dont get!

Be the rebel
you've always wanted to be
Show them the attitude
and sting like a bee..

Sting so hard
they cry for forgiveness
never owe abybody
and pay back the pain

That's how you gonna get some life
That's how you'll gain..

Believe in YOURSELF

2012-02-27T09:10:00.003-08:00

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF FIRST, GOD LATER!!

Many times I have felt and still feel why we need God? I have seen many doing unnecessary things/rituals only to please God. I am not going to the debate whether God exists or not. That is a different galaxy in itself. I am concentrating on the beliefs we as human beings possess and follow and the reasons behind it. Somewhere at some point of time we all need a little introspection and this is my attempt to put forth the results of my introspection.

Why does God require so many faces. I mean to trust in God does it really requires a face? So many different faces even God has!! Thats a sarcasm for sure. One with a beard, one with an elephant nose and just so so so many up to 33 crores man has imagined.

Do you really believe in God? or its just a belief passed on by our parents and elders so confidently? Do you talk to God when you are in a temple/mosque or when you are in front of him? Have you ever felt you are nothing but talking to yourself?

Why it is difficult to believe 'Work is worship' or 'God helps them those who help themselves'. God for me is a concept to boost your morale, Or to keep you going. A belief that 'something' is there for sure, an inner voice. And where does the inner voice come from? Ofcourse from within you. ITS YOU!!

GOD'S WITHIN YOU! Then why do you need to go to sacred places for help of god. Seriously, why do you need to spend so much unnecessarily? Stupid rituals the base/origin of which we do not know. There was someone who wrote all these. Even he was a human being who wrote all these things, that implies he has penned down HIS BELIEFS.

The society is far far far more modern now. We require a reason behind everything. We are 'social animals'. No wonder there are still hooligans hanging around. I feel the concept of God took birth because there was requirement of the ULTIMATE RULER who cannot be seen. At least people will behave like human beings if they are afraid of God.

FEAR of poverty, misery, FAILURE is the foundation of trusting in GOD. Or a series of bad events leads us to believe something is going wrong the reason of which we do not know. WHY DO WE PRAY SO HARD TO PASS IN THE EXAMINATIONS WHEN WE STILL KNOW THE RESULTS ARE DEPENDING ON OUR STUDIES AND NO INVISIBLE HAND WILL BE WRITING FOR US. Its just a self-confidence boosting mechanism.

Ofcourse there are still many many issues the answer of which we are still finding. That doesnt mean dump it all on someone who you do not know.

Nothing but beggars we are. Donate alot and ask too for alot. God is nothing but IMMORTAL CREATED BY MORTAL. Man is free to choose. The independence to accept whether God only is going to help you, guide you, be there for you is completely an individual’s decision. But we do need to open our eyes, be aware of what we are doing, why we are doing.

Don’t just follow things because people in general do. Be courageous to deny the society-written and society-accepted policies. There is no harm to your self-respect if at all you listen to your heart. AND OFCOURSE NO GOD WILL KILL FOR NOT ACCEPTING AND WORSHIPPING HIM!

You are what you make of your life. In Marathi there’s a quote “Tuch aahe tuzya jivanacha Shilpkar’ meaning ‘You are your life’s Sculptor”. First comes within, the YOU, and then comes the world. The YOU defines who you are. Rather your beliefs, ideologies, opinions, choices define YOU. I am writing this for all those who dare to accept that they can succeed without God’s help. It is better to blame yourself for your failure than to blame GOD. Similarly, it is better to praise yourself for your success than to praise the unidentified hand of God. The choice is up to you.

Finally, we all have our choices to make. Everything done in proportion / limits is acceptable. You do not wish to rely on God, is fine; and also if you want to rely on God is also fine. Just take care you are not carried away in your beliefs.

Believe in yourself first, you’ll never be depended on anything else to believe in yourself. I have also many times felt if at all you are dependent on anybody, anything in your life you are just making yourself weak. Be it for realistic or non-realistic things.

My apologies in advance for the friends whose sentiments I might have hurt. I have only penned down my thoughts, and you would definitely agree that everyone is free to opine and express.

Lastly I need not explain the meaning behind the quote : “Do your best, God will do the rest” J

Samajdharo ko ishara hi kaafi hota hai!

CA Niraj Mahajan

E: nirajdmahajan@gmail.com
T: https://twitter.com/nirajdmahajan