I d l e M u s i n g z

Care for Your Mother(land)!

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Fri, 03 May 2024 14:40:00 +0000

This time at the Emerging Bharat talk where Shantanu Gupta’s new book was launched in Hyderabad, a senior government official asked me, “What’s playing in the minds of the IT people about the upcoming General Elections? What’s the buzz around?”

Being a #NaMo fan, he was somewhat curious to know the popular buzz among the IT people. I somehow evaded his question without letting him know that.

But even now his question plays in my mind. Most of those who I’ve worked with professionally, are busy with two things - first, their work, and second, their passion. The second one often varies from movies, travel, binge-watching, parties, and shopping to mall-hopping. All good! But it’s only rare when I’ve come across people who think about what’s happening in politics, or for that matter, beyond their ‘binary’ world (two things we just talked about)!

Whenever I’ve initiated conversations around political views or choices, the response mostly has been uninspiring. Many strongly believe things won’t change in India, come what may. All politicians are corrupt. Nothing changes here. And there’s no meaning in spending time discussing politics or those who lead our nation, here, there, and everywhere!

This indifference to ‘how our nation grows behind our backs’ is worrying. Of course, bug-free software, flawless products, seamless service experiences for a common man’s banking needs, or anything that we do for a living, add to India’s growth. We all in our little ways keep shaping the bricks. But so is an autorickshaw driver who plies his vehicle for a living, yet he holds interest in what’s happening around him. With his limited knowledge, he forms his strong opinion about where our politics is leading and offers to build a conversation around it with his fellow passengers.

Why shouldn’t we the educated lot take an active interest in what’s happening around us and make informed decisions on the people who’ll lead us and later trade in what we are working on, directly or indirectly? Why should we only wait for the budget sessions in parliament to hear about the new tax slabs or price variations of commodities?

Why shouldn’t we come forward to vote on the General Elections day but later cry that all are the same? Given a chance, we must do proper homework to elect the lesser evil at least, so the nation doesn’t stay ‘the same’ and gets a little better!

And the worst of all, what will our kids - the next-gen - learn from us about contributing to the nation’s growth if we continue to stay so selfish in our life goals? A bigger vehicle, a lavish home, or a foreign vacation - are these all that we must die for throughout our lives? Nothing at all for the nation that reared us this long?

Being the change that we want to see around may look a little tough for beginners! But it’s doable! This weekend, for once, let’s find time to spend a solid thirty minutes thinking about how we can contribute to the nation’s growth, in our little ways, besides paying the tax sincerely!

‘Overambitious Parents’, Huh!

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 06:35:00 +0000

That was a term used by one of the organising members of a song competition where I made my daughter participate. Our sole motive was to make her get the feel of a proper competition, where she’d sing live and the jury would judge her on her singing ability.

What was more enticing was that she would get introduced to Odia devotional songs, called Bhajana/Janana, mostly dedicated to Odisha’s home deity Maha Prabhu Jagannath. Staying away from Odisha, it’s been a challenge to make her read or write Odia even though she can converse in Odia fluently.

It took her a couple of days to practice a semi-classical song in Odia and we made her listen/sing not less than 30 odd times for good practice. All those three days before the competition, the Shree Mandira Odia Serial Title song became the anthem of our family. Morning alarm started with that song, so were the short drives during the day, and the final sign-off song at bed.

The best part was we are maybe blessed to have a kid who owns her mistakes if highlighted, while learning! Sometimes we awe at her patience to deal with such feedbacks and learn a lesson or two.

What happened at the competition venue was something we never expected. Since a self-proclaimed Odia organisation was conducting the event where only Bhajana/Janana were allowed, we strongly sensed all participants would sing Odia bhajana/janana. Even we overheard one of the organisers advocating for Odia bhajana/janana as that aligned with the aims of the organisation of a major Odia festival.

My daughter sang well, but there was another Odia bhajana performance that stood apart from all - we were sure she would be the winner. There were just three Odia bhajana/janana which should have qualified for the competition. Later, two participants sang Hindi devotional songs, Rama Siya Ram and Achyutam Keshavam! The last one who sang on the spot was a small kid - his efforts were at best ‘cute’, not at qualified for judgement.

After the competition, an organising member showed deep interest on the song my daughter sang and asked us to come prepared with the karaoke if available, for the next day. He even enquired if we’d checked on the StarMaker app, and encouraged my daughter to take a day off from school if needed since it was a major cultural event of our State. Mind you, they were calling only the winning participants to perform at the main event next day.

What was waiting to shock us the next day was that my daughter didn’t even get a third place, despite having only three qualified competitors. The first place was owned by the girl we sensed. We were disappointed that the judgement wasn’t fair - not at all worried about her not making it to the final list.

Any organisation that can’t stop a bias in a competition must refrain from conducting one. When highlighted in their forum, the organisers came in flocks and gave sermons to me on dealing with failure, and overambitious parenting, as well.

But what they, and many parents like them, don’t realise is that it’s easier to deal with a failure than an unfair ouster from a competition due to an unfair bias. When our kids sense that they are not judged for their skills objectively, they get discouraged to an extent which is deadlier than the havoc of failure.

My response to the organiser who found excuse in the word ‘overambitious’ just because I highlighted the unfair judgment would be this:

Don’t let your kids feel alone when the cruel world rewards someone undeserving of an honour that your kid deserved more.
Stand by your industrious kids and fight for any bias anywhere, even at the cost of your ego or self-respect. Else, they feel orphaned, even with their parents are alive.
Just know that all kids are loveable, but the undeserving ones must struggle to deserve what they aspire, not by any easy means.
And yes, dealing with failure and dealing with unfair judgment are two different struggles. The later is equivalent to fighting for the right, which you must do and teach your kid to do as well, going ahead!

S M I L E to Meditate

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 12:17:00 +0000

The Monk at Buddhavanam (Nagarjuna Sagar) reluctant to be photographed!

This time around, when we managed to meet the Buddhist Monk, his quick tips for meditation resonated quite well with us. The simple formula for meditation as per him is to take care of these two things:

Smile throughout the meditation.
Feel and follow your inward and outward breath while smiling. Closing your eyes is optional.

And the most important thing he said is, as we begin to meditate, if we can’t do both and can only act on one of the two, we must continue to smile. In his words, the primary need for meditation is to SMILE throughout our meditation session.

He did talk about the Panchasheel rules too, but what struck a chord with us is his incessant suggestion to try and smile throughout the day.

My wife’s intriguing question “How can we smile in sleep?” didn’t go unanswered. With a broad smile on his lips, he told, “You can. Go with a smile to bed and until you wake up, that positive energy feeds you throughout your sleep duration. You wake up happier.”

We loved his insights! Perhaps these wisdom tidbits are less popular than the more marketed ones in this busy world. Now on, let’s SMILE come what may!

Alas! Her Dreams Shattered!

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 17:11:00 +0000

The Dream Home

Her dreams were dashed just like any other mother! Alas! This ruthless summer storm!!

It's been almost a month since I had seen her weaving her nest, on our clothesline on the balcony! The first time, a fool that I was, I removed her nest materials thinking it must be the wind's dirty job on our open balcony. But over a period of two-three days, I could see her frequently coming over with similar materials and weaving something in the same pattern as was the first time. I once saw her holding between her beak a waste paper torn into thin strips. A surreptitious look through our window confirmed that she was the architect.

The next morning, I just dragged her nest to one end of the clothesline so we wouldn't disturb her construction even though it was an illegal encroachment! That worked, and I got a confirmation when I saw the nest shaping up well. In a day or two, its exteriors were up! And a day more - there we saw the well-cushioned interiors! What an architect this would-be mother was, like all other mothers! They know more than the Creator what would comfort their kids!!

My wife and I started caring for her - unless really required, we stopped going to the balcony, to respect her privacy. The maid Aunty was informed to be careful and not even touch the clothesline.

A week later, during the daytime, when she usually was away, I was curious like ordinary human beings, to peep into her nest! What I saw was two bundles of happiness - yes, two eggs on the cushioned interior!

Bundles of Happiness

Then on, we became extra careful about the mother. In the evening, when I was back from the office, I would go get the dried clothes! I was careless one day when she got scared and flew away in the dark, leaving me to feel guilty for the whole night. And since that day, I either was careful not to hang clothes on that line or would get the clothes in the morning only! I thought, let her nights be peaceful - she was in charge of CREATION, that we know as God's job alone!

Last evening, a stormy wind blew for a while and it rained heavily in my office area! But back home, just 15 kilometers away, the land was all dry! As vowed to myself, I didn't go to the balcony! She must rest, undisturbed!

I never knew my morning would be this scary today! When I went to the balcony to see if the eggs were in good shape, to my utter shock, I saw the nest torn and eggs not seen! My immediate action was to confirm if they hadn't just fallen off!

Dreams Shattered, Happiness Punctured!

What was heart-rending was to see the remnants of one of those two eggs lying on the concrete wall below! Bundles of happiness punctured now!

Think! Think harder! What must not have gone through her mind to see this accident before her eyes? The hope to bring forth her offspring to this world, to feed them and make them grow, to teach them how to fly - all such fond dreams of a caring mother shattered in a while!

Why so ruthless God's ways are, sometimes? May He shower her with all happiness again wherever she weaves her nest, next!

Look around your balcony and lend her space if she chooses your clothesline!

Listening to Vikram Sampath and Arif Mohammad Khan at Aham Talks, Hyderabad

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 14:53:00 +0000

This International Men's Day would perhaps have been well forgotten like all earlier ones but for Modiji's early morning masterstroke (?) at 9 AM when he declared the repeal of the three #FarmLaws.

If you can rise above the petty political differences, you would observe that this short address by Modiji required guts – because gutless people can't apologize even if they know they have done something wrong. But see here, a powerful #man comes before an entire nation and tenders an apology to the protesting farmers (?) even when he hasn’t done anything wrong. All logical and conscientious debates have ended with support for these farm laws. But as a weakness of #democracy, such never-ending agitations and the repercussions couldn't have perhaps been pacified by any better means, or so the PM and his government think.

But there's more to the day, on this International Men’s Day! For Page3 fans, "Men will be men only"! But for the world and the #NewIndia, men will also be a young historian like Dr. Vikram Sampath or an erudite scholar like His Excellency Arif Mohammad Khan!

The venue was Hotel Fortune Katriya, Somajiguda, Hyderabad, and the time, 6 PM. The event was #AhamTalks moderated by Monica Reddy! And the topic revolved around Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, a "man" whom our biased history has either mostly ignored or often vilified on every mention. Well, the occasion was to unveil Dr. Sampath’s second book on Savarkar, Savarkar – A Contested Legacy!

There were around 200 people in the banquet hall and the gossips around, before the talks began, were all about the newfound consciousness of how all history that we have read so far has been selective, and now on, no more.

The Honourable Governor Arif Mohammad Khan's opening remark was so tangibly true – A race that has not cared for its own history certainly risks its geography.

The discussions around the world history, the evolution of the Abrahamic faith, the Indian freedom struggle, Gandhi and Jinnah, the origin of the Hindutva, were made lively by inputs from both the stalwarts. Dr. Sampath’s answers to questions on why he chose to write on Savarkar and his struggles to withstand the malicious attacks of the left-liberal clan on his books were so wonderfully composed.

The raft attention with which the audience was listening, the claps at the end of each revelling or justifying sentence, the reverence for the people on stage – all that ensued certainly from the nationalist thoughts that tied together, the whole gathering there. While the gathering was singing the National Anthem at the beginning and the end of the event, the atmosphere was electrifying as evident from the full-throated rendition.

All were so much engrossed in the discussions that the session surpassed the schedule. In the end, Dr. Sampath spent quite some time with people who wanted to get their books signed and take selfies.

Over the last few years, I was wondering who would take up the onus of rewriting our history, so our future generations rear a holistic view of our past, not a selective one as we all, unfortunately, have got. And here I see, a young historian taking up the daunting task of fighting against the cabal of self-proclaimed historians who often thought they would hide our rich heritage from us and hold us hostage to read what they write.

May we see more Vikram Sampaths at work to rewrite the forgotten chapters of our rich Indian HISTORY so we can ensure our GEOGRAPHY is intact with time!

When the World Rewards the Budmashes!

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 13:28:00 +0000

When the world rewards the budmashes by accepting their weaknesses and reprimands the good lot for their excusable omissions and commissions, why shouldn’t the good hearts bleed?

In many instances I have seen, those who have been really reckless and inconsiderate in their lives have got soft reprimands from their family members, mostly behind their back. But they have relished their life as they feel right. They can easily flaunt all the wrong things that they do without any inhibition. Be it boozing, smoking, or even adultery, once the society knows that they are into it, all including their family members find it cool to accept it without any complaints. The reason is simple – since both parties know there is no scope for any change, it is mere acceptance and nothing else. In other words, society and their family do not have any more hopes pinned on them.

But see the contrast! Those responsible good lots are always expected to be answerable. They must stick to the rulebook every time; else, they will be booed and reprimanded. As if the goodness that they have owned and shown so far is taking a toll on them! The justification is simple: to prove something right, all points must be complied with, whereas to prove something wrong, just one point is enough.

Especially, when there is a miscommunication or misunderstanding and there is a hot argument, which is quite normal in life, the inherent goodness of the good lots instigates them not to cross a self-set limit. The ‘dirty pig’ simile at times stops them from taking an active part in the ugly fight. The budmash lots, instead, in such situations, win the ugly fight pretty easily, thus forcing the good lots to get into a comparison and feel disheartened. The prizes of no accountability, freedom to do what their mind pleases, sticking to bad habits in style, and above all, not earning anyone’s wrath anymore are some key things that the budmash lots relish, which naturally irks the good lots.

There must be this consciousness and awareness among all in families and society around, that the goodness in people must be appreciated so that it grows multi-fold over a period of time. The unintended omissions and commissions by the good lots must not always be blown out of proportion to accuse them and celebrate as their weaknesses; rather, they should easily be excused, at least as a reward for the good choice they have made in life.

Unless that happens, who knows, the situation may so become when the revolting people among the good lots may choose to change sides and join the budmash lots, sooner or later. That may invite an unwelcome catastrophe for society at large.

Copyright © Arun Dash. All rights reserved.

Crocodile Tears

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Wed, 12 May 2021 04:28:00 +0000

Last time, when teardrops trickle down my eyes upon hearing the unfortunate death of a stalwart I adored so much, someone claiming to be a more ardent fan laughed at me and suggested not to shed such ‘crocodile tears’! I had a near-heartbreak, as for me, to court hypocrisy is to court death.

As much as I knew my idol, he never lived his life in such a way ever that someone can pick a lesson from his life on harsh ridicule and practice in their life ever. And assuming that his soul would be in transit to merge with the Supreme soul, a cursory glance backward to see someone picking up such nauseatingly wrong lesson from his life would certainly break his heart. I now pray let the pull of the Supreme soul be so strong that his soul does not get a chance to look back.

And pray the Supreme soul blesses all to get this enlightenment as would discourage all to ridicule, especially in a selfish rush to flaunt their allegiance to someone or something as the best.

Just because my love weighs, say, a kilogram and yours, a quintal, does that mean mine is impure and yours is the purest? Let good sense prevail!

Lady Macbeth and the Lady in West Bengal

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Thu, 06 May 2021 07:31:00 +0000

There is an uncanny similarity between the character of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth and a lady in West Bengal, notwithstanding the only dissimilarity of the later being having no husband to inspire for a deadly act. Of course, for a while if we consider her followers to be the representation of the doer who she must instigate to get the deadly job done, things are all set to help you relish watching the gory tragedy of Shakespeare right before your naked eyes.

The prophecy of the witches had just set the perfect background in which Macbeth had his ‘vaulted ambition’ underpinned. The king’s throne that he desired to own was just out of his reach. But as you progress slowly act-wise, scene-wise, you would notice how Lady Macbeth continues to instigate him to carry out the deadly murder that propels him to commit more.

To lead Macbeth to kill King Duncan, Lady Macbeth performs her best. As she prepares herself to start inspiring Macbeth to kill Duncan, in a soliloquy before Duncan’s arrival in the castle, she utters:

Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood,
Stop up th’access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious vistings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
Th’effect and it. Come to my woman’s breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers,
Whatever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature’s mischief. Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,
To cry, ‘Hold, hold!’

At first, she invokes the spirits to give her the courage she needs to kill Duncan. The references she makes to being female reveal that she feels her natural womanhood may keep her from acting cruelly, so she demands that they be removed.

A little later, when she gets to the action, to persuade her husband to do the murder, look at the passionate words she utters:

O, never
Shall sun that morrow see!
Your face, my thane, is as a book where men
May read strange matters. To beguile the time,
Look like the time. Bear welcome in your eye,
Your hand, your tongue. Look like th’ innocent flower,
But be the serpent under ‘t. He that’s coming
Must be provide for: and you shall put
This night’s great business into my dispatch,
Which shall to all our nights and days to come
Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.

Come what may, Macbeth must shed all fears within and act like a serpent while appearing like an innocent flower from outside, she tells him.

“In Act 1, scene 7, Lady Macbeth dismisses her husband’s decision to let Duncan live, and promises him that if he can act with courage, their plan can’t fail. She tells Macbeth that once Duncan is asleep, she’ll get his servants so drunk that they pass out. Then she and Macbeth can kill Duncan and blame his servants for the killing. Lady Macbeth’s plan is good enough to convince Macbeth to change his mind and agree to kill Duncan.”

On pretty similar lines, the lady there in West Bengal has tried hard through her instigating speeches and infuriating dialogues to let her followers unleash the violence, some before the election and some after it. The pattern is quite similar – as Lady Macbeth, the lady does not hold a dagger in her hand, rather get the daggers ready for her followers. Daggers here may be hand grenades, petrol bombs, or only strong arms that see no difference in a male and a female, old and young, or even weak and strong.

Even as it looks dissimilar that the lady here, unlike Macbeth, is usurping the throne herself, the malice and the venom that she has already injected into the minds (?) of her followers would continue to poison the society for a long time to come. Let’s hope there emerges one more similarity in the days ahead whereby a bit of remorse enters her black soul and she invites her end all by herself.

To the Lousy Reader in Me

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 06:37:00 +0000

On this World Book Day, when I look back at the limited number of books that I have read in this life so far – academic or otherwise – I congratulate the lousy reader in me. See my humility – I frankly own this self-denigrating title of a lousy reader before all, without any inhibition!

Before your mind wonders, if you should also think of cutting short the list of books that you are going to read this year, I must let you know for heaven's sake, don’t do that. Read more books and let your reading list get bigger and bigger each passing year.

I remember even when some of my literature classmates used to complete their semesters without even looking at the course books, thanks to the help books or guides available in the market, I was making sure that I complete the textbooks, word by word. The love for delving deep into what the author intends to say by weighing each word carefully chosen in a sentence or paragraph was so overpowering in me that I often kept on scribbling the meaning of difficult words on the side margins of the books. The little white space left on the pages used to be crammed up by my own handwriting. Of course, many of my friends at Ravenshaw used to envy my good hand, especially because of how skilfully I would squeeze too much in too little a place.

Somehow, with the growing years, I sensed my attention span, especially with voluminous books, has declined significantly. The shrinking list of books to read over a year is just a direct consequence of all that. But you may find it strange to know, amidst all this, my love for books hasn’t died down a bit even. Now too, in a Sunday magazine or weekly tabloid, my eyes first rush into any writeups that deal with books or the related stuff. At least 30 percent of my online window-shopping is reserved for the Amazon Kindle store. And I still buy good books as and when I get to know of good reviews of them, which my spouse, a voracious reader herself and a published author, devours like bars of Dairy Milk.

As I age more and focus shifts in life, I still rear a fond hope that my love for buying good books and encouraging others around to read good books shall one day bring me the lost confidence and patience in me to devour books. Until that happens, let me seek solace in the little skills I have gathered so far in writing.

Happy World Book Day 2021!

Prabhu Shri Ram – the Lover Par Excellence

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 10:30:00 +0000

[Original (Odia) writing here: Lipsa Panda || Translation: Arun Dash]

Eons of praise have been written celebrating your matchless valour and unique archery skills as a superhero. Yet, I celebrate and admire you as a lover par excellence, a beau nonpareil, who won the benign heart of Seeta!

Has this universe ever seen a better beau than you? I wonder.

As if breaking the Shivadhanu (the bow of Lord Shiva) to win her heart was any less to proclaim your deep love for her, you even crossed the far-reaching oceans to protect her on the other side.

To quash the baseless doubts of suspicious countrymen, you, despite being the King of Kings, chose to stay away from your better-half and lived the life of a hermit, with no qualms.

Even though you idolized your father, unlike him, you did not choose polygamy, which was common practice those days for kings. Rather, you upheld the flag of monogamy with a strict allegiance to your only better-half, maybe as that would have set a wrong precedent for posterity. That’s not all. During the Ashvamedha Yajna, when rituals demanded you to offer prayer alongside your married wife, despite the persuasion of your countrymen to go for a second marriage as Seeta was away in the Valmiki Ashram, you rather chose to make a golden replica of Seeta and completed the rituals. If that wasn’t a strong attestation of your highest respect to your wife, then what it was?

What appealed to me the most about the lover in you was that you did not send your pregnant wife to her paternal home assuming her as someone who was weak and incapable of spending her days independently, and so would need more care and attention. That was never your thought; rather, your well-thought-out plan was to leave her at her favourite rishi ashram for stress-free and peaceful days thus preparing her to welcome her motherhood and raise their kids in the best manner, a few days later.

Seeta had to suffer a lot throughout her life. Yet, unlike any other woman, she did not get angry with you nor curse you. Because she too understood that a king's greatest duty was always to sacrifice his personal happiness and prioritise his work for the greater good!

However, in view of the repeated demands of the indiscreet, suspicious countrymen to clarify the doubts, when Seeta left you, you ruled over those heartless countrymen in a dignified manner and established a unique Rama Rajya, worthy of emulation. That time too, in Seeta’s absence, you chose to lead the life of a hermit and ruled out a second marriage. Such was your deep love for Seeta.

Today, on this auspicious occasion of your birthday, I offer heartfelt obeisance to the lover and husband in you! Jay Siyaram!

Why You Must Visit JIRANG, Mini-Tibet of Odisha

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 07:10:00 +0000

Day 1

If your religion has succeeded in teaching you a few shreds of humanism, you must visit Jirang. If you have mastered the art of drawing happiness from absolute peace, you must visit Jirang. If want to visit a place that shall inspire you to self-introspect and have a long conversation with your sublime soul, you must visit Jirang.

We never knew we would find Jirang so peacefully enchanting until we breathed its air. It was around 4 pm when we touched Jirang on our Renault Triber. Even though we left Nayagarh around 8 am, we did spend some time at Buddhakhol near Buguda. After a truly rubbish lunch at Kalashandhapur square, Aska, we had headed for Jirang.

The roads around the monastery were so picturesque – mountains and greenery all around, with the Eastern Ghat mountain range filling the distant horizon. And to add to the beauty of the place, there were fewer people around, maybe because of the political strike planned for the next day.

The colourful prayer flags tied all around ware spreading positive vibes to us. The prayers written in Tibetan script were less to be understood and more to resonate with the prayers of our hearts.

People in this part of the Mini Tibet of Odisha believe that the wind passing through the prayer flags fluttering incessantly brings peace and positive inspiration to all. And we did feel so!

We were so mesmerized by the charm of the Buddha Vihar where there were a number of stupas that we never knew how an hour passed by. The prayer wheels too kept us engaged for some time. As we rushed to visit the main monastery building, Padmasambhava Mahavihara Monastery, it was past 5 pm and hence closed. We were disappointed! But guess what?

We planned a night stay there at the adjacent Mahendragarh as we didn’t want to leave Jirang without seeing the main monastery.

With hardly half an hour left before it became dark, we quickly reached the Khasada waterfall that was hardly five kilometers away. We did love the scenic waterfall there even though it was not in its full flow. The height of the fall was hardly 15 feet, yet the width of the stream flowing was inspiring. When it got dark, we headed back to Mahendragarh.

After knowing the exorbitant room rent charged by the only decent hotel Budu International, we tried to explore other options available if any. With the guidance of a fellow Tibetan passer-by, whom we approached for some general inquiry, we could get to know about the Tibetan Bungalow nearby.

Upon our request for two rooms, the gentleman in charge agreed and we loved the respectful treatment he offered us. We got to know from him that it was the week of the Tibetan New Year, Losar. The bungalow was amidst nature and was maintained pretty well, with all facilities that a tourist may seek, except food. After getting refreshed, we went to the nearby Mahendragarh town and could manage to fill our stomach somehow. There were many fast-food joints around which we were in no mood to try.

At the fag end of winter, this place quite high above the sea level was pleasantly cool. After we came back to the bungalow, we did spend an hour sitting in its veranda and soaking in the oxygen-rich cold air and the unusual silence that had pervaded the place.

Day 2

The morning was laid back as the political strike was from 7 am till 1 pm. We planned to spend the whole strike hours over there in Jirang. After a fresh morning tea at the Tibetan Bungalow, we drove to the lake area near the Buddha Vihara. Early morning sun inspired us to take some real good snaps. Moreover, the Monastery would open only after 9 am. We waited for the Lake View food joint to open. When it did, we relished the food there – we tried Aloo Bele, Veg Chowmin, and Noodles. They were of good taste.

When it struck nine, we headed towards the Padmasambhava Mahavihara Monastery, the largest Buddhist monastery in South Asia. The visiting fee was only five rupees per head. We had to request monks over there to peep into the main temple. We learned from them that because of the Losar celebration that was going on until the day before, there was some restriction to go inside the main temple. But we did get a chance to look inside the temple and see all that was visible from the entrance. The vibrant rich colors all around their walls and the beautiful paintings left us bemused. The monks there offered us fruit to eat.

Before we left the place, when we requested one of the monks there to fill a small 500 ml water bottle, he went in and got us almost 3 liters of water in different bottles. We thanked him and he returned a hearty smile.

After buying a couple of souvenirs from the Ripa gift shop there, we left the monastery and came back to the Tibetan Bungalow. We checked out of the Bungalow after getting refreshed. On the way, we had to halt on the way due to the strike that was still on. As Camp 5 was close by, we drove inside and visited the Buddha Temple there. Initially, we were not allowed inside by the student monks. Later one young monk came and invited us inside. He even opened the temple there and called us inside. We sensed it was almost a replica of the Main Monastery.

The young monk did answer all our queries patiently and tried explaining to us all that he could, using his elementary Hindi and English skills. The warmth with which he conversed with us was infectious. He did agree to our request to take a photo with him.

A little later, we left Chandragiri when we got to know the strike was over. As we were going away from the Monastery, we were feeling as if a part of our mind and soul wished to spend more time over there. Such was the calming effect of the place!

[*All photographs are copyrighted by Arun Dash 2021. ]

Th Price of Being an Arrogant Celebrity

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 17:58:00 +0000

[#idlemusingz #celebrity #hypocrisy #responsibility #morality]

You will amass wealth for generations. You may shop for all the awards in your arena. You may win the hearts of millions of fans by your acting or sporting skills. Because money is raw power on the earth, you may even command some respect from people looking up to you, again in your arena.

But in an awakened society, with enlightened youth rocking in a country, you can no more relish your stardom flaunting your hypocrisy. Your contributions to sports or cinema shall be celebrated, but not to the same extent as would it be if you are frank about your standpoint on a national or social affairs. Your charity however big that may be won't come to your rescue if you are not an advocate for your nation at large. Your silence at a time when your frank view on the basis of your stardom could impact a popular opinion would denigrate your public image. The demi-God status would not take much time to vanish into thin air in a matter of few days.

The argument that you have your personal choices in life is true. But the moral responsibility that ensues from your stardom implies that you must sacrifice a major chunk of your personal choices in return for the appreciation you garner.

Unless you realized this, your social media status updates that stink of affluence and nothing else shall only be booed. And very deservingly so. When people with capability to bring in a positive change in the society by their open and frank stand choose to remain selfish and celebrate hypocrisy, they must be driven away from the high pedestal they had been offered earlier.

Why You, the Hindus, Must Celebrate Your Religion Now

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 03:19:00 +0000

At a time when intelligence has become inversely proportional to our faith in the Divine, we the handful of proud tolerant Hindus must safeguard our eternal religion, the Sanatana Dharma.

Perhaps this is the time when we must come forward and celebrate every aspect of the Hinduism with pride and sublimity. Be it the Deewali, the Rama Navami or the Ganesh Chaturthi, let’s celebrate the occasions with all pomp and vigour. You may wonder why I say so! Wouldn’t it be a sign of our pride or even something like, would it hurt people of other religions at times?

Don’t take me wrong. Take that rank thought out of your head and rethink. Did I ask you to go and get some people from the other camps to ours? No. Did I tell you to trouble people of other faith to make them celebrate ours? No. Then?

The recent observations are pretty alarming. The inherent tolerance of our altruistic religion has been so badly misconstrued that people of our own religion too are taking liberty to destroy its rituals and practices with no inhibition. Under the garb of logic and science, they denounce our faith, but if you observe them closely, you will notice that their logical discourse doesn’t get into the ambit of any other religion on earth other than ours. Our worst enemies are those who are within or among ourselves – they relish every social blessing that Hinduism has bestowed on them, yet they denounce our faith on a vague basis that they don’t believe in God! I wish they had at least been indifferent to all religions after formally ditching their own!

So the handful of proud, tolerant Hindus around must feel blessed to celebrate each aspect of the Hindu faith, unequivocally, until they exist. There is absolutely no reason to vilify or denigrate anyone else’s faith. If possible, stay aloof from what other faiths believe in. Our roads must not cross until someone traverses through our territory, but invaders if any must get exemplary punishment.

And for the burgeoning intellectual lot that laughs at the Hindus for their faith in the Divine must be ignored royally. The acknowledgement of a divine power is what we celebrate, and if they do not believe in such divinity, let them rot on this Planet Earth until their body has got the supply of Oxygen cut short.

ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः

सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।

सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु

मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Book Review: ‘Technology to Business – The Invisible Gap’ by Harish C Rijhwani

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 20:33:00 +0000

Author: Harish C Rijhwani
Title: Technology to Business – The Invisible Gap
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 16994 KB
Print Length: 131 pages
Sold by: Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited
Language: English
ASIN: B087D28FGR

If all that you have as writing materials are journals of yesteryears and you still wonder if you can live that distant dream of being an author, you must take inspiration from this man, Harish Rijhwani, the author of the book under review.

I came across Mr. Rijhwani and his book through LinkedIn. The very title impressed me – the cover design was simple, yet so thoughtful that a creative person may easily transcribe the design exactly to its original title. I skimmed through the description on Amazon and some of the short reader reviews available on Amazon for the Kindle edition (which I too own) and I felt I must pick this up.

It did not take long for me to get a good connect with Mr. Rijhwani’s voice as I flipped through the first few pages. I found the text layout and the overall presentation of the content quite refreshing. The simple language used, the conversational and therefore informal style of writing, mostly in the subjective tone, did make me feel like listening to his narration.

As the chapters sped fast, I was reminded of Mr. Rijhwani’s declaration in the Acknowledgements chapter that this book is the expanded version of the journals he wrote during his MBA days. As someone with an IT background, mastering the unfamiliar area of ‘marketing’ was not an easy task. But his keen interest to learn new things and exercise his a deeply analytical mind helped in bridging the invisible gap between technology and business.

The structure of the book is simple. All the 11 core chapters, besides the generic last three, draw out from Mr. Rijhwani’s experiences from a specific session. Even though this formula of bringing out a book from the journals may seem simple to just imagine, it takes depth in understanding and research skills to make it a success, as is the case with this book. The 96 references mentioned after the core chapters establish that Mr. Rijhwani has done solid research maybe while expanding the old journal entries to support his opinion or to add an example.

Let me quote an example from the chapter, Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy. Like all other chapters, here too the context is built in the beginning and then you are slowly dragged into a discussion where you are made to understand the subtleties of amalgamation of technology and business. In this chapter, while discussing the brands and their approaches to business, Mr. Rijhwani uses four quadrants to compare the portfolio of premium brands (based on Product Category vs. Relative Market Share). Readers may find such insights quite useful to enhance their understanding of business.

Similarly, in the chapter, Exercising Your Brain, Mr. Rijhwani categorizes the customers of the businesses or services in four types, based on the Technology Adoption Lifecycle – Innovators, Early adopters, Late Majority, laggards. With multiple examples to explain each type, he ensures that the readers are not lost anywhere.

If I ever wish a change in the book, I perhaps would love to drop some of the graphics that at times were nothing less than an unwelcome distraction.

The subtle approach Mr. Rijhwani adopts to bridge the gap between technology and business, without a didactic or academic undertone, makes this slim non-fiction a decent read. I recommend this book to all who aspire to close the gap between their love for technology and the dream of business.

In memory of My Mother

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Sat, 02 May 2020 03:11:00 +0000

At times when I badly need a shoulder to cry on and there’s none of my dear ones around, I often lean back on my volatile memory that fortunately never fails me on those occasions. Thereby I sustain myself against some infrequent psychic breakdown that might otherwise be in the offing.

Ever since you left me alone, I have grown up by two long years. Your memories are still alive in my mind (and will remain so forever). They serve as sources of inspiration to live life as I should have done in your presence. But deep inside, I often feel a kind of void that can never be filled again. I know you are there beside me whenever I need you. I know you still care for me even when you are in some far-off realm. Still, I miss your sweet smile. I miss hearing you cheer on my little successes. It’s been hard without you. Just know I lost a part of me when you left me and I feel lonely without you. Pray you own me again if ever there’s a rebirth!

Here are a few words that may come close to define what you were for me: A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. (Washington Irving)

Just know, I miss you, My Mom … now and always. Rest in peace wherever you are.

The Arnabs Must Win

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 11:08:00 +0000

With what many claim as the strongest govt now at centre after a long time, it's disappointing to see how a fiery journalistic voice is being muzzled in the open by what seems to be a pliant Mumbai Police.

Arnab looks strong as long as we fail to gauge his trauma of being dragged away from his office and made to delay breaking some more important stories that may otherwise go unreported!

Arnab's body language may convey that he cares little for public support only as long as we fail to take cognizance of the fact that his own FIR against the Youth Congress attackers too needs to progress with similar war-footing and parallel questioning of the culprits to continue in parallel. Unless that happens, there is every chance the Arnabs of tomorrow may shed their dream of breaking honest stories and amassing courage to question the higher-ups in fear of such humiliations under a submissive security apparatus.

Arnab must win so we have some people left in the anti-dynasty ecosystem to bust the fake stories and pseudo theories being propagated by the dynasty rulers. Arnab must win to uphold the voice against the most corrupt dynasty that has fooled a country over a long period of time to rule over them. Arnab must win to establish that a self-made journalist can brew a storm when it is badly necessary, especially when the ruling establishment despite a thumping majority doesn't have the guts to call a spade a spade and fails to advocate for the majority cause in fear of their secular image being tarnished.

Come what may, Arnab must win. His fiery voice should rock against the pliant, corrupt media barons who certainly arrest the pace of growth and evolution of India in multiple ways.

Stay Home. Stay Safe.

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 13:08:00 +0000

There had never been a better time to sit back and think if you can follow your passion. The pandemic #Corona’s spread now has forced you into an indefinite period of total #lockdown as #SocialDistancing seems to be the only cure to arrest its pace of infection.

Many of you often cribbed: I wish I had time to do this or that. I wish I had a flexible working hour like theirs. I wish I could spend more time with my kid or family. I wish I could manage to sleep beyond a late hour and relish my me-time with no one to complain against.

This total lockdown has brought you all this opportunity on a platter for you. Now you must see if you really were serious about your wishes or were just faking suiting to the situation using them as lame excuses. The camera is lying unused for all these days waiting for you to capture those fond shots. The blog is waiting for your daily journals or new posts as frequently as you can get them ready. The handicraft materials are lying idle in your cupboard to be used for discovering your kid’s creativity. The tennis rackets are just staring at you as you finish your daily chores.

The deadly, yes deadly, smoking or drinking habit that you always dreamt of ditching is waiting to be ditched now. The home garden that you always wanted to spend time at is waiting for your august arrival. The books that you have piled up over the months with the fond hope of reading at leisure are staring at you through the glasses of the bookshelves. The photo albums that host some rare pictures of the earlier era are also hopeful of getting some fresh air so they can outlive their lifespan! And yes, isn’t this the best of times to manage or maintain the personal music library that you so often wished for?

So, what’s stopping you now? Go, get it done. Remember, the four walls that surround you now until the #lockdown is lifted, present you the safest and happiest place in the world, now and always. So, #StayHome, #StaySafe and #LiveYourLife.

India - the Leading Light in the World

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 01:59:00 +0000

From the richest man to the homeless one, all but a pessimistic few could feel the gravity of the situation and respond to the humble request of a sincere leader. Many even came forward supporting this #Prakashotsav rising above their petty politics and agenda. Of course, the retarded lot did create a hue and cry over power spillage and grid failure in view of the #9baje9mintues light off. A bogus few even predicted that the scientific temper among the present lot will die down soon if we fall for such whimsical initiatives. But what was heart-warming to witness was many homeless people right from their roadside tents or rickshaw parked beside the road came ahead and lighted a diya amidst this lockdown. Let’s not highlight the support of the richest lot like the Ambanis and Ratan Tata for this initiative.

PM Narendra Modi, a visionary leader as he is, had acknowledged in his national address that such tough times must see the strongest soul of us ready within to fight the menace. The spirit, the courage, the innate will to live happily – these must be intact at any cost. To boost the morale of the nation, to evict the negative thoughts around due to the alarming rising in active Corona cases, to ensure the nation is ONE at these troubled times, to inject an ounce of positivity among the countrymen – the PM just made a request to light a diya, candle or torch from their balconies or doors while keeping the lights off for nine minutes only. Despite those negative campaigns by some anti-Modi forces, the call of the mass leader was taken with all seriousness and the whole nation, MINUS a few anti-nationals, happily acted as advised. #Prakashotsav was made a huge success. Just one request, and a whole nation responded wholeheartedly – such is his aura!

Pity those hypocrites who blindly oppose #Modiji for his every action. Let’s hope this success must have burnt a part of their ego and self-righteousness.

When a nation or a civilization loses its rich cultural ethos and revered heritage, the spirit of that nation gets weakened, thus leaving its soul bruised beyond repair. We must be grateful to the Mother India for blessing us with an able son who has demonstrated his calibre to safeguard the national spirit through thick and thin.

At a moment when the whole world is shaken by a fatal pandemic, let’s just shed our petty egos and come forward to fight together like the last lot of people in a sinking boat. Mind you, a dirty fight mid-sea over the issue of who must be the boatman now to steer the boat to the shore may create more commotion inside than the mighty waves outside.

As Jay Panda tweeted after the event, “The visceral hatred by some of anything the PM proposes, even if it’s for building a common national goal, even if other nations do it to applause, must end”. So, let’s just stay home, pray, and see off this #Corona. Jai Hind!

PM Does NOT Care, So What?

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 13:33:00 +0000

PM doesn’t care – you must be wondering – about what? PM doesn’t care about what all the dynast name-worshippers talk about the emergence of a new fund in the name of #PMCARES!

Some callous panelist in a prime-time debate claimed that #Modiji’s plan of coming up with this new fund is an attempt at deviating the media attention from their poor handling of this Corona pandemic. Pick up any politically active Indian to tell you the first sign of dynasty politics – they certainly will tell you about the naming of every playground, scheme, bridge, stadium or airport after the surname of the Gandhis. And now look at the audacity of the #chamchas – they question a fund named as #PMCARES as if P in it stands for Narendra and M, for Modi! How disgusting!

At a time of national crisis, when people across all the developed economies in the world despite their advanced healthcare system are struggling to arrest the death toll caused by the #Corona pandemic, a sick, irresponsible opposition has started nit-picking every trivial issue that does in no way help the nation in fighting the pandemic better.

Many of us must have heard the multiple complaints against Modiji on the grounds that he is soft on the capitalists even though there are many stronger reasons for why an ever-aspiring and never-becoming developing country must be like that. In an emergency like this, when the whole country is under a 21-day lockdown, to tackle a virus that has no vaccine to our rescue, the sincere and serious government is taking all steps possible to arrest the infection rate. The country-wide lockdown would certainly affect negatively the already dwindling economy further, the sane government humbly admits. Amidst all that, conscientious countrymen including industrialists, film actors, sportsmen and people from all walks of life are coming forward to contribute towards a fund that will be used to deal with the fight against this #Corona.

“Keeping in mind the need for having a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected, a public charitable trust under the name of ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund)’ has been set up. Prime Minister is the Chairman of this trust and its Members include Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister.”

Now who but a fool should read too much into it? The bogus questions raised will leave you aghast at the opposition’s thoughts: Why is it named as #PMCARES? When there already was one relief fund PM Relief Fund, what was the need for another fund at this juncture? There must be a mala fide intent behind all this. Are the funds being siphoned into a secret account of the party the PM belongs to?

Don’t you think the persons raising such questions against a pro-active government that has earned praises from across the globe for their exemplary fight against #Corona have already been inflicted by an unnamed or undiscovered virus that is much sinister than COVID-19? And what about those anti-Modi brigades who support these divisive souls as whistle-blowers? In fact, they have been the potential bearers of that unnamed virus. So as sincere law-abiding patriots, you must be watchful against those potential bearers not only of the #Corona virus but also of that unnamed virus. We may perhaps get a vaccine soon for #Corona, but even the omnipotent time has failed to get an antidote for that unnamed virus. So as you stay home, keep working towards building your immunity against that unnamed evil virus too.

A Weird Wish

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 07:35:00 +0000

O God,

Let me be a tsunami

So I sweep and haul

These 'erudite vermins'* away

Far into a deserted hell

Thus shielding the fate

Of my people and country!

O God,

Let me be a bomb

So I blast the bastions

Of hate and hypocrisy

Thus ensuring good health

Of my functioning democracy!

O God,

Let me be a lethal potion

So I can let them sleep forever

Post their last sumptuous dinner

Thus saving the innocent commoner

From their illicit thought chamber!

O God

Let me be an alien virus

So I pick these selfish traitors

And feast on their blood

Thus quarantining the whole society

For once and all,

Thus restoring our inherent unity.

* - #UrbanNaxals

India Locked - for 21 Days!

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 09:42:00 +0000

Bloody hell! Even at such times when enemies too fight together to defeat a common enemy that's not truly powerful but mostly treacherous, people in a democracy are citing instances of all slips and coincidences as a lacuna in the way of functioning of the government. MODI must be maligned, come what may - that's the lone job for these con clan.

The multiple revelations over the past few years have already established their anti-India stance. Their #sickular character and minority appeasement have manifested themselves in the open in many forums. Their Hindu-bashing has been celebrated by the liberal gang and it continues. And now with a powerful pandemic looking at eye of India, rather than joining with the ruling government to fight better, the fateful fool, the ever growing never becoming bachelor thinks they could have handled things better.

For any sane individual who is objective in judging things, the steps taken by the government in the wake of this Corona scare must be lauded. Everything can be made better in this world except how the Creator has designed this creation. Now if something could be done or have been done better, why do we need to list that, just to break the morale of the government?

I have heard many such things - the finance package could have been more, the lockdown should have been done earlier, the government must have woken up earlier, the lab test capacity must have been enhanced, the statues must not have been made.

How bogus such thoughts are! Such rare calamities do not happen so frequently that you can master handling them efficiently. All that any leader can do is show the concern for people by stopping it at the earliest and appeal people to cooperate in these trying times. Isn't Modiji doing that?

Even experienced doctors say our psychological wellbeing always helps in faster recovery along with medicines. As a sincere and strong leader, Modiji is just doing that. Rather than spending his precious 30 minutes in giving out the statistics of what all the government has done or is going to do, he is trying to boost the morale of a nation that at times celebrates rumours as truth and acts on them. Like a concerned family head, he appeals to each of the countrymen to come together and fight this menace by doing nothing. His emotional appeal is pleasant to all, even many of his hard core antagonists see a positive hope in the way he communicates. But a sect of those die-hard anti-Modi brigades are nitpicking every action of the government, spreading misinformation and creating chaos.

Before you feel disheartened and start feeling low, let me reiterate that you must be happy that we have got a strong headed state head to steer us ahead in these turbulent days. The least that he asks as your contribution towards this is to stay home and defeat the spread of the virus. The stronger our social distancing can become, the tougher will it be for Corona to spread. So for God's grace, don't panic, relish your time with family. Desperate times need such desperate measures. So next time you see someone giving lectures to state or central government to act in a better way, just ignore them and treat them as agents of this Corona virus.

Just A Minute, Please …

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 09:11:00 +0000

I remember challenging TM Sanjeev that morning that 'We won't even reach 50 in the number of people visiting our office game stall Just A Minute Please’ that needs visitors to speak for one minute on a funny topic chosen from a bucket list prepared by us. And whew - by evening, after the event, I had to eat my words as the number of people visiting our stall was a whopping 173. My goodness!

This incident has made me feel that public speaking in corporate culture has lost its intensity of fear, which it used to instill in people. That is certainly a welcome change if it is so!

Well, the rule of the game was simple. Out of the broader six categories, the participant should choose one and then pick a chit from the bowl that is assigned to that specific category. Of course, 60 seconds just whizzes past, though the fear of the speaker’s thoughts outpacing the speed of picking the perfect word often invites the worries. Somehow, this AVEVA Toastmasters Club initiative was perhaps packaged so well that people could sense the thrill involved and hence the inspiring response.

As a volunteer, I remember two specific one-minute stories that you too may relish reading.

The topic was: You alone noticed your ATM in office premises is expending money continuously. What would you do? Would you steal all that fortune all by yourself secretly or would you inform the concerned authorities?

The face of the participant, who was initially reluctant to speak after knowing that she had to speak in English for a minute, lit after I picked that interesting chit for her. She cleared her throat and at one go told her thoughts like this: Oh, that’s great! I love gold jewelry so much that you can’t imagine. So, I will collect all the money from the machine and use that to buy jewelry as much as I can. I will buy a big house. Yet, if something is left with me, I will save them to secure the future of my kids.

I was wondering how even in dreams some of us fail to become selfless! How pathetic!

Well, for another guy, the topic was: In a jobless market, your boss wants you to get him his morning tea everyday, else leave the job! Self-respect or bankruptcy - what would you choose?

The young man came forward and went on: Come what may – I won’t succumb to such dirty office politics. And just for a job, forget it. My self-respect is my sole earning when I am alive. I must preserve it at any cost. I would prefer to ditch the job right away and try my luck out in the jobless market. I am sure I can do something for my living even if I could not manage a job even in a lesser salary. I can sell stuff. I can earn by offering physical labour if required. And suppose, nothing works out, I can even survive only on water for a week as a normal human being. Later, I may look for public places where I can get free water and free food too. But I will have my self-respect intact with me until my last breath.

I was moved. How true! What’s life minus my self-respect!

Two samples – two extremes! I wish Time taught us all which extreme we must aim for as we live our life.

TinyTale2: The Smoking Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 12:11:00 +0000

Pic Courtesy: PIXABAY

With each coil of smoke spinning and swirling up in the air from the half-burnt cigarette, Maya felt as if fresh doses of absolute freedom were tenderly pampering her bruised self that was so far preoccupied with an instance of dirty office politics she had been a victim of, since this morning. Ah, that fond satisfaction of inhaling the nicotine slowly with the eyes fixed on the vanishing coils of smoke!

Encounter - A Compelling Filler Until You Revamp the System

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Sat, 07 Dec 2019 06:35:00 +0000

How I wish these self-designated moral custodians of our society had the misfortune of having rape survivors as close relatives languishing in lifelong misery and trauma, and the prime accused even after confessing the heinous crime relishing the mutton meals behind the bars! And that too on the pretext of unavailability of a hangman, or the mercy petition file not moving faster!

Many claim, such #Encounter, as happened in Hyderabad, will set a wrong precedent for the civilized society! But what right precedent does this rampant rape-mania set for us? Kids of barely a year are being raped, and the convicts can relish a life behind the bars as a bogus group of human rights would teach us forgiveness and humanity, and use our tax money for their rehabilitation. That's not all, even after the drama of fair trial, the convicts can hope for mercy from the President! My goodness! Whither social justice for the kid and its family!

Even with a majority government at the center, if the nation cannot devise a fast track trial, for all these bottlenecks in the system, why shouldn't I as a concerned father to a girl child celebrate an encounter that leads to the death of the convicts who have admitted the crime before the police? Tell me aloud if you have a single valid reason. Only on the pretext of not having a competent apparatus no civil society can leave criminals to go scot-free or leave the victims to wait inordinately for the justice they deserve.

Those crying foul over such drastic measures must now, instead of preaching us lessons of morality and humanity, gird up their loins and coax the ruling establishment to come up with a stronger punishment measure for the culprits and ensure that it delivers justice matching the speed in which the crime has been committed. Unless the system changes (who will bring in the change is less important to the victims and their sympathizers), every punishment meted out to the culprits will be celebrated, especially keeping in mind the torture and trauma the victims must have gone through. Punishment is a must for the crime committed, but who punishes is less important. And how they are punished would be of importance only when there's an alternative faster course of justice delivery.

So if you are a human rights activist or a moral police lecturing us - who celebrate the #HyderabadEncounter, just because we knew how long this wait for justice would otherwise have been, get lost and follow the #Presstitutes to see what's cooking in the convicts' kitchen and encourage their family to raise a herd of rapists yet again!

TinyTale1: Anklets

noreply@blogger.com (Arun Dash) — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 12:12:00 +0000

Those Anklets: Arun Dash

As the summer vacation started and the cheerful grandparents arrived to take bubbly Maya away with them to their ancestral house, all that the dejected parents could think of was tying this pair of anklets to the wind chimes hanging from the ceiling of their drawing room so the home felt like home even when Maya's tender two feet would be busy spreading unadulterated happiness somewhere else.