RANDOM THOUGHTS

ACP Vasant Dhoble of Un/social Service Branch...????

2012-07-25T03:38:00.000-07:00

The Scenario:

Assistant Commissioner of Police Vasant Dhoble, 57, has been accused by his severest critics of trying to Taliban-ise Mumbai. Mr Dhoble, who heads the Mumbai Police's Social Service branch, has been credited with the title of Mumbai’s Night Raider who is Usually armed, often with cameras, at least once with a hockey stick, Mr Dhoble arrives to enforce what many in the city believe are archaic laws.

Enforcing laws on bars, hookah joints, lodges indulging in sex trade, pubs and food joints. The use of Bombay Police Act to enforce law has not gone down well with several communities especially in South Bombay.

Many outlets and joints were booked under the Bombay Police Act, 1951, the Bombay Shops and Establishments Act, 1948, the Prevention of Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act and the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act.

Backed by state home minister R R Patil, and with Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik Dhoble says criticism does not affect him. I was appalled over the flouting of rules when I started raiding several points said Dhoble.

Media Attention

On June 8, Dhoble raided Cafe Zoe in Lower Parel, claiming that the establishment was playing loud music without a proper license and that the place was overcrowded, citing a rule of the Bombay Police Act which states that only 166 patrons can be accommodated in a 1,000-sq-ft area.

On June 5, Dhoble also courted controversy after the SSB raided Masala Curry, a restaurant in Andheri (West) and detained 11 women on suspicion of being involved in a prostitution racket.

After these two raids Dhoble became a nationwide debate with all the TV news channels showcasing Dhoble with a hockey stick shoving away a Bar’s manager, and vandalizing premises. Prime time coverage was given to Vasant Dhoble’s raids and was monitored frequently by news rooms.

Media and Public reaction.

Basically after the uproar over Dhoble raiding several places citing illegal activities, 2 major groups developed, one which was supporting Dhoble of his sincere duties to safeguard rights of the citizens and the 2nd group which said was leading to end the night life of Mumbai and the use of Archaic laws was an injustice done to several people. People were on roads protesting against Dhoble while another group was applauding for his raids.

In a scathing editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamna' The Sena Chief Bal Thackeray Accused Dhoble of being Possessed and keeping the whole of Mumbai as hostage. ACP was also termed as mafia.

Nothing wrong in imposing right values by Mumbai Police said The Hindu in the Editorial.

India today termed him as Mumbai’s Night Raider.

While Mid-day strongly criticised him in the articles titled “ Unsocial Service of ACP Dhoble”, in which he was compared to Hitler.

Manuela Saldhana, 48, Social worker from Bandra wrote an article for Hindustan times stating “We salute you, Mr Vasant Dhoble, and appreciated his ongoing raids in the locality.

Several socities and community groups came forward to support Dhoble , Bandra Khar residents group were in the forefront supporting the moral policing by the SS branch.

Uproar on Social Networking sites.

A Facebook page called 'Dhoble - Oppressor of the Innocent Public' has 20,000 members. Writer and commentator Pritish Nandy has described him as 'Public Enemy No 1' on Twitter.

While ACP Dhoble trended in all over India with people criticising him with satire as well terming him as Desi Batman.

(An assignment for Journalism and Public Opinion)

Rave a New Rage..!!

2012-07-12T02:57:00.000-07:00

Blaring music amidst the cacophony of skimpily dressed girls, patrons getting drunk, inhaling substance, injecting syringes and dancing to the tune of Dum Maaro Dum seems to be the perfect setup for a bollywood movie. Reel life scenes now made real as Rave Parties are turning into a wild rage with several lives falling prey to fatal drugs.
It is a well known fact that RAVE PARTY culture is spreading alarmingly in the big cities of our country.

Originated

Basically,rave is an electronic music dance party that lasts all night. Featuring DJs or live music performers. Raves usually take place in dark rooms filled with laser lights and strobes.
These parties originated in Rome nearly 2500 years ago when Roman men of means partied with women slave and mistresses. It was not a simple party as at this party all the participants consumed intoxicating drugs and wine. The idea was to really enjoy the party and make sex in exotic manners as the slaves and mistresses frequently exchanged partners for sex and involved all inhuman forms.The term is derived from the Jamaican word for party, rave, However the true rave parties didn't begin until the 80s era in India.
Statistics suggest 70 to 73% of drug abusers are youth (16 to 35 years of age).There are currently approximately 3 million drug addicts in India, therefore the number of youth who regularly use drugs is just over 2 million. Drugs like methamphetamines and hallucinogens do rounds in such parties. The use of date rape drugs, like the infamous Ketamines have increased drastically.

Experts say:

"When asked teens why they use drugs, the answers varies from rebellion, boredom, to relax and simply just to experience it. Many agreed that after wanting to just try it, they liked the feeling and decided to continue using" said Ashley Narducci an activist for Anti Drug Abuse.
These drugs are banned as they dull the senses and a man or woman is not aware of his or her actions once under the influence of these drugs.Such narcotic drugs are not only banned in India but in the USA and Europe as well, said she.

Legal experts, who has handled numerous rave party cases, said the real culprits, the peddlars go loose and are never caught against whom conviction can be secured.
“The guests are mostly consumers of the contraband. They are charged under section 8 (c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) Act, which is slapped on those found with a minimal quantity of contraband with the maximum punishment of six months imprisonment,” said advocate Shekhar Bhandary, an expert in handling cases under the NDPS Act.

The Infamous Oakwood Raid.

As many as 44 out of 92 people rounded up during a high-profile rave party at Oakwood Premier Hotel in Juhu on May 20 have tested positive for drugs.

Police received samples for 46 of the 92 people, who attended the ‘sundown’ party. 44 of 46 males tested positive for drugs consumption.
Since party-goers are not accused of possessing ‘commercial quantity of drugs’, they would get bail after such arrests.
All those who tested +ve will later apply for drug rehabilitation in a government hospital as per section 64 (A) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
2 persons who tested negative for drugs are Ramayan director and Bolywood biggie Ramanand Sagar's grandson Amrit and film financier Harish Sughand's son Rahul. Out of the 44, who tested positive, 27 had consumed cannabis, one had MDMA (better known as ‘Ecstasy’, a drug usually taken in a pill form), while 16 had consumed MDMA along with cannabis.

My First Kiss....!!!

2012-07-05T05:12:00.002-07:00

Her hair complementing her mascara spread eyes, spreading her hands to embrace nature, her perfect white transparent wet shirt on her denim jeans, laughing, tickling, basking every drop of heavenly drops as she walked down the shores, Raindrops touching her smooth glowing skin. As she was fighting with her fine, black hair trying to tie with the finest quality of hair clip. Her hair blowing with the tune of the wind,still fighting and finally manages to tie it. Her fashionable blue sandal in hand; running down the shores enjoying every bit of moment spent together.
Yeah together...!!!
The lady of my dreams, the one i loved, the one i waited for so long, my soul partner; our souls entangled like beautiful petals. Her constant touches backed by goose bumps leaving me numb,
The perfectly tied hair running down her wet neck raised my already high testosterone levels. Heavy showers interrupt our eye contact as i dived in her resplendent eyes, as she turned away shying from the prolonged silence.
"Isn't rain beautiful?" she asked
Trying to break the strange silence.
"Rain is not beautiful without you", i said.
Trying to settle down the moment by giving a know-all smile.
This was the first time we were together so close, and deep in love.
While i gently held her soft hand she smiled looking on the other side avoiding my eye contact. As we stepped together in a different world. Our interlocked hands soon became a knot of love and i embraced her towards me. Clouds thundered even more louder, waves roared on the shores, I could hear her heavy breaths, her breasts touching my pounding heart, as my lips met with hers soft red lips, she chose to shut her eyes , the taste of her fully grown lips was like a freshly peeled orange. While i gazed at her but after some intimate moments, she opened her eyes to see me glaring at her. She went forward by giving me a bite on the neck.She did not cling, nor devour, but she met head on, an equal exchange of passion and energy. It was a kiss unlike any other, With a girl unlike any other. My lips runing down her neck while she caressed my back. Our lips still smacked under the blue open sky as gods showered their blessings and then...Splash...!! Splash...!!!
she was not there, she left me like always, left lonely with only water splashed by my brother trying to wake me up as i cursed, abused my brother with all the chosen gaalis.
The lady love vanished from the pleasant dream and i would miss her till the time i jump off to my bed.....!!

Fair Well

2012-06-28T03:41:00.001-07:00

Silent tears,

Starry smiles.

Waving hands,

Unsaid goodbyes.

Million memories,

Tugging the heart.

Sweet and sad,

Merry and mad.

Dreams fulfilled,

Wishes granted.

New paths and new dreams,

Unexplored and expansive.

A wish on the lips.

A tear in the eye.

Looking back,

With a wistful smile.

I bid adieu and say,

Fair..Well.. my friends...!!!

Everything's changed, and most importantly the thing that has changed is "THE TIME"...The destiny has called upon me and i had my time...now's it's time for me to bid u goodbye.

The time we spent at our addas were pretty beautiful, the canteen gossips to fighting for project prep will never diminish from my mind. There were some things which i was unable to do/ say and its certainly mission unaccomplished. Let bygones be bygones...!!

A little bit of GYAAN....lena ho to lo varna jaane do...!!!

After our graduations we would creep for our own goals, the scenario can be easily compared to The sailing ships wondering in search of a destiny, a destiny so unexplored so unknown yet so real. Some ships might have conquered their home waters and ready to get the taste of the foreign lands while some would set out on a destination so unknown that only when they enter the waters they know how deep it really is! My friends,the ships are safer when anchored at the shores but they are not meant for that!

or enlightened minds I just want to say,Talk to people whom you have never talked to before and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you're a great individual and believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you. Create your own life and then go out and live it.It's a different world outside.......You will only realize how big the world is when you walk alone in search of a destination so unknown to you. A world where only 1 rule pertains "survival of the fittest". A world so fluctuating where you get lost in your own thoughts, the only thing that remains with you my dear friends is "HOPE".

Well, I will leave you all with two words which can give a new meaning to your lives, a new direction to sail, a hint of the unexplored territories, the final words my friends

"Stay Hungry!
Stay Foolish´!

Today as I stand over here and look out to my wonderful friends a smile crosses my face with a tear in the eye.....

Two years ago our journey started at KES college.

Together we made it through a stream of semesters and assignments,

The strength of our class was very less, but the memories are countless. Strangers to each other we walked in and hand in hand we survived the great falls.

There were times we laughed, we cried, we screamed with joy. We participated as a team, won together, the feeling of victory, the excitement, all these moments we’ve shared are just priceless.

The feeling of having wonderful people around us was very beautiful. But the pain of moving away from them is even greater. But as we say everything’s a part of life as it goes on.

A beautiful journey comes to an end with hugs once again and promises to keep in touch....!!

“जिंदगी में किस हद तक जाना है ये कौन जानता है,

किस मंजिल को पाना है ये कौन जानता है,

दोस्ती के दो पल, जी भर कर जी लो,

किस रोज बिछर जाना है, ये कौन जानता है”

PS: Guys i hope the Admins would not kick me out of the KES TYBMM group after reading this post because i know i have screwed my farewell Post.

Magical Monsoon Of Mumbai

2012-06-08T05:45:00.003-07:00

Scorching heat, sweaty and smelly shirt I loaded in the crowded train as I tagged along the pole to gasp for air which was followed by a rowdy voice which yelled at me “ Oye thoda Hawa aane de” forcing me to take a step back as I grinned and cursed the raging sun. On my way towards an interview, I was left with a tanned face and sweaty body, still struggling for fresh air in that crunched compartment. Somehow I clambered on the Railway Bridge to call for an auto, the bumpy ride on Mumbai’s traffic jam + potholed roads left me = with a backache which miffed me further. I presented myself to the interviewer but I think I dint click off well, I was expecting for his positive response though it didn’t work out and I was left with sheer disappointment.

The very next day I was back to work in a disappointed state, with the feeling of disastrous and embarrassing failure, still wandering for yesterday’s debacle, left with no answers but bewilderment. As I was trying to gain control on my bizarre thoughts, the sky was filled with dark clouds, Birds hurriedly flying to their nests, vehicles started moving swiftly, I could see children running to the terraces of their buildings, folks scrambling to get the clothes drying on the window’s cloth-line inside, and It left a smile on my face... It was time. Mumbai monsoon had arrived.

And within no time, it began raining... Heavily...! I ran straight to the terrace... The feeling when the first drops of rain trickled down my face, played maze through my hair, and wet my clothes, was... Amazing..!!. It was ecstatic, euphoric, happy, joyous and what not! Still, these words can't completely describe that feeling. You have to feel it, to know it.

Couldn't stop gazing at the orange sky... Wondering how it rained from within the sunny sky! Mist surrounded the far-ends of the city... The railway headlight was visible dizzying away...

Through the water, memories, moments, people, situations and events seemed to have a flash back in my mind... The gushing winds hitting the face... The striking of the raindrops with force against the eye-lids... Blissful..! Often, the pain you get when the raindrops hit your face with amazing force seems like a punishment that you don't want to get through. At others, it's sheer pleasure.

Suddenly, the sun set and I could see the colors of the sky change swiftly from orange to silver to dark gray... And that's when I returned back to home...

It was about everything else, too. It always is. It's about happiness. It's about love. It's about washing away the sadness. It's about a celebration.

It's something much more than just a rain... It's a way of life...

It never ends with the rain... It's a feeling that you take with yourself, for the rest of your life... It's the magic of it which surrounds your life...

It's the realms and dreams of a beautiful day, the way hope refills in us, the way we feel happy that's so magical about it... Yes, most of us love the monsoon. Beyond the wet clothes, wrong timed rains, wet footwear, puddles of water, cold, cough and fever that usually follows, we all love it...

Rising From The Ashes..!!

2012-04-16T03:11:00.001-07:00

BANDRA SLUM FIRE

5th March 2011

Flames gutted in the Gareeb Nagar slums leading to destruction of more than 1000 huts in Gareeb Nagar adjoining Behram Pada areas. As people were still trying to collect their belongings especially their ration cards and documents which could prove that they are residents of Mumbai. Authorities were seen facing the wrath of the slum dwellers because their response was tardy. Buckets of water and sand were poured successively. To calm down the blazing fire.
Kids were seen wailing as their mother was trying to collect belongings as much as she could. The memories were burnt to ashes and only hopes were their last resort.

5th March 2012

Oh!! here it is again. Should i appreciate their courage as they are brave to overcome a life threatening tragedy. OR i should call them foolish as they have reformed their bastis again where the same incident could strike again risking their lives.

Rising of new Era!!

WELL!! the people living here basically are from different parts.Some are Bangladeshis, some from Nepal and some from nowhere.. I mean its still unknown to them!! They settle here for limited period, paying rents and enjoying Mumbai life.These people have low income but high spirits. Some proprietors of the shanty stay off in some remote areas and just collect the rents which are way higher then the rents in remote areas.The owners have regenerated their shanties in such a way that it could anytime crash down, endangering their lives. But their willingness to continue to survive at the place where their memories of both happy and sad moments flourish. One plus two cement roof, unauthorized constructions has thereby increased the slums in these area.

And now it is almost 3-4 floors above ground

God forbid.. another tragedy awaits as these slums have dangerously overshot the limited space for them which has thereby risen to 3-4 floors above ground level. These developments often go unnoticed by the officials and when a catastrophic event occurs they are seen nowhere, leading to delays and more damage. If they keep monitoring these developments they would rectify serious issues in these slums thus preventing major destruction. Just imagine, if a fire breaks out or the temporary structure built crashes down... How could a fire brigade engine reach to the spot?? The lackadaisical approach of slum dwellers and authorities could lead to another BANDRA SLUM FIRE EPISODE!!

Mumbai Threatened

2012-04-14T01:50:00.002-07:00

Rickshaw.. wait bloody.. , hey ruko, stop...!! i yelled. But not even a single rick turned back. It was 9 pm, peak hour where Mumbaikars rush towards train, bus and cab stations. I was at one of the secluded place in town where rickshaws were ample but they were really not interested in me I suppose!! I decided to give a shot in walking towards the train station but my mind replied back negatively as during this point of time travelling in trains is just like a battle to be fought. I said lets try once to stop a rick, i glanced on the road, an empty rick was approaching, bhaiya station jaana hai i pleaded..he nodded in return and now i was prepared for a jumpy, back aching ride on mumbai's potholed roads. In the meantime i was ready for a journey of approx 20-25mins to my destination. I recently heard of Mumbai's Auto Union strike so i just gave a common man's piece of mind by poking him about the bandh fiasco. He replied in a vague manner that he only knew that he has to earn a living for his family. "We never declare strikes its just netas who create trouble in our lives" now in tone to show his protest aginst these strikes. I asked him if he knew leader of the rickshaw union? he said i have been driving in Mumbai for past five years and have never seen or heard about him but i know his name... its Sharad Pawar...!! i was astonished as i heard him.. Kya bola aapne?? Sharad Pawar he quickly replied. I made a quick correction there, and said its Sharad Rao..There was quietness in the air.. He started again on the very next signal, spitting off his paan, he said Saheb, we are just slaves, we slog on these roads, then pack off home only to realize nothing is gonna change. Regional differences,potholed roads, strikes, corrupt hawaldars are our added woes, atleast i am not the one who demands strikes, strikes leads to our losses. But these leaders don't understand and we are just their puppets who give them political mileage.
I said then why the heck you go off roads?? drive and earn your living, why trouble common man? Now i was in a mood to give a tough fight. Common man V/s Rickshawalla. He said, we are forced to go off roads either they smash us or our ricks. You tamper your meters and avoid short distance trips.. fuming like he was the sole culprit. Saheb, we slog for long day facing several risks everyday, the rent of the vehicle, repairs, petrol, CNG, etc... we hardly earn a good amount after daily struggle. I reached my destination paying him the fare, i moved into railway station for another fight.
I Realized how handfull of goons sabotage life of Mumbaikars. Leaders just gain their political mileage through agendas like region, religion, demands. In a recent headline i read Sharad Rao Gives Ultimatum To The Government. That means another strike and to hinder lives of Mumbaikar.Who the Fu#* Is he?? The bloody neta who don't give a fuck if an autowallah dies hungry on roads. Strikes just fumes Mumbaikar and one day we would go on strike and YOU bloody asshole will remain off road. I mean why does Mumbaikar never comes forward like he did during every crisis.. Give Sharad Rao his shit and throw him out. Ultimatum!! huh.. The person who owns a bungalow, enjoying his rich life why would he give a damn to what an autowallah is facing.
Its high time that we allow our lives to be controlled by these handfull of morons.

Ban Ekta Kapoor.

2012-04-12T04:35:00.001-07:00

It was a usual morning but unusual beginning of the day as my anger which was building up since 5-6years ago crashed on my mom. My anger was all about Ekta Kapoor serials and crying shit which is making my life sucking and i feel like loser because my mom gets glued to this bloody Rona-Dhona and i suffer as i don't get lunch, dinner and even a cup of tea on time. Now you would say i am blithering and just dragging a small stupid situation like a chewing gum but seriously its making my life hell. Morning fights ruins your whole day and yes it did happen! It RUINED my day. As i saw my mom glued to one of the program showing some courtroom drama, i just went up to her and said let me watch some news channel as its my daily routine but she just snatched away the remote and started screaming. How rude!! Why was that for just to see a courtroom buff which she knows is reel??
Now i just got pissed as i switched the main button off to show my ire and sneaked into bathroom. She was still screaming that i turned the mains off. After a prolonged silence i came out , Brush in hand, remote on the other, i again switched the TV on and sat to listen some hindi songs. After some time i went to take bath as i came out i just balled over as i saw her again glued to that Ekta stuff. Now it was getting off my hand Ekta was sabotaging my family. I was supposed to hurry down at office as i was already late and Mom was supposed to pack my Lunch box. I asked her twice.. No RESPONSE.... i just fumed and picked up the remote and BANG!Pieces scattered, battery under the bed and damage beyond repair!! She shouted.. Dad intervened, pushed me aside.. it looked like Kushti ka akhada. Finally TV off... I took my bag, wore my shoes and i just walked off. So now i had no lunch box and i was planning for Anna ka Anshan against Ekta Kapoor for making crap serials, mood was arrghh..!!to bang someone like a remote.
Controlling my anger just reached the office, My colleagues sensed something was wrong and preferred to stay away from angry young man, Silence was kind of unknown thing until i fumed like angry bull. Signal sent Imran ko kuch hua hai!! I could feel that, still gave a blind eye.
I decided to stay off lunch and to not even eat a morcel...
"Imran just come have lunch" said one of my colleague
No yaar i am not hungry will eat later.. felt proud to say that.
Lunch over, me hungry, everyone settled, but i wasn't now i am hungry, searching for some good junk food to fill my stomach i just went out searched the vicinity nothing impressed me so i decided to go to one of the Dosa center nearby, "Dosa nahi hai", said Anna in his south Indian accent.
"Medu vada dedo,"
The outlet was famous for its yummy sambhar and i was still mesmerising the taste while in the backdrop banging of the remote flashed in my mind... i finally ended my Anshan...!!
Aha!! my stomach rejoiced within as i gulped my bottled water. During my starvation period this was my moment of joy and this is for Anna- My Savior.
But one thing i know i would really not forgive EKTA KAPOOR for ruining my day!!

Unfair fairness creams..!!

2012-04-09T04:28:00.002-07:00

The day seemed blurry as I started, the result of my half sleep mode. The day seemed promising,long and hard day. It took me great efforts to build pace as I was still thinking on the lines to beat it and go back to the badly needed snooze.
The regular seven minutes walk brought me to the station.The platform was crowded, people hustling down the train, I hurried down to my usual compartment as I had already missed one. The next train was after five mins which I presumed as ten mins because its Indian railways and it’s a regular case of trains running late. The announcement came, the train arriving on platform no. 1 for Virar is running late. I said, Holy shit!! I will be screwed if I don’t reach in time as always I tend to reach office after the reporting time. The train arrived, my habit of standing on footboard made me stand on the corridor, pushing, pulling and finally a woman with a child got pushed and started cursing with chosen abuses at the passengers departing, but that day I creeped inside the train passage and stood below the roof fan which was guzzling out warm air.

I gazed in the compartment as usual and I noticed a boy, he seemed 20-21 years old, brown in color , lean and well dressed, a black coloured bag in hand, tagged along with a friend and was busy gibbering to his friend and from amidst his animated conversation he removed a tube, pressed its nozzle and the blob of white cream popped in his hand he spread the white cream on his hand and started massaging his face. I suppose it was Fair and Lovely fairness cream. In front of that boy was a middle-aged woman, talking as softly as she could to her hubby and the chat suddenly came to a standstill and both gave an awry look to the guy they were amazed by this unaccustomed act. And she ensured that she doesn't spill out the beans by laughing her heart out and so did I.
This little incident made me think how Indian Men are conscious about their dark complexion. When i googled about Fairness cream market in India for Men I came across a huge disbelief -500 Crore Rupees and in South India the market has grown by 35% for men and mere 15% for women. One of the website which is into match-making business had 3 primary questions on the form:
1) Name
2)Caste
3)Fairness.
I was still coming to terms about this crap and as i scrolled down i came across a research expert who said -
"Parents, bride and grooms don't even reach up to the column on educational qualifications or job if the partner is not fair."
Does that mean a guy pursuing higher studies has zero value if he is dark? A girl is judged mere by her fair complexion??

Be it a college goer or a corporate person, none have been left untouched by this grooming fad with a keen desire to look fair. Indian cosmetic companies and marketers have strongly hooked on to this opportunity.
The media has played a major role in pushing men in this direction, as ads promoting fairness creams seek to portray that dark skinned guys lack confidence and are not as successful as the fair-skinned. These ads are pointed needles and penetrates hard in the minds to the Dark complexioned Indian Men.

GROW UP INDIAN MEN... Black Is Beautiful and I really mean it..!!

Did Somebody say....... RAPE..????

2012-04-07T00:48:00.001-07:00

According to the Mumbai Police’s records, a total of 219 rape cases were registered in the city last year compared to 192 cases in 2010. The number of rape cases has, in fact, risen steadily over the past three years, with the figure being 178 cases in 2009.

Mumbai saw a 14 per cent jump in rape cases in 2011, further damaging its reputation as a safe city for women. It also saw a 23 per cent hike in the number of cases registered for outraging the modesty of women last year.That meant that women were not safe in the city of Dreams.

Her retro tiny digital wrist-watch showed 12.30am. A wet shopping bag in hand, trying to arrange her messed up wet hair. It was raining cats and dogs; there was an uncomfortable and eerie stillness in the air; all you could hear were the rain drops. It was past midnight; her shift had ended; there was no soul in sight as she waited for her cab. It had been just over a month since Reema started working in the Call center much against her parents’ wishes.

As she waited for her cab; her mind rushed back to outrageous, gruesome, horrific stories she had heard about rapes and murders in this part of the town. She was dripping wet in the rain, and in the fear of the known- unknown! The rain God didn’t show any signs to subside nor the cabbie or city bus was in sight. Ironically the street lamp next to the stop she was waiting in started to flutter. It was right out of the scene of a Mahesh Bhatt horror flick, and the part just before the arrival of the demon. Of course this was her real life and not a movie for her to close her eyes and pass through the spine-chilling parts of serious night in Mumbai.

The wind grew wilder, thudding sound of the lightning, the raindrops bigger but there was no end to her frightful wait. The cabbie was not picking up her calls and she could not even find an auto to take her back to her office or even to her home. Newly arrived beautiful girl in town hardly knew anyone who could come to her rescue at this uncanny hour. Diverting her mind off the loneliness and still trying to calm down her nerves taking steps as fast as she could, Chaph-Chaph the water splashed as she stepped forward the only creepy sound she could hear were her footsteps.
Reema saw a Qualis approaching her. She froze in fear from the stories of women being forced into such cars and driven around city while being raped. She wished she had listened to her folks and not relocated to take such a job. She cursed her decision as she frantically sought an option to not fall prey to another such incident and become just another statistic in these ever increasing reports of crimes against women.

Running out of options she finally took out the pepper spray and a pointed object. The beam of light came closer and closer, light beam clearly showed raindrops falling on the ground.As the Qualis stopped near her and the glasses rolled down, still avoiding the intervention; she began to hum Hanuman Chalisa and pointed the pepper spray towards the car window ready for the assault to save her modesty. There it was, moment to give a daring look, the do or die hour for her. As she was about to press on the nozzle, and shout for her life... a lady in a kind voice spoke from within the car. It was her manager! It wasn’t a rapist or a murderer. It was someone who knew her and stopped to offer her a lift home! She heaved a sigh of relief, the feeling of being raped, molested subsided. As she accepted the lift; She knew she couldn’t ever be gladder to see her manager then that night! It was as if someone above had made sure of her safety.

Like Reema there are thousands of ambitious women who tremor walking down the streets of Mumbai during late hours.
Does that mean women should not have ambitions just because a species called MEN is out there to rape a decent woman, a women who is striving to fulfill her dream, The modesty of women is her pride and that should be respected. Mere Figures and statistics counting would not curb crime against women. The city of dreams they say Never Sleeps is actually being defamed by some night predators.
Its time we stand for change..!! Demand A place for safe commuting for women....
Because Not every girl is lucky like Reema!!

Think Out Of Your Tiffin Box!!

2012-04-05T05:12:00.001-07:00

The day starts by supplicating God Khandoba as he knows that the day would be restless, long and even risky as they would cruise down the busy lanes of crowded Mumbai. Meanwhile the better half is ready with bhakri, kaanda and chutni nicely packed, and wrapped in a tiffin parcelled so that her dear soul mate doesn't stay empty-bellied.

Clad in dhoti, Gandhi cap, long mustache and chewing pan with a large tray of steel tiffins is the unassuming dabbawala who is set out to his work with a strong commitment - To serve the hungry office goers. The devotion, timely service and the most important yummy homemade cuisine makes the day a bit comfortable.

Though outdated modes of transport like the push cart or the large tray full of tiffins, or the tiffin-laden bicycles, this system of delivering lunch tiffins to lakhs of people across the city has been going on since the 19th century, The concept of the dabbawala originated when India and Pakistan were under British Rule. Many British people who came to the colony did not like the local food, so a service was set up to bring lunch to these people in their workplace straight from their homes.

I would not be describing what makes dabbawalla a punctual rescuer, or how hard they work because all is said and done in the past with records and honors conferred to the dabbawalla community. Here is a take on how a dabbawalla survives the odds and makes the ends meet.

Ready to cruise in their comfort savaari- the loyal bicycle awaits as their master hops onto it and starts the hectic day to collect the Dabbas from every nook and corner daring the rough weather collecting bagpacks from loving wife to a caring mother and the supply chain ( the word when asked often gives you bewildered looks) begins.

They everyday participate in the obstacle race and then hurry through Mumbai's jerky potholed roads, crowded locals and busy traffic, climbing up and down the tall buildings often getting stuck in the lifts, but they defeat them everyday one by one and the race against time ends as the Dabba reaches the ultimate consumer-Dabbawalla emerges as a winner.

The feeling of satisfying someones hunger makes dabbawalla larger than life with the

Mantra "ERROR IS HORROR !!"

PS: Each dabbawala, regardless of role, gets paid about two to four thousand rupees per month. In 2002, Forbes Magazine found its reliability to be that of a six sigma standard.More than 175,000 or 200,000lunch boxes get moved every day by an estimated 4,500 to 5,000 dabbawalas, all with an extremely small nominal fee and with utmost punctuality. According to a recent survey, they make less than one mistake in every 6 million deliveries.

Sharada Within Bombay

2012-03-31T03:44:00.000-07:00

She was 69 and suffering from flu for a week. On 6 February 2012 she was rushed to Bombay Hospital when her condition took a turn for the worse. She died on the way passing thru the by-lanes of Bombay.
The lanes and passages she was so conversant with. Sharada Dwivedi the lone living legend was now no more.
Sharada Dwivedi, eminent historian , researcher and author, was hailed as one of the few who opened Bombay up to its people. Dwivedi was a product of this city (educated at Queen Mary's School, Sydenham College and Bombay University, where she earned her degree in Library Science);

(Authored by Sharada Dwivedi
and Rahul Mehrotra)

The panoramic coffee-table book she authored with Rahul Mehrotra-Bombay: The Cities Within (1995)-was a watershed publication, breaking the old mould of 'city histories' with its conversational prose, breathtaking sepia images and broad detail. Other histories that followed (often co-authored) included works like Banganga the sacred tank at the Malabar Hill, Fort Walks, and most recently The Taj At Apollo Bunder.
She lived and breathed monuments of Mumbai. She was familiar with every minute detail of the old and neo-gothic structures of the city. History as though unfolded to her. She belonged to Bombay which in return belonged to her. She was a true Bombay-ite who even refused to use the term Mumbai. She loved its culture deeply. And this reflects in her work. The sheer knowledge and understanding she brought to a subject which even most seasoned city planners and politicians of today neglect greatly.
She loved the streets and by-lanes of the city that was her home, and she dared go beyond to protect the historic identity of Bombay. She has researched history of all the famous monuments and buildings of the city and was always caring for the conservation work. She tirelessly raised funds and created awareness for heritage buildings and championed causes related to the city. She was actively involved with the Urban Design Research Institute, Kala Ghoda Association and other citizen groups.

Sharadaji, you still endure in the heart of Mumbai. The many researchers you inspired, the students you helped, the conservationists you generously shared your knowledge with, the heritage lovers you introduced the city by your work will all miss you....but most of all, the city of Bombay shall miss you as you were the one who loved and worshiped it the most.

May Your Soul Rest In Peace. Thanks for enriching our lives...

JAI KISAN - the forgotten slogan.

2012-03-28T10:06:00.001-07:00

First, it was Purushottam Manikrao Deshmukh, in 2003. Then, his younger son, Sunil, the very next year. And a then it was his elder son, Santosh. They all lived on credit, but died in installments, with burden of debt piling up.

(only for representation)

In four years, one family of the Deshmukhs in Katyar – a cotton producing village of about 3000 people 35 km east of Akola – lost all its men, one by one, to a crisis that has for sometime now, threatening to swallow families unto families across rural Vidarbha. Farmer, an element of growth and development of our motherland is cosuming slow poison ie. Poverty.

This thought of mine erupted from nowhere and ridiculed me about the Poor India.

On the other hand Richest India came into account when i was informed about the total travelling cost of Our beloved President, Pratibha Patil.

President Pratibha Patil's travel has cost the public exchequer (Indian citizens money) a whooping 205 crore. I was thwacked!! Being a cheapskate i drooled as soon as the freaky news channel showed the numbers '205 crores' in sometimes large, small, zoomed motions and repeated it several times. Then came list to places she visited after assuming office "12 foreign trips covering 22 countries across four continents and spend 79 days abroad. She travelled to Russia, Switzerland, Brazil, China, Mexico, Mauritius, Chile, Bhutan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Spain, Poland, Tajikistan, UK, Cyprus, Austria, Laos, Cambodia, the UAE, Syria and South Korea" quoted the loyal newspaper.

Travelling to different countries i know could be important for bi-lateral ties and friendly relations but travelling with large entourage doesn't make sense.

99 dignitaries, Yes I mean it NINETY NINE people accompanied Madam President which included family members, ministers,six cooks, 4 butlers, lady attendants and a stupid photographic officer. Cooks i can understand she might be food poisoned or she cant manage her diet routine or she was following the Protocol. But SIX COOKS?? Aha!! Farmers in the agricultural pockets were committing suicides during this period and Mrs. President was enjoying her lavish vacation overseas.

When i type these words i feel like banging my keyboard and to smash it on our lame Prime Minister. Ok! its time i should calm down.

RTI applications has revealed that Air India incurred over Rs 169 crore on use of chartered aircraft, always a Boeing 747-400. Here it is.., the another revelation, matter of pride and honour. A good show to show India a bigger country by using bigger aircraft! Does it really matter??

David Cameron, British Prime Minister flew to India in a commercial airline that to in business class. Did this tarnish his prestige or the face of United Kingdom? Negative is the response.

Then why? I ask why our hard earned money is been spent to satisfy those greedy souls??

I could foresee phlegmatic Indians pouncing on these greedy souls to snatch their looted treasure and force them to pay for their misgivings.

The conditions of farmers lie in a sorry state or i could say worst state. Will this be the end of agricultural economy? or DOES IT HARDLY MATTERS TO ANYONE IF FARMER SUICIDES ??

Television Usage Policy And Viewing Protocol For Women During IPL 5

2012-03-24T03:16:00.000-07:00

There comes a time in every man’s life when there are certain things he must do and I mean DO ,Not as a Husband, Not as a Father, Not even as a Son but solely as a Man…

Once in a year an event comes which matters more to an Indian man than life itself.

IPL( Indian Premier League)

It is At this time that a man must enforce the VIEWING PROTOCOL for the IPL to not so understanding, religious daily soap viewers- WIFE’S and as a representative of all men due to my staggeringly brilliant genius awesome + humble reputation. ^o^

Therefore here is the Instruction Manual, Television Usage Policy and Directives to be followed by all Women for the upcoming weeks:

1.) The Remote Is Mine And Mine Alone: Under no circumstance are you allowed to even lay a single finger on it.

2.) The TV is also mine and I will watch ONLY CRICKET,

Yes, ONLY Cricket

Only Cricket .

CRICKET, CRICKET, CRICKET and NOTHING else

I Will Watch The Matches Live

If The Match Is Not Live Then I Will Watch The Highlights Of The Previous Match.

3.) I Will Not Co-Operate, Adjust, Be Considerate, Try To Understand, About This, etc,etc, when it comes to the remote and the TV. Both these are under my control. If you interfere in my viewing of the MATCH by attempting to forcefully take the control then you may consider this relationship terminated and await Divorce Proceedings.

4.) If you even attempt to test me by insisting you have to watch Koffee with Karan or some related soul-sucking daily soap while the match is on then the resultant reaction from my end will lead to a catastrophe bigger than the combined nuclear force of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs.

5.) My line of sight shall at all times remain uninterrupted. Any obstructions in the space between the TV and my eyes such as Funny Dancing Dolls, Potted Plants, Antique Statues, or Any Type of Handicraft, placed by you will be mercilessly thrown out of the house.

6.) NO – I will not get up and open the door if the door bell rings while the match is on

7.) NO – I will not pick up phone calls during the match

8.) NO – You cannot sit on my couch. It is a holy place because that is where my Ass will be parked along with a ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ Sign around my neck while I meditate on the Cricket Action. You may observe from afar and maintain the sacred environment.

9.) Any negative comment relating to absolutely anything even most minute about GOD aka Sachin Tendulkar will result in immediate cancellation of Our Relationship.

10.) You are likely to hear a lot of cuss words and Maa-Behen Ki Gali against some people like Ricky Ponting, Chris Gayle, Lasith Malinga, Brett Lee, Stuart Broad, Shahid Afridi, Billy Bowden, AB De Villiers and many many more. I have no time to explain who these people are so please google if you want to know who I am abusing at a particular point in time.

11.) You are allowed to view the match with me but too much chatter will lead you to be ejected from the viewing area.

12.) YES - My Friends will be coming over every single day and I will also be going to their houses to watch the IPL

13.) If you want to watch the matches with me then especially note that only strict Cricket talk will be allowed.

I don’t want to hear statements like:

a)“I must buy Surf excel Powder today”

b)Virat Kohli looks like my friend’s Son”

c)“Dhoni must shave more often”

d)“The color of that Team’s Uniform matches the color of the curtains in My Sister’s bedroom”

e)“Simon Taufel is so cute”

f)“Why is Raina Not playing?”

g)“His haircut is so nice”

Etc, etc

Statements like these will lead to severe consequences and repercussions

14.) NO – I will not watch what I eat. I will munch on more Chips, Samosas and high cholesterol fried food items during this week than I have ever done before. In case I collapse due to high sugar levels, then be ready to tell me scores the moment I wake up in the hospital.

15.) NO – I will not attend any Birthday Parties, Naming Ceremonies,Wedding Anniversaries, Sari Exhibition, Shoe Sale, Art Extravaganza and wagera wagera.. .You are more than welcome to attend these on your own and remember to take the key because when you come back I will not get up from the couch to open the door for you as I will be too busy watching the match.

16.) During this time I will be more religious and spiritual than I have ever been my whole life. If you see me on my knees, eyes closed, palms folded and mouthing words then remember not to disturb me as I will be directly praying to Ganesha for the victory of my favorite team.

Failure to comply with the above mentioned directives will lead to negative results. You have been forewarned.

On Behalf Of All Men,

IMRAN FAZAL

WOMEN..?? I TELL YOU!!

2012-03-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

If you think women are complicated, I reassure you, they ARE. Solving a Sudoku is much easier than understanding the enigma called “woman”.

I may be too young to speak about the broad and multi-dimensional phenomenon of womanhood I don’t want to emphasize on what a woman CAN DO or SHOULD DO, I will just talk about what an average woman DOES. Nothing out of the box, none my imagination but all that is known, all that is the truth. Just what the reality is!

WOMANHOOD AND EMOTIONS:

Womanhood is not about emotions, it is about an oceanful of emotions. The range of emotions is hugely vivid and extremely deep. Happiness, love, care, appreciation, hope, enthusiasm, anger, rage, fear, grief, despair, anxiety, surprise, apprehension, worry, envy—all runs in a woman’s blood and there is no turning away from this fact. women are sentimental. They love boundless, and hate endless. They hope for the best and worry about the worst. they get angry in a second, and melt in a moment. They care too much and fear too much. They can have more than one emotion at a time, which often comes across as confusion.

Emotions of a woman are her greatest strength and the driving force behind all the strong decisions. Emotions are an expression of femininity and not of fragility. Womanhood is all about feelings.

WOMANHOOD AND TEARS:

Overtly active tear-glands are the hallmark of women. We don’t know when-where-why would they cry. They just do. Never ever take a woman’s tears as a sign of weakness. It is just a measure of her SENSITIVENESS. Tears of a woman could have four meanings:

Meaning 1: She is too happy and short of words to express it. These tears deserve simple acknowledgement.

Meaning 2: She is hurt and fearful. And she really is. These tears demand a sincere apology.

Meaning 3: She is in pain. And it is intense and inexpressible. These tears need genuine concern.

Meaning 4: She is just SHE. She has a million things to worry about. It may be her chipped nail or damaged hair; her dog might be ill, or that beggar child on the road, or Shah Rukh dying at the end of a movie, or the mention of another girl by her boyfriend more than twice, or a 0.000001-kilogram-increment in her weight. Anything and everything can stimulate those tear glands. And she can't control them as much as a man can't control ogling at women.

No! No man can understand the fourth meaning. The best (or the only thing) he can do is“to pretend to understand, to refrain from laughing, and to keep quiet!” She would be alright in some moments.

WOMANHOOD AND THE UNIVERSAL FACTS:

Yes! they love chocolates, teddies, kids, Shah Rukh, love stories and fairy tales. PEACE.
Yes! they are dreamy. And their dreams are beautiful. PHEW!
Yes! they don’t understand gadgets, bikes, football and maths. And we care the least. BLAH!
Yes! they are right in 90% of the arguments. In the rest 10%, the other person is wrong. WATCH OUT!
Yes! they don’t need continuous oxygen to live. they need non-stop talking. BLISS IT IS!
Yes! they know more than Google does. they can find out anything and everything. BELIEVE IT OR NOT!
Yes! There is a calendar in their brains and it registers every single date and anniversaries. And it is stored there forever.
Yes! they know only two adjectives: SWEET and CUTE! And only one interjection: “Awwwww!” Isn’t it so sweet?
Yes! they need 4–5 hours to get ready. And their time starts when others have already reached to the door. PATIENCE MAN!
Yes! Shopping, make-up, gossiping and giggling are their birth rights. No arguments. Full stop.

DEDICATED TO WOMANHOOD:

Womanhood is a constant struggle between heart and mind.

Womanhood is a continuous shuffle between rigidity and fragility.

Womanhood is a frequent shift between sensibility and sensitivity.

Womanhood is a regular alteration between stiffness and submissiveness.

Mr. 'HUSBAND' you are arrested!!

2012-03-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

"Supreme Court Judge Deepak Verma while hearing a matrimonial case said “Married men should forget about their freedom”; in another case Justice Markandey Katju said “Do what the wife tells you and never question her authority; if wife says turn right, turn right and if she says turn left, then turn left”.

IPC Section 498a was introduced in December 1983 to curb the Dowry menace in the society. This tool was made to empower a wife, who could file a complain against her warring in-laws. 498a was cognizable, non bailable and non compoundable. The state would appoint a ‘sarkari vakil’ to represent wife’s case against the husband and his family.This law transformed the Abala Naari into superwomen which allowed her to throw her erring husband and in-laws behind the bars.

But being non-bailable, this law has a major loop hole of arresting all accused without investigations including senior citizens, minors, mothers and sisters of husbands. 498a and other sections were soon frequently misused as a negotiating tool for alimony in a failed marriage, with no dowry in reality. Misuse later became a standard malpractice. Lawyers and police too joined the wife in the bargain, and the husband was reduced to an ATM machine.

Wife's started throwing out rough figures on the faces, extorting, abusing, humiliating lame husband's. After a traumatised failed marriage, a hapless chap has to deal with social pressure, names such as wife beater and sometimes impotent too.Left with no emergency exits, no doors to bang upon, only way out is fulfill never ending demands of the lady he earlier dreamt of.

Most Indian women used to consider marriage as a ‘once in a life time’ activity, but now, what could have changed to twist the whole story? The BUMPER PRIZE! Yes the bumper prize that one could win if they break the marriage rather staying in the relationship. Various definitions of lottery like alimony, maintenance, residence rights, child support etc seems to be more attractive to a fairly good number of women, regardless of their age, than immaterial things like relationship, love, family, parenting etc. In order to achieve this ‘treasure’, all they need to do is to frame their husbands as ‘cruel’; and this is just a matter of making a local call.

The question here is are you ready to be a harassed pathi? OR wag your macho tail and say "yes ji, yes ji??" when 498a holds your nerves!! I am in a dilemma after reading framed cases of dowry harassment. What if my wife frames in 498a? This question would run down my mind when i shut off the world.

MY FAQS: Always goes unanswered!! :

1) FOR GOD SAKE, USE YOUR COMMON SENSE!!

Women go to the police with a complaint (may be false), but the system provides to record that as a criminal complaint and that data adds in to the National Statistics of Crime Against Women. When male goes with a genuine complaint the police at max can record a Non Cognizable offence against the women. That will never reflect in the statistics. Then how will one guage crime against men?

2) GENDER BIAS!!

Every 100 Suicides in India have 63 Males and 37 Females. Every 100 male suicides have 45 married males, and every 100 women suicides have 25 married Women. Married women suicides have default arrests of the inlaws under presumed dowry death. Married men suicides entitles wife for a 50% share in property. What kind of equality is this?

I Invaded someone's privacy.

2012-03-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

After finishing off my hectic exam I had been looking for quite some time (I need them for a secret project), I was feeling like A. Raja after the 2G auction, the treasure-hunter who had finally reached the end of the rainbow. Thus in a state of light bliss, I floated into a Udipi restaurant to have its trademark coffee its last surviving bastions of serenely austere, gazes down indulgently at those below, squabbling and dreaming. Where ancient waiters, dressed in white, go busily about, serving the wild hunger, hearing shh..shh, Where amidst the clattering of cups and rustling of papers and the hustle-bustle of conversation, time flows slowly like honey over raisins. And where if you keep your ears open, you will catch a bit of gossip running down the tables.

I order hot coffee and pakodas. And as I sit soaking up the sauce, the oil and the caffeine. In its stead is a flat-screen TV showing MTV Roadies. Chikni Chameli plays in the background. On the counter is a staunch muchad anna, kanada accent, ordering waiters to settle down bills.

I sit in silence for some time, soaking everything in like a sponge. The bill is settled. My wallet is not much hurt.

As i stand to move out i managed to hear out something which made my mind scroll down the times of my schooling days.

A well dressed, 2 middle class south Indian family on the centre most table. mother of the kid sitting opposite to each other and their kids sitting besides them.

Mother on the right side speaks about the academic development of her kid-

"you know my son got distinction in history!, this exam he didn't study at all. If he would have studied he could have scored much higher marks."

I stumbled upon the table as i heard these horrified lines. I went closer to their table and started enjoying their conversation. History and distinction meant to be distinct word during my school days. "Engage your kid in activities" said the lady.

How??, said the confused one,

My son goes to school by 7.00am- comes home at 1.00pm.

eats dinner,

1.30 extra class, comes home at 5.00pm,

Then 6.00pm does school work, class work, extra assignment, project.

dinner 9.00pm.

off to bed.

AND the same routine cycle goes on.......... Symble!! (simple) Exclaims the lady.

I was horrified to hear the time table. Invading their privacy, over hearing their gossip/ advice( whatever) brought me to a concluding point of eduction, learning, present condition of students.. Blah Blaah!!

The kid from 6th grade having routine time table of an Engineering student. For what??? I am Aghast to this stupidity of parents.

At the end, expectations pile up, social pressure of chacha, mama, neighbours build and frustration level rises up, Science is the best option, My kid will become doctor, engineer, pilot, even before s\he has completed 10th grade.

There is no conclusion to my invasion as it has been the same earlier and would continue; as long as the term : GENERATION GAP : is not understood and accepted.

Imran

THE MOLE AT YOUR WORKPLACE

2012-03-21T02:11:00.002-07:00

At work, you might have an independent portfolio of activities to manage. But unless you run a one-man-army outfit, you are most likely to be part of a bigger team that draws a mix of colleagues with different skills. That variety is precisely what gets the job done. Even if you are, consider a relatively non-hierarchical peer group — some bring in hard-core technical skills, others are coordinators, while a few vie to be so called leaders of the group. This peer group is separated from those on the other side of the table ie. the senior management.

Then there’s the other unique species that has mastered the art of camouflage and flourishes in the no-man’s land between the team and the management. In fact, if you search for them on internet search engines, you’ll find all the other definitions for the same word, except what you are really looking for.Hard to believe? Type out ‘moles’ in Google and see what you get on the first page – unit of measurement, small cylindrical mammals adapted to a subterranean lifestyle, growths on the skin, an isolation framework for .NET (whatever that means). No mention at all about our special friends who lurk around in offices. That’s how good they are.

But just because you don’t see them openly doesn’t mean they don’t exist. They look like regular folks, they laugh at the same jokes you make about the senior management and they also stay back late in office with the rest of the team to show solidarity.

The ability to stay below the radar helps them achieve another key function – operating in the stealth mode to make a mountain out of a (genius, you guessed it) mole-hill !!

The animosity, the negative vibes and the wrath that moles incur from the rest of the team members get more than balanced out by the support they command from the powers that be. If at all there’s a confrontation with a team member, it’s clear where they’ll get their backing from..Good people leave and moles turn to 'leeches' and stick to the company for a long run sucking blood in the process. If you’ve been on the receiving side, tough luck, my friend.

There’s also a scarier mutation of this species – the shameless mole. These are guys who started off like any other regular rookie moles, ignorant of their true potential. After years of fine-tuning their art and getting the trust of their mentors, they’ve come out of hiding and moved on to the next level. They now look at the camouflage part as an extra burden on their limited resources. Everyone knows who they are and what purpose they serve in the team.

The flip side? So how do they continue to eke out inside information that’s so very critical for their survival. The answer – through other rookie moles who’d like to grow up and become shameless moles just like their idols. The basic modus operandi remains the same – Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

Have you had moles in your office? How did you deal with their efforts to ‘increase transparency and information flow’ between the junior guys (i.e. the team) and the senior management?

A new hype in small screen cinema.

2012-03-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

It was late at night and all through the house nothing was stirring. Everyone was glued to the television, waiting for the love to unfold. And as it did, there was a general stir…people got up and slid out, until only I was left sitting there, wondering why. But since I had mustered up the crowd for this, I had to wait it through. It was not easy. In case you are wondering what I am blathering on about, it is simply this: the great love scene between Ram Kapoor and his ‘wife of convenience’ Priya was scheduled for the night of (March 12) on Sony TV, as Bade Achche Lagte hai reportedly made Hindi television soap history. Last week, as a cliffhanger, Priya told Ram as she was yelling at him that she loved him. In true Ekta Kapoor soap opera style, she said it over and over, screaming, with camera cuts and close ups, her hair dishevelled, her sari flowing, her eyes brimming over with more glycerine than in all of the soap-making world. The evening ended with Ram dragging her into a clinch, their faces suggestively mashed against each other, her eyes rounded first in shock, then closed with what could have been passion. The teasers promised huge helpings of steam and…wow!…sex.

And kya scene tha! There were close-ups that went so closeup that you could see every pore on Ram’s nose and every spot – heavily covered with makeup – on Priya’s cheeks. That was tolerable, almost, and then the director had his stars acting coy. Which caused the exodus from my TV room – a 40-something hero and a 30-something heroine should be far beyond the stage of behaving like shy teens in an old-style Hindi movie methinks. There was her face covered with a pallu that he slowly dragged away, there was a shiver as he nuzzled her neck, there was a languishing as she lay back and thought –hopefully not of England – loving thoughts of him as he made love to her. She did not seem to have much of a role to play, his tentative explorations were perhaps the only in-character and charming aspect of the whole awkward moment. The texture of the sofa cushions was more interesting to look at; what was happening on TV was embarrassing and presumably unintentionally hilarious. Mercifully,the scene cut to the aftermath, when a huge heap of quilt hides our stout hero, exhausted by the drama, while our heroine produces another dose of coy by showing bare shoulder and smiling beatifically at her man.

There will be more, with flashbacks and wifely behavior, weknow. And boy, we can’t wait to see if it all works out to be as insane as what happened late night!

RTI - Right To Increase CORRUPTION!!

2012-03-05T05:50:00.000-08:00

Right to Information Act 2005 (RTI) is an Act of the Parliament Of India "to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens." Under the provisions of the Act, any citizen may request information from a "public authority" (a body of Government or "instrumentality of State").

As usual, source(wikipedia-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_Information_Act,_2005)

RTI Act was passed in order to create a transparent system in which corrupt government officials would be held by their collars to be dragged to the courts for justice. But after RTI how many officials have been dragged to court and how many of them have been punished? Do we still say

RTI made a huge impact on the workings of government agencies?? I think our judicial system is very kind to not so kind corrupt bastards. These officials are the ones who gamble with our money in which we are the all time losers and at the end we common people are left just to regret that the money we paid for the development was pocketed by some corrupt neta, the land which was supposed to be used for development was grabbed by some builder having top political connection, the mangroves land was cut down to increase the income of your elected representative(neta) etc... the list goes on, And the common man is left to bang on the doors of all the possible government Babus.

Law of RTI has not only been teared apart by these officials but it is also generating corrupt minds to make a quick buck. Blackmailing and extortion is what RTI is been used in present times with the suo-moto of looting a person or the government agency. Does RTI any way mean to masturbate with glory of the law and create a corrupt environment? Answer to this is a Big NOO!!

Several times RTI activists are seen with a doubtful mind due to some spoiled apples in the basket and at the end our judicial system makes the person corrupt who opens the lid from the pot.
The struggle to pass the RTI Act can be seen in a mess where the Act for transparent workings of the government is been used for corruption business( Business because its a daily phenomena).
RTI ACT has been left to fall flat on the face of the government. Does RTI means Right To Increase Corruption is what i will rethink of when i am off to my Bed!!

Why this Kolaveri Di??

2012-02-22T05:52:00.003-08:00

Why this Kolaveri Di ??

As I step out of my house after catching some Zz's. Thinking about the beautiful and tiring day ahead and eventually figuring out days work and college’s routine haphazard and I gaze ahead passing through narrow lanes and as I raise my head I am greeted by some horrible, monstrous, ugly faces glaring at me from the electricity poles. Hoardings greet me every morning a very Happy Independence day making me actually realize that we are an independent country. And then the frightful image appears to me as someone wishing and celebrating the birthday for 365 days of his beloved bloody neta to whom I have never seen in our lane. His gazing and smiling face makes my imagination pot boiling to see his animated version saying that “I am the one who has snarfed your tax money and your obnoxious behavior will not strike me down”. Then I just frown to what you call praja and raja differences moving out to see more and more gruesome faces wishing me Diwali, Christmas, and new year eve. Where on earth is one festival celebrated for 365 days? Silly netas!!

Hoardings in the vasai-virar region has left me disgruntled about the workings of the Vasai-virar Municipal corporation. These hoardings are the ones who has gheraoed me between the electric poles to sometimes road dividers and always on flyovers which obstructs and distracts my view on roads. I sometimes feel that if initiatives to develop these regions are in a full swing than why one need these publicity materials? Are you saying me that the laachar Janta is at home busy with their melodramatic life and cannot transform your stupid behavior, than just go on a pause mode and filter your foresight. This is nothing but the waste of space as you have already created a space crunch by demolishing shanties and developing illegal structures with no proper amenities in place and the ad-on to it are the HOARDINGS!! This shows lackadaisical behavior of the authorities- incharge and it suffocates me the most. The tu-mera -kya –ukhadega attitude has created the rift between the public and the authorities as they cannot raise their timid voices against the not so typical goonda types.

I end my anguish thought which would again run down in my mind when I sleep, making me realize the difference between the aam aadmi and the higher authorities. The best way I calm my anger is by Uttering some good chosen gaalis to the person on the hoarding and then pity on the people because at the end people are the proven loosers.

A small note to the poster boys/girls:

Respected Netaji,

Just one thing I plead to you sir/ madam please do not post your images everywhere because you are not only ugly but you look horrible in those huge posters sometimes in a solo avtar and some in the group along with your chamchas while some grining at me as if I have stolen some booty of your looted maal.

Requesting you to please not waste our money in hoardings and name it social development.

Yours sincerely,

Tax payer.

Are we a Democratic Upfront??

2012-02-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

Are we a Democratic Upfront??

The abysmal turnout of voters in todays elections in Mumbai is abominable as Elections in Mumbai has been abjectly fallen apart. Are we still expecting to change the way it has been during all these long years awaiting the fresh polls to change the face of Mumbai? Than just shut the blattering mouth for next horrendous five years!

Is Mumbaikar's Chalta Hai attitude taking a toll on Mumbai life?, financial capital of Maharashtra with major responsiblity once again proved that one cant rely on Mumbaikars for its development and prgress. The right to vote and the way towards creating a new city altogether has been counted in meagre 46% votes, where is the Mumbaikars aberration which was seen when our city was hijacked by some handfull of terrorists and when bomb blasts shook us to the core. Is it that we are only concerned of our development in present times? If that so than today Mumbai feels abashed.

Now the Mumbaikar will arise when the beloved city is raped publicly by our netas with emerging scams, garbage strolling on the roads, when water doesn't suffice your thirst, when you fall sick due to epidemics, when traffic on roads always awards you abuses, when you see your corporator in a fancy car. Instead of arising take your bedsheet, cover your shameful face and hide under your cot as you are the ones who has simultaneously raped the Mumbai city and have failed the respect to protest aginst the wrong.

Enjoying the holiday with a peg of whiskey along with tandoori has drastically affected your living conditions which leaves you disqualified to complain about the misgivings about your corporator. Has Mumbai acclimatized to what we call public harrasment or are we still finding a word for this type of befuddling behaviour?

The one thing Mumbaikar will atleast learn from today's insensitive behaviour which i have termed is "BACKBITING" because you cant face your so-called elected representative and just lay back and complain about the lack of development and keep the topic of corruption in the back burner. But SURPRISE!! SURPRISE! sorry ha.. you have lost your right to complain too. So you have two option either keep your grumbling behaviour at bay when you get drowned in floods or when you see yourself amidst garbage bins OR wait for your neta to come to you next elections asking for votes after Long 5 YEARS!!

Mumbai Marathon

2012-01-16T06:44:00.000-08:00

Mumbai on heels!!

Bhaag D.K Bose…!! If you think these people are inspired by this song then you seem to be in the different world. Mumbai was on the move for marathon held in the city this morning. A huge congregation of people participated in one of the biggest annual sporting events in our city. People from different walks of life participated in this event. Almost forty thousand people were seen enjoying the Sunday morning cheer. It seemed weather god was too interested in marathon thus making the day bit warmer.

The dream run in which around twenty thousand people with banners, balloons, cheers, shouts, lots of cheers, dancing on the way and a few yawning, lazy chumps stood off the tracks.

In the crowd a person with leaned body, support stick in hand, barely able to walk was participating in this marathon to give a message to the young generation to live life to the fullest by spreading love and harmony…his age 99YEARS!!! SHOCKED!! SURPRISED! Even I was too.

Senior citizens were seen enjoying, dancing their heart out, some giving social message, some dressed in patriotic avtars. Hats off for these young lads… hip hip hurray!!

Later wheel chair events or we could say on the chair were special kids running a midst the soundtrack Tare zameen par!! You could sense the air of positivity, motivation and a message “No one could stop us from running” Young red haired boy, innocent, full of energy, disabled due to autism, shying away from camera with a pluck card in hand with an interesting message, "We live in your world, but play in ours”. We always demand more and more from life but after watching these guys out there, having fun and cheering each other I felt I was just left out in this crowd were happiness was of importance and we people in this world are lost behind our ambitions and a run for money. The world they belong to is very special in which they are safe, happy, satisfied, love and care and in our world were jealousy, hatred, ambitions, money and wants which never ends has tangled our life.

At the end of the day I felt motivated, inspired by these special people, and the effort worthwhile celebrating Mumbai’s remarkable spirit. Once again we Mumbaikar were at the best in showing the true spirit of what we call ‘Bambaiya style’....

YEH HAI MUMBAI MERI JAAN

SOUL OF AN ATHEIST

2011-09-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

I am a soul still alive in this world full of doubts.... thinking whether religion still is of much importance, i died asking this question to myself and still have not found the answer... so i am still alive...!!

My life was very good until i turned 18, and then the life took a U turn as soon as my parents started pressurizing me to follow their religions.... religions!! CONFUSED!!!! yeah my dad was a strong believer of Islam and my mom a Hindu.... now the dilemma was which religion i would follow... i became the rope of tug-of-war and my parents pulling me from each ends.. i was confused so as they, because i never visited mosques nor temples. I started developing hatred regarding this so called words which society gives importance to; because i always felt religion and god are man made beliefs and its an individuals choice to follow any belief. So i ended up being an atheist.

As soon as i turned 22, i told my parents that i will not follow any religion, the whole scenario seemed as if that the whole world came crashing down my dad got up and said if u want to live with us you have to follow my orders or else you can leave. Being hot blooded , i left my house and shifted to my girlfriend's flat to whom i was supposed to get married secretly. Alicia, a Roman catholic girl staying as a PG to whom i met when i was working in a call center. I fell in love with her and my love blossomed when she agreed to marry me. She knew i was an atheist because once i said to her that "Darling, i love you and always do just remember one thing i will never stop you to follow your religion but never ask me to follow your religion." As soon as she heard this she broke down with tears rolling down the eyes and me cajoling her like a mother does to a crying child.

The day had come when i was supposed to meet Alicia's parents regarding our marriage, i already asked Alicia to inform her parents about me being an atheist which she did. Her dad a retired army man was staring at me as i had crossed the border and he was there to interrogate me.. i could sense a negative feeling on his side. Suddenly after interviewing me he said, " Look i like you, you can marry my daughter, but before that you have to get converted into Christianity" these words hit me like a bullet and i was hit directly on my heart. This incident developed more hatred in my heart towards religion. After that day we decided to walk on different ways and this lead me get transferred to Bangalore for certain period to get over this incident.

There was sudden pressure mounting on Alicia to get married to a guy from their community against her will and then one day when i was working at my office i got the news from her friend that my love, Alicia had committed suicide by consuming poison. I left everything as it is and left to her place just to see her dead body being taken out of the hospital, that moment was as if someone was pinching me hard on my heart, i went to her dad and said, "How do you feel by murdering your own girl???" and broke down in front of her family members. This incident left me broken heart and even i committed suicide with a note behind that said," Society is responsible for my death and my dead body should be donated to a hospital for research and study and no rites and rituals should be conducted." This were the last words by me.

I was born as an ATHEIST,

I died as an ATHEIST