The post The Boy Whom I Loved appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

Of random events and random pages

Random decisions and random plans

For a random life of years that spans

Randomly is the way we are alive

Random efforts seemingly to survive

To really live a life, we need to learn,

that first we need to completely unlearn

All the randomness that has stuck to us

Of things that were taught to us

Some beliefs of which a cocoon we  spun

Recognize  it to be nothing less than a prison

Let the randomness be boundless and abound

To cross the horizons and swing us around

To let us see beyond the possible

Of things we thought were impossible

Sever the thin but strong threads of limits

And ascend the random, but new summits

Through this new randomness that will surround

With the new found clarity we will be astound

It will take us to places we never dared tread

And will find our own course instead

We will now be free and knowingly random

And the meaning of life we will now fathom

The post Random appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

Hiding from his father’s stare

Saving himself from Amanda’s eyes

Amanda is more a mother than sister

And he finds her more intimidating

Than the wild bugs in the bush

He eyed two black bugs crawling chameleon

Frank picked one by one balancing in his two wannabe fingers

Dropped them immediately into the empty jam bottle

Then, he looked for preys here and there, all around and over

Not finding anything interesting and little upset

He settled for the tiny red ants on the tree above him

Sixteen red ants, venomous and perfect

Then closing the bottle lid quickly

Frank lounged quietly as he shook the bottle intermittently

The two black bugs and the cavalry of sixteen red ants

Fought historic epic battle till they all tossed for life

And eventually died to the eight year old’s whim.

The post Two black bugs and sixteen red ants appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

But if there were no technological progress there would have been no education. We would only be looking up to the nature, experiencing the heat of the sun, rain, cold as and when given without any desire for beautiful roofs and shelters. Whenever we are hungry we would go in search of food and not behind the means to earn it. Parents would be free from trouble in the absence of demands for pizzas, burgers etc.

With no education there would be no competition and hence less violence probably. Demands for entertainment of the minds also would be absent. In the absence of technological progress means of communication and transport would not prevail. The atmosphere would be clean with no pollution anywhere. Priests would be busy trying to find solution to human problems by persuading the humble people to endure their hard lot as destined. There would be no need of yoga gurus or gyms as people would be exercising enough by walking long distances. There would be no need of counseling the minds about the art of living, since a person who has sufficed his hunger by whatever means is a happy person at the end of the day.

The post WHAT IF THERE WOULD BE NO TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS? appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

Refusing the demand for shelving the bill totally, the government merely agreed to hold the bill  in abeyance  to be introduced at a later date.  This step not because the Opposition parties wanted  it but one of the government’s allies, the Trinamool Congress opposed the bill. And its view had to be respected .

Ms Mamta Banerjee’s stand was that if the Walmart and other international giants enter our retail  market, our Indian retailers would suffer and lose their job.

May I ask Ms Banerjee to answer some  questions connected with retail marketing?  Are we getting quality goods from our retailers?  Are all the items sold at fair price?  The answer is negative for both questions.

I wonder if our Political bosses are aware that the retailers have been too greedy and have been depriving the public  to the extent of  30 -40% profit on manufactured goods. They hve been swallowing the public’s share of the profit granted by the manufacturers? This has been going on  for over 40 years and the public does not know it.

Till the year about 1970, the manufacturers never printed the price on the manufactured items. Every retailer charged according to his whims. So, the  government  wanted the manufacturers to print  the sale price on the cover.  The  manufacturers came with a novel proposal that they would show the price to include 60-100% profit and  call it MRP (Maximum retail price);  the retailers must share this profit with the customers to any extent they liked.  Some took only 25% margin and gave the remaining to the customers. Some gave a nominal rebate of Rs. 5 -10. Over  90% retailers ignored this rule making themselves the real beneficiaries of the MRP formula. Thus the customers have been buying these products at a much higher price than intended by the manufacturer.

Very few retailers are considerate.  One electrical shop I know in Chennai has been observing this rule faithfully much to the astonishment of the customers.  For instance,  I bought an Immersion heater at Rs. 350 while the MRP marked was Rs. 525.  Did the retailer sell the item at a loss? No, he took his margin of 25% and transferred the rest to the customer. As a result, this shop is doing a roaring business.

One super market boasted that his shop  was an MRP market and never sold anything higher than the MRP price.  When I asked him, at what price he bought the items from the manufacturer or whole saler, he wouldn’t reveal it to me.

There you are, Ms. Mamta. The Indian public has been taken for a ride by these notorious retailers and you want to support them?

Go to any provision store. You  get rice and wheat mixed  with all sorts of  decorative materials such as twigs, stones and excreta and a small percentage of  rotten grains as well. Are they  quality material? Do the retailers  bother to sell clean  cereals in packets of sorts? They  cheat on the weight also.  You never get more than 900 grams when you pay for 1 kg material. Are the retailers being fair to their country men?

Let the TMC leaders carry out  a quality check of our retail market to get to know the truth and  also spot out the various tricks and other malpractices  being followed by our retailers.  When the multi nationals come, they may wake up and compete with them and the public will really benefit .An Indian  retailer will not suffer if he is honest and supply the material in  ship shape condition  at a competitive  rate.  An Indian customer then would opt for the Indian retailer and not enter the multi national shops.

Incidentally, it should the National policy that the profit margin should not be more than 25% of the ex factory price or market price. Give up the practice of  printing MRP approach and merely show, “Saleprice”.

The post FDI in Indian Retail market appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

When comes to skin health, it would be sheer foolishness not to take the basic care. Skin acts as a barrier between the outside world and our interior organs. So, it’s time we realized the implications of the changes of our skin.

First and foremost, we need to understand our skin types so that we can take proper care and nourishment. Coming to it, there are 5 major types of skin types.

What are the 5 major skin types

Normal skin:

Normal skin is most desirable since it requires minimum nurturing. It is toned vitalized with the right amount of oil balance.

Oily skin:

This skin type appears greasy and tends to attract dirt, dust and grime easily. If not taken proper and timely care, this may lead to black and white heads, pimples, spots and eruptions.

Dry skin:

This type of skin appears dry and flaky due to lack of moisture due to inadequate secretion from the sebaceous glands. This skin type tends to age fast.

Combination skin:

This type of skin appears dry at the cheeks, around the mouth and the eyes and appears oily at the forehead, nose and chin (the T zone).

Sensitive skin:

This type of skin has a nice texture and is sensitive to climatic changes and chemical ingredients present in cosmetic products.

How to know your skin types

When you wake up in the morning, wipe your face with a facial tissue. If it gathers greasy patches then it is oily skin. If the oil is only in the T zone then its combination skin. If it feels very dry and parched then it is dry and if your skin feels neither too dry nor too oily then you have normal skin and something to be proud of.

The post Know your skin type – know yourself appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

And explore the colors of the world

I am letting go you of my true love

I know that you know I love you true

I know that you know you are my life

You are my world, my life

But today I free you of the chains

Fly off to green lands not trodden

Discover the newness, color of life

Fall in love with the beautiful world

Explore the hills, springs, the land of sun

Live life stringless

Know you true love and then come back

I will wait.

The post Stringless love appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

Not a care in the world no burden unwieldy

A song in my heart, tapping were my feet

There was a time when time stood still

Every moment when I gazed at your face

All my dreams, I hoped you would fulfill

Yet a fear, a doubt had been lurking around

Will I one day, from my slumber awake

Find reality hurting and the pain profound

We never could really travel together

Fate or what else that stood the barrier

Pondering, makes the predicament only harsher

We lived the years as there were to live

But something was amiss something unconsummated

More often than not, the mood would turn pensive

Heard of your demise today, my heart went offbeat

That potential and those possibilities that could have been

My feeling of incompleteness is now complete.

The post The incompleteness is now complete appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

After they have been downtrodden and disfranchised for centuries, women have developed unparalleled skills of frugality, economy and resource management. They have been bestowed with softer and gentler qualities therefore women eschew wars, violence and destruction of the planet. The tragedy of human race as seen is that, for too long muscle and brute power ascendant over the emotional and spiritual strength. Looking at the mess that the world entered lead to the realization that another approach is required. To women then, the world must turn to bring healing and spiritual qualities of positivity and patience.

That is the time women stepped out of the shadows to take their rightful place beside men in steering the course of the future. One has to look at the women who have broken the shackles of their conditioning, from Rani of Jhansi to Helen Keller-the deaf and dum genius, Indira Gandhi to Kalpana Chawla. Just like a word is inseparable from its meaning, the name Ela Bhat is inseparable from the SEWA- Self-employed women’s association. She has rescued thousands of women by giving financial help. In 2010 she was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize for the upliftment of poor women. She also received the first ever Global Fairness Award by Clindent in Ahmadabad.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is an Indian businesswoman, technocrat, innovator and the founder of Biocon, the leading bio-technology enterprise based in Banglore. She has spearheaded its evolution and in her pursuits, she faced many challenges but never gave up. With her steering Biocon became the first to receive US funding. Her pioneering work earned her the Padmashree in 1989 and Padmabhushan in 2005 from the govt of India. She is also named among the hundred most influential people by the Times magazine and also in the Forbes list, Nikai Asian Prize 2009 etc.

Today there are many women organizations fighting many causes for the well-being and safety of women. This shows and makes us recognize that when a power of woman is unbound and unleashed there is no force on earth that can stop her from achieving her goals and realizing her dreams.

Yet much remains to be done. The memory of too many centuries of separation still haunts the women and holds them back from coming into their own. They are still to realize the extent of their true strength and their enormous potentiality.

Let each woman stand as an inspiration to other women. Women are the nature’s finest force and the planet’s cherished hope. AND THE TIME HAS COME FOR THEM TO EMERGE AS LEADERS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT

The post STREE SHAKTI appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

To quote an example: In the recent Parliamentary debate about FDI in the Retail trade, the Opposition parties vehemently opposed the bill.  In fact, they wanted the government to shelve it and throw it into the wastepaper basket. But, by and large, the public favoured the FDI’s entry in the retail market going by the various newspaper reports. The FICCI has also endorsed the move.

Since one of its partners in the UPA  had opposed the bill, the government withdrew it to be introduced at a later date.  This is a clear case of difference in perception between the government and the people who elected it.

Does the  Parliament take into account  the mood and reactions of the Electorate on any issue under discussion there?  None whatsoever.  The Public and its views are completely ignored  and the Parliament goes ahead as if the Electorate doesn’t exist. Is this kind of thinking correct and is it consistent with the principles of Democratic functioning?  One would like to ask, if the government and the Opposition care about public opinion at all? It’s like the Political parties saying, “You have elected us. You have no further role in the affairs of the Nation.  We will run the country for you.  Ask no questions.  OK?”

An MP is supposed to reflect the aspirations of the  people of  his/her  constituency  and convey their thoughts in the Parliament.  Does he/she  really ascertain the views on any issue? No. The actual truth is, that he becomes inaccessible to his own  people. Overnight he turns into a super human being. He acts on his own as if people don’t count anymore.. Is this democracy.?  Is the government  then of the people, for the people and  by the people?  “By the people, yes”, but not the other two axioms.

The Indian newspapers have not been helpful in this regard at all. If they do, it is the Editor’s personal view and not that of its readers.

In this connection I have a suggestion to make. According  to the Google report, the Electorate inIndia  are 565.78 million. And our cell phone population is 873 million as in August 2011.  It might have gone up by a couple of lakhs during the intervening period. Obviously, some individuals have more than one mobile, hence more in number compared to the number of voters. It is reasonable to assume that  every voter  does possess  a  cell phone. Why can’t we make use of  this scenario to invite public opinion on any matter, like it is a  referendum of sorts?  What we need is an organization to co-ordinate the proceedings.

Perhaps one of the newspapers which has a circulation all overIndia  could step into this role. As a matter of fact ,I have given this idea to Deccan Chronicle, a Daily published  from Chennai. And they are  working on it.

All the news paper has to do is, to state the purpose of the referendum and explain in detail the issue concerned and ask the individuals to give their answers through SMS on three points – YES, NO, NO OPINION.  And the result may be conveyed to the government.  Equipments are available to receive the SMS’s in millions centrally and all in a  matter of minutes.

By this way the public can indirectly partake in the decision making process.  The government and opposition parties dare not go against the public opinion. If they do, it will be at their own peril.

Even if 50 -60 % respond to the questionnaire, we can take it that it is the majority view.  The cell phone users will become more conscious of this responsibility as time goes by and respond  enthusiastically.

This modus operandi  appears to be the most suitable  and  practicable one   to ascertain the reaction of the electorate on important issues.

Readers of this article may convey their opinion to this proposal.  No governmental sanction is required to implement this plan. What we need is a responsible organization to conduct the voting system.

The post Shouldn’t the Electorate have a voice in the administration of India? appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

The post JOINT FAMILY appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

Yes, a little sparrow

All set to keep me on my toes

When the world slept in dark and peace

It would nibble, nick and flutter on the AC sil

It would shake me off my warm sleep

At the dead of the night

The starry nights are not so pleasant

When you are clumsy, have deadlines to catch

The sparrow all set to plot against me

It stroked the tin sil as if there is no tomorrow

As if he met his long lost lover after a war

Everyday, all through the winter month, all night

I would wake up at midnight and come out

To fly off the little plotting creature, with a dead twig

So that I can sleep in peace

And can reach in time prim and proper

And then one day

I woke up to silence

No picking, no flutters, no signs of existence

I opened the window and sneaked out

But no sparrow, no life, no plots against me

All night I tossed on bed thinking of the little bird

A lost little bird that strayed to bad weather, fog and cold

To some distant world, far off, far away.

The post Sparrow on my window appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

Recession  may be   lurking in a corner and inflation may be galloping right before our eyes, but there is no dearth of car and motor bike  buyers.  I wonder where these people get their money from.

It is difficult  to walk on the roads these days.  At any time of day or night, you would find the road space filled with vehicles, mostly two wheelers; most of them threatening  to knock  a pedestrian down.

The vehicle population in the state of Tamil Nadu is 14 million of all types as in August 2011. It may have gone up  by another half a million by now. The 2-wheelers top the list – 11 .5 million and of these 2.6 million are in Chennai city alone.

What is more disturbing is that these vehicles have become giant killers. In the year 2010 alone, the deaths in Tamil Nadu roads were a whopping 65,000.  This is quite close to  the national figure of 150,000.

Why should we get into lime light like this  for wrong reasons?  Is life so cheap in our State?  Over 1.2 million are injured and over 3 million disabled in the whole of India. Our roads are good and one  would be tempted to drive at a cruising speed of 100 kmph on highways.  One often sees youngsters  flying at 60 and 70 in their two wheelers right on the city roads. Now, you know why accidents occur.

The dead are dead and gone.  One may not even remember their names after some  six months. But what about those who have been seriously injured.  A visit to the  government hospitals would reveal how some young lives have been severely dented and put out of action. A lost leg or a hand cannot be retrieved. A head injury puts a man completely out of normal life  for the rest of his life.  He is a living dead, as it were !

You may ask why I am lamenting over these figures.  Supposing the  injured happens to be your own brother or sister or even wife.  Would you forgive the chap who had caused  this damage?

The question is what do we do about the road  accidents? What do you and I and the third person over there do to minimise the casualties?.  We need to put our thinking cap on and find ways and means.  Let’s not sit quiet all because none of our near and dear ones have been affected. Shed tears for the wounded and debilitated and pray to God to give good sense to the vehicle owners.

The post Watch your step, unruly road rollers are around appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

Today India has innumerable Indians who want to serve the country by being the part of the system. Innumerable parties have been formed, each one with its own cause- fight corruption, help the down-trodden, spread education, good governance, equal representation for women, help the farmers etc etc. Everyone wants everything asked for. But how to achieve, what path, what methods-nobody is aware.

These are the questions which each political party in its tenure is attempting to study & find. But how sad! Term ends but no solution. The party ends up not by placing itself at the service of the nation but by placing the nation at its service.

The post POLITICAL TREND appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

‘Mother’ means the same,

‘Father’ means the same,

Duties mean the same,

Rights mean the same.

When in religions all,

‘Good deeds’ mean the same,

‘Bad deeds’ mean the same,

When ‘Nature’ is the same,

‘Universe’ is the same,

When each one is the child of God;

Why then are sins committed?

Why does man kill man?

Though depart must we all,

To the same Destination.

The post God’s Religion appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

India is my country;
I am a lover of it.
Our ideas have diversity,
I respect it.

India is my country,
Admirer I am ardently of it.
Our people and landscapes have beauty,
I am proud of it.

India is my country;
A whole-hearted well-wisher I am of it.
Its borders are our wealth,
I am concerned about it.

India is my country;
I am dutiful to it
Worried I am about its security,
Preserving-safeguarding-protecting
I shall campaign for it.

The post MY COUNTRY appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

It was early in the morning and the sun was already looking so beautiful. Series of memories visited me and made me unusually nostalgic. I handled my white and gold rim ceramic cup just filled with semi fuming Darjeeling tea with little milk and sugar. I like it with milk, I always have. Over the years, my taste for tea has changed, grown and have substantiated me. I have been a tea drinker ever since my late teens. My grandma, an addict and a beautiful heart, was the first to rise and make her and the family the first cup of tea. She only used to get going after her first cup. I, essentially being her flower child, used to love the little sips that would made me feel like her, more than anything else. Tea got me to its clings, literally, much later. I would love the masala chai loaded with sugar and milk. That was a phase which had its lovely moments. As I grew up, I found tea more enigmatic. The flavors are variant, distinctive and appealing.

Grandma left the legacy of tea drinking to me. In my family, now, it’s only my father and I, who relish the idea of morning and evening teas, teas for different occasions and weathers. We love everything that is good tea and how it is served. I believe in that the flavor changes or enhances with the right kind of serving containers. So, I stress on the right kind of cups for a different kinds of teas. My mother hardly drinks tea but has specializes on the art of making it on my insistence. I am picky when it comes to tea. My sisters and their family are occasional tea drinkers – something I appreciate. But when they are visiting us, I manage to tempt them to some relishing cups of tea. The idea of having it all together is really alluring and great fun. We serve it with lots of cookies, Indian snacks, love and gossips.

Things have changed over the years, we have metamorphosed, father has gone more bald, I have had my first grey hair sneaking out every now and then and grandma is no more. But our love for good tea is one good constant factor that has still gotten us all together to the morning tea table over a beautiful tea drinking ritual.

The post Of family, love, life and tea drinking legacy appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

Felled you, my trees wantonly
Killed you my animals wantonly.
Polluted have you me thoroughly.
Nothing left have I to give you really.

Then man to nature pleaded
Nature oh my nature
I pray to you thee
Rain to me thou bless
For no drop of water have I
No grain have I to eat.

The post A Plea appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

The post As a Child appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..

I do remember myself becoming better interested in the amphibian life after accidentally pondering upon the possibilities of Mr Charming disguising as the not so charming green frog. Life of the frog is indispensable for the life of the ecosystem  it dwells in, and yet the creature has seldom been given its rightful place in the human realm of imagination and creativity.Kissing a frog seems repulsive and yet the task becomes necessary to bring out the Prince once cursed.So when I heard a friend cry out for her Prince to carry her off from the stubborn traffic & she was ready to kiss a frog for it and yet another friend gasping at his credit card bills and willing to turn into a green frog if sure to be kissed by a RICH damsel in mild distress that doesn’t involve money or muscled men..I just felt that the fairy tale frog isn’t that repulsive after all. On second thoughts, I remember saving a frog myself from my environmentally unfriendly cousin, not exactly coz of my love for nature but for fairy tales   and green frogs who just might be….

The post “recollecting”the frog and the Princess appeared first on Indian Blog World, a blog magazine for indians around the world..