tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75915463968498490042012-01-29T08:18:52.122+05:30An insightful study of everything about INDIA. I hope to comment on many different hues that make India. This is an attempt by a sensitive mind to look at many streams of contemporary life from different perspectives.Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-27493678268027510332011-12-25T12:41:00.001+05:302011-12-25T12:41:15.501+05:302011-12-25T12:41:15.501+05:30

We are at the end of 2011 and in a week from now, this year will be part of history as we turn the page over to a new year. As I look back on this year, I remember we started out with thick dark clouds on the horizon and in the midst of a crisis that seemed to overwhelm the government and an air of resignation amongst the people about our shared destiny of chaos, mess and failure.  We

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com2http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-year-lost-in-history.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-90224859158434723912011-07-02T17:58:00.000+05:302011-07-02T17:58:02.627+05:302011-07-02T17:58:02.627+05:30

We have seen the issue of the Lokpal bill capture our attention like nothing before. Tempers have run high on both sides - the civil society and the political class. Most of the political class realise that this is the potential time bomb waiting to blast, and, blast if it did, many so-called leaders will sink in oblivion..forgotten for ever.  The question that comes to mind is whether this

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com3http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2011/07/corruption-will-leigislation-help.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-78365957288394225072011-04-23T13:16:00.000+05:302011-04-23T13:16:02.822+05:302011-04-23T13:16:02.822+05:30

In the last few weeks, headlines have been hogged by a frail man in his seventies, who captured the imagination of our country with his anti-corruption crusade. This man found spontaneous support and the government eventually had to bow down to all his demands. A Government bogged down in so many scams did not want to be seen as unwilling to legislate a law against corruption. Let us look back a

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com2http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2011/04/battle-against-corruption-tough.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-30477326901380749122010-12-26T22:38:00.000+05:302010-12-26T22:38:50.939+05:302010-12-26T22:38:50.939+05:30

In less than a week, we shall draw curtains on the last year of the first decade of the 21st century. A decade is long enough a period to reflect on how much we have progressed as a nation or regressed as a society. The last decade has seen tremendous strides being taken in all matters economic. Despite periodic hiccups, we seem to have regained our bearings, rather quickly, and, have stood up,

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com3http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2010/12/india-in-turmoil.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-49819521242605826302010-10-16T23:24:00.000+05:302010-10-16T23:24:57.061+05:302010-10-16T23:24:57.061+05:30

Dasara or Dushera is a major Indian festival and is the culmination of and follows a period of nine days preceding it. This day is also known as Vijayadashmi, the tenth day - a day of victory. It is celebrated in most parts of India. In a large country as ours and with diverse cultures co-existing, it is but natural that there will be varying interpretations. This is often seen in different

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com0http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2010/10/navratrimy-search-for-meaning.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-54582442798209445822010-10-04T22:37:00.000+05:302010-10-04T22:37:06.423+05:302010-10-04T22:37:06.423+05:30

Much has been said about what has been done or what has not been done for Commonwealth Games - 2010. This has been dissected in great detail and the potrayals have been overly negative. Our "free" and often "irresponsible" media went berserk and every invective in the dictionary was hurled at the organisers and the Games. Some even went to the extent of criticising the decision to accept these

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com9http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2010/10/attempt-at-self-destruction.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-22476313666164198682010-08-17T22:23:00.000+05:302010-08-17T22:23:21.050+05:302010-08-17T22:23:21.050+05:30

We have repeatedly criticised our education system to be outdated, bureaucratic, and unresposive. It has been effective in churning out graduates by the million who are poor in so many vital skills that they are unemployable anyway. Further, various debates rage about the size of the school bags and overemphasis on learning by rote. This academic year had two things of note in Maharashtra -

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com6http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2010/08/online-admissions-surprisingly-smooth.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-23169895501546095602010-05-14T22:32:00.000+05:302010-05-14T22:32:12.612+05:302010-05-14T22:32:12.612+05:30

As I was writing on my experiences on the recent trip to my native place, I remembered my conversation with Rajesh and Laxmi, a couple from South Africa. We were together on the trip to Kailash - Mansarovar. As we got to know each other, we began discussing about the Indian diaspora in South Africa. These were the descendants of those who were carted out in overcrowded ships to a unknown places

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com4http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2010/05/another-time-another-journey.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-88791848532641377412010-05-11T22:45:00.000+05:302010-05-11T22:45:19.863+05:302010-05-11T22:45:19.863+05:30

In my earlier post, I had mentioned our road trip across parts of Karnataka. The most important part was the initial six days. We were journeying through "our native place". Native place is a very Indian concept (or shall I enlarge it to say Oriental concept) and a very fascinating one at that. Inspite of being away from the land of our forefathers for two generations, there is still that "

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com6http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2010/05/back-to-roots.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-10824182735441417262010-04-27T22:34:00.000+05:302010-04-27T22:34:02.003+05:302010-04-27T22:34:02.003+05:30

It has been over a month that I have posted on my blog. Prior to that it was one post a month. That makes for a poor three posts in four months of 2010. I can attribute this to a writer's block. A phase where one experiences a mental black-out and becomes philosophical about life et al. A writer's block can be devastating and the after effects tend to linger on for a longish period. I have been

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com4http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2010/04/journey-across-time.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-86274397728210745102010-03-14T20:51:00.000+05:302010-03-14T20:51:43.472+05:302010-03-14T20:51:43.472+05:30

I wrote a short "tweet" version on this subject at "India Tweets" and I felt this needs to be elaborated further. In recent times, we have attempted to enact a law that is quite revolutionary. That of reserving 33% of electoral seats for women. It is not a simple straight forward piece of legislation and like many of our other laws, this too will have many "ifs" and "buts" that could dilute many

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com9http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2010/03/attitudes-are-hard-to-change.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-62047252364372344032010-02-15T22:23:00.000+05:302010-02-15T22:23:15.368+05:302010-02-15T22:23:15.368+05:30

We all agree that our Indian society has a long history stretching perhaps to the dawn of mankind  and its ancient and glorious culture served as the embellishment.  Over the years the vibrancy began losing its intensity and came to be subdued and over many centuries it became dormant. It could have gone extinct but it survived and in the process developed many warts The process of degeneration

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com9http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2010/02/movement-gone-awry.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-21531737786979335672010-01-26T21:35:00.000+05:302010-01-26T21:35:40.544+05:302010-01-26T21:35:40.544+05:30

Taking my discussion, on this new challenge in our society, further, I thought it necessary to examine this phenomenon a little further. This development has its roots, amongst others, in the rapid change our society has undergone and how our lives have changed on the last two decades. This period is most relevant as the children opting for suicide were born during this time.We may have made

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com9http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2010/01/suicidal-tendencies-in-children.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-2539729563390149032010-01-16T14:23:00.000+05:302010-01-16T14:23:16.571+05:302010-01-16T14:23:16.571+05:30

All of a sudden newspapers are full of reports about children, mostly teens and young adults taking their own lives. I am not sure whether this was a regular occurance earlier and it is only now this is getting prominence, or this is a new problem which we as a society are facing. The reasons for commiting suicide vary from the predictable to the bizzare. One has heard of teens taking their

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com17http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2010/01/children-commiting-suicide-new.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-58538600855457370272009-12-31T22:29:00.014+05:302010-01-01T20:38:44.690+05:302010-01-01T20:38:44.690+05:30

This is the ultimate truth that we live through but often realise a little late in life. This is the relentless march of time through the ages. There is an element of mystery as our limited human comprehension cannot estimate its commencement or its possible end. The time dimension gets even more warped when we add the space dimension to it.  Its span encompasses a nano second to billions of

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com9http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2009/12/wheel-of-time-marches-on.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-20010899784171042682009-12-10T23:24:00.000+05:302009-12-10T23:24:57.955+05:302009-12-10T23:24:57.955+05:30

We have seen this shameful spectacle of K Chandrasekhara Rao going in a fast-unto-death and statehood for Telangana has been accepted. This is commerce at its worst. Go on a fast unto death and get a state in return. This is a fantastic bargain for the political class. Are we going to see a renewed balkanisation of our country. A concept of an united India having braved many odss in its six

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com11http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2009/12/undertake-fast-unto-death-get-state.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-10123401920454222202009-12-02T21:43:00.000+05:302009-12-02T21:43:51.149+05:302009-12-02T21:43:51.149+05:30

It was interesting to come across profound philosophy with such practical overtones from two diverse streams of thought from two very different civilisations, so to say, and yet be so similar. As I reflected on this, it dawned on me that this knowledge needs to be spread far and wide as we in India suffer from a very poor work ethic. Those of you who need to interact with municipal authorities

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com11http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2009/12/our-work-ethic-critical-look.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-63702931418175789462009-11-21T19:31:00.000+05:302009-11-21T19:31:48.361+05:302009-11-21T19:31:48.361+05:30

A while ago, before embarking on the trip to Kailash-Mansarovar, I had written two posts based on some inspired writings and sayings of Swami Vivekanand. The first one - "I am a Voice without a Form" and the next "Eternal India - A Woman's Place in our Society". My last post was on Khalil Gibran's piece on Rest and Passion. This talks about the need to balance reason and caution on one hand with

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com11http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2009/11/eternal-india-secret-of-work.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-72054875091215120682009-11-06T22:47:00.002+05:302009-11-09T22:50:05.978+05:302009-11-09T22:50:05.978+05:30

I happened to leaf through a collection of Kahlil Gibran's writings and came across this small chapter on Reason and Passion in his famous book "The Prophet". Let me reproduce a few lines from this exceptionally brilliant exposition.   "Your soul is oftentimes a battlefield, upon which your reason and your judgment wage war against your passion and appetite."........... "Your reason and your

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com3http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2009/11/rest-in-reason-and-move-in-passion.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-75869608195710342682009-10-30T23:15:00.001+05:302009-10-30T23:15:00.308+05:302009-10-30T23:15:00.308+05:30

Many blogs have waxed eloquent during the Domestic Violence Awareness month. These posts have been written with a lot of feeling and treat this serious problem with a lot of sensitivity and objectivity.Instances of domestic violence can be gory and one can empathise with the victims living through hell every day of their life.Activism and retaliation is widely advocated as a means of regaining

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com8http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2009/10/violence-virulent-cancer-in-our-society.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-79546825650298806422009-10-29T21:49:00.003+05:302009-10-29T22:59:04.618+05:302009-10-29T22:59:04.618+05:30

What began as a casual approach to writing a travelogue (for the first time) eventually turned out to be a twenty eight post magnum opus spread over almost two months. (I keep discovering myself).Once I started writing, I felt the need to share many details and it just kept increasing. I never this series would extend so long. I must acknowledge the encouragement and appreciation shown by my

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com2http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2009/10/back-on-track.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-87601659745097979602009-10-26T07:30:00.003+05:302009-10-26T07:30:01.821+05:302009-10-26T07:30:01.821+05:30

Going forward........Preparations: Physical fitness is always welcome and more so at those heights. It would be preferable if you can work out and build stamina for atleast six months before the yatra. Long walks with packed backpacks will help give you some idea of the effort. I used to walk for an hour or so but discontinued after monsoons commenced in Mumbai. Other than this, I had not

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com8http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2009/10/kailash-mansarovar-yatra-tips-for_26.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-45833194230570441692009-10-25T07:26:00.004+05:302009-10-25T07:26:00.990+05:302009-10-25T07:26:00.990+05:30

Safely back at sea level, I look back at the yatra and feel that whole thing was a fantastic dream. Today, it seems so unreal as I wrote all those posts sharing my experience with you all.I am not sure what my reaction would be if my friends were to plan a trip again next year. However, one thing is certain and I would be much better prepared. Probably, would also try and customise the route to

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com8http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2009/10/kailash-mansarovar-yatra-tips-for.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-256075124742639102009-10-24T12:14:00.001+05:302009-10-24T12:14:00.397+05:302009-10-24T12:14:00.397+05:30

These photographs were taken by Mr. Raju Joshi from Mumbai. He completed the yatra about a month before us. I did not have my camera during the climb.A side view of the Kailash Northern face.A steep climb with boulders liberally strewn across.A gentle slope after that steep climb.Another angle. The valley is known as Kukker Valley.A long long trudge straight and then up we go.Another long climb

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com3http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2009/10/photo-corner-dolma-la-pass-and-onwards.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7591546396849849004.post-9087273194351553702009-10-23T21:12:00.000+05:302009-10-23T21:15:52.389+05:302009-10-23T21:15:52.389+05:30

The return journey had to retrace our steps all the 800 kms back spread over four days. We had to take the same Base Camp - Paryang - Saga - Nyalam - Kodari - Kathmandu route.It was a test of patience as these four days back to Kathmandu seemed almost like eternity. There was a sense of satisfaction as we drove back. The cold and high altitude stopped bothering us and we moved around like locals.

Mavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11427701624966763777noreply@blogger.com2http://mavins-voice.blogspot.com/2009/10/return-journeyback-to-kathmandu.html