Stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders, and know that you are the creator of your own destiny. All the strength and succour you want is within yourself.
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 2
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 19
This I lay down as the first essential in all I teach: anything that brings spiritual, mental, or physical weakness, touch it not with the toes of your feet.
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 8
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 18
You are lions, you are souls, pure, infinite, and perfect. The might of the universe is within you. Why weepest thou, my friend?
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 2
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 17
It is fear that is the cause of our woes, and it is fearlessness that brings heaven even in a moment.
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 3
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 16
The only test of good things is that they make us strong. Good is life, evil is death.
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 8
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 15
Perfect sincerity, holiness, gigantic intellect, and an all-conquering will. Let only a handful of men work with these, and the whole world will be revolutionised.
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 8
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 14
What makes you weep, my friend? In you is all power. Summon up your all-powerful nature, O mighty one, and this whole universe will lie at your feet. It is the Self alone that predominates, and not matter.
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 6
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 13
Learn obedience first. Always first learn to be a servant; and then you will be fit to be a master.
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 3 & Vol. 6
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 3 & Vol. 6
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Vivekanand जयंति
12 January - Today is Swami Vivekanand जयंति. A million नमस्कारs to the great Swami!
Labels:
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 12
Infinite faith and strength are the only conditions of success
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 5
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 11
Sincerity of conviction and purity of motive will surely gain the day; and even a small minority, armed with these, is surely destined to prevail against all odds.
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 4
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 10
Strength is felicity, life eternal, immortal; weakness is constant strain and misery. The is the great fact: Strength is life, weakness is death.
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 2
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 9
Unfortunately, श्रद्धा has nearly vanished from India, and this is why we are in our present state. What makes one man great and another weak is श्रद्धा. This श्रद्धा must enter in you.
- Swami Vivekanand
Complete Works, Vol. 3
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 8 (8 Jan)
Stand up! Be bold! You are the sole and only cause.
- Swami Vivekanand
Complete Works, Vol. 3
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 7 (7 Jan)
Life is short, and the vanities of the world are transient; They alone live who live for others.
- Swami Vivekanand
Complete Works, Vol. 4
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 6 (6 Jan)
The man who is pure, and who dares, does all things.
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 8
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 5 (5 Jan)
Have faith in yourselves. Great convictions are the mothers of great deeds.
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 5
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 4 (4 Jan)
Be pure first and you will have power. The chaste brain has tremendous energy and gigantic will-power. Without chastity there can be no spiritual strength. Continence gives wonderful control over mankind. The spiritual leaders of men have been very continent, and this is what gave them power.
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 1 & Vol. 4
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 3 (3 Jan)
It is only through love, a passion for truth, and tremendous energy that all great undertakings are accomplished.
- Swami Vivekanand
The Complete Works, Vol. 6
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 2 (2 Jan)
Stick to truth and we shall succeed, may be slowly, but surely.
- Swami Vivekanand
Complete Works, Vol. 4
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Swami Vivekanand Quotes Series - Day 1 (1 Jan)
My ideal indeed can be put into a few words and that is: to preach unto mankind their divinity and how to make it manifest in every moment of life.
- Swami Vivekanand
Complete Works, Vol. 7
Complete Works, Vol. 7
Labels:
Quotation,
Swami Vivekanand
Quotes of Swami Vivekanand
Labels:
Swami Vivekanand
As Ram Worships Bhagwan Shankar ....
For instance, this morning’s episode of Ramayana showed the tactics and strategies adopted by Ram and Ravana in preparation of war. As the final act of preparation, Bhagwan Ram, an incarnation of Vishnu, worshiped his आराध्य देवता, Bhagwan Shankar, to seek his blessings for success.
In the British era there was a lot of animosity between Shaivas and Vishnavas. Historically there has been no ill-will between Bhagwan Shankar & Bhagwan Vishnu, and no ill-will between those who primarily worshipped Bhagwan Shankar and those who prime diety was Bhagwan Vishnu. These divisions and the animosity were created and cultivated by the British to divide Indians.
Similarly the division between so-called Aryans & Dravidians were created by the British, and sustained by pseudo-intellectuals of independent India, who have been more British than Indian in their outlook. Peoples of this land united by Adi Shankaracharya’s travels from Kaladi in Kerala to Kandahar, to Kashmir, to Kamakhya (in today’s Assam), and back to Kanyakumari are all one as Indians/Hindus, and every other identity that we may have is inconsequential in comparison.
Labels:
Adishankaracharya,
Hinduism,
Indian History,
Ramayana
A Tribute to India's Greatest Hero
Labels:
Shivaji
Tanhaji
10 months ago we thoroughly enjoyed watching ManikarnikaTheFilm. Before watching the movie, I thought that I knew all about Rani Laxmibai from what I had read in school history text books and from studying Subhadra Kumari Chouhan's epic poem "खूब लडी मरदानी, वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी". Yet there were many things about the great warrior queen that I had not known. After seeing the movie I read about Rani Laxmibai again, to separate fact from fiction, as many historical movies depart from facts to meet their box office targets. Interestingly the story line of the film was a fairly accurate depiction of history. ManikarnikaTheFilm was an excellent movie and a must-watch for every Indian.
I am now looking forward to see TANHAJI this weekend. And I am hoping it turns out as good and authentic as Manikarnika. Most viewer reviews on the internet of TANHAJI are positive, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.
I had often wondered why there were no Hindi movies on Shivaji, despite the history of Shivaji being so fascinating! So many events in Shivaji's life - Tanhaji's conquest of Kondhana, Baji Prabhu Deshpande's defense of Ghodkhind, Shivaji's midnight attack on Shaesta Khan at Pune's Lal Mahal, the battle of Pratapgad, to name a few - are incredible tales of exemplary valor and wit. It was surprising that no one had made a Hindi movies on any of these events.
Now Ajay Devgan has brought "The Lion" Tanhaji Malsure to life on screen. It is good to see films depicting lives of real heroes of India now being made by a few honest film makers in Bollywood.
Labels:
Shivaji
Justice Is Done!
From 1528 to 2019 - we Hindus waited for 491 long years for this! And finally JUSTICE IS DONE!!
Labels:
Ayodhya
On Ayodhya
I came across some interesting facts about the Ayodhya case. A court ruling in 1951 confirmed that the no Muslims had offered prayers since 1936 in the structure that was called "Babri Masjid". Which means that for last 83 years Muslims have not used that place for prayers or any other religious activity. The same ruling confirmed that during that period (1936-51) Hindus have been praying at that place.
In 1949, when idols of Bhagwan Ram were discovered at the place, the gates to the structure were locked and Hindus were forbidden from entering the place. But Hindus continued to offer prayers to Bhagwan Ram from outside the gates. On the other hand Muslim had already foresaken the place, and it had no religious significance to them. No Muslim prayers were offered there.
So the so-called "Babri Masjid" wasn't a masjid like Jama Masjid of Delhi or your neighbourhood Masjid, where Muslims offer prayers every week. It was a place abondoned by Muslims, while being continually used by Hindus for prayers. Archeological evidence has by now conclusively proved that a grand Hindu temple, absolutely certainly, existed at that place. Given these facts, the name "masjid" is really a misnomer for that place.
The more you read about the Ayodhya case, the more you realize that the facts of the case are strongly in favour of Hindus. The Sunni Waqf Board has a very weak case that it is trying to defend. If the decision in Ayodhya case is based purely on the merits of the case then the result would go entirely in favour of Hindus.
In 1949, when idols of Bhagwan Ram were discovered at the place, the gates to the structure were locked and Hindus were forbidden from entering the place. But Hindus continued to offer prayers to Bhagwan Ram from outside the gates. On the other hand Muslim had already foresaken the place, and it had no religious significance to them. No Muslim prayers were offered there.
So the so-called "Babri Masjid" wasn't a masjid like Jama Masjid of Delhi or your neighbourhood Masjid, where Muslims offer prayers every week. It was a place abondoned by Muslims, while being continually used by Hindus for prayers. Archeological evidence has by now conclusively proved that a grand Hindu temple, absolutely certainly, existed at that place. Given these facts, the name "masjid" is really a misnomer for that place.
The more you read about the Ayodhya case, the more you realize that the facts of the case are strongly in favour of Hindus. The Sunni Waqf Board has a very weak case that it is trying to defend. If the decision in Ayodhya case is based purely on the merits of the case then the result would go entirely in favour of Hindus.
Labels:
Ayodhya
Swami Vivekanand and the Divine Mother
On the occasion of Durga pooja / Navaratri here's something from the life of Swami Vivekanand.
There is a beautiful Hindu temple called Sri Arulmigu Murugan temple in Jurong East, Singapore. The chief deity of the temple is Murugan or Kartikeya, the God of war. However, the temple also has other deities, one of which is a beautiful मूर्ती of Goddess Durga. It's the most magnificent image of Durga I have seen. Resplendent in gold, She evokes feelings of intense awe and reverence for the Goddess, who embodies divine शक्ती. Looking at the image mesmerizes you, taking you to a higher level of consciousness where you forget your worldly hassles and worries.
This glorious image of Durga, (the quality of this photo does no justice to which) reminds one of the interesting incident involving Ramakrishna Paramhamsa & Swami Vivekanand. It was 1884, when Vivekanand, then Narendra, was in his student years. His father died unexpectedly, and it pushed his until then well-to-do family into abject poverty. The responsibility to support the family financially fell on Narendra’s shoulders, as he was the eldest son. Narendra was tormented to see his mother and his younger siblings in states of destitution. He writes about those days as, “I was dying of starvation. Barefooted I went from office to office and was refused (job) everywhere. This was my first contact with the (hard) realities of life”.
Vivekanand asked Ramakrishna Paramhamsa to pray to Goddess Kali to help his family in these times of financial difficulties, but Ramakrishna told him to pray himself. Until then Narendra did not believe in Kali. Narendra was after all a product of the Bristish education system (which India is still following) that taught the kids to reject the tenets of Hinduism. So Narendra was skeptical. But having tried everything else and failed, he decided to plead his case with Kali and went to Dakshineshwar mandir.
As he entered the temple and looked at the image of Kali, he was overawed with a great feeling of devotion and love. He described the feeling as "ecstasy of joy" and felt She was "living and conscious, full of divine love and beauty". He prayed to the Goddess for divine knowledge and devotion, and for her eternal divine vision.
He met Ramakrishna Paramahansa and confessed that he had forgotten to pray to Kali for financial assistance. Ramakrishna advised Vivekanand to pray again, and told him to not forget to pray for his family’s financial well-being. So Vivekanand went to pray again. When he saw the image of Kali माता, he prayed, “Give me discrimination and divine knowledge. Grant me Mother your unhindered vision".
Ramakrishna advised him to make a third attempt. Vivekanand tried again but could not bring himself to pray to the Goddess for material things in life.
This event is considered a turning point in the life of Swami Vivekanand, who on that day realized the true essence of मूर्ती पूजा. Swami Vivekanand thus became devoted to the Goddess Mother. Vivekanand has described this eventful revelation of goddess Kali as, "There is somewhere a Great Power that thinks of Herself as feminine called Kali and Mother. Kali is the Divine Mother of the Universe, who has embodied in Herself, creation and destruction, love and terror, life and death.”
It is to Her that we pray today!
There is a beautiful Hindu temple called Sri Arulmigu Murugan temple in Jurong East, Singapore. The chief deity of the temple is Murugan or Kartikeya, the God of war. However, the temple also has other deities, one of which is a beautiful मूर्ती of Goddess Durga. It's the most magnificent image of Durga I have seen. Resplendent in gold, She evokes feelings of intense awe and reverence for the Goddess, who embodies divine शक्ती. Looking at the image mesmerizes you, taking you to a higher level of consciousness where you forget your worldly hassles and worries.
This glorious image of Durga, (the quality of this photo does no justice to which) reminds one of the interesting incident involving Ramakrishna Paramhamsa & Swami Vivekanand. It was 1884, when Vivekanand, then Narendra, was in his student years. His father died unexpectedly, and it pushed his until then well-to-do family into abject poverty. The responsibility to support the family financially fell on Narendra’s shoulders, as he was the eldest son. Narendra was tormented to see his mother and his younger siblings in states of destitution. He writes about those days as, “I was dying of starvation. Barefooted I went from office to office and was refused (job) everywhere. This was my first contact with the (hard) realities of life”.
Vivekanand asked Ramakrishna Paramhamsa to pray to Goddess Kali to help his family in these times of financial difficulties, but Ramakrishna told him to pray himself. Until then Narendra did not believe in Kali. Narendra was after all a product of the Bristish education system (which India is still following) that taught the kids to reject the tenets of Hinduism. So Narendra was skeptical. But having tried everything else and failed, he decided to plead his case with Kali and went to Dakshineshwar mandir.
As he entered the temple and looked at the image of Kali, he was overawed with a great feeling of devotion and love. He described the feeling as "ecstasy of joy" and felt She was "living and conscious, full of divine love and beauty". He prayed to the Goddess for divine knowledge and devotion, and for her eternal divine vision.
He met Ramakrishna Paramahansa and confessed that he had forgotten to pray to Kali for financial assistance. Ramakrishna advised Vivekanand to pray again, and told him to not forget to pray for his family’s financial well-being. So Vivekanand went to pray again. When he saw the image of Kali माता, he prayed, “Give me discrimination and divine knowledge. Grant me Mother your unhindered vision".
Ramakrishna advised him to make a third attempt. Vivekanand tried again but could not bring himself to pray to the Goddess for material things in life.
This event is considered a turning point in the life of Swami Vivekanand, who on that day realized the true essence of मूर्ती पूजा. Swami Vivekanand thus became devoted to the Goddess Mother. Vivekanand has described this eventful revelation of goddess Kali as, "There is somewhere a Great Power that thinks of Herself as feminine called Kali and Mother. Kali is the Divine Mother of the Universe, who has embodied in Herself, creation and destruction, love and terror, life and death.”
It is to Her that we pray today!
Labels:
Hinduism,
Swami Vivekanand
An Elliptical Commute!
Recently we have been considering buying an elliptical trainer at home. Since we are too busy to go to a gym, having something at home could come handy. With that in mind I started my search.
There is this brand Life Fitness that makes exercising equipment. I checked their website. They had few ellipticals listed on their website. They didn't mention price for any of the models. I knew it was a pricey brand, and I wasn't looking for anything very costly. But I thought I better check out their store. Maybe there is something there good for me.
I took out few hours from my schedule last weekend. And visited their store.
Salesman: Good evening, sir!
Me: Good evening! Could you show some of the eliptical trainers you got here.
Salesman: Sure, sir! Over here, sir. This one is our basic model. It is priced at rupees three-and-half lakhs. And this one, sir, is the advanced version. It costs rupees seven-and-half lakhs.
Me: Can I commute to office on these?
Salesman: Sir?? Sorry, I didn't get you. You are looking for an elliptical?? Right?
Me: Yes. But the prices you are quoting are for cars. So I am wondering if I can go office on any of these ellipticals!!!
There is this brand Life Fitness that makes exercising equipment. I checked their website. They had few ellipticals listed on their website. They didn't mention price for any of the models. I knew it was a pricey brand, and I wasn't looking for anything very costly. But I thought I better check out their store. Maybe there is something there good for me.
I took out few hours from my schedule last weekend. And visited their store.
Salesman: Good evening, sir!
Me: Good evening! Could you show some of the eliptical trainers you got here.
Salesman: Sure, sir! Over here, sir. This one is our basic model. It is priced at rupees three-and-half lakhs. And this one, sir, is the advanced version. It costs rupees seven-and-half lakhs.
Me: Can I commute to office on these?
Salesman: Sir?? Sorry, I didn't get you. You are looking for an elliptical?? Right?
Me: Yes. But the prices you are quoting are for cars. So I am wondering if I can go office on any of these ellipticals!!!
Labels:
Humour
On Abrogation of Article 370, and 35A
In the discussions on today's events there is one interesting
statistic from the (erstwhile!) state of Jammu & Kashmir that is
easily overlooked.
In Lok Sabha 2019 elections, Farooq Abdulla's
National Conference bagged less than 8% of the votes of people of
J&K. Mehbooba Mufti's PDP got less than 3% of the votes. BJP bagged
whopping 46% of all the votes polled in the state. BJP's candidate from
Jammu, Jugal Kishore alone bagged over 8.5 lakh votes, which is 3 times
the total votes bagged by all National
Conference candidates put together (~2.8 lakhs), and 7 times more than
the votes bagged by all PDP candidates put together (~1.2 lakhs)!
(Source: Election Commission of India's official website http://eciresults.nic.in).
In a democracy the best way to judge the mood of the people is through
elections. And LS 2019 results from Jammu & Kashmir clearly show
that the Muftis and the Abdullahs no longer represent the voice of the
people of the state. With BJP, which had promised to revoke Article 370,
winning close to half of the votes in the state, no one can argue that
people of Jammu & Kashmir were opposed to abrogation of Article 370
& 35A.
Labels:
BJP,
Elections,
Jammu and Kashmir
Lok Sabha 2019 Prediction
The
day Mumbai went to polls, I spent some time in the evening to guess
what could be likely election results. Here are my guesstimates:
Congress : 80-90
Cong Allies: 40
UPA : 120-130
BJP : 250-260
BJP Allies: 50
NDA : 300-310
Others : 110
Congress : 80-90
Cong Allies: 40
UPA : 120-130
BJP : 250-260
BJP Allies: 50
NDA : 300-310
Others : 110
My Favourite English Movies
I watched Alfred Hitchkock's Rebecca last week. And then I watched it again the next day! It's an engrossing suspense movie that won the Oscar for Best Movie in 1940. Despite knowing the ending of the movie, since I watched it once, I enjoyed watching it again the next day! That's the thing about really great movies - you never get tired of watching those movies again and again. It's a simple rule that I use to differentiate great movies from good ones. You enjoy watching good movies once or twice only, but you can watch great movies many times and still enjoy watching them again.
I don't watch too many movies. I am very choosy about the movies that I decide to watch. So I often pick Oscar winning movies, which I think are safe bet. Especially movies that have won Best Picture award. Most of the Best Picture Oscar winners were extraordinarily good movies.
I want to watch all of the Best Movie Oscar award winners from 1927. As yet these are the ones that I have watched. And here's how much I liked each of those, rated on a scale of 1 to 5:
1939 - Gone With the Wind - 4.5
1940 - Rebecca - 4
1941 - Casablanca - 3.5
1953 - From Here to Eternity - 4
1957 - The Bridge on the River Kwai - 5
1959 - Ben-Hur - 4
1960 - The Apartment - 3.5
1962 - Lawrence of Arabia - 5
1965 - The Sound of Music - 4.5
1966 - A Man of all Seasons - 4
1972 - The Godfather - 4.5
1974 - The Godfather: Part II - 4
1979 - Kramer vs. Kramer - 3.5
1980 - Ordinary People - 4.5
1981 - Chariots of Fire - 5
1982 - Gandhi - 4
1985 - Out of Africa - 5
1987 - The Last Emperor - 4.5
1988 - Rain Man - 3
1989 - Driving Miss Daisy - 4
1991 - The Silence of the Lambs - 3
1992 - Unforgiven - 3.5
1993 - Schindler's List - 4
1994 - Forrest Gump - 4.5
1995 - Braveheart - 3.5
1996 - The English Patient - 2.5
1997 - Titanic - 4
1999 - American Beauty - 2
2000 - Gladiator - 5
2001 - A Beautiful Mind - 4.5
2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - 3
2010 - The King's Speech - 2.5
Movies that I have rated 4 or 4.5, those I have either watched several times, or wouldn't mind watching several times.
Movies that I have rated 5 are the ones I am crazy about! If I have any of these movies available, I watch these whenever I have some time to spare. Often if I have fifteen minutes of free time, I pick one of these movies and watch from any random point in the movie. I just love these movies:
- The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
- Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- Chariots of Fire (1981)
- Out of Africa (1985)
- Gladiator (2000)
Apart from these there is couple of other English movies, which I have watch umpteen times, and yet never get bored of watching. But those weren't listed above because those are not an Oscar winners in Best Movie category. These two movies are To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and Love Story (1970).
What are your favourite movies?
Happy Diwali!!!
Having witnessed massive fireworks on New Year's eve on the banks of river Thames in London, on 4th July Independence Day in US, by Han river on Korean harvest festival of Chuseok, and on National Day celebrations in Singapore, I have realized that people of every country and community celebrate their joyous occassions with fireworks.
Study done by IIT Kanpur on causes of pollution in New Delhi, showed that pollution due to fireworks in Diwali was minimal - close to zero percent. May be people who commute to office by their four-wheelers are damaging environment far more than those who who light firecrackers for a few hours in Diwali.
This propaganda of firecrackerless Diwali is misguided activism at best, and selective targeting of our religious festivals at worst.
I hope people enjoy Diwali in ways that they find enjoyable. And if fireworks bring them joy in Diwali then they do that with no feeling of guilt.
Wishing you all a very Happy Diwali!!
Study done by IIT Kanpur on causes of pollution in New Delhi, showed that pollution due to fireworks in Diwali was minimal - close to zero percent. May be people who commute to office by their four-wheelers are damaging environment far more than those who who light firecrackers for a few hours in Diwali.
This propaganda of firecrackerless Diwali is misguided activism at best, and selective targeting of our religious festivals at worst.
I hope people enjoy Diwali in ways that they find enjoyable. And if fireworks bring them joy in Diwali then they do that with no feeling of guilt.
Wishing you all a very Happy Diwali!!
Labels:
Anti-Hindu
Mumbai and the Marathas
In the eighteenth century, the Portuguese were persecuting natives of Mumbai and surrounding areas with brutal policies similar to Goa Inquisition, and were forcibly converting people to Christianity. Responding pleas of help from local Hindus, Peshwa Bajirao I decided to intervene. Maratha forces under the command of Chimaji Appa and Malhar Rao Holkar laid seize on Vasai fort. Marathas’ formidable navy under command of Admiral Manaji Angre joined in, and Marathas won quick victories at Versova, Bandra and Dharavi. In May 1739 Vasai fort was breached. Despite bringing reinforcements from various places, the Portuguese resistance collapsed. It was a decisive Maratha victory! Salsette island (largest landmass of Mumbai comprising of areas between Kurla, Bandra, Thane & Dahisar) and other areas around Mumbai were freed from foreign Portuguese rule, and became part the Maratha empire. The Portuguese never recovered from this defeat, and for next 222 years remained confined to pockets of Goa, Daman and Diu.
Labels:
Inquest,
Marathas,
Portuguese
Gujarat Assembly Election Predictions
I had not done too bad in predicting results of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections earlier this year. Now I can take take the risk of throwing out my guess on results of today's Gujarat Assembly Elections. And I better do it before the exit polls come out in a few hours and start biasing my thoughts with their garbage. So here is my guess -
BJP: 135 - 145
Congress: 45 - 35
Others: 2
BJP: 135 - 145
Congress: 45 - 35
Others: 2
Labels:
BJP,
Congress I,
Elections,
Gujarat elections
My Travels
2017. Oct - Bhimashankar
Jun - Matheran (5th trip)
2016. Dec - Ahmedabad, Somnath, Gir.
Jul - Bintan - Indonesia.
2015. Nov - Phuket - Thailand.
2014. Apr - Branson - Missouri.
2013. Aug - Chicago (3rd trip).
Jul - Chicago (2nd trip)
2012. Oct - Ahmedabad.
Apr - Key West, Miami - Florida.
2011. Jan - Alibag.
2010. Nov - Las Vegas (2nd trip)
Apr - Chicago (1st trip)
2009. Aug - Cannon Beach, Portland
Sep - Portland
Jul - Washington DC, New York (2nd trip), Niagara Falls
2008. Nov - Las Vegas (1st trip)
Jul - Portland, Crater Lake (or was it in 2009?)
Jun - Cruise to Alaska with ports of call at Whittier, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Vancouver - BC, Canada
Apr - Vancouver - British Columbia, Canada
2007. Mar - Interlaken, Jungfrau, Lucern, Lugano, Geneva - Switzerland
Sep - Moved to Seattle (based here till 2011)
2006. Dec - London (2nd trip)
Nov - Edinburgh, Scotland highlands (Scotland)
Oct - London (1st trip)
Aug - Lonavala (5th trip)
Cambridge
Bury St Edmonds
Felixstowe
Kodaikanal, Palani
Chennai, Mahabalipuram (3nd trip)
Mysore
2005. Nov - Mauritius
Oct - New York (1st trip)
Sep - Antwerp, Brussels (2 trips), Brugge, Namur - Belgium. Based in Gent - Belgium
2004. Based in Seoul - South Korea Chennai (3rd trip), Madurai (2nd trip), Kanyakumari (2nd trip), Rameshwaram
2003. May?? Khandala/Lonavala (4th trip)
2002.
2001. Jan - Goa (5th trip, with B-school friends)
Chennai (2nd trip)
Coorg
2000.
1999. Apr - Puri, Konark, Chilka lake, Nandakanan Zoo, Simlipal national park, Bhuvaneshwar
Feb - Khandala/Lonavala (3rd trip)
1998. Apr - Bhimashankar (1st trip)
Apr - Matheran (3rd trip, with office friends),
1997. Jun - Malwan, Lanja, Sawantwadi (4th trip), Goa (5th trip), Amboli, Kolhapur
1996.
1995. Jun - Goa
1994. Jan - Ahmedabad.
1993. Jul - Lonavala (2nd trip), Pune
Jun - Sawantwadi (3rd trip), Kharepatan, Goa (5th trip)
May?? - Alibag (2nd trip with Vidya Bhawan friends)
1992.
1991. Jan - Bangalore, Mysore, Ooty
May - Sangli
1990. Oct - Trek in Talasari & Dadra Nagar Haveli
Apr - Karad (3rd trip)
May - Sangli (2nd trip)
1989. Oct - Trek in Talasari & Dadra Nagar Haveli
1988. May* - Hrushikesh, Badrinath, Haridwar, Delhi, Agra, Mathura
1987. Dec* - Goa (4th trip school picnic)
Nov?? - Lonavala (1st trip)
Nov?? - Goa (3rd trip)
May - Karad (2nd trip)
1986. May* - Karad (1st trip), Narsimhapur, Ichalkaranji, Aurangabad, Devgiri, Ajanta, Verul (Ellora)
Jan?? - Matheran (1st trip)
1985. Nov* - Sawantwadi (2nd trip), Goa (2nd trip), Ratnagiri, Paavas
1984. Nov* - Goa (1st trip)
Mar - Mahabaleshwar
1983.
1982. Jun* - Chennai (1st trip), Mahabalipuram (1st trip), Madurai (1st trip), Kanya Kumari (1st trip), Thiruvananthapuram
1981. When?? - Alibag (1st trip) Apr* - Nashik, Shirdi
Feb* - Sawantwadi (1st trip)
1980.
1979.
1978.
1977.
1976.
Legend:
* = confirmed
?? = not confirmed
Jun - Matheran (5th trip)
2016. Dec - Ahmedabad, Somnath, Gir.
Jul - Bintan - Indonesia.
2015. Nov - Phuket - Thailand.
2014. Apr - Branson - Missouri.
2013. Aug - Chicago (3rd trip).
Jul - Chicago (2nd trip)
2012. Oct - Ahmedabad.
Apr - Key West, Miami - Florida.
2011. Jan - Alibag.
2010. Nov - Las Vegas (2nd trip)
Apr - Chicago (1st trip)
2009. Aug - Cannon Beach, Portland
Sep - Portland
Jul - Washington DC, New York (2nd trip), Niagara Falls
2008. Nov - Las Vegas (1st trip)
Jul - Portland, Crater Lake (or was it in 2009?)
Jun - Cruise to Alaska with ports of call at Whittier, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Vancouver - BC, Canada
Apr - Vancouver - British Columbia, Canada
2007. Mar - Interlaken, Jungfrau, Lucern, Lugano, Geneva - Switzerland
Sep - Moved to Seattle (based here till 2011)
2006. Dec - London (2nd trip)
Nov - Edinburgh, Scotland highlands (Scotland)
Oct - London (1st trip)
Aug - Lonavala (5th trip)
Cambridge
Bury St Edmonds
Felixstowe
Kodaikanal, Palani
Chennai, Mahabalipuram (3nd trip)
Mysore
2005. Nov - Mauritius
Oct - New York (1st trip)
Sep - Antwerp, Brussels (2 trips), Brugge, Namur - Belgium. Based in Gent - Belgium
2004. Based in Seoul - South Korea Chennai (3rd trip), Madurai (2nd trip), Kanyakumari (2nd trip), Rameshwaram
2003. May?? Khandala/Lonavala (4th trip)
2002.
2001. Jan - Goa (5th trip, with B-school friends)
Chennai (2nd trip)
Coorg
2000.
1999. Apr - Puri, Konark, Chilka lake, Nandakanan Zoo, Simlipal national park, Bhuvaneshwar
Feb - Khandala/Lonavala (3rd trip)
1998. Apr - Bhimashankar (1st trip)
Apr - Matheran (3rd trip, with office friends),
1997. Jun - Malwan, Lanja, Sawantwadi (4th trip), Goa (5th trip), Amboli, Kolhapur
1996.
1995. Jun - Goa
1994. Jan - Ahmedabad.
1993. Jul - Lonavala (2nd trip), Pune
Jun - Sawantwadi (3rd trip), Kharepatan, Goa (5th trip)
May?? - Alibag (2nd trip with Vidya Bhawan friends)
1992.
1991. Jan - Bangalore, Mysore, Ooty
May - Sangli
1990. Oct - Trek in Talasari & Dadra Nagar Haveli
Apr - Karad (3rd trip)
May - Sangli (2nd trip)
1989. Oct - Trek in Talasari & Dadra Nagar Haveli
1988. May* - Hrushikesh, Badrinath, Haridwar, Delhi, Agra, Mathura
1987. Dec* - Goa (4th trip school picnic)
Nov?? - Lonavala (1st trip)
Nov?? - Goa (3rd trip)
May - Karad (2nd trip)
1986. May* - Karad (1st trip), Narsimhapur, Ichalkaranji, Aurangabad, Devgiri, Ajanta, Verul (Ellora)
Jan?? - Matheran (1st trip)
1985. Nov* - Sawantwadi (2nd trip), Goa (2nd trip), Ratnagiri, Paavas
1984. Nov* - Goa (1st trip)
Mar - Mahabaleshwar
1983.
1982. Jun* - Chennai (1st trip), Mahabalipuram (1st trip), Madurai (1st trip), Kanya Kumari (1st trip), Thiruvananthapuram
1981. When?? - Alibag (1st trip) Apr* - Nashik, Shirdi
Feb* - Sawantwadi (1st trip)
1980.
1979.
1978.
1977.
1976.
Legend:
* = confirmed
?? = not confirmed
Dinner
Grilled chicken, steamed vegetables, fruit salad, rice, and iced tea. This was my dinner last night, at Kenny Roger's Roasters in Robinsons mall on ADB street, Manila, Philippines. The first two days of my stay in I stuck to my vegetarian diet. Then I realized that I would probably be eating Veggie Delight at Subway for next 4 weeks, if I insist on being a vegetarian in Manila.
So here I am now, having a roasted chicken, or a grilled fish, or both, for dinner almost every night. The last time I have had non-vegetarian food so frequently was in 2004, while I was in South Korea. Since returning back from South Korea in January of 2005, I have been generally away from non-vegetarian food till coming to Philippines this month. And I will be away from meat once I return to bhArat next weekend. But while I am here, I am doing what the Romans do in Rome, and eating what the Philippinos eat in Philippines. And I am enjoying it!
Labels:
food
That Rare Day when Pakistan is a Winner
It is not always that Indians get an opportunity to envy Pakistanis. Since India got independence from Britain, and Pakistan was formed 70 years ago, India has left Pakistan far behind on all parameters of development. Yet today is that rare day when Indians are looking at Pakistan with envy. The reason for that is Pakistan Supreme Court's judgment in the Panama Papers case involving Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The speed with which Pakistani judiciary has moved on this case is commendable.
Here's a timeline of how the case unfolded:
3rd Apr 2016: "Panama Papers" become public, mention Nawaz Sharif and his family members owning shell companies abroad
Apr-May 2016: Judiciary declines PM Nawaz Sharif's request to form what it called "a toothless commission" to investigate the charges
29th Aug 2016: Imram Khan files petition in court to disqualify PM Nawaz Sharif on charges of corruption, money laundering and owning benami properties abroad
1st Nov 2016: Court beings daily hearing of the case
20th Apr 2017: Court orders setting up of Joint Investigation Team and gives it 60 days to investigate
6th May 2017: JIT formed with full authority to investigate allegations against PM
10th Jul 2017: JIT submits report to court saying Nawaz Sharif and his family cannot justify their huge income, and the companies & property they own aborad
28th Jul 2017: Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualifies PM Nawaz Sharif, declares lifetime ban on him from holding any public office, and orders filing of cases against him
In just 11 months since the case was filed, Pakistani Supreme court has disqualified PM Nawaz Sharif, made him an accused in cases of financial misappropriation, and put an end to his political career. It is not unlikely that he will soon end up in jail.
If Indian courts move this fast it won't be long before corrupt politicians and their family members like Robert Vadra, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, P. Chidambaram and Manmohan Singh are put behind bars.
Hours after Pakistani Supreme Court delivered its judgment this afternoon, Nawaz Sharif stepped down as PM. Twenty-two years ago, a court in India had delivered a similar judgment disqualifying India's incumbent Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Instead of stepping down from her post, Indira Gandhi had declared a State of Emergency, jailed all her opponents, and then commited terrible crimes against Indian Democracy. Crimes for which she never got punished by law. On this point too Pakistani democracy of today appears more mature than Indian democracy of that time.
Today is a rare day indeed, when Pakistan comes out a winner in a comparison to India.
Here's a timeline of how the case unfolded:
3rd Apr 2016: "Panama Papers" become public, mention Nawaz Sharif and his family members owning shell companies abroad
Apr-May 2016: Judiciary declines PM Nawaz Sharif's request to form what it called "a toothless commission" to investigate the charges
29th Aug 2016: Imram Khan files petition in court to disqualify PM Nawaz Sharif on charges of corruption, money laundering and owning benami properties abroad
1st Nov 2016: Court beings daily hearing of the case
20th Apr 2017: Court orders setting up of Joint Investigation Team and gives it 60 days to investigate
6th May 2017: JIT formed with full authority to investigate allegations against PM
10th Jul 2017: JIT submits report to court saying Nawaz Sharif and his family cannot justify their huge income, and the companies & property they own aborad
28th Jul 2017: Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualifies PM Nawaz Sharif, declares lifetime ban on him from holding any public office, and orders filing of cases against him
In just 11 months since the case was filed, Pakistani Supreme court has disqualified PM Nawaz Sharif, made him an accused in cases of financial misappropriation, and put an end to his political career. It is not unlikely that he will soon end up in jail.
If Indian courts move this fast it won't be long before corrupt politicians and their family members like Robert Vadra, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, P. Chidambaram and Manmohan Singh are put behind bars.
Hours after Pakistani Supreme Court delivered its judgment this afternoon, Nawaz Sharif stepped down as PM. Twenty-two years ago, a court in India had delivered a similar judgment disqualifying India's incumbent Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Instead of stepping down from her post, Indira Gandhi had declared a State of Emergency, jailed all her opponents, and then commited terrible crimes against Indian Democracy. Crimes for which she never got punished by law. On this point too Pakistani democracy of today appears more mature than Indian democracy of that time.
Today is a rare day indeed, when Pakistan comes out a winner in a comparison to India.
Victim of worst form of terrorism tells her story
Every sane human being should watch this till the end. Unfortunately we do not hear such stories in the mainstream media, which has always done everything possible to cover-up acts of terrorism. There are two important sentences that we need to remember.
First, at 23:00 Sunanda says, "Kashmir is the first laboratory of Islamist terror and it must be defeated". And second at 4:26, where while talking about the beginings of terrorism in Kashmir in 1990, Sunanda explains, "We were still living in denial". 27 years later, many people in India are still living in denial. If we do not wake up and support those who are fighting against terrorism, millions more will continue to become victims.
The story around imposition of Emergency by Indira Gandhi on 25th June 1975
On 28th September 1942, British government arrested Raj Narain and logged him in jail, where he would remain detained until 1945. Raj Narain was a social worker, and a freedom fighter. He was born in 1917 in a village near Varanasi. In 1934, he became member of Congress Socialist Party. When he was arrested by the British he was the president of Student Congress and was leading protests in and around Varanasi during 1942 Quit India movement.
After independence, Raj Narain joined the Socialist Party led by Acharya Narendra Deva, Jayprakash Narayan and Dr Rammanohar Lohia. Dr. Lohia described him as "a person who has heart of a Lion and practices of Gandhi". Dr. Lohia even said, "if in India there could be just three or four persons like him, dictatorship can never shadow the democracy".
In 1971 Lok Sabha elections Raj Narain contested against Indira Gandhi from Rae Bareli constituency. After Indira Gandhi won the election by fraudulent means, Raj Narain filed a petition in Allahabad High Court alleging that Indira Gandhi used bribery, government machinery and resources to gain an unfair advantage in the election. Narain specifically charged Indira Gandhi of using government employees as election agents and of organising campaign activities in the constituency while still on the payroll of the government.
During the course of the trail, Indira Gandhi attained the dubious distinction of becoming the first India Prime Minister to be cross-examined as an accused in a High Court. On 12 June 1975, Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha found Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractices. Sinha declared the outcome of election in Rae Bareilly constituency "null and void", and barred Indira from holding elected office for six years. He had found Indira guilty of misusing government machinery. The court order gave the Congress party twenty days to make arrangements to replace Indira Gandhi in her official posts. Indira Gandhi challenged the High Court's decision in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court delivered the verdict on 24 June 1975, upholding the High Court judgement and ordering that all privileges Indira Gandhi received as an MP be stopped, and that she be debarred from voting.
Indira Gandhi then asked the President of India, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, to declare emergency, and state of Internal Emergency was declared on the next day, 25th June 1975. The reason cited was that political disorder was a threat to national security. Raj Narain was arrested and put in jail, along with other opposition party leaders like Jayprakash Narayan, Vajpayee, and Advani. Using sweeping powers granted by the emergency decree, thousands of opposition leaders and activists were arrested, press censorship was introduced and elections were postponed. During this period, Congress party amended the Indian Constitution and overwrote the law that Indira Gandhi had been found guilty of violating. As the constitution requires, Indira Gandhi advised continuation of Emergency over every six-month period and the compliant President Fakruddin Ahmed approved it every time.
In Januray 1977 Indira Gandhi decided to hold elections. Voting was conducted between 16th and 19th March. Counting of votes was done on 20th March. The Congress party faced a historic defeat, with its seats tally coming down from 350 in 1971 to 153 in 1977. The Janata Party alliance won a landslide majority with 345 seats, winning close to 52% of total votes polled. Raj Narian contested again from Rae Bareli constituency against Indira Gandhi, and defeated Indira Gandhi by more than 55,000 votes. Emergency was officially ended the next day, 21st March 1977.
After independence, Raj Narain joined the Socialist Party led by Acharya Narendra Deva, Jayprakash Narayan and Dr Rammanohar Lohia. Dr. Lohia described him as "a person who has heart of a Lion and practices of Gandhi". Dr. Lohia even said, "if in India there could be just three or four persons like him, dictatorship can never shadow the democracy".
In 1971 Lok Sabha elections Raj Narain contested against Indira Gandhi from Rae Bareli constituency. After Indira Gandhi won the election by fraudulent means, Raj Narain filed a petition in Allahabad High Court alleging that Indira Gandhi used bribery, government machinery and resources to gain an unfair advantage in the election. Narain specifically charged Indira Gandhi of using government employees as election agents and of organising campaign activities in the constituency while still on the payroll of the government.
During the course of the trail, Indira Gandhi attained the dubious distinction of becoming the first India Prime Minister to be cross-examined as an accused in a High Court. On 12 June 1975, Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha found Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractices. Sinha declared the outcome of election in Rae Bareilly constituency "null and void", and barred Indira from holding elected office for six years. He had found Indira guilty of misusing government machinery. The court order gave the Congress party twenty days to make arrangements to replace Indira Gandhi in her official posts. Indira Gandhi challenged the High Court's decision in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court delivered the verdict on 24 June 1975, upholding the High Court judgement and ordering that all privileges Indira Gandhi received as an MP be stopped, and that she be debarred from voting.
Indira Gandhi then asked the President of India, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, to declare emergency, and state of Internal Emergency was declared on the next day, 25th June 1975. The reason cited was that political disorder was a threat to national security. Raj Narain was arrested and put in jail, along with other opposition party leaders like Jayprakash Narayan, Vajpayee, and Advani. Using sweeping powers granted by the emergency decree, thousands of opposition leaders and activists were arrested, press censorship was introduced and elections were postponed. During this period, Congress party amended the Indian Constitution and overwrote the law that Indira Gandhi had been found guilty of violating. As the constitution requires, Indira Gandhi advised continuation of Emergency over every six-month period and the compliant President Fakruddin Ahmed approved it every time.
In Januray 1977 Indira Gandhi decided to hold elections. Voting was conducted between 16th and 19th March. Counting of votes was done on 20th March. The Congress party faced a historic defeat, with its seats tally coming down from 350 in 1971 to 153 in 1977. The Janata Party alliance won a landslide majority with 345 seats, winning close to 52% of total votes polled. Raj Narian contested again from Rae Bareli constituency against Indira Gandhi, and defeated Indira Gandhi by more than 55,000 votes. Emergency was officially ended the next day, 21st March 1977.
Labels:
Emergency,
Indian History,
Indira Gandhi,
Politics,
Raj Narain
Feels like Singapore
It is a warm night in Pune. The tempareture is around 33 degress centigrade, which is not bad. What is making the night so uncomfortable is total absence of wind. That is making the weather miserable. It is like being in Singapore. Not too hot. But lot of humidity and absolutely no wind at all. Which is very uncomfortable weather.
Labels:
Weather
Uttar Pradesh Assembly Election Predictions
Voting for UP Assembly elections comes to an end this evening.
Here's my prediction for UP Assembly results:
BJP+ : 240 - 250
BSP : 80 - 90
SP-Cong : 60 [SP: 45 - 50. Cong: 10 - 15]
Others : 15
Let's see what happens.
Labels:
Elections
New Year "Celebration"?!
I did a lot of walking today between the bed and the couch. In between those exertions I expended my energies on clicking the mouse and staring at the laptop screen, updating myself from Facebook on the important life events of many people, whom I haven't met with, or spoken to in years. I even shared some quotes on my timeline, which I know will be life-changing for someone out there. Well, doesn't every act of altruism count?
Yet by the end of the day a feeling of ennui had definitely set in. I remembered from my younger days that hanging out at the mall is a good way to kill time. The bright lights, the soft music playing in the background, the hustle & bustle of the crowds, and the controlled weather can lift your mood without having to exert yourself much after a tiring day of inactivity. Little did I know what it means to be at a mall in India at this time of the year!
Including the time in queue for the security check, I was able sustain myself there for period of about 300 long seconds. I went up the escalator, and ran down the elevator. When I stepped out into the street, and inhaled the exhaust of a hundred vehicles stuck in a jam, I felt relieved of asphyxia! At the mall it seemed that some hordes had taken a collective decision to ... not think! The only word I could use to describe the milieu was - CRAZY!
I hope no tragic eventuality causes me to go to a mall before the 2nd of January.
Yet by the end of the day a feeling of ennui had definitely set in. I remembered from my younger days that hanging out at the mall is a good way to kill time. The bright lights, the soft music playing in the background, the hustle & bustle of the crowds, and the controlled weather can lift your mood without having to exert yourself much after a tiring day of inactivity. Little did I know what it means to be at a mall in India at this time of the year!
Including the time in queue for the security check, I was able sustain myself there for period of about 300 long seconds. I went up the escalator, and ran down the elevator. When I stepped out into the street, and inhaled the exhaust of a hundred vehicles stuck in a jam, I felt relieved of asphyxia! At the mall it seemed that some hordes had taken a collective decision to ... not think! The only word I could use to describe the milieu was - CRAZY!
I hope no tragic eventuality causes me to go to a mall before the 2nd of January.
Our Battle of Paavankhind!
It is a surprisingly warm midnight even for the month of July. The half moon has lighted the night just enough for us to march towards our destination without being too conspicuous. Few hours earlier few hundred of us quietly slipped out of Panhalgad with our great hero Shivaji, who is fighting against insurmountable odds for our people and our freedom. Shivaji's lookalike Shiv Kashid has gone to meet Siddhi Jouhar, and is sure to be martyred tonight. But that will give us few hours of lead as we race towards a battle to fight at Vishalgad. The big question is whether these few hours are going to be enough? I guess not! For Siddhi Masud's army is already in hot prusuit of us. The war cries of Siddhi Masud's ten thousand men, including a cavalary of three thousand, are reaching us. We are a band of 300 lightly armed infantry. It is becoming clear to us that this will be the last battle of our lives.
As our never-say-die commander Baji Prabhu Deshpande rallies us to take guard, I hear what few of my fellow men are talking about. "This is a disaster"! "The idea of swaraj is great. But couldn't they have planned it better"? "There are bigger enemies to fight with. Why are we even fighting this battle"? "Even if we win this one battle, it will make no difference as our people will never change". "Couldn't they have chosen a better place and time to fight? This is soooo inconvenient". "In all these battles, it is only the poor that suffer". "I admire his courage and his intentions, but I am not a blind devotee to follow him without questioning". I could take it no more. "Keep quiet", I shout, "and do your part. Ten generations before us have suffered in slavery. If we lose this battle tonight, because of your whining, cynicism, skepticism, pessimism, and negativity, our next ten generations will never ever get a chance to fight for freedom! They will never forgive you. So stop complaining and do your part".
It may not have been my words that bring them back to senses. But they do get back to their senses. For we fight. And how!! A depleting force of three hundred of us hold a mightly armed army of ten thousand at bay for five hours, until we hear the canon fire announcing Shivaji's victory and safety at Vishalgad! That's when most of us lay down our lives. As I close my eyes for that one last time, I know that generations after generations will visit this pAvankhinD ("the Sacred Pass") and sing paeans not just of Shivaji, and of Baji Prabhu Deshpande, but also of us anonymous heroic 300 mavalas, who are giving up everything for freedom!
I do now know how much time has passed after that. Some sort of heated talk has woken me up. As I open my eyes and look around, I realize it is not July of 1660. This is December 2016. But I am hearing the same words again. "This is a disaster of an implementation"! "I like the idea, but couldn't they have planned it better"? "There are hundred things broken in this country. How does fixing one make any difference"? "Is it going to be effective at all? So why do I have to suffer this inconvenience"? "I am not a blind bhakt to follow him without questioning". "It is the poor who suffer, while the big fish always go scot-free". "I find the timing very fishy". "Our people never change their habits. Why are you asking me to change?"
This time with less indignation, I say, "Somebody is fighting for us against insurmountable odds. The least we can do is provide support. If we lose this battle due to your doubts, cynicism, pessimism and negativity, generations that come after us will never get such an opportunity. So stop complaining and do your part."
Alas! I do not know whether my words would ever bring these guys to their senses!
As our never-say-die commander Baji Prabhu Deshpande rallies us to take guard, I hear what few of my fellow men are talking about. "This is a disaster"! "The idea of swaraj is great. But couldn't they have planned it better"? "There are bigger enemies to fight with. Why are we even fighting this battle"? "Even if we win this one battle, it will make no difference as our people will never change". "Couldn't they have chosen a better place and time to fight? This is soooo inconvenient". "In all these battles, it is only the poor that suffer". "I admire his courage and his intentions, but I am not a blind devotee to follow him without questioning". I could take it no more. "Keep quiet", I shout, "and do your part. Ten generations before us have suffered in slavery. If we lose this battle tonight, because of your whining, cynicism, skepticism, pessimism, and negativity, our next ten generations will never ever get a chance to fight for freedom! They will never forgive you. So stop complaining and do your part".
It may not have been my words that bring them back to senses. But they do get back to their senses. For we fight. And how!! A depleting force of three hundred of us hold a mightly armed army of ten thousand at bay for five hours, until we hear the canon fire announcing Shivaji's victory and safety at Vishalgad! That's when most of us lay down our lives. As I close my eyes for that one last time, I know that generations after generations will visit this pAvankhinD ("the Sacred Pass") and sing paeans not just of Shivaji, and of Baji Prabhu Deshpande, but also of us anonymous heroic 300 mavalas, who are giving up everything for freedom!
I do now know how much time has passed after that. Some sort of heated talk has woken me up. As I open my eyes and look around, I realize it is not July of 1660. This is December 2016. But I am hearing the same words again. "This is a disaster of an implementation"! "I like the idea, but couldn't they have planned it better"? "There are hundred things broken in this country. How does fixing one make any difference"? "Is it going to be effective at all? So why do I have to suffer this inconvenience"? "I am not a blind bhakt to follow him without questioning". "It is the poor who suffer, while the big fish always go scot-free". "I find the timing very fishy". "Our people never change their habits. Why are you asking me to change?"
This time with less indignation, I say, "Somebody is fighting for us against insurmountable odds. The least we can do is provide support. If we lose this battle due to your doubts, cynicism, pessimism and negativity, generations that come after us will never get such an opportunity. So stop complaining and do your part."
Alas! I do not know whether my words would ever bring these guys to their senses!
Taking Crucial Indo-US Relationship to a New High
It is less than two-and-half years since Indian diplomat in US, Devyani Khobragade was arrested and strip-searched by US authorities, resulting in a diplomatic disaster that took Indo-US relations to its nadir. That's where Indo-US relationship was when Modi took over as Prime Minister of India. In just over 2 years Modi has managed to take this most crucial relationship, for India, US & the world, to a new high. And he has put it on a path that will take the partnership between the two largest and most stable democracies in the world to heights we have never known!
Here's a very good article on Indo-US relationship by John McCain, where he mentions India's rise by saying that "only a select few countries rose so quickly to such an exalted esteem". Interestingly, McCain, who has been Obama's foremost opponent, whom Obama defeated in bitterly fought 2008 Presidential elections, has appreciated Obama's efforts in nurturing relationship with India. This shows the maturity of McCain as a politician, and the maturity of US political system in general. Sticking to the belief that international relations should be kept above and beyond petty political gains was practiced diligently when PV Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister, and Vajapayee was the Leader of Opposition. Unfortunately, this is something that is totally missing among present opposition party leaders in India - it is something that the likes of Sonia and Rahul hopelessly lack.
Labels:
Indo-US relations,
Modi,
Rahul Gandhi,
Sonia Gandhi,
US
"Congress-mukta Bharat" in progress!
I have been busy last few weeks, and did not see results of 2016 Assembly elections until last night. It was good to see BJP/NDA sweep Assam. The first statement of CM-designate Sarbanand Sonowal that his government will secure the border in two years inspires hope. Results from Kerala and West Bengal aren't bad either. Although BJP did not win many seats in either of the states, they opened their account in Kerala. More importantly, in both the states vote share of BJP/NDA was in double digits. In five years BJP will emerge as an alternative to present political formations in both the states.
While it is good to see BJP emerging stronger, it is equally heartening to see the decline of Congress. "Congress-mukta Bharat" is in progress! For the good of the nation, Congress has to be stripped out of power all over the country, and the Ghazi-Nehru-Gandhi family has to be denuded of any the political influence that they have over India. Presently Congress is left with control of Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand state governments, apart from Puducherry and few states in the North East. Uttarakhand, Congress will lose early next year. Himachal also goes to polls later next year. Congress is also bound to lose Karnataka in 2018.
Assam election results are worth spending pondering upon, because the conditions on the ground in Assam were materially the same in 2011 and 2016, and yet the results have been so different. BJP should have won in 2011 the way they won last week. But BJP came 5th with 5 seats out of 124, while Congress triumphed on 78. In 2016 NDA has won 84 seats with a vote share of over 40%. A huge jump from 5 seats to 84 seats in 5 years. The difference between then and now is the difference between Advani's BJP, and the BJP of Modi-Shah. One of the reasons purported for Congress victory in 2011 was Hindu consolidation in favour of Congress to keep pro-Bangladeshi illegal immigrant AIUDF out of power. "Hindu consolidation in favour of Congress" - there can hardly be a bigger irony in Indian politics. Hindus were voting for a political party that enacted the disastrous anti-Hindu Illegal Migrants Determination Act. BJP being unable to project itself as a viable alternative to Hindus of Assam was its failure in 2011. Modi-Shah's BJP of 2016 succeeded in doing what the BJP of 2011 had failed to do. By forging a successful alliance with AGP, and BPF, BJP ensured unity of all anti-illegal immigrant forces in the state, giving them a resounding victory.
Good days lie ahead for BJP, for Assam, and for India. "Congress-mukta Bharat" is in progress.
While it is good to see BJP emerging stronger, it is equally heartening to see the decline of Congress. "Congress-mukta Bharat" is in progress! For the good of the nation, Congress has to be stripped out of power all over the country, and the Ghazi-Nehru-Gandhi family has to be denuded of any the political influence that they have over India. Presently Congress is left with control of Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand state governments, apart from Puducherry and few states in the North East. Uttarakhand, Congress will lose early next year. Himachal also goes to polls later next year. Congress is also bound to lose Karnataka in 2018.
Assam election results are worth spending pondering upon, because the conditions on the ground in Assam were materially the same in 2011 and 2016, and yet the results have been so different. BJP should have won in 2011 the way they won last week. But BJP came 5th with 5 seats out of 124, while Congress triumphed on 78. In 2016 NDA has won 84 seats with a vote share of over 40%. A huge jump from 5 seats to 84 seats in 5 years. The difference between then and now is the difference between Advani's BJP, and the BJP of Modi-Shah. One of the reasons purported for Congress victory in 2011 was Hindu consolidation in favour of Congress to keep pro-Bangladeshi illegal immigrant AIUDF out of power. "Hindu consolidation in favour of Congress" - there can hardly be a bigger irony in Indian politics. Hindus were voting for a political party that enacted the disastrous anti-Hindu Illegal Migrants Determination Act. BJP being unable to project itself as a viable alternative to Hindus of Assam was its failure in 2011. Modi-Shah's BJP of 2016 succeeded in doing what the BJP of 2011 had failed to do. By forging a successful alliance with AGP, and BPF, BJP ensured unity of all anti-illegal immigrant forces in the state, giving them a resounding victory.
Good days lie ahead for BJP, for Assam, and for India. "Congress-mukta Bharat" is in progress.
Labels:
Assam,
Elections,
Hindu-Muslim relations
Am I back?
I haven't blogged in almost 3 years! And during this time I did irreparable damage to my blog when I deleted my picasa.com account, and all the images on my blogsite got deleted! As I scroll down I realize that there are many images that I would never be able to reload on my blog, and without which those blog entries would be incomplete. That's sad. But that's okay!
What has happened to me?
It is interesting how infrequent I have been at blogging!
Only 5 blog entries last year! And this is the first entry for this year - we are close to the end of the third month. I am busy is not the reason for not writing. In one of my blog entries last year, I had described myself as "dead within". I believe that state is still continue. Otherwise, I would have definitely written a blog on 17th November.
Only 5 blog entries last year! And this is the first entry for this year - we are close to the end of the third month. I am busy is not the reason for not writing. In one of my blog entries last year, I had described myself as "dead within". I believe that state is still continue. Otherwise, I would have definitely written a blog on 17th November.
Still number 1 on gooogle!
Search for "Chicago Snaps" on google images brings up my blogsite even now with the the top two images being from my post on June 27, 2010. Interestingly, it does not show the original Chicago photos posted on April 12, 2012.
An Old Flame Never Dies!
I returned from Ahmedabad yesterday, leaving Poornima and Vedika at Poornima's parents' house. Little did I realize that this was a good time rekindle an old affair! An affair was the last thing on my mind. But all "affairs" of our youth have a uncanny ability to resurface when we grow older!
I believe that I drive well. I have driven more than 40,000 miles in last 5 years. My Nissan Altima has clocked more than 1,20,000 miles on it! When I bought it 4 years and 11 months ago, it has just crossed 79,000 miles. The car has served me well. It runs as good as the day I bought it. It has never broken down on me ever. Only time I remember being stranded was when I left the lights switched on, when I parked for the day, which caused the battery to be drained. Other than that, with regular maintenance, and the car has served me well. Next week when I go back to the US, I will turn it on after a gap of 6 weeks! That'll be its test, which I am sure it will pass. I trust my Nissan Altima. It's as dependable as a car can be. I respect it. Respect, it deserves!
It is always a pleasure for me to drive in India! Am I kidding? No, not at all! It's always a pleasure for me to drive my golden Getz! I did a lot of research before buying my first car, and I am glad that I bought a Getz six years ago. It's smooth and comfortable ride adds to the luxury of its spacious interiors. I am surprised how well Hyundai engineers have designed the car. My hatchback Getz has more leg room in the front and the back, than my Altima, which is a sedan! When you drive a Getz, the best part of it, you realize, is its magical gearbox. The smooth changing of gears, and the quick pick up on that account, makes one realize why manual transmission cars are sold at a premium in US. I would surely pay more for my Nissan Altima, if it had a manual transmission like my Getz!
Unlike my Altima, the Getz is lightly used. It has run over 28,000 kms in 6 years. However, it's super well-maintained. Baba takes really good care of my car. Probably, much better than if it were his car. So it's always a joy to drive my Getz, when I come to India. This time we took it to Pune. I touched 140 kmph on Mumbai-Pune expressway, and I am sure no one would have realized it had I not told them. So smooth is the ride, even at that speed! Just put it in 5th gear, and let it go ...... vroooooom! All you wish it had a cruise control. It runs so well, all you need to check is your temptation. Keep that under check, and you are fine. I like my Getz. Whether on an expressway or in a city, Getz is the best friend I got!
Whenever I come to India, I am eager to drive my Getz. In my last visit I drove it home from airport. This time, I was more pragmatic, and waited for a day before setting my hands on the steering wheel. But since the day I drove it last month, I have been driving regularly. I have probably driven close to 3,000 kms in a few weeks. I drove my Getz so much, that I totally forgot I had a bike.
With just about 3 days left before I go back to US, I rode my bike in the town for the first time today. What a fool I was! I had to ride few hundred meters, and I was floored! Oh! What a joy! What a fool I had been! I ignored my bike for so many days. The power of the engine. The cool breeze flowing against my face. The ease with which I overtook cars and auto-rikshaws, that were stuck in traffic. All the pleasure of riding my bike was back with vengeance. My bike brought me back sweet old memories. I remembered how I zoomed at the speed of 110 kms per hour on Eastern Express highway almost every single day to office. I was overcome with awe. It was like falling in love all over again! Oh! my TVS Fiero! My sweetheart! I respect my Altima, I fancy my Getz, but I just love my Fiero!
My bike just completed her 10th anniversary, but it is as exhilarating to ride it as it was 10 years ago. I have not been married long enough to invalidate Congress minister Saiprakash Jaiswal's comments that an old wife loses her charm, but I can say for sure that an old flame never loses her charm! I just had to ride my TVS Fiero to prove that!
I believe that I drive well. I have driven more than 40,000 miles in last 5 years. My Nissan Altima has clocked more than 1,20,000 miles on it! When I bought it 4 years and 11 months ago, it has just crossed 79,000 miles. The car has served me well. It runs as good as the day I bought it. It has never broken down on me ever. Only time I remember being stranded was when I left the lights switched on, when I parked for the day, which caused the battery to be drained. Other than that, with regular maintenance, and the car has served me well. Next week when I go back to the US, I will turn it on after a gap of 6 weeks! That'll be its test, which I am sure it will pass. I trust my Nissan Altima. It's as dependable as a car can be. I respect it. Respect, it deserves!
It is always a pleasure for me to drive in India! Am I kidding? No, not at all! It's always a pleasure for me to drive my golden Getz! I did a lot of research before buying my first car, and I am glad that I bought a Getz six years ago. It's smooth and comfortable ride adds to the luxury of its spacious interiors. I am surprised how well Hyundai engineers have designed the car. My hatchback Getz has more leg room in the front and the back, than my Altima, which is a sedan! When you drive a Getz, the best part of it, you realize, is its magical gearbox. The smooth changing of gears, and the quick pick up on that account, makes one realize why manual transmission cars are sold at a premium in US. I would surely pay more for my Nissan Altima, if it had a manual transmission like my Getz!
Unlike my Altima, the Getz is lightly used. It has run over 28,000 kms in 6 years. However, it's super well-maintained. Baba takes really good care of my car. Probably, much better than if it were his car. So it's always a joy to drive my Getz, when I come to India. This time we took it to Pune. I touched 140 kmph on Mumbai-Pune expressway, and I am sure no one would have realized it had I not told them. So smooth is the ride, even at that speed! Just put it in 5th gear, and let it go ...... vroooooom! All you wish it had a cruise control. It runs so well, all you need to check is your temptation. Keep that under check, and you are fine. I like my Getz. Whether on an expressway or in a city, Getz is the best friend I got!
Whenever I come to India, I am eager to drive my Getz. In my last visit I drove it home from airport. This time, I was more pragmatic, and waited for a day before setting my hands on the steering wheel. But since the day I drove it last month, I have been driving regularly. I have probably driven close to 3,000 kms in a few weeks. I drove my Getz so much, that I totally forgot I had a bike.
With just about 3 days left before I go back to US, I rode my bike in the town for the first time today. What a fool I was! I had to ride few hundred meters, and I was floored! Oh! What a joy! What a fool I had been! I ignored my bike for so many days. The power of the engine. The cool breeze flowing against my face. The ease with which I overtook cars and auto-rikshaws, that were stuck in traffic. All the pleasure of riding my bike was back with vengeance. My bike brought me back sweet old memories. I remembered how I zoomed at the speed of 110 kms per hour on Eastern Express highway almost every single day to office. I was overcome with awe. It was like falling in love all over again! Oh! my TVS Fiero! My sweetheart! I respect my Altima, I fancy my Getz, but I just love my Fiero!
My bike just completed her 10th anniversary, but it is as exhilarating to ride it as it was 10 years ago. I have not been married long enough to invalidate Congress minister Saiprakash Jaiswal's comments that an old wife loses her charm, but I can say for sure that an old flame never loses her charm! I just had to ride my TVS Fiero to prove that!
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