Archive for February 2015
An Open Letter to Narendra Modi
Sir,
I write this letter from the deepest of respect that I have for you and for the PM of India.
I am one of the millions who used to lap up all your speeches. Often hopping news channels one by one to hear the same speech again and again and again. Fighting hard with your detractors and trying to convince them of you. And I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Today I am a bit cofused as to the viability and authenticity of those speeches and whether those hours went down the drain for me. I wonder if I should have put all that time to some other use. Sir, I kindof feel swindled. Here’s Why.
1. Naturally Corrupt Party: When you raised the pitch, we echoed the sentiment. Everyone knows what NCP has done (not) for farmers and what is the root cause of farmer suicides. When you chided Chacha-Bhatija, we all smiled. Ghadi ke 10 se 10 and what not. Now you share stage with the same Naturally Corrupt and praise him. Your party president invites the same Naturally Corrupt to his son’s lavish wedding reception. I am befuddled as were those speeches a facade or what?
2. Don’t know how much black money: Over black money I understand it can’t be brought back over night. And I don’t expect that. During your speeches you cited figures of how much black money is abroad. But after the uproar post your UPA-3 inaction and Supreme Court reprimand, you went on Mann ki Baat and backtracked. You said you don’t know how much black money is out there. I again feel those hours I should have given to better work. Your chief says it was just chunavi-jumla and you say nothing to disregard him. How can I listen to another speech now?
3. Damadji: You went hammer and tong against Damadji. Of how he got undue benefits. Of how is name is at airport list of VIP’s. Of how the whole machinery is at his foot. We saw a ray of hope. Now Damadji will be behind bars. 9 months on and Damadji is still out. His name still on the list. I wonder was that also chunavi-jumla or your partymen not let you put him behind bars? As you might not be but a lot of people from your party and their kith and kin are no less privileged than Damadji and might face retribution from Congress Govt in distant future. Why I listened to those speeches still aches me.
4. Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas: I doted on you when you said that. No appeasement, No arrogance. But you don’t say a word against your MP’s who blatantly say otherwise. The regressive and devisive odour is in the air. We can smell it, why can’t you? Was Sabka was just part of speech and nothing else? Was I a fool to have tuned in to those?
You might have had your reasons, one can be to become PM. It’s your prerogative. But what should I do now, who stands cheated. I implore you to keep my faith intact. Be the PM that mirror your speeches. Till then I am afraid I will switch off to any more of it.
Heartfully Sorry,
Arpit Garg
Mind Games
I met a friend of mine today after a very long time. However we hit it off like yesterday. Now this friend is a person with extraordinarily high IQ. He is a genius but like with all of them he has a problem. He tends to micro analyse things.
He don’t know when to let go of things. He will keep thinking about incidents in his life from a factual perspective. You can’t find a fault in his analysis per say. But what he fails to understand is, we don’t need to do it always. If we have a quarrel with our brother, we should hug it off the next day. But his brain works differently. He will analyse the quarrel to find the root cause and in turn will never talk to his brother.
If you talk to him, you will be mighty impressed by his reasonings. They are theoretical and hence very difficult to be punctured. He will let himself suffer because his brain tells him he is right.
Such mindgames that he plays with himself, hurts no one but him. I hope with time he realizes that being happy is more important than the concept of right or wrong. Hope he loses with himself in these games of mind.
My Valentine
With red rose in a hand,
I ask thee on one knee,
Raising a toast of wine,
Will you be my Valentine?
Perfumes so odour sweet,
Pray O heavenly beauty say,
I am at service of thine,
Will you be my Valentine?
Ground that treaded thee,
I collect as a souvenir,
Sweep it with broom so fine,
Will you be my Valentine?
I look at you fixated,
From mornings bright,
Till night strucks nine,
Will you be my Valentine?
Will be there for you always,
Won’t buzz off now and then,
Persistent like flu of swine,
Will you be my Valentine?
Hope to grow old with you,
Wrinkle for a wrinkle come,
And look like a fruit of pine,
Will you be my Valentine?
Himalayas high, Forest deep,
Searched love me everywhere,
You answer to prayer of mine,
Will you be my Valentine?
Why BJP lost Delhi?
More than the AAP victory, I consider this BJP’s loss. Delhi was with Modi and yet somehow it was lost. What happened?
1. 7 month > 1.5 month: BJP kept harping on 49 days AAP Govt but did nothing for Delhi in 7 months they ruled indirectly via Centre.
2. LG the puppet: You would remember BJP people raising hue and cry on AAP for raising fingers on LG. LG is constitutional post. Let LG call us first etc. This used to be the Congress line. People of Delhi saw that and decided to teach them a lesson.
3. Black money: Lethargy over black money. People elected BJP not to form SIT and gloat, they did so that black money is brought back. No out of the box acts by Govt to bring back black money did it in.
4. Communal Tension: Unlike in Lok Sabha election, Hindu vote didn’t get polarized. Attacks on churches, communal statements by BJP leaders and silence of Modi was too much to handle for people.
5. Acche Din: The promise was of instant relief and people wanted just that. Nothing changed on the ground and Modi was not able to communicate to people that he required more time.
6. Arrogance: I wrote recently that arrogance shown by BJP spokespersons was just like the one shown by Congress people in the past. BJP took people for granted in their arrogance.
7. Bad mouthing: Bad mouthing a good man like Kejriwal didn’t help. People were angry with Kejri for running away. But they still considered him a good person. Bad mouthing him like Modi did in Maha, Haryana and Jharkhand was not accepted by people.
8. UPA 3: BJP has started to turn into UPA 3. Crony capitalism continues. Loot of country continues. Kejriwal was able to bring home this point.
9. Bedi: Though not a major reason. Opportunist Bedi drove away whatever voters were left with BJP.
Haaoo Haaoo
Whenever my wife argue with me, I dodge the situation by saying, ‘Haaoo Haaoo’ (How How in UP dialect). “You don’t do a single chore”; Haaoo Haaoo. “You forgot my B’day”; Haaoo Haaoo. “You don’t love me anymore”; Haaoo Haaoo.
It is sort of asking her to elaborate on the reasons. But real motive is to turn frown into a smile. A lot of tense situations can be diffused by such simple gestures. No escalations. All of us know this very well but choose to act otherwise. We fight argument with counter-argument. Insinutaion with insinuation. It does nothing but makes matters worse.
Munnabhai movie depicts a nice way of Jaadoo ki Jhappi (magical hug). Nothing better to diffuse a situation.
Never escalate a situtation, specially not at home. If you don’t agree with me, I would just say, Haaoo Haaoo.
American Sniper: Need for such Jingoistic Movies
Consider a scene. Soldiers from another country are all over your city. They shoot, they loot, they ravage. You burn with anger. Your husband killed, your parents killed. You find a bomb and decide to avenge their death. You run towards the incoming soldiers. Just then a sniper takes a shot and a bullet pierce through your skull. Sniper rejoice and calls you, “Evil Bitch”.
I am sure patrotic people from snipers country would have clapped during this scene in the movie. I would have clapped too if sniper was Indian and evil bitch was from Pakistan. No point lying about it.
The point I like to discuss is the need for such Jingoistic movies. Do they sell wars to innocent citizens? Do they justify the aggression of army? Or are they mere exploitation of our patriotism by a filmmaker to mint money?
I remember swelling with pride during movie Border. When Sunny Deol was in full fury, I clapped. If I analyse these movies and try to pin them on a hidden agenda. My guess would be they help people morally come to terms with war. Humans are God fearing beings. Morally they cant justify killing other people.
So we try and attach patriotism when it comes to war. My country; Your country. We create separate aloof slaughter houses to kill animals for food. Can we make our child witness to a bufallo slaughter and tell him/her, this is where meat comes from?
I feel when killing is necessary for whatever reasons, we try and find a moral facade of a justification. It helps us sleep well.
Aamir, Modi, Bedi: Be Hero Once More
I would like to state at the onset, I have been and might well again be admirer of Aamir, Modi and Bedi at one time or the other.
Its sad to see the charisma shattered and idols exposed. How I cried with Taare Zameen Par and wanted to be Rancho with 3 Idiots. How I grew up answering Bedi’s name proudly in GK exams and telling tales about Indira and Crane. How I danced when Modi won and wiped a sweet tear post Madison Magic.
Hypocrisy thou art a bitch! You removed the cloak off Aamir. The one who dished out Delly Belly, didn’t shy away from giving gyan to others for similar act. I dont justify either of the two. But why show oneself holier than the cow? Why so arrogant? Why so hypocrite?
Modiji you rallied nation together against black money, corruption and preached Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas. We all stood behind you. I know people who considered you a father and might still do. Your silence when things were going opposite to what you said earlier, was deafening. Your comrades preached about due process and proof while justifying inaction on black money. It should have been taken on war footing but you hid behind. Your people used LG in Delhi as a political tool, you said nothing. Your people went to town with communal agenda, you let it happen. Sorry Sir, I am not able to defend you now, though you might still defend your Govt.
Bedi. A study in somersault. Tweets after tweets u-turned. All ideologies put to dust. Why O Why? You said its your choice. But what should we do now? We common people who cheered alongside you during Anna agitation. We who learned your name from school-books. We stand betrayed. Maybe not by you but by our own imagination.
My heroes are tarnished. How I wish they redeem themselves. How I would love to see them doing what they preach. How I would love to say ‘You my Hero’, once more.
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