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Happiness Divided

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Last weekend, a discussion initiated out of boredom, led to an interesting thought. Let me put forward a number of assumptions before getting into the heart and soul of it.

Assumption 1: There exists some heavenly power, call it God if you want to.

Assumption 2: The heavenly powers created the universe and in that sense our earth and subsequently human beings. And after forming us it went into the self imposed sleep mode.

Assumption 3: Unlike Oil, Water, Thorium and Diamonds; Happiness was divided equally all over the earth. i.e. Happiness per square meter = Total happiness/Total surface area of earth.

Given the assumptions, a square meter of land should have as much amount of happiness as a square meter of ocean surface. Now the total surface area of earth is about 500 million square km, with around 150 of it land and rest 350 being water.

World population today is around 6.5 billion. This ideally gives 0.02 square km area per person. Let the happiness on earth be 1 HN per square km (equally divided). HN being happiness quotient (say). It gives 0.02 HN per person. If population density is taken into consideration we are left with a drastic difference in happiness among different continents. Given the hypothesis. Just to give you some idea:

  • Asia:       0.012 HN
  • Africa:    0.031 HN
  • Europe:   0.014 HN
  • Oceania: 0.270 HN

So Down under people have more Happiness and Asia comes the last. Is it really so? Well I don’t know if happiness can be measured someday, can be quantified or not. There have been a lot of tries though. One such try that I was reading, was http://www.financialjesus.com/2008/05/27/top-10-happiest-countries/ . They consider certain parameters and list top ten happiest countries. Here are the top 10 happiest countries in decreasing order, according to the given survey.

******************HN       Rank******************

  1. Denmark         0.008      155
  2. Switzerland     0.006      6
  3. Austria            0.010      44
  4. Iceland            0.333      9
  5. Finland           0.064       41
  6. Australia         0.385      7
  7. Sweden           0.05        49
  8. Canada           0.313      12
  9. Guatemala      0.009      152
  10. Luxembourg   0.006      179

Going by HN in various countries I couldn’t find a direct relation to population density. This leaves us no where and our hypothesis seems fishy.

God might have some other distribution method for sure. Maybe equally per person, but then all of us would have been equally happy, which is not the case. However hard I try, I don’t get close to the answer. Perhaps, “God has his own designs”.

Written by arpitgarg

August 1, 2008 at 7:48 am

Posted in General/Society

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Sai speaks: The pillar is shaking

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“What you are going to witness today is an out and out miracle. It has happened for the first time in the history of the universe. It is earth shattering and totally phenomenal. You can catch this live and exclusive only on your most trusted news channel!”

Last few weeks, I have had the opportunity to spend a considerable time in front of the idiot box, as they call it. At college I usually follow news online, but at home its 24×7 news channels for me. Truly speaking, more often than not they turn out to be a great time pass. Last few weeks we saw the Noida murder case and the Gujjar agitation occupying the prime-time. Barring a few incidences, most of it, I felt was an example of some good journalism, if not brilliant.

Amidst all this I felt the emergence of a parallel journalism, owing to the cut-throat competition among the ever increasing number of news channels. This journalism is not shying away from running close to being yellow. One such news item caught my attention lately.

It was the most celebrated and most debated news report of “Speaking Sai Baba”. I was all the more interested in the news item as my family worships Sai Baba and I personally too, am a great fan of his preaching. A video was on air which depicted the speaking Sai. A prime time news report followed. The reporter of a leading news channel took calls, asked for reactions and discussed this miracle.

I felt a bit confused. I could easily make out, what was being aired was nothing but an animation clip, that too an amateurish effort. Well, one may argue that I am a computer engineer from IIT and it would have been a bit easy for me to distinguish between an animation and a video recording. True, but believe me, it would have taken no Bill Gates, to check the validity of the said video.

My point is, was the channel not wrong, in not getting it tested by an expert before catering it to the viewers. Leave aside the sanctity of God that they put on hold, what sort of journalism says that any unverified news report can be telecasted? Has the thirst to go on air first and bring exclusive news grown so much that the ethics of journalism are being put to ransom.

But maybe, I am missing the point here. The said news was not for all and sundry. It was a very clever drama enacted for a large chunk of people like us who believe in Sai. We people are nothing but a viewer ship base. Our feelings and sentiments are nothing but a TRP.

Should someone not ask the channel in question, what was the revenue earned during the period the news was on air, by how much were the ad rates hiked during that particular news program and what was the jump in overall viewer ship ratings of the channel. But I know, the channel couldn’t care less and as I have said already media sell what sells.

One might argue that media is not solely to be blamed. Viewers should be responsible enough and not just blindly follow everything and anything that’s put on air. True, but then what’s the difference between an entertainment channel and news channel. Today our nation believes what’s on the news. And why not, news channels are seen today as a forum for the common man, a potent weapon against the system. This makes the need for news channels being responsible, all the more important.

Perhaps what’s there to realize is that such acts add little to the strength of the fourth pillar.

Written by arpitgarg

June 19, 2008 at 8:58 pm

Posted in General/Society

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The Verdict: What it means

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They say the fight is over. Yet after two years of struggle nobody knows who the winner is? Perhaps the time will have to decide. Hon’ble Supreme Court of India have upheld 27% reservation for OBC’s in elite education institutes. Our HRD minister has called it an historic judgment, a verdict which has vindicated him. Opposing student unions have called on to revive the struggle. Different people: Different views. I would like to put to pen a couple of points which I deem quite intriguing.

  • Financial Burden on the Government

Moily committee report suggested increasing the seats in higher education institutes by 54%. This was to keep the number of general category seats intact. A huge financial burden was predicted. Lately we have seen an unprecedented hiking of the fees by IIM’s up to 250% with IIT’s soon to follow suite up to 100%. The increase in revenue generated from the tuition fees from general category students seems to compensate for the said financial burden for now (I don’t have the exact figures). The only financial burden that seems probable is by the setting up of new IITs, IIMs, which sure is an investment rather than an outright expenditure.

  • Keeping away the creamy layer

This term often intrigued me a bit. Time and again, I have tried to grasp the length and breadth of it. What I concur is that introducing this clause in the verdict seems a bit of a compromise between the Govt. and the SC. Contrary to the popular notion; it might not help in increasing the level of students being admitted via quota. Cutoffs will decrease further. No doubt about that. According to the belief among the intelligentsia it would at least help replacing the privileged duffers by the underprivileged strugglers.

I have used “duffers” as a general notion. It’s not that they have got no brains. It’s just that the urge to succeed seems lacking, when everything is catered to. Maybe the ones who are underprivileged would try a bit more than their privileged counterparts who were lacking a reason to.

  • Additive Reservation

You would find me an advocate of the reservation (not based on caste), as the affirmative action. What I strictly abhor is an additive one. Once propelled via reservation, why a subject be allowed to reap it time and again? Doing away with it would further help to distribute the resources equally among all needful. Most important of it all, it might motivate them enough to work hard at their first and only chance. The motivation might even help them outperform their general category colleagues, paving a path for doing away with the reservation in the long term.

  • Shape of the future struggle?

I remember representing IITG at a Youth for Equality meet during summer ’06 in Banglore (when govt. was about to present OBC reservation bill in monsoon session). I had an opportunity to interact with some of the socially ignited minds from AIIMS, JNU and other IIT’s. I chatted with personalities such as Mr. Khera and Mr. Agarwal (Supreme Court lawyer for the resistance), if I recollect well.

The picture I got was, most of them baring a few agreed to my viewpoint. All they were against was a caste based reservation and the creamy layer. In fact most of the budding leaders were quite sad that they were being labeled anti-reservationists. They said, “Its not anti-reservation pal, it’s a struggle against caste based reservation. Why isn’t it being called so?” Well this is media. It sell what sells.

Now that the creamy layer is out of the way, I don’t feel next phase of struggle would be that extreme (if not incensed by opposition, which seems highly unlikely).

Written by arpitgarg

April 16, 2008 at 4:53 pm

Posted in General/Society, School/College

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इस शाम की सुबह नहीं

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जाने कितने बसंत भये,
कितने जुग पहले बे थे गए,
अब तो अश्रु भी सूख गए,
सुहाने दिन भी अलोप हुए।

मेरे यौवन का रस था पीया,
रब ने दोनों को एक किया,
एक रात का था वो मस्त मिलन,
बिछड़े आज मोसे मोरे सजन।

फ़ौज से संदेसा आया था,
धरती माता ने बुलाया था,
गोरी को बचन दे कि लौटूंगा कल,
सुख चैन ले गया वो हर पल।

माटी के लिए उसने प्राण दिए,
अपने ही आंसू सांवरी ने पिये,
एक घोर अँधेरी रात हुई,
सूरज को जैसे ग्रहण लगा।

हर आहट पर, हर चौखट पर,
बस एक सवाल ही पूछे वो,
कि कौनसी गलती मोसे भई,
जो बिरह में मैं तड़प रही।

एकटकी लगाये चौखट पर देख रही उस पार,
कि आ जाएँ शायद मोरे सरकार,
छोड़ दे आस ओ पगली,
इस शाम की कोई सुबह नहीं।

अरे उधर यह क्या था हुआ,
यह किसको गरम कढ़ाई में डुबोकर के मार दिया,
कौन थी वो जिसके मुहं में,
एक चावल के दाने ने,
विष का सा था उत्पात किया।

हाय रे जन्म दाता,
क्यों तू ये नहीं समझ पाता,
कि देवी का रूप था वो जिसका,
अभी तूने संहार किया।

माँ के गर्भ से पूछे कन्या,
कि क्या मैं जन्म ले पाऊँगी,
गर जन्म भी मुझको दे दिया,
क्या मैं जीवित रह पाऊँगी,
गर जीवित जो मैं रह गयी,
अपने हक़ को क्या पा पाऊँगी।

इन मर्म स्पर्शी सवालों का,
मेरे पास कोई जवाब नहीं,
पर कोई तो हो कि जिसको,
इनके उत्तर मालूम सही।

क्या कन्या होना पाप है,
या यह कोई अभिशाप है,
अरे यही तो जननी है,
यह जीवन देने वाली है,
इसी के रूप में सीता है,
इसी के रूप में काली है।

ओ नीचे करम करने वालों,
मानवता को डसने वालों,
क्या कभी तुमने यह सोचा है,
जिस माँ ने तुमको जन्म दिया,
उस माँ में भी तो सीता है।

वह माँ भी तो एक कन्या थी,
गर उसका जन्म नहीं होता,
तो तेरी क्या होती पहचान,
मत दिखा तू अपनी झूठी शान।

उत्तराधिकारी के लोभ में,
मत हो जा तू इतना अँधा,
छोड़ दे ये गोरखधंधा,
लेने दे मुझको भी सांस,
बस यही लगाये है वो आस,
आस छोड़ दे ओ नादान,
इस शाम की कोई सुबह नहीं।

कौन हैं वो बुड्ढे बुढ़िया,
जो चौखट पर ही बैठे हैं,
जिस तक़दीर पर था इनको गर्व,
उसी तक़दीर से चैंटे हैं।

कोई नहीं है इनके पास,
जिंदा हैं बस ले लेकर सांस,
बुढ़िया चूल्हा जलाती है,
बुड्ढा खांसे जाता है।

जिसे लाड प्यार से बड़ा किया,
जिसपर जीवन न्योछार दिया,
वो लाल ही अपना नहीं हुआ,
तो परायों की क्या बात करें।

शादी नहीं वो बर्बादी लगी,
जिस माँ से पहले कोई नहीं,
वो बीवी के बाद आने लगी।

माँ बाप का प्यार न रोक सका,
उसको खर्चे बढ़ते दिखने लगे,
बुड्ढे के पान अखरने लगे,
कलह के फल दिखे पके पके।

जिसकी लोरी में सोया था,
उस माँ की खांसी खटकती है,
जिसके कंधो पर बैठा था,
उसका बोझ आज भारी है।

जिसकी ऊँगली से चला था,
उसका ही हाथ झटक दिया,
टूट गया आज एक क्रम,
झुक गए सारे नैन.
न उसको आई कोई शर्म,
क्यों मिला ह्रदय को चैन।

जीवन में धुंध सी छायी है,
सूरज की किरण शरमाई है,
क्या यही वो प्यारा लाल था,
जिसके लिए कंगाल हुए।

पर फिर भी बूढा सोचे है,
कि नाती कभी तो आएगा,
बेटे-बहू को लाएगा,
जो बेटा अपना सबकुछ था,
वो आखिर कबतक रुलाएगा।

न सोचो तुम ज्यादा कंगालों,
सो जाओ आंसू पी पीकर,
इस शाम की कोई सुबह नहीं।

कहीं दूर कोई और दिखा,
कमल खिला पर मसला हुआ,
कोमल कोमल सी पंखुड़ियाँ,
मुरझाई औ सकुचाई हुई।

४ साल की नन्ही उमर में,
उसका था विवाह हुआ,
१२ साल ही हुई न वो,
कि उसका संसार ही उजड़ गया।

समझ ना आया उसको कि,
रंगीन चूड़ी के समय में,
सफ़ेद कफ़न सी साडी दे,
क्यों उसको दुनिया से दूर किया।

सास ससुर के तानों को,
अपनी छाती पर सहती है,
अपनी किस्मत पे विचार कर,
वो रो रो कर यह कहती है।

कि जीवन में हँसी कब आएगी,
कब फिर हँस गा वो पाएगी,
क्या समाज उसको सजने देगा,
क्या उसको भी कोई और मिलेगा।

जो उसके जीवन को रंग देगा,
अपने ही प्रेम के रंगों में,
क्या वो सखियों संग,
मस्ती के रस पी पाएगी,
या ऐसे ही रोते रोते यह,
जिंदगी पूरी गुजर जायेगी।

सूर्य सी वो दमकती थी,
कोमल काया उसकी चमकती थी,
पर आज अंधकार ने लील लिया,
शनि ने उसकी खुशियां को पिया।

कभी मंदिर में घंटा बजा,
पूछे क्यों तूने दी है सजा,
फिर भी एक आस लगाये हुए,
सपनों को है सजाये हुए।

मत सपने सजा इतने बावरी,
इस शाम की कोई सुबह नहीं।

Written by arpitgarg

January 15, 2008 at 11:46 am

Posted in General/Society, Hindi, Poetry

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Holidays at Home

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I remember myself waiting eagerly for the summer hols. Waiting for those two months, for sleeping till 12 noon, for television till midnight, for comfort of home all day long. Spending time with my family, infinite dishes cooked by mom and rest unbound. Spending holidays at home was all I wished for.

I remember all this, coz today 10 years down the line, I am studying at a college away from my home, with friends. I remember all this coz, now when I come to home for hols, I feel bored at times. Its not that love for my family has faded over years, its just that theres nothing to do at all at home. Most of my childhood friends have moved on with their life as I have. They come to their parents house at different times. So more often than not, I end up getting bored at my parents house.

Well just now I realized that I have shifted from using “home” to “parents house”. Well I guess there lies the answer. But still I love to spend a week or so with my parents during holidays. Make it a bit long and I want to rush back to the college. Talking to my friends, I found out that its with most of us. I wish that it shud not be the case with me, but well it is.

Written by arpitgarg

December 20, 2007 at 8:52 pm

Posted in General/Society

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Reincarnation

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Post interval, “Om Shanti Om” took a surprising turn. Shahrukh Khan was reborn with a new identity. What I found is that most of us undergo a sort of continuous rebirth at various stages of life. I personally feel a dire need to reinvent myself given diverse circumstances.

Life forces us to play various roles at various times. Those who mould themselves according to the roles usually turn out to be more successful than those who are not able to. Also its nescessary to be a student of life throughout. Its only through constant study of life, do we be able to adapt.

Well, I dont want to discuss that phase of my life where there was a great thrust to adapt, but was not able to. I just would say that, it lead to frustration to depression. However I overcame that phase. My personal advise would be to let that reincarnation happen. Resisting it is not an option.

Written by arpitgarg

December 20, 2007 at 8:21 pm

Posted in General/Society

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इंसानियत

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Written by arpitgarg

November 17, 2007 at 12:50 pm

Posted in General/Society, Hindi, Poetry

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