KAHIHI

We all have heard about great people, the famous ones, the successful ones, and so on. And we have also known that the key contributor of their success and fame has been dedication, hard work, perseverance, obsession to achieve that something. We give a great thought to these things. We spend hours on discussing how these great people achieved it, what made them follow their dream with such equanimity while still having a bubbling fervor in their bellies.
However, seldom do we think that even can achieve what we desire.
And it is neither impossible nor difficult, if practiced religiously.
What we call dedication, focused approach, determination is actually an energy that we transmit through our thoughts and actions that in turn attract the things you desire. Read Paulo Coelho’s Alchemist or Rhonda Byrnes’ Secret or simply watch SRK’s Om Shanti Om where he says, “Agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaaho to poori kaynath usey tumse milane ki koshish main lag jaati hai.”
Rarely have I seen people approach a thing with positive intent.
I was once waiting for an auto near a school. It was exam time, perhaps. A group of young boys were discussing how the exam paper will be, “fadu nahi hona chahiye, apne ko answers yaad nahi aye toh,” utter nonsense, I thought. Their fear then transmigrated into viscous thoughts of how to cheat in the exam, making chits, showing answer papers by sitting in a particular manner. The nervousness was leaching in gradually, which evidently would have made their learning evaporate. Had all this time been utilized to discuss what they had studied or discussing that let the paper be of any level of difficulty we will crack it, the entire feeling would have been different, a positive feeling could have made them feel good and that feeling would have made handling the situation simpler.
I see husband and wife cribbing about finances, domestic issues, children etc. If that constant cribbing solves the problems, no worries, go ahead and suppurate as much as you want. However, it does not, sadly. It only makes life more miserable. It brings in more irritability and in certain cases even creates cracks in the relationships. Instead if you remain calm, always have a smile, and tackle things cheerfully, life indeed will become beautiful. It is no use wasting precious time in weeping about the things that bother you. As a substitute, utilize that time in working towards achieving things you desire, something that will bring contentment to your life be it material desires or at emotional or physical or spiritual.
Same is true with dissatisfied job, broken relationship, ill financial conditions, etc. etc.
We have always learnt from our school times that opposites attract, however, that is true in case of magnets and physics. But we are talking human dynamics here. We are not magnets. We are a powerhouse of intellect, emotions, comprehension.
We are different in a way that we can think, analyse, interpret, adjust, and communicate. Utilize all this to target and achieve things you desire. And pursue them all throughout. Only one single thought should run through you of what you want in life. Negativity, pessimism will only help in accumulating nuisance value which can be encashed only for heart attacks, blood pressure, stress, insomnia. Where following your dream with a strong focus will bring happiness, cheer, joy, respect, and success to you. You decide what you want. The choice lies with you, within you.
Right from the time of Mahabharata in which Arjun saw only the birds eye whereas all his other brothers saw trees, leaves, sky etc to the time when my father use to show me a small magic by burning a corner of a paper using a magnifying lens, the whole point is about focus. A strong focus makes you strong from within, confident, and powerful.
Focus on what you want and not on what you cannot. Be with likeminded people who share thoughts similar to yours, who desire similar things as you. At a subconscious level keep thinking about your aspirations and act on them at your conscious level. Keep your thought process going, keep envisaging yourself as if you are someone you wanted to be, you have everything that you wanted to have, the things, bring in some habitual changes.
Life is like a mirror. It will show you exactly what you put in front of it.
Happy Living!

A bunch of good friends were talking being in touch few years down the line. I occupied a table next to theirs at a coffee shop, engrossed in reading Somerset Maugham’s “Of Human Bondage”, when a line by one of the youngster in the group befuddled me. It was a taunt to one their friend who probably was not a part of the latest social networking revolution, “this bugger doesn’t have a Facebook even, how to trace him and be in touch with him”
Why does one need to have an account on social networking site if you want to be in touch with your friend? I am in touch with so many of my friends, even over distances apart (saat samundar paar types), from the times when there were no mobile phones even, let alone Facebook or Orkut accounts. Writing letters on those blue coloured inland letters was fun; I still love writing letters.
I still don’t have a Facebook or Orkut account (Oh my my… what a sin! Errghh). Apologies, I am still a laggard soul in trying to be a part of this revolution, I may never be a part one – I am busy “enjoying” the Baba and Anna revolution.
I have phone numbers, email ids, residential address of all my friends with whom I want to be in touch with. I don’t understand what fun it is say “Hi”, “Whatsup” on those sites or poke, ping, buzz, like and scrap…ahh what the…..crap.
Wouldn’t it be nice instead to pick up the phone to ask your friend right away – “what’s up?”
I am still confused about what people do on these sites. The only people who have definitely benefited will be the one who created these sites. Ironically, though these sites boast of boosting connectivity with people, they actually are pushing individuals towards isolation and alienation of the self – it restricts yourself to just a table, chair, and your computer, whereas there are much better options to connect with your friends with a personal touch, perchance.
I have seen few amazingly surprising messages on these sites – “Took a refreshing shower”, “Saw the ‘most prettiest’ face in the mall today” et al. Why and where is the need to shout all this to the world? In a way you are getting infantalised by excessive usage of social networking sites. One analysis by a neuroscientist reported that usage of these social networking sites can cause attention deficit disorders, induce selfishness, hallucination of shaky virtual identity, etc.
Nothing can replace meeting friends over coffee or beer or perhaps even just like that. Real people, real conversations, real ideas should be the fascination and not passing over messages on the social networking sites, perhaps the dumbest thing to do. Social networking sites are just a media and a media is just a tool, it cannot replace real stuff.
Probably, ignoring it would be haven. I have stayed away from it for so many years and it is not difficult at all. Not being a part of this crazy revolution could also be revolutionary thing to do.

P.S. – Outside the campus of a reputed engineering college, I saw a banner – “One day seminar on Marketing Strategies using Facebook. Invited….blah blah blah…..Yours Socially”. Aaah, “You are So Silly,” I grunted. Engineering college should be motivating engineers to create something revolutionary (pun intended) like Facebook and not encouraging them to become a slave to that social conduit.

I decided never to get into a relationship. I have devoutly consorted to this resolution for over a decade now. Every year I just renew this resolution. And with every passing year my confidence in my New Year resolution has deepened. Till date I don’t have a concrete rationale why I should fall in love or have a companion or get into a relationship.

For me getting into a relationship is farce where nothing is true. Even the words “I love you” or “tum mujhe acche lagte ho” are perfunctory. Those words look and sound beautiful only in the start, only to fade away eventually. The words are good to strike off the chord, begin the communication, however, later the communication lines get jammed up, and later things are directly taken for granted without a thought to other person’s intentions. Where does the essence of getting into relationship ooze off?

Most often, relationships make one sacrifice on self respect and dignity. I know many people who had literally begged to a girl to get her nod to accept their proposal. I am still confused about what is there so much to die for. Girls brutally exploited those boys to get free bike rides, watch movies, and eat at the Taj, Marriott. The megalomaniac boys showered their hard money on their stupid girlfriends. Not that I don’t have that kind of money but I find it foolish to spend it in return for holding a hand along the sea shore or getting a kiss in return.

I ask many what makes them so desperate to get into a relationship. Answers range from Mercury to Pluto, with our without logic, sensual to emotional but none to convince me.

I have been observing an imprudent friend of mine lately. He has been smitten by the “I-need-you : you-are-my-life : you-make-me-smile : you-are-the-one” bug. This insanely-in-love friend of mine just doesn’t understand the logic of ‘shut it-fuck it-forget it’. The girl smartly plays “ringa-ringa-roses” of words with him and he stays amused by all that. I wonder what makes him stay so optimistic about the entire episode. He falls to the every excuse she gives him – ‘what’s the hurry’, ‘time will tell’, ‘we still don’t know each other well’, and so on. My silly friend takes all that and sleeps off with sweet dreams in his head and smile on his lips. Idiot!

I don’t understand how time will tell anything. Aren’t we supposed to plan our time, schedule things, and make our plans work in accordance? I understand there is no hurry unless you don’t mind holding shivering hands or kisses with hollow toothless mouth or don’t expect children at the age when only function the reproductive organ can do is micturate. And when does one plan to know each other well enough? Most of the time my friend doesn’t even get to talk to the one whom he admires so much. All calls go unattended, SMS unreplied, there are only specific time windows when calls can be made. It is all so conditional and unrealistic. Well such a case, most certainly the time when you would have actually got to know each other is during the old age. And I thought true relationships are unconditional and beyond any time factor.

I see break offs, divorces, on-time-weddings all around me. There is zero patience in relationships today. There was a time when I read about foreign celebrity divorces in newspapers, see divorces in movies, then saw my own parents going through it, and then seeing it among my friends. My belief in relationships has shattered with each passing day and my belief in not getting into one has strengthened exponentially in the rising ratio. I hate it when relationships are sought desperately turning a blind eye to the fact that you lay at the mercy of other person’s wish and will.

There are people who pity me, laugh at my misanthropic (which I am not, people have assumed it to be so) life. I just smile back with a thought, ‘let’s see whose smile lasts longer’.

At times, it surprises me what is so much about getting married. I was waiting in the queue to buy a ticket of Guzarish movie, when I overheard a girl, ahead of me, talking on the phone with her friend, perhaps, about how her parents are so desperate to get her married. “I feel like running away from the house…bloody f&#$,” she said with a disheartened tone while turning back to check if anyone had noticed her saying the “F” word. I saw a frown on her face, full of awe and stress.

That girl was a stranger. Though there is nothing only against girls that I want to comment, most such victims that I come across are girls. I know at least six such girls personally. I know only one such male victim. However, as much as it is unacceptable in our society for a girl to remain a spinster, the same holds true for a bachelor boy cribbing about his marriage or about the parental pressure, and hence boys usually go unnoticed. Thus the entire focus shifts to girls – the same cult which struggles and shouts for a 33% reservation, and for equal rights with men akin “kandhe se kandha mila ke chalna hai with the male bastion” succumbs to parental (and society) pressure often seeking pity under the excuse, “it is simple for you males, it is different for us” or “you guys won’t understand what we have to go through”.

How? Why? I don’t understand.

Primary reason could be our ethos which is obsessed with the norm of settling down, having a family, and living happily ever after (hopefully). Parents assume unnecessary burden of getting their children married and get desperately after it as if they need to heir to pass on their dynastical legacy – a 800 sq. ft. flat at the most with a little left over cash if not everything is spent on the marriage ceremony. What a faux paus!

Does all this really work? I know of a girl who could not bear the agony of being pushed into wedlock, and she finally married someone only to be divorced in less than 12 months. The other similar case that I know is still struggling to settle down with her forcefully chosen husband even after 3 years now.

What ultimately was the use of all those pressure tactics? Just a transformation from one agony to the other.

However, there are four daring ladies that I know who have defied the social norms, objected to their parents’ torture, and taken upon singlehood as their pride. I collectively call them, “The Bold & The Beautifuls”. They are not extremists though. You can call them selfish in a way, and why not, they follow Ayn Rand’s (a female) philosophies, the epitomes of objectivism and virtue of selfishness. “Romantic love, in the full sense of the term, is an emotion possible only to the man (or woman) of unbreached self-esteem” and “I consider marriage a very important institution, but it is important when and if two people have found the person with whom they wish to spend the rest of their lives—a question of which no man or woman can be automatically certain. When one is certain that one’s choice is final, then marriage is, of course, a desirable state. But this does not mean that any relationship based on less than total certainty is improper. I think the question of an affair or a marriage depends on the knowledge and the position of the two persons involved and should be left up to them. Either is moral, provided only that both parties take the relationship seriously and that it is based on values” is what Ayn Rand professes about love and marriage respectively. And the four bold ladies follow that.

These girls hate listening to girls (or boys) who blubber about their marriage tensions. “F*$# off,” they shout simply, “it is for you to decide whether you want to be a lover on whom true love and compassion is bestowed or a slut who is screwed by a same customer every night for that is what he has married you for.”

When argued that at end of the day you need a companion in your old age, someone to share things when you go back home, pat comes the reply, “I don’t need one of that kind in exchange for spreading my legs every night. I would rather need good health and enough money to sustain for rest of my life, and a friend/care taker/companion but not necessarily a husband”

I love when they talk about their singlehood with so much of dignity. They don’t miss giving roses or getting expensive gifts on Valentine’s Day. They don’t sad about there is no one hold their hand or fondle their breasts in the dark corners of the theatre. They don’t miss being kissed or touched.

What is the problem with singlehood? After all, it is all about you being happy.

If you are a single and struggling to find that someone to match up with perfectly or surrendering to your parents’ undue desires then think again. There is nothing wrong in being single. It is just about changing your point of view and attitude. Don’t mourn. Nothing has gone wrong.

In fact there are many things that you can do and enjoy being single. Reconnect with lost friends, go pubbing, read extensively, draw your career roadmaps, set milestones for yourself, plan a vacation, and the list can be endless. Be sure to be disciplined though; don’t be a wild bull. There is nothing as satisfying as enjoying a wholesome delightful life, where everything is yours. Soon you will apprehend the fun of being single, the advantages it has, and singlehood is not a bad thing at all.

It is not something bizarre. Singlehood does not make you look like a loser who has nothing left in life or because there is nobody to love you. On the contrary, it makes you stronger, realistic, and independent. All that it takes is change in approach and strong belief in the self. You have to love yourself and enjoy your own company. If you cannot enthuse yourself it is quite likely “that someone” may not enjoy your company for long. Don’t feel sorry for yourself, in fact mollycoddle yourself, make yourself your priority in life, decide on your pace to lead a content life.

It is not a blight being a single but an opportunity to explore yourself and evolve as a better person. The knowledge of everyday ordinary reality will dawn upon you. A good psychologist friend of mine usually says, “your best friend is just another you.”

Marriages are certainly made in heaven but an infinitesimal error can land you in hell.

Enjoy your freedom. Love thyself.

KBC is about to end. The show had few lucky ones who won their fortune while handful had to taste bad luck. Amidst the serious competitors we all saw celebrity guests visiting the show to promote their respective films – all obviously wanting to play to show off their concern for social work and charity. There were actors from Action Replayy and Golmaal 3, and leading ladies of some lamenting television serials.

It doesn’t require any major rocket science that these special episodes are made up and scripted to entertain the audience and there is nothing “real” about that “reality” show. That all guests and host are experienced seasoned actors (though they may not necessarily know what acting is), they know how to fake, cohesively. That Akshay Kumar does not know about different types of paan is indigestible. And hence the rationale that everything is scripted.

Though people winning 50 Lacs and the one who has won 1 crore are certainly to be appreciated (nothing was dubious there), skepticism for this “for-charity” episode rises beyond horizon kissing the stratosphere of suspicion.

Surprisingly, that in all the Diwali special episodes that were shown, the prize money was dropped down to Rs. 50 lacs. Like Akshay, though he was not made to sit in the audience and forbade from participating any further, Arshad Warsi too goofed up on something very childish and the prize money was dropped to Rs. 50lacs. A buffalo like standup comedian from Comedy Circus could not answer about the only star in our solar system is ridiculous. Her slapstick moronic attitude was conveniently used to reduce 1 crore to 50 lacs. In Action Replayy team’s episode it was Neha Dhupia who goofed up, though it looked more genuine, hopefully.

It is true that social work does not attract glamour and material value, except a few NGO who flaunt their callous social work just to attract funds and be on colourful-glamful pages of newspapers and magazines. So then why would one care about all that charity and the decline in the prize money when host fees, appearance fees, etc have to run into crores. Somewhere some other costs have to come down. So while you audiences blinded by the glittery jazz keep wondering “kaun banega crorepati”, the show owners perhaps must be tickling and giggling, “chodd yaar, kaun baantega charity.”

Obama speeches have always astounded me. I am yet to see his words translating into actions, in an effective manner, about the “change” he keeps mentioning about. However, let’s limit to the wonder of words and the mesmerizing effect it has on his audiences.

Trying to decipher the Obama effect one would often deduce that it is all about his oration and the ability to connect. He does that in US every single day perhaps, and he did it here in India too few weeks ago. Everything of his is so finely chiseled – language, diction, gestures, pauses, posture – all adding up to an excellent presentation that leaves a lasting effect on the people listening to him. And his wit of course. During some conference his name plate fell off the desk while he was exhibiting his oratory. His secretaries, body guards, assistants rushed to get the plate in place. Obama waved his hand signaling them to stop and said that it’s ok, don’t bother about the name plate, they all know me. Classy example of being a champion orator coupled with wit. Obama seems to have been bestowed upon with the skills of persuasive communication that many are not equipped with.

It is said that world’s finest leaders had this common trait of subconscious persuasion, and they have used persuasive communication techniques to accurately “change” or “loosen” the state of mind or way of thinking of the masses.

Hitler was one such example who could brilliantly use that technique of anchoring people’s thoughts to his. Obama uses it too.

The motives may seem to differ though. Our very own Raj Thackeray too is an expert of persuasive communication. Perhaps that is one reason why they can be classified under one category of “effective leadership”, men who can influence a group of people to put their (leader’s) words into action.

Sound oratory also takes into account assessment of the audience. Though the words in the speech remain same, the presentation style is flexible in order the stir up the listener. For some group things are put across with some rationale, for e.g. if the listener group is educated and intelligent. However, if the audience is some mediocre mass of people then the oration is soaked in emotions and presented. Adolf Hitler said, “I use emotion for the many and reserve reason for the few”, something that both Obama and Raj practice; Obama in a mellow tone while Raj in aggressive tenor.

Leaders are also often identified by the ideologies and objectives they follow. Taking forward Obama’s and Raj’s example, their struggle too is for their own citizens, Americans and Marathis respectively. Both want to create a paradigm shift in the systems in their respective territories, fighting for the cause of their own people – a “change” that they want to bring about. Much like Obama shook the world emerging as the first black President of United States, Raj also has been creating tremors in the political base of Maharashtra.

With their quality of excellent oratory and helping hands for public administration, it is now only to be seen how effectively, the “change” is brought about.

Octopus Paul is dead. Probably, world is mourning; Spain certainly; India too. For India is very sentimental about such topics – astrology, predictions, fortune telling; so what if it was an octopus this time and not a roadside jyotishi sitting with a parrot. Indians, by and large, balance well between getting emotional and credulous; hoping sides as per the convenience.

Had Paul not breathed his last on 26th Oct, we could have imported him to predict the Bihar elections and the subsequent KDMC one. At least Paul could have saved us from the pique of “Tu-Tu-Main-Main” sponsored by the Thackeray Bros. The animal could have, to some extent, lessened the cat-and-dog like fight.
  
It would have been a great sigh of relief for them, us, and the media channels to have known whether it was “Uddhav’s Rajkaran” or “Raj Uddhavast” that would ultimately triumph. It then doesn’t matter what the end result it but we love to hallucinate in the galore of predictions and forecast.

Though we tried to sideline Paul claiming it is something we have been practising since ages, with a parrot though, somewhere deep within we all believed in the octopus theory.

Any social gathering or a group in college or residents of an apartment, anywhere once it is revealed that someone can read a palm or forehead, people start flocking to that person rubbing their palm hard on the bum or wiping their forehead with the forearm, to know about their future. Such is the craze.

Once at a wedding, I came across a person who could read palm of the foot. I wasn’t surprised. It is quite possible. Girls, with ghagra pulled up to the knee level, were dying to show him their feet. He was closely looking at the foot of short dark boy and proclaimed, ‘a fortune awaits this boy in next 3 years, and he is going to be a rich man with a business of his own’. The boy was actually a helper of a caterer there at the wedding. It is more than 8 years now, the by hasn’t made any fortune, he still works under the Marwadi caterer businessman. I haven’t seen that foot-palm reader ever since, fortunately for him.

 Our muse with getting predictions for the happenings in our life is abysmal. I usually don’t understand why people are so desperate to kill the thrill of their life.

Cricket channels too had started getting such fortune teller guests to predict the result of the match. The guests did all sorts of things with cards, numbers, stars etc, and gave some statistics. However, in the end, they do mention that the best team will ultimately win. Where is the fortune-teller’s skill then? Even I can make a statement like that.

Bejan Daruwala predicts the movement of the stock market. A reputed entity like CNBC and www.moneycontol.com believe more in what “Ganesha Says...” than what Gujral, Bhansali, Tulsian, etc say. Both the groups are useless anyways.

Channels make money for they know how to tap the emotional turbulence of Indians. We love getting exploited without applying even an iota of rationale to what we hear, see, and do.

Another instance where we love getting manipulated is “Vastu” and “Feng Shui”. Just because some Feng Shui consultant tells us to illuminate our home with bright red things, we buy all sorts of lustrous red that we can get and keep hoping that some great fortune will come kissing us. Feng Shui came from China. The climate there is extremely cold. In the colour wheel, red and yellow are considered to be warm colours, they depict warmth, heat. This is the reason why mostly in Chinese houses you will find abundant use of red and yellow; to possibly neutralise the effect of the cold climate. However, this may not be applicable in India. We already have a warm tropical climate, especially in Mumbai where humidity is so high.

But we are blinded by the sweet words of the astrologers, Feng Shui consultants, numerologists, and so on. By chance, if you make a fortune at all one day, it will be purely because of the hard work and dedication you put in.

Till then you may only dream to accumulate fortune, while your Feng Shui consultant and astrologer is collecting it by the way of hefty fees charged to you.

- P. K. Dastoor

I met Pratyush today. During our school days, Pratyush and I had acted in a drama called ‘Alladin Ka Chirag’. I was Alladin and because of his chubby bulky stature, Pratyush suited to be a Jinee. Since then, Pratyush always used to fantasize about the story and dreamt of getting all world pleasures. He used to try and rub every lamp or lamp like structure that he came across. His obsession grew to such an extent that he always used to walk alongside the guttars, nalas, garbage boxes and so on, just with a hope that he would find a lamp someday and that lamp would produce a Jinee, when rubbed. He changed his school and eventually we lost contact. I have no idea whether his quest for that lamp was still on.

When I met him today (We got in touch with each other through some alumni site and then planned to meet), nothing much had changed - same bulky physique, searching eyes and noisy presence. To my surprise, even today he hunts for a lamp and jokes about it – ‘Never lose hope’. However, the desperation had reduced to a significant extent. We got nostalgic about the drama and how we read a lot of Alladin stuff collected from books, teachers, grandparents and so on (good that Internet was a distant reality then). We laughed thinking of the times when Pratyush would walk near the garbage boxes. I used to tease him – ‘Tu bada hokey bhangaarwala banega (You will be a rag picker when you grow up)’.

While coming back home I kept thinking about Pratyush and his search for lamp. Some random flashed across my mind and realized that there are lot of Jinnies around you, only if you comprehend it properly. People around you give you a lot, possibly all the pleasures and happiness that you could have ever thought of. At least, I have been lucky to find such real life Jinnies who have cherished my life and made it a wonderful experience. My family, wife, friends, teachers, colleagues all at some point in time have helped me walk through some memorable moments of satisfaction and pleasure. Everything else that a Jinee from the lamp could offer seems very materialistic. At end of the day, I feel happier recounting the number of smiles I have had, than the gold, wealth, riches that a Jinee could have offered – and all this without rubbing a lamp.

If only Pratyush could realize that Jinnies are all around, he does not need a lamp (which he may never find) to rub his hands on, but just needs to open his eyes.

CWG arrangement has been a disaster. However, let’s wish that aspiring athletes of our country do get a good foundation to showcase their skills and rewarded deservingly. Perhaps, it would be a golden opportunity for them to strike gold and achieve a breakthrough into sporting career. Our country most certainly would have sportsmen and sportswomen with incomparable skills and let they not be deprived of this chance to participate. We can deal with the Kalmadi, Gill, & Associates later after the games are over, and hopefully we will. For now let the event go on.

Yes, and we indeed have talent. We have won a respectable position in the medals tally. Our athletes haven’t let us down and there is, for sure, some patch of shine on the blot of shame that was conferred upon our nation. Sincere congratulations to the winners who contributed in restoring pride of our nation and we will certainly have more coming.

Kapil Sibal recently announced about the non compulsion to send children to school. Parents can, if they wish so, refrain from sending their children to school and can instead opt to teach them at home. He won’t interfere with the parents’ choice, even if it means going against the “Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009”. The compulsion is not on the parents but on the state, he clarified.

There are many who will fret about this move, and crib about Americanisation of our youth who will spoil their future etc. However, there are equal numbers of parents who have greeted Sibal’s opinion with a smile. In fact, there are many parents who have been practicing home schooling; and their children have done well.

While there is a flip side that children may not learn to socialize or be compassionate, or may become egoistic or over dependent on their parents, there are many brighter aspects to homeschooling.

Most importantly, the child can learn and pursue something that is of his/her interest, while gathering sufficient but not mandatory knowledge about other things. Parents can opt to teach more about the life-skills than teaching them about the dead ones; what is important today is to learn how to preserve our independence and not be redolent about Babu Genu, Savarkar, Gokhale etc. It would be a good idea to teach them about reformers and thinkers than the freedom fighters. Look up any school book today; none talks anything about Swami Vivekanda except the famous religious conference of 1883. It would, rather be worthwhile to teach about his philosophies and thoughts than just “My dear brothers and sisters” to the children. It is a great opportunity to teach the children about the thoughts in the Bhagvad Gita, Upanishads, and Vedas than teaching them about the Boston Tea Part or French Revolution or Hitlers and Mussolinis. Rather than tutoring them about in which latitude and longitude the Tunga lies, it will be more commendable to teach our children about more of moral science and environmental & personal hygiene.

All this will give ample amount of time for the children and the parents to judge what they are best at and evolve as a better and successful person than just competing with other children in schools and building up unnecessary pressure. Wouldn’t it be nice to see our children smiling with no strain in brain and no loads on their back? I would love to teach my children what they want to learn and not what the education boards want them to learn; I am sure they will evolve as better people full of empathy, focused on aspirations, and content with basic needs. A practical approach to education would be much better than a formal setting.

Fathom this – after all the run for marks and shining at the brightest spot on the merit list, is a job of our desire still guaranteed? Also, it means a lot of saving on the school fees that are galloping northwards today. Homeschooling though requires lot of patience and acceptance today, will certainly see a horizon of success very soon.

Just for reference, a homeschooler has graduated from Fergusson College, one of the best in the country, and is off to Oxford, one of the best in the world.

I do not wish to pardon the Pakistani players for their dissolute behaviour; the act that they did is worth a condemnation. And they should be punished for integrity issues. However, a little rationale thought will yeild a conclusion that it is not the "Pakistan" issue alone. It is about aspirations, desires, greed, jealousy, and so on. When their Indian counterparts are making fortunes playing the game of cricket, it is obvious that their hopes ride high too.

I heard during a discussion about "could there be an Indian link?" But of course, I mean are Indians not greedy, jealous, aspire to get-rich-overnight etc? And we have a history too. Our tainted cricketers are excused for lack of evidence and later also walk their way to the parliament. While the situation in Pakistan, nation as a whole, is worrysome (terrorism, lack of funds, poor governance, dark future of its citizens etc), the system in India is full of loopholes; and there are many who exploit that system. Cricketers of Pakistan have no one to look up to or look forward to, like what we have in India - BCCI, the richest cricket board in the world; they are banned from IPL and their authorities do nothing about. And thus these players adopt ill means to satisfy their aspirations.

It would be rather foolish to blame Pakistan alone and exciting to see how the top boss of ICC, the man who has made unimaginable fortune, reacts to the whole issue - and that establishes the Indian link.

Traveling during the peak hours in Mumbai is no less than an adventure, be it by any means – your private car, cab, auto, bus or a local train. People, often scream – “Kya hoga is shaher ka, kitne khadde hai”, as the bus bumps into some puddle. Close investigation (it’s very easy to get into a conversation with such frustrated people) reveals that people who often curse this city are ones who are outsiders. Welcome to Mumbai - the Swapna Nagari – (City of Dreams).

People come to Mumbai for various reasons, and in the process start taking city for granted. They expect total comfort and pleasures that they probably left back in their parent city. People start comparing Mumbai with other cities, Pune is clean, Bangalore is so organized, this is so well planned, and that is so cool and so on. The logic of this comparison is beyond comprehension of any average rationale brain. Why should there be a need to compare some city which is just on a development phase, with Mumbai? Moreover, five years from now, your city could become like Mumbai that you bicker about today, more miserable may be.

The fact that others boast of their city’s magnificent infrastructure will attract masses and in turn will make that city as much crowded as Mumbai, or even more. Similar thing happened to Mumbai. People flocked to Mumbai in search of opportunities and crowded the place all over. It had lot to offer to anyone who came in and it still does today.

Yes, it is crowded today, roads are not good, there are slums but little introspection will reveal that all of it was because of Mumbai’s image of city of dreams. Traffic problems and hindrances to infrastructural developments are because of unauthorized constructions, be it huts or chawls. Irony is outsiders have created the mess and outsiders crib about it.

A Mumbaikar (not necessarily a Maharashtrian) for no reason is blamed and becomes an object of mockery (I have personally got remarks saying – what’s this city, it’s a shit place). However, a compassionate Mumbaikar is still firm on his role of acceptance and adjustments, taking happily whatever comes his way. At end of the day, he calmly sits back and ponders what can be done to preserve this swapna nagari – Aamchi Mumbai.