Vows, Promises, Resolutions

New year is a time when people take stock of the past and endeavour to make promises to themselves, regarding their conduct,career objectives, and personal obligations for the next year.

It is a time when people seek a get away from the cities and flock around camp fires in quaint places, seek solace in a trekk, wander off to the hills and bird sanctuaries, 'snorkel' for adventure in nature reserves around town. Some sit back in front of the TV, or watch the stars in the sky(they are fortunate if thay can count stars beyond the number of fingers on their hands and more fortunate if they can count upto the number of toes - what with the smog, fog and pollution clouding the skies).

I do not own a TV. My friends live in Bangalore and have plans of going to Pondicherry tomorrow. My parents live in the east of India. Brothers and other associations live in cities far away. So I have decided to stay back, and if the gods in the Noida skies permit, watch the stars for a change. And if I am too sleepy to stay up till the midnight hour, I will doze off with a book to keep me company.

I have resolved yet again to start the new year with no resolutions. Days come and go, its how much I live and make of them that matters.I shield my eyes from the blaze and brilliance.I wish to keep my head firmly on my shoulders. So here's to all the people who have good intentions of changing for the better - Good Luck.

Fasting and Feasting - Mamta ends her Fast

Letters from the Prime Minister and President. I would'nt mind going on a fast if I got a call from the Prez. I admit, I wouldnt like a 25 day fast though for a phone call!

Rediff News 29 Dec 2006
Trinamool Congress chief Mamta Banerjee on Thursday night called off her indefinite hunger strike on the Singur issue following personal appeals by President A P J Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"I am ending the fast because the country's top leaders, including President A P J Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, have requested me to do so," she said in a feeble voice at the stroke of midnight after being on hunger strike for the last 25 days.

The PM had talks with Mamta and asked her to discuss all her concerns on this issue with the WB Chief Minister Budhadeb Bhattacharya. Banerjee had started her indefinite hunger strike on December 4 alleging the West Bengal government has been forcibly acquiring multi-crop agricultural land for the Tata Motors' small project at Singur, about 35 km from Kolkata.

Why do people sitting in chairs in airconditioned assemblies, take it upon themselves to decide what should be done with farmlands, and what should not be done? Why were talks held between Tata's and the WB Govt in the first place and why werent people's representatives(No I am not confused - I am talking of representatives sans Govt, sans politicos), asked for their opinion on the issue? Why do we have to start everything on the wrong foot ? There should have been dialogues (rather trialogues, if such a term exists) betwixt Tata motors, the farmers and the WB Govt. How and where did Trinamool congress get into the picture beats me. Anyways if someone has been fasting for this cause, there must be a rhyme and reason to it(I fail to understand what).

But the image of West Bengal will have to change and it will have to become more Investor friendly. It has huge manpower and if big names like Tata's and some Infotech companies arrive in this state phenominal growth will follow.

Smiling without a reason - Encroachments on Human Freedom

India is a free country and all indians have 15 fundamental rights as written down in part III of the Indian Constitution. These include a host of civil liberties. And I being a bonafide citizen of India(by birth, by choice, etc etc) can avail these rights anytime I choose to. It is a punishable offence to deprive anyone of these rights!

At school we were mainly taught of the following 7 fundamental rights:

Right to equality
Right to freedom
Right against exploitation
Right to freedom of religion
Cultural and educational rights
Right to constitutional remedies

Today my colleagues took upon themselves this task of violation of my right to freedom! I was told "this is the first time we see you 'smiling without a reason'. You rarely do so! "
I mean this is a free country and everyone is entitled to smile whenever they please, and not listen once is a while when they are called, when the music is too loud. What's the big deal?

Asteroid attack, April 2029

Standing in my balcony with a telescope aimed towards the sky, a book in my hand and a glass of juice, I wait and watch as the asteroid approaches the earth. I had read about it way back in 2006, to be precise on 27th December 2006. It seems only yesterday evening when I sat down on my tiny cot, weary after a day's work to read the newspaper. I had to write an email to my eldest brother for his birthday the next day.
The piece of news was titled "Mission:To destroy asteroid before it hits". NASA was making an effort to evaluate its chances of hitting our planet and was devising plans to deflect it in case it hits the earth. They had said it will pass by at a distnace of 22,000 miles which is a hair's breadth in astronomical terms. I had read and forgotten about it the next day like most others because I had faith in NASA's genius. 9 out of 10 times they have a solution to a problem and never let us civilians know the magnitude of an imminent disaster. There were talks of installing a propulsion system that would gently alter its course.
To make matters worse there was a rock about 1000ft in diameter called Apophis after the Egytian God of Destruction Apep, which would pass under many satellites and destroy them.
I looked around at the potted plants that we had so lovingly brought up. Come what may, I was determined to see it through. If only we could survive this day, all will be well tomorrow.
It was known that despite all attempts NASA had not been able to devise a technique good enough to parry this blow. Humans braced themselves for this day. They said that the gravitational pull of the earth changed the course of the rock and the propulsion system was not effective enough. I am in a hurry to complete and publish this post. What if I dont live to see another day? If the humans persist, which they in all probability will, they will get to read this and maybe someone around this place will come over and take care of my potted plants.

Quasi Coherent

I read of this term in Mani Bhaumik's book 'Code Name God'. He talked of lasers and human spirituality. The book is indeed enriching, for people who can gulp stuff that at times may be too dry for their tastes.

Quasi equilibrated, quasi perched, quasi comfortable, quasi awake. The last one is the best term I can coin using quasi. It is the best state one can be in. 'Quasi Awake'- not completely awake. Semi aware, not completely mindful of the hazards lying on their path to awakening, not completely aware of the junk that is printed in newspapers. It is a state of being in a trance. And who would like to wake up when everything is swimming around in a glittering pool! For the past 2-3 weeks, I did not even need to cook for dinner! How does it matter whether I am Quasi awake or fully awake, anyways I am incoherent most of the time!!!

What I do not like is going to shop for vegetables on a winter evening when it has rained and I have to park in a puddle of mud. Everything is cold and soggy to touch. Potatoes are caked in mud, rather dripping with mud. And the wind is cold and piercing and I am never equiped with a thick jacket to ward off the cold. All said and done, I always end up liking this little trip to the grocer's because it gives me an opportunity to see people bustling about wrapped in shawls, camping around roadside fires (I sometimes have actually warmed my hands on such a fire near the popcorn seller's cart!). I am confused now. Let my confusion not lead you astray. Just read through this and forget.