Happy New Year

My New Year Wish is for the soldiers who will spend the New Year away from their families, in an alien land that hates them, and that they hate. Both, not without reason.

To Indian Army widows who lost their husbands this year. To Army fiancees who stepped into holy matrimony with dreams in their eyes, and the awareness that their dreams are pawned to the terrorists in Kashmir.

To the terrorists in Kashmir, who have not known love and forgiveness in years, and what can be more unfortunate than to perenially live in hate?

To the North east, where the people are as beautiful as the land, and to the unrest there.

To the Pakistani army, that was taught to hate the people who are nourished by the same rivers and are their cultural twins.
To the Indian Army jawans who will spend their days without knowing what it is to blog, to come home every night, or to earn INR 25,000 per month.

To the Iraqi army jawans who are taught to target their own countrymen, and who actually do it . To the American army teenagers who spent their Christmas in a land that hates Christmas and doesn’t care about the New Year. To the houses they destroyed.

To the Mall hopping big salary earning young people who know what it is to eat at Ruby Tuesdays, but have no idea of the food their soldiers eat while defending their plush IT park and SEZ offices. To the people who earn and live happily because of the sacrifices these men in uniform make everyday, and who secretly deride the defence man for not making as much money.

This year is dedicated to the soldiers and the deemed soldiers across the world. I wish them Peace!

Happy New Year!

Online Hindi Magazine.

अभी अभी एक नयी चीज़ देखी - अनुभूति . ये एक हिन्दी पत्रिका है जो पूर्णतया नेट पर उप्लब्ध है.

आज मेरे साथ एक वाक्या हुआ. किसी क्म्पनी में फोन करने पर जैसे एक आवाज़ सभी से पूछ्ती है, कि वे हिन्दी में बात करेंगे या अंग्रेज़ी में, तो मुझसे भी पूछा गया! मैने हिन्दी चुनी, क्युंकी हम अमूमन हिन्दी ही चुनते हैं. फोन उठा और उस व्यक्ति ने तपाक से कहा, “Good Afternoon, this is ________, how may I assist you?” तो हमने भी तपाक से कहा, “__________ One, I asked for the Hindi option, and Two, ________”

पर हैरत मुझे इस बात पर हुई कि उस व्यक्ति को हिन्दी बोलने में कितनी कठिनाई हो रही थी.. और ये दिल्ली का हाल है!

Just found an online Hindi Magazine - Anubhuti . Its a gap that one has felt for quite some time.

Another interesting thing happened today. I called a call center , and like all centers, a recorded sweet voice first asked me for the language preferance. I chose Hindi, bcs i always choose Hindi. The phone was transferred and a well trained voice went "Good Afternoon, this is ________, how may I assist you?” . And rightaway yours truly went “__________ One, I asked for the Hindi option, and Two, ________” . The person, obviously embarassed, asked if I would like him to continue in Hindi, to which i responded in the affirmative.

But what struck me was his obvious difficulty with the language, in the middle of the Hindi heartland - in Delhi!!

This post is dedicated to the reverse romantic. The incorrigible romantic who is so lost that no living human can possibly match the surge in the heart. So, the surge in the heart is left to be alone. That way, at least it is complete.

When you direct that romance towards a living person, the direction of the surge is seized by the limit of the recipient. But the surge in the heart is the size of a tsunami, and most people are not even Shiva enough to handle a river, let alone a tsunami. The choice, is to tame the tsunami and to find something like fulfilment, or to let the tsunami be and to attempt self annihilation.

So far, the self annihilation part hasn't worked out. But the tsunami remains. It cannot a river be.

Kabul Express

Just saw Kabul Express and HAD to blog about it.. its a SUPER movie.

I went with a very bored another-concept-film-all-gone-wrong-neither-concept-nor-entertainment attitude towards the film. That spectacular jaane kuda na jaane khuda video was to blame. They should never have made that video. Grossly misrepresents the film.

He has made such a nice film, no money should be wasted on adding masala to a way above par product.

One, its a sincere, true film.
Two, it talks to you without talking down.
Three, it doesnt look and feel like a documentary, but does the job of one.
Four, it uses Pashto with English subtitles where necessary!

The messages of the film are haunting, and true. The way the characters are juxtaposed creates a sort of complex chemistry that I have not seen since Schindler's List.

The actors are superb!! Its the kind of acting that makes you realise what you've been missing. No sorry apology for acting will ever do after you've seen this film.

GO see this film.. its under 2 hours, and is a sound investment in yourself.

Then, come back and tell me what you think. People outside India can use a DVD and people in the US really MUST see it..

Have you ever observed a situation where a person was paid attention to(unwanted attention, that is), by a person who is about half their age?

I happened to observe this lately, and the initial amusement at the plight and irritation of the older person gave way to a series of questions which refuse to die out. So here they are, for you to chew and respond:

1. What makes a 14 year old kid pay that kind of attention to someone twice their age?
(the only thing that struck me the most about the situation was that the kid was so young.. just 14!)

2. If a person can make someone older as nervous as the victim in this case was, imagine the plight of younger victims of this person. What are the young men around us doing? Especially to younger children of the opposite gender? Have you ever observed anything like it?

In working with child abuse cases, we used to worry about abuse of young teenagers by adults of both genders, and am yet to get over this reverse situation.

Charred remains of the day
On a ghostly night
Bid farewell
To silenced dreams
Of Dawn.

This poem is more a reminder of the days that await us, should we want to go back to communal hatred and religious myopia.

Its about the memoirs of the partition.

GOT IT! GOT IT!! GOT IT!!!

3 AERIAL SOMERSAULTS!!

Here it is:

ਚਦਹ ਫਟੇ ਮੈ ਟਕਿਆ ਲਾਵਾ
ਅਂਬਹ ਫਟੇ ਕੀ ਸੀਨਾ ?
ਖਾਵਿਂਦ ਮਰੇ ਤਾਂ ਹੋਰ ਕਰਾਂ ਮੈਂ,
ਆਸ਼ਕ ਮਰੇ ਕਿਣਾਂ ਜੀਨਾਂ ?

Chadar phateyan mein takiyan laawan
Ambar phate kya seena?
Khavind mare hor karan mein
Ashiq mare kina jeena?

(I can patch a sheet if torn
But can I stich the sky?
A husband dies, I remarry
A lover dies, can I live?)


Mein ik lok geet,
Be-nau, hawa vich khara
Hawa da hissa
Jeenu changa lagan
Oh chete bana lave
Hor changa lagan
Te apnaa vee lave
Jee awae tan gaa vee lave
Mein ik lok geet.
Siraf lok geet.
Jeenu nau deeKadi lor nahi paindee.

(I am an unnamed folk song,
A part of the flowing breeze,
Those who appreciate meMay remember me,
Those who admire meMay own me
Those who cherish meMay even sing me
I am a folk song
Just a folk song
That does not require any name)

ਮੈ ਇਕ ਲੋਕ ਗੀਤ,
ਬੇ- ਨਾਊ, ਹਵਾ ਵਿਚ ਥਙਾ,
ਹਵਾ ਦਾ ਹਿਸ੍ਸਾ,
ਜਿਨੂ ਚਂਗਾ ਲਗਾਂ,
ਓ ਚੇਤੇ ਲਾ ਲਵੇ,
ਹੋਰ ਚਂਗਾ ਲਗਾਂ,
ਤੇ ਅਪਨਾ ਵੀ ਲਵੇ,
ਜੀ ਆਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਗਾ ਵੀ ਲਵੇ.
ਮੈ ਇਕ ਲੋਕ ਗੀਤ,
ਸਿਰਫ ਲੋਕ ਗੀਤ,
ਜਿਨੂ ਨਾਊ ਦੀ
ਕਦੀ ਲੋਣ ਨਹੀ ਪੌਂਦੀ

Looking for The Week..

The Week, in the December 3 Edition, has a story of Imroz's love for Amrita... and it has 2 superb pieces of poetry... methinks both by HER..

Can someone please please lay their hands on this copy and get me those two pieces of poetry?

In the meantime, read this and you will know why one is so desperate to get that stuff..

Amrita once wrote of her love for Imroz:

kisi ka jurm ho, karte hain tere naam rakm,
Gila hai jo bhi kisi se vo tere sabab se hai..

No matter who wrongs me, the blame rests with you,
All my anger, with anyone in the world, is because of you..
(Don't bother trying to make sense of this in a rational model of love)

And this, in her own words, is the sarmaya(gist) of her life:
kuchh dard tha, jo maine cigarette ki tarah kiya hai
kuchh nazmein hain, jo raakh ki tarah jhaadi hain..

nazm kaagaz ko dekhe, aur yun munh mode,
Jaise kaagaz paraya mard ho...