It's not just on paper

" Bees ka bolo, bees ka bolo. Hindi mein bees aur English mein twenty bolo. " This is a rather humourous one-sided conversation one hears in the Mumbai local trains. Vendors of all sorts ply the compartments of these trains which run from the city's southern end to its northern end. One is met with vendors selling tooth whitening powder, colouring books, mobile scratch-guards, train schedules, cosmetics, accessories.... the list goes on. Interestingly, people buy unassuming things from these vendors. Let me cite a few examples; night gowns, table cloth and fruits!!!! While travelling back home after college, I was looking out of the window (Mumbaikars prefer a "window seat" because it allows the window seat holder to enjoy fresh... ummm, possibly polluted breeze on warm days) at the familiar route I would pass everyday. Lost in some random thoughts, I hardly took notice of the two vendors who entered our compartment to tap willing customers and force them into i...

Mere Desh ki dharti sona ughle, Ughle hirae-moti, Mere Desh ki Dharti... So goes the famous patriotic song of India. Just imagine if the soil of my land did overflow with gold and jewels, how would life be back in India? THE NEW YORK TIMES India, 2012: Reports suggest that India's stock exchange will soon shut shop. This news came as a shock not only to United States but also to the rest of the world. However, sources in India suggest that this is in the best interest of the Indian industrialists, as they now wish to employ their capital assets in purchase and sale of gem stones and gold, reportedly found unclaimed in many parts of rural India. Within months after the surprising discovery of precious gems and jewels on Indian soil, graphs showing rural development would appear like steep mountains from its valley. People would be paid with gold coins, pearls in oysters and diamonds embedded in platinum rings. Our parliament house in Delhi would become our new Taj Mahal with fine...

Somewhere in the winding woods of the Andaman Islands, lived a family of Canary birds. Happy, lively and exploring as they always were, this family decided on June 12, 2112 to fly to the forests of Gujarat, India for a summer outing. When in Bhooda forest, the birds mingled with other birds like the Mynah, the Peacock and his other half, the Indian Bustard and many others. They became best buddies. The friends of the Canary family helped them pick up twigs and small pieces of branches to build a comfortable nest for their 3 month stay at the forest. The Canary family was delighted at the hospitality of the Bhooda residents. They expected to see beautiful sights up north. But what they gained was an experience of their lifetime. It was a tradition of Grandpa Canary to sing to Master Canary Jr. (his grandson) and Miss Canary Jr. (his granddaughter) each night to put them to bed; er… well… put them to nest. Anyways, Grandpa Canary was singing at night, once their nest was prepared. To his...

India is the largest democracy in the world. Maybe true, maybe not. Who knows? How extensively is democracy put to practice in India? Or anywhere else? Let us begin with understanding the two viewpoints about democracy. Democracy can be the freedom of speech, thought and Religion. It can be the liberty of the media or it can be the provision of Right to Information. Fortunately we are bestowed with this aspect of democracy. Thanks to the political leadership in India, the constitution has given a leeway to people to be the masters of their lives in this respect. Democracy however, may also be defined as the freedom to control and not to be controlled. Do we really believe that our lives are free of any political or social dominance? Whether it's at the time of acquiring a driver's license or acquiring acceptance for inter-caste marriages in predominantly traditional societies; we are compelled to be subordinate to the authorities. We are driven to pay bribes to get our chores d...

* Picture from Times of India, dated September 14, 2010 Alex Stewart, an Australian lawyer who works with the Queensland University of Technology, tore the pages of the Quran and the Bible. Many people were taken aback by this incident. At first, even I was surprised when I heard of it. As a matter of fact, the news angered me. But after reflecting on it for a while, it dawned on me that we can look at this situation from a very different angle altogether. Let’s not strengthen our voices in protest of the same. Let us strengthen our Religious beliefs and sentiments instead. It is almost natural to live a mundane life. Trivial things become matters of concern for one and all. But how often do we take the time to reflect upon higher issues? Issues that help us reconnect with our origin? We often forget about our faiths, rituals and traditions. We get so caught up with our lives and the lives of others that we are left with little or no time to let our souls do the talking. It is only dur...

Can blogs become an alternative media? I say yes. Blogging has opened up a new platform for people of all ages to voice their opinions, be it radical or neutral. It provides the writer with a large audience who can be critical at many times and point out flaws of any nature in the write-up. Writers benefit the most through blogs, especially the public blogs. In many instances, a person is forced to appreciate the articles and overlook its loopholes due to personal and professional limitations. But when it comes to blogging, it introduces one to many varied points of view. It helps all the readers to obtain a panoramic view of the situation in question. This influences perceptions and beliefs. With the introduction of blogs, people from non-media professions have started to take active interest in the current affairs and have begun to pen down their views. Their participation does not end here. These opinions are then made open for public support and criticism through blogs. At times, b...