Isn't India a Warehouse of Racism?

Discrimination. That’s the outcome of one of the most loved and hated form of human hatred. Racism. Many love it though. And hate it. Equally.Consciously or unconsciously. Then today human civilization is running its largest race ever run. Run for survival.

Racism practiced all over the world has been an epitome of collective egoism of the structured and conditioned world. For ages. The fire still rages. Change, time, education, evolution, hasn’t done a great deal to heal the wounds of this man-to-man discrimination in form of racism.

Why I chose to write on this?

Racism has raised it head big time over the last few days. Beauty or ugly is only a matter of perception. Cricket. The sport turned game.With the race for racism on, it is cricket obviously on a sticky wicket.

We have news channels leading the public outcry and well-orchestrated emotional provocations. Big time. All in the name of “patriotism”. With Tricolors as the background, racism has shown its true colors yet again.Shameful!! As a collective human family, which I suppose evolved from a
single seed.

While we have experts, columnists, star bloggers, fans and majority opinion chiding mutual “racist” abuses and allegations, without the burden of agreement and disagreement, lets take a step back and look within. It will help looking at the larger issue more objectively,without judgment and stop this ridiculous race of money making on breeding hatred in the name of “racism”. It’s now a big game!! Bigger than all sports together. Game of division.

No one is perfect. It’s a common problem and we are part of it.

India for ages has more reasons for bringing up a “divided society”.Discrimination practiced at the highest order. At the order of elitists.We have perhaps the tallest list of caste, sects and subsects. There has been constant battle with purported racist remarks openly or subtly by
both sides. Extreme acts of the extremists. So called forwards and backwards. Sounds like football or hockey. Isn’t it? It then sticks a completely different kick to people in both forms of “ famous” human emotions. Pain and pleasure.

It has now embedded in human genes over generations. In psychological terms. Then one doesn’t come in terms with these, if conscious. Truly Conscious.

Then we have regionalism, language, state, district, dialect, status, clubs, association, beliefs, religion, education, physical look, outlook and so many reasons. Above all the universal discrimination. The color of the skin. Within the family. With two siblings with different
complexions are exposed to harsh discrimination. Thanks to creams like fair and lovely. More than the illusion of fairness, it promotes faith and hope. Of fairness. In true sense.

Family, schools, institutions, cult leadership and individuals in that order have made the human psyche go out of order for generations now.Suffering from racist discrimination is now a “normal” human behavior.These have also quietly quelled and killed any budding evolution to human equity and being. A space where there is no walls. Then it does makes good news or breaking news all the time for provoking perversions of human mind time and again.

More importantly generates money. Money is perhaps the universal language, which all understand. And its not the money per- se, but” the love of money” that has perpetuated this cardinal sin in several forms and means.

I don’t think anyone living today can be blamed. And that’s not the objective of my thought process and expression.

Wouldn’t it be fair not to hurt each other in the name of any sort of discrimination? Racism included.

Isn’t it fair to stop supporting, sponsoring and practicing by being conscious and aware of the enormous “space for manipulation” we create within ourselves to be influenced and engaged negatively?

No rights and wrongs. No judgment. Its time we start living. In real sense. It’s a race we need to run together, holding each other’s hands as “one human race”. It seems to be a marathon of generations. Then any change happens with one conscious step.

Last word on Cricket.

Lets forgive, forget and get on with the sport. There’s lot to learn, enjoy and flourish with every sport. Cricket included. Discourage discrimination within, without and all around. For tomorrows child.

NANO – Rs.1 lakh Peoples Car

Nano - Tata’s 624 cc - 1 lakh ($2500 Car) dream car has been launched on 10th Jan’08 and will be available from Sep’08. On the face it is good news for the masses. Many two wheeler owners are expected to shift to four wheels with four seats. May be it is not a good news for the manufacturers of two wheelers.It is a boon for the family of four who sits on the Motor Cycle or Scooter with wife or kids or both sitting precariously on the pillion reciting Hanuman Chalisa under their breath.

It will also reduce the fatalities in road accidents in a country where even the Highway riders do not bother to wear the helmet. And rather helmet is treated like Gandhians used to treat the imported clothes during Swadeshi Movement.

The Nano, as the Rs.1 lakh car is named, is projected to making the dream for owning a four wheeler a reality for the self propelled two wheeler owner as well as bullock propelled two wheeler owners – the farmers. It will provide safe, affordable and all weather mode of transport for “Hum do Humare Do”. This is the logic given by RATAN TATA. A very noble thought indeed. Ratan Tata also said while unveiling Nano that even though the figure of Rs.1 Lakh was announced about 5 years back still the car will be offered at Rs.1 lakh - “Promise is a Promise”.

There are people who dream for themselves and their families but there are people who have risen above all these and they dream for the people. Though Ratan Tata does not have an immediate family, which is immaterial as he is beyond all these worldly attachments. He is the kind of corporate people who love to dream for the masses and in the light of this his vision and fruition of vision is laudable.

TOI published an article about consumption of petrol worth 1040 crores in a period of two years by 2010, by which time 5 lakh Nanos are expected to hit the roads. The correspondent had made this, the emission of polluting gases and the loss to exchequer on account of subsidy of 164 crore (assuming 365 litres per car per year for 5 lakh cars @ Rs.9.00 of loss per litre on subsidy) in two years as the point which in his opinion is the greatest disadvantage. It has been further stated that the consumption of Petrol will increase by the entire quantity for 5 lakh cars of 18.25 crore litres. This oversimplified assumption is fraught with errors.

Firstly the increase in number of cars does not mean increase in the number of people and the same person will either drive two wheeler or a car. Thus there may be marginal increase in consumption. Nano has far lower pollution levels than two wheelers and the adverse environmental effects due to the marginal increase in the petrol consumption would be offset by lower pollution levels.

Apart from the assumptions, which would not hold ground, this is taking a very narrow view of things. There are other important issues, which are more important.

In Metros and big cities like Ahmedabad, Pune, Jaipur, Hyderabad etc. the parking is a big issue and problem for the car owners and pedestrians alike though for different reasons. The space required for parking Nano, however small it is will not be less than that required for 3 two wheelers. It is not only the issue of space but also of the ease of parking two wheelers. That issue is of concern to the users. In the long run it will result into construction of costly parking spaces, the money for which would go from the pockets of not only the Nano owners and non-Nano owners but even non car owners. So it will then concern everyone.

Secondly, it will encourage the use of individual transport at the cost of public transport – which is the trend presently. This creates further problems – of costly transportation, burning of more imported fuel, further loss of incentive (reduction in compulsion) for the government to do something in the scenario of dilapidated public transport system and increased congestion on roads. There has hardly been any addition in the roads in the cities with the result that the roads are getting choked. Hardly much scope is there for improvement except for building flyovers here and there until we plan vertical expansion of roads to two or three tier roads, which in itself will be a costly proposition. And there is no end to it.

On the contrary, a good public transport system can be built, which would be far cheaper in the long run. Not that no steps are being taken on this front but there is a need to curb the increasing number of cars by some suitable legislation as is prevailing in some countries like Singapore etc.

At present travel using public transport is largely considered to be below dignity except for by Mumbai Suburban and Delhi Metro. This will change only if the state of art technology is brought in this field of public transport in the cities having population of more than 10 million.

The auto rickshawwalas are also thinking seriously for going for Nano as its cost compares well with that of petrol driven auto rickshaw costing around Rs.1.20 lakh and will also give them a big image, esteem and social boost. I am serious.

Nonetheless the technological feat by the Engineers of TATA MOTORS is commendable to produce a world standard car at the lowest prices possible and this will spurn the low cost technology products in automobile sector. TATA MOTORS has filed for 34 product patents for NANO itself. And the other important thing is that TATA's have given the people of India a product which never existed before.

The issue is not as simple as it appears to be. There would be more issues than meet the eye and only time will tell if this launch was a boon or a bane. Thus I take the launch of 1 lakh car with a pinch of salt.

Are Mobiles Mobbing our Lives?

Mobiles have jumped into our living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens and invaded our privacy. Are we able to whole heartedly attend to family discussions or formal meetings atleast for half an hour with no interruptions? Are we able to listen to atleast one song of our choice completely at one shot? Are we able to listen to soul stirring speeches or sit through kutcheris with no interruptions?No, the mobiles would have disturbed us with the annoying ringtones or silent vibrations, umpteen times within that short span.Are parents able to stop their teenage children from this mobile craze? Once a child just enters college life, the first birthday gift to land on his desk is a mobile even before a bike at his doorstep.

Are we able to take a short afternoon nap without being banged by irritated confrontations of not being reachable? Even the punishment or legal actions for using mobiles while driving has not created any impact. Or even the regular alarms of the scores of health hazards in mobile usage has done little to reduce the usage.Today after working for hours,through day and night shifts, we cannot still boast of better productivity of the earlier days of lesser working hours. The reason just coils up into a single WORD "Mobile", that has become the WORLD for many today.What a variety of sizes, colours, brands, features and technological developments with every new model introduced. Where then can you or me just even think of being without one. MOBILE has become the first wife of most of the men. A decade ago, owning a mobile was a mark of prestige and Luxury but today mostly everyone, a child, an adult, a businessman, a street vendor, student own one or more sans intervention by factors like age, status, income level,etc. No one can deny the single reverberation being heard globally of the loss of the golden period of privacy, silently followed by a sad note of anxiety if we are blessed enough to get it back? If the optimum use can be judged right by every user, then we can escape being mobbed by the mobile menace.We can make the mobile an angel and our life an eden.

Friendship

Friendship is like the sea,
Keeps one in unending glee.
Friendship is like the wave,
Sea or shore, lives till the grave.
Friendship is like the boat,
Tries tirelessly to keep afloat.
Friendship is like the ferry,
Helps cross the ocean of worry.
Friendship is like the morning,
Adds to life, a new meaning.
Friendship is like the sky,
Stays through low and high.
Friendship is like the clouds,
Showers joy with no bounds.
Friendship is like the rain,
Wipes and washes away pain.
Friendship is like the greenery,
Forever etched in the memory.
Friendship is like the heartbeat,yaar,
Country,caste, creed or age, no bar.
Friendship is like the dew,
A treasure of only the lucky few.

Taare Zameen Par

"Taare Zameen Par" begins with the world seen through the eyes of a young boy. The problems that the boy has in school and consequently at home result from a misunderstanding which resembles a hungry monster that keeps feeding on more and bigger obstacles and growing. When the young hero Ishaan claims that letters are dancing which is why he cannot read the words, the teacher mistakes that for a bad attitude and reacts with anger. So do the parents at home, especially the father who wants to prepare his son for the rat race in the big bad adult world. When problems reach the critical mass level, the parents decide to send Ishaan to a boarding school to "straighten him up". This move to the boarding school is another huge morsel for the already big and scary monster. But things get scarier and gloomier as the separation from family is a traumatic event in Ishaan's misunderstood world. Things go from bad to worse until a substitute art teacher enters or rather storms into the lives of the young boys. Nothing is the same from that point on. The monster turns out not to be that scary after all and it has a name – dyslexia. It is just like when a child's imagination runs wild and sees "monsters" in a dark room at night, but when the light is switched on those scary creatures are nothing more than toys and other familiar objects scattered around. Nikumbh Sir does exactly that: he switches on the light in the minds of the children including Ishaan and illuminates all the beauty, creativity and potential that they have. At one point Nikumbh makes a remark to a fellow teacher that we humans are "away from inner beauty". The teacher's sensitivity, wisdom, attentive and caring attitude brings out not only that inner beauty, but also through individual dedicated work with Ishaan he succeeds in taming the monster of dyslexia. But there is more: Nikumbh Sir manages to convince the teachers at the boarding school as well as Ishaan's parents that there is another way than just stiff and sometimes crippling rules. There is another way than preparing for the rat race. After all, the world is full of other ways.

Darsheel Safary delivers an absolutely stellar performance as Ishaan. We feel his emotions, we see his world. The animation that appears in parts of the movie serves as an insightful depiction of how a dyslexic child sees things, how misunderstood "dancing" letters turn into scary looking spiders. He is definitely a phenomenal actor in the making.

Aamir Khan deserves to be put on the pedestal for his genuine greatness as an actor, director, producer, as a human being. He deserves all the laurels for the courage to take on a social issue like dyslexia and raise awareness about it, for promoting an understanding of this problem, for making a statement about the education system, about parenting and for taking us viewers on a magical journey back to childhood. All this is done in a non-castigating, colorful and caring manner that makes "Taare Zameen Par" a delight to the eyes and to the soul. The greatness of the star is visible in this magnificent film through his work and not in the number of frames in which he appeared. This release is particularly refreshing as in recent time there has been more than enough mass mediocrity sold to the audience as entertainment. "Taare Zameen Par" is an illustrious example of how a film can be entertaining, with profound messages and filled with emotions. As a viewer and fan of movies I would like to see more, much more from Aamir Khan Productions.