The Story of India

I yet again watched 'Michael Woods' Story of India. It reminds me what we once as a civilization were! our identity as a unified country (which I need to be reminded often). Michael Wood's voice and his way of narrating en captivates me and I feel a sense of belonging to this ancient civilization. So what is India, this is not just about a geographic location, I think unlike other countries we are not same, we are rather a culture, an cultural entity. As Michael Wood says India might be the only place where we 'the humanity' has last remains left with the past of human civilization, I simply can't agree more. But story of India is evolving, I wonder if story of India after 1000yrs later would remember us the Indians of this era the same..or do we need to do more to be a better civilization today?

Power Game

Yesterday evening the municipal corporation of Mumbai came with a truck filled with Garbage cans, they distributed one for each building in Bandra. I was pleasantly surprised to see this. All these days we had to make do with 1 garbage can for a lane having more than 10 buildings! Well so I went to have a closer look at this new green colored dabba, it was marked 'With efforts of Ms Dutt'..our MP here! Why at all she should take credit for any thing so basic as this? What purpose does this solve..may be if she looses the next election the next MP will remove these cans as they dont bear his name.

So on our country's Independance day I still feel we as a nation are not yet born..we continue to live in feudalistic state, our ploticians are our kings and we are mere pawns in their game. Was this what Gandhi or Nehru or our freedom fighters had in mind? Just the color of the skin of our rules have changed!

What we have lost is our morals, we as a nation lack principles..Liberal and pro development thinking is non existant here. We can just perhaps talk..look at Mumbai this city needs revival..I can smell garbage everywhere , yet I see bang opposite to my house Birthday wishes being displayed for some minister by his pets!

Everyone here is trying to make his point, bearing a name on a garbage bin has become so vital ? such is a state of this land.

Just then I hear 'Ae mere vatan ke logon' a patriotic song being blared out from the loudspeakers, on this day of our independence with ofcourse pictures of Gandhi and Nehru and the local MP in the backdrop, plus the well wishers of that party.. as they our patriotic people realise their love for this nation. So theory here is you get power then people who dont have it but want it can butter up the ones who have it. They support each other and that's that to it.

only god can save us

It's pouring cats and dogs in Mumbai today. At 1615 IST there will be a high tide forcing more waters on already water clogged streets. De-forestration of Mithi river means there isnt any room for river water to move. Every monsoons in this country we rely on prayers. No effective management skills , no project outlines, no foresight , none learning from past mistakes..we continue to be our old sab chalta hai selfs. Ever heard the saying God helps those who helps themselves? But anyways I must pray because chance of him listening to me is better than India's governance.

I pay my taxes, why?

I pay my taxes to this country, and come in the highest end bracket. I feel sorry that I never get to see the benefit of 'our' money put to a good use by 'our' government. To couple up this problem we have some of the most extremist minded people living on this land.

Recent attacks on 'Public Property' in Punjab or same done by political groups in Mumbai just goes to show how low can our people stoop too. We the professionals of India battle our daily hardships to make a good living but are and will always be depreieved of doing so. What sense it makes to attack public spaces because something happened in Vienna? By doing this we put our country 100 yrs back each time. Some one who has a voice must stand up and put some thoughts in the minds of these goons.

Whenever we as a nation have taken one step in the right direction, our PEOPLE and our POLITICIANS have made sure we atleast take two backwards, against progress. We remain a society severly deviod of morals, discipline and respect.

The Stink!

I was forced to wake up very early as my nose was filled up with strong stench of excreta in the posh Mumbai suburb of Bandra West. We pay rents that are on par to the rents in London or NY but there isn't any value for money over here. Mumbai has perhaps seen its infrastructure collpase completely by now and it would take really some effort to put basic things back in place. The road dwellers and shantys that surround the city will perhaps never cease to exsist, thanks to the vote bank politics. I would truly like people to be re-habilitated in build structures with proper / basic ammenities (toilets etc). So if Mumbai is your next destination I urge you to think twice, may be some other city in India will need to take the lead.

outlooks..

It's been long since I last wrote something..I didn't have anything to crib about honestly..not that I have accepted the things they are as they are, but certainly not enough motivation to blog. Instead I took up to reading what some other bloggers have to say! I must confess I am still reading only those blogs which have a reflection of India. The reason for this may be my own frustrations of returning to this country where I am not satisfied the way the system is. I dont say West is the Best but then India certainly has light years to catch up with.

Coming back to the blogs..most readers I have read ( especially the one about a Girl from Foreign) was such a good read..this girl never cribs and takes joy in whatever she has...something totaly opposite from myself ..( i always want more of things).

On some these blogs I got a feeling from comments that most Indians are not ready to acccept that their society is not at all perfect..a classic example is that many feel the 'firangs' ( note I came across this word loads of time) are only looking at India's poverty , deriving some voyeuristic pleasures out of it..well I dont agree..India's society is really in a bad shape..has been so for decades..our ancestors had same views as what this generation has and so perhaps things here will never change.

All I wish is people here start looking at our own drawbacks, accept them and try to solve the problems in best way they can..not deny that there are problems or simply boast about the so called 'Indian Culture'

to Ratan Tata

Very few Indian companies take up their social responsibilities, Tata's is certainly the one of the very few in India. Sir, you have always been an idol to lots of educated and non educated Indians, your company has provided the livelihood for several families in this country. Unlike some other business houses you yourself dont believe in show of wealth like building skyscraper house amidst the poverty of Mumbai. Today your dream of Nano has come alive with countless Indians booking their nanos, some of them are not your average Indians , they are well off to do and are perhaps they have decided to present their newly 18 year old with a car with which he or she will drive to college with all pomp and glory! After all thats what we Indians can only do..its called show off.

I cant say if I lost my respect for you today, but certainly you cant be the man who will change India. Your business logic may be perfect but the social logic is way off the mark. Do you really think just those who have 2 wheelers will buy your nano, or rickshawalas will change one fine day to swanky Nanos? The Mumbai Pune expressway will be more accident prone when these show off types will cross the 100kmph barrier on your nanos, more chaos for sure! There will be more traffic Jams, more traffic hurdles, double line parkings even in your town area.

You know this country is manged by bunch of morons, they have no clue to what efficiency is, how creatively they could avoid congestions, traffic police are a joke they will stop rickshawalas for not wearing a badge but wont stop them for breaking lanes. My point being these idiots wont know what to do when your nano crowds up the streets.

I am sure you are not a man who is driven by money, rather by passion. You could have given indian cities a metro in every state rather than giving them a nano. This would have made you a real hero , but then who cares this country has many idiots and they will support your nano cause. I doubt your foresight, it's not a sign of a leader surely.