For a country obsessed with Sachin and his zillion centuries, let us not forget the great contributions of Laxman, Dravid and Kumble. For test cricket is the cricket which separates men from boys. They are the men who show us what it takes to stand in a pressure-cooker sitiuation. With nerves made of steel and heart full of grit, they show us the true meaning of determination,concentration and discipline. And owing to their low-profile behaviour, they never get the media attention, unlike Her Highness Rakhi Sawant or Her Highness Dolly Bindra.

But you guys have earned a place and a lot of respect in billions of hearts. And perhaps you know that it is bigger than anything. Carry on guys, in this era of Kalmadis and Rajas, you are our only hope.

The news of Sachin's innings of 200 being included in "TIME Top 100 Events of 2010" inspired me to create a similar list of my own. So here I go with my list of top ten events of 2010 that changed the way India thought.I have tried to keep a fair amount of balance between "the positive ones" and "the negative ones". Incidents from all spheres of life from politics to socio economy to sports to entertainment have been considered. Before the dusk of 31 Dec 2010 bids us adieu, before we engage in welcoming the dawn of 1 Jan 2011 and before everyone else scripts it and it sounds cliched, here is my take on top 10 things that changed us.

10. Raavan V/S (Tere) Bin Laden-These movies represented two different classes. One epitomized the big budgeted, star studded, aggressively marketed yet "plot-less" and "poorly directed" flicks while other exemplified a small budgeted yet light hearted genre. And between the battle of two "evils", it was Laden who got better of Raavan. It epitomized the maturing of Indian cinema and audience.

9. FIFA 2010: Gave us freedom, gave us fire. Gave us reason (to smile), took us higher. It was all Waka Waka from 11 June to 11 July in not only in India but in the entire world as XIX FIFA World Cup kicked off in South Africa. As old heroes tumbled and new ones were created, Spain marveled their way to win the title for the first time. But the biggest hero remained Paul, the Octopus.

8. Justice Delayed and Denied- With the list of ever-increasing pending cases proving to be a scourge on the nation, some high profiled verdicts were delivered. But the long agony of the litigants was further aggravated by courts by letting a free-go to "convicts" in Ruchika case, Aman Kachroo ragging case and Bhopal Gas Tragedy case. Though after a much hue and cry from media and people along with various organizations, courts were compelled to reopen all the cases. On the other hand, our Guest of Honour Mr. Ajmal Amir Kasab kept relishing the services of Govt. of India courtesy taxpayer's money.

7. Country in Mayhem: At one point of time, almost entire country from Kashmir to Naxalite heartland in Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Andhra to down south in Telangana was up in arms for some reason or the other,hence threatening the very foundations of Indian democracy. Though things seem to have quelled a bit but situation is still volatile for another uprising and a fair amount of caution is required.

6. The Spiraling Inflation- Be it sugar, pulses or oil, everything was up, up and high. Thank you so much Mr. Sharad Pawar, but its time to say you good-bye.

5. Nitish in Bihar-Though many wouldn't agree to this point, but in my opinion it was one of the biggest turning points in the history of not only Bihar but also of India. A state, ill famous for crime and underdevelopment, known to "caste" votes based on "caste" equations,for the first time in the history, rose above petty issues and gave a thumping 4/5th majority to its incumbent Chief Minister Mr. Nitish Kumar.It was the victory of development. It was the emergence of a new breed of voters and citizens to whom Bijli, Paani and Sadak were more important than knowing the caste of their assembly candidate.

4.CWG Games - They changed the way India was looked-as in international arena, both for the good and for the bad. At one hand were events like misappropriation of millions, collapsing bridges, seeping ceilings and incomplete stadiums. On the other hand were assiduous and prolific athletes who made sure, with their dedication, determination and devotion,India reach its highest ever medal tally at the games. The Games would remain in the minds of countrymen for a long time.

3. Ayodhya Verdict : Even after 19 years, it had the capability to make the country go stand-still for almost a week. Amid unprecedented security arrangements, the result of the special court came, dividing the controversial land equally between the three parties involved in the conflict. Though, all the parties involved treated the decision with great restraint and nothing undesirable incident was noticed in the entire country, yet recent bomb blast in Varanasi produces much apprehensions about the future.

2. Sachin's 200 : It had to be there in the top 3 events of 2010. We all saw history in making as the Master of the game pushed a Charl Langeveldt delivery through the off-side and ran a single, and the elusive record, which had evaded every batsman since the game was incepted in1971, came crashing down. The feeling was never the same before. The game would be never be the same again. Take a bow, Master. You have given a hope to an entire generation of Indians. Perhaps to two generations. Perhaps to all the coming generations of the country.

1. Corruption : Agree to it or not, it was the biggest news maker of the year. From IPL boardroom to Aadarsh's flats, from Queen's Baton to 2G spectrum. It was omnipresent, omnipotent and omnificent. Devouring zillions of rupees every year, it was and has always been one of the most venomous devil of our society. Like last times, committees have been made, reports have been submitted, actions "are being" taken. And amongst all these, the stupid common man awaits someday, from some part of the country, another big news of another scam would unearth itself.


The entries which just missed out making to top ten but nonetheless hold prominent place in an eventful year of 2010- The Great Indian IPL Mess, Visit of Barack Hussein Obama, Sensex touching 20K mark, The inception of Indian Rupee symbol.

PS- The list is purely based on my thinking and understanding of various events. Readers (if any) are free to agree or disagree with it.

Its a shame. It has been more than two years since 26/11 took place and we still don't seem heading towards punishing the culprit who was caught live on camera killing dozens of innocent people. How many more years do we need ? Justice delayed is justice denied. With about 3 crore cases pending in the country, getting justice IN TIME has become almost impossible. If we assume that on an average 6 people are involved in a case (which is by any mean, a very conservative estimate) then we find that 18 crore or almost tenth of our population is finding itself intertwined in this vortex. Its high time we get much awaited judicial reforms. With confidence in legislature taking a deep plunge everyday, a common citizen looks up to judiciary to make the country run smoother. I hope he won't be disappointed.

We all are different. And we all have different choices. We like different food. We like different clothes to wear. We have different opinions and we like to talk about and write on different things. Like this friend of mine writes good on topics related to aesthetics, that too specially on Nature. Another one scripts well about factual information. We all have different likes and interests.

Personally speaking, I like to talk and write on topics which generate multitude of opinions. Topics on which strong views and counter-views are generated. I like to listen to different views and I express mine as well. It sometimes familiarizes you with the other side of the coin of which you were hitherto unaware of. It not only widens your spectrum of thinking but also makes you shed your biasness for or against someone or something. Some days ago my room-mate was enumerating the positives of corruption (a good news for all the Modis and Kalmadis and Rajas and Chavans). He wasn't justifying the act, obviously nothing can be justifiable for the inappropriate use of public exchequer, but only listing the benefits of corruption that we tend to miss. It was something about which we had never thought of. A nice topic to write on.

But come what may, the topic which would always be my favorite to write on and talk about would be Life. For all its vicissitudes it unfolds, for all its uncertainties it holds, for all its inscrutable ups and downs and turn arounds, it clearly transcends all the human barriers of understanding. And I am not the only one struck by its beauty. Volumes have been written about its ephemeral,vacillating nature. And still it continues to grab the attentions of thinkers, philosophers, writers and ordinary people like me.

And with every passing day, every passing incident and every passing phase of my life, I continue to remain awestruck by its every big and small maneuvers. And as I prepare myself for its next wave, lyrics of one of my favorite songs reverberates in my mind.

Kho jaana, pa jaana, na paana
Hai zindagi jaane le
Bik jaana, lut jaana, bas jaana
Hai zindagi maan le
Karle yakin
Jo kal gaya woh phir se aata nahin
Gujra hua jo waqt hai woh dastak lagaata nahin
Jo aaj hai bass wahi hai tera
Kya teri hasti hai, mitti ki basti hai
Pal mein hi ho jaati hai yeh fanaa
Kar salaam


I salte you- Life.

It has been ages since I made an entry here. A more-than-a-month trip to exile (awesome), a 15-day home trip (more than awesome) and a lot of laziness from writing (or even logging in to my blog) made sure I stayed away from The Notebook. But today suddenly the writer inside me popped up, and here I am writing my blog. Things have changed since I last wrote here. World is warmer, inflation is higher, Common Wealth games are closer (and messier), situation in Kashmir is grimmer, I am older and my hair are gray(ier).

Jokes apart, some things have definitely changed. I got a brand new office with a brand new PC with a not so brand new table to work on. Talking of office, I no longer enjoy the cushion a newbie enjoys. Some serious stuff is expected out of me every time (well not everytime but most of the times) I enter into my workplace. I bought myself a new Nokia E63 and got myself rid of my good-for-radio-only Samsung gadget. Another of new thing is my Twitter account which I operate more frequently than this place (for obvious reason of Twitter being a "micro" blogging thing, so one being more frequent on it).

Apart from getting so many new things, I got one more thing. And that is confusion in my hitherto crystal clear mind. A few months back I was clear of what I wanted. The destination was defined, the path was laid down and the first gear was set in. Everything looked perfect. The journey was started well in time. Transition of gears from first to fifth was pretty smooth and satisfying. Milestones were reached at the due course of time and I was decently placed on my course. All "was" well.

Suddenly a turn came and it exhorted me to tread on it. Neither was it a short-cut nor was it a simpler or creative path towards my destination. It was a path for an altogether different destination. The turbulence in my brain set in. The mind, which was till now involved in calculating the distance remaining to the "old destination", was suddenly busy evaluating the pros and cons of treading on the "new destination". I tried to take the help from the passers-bye. This was more bewildering. Not because they praised their own destinations. But because they did exactly opposite. The one treading towards the "old" destination hailed the "new" and vice-versa. The directions were confusing. The road was becoming a maze.

And came another turn. And was in sight a "totally new" destination. A new path and new passers-bye. A new philosophy and a new confusion. And as if the worst (or perhaps the best, who knows) was still left, soon I could also see my "original point" from where I had started my journey, and I started evaluating that perhaps it wasn't too bad a place to leave for the "old", the "new" and the "totally new" destinations.

This day, I am back to square one, where four roads lead to four different directions. Unaware of which path to take. I am confused. Everyone of us faces this kind of dilemma many times in our lives when we are unable to take a decision either due to lack of knowledge or due to lack of courage. What to do and what not to do? Which path to take and which path to leave? It happens with everyone. And I am no different. This is not my first time. And I know it won't be my last either. But I hope I will come out of this dilemma someday. All I need is time. And till then I have decided to halt at the square.

PS- The last statement of the first paragraph about my hair is a joke for the sake of completing the sentence. I am still young, girls.

The differences between India and Pakistan over the sharing of waters of Baglihar dam have been amicably resolved. Not going into the details of dissent between two countries, I want to point towards something more important. And the point is that disputes can be solved, even within two warring (well almost warring) countries.


When the news of disagreement between the countries would have surfaced, any average citizen in India or Pakistan must have thought of it as another bone of content in a list of endless bones of content. Another issue, another round of talks, another round of bickering, another round of prejudiced stances against each other, another lost cause and ultimately another fiasco.

But this time, at least this time, nothing was just-another.

Whatever the differences were, whatever the bone of contention was, whatever the fuss was about, finally resolving it means more than the number of cusecs of water each country would be getting. It teaches us to be ever sanguine for the future, that if today its Baglihar, tomorrow it could be Siachin and one day it could be Kashmir.

We don't know what happened behind the iron curtains of the room. We don't know wthether there was any mediator. We don't know how do the countries concur with each other. It's not just that we dont care to know, but at least for me (and at least as of now) the result has become somewhat more important than the procedure. Well begun is half done and all's well that ends well. And it has ended well.

The result gives a bright new ray of hope. A ray of hope for thousands stranded citizens of Kashmir. A ray of hope for millions of jawans guarding the borders of their respective countries in inhumane conditions that their plight too could be resolved in a similar fashion. A ray of hope for billions living in the likes of Mumbai and Karachi who step out of their home apprehensive about another terror attack. A ray of hope.

Yes, I know I might be reading too much out of nothing. I know I might be over analysing. I know I might be hoping against hope. But I know that hope is a good thing. Perhaps the best of things. And a good thing never dies.

Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

We know there is this campaign launched by our Bollywood stalwarts who appeal to all of us on various forums to stop piracy that has been going on with full force in the Bollywood for quite some time.

The reason which they give is that the money which a viewer spends on buying pirated items never reaches the people who are really responsible for the making of films.

Totally agreed. The money should reach to those who actually are behind the creation. In that case, I want to ask to our esteemed directors, producers, music directors of bollywood that whether they give a share of their earning to the Hollywood or Tollywood from where these "directors" get "inspirational ideas" (a very mild word for the sake of being politically correct) or just COPY (the true word with the risk of being called too blunt) their original creations???

Does it look nice when these people talk of piracy? Hypocrisy at its best. They are the biggest "Pirates of the Creation".

The new Chief Justice of India Justice Sarosh Homi Kapadia has said that frivolous Public Interest Litigations, which cause a lot of wastage of public money as well as precious time of courts, will be strictly dealt with.

Well Mr. Kapadia, what about the case of Mr. Ajmal Amir Kasab. Everyone knew the case. Everyone knew the decision. It was just the matter of time. Though not frivolous, didn't it cause a lot of wastage of public money and of precious court time?

Does anyone has an answer?

Heisenberg got it wrong. He should have given his theory not on electrons but on life.It is the biggest X factor of life-Uncertainty. You never know what may happen the next second. One day you might be sweating profusely in the scorching summers of north India in the month of "May" and it "may" rain suddenly the very next day. ( Like it did yesterday :) ). You might be expecting your best friend's call some day only to find he didn't turn up. Someday your phone rings and as you receive, you find it is some stranger from diametrically opposite part of the world who has called upon just to talk to you. If there is one word that describes life the best, for me its UNCERTAIN.

If you know what would happen the next day then there would be no fun living the day. If you know India would win the match you wouldn't see the match. If you know what would be the next line of this blog you wouldn't read it.

And I am not the only one who is saying it. Just read what Achilles said in Troy-

"I'll tell you a secret. Something they don't teach you in your temple. The Gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again. "

Yes I know, traditionally it has been tall, dark and handsome, but with the changing times, the phrase has changed too. No, I am not talking about women's take on men (it is something that no mortal has ever understood and I am highly optimistic about the future too). Here it is about how men want to see themselves. And a plethora of advertisements of fairness creams for men just corroborates the aforesaid title.

Hindustan Unilever (HUL) was the trendsetter. Banking on the fact that more than women, it were men who used their product (Fair and Lovely), they came up with the product specially "designed" for the "roughness and toughness" of male skin. And as the profits accrued, other brands soon followed the trend.Nowadays from Shahrukh Khan to John Abraham to Shahid Kapoor, everyone seems to be busy substantiating the consumers how using their brand of cream would make the skin fairer by "x" tones (x being a variable, depending on ad to ad). And needless to say, people are falling for it. Notwithstanding the fact that usage of these creams have their own side effect (ranging from skin rashness and pimples in short term to cancer and kidney problem etc in the long term), the sales are ever increasing.

But here I am not to write about the ill effects of these creams. But something that we might not have noticed hitherto. Are we promoting racism in the form of these commercials. As if fairer skin is superior to the dark one. By shooting these commercials on television, we are further promoting the fact that "fair" is "fair". Seriously, have any of us ever seen an ad which promotes a cream which "darkens the skin up to two tones"? No, we haven't. Because there is no such cream at all. Shouldn't these commercials be banned? Enough of complaints on "reality shows".Has some intellectual gone to the courts complaining about them?

Why do we complain of Australians being "racist" when we know that somewhere, deep inside,we too are no different. Agreed that we haven't deployed aggression unlike others, still discrimination in any form is condemnable. And it should be condemned. Is anyone listening?

Obama: Just a shadow of Bush??

What is good for me may not be good for you. But we Indians seldom realize it. The whole world from Timbuktu to Taiwan went euphoric when Barrack Hussain Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States of America. And we were no different. Every news channel analyst was busy explaining how "historic" the moment was. And why only news channels, we the people, too were as much excited as Mr. Obama himself.

Notwithstanding the fact that historically, Republicans had always been closer to India than the Democrats, every Tom Dick and Harry in India wanted Obama. Agreed Mr. George Bush was hated worldwide for Afghanistans and Iraqs. Agreed that he had his own class of goof-ups. But forget what he did to others. ( I know I am sounding egocentric, but that is how diplomacy works). Just looking at what he did for we Indians(nuclear deal to defence tie ups to outsourcing to what not) and any Ramlal would have told that he was the US President, India had benefited the maximum from. Indo-US relations were at zenith when he was at the realm of affairs. And it was quite known a fact that Mr. John Mccain had in his agenda to carry forward his predecessor's policies.

Still every Indian wanted to see Mr. Obama as Mr. President as much as every Indian would want his son to get into IIT's. Without knowing why, we all loved Obama, as if he was our own President.

And now, after a year into Obama's Presidency, and -

1. US is already talking about taxing firms which outsource there businesses to Bangalore and Beijing. In other words, discouraging outsourcing.

2. Increase in aid to Pakistan as a "reimbursement" for his role in "war against terror". We all know where all that money is directed to.

3. US is talking about a nuclear deal with Pakistan which would be similar to the one we have.

4. The pressure is surmounting on India to sign NPT.

Well some of the points are just preliminary information but some of them are real facts. And considering the point that it has just been a year and four are still left, worst might still not be over.

We need to get rid of herd's mentality. We should stop following others and realize what is good for us rather than following and falling for the ostensible. Everyone wants ones own good. And there is no reason why we should be any different.

Its amazing how quickly things change. A fortnight ago I was about to write on my favorite IPL team. Unlike most of the times I'd even started, but soon slumbered. And today when I have the time to complete that blog, equations have already changed. No, it ain't that "that" team is no longer my favorite, it still is, and will remain forever. But all those things which Id thought of writing might appear a bit spurious.

So it has been postponed till the next win, which I believe would be soon. :)

ALL THE BEST CHALLENGERS



Moral of the story- Kaal kare so aaj kar, aaj kare so ab. Agar kal ko Challengers hare, to blog likhega kab??

Yups..the toughest part wasn't over. It had just started. I never knew next post would be so late. But that doesn't mean all this while nothing had been happening . As the title suggests, there was so much to do and "writing blog" became one of the left-outs.

But I think I should make it a regular habit. Even IIM-B is asking for essays these days!! I should write more and more importantly write "good".

I hope I am able to write consistently after this. Lets see.