February 10, 2007 | 03:31 PM
Global Warming and Al Gore
Yetserday I attended Al Gore's stunning lecture on Global Warming. I have heard him before. 2 years ago in Puerto Rico. The lecture is different, and that's what is frightening. So much more devastation has taken place in the last two years. Or atleast what we have learnt in the last two years about the devastation we have caused is frightening...
The other day I was having a conversation with my producer of Golden Age. He was talking very intelligently about the irresponsible way we have treated our planet. And about the need to teach India and China, as they will be the next great polluters.
And yet he calmly drove off in his gas guzzling Bentley. As others will fly in their private jets. Or go for cruises in their private yachts. Or aspire to buy bigger and bigger mansions that need larger amounts of energy to keep an incredibly small number of people warm or cool. Indeed as I watched the people at the World Ecnomic Forum making huge statements about Global Warming, I wondered how many had arrived in Davos in their private jets and helicopters.
In the few times I have attended, it was the buzz in the Indian contingent about who had a private jet or a helicopter standing by.
Thats the problem isn't it ? The answer to Global warming often is a statistic that is applied to a mass, rather than taking individual personal action.
So currently every one talks about the next great polluters. India and China. Yet, for all it's population, India still emitts only a tiny tiny fraction of the emissions from the US. Who emitts a staggering 30% of the world's total !! And China ? A stunning fact I discovered at Al Gore's lecture was that China's emission standards for Automobiles in China was far far stricter than those in the US. So American cars would not be allowed on Chinese roads !
One statement that Al Gore made I do disagree with. He stated that global warming was directly linked to population. However I would state that Global Warming is much more linked to how a population behaved. Otherwise how would you account for a country like US that is by no means overpopulated, but for the last 30 years has been by far the greatest polluter in the world. Both at home and through it's corporations overseas by causing destruction fo rain forests.
The solution to Global warming is going to lie in how an individual behaves. Unfortunately aspirations the world over are about consumption. Wealth is associated with the power to consume. Indiividuality is asserted by a show of consumption. You consume, therefore you are. The more you consume, the more you 'are'.
It was not always like that. In my own lifetime I remember being in London in the late 60's and 70's. A show of wealth was looked down upon. In fact one of the greatest car designs was born out of the mood at that time - the Mini. It was small, it was cheap, and people would be rather seen in a small mini rather than a rolls royce !
I guess the goverments too must take far greater stands. I do not believe that 'carbon exchange' is the answer. It just says that if you have the wealth you can pollute as much as you like as long as you pay for it ! That is completely the wrong mindset, isn't it ?
The battle lies in changing the mind of the individual. The battle lies in our education system that must teach young minds about how consumption can become immoral. Yet I wonder if, in a world where economic growth is fueled by the 'propensity to consume' how the goverments will ever allow that to change.
Look at one great 'doom indicators'. That if retail sales over any holiday period were down. Even a 1% drop causes furrows in the brows of the economists. So as long the economic stability of a society depends upon urging the people to consume more and more, how is this going to change ?
That is why I believe that the change must come from within. From the individual. From the parent to the child. From the teacher to the child. From each one of us socially bycotting any overconsumption. By making such consumption 'unfashionable'.
Got to start somewhere !
Shekhar
Showing posts with label Current Events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Current Events. Show all posts
Friday, February 16, 2007
US Missile bases in Eastern Europe. Another Cold War ?
February 09, 2007 | 02:00 PM
US Missile bases in Eastern Europe. Another Cold War ?
So why has the US decided to acclerate tensions by deploying missile sites in the Czech Republic and in Poland ? Russia has already reacted sharply by increasing it's defense budget, and do you think China will be far behind ?
The US says that these missile basis are defences against possible missile attacks from Tehran and North Korea.
Umm ... woul'dnt the North Korean missiles, if aimed at the US, be fired the other way ?
It is time for the US to realize that it is no longer is Big Brother. Any action like this will give sanction to nations like China, a nation that now sees itself a Global power no less than the US, to do the same. How would the world react if China started to deploy missile bases in Africa ? It might well do that soon as China is never going to allow the US to be militarily or economically as dominant as it used to be 20 years ago.
The US and the rest of the world, especially the West, must now come to terms with the new realities of the distribution of global power. Peace has always been, and will continue to be a negotiation. Or we are back into the days of the Cuban Missile crisis. And there are new players on the negotiating table.
shekhar
shekhar
US Missile bases in Eastern Europe. Another Cold War ?
So why has the US decided to acclerate tensions by deploying missile sites in the Czech Republic and in Poland ? Russia has already reacted sharply by increasing it's defense budget, and do you think China will be far behind ?
The US says that these missile basis are defences against possible missile attacks from Tehran and North Korea.
Umm ... woul'dnt the North Korean missiles, if aimed at the US, be fired the other way ?
It is time for the US to realize that it is no longer is Big Brother. Any action like this will give sanction to nations like China, a nation that now sees itself a Global power no less than the US, to do the same. How would the world react if China started to deploy missile bases in Africa ? It might well do that soon as China is never going to allow the US to be militarily or economically as dominant as it used to be 20 years ago.
The US and the rest of the world, especially the West, must now come to terms with the new realities of the distribution of global power. Peace has always been, and will continue to be a negotiation. Or we are back into the days of the Cuban Missile crisis. And there are new players on the negotiating table.
shekhar
shekhar
Queen
February 01, 2007 | 05:43 AM
Queen
Heard on the grapevine that when the producers and distributors of the film 'Queen' saw the final product, they did not think the film good enough to release in the theatres, so initially decided to release the film straight to Video .....
Obviously better sense prevailed and the film was released gaining substantial box office numbers and a great number of awards and Oscar nominations. And this promises to be the year of Helen Mirren.
Just shows how much people who own the production and distribution bussineses are out of touch with audiences and the art of telling stories.
Shekhar
12 Comments Posted. Post your comment
Hmm...that's interesting Shekhar!
But does that mean that Directors do care about their audience as equally as telling stories...I think this is a very important question Shekhar...do try to answer it!
1. Posted by Sheetal Peta on February 01, 2007
sheetal, what I do is try and connect to my own inner feelings and subconscious and hope that in doing that I am connected to the subconsciouss and heart of the audience. Thats the only way I know. Otherwise I am analysing the audience and then making the film. If tahtw as a true, a computer can make a film or write a poem !
It's becoming more difficult these days as film makeing is getting more and more corporatiszed. Their is now a heiarchy of judgement over your film before it ever gets to the audience. And so you are somewhere being asked to make a film that will first impress individuals that run the pruduction/distribution companies and the studios,
shekhjar
2. Posted by shekhar on February 01, 2007
Queen
Heard on the grapevine that when the producers and distributors of the film 'Queen' saw the final product, they did not think the film good enough to release in the theatres, so initially decided to release the film straight to Video .....
Obviously better sense prevailed and the film was released gaining substantial box office numbers and a great number of awards and Oscar nominations. And this promises to be the year of Helen Mirren.
Just shows how much people who own the production and distribution bussineses are out of touch with audiences and the art of telling stories.
Shekhar
12 Comments Posted. Post your comment
Hmm...that's interesting Shekhar!
But does that mean that Directors do care about their audience as equally as telling stories...I think this is a very important question Shekhar...do try to answer it!
1. Posted by Sheetal Peta on February 01, 2007
sheetal, what I do is try and connect to my own inner feelings and subconscious and hope that in doing that I am connected to the subconsciouss and heart of the audience. Thats the only way I know. Otherwise I am analysing the audience and then making the film. If tahtw as a true, a computer can make a film or write a poem !
It's becoming more difficult these days as film makeing is getting more and more corporatiszed. Their is now a heiarchy of judgement over your film before it ever gets to the audience. And so you are somewhere being asked to make a film that will first impress individuals that run the pruduction/distribution companies and the studios,
shekhjar
2. Posted by shekhar on February 01, 2007
Shilpa Shetty wins Big Brother !
January 29, 2007 | 06:29 AM
Shilpa Shetty wins Big Brother !
I for one felt really proud of Shilpa as she emerged as a winner from Big Brother. I got texts from all my 'western' friends - all very excited and asking me to turn on the TV ..
Shilpa was charming and honest. My heart went out to her as she admitted that she had won nothing in her life before. And then I read all those quotes from the Hindi film Industry saying that she was always a 'B' grade actress and most likely to remain so.
Hey ! I am rooting for her. I hope she proves them all wrong. I hope she gets huge contracts in the UK and certainly deserves to make more than the £ 8 million that the awful Jane Goody made from her previous appearance.
If I see Shilpa I am going to give her a big hug and say 'well done Girl ! Full marks to you !" But I have a feeling that now I will have to get through to her through an agent, a publicist and manager.
Good on you, Shilpa and Good Luck ! Play your cards well. This is your big oppertunity,
Shekhar
Shilpa Shetty wins Big Brother !
I for one felt really proud of Shilpa as she emerged as a winner from Big Brother. I got texts from all my 'western' friends - all very excited and asking me to turn on the TV ..
Shilpa was charming and honest. My heart went out to her as she admitted that she had won nothing in her life before. And then I read all those quotes from the Hindi film Industry saying that she was always a 'B' grade actress and most likely to remain so.
Hey ! I am rooting for her. I hope she proves them all wrong. I hope she gets huge contracts in the UK and certainly deserves to make more than the £ 8 million that the awful Jane Goody made from her previous appearance.
If I see Shilpa I am going to give her a big hug and say 'well done Girl ! Full marks to you !" But I have a feeling that now I will have to get through to her through an agent, a publicist and manager.
Good on you, Shilpa and Good Luck ! Play your cards well. This is your big oppertunity,
Shekhar
China's Satellite Busting Missile 2
January 22, 2007 | 01:40 PM
China's Satellite Busting Missile 2
If China decided to take out all the satellites in the Earth's orbit, you would be late for your party. The geosat that gives u directions in your car would fail.You would not be able to call your friends....
.... asall cell phones would go dead. But then you would probably head home as the baby sitter could no longer call u. On the way u would face the most horrendous traffic jams as people would be trying to get home just like yourself. The terrestrial local radio would be issuing broadcasts asking people to calm down.
But panic would spread as the news comes that thousands of aircraft are flying with no navigation pointers left. Airport staff would be unable to communicate with them, and the airports will soon be full of crashed aircraft landing into one another.
A large number of people would settle for a night of sex as their would be no football, as Satellite TV would be off the air. The internet would no longer work anyway.
Large corporations would find their delivery systems and plans going to pieces. Expect your supermarket to run out of supplies as the supply chain breaks down. And as there is panic buying, you will have to walk to the stores as the roads will be clogged with cars that ran out of gas.
Government communication will break down, and most governments in the West will start shoring up for defense against imagined enemies rather than looking after their civilian population.
But for 40% of the Indian rural population nothing will have changed. The only hint they will get is that that the distant orange reflections of the lights from the nearest city on the clouds no longer exist. The power grids have shut down.
And one guy will come from the train station 10 miles away, to say that for some reason the train never came.
"Sheher mein koi lafda chall raha hai". He would say before he settled down for a cup of warm chai.
Shekhar
China's Satellite Busting Missile 2
If China decided to take out all the satellites in the Earth's orbit, you would be late for your party. The geosat that gives u directions in your car would fail.You would not be able to call your friends....
.... asall cell phones would go dead. But then you would probably head home as the baby sitter could no longer call u. On the way u would face the most horrendous traffic jams as people would be trying to get home just like yourself. The terrestrial local radio would be issuing broadcasts asking people to calm down.
But panic would spread as the news comes that thousands of aircraft are flying with no navigation pointers left. Airport staff would be unable to communicate with them, and the airports will soon be full of crashed aircraft landing into one another.
A large number of people would settle for a night of sex as their would be no football, as Satellite TV would be off the air. The internet would no longer work anyway.
Large corporations would find their delivery systems and plans going to pieces. Expect your supermarket to run out of supplies as the supply chain breaks down. And as there is panic buying, you will have to walk to the stores as the roads will be clogged with cars that ran out of gas.
Government communication will break down, and most governments in the West will start shoring up for defense against imagined enemies rather than looking after their civilian population.
But for 40% of the Indian rural population nothing will have changed. The only hint they will get is that that the distant orange reflections of the lights from the nearest city on the clouds no longer exist. The power grids have shut down.
And one guy will come from the train station 10 miles away, to say that for some reason the train never came.
"Sheher mein koi lafda chall raha hai". He would say before he settled down for a cup of warm chai.
Shekhar
Chinese Satellite Buster Missile
January 22, 2007 | 01:36 PM
Chinese Satellite Buster Missile
Cannot help admiring the Chinese. By showing their ability to accurately take out a satellite, they have taken the wind out of the Western Power's approach to modern conventional (as against nuclear) warfare ...
For communications through satellite lie at at the heart of the new technological war that the US ( for example) is employing. From unmanned Drones used to bomb targets in Afghanistan, to pinpointing targets for tactical air strikes, to strategic communication to ground forces. The edge of modern convential warfare lies in communication. And therefore cutting the risk to the military personell in the air and on the ground.
The Chinese have now shown that in any such warfare, they can force the US to rely on sheer numbers on the ground and motivations of the soldiers. Something the US soldiers lack. Or just greater firepower.
So what happens if Iraq had these missiles, or if Hamas had them, or now Iran gets them. The tragic truth is that without them the US and Israel would have to depend upon sheer firepower that was far less accurate. That would have led to far more civilian casualties than the horrendous numbers we have already seen in Iraq and Lebanon recently.
It's an interesting deterrent though. No longer perhaps do we have to create nuclear arsenals in the name of defense. Just the ability to knock out communications satellites could through a whole nation into chaos.
On the other hand, when the US bombed the AL Jazeera offices in Kabul, they could have taken out the satellite they use. Knocking them completely off the air. But soon somebody can knock the whole Fox channel off the air. Bet u all the defense strategists all over the world are pouring over this. China has really started something here.
Satellites are quite an old technology. I suspect that nanotechnology will come in with the new satellites, as small as my hand, but capable of reflecting back trillions of bits of information.
And further down, infinitely small nanoparticles that bond together through Dark Matter so barely visible. Spreading like an invisible flexible sheet 10 miles above the Earth.
Stuff of Science fiction, this.
Shekhar
Chinese Satellite Buster Missile
Cannot help admiring the Chinese. By showing their ability to accurately take out a satellite, they have taken the wind out of the Western Power's approach to modern conventional (as against nuclear) warfare ...
For communications through satellite lie at at the heart of the new technological war that the US ( for example) is employing. From unmanned Drones used to bomb targets in Afghanistan, to pinpointing targets for tactical air strikes, to strategic communication to ground forces. The edge of modern convential warfare lies in communication. And therefore cutting the risk to the military personell in the air and on the ground.
The Chinese have now shown that in any such warfare, they can force the US to rely on sheer numbers on the ground and motivations of the soldiers. Something the US soldiers lack. Or just greater firepower.
So what happens if Iraq had these missiles, or if Hamas had them, or now Iran gets them. The tragic truth is that without them the US and Israel would have to depend upon sheer firepower that was far less accurate. That would have led to far more civilian casualties than the horrendous numbers we have already seen in Iraq and Lebanon recently.
It's an interesting deterrent though. No longer perhaps do we have to create nuclear arsenals in the name of defense. Just the ability to knock out communications satellites could through a whole nation into chaos.
On the other hand, when the US bombed the AL Jazeera offices in Kabul, they could have taken out the satellite they use. Knocking them completely off the air. But soon somebody can knock the whole Fox channel off the air. Bet u all the defense strategists all over the world are pouring over this. China has really started something here.
Satellites are quite an old technology. I suspect that nanotechnology will come in with the new satellites, as small as my hand, but capable of reflecting back trillions of bits of information.
And further down, infinitely small nanoparticles that bond together through Dark Matter so barely visible. Spreading like an invisible flexible sheet 10 miles above the Earth.
Stuff of Science fiction, this.
Shekhar
An Open Thread
January 20, 2007 | 03:39 AM
An Open Thread
Take up any topic you wish. Talk to each other if you so desire. Tell me what you wld like me to discuss.
21 Comments Posted. Post your comment
I have a few questions - why depend on speculative knowledge when there is a final solution available ? If it is speculative why be biased when we know we dont know ? why do we use conjectures , quotes , suggestions of other equally blind scientists ? Does questioning and not finding the answers so condition our minds that when the solution does appear in front of us , we still cannot get over this 'perpetual seeking ' - making a virtue out of this ' journey' when actually - if we look properly , there is the solution and the final goal very well defined for us ?
what is scientific ?why does everything that passes the test of 'science' as we knoww it, lend credence? since when did science and religion start differing? is it applicable to all religions -does it apply for the indian condition?
how pure is really the word 'love' ? is it something influenced a lot by the body-nerve complex? is it just a need of the mind and body which we romanticise and extend and keep revisiting endlessly while the body continiously progresses towards incapacity anyway ?
does truth give happiness ? is that why we seek to bury in a bit of welcome ignorance which gives us pleasure and company , however false?
why are we so blind and dont yet see it ?
1. Posted by Rudra on January 20, 2007
poetry -- yours; your visual mind; music; dance; your early years; people cribbing your visual ideas almost verbatim.
love, Heath
2. Posted by heather on January 20, 2007
For quite sometime now I have been intrigued about Faith, Belief, and Hope...to the extent of asking Shekhar to write about what he felt about it...it always confuses & entertains me that there is something in us and yet so beyond our control that gives us a kind of a meaning to live!
3. Posted by Sheetal Peta on January 20, 2007
Generation gaps..., Why do we grow apart in more ways than one in our relationships?
Is it abnormal for a younger person to seek a balance between the material and
spiritual world and be interested in meditation, philosophy etc, yet have a very normal thought process?
Is it wrong to question what has always been the norm and just speak out your mind against something which one feels is wrong... is this EGO?
Why is there a need to control another person in the name of love ,possessiveness or even affection - isn't this selfishness?
Is there something called ‘destiny’ or is it just ‘choices’ and ‘consequences’.
4. Posted by Riya on January 21, 2007
the recent agitation of the name 'bollywood' given to the indian film industry and why now, when it is a recognised global brand are there reasons, seemingly strong ones, to change it.
5. Posted by A.G. on January 21, 2007
Sheetal , those are indeed , words to feel intrigued about - hope is perhaps the difference between life and death -there are so many people who endure the life's many pains in the hope that tommorow brings a better life , hope in a way is the ray of light for those who are trapped in the dark - ie for those who realise they are in the dark .
hope itself implies faith by definition - there is no hope without faith in something - and when we look around perhaps faith is the singular thing that keep life going . i am not sure if pain and death are the same thing though ?
i think its about having the heart for things - that is the only difference between real life and the state of death - so perhaps its not surprising that this ' meaning of life' we invent and seek is an oxymoron . people who are doing well in life in every way and are happy by definition - perhaps dont feel the need to think about those words ?
6. Posted by Rudra on January 21, 2007
Dear Shekhar,
This is the first time I am writing and I would like to be a regular part of this board. I am 32 and live in TIMES SQUARE, MANHATTAN (yes within the same zip code 10036). I am a business grad from the US and lived most of my life till my undergrad in Delhi.
Things that I'd like to discuss would be the ones I feel really passionate about. I live alone in a very pretty apartment (have mainly American friends, who take me to places like LE CIRQUE and ST.REGIS regularly). Coming from a purely capitalistic mindset I would like you or anyone to comment on the following things:
1. WEALTH - WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON WEALTH AND DO YOU SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THIS WORLD.
2. PASSION - HOW DO YOU DEFINE PASSION AND HOW DO WE GET IT? - DO WE ALWAYS CHOOSE OUR GOALS BASED ON OUR CIRCUMSTANCES/KNOWLEDGE OR WE DECIDE OUT OF THE BLUE I.E. WHERE DOES THAT INITAL PASSION COME FROM?
3. PROVIDENCE - WHAT IS PROVIDENCE ACCORDING TO YOU?
4. HONESTY - IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST AND EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL?
5. LIFE CHOICE - SHOULD WE LIVE FOR OURSELVES OR FOR THE WORLD? - WOULD YOU BE BILL GATES OR MOTHER TERESA?
6. WHAT MATTERS? - I once read a quote (I read thousands) about not taking life too seriously which stuck with me - "NOTHING MATTERS VERY MUCH, AND FEW THINGS MATTER AT ALL" - According to you - WHAT MATTERS IN THIS LIFE - IF ANYTHING AT ALL?
I really respect you so you can choose any of the above 6 topics and tell me what you feel and I will reply with utmost sincerity.
I'll hope to hear from all of you.
Thank you,
Indian Achiever (for now)
7. Posted by Indian Achiever on January 21, 2007
Riya , interesting poser - choices and consequences actually begin after we are born. what about the choice of birth ? is it made at all? or is it nature that chooses which womb we enter as a soul?
unless that is answered i dont think we can really hit the truth about choices we make. perhaps the law of karma is true then , since it explains that the sum total of our actions of mind and body decide our next birth - and this whole concept of re-incarnation was so simply accepted by our ancestors - so in many ways choices and consequences make our destiny - we dont yet completely know what action has what consequence .
for instance we underestimate the power of good - even the people who are 'obviously' undeserving for some reasons - may in their private lives be doing a lot of good knowingly or unknowingly , i think thats where the mathematical prescision of karma comes in - whether you do an act of mind and body , knowingly or unknowingly , it adds up to the balance sheet of karma.
amazing , if only we knew that was the truth or that karma is the rule book of the universe. perhaps it is , perhaps it isnt -it boild down to faith , which again is an act of mind which itself is a karmic thing...phew.
8. Posted by Rudra on January 21, 2007
Rudra:About truth and happiness
The way I see it, for some truth is almost like a resolve and although they seek the truth all the time, happiness eludes them as it is deemed not practical in the world we live in. Most of the time people revel in ignorance as bliss and proudly accept it.
Even when one tries to educate or impress upon others the need to look around life with 'open' eyes it never works coz, in my opinion the need to, change perspective has to come from within one's self.
It reminds me of little children who are in their little shell which is coated at times with untruths to protect their innocence and, they're so happy! In this case, the happiness is well worth it...
Truth I hear has three versions - 'my','your' and the 'actual'.
I don’t think we are blind – its more looking at something with jaundiced eyes (impressions, prejudices, trust, faith adding colors to it).
9. Posted by Riya on January 21, 2007
Dear Shekhar: I have always believed that genius is an element of innocence. Innocence which believes that everything is possible and everyone is worthy. Innocence which does not fear "God" and becomes one with him. I would love to know how you perceive a "genius" and his perception of world.
Waiting!
-jasleen
10. Posted by jasleen on January 22, 2007
Thanks Rudra,
Yep ...'may be'...people who are doing well in life in every way and are happy by definition perhaps don't feel the need to think about those words!
But 'may be' THESE are the right ones to answer this question... otherwise... there are people who support HOPE, faith and belief... and then there are people like me, who will "believe" that hope is something that should come after all your 'actions' are correct and yet the desired result won't come.
But then if the action is correct then why won't result come? Doesn't that mean that the action itself was performed wrongly...and more than HOPE you will need another 'method' of doing the action!... (of course every action need not be done by a ‘method’, and every action need not have a result)...
I hope you get what I mean...or may be I'm talking nonsense...(or may be I'm not...)
But anyways...I don't know anybody as happy (by definition either because I'm not... and I don't find)...so the point will come down to...speculative knowledge...without having the final solution (at least for me! -...and if u see I have used n number of 'may be's...'perpetual seeking'???).
But honestly I would want to find...the ONE final answer (and keep adding to that. If necessary)...what are: "faith, hope and belief" and how do they play on our minds?
11. Posted by Sheetal on January 22, 2007
Sheetal , thats a very vital question you posed - 'But then if the action is correct then why won't result come?' - the very thing all kinds of prophets and preahcers tried to take advantage of , in human history .
That is what makes us doubt the work we do - the path of action is quite a mesmerising one - there are so many dependencies we dont or cant foresee - most of the results are effected by whimsical human institutions presided by equally whimsical humans !
but i cant agree that all actions need not have a result - that would violate the fundamentals of physical nature - action , however subtle will lead to a result , wouldnt it ?...
assuming we did find the final answer , would existance be so much more un-interesting thereafter ? or is it just another one of those fears which drive our quest for the answers anyway ?
i could be very wrong , but i cant help thinking that that the One Final asnwer may lie in knwoing more about our human structure - perhaps the final answer lies in this combination of anti-matter and matter that is the human being ?
12. Posted by Rudra on January 22, 2007
Thanks Rudra for rationalizing choices and destiny.
I was reading about neural networks and interpretations of vibrations/aura - as you said the mind thing or brain connection could be karmic.. never know.
13. Posted by Riya on January 22, 2007
There are numerous dilemmas attached to living as a first generation migrant in a foreign country. What started out as a global adventure for us has now left us on the crossroads... Like everyone, we have had our own triumphs and tragedies along the way.
We had our reality-check a year or so ago when my mother met with a near-fatal accident. I would like to share a piece that I wrote soon after that. I wrote it to put things into perspective and to document my pain...
I would like the readers to share their thoughts on coping with a rather difficult subject of "Aging parents living half a world away".
It is very long, so please feel free to skip.
Mum - I Love You...
I wanted to say something the day we got mum from the hospital. The moment was too overwhelming that the words just did not come out. Instead, we heard a light-hearted speech (read gobbledygook) from Arsh my one year old son. May be that was more appropriate!
Now when I slump into my armchair, I still don’t know what to say. The last one month has seen plethora emotions, such as, disbelief, trauma, guilt, despair, anxiety, helplessness, speculation, relief and sometimes even anger.
As a family, on the 22nd of September our world came to a standstill. Some of us who witnessed the horrors on that day would still be recovering from it. Charu, Bobby and Shal, It was your courage, thoughtfulness, ability, and some divine intervention that brought our mother back from the jaws of fatality. I could only imagine what you may have gone through.
On that morning, it was only after many failed attempts to contact Mum, Dad, and Shal that I got through on Bobby’s cell phone. I was expecting a regulation ‘hello’. But what followed were heart-wrenching, hapless cries of a son. I knew something had gone terribly wrong. I just did not know what… My heart and mind went in all directions while I might have cried ‘What happened?’ a zillion times. Shal took over the phone. She was able to speak, but was unusually loud, breathing heavily and stressing at every word while delivering the facts that any son would dread and given a choice, would trade for anything.
Questions sprawled all over my mind. I wanted to know more. I wanted to know it all. What, how, where, extent, recovery. How were the rest of them coping? Papa and Varun? They were the most vulnerable. The oldest and the youngest. I slumped into the ground and made a follow-up phone call to Papa. This was the most distraught dad that I had ever heard in my life. What he said between the sobs and cries was mostly incomprehensible. There was nothing I could do to comfort him. There was nothing he could do to comfort me. As a young kid I had always placed him on a pedestal and made him into a role-model. I knew I could never be like him, but nonetheless tried to emulate everything that I liked about him. I always turned to him in a moment of despair for either support or forgiveness. He never disappointed. This time was different. We were both vulnerable and weak.
After series of messages and phone calls, one thing became very clear. We all had to get together to fight this. But how? It was technically impossible for us to take the next flight to India. Veenu did not have a passport and Arsh’s visa had expired. The people at the Indian consulate were as ruthless and insensitive as ever. They seem to have a script that they follow while handing out visas. Anything outside that script is offered an inconclusive Indian nod. The woman at the counter heard me out and instead of displaying any compassion or making a positive suggestion, repeated what she had already said before: “Submit the completed application forms in the morning. Attach your flight details. It will take 5 working days”. I was too drained and lifeless to even think about protesting.
The next four or five days were full of anxiety and impatience, numerous phone calls, and lots of prayers. Charu and Shal were continuously keeping us in sync with mum’s current state. We were moving from confusion to clarity. As the days progressed, we became clearer about the damage. To picture things from this far was still quite difficult. Meanwhile, the last leg of the journey to Delhi was confirmed just a couple of days before starting out.
We boarded the plane in a totally unfamiliar state of mind. There was a certain filter applied to the mind. We were not thinking the usual things. It was a more philosophical state of mind. We were debating about life in general. How you cannot take a single day for granted. How you must love each other as much as you can each day. More than that, how important it is to sometimes, pause, and say “I love you” to someone you love. I figured that I hadn’t done that enough to mum. I had not done that enough in the last 30 years. I could not remember a single incidence of holding hands and saying to her how important she was to me. Growing up, I concentrated on friends, sports, movies, other fun things and eventually work. I loved mum all along, but, I didn’t think I had to tell her that. I was so wrong! I could have easily missed the train! There were dreadful questions: What if we had lost her? How will I console myself for the rest of my life? It was just so distressing. Veenu and I talked out most of the journey, mostly counseling each other.
14. Posted by Amit on January 23, 2007
I should not be discussing this topic here as its a personal matter but yes i did not like when u split up with suchitra..It broke our hearts, wished if this had not happened.
15. Posted by Dinaz on January 23, 2007
Hey Shekhar,
I always preferred reading your blogs like I would read of any other person's than carrying a baggage of considering u as a celebrity during these discussions. But now, since its an open thread and I am allowed to write what I wish to, then I just wanted to tell u that watching masoom has always been an overwhelming experience for me. You must have made better movies but this one is just a beautiful movie because of its simplicity, maturity and brilliant actors. It just shows how adept the person is in crafting his imagination for the viewers to see. :)
On a lighter note, it would be fun if you could share some light anecdotes in your movie making experience and hence be a fresh change from serious issues that we have been discussing of late :)
16. Posted by Nikita on January 24, 2007
Thank you, Nikita. I have intended to set up a seperate chat room for Masson as so many people seem to remember it. But the blog got much more attention than I anticipated it would. So got caught in the present ratehr than the past. But I do intent to do so, and if I don't, just remind me pl. Shekhar
17. Posted by shekhar on January 25, 2007
Anyday my pleasure Shekhar :)
18. Posted by Nikita on January 25, 2007
Shekhar,
I think masoom was released in 1983, & i vidily remember, I was 3 yrs old back then! I grew up on "lakdi ki kaathi..." & Nikita has made a fine request. we need to know more abt masoom. It was indeed a very sensitive topic handled with utmost care. I would also like to compliment you as a very perceptive & approachable writer. why don't u write for timesofindia? I read ur blogs more often than any other TOI editorials?
19. Posted by Vaidehi Dongre on January 26, 2007
Unity in diversity. Humans are all so different, our reasonings, approach, attitudes, beliefs, perceptions etc. Yet we have common needs of acceptance, sharing, team-work, communication, friendship etc. which bring us together. Such diverse unique selves thrown into interdependence ...makes a fascinating fabric.
20. Posted by Neeta on January 29, 2007
Dear Shekhar,
I'm not sure what is the best way to get a hold of you, but I came across your blog and I thought I might as well give it a shot. I work for an South Asian publication in Canada called Mehfil Magazine and we were hoping to feature you in a section where we spotlight famous South Asians from around the world. The interview would be a short Q&A focusing on your current projects and past work, if you could please get back to me when you get a chance it would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Amrinder
21. Posted by Amrinder on January 31, 2007
An Open Thread
Take up any topic you wish. Talk to each other if you so desire. Tell me what you wld like me to discuss.
21 Comments Posted. Post your comment
I have a few questions - why depend on speculative knowledge when there is a final solution available ? If it is speculative why be biased when we know we dont know ? why do we use conjectures , quotes , suggestions of other equally blind scientists ? Does questioning and not finding the answers so condition our minds that when the solution does appear in front of us , we still cannot get over this 'perpetual seeking ' - making a virtue out of this ' journey' when actually - if we look properly , there is the solution and the final goal very well defined for us ?
what is scientific ?why does everything that passes the test of 'science' as we knoww it, lend credence? since when did science and religion start differing? is it applicable to all religions -does it apply for the indian condition?
how pure is really the word 'love' ? is it something influenced a lot by the body-nerve complex? is it just a need of the mind and body which we romanticise and extend and keep revisiting endlessly while the body continiously progresses towards incapacity anyway ?
does truth give happiness ? is that why we seek to bury in a bit of welcome ignorance which gives us pleasure and company , however false?
why are we so blind and dont yet see it ?
1. Posted by Rudra on January 20, 2007
poetry -- yours; your visual mind; music; dance; your early years; people cribbing your visual ideas almost verbatim.
love, Heath
2. Posted by heather on January 20, 2007
For quite sometime now I have been intrigued about Faith, Belief, and Hope...to the extent of asking Shekhar to write about what he felt about it...it always confuses & entertains me that there is something in us and yet so beyond our control that gives us a kind of a meaning to live!
3. Posted by Sheetal Peta on January 20, 2007
Generation gaps..., Why do we grow apart in more ways than one in our relationships?
Is it abnormal for a younger person to seek a balance between the material and
spiritual world and be interested in meditation, philosophy etc, yet have a very normal thought process?
Is it wrong to question what has always been the norm and just speak out your mind against something which one feels is wrong... is this EGO?
Why is there a need to control another person in the name of love ,possessiveness or even affection - isn't this selfishness?
Is there something called ‘destiny’ or is it just ‘choices’ and ‘consequences’.
4. Posted by Riya on January 21, 2007
the recent agitation of the name 'bollywood' given to the indian film industry and why now, when it is a recognised global brand are there reasons, seemingly strong ones, to change it.
5. Posted by A.G. on January 21, 2007
Sheetal , those are indeed , words to feel intrigued about - hope is perhaps the difference between life and death -there are so many people who endure the life's many pains in the hope that tommorow brings a better life , hope in a way is the ray of light for those who are trapped in the dark - ie for those who realise they are in the dark .
hope itself implies faith by definition - there is no hope without faith in something - and when we look around perhaps faith is the singular thing that keep life going . i am not sure if pain and death are the same thing though ?
i think its about having the heart for things - that is the only difference between real life and the state of death - so perhaps its not surprising that this ' meaning of life' we invent and seek is an oxymoron . people who are doing well in life in every way and are happy by definition - perhaps dont feel the need to think about those words ?
6. Posted by Rudra on January 21, 2007
Dear Shekhar,
This is the first time I am writing and I would like to be a regular part of this board. I am 32 and live in TIMES SQUARE, MANHATTAN (yes within the same zip code 10036). I am a business grad from the US and lived most of my life till my undergrad in Delhi.
Things that I'd like to discuss would be the ones I feel really passionate about. I live alone in a very pretty apartment (have mainly American friends, who take me to places like LE CIRQUE and ST.REGIS regularly). Coming from a purely capitalistic mindset I would like you or anyone to comment on the following things:
1. WEALTH - WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON WEALTH AND DO YOU SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THIS WORLD.
2. PASSION - HOW DO YOU DEFINE PASSION AND HOW DO WE GET IT? - DO WE ALWAYS CHOOSE OUR GOALS BASED ON OUR CIRCUMSTANCES/KNOWLEDGE OR WE DECIDE OUT OF THE BLUE I.E. WHERE DOES THAT INITAL PASSION COME FROM?
3. PROVIDENCE - WHAT IS PROVIDENCE ACCORDING TO YOU?
4. HONESTY - IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST AND EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL?
5. LIFE CHOICE - SHOULD WE LIVE FOR OURSELVES OR FOR THE WORLD? - WOULD YOU BE BILL GATES OR MOTHER TERESA?
6. WHAT MATTERS? - I once read a quote (I read thousands) about not taking life too seriously which stuck with me - "NOTHING MATTERS VERY MUCH, AND FEW THINGS MATTER AT ALL" - According to you - WHAT MATTERS IN THIS LIFE - IF ANYTHING AT ALL?
I really respect you so you can choose any of the above 6 topics and tell me what you feel and I will reply with utmost sincerity.
I'll hope to hear from all of you.
Thank you,
Indian Achiever (for now)
7. Posted by Indian Achiever on January 21, 2007
Riya , interesting poser - choices and consequences actually begin after we are born. what about the choice of birth ? is it made at all? or is it nature that chooses which womb we enter as a soul?
unless that is answered i dont think we can really hit the truth about choices we make. perhaps the law of karma is true then , since it explains that the sum total of our actions of mind and body decide our next birth - and this whole concept of re-incarnation was so simply accepted by our ancestors - so in many ways choices and consequences make our destiny - we dont yet completely know what action has what consequence .
for instance we underestimate the power of good - even the people who are 'obviously' undeserving for some reasons - may in their private lives be doing a lot of good knowingly or unknowingly , i think thats where the mathematical prescision of karma comes in - whether you do an act of mind and body , knowingly or unknowingly , it adds up to the balance sheet of karma.
amazing , if only we knew that was the truth or that karma is the rule book of the universe. perhaps it is , perhaps it isnt -it boild down to faith , which again is an act of mind which itself is a karmic thing...phew.
8. Posted by Rudra on January 21, 2007
Rudra:About truth and happiness
The way I see it, for some truth is almost like a resolve and although they seek the truth all the time, happiness eludes them as it is deemed not practical in the world we live in. Most of the time people revel in ignorance as bliss and proudly accept it.
Even when one tries to educate or impress upon others the need to look around life with 'open' eyes it never works coz, in my opinion the need to, change perspective has to come from within one's self.
It reminds me of little children who are in their little shell which is coated at times with untruths to protect their innocence and, they're so happy! In this case, the happiness is well worth it...
Truth I hear has three versions - 'my','your' and the 'actual'.
I don’t think we are blind – its more looking at something with jaundiced eyes (impressions, prejudices, trust, faith adding colors to it).
9. Posted by Riya on January 21, 2007
Dear Shekhar: I have always believed that genius is an element of innocence. Innocence which believes that everything is possible and everyone is worthy. Innocence which does not fear "God" and becomes one with him. I would love to know how you perceive a "genius" and his perception of world.
Waiting!
-jasleen
10. Posted by jasleen on January 22, 2007
Thanks Rudra,
Yep ...'may be'...people who are doing well in life in every way and are happy by definition perhaps don't feel the need to think about those words!
But 'may be' THESE are the right ones to answer this question... otherwise... there are people who support HOPE, faith and belief... and then there are people like me, who will "believe" that hope is something that should come after all your 'actions' are correct and yet the desired result won't come.
But then if the action is correct then why won't result come? Doesn't that mean that the action itself was performed wrongly...and more than HOPE you will need another 'method' of doing the action!... (of course every action need not be done by a ‘method’, and every action need not have a result)...
I hope you get what I mean...or may be I'm talking nonsense...(or may be I'm not...)
But anyways...I don't know anybody as happy (by definition either because I'm not... and I don't find)...so the point will come down to...speculative knowledge...without having the final solution (at least for me! -...and if u see I have used n number of 'may be's...'perpetual seeking'???).
But honestly I would want to find...the ONE final answer (and keep adding to that. If necessary)...what are: "faith, hope and belief" and how do they play on our minds?
11. Posted by Sheetal on January 22, 2007
Sheetal , thats a very vital question you posed - 'But then if the action is correct then why won't result come?' - the very thing all kinds of prophets and preahcers tried to take advantage of , in human history .
That is what makes us doubt the work we do - the path of action is quite a mesmerising one - there are so many dependencies we dont or cant foresee - most of the results are effected by whimsical human institutions presided by equally whimsical humans !
but i cant agree that all actions need not have a result - that would violate the fundamentals of physical nature - action , however subtle will lead to a result , wouldnt it ?...
assuming we did find the final answer , would existance be so much more un-interesting thereafter ? or is it just another one of those fears which drive our quest for the answers anyway ?
i could be very wrong , but i cant help thinking that that the One Final asnwer may lie in knwoing more about our human structure - perhaps the final answer lies in this combination of anti-matter and matter that is the human being ?
12. Posted by Rudra on January 22, 2007
Thanks Rudra for rationalizing choices and destiny.
I was reading about neural networks and interpretations of vibrations/aura - as you said the mind thing or brain connection could be karmic.. never know.
13. Posted by Riya on January 22, 2007
There are numerous dilemmas attached to living as a first generation migrant in a foreign country. What started out as a global adventure for us has now left us on the crossroads... Like everyone, we have had our own triumphs and tragedies along the way.
We had our reality-check a year or so ago when my mother met with a near-fatal accident. I would like to share a piece that I wrote soon after that. I wrote it to put things into perspective and to document my pain...
I would like the readers to share their thoughts on coping with a rather difficult subject of "Aging parents living half a world away".
It is very long, so please feel free to skip.
Mum - I Love You...
I wanted to say something the day we got mum from the hospital. The moment was too overwhelming that the words just did not come out. Instead, we heard a light-hearted speech (read gobbledygook) from Arsh my one year old son. May be that was more appropriate!
Now when I slump into my armchair, I still don’t know what to say. The last one month has seen plethora emotions, such as, disbelief, trauma, guilt, despair, anxiety, helplessness, speculation, relief and sometimes even anger.
As a family, on the 22nd of September our world came to a standstill. Some of us who witnessed the horrors on that day would still be recovering from it. Charu, Bobby and Shal, It was your courage, thoughtfulness, ability, and some divine intervention that brought our mother back from the jaws of fatality. I could only imagine what you may have gone through.
On that morning, it was only after many failed attempts to contact Mum, Dad, and Shal that I got through on Bobby’s cell phone. I was expecting a regulation ‘hello’. But what followed were heart-wrenching, hapless cries of a son. I knew something had gone terribly wrong. I just did not know what… My heart and mind went in all directions while I might have cried ‘What happened?’ a zillion times. Shal took over the phone. She was able to speak, but was unusually loud, breathing heavily and stressing at every word while delivering the facts that any son would dread and given a choice, would trade for anything.
Questions sprawled all over my mind. I wanted to know more. I wanted to know it all. What, how, where, extent, recovery. How were the rest of them coping? Papa and Varun? They were the most vulnerable. The oldest and the youngest. I slumped into the ground and made a follow-up phone call to Papa. This was the most distraught dad that I had ever heard in my life. What he said between the sobs and cries was mostly incomprehensible. There was nothing I could do to comfort him. There was nothing he could do to comfort me. As a young kid I had always placed him on a pedestal and made him into a role-model. I knew I could never be like him, but nonetheless tried to emulate everything that I liked about him. I always turned to him in a moment of despair for either support or forgiveness. He never disappointed. This time was different. We were both vulnerable and weak.
After series of messages and phone calls, one thing became very clear. We all had to get together to fight this. But how? It was technically impossible for us to take the next flight to India. Veenu did not have a passport and Arsh’s visa had expired. The people at the Indian consulate were as ruthless and insensitive as ever. They seem to have a script that they follow while handing out visas. Anything outside that script is offered an inconclusive Indian nod. The woman at the counter heard me out and instead of displaying any compassion or making a positive suggestion, repeated what she had already said before: “Submit the completed application forms in the morning. Attach your flight details. It will take 5 working days”. I was too drained and lifeless to even think about protesting.
The next four or five days were full of anxiety and impatience, numerous phone calls, and lots of prayers. Charu and Shal were continuously keeping us in sync with mum’s current state. We were moving from confusion to clarity. As the days progressed, we became clearer about the damage. To picture things from this far was still quite difficult. Meanwhile, the last leg of the journey to Delhi was confirmed just a couple of days before starting out.
We boarded the plane in a totally unfamiliar state of mind. There was a certain filter applied to the mind. We were not thinking the usual things. It was a more philosophical state of mind. We were debating about life in general. How you cannot take a single day for granted. How you must love each other as much as you can each day. More than that, how important it is to sometimes, pause, and say “I love you” to someone you love. I figured that I hadn’t done that enough to mum. I had not done that enough in the last 30 years. I could not remember a single incidence of holding hands and saying to her how important she was to me. Growing up, I concentrated on friends, sports, movies, other fun things and eventually work. I loved mum all along, but, I didn’t think I had to tell her that. I was so wrong! I could have easily missed the train! There were dreadful questions: What if we had lost her? How will I console myself for the rest of my life? It was just so distressing. Veenu and I talked out most of the journey, mostly counseling each other.
14. Posted by Amit on January 23, 2007
I should not be discussing this topic here as its a personal matter but yes i did not like when u split up with suchitra..It broke our hearts, wished if this had not happened.
15. Posted by Dinaz on January 23, 2007
Hey Shekhar,
I always preferred reading your blogs like I would read of any other person's than carrying a baggage of considering u as a celebrity during these discussions. But now, since its an open thread and I am allowed to write what I wish to, then I just wanted to tell u that watching masoom has always been an overwhelming experience for me. You must have made better movies but this one is just a beautiful movie because of its simplicity, maturity and brilliant actors. It just shows how adept the person is in crafting his imagination for the viewers to see. :)
On a lighter note, it would be fun if you could share some light anecdotes in your movie making experience and hence be a fresh change from serious issues that we have been discussing of late :)
16. Posted by Nikita on January 24, 2007
Thank you, Nikita. I have intended to set up a seperate chat room for Masson as so many people seem to remember it. But the blog got much more attention than I anticipated it would. So got caught in the present ratehr than the past. But I do intent to do so, and if I don't, just remind me pl. Shekhar
17. Posted by shekhar on January 25, 2007
Anyday my pleasure Shekhar :)
18. Posted by Nikita on January 25, 2007
Shekhar,
I think masoom was released in 1983, & i vidily remember, I was 3 yrs old back then! I grew up on "lakdi ki kaathi..." & Nikita has made a fine request. we need to know more abt masoom. It was indeed a very sensitive topic handled with utmost care. I would also like to compliment you as a very perceptive & approachable writer. why don't u write for timesofindia? I read ur blogs more often than any other TOI editorials?
19. Posted by Vaidehi Dongre on January 26, 2007
Unity in diversity. Humans are all so different, our reasonings, approach, attitudes, beliefs, perceptions etc. Yet we have common needs of acceptance, sharing, team-work, communication, friendship etc. which bring us together. Such diverse unique selves thrown into interdependence ...makes a fascinating fabric.
20. Posted by Neeta on January 29, 2007
Dear Shekhar,
I'm not sure what is the best way to get a hold of you, but I came across your blog and I thought I might as well give it a shot. I work for an South Asian publication in Canada called Mehfil Magazine and we were hoping to feature you in a section where we spotlight famous South Asians from around the world. The interview would be a short Q&A focusing on your current projects and past work, if you could please get back to me when you get a chance it would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Amrinder
21. Posted by Amrinder on January 31, 2007
Shilpa Shetty in Big Brother 2
January 19, 2007 | 02:56 AM
Shilpa Shetty in Big Brother 2
And now the Indian parliament has got in to 'Big Brother' act,....
...and our ministers have expressed outrage at the racial abuse against Shilpa. And 'against Indian womanhood' said one Minister !
Hang on, how about the treatment of women in our own country, where millions are raped, disfigured, exploited, abused and prejudiced against ? Even by our own police force !What about racism in our own society ? I remember in my college days we had some Nigerian students. At mealtimes no one would sit next to them. I know many Indian families in the West that would rather die than have their daughters or sons marry a black person.
Dont forget that 'Fair and Lovely' is by far the largest selling cosmetic in India.
Is there rascism in UK ? Of course there is. But is Big Brother the platform that we should all get up in arms over ? Of coure not. It's just a bunch of silly people acting out a silly pantomine in a silly voyeristic show, which, before Shilpa came into it, was rapidly declining in viewership.
Oh well, Shilpa should get a lot more money from Channel 4 for reviving their show,
Shekhar
Shilpa Shetty in Big Brother 2
And now the Indian parliament has got in to 'Big Brother' act,....
...and our ministers have expressed outrage at the racial abuse against Shilpa. And 'against Indian womanhood' said one Minister !
Hang on, how about the treatment of women in our own country, where millions are raped, disfigured, exploited, abused and prejudiced against ? Even by our own police force !What about racism in our own society ? I remember in my college days we had some Nigerian students. At mealtimes no one would sit next to them. I know many Indian families in the West that would rather die than have their daughters or sons marry a black person.
Dont forget that 'Fair and Lovely' is by far the largest selling cosmetic in India.
Is there rascism in UK ? Of course there is. But is Big Brother the platform that we should all get up in arms over ? Of coure not. It's just a bunch of silly people acting out a silly pantomine in a silly voyeristic show, which, before Shilpa came into it, was rapidly declining in viewership.
Oh well, Shilpa should get a lot more money from Channel 4 for reviving their show,
Shekhar
Shilpa Shetty in Big Brother
January 17, 2007 | 01:23 AM
Shilpa Shetty in Big Brother
Ok, I dont watch Big Brother so maybe I should not comment. But I could not help noticing that people are up in arms against the racial abuse ..
..Shilpa Shetty is getting from her house mates. Hey guys ! What ? You mean Big Brother is this politically correct show where everyone goes to show how well behaved they are ?They go to Big Brother for exactly the opposite reasons, surely. You don't get noticed unless you behave incorrectly. The show survives on human failings. It survives on human agony and pain. It survives on people exposing their dark sides to viewers. So how hypocritical of the Channel to publicly apologise. They are probably rubbing their hands in glee over the controversy.
A don't you worry about the beautiful Ms Shetty. I have known her for years and she survived all these years in Bollywood, so she is a real survivor. She can take it.
Can you ?
Shekhar
Shilpa Shetty in Big Brother
Ok, I dont watch Big Brother so maybe I should not comment. But I could not help noticing that people are up in arms against the racial abuse ..
..Shilpa Shetty is getting from her house mates. Hey guys ! What ? You mean Big Brother is this politically correct show where everyone goes to show how well behaved they are ?They go to Big Brother for exactly the opposite reasons, surely. You don't get noticed unless you behave incorrectly. The show survives on human failings. It survives on human agony and pain. It survives on people exposing their dark sides to viewers. So how hypocritical of the Channel to publicly apologise. They are probably rubbing their hands in glee over the controversy.
A don't you worry about the beautiful Ms Shetty. I have known her for years and she survived all these years in Bollywood, so she is a real survivor. She can take it.
Can you ?
Shekhar
The Indian Constitution and us
January 16, 2007 | 12:04 AM
The Indian Constitution and us
26th of Novermber 1949. Our Constitution promised EVERY Citizen of India JUSTICE, LIBERTY, EQUALITY and FRATERNITY. Not just for those that could afford it. But every Individual. Isn't it time for us to remind ourselves how miserably we have failed our Constitution ? Here is a copy of the front page :
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.
We all know that the Poitics and the Politicians of our country have failed us. Failed our Constitution. Miserably. And I would say Criminally. The parents of Nithari Village, for example, would look disbelievingly at anyone that would read them their Fundamental Rights. As would 70 PERCENT OF OUR PEOPLE.
But there is another chapter on FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES of every Citizen of India. And in performing of these Fundamental Duties, we are excercising our right under our Constitution :
PART IVA
FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES
51A. Fundamental duties.—It shall be the duty of every citizen of India—
(a) to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem;
(b) to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom;
(c) to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;
(d) to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;
(e) to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women;
(f) to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;
(g) to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures;
(h) to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;
(i) to safeguard public property and to abjure violence;
(j) to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement.
Are we aware of our Fundamental Duties ? Let's question ourselves, and see where we also as Individuals have failed. And if we have, how do we as Individuals, or as a collective perform OUR fundamental duties.
Shekhar
The Indian Constitution and us
26th of Novermber 1949. Our Constitution promised EVERY Citizen of India JUSTICE, LIBERTY, EQUALITY and FRATERNITY. Not just for those that could afford it. But every Individual. Isn't it time for us to remind ourselves how miserably we have failed our Constitution ? Here is a copy of the front page :
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.
We all know that the Poitics and the Politicians of our country have failed us. Failed our Constitution. Miserably. And I would say Criminally. The parents of Nithari Village, for example, would look disbelievingly at anyone that would read them their Fundamental Rights. As would 70 PERCENT OF OUR PEOPLE.
But there is another chapter on FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES of every Citizen of India. And in performing of these Fundamental Duties, we are excercising our right under our Constitution :
PART IVA
FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES
51A. Fundamental duties.—It shall be the duty of every citizen of India—
(a) to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem;
(b) to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom;
(c) to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;
(d) to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;
(e) to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women;
(f) to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;
(g) to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures;
(h) to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;
(i) to safeguard public property and to abjure violence;
(j) to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement.
Are we aware of our Fundamental Duties ? Let's question ourselves, and see where we also as Individuals have failed. And if we have, how do we as Individuals, or as a collective perform OUR fundamental duties.
Shekhar
Child sex abuse in Goa
January 11, 2007 | 11:55 PM
Child sex abuse in Goa
While everyone is ga ga over India's 10% pa economic growth, and cell phone companies are valued at $ 25 Billion, little children are killed for their organs while the parents are still searching for them a year later. And now a new report says that Goa is taking over from Cambodia and Thailand as the child prostitution capital of the world. What's going wrong with our society ?
Goa is THE destination of the Indian Elite for Christmas and New Year. All the people that care have to do is say "We will not visit Goa unless this abuse of our children by foreign tourists is stopped and the local goverment takes immediate action".
Then watch the local hotels owners themselves force the local goverment to take action as they lose bussiness.
Check this site :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6230957.stm
shekhar
Child sex abuse in Goa
While everyone is ga ga over India's 10% pa economic growth, and cell phone companies are valued at $ 25 Billion, little children are killed for their organs while the parents are still searching for them a year later. And now a new report says that Goa is taking over from Cambodia and Thailand as the child prostitution capital of the world. What's going wrong with our society ?
Goa is THE destination of the Indian Elite for Christmas and New Year. All the people that care have to do is say "We will not visit Goa unless this abuse of our children by foreign tourists is stopped and the local goverment takes immediate action".
Then watch the local hotels owners themselves force the local goverment to take action as they lose bussiness.
Check this site :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6230957.stm
shekhar
Shedding crocodile tears for Saddam
January 10, 2007 | 02:27 PM
Shedding crocodile tears for Saddam
So Tony blair and other leaders in UK and the US now condemn the hanging of Saddam Hussien and the way the trial was handled. Hang on...
... both hail the death sentence and say that the trial was just and fair ? Didn't the US forces deliver Saddam on the morning of the hanging ?
And wasn't the stated purpose of the invasion the elimination of Saddam Hussein (though less and less people are believing that now)
So why the crocodile tears now ? The coalition invasion forces could have easily stopped the hanging if they wanted to. What caught them all by suprise was the video, I guess. CNN and Time magaizine, amongst others reported that Saddam looked scared. Not to me he didn't. He seemed remarkably composed for a man that was about to have his neck jerked apart in a minute .
I am not standing up for Saddam. But I am sick and tired of the duplicity of the coalition forces in Iraq. What kind of schoolboy politicians run the US administration if they did not know about the differences between Shia and Sunni. What kind of schoolboy politicians really believed that Iraqi's would continue to welcome foreign invaders with open arms ? When was the last time any Arab nation lived comfortably under foreign rule ? Especially non islamic Western rule ?
Even if the US went to civil war, would the people of the US accept a foriegn Chinese (say) army come and attempt to bring peace ? Would they accept Chinese soldiers on American soil running the country ?
And then when Bush lost the majority, the world celeberated. Everyone hoped this was the end of the occupation of Iraq. But now there is talk of even more troops.
Let's face it. The US and the UK are in for a long haul. They can't leave and they can't stay. They cannot win in Iraq, for there cannot be any defined goalposts any more. Saddam is dead. There are no weapons of mass destruction. But the coalition forces have fostered a civil war that is taking more lives than Saddam ever did. They do not know how to end the Civil War.
Maybe they have no desire to. Perhaps both the Uk and US want to stay on in Iraq. Perhaps they want to increase and have a permanent presence there. After all, who cares about the lives of over half a million Iraqi civilians that died after the invasion.
Not in face of the politcs of Oil.
And I do not shed a even a crocodile tear for Saddam Hussein. I just hate Colonization under any pretext.
Shekhar
Shedding crocodile tears for Saddam
So Tony blair and other leaders in UK and the US now condemn the hanging of Saddam Hussien and the way the trial was handled. Hang on...
... both hail the death sentence and say that the trial was just and fair ? Didn't the US forces deliver Saddam on the morning of the hanging ?
And wasn't the stated purpose of the invasion the elimination of Saddam Hussein (though less and less people are believing that now)
So why the crocodile tears now ? The coalition invasion forces could have easily stopped the hanging if they wanted to. What caught them all by suprise was the video, I guess. CNN and Time magaizine, amongst others reported that Saddam looked scared. Not to me he didn't. He seemed remarkably composed for a man that was about to have his neck jerked apart in a minute .
I am not standing up for Saddam. But I am sick and tired of the duplicity of the coalition forces in Iraq. What kind of schoolboy politicians run the US administration if they did not know about the differences between Shia and Sunni. What kind of schoolboy politicians really believed that Iraqi's would continue to welcome foreign invaders with open arms ? When was the last time any Arab nation lived comfortably under foreign rule ? Especially non islamic Western rule ?
Even if the US went to civil war, would the people of the US accept a foriegn Chinese (say) army come and attempt to bring peace ? Would they accept Chinese soldiers on American soil running the country ?
And then when Bush lost the majority, the world celeberated. Everyone hoped this was the end of the occupation of Iraq. But now there is talk of even more troops.
Let's face it. The US and the UK are in for a long haul. They can't leave and they can't stay. They cannot win in Iraq, for there cannot be any defined goalposts any more. Saddam is dead. There are no weapons of mass destruction. But the coalition forces have fostered a civil war that is taking more lives than Saddam ever did. They do not know how to end the Civil War.
Maybe they have no desire to. Perhaps both the Uk and US want to stay on in Iraq. Perhaps they want to increase and have a permanent presence there. After all, who cares about the lives of over half a million Iraqi civilians that died after the invasion.
Not in face of the politcs of Oil.
And I do not shed a even a crocodile tear for Saddam Hussein. I just hate Colonization under any pretext.
Shekhar
Oprah's School
January 09, 2007 | 12:04 PM
Oprah's School
Sure, there is going to be a lot of critcism about the elitist nature of the enterprise, and about the immense amount of media coverage. But this one so obviously comes from Oprah's heart. She is welcome to India anytime. Do read Nikita's comment under "A Mother's letter from Noida" where she sees Oprah's actions as a mirrot to ourselves and asks if we are doing enough ourselves for the children in our communities. In India almost 50% of all children lack basic primary education. That is an awful figure for a country that aspires to be the next global power. I would like to share something my own driver told me ....
His four children live and go to a free goverment run primary school in a village in Maharashtra. However that's just in theory. The teachers rarely come to the school, or they send someone else, while they themselves are picking up the salary for teaching but in effect are working elsewhere. That someone else is not a teacher.
So the village got together and pooed resources and started their own school ! Which the parents themselves look after. Now they are trying to convince the state goverment to recognize the school. But in the meantime atleast the kids are getting decent education.
In India I know of so many people that have taken the responsibility of educating atleast one child. My father who was a pedriatician always had a few kids who's education he paid for. My mother spent years and years trying to create a school in Delhi for handicapped children. She suceeded just before she died. I do pay for the education of some children. Suchitra (my ex wife) goes every week to give singing lessons to street children in Mumbai. India is fairly generous like that.
The great thing about that is that instead of merely contributing in cash to an organization, you get to know the child and feel personally responsible. Could we all take repsonsibility for one child that is not our own, who's education and other financial needs we look after ?
Yet there are millions of children that you never hear of. They and their families live outside the system. They are what I call the forgotton people. You will never get in touch with them because they are just not integrated into what we call the Indian society. How do we reach out to them ?
How does any system reach out to them. It was these scores of children that were so brutally murdered in Delhi recently. It was these children who's bodies were cut up for their organs. It was these children's parents that begged and begged the police to help find their missing children. And they were just laughed at.
And all this not in some outlying unconnected village, but in the heart of India's capital city ???
Shekhar
Oprah's School
Sure, there is going to be a lot of critcism about the elitist nature of the enterprise, and about the immense amount of media coverage. But this one so obviously comes from Oprah's heart. She is welcome to India anytime. Do read Nikita's comment under "A Mother's letter from Noida" where she sees Oprah's actions as a mirrot to ourselves and asks if we are doing enough ourselves for the children in our communities. In India almost 50% of all children lack basic primary education. That is an awful figure for a country that aspires to be the next global power. I would like to share something my own driver told me ....
His four children live and go to a free goverment run primary school in a village in Maharashtra. However that's just in theory. The teachers rarely come to the school, or they send someone else, while they themselves are picking up the salary for teaching but in effect are working elsewhere. That someone else is not a teacher.
So the village got together and pooed resources and started their own school ! Which the parents themselves look after. Now they are trying to convince the state goverment to recognize the school. But in the meantime atleast the kids are getting decent education.
In India I know of so many people that have taken the responsibility of educating atleast one child. My father who was a pedriatician always had a few kids who's education he paid for. My mother spent years and years trying to create a school in Delhi for handicapped children. She suceeded just before she died. I do pay for the education of some children. Suchitra (my ex wife) goes every week to give singing lessons to street children in Mumbai. India is fairly generous like that.
The great thing about that is that instead of merely contributing in cash to an organization, you get to know the child and feel personally responsible. Could we all take repsonsibility for one child that is not our own, who's education and other financial needs we look after ?
Yet there are millions of children that you never hear of. They and their families live outside the system. They are what I call the forgotton people. You will never get in touch with them because they are just not integrated into what we call the Indian society. How do we reach out to them ?
How does any system reach out to them. It was these scores of children that were so brutally murdered in Delhi recently. It was these children who's bodies were cut up for their organs. It was these children's parents that begged and begged the police to help find their missing children. And they were just laughed at.
And all this not in some outlying unconnected village, but in the heart of India's capital city ???
Shekhar
A mother's letter from Noida
January 07, 2007 | 09:31 PM
A mother's letter from Noida
I was told that they found my daughter's body. Not the whole body, just the legs, arms and severed head. The agony now ends. For a year I have been begging the police to help find her. They would humiliate us, and sneer. " She must have run away with a boy" they laughed.
My daughter was 9 years old when she went missing....
I am told that her body was cut up surgically. I pray that she felt no pain. I pray that whoever took her away from us, had atleast taekn such innocent lives with some compassion.
But I can't help imagining her screams as they took the knife to her. May God forgive them, but I do not have any forgiveness left in me.
I am told they took her kidneys. I want to meet the child that has her kidneys. I want to bless her. It's not that child's fault. But I want to meet the doctors, the hospitals, the airlines that carried my child's kidneys and ask them :
"Did u think once about the innocent life you took so callously ?" I want to ask the policemen that helped them. " Does a life mean nothing to you just because we are poor ?"
Now every politician comes to our village. I say to them "Come to our village only if you can bring our children back. Otherwise you have come too late. Leave us to our grief and our fate. As you have done so ever since I can remember. And will continue to do so till we die. Nothing will change".
"We are told we are Indian. We are not. You all are Indians. We are the forgotten people. We do not want to be Indians. It was Indians who took our children. We do not want to be part of you".
shekhar
Shekhar
A mother's letter from Noida
I was told that they found my daughter's body. Not the whole body, just the legs, arms and severed head. The agony now ends. For a year I have been begging the police to help find her. They would humiliate us, and sneer. " She must have run away with a boy" they laughed.
My daughter was 9 years old when she went missing....
I am told that her body was cut up surgically. I pray that she felt no pain. I pray that whoever took her away from us, had atleast taekn such innocent lives with some compassion.
But I can't help imagining her screams as they took the knife to her. May God forgive them, but I do not have any forgiveness left in me.
I am told they took her kidneys. I want to meet the child that has her kidneys. I want to bless her. It's not that child's fault. But I want to meet the doctors, the hospitals, the airlines that carried my child's kidneys and ask them :
"Did u think once about the innocent life you took so callously ?" I want to ask the policemen that helped them. " Does a life mean nothing to you just because we are poor ?"
Now every politician comes to our village. I say to them "Come to our village only if you can bring our children back. Otherwise you have come too late. Leave us to our grief and our fate. As you have done so ever since I can remember. And will continue to do so till we die. Nothing will change".
"We are told we are Indian. We are not. You all are Indians. We are the forgotten people. We do not want to be Indians. It was Indians who took our children. We do not want to be part of you".
shekhar
Shekhar
2006 will be remembered for ....
December 29, 2006 | 10:46 AM
2006 will be remembered for ....
10 years from now in 2016, here are the ten things that 2006 will be most remembered for ...
1. The Decline of the Big Brother....
It is the year that world over people lost their fear of the Western powers, represented mostly by the US and it's immediate Western allies. Financially, politically or economically. The loosing of the War in Iraq, the inability to contain Hamas in Lebanon, the inability to contain the nuclear ambitions of Iran or North Korea, the continued spiralling dollar, the inability to get China to bow down in the revaluation of the Yuan. The sheer audacity of the President of Venezuela publicly denouncing the President of the United states a Devil on US soil in the UN. All were signs of a world now realizing that power balances were shifting elsewhere.
2. Green Power
As scientists released alarming data on the melting of the Glaciers and Artic ice at alarming rates, the consumer increasingly began looking to buy products from 'Greener' corporations. Global warming finally came to be accepted as a major issue and threat to Gobal environment . And so in 2006 began the race to save the Planet.
3. The power of the Individual
This year the individual finally found a way to fight back. Against the power of the State, the Corporate behemoth and any other Power Structure. . 2006 will be known as the year that Blogging came into it's own. Expect now for Tv and News Channels to be challenged by blogTv. Radio by blogRadio. Expect now to see Global alliances to be made by millions of individuals through their Blogs that will threaten the concept of the Nation State.
4. When 15 minutes of fame became 15 seconds of fame.
2006 will be know as the year that long term Iconism in Media was finally challenged. Internet sites like Youtube, Myspace coupled with mobile entertainment gave the consumer such a huge choice as anyone had the ability to put themselves out on the net. New pop idols and stars will rise and fall in a space of weeks as the consumer is hammered with new images and sounds every minute.
5. The coming back of Tuberculosis.
In 2006 the WHO started to ring the alarm bells on new mutated strains of TB. TB threatens to become as ravaging an epidemic as Aids is now. Mass transit and Globalization will make it difficult to contain. The airlines will suffer their greatest loss as air travel becomes the biggest source of spread of the infection.
6. Hritick Roshan
The rise of Hritik Roshan started in 2006, when after Dhoom 2 he made a statement of his readiness to challenge International Stardom. He will go on become India's first $ 20 million dollar actor.
7. The decline of the human actor.
It was the year that animation films began to far far out gross live action films internationally. With a little Penguin in 'Happy Feet' becoming much more popular than a new hyped James Bond. Gradually the big blockbuster films will increasingly be Animation films, and live action films taking a poor second place. Most 'live' actors will gravitate to TV sitcoms. Even New Media will generally be animated. The big stars will be lifelike animated characters.
8. The beginnings of the invasion of the Indian mythic characters.
In 2006 the success of Virgin Comics to brand Indianized mythical characters such as Devi into the international markets within one year of inception, will begin a rising tide that will swamp older and Western characters. Such as Batman, Superman, Spiderman etc and other 'Disney' characters with newer, more mythic Eastern characters.
9. Low intensity Radioactivity started as the new weapon of Terrorism.
In 2006 an ex KGB operative Alexandra Litivenko was assassinated using Polonium 210. It will give rise to a a new weapon of fear and mass killing to be used by Terrorists.
10. Civil strife in the UK
The seeds were sown in 2006, with the Goverment coming out heavily in favour of banning the Hijab. Along the fear phobia of home grown Islamic terrorists, the Government began to sow the society with fears of mass migration from Eastern Europe. The Prime Minister came out publicly and said that the ' British Way of Life' was under threat. The fear phsycosis that will set in will turn immigrant areas into battle fields. As the trouble spreads to London, Capital and financial management will fly out of the City, depriving the UK of one of it's largest sources of GDP.
2006 will be remembered for ....
10 years from now in 2016, here are the ten things that 2006 will be most remembered for ...
1. The Decline of the Big Brother....
It is the year that world over people lost their fear of the Western powers, represented mostly by the US and it's immediate Western allies. Financially, politically or economically. The loosing of the War in Iraq, the inability to contain Hamas in Lebanon, the inability to contain the nuclear ambitions of Iran or North Korea, the continued spiralling dollar, the inability to get China to bow down in the revaluation of the Yuan. The sheer audacity of the President of Venezuela publicly denouncing the President of the United states a Devil on US soil in the UN. All were signs of a world now realizing that power balances were shifting elsewhere.
2. Green Power
As scientists released alarming data on the melting of the Glaciers and Artic ice at alarming rates, the consumer increasingly began looking to buy products from 'Greener' corporations. Global warming finally came to be accepted as a major issue and threat to Gobal environment . And so in 2006 began the race to save the Planet.
3. The power of the Individual
This year the individual finally found a way to fight back. Against the power of the State, the Corporate behemoth and any other Power Structure. . 2006 will be known as the year that Blogging came into it's own. Expect now for Tv and News Channels to be challenged by blogTv. Radio by blogRadio. Expect now to see Global alliances to be made by millions of individuals through their Blogs that will threaten the concept of the Nation State.
4. When 15 minutes of fame became 15 seconds of fame.
2006 will be know as the year that long term Iconism in Media was finally challenged. Internet sites like Youtube, Myspace coupled with mobile entertainment gave the consumer such a huge choice as anyone had the ability to put themselves out on the net. New pop idols and stars will rise and fall in a space of weeks as the consumer is hammered with new images and sounds every minute.
5. The coming back of Tuberculosis.
In 2006 the WHO started to ring the alarm bells on new mutated strains of TB. TB threatens to become as ravaging an epidemic as Aids is now. Mass transit and Globalization will make it difficult to contain. The airlines will suffer their greatest loss as air travel becomes the biggest source of spread of the infection.
6. Hritick Roshan
The rise of Hritik Roshan started in 2006, when after Dhoom 2 he made a statement of his readiness to challenge International Stardom. He will go on become India's first $ 20 million dollar actor.
7. The decline of the human actor.
It was the year that animation films began to far far out gross live action films internationally. With a little Penguin in 'Happy Feet' becoming much more popular than a new hyped James Bond. Gradually the big blockbuster films will increasingly be Animation films, and live action films taking a poor second place. Most 'live' actors will gravitate to TV sitcoms. Even New Media will generally be animated. The big stars will be lifelike animated characters.
8. The beginnings of the invasion of the Indian mythic characters.
In 2006 the success of Virgin Comics to brand Indianized mythical characters such as Devi into the international markets within one year of inception, will begin a rising tide that will swamp older and Western characters. Such as Batman, Superman, Spiderman etc and other 'Disney' characters with newer, more mythic Eastern characters.
9. Low intensity Radioactivity started as the new weapon of Terrorism.
In 2006 an ex KGB operative Alexandra Litivenko was assassinated using Polonium 210. It will give rise to a a new weapon of fear and mass killing to be used by Terrorists.
10. Civil strife in the UK
The seeds were sown in 2006, with the Goverment coming out heavily in favour of banning the Hijab. Along the fear phobia of home grown Islamic terrorists, the Government began to sow the society with fears of mass migration from Eastern Europe. The Prime Minister came out publicly and said that the ' British Way of Life' was under threat. The fear phsycosis that will set in will turn immigrant areas into battle fields. As the trouble spreads to London, Capital and financial management will fly out of the City, depriving the UK of one of it's largest sources of GDP.
Amitabh vs Shahrukh
December 27, 2006 | 08:22 PM
Amitabh vs Shahrukh
The newspapers are blazing with pages full of the supposed power struggle between the two stars.
The power struggle apparently (if the papers are to be believed) is dividing the biggest political leaders, the biggest industrial icons in India.
But can any one tell me what this power struggle is about, struggle for what ? Am I stupid or is this all so silly ..Or does the Media think that the people in India are stupid enough to indulge the supposed ego's of two cine stars. I know them both. Both as normal as a lifetime of stardom can allow them to be. This feels like a total media creation to me.
But what really got me roaring with laughter were graphs created by political analysts of the relative power of the respective star. And guess what the index of power was based upon ? The value of the brands promoted by each one of them, and the cash they make out of brand endorsements. So Sachin Tendulkar's power depends not upon his performance on the cricket pitch but on how much he makes from brand endorsements ?
Its seems that 60% of celebrity brands are endorsed by Amitabh and Sharukh - and those that are left are mopped up mostly by Sachin. So are we Indian's stupid to think that Chavanprash is essential for our health merely because Amitabh Bacchan says so on TV ? Especially when we can safely assume that he has never touched the stuff ? And do we really buy a small car called the Santro because Sharukh Khan says so, knowing that he has a fleet of white BMW's standing by in his house ?
Hey wake up everyone. I personally am tired of seeing Amitabh's or Shahrukh's face peering out of every hoarding and every TV commercial. But that's their call. I just don't believe that theirs is a power struggle (that apparently involves the Gandhi family, the Ambani's and god know who else) that stems from who is the next host of kaun Banega Crorepati.
All this seems to be Star Tv's way to add to viewership to KBC ,for they are scared to death that the viewrship may fall as Amitabh has left.
Does Sonia Gandhi really care ? Do we ?
Shekhar
Amitabh vs Shahrukh
The newspapers are blazing with pages full of the supposed power struggle between the two stars.
The power struggle apparently (if the papers are to be believed) is dividing the biggest political leaders, the biggest industrial icons in India.
But can any one tell me what this power struggle is about, struggle for what ? Am I stupid or is this all so silly ..Or does the Media think that the people in India are stupid enough to indulge the supposed ego's of two cine stars. I know them both. Both as normal as a lifetime of stardom can allow them to be. This feels like a total media creation to me.
But what really got me roaring with laughter were graphs created by political analysts of the relative power of the respective star. And guess what the index of power was based upon ? The value of the brands promoted by each one of them, and the cash they make out of brand endorsements. So Sachin Tendulkar's power depends not upon his performance on the cricket pitch but on how much he makes from brand endorsements ?
Its seems that 60% of celebrity brands are endorsed by Amitabh and Sharukh - and those that are left are mopped up mostly by Sachin. So are we Indian's stupid to think that Chavanprash is essential for our health merely because Amitabh Bacchan says so on TV ? Especially when we can safely assume that he has never touched the stuff ? And do we really buy a small car called the Santro because Sharukh Khan says so, knowing that he has a fleet of white BMW's standing by in his house ?
Hey wake up everyone. I personally am tired of seeing Amitabh's or Shahrukh's face peering out of every hoarding and every TV commercial. But that's their call. I just don't believe that theirs is a power struggle (that apparently involves the Gandhi family, the Ambani's and god know who else) that stems from who is the next host of kaun Banega Crorepati.
All this seems to be Star Tv's way to add to viewership to KBC ,for they are scared to death that the viewrship may fall as Amitabh has left.
Does Sonia Gandhi really care ? Do we ?
Shekhar
Borat
December 20, 2006 | 05:37 AM
Borat
Anyone out there also not quite sure how to react to Borat ? Sure it's clever, and even funny. But it made me feel uncomfortable about ridiculing another culture in such an extreme way...
But I guess I have seen our own Mehmood do the same take but much better for years in Hindi movie.
Mehmood used to do a great take on the Tamilian culture. It used to have me in fits of laughter, till I grew up and started to feel uncomfortable about all those jokes on Tamilians or on Sikhs. Even Bollywood has stopped doing that now, thank God.
Sacha Cohen is quite bright and clever, but not a patch on the tragic/comic timing of Mehmood, for those that remember him. I wonder if Sacha would agree to do a take on an Englishman in India in the same way ?
Shekhar
Borat
Anyone out there also not quite sure how to react to Borat ? Sure it's clever, and even funny. But it made me feel uncomfortable about ridiculing another culture in such an extreme way...
But I guess I have seen our own Mehmood do the same take but much better for years in Hindi movie.
Mehmood used to do a great take on the Tamilian culture. It used to have me in fits of laughter, till I grew up and started to feel uncomfortable about all those jokes on Tamilians or on Sikhs. Even Bollywood has stopped doing that now, thank God.
Sacha Cohen is quite bright and clever, but not a patch on the tragic/comic timing of Mehmood, for those that remember him. I wonder if Sacha would agree to do a take on an Englishman in India in the same way ?
Shekhar
North Korea's nuclear test, China is the key.
October 10, 2006 | 04:43 PM
North Korea's nuclear test, China is the key.
So North Korea has cocked it's little finger at the West. Western nuclear diplomacy has failed. They forgot that the most difficult nation to deal with is a nation with little to lose. The world over every one has panicked. It is less the threat of immediate nuclear war. It is that the Nuclear Club is loosing it's grip over who, or who cannot have nuclear weapons. What are their options now ?
First, no one really believes that N Korea has a bomb they can deliver, or are about to deliver in the near future. The fear is that now more and more nations will feel free to explore the possiblities of joing the elitist Nuclear Club. Of course the nuclear club is something I do not understand. Why should ANYONE have nuclear weapons capablity. Who can garuntee that the ones that do have it, are likely to be more responsible about their use ? The US has bombed countries with amazing impunity SINCE the Second World War. In the name of fighting Communism first, and now in the cause of fighting Terrorism.
The fear that is very valid is that North Korea will sell it's capability and technology to the Middle East. But I am not sure what technologies North Korea has 'post the nuclear test' that it would not have already traded with countries like Iran and Syria ?
An economic blockade of N Korea is not an option. No one wants to see hardship on a people that are already barely surviving. An economic blockade on only luxury goods as the US Ambasador the the UN has suggested that only targets the elite ? Does not sound like too much of a sanction to me. No luxury goods for the next one year. Hmmmm.
Is a military strike an option ? The combined might of the US and a European force could take out Pyongyang's elite leadership, but holding an occupation force in North Korea with it's highly trained and disciplined army is going to be far more difficult than Iraq. I do not believe the US and it's allies will take that route.
And how is China going to react to a US military presence so close to it's borders ? Highly unlikely that it will tolerate it. And history has shown that the Chinese will never be part of a combined military expedition.
As with so much of what is happening in the world today, China, and it's attitude towards it's neighbour, holds the key. What do I think they will do ? They will not be part of any major economic sanctions. They will not be part of a military expedition. In fact will actively, and if necessary, miltarily oppose any western military engagement so close to their borders.
China will take course in it's own private diplomacy with North Korea, twisting the screws on Pyongang to their own political needs. After all, it is convenient to have a friendly neighbour that makes the West constantly uncomfortable,
Shekhar
North Korea's nuclear test, China is the key.
So North Korea has cocked it's little finger at the West. Western nuclear diplomacy has failed. They forgot that the most difficult nation to deal with is a nation with little to lose. The world over every one has panicked. It is less the threat of immediate nuclear war. It is that the Nuclear Club is loosing it's grip over who, or who cannot have nuclear weapons. What are their options now ?
First, no one really believes that N Korea has a bomb they can deliver, or are about to deliver in the near future. The fear is that now more and more nations will feel free to explore the possiblities of joing the elitist Nuclear Club. Of course the nuclear club is something I do not understand. Why should ANYONE have nuclear weapons capablity. Who can garuntee that the ones that do have it, are likely to be more responsible about their use ? The US has bombed countries with amazing impunity SINCE the Second World War. In the name of fighting Communism first, and now in the cause of fighting Terrorism.
The fear that is very valid is that North Korea will sell it's capability and technology to the Middle East. But I am not sure what technologies North Korea has 'post the nuclear test' that it would not have already traded with countries like Iran and Syria ?
An economic blockade of N Korea is not an option. No one wants to see hardship on a people that are already barely surviving. An economic blockade on only luxury goods as the US Ambasador the the UN has suggested that only targets the elite ? Does not sound like too much of a sanction to me. No luxury goods for the next one year. Hmmmm.
Is a military strike an option ? The combined might of the US and a European force could take out Pyongyang's elite leadership, but holding an occupation force in North Korea with it's highly trained and disciplined army is going to be far more difficult than Iraq. I do not believe the US and it's allies will take that route.
And how is China going to react to a US military presence so close to it's borders ? Highly unlikely that it will tolerate it. And history has shown that the Chinese will never be part of a combined military expedition.
As with so much of what is happening in the world today, China, and it's attitude towards it's neighbour, holds the key. What do I think they will do ? They will not be part of any major economic sanctions. They will not be part of a military expedition. In fact will actively, and if necessary, miltarily oppose any western military engagement so close to their borders.
China will take course in it's own private diplomacy with North Korea, twisting the screws on Pyongang to their own political needs. After all, it is convenient to have a friendly neighbour that makes the West constantly uncomfortable,
Shekhar
Prepare to be Bombed !!
September 22, 2006 | 03:57 PM
Prepare to be Bombed !!
Back to the Stone Age. By the US of A..
So President Musharraf of Pakistan was threatened by Richard Armitage, the then Deputy Secratary of State of the US Goverment, if Pakistan did not co-operate with the US on it's war against the Al - Qaeda,
Of course we have known for a long time that Pakistan was cowed down by the US, but the tone of the threat as revealed now shows an arrogance that is almost colonial and racist.
But President Musharraf, why are u telling us this now ? Are u poltically distancing yourself from the Bush admnistration ? Are the pressures at home pushing you into revealing that your leaning towards the US was provoked by the fear of a Military attack by the US ? Or is this in preparation for your soon to be released autobiography ?
Shekhar
Prepare to be Bombed !!
Back to the Stone Age. By the US of A..
So President Musharraf of Pakistan was threatened by Richard Armitage, the then Deputy Secratary of State of the US Goverment, if Pakistan did not co-operate with the US on it's war against the Al - Qaeda,
Of course we have known for a long time that Pakistan was cowed down by the US, but the tone of the threat as revealed now shows an arrogance that is almost colonial and racist.
But President Musharraf, why are u telling us this now ? Are u poltically distancing yourself from the Bush admnistration ? Are the pressures at home pushing you into revealing that your leaning towards the US was provoked by the fear of a Military attack by the US ? Or is this in preparation for your soon to be released autobiography ?
Shekhar
Civil War in Iraq
March 02, 2006 | 03:07 AM
Civil War in Iraq
The Coalition of the Willing has finally reached it's objectives in Iraq. It's taken me a long time to figure out the logic behind the invasion of Iraq. It's simple really. It's what colonists have been doing for two centuries.
It's just too simplistic to assume that they got it wrong about the weapons of mass destruction. It is just too far out to see this as a great Christian Fundamentalist/Right Wing assertiveness in the US. I do not believe that the strategists in the US got it wrong. And since the strategists in the US are advised by the strategists in the UK, who are some of the best in the world, it is highly unlikely that they did not predict this mess that they have pushed Iraq into.
No, they WANTED this mess. They wanted Iraq to go into civil war that it would take generations to recover from. Because from Iraq, the civil war will flow to neighbouring Iran. And outward to every Arab country. It will destabilize the whole region. While the West's leaders keep up the mantra of "Democracy in the Arab world is good for the security of the West", they do not mean that at all.
For as long as the Arab states are destabilized, no one goverment can take extreme or confident measures over their greatest natural resource : OIL. No Arab goverment will be allowed to be totally sovereign, unless it agrees to be a puppet of the Western economic interests.
You only have to look at the history of Coloniozation to understand how the Colonists have worked over the last two centuries. Divide and rule is the most simplistic way fo describing the colonists philosphy, but it does define it if one was looking for simple keywords . It's what the Colonists did in India, in Africa, in the Balkans. Everywhere they left societies in turmoil. Encouraged turmoil.
The Arab people must recognize this. They must realize the larger game plan, and work togetherto build their Nations in the interests of their own people. That is what the colonists fear the most. They fear the loss of control over the world's natural resources and the worlds markets. Their economies are becoming increasing bloated and their population's demographics are veering towards a severe shortages in work force. It's like the old slave trade, where huge planatations could only be worked through a ruthless slave trade.
The West is now looking out for 'Slave Economies'. They need them to survive at the hugely unfair and bloated wealth levels they have got used to.
Shekhar
Civil War in Iraq
The Coalition of the Willing has finally reached it's objectives in Iraq. It's taken me a long time to figure out the logic behind the invasion of Iraq. It's simple really. It's what colonists have been doing for two centuries.
It's just too simplistic to assume that they got it wrong about the weapons of mass destruction. It is just too far out to see this as a great Christian Fundamentalist/Right Wing assertiveness in the US. I do not believe that the strategists in the US got it wrong. And since the strategists in the US are advised by the strategists in the UK, who are some of the best in the world, it is highly unlikely that they did not predict this mess that they have pushed Iraq into.
No, they WANTED this mess. They wanted Iraq to go into civil war that it would take generations to recover from. Because from Iraq, the civil war will flow to neighbouring Iran. And outward to every Arab country. It will destabilize the whole region. While the West's leaders keep up the mantra of "Democracy in the Arab world is good for the security of the West", they do not mean that at all.
For as long as the Arab states are destabilized, no one goverment can take extreme or confident measures over their greatest natural resource : OIL. No Arab goverment will be allowed to be totally sovereign, unless it agrees to be a puppet of the Western economic interests.
You only have to look at the history of Coloniozation to understand how the Colonists have worked over the last two centuries. Divide and rule is the most simplistic way fo describing the colonists philosphy, but it does define it if one was looking for simple keywords . It's what the Colonists did in India, in Africa, in the Balkans. Everywhere they left societies in turmoil. Encouraged turmoil.
The Arab people must recognize this. They must realize the larger game plan, and work togetherto build their Nations in the interests of their own people. That is what the colonists fear the most. They fear the loss of control over the world's natural resources and the worlds markets. Their economies are becoming increasing bloated and their population's demographics are veering towards a severe shortages in work force. It's like the old slave trade, where huge planatations could only be worked through a ruthless slave trade.
The West is now looking out for 'Slave Economies'. They need them to survive at the hugely unfair and bloated wealth levels they have got used to.
Shekhar
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