Happy new year to all my dear ones. The year has come to an end, and so has an era of my short but deep relationship with this blog. But as 2010 commences, it's time to move from a blog to a personalized feature rich website of my own. Therefore, I'm shifting completely to my new site- souravroy.com.There will not be any more new posts in this blog.
क्रांति कन्या
क्रांति कन्या
वो क्रन्तिकारी थी
मतवारी थी
चली जा रही थी
इन्कलाब के गाने गाते
और हम खुद की आज़ादी के सपनों संग
उसके पीछे चले जाते
यही लड़की समा गयी थी
अंधे की आँखों में
लंगड़े की नसों में
जब येरुसलेम में उसने हमें छूआ
और इस सुनहरी शाम का अंत
उस दर्दनाक क्रूस पर हुआ |
वो क्रन्तिकारी थी
मतवारी थी
चली जा रही थी
इन्कलाब के गाने गाते
और हम खुद की आज़ादी के सपनों संग
उसके पीछे चले जाते
तिरंगे में लिपटी
ये लड़की
गयी थी डांडी
हमने नमक बनाया
और इसी नमक का क़र्ज़ चुकाने को
किसी ने उसे मार गिराया |
वो क्रन्तिकारी थी
मतवारी थी
चली जा रही थी
इन्कलाब के गाने गाते
और हम खुद की आज़ादी के सपनों संग
उसके पीछे चले जाते
इसी लड़की के गीतों को
नए शहर के लोगों ने गाया
उसी देश के शासक ने
विएतनाम को जलाया
और किताबें भरी आज़ादी के गीतों से
और अगले दिन आकाश को खाली सा पाया |
इस क्रान्ति कन्या के बच्चे
जो कौवे की तरह जन्मे थे
अनाथ कहलाये
स्कूल गए
पर धूप नहीं पहुंची
सपने देखे -
आज़ादी नहीं
भूतों के !
सुनसान सड़कों पर
'माँ-माँ' चिल्लाकर सो गए
भूखे पेट
बगल से ट्रेन गुज़री
और ऐसे ही किसी दिन
इन बच्चों ने अपने यूनिफॉर्म को जला दिया |
उस दिन मैं भी नहीं समझ पाया
जब उस लड़की ने
मेरे जूते के फीते बांधे थे
और कान में प्यार से कहा था-
"संभल कर चलना
गिरना मत ||"
-Sourav Roy "Bhagirath"
वो क्रन्तिकारी थी
मतवारी थी
चली जा रही थी
इन्कलाब के गाने गाते
और हम खुद की आज़ादी के सपनों संग
उसके पीछे चले जाते
यही लड़की समा गयी थी
अंधे की आँखों में
लंगड़े की नसों में
जब येरुसलेम में उसने हमें छूआ
और इस सुनहरी शाम का अंत
उस दर्दनाक क्रूस पर हुआ |
वो क्रन्तिकारी थी
मतवारी थी
चली जा रही थी
इन्कलाब के गाने गाते
और हम खुद की आज़ादी के सपनों संग
उसके पीछे चले जाते
तिरंगे में लिपटी
ये लड़की
गयी थी डांडी
हमने नमक बनाया
और इसी नमक का क़र्ज़ चुकाने को
किसी ने उसे मार गिराया |
वो क्रन्तिकारी थी
मतवारी थी
चली जा रही थी
इन्कलाब के गाने गाते
और हम खुद की आज़ादी के सपनों संग
उसके पीछे चले जाते
इसी लड़की के गीतों को
नए शहर के लोगों ने गाया
उसी देश के शासक ने
विएतनाम को जलाया
और किताबें भरी आज़ादी के गीतों से
और अगले दिन आकाश को खाली सा पाया |
इस क्रान्ति कन्या के बच्चे
जो कौवे की तरह जन्मे थे
अनाथ कहलाये
स्कूल गए
पर धूप नहीं पहुंची
सपने देखे -
आज़ादी नहीं
भूतों के !
सुनसान सड़कों पर
'माँ-माँ' चिल्लाकर सो गए
भूखे पेट
बगल से ट्रेन गुज़री
और ऐसे ही किसी दिन
इन बच्चों ने अपने यूनिफॉर्म को जला दिया |
उस दिन मैं भी नहीं समझ पाया
जब उस लड़की ने
मेरे जूते के फीते बांधे थे
और कान में प्यार से कहा था-
"संभल कर चलना
गिरना मत ||"
-Sourav Roy "Bhagirath"
झारखण्ड
झारखण्ड
खनिज-कोयला-जंगल के देश में
मांदल नगाड़ा बजाता
तमाखू खाता
गुज़रता है तुफू सोरेन
गाता-
'पहाड़ तोड़ने से अच्छा है
पहाड़ बन जाना'
उसकी स्त्री
गमछे में बच्चे को
पीठ पर लटकाकर
बीनती है चटाई
जो पहुँच जाती है
इन्द्रप्रस्थ की सड़कों पर
उसकी बहन के साथ बिकने को |
तीर धनुष से
खेलता
उसका बच्चा
मार गिराता है मोर को
ख़ुश है तुफू सोरेन
पेट भरेगा आज !
अगले दिन बच्चा
बन्दूक पकड़
तैयारी करता है
शहर जाने की ||
-Sourav Roy "Bhagirath"
खनिज-कोयला-जंगल के देश में
मांदल नगाड़ा बजाता
तमाखू खाता
गुज़रता है तुफू सोरेन
गाता-
'पहाड़ तोड़ने से अच्छा है
पहाड़ बन जाना'
उसकी स्त्री
गमछे में बच्चे को
पीठ पर लटकाकर
बीनती है चटाई
जो पहुँच जाती है
इन्द्रप्रस्थ की सड़कों पर
उसकी बहन के साथ बिकने को |
तीर धनुष से
खेलता
उसका बच्चा
मार गिराता है मोर को
ख़ुश है तुफू सोरेन
पेट भरेगा आज !
अगले दिन बच्चा
बन्दूक पकड़
तैयारी करता है
शहर जाने की ||
-Sourav Roy "Bhagirath"
अभी यहाँ...
अभी यहाँ...
अभी यहाँ
मैं बैठा हूँ
अभी यहाँ
तुम होती
अभी यहाँ
समंदर किनारे हम टहल रहे होते
और समंदर हमारी धड़कन सुन रहा होता
अभी यहाँ
ऊपर वो चाँद और तारों से सजा आकाश
हमारे संग दौड़ रहा होता
हमारा हाथ थामे
अभी यहाँ कोई नहीं होता
और मैं तुम्हारी आँखों में डूब जाता
और ये गाती गुनगुनाती ज़िन्दगी
यूं ही बीत जाती
अभी यहाँ
दुनिया ठहर जाती
सब कुछ धीरे धीरे हमारा हो जाता
ये दुनिया हमारी हो जाती
और हम एक दूसरे के हो जाते
अभी यहाँ
एक तारा टूटता
और हम एक दूसरे को मांग लेते
और वो तारा भी हमारा हो जाता
अभी यहाँ
तुम नंगे पाँव दौड़ती चली आती
और मैं तुम्हे देखता
और तुम सच्चे झूठे बहाने बना
मुझसे लिपट जाती
अभी यहाँ
मैं तुम्हे जगाता
तुम्हारी जुल्फों की लटों को सुलझाता
और तुम आँखें खोल
मुझे देखती
अभी यहाँ
मैं मर रहा होता
और तुम्हे अगले जन्म में फिर मिलने का वादा कर
मैं सुकून से तुम्हारी बाँहों में मरता
अभी यहाँ
मैं बैठा हूँ
काश यहाँ
तुम होती !
-Sourav Roy "Bhagirath"
अभी यहाँ
मैं बैठा हूँ
अभी यहाँ
तुम होती
अभी यहाँ
समंदर किनारे हम टहल रहे होते
और समंदर हमारी धड़कन सुन रहा होता
अभी यहाँ
ऊपर वो चाँद और तारों से सजा आकाश
हमारे संग दौड़ रहा होता
हमारा हाथ थामे
अभी यहाँ कोई नहीं होता
और मैं तुम्हारी आँखों में डूब जाता
और ये गाती गुनगुनाती ज़िन्दगी
यूं ही बीत जाती
अभी यहाँ
दुनिया ठहर जाती
सब कुछ धीरे धीरे हमारा हो जाता
ये दुनिया हमारी हो जाती
और हम एक दूसरे के हो जाते
अभी यहाँ
एक तारा टूटता
और हम एक दूसरे को मांग लेते
और वो तारा भी हमारा हो जाता
अभी यहाँ
तुम नंगे पाँव दौड़ती चली आती
और मैं तुम्हे देखता
और तुम सच्चे झूठे बहाने बना
मुझसे लिपट जाती
अभी यहाँ
मैं तुम्हे जगाता
तुम्हारी जुल्फों की लटों को सुलझाता
और तुम आँखें खोल
मुझे देखती
अभी यहाँ
मैं मर रहा होता
और तुम्हे अगले जन्म में फिर मिलने का वादा कर
मैं सुकून से तुम्हारी बाँहों में मरता
अभी यहाँ
मैं बैठा हूँ
काश यहाँ
तुम होती !
-Sourav Roy "Bhagirath"
Donating Blood on Muharram
Today is Muharram- the day of martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed. When Muslims from all over the world conduct mourning processions, beating their chests and backs with chains, to observe Yaum-e-Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram which is the first month of the Islamic calendar. Considered a day of bereavement, many Muslims observe fast, give charity and pray in remembrance of Hussain who was martyred this day around 1,400 years ago at Karbala in Iraq. On this day, Muslim residents of Amrai village in Chinhat area of Lucknow organized a blood donation camp along with the local health officials. Villagers bravely came up and donated the life saving fluid. They were happy. The very news brought a big smile on my face! If this is new wave, I welcome it. Being Sankalp volunteers we've seen the problem of blood shortage so closely! A common man is either hesistant to donate blood or is unaware. Here on this ocassion our brothers from a remote village have taken a brave step to serve for the sake humanity in rememberance of the great warrior. Kudos to them!
Why can't we be teachers?
Its exam time and all we can think about is books, notes and coffee. On this context, as a self realization (which every student goes through during exams), I must say that the most discussed topic among hostelites is the inferior quality of education and the teachers who literally don't know to teach. My country has the oldest custom of education & I desperately want to prove them wrong. I must say, if given a chance (and paycheck) would love to take up teaching as a profession. I teach my room mate and I believe I'm pretty good at it. Right through my childhood, exam season has been the time when I get the opportunity to demonstrate my skills as a teacher. I have always believed that a teacher-student relationship is THE most beautiful relationship in the world.
If teaching can be so fascinating, why then, do we have a shortage of good teachers in our country? Forget about other institutions, IITs are running with a 50% shortage of staffs. Most teachers there have retired, yet have been asked to stay back on special requests. Its good to know that IIMs have taken a step forward by inspiring their alumni to stay back and teach, but the outcome is not at par with what is expected, in terms of quantity, ofcourse. There is a big halla over how much the country lacks educational institutions. We don't lack educational institutions. We lack teachers. Bring in good teachers and entrepreneurs are more than happy to invest. But unfortunately, we don't have quality teachers. Why is it so?? The answer is simple- Why will a skilled conversationalist, unless highly inspired by his personal motivation, prefer to teach with a salary less than that of a good-for-nothing-software-professional! A software engineer with an experience of 3-5 years, at an average earns more than a Head of Department in IIT with a lifelong experience. What a shame!
Who is to blame? The universal spit-basin- the government? 'Cause every time we see a problem, we blame it to the bade bhaiyyas. Yes, indeed the government is to blame. The first step that can be taken is inspire skilled alumni to stay back in an institution and teach. Secondly, paycheck of a teacher should be at par with that of IT professionals. But most importantly, the youth must realize that teaching is an amazing profession. Job security, learning with teaching, plenty of time for recreation and a stable life- all in one place. This is one place where you get to prove yourself. I'd love to take it up as a profession, given a chance, (and a good paycheck, ofcourse) and I'd love to see the youth of my generation join in.
If teaching can be so fascinating, why then, do we have a shortage of good teachers in our country? Forget about other institutions, IITs are running with a 50% shortage of staffs. Most teachers there have retired, yet have been asked to stay back on special requests. Its good to know that IIMs have taken a step forward by inspiring their alumni to stay back and teach, but the outcome is not at par with what is expected, in terms of quantity, ofcourse. There is a big halla over how much the country lacks educational institutions. We don't lack educational institutions. We lack teachers. Bring in good teachers and entrepreneurs are more than happy to invest. But unfortunately, we don't have quality teachers. Why is it so?? The answer is simple- Why will a skilled conversationalist, unless highly inspired by his personal motivation, prefer to teach with a salary less than that of a good-for-nothing-software-professional! A software engineer with an experience of 3-5 years, at an average earns more than a Head of Department in IIT with a lifelong experience. What a shame!
Who is to blame? The universal spit-basin- the government? 'Cause every time we see a problem, we blame it to the bade bhaiyyas. Yes, indeed the government is to blame. The first step that can be taken is inspire skilled alumni to stay back in an institution and teach. Secondly, paycheck of a teacher should be at par with that of IT professionals. But most importantly, the youth must realize that teaching is an amazing profession. Job security, learning with teaching, plenty of time for recreation and a stable life- all in one place. This is one place where you get to prove yourself. I'd love to take it up as a profession, given a chance, (and a good paycheck, ofcourse) and I'd love to see the youth of my generation join in.
12 Angry Men- what Character Study is meant to be!
12 Angry Men is a 1957 courtroom drama by Sidney Lumet. The film begins with the end of a trial. The jurors retire to deliberate the case. A preliminary vote is taken and the result is 11:1 in favour of the guilty verdict. Eleven jurors have raised their hands to convict a young man of killing his father. Only Juror 8 has doubts. At first even he does not truly believe the young man to be innocent but notes that the case for the defense might have been presented in a more convincing manner and that the boy might be given the benefit of a doubt. Since the boy is to be executed if found guilty his life is now in the hands of the jury and juror 8 reasons that the least they could do is talk about the case a bit. As time goes on some of the jurors change their minds and find that there is perhaps enough reasonable doubt not to convict the young man after all. But not everyone is easy to convince.
The entire film is shot in one room and with 12 men. But that is more than enough to sweat the viewer out with the jury as the heat rises, literally and metaphorically, among the men as they make their way towards their final verdict. Interestingly, the jurors (apart from two at the end) are never named. They do not need to be. Their characters speak for them. The characters of each of the jurors emerge through a wonderful mix of perfect casting, excellent dialogue and near-flawless acting. The film succeeds in doing something very rare- developing an intelligent plot while also developing 12 believable, memorable and distinct characters. Although it was Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb who really made this film legendary, but every character's individuality is neatly built.
One another brilliant aspect of this film is its simplistic editing. Sometimes the best editing is to just leave it alone. There is a scene that shows great editing by giving as much screen time to Lee J. Cobb’s monologue. However, the editor also works on the viewers subconscious, by showing him alone and isolated in the frame, whilst showing other juror’s in pairs. The editing also crops closer to him later in the scene, making it seem even more powerful and important. A brilliant piece of neat, simple yet hardcore editing; a magnum opus, indeed!
The entire film is shot in one room and with 12 men. But that is more than enough to sweat the viewer out with the jury as the heat rises, literally and metaphorically, among the men as they make their way towards their final verdict. Interestingly, the jurors (apart from two at the end) are never named. They do not need to be. Their characters speak for them. The characters of each of the jurors emerge through a wonderful mix of perfect casting, excellent dialogue and near-flawless acting. The film succeeds in doing something very rare- developing an intelligent plot while also developing 12 believable, memorable and distinct characters. Although it was Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb who really made this film legendary, but every character's individuality is neatly built.
One another brilliant aspect of this film is its simplistic editing. Sometimes the best editing is to just leave it alone. There is a scene that shows great editing by giving as much screen time to Lee J. Cobb’s monologue. However, the editor also works on the viewers subconscious, by showing him alone and isolated in the frame, whilst showing other juror’s in pairs. The editing also crops closer to him later in the scene, making it seem even more powerful and important. A brilliant piece of neat, simple yet hardcore editing; a magnum opus, indeed!
Compulsory Voting- Right or Duty?
I really liked the idea of making voting compulsory for residents of Gujarat recent elections to a local self-governing body. It indeed is one of the bravest moves taken by a state government in a long long time. Even states Himanchal Pradesh are willing it implement it. But a few questions will be asked like voting is a right and not a duty. Compulsory voting is against Article 14 & 19 of the Indian Constitution. One good thing about the bill is that it allows negative voting if the voter does not wish to vote for any of the listed contestants. This is a great way of protest if the voter is not for any of the contestants. Well… I think for a move like this, even the constitution can be amended.
Democracy has always been known to run on four wheels- choice, legitimacy, equality & participation. Compulsory voting is the only way to counter voting apathy and declining legitimacy in our country. Its a matter of shame that voter turnout amongst the poor has been usually much higher, than amongst the privileged. Compulsory voting is indeed a brave and good decision.
Now the question is how will it all be implemented? Like forcible vasectomies in the name of family planning or like submission of Income Tax with proper infrastructure in place. Well... We can only hope for the best.
Democracy has always been known to run on four wheels- choice, legitimacy, equality & participation. Compulsory voting is the only way to counter voting apathy and declining legitimacy in our country. Its a matter of shame that voter turnout amongst the poor has been usually much higher, than amongst the privileged. Compulsory voting is indeed a brave and good decision.
Now the question is how will it all be implemented? Like forcible vasectomies in the name of family planning or like submission of Income Tax with proper infrastructure in place. Well... We can only hope for the best.
V Shantaram, the forgotten magicain
There have been a very few filmmakers in India who can be compared with V. Shantaram. With a directional career of about 70 years from 1927 (Netaji Palkar)to 1986 (Jhanjhar), he a one-of-his-own-kind Legend.This great producer-director-actor is most known for his films like Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946), Amar Bhoopali (1951), Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje (1955), Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957) and Navrang (1959), to the path breaking Duniya Na Mane (1937) and Pinjara (1973). Who hasn't been moved by Ai malik tere bande hum in Do Ankhen Barah Haath? And who can forget the sinuous, gravity-defying dances of Sandhya in Navrang and Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje? And Aadmi, the remake of what is arguably his finest film, Manoos, where he used nights and shadows to enhance the narration, a pioneering technique at the time. He has depicted the rich Indian art, culture and values like none other.
I've included a holi song from Navrang (& not one from Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje or Do Aankhen Barah Haath) because of its amazing editing sequences. This song reminds me of my childhood Sunday mornings watching Rangoli. One thing notable about Sandhyaji's dance is how she depicts a shy girl and immediately tramsforms into a rather rowdy man. Later the steps performed with the elephant in scene is amazingly brave of her. Today's actresses like Katrina Kaif can't even change their facial expressions. Dancing front and back, changing the entire body language with an elephant dancing beside you is too much to expect.
Today, these names are loosing their stand in the hip-hop generation. V. Shantaram is an institution who commands incredible respect in the industry. The kind of film making techniques and ideas he possessed during his time are not found in today's generation. He has his own place in the history of Indian cinema and is an inspiration for many. He was an Indian filmmaker loved by likes of Godard & Charlie Chaplin. He was a doyen whose techniques and imagination knew no bounds.
Prometheus and Open Source
I was recently reading parts of the Greek mythology. I was amazed to see the resemblance between Prometheus and the open source programmers of today. Prometheus is credited with two great accomplishments. He created humankind out of clay. He stole fire from Zeus and gave it to common people. Prometheus was a Titan, a powerful deity in Greek mythology. He was noted for his almost limitless knowledge. He was a master of architecture, mathematics, navigation, medicine, and metallurgy. He was the champion of humans and freely shared his knowledge with common folk. Zeus, the chief and most powerful of the Gods, was angered by Prometheus’s sharing of his knowledge. It gave too much power into the hands of common people. As punishment, Zeus withheld fire from Prometheus and common people. Through trickery, Prometheus went to Mt. Olympus and stole fire from the sun. He shared fire with the people. Again Zeus was enraged. He tied Prometheus to a rock in the Caucasus Mountains. He sent a huge eagle every morning to pick at the liver of Prometheus, but during the night the liver was made whole again. The eagle returned every day...Today, millions of open source programmers are collectively busy airing the fire Prometheus once started. And the fire lives on!On this note, I'm strongly reminded of a beautiful poem by Gurudev Tagore-
"Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake."
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake."
Sachin vs Politics
Though I'm not a hardcore cricket fan, I recently watched a few matches and lo! Sachin is just the same!! His simplicity, humbleness, adaptability, schoolboy-like enthusiasm is off comparision. He recently crossed 30,000 runs in international cricket. And I'm pretty sure, he'll soon hit a 100 centuries.
On the recent bloodshed in Maharashrta, Sachin humbly said- “I am a Maharashtrian and I am extremely proud of that. But I am an Indian first. And Mumbai belongs to all Indians.” Thackeray warning Sachin to confine himself to his game and not make political statements was such an unfortunate event! Look who he was addressing- A person who being the centrefold of Indian media for past 2 decades, and managed not to get into any controversy! Can you remember one controversy that relates to Sachin? Ball tampering incident? that backfired on Mike Dennes himself. Ferrari customs? Well... Sachin paid his dues. Sachin- being in limelight for 20 odd years, has managed to stay clean. Not just that, Sachin sponsors 200 underprivileged children every year through Apnalaya, a Mumbai-based NGO associated with his mother-in-law, Annaben Mehta. He's probably the only man in history after Jesus & Nepolean who is addressed by his first name.
Turning against Sachin maybe the greatest political mistake Thackeray has comitted (in terms of support). Recent allegations of Sanjay Raut against Sachin are even worse- "There has been no instance of Sachin extending a helping hand to other Marathi cricketers. Forget others, he did not even support Vinod Kambli. In contrast, Gavaskar when he captained India, had half the team drawn from Mumbai and Maharashtra. He gave Test caps to many Marathi players including Suru Naik and Zulphikar Parkar at least for one match. In this context, Gavaskar is a genuine ‘Maharashtrian’ and the whole country loves him even now in the same way,”
In a country, 70% acquired by youth, where politics is hated and cricket is THE religion- challenging God is the biggest mistake one can commit. I'd love to see the way it all ends.
ABC of my life...
Well... Finally even I decided to take up this exercise. The exercise involves writing one word for each alphabet. That word should reflect one’s self and should be written as fast as possible. I was highly inspired by my teacher and hence decided to attempt it myself [Reference].
Here it goes-
- A- Anabhra Ratri Ki Anupama (My poetry book)
- B- Bokaro & Bangalore (Heaven)
- C- Chickpet (A place I visit very often for Sankalp purchase & printing)
- D- Dreams (Something I do a lot)
- E- Education (My quest in life)
- F- Family & Friends (My strength)
- G- God (The only quest I've given up)
- H- History (My favorite subject in school)
- I- India (my motherland) & IIT (My dream that broke)
- J- Jana Gana Mana (Reminds me of School days & Sankalp meetings)
- K- Kubrick & Kurosawa (My 2 favorite directors)
- L- Love (Life's greatest motto)
- M- Meditation (The only thing I do for myself)
- N- Noesis (My favorite word along with Vertigo. I generally name my team as Noesis)
- O- Optimism (My way of hiding failures)
- P- Pink Floyd (My favorite artists)
- Q- Questions (My head is always filled with these)
- R- Resource Management (My work in Sankalp)
- S- Sankalp India Foundation (My greatest passion in life)
- T- Torrentz (My source of movies)
- U- Urgency (I'm always found running around)
- V- Vikas Vidyalaya (My school)
- W- Wikipedia (My favorite website)
- X- Xerox (The lifeboat of every engineering student)
- Y- Yin Yang (My two sides)
- Z- Zzzz (Reminds me of my childhood when I used to sleep a lot; I miss my sleep these days)
Killing in the name of God- "The Ayodhya Issue"
Ayodhya issue is once again in the limelight, thanks to Justice Liberhan. I’ll take up the entire issue from scratch because most youngsters of my generation don’t even know about it.
The Ayodhya debate is a political, historical and socio-religious debate that was most prevalent in the 1990s in India. The main issues revolve around access to the birthplace of the Hindu god Rama, the history and location of the Babri Mosque at the site, and whether a previous Hindu temple was demolished or modified to create the mosque. On 6 December, 1992 the Babri Mosque was destroyed by Hindu nationalists, 150,000 strong, despite a commitment to the Indian Supreme Court that the mosque would not be harmed. On 16 December, 1992, Liberhan Commission was set up by the Government of India to probe the circumstances that led to the demolition of the Babri Masjid. It has been longest running commission in India's history with several extensions granted by various governments. Politicians like L.K.Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were alleged to be influential in the demolition. More than 2000 people were killed in the riots following the demolition. Riots broke out in many major Indian cities including Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad.
The report of the Liberhan commission was leaked to the media, on the occasion of the Lok Sabha session. Later on, Government tabled the report in Parliament. Once the Liberhan report captured headlines, there were hues and cries all over in the name of Ayodhya. BJP and the Sangh Parivar are hoping that they could use this occasion to bring the temple issue back in the nation's agenda once again. The other political outfits are demanding action against the persons found guilty by the Commission, who include former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani. We have seen an active VHP after a few years on this occasion. They must also be thinking of using this occasion to stage a come back. But is that easy for the BJP, VHP or other sangh parivar outfits to make use of this occasion? I think that it will not be easy for them. I have reasons too to come to this conclusion.
'Ayodhya' was not an ordinary issue as far as the sangh parivar is concerned. They aimed at constructing a beautiful Ram temple at the place where the babri masjid stood. Apart from that they have an agenda, which was to bring the Hindu brothers to their fold using the Ram temple issue. In the early 1980s RSS and the VHP gave such an instruction to the lowest level of their organization. The preparation for the Ram temple movement was organized in a manner by which the issue will reach all the villages and the households of the Hindus. See for example the Ram sila pujans and Ram sila yathras, organized in all the villages. People welcomed the programmes with folded hands in every home and village. Such was the importance of Sri Ram in their minds. Hindus organized in the villages above creeds and sub creeds; it was of course in a way a Hindu renaissance. But that was not that evident in the south. The 'rathayathra' of L.K.Advani, from Somnath to Ayodhya was also part of that sangh parivar agenda. BJP too was playing its role in the Ayodhya movement. One thing has to be mentioned; this was the most well oiled and well planned programme in the history of sangh parivar in the last 40 years or so. So much understanding was there in the parivar organisations. All of them moved together- with one mind and eye.
Whether the sangh parivar gained anything from that temple movement? I think this is the apt time to have a look at this fact. As I mentioned earlier, the parivar could function like a well oiled engine in this programme. They have succeeded in expanding their base in the hindi heartland too. The victory in Uttar Pradesh was due to this. But whether they succeeded cementing their base? Without any doubt any body can see that the reply is 'no'. Why? It was really 'sani dasa' for the sangh parivar after the 6th December, 1992. The main organization in this struggle was none other than Viswa Hindu Parishad. Where they stands today? It has lost its ground. No more a popular organisation now. No work at the grass root level in most of the states. Just limbing on in most of it’s areas. They are not in a position, organisationally, to organise agitations and even to attract even the young sanyasins to their fold. In states like Kerala, it is evidnet and they are not in a position even to organise an agitation; it has to be mentioned that all these when the state government is taking complete control of the temples in the state in the state including the famous hill temple of Sabarimala, discarding the Devaswom Boards. Again the 'love jihad' issue has created anxiety in the minds of the Hindu families....but here too the VHP has failed miserably. It has to be mentioned that the organizations like NSS, SNDP and others came out openly against the love jihad issue.
Now come to the RSS. Do you know what is happening to them in this country? Its organizational base has collapsed; the number of sakhas gone down considerably; so too the number of swayamsevaks. May be they will be getting more money in the way of 'guru dakshina' since even the toddy shop contractors contribute generously these days; and the organization accepts the same with folded hands. There is no leader for them who can attract the masses or for keeping the morale of their own sympathizers. All of them are now living with the dreams of the old gay days. BJP's case too is not that different. Sometimes people may tell that the BJP's base has widened and strengthened since 1992. They may even point out that the party came to power at the centre after 1992. That is true. They ruled the country under Vajpayee. But one should not forget that the same party was routed out in Uthar Pradesh, the battle ground of the temple movement. They were ruling the U.P without the help of any other party. But they finished fourth and fifth in the recent elections held in that state. What happened to them? What was the reason? Nobody, including those in the BJP will now believe that they will be able to stage a comeback in the next one decade or so. Not only the BJP; the entire sangh parivar lost its ground considerably since the Ayodhya demolition.
It is a fact that the 70 per cent of the population of this country are youths. Among those 70 per cent, at least 75 per cent doesn't have the experience of the temple movement. The organizers of the Ayodhya movement have also failed miserably in their attempts to bring the Sri Ram into the minds of the youths of this country. These youths are running for the sophisticated technologies. They are little concerned about the Ram temple or the Babri masjid. Again one has to understand that the sangh parivar out fits lacks quality agile leaders in these days who can attract the well educated youths of this country. They still have no such programmes too. It has to be mentioned that still these people are focusing on the issues like the protection of cows, which could generate very little impact in the modern, educated society.
Are they serious about Ayodhya these days. One may doubt their sincerity as the temple slipped out from their priorities. When Vajpayee government was at the centre, the VHP organized many agitations for the construction of the temple. There were parliament marches, sant sammelans, parikramas, karsevas and what not in those days. VHP leaders used to meet the pressmen daily in Delhi and their attack was always on leaders like Vajpayee and Advani. Ashok Singhal, Acharya Giriraj Kishor, Pravin Thogadia and company were in fact competing among them to attack the BJP men in the government. Where are they now? We haven’t seen any press conference in these days, especially after the coronation of the Manmohan Singh government. Even though they now hold press briefings on some occasions, the Ayodhya or the temple issue never crops up. Neither the parliament march or the karseva or the sant sammelans are there in their agenda in these days. In fact they have no courage to stand up against Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.
Now let us go to Ayodhya. The temple construction activities were going on at the karsevapuram there for the last few years. Carving of stones, pillars etc. Now nothing is happening there; construction work has come to a stand still, not because everything is over but the decision of the leaders was to stop all the activities. The karsevapuram is almost like a grave yard, according to a media report; we could see only on chowkidar there in these days. The office of the temple reconstruction committee at Ayodhya also is deserted, except a very few persons. The so called prominent leaders of the temple movement rarely visit that office and the temple town in these days. What does it mean? Is it that the RSS and VHP too have lost hope in the Ram temple construction? People will be forced to think in those terms. Recently the sangh parivar organised a national campaign to stimulate their work; the subject chosen for the same was the protection of cow and not the Ayodhya. The bosses of the sangh parivar must have come to the conclusion that the cow may bring better results than the temple issue. In short nobody is keen on the reconstruction of Ram temple at Ayodhya in these days.
One has to think of the effects of the Liberhan commission report in this back ground. The BJP and the sangh parivar is not in a position to make use of it in these days. That may help L.K.Advani and his colleagues in the present leadership tussle in the BJP to a certain extent. But I do think that Advani must be aware, better than anybody else, that this issue also will not help him or his organization in the long run.
So, is there no solution? Yes there is! I believe it is not about the usage of the holy place, but it is about the sentiments of the people in our country. I see these holy places as places of peace and joy, because just worshiping never proves that you are a strong believer of God. So what if a temple was demolished 400 years ago? Should the Muslims of today who are not closely responsible for the demolition be hurt for that? I don’t understand the use of building any temple or mosque. Farmers are committing suicide, children are uneducated! Don’t we have many problems already? Why invite one more? Instead of wasting money in building a temple or a mosque, why can’t the government build a school or a hospital that would be helpful to poor people? This will bring us all to peace. The Government would love to take it up, I believe. Killing in the name of God should be stopped. An eye for an eye will only make the country blind!
The Ayodhya debate is a political, historical and socio-religious debate that was most prevalent in the 1990s in India. The main issues revolve around access to the birthplace of the Hindu god Rama, the history and location of the Babri Mosque at the site, and whether a previous Hindu temple was demolished or modified to create the mosque. On 6 December, 1992 the Babri Mosque was destroyed by Hindu nationalists, 150,000 strong, despite a commitment to the Indian Supreme Court that the mosque would not be harmed. On 16 December, 1992, Liberhan Commission was set up by the Government of India to probe the circumstances that led to the demolition of the Babri Masjid. It has been longest running commission in India's history with several extensions granted by various governments. Politicians like L.K.Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were alleged to be influential in the demolition. More than 2000 people were killed in the riots following the demolition. Riots broke out in many major Indian cities including Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad.
The report of the Liberhan commission was leaked to the media, on the occasion of the Lok Sabha session. Later on, Government tabled the report in Parliament. Once the Liberhan report captured headlines, there were hues and cries all over in the name of Ayodhya. BJP and the Sangh Parivar are hoping that they could use this occasion to bring the temple issue back in the nation's agenda once again. The other political outfits are demanding action against the persons found guilty by the Commission, who include former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani. We have seen an active VHP after a few years on this occasion. They must also be thinking of using this occasion to stage a come back. But is that easy for the BJP, VHP or other sangh parivar outfits to make use of this occasion? I think that it will not be easy for them. I have reasons too to come to this conclusion.
'Ayodhya' was not an ordinary issue as far as the sangh parivar is concerned. They aimed at constructing a beautiful Ram temple at the place where the babri masjid stood. Apart from that they have an agenda, which was to bring the Hindu brothers to their fold using the Ram temple issue. In the early 1980s RSS and the VHP gave such an instruction to the lowest level of their organization. The preparation for the Ram temple movement was organized in a manner by which the issue will reach all the villages and the households of the Hindus. See for example the Ram sila pujans and Ram sila yathras, organized in all the villages. People welcomed the programmes with folded hands in every home and village. Such was the importance of Sri Ram in their minds. Hindus organized in the villages above creeds and sub creeds; it was of course in a way a Hindu renaissance. But that was not that evident in the south. The 'rathayathra' of L.K.Advani, from Somnath to Ayodhya was also part of that sangh parivar agenda. BJP too was playing its role in the Ayodhya movement. One thing has to be mentioned; this was the most well oiled and well planned programme in the history of sangh parivar in the last 40 years or so. So much understanding was there in the parivar organisations. All of them moved together- with one mind and eye.
Whether the sangh parivar gained anything from that temple movement? I think this is the apt time to have a look at this fact. As I mentioned earlier, the parivar could function like a well oiled engine in this programme. They have succeeded in expanding their base in the hindi heartland too. The victory in Uttar Pradesh was due to this. But whether they succeeded cementing their base? Without any doubt any body can see that the reply is 'no'. Why? It was really 'sani dasa' for the sangh parivar after the 6th December, 1992. The main organization in this struggle was none other than Viswa Hindu Parishad. Where they stands today? It has lost its ground. No more a popular organisation now. No work at the grass root level in most of the states. Just limbing on in most of it’s areas. They are not in a position, organisationally, to organise agitations and even to attract even the young sanyasins to their fold. In states like Kerala, it is evidnet and they are not in a position even to organise an agitation; it has to be mentioned that all these when the state government is taking complete control of the temples in the state in the state including the famous hill temple of Sabarimala, discarding the Devaswom Boards. Again the 'love jihad' issue has created anxiety in the minds of the Hindu families....but here too the VHP has failed miserably. It has to be mentioned that the organizations like NSS, SNDP and others came out openly against the love jihad issue.
Now come to the RSS. Do you know what is happening to them in this country? Its organizational base has collapsed; the number of sakhas gone down considerably; so too the number of swayamsevaks. May be they will be getting more money in the way of 'guru dakshina' since even the toddy shop contractors contribute generously these days; and the organization accepts the same with folded hands. There is no leader for them who can attract the masses or for keeping the morale of their own sympathizers. All of them are now living with the dreams of the old gay days. BJP's case too is not that different. Sometimes people may tell that the BJP's base has widened and strengthened since 1992. They may even point out that the party came to power at the centre after 1992. That is true. They ruled the country under Vajpayee. But one should not forget that the same party was routed out in Uthar Pradesh, the battle ground of the temple movement. They were ruling the U.P without the help of any other party. But they finished fourth and fifth in the recent elections held in that state. What happened to them? What was the reason? Nobody, including those in the BJP will now believe that they will be able to stage a comeback in the next one decade or so. Not only the BJP; the entire sangh parivar lost its ground considerably since the Ayodhya demolition.
It is a fact that the 70 per cent of the population of this country are youths. Among those 70 per cent, at least 75 per cent doesn't have the experience of the temple movement. The organizers of the Ayodhya movement have also failed miserably in their attempts to bring the Sri Ram into the minds of the youths of this country. These youths are running for the sophisticated technologies. They are little concerned about the Ram temple or the Babri masjid. Again one has to understand that the sangh parivar out fits lacks quality agile leaders in these days who can attract the well educated youths of this country. They still have no such programmes too. It has to be mentioned that still these people are focusing on the issues like the protection of cows, which could generate very little impact in the modern, educated society.
Are they serious about Ayodhya these days. One may doubt their sincerity as the temple slipped out from their priorities. When Vajpayee government was at the centre, the VHP organized many agitations for the construction of the temple. There were parliament marches, sant sammelans, parikramas, karsevas and what not in those days. VHP leaders used to meet the pressmen daily in Delhi and their attack was always on leaders like Vajpayee and Advani. Ashok Singhal, Acharya Giriraj Kishor, Pravin Thogadia and company were in fact competing among them to attack the BJP men in the government. Where are they now? We haven’t seen any press conference in these days, especially after the coronation of the Manmohan Singh government. Even though they now hold press briefings on some occasions, the Ayodhya or the temple issue never crops up. Neither the parliament march or the karseva or the sant sammelans are there in their agenda in these days. In fact they have no courage to stand up against Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.
Now let us go to Ayodhya. The temple construction activities were going on at the karsevapuram there for the last few years. Carving of stones, pillars etc. Now nothing is happening there; construction work has come to a stand still, not because everything is over but the decision of the leaders was to stop all the activities. The karsevapuram is almost like a grave yard, according to a media report; we could see only on chowkidar there in these days. The office of the temple reconstruction committee at Ayodhya also is deserted, except a very few persons. The so called prominent leaders of the temple movement rarely visit that office and the temple town in these days. What does it mean? Is it that the RSS and VHP too have lost hope in the Ram temple construction? People will be forced to think in those terms. Recently the sangh parivar organised a national campaign to stimulate their work; the subject chosen for the same was the protection of cow and not the Ayodhya. The bosses of the sangh parivar must have come to the conclusion that the cow may bring better results than the temple issue. In short nobody is keen on the reconstruction of Ram temple at Ayodhya in these days.
One has to think of the effects of the Liberhan commission report in this back ground. The BJP and the sangh parivar is not in a position to make use of it in these days. That may help L.K.Advani and his colleagues in the present leadership tussle in the BJP to a certain extent. But I do think that Advani must be aware, better than anybody else, that this issue also will not help him or his organization in the long run.
So, is there no solution? Yes there is! I believe it is not about the usage of the holy place, but it is about the sentiments of the people in our country. I see these holy places as places of peace and joy, because just worshiping never proves that you are a strong believer of God. So what if a temple was demolished 400 years ago? Should the Muslims of today who are not closely responsible for the demolition be hurt for that? I don’t understand the use of building any temple or mosque. Farmers are committing suicide, children are uneducated! Don’t we have many problems already? Why invite one more? Instead of wasting money in building a temple or a mosque, why can’t the government build a school or a hospital that would be helpful to poor people? This will bring us all to peace. The Government would love to take it up, I believe. Killing in the name of God should be stopped. An eye for an eye will only make the country blind!
Bystander Effect
The bystander effect is the somewhat controversial name given to a social psychological phenomenon in cases where individuals do not offer help in an emergency situation when other people are present. The probability of help has in the past been thought to be inversely proportional to the number of bystanders. In other words, the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help [From Wikipedia].
The earliest example of bystander effect can be traced back to The Holy Bible. A lawyer (who happens to obey all the ten commandments) asks Jesus “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus then tells him a story-
A Jew is going along the road, and is beset by bandits, who beat him severely, strip his clothes, and rob him. They leave him for dead. Later, a priest walks by. He sees the Jew, moves to the other side of the road, and walks by without helping. Later, a Levite goes by, sees him, and gives him a wide berth, going on without helping. Later, a Samaritan (considered by the Jews to be outcasts) comes by, sees him, and immediately helps him, taking him to a nearby inn, caring for him, and paying the innkeeper.
“Which of these is the neighbor of the Jew who is beaten by robbers?” Jesus asked.
“The merciful one,” replied the lawyer.
“Go and do likewise.”
Example 1
Example 1
The most infamous example of the bystander effect took place on March 13, 1964, in Kew Gardens, Queens, NY, when Catherine Genovese was entering her apartment building at about 3:15 AM, from work. She was stabbed twice in the back by Winston Moseley, a heavy machine operator, who later explained that he simply “wanted to kill a woman.”
Genovese screamed, “Oh, my God! He stabbed me! Help me!” and collapsed. Several neighbors in surrounding buildings reported hearing her voice, but decided it was probably just a drunken brawl or lovers’ spat. One man shouted from his window, “Let that girl alone!” which scared Moseley away. This neighbor was sure to have seen Genovese crawling across the street, under a streetlight, to her apartment, but did nothing to help her. Witnesses saw Moseley drive away, then return about 10 minutes later. He had put on a wider-rimmed hate to hide his face, and searched for Genovese in the parking lot, the train station, and the apartment complex, for 10 minutes, before finding her prone in the external hallway at the rear of the building, where the door was locked. She could not get in. Moseley proceeded to stab her to death, inflicting multiple wounds in her hands and forearms, indicating that she tried to fight him off. She finally succumbed and he raped her as she lay dying. He then stole around $50 from her and fled. The whole incident spanned 30 minutes.
A newspaper blasted it the next day as “Thirty-eight Who Saw Murder Didn’t Call Police.” A simple phone call to the police would have sufficed, but everyone assumed someone else would do it.
Example 2
Kevin Carter was a South African Photojournalist who, in March 1993, took the most infamous photograph, so far, of the brutality and disregard for human suffering in sub-Saharan Africa. The photo shows a female Sudanese toddler, alone and severely emaciated, attempting to crawl to an aid station for food. A vulture is standing on the ground behind her, waiting for her to die so it can eat her.
Example 2
Kevin Carter was a South African Photojournalist who, in March 1993, took the most infamous photograph, so far, of the brutality and disregard for human suffering in sub-Saharan Africa. The photo shows a female Sudanese toddler, alone and severely emaciated, attempting to crawl to an aid station for food. A vulture is standing on the ground behind her, waiting for her to die so it can eat her.
Carter claimed that he waited 20 minutes for the vulture to spread its wings, which he thought would make a better picture, and when it didn’t, he took the picture as is. For those 20 minutes, the toddler had to rest before resuming its trip. She whimpered and panted, and Carter did nothing to help her.He took the picture, scared the vulture away, then left the girl to continue crawling on her own. No one knows what became of her, but it very likely that she starved to death. Either way, Carter claimed later that he just “didn’t want to get involved.” He killed himself the next year, after winning the Pulitzer for this photograph, by carbon monoxide poisoning, in his truck in Johannesburg.
I'm sure most of us have experienced such situations. Self interest is something else but doing nothing when someone's right to existance is questioned is preposterous! Bystander Effect is yet to be proved. Lets disprove it!
I'm sure most of us have experienced such situations. Self interest is something else but doing nothing when someone's right to existance is questioned is preposterous! Bystander Effect is yet to be proved. Lets disprove it!
Am I worthy enough?
I have been a part of Sankalp for more than two years now. I see my thoughts coming into action here. I see the youth of my motherland constantly working for the cause of 100% voluntary blood donation- the blood revolution. 30 odd people, who have given their blood, sweat, tears and lives to serve for the cause- their nation. People who are highly inspired by the great men and women who sacrificed their lives for "freedom", for "revolution". The future of India rests with the youth. They are the salt of the earth. WE are the salt of the earth. These 30 volunteers- their promptness to suffer, their daring courage & their radiant yet silent sacrifice make me believe that with patience, everything can be achieved. The volunteers once not allowed inside blood banks have today expanded to the whole of Karnataka, with about 50 blood banks walking with us for the blood revolution.
My friend asked me lately, "If you had to live the life of one man for a day, what would it be?" My answer to it was- "The life of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, on 23rd March, 1931- the day of his martyrdom." He smiled and answered- "I expected that answer". That night I cried.
Since then I've been wondering, what it would be, to actually be alive during the times of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. It’s one thing to watch the movies describing him, his ideas what he did, how it all happened, but to be actually there is different. I sometimes think if I was at that age, am I cut up for such sacrifices, would I be able to do what the heroes at that time did. Would I have had the courage to defy the exploitations at that time? Or would I be a coward running scared? or worst be an obedient citizen going about my daily chores of life without batting a eyelid, cause that’s what most were doing otherwise how could a handful of british rule so many.
The last few words spoken by him "Dil se niklegi, na mar kar bhi, watan ki ulfat, meri mitti se bhi khushboo-e-watan aayegi" (Even after my death my love for my motherland will not diminish from my heart. Even my ashes will smell of my motherland’s greatness and love). AM I LIKE THAT?
Not many these days think the way a 23 year old thought at that time, I know situations were different but there is one thing common, India. our country it is still under oppression, still under rule the only difference is colour of skin, it was White then now its Brown. Mentality is still same- "Loot the country, fill in own coffers". The wondering that could I do what they did, because if my answer is YES and if hundreds, thousands others said it was YES, then we should not be where we are in the current ERA. I just wish to God (well.. if he exists) that when I die, I die a good death a bit worthwhile, or give me strength that I am able to do something, anything worthwhile for the country where I was born where my forefathers lived. I am not sure if I could say what Bhagat Singh wrote "I have been arrested while waging a war. For me there can be no gallows. Put me into the mouth of a cannon and blow me off." These heroes had conquered the fear of death and all I can do is shed a few tears watching ajay devgan or Manoj kumar sing their way to the podium to be hanged with a smile and shouting INQUILAB ZINABAD. On that one thought, I see my roots shaking. The day I can belive even a quarter of what THEY did, I'll find myself worthy to be called a Sankalp Volunteer, a revolutionary, a true Indian.
My life still remains a question to me, and so does my endurance & my extent of sacrifice.
My Oscar Predictions- 2010
Presenting my predictions of Oscars for the year 2010. Due to my busy schedule, I'm concentrating only on the four of the ten major categories- Director, Film, Lead Actor & Actress. The other six (Editing, Original & Adapted Screenplay, Supporting Actor & Actress and Cinematography) will be announced later.
This year has been a great year for movies. The big names are back. The best of directors are in the race- Clint Eastwood, Peter Jackson, James Cameron, Ang Lee, Michael Mann, The Coen Brothers, Quentin Tarantino, Woody Allen, Terry Gilliam, Jim Sheridan and Rob Marshall. Here are my predictions-
Best Director/ Film nominees-
- Avatar (James Cameron)
- Inglorious Basterds (QNT)
- Precious (Lee Daniels)
- Up In The Air (Jason Reitman)
- The Hurt Locker (Katheryn Bigalow)
Other probable nominees-
- It's Complicated
- Julie & Julia
- (500) Days of Summer
- An Education
Film-
Should be- Avatar or Precious
Will be- Avatar or Precious (or maybe.. Inglorious Basterds)
Director-
Should be- Kathyryn Bigalow for her amazing piece of art (she's also a painter btw).
Will be- Quentin Tarintino for his long due win.
Best Actor-
Best Actor-
- Morgan Freeman (Invictus)
- Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
- Colin Firth (A Single Man)
- George Clooney (Up in the Air)
- Danny Day Lewis (Nine)
Other probable nominees-
- Matt Damon (The Informant!)
- Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man)
- Tobey Maguire (Brothers)
- Joeseph Gordon Levitt ((500) Days of Summer)
- Robert Downey Jr (Sherlock Holmes)
Should be- Jeff Bridges
Will be - George Clooney for his amazing performance and a long due award
Will be - George Clooney for his amazing performance and a long due award
Best Actress-
- Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe (Precious)
- Meryl Srteep (Julie & Julia)
- Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
- Hellen Hirren (The Last Station)
- Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Other probable nominees-
- Julia Roberts (Duplicity)
- Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria)
- Marion Cotillard (Nine)
- Meryl Streep (Its Complicated)
- Sandra Bullock (The Proposal)
Should be- Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe for her brilliant performance or Hellen Mirren
Will be- Sandra Bullock for two great performances this year. Or even the deserving one (Gabby or Miren)
I reviewed my 5 favorite films
I've finally jotted down my reviews to my 5 favorite films (as of December, 2009). Click on links to read my reviews-
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (English, Stanley Kubrick- 1968)
- Rashomon (Japanse, Akira Kurosawa- 1950)
- 8 1/2 (Italian, Federico Fellini- 1963)
- Vertigo (English, Alfred Hitchcock- 1958)
- City Of God (Brazilian, Fernando Meirelles- 2002)
Here are some sample pics of my movie collection-
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| Food For Brain |
Why is Sarabhai vs Sarabhai different?
Sarabhai vs. Sarabhai is a television show that aired on Star One during the year 2005. It will always be remembered for its comic values. What makes this comedy different is its portrayal of characters. A common Hindi sitcom is known to have an old fashioned saas (mother in law), a serious sasur (father in law), an overly charming son and his modern wife and a younger brother being loved by his father (in a way ofcourse). Well, in SVS, everything is just the reverse :) With a cast like Ratna Pathak, Satish Shah, Rajesh Kumar, Rupali Ganguly and Sumeet Rahgavan, this is by far the funniest modern Indian sitcom I've seen. Much of the humor is derived from the artificiality, hypocrisy and shallowness in the interactions of the city's elite and their perceived notions of the shortcomings of middle class society.
The ultimate character is that of Maya. Her confrontations with Monisha are always very suave and sugar-coated. The way she corrects Monisha, when she behaves in a little less sophisticated manner, by saying "It's too Middle class!" and then after all siad and done, she ends it up with her another punchline, "Don't mind hu'h beta, I am just joking". The way Sahil is always sandwitched between his mother and wife is not a new concept (It happens in every family), but the way it is initiated by Satish Shah is hilarious. This show has Satish Shah in his very own self, a character he plays the best; a person who knows to enjoy life and cracks jokes on anyone, anytime. The way he hates Roshesh and bullies him is marvelous. Roshesh' poetry, Monisha's optimized expenses- all put together make a great and a very fresh comedy. The humor is not cheap here; it is always backed up by characters you are familiar with. The stories are so predictable yet are a treat to watch because of your love for the characters.
P.S.- These comments hold good for the first 40 episodes. The next 5 episodes are watchable. The conclusive episodes of the season are a disaster.
Is Open-Source Pro-Communist?
I recently saw a pic on Flickr that haunted me. The pic says "When you program open source, you're programming Communism" Later in the pic it mentions "A reminder from your friends at Microsoft" [Reference].
I had sleepless nights thinking about it. The diehard open source users I've known, my teacher, my seniors at Sankalp are staunch believers of Socialism. Even if Open Source "is" a form of Communism, is it "that" bad? Maybe "yes" for people in U.S. and Europe who have given Communism such a bad name. It may hurt sentiments of millions of Open Source developers in these countries. I can take this discussion to an end and give my opinion upon it, but I'll leve this as an open question. Recently, I was reading parts of "The Cathedral and The Bazaar" by Eric Raymond when I got some insight into this issue. Linus Torvalds' lack of desire to make money out of Linux is directly attributed to his diehard academic grandfather and his diehard "communist" father [Reference]. The philosophy behind any open source software is simple. Instead of zealously protecting the source code, open source encourages any programmer to tear apart the code and build it back up again. The theory is that this collaborative process encourages innovation and decreases bugs by increasing the number of people with a stake in the project. Open source as defined by Richard Stallman and his GPL "do" equate to communism. One only needs to read his treatise "Why Softwares Shouldn't Have Owners" [Reference] to see the parallels to the Marxist principle of collective property rights over private ownership. Indeed, he reasons that if you engage in the sale of software you are in effect perpetrating theft against your neighbor by denying him free access to that program by means of economic disadvantage. To earn a living by developing and selling software is high treason in Stallman's world of open source, unless it is released under the auspices of the GPL and thus devoid of any proprietary protections.To me, being a Socialist, it interests me. I have no issues with Open Source being called Communist. Although, I would love to call Open Source "Socialist" instead of Communist. But what about the Open Source programmers in Capitalist nations like U.S or the European nation where Communism is more like a "slang" than a theory? I leave the question open for further discussion.
The Gold Rush- an 85 years old masterpiece
The Gold Rush is a 1925 silent comedy by Charlie Chaplin. The eternal question for many Chaplin fans is, is The Gold Rush better than City Lights? There are some who would argue for Modern Times or maybe even The Great Dictator. There are even a few who like Monsieur Verdoux. But to say this film is better than City Lights is definitely inviting controversy. As a statement on social mores and values City Lights is far more indicting. As an important piece of film City Lights shows us many things that had never been done before and perhaps may never be done again on the big screen. But as a sheer enjoyable romp in The Little Tramp's world is where City Lights falls short. It is buried in social commentary whereas the Gold Rush has some social issues to deal with. To my belief Gold Rush is the best of Chaplin's works and I will watch it over City Light just for the sheer joy of seeing the artist in his prime. I will justify my point with four unbelievably brilliant scenes from this film-
- The one in which he dines on an old shoe. Chaplin's exquisite grace, turned the boiled shoe into a gourmet feast: he carves it carefully, smacks his lips in anticipation, and then eats it with gusto and appreciation, sucking the nails as if they contained the most juices and twirling the laces around his fork as if they were spaghetti.
- The one where Big Jim McKay and Charles struggle to get out of their cabin teetering on the edge of a cliff. Its funny? Oh yes! But the underlying camerawork is unmatched. Oscillating the camera and moving the characters accordingly, and the way the final scene is shot when Charles jumps off the cabin the moment it falls down :) This film was shot in 1925
- The scene where Charles shows a dance to his imaginary dinner guests using two bread rolls stabbed with forks. They look perfectly like the boots he wears. Perfect!
- The scene where Chaplin goes to a great deal of effort to prepare a New Year's dinner and is stood up by his date, spending his New Year's alone. This scene is almost unbearably sad, thankfully it is surrounded by scene after scene that had me giggling.
What a delightful film! I can see the imagination bursting on the screen in riches. Each scene contains surprises and bits of magic. This masterpiece is not just a comedy but an adventure in its best form. There are parts that make me laugh just thinking about them, like the eating shoe scene, fighting over rifle while Chaplin tries to hide from gun, and when the cabin is tipping over the cliff scene. When Chaplin finds Georgia the film unveils some truly touching dramatic moments. I genuinely felt for him. Chaplin is a auteur who can make me laugh and cry at the same time. Brilliant!
City of God- The Brazilian Godfather
Cidade de Deus, or, City of God is a Brazilian film, directed by Fernando Meirelles, released in the year 2002, tells the story of life in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, in an area known as the Cidade De Deus, the City of God. Fortunately or unfortunately, you are left in a world you don't want to visit, it won't be featured on a post card, and it's said to be the city ignored by god himself. This movie makes you feel uncomfortable, puts you on the edge of your seat- you are right into the middle of the City and you too are caught up in it's violent temptation. More importantly, it's about the triumph of the human spirit against all odds."What are you doing, you're just a kid?" "I steal, I kill, I carry a gun, how can I be just a kid? I am a man."
The Opening Sequence- Most Amazing!
The one thing that stands out so well in City of God is the photography, narration and above all razor sharp MTV style editing that flaws most films with their own styles. Fernando Meirelles really does ram this film home and paints a really bleak image of Brazil the world is none to familiar with. Among many things that amazed me-
- The cinematography is some of the best I have ever seen- with a very visceral, jerky feel, very reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan.
- The editing is a kinetic amalgamation of the old styles, and bringing them up to date with the most flashy and modern hip hop styles.
- I've never seen such amazing character building in such a short time. Especially that of Knockout Ned, it took a mere 10 mins to bring this character from the nowhere to the lead.
- The very first scene of the film, especially tracking the hen from top followed by the most daring jump cut sequence ever!
- The football, the music, the heady culture of samba and carnival joie de vivre that never looses its charm. Its Brazil's answer to The Godfather.
- Screenplay has never been this good. The way it involves the viewer is an amazing craftswork. You tend to forget that you're watching a Brazilian film. Subtitles fade away as you gasp and close your eyes to this fast paced roller coaster ride!
Well, if you ask me, a gangster film never looked this good. It is as if the camera is released in the wide open beaches, and kicked around like one of Ronaldinho's headers. It starts on the sand and moves steadily across. It picks up on the story but then heads into the sun. It then leaves us, in a journey you'll never forget.
Anabhra Ratri Ki Anupama
Anabhra Ratri Ki Anupama is a collection of 101 poems by Sourav Roy "Bhagirath". This book is available. To grab a copy for yourself, contact sourav894@gmail.com
Front Cover
Back Cover
Introduction To Anabhra Ratri Ki Anupama By Rajat Agarwal
I have seen people who are philosophers. These people who are essentially feelers by nature, the ones who seem to understand human emotions to the core. Making use of analogy and art, these people are masters at expression. Then these are those who are workers. These are the people who take the philosophical guidelines and convert them into actions. Logical and work oriented, they are straightforward and direct. Sourav has been a pleasant surprise to this understanding of mine. He is a philosophical worker. A person who thinks and feels.
It is hard to believe that a person at such a young age can feel human emotions the way he does. Behind his youthfulness you will find a very sensitive person. His poems are a window into the contemporary society. His poems speak about human pain in a mesmerizing manner that is sure to leave a deep impact in your heart. Sometimes while reading the poems he has written, I have felt my reasonable self give way to the emotional self, felt my heart feel the emotions the poet in him depicts so beautifully.
I am sure Sourav's work will make its mark in the field of literature. And for you, it is surely going to be a wonderful reading, heart touching reading.
Rajat Agarwal
Sankalp India Foundation
It is hard to believe that a person at such a young age can feel human emotions the way he does. Behind his youthfulness you will find a very sensitive person. His poems are a window into the contemporary society. His poems speak about human pain in a mesmerizing manner that is sure to leave a deep impact in your heart. Sometimes while reading the poems he has written, I have felt my reasonable self give way to the emotional self, felt my heart feel the emotions the poet in him depicts so beautifully.
I am sure Sourav's work will make its mark in the field of literature. And for you, it is surely going to be a wonderful reading, heart touching reading.
Rajat Agarwal
Sankalp India Foundation
Here are some glimpse of the book launch-
(Click on the thumbnail to visit the album)
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| Anabhra Ratri Ki Anupama 1st Edition Launch |
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| Anabhra Ratri Ki Anupama 2nd Edition Launch |
The first edition of this book was launched on 15th August, 2009. It was launched in a seminar hall among my people, my family; the Sankalp volunteers.
The second edition of this book was launched on 4th November, 2009. It was inaugurated by my department HOD, Dr Ashwatha Kumar.
"Rashtragaan" in author's voice
"Kramshah" in author's voice
"Joker" in author's voice
"Chappal Se Lipti Chahatein" in author's voice
Price- Rs 140 (Postal charges extra)
Contact- sourav894@gmail.com
Vertigo- Hitchcock's visual poetry on obsession
"Vertigo" is a 1958 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. A film about obsession. I would put it among the 5 greatest films ever made. I must confess here, that this blog is also inspired by this film. The showman of popular cinema, Mr. Hitchcock directed a remarkable sequence of films in a row, each of them a classic; Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963). Never has a director made four such genuinely great movies in such a short space of time, either before or since. The pick of this high standard bunch is undoubtedly Vertigo. From the opening titles, with their circling spiral imagery, to the dramatic final scene this is a movie that takes you to a different time and place. Talking too much about "Vertigo" is not a good idea. There's too many obvious spoilers in recounting the plot of the film. "Vertigo" is a uniquely personal film, not only for Hitchcock, but for a broad array of viewers who, like me have latched onto its tragic story.
The Official Trailer
My favorite scene?
Well... There are many actually. A particular scene with mesmerizing camerawork is when James Stewart(Scottie) and Kim Novak hug. We see from Scottie's point of view- the ghostly figure appears in the eerie green-tinged neon light reflected from the hotel sign outside the window. Her metaphysical, spiritual figure assumes solid shape as she moves out of the ghostly green light and crosses the floor to him, to embrace and kiss passionately. The camera pans and swirls around them (their background surroundings dissolve and place them in the livery stable in Scottie's subjective imagination, a location very important to the film)- the sensation must be the same distorted but gratified feelings Scottie is experiencing- vertigo. Completely lost in the dream, overlapping fantasy and reality, the loving couple continue kissing in front of the pale, greenish haze of the window. Also the definitive dolly zoom effect (the camera is pulled away from a subject whilst the lens zooms in to create the "falling-away-from-oneself feeling") on the staircase of the bell tower to create the vertigo dizziness.
This film is just breathtaking with all its visuals and its aura is just amazing. The cinematography and of course the directing and impeccable acting is just many of the ingredients to Hitchcock's masterpiece. It is a cinematic masterpiece, it is one of the best pictures caught on film, so pure and enigmatic to film history, it flows like good wine, spirally- like the stuff that dreams are made of :)
This film is just breathtaking with all its visuals and its aura is just amazing. The cinematography and of course the directing and impeccable acting is just many of the ingredients to Hitchcock's masterpiece. It is a cinematic masterpiece, it is one of the best pictures caught on film, so pure and enigmatic to film history, it flows like good wine, spirally- like the stuff that dreams are made of :)
2001: A Space Odyssey- Beauty is the word!
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 science fiction film by Stanley Kubrick (who happens to be my favourite director as well). Being my favorite film, I have recommended this it to almost everyone I know. This blog is more like an answer to those who found this film slow-paced, and for those yet to watch it, you may continue to read this as a disclaimer to the film-I'll give you a word-
Beauty
Beauty is an under-rated concept. Sure, you'll often see nice photography and so on in films. But when did you last see a film that contains beauty purely for the sake of it? There is a weird belief among cinemagoers that anything which is not plot or character related must be removed. This is depressing hogwash. There is nothing wrong with creating a beautiful sequence that has nothing to do with the film's plot. A director can show 15 minutes of spaceships for no reason than that they are beautiful, and it is neither illegal nor evil to do so.
Beauty
Beauty is an under-rated concept. Sure, you'll often see nice photography and so on in films. But when did you last see a film that contains beauty purely for the sake of it? There is a weird belief among cinemagoers that anything which is not plot or character related must be removed. This is depressing hogwash. There is nothing wrong with creating a beautiful sequence that has nothing to do with the film's plot. A director can show 15 minutes of spaceships for no reason than that they are beautiful, and it is neither illegal nor evil to do so.
'2001' requires you to watch it, in a different way than you normally watch films. It requires you to relax. It requires you to experience strange and beautiful images without feeling guilty that there is no complex plot or detailed characterization. Don't get me wrong, plots and characters are good, but they're not the be-all and end-all of everything. There are different kinds of film (this being the best of all), and to enjoy '2001' you must tune your brain to a different wavelength and succumb to the pleasure of beauty, PURE beauty, unfettered by the banal conventions of everyday films.
'2001' is primarily a technical film. The reason it is slow, and filled with minutae is because the aim was to realistically envision the future of technology (and the past, in the awe inspiring opening scenes including an amazing jump cut sequence). The film's greatest strength is in the details. Remember that when this film was made, man still hadn't made it out to the moon... but there it is in 2001, and that's just the start of the journey. To create such an incredibly detailed vision of the future that 35 years later it is still the best we have is beyond belief - I still can't work out how some of the shots were done.
The Official Trailer
The film uses invisible but powerful forces to manipulate the plot but perhaps the most overwhelming one is the picture's vision of man... In Kubrick's fantasy, the Golden Age of man was a neglected instant between a man-ape's exaltation at discovering the first weapon and a nuclear-powered spaceship floating in a graceful orbit around the Earth. Man has indeed evolved As a spectacle "2001" assaults the mind, eye and ear, with stimulating images and suggestions. We are surrounded by a totally believable futuristic environment.The film is filled with brilliant sequences and extraordinary moments: The first interesting minutes in which the story of the apes is told visually, without a single line of dialog; the zero-gravity toilet with its great list of instructions; the stewardess defying gravity by walking the walls calmly upside down; the frightening moment when we realize that HAL is reading the astronauts lips; the magical alignments of Sun, Moon, and Earth; the "Starchild" returning home to charm the orb. "2001" is filled with poetic imagery: the view of the Sun rising over the Earth; the tossing of the bone into the air in slow motion; the slow images of the giant spaceship revolving in a cosmic ballet. "2001" is also a work of great visual acuity. It allows us to view more than the mystery of existence and destiny implicit in every man. Its end troubles many viewers as they demand clarity where there can only be mystery. They insist upon an answer where there can only be a question. Every viewer had a different explanation of the mysterious end of Kubrick's film. But for those who can accept mysticism, the climax is deeply moving.
"2001" is unique among films in content and scope. The cinematography is out-of-this-world, the special and visual effects are breathtaking, and the classical music is sublime. Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" is art in the highest sense, like Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa", or Van Gogh's "The Starry Night". It is actually more than that!
"2001" is unique among films in content and scope. The cinematography is out-of-this-world, the special and visual effects are breathtaking, and the classical music is sublime. Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" is art in the highest sense, like Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa", or Van Gogh's "The Starry Night". It is actually more than that!
