India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha

This Book takes us through the pages  of  history from the moment india broke her  imperialistic  chains  to  india‘s surge to be one of the leading global economic power  .book captures the various events of india in her journey as a world’s largest democracy in an unbiased way.  Book starts explaining how India is  an unnatural nation due to the wide division based on its geographical ,linguistic , religion & caste .  and ends with ‘why india is united  ‘. Reading those chapters would make you spellbound-in a way proud- about the unique never before heard features of the most divisive nation, the world has ever seen  .

part 1  deals with the earlier stages of  nation building –drafting the constitution , uniting/incorporating  the various princely states with the main land – to be precise . 2nd part traverses with history which coincides with unprecedented growth of Nehru’s  stature  within  india and congress with the demise of sarder vallabhai patel . 3rd part deals with the democratic elections making way to rise and handing over the power from congress to communist and dravidian movements in the south india and india’s first and only loss in the hugely unexpected war from the hands of china .4th part gives us the rise of indira from a daughter of a nation’s last widely accepted leader to a charismatic leader herself  and how in her path split the largest party for her personal gains   . Indira was decisive in her actions , gave birth to Bangladesh ,tested the india’s first nuclear device,actively fought by JP and his team which ultimately led to emergency ,broke congress and made it a single family hegemony for years to come(until now) .in the last and 5th part author clarifies as he moves from ‘history’ to ‘historically informed journalism’ ,he  explores varies important events as babri masjid riots and gujarat riots .

Going by the title , I Assumed there would be no or little coverage  about Gandhi and wondered how would be a book- about india – be complete  . Though Gandhi lived -or we allowed him to live – barely 200 days  after india’s independence his activities in those days were not less important than his leadership for independence struggle . He is a  one man army-though he would have hated me to use the word army refer him – , when there is hindu-muslim riots in Calcutta , he walked numerous miles ,spoke and fasted in his ailing age and brought peace and harmony . would have we allowed him to live more ,he would have brought a end to riots in north India even in Pakistan . We -even world-would never get a leader of his stature again .  But even during his death he did what he failed to do all his life time , brought Nehru and patel together .

This book is definitely not a small-sized one  (approx 775 pages ),even though  it is a historical book  but it was by no means a boring one.Author made me live in those times ,some times I felt like reading  newspaper columns  on other occasions he made me walk with Gandhi in Kolkata ,with sheikh Abdulla in Srinagar ,with Nehru in Bombay ,with J P during emergency ,  into golden temple during operation blue star , with awe and shock  during demolition of babri masjid . This book has covered Kashmir issue well and it gives the great insight about the conflict through the ages .  It was a pleasure reading this one – to say the least – .

If you have slightest of habit to turning the pages of a newspaper beyond sports and movies  or having the passion to know about our nation,  I recommend this book not for reading alone but also keep this one as treasured possession in your book shelf forever

 

Is everything a Dream ? Part-1

Morning sunshine Revealed the time As 7 am. There were no clocks in the room, apparently nothing but human faces here and there. I was sitting in a corner of the room ,just opposite to a friend.I can feel the  pleasant weather outside,But my heart reminded me that our situation was not exactly pleasant. we both didn spoke a word  but our eyes did spoke many  . Facial sweats keep telling the outer world about our inner feeling. we were not alone in the rooms , there were 2 others accompanying us. They were man of charisma ,they didn’t show a moment of  restlessness as us but were throughly enjoying their stay at that room as sachin plays his cricket. Both are well built , equipped with modern machine guns in uniforms . They were discussing about various things ,everything was pretty much audible but nothing reached my brain. several million random thoughts keep on flashing across my mind. i want to talk , but i’m unable even to spell a word in that room.

The Silence was broken atlast , there are no more birds humming and a random vehicle’s sssh sound .There are large of movement of men outside .You can visualize the boots ramping and running hard , and fleeing birds . I can visualize the scene outside. Fear is catching me near. My heart was beating at a speed which was alien to  it before. one of the uniformed men , went to the balcony -showed us that we were in the first floor of the building -. He had a good look at the enviroment outside ,he casually reported back to the other one . Both of them had quick word with each other . It seemed that they were waiting for this moment , ready for all . They were busy packing their materials – i see nothing other than guns – and finally informed us that the whole building was surrounded by army troops !! and told us that there is noway to stop the inevitable and they are preparing for the final battle or in short -martyrdom- . They should have felt disgusted seeing the fear in our faces , didn’t care to talk more to us then . our eyes shone Propagating our impeding horrible end . I have never experienced this feeling , though everyone knows death is the ultimate end awaiting you most of us don’t have the courage to face it. i’m no more than a ordinary person . Many things /persons were in poping up in my memory but only one thing is there , ’ I Wanna Live ,Anyhow” .  I tried hard to wipe the fear of death from my face before those brave men  but , i failed miserably . i felt , fear of death is more than the death itself.  i felt ashamed to be a coward even when 2 teachers were showing me ,how to face death with a smile and die like a man . Eventhough in the extreme emotions and cowardly man inside me taking the lead, i don’t  want to leave them alone though i cant help them in any way. Though , i had many unfinished  ambitions/desires/duties left in this world , Surviving by Leaving them die alone, would leave me as a dead man forever . Instead of living as a Dead man forever , i Decided to Die as a man once for all ! ! .

I heard a Loud blast Suddenly – all important things happen suddenly only - , that was what i last heard or remembered about that moment. my vision went blank  , my senses ceased to work there after

I’m back to my senses ,Now but i can feel my hands shivering , body shacking. I was in my bed , in chennai !!!.It was a Dream !!! , i searched my cell and found that time has already passed 8 , i need to rush to the office . I have my own deliverables , own commitments , own issues to carry on and then this is just a Dream – i dont need to care much -, i started preparing myself for a another day @ office. A question raised in my mind, do everything is a dream , u need to carry on your works without any giving much thought to what ever happens around you ? . i  felt ashamed  , even when a million people lose their life in ethnic struggle about 100kms , i was busy nursing my own goals, ambitions , welfares …

for more of my views on what am i talking about here and  who are those 2 uniformed men came in my dream ? Let me write a second part of this article .

 

Why Am i still blogging !! ?

In the last eight months only 2 posts !! i’m definitely lacking the urge to blog nowadays . my laziness is the most important reason stopping me from blogging but off late , Twitter provides me a platform to let out my views in a simple way without much work.so i was more occupied with a simple tweet than a blog.

Then there are few reasons ,why i’m fighting with my laziness and blog . As the days move on and on,when you came to know about your limitations in a society , and more often you were pre occupied with your personal goals and life and seems to have no time for the happenings around the world ,it seems to be a vague way of living . There are somethings for which we can at least raise a voice of disapproval  or may be approval .

As   Rachel points to Bruce wayne ,

”   What you are underneath doesn define you

But what you do ,defines you “

There seems to be a huge difference between who we are and what we do .  more times , we are forced to be *otherone* borrowing/accepting the views of other ones due to numerous reasons. but i have learnt my own way to reduce the gap and i want to echo my views more vibrantly here   .

 

+1 Experience – Software professional

‘Remeber the past, enjoy the present ,plan for the future ‘

OCT 30th , 2009

our Team  were involved in a meeting . All of us were introducing ourselves, when my Turn comes, I said  ” with this day ,it is exactly 1 year with this organization ” . yeah , i have completed the first year of my profession career . when i told that  , numerous events crossed  my mind in split seconds . it has been a long year ( but it went very soon )

It all started with a call on Friday evening from the HR ,asking me to join on a Wednesday morning. when i got the call , i was in a dream world(i was sleeping actually ) . it seems to me, whenever i sleep in the afternoons , goodthings happen.(i should try this @ office ) my 12th result too came in the same fashion ..

it is nothing short of a full circle for me in the past 12 months for me. for the initial 4 months, i was trained . in that period i was put along with another 23 people in a batch(DN004) . when i finished my college life ,i vowed to myself  that i wont have any friends in my professional career. But life once again put me around a set of wonderful people.To say the least ,- they are just wonderful .i later rebuked myself for having such a prejudice and how big a mistake it would be if i have followed it.

I enjoyed a lot in the training days, i had one the wonderful days there though i was one the verge of exiting the company , clearing the exit tests at the last possible attempts.

Then i entered the next lap , projects .My goodness, do any of you people have got bored to the core by simply warming the chairs for months together. i have been.. we had computers , chat clients ,internet , i came sharp @ 9 and left sharp @ 5 45 but no work . as days moved on . it left nothing other than frustration of knowing nothing of the working model of the industry even after spending half a year in it.

But everything changed one day (but i always believe nothing happens in a day).i was mapped into a new project . it didn’t took me long to understand the ‘Real’ world inside the software industry.Our team is a small one and we need to do some enhancements with some pretty strict deadlines.we as a team need to stretch every day and night . our days extended ,nights shrinked and  weekends were only in calendars . But it look like a dream when i think of those days ,we manage to keep on spirits alive even in those hard days. i remember stepping to the office continuously for 33 days with a days off.  friends ,who  bought my dinner  daily for this late comer,who had time to open the door and talk words of concern in those late nights ,who have concern in their words while they knew about my situation , who scolded me to talk a day’s off @ any cost , really make my life worth living (obviously i cant just keep on going to office to keep my life worth living ,wanna do something else too ).    But i really cherish those hard days forever (but i want those days only in memories too ).

i really like my team , they treated me like a boy Krishna – Enjoying my mistakes and hailing my efforts – . they really gave me confidence  i needed , in my first project.

when we finished our project , Appreciation started pouring from every corner . i too got my share as a Award internally. then i see through the  warranty support of this Project and swiftly moved into a another project, where the construction part has been finished before i arrived there. I hardly had little time to understand Requirements or construction since QA has started his pressure already . in another angle , i hardly had anything that can be done on my own .

That  is my first year as software professional .. is there only green pastures , Full moons, pleasant breezes , in short only ‘vikraman‘ film in my journey in the past one life .if i tell like it, u need not be cal lightman to find that ‘I’m lying’  ,but i sometimes i feel there are only less space for emotions in work .so let me  keep that ranting in some other posts

 

vision 2011

9 30 Pm,Nov 5th,2009

Once i got down from the bus,i rushed towards the house.At times, i transformed myself into Hanuman -jumping water pools in my streets – sometimes into a Abimanyu – daring to run into the lightless water logged  streats full of unexpected creatures -. BTW, why i run this mad towards my home  ?

when i stormed into my home,Everyone had their eyes fixed on the Idiot box. Noone had the courtesy to Question the gasping friend . i too didn bother much about them . while throwing my shoes into a corner ,i jumped before the TV .! Sachin is batting on 167!! . i have already missed enough . which is destined to be -one of the – greatest innings under pressure. i dont want to miss more. but Life or if u called God has some other plans . Sachin got out Unfortunately on 175  and India lost by 3 runs . ( i joked after the match  , when Sachins plays like his old days , india too jus do that ) But this man only has the power to Stop 1 billion big  nation  , make millions of people run like sprinters,Train to stop for mins..

I became a Hardcore Cricket fan by watching him score tons of runs in 1996 world cup.But off late, i lost much of my passion towards cricket.i dont care to watch live feeds or highlights much just score cards in HINDU is enough for me. but when this man plays , i just love it..

20 years of International cricket, 30,000  runs , 100 centuries in the calling somewhere before he ends his career. love of numerous cricket lovers all over the world and worship of millions of indians. what more ? only thing that eludes him is the mother of all trophies -ICC world Cup-. He took india closest on 96 and a inch closer on ’03 but he needs to be another inch closer this time. i think, 2011 is not his last chance but the last chance indian cricket team to honour their Greatest son , true representative of the gentleman’s game, one the nations face  in he last 2 decades presenting him with the ultimate and lone gem missing in his throne .

we all love you sachin ..

 

General Elections-predictions

This is the third time , i’m showing my index finger with pride and satisfaction to the world.Even i voted this time , i was pessimistic about the polling percentages in the state . but very surprised and happy to see it jumped to 68% from late 50 % mark .

only  less than a day left to know election results , but it’s my time to predict the results

Tamil nadu

with no major wave – would ealam tamils wave against congress make a difference? – flowing towards any alliance , it seems as the contest of the votebank arithmetic and compaign power of the star campaigners . with arithmetic working in favour of  the AIADMK alliance and jayalalitha’s whirlwind campaign(Karunanidhi’s campaign being curtailed to hours ) drawing huge crowds , AIADMK expected to get about 25 seats , but with voting percentage increased considerbly-people who voted in excess doesnot belong to any votebanks - and and vijaykanth’s DMDK  eating into AIADMK’s opposition votes.  25-15 in favour of DMK may be the verdict . but what ever the results are , they would closely contest one .

        DMDK wont be winning any seats as expected but it would get good number of votes in kallakurichi ,cuddalore ,virudhunagar and kanyakumari . but even if it able to get same 8.33% as prev assembly elections , it would be a  big achievement

 BJP would be holding on to traditional vote bank but it is no way seem to get more votes than it. it to wont get win any seats but it may even threaten a second place finish in kanyakumari and ramanathapuram( purely due to thirunavukarasur’s charisma )

apart from that , i’m eagerly waiting for sarath babu’s votes (contesting in south chennai, where i live ) some youngsters seem to have voted for him and trichy’s results ( where i vote)

INDIA

it is simple as that , it is hung parliament . but with both NDA and UPA expected to win around 200 seats but with fourth front (SP-RJD-LJP) expected to atleast 35-40 and left front getting a another minimum of 35 . it is most likely a non-bjp government . but would manmohan singh would continue to be the PM , this is tricky question thought NCP would be getting only 15 + seats , sharad pawar may likely to be a  option for PM with fourth front and left may pinch for non-congress PM  , with shiva sena to support for a marathi manoos . 

can sharad pawar achieve what he is denied in early nineties ? can Mamohan singh can hold on to the unexpected gift for another term ? but with my prediction going to dust and can L K advani jumping on the highest seat in his last and only chance ? but this is the one last time ,these 3 can aspire to became PM , there is no  second chance for them . though Sharad pawar has age on his side , situations may not be this fruital in the future.

NOTE 1 : even you would be reading this , this prediction may be un comparable to the results declared . but it may declare that i too join the elite number of  people who can’t predict the pulse of people in advance.

 

Let Us Vote

Finally D-day has arrived ,the decision is in our hands .Let us participate in this mass festival -not for the well being of others but for ours- . Let us go to polling booth and vote for  whomever we think the best or atleast not the worst. if u feel noone is elgible to get your vote , go for  49 0 form but Let us make sure that we exercise our right . Let us vote

 

India Unbound

                             I always belive “money has NO value attached to it, unless it has been properly invested “. One of the finest investments (excluding gifts to relations & friends) ,  is buying a  book – ‘INDIA unbound by guru charan das ” -.  I did that on my first month salary. I took more time than any other book to finish it, partly due to my training and partially due to my prejudice on some matters which made to constantly argue/discuss with myself.

                                   Author takes us through the events of India from the independence till the new millennium in his perspective. The book is essentially about why and how, the highly productive India became poor and how it would gain became rich. We can have a close insight of nehruvism socialism /democratic socialism-as called by this author – or mixed economy ,with which the Nehru dreamt of building the new India . The author is highly critical  of the bureaucracy and license raj -only particular enterprise having particular license can produce certain products- which were responsible for the chances   India missed from 1960′s until the markets opened in 1991.he came with numerous case studies to prove his point like aditya birla leaving India and building a empire on foreign soils , TATA group refused numerous projects while late dhirubhai ambani being the lone exception to create a business empire –result of blend of shrewd intelligence and ability to bend laws – . From 1991,s when the economic blockade is removed, it waved for the new hope for millions of Indian where playfield is level and new group of enthusiastic young Entrepreneurs started developing..

                                    Author, former CEO of P&G is a unmistakable flag bearer of capitalism and highly critical of socialism . I would like to know his views on present state of economics of biggest exhibitors of capitalism ( USA ).

                                     Though I have some reservations about how the author look at certain issues , I love reading this book. Simply because it has kindled my appetite for reading books on contemporary   history .and i strongly recommand you to read this one .

 i have zero in on some of the books which i would be willing to read in the near future

* “India after gandhi” by ramachandra guha

* “my life ,my country” by LK advani , i really wanna know what this rightist politician-who has a  significant  influence  in dividing the people on religion – (sorry , if I’m wrong J ) , have to say about the last 50 years

*”discovery of india” – jawaharlal nehru , to knew his viewpoints

 

My Encounters with Reality

                                            This is one of the rare day – i seldom buy chocolates for 200 bucks – I’m starting my bike finishing the purchase in a departmental store. Just then, I noticed a man- in his early fifties, bright eyes, lean looks, not so neat clothes – standing in front of me . At first I mistook him for a person searching something there. Then he spoke to me with the sense of urge ‘romba pasikuthu , romba romba pasikuthu , ennaku …. ‘(I’m hungry, very hungry……). We are used to this kind of pleading but when he asked me looking straight into my eyes. I was emotionally moved and opened my purse to give him a 10 rupees note and took the vehicle back to my home. This incident made me thing again and again, he is not a real beggar, IMO he is not a person who seemed to deserve Nor I’m a person who is very kind enough . I’m witnessing more disadvantaged persons in my daily life in chennai railway stations. Even witnessing more people with special abilities –unlike normal beings- selling various range of things – instead of begging – there but I hardly ever bought a product. Only thing that made me give away some rupees is the way he expressed his situation evoked my emotions. After seeing “naan kadavul”-definitely one of the must see movie on Tamil – whenever I see a people with special abilities begging , it evokes a sense of urge in me to look into their lives and know the reason behind their ill being . is there anyone who milks the sympathy in people using these people ??.After thinking these all , why did I give him without giving a second thought ?? After some thought process – my traveling time is killed/utilized by this activity- ,I can picture what is there is my mind . There are so many things happening around me , I have been keeping mum controlling my senses just living my life as silent observer  . There are times, when I have thought to myself “ I would earn then I would change things ‘ but in reality , I too *now* a ‘yet another ordinary person ‘ , so one of the easiest things I can do now is giving away some money and to feed not only them but also my inner self’s appetite .

                                   2 years back , I was visiting a young doctor for my ligament issues . in that hospital I happened to see his Dr dad –who is the son of late Dr KAP -consulting patients for a meager 5 rupees in his old ages and seen the gratitude of the patients in their eyes . On that day, I understood the nobleness of medical profession but there is always a flip side .I have heard lots of story about money savvy hospitals but I have never had a personal experience . recently I happened to visit a hospital urgently with my friend –who needed immediate attention- when I expected them to take care ,they promptly asked me to pay the fees and coolly said “rest is next “ . I had a mix of emotions running through my mind mostly annoyance and anger but I know it won’t help my cause so I just replied “u take care , I would take care of this bill ‘ .when this matter run through my mind again and again , I thought I’m overreacting to a simple day to day issue .after all, it is their business . day in ,day out they are seeing patients in pain and ‘money they pay’ to cure is their business model . I too knew they are not here for doing any service , but what I expect is minimum business ethics-since they are engaged in a business- in it , I have no clue whatsoever why they wanna charge us before treating ? they don’t belive though I’m wearing my ID card – license to be robbed in day – . this is not a matter of money but a matter of customer satisfaction in business terms :(

 

B’days

                          ‘B’days are occasions ,just to remind that I’m getting older ‘ This is the view ,i had for B’days once I jumped out of my childhood days and magic date feb 12 (obviously my B’day) never seem to interest me anymore .it is just a occasion for wearing new dresses , but this impression broke as my life moved on . in hostels , we were used to celebrate the b’days as a grand event . it started as place ,where we friends mingled as group ,started looking outside our ROOM ,and introduced to new people who eased into our lives as friends . Hostel B’days have 12’0 clock cake cutting ceremonies , back breaking slaps with lights switched off ,bed sheets all over on you ,playing hide and seek to escape cakes being pasted upon our face, buckets of water being spilled upon you and last but not least photo session ( I liked this part ,very much) . another interesting part is waiting for people to wish you @ midnight . whenever I think of B’days , feb 12 ’08 is a special one.. that is my last one in my collage life and we celebrated both in hostel and my class room . it came within the last one month of our college life , so it had more emotional attachment to it .

 the period in between the feb 12’08 to feb 12’09 would easily be the most *happening* period of my life time , I slowly translated from college student to a vetti guy (nearly spend half an year in that) then I’m slowly building my professional career. But then this year , I know that my family members wouldn’t be around as in my school days , i know that a good chuck or most part of friends who were greeting wouldn’t be near you and surely I miss numerous hand shacks I had before but then one of the things that make life beautiful is , unexpected turns and twists it brings to you . it is great that new friends have stormed(?) to your life so soon than u hope and gave u a ray of hope on life . It would always feel great to hear old friends(sometimes ,even across from across the Atlantic ocean) , especially their parents and someone’s whom you don expect to wish , wish u ‘Happy B’day ‘. But with *this* type of B’days , u tend to expect more. and with expectations sky high tend to get disappointments and it is part of the parcel , I’m used to move on ,with the disappointments  .

PS  :my colleagues/friends poured with gifts I had a good number of wardrobes and 8 books.. I’m looking forward to read that books as soon as possible and return back my comments , but travelling nearer to 3 hours per day in public transport make things harder for me