generation gap was once the most talked about topic ... during the mid 90's we were the young guns , the teenagers , who were always telling their elders how the new generation is different ... we always believed we had the 'X' factor and somehow the elders would never understand our feelings, our issues, our pains.
Now the tables have turned on us ..... not even touching 30 and we find ourselves alienated from the new age super kids .... we just cant understand how these kids can spend so much money? Its very tough on me to see young girls wearing micro mini skirts for school uniform. Similarly young boys wearing ultra low waist almost fallen off trousers to school make me wonder how old am i? I just cant keep myself abreast of the countless gizmos and their specification which is gossip for these kids.
i dont count myself as a yuppie ..... but then i am someone who takes his parents to mall and urges them to buy branded clothes and enjoy Baskin Robins ....
Seeing people spending lavishly reminds me of the times when our pocket money was rs 5 a week, of times when One rupee was so important ... when cadbury bar was sign of good time and celebration ....
On the otherhand seeing slums on side of the road makes me wanr to spend and enjoy my life. I want my parents, my wife , my family to enjoy the luxuries the life has to offer and i can spend all my svaings for the same......
I guess somewhere i am confused .... i am stuck in between the two generations ..... in short time i have seen both sides of the coin .....
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
of voting in indian democracy
if there will be a contest to check desperation to vote , i will definetly be amongst the finalists. The whole process has taken more than 6 months now and still i dont have any clue where am i stuck.
It is really frustating that in my own country i dont have a right to vote. My voter ID application's status is unkown and i am shuttling between the election office and the election incharge for the ward. No one can tell me whether or not my application has been aprroved, if yes then has the card been made, if yes where it is , if no when will it be made.
Besides that the survey for electoral roll has been completed, when, i have no clue ... but for sure it was on a weekday when both me and neha were at work. No idea how to get my name on that and whom to contact.
Not only that, i dont know who are the contestants this year, they have not yet visisted my office or home to ask for our vote. there is no spam mail, sms, processions, loud speaker blaring or not even a banner informing who the contestant is , which party he/she belongs and that person needs my vote to win.
All this is really frustating... how can the whole system conspire against genuine and interested voters? I am quite sure all these obstructions are not faced by the people living in slums, for their votes can be bought for 50-100 rupees. No party is interested in talking to us for we will ask questions. We will not be happy that they want to give rice at 2 rupees per kg, but we will ask "from where will they get the money for this scheme?"
I just want to salute the tactician, the master politician who devised this plan of alienating the thinking population and concentrating mainly on saleable votes. the plan has worked so well that all the young people like us do not regard ourselevs as real india. Every person i meet and talk to has the opinion that we are not real india. real india is the person living in city slums and in villages.
My only worth to the country is the tax i pay every year , thats it. other than that the government, the politicians the country is not all worried about me. I pay the road tax but that will be used to build road near some neta's home or in his constituency during elections. I pay education cess and the SC/ST candidates, whose father is some big IAS officer or public sector employee(again due to reservations)will get subsidy in education. And i am conditoned not to ask any question by drilling one line in my head from childhood "ask not what your country has done for you, ask what you can do for the country."
It is really frustating that in my own country i dont have a right to vote. My voter ID application's status is unkown and i am shuttling between the election office and the election incharge for the ward. No one can tell me whether or not my application has been aprroved, if yes then has the card been made, if yes where it is , if no when will it be made.
Besides that the survey for electoral roll has been completed, when, i have no clue ... but for sure it was on a weekday when both me and neha were at work. No idea how to get my name on that and whom to contact.
Not only that, i dont know who are the contestants this year, they have not yet visisted my office or home to ask for our vote. there is no spam mail, sms, processions, loud speaker blaring or not even a banner informing who the contestant is , which party he/she belongs and that person needs my vote to win.
All this is really frustating... how can the whole system conspire against genuine and interested voters? I am quite sure all these obstructions are not faced by the people living in slums, for their votes can be bought for 50-100 rupees. No party is interested in talking to us for we will ask questions. We will not be happy that they want to give rice at 2 rupees per kg, but we will ask "from where will they get the money for this scheme?"
I just want to salute the tactician, the master politician who devised this plan of alienating the thinking population and concentrating mainly on saleable votes. the plan has worked so well that all the young people like us do not regard ourselevs as real india. Every person i meet and talk to has the opinion that we are not real india. real india is the person living in city slums and in villages.
My only worth to the country is the tax i pay every year , thats it. other than that the government, the politicians the country is not all worried about me. I pay the road tax but that will be used to build road near some neta's home or in his constituency during elections. I pay education cess and the SC/ST candidates, whose father is some big IAS officer or public sector employee(again due to reservations)will get subsidy in education. And i am conditoned not to ask any question by drilling one line in my head from childhood "ask not what your country has done for you, ask what you can do for the country."
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Of vegetarian Vs Non-vegetarian food
Of late i have been into numerous discussion with Neha about vegetarian food ... even though i am a vegetarian but i don’t buy any single arguments given by vegetarians on why vegetarian food is good and non-veg is bad...Here is my point to point rebuttal of the same:-
1. veg food is healthier than non veg:
Most the articles that site non veg food as bad are generally written by veg fanatics who say that eating non veg increases obesity, heart ailments. They give calorie contents and other scientific facts and compare butter chicken with aaloo gobi or bhindi subzi ..... all i would say is that if this is true then Gujratis who don’t even touch non veg should be the fittest of the Indian community .... why don’t we compare fafdas , veg tikki and pakodas with staked fish? the results will surely be opposite ..... The truth is veg cuisine is as fried, oil and cholesterol full as non veg cuisine and it depends on individual recipe on how healthy or unhealthy the food is .....
I am not even going into nutrition content of individual item as none item is complete or balanced diet in itself. It takes a balanced meal to ensure all nutrients are assimilated.
2. Veg food ensure that animals are not killed and ensure sympathy towards animals.
Let us recall that it an Indian MR J.C.Basu who showed that plants like animals are living, have feelings and they can feel. There is no food in this world that can be achieved without killing or hurting any living being. (If you say fruits i will say eggs are their equivalent).
Many argue that plants have just 2 or 3 senses and animals are more developed/ higher / superior living beings thus eating animals is less sinful.
Is killing a deaf and dumb man less sinful that killing a normal man? Is killing snake ok, given that it can not hear? how can a religion differentiate between living beings based on the senses? this way hizras are less human coz they cant reproduce.......
Well senses are man's definition of being a higher living organism. I argue that plants are the only living species that create their own food from sunlight, water and minerals, that’s why they are superior beings, hence killing them is higher sin.
Plants do not depend on animals for food (well baring 1-2 species) and it is the animal kingdom (including human) that needs to eat other living beings. So let us all animals fulfill this need of ours amongst ourselves and not depend on plants for the same.
3. the environmental veggies say that rearing animals (that are culled for food) is a drain on environment.
Ahem .... what about the fact that if we all turn vegetarians the whole of the earth would not be able to provide requisite amount of fruits, veggies and other grains?
I mean where will you get the land to farm for 8 billion people?
I read some where that grains used for feeding animals reared on farms can feed 800 million people. Well good. But can it feed them for a life time? can those grains provide a balanced diet? what about the fact that the meat thus generated serves need of about another 800 Million people?
In such a regard non veggies are better as they don’t just depend on land but also on water (sea) for food and so the overall pressure on land is less.....
Let us all start eating sea food and fishes... this way land required for agriculture will reduce and 2/3rd of worlds surface can be used for food requirements of human being
4. veg food is less tamsik, does not increases sexual desire, aggression and is pure ....
Ahem ..... My dear religion fanatics .... tamsik, satvik , aggression etc is more dependent on an individual and his character rather than food he/she eats .... if that is the case then most of the vegie wives should be docile and non domineering ... a fact all their husbands can refute :)
Well what about food like onion, garlic, various veggie aphrodisiacs?
5. Non veg brings all with it diseases from poultry etc ....
Duhhh.... what about pesticides on crops? Please someone remind these veg fanatics that rotten veggies and fruits is as harmful as diseased meat!!
My take: Different food groups have different nutritional value and a balanced diet requires all the components. Some of them are abundant in non veg food and some in veg, but this does not means that other food group is deficient in these.
It is simply a matter of individual choice and let us keep it at that ......
1. veg food is healthier than non veg:
Most the articles that site non veg food as bad are generally written by veg fanatics who say that eating non veg increases obesity, heart ailments. They give calorie contents and other scientific facts and compare butter chicken with aaloo gobi or bhindi subzi ..... all i would say is that if this is true then Gujratis who don’t even touch non veg should be the fittest of the Indian community .... why don’t we compare fafdas , veg tikki and pakodas with staked fish? the results will surely be opposite ..... The truth is veg cuisine is as fried, oil and cholesterol full as non veg cuisine and it depends on individual recipe on how healthy or unhealthy the food is .....
I am not even going into nutrition content of individual item as none item is complete or balanced diet in itself. It takes a balanced meal to ensure all nutrients are assimilated.
2. Veg food ensure that animals are not killed and ensure sympathy towards animals.
Let us recall that it an Indian MR J.C.Basu who showed that plants like animals are living, have feelings and they can feel. There is no food in this world that can be achieved without killing or hurting any living being. (If you say fruits i will say eggs are their equivalent).
Many argue that plants have just 2 or 3 senses and animals are more developed/ higher / superior living beings thus eating animals is less sinful.
Is killing a deaf and dumb man less sinful that killing a normal man? Is killing snake ok, given that it can not hear? how can a religion differentiate between living beings based on the senses? this way hizras are less human coz they cant reproduce.......
Well senses are man's definition of being a higher living organism. I argue that plants are the only living species that create their own food from sunlight, water and minerals, that’s why they are superior beings, hence killing them is higher sin.
Plants do not depend on animals for food (well baring 1-2 species) and it is the animal kingdom (including human) that needs to eat other living beings. So let us all animals fulfill this need of ours amongst ourselves and not depend on plants for the same.
3. the environmental veggies say that rearing animals (that are culled for food) is a drain on environment.
Ahem .... what about the fact that if we all turn vegetarians the whole of the earth would not be able to provide requisite amount of fruits, veggies and other grains?
I mean where will you get the land to farm for 8 billion people?
I read some where that grains used for feeding animals reared on farms can feed 800 million people. Well good. But can it feed them for a life time? can those grains provide a balanced diet? what about the fact that the meat thus generated serves need of about another 800 Million people?
In such a regard non veggies are better as they don’t just depend on land but also on water (sea) for food and so the overall pressure on land is less.....
Let us all start eating sea food and fishes... this way land required for agriculture will reduce and 2/3rd of worlds surface can be used for food requirements of human being
4. veg food is less tamsik, does not increases sexual desire, aggression and is pure ....
Ahem ..... My dear religion fanatics .... tamsik, satvik , aggression etc is more dependent on an individual and his character rather than food he/she eats .... if that is the case then most of the vegie wives should be docile and non domineering ... a fact all their husbands can refute :)
Well what about food like onion, garlic, various veggie aphrodisiacs?
5. Non veg brings all with it diseases from poultry etc ....
Duhhh.... what about pesticides on crops? Please someone remind these veg fanatics that rotten veggies and fruits is as harmful as diseased meat!!
My take: Different food groups have different nutritional value and a balanced diet requires all the components. Some of them are abundant in non veg food and some in veg, but this does not means that other food group is deficient in these.
It is simply a matter of individual choice and let us keep it at that ......
Monday, February 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
of dogs and ministers
It is indeed a great gesture when a CM offers condolences.... But the fact is mr Achuta went to Major Sandeep's house just beacuse he was a malyalee ??? What about other NSG commandos? What about Mumbia police martyers? Is their martyrdom any less? Dont their death count for mr Achuta? Just coz they are not malyalee or dont belong to kerela, their deaths go unnoticed? Why din Mr Achtua atleast offer verbal condolences to the rest of martyers?
When will our politicians, our media and all of wake up to this fact that each one who dies in such unfortunate incident is a human first, then an Indian , then a brother , son, father husband and lastly he belongs to his caste, region etc?
When will our politicians, our media and all of wake up to this fact that each one who dies in such unfortunate incident is a human first, then an Indian , then a brother , son, father husband and lastly he belongs to his caste, region etc?
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
of social messages
finally something that actually forced me to break my long hiatus and post a new blog .... this is about all the social messages ... messages that tell us we are lucky to have shelter on our heads and food in our belly, messages that tell us that our restraunt expenses are equal to someone's monthly groceries and hence we should be careful......
My simple answer to all these is so what? So what if i have money and i can spend it? so what if someone has children whom he/she can not feed? so what if someone has to work 10 hours a day in sun to earn rupees 50?
Why do these messages always want to make people feel guilty that thay are well fed and can afford a decent living? what do they want people to do- give away all their money and join the downtrodden gang? Do they want that everone should stop sending their kids to school and send them to some factory to work with all child labourers so that they dont feel bad?
Well my simple question is that why should i share my wealth or fortune with anyone? i work for providing basic necessity and luxury to my family and whats wrong in that? If there is any1 in the down-trodden section who has intelligence, business accumen, he.she will rise like many business giants have. for rest of the incapables why should i take responsibility?
It just reminds me of the modern version of the ant and grasshopper story where ant is fined by socialists for not sharing his food with grasshopper.
the beggar doe snot thinks twice before having kids. Infact he has 6-7 kids even when he doesnt know where his next meal is gonna come. Whereas me, i will plan my kid for 2 years, accumulate fund for his future , and then have just 1 or max 2 kid.
now someone tell me why should i pay for beggars or his chidrens misfortune? why doesnt the beggar plan and save for his kids? why do the social service ppl want a pie from my child's kitty?
will my child get moeny because he/she can not afford a limo or ferrari like the ambanis, tatas, gandhis etc?
My simple answer to all these is so what? So what if i have money and i can spend it? so what if someone has children whom he/she can not feed? so what if someone has to work 10 hours a day in sun to earn rupees 50?
Why do these messages always want to make people feel guilty that thay are well fed and can afford a decent living? what do they want people to do- give away all their money and join the downtrodden gang? Do they want that everone should stop sending their kids to school and send them to some factory to work with all child labourers so that they dont feel bad?
Well my simple question is that why should i share my wealth or fortune with anyone? i work for providing basic necessity and luxury to my family and whats wrong in that? If there is any1 in the down-trodden section who has intelligence, business accumen, he.she will rise like many business giants have. for rest of the incapables why should i take responsibility?
It just reminds me of the modern version of the ant and grasshopper story where ant is fined by socialists for not sharing his food with grasshopper.
the beggar doe snot thinks twice before having kids. Infact he has 6-7 kids even when he doesnt know where his next meal is gonna come. Whereas me, i will plan my kid for 2 years, accumulate fund for his future , and then have just 1 or max 2 kid.
now someone tell me why should i pay for beggars or his chidrens misfortune? why doesnt the beggar plan and save for his kids? why do the social service ppl want a pie from my child's kitty?
will my child get moeny because he/she can not afford a limo or ferrari like the ambanis, tatas, gandhis etc?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
of Happiness
Sometimes the most tiring of the experiences are the one that give u the most joy .... when u fall on the bed after a tiring day, the joy is immense ......
all it takes is one small comment that makes ur day and all ur tiredness vanishes .... and i am so happy coz after all the rukus and mayhem of last 3 month finally we moved to a small abode we can call our own and "she" liked it ......
those 5 words " i love our new house" have just made my life so worthwhile :)
all it takes is one small comment that makes ur day and all ur tiredness vanishes .... and i am so happy coz after all the rukus and mayhem of last 3 month finally we moved to a small abode we can call our own and "she" liked it ......
those 5 words " i love our new house" have just made my life so worthwhile :)
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