India denuded

A land of varied religions, cultures and practices, adhering to respective religious tenets.

Not many would have thought the three hundred plus years of British rule would have certain adverse effects on one of the most respected nations, as India would slowly and steadily be stripped of its age old culture and practices.

Questions like whys and why nots of religious doctrines have knocked the doors of courts.

Citing democracy and 'secularism' courts allow the petitions and overrule them.

Gender inequalities were 'set' to balance.

God and religion are now under lens.

We are just a step away from walking legally bare on streets. And go about as per the wildest of fancies that smack of perversion.

The words 'reverence' and 'shame' would soon lose its relevance in Indian society.

Kamakhya Devi Mantra

Kamakhya Devi Mantra

कामाख्ये काम-संपन्ने, कामश्वरी! हर-प्रिय।

कामनां देहि में नत्यिं, कामेश्वरि! नमास्तु ते।।

कामदे काम-रूपस्थे, सुभगे सुर-सेविते।

करोमि दर्शनं देव्याः, सर्व-कामार्थ-सिद्धये।।

காமாக்ய தேவி மந்த்ரம்

காமாக்யே காம-ஸம்பன்னே, காமேஷ்வரி! ஹர-ப்ரிய।

காமநாம் தேஹி மே நத்யிம், காமேஷ்வரி நமோஸ்துதே।।

காமதே காம-ரூபஸ்தே, ஸுபகே ஸுர-ஸேவிதே।

கரோமி தர்சனம் தேவ்யா:, ஸர்வ-காமார்த்த-ஸித்தயே।।

No, we didn't...Yes, we did

Yasodha: “Did you steal and eat the butter?”

Krishna: “No, mom, I didn't.”

Yasodha: “Come on, don't lie to me...”

Krishna: “No, I swear...”

Yasodha: “I've got proof, so tell me the truth.”

Krishna: “Yes, mom,I did...”

First, we watched Pakistan playing a similar sequence on 26/11.

Now, we got China doing it about the dam that they built on the Brahmaputra.

Film shooting on Ranganathan Street

Angadi Theru.

Roughly translated it means Market Street.

A new Tamil movie depicting the travails and lives of young boys and girls working in a department store on Ranganathan Street.

Ranganathan Street shown in the film was no set. And the shop shown in the film immediately reminds you of the famous Saravana Stores.

It is said that most of the film was shot with hidden cameras.

Also interesting to note is that the actors did their jobs in front of real customers and public without anyone noticing that a film was being shot.

In a certain sequence the lead actors were required to sell wares on Ranganathan Street in broad daylight. The actors, both new (the hero was a debutant the heroine was also only a film old) were asked to go to the middle of the street and enact it. They just had instructions to keep 'selling' until they were asked to wind up over mobile phones. No other sellers were aware that they were part of a film unit. In fact the actors themselves did not know where the cameras were placed. They ended up selling and made a few hundred rupees of real money!

God Vs.Science

Man: Oh Lord, we wonder at Your creation of woman and made her form a new life in her womb. We thank Thee!

God: Bless you, my child!

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Man: (Holding up a test tube with some content) Know what this is?

God: No.

Man: This is called a test tube and it contains what goes to make a baby.

God: Oh!

Man: But I still wonder at Your amazing capacity of making all people in this world so very different. No two are alike. Great!

God: (Smiles)Bless you, my child!

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Man: God...!

God: Yes, my child?

Man: Look, what I've brought here!

God: What's that?

Man: Well, (pointing to a real and a clone) can you tell this one from that?

God: Probably not.

Man: Perhaps not. Because one of them is what we call a clone. A duplication of another living being.

God: Oh!

Man: But dear Lord, I can't probably beat you at making life in the first place.

God: (Smiles) Bless you, my child!

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Man: Eureka!

God: What now?

Man: I just made a cell using just chemicals. Look! (points to a Petri Dish containing a cell). Don't You think I could now go on creating a life?

God: (Smiles) Bless you, my child!

I'm sure God was not only blessing man with his smiles because he probably does not know he needs them, but also there to protect when his ventures such as these, though path breaking, go to the extent of destructing mankind.

Mobile phones...oh no!

There have been messages and emails that did rounds conveying the ill-effects of the prolonged use of mobile phones.

Like placing an egg between two mobile phones and a phone call initiated from one to the other. After a few hours the egg hatches and out comes a chicken. Whereby it was proved that the strong electromagnetic ratiation (EMR ) has had its effects on the live egg.

Like using a particular ear rather than the other while speaking over a mobile phone in order to minimise the effects of EMR. And like the more safe way would be to use those earphones.

It's hard to say how many cared.

I got to watch a TV programme on the mobile phone towers. The programme discussed how much the towers in our capital emit EMR and how much it affects its citizens.

It was reported that the permissible levels of EMR at a given place is less than 1,000mW/MSQ, i.e. 1,000 milliwatts per metre square. And that most of the over 6,000 towers recorded emissions well over the permissible limits, rendering Delhi an unsafe place to live in.

Other cities and towns are also either unsafe or run risks of becoming less and less suitable places to live in.

We as the mobile phones users are to blame for this sordid state. The more and more that we use them the more and more towers come up to cater to such users, with the result even the non-users are exposed to the dangerous effects that EMR could cause. It was reported that ailments vary from headaches to brain tumours, reduced seminal count to unhealthy or malformed babies, insomnia, nausea, reduced appetite...the list is quite endless. Pacemakers also stand to malfunction over time.

What place is safe enough then?

The remote villages. Where you don't get signals on your mobiles of course. Where you converse with your dear ones in person in front of you, amidst the lush greeneries. Where the air that you breathe is oxygen rich. Where the waters from the mountain falls are so natural that you could bathe in joy. Where you get to eat food made with fresh harvests from the freshly cultivated fields. Where the music comes only from the good old radio tuned into Vividh Bharati, while you lie down on the jute cot, looking up the blue sky. Where the winds from the distant hills sing lullabies of silence and turn into a gentle breeze to blow over your eyes close for a siesta.

The sleep is peaceful. The mobile phone will not ring to jerk you up awake because the signals there are too poor.

Beaching out

It was an early lovely Sunday evening, and the beach was filling up slowly.

Sitting on the sands, my eyes scanned the people and rested on her who looked so appealing to me.

Her skin was as tender as can be and had a complexion of fairness through which blood gushed forth giving a pinkish look.

The two black eyes were neatly set above and on either side of the nose, leaving a comfortable space for the tiny crimson red bindi. The forehead was large enough.

The chubby cheeks formed dimples whenever she smiled. The small lips looked very tender. The ears wore shiny drops. They dangled in merry as she giggled and turned.

Her long hairs formed a frame around the face and completed the beauty and gave her an enviable appearance.

The pink attire that she wore competed very hard with her cutis.

I could not help falling in love with her.

I gave frequent glances at her to catch her eyes, but failed miserably. I cursed myself.

And finally, when I managed to grab her attention I held on. The same bright smile took my breath off.

She gave a look that not only intoxicated me but also invited me.

I could not look away though I looked if anyone is watching, as I got up slowly and walked towards her.

I had lost control of myself.

Her eyes fixed on me and wondered what was going to happen.

I was nearing her.

All the billions of cells in me were now in conformation with my desire to kiss her.

I was ready. She was least prepared.

Back in mind, 'What would she feel?'; 'What would others think?'.

I didn't give a damn.

Presently, I was close enough and the sun cast my shadow on her.

Bending down and holding on to her shoulders I kissed her. There was no protest. “What's your name?”, I asked.

Just then...

“Sonia...!”, her mother called out.

The baby wriggled free of me, turned and ran towards her mother.

My Lover

She is my first ever love. Over time she's become all important in my life. She shall be my last love too.

She dictates, rules and has command over my soul. She's comforted me in times of my lows and has lifted my spirits to such heights that even gods struggle to attain.

As with most of us I too have had many affairs but this one is so very different in that she bathes me in such love that puts even Venus to shame.

She has held me close to her bosom whenever I needed her. Cries with me whenever I am hurt. She lays me down on her laps and feeds me her virgin milk.

Presently she has offered herself to me in all entirety. So I decided to feed on her. I began to enter into her. It was a different world. When I began to dig deeper and deeper I found myself mixing with the oceans of nectar. Space lost its dimensions. Time stopped. Physics was failing. Heaven was in sight.

As I sank further to explore the abysmal depths I found tears well up in my eyes and realised that I was raised to a higher state of being—bliss. The words, 'space' and 'time ' became non-existent.

It was here that I wanted the world to end.

I never knew music could have such effect.

The Great Order

The morning rays of the sun made my eyes shut tight in order to continue the sleep for some more time.

Suddenly, I remembered that today is the first day of my training since I reported for duty as a Class I officer.

I recollected how a street dog bite me on the day of examination for promotion. I took it as a bad omen. I was scared what would happen. It was just scratches though.

The mongrel actually did not bite me: it was probably its nail scratches. Nevertheless, I was worried. Damn!

Casting the rug off me I woke up in a suddenness.

I ambled to the balcony to see how the city welcomes the morning.

Bright kolam on the wet mud ground outside the gate of our house was too pleasing to be ignored.

I looked both sides of the street. The street was silent. But life was beginning to take off.

Two dogs across the street were busy in the overflowing dust bin.

Just behind it a domestic cross-breed from the house barked at the newspaper boy when he threw the day's newspaper on the verandah.

At the far end a shabbily clothed youth carrying a half-filled sack on his back seemed to search for something on the ground. The rag picker was already in his duty looking for the discarded valuables on the street.

Two blocks away an old neighbour just came out in shorts and a tee-shirt and walked his Pomeranian. At the first sight he barked at the rag picker until he hurriedly turned the corner. The spitz also scared the two mongrels at the dust bin away.

Poor dogs. They would come back to their food later anyway.

Why is that some dogs are well cared for and bred domestically while others stray on the streets living on the stale and discarded food leftovers.

Why does God put some dogs nurtured with love and care while leaving others to rot and die of rabies?

Look at the sordid rag picker. And look at the old man in shorts and tee-shirt.

Why did God create rich people and poor people in the same world. And why do some live in peace while others suffer?

Is God being impartial there? Is that why God is not accepted by some?

We have all been repeatedly told that all that is in the world are God's creations.

So how would you explain the paradox?

I remembered what a swamiji told.

The vedas and upanishads have just the answers. And they have stood the test of time.

All living beings reap the benefit of their own actions. Good or bad. Or both. One cannot escape the result of one's actions.

As you sow, so you reap. Depending on the nature and extent of actions the results vary. The reward of the actions wait to present itself to the deserving at the appropriate time only. It may be now, or later or even in the next births.

It is only appropriate here to use the word 'soul' when we talk of the deserving. Thus, the soul has to wait till it assumes an appropriate body or life being to experience the fruits to the optimum level.

So, whatever or howsoever one is now is because of the result of his past actions in this life or in the previous births. The logic applies to men, women, birds or animals.

Should we therefore needlessly feel sorry why some birds and animals suffer while others of the same class are better off?

Should we worry anymore why some are poor and cast a jealousy eye at the affluent?

It is the order of the nature. The Great Order, which one must not attempt to disturb. For, the order has formed on its own, just as the universe has formed on its own. If you cannot possibly change the positions of the planet you dare not disturb the nature's order.

The scriptures have ordained us all to live our lives as per the tenets without unnecessarily interfering with others' lives. Because as explained earlier, everyone gets what he deserves, and he ought to experience the rewards of his own actions without share. The more and more he experiences the rewards on his own the better for him. It is not that one should not be dependent on others. Basic dependency is fine. However, if one is seeking undue assistance in life then he not only risks of not experiencing the rewards on his own but also puts the other person who comes in help to share the cause. Thus, he would put the other person in danger of committing a sin of not allowing him to experience his fruits on his own.

Helping one in crisis is absolutely fine. Because, after all it is an opportunity that God gives you and sees if you play God to the needy. But only in times of need. Not all the times, and make him lazy and dependant.

We must therefore learn to accept life and get along without resentment. And if you train yourselves to live it happily you have learnt to accept life as God's present.

I heard the sounds of a bell ring that brought me to the present. Wife has completed the puja and walked towards me with a camphor-lit aarti.

It was time to get ready for my training.

On a day on Kovai Express

The headlines on the front page of the newspaper read: India on a gold rush.

Commonwealth Games continued to dominate these days. And why not?

I thought India is now fast catching up with developed countries.

As I looked away and turned the page, I noticed a young adult of about twenty-five years of age, sitting two bays away from mine in the Second Sitting Class of the Kovai Express on way to Chennai from Erode. I could clearly make him out from this distant: washed fair in complexion and lips of prominent pink in colour. Had he combed his black curly hairs well he would have looked quite handsome.

He wore a navy blue striped trousers and a black-and-white checked half-sleeved shirt. I could tell he would make a software engineer, given his looks.

After taking a bite on a fresh samosa that his mother handed him he seemed to look across at me. As he broke into a smile, pieces of the snack fell off his mouth on his lap. He didn't seem to bother to brush it clean. It was quite disgusting to watch, so I looked away, and in the newspaper.

The second page was full of entertainment news with stills of newly released movies. I thought too many theatres screen Endhiran. I decided to watch the movie some day. I folded the page to the next. Somewhere a temple celebrated a kumbabhishekam. As I held the paper close to look at the picture of the temple, I noticed the fair guy get up and come towards me.

What on earth is he coming for?

He sat opposite to me and tried to read the backside of the newspaper. I folded the paper towards me and looked at him questioningly. The crumbs of snack that he was eating a while ago were still sticking around his mouth. It was disgusting.

He smiled and said,”Paper.”

I tried not to look displeased and replied, “Wait, please.”

He insisted,”Sir, please, I shall read and return.”

I didn't like him. “Oh yes, but wait please, I shall finish and...”

He held on to the paper now and quite appeared to snatch. I was shocked and annoyed. By now others were watching this. In order to dominate the scene I raised my tone,“Look, would you...”

Just then his mother came and put her hand on his shoulder. “Oh, Manu! Come, come, my son. Come with me like a good boy. I'll get ice cream for you.

The guy got up.

"But first say sorry to uncle," his mother held his hand and looked at him. He was tight-lipped and turned away. The mother apologised to me helplessly, "Sorry, sir!" and left.

I nodded and murmured, “It's ok!”

The guy turned and waved at me,”Ta-ta!” as an afterthought.

I waved back, and felt sorry for him, and was unable to concentrate in the newspaper anymore.

CPM in India and their 'secularism'

A fact written on the wall is that communists are atheists. They ought not believe any religion.

Communist Party of India (Marxist), known as CPM, are now up against India's Hindutva policy, a long and carefully thought out doctrine which while respecting other religious faiths, seeks to resurrect the Hindu ideology in India.

The different stance that CPM so daringly takes with regard to dealing with secularism in India is very shameful. Kiran Khanna, in his editorial of 10.6.2005 in indiadaily.com, raised some questions as follows:

Why is CPM not going after other religions? The communists are atheists, right? So, why not call all religions bogus?

Well, they need other religious votes (votes from other religions) and that is why (the) communists are singling Hindutva. If they can kill the trust of Hindutva, they will take over India in no time.

How about criticizing 6000 Bangladeshi Jihadists entering India illegally everyday?

How about the fact that western and middle eastern money is endlessly pouring in(to) India for decades to convert poor Hindus into other religions?

Now, do the CPM have any real answer?

(For the full editorial, go to this link: http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/3099.asp)

Irving Wallace

One of America's best selling authors is Irving Wallace (1916-1990). He began his career as a journalist at the age of 15 years. After serving the US Army Air Forces during the Second World War, he wrote for America's leading periodicals. Later, for nearly a decade he either wrote singly or co-wrote for Hollywood productions before he fell out.

A unique feature about all Irving Wallace's novels is that the titles begin with 'The'.
His first novel was The Sins of Philip Fleming was not received well. That however was a non-fiction. With The Chapman Report Irving Wallace was noticed the world over. The daring novel was based on a true Kinsey report. The book was made into a film and expectedly received much controversy.

Subsequent novels were mostly popular. In his novels Wallace easily blends sex, politics, life, discoveries, etc. in his own inimitable style. As is common with many American writers he is no exception to using intriguing villains from the Soviet Union!

The Man (also my favourite) received much acclaim and awards. The story is about an American President who happens to be a black. The President who was hitherto an ordinary and unpopular senator is resented by other white senators. How a serving American President is impeached and put to trial (in American history), and how he comes clean of it forms the rest of the story.

The list of fictions that he wrote include: The R Document, The Miracle, The Man, The Almighty, The Prize, The Three Sirens, The Golden Room, The Word, The Fan Club, The Seven Minutes, The Second Lady, The Guest of Honour, The Pigeon Project, The Plot, The Celestial Bed, and The Golden Room.

Sholay facts

1. Sholay was the first film to run for five consecutive years since its release at Mumbai's (then Bombay) Minerva on August 15, 1975.

2. In the film Sholay, there is a scene where Jai brings Veeru's marriage proposal to Basanti's mausi. The scene is an interesting one and it was inspired by Javed Akhtar's (of the film's script writers Salim-Javed) real life incident. Javed Akhtar was in love with actress Honey Irani and asked his partner, Salim, to meet her mother, Perin Irani, on his behalf. Salim met and talked to Perin.

This conversation was used in the film, almost verbatim.

3. Originally actor Danny Denzongpa was thought of by script writers Salim-Javed to play the role of Gabbar Singh. Director Ramesh Sippy insisted that Amjad Khan be given the role. Salim-Javed were initially apprehensive about that. Finally, how Amjadbhai lived Gabbar Singh in the film is history.

4. It is also said that Amjadbhai remembered a dhobi from his childhood days, who used to call out his wife, "Arre, O Shanthi!" The "Arre, O Sambha!" by Gabbar Singh in the film came from this dhobi!

5. At one time Sanjeev Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan wanted to play Gabbar Singh. And Dharmendra was after the role of Thakur Baldev Singh. When the director pointed out that in that case Sanjeev Kumar would play Veeru and get Basanti (Hemamalini), he gave up because in real life he was in love with her! Sanjeev Kumar had just then proposed to her!

6. And there was Macmohan as Sambha who uttered just three words in the entire film: "Poore pachchas hazaar!" However, that brought him instant fame.

7. The last but definitely the worse thing about Sholay is that a remake of the film is on the cards and probably on the floors. Sholay has become such an obsession with almost every Indian that a true lover of the film would not quite sit quiet. Because you cannot recreate art, can you?