Since the days of creation,
In the springtime of relations,
Blossom many flowers,
But few have such charming powers....
One talks about the flower of the nation,
the one resting in the hands of the goddess of education,
The one that though blooms in mud,
Symbolises all beauty that the universe could....
Tis' interesting to also note,
The stem that holds the lotus forth,
For had the stem been weak or brittle,
Our beloved lotus would have indeed been cripppled...
Our lotus, to the stem, talks a lot...
Risk, Money & what not??...
Failing to realise, still...
The heartbroken petals....their cries shrill
The secret of the lotus & the stem came to light,
when spread like fire, the newsbyte,
That the stem was found "leaning" on,
The lotus, who bemused, babbled on...
Lo!Behold! the language divine...
That pours forth words as sweet as wine,
& with these few worlds of mine,
I shalt rest my pen,The swine!!!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
The Russian Roulette
Russia is rising from the ashes, quite literally!....Once one of the "poles" of the world, Russia disappeared from the global stage for much of the 90s and was written off by critics as a nation on the verge of implosion. Corruption ruled the roost, and the masses perennially impoverished, clamoured for justice. Democracy, new born in Russia was described as a still born child. But, all this is changing and changing dramatically.
The Soviet Union, undoubtedly was one of the greatest powers since its inception. Its emergence from WWII has been described as spectacular. Soviet policies defined the direction the world would take. Several measures e.g. the Cuban missile crisis brought the world on the brink of a war, while various measures e.g assisting the developing world won it accolades from many. However, the political and economic stagnation that had set in was proving a tough nut to crack. After a series of weak leaders like Andropov, Chernenko etc. the Soviet Union finally got a dynamic leader in the form of Mikhail Gorbachev who promised a turnaround in the soviet system of govrnance. Sadly, his measures were described as too little and too late. The orthodox hounded him for having undermined the authority of the Communist Party( CPSU), while the moderates attacked him for being hesitant and slow on reforms. Things came to a head in august 1991, when the orthodox staged a coup and put Gorbachev under house arrest. Inspite of his return, it was clear that the days of the soviet union were numbered. Finally the behemoth collapsed in Dec 91, afte 74 years of existence.
Russia inherited Soviet Union's place in the international arena following its collapse. It also inherited the military arsenal as also its external debts(!!!)(which it decided to pay alone). But most importantly, what it inherited was a ring of neighbours, openly hostile to it and a superpower( read the U.S), rejoicing at its victory. The Russians went into depression. Economy collapsed, The "shock therapy" for economic turanaround rendered millions homeless and pushed them below the poverty line.Wealth distribution became inequitable, and all money fell into the hands of the few rich "oligarchs" who controlled all industries. All this became a characterstic of the "Yeltsin era". Russia became embroiled in various wars (the chechens, the dagestanis) and numerous political issues(the baltic states).
Yeltsin was succeeded by Vladimir Putin who promised the people an immediate respite from corruption and a more just wealth distribution.He had the Yukov (an oil corporation) chief put behind bars. Such actions won Putin praise. His strong action against the Chechen rebels who had occupied a theatre in Moscow and held the spectators hostage earned him the admiration of many. Inspite of this, many criticse Putin for his high handed ways and his scant respect for democratic procedures and civil liberty. Still, Russia's rise has been spectacular and Russia is once again firmly established on the world stage.Russia's rising petro-exports have fuelled an economic boom that has completely turn the economy. Russia had indeed become one of the most promising global economies.
What remains to be seen is how Russia handles its various internal & external issues.What about Chechnya (& now Georgia), what about the U.S deployment of missiles in the Czech republic etc.What also is crucial is the course Russia will take Post- Putin, whose term ends soon. Will he bypaas the constitution and continue for a 3rd term, or will he step down and install a puppet (read Zubkov, the current P.M). Either ways, Putin's contribution the Rise of Russia can not be contested.
The Soviet Union, undoubtedly was one of the greatest powers since its inception. Its emergence from WWII has been described as spectacular. Soviet policies defined the direction the world would take. Several measures e.g. the Cuban missile crisis brought the world on the brink of a war, while various measures e.g assisting the developing world won it accolades from many. However, the political and economic stagnation that had set in was proving a tough nut to crack. After a series of weak leaders like Andropov, Chernenko etc. the Soviet Union finally got a dynamic leader in the form of Mikhail Gorbachev who promised a turnaround in the soviet system of govrnance. Sadly, his measures were described as too little and too late. The orthodox hounded him for having undermined the authority of the Communist Party( CPSU), while the moderates attacked him for being hesitant and slow on reforms. Things came to a head in august 1991, when the orthodox staged a coup and put Gorbachev under house arrest. Inspite of his return, it was clear that the days of the soviet union were numbered. Finally the behemoth collapsed in Dec 91, afte 74 years of existence.
Russia inherited Soviet Union's place in the international arena following its collapse. It also inherited the military arsenal as also its external debts(!!!)(which it decided to pay alone). But most importantly, what it inherited was a ring of neighbours, openly hostile to it and a superpower( read the U.S), rejoicing at its victory. The Russians went into depression. Economy collapsed, The "shock therapy" for economic turanaround rendered millions homeless and pushed them below the poverty line.Wealth distribution became inequitable, and all money fell into the hands of the few rich "oligarchs" who controlled all industries. All this became a characterstic of the "Yeltsin era". Russia became embroiled in various wars (the chechens, the dagestanis) and numerous political issues(the baltic states).
Yeltsin was succeeded by Vladimir Putin who promised the people an immediate respite from corruption and a more just wealth distribution.He had the Yukov (an oil corporation) chief put behind bars. Such actions won Putin praise. His strong action against the Chechen rebels who had occupied a theatre in Moscow and held the spectators hostage earned him the admiration of many. Inspite of this, many criticse Putin for his high handed ways and his scant respect for democratic procedures and civil liberty. Still, Russia's rise has been spectacular and Russia is once again firmly established on the world stage.Russia's rising petro-exports have fuelled an economic boom that has completely turn the economy. Russia had indeed become one of the most promising global economies.
What remains to be seen is how Russia handles its various internal & external issues.What about Chechnya (& now Georgia), what about the U.S deployment of missiles in the Czech republic etc.What also is crucial is the course Russia will take Post- Putin, whose term ends soon. Will he bypaas the constitution and continue for a 3rd term, or will he step down and install a puppet (read Zubkov, the current P.M). Either ways, Putin's contribution the Rise of Russia can not be contested.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
All the mushy-bushy stuff
Its almost been a week since the emergency (read martial law) was declared in Pakistan & civil liberties arbitrarily suspended, and the response from the rest of the world has suprsingly been muted. All that U.S has said is that Pakistan should return to the path of democracy!!...What about U.S' great and lofty ideals of acting as a torchbearer of democracy??...What is even more surprising is the Indian reaction...Calling it an internal matter of Pakistan....Anything that happens in Pakistan affects us some way or the other....and this was a major thing!!...By the way, one question I m forced to ask is...Who was the coup directed against?....Mushy boy was alerady the president...So technically has he overthrown himself??...or the National Assembly(which is still in place) or the Prime Minister (Who still exists).....Perhaps the answer to this is the coup was directed against the judiciary...it has borne the full brunt of Mushy boy's anguish...
Dictatorship is the last resort of the weak and incompetent, repeatedly in Pakistn's history, the Military has used its own incompetence as an excuse to overthrow democratic governments (read Ayub khan, Yahya khan, Zia Ul Haq & now Mushy boy)..For how long can this continue is anybody's guess...What is intriguing is that the emasculated political parties in Pakistan have seemingly surrendered to Musharraff's Diktat....Benazir has mellowed down & Nawaz Sharif only hurles profanities at the regime from abroad.....
Pakistan is indeed at crossroads....A stiff civilian resistance would forever deter the military from carrying out such maneouvres, but this could prove deadly given the fragmented nature of the state and the threat posed by the extremists, On the other hand, capitulating to this regime would only signal to the military that they still are the de facto rulers of the country, but could secure the country's unity....
As democratic brethren of a people who were our own till some time back....We can only hope that whatever happens is for the best of the people of that country....A failed neighbour is too costly a proposition for India
Dictatorship is the last resort of the weak and incompetent, repeatedly in Pakistn's history, the Military has used its own incompetence as an excuse to overthrow democratic governments (read Ayub khan, Yahya khan, Zia Ul Haq & now Mushy boy)..For how long can this continue is anybody's guess...What is intriguing is that the emasculated political parties in Pakistan have seemingly surrendered to Musharraff's Diktat....Benazir has mellowed down & Nawaz Sharif only hurles profanities at the regime from abroad.....
Pakistan is indeed at crossroads....A stiff civilian resistance would forever deter the military from carrying out such maneouvres, but this could prove deadly given the fragmented nature of the state and the threat posed by the extremists, On the other hand, capitulating to this regime would only signal to the military that they still are the de facto rulers of the country, but could secure the country's unity....
As democratic brethren of a people who were our own till some time back....We can only hope that whatever happens is for the best of the people of that country....A failed neighbour is too costly a proposition for India
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
An ode to the times gone by!
heartbeat is finally back to its pace
Life's suddenly no longer a race
No need to study day in & out
these 7 days are to njoy, no doubt
These last five months have gone by so fast
Always left wondering "Will I even last"
A faint smile decorates my lips now
As to the months gone by, I give a humble bow
Battered & bruised from all sides
It was the subjects that most hurt my pride
Stats flew right over the head
Eco was boring-it bored me to death
The A**e duo terrorized me best
put forth the point that I am useless
& how dare I forget Mr. P
he made me realize that Maths wasn't my cup of tea (aaaarrggghhh!!!!)
SAP's full form I came to know only at the end
The subject was stupid, yet u had to pretend
Operations blew the wits off me
Ya....ya....dis is crazy....But y me???
Mr. B is god....He's beyond this bakwaas!
In his classes, we realised wat a gud lecture was....at last!!
After spending 2 hrs wth him,
u feel elevated, & I m not Kidd-ing!!!
Grounded were we, during this semester last
bravely put behind these roadblocks of the past
Mr. S's threat works very well still
His orders evoke, numerous cries shrill
All said & done, dis sem I enjoyed a lot
Made a lot of frndzz, (& extra Roomates), who I wish would last
Tough goals became easy working with them
And with an ode to them, I rest my pen!!!
Life's suddenly no longer a race
No need to study day in & out
these 7 days are to njoy, no doubt
These last five months have gone by so fast
Always left wondering "Will I even last"
A faint smile decorates my lips now
As to the months gone by, I give a humble bow
Battered & bruised from all sides
It was the subjects that most hurt my pride
Stats flew right over the head
Eco was boring-it bored me to death
The A**e duo terrorized me best
put forth the point that I am useless
& how dare I forget Mr. P
he made me realize that Maths wasn't my cup of tea (aaaarrggghhh!!!!)
SAP's full form I came to know only at the end
The subject was stupid, yet u had to pretend
Operations blew the wits off me
Ya....ya....dis is crazy....But y me???
Mr. B is god....He's beyond this bakwaas!
In his classes, we realised wat a gud lecture was....at last!!
After spending 2 hrs wth him,
u feel elevated, & I m not Kidd-ing!!!
Grounded were we, during this semester last
bravely put behind these roadblocks of the past
Mr. S's threat works very well still
His orders evoke, numerous cries shrill
All said & done, dis sem I enjoyed a lot
Made a lot of frndzz, (& extra Roomates), who I wish would last
Tough goals became easy working with them
And with an ode to them, I rest my pen!!!
Fin de siecle???
Well its been a rollercoaster ride- this last semester.....we've learnt a lot (only officially) & challenged our addled brains- so much so , that in this chutti time....they refuse to take it anymore....!!!...frm assignments (a lot.... and I do mean a lot), to guest lectures (Overwhelming really) to FCQzz ( f****ng countless quizzes) to Batch meets ,dressing -downs by Beloved Mr. Subbu (Shud call him Sri sri sri Subbuji) to so many other things that I've forgotten but which were quite important then, so many things that have changed moi a little bit....hopefully for d better....
In the well deserved & hard earned chuttis....I feel like reminiscing about this last sem....traumatic as it was.....but which will certainly go down in the future as an achievement....For I have survived the Ist sem without any cardiac arrests (though came close to it quite often)!!!....
At the end of the Ist Sem....I wonder....Is dis the end of an era....or the beginning of another.....With "Hope Springing eternal" I look forward to another semester (praying for a lot less of worries and hoping I'd still have a normal heart by the time I pass out)!!!
In the well deserved & hard earned chuttis....I feel like reminiscing about this last sem....traumatic as it was.....but which will certainly go down in the future as an achievement....For I have survived the Ist sem without any cardiac arrests (though came close to it quite often)!!!....
At the end of the Ist Sem....I wonder....Is dis the end of an era....or the beginning of another.....With "Hope Springing eternal" I look forward to another semester (praying for a lot less of worries and hoping I'd still have a normal heart by the time I pass out)!!!
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