I can't stay!

After so long, I've entered here
These halls, where are discussed, bulls & bears
These hallowed halls, where learning happens night & day
Precisely the place where I can't stay!

For days now I've loitered here and there
Avoided attending classes or sat in the rear
Bunking classes started way back in May
Hence the reason why I can't stay!

Knowledge flows freely in these halls
Din of students noise drowns roll calls
Soporific atmosphere, sleepy all lay
One more reason why I can't stay!

In these rooms, people burn midnight oil
In pursuit of greater learning, they do toil
Making great men and thoughts and moulding the clay
Yet, I tell you, I can't stay!

There is another place, where I found my call
Planning, discussing with friends and all
Sun lit that room with all its rays
That is where I loved to stay

That room was steeped in history rich
Soaked in creativity, bizzare thinking & kitsch
'Heaven on Earth', 'Paradise' , is what we say
That is the place where I'd stay!

For six months were spent in that revered hall
Where we made stuff great and tall
And where for eternity my thoughts would lay
That is indeed where I'd want to stay!

Blood Red!

There was a great thunderstorm, it poured for days at end...
And then the floods came, they wiped off all semblance of a civilization
Of a civilization, that was a jewel on the face of this earth
And now all lay rotting...dying...decaying

It all began with the great hordes who gathered onto the streets
Death to the shah, they bellowed...Down with the great Satan...
And in the majestic imposing palace ,the divine one lay
Hiding, Cowering, Behind the gilded throne

And then one day, God's shadow on earth fled
Taking with him, his pride, his prestige and his power
And in the streets, a sea of black turbans flowedRejoicing...Celebrating....The fall of the dictator
That day was a chilly day, when the exiled son returned...
Millions thronged the tarmac for a glimpse of he who had disposed of the mighty

He, who was believed to be none other than the prophet of the age
He, who would liberate the tainted souls of his brethren...
Yet, he was but a mere mortal...Power blinded him
He sought more power, nothing could quench his thirst for the absolute

And his own people, became mere pawns in his quest
One sacrificed here, another martyred there...All in the name of a great revolution...
And then one day, a scheming neighbour attacked...Sending shockwaves through these proud yet desolate lands
And the turbaned cleric, once again screamed
Sacrifice all... For the cause of the revolution

Millions perished in this lost cause...Some died a brave death, battling the enemy
Others died a pitiful death...
blown apart as they cleared the way
For the other glorious would-be martyrs to attain paradise

These soldiers of revolution were armed with plastic keys
They had been told, these were the keys to heaven
They would open the gates of paradise
Where the martyred would forever stay...

Soon, the soil became red in colour
Rivers of blood flowed in this land sacred
The madmen yelled...'The Revolution demands Sacrifice'
And millions more were lost...

And then one day, when the rivers of blood finally subsided
It left behind a decrepit, decaying, rotting corpse of a nation...
Yet the turbaned atop the pulpits bellowed The Revolution demands sacrifices....
The Revolution demands Martyrs....

The Kingdom!

And once upon a time, in lands far far away

There lived a King & Queen, and together they did stay

Theirs was a kingdom of Heaven, on this very earth

Peace, love & Serenity, of all there was no dearth...

The Wise King lay dead one day, rumours did abound

It was the twin they saith, the one who had never been crowned

yet at the burning pyre of the king, he shed, did many tears

And rest assured did his subjects lay, assuaged were their fears

That fall, however, leaves fell at too great a pace,

And wise men, all gathered, declared that doomed was their race

The King, firm and irrevrent, declared that all was farce

for it was the onslaught of winter, not what was written in the stars

Those winters were the coldest, there were storms of hail

Crops froze in the fields, people left dead in their trail

And such chilly winds, none had ever ever seen

They sucked out happiness, Life lost much of its sheen...

And then when spring arrived, hope did eternal spring

Sun shone bright on petals of flowers, birds' wings

At the gates of the city, however stood an enemy old

determined he was, his ambitions were very bold

That very summer, came the first wave of attacks

Bringing Ruin & despair, upon these very cursed lands

Hundreds of soldiers did give up their lives in vain

The enemy gained strength, He advanced again & again

Fall had come again, the kingdom was laid to waste

The king took charge, he declared we must make haste

For till now, he had watched as his generals had let him down

He had lain cowering behind the throne, burdened by his crown

One Night, they say, he broke down, he confessed to all his crimes

haunted had he been for months  by his dead brother's eyes

The ghost of his brother, appeared to him once more

Pardoned all his crimes and blessed him, goes the lore!

Awoke he did next morning, He led his last battalion to a glorious fight

Unleashing upon the enemy, such enormous might

Blood and Gore lay everywhere once the king was done with his war

The scatters of the enemy had run away very very far

And that night after a year very very long

The king's men fell asleep, done right they had all their wrongs

And in that kingdom from that day forth

Heavens reigned supreme, Peace did hold!

One of the few things you always want to tell a big pain in the ass professor!.... The person in point was a complete nuisance( using only polite words here!). A mail that I would have loved to send but was not allowed to-

Dear Sir,

Please accept our sincerest apologies for having offended you in any way.

That having been said, there are a few other things that we would like to say

1. Fuck off you old lecherous bastard, there are millions of you lying around who can be put to better use.
2. Learn to control your temper tantrums lest you wanna spend a lonely life bereft of love!


Thanks & Regards
Aashay Manake

NEEV '08

Since most of my time this semester has been spent in the celebrated cause of NEEV, I think it is time to pen down a few thoughts about all members who play such an important role in making NEEV, what it is.... Good Fun!

Of the NEEV room, She is the Bandit Queen
Such levels of Meticulousness the world has not seen
And, believe me, you don't want to get on the wrong side of her
She can roar like a tiger and can be soft as fur!

And brains are plenty in this fellow NEEVer
His strategies and visions befit a market Leader
He shoots at times from the Bazooka in his hands
He is the 'killer executor' who is much in demand

And she is repository of creativity
Prose, verse she writes with such gaiety
'Nanga Naach' is what she has been doing of late
She is the 'next in line' (sigh!!), with supreme bargaining of the rates!

He is the smooth talker, who can convince all
All political biggies he has met this fall
He has given up smoking till he meets his KRA
And he struggles hard with it all night and day

She is the one with the long long pitches
Makes sure that no sponsor ditches
She has been selling T-shirt for so so long
To all the major brands...Now thats not wrong!

He is the one who is doing the Quizzes
In Silence and determination, he buzzes nor whizzes
Disappointed he was when Rachit said No
Corporates, he will manage, all out he will go!

She is one who pulls all the strings
Micro-manager, she is a Virgo to the hilt
Cleaning the room is her favorite past time
Nanga Naach she does, with amazing style!

Books!

This semester has been an eventful semester in the sense that there has not been enough to keep me occupied on the academic front (with all the bunking), hence a substantial part is spent either in the NEEV room or lying on the bed and devouring novels. Here is a list of all the Novels that I have read this semester-

1. Daughter of the East- Benazir Bhutto
2. Midnight Diaries- Boris Yeltsin
3. War of the World- Niall Fergusson
4. Mao- Jonathan Spence
5. Cosa Nostra- John Dickie
6. From Beirut to Jerusalem- Thomas Friedman
7. Midnight Shift- Stephen King

Needless to say, each one of these is a masterpiece in itself... From the tragedy of Bhutto's life to the scheming machinations of Yeltsin's brain... From the pitched battles, the Gulags and the concentration camps of Niall to the unbelievable efficacy of the Mafia... From Mao's stalinist thought to the goosebump inducing horror tales of King...

I, for one, completely believe in the adage that Books are the Best Teachers...!

Vacation Season

Its been a year since the last diwali now... And things have changed completely... Last year had a different charm to go back home... Ist Sem was traumatic... Exams were pathetic... And simply speaking, everyone was just too tired and worn out in the college... But yes, Then, the economy was doing well... everyone had landed a great summers offer... The flights were sooo much cheaper and then there was the whole Delhi wala Gang that had booked tickets together...

This Diwali, I will be staying back at the college... My first Diwali away from Home... And frankly speaking I don't think I will enjoy it that much... Now Now... Before you brand me a pessimist or whatever... Its only because I will soo miss the Kaju ki barfi and the dry fruits which come in truckloads during diwali, although I have been promised that they will be courirered as soon as possible but still... Its a different thing to eat away to glory, while watching T.V.....

My typical Diwali when I was a kid revolved around 3 things:- Mithais, Gifts & Crackers... With time Crackers have become less and less important (including that one year when I was in the eleventh, when I suddenly grew environment conscious and did not burst any) and all that is left of Diwali are the Gifts and the Mithais... Typically, during Diwali time there is a flood of gifts from Mom-Dad's offices. My principle KRA as a child was to open all in a decent manner (And conserve the wrapping paper, which I never did), declare those that were suitable for immediate and short term usage and watch as the rest were given away... I have had bloody fights with others regarding this and I specifically remember having punched a cousin who tried to stray into my turf and open the gifts (I was in the fourth then and she was probably in first).... And then come the mithais... I am salivating when I think of the Kaju barfis, the normal barfis and other exotic mithais from random mithai shops in C.P...As I write this, I consume a sad packet of Hide and seek.. which is my breakfast.... At home I would have had chaklis, anarse and god knows what not!

Hmm...So how will I pass my diwali @ Symbiosis?... I have no clues... Plan to go to my cousin's for Lunch so that I feel at least part-home away from home and come back to the campus to burst crackers and all....And thats about it... I think I have been morose enough now, So, I will just end by saying that I pray my first diwali away from home will be an eventful affair...

Return from the dead!

Those nights were long
Dark & Bleary
Struggle, I did
I fought & I defended

But twas too dark to see
And too cold to bear
I succumbed

I passed from this world to the netherworld
Strange sights....Ghastly sounds
Evil lurked, it seemed
In every nook and corner...

And then one day, I saw an orb
It came floating to me
And in it, I saw a speck of light
A Hope, that I am alive...

I broke free
I fought and I struggled
I Moved towards the light
It beckoned me...cajoled me...assured me...

And Now I am here...
Forever and Evermore...
The light that guides
Comes from within...

Return from the dead
I was one of them
Fight, I did
And Escaped I have!

Munger Diaries IV or is it V? : End of the journey

Summer internship has finally ended, and as I sit in a 'not so good' guest house (as compared to the ones in Munger), I can't help reminiscing about the awesomely wonderful times that I have passed in Munger. 10 things I'd always miss about Munger-

1. The factory, the workers, the people, the style of work & the camaraderie
   
2. Netley No. 7, Poolside no.1, Wimbledon No. 1- places where i stayed
3. Badminton court, Tennis court & the swimming pool: I played sports again after some 8 years & it was FUN!
4. Being treated so royally at all times that at times I actually did feel like I was the prince/king of a kingdom of my own
5. Hari Bhaiyya for the lovely meals: 100 million times better than the crap served in the hostel
6. All facilities available at the ring of a bell, just ring the bell & your room would get cleaned up, dial a number & the cab would come to pick you up & the driver would insist on opening the door while you are getting in/out
7. Being greeted every morning with "Namaste Saab" by the workers & the contractors...it was embarrassing but still cool
8. The club & the Mungeri 'wet' parties!
9. evening rounds around the entire park(the residential area)....its completely amazing
10. My guide & the entire HR deptt, V Madhu, Ashok Nambiar, Rajiv Kacchap & Pushpita Hati: They made life so so easy!!

Also, since I have nothing to do now, I am wondering would it be a bad idea to mail subbu and ask him to send an AC cab to pick me up from wakad/pune stn since I have so gotten used to dat??
;)

Anna's song

O' Little Anna, I sing to you a song
Since you are so sleepy, it won't be too long

In the kingdom of Dredzarn, there lived once a queen
Fair face , deep eyes, a beauty, she was unseen

Her king was a noble, gentle, he was at heart
And this is how the song is finally gonna start

The young prince was the apple of all eyes
He loved a pretty damsel, she was his sweetie pie

Adored was the royal family by one and all
yet within the castle, lay one, plotting their downfall

The grand old vizier was the beloved of the king
Hymns & Songs to his glory, he would always sing

What was devotion in the day, became wickedness at night
At 3 in the early morning, he challenged the King's might

A duel did take place between the two men
The vizier was too fast, & our king was slain

Throw out, he did, the Queen from her abode
"I am the emperor", in a loud voice he croaked

Our young prince was not in the palace when
this bloodbath had devoured his kith & kin

Torment & agony was unleashed on the masses now
They longed for their prince to liberate them but how

The damsel who was the love of the prince's life
Reminded was she of her love, amidst all the strife

The hero of our plot had not lost all hope yet
Secretly he plotted and thus the stage was set

The great war began when the prince entered the city door
Masses went berserk, they wept themselves sore

On the shoulders of these yeomen, he rode himself to the palace
The vizier cowered behind the throne, with the crown & his chalice

One stroke of the sword, his severed head lay on the ground
That very moment, the beloved prince was crowned

And one of these yeomen, who had fought the guards at the door
Removed his armour, and the damsel came to the fore

One deep kiss, it seemed it would last a lifetime
Oh look at dear Anna, she sleeps before the clock has chimed

Oh L'il Anna has finaly fallen asleep
Oh how she is curled up in her slumber deep

Munger Diaries IV- Hic! Hic!

Ever heard of a workers' party?....Well I hadn't!....Apparently there is this ritual in ITC Munger, where workers occasionally invite their managers to join them for a plate of chicken & several glasses of drinks....hmm...I didn't know that, so, when my Guide (or sub guide(s)) asked me to come along with them for a "workers' party", I readily agreed....According to them, it was going to be a great learning experience in developing an understanding of workers' mentality...Now that its past me...lemme just say that was only partly true...

So, What comes to your mind when you think of a party?....A restaurant?....A Banquet hall?.....Nopes!...Not at all!....This party was in the road side gumti type of a place....where "managers" generally don't go out to eat....The menu: Non Veg only...Booze Compulsory....Cigarettes to smoked whenever you aren't chewing anything!.....Such a misfit I was in this party....Add to it the fact that the workers got drunk in a couple of drinks...& the managers not wanting to be left behind, gladly joined the workers in a who drinks the most competition....the guys I had come with were now completely sloshed...& we were supposed to drive back!!!

Another twist in the tale...I had the room keys & my poor roomie was buzzing me minute after minute...Whenever the phone rang, these drunkards would start screaming & howling....and oh...the place was kinda in the outskirts & it was already 10:00!!....


Anyways, the kind people had paneer made for me & brought sprite for me ( I shall be eternally grateful for that) & to top it all, delicious raseelae rasgullas...anyways, the camaraderie between the workers & the managers was worth seeing....in spite of all the drinks...

The ride back home was as eventful as anything...drunk managers, driving at 60-80 kmph....village roads...blaring music....& screams & yells of "Hat jaa raaste se &^%$$"...

All in all an eventful day!...Very different experience!!!....

Munger Diaries III : The Battle of Munger: Napoleon Vs Alexander

I have always felt a little too attached to history. It was & still is one of my favorite subjects. Its fascinating to know how the events if the past still have an impact on the way we feel, act & behave today. Anyways, my current roomie happens to be an IITian, and you know how intimidating they can be. My cousin was an IITian & the sheer amount of knowledge he has.....on anything & everything is so damn amazing.

Anyways, thats not the case here....I was (as usual) playing the Rise of Nations- the Napoleon Campaign, when this bugger starts asking me how the game is played and stuff...So I very patiently (Impossible, you say?) try and explain him the rules & stuff, when suddenly he asks me why is there no India in the map (As in there is a map which shows all the territories that are available for conquest...Since India was never in Napoleon's cross hairs, India was not shown in the map)...I tell him that Napoleon never attacked India...."No way", is the reply....."Napoleon Bonaparte & Alexander the great fought a battle somewhere in North India & Napoleon had lost"....hmm...Interesting thought...Re-writing History??.....Anyways, I very poitely yell at him & inform him that there was a difference of at least 2000 years between the two men & hence the twain never did fight in the plains of north India....& thats not it, the bugger has also been trying to convince me that the jews worship Christ ( a very dear friend of mine suggested they worship Zeus!!!) . he has also tried to confirm a couple of times that Hitler did indeed fight in the second world war....So Sundays in Munger do occasionally bring fun & mirth....

Anyways, we went exploring Munger city today (In an official Ambassador of course...ahem! ahem!)....& I spent 300 bucks (It felt awesome to be able to spend in hundreds again!!), the boat ride on the ganga, the gandhi bazaar & finally the chandika mandir...

Now, the chandika mandir is supposed to contain the eyeball of a goddess sati, worshipped by Karna. Its a small but famous temple, yet the pujari is nothing short of a thief...."Beta 51 rupaiye maa ke naam dijiye aapki sab manokaamnaayein poori hongi"...This after I had already chadhaofied the daan....The same thing had happened in Kolkata also....Its like, you go to a temple to find peace, and come back even more disturbed. These pujaaris are something like small time entrepreneurs, fleecing bhakts to make money in god's name....really, its depressing!!

Anyways, thats my sunday!....Ciao!!!

Outrageous!

Myanmar has been devastated by Nargis....Over 100000 dead/missing....Townships & villages erased altogether....What do you think an impoverished nation that is incapable of handling a catastrophe of this scale should do?....Appeal for international assistance & aid.....Normally, under these circumstances the allegations that would be aired would be of the nature that Not enough is being done, that urgent help is needed....that a few more bags of rations could make the difference between life & death....so on & so forth....

Yet, what do you hear when you turn the television on?....Myanmar has categorically refused to allow airplanes carrying aid from landing in its territory...that the UN has been told not to help....100000 people dead or missing....lakhs rendered homeless....huge threat of epidemics...And Myanmar, of all the nations of the world, is REFUSING aid...Even India accepted foreign aid at the time of Gujarat Earthquake, although it could've dealt with the tragedy on its own...

And thats not it....the junta has ordered a referendum on proposed cobstitutional reforms that would lead to democracy by 2010....One can understand the fear of the Americans overthrowing the regime & hence the refusal to accept aid, but the referendum???

Thousands more would still die & the UN& the Myanmarese government would only be excahnging allegations....Innumerable wars in the name of territory, resources, Perceived threat....But no action on humanitarian grounds??....

What is the whole point of having international co-operation bodies like the UN, the ASEAN, for that matter even the SAARC....Are they more forums to discuss politics and make deals??....

The burmese people deserve a change...God-willing, this catastrophe will be the harbinger of a better future.....

Munger Diaries II-Bharat Uday!

You know how this "India Rising" thing is right?...How the economy growingat 8% ,a booming middle class, rising incomes, so on & so forth.....Yet, all this is so unbelievable.....What is the whole concept of India rising if you still don't have enough food to feed the poor, if more than half your villages don't get water, if even 60 years after independance people are killed in the name of caste, creed, religion?.....

I always thought that "India Rising" is more of a feel good factor, something that brings a political party into power....More of a western concept....coz' in actual terms India probably isn't shining...may be these are good times....but not good enough!....

Anyways, my internship involves talking (a lot!) to contractors and their labourers....something that is not always enjoyable....More often than not, I am forced to say" kya? fir bataiye!" because its difficult to get their dialect...

Yesterday, I was chatting with this contractor, must be around 50-55, he's been in the factory for almost 2 decades now....he's basically a "Kaarigar" as in a repair-man...so he oiles/greases machines etc. generally, you'd expect all members of his family to be involved in the same trade, coz' thats how things happen... the son carries on the business of his father....Anyways...he asks me " Aap bhi MBA kar rahein hai kya?"...I said yes, from Pune....& he tells me that even his son is doing an MBA from some college in Delhi....& that he knows how summer interns are treated and stuff...his son is in his final year...and that he has gotten placed in some big "Prachaar" company.....

May be I am exaggerating a bit here, but for me the whole concept of India shinig made more sense than it had ever before.....This gentleman who has spent all his life shuttling between phases of abject poverty and just enough, will probably have a relaxed & wonderful old age....

Thats how India shines.....For every person whose life is transformed...who is rescued from the clutches of an impoverished exsitence....whose future will be brighter than his past ever was!....

Cheers to a resurgent India
Jai Hind!

Munger Diaries!

Okay...Herezz a very interesting piece on cnvrstn dat I had with a new summer trainee in ITC Munger....so...I'll try and recount the dialogue as accuartely as I can...

Ugly Woman: Hellho.....Tum bhi trainee ho kya?
Me: Yes
Ugly Woman: MBhA kar rahe ho kya?
Me: yes
Ugly Woman: Kahan se?
Me: Symbiosis
Ugly Woman: Ye kya koi nayi university khuli hai Bihar me?
Me: Yes, Arrah me center hai (I just took a chance...as it turned out..Arrah is actually a place!)
Ugly Woman: Accha....Hum toh Bhagalpur Unibhersity se MBhA kar rahein hain (I never asked for information)
Me: Kaunsa Department?HR?
Ugly Woman: Nahi Nahi...Shram Kalyan...(Lolz!)
Me: Accha Achha
Ugly Woman: Jhu Knoes Engliss?
Me: Nahi nahi...
Ugly Woman: Hindi Medium jhu does?
Me: Haan Haan
Ugly Woman: Bhere jhu does school for?
Me: Patna
Ugly Woman: In Patna no engliss?....bhery shtrange
Me: Aapka Topic kya hai?
Ugly woman: Greevaans Prokkedoor
Me: umm...
Ugly Woman: Arrey ye choti choti factory me bhurkers ko bahut greevaans hote hain...Uska prokeedur pata karna hai (Oh!....Now I get it...Grievance Procedure!!!)..Tumhara kya vishay hai?
Me: Thekedaari pratha (basically Contract labour....m decent with hindi)
Ugly Woman: Accha Accha..Apne net pe humare liye dhoond ke do greevaans prokeedoor...
Me: Nahi chalta net...ye toh battery charger hai (Dat was the data card)
Ugly Woman: accha accha...

Datz it...I left immediately thereaftr!..... :-)

Journey through the times!

In the great lands of the west, turbulence did arise
And all could see a battle upon themselves, virtue against vice

And then there happened one day a great great war
And misery was wrought upon its lands very very far

The victors did impose on it a justice of their own
Drowned was this nation thus, millions did mourn

And then in these very lands now, arose an evil new
Barbarity & crimes of which are matched by very few

Thundered it from its palace,the powers of its race
Millions thus lost their lives, mere names without a face

Shot, poisoned, gassed were they, even buried alive
The cruel man saw it all, for he was a monster vile

As mankind lost all its hope, a new sun did dawn
New rays of freedom rose and the curtain of darkness was torn

Red rays from the east did meet the blue in west
The evil empire was beaten but what did happen next?

Those who were friends once ,became thus foes
From that sad day,Mainfold grew the world's woes

Beacon red of liberty, became a bloodthirsty devil
Blue rays of freedom, now, became imperialists evil

A divided world replaced thus the empire of vice
Evil lives on till this day bringing tears to many eyes

Tale of Myths!

And once again, I hold my pen & breathe into it life
Recount it will, a great tale, now the time is ripe

Years ago, some say millennia, there lived on earth a race
brave hearts, pure souls, marked by fairness of their face

The words of their language were like music to the ears
Masters were they of destiny, knew they not any fear

As time did pass, realise they did, power of their own
Arrogance, pride, treachery & vice, were into their souls thus sown

In the far highlands of the East, arose a species new
Human, it called itself, to their faith they were true

The twain did meet on the field of war, an order new against the old
A great battle thus came to be fought, or so we are told

seven years of fighting hence, the elves were let down
Quarrels, conflicts within themselves, their empire did drown

And thus was born the great epoch, whence humans did rule
Consigned were elves to myth & legend, to story books of schools.....

Verses Quinque Adversus Heresaes

And then the lord spoke himself,
What he did none obeyed
For pleaded he, the victory of right
Yet, ruleth sin with all its might...

Once again the lord did command
Faith in face of persecution
The disciples betrayed him once again
belief vanished in the face of pain...

Of strength, did the lord preach
To withstand all, and fear none
Man failed the lord once more
The shadows of terror hold sway evermore

Warn did he, he saw the future
Tremble not and be faithful to me
The disciples spat in his face
Doomed thus was the man's race

Fear, Terror ruleth thus
Sacred faith reduced to dust
And our lord in the high skies
suffers he, as men pay the price...

Mrs. Buxton's Tale

Mrs. Buxton, smiled on, she
As, her next victim to be
Entered the hallowed halls of what was
Her bungalow grand, with a rich past

After the war, demolish, they did
Her home, abode & got rid
Of the squatters who for years past
Had made this bungalow, their home, cost naught…

Plead, beg, and warn did they
Touch it not for you will have to pay…
Branded as crazy, paraded were they,
As the Bungalow, did make way…

For the Hotel Ville was an epitome of class
Visitors, tourists thronged it en masse
And Mrs. Buxton found her silent abode
Raided by all these foreign folks

But, the hotel hid a secret in its bosom
A past dirty, a secret colossal
The foundation lay on what was
The grave of a woman, murdered in the past

1832, September 13th it was
A pretty damsel was talking her walk
When behind the tree, hear did she
Her husband, muttering ‘sweet nothings’ to Emily…

Aghast, Broken, Yet dared she
Confronted them & clearly
Told them they would have to pay
Sinners, in hell, their bodies would lay…

2 shots to her chest silenced her
Mr. Buxton’s revolver triumphed over her purr
Dragged her body to the house
Liz Buxton was buried, draped in a shroud…

That very night, as the clock struck three
Mrs. Buxton walked again, free…
Furious, Angry, mad was she…
Revenge!...Revenge!!... For revenge longed Lizzy…

Emily died a peaceful death
One apparition & she froze to her bed
As Lizzy took the kitchen knife
Thrust it into her breast & sucked out dear life…

Thomas Buxton had already fled
To his death, he was led…
Liz followed him incessantly
Pushed him into the river, drown did he…

Since, the day, they all say
Walks she here, night & day…
Ad when she devours her victim here
Her joyous screams can be heard everywhere…

Delhi Diary

You know how not many people like Delhi....How they say its too big...Too dirty....too crowded...too noisy...and god knows what else...Well...Go kill yourself...coz Delhi is Delhi is Delhi...and there is no other place like it....

Anyways...Thats not the point!...Therezz dis Friend of mine, call her Ms. A....well she is like a pan India person...born smwhr....brought up smwhr else....etc. etc.. So apparently she detests Delhi....As compared to Bangalore (it rocks!!!) & Mumbai (its people rock!!!)...For Delhi (People don't know how to drive, buses come in from both sides etc. etc.) the sentiment is quite different!

So, our dear Ms. A comes driving to C.P (thats Connaught Place for all you non-Delhiwallahs) from India Gate, A distance of 4 Kms....in her grandpa Maruti 800....and soon as we meet in C.P (I prefer travelling by the metro, my contribution to environment protection...ahmm..ahmm)...She starts her vitriolic attack on the city...of how she got stuck between 3 buses...and how people overtake from all sides...Anyways..Me and another friend, we just remind her...of how she's also a Delhiwallah...and thats how Delhi is...!!Anyways...Now we are off to Delhi Haat...and L'il Ms. A insists she is comfortable with driving...all the flyovers & around 20 min of distance...may be a l'il difficult..but would Ms. A listen...No....Never!!!

Anyways...We are off to Delhi Haat...As soon as she turns on the ignition the car starts with a "Start"...Nt a good sign..SO, I...in my usual courteous (!!!) and polite way remind her that I am an only child...& so there is a possiblity that my parents love me more than usual... I am the informed that all 3 occupants of the car are the sole children (or shud it be child....???)...Anyways...we are off...And every 2 mins or so...I hear an exclamation...#$%^& taking over from left....&**%$ driving so fast....^&&**#staring at me....What compunds the problem is that none of us are sure of the route....L'il Ms. A however (to her credit) is a cautious driver...So she prefers to drive in the 2nd gear!!!...Cool....Anyways...As we take a turn...there is this Fiat (I think) that tries to overtake from the left (again!!!) So l'il Ms. A's attention is diverted to that car....In the meanwhile.... cyclist (a bechara poor yet lucky cyclist) continues to cycle down from our right....L'il Ms. A is still driving...So, By the time we scream that there is a cyclist, the poor cyclist has lost his breath (as in he's scared dead)...Ms. A quickly applies the brakes...otherwise there would have been one less cyclist on Delhi roads today....

As we regain our composure....Ms. A says ..."Thank God, I didn't hit him...I am not carrying any Condoms"!!!!!....The rest of us are puzzled...Since when did condoms figure in an accident case??
Anyways...The logic is very deep..So don't think too hard....See, its like this...If u hit a cycle wala...on a Delhi Road (of course!!)...then 2 or 3 cycle wallahs will gather and rape u...if u are a girl....else beat u up!!!....Such Brazen stereotypes for my city!!!! I m hurt....Of course what followed the explanation was 15 minutes of non stop laughter!!!

Any ways...The Haat trip turned out great fun (The only Complaint being that Delhi doesn't have good Puchkas...Damn you Kolkatans its Gol Gappa....& U too Mubaiites...Not Pani puri!!!...Its Gol Gappa!!! )

Its raining cats & dogs by the time we are done with the Haat (Yes, people, it does rain in Delhi!!!)..So L'il Ms. A is scared that her car would'nt be able to take the waterlogged streets....the other friend offers to drive back to C.P (yes...we were damn scared for our lives!!!)...The drive back mostly uneventful..except the sudden yelling...Watch out! watch out...the Bus is halting...& look out! look out!!! there is too much water....!!!

All in all a great day...and great fun...!!! For all you non-delhiwallahs...just one way of how Delhi can be fun!!!

La mondiale!!!

levez vous les damnes de la terre
levez vous les indigents du sol
la mondiale vous appele
c'est l'eruption de la fin

Entendez vous les soldats qui mugissent....
Entendez vous les ennemis a la porte
Nous les combattons et nous aurons
La victoire, la gloire et le drapeau

Unitez-vous les travailleurs
Unitez vous sous le drapeau
Quand on chantera la chanson
Realisez vos reves nouveaux

C'est la lutte finale
Voici la chance enfin
Votre destin est dans vos mains
Les mains qui tient le drapeau!!!

Mystical Maroon!!!

Two of India's neighbours are up in flames...And for a change India has the opportunity to sit back and watch as the events unfold in each of these countries....India can also smile at the fact that unlike itself, its neighbours have not tolerated religious dissent, so when today so-called separatism is raising its head, surprisingly, it has acquired religious hues...

One of the two aforementioned nations is Tibet, & yes, a nation is what it is....Inspite of China's claims & the Indian governments acceptance, Tibet does not belong to China...It is another of those occupied nations, whose people have been denied the right to self determinations, and large portions of whose are forced to live as refugees in other countries...Since the failed uprising of '59, and the ouster and subsequent exile of the Dalai lama, China has unashamedly indulged in what can only be described as 'cultural cleansing' of the Tibetan population. One of the only places in China, which is not Han, China has been quietly engaged in a determined attempt to repopulate the area, to make it more mainstream, make it more Han...

So, one should not be surprised when the Tibetans rose in rebellion the week last....They have subjugated for way too long & in spite of the entire world's sympathy, no benefit has accrued to them....But, what is indeed suprising & somewhat intriguing is that it was the monks wearing maroon robes twho took to the streets to make the voice of the ordinary tibetan heard to the world...Undoubtedly, this voice shall be or has been crushed...Monastries have been forcibly mptied & monks been forced to vacate their prmises..a stark reminder of '59 when Chinese troops committed atrocities on Tibetan monks to subjugate a free nation...And the Chinese government still claims that this arson/riotibng is the work of the Dalai 'Clique'...Well the writing is on the wall....Tibet needs to be free!!!

The other country, I mentioned earlier is Myanmar....Myanmar is truly a country with a sad history...It been under the fist of a military junta since '65 that has seen the country- a land of a thousand pagodas, and the rice bowl of the world...become an impoversihed land governed by fear, terror & muscle power...Thousands of Maynamarese have disappeared & many others are rotting behind iron bars...The treatment meted out to Nobel Laureate Aung San suu Kyi bears testimony to the harshness of the junta' rule...

It was pleasantly surprising to see ordinary Myanmarese out in the streets to protest against a government that has consistently failed to deliver on its promises & has one of the worst track record on Human rights....Not surprisingly, the potests were lead by the monks, who form a very influential & respected order in Myanmar's social hierarchy...Needless to say, the uprising was swiftly crushed....

For a country that does not have enough resources to feed its own people, the capital is being shifted to the middle of nowhere ant a cost of millions of dollars..This is a clear example of the wasteful splurging of money by a notoriously inefficient & unresponsive government...

Bottomline- Religion may be the opuim of the masses but it is also a way to re-establish a social order that is being demolished by modern day despots...

Xenophobes!

This last week has been a witness to arson, looting & hooliganism carried out by supporters/members of Raj Thackrey's MNS... Rak Thackrey in his trademark style had declared all north Indians to be the root cause of all the 'cultural' malaise that afflicts Mahrashtra....Marathi Manoos Zaga ho, he claims...It is his firm belief that because of these 'Bhaiyyas', the native Marathis, or Bhumiputras are not able to get jobs....and are rendered unemployed...According to him, the 'Bhaiyyas' are responsible for the proliferation of slums, degradation of culture, goondaism etc.

Of course, it is the God ordained duty of the MNS to revive the Marathi culture. They are sanctioned by the man on the streets to throw these infiltrators out of the state.. After all, if Maharshtra is to regain its pride & glory, this scum must be wiped off these lands....

Around 60 years ago, Hitler used the same arguments against jews, and other minorities, gypsies, homosexuals etc... what happnd next is sometthing the world knows....

May be this comparison is taking things a bit too far...May be this rioting and all is a one time affair...but the arrest & release of Raj Thackrey has strange similarities with Hitler's arrest following the Beer Hall Putsch..the arrest transformed him from a mere lunatic to a berserk leader....

Many claim that Raj's arrest has only boosted his political career...May be in a couple of years time, the MNS will be rubbing shoulders with the Congress/BJP/SS....Who knows....But the issue still remains....

What gain was obtained by forcing the exodus of these poor labourers who've only contributed in making Maharashtra an industrial hub....Had it not been for their labour & sweat, would the industries here have been running??...They left their homes, forced at times, only for a livelihood, and now you snatch away their livelihood from them on the pretext of being 'outsiders'...What did they ever do to deserve this??

The goondas & hooligans still roam the streets, they come from all over the country....why target the North Indians???.....The MNS doesn't exactly appear an 'angelic' party after the riots that ensued

Ultimately, it was an attempt by the MNS to gain political ground...they need to rival the SS, which has been steadily gaining ground...Issueless & desperate to gain power, the MNS needed to do something to 'promote' themselves...The tactics used have an uncanny resemblance to Shiv Sena's 1960 campaigns against the south Indians....

One Mahrashtrian was killed in these riots at Nashik...What was his fault??...Why did the 'angels' of MNS target him...the Political angle becomes clearer now, doesn't it??

'Holier than thou'

And as sarkozy sat alone
Howzz my carla, aloud he moaned
shocking Mr. singh out of his wits
This is India, you fool, you hare brained twit!!!

But Sarkozy went on & wailed aloud
I miss my carla, your prez is draped in a shroud
Dead-er than a mummy is she
Oh how my carla used to sing to me

Mr. Singh got up & smacked him hard
Sheez d head of our state, how dare u do such bakwas
What if she has the brain size of a pea
She'd serve u hot coffee & tea

"In my France", sarkozy went on
You can have affairs, come hail come storm
Why are you so uptight, now tell me
No feelings, no desires, now, this can't be!!

& Mr. Singh laughed out loud
We keep these things in private, come on, no doubt
For if my wife knew of my fling last
In her life, I'd be relegated to the past!!!

Sobbed on Sarkozy, wept on he
You still could let carla and me be!
Am fed up of your attitude
Tis' only chez moi, where I'd find solitude!!

Mr. Singh had tears in his eyes
"I can see my fault", "I'll blast my guys"
Such a romantic couple, world has never seen
You may not be the king, but Carla's certainly the queen.....

Soaring dragon, Dancing elephant

Sino-India relations have hit a new high....Following Sonia Gandhi's much hyped Beijing visit some time back, P.M Manmohan Singh's Beijing Yatra seems to be bearing fruit as well...If all goes as planned, the border issues betweebn the 2 countires shall stand resolved in the near future....

But is this proceeding the same way as we would like it...Accept it or not, China today is much more powerful than it is assumed to be...It is capable of mobilising forces in the north east sector in a matter of a week....The rail road to Lhasa has given it a stratgic advantage that it sure would exploit....Contrast this with our precarious situation in the North east, where even 60 years post-independence, We do not have a rail-link to any N-E state other than Assam!!!

India swallowed a bitter pill following the 1962 war, but apparently the taste has been forgotten....China's strategic advantage in the region poses a huge security challenge to India's integrity...and this issue is still being taken lightly..

Tibet is another cause of concern..Effectively India recognized PRC's control over Tibet, in lieu of China's recognition of Sikkim as an Indian state...Tibet is no ordinary territory, it is of historical imporatnce to India, for it acts as a buffer between China & India...With Nepal certain to go red sooner rather than later, of course democratically(presumed!!!)...China's influence in that nation would counter Indian interests.....

Next in line is Myanmar....China has been steadily helping the burmese in upgrading their ports and establishing road & rail links....The Burmese junta is believed to be sympathetic to the Chinese...This is another cause of concern!

The picture is very grim..Pakistan continues to be in China's pocket....India hads effectively been surrounded on all sides byu China....And all we are doing is following a policy of 'Wait n watch'....

We need to wake up sooner rather than later...The threat of the dragon is too huge and obvious to be missed now....

Good Times

Man If I could write a song
to whom wud dat belong
The beauty who sets my heart aflutter
or the poor child cleanin up the gutters

In the neverland of the dreams of yore
where in deed i have been before
apples hanging from the trees
where all men & women are free

raucous crowds celebrating life
joy everywhere, no violence,no strife
no rich, no poor, all are the same
deaf, dumb, blind or lame

lead me into such lands
where the sun shines down upon the sands
clear waters, lazy sea
datz whr I want to be!!!

Me, myself and misery

Oh the holy unknown I beseech thee
Unleash my thoughts and let me be free

For my mind's playing games and I can not see
What it would be like to be the real me

And I know not who I am
The wonder of fate, or some sham

The joke of destiny or a farce played out
I long for me, I yearn to sprout

Obstacles, roadblocks, I falter at them
In front of my eyes, yet into them I ram

Shattered I lie, broken at soul
None can help me, coz' I'm all alone

Vigour, vitality, all that I lack
Its on walls of stone, my head, where I crack

I bleed now, I bleed from within
My spirit wanes, as I am burning