Saturday, October 27, 2007

Sensex goes to 19000!
I may be writing this at a weird time...weird because The sensex might have crashed to 18000 or less....However,since we have to be positive,I will consider that the sensex will keep on rising.Yesterday was scary,but then all's well that ends well.

19000!!

Man,what a figure....This figure is supposed to show the world that India is a rapidly developing economy,[which It is!]
I am a commerce graduate...but I am embarassed by the fact that being a commerce student,My knowledge in the Stock Markets is very less as compared to some of my friends who are regular 'players' in this game.
I keep reading how the sensex boom has been the topmost topic being discussed in Mumbai[or Bombay,I still love the name 'Bombay'!]
There are people who ask,
~"Arrey what boom???My concern is the rising cost of groceries!"[this must've been asked by a lady,no doubt!]
~"Inflation!Deflation...what a tension!!!I just want to know when the cost of petrol will come down..."
~"Don't show us the graphs...show us the money!!"etc,etc,etc.....
The common man...who probably may not have even one paisa invested in the stock market...some one whose bank balance hardly balances his life...for whom even a 5 Rupees increase in vegetable prices will mean him going hungry for 5 days...someone who works in a mall,yet can't buy stuff from there....coz its damn costly...whose contribution to globalisation is stitching the latest 'Versace' outfit[and at the same time wondering,"people pay big bucks for this???aisa toh apna Raju Tailor sahi hai!!"]...
The common man,who these days,does not look like Anupam Kher and/or Amol Palekar,but looks just like any other person....
This common man must be saying"Sensex is now worth 19000...so??"This boom reckons that India is growing...and growing very fast!Yes,I think I agree too...but,we ain't growing taller...we are growing wider....I mean,instead of growing healthy,we are actually getting obese..!!

Tell me,dear reader....rather answer these questions[in random order;but all of equal importance]:
1.Is India's literacy rate 100% or even near it?Can every child read?Can every child write?Leave alone children,can every single adult in India read and write?Is our Education system good?

2.Have the majority of the Indian people got homes which they can actually call a 'home'?

3.Apart from the fashion week models,do 100 % of the people in India have a decent set of clothes?

4.Has India eradicated hunger?

5.Is poverty at the lowest in India?

6.Has India managed to curb its population growth?

7.Does India have the best facilities in heathcare?If not the best,at least 'decent' health care facilities?Have we completely eradicated diseases like:
a.AIDS
b.Cancer
c.TB
d.Polio
e.[Put any other disease by which ppl are affected]

8.Has Oppression against women reduced/become nil?Are there absolutely zero rape cases pending in the whole of India?Has the dowry system ended?Can a woman walk down an empty lane in any part of India feeling very safe?

9.Has India sorted out its energy problems or at least has a long term solution which works?

10.Have the farmer suicides stopped?

11.Is the visa line at the Indian Embassy in the US longer than US Embassy in India?

12.Has India resolved the J&K issue,which directly and indirectly determines the security of India?

13.Are all people happy with the politicians?

14.Have you actually skipped all these questions?

If you have answered 'Yes' to atleast one of these questions,You have been blinded by Illusion...The Illusion that everything is fine in India....If you get the questions' drift,add more questions if you like...

As you can see friends,we are all walking the tightrope..and not doing a great job at that...

If you have answered 'No' to majority of the questions[which,sadly,is the case],You may start thinking.."Hell,India has nothing to offer...lemme move to the US OR Australia or somewhere!"That would be the easiest way out of course,but then,would you be a slave in a foreign country than a free man at home?

I have no problems actually with people wanting to settle abroad or even serving other nations...It is their choice ultimately.Their hard earned money which they saved,lost and earned again...I ain't gonna force ppl to be patriotic or something or say "Let us pledge this and that"....

And this makes me come back to the very point which I started at the beginning...The Stock Market!People,if they have the money,will definately want to see it grow...even I would,actually ;)You can't blame the stock market players for India not progressing as it should.They are doing their own job,trying to do something that might eventually benefit a few;if not many.

In fact People who criticise the rise of the stock market and other similair things/events,I feel,should be the ones to be questioned!
"WTF have u done apart from just criticising everything and everyone who does something???"

Now I put a cliché "Ask not what your country can do for you...ask what you can do for your country"...JFKYou would have heard this innumerable times,on TV or anywhere!But clichéd it is,it also stands valid.
If one can't contribute in some way,then he/she has no right to criticise what is going on.This reminds me of DJ's dialogue in Rang De Basanti :

"Its easy to crib, but difficult to do something"

I write this,because we don't realise that we are silently digging our own graves even in the midst of being fearful of graves.

We tend to have "The Crab Mentality"[especially Maharashtrians!] wherein if someone is going ahead,people(like crabs) will pull that someone down.The crabs,however,don't do it on purpose...But we people do!!

I ain't gonna advise anyone now to join the IAS or the Defense or anything a la Rang De Basanti....but I am gonna say this:everyone should realise that each one of us have choices...What choices we make determine how we live.No choice is good or bad...its just what we do with the choices and use them,that determines the final outcome.So the next time you have to,say for example,vote for someone....make sure you choose someone that you are going to be proud of...and not vote for someone just because any Ram,Rahim and Randy tell you to...
Cheers then..I would love to hear your comments and criticisms for any point...coz if we don't ask each other questions and discuss issues,our society will be the loser...and remember,we are the 'society'!

Peace 'V'

P.S.Has it occurred to anyone,that ever since the reforms took place in 1991,Mumbai has:
1.Been Somewhat Apathetic
2.been Disdainful
3.Become A Terrorists' hot spot
4.become Greedy
5.Been Lacking Environmental Awareness
6.Been Lacking a CEO[Who's actually from Mumbai/Bombay and not Latur or Baramati!]
7.A lower population of Parsis[whom we Mumbaikars love very much!]
8.Disregarded Kolis,who are the original inhabitants of Mumbai.
9.Marathi has almost become extinct in some parts of Mumbai.etc etc...Food for thought??

lol ;)

Cheers!

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Why do they Cry?

I've read in today's newspaper,that a photoframe of Sai Baba,the saint[not Sathya Sai baba,that's some one else],has 'magical' powers!
It was that the garland on its frame is growing day by day,and tear drops on the frame..
I ain't no Atheist....but i have one grouse...
WHY DO THE GODS CRY???
I mean,every statue around the world,be it Mother Mary's eyes watering....or some other statue/idol's eyes watering....Why is it that they always CRY??
You know,all this crying by the god's doesn't bode well for the world...If they start crying,we can't even say "God save us!"
Why do Gods cry?I know the world's screwed up,but then they are supposed to be there for us,right?
If they ain't crying,then what are they upto??
As far as the increasing size of the garland goes,can't one just replace it each time with a bigger one each night?
I really believe in miracles....and will do so...
but then if the Gods decide to cry everyday,they won't be 'miracles'..they would be just....common occurences!
So God...I ask of you..yes 'YOU!'....
Don't cry!!
U send wrong signals to some of us...
Just laugh...
What''s wrong with that?
It takes less muscles...
I mean,If u wanna cry please do so...but not in front of us please....
I hate to see God cry...
so Cheer up God...
The world's gonna be better....
You know it too!
Cheers!
[sorry to everyone if i have hurt any sentiments...but I haven't....so I take my sorry back!]

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

What have I done?????

What have I done???????
Nothing..
What have I seen?
Nothing..
I don't know who bought me in this world...
nor my parents,nor the one they call "God"...
I don't know know my name...
I don't know my surname...
I haven't drunk tea...
nor have i drunk beer...
Never have I sat in a bus...
nor have I seen one...
Never seen a movie,
never heard any music...
Never had a haircut,
Never had a piercing...
I've never walked in my life....
nor have I run...
I've never held a toy,
nor have I seen one...
I've never played a game...
I've never gymmed...
I have never worn a tuxedo..
nor have I worn a suit...
I have never had a girlfriend...
But,I am not gay either...
I've never been depressed,
nor have I been happy...
I see nothingness in everything...
I've never cooked..
I've never washed my clothes.
I've never had anything sweet to eat...
nor have I got anything bitter...
I have never been to school...
I have never been to a temple,
nor a church,nor a mosque....
I have never sinned...
nor have I done anything good...
I have never spoken any Ill word...
nor have I thought of any...
I haven't seen anyone die...
nor have I seen anyone live...
I've never seen nature...
and I don't think nature has seen me...
Who am I then???
What am I???
Why am I???
Where am I???
Do you think I am a freak???
Do you think I am abnormal???
Do you think I am blind???

I am not blind my friend....
nor am I deaf and dumb...
well,my story ends now...
coz I see the person in white clothes...
standing by the light...
He's gonna come and take me...
take me to some one I've never seen...
O My...he's lifted me up!!!
what's that....I see many like me!!!!
Who are they???
Wait-a-minute...
I know who I am....
I am just born!

Where?

I started thinking...
Much to the dismay of my mind...
Here we go again,it said...
I wandered down the lonely road...
in the company of a million stars..
each one brighter,
but none dimmer...
the world felt fab...
I was high...
my drug was the beautiful night...
calm and serene...
Then...
someone screamed blue murder...
what was quiet was now chaos...
Felt I was back to Bedlam...
I was like a noisy mime....
Was there some parallel connection
of things i've never seen?
I was feeling ambivalent...
but how could I feel 'ambivalent'?
then I knew,
I was somewhere else,
somewhere other than here...
I saw below and I could see...
Powdered water...
Then...The silent noise grew louder...
it deafened me....yet I could hear
Screaming with utmost calmness,
I stopped it...
What happened to paradise I asked?
where was I now?????????????
Somewhat destroyed i felt....
I joined myself together...
trudging on through the beautiful road...
I realised...
no matter how aesthetic the road....
if u are almost dead,
It won't seem right
but somehow...
It seemed beautiful...
which told me
I won't die yet!
I ran,
I slogged,
I walked...
I came to the point...
where neither death nor life
could conquer me...
nor would I conquer them..
I had a choice...
Two paths....
dunno where they led...
I chose one....
I came out...
and I saw....


nothing!

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Why?

When I lie down
I sleep awake...
I see the black light
shining with all its gloom
I run along the path of eternity
but keep getting lost..
Some call me dead
some call me alive
I am neither...
What is it with this world?
why do they do this to me?
they know i am being shattered
stabbing me thru my heart....
one layer at a time....
killing me with the utmost softness
killing me without sin
O'the sorrow
of being taken away
My soul,my soul
shred apart
with all the hate
yet I laugh...
a fanatic laugh
but no...
I still show sadness
yet I laugh?
Limitless boundaries
I soar across...
I find no one...
yet I find someone...
Something ,I see behind,...
Now it goes..
only to come back...
I see the light
Laughing with the misery of wretchedness...
come on,come in
says it,
I go in...
I see it...
It is beautiful,
yet repulsive...
I wanted to touch it....
I wanted to feel it....
I couldn't;
coz it was not there....
I walked down the path
It was a beautiful orange path
i saw behind...
It was now red
I saw to my left...
it was white
I saw nowhere..
and it was black...
music played...
It seemed Mozart...
but then,
I saw myself playing it
when the hell did i play the piano?
i looked again
I saw no one...
Music still on....
I thought there was Mozart...
I wanted an autograph...
But closer I came,
I saw it...
It was pretty now...
Yet ugly....
I turned around 365 degrees...
i dunno where the 5 degrees came from....
but then again,
I dunno where i was...
I thought I see God
but then,i feel psychedelic....
Psycho!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what's u saying to me?
I fall into a crevice
how did I fall?
I don't know...
I feel like i am ascending upwards
but at the same time...
I feel i am going down!!
I reach up somewhere
I wake up
but It felt real...
I then realised
I was sleeping Awake!
It all ends soon
but we want more
we want less,yet we want more
but in the end...
It'll all end...
Nothing remains...
yet,we have everything....
I dunno if it made sense to any one who's read this
I don't want it to...
coz this is what I felt...
The night I was
Sleeping Awake...

Sunday, October 7, 2007

I HATE IT

I hate it when people take me for granted...when they treat me like a piece of shit.

The more I try to make people's lives better[or so I think!],I get the very same people making me worse.

My friend had said "Help others,and they'll screw you instead!"

How that's come true!

No one cares what the fuck I have to go through....

For them,its just another 'bakra'...a fat 'bakra' at that!

I am the way I am....

If you hate the way I act,sever all ties with me...

I know you all wouldn't care less....

I'd rather die in the company of people who are really close to me,rather than people who pretend to be close!

I loved my world...now I have a feeling of hate...

no...disgust!

The world won't fucking' care....

Leave me if you can't stay...

Don't stay too much knowing the fact that you are gonna leave..

My mind's flared up...

People who I thought were,weren't!

Enough is enough...

Its time for a change...

You are either with me,or against me...

I know your answer....

You know mine...

I know you..

But you don't know me....yet!

As I walk this path,

I don't need you...

nor your superficial heart..

I don't belong there....

I belong nowhere....

Just Leave me alone....

Live your Life....

Excuses,Causes...Reasons....

Live it out....

My heart died long ago....

what does it want now,your selfish soul?

I am weak....

But I ain't Dead yet!!!

[UP YOURS!!!!!]

" When all of the lights go out your body starts to tremble
There is a comfort in your soul that just won't leave
And I got a feeling I might not see you tomorrow
When all of the lights go out I see you in my dreams"
-Buzzhorn;Live again

" If I gave you my soul
Would it make any matter?
And if I broke all my bones
Would you put 'em back together?
If I gave you my soul
Would you see it, oh, my way?
And if I said I was wrong
Could I start on a new day?
Oh yeah

Now we get our ideas
When no words are spoken
Built it all up, now everything's broken
And deep down inside,
Oh, I'm pinned to the ground
When two people love without any sound
Oh yeah

So I gave you my soul, oh no
Gave you my soul, oh

So your life rolls along
For me it stands still
Say we're just friends, oh
But I never will
Now I gave you my soul
And now I'm no blinder (I can see)
When I look for my love that I'll never find,
Oh yeah

So I gave you my soul, oh no
Gave you my soul, oh

So I gave you my soul
Didn't make any matter
And I broke all my bones
They're laying all over
Deep down inside, oh, I'm pinned to the ground
When two people love without any sound, oh yeah"
-Pinned to the ground;Buzzhorn..

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Rajmachi




I have just arrived from a trek to Rajmachi,and this trek has taught me a wonderful lesson-"Man,in front of Nature,is a nobody!"

Looking at the beautiful,lush green mountains,I felt a feeling of hope.Hope against what,is what I still have to understand.
Rajmachi is very famous fort near twin hill stations in Maharashtra - Lonavala and Khandala. Rajmachi fort is nearby 18/20 Kms from Lonavala but a nice way to reach the fort is from Tungarli Lake.Shrivardhan and Manoranjan can also be considered as two separate forts. There is one small plateau in between them. A temple of 'Bhairoba' is very beautiful. Shrivardhan is 'Bale killa' of Rajmachi.
It is almost 3000 feet high. But it was mainly built to keep watch on Konkan area. The other - Manoranjan is 2700 feet high.
Manoranjan consists of strong walls,3 doors and many water tanks. One can see Ulhas river, Dukes Nose also called Nagphani,Karnala ,Matheran, Mahuli and Bhimashankar.
The old caves of Kondhavi on Rajmachi fort are worth to see.The way to the fort is long but has a good view. One can enjoy the forest, Tungarli lake and many waterfalls along as well.

Two Forts were built by Shivaji Raja here-The Shrivardhan and Manoranjan forts.I couldn't help but marvel at them.Built 2700-3000 feet above sea level,I was just awed at the sight of them.
If we were huffing and puffing just to reach there,just imagine what would be the state and conditions of the people that lived around 2500 years ago,when there would have been almost no road to get on the top of the mountain.
The most beautiful part about Rajmachi is the place itself.Its very laid-back.Calm,serene environment..cool breeze...Its just amazing.The people over there are courteous and helpful.
There are quite a number of Houses that will accommodate you, The cost is minimal, and you get a good service.All houses in the village accommodate trekkers and provide simple meals, tea and snacks. The nachni bhakri, thecha (fiery chutney) and pithla (Maharashtrian speciality) are simply delicious.We stayed at Rajaram Umbre's house,his place being called as "Hotel Ganesh".
Respect the house rules where u staying. You are like a paying guest there.

check out our trek pictures by clicking on this link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=4545&l=cb82c&id=503408278

I really hope that Rajmachi doen't get converted into a town or something like Lonavala.I am 100 percent confident that fellow trekkers who have visited Rajmachi will agree on this.
Rajmachi is a wonderful place.If any one does go there,marvel at that place and respect it.
Cheers!