Lokpal Bill: Where Ignorance is a bliss…

17^th August, 2 days after India celebrates Independence Day and there is something special. World’s largest democracy is facing a threat to its own roots. The reason: The ruling party is unable to allow the freedom of speech and that too a respectable person who represents India’s common man to the core. Is this just another lapse on the part of the government or is the democracy awaiting its boom?

Firstly, I will like to clarify that I’m neutral. Neither Pro-Anna Hazare nor pro- Central Government. The motive of writing this article is acknowledging the ignorance of Indians to the cause of Lokpal. Lack of awareness is the worse that can happen to democracy as I came across a lot of people who are simply ignorant about the issue. And there are others who just forward the chain of messages, upload it as their status or even tweet to get followers without verifying if the information is true. So, the first point I will like to make is knowing:

What is Lokpal Bill? ;

What part of it do Anna Hazare and his supporters want?

What part of it government disapproves and why?

Next, I will like to showcase those people who think that Anna is anti-government and so they don’t want to attend his rallies and support him in any way. For them, I think the first step can be to know the reasons what motivated Anna to take up such a cause and why does he enjoy such a popularity amongst the common man. So, they can start by attending one of his supporter’s sessions.

Also, there is another set of people who just support for the sake of it. Without knowing the agenda and the larger picture, they are the first ones to shout out foul slogans to our politicians. Also, they’re simply agitated because of lack of belief in the corrupt system.

Besides, the reason I write about this cause is that it is one of the biggest and most influential apolitical movement which India could have. Also, the use of Gandhiji’s philosophy and satyagraha has made it unparallel. So, by the time you guys find out what’s more to it, let me just make an effort to make more Indians aware of this 2^nd Freedom Struggle: Freedom of Knowledge! Jai Hind!

Heart-ly wishes! Just follow your heart and Magic will happen...

When was the last time you just followed your heart said? Well on a personal note, it was just getting up late today when I borrowed some extra minutes of sleep before starting my daily schedule. How about you? Have you been able to enjoy such guilty pleasures or you have been disciplined enough to feel guilty about them?

Well, the heart-ly wishes are simple thing things which can revolutionize our monotonous lives. With the monsoon season going the emphasis is on not to get wet and avoid street food. However, was any of your monsoon complete without getting wet when you least expected it? Also, isn’t tea and pakodas the closest food if taken as a word association with rain.

So, coming to the point, some of our actions defy logic and set routines. If you try and be too rigid, they just remain wishes. They keep on ruling our subconscious minds, are visible in our dreams and become vivid while day-dreaming. Consequently, they become the biggest distractions in performing a task perfectly. So, why not do them first?

Another argument is that they are really simple things giving happiness. This will enable space for creativity and concentration for the task to be undertaken leading to higher productivity. And even if doesn’t lead to that.. Nothing can go wrong when you follow your heart. Even, though you do what you are not supposed to, there will be a strange satisfaction of doing what your conscience fell like.

Just the way I’m writing this blog and will keep on writing more….

Hasta Luego Amigos!

Social Media V/s Long Phone Calls.

As soon as I landed at Mumbai, I checked my blackberry it was full of messages and also I got my Facebook Notifications. I was happy to see so many people writing to me. What made me more happy was a call from home. However, what made me more happy was a call from home asking if I have reached safely.

Coming back from a foreign trip after 2 months where I was not using a cell phone, I realised that there is something missing in my daily schedule. It took a month for me to realize that the thing was ‘Phone calls’. It might be a thing of the ‘passe’ with the encroachment of the messenger on the phone. You have Blackberry, Whats app, E buddy, Message Packs and now even facebook chat on phone.

So what’s missing in this age of high tech communication? Well firstly a phone call establishes one to one connection. As you are involved with the person you are talking to and you guess their expression through their tone. While the chat system, enables multiple communication so there is no guarantee that your message has the desired effect on the listener. Besides, smileys are not equipped enough to covey emotions. Take the example of your birthday. What will you like more? Someone singing Happy Birthday to you.. or someone writing on a chat’ Hey, Happy Birthday! Cheers J‘.

Also, the chats have a standard format wherein you start with something like ‘Hey! Wass up?’ and then you speak a few lines. After that there is a kind of an awkward moment and you stop texting. Besides, once a phone call is made one topic leads to other and you end up sharing so much information and emotions that there is a sense of satisfaction. The chats seldom provide you that.

So, I thought I should call up my good friend and hold a conversation with her. However, we were sans topic in the 2^nd minute. This was the impact social media had created. As, I write this blog through a medium which is nothing else but social media, I make a genuine effort to start using the telephone. As it makes me nostalgic and the long night conversations which I had which took me to the height of self-discovery begin again.

Can you hear my appeal? Hello!

Learning the Musical Way

Intro: All of you must have enjoyed listening to a particular song or a piece of music. After all, music is a mode of expression and a peaceful treat! But have you ever tried learning the musical way?

Music is not only a stress-buster but it also teaches many things. Learning a musical instrument not only develops a talent but it also teaches many qualities which one may not learn through any other activity. There are a lot of musical instruments to choose from.One can choose any instrument according to his interests. And if you think it is boring and useless thing to learn a musical instrument. Just go through the following benefits of music, your decision will surely change!

The biggest advantage of learning music is that the person playing it gets involved with it. There is a passion related to music and one cannot get away from it. The passion is contagious. Playing music builds up concentration as to play something good, you have to listen it well and play it with full attention. You have timing, counting, dynamics, mood, speed involved in perfect playing of a musical instrument.You also need co-ordination between the mind and the body for this. When one develops both of these skills, confidence and show-manship are next to follow as one has to finally present what he has learnt.

Playing music also has other added advantages. Over all, the process to learn to play music is relatively slow. But, like many things, there are times you may advance quickly, and times when you may struggle. Thus, it teaches patience and perseverance. If you really start to enjoy your music, you tend to start meeting likeminded people. Thus, the social network increases. It also encourages discipline and team-work. Playing music is something that can be done in just about any mood. So, the sorrow when one has in a bad mood can be greatly lessened. And most important, it encourages creativity! It is clean,good and healthy fun. On the positive aspects of playing music, John Thapa , a music teacher feels “ Music is a good teacher as it not only deveops talents but also the learning process is very enjoyable and challenging. Nashikites have understood this concept to some extent. As, every month I’ve twenty new admissions for learning some musical instrument!”

Come on, friends…whether old or small, music is for you all! Start learning a musical instrument from now on for even though you don’t excel in it, you will surely excel in other spheres of your personality!

Devotion through filmy songs?

Film songs pep up the fun quotient and make the event enjoyable.

Ganeshotsav is one of the most celebrated festivals as it has it all; devotion, social gathering, beautiful pandals and even gives social messages. But there are certain unjustified actions on the part of the mandals like expressing devotion by playing bollywood numbers at loud volume. This loud noise not only disturbs concentration,

But causes a lot of health problems.

When asked is this way of expressing devotion justified, Rakesh, who is a member of a Ganpati mandal answers, “I personally think that Ganesh festival is an occasion for people to get together and entertain themselves. Film songs pep up the fun quotient and make the event enjoyable. There is no harm in playing film songs at the mandals. But care should be taken that vulgar songs should not be played.”

There are some whose exams are going on and can’t study because of the ‘music’. Saurabh, a student preparing for SSC tells, “There are 3 mandals in our locality and each wants to display its popularity by competing with sound systems. They play latest songs at high decibels. Due to this, the sound is mixed and no song is properly heard. Though they follow the ten pm limit, the sound is enough to dilute the holy atmosphere at the mandals. I feel that people should refrain from playing them.”

While some people like Ronit Sarkar have a neutral view, “Ganeshotsav like every aspect of our life is being commercialized. Film songs can be played as they add to the entertainment but more importance should be given to the rituals and the volume should be up to the level that people in 10 meters radius can hear.”

Some amount of entertainment is always necessary to add colour to our rich tradition and customs but this should not be at the cost of other citizens’ inconvenience. As to behave as responsible citizens is our greatest tradition!

Happy New Year!

The new Year is going too fast. I hope everyday of the year is considered as the birth of a new life so that we get engrossed in celebration and don’t realize how the time passes. So the biggest advantage of new year is that it makes you the best thing about yourself i.e. ‘life’.

Other benefit of the new year being it makes you think. Well to think is important as in our normal routine we are doing things according to others thinking. We are mere puppets in the stage of the world. New Year empowers us with the power of being the director of the next year. It helps you to decide your own story yourself.

Another joy of new year is that it brings you close to your loved ones. As in forming your plans for the new year you start forming a mental list of people who you want to spend the new year with. Although you may end up spending new year with someone else completely, the feeling of wishing those people in the mental list is priceless.

The best thing you can gift yourself on the new year is the time for yourself as no one else in the world has the power to gift you such a gift. It may in the form of spending on something you don’t usually do.

If you recollect the new years so far and the resolutions you made, you can’t actually remember them. That doesn’t stop us from taking a resolution every year. The whole point of taking a resolution is not achieving it, it is realizing the importance of a particular aspect of your life which you think you are missing. Sometimes even acknowledgement is important.

If all the resolutions you made would have made shall have come true would you have enjoyed life so much like you are doing now. Its really fun at not being perfect.

If you are still not convinced that there is something new about this new year let narrate an anecdote to you.

I was travelling by train from my hometown Nasik to Mumbai, the city where I’m pursuing my graduation on 31^st. I really didn’t have any plan of the new year. The journey was not that comfortable as I didn’t have a reserved seat. Finally when Kalyan arrived a group of passengers got down and I got some place to sit comfortably.

I tried to grab some sleep so that I could be awake to spend the new year. My sleep was broken by a beggar with most parts of her body burnt. I was terrified as it was not the most pleasant sights to be woken up with. I usually don’t encourage beggars but she was determined. I asked her to move ahead but she argued that she needed money to celebrate the new year like me celebrating.

I was taken aback by thought of celebrating a year of hope even by a beggar with his body burnt. So if you are depressed just find yourself in the beggars shoes and you will realize that you don’t need a ‘burning desire’ to be happy about the coming year.

Lastly, if your celebration was simple and self-satisfactory be happy about it. As with time you will realize that people who will ask you how did you celebrate your new year are actually the ones who want to show off about their celebrations. They are actually not happy about the fresh annum ahead and are trying to compensate it with materialistic pleasure.

The old year is over,

The new year has arrived,

Celebrate the joy of life,

As a year is always a date which will come and go

How you make this date into a fulfilling day

Is the real talent you have to show!

Speed Dating.

Gone are the days when girls would wait for their ‘Prince Charming’ or guys would go through all the filmy ordeals to get their ‘Miss Perfect!’ After all, it’s the age of ‘fast food’, and if its influence was not enough, the intrusion of western culture has affected our social bonding also. Formerly, being seen with a person of the opposite sex was met with suspiciously raised eye-brows and countered with infinite questions. Not to forget the wagging tongues of the rumour mongers. But now, it has become a routine and everyday affair. No wonder, one finds teenagers boasting of their latest crush, albeit a little nonchalantly..

When asked about the transition, Vishal, a 2^nd year commerce student says, “I remember getting embarrassed in class 10^th when I was paired up with a classmate. Then, I would even find it strange to talk with girls. But, times have changed and how! I have more friends in girls than guys.” On being asked about his love life he adds smilingly, “Well, I had three girlfriends till now and my list of crushes is unending. Nowadays, guys are good at multi-tasking when it come to having girlfriends!”

Girls, who were considered to be emotional and sensitive, are now bold and frank about relationships. Dhvani supports this point and tells, “The girls no longer wait for the guy to approach them. They are open enough to tell about their guy friends and even introduce them at home. Though girls are comparatively slower than guys to enter into relationships, now they are willing to experiment. Even parents are becoming more open minded and accommodating. They just need to be kept informed.”

Coming to the point, what it requires to make a date, Siddharth, replies, “Actually, it doesn’t require looks or intelligence. You just need to be well-groomed and well-spoken. Guys also need have some money to spend. You also don’t need to be emotional and possessive about such relationships.”

All said and done, what are you waiting for? After all it is very difficult to wait for the right person especially if the wrong ones are so cute and exciting. So, Happy Experimenting!