It hurts

At India Gate in Delhi we have a tribute for the unknown soldier. That is where Indian heads of state pay tribute every Republic Day. However tonight, I pay tribute to the martyr whom is not unknown to me, my best friend's father. I also want to pay tribute to all those unknown people who died, trying to fight the terrorists in Mumbai. Tonight Mumbai was attacked by terrorists again and perhaps the worst attack the city has ever seen. The attack is still very much on, as news trickles in about more blasts and more bullets being shot at the army, police and civilians. The streets of Mumbai are a battleground tonight. The Taj is burning, the Oberoi is under seige and the Marriot was not spared either. From Borivali to Nariman Point, the whole city has been terrorized.

Neither is the city stranger to terrorist attacks nor am I. However, this time terror has shattered someone very close to me and that hurts, real bad. I do not know what will be the consequence of this attack. I just hope and pray that my city comes out a winner at the end of this dark night.

Just Do It

These are times of uncertainty and change. None of us know what will happen next, what our world will look like in 2009. But again, when have we known the future! I wish I knew what will happen next. Come to think of it, how boring would life get then if I knew evrything. No suprises.

Lately I have been very disturbed as I have no idea what tomorrow will bring. I don't know if this is the worst financial crisis we have seen in last 100 years but this crtainly the worst period of time I have had. No Job, no family, a career thats lost somewhere in the middle of a large ocean of financial distress. I have always taken the safe options in life, to avoid the struggle.
Growing I acted in many skits,plays and dramas. I was often complimented for my acting and dancing skills. Infact till date I meet people who remember me for the roles I enacted on stage. If it weren't for the fear of failure I would have ended up in the entertainment world today. Perhaps, in front of the camera. I was this unknown fear of struggle that led to do an MBA. My logic was that the 2000 internet bubble burst could happen again and I would be without a job then, unless I was in a position where I could fire others, rather than getting fired myself. The answer was an MBA. Become the boss. The only problem was that my imaginary recession came much faster than I actually thought. So inspite of planning my whole life I ultimately couldn't stay away from struggle. So if you are thinking something might be too risky to do, just shutup and bounce coz life will give you wat it planned to give you anyways. So just go ahead and do it.

Raj's faux pas

This agitation by MNS chief will certainly hurt North Indians in the short term. However this will cause grave damage to Maharashtra in the long term. Firstly, new investments might be affected. In today's India when invetsments by Indian and foreign companies are coveted by all States, Maharashtra cannot afford to sully its image with regards to law and order. And these incidents are targeted directly towards the working class, the ones who make industries 'low cost', thus enhancing their profits and boosting their market value. If there is a sense that cheap labour is being driven out of Maharashtra and government can't stop it, it could be dangerous for industrial growth. Look at what happened to West Bengal. Mamta Banerjee's agitation not only led to a loss for farmers there but also has given a bad name to the State. Indian industrial houses are thinking twice before investing in ruarl areas of WB now. Gujarat ofcourse was quick to capitalize on Mamta's faux pas and rightly so. If they wouldn't, someone else would have done it.
This agitation has also hurt the image of Marathi Manoos. No matter how much you might cry foul against the Hindi news channels, the fact remains that people across the country are sympathizing with the poor taxi driver whose cab is being smashed and the poor guy is being mercilessly beaten up. And finally the worst nightmare of the Thackreys. Eventually, maybe not now but within a decade, demands will be raised to make Mumbai a union territory. Probably a FCR, Financial Capital Region, which has its own state government and law and order is responsibility of the Centre. If these things actually happen (the second one is already happening), the biggest loser will ironically be the Marathi Manoos.

To the moon and back

Sitting on earth we fascinate about the beauty of the moon, its brightness, its attractive colour and its appearance of purity. Strange when in reality the moon has no light of its own, its a deserted land mass filled with huge pot holes. On my recent trip to India, I met many who fantasize about the life outside India. An imagination of perfection, green lands, lovely climate and lots of money. I don't blame them, in India we somehow tend to love the things we don't have. I did it too. Now, I miss the things I had.