Dr Rajan Welukar, they claim you are the vice chancellor. But I think that is paying you too much of a compliment. You are just a first rate coward! So you decide to ban Rohinton Mistry’s Such a long journey because some thugs decided that Mistry offended Bal Thackeray! Brilliant stuff! Kudos for caving in to the demands of the thugs!
Co incidentally, I am reading a beautiful book right now- Reading Lolita in Tehran a book by Azar Nafisi. It is a sheer co-incidence that it was only two days ago that I read a chapter where she talks about how she dealt with a situation where books were being banned left, right and centre in Iran in the 80s as they were accused of propagating ‘Western’ values, values which were decadent enough to corrupt the youth. She later talks about how she puts the novel, the Great Gatsby on trial in her class because of few opinionated students in her class who want the book banned.
“Was it necessary to put this book on trial? I was somewhat taken aback. Did he want me to throw the book aside without so much as a word in its defense?” (An excerpt)
I am not asking you to conduct a trial. But have you even read the book? I am sure you haven’t. So why do you really want to ban a book? How does it help to ban a book? Why didn’t the students get any chance to give their opinion? Do you think they are not capable of having an opinion or do they really not matter at all in the given scheme of things? Am I asking for too much? Did you even ask the teachers what they thought of the book? I am asking this because you seem to have effected this ban by bypassing the academic council. You only chose to hear one puny section of the student (?!) group and decided to act. It is appalling that a vice chancellor of a university which is 150 years old chooses to act in such a cowardly fashion. It is not just cowardly, it is also chauvinistic. By not taking into account the opinion of any other the groups associated with education per se, you have exhibited totalitarian attitude.
And that was Iran where it happened. India I think despite all its problems is still a democracy. I am not shocked by Shiv Sena’s acts. They have acted according to what is expected of them. But what message does a university send when it caves down to empty threats like these?
It saddens me to see not a whiff of protest either from the student community or the teachers’ community. It reflects the sad talibanisation of our society, a society that is marred by fear and apathy.
So, what next? Which other group’s pathetic ego do you plan to appease next? What are you planning to do? Do you have a list of dos and donts that a novel should follow in order to be considered to be taught in your esteemed university.
I used to be a student of this university once. I feel very sad when I look at it now, in its current state. Mumbai University is dead and I mourn its demise.
I end my piece by again quoting these lines from Reading Lolita in Tehran. Such a long journey was this and a lot more!
A good novel is one that shows the complexity of individuals, and creates enough space for all these characters to have a voice; in this way a novel is called democratic-not that it advocates democracy but that by nature it is so.
Sincerely,
Shobha S V
P.S. Oh I just came across this. Some hope!
Monday, October 04, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Should writing be a task to finish?
Quite occasionally, I read the weekly column by Soumya Bhattacharya on his experiences being a parent to his daughter Oishi. I read his column on 14th March, Pre-Emptive action in Hindustan Times and wrote to him. Following are my observations :-)
Hello Mr Bhattacharya,
I read your column with lot of interest every week. Your column on 14th March, 2010 was very interesting. I have many things to share with you.
Firstly I am very critical of the mainstream education system. It saddens me to see writing given as a task. By making creative writing a task somehow obliterates the love for it. It is a sure shot way of kicking joy away. Don’t you think?
The pedagogic system and parent-child relationship have one common feature- the desire for approval. Let me explain. When the child is given a task, the task is given by someone who is in a superior power relation as compared to a child. It can be a parent or a teacher. The child is acutely aware of this lop-sided power relation. Therefore there comes a need for the child to please the person in power by fulfilling the task that has been given. You see, in this process the whole idea of the creative activity is lost. Creativity is just for one’s own self. I do understand that artists too need their audience. But should this need to please others be inscribed at such a young age? Should one inculcate the desire to find gratification in one’s own work through seeking approval from others at such a young age?
The hierarchy and the resultant unequal power equations in the education system (between the teacher and the child) and in the family (between the parent and the child) bother me. I think the power over the other manifests itself in this need for approval that we all seek and have sought at one stage or the other. I think children need to be left alone to do things that they want to do, that they wish to do. Besides, it is definitely not easy to state an opinion in a way that doesn’t come across as evaluation of the same. Only when this need for approval and evaluation goes away can the boundaries between the teacher and a child disappear (in terms of hierarchy) and can they both learn and discover things together. This applies to parent-child relationship too. Only then will a child realise that human beings are all fallible in nature. Only then as you mentioned in your last column, will the children not feel astonished when they find that their parent often doesn’t know everything. I think the disappointment of parents not being super human beings can vanish if parents and child learn an activity (that is new to both of them) together.
Besides I feel your daughter needs all the praise from your side. Small slips are always pardonable. The mistakes should never over shadow the creative work that the child has come up with. I do understand the anxiety of a parent regarding dispraise that the child can face. But then sadly that is the system we live in. I really don’t have an answer for that dilemma.
Keep writing.
Regards,
Shobha S V
Hello Mr Bhattacharya,
I read your column with lot of interest every week. Your column on 14th March, 2010 was very interesting. I have many things to share with you.
Firstly I am very critical of the mainstream education system. It saddens me to see writing given as a task. By making creative writing a task somehow obliterates the love for it. It is a sure shot way of kicking joy away. Don’t you think?
The pedagogic system and parent-child relationship have one common feature- the desire for approval. Let me explain. When the child is given a task, the task is given by someone who is in a superior power relation as compared to a child. It can be a parent or a teacher. The child is acutely aware of this lop-sided power relation. Therefore there comes a need for the child to please the person in power by fulfilling the task that has been given. You see, in this process the whole idea of the creative activity is lost. Creativity is just for one’s own self. I do understand that artists too need their audience. But should this need to please others be inscribed at such a young age? Should one inculcate the desire to find gratification in one’s own work through seeking approval from others at such a young age?
The hierarchy and the resultant unequal power equations in the education system (between the teacher and the child) and in the family (between the parent and the child) bother me. I think the power over the other manifests itself in this need for approval that we all seek and have sought at one stage or the other. I think children need to be left alone to do things that they want to do, that they wish to do. Besides, it is definitely not easy to state an opinion in a way that doesn’t come across as evaluation of the same. Only when this need for approval and evaluation goes away can the boundaries between the teacher and a child disappear (in terms of hierarchy) and can they both learn and discover things together. This applies to parent-child relationship too. Only then will a child realise that human beings are all fallible in nature. Only then as you mentioned in your last column, will the children not feel astonished when they find that their parent often doesn’t know everything. I think the disappointment of parents not being super human beings can vanish if parents and child learn an activity (that is new to both of them) together.
Besides I feel your daughter needs all the praise from your side. Small slips are always pardonable. The mistakes should never over shadow the creative work that the child has come up with. I do understand the anxiety of a parent regarding dispraise that the child can face. But then sadly that is the system we live in. I really don’t have an answer for that dilemma.
Keep writing.
Regards,
Shobha S V
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
What's in a name? Lots says Bombay High Court
Ok, this is going to be a rant.
I came across this article and yea I am irritated! Apparently divorced women cannot use their ex-husbands' name. If there is no legal compulsion on a woman to change her name after marriage, why should there be any compulsion on her to change her name if her marriage ends? Why can't she have the freedom to choose? Why should there even be an option available only for a woman to change her last name post marriage is something that totally puzzles me. But then I'm reminded of being in a patriarchal society...blah blah and blah!
The whole idea that a woman's identity is totally related to presence of absence of men in her life is so problematic. Currently there is a move to disqualify the citizenship of a Kashmiri woman in case she marries a non-Kashmiri person. To know more...read this and this . I hope that this bill is opposed tooth and nail. It is a big problem if a democratic state treats its women as someone devoid of any independent identity of her own.
I came across this article and yea I am irritated! Apparently divorced women cannot use their ex-husbands' name. If there is no legal compulsion on a woman to change her name after marriage, why should there be any compulsion on her to change her name if her marriage ends? Why can't she have the freedom to choose? Why should there even be an option available only for a woman to change her last name post marriage is something that totally puzzles me. But then I'm reminded of being in a patriarchal society...blah blah and blah!
The whole idea that a woman's identity is totally related to presence of absence of men in her life is so problematic. Currently there is a move to disqualify the citizenship of a Kashmiri woman in case she marries a non-Kashmiri person. To know more...read this and this . I hope that this bill is opposed tooth and nail. It is a big problem if a democratic state treats its women as someone devoid of any independent identity of her own.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
WTF!
This is ridiculous. I just don't have any other words for it.
An appeal for your support
A very strange time is upon us…
Very recently, TATA Sons filed a case against us (oktatabyebye.com) in infringement of their TATA name (as our domain name contains the 'TATA' word!). Tata Sons has contended that it is confusingly similar to its 'Tata' brand and the travel portal runner has no rights or legitimate interests to use it. The company had argued that the site infringed the right of its registered trademark/service mark 'Tata'.
What is even more ridiculous is the fact that TATAs actually won this case.
And in a decision by a sole panelist, ownership of the domain OkTataByeBye.com has been awarded to TATA by WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) Arbitration and Mediation Centre.
This is taking the whole idea of copyright infringement to another (stupid) level altogether. What next? Are they planning to sue every one of us for uttering TATA without their permission?
An appeal for your support
A very strange time is upon us…
Very recently, TATA Sons filed a case against us (oktatabyebye.com) in infringement of their TATA name (as our domain name contains the 'TATA' word!). Tata Sons has contended that it is confusingly similar to its 'Tata' brand and the travel portal runner has no rights or legitimate interests to use it. The company had argued that the site infringed the right of its registered trademark/service mark 'Tata'.
What is even more ridiculous is the fact that TATAs actually won this case.
And in a decision by a sole panelist, ownership of the domain OkTataByeBye.com has been awarded to TATA by WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) Arbitration and Mediation Centre.
This is taking the whole idea of copyright infringement to another (stupid) level altogether. What next? Are they planning to sue every one of us for uttering TATA without their permission?
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Meena Mami-2
Hello world :-)
It seems so good to be back here. I was away all this while because I just did not feel like blogging anymore. It was one long break. However, the urge to communicate in this space has come back and I'm glad to be here once again. So many things have happened ever since I blogged last. But then let's not delve into that. Ever since I decided I want to blog again I kept wondering what should be my comeback post. Something happened few days ago that made my decision very easy. I was convinced that I have to write about it because there is a small connection with my blog. I don't know how many of my old blogger friends, acquaintances who would read my latest post. But does anybody remember this ? For all the new readers here, please do read this, otherwise the following post wouldn't make any sense.
Circa 2004...
It is amazing but I got to meet Meena Mami just few months after having made this entry.
(I still remember that I wanted to write about the incident but laziness took the better of me). Out of the blue, one day my father told me about how his common friend mentioned about Meena Mami coming to Bombay to meet a relative. I was so excited hearing about the news and I couldn't believe that I was getting a chance to meet her just months after having written the post. That was quick! I got the details of the relative and went to meet her. Before meeting I did call her and she stood outside the door waiting for me. It was wonderful meeting her after
such a long time. Mami thought I had changed quite a lot and we began catching up with our lives. Meanwhile I also called up Lalitha who spoke to Meena Mami after more than 15 years. It was amazing. Pieces of the jigsaw puzzle were finally falling in place. However we still had to find Bablu.
Circa 2005...
Later I got busy with my graduation, work and other things in life that searching for Bablu was put on a backburner. Then in 2005, Lalitha came back to be my neighbour once again...after 17 long years and it was just as it was before :-) During that time we realised that even though we were in touch with Meena Mami, we still did not know anything about Bablu. It is only after this that we both began a search for him. Till then funnily enough both of us (me and Lalitha) did not know his official name. We never needed to know, he was always Bablu for us. We later learnt that Bablu's official name was Vijay Raghavan. Wow! This news was enough for us to find him online in this age of Internet (or so I thought). We began our search for him immediately. I searched for him on Orkut and of course, Google. We still couldn't find him. Most of the Vijay Raghavans we found were younger than me. Finally we found one person whom I thought could be him. He was from Bombay. I discussed about this exciting possibility with Lalitha. When we figured out his age from the online records, it hit us that he was 35 which couldn't have been possible even in 2005. Our online search also hit a dead end. Sigh! :-( After then, we always wondered where Bablu would be. We wondered if he ever searched for us. However there were no answers. We left it at that. However somewhere deep down I just knew that we would all meet again. The only question was 'when' for which I had no answer.
2009...
Even though me and Lalitha knew about the whereabouts of Meena Mami, I was not in frequent touch with her though we did speak over the phone couple of times. Lalitha was more regular, thankfully. She used to talk to her quite often and I used to get updates from her. After 2004, I couldn't meet Meena Mami even once. But the very fact that I knew that she was fine kept me satisfied. After 2004, Meena Mami lived in Noida, in Chennai and host of other places before settling down in an old age home in Sringeri in Tamil Nadu. Last month I came to know that Mami would be in Delhi in the month of July. I did not have Mami's contact number and Lalitha told me that she would be contacting me once I reach Delhi by July end. I got a call two days ago and I set out to meet her. This time I met her after 5 whole years. I noticed that Meena Mami had aged even further. Rather than salt and pepper hair, Mami now possesses silver grey hair. We began talking and the subject of Bablu came up again. We again spoke about how sad it was not to know a single detail about Bablu. Then I asked her, "Mami, is Bablu's full name Vijay Raghavan?" She replied in affirmative. "So his father's name was Raghavan?", I asked. "No, his dad's name is Parthsarathy." "Oh so his name is Vijayraghavan Parthasarathy. Ohhhh!" It suddenly hit me that we never knew his correct full name. We had assumed it wrongly. All this while we had searched for Bablu using a wrong name! This information brought a smile on my face since I realised that it would be easier for us to search for him again.
I went online and I began searching for Vijayaraghavan Parthasarathy. I thought not many people would have a name like this. But no, I was sorely mistaken. I found close to 10 people by the same name. I wondered who would Bablu be among this. I surfed through people's profiles and found that they did not quite match Bablu's probable description. Finally I landed on a page which was out of bounds for me. But I could still see the guy's communities and I decided to send him a message. I also found a guy on Facebook and I pinged him as well. During this process I did wonder if I would be successful in my attempt. Subsequently I got back to my work. After about 15 minutes I refreshed my Orkut page and I saw that this Orkut fellow had added me. I wondered why. Within a moment I saw his scrap on my page and I couldn't believe what I had seen on the page...."This is Bablu, the same. I have been looking out for ways to contact Meena Mami so long. After we moved to a different place we lost contact. When we did go back all we were told was she moved to Delhi. PLease give me your phone no. Where do you live? How are ur parents. I live in USA. I will be waiting for your reply."
I kept staring at the screen and still couldn't believe it. The other contents of the scrap convinced me that he can't be an imposter. The jigsaw puzzle pieces had finally fallen in place. It was amazing :-) I had found Bablu...finally!!!! It took me few moments to register this. I immediately called Lalitha. She was on another call. I kept calling her. Finally when she did answer, I screamed....."We have found Bablu!!!!" Lalitha was dumb stuck and her reaction was quite thanda! All she could say was, "Yea? How?" I explained to her. She did not appear to be very convinced. Meanwhile I added Bablu on my messenger and hoped and waited he would come online. After an hour he did come and then called me. At 1 am, me, Bablu and Lalitha had a telephonic conference. Oh...it was just unbelievable. Bablu couldn't believe it and neither could we. Meena Mami could finally talk to Bablu. Bablu had tried hard to trace Mami, but sadly was
unsuccessful. He had not tried searching for us...hehe! He admits that he did not think about that :-) But we did the needful and here we are...all back in touch again :D This is such a filmy story....This is my Yaadon ki Baarat!!! Ismein drama hain, emotions hain, bacche bichadte hain....phir 20 saal baad milte hain... too much :D When we finally did meet Bablu, we found him married with a kid. Bablu promptly called Meena Mami the next day. For Mami, this was a shock and such a pleasant shock at that :-) When I spoke to her later, she couldn't believe how quickly everything happened. Bablu gave her contact details to his parents and even they got in touch with her. My parents and Lalitha's parents still can't believe that we found Bablu. It is tough for them to realise that world is indeed such a small place for people of our generation :-)
Come to think of it, if only I had asked the correct question of Bablu's father's name few years before, the reunion would have happened long time ago. But it's all good now. Better late than never :-) Many people ask me in wonderment how I can remember incidents when I was so young? Well, even though I don't remember everything, I do have vivid memories of certain things. Besides I was showered with lots of love that I have a good feeling whenever I think of those days (despite memories being hazy)
Currently, the reunion has still not happened in its entiriety. We are all waiting for Bablu's visit to India so that we all could go and meet Meena Mami together :-) Now that'll be one filmy pic :-) YAYY!!!
It seems so good to be back here. I was away all this while because I just did not feel like blogging anymore. It was one long break. However, the urge to communicate in this space has come back and I'm glad to be here once again. So many things have happened ever since I blogged last. But then let's not delve into that. Ever since I decided I want to blog again I kept wondering what should be my comeback post. Something happened few days ago that made my decision very easy. I was convinced that I have to write about it because there is a small connection with my blog. I don't know how many of my old blogger friends, acquaintances who would read my latest post. But does anybody remember this ? For all the new readers here, please do read this, otherwise the following post wouldn't make any sense.
Circa 2004...
It is amazing but I got to meet Meena Mami just few months after having made this entry.
(I still remember that I wanted to write about the incident but laziness took the better of me). Out of the blue, one day my father told me about how his common friend mentioned about Meena Mami coming to Bombay to meet a relative. I was so excited hearing about the news and I couldn't believe that I was getting a chance to meet her just months after having written the post. That was quick! I got the details of the relative and went to meet her. Before meeting I did call her and she stood outside the door waiting for me. It was wonderful meeting her after
such a long time. Mami thought I had changed quite a lot and we began catching up with our lives. Meanwhile I also called up Lalitha who spoke to Meena Mami after more than 15 years. It was amazing. Pieces of the jigsaw puzzle were finally falling in place. However we still had to find Bablu.
Circa 2005...
Later I got busy with my graduation, work and other things in life that searching for Bablu was put on a backburner. Then in 2005, Lalitha came back to be my neighbour once again...after 17 long years and it was just as it was before :-) During that time we realised that even though we were in touch with Meena Mami, we still did not know anything about Bablu. It is only after this that we both began a search for him. Till then funnily enough both of us (me and Lalitha) did not know his official name. We never needed to know, he was always Bablu for us. We later learnt that Bablu's official name was Vijay Raghavan. Wow! This news was enough for us to find him online in this age of Internet (or so I thought). We began our search for him immediately. I searched for him on Orkut and of course, Google. We still couldn't find him. Most of the Vijay Raghavans we found were younger than me. Finally we found one person whom I thought could be him. He was from Bombay. I discussed about this exciting possibility with Lalitha. When we figured out his age from the online records, it hit us that he was 35 which couldn't have been possible even in 2005. Our online search also hit a dead end. Sigh! :-( After then, we always wondered where Bablu would be. We wondered if he ever searched for us. However there were no answers. We left it at that. However somewhere deep down I just knew that we would all meet again. The only question was 'when' for which I had no answer.
2009...
Even though me and Lalitha knew about the whereabouts of Meena Mami, I was not in frequent touch with her though we did speak over the phone couple of times. Lalitha was more regular, thankfully. She used to talk to her quite often and I used to get updates from her. After 2004, I couldn't meet Meena Mami even once. But the very fact that I knew that she was fine kept me satisfied. After 2004, Meena Mami lived in Noida, in Chennai and host of other places before settling down in an old age home in Sringeri in Tamil Nadu. Last month I came to know that Mami would be in Delhi in the month of July. I did not have Mami's contact number and Lalitha told me that she would be contacting me once I reach Delhi by July end. I got a call two days ago and I set out to meet her. This time I met her after 5 whole years. I noticed that Meena Mami had aged even further. Rather than salt and pepper hair, Mami now possesses silver grey hair. We began talking and the subject of Bablu came up again. We again spoke about how sad it was not to know a single detail about Bablu. Then I asked her, "Mami, is Bablu's full name Vijay Raghavan?" She replied in affirmative. "So his father's name was Raghavan?", I asked. "No, his dad's name is Parthsarathy." "Oh so his name is Vijayraghavan Parthasarathy. Ohhhh!" It suddenly hit me that we never knew his correct full name. We had assumed it wrongly. All this while we had searched for Bablu using a wrong name! This information brought a smile on my face since I realised that it would be easier for us to search for him again.
I went online and I began searching for Vijayaraghavan Parthasarathy. I thought not many people would have a name like this. But no, I was sorely mistaken. I found close to 10 people by the same name. I wondered who would Bablu be among this. I surfed through people's profiles and found that they did not quite match Bablu's probable description. Finally I landed on a page which was out of bounds for me. But I could still see the guy's communities and I decided to send him a message. I also found a guy on Facebook and I pinged him as well. During this process I did wonder if I would be successful in my attempt. Subsequently I got back to my work. After about 15 minutes I refreshed my Orkut page and I saw that this Orkut fellow had added me. I wondered why. Within a moment I saw his scrap on my page and I couldn't believe what I had seen on the page...."This is Bablu, the same. I have been looking out for ways to contact Meena Mami so long. After we moved to a different place we lost contact. When we did go back all we were told was she moved to Delhi. PLease give me your phone no. Where do you live? How are ur parents. I live in USA. I will be waiting for your reply."
I kept staring at the screen and still couldn't believe it. The other contents of the scrap convinced me that he can't be an imposter. The jigsaw puzzle pieces had finally fallen in place. It was amazing :-) I had found Bablu...finally!!!! It took me few moments to register this. I immediately called Lalitha. She was on another call. I kept calling her. Finally when she did answer, I screamed....."We have found Bablu!!!!" Lalitha was dumb stuck and her reaction was quite thanda! All she could say was, "Yea? How?" I explained to her. She did not appear to be very convinced. Meanwhile I added Bablu on my messenger and hoped and waited he would come online. After an hour he did come and then called me. At 1 am, me, Bablu and Lalitha had a telephonic conference. Oh...it was just unbelievable. Bablu couldn't believe it and neither could we. Meena Mami could finally talk to Bablu. Bablu had tried hard to trace Mami, but sadly was
unsuccessful. He had not tried searching for us...hehe! He admits that he did not think about that :-) But we did the needful and here we are...all back in touch again :D This is such a filmy story....This is my Yaadon ki Baarat!!! Ismein drama hain, emotions hain, bacche bichadte hain....phir 20 saal baad milte hain... too much :D When we finally did meet Bablu, we found him married with a kid. Bablu promptly called Meena Mami the next day. For Mami, this was a shock and such a pleasant shock at that :-) When I spoke to her later, she couldn't believe how quickly everything happened. Bablu gave her contact details to his parents and even they got in touch with her. My parents and Lalitha's parents still can't believe that we found Bablu. It is tough for them to realise that world is indeed such a small place for people of our generation :-)
Come to think of it, if only I had asked the correct question of Bablu's father's name few years before, the reunion would have happened long time ago. But it's all good now. Better late than never :-) Many people ask me in wonderment how I can remember incidents when I was so young? Well, even though I don't remember everything, I do have vivid memories of certain things. Besides I was showered with lots of love that I have a good feeling whenever I think of those days (despite memories being hazy)
Currently, the reunion has still not happened in its entiriety. We are all waiting for Bablu's visit to India so that we all could go and meet Meena Mami together :-) Now that'll be one filmy pic :-) YAYY!!!
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Open letter to Mumbai top-cop Jadhav
Dear Mr Jadhav,
I just saw you on TV. It was quite an enlightening experience. I did not know molestation was a small thing. Hmmm...that's news to me. I did not have an inkling about that.
You see, I am quite dumb. I did not have a clue of how your yardstick works.I did not realise how small the crime is before you clarified it. You know, I am molested quite often on roads. In fact many of us are. But well, now I know, it is such a small thing. We will definitely ignore these occurances from now on because we know how small and insignificant it is.
So Mr Jadhav, tell me one thing. How do you classify various crimes? Is attempt to murder a small thing? Well, i assume since it is just an attempt, it will be small. the deed's not done as yet, right? Tell me, what do you think it needs to classify molestation as a big crime? Will you wait for the rape to happen to classify it as a big one? Do you wait for the deed to be done?
I am eagerly waiting for your reply. I don't know if you will ever read this. But I will try my level best to get the message across.
Regards,
Shobha
I just kept staring at the TV screen. My first reaction was of absolute shock and disbelief. Later anger took over followed by helplessness. Mr Jadhav, you shock me completely and I am ashamed of you.
How can you classify molestation of 2 girls by a mob of 70-80 scum (I refuse to call them men) as small? I really want to know your yardstick because I really don't get it. I can't believe that this man is the commissioner of police of Mumbai. He is responsible for the safety of the citizens out of which half of them are women. WOW!
I quite agree with Mr Jadhav, molestations happen everywhere. But what doesn't happen everywhere is your reaction to it. Unfortunately not everyone can be as clinical as you are. You have no right to dismiss it as just another small case. Your primary responsiblity is the safety of every citizen in the city. Now that everyone knows how miserably you failed in the duty, at least have the grace to accept the mistake. I know how capable you are especially since this is a repeat of what happened last year in Gateway of India.
Continuous exposure to various kinds of crime on a daily basis can make anyone a tad indifferent. One tends to become immune to even the most serious of crimes. I say this because, being a journalist, one experiences the same. Many friends of mine who cover crime, talk of
rapes, murders as if they are discussing prices of vegetables. Well, we can't do anything about it. However, as a commissioner of police, one needs to be extra cautious. You should never let the cynicism affect you. You have no business being cynical and insensitive. This post comes with some responsibility and Its your responsiblity to ensure safety of every citizen. The numbers don't matter. You should be careful enough to note that the crimes aren't just bland statistics for
you.
I am in talks with many friends who are completely outraged by this man's comment. For starters, please write an open letter to Jadhav in your blog. Some of them want to file a PIL against this man too. Many of us are also looking at filing an official complaint with the
Maharashtra State Women's Commission against this man. Only if action is taken at the top, will the bottom rung understand that molestation is NOT A SMALL THING. I will definitely post about the developments here. Keep watching this space. Besides, if you have any ideas, please keep them coming :)
Looking forward for it.
I just saw you on TV. It was quite an enlightening experience. I did not know molestation was a small thing. Hmmm...that's news to me. I did not have an inkling about that.
You see, I am quite dumb. I did not have a clue of how your yardstick works.I did not realise how small the crime is before you clarified it. You know, I am molested quite often on roads. In fact many of us are. But well, now I know, it is such a small thing. We will definitely ignore these occurances from now on because we know how small and insignificant it is.
So Mr Jadhav, tell me one thing. How do you classify various crimes? Is attempt to murder a small thing? Well, i assume since it is just an attempt, it will be small. the deed's not done as yet, right? Tell me, what do you think it needs to classify molestation as a big crime? Will you wait for the rape to happen to classify it as a big one? Do you wait for the deed to be done?
I am eagerly waiting for your reply. I don't know if you will ever read this. But I will try my level best to get the message across.
Regards,
Shobha
I just kept staring at the TV screen. My first reaction was of absolute shock and disbelief. Later anger took over followed by helplessness. Mr Jadhav, you shock me completely and I am ashamed of you.
How can you classify molestation of 2 girls by a mob of 70-80 scum (I refuse to call them men) as small? I really want to know your yardstick because I really don't get it. I can't believe that this man is the commissioner of police of Mumbai. He is responsible for the safety of the citizens out of which half of them are women. WOW!
I quite agree with Mr Jadhav, molestations happen everywhere. But what doesn't happen everywhere is your reaction to it. Unfortunately not everyone can be as clinical as you are. You have no right to dismiss it as just another small case. Your primary responsiblity is the safety of every citizen in the city. Now that everyone knows how miserably you failed in the duty, at least have the grace to accept the mistake. I know how capable you are especially since this is a repeat of what happened last year in Gateway of India.
Continuous exposure to various kinds of crime on a daily basis can make anyone a tad indifferent. One tends to become immune to even the most serious of crimes. I say this because, being a journalist, one experiences the same. Many friends of mine who cover crime, talk of
rapes, murders as if they are discussing prices of vegetables. Well, we can't do anything about it. However, as a commissioner of police, one needs to be extra cautious. You should never let the cynicism affect you. You have no business being cynical and insensitive. This post comes with some responsibility and Its your responsiblity to ensure safety of every citizen. The numbers don't matter. You should be careful enough to note that the crimes aren't just bland statistics for
you.
I am in talks with many friends who are completely outraged by this man's comment. For starters, please write an open letter to Jadhav in your blog. Some of them want to file a PIL against this man too. Many of us are also looking at filing an official complaint with the
Maharashtra State Women's Commission against this man. Only if action is taken at the top, will the bottom rung understand that molestation is NOT A SMALL THING. I will definitely post about the developments here. Keep watching this space. Besides, if you have any ideas, please keep them coming :)
Looking forward for it.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Bhutto killed!!!!
I really don't know what to type here. I'm just shocked completely after seeing the news bulletin of Benazir Bhutto's death. It's just so sad to see how unstable Pakistan is politically....
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Harry Potter
Like zillion others, I love the Harry Potter series. I think J K Rowling has created such a beautiful world that it tempts me to be a part of it every time I read any of the books.
I recently finished re-reading all the seven books back to back and I fell in love with the series all over again. I've always been a sucker for fantasy. However, it's an irony that I hadn't read a single book pertaining to the genre of fantasy before Harry Potter. Of course I was a great fan of magic series that used to be broadcasted everyday in Sony Entertainment Television almost a decade ago. I dream of Genie, Bewitched were my favourites. I was also a big fan of Alice in Wonderland too. Such was my craze that whenever I was at a receiving end of a punishment from a teacher, I would pray hard that I possess powers enough to turn the teacher into a donkey. Alas, that never happened. Sigh!
Ok, I digress. One of the main reasons for writing this post was this article. I wanted to blog about it couple of months back, but couldn't, thanks to my laziness. Suffice to say Dumbledore is one of my favourite characters of the book. When I read that he was gay, the first thought that stuck me was why did JKR announce it after the launch of the 7th book and not include it in the story. It kind of angered me because as a ardent reader of the series, I kind of felt cheated. Why add details after the launch of the book when you haven't bothered to include it in the story. I know, many of you will think that Dumbledore being gay has got nothing to do with the story and that it doesn't make any difference. However, I disagree. The whole last half of Book-7 talks about Dumbledore's intense friendship with Grindelwald. The intense friendship going horribly wrong lead to many things including Dumbledore's refusal to inform Harry about the Deathly Hallows and many other plot twists. Rather than mentioning intense friendship, she might as well could have said passionate love affair. I wonder what's the big deal about it. Personally I think, it would have made the series so honest and human. What is the point in shying away from such stuff?
However, this incident did irritate me because I think its hypocritical when authors push issues like homosexuality under carpet or camoflage it by using euphemisms. There are umpteen number of fan sites related to Harry Potter. It just shows the kind of fan following the Harry Potter,series has. People share intimate relationships with several characters, Dumbledore being one of the main ones. It is funny that when she has gone ahead and mentioned love stories of Harry-Ginny, Snape, Ron-Hermione, Tonks-Lupin, and various other characters, why did she not talk about Dumbledore's relationship openly? Did she think that by mentioning Dumbledore's sexuality, the fan following would have been affected?
But, all said and done, I love the series and can't thank JK Rowling enough for the delightful read. Sometimes I think, how can we ever repay some musicians, authors, cartoonists and other artistes who give so much happiness through their work. I sometimes envy them for their ability to make people happy. It truly is an enviable gift :)
I recently finished re-reading all the seven books back to back and I fell in love with the series all over again. I've always been a sucker for fantasy. However, it's an irony that I hadn't read a single book pertaining to the genre of fantasy before Harry Potter. Of course I was a great fan of magic series that used to be broadcasted everyday in Sony Entertainment Television almost a decade ago. I dream of Genie, Bewitched were my favourites. I was also a big fan of Alice in Wonderland too. Such was my craze that whenever I was at a receiving end of a punishment from a teacher, I would pray hard that I possess powers enough to turn the teacher into a donkey. Alas, that never happened. Sigh!
Ok, I digress. One of the main reasons for writing this post was this article. I wanted to blog about it couple of months back, but couldn't, thanks to my laziness. Suffice to say Dumbledore is one of my favourite characters of the book. When I read that he was gay, the first thought that stuck me was why did JKR announce it after the launch of the 7th book and not include it in the story. It kind of angered me because as a ardent reader of the series, I kind of felt cheated. Why add details after the launch of the book when you haven't bothered to include it in the story. I know, many of you will think that Dumbledore being gay has got nothing to do with the story and that it doesn't make any difference. However, I disagree. The whole last half of Book-7 talks about Dumbledore's intense friendship with Grindelwald. The intense friendship going horribly wrong lead to many things including Dumbledore's refusal to inform Harry about the Deathly Hallows and many other plot twists. Rather than mentioning intense friendship, she might as well could have said passionate love affair. I wonder what's the big deal about it. Personally I think, it would have made the series so honest and human. What is the point in shying away from such stuff?
However, this incident did irritate me because I think its hypocritical when authors push issues like homosexuality under carpet or camoflage it by using euphemisms. There are umpteen number of fan sites related to Harry Potter. It just shows the kind of fan following the Harry Potter,series has. People share intimate relationships with several characters, Dumbledore being one of the main ones. It is funny that when she has gone ahead and mentioned love stories of Harry-Ginny, Snape, Ron-Hermione, Tonks-Lupin, and various other characters, why did she not talk about Dumbledore's relationship openly? Did she think that by mentioning Dumbledore's sexuality, the fan following would have been affected?
But, all said and done, I love the series and can't thank JK Rowling enough for the delightful read. Sometimes I think, how can we ever repay some musicians, authors, cartoonists and other artistes who give so much happiness through their work. I sometimes envy them for their ability to make people happy. It truly is an enviable gift :)
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Goodbye
I have never been very comfortable with poems. I hardly read any. Though off late, I enjoy reading Neha's poems. Couple of days back, I came across this blog by Shreyasi and I read Homecoming. The poem took me back to the memory lane and then I came up with Goodbye.
I think Shreyasi's written a beautiful poem and it deserves a mention again :)
Homecoming
I will leave when you sleep
Quietly, on tip-toes
I will slowly fold the morning light
Wrap the pale sun around me
Push the chill with a coat brush
I will stop for a while to catch a last glimpse
Of sights I have always seen
Or one made uniquely for me
And when am gone
I will wish that you wake up
To see the crease on the armchair seat
I will look down from the porthole
Poring over the matchbox city
To find you in the lap of the beautiful sea
I will leave when you sleep
Quietly, on tip-toes
I'm actually a bit scared for I have never posted a poem before. Please do read the following and leave behind your comments. I need a frank opinion :) Let me know what you think... :)
Goodbye
Blissfully asleep
Deep in my dreams
Completely unaware...that you are leaving.
I think you look at me
Affectionately
and wish you could talk to me
But you go away.
And then when I wake up
My eyes search for you
And I chuckle,
For I know
Playing a game, we are
You remain cleverly hidden.
I ask Amma,
Tells me you've left.
Angry I am
You did not tell me
I rush towards the door
In a hope to see you walking by
but the door knob I can't open...
I sit down and cry
Unable to grapple with my helplessness
I've always hated goodbyes.
I think Shreyasi's written a beautiful poem and it deserves a mention again :)
Homecoming
I will leave when you sleep
Quietly, on tip-toes
I will slowly fold the morning light
Wrap the pale sun around me
Push the chill with a coat brush
I will stop for a while to catch a last glimpse
Of sights I have always seen
Or one made uniquely for me
And when am gone
I will wish that you wake up
To see the crease on the armchair seat
I will look down from the porthole
Poring over the matchbox city
To find you in the lap of the beautiful sea
I will leave when you sleep
Quietly, on tip-toes
I'm actually a bit scared for I have never posted a poem before. Please do read the following and leave behind your comments. I need a frank opinion :) Let me know what you think... :)
Goodbye
Blissfully asleep
Deep in my dreams
Completely unaware...that you are leaving.
I think you look at me
Affectionately
and wish you could talk to me
But you go away.
And then when I wake up
My eyes search for you
And I chuckle,
For I know
Playing a game, we are
You remain cleverly hidden.
I ask Amma,
Tells me you've left.
Angry I am
You did not tell me
I rush towards the door
In a hope to see you walking by
but the door knob I can't open...
I sit down and cry
Unable to grapple with my helplessness
I've always hated goodbyes.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Bangalore, Home and other musings
WOW....it's been one year in Bangalore. I find it difficult to believe it myself. Having never been away from home in my life before, this is a bit special for me. I never really thought I will live and work in another city. For someone who's never left home ever, this is definitely a small but a significant milestone of my life.
Bangalore was always my second home for me with some of my favourite people residing here. It used to be a regular summer vacation adda. However, nothing could prepare me for my work experience here. I realised that my work life is going to completely alter my perspective about the city. Till I came here for work Bangalore for me was my paati's house, bunch of cousins and the time spent with them.
Reporting is such an awesome way to discover a city. I now know more about Bangalore than my paati who's been staying here for the past six decades. It's fascinating when I look back at the process of discovering the city and how it slowly starting changing the way I look at Bangalore too. I was conscious about it all the time.
Well, I went home recently after 11 long months. Phew! I can't believe it myself. This has been the longest I have been from away from home. When I went home, I noticed one thing. I think majority of people living in metropolitian areas don't really leave their homes/cities. Even if people leave, they usually go abroad (A small but a significant student population).
It was such a pleasant experience for me to go back home and see not much has changed. Yea, some friends of mine have left the city, but not everyone. It would have been quite unnerving had most of my friends left the place.
This visit back home had me thinking about lot of things. What exactly is home? Is it still home only if one's parents and friends live there? Or is it home wherever they go? Will Palakkad/Patna/Bangalore (Any random city/village) be home to me if my parents shift there? Will B'bay still be home to me if all my friends leave the place? What is it about the place that makes me call it a home? It's such a complex thing. I'm trying hard to put a finger on it. If internal migration can make me think like this, I shudder to think what it might do to people who have migrated abroad.
Is it people who make me feel at home or the language or the culture or the nostalgia? Can it be called a home even when there are no known people around? Some of my friends who left for USA or other countries for further studies come back and can't relate to half of the things back home. No, I'm not referring to their snobbery here. They come back to to see that everything has changed. The cities they lived in have changed. Gallis, Nukkads, Houses have undergone major changes. Their people have left the city. They cannot relate to anything. I wonder how traumatic it will be. Will the new place or the adopted country be home suddenly? I reckon it would be a very difficult for them to consider a new place as their new home (which is only few years old) as opposed to what was home for the past 20 odd years (that doesn't exist in the same form as they remember it)... Sigh....I think when you are not a part of the changes that happen back home, it can completely alienate you.
Some of my friends who live in smaller towns feel sad about this fact. Not just smaller towns, big cities too. When they go home, they get bored too quickly since none of their friends are present. I can't imagine being bored when I go home. When I went home last month, I realised I know far too many people there. It was just impossible to meet everyone. I wanted to see everyone though.
However, I felt nice that I still had a long list of people to meet. When I was leaving for Bangalore by an early morning train, I met so many friends and acquaintances in the railway station. I was glad that I still had people whom I could say a hello to. I still found familiar faces around. I wasn't a completely nobody. People still knew me despite of my absence for almost a year. Felt very nice.
We cling to things. Most of us resist changes, including me to a large extent. I hope some things don't change. But I know my wishes are foolhardy since the only thing that will never cease to change is change itself. I think the idea of home is constantly undergoing some change or the other. I think many of us will have different homes at various stages of life. It is tough to even imagine the inevitable thing. Sigh!
Bangalore was always my second home for me with some of my favourite people residing here. It used to be a regular summer vacation adda. However, nothing could prepare me for my work experience here. I realised that my work life is going to completely alter my perspective about the city. Till I came here for work Bangalore for me was my paati's house, bunch of cousins and the time spent with them.
Reporting is such an awesome way to discover a city. I now know more about Bangalore than my paati who's been staying here for the past six decades. It's fascinating when I look back at the process of discovering the city and how it slowly starting changing the way I look at Bangalore too. I was conscious about it all the time.
Well, I went home recently after 11 long months. Phew! I can't believe it myself. This has been the longest I have been from away from home. When I went home, I noticed one thing. I think majority of people living in metropolitian areas don't really leave their homes/cities. Even if people leave, they usually go abroad (A small but a significant student population).
It was such a pleasant experience for me to go back home and see not much has changed. Yea, some friends of mine have left the city, but not everyone. It would have been quite unnerving had most of my friends left the place.
This visit back home had me thinking about lot of things. What exactly is home? Is it still home only if one's parents and friends live there? Or is it home wherever they go? Will Palakkad/Patna/Bangalore (Any random city/village) be home to me if my parents shift there? Will B'bay still be home to me if all my friends leave the place? What is it about the place that makes me call it a home? It's such a complex thing. I'm trying hard to put a finger on it. If internal migration can make me think like this, I shudder to think what it might do to people who have migrated abroad.
Is it people who make me feel at home or the language or the culture or the nostalgia? Can it be called a home even when there are no known people around? Some of my friends who left for USA or other countries for further studies come back and can't relate to half of the things back home. No, I'm not referring to their snobbery here. They come back to to see that everything has changed. The cities they lived in have changed. Gallis, Nukkads, Houses have undergone major changes. Their people have left the city. They cannot relate to anything. I wonder how traumatic it will be. Will the new place or the adopted country be home suddenly? I reckon it would be a very difficult for them to consider a new place as their new home (which is only few years old) as opposed to what was home for the past 20 odd years (that doesn't exist in the same form as they remember it)... Sigh....I think when you are not a part of the changes that happen back home, it can completely alienate you.
Some of my friends who live in smaller towns feel sad about this fact. Not just smaller towns, big cities too. When they go home, they get bored too quickly since none of their friends are present. I can't imagine being bored when I go home. When I went home last month, I realised I know far too many people there. It was just impossible to meet everyone. I wanted to see everyone though.
However, I felt nice that I still had a long list of people to meet. When I was leaving for Bangalore by an early morning train, I met so many friends and acquaintances in the railway station. I was glad that I still had people whom I could say a hello to. I still found familiar faces around. I wasn't a completely nobody. People still knew me despite of my absence for almost a year. Felt very nice.
We cling to things. Most of us resist changes, including me to a large extent. I hope some things don't change. But I know my wishes are foolhardy since the only thing that will never cease to change is change itself. I think the idea of home is constantly undergoing some change or the other. I think many of us will have different homes at various stages of life. It is tough to even imagine the inevitable thing. Sigh!
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