Smoke.........Drink............do Drugs..................

That was a time when I was volunteering in an NGO in my summer vacation. My colleague, Mr. Abhishek and I were having our usual discussion over lunch on various random topics. I do not precisely remember how it started but we had discussion on smoking cigarette, drinking and doing drugs. This was so memorable to me because it brought about a radical thought process in me. Here I try to put the conversation we had in words….

Me: - They are wrong. They should be banned!

Abhishek: - Wait….Drugs are not legal anyways. Why should drinking be banned? Why should smoking? I prefer not to.

Me: - You do know how many people die with ailments of smoking….Cancer….Respiratory problems and many damn unheard diseases. How many people spend all their income on buying liquor? Drunk driving?  Liver problems………….

Abhishek: - Stop there..!!  Someone making the wrong use of something doesn’t make it unholy or unethical. I know my limits and I shall do so. Why should you ban altogether?

Me: - Precisely the point. You know your limits and try to stay within them. What about all of them who cannot decide what is right for them? Everyone who starts something new like smoking or drinking has few limits set by him. Limits might gradually be extended and he can move on to being addicted to it. Followed by all it’s by products…………

Abhishek: - Tell me this. 20,000 people die every year because of Rabies and dog bites. So let’s ban Dogs and kill them? 14 people die every hour in road accidents. So let’s ban Vehicles? I am not supporting drinking or smoking. I just want to push the argument for arguments sake to bring reasoning to your claims.

Me: - Road accidents, dog bites are out of our hands. We are fate’s slaves there, though they can be reduced. But these are based on our personal decision to do it. These can be avoided and one of the best ways is to ban them. Once banned they become illegal and their availability becomes scarce. This would greatly help the newcomers not to join the club.

Abhishek: - Drugs are banned and illegal in US. Was it effective? You cannot base your arguments only on deaths. Bring in new parameters and views to convince people. People see it as a source of pleasure and fun.

Me:- Hmm…So how about their addictiveness? The risk of getting addicted to them is much higher than others and fatal to life also. We rarely hear someone telling my life got better after doing drugs.

Abhishek: - If such was the case then smoking weed should have been made legal like cigarette. There is a huge debate over it.

Me:- Well that might be a starter for proceeding on to bigger fish. You are seeing it alone and not the very high possibility of moving on to others. Many people being educated about the ill effects of these start them. How will you tackle this? I see banning it a viable solution. If not all together, at least in phases.

Abhishek: - Seems convincing… (With a laugh) You always need to educate people, de-addict the addicted, provide legal, medical help to them and then ban them…. (Again a laugh)

Me: - The case is different for drugs. We have smoking and drinking in the veins of society. Drugs is in a different scenario. We can and should approach it differently.

Abhishek: - Yep. It should come both from Law and rules, from enforcement of it and from you, to educate your friends.

Our plates were already empty by now. We ended our conversation and moved on to our work. One thing I could not make out of our discussion is to what Mr. Abhishek is thinking. What are his views on this? He was more trying to make me argue than put his point here, but I hope this unfinished discussion between us would be filled by opinions of many others by writing an article. Hope the topic is brought to the table for a healthy discussion.

Light In Dark

Life is all about how you choose to live it. We are destined to spend this life however harsh or how happy the life might turnout to be. It is like a game of chess, in order to win you sometimes need to sacrifise something of yours. It is all up to how you take it, how you understand it and how you feel it.

There might be a sand storm raging around you. It is upto you whether to close your eyes and save yourselves from its fury or put open and search for an exit out of it. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of every day routine — the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition. I enjoy them as much as any bloke. Difficulty lies when things go out of your hands and beyond  your control. When those dear to you become helpless, when you feel to be in an infinite abyss. How do you put on with these situations and circumstances when nothing can be done with you.

I see two fruits on the tree of solution to this problem. One in the hand's reach and other too high. It might need a stone to cut it off. The low hanging fruit suggests to look around you. It tells you to see and understand the suffering of many others. It reminds you of greater pain and helplessness that the world possess and has been treasuring for ages along. It reminds you that the pain is eternal and people are suffering much more than you. It is everywhere. It is in everyone. It is everlasting.

While the other tougher one is about beauty. It suggests you to see light in the darkness. It tells you to admire the beauty of things around you. It reminds you that there is no end to it when keep looking for it. It is what you look for that you see. It tells you to look for happiness and light. It is everywhere. It is in everyone. It is everlasting.

Both these solutions that the tree has to provide offers you the peace and salvation in those tough circumstances. The one that is low hanging is obviously the one which needs no effort and found easily. That is finding peace in others greater suffering. While the other fruit, is tough to get it. It takes effort to get to it and enjoy the taste it has to provide. It means finding tranquility in the beauty that these dark times have to provide.

Why should the fruits be placed like that? Which one would be more better? Which is more sweeter? I wouldn't answer it to you. You should get it. Beauty is eternal and ever existing. It is for you to search for it. It is an immovable object. Suffering on the other hand is varying. Today you might be happy, but who knows about tomorrow. You might well suffer. Finding the one which is for ever is difficult and hence is not low hanging. As you understand the second fruit is more sweeter because think of yourselves in a situation , in which you were finding peace all these days. Think of yourselves in that very abyss that you were fearing of. You would be helpless, you would be without a way out. You might not find peace in these situations.

So, though hard try to find peace and tranquility in the beauty that things have to provide. but not in others sufferings. As I say beauty is eternal. Suffering can haunt you anytime........

Ditch..........that Business fell in

We pretty often read in the newspapers; companies, industries, MNC's demanding proper infrastructure, incentives etc for better business and more investments. I describe to you an incident that I came across which is very much similar to that, which tells the importance of Infrastructure.

                   You often find things like filling up pits on roads, removing clogged drains, repairing street lights etc taking loads of time to happen. Putting reasons aside, it badly effects small businesses. How?  Why?  If so? I have answers to this with a simple example. A usually very busy road was blocked to lay a new sewage and a drinking water pipeline in my dear city Vijayawada. They have dug up the tar road and the view there reminds anyone of typical sewage work done in India, large pipes, heaps of mud and rubble, broken road pieces and all the sewage crap and smell. But, this has a special flavour to it owing to its prime location in the hear of city and a important cross road.

To my and everyone's surprise that was lying in the same state for quite a bit long time. The progress was lukewarm despite it being a busy center. Reason...typical Indian bureaurocracy and contractors. Public Transport had to be diverted in to clumsy and cumbersome roads, vehicles had to take a long yet heavy traffic area to reach their destinations. Believe me even an ambulance has to take that long path to reach the emergency ward of the Hospital. These are few of the many outcomes of the work which should be done but cannot be delayed. Surprising is it's effect on business.

Vehicles including those of RTC (Road Transport Corporation) have been diverted, so roads are empty. Lack of commuters along that road brought down the market of the Kirana, Pan and Gutka shops and many others because of less crowd. These are the one of the many that were effected. Petrol bunks, Malls, Super Markets are all pray to this. Business has gone down and can be seen easily for any familiar visitor to the place. Interestingly there is some light in the darkness. I found that one's who were happy with this development were the private transport Auto walas. With their immediate and strong competition RTC buses out of the way they are gaining both consumers confidence and the demand along that way are the reasons for their smile. This is a blow to already in heavy loss RTC. But so goes the day.

This is one the infinite pool of examples portraying the ills of bad governance. I have many more to tell you but these are things that may not be clear to many yet strikingly simple once understood..........

Criticism

Criticism........


Nishanth Dikkala, one of my batchee and I were having a random chat on minors. He added to that he is proud of the work I do and said he would support me in future if he likes the path I chose. He was quick to suggest me from his vast experience from playing tennis and other things to accept criticism from those who have already gone through what I intend to do. He warned me not to think or care too much of others comments.

I was quick to reply the following from my experience in asking people to work or to support a movement.

When it comes to about criticism, everyone does comment on what you do. Those who know the path you travel suggest you or warn you with detail and some sort of understanding. But, those outside such experience tend to see things in simple and often vague terms. Some of their comments might be degraded in nature, sometimes going personal, sometimes questioning our character itself, sometimes intentional, sometimes unintentional but hurting. I see a positive side to it.

Some of their questions might be very simple Why me? Why should I? What will I get? or be it something that questions something that you take it for granted. First many including me get offended by such a question. I first used to think why haven't they cannot understand that simple thing. But the truth is that I did not have all the answers to their questions. Truth is that I have not thought about these before, I took them for granted. Their questions if you put aside your reactions to it and think of answers. You many a times tend to have a greater understanding of what you are doing.

The more and more people question and you try to answer, the more clearer you get many a times as different people see it in a different light. I understood this from questioning by Abhishek, my colleague at FDR and numerous others who questioned me upon my request to support Anna's movement or my actions or way of thinking. They questioned things which I could never think of. Shocked at first every time but finally came up with an answer satisfactory to both me and them. I may not always be successful in my efforts and I failed many a times but it is all in the game. It does come with a price of bearing with those comments and having a guilt of doing something embarrassing or different for others.

These small incidents of my life are mattering a lot to me now. They are influencing my thoughts and my way of accepting life. Hope my journey would be more fruitful and I could share to you my understanding............

Color - Green

"I remember the journey of my first flight more because of lack of Colour Green from the sky than the beauty of shadow cast by the clouds.........."


This is the FB status I put just before writing this post. Before I explain you why so fuss about a color, I want to tell you that this post is dedicated to my dear friend Sameep. He was kind enough to put his FB status "Green!!!" and remind me of all people the significance of it.


Green is a color of Life, and in this I try to explain how it is. Green means Nature to me, it signifies the importance of beauty, goodness and love to me. Explaining nature serves well the purpose of understanding what Green means.


Wiki says the word Green is closely related to an old English verb 'growan', which means "to grow". Nature explains this with an example of its treasured creation plants and trees. Growth is not just in size. It keeps on bearing new fruits, it lets its brothers and sisters use it. It is humble as always to us and thus it grows in character.


Does a tree see difference between a bird or a monkey or a wood-cutter. No. It sees everyone as equal, be it one that causes harm or the one that takes its help or the one that helps it. It provides shade to a King, to a thief, to rich and everyone. It never questions you or doesn't ask something in return. It is "Happy to Help". Its love is "True and Unconditional".


Wiki also says green can also mean who is inexperienced, jealous or sick. Well, I think I have an explanation to it. Green and colorful nature is inexperienced. It wasn't expecting such a scale of destruction from someone whom it so carefully bred. That is you and me. It always gave what we asked and never questioned our motives, it tried to mould itself when we demanded, it tried to adjust to what you gave. Yet sometimes it isn't successful and failed in its attempts. So it is inexperienced. It is sick because it is not succeeding in its attempts. It is jealous because man could get put the blame on her and get away with it. Yet it is silently bearing us all these years though we are the cause of destruction to her daughters and sons. What it is doing is still loving us and caring us. Love is what I see.


Few attribute Green to devilish and evil. Yes, It is! Man thinks, discusses, fights, debates about economy, impact, efficiency, costs. To everyone engaged in these topics environment is the devil, waiting to kill their grand plans, waiting to seek scrutiny of their over ambitious blueprints. It is the burden man has to face without which it would have been much easier for him to do his work. Man wants efficiency and economies, Nature seeks Love from its sons. People question nature for not providing with the resources that they need, nature smiles and replies it is not just you living, there are species that I have to love and take care of. Love is what I see.


There are lot many meanings, interpretations, attributions to the color Green. It is so complete just like a Man. With good, bad, ugly meanings given to it. With loved mother and hated devil linked to it. So vast meaning that it holds, it could well enlighten many from darkness. 


Green is Love, Love is Green. I feel myself happy to find Love in so simple a word. I may not be clear in what I might have written, because I am so inexperienced and too small in understanding the vast meaning each thing holds. Thus I end with saying Green is Nature, Nature is Love and Love is eternal.

Thoughts of a changing Man

sometimes I feel sorry for my ignorance....

sometimes I feel sorry for my confusions...

sometimes I feel sorry for my attitude....

sometimes I feel sorry for my illusions....

sometimes I feel sorry for my mistakes...

sometimes I am indifferent to them.....

sometimes I feel sorry for me...

sometimes I feel sorry for others.....

sometimes I feel nothing...

sometimes tears start dripping........

All there is is imperfection in me. Should I be proud of that or sorry. Should I accept it or change it..............things start to confuse themselves.....

And there comes the salvation from simple things...random incidents reminding you of good and bright...........and makes me realise there is greater joy in correcting them...........

Love

                                 Love:- It is something everyone of us is entangled in. I am not writing this to tell that I am in love nor it is an attempt to define it. It is my experiences on the trip concluded few days ago. There are few incidents I would like to pen down here.

Incident 1:-
                   It was around 9pm or so when we reached "Snehalaya", an NGO in Ahmednagar working for women and children empowerment. That was a campus for kids.When we got down there, we were surrounded by anxious kids greeting us. I greeted them and asked their names. Nilesh...Ganesh....Pravesh...Mahesh..." children shouted their names. I said my name and asked in which classes they studied. " 6th...7th...5th....6th" were their replies. Rest of kids were watching a movie screened. Nilesh said " Bhaiya, aap khaake ayiye ham saath bhetke picture dekhenghe". This was the hospitality I got there from a kid so tender a age.

It was next day evening, I almost forgot about this incident. We were leaving the campus to visit few places. As we were leaving the gate by bus, my friend called me telling someone was calling me from outside. I rushed to the window and looked. I saw Pravesh waving and shouting "Vishnu Bhaiya......Vishnu Bhaiya...." all along until the bus left. I also shouted back but he couldn't see me from outside. I was mesmerized at this. A boy whom I met only once for a minute or so showing this much love for some stranger who has come to look at their campus. This is Love, what few of my friends call "True and Unconditional Love". It wasn't the case of only this boy, it was about all people in the boundaries of the campus. There's Love around you, caring you, supporting you. It was completely new feeling to me.

Incident 2:-

                    We were having a chat in the bus on what to do after we got out of IIT. Most of us were inclined towards writing UPSC and be an IAS officer. When it was my turn, I said that I was confused on what to do and when I was asked about IAS, I said to them, "Power can Corrupt Me". There was silence in the group I was talking to. One of my friends as shocked as others said "I would have believed if it were anyone other than you". 

Incident 3:- 

                   A very emotional and inspirational speech was given by Dr.Girish Kulkarni which clarified many of our doubts even without asking them, it gave us a meaning to our lives, a path to follow. Few of us retired to dorms for resting, few to toilets. I was going away from that place when one my freind seeing me said " Vishnu, when will you be giving such an emotional speech?"

Incident 4:-

                   It was the end of camp, we were sitting in a "Straight Circle" for a feed-back discussion. People were telling their experiences of camp, their feelings, reactions etc. One of my friend was saying that she was looking forward to start doing something useful for people around her. She added that she was happy to see many people already starting to work for a better society and so on praising their efforts and encouraging them. But one thing that relates to me is that she was repeatedly looking at me when saying these words.

I really don't understand why this is all happening and that too to me. Is it that I am taking things serious and over-exaggerating them or is that it is meant to confuse me, I do not know. The love, the belief that I could deliver some thing different and useful, from my freinds mesmerizes me. Truly speaking, I doubt that I have the confidence to deliver as my dear ones seek or wish. I doubt have I done anything useful until now?  I quite many a times question my character, my actions and end up dissatisfied with what I am. But, I pray God to give me strength to fight till last.

With Love,

Vishnu Vardhan

P.S:- I may not be clear sometimes in what I write as I am an amateur writer. Sugesstions, questions for clarity, reviews are accepted.

Decoding Afridi

                "Ham India sey kyun itna against hai? Hamare gar mey itne sarey Indian gaane sunte hai, Indian movies dekhte hain, shaadi ke kayi tareekhey milte hai Indians sey, Kyun itna naphrat hai?", Afridi said after he returned  home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv749SCqzuU&feature=player_embedded

                       "In my opinion, if I have to tell the truth, they (Indians) will never have hearts like Muslims and Pakistanis. I don't think they have the large and clean hearts that Allah has given us," Afridi said during a talk show on Samaa news channel.  
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/indians-not-as-largehearted-as-pakistanis-afridi/771281/

 To many this might be very strange words said by him of such stature and such strategic position. I may not know much of Afridi or his character (behavior) but I tend to decode this immediately after I read the article in express. This might be because just a day before I shared that video in my facebook profile and commented that we should learn his (Afridi's) true spirit. These comments for the TV channel were infact a blow to me and his own good will image imparted by his earlier statements.


This is what I could make out of this strange scene. Anyone would be under enormous pressure after his team looses a berth for the final and that too for traditionally over-hyped match with a viewership of such scale. I think Afridi was mentally prepared and gave such a reply as in video under comments from journalists and their tormenting questions. He poured out his opinion to the public in such a situation. I feel these are true thoughts that he has, but yet to be explored and understood. These feelings he has doesn't match with the way things go around him, with everyone portraying our mutual hatred and enemyship. These feelings are put out only when you are angry or under pressure. These don't come just like that but they are the things that had gone around his mind sometime or the other. These comments were liked by many and disliked by many more.


And to the Interview, these were something well thought, planned, scrutinized. He had enough time to understand the implications of his former comments. These were provocative and infact radical at such a juncture. His team's loss to India is a very big blow, add to these comments he might even risk his position as a Captain. Loss in a match where two Heads of Countries come to watch, people expect a different attitude from captain, they expect him to take responsibility, say sorry for the loss or even resign, but his provocative comments were a surprise to many. So understanding the anger in the crowd, press and from the high-command; I think he had to move along with the crowd accepting them against his minor but held opinion.


Well he couldn't stick to his opinions, or condemn it correctly. I would have hoped that but Afridi didn't give me enough time for that. I strongly feel this is what happens when you move against the tide, you need much more than Afridi for that. This is a good lesson for many and it means much more to me.


Disclaimer: These were my abstractions from this skeptic scene and I might truly go wrong with my thoughts, but I am now always "Hope for the Best". So I would like to end this with saying "Long Live India, Long Live Pakistan, Long live Bangladesh, Long Live Cricket. Long live Vishnu, Family & Friends"...

The Devil ' I '

           Sorry everyone, I couldn't update my blog for about a month; mainly because of my laziness combined with my over hyped disinterest. I have had many things to share but donno what put be in the back stage, I wasn't up to writing. This post is something which I feel is something very important, is something our culture taught us, our dharma advocates us. It is about I.

                       Situations can mould one's character to such an extent that people change in a way one cannot imagine him to be. It might be for good or bad, God knows but I would say here about a subtle concept which could change one from “worldly and materialistic pleasures " to the ideal atonement which cannot be defined or said but felt and experienced. This may sound preachy and philosophical for many but one should also remember than one cannot always run away from these, which are those that define a being.

                                People many a times speak about the differences, the diversity or to say the indifference surrounding us, but they rarely try to give it a shot themselves. They are differences everywhere, and here comes the “Fight for Identity ". What about me? What about my position there?; everywhere I, I and I. What about we? "We" can be said in a broader scope, it has a power to encompass everyone, can include anything how unimportant you might think. It is like an ocean which humbly adds anything and can be moulded like toothpaste. How wonderful it would be if that closed, inner circle of you, your family and your friends extends to everything on this earth, how big or small, how great or subtle it might be. Where you love everyone and care without caring what it might be. Well too ideal or too difficult, but can be tried. Think of those whom you think as indifferent or mean to be ignorant and give it a shot to feel and care for them. Worth a shot .....

            You find people calling to "believe in yourself", many grope about to find what does 'yourself' mean. Here's my interpretation of it with my experience and my reasoning of it. Believing oneself is completely not in favour of one's animal 'I', which is always seeking for easy gratification, but is almost in every case against it. The devil 'I' is what you do for your own happiness, for your pleasures or to say "selfishness". It is something like "believing in others", here everything is decided already and always in favour of devil I and against spiritual. It is because it is too difficult to believe in one's self, one's self imposed moral constraints; here one has to decide every question himself.
                  Keep trying to fight and never be in a ‘chronic mania of selfishness’

Dear MOM and DAD

                                     This week for me was full of ups and downs, having updated my FB status to "Failed in almost everything this sem" to watching 2 movies back to back to celebrate the only quiz I performed moderately well this sem. Many of your inboxes and Fb notifications were filled with something like "Student-Parent Interaction" survey. The week went on worrying about the number of responses for the survey to diversifying my thought with the responses given. Here's the Integration of it.

                                                            When Kshitij presented to me the idea of survey, I felt very excited about this. Firstly, it was my first survey and I myself felt as "Karta Karma Kriya " (credit to Kshitij) of it and secondly, it was a question that was troubling me over many days. I am not being able to interact with my mom the way I used to do it in my JEE days or before. Is it same for many of others like me in IIT's or students living in hostels. I used to open up everything to my mom (except girlfreind issues) and used to share my feelings, problems. But, here I feel alienated from them. I feel they don't understand the things going over here, as they call it "generation gap" resurfacing in this context. These reasons amplified the importance of this survey to me.

                     Infi Publicity machaya, around 680 responses recoreded and Data put before my eyes (Thanks to GOOGLE!). Shock! Just 39% said the interaction with their parents decreasing over time, 51% said there's no change in it and 10% actually said it was increasing. This was contrary to my thinking, my perception was that people feel more distant from their family as years proceed. I was proved wrong here. If this was a simple mistake, see this, 28% feel comfortable to share their feelings with parents when compared to 39% with friends(bf/gf 12% and siblings 10%), that's quite comparable. This is a puncture to my Zeppelin of thought. I reconciled to my initial thinking.

                    One question asked was "Where you been on a trip with your family?", A very good question which brings many people to think. A trip with your family is a boost for our interactions with them, where we get to know more of each other even after many years of separation. I found many people telling that they are thinking of going on a trip with their family.We asked "Have you ever ditched a quiz to attend a family ceremony?" 21% said yes, they ditched a quiz. There might be many factors behind this like distance from insti, time it takes, importance of it,has there ever been an ocassion for it? blah blah blah. No one can understand everything by a simple survey with this kind of diversity but once again the purpose of question is achieved, there are many people who value them.

                                       I might have showed you the pomp of my stats. But let's get back to the debate of " Is it necessary?". If anyone understands more of us, they are our family, though we might underestimate their view of us. If anyone has a solution to every problem that we face, they are our family. They don't 'Give up' so easily like our friends do. They always add a word of love and caution. Some might argue that parents have demands which are to be met by us, say acads or  CPI or job etc and so we gradually move away from them. But from their view it is their right to expect something from their children, which they have been dreaming for many years and it is equally right for you to convince them of your plans, goals, wishes. Instead of alienating yourself from them due to differences and in the end take a step that might seriously go against their wishes. I would say interact with them and convince them gradually.

                                                 Thanks to technology and competitive telecom market for the opportunities it provided. Say low call rates, online video chatting etc there are ample of opportunities for us to interact with them. How happy your dad would feel when you say you got AA in a course, a cup in sports, an award in a cult event (may be not be true in all cases! :P), think how happy your mom would be when you say I met him, i went to diner with him, we went there, I learned this,i learned that. Think about these things.

        Well, this was an opportunity(survey) for many of us to shout out loud on this issue. So, one of them suggested he would improve interaction with parents ,in his own words " Shift IIT Bombay to Delhi "  and someone suggesting "to buy a house in powai" and many people telling the need for "insem break after mid-sems or during festival", last one seems to be a workable idea. I personally felt satisfied by this survey, it improved my confidence to increase my interactions with family, trying to be open with them and also that many people actually thought of this issue for a while(while filling survey atleast). So work on whatever that convinces you but with a sound judgement.

IDEA, INNOVATION AND NONSENSE

              It was a tough week for me. Lots of lectures, night-outs and thought provoking talk's by famous entrepreneurs. This would be a compilation of all that happened this week.

                       Firstly I am very much irritated by the fact that I am very poor in basic grammar. Whenever my roomie corrects me, I remind myself of my carelessness to English in school days. Anyway moving on, here it starts.

                                              IDEA is whatever is before the mind when  you think. You think when there is a need. And a need arises when you interact and respond to your surroundings. Some of us even me have an Idea which has a potential to change a lot around us, may get us a billion dollars or change the way of life or anything that one can think of. Even I felt few of my Ideas were radical and worth many things, but this week proved otherwise. One can be sure that with increased exposure the 'idea' that you have is the roots of a hundred other's brain cells. The only difference is the execution of the thought that matters. To be true not just execution, the rigor in which you execute your idea is most important. As you sit and think, think, think and pen down you will be left with textbooks of ideas. What matters is the way you respond to your ideas.

                                                            So folks out there just don't sit around waiting for a path breaking Idea to strike you, just start implementing those simple ones and you would know the joy and pain of it. May be one day with your hands-on experience you might have an idea and be the next Zuckerberg.

                                            Innovation- getting out something new. What does new mean here in this context? It definitely shouldn't mean  material objects like a machine or  a method to improve productivity of something as it's often perceived. It can be an idea, it can be a character in you or it can be a feeling you have. So innovating yourself gets a shape by this. It means discovering more of yourself, getting a change in way you think, the way you behave or have feelings. So guys(gals) when do you innovate? when there's is a idea. When do you get an idea? When you think and respond to your surroundings and the argument proceeds. So let's not just live without caring about anything, you are makers of your destiny. Who knows what is awaiting us.

                                          and Nonsense,     hmm.... well it is because few of you might feel what I wrote is nonsense :P. This is like "Never judge a book by it's cover" or " Never decide anything by the way they look "

THE SECRETS OF EGYPT

                     I loved reading about this in INDIAN EXPRESS, so I thought of presenting it to you all in my own way.

                                 Protest: What does it signify? How it happens? What happens ?  Political parties gather people to fight on a cause. Firstly they call for a bandh, stalling the economy for the day, send few people to shutdown the city by force if necessary, protest near the government offices or ruling party houses, holiday for children, tension for someone who has to attend an event, worry for someone about his closed means of livelihood and a festive season to loot for a theif.
                                           But, there are things which come from the people, trying to show their grievances, protesting for greater good, voluntarily calling for a non-cooperation like recent Egypt protests. What all I saw about that in news headlines was 'Thousands march to tahrir square to protest and oust the corrupt Mubarak government'     '27 killed and scores injured in protests'       ' India in an awkward situation on Egypt crisis' etc and in contrast to this I read a live account in the editorial page which describes it like this:-

                                                     It is not an ordinary protest, a diehard supporter of Mubarak, with a stone cold heart would be convinced once he speaks with the people and understands their contribution and sense of belonging to it. An Old man was bringing food and water to the supporters, shopkeeper's getting vinegar, coca-cola bottles and cloth to reduce the effect of tear gas shelves bombarded on them, police signalling their inability for action, youth trying to spread the message with social-networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, rich, old and households  caring the needs of the protestors.

                            And the strange part is, Hundreds of volunteers guarding the National Museum from Looting, an obvious outcome of a protest of this scale. Hundreds of them putting up checkposts and guarding them day and night to curb this menace. All this happening from the people, to the people. An old woman was weeping on the road, when asked, her reply was, her son was shot by the police in his throat and he is now in coma. She also adds that, the blood spilled here shouldn't go for waste. See the emotion in her words.


           A striking point of these protests is, It can be arguably said that it started by the youth, getting the message of reform spread across length and breadth of country by Facebook and Twitter being inspired by Tunisian protests. Let's hope the welfare of these people would follow the protests.

PHULENAGAR

                     "Mey Chitrakaar banna chahtah hun"    "Mey Scientist banna chahtah hun" . These were the dreams of those 2 brothers Nilesh and Dinesh, who welcomed us heartily with great enthusiasm and respect for us to their home. This happened yesterday in our Phulenagar slum visit outside IIT.

                                         The brother's enthusiasm to show what they know, their handmade crafts, hip-hop dance moves they learned, their innocent questions asking us about our home?. Wah! The burden in my heart reduced  once i was looking in to the happiness and joy in their faces. The surroundings didn't come into the picture in my mind. I was content with what I saw in the boys house.

       This is Nilesh's drawing of his favorite cartoon Ben 10, he is the one who wants to become an Artist.

                                                    My first view of the place where they lived was so bad,roads filled with plastic and waste everywhere, children playing without chappals, sewage overflowing on roads, houses so cramped and everything that you definitely wouldn't like to have in your surroundings. But this does not hinder the glow in the childrens eyes. Nilesh's eldest brother discontinued his studies after 8th standard to work, to feed his family. Dinesh wants to be a scientist, but how he gonna achieve, that is a question right now unanswered. let's hope for  better life of the brother's.

                                                              This was my first visit to a slum. It was quite shocking in two ways, one their surroundings and way of life and two their mentality. Though my interaction and knowledge their is limited, but one interesting point which I myself do not know completely is their intention to grab.
Nilesh's second eldest brother was operated due a hole in his heart, from kind donation of student's and professors of IIT Bombay. Their parents wished to payback the amount in form of dues every month, but they were heartily refused.

                           This to a surprise changed the view of our insti people to them, they began to visualise us as a way of getting money for their needs!! (needs irrelevant). From this incident we have realised that we shouldn't approach these people in an NGO way, were they give something to these people(in form of medicines, textbooks etc) which is undoubtedly exploited ( means they show to them that they do not have anything and make money out of those things by selling them) by these people. I am not offending them but they are used to such sort of life. Who is to blame? I have no answer. GRA is planning to conduct a survey of these people to know their financial, educational, social standards. Let's hope everything goes well for them and we know the truth behind the foggy picture.

INCREDIBLE INDIA

                          Firstly, I thank Jithendra and Sampath for preparing the presentation for me, without them it would be a disaster , next I thank all the listeners who have patiently listened to my long presentation on DRDO, ISRO and Indian Railways in Republic day celebrations of GRA( Group for Rural Activities) IIT BOMBAY.

                                                      Incredible India, yes it is incredible but in what way and what's the proof for it.  There may be many ways to show it but i will give you an example. Consumerism is a very good proof of India's development.. Proof ??  Here's the proof: India has been represented in various beauty pageants from 1953, but we had won just 1 title until 1991 and suddenly after liberalisation of our economy, we have had 7 titles from then in Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Earth contests. How could Indian women get suddenly beautiful and talented? Well, this is the proof of development and it was pointed out in the talk given by Atulji in celebrations.

        One of my friends asked me, "have you written anything about the recent ruthless burning of the Additional Collector?". A few things have fallen in to place for me with this question. Atul sir explained that media points out more of negative things to increase their TRP ratings than that of good things happening around. A killing will find it's place in front page, an accident killing 10 people will, an MLA physically harassing women will, but not those which have saved many people's lives, not those laws which ensure better protection of Women, not those new infrastructure used to prevent accidents.

                             This made me to think, if such negative incidents are not properly shown and given importance, then it's like hiding the truth and showing a wrong picture of India. I asked  Mr Atul the same. His reply was spontaneous: "well that might be true to some extent, but if people do good when there is good shown to their eyes, it comes from their own heart like self-realisation rather than doing good to rectify something which is born out of desperation to change, though both give the same positive result". Wah! I was awestruck by his reply. The former is THE ultimate thing that one can achieve,willing to do good coming from your heart. The latter is a sort of a vengeance which is my present state. Until then I was sort of not liking him, but after this, I loved his view and my respect for him grew.
                                  
                                                                    This was my next question: " Sir, India is developing, right? But what about the values that we are all forgetting? ". His reply was simple and straightforward: "the negative side of what media is showing is losing those age old values that our society and family stood for, and because of this, we think that way. A point worth noting is that, once the media has shown YOGA to have become very popular all over the world, even we started following it, remembering the importance of it. It is like getting back to those values. There's good and bad happening all over, it's up to you to see that.

                     For those of you who say "Where are good people today??" the reply is " It is your problem to see, they are everywhere ".

QUESTIONS FROM WITHIN-2

                                  These are the questions that arised after my recent experiences ( refer my last post before this ), I am very much confused over the answers for them, so I am putting it here. I am begging you to comment on this ( I am serious this time!! ). I want your answers for my questions.

• What if your actions like my first incident in previous post, tends to have a negative effect?? I mean what if there are poor people waiting for some certificates, which they need for a loan, for some treatment ( not an ideal one! I would get better the next time ). This is just a example, my idealness shouldn't be a bane for many others! I am with this doubt. What if the result I expected doesn't turnout? When at all should I do such things?

•   I could do what i did ( my second incident in previous post ) possibly when I am alone or with a group of like minded people, What if I am not with them?  What if I was with my family? What if there was an urgent need and I have to loosen my pocket ? These questions kept troubling me even during that time when I was in dilemma of what to do during those incidents.

•  I love Gandhi( more after I saw Ben Kingsley's movie ), the way he sticked to his ideas always following them. I even more liked the way Dhirubhai Ambani managed things, making situations favourable to him, bending the system to match his expectations. Which is better and when?                In this context when should I refuse and when should I go along with system?

                          Many of such similar things trouble me. Please give your opinion on these, try to answer my questions. Right now I am banking on experiences of people that is everyone of you. Give it a shot guys and gals. Think.      LIVE THE WORLD   LIVE FOR THE WORLD.

FACING THE REALITY

                                   Everyone dreams of a Corruption free India, even me. But what to do when you have to loosen your pocket ?  I was faced with this situation twice this week on my journey in Train.

• First Incident:-      I was seated along with people who were telling me to give Rs 50/- to TT to travel in Reservation compartment, I was uneasy at this. I said to them that I will give the TT the exact official amount.Their reply was as you wish!!.   and the TT came donno what idea crossed his mind he asked me to pay first. I directly asked him that i need official slip with stamp,sign,his name everything, he hesitated first and slowly wrote it and charged me.                                                                                                                                                                                              Then came the turn of others to pay, they offered him Rs 20/-, each one of the 5 people. He said they have to pay official amount of  88/-. They were shocked, they pleaded that this amount would do and also said don't care about the boy he doesn't know anything. I added seeing their woes that I am a student and no press !!! but donno what happened he didn't accept anything from them and asked all of them to leave this compartment !!!! I was shocked... All of them went away, I was regretting my action.                                                                                                                                                                                      Only I was left there everyone had to leave since I paid the right amount. I later explained myself that what I did was correct   and here comes the climax.................... all of them met me outside the train at my destination !!!!  I said sorry to them and that i didn't expect him to do like that. Then came the most famous comment " What can you alone do to this country".
•                                                                     I immediately replied as if it was burning in my mouth that if every one thinks the same then what would happen to this country. I said that if you do this you are making it a habit of giving bribes because of which in the end you would suffer, I even said that because of this, funds for various programme's by government are not reaching common man, students not getting scholarships in time, poor people not getting proper medical treatment because of everyone's habit of paying bribes and making more greedy officer's.                 
•                                                 I said these things and I was utterly happy with my response and action though i was enemy of the day to them, forgetting that I came there because of my Grand-father's death.                                                                                                                                       
• Second Incident:-  It was during my return journey, my ticket wasn't confirmed. So I had no berth to sleep on a 23 hr long journey. All my relatives were suggesting me to approach TT repeatedly and even bribe him to allot a berth to me. I tried initially to convince him but I received  the same reply everytime "Jagah nahi hai Dadar tak". People there hinted to bribe him, but i refused to do it.
•                             So, though i had an AC ticket, because of my action i had to sleep on floor of a sleeper compartment. These were my experiences these last 4 days. I met a side of reality which is absent in our beautiful isolated islands( campuses ). I have many doubts in this journey which would be my next post.                                                                                                         signing off,                                                                                                                      Vishnu Vardhan    

A RAY OF HOPE

                       My idea wasn't to paste a gloomy picture of INDIA in your mind but rather to show you the other side of coin. In this i will give you a picture of what can happen if few hands join to make this world a better place to live in. It is a continuation of my previous post, so look back if you need to make a better sense of this.
                                         I saw the joy and happiness in the eyes of a 4th standard boy who wrote his name and did a 3 digit subtraction on his slate when we said good for his work in "Ekal Vidyalaya" . I see confidence in the eyes of those self-employed villagers in "Bamboo prakalp". I see optimism for a better living in the words of women involved in "Self Help Groups". These were my experiences during Winter camp- GRA 2010.
                                                              What these people lack is opportunities and means of income generation which is hindering them from moving ahead in the path of Modern India. Once they have been shown a way out of this they are like every one of us before JEE preparation, working hard in anticipation of a bright future, overcoming difficulties,emotions and the joy like anyone of us after achieving what we dream of day and night. There are people there who have dedicated there lives to help these adi-vasi villagers.  There are people working to curb mal-nutrition in that region, there are people fighting against government to increase the infrastructural fascilities in that region, there are part time schools for weak students and to those who have left school due to numerous reasons teaching them not just bookish knowledge but the way to live, there are people who are putting up an example to others by growing a variety of crops by scientific methods which were believed not possible in that region.


               There is hope for the people over there , but it is a very very long road with countless obstacles. We need good cooperation from government , we need more willing people to serve, more NGO's working for their development  and the greatest need is for the people to realise these things.


This would be last post for this week as I am leaving for my village in Nellore. I would get back to you next week on various topics.I owuld request all readers to give thought to these things that i mention here and speak out , write, comment , spread the message. LIVE THE WORLD.

LIVE FOR THE WORLD.


                                                                                            signing off
                                                                                       Vishnu Vardhan