To, The Prime Minister…

ToThe Prime Minister…

This is just to say that I would not like to pay any more tax in a country where I do not get the benefits of the investments that we make. In a city that is always in news for the undying spirit that it exudes to all calamities and mishaps that it faces repeatedly.

As a citizen of this country I do not feel why things happen the way they do… I do not understand why illiterate people are part of the parliament, why politicians are richer than most intelligent & successful companies put together. Why a name that is nominated for the esteemed post of the president is a name that is not associated with any good doings or development or progress related issues but to scams & frauds.

Why no deadlines are met. Why can’t we follow a strictly corporate approach to this problem of being a backward country? We may aspire to be the most sought after nation that is so handicapped and crippled by the people who run it and abused by the people who enter and live in it.
As leaders of the company why can’t we look up to any of the politicians today and say that’s the person I want to be like? Why cant we meet the targets set. Why can’t be people be sacked for non performance. Why are our politicians not stressed about meeting their budgets/commitments? Why is that their children get free of cost funds/ loans from the costliest universities and a common man has to mortgage the ‘punji’ of his life to ensure basic education of his children?

Today ask any citizen of this country especially from Mumbai and ask him if the city of his dreams has eased any of his struggles. We pay the highest interest rates, highest tax rates, highest duties & charges, highest rental rates but what have we got in return.

There is just no ownership of the illiterate ministers who are hired in your cabinet. All the public expects from you is corruption, corruption and some more corruption. Simple facilities like public toilets cannot be used by a common man. They are used by the beggars and the neighbouring slum dwellers. When you land at the Indian airports to get a taxi, it takes half an hour. The taxi drivers fleece the customers asking them to pay them more as they have to wait for hours in the line and have to pay the cops to get into the line and get a fare. So at every stage it’s the common man who is paying for the corruption that you have induced into the system. There are fines & taxes for the common man but not for the politicians & cops who eat maximum paan and spit on the road or sometimes even pee on the road, who do not pay any tax but eat into the taxes & project fees. We can illustrate more examples that you could possibly read Mr Prime Minister!!!

There is a certain amount of elasticity that anything can support after which it will break. We refuse to stretch any further until are questions are answered and accountability is generated. If you think you guys are incapable then please let us know we would be more than willing to join politics and let people have the right they deserve.

Hope you have answers to the questions of 1.3 bn Indians!!!


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Discovering India!!!

A sudden plan, a great adventure, lots of unknown people. This weekend was a great or rather a different one. I went to Rishikesh, to pursue my passion for adventure sports. A trip influenced by quick decisions of Gen Y and booming economy that lets you spend guilt free. One on way to Rishikesh we passed though UP with the trademark Indian roads with potholes that can comopletely jam your back and ensure you cant sleep en route. The drive to rishikesh ended into a beautiful cottage on the banks of the river Ganga. The morning dawned with rays of sun beaming through my room and asking me to breathe some fresh air. I thought to myself when was the last time I felt so good, rejeuvenated, so full of energy rearing to go. The white sand the cold water a funny guide all made it a great trip. On our way to the 26 km rafting trip there were so many learnings of how a pahadi guy could speak more languages that I could. While rafting with so many groups of people from different countries he had learnt or rather figured out his way to communicate and ensure inspite of the language barrier, people what have a great time and would go back with lots of memories. He not only taught us how to raft but also broke a whole lot of inhibitions... he said a really nice thing...here it goes... Its often ok if you dont know how to swim but never be afraid of the water." While we went along with a few small rapids, some big he shared with us how adventure sports is not only about friends together or family together having a great time...but have become great corporate training grounds. From team building, to potential gauging, we can design activities with whatever message you wish to share. (Who ever said great innovations come only from board room meetings). Towards the end of our rafting trip we all jumped into the cold waters of the Ganga, shedding all our inhibitions, surrending ourselves to the calm waters, oblivion to the world of mobile phones, blackberrys, and all technology that remotely connects us to problems.
Our beautiful trip ended with a feeling of achievement...thrill...like all materialistics minds complete VFM...
On our way back it was a rather quiet journey...with the peace and the calm that made me sleep like a baby...and a feeling saying There is so much to India!!!left to be explored...

What’s in a name?

It’s been over a year since I have a new identity. A name that I couldn’t possibly identify with, may be didn’t wanna be associated with (it was then), a name I wouldn’t react to when called out for. I remember my unique surname in school was my identity. The unique bit was though it sounded like a Maharashtrian surname, I was a gujrati, though the Maharashtrian bit really helped at all government offices. I remember seeing my name on the school & college notice board for all my results and all my years of growing up and now with a new name I just feel…

But like all humans I got seasoned into it. I saw a whole lot of people who stuck with their identities but lost their individuality a whole lot of people who changed their identities but could not let go off the I.

Even I had to take a call what I wanted to do. While technically it makes sense to change your name, passports, ration cards, other documents so you face less grief from our government but I was still reluctant. There was this feeling of being cut off from the roots of a big tree that always protected me all my life to a new sapling whose foundation I have to lay. I don’t know if it will offer the same protection as the big tree.

None the less I got my name changed soon after marriage but I think it was only on paper and not something that I wanted to be associated with. But today after a year it’s different, may be because I’m more confident of my roots in my new environment as well. Because like any confused 25 year old I’ve understood that marriages are not about letting go off you but building a better you. It’s not letting go off you as a person but taking on what you miss from the other. Some people keep both their names; I think that is also a great idea but rather long and a little confusing for people around.

Today I have a new name and I’m ok with it because I know it’s only adding to me, I guess if I didn’t believe in that I wouldn’t be able to accept it forever.
Don’t accept till you believe in it and it will always work!!!

Noise to some & Music to the others!!!

Yesterday was a really hard day at work, actually not the best days at work. I was coming back from work at about 9.p.m. tired after traveling for an hour, dreaming of things that I wish to achieve but are a little far away, Thinking of things that have slipped away on my journey uphill.
Actually one of those days when you talk to yourself, talk to god, question him for his doings, and ask him what’s the good in the bad… While I was getting off the bus there was this loud music playing on the roads. And I said to myself why is there yet another procession and people causing traffic jam in Mumbai when the city is already so jammed. While I was crossing the roads there were these people I don’t know what you call them but who pierce sharp objects through their body and carry out a procession, why they do that I don’t know, like people are not hurting enough.
As I crossed the road, it was amazing to see how people after a hard days work were stuck in that traffic jam and wondering when are they going to get home. Some were in big cars and some in small. Some in cabs with their loved ones, holding hands, looking into each others eyes, oblivious to the blaring noise outside.( Love not only turns you blind but deaf also!!!). Some sitting in the car enjoying the music in their car. Some looking out like Mumbai cabbies do and wondering why this guy in the front is not moving? Some working on their laptop or reading. A guy actually doing nothing caught my eye, he looked at blank space and was may be thinking… of what’s gonna happen next… is he gonna make it, not make it, will all the problems pass by, will it ever dawn, can he quickly see what’s in future and come back to present to decide his next move… it was one of those times in the day when all that’s in the subconscious mind comes rushing in and blanks you out completely…
After I crossed the road I saw a little kid on the street maybe about 2 years dancing away to the procession music and enjoying it like it’s the best thing that happened to him in the day. May it was the best for him… but for me he was the best thing that happened in the day. Just seeing the joy on his face made me feel…
Life’s tough but not bad…

Oh! one last time

More often than not we say "ok honey from tomorrow, tonites the last time". This is the statement you hear most often from your loved ones, colleagues and ya your conscience...

How many times have you woken up to go the gym and said to yourself, I will definitely go from tomorrow, let me sleep the last time today, A husband tells his wife I will quit smoking from tomorrow, let me smoke one last time today, when your colleague makes a mistake and tells you alright this is the last time I'm doing this, I will be careful from the time hereon.

Does that one last time come, do you really quit the next time, are you honest the next time... these are all questions you wish we could answer but its really weird, tough and ya sometimes impossible...

Time is too short get up and go to the gym today tomorrow is always late... stop smoking today... tomorrow is too late... make no mistakes today...tomorrow maybe too late...

The most important time is now, you never know if the same circumstances will exist tomorrow, you never know if the same people will be there tomorrow... the most important time is now.

It's the only time you have control over...so don’t procrastinate today...instead act today...

Do all things you always wanted to do… go by the country side... sleep under the stars…go to ladakh…learn a language… bake that perfect cake… play a musical instrument…sing a song to your girlfriend…tell your parents you love them…read the gita to your grandmom whose eyesight has now gone blur…be a horse to your kids who always yearned for your time…help an underprivileged child…

Do it now, tomorrow is too late!!!

Marriages are forever!!!

It’s a concept that’s passé or do I believe in it. I want to believe its forever. That’s how mom told me it should be. I saw a film off late, “Metro”, it was a very over the top depiction of lives of people in the city. (Was it over the top or I want to believe all this happens only in the movies).

You know when people who boasted about their married life soon after marriages, people mocked at them saying, dude it’s only a year wait for some more and lets talk then. I wonder what happens then. Do people take each other for granted; they lose interest in each other, do other things take priority.

What, what makes this toy lose its charm? In the movie there was a couple who lost themselves to work, frustration, one of the two sacrificing their ambitions, taking aback seat in the career to let the other accelerate. One couple where the guy was clear and the girl confused of what she really wanted in life!!!(Don’t we all go through this). One where both liked each other, unaware of what the other felt, but couldn’t let go off their dreams.

Great story and so normal…doesn’t this happen to all of us. I know of so many couples who have separated in their minds long ago but are still together to face the world. They know they are either best together emotionally or physically. But incomplete together.

They both have parted their ways and are with different people just completing the roof for their children. Their philosophy is ‘If I don’t see it, it doesn’t harm me’. What kind of philosophy is that, but it works for them…

Then there are also people who inspite of the cracks want to make it work… because they believe its forever… or maybe they don’t know how else to be. They have reached complacency and don’t want to know how it would be otherwise. I think people who are in this state are not weak as you would want to call them. May be they are the only ones who haven’t looked out of their marriages and somewhere atleast made an attempt to keep the institution going.

I think it’s the easiest and most foolish to let things fall apart especially after you have invested so much in it. Trust me holding on is tougher then letting go. Why don’t people realize that they have invested so much of themselves in it, it may be just take a little more to make it work after all there are pleasant memories even now. I’m in no way proposing misery, if it causes that, its time to move on. But never let go off without atleast trying, may be it could be forever

Bargain

It’s so strange when you are in search for something or want something you make that your mission all the way and chase it completely, because that’s the time you are focused in achieving only that one goal…And after you get you wonder did I really want it. Strange na , sometimes its like a medicine , you take it then to get that temporary relief without realizing the harm it will cause in the future. Nothing comes in isolation, everything is a package deal. Pros & Cons are a part of every gift that you have received, have got and will receive.
You ask for one relationship and it ties you down with so many more… Today everything is materialistic, everything works only on one rule Give = Take.
We all keep bargaining trying to get the best deals out of everything and everybody.
Be it in our relationships, where you expect the other to squeeze out every bit of him and surrender to the other. Where you just take it for granted that no she is my wife, she will do it… no she will have to understand, she’s my girlfriend… Give, give, give no don’t worry this is the last time… or ok this is the last time…please do it for my sake…Please god make this happen and I will give you this… make my son get a good job and I will come walking to siddhi vinayak… Oh! I will get him also, but please make this happen…Bargaining has the same sounds everywhere. With a street hawker it sounds like this…"no not Rs 5 I will pay only RS 4,” With a kid, “don’t harass me and I will give you a chocolate”, at a saree store, no not RS 3000 I will pay only RS 2000.” Everywhere the tunes are the same, only the pitches keep changing.
I think the funniest is the bargain with god. I’ll tell you why… coz you are taking rather than getting it from him and exchanging it with what you don’t have today. At the end of day it all belongs to him. Its all his after all… give him something that belongs to you… that is exclusively yours… like your soul, your bhakti, your efforts, your hard work, your humanity, your sacrifice.
To give what does not belong to you is trade and to give away what is yours is ‘sacrifice’.
And trust me guys in today’s day and age trade beats sacrifice hands down