Welcome 2010!

Wishing You A Very Happy New Year 2010!

The New Year is here, and it's time for celebrations.... Yahoo!!


Have a great year ahead full of joy, prosperity, learning and value... Enjoy 2010!






P.S. I'm signing off now till 18th Jan'10 due to my college exams.. So, see you then.. 


Ciao!

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2009: The Year That Was….(A photo post)

As 2009 is coming to an end now, let's have a recap of this year in pictures..

So, here I go highlighting some major events of 2009 in India!

The Satyam Fraud Case

One of the most respected companies in India becomes an overnight joke... And you know how!

Tata Nano Unveiled

Tata Nano a.k.a the People's Car launched with much anticipation and affordability. What sets it apart is its affordable price tag and is also the most fuel-efficient car in India!

 Lok Sabha Elections 2009

This year, Elections were a major thing in our nation... Well, anyway, the UPA won it. I am sure about the votes, but not too confident about people's dreams and hearts...

Swine Flu ‘Flew’

Aha.. The most exciting news of 'em all - Swine Flu! It seemed all news agencies and channels fell in love with this stupid disease... Though diseases like AIDS, malaria and typhoid devour more victims, unnecessary media hype and attention was given to Swine Flu.. Too bad!

The Telangana Episode

'If Telangana would have been created, we'd have 50 states till now...'. This very sole issue of Telangana is putting our national unity and harmony at risk.. We need to have a proper balance between regionalisation and nationalism. What do you think..?

26/11: A Year Later…

This 26/11 anniversary was in itself a turning point in 2009.  As you can see above, on 26 November 2009, Hindustan Times Mumbai dedicated its front page to the iconic image of smoke rising from the dome of Taj Mahal Hotel, Colaba, Mumbai. With all these initiatives, the Mumbaikars (citizens of Mumbai) have of course, realized the plight of their own city... I hope those inspiring articles and action plans for a better Mumbai are implemented some day...

Copenhagen and India

The only similarity between Copenhagen and India is that they both are places. The Copenhagen Climate Summit did nothing except creating unrealistic hopes of achieving targets. As a result, no conclusion came out of it and it collapsed miserably. Whereas in India, our per capita carbon emissions are the lowest in the world. With an arsenal of a billion creative minds, we can easily contribute towards saving the environment in a significant way. What's say?

The Indian World!

Surprised? Well, I personally feel that The Indian World blog is also a new thing for India! :)

Maybe, one day, this blog will create a major difference in this nation... Let's see..

So, guys, this was all of this post. Can you add any more important events to this list? What have you got to say about the year 2009? 

P.S. For those who are wondering where the image sources are, you can simply click on any photo and it shall take you to its respective post. Neat, isn't it?!

The Century!

Today, The Indian World blog has hit a century with its 100th post! Yohoo!


It is a great feeling for me since we have achieved a super-duper milestone today!


Blogging is so much fun and I've had a million learning experiences with it. This glorious moment of publishing my 100th post reminds me of the day I started blogging...


The day was 26 February 2009. Just after the stroke of midnight, I had my first post published. My first-ever-post, India Revisited was actually written for my 10th Standard English elocution oral exams.. The response to this elocution was so cheerful, that I finally started writing on the Internet (And I'm glad that I did!).


As you observe many of my posts, you will see a fine and distinct streak of patriotism, optimism and a hope to a see a better, developed India. I feel all my readers get some sort of inspiration and a drive to do something for the country... But very few realize the hard work and commitment that goes behind to continue with the same zeal and fulfill everyone's expectations with this blog. I feel I have developed some kind of strong attachment and relationship with my blog. If I am unable to write on my blog, I see myself full of guilt and remorse.


Talking about the relationship I have with my blog, while writing this post, I got an SMS from a friend which best describes this scenario:

A Relationship is just like The Taj Mahal... Everybody will wonder how beautiful it is, but nobody can understand how difficult it was to build it...! 

So, well, I also expect you guys, as readers of my blog, to express your views and give your feedback and comments...


Well, since this is my 100th post, I must say that this blog has really come a long, long way...


As a writer, blogging has given me a platform to express my views and perspectives about various aspects... It has really been an amazing learning experience. It has also helped me to enrich my English vocabulary and communication skills, for sure! I feel there is something very deep and profound in the very act of blogging..there's a lot of social interaction, you get a chance to develop your analytical skills and broaden your horizons and viewpoints with others' comments and feedback as well... The blogosphere, as a whole, has also helped me to make some really interesting and smart friends...!


Overall, as a matter of concluding remarks, I would like to thank all my readers, feed and e-mail subscribers from all over the world..!! 


Thank You, guys!

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Corrupt Minds Corrupted The Wrong Way...

I guess the title kinda had you wondering what it meant. Well, I'm talking about corruption. But there's two types of corruption, one the good, the other the bad.

Good corruption — it is what we all have. What every person from the age of approximately 12 years to, well, no max limit, has really. It is that corruption that makes your mind think of perverted things. I personally feel it's OK to think(only as long as it is kept in the thinking mode, and told to best friends.... Only then) like that. I mean,come on, we all have emotions, feelings, needs, and most importantly hormones which play football inside us. When they are not fulfilled, our mind plays with us to help us do so. Thinking so is not wrong. It's not right when done all the time, but moderately, fine. Well, it's not even exactly corruption, but well, that's what people who think so and talk openly about taboo stuff are called(yeah, I am one of them)... so, corrupted we all are, in one sense.

It's the other corruption that's bad. The other Corruption is what is prevalent in India, and is kinda like the Aids virus. One difference is, Aids doesn't have a cure(yet) whereas Corruption does, but no-one is interested in taking the medicine and the vaccine to cure it. Haven't you ever thought about how much corruption there is in our country? We see examples everyday, everywhere. People bribe the traffic police when they are caught for an offense(and I'm ashamed to say, the same people are caught multiple times, and they bribe them multiple times, instead of using the very economic and safer way of actually following rules that are made... Jeez). Even at temples, people bribe the gurujis to skip the long queues. I don't even need to give anymore, because we have seen many already. Sadly, the people who are notorious for corruption are our own politicians. Why is this happening? Why is it all just allowed? Do any of you remember the Tata Tea ad which said Jaago Re... here's the link. This ad is one of my favorites since it says just what I feel. People are corrupted, because we make them corrupt. What would happen if people simple learned to carry helmets, have tickets while traveling, follow traffic rules, completed work for the state and country on time(since profits will be more then... common sense!!!), and well, not love green(or red,pink, yellow or brown in our case) colored paper so much that it robs you off your innocence.

Fight against corruption, people(ahem ahem, the bad one) . Don't do it. Detest it, loathe it. Try and do all you can to reduce it, and then stop it. It will not only make social life better, but will also help the country to develop faster. Also, removing corruption is also a good way of generating employment opportunities - employ people to stop corruption. Employ them as officers who put people in jail(or something similar) when found bribing, etc. You can fight it, and you can win, but you can do either of them only if you decide to.

I hate corruption myself. I'll be honest, when you are found doing something wrong(got into first class on my second trip back from college... didn't even know the difference!), you are tempted to get out of it by saving your own money etc etc. I felt it too, but, it was not worth it. I would not have that in the back of mind for all my life that sometime when I was 16 I actually bribed someone. No, I won't do that. If I could do it, I feel all of you can. It's pretty easy to resist temptation, think about it as "All that glitters is not gold". Bribing glitters with a way out, but it is not pure, not gold. Do it, help India fly on the path of development, not just walk on it.

[Image source: http://filipspagnoli.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/human-rights-cartoon-97-corruption/]

What Indians Do Better Than People Of Any Other Nationality In The World...!!!

Save Resources, Go Green - this is something we hear almost everywhere, almost all the time now-a-days. Well, reading about the Copenhagen Summit, and yet another joke about Indians(no hard feelings, it's one of those age-old ones cracked by our great-grandfathers...) had me thinking about why Indians do not need to be told about this...

Indians need not be told to do either of those things, because they are the only people in the world(as far as I know :D) who use what and all that they have with absolute care. A person who has many clothes uses them till it is awfully smelly or full of holes. No other country in the world has ever had a 'Bhangarwala' from whom the mothers get second hand stuff. Lakhs of children study from second-hand books, and use each and every notebook they have ultra-carefully(talk about saving paper!!!). The joke that I mentioned above, wasn't really a joke, it was actually a tendency of using what you have to its fullest ability. No matter how much something is used, if it still has some other usage, it stays. That's what many people in India do. I myself have done that before!!!(No, I don't have torn and smelly clothes). These are only a few examples...

Talking about food, well, again, we are taught even before we can talk that food is sacred, and wasting it is practically a crime(that some people still don't follow is a different question, but I'm talking about the majority here). Having heard that since the age of 6 months(believe it or not!) we never waste food. If we can't finish it, we give it to a beggar, or a needy person. But we never waste. There are also people who dont not have food to sustain themselves, and so they can't even think in their dreams of wasting food!!! This is kind of a reason why I seriously wondered why India has been blamed for wasting food... if we don't have it, or if we respect it, how can we waste it!!!

Electricity and water - we don't get enough of that, how in the world can we ever dream of using up too much! Both are almost a Gift From God in many places, even places which have continuous electricity and water(yes, such places do exist! Yay!) use it carefully because they know how bad it was when there was none of it.

We are already doing so much, how much more can we do! One thing - consuming less petrol and diesel, well, even that is done at rate that's really low, compared to others. If this is the case, do we really need to save more? I don't think so. Yes, the people who are rich should also not indulge in way too many luxuries, but that's a small percent. Also, one can say that all this is happening because of the poverty in the country, but for once, I'm not complaining. Since people have been through poverty, they will know the value of resources, of life. They will care more, they will still save more. Not the best thing to be proud of, but I'm happy that India is one of the countries which has contributed least to the serious deterioration of Nature(least I feel so!). For this one thing, I feel India rocks!

So, what do you think about this? Agree or disagree? Do post your opinions, we would love to read and reply to them!!!

Image source : gconnect.in/.../ what-this-kid-knows-we-dont.html

1 Change I would like to make for India...

The other day, I gave an impromptu speech in my English class on the above given topic - 1 Change I would like to make for India! I just wanted to share my views here in my domain...and I also wanted to elaborate on it a little further...


Today (i.e. on 17 December), due to a technical snag in the Central Railways, railway stations became a place of complete chaos. Since trains also seemed to be delayed, one could easily notice a pinch of frustration and irritation on people's faces. I stood on the railway platform...I saw hordes of people..just like one would notice in some huge public gathering. 


Just as the train arrived, people scrambled to get in...a crowd slowly converted itself into a sort of stampede... At a place like this, getting onto the train is an achievement in itself! Well, this is how our Government treats us.. there are no efficient laws and policies for public transport..and the currently available facilities also seem antiquated..


Don't misunderstand my tone for a condemned one. It is just a tone arising out of care and love. Care for the people and love for the country. Criticism that comes out of love and care, is not criticism. It is just a way of showing that there is a lot of room for improvement. Anyway, talking about governments and administrations in our nation, I feel that there is not a single thing that proves India's exceptional organizational abilities.

Someone has said it so brilliantly, "If there is God anywhere in the World, it is in India". That is not because India has the largest number of Gods and is highly inclined towards religion and spirituality. It is just because we can only trust God in the working of our nation, leaving aside greedy politicians and ineffective laws. Only God can do something to save us from the webs of corruption and red-tapism. Even so, I wouldn't be surprised if a DJ makes a remix like ... India ki naiyya hai ram ke bharose...


The 1 change I would like to see is in the quality of intellect and knowledge right at the top, where decisions for the entire nation are made. There is a change we need... We need men of strong leadership, courage, determination and ambition to hold the highest posts in our Government. They would definitely be much much better than those bunch of 7th pass ministers exercising their power over a nation of a billion. I feel there is a need of passion and aggression in our current political system. We need young blood to replace corrupt fools in the Government. A chance must be given to the young citizens to tap their hidden potential and become great statesmen...

Just like those high-profile CEO and MD posts of any company, let there be educational and intellectual qualifications for our very own ministers so that power is not misused. Just like those SC, ST, OBC and what-not quotas, we should have specific quotas for IIT and IIM alumni to contest elections. Thus, there shall definitely be some people in the Parliament with a rare commodity known as 'Brains'.

There is no greater and respectful post than that of a minister or a civil servant. Having known all the facts, still, there are no educational qualifications for these guys. Civil servants go through competitive exams like UPSC and stuff like that, but as soon as they step into the murky waters of greed and corruption, they are soon devoured. Ministers may not know the ABC's of their assigned portfolios, but they are scholars in bribery and red-tapism.

There is a time for everything...and now is the time for change! Someone has to flush out those murky waters and murkier motives, because problems can never be solved without taking any action, you see.

There is a change we need....

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Crossing Tracks - Is It Really Worth It?

This one's among the top five, out of all the most outrageously silly things that I've seen people do. I've never understood the real reason or cause that makes people cross railway tracks. If it's not already obvious, I'm completely against it.

For many years, this practice has been responsible for hundreds, maybe even thousands of deaths in the city of Mumbai, and in other states too. I've seen people cross tracks everyday, have seen many rushing because a train is coming down the very same track. So many people narrowly escape death, while many others are crushed and crumpled, only because they want to 'save time'. Why can't people get the simple point, that there's a high risk in crossing tracks, that though it saves time, it doesn't guarantee you your life.

Once (thankfully only once) I saw a commuter get smashed, literally, while he was crossing tracks. The very memory gives me goosebumps. It was gruesome — and it terrified me. I really don't want anyone to die such a death! Death isn't the only thing that can happen, you can lose a limb, or can be permanently damaged, just because you didn't want to miss a train.

Thankfully, people are realizing that it's more sensible and safer to cross the bridge, not the track. The need for a change, and a move to make that change happen is being made. The most recent move, the programme by WR(Western Railway) against railway track crossing has been successful indeed. Astonishingly, because of the Zero Death On Track programme, there were no deaths on the track in Goregaon for five days! Not just that, there wasn't even any minor injury! It was all possible because of the volunteers taking part in it. They barricade all illegal entry points and also request commuters not to cross tracks. It really has worked wonders.

This is another one of the 'small changes' we need to make. Instead of running around a trains tracks, why not simply use the bridge? If you have such a nice(oh come on, they aren't bad!) bridge to walk on, why stumble through the tracks and all sorts of litter? If we all make this change, I believe we can soon have headlines which declare that there have been no deaths in 5 days on the tracks in Mumbai!(hopefully it won't stop at five...). Any of you who can participate in the programme, please do. All of you, please try your best to stop people from crossing tracks.

To read more on the ZDOT programme, follow this link

[Image source: http://bit.ly/7rucr8]

5 Examples of Brainless Marketing

I wanted to write this post long, long ago...but things just didn't seem to work out. Anyway, here I go with this  post on foolish and senseless marketing with some valuable lessons to learn... And since Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year has finally released which revolves around sales and marketing, I believe you guys will relate to this post even better...

     1. The following advertisement is the best example of sub-standard promotions in India. In fact, this stuff is too idiotic to be even shown on-air...

What to learn:

We need to be more innovative and sensible in our marketing approach. The above ad may have increased the sales of Kurkure, but, from a logical point of view, this video is complete nonsense! In fact, a comment on this video on YouTube just paraphrases my views -

Absurdity with intelligence is a a sure winner for a commercial. . This is a run of the mill idea.Grow up guys Think BIG !! Get your market fundas.......in to the thrash and be innovative.

     2.  Manali is a famous hill station in Himachal Pradesh. It is known for its beautiful scenery and cool, pleasant climate. One would find it to be the perfect tourist destination in North India, but for one annoying reason - marketing. The shopkeepers over there are crazy fellows who try to get in customers by all sort of stupid ways. Their modus operandi to find customers is as follows: A person from a particular shop stands outside on the road. He searches for innocent tourists walking by... When he finds a victim, he will actually force that person to listen to what he is selling..and will even drag that tourist to his shop for buying his product... Too weird to believe, right?

What to learn:

This is, supposedly, a force method to get customers... In fact, there are several institutions and organizations strewn across India which practise this method. I personally feel that forcing someone indirectly generates some feeling of disinterest and resentment against that particular product. This is not a recommended way to promote one's products and business. Instead, a polite and gentle way in dealing with customers will go a long way in not only increasing sales, but also developing quality human relations...

     

     3. Talking about marketing and stuff, an incident comes to my mind. Although it does not have any sort of impact on consumers, it somewhat influences our cultural backgrounds. Many years ago, when I was a kid, I had been to an exhibition in Mumbai. There was one stall, I recollect, which sold some type of hair dryers. A marketing guy stood outside the stall, and tried his best to get in customers. He saw one of his victims in a Sikh lady with a 7-year-old child. Trying some new marketing strategy, he started doing Bhangra, the Punjabi folk dance with a hair-dryer one on hand just to arouse the child. This act not only worked against the salesman with the lady running away, but also created a sort of cultural rift between the two.

What to learn:

Cultural marketing is a tricky thing to do. While marketing, care has to be taken not to harm the customer's sentiments and cultural background.

     4. Don't go by the title of this video! It is not at all funny, in fact, it is the most foolish and stupid way to endorse a TV channel...

The funda (concept) behind this video is itself meaningless. When the kids are born, they are named Mano & Ranjan. But they have no dad to call their own. All in the village keep asking them about their Dad's return. Finally he returns...  Manoranjan's dad i.e. Dad of all entertainment... A Sony Programme!

What to learn:

The target audience is very vulnerable to ads with high emotional intensity and drama. The above advertisement was dramatized to a large extent. Although this ad gets its message across, it actually defeats the purpose of a sensible, practical Indian advertisement. Let modern ads not keep the audience hooked to such nonsense stuff because it not only wastes the viewer's time, but also reduces the moral value of the advertisement in the viewer's eye...

     5. Last but not the least... Facebook! 

         Facebook is slowly turning into an advertiser's paradise... Advertisers and marketing experts are luring users into joining attractive groups. Some of these attractive groups include:

  If 1,170,000 People Join, My Girlfriend Will Marry Me!

If 1,000,000 People Join I'll Legally Change My Name To Edward Cullen

Join to get a "Dislike" Button! - TAKES 30 SECONDS

If 5,000,000 people join my mom will stop smoking

Facebook Users normally do get attracted to such nonsense titles... I don't know why, though!

What to learn:

Do not go in for absurd advertisements. These Facebook groups promise unrealistic things and ensure that you will have those things only if you invite your friends. Therefore, these stupid groups not only get a larger fan base, but also a wide variety of things to advertise about. So, it is better not to get into fraudulent business...

Well, my list ends here... but would you like to add more to this amazing list? What are your views on brainless marketing and its repercussions on our nation's economy?

Rainwater Harvesting.... A Very Good Method!!!

I was collecting information for my Environmental Studies(Ev.S.) project on Rainwater Harvesting in Mumbai yesterday. The information I found proved how wonderful this technique of collecting water would be!

For the past...… well can't really remember how many years, we have been experiencing water shortage. The conditions worsen from worse every year. This one problem has led to squabbles, arguments even fights. It has also now become common to hear or read or see news that someone killed someone, over an argument over obtaining more water from the public water source!!! It's really a big problem faced by India, especially Mumbai and Maharashtra.

Having said that, among the many technologies, ideas etc that have been invented for collecting water, Rainwater Harvesting seems to be the best, since we do get a substantial amount of rains(oh come on! Better than a decade back!). It isn't yet prevalent in all parts, but where they have it, they reap the benefits better than Reaper does! There are four different systems used as of now, namely Ground Catchment System, Roof Catchment System, Subsurface Dyke and Groundwater Recharge. All of these basically collect and store water, except for the last one, which the water is allowed to be absorbed by the ground. These can supply water to many housing societies, bungalows, holiday homes (that's becoming famous!!!) and also on agricultural fields, for farming in other seasons too!!!

This technique is used in my colony. For the past 5 years, we haven't had to have water cuts at all, because there's loads of water in the tanks, and also because all of the residents do their best to save up (yes, we all do, a fact that I am VERY proud of!). It really is a blessing, especially in summers. While many others face water shortages, we have water 24 hours!!!(well, not at night, when no-one really uses it) This is being practiced in many housing societies in Thane, and wow, is it successful!

So our dearest readers, where-ever you live, do try and use rainwater harvesting too. The more people who use it, the lesser the water scarcity. Go Harvest!!!

I haven't really thought of how it can be done in slums, with maximum benefits. We'd love to know your thoughts about this!

The only common link between India and USA....

India may not compete with the US on economic terms, but it is ever-ready to form 50 states just like U.S.A.....

We have our Union Government initiating the process for the creation of a new state, Telangana just because a political head in Andhra Pradesh goes on hunger strike... Too bad!


The very idea of creating Telangana is stupid and lacks foresight. Just imagine the number of states that will follow if this new state is formed...

I've got something to say to the President of this Telangana Rashtra Samithi :

Mr. K Chandrashekhar Rao, just by going on a hunger strike, you cannot create a new state as you wish in the largest democracy of the world. You don't know the amount of disharmony and political unrest that shall follow if your wish is fulfilled. Better than you, are your state's MLA's who are protesting this move by resigning from their posts... Do you understand that creating new states is not like buying new toys? It requires a good amount of consensus and judgement which you guys obviously lack... Do you know that your unrealistic demands are also creating an uproar in other parts of the country..? Encouraging unity among people of the same caste and culture does not mean encouraging disunity in the whole of India! First get your judgement and logic in place before changing the map of India!

News reports on Telangana have spread like wildfire all across India. This has become a trending topic for discussion in forums and various social networking sites. In fact, Nikunj Pugalia, a Facebook user, has put it in a very creative way - Brilliant idea for a reality TV show- "Hungry Kya?", a show where participants go on a hunger-strike, the one who lasts till the end gets statehood for his area as a prize. Anyone interested in becoming partners?


What are your views about this trending topic of creating Telangana? Do you also wish to create your own state by going on a hunger strike? (LOL!)... 


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A Topic Untouched...

We have written about a lot of things, but we have never written about one of India's most worshipped "religion" - Cricket. It's common knowledge, that though Hockey is the National Game, Cricket is more popular, by a wide margin!!! People go crazy over cricket... they idolize cricketers and want to be like them. They follow their styles, support them all the time - when they are winning, and then happily criticize the same team, even if they lose once. Weird, but true.

I can't really talk about this game, 'cause though my dad(and his dad, his bros, his dad's bros etc etc) loves it, I never really understood each and every minute detail. Can't really say much about that, but, one thing I have observed, is that the team has been improving, and how!!! After a few losses, the Men in Blue were back with a bang, claiming the top position in Test matches, and the second position(not bad at all!!!) in ODIs. The team we have today is one of the best, at least so I feel. Every one's closely knit and they all work as a team, without letting tiffs affect them. It's all really good.

India always has been one of the best teams, we have had the best players in the world, like The Nawab of Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Kapil Dev, Muhammad Azharuddin... the list is really long!!! We even had the Indian Spin Quartet, consisting of four famous players, who were amongst the most deadly combos in the world!!!(Mix free time with Wikipedia, and you know so much!). Many skilled cricketers are terrified of Sachin, always have been(makes me proud, one we love is their worst nightmare... wow!!!). Starting with the first match ever played on the Indian soil, in 1877(the Parsis' team against the Europeans), till today(the latest win being on 12/6/09) our team has bred excellence, faced down slides, seen glory, and have even been harassed too(remember, Aussies?). Yet, I believe no team has been this good(sorry if I'm wrong, I live in blissful ignorance when it comes to cricket...).

The Women's Cricket Team, which has a low profile(seriously, I feel ashamed, but admit it, I didn't know it existed till 2005!!!) isn't bad either. There isn't much about the anywhere, but they play hard, and are a good team. They won the Women's Asia Cup, reached the Finals in the last World Cup, but lost to Australia(...). No worries, I believe they'll be one of the best too.

Cricket runs in every kid's blood in India. Almost everyone has played cricket, it might be i their childhood, it might be the Ek-tappi-out or thrice-out-equals-one types, but everyone has played it. It's a wonderful game, filled with thrill, enthusiasm, power. But(well... it always has to jump in everywhere - that 'but'), again, it's fallen prey to the worst thing invented - money. The IPL was, I feel, on of the biggest mistakes ever done. Here's an excerpt from one of my friend Kaustubh's article. He's talking about why India lost the T20 World Cup :

"The IPL vs The T20 WC. The IPL has indeed been a cause for India’s loss. Many key players including captain MS Dhoni, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, and RP Singh were injured in the IPL and thus a unfit side travelled to England to defend their crown. As Kirsten earlier mentioned, it was playing continuous and tiresome cricket that lead to fatigue especially from the IPL.

IPL was said to be the PERFECT practice for the Indian team. It turned out to be totally reverse. No new talent except Manish Pandey was unearthed, most performed below par. International players dominated.

At the end of the day the IPL is a domestic tournament and the T20 World Cup is an International one. The standard totally spurts up. You need to get back from regionalism to nationalism. Gel as a team again. That wasn’t the case. There were rumours of rift in the team. All this lead to the unexpected."

Yes, it did lead to the unexpected...

But we came back with a Bang! So world, wait and watch, the Camps are back, all geared up to claim the treasures and crowns in Tests, ODIs and T20.

(Image Source: suman79.wordpress.com/ 2007/)

A Special Message...

Dishonesty and greed is the mother of all con artists...


Whenever we do anything wrong, there's this inner voice in us that makes us reluctant...And that tiny, inner voice is our conscience. According to H.L.Mencken, "Conscience is the inner voice which warns us that someone may be looking."

Look at our dear India..we have corrupt politicians ruining our government, and we have greedy shopkeepers degrading our health with food adulterants. In fact, it seems these guys don't give much importance to their pure conscience and rather rely on acquiring more money and power. Well, these are just 2 simple examples, but I wonder whether our politicians feel a sense of remorse and guilt whenever they do something wrong...

At this point, just remember 1 simple thing -

The only person you will have to live with for the remaining part of your life is you. There is no assurance that your family members shall be with you throughout your life. But, as long as you are here on Planet Earth, you will reap the benefits of your own hard work and efforts. Your knowledge, abilities and talents are what will make you joyous and able to live life to the fullest.

So, when we talk about the conscience, it is the inner feeling that one possesses to judge one's decisions. We are not measured by what we take from our life, but rather, by what we give. Well, here is a poem that speaks about our inner voice and its significance.

To the greedy politician, to the sly shopkeeper, to the deceiving trader and to the classic cheater, I dedicate this beautiful poem penned down by some anonymous soul.

The Man In The Glass

When you get what you want in your struggle for self

And the world makes you king for a day,

Just go to the mirror and look at yourself

And see what that man has to say.

For it isn’t your father or mother or wife

Whose judgment upon you must pass.

The fellow whose verdict counts most in you life

Is the one staring back from the glass.

You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum

And think you’re a wonderful guy.

But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum

If you can’t look him straight in the eye.

He’s the fellow to please-never mind all the rest,

For he’s with you clear to the end.

And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test

If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years

And get pats on the back as you pass.

But your final reward will be heartache and tears

If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.

What are your views about this subtle and not-so-minute Conscience? Do you feel that deceiving oneself is much more painful than deceiving others..?

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Just Imagine!!!

First of all, thanks Parth! I mean, this a blog I really like a lot, and being a part of it is awful (the original meaning of awful was something that fills you with awe... please consider that one!). Well, I can't say more, but that one right from my heart... Thanks again!

So... This one started off very weirdly. I was surfing the idiot box, for once (decided to say "hi" to my T.V.), and stumbled upon the 'Just Imagine' scene from Krrish. The next day, my commute being pretty much boring, my mind drifted off to 'Just Imagining..' how Mumbai, or rather the whole of India could be, with a few changes — some small, some big.

The first thing that comes to my mind is seeing people stop littering and spitting, anywhere and everywhere. I mean, many a times, I've had to save myself from such people, especially when they do it on a running train. The next one would be simple manners. If people learn to say something (a.k.a. Sorry, Thank You, Please and Excuse me) that they were taught in first grade (umm..standard), our city and its people will have a good first impression on tourists. Basic courtesies which some people have but others happily ignore must be followed, it brings discipline and punctuality, it will also stop people from ruining our beautiful city (might sound like a 'Value Education' class,but it's true!!!). Slightly bigger changes include people being more Eco-friendly (no, we did not join a samaj-seva something...). Saving up on resources, like electricity and water and re-cycling garbage hugely helps the environment. How so? Well, if you save up on electricity, lesser natural resources have to be used to generate more. Save water, well, do we really need to tell you why? We have been studying and reading and listening to why we should. Re-cycle garbage, it helps in re-use of substances like glass, plastic etc which nature can't degrade immediately. Furthermore, garbage can also be used to produce bio-gas, which can be used for many a purpose.

These few small things, if followed by people will lead to a better India too. Not that they are not followed. No, in fact, we can proudly say that people have changed. Many places are thankfully clean today. People stop spitting, just 'cause others practice 'Gandhigiri' or politely give them an hour long lecture. Saving electricity is a compulsion made by the government, so no problems there. Saving water, yes it is also done by many. Also essential to the accomplishment of this, is the availability of a good, efficient system. I'm not blaming the present one, but well, it must be strict enough to make this possible. Fines need to be imposed, not just in one part, in all of Mumbai. And corruption need to be controlled. That's one thing which really counteracts all the efforts taken. Like, here we all are, trying to do our best to improve and there they all are, simply ruining the effects.

Looking at the biggest pic of all, if we want our city, state, nation to progress, some more changes need to be Imagined, and then realized. First and foremost, the Mentality of the people. It needs to be changed, tweaked rather. Patriotism must be there in every person, right from a one year old(kinda hard for them to understand or say 'patriotism' before that) to the oldest grandpa we have. Next, system that works hard, works fast, works better all the time. The last one, well, pretty simple learning to Imagine and Realize!!! Are these changes are simple( yep, go on, LOL...), you might ask. I say yes. Why not, it's just a matter of changing one tiny screw in our brain, and we are done. This will help us look towards a new City, a new State a new Country(so I feel). So folks, go ahead, Just Imagine!!!

Image Source : www.swifoundation.org/ newsevents.html

Paa!! Haw Haw!!!

Today I saw a film, a laudable, work of art.... Paa. It's one of those rare Bollywood films which leave an impact on your brain and heart. Paa was, according to me the most anticipated movie of the year(yeah, well, I don't really pay attention to what many other promos say). Right from the time when we saw the first mention of it, in our newspapers, it sparked an interest in everyone's minds. At first, it was the talk of the town since the AB father and son duo were going to work together. Then, we all saw 12-year-old Auro dancing in his special style, enjoying with his mum, and shyly saying 'Paa'...... It captured my heart!!!

The acting is superb really. A perfect politician's role is played by AB Junior, he portrays exactly what we need, an honest politician who doesn't fear the Media, and who really is interested in the people's interest(Wish we could have at least one person like him in every state...). Vidya Balan, who's a "gynakologist" in the film, is Abhishek's lover in college. She's Auro's mom, and shows how strong women can be(nope, I'm not advertising Feminism). Loving her son all the time, and softening her heart only for him, she makes you like her.

Amitabh Bachchan, well, kudos to him. His acting was the best. Bearing all of that make up, acting like a school kid, being smart, innocent, loving and being sensible all at the same time... phew! But he did it, and how!!! Like, after you get over the shock of his appearance(I really didn't find it shocking, but almost everyone in the theatre sucked in huge amounts of air[like, gasped]....) you really come to love him. He's cute, straightforward, has a trademark style of saying 'Hi' to his friends, loves the ones close to him, and well, is cute too!!!

The story is good too. It's not too slow, or doesn't run away to glory. Intense but light at the same time, it really grasps your attention. Some parts you can guess, but still, you wait on baited breath to see what happens. Maybe you're waiting for a synopsis or something, but I'm not talking about that, it's better if you watch it, I tend to write long, sometimes boring stories(...).

The music is also good. Songs, I really liked them, especially Gum Sum, the child's voice is really cute!!! About direction, production, cinematography, etc etc I really dunno, 'cause I'm not the best to judge that. But it's shot in a different way.... different style. I can't exactly explain what that means, but that's how it is. All in all, a good movie. It's worth a watch. I didn't cry, I can't, I don't. But many did. It's a film which aims at your heart and touches your soul. So, go watch it! Haw Haw!!

P.S. : This is the first time I'm writing a movie review. Hope it helps you even so!!!

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Achievements Of The Ancients

We all have studied about the various scientific discoveries done by the Brainiacs of the World. Many, rather most, have changed man's life, once and for all. These inventions were made by them, no doubt, all of their hard work really was worth it, but we can't ignore another fact... that these were already invented by our Ancients... thousands of years before any of the modern scientists were even born!

This might be common knowledge for many, but I came to know about it recently. And, well, it made me proud to know what potential we have... Think about it this way. They had intelligence beyond imagination. If they had that, and theories of evolution are to be believed, then, guys, we have their intelligence too!!! Need proof of that? Well, every company( that I know of at least) has many Indians at the top, many Indians everywhere really.

I happened to stumble upon this link, while browsing for information about a book. I found the title interesting, the letters peaked my interest, and the information given, really surprised me!!! Dr. P. V. Vartak's research shows us the variety of inventions, discoveries that were made then(the tabular form given also seems ancient!!!). They range right from plastic surgeries, test-tube babies, the definition of sleep(yeah!) to Trans-Saturnean Planets, Black Holes, Atom bombs(a.k.a. Brahm-astras!!! Did you ever imagine that?!) to Electricity, Breathing of a Star, Life on Earth!!! The wide expanse of knowledge that all of them cover left me aghast.

This is what our Ancients did!!! I loved this fact, so did Parth, so well, here's the post. Any of you who know more, please add to this, we would love to read that too. Those of you who didn't know of this, well, you can proudly show it off!!! If you wanna know more, check out this amazingly super-duper link!