My Passion

You cant be BUSY always!!

2009-12-11T11:08:00.019+02:00

I am sure many of you might have heard or read this story..I heard this story from my dad first and then from one of my friends... Its an amazingly simple story but with a lot of depth in it.. We all think that we are the busiest people in this world and have absolutely no time to do anything that is not related to work... But......

An elderly man in Mumbai calls his son in New York and says, 'I hate to ruin your day son, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are getting a divorce; 35 years of marriage... and that much misery is enough!'
'Dad, what are you talking about?' the son screams. 'We can't stand the sight of each other any longer,' the old man says. 'We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in HongKong and tell her! Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. 'Like heck they're getting divorced,' she shouts, 'I'll take care of this.'
She calls Mumbai immediately, and screams at the old man, 'You are not getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then , don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR??' and she hangs up.
The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. 'Okay', he says, 'It's all set. They're both coming for
our anniversary and paying their own airfare!!'
MORAL:

No man / woman is busy in this world all 365 days. The sky is not going to fall if you take few days LEAVE and meet your loved ones.
OFFICE WORK IS NOT EVERYTHING IN LIFE and Making MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING IN LIFE.
Parents are your well wishers and need your love and emotional support. Do not forget what ever you are today is only because of your parents who want nothing but the best for their child/children.
Finally
Thanks mom n dad!! Love u lots.. :)
-Karan

I wish I could.....

2009-11-25T17:59:00.001+02:00

I wish I could go back in time...

Change something that sent chill through my spine..

The horror of death and the loss of the brave...

The act of a Coward from the brain of a naive..

I wish I could stand next to them...

Averting the bullets and protect Mumbai's gem...

How easy it is to destroy something....

Want to tell them, have you tried building anything??

I wish I could cry out loud...

I wont, I shouldnt..

Because I hope there is a silver lining on every dark cloud...

26/11 remains a dark memory....

An Indian will never forget it...

Although it is history....

I wish I could...................... but I WONT!!

- To all those who think that India forgets and Forgive easily...NO! we dont..

- Karan.

An Immortal Personality!!

2009-11-15T13:37:00.000+02:00

I had a tough time selecting this title.. Its like all the adjectives, superlatives have been used for this great man. But still, I managed to use one which not many have used. For many he is Indian Cricket Team since yrs now, for me he is GOD of Cricket. Today, the great man has finished 20 yrs in the sport that he loves. I am not going to give any prizes for guessing whom I am talking about. It is the only one.... SACHIN TENDULKAR.

Many people say Indian names are difficult to say. But is TENDULKAR a difficult name? Well yes it is.. It is very difficult for SHANE WARNE of 1998 Sharjah, it is very difficult for SHOAIB AKHTAR of 2003 World Cup, it is very difficult for ANDREW CADDICK of the same World Cup 2003 (Man I still cant take off that six he hit to Akhtar and Caddick out of mind.. Can u ??) and the list goes on and on. I have been in this world since 1985. As far as I can remember the oldest and clearest memory of a Sachin innings in my mind is World Cup 1996 for me. Sachin is probably the only thing I remember from that World cup! :)

Why is he unique? Why is he special? Well this is not a brain drain question given to an IIT student. Its a simple question. He is special because he can single handedly make more than 1 billion smile or cry with JOY! Sometimes I think, what does this man do? He plays cricket.. Who doesnt? He hits sixes, fours scores hundreds.... Who doesnt? But what one thing that he does and I am sure no one can do is.. Giving hope and making sure he fulfills it! Hope is something that you need if you have to get out a dark tunnel.. Hope to see light.. He is that hope for us.

Its amazing...Sometimes when I have had an awful day and if Sachin is batting and India is winning (which is an obvious thing an Indian will think of! If sachin bats India Wins...) I just forget totally about whatever happened for the past 20 hours or so!! Thats why he is SPECIAL for me. People talk about his strokes on the off side, on the leg side.. I just love the way he strokes away the hope from the opposite team!! ;) I am really proud of been an Indian.. There are just 2 reasons for it.. 1. India itself! 2. Sachin Tendulkar. God forbid.. if Sachin wasnt an Indian I am sure he wouldnt have been this great.. Well my selfishness might be a reason why I said this.. But come to think of it.. Great Players are Great because of the situations they are put in. Sachin is great because he has to make 1 billion people happy!! Thats not easy!!!!!

20 yrs.. 2 decades.. thousands of runs.. and still going on.. and on... Has he had a great cricket life? Ask him and he will say Hell YEAH!! His love always was and is and will be India.. then Cricket... and then the rest..Even today when in so many interviews that he gives, he tells that his most prized moment was, "The Day When I wore the TRICOLOR first time on my helmet!" But still there are many people who think he plays for records.. blah blah blah... Sachin is special because he has thousands of families.. when all of us have just one. This is where I justify the title IMMORTAL. Only Immortal people can be loved this much.

Sachin, today wants to win a WORLD CUP for India. Thats his primary goal and by many writers his final frontier. I would jump shout cry as I always do.. if India wins this world cup with Sachin in the team. That would be the best day in my life.

I really really am sorry for other cricketing nations...BECAUSE Sachin is India.. and India is Sachin..

I wish him all the success.. The master should continue for as many yrs as he likes!! I will always shout when Sachin hits a four or a six! He is and will be the best!!!!!!

ഓണം

2009-09-03T11:39:00.003+03:00

സന്തോസ്ത്തിണ്ടീയും, സംബല്സംരിതിയുദീയും, നിറകുടമായ ഏഎ നാളില്‍, നിങ്ങള്‍ക്കെല്ലാവര്‍ക്കും എന്റെ പോന്നൂഒനാശംസകള്‍.....

The above phrase means...

On this overflowing day of happiness and prosperity, I wish u all a wonderful ഓണം(ONAM).

For me Onam is a festival close to my heart.. Every Onam I become a bit more malayalee than what I am!! Let it be the ഓണപൂക്കളം (Flower Rangoli), ഓണക്കോടി (New Clothes worn during Onam) or My Favourite ഓണം സദ്യ (Onam Sadya or Feast)...

I miss all the above a lot.. But what I miss the most is of course the feast, സദ്യ (Sadya)

So tomorrow my whole family in Kerala would be enjoying this fantastic feast, I will be here in Finland trying to eat something in order to survive!! :( (Food in finland is not that bad as I make it sound here.. Its just that I miss having Sadya a lot!!!)

Let me then take you all through the fantastic and mouth watering description of സദ്യ (Sadya)!!

A സദ്യ is a traditional Kerala Vegetarian meal served on a banana or a plantain leaf; people eat sitting cross legged on the floor. Well if I remember correctly there are "n" number of tasty dishes that are served with it.. To be mathematically correct here n = 24 :)

A typical Onam Sadya

Some of my favorite dishes are,

പരിപ്പ് (Parippu) - It is an amazing dal (lentil) preparation with an amazing ghee and jeera tadka..

സാംബാര്‍ (Sambar) - This is something that my mom and grand mother are experts in!! I love it... Its also a dal (lentil preparation). It has all sorts of wonderful vegetables, like for example tomato, okra, brinjal, drumstick, pumpkin, beans and many others. Tamarind & Sambar Masala (all the spices ground to a powder) make it taste yummy. In the end mustard seed tadka s given and then served hot!! :)

രസം (Rasam) This is one really healthy dish. It is a bit more watery than sambar made of tamarind, tomatoes, pepper, coconut and lentils. Rasam is really very good for digestion.

അവിയല്‍ (Aviyal) Thick mixture of various vegetables, yogurt, and coconut. It is seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves. This is what wiki says about Aviyal. I would just like to add that it is one dish that is extremely tough to cook, but amazing to eat. There is a possibility to add all the vegetable available to aviyal and make more delicious.

കാളന്‍ (Kaalan) is made of yogurt, coconut, and any one vegetable like "നെന്ദ്രന്‍ (nendran)" plantain or a tuber-like yam. It is a very sour curry and very thick one as well. It is a curry which you should not attempt to cook if you are not in India (actually South of India to be more precise!! ). I wasnt aware about kaalan before this July vacation. Believe me when you taste it you would surely give it Rank 1 amongst all the other dishes (Well the other dishes are also so delicious that probably you would have some 20 rank 1's)

ഓലന്‍ (olan) It is a curry made out of pumpkin, coconut milk, ginger and seasoned with coconut oil. This is one curry that goes very well with rice either in sadya or even just like that.

കൂട്ടുകാരി (Koottukari ) is a nice and yummy yellow colored curry made of banana, coconut and one or two more typical kerala vegetables.

കിച്ചടി (Kichadi) This dish is has main ingredients as cucumber, curd and a tadka of red chillies in coconut oil.

പച്ചടി (Pachadi) This dish is very similar to Raita in other parts of India. Pachadi is eaten fresh and typically made of finely chopped and boiled vegetables with coconut, green or red chillies and tempered in oil with mustard seeds, ginger and curry leaves.

ഇന്ജിപുളി (Injipuli) This is a very very very very very tasty dark brown curry made of green chillies, ginger and jaggery. This is also a side dish which given in a spoon's quantity because it acts like a taste changer. But I should tell you it is a mouth watering delicacy which will make u eat it in a vessel's quantity!! :)

തോരന്‍ (Thoran) This is probably the only dry serving that you might find in Sadya. It is made of vegetables such as peas, unripe jackfruit, carrot, cabbage and grated coconut. In Sadya usually garlic is not used and hence Thoran would not have any garlic or onion. But when cooked in coconut oil and tempered with mustard seeds, Curry leaves and Red chillies would make it sumptuous enough!!

Now I would share with you about two more amazing side dishes, Pickles & പപടും (papadum). Pickles are usually lemon slices or mango slices pickle. Papadum doesnt need any description. It is simply the most amazing side dish ever!!!

Finally something sweet!!!

പ്രഥമന്‍ (Pradhaman) is a sweet dish in the form of a thick liquid, something like payasam, but the ingredients differ. There are many varieties of Pradhaman... For eg പാലട (Palada), പഴ (Pazha),ഗോതമ്പ് (Gothambu), പരിപ്പ് (Parippu), ചക്ക (Chakka), കടല (Kadala) പ്രഥമന്‍ (Pradhaman).

So this was a small description of my most favorite meal SADYA!!

I really miss it a lot!! I am sure that while reading it even you had water in your mouth. People in India specially south of India go to some restaurant in the afternoon and have meals or arrange a sadya lunch for the whole family this sunday!!

For all those who are away from India please be happy just reading it!! :) and of course looking at the images!!

India is a wonder no doubt but food in India for eg Sadya is something that is not available anywhere else in any other civilization!!

Have a great Onam week!!

-Karan

Sometimes even sensible ones need a reality check!!

2009-08-25T15:33:00.005+03:00

One Reality Check for all...

Having a genius' brain is not the only thing!! Have a tender heart tooo... :)

Given to me by my darling DAD..

-Karan

What a July it WAS!!.

2009-08-13T14:56:00.006+03:00

They say that, "Vacations are usually very short!!"... Well I am not going to oppose this statement AT ALL!! I had a holiday of around 5 weeks.. (When I told this to my fellow researchers here they said "WOW, LUCKY YOU!!"). But when I came back and realised that holiday time is over, I was not that happy!!! But Finland, Finland..What should I say!! It as usual welcomed me with all the warmth (in the literal sense as it was sunny.. :) ) and love. People at work were happy to see me back and were eager to know how did I spend my time in India. So this is what I told all of them........

It all began with one of my best friends marriage!! Yeah, in case u have read my earlier post you would have realised that Sarang, was gonna get married on June 30th.... Ohhh no no wait..thats tooo far.. Let me take you back to Narayan & Anusha's on 24th evening. It was an amazing day. Reason? Well of course I had a flight to India! It was some sort of tradition, we had to go to their house and have dinner and then leave for India from there.. :) Really very sweet of them. Well we had a wonderful dinner and then went to Kaukajarvi, pulled Deepa's leg (thats like breathing for me n Narayan now..) and then late night I left for my journey to India. It is really surprising, although I have been in India for more than 20 yrs, but still whenever I am boarding a plane to India, that SWADES song plays in my mind and I am all nostalgic and emotional.. But honestly speaking India is like that. It makes you feel special!

After reaching Mumbai, Chatrapati Sivaji International Airport, I was like yaayyyyy I am home!! After sometime got a flight to my own BARODA. I was sooooooo happy to see my MOM (I should say I no longer look like her son!! Its like she is my younger sister!!). The biggest surprise for me was my sweeeeet house.. It was renovated and looked like a palace!! Amazing work DAD & MOM.

Well, now we can get back to Sarang's marriage!! Yup, now I have one more bhabhi after Anusha, i.e. Pooja. It was amazing to meet her and have a talk with her. She is indeed Sarang's better half. Pune was amazing and Sarang's family was really like my own family. They gave me so much love and importance that I felt as if I was the main person there and not Sarang!! Anyway, the marriage went smoothly and rains didnt trouble us. I also met two of my verrrrrrry close friends there. Rahul and Subha. It was a pleasure to meet them and we relived some of our old memories.

After destination PUNE it was back to Baroda for a while and then once dad joined the party, we left for GOD's OWN COUNTRY.. First stop was Taj Resort, Kovalam.. It is simple amazing. I should say The Taj Group of Hotels is really place to be if you wanna enjoy the luxury!!

We had a real amazing time there.. Kerala has something in its air that makes you be there forever. Its just after this holiday that I decided in my mind, "Future is in Kerala!! ". The back waters, the coconut trees, the "FOOD", the sea....hmmm describing it makes me so nostalgic that I might book my ticket right away!! Anyway, work comes first..So here I am in Tampere, describing about my favourite destination!! So the next stop in Kerala was Irinjalkuda.. Thats the place where my grandparents live, my dad's house.. Family system in India is really one unique thing that I dont find it anywhere else!! When amongst family, although I donno malayalam (which s a pity) I was so much in them that while leaving it was terrible!!! I miss all my cousins, aunts, uncles and my achamma and achacha maximum...

After those wonderful moments with the whole MENON family we were back home and the vacation was nearing an end.. When I realised about it, I was boarding the flight back to Finland.. It was a month full of fun, love, enjoyment, FOOD & family...

Now, I am here with my 2nd family.. Yeah, my Finland.. But still when I think about July 2009, I smile and wish that next July comes sooon!!

Mom and Dad were the most special parts of this vacation.. I really miss them a lot this time around but its for my good that I am away from them.

Miss u and love u lots ma n pa..

Remembering the good times

Is like watching water flow down

A swift-flowing river

Without being able to stop it.

Remembering the good times

Takes us out of ourselves

Back to a place and time

That no longer exist.

Remembering the good times

Demands a price

That we have to pay

For remembering the good times.

- Karan

How Empty it is!!

2009-06-03T13:46:00.002+03:00

Another summer, another flatmate, another Best Friend.... Well for me my current house is like a jinx! Every summer since last year one flatemate leaves the house. Why? Well, they fix their marriage and leave the house all of a sudden. Its not that I am not happy about their married life but sometimes I feel its not fair!! But not in my hand you see.. Last year it was Narayan who was suppose to leave and I remember how I tried my best to make him stay for one day more..But its not like he left the house because he was sick of us :) he left it because he was no longer a member of our Elite Bachelor's Club and hence he had to shift in a family apartment.

I still remember that I use to scold him and tell him that come home every evening from university have dinner with us and then go to your "NEW" place till your wife comes to Finland. But I always new that it was so silly for me to tell him come home everyday!! But thats what I wanted, I was finding it difficult because more than flatmates we were best buds.. Me, Sarang, Deepa & Narayan. Well when they say history repeats itself, they are not at all wrong!!! History did repeat itself. This year its Sarang! He left the house yesterday for his "NEW" place. At the dinner table it was only me n Deepa!!

I called him up while cooking dinner, not to ask him why he forgot his milk in fridge or what he was doing at his "NEW" place but because it was very strange to cook dinner without him!! Anyway, life goes on and so it will.. But sometimes when you think of it the closer you are the more difficult it becomes to accept the fact that the chair would remain empty forever..

Anyway, both my best buds have left the apartment for 2 of the best people in this world, Anusha & Pooja, my bestest Sisters in law (Bhabs).. But I will miss them..Always...

The house is empty now...But the memories will keep me occupied..

-Karan

The Ethics of Eating Meat: A Radical View

2009-06-02T15:53:00.002+03:00

An article by Charles Eisenstein...

Most vegetarians I know are not primarily motivated by nutrition. Although they argue strenuously for the health benefits of a vegetarian diet, many see good health as a reward for the purity and virtue of a vegetarian diet, or as an added bonus. In my experience, a far more potent motivator among vegetarians--ranging from idealistic college students, to social and environmental activists, to adherents of Eastern spiritual traditions like Buddhism and Yoga--is the moral or ethical case for not eating meat.

Enunciated with great authority by such spiritual luminaries as Mahatma Gandhi, and by environmental crusaders such as Frances Moore Lappe, the moral case against eating meat seems at first glance to be overpowering. As a meat eater who cares deeply about living in harmony with the environment, and as an honest person trying to eliminate hypocrisy in the way I live, I feel compelled to take these arguments seriously.

A typical argument goes like this: In order to feed modern society's enormous appetite for meat, animals endure unimaginable suffering in conditions of extreme filth, crowding and confinement. Chickens are packed twenty to a cage, hogs are kept in concrete stalls so narrow they can never turn around.

Arguing for the Environment

The cruelty is appalling, but no less so than the environmental effects. Meat animals are fed anywhere from five to fifteen pounds of vegetable protein for each pound of meat produced--an unconscionable practice in a world where many go hungry. Whereas one-sixth an acre of land can feed a vegetarian for a year, over three acres are required to provide the grain needed to raise a year's worth of meat for the average meat-eater.

All too often, so the argument goes, those acres consist of clear-cut rain forests. The toll on water resources is equally grim: the meat industry accounts for half of US water consumption--2500 gallons per pound of beef, compared to 25 gallons per pound of wheat. Polluting fossil fuels are another major input into meat production. As for the output, 1.6 million tons of livestock manure pollutes our drinking water. And let's not forget the residues of antibiotics and synthetic hormones that are increasingly showing up in municipal water supplies.

Even without considering the question of taking life (I'll get to that later), the above facts alone make it clear that it is immoral to aid and abet this system by eating meat.

Factory or Farm?

I will not contest any of the above statistics, except to say that they only describe the meat industry as it exists today. They constitute a compelling argument against the meat industry, not meat-eating. For in fact, there are other ways of raising animals for food, ways that make livestock an environmental asset rather than a liability, and in which animals do not lead lives of suffering. Consider, for example, a traditional mixed farm combining a variety of crops, pasture land and orchards. Here, manure is not a pollutant or a waste product; it is a valuable resource contributing to soil fertility. Instead of taking grain away from the starving millions, pastured animals actually generate food calories from land unsuited to tillage. When animals are used to do work--pulling plows, eating bugs and turning compost--they reduce fossil fuel consumption and the temptation to use pesticides. Nor do animals living outdoors require a huge input of water for sanitation.

In a farm that is not just a production facility but an ecology, livestock has a beneficial role to play. The cycles, connections and relationships among crops, trees, insects, manure, birds, soil, water and people on a living farm form an intricate web, "organic" in its original sense, a thing of beauty not easily lumped into the same category as a 5000-animal concrete hog factory. Any natural environment is home to animals and plants, and it seems reasonable that an agriculture that seeks to be as close as possible to nature would incorporate both. Indeed, on a purely horticultural farm, wild animals can be a big problem, and artificial measures are required to keep them out. Nice rows of lettuce and carrots are an irresistible buffet for rabbits, woodchucks and deer, which can decimate whole fields overnight. Vegetable farmers must rely on electric fences, traps, sprays, and--more than most people realize--guns and traps to protect their crops. If the farmer refrains from killing, raising vegetables at a profitable yield requires holding the land in a highly artificial state, cordoned off from nature.

Yes, one might argue, but the idyllic farms of yesteryear are insufficient to meet the huge demand of our meat-addicted society. Even if you eat only organically raised meat, you are not being moral unless your consumption level is consistent with all of Earth's six billion people sharing your diet.

Production and Productivity

Such an argument rests on the unwarranted assumption that our current meat industry seeks to maximize production. Actually it seeks to maximize profit, which means maximizing not "production" but "productivity"--units per dollar. In dollar terms it is more efficient to have a thousand cows in a high-density feedlot, eating corn monocultured on a chemically-dependent 5,000-acre farm, than it is to have fifty cows grazing on each of twenty 250-acre family farms. It is more efficient in dollar terms, and probably more efficient in terms of human labor too. Fewer farmers are needed, and in a society that belittles farming, that is considered a good thing. But in terms of beef per acre (or per unit of water, fossil fuel, or other natural capital) it is not more efficient.

In an ideal world, meat would be just as plentiful perhaps, but it would be much more expensive. That is as it should be. Traditional societies understood that meat is a special food; they revered it as one of nature's highest gifts. To the extent that our society translates high value into high price, meat should be expensive. The prevailing prices for meat (and other food) are extraordinarily low relative to total consumer spending, both by historical standards and in comparison to other countries. Ridiculously cheap food impoverishes farmers, demeans food itself, and makes less "efficient" modes of production uneconomical. If food, and meat in particular, were more expensive then perhaps we wouldn't waste so much--another factor to consider in evaluating whether current meat consumption is sustainable.

Moral Imperative

So far I have addressed issues of cruel conditions and environmental sustainability, important moral motivations for vegetarianism, to be sure. But vegetarianism existed before the days of factory farming, and it was inspired by a simple, primal conviction that killing is wrong. It is just plain wrong to take another animal's life unnecessarily; it is bloody, brutal, and barbaric.

Of course, plants are alive too, and most vegetarian diets involve the killing of plants. (The exception is the fruit-only "fruitarian" diet.) Most people don't accept that killing an animal is the same as killing a plant though, and few would argue that animals are not a more highly organized form of life, with greater sentience and greater capacity for suffering. Compassion extends more readily to animals that cry out in fear and pain, though personally, I do feel sorry for garden weeds as I pull them out by the roots. Nonetheless, the argument "plants are alive too" is unlikely to satisfy the moral impulse behind vegetarianism.

It should also be noted that mechanized vegetable farming involves massive killing of soil organisms, insects, rodents and birds. Again, this does not address the central vegetarian motivation, because this killing is incidental and can in principle be minimized. The soil itself, the earth itself, may, for all we know, be a sentient being, and surely an agricultural system, even if plant-based, that kills soil, kills rivers, and kills the land, is as morally reprehensible as any meat-oriented system, but again this does not address the essential issue of intent: Isn't it wrong to kill a sentient being unnecessarily?

One might also question whether this killing is truly unnecessary. Although the nutritional establishment looks favorably on vegetarianism, a significant minority of researchers vigorously dispute its health claims. An evaluation of this debate is beyond the scope of this article, but after many years of dedicated self-experimentation, I am convinced that meat is quite "necessary" for me to enjoy health, strength and energy. Does my good health outweigh another being's right to life? This question leads us back to the central issue of killing. It is time to drop all unstated assumptions and meet this issue head-on.

The Central Question

Let's start with a very naïve and provocative question: "What, exactly, is wrong about killing?" And for that matter, "What is so bad about dying?"

It is impossible to fully address the moral implications of eating meat without thinking about the significance of life and death. Otherwise one is in danger of hypocrisy, stemming from our separation from the fact of death behind each piece of meat we eat. The physical and social distance from slaughterhouse to dinner table insulates us from the fear and pain the animals feel as they are led to the slaughter, and turns a dead animal into just "a piece of meat." Such distance is a luxury our ancestors did not have: in ancient hunting and farming societies, killing was up close and personal, and it was impossible to ignore the fact that this was recently a living, breathing animal.

Our insulation from the fact of death extends far beyond the food industry. Accumulating worldly treasures--wealth, status, beauty, expertise, reputation--we ignore the truth that they are impermanent, and therefore, in the end, worthless. "You can't take it with you," the saying goes, yet the American system, fixated on worldly acquisition, depends on the pretense that we can, and that these things have real value. Often only a close brush with death helps people realize what's really important. The reality of death reveals as arrant folly the goals and values of conventional modern life, both collective and individual.

It is no wonder, then, that our society, unprecedented in its wealth, has also developed a fear of death equally unprecedented in history. Both on a personal and institutional level, prolonging and securing life has become more important than how that life is lived. This is most obvious in our medical system, of course, in which death is considered the ultimate "negative outcome," to which even prolonged agony is preferable. I see the same kind of thinking in Penn State students, who choose to suffer the "prolonged agony" of studying subjects they hate, in order to get a job they don't really love, in order to have financial "security." They are afraid to live right, afraid to claim their birthright, which is to do joyful and exciting work. The same fear underlies our society's lunatic obsession with "safety." The whole American program now is to insulate oneself as much as possible from death--to achieve "security." It comes down to the ego trying to make permanent what can never be permanent.

Modern Dualism

Digging deeper, the root of this fear, I think, lies in our culture's dualistic separation of body and soul, matter and spirit, man and nature. The scientific legacy of Newton and Descartes holds that we are finite, separate beings; that life and its events are accidental; that the workings of life and the universe may be wholly explained in terms of objective laws applied to inanimate, elemental parts; and therefore, that meaning is a delusion and God a projection of our wishful thinking. If materiality is all there is, and if life is without real purpose, then of course death is the ultimate calamity.

Curiously, the religious legacy of Newton and Descartes is not all that different. When religion abdicated the explanation of "how the world works"--cosmology--to physics, it retreated to the realm of the non-worldly. Spirit became the opposite of matter, something elevated and separate. It did not matter too much what you did in the world of matter, it was unimportant, so long as your (immaterial) "soul" were saved. Under a dualistic view of spirituality, living right as a being of flesh and blood, in the world of matter, becomes less important. Human life becomes a temporary excursion, an inconsequential distraction from the eternal life of the spirit.

Other cultures, more ancient and wiser cultures, did not see it like this. They believed in a sacred world, of matter infused with spirit. Animism, we call it, the belief that all things are possessed of a soul. Even this definition betrays our dualistic presumptions. Perhaps a better definition would be that all things are soul. If all things are soul, then life in the flesh, in the material world, is sacred. These cultures also believed in fate, the futility of trying to live past one's time. To live rightly in the time allotted is then a matter of paramount importance, and life a sacred journey.

When death itself, rather than a life wrongly lived, is the ultimate calamity, it is easy to see why an ethical person would choose vegetarianism. To deprive a creature of life is the ultimate crime, especially in the context of a society that values safety over fun and security over the inherent risk of creativity. When meaning is a delusion, then ego--the self's internal representation of itself in relation to not-self--is all there is. Death is never right, part of a larger harmony, a larger purpose, a divine tapestry, because there is no divine tapestry; the universe is impersonal, mechanical and soulless.

Obsolete Science

Fortunately, the science of Newton and Descartes is now obsolete. Its pillars of reductionism and objectivity are crumbling under the weight of 20th century discoveries in quantum mechanics, thermodynamics and nonlinear systems, in which order arises out of chaos, simplicity out of complexity, and beauty out of nowhere and everywhere; in which all things are connected; and in which there is something about the whole that cannot be fully understood in terms of its parts. Be warned, my views would not be accepted by most professional scientists, but I think there is much in modern science pointing to an ensouled world, in which consciousness, order and cosmic purpose are written into the fabric of reality.

In an animistic and holistic world view, the moral question to ask oneself about food is not "Was there killing?" but rather, "Is this food taken in rightness and harmony?" The cow is a soul, yes, and so is the land and the ecosystem, and the planet. Did that cow lead the life a cow ought to lead? Is the way it was raised beautiful, or ugly (according to my current understanding)? Allying intuition and factual knowledge, I ask whether eating this food contributes to that tiny shred of the divine tapestry that I can see.

Divine Tapestry

There is a time to live and a time to die. That is the way of nature. If you think about it, prolonged suffering is rare in nature. Our meat industry profits from the prolonged suffering of animals, people and the Earth, but that is not the only way. When a cow lives the life a cow ought to live, when its life and death are consistent with a beautiful world, then for me there is no ethical dilemma in killing that cow for food. Of course there is pain and fear when the cow is taken to the slaughter (and when the robin pulls up the worm, and when the wolves down the caribou, and when the hand uproots the weed), and that makes me sad. There is much to be sad about in life, but underneath the sadness is a joy that is dependent not on avoiding pain and maximizing pleasure, but on living rightly and well.

It would indeed be hypocritical of me to apply this to a cow and not to myself. To live with integrity as a killer of animals and plants, it is necessary for me in my own life to live rightly and well, even and especially when such decisions seem to jeopardize my comfort, security, and rational self-interest, even if, someday, to live rightly is to risk death. Not just for animals, but for me too, there is a time to live and a time to die. I'm saying: What is good enough for any living creature is good enough for me. Eating meat need not be an act of arrogant species-ism, but consistent with a humble submission to the tides of life and death.

If this sounds radical or unattainable, consider that all those calculations of what is "in my interest" and what will benefit me and what I can "afford" grow tiresome. When we live rightly, decision by decision, the heart sings even when the rational mind disagrees and the ego protests. Besides, human wisdom is limited. Despite our machinations, we are ultimately unsuccessful at avoiding pain, loss and death. For animals, plants, and humans alike, there is more to life than not dying.

-Charles Eisenstein

Calvin & Hobbes

2009-06-01T14:17:00.004+03:00

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO READ THE STRIP

One new comic strip everyday

Those wonderful days that were......

2009-06-01T09:33:00.004+03:00

Just few days back we had an auditioning session for a small play that we plan to stage on 15th August, here in Tampere. I was one of the judges in this audition. Its really amazing and funny for me. Amazing because we got what we had not expected and funny because this was the first time I was judging!! ;) But anyway the purpose of this post is not to write my jolly time with the budding actors in Tampere, but with this audition session I went back in time. I went back to my school days. I still remember it was 9th standard, when I realized for the first time that I can try my hand in acting. We had a selection (in school the word audition was verrrrrrrrrry big so teachers used the word selection) for inter house (well the whole school was divided in blue, green, red & yellow house) drama competition. My friends thought because of my wonderful quality of talking continuously for hours together, I should try this also!! Well, I didnt care much coz I was knowing that it wont matter much as our school's regular best actor was in some other house so our house wont win anything. In fact the regular best actor was my very good friend (if he reads this post he would know that I am talking abt him), so I was actually prepared to cheer for him.

I was selected in the play, well that was obvious because no one else was there for selection so all the 4 to 5 people who came for selection were selected. :) If you remember I told you about my wonderful quality to talk, well it seems even my teacher knew that. So I was offered one of the lead roles out of 2. If I remember correctly I was supposed to act as a Lawyer (well obviously!!) and me n my friend (the other lead actor of the play) were supposed to be in conversation for a long time on the stage. So that was toooooo much exposure for a debutant!! ;) But anyway, we did practice and perform as good as we could. But, as I told you before the regular best actor's play was well received by the audience and people thought we were blabbering something on the stage. Hence, we were at 3rd position and no prizes for guessing which play was first. But but but but, there is also an individual prize for best actor and best supporting actor. Well, once the first prize for the play was announced we were so disheartened (After all first play common!!) that we didnt even care to listen through the rest of the ceremony!!

The judge anounced me as the BEST ACTOR!!! I was in total shock and the audience was howling, shouting (obviously not BECAUSE I won it, but BECAUSE the regular best actor didnt!!) I went up on the stage to shake hands with the judges and they appreciated my stage presence, my timing etc etc (Well I put etc etc coz at that time I didnt even listen what they said!!). I was on the 7th 8th 9th sky!! I decided that I will become a professional actor and become like Shahrukh Khan (Well I am a Masters Student in Finland by the way!!). Then it was till my 11th standard continuously 3 times I won the BEST ACTOR award. Now I was the regular Best Actor of the school!! Those were really wonderful moments that I would always remember. I had one very close friend who would always tell me before my performance, "MAN YOUR PLAY WOULD GET A 4TH PRIZE, BUT YOU WILL COME BACK WITH A BEST ACTOR AWARD!!" and although outside I used to frown at him coz he insulted my play but from inside I used to be like WOW!!

My journey as an actor continued in my college where I performed in the Inter College festivals and Zonal competitions as well. Now, here I am in Finland back to acting and ready for another wonderful journey of rehearsels, stage fear etc etc... I just love it!!

- Karan

We are the Champions!!

2009-05-18T12:40:00.008+03:00

Here, it is!! Finally, I decided to talk about the one team whom I support with my full heart, mind & soul. The greatest football team on the surface of this Earth, Manchester United!!

It all started in 2006 when I started following them without missing a single match since then!! Now, its 2009 when the champions have proved that we are not mad for a wrong team!! Just a couple of days back Man utd added another silver ware to the illustrious trophy cabinet! I have jumped, danced, broken my specs because of jumping out of happiness and cried because of their victories and loses!! I have literally lived every second of those 90 minutes with my favourite bunch of players. Being a fan I couldnt have asked for more. 18th English title equalling the great club Liverpool, Club World Cup, Carling Cup (League Cup) and the Red Devils are on their way of becoming the first club ever to defend successfully their Champions league trophy ever since it became UEFA Champions League!! Come 27th May, whether they win or lose, "WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS".

They say it is really very difficult to manage clubs and win everytime!! But here we have a manager who has won it all and still wants to continue winning as he is still hungry after 11 wins under his belt. Sir Alex Ferguson, the man who has a vision which many lack and for Manchester United, shoes which are impossible to fill in once the great one retires.

But I dont want to sadden my self by thinking about that day. For me, right now I am enjoying the best football played by any team. A season which began by opposition supporters tagging Man Utd lucky because for them it was Christiano Ronaldo's heroics that won United a double last season. But now if those "smart" supporters have a look at the team profile, name one player who did for Red Devils this season??? Well, I know its difficult because you will have to list down 20 to 25 players!!! Which team has this depth???? Which manager can tell that on a given day I could field 2 teams which could win the match??? None but The Great One!!

It all began after the Club World Cup victory. Man Utd were lagging a bit just b4 their Japan trip. But something really bit them in Japan that they came back and stung all the teams in England and Europe. A clean sheet record for more than 1200 minutes and 11 games Manchester United defence proved that they are a wall which is impossible to break in.

Theatre of Dreams, is what they call Old Trafford to be. The reason for this is, Old Trafford is the place where dreams come true. In case you have a doubt go and ask Berbatov or Macheda. Berbatov was a player who won his first Premier League Medal with Red Devils and the kid Kiko Macheda did not qualify for a Medal but has won the hearts of millions and millions of the fans by his wonderful goals.

Finally, I write about the player whom I love more than anyone else!!

Christiano Ronaldo

I have cried with his dream free kicks, I have abused him for diving at times, I have abused the refrees for not giving decisions in his favour, I have also prayed to god when he takes his trademark posture to hit a free kick. Ronaldo is one player whom I will support wherever he is in his career!! People tell that he is selfish and arrogant. I say that he is a youngster who is at the prime of his career then why shouldnt he choose what he wants?? Ronny, I know that you are a Red Devil by heart and come what may this fan of yours will always shout, "Viva Ronaldo, Viva Ronaldo" when you take your trademark posture to put in yet another dream free kick!!

Red Devils, you are really a Fan's team!! You have never let your fans down. Cheers to the spirit and Cheers to all the staff and support of the Team!

- A Lifetime Red Devil (Karan)

Something that You & Me could do.....

2009-05-06T16:58:00.004+03:00

If you feel that you could do it.. then visit http://teachforindia.org/

India has enough to make sure that the Future is Bright!!

What is that enough?? Its You and Me.. Lets do it..

- Karan

Hamari Sanskriti, Hamara culture ??????

2009-04-24T14:41:00.009+03:00

After reading a blog through Times of India I started thinking about "our INDIAN culture" & "our values". Arent we Indians these days using these catchphrases too often in the recent times??? What could be the reason for this shielding phrases?? Are we trying to hide something that is not so holy by using these kind of phrases?

Well to go into the depth of the matter, lets take our great "RAM SENE" and their wonderful ideology. It seems Sene is shouting at the top of its voice and telling us to go back in time to 1950's and 1960's because somehow we have lost "OUR INDIAN VALUES" and have become western!!!! Who are these "RAM SENE" people? They are a bunch of narrow minded, 'Ajeeb log' who wear Pant & Shirt and use Cellphones for communicating with their group workers, beat up girls and prove their masculinity to whom I dont know!!!! I really dont know who told these kind of hypocrites that Indian Culture is to live in the last century??? Some people say that it is because of democracy that "inke par nikal aaye hai"!! Well I totally disagree to these bunch of so called sensible people as well. Blaming democracy for all the wrong happenings is like being in a mode of denial! We sometimes think that "Indian Culture" is like pickles that can be stored and preserved in tight bottles with preservatives like Ram Sene in it.

We are very much aware of the movie by Madhur Bhandarkar, Page 3. All that happened in the movie, all the realtionships are somehow called ajeeb rishte. Is it actually correct? Well yes and no. Yes that most of the happenings on Page 3 are "Ajeeb" but the news that we see as headlines on the front page is also quite Ajeeb as far as the so called "Indian Culture" is concerned. A 45 yr old father raped his 4 yr daughter, One tantric trying to woo people by his tactics... All this cannot be influence of the west, can it be??? But whom to blame?? These fathers and tantrics might not be pubbing or doing stuff that many think is influence from the west and is not "Indian", but whatever they are doing, is it right and "Indian" ?

When I think about the "Traditional Indian values", I think from where does this "tradition" come from? If you think about our epics, The Mahabharata and The Ramayana could they be 2 of the most important sources reflecting our traditions?? Let me breif you up with The Mahabharata.TheMahabharata’s fundamental premise is about brothers killing brothers, about putting what is truly right above what the tag of a relationship is. On the other hand, Draupadi is “shared” between almost half a dozen brothers and it is her brother in law who attempts to strip her in public – after her husband(s) gamble her away, no less! Karna, a character who had more – well, I’ll just say guts – than most characters in the epic, is “illegitimate”, so he needs to be generally disowned for the family’s good name, and can only tell his mother that she would have five sons standing at the end of the day, anyways. He is the outcast. What role the “legitimate” Nakul and Sahdeva had in the whole tale still mystifies me, but they were allowed to hang around everywhere since they were above board, I guess. What genuine family bonding! My intention was not to point fingers at such a great epic, but I want to point out to those narrow minded bunch of people, that Tradition and Values tell you to do things in the right way. Brothers faught brothers because the second set of brothers were wrong in their doings. Is that wrong? Draupadi is shared by half a dozen brothers because of a promise by Yudhisthira and she simply supports her husband as she is his better half! Is that wrong? Karna was illegitimate but was truthful to his heart and a true warrior. All this might not sound wrong but just in the literal sense it sounds absurd!

The Ramayana is not very family-friendly either, is it? The entire backdrop for the exile came from within the extended ruling family of Ayodhya. And while Bharat (and Shatrughan, who, like Nakul and Sahdev, seems to be talked about primarily for being related to those who mattered) thought that he should worship his brother’s footwear, Ram himself was not particularly fastidious when it came to equations between other pairs of brothers – Bali had to be killed by Ram for Sugriva to get his crown, and when it came to Lanka, the popular saying Ghar ka bhedi Lanka dhaaye serves to give Vibhishana a permanent recall value, even if by means of a quite a left handed compliment. At the end of it all, what was the entire Lanka episode about, if a washerman’s perspective – not his own – was enough for Ram, the King, to ask Sita to now bring certifiable qualities? All it proves is that our obsessiveness with people thinking socially well of us, no matter what we may individually stand for, goes back a long, long way.

I think we handle our ‘social’ values somewhat in the same way we handle the power hierarchy. In visual terms, I sometimes find the red beacon on the vehicle and the redbindi on the forehead to be statements in a fairly similar tone – symbolising (a) respectability and legitimacy and (b) ‘keep off’ status!

We are, after all, obsessed with ‘status’ messages, socially and personally, and the ‘tag’ of a legitimate relationship is so socially aspirational, the way the safe government job is in the cow belt interior – even more so in recession time! Kitne Ajeeb…

This article was based on one of the articles I read and some of my views... But sometime I really feel that its not the Traditions and Values that should be a concern for us.... There is something more important than them!! What do u think???

- Karan.

Who are u???

2009-04-20T22:07:00.006+03:00

AN AMERICAN VISITED INDIA AND WENT BACK TO AMERICA

WHERE HE MET HIS INDIAN FRIEND WHO ASKED HIM

HOW DID U FIND MY COUNTRY

THE AMERICAN SAID IT IS A GREAT COUNTRY

WITH SOLID ANCIENT HISTORY

AND IMMENSELY RICH WITH NATURAL RESOURCES.

THE INDIAN FRIEND THEN ASKED ….

HOW DID U FIND INDIANS …….??

INDIANS??

WHO INDIANS??

I DIDNT FIND OR MEET A SINGLE INDIAN

THERE IN INDIA …….

WHAT NONSENSE??

WHO ELSE COULD U MEET IN INDIA THEN……??

THE AMERICAN SAID ……...

IN KASHMIR I MET A KASHMIRI–

IN PUNJAB A PUNJABI—–

IN BIHAR,MAHARASTRA, RAJASTHAN, BENGAL,TAMILNADU,KERALA

BIHARI,MARATHI, MARWADI, BENGALI,TAMILIAN, MALAYALI………

THEN I MET

A MUSLIM,

A HINDU

A CHRISTIAN,

A JAIN,

A BUDDHIST

AND MANY MANY MANY MORE

BUT NOT A SINGLE INDIAN DID I MEET

…………………………………………………………...

THINK HOW SERIOUS THIS JOKE IS……………..

ALWAYS SAY I AM AN INDIAN IF YOU ARE FROM INDIA!!

Democracy...What is it???

2009-04-16T09:18:00.006+03:00

And so it is here. Today marks the beginning of another extensive electoral exercise in our country. Millions will turn out to elect our next set of representatives in Parliament, and in a few weeks' time we'll know which dispensation will soon be running the affairs of this country. Elections in India are a supersized affair, often compared to a giant travelling circus, full of colour and thrills. It is all that, and more. It showcases the democratic principle that holds up the system of governance we chose for ourselves at the time of our independence. Sure, there are many critics at home and overseas who never tire of holding forth on how India's democracy is a sham. At best, they argue, it is just an electoral democracy.

Democracies everywhere are flawed in some measure and India's is no different. There is much more to do, so many wrongs to set right, and we must not be lulled into complacency. But to put things in perspective, India's democracy is just a touch over 60 years old. Unlike in the developed world where democracy has been in vogue for much longer. Add to that the fact that no political entity in this world has such a diverse ethnic, linguistic and religious profile. Managing the contesting claims and ideas of a billion-plus constituents is bound to be chaotic, often disappointing and, at times, violent.

America comes close in terms of size, but the diversity of identity and interests that is part of its narrative is not as complex as that of India. Smaller, multi-ethnic, developing democracies have often split up. And then there are cases like Pakistan. A homogeneous idea of nationhood on which that state was ostensibly conceived in 1947 has not taken our neighbour very far.

For all its problems, our democracy still works. We have a free press, an independent judiciary and a military that takes its orders from a civilian government. And people here have booted out governments they did not think measured up time and again. And over the past few years, regional outfits have influenced politics in New Delhi more. This took some time coming but is a reflection of reality: India is more than just the Hindi heartland. Instead of constantly running India down, critics especially the home-grown variety could perhaps be more constructive and offer workable solutions to the problems that need redress.

That said, the onus on making this system work better for more of us lies, in the last instance, on us, the electorate. And this process begins with some understanding of exactly what we should expect from our various officials and elected representatives, a comprehension that goes beyond civic textbook primers. Very often, we look for the right answers in the wrong places. For instance, why do we expect our local MP to fix the roads or order a new tubewell? That is not the job profile of MPs.

Our members of Parliament should be debating and formulating policy on health, education, foreign affairs, and defence for instance. They are not really the executors of civic projects. There is a whole tier of officials and representatives starting with municipal councillors and panchayat officials tasked with that job and they are the ones we must hold accountable. However, there are any number of opinion surveys that speak of voters even the urban, educated, and aware voter wishing for MPs who would fix their bijli-paani problems. Understandably, the first pothole we encounter or frequent power cuts are our first interface with governance. But surely a national election is about more than just this?

What we need to ask of our parliamentary candidates is where they stand on issues of national importance, not present them with a list of petty grievances. We need to put in place a larger blueprint for governance, which focuses on bringing about long-overdue changes in our federal system for instance, empowering our city government more.

Where are those debates about foreign policy or the direction our economic reform process must take? Why aren't we talking that much about health and education? These are areas that need sustained attention if we are to realise our collective potential and great power aspirations. We, at least in the metros, get all hot and bothered about the health minister's zealous anti-smoking drive. Do we ask him about his record on tasks entrusted to him by his office? Robust debates which include all points of view, including those that we are against help fine-tune the national policy agenda, which only helps improve the quality of governance.

US president Barack Obama is the flavour of the season and there are any number of people here who ask when we will get our own Obama. The question to ask is this: Do we put our prime ministerial candidates through the grill over their vision for this country? Do we assess their record or do we instinctively vote on the basis of our immediate concerns or kinship affiliations instead? It is pointless to complain that politicians today are indulging in the worst form of personality battles and offer little by way of substance if we continue to lap up what they dish out. We must hold them accountable and demand more. That power lies in your vote.

This was an article from The Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Opinion/Editorial/TOP-ARTICLE--Its-Showtime-Folks/articleshow/4406321.cms

After reading this I have started thinking that DO WE REALLY KNOW HOW MUCH POWER WE HAVE TO PUT CERTAIN PEOPLE IN POWER ?????

I would still request everyone in India please go and Vote!!!

Believe me or not.. One vote can change everything!!!

Democracy of India is the ultimate saviour for all!!! So believe in it and support it!!

- Karan

Independent Candidates in Elections!!!

2009-04-09T13:37:00.003+03:00

It is really strange of me to put election posts in abundance but I think somehow I am transforming into one individual who thinks that India is a country where "WE" need to speak as Individuals also...

Here is one article by Shobhaa De for The Times of India, where she talks about one Independent Candidate from South Mumbai for the Elections. The lady is Meera Sanyal...Lets see what Shobhaa has to say about it..

To that tantalising question — "Who's afraid of Meera Sanyal?" — there is only one answer: nobody. As of now, Meera Sanyal is an unknown entity. She does not belong to any political party or camp. She has not roped in a Bollywood star to campaign for her. She is not the daughter or daughter-in-law of a powerful family. She does not possess crores and crores of ill-gotten wealth. There is no godfather or godmother lurking in the shadows to back her. And the biggest strike against her candidacy? She cannot boast of a criminal record. She has never been booked for murder or the possession of guns. So, who the hell is she? And why has she decided to contest the elections, that too from a high profile constituency (South Mumbai)?

Meera Sanyal is like you and me. An educated professional with a conscience. Someone who wants to put her hard-earned money where her mouth is. Someone who is willing to go beyond drawing room, arm-chair politics and say, "This is who i am. This is what i stand for. As a citizen of India, i am entitled to exercise my fundamental right to contest the elections — and hello! I am doing just that... regardless of the outcome." Brave woman. Why brave? Meera is aware it's a vicious jungle out there... and here she is, a prim and propah Malabar Hill memsaab, willing to get her hands dirty in a no-holds-barred contest where her rivals have more money, more clout, more everything. Except the one thing that counts or ought to — the right motive.

Why would someone as successful as Meera (she's a well-regarded banker) want to chuck up a super career and jump into the political cesspool? And what chance does she have of winning? The answer to the first question comes from Meera herself, who says it was the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai that triggered something in her. Something compelling enough to arrive at this important decision. It has become a cliche to say, 'Become the change you want to see..' but in Meera's case, it seems to be the only reason she has taken the plunge. Has she thought it through? Does she know what she has put her foot into? Let us give some credit to this intelligent person. And let us acknowledge the obvious fact that Meera is now in the system for better or worse.

As an independent candidate, she may not have the same advantages as her mighty rivals. But as a banker, i'm sure she knows how to hedge her bets. It is not about winning. It is about making a point. 'People Like Us' are very comfortable with a Meera. She speaks English with the right accent, quotes Toffler, wears pearls and likes her tofu. 'We' are comfortable with Meera. Our drawing rooms are always open to people like her. But the harsh reality suggests 'we' no longer count. Nobody really gives a damn for 'us'. Which makes Meera's decision all the more praiseworthy. Her supporters (steadily growing), point out that unless 'People Like Us' get into politics, India is doomed. It is one way of consoling ourselves, knowing full well the mood of the nation has changed.

Meera is earnestly talking about public transport and security issues, in a city that is taken over by vested interests and distant bhais who call the shots. Meera will have to wade into South Mumbai's filthy shanty towns and convince those vote-for-note fellows that she's their woman. Of course, she'll have to lose those pearls first. And switch to earthy, homespun salwar kameezes before that. But how on earth will she communicate her objectives to a constituency that has been spoilt and nurtured over decades by politicos with pockets as deep as the ocean?

Meera wants to be taken seriously. She deserves to be taken seriously. Meera is an important symbol. And an agent of change. The change we keep talking about. We should not hold her independent status against her. Remember V K Krishna Menon had stood as an independent, too. If more Meeras decide to get involved in the political process, their voices will be heard. Eventually. Her entry heralds a small but significant beginning. Will Meera be casting pearls before swine? Maybe. But the effort is worth it.

- Shobaa De (for The Times of India)

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Columnists/Shobhaa-De-Meera-a-fresh-change/articleshow/4360420.cms

Elections & Your vote!!!

2009-04-08T11:06:00.010+03:00

This is an extract from Mr Aamir Khan's Blog on Times of India Webpage.. Please read it and if you are in India then please go and vote the right person or at least the person about whom you know..

On April 6, I leave for a long vacation to North America with my son Junaid and my daughter Ira.

We're planning to do some serious skiing in Montana.

But, I'm also going to be air-dashing back to Mumbai for a day on April 30 to cast my vote.

I personally believe that it is very important for each of us to cast our vote; and I feel really bad that there a lot of people out there who don't give voting the kind of importance it deserves. If we don't make an informed choice, we only have ourselves to blame.

In earlier years, I didn't spend much time thinking about the election process. I went and cast my vote for Sunil Dutt saab; who was the Congress representative from my constituency in Pali Hill, Bandra.

However this election, a big change has happened.

Besides the Times of India's Lead India campaign, that I am proud to be part of; I'm also equally charged about working with this NGO called ADR (Association for Democratic Reforms) that is a non-political, non-partisan and a non-Governmental organization whose main goal is to strengthen the democracy and governance in India by focusing on fair and transparent electoral processes.

ADR has on their board a group of professors from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad and the National Institute of Design and some IIm alumni. I met these socially conscious group when I was shooting for my film Three Idiots in Bangalore. In a nutshell, when I learnt of the work that they were doing, I decided to come on board.

ADR and its partners have conducted election watch activities in more than 25 States; they're primarily responsible for collecting information from the election commission on all the candidates who are contesting elections (for e.g. his educational qualifications; his wealth, his criminal record (if there is any), so the voting public knows exactly who they are choosing as their leader.

As I said earlier, many people in India don't even bother to go out and cast their vote. This has to change; not only should India be known the world over as the biggest democracy, we should also aim at India being referred to as the best democracy.''

My company Aamir Khan Productions along with my friends Prasoon Joshi and Rakeysh Mehra have made three public service films that can be seen on television, internet sites, newspapers across the country. The messages in these three films are the same-please think before you cast

your vote.

I came on board this whole mission because I feel for the cause. At the end of it all, who you vote for is your prerogative; ADR or I are not telling you who to choose; but yes, we'd definitely like you to make an informed choice. And we are providing the information to you very easily. You have a choice of going on the website--

http://www.nationalelectionwatch.org/

you can call (1-800-110-440); the helpline will be available from Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm or through a sms to MYNETA (space)(Pincode) to 56070; and you can get a detailed sms on all that you need to know about each candidate to help you make the right choice.

Just one more thing-since elections are being held in the country in four phases, even the information will be available in a phased manner. Just, a week to 10 days before you cast your vote, you can get the complete details on candidates from your constituency.

I have one thing to add before I fly off for my holiday-in these elections "please make your vote count."

- Aamir Khan

India you have to vote because its not only your right but its also your duty!! Vote for India, vote for yourself

Little Zizou

2009-04-07T13:33:00.002+03:00

This is a story of really sweet people. The Parsis. Parsis in India are regarded as very humble, down-to-earth and ever smiling people. "Deekra", "Java de ni"....are common sweet things that you hear from them. Mira Nair and Sooni Taraporevala have together created a very very simple story and presented it in a rather simpler manner. Xerxses Khodaiji a.k.a Little Zizou was a die hard fan of the soccer player Zinedine Zidane. He was a motherless kid who thought that his mother was an angel and would make sure that he meets his dream sportsperson. His brother Artaxerxses a.k.a Art was a typical teen who wanted to be cool in front of the girl he loved but never dared to speak to her or ask her out.

Basically the story is about 2 families in the Parsi community who basically are not in good terms with each other. Mr Cyrus II Khodaiji was one religious fanatic and he considered himself as the protector of the Parsi Religion. Mr Boman Pressvala (Boman Irani) didnt believe all this and was always against Khodaiji and regularly made fun of him in his news paper. This story revolves around this comical and sweet animosity between these two people.

In the end Boman wins against Khodaiji and Cyrus II Khodaiji leaves the country forever. The essence of the film is its simplicity. It also shows how the parsi people did what they said when they came to India. When they came to India the King during that time told them that they would never blend in our culture and would be like stone in water. But the Parsis told that they would blend in Indian culture like sugar in water. And how correct they were.

There are some small things that everyone knows but no one cares about them like for example telling your kid that how much you love him or telling your wife that you are the best person on this Earth! These small things are portrayed very well in this movie.

I would say its a must watch!!!!!

-Karan

Things to do in 2009!! :)

2009-04-04T14:12:00.004+03:00

Few tips for successful leadership life for 2009 :

1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Eat breakfast like a king , lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy , Enthusiasm , and Empathy.

5. Make time to practice meditation , yoga , and prayer.

6. Play more games.

7. Read more books than you did in 2008.

8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

9. Sleep for 7 hours.

10. Take a 10-30 minutes' walk every day. And while you walk , smile.

Personality:

11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control.

Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13. Don't overdo. Keep your limits.

14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

16. Dream more while you are awake.

17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.

Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23. Smile and laugh more.

24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:

25. Call your family often.

26. Each day give something good to others.

27. Forgive everyone for everything.

28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.

29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

30.. What other people think of you is none of your business.

31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

32. Do the right thing!

33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful , beautiful or joyful.

34. GOD heals everything.

35. However good or bad a situation is , it will change.

36. No matter how you feel , get up , dress up and show up.

37. The best is yet to come.

38. When you awake alive in the morning , thank GOD for it.

39. Your Inner most is always happy. So , be happy.

This list was sent to me by my Dad!!

Thanks dad and I hope I try to do things that are listed in this list.

People reading this list I would recommend you to try these things.. :)

- Karan

2nd April 2009

2009-04-02T22:55:00.003+03:00

There it is..I have stepped into the silver jubilee year of my Life as of 17:00 hours today! Happy bday to me! I just thought that I should note down somewhere that how I spent my 24th birthday!! What better than my blog?? Before the day began I was already wished by my dear ones!!! Well thanks to the time difference between Finland-Saudi Arabia-India-Philippines. It all started around 15 days ago. I had a horrible time with Makemytrip people regarding my ticket to India (PS. People, never buy tickets from makemytrip!!!!). After coming home with a headache and a pissed off mood, I get 2 not one but 2 birthday cards coming from Baroda :) It was my mom who was scared that our Indian post would not deliver it on time and etc etc so she had sent it so sooon!! But it was so sweet of her to send me both the cards she liked. One of them told me how much she cares for me and how much I mean to her and the other one said what the date 2nd April reminds her off and why 2nd April is so special for her. It was the most touching moment of my life. I simply forgot all my worries and my mood was totally chill!!!! Thanks Ma for those wonderful cards. Then it was yesterday when Krithi had wished me with a wonderful Smilebox Card. I never knew something like smilebox but believe me people its pretty unique and coooool. I simply loved the card. Thank you Krithi for a wonderful creation. The words that you wrote in the card extremely precious for me. Its really sad that you are not here on my birthday but somehow with your card and all the photos in it I felt you are right next to me! My Dad wanted to be wise as well. He thought it would be good that I receive my card one day sooner than a day late. Because unfortunately 123greetings doesnt ask what country you are planning to send the ecard to, so they send it according to US time which means I would get my card on 2nd April afternoon. But Dad, who is not only the coolest dad but also the smartest one told them to send it on 1st. Well the words in the card were priceless. It said how proud he was with me and my achievements. I just hope I always be worthy of getting such cards from him always. Thankyou Dad for your faith in me. People say its difficult to understand girls but I really believe it. I have a friend, Vrushali, she till now has wished me record number of times. I have already got 6 ecards and several orkut scraps from her for my bday :) Thankyou is something small but still I would like to thankyou for all your wishes for me Vrushali. At sharp 12:00 Midnight IST my mom called and wished me and gave me all the blessings. She normally likes to call early in the morning but this time she thought of giving dad some competition and wishing me b4 he does. But actually dad had called at around 9:30 at night and wished me a bit soon. :) For me both won because I just loved their wishes for me. I was not surprised but I was really and extremely touched by the traditional Ice-Cream party that my dearest and closest friends gave to me at midnight. I was not surprised because in our group of 4 best friends (Me, Narayan, Sarang and Deepa) its a tradition to celebrate bday's with bday Ice-Cream! But I was touched because Narayan was no longer our room mate (He is married to one wonderful person and is living somewhere far in a Family apartment) and believe me people I wasnt expecting him to come. Because to come here he has to change buses and to go back after midnight in Finland, is a headache. But sharp 12 o clock the door bell rings I go out to open the door and I see that Sarang is already there to open it and I see Narayan with Deepa and our traditional Chocolate Ice Cream. So we performed the ceremony of cutting the bday Ice Cream and celebrated my bday. Next day Narayan told me that he reached home at 4:15 in the morning (he had left our place at 12:30)!!!! He couldnt get the bus and so he was stuck at city centre for hours. I felt aweful!!!! But then thats what friends are! I am proud to have these 3 coooolest people as my friends. I would never want to be away from them. Guys you all simply rock. I love all 3 of you a lot. :) Then at around 1:00 A.M. I decided to sleep and I got up at 7:00 in the morning. After some 30 min or so Dad called up to wish me again :) And then that was followed by a call from mom to wish me good morning and Happy Birth"DAY". I was chatting with Krithi on yahoo and we had a wonderful talk as she continued to wish me. :) It is such a great feeling to get wishes from your dear ones before you actually begin your day! I got ready had breakfast and I was off to work (Its sad but what to do? Have to work and study to deserve those cool ecards from DAD :) ). We three, me deepa and sarang decided to go to the Chinese restaurant for lunch. It was awesome and stomach filling. Guys if anyone comes here to tampere I would surely take you there. After that a regular day at work. In the afternoon I went on Orkut and I was sooooooooooo happy to see my friends scrapping me Happy bday. I took all the time to reply them thank you's. I simply love it. People wishing me and me telling them thank you. I felt so important. I had calls from my verrrrrrrrrry good friends in India, Rahul, Subha and Viveka. I really miss them tooooo. Thank you guys for taking time and calling me :). Then I had family people calling me and wishing me. It was simply fantastic. I felt as if in a whole year of 365 days this one day everyone remembers me. It was the best feeling ever. Finally as icing on cake, Pasquale, My Italian flatmate called me when I was in office and wished me toooo. Well he knew it from Facebook :) And he also invited me for a wonderful Authentic Italian Pasta party. It was mouth watering and yummy pasta. Thank you all Italian Friends of mine for such a treat. Now that I am writing this blog I am thinking, WOW thats why there is only one birthday!! So that it is special and it stays with you for the rest of the 364 days so that again on the 365th day you get to be SPECIAL!! I love all the people around me. Thank you all of you for wishing me and remembering me on this special day of my life.

Once again Happy Birthday to me!!!

Love You All!!!

Karan.

The Magic of the music God, A R Rahman!

2009-03-16T23:37:00.006+02:00

The Magic of Sonu Nigam and A R Rahman!!

Magical!!!

F.R.I.E.N.D.S Final Episode

2009-03-16T14:25:00.003+02:00

The magic ended this way!!

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

2009-03-16T11:32:00.009+02:00

6 different people..10 long years...a wonderful lesson on friendship..

F.R.I.EN.D.S is how we all know them. In alphabetical order, Chandler Bing, Joey Tribbiani, Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Rachel Green and Ross Geller, were the magical people who somehow not only entertained people but also told them how important friends are in ones life. At least for me, after seeing them bond and be emotionally attached to each other I realized how beautiful friendship can get.

To start with, Joey, he is my favourite person amongst all. Not that I like the others less but still Joey is the best!! He is a kind of guy who has that innocence of a child but is naughty like a teenager and is always there for his friends like a sensible grown up. The reason why I am in love with Joey's character is because I always want to be like Joey. In my group of my close friends they consider me as a kid, well there are many reasons for it which I wont like to go in detail right now. But I like to be the kid of the group just like Joey and the reason is somehow people love you a bit more! :) Well getting back to Joey, I always thought that he was a lousy selector of his roles in acting profession. But whatever he selected somehow he did it with 100% passion.

It was an amazing journey of 6 people who lived together, laughed together, cried together and finally in the end after making people laugh for about 10 years left them with tears in their eyes. For people who have seen them regularly know what I mean. For the people who dont know them then I hope my this post helps them to know them better.

Today when I see the episodes for the 5th or 6th time, still I just feel I cant get enough of these cool people. Love of Rachel and Ross reminds me of my love who is a bit far from me. I wish I had the guts of Ross to tell her that, "Don't Go, I cant live without you!". That cool friendship of Joey and Chandler still makes me laugh even when I just think about them or talk about them with my friends over dinner. The ever annoying (in a sweet way) Monica. The sweetest person and the best singer and guitar player of all time, Phoebe. If it was so wonderful for me as an audience, man what a wonderful time they would have had.

"How you doin?"

"Smelly cat smelly cat"

"Could I be anymore late?"

"Hiiii" (in a dramatically sad tone)

"I am fine(d)"

"I love Ross, I dont love Ross"

For a series to be successful for 10 years you have to be damn creative! Creativity and spontaneity was the key factor. It was amazing to see Chandler crack wonderful jokes on all his friends. Life of Ross itself was a joke most of the times. Phoebe was another character who was awesome in spontaneous reactions. Joey was one guy, whenever he opened his mouth you feel like laughing out loud. Monica, the cleanliness and organized freak of the group was applausable. Rachel was one character who was not extremely funny but her timing was unique. The way Rachel handled her sisters and the way she used to love and hate Ross was simply magnificient.

I still cannot forget the episode where Chandler tells to Rachel that "when I dance I look like this" and then he dances and demonstrates how horrible dancer he is.

Love was a unique quality that was injected from time to time in this series. Ross and Rachel were the most famous love story of the whole series. But I personally loved the way Chandler and Monica fall in love and get married. Chandler is somewhat like me who was afraid of a serious relationship in the beginning but then he understands the importance of Monica in his life.

"I lived on the streets""My mother killed herself""My step father is in jail""I dont eat meat""Meet Princess Consuela Banana Hammock" These were some of the wonderful and hillarious dialogues of Phoebe Buffay. In the beginning it felt that Phoebe was kind of a character who was so silly that she would never be able to handle a realtionship. But the way Phoebe gets involved with Mike was simply awesome. I was really touched when Phoebe got married and it was snowing outside but she said that this is her marriage and she removed her coat and was out in her wedding dress in freaking cold weather.

When the last episode was nearing it was becoming really difficult to keep the flow of emotions in control. When I saw the last episode I couldnt keep my emotions in control and I did have tears in my eyes when these wonderful 6 people left and the door was closed behind them. It was like 6 people from life left me and went away. But the fun part of having all the 10 seasons as a collection is that you can again start from 1 st season and get into the ocean of madness and friendship all over again.

The one important thing that I learnt from these magical people was that in all your highs and lows if you have friends around you then it becomes easier.

Cheers to all my F.R.I.E.N.D.S!!

I love you all!!

A must read for all DESI's

2009-03-13T15:51:00.004+02:00

This article is from my friend, Narayan's, blog...

This article is not only informative but it is something we all Indians should know and understand about India and Indians..

Please follow the link..

http://welcome2mychalet.blogspot.com/2009/02/few-things-50-of-indians-should-and.html

Great job Narayan!!

Life Partner

2009-02-16T13:40:00.007+02:00

Is it possible to live through your life alone?

I cant even think of this situation as I am a very extrovert person. If you wanna punish me or make me suffer just put me alone, secluded from all. I will surely do whatever you want me to do to get back among people. But my philosophy for a partner is not just a person who gives me company so that my inner outgoing person is secured that someone is around!

I feel life without a partner is like food without spices or an Indian movie without a song. Sometimes when you think that yes she is the one who will be the spice of my life or song of my movie then it becomes difficult to see just your shadow when you are walking on a lone beach. For me my partner will be someone who will be walking with me hand in hand on all sorts of paths.

There are small things in this world that make you happy, there are even smaller things that make you sad. I want her to be around me in all these small moments of life. Its a two way traffic road you see! Even I want to be a soulmate, a partner for someone. Someone has said love cannot be bound by distances! Well I would like to tell that person step into my shoes mate and you will know the pain of distance! I am away from my parents, I am away from the love of my life, I only know the real pain in these distances.

People when they tell that you have just this one life why do you want to spend it with just one person and ruin it! To those people I would say that friends Love is something that enchants you, it is a feeling of life! For me even if I live with millions of different faces and personalities, it is that one face that replaces all of them! I see her everywhere. Eventhough she might be thousands of miles away for me its like she is next to me! Eventhough I said this which was contradicting to my previous words, I cant help it! Life partner makes you enchanted! That is something that you cant experience by being with many people.

For me the outright examples have been my parents. I have seen them love each other, I have seen them argue, I have seen them care for the one most important person in their life "Me". The thing is when I think about my parents I always think of them as one and not 2 different people! That is how I want to be with my partner. Life takes you up and it brings you back down also but in this roller coster the only person sitting right next to you and making sure that you dont fall off is your partner! My mom has being a wonderful partner for my dad and the other way round is perfectly correct as well!!

Sometimes when I cook something good, sometimes when Manchester united wins an important match (they always win by the way!), sometimes when the going is tough I always wished that i could straight away share my heart with someone! When she was around it was like heaven for me. I used to laugh, cry and do all silly stuff with a lot of love! I knew that my partner is there.

Distances, miles, kilometres all these words are very very difficult to swallow when you know how they taste like! When a kid is born it is his parents that are his life partners! Then when the kid becomes a man he wants to be in his parents shoes! People who have life partners and dont care for their presence are the unluckiest people in this world! Its like you have money but you have no reason to spend it!

It is not so difficult to value your partner and love him or her more than anyting in this world. When people get married they say she is my better half.. The phrase better half is something that has a very deep meaning in it! When you call someone your better half you make that person a part of your soul! I think that it is impossible that I would hurt my own soul!

This article or essay that I penned down today is from how I have seen individuals coming together and uniting! Value your soul mate life will value you a lot!

Finally, to my soul mate, I really miss you a lot but i cant quantify it! Hence I thought of writing it down in my own way. This is also for my parents who are my soul mates from past 23 yrs and will continue to be for the rest of my life!

-Karan

A special Valentine's poem!!

2009-02-11T17:29:00.004+02:00

Love at first sight

Love at first kiss

Love at first touch I wouldnt miss

I wish I could go way back when

To experience that love again

They tell it to lovers

They tell it to Husbands

But for your little girl, dad,

Her first love was always YOU, her dad,

For whom you were the first man she saw in this WORLD!!

The love, the warmth, all the cute baby talk,

Your standing with me, when I learned how to walk,

I cannot, I cannot, I can never,

Fall in love with someone so dynamic,

someone so caring and loving again!!

(Any daughter for her dad.....)

-Karan

ये दोस्ती

2009-02-02T09:24:00.011+02:00

A Poem for my Friends!!

जिंदगी के रास्ते बड़े टेढे मेढे होते है

इन रास्तो पर संभलकर चलने का होसला देती है ये दोस्ती....

अकेलापन, दुःख, निराशा जैसी भावनाओ को

हमेशा दूर रखती है ये दोस्ती....

जब अँधेरा घाना हो जाए

तोह दिया लेकर आती है ये दोस्ती....

मेरी हर खुशी और हर बेवकूफी पर

मेरे साथ मुस्कुराती है ये दोस्ती....

दोस्तों, आज में बैठकर सोचता हूँ

तुम्हारे बिना क्या माईना रखती मेरे लिए ये दोस्ती...

-Karan

Wonderful Suomi!!

2009-01-14T09:23:00.007+02:00

Snow, Snow Everywhere.. Its Magical!!

Summer of '07

NOW, THAT'S ATTIDUDE!!

GOLDEN SNOW

My Mother

2009-01-14T01:34:00.000+02:00

She nourished me for 9 months in her womb,

And kept me in her heart for life!

When I was in there I saw World through her eyes,

When I came out I saw my World in her eyes,

My smile made her smile,

My tears made her cry..

She always understood me,

even when words were new to me,

I was one of God's favourite,

So he gave me her,

In my fear and my worries,

Her open arms and love were always there...

When I look back what do I see?

Her life always revolved around me,

Today thousands of miles away,

When I pen these lines,I think,

Mom, have I ever thanked you anyway?

-Karan (To the best Mom in this world!!)

Something that I wanna tell Dad!!

2009-01-14T00:57:00.001+02:00

I find myself wondering...

Did I give you your due??

For all that you've done for me

Did I ever thank you?

For all of my childhood memories
For helping me deal with life's stresses
For helping me accept my defeats
And celebrate my successes?

Or for teaching me the value of hard work,
Good judgement, courage, and being true
The laughter, smiles, and quiet times we've shared
Did I ever thank you?

If I have forgotten, I'm thanking you now
You taught me right from wrong....
I hope you know how much you're loved and appreciated
I hope you, instinctively, knew it all along.

When the Cupid Struck!

2009-01-13T13:17:00.000+02:00

Finally the alarm started announcing,"She is here","She is here"

I got ready so fast as if I was late...

Early in the morning with cool breeze hitting my face,

There was the Railway Station one hour sooner after a race..

Waiting for the announcement like a kid waiting to meet Santa,

Finally the train 265 showed up..

My heart was running faster as the train slowed down,

October 5th it was and I was behaving like it was February 14th..

Wagon No. 5 it was from which the angel was going to step into my life,

The doors of heaven opened and their she was with a cute smile..

The angel, I saw her for the very first time and the heart said, "I love you",

But the stupid brain said,"Dude, its not possible"..

Love at first sight is what people call it, I call it destiny!

The cupid finally struck and I could hear violins everywhere!!

-Karan

Are we to blame as "CITIZENS" for "TERRORISM"?

2009-01-12T22:40:00.002+02:00

26th November 2008. I was in my room in Tampere, Finland basically doing nothing so important. I was just going through the list of movies that I should see soon. I also checked on the match schedule for the next match that Manchester United was going to play. I was supposed to leave for my "vacation" to Russia on 30th November. But, I wasnt planning anything about it as I am very lazy and was waiting for 29th to come to start planning!

It was around 7 pm or so here in Finland. I just checked Times of India webpage. There were reports flashing," Leopold Café under attack by 5 "terrorists" at 9:15p.m." Then there were reports of Nariman House being attacked and hostages kept on hold by the "terrorists". Then every 5 minutes there were new reports of new places being attacked. The Taj, Oberoi & Trident, CST, Cama Hospital, Taxi blew up in Vile Parle and so on.

I was out of my senses. First thing that I did was called up mom in Baroda and asked her if she was at home? Then I ran to room mates to tell them this. Sarang was still in the university and Narayan was in his room.

Then we started NDTV and CNN-IBN live news channel. Finally we understood the seriousness of the issue and were feeling so helpless! It was gonna be 8:00 p.m. here which is our dinner time here. Deepa came up and Sarang was also at home. We were cooking but our ears were glued to the computer in my room which was shouting the live updates given by the media people.

After the dinner we were back in our rooms glued to the news. Believe me this was the only thing we could do from here. I have never felt so helpless in my life. Some "terrorists" were just killing my country people and I was listening to how they are doing it? Army, NSG, NAVY, Police Force joined hands together and were working to tackle this situation. In the course of time we lost some great top officials, hawaldars and great policemen trying to save us from the "terrorists".

One day, Two days, Three days and finally our defence personnels made sure that India was safe for the moment. I had to leave for Russia on the 4th day (30th November). I also told Sarang that yaar main kaise chutti ke liye jau? I have no mood to go. He told me to go to Russia and see how the country operates? What the people do in order to keep things in order. So I decided to continue with my plan. I came back after 7 wonderful days of experience in a wonderful country, RUSSIA.

The day I returned back, Narayan and Sarang had arranged a meeting in order to raise funds for Policemen Families. I was in the bus so couldnt attend the meeting. But guess what?? None of the Indians came to that meeting except Narayan and Sarang. This incident clicked something in my heart, so we claim to be the intelligent of the lot, doing masters and earning in euros! But somehow we couldnt find time to attend? So like a normal Indian even I started the blame game here in Finland.

The other day, I was listening to NDTV's Big Fight. One person their asked or rather told how should we as common "citizens" help to fight against "terror"?

The answer given by panel was simple,"GO AND VOTE DURING THE ELECTIONS". The answer was simple but the meaning was very deep. I was thinking in my own heart,"Am I responsible for all that has happened to India in December 2008?". My heart then answered back and said yeah maybe! Because I have never taken up voting sincerely since the past 6 years that I was eligible to VOTE!

I consider myself as that educated individual who wants to create revolution in India! Common, whom am I kidding? If I always let the wrong people come into the government by not voting or being ignorant towards voting procedure how will India rise?

We some people who have read few books in their life just know how to talk! We never go and vote and then one morning during our breakfast we read the news and say,"yeh politicians kabhi kuch nahi karenge! Pata nahi log inhe vote kyun dete hai?"

Whoever reads this please lets unite and use one very important right that our CONSTITUTTION & DEMOCRACY gives, "THE RIGHT TO VOTE" and make a difference!

Every vote counts! Every vote is an individuals voice. Please speak up. India needs the intellectuals to speak!

-Karan