DESPERATION

Have you ever wanted to talk to someone close to your heart late at night, thinking it to be a matter of life and death? Or have you ever had the full desire to have just a bite from your favourtie ice-cream randomly at an awkward time? But, at the same time have you noticed how restless you get, if the person or ice-cream that you want so desperately isnt able to come to you? Yes,desperation is what it is, when your girlfriend's not answering your call, you are running out of balance and your phone is constantly beeping and reminding you that it needs charging. And then finally, when you realize that you have no other option but to live with the gruesome and irresistable feeling and have no choice but to wait and let the feeling pass, you come to a junction where you're struck by utter hopelessness and the only word that fits perfectly to describe your physical and mental state is reckless. However, a great poet once rightly said, "If winter is here, spring can't be far behind". Everything has positives to it, then be it theft or charity. So be it with desperation. Desperation is such an abstract that it helps us to overcome our fears, tells us our weaknesses and further gives us such an experience where we loose absolute control of our body. It shows us how impatient we are and how much can we attach ourselves to the things around us. Desperation is an essential ingredient to learning anything, or creating anything. If you are not desperate at some point, you are not interesting...

The Delhi We Know...

I literally felt like banging my head on my study table when i opened the chapter of Mughal empire and 'tried' to memorize the names of the Mughal rulers and their so called 'achievements'.

We often think while studying history, that "How am i concerned if some Ud-Din Tughlaq made some fort in memory of someone ?". But what we don't realize is that without the architectural contributions of these rulers, we wouldn't have known the Delhi the way it is today.

Most of us acknowledge what Sir Edward Lutyens architectural skills that he used to design Delhi- The beautiful 'jalas', the location of 'Rashtrapati Bhavan' on the footsteps of 'Raisina hill' and of course the breathtaking 'Cannaught Place', what we today know as 'CP'. However, if we notice Lutyens skills would have gone in vain had he not been assisted by the fascinating architectural heritage that Delhi possesses- thanks to our once upon a time kings and rulers. Today a visitor to Delhi might be lucky enough to get his first glimpse of the city's architectural design from the window of a plane or train. That is the amount and variety of heritage that Delhi possesses.

The one thing that is common in all the monuments of Delhi is their architectural excellence. Be it the 'Red Fort' built by Shah Jahan or the 'Qutub Minar', each and every monument has its own architectural beauty that leaves the viewer mesmerized. Today, most of the delhites are proud of their rich heritage, that in itself attracts a phenomenal amount of tourists to the city.

The Jama Masjid which is one of the largest mosques in India , Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb which is a replica of the Taj, India Gate - often called the 'Heart of Delhi', which takes away the breath of every person who sees it at dawn, The Akshardham Temple- A wonder creation or even the Purana Qila. For all these monuments, just mere words aren't enough to describe their beauty. They have to be seen and observed with great appreciation, if one has to get out the essence of their creation. The appeal of heritage cities are not just their magnificent sights, but the inner cities and their quiet neighborhoods, that further enhance the appeal of these monuments.

I would like to conclude by quoting Frank Wedekind's words-

" Monuments are for the living, not the dead... "

HINDUSTAN AND BOLLYWOOD- THE FILM SULTANATE...

For any self-respecting nation, patriotism is its heart beat.If it is there, not only is the nation's continued existence across centuries and millennia guaranteed, but it's progressive evolution is also ensured.For most Indians cinema is the enduring source of the image of their nation, which is bound by the Himalayas in the north, surrounded by three oceans and girdled by rivers like Ganga and Yamuna and captivated by mesmerizing natural beauty.Thus, few can contest Indian cinema's, particularly Hindi cinema's, unmatched contribution to strengthening the bonds of national integration.

When freedom dawned on 15th August 1947, ending 200 years of alien rule, indian cinema was there to celebrate. There was a mood of hope and joy, when the first prime minister of the country, Pandit Jawahar Lall Nehru delivered the breathtaking speech-"Tryst With Destiny". Bollywood captured this mood in films like Naya Daur (1957) and Hum Hindustani (1960). Anand Math (1952), Jaagriti (1954) and Leader (1964) focused on the freedom struggle and the sacrifices made by its martyrs.The 1957 film Naya Daur was one of the most exhilarating of them. The indian drama film starring Dilip Kumar,Vijayanthimala, Ajit and Jeevan is set in post-independence India where Industrialization is slowly creeping in. The focus is on Tangawallahs who earn their living transporting people from place to place on Tangas(horse - carts). Their livelihood is threatened when the son of a rich landlord (Jeevan) begins operating a bus service in the town,which he subsidizes heavily with the sole intention of first driving the Tangawallahs out of the down and then making profits.The film was one of the highest grossers of 1957 and also critically acclaimed.

Even after 63 years of independence the film industry has not shadowed away from its old fashioned tradition of making patriotic based films. In recent times movies like Lagaan which is undoubtedly one of the best movies of the 21st era, in which each and every frame of the movie inspired the soul of the viewers is a deadly combination of cricket and the rebellion against the British Empire. Other movies namely Chak De India (2007), Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002), Swades (2004) and Lakshya (2004) have also grossed big numbers.

We have also come across movies like Rang De Basanti (2006) which revolves around a young idealistic English filmmaker, Sue (Alice Patten), who arrives in India to make a film on Indian revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and their contemporaries and their fight for freedom from the British Raj owing to a lack of funds, she recruits students from Delhi University to act in her drama. These youngsters (Aamir Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Madhavan, Siddhart Narayana, Sharman Joshi And Atul Kulkarni) play a self centered and materialistic existence where ideas like patriotism are of no value for them. But as the movie goes on, their way of thinking got changed. Thus this movie arouses the feeling of patriotism in our younger generation. Directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra this was a movie that sparked a revolution and urged the young generation of the country against the Jessica Lall murder case.

We can thus say that patriotic films in the Indian cinema have over the years instilled a feeling of respect for the nation and have also helped the citizens come out and speak against the injustices practiced in society. They have played a vital yet unnoticed role in the transformation and evolution of India over the past 60 years...

'PEEPLI [LIVE]'-THE NEW FAD

Aamir Khan often called the Midas of bollywood re-entered the film arena earlier than any would have imagined and none would fail to agree that he came back in great style. Peepli Live a satire on the farmer's suicides and subsequent political and media response is produced by Aamir Khan and written and directed by Anusha Rizvi in her first directorial venture.

The film is revolved around a remarkable story but it ends with one line which endorses the director's vision and brings out one of the most unnoticed and overlooked phenomenon in the country - the migration of villagers to cities in search of a better life. The story is picked up by national TV channels and hurled into prime time news. What ensues is a battle between news channels to get the first piece of news. Live coverage of the issue rocks the political stage. It also describes the desperate gap between the countries rural and urban structure of life.

What makes 'Peepli [Live]' an absolute delight are the performances from the completely fresh cast. They bring life to rural India where they no longer remain in a frame of cinema, but transcend into reality. The movie like every Aamir khan movie is intellectual and is expected to bring about a revolution of some sorts and raise social awareness about the life of farmers in the country, like RDB and DCH did.

No gaping holes, this one stands clean. 'Peepli [Live]' is a class act and director Anusha Rizvi and producer Aamir Khan could take a bow for working this into reality...

AWARENESS AND THE MIND...

Most of us have been told-"Be aware. Increase your awareness. Awareness is such an important thing. If you are unaware, you will miss life. Only total awareness can bring you peace of mind and let you inner thoughts cherish. But we also often ask ourselves- What is awareness? And why is it important? Awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects or sensory patterns. Though awareness about our environment, thoughts of other people, the weather and external events is important. what is more crucial is self-awareness.

To be aware one needs to be conscious or mindful of all the things in life. The biggest deterrent to awareness is our own mind. We spend a large proportion of our lives inside our mind. Give yourself 5-10 minutes to observe where you are. You will soon realize that within a few seconds you have already gone from your present location into the deep recess of your mind, into memory, into thought, into emotions and into dramas that are being played in the theater of mind.

To become aware isn't easy. As we detach ourselves from our thoughts the number of thoughts that come to us are reduced. And when the thoughts are reduced at the production stage itself we have more time and space for the internal and external environment around us. Till such time, we are only living in our minds and following up on every small and big thought that hits up- arguing, imploring, exploring, rationalizing, agonizing, celebrating as time in the real life is just passing by and we are not connected to it.

I would like to conclude by quoting Sai Baba's words-

Do not be mislead by what you see around you, or be influenced by what you see. You live in a world which is a playground of illusion, full of false paths, false values and false ideals. But you are not a part of that world...

THE FIRST RAIN, THE LAST INSPIRATION

It was on a melancholic and lazy day that the blinding sun was covered by the lunar moon. I was sitting on the edge of my window sill clutching my phone tight waiting to hear it beep since the past half an hour. The color of the sky had instantly turned from light blue to grey but my uninspired emotions had changed quicker than i had imagined.

The fluffy clouds had started to cover the sky like a giant over powering the obstinate sun. It was going to be the first rain of the year, my greatest support and best critic over the years had come back once again just when i needed it. There was a slight clap of thunder and i had an adrenaline rush for the first time in a long time. I clutched my phone tighter and ran to grab my slippers. In no time the clap of thunder had changed into the clattering of raindrops on the road where i was now walking with the rain. I walked and walked, talking to every drop of rain, not realizing that the road did not end. A drop of rain fell on my eyelid; beneath which there were numerous dreams hiding shyly in their cocoon. Looking far at the everlasting horizon i imagined myself there. My heart instantly skipped a beat- the dreams had come out, the feelings were stronger, the promises had become faithful and the inspiration had made a giant leap.

My phone suddenly beeped twice, the first message read 'You are in' and the second 'I love You'... I replied to both of them by typing 2 words 'I Know' .

THE MAOIST PROBLEM- A REPORT

Naxals, naxalites or naxalvadis (name taken from the village of naxalbadi in west bengal the place where the movement started) are a group of far left radical communists, supportive of maoist political sentiments and ideology. Initially, the movement had startted in west bengal but has now spread into less developed rural areas of central and eastern india, such as orissa, chattisgarh, andhra pradesh and bihar.

The movement ideally involves indian peasants and lower class tribals overthrowing the government and upper class through the barrel of the gun. In very recent times, naxalites have massacred, assaulted and killed a huge number of people through devastating and widespread violence.

Even as the center works towards revamping its anti-maoist operation after the gruesome Dantewada massacre on the 6th of april in which 6 CRPF jawans were killed, hundreds of policemen from the state get ready to fight the terror with only a lathi for defense. Pitted against the maoists, who are armed with grenades , guns and rocket launchers, the policemen are proving to be sitting ducks waiting to be attacked. If the center and the home defense ministry keep working like this, all that the citizens can expect are more attacks in naxalite affected areas. We can describe it as a war between "sticks and mortars".

Its not that the center and state governments dont have the will to crush the insurgents. It simply is lack of vision and strategy.But again the question arises- What are the demands of the maoists ? What is it that they want ? Well. their strategies might be explosive, but their demands are simple.They demand- development of their people, social justice so that wealth can be equally distributed among the poor, social equality- tribals should not be looked down upon by people and should be given equal status in society and respect amongst the citizens.

Even though the government is trying to improve the living conditions of these tribals, there is a long way to go to make their lives worth living The government must try and improve health and education facilities and also provide good job opportunities to these people, to improve their incomes and make them afford better living conditions.

NEVER WITH ME...

Since the time that you've been gone

The worlds not pretty and all seems wrong
And I've been crying, crying over you
the days seem longer
Now that you're not here with me...

The roads seem empty
The parks more lonely
And i, I've been trying to forget
You'll never be there with me...

I walk down the dark street in the cold winter night
And try to remember how you had once been there with me
But now I'm trying to forget
You'll never be there with me...

I wake up in the middle of the night
And realize u aren't there with me
I try to think where u might be
But now I'm trying to forget you'll never be there with me...

You'll never be there with me
Never with me....