Rant & Reason

The memory was thick. They were walking down a thin, winding road having a conversation that he would never forget. The year was younger; so were their dispositions to life. You could actually have these conversations back then. Father and son moments can never be in any less demand. "So have you given the future a thought", he asked. "Ummm, not really," he replied.   "You plan to?", he asked. "Well, right now everything's a rush. I'll chart my path soon", he said, not looking up even close towards his dad. He didn't receive a happy response. Neither was it an unhappy one. It was one of those you-never-know-what-he-means ones. More a but-I'm-sure-he's-not-as-pleased-as-ever kinda look. But dads will always be dads. Between them and their children, one's shoulder shrug is another's short intense gaze. They are sometimes equal their own children in stubbornness.   Then came the deathly moment of pin drop silence, except ...

(Revisiting an unpublished post courtesy the recent Tannishtha Chatterjee story ) This post is inspired by a late Sunday night viewing of a TV show on the AIB Knockout Roast controversy. I once remarked to someone about it that it was not something you would watch with your mother, and I’ll support that statement by the end of this post. First things first—the right of expression. We are all entitled to it. There are views and there are counterviews. In a diverse society, everyone is bound not to like at least one other person’s broadcasted views. It’s but natural. So then, we tolerate. Because, even without a right that has been inserted through universalisation, if we want ours as much, they should have theirs as much. Then, Value. By this, I don’t mean the moralistic condemnation of someone else’s values (note the inflection to denote the singular of “Value” and the plural of “values”). Values indicates the sum total of singular, specific, objective or subjective principles t...

First off, this is not about the “sedition” issue. Law making only on assumed/perceived intent and never on action is not admirable modern 21st century trait. I’ll post my political dissent note after I address the main topic of this write up. This is about JNU because one of the details that surround it is that all/most of the protesting students were MA/PhD students in Social Sciences. It seems like their parents never told them that an MBA, Medicine or Engineering is the ticket to real money and career. After all, what good is studying sociology, society and politics with that focus unless you teach it? That too, at the fag end of your education when it’s supposed to define what you do with your life. Aren’t the ones who teach the same people who are absolutely hopeless at doing the same thing ( http://zenpencils.com/comic/124-taylor-mali-what-teachers-make/ )? Doesn’t studying to eventually teach create an unnecessary industry for these useless courses? They could also join an N...

There was a Certain Person  At a certain time  Who had an uncle, aunty, mom, dad  Or grandparent gone mad  Who’s uncle, aunty, mom, dad (or grandparent gone mad)  Told them to lead a life that is very sad  To be respectable among folk  Lest their actions may bad reactions provoke  So they took the happy and easy route  So that their lives would bear the fruit  That their uncle, aunty, mom, dad (or grandparent gone mad) envisioned  Probably because of their own strong lack of self vision  So as they went along  They sang a happy song  Thinking that it will only a few years last  Once they’re done they can have a blast  Leading the lives that they’ve always wanted  The least to one that must be granted  But as it turned out, you see  More than one year too many it turned out to be  For their uncle, aunty, mom, dad (or grandparent gone mad)  To be finally happy and glad  That thei...

Here are some of the many things that Jesus said Only He knows when, only He knows where And no one really knows why But we must follow them to our last breath The imagination that makes this poem Comes from the specifications of these instances and reasons As far as they make any case at all If they cross a certain line Such is only the basis of these things that He said, apparently Having gathered His beloved around Him For some time of sweet communion He spread his arms wide, and then with a gleeful smile He said, "Let's talk about ME" With his thumbs pointed firmly towards Himself Which is why we must give Him all the praise Talk only about him, only His exact name spoken makes any talk worthy Because He really needs to be told how awesome He is all the time Everything he created is a tribute to himself Not necessarily a natural reflection of Him By default, with souls of their own That feed his ego, or so it seems, in a strange way ...

Delhi: Rape - the name the city has come to go by, not just since the infamous Amanat/Nirbhaya rape. As we, as a society, try to grapple with the situation, we tried to get an all-round, clear understanding of all issues at hand. Dispassion helps, especially when more-than-justified rage will just only make the cycle bigger, all the while remaining equally frustrating. What you need to do is break the cycle. Anger-fueled punishment for rapists will only give us temporary redemption. While the chorus rings that stricter punishment will deter the instances of the crime, if not abolish the crime itself, it is clear that future rapists are not/will not be deterred by almost anything. Factors that contribute to this are the far-reaching rural areas where laws don't reach usually. Sheer ignorance and a non-understanding of the concept, benefit and rationale of civic compliance defeats obedience and fear of law. Add to that the quick and stern action and taken by the police,...

Lying on a toy shop window Taken from the box of Christmas Last Was a manger with a baby in it Lil' Jesus the centerpiece He was kept on  that window For it was a season Among many other things of Christ the Reason As the days went by Many things were moved and were replaced But that on window remained Lil' Jesus staring out, unfazed And so days did pass on by Even the snow started to bellow As did the people coming in But Lil' Jesus didn't seem to go As the days began to grow old And the season began to fold The owner set to close the doors For even his Christmas was due too As he was clearing up He lay all things remained in a neat little heap To go in which came the turn Of Lil' Jesus the centrepiece He lifted it up And turned it around “To what do we owe you here, still?” He sighed and he breathed As he was about to put it away in the heap A rap on the door came after scuttling little fee...