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St. Stephen's College - my Alma Mater

Today, I attended the Old Students Reunion at St. Stephen's College. And I attended every single such reunion for the last ten years. Each year, when I go back, the experience is of being transformed many years into the past, when I was less than 20 years of age, and not only studied in St. Stephen's but practically lived a good part of the day there.  Today, like every other time, memories came flooding by.  Of Rev. Rajpal conducting the morning assembly for the 1st year students, and reading excerpts from the Bible in his booming baritone voice and a clipped Cambridge accent.  Of teachers - Bhatnagar Sa'ab  - MSB to most, Dr Popli who resembled Prof. Calculus - now no more. Mathur Sa'ab trying to convince our 'blocked' minds that Differential Calculus was actually very easy. And Dwivedi sa'ab and his ' beedis ' Of chemistry practicals being conducted by us - budding scientists, in dirty lab coats with gaping holes created by careless hand

From the Taj Hotel to the Taj Mahal

Last week, terrorists virtually destroyed the Taj Mahal Hotel, an iconic structure and the pride of Mumbai. They simply came by boats up to nearby Cuffe Parade area and walked in.. This time it was the Taj Mahal Hotel. I cannot think of a good reason why not the Taj Mahal next time? Or India's nuclear installations or the Army Headquarters (If they could attack the 'Pentagon' seven years ago, well - India's is streets behind in terms of its security arrangements. India is still reeling under the shock and anger in the aftermath of the disaster that struck Mumbai last week. The Government in power at the Center and in Maharashtra are the scapegoats. And while the criticism and ridicule aimed at those individuals who opened their mouth and put their foot in it, is justified, wishing away politicians and politics in general is certainly not the quickest way to prevent India from remaining a 'soft terrorist target' in the future. Rather, the course of action that In

Mumbai Part IV (Monday Dec. 1, 2008)

Exactly seven years ago, India witnessed an even more audacious and 'daredevilish' attack on herself when Pakistan backed terrorists entered the Parliament House with the intention to eliminate most of the elected representatives from different parts of the Country, when the Lok Sabha was in session. They partly succeeded, in that they broke into the security cordon of what could arguably be defined as the most 'secure' establishment of the Country, took everyone by complete surprise and proceeded to create enough mayhem that ended in bloodshed and loss of many innocent lives including those of security personnel who made the supreme sacrifice in an attempt to foil the evil designs of the perpetrators. Did the terrorists succeed in their objective? No and yes. No, because they were all shot dead before they could actually harm the VIP parliamentarians attending the Lok Sabha session. And yes, they did succeed because they displayed to India their grit and suicidal deter

Mumbai Part III (Saturday, Nov. 29, 2008)

Politization of terror The crisis at Mumbai had built up to its peak.  Word spread that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Leader of the Opposition LK Advani would visit Mumbai together to review the situation.  In a crisis situation when all other considerations party ideologies and other differences should have been overlooked and the leaders should have stood together representing not their parties but India - one Nation. They went their separate ways. Mr. Narendra Modi of the BJP and the Chief Minister of Gujarat and expressed his desire to come and visit Mumbai Modi was very politely requested to not come as this was not the right time. A time when the anti terrorist operations were underway and the entire team of the Government and the administration was preoccupied with the massive operation. He chose to ignore the request and landed up near the Oberoi Hotel, delivered a 'bhashan' and announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the families of the brave police officers who

Mumbai Part II (Friday, 28th Nov. 2008)

Forty two hours have gone by. And the nightmare continues.  Spouses, relatives and friends wait outside the Taj Mahal and Oberoi Hotels, in what can be termed as desperate anxiety. They don't know if their near and dear ones are alive or not. Every moment of that wait being painful. The media camps at a safe distance from the place of the real action. Communicating meaningless reports. Speculating. And then a hoard of them - reporters and camer persons alike pouncing upon any VIP who happens to visit the scene of action. "Was there a massacre?" or "Didn't you have any clue that the terrorists would come by sea?" they ask... More than a hundred innocent people are dead. Hundreds have died earlier - in Mumbai itself. Yet, India - the magnanimous India, wants to forgive and forget every time. Proud in the thought that the terrorists are dead and democracy has won.  So are the hundreds of people. Don't those hundreds of lives mean anything to the wise old po

Mumbai - Wednesday November 26, 2008

Terror in Mumbai ! In what can easily be termed as the most audacious terrorist attack on India, a reasonably large number of terrorists landed in Mumbai by sea - undetected. And in the hours that followed, unleashed terror of an unprecedented magnitude, in South Mumbai, targeting two 5-Star Hotels, a cinema complex and the one of the busiest railway stations of the Country.  Wednesday (last) night - will be one which the World in general and Indians in particular will not forget in a long time. Two prestigious Hotels, one of them a National landmark slowly burned to almost complete destruction. Hundreds of people - Indians and foreigners taken hostage by the terrorists or trapped inside their rooms. Many innocents killed in the indiscriminate firing and grenade blasts on VT Station.  Three senior and very dedicated police officers who rose above the call of duty and chose to defy the perpetrators of terror, made the supreme sacrifice and laid down their lives.  Over a hundred people d

Death

We all have experienced it, through the loss of some near and dear one. A very emotionally distressing experience. The question is how does one deal with death? One way  to come to terms with death is to understand it philosophically. The one inevitable fact in our lives is that we will all die- or, "pass over" from the physical to the spiritual world. The transition from the physical realm to the spirit is not an ending, it is a transformation - to another state of consciousness. Physical life can best be described by the Sanskrit word "maya". An illusion. According to Hindu philosophy, everything that is changeable and subject to decay and has a beginning and an end is 'maya' Everything that is indestructable and eternal is reality. Since our life on Earth is temporary, it is 'maya'. Mistaking the facade for reality, we are in a state of 'maya'  Believing that physical life is the only form of existance is an illusion. And thinking we are d

Farewell - Jumbo !

Anil Kumble - Jumbo to his teammates and fans, announced his decision to quit professional cricket, at the end of the 2nd test match in the current series against Australia. Jumbo was one of the most celebrated and respected cricketers in the history of World cricket. The third largest number of wickets taken - 619, in the history of the game.  One of the only two players to have taken all 10 wickets in an innings. Jumbo played 132 test matches for his Country, in a long and illustrious career spanning 18 years. Numbers apart, Jumbo was always respected for his professionalism  and fighting spirit. In the age of 'sledging' and agrressive behavior he stood out as a gentleman. For these qualities, he will remain a 'role model' for many young aspiring cricketers. Many so called 'experts' of the game are surprised at Jumbo's decision which was made right in the middle of a test series. Others have wisely commented, that it was the right time to go. He was though

Sunset at Langkawi

The sea has always held a fascination for many and I am one of them. That it can offer an absolutely unbelievable, breathtaking spectacle, was a learning and one of the most fascinating experiences of a life time. In Langkawi, Malaysia, there are a countless number of beaches. Each one that you visit will provide a different view of the sea face. Nature's miracle begins to unfold at sunset time. As the sun begins to set, the sky changes many colors - one after the other with each scene created transitioning into the next one. You will for instance see the sky painted grey and the water surface filled with streaks of silver which is the water reflecting the sunlight of the setting sun. You turn you attention away for only a few moments, and the next scene unfolds which could be a bright orange sky - almost as if it is on fire. And very quickly you see the entire expanse of the horizon - the sky and the sea water turning bright orange. And, as the sun slowly goes down, the orange li

Tom & Jerry

Watching Tom & Jerry is an addiction. Every evening between 11.30 pm and midnight. Thirty minutes of sheer fun and joy ! While the stories flash by one after another, one is in stitches, as one story is funnier than the other. But you don't only laugh - when it is over, you are left with a feeling of only admiration for such a creative piece of art. Every character has a special role to play. Jerry, wants to live in peace in his comfortable little house behind the wall. (His bed is made out of a can of sardines, and the legs of the bed, of match sticks).Once in a while he wants to steal a bit of cheese which he simply loves and cannot resist, from the refrigerator. Tom has been employed basically to hunt him down. But his skills, speed and intelligence are no match to the little Jerry. So, more often than not he is at the receiving end. Jerry wants to make peace with everyone. But when cornered, he displays courage, initiative ingenuity of the highest order to beat his main ene

September 23 - Sidhu

As I was surfing the usually visited sites on Internet, I came across a message informing me that Sidhu has added me as a friend on Facebook. About time Sidhu! Can't blame him though, he's a busy man. (If you search for his name on Google, there are 11,700 results matching his name !). WPS Sidhu and I came to know each other when he joined my School and Class -8th standard, way back in 1974. He has come from St. Joseph's Academy, Dehra Dun. Sidhu was a smart and bright kid, and created a favorable impression on all teachers in School very early, for a new comer. He was an excellent debator, with an exceptional command over English language. He chose to pursue Science in Senior School, but at the end of Class XI, concluded that it would be a mistake for him to continue. So he took a bold but what he thought a wise decision to move to humanities for Class XII. We joined St. Stpehen's College together - he as student of History, and I, a student of Science. We studied toge

Sept 22

This evening after dinner, I stroll across the IIM Ahmedabad campus where I am staying for three days. The campus has a modern architectural design, with all buildings having the appearance of a precise geometric shape. It is also immaculately maintained – neatly cut grass in all lawns and spotless clean roads and pathways. Like most others, this campus is also quiet in the evening, perhaps because the occupants are spread all over the vast expanse of many acres. Lights are on in some of the rooms in the students’ dormitories. Across, there is a fitness centre, and through the windows I see vigorous exercise in many forms – some walking on treadmills, others pumping iron. I see at a distance, a middle aged couple on a brisk walk after dinner. In all probability, one of them is a teacher. Its been a while since I walked across a campus like this. Memories come flooding back. And foremost amongst my thoughts, is all the teachers who taught me, not only in College but in School. Amongst

Sept 15

Landed in Luxemburg at 1000. Endless queues at Passport control and baggage claim are the not very different from back home. What is refreshing is the pleasant weather, the clean air, and the lush green surroundings. The train journey to Paris provides a breadthtaking view. Endless expanse of greenery, neatly cut plots of farmers' lands, almost geometrically done. Healthy cattle grazing. And all this rushes past me at 300 kms an hour which is the speed of the TGV train. We arrive in Paris at 5.30 in the evening, and quickly settle in, in our Hotel rooms, and relax first time in 19 hours....

Sunday September 14, 1130 pm

The 'D' day has arrived. Time to leave home and travel across 'seven seas' to distant lands. In search of prospective business. I wait at the airport to board the flight. The airport is an ordeal. Meanwhile I wish my sons the best for the exam tomorrow. And to my wife. And all near and dear ones - friends near and far. The World has shrunk, and we are just a call away. I rest with that thought...

September 13, 2320 hrs

Its happened again. Five bomb blasts in various corners of Delhi. About 20 dead till last reports came in. More than a 100 injured. Blood shed, panic, desperation, frustation and despair. Innocent people gone, some lives lost at the prime of their youth. The news spread across the Globe like fire. Indians overseas anxious to know about the welfare of their near and dear ones. Freinds advising each other not to venture out. Who knows - your colony market might also be a target. And amongst all this, the Government machinery sleeps. Despite a clear warning from Gujarat, that after the Agmedabad blasts, Delhi is the next target. That everything has been organised. Final plans frozen. Only instructions from the high command awaited. There are intelligence agencies - no intelligence. No clue. No semblance of damage control measures.  Life is cheap in India. Amongst a 100 crores Indians, a few lives lost - doesn't matter. Nature's way of population control? Life goes on.  

Saturday 13th September

As soon as I wake up let  myself get occupied with the time cosuming task helping my sons with their preparations for the examination on Monday. Science it is. A subject, which on the face is intimidating. But as you dwell deep, most fascinating. When I assume the role of a teacher and go through the very fundamental principles of Physics, I get more and more involved... I am gripped by a sense of growing anxiety as I embark upon a 10 day long tour, first to Europe, and then on return to IIM Ahmedabad for a training program.  The thought of absence from home has never been so distracting in the past, as it is, this time. Leaving the boys to fend for their own during the exams? The burden on Mani's head, with the driver's sudden disappearance, for an inexplicable reason?  And when  she too travels later during the week, how do the boys manage? I try to push the distractions out of my mind by delving deeper into the wonders of 'time and motion' and the simple pendulum. An

The Sea face

I would give my right hand to stay by the sea. I say so, because I have had the good fortune to have lived by the sea face some years ago. It was at Worli, that I set up home. It was a   spacious two bed room flat, right on top of Worli Hill, less than fifty meters from the Arabian Sea. On the third floor, we had an unobstructed view of the vast expanse of water.   Each moment that I stayed in the house, I marvelled at the idea in the mind of the person who designed the house. Every window in the house, that of the kitchen, bedrooms and even the bathrooms, faced the sea. And then there was a huge balcony. In the evenings, I would take my wife and my toddler son right up to the sea face, to go through an experience. As far one could stretch one’s vision, there seemed to be an endless expanse of water under a huge open sky. The gentle churning of the water, with only periodic gains and lows in the intensity, would provide a soothing sound, and a certain kind of calmness and seren

Mr. Raj Thackeray - you are at it again!

 You and your team - The 'Maharashtra Navnirman Sena' seem to pursue you vision of a new ‘re-built’   home State with a missionary zeal.  And what is your vision of the new State?  Your new Maharashtra will –forget welcoming, not even tolerate a non- Marathi. Doesn’t matter that in the years of its history, Maharashtra has only gained and prospered thanks to the millions of ‘outsiders’ who landed in Mumbai and other parts of the State and due to sheet dint of hard work, made success stories out of their enterprise. Yes they came to pursue their dreams, and realized them. But they gave to the State in equal measure. They were industrialists, film makers, actors, corporations.   It is by no small measure due to them that Mumbai today is regarded as   the financial and industrial capital of India , and Bollywood is the largest film industry in the World.   Your new Maharashtra loaths anyone who speaks in any language except Marathi. In a new found machoism, you and y

A Tribute to my Grandmother

My grandmother was born sometime in the beginning of the 20th century. Like most of her generation, she did not know of her exact date of birth. From my earliest memories of her, till the time she passed away, I remember her as a short very frail woman, not more than 5 ft tall, and very thin. The outward appearance was however deceptive. For I have not known many people at least amongst my own family, who had a personality close to hers. My grandmother had studied up to Class X, an accomplishment of sorts in her day and age. The formal education however was a small indicator of her level of literacy and general awareness. She read the daily English newspaper from the front page to the last, and updated herself on the latest happenings around the World. She had an excellent grasp of all current affairs, politics, India’s relations with her neighbours, friendly and otherwise and so on. This, she managed mostly by reading on her own, and very rarely, she sought help and clarification from