Happy 62nd Independence Day to all! :-)

It's been 62 Glorious Years since the Golden Bird regained its freedom once again.
Here's wishing everyone a very Happy Independence Day!

Chetan Bhagat @ Symbiosis, Pune

The following is the speech delivered by Chetan Bhagat at Symbiosis, Pune to the incumbent batch. I received it as a forwarded message and found it to be quite relevant in our hectic lives!

" Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.

Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance –just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.

I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?

Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.

To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn't any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.

Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement. But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.

Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature's design. Are you? Goals will help you do that. I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.

There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don't be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.

I've told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.

Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don't go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it's life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that's where you want to be.

Disappointment' s cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts, having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.

Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty damm lucky by Indian standards. Let's be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don't. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don't get literary praise. It's ok. I don't look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It's ok. Don't let unfairness kill your spark.

Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.

There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.

I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.

Thank You."

22nd July: Omar Abdullah's Speech on the Trust Vote Debate

One of the most passionate speeches heard in recent times. On a day when the Indian parliament saw things never seen before, we had some truly outstanding speakers. Mr.Omar Abdullah's speech moments before the trust vote on 22nd July in the Lok Sabha is as below. The response to this has surprised the orator himself, as is evident in his reaction. Bravo Mr.Omar!!!

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I think that it is a matter of great misfortune for Parties like mine. I do not know whether the Rs.1 crore that was shown here is genuine or not. But I think that it is extremely unfortunate that if nothing else, this Rs.1 crore is seeking to buy the silence of Parties like mine who are not being given an opportunity to speak in a correct manner in this House.
I have been a Member of this House for 10 years, and I have never disturbed this House in these 10 years. I have sat with them and I have sat on this side, and I have never disrupted a speaker and yet here they do not have the courtesy to listen to what I have to say.
I am a Muslim, and I am an Indian. I see no distinction between the two. I see no reason why I, as a Muslim, have to fear a deal between India and the United States of America (USA). This is a deal between two countries. It is a deal between, we hope, two countries that in the future will be two equals.
Sir, the enemies of Indian Muslims are not the Americans, and the enemies of the Indian Muslims are not ‘deals’ like this. The enemies of Indian Muslims are the same enemies that all the poor people of India face, namely, poverty and hunger, unemployment, lack of development and the absence of a voice. It is that we are against, namely, the effort being made to crush our voice.
I am not a Member of the UPA, and I do not aspire the Membership of the UPA. But I am extremely unhappy with the way in which my friends in the Left have taken on this self-imposed position of being the certifiers of who is secular and who is not.
Until a few years ago, I was a part of the NDA and I was a Minister with them. The same Left people considered me as a political untouchable, and they considered me an outcaste because I was a part of the NDA. Today, the same Left people are telling me that all secular Parties must unite with the BJP to bring down this Government.
I made a mistake of standing with them once. I did not resign on the question of Gujarat when my conscience told me to do so, and my conscience has still not forgiven me. I need not make the same mistake again.

आप लोग अमरनाथ की बात करते हो, आपने अमरनाथ का आरोप लगाया, आप एक जगह दिखाइए, जहां पर किसी कश्मीरी ने यात्रा के खिलाफ बात की हो, जहां किसी कश्मीरी ने कहा हो कि हमें यात्री नहीं चाहिए, जहां यात्रियों के ऊपर हमला हुआ हो। हमारी जमीन का मुद्दा था, हम अपनी जमीन के लिए लड़े और मरते दम तक अपनी जमीन के लिए लड़ेंगे, लेकिन हम आपकी तरह फिरकापरस्त नहीं हैं। हम आपकी तरह कम्युनल नहीं हैं। हम मस्ज़िद नहीं गिराते और मंदिर भी नहीं गिराते। वहां एक सौ साल से ज्यादा अमरनाथ की यात्रा चलती आ रही है और जब तक कश्मीर में मुसलमान हैं, श्रीनगर और अमरनाथ में आपकी यात्रा चलती रहेगी। अध्यक्ष महोदय, मैं यह बात दावे के साथ कहना चाहता हूं कि इन लोगों की तरह मेरी सियासत बदलती नहीं है, आज इस तरफ और कल उस तरफ। हमने सेक्यूलर फोर्सेस के साथ हाथ मिलाया है और मिलाते रहेंगे। The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (J&KNC) will vote to support the Motion moved by the Prime Minister. Thank you."

Figure Out For Yourself...

Saw this guy in a car on my way to office this morning...Some 5 different stickers, pasted randomly on the rear glass, all quoting what marriage does to men.

Some of those quotes:

"Man is incomplete till he is married...then he is Finished."

"A wife gives you sound advice...99% Sound & 1% Advice"

"All men should get married, after all happiness isn't the only thing in life."

Why? Possibilities:

a) He's scared of marriage. Some dard-bhari-daastan.

b) Tremendous sense of humor with an equally sporting wife (assuming that he's married).

Any other possibilities you can think of?

il mio momento più lungo

Picking up the tag from PCube...My longest moment was when I was in school...probably in Class-IX, if I remember correctly. We used to have inter-house sports competitions regularly. My bro (M) and me played for different teams/houses and incidentally were the goalkeepers as well as wicketkeepers in football & cricket respectively. When it came to the school team though, we played for the same team. He was the penalty shootout specialist and the best defensive goalkeeper we had. Never afraid to dive towards the ball sometime snatching it from within the strikers reach moments before he would shoot! (Come to think of it...we shud have taken up some cool sounding name like Keeper-Power or Force-M ;-)...Okay Okay...I know...yikes! )

Well it was during one of the practice matches when our house teams were battling it out that the incident happened. We were 1 goal down and were desperate to score. Most of our strikers were in the opponents half and all defenders near the centre line. Time was running out. With no one near our goal post, I was pretty bored and just jumping around the post and idly moving around the penalty box, keeping an eye on the opponent striker who was almost getting into an off-side position, when suddenly our centre forward got a clean shot at the goal. Instead of taking the shot, he thought of getting a little bit closer to the goalpost and shoot. In the process, M was also advancing towards him to block the shot. As he took the shot, M dived to his left and towards the ball. He got his hand on to the ball and deflected it. M was on the ground, and I saw almost everyone running towards the goalpost. I was waiting for the confirmation of the goal from the referee when I suddenly realized that M had still not got up. He was definitely hurt. Play was stopped. I was worried and ran the length of the field towards him. Apparently, in the momentum of taking the shot, the strikers leg had hit him on the neck. M was conscious though but couldn't straighten his neck without severe pain. He was immediately rushed to the hospital by our PET teacher while I informed mom at home. When mom & I reached the hospital we were told that there was no fracture/sprain but the impact of the hit caused the severe pain & consequent bending of the neck. They treated the area with infrared beams and M could move his neck. After getting the prescription from the physician we got back home and were then subjected to one of the longest lectures from mom on being careful on the playing field and all. Even to this day, she keeps telling M not to indulge in the so called 'dangerous' sports which any concerned parent would say but the adventurous we rarely listen!

That moment when M was on the ground and not moving at all remains to be one of the scariest and longest moments of my life till date!

I tag whoever wants to pick this one up :D.

God's Own Country

Wayanaad, a district in northern kerala around 260kms from Bangalore, can be best described as a land of scenic beauty. Every corner of the place has a different look and gives you a feeling of calmness. If Kerala, reminds you of coconut palms and backwaters then you are in for a surprise. Wayanaad is far from that description. Bordered by Karnataka and Tamilnadu, Wayanaad boasts of many natural waterfalls and wildlife sanctuaries. Bamboo plantations can be seen in the northern part of the district while the central and southern areas are home to Tea & Coffee plantations.

Our trip started from Bangalore early in the morning at 6.30AM on 1st May. We drove down Mysore Road towards Srirangapatnam from where we took a diversion towards Hunsur. From Hunsur we went to Nagarhole where we actually crossed the Karnataka Border and entered Kerala. Driving through the Rajiv Gandhi wildlife sanctuary one can see quite a few animals wandering leisurely around the grounds. From Nagarhole, we reached Tholpetty. The Begur Wildlife Sanctuary is very near to this place and is on the way. We planned to visit the park the next day. Our hotel booking was at Thirunelli which is around 25kms from Tholpetty. We decided to visit the Kuruva Islands before going to the hotel. Kuruva Dweep is a small island accessible through a ferry/boat and is basically a forest park. If you are in the mood for a relaxed and chilled out day then this is the ideal place. Keep walking around the jungle path for as long as you want ;-).

We returned from Kuruva Islands and went straight to the hotel (Tamarind Thirunelly), reaching there at around 4.30PM.

Next day was an all India Bandh because of which we had to make some changes to the days plans. Left the hotel at around 11AM and went straight to Iruppu Falls (Around 30 kms from Thirunelly). This is in the Brahmagiri Wildlife range and a dip in the water is considered holy. The 'Blue Flutter' butterfly is a rare species that can be seen around the falls.

We left Iruppu around 2PM and headed towards the Begur sanctuary. Sanctuary timings are from 7-9AM and 3- 5PM for visits into the park. A guide is mandatory per vehicle. As we entered the sanctuary, we were informed that sighting of animals is purely on luck, which more or less dampened our spirits of seeing some exotic species of animals. Nevertheless, the first thing we saw was the common spotted deer. A few kms into the park and we spotted the Malabar Giant Squirrel jumping around merrily on a tree. It is apparently the largest of its kind in Asia. Moving ahead we saw something black running on the road. Excitement over a possible sighting of a bear made the driver of the vehicle speeden up. Sadly, it turned out to be just a wild boar! We did see the Bison and Sambhar Deer though. The guide informed us that the sanctuary covers a total area of 76 square-kms and shares its area with the Nagarhole wildlife park. Home to around 16 Tigers according to last years census, the number has increased to more than 20 now. On our way out of the sanctuary, we spotted an elephant with its kid near a pond. The previous evening a whole herd was spotted at the same place, which sadly was no consolation. The Indian Langur was the last animal species we saw on our way out.

We checked out of the hotel early in the morning next day around 7.30AM. The plan was to visit the Edakkal Caves & Meenmutty falls before heading back for Bangalore. Travelling all the way from Thirunelly in the north to Meppadi in the south took us near the Meenmutty falls- a distance of around 80Kms. The falls are on the Kalpetta-Ooty highway and is a 2km Trek though a jungle. Our guide told us that it is an adventure trek and the route is a bit difficult. However, we never anticipated it to be exactly what he said! Narrow jungle path, slippery at places and very very steep! If the descent downhill was difficult, the climb uphill was tougher. Definitely, not recommended for first time Trekkers. The fall however is breathtaking. Our trek approach was from the top of the falls and we reached the view point which was at the halfway level of the entire height of the fall. Water falling in 3 stages over 300m. We didn't have the strength nor the courage to move any further to the base of the fall and hence rested at the view point before climbing back. And it was indeed a climb in the true sense. Slippery earth, steep path & footholds being the roots of trees & rocks embedded in the hill! Had to stop many times to catch our breath before we finally reached the top. Sadly, this adventure meant that we had to cancel the visit to the Edakkal caves, which is a place worth seeing. It's the first thing on my list when I visit the next time.

We started on our way back to Bangalore around 2PM from Meenmutty. Return was through Sultan Bathery-Bandipur-Mysore and took around 5 hours.

One trip to Kerala, and you realize why it's called God's Own Country! We thoroughly enjoyed the 3 days spent in nature's lap in the jungle. Pictures here...

Some info that might be useful:

KTDC Hotel Bookings: send a mail to centralreservations@ktdc.com with your contact details. They will call back within 2 hrs of receiving your mail. Pretty good hotels and reasonably priced.

Accomodation at Homestays at Meenmutty: Call Mr.Saji/Sachin at 9745296928(m) 04936217271(R) for arrangements. Price range from Rs.750/- to 1000/-

Road Map of Waynaad:

Trip to Mahabaleshwar

Last weekend was spent very peacefully at Mahabaleshwar, 120 kms from Pune. Quite a nice place to rejuvenate and relax. Specialities are strawberries and jams. Details here...