A day or two aren’t enough to get the first impression of an institute of the kind of IIMC. It took me 5 days to get the first impression. I know a lot of people expect to hear about state of the art buildings, a campus full of neatly maintained lawns and men and women in business formals sipping coffee in open air cafeterias discussing stuff on their laptops. Well that’s what I would have also thought of if I were to imagine the campus being an outsider. But I am not going to talk of it. Not that we don’t have good buildings, men and women in business formals, cafeteria and laptops but there are so many other things I have to talk of about IIMC. After all, buildings only make a good looking and not a good bschool.
I couldn’t see happy gatherings of seniors around Ramanujam hostel or the favorite Jetty. All I could see were PGP-I batchmates loitering around the campus. I could get the rare glimpses of seniors only during class breaks. I am saying all this because in IIT Roorkee all I could see were seniors all around the campus enjoying their life. The campus has tennis courts, basketball court, an amazing gym, badminton court and a nice swimming pool.
It was the second day when we first met seniors. And I found that they were not shying away from us. In fact they established a channel of wing guides for us to have a direct and non-hesitant interaction with them. The wing guides indeed are very helpful and they even went ahead of their ways to help us by themselves coming down to our rooms.
It took me two days to form my first impression about IIMC and another three days to validate it. And what I have concluded is, IIM Calcutta is about people. People cultivate culture, carry it forward, build the campus and it gets accumulated to what it is today. And by people I mean every individual involved here… right from those who work here in the shops and mess, to the admin staff and of course most importantly to faculty and students. Take them out and this place would be just another place.
People are focused here about their future. Because right from the first day they see that they are going to be out there in the corporate world among the best of the best doing some of the best and highly esteemed jobs in the industry. And that explains why I couldn’t find a single senior wasting his time around. But that doesn’t mean people don’t get involved in extra-currics. We have loads of clubs and events happening here. People do play lots of sports and if you are in NH you can find people playing footer volley in the quad.
What make the campus special are the lakes. Whatever point you are at in the campus, you can catch a glimpse of at least one lake. The Jetty near OH (Old Hostel) is one such place where people love to hand out at sunrise and sunsets. The Howrah Bridge as it is called is located near the auditorium connecting to faculty residential area. A walk in that area really left a feeling of serenity in my mind. The campus grows on you. And before you realize, it becomes a part of your life.
Weather in Kolkata is usually sultry and IIMC campus also stays so on a clear summer day. But with clouds and wind the weather changes considerably. The day I arrived at campus, I would have loved to sit by lakes if it were not raining just to enjoy the cold wind and the greenery.
Academic environment here is very healthy. I am not sure how strong the RG giri here is. But looking at the unity among the students community (despite the IIT like hostel and wing culture) I have a very serious doubt on that. I am no-one to be judging faculty members here. They truly are world class. For the first time in my life I have found all the subjects interesting.
Time spent at IIMC is regarded by many as the best daze of their life. And I do understand why people say that. I am sure I have already started to relate to it all.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Day Zero
On my way to
At the prepaid stand I knew that I should say Joka also when I say IIM else they won’t understand it. The guy on counter understood it but the taxi guy asked me “IIM Joka… Joka management jaana hai kya”
Somehow we made it to campus and I found myself humming the Early Days song “ song on IIM Joka . The thought that came to my mind six months back when I first saw the video was a reality today. I was right there or rather… I am right here.
The lakes out there would have seemed more fascinating if I were not already completely drenched with water. Yet they gave a good feeling when our taxi passed by them.
D had his room in Annexe hostel and I had it in New Hostel. It doesn’t really matter which hostel we are in as they are pretty nearby and if I could compare it with Govind Bhawan at IIT Roorkee, all the hostels at IIMC could fit into it. Ofcourse there aren't as many people at IIM C as there would be in IIT R. My views on first impression about campus would be posted in the next post. Day zero was not truly exciting but it indeed was different.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
IIM Calcutta: The Zeroth Impression
Its zeroth because I am yet to see the place. They call it Joka. Reason is kinda obvious. It is located in the area named Joka. In kolkata they even call it IIM Joka. Interesting :)
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of IIM Cal is peace. However I am so sure that peace will be the last thing I will have over there. Yet there is a sense of peace in me. That finally I don't have to make plans for next two years.
The campus is beautiful is what people say. Lots of lakes, lots of trees and lots of birds. That sure sounds interesting and adds to the peace prejudice I have.
Main attraction of the insti as it seems is JBS BaroC (Joka Band Stand, 12C is the origin of the term). Its the music band of IIM Calcutta. Would love to be a part of it. Will try my best to improve myself on guitar in next 30 days. Lets see how it goes.
Work load is going to be huge. Though less than the other two sibling IIMs (as people say). However, I don't expect it to be of the kind which will give me a to relax. So the obvious victim will be sleep.
I'll end this post abruptly here. will conclude this with the first impression after I get to Jokaland.
Till then keep reading.
P.S.: Taken from my other blog Dreamer
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of IIM Cal is peace. However I am so sure that peace will be the last thing I will have over there. Yet there is a sense of peace in me. That finally I don't have to make plans for next two years.
The campus is beautiful is what people say. Lots of lakes, lots of trees and lots of birds. That sure sounds interesting and adds to the peace prejudice I have.
Main attraction of the insti as it seems is JBS BaroC (Joka Band Stand, 12C is the origin of the term). Its the music band of IIM Calcutta. Would love to be a part of it. Will try my best to improve myself on guitar in next 30 days. Lets see how it goes.
Work load is going to be huge. Though less than the other two sibling IIMs (as people say). However, I don't expect it to be of the kind which will give me a to relax. So the obvious victim will be sleep.
I'll end this post abruptly here. will conclude this with the first impression after I get to Jokaland.
Till then keep reading.
P.S.: Taken from my other blog Dreamer
The CAT Dream
Summers 2002
It started in 2002 summers when A and I just sat together and he said lets join PT for CAT. I was like why now we are still in 3rd year. He said if we start now we'll be better prepared next year cause next year we'll have placement tensions. I thought it wasn't all that insane anyways so 4 of us joined PT test series.
It was fun solving maths questions in tests though I always rocked the bottom in english. Yet what made me happy used to be my maths score. M used to do pretty decent and was improving but we remained kinda same. Pretty soon it grew boring and it got reduced to just going and appearing for test.
CAT 2003
Placement season was on and we all were busy with it. I had plans in my mind to get a job soon and prepare for CAT. I did get a job soon but I sensed that my financial independence was necessary with bhaiya going to do MBA and didi's marriage in hand. So I ditched the MBA idea for a couple of years and decided to do job for a couple of years. Yet as I had already filled up CAT form I just went to write CAT. No test series, no preparation.
Yet CAT that year was fruitful as I saw a girl at Doon Public School and had a deep crush on her. I can't forget that face. I stared at her so much that day that she had grown completely conscious of my presence.
And then CAT was cancelled in 2003. I was very happy because I could run into her again. And guess what, I did. I wanted to catch up with her and talk but was too introvert to do that. Anyways that was all I had to say about CAT 2003. Oh yes I blew the exam and got some 87 percentile.
CAT 2005
Didn't write CAT 2004 but for 2005, all of us A, P, M, and A and I got together and
prepared. A and I joined IMS together in hope that we could motivate each other in preparation with the heavy workload at office. M also joined IMS when he came to bangalore.
Just a week before CAT, I had a release. When it was assigned in September I just hoped it didn't grow bad. However it turned out to be the most nightmarish project I ever did. Anyways I did get free a week before CAT and took off from office. It was enough to calm me down. Pattern had changed in 2005 and I couldn't do well. Ended up with 96.23 and so did my friends. None of us could get through. It was a real heartbreak.
CAT 2006
I wrote CAT again initially with a heavy heart but later with new energy. This time again A and I joined TIME test series together. I had an even bigger group this time around. But I didn't spend too much time on CAT. Just the test papers of test series I did. Nothing outside it. CAT went fine this time but I blew up english. CAT 2006 had the strangest english I had ever seen. My friends who were good at english did just fine in it.
But when the results came out, I was pretty decent in english but my friends didn't make it because of english. Don't know what gave me a feeling of guilt for this flip. I had 99.73 percentile and people predicted that I should get atleast 4 calls (had around 90 %ile in DI). Shortlisting criteria changed that year and I ended up with single IIM-I call.
Didn't prepare for GD-PI. Just went and appeared for GD-PI under friends and family's pressure. And the final results said:
You are waitlisted (no. 44).
People said last year waitlist moved till 200 so just chill u are through. One circumstance led to other and finally I resigned from this ordeal. I agreed to my parents and got ready to join IIM-I. However, the waitlist didn't move past 20 on first deadline. Admission Office said it was unlikely that I could make it. Meanwhile my office wanted me to go to US for a month. I accepted. 10 days after I landed in US, I got a mail that I was offered admission to IIM-I. People suggested me to talk to manager and it was possible to make it in time.
Don't know why but I just let it go.
CAT 2007
Went with a friend and bought CAT form filled it up soon and posted it. Just to keep the promise I had made to my family when I had said that I won't join IIM-I. I had lost whole of my group by now. Circumstances drove all of them in different directions.
In October an onsite opportunity for US arised and I said a yes to it. It meant I had to say bye to CAT. I anyways had not devoted a single second to CAT preparation this season and though if preparation didn't help then as it is I didn't have a chance. But one circumstance led to another and I had to stay back. CAT 2007 was still on.
It was night of 17th Nov. R was leaving bangalore and it was his party. Of course wet party. We partied till 12 midnight and they pushed me to sleep.
Next morning I had a hangover. Made my best effort to cook a maggi for me and went to the center which fortunately was nearby. Before, I had thought that I would write CAT only if they assign me a nearby center. Christ College indeed was pretty near.
Went on and wrote the test. Took first 15 minutes to solve just 3 english questions. The hangover though mild yet was still on and my vision wasn't very clear. But when I saw my watch then the good old fear came back and I got serious. Took a break of 5 seconds to think that its all in the mind.
When I came back I just had good feeling that I had done pretty decent. People asked me which section was difficult. I couldn't tell.
When I checked with TIME key, it indicated that I had a chance to get 4-6 calls.
I ended up with 5 calls. Percentile 99.55 (balanced in all the sections) . And now I am going to join IIM Calcutta. The IIM of my dreams. Itindeed is strange the way life chooses to reward us.
Perhaps this is the first time I have confessed all this to this extent. This is all I want to speak about CAT. I guess its fun.
Disclaimer: This post doesn't suggest that CAT can be cracked withouh preparation under intoxication. I had prepared enough in previous years and that helped me crack the exam. CAT still is one of the trickiest exam in the country.
P.S. : Taken from my other blog Dreamer
It started in 2002 summers when A and I just sat together and he said lets join PT for CAT. I was like why now we are still in 3rd year. He said if we start now we'll be better prepared next year cause next year we'll have placement tensions. I thought it wasn't all that insane anyways so 4 of us joined PT test series.
It was fun solving maths questions in tests though I always rocked the bottom in english. Yet what made me happy used to be my maths score. M used to do pretty decent and was improving but we remained kinda same. Pretty soon it grew boring and it got reduced to just going and appearing for test.
CAT 2003
Placement season was on and we all were busy with it. I had plans in my mind to get a job soon and prepare for CAT. I did get a job soon but I sensed that my financial independence was necessary with bhaiya going to do MBA and didi's marriage in hand. So I ditched the MBA idea for a couple of years and decided to do job for a couple of years. Yet as I had already filled up CAT form I just went to write CAT. No test series, no preparation.
Yet CAT that year was fruitful as I saw a girl at Doon Public School and had a deep crush on her. I can't forget that face. I stared at her so much that day that she had grown completely conscious of my presence.
And then CAT was cancelled in 2003. I was very happy because I could run into her again. And guess what, I did. I wanted to catch up with her and talk but was too introvert to do that. Anyways that was all I had to say about CAT 2003. Oh yes I blew the exam and got some 87 percentile.
CAT 2005
Didn't write CAT 2004 but for 2005, all of us A, P, M, and A and I got together and
prepared. A and I joined IMS together in hope that we could motivate each other in preparation with the heavy workload at office. M also joined IMS when he came to bangalore.
Just a week before CAT, I had a release. When it was assigned in September I just hoped it didn't grow bad. However it turned out to be the most nightmarish project I ever did. Anyways I did get free a week before CAT and took off from office. It was enough to calm me down. Pattern had changed in 2005 and I couldn't do well. Ended up with 96.23 and so did my friends. None of us could get through. It was a real heartbreak.
CAT 2006
I wrote CAT again initially with a heavy heart but later with new energy. This time again A and I joined TIME test series together. I had an even bigger group this time around. But I didn't spend too much time on CAT. Just the test papers of test series I did. Nothing outside it. CAT went fine this time but I blew up english. CAT 2006 had the strangest english I had ever seen. My friends who were good at english did just fine in it.
But when the results came out, I was pretty decent in english but my friends didn't make it because of english. Don't know what gave me a feeling of guilt for this flip. I had 99.73 percentile and people predicted that I should get atleast 4 calls (had around 90 %ile in DI). Shortlisting criteria changed that year and I ended up with single IIM-I call.
Didn't prepare for GD-PI. Just went and appeared for GD-PI under friends and family's pressure. And the final results said:
You are waitlisted (no. 44).
People said last year waitlist moved till 200 so just chill u are through. One circumstance led to other and finally I resigned from this ordeal. I agreed to my parents and got ready to join IIM-I. However, the waitlist didn't move past 20 on first deadline. Admission Office said it was unlikely that I could make it. Meanwhile my office wanted me to go to US for a month. I accepted. 10 days after I landed in US, I got a mail that I was offered admission to IIM-I. People suggested me to talk to manager and it was possible to make it in time.
Don't know why but I just let it go.
CAT 2007
Went with a friend and bought CAT form filled it up soon and posted it. Just to keep the promise I had made to my family when I had said that I won't join IIM-I. I had lost whole of my group by now. Circumstances drove all of them in different directions.
In October an onsite opportunity for US arised and I said a yes to it. It meant I had to say bye to CAT. I anyways had not devoted a single second to CAT preparation this season and though if preparation didn't help then as it is I didn't have a chance. But one circumstance led to another and I had to stay back. CAT 2007 was still on.
It was night of 17th Nov. R was leaving bangalore and it was his party. Of course wet party. We partied till 12 midnight and they pushed me to sleep.
Next morning I had a hangover. Made my best effort to cook a maggi for me and went to the center which fortunately was nearby. Before, I had thought that I would write CAT only if they assign me a nearby center. Christ College indeed was pretty near.
Went on and wrote the test. Took first 15 minutes to solve just 3 english questions. The hangover though mild yet was still on and my vision wasn't very clear. But when I saw my watch then the good old fear came back and I got serious. Took a break of 5 seconds to think that its all in the mind.
When I came back I just had good feeling that I had done pretty decent. People asked me which section was difficult. I couldn't tell.
When I checked with TIME key, it indicated that I had a chance to get 4-6 calls.
I ended up with 5 calls. Percentile 99.55 (balanced in all the sections) . And now I am going to join IIM Calcutta. The IIM of my dreams. Itindeed is strange the way life chooses to reward us.
Perhaps this is the first time I have confessed all this to this extent. This is all I want to speak about CAT. I guess its fun.
Disclaimer: This post doesn't suggest that CAT can be cracked withouh preparation under intoxication. I had prepared enough in previous years and that helped me crack the exam. CAT still is one of the trickiest exam in the country.
P.S. : Taken from my other blog Dreamer
Saturday, March 8, 2008
I Smoke
Today when I called home somehow the talks surfaced about my being a follower of my own wishes. Well yes I agree I am like that. But I also like to make sure I don't hurt people because of that. Some days back my boss told me about this something called Landmark forum and how it brings about changes is people's lives. How people get so influenced by it that they get associated with it for the whole life. And that I should do it. They talk of the concept of being someone to be doing something. ( it is one of the to do is to be or to be is to do thingy).
And when I declined, the first defense (as they say) my boss told me I have are my thoughts that why should I change at the first place. Let me mention other defences now.
1) Why should I pay money to get transformed into someone among thousands of those who do the landmark forum course. Who talk the same language and follow the same rules of leading life. Nature made us all different. We all are like different sculptures admired for our unique existence. Why should we smoothen all the corners in us to become similar looking piece of rock. Smooth, harmless but also useless. Why do I need to undergo this transformation.
2) My religion (and for that matter I think any religion) tells me:
Either be spiritual or follow the spiritual
Well let me choose to be spiritual here. Let me myself decide the way I want to lead my life. Let me myself choose to be happy and sad whenever I want. Let me enjoy the power I regained after a long time.... or perhaps for the first time.
No smoking is a movie which leaves us different, not because it changes us but because it gives us reasons why we should not change. Why we should value our antaratma (soul). The moment we surrender, there are lots of other forces which try their best to leave us first deaf and then soulless... Inerestingly, I am not the only one who drew analogy between landmark forum and no smoking's prayogshala. I have one more friend who thinks the same. When my boss saw the movie he even wondered if Anurag Kashyap was influenced by Landmark forum's way of functioning. Well let me add a disclaimer here:
The thoughts expressed are completely personal and may not apply to every individual. Please don't use this text as a reason/way to judge the credibility of Landmark forum.
Now coming to 'No Smoking'. I read a lot of reviews on the movie, some were pathetic. All this guy did was making a fool of himself. Let me not get into reviewing his review. I wish I had seen black friday. Then I would have seen this movie in theatre at the time it released. The first impression I had about movie was that it is against smoking and about spreading public message. Well the messages indeed are good but movies end up as a tele serial or public interest message more than movies. Good part about standard public interest messages is that they are short and effective. I am also amazed why did John Abraham say what he said in this interview. I
can only derive two possible meanings out of it. Either Anurag is much more intelligent than I thought after watching No Smoking or John Abraham is also very intelligent. Second part is hard to believe looking at the kind of statements he gave in this interview.
For those who haven't watched the movie, I'd say if you can make sense of what I have written here, then go watch the movie. It has hundred times more to offer than what I have written here. If you think its a remake of Quitter's Inc. and Cat's Eye then you are wrong. I haven't read the story or watched the movie but No Smoking can't be written down within a shot story. It needs a full fledged book written in autobiographical style. Its much more than that. The story is for viewers who need it. But the movie is way above its story. I read somewhere that John Abraham is not so influential at acting. And I thought oh is it... I didn't notice. All I saw in the movie was 'K'. 'K' as in 'anurag Kashyap'.
I felt sad that movie failed even in multiplexes. And thats because people like me didn't go to watch the movie perhaps because of getting deceived by such interviews. I wish I had read the review. Even then I would have watched the movie.
And by the way... I am a non-smoker.
And when I declined, the first defense (as they say) my boss told me I have are my thoughts that why should I change at the first place. Let me mention other defences now.
1) Why should I pay money to get transformed into someone among thousands of those who do the landmark forum course. Who talk the same language and follow the same rules of leading life. Nature made us all different. We all are like different sculptures admired for our unique existence. Why should we smoothen all the corners in us to become similar looking piece of rock. Smooth, harmless but also useless. Why do I need to undergo this transformation.
2) My religion (and for that matter I think any religion) tells me:
Either be spiritual or follow the spiritual
Well let me choose to be spiritual here. Let me myself decide the way I want to lead my life. Let me myself choose to be happy and sad whenever I want. Let me enjoy the power I regained after a long time.... or perhaps for the first time.
No smoking is a movie which leaves us different, not because it changes us but because it gives us reasons why we should not change. Why we should value our antaratma (soul). The moment we surrender, there are lots of other forces which try their best to leave us first deaf and then soulless... Inerestingly, I am not the only one who drew analogy between landmark forum and no smoking's prayogshala. I have one more friend who thinks the same. When my boss saw the movie he even wondered if Anurag Kashyap was influenced by Landmark forum's way of functioning. Well let me add a disclaimer here:
The thoughts expressed are completely personal and may not apply to every individual. Please don't use this text as a reason/way to judge the credibility of Landmark forum.
Now coming to 'No Smoking'. I read a lot of reviews on the movie, some were pathetic. All this guy did was making a fool of himself. Let me not get into reviewing his review. I wish I had seen black friday. Then I would have seen this movie in theatre at the time it released. The first impression I had about movie was that it is against smoking and about spreading public message. Well the messages indeed are good but movies end up as a tele serial or public interest message more than movies. Good part about standard public interest messages is that they are short and effective. I am also amazed why did John Abraham say what he said in this interview. I
can only derive two possible meanings out of it. Either Anurag is much more intelligent than I thought after watching No Smoking or John Abraham is also very intelligent. Second part is hard to believe looking at the kind of statements he gave in this interview.
For those who haven't watched the movie, I'd say if you can make sense of what I have written here, then go watch the movie. It has hundred times more to offer than what I have written here. If you think its a remake of Quitter's Inc. and Cat's Eye then you are wrong. I haven't read the story or watched the movie but No Smoking can't be written down within a shot story. It needs a full fledged book written in autobiographical style. Its much more than that. The story is for viewers who need it. But the movie is way above its story. I read somewhere that John Abraham is not so influential at acting. And I thought oh is it... I didn't notice. All I saw in the movie was 'K'. 'K' as in 'anurag Kashyap'.
I felt sad that movie failed even in multiplexes. And thats because people like me didn't go to watch the movie perhaps because of getting deceived by such interviews. I wish I had read the review. Even then I would have watched the movie.
And by the way... I am a non-smoker.
Friday, February 15, 2008
24 years after 1984
He was sitting in his bed. Lights off. The music was playing at the loudest possible volume. Or maybe it were just the earphones which were creating such effect. Yes it had to be from earphones. Because it was already 11:30 pm and no-one was supposed to play music or even stay awake beyond 11:30 pm in night. The police believed that it was the best way to decrease crime rate in the city. He was sitting by a wall in the darkness. He didn't switch off lights to follow the rules, he just chose to stay in darkness. Maybe he didn't want to see dark stains on the world which used to appear clear and flawless to others. Oh yes maybe the floaters in his eyes are to be blamed for this. Maybe...
And he hummed while he was holding the newspaper in his hands.
"You are nearly a laugh, But you're really a cry"
He didn't need light to read what was there in the newspaper. He had already spent the whole day reading the same thing everytime hoping that it was all the way he had always wanted it to be. Hoping that the truth of past couple of years could be nothing but a passing dream. A nightmare.
And he tried to recall what he remembered word by word by now. The MarathaManus state(Maharashtra name was changed some years back) had just built a wall around itself to restrict the animals from neighbouring state from entering into the state. The dispute was over the height, the state development sena was arguing that the wall should be few feets higher so that the passage of birds from neighbouring state can be minimized. One of the proposals stated that animals should also be issued visa similar to humans. They were not under threat of entry of animals from Bihar because it was too far for animals to travel. Humans from Bihar anyways were not allowed as they were a special threat to MarathaManus state. Similarly all the other states had introduced the concept of Internal Visa for visit.
He was staying in Bengaluru on a work permit for which he had to undergo a rigorous examination on Kannada language and culture. He was also not allowed to use any vehicle as outsiders' vehicles congested the roads and were considered to be spoiling the culture of the city.
As he thought about all this, a faint smile occured to the corners of his face. He threw the newspaper in the adjacently lying stack of newspapers. And he switched on the light. In the corner was lying another newspaper which read some news about Bihar. Yes thats the state he hailed from. The column was by some activist from Bengaluru who expressed pity on the disturbed state of Bihar amidst fresh naxal violence.
He went right upto his music player increased the volume to full and pressed play button. Within a few minutes the police was there and they charged him of ruining the culture by playing non-kannada music, of listening to music in the night after 11:30 and helping the robbers by giving them a chance to rob him by staying awake. As they declared the charges he broke into laughter. He kept on laughing till they started beating him up and fined him heavily for misbehaving. And then they threw him into the bed, switched off his lights and left the place.
He plugged the earphones back into his ears. His laughters were heard whole night by the neighbours. They knew that he had done it again.
And he hummed while he was holding the newspaper in his hands.
"You are nearly a laugh, But you're really a cry"
He didn't need light to read what was there in the newspaper. He had already spent the whole day reading the same thing everytime hoping that it was all the way he had always wanted it to be. Hoping that the truth of past couple of years could be nothing but a passing dream. A nightmare.
And he tried to recall what he remembered word by word by now. The MarathaManus state(Maharashtra name was changed some years back) had just built a wall around itself to restrict the animals from neighbouring state from entering into the state. The dispute was over the height, the state development sena was arguing that the wall should be few feets higher so that the passage of birds from neighbouring state can be minimized. One of the proposals stated that animals should also be issued visa similar to humans. They were not under threat of entry of animals from Bihar because it was too far for animals to travel. Humans from Bihar anyways were not allowed as they were a special threat to MarathaManus state. Similarly all the other states had introduced the concept of Internal Visa for visit.
He was staying in Bengaluru on a work permit for which he had to undergo a rigorous examination on Kannada language and culture. He was also not allowed to use any vehicle as outsiders' vehicles congested the roads and were considered to be spoiling the culture of the city.
As he thought about all this, a faint smile occured to the corners of his face. He threw the newspaper in the adjacently lying stack of newspapers. And he switched on the light. In the corner was lying another newspaper which read some news about Bihar. Yes thats the state he hailed from. The column was by some activist from Bengaluru who expressed pity on the disturbed state of Bihar amidst fresh naxal violence.
He went right upto his music player increased the volume to full and pressed play button. Within a few minutes the police was there and they charged him of ruining the culture by playing non-kannada music, of listening to music in the night after 11:30 and helping the robbers by giving them a chance to rob him by staying awake. As they declared the charges he broke into laughter. He kept on laughing till they started beating him up and fined him heavily for misbehaving. And then they threw him into the bed, switched off his lights and left the place.
He plugged the earphones back into his ears. His laughters were heard whole night by the neighbours. They knew that he had done it again.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Neither Political Nor political
Lets start with an irony. A politically challanged floater read countless pages of politics today.
As I scanned through the pages of wikipedia while my vision kept shifting its focus between the two floaters in my eyes and the text on the screen, Murphy's Law again tried its best to dominate. However I atleast was determined to gather the bare minimum of it before closing my browser.
No it didn't start as an ode to my preparation for IIM interviews. These days I am listening to Pink Floyd of the order I used to listen few years back. And it all started when for the first time I seriously listened to Pink Floyd's album Animal. Oh yes the album deserved to be successful as soon as it was released (The Rolling Stones magazine outrightly rejected the album).
The album runs parallel to Orwell's "Animal Farm"(now I'll have to read this book) though it can't be considered as an adaptation. Animal Farm is about communism and Animal is about people in power or people who try to push things on society. Anyways I loved the rhythm of ha ha charade you are... in the song Pigs and the meaning is awesome... Could relate to loads of things in Indian context... Irrational fundamentalism, Reservation etc etc.
So this is how the context got set and my imaginations did some rounds of thoughts about the difference between Communism and Socialism. I do understand Capitalism well but Communism and Socialism have always sounded same for me like so many other politically challanged people. So to put it in simple words, Socialism is when people work as per their capability and earn proportionately. However, Communism is when people work as per their capability butearn as per their needs. Obviously communism needs to be enforced and that gives rise to a single party political system in communist ruled countries like China and former USSR.
Another interesting thing I learnt was the difference between Communists (a member of a Communist Party) and communists (a proponent of Communism).
A lot of controversial history of communism exists involving USSR and China. And as of today only four countries run with communist government. It indeed is dying. China is also realigning its stand with the changing scenario in the world keeping globalization in mind.
And then I learnt about Marxism. It is about observing communism/socialism with the class element missing. There should be no existence of "Class" element. So what beats me is why CPI(M) supports caste/religion based reservation. Isn't it a serious flaw.
Anyways enough of politics for a poor dark soul like me... Let me get back to where it started.
Hey you, Whitehouse Ha, ha, charade you are
You house proud town mouse Ha, ha, charade you are
You're trying to keep our feelings off the street
You're nearly a real treat All tight lips and cold feet
And do you feel abused? You got to stem the evil tide
And keep it all on the inside Mary you're nearly a treat
Mary you're nearly a treat But you're really a cry
Mary Whitehouse is more than just a name here, it is a class of people who like to tell us what we should be doing. So you might like to play this song this Valentines Day...
hey you *$^*&*# ha, ha, charade you are...
As I scanned through the pages of wikipedia while my vision kept shifting its focus between the two floaters in my eyes and the text on the screen, Murphy's Law again tried its best to dominate. However I atleast was determined to gather the bare minimum of it before closing my browser.
No it didn't start as an ode to my preparation for IIM interviews. These days I am listening to Pink Floyd of the order I used to listen few years back. And it all started when for the first time I seriously listened to Pink Floyd's album Animal. Oh yes the album deserved to be successful as soon as it was released (The Rolling Stones magazine outrightly rejected the album).
The album runs parallel to Orwell's "Animal Farm"(now I'll have to read this book) though it can't be considered as an adaptation. Animal Farm is about communism and Animal is about people in power or people who try to push things on society. Anyways I loved the rhythm of ha ha charade you are... in the song Pigs and the meaning is awesome... Could relate to loads of things in Indian context... Irrational fundamentalism, Reservation etc etc.
So this is how the context got set and my imaginations did some rounds of thoughts about the difference between Communism and Socialism. I do understand Capitalism well but Communism and Socialism have always sounded same for me like so many other politically challanged people. So to put it in simple words, Socialism is when people work as per their capability and earn proportionately. However, Communism is when people work as per their capability butearn as per their needs. Obviously communism needs to be enforced and that gives rise to a single party political system in communist ruled countries like China and former USSR.
Another interesting thing I learnt was the difference between Communists (a member of a Communist Party) and communists (a proponent of Communism).
A lot of controversial history of communism exists involving USSR and China. And as of today only four countries run with communist government. It indeed is dying. China is also realigning its stand with the changing scenario in the world keeping globalization in mind.
And then I learnt about Marxism. It is about observing communism/socialism with the class element missing. There should be no existence of "Class" element. So what beats me is why CPI(M) supports caste/religion based reservation. Isn't it a serious flaw.
Anyways enough of politics for a poor dark soul like me... Let me get back to where it started.
Hey you, Whitehouse Ha, ha, charade you are
You house proud town mouse Ha, ha, charade you are
You're trying to keep our feelings off the street
You're nearly a real treat All tight lips and cold feet
And do you feel abused? You got to stem the evil tide
And keep it all on the inside Mary you're nearly a treat
Mary you're nearly a treat But you're really a cry
Mary Whitehouse is more than just a name here, it is a class of people who like to tell us what we should be doing. So you might like to play this song this Valentines Day...
hey you *$^*&*# ha, ha, charade you are...
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