Purani Jeans aur Guitar.....Happy College Days......!!

FIRST SONG OF THE YEAR 2012...

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Dialogues by Dr P Pradeep Anaesthesiologist...

Live and Let Live...!

 Yes, despite the scams, corruption, unemployment, bad roads etc, India scored  5.5 in Human Development Report , conducted by UN, which measured " Overall Life Satisfaction! " Indians are generally a happy breed. Even amidst global economic gloom, Indians remained upbeat. Most Indians are God fearing and they are steadfast in their belief that every happening in their life is decided by God and their fate. Hence naturally, not withstanding poverty, corruption, bribe, poor infrastructure, we Indians are the happiest bunch of people living on this earth. Our "Happiness Quotient " is always remarkable. We strongly believe that being rich does not increase the happiness quotient. We Indians do have a purpose in life, we believe in : "Jiyo aur Jeene Do"; " Live and Let Live !" 

Chetan Bhagat...

 Banking to writing, and now Chetan Bhagat wants to try his luck behind the camera. Chetan would be working on the screenplay of the movie adaptation of his novel, 2 States, and also will be assisting Vishal Bhardwaj in directing the movie. Chetan's newly foud fondness for film making is not very surprising. He loves to remain in the news : Chetan Bhagat and 3 Idiots controversy is fresh in everyone's mind.Everybody knows that 3 Idiots is just based on Chetan Bhagat's Five Point Someone, but 70 percent of the movie is different. Chetan was also involved with the screenplay of two films adapted from his novels 1. Hello ( One night at the Call Centre ) and 2. Abhishek Kapoor's adaptation of his novel : Three Mistakes of My Life. We only wish Chetan Bhagat, Good Luck for his newly acquired penchant of Film Directing !

Barkha and....

Nobody can deny that in the tapes Nira is heard talking to Vir Sanghvi and Barkha Dutt about the composition of the central Govt ministry, with special reference to the DMK.She requests these two journalists to talk to influential people at the Centre to get particular members of the DMK in the ministry. The two assure they will do the needful. Please sample the conversation again :[1] Theek hai, not a problem, I'll talk to Azad-I'll talk to Azad right after I get out of RCR( Race Course Road,presumably the PM's residence)--Barkha Dutt.
[2] -600 crores! 'It is hard to argue' with that kind of pressure......Basically what they wanted is a little bit of more flexibility. One more cabinet I suppose---Vir Sanghvi. Now, evidently,' it is hard to argue' with such tape as evidence against the two! I would request Karan Thapar and other sympathizers of the duo not to confuse, we Indians, by writing :" Did the journalists really agree to be messengers/lobbyists or were they pretending? It is not unheard of for people to 'Agree' to do something...but not intending to deliver." Sir, such excuses, can not hold water in this prima facie case !!

Dear Khushwant Singh....

 Khushwant Singh's write-up "Let us no longer bicker over temples and mosques" ( with malice towards one and all, October 17 ). The write-up was curiously a contradiction of the heading. Khushwant Singh was bickering over the authenticity of Shri Ram's birthplace Ayodhya. I was really wondering would he dare to doubt similarly  about the birthplace of Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammad ?  He even pooh-poohed the veracity of archeological evidence produced in the court. He seems to be biased against the  Ayodhya verdict, rather than his bias on the side of  "the" Muslims as claimed by him.It was damnably unfair that he should question about the religious beliefs of millions of Hindus regarding the birthplace of Shri Ram. Khushwant Singh's questioning : " Was Shri Ram really  born in Ayodhya ?", can be construed as  blasphemy. Surprisingly, he still strongly believes that Ayodhya verdict is the Sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of Indians. I would like to remind Mr Khushwant Singh that Ayodhya verdict has already been announced by the Allahabad Court but the Sword has so far not fallen on anybody's head. Yes, I agree fully with him, "Let us no longer bicker over temples and mosques" !! Sir !

Right Language..!

The HRD ministry's decision to start Mandarin in CBSE schools is a small but positive move towards improving diplomatic relations with China. I am afraid the average Indian connects well with English and Mandarin may not catch on with our youth. If that so, all HRD ministry's positive initiative will be grossly misspent. The subject of Indo-China relationship is admittedly too complex for facile summarization. HRD ministry may try Bollywood for better results in this aspect. Raj Kapoor films from 1960s and 1970s and few Amitabh Bachchan hits were successful in the past in Russia and many African countries. There is a possibility of Bollywood stars healing the Indo-China relationship ! Distribution of Hindi Movies can be tried from the respective offices. Chinese youth may be attracted to Bollywood movies ,stars and the songs,similar to Russians with Raj Kapoor songs.  Recent successful Shahrukh Khan and Amir Khan Movies with good chinese subtitles may be distributed by HRD ministry in China to draw the attention of chinese youth and brighten Indo-China relationships.

KBC....!!

 This reminds me  a questionnaire which the participant had to answer to win 5 crores! The question was, "Who is David Coleman Headley ?" The options are : A. American citizen who helped Pakistani militants plan the 2008 attack on Mumbai, B. He used his western appearance to hoodwink India and filmed almost all sensitive locations of India, C.He gave the information to the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba,who carried out the attack ; D. He was a " Double- Agent " helping Pakistani militants plan 2008 Mumbai terror attack which killed 170 people. The participant of the KBC game was " the pundit ". And he paused before finally answering it to be "B". Unfortunately, the computer gave the correct answer to be "D" !!

Real Education...!

. Namita Bhandare deserves kudos for the write-up. She rightly states that our education system must be overhauled and needs some imaginative curriculum. Education is about gaining skill,respect, a job and of course improving our ideas and creative solutions. In America, education means freedom, all encompassing, as it should be. Unfortunately, India still believes in exam-centric education which involves mostly memorizing the syllabus and cramming for an examination at the eleventh hour. It is mostly knowing the syllabus by heart without understanding it and its practical application. There is a need for our politicians to give importance to the girl's education. Nitish Kumar's pet scheme to give cycles to young girls as an incentive to go to school, has paid him dividends! It is not surprising to know that lack of toilets in girl's school is the real reason for many girls drop out by secondary school.It is disheartening to know that only 13 million of our 220 million high school children reach college study.Sarva Siksha Abhiyan should cater for higher studies too.We must make our University education at par if not better than foreign universities.Most of our MPs, CEOs and even our PM Manmohan Singh have been educated in foreign universities. Moreover, getting a foreign degree is a fashion statement  just like speaking in English, rather than true education. The author is fully justified in saying,education is nothing if it does not teach life skills and humane values !      

Nitish Kumar

 The landslide win of Nitish Kumar has perhaps paved the way for the projection of Nitish on the national centre stage. After L K Advani's rejection by the people as BJP's PM candidate in 2009 polls, BJP is left with three choices : Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Narendra Modi. But, none of them could be acceptable to its allies. On the other hand, Nitish Kumar could be an acceptable face!  Nitish, a non-BJP leader, can claim Vajpayee's mantle for the first time. Being from Backward class, Nitish can bring support from backward driven parties. With his socialist background he may be acceptable to many Southern groups and even Mulayam Singh. With the precision of the engineer that he is, Nitish is more pragmatic, realistic and practical. Roads, bicycles, culverts and security; the nuts and bolts issues saw Nitish Kumar through. If this formula can work in Bihar; why can't it work for 2014 elections ? Yes, Nitish Kumar has arrived and it will be impossible for anybody to ignore him !  

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar..

.The Art of Living is now in China. Last month, with the full support of Communist Party of China, Indian guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar launched his Art of Living Ashram in Beijing. It is heartening to know that China had rolled out red carpet for Art of Living Ashram in China. China has become the ninth country in the world to have Art Of  Living Ashram.The Art of Living has taken Yoga and meditation to China.Ravi Shankar's vision is stress-free and violence-free world. Since last 29 years, Sri Ravi Shankar has been teaching millions all over the world , stress-elimination with an effective breathing technique.He has been teaching techniques to harness the power of breath . I think he is a true genius in teaching Yoga.Very few people know that every month two courses of Art of Living are conducted in Tihar Jail.Since 2000  to date 40,000 inmates have done this course. Tihar Jail, Asia's largest prison has implemented Art of Living with spectacular success. The same is likely to be implemented in Jails of China with probably same spectacular results! Yes, indeed it will be now " Guru, Giggles and Gulag!

Get well soon...Abida Parveen..!

.The news that Abida Parveen had to undergo an emergency heart surgery in Lahore on Sunday was indeed a shocker. She underwent an Angioplasty. Abida sings mostly Ghazals and Urdu love songs.She has thousands of songs in her repertoire, mainly Sufi songs.There won't be an Indian,who might not have heard her " Ho Jamalo", and " Duma dum mast kalandar".She sings with equal ease in various languages : Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi and Persian.This legendary singer has millions of fans in India. She is now out of danger after she suffered a heart attack. She is now out of danger and doctors have confirmed that she is likely to be discharged in five days from the ICU. We, millions of fans of India, Wish her a "Speedy Recovery" following surgery!

Unsung Hero...!

If you could spare few minutes,I would like to inform you about an inspirational story from Sagar. This is abour Dr. Hari Singh Gaur who was born on 26 November 1870 in Sagar. He studied in a Municipal High School in sagar. His mother used to work hard to make both the ends meet as his father used to stay separately in Jabalpur with his other son. He got a scholarship from Govt for completing his studies upto standard 8th in just two years. His brother helped him for his further studies in Nagpur where he came first in the Matriculation Examination in the entire Nagpur. For further studies he took admission in Free Church Institution( the present Hislop College of Nagpur). He was the only student to do Honours in English and History. He went to Cambridge for further studies where he won many competitions and scholarships. Besides getting a Degree in LL.D, he wrote a book of poems "Stepping Westward" for which he was selected for Royal Society Of Literature. In 1891, he took the Degree of Philosophy and Economics. In 1892, he took the Degree in Law. In 1905, he was awarded D.Litt. Degree from London University,Trinity College. 
Very few people know that he was the first Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University and he was the Vice-Chancellor of Nagpur University from 1924-1936. Dr Gaur's love for his motherland Sagar, is evident by his sole efforts in establishing the University of Sagar. MP Govt had rejected the establishment of Jabalpur University, but Dr Gaur was successful in establishing Sagar University at the same time . He became the founder Vice-Chancellor of Sagar University. He started Sagar University with his very own 20 Lakhs and he donated almost his entire property to Sagar University after his demise; which was approximately 2 crores then. I don't think anyone has done such a thing before or after him in the history of India. Unfortunately, very few people in India know him and his unparalleled sacrifice for Sagar University. Truly, he is an unsung hero of our time, who needs to be idolized.    

Lalu Lath-Bandhan...!

Lalu Prasad Yadav rose to National politics in 1977 after winning the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat. His progress since then was unstoppable in Indian politics. He had always been effervescent, vivacious and bubbly. His unique rustic style has won the hearts of millions all over the world. The most colourful politician, known as a modern day icon, is the chief of Rashtriya Janata Dal political party. His "Kurta Faad" holi, Lalu style hair cut, his stint in Railway ministry, Bihar Chief Ministership, his wife Rabri,his unusually large family, his sense of humour and comedy have become a legend now. His charisma always overshadowed his style glitches. The master tactician of Indian politics never go wrong. His paper lanterns,his fiery speeches always captured the imagination of the masses. Now, just before Bihar elections the Lalu duo have made to the headlines again with their bovine collection! Yes, time only will tell whether the next headlines would be TTM ( Tabadtod Tel Maalish ),Lath- Bandhan or will it be Chat Puja !!  

Salman Khan...!

Salman khan comments on the Channel Express 24/7 claiming 26/11 attacks were hyped because the elite were targetted and later apology for his "insensitive" statement seems more of an intentional controversy at the time of his latest movie Dabangg ! This type of controversy generates a great deal of publicity for the film.The film can be a financial success owing to this controversy! A new technique of advertisement has suddenly cropped up lately. There are two ways of getting publicity,first is by going to reality shows and the next a pre-release controversy. It is well known that My Name Is khan was a success due to pre-release controversy. A political party blocking the release of a film ensures the commercial success of the film. 3 idiots was a big success due to Chetan Bhagat controversy. Hence by saying those controversial statements in his interview Salman has not put his foot in mouth but he has put his best foot forward ! .

Senior Citizens..

There is no denying that the lives of Khushwant Singh, Dev Anand, Nirad C choudhari, Shabana Azmi and Shobhaa De have inspired millions of Indians including me. I , being a medical professional, started analysing the secret of their longevity, success and happiness. They have excelled in their field, have battled agaist all odds and reached the pinnacle of their success by their courage, determination and perseverance. Obviously, success depends on what you do and how you do it. The secret behind the long and successful life is leading a purpose driven life. These people were always ready for the opportunity when it came. Being a doctor I always advise healthy eating, exercise and positive outlook on life. A doctor always advise a diet primarily of fruits, grains and vegetables. Is that all, or are they lucky and genetically blessed ? No, the answer lies in the fact that all these people have found a lifestyle that had lead to their healthy, long life. My salutations to these great Senior Citizens ! May they Rock forever!! 

On AR Rehman....

Oscar Winning  music composer A.R. Rehman has bowed to popular demands is disheartening. For any song it takes time to get the audience into the groove.Rehman had initially turned down requests to make any changes. Urban development minister S. Jaipal Reddy, who also head group of ministers on Commonwealth Games , said: " Mr. Rehman was requested to make the changes and after the changes,they approved it ! It is disheartening to know that the Oscar Winning Composer was arm-twisted to get him change his work . " Oh Yaaron Yeh India Bula Liya  " , yes indeed, Bula Liya Aur Rula Diya !!

Amitabh Bachchan

It is most unfortunate that  Amitabh Bachchan is touchy about anyone successfully imitating his baritone voice. He is planning to copyright his voice.He wrote in his blog, "an asset must be delivered to the one that created the asset !" Obviously, we don't like this tone of his voice..! The whole tenor of our discussion might change with this rhetoric of the mega-megastar.The author has rightly pointed out that imitation is the best form of flattery. Has he forgotten that Sudesh Bhosale, the talented singer provided delightful playback for Amitabh Bachchan in many  successful movies including Hum and Baghbaan. Could he have sung the song "Jumma Chumma " better than Sudesh Bhosale, with better results? Sudesh Bhosale sounds so much like Amitabh Bachchan even while imitating his dialogues. I would like to remind Big B that S P Balasubrahmaniam is a very popular singer of Indian film industry. He was assigned as the default dubbing artist for Kamal Hassan's many Telugu and Tamil movies which were a great success commercially. He has also dubbed voices for various artists including Salman Khan. Kamal Hassan strongly believes the credit for his success goes to S P Balasubrahmaniam. Now, may I ask Amitabh Sir, to kindly change his views.  

My first letter ..

Salman khan comments on the Channel Express 24/7 claiming 26/11 attacks were hyped because the elite were targetted and later apology for his "insensitive" statement seems more of an intentional controversy at the time of his latest movie Dabangg ! This type of controversy generates a great deal of publicity for the film.The film can be a financial success owing to this controversy! A new technique of advertisement has suddenly cropped up lately. There are two ways of getting publicity,first is by going to reality shows and the next a pre-release controversy. It is well known that My Name Is khan was a success due to pre-release controversy. A political party blocking the release of a film ensures the commercial success of the film. 3 idiots was a big success due to Chetan Bhagat controversy. Hence by saying those controversial statements in his interview Salman has not put his foot in mouth but he has put his best foot forward ! 

Mohd Habib..

Here's a story I want you to read: Mohammed Habib, Delhi's Dead Body Collector, has just turned 8o, and he has no plans of his retirement. He has been collecting the city's unclaimed corpses since seven decades! He must have disposed hundred of bodies for free,he had picked up many dead bodies during the 1984 riots after Indira Gandhi's assassination and must have buried countless during the partition of India and Pakistan. Nothing has changed in Habib's life, he still lives in the same footpath with his blind wife Amna Begum. His meeting with his wife was equally interesting, 19 years ago, when he was attracted to her by her statement, "Whenever she felt cold she hugged a dead body and slept as they never troubled her and they never turned around!" This undertaker of dead bodies, has no fear of dead bodies. Occasionally, he slept with a corpse the whole night to protect them from animals! He has a daughter who lives with him and a son who has died.He once adopted a small baby girl whose mother got killed by a speeding train. Since the child was a Hindu, he brought her up as per Hindu traditions and got her married to a Hindu boy. Habib is always worried about winters and the biting northerly winds. The number of deaths doubles during winters. Earthquake and floods don't discriminate between rich and the poor, but unfortunately, the winter does discriminate; the winter kills many every year due to their lack of proper clothing! Habib is also worried about one more thing : " What will happen to a person after him, who comes to Delhi in winters in search of a job?"

Mamta Banerjaee..

Mamta Banerjee is not against industrialisation. She is against the regressive policies of the Left Front, Which have stalled the development in the state for decades.
Banerjee cares about the welfare of the people of Bengal. We hope that she wins the assembly elections and puts the state on the road to development.

Faiz Ahmed Faiz...

A committed Marxist, one of the greatest Urdu poets, a journalist, film maker, trade unionist, broadcaster, teacher, translator, Lenin Peace Prize winner, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, had also served the British Indian Army rising to the rank of Lt Colonel. Born in Sailkot, Faiz was educated in Lahore, the city which served as his base throughout his life.  He continued to live there after the unfortunate partition of the sub-continent.  The trauma, torture and torment of the partition are deeply reflected in his poetry. His love for the liberation of the peoples of the sub-continent as a whole was unquestionable.  When Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, a London newspaper said that he was “A brave enough man to fly from Lahore to Delhi for Gandhi’s funeral at the height of the Indo-Pakistan hatred”.
Adopting the penname, Faiz, which can be best described to mean `dedication to the service of his fellowmen’, he revolutionised Urdu poetry. He relentlessly showed that the pen is mightier than the sword  in rousing the people.
May God Bless His Soul !

Karan Thapar...

. I must congratulate Karan Thapar for the superbly written genuine article. The author gave a detailed account of his Doon school days. The story of Doon School Scholar's blazer was really touching and sentimental best!  But the author seemed a bit biased towards Doon school. He is steadfast in his belief that Doon is the best school. He is also a staunch supporter of Doon school and its faculty. He was wonderfully nostalgic about the platinum jubilee celebrations of the school and his being awarded the first scholar's blazer. He was delightfully mushy and sentimental when he took us down his memory lane. But he made a mistake in saying that Doon was special. I beg to differ . School days are special to every child, whether it is a Doon or a Municipal school, school days are the best days of  one's life. I would strongly protest if my modest school is not considered hallowed, compared to Doon. I still take pride in talking about my modest school and I too vividly remember all my school teachers and their voices like the author.