Malicious Rants

Facts can Lie

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 07:54:00 +0000

Truth and lies aren't two landmarks at the extremes of the Earth. Both share a common ground of facts. When superimposed against facts, the circle of truth covers them precisely—without any fact sticking out or fiction entering the perimeter.

In contrast, a lie will have at least some portion straying away from facts. The proportion of fiction can be anything from 0% to 100%. If your story does not include all the facts, it is a lie even though you are telling only the facts. Being selective in using the facts is being dishonest.

A lie is stating of facts in a selective manner with or without fiction. Did the government/Delhi Police choose to misrepresent facts in the death of a policeman? One would need the post-mortem report to ascertain the cause of death. It is not difficult to come up with the idea of misstating facts to get some leverage against protestors.

Delhi Police's Subhash Tomar collapsed during the protests against the heinous gang rape in Delhi. A set of unruly protestors were blamed for his condition. According to some sources, the policeman died on 25 December due to a heart attack while he was on duty. (Image: Twitter / crguna)

What Breeds Rapists?

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 20:09:00 +0000

Outrage after a young girl was gang raped in the country's capital—you can see it in newspapers and television news channels, social media and blogs. No doubt, rape is a heinous crime and must attract severe punishment. Many are advocating castration as a punishment for assault on modesty of a girl. Why not, but will adding castration as a punishment actually reduce the incidences of rape? I don't think so.

Why does our society breed so many rapists? That's the question to be answered if you really want an end (at least reduce) to this grave crime against women.

Strangers, slum dwellers, influential men, neighbour, colleagues, policemen, politicians: all of them can be rapists. Sometimes, it is relatives or even fathers who feel no shame in outraging modesty of a woman. Why?

All men would agree that it is not uncommon of even the most 'civilised' or 'educated' men in the top strata of our society to talk about women in a very cheap way and treat them as an object of sex behind their back. Such cheap remarks could be for classmates, colleagues or an acquaintance. Women would have overheard such remarks or got hints about it. Does our society treat it as an immoral act of a perverted mind?

On a different level, we are a very tolerant society. We will tolerate injustice being done to our neighbour or a stranger. "Stay away from trouble. Don't get yourself involved in other peoples' mess." Most of us would have been advised this at some point in time. Girls are advised to turn a blind eye towards eve-teasing. Some crazy leaders preach women how to avert rape and molestations by wearing certain dresses or not stepping out of their houses after 6-7PM. We will tolerate wrongdoings if we can.

Our society also has double standards on morality and character. You want your own daughters safe, while taking the advantage of a crowded bus to grope a college/schoolgirl half your age. Our perspective on development and liberalisation have also got distorted. A guy with changing girlfriends often is 'smart', while a girl in a similar position would be labelled as 'easy' or 'loose'. You would be in a live-in relationship, yet choose to marry a 'good natured' girl.

Lopsided growth in our society could also be one of the reasons for crime against women, as well as other crimes. When you see others driving a luxury car, you also desire to be in a similar situation. All the slums in a city with millionaires flaunting their money can become a serious problem. Young boys and men in slums might not have the education and qualification to earn a decent living, but they too have access to movies and malls. If their desire to enjoy the life of the upper class impairs their sense on right and wrong, you have new petty criminals to gangsters in your society.

'Respect' is also on a gradual decline. As a boss, you treat your subordinates like slaves. A police officer talks to ordinary civilians rudely. Being at the top of the pyramid, it is expected of politicians to disregard people or law. (So many scams highlight it.) When no one treats you properly, it is not surprising that you pass on the treatment when you get an opportunity. Girls and women are easy victims to this utter disregard to 'respect'. Rape a girl to rob her of her pride.

At all levels of our society, we need to learn how to respect others. Politicians need to show respect towards land and its people, government officials need to respect the civilians they serve and ordinary men need to respect the rights of others. If all of us learn to be respectful towards others, incidences of lots of crimes, including those against women, will go down drastically.

सोच प्रक्रिया

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 07:46:00 +0000

हमारा दिमाग भी कमाल का है। हजारों-लाखों तंतुओं में समाई होती हैं ढ़ेर सारी जानकारियाँ और हमारा खुद का सोचने-विचारने का तंत्र। हमारा खुद का अस्तित्व ये तय करता है की जानकारियों को किस तरह जोड़ा जाये और कैसे उसका विश्लेषण हो। हमारा अवचेतन मन (सब्कोंसियस दिमाग) हमारे सोच तंत्र को निर्देशित करता है।

सवाल ये की मैं मानव मष्तिष्क की बात क्यों कर रहा हूँ?

कल सुबह एक मित्र (नंबर 1) की शिकायत दूसरे (नंबर 2) से कर रहा था—"ये कैसी मित्रता की आप मित्र को घर से लाया संदेश (मिठाइयाँ) न दें। निष्ठुरता की हद तो ये की आप मुझे किसी तीसरे व्यक्ति को वही सन्देश पहुचने को भी कहें?"

न तो मैंने उस तीसरे व्यक्ति का नाम लिया, न ही और कुछ कहा। दूसरे मित्र (नंबर 2) के दिमाग में कुछ चल रहा होगा। तुरंत ही एक नाम लेकर पक्का करना चाहा की वो व्यक्ति वही है। एक दम सही निशाना। यहाँ तक तो सब सही चल रहा था। इसके आगे उनके दिमाग के घोड़े सरपट दौड़ने लगे।

"फेसबुक पर देखा था। कैसे जान-पहचान हुई। आपकी कोई भूमिका?" उन्होने पूछा।

"नहीं, फेसबुक तो सबके लिए खुला है। खुद ही फ्रेंड बना लिया।" मैंने साफ़-सपाट शब्दों में तथ्यों को दोहरा दिया। हमारे ये मित्र डांट पिलाने में माहिर है। सो मैंने कहा देखते हैं वो कैसे प्रतिक्रिया करते हैं।

"ये क्या बात हुई। बात यहाँ तक आ पहुँची और हमें बताया तक नहीं।" उन्हों ने शिकायती लहजे में कहा।

"हाँ, बोलिए ऐसा कहीं कोई दोस्त के साथ करता है?" मैंने उनकी कल्पना की उड़ान को जारी रहने दिया।

दिन के भाग-दौड़ में बात आयी-गयी हो गई। रात को पहले मित्र का फ़ोन आया—"आपने क्या कह दिया है? वो तो मेरे पीछे ही पड़ गये। उनकी शिकायत की पोटली तो ऐसे ही भरी होती है।"

सो ये एक छोटा सा उदहारण था की कैसे हम तथ्यों का मनचाहा मतलब निकलते हैं। वैसे ही जैसे आकाश के तारों को जोड़ कर हम मनचाही आकृति बना लेते है। हाँ, ये भी की लोग आपके फेसबुक अकाउंट पर भी पैनी नज़र रखते हैं। वस्तुस्थिति चाहे जो भी हो, लोग मतलब वही निकालेंगे जो उनका मन चाहेगा। सावधान रहिएगा—मेरे मित्र से नहीं, लोगों की सोच प्रक्रिया से।

व्हाट द एफ़ (एफ़ फॉर फेसबुक)

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:01:00 +0000

"मेरे फेसबुक अकाउंट में नौ सौ से ज्यादा फ्रेंड्स हैं!" मेरे एक दोस्त ने बड़े गर्व के साथ कहा था।

फेसबुक की दुनिया भी निराली है। क्या किसी के इतने सारे दोस्त हो सकते हैं? और क्या आपके फेसबुक फ्रेंड्स सचमुच के दोस्त हैं?

करोड़ों लोगों की तरह मैं भी फेसबुक पर हूँ। फ्रेंड्स के नाम पर सौ से कम लोग। ज्यादातर लोगों को मैं दोस्त कह सकता हूँ। फ़ोन या मिलना कम ही होता है।

एक मित्र फेसबुक को माईक्रो-ब्लॉग (लघु संचिका, लघुशंका नहीं) की तरह इस्तेमाल करते हैं। भई, अपने लेखनी को चमकाइये, पर ब्लॉग पर। ज्यादा लोगों तक आपकी बात पहुंचेगी। लोग सालों बाद भी आसानी से आपके विचारों से लाभांवित हो सकेंगे।

कई लोगों को देखा है की हर घंटे कुछ लिखते हैं। कुछ तो कोई कार्टून ही चिपका दिया। अगर आप सामाजिक हैं तो कई लोग लाईक कर देते हैं। मैं ज्यादा सोशल नहीं हूँ तो शायद ही कभी कोई लाईक करता है।

एक दूसरे दोस्त का कहना था की फेसबुक पर हर कपल बेस्ट होता हैं और हर बच्चा 'क्युट'। जिस तरह लोग अपनी फोटो चिपकाते हैं और कुछ देर में बहुत सारे लोग टिप्पणीयाँ और लाईक करते हैं इससे तो उसकी बात सही ही लगती है।

कई लोगों को देखा है की किसी अनजान को भी फेसबुक दोस्त बना लिया। किसी से आमने-सामने कभी बात नहीं की पर फेसबुक पर दोस्त हैं। हद तो तब होती हैं जब फेसबुक पर ऐसे लोग भी दोस्त कहलाते हैं जो असल जिंदगी में नज़र मिलने पर भी कतरा कर निकल जाते हैं।

कोई मार्क ज़करबर्ग कोई बताये की आप जितने लोगों को जानते-पहचानते हैं, सारे दोस्त नहीं होते। वरना तो मैं कहूँगा — व्हाट द एफ़ (एफ़ फॉर फेसबुक)।

भाषाओँ की फेर बदल

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 11:47:00 +0000

एक वक़्त था जब मैं हिंदी पत्र - पत्रिकाएँ बड़े चाव से पढता था। अब एक अरसा हो गया हिंदी अख़बार या पत्रिका पढ़े हुए। कुछ मित्रों के हिंदी बलॉग्स को देख कर लगा की चलो हिंदी में कुछ कहा जाये। काफी अरसा हो गया है, सो त्रुटियों को नज़रंदाज़ कीजियेगा।

स्कूल-कॉलेज के वक़्त हर रोज़ हिंदी अख़बार पलटता था। बचपन में अगर अंग्रेजी पत्रिका पढ़ने को दी जाती तो थोड़ी कोफ़्त होती थी। मज़ा सिर्फ हिंदी पत्रिकाओं और कॉमिक्स में ही आता। जयपुर से एक बच्चों की पाक्षिक पत्रिका प्रकाशित होती है। नब्बे के दशक में मैं बेसब्री से उसके नए अंकों का इंतज़ार किया करता था। उस वक़्त के संपादक कमाल के चित्रकथाएँ भी बनाते थे। चित्रकथा विशेषांक बड़ा रोचक होता था। कुछ साल पहले उस पत्रिका को फिर देखा, काफी बदल गया था। हिंदी-अंग्रेज़ी का ऐसा घालमेल की मन उचट गया। पत्रिका की शैली और फोकस भी एकदम अलग।

याद आये वो पुराने अंक, आपने वक़्त के। समय के साथ सब बदल जाता है पर कैसे एक वक़्त आपका आपना हो जाता है। रोचक बात तो ये की ये "अपना वक़्त" किसी खास साल या दशक नहीं, पूरी उम्र भी हो सकती है। तीस बरस का इंसान अगर अपने स्कूल के दिनों को याद करे तो कहेगा "मेरे वक़्त "। साठ साल का आदमी अगर अपनी जवानी के किस्से सुनाये, तो वो भी "हमारे समय" ही होगा।

समय की बात से हट कर पात्र-पत्रिकाओं पर वापस आयें। आजकल तो हिंदी मीडिया में अंग्रेजी का चलन हो गया है। कई अख़बारों में तो अंग्रेज़ी शब्दों को रोमन लिपि में ही लिखते हैं। आज के संपादक इस चलन को वक़्त की जरूरत बताते हैं। उन्हें अपनी भाषा क्लिष्ट लगती है। पाठक अंग्रेज़ी शब्दों को आसान पते हैं, ऐसा उनका कहना है। क्या सचमुच आज के पाठक हिंदी शब्दों की अपेक्षा अंग्रेजी आसानी से समझ लेते हैं? अगर ऐसा है तो हिंदी पढना-लिखना कब कठिन हो गया?

मैं खुद अंग्रेजी मीडिया में काम करता हूँ। पिछले पाँच-छः सालों में अंग्रेज़ी में ही लिखता रहा हूँ। अब कई बार तो सोचता भी अंग्रेजी में हूँ। कहीं पढ़ा था की आप आपनी प्राथमिक भाषा में सोचते हैं। इस लॉजिक (इसका हिंदी अभी याद नहीं आ रहा) से तो अंग्रेज़ी को मेरी प्राथमिक भाषा कह सकते हैं। वैसे अभी भी हिंदी में खुद को अभिव्यक्त करना ज्यादा आसान होता है। अपने लोगों के साथ हिंदी ही बोलता हूँ। नए लोगों के साथ अंग्रेजी ज्यादा सहज लगती है।

आज कई सालों के बाद हिंदी लिख रहा हूँ। तसल्ली करना चाहता था की हिंदी अब आती है या नहीं। इसका सही निर्णय तो आप ही कर सकते हैं। एक वक़्त था जब हिंदी की जगह अंग्रेजी पत्रकारिता की पढ़ाई का चयन किया क्योंकी वहां ज्यादा विद्यार्थियों के लिए जगह थी। वैसे अब हिंदी और अंग्रेज़ी पत्रकारिता के बीच के सैलरी में आमतौर पर जो फर्क नज़र आता है उससे लगता है की अंग्रेजी का दमन पकड़ कर अच्छा ही किया।

क्लिष्ट हिंदी की बात करें तो महादेवी वर्मा की एक काव्य संग्रह का ध्यान आता है। वो उम्दा लेखिका रही हैं, पर वो काव्य संग्रह मैं पढ़ नहीं पाया। भारी-भरकम शब्दों की भरमार थी। इसका मतलब ये नहीं की कविताएँ खराब थीं। अगर क्लिष्ट हिंदी का रोना प्रकाशकों ने रोया होता तो हिंदी साहित्य में एक हिस्सा खाली ही रह जाता।

मेरा मानना है की भाषाओँ के बीच लेनदेन सोच समझ कर होना चाहिए। बहुत सारे शब्द अंग्रेजी में ही हैं। वहाँ कुछ कर नहीं सकते। पर हिंदी के सरल शब्दों (कम से कम कुछ सालों पहले तक जो सरल माने जाते थे) के जगह अंग्रेजी शब्दों का प्रयोग भाषाई अराजकता ही कही जा सकती है। हिंदी संपादकों को इस बात का ख्याल रखना चाहिए। कहीं ऐसा न हो की हिंदी में सिर्फ अंग्रेजी शब्द ही पाए जाएँ और देवनागरी लुप्त हो जाये।

Language Trouble

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:16:00 +0000

In a large country such as India with hundreds of languages and dialects, communicating with others can sometimes be tricky. An innocuous sentence can make the person at other end furious.

A couple of days ago, I was on my way to work in a crowded coach of a Delhi Metro train. If you have commuted on crowded city trains, you would know that it is almost inevitable to not brush against someone. You have someone's sweaty arms rubbing against you, making you feel disgusted. Then you have a lethal concoction of body odours that makes breathing difficult even in an air-conditioned train coach. (Have you ever been attacked with a lethal gas, possibly silent, explosion from a farty guy?)

So I was on the crowded Metro train, being crushed or rubbed against others. When a station was about to approach a station, one guy in a short-sleeve white-brown stripped shirt wanted to make room for his exit. He asked an elderly looking guy if that person had to get down at the next stop. Bam! "Don't you have any manners? Mind your language," the elderly guy retorted in Hindi. (बोलने की तमीज़ नहीं है?)

"What did I say wrong?" the guy hit back. (अपन ने क्या गलत बोला तुम्हें?)

"First you talk rudely and then have the audacity to question me," the elderly person became even more angry. (एक तो बदतमीज़ी से बोलते हो और बात बनाते हो|)

The guy walked towards the gate muttering while making room for himself. Meanwhile, the elderly guy continued complaining without worrying that no one was actually bothered about his experience.

What made the elderly guy furious? In order to understand the problem, you must know that the elderly guy was someone whose family had been living in Delhi for several generations. Even if my assumption is wrong, he surely belonged to the Hindi-speaking region where you have to use the language differently so that you do not offend the other person. The guy in short-sleeves was obviously not from the same Hindi-speaking zone. He might have been a non-Hindi speaking region or where the language doesn't really have separate variations of words for showing respect. The conversation, or rather the altercation, had started with the guy in short-sleeves asking the other guy if he would get down at the next station in a manner that is considered in the regions that speak more refined version of the language. "Agle station par utrega? (आगले स्टेशन पर उतरेगा?"

A simple statement, which meant no harm, was perceived as an insult because of differences in social practices and language barriers.

Staged Encounter Killings in India: Wikileaks

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 06:29:00 +0000

Staged encounter killings have been a dark side of the Indian law-enforcement system, particularly police. It's an open secret, which has been the subject of several Bollywood movies. Wikileaks has released a cable communication between Indian embassies and New Delhi in July 2006 on this harsh reality.

A review of Indian media would suggest that police, military and paramilitary officers have become expert at intercepting terrorists and at killing them in self-defense. Scratch the surface, however, and what lies underneath is an "encounter killing" -- an extrajudicial execution framed to look like the police foiled a bona fide terrorist attack. In some cases the victim is killed while in custody or after having been unofficially arrested, and brought to a (usually) isolated location where the officers later announce they had prevailed in a shoot-out with a hardened criminal or hard-core terrorist. India's slow legal system and the difficulty of obtaining timely convictions are key drivers in security officers deciding to summarily execute terrorist suspects, including in staged encounters, sources tell us. Police may also initially be driven to conduct these staged encounters because of the pressure to "solve the case," but they can be a lucrative business, the source of government-funded bounties, medals, and fame. In exceptional cases, police who become famous for multiple encounter killings become legend; Mumbai police officer Daya Nayak, who three years ago literally boasted having killed 83 criminals in encounters, was the subject of no less than three Bollywood films and a consultant on several more.

Delhi Metro: Left is not Right

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:45:00 +0000

The Delhi Metro is one of the wonders of the Ancient World (or at least so it seemed to me when I first discovered it in 2005). You descend from the often dirty, cacophonous, teeming world of India's capital with its bustling millions and suddenly you find yourself in an air-conditioned, high-tech, spotless, gleaming world almost empty of people. For some of us Westerners who need respite from the Eastern street, going down into the Metro is positively a vacation (from regular India). Even though the fares are inexpensive (even by Indian standards) the metro in 2005 was fairly empty. Maybe, the Delhians hadn't got used to it yet. [Flick user David Lisbona]

I have recently started (since Monday, 6 September 2010) using the metro's Yellow Line to commute to my new office in Connaught Place (CP). It's a good option, given that it takes less time and has plenty of trains. But is that enough? India is always short of resources, partly because we manage to proliferate quite rapidly. If you have travelled in a Delhi bus on select busy routes during peak hours, you can easily get the idea of crowd that you have to face in these trains. At around 7.45pm, it takes at least 5 minutes in a queue before you get to enter the Rajiv Chowk metro station. And you get some space to stand, often leaning on fellow passengers. So far, I haven't managed to get a seat in the metro service.

Let alone the crowd, the signs at the Rajiv Chowk metro station are also not very helpful. On my first day, I kept looking for the Yellow Line platform. The sign showed it's the station on the lower floor, and the platforms over there had huge signages saying "Blue Line Platform" and "Exit", with a direction. These signs made me assume that the platform where I was standing was for the Blue Line route. The signages were actually meant for directing passengers to the Blue Line platform. To avoid any miscommunication, the signage should have read "Way to Blue Line Platform". I don't know if it's just me who got confused due to the signs, but any professional interface designer will agree that the signs are faulty.

A rookie driver (I am sure the driver was a rookie) of Delhi Metro gave me the latest chance to criticize. On Wednesday, on my way to CP from Hauz Khas, the metro stopped before the platforms arrived and then reached the appropriate halt points with jolts due to regular brakes. The driver seemed to be unaware that there's something called "Right". For the announcement system and indicators, the platforms were always to the left of the train. As a matter of fact, there were just one or two platforms on the stretch that were to the left side of the train. Thankfully, the doors opened on the correct side despite wrong announcements and indicators.

It's a relief that these errors cannot lead to some tragedy, but it's a sign of carelessness. The metro management cannot do anything about the population but they can, of course, increase the number of trains. If that's too much to ask for, they can surely remove erroneous signs and teach their drivers when left is not right.

The Three Nannies

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 06:45:00 +0000

MidDay reports that Bollywood director Farah Khan is planning a family vacation. She will be tavelling with her husband, three daughters and their nannies. In this picture that accompanied the report, Khan is holding her handbag instead of one of her daughters. Look a bit odd to me and reminds me of several Hollywood flicks based on how children grow in care of nannies rather than their mothers. With increasing prosperity, Indian film industry will soon be able to copy from those US films. More fresh scripts for Bollywood and plenty of inspirational material available.

Farah Khan with her triplets and their nannies

Farah Khan is planning a 10-day vacation in Thailand after shooting for Tees Maar Khan ends. This is the first time FK will take a vacation with her husband Shirish Kunder, babies Anya, Diva and Czar, and their three nannies! [MidDay]

Kick some ass

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:38:00 +0000

Maybe, I am a pervert with a contorted brain, but then I couldn't stop wondering what these Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) activists/members are trying to learn as part of their drill.

If you look at the first (from right) man/boy/activist/volunteer, it's not clear what he is up to. But as you pan your head towards the left, their body language makes it amply clear what they want. The last man in the row is actually trying to kick the ass of the person ahead of him. Just look at the intensely wicked expression on his face. Trying hard to have fun by kicking some ass (or maybe nuts).

This kick-ass picture was published in today's (14 June 2010) Hindustan Times Delhi edition.

Maa! Do not tell anyone that you killed me

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Thu, 06 May 2010 20:14:00 +0000

Nirupama Pathak was murdered by smothering. Who killed her? Though the truth will take some time to emerge, circumstances point at her family, her mother who tried to mislead the police about her daughter's death. The young journalist was guilty of taking decisions about her life on her own, flouting the age-old regulations of "Sanatan Dharma". This is a letter that she might have written if dead people could write and post letters.

Dear Maa,

Today, I remember a bedtime story that grandma had repeated several times, the story of a mother's heart. Maybe, your mother or grandmother had also narrated it to you.

Once upon a time, in a small village, there was a young man who fell in love with a beautiful damsel from the neighbouring village. When the man proposed to marry her, she agreed on condition that they set up a separate household in her village. He agreed to it and informed his mother.

The old widow who had reared her only child with great rigour wanted her son's happiness. So she said, "My blessings are with you, my son. But if you are ever distressed, come to me for help."

And the young man left his mother's home, married the young damsel and set up a new household. Days passed, and the lives of all three of them was passing uneventfully, the couple enjoying together, and the lonely widow living a life of hardship in the hope that her son will someday return.

After the initial years of vigorous love, the young couple's lives became more of a routine, which the lady started to despise. She started to feel that the young man no more loved her like the initial days. And one day she complained to her husband about the diminishing love of her husband. The young man tried to convince her wife that he was still madly in love with her.

"If you are madly in love with me, go and fetch your mother's heart for me."

"Do you know what are you talking? How can I fetch my mother's heart? I can't kill her."

"Ok. Then you will have to forget me and our alliance," his wife said.

After being forced to make a choice between his wife and mother, the man thought that his mother is anyway not going to live for long. So it wouldn't be that bad if he fetched her heart for his wife. And the man headed to his mother's house.

The old widow was too happy to see her son after a long time. She cooked the best dishes for her son, fed him with affection and made his bed in open under the cool night sky. The man lied on the bed, watching the star-studded sky for some time, while his mother fanned him with a hand fan. When he saw that her mother wasn't leaving, he pretended to fall asleep. The old woman, satisfied that her son had fallen in sound sleep, she herself went to bed, filled with satisfaction and joy.

The man who had been pretending to be sleeping woke up in the midnight, opened a long knife to reveal a shining blade glistening in the moon light. Stealthily, he went to her mother's bed, gagged her with a pillow and stabbed her mother to death. He fetched her mother's heart and started walking back to present it to his wife. On his way back, the man was crossing an orchard with trees so tall that it was completely dark in it. The man stumbled on a rock and fell flat on his face, losing hold of his mother's heart.

"Are you hurt my son?" the man heard her mother's voice coming from where her heart lay on the ground.

This was a tale that I heard from grandma. I hope no grandmother gets to know what you did to me, your daughter. I want a mother's heart to be remain the same: always wishing good for her children.

Nirupama

Old Indian jugaad: newspaper on rent

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Thu, 06 May 2010 09:41:00 +0000

Many Indians, mostly in small towns, like to read newspapers and flip through magazines while standing at news marts. It's an Indian jugaad for getting to read the newspaper free of cost. Since Indians are too happy to devour a free copy of newspaper or magazine, almost all tea stalls in small towns subscribe to at least one newspaper and/or any magazine catering to the popular taste. However, if you live in a metro, one might not be able to engage in this jugaad for getting to read newspapers for free.

More than 100 years ago, some enterprising newspaper vending company in Bombay (now Mumbai) made an effort to create a news circulation business out of Indians' thrifty nature. It offered newspapers on rent for a few hours. So the same newspaper would be delivered at one home early in the morning, then collected and delivered to another homes. The cost of getting a newspaper reduced as the sun completed its day's journey in the sky. One who waited for the newspaper till 4 o'clock had the option to return it the next morning. If someone wanted to keep the newspaper, he could get the newspaper a day after publication.

The October 1909 issue of Popular Mechanics has an article titled "Curious newspaper practices in India" which documents this ingenious way of circulating newspapers.

CURIOUS NEWSPAPER PRACTICES IN INDIA
By a complicated system of newspaper circulation, in which the same paper is circulated in as many as three different households, a Bombay firm which contracts with the newspapers for fresh supplies every day shows a thriftiness that would put an American newsboy to shame. The price of the leading morning newspapers ill Bombay. delivered by mail, is 66 cents a month, but if a subscriber will take it from a carrier who delivers it at 7 o'clock and will read and return it when 11, calls again at 11 o'clock. the price is only 50 cents a month. If the subscriber is willing to wait for his morning paper until 4 o'clock in the afternoon, he may have it at that hour and return it to the carrier the next morning for 33 cents a month. Or, if he likes to keep his old papers, he may wait until the next morning after publication, have his paper for 33 cents a month, and be under no obligation to return it at all. Thus the same paper may be circulated through three different households, and the total revenue therefrom will amount to $1.05 per month.

Image:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mackenzienicole/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Republique de ignorance

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:08:00 +0000

Reporters are often ignorant about what they are reporting. If you disagree with this statement, you might not have seen a report by IANS news agency published on Hindustan Times website about an anti-piracy and "corruption" software Republique that film director Sajid Khan claims he is using for his latest film Housefull to prevent illegal downloading of the film over the Internet.

Sajid Khan was quoted as saying that if anyone tries to illegally download the movie, not only will the files get corrupted but their IP address will be recorded and they will be prosecuted for piracy.

"We even have a call centre in Mumbai with 35 people on board monitoring the illegal downloading of the film. We've tested the process too and it worked wonders in five seconds," he added.

Who developed this anti-piracy software? And when? The reporter as well as the person who picked the story for HT website didn't bother to ask the question. Both failed to detect the hoax and very smugly warned their audience about the impending dangers.

But the readers weren't as ignorant or gullible. "Probably, it has been tested on farm animals rather than real people, but sure he wishes to go ahead with his BIG PLANS!" one of them commented.

A Twitter user @flyyoufools said: "Dear Sajid if you really cracked the anti-piracy thing then sell it to Hollywood. More money than your movie can make."

A few days ago, another Twitter user was wrongly attributed for a tweet that she had retweeted (a way of forwarding a message on Twitter) in a report by some information technology industry magazine!

Why does it happen? Maybe, because reporters rely heavily on press releases and cooked news handed to them by public relations professionals. Reporters are too happy to spew the gyan that's given to them by companies and their PRs. "Why bother to study the subject when there are 'experts' to give you all the information about things that are happening in your beat (specific topics that a reporter is supposed to keep track of). Studying will only confuse you." Ignorance is bliss!

Bringing the change

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:29:00 +0000

While browsing the Web during an unofficial office break, I found this clever piece of street art or persuation art on BoingBoing. The "Make A Difference" poster has been designed by Imaginary Foundation (contrary to its name, the foundation is real), which has posted a PDF of the same for people to download and use.

The only problem with this kind of poster is that it will lose its uniqueness once all the "I Wills" have been torn. How will others display their approval? I tried to find some other solutions for such street persuation arts.

1. Use ribbons or laces: One can try placing ribbons or laces with a message along side such persuasion posters. People who support the cause can pick up a ribbon and put it on their shirts or bags.

2. Ask people to sign: Leave lots of space in the poster for people to sign the poster or leave a message.

3. Urge people to spread the word: A poster can also ask people to tweet or send a message to friends about their decision to support the cause. It will help spread the word as well.

What's your idea for a persuasive street art? Let the world know.

Sania bhabhi in Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:26:00 +0000

Sania Mirza flew to Pakistan on Thursday. And Pakis are very excited about their new bhabhi. This gutka (chewing tobacco) is a part of the Sania bhabhi wave in Pakistan.

Image/Twitpic

[For those who are gullible enough to consider the picture a real one: it's just a digital art.]

Bizzare search suggestions by Google Hindi

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:48:00 +0000

A few days ago, Google introduced on-screen keyboard along with its search boxes for several non-Latin languages that require special characters, including for Hindi. So I visited Google Hindi to try the new feature. As soon as I typed the first letter (the physical keyboard), I was stumped by Google's search suggestions.

Given that in today's world, Google often knows us more than anyone through our searches, the suggestions made by Google can lead to conclusion that most people who use Hindi on the search engine are amorous or sexually frustrated or downright lose characters. Why? Just look at the A-Z suggestion made by Google Hindi. Click on the images to view the original size.

A for Aunty

B for Bra

C for Choli

D for Doodhwali

E for Edult

F for Fad Di

G for Ghused Di

H for Humbistar

I for India TV

J for Jeeju

K for Kamwali

L for Ladki hai kya

M for Masti kothe ki

N for Nangi

O for Oral

P for Phad di

Q for Qutub Minar

R for Rat mein

S for Sehla rahi thi

T for Teen bar

U for Ungli

V for Vashikaran mantra

W for Wallpaper

X for Nil

Y for Yauwan ki pyas

Z for Zip khol di

After all these search suggestions by Google Hindi, I can only say: आज मेरी किस्मत ख़राब है! or I am feeling unlucky today!

Ladies! please save the world

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:16:00 +0000

Women's revealing clothes and promiscuous behaviour are responsible for earthquakes. Says who? An Iranian Islamic cleric.

The cleric's interesting explanation of the earth's trembling is not in the wake of the volcanic eruptions that have disrupted air navigation but in reaction to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinijad's prediction that an earthquake is about to hit capital Tehran and that a large number of city's resident should be relocated.

Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi, the leader for Friday prayers, said: "Many women who do not dress modestly...lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which increases earthquakes."

The Iranian cleric's preachings to a crowd gathered for Friday namaz (prayers) reminds me of a sermon that I had heard blaring from a horn in hoarse but well trained voice of an Islamic cleric in Patna: "Women who paint their nails with nail polish, their nails will be extracted on the day of qayamat (doomsday). Those who wear lipstick, their lips will be skinned. Those who do not cover their heads will have their hair uprooted by the satan."

It was a very long sermon about how women who do not adhere to Islamic codes for dressing and behaviour will be punished by the satan. If all what the cleric was saying were true, there would be not a strand of flesh left on the skeleton of modern women on the day of qayamat.

[Guardian via @flyyoufools]

Why support Tharoor?

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:12:00 +0000

Why are some people like Shekhar Kapur trying to portray that Shashi Tharoor is the victim in the IPL-Kochi team controversy? Some have even created SupportTharoor.com and SupportTharoor.org websites. (I ~~couldn't~~ access either of the websites, but both of them have been registered and Kapur mentioned SupportTharoor.org in one of his tweets.)

Is there any doubt about the fact that Tharoor helped a business consortium win an IPL team in which his friend, fiance or whatever was offered "sweat stake" in violation of the law of the country? What made Sunanda Pushkar worth Rs70 crore? And why did Tharoor choose to help a business consortium win an IPL team? Does it sound in any way similar to a minister helping an infrastructure firm win a road project?

Film-maker Shekhar Kapur tweets:

Shashi Tharoor resigns and the wrong people win.

Why does Kapur think that Tharoor is on the side of truth? The same question should be raised before the Bharatiya Janata Party when it issues a statement saying Tharoor's resignation is victory of the truth.

@ManuVilsan tweets:

Do you know, "Lalith Modi" changed his name as "Truth". When Tharoor resigned, the BJP said "it is the victory of Truth".

What anyone can easily guess from whatever bits of information that's been out in media, IPL commissioner Lalit Kumar Modi and Tharoor had a symbiotic relationship, both benefiting from the other, till some differences arose. That's when Modi made a small hole in the can of leeches, thinking the blood-sucking worms will only hurt the now-former junior minister. He didn't realize that he was in the same pond as Tharoor and releasing the leeches in the pond will ultimately hurt him too. (By raging a war against a minister, did Modi irk the government?)

Tharoor, a novice politician (not a leader; I can't find any leader in Indian politics), faltered trying to jump through the hooves of corruption and politics. A free stake to his friend was easy to pin point. Neither he nor his friend could satisfy the media and the top Congress leadership with their answers as to why the stake was offered for free.

To top it all, Tharoor didn't know that it's a sacred custom in Indian politics to offer your resignation if any allegations are levelled against you. Even some politicians had been reported saying that Tharoor made a mistake by refusing to resign. If the Tharoor would have offered his resignation saying he doesn't want to hold the office till it's proved that the allegations of corruption are baseless and inspired by ulterior motives, he would have earned a brownie point. His defiance to the custom firmly entrenched in the Indian polity, must have irked the top Congress leaders.

When Shekhar Kapur tweets that we have lost the "best foreign minister India could have had", I wonder what inspired him to say so. Is he trying to weave a nice script with Tharoor as the protagonist leader trying to fight the murky, stinking waters of the country's politics? There's just one problem; Tahroor isn't clean enough. Nor he is as talented as Kapur claims in his tweets. Does anyone remember one sensible statement from Tharoor? All that I could make from his statements and lifestyle that he's one person living in disconnect from the people of India, busy tweeting and enjoying the benefits of a minister for free.

If people think that Tharoor could have given a new direction to the Indian politics, they are mistaken. The change in the Indian politics won't come from a person living a luxurious life as a top diplomat for an organization that claims to be working for the benefit of humanity. Of course, not from a person who thinks cricket is a medium for social change. Let's wait for Tharoor's tweet for his idea of "being the change".

Will India want to go Chairless?

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 15:25:00 +0000

A designer has created Chairless, "a seating device for the modern nomad". The device, which is just a strap of fabric or a kind of support belt, is being touted as a portable chair that can fit in your pocket. The seat starp is said to be inspired by a similar strap used by the Ayoreo tribe in northern Paraguay. A part of profits from the product will be used to support the Foundation for Paraguayan Indian Communities.

Will this chair be a hit in India? Indians can be found sitting in the same posture without having to use any strap. They support their legs by with a loop of arm formed by holding one wrist by other hand. Also, the palathi, or the sitting posture in which the legs are bent and criss-crossed to form a stable base, allows Indians to sit comfortably without any chair.

[Vitra via Fast Company]

Minister Moon on NudeTV

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:06:00 +0000

After Minister Moon found himself caught in the midst of an ugly brawl started after allowing visa to a sexy South African model, he decided to give an interview to always-angry-and-hungry-for-interviews Ms Cam Butt of NudeTV over the allegations of helping a business consortium get a cricket team franchise for free stake in the team for his latest love—a mysterious woman with expertise in hideous make-up and a lot more that can't be said publicly. Here's a frame from the interview.

Ups and downs in life of a cow

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:07:00 +0000

Flickr/Emmanuel Dyan

When will the cow sit? It's the question that a bunch of scientists tried to answer in their study Are Cows More Likely to Lie Down the Longer They Stand? The scientists were interested in knowing the ups and downs in a cow's life, literally.

Five Scottish scientists tried to predict cows' intentions of standing up or lying down after studying video recordings of cows and tallying them with data recorded by electronic sensors.
The Guardian summarised the study published in the Applied Animal Behaviour Science journal as:

A new study shows that the longer a cow has been lying down, the more likely it is to stand up, but the reverse is not true. Once up, you cannot predict how soon a cow will lie down again.

It didn't take me long to understand its application in our daily life. The study can be used to predict when will a cow sitting and ruminating in the middle of a road give way to the vehicles honking frenetically, or when will the cow standing in the middle of the road move under the shade of the gulmohar tree for a power nap. Kudos for the Scots.

Sunanda Pushkar is hot on Google

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:27:00 +0000

Sunanda Pushkar is currently one of the most popular searches on Google, says Google Trends. Seems like a lot of people are interested to know about the controversial owner of the new Kochi IPL team and fiance of minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor. I guess people are more interested to know how she got the money to invest in the team.

Wow. By the time I finished writing this blog post, she has moved one rank up in Google Trends to 24th position. Whatever comes out of the controversy, she is sure to become the most popular "socialite" in India.

Cricket no more a game in India

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:28:00 +0000

After the success of the Twenty20 IPL tournament, cricket is no longer a game in India. The latest tussle between minister of state for foreign affairs Shahi Tharoor and IPL commissioner Lalit Modi makes it very clear.

When Rendezvous Sports won the franchise for Kochi IPL team, Tharoor's role was reported to be "confined to encouraging the consortium that eventually won the team" (Mint, TOI).

In his statement released today (13 April 2010), Tharoor says the Kochi IPL team can bring great material and psychological benefits to Kerala’s economy and society. I don't understand how the common man benefits from a cricket team that plays entertainment sports for generating cash for itself and its owners. Tharoor adds that he is not going to benefit from his support for the consortium. Is there a case of benefitting someone else using influence and authority? I won't say anything about Lalit Modi because Tharoor has done that enough in his statement.

Following is the verbatim statement of the memeber of Parliament from Thiruvanathapuram on the IPL Kochi team controversy, published on his website (http://tharoor.in) on 13 April 2010:

A consortium led by Rendezvous was set up to bid for an IPL team. They approached me for help and guidance. I steered them towards Kerala. Rendezvous includes a number of people, including many I have never met, and Sunanda Pushkar, whom I know well.
My role in mentoring the consortium included several conversations with Mr Lalit Modi, who guided us through the process and presented himself as a trusted friend.
The consortium bid successfully in an open and transparent process. Their unexpected success upset the plans of a lot of powerful people, who had wanted the franchise to go elsewhere.
Various attempts were made by Mr Modi and others to pressure the consortium members to abandon their bid in favour of another city in a different state. Mr Modi raised assorted objections to the bid documents but finally had no choice but to approve them.
His extraordinary breach of all propriety in publicly raising issues relating to the composition of the consortium and myself personally is clearly an attempt to discredit the team and create reasons to disqualify it so that the franchise can be awarded elsewhere.
Contemptible efforts have been made to drag in matters of my personal life which I do not intend to dignify by commenting on them.
However, I deny Mr Lalit Modi’s allegation that I called him during his meeting with investors in the Kochi consortium in Bangalore on Saturday night in order to press him not to question the composition of the consortium.
I called Mr Modi to ask why he was further delaying the approval of the franchise when all the legal requirements had been fulfilled.. Mr Modi had held up approval by the IPL of the franchisee agreement earlier in the day, by insisting on the reversal of a change in the document that he himself had earlier suggested. This change was made, the consortium members flew to Bangalore and met with Mr Modi after that night’s IPL game for what they had been told would be a routine exercise. Instead, they were submitted to a barrage of questions which led some to suspect that Mr Modi was seeking a further excuse to delay approval. This was the reason for my intervention with Mr Modi. Had he conducted himself in good faith throughout, no call would have been necessary.
On the question of my interests in the franchise, I repeat that I am proud to have helped the consortium come to Kerala. I have neither invested nor received a rupee for my mentorship of the team. Whatever my personal relationships with any of the consortium members, I do not intend to benefit in any way financially from my association with the team now or at a later stage.
A Kerala IPL team is a dream of many young people in and from the state. It has the potential to bring great material and psychological benefits to Kerala’s economy and society. The unethical efforts that have been made by Mr Modi and others to thwart the Kerala franchise which had been won fair and square in a transparent bidding process are disgraceful. It has been clear for some time that the real motive is to assign this IPL team elsewhere than Kerala. All of us in Kerala hope that the BCCI will not permit statements and activities which seek to discredit the Kerala team before it has even had a chance to prove its worth. The public attempts by Mr Modi to besmirch the consortium in fact bring the IPL itself into disrepute.
This statement is issued by me in a personal capacity to respond to the allegations made against me personally.

iPad enters porn

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 21:10:00 +0000

Everything that's popular enters the vast world of porn, be it Sarah Palin or Marilyn Monroe. So the latest gadget sensation iPad is featuring in a amateur-style porn featuring an old delivery guy with long hairs and a sexy raven-haired girl. The video has been dubbed in the usual porn-quality with no link between the audio and the video. And, please don't freak on seeing the black hairy thing occasionaly entering the frame.

PS: This porn is safe enough to be watched even in office.

Condoms for saving endangered species

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:39:00 +0000

Recently, we Indians have been bombarded with a Save the Tiger campaign by a telecom firm. Nice way of combining business with social awareness, if that made any difference to the tigers.

A conservation group is relying on humans' animal instincts for propagation of their cause. A US group, the Center for Biological Diversity, is distributing 350,000 free Endangered Species Condoms in all 50 US states to highlight how the rapid rise in human population (thanks to high libido and Viagra) is driving species extinct at a cataclysmic rate, according to their website Endangered Species Condoms.

Human overpopulation is the driving force behind the current mass-extinction crisis endangering:
• 12 per cent of mammals
• 12 per cent of birds
• 31 per cent of reptiles
• 30 per cent of amphibians
• 37 per cent of fish

These condoms will be handed out at bars, universities, farmers' markets as well as spiritual groups (listening attentively to a "How to attain Nirvana through sex?" lecture). Each packet contains (just) two condoms with artwork and information on the species, and the threats of overpopulation. It will also suggest ways to control population. (Sadly, it doesn't believe in permanent birth control by forced surgery.)

For the hyperactive types, the organization is also offering a chance to win lifetime supply of condoms. If you are above 18, you can sign-up with the Endangered Species Condoms for lifetime supply of rubber.