An interesting conversation :)

I received feedback about my previous article. I ended up having an interesting conversation with one of my friends regarding the same.I thought it was something worth putting up on the blog :)

It could probably help/guide someone else:

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me: http://abstractandbeyond.blogspot.com/

Shreyas: ???

me: i need feedback.Thank you

Sent at 7:57 PM on Thursday

Shreyas: its 13th july not 14th

me: yeah

thanks for pointing it out

this is why i need feedback

Sent at 7:59 PM on Thursday

me: just the terror article

Shreyas: ok

me: what do u think?

Shreyas: Easy said than done

well put i would say

me: hehe

but it's practical i think

Shreyas: i wasn't aware of some of the points you mentioned

me: it just needs will

as in?

Sent at 8:08 PM on Thursday

Shreyas: It needs awareness, one which come from education - illiteracy is the issue here and other to keep them well informed (talking about the working class).

talking about will yes but it is the case of 'apna daal pakana'

me: true

but illiteracy doesn't stand in the way of common sense

Shreyas: for eg. take bribery, i had to get education loan so i needed my house papers from BBMP and I had to warm their hands

thats why I said awareness , to be well informed.

me: actually

bribing has become a way of life

if all people start refusing to payit'llautmaticlly set in the new trend

check out our reformed auto-wallahs for instance

now they charge metre fare from beniganahalli to my place

earlier Rs.30 was std rate

now i dont budge

if they say more

i say suit urself

Sent at 8:14 PM on Thursday

me: i couldn't believe itwhen they took just 17 rs

finally

Shreyas: I don't understand how hate and violence can be ingrained in a person that they can kill others

me: its all about money

poor people do anythin for money

if they aresufficiently agitated

Shreyas: Ture

true

yes poverty is crippling

me: yeah

u can deal with extrenal militia

Shreyas: all these issues are just symptoms, the core is unhealthy

me: butwataboutthose who turn rebels within the country due to governmental apathy?

no its not just that

u check out sharad pawar

he was food and agricultural minister in the cabinet

but he was more interested in duties as BCCI/ICC cheif

and check out how foodgrains rotted in here

while people were hungry

Shreyas: Uff dont talk about that, punjab tons and tons of food grains rotting

me: why not?

someone needs to talk

u see things happening around

speak up

the more u stay quiet and accept

it becomes a way of life

and soon

u wontresent anything

i experimented with the auto guys

and itworked!

Shreyas: you need masses

me: i see hope

well - boond boond saagar banta hai

Shreyas: you need to understand the system

me: who makes the system?

we do!

we validate it into existence

stop validating

and automatically

the system gets customised according to ur convenience

Shreyas: That is what anna is trying to do

me: yeah

thing is

he's an old guy

he needs the younger ones to carry through

but all the young ones are stuckupin s/w jobs -well-paid and high flyers

who just wanna catch somesleep

too tired

the rest are pursuing higher studies outside the nation

Shreyas: Look at Karnataka

me: and serving those countries with their prodigous skill

i have noticed

unless its about cricket

Shreyas: its a mockery, YSR is busy saving his own behind, other when in power did not do anything, now not letting him to do any thing

me: ppl aregenerally ashamed of india

they dont think of culture and heritage

say india

and the mental image formed is that of corruption,garbage and stink

that image needs to go

it's all aboutpersonal glory

no one cares boutt others

all wanna save their own backs

Shreyas: yes, i know indians thenselves look down upon the systems here

me: exactly

even the poorest american or chinese is proud of his nation

and wierdly so is pakistan

indians- on the contraty are a cynical bunch

they just find faults

dont offer any plausible solutions

and expectsomeone else to take careof theirissues

even yesterday

rest of the country yelling at govt failures

but mumbai

they just went back to work

they dont care

coz they know

only they can help themselves

govt can only do so much

restis always up tou

Sent at 8:32 PM on Thursday

Shreyas: people know they are helpless, in the fact like this is life, only the ones who have suffered know the agony

me: aren't u sunshine?

no

noone is helpless

ppl are just too lazy

Sent at 8:38 PM on Thursday

Shreyas: not lazy, until it happens to them they will not stand up.

me: yeah

thattoo

Sent at 8:40 PM on Thursday

me: they're just too laid bacl

*back

Shreyas: not laid back, life keep them busy, just get on with their work

me: hmmm

it's not about being busy,

it's aboutpriorities

noticed how work takes a backseat when u have an emergency athome?

tats wat life is about

priorities

Sent at 8:43 PM on Thursday

I thank Shreyas for permitting me to share this chat transcript:)

To the Spirit of Mumbai!!!

Serial blasts in Mumbai last evening - Dadar, Opera House and Zaveri Bazaar. Again!

Once again,Mumbai,resilient as ever,responds,shows heart, brush off the dust and move on.Life continues non-stop.It's a slap on the face of the mischief-mongers when Mumbai seems to say,"Do what you can,it's not gonna stop us,or break our spirit!To hell with you,cowardly losers!Striking in the dark!" I salute the spirit of Mumbai.

Terror attacks, sadly, is not a new affair in the Indian subcontinent.Now Let’s see some of the major terrorist attacks on India in last fifteen years.

March 12, 1993 – Bombay bomb blasts, 257 deaths.
February 14, 1998 – Coimbatore blasts, 46 deaths.
October 1, 2001 – Terrorists attack Jammu-Kashmir assembly, 35 deaths.
December 13, 2001 – Attack on Indian parliament in New Delhi, 7 deaths.
September 24, 2002 – Terrorists attack the Akshardham temple in Gujarat, killing 31 innocent people.
March 13, 2003 – A terrorist bomb attack on a commuter train in Mumbai kills 11 people.
May 14, 2003 – Terrorists attack an army camp near Jammu, killing more than 30 people.
August 25, 2003 – Simultaneous car bombs in Mumbai, 52 deaths.
August 15, 2004 – Bomb Blast in Assam, killing 16 people, mostly school children.
July 5, 2005 – Shri Ram Janmabhoomi attack in Ayodhya
October 29, 2005 – Three powerful serial blasts in New Delhi at different places just two days before Hindu festival Deepawali, 70 deaths.
March 7, 2006 – 21 people killed in 3 synchronized terrorist attacks in Varanasi in Shri Sankatmochan Mandir and Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station.
July 11, 2006 – 200 people killed in a series of 7 train bombing during the evening rush hour near Mumbai.
September 8, 2006 – 37 people killed and 125 injured in a series of bomb blasts in the vicinity of a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra
May 18, 2007 – 13 people were killed, including 4 killed by the Indian police in the rioting that followed, in the bombing at Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad.
August 25, 2007 – 42 people were killed in two blasts in Hyderabad’s Lumbini park and a restaurant.
May 13, 2008 – 63 were killed in 9 bomb blasts along 6 areas in Jaipur.
July 25, 2008 – 2 were killed and 20 injured in 8 low intensity bomb blasts in Bangalore.
July 26, 2008 – 29 were killed and over 110 injured in 17 serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad.

November 26,2008 - Mumbai under seige - Taj Mahal hotel,Nariman house,Trident complex,200(approx) killed

February 13th,2010 - Pune

And latest,yesterday - 14th July 2011,Mumbai.......again! - 17 dead,130 injured....and the show goes on.

Blame game? No way.We are above such mundane activities.How long do we look to the government for help,who consistently stand shame-faced. There is a limit to our patience too. So the public look to themselves for solace and support.They pick up their own pieces,help people in close quarters,to survive,for even if the governance has failed,humanity manages to survive,thankfully.

It speaks volumes about the large-heartedness of taxi -drivers are other vehicle riders in Mumbai who offered to evacuate the victims and rush them to the nearest hospitals,for free!In Bangalore,on the other hand, taxi drivers were charging double yesterday as private taxis were prohibited from entering the premises of the BIA airport due to heightened security on account of the high-alert!

.

Same nation. 2 mindsets. Welcome to India.Probably Mumbai has seen way too much grief when compared to Bangalore - the blasts,the rains, the sensex (being the financial capital),frivilous lifestyles and higher rates of heartbreaks in general. But the one thing you can't take away from Mumbai is -busy,hardworking crowd.They slog,day in and day out to present the image of glam and glitter to the rest of the world,while only they know the amount of work that goes into keeping up that image.

So why should a terror attack hold them back?The government may fail,the intelligence may fail,law and order may fail.Too bad for them.Mumbai however can't afford to make these rookie mistakes.

Check out Mumbai on the day after the terror attacks:

Buses on schedule.Trains on schedule.Schools and offices are open.Shops are open.It's Business as usual.And that's why it is still Mumbai - the most sought after career destination in India,no matter how threat-ridden,or how cut-throat.

As for the terror situation - 33 crores spent on the well-being of a terrorist caught live on CCTV on 26/11/2008.Sure,it sends a wonderful message to all those others waiting in the wings.Or if India really wants to send out a strong message,they'll have to be less on the paper and more taking to book.

How?

1.Train general public on crowd behaviour in panic situation.Half the injuries were due to panic-ridden stampede.

2.Speed up the UID procedure so every Indian citizen has an ID on them.The non-indians can be weeded out. Agreed the population is vast and the problem is not small.

3.There are several govt offices that languish with lack of work/or will to work,difficult to say.Put them all to work on background verification in turns.It provides employment and a background verification of individuals in any locality.The most feasible one being the post-office,as the local postman is aware of most addresses and people therein.

4.Migrant employees will need bonafides from employers and should be expected to furnish these on demand.The onus of this background check will lie with the employer if suspicion falls on the employee.

5.In case of local artisans,traders,small time vendors or slum dwellers,the local police station should be in charge.The concept of a beat police which existed once upon a time has slowly become extinct.Time to reintroduce these men/women in 3 or 6 hour shifts 24*7 at every 2km radius. 4 constables covering the same area,preferably residing at the vicinity.Identification and familiarity could be an added bonus.To avoid ganging up,an impartial superior could be posted.

6.Indians contribute to half the foreign intelligence.If fair and adequate opportunities were provided to Indians, maybe the lure of the overseas would turn into a reverse brain-drain and Indian talent would be applied where it originated.

7.Unless a sense of pride doesn't touch the heart of Indians,all the above suggestions may well remain pipe-dreams.We are all agitated and frustrated.We can work towards the solution,if we really try.But are we willing to try?

Dissecting God

Am I an atheist? I dunno. I believe in Karma. But religion(and this could probably open a can of worms), I am not so sure about.I think if you do good,the cosmic forces channel good back to you.

But religion,seem like human creations by some really charming and persuasive people who had other ideas.

It has amused me forever - how fear can control society. Paradoxically,indiscriminate use of power leads to fear which leads to repressed anger leads to lack of fear :) So i guess,in every problem lies its own solution,provided the problem is mulled over long enough.

Now God- the all seeing,all knowing omnipresent entity in everyone's life.It has to be your own conscience.Who else would see all and know all but you? When your fear of what you have done rattles you,consciously or subconsciously, you set the forces of attraction at play.And your own actions bring the counter productive forces to work against you.

While you pray,with all your heart you hope for something.You are ready to risk things to achieve the same. Which is why success can be achieved,eventually. And then there is disease,which can be healed,by having faith in medicines or by having immense faith that disease will be cured.

It's all in the mind.

Sweet nothings :)

I'm trying to think of a suitable start,

To do justice to you,my heart ,

But the more I try, I feel despair,

For I can't seem to find the right words,

To describe your kind of care.

You are delightfully sweet,and dangerously so,

There's no point in lying,my soul you know.

Together we've sailed through highs and lows,

And our understanding,continually grows.

Love, as we have heard, may be blind,

But it's also fulfilling and uncommonly kind.

Throw in some laughter and generosity,

And you know,we're meant to be.

How do I know all this to be true?

The only reason,only answer is you.

Even when we're separated by a several miles,

You are still the reason,for all my smiles:)