With the onset of the rains, the weather of the once Pensioner’s Paradise aka Bangalore has taken a pleasant break from the oppressive summer heat. The mornings now are chilly, afternoons cloudy, evenings windy and nights rainy.
As I entered the excessively air conditioned ODC here in office today morning, I could not help but let out a sigh!! I’m not exactly a sentimentalist but somehow the lovely weather outside forced me to think of something interesting I’d do, rather than unit testing some code here. How awesome it would be to cuddle in a bean bag with a mug of hot chocolate and a good novel while it pours thus, to look out of the window and see the dripping rain water, to watch the trees and plants get fresh and alive from the rain bath, to stand at the door step and feel the splash of rain water on my feet, to feel the mist of rain against my face and the soothing earthy smell that lingers when it rains, to have a thoroughly intellectual discussion on some profound topic with a polymath of sorts and may be even feel at peace with the world!! Lol…
Another thing is that I actually love the rains, in the sense I like playing in the rain. I just need an excuse to dash out when it pours and not return till I’m soaked to the bone!! And that is precisely why I did not need to be asked twice about going for a walk around the Wipro campus while it rained cats and dogs, on the day before yesterday with a friend. We were thoroughly drenched in less than two minutes and what more, my friend went around stopping the people hurrying for cover to slow down and enjoy the downpour. They did look at us like we were some freaks but were decent enough to just smile back and head for cover. Jumping into puddles and splashing the rain water was more fun, given that we were already dripping wet and the water puddles within the campus was clean and not muddy. After about 20 minutes of pure bliss, free of cost I must add, it was time to get into the bus and head homewards. The fun did not end there; we sat in the last seat, yelping every time the bus hit a bumpy patch, giggling when our teeth chattered and last but not the least, playing old hindi sentimental hits like O Saathi Re and all that. The others in our bus (frowning uncles and pouting aunties) are used to such behavior on our part though its not like we would be bothered to stop if at all anyone took offense. Somehow, the weather, the rains and the songs, it was all very becoming!! And that made it worthwhile. While I spoke to my friend later that night, he instantly agreed with me that we should do this fun-in-the-rain thingy again.
This was 2-3 days back now and I must say I have tucked it in as a lovely memory. I probably have a glossed look on my face while composing this blog, given that I’ve been thinking of that day and the rains and the lovely weather today which is just like how it was then and hold on, did someone just say A RAIN DANCE PARTY?????
Monday, May 25, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Living up "Atlas Shrugged"
I read Ayn Rand’s magnum opus “Atlas Shrugged” during my final year at college and I have been reading it over and over again, ever since. I’m sure everyone who has read the book faced that “swept off your feet” feeling and I’m no different.
What struck me the most was the way we can relate the on goings around us to the instances depicted in the book. It is as if, we are living the story of the book. And there are various instances around us to enunciate that!!
“Businessmen needing good Washington connections” –
This is well portrayed by the Ambani brothers. While Mukesh Ambani frequently has many a rendezvous with CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, his arch-rival and brother Anil Ambani is known to be particularly close to Samajwadi Party honcho Amar Singh.
“Nat Taggart was issued a notice by a local senator to shelf his transcontinental project” –
Ratan Tata and his Nano project received the exact treatment from the West Bengal government, kudos to the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Bannerjee. But of course, West Bengal’s loss became Gujarat’s gain. Narendra Modi has to be commended for striking gold at the right time. Ashok Kheny’s NICE project and Deve Gowda's subsequent road blocks against the infrastructural development is yet another example.
“The concept of a person’s need being glorified irrespective whether he toils to achieve it” –
The best example for this is something we have been witnessing for over decades in our country now; the reservation policy in our country!! With the passing years, the situation is only deteriorating rather bring about the desired progress. The Constitution, as originally drafted, laid down a percentage of reservation in the public sector for selected backward classes that were historically oppressed and denied opportunity, for a period of ten years, after which the situation was to be reviewed. This period was routinely (and conveniently) extended by our politicos and the idea which was supposed to be for a noble cause has been thoroughly exploited for vote banks with their “vote your caste” mantra, and no revisions were undertaken. A minister can claim “backward” status and benefit from the policy while a starving farmer, ignorant of the opportunity, continues to starve. Azim Premji, Narayan Murthy and their kind have no takers; be it their opposition over expanding reservation, or their idea of having reservation based on economic status.
I’m sure many more instances of this sort can be listed but there is no purpose served by listing out our issues and lamenting. We need to begin the change, to think and to act. I’m loathe to think of what would happen to our country, if God forbid, our very own Atlases choose to shrug. Viewing the situation around, I do wonder if we are heading the John Galt way!!
What struck me the most was the way we can relate the on goings around us to the instances depicted in the book. It is as if, we are living the story of the book. And there are various instances around us to enunciate that!!
“Businessmen needing good Washington connections” –
This is well portrayed by the Ambani brothers. While Mukesh Ambani frequently has many a rendezvous with CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, his arch-rival and brother Anil Ambani is known to be particularly close to Samajwadi Party honcho Amar Singh.
“Nat Taggart was issued a notice by a local senator to shelf his transcontinental project” –
Ratan Tata and his Nano project received the exact treatment from the West Bengal government, kudos to the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Bannerjee. But of course, West Bengal’s loss became Gujarat’s gain. Narendra Modi has to be commended for striking gold at the right time. Ashok Kheny’s NICE project and Deve Gowda's subsequent road blocks against the infrastructural development is yet another example.
“The concept of a person’s need being glorified irrespective whether he toils to achieve it” –
The best example for this is something we have been witnessing for over decades in our country now; the reservation policy in our country!! With the passing years, the situation is only deteriorating rather bring about the desired progress. The Constitution, as originally drafted, laid down a percentage of reservation in the public sector for selected backward classes that were historically oppressed and denied opportunity, for a period of ten years, after which the situation was to be reviewed. This period was routinely (and conveniently) extended by our politicos and the idea which was supposed to be for a noble cause has been thoroughly exploited for vote banks with their “vote your caste” mantra, and no revisions were undertaken. A minister can claim “backward” status and benefit from the policy while a starving farmer, ignorant of the opportunity, continues to starve. Azim Premji, Narayan Murthy and their kind have no takers; be it their opposition over expanding reservation, or their idea of having reservation based on economic status.
I’m sure many more instances of this sort can be listed but there is no purpose served by listing out our issues and lamenting. We need to begin the change, to think and to act. I’m loathe to think of what would happen to our country, if God forbid, our very own Atlases choose to shrug. Viewing the situation around, I do wonder if we are heading the John Galt way!!
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