Fool Me... To your heart's delight

Sometimes I really feel what a big fool the top brass thinks we are or else they would never have made such statements.
The recent one from the congress Vice President, the more than 40yr old "youth leader" regarding his oblivion to the "save the criminal leaders" ordinance; somehow left me in splits.
Seriously Sir, had you been sleeping all the while when this happened or were you on a high? 

But sadly this isn't the first one of the myriad non sensical ones we come across. There have been many regarding food price and our reactions to it, of shutting petrol pumps and etc.

Reading the news piece the thought that came to my mind was that even though I and many others like me found it really stupid there would be many who would actually be impressed with it.

Oh see how nice is he and how his party leaders are creating issues for him; this would be a major response from many.

And this will include the majority of not well educated class who are driven more by emotions then by reason.
Sadly these are the ones who form majority of the electorate because for people like you and me, we are far from our places of vote and even if we are there, somehow we do not want to waste our holiday.

Anyways, this is one gem of a marketing strategy, you judge the majority and act accordingly.
Sadly but truly, we somehow fall prey to it and that is exactly what has been planned.

Its actually not them, its us who makes mockery of ourselves and we do it knowingly.
We are so concerned about our lives that we have lost the thought of the "out of the box" thinking.

Even now, we will frown or maybe laugh but forget and when the time to vote will come, we will either not go at all or make the wrong choice.

Sad again but true..

(Confused Genius had been thinking of one thing that she needs to tell Mr Youth Leader, you think it is easy to fool us;.believe me it is even easier)

The Day The Indian died..

(There is nothing communal here.. )

Ever since the name of Modi surfaced on the political scenario, there have been cries about secularism and communal tensions. Moral and political castigations have been doing rounds and people like me in general are listening to this incessant bickering like a daily soap, waiting for what will happen next. The statements are being misconstrued and presented accordingly and allegedly veracious new channels are showing cartoons that are definitely demeaning under the "so sorry" category.

Leave it all behind because it will keep happening till the d-day, the election day arrives; but what hurts me and maybe many others too most is the hue and cry about killings that happened in the riots esp of the minorities.

I should not say "esp" because it is actually the only class people are worried about. No one really thinks of the others, the alleged majority.
I do not want to pin point but if you read the Nanavati report, it all started with the burning of the coach S/6 of Sabarmati express, who all were killed then and what happened post is known to all.

Now, there is a question to our allegedly secular politicians, why do you brand people on the basis of religion and communities ? The Hindus who got killed grieved equally as the Muslims. The families who lost there members simply lost them, no where did their tears got modified because of their religious believes.

They were the riots and they did not happen for the first time in our nation, then why single out one because it plays the Hindu-Muslim card just the best for "for your profit" way.
Why do you cry foul over the Minorities who got killed post and not the "others" the brutal burning of whom started it all ?

There are bomb blasts and people are killed, no one ever categorises the dead on the basis of religions and am very sorry to say but it is the "majority"blood that is bled the most.

But whose blood bled more isn't the question here. The question is why do you not let it be as the people of this country who got killed. Why do you just for your ballot, create disharmony between me and my friends.

I am a Hindu and I have Muslim friends too but talking to them, I never feel the divide. I go and eat with them on Eid and they are equally elated to celebrate Holi and Diwali with me. They are just like me.

If we are the same when alive then why are our dead bodies categorised ?

Honestly, I would say that the British rule actually united us but you Mr Politician, you divide us. It is you who play with out minds, instill fear in us just for your selfish motives. And then, you have the audacity to say that you are not communal.
Shame on you for making me fight against my own, lookin at them suspiciosly and equally shame on me for having chosen you to represent me.

My friends, let us all think about it. Let it not happen any more, let us stand united for we all are one.
Let us this election, vote for development and not religion.

Let us not be thirsty for each other's blood because every time a Hindu or a Muslim or any one else dies, its an Indian dead for sure.

(Confused Genius is in a pensive mood over the fear the recent riots in Muzaffarnagar have created. Her own father was in the bus, travelling in that area that time and with a Muslim sitting next to him, they both were sure that they will save each other if time comes.)

( Further, you can read this..

http://home.gujarat.gov.in/homedepartment/downloads/godharaincident.pdf  )

Satyagraha, the movie, the reality and Us

For the first time in my life, I have literally felt like writing for a movie. Technically it can be called a review but let me take it a level further; let me talk about the movie.

SATYAGRAHA, morning 10:30 show and I was out around 1:30; these three hours left me shaken, with a volley of questions in my mind, the only thing I could do was talk and tell things which you may call discussing but I know it wasn't.
How intricately the man, the director of the movie had delved into the conscience of the general people, the masses; and the actors, they had so beautifully put it infront of us. The macabre dance of death, the fear of betrayal that looms within, the apathy of the Government and the lost faith; the way it was voiced, well there is just one word, immaculate.

Now coming to what I felt , the one thing that struck me there was the reason why the Anna Hazare movement failed. All was well and people were relating to it but the problem came with time. We all got bored. The trend that had caught up us all, had started to fizz away and we were on the look out for a new muse for ourselves.
The Lokpal Bill no longer provided us with the thrill we needed. We needed something better to make news of and for.
There were hurdles, a plenty of them but then Rome was not built in a day too. People fought for hundreds of years to get the coveted independence we all enjoy today. No single person led to that victory over British, it were all the efforts put together that resulted in the day called 15 Aug 1947.
Same is the scene today, but what lacks is the patience and perseverance of the people of yore. And this is exactly where every good thing fails.

But we need to realise the similarities and act.
We do not have others but our own elected Government doing the same to us today. We have been held captive, our thoughts and growth shackled in our own home by our own people. We are fighting over issues, religions, castes and anything and everything under the sun. Divide and rule was the mantra then, it is the same today. Just that we, despite our alleged sense of the world are falling prey to it.

We need to bring the change and we will have to. How will we have a future if the country we belong to doesn't have one for itself.
There is no escape, we need to fight for our rights, maybe not for our brethren but for ourselves.
Let us not shy away from our duties, we need to perform them to get our rights. Maybe this is just the time when we should wake up and take the call.

(Confused Genius has been speaking her mind all the while and the movie really inspired her. She thinks that most of the youth must be feeling the same sense of inspiration but the question is for how long? Or will this sense of ownership, this urge to do something fizz away just like the India Against Corruption Movement?? Think !)

The Allegedly True News

I never usually read the local news but all these days, the mainstream national ones were getting so cliche that for refuge, I turned to them too.
What I met with was a disaster even bigger, shaking my faith in all the news I read. An incident that I had seen with my own eyes was reported wrong and a complete story had been so well concocted.
Can anyone tell me the truth that is happening in the world !

I had been really miffed with the different angles that had been presented in the Afzal Guru and Kasab cases and now this Ishrat Jehan one surfaced.

What all I know about each of them is the personal opinions of the "writers" (yes writers and not journos) of the media.

True it is because what we are getting in the name of veracity laden news are the different theories. We have to chose the one that suits our senses the best.

The road side stall guy seems to be more true in giving me the options to chose from because everything he says, I can substantiate with my own experience.

The views expressed by author are personal but they are stated with confidence enough to make us take them as true.

But, instead of the personal views, I'd appreciate if they tell us the truth.

A leader visits a calamity struck site and a journalist expresses his views against him. Then another one visits and the same journo is all praises.

Can anyone explain this disparity of thoughts. Calling themselves neutral, why do they then opine in favour or against people; leaders more so.

The newspaper now seems to be a 20page booklet, a short story book of sorts, where writers around the world are putting forth the figments of the fiction they carefully knitted into a story.

And offcourse there are news channels that make a mockery of every issue under the sun. Commercialised plots and irrelevant news just to get that coveted TRP.

My question is plain and simple; Can I please get to know the truth, the news I am paying for.
Rude on my part but dear journos, your opinions don't really matter to me

(Confused Genius is thinking that maybe the newspapers should start including case studies too along with every article they publish; that will make the thing sound more true (TIC)).

NaMonia...

The recent news about Mr Advani resigning and getting back the next day; well that is what we call politics of certain uncertainties. Offcourse being a senior leader who nurtured the very being of a party to make it truly national, it was silly of him to act like a kid who is resentful on not getting the ever wanted "lollipop" which by chance his little sibling happened to get.
Leaving that apart, Mr Kumar and many others are withdrawing or are on verge of doing so just because they allege that the chosen one is not "secular".
We all know that the reason is anything but secularism. Even if it is then anyone who has at any point of time been involved in any non-secular act or praised an equally non-secular leader has no right to condemn one, the allegations against whom are still allegations alone.

Every one has their share of ambitions and they have every right to have them but then there is something called "do they deserve it?"
The way the scene is sounding to be now, it seems that Mr Modi will have a hard time to come (if it happens) to power.
When there is umbrage within your home, you cannot expect to go out and do good.

I may sound like a NaMoniac and true to that I am no doubts but still every single logic applied, he is the only one who deserves it and if we don't get him as out leader, it will be a huge personal loss for us all without exception.

MY SAFETY, MY RESPONSIBILITY

Deep condolences to the poor victim who just died and still awaits justice.

There has been a lot in the newspaper about “the martyr” girl who just “lit a flame” and woke us all from the deep slumber we were in. Well the slumber part wasn’t exactly mentioned but was actually well evident to any sensible soul who reads the newspaper.

If I have to come straight to the point, all this frenzy around this case (which is being termed as one of its kind) is actually totally media created; nothing that actually scintillated us. I can say this with enough confidence because there have been rapes of minor girls as small as 6 years old but we hardly cared.

We don’t really care about things till they are headlines and/or direct affect us. I have seen people read the news of a 2 month old baby girl being raped and thrown into a dustbin and they just forgot it the moment the other piece was read.

How many “daminis” have been raped brutally and thrown into secluded places, we never really cared because nobody really reported them.

But this time, she was thrown into full public view and honestly we wouldn’t have given it a second thought had the media not got wind of it.

And lo! Here comes the awakening. We have peaceful (really??) marches, candlelight vigils and prayer ceremonies. Social Networks are abuzz with the daily status updates of the girl (how commoners like us get to know such closely guarded secrets about her amazes me.).

We have a name and a face for her even though nothing about her has been divulged.

Our sensible lady celebrities come up with great comments

“I may walk naked but you can’t rape me” SERIOUSLY!!

You think that will work?? C’mon lady welcome to reality.

Our peaceful marches end up in vandalizing properties that people bought out of their hard earned money; where exactly the peace went I know not.

Now on a serious note: these marches and slogans about castrations and stuff, ok c’mon now have you really gone through the statistics as to which class majority of the rapists belong to?

Most of them do not even know what castration is.

And the great big things, the last lines she said to her mother when she died. Man! A girl of exceptional talent I must say because she wrote a really well versed poem in her last moments.

We have made a fun of her actually. Politicians are crying, breaking down at any moment.

The Government is being held responsible, well then please tell me who went and voted for them?

And how exactly do you define her being a martyr, pat comes the reply; she fought for her life, well I think that none of the victim ever gave away easy to the rapists because then it would have been wishful sex and not rape.

And comes the calling to shun the Republic Day parade! How many of us actually celebrated the day?

I think that any day, leaving out the New Year party was a better option because that would in true sense been a sacrifice.

All said and done about us now let me talk to the girls please.

Let’s face it; we all know that the mentality here is mean and there are people for whom women are still the object of sex and sex alone. You call it lack of education or economic difference but this thinking exists and will not change all of a sudden.

We all have come a long way but there is still a long way to go. Till we reach the euphoria we want, let us all be careful about our safety.

I feel sorry for the girl but she could have been a bit more careful. Ok there are cases in broad daylight too but then, if they happen in the day time, at least don’t risk out at nights.

We all say prevention is better than cure then why do we not really follow it. Agreed showing your legs doesn’t mean you’ll open them too but you should know where to show your legs and where not.

I do not say that don’t go out and have a night, please do but before that be self sufficient enough that you can handle it all if the time comes. Winston Churchill was very true when he said, “Hope for the best but prepare for the worst”.

See girls, I do not intend to scare you or something and I strongly believe that the criminals should be brought to justice but at the end of the day, it is your life and finally you alone who gets to face the repercussions.

I have always blamed the men for their mean mentality but then, when we know what they are like we should be careful enough.

At the end of the day its all about us and our safety. Remember always, if its your safety, its your responsibility.

(Views expressed by the author are strictly personal and not meant to harm anybody’s sensibilities.)