Outlaws

Outlaws

Why must there be suffering and strife? Why must we endure emotional pain, and tear our minds out trying in vain time and again to decipher the meaning of life? Why is every attempt at finding that magical key to happiness in life futile? Why must families be torn apart? Supposedly educated and open minded people at loggerheads over the most trivial of issues, picking out every speck of dust in the others eye and yet, failing to see your own, more significant shortcomings? It seems that when two become one at the altar of God, the other significant people in one of their lives are torn apart between the “two halves” and end up taking sides. The strength and the future of nations lies in the grounding that young, impressionable minds are given in their first school, the school of life, the family. What a child learns in the presence of his parents and extended family, if applicable, forms the bedrock of his thinking and ideologies for the rest of his life. If a kid constantly watches his parents bickering and arguing is becomes embedded in the child’s mind that these things are the acceptable way of social conduct, that there’s absolutely nothing wrong in resorting to domestic violence to settle scores or to vent frustration.

The limits and boundaries of what is acceptable behaviour and what is not, in society get skewed and seem unclear to someone who hails from a shaky family background. This in turn breeds evil on its own. Crime, violence, things done in a fit of rage, oh the evil that men can inflict on each other. Why is it that those united in holy matrimony find it so difficult to get along with their so called “out-laws”? In most cases people build a wall between themselves and these alleged perpetrators of evil and settle down to life on the wrong side of that wall, never daring to breach it in an attempt to get to know the people on the other side better that they already don’t. Why must it be so? Doing this almost inadvertently results in the festering of evil thoughts about the people on the other side of the divide where every action of theirs is viewed upon as having and ulterior, evil motive. The main aim being the downfall of the new entrant into the family. Now which sane person would wish evil on someone so closely attached to someone they love, irrespective of whether they can see eye to eye or not? Spitting out the bitter taste of hate? Accusations flying thick and fast? Baseless talk? Tales spun in an instant?

Communication is the key in such situations but the most difficult barrier to overcome is the mindset of both concerned parties. Neither willing to be the one to take the first step to brokering peace, this difficult and essential task is usually left to and incompetent outsider who , more often than not takes undue advantage of the nature of the two warring factions, to spread evil. Herein lies planted the seed of the grapevine, that evil tree of Satan that encourages even the most genial and unassuming of people to be messengers of ill will and word against other people. The person called to broker peace ultimately ends up feeding the outside world juicy titbits of the inside happenings of the household that ideally, only a trusted insider should have had access to. The germination of evil then begins and the vicious cycle that is gossip and idle talk takes over all involved.

The road to hell is always enticing and welcoming in the initial stages but the road to heaven is laden with difficulties and thorns and is the path that is readily shunned by many. I don’t want to sound like and ideological idiot not do I want to sound like an agnostic ,but all I can say is that I’d love to choose the path less trodden, the uphill struggle, for the rewards, though delayed, are immense.

In the words of Robert Frost:

And I have promises to keep;

And miles to go before I sleep.

And another few words that keep me going:

Two paths diverged in the road before me,

One well walked and broadened;

The other laden with burden;

And I chose the path less trodden.

Peace.

The Bright email cow

The bright outdoor email cow

Yesterday, seated comfortably in the train, coasting out of andheri I happened to read the writing on one of those huge ad boards that have sprouted all along the railway line. What was so unusual about this one was that it had no ad on it and merely had the logo and name of the advertising agency on it with a line at the bottom mentioning their contact details. The strange part was that it was hand painted and not printed as you’d normally expect and the painter obviously had not much internet exposure and was oblivious to the new symbols and lingo that the net had introduced to us. This person had written “Contact us bright outdoor email cow”.

--------With the errors removed

The Mall Rat

The Mall Rat

Ever since there’s been a torrent of malls springing up all over the place like mushrooms there’s been a steady evolution of the guju-kind that formerly inhabited these areas into the slick mall rat. The vermin that form that lifeblood of the spanking new, marble floored shiny and well lit malls that suddenly seem to be at every street corner.

They prowl the ever expanding corridors of the modern day shopping centers in search of everything that a typical rodent would want. Some social interaction, some food, some to be eaten and some to be stashed away for a wintry day and some entertainment. They seldom enter the shops to examine their wares but are masters at ogling at all that is beyond their monetary reach from the wrong side of the glass expanse that separated them. When that rare time comes to purchase something, they attack as a pack, leaving a very annoyed keeper of the shop in their wake. They move in packs of roughly ten individuals with each individual being the resident expert at some part of their many layered den.

Their plans for the day emerge impromptu as they assemble to begin yet another assault on the shopping paradise that is the mall with their chosen time of attack being the late evenings to the wee hours or as long as opening hours permit.

Some of their more industrious comrades have even taken to earning off this passion to be in the glittering confines of

the mall whenever they can. How? They sell advertising space. Where? On themselves, the forehead being the most sought after place by advertisers only too eager to experiment with new channels of reaching out to gullible buyers.

As the daily attack begins, the pack disperses in various directions; some ride the escalator, some take the elevator and still others stalk the nearest corridors in search of, well nothing. Their minds are as blank as the polished floors that they tread on. They look for prey that has been killed already and which needs scavengers like them to prevent the rotten stink of a marketing campaign gone wrong from filling the air with a disgruntled manager’s ear-smoke. They attack free offers from generous organizations seeking exposure and greedily devour all that is offered and more often than not, return for a fourth helping.

At then end of a hard day, they regroup to scour the place for any leftovers as a group and to discuss the day’s conquests and acquisitions. They then disband and seek solace in their warm beds to recoup for another attack the following day.

Live off the mall, grow, multiply and reap. The rat. The mall rat.

Peace.

A BUOY IN THE SEA…

The vastness of life was compared to the sea as it was unfathomable for anyone to CROSS it or KNOW it. To prevent oneself from drowning while experiencing the sea-one needed THE BUOY. It helps you keep afloat but of course!- not forever. Everybody is after acquiring the buoy- scared to venture into the sea without it. Sadly their lives begin and end at the shores. I sometimes wonder what is important….Acquiring the buoy or living the sea, or both. Isn’t it like a balance between brash risk taking ability and security for oneself to the point of obsession. Moderation…..you cry…I’ll acknowledge.

Looking at everyone around me…I think about what those buoys are that people cling onto for their lives. It’s different for different people but in general ….I think there are four. Financial security, emotional security, spiritual security and lastly immortality through work and passion. We run around like blind humans walking every road to try and acquire each of these. For most today, getting securities is synonymous to having lives. They don’t know what to do after it. The soul purpose of birth seems to have been fulfilled and death awaits and they slowly smell putrid and decompose. These securities are also re-assurances….they think it’ll help them navigate the sea but the forget about the sea- still guarding their buoys. How inconsequential and foolish!!! This frenzy has become so big that today people are gauged by how many buoys they have, NOT from how much of the sea they have traveled, known and enjoyed. Your “status” (pseudo) is judged by the following- wealth, a stable family legacy, followers of man-made righteous religions (god-fearing! –they call it) and how much of a value-addition you are to your field of expertise that you have chosen. ( the value-addition parameter judged by popular opinion.)

This is LIFE to the society at large and I reckon it is here to stay for a while at least till I die. I am not against having something to fall back on if my life fails me but I don’t want it to be the center of my activities. What about the FREE MAN….what is his BUOY?? If man was alone what would he cling to?? I like many seek what I lack- CLARITY OF THOUGHT. If a man has no money, family, religion and is not acknowledged for his work…what would make him happy??...I think it has to be the understanding of the crystal-clear, pure water of the SEA. That would help him live and still enjoy himself. He can see the fish, life, many creatures; fascinating mysteries, stories…etc. the buoy would surface thanks to his creation by the clarity of thought. He’ll know how to live. One does not have to seek the buoys forever. The comprehension of what lies beneath is important. The THOUGHT is the buoy I want to cling onto…..even if it is at the cost of other buoys…even if it is A FIGMENT OF MY IMAGINATION….my life….my sea…I’ll move on….

EUPHEMISTIC ENCROACHMENT.

“Euphemism” to me is like speaking while grinding your teeth. The pinnacle of disillusion & dilemma- no, not for the listeners but for the speakers. Their hallucinating temporary bouts of pleasantness, aping while cloaking the obvious. “HA!!” is my reply.

“GLOBALISATION”-the most sought, cherished & the cursed boon is a fancy word. Very pleasant and hip. Enough has been written, talked, debated & fought over coffee-tables, classrooms & offices alike by friends, students, teachers & managers about the new found power to be unleashed, used & tapped to unravel the underlying potential of this world. It is in vogue to take over companies & do each other’s jobs. Indians can Americanize their English & Americans can learn Hindi. We can clean their toilets & they can make us pizzas-all this done very sweeeetly! All cloaked & accepted-“It’s globalization!!”-they say. Americans call India to fix their TV’S, we forget educating slum-children and are in a frenzy to home tutor American children. It’s fashion and universally misunderstood, appreciated, gaped with awe-all the while draining!

Is globalization a euphemism for encroachment??

Cultures are lost-cry hoarse the culturists, values & principles lost blame nationalists, society’s lost blame the sociologists. Shouldn’t globalization be limited to business? Can it be stopped at that & not creep into my daily cuppa? What if I don’t want the overpriced Versace & want to stick to the cotton from Crowford market. Should I watch with tears as my favorite little stalls grow in size because of global business- as stupid Americans buy things in bulk (because they are cheap!)- While I, an Indian, in India die of shortage.

It all started with students trying to study and learn abroad, went on to businessmen seeking apprenticeship, took a complete turn from poor to rich migration to the rich to poor. It soon became a manufacturing strategy & now retail, clothes, food chains, consumer goods, everything has been encroached on. Wealth creation, creating jobs, spoilt for choice, raising standards of living, opening the doors of opportunities, making the big bad world into the small, pitiable, playable on the fingertips palmtop- yeah, sure it all fells good you say but I have my share of convincing to do!

Why did human civilizations differ? Why aren’t Asians as tall as the north Americans…etc? There exists a fundamental difference in the people of different regions. Geographically, climatically, the lifestyles and cultures, the religions, fun & frolic. All these differing on absolute natural and logical reasons. If the entire world moves around in jeans- how boring would it be? If Cuban cigars are considered the best & are distributed all over the world, if Indian spices are packed & exported- would people travel at all??? why should I?? I can see India on my computer (all graphically thanks to Google earth & several other travel websites!)…I can taste the spices from nearby global Indian store & speak to Indians online, better still in the neighborhood. Will the reason of touching the rocks of some historic relics be the only incentive to travel because all cities due to globalization will look alike- CONCRETE JUNGLES. All people will speak English – because it is just profitable that way. Everyone will look alike because every day’s not fancy dress. Will this lead to the UNIVERSAL MAN! Where the ultimate goal is to make “poorer” countries richer by revolutionary globalization- by taking their cheap resources to make them more expensive invariably. An egalitarian society in every aspect of the material dimension. Will that be complete globalization-HA!ACHEIVED!!

The ultimate goal of globalization is offering affordable goods & services to everyone-well, surely that is not happening. The rich get richer & the poor get relatively richer but subsequently remain the same-POOR. In fact, the growth spurred in the developing countries by globalization is only in pockets. Like in China- the NW province remains as underdeveloped as ever & in India, Bihar & UP remain poor. This whole concept seemed to have turned in to EXPLOITATION by greedy capitalists- not enough monetary policies for the wealth earned by the MNC’s to be reinvested at the source-THE IRONY!

I think I don’t know the significance of half the Hindu festivals. It’s all vague to me. I have never seen my village& I have totally lost those roots& like many Indians am working to be the globalised citizen of palmtops, smart suits, smooth talk & perpetually busy buzzing flights. The world is my home & I say that because my life has been encroached on and I am a refugee. Selling myself cheaply to the world, expensive to my own, giving away my clothes and taste-buds as souvenirs to buy relatively expensive (cheaply cultivated,)things in turn. As filter coffee gets expensive on time ( to make it in the morning)- I just go to CCD to drink stale coffee….never mind….I’m at least getting to a “hygienic”-global coffee brand serving me!! Everything’s being snatched by goading with traps- the next generation wouldn’t even know they existed. It’s ENCROACHMENT all without lathis, BMC…etc- it is by the suited, booted, ever smiling, extremely pleasant global citizens. Brain drain, culture drain, invariable wealth exploitation….I cry hoarse….THE EUPHEMISTIC ENCHROACHMENT!!!!!

The First Post

Well someone had to do the dirty work. So here's to the success of this blog. My fourth, BTW.

PEace