At the crossroads

The Red Anachronism

2010-06-01T16:04:00.008+05:30

"The soul of India lives in its villages", quoting our Nation's Old Man. And this story too begins in one of India's villages, Naxalbari. A popular peasant uprising brought this quiet village near the Nepalese border into the limelight. It started off as a protest against the rampant feudalism prevelant in the area. A catharsis of sorts that did not end then and there. Certain 'revolutionaries' like Charu Majumdar, inspired by Mao's 'success' in China and with their own outdated sense of Communist idealism, decided to take it further and formulated the ideology for the Naxalite movement as we know it today. They denounced the mainstream Indian Communist parties for swearing loyalty to the Indian Constitution and Union.

Contrary to popular perception,in History it has always been the Bourgeois who have fueled the famous Revolutions and propelled the lower masses against the rich. The Bourgeois used the poorer classes to further their own ambitions which were being restrained by the upper classes (This is pointed out by Paul Colinvaux in his book The Fates of Nations: A Biological Theory of History). Lenin who spearheaded the Russian Revolution was not a labourer, but a lawyer born to Russian academicians. The Chinese Revolutionary, Mao Zedong,a son of a wealthy farmer was also educated. Similarly the Naxalite movement's 'brain' is derived from among the educated urban Indians, disillusioned with the Indian Bureaucratic setup. This brain is instigating the underprivileged masses who form the 'backbone' of the movement to challenge the diseased Indian bureaucracy.

The movement has now spread virally across vast swathes of India. Stretching from the Nepalese border to Karnataka, they control a bulk of India's forests. They mount frequent attacks on Government establishments in the villages and ambush the convoys passing through 'their' territory. This has crippled the Govt's ability to react to this Red menace. The police are not adequately funded and supported. This problem continually haunts us and has claimed so many lives in the Mumbai attack and also in this case. No one but successive Indian governments are to blame. By turning a blind eye to corruption and neglecting the development of the tribals, they have and are continuing to help justify the Naxalite movement. Salwa Judum and other face-saving initiatives are desperate measures which are not yielding any significant results. At the heart of the problem is the economic disparity between the India seen in the 'India Shining' campaigns and Rural India. But the question remains, are the tribals and peasants better off under the Maoists? Have they achieved even marginal improvement in standards of living?

From an economic perspective, the Industry is unable to tap the potential of these Forests and mineral-rich lands, courtesy the naxals. The Government could use these to further the development of the tribals and lower classes by providing employment and funds.From an international perspective, this comes at a time when India is strongly pushing itself as one of the World's Superpowers and an important player in the South-Asian region.

The Government must adopt a two pronged strategy of (1)adopting a time-bound program for alleviating the poverty and provide the basic needs of the affected masses(2) Step up the pressure by adopting a more hard-line stance and deploying more troops (and if need be, the Armed Forces). This is not the time for haggling whether its a problem of the States or the Centre. Stop passing the baton. Its a question of maintaining Sovereignty. The Central Government should take the pivotal role and co-ordinate with the local governments, and strike down this violent uprising. The Prime minister recently appealed to the Naxalites to drop their guns and approach the problem in a democratic way by contesting the elections. Jokes apart,on a more serious note, will the Naxalites so easily bow down to the very system that they are vehemently opposing? They have to be coerced into submission in order to that. The Naxalites cannot aim to achieve anything phenomenal by opposing India militarily. Its only a matter of time before their movement will collapse. All it takes is the will of the Central Government to act strongly and reclaim the trust that it has to lost among the citizens who form the backbone of the movement. But when will this happen is the question. The real losers ultimately are the peasants and tribals who do not stand to gain anything from this conflict. These are Rebels with a cause, albeit a losing one.

Damnation

2010-05-29T14:53:00.003+05:30

A sunny day in Jerusalem. Benjamin Menasseh is taking his usual stroll in the streets of the Old City. He hears the barking of dogs around the corner and notices two dog-catchers running past him. They trap the stray mutts and drag them away to a waiting van. Mr. Benjamin makes a grimace. It brings back those horrid memories which he has been trying to forget. German soldiers marching the Jews out of the Ghettoes into those dirty trains bound for Auschwitz, Sobibor and other hellish camps. The countless innocents who died as guinea pigs in the mad Nazi experiments. The intolerable humiliation and pain inflicted upon his people. ‘How could a rational human subject another to such mindless torture?’ he wonders. He and his people have come a long way since then. They have settled the Promised Land and displaced the resident Arabs. Benjamin contemplates this over some Cappuccino at a roadside cafe.

“...Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me..”

Meanwhile in another part of the City, Abdel Ahmed Yassin prepares Mohammed Arafat for the mission. Yassin repeats the instructions and promises Arafat that his family would be protected financially. He reminds him that 72 maidens await him at Paradise.

“..So as you read this know my friends
I'd love to stay with you all
Please smile, smile when you think about me
My body's gone that's all..

..These are the last words,
I'll ever speak, And they'll set me free...”

72 hrs ago, Arafat was a successful shop-keeper until the Gaza bombings rendered him both jobless and homeless. He was forced to beg and scavenge to feed the hungry mouths. Unable to continue this life on the road, he broke down and tears rolled down his cheeks. He owned a small piece of land in the Gaza Strip. So did his father and grandfather before him. What right did these Zionists have to claim it as their own? They cannot possibly expropriate this land just because their ancestors used to occupy it a millennium ago, could they? The Jews suffered injustice at the hands of a fanatical anti-Semite. But that does not justify their treatment of the hapless Palestinians. The train of thoughts came crashing on Arafat. He could not endure the inexorable aggression and trespassing of the Zealots. His people did not possess the advanced killing machines that the Jewish state employed. Nor did they have Uncle Sam’s backing. They were refugees expelled from their motherland and unwelcome in the neighbouring nations. The international peace conferences were but a farce conjured by Israel. He was forced to resort to the one thing that irks any organised form of society: Terrorism. ‘Strike at the enemy’s heart and instil a constant sense of insecurity in the minds of the common people.’ Arafat enlisted in one of the numerous Martyr Brigades.

“..So there's problems in your life
that’s fucked up, but you're not blind
you’re just see through faded, overrated
and out of your mind... “

“..Nobody wants him, He just stares at the world, planning his vengeance
That he will soon unfold...”

Pierre Delacroix, a freelance photographer by profession, a Catholic by birth, a rationalist by thought is on his maiden visit to the Holy City. Even after visiting the holiest of the holy places, he is not able to come to terms with the fact that people were dying on a daily basis over this small piece of land. He blames the British for the present turbulence in the region. He accuses the Brits of always dividing the people of a nation before granting independence. Israel and Palestine. India and Pakistan. He comes to the conclusion that Jerusalem is a city of endless and selfless sacrifice where the citizens subordinate their interests in an ardent pursuit of the greater cause which they believe is the ‘right’ path.

“...They fire off many shots or many parting blows,

Their actions beyond a reasoning, only god would know, And as he lies in heaven or it could be in hell

I feel he's somewhere here or looking from below, But I don't know, I don't know...”

Pierre stops at a roadside cafe and not finding any free table takes up a seat opposite a short, balding man wearing a yarmulke. Being a loquacious person by nature, he strikes up a conversation with the Jew, named Benjamin Menasseh. The Holocaust survivor shares his experiences with the Frenchman. He listens to Pierre’s rationalist arguments, but is slightly troubled at the sight of a tall bespectacled Arab with unkempt hair approaching them. The source of Benjamin’s trepidation is the blank look on the Arab’s face. A dead man walking.

“...Might be waiting for someone
Might be there for us to see
Might be in need of talking
Might be staring directly at me...”

Arafat arrives at the cafe. He surveys the scene and is satisfied that the cafe is packed as usual. He approaches the nearest table and interrupts the conversation between an old man and a photographer. He opens his jacket to reveal a pack of explosives. Arafat stares at the pale faces filled with terror. Beads of sweat trickle down his forehead and his aquiline nose. He can barely hear the screams of the people. He prays to God, thinks of his family and pushes the detonator.

A blinding flash of light.

“..We are not the sons of God
we are not his chosen people now...”

“..Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns...Holy Father we have sinned”

( Article submitted for review/publication in Vitruvian 2010)

Bekal Fort & Sita Falls

2010-05-29T14:32:00.005+05:30

Bekal Fort : A picturesque tourist spot close to Kasargod in Mallu-Land. Its about 4hrs from Surathkal by bus. Disembark at Kasargod Bus Station and take another to Bekal. There isnt much that the place offers except for the remnants of a medieval fort and some photosnapping opportunity. There is a nice beach about 1 km from the fort. The water is saline enough for anyone to float in it. Ideal for ,say, a wing trip ( about 10 fellows).

Here are some pics : http://www.flickr.com/photos/37915201@N08/sets/72157622298812035/

Sita Falls : A waterfall nestled in the Western Ghats. Ideal for Class trips and has been shagged on by successive NIT-K Batches.Hobby photographers will be forced to take people-pics although they would prefer otherwise.There is a short trek involved. There are two paths in the wood, one being the less traveled and for the more intrepid. Frost-ian. The water is cool and therapeutic. The right time to go there would be when the dog days settle in. That way one can avoid leeches and other risks associated with trekking in the monsoon season.

Here are the obligatory snaps :http://www.flickr.com/photos/37915201@N08/sets/72157623318306168/

Ootacamund

2009-07-18T13:53:00.002+05:30

Here are some snaps from the Ooty trip at the beginning of the long vacations.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37915201@N08/

The Summer of '09: Part-2

2009-07-18T13:00:00.004+05:30

Three months of holidays gave me quite some time to rejuvenate the long lost habit of reading( Thanks to DC++).

1. "Enemy" by Lee Child : A classic American thriller by a Brit author. Fast paced.

2. "Freakonomics" : Refreshingly different. Managed to obtain this book through one of the numerous acquaintances made at HAL.

3. "The Collected Short Stories" - Roald Dahl : Dark Humour packed with brilliant twists.

4. "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson : Very informative and at the same time not boring.

5. "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell : The book itself itself is an Outlier. A class apart. Leaves you in an introspective mood at the end of it.

6. "Hitman" by Garth Ennis : Unlike the macho Punisher, Tommy is quite vulnerable. Lots of references to cult movies. Fun stuff. I felt the ending was quite lame though.

The Summer of '09: Part-1

2009-07-18T12:15:00.007+05:30

Sophomore year ends.Three months of holidays.No plans. Regrettable.

Sad but True.

Although it was quite late already, I tried to land a project in IISc and paid a visit to the lush,beautiful campus. IISc is truly a sylvan paradise which houses some of the most brilliant scientific minds of our nation. And then there are these undergraduates who swarm this place every summer. Literally a plague of locusts. Anyways, I found a cool professor who was willing to let me in. He did hint at my lack of knowledge in the field he was working on. So, i decided to put the IISc idea to rest and try something different.

I volunteered at a non profit organization that works to improve civic literacy and increase citizen participation in the local government. To get a feel of what they do, i studied their various initiatives for a few weeks. I also managed to get an article on Namma Metro published in their Bi-monthly Newsletter.

And then, Industrial Training at Aircrafts Division,HAL.This was an Undergraduate course requirement. I spent roughly a month at this place and divided my time between the Electrical Looms Shop, Final Assembly and Aircraft Equipping. More of Mech Engg and less of Electrical. Anyways, I learnt the basics of Aerodynamics, Hydraulics and an overview of Aircraft Production. It gave me an opportunity to observe and experience stuff that is normally out of reach for the general masses except at shows like Aero India. Walking on the wings of the last production Jaguar was really a thrilling experience. Apart from the Jaguar, I also got to view the Hawk Mk-132,Tejas,IJT,Lakshya and Kiran from up close. Sadly no cameras to capture these once in a lifetime moments. National Security. Understandable. Apart from that, the work culture is no different from that in any other Government supported Industries.

Multiple Personality Disorder

2009-05-08T17:08:00.003+05:30

‘Hello, I am Jennifer calling from Houston, Texas’. So says Shreya Rao (Some arbit name. No references implied) every now and then, with an almost perfect American accent.

No points for guessing where she works. A Call Centre.

Many foreign business organizations have shifted their front office tasks such as customer services and back office tasks like accounting to places like India, the Philippines etc. The reason from their point of view is quite obvious and rational. The operating costs become lesser because the fixed employee salaries are transformed into variable costs (considering the fact that many of these BPOs offer wage per service). It is also partly plausible from the Indian call centre workers point of view considering they get quite a good pay with respect to Indian standards.

But there is a dark side to this arrangement that looks deceivingly symbiotic. This system largely exploits the call centre workers. Many of these services require the employees to use pronunciations that differ remarkably from their natural accent. Initially these employees undergo intensive training in which they are taught to mimic American pronunciations and are given an introduction to American culture and thinking. The trainees are told to think and talk like Americans. In other words they come to possess this dual identity. This is to give the American customer a feeling that they are talking to someone from the parent company without knowing that their call has been outsourced! This gives a really bad impression about Indians in general when the customer finds out that Jennifer from Houston is actually Shreya Rao who hasn’t even been to the US. Many of these employees tend to fall under false impressions regarding the American Dream. They change their own lifestyle to adapt to their jobs. Some even think its ‘cool’.

Hard to blame them. Some of them are from poor families for whom they are the only bread winners. These are side-effects of a rapidly globalizing world. These workers might be increasing the revenue of the companies, but they are hardly making any contribution to the Indian system.

In God We Trust

2009-05-08T16:56:00.001+05:30

Religion is something that has fascinated many since the beginning of time.Why do we need a religion?This has been a banned question,asking which you are likely to face angry stares and many others questioning your very sanity!

Yes,the idea of a superhuman power governing the world of man or more is pretty plausible as Science cannot answer many of those bewildering questions of Life.Where Science ends,Religion begins.God creates Universe,God creates Man... Sounds nice,doesn't it?

The other possibility is that a group of intelligent humans created something called a religion, to convince people to stick to ideas that they would not normally have adhered to very strongly unless conveyed through the medium of something they feared : A Superhuman Being!

This is agreeable to an extent.But what has happened is that this institution of religion has narrowed down and has become dogmatic.People continue redundant traditions forgetting the purpose for which the ancients had designed them.Their intention was likely to use Religion as a binding tool to bring unity to a fledgling human race.Religion can also be a figment of Man's hopelessness,the solution to things beyond his comprehension.It is remarkable to see something that is physically non-existent control the human brain and become cause for War and Destruction and oppression.We all belong to the same Human species,Why is there a need to divide us into different castes,sects,religions,races?

How do Humans have so much trust in an idol or symbol or Prophets , when they cannot believe in themselves or fellow human beings??!!Only when humans come to believe in themselves and realize the underlying principles and motives with which The Founders of Religions started these and integrate it within themselves,there will no need for religion and the World will unite and move forward with true potential that the humans hold within them.

PS:The author does not intend to hurt anybody's feelings and begs forgiveness if it does.

India Shining in Moonlight

2008-11-29T01:10:00.013+05:30

On November 14, 2008, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Pandit Nehru, Chandrayaan-1 successfully reached the Moon and delivered its payload. This propelled India into an 'elite' club of nations who have left their mark on the Moon.Having accomplished this, India has only begun to satisfy its lust for the Moon Exploration.A job well done for Madhavan Nair and ISRO.Let us not forget Dr Kalam's contribution.He was behind the idea of sending a Moon Impact Probe, thanks to which our Tricolour reached the Moon, otherwise Chandrayaan would have only completed orbiting the Moon.Good,but paltry compared to what it has achieved now.

This has given a huge face-lift for India's Space Programme.This also is a plus point in what can be called the Asian Space race between India and China.An overall boost in India's image as an emerging Superpower.But,lets look at it from a different perspective.Say,that of an average Indian farmer who struggles to procure the next meal for his family.Does the farmer really care about the Moon mission(if at all he is aware of it) or Does the composition of rocks on the lunar surface even matter to him??. The Chandrayaan-1 mission costed approximately Rs.386 crores. Imagine if that much money was invested in modernization of the agricultural practices, setting up safety funds,maximizing production.This will impact the average Indian farmers life and enable him to partake in the benefits that any Middle class citizen in India is reaping thanks to the new found prosperity.And it is a time tested truth that when the agriculturists who form the backbone of the nation prosper,it heralds the evolution of the State into a Superpower.

The rich growing richer, a bourgeoning Middle class and a flourishing Democracy.But, the less privileged are sinking into depths of poverty.Farmer suicides are rampant in Maharashtra. It is not morally right to let one section of society toiling in vain. Free country and Free Market.Nobody cares what happens to the under-privileged as long as trouble does not knock on their doors.

What I am trying to convey is that the Moon Exploration is necessary, but not a priority.We need to set our priorities right.Once we achieve overall prosperity i.e India really Shining, we can pursue the quest for the Moon and Outer Space with maximum energy, enthusiasm and resources.

A Brief History of 3rd Semester

2008-10-03T21:46:00.007+05:30

Its been nearly two or three months since my last post.That by itself indicates the galore of events and fests that have been happening in NITK.Basically a diarrhea of sub-standard,mass produced tosh by the college's so called Technical clubs.Continuing a long tradition,the gullible Freshmen fell for the cheap tripe. Now i wonder, how we managed to shift through all this in our freshman year. Ah yes, here is something interesting to mention about these usually drab fests. The Flagship cabaret at the Sports Complex organized by a certain techniecal club went down like a Titanic!!.

Now lets turn to the matter of the Infamous,Enigmatic and Psychotic branch called Trical.This is how trical was described by most seniors.Some say taking trical is equivalent to a Death By Choice. Only equally psychotic chaps take trical. But now that we are in trical third semester ourselves, it doesn't appear as bad as the description.It in fact has the least number of working hours and user friendly labs.Aye,the courses are such that OverHead Transmission occurs,but that apart it is actually a cool branch to be in.

Then came along the mid-sems and as usual we got screwed.The only noticeable difference is the degree with which we got screwed, amplified many times compared to last semester.

Mid-sems are like a hard fought (or hardly fought in some cases!!) battle and most people who went berserk want to "chill out".Ah,what a nice setting for yet another of those fests.
This time it was organized by yet another 'Technical' club.This time it happened to be one in which i happen to be an executive member.Fancy word, "executive". We had to organize the "lit" events of this fest and we pulled off a decent job.Meanwhile, the others organized "Fun" events at the basketball court.Its rather unfortunate(actually fortunate) that such "Fun" events dont appeal to our "naive" minds.Officially the fest was a success and we did "Get A New High"(that was the tagline by the way).

News Wagon(NW) is basically a bunch of Nitkians who with their strong vocab and masterful use of Sarcasm provide us the necessary comic relief from the monotonicity infesting the campus.This years recruits are poised to continue the same vitriolic sniping of unsuspecting victims.All is fine except for one recruit who is over-enthusiastic about his induction into NW and according to certain sources ,threatened many using his new status.His "covering" of events be it something like Spandan or as insignificant as the Grand-Dinner has become a word used commonly these days to mock other NW recruits also.No story can be picture perfect right?.And so NW has its own Black Sheep.

The above is a synopsis of all the events of significance that occurred in the last two or three months.And now, thanks to Our Father Gandhi we are busy enjoying tasty home "saapaadu" and the usual long siestas ...Happy Weekend!

Aggressive Advertising??!!

2008-08-09T09:25:00.002+05:30

We found this at Saibeen Complex during our last Mangalore visit.Hats off to the brain behind the poster!

So much ado about Placements??

2008-07-09T12:02:00.002+05:30

Yet another AIEEE counselling goes by.A great success for the NIT system.

But with every passing year,the students are more concerned about the placements even before they join the institute!.I cant blame them though,this is a world where money is placed before anything.But,come on, placements should not be on your head when you join an institution like NITK surathkal (atleast not until the final year!).One should be looking forward for all the fun and the sense of responsibility and spirit of independence that one gains by living in the campus.Also the exposure one gets in the college is awesome.By exposure i mean both the technical aspect of academics and also to different cultures,opinions,movies,music,arts etc.NITK embodies the spirit of diversity drawing students from different corners of the country.These are the things that one must keep in mind before joining NITK.Not Placement percentages, packages etc.Yes, i agree that they are important from the point of view of the future,but i say that you must enjoy and gain a lot of knowledge and experience from the four years at NITK ;This, my friends will give you enough confidence and see you through all the things including placements.

The French Connection! @ Madras..

2008-06-30T12:47:00.004+05:30

Finally,the holidays arrived!

Everything seemed picture perfect except for the fact that i had to spend a bulk of it at Madras.Well, nothing is wrong with Madras, its simply the weather which plays spoilsport and gives a bad rep to the city. Soaring mercury levels accompanied by equally high humidity is not what the doctor prescribed!. The city's infrastructure is splendid compared to Bangalore (candid opinion although i am a Bangy!).The only drawback being that the city is packed to the core and teaming with people and more people.

Thats Madras from a Bangalorean point of view.Now, i had to spend a mammoth 3 months at this place.doing what most of the time??..in fact doing nothing..recovering all the lost sleep..finally after waking up from a long slumber,proceed to kill time by watching some awesome movies ripped off the NITK lan..nearly hundred movies.And what next??...that was the million dollar question i was asking myself.

Finally,I decided that i should take my liking for French history,culture,art,movies to the next degree by making the French connection. I enrolled for a course at Alliance Francaise de Madras for a month. The course was a lot of fun coupled with a dynamic course instructor, it was a splendid way to kill time and end up doing something productive at the same time!.

Voila ,The French connection was made..

Winter break , Gujarat , Rise of nations..

2007-12-24T14:51:00.006+05:30

Its almost Christmas now and the new year is just a few days now...its been one week since i arrived in madras..its the winter break now...after a damaging bout with the chemistry cycle in first semester ,its the physics cycle now...i just hope things change for the better.

Meanwhile the country is buzzing with news of the tremendous modi victory in Gujarat. this comes as a slap in the face to Sonia,congress and of course our dear prime minister..in fact their mud-slinging on modi has turned into a bane for them.there are even talks of modi standing as the prime-ministerial candidate for the bjp.nothing from the godhra chapter seems to haunt modi...this is truly the magic of Indian politics!

Here in Madras,i am whiling away my time watching arbit movies (including "Marnie" by Hitchcock and "samapti" by Satyajit Ray),chatting with friends whom i couldn't contact during my academic session,also i tried my hand at rise of nations a Microsoft game,at first sight its pretty good,but also it can be seen as a modified combo of age of empires and civilization series.worth a try though...

intro

2007-12-18T23:26:00.001+05:30

hi!! this happens to be the first post i am putting up..so forgive if anything is too arbit.(although i woudnt be bothered that much coz thats the way i am..)..

so here i am..standing at what possibly is the most intriguing crossroad that life has thrown at me...frankly speaking,this is the stage of my life that i consider one of the best and most enjoyable (although its been only six months into it). i think its probably the same for many others too, i guess.

before i actually start off..there are a few things that a person must be aware of before continuing any further..firstly there will be several instances where i may contradict my previous views..this is simply because i do not freeze my views on something,i like to keep an open mind and listen to different views...secondly some of my comments may seem too separatist or rebellious.but i cant help it..my sincere apologies to those who might be offended..this is enough for now i guess..so lets kick off!!

PS:since the author is a college student, the jargon used will be in accordance with that!!