Mera Bharat Mahan

patriotism is a strange thing.ask an indian.he will count days and tell you exactly when he feels "patriotic".it will vary anywhere between five and ten.
though,i suspect that many people might consider ogling at sania and her assets as major "patriotism"!
independence day seemed big this year.we apparently had completed 60 years of 'independence' and thus the jubilation.the honourable PM saab gave illustrious examples of how much progress the nation had made in all these years.while he indulged his eloquence,half the populace slaved away in call centres,banks,IT firms et al.it is mandatory to work on the independence day.the country needs your labour.and thus SLAVE YOU MUST!
it is sheer irony if you come to think of it.would-be johnsons and jessicas clad in kurta pajama/saree selling cheap labour,speaking chaste english so that you doubt if 'george mackenzie' is actually the same old ramachandra krishnamurthy hailing from the remote village in kerala.
patriotism sells.films with super-deshbhakti-mush hit the jackpot at box office.its the safest bet.it projects the new age india-the coming of time india.with her youth standing up against injustice.boy oh boy!if that is not a good plot,what is?
its incredible how we have come so far and yet somewhere it seems as if we never advanced.like as if india has been stuck in this time warp all this while.
the intelligentsia might ponder over debates as to whether the colonialists did us any good.
my point is,have we?
have we really progressed in all these 60 years?what we call economic boom or india shining for that matter is nothing but a repitition of colonialism .ofcourse this time 'they' coined a diplomatic term and called it globalisation.so super malls and multiplexes come flood the country,thereby driving the entire indegenous market out of business.its a brandised nation.this.but major illitearcy prevails.so does poverty.while a meagre 10% feeds on big mac burgers and fried chickens,lakhs go unfed for days.
india still boasts of such malpractises as dowry.and sati continues in some nooks and crannies of Rajasthan,U.P and the like.
you tell me stories about women's empowerment.about girls working and standing on "their own feet".and i will tell you stories of rape,female infanticide,child abuse,eve teasing and casting couches.
the girl next door might work in a big-weeg multinational company but coax her and she will relate how she had to walk/sing/dance/undo her hair/skin before her would be in-laws finalised the marriage.
the science teacher in your college might propound a hell lot of scientific bullshit and yet you will find him wearing that shiny silver amulet around the arm.
a country which proclaims herself "secular" and yet is most vulnerable in matters related to religion.while a pious muslim prays five times a day and indulges in violence all in the name of the holy koran,hindu ladies line up infront of the mandir on shivaratri to worship what is nothing short of a phallus!
a fanatic nation caught up between cricket and bollywood,the country unanimously mourns the conviction of munnabhai as also rejoices the triumph against england.
a country that remains immersed in flood half the year and threatened by the evil forces of terrorism the other.
a country where politicians crossvote,conspire,corrupt and exploit their posts all in the name of the 'janta'.

i came across an article where the author voiced genuine concern regarding indian state of affairs.
"if we are to believe India achieves 60 years of independence this year",the author quipped,"should we assume that the country will retire soon?"

worth a thought.eh,gentlemen?

came across a tag in inihos' blog.i am not a 'tag person'.but this one seemed different.here's what i feel:-


If I were a beginning, I would be: the beginning of life
If I were a month, I would be: august
If I were a day of the week, I would be: saturday
If I were a time of day, I would be: dawn
If I were a planet, I would be: Earth
If I were a season, I would be: Fall
If I were a sea animal, I would be: a sea horse
If I were a direction, I would be: east
If I were a piece of furniture, I would be: a book shelf
If I were a sin,I would be: a white lie
If I were a liquid, I would be: rain
If I were a fraud/scare, I would be: a catastrophe
If I were a gem, I would be: a diamond
If I were a tree, I would be: a gulmohar
If I were a tool, I would be a: chisel
If I were a flower/plant, I would be: a wild strawberry bush
If I were a kind of weather, I would be: a breezy evening
If I were a musical instrument, I would be: a harmonica
If I were an animal, I would be: a squirrel
If I were an emotion, I would be: affection
If I were a vegetable, I would be: a ginger
If I were a sound, I would be : the tinkle of a bell
If I were an element, I would be: air
If I were a car, I would be: a jeep
If I were a song, I would be: leaving on a jet plane
If I were a food, I would be: a bread
If I were a place, I would be: Kolkata
If I were a material, I would be: hand made paper
If I were a taste, I would be: the taste of home made cuisines
If I were a scent,I would be: the smell of wet earth
If I were a religion, I would be: zoroastrian
If I were a sentence, I would be: incoherent
If I were a body part, I would be: the eyes
If I were a facial expression, I would be: a raised eyebrow
If I were a subject in college, I would be: culture
If I were a shape, I would be: a star
If I were a quantity, I would be: infinite
If I were a color, I would be: beige
If I were a thing, I would be: a wish
If I were a landmass, I would be: a faraway county
If I were a book, I would be: The Little Prince
If I were a monument, I would be: Sahid Minar
If I were an artist, I would be: Sukumar Ray
If I were a collection of poems, I would be: The Heights of Machupichu
If I were a landscape, I would be : the valley
If I were a watch, I would be: timeless
If I were God, I would be: forgiving
If I were a vowel, I would be: A
If I were a consonant, I would be: R
If I were a formula, I would be: irrefutable
If I were a Science, I would be: chemistry
If I were a theory, I would be: Idealism
If I were a famous person, I would be: Nelson Mandela
If I were an electronic equipment, I would be: a radio
If I were sport, I would be: snorkelling
If I were a movie, I would be: Fahrenheit 451
If I were a cartoon, I would be: hobbes
If I were an explorer,I would be: Vasco da gama
If I were a scientist, I would be: Stephen Hawking
If I were a relation, I would be: a friend
If I were a river, I would be: Seine
If I were intoxication,I would be: laughter
If I were alone, I would be: contemplating
If I were a question, then I would be: how
If I were a hobby,I would be: writing
If I were a habit, I would be: charity
If I were an atom, I would be: miniscule
If I were an end, I would be: unhappiness
If I were you, I would be: continuing this tag