Republic Day Ramblings

“Going for ‘Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola’,” says one. “Need to take the kids for a haircut,” says another. “How about beer at the bird sanctuary?”

This is how most of us will celebrate the 64^th Republic Day. Again.

As a child I wanted to watch the parade - live. Not anymore. Patriotism is hard to measure by the ability to watch state tableaus or patriotic movies. Nevertheless, I salute those who brave the chill to practice and perform in foggy mornings. Not the ones, who arrive in red beacons dressed in band galas. 

So yes, mighty Pranab da will emerge from the ramparts of Rashtrapati Bhavan to address the nation. The protestors, who cued up outside his palatial abode and braved water cannons, arrived early. They should have waited for the Republic Day for a ‘presidential darshan’. 

Talking about speeches, the PM in waiting has already delivered his emotional speech allegedly written by Jairam Ramesh. Since Jairam Ramesh is in no mood to write another speech, get ready for a deadpan meaningless sermon. The message to the nation on national festivals often rekindles hope you’d associate with anticipating a new Himesh Reshamiya flick.

Free tickets of ‘Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola’ for remembering what Pratibha Patil said last year? Or in her entire tenure? 

Excuse my cynicism, but deadpan reminds me of someone who would be delighted. Not his turn this time. He has already delivered one speech in the month of January on popular demand. Two will be too much. Plus he is busy rehearsing the 15^thAugust address to the nation.

In keeping with the celebrations, we will get to see tableaus of various states. How about the Bengal tableau depicting their leader practicing her boxing skills on a dummy of ‘you-know-who’? No, we won’t call her a hooligan. Promise! 

This year, there is no particular reason to display our military might.  Arnab has already displayed our verbal prowess in the ‘Times Now’ studious. But ‘Sushma Missiles’ which claim to get ten heads for every one enemy head can be particularly exciting.

Six decades ago, Dr Ambedkar gave us our constitution. Perhaps it’s time to associate the Republic Day with other meaningful ideas of giving. Our leaders can begin by giving us the long overdue police reforms, judicial reforms and electoral reforms. 
Anything but sermons, bandhs, dharnas, logjams.

The nation can celebrate by giving - time, books, clothes, toys, medicines…...smiles, suggestions.

Anything but opinions.

Me? Well, I begin with a smile.

Happy Give Public Day.

Pic Courtesy:Google Pics(jordandentistry.biz)

I am the Boss. Or Not?

My father used to introduce mother as, “Meet my Mrs,” or “Meet my wife.” He would refrain from taking her first name, even though she was a good five years younger than him. Mother did not take offence as it was a matter of propriety with no intentions of belittling her identity. However, during private conversations my parents had endearing terms for calling each other. As we grew up, they opted for a more conservative ‘suniye’.

Most couples today, do not shy away from taking first names. Short meaningful names ensure that you don’t become a Bebo or a Duggu. Or Pappu. Or Munna. 

Since I had an official short name, name mangling was never my concern. But as they say, in life, expect the unexpected. It so happened that when I got married, my sister-in-law turned out to be my namesake. The husband refused to call me by the same name. He did come up with some alternatives, but his pickings were spurned with the angst of youth.“The change of family name is enough. I am not going to change my first name,” I declared.


So I oscillated between unmentionable terms of endearment which are so lovingly bestowed during the first few months of marriage.Baby, Baba, Janu, Jani, Kootchie, Pootchie. After the initial ‘pyaar ka bukhaar’ subsided, it dawned that all the above terms were ‘haww-worthy’ in a joint family. Thus began the hunt for a new name.
As happens, after a decade of marriage, the husband began to enjoy ‘Wife is Boss’ jokes. The ones which go like, 'A man is incomplete until he is married. After that, he is finished', or 'It doesn't matter how often a married man changes his job, he still ends up with the same boss'. These jokes have been done to death, but they never cease to amuse married men.

Meanwhile, I don’t exactly remember when and how, I was christened as ‘The Boss’. This was also the time when ‘Hari Sadu’ advertisement for ‘naukri.com’ was on air. Remember, H for Hitler, A for Arrogant, R for Rascal…? Worse, our son joined the chorus and began calling me 'The Boss'. In fact, the way I find myself obeying our son, it seems as if he is the Biggest Boss. As if it was not enough, my mother called to say, " How are you doing Boss?"
And this Bossing charade irks more after they take a decision and then inform, 'Boss, we've booked the tickets'. Worse, the father and son duo ‘Boss’ me at social gatherings. Interestingly, there is a distinct sense of déjà vu among my husband’s colleagues. They smile knowingly as if to say, “We are in the same boat”.
So yes, my pet name, alternately irritating and endearing, has become the bane of my life.

“Which curtains to buy?”
“You're the boss. You decide.”

“Where should we go for a vacation?”
“You're the boss. You decide.”

“Should I go jump in a well?”
“You're the boss. You decide.”

Believe you me, I am anything but bossy. I am lulled into believing that I am one. Just as Manmohan Singh was.

A Road Less Travelled

Pic Courtesy: Facebook




The world, it seems, is bombarded with negative news emanating from all around. If the morning newspaper doesn’t make your gut wrench, the evening news on television will make you throw up. So I decided to trawl the net and look for positive happenings.
I read about Manish Bharadwaj, an award winning engineering graduate from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, who also holds a PhD degree in wireless technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

What comes to mind when you read about him?
Most would imagine that Manish works for a big multinational, lives in a metro and drives a luxury sedan. But Manish has broken away from the stereotypes. He is currently camping in Samastipur district of Bihar and busy eradicating Tuberculosis form the nearby villages. Ensuring medical facilities for the poor and impoverished is the aim of his organization called ‘Innovators of Health’.Report


Admirable though it is, I was wondering why Manish decided to abandon a cushy lifestyle and opted to camp in remote Bihar. True, many professionals armed with foreign degrees decide to follow their passion. But that often happens after completing family responsibilities and securing a safe future.

As I was reading the article, I thought of a friend who is psyching her daughter to aim for the top colleges in the US and Europe. The girl is yet to complete her high school but the long term plan is ready. Nothing wrong with it at all. Well planned is half done. Armed with reputed degrees, children make informed choices. However I am not sure how my friend will react if her daughter emerges from a reputed American University and decides to take up a social cause in a remote area, unrelated to her studies.

What if my son decides to do the same?

At one level, I would be proud his contribution to the society. But on another, safety and health would be big concerns. After spending stressful months outside coaching institutes, running around counseling sessions, sweating over the choice of college and writing applications, it won’t be easy to send my child to a disease infested remote area. The thought, " If social service was his calling, why did he waste time and energy pursuing engineering," will trouble the mind.

Perhaps it is important to not push ideas but aim to raise responsible strong individuals who can freely choose careers and life paths. With the backing of a strong educational background, experimenting with new ideas becomes easy.
Passion and money may not always go hand in hand. We do not go to work only to pursue passion. One needs money to pay the bills, buy food and rear a family. How much is enough is the question. However pursuit of money may not always lead to happiness. At the end of the day, it’s all about loving your work. Its all about how you define success. And it is all about that elusive feeling called ‘happiness’.

There is no putting a price on it, is there?

If happiness comes from alleviating poverty in remote Ethiopia, so be it.