And then, there was Life...!!!

Death... Followed by Life.. Is that not inevitable? We all do know that Life is followed by Death, as what comes has to go, but rarely do we hear that what goes, surely comes back.

Yes, if one reads the Epics of Ramayan and Mahabharat, they are completely based on people being reborn, either to attain salvation or to extract revenge, which too is part of the discourse in the Bhagvad Gita, that the soul remains for ever, it is just the exterior that changes form.

No, not starting a discourse on Life after Death, or Death followed by Life, but what did bring this subject to mind for a thought was we see people coming and going all around us. A few weeks back, had gone through the sudden demise of a dear friend passing away... Some time later, went through the Joy of hearing that my Kid Brother, was now a proud Father. A new baby in the family.

Of course, both were totally unrelated, both families not connected, but the thought did come across.. Surely there will be families who go through the pain of parting mixed with the Joy of a new addition. What overrides? The sorrow to the one who has lost a partner, or the Joy of another, having a part of one's self entering into the World, with a life that is just starting.

Death and Life or Life and Death (depends on how one views it), are inevitable facets of the cycle of life. Whether walking or flying, all creatures have to succumb to this, some through nature's planned road, some unprepared and sudden. What does remain key, is what we make out of the Life that we get? How well do we use it?

Do we enjoy the little things that we get in Life, or do we cry on what we did not? Some take it seriously, some as it comes, some take it is a joke, some having no value for it. Some always cursing it, some thankful for it, wanting it, waiting for it to come, wanting to contiune for ever.

Life followed by Death, or Death followed by Life. Sounds like the "A Light at the end of a Tunnel" or Every Dark Cloud has a Silver Lining"....... For me it is Death followed by Life.. How about you?

Death..!!!



From Google Images



A morbid topic, or a headline one would say.. Depressing, Mood breaking, the embodiment of darkness. Many other words that describe one of the most hated and feared word in a human being's life, but a stark reality that all of us have to endure at some point or the other.



Why have I selected this as my thought? Why so morose? No, have not gone through this, thank God, but a similar incident on a known person shook the floor beneath.. Literally..

All started with a simple message on my FB wall... "Dear Friends, Our class mate "ABC", who we all studied with, is no more. Was not well, and unfortunately have to announce that he has left us."

A two liner. One would think that ok, we all know that every one who comes has to leave one day.. But what was shocking was that this was a friend we all grew up with, who we had studied with, played with, fought with, passed off through college.. Just about 2 decades ago....



As time passes, we all get a year older, and of course, we don't fall in the 20+ category any more, but then neither do we fall in the 50+ category or the 80+ or whatever... The entire group being in the 40 - 45 range, an incident like this was not even in the horizon.. Not that we are great fit people, but of course, like every "young" person, we too thought that death was far away if any thing else..

Further details gave light that our class mate had a brain problem, which came some where about a decade ago, he suffered, got cured, and appeared suddenly after a long time.... This time unfortunately, no time for realization, cure, or even a second chance... It was simply, Life at First sight.

The suddenness with which Death comes and claims a person, not giving him a time to introspect, fix things, not considering what needs to be done, what not.. How would the persons family manage, how would his children, who were still in school go through life, their Dad not being there any more for any of their key events in life. As they grow older, who would guide them on key decisions, who would they look up to. They would never get a chance to tell their friends.. Hi.. This is my Dad..

Brought a stark realization, that no one is past this. We all live with a great belief that we will live until forever. We never think about tomorrow, never about how our families will move on, what will happen to them, once we are gone, or for that matter any one near and dear goes away.

I don't aim to be negatively inclined, nor do I expect myself or any one for that matter stop living in the fear that we may die tomorrow.. But at the same time, it is a part of life, it will always shock us, shake us, make our hair stand on end when we hear about it.....  I guess that is what Death is all about...

In memory of my friend Anil who passed away recently.. May his soul Rest in Peace..

The Nirbhaya Effect: Justice at last !!

So, the death penalty has been declared. Finally.

Every one commented on it, the media channels are all about it, well circulated in the News, some putting in updates every two hours.. The Judges view, that there should be no leniency (the +The Times of India  coverage) and the satisfaction on the mother of the deceased, finally being at peace.

For sure good coverage and not my thought for today. Had an earlier post on Nirbhaya, but the thought was more on another vote topic also discussed in the +The Times of India. Will the Death Penalty act as a Deterrent to Rape? Good thoughts no doubt, however though people believe that this will prove as one, have my doubts.

The death penalty in the Nirbhaya case, undoubtedly is what was deserved by the culprits, but the fact also remains that the judiciary acted more in fear of a backlash from the people, rather than give it on it's own accord. Whether the Sessions court in Delhi hand down the punishment fearlessly, is more known to the judges, but all said and done, a bold decision.

The verdict being a deterrent for future rape cases, may not necessarily act as one. The Nirbhaya case, was, is and remains a rare case that sparked a nation wide furore from K to K, probably never before seen. The sheer madness with which the act was done, was enough to provoke even the mildest of the mild to vent his frustration at the social structure in which India seemed to reside.

The rapists know this very well and probably understand the fabrics more than the educated masses. The amount of loopholes that the Secular structure provides, the caste system on which the entire country has been created, the anti community feelings that harbour within communities, the illiterate masses that are managed by shrewed guiltless politicians, who still live in the framework and the mindset of the invaders and communities that think that women are simply objects of fulfillment of pleasures known only to man, the ever increasing number of cases that are pending, collecting dust in the courts... Why will this verdict be a deterrent?

Fast track courts were supposed to deliver verdicts in short periods of time. The Nirbhaya case, took 9 months. Surely one would say, arranging proofs, evidences, etc, however considering the culprits were apprehended immediately, the verdict could have come in six months earlier. That, I feel might have sent in a stronger message, along with a Central decision to move all such cases to the fast track courts and taking it out of the regular courts. That might have sparked a fear among wannabe culprits, that the Government means business and is no longer in a mood of protection.

This will require change, a lateral shift in the thinking, and a willingness to put the electorate first over and above personal goals and the desire to stay in power indefinitely. No doubt, the verdict will see appeals, including possible mercy petitions to the President, however one would not be surprised that this too might be a political manoeuvre, to ensure that the timing if it does come to the President to be rejected (possibly already decided), should be at election time..

After all some Aces have to be managed close to the chest. Now whether the country sees beyond this single instance and insist on a justice path that is short and effective, or is buoyed by a single call and the rest forgotten, is our call.

I probably know how I will react and probably quite a few more, but do all is the perennial Million Dollar question..

A Holiday.. A Thought



Pagoda



Holiday Season and you suddenly have every one running helter-skelter trying to find a destination away from home, for a change.. Change could mean going back to one's home town, or if you are lucky, one takes a unknown destination in another country...



Going through the same thoughts with so many options being provided, it was literally a choice as to where one should go.. Too Hot, too Humid, too crowded, too expensive the combinations never to one's satisfaction.. Finally, the visit to go back home won over, and it was home sweet home. Mumbai or Bombay (as the purists still call it)

A visit to Bombay is always full of life, no matter how often you go, or how rare you go. The city seems more busier than the last time you visited, which could be as less as 20 days ago or as long as 10 years ago. My last visit in 2012 proved no less interesting and the 2013 equally so.



People come from and go to now where. Auto's whizz around swerving left and right, with people not having to move, and they miss you by a whisker. Scooties, Motor bikes, all zipping in and out and the noise decibel hitting the highs every day / week / year.. Every one is in a hurry to reach some where, every one is busy swearing, you miss a train, you swear, you get pushed, you swear, you slip on the road, you swear, you do not get a cab or an auto for more than two minutes, you swear, you walk on the road trying to avoid the cars, you swear.. Basically, you swear. I incidentally swore more in the first hour of landing in Bombay, than I did in the time frame between my two visits which was roughly a year.

But there is a good side too to Bombay. There are people who will stop to help you, no matter how busy they are, there are people who still talk nicely and give you respect, there are also people who are suddenly flabbergasted when you speak to them with respect. But then, my thought..



Gateway of India

As part of the vacation, had the opportunity to go see a few places in Bombay, that had not been to for years. Gateway of India, Hanging Gardens, the National Park and so on... What was heartening and disheartening at the same time was the state that many of our monuments and tourist spots are landing up into. Some beautifully managed like the Hanging Gardens, some spots filled with hawkers who outnumber the visitors to the spots. Similar experience in most of the places that one visited, taking the full fun out of a visit.

What was also disappointing was that in many places due to the various unsavoury incidents that the city has had to undergo, one finds spots filled with security personnel, who no doubt are there to take care of the place, but also, become a dampener for a visitor who would like to move freely to see the place. A decade ago, places were more accessible, one enjoyed a visit to any place that one went to, however as society grows and as time passes, one sees more and more restrictions that are imposed not due to any thing but due to security concerns which very well lead to the locking out of various places.

As I saw these different places over my stay, could not but help wonder.. We being law abiding citizens of our country live like prisoners at times, where in we do not have the freedom to move / do as we please. Not that one looks for absolute freedom, however many a time one sees even our basic rights curbed. Most of the time due to the negligent proportion of society that does not wish to follow norms of decency, respect for our culture and our heritage.

There could be anger no doubt for a variety of reasons, but taking this out in the form of violence is always a loss for the average citizen, who simply would like to live his life in peace. Unfortunately, we are heading far away from that dream, and with every man being for himself, would it be long before society itself reaches a point that it can only live in a controlled environment.

Whether that would be manageable or not is another question.