Mixed feelings

…I have been slightly off the mark lately … partly because of my laziness and more so, I wasnt getting any topic to write about.

I felt really sad when Islamic jehadis in Pakistan completed a hat-trick of sorts in planting bombs and blowing away people. First day, when Benazir returned back home after 8 years of self imposed exile, close to 170 people were killed in the bomb that ripped apart Karachi. The very next day, another bomb went off in a bus killing 07 people, and it followed with yet another blast in Baluchistan which killed some people. Violence, bloodshed, freedom, Islam, Jehad, bullets, torn limbs………I was wondering will I ever understand the logic behind these killings in the name of religion and freedom. Islamic clerics openly address rallies in Karachi and call for war against the “infidel” nations like Israel, the US and India. I immediately checked up the meaning for the above quoted word, and it means a non-believer in faith, religion etc…in this case Islam. I asked myself, dont I have a right to live peacefully, if I dont believe in your Allah..??

The World is changing fast. Hundreds of people are killed in Iraq everyday, and as far as I remember, I havent seen a figure anything less than 60-70 whenever a “roadside car bomb” goes off. If we leave Iraq, India is the victim to the most no. of people killed by terrorist activities. Terrorism is raising its ugly head everywhere. Almost the whole of Africa is gripped in civil war, India has been at the receiving end of a proxy war since decades, LTTE in Sri Lanka, Hamas in Palestine, Chechnya, Military junta in Myanmar, Jehadis in Pakistan……….I suppose the Scandinavian countries and, perhaps Antartica 🙂 are the only two regions left on Earth, where you dont here any reports of growing intolerance among masses.

It is, in fact, a disturning trend. People have started to react impulsively. Every now and then, I hear, a mob beating the hell out of a man for a petty theft, and more often than not, the man dies. ‘Lynching’ is the word. If he survives, he would be booked for the crime, but nobody bats an eyelid to arrest those who took law into their own hands. 

You are driving happily down the expressway, with your family. You get distracted by something going inside the car, and you accidentally bump into your adjoining car. You feel and say sorry, are ready to pay the damages to the owner. You promise to do everything that saves you from any kind of harrasment. But you get beaten up badly. Road-rage is the word, and I am talking about Delhi.

There are tens of other such instances which I can narrate and make you aware of the growing intolerance among the janta. I often, laugh myself off, when I think that, the day is not far when people will start killing in the name of sunsigns.  

But why the ‘Mixed feelings?’. I had a reason to cheer coz India demolished Australia comprehensively, in a Twenth-20 match played in Mumbai. India’s batting was spectacular in that event with Uthappa and Yuvi sending most of the deliveries across the boundary. I was delighted to see the “I-will-cry-any-moment” look on Ponting’s face. Gulping down some pegs at a bar, with two of my college mates, I was hooting and clapping with everyone else. India truly deserved the World Champions title, becuase they played like one.

Although not very recently, I have developed an interest in political affairs and business, and this happened since I switched over to The Hindu and started carrying it over to work, reading it in the office bus, and stealing some naps here and there. Two days ago, I was reading an issue of the BusinessWorld, and I loved every page of it. I understood what is causing the bull run in the stock markets, and why is it necessary to control the rather, disturbing upsurge.

I would keep updating myself as and when I feel like and it is subject to a) me being ‘useless’ in Office; b) me not feeling lazy; c) if none of my freinds have scrapped me or are online.

Cheers!

First post …new to blogosphere

The blogging bug bit me wen i received an RSS feed from Cnet.com and an invitation from wordpress simultaneously. I was contemplating to start a blog of my own ..but dint know how to. I reserched a bit and found this to be fun ….although i still prefer my diary for all those thoughts which i dont want to share with the world wide web.

 Another reason to start a blog was that I had given up writng completely, sometimes by chance and mostly by choice ( I am one helluva lazy guy!) And since my profession demands to be good in writing, I just thought to sharpen up my skills a bit. Now, how did I realise that I need to brush up my skills? Just the other day i was asked by my ‘temporary’ boss to review an action game. Everything was fine, as I was pumping bullets in wholesale to all those freaking monsters, until the moment arrived when i had to finally end the bloodshed and shed some ink onto the paper…i had to review the game! Since the magazine I write for, is targetted exclusively to the young audience, I had to ensure that the language is full of slangs, the ‘in’ words and sentences etc. After I joined this company I always wished that I join this dept. (Living Digital), but suddenly i developed cold feet when i was asked to write this review, partly beacuse I wasnt allowed to play much. Just a few stages and he yelled, ” U have played the game, na? Now submit the review before u leave…” I had less than 2 hours in hand, and who wants to write after u had a heavy lunch. Still…… with a picture of a cozy bed in my mind and AC at full blast(ah heaven!), i began scribbling. When i was finally ready with my draft, the mischievous me woke up. I decided to consult my counterparts on the World wide web, and see what they had to say about the game. Although, not very convincing, but I managed to somehow generate a consensus between my opinion on the game and theirs i.e. after some clever copy pasting! After all, i am in the editorial department, isnt it?

 I would certainly liketa have more variety and innovation in my posts. As suggested, I would add some pictures and images in my posts, hereafter. (god, bless me with a digicam please)

  Cheers!