Thursday, October 06, 2005

Rose is a flower...

Lunch Time!!!

Everybody was at the canteen. Mark had his plate in front of him and in deep thought.

"Mark... Mark.. what happened.. eat.. is something wrong?" disturbs Preethi, with all the enthusiasm she always had at the lunch table.

Mark: "shhh.. i am busy.. dont disturb me.. you got your food na.. eat it."

"Busy! ...", with astonishment Preethi raises herself little louder.. "did anybody hear this.. Mark is busy... "

Everyone had a bit of a laugh seeing mark looking at the fan above and moving his fingers in a gesture of deep thought... and turned again to their discussions.

Evening was off that day. since the computer department was celebrating its annual event. computer department students including Mark had off since two days allowing for preparations for the event. There will be students from most nearby college computer departments.

Later, after lunch, all our gang moved to the auditorium. Mark went backstage as normal as any department guy starts making a show, when its their department's turn to use the stage with all the rights that day.

"Mark is all excited and disgusting today.. what happened to him", started Preethi. The guys kept quiet, smiling at her.

The show started and Mark came back and sat with the rest of them.

For every program on the show Mark started explaining how he helped make this show, and made a fuss about everything that happened. "We are the Computer science department, guys.. we rock.. your shows dont stand a chance" pointed Mark teasing Raj, Preethi and Jas. Mano gave a hi-five for Mark's statement. Together all 5 of them had arguments cricizing, teasing each other, their department and having another great time.

Finally there came a guy on stage.. who had a poem to tell the audience..

As any other college student he started dedicating it to his unnamed girl friend.. how he loved the computer science department.. how they rocked to make this show happen.. all this even without starting the poem.

Then he told his poem.. dedicating to his girl friend..

"Rose is a flower" ... as if nobody knew ..quipped Preethi.
"It will stand for one hour" ... now that's something I didn't know ..said Jas.

..... (silence)

"You are my lover"
"You will be in my heart for ever".. finished the poet..

Mark rose loud from his seat all excited.. "Kalakita machiiiiiiii" he shouted..

Everyone pulled the excited Mark back to his seat and started teasing each other again. They had a nice time.

This poem was repeated almost a 1000 times in boys hostel corridors whenever a computer science guy walked across.. making noise for 2 or 3 days later..:o)

Rose is a flower..
It will stand for 1 hour...
You are my lover...
You will be in my heart for ever..

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

The Tatas: Beyond the last blue mountain

Its 5:30pm and finishing his classes Raj waits at the basket ball court for the others to come. Raj is fully absorbed into a book he reads sitting there. Preethi is the first to come . Noticing Raj busy with a book, preethi walks behind Raj close to him so that he doesn't notice her coming.

Tapping Raj's right shoulder preethi quickly moves to sit to his left and grabs the book from him.

"Who's this guy.. He looks familiar." asks preethi as she looks at the picture on the cover of the book. "JRD Tata, yea... the man who built the tata empire, right"

"Not exactly! He was one of them who lead the Tatas." answers Raj as he looks around for the others to come.

"Where are the others" asks preethi as she reads through the books cover and about the author. "Have Mark and Manoj started studying already for next month's exam or what. They arent seen around. They keep making noise."

Raj: They must be coming.

Preethi reads out: "Beyond the blue mountain - A life of J.R.D Tata - by R.M.Lala, is he a new author.. not heard of him."

"One of JRD Tata's men. Since its a biography its better written by someone who knows his subject personally. Here the subject is JRD Tata." says Raj looking at his watch and waiting for the others. "I am hungry.. where are these guys still."

"You were so deep into the book when i came.. But you usually read novels.. Is this book good" queries preethi getting interested in it.

Raj: "Yes.. Its a very good book. You should read it.. you will read it.. i will give you once i finish.. its wonderfully written. Its not just about JRD Tata's life, but about the Tatas itself and what they stand for."

Excited about Raj's comment on the book, Preethi asks for more review: "Oh nice.. give me your review of the book."

Raj: "Its a very good book on the Tatas and nice that it happens to be the bio of JRD Tata who either witnessed or participated or lead the Tata Group from its growth from 14 companies to around 94 companies. The author R.M.Lala has spent a good 5 years making this book with interviews with the Tatas and he has studied everything in detail.

The book neatly describes the events, the colors, the british raj, the world war environments of the late 19th century and early 20th century... the period in which JRD grows up in different countries like India, France, and London.

Its so well written. I enjoyed its language. This is the first book i am reading of R.M.Lala , but I already admire his ways with the language. An easy read for an Indian english person, this book takes you through the years and the experiences JRD Tata has had. When you took the book from me now, I suddenly woke up from the 1930's... really :o) its so involving."


Preethi: "Wow.. that's nice.. I am already tempted to learn about the tatas.. so finish the book by next week and give me."

Raj: "Yes, It gives you a drive..reading about the vision of the tatas, the problems they faced, and how JRD Tata saw himself, his seniors, ..and all that just inspires you down the nerve."

Preethi: "Yes, They say 'A well written bio is the best inspiration'. Authoring bio's needs lot of research, patience and importantly a good flow of the language to put it in writing what the subject of the bio went through.

Anyways, Reading books itself is a good inspiration.. I took to reading books after seeing you and Mark absorbed into books so often. You guys almost have it as a habit."


By this time Mark arrives with others behind him.

Hearing preethi tell Raj something with his name used Mark teases her "hey hey.. what are you starting there with my name.. you.."

Preethi giggles and they get into another conversation.

Saturday, October 01, 2005

BTW What is Democracy and how does it help us? he asks.

This is a question that popped up when we where discussing things about India.. Everybody locked-up eyes with the guy who put this question, Jas.

Preet and Mark, soon turned towards Raj. Their eyes had the question.. "what are going to reply for this?"

Raj smiled and said. "Let's go to the canteen and have some coffee?"
They went to the canteen and took their usual corner table, the only one round in the whole canteen of square tables.

They sat down, and Raj sat opposite to Jas. Probably, with that gesture Jas guessed something and said, "So you have a long answer, Raj".

"Yea, we do have another hour for our next class" suggested Preet.

Raj sipped some coffee and started the answer, though he didn't know which things to put first given the wide territory of things democracy means.

Raj: "Yea, We have an hour.. but even if we talk about democracy for an hour we wouldn't have completely understood what it stands for.. sometimes."

"Its the similar... like you understand independence better only when you don't have it.

Democracy means a lot of things starting with, independence, freedom of speech, right to information.. there are many forms of it. To understand it fully, we need to understand the importance of its forms and what it means to us.

Imagine you are being locked up at home by your parent, and not being allowed to go out of the house for many days..
Mano:and that, for no mistake you did, or no reason in regard. How would it be? Raj:Yes, You keep on thinking why should I be locked up, why should not I go out when I have done nothing. You shout at your parents asking them give a reason, asking them open the door, telling them you need to do things.

Here, your right to freedom to go out is being restricted for no reason. And you try to speak out, shout and express your protest in the action to get back your right. This is a situation where you understand what your freedom means.

The most important thing in freedom, and thereby democracy is that you have your rights when you do no harm or when you don't misuse it. When you make a mistake the first thing to punish is your right, and then, you.
Mark:Theives are being locked up in jail for misusing their right to be outside the jail.

Raj:When a government cheats you of your tax money with politicians swallowing it, they are misusing public resources for self gains. Its against public interests that they are doing this.. Although its done without our knowledge, this action that affects our interests of expecting the government to do useful things with our tax money.

In another instance, say some politicians in the government have some information that they are hiding from the people, or someone is smuggling weapons into the country.. you seek to know about it, or try to stop it, or report it to some authority to action against it, or report it to public through the media. By all this, you are exercising your right to information, your right to react, and by using some form of media you are using your freedom of expression.
Now all that was about what these rights are and how we already are using it. And all this is democracy.


Preet:And a constitutional code or "LAW" is built around that wider fact of protecting all democratic rights for the people covered by the constitution.

Raj: Suppose, If this be a country, where the press is censored, or interenet use is restricted, or its ruled by a dictator where people are punished for protesting or questioning anything happening in the country... how would your life be? That's what if its not democracy.

Nepal's Press censorship
Raj:
Currently, Nepal is being ruled forcefully by a King who has indirectly banned nepal press from publishing any news against his regime. And we are not hearing anything from nepal now, be whatever is happening inside that country.

Preet:
Some newspapers publish protests happening in nepal... and we hear that some journalists are punished or warned of punishment. News is that the nepalese government is very closely watching all news published on all forms of media.

Mark:
There is one weblog 'Radio Free nepal' which keeps posting news on nepal, but this is to a large extent gets disrupted in service, or changes its webaddress, or posts do not detail things but only protest the rule. Its said, all posts are being done anonymously through various technical hacks so that authorities dont get to find the person or possibly stop the blog from existing.


Internet censorship
Raj:
In countries like Cuba, Iran, and China, Internet access is restricted.While the Iranian government boasts of a technically advanced system in blocking many websites, Internet access in Cuba is the privilege of a very few and one has to get permission from the ruling communist party. The chinese have a model of allowing anybody use internet but they control online activity to a huge extent.

Mano:Being in a country like India, you very freely blog, write things and post on the web.. but can you imagine all this happening.

Raj:Even for sending an email, people in some countries use a different netcafe to browse each time to avoid being tracked at the same netcafe, or use various anonymity protection softwares to send messages and all.

There's a good downloadable book on blogging whose last few chapters detail various means of blogging with anonymite. Its a good read for the technical know-how.

And compared to all those people who have restrictions even in Internet, look at us, we are here in India posting anything on the internet, sending messages and communicating through emails and sms even when we are just few yards apart.... except for one thing.. but still... we are openly protesting in our college on the restriction of the dress code..."


Jas:"Haan yar.. what do you think our principal is going to do about this dress code.. Will it be taken off. They are ridiculous to force you come in light-colored shirts, keep your hair length, no hair coloring, all nuts."

"Yes, its ridiculous.. Time for class. Lets move"
, says Raj and everybody leaves for class.