Dangerous shallow waters

Never fear the depth
Fear the shallow waters that appear deep
Deep only to the extent of the slush within
The deceptive muck

Fear the quiet demeanor of a smile
Couched in years of venom
The unmatched wisdom of chivalrous lies
Co-opting the blank, impressionable mind

Away, I tell you, run as fast as you can
From the soft grasp of empty sweet nothings
Values, traditions, duties, customs
The bog that buries dissent and humanity’s hope for tomorrow

Close not your eyes and ears
Simpletons may rule you in no time
Creating their make-believe houses of joy and empty pride
Telling you what is right and left

Swim against the tide to be alive
Than be a dead log and think
You are carrying the river
That consumes even your shattered corpse in holy tradition

Break or be broken down by vacuous, obscure pride
Solitude, small price in the face of definite
Human decay and a settled, seething cauldron
Of shallow waters that appear deep

Dream of a new world order
A world devoid of pretentions or wanton amusement
Savoring each day in the magic of music
In the stillness of waters that run deep

...

Moods change faster than seasons
Sometimes, with seasons
Sometimes, with bank balance
Sometimes, with politics

Colors are usurped before the ink on the paper dries
Blue for social liberation they say
Red for people liberation
Saffron for rioting and killing

Friendships and romance are captured in picture perfect moments
In smses
In chats
In social networking sites

Reality and true human touch are beyond the grasp
Of any suspended human
Suspended between classes
Sandwiched between email addresses and TV serials

The heart and soul are lost in dreams of posterity
Of comfortable retirement plans
Of uncomfortable health insurance schemes
Of customized, packaged, love-is-real marriages

The spirit and mind are trying to look beyond
The moods, the colors, the customized romance and insurance plans
To open the door to the real world
To see real people, with an unsold soul

Awaiting

A staggered note, split by a second

A second longer

To hear the note again

To see magic

A moment of inspiration, split by a day

A day longer

To hear the divine whispers

To face serendipity

A seed of pain, split by a lifetime

A lifetime longer

To reclaim heaven

To pay for redemption

A dollop of joy, split by a universe

A universe longer

To savor a nugget of bliss

To catch rapture

For a close friend and fellow traveler

The warm voice wafted through
In assurance of my sanity

The wicked laughter stole in
In accordance with tradition

The violent temper threatened
In defiance of structural compromises

The hard-earned, glittering red purse strings opened
In solidarity with the human cause

The tempestuous sea broke at the seams
In pursuance of great ideals and dreams

The choking umbilical cord cut late at the roots
In joining the ever thinning revolution of tomorrow

From life to death

Riding on pristine white
Far over the clouds
Come you nigh each day
In octet minutes

Hiding and seeking
Supporting humanity
Embracing it in your warm palms
Morning and evening, another day

From wilting to bouncing
From deep slumber to divine ecstasy
From life to death
From warmth to baptism of fire

Oh dear
Spare us thy temper
Lesser mortals, have we been
Tearing our shield in arrogance

Ignorant have we been
Too late
To mend the hole
Await I to die in thy arms of fire

Riding on pristine white
Far over the clouds
Come you nigh each day
In octet minutes

A gift for gifting me

A gift for gifting me
My own soul
From the depths of darkness
Where it descended

Dark were the deep alleys
Snaking deeper into superstitions
My soul laid in wait
In the blind misery of lies

Left in the dark abyss
Spent the soul many a day ruing easy the poor fate
Risking redemption
End justifying the means

Seeping in was grime
Lies, betrayal, crime, pain came unannounced
Trampling my lost soul
Burying it in the deepest dens of human crime

A gift for gifting me
My own soul
From the depths of darkness
Where it descended

The den gave secret desires of freedom
Did I call you, or you found me
My whiff of fresh air
My purgatory

Was it a window I left open
Or, a floodgate
My soul flew away
Far into the soul of the universe

Came to me your words
Sweeter than honey to my taste
With promise of a font of love within
Made dry by human crime

Change, you said
For the better, my dear
Called me by my name
Stirred me from within

A gift for gifting me
My own soul
From the depths of darkness
Where it descended

Disclaimer: Ok people, don’t roll your eyes, curl your lips, stick out your tongue, slap your forehead, wring your hands, or punch the monitor! I just wrote something…just be civil, ok!

Taking on the neo-liberals of this developing country

Several months ago, I received the following forward. Besides, desperation, the forward stunk of racism, stupidity, ignorance, arrogance, and scant regard for human rights. So, to set the record straight, I am writing a take on the forward, only taking care not to sound as crass and obnoxious as my ‘inspiration.’ Read on friends….

Dear Friends,

Here is a story that you can pass on to our Indian friends who live, work and prosper abroad.
Best Wishes and Regards

An Old Story:
The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed.
The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.
Indian Version:
The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.
The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?
Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.
Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.
Mayawati states this as `injustice' done on Minorities.
Amnesty International, UN, EU and World Human Rights Organisations criticize the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.
The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance) .
Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for ' Bengal Bandh' in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.
CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and Grasshoppers.
Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.
Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ' Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter.
Arjun Singh makes 'Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions & in Government Services.
The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes,it's home is confiscated by the Governmentand handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.
Arundhati Roy calls it ' A Triumph of Justice'
Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice '.
CPM calls it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden '
Ban Ki Moon invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.
Many years later.....
The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley,
100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India ,
..AND
As a result of losing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the grasshoppers,
India is still a developing country!!!
Hows that ?
____________________________________________________________________
Dear Friends
Here’s a story that you can pass on to all our sisters and brothers (definitely only a few of them will have access both to computers and the English Language), so that they understand why our country is still developing…
Read and pass on for annihilation of caste and for building a new society…
An Old Story:
The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed.
The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

Indian Version:
The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant must toil in the fields that he doesn’t own, clean the toilets of grasshoppers because of the ant’s past life sins, and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.
Sometimes, when the grasshopper meditates he remembers what a great game his ancestors have played and crushed the hardworking ants under them!
Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper, as usual, calls for a yagna to please the gods and tries to take away all the resources that the ants have painstakingly earned over centuries, braving the inhuman crimes of the grasshoppers, such as casteism, untouchability, rape, land grabbing, and lies। However, this time, the ants do not come to the yagna; they found a new god!

This scares the grasshopper to no limit! How can the ants go to another God! His mind starts working। In no time, the ants will realize the lies of the Grasshopper’s ancestors. They would realize that untouchability is hogwash! They will also start studying and perhaps even stop doing the ‘polluting’ work. What if they become lawyers, doctors, engineers! The ants have all the labor force; in no time they will build a self-sufficient society. They will have no need for the grasshoppers, who can only after all spout prayers, conduct business, and ‘own’ land!

The grasshoppers realize the imminent downfall of their kind and start plotting! They fall back on their age-old philosophy of divide and rule through lies-mongering!

They float lies through popular media about how certain religious communities are growing. They cause rifts between happy ant families and make them kill each other! They move from one ant society to another and cause more and more butchery, laughing all the while when rivers run red with the blood of ants.

The World is stunned by the deviousness of the grasshoppers.

Repentant grasshoppers, unable to stomach the violence, demonstrate with the very few enlightened ants. Some try and force their way and write the rules to follow. They finally agree that every one must work to earn their wage. But, what they don’t realize is the grasshoppers are still guarding every profession! And, so they ensured the safety and comfort of the grasshoppers for the next 60 years, despite the special provisions for the hardworking ants!

After 60 years…

The 15% grasshoppers rule the 85% ants! Yes, even after the provisions through affirmative action, the grasshoppers through their lies, which the only thing they are great at, hoodwinked the country to believe in pollution, and in the inherent ‘intelligence’ of the grasshoppers!

The grasshoppers take to novel ways in spreading their lies; they make some totally, lies-based e-mails and forward them to all their no-brain communities.

The ants, who have been watching, especially the enlightened ones have been working and slogging. They set up learning centers, they consciously choose another religion, fight elections, question the systems that subjugate people…

The ants are at work…

Just you wait, the ants tell the grasshoppers…now, that could be construed as a threat and so…

Grasshoppers come up with laws every second to kill and butcher the ants, but, with every ant killed, 1000 such ants are born!

Yes, slowly, but steadily the Indians (85% of the total population) are developing….that’s why India is a developing country!

Why I don’t like the movie Sethu, anymore?

The Tamil movie Sethu was released sometime in the year 1999 or 2000. With this movie, Vikram (the protagonist) shot to instant fame. The movie was appreciated for various reasons: brilliant direction, great acting, a script that was closer to real life, and sensitive portrayal of life. At that time, I couldn’t exactly point to why the movie left me numb with pain. Perhaps, I decided that reaction could be only for a good movie. And, I had joined the bandwagon of Vikram and Bala fans and maybe even contributed in some way to the astounding success of the movie.
Now, after several years, after even having gone on record to say that it’s a ‘socially conscious’ movie because of the several anti-brahmin jokes, I wonder what has made me think differently today. But, I am assured of one thing today: my reasons for disliking the movie are crystal clear. Of course, I record here my reasons wistfully; wonder how my life would have been had I had this clarity then.
Firstly, the movie had a male protagonist, though his ‘relationship’ with a woman forms the focal point of the movie. However, the screen space the female lead had must have been just a fraction of what the protagonist had. Is this the actual reality in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu? Not that I expect a female protagonist in a mainstream Tamil movie, but I do expect equal screen space for the female lead, especially when the script requires it.
Secondly, the characterization of Sethu, the lead guy. He is a local thug, who goes around roughing up people. He clearly is from a dominant caste group, which easily gives the right to ‘ridicule’ the eating habits of the docile Brahmin girl. What is particularly arresting is the girl’s demeanor. She wears a half saree that is pinned properly and has long hair that is well-oiled and plaited. She carries herself with such grace and poise that she’s quite aware of herself every second, even in the chemistry lab. This construct of a 21st century college-going girl is very dangerous. This grace-personified dame falls head over heels in love with this street-side thug, Romeo, and casteistic guy, which is another blow to the sensibilities of any college-going girl.
Thirdly, the way caste was dealt with was problematic; it’s either outright ridicule or immense respect for the Brahmin community. It would have been better if they hadn’t brought in the caste factor at all. There was no context to place it, actually. I believe this aspect was dealt with in the most flippant manner.
Finally, Sethu kidnapping the love of his life. This simple act showed how skewed the filmmaker’s understanding had been about intimate relationships between a man and a woman. The woman was shown to be nothing more than just a thing to possessed; a thing to be brought to its senses (which is understanding his love/lust for her, which comes as an irresistible deal along a good home and a chance to bear his babies); a thing to be showcased in one’s house. Besides the problematic sociological questions, I am tempted to doubt its relevance in real life. For example, will I fall in love with a roadside thug, who’s been stalking me, when he manages to kidnap me and presents this ‘irresistible’ offer at gun point? Wouldn’t I first go to the police station and file an FIR? At least, wouldn’t I find ways to completely erase my existence for the guy? Wouldn’t I run away from the locality? Then, the guy gets beaten up and he turns mad. In such a situation, in real life, the girl will be thanking her stars that the gods finally did some justice to the women! And, not commit suicide because she couldn’t bear the thought of marrying anyone other than the thug.

Neeya Naana…give me a break!

I am really curious to know who are the producers of this really horrible program called neeya nana, which is hosted by some dim wit of a guy on Vijay TV! This program is aired on Sundays between 9:00 and 9:30 PM, perhaps with a 100 reruns of the same episode. The topics are usually provoking, well don’t expect if the discussions would be on neo-liberal policies or coalition politics or live-in relationships or domestic violence; it’s usually on something as inane as love vs. arranged marriages or something equally insulting the modest standards of human intelligence. Ok, the discussion that is happening tonight has sunk to an all-time low, which would have stirred or psyched even the traditionalists of the dark ages!

The discussion is between ‘businessman vs. wives–are they happy.’ Firstly, the title: people, business can be done by both sexes and people who do not adhere to any one sex as well. What gave you the right to assume a gender identity for a profession? Nextly, wives! Was this a place where women (well the business wives) could rant their rather indulgent anger on their business husbands? What was it? Were the producers or directors looking at the emergence of any possible domestic violence cases? Or, were they looking at alleviating the ‘misery’ of these ‘housewives?’ Or, was it a sneak, voyeuristic peek into these upper middle class homes? What was the whole point of the title? Didn’t it even strike them that there could be several thousands of business women in this progressive state of Tamil Nadu? What was really amusing was an ad in between that went on list the big women achievers! Was that a miss? Or, were you guys so out of sync with what you were doing? This one was just too obvious to miss!

Next, the panelists: most of the women wore a sindur. This is an interesting point, because this sindur thing is rather new in Tamil Nadu. Perhaps, thanks to Ekta kapoor’s serials, our women, from the land of Periyar and Bharatiyar (who openly declared war on casteism and chauvinism and called a woman who challenged the traditional mores of patriarchy a real woman), have so happily lapped up regressive practices that even their grandmoms didn’t have!

And, all the women continued to simply talk about how the husband wouldn’t pay ‘any’ attention to the household; of course, why would he, if you more than readily, perhaps gave up your career for marriage or the child, or didn’t study so that your parents may not be able to find a suitable groom for you? That’s not enough, there have been love marriages in which the women have done everything to ensure that the man becomes something ‘worthy.’ But, my question is, why didn’t the women do anything for themselves? And, you just find one vague TV program to share your rants or experiences? The men’s responses: typical! Oh yeah, we are so busy, you see; well, who are ‘we’ struggling for? It’s for the family!

My question: what was new about this whole exchange? Is this truly the reality? How come I see something very different? How come in my 7-8 years of working, I have had always had women bosses, except a couple of them? And, how come the corporate board rooms are filled with women? How come big political parties have women leaders? How do I reconcile with the fact that very soon, India might have an Obama moment: when a dalit woman becomes the prime minister? Especially, when I am assaulted with crap like this on prime time? I understand if it were these fictitious, gycerline-dependent serials, because I can just dismiss them at least on principle, especially with their disclaimer and all! Here, you have real people talking terrible stuff! Yeah, all the men are talking about how it is great to hear the child’s first word or how the child plays and the usual the home-bound nonsense! Yes men, that’s what we have always been telling! The women have had ENOUGH of hearing the babies and perfecting the art of creating new recipes, face packs (so that they are beautiful for you and your friends), pickles, home decoration, and all the prescribed stuff. Why don’t the men take over here for a change, after all, it’s the men who have been romanticizing the ‘woman’s job.’

Vijay TV’s program just left me hopping mad about this horribly antiwoman show! Somehow, it feels like the woman has no role to play in her life than just crib about her husband’s attention! Doesn’t she have anything to do? Is she just there to run the homestead for the businessman? And, mind you, the labor is unpaid, and she does not have any job security, she can get thrown out any time, she can be shortchanged, she does not any leave (PL/CL/SL), and every day she works overtime! It left a terrible taste in my mouth… where are we headed…

Some questions...

A casual conversation with an old friend spurred a myriad of thoughts in my mind. The friend went back to my good old college days when liberation and feminist theology were in and traditional mores of evangelical Christianity and patriarchal establishment were questioned. Those were the days when a small bunch of young Christians like us questioned everything that came our way—from English education to addressing god as father. Many years have rolled by ever since…with years, it seems as if the very structures that we questioned have caught up or are at least threatening to catch up, if we didn’t wake up!
Establishment that seemed too simplistic and hollow seems almost insurmountable today! No wonder they call it establishment. In no time, we have become arm chair intellectuals, earning fat salaries from a globalized economy, designing our profiles on shaadi.com, enjoying MacD dinners, attending some ‘powerful’ churches, sponsoring ‘missions’ in the ‘unreached tribal areas,’ and many things that we so furiously dismissed and swore never to do! It seems like establishment is having its final laugh! There are some of us who have joined the church to ‘serve’ and be more in touch with one’s ideals. Today, they talk the talk and walk the walk of the establishment, having become its guardians. Do we realize how we have lost the gospel of liberation and freedom for all?
Today, I hear young people praying for India, not for her millions to be fed and clothed, but to make Christianity her state religion! I don’t know what appalls me more: the ignorance of what constitutes a state religion or the sheer stupidity of such a prayer…do they even realize the actual meaning of state?
Today, what’s more appalling is the ease with which young Christian people take to patriarchal and traditional bindings like fish to water. Where is the passion to question…the life blood of rebellion and salvation? Where is the spirit of Christ in today’s youth? Doesn’t it even strike as odd when strong, educated, and intelligent young boys and girls go in for arranged, casteistic marriages within the church? There are worse practices where the girl wears the thali (mangalsutra) with her husband’s name inscribed on it! Why are we not even questioning these? If not now, when? Women, at the peak of their careers and youth, are saddled with hundreds of gynecological complications and ill health! Why don’t they question it? Just because you are biologically different and have the ‘capacity’ to bear the fetus, does that also mean that you necessarily sacrifice your health, intelligence, equality, and quality of life on the altar of marital pleasures (sic!), which infuse you with an obscure sense of security. Well, after landing up with so many health problems and house and car loans, you would definitely ‘need’ security!
Do we see how establishment is making inroads into our lives and blunting our intellects? Every day, establishment reinvents itself! If it was the dwijas (the second birth, signified by wearing of the sacred thread, for the high born within the caste hierarchy among Hindus) yesterday, it’s born-again Christians today! Didn’t Christ question this very hierarchy among people? Where is the love that Christ preached? Did we lay it by the wayside as we climbed the ladders of social hierarchy where we can ascertain our ‘rightful’ place by the very tools of the erstwhile establishment—the hierarchical order of the Hindus? Why should we have hierarchy in Christianity? Especially, when the basic tenet of the religion is: there shall be no jew, greek…male, female….etc? How did the rot of establishment make its way? Was this the sin that we were born with? Was Paul talking about this thorn in the flesh? How do we get rid of this? Do we even want to get rid of this in the first place? Do we want to root out class and caste in our churches? Do we want our women to be equal beneficiaries of the good news and salvation? Do we want to even talk about reinventing the institution of marriage, reinventing priorities for young Christians, setting priorities for the young, discuss tolerance, study and analyze the contemporary realties? How do we differentiate ourselves from the vast majority, which we conveniently term as casteistic, idol worshippers?

Taking Dilli for a 6!

Just watched the movie that is the namesake of the city I dwell in! Okay, am no patriot of Delhi nor do I believe in patriotism as being a virtue. However, after watching this movie, to say am outraged at the portrayal of Delhi is an understatement. Before going into the gory details and the justification for my outrage, let’s simply talk about the movie.

Firstly, there’s no story, period. Of course, who said a story is essential to make a good movie; I have seen several riveting and mind-boggling movies that don’t necessarily have a consistent storyline. But, this one flouted all the basic rules, if there are any, rules of film making. Was it a documentary on the so-called ridiculous behavior of people in the walled city? Or, was it a tourist flyer promoting tourism, what with the recession and stuff, are we gonna fall back on tourism?

Secondly, the characterization! Who, for example, is Roshan? Just an NRI? That’s it? Does it kind of capture the essence of the person? What type of NRI is he? Has he studied anything? Why is everything so damn new to him, especially after being brought by a very religious dadi! Not even one character seems sorted out.

Thirdly, the movie failed utterly in terms keeping the audience engaged! Of course, every second had suspense woven in, because we didn’t know when the movie would end; it seemed like it could have ended in at least 10 points; and when it finally ended, the audience were like, “wow, it’s over man!” You know, I do enjoy movies that are no-brainers, as long as they are fun to watch. But, movies as these are violating; I was not only bored, but also angry!

Now to the anger part: anyone who has lived in Delhi for at least a year will know about Dilli 6: the walled city. For those of you who don’t know about the walled city, here is a small note on the area. It is one of the oldest residential areas of Delhi. It is predominantly a Muslim area, with the Jama Masid at one corner.

It is a heritage site; several years of history is buried in the roads of this unique place. Interestingly, the people and houses there and the way of life (not that it is very different from any other of the middle class areas in the country) is actually history. You must be there to witness or feel what it is to be in the midst of a historic place that is still very much alive. The mode of transport within the city is only by cycle rickshaws because the houses are so closely built that there’s hardly any space for any other type of vehicles. And, here, we have our hero sneering at the time it takes to reach his sick grandmom to the hospital on a rickshaw. What is worse is they aren’t delayed only by the rickshaw, but by a cow in labor! What a ridiculous idea! And, what’s even horrible is that the grandmom gets better when she hears of the cow in labor and goes and touches the cow with so much devotion.

The movie screams of the exotic orient in every damn shot! Guys, didn’t things like this get dealt with several years ago with Edward Said and our own Romila Thapar shattering such myths?

Next, this movie hardly explores the real culture of dilli 6. There’s this elaborate Ram Lila happening throughout the movie, but nothing on the lovely sweet meats sold around Jama Masid or the famous breaking of the Mohram fast or the famous buff kebabs of dilli 6! Everybody has been ridiculed! The dalit woman is as usual the beedi-smoking, foul-mouthed whore, who dutifully sits outside the temple and worships God! I felt violated as I walked out of the movie hall; my time, my money, and my intellect were insulted!

Just a word for Abhishek Bachan! Do yourself a favor; take a holiday for a year and go faraway; I suggest the Himalayas. And, do some soul-searching. Acting is not for you man; however, you could learn it, and I assure you one thing, your dad can’t be your teacher. Buddy, you can do better than this. If only you could find something real and true for yourself. I could see how bored you were; more than anger, I felt sorry for you!