Tomorrow, my state (Karnataka) goes into election mode. I just got back home after 4 years of college up north and this will be the first time I'm casting my vote. I have spent a major portion of my time ever since I attained adulthood, online. A major portion of this time has been spent criticising the government while observing and commenting on the daily ongoings of the nation, state and my city . Tomorrow, all of this changes. Tomorrow, I cast my vote and I choose my representative. I cannot recklessly point fingers without feeling guilt, should the candidate/party I vote for come to power. Tomorrow, I grow up.
I have always blamed those older than me for not being prudent enough to choose the right representatives. I frowned upon those who said they refrain from voting because their vote does not matter; today, I feel pity for them and some anger too.
I know not of a single person in this beautiful nation who does not wish to pass a comment on the headlines. Be it in my gym or saloon or in the bus or at office, people like to discuss politics. These people are strangers, friends , family ... On Monday, when I am on the way to office if I find an adult talking about anything other than the IPL or Bollywood , I will walk up to them and ask them if they voted. If they reply in the negative, I will politely inform them that they have no right to comment upon something they did not help build.
India may not be the perfect democracy, heck it may not be a decent one either , but that is partly because people like you and me, people who can read, write, think and analyse , fail to take an hour off our "busy" Sunday schedules to cast a vote.
You know what we do? Us middle-class educated folks. We over analyse. We think we're geniuses who know exactly how numbers work and that one vote does not matter. Good morning dear, it does ! Every single vote counts. The system may be rotten. There may be proxy votes and voting cards in the names of people who passed away ages ago. Know this, by not voting you are increasing the value of that fake, illegitimate vote . You are making
those crooks get away with their schemes. You are making that paid vote's value higher than your diligent, 9-5 working neighbour's vote count less.
So please, I request you, nay, beg of you to take a few minutes off your schedule to choose the person you can point fingers at and question for the next five years . This is what makes India a democracy. We outrage, we curse, we weep and we argue, but at the end of the day we are, all of us, Indians. There are several citizens who travel tens of thousands of metres to cast their vote ; all I'm asking of you urban folks is to move your posh asses to the nearest polling booth and click on a button, any button that seems like a logical choice to you.
P.S : If you are one of those pessimists who refuses to vote because you think it really makes no difference, I have a small suggestion for you. Vote for the independent candidate who campaigned the least in your locality. Your vote might just save him/her the deposit money and a great deal of embarrassment .
Jai Hind !
Friday, 3 May 2013
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
On patents, with the parents.
Background: My mom was a student of law and dad, a student of pharmacy who is now a quasi-judiciary authority with legal powers and know-how.
The recent judgement ruling out a patent for Glivec- a cancer drug, saw adequate coverage on MSM and my TL on twitter discussed it at length. I understood some it, some of it went over my head like a Shoaib Akthar bouncer.
So, I asked my parents what this meant and how it would affect the common man. I will attempt to put before you a few self-explanatory points that form the summary of this discussion.
1. Drugs (Medicines) are of many kinds, but those that prolong/save the lives of people on their deathbeds hold a special place.
2. The Indian constitution promises every tax-paying (or otherwise) citizen the right to life and good health. It is the duty of the government to look after its citizens in health and illness. (I made it sound like we're married to the GOI no? ewwww)
3. The aforementioned drug is being used by government agencies, smaller hospitals, NGOs, etc in its generic form. The patent would cause the withdrawal of these generic (read affordable) drugs from the market.
4. Glivec is but the tip of the iceberg. There are, dad's estimation not mine, close to 30 such drugs that are equally or more important and expensive that would've cited this judgement as an example and claimed patents had this ruling gone in the way of Novartis.
5. I saw people claiming that Novartis has funded 95% of the patients using this drug. these are unfounded, cooked numbers. We wouldn't be struggling to eradicate some very easy-to-eradicate diseases had the pharmaceutical companies been as ethical as they claim to be.
6. I observed many people observing that this judgement would discourage pharmaceutical companies from investing in R&D. This is absolutely true. However, this is not something sudden and unprecedented. The law which restricts the pricing of drugs and gives the governmental agencies control over pricing came into existence in 1970 and was amended twice, once in 75 (or 77) and the latest amendment being made in 1995. This law had, already, done most of the damage and the industry stopped investing in drugs with low ROI. In fact, they even reduced the production of some of the most vital drugs due to low profit margins.
So, yes, this will discourage them further, but the damage was done before most of the people who read this post were even born.
My take: We dodged a bullet. The government is trying very hard to provide as many people with treatment and healthcare. I am usually cynical about such things and so is the general public. Our image of a government hospital is a dirty place filled with quacks who will inject you with infected needles. It matters not that you and I think so, because we can, by hook or crook, afford private healthcare. Those who absolutely cannot afford healthcare try to avoid government too. But when they do, they deserve the best possible treatment that the government can afford. This judgement will keep these big MNCs from dictating terms and prices. There is a higher probability of lives being saved. We should be happy and proud of the judiciary in this case.
P.S: If you have specific doubts that are more technical or even #Deep in nature. Feel free to leave a comment or tweet to me @suar4sure . I hope this helped.
The recent judgement ruling out a patent for Glivec- a cancer drug, saw adequate coverage on MSM and my TL on twitter discussed it at length. I understood some it, some of it went over my head like a Shoaib Akthar bouncer.
So, I asked my parents what this meant and how it would affect the common man. I will attempt to put before you a few self-explanatory points that form the summary of this discussion.
1. Drugs (Medicines) are of many kinds, but those that prolong/save the lives of people on their deathbeds hold a special place.
2. The Indian constitution promises every tax-paying (or otherwise) citizen the right to life and good health. It is the duty of the government to look after its citizens in health and illness. (I made it sound like we're married to the GOI no? ewwww)
3. The aforementioned drug is being used by government agencies, smaller hospitals, NGOs, etc in its generic form. The patent would cause the withdrawal of these generic (read affordable) drugs from the market.
4. Glivec is but the tip of the iceberg. There are, dad's estimation not mine, close to 30 such drugs that are equally or more important and expensive that would've cited this judgement as an example and claimed patents had this ruling gone in the way of Novartis.
5. I saw people claiming that Novartis has funded 95% of the patients using this drug. these are unfounded, cooked numbers. We wouldn't be struggling to eradicate some very easy-to-eradicate diseases had the pharmaceutical companies been as ethical as they claim to be.
6. I observed many people observing that this judgement would discourage pharmaceutical companies from investing in R&D. This is absolutely true. However, this is not something sudden and unprecedented. The law which restricts the pricing of drugs and gives the governmental agencies control over pricing came into existence in 1970 and was amended twice, once in 75 (or 77) and the latest amendment being made in 1995. This law had, already, done most of the damage and the industry stopped investing in drugs with low ROI. In fact, they even reduced the production of some of the most vital drugs due to low profit margins.
So, yes, this will discourage them further, but the damage was done before most of the people who read this post were even born.
My take: We dodged a bullet. The government is trying very hard to provide as many people with treatment and healthcare. I am usually cynical about such things and so is the general public. Our image of a government hospital is a dirty place filled with quacks who will inject you with infected needles. It matters not that you and I think so, because we can, by hook or crook, afford private healthcare. Those who absolutely cannot afford healthcare try to avoid government too. But when they do, they deserve the best possible treatment that the government can afford. This judgement will keep these big MNCs from dictating terms and prices. There is a higher probability of lives being saved. We should be happy and proud of the judiciary in this case.
P.S: If you have specific doubts that are more technical or even #Deep in nature. Feel free to leave a comment or tweet to me @suar4sure . I hope this helped.
Friday, 15 February 2013
Long live the Internet!
In the last few months, the social media users of this great nation have seen it all. We stood up against issues that sickened the entire country, we made sure no scam went unnoticed, no movie released illegally went undownloaded, and no sentiment went home unhurt.
Some may argue that those who live on the internet have no life and/or that we form but a small fraction of this society, whose numbers seem to be growing at a rate faster than Genghis Khan's pet rabbit's family's, but matter we do. Half the news you read/watch is affected by some tweet/blog/post that started on the internet. I may be wrong, or exaggerating even. Who cares? You don't let me protest peacefully in places of my choosing, you don't solve issues that have been haunting the nation as a whole, you find new ways to burn holes in my pocket... I want to be able to express myself somewhere without being worried about consequences. The internet is the one place I can truly call mine. Do not take away my freedom here, or retaliate I shall.
Personally, I don't give a tiny rat's ass about Arindam Chaudhuri or his stupid IIPM. But half the issues that are killing this country's productivity are because of a substandard education system. A B-School that churns out people who wake us up during our weekend siestas and leave without closing the front gate, deserves to be made fun of.
Today, this happened. I may not have read even 5 of the posts in that long list, but defend them I shall. This post exists for the sole purpose of encouraging fellow bloggers to take 5 minutes to compose a post about this topic today and challenge those cowards who let a dimwit with a pony tail dictate what stays on the internet, and what does not. Spread the word. Long live the Internet ! Jai Hind.
Some may argue that those who live on the internet have no life and/or that we form but a small fraction of this society, whose numbers seem to be growing at a rate faster than Genghis Khan's pet rabbit's family's, but matter we do. Half the news you read/watch is affected by some tweet/blog/post that started on the internet. I may be wrong, or exaggerating even. Who cares? You don't let me protest peacefully in places of my choosing, you don't solve issues that have been haunting the nation as a whole, you find new ways to burn holes in my pocket... I want to be able to express myself somewhere without being worried about consequences. The internet is the one place I can truly call mine. Do not take away my freedom here, or retaliate I shall.
Personally, I don't give a tiny rat's ass about Arindam Chaudhuri or his stupid IIPM. But half the issues that are killing this country's productivity are because of a substandard education system. A B-School that churns out people who wake us up during our weekend siestas and leave without closing the front gate, deserves to be made fun of.
Today, this happened. I may not have read even 5 of the posts in that long list, but defend them I shall. This post exists for the sole purpose of encouraging fellow bloggers to take 5 minutes to compose a post about this topic today and challenge those cowards who let a dimwit with a pony tail dictate what stays on the internet, and what does not. Spread the word. Long live the Internet ! Jai Hind.
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
The sine wave that is life.
Today, on my way back home, I overheard a couple of senior citizens conversing. One of the gentlemen said to the other, in Kannada, "We have to wait for him (probably son or son-in-law) to send money for the medicines. We go for a walk and try to stay healthy, but how much can we do? I don't know why god doesn't take us away before we become a burden to strangers."
Normally, I'd just tweet about it or come home and talk to whichever parent is in the mood for a deep talk. Today, I was appalled and saddened by the desperation and disgust in that gentleman's voice. Depression , like epic, word, rape, and awesome, is a word that has been used way too often, resulting in the diminishing of the gravity of the word.
However, that depression is a common occurrence, is evident from the news we read and watch everyday. The number of people choosing death over life is astounding. It baffles me to know that there are people who just give up; not just at some course, job, or relationship, but at life.
Life isn't rosy; not for you, not for your neighbor, not for any celebrity, and most certainly not for me. People say there are "ups and downs" in life. But, from personal experience I've realized that there isn't any single moment in life where it's just an "up" or just a "down."
I see an increasing number of friends turning into, or claiming to be atheists these days. The most important query one has when introduced to religion is that which everyone asks when a religion says "God loves all of us, and equally." People, yours truly included, then proceed to ask "Why then, is there suffering in this world?"
There are many who will claim to know the answer to that question. Some of those answers are satisfactory too. The unsatisfactory answers are what lead people to atheism or even nihilism.
I digress; depression comes in many forms and most of the times, it is a result of us not knowing how truly special and blessed we are. We, humans, have a nasty habit of subconsciously, or consciously, comparing ourselves to those we feel are more fortunate than us. We see the fancy cars, the trophy wife, the dream job, that evasive promotion, that coveted rank/seat and think lowly of ourselves. Some of us are prudent enough to know what's important in life and what isn't; the rest fall prey to depression.
I'm not asking you, or myself, to pretend like we're the best and that there's a unicorn shitting rainbows and following us around, but the least we can do is make sure that we see the light during dark times and remember to smile. Similarly, thank god, a higher power, nature or yourself, when the times are seemingly good and be grateful for the absence of darkness. If each of us learnt to respect ourselves and be grateful for our own lives, there wouldn't be neglected parents or spoilt children in this world, and you wouldn't have had to read my thoughts on this depressing, yet enlightening fact of life.
Normally, I'd just tweet about it or come home and talk to whichever parent is in the mood for a deep talk. Today, I was appalled and saddened by the desperation and disgust in that gentleman's voice. Depression , like epic, word, rape, and awesome, is a word that has been used way too often, resulting in the diminishing of the gravity of the word.
However, that depression is a common occurrence, is evident from the news we read and watch everyday. The number of people choosing death over life is astounding. It baffles me to know that there are people who just give up; not just at some course, job, or relationship, but at life.
Life isn't rosy; not for you, not for your neighbor, not for any celebrity, and most certainly not for me. People say there are "ups and downs" in life. But, from personal experience I've realized that there isn't any single moment in life where it's just an "up" or just a "down."
I see an increasing number of friends turning into, or claiming to be atheists these days. The most important query one has when introduced to religion is that which everyone asks when a religion says "God loves all of us, and equally." People, yours truly included, then proceed to ask "Why then, is there suffering in this world?"
There are many who will claim to know the answer to that question. Some of those answers are satisfactory too. The unsatisfactory answers are what lead people to atheism or even nihilism.
I digress; depression comes in many forms and most of the times, it is a result of us not knowing how truly special and blessed we are. We, humans, have a nasty habit of subconsciously, or consciously, comparing ourselves to those we feel are more fortunate than us. We see the fancy cars, the trophy wife, the dream job, that evasive promotion, that coveted rank/seat and think lowly of ourselves. Some of us are prudent enough to know what's important in life and what isn't; the rest fall prey to depression.
I'm not asking you, or myself, to pretend like we're the best and that there's a unicorn shitting rainbows and following us around, but the least we can do is make sure that we see the light during dark times and remember to smile. Similarly, thank god, a higher power, nature or yourself, when the times are seemingly good and be grateful for the absence of darkness. If each of us learnt to respect ourselves and be grateful for our own lives, there wouldn't be neglected parents or spoilt children in this world, and you wouldn't have had to read my thoughts on this depressing, yet enlightening fact of life.
Friday, 5 October 2012
Kaveri- The lifeblood
To be called "regional" and "selfish" is not something anyone wants. Yet, every single time the issue of sharing the Kaveri's water is brought up, I have to explain my stand on the issue to those close to me, and not, (usually in the virtual world) and it inevitably begins with Karnataka being labeled a villain. The most common response the residents of Karnataka get is, "learn to share."
My dear compatriots, one can't learn something one already knows. Karnataka contributes 53% of water to the Kaveri river basin and gets 37% in return. Tamil Nadu contributes 32% and gets 37% in return. Kerala contributes 14% and gets 4% in return. I do not wish to bore you with numbers, however I felt these were necessary.
Moving on, I wish to state that I am not against the sharing of water. No sane person (heck even an insane nationalist ) will have issues with that. Water is a national resource and must be shared. Shared how? shared judiciously. I refuse to remain a mute spectator when a mute PM who sits in Delhi and knows not what the ground scenario is, orders around one state to release a fixed amount of water on a daily basis. To this, your comeback will be that the honourable Supreme Court's judgement spells out similar terms. True, but we do live in a democracy and people do protest against Supreme Court rulings here.
Don't get me wrong; I am not siding with any politician or any political party here. They're all doing this to gain some sort of political momentum and the game of votebank politics is a dirty one. I am writing this as a common man, who is angry with the representatives of his state in the Central government for valuing their own seats more than the plight of the people they represent. I am angry with the state government for not doing enough to ensure that such a judgement of this nature was never passed in the first place. I am angry with every little scumbag who is trying to gain political clout using a real cause. *Takes a deep breath*
I am angry with the neighboring state's CM who was born in Melukote, which is in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district in Karnataka and was brought up in my very own city, Bangalore. (To those who don't know, she was once a cottonian, yes.)
I know for a fact that she is feared and respected by many in Tamil Nadu, but I guess she still feels the need to convince them that she has no soft spot for the state she was born in. I am also angry with the citizens of Bangalore for not taking up this cause as their own, earlier. We have as much to lose as the farmers do, perhaps more. I had no idea I was this angry, I swear. *Sips water*
I have had the privilege of travelling to most of the places on the Kaveri basin. I say traveled, what I mean is that my father served in these places and I have actually interacted with the people there. A visit to Thalakaveri will convince you of the sacred status of mother Kaveri. Thousands of farmers from both TN and Karnataka flock there and pray to her. The Kaveri is such an important part of lives in both states.
It is unfair for us to say we will not share it with them, just as it is unfair of them to expect us to release a fixed amount irrespective of the situation here. Be it in the ancient scriptures or in Airplanes .... one has to use one's own oxygen mask to survive first and then, help those around them.
Let us not fight over this matter. Please do not judge us for wanting to have a fair deal. It hurts to be called regional, and it hurts to be asked to learn to share. We are not monsters who want to see our very own neighbors struggle (that, we turn into during the IPL alone).
To those who are protesting, let it be in a peaceful manner. Never advocate anything violent, and most importantly... This is not war. This is not a battle between Kannadigas and Tamilians. Most certainly not the Tamilians who live in our own city. They are as Bangalorean as you and I, and are an integral part of our city's culture. I only pray that the protests remain peaceful and that a consensus can be reached, soon.
Jai Karnataka ! Jai hind !
P.S : If I have not bored you to death already, I urge you to read this article and this blogpost as well.
My dear compatriots, one can't learn something one already knows. Karnataka contributes 53% of water to the Kaveri river basin and gets 37% in return. Tamil Nadu contributes 32% and gets 37% in return. Kerala contributes 14% and gets 4% in return. I do not wish to bore you with numbers, however I felt these were necessary.
Moving on, I wish to state that I am not against the sharing of water. No sane person (heck even an insane nationalist ) will have issues with that. Water is a national resource and must be shared. Shared how? shared judiciously. I refuse to remain a mute spectator when a mute PM who sits in Delhi and knows not what the ground scenario is, orders around one state to release a fixed amount of water on a daily basis. To this, your comeback will be that the honourable Supreme Court's judgement spells out similar terms. True, but we do live in a democracy and people do protest against Supreme Court rulings here.
Don't get me wrong; I am not siding with any politician or any political party here. They're all doing this to gain some sort of political momentum and the game of votebank politics is a dirty one. I am writing this as a common man, who is angry with the representatives of his state in the Central government for valuing their own seats more than the plight of the people they represent. I am angry with the state government for not doing enough to ensure that such a judgement of this nature was never passed in the first place. I am angry with every little scumbag who is trying to gain political clout using a real cause. *Takes a deep breath*
I am angry with the neighboring state's CM who was born in Melukote, which is in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district in Karnataka and was brought up in my very own city, Bangalore. (To those who don't know, she was once a cottonian, yes.)
I know for a fact that she is feared and respected by many in Tamil Nadu, but I guess she still feels the need to convince them that she has no soft spot for the state she was born in. I am also angry with the citizens of Bangalore for not taking up this cause as their own, earlier. We have as much to lose as the farmers do, perhaps more. I had no idea I was this angry, I swear. *Sips water*
I have had the privilege of travelling to most of the places on the Kaveri basin. I say traveled, what I mean is that my father served in these places and I have actually interacted with the people there. A visit to Thalakaveri will convince you of the sacred status of mother Kaveri. Thousands of farmers from both TN and Karnataka flock there and pray to her. The Kaveri is such an important part of lives in both states.
It is unfair for us to say we will not share it with them, just as it is unfair of them to expect us to release a fixed amount irrespective of the situation here. Be it in the ancient scriptures or in Airplanes .... one has to use one's own oxygen mask to survive first and then, help those around them.
Let us not fight over this matter. Please do not judge us for wanting to have a fair deal. It hurts to be called regional, and it hurts to be asked to learn to share. We are not monsters who want to see our very own neighbors struggle (that, we turn into during the IPL alone).
To those who are protesting, let it be in a peaceful manner. Never advocate anything violent, and most importantly... This is not war. This is not a battle between Kannadigas and Tamilians. Most certainly not the Tamilians who live in our own city. They are as Bangalorean as you and I, and are an integral part of our city's culture. I only pray that the protests remain peaceful and that a consensus can be reached, soon.
Jai Karnataka ! Jai hind !
P.S : If I have not bored you to death already, I urge you to read this article and this blogpost as well.
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
My nation and my generation.
Blog posts written after a huge gap are like those awkward situations when you meet a friend after half a decade; you know you have a lot to discuss, but you just don't know where to begin. The last time I wrote something here: I was fresh out of college,my state had a different CM, Team Anna was still a team, Sushil Kumar Shinde was yet to figure out that he loved the taste of his foot more than anything else, and India was still in her 65th year of independence.
girl children.They are 30 in number.They attend our infomal literacy
centre namely MAHAK(Fragrance),where they are taught Hindi,English and
Mathematics.Out of 30 girl children 13 girl children attend school
regularly while others remain in their house taking care of their
siblings.The parents of these girl children work as daily wage
labourer in brick kilns,stone quarries and construction sites.They are
least interested to edcuate their children; specifically girl
children.After a lot of persuading we have been able to convince
them to leave their girl children to attend our literacy centre ( for
two hours daily except Monday ) to have at least basic edcuation.
We intend to start computer literacy for these girl children.And for
this we require around Rs.30K.The fund will be utilized to purchase a
system and few basic books on computer literacy. The system purchased
with the fund raised will also be utilized to show the girl children
inspiring clippings / documentaries/pictures.We will aslo share the
photographs
with the donors once the computer literacy is started in the said
I am aware of the fact that few who were around in 1947 will read this.I know not if they would approve of the manner in which we "celebrate" our Independence Day, but who are "we?" The word "youth" has been misused in such a shabby manner that people my age are careful not to refer to themselves as "youth."
The word is now used either as a synonym for hooligans or as an excuse for politicians to sneak their children into their rotten world.
It pains me to no end to see a word that denotes something so powerful and full of potential, put to shame.
We may not be the generation that got India her independence, we may not have taken over the reins of this great nation yet, but to those who are of the opinion that to "today's youth," the 15th of August is just another
holiday, I beg of you to not write us off.
One quality India has retained over the years is the concept of a close-knit family. Most of today's "youth," grew up listening to either first-hand or second-hand accounts of what happened on that glorious day. Our text books had chapters on our freedom struggle. The greats aren't forgotten. Anyone who has ever formed a club or society has immense respect for the iron man of India.Every single time one struggles to draft a leave note, one can understand the effort that must have gone into drafting the constitution. I hear you scoffing; there lies the problem. Stereotypes exist, and this is one that has gone on for too long.
You say my generation doesn't care; I say it gives a fuck ! Our language, our style, and our methodologies may be different; but I assure you, you have taught us well. We may be a bunch of swearing, low-jeans-wearing punks whose headphones are always blaring. It may look like we are texting or tweeting while you discuss serious matters, but we're listening; we really are, and at the back of our heads, below the mohawks and afros,the wheels are in motion.
It may seem like I am talking to the generations before ours, but I am writing this for my generation too. A generation that seems to have accepted that it is exactly what it is labeled as. I urge you, nay, beg of you to rise to the occasion and do your bit for this epic nation.
P.S: Most of you make amends a.k.a resolutions on the 1st day of January, every year. Some of you do so on your birthdays. I choose my nation's birthday to do so and I wish to start by donating contributing a small portion of my already small first salary towards the future of my nation.
I chose to do so by supporting Ahambhumika . I have followed their wonderful work closely on twitter and am convinced that my money will be put to good use. They are an NGO striving to assist the Education of Children and Illiterate Adults and Self-Reliance and Gynecological Health and Hygiene of Rural Women.
In the words of Subrat Goswami : " We intend to start computer literacy
in a village namely MAHABADIA.distt.Bhopal for the underpriviledgedgirl children.They are 30 in number.They attend our infomal literacy
centre namely MAHAK(Fragrance),where they are taught Hindi,English and
Mathematics.Out of 30 girl children 13 girl children attend school
regularly while others remain in their house taking care of their
siblings.The parents of these girl children work as daily wage
labourer in brick kilns,stone quarries and construction sites.They are
least interested to edcuate their children; specifically girl
children.After a lot of persuading we have been able to convince
them to leave their girl children to attend our literacy centre ( for
two hours daily except Monday ) to have at least basic edcuation.
We intend to start computer literacy for these girl children.And for
this we require around Rs.30K.The fund will be utilized to purchase a
system and few basic books on computer literacy. The system purchased
with the fund raised will also be utilized to show the girl children
inspiring clippings / documentaries/pictures.We will aslo share the
photographs
with the donors once the computer literacy is started in the said
village"
Subrat has also sent me pictures of the children benefiting from this initiative, and is willing to share them with anyone who is interested in helping out.(You can mail them on ahambhumika@gmail.com) No amount is small, and every rupee helps a child secure a better future. I urge you, especially my batchmates who've just started earning. We are in this position today because we had people willing to pay for the finest education available. Others aren't fortunate enough, but have a right to it. As responsible adults, who are citizens of this nation, it is our duty to try, at the very least, to give our kids a better India than the one we were born in.
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Open letter to my batchmates
Dear friend,
Who am i kidding?, not all of you can be classified as friends, some are way beyond that,
Friends do not accompany you to the railway station just to see you off and decide to hop on to the train themselves to delay the farewell by a few hours, friends do not weep like freshly widowed army-wives, friends do not hug you and say "I'm not letting go", while meaning it.
Given the advancements in the field of medicine and the number of 90+ not out batsmen(and women) in my family, four years do not seem like a lot, but boy did we change ! I'd bet half my grades and inheritance( both equally insignificant) and challenge you to find one person who hasn't changed, some more drastically, but all of us have changed. We've gone through events together which(if filmed) could be classified under 2 categories, sequels to the 'SAW' series and sequels to the 'Hangover' series.
There are a million examples i could delve into to tell each one of you how special you are, I'm quite the social guy, be it online or in person and in my 13 years of schooling and 2 years of Pre-university College I've made friends, loads of them, some so special that they're family now,but it took time, with you, it was destiny, diverse backgrounds, nothing in common, not even a common language with some of you, but we clicked ! I guess living 24X7 with someone makes you family first and friends next, but i assure you, had we met under different circumstances, we'd still be the best of pals.
As most of you know, i'm usually the guy who looks at the academic calendar and goes "hmmmm... 3 days of bunking before the vacations begin and returning 2 days late makes it a fortnight's holiday...coolio", not this time, this time i made the mistake of staying back a couple of days after the semester(course) ended, and boy was it hard(boy am i starting too many sentences with the word 'boy').Seeing you off at the railway station or even those brief farewell hugs in the canteen or PMC (for non-BITians : Piya Milan Chowk, which is where one meets one's love interest or dou) , a little part of me died on the inside, with each farewell.
This might be the right time to point out that for the first time in my life, it has taken me this long to write a piece, if i weren't typing this out, the initial paragraphs might have been blotted, lucky for me, tears won't show on a blog, hopefully the anguish and pain do though.
Haven't really been myself this past week, i doubt any of you have, but the realization that the way of life one has been accustomed to ever since one entered adulthood hits you hard, you aren't just leaving behind a place and friends, you are leaving behind a way of life, one that taught you to fend for yourself while having someone's back, one where caring and sharing become apt descriptions of you, no matter how you walked in .
I could go on, but since the bottom line of this post is that all great things end too soon, i think i must conclude(see what i did there? ), but before i do, HINDI ! how can i forget Hindi?, Most of you had a major role in this department, i shudder to imagine how I'd survive four years without learning from you guys(or with you guys).
Three and a half years were spent grumbling about how we never "lived" for four years but "survived", this last sem, especially those last couple of weeks made me realize that we did live ! To the fullest extent,
Life wasn't rosy,The rooms weren't too cosy ,No scope for being lazy,No hope for the crazy.
But we were always around to wipe them tears,never missed a chance to bump mugs and say cheers, Friends who were never described as peers, chased away home-sickness and all of my fears
I just hope I influenced your lives to half the extent you guys influenced mine, because whether one admits it or not, the greatest fear is the fear of being forgotten .
yours forever,
Nikhil ,voldy, suar ,piggy, joe,nik, joey or whatever name you know me by
This might be the right time to point out that for the first time in my life, it has taken me this long to write a piece, if i weren't typing this out, the initial paragraphs might have been blotted, lucky for me, tears won't show on a blog, hopefully the anguish and pain do though.
Haven't really been myself this past week, i doubt any of you have, but the realization that the way of life one has been accustomed to ever since one entered adulthood hits you hard, you aren't just leaving behind a place and friends, you are leaving behind a way of life, one that taught you to fend for yourself while having someone's back, one where caring and sharing become apt descriptions of you, no matter how you walked in .
I could go on, but since the bottom line of this post is that all great things end too soon, i think i must conclude(see what i did there? ), but before i do, HINDI ! how can i forget Hindi?, Most of you had a major role in this department, i shudder to imagine how I'd survive four years without learning from you guys(or with you guys).
Three and a half years were spent grumbling about how we never "lived" for four years but "survived", this last sem, especially those last couple of weeks made me realize that we did live ! To the fullest extent,
Life wasn't rosy,The rooms weren't too cosy ,No scope for being lazy,No hope for the crazy.
But we were always around to wipe them tears,never missed a chance to bump mugs and say cheers, Friends who were never described as peers, chased away home-sickness and all of my fears
I just hope I influenced your lives to half the extent you guys influenced mine, because whether one admits it or not, the greatest fear is the fear of being forgotten .
yours forever,
Nikhil ,voldy, suar ,piggy, joe,nik, joey or whatever name you know me by
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