Maine Gandhi ko nahin Maara

Hmm.... Its so true! Nopes, I didn't kill Gandhi. We all Indians did! Over the years, the respect for Gandhiji's philosophy of 'Ahimsa' (non-violence) has died in the hearts of all Indians. When we had just tasted the new found freedom of being a 'free' country, we spoke a lot about the man who was born Mohanlal Karamchand Gandhi. He earned a lot of respect from the people who later called him Gandhiji. And when he struggled a lot for India's freedom and eventually even managed to make it a free nation with his non-violence strategy, we called him the Mahatma and gave him the title of 'Father of the Nation'.

But just like we have lost respect for our own fathers, who would care more for the father of the nation! I have seen people losing respect over the years for the great Mahatma. Now, we have taken our independence for granted and speak from the comforts of our houses what Gandhi should have done and shouldn't have. People even feel that his philosophy was crap and the revolutionary struggle led by Bhagat Singh and others was more appealing. Of course, both were right in their own ways. But of course, the ahimsa philosophy and Gandhi's cool temperament and knowledge of law eventually won us our freedom. Of course, the struggle wasn't very easy for him in the final stages when his own followers had contradictory ideas which eventually led to the formation of a separate country based on religion. It was as painful for him as it was for all other Indians. But the situation then and pressures, left him with no option. We, without, shedding a single drop of blood sit and bad mouth the Mahatma these days, especially some political parties. And let us not forget that the one who killed him was also an Indian who was filled with vemon in his heart for him. If he wouldn't have been killed then, some other Indian who hated his philosophy would have!

And yeah Gandhi is killed everyday even today, when we talk rubbish about him. Its the Indians, who have nearly forgotten him and his philosophy of Ahimsa and Satyamev Jayate, but the world still respects him as a Great Man. And he continues to live through people who still respect him.

I have always respected his struggle, his sacrifice for the nation (wherein he gave up all luxuries including good clothes) and his respect for all religions and humans. It saddens me when some revolutionaries are glorified at the expense of Gandhi. I wanted to voice my opinion since a long time. When I saw the movie 'Maine Gandhi ko Nahin Maara', I was touched and felt that this was the right time to pay my due respect to the 'Father of the Nation'.

As for the movie, I'll say it is well-made. And rightly won the National Award.

The fall, the Slip off, tear and the publicity!

The Lakme Fashion Week has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons (deliberate?) this year.

First the fall of the garment and honour of Carol and then there were people who fell further by selling those clips and photos. Top newspapers had it on the front pages. One paper had three pictures on the front page of what happened in sequence. One so-called 'good' TV news channels showed the same clipping from different angles stating 'ek baar phir dekhiye'.

Its sad how people like to have fun and laugh when a woman's dignity at stake! Very soon there were video clippings and MMS doing the rounds! Wonder if the same would be the case if a man's pant came off on stage!!!

When you come to think of it, there were not one but a series of 3 or 4 malfunctions and all of them on the more famous models! Carol Gracias, Gauhar Khan and Ujwala Raut!
Were they deliberate and for publicity?
Were they planned by the organisers without the consent of the models (a loose Velro on a model when dressing her up hoping she would carry it off if anything went wrong!) or with the consent of the models!

Whatever the reason behind it was, it was too unreal to happen on 3 days within the same fashion week!

And the worst thing was how the perverts cashed in on it!

It was not the fall of a woman's dignity but showed how much people can fall and make money out of someone's problem

Watta movie!

Saw BLACK today..... you might wonder why so late. All this while I'd been avoiding it thinking it would be some tear-jerker. Waise hi life mein kam tension toh hai nahin... socha why to see a serious movie. I thought of seeing the same in some lighter moments.

The movie has won so many awards and rightly so. I happened to muster the courage to watch it tonight on cable. And all I can say is that it's a masterpiece! Really!!!

It's an inspiration to all who lose hope in life with trivial issues. It tells us that there are many problems in this world which we are thankfully away from. And more importantly, it tells us - Nothing's impossible!

Those who haven't seen the movie as yet, please do. This is one of those rare Bollywood movies which make sense (not that all Hollywood movies do!)

Banking is a thankless job

Hmm..... Finally got some time to write something after making this blog. Had been busy with financial year end activities (Apr- Mar is the Financial year in India). Being a banker isn't easy these days, what with banks offering an array of products and we, poor things (the employees) burning the midnight oil to keep up to the promises the top management makes!!! Of course, managment leaves at 6.30 pm / 7.00 pm or so.... and we the 'commoners' burn the midnight lamp, as they say!

31 st March.... hmm... the most dreaded day, has finally passed. We worked for 13 hours at a stretch ! Banking is such a thankless job, yaar. You slog day and night and no one notices. But one mistake in 100 transactions and you're hit from the customer as well as bosses! :-(

Banking is been part of me right from childhood. My Dad was in the central bank of India, RBI. But the functions of RBI are different from a normal bank. Though my Dad wanted me to be a banker like him, I was inclined towards the arts - writing, painting, reading etc. I used to dread being a banker always. For me, once banking meant being a cashier and counting cash. The thought of handling cash always scared me. And still does! I wanted to be a journalist/ writer. But fate finally landed me in a bank. But thankfully not in the cashier's place. I was part of corporate banking whereas cashier is part of retail banking. Its been 8 years now since I took up banking and my life has come to a standstill. The long hours never left me any time to live my life the way I wanted. No time for self, for friends, for family..... I told everyone to wait. But eventually life itself didn't wait for me.

So here, I sit alone in life...... of course, my parents and siblings are always there with me.... but something is still lacking. Is banking worth all my life that went into it? Only for what? Banking is such a thankless job!