Today's train accident!!!!

Early this morning close to about 4:30 AM The Tamil Nadu Express heading to Chennai from New Delhi caught fire near Nellore. Coach S-11 and at last count 42 people have been charred to death.

Some questions to the great system that governs this country:

Millions on sporting extravaganzas like the Commonwealth games or the running joke that is the IPL.

Scam after scam by politicains from all major parties.

This development, that development - sending a man to land on the moon.

Space exploration, defence program, nuclear energy and all such things for the so-called progress of the nation!

How much does it cost to install a smoke-alarm / fire-alarm in every coach of the train?

Fire extinguishers in every coach?

There is no value for a human life in this country!

This is the state-of-life in my nation, I am proud to be an Indian :( - The media will go mad - Arnab Goswami willhold a discussion at 9. Half-a-penny celebrities will speak, mud-slinging by former railway men and women will happen and the whole damn system reeking of human and animal refuse will continue to run as if nothing happened!

I spend 4 hours on the local train every day - I know first-hand how pathetic the system is!

Forget Metro-rail, forget monorail - this land will never ever move from the status of developing to developed!

Even when I reach the ripe old age of eighty India will still be developing and some statesman would have coined a new term India 2100 to aim complete growth!

Death

Loved ones are leaving me.

One more death of someone whom I respected a lot.

Uncle R.I.P.

Nagesh-A Legend-Emperor of Comedy-No More

Nagesh is no more! I stopped looking at the news and started typing this post. At the moment I am at a loss of words to describe the immense joy and happiness he used to bring to viewers and the feeling of intense. Shivaji, MGR, Kaml, and Rajni are superstars but one man who defied all their stardom and acted with all of them leaving his own special charm-Nagesh.

There was a period when no Tamil movie would be made without Nagesh. Clean comedy, natural slapstick and buffoonery. He formed a great on-screen pair with Manorama. The two gave many memorable hits together.

An unforgettable role was of Dharmi in Thiruvalayadal. Other hits were given by him as a solo hero in "Server Sundaram" and "Ethir Neechal."

A longer post is on its way soon.

At the moment al I can say is-"Continue to delight angels in heaven."

John Lennon

Today is December 8. On this date in 1980 a fanatic shot John Lennon dead.
John Lennon was an integral part of The Beatles.

More than being a musician he was also an avid activist, protesting against war and championing the cause of the environment.

Nearly 30 years since you died but the songs that you wrote with Paul Mc Cartney continue to inspire another generation.

Rest in Peace.

What Now?

So one terrorist was caught alive. 200 people have been killed, quite a few have been injured. Two landmarks of Mumbai have been partially burnt. The pride and safety of an entire city/nation has taken a severe beating.

We can just be angry and frustrated and suggest measures like war on pakistan, killing all politicians, calling for a new revolution and a hundred other things.

Nothing is going to happen as a result of our rants.

The government in all its procastinating best will do something or the other, some heads will roll in the political circles. Life will continue.

A couple of anniversaries will pass candles will be lit; then another attack in some other city and the whole cycle shall start again.

We can only pray for a better tomorrow.
The present is an extremely distorted picture of fear, paranoia, and violence.
Hoping for an end to this endless whirlpool of violence and terror.

It happened in Mumbai?

The events that happened in Mumbai have proved that as Indians we are no longer safe. We may leave for office or school or college in the morning and there is no assurance that we are going to return home safely in the evening.

I am not going to write about the dastardly act of terror, the damage to the landmarks of Mumbai,or the stupid and comical comments of our politicians.

All that is there is anger and frustration. Once again it is the common man who has had to pay the ultimate price for a lax and lazy government.

Is it not time that we punish the perpetrators? We know that Pakistan is the hotbed of terror and directly or indirectly it is funding the proxy war against India.

Time for we as a nation to stand united and revolt against the spineless politicians.
I would like to know where Raj and Bal Thackeray are now? No jingoistic Marathi manoos comments now. The commandoes and police officers did not think about their nativity. They braved the terrorists as part of their duty and laid down their lives for the nation.

Will Raj continue his stupid rhetoric again?
Let him do it! He is sure to be stoned by his own supporters.

A prayer for the innocent people and the brave police officers and commandoes who lost their lives in the Mumbai carnage.

Another prayer to God that such things do not happen again.

Why Raj, Why...?

It was three o' clock in the morning, when I was rudely awakened from my sleep, by the ringtone of my mobile phone. At first I thought it was a dream, and I continued to lie down, but when the ringtone persisted I realized that it was not a dream and the phone was actually ringing. I looked at the number, and was surprised, it was a foreign number. I answered the call, it was Mr. Mishra, a close family friend who was settled in Germany. His son Raj was my classmate at school, and he was currently working in some research facility in Melbourne.

Mishra uncle conveyed a shocking news-his son Raj had commited suicide. I was lost for words and I consoled the poor man who had lost his son. I was surprised because I had spoken to Raj ten days earlier, and he seemed fine although his voice sounded a bit shaky. When Mr. Mishra finished his call, I was no longer in a mood to sleep. I went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and poured myself a glass of milk, and went to the veranda.

I thought about Raj, there were too many memories, that had been refreshed by the depressing phone call. Both of us grew up in the same neighbourhood, studied in the same school, and were classmates from nursery to high-school. Then Raj enrolled for a course in Chemical Engineering, while I pursued a course in English Literature. Raj studied in Sydney and he topped the university, he received a gold medal. Things looked bright and rosy, and Raj got an opportunity to work in the research facility of a leading chemical company.

All through these years, we were in constant touch with each other and he even visited India to attend a mutual friend's wedding. He was an excellent student and a brilliant athelete, my mother always used to compare my report card with his, she used to say-"You spend all your time with Raj, why don't you get some of his intelligence, and score some more marks in Mathematics."

As these thoughts crossed through my mind, I wondered what prompted Raj to commit suicide. He was always the ever courageous boy leading the football team from the front, and never wished anyone any harm. He was happy with his job and had no complaints against anybody. Mishra uncle said that the caretaker of his son's flat in Melbourne had discovered Raj's body, he had hanged himself.

Why Raj, why did you do this, I don't know, you had such a loving family, a caring girlfriend, they were supposed to get married this October, why did you choose to end your life this way. I looked at the sea from my verandah, and saw the first light of dawn as the sun was about to rise in the east. The sun was rising as another son had set forever.

All that is left are memories, memories of playing games, watching movies, fights, now all those memories have become meaningless as the very person with whom I shared those memoreies has ceased to exist.

Had Raj accepted defeat? If yes defeat from what. All that we found was a suicide note that said-"I am tired of living in this world, I have no regrets, forgive me Dad, Ma and Anu(his girlfriend), perhaps we shall be happy in another world in another time."

A tragic end to a man who would have achieved something great.

Does God Exist?

Before I start my article let me make one thing clear, I believe in God, worship him/her go to temple regularly, perform puja regularly and have a deep and unshaking belief in God and the power of sincere prayers. I am not an atheist, so having made my stand clear I will move on to the article......

THE ARTICLE

Recent happenings, the past forty days or so have proved the sorry state of affairs of child security in India. On one-side we have the Nithari horror, where two men indulged in their sexual carnage on unsuspecting children, killed them, cut their bodies into tiny pieces and even put them in acid.

Now the Kochi incident, where a pleasure trip, that turned into a tragedy. A hundred students and some teachers visited a dam at Thattekada near Kothamangalam. One boat sprung a leak and it sank quickly. As per the last news received 15 children and three teachers have died and some children are battling for their lives in the hospital.

I will never forget the news clip of a father hugging the bodies of his two children, twins who had died in the accident. The government will pay compensation, there will be some hue and cry about security, and then for two three years an anniversary with the lighting of candles and lamps will take place and then everyone will forget everything.

How many of us remember the Kumbakonam school tragedy, where more than a hundred children died in a stamppede when a fir broke out in a private school. God where are you? Are you watching all these events from heaven or from wherever else you stay. Please answer my questions. What sin did those unsuspecting children do, to suffer such a horrible death. I shall not take Fate and Sins committed in previous lives/biths for an answer. If these children could die for their sins committed in a previous birth, then what about Osama-bin-Laden, George Bush and hundreds of other terrorists and politicians who are the direct and indirect cause of the deaths of thousands of innocent people. When will they be punished?

The question shall remain unanswered and life will go on as usual. If you find some injustice happening to somebody, please take a stand, you need not bash up the perpetrator in filmi style, but atleast you can inform the police or someone else who may lend a helping hand.

God please let justice prevail and let innocent children live without fear and grow up to be adults.

I know that the article has deviated a lot from the beginning, but I have poured out my heart and if even one person changes his attitude after reading this article, I shall feel that I have done something worthy.

Be the change you want to see in the world.