PASSIONATE FOREVER!

Should you follow your passion? or be made to passionately fall in love with something you landed up with. This question sends shivers down my spine, not merely because I think I am not able to be passionate about what I am doing right now or would be doing in future, but finding out what is my true passion. Of all things which are challenging to answer ranging from your true definition of a beautiful girl, an A++ level mathematical logic question, fate of the Indian economy in future,  questions regarding your virginity, arguably the one asking for your true passion in life is the toughest. Throughout history, it is the men and women alike who have braved adversities by luck or by sheer herculean effort, who have been able to carve a mark on it. They were really passionate about their ambition, their dream and vision. Take a bird’s eye view on their life, you will find souls burning with tremendous vigour, a desire for achieving what they envisioned, initiative to reach the pinnacle of success. Surely, all of them were destined to do so, but it was the dream and the exertion which they enjoyed. Their finding of their true passion , may have knocked them to the shores of unknown territories, some hostile while some embracing. Places where they had to take out all their robes, standing naked, devoid of the unwanted ornaments which were more of a burden to carry in their quest to ultimate glory; as well as places where they were adorned with jewels, so prized, in the form of such treasured wisdom and skills, that would stand the test of time. Undoubtedly, life throws out numerous challenges, its how you cope with them and find the true essence in it, some may be overwhelmed while some enlightened, it’s how you perceive the situation. In the course of time, which is quite precious, the sooner you find your passion the better it is. 

Einstein once quoted “I don’t have any special talents. I am just passionately curious”. Have a look at all the great people in history from war mongering generals and conquerors like Alexander the Great to peace seeking pioneers like Mahatma Gandhi, from noble laureates like Sir Alexander Fleming to sportsperson like Sachin Tendulkar, from philanthropists like Florence Nightingale and Mother Teressa to inventors like Thomas Alva Edison and a million more examples, all these people were tremendously passionate about their work. They loved doing it, they could slog throughout day and night without feeling worn-out, leave alone being exasperated. It was their unwavering determination to pursue their dream, work diligently to achieve it that worked wonders, and made them historic figures for the rest of their lives and eternity. The spark which was, the Passion…a small word but powerful to encompass the entire life of an individual. The passion to serve the needy, the destitute…a passion to overthrow an empire with weapons of peace…a passion to see things differently, make things differently…a passion to deliver, to satisfy the not only the sporting thirst of a billion cricketing fans but to satisfy the lust for glory within. These were men and women of immense passion, there are still in making, I wish to be one of them. Because I believe, it will be the true passion, which would propel me to do something which would not only be self-constructive but also have an enormous productive effect on the society at large. 

In India, it is sad to find that students are forced to pursue a passion. Economic predicaments, family issues, lack of choice, qualms over a rewarding career steers the students to a pre-defined course of action. They don’t have to plan for anything, no time for seeking passion , they would go and sit for exams which millions are appearing for. Neglecting their inborn talents, without nurturing them, they move forth grinding themselves in a daunting competition. Those who emerge victorious are nevertheless rewarded with a handsome salary, a salary which can buy you anything but peace to have done justice with one thing which you were really passionate about. The ONE thing which you should have done and worked with without any compromise in this ONE life!!! 

I believe myself to have gone through a transcendental experience, an experience that has really shaken me from the roots. From now on, I believe, I shall always align myself with actions which drive me towards attaining my goal which I believe I am truly passionate about. There are times, which tend to put me down, huge disappointments in life, but again they are even huger WAKE UP CALLS. God has something far better in store for you, whatever you deserve…this was not the right thing for you. I find some lines really inspirational, they come from all corners; look at Susan Boyle who sung at the stage of Britain’s Got Talent. A simple woman, of whom each one in the audience was sure of i.e. she would be a total waste, but how she turned out to be a wonder a star. She was passionate about singing,  that is what it took. These lines from Les Miserables are a motivation.

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame

And still I dream she'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.

Your dreams might have got killed at this date, but it is a crude means of jerking you out of sleep, mind you. Rise up and stand strong for what is your true purpose in life. Because it is this awareness of the true reason behind your existence, that shall distinguish you from the rest of the people. Pursue your passion, personify your talent and conquer the world!!!

THE AGGRESSOR

As you enter the boundary of New Delhi, you will find a strange influx of testosterone in your body. Doubt it? I challenge your denial to the thought. What I really want to state is that the city breathes aggression, in every nook and corner of the city , you would find aggressors roaming around to provoke or retaliate regarding something or the other. It is as if these guys, not underestimating women, have a huge arsenal of hostilities under wraps for some unlucky fella, ready to implode as well as explode leading to immense outburst of a billion emotions. Believe it or not, people really love squabbling around in Delhi!

New Delhi is not the only victim to this syndrome, as I shall call it, it is a noted fact that people living in most of the metropolitan cities do suffer its symptoms. But what actually is aggression? Well, technically speaking it is the behaviour which crosses the thin line of being assertive and enters into the domain of being hostile, forceful or in straight terms “ATTACKING”. There are numerous reasons behind this aggressive stance poised by general en masse, I will not state those geeky observations being carried out at the desks of qualified psychologists; rather try to put forth my own findings.

One major point which I have witnessed is that the environment really gives support to an individual’s aggression. Put it straight, I will give you an example, suppose you are provoked to hostility by a guy in public. Now, there are two cases: 1) the public comprises of people who are calm, don’t pay much attention to the childish ruckus that you have created, moreover they are far too preoccupied to pay much heed. 2) (this happens usually in Delhi) People come to a standstill, it’s a K.O. fight, they are waiting for the huge entertainment in store by the immense lashing out of abuses and the lust for the FIST of FURY. In the first case, you might end up resolving your issue by just verbal means , however, the second case really demands you to take a stand. This part is generally concerned with the local conditions, the inciting environment and the people’s expectations towards your disposition.

There are other reasons as well. The hypothalamus has a lot of things to do with the aggressive stance taken by you, it is a prodigious game of hormones swimming across your veins. People tend to get belligerent due to their genetic makeup as well. They are short tempered, hostile retaliation is a much sought after option for any provoked or unprovoked invitation for the same. Criminal minds eh? Not exactly. As a matter of fact, people in big cities are also dealing with a huge “payload” of stress. This may be the stress of being divorced or even married, tension related to spouse or some extra marital affair, a receding hairline, no promotion, frustration due to competition, tremendous traffic jams, rising prices, inefficient politics, birth of triplets, touch screen malfunction or malfunction in sex life. Numerous reasons, sometimes they act alone, whereas in many cases they amalgamate to mortify an individual. The venting up of the HEAT developed inside, is in that case only achievable by the indulgence in hostility via aggression.

So you would be wondering that aggression in general is the physical hostility, bring the limbs into motion for a direct hit. In that case a lion preying its prized deer is an aggression, it really doesn’t fit here. Even psychologists believe that the preying is not a form of aggression, as the lion does not roar or pulls out its claws violently in the air. However, two lions showing these signals while defending their own territories is a sign of justified aggression. This aggression is for defence, for asserting itself so it does not count. We need to understand the thin line which exists between the assertive part and that of the aggression. Why only animals? even nations, like United States or Israel are termed as aggressive. Depending on different perspectives, like on one hand a nation fights terrorism abroad to protect its people at home is a form of defence however for the people affected by these actions will term the US as an aggressor. It is therefore totally relative.

The discussion has branched out to a very wide domain , the aggression may also be linked to competitive ambitions. An aggressive student is bloke who churns out hours working diligently and in a focused manner to accomplish what we may call his lifelong ambition. We can now make out the positives and the negatives of aggression depending how this is directed and for which purpose. As long as it stands harmless and constructive towards shaping a better, focused and stronger individual(this for you to decide, how you make up for these things)…what’s the harm? Be an AGGRESSOR !!!

smoking fog, jerks me off!!!

Millions of Delhi people would find the bickering and shouting about the smog in and around the city quite trivial. It’s totally absurd that all of a sudden people wake up and start screaming about all the oxides and dioxides knocking on the doorsteps of their nostrils. Trivial it may seem to the dweller of the metropolitan city Delhi, but when your mind starts pondering about the intricacies, things do turn out nasty! Particularly when the smog has a peculiar smell accompanying it.

Smog generally is supposed to be a mixture of smoke and carbon monoxide along with sulphur compounds, unburned fossil fuels and loads of atmospheric crap (mostly related to us). In case of Delhi, the smog has a few more toxic, rather exotic ingredients which really make it a serious case of concern. The pernicious smoke has been banging heads, crushing lungs, poking eyes, pinching skin and blocking sight since time immemorial but hardly does it tend to bother any of the citizens, leave alone the authorities. I read somewhere in my 9^th grade, that according to the legendary Charles Darwin, species do evolve along the course of time to adapt to their surroundings. It justified their struggle for survival and eventual triumph of the fittest species to do so, but believe me, adapting to the daily dose of yokozuna size toxic in Delhi is really a tough bet. What maybe the reason for this gaseous onslaught on us? Presumably answering this question would be a cakewalk, instead a moonwalk.

The 2^nd most populous metropolitan city after Mumbai, with a population of 16.3 million people, Delhi is in no position to dishearten you in terms of pollution problems. Within each of these restless citizens is the craving to purchase a new car/ vehicle. As per the government sources, the current automobile population in Delhi is even greater than 65 lakh which is even higher than the combined total of automobiles in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. There were nearly 5.6 lakh vehicles in 1981, this roughly averages to 1000 vehicles being added to the fragile Delhi roads every day. Numbers do seem appalling, no matter which emission norm is being implemented, PUC certificates, high parking fees; nothing seems to deter the valiant Delhi dweller from opting against public transportation. We (Delhi citizens) like to feel grand, travelling in a car not only saves you from the daily hustle and bustle, rubbing shoulders against the billions but also assures you of an elevated social status. There are a trillion more reasons for the automotive surge in the domestic population. No wonder the sales graph has been escalating high beyond the stratosphere. The CNG introduction in autos and other vehicles did help in curbing the population, even the metro played a great role in the cause, but the astronomical surge in the vehicular population has negated the effect totally. Ask the clueless CM of Delhi about the pollution shrouding the city, she defends the administration as well as the citizens by saying that the smog has resulted from the burning of hay and straw in the nearby states of Harayana, UP and Punjab. The answer is only an attempt to wash hands of the irresponsible handling of pollution in the city. I feel very anxious when I see nearly a billion faces ready to board the subway train, hour long traffic jams, opaque smog blocking sight every morning, asthmatic patients going outside with a trunk load of emergency drugs…I can go on and on…it still remains a trivial issue for many citizens who are too busy with their life, too busy to even think about the environment…life, it seems goes on with ourselves adapting to new hazards every second. So best wishes for your nostrils, oesophagus, lungs and your sanity…keep breathing, else you know what happens!

A CRYING SELFLESS AGRICULTURE !!!

a brief outline of the great Indian satire

India since the green revolution in the 1970's has been steadily recording immense success in the food production charts. The expected food grain production this year 2011-2012 is supposed to reach around 250 mn tonnes exceeding the annual target of 245 million tonnes. The agriculture sector has made India self sufficient but in somewhat weird terms. We have grains rotting in the warehouses of FCI  yet millions starve with grievous hunger and pain. A paradox it seems, the contrasting conditions which prevail over the entire agriculture sector. Much has been credited to the mismanagement ranging from provision of agricultural inputs to the post harvest handling of the products, from the lack of long term vision while employing the MSP prices for agricultural produce to the heavy dependence upon the inefficient and corrupt network of the PDS (public distribution system). Even the MNREGA has been infested by soul-less middlemen who cherish on the pilferage of the crucial aids being provided to the deprived farmers of our nation. Credit facilities to the farmers are on a decline, land holdings are shrinking, remuneration is not at par with the produce, market information is inadequate, there is a shortage of water supplies and an unending list of associated problems which tend to hammer down the potential of Indian agriculture which as a matter of fact is contributing only 15.7 % to the gdp of India whereas employing nearly 60% of the entire 1.21 billion Indian population.

Why should i care???

well why not? we all depend on agriculture...ours is an agrarian economy, each one of us is familiar with the plight of the farmers. We have seen them, heard about them or even had first hand encounter with them. The hard work and labor that they provide selflessly, blindfolded towards the goal of sustaining themselves and this nation is exemplary. Imagine a well informed farmer who has been empowered to achieve the best for himself resulting in the overall growth and development of the agricultural sector. This would be accompanied by an upsurge in rural development, better infrastructure of agricultural processing and above all the satisfaction of the farmer community.

(1)MANHOLES IN THE SYSTEM

Policies: policies framed towards the betterment of rural india is now hampering its development in all 3 dimensions.For example MNREGA which guarantees employment to the rural unemployed for 100 days has been linked to many problems. Farm labour has been snatched away for other manual work, increasing the cost of produce and driving food inflation. A correct timing of the employing of the labour during non-harvest seasons has been totally sidelined and unplanned projects taken up throughout india. Labour inavailibity during crucial farming seasons was a problem which has been further aggregated by the exploitation of the MNREGA. The labourers are employed, made to work very hard for days and are not paid accordingly. In some cases the corruption and scams has been so rampant that the labourers get neary 1/10 of what they should have been getting. This SUPERBLY HAPPY atmosphere prevailing in the rural india has been driving away the youth towards urban areas wherin they can find themselves jobs instead of slogging beneath the hammer of agricultural burden. This migration is a case of immense worry. Judging by the astronomical pace of indian population explosion, who would feed the millions???

The APMC ( agricultural produce marketing committees) act in various states of India has been a complex situation. Many times depriving the farmers of profits and from availing risk mitigation. Contract farming and other agri business ventures which promise a dynamic futures contract driven agro market faces numerous hurdles by the APMC act which needs to be ammended in many states. APMC rgulation has resulted in an inefficient network which has further contributed to the already chaotic management.

Attitude: the attitude of the bureaucracy is like a concerned mom, who acts only when the kid gets his head ripped off or a leg blown away. Steps related to subsidies and credit regulations are taken in a haste to provide immediate damage control instead of future mitigation. Farmer suicides takes place in A.P., microfinancing institutions brought into the picture, steps related to fixing the ceiling of interest rates and norms related to the industry are put on table in the assembly, rules laid down and the product of the entire drama = "TOTAL COLLAPSE OF A ONCE THRIVING AGRI-FINANCE INSTITUTION". One common point pasted to each of these proceedings was "DONE WITH HASTE", not devising policies, thinking about the future but alas spearheading what was in mind over the matter.Even huge subsidies are provided for the irrigation facilities being provided, without taking into notice the beneficiaries.