365 days and counting.....

As Dawn breaks we set foot into another year with dreams, hope and aspirations. For many 2009 was the year of recession recovery, a year that saw first Afro American being sworn in as President of the most powerful (??) nation in the word. A year in which Indian citizens claimed tall awards from Oscars to the Nobel Prize. Many will remember it for the death of King of Pop, Michael Jackson, the swine flu scare and the failure to secure a legally binding deal at Copenhagen Climate summit. For me 2009 is just another year nothing significant except for the fact that I graduated and turned 21.

Midnight revelry and parties extending up to the wee hours have become common in the past few years. Every single ad in the newspapers/ tv/ radio scream of the new year bashes. Police forces gear up in style to welcome the New Year too. Innovative ideas, themed parties, sumptuous food, unlimited alcohol is a must on every New Year bash across the city. Television channels and FM radio’s get ready with their top 10 of the year lists. They do this exercise with utmost sincerity. And you have the astrological predictions. We can see people glued to television sets, switching off their brains and fervently listening to the astrologer’s prediction for the year 2010. The recent rumour of the world ending in 2012 has further added to this frenzy.

I never quite understand this concept of New Year; it’s just another year a change in the calendar. Why so much of hype? It’s funny that every aspect of this is commercially exploited and how we have fallen prey to it. Advertising Zindabad!!. Lets see what 2010 has in store for us. Only 2 more years are left so please make the maximum use of it. The clock is ticking; book your tickets for the world tour and get ready for the bungee jump, for there is no time left.
Oh ya Happy New Year!!

ITS JUST THE BEGINNING

In a country that is facing so many problems, strangely enough what is hogging the media limelight is the battle of separate identity to the Telugu speaking people of Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. The game being played out with human emotions as the key player has been on the burner for some time. The decision to carve out a separate State of Telangana has come about after a struggle of 40 years. Home Minister P. Chidambaram statement that the "process of separation of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh will be initiated soon" is very ambiguous as it does not divulge into matters regarding the timing and the content of passing a resolution at the Andhra Pradesh state assembly. Contradicting views of the members of the ruling party adds to the chaos. Had there been “consensus” amidst the parties, 100 M.L.A’S from Andhra and Rayalseema wouldn’t have put their papers en masse.


It’s sad to note that the first Indian state to be bifurcated on the basis of The States Reorganisation Act of 1956, is facing such an end. An in depth study into the pages of the Indian politics provides an interesting insight to this issue. The States Reorganization Committee formed to prepare for the creation of states on linguistic lines in December 1954 was in principal opposed to inclusion of the Telangana region with the then Andhra state. The report observed that the people of Telangana region where not in favor of the unification as they feared that their resources may be diverted to Andhra thus depriving their opportunities. Headed by Justice Fazal Ali the commission recommended to the government that it “will be in the interests of Andhra as well as Telangana area to constitute into a separate State, which may be known as the Hyderabad State with provision for its unification with Andhra after the general elections likely to be held in or about 1961 if by a two thirds majority the legislature of the residency Hyderabad State expresses itself in favor of such unification."


The central government decided to ignore the SRC recommendations and established unified Andhra Pradesh on November 1, 1956. However, a Gentlemen’s agreement provided reassurances to the Telangana people as well to Andhra people in terms of power sharing as well as administrative domicile rules and distribution of expenses of various regions. The agreement known as Gentlemen's agreement of Andhra Pradesh (1956) proved futile and sowed the seeds of Telangana movement way back in 1969. Had the recommendations of the Fazal Ali committee been heeded Andhra Pradesh could have saved itself the political turmoil that it has gone through.


It’s a mind boggling affair to study how the people of India vote their leaders. How many ever Rath Yatra’s or promises made by the politician, one can never judge the pulse of the voters. While the TRS received flak during the recent Loksabha elections, it has garnered more than enough support for its latest fete. By adopting a well planned strategy Chandrashekhar Rao not only got his span of political mileage at the cost of his health, but also raked the government at the centre with his indefinite fast.


The state that has sent the maximum number of M.P’s to the parliament is having a rough patch. First with the untimely loss of a towering leader in Dr. Rajashekhra Reddy, followed by the sudden outburst for the Telangana statehood. Lack of strong and an efficient chief minister can also be attributed to this problem. Had Y.S.R been alive this menace would have never surfaced. Dr. Reddy always kept a check on the extremists and kept them at bay.


The Congress should convene an all party meeting and take an appropriate decision on this contentious issue after taking into account the interest of all the stakeholders concerned. Till such time the B.J.P is only too happy as it’s freed from the constant media coverage received in wake of the Liberhan commission report.


With granting of statehood in the Telangana region, alarm bells have started ringing in the north east , west, east and northern parts of India. Claims of a separate BodoLand, Vidharba, Gorkha land, and Harit Pradesh are gaining momentum. Had the centre handled the matters more decisively and astute it could have averted its precarious position that it finds itself at present.


At the heart of any struggle is the deprival of basic opportunities and economic oppression. Telangana is no different. Despite being the largest area geographically, (1,14,800 km2 ) of the three regions of the state , yet much of the land is arid and not nearly as fertile as the agriculturally rich coastal region. Telangana has been a victim of official apathy since the formation of Andhra Pradesh and has lagged behind other regions in development and no government in the State or at the Centre made any honest attempt to bring it on a par with the other regions.


By granting greater autonomy and creating smaller states be useful in effective administration? Do smaller states translate to better governance?? The Telangana statehood issue has indeed opened the Pandora ’s Box. The answers will have far reaching consequences and can alter the geo political scenario of this developing nation.

Sir Winston Churchill quoted,

It has been said that Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time

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21- WINDS OF CHANGE!!!

Its sooooooooo long that I last updated my blog. And it took my 21^st birthday to pen my thoughts. I always wondered, what makes birthdays special. It’s like any other normal day with extra pleasantries and gifts. As the rule be, people wished at the strike of 12, some messaged nevertheless I was glad, people remembered. When you are away from home in a city which is totally alien, a friends call from school, a sms from college buddies make you smile and feel reassured that people have not forgotten your existence.

Surprisingly, it was my sister who wished me first followed by my mother. Usually its not a norm in my house to wish at 12. I was happy that she sat up the whole night to wish me. It was at that point it stuck me, how much I missed her. Only when people are away you really know their value. This birthday was more on that adage, which helped me realise the value of my close friends and family.

Back here at hostel my small gang of friends made sure I had an amazing day. Meticulously planned my surprise despite yours truly’s, repeated sneaking in during their “bday planning meeting sessions”. LolJ It indeed was a surprise. Life here at IIMC is happier only because of them.

Somehow birthdays for me have been a day to celebrate the existence of your living with close friends and family. After all only this day can you be rightfully proud and happy about oneself. The bad bad world just does not give you an opportunity otherwise. This is also the first birthday I celebrated away from home and my close friends. I was also in for another surprise, when my close friends from school back home sent me a courier which had a small cake, bouquet and chocolates. I was almost in a state of happy tears. The fact that they took so much pain in coordinating a gift delivery shop in Delhi and planned for the whole thing was very thoughtful. At the end of the day it’s ones efforts and willingness that matters.

Last year I spent my birthday interning in a news organization, this year in Delhi. Dunno where i will be next year. Life is full of uncertainties and nothing is fixed. ( I don’t know why I wrote this line, still don’t feel like deleting it too!! Lol) Another year has passed by, only emphasising that I am getting older and responsibilities are piling up. In threshold of beginning my career in Journalism, i still remain confused of where my life is headed. However I hope to solve the unanswered questions in passing time. I am just 21, shouldn’t I be more worried about the frivolousness and trivialities that are associated with this age?.

On introspection, I am glad I have earned good friends, trust of many. This entry is a thank you note to all those who made my day special. THANKS A LOT guys. I am happy to have you all in my life. No special occasion in my life is complete without you all. And thanks for tolerating and putting up with all my nonsense and respect me for the person I am. Love you all muuahJ

THROUGH THE EYES OF A MADRASI

It has been over a month that I have set my foot on the country’s most happening place (literally and figuratively), the nerve centre of almost everything DELHI!!!. I am at Indian Institute of Mass Communication for post graduate diploma in Radio and Television journalism. An array of experiences in a short span of time. This entry is a glimpse into my experiences in an unknown city over the past one month. Memories that linger along!!!

• · My college is in the new Jawaharlal Nehru University campus. The campus is awesome. It is a haven for nature lovers and photographers.
• The city is huge and we have to rely heavily on autos. It’s by these auto journeys that I discover Delhi.
• The public transport and the autos here run on CNG the effort needs to be lauded.
• · A drive down the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the India Gate is an experience by itself. Clean roads with plush gardens on either side with the majestic India gate at cross roads is a sight to reckon
• · There is a huge misconception about the South Indians. They refer the entire South Indians as Madrasi’s.
• · Men in Delhi are in lowe with playing cards. You can spot group of men playing cards in every nook and corner.
• · The street food culture here is remarkable. From the mouth watering Pani puri to North Eastern Delicacy Momo the options are plenty.
• · The oldest form of transportation, Rickshaws are still in use here. They are the lifeline in the North campus of Delhi University and the Chandi Chowk area.
• · The best thing about Delhi is its Markets. Sarojini Nagar and Janpath are the places to be for girls. One will go berserk at the variety and prices and end up spending more than budgeted!!!.
• · Language is a big problem if you do not know Hindi. People just refuse to speak in any other language.
• · One disturbing factor is that you can find small kids begging at the signal which is distressing.
• · People live life KING SIZE!!!. They celebrate life in every other possible way.
• · The list is just incomplete without mentioning about Delhi Metro. It’s just too good. It gives you an experience of travelling on a world class Metro.

FIRST HAND EXPERIENCES:

For a girl from South India the shift to North is a 360 degree turn in lifestyle, thoughts, perceptions and the very way of living. Initially it was difficult to come to terms with certain issues or rather accept what’s happening around me. I was frustrated, my ego deeply hurt, I kept drawing examples from back home but as days passed I understood that there is no use cribbing and chose not to complain about it as long it did not affect me in a personal level. One need not go to Australia for cases of Racism; it exists in our own country. Culture, tradition, values are forgotten entities.

INTROSPECTIONS:

The worth of anything is well understood in its absence. Being apart from my home town I realise its greatness. The respect for my city its people have increased multi-fold. I miss Chennai a looooooot, the people, frens, family,city, food, beach, spencers, nungambakam, anna nagar,fruit shop, shanty colony, ranganathan street, speaking tamil, movies. How can i forget the FOOD.:( idli, dosas are rarity here.

Enna koduma Sir ithu!!! (What a tragedy).

ONE DAY @ MONEY MINTING OFFICE

Note: The post is long really long but its worth your timeJ

It is been long really long that I updated my blog. There were so many things that I wanted to write about Elections, IPL,my admission drama and so forth, but something or the other kept me from not writing it. Finally the incident or should I say the experience of visiting a place today made me pen down my thoughts. So here it goes…

It all started with this little conversation that I had with my father never knew I end up cursing myself for initiating it in the first place. Aaargh!!!

Me: Appa I am super jobless at home can I do any work for you?

Father: Sure, go to the Ambatur Taluka office and get an OBC community certificate, it will be necessary for your admissions.

Me: Done deal will go first thing in the morning tomorrow. {Little did I knew then that I had to spend the entire day on this}

The following day I took all the necessary documents and headed to the Ambatur Taluka office, like any other government office it was dirty, unpleasant and there was an air of smugness. Not to forget the beeline of brokers at the entrance.

I, as a lay person did not know the procedures for obtaining a community certificate, hence wanted to clarify my doubts. There was not even a sign of help desk in that office however there was a help kiosk but to my dismay I found a board that read “Under Maintenance”. After waiting for half an hour I approached a clerk to find out about the procedure and he screamed ,“find out for yourself!!!” . I was furious!!! First of all the office does not have a help /information desk and to top it all they do not answer a simple query from the people are these things not their duty??

I was aghast looking at my expression an old man came to my rescue. He told me what has to be done. The procedure goes like this first one needs to get the necessary form attach necessary documents, get it sealed from the clerk, go to the Revenue Officer and Village officer of their respective area, get it signed and submit it finally in the Taluka office for the Tashildar’s signature.

I went from Ambatur to Padi braving the scorching heat. Getting signature from these officers isn’t an easy task either. Brokers help you get one easily for a few hundreds. If you do not go through the broker the officers simply refuse to sign and give lame reasons citing fault in the documents. With no other choice I fell prey to it. I hated myself for doing it but I didn’t have choice. And once I paid the money I got the signature swiftly. It was disheartening to see old people wait endlessly behind the brokers. He charges anywhere around 100 to 500 depending upon the requirements. The broker made 3000 bucks in an hour’s time!!!100 bucks is not a big money these days but in some houses that are the monthly income and to part that hard earned money with the broker and take the abuses is indeed very sad.

I again rode back to the Tashildar’s office and waited to see him. There are agents here too for getting signature from the Tashildar but the price here is higher. While I was waiting for the Tashildar, I was observing the events that were happening around, scores of people some young mostly old were running from pillar to post without proper guidance. One weird thing caught my sight, weird?? No shocking reality I would put it across. An old man had a name written on slip of paper and approached the pune asking him to guide to that particular person. The Pune after guiding to the respective person demanded 100 bucks!!!! I was shocked, loss of words. In the interim I made friends with the other waiters lolJ and each of us sharing our woes and bitching about the system and the government. After an hours wait all of us learnt that the Tashildar is going out and we can not get the signature. Everyone was agitated and made our way to the entrance and blocked the way to his car. Catching him off guard we got our signatures much to the surprise of the brokers whom we refused in the first place.

After his signature was done I went searching again in the office to find a soul who could tell me what to do next. People guided me wrongly and I ended up waiting for a person for more than an hour only to be directed towards the next. Finally everything was completed and only the final signature had to be inked by the Tashildar. I was waiting and waiting, the clock struck 5:30 and slowly people started to leave. At 6:30 when I went and enquired about the status the concerned person said Tashildar left come tomorrow at 10:30!!! I was perturbed, irritated, hurt, frustrated all of them gushing at once with no choice left I made my way back home.

And this is my experience in visiting a GOVERNMENT OFFICE. Lot of things goes without notice. Corruption no longer is under the table activity it has elevated to across the table!!.The common man is not guided properly, each and every officer is involved in corruption in his own little way, and they exploit the people’s illiteracy in these matters. There are no chairs to be seated, which ends up killing your feet!! Imagine standing for straight 3 to 4 hours .The board outside the office clearly points out in bold letters that brokers should not be encouraged but you find them literally everywhere in the office. At least answering simple queries will help the common man but even that is not being done. The callousness of the authorities disappoints the public and makes them lose all their hopes.

Is anybody hearing?? Can anything be done at all?? India can never be developed if things continue at this rate. Only in the glossy paper it indicates growth. What’s the use of boasting about the achievements by the party in power when in ground zero things are berserk.

Next time around if anyone plans to visit a government office sorry “MONEY MINTING OFFICE” please be prepared to wait for long, take the abuses, be ready to bribe and most importantly PATIENCE