You have got a mail!

Hey guys! I got a mail from a friend and I am posting it as it is! A great letter written by the ex-president of our country INDIA. Please do read!

Dr. Abdul Kalam's Letter to Every Indian Why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why? We are the first in milk production. We are number one in Remote sensing satellites. We are the second largest producer of wheat. We are the second largest producer of rice. Look at Dr. Sudarshan; he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters. I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news. In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T.Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology. Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India. For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation. Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance. Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.. YOU say that our government is inefficient. YOU say that our laws are too old. YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage. YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke. The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination. YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits. YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it? Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - 'YOURS'. Give him a face - 'YOURS'. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity… In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.’ YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand. Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India? In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan .. Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility. We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms. We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff, who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system? What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbors, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr. Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money. Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too…. I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians….. 'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY' Let’s do what India needs from us. Thank you, Dr. Abdul Kalam

A Rainy Affair

Was at the local chaiwallah, sipping a cuppa chai and blissfully listening to the radio's imagination of the rain pouring down in a rhythm which sounded 'cham cham'. Wondering why would the rain ever care to follow a typical rhythm....thats when I realized that I had reached the bottom of the cuppa chai and it was time to get back to work.

But moment's later, the winds flowing wildly indicated the arrival of the Rain God. Soon, did I hear, the rhythmic sound on the tin shed & helped me reason out the lyrics of the song.

Time traveled, the clock clicked, telling me it was time to travel in the direction which, on reaching my destination would give me the most needed warmth but a single look outside made me realize that the  warmth of my sweet home would have to wait for a while as the Rain God merrily swept the dirt away from roads. But His joy overstayed.

In mere hours of torrential down pour the city had come to halt. There was water in every direction binding me to the premises of my workplace. The conditions worsened and the water rose to a foot high level making people take shelter where ever they found one. I thought of stripping down and swimming towards my place, but a look at the water made my thoughts revert back to where they had come.

Finally had some relief and the 'moment of trust' had arrived on my bike which was drowning, but to my surprise she still had it in her and was ready for the ride. Like a horse of a warrior, cutting through the dark brown streams, she helped me make my way out of the watery battlefield.

But the worst happened when I realized that the the joy of the Rain God had ended. The cold breeze was piercing through making me feel the absence of any brain cells between the ears. The only warmth was felt by the lucky toes who were close to Mother Earth, who, was enjoying the down pour after being heated by the ever shining Sun for a long tiring day!

  

Unfinished Dreams

Dreams are the seedlings of reality.- NAPOLEON HILL

Seedlings which show how far one can imagine, how can he turn his imaginations into reality and finally what he can achieve in his life.

But the latest trends in the society have altered the path of achieving one's dreams. During childhood everyone tends to dream something that he/she will grow into but usually life takes the twist and they end up on being on a totally different shore.

Dreams have changed periodically, from a era when a teenager considered being a clerk the best job to an era where social service, literature or a being a hotelier is being considered the best. Peers are not interested to be bounded for life to a single job but are ready to experiment whenever they get a chance. But somethings have not changed over the period of time, namely, the education system and the mindset of the Indian society.

From the very first years of his schooling a child has to go through the various subjects but when it comes to high school he is generally forced into a specific stream. Majorly science which are beleived to provide a good future. This is true that being a engineer or a doctor surely helps but some reform is very essential to change the monotonous education system. With various new fields opening every year there should be some methodology which would introduce these new fields to pupils at very young age.

Today, top executives are leaning towards social service, literature and other fields. But mindset of the society which measures every thing in monetary terms has not changed. These fields are still considered to be underpaid while the reality check would contradict.

People are shifting streams because they want to see their childhood dreams come true. No one would have been so smart that he would dream of becoming a CEO of some organisation at the age of 5! These are the secondary or even tertiary dreams. The primary dreams which are innocent, humble and simple but are long forgotten and those who have the courage to pursue them end up becoming the stars!

Mindlessness!

       God damn what has happened in last few days but all I can dream now a days is failures. Failures seem to be a integral part of my life and are having a negative effect on my thinking. I guess, I have lost my mind to something and the worst part of it is that I am getting miserable cause of it.
       God gave Brains. The most evilest thing to do! That small thing has some super power which makes us ponder on unnecessary things, kills the valuable time and makes us lose the control of life. Thinking develops as we grow, and how I wish that we never grew.
       With the birth of my nephew I feel this because he's always smiling, laughing making all kinds of noises and is enjoying his life. Makes me feel why did I grow up. He has known no tensions, no wrinkles on his forehead and even manages to bring a smile on any face that see's him doing his acts of babyhood.
        Ever increasing age is increasing the problems too, coming from all directions making me do stunts like those in Matrix the movie bending, jumping ..... finally crawling and succumbing to these new worldly pressures.
         I believe that there is a parallel life for every soul, just want to know what it would have been if Mr. Adam had not eaten that apple!

Happy 'Teacher's' Day!

Welcome one and all.There would not be a better occasion than the very special 'Teachers Day' to start with my Blog! I hope you would like my posts!

The word 'Teacher' is considered to be very sacred by many because of the old value and respect it has, but many a times I have seen 'a specific group' of  people with "exhilarated emotions" when the name of their teacher is uttered during a conversation! I can understand the 'feelings' one has for his/her teacher but my recent experiences have really made be think on whom we should accept as a teacher.

A teacher should be a person who can guide you on a right path in your life, a person so friendly who can understand your worries, makes you feel comfortable when he/she is around, works with you on your weaknesses and makes you strong enough to stand the test of time.

And the only person who does all these things is the one who held you tight in her stomach for 9 months protecting you from the iniquitous world. It would always be infinitesimal to write about one's Mother.
The only thing we can ever do is to thank her for whatever she has done for us and seek her blessings!

But why is it always that Mother is considered to be the Best teacher and the father is never mentioned??? After all even he was involved in giving birth to the child. I guess somethings have always been credited to the over credited females and will go on for ever!

Anyways, the concept of teacher does not end here. It has been extended to yet another level, school and college. Majority of us are very passionate about our school teachers and it is rightly justified because of the care and affection they have for us. But the dilemma in colleges is really turning out to be catastrophic.

And what is super catastrophic is that a film that portrayed the lethargy of the education system was just 'laughed' off. No innovative ideas are thought of, the same old theoretical aspects of the concepts are being thought from years. It is become a necessity to strengthen the education system because you cannot dream of being Super Power with knowledge bank of the under developed.

Change is required and that too very soon before the things go out of control.