Begging for a better future

What do we do when we have to clean our drawing room? Do we throw the shit in our bedrooms?

That is what we are going to do if the Delhi high court directive gets into effect.

“It is as if we are cleaning our drawing rooms for the guests and throwing the garbage in the bedroom,” The Lady said the other morning when we were discussing the HC directive of creating a “no-tolerance zone” for the beggars at places such as the India Gate, South Extension, Cannaught Place and Greater Kailash among others.

I completely agree with her thoughts. Can creating a so-called “no-tolerance zone” for beggars be a solution to the menace of begging? Certainly, not. Beggars will still be there; not probably at these places, but they will still be there at other places.

Problem is that the authorities are tackling the entire scenario in an arbitrary manner. We need to weed out begging, the mafia who force people into the trade. And I am not ready to hear that the authorities don’t know the whereabouts of the mafia, or even worse, don’t know if they even exist.

Begging is a social evil. A few years back, beggars were found at the religious places and tourist spots in large, but in the past couple of years, the problem has compounded. A lady with dirty clothes; carrying an even dirtier kid in lap, most probably a malnourished child whose saliva dripping mouth makes him a more pitiable object, or a physically challenged man seeking alms, are a common sight at the traffic lights these days. And the problem is not of Delhi alone, these poor fellows are omnipresent.

I don’t have the census of beggars in India, but I can’t help myself thinking that if the billion-plus population of the country donates, say Rs50 each, this problem of rehabilitation of beggars can’t be tackled. Only hurdle is that I am not sure if the money will be able to find its way to the needy hands instead of going directly into some unknown bank account in some far-off country.

It is high time we wake up to this growing problem and find a proper solution to it instead of issuing some half-hearted measures to tackle the plight of these poor fellows who are languishing at the bottom of the social ladder.

Heartbreak at Stamford Bridge

As it turned out, Barcelona booked a date with ManU on 27 May at the Stadio Olympico, Rome.

It was heartbreak at Stamford Bridge, when Barcelona won the game on away goal as the aggregate score stood at 1-1 after the second leg. As they say, it came down to the wires and past the regulation time, it looked as if the blues were all set for a rematch of last season, but it was not to be.

A stoppage time strike by Iniesta (the goal was scored in the third minute of injury time of the allotted four minutes) did break millions of hearts. To be fair, Barcelona defied all odds. Till the injury time, it looked as if they were badly hit by the absence of Henry and Puyol. The second half dismissal of Abidal rubbed some salt to the wounds. But Josep Guardiola’s men had to show their mettle and they did it in style.

Of course, there could be some arguments about the performance of the Norwegian referee (red card to Abidal, denying a handball appeal against Pique, denying Drogba a penalty in the first half itself are a few instances), but no doubt Barcelona was the better team on the field. And that too across both the legs. Chelsea seemed unable to keep the ball and complete at least three passes a time. Not only that, the blues missed too many opportunities. The post-game shouting got a yellow card for Drogba, and his outburst against the camera also would not go unnoticed, but he was the first culprit. Missed one chance too many.

Essien’s goal in the ninth minute and the Chelsea’s tails were up, but they did not keep the ball in possession and Drogba missed at least three scoring opportunities.

Bottomline: Chelsea has only themselves to blame for the defeat.

Will it be an all England final at Rome???

The red devils have struck form at the right time and look ominous. The last few matches in the UEFA Champions League, Sir Alex’s boys have played wonderfully well. The quarter final 2-2 draw at Old Trafford against Porto was when they shed all inhibitions and went all out at Porto in the second leg, and thanks to a stunning Ronaldo goal, they found themselves in the final four.

If you had seen the first leg of the semi finals, Manchester United played at home, you would not believe that the final score-line was 1-0. The devils missed one too many opportunities and only went up by the John O’ Shea goal. But boy, what an answer at the Emirates ground. Three goals against one (that too an unfortunate penalty). Eight minutes in the first half, a brilliant ball by Ronaldo, which caught Gibbs on the wrong foot, and Ji Sung Park made no mistake. Wonder what Almunia was doing.

Hardly three minutes had gone by; when a low, in-swinging Ronaldo free kick found the back of the net. No wonder they call him the magician. Shirt no. 7 also seems to do some tricks for him. Devils go 2-0 up against Arsene Wenger’s gunners, who looked to be in complete disarray.

The 61st minute ball by Rooney, which Ronaldo guided to the back of the net, sealed the deal for the devils, though I personally feel Ronaldo should have got his hat-trick. The spoiler, however, was Darren Fletcher’s send-off. Robert Rosetti got it wrong though, as it was clear in the replay that Fletcher won the ball first before hitting Fabregas in the wonderful tackle. The silent contributor will miss the finals.

So, who will join the devils in Rome? It will be clear tonight but I can’t help myself supporting the blues. Guus Hiddink’s boys denied Barcelona at Camp Nou, which was a rarity this season. And, at Stamford Bridge, with a 0-0 score-line to start with, Chelsea looks more than likely to book a place in the finals.

Gosh, I am eager to witness another mouth-watering, ManU-Chelsea epic encounter for the European Championship. Or would it be the repeat of last season’s semi finals, when the devils bettered Barcelona, thanks to the Paul Scholes goal.

Come what may, it is going to be a great match tonight folks. So tune in to Ten Sports at 0000hrs for the Chelsea-Barcelona encounter.

The temperature in Europe is certainly rising. What say???

The Red world order

Socialism looked like such a distant dream…yet again.

I was watching Hararon Khwahishen Aisi the other day, in which the son of a rich retires judge tries to lift the red brigade after seeing the agonizing condition of the fellow countrymen. He later succumbs to other pressures and drops the idea all together. And like all rich brats—who can take a chance in life because they were born with a silver spoon and have a solid support system—changes his course of action. It is not his fault if by then it was all over for his beloved (he said so) and another fellow student.

Why does socialism seem like the artwork of some rich spoilt brats—who basically have nothing else to do to get ends meet since all their needs are already taken care of? They, then, go about bragging socialism to the down-trodden, who feel food about this new found idea of equality nonsense.

Just an example. In a scene in the same movie, a comrade sings praises about socialism and tells people how Hitler was also a socialist. Suddenly, someone from the audience asks a fellow sitting alongside—Yo Hitler kaun se (Who is Hitler?)— and , in reply, the other one says—Pata nai bhaya, mhare gaon mein to koi na se (I don’t know, no one from my village).

Another, more real-life example. Just a few days ago, I saw Brinda Karat stepping out of her car to address an election campaign. I wonder how much her driver could relate to this so-called equality.

Well, to be honest, socialism has found some kind of success. Maoists in a little known village called Lalgarh in West Bengal, are running parallel governance and one, which seems to do better than the actual government. They are running hospitals and people in the area are flocking there because they know they will get a better and cheaper treatment over there. To the contrary, the government-run health centres in the area are lying vacant in absence of doctors and medical equipment.

But the irony is that these Maoists have been declared outlaws and are called naxals by the fellow comrades in the Communist government of West Bengal.

Wonder how long this socialism will go? Any suggestions???

Life in a Metro

Saw the award-winning movie 36 Chowranghee Lane a couple of days ago. It was perhaps the first movie that portrayed the helplessness of the young couples who try to find out some time for themselves amid the good-old joint families in a bustling city such as Calcutta.

On the other hand the story also depicts the loneliness that one faces in such a city.
Two extremes, both so very realistic even in the contemporary society, some 18 years after the film was released.

I, having left home some three, three-and-a-half years ago, have been through both the extremes; and guess most of the people in my generation who have been living alone in a city, away from home, would have felt the same.

So as I was telling you, I have passed the phase of loneliness and am blessed with The Lady I have in my life. The problem, however, is that having the same routine, same work hours and work pressure, we are so exhausted by night, that we can't even talk. No, I am not in a live-in relationship (though I would have loved to be in one with The Lady). We have time for each-other, but the problem is, as we always discuss, we dont talk to each other much.

Of course, I am the prime culprit, and should be thankful to God that She still bears me and loves me as much, but I would confess something here—after a long hard day in the office, when you return to your top-floor, 1BHK furnace, you dont feel like talking much. But no excuses, I should be talking more.

I am trying to be a better man and for the soution of the woes, I have written my way out through this samll piece:

एक कटोरी चाँद लाया था आज बाज़ार से हमारे लिए,
दिन कुछ जल्दी ढल जाता है आज कल...
रात के सन्नाटे काटने को दौड़ते हैं...
चाँद को खूंटे से टांग दूँगा मैं...
उसकी रौशनी से कमरे में तो उजाला होगा...
दो पल और मिलेंगे मुझे तुम्हारे साथ
एक लम्हा ज़िन्दगी और जी लूँगा मैं...

Love you Sona...

a little malice towards thyself

With malice comes this time with some malice towards himself. Things haven’t been right for him for some time now. As he lives another day, sulking, cursing the stars, he doesn’t know what the future has in store for him.
Lets rewind. The problems created in his life are all actually his inventions. That she is not happy and his health is going through a very tough time, both the prime reasons of his tension these days, are both because of his negligence.
He is sad. Doesn’t know what to do. Feels she is beginning to feel the weight of their relationship. Her tiredness is apparent. And he can’t do a thing. At least he can’t think of anything to make her happy at this point in time.
It is not only about him being sad or her being unhappy. It is the fact that their relationship is on the line this time. And he can feel it. He just doesn’t want to do anything, lest he takes a wrong step and swoooosh…it’s over.
But his not doing anything; is it conveying the message to her that he is in a lax mood? Is he? For sure, he is not.
He is trapped. Completely. In a web, created by mistakes of his own.
Will he be able to come out of it this time? Will she be merciful enough to grant him another chance? Will he learn from his mistakes this time? Does he have the answers to these questions?Oh Wednesday, when will thee come?

friends and solitude

Friends and solitude are two words, which go together, holding hands. I have felt it many times in the past twenty-five years. In these years I had been with friends, all the time, but the loneliness came creeping in every time I closed my eyes and saw where I was.
Equations have changed in the past couple of years. After I stepped out of home to find my existence, to earn my livelihood, things changed. I lost the company of my good old friends; solitude crept in, but I made many new ones. Got in touch with people, for many of which, I, my existence, become important.
But things changed again. As my old friends lost me when I stepped in the new world of self-dependence, I lost the new ones I made when they moved on. Solitary again...
By now I have been so used to this solitary mood of mine that it comes knocking in every now and then. And then I am forced to close my eyes.
Honey, as I call my soulmate, is co-incidentally my best friend as well. I know she would not believe this, I wish she would. She always asks me why I am silent. I don’t know. This silence has never left me, and it comes with all the more vengeance each time it goes…
Any answers, anyone?