Autowalas of Bangalore are more like a rat snake which a farmer wishes to keep at bay, but eventually lets in to curb the menace of rodents and frogs. Though many Bangaloreans might say Bangalore autowalas exhibit more dangerous behavior of deadly snakes who eat farmer and the snake too. The comparison is inevitable considering the endemic we are going through due to unavoidable dependencies on them and due to the way these autowalas take us on ride almost every time.
It's been about a year since when I am commuting to office by auto and with every passing day feelings of helplessness and anger are rising in me. And with no surprise everyone who has travelled in auto rickshaw in Bangalore has the same opinion with alarming regularity.
What is making matters worse is the indifference to the whole situation by the immensely corrupt bureaucratic (RTOs) and policing system which goes hand in hand in shielding these autowalas.
I have categorized the types of autowalas in Bangalore based on their ability to make the life of their passengers worse in the descending order of their existence:
1. Those who refuse to go where one wants to go
By one logic even if we give them the right of choice to choose the business they want (though the nature of public service is such that no right of refusal is ever permitted ethically), the least we expect is the courteous reply. Most don’t even bother to respond or worse some even glare with intense disgust and drive away
2. Those who boast of tampered meters proudly and mostly with defiance to objection
9 out of 10 drivers either deliberately don’t accept it when a passenger objects or justify it on the pretext of rising fuel prices and come down to street fight
Height of this gesture can be seen when they justify this with even policemen when some passengers take them to police station and shockingly policemen just warn them and let off
3. Those who demand excess amount on top the fare
If one refuses to pay, then they justify stating their meter is accurate and hence the demand is their right
Some demand excess money by stating they won’t get a return passenger and funnily this amount is sometimes more than the fare itself (if fare is X, then you are expected to even pay 2 X to 3X)
4. Those who demand 2 to 3 times the fare after 9PM although legally the fare cannot be more than 1.5 times the meter reading between 10PM and 8AM
This takes an ugly shape when an unlucky commuter has no other means to travel at night and as a result he / she ends up succumbing to this ill polity
5. Those who take the passenger for a city tour even if the destination is right next door
Most have fallen prey to this at least once in their lifetime in Bangalore. This breed of autowalas is about 20% of the lot and surfaces based on the obliviousness of the passenger to his/her surroundings
6. Those who cheat
Now this one is rare but has happened to many of us. One pays the fare and taking stock of the situation driver shows you a lesser amount than is paid and cunningly persuades you to pay the balance
7. Those who eve tease / misbehave with women
I know of at least 5 women who have confided in me of instances where in autowalas have either made obscene remarks or made intolerable moves sighting a lonely woman
Apart from these dispalying epidemic like symptoms in their behaviour, most of them display frighteningly disturbing tenacity to disobey law of which few I am aware are stated below:
• 90 of percent of auto rickshaws still run on analog meters thus enabling them to easily tamper their meter readings much to the inconvenience of passengers
• About 50% of auto rickshaws emit dangerous levels of smoke reminiscent of steam engines. Sadly everyone who trail such autos by walk or in a vehicle has to breathe in large amount of smoke and feel dismayed every time
• Now this one takes the cake. There are these autowalas who in the midst of our overly dense traffic noise find a solace in altering their silencers to sound like a CONCORDE and give rise to awful experience by making mockery of the policemen when they drive right in front of them
Share your experience in our fight to protest to teach these autowalas a lesson!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
No One Killed Jessica...
Alas...Tragic indeed that it took the life of an innocent girl to awaken this country to the power of being united. And it is in this spirit that No One Killed Jessica is a fantastic articulation of expression of hard faced reality that no one is above the law.
Poor child Jessica lost her life for some moron son of a high headed political godfather few years back. Her biggest fault was that she refused a drink to that monster as the party was over. But then what the country witnessed was a no small ordeal of sorts involving everyone from powerful politician, judiciary, media and most importantly the common man.
Everyone who is more than 25 years old or so today must be remembering this whole episode unless they have lived in a skull devoid of media. I remember in my college days every news channel and newspaper carried this news extensively and describing how an influential clout can get someone away from the jaws of judiciary thus leaving a permanent impression on my mind. But then little did anyone of us knew that nation backed by the media can upturn the court's ruling by persuading the legal system to pursue this case suo moto.
And what a turnaround since then. A candle-lit procession in Delhi in support of Jessica made the country stand up unanimously and be at the backbone of support to her sister in fighting this case again.
I just can't forget what happened in those few days in India as for someone who is made to believe by the stereotyped movies and middle class mindset that one can get away with anything as long as he has the phone number of some don / politician. This incident of people movement has thankfully left such an indelible mark on me that I have all again since then started believing that faith needs to be restored in our system and every injustice ought to be fought with unrelenting gut and conviction.
I highly recommend this movie to every adult and teen in India and everywhere else as No One Killed jessica beautifully captures the sensitivity of the issue balancing it with enough dose of inspiration for you and me. Of course not to forget the heart moving songs like Aitbar, Dua and Yeh Pal.
Jessica sadly had to sacrifice her life but I am sure her beautiful soul is lying in peace finally now that there are many in the country today that are just no ready to go down without a fight.
Lastly good job Rajkumar Gupta for directing a meaningful movie for the nation. This will always remain one of my favourites.
Poor child Jessica lost her life for some moron son of a high headed political godfather few years back. Her biggest fault was that she refused a drink to that monster as the party was over. But then what the country witnessed was a no small ordeal of sorts involving everyone from powerful politician, judiciary, media and most importantly the common man.
Everyone who is more than 25 years old or so today must be remembering this whole episode unless they have lived in a skull devoid of media. I remember in my college days every news channel and newspaper carried this news extensively and describing how an influential clout can get someone away from the jaws of judiciary thus leaving a permanent impression on my mind. But then little did anyone of us knew that nation backed by the media can upturn the court's ruling by persuading the legal system to pursue this case suo moto.
And what a turnaround since then. A candle-lit procession in Delhi in support of Jessica made the country stand up unanimously and be at the backbone of support to her sister in fighting this case again.
I just can't forget what happened in those few days in India as for someone who is made to believe by the stereotyped movies and middle class mindset that one can get away with anything as long as he has the phone number of some don / politician. This incident of people movement has thankfully left such an indelible mark on me that I have all again since then started believing that faith needs to be restored in our system and every injustice ought to be fought with unrelenting gut and conviction.
I highly recommend this movie to every adult and teen in India and everywhere else as No One Killed jessica beautifully captures the sensitivity of the issue balancing it with enough dose of inspiration for you and me. Of course not to forget the heart moving songs like Aitbar, Dua and Yeh Pal.
Jessica sadly had to sacrifice her life but I am sure her beautiful soul is lying in peace finally now that there are many in the country today that are just no ready to go down without a fight.
Lastly good job Rajkumar Gupta for directing a meaningful movie for the nation. This will always remain one of my favourites.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
A Preamble of Love
Dearest Sweetheart,
One more day passed as it is already 12'O clock and what a day it was. I am naming yesterday March 05, 2010 as the most memorable day of life in last 3 years and among the 5 best days of my life.
As usual my door bell rang 6-7 times in the morning at 940 AM and assuming the person to be my house maid I opened the door. And hey god you almighty I never imagined you could be so kind to me that you will send your angel to my doorstep especially as it wasn’t even thought of in my wildest dreams. The moment I saw the angel’s face there was a sudden surge of oxygen in the body as if I just awoke from coma, and for a moment I couldn’t believe that it was her, it was that savior goddess.
As I had determined to pull full stop to all old ties with this angel just a day before, to save me from redemption for hurting her, I was going through perhaps the hardest ordeal of my life. But the next day the moment I saw her at my doorstep all my determination evaporated like camphor on a fire. As this angel entered my home with the same charm as ever in her face glittering with gracious smile, I couldn’t believe that god has chosen me to be so lucky by having her footprints in my home.
As I kept looking into her deep black eyes, my a-minute-before-steel-like-heart just started being human again at lightening speed. And further as I continued to dwell in the heavenly feeling of having met the angel again, I just started loosing control of myself and succumbed into her vivacious arms trying to convince myself that it is for real.
The warmth of her body aroma just engulfed me into eternity giving a taste of ecstasy.
All this meant only thing that I am smitten by a bug more proficiently known as LOVE.
However time and time again it is seen that all good things have a life of their own. And perhaps love is one among them much to the dismay of my inherent belief in these four letters that have defined and carved an impression of mankind since Adam and Eve.
Hey angel, thanks for giving those 60 most memorable minutes to me. That will be a gift like nothing else for light years to come.
Love you more than anybody else in heaven and earth.
Love,
Indraneel 4 U
One more day passed as it is already 12'O clock and what a day it was. I am naming yesterday March 05, 2010 as the most memorable day of life in last 3 years and among the 5 best days of my life.
As usual my door bell rang 6-7 times in the morning at 940 AM and assuming the person to be my house maid I opened the door. And hey god you almighty I never imagined you could be so kind to me that you will send your angel to my doorstep especially as it wasn’t even thought of in my wildest dreams. The moment I saw the angel’s face there was a sudden surge of oxygen in the body as if I just awoke from coma, and for a moment I couldn’t believe that it was her, it was that savior goddess.
As I had determined to pull full stop to all old ties with this angel just a day before, to save me from redemption for hurting her, I was going through perhaps the hardest ordeal of my life. But the next day the moment I saw her at my doorstep all my determination evaporated like camphor on a fire. As this angel entered my home with the same charm as ever in her face glittering with gracious smile, I couldn’t believe that god has chosen me to be so lucky by having her footprints in my home.
As I kept looking into her deep black eyes, my a-minute-before-steel-like-heart just started being human again at lightening speed. And further as I continued to dwell in the heavenly feeling of having met the angel again, I just started loosing control of myself and succumbed into her vivacious arms trying to convince myself that it is for real.
The warmth of her body aroma just engulfed me into eternity giving a taste of ecstasy.
All this meant only thing that I am smitten by a bug more proficiently known as LOVE.
However time and time again it is seen that all good things have a life of their own. And perhaps love is one among them much to the dismay of my inherent belief in these four letters that have defined and carved an impression of mankind since Adam and Eve.
Hey angel, thanks for giving those 60 most memorable minutes to me. That will be a gift like nothing else for light years to come.
Love you more than anybody else in heaven and earth.
Love,
Indraneel 4 U
Saturday, March 20, 2010
IPL Shocks Again: Ooops
Photo Courtesy by 'The Hindu'Modi, Modi, Lalit for this one:
IPL auctions for new teams shocks the country again by garnering more than $600mn for Pune and Cochi alone in total. Just unable to comprehend the maths behind paying more than $330mn each for Ahmedabad and Cochi as any rationale I am trying to arrive at snubs by left bran thinking as some might call it.
As Harsha Bhogle said on TV sometime ago, to him it's like buying a stock for many a times its face value with an appreciation prospect of many times over. Hmm just hope in this case it was the work of those skilled with investment expertise and not a mere business gamble.
However what is intriguing the most is the means by which the two winners will fund everything from auction price to teams...especially considering that off late Sahara is not in the good books for its not so correct PR in the media. More interestingly, the Cochi owner Rendezvous Sports’ genesis is unknown to anyone. Even our all time favorite sniffer Google too failed miserably in giving us any information on this new entity.
However all it means to cricket aficionados is only one thing...IPL is going to get bigger and more fun (‘going to’ because from where the players will be sourced is yet unclear).
Hmm now I am going offline and will be back shortly to end this post.
March 23, 2010:
Just resumed writing this post as the headline in Business Standard today said 'Sahara Mulls IPO For New IPL Team'. WOW WOW WOW...looks like Indian businessmen have really come of age or at least are trying to be there where the Wall Street-goers blink. I mean ‘AN IPO!!!’
As this ongoing surge in confidence of Indian businessmen and their thinking looms large, the day is perhaps not far when Indians give developed countries a taste of their own medicine by redefining how businesses are run and thus clinching new deals which are unheard of :)
Monday, February 8, 2010
One Hell Of A Curious Case
Went to a DVD library to rent out a movie yesterday evening and ended up bringing 'The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button'. Now after having completed this two and half hour movie I must say it was one joy ride worth not missing. The entire story with every emotion of human life embraced in it makes up for ones cravings to watch a quality movie.
Everything in this movie right from script (adopted from a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald) to dialogues to perfect delivery of scenes by actors of the likes of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett have taken it to a class of its own altogether. One very interesting reason why most including me have watched this movie is because of its Oscar glory in 2009. Now after having watched two highest Oscar winners of 2009 'Slumdog Millionnaire' and 'The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button', I now believe that Slumdog was simply overrated vis-a-vis the latter. With due respect to the makers of Slumdog, one thing that takes the cake out of its way is the intricate decipherment of every aspect of ones birth till death that is otherwise shadowed in our subconscious alacrity.
From a rather deemed intellectual point of view some may argue that there is something to be learnt from everything. But either in an ignorant or a snobbish manner most tend to dismiss eternal statements many make and that is where this movie beautifully conveys the importance of Human Life in probably or perhaps one of the most spectacular ways possible. If not more there are at least few dozen instances and dialogues in the movie that uphold one or the other fabric of life and relationships which act like the source of constant inspiration and direction to tread the remaining life.
Few of my favourite dilogues from the movie are as follows;
Benjamin, we're meant to lose the people we love. How else would we know how important they are to us?
Life can only be understood backward. It must be lived forward.
Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.
For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of, and if you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.
Everything in this movie right from script (adopted from a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald) to dialogues to perfect delivery of scenes by actors of the likes of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett have taken it to a class of its own altogether. One very interesting reason why most including me have watched this movie is because of its Oscar glory in 2009. Now after having watched two highest Oscar winners of 2009 'Slumdog Millionnaire' and 'The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button', I now believe that Slumdog was simply overrated vis-a-vis the latter. With due respect to the makers of Slumdog, one thing that takes the cake out of its way is the intricate decipherment of every aspect of ones birth till death that is otherwise shadowed in our subconscious alacrity.
From a rather deemed intellectual point of view some may argue that there is something to be learnt from everything. But either in an ignorant or a snobbish manner most tend to dismiss eternal statements many make and that is where this movie beautifully conveys the importance of Human Life in probably or perhaps one of the most spectacular ways possible. If not more there are at least few dozen instances and dialogues in the movie that uphold one or the other fabric of life and relationships which act like the source of constant inspiration and direction to tread the remaining life.
Few of my favourite dilogues from the movie are as follows;
Benjamin, we're meant to lose the people we love. How else would we know how important they are to us?
Life can only be understood backward. It must be lived forward.
Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.
For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of, and if you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sell everything but self respect
How many times have we heard of people from all walks of life right from our very own civil servants, beauracrats, law makers, politicians to new age evils of corporate world like Ramalings Rajus playing with sentiments and lives of people paying no respect to their offices of power. What about the rest of us then, the common man? Are we different, are we ethical, are we human?
Episode I
I was driving back home from the office at around 720 PM today. And barely that I drove for about 200 meters I was struck by a lightening of sorts upon seeing two well dressed youngsters in probably their 20's knocked down another guy in his 20's on a two wheeler and started bashing him in every part they could lay their hands on and the very next moment before anyone could decipher the torturous occurrence, one of two attackers picked up a half a foot stone from the sideway and hit on the victim's head. Thus fell the victim on the ground bleeding severely in a pool of his own blood. Two attackers walk about 25 meters, get on their bike and zoom away.
Episode II
All this in full public display on a busy Bangalore street when almost everyone on the road walking, riding, driving back home became spectators. Nothing moved on the road as everyone stood still watching whatever happened until the two attackers climbed their bike and sped away. As if struck by their conscience of humanity at least a handful among hundreds watching started yelling at the attackers and ran to catch them. Rest started moving on their usual course of journey called life (in other words a hell disguised as life not shaken by anything at all).
Now we have heard and seen umpteen number of such stories all around us ever since we could scratch the surface and dig into our memorial neurons. So what is pity in the above incident...that the two men or rather generation X or Y mercilessly almost killed a defenseless person for no apparent reason clear to us, or that the hundreds watching didn't move an inch to help and save the victim from the claws of pain, or that the those watched felt a rush of adrenaline pumping hard cursing themselves to be devoid of SPIDERMAN kind of supernatural instincts to save the victim. Truth is there actually is no difference between any of the above 3 cadres of men and women by any yardstick of correctness.
In retrospect this merely looks like a reflection of our fundamental way of living now we all are so highly accustomed to. Who says we as friends, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, neighbours....humans when stirred by their heart roaring pain or unjust incidents stand up to the occassion and ultimately come out victorious. Such examples are far and few. More specifically in a country that has had the finest of men ever born on this Earth, the sacrifices of millions of people over decades hasn't yet turned a new leaf in the history of mankind. Petty politics spanning almost 60 years disguised as riots, communalism, second grade treatment of underprivileged by those in the power, heinous acts of crime committed against children and women are perhaps just an extension of our deliberate ignorance, just to be shielded from their existence.
So then what does it take for us to be stirred and driven by the principles of humanity or may be life? Terrorist attack on our soil killing thousands, rapes on women by the insanity of man's libido in riots like Godhra, division of people in the name of religion, cast by our few good for flamboyance politicians, or the daily exploitation of a common man by the lawfully empowered unlawful police, or the incident like the one narrated at the beginning where hundreds were mute spectators of bloody violence quite literally. In fact none of the above has done anything to awaken us to the ultimate truth behind ones purpose in life.
Wealth, health, power, influential networks, mean nothing if at the end of the day we do not have the basic instinct to stand by the ethical paths taught to us since our childhood, at home, in schools and colleges of chasing and choosing the rightful path.
A far cry indeed...
Episode I
I was driving back home from the office at around 720 PM today. And barely that I drove for about 200 meters I was struck by a lightening of sorts upon seeing two well dressed youngsters in probably their 20's knocked down another guy in his 20's on a two wheeler and started bashing him in every part they could lay their hands on and the very next moment before anyone could decipher the torturous occurrence, one of two attackers picked up a half a foot stone from the sideway and hit on the victim's head. Thus fell the victim on the ground bleeding severely in a pool of his own blood. Two attackers walk about 25 meters, get on their bike and zoom away.
Episode II
All this in full public display on a busy Bangalore street when almost everyone on the road walking, riding, driving back home became spectators. Nothing moved on the road as everyone stood still watching whatever happened until the two attackers climbed their bike and sped away. As if struck by their conscience of humanity at least a handful among hundreds watching started yelling at the attackers and ran to catch them. Rest started moving on their usual course of journey called life (in other words a hell disguised as life not shaken by anything at all).
Now we have heard and seen umpteen number of such stories all around us ever since we could scratch the surface and dig into our memorial neurons. So what is pity in the above incident...that the two men or rather generation X or Y mercilessly almost killed a defenseless person for no apparent reason clear to us, or that the hundreds watching didn't move an inch to help and save the victim from the claws of pain, or that the those watched felt a rush of adrenaline pumping hard cursing themselves to be devoid of SPIDERMAN kind of supernatural instincts to save the victim. Truth is there actually is no difference between any of the above 3 cadres of men and women by any yardstick of correctness.
In retrospect this merely looks like a reflection of our fundamental way of living now we all are so highly accustomed to. Who says we as friends, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, neighbours....humans when stirred by their heart roaring pain or unjust incidents stand up to the occassion and ultimately come out victorious. Such examples are far and few. More specifically in a country that has had the finest of men ever born on this Earth, the sacrifices of millions of people over decades hasn't yet turned a new leaf in the history of mankind. Petty politics spanning almost 60 years disguised as riots, communalism, second grade treatment of underprivileged by those in the power, heinous acts of crime committed against children and women are perhaps just an extension of our deliberate ignorance, just to be shielded from their existence.
So then what does it take for us to be stirred and driven by the principles of humanity or may be life? Terrorist attack on our soil killing thousands, rapes on women by the insanity of man's libido in riots like Godhra, division of people in the name of religion, cast by our few good for flamboyance politicians, or the daily exploitation of a common man by the lawfully empowered unlawful police, or the incident like the one narrated at the beginning where hundreds were mute spectators of bloody violence quite literally. In fact none of the above has done anything to awaken us to the ultimate truth behind ones purpose in life.
Wealth, health, power, influential networks, mean nothing if at the end of the day we do not have the basic instinct to stand by the ethical paths taught to us since our childhood, at home, in schools and colleges of chasing and choosing the rightful path.
A far cry indeed...
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Mourning Stephan Gately's Death
Back from a drive with my friends and incidently switched on TV...and guess what! 'We miss Stephen Gately' was getting flashed on News 9 with 'Words' playing in the background. What a shock to have heard this news. Somehow missed this news in Print and TV earlier, but really aghast to know the lead singer of Boyzone is no more alive.
This year surely is one among the many black years in the history of music. First MJ and now Stephen's loss is highly dissonant.
Thanks Stephen for giving some wonderful music for us to cherish forever. As they say you never know when one is gone...I pray to almighty that may the loss be for the better and may your soul rest in peace.
Love you forever. Your 'Words' will never be forgotten in this world.
This year surely is one among the many black years in the history of music. First MJ and now Stephen's loss is highly dissonant.
Thanks Stephen for giving some wonderful music for us to cherish forever. As they say you never know when one is gone...I pray to almighty that may the loss be for the better and may your soul rest in peace.
Love you forever. Your 'Words' will never be forgotten in this world.
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