Well. I had mentioned in one of my fellow bloggers blog, that I would be writing this one on Ravana.
Let me just say that Rama could not hope for a better opponent to test his mettle than Ravana.
During the Ramayana Period there were three greatest warrior heros. They were, Rama,
Vaali and Ravana. I will write a separate article on Vaali, but for now I rest with Ravana.
Ravana, the "Villain" in the Ramayana epic, was not as is much misunderstood a demon who was just the typical monster in all epics. Ravana was much much more. He was born of brahmin father and a rakshasa (sanskrit for demon) mother. In him were imbibed the knowledge and greatness of a brahmin coupled with the strength and valour of a rakshasa.
Ravana was one of the greatest brahmins of his day. In fact, there is an anecdote which goes like this:
"Once Narada (a saint and a devotee of Sri Narayana, one of the trinities), went to Parvati (consort of Lord Shiva, one of the trinities) and told her that Lakshmi (Sri Narayana's consort), lives in a beautiful palace while you live in a graveyard and that too in the cold Himalayan mountains.
Listening to this Parvati went to Lord Shiva and told him that she wanted to live in the best palace that the world has ever seen. To satisfy his wifes wishes Lord Shiva had Viswakarma build one of the greatest wonders in the world for a palace. It was a Golden Palace which was so splendid in all aspects that Viswakarma had to say "This is by far my best creation".
It is a custom that the first time someone moves into a house we perform a "Griha Pravesha" homam (house entering ceremony). For this she wanted the "Greatest Brahmin" on earth to perform this ceremony for her.
She called upon Ravana to do it.
Ravana performed the ceremony so well, that Parvati was uttrerly pleased and told Ravana to ask for a boon in return for his service. She said "Ask anything and it shall be yours"
Ravana said "I want this palace" :)
Parvati was totally dumbstruck and angry. Since she was bound by the boon she gave up the palace to him. But also cursed him and said that "This palace and all those who live in this land shall always remain in conflict"
And to this day Lanka remains a place which sees conflicts everyday."
Story apart, Ravana was considered the greatest brahmin of his day. It is said that Ravana had all the "Nava Grahas" on the steps on the way to his throne and that since he saw Shani bhagavan everyday, he was accursed with bad luck and hence lost out in the War.
It is said that, so great was Ravanas "Thava Valimai" (aura/energy/power....not finding the exact word for this one :) ), that Lord Brahma (the last of the trinity), used to visit him every morning and pay obeisance to him.
On Ravana's ability as a Veena player, it is said that he could melt a mountain with his Veena skills.
A romantic. Perhaps the greatest. Rajagoplachari has a lot to say about Ravana's romantic aspect. Ravana used to get the woman of his desire and he could go to any length to do so. There are many Gandharva Purushas who had cursed him for his stealing their wives (Narantaka cursed Ravana that his head would burst into three parts the next time he touched a woman without her consent).
But so powerful was Ravana that these curses took no effect on him. Until one day, finally seeing his atrocity, Lord Brahma himself cursed him that his head would be blown a thousand pieces if he touched a woman without her consent.
Ravana could not risk Lord Brahma's curse, but at the same time, he never stopped doing what he did. Just that, he behaved in such a romantic way, that he convinced any woman to consent to whatever he wished for her to do.
This was the reason why Ravana could not force Sita devi to marry him. Unless she consented, he could not molest her for fear of Lord Brahma's curse.
Mandodari, his wife, was considered the most beautiful woman on earth during that time. She was also a very wise counsellor and used to advise Ravana that he should not have kidnapped Sita devi. However, the lust that Ravana had for Sita, was the only thing which differentiated him from Lord Rama.
In all, Ravana was not just a Rakshasa King. He was THE RAKSHASA KING. He was their leader in all aspects. Be it arts, war, romance, influence....you name it and he had it.
To top it all he was one of the Greatest Shiva Bhaktha of his period. With his son Indrajit and his warrior brother Kumbhakarna, it would take nothing less than the forces of Lord Rama, Lakshmana and Hanuman to finish him.
It is also said in one of the puranas, that Ravana did contend to become the husband of Sita. He was the only one other than Lord Rama to have Lifted the famous "Shiv Dhanush". But unfortunately he could not string it, for that was not what Lord Shiva wanted to happen.
Truly a warrior one does not want to oppose unless one is Lord Rama.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Thursday, October 27, 2005
A dirty tale - Part Two
Read Part One below first.
"First I want the toilets done. Next the cup boards. Then I want the floormat cleaned. Then do the gardens. I have some old rugs stored in the attic. I want them dusted as well. If you do a good job I might consider giving you another Coola." said, Mr. Stingix.
It is a Sunday. And I am working.
"What is this shoddy job that you have done you nincompoop.", shouted Mr.Stingix as I was cleaning the cup boards He was referring to the toilets.
"Sir, I did my best. But it is very difficult to make to sparkling clean. I hope you understand"
"This is horrible. Horrible I say. Do we people pay you so that you do a job such as this. ", he hollered.
"I am sorry sir. I will try to do better".
After two hours.
"Oh my God. You really are a nincompoop are you not. Look at this. ", he said pointing to a stain in one of the
sheets.
"Sir, that stain was not coming off no matter how hard I tried. I guess it is permanent"
"Permanent my ass. You need to work harder to remove boy. You are not even half as much worth as I paid you for"
Another two hours pass.
"Look at this. Look at this. The floormat is not aligned properly"
"Sir, I am not yet done with it. I would soon make it alright"
And so it went. At the end of the day,
"I dont know why I paid 5 coolas to get such a shoddy job done boy. Why, I might as well have done it myself"
And that did it.
I could stand it no more.
"Well sir, then why dont you do it yourself. Let me see if you can do any better", I quipped.
For a second I could see no expression on his face. He looked at me as if a bomb just exploded in his ass. He could
not comprehend what was going on.
A cleaner had just replied back to a "Company" member to go take a hike.
It took a full minute before he shouted at the top of his voice "THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. I SHALL HAVE YOU REMOVED FROM
YOUR JOB RIGHT AWAY."
Although what I just did, would have utterly destroyed what my father held as his principle, this is my life
and I decide to make the rules. He lived by what he thought was best for him. Sadly, I am not such a noble soul
to be so dutifully bound as to stand in front of this jack-ass who knows nothing about cleaning, lecturing me
how to clean his toilets.
"There wont be any need for it. I quit myself", I said, and walked out.
That evening there was a meeting at the Committee, and they put up a job-opening for the Cleaners post.
A week passed.
Two weeks.
There was no member in Googooland who was willing to fill that post.
A month passed.
Googooland started to stink like Goo. With no cleaner, the residents had to do the job themselves.
"Oh My God!!! Cleaning seems to take away my entire time. When the hell will I go and do my work in the office?",
shouted Mr. Nefarix, when his wife wanted him to help her do all the dishes.
2 months.
"Thats it! I can't do this anymore. My back is still aching from last weeks cleaning of the attic", said Mr. Stingix,
when his wife asked him to take care of the clothes.
3 months.
"Why the hell is the committee not recruiting anyone", shouted Mr. Irritablix.
By now, panic ensued, and all the members could stand it no longer. They all held an emergency meet and decided to call
me back.
"Son, We are sorry to have hurt you before. We promise we would not treat you as we did before. Please take back your job"
they all told.
"1200 Goolas a week. Sunday holiday.", was my reply
They all went blank for a moment.
"Son, what you are demanding is too high. What would your father think of you? Did he not teach you that work is worship"
"Yes he did. He taught me that work is worship. And I want you all to pay divine money for my work."
"Son, even those who work for the "Company" earn much less than that"
"I know. That is because they dont work as hard as I do. I deserve more. Take this offer or leave it"
"You can't be so hard on us son. You know that what you demand is too much"
"Is it? Well. If that be the case I am not forcing you all. You can leave anytime you wish."
They left.
A year passed.
Now I have my own TV. My own car. My own cellphone. I have a job that gives me 1200 Goolas a week plus a lot of respect.
I wish my father were there with me now.
"First I want the toilets done. Next the cup boards. Then I want the floormat cleaned. Then do the gardens. I have some old rugs stored in the attic. I want them dusted as well. If you do a good job I might consider giving you another Coola." said, Mr. Stingix.
It is a Sunday. And I am working.
"What is this shoddy job that you have done you nincompoop.", shouted Mr.Stingix as I was cleaning the cup boards He was referring to the toilets.
"Sir, I did my best. But it is very difficult to make to sparkling clean. I hope you understand"
"This is horrible. Horrible I say. Do we people pay you so that you do a job such as this. ", he hollered.
"I am sorry sir. I will try to do better".
After two hours.
"Oh my God. You really are a nincompoop are you not. Look at this. ", he said pointing to a stain in one of the
sheets.
"Sir, that stain was not coming off no matter how hard I tried. I guess it is permanent"
"Permanent my ass. You need to work harder to remove boy. You are not even half as much worth as I paid you for"
Another two hours pass.
"Look at this. Look at this. The floormat is not aligned properly"
"Sir, I am not yet done with it. I would soon make it alright"
And so it went. At the end of the day,
"I dont know why I paid 5 coolas to get such a shoddy job done boy. Why, I might as well have done it myself"
And that did it.
I could stand it no more.
"Well sir, then why dont you do it yourself. Let me see if you can do any better", I quipped.
For a second I could see no expression on his face. He looked at me as if a bomb just exploded in his ass. He could
not comprehend what was going on.
A cleaner had just replied back to a "Company" member to go take a hike.
It took a full minute before he shouted at the top of his voice "THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. I SHALL HAVE YOU REMOVED FROM
YOUR JOB RIGHT AWAY."
Although what I just did, would have utterly destroyed what my father held as his principle, this is my life
and I decide to make the rules. He lived by what he thought was best for him. Sadly, I am not such a noble soul
to be so dutifully bound as to stand in front of this jack-ass who knows nothing about cleaning, lecturing me
how to clean his toilets.
"There wont be any need for it. I quit myself", I said, and walked out.
That evening there was a meeting at the Committee, and they put up a job-opening for the Cleaners post.
A week passed.
Two weeks.
There was no member in Googooland who was willing to fill that post.
A month passed.
Googooland started to stink like Goo. With no cleaner, the residents had to do the job themselves.
"Oh My God!!! Cleaning seems to take away my entire time. When the hell will I go and do my work in the office?",
shouted Mr. Nefarix, when his wife wanted him to help her do all the dishes.
2 months.
"Thats it! I can't do this anymore. My back is still aching from last weeks cleaning of the attic", said Mr. Stingix,
when his wife asked him to take care of the clothes.
3 months.
"Why the hell is the committee not recruiting anyone", shouted Mr. Irritablix.
By now, panic ensued, and all the members could stand it no longer. They all held an emergency meet and decided to call
me back.
"Son, We are sorry to have hurt you before. We promise we would not treat you as we did before. Please take back your job"
they all told.
"1200 Goolas a week. Sunday holiday.", was my reply
They all went blank for a moment.
"Son, what you are demanding is too high. What would your father think of you? Did he not teach you that work is worship"
"Yes he did. He taught me that work is worship. And I want you all to pay divine money for my work."
"Son, even those who work for the "Company" earn much less than that"
"I know. That is because they dont work as hard as I do. I deserve more. Take this offer or leave it"
"You can't be so hard on us son. You know that what you demand is too much"
"Is it? Well. If that be the case I am not forcing you all. You can leave anytime you wish."
They left.
A year passed.
Now I have my own TV. My own car. My own cellphone. I have a job that gives me 1200 Goolas a week plus a lot of respect.
I wish my father were there with me now.
A Dirty Tale - Part One
"Clean up that piece of shit you idiot. Who do you think would do that? Your dad?", came the voice from
Mr.Nefarix
"Sure sir. Right away", I said in a sober tone.
Being the only cleaner in Googooland was not an easy job. Dumping shit seemed to be the only things these people ever do in this place.
Well, I am Janitix. 23 years old. Tall, Brown and stocky. I work under the Committe for Cleanliness for Googooland.
"Work is worship Son. All professions are equal. Donot think of any other profession as better or worse than what we do", my father Cleenix, used to say.
Now he is no more. Only his thoughts remain with me. My father is my inspiration. A very disciplined man who liked things clean. He could never stand to see even a speck of dirt in Googooland. He worked hard day and night and was solely responsible for Googooland's beauty.
A highly respected person he was.
Or was he...?
"A chip of the old block aren't you my boy", exclaimed Mr.Admirablix,seeing me cleaning the place up. Mr. Admirablix was one of the few men whom I liked to look upon as a father figure after my fathers departure.
"Oh you praise me a lot sir. I am just doing my duty", I said.
"Hmm, I have a few dirty cupboards which I would like you to help me clean. I will pay you 2 Goolas for it. When can you help me out?", said Mr. Admirablix.
"2 Goolas for cup boards? Sir, that is very generous of you. That is almost the amount I earn for a whole week of cleaning the place"
"I think you deserve it son. Sunday good for you then?"
"Sure sir. Anytime, you want, I would be there"
2 Goolas for cup-boards? I only wish the others were like him...
"Hey you, what the heck are you doing there wasting your time. Come over here you lazy bum", shouted Mr.Stingix
"Coming over sir. Yes. Please tell me what you want cleaned".
"I want you to come over this Sunday and help me clean my house. I have already booked you for this weekend at the Committee and I just wanted to inform you as well"
"But sir, I thought Sunday was a holiday", I said in a note of despair.
I was looking forward to going to Mr. Admirablix house during the weekend.
"WHAAAT!!!", exclaimed Mr.Stingix as if a bee just stung him.
"You good-for-nothing son-of-a-cleaner. Money has gone into your head hasnt it boy.
I payed an arm and leg at the committee to get you to work on Sunday. Be happy my boy,You get 5 Coolas.I think that ought to put things in a better perspective. Better be there."
I would recieve 40 times as much as this guy is offering me if only I went to Mr. Admirablix's house.
But I had no choice.
Or did I?
Well, I dont seem know the answer to this question. My father always used to ask me to go by the committees word and treat it as the word of God. I do respect him for all his wisdom. But what if he was wrong?
"Get out of here you good-for-nothing cleaner", was what Mr.Irritablix said, everytime my dad asked a holiday
"I dont loan money to people who cant repay", was what Mr.Greedix said, when my dad wanted some money
"Have I met you?", was what Mr. Oblivix asked my father , after all these years that my father has been cleaning
his house.
It is as if my father never even existed in this strange land of people. Only I seemed to carry his memory around.
"Son, a person who works in the "Company", is no better or no less than you. It is all the same my son. God intends each man to do his duty for the smooth functioning of a society. Let us do our role well and be proud of it."
I used to listen with awe as my father spoke these words. I watched with an open mouth,the amazing ease with which he was able to digest all the neglect and scorn he receieved from these ungrateful members.
All the members of Googooland who worked in the "Company" used to get a 1000 Goolas every week, while I seemed to get just 1 Goola a week.
I had no say in my salary. None.
My dad is gone and there is no one to give me the advice which can pull me through this misery. When he was around I could stand everything, as he stood as a towering giant of hope. But now,things are not the same.
I stand here in front of Mr.Stingix, a man who has absolutely no sense of respect for the work I do.
I wonder what I should say to him.
"Yes, sir. I would be there on Sunday"
- I once saw a software guy insulting a cleaner in office premises and treat him like Janitix is being treated in this story. I was inspired to write this as a reply to all those who have a "Holier than thou" attitude in life.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Pollution Certificate Undha?
Today morning I was learning to ride the bike :) on the way to office. Normally we are stopped en route to office for checking the pollution certificate by the RTA officials. Recently however, the traffic policemen have gathered around the RTA Pollution checkers and stop the vehicles to ask for the pollution certificate.
So, unlucky me, I was stopped by them and we were asked to produce the certificate.
Traffic Police 1: "Pollution Certificate dhikao"
Us : "The bike is new and since it is just 5 months old, we donot have to show one"
TP 1: "TN Registration. Please show us the No Objection Certificate"
Us: (we did not have the NOC ) : "Do we have to get one within 6 months of moving the vehicle here?"
TP 1: "Yes"
Us : "Ok, we donot have one"
TP 1 : "Show me the RC book"
(we were fumbling for the RC book when another TP comes over and says)
TP 2 : "RC book ledhu ante 600 rupees fine" (if you donot have RC book 600 bucks fine)
Us : "We do have the RC book. Hold on"
Then we pulled it out and showed it to him.
TP 2 : "Ok NOC 450 rupees fine"
Us : "Alright but we will need the Challan for the same."
TP 2: "For challan we have to go to the Madhapur Police Station " (which is about 2 kms away from our place)....(I guess he realised we were in a hurry to go to office and said this so that we would feel lazy to go and get the money....)
We however said,
Us : "Thats ok, we would pay the fine. Which of you policemen would come with us to the Police station"
To that the guy said:
TP 2 (muttering under his nose) : "300 rupees dheke chale jaao" (give us 300 bucks and leave)
Us : "We donot have any money with us now. We have to get it from an ATM. We would go and get the same"
TP 2 : "Then leave your Licence with me and get the amount"
Me (to my friend): "I will stay back. You go and get the amount"
After a while my friend came with the money and we said
Us : " Ok let us go to the police station"
TP 1 : "We have to go to the Jubilee hills police station " (which is nearly 6 Kms away)
Us: "What?? You just told us madhapur station and now you are saying Jubilee Hills"
TP 1: "No sir, it is available only there"
Since we were already late for office and were quite pissed off, we decided we would give the money now, but would demand a challan to be given tomorrow..
TP 2 :" Sir, if you pay us once, we would never catch you again in this route. So you donot have to worry about that"
How dare he.
First of all it was wrong of him to ask for a bribe, and on top of that he is insinuating that we let this go.
Us : "Thats ok. We will come here again tomorrow, and you keep the challan ready. We will pay the remaining amount."
And we left.
Anyways, a few lessons learnt:
1) I dont think all of these policemen are genuine. When someone does not have a chellan book nearby to give us the fine, you better dont trust him to be a real policeman and pay the amount he asks for. He may not be authorised to collect money in the first place.
2) A lot of people just give money to get the heck over with, but it is better to be strong in certain cases and insist for original receipt
3) 100 rupees is not much different from 300 rupees , seeing how much we earn these days. Hence, please, please try to take the original receipt and not bribe the policman. Bribe givers breed corruption and not bribe takers. Bribe takers have nowhere to go , if no one is ready to pay the bribe. The 100 rupees that you give, will tempt him to ask for more from others.
Believe me, when we said that we want the chellan, you should see the look on the guys face. The policemen saw us with respect and they started to look down in shame. All they could do after that was just mutter under their noses and speak to us without looking at us on the face.
4) Try to get an NOC :) and try not to break traffic rules.
So, unlucky me, I was stopped by them and we were asked to produce the certificate.
Traffic Police 1: "Pollution Certificate dhikao"
Us : "The bike is new and since it is just 5 months old, we donot have to show one"
TP 1: "TN Registration. Please show us the No Objection Certificate"
Us: (we did not have the NOC ) : "Do we have to get one within 6 months of moving the vehicle here?"
TP 1: "Yes"
Us : "Ok, we donot have one"
TP 1 : "Show me the RC book"
(we were fumbling for the RC book when another TP comes over and says)
TP 2 : "RC book ledhu ante 600 rupees fine" (if you donot have RC book 600 bucks fine)
Us : "We do have the RC book. Hold on"
Then we pulled it out and showed it to him.
TP 2 : "Ok NOC 450 rupees fine"
Us : "Alright but we will need the Challan for the same."
TP 2: "For challan we have to go to the Madhapur Police Station " (which is about 2 kms away from our place)....(I guess he realised we were in a hurry to go to office and said this so that we would feel lazy to go and get the money....)
We however said,
Us : "Thats ok, we would pay the fine. Which of you policemen would come with us to the Police station"
To that the guy said:
TP 2 (muttering under his nose) : "300 rupees dheke chale jaao" (give us 300 bucks and leave)
Us : "We donot have any money with us now. We have to get it from an ATM. We would go and get the same"
TP 2 : "Then leave your Licence with me and get the amount"
Me (to my friend): "I will stay back. You go and get the amount"
After a while my friend came with the money and we said
Us : " Ok let us go to the police station"
TP 1 : "We have to go to the Jubilee hills police station " (which is nearly 6 Kms away)
Us: "What?? You just told us madhapur station and now you are saying Jubilee Hills"
TP 1: "No sir, it is available only there"
Since we were already late for office and were quite pissed off, we decided we would give the money now, but would demand a challan to be given tomorrow..
TP 2 :" Sir, if you pay us once, we would never catch you again in this route. So you donot have to worry about that"
How dare he.
First of all it was wrong of him to ask for a bribe, and on top of that he is insinuating that we let this go.
Us : "Thats ok. We will come here again tomorrow, and you keep the challan ready. We will pay the remaining amount."
And we left.
Anyways, a few lessons learnt:
1) I dont think all of these policemen are genuine. When someone does not have a chellan book nearby to give us the fine, you better dont trust him to be a real policeman and pay the amount he asks for. He may not be authorised to collect money in the first place.
2) A lot of people just give money to get the heck over with, but it is better to be strong in certain cases and insist for original receipt
3) 100 rupees is not much different from 300 rupees , seeing how much we earn these days. Hence, please, please try to take the original receipt and not bribe the policman. Bribe givers breed corruption and not bribe takers. Bribe takers have nowhere to go , if no one is ready to pay the bribe. The 100 rupees that you give, will tempt him to ask for more from others.
Believe me, when we said that we want the chellan, you should see the look on the guys face. The policemen saw us with respect and they started to look down in shame. All they could do after that was just mutter under their noses and speak to us without looking at us on the face.
4) Try to get an NOC :) and try not to break traffic rules.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
How's this?
A lazy saturday evening. My friends are in a dreamy state. I am wondering what to do next.
"How about a movie and then a dinner outside?" , I cried.
The guys were too lazy to say "Yes", and muttered something under their nose.
"Come on Guys, lets go and catch the X-Men Movie, it has been released and is running in Symphony theatre in MG Road.", I said jumping up and down.
Seeing that there is nothing better to do, RL, Ksri, SunD, Pam and Ponp finally agreed to watch the movie.
At the theatre,
"Machi, check it out." , said RL
"Where da?" , I said
"3 o clock, behind SunD. Man , is that guy lucky to be talking to 4 chics.", said RL
The others then make the grave mistake of turning around immediately and taking a look all of a sudden. This prompted those girls to turn and give us a cold stare :(
"Dei looses, can't you all slowly turn so as to not get noticed. Look how embarassing this is", scolded RL as we all sheepishly acted as if we never looked that way.
"Machi, when will our day come da? Look at me, talking to you idiots. How I wish I was that guy talking to 4 cool chics instead of you losers.", I said.
"Aiyya, as if all the chics want to come and talk to you. We guys are more than enough company for you. Shut up and get some pop corn.", said everyone together.
The movie went well. We decided to go to the French Pizza store nearby and this is where the story gets kickstarted.
"Guys, check it out", I said
This time the guys were careful so as to not turn immediately and they all turned casually without causing any embarassment to notice that a couple was smooching their lips off in one corner of the hotel.
Although it was a nice turn on, especially since the gal was should I say "Oooh lala", we guys were a bit frustratedby this public behaviour.
"Machi, they should ban these things in Public places da", said Pam
"Dei, why do you bother what they do da?" said Ponp
"What are you guys talking about da?", asked SunD slowly waking up from his dream world.
"Dei, it is not the question of us bothering about it or not bothering da, just look at them, they are causing so much embarassment to everyone nearby", I said.
"Hopeless fellows", said Ksri.
Then our Pizza came and as we were digging in , the scene in the corner became hotter.
The gal slowly sat on this guys lap and they were now turning the whole place into an oven.
At this RL freaked out and said to me "Machi, this is too much da. There is a small boy having dinner with his parents in that corner da. Why dont we do something about this before that boy sees these two idiots consummating in a public place"
"Let us first tell the hotel owner to do something about it", I said.
"Waiter! can you please ask that couple to find a room and continue whatever they are doing instead of here"
"Sir, pardon me, but that person happens to be a very rich customer and we would lose a lot of business if we irritate him"
The waiter left.
"Machi, I have an idea" said RL and said something to me.
I was game.
We first went up to the couple and said in a polite manner that they are causing a lot of embarassment to the public around and asked them to take it somewhere else.
"Hey man, why dont you mind your own business. This is a free country. I can do as I please. This is my girlfriendand I am kissing her. As long as she does not have any objection to it, it is none of your business. So get outof here."
"Sir, I do agree that it is your girlfriend. However there are people of various ages sitting in this hotel and it is very embarassing for them when you behave this way. Especially when they have small kids or old parents sitting with them"
"I dont know when will India ever improve. These people talk of all this nonsense about culture and stuff. Why dont we grow up. Where is the bloody independence man. Why cant people just mind their own business. I dont mind if you kiss your girlfriend here or anywhere, then why do you disturb me?"
At this we both knew it was time for Plan B.
We both pulled a chair right next to them. Sat there. Put our hands on our chin and started watching them go about their smooching.
At this the couple really got pissed.
"Hey you two, how dare you come and watch what I am doing? Don't you have any decency?"
"You asking us? .... Well.... Frankly!...... No! We rather wanted to watch a good X rated movie tonight anyways. Since we are getting it free, wedon't mind taking the full advantage of it. Please continue. " I said, and motioned my other friends.
Now everyone pulled up a chair and came next to the couple and started watching , hand in their chin. Never had we concentrated this hard , even for our Advanced Calculus class.
"To hell with you idiots. I am getting out of here. Come honey lets go", he said and stormed out!!!!!!!
"Hmm...a nice day guys. Come lets go get that movie we were planning to watch late night"
"How about a movie and then a dinner outside?" , I cried.
The guys were too lazy to say "Yes", and muttered something under their nose.
"Come on Guys, lets go and catch the X-Men Movie, it has been released and is running in Symphony theatre in MG Road.", I said jumping up and down.
Seeing that there is nothing better to do, RL, Ksri, SunD, Pam and Ponp finally agreed to watch the movie.
At the theatre,
"Machi, check it out." , said RL
"Where da?" , I said
"3 o clock, behind SunD. Man , is that guy lucky to be talking to 4 chics.", said RL
The others then make the grave mistake of turning around immediately and taking a look all of a sudden. This prompted those girls to turn and give us a cold stare :(
"Dei looses, can't you all slowly turn so as to not get noticed. Look how embarassing this is", scolded RL as we all sheepishly acted as if we never looked that way.
"Machi, when will our day come da? Look at me, talking to you idiots. How I wish I was that guy talking to 4 cool chics instead of you losers.", I said.
"Aiyya, as if all the chics want to come and talk to you. We guys are more than enough company for you. Shut up and get some pop corn.", said everyone together.
The movie went well. We decided to go to the French Pizza store nearby and this is where the story gets kickstarted.
"Guys, check it out", I said
This time the guys were careful so as to not turn immediately and they all turned casually without causing any embarassment to notice that a couple was smooching their lips off in one corner of the hotel.
Although it was a nice turn on, especially since the gal was should I say "Oooh lala", we guys were a bit frustratedby this public behaviour.
"Machi, they should ban these things in Public places da", said Pam
"Dei, why do you bother what they do da?" said Ponp
"What are you guys talking about da?", asked SunD slowly waking up from his dream world.
"Dei, it is not the question of us bothering about it or not bothering da, just look at them, they are causing so much embarassment to everyone nearby", I said.
"Hopeless fellows", said Ksri.
Then our Pizza came and as we were digging in , the scene in the corner became hotter.
The gal slowly sat on this guys lap and they were now turning the whole place into an oven.
At this RL freaked out and said to me "Machi, this is too much da. There is a small boy having dinner with his parents in that corner da. Why dont we do something about this before that boy sees these two idiots consummating in a public place"
"Let us first tell the hotel owner to do something about it", I said.
"Waiter! can you please ask that couple to find a room and continue whatever they are doing instead of here"
"Sir, pardon me, but that person happens to be a very rich customer and we would lose a lot of business if we irritate him"
The waiter left.
"Machi, I have an idea" said RL and said something to me.
I was game.
We first went up to the couple and said in a polite manner that they are causing a lot of embarassment to the public around and asked them to take it somewhere else.
"Hey man, why dont you mind your own business. This is a free country. I can do as I please. This is my girlfriendand I am kissing her. As long as she does not have any objection to it, it is none of your business. So get outof here."
"Sir, I do agree that it is your girlfriend. However there are people of various ages sitting in this hotel and it is very embarassing for them when you behave this way. Especially when they have small kids or old parents sitting with them"
"I dont know when will India ever improve. These people talk of all this nonsense about culture and stuff. Why dont we grow up. Where is the bloody independence man. Why cant people just mind their own business. I dont mind if you kiss your girlfriend here or anywhere, then why do you disturb me?"
At this we both knew it was time for Plan B.
We both pulled a chair right next to them. Sat there. Put our hands on our chin and started watching them go about their smooching.
At this the couple really got pissed.
"Hey you two, how dare you come and watch what I am doing? Don't you have any decency?"
"You asking us? .... Well.... Frankly!...... No! We rather wanted to watch a good X rated movie tonight anyways. Since we are getting it free, wedon't mind taking the full advantage of it. Please continue. " I said, and motioned my other friends.
Now everyone pulled up a chair and came next to the couple and started watching , hand in their chin. Never had we concentrated this hard , even for our Advanced Calculus class.
"To hell with you idiots. I am getting out of here. Come honey lets go", he said and stormed out!!!!!!!
"Hmm...a nice day guys. Come lets go get that movie we were planning to watch late night"
Monday, October 03, 2005
Women Liberation - Are we taking it too far?
Ok, a very very , very very , very controversial subject. I accept.
I am going to deal with this in a manner that I hope does not hurt any sentiments and is as neutral as possible. Pardon me if unintentionally these views hurt someone.
I am going to discuss this point by point:
1) When women are forced to follow some rule, as was the case in Anna University, when a ban was imposed on Jeans and T-Shirt, a common misconception is that it amounts to "Oppressing Women" . I would not ascribe to such a thought. The reason why a ban is imposed on something is not with the intention of oppressing someone but to bring about an order in something.
Let me be more clear:
When we go to a boardroom meeting wearing a "Lungi" (it is a comfort wear that someone usually wears in their home) and a torn T-Shirt, we may be allowed inside the boardroom that one time. But the very next day there will be a memo on the office notice board that says that everyone should follow only "Formal" dress code in their offices.
There is an unsaid "Rule" that one person is expected to wear something in a place. It is ok if you wear a Lungi in your house but it is not ok to wear the same in a boardroom meeting. It is ok if we wear a sleeveless and shorts in your house but not so in a temple , which is why , appreciably, some religions allow men and women to worship in separate places within the same temple, so as to avoid distraction.
What I am trying to say is that, a "Rule" is not meant to oppress someone but rather to bring about an order in the way of life. If order is not there in life, then we can question just about anything in life and get away with it.
An educational institution is a place where one comes to gain knowledge. At a tennis court it is understandable to wear a shorts, but not so in an educational institution. A gym is a place appropriate to wear a sleeveless tops, but not an educational institution. By saying so is not to oppress women or stop their liberation in any manner. The same rule also applies to men. They are not supposed to wear lungis or shorts to colleges either.
Hence I wish to stress that "Oppression" and "Moral Policing" and "Rule Making" are three different things and should first be separated. They each deserve a different approach to argument. When one mixes the three and puts them under the head of "Oppression" it is a mistake, but when one clearly sees the difference then it is not so bad.
Let me illustrate:
"Donot wear sleeveless anywhere, you are not supposed to wear it because we say so" - Oppression
"A sleeveless top should not be worn by women because it is degrading to our culture." - Moral Policing
"You are not allowed to wear a sleeveless top in an office because a lot of our customers often visit the office premises and we expect to be in formal dress. " and "You are supposed to wear only conservative dresses in college because it is distracting students when otherwise." - Rule Making
Once the distinction is made among the three it becomes easier to really argue on the subject. An institution has every bloody right to impose its own rules and regulations and in case you are so hell bent against it, then it is better you go and join an institute which does not impose such rules.
Do we go and argue in an office as to why we cannot stand in the front of the building and shout at the top of our voice? Simple answer: If you do, you are then chucked out of the organization.
Rules are rules and an institution has a right to demand from its members that which it sees would benefit the organization, and in this case, the demand is not so outrageous as to merit such uprising.
2) Another common fad which is getting popular these days is to call any "Male" member of the society a "Male Chauvunistic Pig, MCP for short", whenever he even tries to correct a woman. I do agree that there are a lot of things that us men have to learn and yes believe us, we are trying. But at the same time I would request that the same effort be taken from the other side to understand that when a man says :
"Women are very good at taking care of children", he means that "Women are very affectionate and far better than men at handling children and it is a natural thing when women fare better at being a parent than a man, i.e a mother is more important than a father"
IT DOES NOT, and I stress, IT DOES NOT MEAN "Sit at home and watch the children, while I would go to work and earn the bread". So please donot jump up and down when someone says that children need to spend more time with their mother.
Child raising is no mean task, and to get a certificate that someone has done a good job at it , is , believe me, far more better than winning the best employee award. You feel more bad when someone says your son/daughter is a thorn in the society than when you donot get the "Outstanding" grade in office.
This does not mean that women should not go to work or does not mean that only they have to take care of household chores at all. IT just means a vast majority of women are better at handling a child than are men because of their natural ability to "care" more. Men at the same time are by a natural evolutionary process, "Physically" stronger than most women.
While I accept men have to come out of this feeling that they are the only bread winners, I would like to stress that women too, play their role correctly. In all the puranas and the Upanishads, women are held so highly as to call them the "Upholders of Society".
Anyways, there are as many opinions as there are heads in this world, and this is just what I think :).
A million typewriters and a million monkeys all over the world. :)
I hope I have not caused any hard feelings by this post. It is just to highlight some distinctions and some ways by which both sides can benefit themselves and move towards a more civilised way of life.
I am going to deal with this in a manner that I hope does not hurt any sentiments and is as neutral as possible. Pardon me if unintentionally these views hurt someone.
I am going to discuss this point by point:
1) When women are forced to follow some rule, as was the case in Anna University, when a ban was imposed on Jeans and T-Shirt, a common misconception is that it amounts to "Oppressing Women" . I would not ascribe to such a thought. The reason why a ban is imposed on something is not with the intention of oppressing someone but to bring about an order in something.
Let me be more clear:
When we go to a boardroom meeting wearing a "Lungi" (it is a comfort wear that someone usually wears in their home) and a torn T-Shirt, we may be allowed inside the boardroom that one time. But the very next day there will be a memo on the office notice board that says that everyone should follow only "Formal" dress code in their offices.
There is an unsaid "Rule" that one person is expected to wear something in a place. It is ok if you wear a Lungi in your house but it is not ok to wear the same in a boardroom meeting. It is ok if we wear a sleeveless and shorts in your house but not so in a temple , which is why , appreciably, some religions allow men and women to worship in separate places within the same temple, so as to avoid distraction.
What I am trying to say is that, a "Rule" is not meant to oppress someone but rather to bring about an order in the way of life. If order is not there in life, then we can question just about anything in life and get away with it.
An educational institution is a place where one comes to gain knowledge. At a tennis court it is understandable to wear a shorts, but not so in an educational institution. A gym is a place appropriate to wear a sleeveless tops, but not an educational institution. By saying so is not to oppress women or stop their liberation in any manner. The same rule also applies to men. They are not supposed to wear lungis or shorts to colleges either.
Hence I wish to stress that "Oppression" and "Moral Policing" and "Rule Making" are three different things and should first be separated. They each deserve a different approach to argument. When one mixes the three and puts them under the head of "Oppression" it is a mistake, but when one clearly sees the difference then it is not so bad.
Let me illustrate:
"Donot wear sleeveless anywhere, you are not supposed to wear it because we say so" - Oppression
"A sleeveless top should not be worn by women because it is degrading to our culture." - Moral Policing
"You are not allowed to wear a sleeveless top in an office because a lot of our customers often visit the office premises and we expect to be in formal dress. " and "You are supposed to wear only conservative dresses in college because it is distracting students when otherwise." - Rule Making
Once the distinction is made among the three it becomes easier to really argue on the subject. An institution has every bloody right to impose its own rules and regulations and in case you are so hell bent against it, then it is better you go and join an institute which does not impose such rules.
Do we go and argue in an office as to why we cannot stand in the front of the building and shout at the top of our voice? Simple answer: If you do, you are then chucked out of the organization.
Rules are rules and an institution has a right to demand from its members that which it sees would benefit the organization, and in this case, the demand is not so outrageous as to merit such uprising.
2) Another common fad which is getting popular these days is to call any "Male" member of the society a "Male Chauvunistic Pig, MCP for short", whenever he even tries to correct a woman. I do agree that there are a lot of things that us men have to learn and yes believe us, we are trying. But at the same time I would request that the same effort be taken from the other side to understand that when a man says :
"Women are very good at taking care of children", he means that "Women are very affectionate and far better than men at handling children and it is a natural thing when women fare better at being a parent than a man, i.e a mother is more important than a father"
IT DOES NOT, and I stress, IT DOES NOT MEAN "Sit at home and watch the children, while I would go to work and earn the bread". So please donot jump up and down when someone says that children need to spend more time with their mother.
Child raising is no mean task, and to get a certificate that someone has done a good job at it , is , believe me, far more better than winning the best employee award. You feel more bad when someone says your son/daughter is a thorn in the society than when you donot get the "Outstanding" grade in office.
This does not mean that women should not go to work or does not mean that only they have to take care of household chores at all. IT just means a vast majority of women are better at handling a child than are men because of their natural ability to "care" more. Men at the same time are by a natural evolutionary process, "Physically" stronger than most women.
While I accept men have to come out of this feeling that they are the only bread winners, I would like to stress that women too, play their role correctly. In all the puranas and the Upanishads, women are held so highly as to call them the "Upholders of Society".
Anyways, there are as many opinions as there are heads in this world, and this is just what I think :).
A million typewriters and a million monkeys all over the world. :)
I hope I have not caused any hard feelings by this post. It is just to highlight some distinctions and some ways by which both sides can benefit themselves and move towards a more civilised way of life.
The Thatha from Mylapore - IV
I would suggest you read a bit more than the initial few lines as that is where this story gets better :)
"Thatha, first do you have an internet connection? If not you would have to get one before you can check your emails.", cried Gopal.
"Oh is it. How do I get one?"
"Here, call up this number or go to their office. They will tell you all the procedures"
"Thanks da kanna, I will first get the Internet connection"
Thatha dials the number 24456200.
An automated answer at the other end welcomes thatha : "Welcome to BSNL services. For Broadband services please dial 1. For Dial Up services please dial 2. For customer care please dial 9"
Not sure what he wanted, he pressed 9 to hear a ring at the other end for a few moments.
"Hello sir. A very good day to you. This is Lakshmi speaking. How may I help you?"
"Well, I want to get an Internet connection in my house and I am not really sure how to proceed. Can you please help me out."
"Sir, can you please tell your house address and we would send our customer services representative over to your houseto set up the connection. What kind of a connection would you prefer sir, a broadband or a dial up?"
"Well, I am not really sure what those are. Can you please explain them"
After a few dialogue exchanges about the various price ranges, thatha settles for the Dial Up Connection.
"Well, that is settled now. Let me just relax in my easy chair for sometime"
The thatha takes the Dinamalar and reads the headline story of the day:
"Crackdown on dance shows in city hotel" ( Courtesy : Dinamalar(r) Photos:
http://www.dinamalar.com/2005sep26/impfn.asp
http://www.dinamalar.com/2005sep26/imp7.asp
The Hindu (r) Version :
http://www.hindu.com/2005/09/28/stories/2005092809380100.htm/)
After reading the story all thatha could help thinking was "In those days, we were afraid of talking to women in public places. Surely Kali Yuga is at its peak. What happened to love under closed quarters. Public Display of affection seems to be the order of the day. If we talk about these things to the youngsters then they say that we are not modern enough in our thinking. If we show affection in our own homes and not in Public places, then does that mean that we love our wifes any less than those who display it in public. Animals display their affection without caring for others , but can we be like them? Can we be so oblivious of our surroundings? I dont know where we are headed. Boy, am I glad that the girl in that photograph is not my daughter."
The next story in the list was on :
Actress sparks controversy over Pre-Marital Sex: (The Hindu (r) Version
http://www.hindu.com/2005/09/29/stories/2005092916020300.htm)
"In those days Saroja Devi and Padmini used to wear Skin dress when they were about to be touched by Sivaji or MGR. Look at the women these days, talking about things which would embarass everybody. I only wish such things were better left to be understood rather than brought out in open and discussed.
Anna University Bans Cellphones and Jeans: (Link : http://www.annauniv.edu/vc/cell_banned.htm)
"Padikkara pasangalukku edhukku cell phone (why do studying students need Cell Phones?). It is a good thing that such restrictions are brought into place. Especially since cameras are available in cell phones these days, women will feel a lot safer without perennially fearing their being shot at. Also the children will be able to concentrate better in the classroom with the ban on sleeveless dress and jeans pants. I donot see why we have to imitate so much from the west. These days we are just forcing ourselves into ruin by questioning all the things in life. I am afraid to think what the future would hold if things go the way they are at present.
I would want to ask a simple question to these youngsters. When we ask them why they wear Jeans and T-Shirt, they reply saying that it is comfortable and hence we wear them. Let me ask them back the question, The Dhoti is perhaps the most comfortable of all dresses, and it is so free and is pretty easy to wear and use, but does the west borrow this idea from us? If they are not even thinking of taking something from us and adopting it into their lives, then why do we have to imitate the dress code of a nation who had infact subjected us to slavery for a large part of the last few centuries. The basic underlying nature, the very reason, the for us imitating the west is not because we feel their dress is comfortable. It all boils down to an inherent inferiority complex in us which tempts us to behave like them so that we think we are better of. A sense of pride in oneself and ones own culture would never tempt this kind of a behaviour. Only a man who is dissatisfied with what he IS tries to become what he IS NOT. I do hope we all realize our own greatness and change ourselves so that in a matter of time we see the westerners adopting our way of life rather than vice versa."
After that the thatha read a few articles on the fight between the fight between Ganguly and Chappel and framed his own opinions on the subject and went to sleep on the easy chair.
- The opinions expressed here are those of the Thathas , consistent with what an old man would think in this period, and not of my own. Donot form any interpretations on the same as this is a story. Please donot come back to me and ask why I said so :) . I did not say anything....it is the thatha.
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