A terror show or a show of terror...

It is disguting to observe how some people have been watching news, since last night, on the latest terror attacks in Mumbai. For them, it's rather a chunk from some Reality TV show, where both the parties involved - the forces and the militants - are trying to overpower each other, than a national tragedy. Some of them have even wrapped up work early tonight and made an equally disgusting and shameless statement, that ''I am leaving early...will watch the news at home all night long on couch, with some beer and chicken...it'll be fun...''.

Have we finally hit a state where we are losing our sensitivity to issues like these, and losing it fast...or is the naive media responsible which has ultimately turned a serious business like news into a pedestrian affair like a juggler's roadshow or street cricket commentary? The way some news channels have handled the situation, the line between a journalist's reporting and a hawker's cry is thinning.

In a crisis like these, when minds become ultra suggestible, we need a mature media than a bunch of over enthusiasts who mindlessly carry forward the orders from the TRP bosses sitting in the cosy rooms while a man from force is fighting it out in the open amidst bullets raining from all sides.

Sumthing of JNU

 

It’s not everyday that a book comes, about an institution that has fed people’s fantasy for as long as they remember. It’s about an institution, which enjoys a near sacrosanct status, like an impenetrable fort; its disciples shrouded with a bizarre aura, painting them almost like mythological characters, placing them higher then ordinary mortals.

And then, this audacious book that reveals the ages old hidden secret - that the institution is just like any other, with its share of ingenious philosophy, its glorious and not so glorious history, upside down geography, multi-hued sociology, melting pot of a culture etc. That its disciples are like any others, with their share of weaknesses and strengths.

That this institution too isn’t really different from others.

But the book also narrates about the temperament of this institution, about the undying spirit, which doesn’t kneel down, no matter what – the positivity remains intact.

That’s the reason why the institution and its disciples enjoyed almost mythical status in the minds of ordinary mortals.

And coming from an insider, we tend to believe every word of it, despite being author’s frivolous natured writing.

JNU is the institution in question and the audacious book I referred above is Soma Das’ Sumthing of a mocktale – At JNU where Kurta fell in love with jeans. The misspelt words are neither printer’s mistake nor poor proofreader’s. They are intended – first to conjure up a frivolous atmosphere before the reader flips pages and secondly to dissuade eruption of serious thoughts, while reading the book. But in fact, the misspelt words say a lot, even before you read acknowledgements.

Soma Das, being a research scholar, got to spend a lot of time in JNU, one of the premier institutes in India, often hailed as Harvard of the third world. The book unfolds like a chronicle of her life in this august institute. She picks tit-bits from around her and weaves a story, about a bunch of students from JNU. She has friends, no best friends; foes, no temporary foes; philosophers and guides, literally. She presents JNU, as transparent as possible; in black and white. She narrates situations that are as real as the can get and as fictional as they may appear.

Life at JNU looks funny and serious at the same time. It is about abundance of joyousness and unfathomable grief simultaneously. It is about witnessing a few winners and a bunch of martyrs. It is about JNU as we know, and JNU as it is.

The book may not be a page turner but is an interesting read at times; gets little dragging at times but survives the mid-book hiccups and turns out to be quite a fair affair for a 206 pages long book.

Harem Pants

I am baffled by the latest fad – women’s newly found love for Harem Pants. I am sure every one of us must have spotted some pretty lady or at times a group of them, wearing Harem pants, and swaying in a gait too sensual. I really wonder what feminists have to say about it.

Is it a symbol of polygamous celebration or feminine surrender to fashionmongers or an imminent art attack?

Whatever it is, or whatever people may term it; one thing’s sure. A girl surely looks…ahem…if I can use words like, sexy, hot, seductive, erotic etc.

The trend is slowly catching up among college goers and hippies of the crowd, in metros and I wait to see it enwrapping a whole generation.

Wired…

12.30 am. The last tap on notebook’s key pad…Turn Off.

An article completed…few mails sent…some quick chat with friends…few scraps scribbled on Orkut…a blog posted and I am done for the day.

Time to make the bed…roll in and play dead.

One look at the bed, which played my work table a little while ago, queered me. The bed looked nothing but a labyrinth…

Wires, wires everywhere.

A wire for notebook battery…a wire for internet connection…a wire for cell-phone charger…a wire for headset connected to the phone…and a wire for headphones connected to notebook...

Welcome to the wired world.

Uh..oh…not exactly. Wireless technology has arrived long back. Seemed this post is tad too late.

But my consternation and concern remains the same.

All this technology around us makes our lives simpler or makes it rather more complex? Aren’t we too dependent on it? Don’t we act like slaves of it, if it happens to crash even for a moment?

Screw.

I got to clean this mess up, make my bed and sleep for a while, before the alarm goes off in the cell phone.

Soul Searching

It happens at times that you encounter a face and that face changes your thinking, at least for a time being and urges you to give little more that usual thought to the issues pertaining to life, its reality, its purpose and life’s other unsolved mysteries.

While shuttling between my work and home I cover a long stretch between Delhi and Gurgaon and the stretch is full of traffic junctures, busy markets and cross roads. More than often I see faces that are capable of making me go on a soul searching.

This morning I had such an encounter.

An old man in his late 60s or may be 70s; with his basket in which he had some 3 dozens of bananas to sell, barefooted, he was sitting on his pair of worn-out canvas shoes to save his already soiled dhoti, probably the only dhoti, and a ganji.

In a country like India, where poor and poverty isn’t scarce, it’s quite a usual sight. But there was something about that face. It was a weary face. Time had left many marks on it and it was visible. It invoked pity.

A quick calculation told me that after selling all his bananas, he may earn some 15 or 20 bucks and that money would get him his day’s meal.

This was the face for today.

What I kept thinking in the latter part of the day was that when man was born, the nature was at its disposal. He was a free spirit. And then, man introduced money-currency-moolah; call it whatever, it meant power - the power to buy things for consumption. The greater the power, the more capable we become. And those with lesser power or no power live an insect’s life; a foot can stomp them anytime; time’s foot.

What have we done to the world.

Love gets costlier

In Delhi the fine for kissing in public has gotten to a soaring 500 bucks from mere 50. Now this once again brings the topic to fore which has been one of the most debated in the recent times. Can we have a moral police? Or more relevant, Do we need a moral police?

Somebody around me just rubbished the idea of implementing a fine on couples kissing in the public. He blatantly told me that it’s none of anyone’s business to be bothered by a couple smooching in the park, in general at a public place. He believes that the constitution of this country gives everyone a right to express oneself (read freedom to express one’s love) and no one can deny anyone this right. I humbly told him that this perhaps may prove helpful in saving families from embarrassment who become reluctant spectators to the love laced rendezvous of these neo liberals. My friend retorted, “Haven’t families kissed”. This was awful but I answered composedly, yes of course they did but in the confines of the four walls. Though I failed miserably to make him listen to me but I could get him say that he would never kiss in the park.


But the question is still unanswered. Do we need a moral police? Why would we want to play a spoil sport to these couples and interrupt in their love games?

Of course one reason possibly and suitably can be saving families from unnecessary embarrassment but that’s about it. Many of us may claim that this is just one stunt orchestrated by the authorities to deviate our attention from the real situations and problems. Some would say that its one new way to harass poor commoner and extract greater money from him. Some may even say that in a way the Talibanisation of the Indian society is tip-towing.

All this may sound correct but there is something we are missing, that parks, public places in general, were never meant to be places to indulge in carnal acts. Instead they were places to organize meetings, to take a walk, to hold a public function, to act as a platform for a decent gathering, to act as a playground for tots. So if we are changing the fundamental identity of these public places and converting them into corridors towards Red Light Areas, shouldn’t we be ready to expect the worst; many eyes staring at us, making a show out of our love and expecting us to perform more.

This is some Resume

While we were looking for a client servicing guy, for our agency, we came across this resume. And I realized how some people screw their chances of being short listed by just making a mess of their resumes.

I have omitted the personal details of this candidate just to save his ass.

Read it till last and fwd it. Its fun...and yet...it’s ironical.
---------------------------------------------------

You have received an application for the position of client servicing, operations that has matched your job posting filtration criterion.

JobsAhead Resume ID:
XXXXX

Email: xxxxxxxxx

Phone: xxxxxxxxx

Mobile: xxxxxxxx

Address:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Noida

Resume Title
Software, Hardware, EDP, Call Centre, ITES, Customer Care professional with 7.0 years of experience.
________________________________________
Total Experience 8 Years

Current Employer XXXXXXXXX

Previous Employer XXXXXXXX.

Category Software, Hardware/ EDP, Call Centre, ITES, Customer Care

Role Computer Operator/ Data Entry, Other Customer Service/ Call Center

Industry Experience Banking/ Financial Services,IT Enabled Services

Education B.Sc (Physics) MAHATMA GANDHI KASHI VIDYAPITH

Current Location Noida

Prefered Job Location Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida, Ghaziabad

________________________________________
Key Skills
flash, photoshop, corel, premier, dreamweaver, frontpage, html, dhtml, 3d max

RESUME
NAME: Mr. XXXXXXXX

FATHER'S NAME: Sri. XXXXXXX

MOTHER'S NAME: Smt. XXXXXXX

DATE OF BIRTH: 13-08-1977

SEX: Male

MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried

NATIONALITY: Indian

CORRESPONDANCE ADDRESS: XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX
Mobile: XXXXXXX

PERMANENT ADDRESS: XXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX. XXXXXXXX
Phone: XXXXXXXXXXXxxx

EMAIL ID: XXXXXXXXXXX

COMPUTER SKILL SETS:
Operating Systems Ms-Dos, ! Ms-Windows
Databases Dbase III Plus, Adv. Dbase
Extras Tally 4.5 & 5.4
Languages HTML, DHTML,
Office Packages Ms-Word, Ms-Excel, Ms-Powerpoint,
Broadband Designing Corel Draw, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe
Packages Premier, Adobe Imageready, 3D-Studio Max,
Elastic Reality, Macromedia Flash,
Macromedia Dreamweaver, Macromedia
Director, Ms-Frontpage, Gif Animator,
Sound Forge,


EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:
B.Sc.(Hons.) with 58% in 1998 from Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith Varanasi.
Intermediate with 59% in 1995 from Kamlakar Chaubey Adarsh Seva Inter
College Varanasi.

High School with 69% in 1993 from Besent Thiosofical Society Varanasi.


TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS:
Diploma in Computer Applications and Development Programming from L.C.C. in
1993.
Financial Accounting from Computer Point in 1995.

L4 Pro Broad Band Designing Course from Zed C.A. in 2001.


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES:
Two years experience in M/S XXX Press as a Computer Operator+email processor
at Varanasi

Two years teaching experience at various computer institutes at Varanasi

6 months entry level job in XXXX of XXXXX at Lanka Branch Varanasi.

Three months experience in XXXX Ltd. at Noida as a Temporary Banking
Assistant on computers

Worked in XXXXXXXXXXXXX Pvt. Ltd. as an Assistant Billing
Executive from 12-4-2004 to 31-1-2005 at Noida.

Worked in XXXXXXXXXX Pvt. Ltd. as an Assistant Billing Executive from
1-2-2005 to 3-6-2005 at New Delhi.

Working in XXXXXXXXXX as an Office Assistant from 4-6-2005 to
till date at Noida.

SALARY GOTTED:
In DFC:1.7lac/annum
In Globerian:1.1 lac/annum
In Alpha Thought:1.1 lac/annum
In H.S.B.C.:6997/-/month
In Aj Press:1800/-/month
In Zed Ca:1500/-/month

FAMILY BACKGROUND:
We are three brothers I am the middle one. My elder brother is XXXXXX who is working for XX as a XXX in Bangalore. He is 3 years older than me. My younger brother is doing some graduate courses in Bangalore. He is 6 years younger than me.
My father is working in XXXX of XXXX as banking assistant and have 2 years remaining in his retirement. My mother is a house wife and have her personal institute for teaching tailoring and other ladies works such as sewing, stitching etc.

HANDLING WORKS IN JOB:
I am doing the job of an office assistant in XXX at Noida. There I have to maintain the office as a manager for which I have to surf some net and take a look on the customer's requests such as ticket reservations of rail and air. Also I have to see the classes of some courses running in the center. Also I have to see the transfers of the moneys such as opm(other people's money) as it also includes the Western Union Money Transfer
department.

I have worked in XXXXXX. There we had to post charges in the unix based program from manually printed batches. Its really a transaction processing job in which we had to show 100% productivity and accuracy to our team leader. We were a medical billing industry in bpo sector.

Prior to XXXX I was in XXXXXXX. The company was same but that was in noida and XXXXXX is in New Delhi. XXXXXX was the U.S. company and XXXXX
is an Indian one.

Prior to XXXXXX I was in XXXX. at noida. I was on the post of Temporary Banking Assistant. There we had to work for the bank as manually and systematically. I was to maintain the TDS for the customers. I was also handling the cheque book requests and have to send the cheque books as per requests by the customers.

Prior to that I was in Varanasi and have some teaching jobs there. I taught in some computer institutes for 2 years. In which I had to taught Financial Accounting, MS-
Office, DOS, Windows, Web Designing, Multimedia, Animations. I had also designed some web sites for my institute. For examples I had designed a web site for the last world cup of cricket. It was of 5 pages. I have also designed some designs for my institue in photoshop, corel and flash. Also I had designed web sites in frontpage for my institute.

Prior to that I was in a Press media named as XX hindi daily at Varanasi. I had a post of computer operator there. I had to maintain the bills of the advertisement companies. I had to enter datas into the readymade programme in dbase there and then had to take the print outs of them. I also had to check the mails send by the uni. They send photos to the press as the news and we have to receive them and print them into the newspaper.

I also have done some entry level jobs in XXXX Of XXXXXX. In which I have to enter some ledger and manual datas into a dbase program and had to create some files in floppies for the head office. I have to do this task with high speed and full accuracy and had to show my typing power to the branch manager.

QUALITIES:
I have some great thoughts in my mind to built up some great possibilities. I want to work for a company which is made for me and which can give me all those things which I have to achieve in me. I can give100% to my employer from me and more than that also as I have the super natural tendency to work only right. The power to work only right I have been achieved from my previous experiences. I can do extra work for my employer to make my employer super happy. He can't find any type of error in my work as I am an Indian. The way I work is the way my employer wants from my work. My employer is God for me. The ambition for me is to make my India on the top of this world. I want to make all the Indians happy only.

I am a very hard worker. I am so punctual that no one can. I have some extra specialities also such as to make things possible to solve any type of problem by my way. I can fight for truth from anyone till the win. I am a well faithfull person that anybody can believe on me blindly.

If I would get an opportunity I can do everything and anything for my great country INDIA. I think that one can make this country super beautiful by his own way. I want to make this country on the top of the world. I want to show this world that India is not only a country but also a biggest power to do anything. India is the most powerfull country that no one can come around it also. This is to be understand by this entire world that India is the super natural and super special country to have some great possiblilites to achieve some super special things that no one can achieve.

In my mind there is some things that can change the entire system in just one moment. This is to remember by the whole world that my country is the most lovely and beautiful in the world. I want to work for our great powerfull personalities such as INDIRA GANDHI, RAJIV GANDHI, MAHATMA GANDHI and want to follow their rules by
my way. The works which they left for us to do that I want to complete by my way. After the freedom for which we are working is the great nation India, but now it's a time to work for the entire world and to show them that no one can beat this country
in any field by any power.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:
Having knowledge of typing on English typewriter with the speed of 35
w.p.m.

Having knowledge of Martial Arts till Yellow Belt from Okinawa Martial Arts
Academy. Also participated in a fight competition.

I had got a Gold Medal in my B.Sc.(Hons.) for Physics.

HOBBIES:
Watching Cricket, Listening Music and Watching Movies, To always work for my great nation INDIA.

Date:

Venue: XXXXXXXXXXX

Hunting Bachchan : HindustanTimes.com

While reading this story, I realized that the ethics of media hasn’t changed – the ways have changed. News hungry, or should I say scoop hungry media existed in the past too, invasion of the privacy occurred in the past too and bruteness of the media battery overshadowed the ethical concern in the past too. And what we see today are the true disciples of their masters – following the way, the masters have shown.

It’s high time, now we need some masters to teach these new age journos about respecting the personal space and not the scoop.