Energy

What a feeling that when one feels the need for action and is raring to go. It makes one feel so elated that there is abundance of energy and opportunity to get a grip of the things around. Though thousands of things on the head, there is a feeling of being liberated. Masti ki pathshala brings me into a mood of joy and energy. "Lose control" what a wonderful feeling that is.
The reason to smile and laugh, to relax and enjoy. The joys of life which seem to have still continued but are on the verge of extinction. Gone are those days when there is nothing to do at all. All the time in the world to laze around and read something that you so wanted to. With no time situations piling up and being topped with one case over the other, this feeling of liberation is just wonderful. It is just the start one would want for any new initiative that one takes. Its something of a similar sort. Lets hope this continues for the days and the months to come. This brings the poet in me.. and so here goes.....
The sun shines bright....
Me feeling light.
Ohh, no it aint booze.....
Its just adrenaline running loose.
May this continue forever......
Especially when situations turn graver.

Kashmir.............. The crown of thorns ??

My geography class first brought me the knowledge of the crown of India - Kashmir. It was then that the lines like "Heaven on earth", "The land of Gods" made me feel that it was some place so beautiful, so peaceful that Gods resided there. The realization of the facts was sometime in secondary school when one understands and analysis the world around. The sad feel of knowing that the scenic beauty so much talked about was nothing but a thing of the past and much more far fetched an idea. It was then when I realised that the security men personified Gods and the tanks and the guns there served as the weapons for the protection of Gods.
Once a tourist hot spot, terrorism and the frequent disturbances to life there destroyed everything that existed of the paradise on earth. And to see it all and yet do nothing was something that Indian governments were used to and hence nothing could make them change this attitude. Kargil was the height of Indian complacency in the north and the so called win was nothing but just a figment of imagination for us. When one has to kick people out of our own motherland, its nothing short of shame. Nevertheless, with the government having woken up and the various changes in the sub-continent and the american "War" on terror as well on Iraq, things were quite quiet. But as if like a lull before a storm, the valley erupted again. And this time, it was not the terrorists, but the people themselves. An unintended move by the government to transfer a piece of land to some particular party causing immense bloodshed and destruction of life and property and adding to the already existing misery of the people. What good is a piece of land going to do if it is with one community or the other and how would it be more valuable than the lives lost, the man hours wasted, the tourism drained or the fruits and vegetables rotting ?? Can someone stand up from there and explain any economic sense into this entire episode. Emotions and faith see no sense it is said, but with the people of a state so divided is difficult to digest. And that too in a state that didnt have such a communal divide so wide, is really distressing and saddening.
The Prime minister to the President have called for restraint and keeping calm. But is this enough for a state so much in the clutches of terrorism and now in communalism. With nothing more to do and more and more violence all around, what do we expect of the future generations of Kashmir.
With the Pakistan flags being unfurled in parts, its more than a disgrace for us as Indians. And raises a very disturbing question: Is this the land hundreds and thousands have laid down their lives for? A request to the people there... Please sort issues amicably without disrespecting this motherland , the people (us) and the hundreds who have protected us.

A matter of cycle...

It was just the other day... that the newspaper headlines said " Musharraf bows "
Once the most powerful man in Pakistan, one who had the blessings of White House was now on the verge of impeachment or exile.
The Red country is back !!! Vladmir Putin and his troops won a victory much more than the one externally seen. The old horse is back in action. Or rather to put it apt, the bear is back in full form. And why not, its now time it went on rampage again.
So also, the other country China showcased to the world what it can do - Beijing Olympics. Once a closed nation, opened up to the world and its full media scrutiny.
Undoubtedly a full circle. Something that life is all about. And why not, it always is. "Har Kutte ka din hota hai" also seems to have stemmed out of this same concept.
And surely did the British eat their own words when Tata took over Corus or when Jaguar came to the Tata Stables. But then, when it happens so closer home, it makes you realise that we are all but indispensable. Nothing is ir-replaceable.
When you hear that the seniors are forgotten and also all those calls u made immediately, now happen when you are free.. makes one feel that there is something missing here. The connect, the feeling, something that binds. And in this materialistic world, how many would actually stop and look back. Lets not fall in the same trap...
Happy Birthday Sandy......!!!

Mis-management at its Zenith - Paradigm shift...

When you do something new, there is always this sense of adventure. So also today was one such day. Armed with everything, the day began with the long mails and tending to the various admin issues. But then life aint ending there. With the presentations for Paragana as well as M&M, the day was as tight as tight could describe. To top with it came the mis-management and the complete hopeless show put up by us, the things were surely not going to get any better. How could we have been so over confident and so complacent. We really need to pull up our socks. Check on the time when we start and how we do it. Is the setup there or not.. Some things that I have forgotten in my RCNI days. But then is the commitment still there and is there this wish to excel ? I wouldnt really know.
With the day being full of fights and decisions against decisions, we still took the right decision. But I am sure, that I surely did. And that was to stand up and decide that enough was enough and a shift was needed. Much needed change has to brought in. Else, this place would be robbed of its glitter and glam and the respect that it should get. There is an urgent need to revamp this organisation, for it would then a little too late to get into this later. More so, it is said that one should change when its possible and the most effective. If there is any time so ripe it is now.
Anyways... just hope that we end up nice and tidy.. a long way to go still..
But yea.. as a glimmer of hope, AB did get me organised on my reading habits... :) So one management taken care of. All the best team P, hope it all ends well.

Jail !!!

When I entered Nirma and the walled campus, guards, checkposts... I wondered if it was an Institute or not. But the 4 years there were wonderful. The management and the trustees seemingly more knowledgeable and more student and education oriented.

The life here seems to have drifted far away from that. With each day bringing in new issues to resolve. There is more wastage of energy in trying to undo the wrong... Where does one find time to do things one loves. Be it this or something else. It is just impossible to grow in such a scenario. Oh.. not growth in terms of new courses and more fees, I meant in terms of stature and quality.
What can a new individual do to a place that digs its own grave. How can one save this piece of ....... And now is the wonderful time when someone literally comes up to the council and asks me till when I am going to be there. How is it his business anyway. And now it really pinches, as to why are we here? What kind of education are we getting? Can we really grow and become what we wanted to be ? The wonderful corridors of college are our of bounds for the students. And why not... we are so many in number. And to do that diligently is a guard whose only job is to stop people from using the " elite " corridors reserved for the "faculty and the Top management" And thanks to that, a class that was just a min away, becomes a nice mile long walk. Ofcourse with the new corridor block, the One way and No Entry on the roads is aptly depicted on campus.

In school we wrote on topics like technology a boon or bane. But seems like this institute suddenly woke up to the fact that there should be a firewall and Lo !!! there it is, blocking every possible site on earth. Wanted to check the latest cricket scores, Sorry !! Blocked. Why ??? Sports !!! Why do u need sports in an educational institute. Sometimes, I feel like pulling my hair out. (Some answers here from the staff are really mind boggling and more so frustrating) And if u thought that plagiarism was unlawful, the IT team here surely thinks so.. Oh of course that means that e-snips is off. G-Talk was thankfully restored, for otherwise instead of these sites, the IT head would have been the next casualty. And when we talk to the IT head, pat comes the reply. "All these sites and chats add a lot of unwanted load on the server" Or were we wrong in assuming that this was centre of education. Where we were supposed to sit and discuss and interact. Facebook can no more show its face on campus. (Orkut was the victim long ago) Ironical that an Institute of this repute has to block off sites which are related to sports, movies, and much more. There is simply nothing more disastrous than this to ward off people from the campus. Of course if that is the case, so that more of them can be added in the new courses that have been started, it would be a different case altogether.
As if to add to all this is the wonderful rule of the library closing down at 12. Oh yes as mentioned earlier, it is an hours grace.. Oh thank you so much sir !!!. I had thought of a B School where life exists 24x7. Why should it not, it is supposed to be so. MBA is supposed to be all about interaction and a lot more of it. But here, how can one interact forget studying. Its simply impossible to get this into the heads of the s...... out here. Its sad that such things arent seen in the same light as the more educated and the needy lot. Many many different versions and excuses doing the rounds, but nothing that can really support the decisions taken. Be it security or whatever, there has to be a justifiable reason.
As if an icing on the cake, in the 15 min break that you get, a tea at the kitli outside is also time wasting. The gate of entry and exit are also marked. And why not, with all this pain, why should we be allowed to bear a little more. And so there goes the tea. With the new canteen also allowing the other students to sit and enjoy themselves, we are left with more so no space to have food or tea. Some way to diet aint it. Heavens !!! or rather HELL !! is all one can say, keeping in mind the latest that is happening on this place. What are they doing to this place..........??? If one problem was taken care of, there are 5 more created and by the management only, such that we are all bound and stuck in quicksand.
Parampara, done with a lot less of hooting et al, was still deemed as one of the worst student events, the fresher's party not having the permission for the girl's late entry... and a lot more. Is it not something really discerning. And I feel, why am I wasting my time thinking and trying to solve these?

And someone said that the alumni here didnt bother about the Institute. I would say.. " why should they?" There is nothing nice that I am going to remember except for the times that I have spent in this place with my buddies. Where is that connect? Where is that feeling of self gone? Would it ever come to me? Somewhere in this race of money and more money, this institute has lost all its sheen, its caliber, its worth and status. Just hope, they realise before its a tad too late....

Sigh... till then we just have to live with hope that this place may become something better than .. jail.. !!!

Ghoshtly - Campus !!!

Movie/Person/Character/Event what does it actually refer to............ a lot of things and meaning a lot deeper.

Oh why not !!! This is another trailer. Of the things to come at the end. As if the inflation and the interest rates hike weren't enough, here he is to scare everyone away. What is the basic motive is then the next question. An institute which pays for the services rendered should then technically show the door, shouldnt it.
But then, in these difficult days of the teaching profession no more being a profession, what do we do with more and more students to teach each year.
Or is there some other angle to this very story ? Of course the money would continue with many more being left behind each year. And the risk of this asset is self controlled. These are confirmed cash flows, so why not propagate this idea. A wonderful value proposition, which cannot be solved even if you study for 4 days in a row with nothing else to do or even if you are the person in self. Not to forget the compulsory sessions which simply make no sense (are not meant to, is it ?) And why shouldn't we miss these, so that the person in need can comment and take a trip at wish. Oh whims and fancies get a new follower (rather an old patron repeating the practice.)

This title also refers to something that this vibrant campus becomes, as the clock strikes 12. Oh yes, now its an hour of grace. One more hour added to the increasing Reliance Electricity bill for the library. Cost cutting to security all are the excuses that have been so far floated. Head to the super head to the super super head, all have been scratching their heads and trying to reason out the simple request. Why ?? (How I wish I could comprehend). As Einstein had failed some 10,000 ways, so also one needs to ask as to how many times do we have to try and fail before we succeed in convincing " the gujju" management that the lib aint a method to thin down the energy bill, but one which would lead this institute to be much better and the trustees much fatter.
So what are they trying to make this campus into ?? Or... is the word campus incorrect now on.. ? Sigh....

The tradition shall continue.... !!!

Tradition: (trə-dĭsh'ən) n. 1. The passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation, especially by oral communication.

2. A mode of thought or behavior followed by a people continuously from generation to generation; a custom or usage.

3. A set of such customs and usages viewed as a coherent body of precedents influencing the present: followed family tradition in dress and manners. See synonyms at heritage.

The tradition or Parampara as one may aptly call in India, is exactly all of this. One batch came, experienced and passed it on to the next and so continued the chain of events though, getting a tad better (depends on whose side you are on) each time.
Why should this year be any different ? is what one senior remarked ?? Correctly so perhaps..
And what could be different? What of the tradition of the juniors having to hold their nerve and face the music even without the mikes, dance when the music is not the one they jived on.

What would the alumni remark on seeing the characters come and perform on stage without any disruption? Any answer for those innumerable vocal cords which became hoarse trying to sing without the mike? For those lectures and juhu beach visits that have been sacrificed for this eventful(fateful) day. It would be sad to deny those souls some peace which never were allowed on stage.
Oh No !!! there is no reason to feel any revengeful act here, it is plain and simple - Tradition - 'Parampara'. Something that would continue for the years to come (Or we would have made history - being the last organizers of Parampara !!!).
The department of memories wouldnt have been so loaded had it not been for the wonderful manner of the conduct of the event. Undoubtedly these days are etched in the minds of one and all for the years to come. Some reason to smile is it ??? Why not, ofcourse it is.. ask those who have never had more fun than, in those days of practice, those moments to see your crush practice, talk and chit chat till the end of the day. Practice till you would drop dead, or rather get firing from those blood sucking seniors. Not to forget the auditions and much more. And well as if it were not enough, to be treated twice... :):)
And,as if were not enough, came the fresher's party and the official welcome leading straight out of RockBottom. And, an honour to welcome the wonderful new batch, one that comes with a lot more promise and hope.

And as I sign out, the prophecy still remains " U want it, go get it. There is simply no looking back" With this in mind, am sure " The tradition SHALL continue"