Monday, June 20, 2011

Lokpal Bill - Nothing Guaranteed!

There is a lot of chaos everywhere regarding the Lokpal Bill, eradicate corruption, Anna Hazare going on Hunger Strike, Baba Ramdev duplicating the same. But are we even sure about the problem? Is the Lokpal Bill the sole point of focus or should corruption be targeted? A Lokpal Bill if passed may slow the rate of social decay in the short run, but in the long run it too must become a prey of ‘corruption’.

Clearly the common man is confused. I didn’t know about the Lokpal Bill before Anna Da went on the hunger strike and I am sure there are many like me out there. But what we all must think is what the need of the country is at this hour? It is definitely not eradicating corruption. It is much more than that. We are beholding the inexistence of character so we must build character and corruption will automatically evaporate.

But then again, it all sounds very philosophical and nowhere near practicality. Anna Da did and is still doing the best he can but can one man really accomplish? It’s not the British era. We are talking about the 21st century where unity is lost. It's not that eon where everyone will overlook everything and get united to accomplish a goal. Now, everyone is a single individual with his own needs and wants. We first figure how it will benefit us. And if we even minutely sense that it might cause some hitch, we now very well to stay out of it.

Whatever happens, in the end, Honesty should win and not allegations!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Ramdev Baba Is No Anna Hazare!

So now we have a new fashion in town…Hunger Strike! Fantastic! What else do we need? Anna Hazare went on a hunger strike to knock out corruption from the country. I don’t know what will happen to that eventually but the others have definitely got something new to do now. Confused? Don’t be. It’s simple. We Indians have the herd mentality. We do what everyone else does. Anna Hazare did Ann shann to wipe out corruption so now even Baba Ramdev joined the league!

What is the de facto? Why is he doing it? Is he really vexed about the corruption in the country? Or are there any personal gains behind it? What Anna Hazare did was different and what this guy is doing is not even close. Anna Hazare did not ask anyone to follow him. He was a frustrated stupid common man who lost his patience and decided to take a step forward. He only said what he wanted to do and went ahead with it and got the entire India supporting him. The common man was with him. He did not ask anyone personally to support him for the cause. Nor did he have any followers. He is a simple man who has all the simplicity - you name it. He have it and who genuinely wants to bring about the ‘change’! People just followed him, from big personalities and celebrities to the simple (read: stupid) common man.

But the case with Baba Ramdev is incomparable. His followers are his patients, who do his yoga. They too are innocent people and somewhere down the line are discontented. And ok even if we assume that his intentions are pure, then why was he running dress like a woman, jumping and hiding in the crowd to hide himself? So comparing him with Anna Hazare would be inappropriate.

There are a lot of other problems in this country like unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, female infanticide, and so many more. Look into that. If you really want to do something then do it to get rid all these problems also. Why is everyone behind corruption? Or are we waiting for another Anna Hazare to stand against the other problems and then we all will follow him (the herd mentality)!

What have we done as individuals? I agree not everyone is Anna Hazare and I am not even asking everyone to get up and go on hunger strike or any such strike. But do we even do the simple things which are in our hands? I have noticed so many times while commuting, people eat chips and wada pau’s and then throw the trash out of the window. Why? How hard is it to throw it in the dustbin? Why do we spit on the roads? Those roads are built from the taxes that we pay. Don’t we know that? How comfortably we spoil our own property. The bottom line is, it’s not about who has done what. It’s about what have you done? We all have become pessimists. All we do is criticize the system and point fingers at others. Anyone can do that. We are building hatred and in the long run, we all will drown in this hatred.

We are Indians! We are the biggest democracy in the world. We were the ones who united and kicked the British out of our house. We had Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Sing, Indira Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who were born here and who brought a change. I know I am stating nothing new here but even though we have read all this a hundred times, we still haven’t got it fixed in our heads. The eyes do the reading but then it vanishes from there itself. I wonder if it ever touched our hearts.

Ever wished you would have done something, but didn't? Something you wanted to do, perhaps even needed to do; but for one reason or no reason at all, you just never did. We all have. And many of us still do. Instead of doing, we don't. And a lifetime of missed opportunities passes us by.

What's the deal here? What makes us frequently turn our backs on the very things that are important to us, things that give our lives meaning and purpose? Why do we needlessly allow so many magical moments to silently slip away?

Why do we leave a trail littered with broken promises and unfulfilled dreams instead of just doing what needs to be done?

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The Best Ever CRUNCH !!!

So finally I’ve got myself again to sit and write something. Not that I dislike writing. It’s just that sometimes I have a lot to say but just don’t have the words. Just like my last internship at Network 18 (in.com). I was lucky enough to get an internship at in.com for MTV Crunch. I know it was over long back. But then you know it’s never too late.

It’s been almost a week I left that office where I had the best time ever. I admit that working for crunch.in.com as a live blogger was the best internship ever. I learnt so much, made so many new buddies…in short it was just superb!

It all started with a call I got from the HR of Network 18 during my study leave. That time I was already interning with a PR firm and so I showed no interest in the opportunity he was offering me. But a big big biggg thanks to him, because had he not forced me to come for the interview, I wouldn’t have cared at all.

So next day I went to Network 18 with my friend, hoping it would be a simple interview where he would ask me about my future plans and that would be it. But how wrong I was! It turned out to be completely opposite to what I had expected. The moment I entered the office I was astounded! It was just like one of those offices you see in those daily soaps. Just the kind of office I always wanted to work in. And suddenly I was tensed and nervous, because I knew that getting into an organization like this is never going to be easy.

And I was right! The HR (Vinod) came and he took me in for a chat. He asked general stuff like my exams, future plans. He asked if saw the site and all. It was relaxed and cool. Then he gave me the actual jhatka where he told me that I will be required to give a 45 minutes test, based on which they will decide whether I fit the bill or no. I was all nervous and panicking but then it passed. And frankly speaking, the moment I finished it, I somehow knew that I haven’t made it. I was like that person who has no more hopes in life and whose life has ended. (Very dramatic, right?)

Exams ended and I got back to my internship at the PR firm. But I had lost all interest. Now if you show a person dairy milk silk which he could get but then give him mango bite, that person is surely not gonna like it. After a long week, one evening I got a call. By then I had given up all hopes. But as they say, “great things happen when you least expect them”. The call was from Network 18 and they told me that I was selected! My immediate reaction was “Really??!! Yippppeeeeeeeee! I was on top of the world. My immediate reaction was to call my mom and gave her the fantastic news. My mom always told me that I would get it. Somewhere down the line she was sure about it. And her magic worked this time also! I love her so much. It’s like whatever she says it happens! Period!

I was just way too excited about it. The first day when I entered the office I was all energetic. Usually, I am nervous and not so excited but this was something totally different. From the beginning it was different. On the first day I met all my team members and in the blink of an eye, we were all talking and laughing. Then within 2 days we had started with our training session.

And hence, the journey started…from live blogging, to those short coffee breaks, to the team lunches. Everything was just mesmerizing. I loved every bit of it. I used to love going to office. I had friends there, the seniors were super cool, and every single bit of it was crazy!

It was indeed the best ever internship and I certainly miss it. Once again, thanks to Smruti for showing confidence in me and Aditi, my team leader who helped me improve a lot. I will miss all of you.