From spoit brats to 'Lil babies'!

"Ninth grader from plush Santacruz school stole from parents; school refrains from stern action; asks him, parents, to go for counselling... We've heard of cases of students flaunting their wealth in school. But, in a case that attracted eyeballs from everyone at the Lilavatibai Podar Senior Secondary School in Santacruz, a 14-year-old student from Std IX was found with a sizeable wad of cash that he had stolen from his father's vault." (Read full story)
This is an excerpt of a shocking news item that I found in a leading Indian newspaper.
To what extent do kids go to these days to flaunt their wealth and status? A dangerous trend described by psychologists, urban kids these days have become extremely 'class-conscious'! My mother works in a popular school run by bureaucrats and IAS officers in the Capital. She narrates stories of how students misbehave with teachers in the school, throw 'starry' tantrums and how rich mommies come running to school because their 'li'l baby' (a ninth standard hulk) was 'hurt' emotionally by his teacher. Little knowing about their 'baby' ka karnamas (breaking window panes, bulbs in the classroom with footballs, bursting firecrackers in washrooms and bullying the younger/weaker kids). Initially it all looked so filmy to me. But then a greater reality dawned on me - busy and rich parents pampering their children - buying them expensive gifts and giving 'too much attention' to their 'babies'. Never mind! I am proud that my mum - in spite of 'rich' mommy complaints, does'nt 'give in' to these tantrums. Instead she gives them the entire 'report' of their rich n spoilt brats - not giving them a chance to justify their deeds.
Just because they pay higher fees, does'nt give them license to do as they please or misbehave with teachers. I now realise the importance of our old teachers' maxim: 'Spare the rod and spoil the child'!

Epitaph for my lost mobile

An epitaph for my lost mobile 3100: You came into my life when I needed you the most! You recorded the best and worst moments of my life (in photographs). You were the one who helped me talk to my my friend, philosopher and guide! I shall remember you ALWAYZ..I just wish u happiness wherever you are....ALVIDA! :D
Anyone who wants to pay last tributes to my 'late' cell can do so...right here!

Ad-filmmaker Prasoon Joshi expresses his grief...

Is baar nahin
Is baar jab woh choti si bachchi mere paas apni kharonch le kar aayegi
Main usey phoo phoo kar nahin behlaoonga
Panapney doonga uski tees ko
Is baar nahin
Is baar jab main chehron par dard likha dekhoonga
Nahin gaoonga geet peeda bhula dene wale
Dard ko risney doonga,
utarney doonga andar gehreyIs baar nahin
Is baar main na marham lagaoonga
Na hi uthaoonga rui ke phahey
Aur na hi kahoonga ki tum aankein band karlo, garden udhar kar lo main dawa lagata hoon
Dekhney doonga sabko hum sabko khuley nangey ghaav
Is baar nahin
Is baar jab uljhaney dekhoonga,chatpatahat dekhoonga
Nahin daudoonga uljhee door lapetney
Uljhaney doonga jab tak ulajh sake
Is baar nahinIs baar karm ka hawala de kar nahin uthaoonga auzaarNahin karoonga phir se ek nayee shuruaat
Nahin banoonga misaal ek karmyogi ki
Nahin aaney doonga zindagi ko aasani se patri par
Utarney doonga usey keechad main,tedhey medhey raston pe
Nahin sookhney doonga deewaron par laga khoon
Halka nahin padney doonga uska rang
Is baar nahin banney doonga usey itna laachaar
Ki paan ki peek aur khoon ka fark hi khatm ho jaye
Is baar nahin
Is baar ghawon ko dekhna hai Gaur se
Thoda lambe wakt tak Kuch faisley
Aur uskey baad hausley
Kahin toh shuruat karni hi hogiIs baar yahi tay kiya hai

Mumbai attacks: A msg for the terrorists!

Dear friends across India and the world,
We're all feeling the shock of the awful attacks in Mumbai. All our hearts go out to the victims and their families. The attacks were aimed at our people, our prosperity and our peace. But their top target was something else: our unity. If these attacks cause us to turn on each other in hatred and conflict, the terrorists will have won. They know that hatred and chaos feed on division. As radical extremists, their only hope of winning is by turning the rest of us against each other. Let's deny them that victory. We're launching a message to extremists on all sides and all our political leaders, one that will soon be published in newspapers across India and Pakistan. The message is that these tactics have failed, that we're more united than ever, united in our love and support to each other, determined to work together against terror and call on our leaders to do the same. If millions of people sign it, our message will be unmistakable, click below to sign it and please forward this email widely:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/india_undivided/98.php/?cl_tf_sign=1
It's time to speak out, let's do it together.

Thanks,
Venkat Ananth

Mumbai attacks: A msg for the terrorists!

Dear friends across India and the world,
We're all feeling the shock of the awful attacks in Mumbai. All our hearts go out to the victims and their families. The attacks were aimed at our people, our prosperity and our peace. But their top target was something else: our unity. If these attacks cause us to turn on each other in hatred and conflict, the terrorists will have won. They know that hatred and chaos feed on division. As radical extremists, their only hope of winning is by turning the rest of us against each other. Let's deny them that victory. We're launching a message to extremists on all sides and all our political leaders, one that will soon be published in newspapers across India and Pakistan. The message is that these tactics have failed, that we're more united than ever, united in our love and support to each other, determined to work together against terror and call on our leaders to do the same. If millions of people sign it, our message will be unmistakable, click below to sign it and please forward this email widely:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/india_undivided/98.php/?cl_tf_sign=1
It's time to speak out, let's do it together.

Thanks,
Venkat Ananth

Mumbai attacks: 'An eye for an eye'

An 'eye-for-eye' seems to be the refrain of terrorists these days... They seem to be having a go at every other city in India... (experimenting, I suppose!)... The chronology is completing itself in an alphabetical order too: Ahmedabad, Assam, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Guwahati, Kolkata, Mumbai... and this list continues.
Even as I am writing this blog, fresh firing and explosions can be heard at the Trident and Oberoi in Mumbai. The Taj Hotel, Mumbai's oldest hotel, is slowly getting destroyed by terrorists who have lost their humanity and are fanatic robots following orders of emotion-less 'terrorists'!
Apart from terrorists bombing our country, our own TV channels seem to be no less in sensationalising the terror attacks across the nation. They keep bombarding and raising the heckles of the public with their striking headlines! India TV even went, rather stooped to the extent of airing an interview with an atankwadi who belonged to a terror group called Deccan Mujahideen. In the history of Indian television, no terrorist has directly spoken to a channel...then why choose India TV...The questions asked were as follows: (As if terrorists care about India TV, huh!):
India TV: Aap kitne log hain Taj mein?
Aatankwadi: Hum kyun bataye hum kitne log hain
Interviewer: Dekhiye, agar aap sab bol rahe hain ki is waqt aap Taj mein hain, toh hum jaanna to chahenge hi...
Aatankwadi: Achcha, hum saat log hain
Interviewer: Ab bataiye ki aap kyun yahan par aaye hain? Aap yahan kyun aatank macha rahe hain?
Aatankwadi: Hum bas hum par (musalmanon) par ho rahe atyacharon ka badla le rahe hain!
Before the interviewer could start asking any further questions, the 'aatankwadi' hung up on him...
The media has made a circus of the entire gun firing and encounter - it looks more like the T20 match where the commentator updates us ball-by-ball about how many wickets are gone! Ironically, this time it is innocent people holed up in the hotels...what have they done? and a news anchor constantly shouting out into the mike about how many terrorists have taken ppl hostage! To top it all, idiotic politicians criticising the government and their policies and indulging in mud-slinging.
I am actually numbed about the fact that Mumbai and India in general has become so vulnerable that anyone could attack it from anywhere - sea/road/rail/even air!
Anger seeps in when I find politicians hogging all limelight just at a time when the NSG and Army and all the armed forces are uniting to save the hostages...
We talk about voting for the right government, but where is that 'right' person! Whichever govt comes, India is always attacked. Why can't our politicians think beyond votebanks and for once help create one federal body, and try and work out stern measures to root out terrorism from India! The very fact that terrorists attack only India and Pakistan (in South Asia) (looking back at statistics, I come to the conclusion that China, Korea and Japan have remained unscathed), shows that we are totally TFGs (taken for granted). Our Govt has been so soft on terror and terrorists that external elements now feel it is their birthright to attack us left, right and centre! All I want is that arrested terrorists must be given capital punishment so the next time they come attacking here, they will think twice!
People often poke fun at me being proud of being a Mumbaiikar - but so wat? I cannot stop caring for a city and its people even if am not living there...My birth city has given me my identity, afterall! So, I would also want as a citizen of India, to ask the Government to become more responsible and help uphold the nation's pride! For now, Jai Mumbai, Jai Maharashtra!

Driving away mid-week blues with Shafqat Amanat Ali

Read my interview at: 

https://smallscreenaddict.blogspot.com/2021/03/i-can-connect-to-god-through-sufi.html

https://www.hindustantimes.com/music/i-can-connect-to-god-through-sufi/story-wtIgpMthH4Qh47zOVGUZbM.html
 

Sufi music has been popular with people who liked soft music while going on long drives. 

It has remained an all-time favourite of people especially after NDTV Imagine's programme Junoon: Kuchh kar dikhane ka. 

Of late, a genre called Sufi rock has taken birth. Pakistani, as well as Indian bands, are popularising it. 

Be it Jal, Strings, Abida Parveen, Allan Fakir, Kailash Kher, Rabbi Shergill or the latest Sufi sensation Shafqat Amanat Ali - Ustad Amanat Ali's son - all share one common factor in them - they all specialise in this genre. Shafqat Amanat Ali's Sufi rock cured me of all my day's blues on a rainy Wednesday evening. 

Braving heavy showers, like other Sufi lovers, I too managed to reach Siri Fort well in time for the concert. 

Let me confess this was my first live Sufi concert and probably my dream one, too! I had butterflies in my stomach as I took my place in the packed auditorium. The concert kicked off with an introduction to Shafqat and the launch of his latest album Tabeer. 

As the hall became dark, Shafqat with his band Fuzon, belted out my favourite numbers Mora Sayyan (Khamaj), Yeh Haunsla (Dor), and all songs from his latest album. Shafqat even went to the audience and invited three people from the audience who sang 'Yeh Haunsla' with him on the stage. He was also the voice, which enthralled listeners with 'Mitwa' from the movie Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. His album Tabeer was launched by Music Today through a three-city launch tour, in New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. 

One identifiable feature about his voice is that when he speaks on the mike, its barely audible, but at the same time, you would be shocked at the pitch that he sings in. After the formal launch of his new album, he transported the audience from the real world to his own world - the world of music. 

For two hours, we remained entranced as the music ebbed and flowed from soft numbers like Teray Bina, Khairheyan de naal, Mora sayyan, Ankhon ke sagar, naina to fast-paced rock numbers like Dum-ali-dum-ali.