Monday, September 28, 2009

The Magic of Festivities..


With the dawn of the autumn West Bengal and particularly Kolkata gears up to it's festive look...three different celebrations, three different communities, the Durga puja, the Eid, and then the Deepawali, but the spirit of celebrations and the festive mood of the people does not undergo any change. There is now a perspective change in how these three festivals are celebrated specially in Kolkata and especially Durga Pujo, clearly the Biggest of all the Bong Festivals, 5 days of unreined festivities and celebrations.
Kolkata is the city in transmission, it's slowly leaving it's post colonial hangover and it's over enthusiastic celebration of intellect and entering into that rat race of the newly liberalized and slowly globalizing counterparts like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and so on. In the past five years or so numerous shopping plazas have sprouted up in the city and so has the associated umber of commercial ventures. The number of Call centers and Engineering firms and the increased avenues of income generation brought an overwhelming change in the habits and thinking pattern of the ordinary Kolkatans.
The early Kolkatan was a shy, intellectually innovative and introvert kinda guy, the new Kolkatan is raring to go, he now knows his worth and is out to squeeze every bit of his potential into making his lifestyle "happening"... and therefore as a consequence comes a change in how he celebrates.
If someone has been a witness to the celebrations of Kolkata, the reader will agree with me that our parents and gran parents viewed these celebrations as being great family occasions where long lost cousins would all gather under one roof and celebrate the essence of the occasion which were in the main strictly restricted to being religious. Though the festivals had much to do with enjoyment, still "religion" got to play a big role.
Now these have changed, first and foremost in an age of computers, the old timed pujo Holidays are a thing of past, you can always keep in touch with the big guy in Amsterdam through your Notebook, there's nothing like the old "Pujor chuti"... secondly long lost cousins aren't same anymore, they might just be your favorite Facebook pal, more closer to u than your own sibling, and "religion", ok anyone who says the word is a huge bigamist.... Nowadays the "new Kolkatan" celebrates in shopping malls, they munch on Mac chickens and KFC buckets, wear Nike and Reebok, are big on designer kurtas and choli blouses,Manish Malhotras and Shania NC are in vogue, they binge on Fosters and Colas and once in a while and if they are lucky they do still manage to go around that "happening" Pujo which attracts the sexiest "babes" and the handsome "hunks"....
The khichuri, pore bhaja, Luchi, begun bhaja routine has long been tossed up for the pizza CCD and Barista routine. Yes some still do the all night "pandal hopping" thing but how much Pandal hopping and how much beer guzzling happens is anyone's guess.
Oh and before i forget, the Mahaashtami's anjuli has become a "Ma, mashi" thing, it's just not happening enough... today is Dashmi...Devi Durga will be immersed with the hope that we'll get to see her again the year next but whether the mode of festivities change or the place of gathering, one thing is certain , the spirit will never be gone, whether one is in City Centre or in a sarbojonin Durga utsav the essence of celebration will always remain, this the the magic of festivities, atleast in Kolkata... Jai Dugga.

Monday, June 22, 2009

IPL : Boon Or Bane???

The much trumpted IPL is now being maligned as the cause for Indian team's humiliating ouster from tht T20 World Cup. Last year when the IPL debuted it was the biggest draw in entertainment which Indian media had seen in a long time.. this year theIPL 2.0, has been mired in much controversy ranging from the shift in venue to allegations of match fixing... only a ubiquitious gentleman as Mr. Lalit Modi could pull through all the allegation with that disarming smile of his!!!PHEW!!!
So, let's just pause for a moment and reflect whether IPL has been good or bad for Indian cricket... or atleast for the National Team... the IPL opponents have long been voicing their greivances first for converting a game to an entertainment and then blaming the IPL for all that's bad in the National team...the proponents of the IPL on the other hand tout the IPl as being a platform for the upcoming junior criketers who cannot get a place in the national squal to show their skills...the latest voicing his opinion on this line has been none other than our national Captain, M.S. Dhoni. True both the sides have some element of truth in their arguements but how much does the IPL 2.0 have to do with the latest performance of the national team in the recently concluded World Cup. There are many who have pointed out that the team which did not parcipate in the IPl 2.0, Pakistan, took home the cup, but how many of us remember that the Aussie players were as much absent as were the Pak players in this version of the IPL and they were one of the first team to be shown the door. Out National Coach Gary Kirsten has pointed out a very important fact in the defeat of the Indian players which some of the players themselves have been refusing to admit..."Fatigue".. if anyone has cared to notice this issue did come up in the past also when Dhoni himself had commented that the team is playing too much cricket and he and some senior players had themselves asked the BCCI to relieve them of the upcoming tour... so the issue of fatigue or stress isn't too new an issue... and another important thing that many must have noticed that the other finalist Sri Lanka has been constantly tourring... they had the Pakistan Series which was cut short by the unfortunate shooting incident just before the IPl and most of the Lankan players not only participated in the IPL but also played impressively... did Fatigue or stress not affect them... ofcourse there is much truth in Mr. Kirsten's observation that the team was fatigued and stressed out because if anyone cares to notice the IPL schedule was a pretty gruelling one... also if someone has observed the IPl foreign players this year that the differnt teams bidded for, one cannot fail to notice how many grade B players from foreign countries have been selected... most of the Australlian, South African, and New Zealand players that came this year do not play for their respective national squads... so where does the arguement go that IPL is a brilliant platform for new and upcoming Indian players... it seems IPL has become a platform for all new and upcoming players of "all nations"!!
Therefore it seems that IPL is serving less and less the aims and purposes of Cricket as a game and serving more value to the purpose of cricket as an "entertainment" .But how far is it right to solely or largely blame the IPL for the World Cup disaster?? Whatever the advantages or disadvantages of IPL may be, ultimately the result of any game depends upon the performance of the as how they played "that" particular game... and the Indians blew it off big time... the debate over IPL will continue as long as it exixts... but what counts is all those who are in the know of things and as it looks in India there are too many people who think of themselves to be in the "know of things"... should examine the real reason for the Indian team's dismal performance in the World Cup. I m just a simple blogger who loves and roots for the Men in Blue wherever they are playing and will continue to do so but there is a humble request... please do not bargain anything at the cost of our national team...cricket is much much more to us than being just a game and when the Indian Team fails to perform at such an international forum... we are heartbroken...that's it..

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Maoist threat: Civil War in Bengal

West Bengal is being torn by civil war affecting mainly parts of rural Bengal. As if the cyclone Aila didn't cause enough harm by uprooting livelihood of many hundreds and thousands of poor villagers, the civil war is uprooting the very fabric of rural life in Bengal, none of the existing political parties in West Bengal is really interested in actually adressing the Maoist problem and the price for such indifference is being paid by the poor villagers. For many years these same Maoists were being supported and were being shielded by the ruling Communist Govt. going to the extent of supplying them with arms and ammunition taken from Police arsenal & now the same ruling coalition is facing the brunt of it's faulty policies. After the recent Lok Sabha election debacle it has begun to sit up and take notice of it's disastrous policies of retaining political power at any cost.

The main opposition Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress is playing an even dangerous game.
It has long been known that Ms. Bannerjee has long wanted to take control of the West Bengal Govt and it's one of her most cherished desire to become the Chief Minister of the State, when the recent Lok Sabha Election showed that people are ready for a change, the Trinomool Congress started using the Maoists to further their political cause of replacing the ruling Left coalition. The PCPA is supported by the Trinomool Cong. and the atrocities being committed by them in the name of stopping the "Red threat" is actually to further both the Trinamool's and the Maoists' cause... it's indeed shameful and horrific to say the least. And in this political one upmanship, the poor people of rural Bengal is paying the price... they neither know the Left ideology, nor the Maoists' ideology nor do they have a clue as to what Ms. Banerjee wants. They are being killed, humiliated, raped, their houses are being set fire and their fields are being devastated... is anyone out there listening?

The so called Communists, the Maoists and Ms. Banerjee all of you who declare time and again in loud voices that they are for the "People of Bengal"... are you witnessing this silent genocide or do we need more bloodshed and tears to make you hear.

Friday, June 5, 2009

After a long long break....

I m back writing my solitary posts after a gruelling examination...I cannot say with utmost honesty that it was my best,to my embarrasment, it should have been because this was my best shot yet... and after hours of reading up the History of India, I haven't been able to do justice to my hard work nor to the subject. Perhaps this is what happens when you try too hard, it's therefore better sometimes to just leave things " to be" if u can understand what I mean.
Anyways enough of my musings with my failures... what I wanted to write about to day is this book I m currently reading, it's Possession by A.S Byatt, it's a Booker winner and it's an amazing read... It's the story of these two young Post graduate scholars going through some forgotten letters written by a famous poet to a lady, also a famous poet, whom he adored... it's the story of how their relationship blossoms and how this relationship leaves a mark on their writing. For those who have an incline towards poetry may please read this wonderful work of fiction, it leaves one feeling intellectually very satisfied.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Something inspirational

I came across these lines which really inspired me but I don't know who the author of these wonderful lines are...if any of the readers can enlighten me, it'll be great...

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeattable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To run through when chased from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest to follow the star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far.

To fight for the right without question or pause
To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will act peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To fight the unbeatable foe
To reach the unreachable star.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Jai Ho....!!!!!!

Many many congratulations to Mr. A.R. Rahman for attaining the distinction of being the only Indian to win 2 Oscars.And also heartiest congratulations to Mr. Danny Boyle and the cast and crew of Slumdog Millionaire.

It is a befitting reply to those who slammed the movie as 'Poverty porn'... it was said that all the movies which portray Indian poverty get accolades abroad...it was also said that poverty is the only thing which"sells".....to all these pessimists, either they haven't seen the movie or are far divorced from reality. As A.R Rahman said in his acceptance speech, "the film's message was one of eternal optimism".... it portrays the struggle of three orphans and their struggle for existence...yes poverty does exist in India and it is also true that all the films that have managed to cut ice with the broader audience has been on that track. But let's not take away the credits for a well made film. It is our misfortune that we haven't been able to make a film which portrays India's rich heritage and culture with equal aplomb as we have managed to depict poverty and malnutrition, though we may say in all "these films' " defense that they have essentially shown human trials and tribulations with poverty as their background which leads us to the question, why there haven't been movies which show the same human elements but in a different context.

That is because, sadly, right from the time when Mother India was nominated in the Foreign Films Category in the year 1958, poverty has been a matter of "necessary evil" for us, though now in the post liberalized India it has become a matter of "selective ignorance"... it's indeed sad to see movies still using that theme and making big bucks with the overseas audience.

But if we are to lay the blame on why the movie makers are making such movies it's the case of "pot calling the kettle black"....we have poverty and if movie makers use this background to show life's trials, who can we blame but us....for letting such gruesome poverty exist....and slamming others if they manage to portray the reality.....we turn away from it squeamishly for the sole reason because we can't face it.....so for the moment let's leave the poverty behind and rejoice in the cinematic brilliance that's "Slumdog Millioniare"...
JaiHo !!!

Image Courtesy : www.wikipedia.org

Monday, January 12, 2009

The Man In The Glass

When you get what you want in your struggle for self,
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to a mirror and look at yourself...
And see what that man has to say.
For it isn't your father, mother or wife
Whose judgement upon you must pass
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.
He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear upto the end,
And, You have passed your most dangerous,difficult test,
If the man in the glass is your friend.
You may fool the whole world down the path way of life,
And get pats on your back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears,
If you have fooled the man in the glass...

Reflection muses...

Language is the basis for recapturing experience...

- Cyhthia Selfae