Thursday, June 28, 2007

WE MISS YOU


WE DON'T WANT U

Prathibha......who?

I hate politics. I hate politicians. But i always end up writing just about that. Because, someway or other, their foolish decisions affects us[mostly badly]. The latest political game being vigorously played out now will rob us of one of the most illustrious persons to have adorned India's presidentship. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is a man whom all indians[except politicians] love, irrespective of age. He's the 'Father of modern India', a man whom we all see almost on par with the great Mahatma. A man who redefined India's standing as a technologically innovative nation. A scientist par excellence. Above all, a down to earth human being who saw himself as one among us despite being the nations' first citizen. His inspiring words and deeds have fuelled a whole generation to follow in his footsteps and serve their own motherland rather than sweat it out for foreigners. He taught us all to dream and exhorted us to reach for our dreams. He din't care about his own security as he reached out to the common man. He set an example worldwide with his inspiring words and made the whole world to look at our country with envy for having such an enlightened soul as the leader. His speeches, most notably the recent one at Europian union, are classified as the best ever to be spoken by a world leader. Yet, unfortunately, India's famed political leaders find this great man unsuitable to be India's president for a second term.

All the politicians were competing with each other in blaming Abdul Kalam for expressing his desire for a second tenure. We had GuruDas Dasgupta calling him ''a gimmick'' and asking ''what has he done for the country''. May I ask this revered communist leader, ''Have you ever spilled a drop of sweat for your motherland? Have you done anything other than using up all your saliva in crticising anything and everything?'' Then we had Sharad Pawar, the man who made a mockery of BCCI with his political games telling Kalam. ''Your game is over'' . Is this the way you talk to one of the most respected elder statesmen we ever had? Maybe, this is the Pawar culture, since he doesn't know what the word 'respect' means. Last but not the least, we had India's official buffoon Laloo Prasad Ji[I respect him for what he did with the Railways], giving a piece of advice to Kalam, ''You should quit gracefully''. I can't help laughing at the irony of it all. Here is a man who's still going strong after a string of multicrore scams alleged against him and he's advicing the purest soul to have adorned India's highest post to quit gracefully. I can't understand what's the wrong thing in he wanting to run for a second term. He's actually making himself available to serve the country. His critics[politicians] speak as if he's a culprit in some big scam. Shame on all of you for this unbecoming behaviour. How can we forget so fast all the great service he has done for the nation?

And what we get in his place? Pratibha Patil, a lame lady who looks not even good enough for the post of panchayat president. It makes my head to bow down in shame to think that this woman is going to represent India worldwide. Whats this big deal about woman empowerment, i can't understand. Presidentship is not the kind of post where you make experiments on empowering woman. It requires a person of great stature, who has proved his/her credentials. We shouldn't be nominating some unknown lady all of a sudden to become the president of India. There are so many other ways to empower woman, by setting up woman co-operatives and giving them special training. By giving the post of presidentship to this woman, we won't be progressing even a single step in woman empowerment. Rather, her blunders will eventually make everyone to believe that a woman is incapable for this post. Mind you, she's no Indira Gandhi. She's just a puppet in the hands of the worthless foreign lady, Sonia Gandhi. The image of Sonia tugging her hand and leading her to a press conference reminded me of a little kid being taken to school by her mother. Pratibha's own words, ''I am not a rubber stamp'' confirms the fact that she herself has a feeling that she's a rubber stamp. Already, all the filthy politicians are happy to lick Sonia'a feet. Pratibha is one more addition to the growing list of Sonia'a shameless sycophants. Our Prime Minister Mr.Mamohan Singh is a highly efficient man who could've become a great leader. But he too is a puppet of Sonia.


Already, there are many many allegations surfacing against Pratibha. You can dismiss some of them as the opposition's way of tarnishing her image. But you can't dismiss all. A woman who claims to have talked with ghosts is not at all suitable to lead a nation. Then there's this story of the woman's co-operative bank founded by her. A woman's co- operative is supposed to give loans only to woman. This institution is meant for the so called 'woman empowerment'. But most of the loans that were given was to men, mostly from prathibha's own family. Now, we can call that 'man empowerment'. Atlast the bank shut shop some years back and still owes a lot of money. Then, the other story of the sugar factory, of which she was a co- founder, owing a lot of money to some banks. Lastly, the report on her brother's being murderers and prathibha trying to protect them. You cannot turn a blind eye to all of these and tell its all baseless. Atleast, one of these charges should be having something behind it. No one would build up such stories from scratch. Do we actually need such a person to lead our nation, just for the sake of this divine stuff called 'woman empowerment'? Despite all this Mr.Manmohan Singh was eager yesterday to dismiss all these as nothing more than 'mudslinging'. And when asked about some ministers from his cabinet talking irreverently to Abdul Kalam, he was quick to point out the 'context' and defend the ministers. So, according to him its ok to talk any rubbish about India's greatest scientist and best president till date. But we shouldn't utter a word about a president cadidate who's yet to prove her credentials. Isn't it the right of every Indian citizen to know the background of the person who's going to be the president of the country? Another thing is that we still haven't heard Prathibha opening her mouth to comment on any of this. She got the whole congress party to speak for her. Maybe, they know that if she opens her mouth, she'll utter another blunder like the now famous 'veil' comment.

The union minister P.R.Dasmunshi went as far as to request the opposition candidate Mr.Shekhawat to step down from the election and thus pave way for India's first woman president.If electing a woman is so important, why dont you look at some really popular female social activists like Medha Patkar? That wont happen because they wont be ready to lick sonia's feet or toe the congress line. Its really a bad state of affairs that a foreign lady of not much credentials to speak of, is taking India' most important decisions. The Gandhi family is leading this country to doom. The whole political community in India are the exclusive sychophants of this family. And now because of them, we've lost a great man at the helm. We'll miss you dear Abdul Kalam Ji...The morons in Indian politics doesn't know your worth. How I wish the people had the power to vote the president. You would have won hands down. Now, Lord save India from the hands of the loan defaulter, corrupt and sister of a murderer, Pratibha, the new president of India....

adieu to our beloved president Kalamji,

your crusaderr, Praveen

Friday, June 22, 2007


Save my skull from Hel(l)met

The spirit lifting feeling of the wind in the hair is no more. The days of the spirit dampner called
Hel(l)met are here again. I've always loved that amazing feeling of the wind crashing on my hair as I rode the bike at top speed. Now its really sad to know that I cant enjoy it anymore if i dont get a highway in my backyard. After many days of waiting in vain with the hope of the government becoming lenient on the helmet rule, today I gave in to the pressure from parents and brought a helmet. The guy at the shop was telling that this is the only shop selling original helmets and showed me the ISI mark. Then itself I was convinced that this is surely a duplicate one. But who cares. Afterall, this is just to fill up the money thirsty eyes of the police. My first expereince today of wearing this was almost like hell to say the least. It kinda suffocated me and I tried hard to breath in some fresh air. Within 5 minutes, my head was paining. Back home, after I removed it and touched my head, it was like a hot oven. I guess this helmet's gonna contribute its own share in my already high rate of hair falling. Hope you will all see the full bald crusader in an year if this rule is not cancelled soon.

Everytime the helmet company's market profits dip, the courts put out an order making it compulsory for the poor biker to carry the heavy load on his head. And he has to shell out anything in the range of Rs. 750- 1500 to get this thing. This time the court took up the matter considering a petition filed by a man who lost his son in a bike accident. But its no secret that some helmet companies were behind the courtreprimanding the government for not enforcing the helmet law compulsarily. It should be left to the individual to decide whether he/she wants to wear a helmet or not. There are many who find it really uncomfortable to ride a bike and thus end up in accidents just because of this. Wearing the helmet, your head might be protected. But what if a lorry driven by a drunken driver hits you. The head gear's surely not gonna save you. For that, we need to enforce strict laws against drunken driving. We also need to control the flow of liquor. Kerala is known as a state which consumes the maximum quantity of liquor in India. All this in a state which is pretty small compared to many other states in India. Most of the accidents happen due to drunken driving.

No one rides a bike with the aim of banging his head on the road and dying. We all know how to drive safely. And the city roads are not like some formula one or motogp circuit. Coupled with the potholed roads, the heavy traffic makes it difficult for even to reach a speed of 50 kmph. Helmets are good if we are riding at 100kmph in 6 lane superhighways. But not in the narrow poorly maintained roads of the state. Another problem is carrying this thing everywhere you go. Its not possible to take this thing with me when i go for jogging at the museum. And given my luck with the traffic police, that would be exactly the time when they stop me on the road and make me pay 100 bucks for violating the rule. Last time the rule was made compulsory, the policemen went into overdrive and once famously threw down a biker with a lathi for not wearing helmet. Today, I brought the helmet only because my parents still remember that story very well. Hope the government cancells the order soon. Until then, its life on the road with the HEL(L)MET.

pic courtesy - comstockcreations

with a pain in the head,
your crusader Praveen

Sunday, June 10, 2007


TajMahal, celebrities and some votes
Many of us are really proud to say that we dont vote in the general elections in our country. They are right to some extent given that its more of taking a choice between the devil and the deep sea. So, for all of us who hate to vote and all of us who love to vote[includes me], here's a chance atlast, a poll which is worth the time you spent voting. Yes, its the most talked about poll and least cared about poll[going by the number of votes the Indian candidate got] right now in India. Its the poll to choose the new seven wonders and yes, our very own Taj Mahal is competing. But the sad part is that the great monument of love is now in the 10th position and if it is to make it to the final list, it should reach atleast 6th position. This is because the pyramids of Giza is already in the final list as it is one of the ancient 7 wonders.


A.R.Rahman's Taj Anthem video


Its great to see that a wonderful personality is promoting the cause of Taj Mahal. As always, A.R.Rahman is singing for a cause. Its sad that no other celebrity talks about it. We are a nation having as many celebrities as there are poor people. Cricketers, filmstars, artists, musicians, writers...celebrities are there in every field and we do see them regularly in cola ads, fashion ramps and even if u miss both, they are there in page 3. Sorry, these days i feel like page 3 has shifted to page 1, going by the coverage celebrity news gets on the mainstream media. Abhi- Ash wedding is the next best thing that happened in India after Independence in 1947. History repeats every 60 years if the media is to be believed. Year 2007..Ash weds Abhi..enough fodder for media to blabber all through the year. Engagement, baaraat, party at the house, marriage, reception, honeymoon...everything is on tv. hope in the coming months, there will be an adult movie in the news channels featuring Ash and abhi live in action. Then, after one year its 'cradle of filth' time as abhi/ash junior arrives on tv. 3 years later, daddy daycare featuring Rajdeep sardesai.But, now its time for another discussion. Will this marriage last that long considering
Ash's habit of changing partners with every changing season...let them debate to hell....

Lets listen to Rahman singing ''ek mohabbat''. He sings the anthem with so much passion. The words, co-written by him reflects religious harmony and the power of love. This is his bit of promoting the cause. If such a busy person as Rahman can spent so much time writing, composing and acting in a song for TajMahal, why can't the normal Indian spent 5 minutes voting for the Taj. Afterall, its India's greatest architectural wonder. Its worthwhile voting for these pieces of white marble stones than wasting your vote on living dreadful creatures who eat into our country's coffers. But sadly only 4 percent of us have voted for it now. And now its in 10th place. It should reach up atleast till 6th place to secure a place in the final list. Please vote for it...Lets make our country proud...

And an important thing, DON'T VOTE for
1) Acropolis 2) Chichen Itza 3) Colosseum 4) Eiffel Tower
5) Great Wall 6) Machu Picchu 7) Petra 8) Statues of Easter Island
and 9) Statue of Christ Redeemer

as these are currently ahead of the Taj Mahal. As u have to select 7 to vote, just select the other choices in the list.

I've already voted 3 times using 3 different mail IDs. So u also do that if u got more than one ID.

VOTE NOW...
http://www.new7wonders.com/index.php?id=351

with love,
your crusader Praveen

Sunday, June 03, 2007

STONEAGE live


Hello people,
Checkout our band stoneage performing live at Taj green cove, Kovalam. The event is kingfisher kerala rocks fest. Two of our original songs are shown in this video. The 1st one is called ''the mob''. Its against the pointless destruction caused by aimless mobs everywhere. The 2nd song is ''the return''. Its the story of a man who goes to prison for a crime he never committed. After 20 years he gets out from jail..but the soceity doesn't accept him...he begins to miss the jail and his friends there as he had become so used to the life there....he goes insane...and he commits a real crime and returns back to jail...




The lyrics are posted below

The Mob Song

Like a herd of unchained mad dogs
They storm the cities
With hearts so young and limbs so old

They roam the streets.

Destruction is the motto,
Revolution is the warcry,
''Revenge'', they cry out,
But where's the man at the hench?


Aimless to the core,

But no less is the roar,

Spilling blood on the road,

Still crying for more.


Leaving behind a trail of destruction,

Walking back with pride, on their contribution,

Little realising, its their own damnation.

I wonder, will there be a retribution?

****************

The Return


Behind the bars, I repent,

For what I never did.

These walls been my home and shelter,

These outlaws been my kin.


Behind the bars, I wait,

for the day has arrived

for me to bid goodbye,

to my abode of 20 years.

Walking the streets, it feels so new,

But the faces which smile at me are so few,
Is it just that am one not to be known,
'cause am the sign of a life went wrong.


I don't belong here, my heart says,

Now the bars beckon me,

For a crime I did,

I smile as the bars close behind me, one last time
*****************

The band members are as follows-
Vocals- Santhosh aka Mojojojo
Drums- Govind aka wolfrider
Lead guitar- Sreemon aka sreemon
Bass Guitar- Mahadevan aka Nimrod
Rhythm Guitar- Praveen aka ME...

SO, thats $+oή€@g€ 4 u....
Hope u enjoyed the show...

with love,
your crusader Praveen